04 January 1965
The Beginning and End of an Era
BBC television very carefully dipped a toe into the water with it’s first broadcast of professional wrestling since the 1940s.
The Beginning and End of an Era.
05 January 1934
Another Relaunch?
Jeff Dickson, the boxing promoter who had dallied with introducing All-In to Britain announced (via the Daily Express) that he planned to re-invent and popularise wrestling in Britain. He said this would not be All-In, but more like the sort of wrestling displayed by Hackenschmidt and Madrali at the beginning of the century, but with the boring bits removed. Dickson said he had promoted two All-In shows at the Palais de Danse in Paris but decided he wanted no more to do with this style of wrestling. He had since experimented with “real wrestling” and planned to bring it to London. He had hopes that the Royal Albert Hall, which would not permit All In wrestling, would look favourably on his plans.
05 January, 1938
Wedding Bells Again
It was the second wedding within a fortnight for the Relwyskow family as Douglas DeRelwyskow married Barbara Edwards at St Peter’s Church, Walton-on-the-Hill. Brother George, who himself had married two weeks earlier, was the Best Man.
05 January 1954
Belgian Champion
Fernand Bawin defended the world welterweight title against Jim Lewis in Hull.
05 January 1976
Robbo Fells Killer in Florida
Billy Robinson defeated Killer Kowalski in West Palm Beach to retain the Florida version of the Southern Heavyweight title.
05 January 1980
Mighty Marty and Powerful Pete
Marty Jones held on to his British light heavyweight title at Hanley despite being held to a draw by Pete Roberts. Roberts took the lead in round five with an equalising submission for Roberts in the tenth round.
06 January 1947
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Things were looking up with signs of co-operation between promoters, the establishment of a Board of Control, a planned new set of more acceptable rules, and growing post war attendances, and then the local council announced that wrestling was to be banned at Walthamstow Town Hall.
06 January 1952
Fake!
Was this the first wrestling expose? The Daily Mirror headline “HE’S A FAKE” and by-line of a man who wouldn’t dent a wrestler and would “blow the gaff on the shabbiest sport of all.”
The wrestler? He was a well known name, two names in fact – Martin Bucht (or Padvo Peltonin), a competitor in the 1947 World Championship Tournament and wrestler of international repute. He declared he was about to retire and it was time to spill the beans on the promoters who pocketed four shillings and ten pence halfpenny of every five shillings they took, leaving him with three half pence and two cauliflower ears.
The story amounted to little of substance other than Bucht declaring he was no more than a knockabout comedian who could not wrestle. That was no problem though, as neither could his opponents. His revelation of dressing room secrets revealed no names, even protecting the wrestler who failed to bleed as planned because he accidentally swallowed the blood capsule. The dangers of wrestling? Those all came from the fans.
06 January 1956
Ernie Outguns Billy
Ernie Riley retained his British light heavyweight title against Bill Howes at the Coronation Hall in Ramsgate.
06 January 1964
Swann Song
Ernie Riley retained the British light heavyweight title at the Kings Hall in Derby. He knocked out challenger Monty Swann in the eighth round when the two were level at one fall each. This was a return contest with Swann having beaten Riley in a non-title contest at Belle Vue in Manchester.
06 January 1973
Robbo and Gagne Lose
Billy Robinson & Verne Gagne lost the AWA World Tag Team title to Ray Stevens & Nick Bockwinkle in Minneapolis, Minnesota
06 January 1976
Nearly Man Once Again
Billy Robinson drew with Terry Funk in Tampa, Florida in a match for Funk’s NWA World Heavyweight title
06 January 1977
No Luck for the Irish
Tony Kelly retired injured and Jim Breaks kept the British lightweight title at the Digbeth Civic Hall in Birmingham.
07 January 1960
Digbeth Too Posh for Wrestling?
Councillor Mayrick Rees of Birmingham City Council criticised use of the Digbeth Civic Hall as a wrestling venue. He said the council had paid £90,000 to purchase and renovate the hall with the aim of enriching the city’s cultural life, and wrestling did not meet this aim.
07 January 1967
European Title Triumph
Billy Robinson retained the European Heavyweight title against Tibor Szakacs at the New St James Hall in Newcastle.
08 January 1954
WWW – Walsh Wins Williams
Norman Walsh defended his British Junior heavyweight title against Reg Williams in Leicester
08 January 1960
Royal Triumph
Bert Royal retained the European Middleweight title against challenger Abe El-Kadir at the Wryton Stadium, Bolton.
