British wrestling history has a name - Heritage
Wrestling Heritage celebrates the glorious days of
British professional wrestling
between the years 1930 and 1988.
Wrestling Heritage - Preserving Britain's social history
Looking for a wrestler?
Use the comprehensive A-Z Index or the search box.
7th August
Part 2 of a New Tribute
Jake "Dutch" Zorra was a man of many personalities, a globetrotting Chameleon
31 July 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
Earl Maynard was a wrestler with muscles on his muscles......
31 July 2022
PLACES
Ron Historyo continues to ramble around the country in search of wrestling in years gone by. Have a read and then add your own memories
31 July 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
One of the outstanding wrestlers of the third quarter of the twentieth century. On the anniversary of his death two years ago celebrate an innovative performer who was a star on an international stage.
Memories of Rollerball from The Norfolk Snake.
Read our tribute to Rollerball Mark Rocco followed by Memories of Rollerball.
26 July 2022
NEWS
We are saddened to report the death of Heritage member and wrestling enthusiast Lofty Waterman on 19th July.
24 July
A NEW TRIBUTE
Jake "Dutch" Zorra toured the UK. In fact, he was neither American nor German-born.....
Graeme Cameron uncovers the globe-trotting life of Dutch Zorra
24 July
A NEW TRIBUTE
Johnny South had a hard edge, the sort of style that woke up the fans.....
22 July
A NEW TRIBUTE
Wrestling Heritage remembers Scotland's Bill Robertson, who died earlier this month.
10 July 2022
NEWS
At the request of Joe D'Orazio and Ken Sowden Wrestling Heritage continues to commemorate all those who were inducted into the British Wrestlers Reunion Hall of Fame.
10 July 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
Wrestling Heritage adds a tribute to Honey Boy Zimba.
10 July 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
His unpredictable nature made all his bouts all-action affairs, and one of the few wrestlers able to please fans of the Mountevans era and those of the new millennium.
10 July 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
Tom Tyrone was a popular young heavyweight who entered the professional ranks in the late 1970s.
10 July 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
The world loved Paula Valdez. From the days she was one of the greats of female wrestlers until the time she managed Fit Finlay, instructing him in that very dogmatic way that is the hallmark of a Lancashire woman.
Read our tribute to Paula Valdez
03 July 2022
PLACES
Ron travels south. He's at the Chelsea Palace.
More Recent Additions
07 August
HERITAGE NEWSLETTER
Twelve pages of our wrestling heritage delivered to your mail box each week.
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This week in our wrestling heritage
13 August 1930
Birth of Eric Taylor
13 August 1936
Wrestling continued to divide opinion and Goole Town Council imposed a ban on All-In wrestling in the council owned Victoria Pleasure Gardens.
13 August 1938
Birth of Brian Maxine
13 August 1943
Norman Morrell, Bert Mansfield, Ted Beresford and Robert McDonald were among the wrestlers that took part in a wrestling show to raise money for Hartlepool Hospital.
11 August 1929
Birth of Dennis Mitchell
11 August 1934
The four day Anti-Fascist Sports Festival opened in Paris with wrestling one of the events. Among the forty British competitors taking part was Stepney wrestler Harry Rabin.
10 August 1936
Birth of Honey Boy Zimba
10 August 1937
Wrestler Bob “Black Eagle” Adams made his debut as a professional boxer when he met Swansea’s Jim Wilde at Briton Ferry, South Wales.
10 August 1939
Birth of Referee Bobby Stafford
10 August 1946
Bert Assirati kept his heavyweight title against George Gregory at Belle Vue, Manchester.
10 August 1948
A controversial win for Bert Assirati against The Angel.
09 August 1910
Birth of Guy Falla
09 August 1940
1930s wrestler Tug Wilson launched a scheme in Dover to raise £5000 for a spitfire fighter. He said that he would box or wrestle anyone and donate all his winnings to the Dover Spitfire Fund.
09 August 2020
Death of Big Jim Harris
08 August 1912
Birth of Jack Dale
08 August 1928
Birth of Al Hayes
08 August 1928
Birth of boxing and wrestling promoter Peter Keenan.
08 August 1941
When a show at Hanley had been particularly decimated by wartime commitments the promoters advertised that for the next show they would give £10 to charity if any wrestler failed to appear.
08 August 1957
Adrian Street made his professional debut against Gentleman Geoff Moran in London
08 August 1975
08 August 2005
Death of Dean Rockwell
07 August 1941
Phil Siki, The Black Arrow, was appointed Deputy Leader of the London University College A.R.P. Depot.
07 August 1959
Death of Charlie Glover
03 July 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
If anything was in a name then Barnsley heavyweight villain would know best, because he had three of them.....
03 July 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
Eric Cutler was a bearded rule bender who looked the part even before he started wearing the black leather hood which became a trademark....
26 June 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
Clive Myers was a slick welterweight who turned pro in 1970 after successful amateur wrestling and weightlifting experience. He took little time exciting the public in any bout he was involved in.
26 June 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
Cashel is a small town, population around 4,000, in the south of Ireland. It’s famous for the Rock of Cashel, which doesn’t refer to our subject but one of the town’s sights.
23 June, 2022
NEWS
We are saddened to report the death of Brighton's Ray Luxford
19 June 2022
PLACES
On the road again, Ron Historyo stays somewhere up there.
