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One of A Kind
Erroneously billed from South Korea, Jon Guil Don was one of the true ground-breaking greats of professional wrestling and left British audiences spellbound over the six months he spent in the UK through the winter of 1974/1975.
Jon Guil Don was a 100% legitimate master of jujitsu and karate. He was from San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, but made his wrestling name on Mexican bills in the early seventies. Arthur Green did his talent-scouting with his usual effectiveness, and in similarly typical clumsy fashion mangled the true exotica of the visitor’s credentials.
Jon Guil Don’s time in Britain is woven into the context of mid-seventies wrestling upheaval and can be read in our review of 1975.
Guil Don also tagged in the UK with Kung Fu and their styles were not at all dissimilar. In fairness to Kung Fu, he had sprung onto the UK scene fully six months before the arrival of the Salvadorian, and it remains to be uncovered just how the pair influenced each other.
By the time Dale Martin’s had Guil Don in their clutches they were perfectly aware of his worth and thrust him whole-heartedly into headline billing at Eurpope’s premier wrestling venue, with a whole bill centring around Guil Don’s martial arts. He stepped justifiably straight into that Royal Albert Hall main event spot but was improbably defeated by the aged Iron Man, Steve Logan. Otherwise, over the five months winter he spent in the UK, Guil Don’s record was very positive. Steve Haggetty was a regular victim, but just as with Jean Ferre six years earlier, once it became clear that Guil Don would not be returning his results took a downturn and even Haggetty scored a one-off success.
But while his home-based equivalents, Kung Fu and Iron Fist, were undeniably spectacular, Jon Guil Don’s flying left us literally gasping for breath. This is why we are so dismayed at the calibre of opponent he was required to lose to.
Heritage members have fond memories. Romeo told us:” I did see him live versus Mo Hunter and it was an incredible bout. His tv bouts that I remember were vs Rocco. He also took on the heavies KO’d Steve Haggerty on (I think) tv. For me the most talented wrestler I ever saw.”
Former wrestler Paul Mitchell told us, “Guil Don’s stamina and agility were second to none. However after breaking his leg in 1976 it was all downhill.” We believe he continued to wrestle until 1981, where we find him wrestling in Mexico.
Page added 28/10/2024
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