Also known as Billy Red Cloud and Julian Gergely
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The Autumn of 1956 was a tumultuous time in Central Europe. In October and November the Hungarian people protested against the domestic policies imposed by the U.S.S.R. which resulted in a mass uprising now referred to as the Hungarian Revolution. More than 200,000 people sought refuge abroad, many leaving behind family members. After an arduous, and at times dangerous, journey around 20,000 arrived in Britain, where they were placed in temporary accommodation until permanent settlement could be provided.
Teeside has a long tradition of welcoming refugees and it was to to Haverton Hill, south of Billingham on Teeside, that Hungarian refugees were welcomed following their flight from Hungary.
Belasis Hostel had been opened in 1917 to house workers at the new Furness Shipyard. With house building in the area the hostel had ceased to be used long before World War Two.
In December 1956 it was brought back into use as a hostel and in the months that followed around 150 Hungarian refugees arrived at Billingham station to find a welcome. Among them was sixteen year old Gyula Gergely, known to his Brtiish friends as Julian.
Julian already had experience as an amateur wrestler in Hungary and it wasn’t long before he made his way to Jim Stockdale’s Apollo Gym, which was situated at the old gas works in Stockton. Jim Stockdale did not suffer fools gladly, he was a hard taskmaster who instilled discipline into his trainees, teaching them to wrestle on mats that covered the concrete floor.
At the gym Julian soon became friends with Jimmy Devlin, Jim McCormack, Tommy Stones and Arthur Openshaw. Friendships that were to last many years.
In the early 1960s Julian was deemed worthy enough for a professional debut, on one of Stockdale’s own Apollo Promotion shows. Although billed on some shows as Julian Gurgris (and one we have found as Julian Gergerly) Julian had a far more exotic persona.
Bring on the make up and the costume and Julian was transformed into Native American Billy Red Cloud, not to be confused with French Canadian Roger Boileau who worked here as Red Cloud in 1962 and 1963. Julian worked mostly in the North East of England for independent promoters with occasional jaunts further afield. Like most wrestlers he worked the rings on a part time basis with a day job in the building trade.
Dicky Swales told the story of staying in a boarding house with Julian where a group of students were researching Native Americans. They began quizzing Julian whose knowledge fell far short of what they were requiring. He made his excuses for an early night and told them he would talk to them the following morning. Julian left very, very early the next day.
Jim McCormack has told us that he wrestled Julian many times during the 1960s, as did Jimmy Devlin and Dicky Swales. Other opponents included Karl Von Kramer, Butcher Goodman, Gorilla Reg Ray and The Blue Angel.
Julian retired from wrestling in the early 1970s and died 1st August 2010, seventy years old.
Page added 28/08/2022
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