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The wearing of a velvet jacket and a kilt passed as pretty flamboyant in the early 1960s wrestling world. Add to that a previous existence as a drummer in a dance band and Dundee’s Ted Hannon had the makings of a colourful wrestling persona. Maybe so, but those that do remember Ted are more likely to remember a skilful technician than a showman.
We remember him and here was a master of hold and counter-hold, and one of Britain’s top welterweights in the 1960s. The boy was good. But in those days there were so many that were good. The kilt was most likely worn because, to Ted, it was the natural thing to wear. He wasn’t one to seek attention through gimmicks, but rather a style that relied on nothing more than wrestling skill. A successful amateur career, reaching the heights of Scottish lightweight champion, led to a wrestling career in which he was regularly seen throughout the United Kingdom as well as trips to France and Belgium.
Like many others at the time he based himself in Leeds so that he could work nationally. Not just that, but study at college for a post wrestling engineering course, simultaneously working at his uncle’s garage in Leeds.
Mostly seen in singles matches Ted was a tag partner of fellow Scot, Chic Purvey, and the pair travelled to the continent. Despite a televised win over champion Jack Dempsey, and at the time that meant quite something, and the occasional high profile bout against Pallo at the Royal Albert Hall and McManus on television, Ted Hannon was respected by many but destined to rise no higher than mid card level.
Page added 22/03/24
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