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Starr Quality
We discover the muscular Dave Starr in the 1950s as Herculean Dave Starr with wins over Doug Joyce, Jack Atherton and (an admittedly young) Gwyn Davies. In March 1953 he challenged Ernest Baldwin for the British heavyweight title in Scunthorpe. The boy must have had something.
He certainly did. Those muscles were due to a long time interest in body building. Leeds born on 30 June, 1920, as David Cohen, he was the son of Max and Lena Cohen. Father Max had been born in Minsk whilst Lena was a Yorkshire lass, from Leeds.
David’s enthusiasm for body building led to him successfully encouraging 16 year old Reg Park to take up the sport. Until he met, and began training under the guidance of David Cohen, Park’s only sporting interest had been football. Park went on to become Mr Britain and Mr Universe.
In the 1939 census David was recorded as living in Easterley Road, Leeds, now with the surname of Morgan (we don’t know why), and working as a drapery salesman.
By 1952 it was a change of professional name, to Dave Starr, and a change of sport to professional wrestling. We come across him for the first time in May, 1952, wrestling Abdul the Turk. Other opponents included Dennis Mitchell, Jim Anderson and Ernest Baldwin. Leeds Town Hall was a favourite venue, and it was here that Dave wrestled on the same bill as World Heavyweight Champion Frank Sexton in September, 1952.
In March 1953 Dave Starr wrestled Ernest Baldwin for the Lord Mountevans heavyweight title, but lost by the odd fall in Scunthorpe.
The venture into wrestling was short lived, around our records show May 1952 until September, 1953 despite making an impression with his fine physique and wins over established stars in Britain and Germany.
Dave Starr had bigger things on his mind. The opening in the early 1960s of The David Morgan Health Club, in Hanover Square, Mayfair, London. Not just any old club; this was the club to be seen at. The Dave Morgan Health Club gained some fame and was frequented by celebrities of the day, such as Engelbert Humperdinck, Marlon Brando, Andy Williams, Bruce Forsyth, Jimmy Tarbuck, Rod Steiger and Richard Harris, until closure in 1975.
Dave Starr died in London in 2011 aged 91.
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