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9th November 1955
Lights, Cameras,
Greetings Grapple Fans
A weather report for London on the 9th November, 1955, cited drizzle, showers and wind. Yet for professional wrestling in Britain it was to prove a bright day that served as a milestone in wrestling history. Professional wrestling had been growing in strength since the end of the second world war, propelled by the formation of Joint Promotions and on this day given another boost that would make it Britain’s most popular indoor sporting entertainment.
In September 1955 a newly launched commercial television service, Associated Rediffusion, had begun broadcasting to London and the surrounding counties as the first rival of the BBC. With the second franchise, to the midlands, not due until early 1956, the new broadcasters were limited to fewer than half a million viewers, compared to 14 million for the well established BBC. On the look-out for cheap programming to fill their schedules they hit upon the idea of introducing professional wrestling to their viewers. To the surprise of many Associated Rediffusion designated their new programme to the sports department, headed at the time by Ken Johnstone.
Readers of Wrestling Heritage will be aware this was not the first time wrestling had been broadcast. The BBC had dabbled with wrestling demonstrations both prior and immediately following the Second World War. At that time, however, audiences were miniscule as the signal was limited to London and the cost of television sets was prohibitively expensive.
On Wednesday 9th November, 1955, wrestling was included in the Cavalcade of Sports programme, with no one having any idea where it would all lead. The venue was West Ham Baths and Dale Martin Promotions were the men behind the wrestling programme.
Chosen as commentator, most likely because he was available on the night, was a man mostly known as a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg, Kent Walton.
Only a week before the West Ham outside broadcast Kent had just completed his first outside broadcast assignment for Associated Rediffusion, commentating on the England v Ireland football match.
As an interviewer on the Cavalcade of Sports he had failed to impress television reviewer Bernard Levin. When Kent interviewed boxer Yolande Pompey Levin wrote: “But would Mr Walton let Mr Pompey get a word in edge ways? Not on your life. He asked strings of idiotic questions that could only be answered with a ‘Yes.’ He made terrible jokes and shrieked with laughter at them himself. He interrupted almost everything that Mr Pompey tried to say, he bounced up and down in sheer joy at his own cleverness… in short he made himself a perishing nuisance.”
Walton himself said that until he received the phone call asking him to present that first show he had never been to a wrestling match and knew nothing about it. A crash course from the likes of Jackie Pallo and Mike Marino was urgently required.
It’s unlikely he used those opening words that were to become famous, “Greetings Grapple Fans,” but he did the job well enough to settle him into the commentator’s chair for the next thirty-three years. The opening match was a heavyweight clash between Mike Marino and Francis St Clair Gregory, both experienced men. Second on was a contest between Bert Royal and Cliff Beaumont. According to Ray Plunkett both matches ended in a draw and there were two contests not televised – Mick McManus v Johnny Kwango and Ray Hunter v Tony Mancelli.
The wrestlers must have done something right, because a few weeks later it was back, and was to remain on ITV screens until 1988.
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