Eddie Rose reflects on his long wrestling career.
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Some fifty-odd years ago the wrestling scene in this country could be divided into two camps; Joint Promotions and what was called The Opposition, in other words, the wrestlers who did not work for Joint promotions. In Lancashire ‘speak’ this became “Th’Opposition.”
With Joint Promotions I quickly found that their venues were mainly too distant to fit in with my main occupation, that of a PE teacher in Manchester. I was a regular at Panther’s Gym at that time. This was a local gym run by Grant Foderingham, aka The Black Panther, and most of the wrestlers who went to this gym did not work for Joint Promotions at that time.
In my innocence, I thought at first that Joint Promotions was the only source of professional wrestling and a whole new field of opportunity quickly opened up for me: “Th’ Opposition.” The problem was that if you worked for one set of promoters you did not work for the others. There was a distinct and fairly rigid demarcation with very little relationship between the two groups.
Wrestling for Joint Promotions (Relwyskow and Green, Beresford and Morrell, Wryton Promotions, Dale Martins and several smaller associated promoters) often meant long journeys and some overnight stays e.g. Butlins Camps for Wrytons could entail four nights away with two or even three bouts each day, poor accommodation and very average pay.
Working for the independent promoters or “Th’Opposition” was a whole lot easier. There were so many venues in the Greater Manchester area alone comprising clubs and smaller halls that I could easily manage three or four venues each week and be home for News At Ten! Occasionally I wrestled at two venues in one night and, on one occasion, at three venues in Manchester. The wages were good and there were no extras to pay for. Thus, I felt that I earned good money for less effort and it suited my main job.
The main disadvantage was that nationally televised wrestling was the jealously guarded domain of Joint Promotions. Opposition wrestlers were shut out from appeaaring on TV. Thus ‘Joints lads’ were very well known and ‘Th’ Opposition’ wrestlers did not enjoy the same popularity.
Who were the Opposition wrestlers?
In the 1960s the group at Panther’s Gym in Manchester comprised the following under Grant’s supervision: Alec Burton, Pete Lindberg, Roy Fortuna, Brendan Moriarty, Micky Coen, Alf Margate (later Marquette), Jack LaRue, Micky Gold, Big Bill Blake, Billy Graham, Mark Wayne, Kevin Cawley, Hillbilly Bert Ellam, Bert Nuttall, Monty Britton, Gus LeBrun, Jim Moser, Ezra Francis, Tiger Delmonte, Michael Jordan, Johnnie South, Paul Mitchell, Barry Willis, Tony Barrie, Johnny Saint.
Other local wrestlers who appeared at the gym less often included: Cowboy Jack Cassidy, Chief Thunderbird (Yes: a Polish Mancunian), Paul Carpentier, Jack Rowlands, Bobo Matu, Billy Graham, Lord Bertie Topham, Josef Szabo, Henri Pierlot, Abe Ginsberg, Terry Nylands and the Keegan brothers. Some of those mentioned were part-time wrestlers who remained in the North West. Others became nationally known television stars of the ring like Mike Jordan, Johnnie Saint, Micky Gold, Abe Ginsberg and Al Marquette who migrated to Joint Promotions.
Opposition wrestlers from other areas that frequented my area at different times included Dwight Ingleburg and his mates from Barnsley, Pedro the Gypsy, Stoker Brooks, Max Reager, Reg Ray, Brian Glover, and Butcher Goodman. Several wrestlers from Preston, for example Phil Kenyon (Mike Agusta), used to feature regularly as did some Midland men like Gordon Corbett, Harry Yardley, Killer Ken Davies, Johnny Diamond, Reg Yates and Jackie “Glitterboy” Evans.
There were also infrequent but welcome shows from Paul Lincoln Promotions at venues like the Free Trade Hall that featured Dr Death and various Southern departees from Dale Martins. Another occasional visitor was Dirty Dominic Pye until his untimely and mysterious shooting death.
In Scotland the “Independent” flag was kept heroically flying by Dale Storm and the Mossblown Gym lads. Rochdale gave us Dane Curtis, Terry Nylands and three Keegan brothers. Ian St John and Andreas Swajics were often on local bills and other lads from Bob Bannister’s gym in East Lancashire and Bob Sherry (Bolton). From the other side of the county we had, in Blackpool, “Dodgy Dave” aka Bobby Barron, Tony Francis, Barry Sherman and Ishka Khan. Drop down a few miles towards Liverpool and Buddy Ward, John Kenny, Carl McGrath, Harry Palin and Johnny Palance were regular class performers around the halls and clubs for many years.
How things changed when wrestling was dropped by the TV companies! Both sides came together for promoters like Brian Dixon and Orig Williams in what was a fantastic time for me personally and for “Th’ Opposition” wrestlers in what were the later years of my wrestling time.
Eddie Rose (Manchester) 1964-1984.
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