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Dennis Granville Hayes was born on 18th February, 1923 in Wombwell, a mining town a mile or so out of Barnsley centre. After leaving school at fourteen Dennis found work and was taken on as an apprentice electrician.
Dennis Hayes was to become Chunky Hayes, a professional wrestler with a background of training boxers before turning to wrestling. He was one of wrestling’s characters who didn’t make it to the big time as either wrestler or promoter but still played an important role in the wrestling business. Certainly a man who made an impression.
Sam Betts, known as wrestler Dwight J Ingleburgh, was a neighbour and told us that Chunky was the funniest man in the world to work with. Wherever those that knew him gather together the stories about Chunky begin to flow, often about the rickety bus in which he transported his workers, the wig he wore in the ring, or the instruction to wrestlers staying at his home to not leave their bedroom because he let the alsations loose at night for security, and a good few stories we wouldn’t dare to repeat.
After the war Chunky left his native Barnsley and moved to Gloucestershire, where he bought a large house from the profit he had made buy and selling army surplus sports equipment. Sam told us of the hospitality given to the wrestlers who were invited to stay with Chunky and his wife.
Chunky wrestled around much of the country, never one of the most well known names, but a man who was known for possessing a good amount of skill and giving value for money. Working exclusively for independent promoters and putting on his own shows Chunky provided work for most of the top independent wrestlers, including Dwight J Ingleburgh, Karl Von Kramer and Ski Hi Lee. He was also renowned as a driving force behind women’s wrestling in the 1960s, Naughty Nancy Barton and Lolita Loren amongst his proteges.
Chunky Hayes died in Bury in 1992.
Page added 18/02/2024
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