- Professional wrestler for several decades.
- Inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002 (charter class).
- Developed his devastating Headlock while at Louisville University. Through scientific study of anatomy and kinesiology, he was able to duplicate the intensity of force from a Heavyweight Boxer's best Knockout Punch; but applied through his Headlock (proper term, Side Chancery).
- Born Robert Friedrich, June 30, 1891 in Nekoosa, Wisconsin; but took the Ring Name of Ed "Strangler" Lewis because a Newspaperman saw in him a resemblance to popular Wrestler of the 1880s and '90s, Evan "Strangler" Lewis.
- Attended Louisville University on an Athletic Scholarship for Baseball; also, later playing Professional Minor League Baseball.
- He used a specially made, patented, spring loaded wooden "head" exerciser to make his headlock even more powerful and devastating. The device was invented by his associate Trainer/Manager, Billy Sandow in 1926. (They also marketed the item for sale to the public, with some modest degree of success.).
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion.
- MWA World Heavyweight Champion.
- Perennially a Heavyweight Wrestling Champion or Top Ranked Contender, Lewis was finally done in by his contracting Trachoma; which is a bacterial infection of the eyes. It caused blindness in the Champ and was far more common (and dangerous) in those pre-penicillin days.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content