Also known as Arthur Belshaw, Arthur Ricardo, Terrence Ricardo
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Wigan’s Own King Arthur
The heaviest of the three Belshaw brothers who were trained in the Lancashire catch style was Arthur Beaumont, sometimes billed as Arthur Ricardo or Terrence Ricardo. The name on the birth certificate was James Arthur Belshaw, born in Wigan on 17th August 1923.
Arthur, as he was usually known was the youngest of the Belshaw brothers. they all trained at Billy “Pop” Charnock’s gym in Wigan, and are generally reckoned to be the best wrestlers to have come from Charnocks.
Following around four years training at Charnock’s Arthur began wrestling for money, with the earliest professional fight we have found being at Hanley in May, 1940, using the name Terrence Ricardo. It was the start of a twenty-four year career in which he travelled around Britain with visits to Europe.
In December 1951 we found the first reference (in the Birkenhead and Cheshire Advertiser) to Arthur as British light heavyweight champion. We can find no record of any title changes and cannot confirm the accuracy of this title claim, but he did tell the Heywood Advertiser he defeated Norman Walsh for the belt and relinquished it a few months later due to increased weight taking him into the next weight division. A documented title win can be found on 1st July, 1963. again defeating Norman Walsh, this time for the British Mid Heavyweight title. The contest was televised and broadcast on 17th July.Walsh regained the title a few weeks later.
Titles aside Arthur was recognised as one of the “real” wrestlers respected by everyone in the business. He was well versed in the Lancashire style of Catch, “Giving summat t’ get summat,” and the science of leverage and balance to outwit opponents. This foundation served him well in the professional ring and no better example than his televised contest against Earl Maynard in January 1963 at Lime Grove Baths. Maynard, an internationally acclaimed wrestler, was a stone heavier than Beaumont, more powerful, and with a more well developed physique. It was Beaumont, though, that had the wrestling knowledge and pure skill to outwit Maynard and win by the odd fall.
Arthur retired from wrestling in 1965. He and his wife, Barbara, went into the licensing trade. Their first public house was the Robin Hood on London Road, Manchester and then in 1969 they moved on to to the Queen Anne in Market Place, Heywood.
Arthur Belshaw died in 1980.
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