British Wrestlers Reunion

The site Editor wants to hear from all you budding authors with any stories of wrestling. The more amusing the better. Wrestlers, Officials and especially the dear fans who can always be relied upon to recount many tales of the halycon days.  Thank you. The Ed. 

Emails to :-  frank.rimer@yahoo.com

04/06/2010

THE LATE SPENCER JEAL WAS AN ACCOUNTANT AND FRIEND TO MANY OF THE WRESTLING FRATERNITY DURING THE 60/70S. HE HAD A RESERVED FRONT ROW SEAT AT THE FAIRFIELD HALLS CROYDON FOR OVER 45 YEARS UNTIL HIS DEATH. HERE IS A TRIBUTE ANECDOTE FROM HIS GRAND SON AND WRESTLING FAN :STEVE JEAL  

 

I got into the wrestling because of my grandfather, a gentleman by the name of Spencer Jeal. One or two of your contributors/readers will remember him. He was a bit of an entrepreneur, primarily an accountant and book keeper, he had his fingers in one or two pies, especially property and he looked after the books of one or two wrestlers and promoters. Now I’m not sure how this came to be. I remember Spencer telling a story once that just after the war his slightly built brother Sydney, a rugby player, used to play scrum half at a decent level and he was minded by two enormous ex pat Hungarian wing forwards. Now these two guys fell into wrestling as a career and with Spencer living in Eltham, there were plenty of local venues – The Yorkshire Grey and the swimming baths were on his doorstep – and Spencer was able get them on the various cards. And so his relationship with wrestlers and wrestling began. Amongst his clients in my time were Steve Grey, John Harris and Lee Bronson, but I know there were others who had retired. Tony Salvo comes to mind – I noticed his name on the ‘Dressing Room in the Sky’ page. Now Tony I remember well as he had a very close relationship with Spencer  – if I’m not mistaken Tony went into the car trade. Whilst I have no specific memories – I am 38 and we are talking late 70s/early 80s here - I do remember him being a very nice man indeed who I believe was of great help to Spencer over the years.

Spencer was also an acquaintance of Jackie Pallo and I met him a few times on a Sunday morning at my grandparents’ house in Eltham, as I did Steve Grey. My sister even remembers with great fondness going back stage at a panto and meeting Jackie and all the stars of that particular production. Now of course we are talking the halcyon days of the wrestling here – pre FA Cup final shows at Wembley arena, huge viewing figures weekly on World of Sport – these guys were household names as you well know, so for a star struck seven or eight year old, seeing them in my grandparents back room on a Sunday morning drinking tea was just fantastic.

Spencer successfully managed to infect all three of his younger grandsons with the magic of the ring as it reached perhaps its height of popularity in the late 70s. One of my earliest memories was going to the Albert Hall in about 1979. It seems incredible now that in my lifetime The Wrestling would sell out the Albert Hall but it did and it really was a truly exciting occasion. Spencer put us in a private box and it was my first live show having watched it on the television for years. Names I remember that night include Tally Ho Kaye, Alan Dennison, Dave Boy Smith, Chris Adams and I think this was the height of the Wayne Bridges/John Quinn feud – Bridges was definitely on the card and of course it was headlined by Big Daddy. Sammy Lee the Japanese star was over and I think he got turned over by Mark Rocco with Daddy coming to his rescue which converted the headline bout from an individual to a tag match, with of course Daddy and Lee winning. For a seven year old this was pure magic.

As the 80s progressed Spencer would take us to Lewisham and Croydon shows which meant we were going every three weeks or so. There were some truly memorable nights. Rollerball Rocco became my favourite and for a while circa ‘85 he had some great matches with a then babyface Mal Saunders. The brutish Quinn was an ever present and had some real barneys with Bridges and Pete Roberts. There was Finlay in the Princess Paula era, occasionally Daddy and Haystacks would appear, supplemented by Clive Myers, Steve Grey, Danny Collins, Jonny Saint and Skull Murphy to name but a few. This guaranteed very few flat bouts, they were truly explosive cards.

The next era I guess, as the 80s ran into the 90s, was the beginning of the end. Lewisham hosted less and less shows, Dale Martin seemed to disappear and All Star was now the only promoter. There were still some great headline bouts courtesy of Nagasaki, Rocco (they had a brutal feud over the course of a year or so in the early 90s) with a younger generation of Steve Regal, Dave Taylor, Robbie Brookside and Doc Dean hitting their peak. Funnily enough we always felt that of that particular vintage, Regal was the most limited performer – but look at him now – he is the one that truly does our country credit.

But alas the 90s continued and saw a marked collapse in attendances as once packed stalls at Croydon were replaced by rows and rows of empty seats. I remember when television was pulled and a Croydon evening was chosen to make a last appeal to the TV execs with Mick McManus getting in the ring to make an impassioned plea. I sense the business looked to blame Greg Dyke as public enemy number one, but as a reasonably media savvy fan and regular at many live shows over the years, if the truth be told the great days had ended well before that emotional night in Croydon – the TV execs cannot be blamed. Interestingly my nephew, Spencer’s great grandson started coming, and whilst he loved it and Dave Rocky Taylor became a hero to him, you could just tell that for him, part of the Sky TV WWE generation, it just wasn’t the same as it was for us at his age.

And how could it be – a quarter full Croydon on a Tuesday night just doesn’t grab the child’s imagination like a packed Albert Hall on a Saturday night. And it wasn’t  for the want of trying – more American formats were tried with guys like Steve Adonis being imported in from across the pond. And the Power Ranger craze was aped in the ring with the Wrestling Power rangers but alas it was a losing battle. And I really don’t think the British Wrestling community should do too much navel gazing here. Many campaigners relentlessly put their bodies on the line every night for peanuts, promoters did their best but at the end of the day entertainment trends move on and there is very little anyone can do.

Just as music hall gave way to terrestrial television, then terrestrial television with its relatively limited four channel choice gave way to the satellite age with its competing live sports. People had more choice than ever in how they spent their money on a night out and unfortunately British Wresting with its industrious, hard, committed but alas aging stars and its more strategic two falls or a submission format simply became a relic of a bygone era in the same way as TV variety shows did. Remember, now, a terrestrial show that pulls in 8 million viewers has TV execs popping the Champagne corks. In the 70s and early 80s, 8 million viewers on a Saturday night would be considered a complete failure. What I am saying is I don’t think there is anything wrestling could have done against these far greater forces of sporting and entertainment trends.

Spencer died in 1996 having just got past his 90^th birthday, but he kept attending at Croydon right to the end despite increasingly failing health. The highlight of these latter years was when John Harris invited him to join his other friends and acquaintances in the ring on his final night as an MC before retirement. John was also a lovely man and even after Spencer’s death made sure my father was on his Christmas message round robin from Spain. And alas while my brother, cousins and nephew returned a couple of times, it just wasn’t the same and our interest has petered away too. I am glad to see a UK wrestling industry clearly exists, plays to decent crowds and produces good athletes, and long may that continue. But for me you cannot replicate those great days and I prefer now to get my fix through the classic bouts on You Tube.

We will always have nothing but fond and fun memories of the wrestling in my family. It is funny, Spencer was a very cultured man who loved Shakespeare, classical music, dined with Lord Mayors and arranged lettings for visiting Hollywood film stars. But outside of his family, wrestling was his greatest passion and it gave him many happy memories and good friends. To all who may read this who contributed to that enjoyment over the years, on Spencer’s behalf and mine, a huge thanks.

 

 

Steve Jeal

25thMay 2010  

                   This was another of my Promotions, but it does show that when in the ring our heads were only about 4ft from the ceiling so body slams or big hypes were definitely out. That's me with Steve Viedor, when I had some hair. At the time I was running 4 Judo Clubs, one of them at this Venue another at Thames Television, that lasted 9 years as well. Two other clubs, The Fairholme Judokan in Bedfont which is still going to this day and the England Judo Coach took over from me. Roy Inman who fought John Paul Koch, the World Champion to a 15 minute draw. Another club in Feltham Residents Association Club at Sparrow Farm, Feltham. Back to the Wrestling ,at my other Club Feltham Ex Service mans Club Fetham, Johnny Kincaid and The Killer Kowalski were on the bill and went down a Storm. The Venue was sold out as one of Roy Parkes boys was on the bill  and he alone sold 100 tickets, Roy came with his Wife Toby who downed 32 Cherry B's she told me as she was so excited.

Back to my bout with Steve, he was amazing, his timing and ring-craft was so good I was memorized by his ability. There was me a 2nd Dan Black Belt and I felt like I was starting all over he was so enthralling. Everyone enjoyed it as it showed the two arts coming together and I was way out of my depth with Steve being so good. It really helped to understand ringcraft a lot better and then I was able to adapt a lot of my Judo skills into wrestling moves, a very big learning curve.

       The third picture is of Steve Viedor with our resident referee Benji Elliot who used to come to my Judo to learn to breakfall as he quite often was so involved with the bout that he got dumped a few times but was able to take it.

       The last picture is of a Promotion of mine at Feltham Assembly Rooms, Felthem, Middlesex. There you can see a Tag match with Dino Scarlo and his Dad against Bob Taylor and Paul Knight and it bought the house down. They were really good and got some terrific heat going there the audience loved it. One problem was that it was a charity do and the Mayor and his Lady were there and I was on with Jim Martell from Engelfield Green and during the bout he aimed me through the ropes and I ended up going over and getting ny neck caught between the middle and top rope. As I am hanging there and they are trying to get me out the Mayoress fainted and luckily had a St Johns Ambulance chap there on duty who managed to bring her round and sort it out, and the show went on after they left. The one good thing there was that my pal a Publican got the license to run the bar there and we made a nice few bob that way, including everyone getting paid. We raised a fair sum and it was later presented to the Mayor but I have lost the newspaper cutting of it.

         The strangest Charity Show we did was at Heston Catholic Club, with Clive Ironfist Myers as top of the bill. We had a guy who worked as the Executioner (Jim Green) with the thermos flask, he was 6ft 6in and would come in with Desdemona on his shoulder wearing a fur coat. When he lowered her into the ring she would take the coat of and had a Bikini on and would towel Jim down. He is on with one of Roy Parkes sons Stan, a big lad, of course Jim in the mask was giving Stan all kinds of hell for about three rounds. Towards the end of the third Stan Parke's Wife jumps up onto the Apron of the groin and whacks The Executioner over the head with a wooden Clog shoe she was wearing. That round finished and half way through the forth round and there is blood appearing from under Jim Green's mask, the Ref stopped the fight and Jim was taken to Hospital with a three inch gash in his head and they sewed it together with what looked to us like binder twine. From then on Stan was asked not to bring his Wife, who could have a row with the best of them. Jim Green ran a Pub in Hounslow for quite a few years called The Honeycomb, and he did lots more shows for me, he was registered in the Film agency Uglies as he had massive hairy hands. The ending of the Show at Heston was Clive Myers doing 40 knuckle press ups in the ring while waiting for his opponent. Then whilst I am introducing him a punter jumped into the ring and said, "I am a pal of Jackie Pallo and I'm going have you, I think he had been on the sauce all the evening and this was the final bout. Needless to say Clive dispatched the guy in seconds and we carried him out of the Club and dumped him outside and he was banned from ever going to the Club again.

03/05/2010

BOB KIRKWOOD, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 HOLDS. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A WRESTLING WORKER.

 

BY DAVID GENTLE. Features editor Health and Strength.

