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Springfield-made documentary about pro wrestler-turned-jeweler hits Moxie Cinema on Sunday

Posted: Jul 17th 2022 By: Ryan Collingwood

His Greek accent as thick as his life's catalog, 81-year-old Manoli Savvenas speaks with much of the same vigor he had as a professional wrestler.

It's been more than 40 years since Savvenas, the longtime owner of Manoli's Jewelry, made the pivot from raucous, sell-out rings to wedding rings, but the Springfield man
still welcomes some occasional grappling.

Just don't expect anything from the top rope.

"I can still wrestle," said Savvenas, an expat known as Mike Pappas during the bygone era of the World Wide Wrestling Federation. "My shoulder has been driving me crazy lately, but when you wrestle for 18 years, you learn to live in pain."

Dubbed the "The Flying Greek," Pappas locked up with several prominent WWWF figures in those days, including Macho Man Randy Savage and Ric Flair. He also teamed up with Andre the Giant in a decorated career that came with international
light-heavyweight championship distinction.

Manoli Savvenas wrestled under the name "Mike Pappas." It was enough for local documentarian and wrestling fan Jason Brasier to pursue Savvenas about the prospect of showcasing the journey of one of wrestling's unsung heroes, a project that came to fruition last year.

The 40-minute documentary titled "The Flying Greek" will be shown again on Sunday at 6 p.m. at The Moxie Cinema. Admission is $9 and proceeds will help raise funds for the non-profit theater and local documentarians.


Money from the first 100 tickets will go to The Moxie, which is working to raise $30,000 by the end of July to help keep its doors open.

The short-form documentary is narrated by WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Debrah "Madusa" Miceli. Wrestling historian and journalist Bill Apter also makes an appearance that adds context and color to Savvenas' contribution to the pro
wrestling world.

The diminutive Savvenas, who was listed at 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds, was an inspirational figure due to his size and grit, but he also boasted a rare skill set for his era.

"Not a lot of guys did the flying, aerial maneuvers that he did," Apter said in the documentary. "He was part of that early lineage of WWF of flying wrestlers."

Savvenas enjoyed seeing the finished product of the film, which debuted at the Fox Theatre in December.


More:Springfield Street Choir walks red carpet at screening of documentary

"It's a very good family story," said Savvenas, a skilled jeweler whose Springfield store has pronounced Greek décor. "It's about someone who came here for the American dream."

Brasier, a Willow Springs native, Missouri State graduate and news director at KOLR, was pleased with the finished product.

"I think it went well," said Brasier, who was part of the film's five-person crew, working in collaboration with local non-profit Carbon Trace Productions. "It was the most fun
shoot I've had, but it was very stressful."

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The project was initially slated for a 2020 release, but the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into the production.

Brasier and his team also flexed their resourcefulness when the WWE — the modern successor to the World Wide Wrestling Federation — didn't heed their request for old footage of Pappas, who retired in 1978. They filmed recreations to fill some gaps.

"The Flying Greek," which also appeared at the Sante Fe Film Festival earlier this year, still earned a recent accolade when it was named best documentary in the Only the Best Film Awards.

"We had to get creative," Brasier said. "But it worked out."