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Tiger Delmonte made a memorable impression as he entered the ring carrying his mascot tiger’s head! We have come across more discreet lucky charms. That wasn’t the be all and end all of the colour because Tiger was an exciting lightweight wrestler who graced the halls of the midlands and northern England from the mid 1960s until the early 1980s. He worked mainly for the independent promoters and Wryton Promotions.
Usually billed from Jamaica, where he was born, Tiger Delmonte, or John Willis as he was in those days came to Britain following the Second World War. He enrolled at Ardwick Lads Boxing Club, where he learned to box and eventually turned professional. He has twenty-three professional boxing matches recorded between 1953 and 1956, using the name Del Willis, and fighting men like British and Commonwealth Champion, Dave Charnley.
His birth name is 1932 was John Willis. In the 1960s he took up professional wrestling, trained at Grant Foderingham’s gym in Manchester and Failsworth Amateur Wrestling Club (with Johnny Saint) and gained valuable experience on Matt Moran’s wrestling booth.
At Foderingham’s gym he met Eddie Rose who told us of an amusing incident as he and Del travelled to a show, “We met and drove through the night (no M5 Motorway in those days). Somewhere in Devon at about daybreak I spotted a lay-by and pulled in for a break. Del said the best way to refresh would be to have a pull round on the adjacent grass verge. This we did (amateur style) for about 10 minutes. When we stopped wrestling we were surprised to hear a round of applause! Another car had pulled into the lay-by, unnoticed by us as we wrestled and the driver and two passengers were well pleased with free show.“
Tough and fast Tiger Delmonte weighed in around the eleven stone mark and had some good matches with Jackie Robinson. Mel Riss and Paul Mitchell on the Joint Promotion circuit and with Eddie Rose and Brendan Moriarty for the independent promoters.
Boxing remained his favoured sport, but his passion was to help give youngsters greater opportunities in life through sport in boys’ clubs. Eddie Rose again: “He was a great character, always cheerful and positive and a good travelling companion. He returned to boxing, his first love, and coached youngsters for many years in Manchester right up to his passing.”
Tiger Delmonte died on 8th September, 2016.
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