Also known as Emil Foy, Elmo The Mighty, The Mighty Elmo
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Lancashire’s Man of Stone
One of those tough men in the ring and a gentle giant outside the ropes, that was Elmo the Mighty, otherwise known by his birth name of Jim Foy.
Born in Bolton on 26th March, 1914, Jim was one of the great characters of professional wrestling for close on twenty years, from the mid 1940s until his retirement in 1963.
After leaving school he took up work as a general labourer, listing his occupation in 1939 as a Constructional Engineer. 1939 was also the year that Jim married Alice Haynes, with the couple remaining together until Alice’s death in 1986.
As an amateur at Bolton United Harriers and Athletic Club Jim was Lancashire Heavyweight Champion. In 1944 and 1945 he reached the finals of the National Amateur Wrestling Associations championships. Jim started wrestling professionally soon afterwards, our earliest verified contest being on 6th November, 1945, losing to Jack Pye in New Brighton. He was following in the footsteps of other club members George Gregory, Johnny Nelson, Joe and Jim Reid. Right from the start he used the name Elmo the Mighty, wrestling initially in the north west of England. By 1947 he was travelling far more extensively, to the south of England and northwards to Scotland. Opponents by then were many of those familiar to Heritage readers, top calibre men such as Ernest Baldwin, Francis St Clair Gregory, Mitchell Gill and The Angel.
He was undoubtedly one of the hardest men in wrestling and we have it on good authority that a young Billy Robinson considered Jim the hardest man he knew and complained that he was unable to throw the Bolton man, ““I go there, and there’s Jim Foy sat smoking his pipe all bloody day, and I can’t even get him off the floor”.
In February 1947 Jim took part in the World heavyweight Championship tournament at the Harringay Arena Eventual winner was Bert Assirati’ Jim being knocked out by Belgian Gaston Ghaevart
In the late 1940s and early 1950s Jim was one of the busiest workers travelling around the country and wrestling the top men. Things changed around 1953 and we don’t know why. Travelling became more limited to northern England, and appearances less frequent. He remained a firm favourite at Manchester’s Belle Vue, working for Dick and Jessie Rogers against big name opponents.
From 1957 onwards we find Jim working only for independent promoters. Still working top of the bill, now facing independent stars Black Butcher Johnson, Dominic Pye, Cowboy Cassidy, The Wild Man of Borneo and The Ghoul.
In 1964 Jim packed his boots away for the last time and retired from the ring.
On the nights he wasn’t wrestling Jim could usually be found as a doorman on one of the clubs and pubs of his then hometown of Tonge. Jim was renowned as a great storyteller and it was not unknown for him to spend an houror two entertaining not just children but adults too.
After retirement from wrestling he ran a bed and breakfast in Blackpool before moving to the Isle of Man, and later returning to Bolton.
At the time of his death Jack Rigby, of Bolton Olympic Wrestling Club, described Jim as a true giant in every sense of the word, a very tough but generous man.
Jim Foy died on 3rd July 2000, aged 86.
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