Mike Pappas (wrestler)

Emmanuel (Manoli) Savenas (May 17, 1941 – December 31, 2022), was a Greek American professional wrestler who wrestled under the name Mike Pappas.

Pappas emigrated to the United States in 1967 and made his professional wrestling debut in 1968 in Australia.

On September 9, 1970, Pappas won the WWA Light-Heavyweight Title with a win over Steve Clements at the Convention Hall in Gadsden, Alabama.

[4] He only scored victories over Jack Evans, Ben Ortiz, Akim Manuka, Bull Pometti, Juan Caruso, Joe Turco, Paul Figueroa, Mike McCord, and Jeff Rhodes[5][6][7] He was well known in a photograph with the towering Andre the Giant, Chief Jay Strongbow and Victor Rivera in 1974.

In 2018, Pappas won the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame with the Wrestling Living Legend Award.