The title may well be a bit of an exaggeration, as most wrestlers can get by with far less than 80 holds. When wrestling was at its lowest ebb, some “matches” would not have had more than 10 different holds in total, and that’s counting the belly flop as one. Luckily, the sport had a far better run before the death knoll and hopefully its once again regaining its entertainment value. Entertainment always the goal of most wrestling matches, apart from a few shooting matches. Ridicule killed it for a while, but hopefully the fun is now back for the faithful, although the old timers must have more than a grin when they watch some of the more outlandish matches. The warning is there, don’t take the audience’s intelligence too much for granted. Some imported USA matches make you wonder who are the greatest idiots, the audience or the contestants.

Despite what historians call the Golden Age of Wrestling, of matches between Hackensmidt , Gotch, The Angel, etc, I suppose because it is personal, the best of all times for me was the years between the late 1940s to the 1970s. The boredom of some styles of early ( and probably genuine shooting matches.) wrestling was solved by bringing in the so called All in style. More faces were in the game, more skill was introduced and people were entertained, so much so, that Saturday night was not complete without watching wrestling, either at some of the many venues, or directly on the television, where many names were made as a result of Kent Walton’s commentaries and build up of excitement. In fact it was the lucky ones who really supported the matches. I know for a decade, it was my top day of the week.

Wrestling had its stars, heroes, and villains, and all because of its faithful workers. One of the best of all, when wrestling was at its peak of fame was Bob Kirkwood, a handsome (I think that’s what he wrote?) former bodybuilder from Portsmouth Hampshire.

Bob was born in the mid thirties and went to school at the Portsmouth Southern Grammar School. Initially inspired by the legendary bodybuilder and movie Hercules Steve Reeves to take up weights for muscle building, an aim further influenced by the most popular bodybuilder in UK who for political reasons, never won the Universe, i.e. Spencer Churchill. As an extra bonus, Bob actually liked to exercise for the sheer delight of it all, making great gains which resulted in a superb physique worthy of any line up

At that period, he trained at the famous Bob Woolgar gym where the 1948 Olympic lifting had trained. Later many more famous and household names also trained at the Woolgar gym, including the one and only Arnold scwarzenegger.

At the time when all men of a certain age had to do National Service, Bob found himself posted to Singapore in the R.A.F. and with his physique, became a P.T. instructor, in the infamous Changi Camp, where he picked up and put into practice his wrestling skills.

During his time out East, he met some amazing characters famous in the wrestling game, including Ricky Waldo, King Kong and the great American Lou Thez. Bob visited Changi prison twice a week teaching the inmates weight training. .Although a qualified Aircraft instruments fitter, Bob spent more time on his wrestling and weight training.

With his time served, Bob returned to Portsmouth and met Bruno Elrington, who put him in touch with promoter Ken Joyce. Ken started them both up in the mat game in early 1960.

Any wrestler will tell you the game requires constant travelling.( and a digestive system of steel ) Bob visited almost every town and city in the UK, punctuated by more exotic jaunts to foreign places such as France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Zambia, and several trips to both Nigeria and Kenya.

Over a quarter a century of wrestling and travelling, Bob estimates he travelled all of two million miles, wearing out 23 cars in the process. Bob of course met many famous people and personalities. He actually trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Reub Martin, Gene Bohaty and John Yearsley and was personal friends with Spencer Churchill, Reg Park, Bob Paris, Lee Labrada etc in the bodybuilding world, plus his opponents in the square ring are almost a Whos Who of the mat game, including Paul Lincoln his wrestling mentor, Mick Mc Manus, Jackie Pallo, Les Kellett, Randolph Turpin, Freddie Mills etc. He also met the Duke of Edinburgh ,Jomo Kenyatta, Ken Kaunda and more. The special occasion when the top wrestlers of the day, met at the Royal Albert Hall on July 11^th 1968 in front of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh in aid of the St John Ambulance Association and Brigade was certainly a highlight on the wrestling calendar. Those taking place at this unique event included Mick McManus,Jackie Pallo,Al Hayes, Steve Logan,Clayton Thomson,The Royals Bert and Vic, Les Kellett, The Dennisons, ie. Alan and Sid Cooper, and Bob Kirkwood. We know from reports that the Duke certainly enjoyed his night out, later meeting all the “boys”.

After at least 5,000 bouts and what seemed like a lifetime in the mat game, Bob, like most of us, began showing signs of wear and tear, and with the introduction to T.V of what I can only call, “The Clowns”, wrestling began to lose its public interest, even losing its T.V. spot. So Bob returned to his other interest, the gym business, working for local authorities, and running sport centres up until 1995, eventually opening his own gym up until 2006. In 2005 he was presented with an award from The British Wrestlers Reunion, via Wayne and Sarah Bridges, for his services to wrestling. He also pays tribute to the many wrestlers we have lost over the years, most household names and heroes.

Whilst not a collector as such, he does appreciate Ray Plunkett and others for their gifts of his past matches, bill posters, photos etc. Sadly he is not too overwhelmed with the modern over the top wrestling promotions as imported from America. His hobbies are working out in his home gym, drinking good wine, watching movies and most of all collecting Frank Sinatra memorabilia , Sinatra being his favourite singer of all times.

When I asked Bob did he have any advice for those wishing to take up wrestling, and we both agreed there are some good new lads on the scene. He suggested they join a gym, build up strength and physique, learn the holds and skills of real wrestling, and most of all… “!Don’t give up your day job”.

Thanks Bob for the interview and advice, see you at the next Reunion at the Bridges.

David Gentle.

23/03/2010

26/02/2010

 

 Jackie McCann

 

 courtesy Jackie Mccann and Dennis Lord

( Eds note: What are your views ? have we gone too far ? Go to Forum page under current wrestling and have your say)

Showdown Show-stopper in Stoke

 

 

Saturday 18^th July 2009: one of the World of Sport’s most prestigious wrestling venues played host to LDN’s Legends Showdown spectacular, an evening that promised the best of British action both old and new, and had more than enough names - good and bad alike - to live up to that assurance.

 

The action kicked off with the LDN Capital belt on the line – a statement which seemed to come as something of a shock for holder Danny Garnell. His opponent was the acrobatic Hakan, a youngster who ended up in hospital very recently at the hands of the mysterious Man in the Mask, Kendo Nagasaki. Despite Garnell holding the title he did not dominate the match but eventually came out victorious with the one fall he needed.

 

Before the second match, Sanjay Bagga proudly announced that no Legends Showdown would be complete with the Legends Parade. The first veteran to grace the canvas was none other than Bobby Ryan, former British Lightweight champion, a man who dominated the 70’s wrestling scene along with other great names such as Steve Grey and Jim Breaks. Interestingly enough, it was The Victoria Hall in Hanley where Bobby took the title from Jim Breaks in the mid seventies. Johnny Kincaid was the second legend in the parade, receiving a lifetime achievement award. Johnny took the microphone and relived some of his memories but was disappointed that he had been unable to fight on the evening due to doctor’s orders. The third and final legend to make an appearance was probably the biggest shock of the evening – certainly to me anyway – the former British, European and World Mid Heavyweight champion, Marty Jones, also collecting an award from LDN. Holding the frame aloft, Jones spoke to the crowd and it was pretty obvious that he really missed his involvement with the scene. He also mentioned that current WWE stars, Finlay and Lord Regal still called him regularly.

 

The start of the second match was pretty controversial as Stoke star Keith Myatt came into the ring before Marty Jones had finished, stole the microphone and hurled abuse at the former star, refusing to show one ounce of respect for a man who has probably forgotten more Myatt will ever know. Jones was finally allowed to leave the ring but not before removing his jacket for a taste of the action, but it was Alan Lee Travis (Myatt’s opponent) who stopped it from escalating. True to form, Myatt’s rule-bending incited the crowd to fever pitch as the action moved from the ring to the floor to the ring again, and finally the stage of the theatre, before ending up back in the ring where an unfortunate incident knocked the referee clean out of it. Enter, Marty Jones who had obviously had enough, and for the first time in years showed us why he was one of the biggest stars in the game and precisely why Myatt should have respected him. Travis did win the match and whether or not he needed Marty’s help we’ll never know. Myatt had plenty to say afterwards and threw out a challenge to Marty Jones. All I can say is: watch this space.

 

An already angered crowd was driven further over the edge when Sheffield grappler Blondie Barret entered the ring carrying The Kendo Nagasaki Sword of Excellence. His opponent was the 2007 Golden Grappler champion, Johnny Kidd. Once again, it was Barret’s rule-bending that created a furious battle not only between the two wrestlers, but also the crowd and the officials. Despite various injuries throughout the bout, Kidd eventually came out on top, winning by two falls to one. At that point however, Barret refused to hand over the sword, claiming he did not see anything on his contract.

 

After the break, another LDN title was on the line: holder Jon Ritchie rose to the challenge of David De-ville, fought out under spirit rules with the winner needing two falls, two submissions or a knockout to decide. If we thought we’d seen everything so far, we were wrong. Ritchie and his butler Ponsonby caused a near riot, which resulted in water flying in every direction, with members of the crowd challenging them both to a fight to the death in the ring. Ritchie dominated the first couple of rounds but the tables turned when De-Ville gained the first fall in the third. However, experience prevailed and Ritchie secured the two falls he needed to keep the belt: but not before a tantrum saw him leave the ring, refusing to return.

 

The final match of the night was the Johnny Saint Open Challenge match. The only person to take him up was a man who had already fought earlier in the evening, Johnny Kidd: a repeat match of the main event of Legends Showdown 2007 in the Broxbourne Civic Hall. Two true masters of the sport gave us all a lesson in grappling: wrestlers and members of the audience alike. It was once again fought out under Spirit Rules and, in all honesty, was the type of match that didn’t require an official. Both men, real ambassadors for the sport, wouldn’t know how to break a rule if they were taught from now till doomsday: a sheer pleasure. The only sad fact of it all was that the hall was less than half full. But what can you do when you do not have the power of television to help?

 

Before the event finished an announcement was made, and one I had expected to come at some point throughout the night. The Victoria Hall in Hanley is considered to be Kendo Nagasaki’s stomping ground: a venue where he unmasked Count Bartelli and, also had his final official fight. Grappling fans more recently will also remember he had his controversial Sword of Excellence Ladder Match at the hall last year with the Greek wrestler, Yorghos. The message from the masked man of mystery was that the dark clouds were gathering once more, signifying the Samurai Warrior’s return to the ring. LDN owner Sanjay Bagga welcomed the message and told the crowd they would be returning to Stoke next February in the half term week, and if Nagasaki wanted to join them he would be more than welcome. So, what with the promise of Marty Jones and Kendo Nagasaki possibly on the same bill, British Wrestling still has a hell of a lot to live for. That said: see you all in Stoke next year. But before that, I may get to see some of you in Kent at this year’s August reunion.

 

    Ray Clark 2009.

Ripley& Heanor News
Popular Langley Mill Wrestler
Les Riley
During the daytime Leslie Riley of Station Road, Langley Mill, follows his
occupation as a skilled plumber, and in the evening you might often see him
setting off in his car bound for such places as Leicester, Ilkeston and
Melton Mowbray, or in a more northerly direction to Manchester or even
westerly to Birmingham. Yes, in addition to being a skilled plumber Les is
also an idol of the wrestling world, where he pits his strength and skill
against some of the toughest characters in the sport.
It is fairly certain that when the fans see the billing Les Riley of Langley
Mill and Derbyshire, then they know that there will be a good contest.
Les keeps himself at peak fitness for his job he has to do. He took up
wrestling while serving in the Navy and developed so rapidly that soon he
was grappling with the best, and won for himself the title of junior
heavyweight champion of the Navy.
And when this familiar smiling figure in the green dressing gown and trunks
enters the ring it is usually to a chorus of shouts of “Good old Les” or
“Watch him Les he’ll have you” to which he usually acknowledges with a nod
and a grin.
Local wrestling supporters will have a chance to seeing Les in action at
Heanor Town Hall tomorrow (Saturday) when he meets the 17-stone cowboy star
“Bronco” Jack Cassidy of Canada, in a special challenge contest, which is
topping a well balanced bill.

