Assirati, The Ultimate Wrestler
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During the next ten years Bert consolidated his position as Britain’s best, He extensively worked throughout Britian, with short visits to France (in 1947 and 1948) and Belgium (in 1948). The aura of invincibility strengthened, but there were sufficient drawn decisions to suggest that Bert’s attitude towards jobbing to lesser men was more relaxed than has often been claimed. Another title was added to his collection on 30th June, 1945, with a win over Mitchell Gill at Newcastle to win the British Empire Heavyweight title.
One event dominated the 1947 wrestling scene, and that was the world title tournament held at the Harringay Arena, London. The date was 18th February, 1947, and sixteen of the top wrestlers in Europe were assembled by promoters Ronald Green,who was manager of the WimbledonSpeedway Team and British Ring Sports, whose Chairman was Frank Price. Assirati defeated Carl Van Wurden, Milo Popocopolis, and Gaston Ghevaert to reach the tournament final, which was not held until 4th March. Seven thousand fans filled Harringay stadium to see Britain’s heavyweight champion Assirati dispose of Ivar Martinsen in just six minutes. The tournament was not sanctioned by the recently formed British Wrestling Board of Control and consequently was not held according to the new Lord Mountevans Rules.
Assirati’s clasp of the world crown lasted just seven months. Martinsen won the return contest in Paris on 13th October. Once again we consider the possibility of Bert co-operating with the promoter’s wishes to ensure a desired outcome in each country.
It was one of the most anticipated matches of the post war years between two giants of the ring, Bert Assirati and The Angel.
It was a controversial ending to the match, refereed by Tiny Carr, who was dwarfed by the two men. The two wrestlers were well matched in size and strength and Assirati struggled to throw The Angel, who made frequent use of his Body Crush hold to weaken the Brit. Assirati fought back with front headlocks that caused the Angel to protest to the referee. Tiny Carr smiled and told him to get on with it.
Time and time again Assirati tossed the Angel to the mat. Repeatedly he staggered to his feet, weakened from the headlocks. And then, when Assirati considered the time right, he grabbed the Angel’s legs, swiftly turned him to take the lead with his speciality Boston Crab submission. On many occasions Assirati’s Boston Crab has ended the contest but the Angel came back into the contest, using more Body Crushes to weaken Assirati and take the equalising fall.
The end came with Assirati pinning The Angel. Unfair was the verdict of the fans and The Angel as the referee failed to notice that The Angel’s legs were hanging over the ropes outside of the ring.
A visit to Switzerland in January, 1949 saw revenge for Bert as he took 43 minutes to gain another victory over Ivar Martinsen at Zurich’s Hallen Stadium in front of 7,000 fans.. Ring Magazine reported in September, 1949, a one hour draw between Bert Assirati and Primo Carnera at the Charlton Greyhound Stadium in London, before a crowd of 4,500.
Apart from his domestic recognition as Britain’s greatest heavyweight Bert was well established on the international stage. At the Palais des Sports in Paris he defended British honour against Europe’s top men, including Charles Rigoulet, Felix Miquet and Henri DeGlane.
In February, 1950, Bert faced World champion claimant Frank Sexton in Antwerp. Said to be suffering from flu at the time Assirati insisted on fighting and held Sexton to a draw.
Back in the UK Bert was having memorable tussles with Hassan Ali Bey, Patrick O’Reilly, Frank Hurley, Farmer George Broadfield, Bill Verna. His European Heavyweight title defence against Alex Cadier was one of the few wrestling matches to make the national press. Unfortunately the Daily Express reporter was disappointed in the fifteen round draw.
Five years after the introduction of the Lord Mountevans rules another part of the Mountevans plan was beginning to take shape with contests for the Lord Mountevans championship. Although not quite a formal, legal group (that was to come two months later) members of Joint Promotions were already working co-operatively to unify champion claimants in their halls. On 3rd November, 1951, Ernest Baldwin defeated David Armstrong in Middlesbrough, a Norman Morrell show, to become the first Lord Mountevans British Heavyweight champion. The plain fact is that Ernest Baldwin was, out of the blue it seems, recognised as British heavyweight champion, in northern England, while Bert was still in the country, a huge disservice and insult to Assirati. This didn’t stop Bert still being acknowledged by others, including the biggest promoters in the southm Dale Martin, as British heavyweight champion, and we have a recorded defence in July, 1952 against Pat O’Reilly before setting off on his travels.
