Also known as Jack Belshaw
Wrestling Heritage welcomes memories, further information and corrections.
Creme-de-la-Creme
One of the wrestling Belshaw family Jack Belshaw often used the ring name of Jack Beaumont. He was the son of a funeral director, William Belshaw, and was born in Wigan on 5th September, 1917. Jack and his brothers started off as an acrobatic group, which no doubt aided them as they developed their wrestling skill. The Belshaw brothers were trained by William Charnock, the man who had trained the great Lancashire wrestler Billy Riley. Of the many wrestlers to emerge from Charnock’s gym the Belshaws were often said to be the best.
Count Bartelli, one of the country’s most successful masked men with an unbeaten run of twenty years told us many years ago that Jack Beaumont was one of his two toughest opponents (the other being Bert Assirati). “Beaumont was a very hard wrestler and never let up,” said Bartelli.
Eddie Rose is another wrestler with memories and respect for Jack. He told us, “The trio of brothers, Jack Beaumont, Arthur Ricardo and Cliff Belshaw were perhaps the most talented family group in wrestling – ever. I spoked to Alf Cadman about Jack Beaumont and Alf rated him as the best & toughest wrestler he ever met in his long career. Jack was often described as one of the very best wrestlers in British rings. Old timers like Count Bartelli, Alf Cadman, Billy Robinson and Jimmy Hussey always referred to Jack as the creme-de-la-creme along with Bert Assirati. Very skilful, very strong and unflinching.”
In 1939 Jack was working as a motor mechanic and with the advent of war he joined the ambulance service, prior to joining the Royal Air Force. 1939 is also the earliest year we can find documented evidence of Jack wrestling professionally, though we have one unverified contest in November 1938.
During the war years Jack continued to wrestle whenever wartime duties permitted. This reminds us of a story told to us by American Harold Francis. Harold was stationed in Britain during the war, wrestling as Farmer Mike Jones. Harold became good friends with Jack and told us of the surprise for fans when they saw him and Jack arriving at wrestling halls in one of his father’s hearses.
Following the war Jack began to appear with the name Jack Beaumont, and in 1946 Combat magazine reported that he had wrestled in Denmark and Sweden. In November 1945 we find the earliest recognition of Jack as a British light heavyweight champion, a title he held until 1949. Recognition was confined to northern England as there was no nationally recognised governing body.
During his quarter century career Jack wrestled practically all the country’s middleweight and light heavyweights, certainly all those of significance. At weekends in the summer all the Belshaw brothers would meet up at Gatley open air pool or Southport and to swim, train and do and acrobatics. “I bet it was showing off,” said his daughter Glenys, “but we loved it.”
Helping his father with the funeral director’s business it wasn’t just the hearse that he drive. Glenys, told us “My Dad had a passion for American cars at a time when most families didnt even own a car. I remember him dropping me off at school and all the kids wanting to look at his car.”
Near tragedy struck in 1958 when Jack was involved in a serious car crash. His car swerved and hit a tree when he swerved to avoid an on-coming Land Rover which was reported to being driven suicidally.
Tragedy did occur in 1963. Eddie Rose again, ” I wrestled Jack the night before his untimely demise, and was as shocked as the rest of the wrestling world at his passing. Jack died at far too early an age following a bout in Chorlton in 1963. Having just defeated Spike Robson Jack collapsed. He received treatment at ringside before being taken to Withington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The coroner cleared Spike Robson of any blame and declared death of heart failure by natural causes, unconnected with the match that had taken place.
Glenys, who was twelve at the time, said, “On the day he died he had been driving a taxi all night as he had a taxi business in Manchester and was a driver short, He had been working in the day to finish off a stable for me at the farm I kept my horse then he went to Princess Ballroom to wrestle. Later on that night the phone rang and It was his promoter. He said my dad was unwell and my mum needed to get to the hospital. Don’t ask me how but I knew he was dead.”
Jack Belshaw was just 45 years old.
12906
Wrestling Heritage 