30 November 1933
Mystery Boxer was No Mystery
Mitchell Gill, using the name Pat Delaney, made his professional boxing debut against Hampstead’s Archie Norman, at the Royal Albert Hall. Gill, who had been trained by Larry Gains, won the contest when the referee stopped the match in the third round. It was by no means a classic bout, but the crowd warmed to both contestants with their enthusiasm and willingness to “get stuck in.” A cut to Norman in the first round opened up in the third leading to the stoppage.
30 November 1936
Huge Crowds and Fans Turned Away
Attendance records were smashed and hundreds of fans (estimated at nearing a thousand) were turned away from the wrestling at the Merrie England. Police were called to the hall when the hall was packed to capacity and several hundreds outside tried to gain entrance. Inside the hall fans filled every corner with some even climbing to watch from the roof girders. Main event was a match between the Blackfriars Thunderbolt, Tony Mancelli, and Canadian Whipper Billy Watson, which Watson won by disqualification in the third round. In supporting matches Leo Lightbody defeated Juan Lopez by two falls to one, Cliff Warner beat College Boy by the same score and Johnny Dallas knocked out Al Hamilton.
30 November 1954
Another Robinson, Another Tiger
By 1954 Tiger Joe Robinson was making his way in the film world. His younger brother, Doug took over the moniker of Tiger for the only pro match we can find for him in Britain (he was far better known in the Cumberland and Westmorland style). This was in November, 1954, when he defeated Mike Byrne at Harringay for the British Empire Heavyweight Championship in a contest promoted by Atholl Oakeley.
30 November 1963
Royal Triumph and a Greek Tragedy
Having beaten Tommy Mann to win the British middleweight title a month earlier Bert Royal was all set to have a go at Mann once again, this time for the World Middleweight title, again at Belle Vue in Manchester. The match didn’t take place as health reasons caused Mann to withdraw and relinquish the title. Greek Armando Zarpanalian was brought in as substitute to face Royal for the newly vacated title. He put up little resistance and Royal was crowned world champion with a two falls to nil win.
30 November 1977
Royalty In Attendance
HRH Duke of Kent attended wrestling at the Royal Albert Hall
01 December 1932
Wrestler Rescued from Angry Crowd
It was certainly a case of how not to win friends and influence people.Attendants rushed to the ring to surround Norman the Butcher and protect him from a hostile crowd as they manoeuvred him to safety. Norman had just been disqualified for holdinghis opponent, Gino the Gypsy, by his hair and kicking himin the face. Not quite satisfied by his performance Norman then turned his attention to the referee, hit him and threw him from the ring. With the result announced Norman refused to shake hands with his opponent, and as Gino left the ring he grabbed him by the hair and attempted to pull him back.
02December 1932
Another Night, Another Norman
Another night, another town, but it was the a similar same story for another Norman. What is it about that name? This time it took only one round for Bob Norman to complete the trio of getting disqualified, attack the referee and engage the wrath of a seething crowd. In under five minutes Norman and his opponent, Phil Strong, twice wrestled outside the ring before the referee had seen enough and disqualified Norman. Norman then attacked the referee who was saved by the intervention of wrestler Cliff Butcher.
02 December 1956
Exposed!
Part 2 of one of the earliest Sunday newspaper investigations into the legitimacy of professional wrestling the Sunday Dispatch reporter Jacqueline Mackenzie asked “Is wrestling fake?”
As would be expected she found it hard to get a straight answer. There were admissions that not everything was genuine. One unnamed promoter, presumably not one of the recently formed Joint Promotions group, said that 75% of wrestling was genuine, but room needed to be left for the clowns.
The point was made, to the extent of convincing the reporter, was that many of the negative aspects related to the pre-war years and things had changed with the introduction of new rules and a Governing body.
Wrestling was said to be taken more seriously in other countries. Francis St Clair Gregory told of the time he had been reprimanded by a referee in Belgium for grimacing as if he was in pain when his opponent got a hold on him.
A promoter defended the low pay to wrestlers on the grounds that the promoter had large overheads and higher pay would price wrestling out of the reach of low paid members of the public.
