Week Beginning 12 July
12 July 2012
Death of Dara Singh
Read our tribute to Dara Singh
13 July 1913
Birth of Bill Ogden
Read our tribute to Bill Ogden
13 July 1916
Birth of Cowboy Ken Ackles
Ken Ackles is in the A-Z
13 July 1968
Going for A Dip?
A new children’s paddling pool in Springfield Park, Arbroath, was opened by wrestler George Kidd. In the spirit of things George removed his shoes and socks, rolled up his trouser legs and went for a celebratory paddle.
14 July 1911
Birth of Francois Monteverde
Read our tribute to Francois Monteverde
14 July 1933
Woman Wrestler In Collision
A female wrestler, Fanny Storey of Huddersfield, was injured when her motor cycle collided with a car. She was taken to hospital with a broken leg. It was reported that Miss Storey was a bus conductress who had taken up wrestling a year ago. She was also said to be a male impersonator and whistler. Obviously a woman of many talents.
14 July 1939
Another Mystery Solved, Sort Of
Nine years undefeated claimed the wrestling publicity machine. Well, if the Black Mask had been unbeaten for nine years he’d certainly been very quiet about it. We have documented a Black Mask unmasking in 1934, but he was never seen again. Still, it was a good tale to spin by promoter William Bankier at Liverpool Stadium as the Black Mask overcame Tony Mancelli ,Herbie Parks and Heinrich Muller. Twenty pounds and an unmasking was offered to any challenger who could stay six rounds with the masked man. Canadian Jack McLauchlan was the fortunate man in the opposite corner. Six times he threw the Black Mask through the ropes in the final round before the match was declared a draw. Twenty pounds in notes were dramatically handed over to McLauchlan followed by silence and the even more dramatic removal of the mask.
Revealed to the Liverpool fans was a wrestler well known in the early 1930s, one of the pioneers of All-In, American Ben Sherman. A couple of return matches were to be arranged, but call us cynical if you like, Sherman was already planning his return home.
14 July 1979
Death of Klondyke Bill
Read our tribute to Klondyke Bill
14July 1980
A British welterweight title fight in Catford.
Champion Alan Dennison retained the title in a match that went the full twelve rounds as he was held to a draw by Jim Breaks Dennison took the lead with a submission in round seven with an equalising submission to Breaks in the eleventh.
14 July 2004
Death of Denis Keegan
Read our tribute to Denis Keegan
14 July 2013
Death of Ramon Napolitano
Read our tribute to Ramon Napolitano
15 July 1910
Birth of Taffy Jones
Read our tribute to Taffy Jones
15 July 1935
Birth of Tony Charles
Read our tribute to Tony Charles
15 July 2011
Death of Ray McGuire
Ray McGuire is in the A-Z
15 July 2025
Death of Eddie Hamill
Read our tribute to Eddie Hamill
16 July 1924
Birth of Doug Joyce
Read our tribute to Doug Joyce
16 July 1946
Assirati Still The Champion
British heavyweight champion Bert Assirati retained his title when he knocked out challenger Francis St Clair Gregory in Aberdeen. There were no rounds in the contest, a break being called only after the scoring of a fall. Forty minutes passed before Assirati took the lead with a straight arm lock submission. Ten further minutes passed until Gregory gained the equaliser. Gregory was on the offensive and looked as though he just might pull it off when he charged at Assirati, missed him, and went over the top rope. Gregory was counted out after 63 minutes of wrestling.
17 July 1912
Birth of Norman Morrell
Read our tribute to Norman Morrell
17 July 1926
Birth of Édouard Carpentier
Read our tribute to Edouard Carpentier
17 July 1931
Sleeping With the Lions
Wrestler Ben Sherman and his pal, boxer Willie Smith, hit a spot of bother while driving through Rhodesia. They were stranded in lion-infested country when their car ran out of petrol with three punctured tyres. They had taken a wrong turn and travelled over 100 miles without meeting anyone. With their car trundling along on three rims and one inflated tyre the pair gave up and slept beside the broken car. Well, that’s what they said. We would have stayed inside. The following morning a passing vehicle gave them some petrol and they rumbled into Broken Hill.
17 July 1933
When Worlds Collide
In this week’s newsletter
17 July 1936
Birth of Eddie Stratton
Read our tribute to Eddie Stratton
17 July 1956
Wizardry of George Kidd
Dundee’s George Kidd retained the world lightweight title at the Pittodrie Park in Aberdeen. He defeated Bernard Murray by two falls to one. A double leg nelson gave Kidd the first fall in round six. Murray equalised with a body press on round ten. In round twelve Kidd’s reverse surf board was brought in to good effect to win the contest.
17 July 1956
Death of Jack McLauchlan
Read our tribute to Jack McLauchlan
17th July 1976
No Killing Tonight
At the Victoria Hall in Hanley Count Bartelli retained his Commonwealth Heavyweight title when Killer John Kowalski walked out.
17 July 2004
Death of Pat Roach
Read our tribute to Pat Roach
17 July 2019
Death of Pete Curry
Read our tribute to Pete Curry
18 July 1909
Birth of Mitchell Gill
Read our tribute to Mitchell Gill
18 July 1953
Rawlings Takes The Crown
In Newcastle Alf Rawlings knocked out Ernest Baldwin in round seven to win the British heavyweight title.
18 July 1981
Murder of Mustapha Shikane
Mustapha Shikane is in the A-Z
18 July 2020
Death of Terry Camm
Read our tribute to Terry Camm
18 July
Birth of Tony Elsdon
Read our tribute to Tony Elsdon
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Wrestling Heritage 