Ripley and Heanor News
April 12th 1963
WRESTLING AT HEANOR

RILEY BEATEN-TURPIN REJECTS WIN
Heanor Town Hall was packed to capacity on Saturday when International
Promotions (Leicester) staged another action packed tournament.
The main event was a light-heavyweight bout between Randolph Turpin
(Leamington) and Les Riley (Langley Mill). It was action and excitement all
the way, as both wrestlers warmed up with Irish Whips and Turpin laid on a
leg lever, Riley hit back with a knee drop. Turpin took the first fall in
this round however, with a victory roll and shoulder press. The third round
was very much Turpin's as he lay on a gruelling body scissors and then
hammered Riley round the ring with three mighty forearm smashes. At the
start of the fourth Turpin held Riley in a bear hug but amid great
excitement, the local star escaped and equalised with a double knee on the
shoulder press. Now it was Riley's turn to raise the cheers, as he executed
a short arm scissors on Turpin, but the coloured star replied by knocking
Riley out of the ring twice. Riley dropped Turpin with a piledriver and
quickly applied an overhead throw. His next move however,brought disaster,
when he tried to follow up with a flying two-foot drop kick, which Turpin
sidestepped and Riley tangled himself in the ropes with the top rope tightly
secured round his groin. He was temporarily knocked-out, and Referee Pygall,
Turpin and two seconds worked feverishly for five minutes before Riley
recovered and was able to be assisted to his corner. Ken Mason announced
Turpin the winner with a technical knock-out, but the former world
middleweight boxing champion declared "No Contest."

Ripley and Heanor News
19th Jan 1962
WRESTLING AT HEANOR
Photo by George Eyre, Codnor
Standing left to right: Cowboy Cassidy, Sean O’Shea, Les Riley (Langley
mill), Ronto the Bull (referee), Big John (Jacksdale) kneeling: Cliffe Milla
and Jack Taylor

Les Riley’s Sensational Win
Fantastic scenes followed the verdict of the top of the Bill bout. When
International Promotions staged another wrestling tournament at the Town
Hall, Heanor, on Saturday. A packed house was treated to trills spills and
excitement indeed the best bill to be presented in the hall during the
present season.
The entry of Langley Mill’s own star, Les Riley, was greeted with thunderous
applause, when he met the cowboys star “Bronco” Jack Cassidy, of Canada, in
a heavy weight challenge contest right from the first bell, it was action
all the way as Riley carried the fight to Cassidy, who was two and a half
stones heavier in weight. Les escaped from a full Nelson hold, and then
caught Cassidy twice in attempted dropped back-breakers over the knee
Cassidy replied with a forearm smash at the end of the round. As Riley was
being attended to during the interval, Cassidy ran over and emptied his
water bottle down the back of Riley’s trunks and Riley replied by showering
water all over the cowboy at the start of the second round. Two Irish whips
floored Cassidy, who replied with a flying overhead throw but Riley rallied
to secure the first fall with a double knee hold and shoulder press. More
wrangling followed and Riley smashed Cassidy round the ring, and then
followed up with a bear hug. Cassidy flung referee Ron Moore into the post
in a fit of temper, and was then floored himself by a flying two-foot drop
kick executed by Riley, more slanging with the water followed before the
start of the forth, and again it was Riley who dictated the pace by dropping
Cassidy twice in back-breakers over the knee, but Cassidy hit back and
forced Riley into submission with a Boston crab hold. Riley started the
fifth round by tying Cassidy in the ropes, and then ran across the ring to
deliver a two-footed kick to the chest appealed to referee Moore against
this treatment, and then the pair stood exchanging blows in the middle of
the ring. Riley, seeing his opportunity, grabbed Cassidy and flung him into
the post, and won the contest with a full body press as M.C. Ken Mason tried
to announce the result Cassidy flung his towel round Riley’s neck and
punched him round the ring, livid with temper, Cassidy angered Riley again
by deriding him from thee floor of the hall, whereupon Riley dived on top of
him from the ring, and the two rolled among the rows of spectators
exchanging blows, and were finally separated by referee Moore, promoter Jack
Taylor and other wrestlers.

Legends Showdown 2.

 

 

 

“Them that like us, they can write what the hell they want. If they like wrestling, no explanation is needed. Those that don’t like us, any explanation about it, is not good enough.”

                                            Max Crabtree.

 

 

 

“They said we couldn’t do it, we couldn’t make it happen. Well we proved them wrong, and now we’ve done it again.” The words of Sanjay Bagga, the owner of LDN Wrestling, at the Civic Centre in Grays on Saturday 29^th November.

   He was of course talking about the resurrection of World of Sport wrestling at the Broxbourne Civic Hall a year earlier, which became known as Legends Showdown.

   Anyone conversant with the sport will know exactly what Brian Crabtree was talking about when he made the comment above. For those of us who do love the sport, it doesn’t matter what the critics say about it, we still love it. And having attended an endless number of wrestling shows back in the 1980’s I know an enthusiastic crowd when I see one. And that’s what we had at Gray’s on Saturday night for the second in the Legend’s series.

   Although not packed to capacity, the lack of numbers more than made up in atmosphere.

   Keen to mix old and new, the team at LDN opened the show with two of the best of the new breed when the controversial Danny Garnell (winner of the best newcomer award at the reunion back in August) took on the athletic David DeVille. The match was set over 20mns with one fall, something more associated with the American freestyle scene at WWE. It was a contest full of action from start to finish with the in-ring antics of Danny Garnell’s rule bending style setting the crowd alight, creating the perfect ambience for what was to follow during the rest of the evening.

   The next two men to grace the canvas would have been a top of the bill in anyone’s eyes, whether that was twenty years ago, or today. Danny Collins, holder of various titles in the past and looking extremely fit took on the might of the unbeaten ex-world lightweight champion, Johnny Saint, a veteran of the sport with more than forty years experience to his credit, and a man who still has the ability to shock and control a crowd with a versatility attributed to a man half his age, as Danny Collins would no doubt agree. As always with two men who love the sport it was a sheer pleasure to watch and a match where a referee could almost be made redundant. And talking of officials, the man in charge was none other than ex-world of Sport wrestler Bob Anthony, someone else who has also taken on Johnny Saint in his time.

   Before the third match, LDN repeated the formula that worked for them in Broxbourne and honoured some of the most respected names in the history of the sport with a Legends Parade: stepping into the ring, amongst others, were the evergreen Steve Grey: Rasputin; Bobby Stafford, and a whole host of names: one time area South East Champion Frank Rimer was master of ceremonies. The highlight of the parade saw two well respected veterans receive lifetime achievement awards. Joe D’Orazio, the chairman of the Wrestler’s Reunion and himself one of the best referee’s the World of Sport had ever seen was one such recipient of the much-treasured awards. It was a very emotional moment for all concerned (not just Joe) because we all learned how much Joe had done with his life, and not simply the sport itself.

   The award was presented to him by a man capable of manipulating a crowd better than any other wrestler alive, the arch villain himself, Mick McManus. Now in his eighties (like Joe) and taking life a little steadier, Mick was delighted to honour Joe but was then stunned into almost silence as Johnny Saint presented Mick himself with his own lifetime achievement award. As the Legends theme tune rang out over the sound system, the parade of wrestler’s drew the standing ovation they so deserved.

   Perhaps the only disappointment of the night was the match before the interval. And not because it lacked anything that any other match gave us (more so in fact) but the legendary masked samurai warrior, Kendo Nagasaki, had refused to wrestle his opponent, LDN British Champion, Yorghos, in a match that was billed to incite any crowd to fever pitch: Mask v Title, with the Sword of Excellence thrown in.

   Taking Nagasaki’s place was the controversial star from Sheffield (and Nagasaki’s tag partner) Blondie Barret. A lot was said before the match started, and when it finally did kick off, the crowd saw as much action outside the ring as they did inside, with Barret breaking every rule known to man, which included punching, kicking, using the time-keeper’s bell, and his second, and even one of Nagasaki’s trademarks of throwing salt into your opponents eye. How either man did not end up in hospital was a miracle. But the match did fire up the crowd into a near riot before most of them finally hit the best place to sooth one’s nerves ... the bar.

   The first match following the interval saw the Caribbean Cruiser, Johnny Kincaid step back into the ring for the first time in eighteen years, taking on the notorious (although he now likes to think of himself as a gentleman) John Ritchie. Kincaid was in reasonable shape following his absence and had not lost the ability to consciously manipulate his opponent into thinking he had a real task ahead of him: something that was proved when Kincaid pinned Ritchie to the floor for a count of three very early in the first round. But things did not go all Kincaid’s way as an old injury flared up and made life pretty hard for him, although perhaps not as tough as it would have been on Sunday morning.

   The final bout of the night saw one the finest technician’s the country has ever seen, Johnny Kidd, a man trained by the late, great Ken Joyce, and a wrestler who could hold his own in the ring with the other masters of the game, Johnny Saint & Steve Grey, and maybe even, dare we say it, Johnny’s namesake, George? Unfortunately, Kidd had decided that Legends Showdown 2 was to be his retirement bout. He took on Birmingham’s Keith Myers, which proved a tougher match than he’d probably expected as Myers managed to rank alongside Blondie Barret with his ability to bend the rules. One scary moment for Kidd was being trapped between top and middle rope by his neck, an incident that lost him a fall but not the bout.

   Before he was allowed to leave the ring, Kidd was also presented by LDN owner, Sanjay Bagga with his own lifetime award for his services to the grappling game.

   What more could anyone ask? An enthusiastic crowd, treat to first class performances by professional sportsmen who please people all over the country almost every night of the week with no thought of injury to themselves. But it seems that it wasn’t enough for Greg Dyke, controller of ITV’s World of Sport from 1988 onwards, who said “Wrestling was stuck in a timewarp – it personified the old English working class sitting round the telly, staring blankly.”

   Perhaps he should have attended Legends Showdown 2 to see how wrong he was.

   Sanjay Bagga proudly announced that Legends Showdown 3 would be coming to The Victoria Hall, Hanley in July 2009. Being as that is Kendo Nagasaki’s hunting ground, maybe the man of mystery will put in an appearance then. But whatever happens I wish Sanjay every success in his supreme efforts to bring British wrestling back to the TV, he deserves it.

   So in the words of the ever-popular velvet voice of Kent Walton, “Have a good time, till next time.” I hope to see each and every one of you at Stoke in 2009.

 

                                         Ray Clark 2008.

 

Saturday 30^th August 2008 was a beautiful day, the sun was splitting the heavens, and it was dry.

Peter and members of Margaret’s family travelled from Essex & Hertfordshire to Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, due to traffic problems on the M25 and M4 we had to partake of lunch before taking Margaret to her final resting place.

Her Brother Bob led us down a couple country lanes stopping at an opening in the forest very close to the cottages where she and Sue were evacuated during the war.

After seeing the cottages later Sue confirmed that this was the very area where they had played as children.