Secondary sources which we cannot confirm tell us that in May 1952 Bert made his debut in Germany, wrestling in the Berlin tournament for five weeks. Falling to the now mighty Assirati were Swiss champion Paul Berger, Austrian Leif Rasmussen, South African Les Herbert, Australians Ray Hunter and Bill Verna, and Britain’s Don Stedman. Two men who Bert failed to overcome were the German giant Kurt Zehe, a match ending in a No Contest, and the Trinadian Phil Siki, to whom he lost. We would like to bring to a conclusion the speculation elsewhere that Bert wrestled Shirley Crabtree in Germany. We have it on the good authority of Assirati’s biographer, Mike Hallinan, that such a match never took place.
On 1st August, 1952 Bert embarked on an extensive tour of more than two years that encompassed Singapore, Malaysia, Ceylon, India, Pakistan and South Africa.
The Singapore visit doubled as Bert’s honeymoon, as in 1952 he had married Marjorie Hammond in St Pancras. The pair sailed from London to Singapore on board the Glenorchy, a vessel of the Glen Line. Bert remained undefeated during his five month stay in Singapore.
A bloody battle with Cocky Chick Knight ended with a technical knock out win for Bert in the sixth round,
As the sixth round began scores were even. With the start of round six it was Knight who charged across the ring, only to be halted by the impenetrable Bert. Following several blows Chick fell to the mat, only to rise and have the punishment repeated. Eventually the referee judged enough was enough and declared Chick unfit to continue.
The return bout proved something of a disappointment. Bert was reportedly rather tame as he was held to a draw by Chick over six ten minute rounds.
Initial disappointment that Bert could not wrestle the mighty King Kong Emile Czaja due to the latter being in India was overcome when the two finally clashed on the 20th September. It was a terrific encounter that lived up to expectations. Bert stunned King Kong with his power in the early rounds. But King Kong was no pushover and in the fifth round regained enough energy to repeatedly lift Bert and slam him to the mat. With Bert now groggy and surely ready for a follow through pinfall attempt King Kong’s downfall came when he lifted as he neared the ropes. The temptation was too great and King Kong crashed Bert down to the hard floor outside the ring. The referee disqualified King Kong. Not the most satisfactory of wins for Bert, but a win nevertheless.
Four weeks later, 4th October, the inevitable return match took place, another full to capacity Happy World Stadium. Five grueling rounds that ended with two exhausted and bloodied men counted out. Bert was back on his feet as soon as the ten was reached whilst King Kong remained motionless. The opinion of the fans was that Bert was the winner of the match, but officially it was a double knock out.
On 29th December the biggest wrestler to set foot in Singapore. Seven feet six inches tall (it was claimed) and wighing over thirty stones, this was the German Kurt Zehe, Gargantua. With Corrie Pretorious and the Blonde Tiger disposed of the inevitable confrontation was on- January 24th 1953, Gargantua v Bert Assirati. It was the end of the line for Gargantua as Bert won by a pinfall and a submission to a pinfall. With his left hand holding Bert’s head in place no fewer than six times Gargantua brought his right hand down woth a hammer blow to Bert’s head. Each time Bert fell to the mat and each time he got up. Following the sixth blow Bert rise to his feet, leant into the ropes and torpedoed off with a terrific headbutt into Gargantua’s stomach. This brought the match to a conclusion. The German buckled to the ground and on rising Bert clamped on one of his merciless headlocks, to which Gargantua submitted.
“Assirati Tamed!” screamed the press when Bert faced Arabet Said, “The British Empire Champion looked a novice before the North African champion.” Arabet Said took an early lead and even Bert’s head butts had little impact. It certainly looked like Bert had met his match until the sixth and last round. Bert lifted his man and crashed him to the mat. Each time Arabet Said rgot to his feet Bert repeated the slam, until one final effort and Said failed to beat the count.
The next big name in town was the French Angel, Maurice Tillett, and the two men met at the Happy World Stadium on 14th February, 1953. The show was advertised as a Chinese New Year Special, but turned into a St Valentines Day Massacre with Bert beating the ageing Angel in three rounds.
Reviewed 07/02/2022
