Johan Fredrik OLIN

Johan Olin made his international début at the 1911 World Championships, where he finished fifth in the heavyweight class. Olin also competed at the 1912 Olympics, where he reached the final, but lost by fall to Yrjö Saarela and won a silver medal. Olin never won a Finnish title and after the start of World War I emigrated to the United States, where he turned professional under the name John Olin. Olin laid claim to the World Professional Heavyweight title after a controversial bout with reigning champion Joe Stecher. On 12 December 1916 Olin defeated Stecher after 2 hrs and 40 min., when both wrestlers ended up outside the ring brawling. Olin wanted to continue but Stecher declined to return to the ring and Olin was awarded the bout by the referee. As Stecher injured his shoulder during the match, the press and public refused to accept Olin as champion because his win was considered a fluke due to injury. No official announcement was made and Olin was not considered as World Champion, although later, on 2 May 1917, when Olin lost a match to Ed “Strangler” Lewis due to his own shoulder injury, Lewis and most of the public considered Lewis as the World Champion. Olin continued to wrestle professionally in the United States until 1922, when he returned to Finland.