By Eddie Rose
Wrestling Heritage welcomes memories, further information and corrections.
Eddie Rose recalls another of his wrestling heroes
I used to work, as a student, at Belle Vue in 1960 and on Saturday evenings I often went to the King’s Hall to watch the wrestling. It was free of charge to me thanks to Mrs Dixon, one of the senior attendants in the arena. I went out of curiosity at first having seen a couple of bouts on TV (blurred black and white pictures 60 years ago).
On this particular occasion the first bout had already started but it quickly captured my attention; a superb 1-1 draw between Ernie Riley (Wigan) and Eric Taylor (Bradford). I was hooked by the skill, speed and agility of both men and, I’m pleased to say, some years afterwards Eric became a good friend.
Eric and Ernie left the ring to great applause and there was a brief silence before the fanfare and the next wrestler entered the ring to a modest welcome. From memory (it was sixty years ago) the wrestler was Tony Mancelli, the Anglo-Italian heavyweight. The fanfare again and the audience started vigorusly booing and shouting. Nothing happened. Again the fanfare and the spotlight went into action; again, nothing happened. This intensified the audience’s reaction which continued with added ferocity. Third time lucky? No chance and by now the whole 6000 audience was on its feet screaming and booing.
All the lights suddenly went out and music stayed silent. After some thirty seconds a single spot light abruptly shone on the curtain through which wrestlers made their entrances. Nothing happened again the audience was in a frenzy. Then, the curtains parted and there he stood, tanned with combed back black hair and in an immaculate white dressing gown the legendary Jack Pye.
The crowd immediately went silent. Jack briefly look around then, with a sneer on his face he saluted the audience with a massive “V” sign! Talk about heat! Talk about noise! It was pandemonium. MC Ben Green could not make himself heard and Timekeeper Wright Mallinson quickly rang the bell for round one.
Pye, in black tights and with his characteristic big bum and belly, walked around the ring “saluting” the audience. Then, the bout suddenly progressed with screams of “Dirty Pye” and unending booing from the fans. Mancelli was subjected to a non-stop attack of hair grabbing, fists to the face, eyes rubbed into the top rope and blows to his private parts despite repeated warnings from the referee, Joe Hill. By round three Joe had lost his patience and disqualified Pye.
Thus it was for most of Pye’s bouts I saw at Belle Vue. I used to wonder why his bouts, all top of the bill, went on second event of the evening. It was arranged thus, to allow him plenty of time before the final bout finished to get away to Blackpool and escape the anger of the outraged fans!
I met Jack about twenty years afterwards when I was wrestling Jim Moser at the Mecca in Blackpool. Guest referee? Jack Pye!. The MC announced the two wrestlers and then “And our special guest referee for this bout is Jack Pye!” There was some polite applause and then several loud voices bellowed “Dirty Pye! Dirty Pye!” Jack slowly walked to my corner and I swear there was a tear in his eye when he softly said “They still remember me Eddie. They still remember me!” Like the saying goes, “Once seen, never forgotten.”
The Evergreen Jack Pye. The Uncrowned King of the Ring!
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