In one particular clearing there was one certain Beech tree which seemed to stand out more than any other, it seemed to be mounted on a plinth which was due to rather large roots and a certain amount of soil erosion. It was decided that this was to be her final resting place, where the sun lit up the area, but the tree provided shade, keeping this particular place cool, we all knew that Margaret could not stand the hot weather.

Peter spread her ashes all round the tree by hand, and then every member of the family took a handful of the ashes to assist with the final rites.

Two red roses for each of the six pairs of relatives that were present were laid at the base of the tree.

Peter, who at the instigation of niece Jean had recalled Margaret’s favourite story about the little sparrow and managed to recite same, which introduced a little humour into the occasion.

Brother Bob then delivered a final blessing for his Sister, and the party started to leave.

Peter, however, returned to the tree stating that he wanted to have a final drink with his wife, and after a few moments of silent prayer, proposed a traditional Scottish toast to Margaret. Opening a miniature bottle of whisky, he took a swig then poured the remainder over the base of the tree.

All the family then left for their respective homes, and the sun was still shining from the heavens.

Margaret had frequently said that “one day, I would like to go back to Great Bedwyn and the Savernake forest”

She has now had her wish granted, may she rest in peace.

 

It’s the beginning of August on a baking hot Sunday afternoon and you fancy a drive out. The Garden of England is your setting and the picturesque country lanes eventually lead you to a beautiful village pub, nestled by a crossroads, with a majestic railway viaduct for its backdrop: a beer garden adds to the view, accompanied by a small, meandering stream. You notice that the pub is heaving with people, both inside and out. Your first and most obvious thought is that the venue is one hell of a popular watering hole. And I’m sure that under normal circumstances, it is. So what’s different about today?

 

A closer inspection suddenly reveals a very familiar face: “isn’t that..?” Yes, it is, the man you most loved to hate: earned his living in a dangerous but entertaining fashion. You realize it is Mick McManus: if you’re a real expert you’ll notice Colin Joynson as well. A quick glance at the pub’s name indicates it may belong to the former Heavyweight Champion of the World, Wayne Bridges. And all your deductions would be right because you’ve stumbled upon the 17^th annual British Wrestler’s Reunion.

 

Suddenly you’re propelled back in time to the 1970’s and the velvety smooth voice of Kent Walton with his all too familiar introduction “Hello grapple fans, and welcome to another afternoon of professional wrestling. Today we’re coming from...”

 

On a Saturday afternoon at four o’ clock, the world (well, the UK at least) stopped what it was doing and switched on the TV to watch the likes of Jackie Pallo, Les Kellett, Giant Haystacks, Pat Roach, and an endless list of other ring-mat monsters. Why? Because that’s what the public wanted. Little wonder then there was an outcry when one man who let power go to his head and killed not only the country’s favourite sport, but the bread and butter of the seasoned professionals, the one thing these guys relied on to earn them a weekly wage. And to think all that happened when the ratings were actually greater than the nation’s favourite soap, Coronation Street, which is still going. And the sad fact of the matter is, when the lights went out on wrestling, most of us forgot about them.

 

But yesterday’s forgotten heroes continued carving out a living in the face of adversity for as long as they could. And perhaps the most important thing they remembered, were each other.

 

The British Wrestler’s Reunion is an extremely organized event, and though it’s not down to one man in particular, ex wrestler, Frank Rimer is usually at the heart of things. It all started in 1991 and one thing is very evident: despite their confrontations in the ring, these guys think a hell of a lot of each other outside it. Their comradeship is close to a reunion of World War 2 veterans. The smile on their faces when they meet each other is enough to light up any room. And not only do they shake hands and wrap an arm around their colleagues with zest and vigor, they are equally as pleased to meet the people that put them there: the numbers of adoring fans.

 

The event was finally brought to book by ex MC Peter Baines, and once the music died, the itinerary they had set for themselves soon followed. Colin Joynson read out the obituaries and everyone took time to remember those most recently lost. An award ceremony followed and The Reunion organizers not only gave out lifetime achievement awards to the World of Sport Legends such as Jon Cortez, perhaps one of the greatest technical wrestlers the country has ever produced: but they very kindly honoured some of today’s latest stars currently wrestling under the banner of one of the country’s leading promoters, Mr Sanjay Bagga of LDN Capital: the award for best newcomer going to Danny Garnell. And it was a very prominent point made by Frank Rimer that hosts Wayne and Sarah Bridges wanted to make the young stars extremely welcome, to make them feel that it was their reunion as well, because one day in the future, the newcomers would be the veterans and the positions would be reversed. There were various stalls selling wrestling memorabilia as well as a raffle, with donations going to the Reunion. A generous helping of food was also prepared and served.

 

It was a wonderful afternoon, one that was enjoyed by all, wrestlers and fans alike. The only sad reminder about the whole parade is that when reality kicks in, it makes you realize that the very people who risked their necks to entertain you have grown old like the rest of us and, unfortunately, because of the nature of the game, some of them are not in the best of health. But if enthusiasm was anything to go by, these guys are still on top of the world. And all I can say is, long may that feeling live, and here’s to the 2009 reunion, and everyone they can manage after that.

 

                                      Ray Clark, 2008.

 

28TH July 2008

We have received a further great article by the the writer : BRIAN ELLIOTT from slam magazine, which is Canada's top wrestling publication, but which features stories on the former World of Sport greats. This tremendous article centres around the  legend : EDDIE HAMILL a.k.a. KUNG FU.

 

Link to this awesome site and Brian Elliott's writings via : :  http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2008/07/03/6054001.html

 

 

and he was named Kung Fu Northern Ireland's Eddie Hamill chopped up a grappling career By BRIAN ELLIOTT - SLAM! Wrestling

"Kung Fu" Eddie Hamill. Photos courtesy www.theamazingkungfu.co.uk

Whereas the phrase "Kung Fu" was somewhat known in North America in the early 1970s on the back of the hit David Carradine TV show, when it came to the United Kingdom in the same period, it was far from a household term.

Remarkably, one of the men who popularized the phrase in the UK was Eddie Hamill, a professional wrestler originally from Northern Ireland, who used a martial arts gimmick in arenas up and down the country, and on television.

"I'd been wrestling for just a few years, when I realized that I needed a gimmick to go farther in the business," Hamill told SLAM! Wrestling. "I thought of the name 'Kung Fu', as that phrase was just beginning to get very popular here, following the Bruce Lee films. Also, I had done some martial arts, and would incorporate them into my bouts. I added a mask for an extra bit of mystery, and it all seemed to fit into place."

Indeed, the character -- which was debuted in 1971 -- was an instant hit with the British fans, who had never seen anything quite like it before. Some of Hamill's fellow wrestlers, however, weren't so enthralled with the non-traditionalist gimmick.

"I remember when I worked with the mask, Mark Rocco came up to me in the dressing room," laughed Hamill. "He told me, 'Listen Eddie, this mask isn't a good idea. Everyone that wears a mask is a villain, and you're trying to be a blue-eye (babyface).'

"I said, 'Mark, I don't agree with you. Batman wears a mask, Spider-Man wears a mask, The Lone Ranger wears a mask -- do you want me to go on?' And he just turned round to me and said 'Well, I don't think it's a good idea!' Of course, Rocco was right in the sense that people assumed you were a villain if you wore the mask, but I switched them with my work in the ring."

Kung Fu's unique brand of wrestling came to be loved by many wrestling fans, but growing up in Belfast in the 1940s and '50s, a career as a wrestler wasn't something that Hamill had even conceived of. But he was interested in one-on-one contact sports, which indirectly led him to the profession that made him famous.

"I was never interested in regular sports like rugby or football," he said. "But I did go to Smithfield market in Belfast one time, and buy myself a book called Teach Yourself Judo. My brother and a friend of mine used to go into the back garden and try out all these things in the book. But you couldn't learn everything from just that, so when a YMCA judo club opened nearby, that's where I went. I continued going there until I started wrestling."

Transitioning from judo, then, the then 20-year-old first cut his teeth in wrestling much like countryman Dave Finlay, Sr., by attending "The Pit" wrestling club on Albion Street in the captial. Hamill had only ever seen live wrestling once, but when he spotted an advert in the Belfast Telegraph newspaper, he was excited to give a new sport a go.

"When I saw the ad, the first thing I did was go to a friend of mine, who also went to the judo club, and said 'Do you want to be a professional wrestler?!' So we both went to this gym that was like a big shed, with a ring in it, and horrible, old walls and equipment.

"Noel Arnott trained both myself and Dave Finlay (Snr). Immediately, he noticed that I could take a fall, which I could because I'd learned to do it in judo. So I progressed a little quicker than the others, but it wasn't until I couldn't learn much more there, that he finally let me in one of the most important bits -- that the wrestling business was bent. Up to that point, we'd been hammering each other, thinking it was real, but his words were that 'we try to look after each other'. I suppose that's a good way of describing what professional wrestlers do."

"There's no doubt in my mind that Eddie Hamill was one of the very best," said Dave Finlay Sr. "Between he with his judo background, and me with a gymnastics background, we dreamt up moves that people have never seen before. I remember wrestling him in the Queen's Hall in Newtownards (just outside of Belfast), and the local paper wrote an article saying how absurd it was that we weren't wrestling on television. Mind you, we were knocking ten bells out of each other!"

Eddie Hamill and Big Daddy in 1978.

It took Hamill around a year before he was designated to be ready for his first match, a tag team contest against the Kydd Brothers. At the time, he was billed as Mike "Judo" Hamill, a nod to his father, who worked in Belfast's famous shipyards, during a time of religious tension in the Province.

"My father's name was Francis Hamill, and simply because of that, everyone in his workplace thought that he was a Catholic. So he got the nickname Mickey (a somewhat derogatory term for a Catholic person), and I changed it around to 'Mike'. So the name really came from my father, and I used it until I opted for Kung Fu."

After working the Northern Ireland circuit in towns such as Cookstown, Armagh, and Londonderry, Hamill made his first foray to the UK mainland in 1969, to work for Welsh promoter Oric Williams. Two years later, he made the decision to move away from Northern Ireland, though wrestling wasn't the only factor in reaching the conclusion to do so.

"The troubles in Northern Ireland were a big factor in the decision," noted Hamill. "When Oric offered me work in Wales, I told my wife and son that we were moving, and so we just packed up and left."

While Hamill initially wrestled for Williams, he eventually began taking dates with another promoter, Brian Dixon, as well as Joint Promotions, famous for their Saturday afternoon television institution, known as World of Sport. He wrestled in front of the nation's eyes on dozens of different occasions, at times with viewerships in the region of 10 million (astonishingly, a little less than one fifth of the population). No matter whether on TV or on a house show, however, there was always one opponent in particular that Hamill relished lining up across the ring from.

Kung Fu Hamill versus Mark "Rollerball" Rocco.

"Out of all the guys that I faced at the time, I think my favourite bouts were with Mark Rocco," he recalled. "We had some great matches all over the country. I remember a gimmick we did one time, with an old watch of mine that was broken. Max (Crabtree, the promoter) wanted me to do an angle with Rocco, where I'd challenge him after his match. So I told Max, 'Leave it to me, I have an idea', and I let Rocco in on what I was going to do.

"So, he was in the ring after his match, and I'd had mine earlier on in the card. I got into the ring in my regular clothes and challenged him, taking off my watch -- the broken one -- and handing it to the referee, like I was getting ready to fight. But Rocco ran over, grabbed the watch from the referee, and smashed it on the ringpost, sending bits flying everywhere. I shouted, 'No! That was an anniversary present!", and so he got incredible heat for that.

