Ron Historyo
It’s Bert and Vic. Bert was 12 years older than Vic and Wd.Com quite rightly have a couple of 1949 matches featuring Bert and Billy Howes. I show a different one in Newcastle
For Vic they show a couple in 1960 for him and I just beat theirs with the earliest yet at Portsmouth.
I also tribute the family by throwing in a 1961 Bolton show where both plus their dad are on the bill together. Lew for once (in Bolton) going as Vic Hessle.
Thus far I have it late 1964 before Bert and Vic tagged together. I thought this looked later than expected. can anyone offer earlier.
I think Bert called it a day early in 1982, he was down for a match with Rocco, but the bill did not really show the full card.
I can only show one in late 1981.
It looks like Vic went onto the end of 1984, certainly a shorter career than Bert but very credible.
March 1981, I have them for a last time as The Royal brothers.
They had so many matches I am sure all this is beatable, but it stands up well with WD.com who share Faulkner’s last match with my effort
Loved this pair, they were so much more than clean and clever. they were exciting and at times harder hitting than you think. Cracking Drop Kicks.
Anglo Italian
You’re right. It’s all too easy to take them for granted because of over-exposure. But they were lightning fast and always in exciting bouts.
There’s the 1970 tag match still alive, against the Black Knights. Bert does some jiggery-pokery with the bottom ropes and it’s too fast for the human eye to comprehend.
Proper thoughtful promoting there with the Yorkshire v Bolton scenario, and probably 1 -1 in terms of bouts paving the way for young Vic to come in and claim team victory in the decider.
Penzy, with his devilish beard, really was their perfect foil in the early days of tag. Somehow he slipped away, probably with the advent of “two peas in a pod” tag teams like the Black Diamonds and the Untouchables.
Ron Historyo
Managed to get an earlier shot of the Royal brother mid 1963.
That’s probably about right and no shock that it was against the Cadmans.
Told the story once before, that a mate of mine was in hospital and in the next bed was one of the Cadmans.
Bert and Vic walked in to visit him…….Great mates.
I think this was the point when Tag wrestling for tv was about to take off. It had been done before but I think tv demand and an advantage for the smaller men. made it boom. Similar period for McManus and Logan.
Anglo Italian
The days before tag teams had names
Hack
Bert Royal in 1949 shows the fiction of Kent Walton’s rhetoric that he turned professional in 1952 and chose his name in honour of the new Queen. Here he is with Bill Howes. This was a fairly frequent match in Bert’s early days, though Bill later filled out and became a mid heavyweight.
Both Bert and Vic seemed to be in the limelight from the start, which I have no doubt was due to their ability. Bert must have been quite something in the 1950s when wrestling was so much slower – the Dynamite Kid of his day.
I have the Royals a bit later, February 1983.
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