Week Beginning 07 June
07 June 1924
Birth of Jack Langton
Read our tribute to Jack Langton
07 June 1928
Birth of Randolph Turpin
Read our tribute to Randolph Turpin
07 June 1939
Battle of Wigan
Billy Riley retained his world middleweight title at New Brighton when he defeated another Wiganite, Joe Robinson, by two falls to one.
07 June 1940
The Soap Opera Continues
The never ending saga of the relationship of wrestler Bob Gregory and his wife, formerly Valerie Brooke, daughter of Sir Charles Brooke, the Rajah of Sawak. Gregory filed for divorce.
08 June 1940
Still Champion
Douglas Clark successfully defended his British heavyweight title against local wrestler Dave Armstrong at Newcastle.
07 June 1980
Jones Keeps Title
Marty Jones retained the British light heavyweight title when he stopped Rollerball Rocco in round seven at Hanley.
08 June 1946
It’s Over, And It Never Really Began
Surprising, Sensational, more just disappointing for the fans at the New St James Hall in Newcastle. Local wrestler Dave Armstrong, a top contender for the title, was the challenger for Bert Assirati’s British heavyweight title. It was all over as soon as it started, leaving fans furious and cheated. As the bell rang for the opening round Assirati held out his hand. As Armstrong went to shake hands Assirati moved quickly to take the fall. Armstrong was unable to continue and Assirati declared the winner in under one minute.
08 June 1949
Wedding Bells
European lightweight champion George Kidd married Hester Maclauchlan. Among the guests were three wrestling colleagues – Les Kellett, Norman Walsh and Chic Purvey. Best man was the groom’s brother, David Kidd.
08 June 1966
A Royal Win
George Kidd defended the World Lightweight title against Jon Cortez at Kensington’s Royal Albert Hall. Kidd took the opening fall in the fourth round, Cortez equalised in the seventh with the inevitable win for the champion one round later.
08 June 1966
A Night Of Epic Proportions
Wrestling went nationwide when a Royal Albert Hall show was screened in cinemas around the country.
Read Wrestling Goes Nationwide
08 June 1966
Referee Hospitalised
Thousands of fans had enjoyed a thrilling night of wrestling at the Royal Abert Hall. Tragedy was to follow. Later that evening referee Lou Marco was hit by a car whilst crossing Brixton Road and taken to hospital with a broken leg.
09 June 1920
Birth of Vic Coleman
Read our tribute to Vic Coleman
10 June 1902
Birth of Joe Robinson (Wigan)
Read our tribute to Joe Robinson
10 June 1932
New Sport In Town
Oxford staged it’s first All In wrestling show at the Ice Rink with Douglas Clark meeting Jim Wango in the main event.
10 June 1934
Stealing Time
A spectator hurled a bottle at wrestlers Chick Rolfe and Saxon Elliott at West Bromwich. The bottle missed the wrestlers and injured a ringside spectator. The timekeeper left his seat to apprehend the assailant who was handed over to the police. On returning to his seat the timekeeper discovered his watch had been stolen.
10 June 1934
Another Spot of Bother.
Trouble at Thorne Moorends in a match between local wrestler Jack Pye and Al Savage. Following a fall gained by Pye in the third round Savage picked up his corner stool and tossed it across the ring to strike Pye on the head. Policemen on duty at the hall jumped into the ring and detained Savage. As the police were questioning Savage someone threw a bucket of water over the wrestler. Savage was escorted away by the police and the match did not resume.
10 June 1936
Sherry and Bankier: War of Words
Read War of Words
10 June 1947
A Hard Day At The Office
For the second time it was a sixty minute draw at the Caird Hall, Dundee, when Mike Demitre defended his British Cruiserweight title against Jim Anderson. The match was a return contest from a non title contest on 13th May, which also ended in a sixty minute draw. Anderson proved himself a troublesome challenger and it was down to Demitre’s superb fitness that got him through the match. Following the match Demitre accepted another challenge from Anderson, this time over 90 minutes. It was announced the purse for the bout would be an unbelievable £500. Well. We don’t believe it.
10 June 1967
That’s My Dog
As part of the Halifax Charity Gala wrestler Farmer John Allan was the judge of a children’s pet competition.
10 June 1967
A Star Studded Opening
A crowd of around 25,000 attended the Vauxhall Motors sports day in Luton, which was opened by Jackie Pallo, tv actress Honor Blackman and footballer Dave Mackay.
