These are our shorter biographical portraits which we would like to extend if you can provide information or memories.
Tony Gadd
Born in 1933 Tony Gadd was a physical culturist who lived in Cobham, Surrey. He formed the Gladiators Wrestling and Physical Culture Club in 1956. He wrestled fleetingly in the welterweight division around the rings of southern England in 1959 and 1960.
Yassim Ghulam Gama
Bradford based heavyweight who made numerous appearances in Joint Promotions rings in 1963, almost all of them in the north and Scotland.
Aguirre “Wildcat” Garcia (Also known as Pancho Gonzales)
If colour and flamboyancy alone were enough to guarantee success the Wildcat Garcia would have ruled the roost. Billed at times from Lima, Peru, and at others from Mexico city, Wildcat also enjoyed two names.
He worked in British rings was as Pancho Gonzales the colourful Mexican imported to Britain by independent promoter Paul Lincoln.
Legend had it that he became smitten by wrestling the night he walked many miles from his village to watch the bullfight, only to find that wrestling was on that night instead. Such is the nonsense the fans of the sixties was fed, and we have it on good authority from the source of the story that this is the case.
He also worked for Joint Promotions, notably losing to Steve Logan at the Royal Albert Hall in a contest where the fans actually cheered the London iron man on to a knock out win.
Emmanuel Garcia
We can find only a couple of documented reports for Emmanuel Garcia. We include him in the A-Z but not necessarily for the right reasons. The two reports we have of Emmanuel Garcia tell of him involved in mud wrestling matches, both in June 1938. Neither did anything to enhance the reputation of professional wrestling. In Middlesbrough he lost to Dick the Dormouse in a ton of clay, fifteen gallons of oil and two bags of soot.
The contest at Nottingham against Eric Fisher was described as “A Farce from Start To Finish,” though was announced to those present as a “humorous interlude.”
We have found other contests of Garcia against Bill Garnon and appearances of Don and Charles Garcia in 1938, who may or may not have been the same man.
Al Gardner
London based heavyweight born in the Turks and Caicos Islands made his debut in April, 1975 at Hanley, losing to Pat Curry. A succession of appearances followed, throughout the south, usually losing to distinguished and less distinguished opponents ranging from Tug Holton to John Kowalski to Wayne Bridges. He disappeared from the business as quickly as he had appeared later in 1975.
Gargantua (Also known as Man Mountain Moran, Hombre Montana, Black Mask)
Not the first Gargantua in British rings (for him you will need to look at the entry of Kurt Zehe). The second Gargantua was the less exotic sounding Jim Moran, from Leeds, who also towered over most opponents, but at a more realistic 6’7”. and weighing twenty-one stones.
Moran created quite a buzz around the wrestling world when he first appeared in the ring, it having been a very long time since anyone quite so tall had been seen.
He was one of the many who the knowledgeable Kent Walton told millions of viewer he knew nothing because the man refused to talk to him whilst all readers of The Wrestler knew he was Jim Moran of Leeds.
Whilst Moran had some skill his robotic style did little to create a free-flowing contest. The crowds liked him, though, or at least liked to boo him, and at the end of the sixties and early seventies he was a regular feature on British bills. On occasions used the name Hombre Montana and for a brief period in 1971 was another Black Mask, though it’s hard to understand how his identity could have been much of a secret.
Related article: Come-Uppance in Armchair Corner on http://www.wrestlingheritage.com
Also see the entry for Kurt Zehe
Al Garmain
Parisien heavyweight visited Britain in 1961 and 1962 for Dale Martin Promotions, wrestling the top mid heavies and heavyweights of the time. Lost to Johnny Czeslaw at the Royal Albert Hall.
Juan Garmo
We have just two recorded matches for Liverpool’s Juan Garmo (known as Mr Coney Island), real name John McIntosh, one in 1947 and one in 1948. Information is being sought by his granddaughter, Kim, and Heritage reader Terry Nelson.
Jimmy Garner
The heavyweight from West Ham turned professional in 1957 and wrestled for Dale Martin Promotions throughout the south for six years before disappearing from the wrestling scene.
Andre Gasnier
French middleweight who was well known on the Continent, especially in France and Spain, wrestled in Britain during the winter of 1951-2.