08 January 1960
Billy Wins War of the Roses
Billy Joyce retained the British Heavyweight title when defending against Ernest Baldwin at Cossington Street Baths in Leicester.
08 January 1968
Mad Monk Is Even Madder
At the Skyline Ballroom in Hull it was a loser to unmask match as The Outlaw faced The Mad Monk. This was a Don Robinson Promotion, an independent promoter, so there was no chance that this would be The Outlaw of tv fame but An Outlaw performing the role. Often on such occasions matches ended inconclusively but this time the fans were treated to a result and an unmasking. As was to be expected it was a brawling affair with The Outlaw awarded two public warnings and one for the Mad Monk. Public warnings counted for nothing though. The Mad Monk took the lead with a body press and pin fall in round three. The equalising submission came with a single leg Boston Crab submission in the fifth with The Outlaw to repeat the move and gain the winning submission in the following round. Time for the mask to be removed. A hush descended, the strings were untied and the face revealed was that of Bury’s Ray Glendenning.
08 January 1972
Bartelli Gets His Belt Back
Count Bartelli defeated British champion Albert Wall to regain the Commonwealth heavyweight title at the Victoria Hall, Hanley.
08 January 1977
Bobby Gives Breaks Something to Cry About
Bobby Ryan retained the European lightweight title when he defeated Jim Breaks in Hanley.
08 January 1986
Bad Luck for Challenger
An injured knee in round eight ended the hopes of local wrestler Ray Robinson when he challenged Marty Jones for the World Mid Heavyweight title at the Baths Hall in Scunthorpe.
09 January 1931
Sheffield Gets In On The Act
All in wrestling came to Sheffield within weeks of the launch in Manchester. At the Sheffield Sporting Club Johanfesson defeated three challengers with ease; Len Kertz, George Bowden and Kid Johnson. The reporter from the Sheffield press thought that wrestling would prove too brutal for English tastes.
09 January 1933
All Change In Hull.
There was a new venue in Hull with wrestling at the Beverley Road Baths, promoted by William Wallis and Harry Moody. The Lancashire Terror Billy Moores stopped Edinburgh’s Jock Gardner whilst Harold Angus beat Tommy Hanson.
09 January 1933
A Disappointing Night For Oakeley
A female admirer presented Atholl Oakeley with a Union Jack at the Victoria Hall, Nottingham which he draped over his corner post to no avail. British champion Atholl Oakeley and German champion Heinrich Froehner met in a return contest for the European heavyweight title at the New Victoria Hall in Nottingham. Their previous championship contest, at the Blackfriars Ring, had ended in a draw on 22nd December. Oakeley was reported to have given a poor performance and made little impression on the German wrestler, with the number of holds he secured on Froehner counted on the fingers of one hand. Following the near completion of three one-sided rounds Froehner won the European title with the only fall required, a body-press after 28 minutes.
09 January 1933
Ladies Please
Wrestling returned to Waverley Circus & Carnival, with an appearance of “The Imperial Troupe of Lady Wrestlers.” It was reported the women gave an excellent display of catch-as-catch-can wrestling.
09 January 1942
Wartime Hostilities in Chester
With the nation having just endured the third wartime Christmas the good people of Chester turned their attention to another epic confrontation.
Wartime Hostilities In Chester
Stormin’ Norman
At the St Mungo Halls in Glasgow Norman Walsh defended the British Cruiser-weight title against Rex Harrison.
09 January 1964
Did you Feel The Earth Move, George?
That may have been the question Pietro Capello put to his opponent George Bollas, The Zebra Kid. Heavyweights George and Pietro were big men with a combined weight of around forty stones. That was just too much for the floor of the Picturedrome in Sleaford. There was a sinking feeling during their match when the floor submitted and one of the ring legs sunk through the floor of the hall. With the ring at an angle the match had to be called off; fortunately for fans it being the last one of the evening.
09 January 1978
A Lucky Breaks
European lightweight champion Jim Breaks didn’t make any new friends at his local King George’s Hall, Bradford, when he defended his title against Wigan’s John Naylor. Breaks received a public warning in round three shortly before going into the lead when Naylor submitted. Naylor soon got back into the contest with an equalising fall in the fourth before retiring injured in round five.
10 January 1939
Silcock Blues
The Blue Mask voluntarily unmasks in Douglas to reveal Bob Silcock. The unmasking was repeated in Warrington three days later but then we find him masked once again at Chester five nights later.
10 January 1947
Planning for Peace
War in Europe may have ended but cessation of hostilities between wrestlers and wrestling promoters would prove more challenging.
Planning For Peace
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