Wrestling Heritage welcomes memories, further information and corrections.
With the arrival of peace in 1945 professional wrestling faced a monumental challenge. The business had fallen into disrepute, around the country some towns, including the ciry of London, had banned wrestling in their halls, and many of the pre-war wrestlers had retired.
The outlook was not entirely bleak, Wrestling had continued during the war, especially in northern England, there were sufficient good workers still around, and there were a handful of entrepreneurs ready to take advantage of the opportunity. Most importantly, there were millions of people eager for entertainment.
A new respectable brand that would woo both local councils and the general public was required. Consistency around the country with nationally recognised champions and “sporting contests” in a family friendly environment.
All overseen by a national governing body, echoing the British Boxing Board of Control that had been formed in 1929.
British wrestling had a long history of Boards of Control that claimed authority they didn’t have and the desire to “clean up” a business that they had no intention of cleaning up.
In November, 1946, the press announced the formation of the British Wrestling Board of Control. Yes, another one. This time, however, there were significant differences from what had gone on before.
At an inaugural meeting of the Board on 21st November, 1946 it was claimed they would perform the same function as the British Boxing Board of Control. First President of the Board was Lord Mountevans and there were two Vice Presidents, Labour MP Maurice Webb and Archibald Bruce Campbell, a retired naval officer and star of the Brains Trust radio programme, with the secretary Leslie Farnsworth of Hammersmith, who otherwise remains a mystery.
The Board forecast that tournaments under their auspices would be operational within six months and, furthermore, their stated aim was to control all wrestling in Britain.
As with all previous aspirations of a similar nature it was to remain no more than an aspiration. With the aid of wrestler Norman Morrell the group did manage to create a new set of rules, the Lord Mountevans Style, which played an important part in establishing the credibility of professional wrestling.
The new set of rules were approved by the Board at a meeting on 12th December, 1946, and Chair Maurice Webb, MP, announced they were to be named the Lord Mountevans Rules, in honour of the President of the Board, and echoing the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in boxing. At the same meeting it was announced that championship contests would be arranged with winners awarded Lord Mountevans Belts.
The grand sounding Lord Mountevans Rules presented an opportunity for the post war promoters to begin a narrative that was to be repeated for forty years; their claim that post war wrestling was a re-invention, a complete break from what had gone on before. That, of course, was far from reality. When Harrogate Town Councillors queried the meaning of the Lord Mountevans style it was said, “I think it is just a fancy name to cover up All-In.” Another alleged expert on the subject, described as a “Leeds authority,” said, “It’s a cleaner version of all-in wrestling, but not much.” As we have said in the Years of Wrestling series post war developments were evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
The British Wrestling Board of Control did it’s job; the rules were written and the story was told that everything was now different. Maybe no more was to be asked of it and that was the plan from the beginning. Presumably the members of the Board never had any intention of getting long term involved; if wrestling was to prosper it would need to prosper under the direction of those running the business.
The London Gazette of 16th May, 1947 announced that the British Wrestling Board of Control Limited, less than six months after being formed, was to be struck off the Companies Register and dissolved. This was not the end for British wrestling. It was just the end of the beginning.
19238
Wrestling Heritage 