THE wrestling world will gather to remember Bolton superstar Jim Foy who has died aged 86.

Known as Elmo the Mighty in his ring days, Jim was one of the country's biggest wrestling stars before the sport was televised.

Wrestlers from today's sport will join family and scores of fans expected for his funeral.

Jim died following a long-illness brought on by his old age.

During his career he notched up more than 2,000 fights in almost every club and stadium in the country.

He was the Lancashire amateur heavyweight champion before he turned professional in the mid-1940s.

Although he retired in 1963, he continued coaching youngsters until ten years ago.

Terrified

His grandson Ray Clegg, 35, a transport manager, of Highfield Drive, Farnworth, said: "I will remember him as a huge man who had an even bigger heart. He terrified us when we were younger but he loved us all. The power and presence of the man was overwhelming."

And his story-telling skills meant his nickname was Hans Christian Anderson.

Ray added: "He really was a wonderful story teller. When I was in the army he had me and a group of fellow soldiers at his feet absolutely enthralled."

One of his favourite tales was of one night at Manchester's Devonshire Club when he and his opponent stopped the bout to lean on the ropes watching a free-for all which had broken out in the audience.

He told a BEN reporter, who interviewed him 15 years after his retirement: "It was the first time we'd ever been paid for watching others scrap."

He took up wrestling aged 16 and began training wrestlers in 1931.

Weighing in at 15 stone during his hey-day, he fought all the top wrestlers from his era including The Wild Man of Borneo, Dirty Jack Pye and Butcher Johnson.

But his wife, Alice, who died in 1986, had the upper hand at home, according to his family.

Born in Bolton, Jim lived in Tonge and worked as a doorman when he was not wrestling.

After retirement from fighting, he ran a bed and breakfast in Blackpool and then in the Isle of Mann before returning to Bolton where he lived at Glen Avenue in Deane.

He has five grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Ray added: "He was very well known in Bolton. All my life all I would have to do is mention my grandad's name and people wanted to know how he was. He never had to buy his own drinks when he went in a pub."

Jack Rigby, of Bolton Olympic Wrestling Club, said: "He was a true giant in every sense of the word. He was very tough but a generous man. He will be sadly missed and a real blow to the sport he loved."

His funeral will take place on Tuesday at noon at St Patrick's Church on Great Moor Street before cremation at Overdale Crematorium followed by a time to catch up on shared memories of Elmo the Mighty at the Derby Ward Labour Club.