Paul Pons

Paul Pons (June 23, 1864–April 13, 1915), stage name le Colosse ("The Colossus"), was a French wrestler.

Born in Sorgues, France he won the first world championship in wrestling, organized by Le Journal des Sports, by beating Polish competitor from Russian Empire, Wladislaus Pytlasinski.

[1] His fame allowed him to open a gym in Paris offering wrestling classes.

[2] The championship passed to Bulgarian Nikola Petroff in 1900, when he defeated Pons at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

He published his memoirs in the sports magazine La Vie au grand air in 1907.