Wrestling Heritage

By Graeme Cameron

A British History of Australian Wrestling
By Graeme Cameron

Part 19:
1969: A Year of Change

As the new decade approached, the World Championship Wrestling promotion remained dominant. Then things took an unexpected turn. At the end of 1968, co-promoter Johnny Doyle let it be known that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. He handed over his half of the promotion to Jim Barnett and returned to America to spend his remaining days with family and friends. Barnett continued operating until the end of May 1969, when he closed down the promotion temporarily and returned to America to attend Doyle’s funeral and make new arrangements for the promotion. He joined the National Wrestling Alliance, meaning two things. First, he now had access to the wrestlers from all the member promotions, and second, that the WCW promotion’s champion could no longer be referred to as a “world” champion as the NWA champion now had to be recognised.

When Barnett returned, he hired rival promoter George Gardiner as his Public Relations Officer on a three-year contract. It was perhaps not really that much of a surprise. Gardiner had been inactive as a promoter from February 1967 until March 1969, when he presented one card featuring local wrestlers. Later in the year, with his new promotional partner, John Csom (pronounced “Chom”), Gardiner presented cards in four small venues in Sydney, using only stalwart local wresters, the most well-known of whom were Wadi Ayoub and Kangaroo Kennedy.

World Championship Wrestling resumed operations in September. A month later, Billy Robinson arrived in the country, but he was not the only British wrestler to work in the promotion this year. We begin with the curious case of Bobby Burns. 

BOBBY BURNS (1968-71, 1972-78) 

In 1968, a wrestler using the name “Bill Rawlings” appeared on three WCW stadium cards in Melbourne and four more in Sydney in 1969. Trouble was, Bill Rawlings was active in the UK at the same time. How could this be? It turns out the wrestler using this name in Australia was in fact Wellingborough’s Bobby Burns, whose career is covered in the “People” section of this web site. 

A light heavyweight, Burns appears to have emigrated to Australia with his family sometime in 1967. The first record of him is in April 1968, losing to another British immigrant, Billy Dundee on a WCW card at Melbourne’s Festival Hall. He likely worked on the Melbourne independent circuit, although there are no records of this. 

In 1969, Burns and his family moved to Sydney, where they settled in the Northern beachside suburb of Manly. He continued working for WCW using the Bill Rawlings name, while working as Bobby Burns in the clubs. He did this from 1969 until the end of 1971 (See the “People’ section for details of match records). He had only one recorded TV appearance, that being in Sydney in May 1969, another of the string of victims in Murphy the Magnificent’s rise. There is no record of Bobby Burns wrestling for the period 1972-74. He resurfaced in 1975, appearing in a support match (possibly more than one) on three cards promoted by John Csom (George Gardiner having retired).  From 1976 to 78, he worked both in WCW and the clubs as Bobby Burns. He was on the losing team of an eight-man tag team match which was on the final card ever to be presented at the Hordern Pavilion venue. What became of him following the closure of WCW is unknown.

Opponents:  Billy Dundee, Paul Aspiotis, Harold Kalivoris, Ken Medlin, Murphy the Magnificent, John Marshall

GUY MITCHELL (1969-70)

In 1969, a wrestler using the name Guy Mitchell began making appearances in Hal Morgan’s Top Pro Wrestling club wrestling circuit. This was not the Canadian Guy Mitchell, nor was it the Guy Mitchell appearing around the UK, despite his English accent. This Guy Mitchell was in fact Brian Guy Emery, newly arrived from Essex, who worked in Sydney in 1969 and 1970 on the club circuit. He made one sole appearance for WCW, losing to Murphy the Magnificent in an opening prelim at Sydney Stadium in September 1969.

John Marshall recalled wrestling him a number of times in the clubs, describing Mitchell as a “pleasure to work with”. His skill level suggested previous experience. Brian Emery may well have worked under another name in the UK prior to coming to Australia but no proof of this has so far surfaced. 

Despite his brief tenure, he managed to become involved in the politics of the time. The records show that when the 12 wrestlers broke away from Hal Morgan to form a new promotion, Brian “Guy Mitchell” Emery was one of those who made the decision to join them in the new group. There are no records for him after 1970. What became of him is unknown. 

Opponents: Murphy the Magnificent, John Marshall 

BILLY ROBINSON (1969)

I have already covered Robinson’s tour of Australia in some detail in my piece “Billy Robinson in Australia”, which can be found in the “People” section of this web site, but here is a summary. 

Robinson arrived in Australia in October remaining until just prior to the closure of WCW for the Christmas period. Introduced as an unknown, Robinson later won the heavyweight title from Killer Karl Kox. He lost the title and regained it from Kox, winning it a second time. He had notable title defences against villainous American wild man Fred Blassie and former US amateur and future NWA world champion Jack Brisco in matches which were regarded as technical classics. After a series of matches, Robinson lost the title to “King” Curtis Iaukea just prior to leaving the country. His final appearances were on December 20, losing twice in one day, firstly to “Killer’ Buddy Austin by knockout on Sydney TV at Midday, then 2-1 to Iaukea at Festival Hall, Melbourne in the evening.  Other opponents known to Heritage readers were Spiros Arion (a TV draw), Dory Dixon, Roy Heffernan and Murphy the Magnificent (all wins). For more details go the article in the “People” section.

Opponents: Killer Karl Kox, Fred Blassie, Jack Brisco, Spiros Arion, Dory Dixon, Roy Heffernan, Murphy the Magnificent, Mario Milano, Klondike Bill (Canada), “King ” Curtis Iaukea, “Killer’ Buddy Austin

Page added 31/05/2026

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