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Great name for a wrestler!
It was one that suited too as Ron Moore was a 15 stone powerhouse who could move deftly around the ring.
Ron Moore hailed from Heanor, a small town in Derbyshire. He was a well known character in the local community, mostly for his wrestling exploits. Ron was interested in many sports, particularly soccer and he was a keen health and strength supporter. It was at the Heanor Health and Strength Club he met a man who was to become a lifelong friend, wrestler and promoter Jack Taylor.
Born in 1920 and married Eileen Moss in July, 1941. Ron was called up during the Second World War, and it is to here his professional wrestling credentials can be traced. Ron was stationed in Malaya where he took up wrestling. There was an active wrestling scene of servicemen in Malaya and Singapore. One of the other professionals was in need of a training partner and asked Ron to help him out. Needless to say Ron was the one that learnt the most and said he had his first public contest in the Army Championships at the Happy World Stadium in Singapore.
On his return to Heanor in 1950 he joined the wrestling school at the Health and Fitness Club. Two years later Ron was Head Coach at the school. Some of Ron’s earliest matches in the early 1950s saw him billed as Ron Moore from Singapore. Ron led the wrestling training sessions at Heanor Football Ground and also taught a women’s self defence class. He taught both amateur and professional styles, as well as ladies self defence and counted Vince Apollo, Al Tarzo and Roy LaRue among his trainees.
Ron Moore of Singapore soon became Ronto the Bull, though there was never any secrecy about his identity. He worked only for the independent promoters, usually in the midlands for well over a decade, opponents including Harry Yardley, Karl Von Kramer, Leo Demetral and Ike Williams. He wasn’t just a trainer and wrestler Ron was also promoter at Heanor Town Hall, refereeing and wrestling on the shows. Highlight of his career was the night he defeated Harry Yardley at the Granby Halls in Leicester in a match advertised as the Midlands Heavyweight Championship.
A generous man Ron was well known in the community for his charitable acts, and organised wrestling shows in aid of Heanor Round Table and Langley Mill, Aldercar and Stoneyford aged Persons Tea and Entertainments Committee.
From around 1960 Ron began to cut back on his wrestling commitments, with a 1963 leg injury putting him out of action for a year. He made his comeback with a win against Adolph Dabrowski at Heanor Town Hall on 12th September, 1964, only to die suddenly two months later. He was employed as a grounds-man at the Heanor Town Ground and drove buses for the Midland General Omnibus Company.
Ron Moore died on 19th November, 1964, aged 41.
Page added 19/11/2023
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