12 April 1910
Birth of Rashid Anwar
Read our tribute to Rashid Anwar
12 April 1939
A Close Shave
It was the battle of the beards at the Priory Skating Rink in Whitley Bay. Bearded Tiger Tasker would face Bearded Rod Fenton with Fenton boasting in advance his was the original beard and Tasker would have to shave his. There was only one problem. When the wrestlers entered the ring Fenton didn’t have a beard,
12 April 1952
Birth of Rocky Moran
Rocky Moran is in the A-Z
12 April 1960 Shooting Stars
Ernie Riley retained the British light heavyweight title against Bill Howes at Lime Grove Baths in London.
12 April 1962
A Close Shave
Billy Two Rivers was fortunate to avoid serious injury when the car in which he was travelling as a passenger hit a lamp-post and overturned in Gosport, Hampshire. All three travellers were treated for minor injuries in the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar.
12 April 1973
Record Breaker
It was said that Les Kellett scored the fastest fall ever when he scored the pin after just five seconds against Adrian Street at the Imperial Hall, Nelson. Les went on to win by two falls to one.
12 April 1982
Bridges Keeps World Crown
Wayne Bridges beat Pete Roberts in Tunbridge Wells to retain the World Heavyweight Title.
12 April 1986
Mighty Marty
Marty Jones defeated Caswell Martin in Mansfield to retain the World Mid Heavyweight title.
12 April 2015
Death of Peter Szakacs
Read our tribute to Peter Szakacs
12 April 2022
Death of Sonny Caldinez
Sonny Caldinez is in the A-Z
13 April 1933 Birth of Ivan Penzekoff
Read our tribute to Ivan Penzekoff
13 April 1936
A Match for Life
All In wrestler and former boxing champion Reggie Meen married Winifred Micklewood at Oadby Parish Church.
13 April 1937
Strike!
News from the United States of a sit-down strike in Milwaukee. Six wrestlers sat in the middle of the ring before the fans were let in, demanding extra money for their services. The desperate promoter, Henry Tolle, relented and promised the equivalent of an extra five pounds. Five of the six agreed and left the ring to prepare for the night’s wrestling. The sixth refused to budge. The wrestling started with the contestants working around him. Until tiring of his intervention the two wrestled picked up the protester and unceremoniously tossed him through the ropes.
13 April 1959
A Local Hero
Farmer John Allan was the local hero at the Victoria Hall in Halifax when he challenged Norman Walsh for the British heavyweight title. Alas, it was a case of local hero and gallant loser as he lost by two falls to one in eleven rounds. Challenger John Allan went ahead with a body press and pin fall in round five. It took four rounds before Walsh equalised in the ninth round, finally gaining victory in the eleventh when Allan submitted in a head lock.
13 April 1960
Riley Too Good For Royal
Ernie Riley retained the British light heavyweight title against Bert Royal at the Gaiety in Grimsby.
13 April 1968
Yorkshire Clash
A return match at Belle Vue in Manchester and champion Jim Breaks defeated Al Miquet.
13 April 1970
A New Era For The Heavyweights
Read A New Era for The Heavyweights
13 April 1970
King Vic
European middleweight champion Vic Faulkner put his title on the line against Alan Dennison at Nottingham Ice Rink. Five rounds passed with Dennison holding his own, which probably surprised the crowd. They would be even more surprised when he fastened Faulkner’s arms behind his back, lifted him and secured a submission one minute into round six.
Round seven and it was time for a predictable Faulkner favourite. Pretending to be down for the count he sprung to his feet at nine, whipped away Dennison’s legs and pinned the challenger with a shoulder press.
That was it. Nobody could “do wild” quite like Dennison at his best. He went wild and it took the referee, MC and his second to hold him back until the start of round eight. The bell rang, Dennison fumed, flung Faulkner from the ring, head butted him as he tried to return. Disqualified! It was all over. No title for Dennison but this was wrestling and a job well done.
13 April 1979
Knock Out On Merseyside
A knockout tournament for the World Middleweight Title (Independent promoters) at Liverpool Stadium resulted in a final between Adrian Street and Johnny Palance that ended in a No Contest. A return contest planned for 27th April.
