The wrestling world is in mourning after the death of Greek wrestling veteran Manoli ‘Mike Pappas’ Savvenas.
The sad news was announced on Twitter by Jason Braiser, who had directed a documentary on Pappas, and the veteran wrestler lost his battle to colorectal cancer.
It is with great sadness that I have to inform everyone that Manoli Savvenas, Aka Mike Pappas the Flying Greek has lost his battle with colorectal cancer.
I am thankful to have known Manoli and that I was able to get to know his family and admirers through our documentary. pic.twitter.com/JxIzR0AkuY— Jason Brasier (@JasonBrasier) January 1, 2023
Pappas trained as a wrestler in Rhodes, Greece before making a move to America and was an active competitor from 1968 to 1978.
Working on the undercard for the WWWF, Pappas was unique for his high-flying style at the time, earning the nickname ‘The Flying Greek.’
After his wrestling career ended, Pappas would spend his time with a different kind of ring, opening a jewelry store run by himself and his wife Valerie.
We here at eWrestlingNews.com would like to offer our condolences to those who knew Mike at this sad time.
You can keep up with all your wrestling news right here on eWrestlingNews.com. Or, you can follow us over on our Twitter and Facebook pages.