"It was such a simple thing for that level of heat, and, of course, that meant we could have a return match the following week. But to show you how over a little idea got, when we came back for my revenge on Rocco, the audience had clubbed together and bought me a new watch! That's God's honest truth."

Along with the reputation for being a world-class junior heavyweight -- a cause he furthered in Japan as Tiger Mask's nemesis, Black Tiger -- Rocco was also known for his boundless energy and aggression, which routinely made the bouts between he and Hamill show-stealers. The hard style suited "Kung Fu" just fine.

"Rocco was completely hyperactive, in and out of the ring. If you were walking down the road with him, he'd be knocking you up and down the street. He was like that -- and in the ring, too. He was never off you, and you always came out of a match with Mark with a black eye or something. But truth be told, I liked it that way, because I wanted it to look real. In the ring, he was my perfect partner."

The year 1976 was one of change for Hamill, and indeed the Kung Fu character, as it was decided that he would wrestle without the mask. The change was one that Hamill felt was forced somewhat upon him, but not, as you might expect, by the promoter.

"There was one occasion in particular that I was wrestling in Liverpool stadium, and the people were actually shouting, 'That's not Kung Fu.' I was aware that there were four people who were working purporting to be me, but I felt what happened in Liverpool was just ridiculous. Mick McManus, who ran the towns in the south for Joint Promotions, asked me if I wanted to drop the mask. So on television, it was said that I would have to unmask if I lost, and he beat me in April of that year."

Eddie Hamill and Johnny Palance on their way to wrestle in Canada.

The change only served to make the character more popular with British crowds, but just a few years later, in 1981, the mask was to come out of storage for another run, this time in Canada, with Stampede Wrestling. Frank "Chic" Cullen was the go-between, since he was working in the territory at the time.

"I got the call from Frank one day, saying that Stampede would like me to wrestle for them, but with the mask. So I did a three-month tour there (beginning in October 1981), and was then asked back for a second. I wasn't going to do it, as I had a wife and children at home, but when it was suggested that they could come with me, I thought better of it and accepted."

Hamill spent much of his time in Canada wrestling opponents such as Mike Hammer, Jude Rosenbloom, and the legendary Dynamite Kid -- whom, incidentally, he never wrestled on British shores. It took a while for his North American opponents to get used to his unorthodox style, but when they did, it made for many fine contests.

Eddie Hamill and Johnny Palance in 2004.

"Eddie Hamill was a very good hand, like so many of the British boys down the years," said Stampede Saskatchewan promoter and photographer Bob Leonard. "He turned in polished work in the ring, and when the other guys here tuned into what he was doing, he had some nice matches around the territory. He was a nice chap, too."

"Had he been given a chance, I'm convinced that Eddie could have been a big star in North America," said Finlay Sr. "He could work with anyone and make them look good. Even through the mask, he had excellent presence, and the charisma to make it. On top of all that, he was the kind of guy who would go out of his way to help the younger talent. If the promoters had had any sense, they would have used him as a tool to help others learn how to have a great match."

Despite the appreciation of his work, Hamill wasn't always as delighted to be wrestling in Canada, as Canada was to watch him perform. In no way was that down to the fans, or even the other wrestlers. Instead, it was more due to his frustration with the Stampede promotion itself.

"The Harts were dreadfully disorganized, which was something I wasn't used to in England," said Hamill. "For example, there would be times where we would arrive at the arena, and there was no ring. Fans would start to arrive before the show, and be staring into an empty space where the ring was suppose to be.

"I also recall things like going to the ring for my match, and having the wrong person come out to face me. The other guy would get in the ring, and would then have to leave again because that wasn't what was booked. The public would never have accepted that in England, and I couldn't accept it either."

After two tours of the Canadian circuit, then, Hamill opted to return home with his family, to go back to Joint Promotions. Soon, however, he left that company to return to work for Dixon and Williams once again. He was one of many of the Joint Promotions stars that jumped ship, recognizing that there were better opportunities elsewhere.

"I left simply because I was able to make more money with Brian and Oric," said Hamill. "With Joint Promotions, you'd only make £60 to work on television, but if you wrestled in the Royal Albert Hall, with no TV, you'd make £100. There were several of us that moved, like Les Kellett, Adrian Street, and Kendo Nagasaki. With that, I was working six days a week, and earning good money for the time."

It was towards the end of the '80s, with British wrestling on a huge decline (due to the actions of television chief Greg Dyke, who had a strong distaste for wrestling), that Hamill began to realize that his time as a professional wrestler was almost done. An accumulation of injuries began to take their toll, and with a vehement pride in his performances, he wanted to make sure that he left the business, before he had nothing else to offer it.

"I realized I was getting to the stage where I couldn't go anymore -- the flair had gone. I wasn't doing the same things, and I began to worry about injuries. The fact of the matter was that I couldn't recover from injuries as quickly as before, and if I got hurt, that would be me out of work until I recovered. The thought of that really affected me, and when a job as a lifesaver for the Lifeboat Institution in Rhyl (in Wales) came up, I took it."

Hamill would still perform what British wrestlers knew as "after tea jobs" -- an evening show close to home, where you could arrive into the arena, do your match, and get away quickly. But over time, recognizing that it wasn't the same, he began to turn away offers to do those as well.

A card in 1976.

Today, Eddie Hamill is newly retired from his work as a lifesaver -- though he is still active with the group on a voluntary basis -- and has avoided the temptation to step into the squared circle once again, unlike several of his peers, most notably Johnny Saint and Kendo Nagasaki, two men who are also in their 60s.

"Sometimes I'll get a call from my daughter that I'm on a TV re-run, and occasionally I will sit down and watch. Sometimes I feel sorry that I did, other times I'm pleased with the match. I wouldn't even contemplate wrestling today. With all the injuries I've had, it's just out of the question."

Indeed, Hamill contents himself as a part of his new team in the Lifeboat Institution, and with attending the various British wrestling reunions, held annually in England. That way, he gets to keep involved in the part of the business that he loved the most -- having a laugh with the boys.

"There was always something going on in that dressing room -- someone telling jokes or playing tricks. It was all fun. And when we get together at the reunions, we talk about those good times, and all those things we did.

"These days, with the work with the lifeguards, I've got a different team around me, but in sort of the same way, we can have a joke and a laugh, too. They're engrossed with lifesaving, in the way I was with my wrestling. I guess I miss the in-ring stuff a little, but I miss the dressing-room camaraderie and fun with the other wrestlers even more so than that."

RELATED LINK

Eddie Hamill's website - www.theamazingkungfu.co.uk

Brian Elliott is a British freelance sports writer, covering soccer, pro wrestling, and MMA. You can visit Brian online at http://spaces.msn.com/brianelliott.

14th July 2008

We are very pleased to post this article  on behalf of Brian Elliott who is a sports writer from Belfast under contract to Canadian top  wrestling mag : SLAM WRESTLING

The site can be visited by clicking the link address.  :  http://slam.canoe.ca/slam/wrestling/2008/05/30/572846.html

 

Finlay's dad reflects back on his own career Amateur wrestling still a passion for father of WWE star By BRIAN ELLIOTT - SLAM! Wrestling

Dave Finlay, Sr.

Through his exposure on WWE television -- not to mention the fact that he has competed in almost every region on the globe -- the name Finlay is one that is famous throughout the professional wrestling world.

But before there was "Fit", as his peers refer to him, there was his father, the original Dave Finlay. And it was his Dad who gave his son the wrestling education that stood him in good stead across his remarkable 30-year career.

"By the time my son was 10 or 12 years old, he was already doing amateur and professional wrestling," Finlay Sr. told SLAM! Wrestling. "From an early age, he wanted to be a wrestler, so I thought to myself 'I'm going to teach him the proper way.' I taught him proper, freestyle amateur wrestling, and he was very successful in doing that, before he got the taste of professional wrestling. By the time he was 18, he was already working in England. The rest is history."

Finlay Sr. himself had an interesting career in professional wrestling, although he was much later in taking up the craft. Part of that was because of his deep love for amateur wrestling, but also because there were few places to learn, from his home base of Whiteabbey, just a few miles north of Belfast, in Northern Ireland.

His original sport of choice was boxing, which he took up before he'd even got into double-figures. But that promising sporting outlet was cut short when he was just eight years old, after he lost an eye in an accident that he remembers to this day.

"It was coming towards the end of World War II, and the Belgian troops had been stationed in Whiteabbey," he recalled. "They had an ammunition dump, and us kids went there to see what there was. My brother and I were messing about with something, I guess it was a detonator of some kind, and when I threw it, it went off, and I never saw out of that eye again."

Though the injury was devastating, Finlay was still able to compete in other sports, and was a keen athlete and gymnast. When he was introduced to wrestling, however, it was exactly the outlet that he had been looking for.

"The first time I encountered wrestling was in the early '50s. I was in the Boys Brigade, and a gymnastics teacher of ours, who also fancied himself as a wrestler, showed us a few basic moves. I loved the aggression of it. You know how it is -- as a 16 year old you're busting out of your skin with enthusiasm and aggression, and I found that I was able to put that to use in wrestling. I was naturally strong, and no-one could get the upper hand on me.

"But there was nowhere where you could really go on and learn more about wrestling, so I ended up playing a few other sports, until my wife and I went to Canada in 1957. We lived in London, Ontario, and at the time of the Hungarian revolution, and Canada was a real haven for those people. They brought across a real knowledge of wrestling, and I was able to learn a lot at the local YMCA. When we came home to Northern Ireland in 1961, I saw an advert in the Belfast Telegraph for wrestlers, and so I was able to carry on from there."

Finlay ended up working out in a little gym in Belfast's Albion Street, beside the notorious Sandy Row area of the city. The gym, if you can call it that, was named "The Pit", and in hindsight, it was remarkably reminiscent of Billy Riley's "Snake Pit", that trained so many wrestlers across Irish Sea in Wigan, England.

"I went down there to see what was going on, and there was a huge amount of guys there. 'The Pit' really wasn't much more than its name suggested, as there was no roof, and you could see the stars on a clear evening.

"It became pretty clear that it was a survival of the fittest, and you basically had to fight for your right to be there. There was a lot of screwing of heads and arms, but I was in good shape at the time. After a while, a guy who went by the name of Noel Arnott saw some potential in me, and helped to train me. But getting trained wasn't like it is today. We learned mostly catch-as-catch-can, like the Wigan boys were doing."

Finlay's first professional wrestling bout was in 1963, at the relatively late age of 30. The match took place in Newry Town Hall, again just outside of Belfast. He didn't receive any fee for the bout, unless you count the gas money it took to travel there.

"Stepping into the ring for my first match was the most peculiar feeling," noted Finlay. "There was this big ring light, and when you looked out to the audience, it was dark. You couldn't see anything, so it was as if it was just you and your opponent. It was quite the experience."

Pro wrestling ended up being virtually full-time for Finlay, though his true passion remained with amateur wrestling. Aside from that fact, one further stumbling block on a potential full-time career was that the various promoters, such as Orig Williams, wanted him to travel internationally, something he had reservations about.

"I used to go on wrestling tours all around Ireland, and to places like the Isle of Man. But when there was a big Loyalist strike in Belfast in 1974, the place was crippled, and I took my family to Wales to live.

"I thought at that stage that I was going to go full-time with pro wrestling, but to do that I was going to have to go to places like Turkey, which I didn't want to do. When you go on tour like that, you have a lot of free time, and most wrestlers end up in the pub all day. I knew that there was no point in my earnings going straight back down my throat. Unfortunately many good wrestlers made no money, because they didn't work that out."

