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15 October 1943
Grapplers Go To War
1943, and the world was at war. Millions sacrificed their lives and millions more suffered all sorts of terrible misfortune. Even in such turbulent times British wrestling factions found the energy to pursue the petty rivalries that forever hindered the success of the sport.
The national press reported an announcement by Jack Pye that he was the secretary of the newly formed British Wrestling Board of Control. Pye announced that the Board was ready to clean up wrestling, and have it in a healthy and ready state for the return of wrestlers when war ended with championships awarded by the promoters they recognised. The BWBC claimed that around 50 wrestlers had already signed up to their rules and agreed they would not work on any programme that included an unlicensed wrestler. Worthy ambitions that you might think would be widely welcomed.
Nothing of the sort. Within a matter of days a counter attack was planned with another meeting planned. With a stated ambition of protecting wrestlers and improving working conditions a group of wrestlers who called themselves the British Wrestlers Federation met for the first time on October 15th. They claimed their committee was freely elected and that membership was open to both active wrestlers and those currently serving in the armed forces. It will surprise many to learn that an advocate of the newly formed Federation was wrestler and promoter Norman Morrell, who said that he would stage BWF British heavyweight championship tournament at Blackburn in January, 1944.
Furthermore, Morrell claimed the rival BWBC was a profit making concern with an aim of controlling every hall in the country and preventing the influx of new blood. The irony of his claim cannot be lost on readers. . For good measure it was also claimed that the Board were afraid of “commando trained troops” taking up wrestling and challenging their out of shape, washed up wrestlers. Morrell said that BWBC wrestlers would be eligible for the Federation championship at Blackburn, but presumably only if they signed up to BWF terms.
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