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Muscle and Brawn
Long before Leon Arras would ask ” ‘ow’s that?” after an impressive move King Curtis would entertain fans with similar quips.
Stanley Montague Curtis was born in Islington on 26th January, 1908. He married Alicia Cowen in 1932, already established as a professional wrestler. He was one of the big names of pre war wrestling who travelled up and down the country wrestling all the big names of the time. He was a formidable heavyweight referred to as “His majesty of the Mat.” We have been told King Curtis also had the unlikely nickname “Rosie,” but we don’t know why.
Curtis was another creation of wrestler/promoter Atholl Oakeley, who did so much to popularise wrestling in Britain during the 1930s. A powerful heavyweight his speciality flying tackle led to the nickname “The bull without horns.”
Whilst technical wrestling was not his speciality Curtis was certainly one of the great 1930s villains who Oakeley used the 16 stone Londoner against all his main event me, such as Karl Pojello, Jack Sherry, Carver Doone, Norman the Butcher, Henry Irslinger and, of course, himself. For other promoters Curtis wrestled all the big names – Bert Assirati, Douglas Clark, Charlie Geen, George Clark amongst them.
Curtis wrestled Oakeley in a British heavyweight championship match at Lanes Club, London, in November 1931 in front of 1,000 fans. It was reported that Curtis had the better of the first two rounds but Oakeley won by the only fall in the third of the ten minute rounds. This being wrestling this was, of course, just one of many matches between the two men.
Signs of a different era in 1933 when Curtis made the national press in a news story headlined, “Wrestler’s Air Dash.” It was reported that Curtis had wrestled in Plymouth and was due in the ring at London’s Blackfriars three hours later. He made use of a new air service between Plymouth and Croydon Aerodrome. Curtis was driven to the airport to board the four seater plane operated by International Air Lines, making the two hour journey to Croydon, calling at Southampton and Portsmouth en route.
When Curtis faced Henry Irslinger at Nottingham in November, 1934,it was said to be one of Irslinger’s hardest matches in Britain. Irslinger won by a fall with two and a half minutes to go, just in time as Curtis was ahead on points.Curtis liberally applied to the rules of All-In, most of his matches being violent affairs, as reported in this match at Preston in 1935. Ironically, Preston was one of the towns that refused to accept most of the violent excesses seen in many 1930s wrestling halls. “Carver Doone was leaning over the top ropes being counted out in the fifth round when Curtis rushed at him and aimed several blows at his head. The referee (Tommy the Demon) tried to break Curtis away, whereupon Curtis struck the referee under the jaw before making another attack on the helpless Doone. A scrummage followed on the floor, and when order was restored the contest was awarded to Doone, Curtis being disqualified. Curtis was booed as he left the hall and the referee received a tremendous ovation.”
Along with other wrestlers that included Jack Pye, Bob Gregory, and Leo Wax he appeared in the 1936 film “All In.” Other screen performances included “The Pride of the Force,” and a convict in “Convict 99.” In the census of 1939 he stated his occupation as actor, true in more ways than one.
Following the end of the Second World War he returned to the ring, wrestling the likes of Bert Assirati Jack Pye and Bomber Bates, finally disappearing at the end of 1946.
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