Title History
Career Highlights
In the Beginning:
- George Bollas played football at Warren G. Harding High School..
- March 23, 1946: George Bollas defeated Morris Chitwood of Indiana University to win the NCAA Heavyweight Championship..Getting into Wrestling:
- 1946-47: George Bollas worked occassionally for Ohio promoter Al Haft as “The Mystery Man” for extra money at college..
- 1947: George Bollas turned pro and started working full time for Al Haft before moving to New York..
- 1948: George Bollas wrestled in New York as “The Greek Hercules” until geting banned from NY for ingniting a riot!
- 1948: George Bollas then travelled to Charlotte, North Carolina where he wrestled as “The Intercollegiate Dark Secret”..Birth of The Zebra Kid:
- 1948: George Bollas soon became known as “The Zebra Kid” because of stretch marks on his body from fluctuating weight..
- ~~~George Bollas was wrestling in Los Angeles when he thought of the Zebra Kid gimmick..
- July 7, 1949 The Zebra Kid defeated Buddy Rogers for the Ohio version of the World Heavyweight title!
- November 8, 1951: Lou Thesz defeated The Zebra Kid to retain the National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight title in Toledo, Ohio..
- November 1951: The Zebra Kid wrestled Whipper Billy Watson to a Curfew Draw in the Toronto territory..
- 1952: The Zebra Kid ventured to San Francisco, where he feuded extensively with Rikidozan..
- September 1952: The Zebra Kid & Hans Schnabel defeated Gino Garibaldi & Leo Nomellini for the Pacific Coast Tag Team titles..
- December 1952: The Zebra Kid defeated Sandor Szabo for the “Beat the Champ International Television Title” in Los Angeles..A New Start:
- George Bollas briefly abandoned his Zebra Kid gimmick and wrestled with considerably less success..NWA: Hawaii – The Zebra Kid Returns:
- October 1954: The Zebra Kid returned and worked for Honolulu promoter Al Karasick..
- April 10, 1955: The Zebra Kid defeated Lucky Simunovich for the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight title..
- 1955: The Zebra Kid defeated Rikidozan by DQ when Rikidozan went nuts and ripped Zebra Kid’s mask off!
- ~~~Rikidozan was “suspended” from NWA: Hawaii for his actions..
- December 1955: Al Lolotai defeated The Zebra Kid for the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight title..United States:
- 1956: The Zebra Kid wrestled in Georgia Championship Wrestling..
- 1957: The Zabra Kid returned to Columbus, Ohio and also had stints in Tennessee..
- March 23, 1957: The Zebra Kid defeated Bob McCune for the Ohio State title in Columbus, Ohio..
- July 13, 1957: After a match with Bearcat Wright, The Zebra Kid was attacked in the parking lot by a mob of fans..
- August 1957: Buddy Rogers unmasked The Zebra Kid in Mansfield and they repeated the angle the following night in Columbus..Touring:
- 1958: The Zebra Kid had an extended working tour overseas, including Australia & New Zealand..Capitol Wrestling:
- February 1959: The Zebra Kid returned to the United States, and worked for Capitol Wrestling, feuding with Johnny Valentine..
- The Zebra Kid formed a tag team with Jim Austeri, as The Zebra Kids — Big Zebra (Bollas) and Little Zebra (Austeri)..Texas:
- The Zebra Kid moves to Texas for his next stint..
- June 1960: The Zebra Kid defeated The Golden Giant for the Texas Brass Knucks title in Dallas..
- ~~~Lost the title to Danny McShane in Houston..Touring:
- The Zebra Kid toured Europe, including England, Paris and Athens..
- The Zebra Kid defeated the Greek hero Lambrakis before a crowd of 43,000..United States:
- January 4, 1961: Mike Sharpe & The Zebra Kid defeated Nick Bockwinkel & Edouard Carpentier for the International TV Tag Team titles..
- ~~~Also in the AWA, The Zebra Kid & Hans Hermann defeated Pat O’Connor & Leo Nomellini..
- June 1961: The Zebra Kid defeated Lou Thesz! in Long Beach, California..
- August 9, 1961: Lou Thesz defeated The Zebra Kid in a rematch at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles..Japan:
- The Zebra Kid travelled to Japan, where he would work for Rikidozan’s Japan Wrestling Association..
- November 7, 1961: After a two month tour with the company, The Zebra Kid was unmasked (again) by Rikidozen..United States:
- 1962: The Zebra Kid once again returned to the Texas territory and eventually back to Ohio..
- Semi Retirement:
- 1964: George Bollas and his family settled in England with plans of getting into the promotional side of the business..
- 1965: George Bollas promoted matches in Greece with a cousin, and defeated George Gordienko before a crowd of 15,000 in Athens..
- ~~~The event was a disaster though, as Bollas’ cousin split with the money and left him high and dry..George Bollas:
- 1968: The Zebra Kid retired and moved to Akron, Ohio after suffering a serious eye injury in Germany..
- January 1977: George Bollas passes away at the age of 53..
- September 1998: Angela Bollas & George Bollas Jr. were introduced on the field during halftime at an Ohio State University football game..
- ~~~George Bollas Sr. had been inducted into the OSU Athletic Hall of Fame..
- Click here for a wonderful story of George Bollas’ life written by Will Morrisey and posted on Percival A. Friend’s Website..
- 2010: George Bollas’s grandson George Bollas Jr. began his wrestling career with a 4th place finish at the State of Ohio Junior High School Wrestling Championships. The tradition lives on!