These are our shorter Biographical portraits which we would like to extend if you can provide information or memories.
Tony Barron
A tattooed heavyweight bruiser who started out in the mid 1970s; we find him for the first time in 1977. Coming from Norwich Tony was associated with W.A.W. founder Ricky Knight and was the inaugural W.A.W. Heavyweight Champion. He worked for both the independent promoters, mainly in East Anglia, and for Joint Promotions under the stewardship of Max Crabtree. A moment of glory came in opposition to Marty Jones at the Royal Albert Hall in 1985 at the last Joint Promotions Royal Albert Hall promotion. Tony Barron died on 31st January, 2023.
Tony Barry (Isle of Man)
One of the Uks youngest professionals, having his first paid bout in 1971 when just fifteen years old. A hairdresser by trade Tony was introduced to wrestling by his boss,Bill Kennedy, and learned the trade at the George Barnabus Wrestling Club. Tony lived in the Isle of Man where he tagged with Phil Barry, advertised as the Barry Brothers, but no relation.
Tony Barry (Manchester)
Stocky build and more than his fair share of black hair Tony Barry was something of a Northern teenage sensation of the late sixties and early seventies. For a brief period he seemed to be everywhere and destined for the top.
The Manchester youngster was the nephew of the old warhorse, Jim Hussey, and turned professional when he was just sixteen years old after showing an interest in judo and learning to wrestle at Black Panther’s gym in Openshaw and the Failsworth Amateur Wrestling Club, which also nurtured Johnny Saint.
His professional debut resulted in a drawn verdict against Eddie Rose. In those days Manchester was a hotbed of wrestling activity and Tony gained initial experience for independent promoters before being quickly signed up to work for Wryton Promotions by Martin Conroy.
It all looked so promising, but came to nothing as Tony disappeared from our radar in the early 1970s. Eddie Rose recalled, “Tony used to come to the Black Panther’s gym in Openshaw. I used to train with him and had several bouts with him in the Manchester area. He was a good lad and improving by the month when he dropped out of sight. I often wondered what became of him because he had great potential.” We would welcome information about this promising wrestler.
Al Bastien
Light heavyweight Al Bastien, from Belgium, was a stylish wrestler with a scientific style that benefited from the strength resulting from his fanatical weight lifting regime. Despite rarely venturing far from his Belgian home he made two short visits to Britain. In May 1962 he visited the south of England for two weeks, opponents including Don Branch, Steve Logan, Les Kellett and Tony Cassio. He returned in September, 1972, losing to Les Kellett at the Royal Albert Hall.
Billy Bates
1960s middleweight from York trained by Jim Grosert. Billy’s day job was a milkman whilst by night he worked for the independent promoters of the North East of England: Don Robinson, Cyril Knowles, Allan and Taylor. On occasions tagged with Jim Armstrong of Leeds.
Alan J. Batt (Also known as The Skull, Red Demon, The Disciple)
Brian Alan Thurley was born in Bishops Stortford in April, 1938. When he died seventy two years later he was mourned as the wrestler known as Alan J. Batt. As a youngster Alan had an interest in boxing which he pursued for some time before turning to wrestling. Pursuit of a professional wrestling career was put on hold until he completed nine years serving in the army. Alan worked mainly for the independent promoters in the 1970s and 1980s, though did some work for Joint Promotions also. Alan J Batt was also the face behind numerous masks on the independent circuit, including those of the Red Demon and The Skull and The Disciple. He died on 16th October, 2010.
Joe Batten
From around the mid 1930s until the 1950s Angel Face Joe Batten of Notting Hill seemed to be everywhere in the north and midlands. Our earliest records are from 1937, facing top class opponents such as Billy Riley, Jack Dale and Jack Atherton. Prior to wrestling Joe was a prolific professional boxer from 1924 until 1931. With more than his fair share of ring hammerings he saw the opportunities presented by professional wrestling, which was gaining popularity in the 1930s. Reports are of a rough, uncompromising villain of the ring. Following the war he appears to have gained some poundage and regularly opposed fully blown heavyweights.