One man did talk, and talk a lot. He was former boxer and wrestler Jack Doyle.
Doyle told the reporter that the result of all his wrestling matches were pre-planned and explained how blood could be produced on demand. By the end of the piece the reporter admitted having a grudging admiration for the men she had met.
03 December 1938
No Women Allowed
London County Council banned women wrestling matches from 1st January, 1939 but continued to allow male wrestling.
03 December 1956
Champion Holds On
Ernie Riley defended his British light heavyweight title against Bill Howes at Altrincham.
03 December 1960
King Billy
Billy Joyce defended his British heavyweight title against John Allan in Halifax
04 December 1958
A Win For Mick
It was a return match with fans all the way behind Jack Cunningham when Mick McManus defended his Southern Area welterweight title against the High Wycombe based South African at the Corn Exchange in Peterborough. The match was a return bout following a contest six weeks earlier that led to Cunningham’s challenge. Predictably McManus got the better of the challenger and kept his title.
05 December 1932
All In Comes To Belfast
The first All In wrestling show was held at the Ulster Hall Belfast. Although the programme listed the rules of wrestling for the uninitiated crowd the combatants didn’t appear to have read them. In the main events Norman the Butcher defeated Half Nelson Keys, who was disqualified. In supporting matches Barney O’Brien defeated Gypsy Gino Marlow and in a 68 minute marathon Jumping Jim Maloney beat Richard Wills.
05 December 1932
Clark’s Challenge
In March, 1931 Douglas Clark had defeated Atholl Oakeley to determine the first British heavyweight champion. Oakeley later dismissed this as the Catch championship and declared himself All-In British champion. Douglas Clark refuted Oakeley’s claim and challenged and repeatedly challenged Oakeley to a match which would never materialise. Clark wrote the following letter to the Nottingham Journal:
Dear Sir,
I am “British All in Heavy Weight Champion” as proclaimed by referee Fred Davies after I had defeated Atholl Oakeley at “London Sports Club” in November, 1930.
I have never in my life been defeated at All In or Catch-Can style. Templeton defeated me at Scotch style of wrestling. I have ths programme to prove this. I offer Atholl Oakeley
or any other bona-fide British wrestler the chance to wrest that honour from me under
Mr. Oakeley’s own rules for such stakes as may be mutually agreed upon.I am perfectly willing that the New Victoria Hall, Nottingham shall be the venue of such event. Or if Mr. Oakeley wishes I will wrestle an ordinary contest and I promise if I am defeated t shall drop the title to which I am justly entitled at the moment.
Yours faithfully, Douglas Clark.
05 December 1956
Wrestler Fined
Jules Kiki was fined £2 and ordered to pay five shillings costs at Worthing Court for driving an unlicenced car. He was stopped by police whilst driving the car on July 25th whilst the licence had expired on June 30th.
05 December 1956
Wrestling Goes On While Big Bands Fail
At the end of November there was panic buying at garages around Britain when the government announced petrol rationing as a result of shortages caused by Egypt taking control of the Suez canal. Supplies from the Middle East had been subsequently blocked, causing shortages throughout Eaurope. Rationing would be introduced on 17th December and expected to last for four months. It was announced that big bands would no longer travel to appear at the Coronation Ballroom in Ramsgate. Promoters of wrestling at the Coronation Ballroom, Philip Moss-Vernon Ltd, announced that wrestling would continue fortnightly as usual
06 December 1947
Grunts and Groans Come To Dunfermline
The post war revival continued with wrestling reaching more parts of the country. O.K. Promotions took wrestling to Dunfermline, with the inaugural programme at the St Margaret’s Hall. The four matches were Charlie Scottbeat Cliff Parksby two falls to one, Cliff Belshaw beat George Kiddtwo falls to one, Ernest Robertson beat Norman Walshwhen Walsh retired injured in the third round,and Andy Andersonknocked out Bernard Murrayin the second round.
06 December 1965
Wigan Rules
At London’s Seymour Hall Jack Dempsey defeated Linde Caulder to retain the Empire Welterweight Championship.
06 December 1965
Wigan Rules Again
In Derby British heavyweight champion Billy Joyce retained his title against challenger Joe Cornelius.
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