Also known as Lew Faulkner
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The Head of the Royal Family
Vic Hessle was born Lewis Faulkner on 4th March, 1913, which left him well placed to capitalise on the 1930s wrestling boom. He was born in Bolton and educated at the Saint Peter and Paul’s Roman Catholic School, but this didn’t stop 1930s wrestling promoters billing Vic Hessle as “The Austrian Tornado” and light heavyweight champion of Austria. Well, we guess Vienna does have a slightly more exotic ring than Bolton.
An energetic, fast moving and skilful wrestler he established himself as one of the country’s favourites soon after his 1935 debut. He was a main eventer at the recently opened Bolton Stadium from the very start. Opponents included all of the lighter heavyweights, Izzy Van Dutz, Jack Pye, Jack Atherton, and Billy Riley.
Presumably work and family commitments prevented Vic travelling too far; he had married Vivienne Armstrong and the couple were parents of Herbert Faulkner (born 5th December 1931) and Victor (born 14th June 1944). These two, of course, went on to become the ever popular Royal brothers, Bert Royal and Vic Faulkner.
Vic Hessle remained a popular wrestler throughout the 1930s and served as a paratrooper in the Second World War.
Following the second world war many wrestlers went into retirement because they were too old to adapt their style to the Mount Evans rules, or because they were simply too old. Neither the war nor the change of style were sufficient to stop Vic Hessle going on to become one of the most successful and respected wrestlers of the post war era. Visiting post war American Pat Curry claimed that Vic troubled him more than Bert Assirati.
Having turned professional in the days of Pojello, Oakeley and Sherry, Vic Hessle finally hung up his boots in 1963, and went on to serve as landlord of the Bull’s Head in the Breightmet area of Bolton for seventeen years. He left a legacy in the form of his two sons, Bert Royal and Vic Faulkner, with the latter adopting the family name abandoned by the young Lew Faulkner many years before.
One satisfying moment in his last year must have been wrestling in Paris in 1963 with all three of the family on the same bill. Father Vic defeated the “German Strangler” Eric Muller, young Vic wrestled Moise Besh, whilst Bert was knocked out by Rene Ben Chemoul.
Page added 13/06/2021
Reviewed 28/02/2022
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