Fernand Bawin
One time World welterweight champion Fernand Bawin came to British shores in 1953. He returned for further tours in 1959 and 1961, a ko win on television over Les Kellett in November, 1959; and a loss against Mick McManus in February, 1961. Bawin was a regular worker in Germany during the 1970s, wrestling in Hannover, Bremen and other German towns. German promoters sometimes billed him as as Mick Mac Bawin. Towards the end of the 1970s he took to officiating and worked in Graz, Austria, as a referee for Otto Wanz.
Remy Bayle
Apart from a stray Royal Albert Hall appearance in 1956, losing to Steve Logan, the popular French heavyweight made his first inroad into Britain in 1960. He returned to the Royal Albert Hall in March 1960 to take on Judo Al Hayes. Another opponent during his 1960 tour was Johnny Yearsley on television. He was to and fro between Britain and the continent between March and July 1960. Remy was then absent from British rings until 1965 when he returned for six weeks between July and September. Opponents ranged from the mighty to the not so mighty with Remy’s winning record being far from impressive.
Bill Beaney
Battling Bill Beaney, a tag partner of Danny Lynch, Romany Riley and Crusher Mason was a powerful 1980s heavyweight who survived the end of the television era and worked into the 1990s. A lorry driver from Ashford in Kent he was encouraged by Romany Riley and Mike Marino to turn professional wrestler. And he loved it.
Following am amateur grounding Bill turned professional when he was just sixteen years old. It was a career that took him not only around the holiday camps and halls of the country but to Spain, the Middle East and Japan. Heavyweight Bill worked for the top independent promoters All Star, Jackie Pallo and Danny Lynch, as well as Dale Martin Promotions. Opponents included top men such as Tony St Clair, Mal Saunders, Steve Regal and Rollerball Rocco. Like many others in the business Bill combined wrestling commitments with pub management as landlord of The Crusader in Ashford.. Forty years after it all began he told us he still wants to get his boots back on.
The Bearded Monarch
1930s and 1940s wrestler believed by many to have been Ken Davies of Maesteg, but there were likely others.
A 1960s Bearded Monarch was Norman Kenworthy, also wrestled as Achmed the Strong.
Frank Beaumont (Frank Belshaw)
Frank was the lesser known of the Belshaw brothers, the youngest of the family, born on 17th August, 1923. A miner by day Frank had a short part time wrestling career of about twelve months, cut short by a tragic accident. A motor cycle accident resulted in the amputation of four fingers and the end of his wrestling career.
Billy Joe Beck
The Irish-Canadian tag attached to Billy Joe Beck’s name on the posters may well have been the promoter’s attempt to add a bit of glamour (Billy Joe’s father was born in Canada), but the young Belfast wrestler would have proved popular in any case. Trained by Jack “Flash” Shirlow, with Darkie Arnott, Tiger Joe Moore and Dave Finlay also proving influential, Billy Joe knew his way around the wrestling ring. With a background in judo it was Jack Shirlow that prepared Billy Joe for his wrestling debut with matches around Ireland in the first year or two. In 1980 Billy Joe followed the well worn path across the Irish Sea and began working for the independent promoters. Within a short time he was working for Joint Promotions and made his television debut in 1984. The following year Billy Joe had the distinction of wrestling Alan Kilby in the last televised tournament that was part of the World of Sport programme. Although his career spanned three decades (he retired in 1991), and included top class opposition such as Kung Fu and Les Kellett, the last twenty years have seen Billy Joe gain further fame and respect in a very different role. When he retired from his full time job in the fire service in 1998 Billy joe began to devote even more of his time to charity work, most notably helping children with cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. Since retiring he has been appointed Director of RAMS (Race Against Multiple Sclerosis) and is now well know throughout Ireland for his work in supporting this good cause.
