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Wrestling’s First Great Personality
Norman the Butcher … one of those evocative names of the All-In wrestling era. He wasn’t a big man, weighing around 14 stones, but that didn’t prevent him being known as “The KO King of Britain.” Born on 23rd February, 1911 in Wandsworth, London.
Starting out with his family name, Norman Ansell, it seems that his career was progressing at something of a leisurely pace. That is until the creative mind of promoter Atholl Oakeley re-invented Norman as Norman The Butcher, resplendent with trademark yellow trunks, and a yellow dressing gown adorned with a skull and cross bones on the back. Oakeley credits George Boganski as the man who taught Norman how to live up to his name.
The great black, hairy chest, energy and rough-house tactics made Norman an exciting and hard wrestler if not the most scientific. The image change transformed Norman into one of the top drawing names around the halls, particularly working for promoter Oakeley against other Oakeley men that included Kings Curtis, Jack Pye, Carver Doone, Bulldog Bill Garnon and, of course, Oakeley himself. Norman brought colour into a sport; standing out in a world of larger than life characters.
The Daily Mirror of 5th August, 1932, reported “ugly scenes” following Benny Sherman’s victory over Norman. Following Sherman’s win “The Butcher struck out at the referee before he left to the accompaniment of boos and hisses.” Such scenes were not rare. At the end of the month, in a match against Billy Wood in Nottingham, fans threw beer bottles, oranges and newspapers into the ring and the police escorted Norman to the dressing room whilst Wood was carried shoulder high by the fans. This was after Norman had knocked out Wood with a series of rabbit punches to the back of his head and kicks to the stomach.
Norman appears to have left wrestling in 1948, though for many years later could be seen attending wrestling shows at the Royal Albert Hall, where one day into the ring would enter his son, Lee Bronson.
Norman the Butcher died in 1987.
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