19 June 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
In a wrestling career that seemed to fit itself into a relatively short twenty years Tony Cassio certainly crammed a lot into it......
19 June 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
One of the young wrestlers coming on to the scene in the late 1970s was Nigel Hanmore from Tonbridge, known in the wrestling ring as Tommy Stewart....
12 June 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
Britain's greatest wrestling export? That's what some would say. He's certainly made a huge contribution to the prestige of British wrestling.
Read our tribute to Steve Regal
12 June 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
If only all the new kids on the block had been like Johnny Kidd we would be discussing a very different wrestling heritage.
05 June 2022
A NEW TRIBUTE
Who didn't like Blondie Barratt. OK, just one hand up at the back of the room.
05 June 2022
Those boots just keep on walking. Ron Historyo arrives in Stafford
MORE ANNIVERSARIES
06 August 1938 A man entered the ring at the New St James Hall, Newcastle, gave a fascist salute and presented the referee with a lemon. The Newsletter
05 August 1918 Birth of Prince Barnu Read our tribute
05 August 1934 Birth of Bruce Allison He's in the A-Z
05 August 1935 Jack Sherry defeated Francis Gregory in Penzance to keep his World Heavyweight title. The Newsletter
05 August 1938 Scottish wrestler Jim Anderson was a bit too fast and was fined 15/6 at Dundee Police Court for driving at 50mph on Perth Road, Dundee.
05 August 1942 Birth of Black Jack Mulligan Read our tribute
05 August 1949 A 13 year old boy from Dewsbury was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary with concussion, a fractured shoulder blade and a spinal injury. James Rawlings, son of wrestler Alf, had fallen fifteen feet from a tree near Woodkirk Church
04 August 1932 A fine display of wrestling from Ben Sherman as he defeated Norman the Butcher at the Ring, Blackfriars. The Newsletter
04 August 1933 Douglas Clark was informed by the International Wrestling Syndicate he must defend his Catch as Catch Can British heavyweight title in October, 1933, against the winner of an Elimination Tournament.
04 August 1934 Wrestler Mitchell Gill was fined £5 and had his driving licence suspended for twelve months when found guilty of driving a motor cycle without insurance and a road fund licence.
04 August 1958 George Kidd defended his World Lightweight title against Jack Santos at The Granby Halls, Leicester
04 August 1978 Death of Margerich Anaconda Read our tribute
03 August 1924 Birth of Karel Istaz Read our tribute
03 August 1936 Birth of Jack Fallon Read our tribute
03 August 2011 Death of Stedman Clarke He's in the A-Z
03 August 2017 Death of long serving Dale Martin Second, Charlie Cornish
02 August 1878 Birth of George Hackenschmidt Read our tribute
01 August 1961 Eric Taylor retained his British heavy middleweight title against Clayton Thomson in Aberdeen
01 August 1972 Death of Ray Gunkel He's in the A-Z
31 July 2020 Death of Mark Rocco Read our tribute
23 July 1919 Birth of George Thompson (Mustapha Nasser) Read our tribute
23 July 1920 Birth of Max Ward Read our tribute
23 July 1940 Birth of Thunder Sugiyama He's in the A-Z
22 July 1896 Birth of Billy Riley Read our tribute
22 July 1911 Birth of Stan Roberts Read our tribute
22 July 1932 Foundation Stone laid of Liverpool Stadium
21 July 1934 Birth of Ted Heath Read our tribute
21 July 2005 Death of Al Hayes Read our tribute
21 July Happy Birthday Sabu Gurdial Singh In the newsletter
19 July 1934 Birth of Johnny Eagles Read our tribute
19 July 1993 Death of Bruno Elrington Read our tribute
18 July 1909 Birth of Mitchell Gill Read our tribute
18 July 2020 Birth of Terry Camm Read our tribute
17 July 1912 Birth of Norman Morrell Read our tribute
17 July 2004 Death of Pat Roach Read our tribute
17 July 2019 Death of Pete Curry Read our tribute
15 July 1910 Birth of Taffy Jones Read our tribute
15 July 1935 Birth of Tony Charles Read our tribute
14 July 1979 Death of Klondyke Billl Read our tribute
14 July 2013 Death of Ramon Napolitano Read our tribute
13 July 1913 Birth of Bill Ogden Read our tribute
13 July Happy Birthday Les Prest Read our tribute
12 July 2012 Death of Dara Singh Read our tribute
10 July 1989 Death of Prince Barnu Read our tribute
RECENT LOSSES
17 April
NEWS
Ken Sowden reports: Sad news received this morning (17th April) that Tony 'Banger' Walsh passed away peacefully on the 16th April.
10 March 2022
NEWS
Goodbye to our Father of Wrestling, Giusseppe Augusto Antonio Loreto Mario Scala
13 February
NEWS
Sad news received of the death of 1960s/70s wrestler Steve Casey from Boston, Lincolnshire.
Shining Stars - the most famous names in wrestling
The Galleries - Where a picture is worth a thousand words
2nd January
GALLERIES
Join The Ost down at the Hackney Empire in his latest Galleries album
GALLERIES
About Wrestling Heritage
Wrestling Heritage is a non commercial hobby site produced by two fans of the 1960s and many enthusiastic members. Our aim is simply to celebrate all those involved in British professional wrestling between 1930 and 1988.
Note:
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