These are our shorter Biographical portraits which we would like to extend if you can provide information or memories.
Bob Courage
Popular Southampton lightweight wrestler of the 1960s and 1970s who trained at Bruno Elrington’s gym in Portsmouth. Bob was a popular worker around the south of England, billed as British lightweight champion by members of the British Wrestling Association. Bob lived in Soberton Heath which is near Wickham in Hampshire (between Southampton & Portsmouth) and began life working for the independent promoters. He met Joint opposition in the form of Zoltan Boscick, Steve Grey and Clive Myers whilst working for Devereaux Promotions, but preferred life on the opposition circuit where he promoted his own shows under the Intercontinental Promotions banner. A short story about Bob, passed on by Ian Dowland, who owned Solent Wrestling Promotions, “Bob’s wife came from Yorkshire, and whilst they were on holiday visiting her family Bob went training at a gym in Leeds that he used to attend, he was training with Al Marshall, who was an Ace Promotions wrestler. Bob was practicing his ‘drop kick’ when it went wrong and knocked out Al Marshall’s teeth, I believe that Al lost about three teeth.”
Steve Courage
Arthur Stephenson was landlord of the Red Lion public house in Wadhurst, Sussex. When he wasn’t he was Steve Courage the wrestler. Tha name Courage came from the brewer that served the pub, Courage. Whilst landlord of the Red Lion Steve met a young wrestler called Eric Dudley. The two became friends and Steve agreed to open a wrestling gym on the premises, as long as Eric taught him to wrestle. Deal done, and Arthur Stephenson became Steve Courage the wrestler, and one half (along with Eric) of Den Promotions, training local lads and promoting shows in Sussex.
Cyclone Cowley
Always billed from Preston in Lancashire and as all twelve appearance we have discovered were in this Lancashire mill town his location may well be correct. All but one of his appearances are in 1935, with a return following a long absence announced in 1937. Opponents included other Lancashire wrestlers Joe Reid, Len Hawker and Bert O’Neill. Posters billed him as the “Tearaway terror” and whilst the most generous reports describe him as “spirited” they suggest he had little regard for the niceties of wrestling.
Brian Crabtree
Another of the famous and controversial Halifax wrestling family whose not so glorious career came to a premature end following a 1966 injury. Brian swapped the wrestling gear for colourful shirts and continued as a referee, working mainly in Scotland for his brother Max. When Max was appointed manager of the northern Joint Promotion members Brian and his shirts came to national prominence as his number one referee. His style was not to everyone’s liking, a colourful character who appeared to prefer the limelight on himself rather than the wrestlers. As age continued to catch up with him he bought a black and red spangly jacket and became a Master of Ceremonies who again divided opinions.
Shirley Crabtree Sr
One of the most enduring names of professional wrestling is that of Shirley Crabtree, latterly known as Big Daddy. Yet Big Shirley was not the first Crabtree to wrestle, and not even the first Shirley. His father, Shirley Crabtree Sr was born on 27th May, 1906. As a schoolboy he took up amateur boxing but went on to play professional rugby for Halifax in the early 1930s, transferred to York in 1932 and Dewsbury in 1937. He also had what seems to have been a short dabble with professional wrestling. Shirley Crabtree Sr made his own wrestling debut at Doncaster in March 1938. Crabtree took the first fall over Stanislaus Karishelski in round two. In the third round Crabtree was injured following a submission and was forced to retire. It was declared Crabtree had given a good account of himself and showed promise.
In 1939, by which time he was parted from Shirley’s mother, his occupation was listed as a hewer in a colliery. Shirley Crabtree Sr died in 1975, at the time living in Grimsby.
Mervyn Craggs
Mervyn Craggs was the younger brother of Floyd, trained at Gwelthorpe Mill along with Johnny Peters and his brother. He was born in Mickley on 24th August, 1946. He worked for independent promoters in the 1970s. Mervyn James Cragg died on 29th September, 2006.
Colin Craig
A 1970s -1980s wrestler with a distinctive clown tattoo on his chest Colin Craig was trained by Brian Trevors and worked for both the independent and Joint Promotions. Heritage member Norfolk Snake, who wrestled heavy-middleweight Colin Craig on a number of occasions, told us he was “A great worker and lovely bloke who could have gone further given the right breaks.” Unfortunately for Colin we gather that quite a bit of his time was spent wearing a mask and taking in Big Daddy tag matches, partnering Dave Daring, a cul-de-sac for any wrestling career however promising.
Another fans was Heritage member Suffolk Punch, “I did see Colin Craig wrestle a few times but without a mask. He once wrestled Count Bartelli in Lowestoft. He was a very good wrestler. I will always remember his response to one opponent in the ring. When his opponent said ‘No, no, no., Colins response was Yes, yes. Yes.’. I am glad that he did get to wrestle for Joint Promotions, he was certainly good enough!”