On shores closer to home, then, Finlay got to share dressing rooms with virtually all of the famous "World of Sport" television wrestlers of the time, many of whom were household names, in what was a British Saturday afternoon institution. Finlay found however, that some were more to his liking than others.

"There were lots of well-known wrestlers on the cards that I worked. Adrian Street was there, as was Jackie Pallo, the Borg Twins from Malta, and others. Adrian was a scholar and a gentleman, a good showman that I had many great matches with. I didn't get on with Jackie Pallo, though, as I felt he had no respect for the business. He would call everyone 'darling', which is the last thing you want to call me. The first chance I got him in the ring, I gave him a good bruising.

"There were some great wrestlers around at the time, and I always thought George Kidd was superb. I also liked Mick McMichael, and Eddie Hamill -- who I trained with back in Belfast -- may have been the best in our time. He was a real blue-eye, and he did well for himself with the 'Kung Fu' gimmick."

While he was still active as a professional wrestler, Finlay also began running his own shows back in Northern Ireland. He purchased "The Pit", including the two rings that the owners had, and brought in talent from all over the UK for many small but successful shows.

"We had a great thing going there, and at one point, we were able to run two shows a night. We'd have an early start in a town like Larne, and then gradually we'd all go to say, Carrickfergus, and wrestle a late show there. We wrestled all over, and even when the Troubles were at their peak in the '70s, we would still run shows. My son would help us put the ring up."

Finlay Sr. ended his professional career in 1989, but always went back to amateur wrestling any time that the occasion arose. Having been an All-Ireland amateur wrestling champion, he became a prominent coach, and in 1992, he was named Coach of the Year for his work with the Northern Ireland team. He also worked with a Great Britain team that went to the Commonwealth Games in Canada in 1994.

"Amateur wrestling was quite prominent here from the '70s until the '90s, and that was without it being done in schools, like they do in America. We produced British champions at various ages, and I went to three Commonwealth Games as a coach. I used to tell that students that they had to train harder than their opponent. If you are sitting down doing nothing, you can bet that he is not!"

In 2002, almost ten years after amateur wrestling lost steam in the country, Finlay began teaching amateur wrestling as part of a summer scheme for children. Six years later, he has taken the sport into schools across the Belfast area, in the hope of building the sport back up to its former glory.

"We've set ourselves an achievable goal of putting together a team that can compete in the Commonwealth Games in 2010. We're making a lot of in-roads. We have several clubs set up, and we've done demonstrations in schools so that principals can see what kind of skills wrestling teaches. It's about planting that seed, an piquing these young people's interest in wrestling, just as mine was all those years ago."

Professional wrestling's loss may have been amateur wrestling's gain. But having been wrestling for over 50 years, and coaching for 35 of those, Finlay's dedication to the sport of wrestling is something that any professional, in any walk of life, should aspire to.

RELATED LINKS

For more information on Dave Finlay's amateur wrestling, visit www.niowa.org

Fit Finlay biography

Brian Elliott is sports writer for the Belfast Telegraph newspaper. He has a standing offer to go for a "pull-around" with Dave Finlay, and thus fears for his general safety. He can be visited online at http://spaces.msn.com/brianelliott

15th March 2008                       ( Article taken from the Summer 2007 newsletter)

 

                                                               

                                                                  (Reunion cake donated by Ginnie Huckles)

 

 

I arrived at The Bridges pub just after 8.30 a.m. to a deluge of  torrential rain, and thought this is the kiss of death for  the 15^th  Reunion!!

 

Pub regular Rod set about erecting the large  gazebo in the car park, standing in huge puddles. Myself, Rocker Richards and Bobby Stafford put up the posters around the walls in the pub.Wayne Bridges who was hobbling around in agony on his crutch like long John Silver, felt despondent that he couldn’t do more to help.   Bob Moncrief and his lovely wife arrived to wire up the P/A system which they had to place in plastic bags in the sopping garden. Sarah Bridges and her helpers were busy attending to the food , which had to be left inside. Ian Woodlow attended to the name badges at the bar. Paul Douglas who had slept on the pub floor having arrived with his pal from the North of England the day before, got to work on the awards. Trevor was polishing his glasses behind the bar dreading the forthcoming rush for drinks, Ginnie Huckles , a long standing fan and former M.C., brought in a magnificent cake in the shape of a wrestling ring complete with ropes. Another fan contributed with a box full of digital clocks made from CD’s and with wrestling action shots of the boys on the faces. Yet  everyone was pretty glum thinking of the day ahead that we had worked all year to plan and wanted so much to be a success.

 

However we reckoned without the great British spirit .

 

By 10.00 a.m. there were over fifty people in the pub, with more arriving in droves. We couldn’t believe that so many wonderful people would make the journey in that awful weather, and from so far away in some cases.  At 11.00 a.m. it was noticed that Mick McManus hadn’t arrived and following a call to his home established that a member of his family had been taken ill necessitating him to miss the Reunion for the first time in fifteen years.

 

We also received apologies for absence from Bobby Barnes who was at his villa in Bulgaria, following knee surgery ( fully recovered now). Ray Fury who is at his Turkish home following the death of his wife Paula. Johnny Czeslaw who is also mourning the sad loss of his wife, Bazal Riley who has emigrated to Tenerife, Danny Lynch who could not travel, Doug Williams, Jonny Storm, Phil Powers  and the Pitbulls who were all working, Johnny Elijah who was sick, as was Joe Cornelius and Spencer Churchill.   

 

After such a great start, nothing could stop us and even the weather decided to behave. At one point we counted over three hundred and thirty people packed into the pub and gardens. Legendary names from wrestling, acting, movies, too numerous to mention mingled evenly with our American stars of today and over fifty of the  young brigade of wrestlers who currently thrill our audiences every night.

 

The badges worked well and we were able to identify many new old friends who were reluctant to come forward .For instance how many of you recognised Gordon Quirey, Tom Thumb, Ray Leslie, Bobby Ryan, Ringo Rigby, Klondyke Kate, Paul Duval or Peter Deacon ?? A comprehensive list will appear in the next newsletter that I am currently writing and also on this Reunion web site which is currently undergoing a bit of a face lift.

 

During the awards ceremony, some of the expected honourees and presenters had not arrived due to the adverse weather conditions, causing myself to ad lib like mad, although I was assisted greatly by the evergreen after dinner speaker and grappler, Banger Walsh and the very Professional stand up comedian and former world of sport star Neil Sands, not to mention toastmaster Peter Baines who had travelled from Scotland.

 

All was well in the end however and the icing on the cake was the unscheduled appearance of the inimitable ‘cry baby’ Jim Breaks all the way from Gran Canaria and of course the main eventers in the form of ‘Rollerball’ Mark Rocco and his legendary  father: ‘Jumping’ Jim Hussey. Jim Breaks delighted the crowd with his quips and sense of fun, while Marks speech was fantastic and said everything that needed to be said, plus the love and respect for his father was awesome. 

There were even tears from our beloved Founder Joe D’Orazio, after a moving tribute by his old tag partner and lifelong friend the immortal Dr. Death himself: Paul Lincoln.

 

It has since been widely reported in feedback that this was the best Reunion ever  and we are all so proud and delighted that you thought so.

 

Like any  well planned event however things do go wrong, and this year was no exception :-

 

Sarah had catered for 400 portions of food, buying in excess of £500 worth of ingredients, but having prepared everything religiously, we did not govern the tables properly , with the result that a certain faction of younger guests took up to 10 and 15 sausage rolls at a time for instance, which they could not possibly eat but  proceeded to flick around at each other. Sadly many folks did not get any food as a result, for which we ardently apologise. During the melee we also forgot to present and share the cake, which has since been distributed to an old folks home.

 

Since the Reunion, the car park has been re-surfaced in tarmac to be flatter, and a gateway is to be built between the garden and food area. We shall purchase two more  large gazebos which will enclose the whole car park area, and now that the viaduct renovations have been completed , shall invite stall holders to trade under one arch, with things like book sales, Tee shirts,  memorabilia, DVD’s etc.( come on you entrepreneurs). The second arch , recently paved, will have new tables and chairs and serve teas coffee etc.. for those non drinkers, or anyone wanting a quiet sit down area. The garden is to have new bench seats and umbrellas,  as the award ceremony will be under cover next season, with a podium and steps being made already. The food gazebo will have two tables only and everything will be served by the volunteers, to ensure even distribution. Guests will be asked to refrain from touching the food.

 

Photos of the day will appear shortly on Furnace Hot gallery ( courtesy of Chris Owen who travels from Cumbria)  and also on this site.

 

Finally on a personal note, I was humbled and honoured to be thanked publicly for my part in the preparation of this great day out, but must say that we are all a team of volunteers working together to bring you one day a year when everyone : wrestlers, allied workers, fans and families, can relax and mingle in friendship and dignity to Promote the ring of friendship.  The Committee salutes and thanks everyone who attended and made this the best one ever !!!.

 

 

 

The following is a tribute and celebration of the life of one of the biggest stars that British Professional Wrestling has ever known : Jackie Mr. TV Pallo.

 

Jack  Ernest Gutteridge was born in  Islington in 1925, and raised above the  family boxing gym. In fact Cousin Reg went on to become the greatest fight commentator of all time.

 

Having tried the noble art of boxing in his teens, the youngster was drawn to wrestling as a way of making money for his wedding to the Lady that was to be at his side for the rest of his life. His beloved Trixie. They became engaged in 1943 but it was in 1949 that he made his way into the Pro ranks, working the halls as a second and referee before embarking on the journey that would make him a superstar. Not wishing to tarnish the proud Gutteridge family name, he adopted his Mothers maiden name coupled with the first letter of his second Christian name and hence the legend that was Jackie Pallo was born.

 

During those early years, he like the rest of us would travel the length and breadth of the Country entertaining a huge variety of audiences Nationwide. Jack soon gathered a reputation for giving a great show and for having the tenacity to take on any opponent in all weight classes. There were many great wrestlers around in those halcyon days but few had the charisma or showmanship qualities that this youngster displayed, and little did he know that soon he would become the best known grappler in the U.K. His villainous approach to the bouts coupled with touches of comedy and arrogance brought the vast crowds to their feet in anger on more than one occasion. The Promoters soon realised that they had a real character on their hands plus one of the most reliable wrestlers on their books. No matter where the venues were situated or how ever small, even in bad health, Jack would always turn up on time. He was a consummate Professional.

 

In 1955 when ITV launched wrestling on World of Sport, it was Jack that sat with the great Kent Walton, to teach him the names of the holds and moves, and in 1956 he made his own debut against the immortal Jack Dempsey. Following that show, he appeared many times during the following years, but it was in the early sixties when he began the Professional feuds with Mick McManus that  broke all box office records for viewers, and led him to include the title of “Mr TV” in his name. In 1963 the feud commenced with a slanging match on the Eamonn Andrews chat show, and went on until 1969.

 

Such was the appeal of this pair that on cup final day in 1967, a staggering 22 million tuned in to watch their grudge match.

Other appearances regularly drew 10- 12 million viewers.

 

His red pony-tailed hair and black velvet ribbon together with the striped trunks became a byword to audiences making him one of the most famous wrestlers in the Country and instantly recognisable.

 

In 1969, he won the only title he ever held by taking the Heavy Middleweight belt from Bert Royal at the Royal Albert Hall in front of a capacity 7000 people and went on the sell out this venue a mind blowing 6 times, wrestling in front of many celebrities including the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal family who were ardent fans.

