Imam Baksh Pahalwan
Indian professional wrestler
About Imam Baksh Pahalwan
Lived 1883 – 1977 (aged 93–94). Imam Baksh Pahalwan was an Indian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler and wrestler.
Imam Baksh Butt (1883–1977) was a wrestler from British India and a practitioner of the wrestling style of Pehlwani. Imam was also the brother of Ghulam "The Great Gama" Muhammad Lone. Imam had arrived in England by April, 1910, along with fellow wrestlers from British India, including his brother Ghulam Muhammad, Ahmed Bux, and Gamu, to participate in European catch wrestling tournaments.
Health and Strength magazine announced "The Invasion of the Indian Wrestlers" in its 14 May 1910, issue. The members of the Indian group were listed as Gama, Champion of India; Imam Baksh, Champion of Lahore; Ahmed Baksh, Champion of Amritsar; and Gamu, Champion of Jalandhar.
Imam Baksh wrestled Swiss champion John Lemm during his career. The match between Baksh and Lemm ended with Baksh defeating the Swiss champion.
In 1918, Gama Ghulam Muhammad, in a major tournament at Kolhapur, passed his title of Indian Champion to Imam Bux, who had thrown Rahim Sultaniwala in 20 minutes.
Some have argued that Imam Baksh, was an even finer wrestler than Gama himself. Imam Baksh frequently served as the first opponent for challengers seeking to face Gama, and it is said that no one managed to beat him in order to face Gama. In 1910, he accompanied Gama to London, where he twice pinned the Swiss wrestler John Lemm—one of Europe’s foremost grapplers—in a combined time of just four minutes. Henry Werner had written that letter saying that Imam Bux would have been a better opponent for Stanislaus Zbyszko than for Gama. The editor of Health and Strength wrote that, "in my opinion, he [Gama] is not quite so clever a wrestler as his brother, Imam Bux, who enjoys the advantage of a longer reach."
By the mid-1940s, Gama continued to put out challenges but added a stipulation. The stipulation was that anyone who wanted to wrestle the great Gama had to wrestle and defeat Imam first. No one did.
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Imam Baksh Pahalwan's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Imam Baksh Pahalwan's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Imam Baksh Pahalwan?
Indian professional wrestler
When was Imam Baksh Pahalwan born?
Imam Baksh Pahalwan was born in 1883.
When did Imam Baksh Pahalwan die?
Imam Baksh Pahalwan died in 1977.
What was Imam Baksh Pahalwan's occupation?
Imam Baksh Pahalwan was an amateur wrestler, professional wrestler and wrestler.
What nationality was Imam Baksh Pahalwan?
Imam Baksh Pahalwan was Indian.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Imam Baksh Pahalwan
· DBpedia: Imam Baksh Pahalwan
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Imam Baksh Pahalwan. https://biography.guide/imam-baksh-pahalwan/
MLA: "Imam Baksh Pahalwan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/imam-baksh-pahalwan/.
Chicago: "Imam Baksh Pahalwan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/imam-baksh-pahalwan/.
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