Dave Bedford
When wrestlers discuss their opponents one name frequently mentioned as a hard man to wrestle, let alone beat, is Dave Bedford. Few could deliver a swinging back breaker like Dave. Dave’s tenacity is rooted in more than a dozen years as a national class amateur combined with the strength developed working down the pit and the grafting instinct of working his own farm, which he does to this day. Dave learned the professional trade under the watchful eye of former British heavyweight champion Ernest Baldwin. Most of Dave’s work was for the independent promoters. He was invited to work for Joint Promotions, and did so for a short time, but preferred the greater freedom he found working for the independents. Dave had his own gymnasium on his farm where he and other wrestlers worked out together. Dave also promoted his own shows around Yorkshire during the 1970s and 1980s.
Ian Beeston
Welterweight billed from Blackpool who featured heavily on Wryton Promotions shows in 1973-4 and then abruptly disappeared. Made a solitary television appearance when he lost to Bobby Ryan in February 1974.
Hans Behrens
German Heavyweight from Hamburg turned professional in 1951 when he was 19 years old. Visited the UK in the 1950s, working mainly in northern England for Joint Promotions. Died on 17th February, 2007
Jim Bell
Jim Bell was a 1960s heavyweight from Auchterarder in Scotland. A one time Highland Games wrestler Jim was a good friend of Andy Robin, and the two of them trained together. Jim trained the Scottish lightweight Bill Ross.
John Bell
A giant of a man from Aberdeen “The King Kong of Scotland” John Bell stood well over six feet tall and weighed closer to twenty stones than the thirty claimed at times. Born in 1907 in Tyrie, Aberdeenshire, he was the son of a farmer, Alec Bell, who was a renowned Cumberland and Westmorland style wrestler. In a clash of giants he defeated Carver Doone at Leeds Brunswick Stadium in 1933 when Doone dislocated a finger. Although given a high profile, particularly by promoter Atholl Oakeley, his presence was something of a novelty that had begun to wear off before the end of the decade. John Bell died on 28th February, 1945.
Ted Bell (Also known as Candy Kid)
Twenty three year old Canadian from Montreal visited in 1935, known as The Candy Kid. Relatively small for a North American wrestler standing 5’9” tall and weighing 13 ½ stones.
Stuart Bellamy (Also known as Tagagashi)
One time judo instructor Stuart Bellamy wrestled for six years as an amateur at the Grantham Physical Culture Club and was then prepared for the professional ring by Norman Carter. The Lincolnshire wrestler, from Colsterworth, worked for both the independents and Joint Promotions for around ten years beginning in 1967 when he made his debut at Grantham against Bill Rawlings. Opponents included experienced top men of both circuits: Bill Rawlings, Harry Bennett, and Count Bartelli, as well as other youngsters such as Dave Bryson and Terry Camm. Utilising his martial arts background Stuart adopted a Japanese alter-ego, Tagagashi.
Stuart Bellamy died on 16th November, 2023.
Texas Jack Bence
Texas Jack Bence was actually from Massachusetts. He turned professional wrestler in the latter half of the 1940s and shortly afterwards went on to travel the world. He worked throughout the Pacific region, South Africa, Europe and North America, finally fading away in Canada during the 1970s.Texas Jack visited the UK in the late fifties and early sixties, including a contest against Mike Marino at the Royal Albert Hall on 18th February, 1959. He had a series of tremendous battles with European mid heavyweight champion, Bill Howes. Like so many of the American visitors of the day Bence played the part of the loud-mouthed, arrogant bad guy, and he did it very well. Wrestling Heritage reader John Shelvey told us “I remember Texas as a tough and entertaining villain who could certainly rile the crowd with his rule bending.” Jack Bence passed away in 1985.
Elmer Bendix
Elmer Bendix of Portadown in County Armagh, birthname Elmer Benson, wrestled in Ireland in the 1960, going into retirement and making a return in 1977.
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