13 April 1987
Goodbye Ivan
At The Assembly Rooms in Derby Marty Jones beat Ivan the Red to retain the World Mid Heavyweight title.
13 April 2007
Launch of Wrestling Heritage
Wrestling Heritage launched with sixty wrestlers in the A-Z, six full page tributes, six Armchair Corners, six Years of Wrestling, six Features and six sets of autographs.
Read our original Editorial
14 April 1953
Death of Paul Lortie
Paul Lorties is in the A-Z
14 April 1956
Bartelli Wins Mask v Mask
The newspaper reported 4,000 fans were unable to gain entrance to the Victoria Hall in Hanley, which does sound hard to believe number. The occasion was a loser to unmask contest between Count Bartelli and Dark Owl. The contest, a no rounds fight to the finish, ended after thirty minutes with a win for Bartelli when the Dark Owl submitted. The mask was removed to reveal the features of Wigan’s Ernie Riley. The newspaper reported that Ernie’s father, Billy Riley, had previously wrestled as Dark Owl.
14 April 1962
Sweeney Challenge Thwarted
The Newcastle St James Hall staged the British light heavyweight title contest and Ernie Riley retained the championship against Bob Sweeney with a winning submission in the tenth of the scheduled fifteen rounds.
14 April 1964
Marino Keeps World Title
At the DeMontfort Hall in Leicester a Paul Lincoln Promotion and World Mid Heavyweight Champion Mike Marino retained the World Mid Heavyweight title against Australian Dennis Dean.
14 April 1975
McManus Overcomes Rival
Mick McManus beat Alan Colbeck at the Nottingham Ice Rink to retain the European Middleweight title.
14 April 1976
Vote Count
Amongst the prospective candidates for the forthcoming local elections the Conservative Party announced the Crewe South Ward would be contested by Mr Geoffrey Condliffe, otherwise Count Bartelli. At a Public Meeting in Weston Village Hall Bartelli implored people to “Have a spring clean and sweep the Reds from under the beds.”
14 April 1976
Surprise Selection for Russia
Nottingham Judoka, Dave Lawrence, already on the short-list for the Olympic Judo Team, was selected as a member of a British team to compete in Russia on 14th April, as a wrestler!
Dave, who had practised judo for sixteen years had already surprised many by competing in the British Open Wrestling Championships in Manchester and winning the lightweight Sambo class. Sambo style is a cross between judo and wrestling; he was warned that Freestyle and Greco-Roman style would prove more challenging.
15 April 1920
Birth of Terry McDonald
Read our tribute to Terry McDonald
15 April 1961
Riley Champion
At the Victoria Hall in Halifax local wrestler Bob Sweeney challenged Ernie Riley in a British light heavyweight title match. Sweeney took the lead in the seventh round but retired injured in round ten when attempting to counter a Boston crab.
15 April 1963
A Sign of the Times
A sign of the times as British tobacco manufacturers W.D. and H.O.Wills sponsored a Conrad Davis promoted tournament at the Embassy Sportsdrome in Sparkbrook, Birmingham. This was the final of an eight man knock out tournament that had begun two weeks earlier. In the final European mid heavyweight champion Bill Howes defeated John Lees by two falls to one in round six. The tournament had begun two weeks earlier,on 1st April with Reg Williams defeating Emile Poilve, Bill Howes beating Eric Taylor, John Lees overcoming Monty Swan and Alf Cadman victor over Steve Veidor. Semi finals on the 8th April resulted in Howes defeating Williams and Lees defeating Cadman.
15 April 1968
Green Was Too Green
At the St George’s Hall in Bradford local champion Jim Breaks retained the British welterweight title by beating Roger Green.
15 April 1976
A Win For The Wrestlers
A wrestling match at the Borough Hall in Stafford featuring midget wrestlers Little Brutus and Ski Low Low was given the go-ahead at a borough council meeting. Chair of the Borough Recreation and Amenities Committee, Michael Moulson, was in favour of banning the midgets on the grounds that it was a gimmick and members of the public might complain. As no one had complained the council agreed the contest should go ahead. A spokesman for Studen Promotions said the men were fully trained professionals,
15 April 1982
Popular Win for Kilby
Alan Kilby beat Dave Finlay at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow to retain the British Heavy Middleweight title.
