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A Gentle Villain
A Scottish wrestler, born in Glasgow on 23rd June, 1940 but living most of his life from the age of seven in Coatbridge, turned professional in the mid 1960s.
As was often the case it was an interest in boxing and connection with boxing and wrestling promoter Peter Keenan that led John to the world of professional wrestling,
John extensively used weights in training and was a member of the Coatbridge Weight Lifting Club. On occasions he would demonstrate his strength prior to wrestling matches, sometimes blowing up a hot water bottle until it burst.
Our earliest documented record of John wrestling professionally is in November 1964 at Halifax. There must have been at least a few earlier appearances. He was often seen on Scottish promotions defending the honour of his country against invaders from the south. Defending the honour but not always within the rules as John usually played the part of the villain we loved to hate.
John worked for both independent and Joint Promotions, meeting many of the top heavyweights of the 1960s and 1970s. Most memorable opponents included Shirley Crabtree, Harvey Smith and Kendo Nagasaki. John’s reluctance to travel far from home on overnight trips limited his career prospects. He worked for around fifteen years until he disappeared from our rings around 1980.
Away from the ring John and his wife, Anna, managed the 101 Club and the Argyll Bar in Coatbridge. He also owned Caledonian Decorators, a large company with around eighty employees, If that wasn’t enough to keep a man busy he opened Coatbridge Health Club with friends Pat McShane and Eddie Coyle.
Much of John’s spare time was devoted to charitable causes, especially working in the local soup kitchen and delivering food to the homeless for nineteen years.
John Murphy died in December, 2015, aged 75. At his funeral £700 was collected for Alzheimer Scotland Action on Dementia.
Page added 21/06/2026
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