Also known as Jim Mooney
Wrestling Heritage welcomes memories, further information and corrections.
Gentleman Jim intrigued us because his was a name that kept cropping up on wrestling programmes of the 1930s against wrestlers with good credential that included Charlie Green, George Gregory, Golden Hawk and Stan Roberts.
Reports told us that like most wrestlers nicknamed Gentleman his tactics were nothing of the sort, even the bad guy at his local hall in Wood Green. Publicity claimed he was “Regarded as the most ferocious wrestler in the game. Curtis, Atherton and Contro are quite lamb-like in comparison.”
Our search for information left much to be desired. We did find that he was born with the name James Patrick Mooney on 25th March, 1908. Occasionally the name Jim Mooney was used, but mostly he was simply Gentleman Jim.
Although a busy worker Gentleman Jim was a part-time wrestler. In 1936 he stated his occupation as a hairdresser in Finchley, proprietor of Gentleman Jim’s Club in High Road, Wood Green, and a professional wrestler. In 1939 completing the 1939 Register (census) he stated his occupation as a professional wrestler and physical training instructor.
A fifteen stone heavyweight our earliest documented evidence of Gentleman Jim wrestling is in 1934 (undocumented two years earlier), and our final sighting in 1938.
A colourful character in his neighbourhood he continued with his persona following retirement, usually seen out wearing a black Homburg hat, tortoiseshell spectacles and a tailored black overcoat.
Gentleman Jim died at a very early age, just 38 years old, on 15th March, 1947. He was taken ill whilst out driving with friends and taken immediately to the Northern Hospital where he was declared dead.
Page added 13/03/2026
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