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Many fans remember the 1970s middleweight from Streatham with great fondness. Ray was a promising newcomer at a time when talented new blood was becoming scarce, making a welcome addition to the wrestling scene when big men with limited ability were sadly tainting the legitimacy of the sport. For Ray the build-up to that professional debut in the mid 1970s had been a long time in the making. It was back in 1960, when he was nineteen years old, that Ray joined a local gymnasium near his home in Wimbledon.
Whilst training he met the experienced welterweight Eddie Capelli and another youngster about to make his way in the ring, Johnny Dark. The three became good friends, and when Eddie asked Ray if he’d like to become a second at Wimbledon Palais he naturally jumped at the chance. Half a century later Ray is still amused at the thought that Eddie, a hardened wrestler and former British champion, didn’t like the sight of blood.
It was another of his friends, American wrestler Ricky Starr, who arranged for Ray to train at Neil Sands gymnasium in Cheltenham, and later at Tony Scarlo’s gymnasium. Eventually Ray was considered ready for the professional ring and made his debut working for the independent promoters.
Another wrestling friend, Brian Maxine, encouraged Ray to go for a trial with Dale Martin Promotions. Brian introduced Ray to Mike Marino who arranged a trial for Dale Martin. Ray told us he still remembers the aches and pains resulting from his try-out with Johnny Kincaid, but that didn’t prevent the two of them becoming good friends.
Mike Marino was impressed by Ray and he was offered work for Joint Promotions. Overnight he was facing a new calibre of opponent, now wrestling the men that a few years earlier he had been watching on television – Mick McManus, Zoltan Boscik , Sid Cooper amongst so many others. Ray was loving every minute of it.
Career highlight for Ray was the night he appeared at the Royal Albert Hall. The atmosphere was electrifying that night with his friend Kincaid topping the bill as the Caribbean Sunshine Boys defeated Kung Fu and Caswell Martin. Ray’s big night matched him with the Brixham hard nut, Chris Bailey. Too hard on that occasion, as Bailey defeated Ray by a knockout. Ray and Chris had many tempestuous matches with honours going to both men.
By the early 1980s many of the Joint Promotion regulars were disenchanted and making the transition to the independent promoters. Ray too made that move, which again brought him into contact with other big names who had already made the crossing – Jackie Pallo, Adrian Street and The Wild Man of Borneo amongst others. They were all happy days Ray told Wrestling Heritage.
Page added 14/04/2024
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