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Joey Scarlo was full of life yet embodied a spirit of previous generations. Sitting down for a chat with Joey at the annual British Wrestlers Reunion was always one of the day’s greatest pleasures. His stories would recall a simpler, harder, more genuine time. After ten or fifteen minutes with Joey you were sure to leave him with a smile on your face and be feeling much better.
Joey was born in 1933, the grandson of Italian emigrants who had travelled to Britain in 1902. he was to be joined in the world by brother Tony four years later. Living in south London Joey was brought up in a close knit community amongst many of the names that were to become famous in British wrestling rings. Joey’s father and uncle went to school with Joe D’Orazio, Steve Logan, and Harry Geohegan, whilst Mick McManus was a drinking pal of his dad at the local pub.
Yet it was another sport, football, that Joey loved. He loved it and was good; good enough to have professional aspirations. When we asked what became of his dreams Joey laughed and said. “I kept getting hurt, that’s what went wrong. I didn’t get hurt as much when I started wrestling.”
Joey was trained to wrestle by John Harris at the Symbic Wrestling Club in Dulwich. When he turned professional it was for the independent promoters, his first match working for Len Britton. It was a lucky break for Joey, and a less fortunate one for his brother, that led to Joey getting his first bookings for Dale Martin Promotions. When Tony was out of action due to an injury Dale Martin needed substitutes for his bookings. Who could be more appropriate than brother Joey? No one of course, and that’s how Joey got his first Joint Promotion bookings.
For more than twenty years Joey was a familiar figure in the rings of mainly southern England, working for both independent and Joint Promotions. Never a main event name in British wrestling Joey remained part of that vital backbone that made British wrestling great. Joey wrestled until the mid 1980s.
Joey Scarlo died on 14th February, 2020.
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