Also known as Johnny Locke
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Son of wrestler Johnny Mack this Liverpudlian was one of the under-rated men of the golden era, failing to receive the recognition he deserved from the major promoters.
In the 1960s and 1970s Joint Promotions expected their wrestlers to work exclusively for themselves and readily stopped bookings for those who had the audacity to accept simultaneous bookings for the opposition promoters. Some wrestlers tried working their way around these restrictions and, if memory serves us right, that is how Johnny Palance became a man with two names, using the name Johnny Locke in Joint Promotion rings.
With a background in boxing, and trained in the submission style favoured by Lancashire wrestlers Johnny was a tenacious and hard wrestler, “A great wrestler, who did not get the credit he deserved for his great moves in the ring,” Eddie Rose told Wrestling Heritage.
We saw Johnny wrestle for independent promoter s in the early 1970s and always found him good value for money. He did not seem to be given much of a push after crossing to Joint Promotions and was sacrificed to Wonderboy Steve Wright in what we believe was his only televised match. Johnny’s skills did seem more appreciated by promoter Brian Dixon and many fans recall great matches with Kung Fu Eddie Hamill. Graham Brook recalls: “I knew him as Johnny Locke and it was Orig Williams I believe who began billing him as Johnny Palance due to his physical resemblance to Jack Palance. I used to attend Orig’s shows at The Town Hall, Rhyl, regularly and recall Johnny having great bouts with Jackie Pallo, Adrian Street, Eddie Hammil and others.”
More memories from 1978 Kid, who told us: “Johnnie Palance was probably the most hated heel at the Stadium before John Quinn came along. In a strange reversal of the “home town hero” phenomenon, the Stadium fans reserved some of their greatest disdain for wrestlers from Liverpool including Palance, Woody Waldo and the Liverpool Skinheads. Palance was a hard hitter who often defeated Stadium favourites like Kung Fu and Tony Borg.”
Maybe disillusioned with the British scene in 1981 Johnny travelled to Canada, working for Stu Hart’s Stampede Promotions, where he used yet another name, Jake Foley!
Page added 09/04/2023
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