Ray Crawley (Also known as Spiderman)
We saw him, we liked him, but know precious little about him. At a time when wrestling was on the decline here was a talented and popular 1970s and 1980s performer who worked for both Joint Promotions and the independents over a career spanning more than twenty years. A professional career that began aged 16 saw him draw with Micky Sullivan in a European Middleweight title match. On one of his televised appearances Ray wrestled as one of those rare masked men, a good guy, Spiderman. Ray trained youngsters at gymnasiums in Essex and also taught the cast of the television drama, Trafford Tanzi.
Arthur Creep
Plymothian heavyweight who was reported to be skilled but rough for whom we have a handful of matches between 1936 and 1939.
Sam Crossley
We came across Sam Crossley at Newcastle in September, 1944 fighting Alf Rawlings. It was the first of many finds through the 1940s with heavyweight Sam wrestling some of the biggest names of the time: Charlie Scott, Bert Collins, Jack Pye and Jack Atherton.
Imre Csak
A young Hungarian who settled in Leicester after coming to Britain following the 1956 uprising. He and his friend took up body building and was later persuaded to turn to professional wrestling by promoter Jack Taylor. We find Imre wrestling in 1960 which we estimate to have been his first year of wrestling. Weighing around the eleven stone mark his opponents included Taylor, Cliffe Milla, Danny Flynn. His regular tag partners were Hungarian friends Georgy Cselko and Lazlo Bajko. His wrestling career seems short lived and we find him no later than 1965.
Jim Cully
In April 1950, when Irishman Jim Cully “The Gargantuan Gael” was brought over from Ireland to face American Ed Don Virag at Harringay Stadium. Promoter Athol Oakeley claimed the Irishman stood 7’7” tall and weighed 24 stones. Virag defeated him. Oakeley may have been overstating, but not by much, various sources record Culley as 7’2” tall. “The Tiperary Giant” started out as a weightlifter on Irish fairgrounds before turning to fairground wrestling and professional wrestling. Made the unusual route of going to the United States in 1948 and turning from professional wrestling to professional boxing, but seems to have fought only a couple of professional boxing matches.
Jack Cunningham
Jack Cunningham was a popular South African middleweight who came to Britain in 1938 Those were the days when wrestling barefoot was considered an exciting gimmick, though his rather splendid monkey climbs may also have endeared him to fans. He went on to become an equally popular referee following his retirement due to a neck injury, sustained at Exeter in 1964. In his youth Jack was a champion swimmer in South Africa, representing his country against the United States of America whilst a teenager. During the war Jack served in the South African Air Force. For quite a few years he lived in Manchester, where he shared his wrestling commitments with playing rugby for Sale Rugby Union Football Club.
Pat Curry (Canada)
Maybe the name just didn’t suit the suave north American image, but the wavy haired, good looking Canadian, Pat Girard adopted the name Pat Curry when he made his 1947 debut in British rings. We can also find little evidence of Pat being a big name wrestler in North America as, unsurprisingly, British fans were led to believe. We do know, however, that following his British wrestling activity Pat returned to his Montreal home where he become one of the most highly respected Canadian wrestling trainers, responsible for mentoring Pat Patterson, Terry Garvin, Ronnie Garvin, and Sunny War Cloud amongst others.
Pat was a familiar heavyweight in British rings from 1947 until the mid 1950s. He met all the great names of the day, men such as Bert Assirati, Francis St Clair Gregory, Dave Armstrong and Ernest Baldwin, and losing to Tony Mancelli in a World Junior heavyweight title clash.
Dane Curtis
Popular light heavyweight from Rochdale in the 1960s and 1970s. Dane was a fast and athletic skilful wrestler whose skills were honed at the Wryton Stadium gym at the weekends under the tutorship of old timers like Alf Cadman.
Jan Curtis
Jan Curtis had a long amateur career. A very long and distinguished career, having first taken to the mat in 1964. It was sixteen years later, in 1980, that he turned professional, having received guidance from Mick McManus. Jan wrestled for Dale Martin Promotions for three years, during which he made television appearances against Johnny Saint and Sid Cooper, before being lured away by the amateur code once again when offered the role of coach to the Maltese Olympic Team. He stayed in the post until 1991.
Steve Lee Curtis (Also known as Steve Silver)
Steve Silverman wrestled professionally from the mid 1970s and through the 1980s. A fan from childhood it was while watching the wrestling at his local Brent Town Hall that Steve decided he too would become a wrestler. Born in London in 1960 Steve Silverman started wrestling as Steve Silver and later changed it to Steve Lee Curtis in tribute to actor Tony Curtis. After retiring from wrestling Steve continued to train youngsters and went on to work as a hospital porter at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow.
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Wrestling Heritage 