10 June 1973
Death of Taffy Jones
Read our tribute to Taffy Jones
11 June 1931
Clark Held By Assirati
In a surprise result at the Wakefield Opera House Douglas Clark, the Huddersfield Rugby League player and now British Heavyweight Champion Wrestler, was held to a draw by a young Italian named Bert Assirati in a match held under Catch as Catch Can rules. Assirati had been wrestling at the Opera House all week as part of an international troupe. Clark went on the offensive in the first of the ten minute rounds with Assirati’s only defence being a scissors hold on Clark. Despite Clark’s aggression the contest ended in a draw, considered a good result for Assirati. Clark immediately issued a challenge for a return contest under “All In” rules. Agreement was reached that the return match should be held at the Belle Vue Grounds, Wakefield, on the afternoon of Saturday 20th June.
11 June 1934
Birth of John da Silva
Read our tribute to John DaSilva
11 June 1937
Wrestler Raises the Alarm
On his way home following a bout at the Blackfriars Ring wrestler Tony Mancelli raised the alarm when he saw smoke coming from the Imperial Lighting Company’s factory in Pocock Street, Blackfriars, London.
11 June 1943
Birth of Keith Waddington
Read our tribute to Keith Waddington
11 June 1960
Royal Without a Crown
Ernie Riley kept a firm grip on his British light heavyweight championship in his defence of the title at Halifax. Bert Royal took the fight to the champion in the early rounds until Riley found his way to the opening fall in the seventh round. Royal equalised in the seventh until a round nine shoulder press gave the winning pin to Ernie Riley.
11 June 1966
Death of Harlem Jimmy Brown
Harlem Jimmy Brown was killed in a car crash
Jimmy Brown is in the A-Z
11 June 1977
Royal Overthrown
At Belle Vue in Manchester Mark Rocco defeated Bert Royal to win the British Heavy Middleweight title.
11 June 1980
Death of Wolfgang Ehrl
Wolfgang Ehrl is in the A-Z
11 June 2001
Death of Dick Conlon
Read our tribute to Dick Conlon
12 June 1954
Colbeck Win
Alan Colbeck retained the European welterweight title by defeating Johnny Stead by two falls to one at the New St James Hall in Newcastle.
12 June 1961
Ken Joyce European Champion
At the Majestic Cinema in Finsbury Park, North London Ken Joyce retained the BWF (Independent) European welterweight title in his defence against Vassilios Mantopoulos.
12 June 1976
Popular Win For Local Boy
Bobby Ryan retained the European lightweight title at the Victoria Hall in Hanley by defeating Zoltan Boscik by two falls to one. Boscik had taken an equalising submission in the eighth only for Ryan to pin him in the following round.
12 June 1977
Death of Alan Muir
Read our tribute to Alan Muir
12 June 1967
Back To Jail
Norbert Frederick Rondel, a man known in our pages as professional wrestler Vladimir Waldberg, and outside our pages as employee of slum landlord Peter Rachman (Google him if you’re too young) was making an appearance in court.
Rondel had been in prison since 9th May for assaulting a man in an Earls Court Club.
On this day Rondel was told if he could go free if he apologised. Rondel said he could not apologise for something he had not done. The judge ordered a protesting Rondel back to jail.
12 June 1982
Crushed
Wayne Bridges stopped Crusher Brannigan in Maidstone to keep the World Heavyweight title.
13 June 1904
Birth of Padvo Peltonin
Read our tribute to Padvo Peltonin
13 June 1932
Johanfesson No Match for the Champion
Chesterfield’s Johanfesson had neither the weight nor the skill to match British heavyweight champion Douglas Clark in a title match at the Victoria Hall, Nottingham. The match was under All-In Rules, which is of interest because the following month Atholl Oakeley appeared in the same hall described as British Hevyweight All In champion and dismissing Johanfesson as Catch champion.
13 June 1935
Birth of Rev Michael Brooks
Rev Michael Brooks is in the A-Z
13 June 1958
Wrestler Wins Court Battle
The judge at Congleton County Court ruled in favour of wrestler Bill Ogden of Mow Cop and was awarded £40 plus costs. It was judged that Bill Ogden had made and supplied a wrestling ring frame to Richard Rogers who then failed to pay him.
13 June 1982
Death of Peter Maivia
Read our tribute to Peter Maivia
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