 

The swinging sixties and seventies also saw Jack diversify his career leading to many appearances as an actor in such programmes as:-

 

Emergency Ward 10, Are you being served, (still being seen in the U.S.)  Porridge, Return of the Saint, and an unforgettable appearance on the Avengers in 1964 when the beautiful Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale inadvertently knocked out our boy while playing Sexton. He never lived down the ribbings from the lads on that one!

 

He also had roles in the films:-

The Reckoning and Not Now Darling.

 

In 1973, he was the subject of This is your Life, and had also starred in many commercials for beer etc.

 

Not satisfied with all this however, he launched his own brand of tee-shirts and casual shirts onto an eager market, and was the only wrestler ever to be sponsored winning a contract with Saab.

 

During the seventies, Jack’s only Son : J.J. naturally followed in his fathers footsteps and would often work with Dad forming a colourful tag team, but by 1974 they left the mainstream to work as Independents in order to give the smaller outlaying audiences a chance to enjoy their work.

 

Jack wrote a bestseller called “You Grunt and I Groan” and when wrestling finally died on ITV, he immediately started a contract with J.J. on Screensport cable TV, finally hanging up his golden boots in 1990 due to hip problems at the ripe old age of 65 when most men are in armchairs.

 

 

 

Throughout his illustrious career, Jack’s love affair with his beautiful wife Trixie was legendary among the wrestlers and the audiences who were as used to seeing her at the side of her husband as they were the boys. During his many TV shows, Trixie could always be seen sitting behind Kent Walton egging her man on. His love, loyalty and devotion to her was the stuff books are written about, and on this sad occasion, our hearts go out to her and the Son that he was so proud of.

 

I had the privilege to travel with Jack on many occasions and his good humour and countless tales kept us in hysterics during the long journeys. He was totally unaffected by his fame and remained the boy from London at all times.

 

These days I help to run the British Wrestlers Reunion which meets annually at my Public House and each year we honour different wrestlers with awards. Last year the overwhelming vote was to present Jackie with a life time achievement award for his outstanding contribution to wrestling and entertainment. Although he always normally attended the functions, sadly due to his terrible illness and constant suffering plus not wishing to leave Trixie alone during her own suffering, he was unable to receive the accolade.

 

Perhaps after a suitable period, the family would kindly allow us to present this tribute posthumously as a mark of our undying friendship and respect for a truly great entertainer.

 

Our business has always been based on entertainment and  now, twenty years after the hey days ended, audiences only remember a handful of  wrestlers, such as : Mick McManus,  Adrian Street, Bobby Barnes, Les Kellett and of course that great entertainer  : Jackie Mr. TV Pallo.

 

As a professional drummer for over 40 years I have played for hundreds of big name acts and taught many drummers who have become worldwide pop stars.  In addition to all this I have also managed Kendo Nagasaki for the last 14 years.  In all this time I have not collected one autograph, in fact, there have only been two heroes in my life, one was drummer Buddy Rich, and the other was Paul Lincoln.  I met Buddy on several occasions, but had to give up hope of ever meeting Paul Lincoln, I wasn’t even sure he was still alive! Then on August 14th 2005, it was announced that Paul Lincoln would be honoured at the annual wrestling reunion.  My mind wandered back to the late 1950’s, I had just left school and was in my first job when one of the guys i worked with asked if i would like to go and watch the wrestling at Dulwich baths, Dr Death vs Mike Marino.  At the time i’d never seen a wrestling match, i thought i would be bored, so declined the offer.

 Sometime later i started watching wrestling on TV, and then go the chance to see it live at Lime Grove Baths, the top of the bill was Mick McManus and Steve Logan vs Johnny Kwango and Jack Cunningham, that was it, i was hooked!  Every Saturday afternoon i was glued to the TV at 4pm.  In those days street posters were a great way to promote wrestling shows and i started seeing large yellow and balck or red posters appearing on empty shops and hoardings.  The strange thins was that the wrestlers on the posters weren’t on TV, names like, Docker Don Steadman, Professor Adiwasser, Gori Edd Mangatitch, Dr Death, The Wild Man of Borneo, The White Angel, Rebel Ray Hunter, Al Hayes and the College Boy.  Every single name conjured up a picture in my mind.  On closer inspection of the posters i saw the name Paul Lincoln Promotions.  What a great showman! Later on i spotted a poster advertising the Granada Tooting, the main event was the White Angel vs Dr Death, loser to unmask match, the classic good vs evil, what wrestling fan wouldn’t want to see that!  Unfortunately it was completely sold out.  The interesting fact for me was that Paul Lincoln’s shows never appeared on TV, yet he created stars through local paper ads and those fantastic posters.

 On traveling around the country i looked out for Paul’s posters, at the Delaware Pavillion in Bexhill i saw a classic poster Dr Death vs The Wild Man of Borneo, if the Wild Man couldn’t unmask the Doctor, nobody could.  Paul Lincolns wrestlers had become as famous to me as the TV wrestlers like McManus, Pallo and Logan.  The mecca for pop music in those days was the 2is coffee bar in Old Compton Street, Soho, i went there as a punter on several occasions, little did i know that the man who owned it was the ferocious Dr Death, Paul Lincoln himself! In 1969 Paul sold his wrestling promotions to Dale Martin, he continued to wrestle for a while.  I went to the Granada, Tooting which incidentally was another sell out, to watch a great bill which included, Mick McManus vs Quasimodo and Dr Death vs Steve Logan.  I remember Steve coming straight out and delivering his famous forearm smash on the Doctor, the whole audience explode, surely he could unmask the Doc, but no, Dr Death escaped again leaving Logan a beaten man!

 To me, Paul Lincoln was a true promotional genius, his advertising was compelling, drawing thousands of people to his wrestling shows.  I have heard on several occasions that “anybody could promote a wresting show in those days”.  Sorry, that just isn’t true, many tried and failed miserably.

 Thank you Paul for all the pleasure you gave me and thousands of others like me, you deserved the honour that was bestowed on you at the reunion, in my mind you will live forever.

 www.lloydryandrums.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Tribute to 'The Gladiators' of THE GOLDEN AGE of British Professional Wrestling-Adrian Street

The thoughts I wish to share with you are long overdue, every year it seems that there are less of us, Wrestlers, Referees, Promoters, Writers and last, but certainly not least the great and loyal fans who still remember the good old days, - The Golden Age of Professional Wrestling in Great Britain.

Although long gone from the shores of Britain, I am most gratified to know that I am not forgotten and the thrill I experienced at receiving not only The British Wrestlers Reunion 2005 award for achievements and contribution to Professional Wrestling, but also The Special Achievement Award 2005 Hall of Fame from Bill Parsonson and 'The Seniles' of 'UK Wrestling World' was very great indeed.

Being a cancer survivor myself I can wholly appreciate the gravity of their illness, but to me Big Pat seemed so thoroughly indestructible and Peter who I was corresponding with via e-mail seemed to have such a positive attitude that I was absolutely shocked when I received the awful news of their demise.

The wonderful Awards I have received this year I want to dedicate to all those who have shared this very unique business with me and to tell you, I appreciate that without all of you, I could never have been considered a worthy candidate for receiving them in the first place.

Amongst the number of Grappling Greats who most shaped and influenced Professional Wrestling as we knew it in The Golden Years, there are two that spring immediately to my mind, - no surprises here, Judo Al Hayes, or Alfie as we knew him best and 'The Dazzler' Joe Cornelius. I have seen their traits, humor, attitudes, ring generalship and aura mirrored in so many of the greats who followed them into the business that I can't even begin to imagine what British Wrestling would have been like without them, - but I do know that it would not have been what it was.

I am sure that we all remember the luxury transport that used to convey us from 'Dale Martin's' offices to the various wrestling venues all over the South and West of Britain, - old converted ambulances with no springs, heaters or air-conditioners and a top speed of about 45 miles an hour - and those awful f****** roads, - traveling could be miserable, - UNLESS you were lucky enough to share the journey with Alfie Hayes, especially if he was discussing anything under the Sun with someone like Allan Garfield, Damn! They were bloody hilarious, the miles would just melt away and even watching Monty Python would be an anticlimax after an evening listening to Alfie's views on just about anything.

Joe Cornelius, - What a presence 'The Dazzler' made when he entered the ring, the wavy jet black hair, the dazzling smile, - the eyebrows! Damn! He had it all, a personality as big as the Royal Albert Hall and ring savvy second to none, he was like a puppet master with strings fastened to the hearts of every member of the audience, if he laughed they laughed, if he cried they cried, if he suffered they suffered and when he triumphed, - Whoops! There goes another arena roof!

I remember being so flattered in my very early Dale Martin days when Joe would come and pick me up in his car to go running with him in Battersea Park. If Joe's ears hadn't already been cauliflowered I'm sure they would have been in great danger of getting that way by my constant yapping, He must have had the patience of Jobe.

"Hey Joe," I'd tell him, "I learned three more wrestling moves last week, there can't be very many more that I don't already know."

Joe's eyes would twinkle as he'd flash me that dazzling smile and reply,

"Yes Ada, I remember being like that myself, - UNTIL THE PENNY DROPPED!"

He gave me so much sage advice, most of which I didn't really appreciate, until with much more experience and observation of the more educated members of my profession, - the penny did finally drop - and I realized that I wasn't quite half as good as I thought I was. Plus, it also dawned on me just as you don't need to use every color in the spectrum to paint a masterpiece, every word in the dictionary to tell a great story, you don't need every wrestling hold or maneuver devised to have a terrific wrestling match. So it was back to the drawing board with the 'BEST TUTORS in the WORLD.' Namely my opponents who were the greats of that age, Tony Scarlo, Peter Kelly, Young Sullivan, who later became Leon Fortuna.

Before we wrestled for Joint Promotions I used to be billed as Kid Tarzan Jonathan the 'youngest professional wrestler in the World', until I was usurped by Leon and although I was a couple of years older than him and had had a couple of years more experience, I appreciated even in our early matches together that he was my superior when it came to timing, - timing was something that I only became aware of through the likes of Tony, Peter and Leon and at first I was only able to follow their lead, I was probably years into wrestling for Dale Martin's before I obtained the knowledge and ability of being able to create it myself.

My matches against Al Miquet, one of the greatest wrestlers I have ever had the pleasure of sharing a wrestling ring with and wrestlers like, Alan Colbeck, Melvin Riss, Mick McMichael, Mick McManus, Billy Stock, Johnny Eagles, Roy and Tony St.Clair, Ian Gilmore, Kalman Gaston, Stevie Grey, Johnny Saint, Jimmy Breaks, Chick Purvey, Chris Bailey, Alan Dennison, John Hall, Johnny Kwango, 'Iron Man' Steve Logan, Tony Charles, Julien Morice, Joe Murphy, Peter Rann, Al Nicol, Bob Archer O'Brian, Bob Anthony his Brother Chris, Caswell Martin, Mark Rocco, Bill Ross, Vic Faulkner, Bert Royal, Alan Sergeant, Spencer Churchill, Tibor and Peter Szakacs, Monty Swan, Eddie Capelli, Honey Boy Zimba, Mike Eagers [who didn't only nick everybody's best moves but had the bloody cheek to do them better than we did], Jumping Jimmy Moser, Bob Kirkwood, Al Marquette, Alan Holenby, Eddie Hamil, Johnny Palance, Marty Jones, Dave Jansen, Jimmie McKenzie, Jacky Pallo and J, J, Pallo, Clayton Thomson, Steve Wright, Bobby Barnes, [both as an opponent and my best Tag-partner ever,] Keith Martinelli, Linde Caulder, Bobby Steel, Tony Costos, Sid Cooper, Catweezle, Peter Cortez, The Borg Twins, Ricky Starr and Zoltan Boscik, I give them all credit in shaping a ragged lump of rough Welsh coal into The lovely flawless Diamond that I became, - thanks guys, we all know that the only thing that prevents me from being perfect is my modesty, - but seriously, I can only say that I made it in the business due to the outstanding quality of my teachers, all of the above mentioned plus many more who I must apologize for omitting through thoughtlessness.

