Chris Tolos, a Canadian wrestler who formed a famous tag team with brother John Tolos in the 1950s and 1960s, died earlier this week in his native Hamilton, OT, according to the Wrestling Observer. He was 75.
The Tolos Brothers, who were known also as the Canadian Wrecking Crew and the Golden Greeks, were stars in several territories in the United States. As one of the most well-known journeymen teams of the mid-century, they earned championships in Northern California, Texas, Canada, New York (WWWF), Florida, Detroit, and were successful in other territories, such as in Atlanta and Minnesota (AWA).
John went on to become a legendary heel, most notably in Los Angeles (WWA), developing into a tremendous interview. Chris, however, wanted off the road and was content to work prelims in Toronto before retiring in the 1980s.
Between the two of them, they wrestled most of the major stars of the era.
Chris Tolos is featured in the book “Drawing Heat” by Jim Freedman. In it, he discusses the art of connecting with the fans. “We don’t need no clips, no pens or robes; we had a natural gimmick…. Nobody really needs that stuff, foreign objects and all. The gimmick is to reach the fans. Understand them. Look them in the eye.”