15 April 1982
Big Hearted Daddy
Shirley “Big Daddy” Crabtree responded to a plea from the parents of a nine year old girl in a coma by visiting her in Battle Hospital, Reading. Shirley and Max made their detout on the way to Bristol.
16 April 1934
Birth of Kitione Lave
Read our tribute to Kitione Lave
16 April 1936
No More Mystery
Read No More Mystery
16 April 1962
Caulder Keeps Title
Linde Caulder defended the World Welterweight title (of Independent promoters) against Peter Rann at Finsbury Park.
16 April 1973
Wrestler Saves Friend
An explosion on a boat resulted in wrestler Andy obin swimming 200 yards to the shore of Loch Etive whilst pushing a friend in front of him after both had been injured in the explosion. Andy and his friend, George McLean, were repairing George’s boat when the engine exploded. The blast threw Andy into the water. He climbed back onto the boat, which was ablaze, and found his friend seriously injured. Andy dragged his friend from the cabin and placed his body on a door that had been blown off by the explosion. After pushing George to the shore Andy scrambled over a hill for two miles before reaching a cottage to seek help. George McLean was located and both he and Andy were transported to the West Highland Hospital in Oban. George McLean died two days later.
16 April 1988
Not So Mighty Quinn
Marty Jones knocked out John Quinn to retain the World Mid Heavyweight title in Hanley.
16 April 2020
Death of Al Marshall
Read our tribute to Al Marshall
16 April 2022
Death of Tony Walsh
Read our tribute to Tony Walsh
17 April 1922
Birth of Gerry Hoggarth
Read our tribute to Gerry Hoggarth
17 April 1939
Oakeley Returns
After five years away Atholl Oakeley returned to the ring following his earlier retirement and devotion to wrestling management. It was a night of disappointment for all as he was disqualified against Herbie Rosenberg in Nottingham.
17 April 1972
No Change at Nottingham Title Night
Jim Breaks was outwitted by Vic Faulkner as he attempted to take the latter’s British welterweight title in Nottingham. Breaks had taken the lead by applying an arm lever submission in round four, with an equalising submission to Faulkner in the fifth round. The end came in round seven. The match was paused to allow Faulkner to adjust his bootlace, from which he dived from the canvas to take down Breaks and gain the deciding fall.
The British heavyweight title match between Albert Wall and Gwyn Davies ended in success for the champion. Wall took the lead with a submission in round five, with Davies equalising, also by submission in the seventh. The deciding submission came in round eight, leaving Wall still champion.
17 April 1986
Councillor Draws
Aberdeen councillor Len Ironside had won the election but he failed in his bid to wrest the World lightweight title from Johnny Saint at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen, an independent show. Saint had succeeded the Scot George Kidd as champion and Ironside’s fans hoped he would bring the belt home. Ten rounds of wrestling ended in a draw, so there was some satisfaction for Len and his followers. Saint had gained a fall in round five with Ironside equalising in the ninth.
17 April 1987
Champions See Off Challengers
Two title matches at the Bedworth Civic Hall. Tiger Dalibar Singh retained the British heavyweight title against Terry Rudge and British light heavyweight champion Alan Kilby rebounded the challenge of Axle Anderson.
18 April 1936
Wrestlers Injured
Wrestler Joe Reid received head injuries and brother Jim abrasions and shock when the car in which they were passengers crashed in mist near Altrincham. The car was crushed beneath a lorry. The unnamed driver of the car was killed. The wrestlers, who were travelling to a tournament in Preston, were admitted to Altrincham General Hospital.
18 April 1963
A Time For Giving
Just a few days after Easter a wrestling match at the Winter Gardens in Malvern was stopped when wrestler Alf Cadman was struck in the face by a Christmas Pudding thrown by a spectator. The tag match between the Cadman brothers and Steve Viedor and Al Brown was declared a no contest.
18 April 1978
Saint Marches On
At the Solihull Civic Hall Johnny Saint beat Bobby Ryan to retain the World lightweight title.
18 April 2014
Death of Mike Jones
Read our tribute to Mike Jones
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