I have often been asked who I thought was the best wrestler I have ever faced in the ring, - I am sure that Jon Cortez would be the very first to agree with me and plead guilty when I say that he stands accused. Jon had a great appearance, wrestling knowledge and ability, skill, agility, timing and ring psychology second to none. I remember having a 40 minute match with Jon in Wimbledon Palace where the fans screamed, laughed, cheered, and roared with a volume that must have registered on the Recto scale and we only touched each other very briefly three times during the whole match. It was Jon's idea, he orchestrated it and I just followed his lead, - maximum reaction for minimum effort.

After a very, very bumpy start, George Kidd became one of my all time favorites and I am the only one I was aware of who held victories over George, not only South of the Border but all over Scotland. Also George always insisted that I was paid top dollar and traveled back and forth to my matches in Scotland with him by my own choice of air, or on a sleeper by rail, whether it was for his own promotions or any of the others promoters that we wrestled each other for. I will be eternally grateful to The Great World Champion, George Kidd for the enormous amount of credibility his confidence gave me exactly when I needed it the most.

When I was a thirteen year old bodybuilder my favorite bodybuilder in the whole World was Spencer Churchill, small boned, heavily muscled, I thought his physique was absolutely flawless; his stature in my eyes could only be magnified to a greater degree than it already was when I learned that he had also become a professional Wrestler. After more than a half century Spencer still looks fantastic and I still find him as inspirational today as I did so many years ago in the wild Welsh hills when I was just a thirteen year old kid straining over two buckets of rocks fastened to each end of an old rusty iron railing.

My heart swelled with pride at the very thought of being a member of our great profession the night I was on the same card and watched what was so far for me the best wrestling match I had ever seen, a British Middle-weight title mach between Champion Tommy Mann and Challenger Tony Charles, in The Colson Hall, Bristol, September 14th 1961 [thanks for that date Ray] The match was a 15 x 5 minute draw and I was riveted for the whole duration, WOW! The inspiration I felt that night has lasted me over 40 years and the memory will last as long as I live.

My tribute would not be complete without mentioning the great heavyweights of yesteryear, the guys too large for me to wrestle in those days, but also too numerous to credit them all as they deserve. Bert Assirati, Jack and Bully Pye, Man-Mountain Benny, Black Butcher Johnson, Hassan Ali-Bey, Bulldog Bill Garnon, The Bearded Monarch Ken Davis, Francis St-Clair Gregory were all in the twilight of their careers when I had my first aspirations of Mat-mauler-ship. So the greats of my day included, Joe Cornelius, Judo Al Hayes, Big Pat Roach, Wayne Bridges, Steve Veidor, 'Wild' Ian Campbell, Neil Sands, Johnny Czeslaw, Gwyn Davis, Geoff Portz, Big Bruno Elrington, Bob Taylor, Billy Howes, John Elijah, Dennis Mitchell, Farmer Johnny Allen, Charlie Fisher, Alan Garfield, Eric Taylor and his sons Steve and Dave, Big John Cox, George Gordienko, Mike Marino, 'Gorilla' Don Mendoza, Big Sonny Colindos, Steve Haggetty, Mal Saunders, Ray Hunter, Frank Hurley, Big Bill Verna, Tug Holton, 'Jumping' Jim Hussey, Vic Hessel, Billy Joyce, Billy Robinson, Mal Kirk, Big John Kowalski, Prince Kumali, Ray Apolon, Peter Maivia, Mighty John Quinn, Judo Pete Roberts, Big John DaSilva, Billy Two Rivers, Gordon Nelson, Hans Streiger, Joe Zaranoff, Crusher Mason, Kendo Nagasaki and the best masked wrestler of all time Paul Lincoln's Doctor Death, - that cold fish handshake he gave his opponent prior to the action used to send a shiver up my spine.

There were also many now nameless wrestlers of our era who had little or no ability whatsoever, walking, talking blocks of wood who, as was so aptly phrased 'didn't know how to do up their bleed'n boots', but now in retrospect I feel I owe them a salute too. I found it easy to shine when I was in the ring with someone like Jon Cortez, Alan Miquet or most of the wrestlers I've already mentioned, they were all capable of having a great match with a broomstick, I know that for a fact, as very often in the early days, I was that broomstick. It was when, armed with the skill and knowledge learned from such great wrestlers that I was able to emulate their ability to thoroughly entertain a knowledgeable audience whilst tussling with a talentless opponent that I felt that my true mettle was tested. I gradually came to the conclusion that to become truly skilled in our business we need to experience both extremes of wrestling ability from our various opponents, just as the strongest tempered steel needs to experience both the hottest and coldest temperatures.

Also in respect to those now nameless grapplers, they entered our sport with the same dreams and aspirations as the most successful of us and at least they had the shear guts to get their arses into the ring and try their very best, - surely we must all salute them for that.

We were all very smug and comfortable with the fact that we had become household names in Britain, but that was a status none of us would have enjoyed if it had not been for TV and the magazines that depicted us as the larger than life Heroes and Villains we craved to become. Thanks to the great Wrestling commentator Kent Walton and the excellence and imaginations of writers and photographers like Charles Mascal, Russell Plummer and George Reid, Bob Leonard [a great pal since my Calgary Stampede days] Dave Cameron, still a friend since the early 60's, John Rackham, Ken Osborn, Pam Edwards, Eddie Caldwell, Tony Flood, H.G Stevens, Dave Pirie, Alec Wishart, John Gledhill, B.R. Bale, George W. Mitchell, Chris Butter, David Burwash, William Baxter, Alan Bamber, Bob Scarla and Laurie Stephen.

To Kent Walton I especially owe a huge dept of gratitude, if for no other reason than the fact that he constantly reminded the viewers that in spite of my exaggerated showmanship I was one hell of a wrestler and in so doing added much needed credibility to the in-credible image I was attempting to paint of myself.

Charles Mascal wrote the articles in Dale Martin's programs and it was he who first dubbed me with the nickname 'Nature Boy' as a result of the training I was doing in a period when I wanted to get back down to the Lightweight division. The great American Superstar 'Nature-Boy' Buddy Rogers had been one of my top idols since the very first time I became attracted to professional wrestling and it was in an attempt to live up to such an illustrious title that provoked me to introduce the Glamour thing into my character in the first place, thanks Charles, I really - really owe you one!

Russell Plummer whose magazine 'The Wrestler' was undoubtedly the very best ever produced in Great Britain on our sport, his articles were excellently composed, very articulate, informative and interesting and best of all for us brought more much needed publicity and fame as did the great writers and photographers afore mentioned that contributed so much to our Sport. Another reason I liked 'The Wrestler' so much was that I don't think anyone made the front cover more times than I did.

Bob Leonard's, H.G. Stevens' and George Reid's photos were terrific, most of the best action photos I still possess were taken by them.

Now here is something else that I FIND VERY EXCITING, just when we all thought that we were fading away like a vague memory we have great Wrestling Historians, writers and wrestling fans extraordinaire who are picking up our old tarnished, cobweb encrusted banners and waving them for us one more time, Ray Plunkett, who knows more about my old matches, the venues and opponents than I do, Bill Parsonson and the Seniles, Frankie Rimer, wrestler, writer, trainer and M.C. Paul Douglas who designed the incredible 2005 British Wrestlers Reunion Award that is now gracing the wall of my office.

Then there is the Great British Wrestling Reunion founders and creators, Joe D'Orazio, Wrestler, Referee, Writer - [and great cook!] Mal Mason, MC, Tony Scarlo, wrestler, trainer and excellent referee, Frankie Rimer, Martin 'Rocker' Richards wrestler and website manager and then The Host of Britain's greatest annual event, one of the nicest guys [he ain't a bad Chick either] in the business, World Heavyweight Champion Wayne Bridges with his lovely muscular wife Sarah.

Then the British fans who made all our fantasies into a reality, as they booed us, cheered us, supported us, put food on our tables, clothes on the backs of our families and all for doing what we liked best, - entertaining them as only we could.

I've been asked many times by our old fans why life doesn't ever get us Vintage Grapplers down, I'll give you our secret, - it's because at our age it's too bloody hard to get back up again.

Well where to start?

My first visit to a Wrestlers' reunion, until the begining of this year i wasn't aware that such an event existed.  In fact it wasn't until I started training with the Dropkixx Academy that Frank Rimer told me about the event and that I would automatically be invited to it through my association with Dropkixx.  Mind you, even if i had known about it, i'd have been too embarrassed to attend as a fan of yesteryear and just stand there in awe, afraid to speak to anyone!

  As it was, as a wrestling trainee myself I had the privelidge of being introduced to many of my childhood hero's by the aforementioned Mr Rimer to whom i will be eternally grateful.  Whats more thanks to my old mate Rocker Richards i also have a batch of photos to mark the auspicious occassion (some of which should be here).

For me the day was like a who's who of stars, some of which like Wayne Bridges and his gorgeous wife Sarah i'd had the pleasure of meeting at the gym several months earlier.  Of all the stars i met, the one i was most looking forward to meeting was Dangerous Danny Lynch.  This i managed to do, and shake his hand.  Alas i didn't get to have my picture taken with him due to his early departure, nor bor him to death with my memories of his battles in Wimbledon in the early 80's against the likes of Antonio Cassio (who i also got to meet on the day).  The way Danny used to make the ring slide across the floor when he took a posting was a sight to see.

 

As i was introduced to each individual star a new memory would re-surface:  Bob Kirkwood, i remember him fighting Dr Death the night he was to unmask (after he'd defeated Bob).  Alas i never got the chance to ask Paul Lincoln if it was him under the hood that night.

Mick West, i recall him and his brother Jim figthing the White Angels in a tremendous tag.  Bruiser Muir, this was another real treat, i'd seen him countless times at Croydon, Catford, and the Albert Hall, he always guaranteed a terrific contest whoever his opponent was.

Butcher Bond & Lee Bronson, i remember them coming down to Dales gym in Brixton (about 1979) to train with me and the other young hopefuls of the day.  Great guys who never tried to bully or embarrass us youngsters like many others did.

Alas i didn't manage to talk to Bill Bromley and ask him if he remembered our impromptu battles in the train carriages on the way to Penge from Brixton on a Sunday afternoon.

There are too many others to give proper credence to in such a short article, Steve Grey, the night he got the first fall over John England in 4 seconds of round one at Croydon.

Mel Stuart for those hilarious tags with Banger.

Karl Heinz for the first time i saw him and Kurt de-wig at Battersea.

 

All in all i had a magnificent day, topped with me having the privilege of giving Prince Kumali a lift to the station in my car along with our MC for the day Peter Baines who took the time to tell me of some of the exploits he'd been involved in during his career as ring crew, MC etc.  Great stories and very well told.

So until next year God willing, and another great day out.  I only hope that some of the other stars who for one reason or another couldn't attend this year manage to make it next time round.  Until then i can cherish the memory of this year and show off my photos, even if Joe Legend did make me look 3ft nothing....... only kidding Joe - But have you seen the size of the guy?