Galliano Gasparrini
Touted as middleweight champion when he visited Britain in 1955. Wrestled Jack Beaumont at Belle Vue, Manchester, on21st May 1955 in a World Middleweight Championship contest, which we believe he lost as Beaumont was subsequently billed as champion. We have found only a dozen UK British matches, monthly up to December, 1955, and oddly all of them at Belle Vue. Opponents included John Foley, Milio Popocopolis, Chic Linton and Jack Dillon.
Robert Gastel
Parisien Robert Gastel was known as “The Bull of Batignolles,” with reference to the district of Paris from which he hailed. Neither the name or his brawling style did him any good at all when he was brought to the United Kingdom in May 1967 to face British champion Billy Robinson in the Cup Final Day television spectacular. Robinson won the match by two falls to nil. Our only other recorded contest of his short visit is a loss to Barry Douglas. Gastel wrestled extensively throughout Europe in the 1960s, and in 1969 worked in Japan for the IWE. Whilst there he and Andre Bollet were recognised as European Tag Team Champions, losing the title to Rusher Kimura and Great Kusatsu in Tokyo on 28th February, 1969. Amongst other tag partners in Japan were Mike Marino and Dazzler Joe Cornelius.
Alex Gaul (Also known as Jack DeGaul)
Scottish heavyweight protege of Ian Campbell wrestled in British rings during 1965 and 1966, making one televised appearance in March, 1966, against John Cox. Was known as Alex Gaul in northern rings and Jack DeGaul in the south.
Dave George (Also known as Dave Adonis, General Belgrano, Red Scorpion)
For a decade and a half Dave George developed a real talent of working up the crowd, usually on the independent circuit and under a variety of guises. Apart from the name Dave George he was also introduced by the MC as Dave Adonis, General Belgrano, The Red Scorpion and one of the Assassin Brothers (with Scott Conway). Dave was featured on the DVD Battle Of The Brits – Old Time Pro Wrestling Vol. 2 .He also fathered wrestler Ricky Cortez before passing away at far too early an age, just forty-three.
Ivanov Georgieff (Also known as Assen Georgieff)
A giant of a man who claimed to stand seven feet tall and weigh twenty-five stones. Georgieff worked in Britain during 1954, known as Ivanov on Dale Martin promotions and Assen when working for the northern promoters. The Bulgarian had been around European rings for about twenty years, and we have one unconfirmed report of one appearance in Britain for Atholl Oakeley at Harringay in 1951. Opponents in his 1954 tour included Dave Armstrong, The Ghoul, Dai Sullivan and Francis St Clair Gregory. It was reported that more than 500 fans were turned away from a packed Caird Hall, Dundee in March, 1954. when Georgieff wrestled The Ghoul. For once the Ghoul met his match in the villainy stakes, with Georgieff disqualified in the second round for attempting to strangle the Ghoul.
Claude Gessat
The black jackets worn by the fiery Claude Gessat and tag partner, Marcel Mannevau (the one with the moustache), as they swaggered towards the ring gave a far from subtle hint about their wrestling style. The two Frenchmen were disliked by the British fans from their first venture across the English channel at the invitation of independent promoter Paul Lincoln.
Lincoln challenged the stronghold of the mighty Joint Promotions in the first half of the 1960s by carefully crafting wrestling bills from a fairly small stable of veteran wrestlers, novices and imported stars. Gessat and Mannevau were part of that appealing cocktail as they faced the good guys Kirkwood, Marino, Larsen and so on.
Like many others Joint Promotions belatedly realised the qualities of the French pair and brought them over to their rings. British fans, or the promoters, couldn’t be bothered with the linguistic niceties of translating their “Les Blousons Noirs” name and the two villains became collectively known as The French Teddy Boys.
Gaston Ghevaert
French heavyweight champion brought to Britain by promoter Atholl Oakeley and spent most of 1935 working in Britain, opponents including top Britons Bulldog Bill Garnon, Ray St Bernard and George Gregory as well as international opposition Rik De Groote and Guillame Estelles. Following the Second World War Oakeley brought the French wrestler back to wrestle in the World Heavyweight Championship tournament held at Harringay in 1947. Gheveart beat Jim Foy in the opening round, Francis St Clair Gregory in the quarter final, and lost to Bert Assirati in the semi final; each of them one fall contests.
Page reviewed 18/05/2023
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