Ed Don George was an exceptional amateur athlete. He won national AAU heavyweight championships in both 1928 and 1929, and wrestled at the University of Michigan . In 1928 he placed fourth at the Olympic Games held in Amsterdam . He began his professional career shortly after returning from the Olympics and soon scaled new heights. Quick and powerful, he captured the NWA world heavyweight title in 1931 from Gus Sonnenberg, and held it for nearly three years, off and on. Ed Don George was one of the top box office draws of the 1930s, and then served as a promoter in the Northeast for decades. George died in 1985 at the age of 80.