These are our shorter biographical portraits which we would like to extend if you can provide information or memories.
Baron Ladislaus Von Heczy
Like so many overseas visitors to Britain Baron Ladislaus Von Heczy arrived on our shores with great promise, a powerful heavyweight who had claimed many overseas titles including Heavyweight Champion of Australia, a title he held after beating George Pencheff in 1957 until losing it to Kangaroo Kennedy in 1962. Oh, and the promoters also threw in a bit of descent from Austro-Hungarian nobility. The reality was an eighteen stone six foot plus villain who displayed little skill en route to the seemingly inevitable disqualification against the domestic opposition Ray Apollon, Georges Gordienko, Johnny Allan, Joe Cornelius and Dave Armstrong amongst them. There were the occasional exceptions and we have records of wins over Gwyn Davies and Mike Marino. Von Heczy was an Australian citizen who was born in Hungary, and visited Britain between June and September 1961.
Franz Von Heymbeeck
By all accounts a rough rulebending German who visited Britain in 1953. Results suggest that what we have been told is a fair description, losing by disqualification to Dave Armstrong, Sandy Orford and no doubt a few others. We have more recorded matches, mostly in northern England, and mostly losses to quality opposotion that included Jack Pye, Mike Marino, George Clatk and Norman Walsh. A newspaper report said that customers were amused by his costume – a black, skin tight 1900 style bathing costume kept in place by dainty shoulder straps.
Roy Heffernan
One half of the world famous Fabulous Kangaroos tag team, Roy Heffernan, visited Britain in 1953 and again in 1955. The 1953 tour was mainly in Northern England but in 1955 he travelled more extensively. Opponents included Jack Pye, Dave Armstrong and a Royal Albert Hall bout with the German Hermann Iffland.
In 1957 Heffernan went to Canada to work for Stu Hart’s Stampede Promotion. It was here he was re-acquainted with Al Costello and the two of them formed the Fabulous Kangaroos tag team. From 1957 until 1965, Heffernan and Costello played a leading role in popularising tag team wrestling. When the tag partnership ended Heffernan returned to Australia in 1965 where he continued wrestling for WCW as a villain, appearing in main events on par with the visiting American stars, with wins over Curtis Iaukea and Karl Gotch. Later demoted, quite wrongly in some eyes, to a preliminary worker Roy was required to do his duty when facing American visitors. He retired in 1972, becoming a referee for the WCW and on the club circuit. A brief comeback in 1973 and began promoting independently in 1975.
Roy Heffernan died of a heart attack in Sydney on 24th September, 2002, aged 67.
Danny Hegan (Also known as Diarmuid Hegarty)
The highly respected Irish amateur wrestler Diarmuid Hegarty became the popular middleweight of the second half of the 1960s, Danny Hegan. A one time boxer, and a weight lifter, it was eventually grappling that became Danny’s favourite sport and he took up amateur wrestling shortly after moving to England in the late 1950s. His training ground, like many other prospective professionals, was the Foresters Amateur Wrestling Club in London.
Danny turned professional in the early 1960s, before moving across to Joint Promotions early in 1968 and making his television debut in October of that year. He was a popular figure on the 1960s and 1970s wrestling scene. Danny was a fast accomplished technical wrestler who is probably remembered mostly by fans as one half of the Silent Ones tag team, partnering both Harry Kendall and Mike Eagers.
Danny Hegan died on 15th September, 2008.
Arnold Van Heiden
The Anglo Dutch welterweight worked for the independent promoters from the late 1950s, moving across to Dale Martin in 1963. Our last record of him is in 1964. Tony Scarlo is seeking news of his old friend who he remembers lived in the East End of London where he owned a shoe shop called Footwear Maintenance, later re-locating to Dagenham.
Kurt Heinz
The Gravesend villain of the 1970s looked very much like Karl Heinz. Or at least he did after he shaved his head. The two claimed to be brothers but were not related. Working for the independent promoters Kurt was looking to be taken on by Joint Promotions. His wish was granted on condition that he shaved his head and became the wrestling brother of Karl Heinz. He made his tv debut in May, 1980, losing to Keith Haward. Half a dozen television matches followed, but we can’t find a win for Kurt amongst them. Kurt was one of those fall-guys who played such a valuable part in British wrestling.
Johnny Hemms
Johnny Hemms was a jeweller from Dudley in the West Midlands. He is remembered by Wrestling Heritage member Mike Richards who watched him in a match in Bromsgrove at the St. John’s Church Fayre, June 1967 in the grounds of the vicarage. A wrestling ring was set up on the large lawn and there were two bouts, Johnny Hemms vs. Dave Scawthorne and Johnny Peters vs, Gorilla Reg Ray. What made it extra unusual, and also turned it into a comedy show, the St. John’s vicar was referee for the first bout! We ponder the possibility that he could have been the Bobby Hemms that faced Dynamite Kid in the Kid’s professional debut.
John Herbert
We find John Herbert bookending the 1950s. From Somercotes in Derbyshire he was renowned for a rather snazzy line in leopardskin trunks.Trained by Jack Taylor opponents included Jack himself (of course), Al Tarzo and Chick Elliott.
Kenny Herberts (Also known as Les Herberts, Mike Powers)
Kenny (alternatively Les) Herberts was a heavyweight from Warrington who turned professional in the mid 1960s and was a popular figure in northern rings during the sixties and seventies. He was trained by Ted Betley at his gym in Warrington, alongside other Betley proteges that went on to gain success, Steve Wright, Mike Dallas and the Karalius brothers.
Kenny made his television debut in 1966 against Peter Stewart but for his second bout had the misfortune of facing the giant Japanese fighter Shozo Koboyashi, and getting knocked out in the first round! A strong, skilled wrestler Les remained part of the supporting class and failed to make it to top of the bill status. He tried to add colour and gain further acclaim with the name Mike Powers. We don’t think it worked. Our assessment an accomplished wrestler who the promoters did no favours.
Gypsy Fernando Herdia
Spanish heavyweight worked in northern England during the winter of 1956-7, with opponents including Francis St Clair Gregory, Jim Hussey and Tony Mancelli.
Robert Herland
French heavyweight Robert Herland is best remembered for his clash with Bert Assirati in 1951 at the Brighton Sports Stadium when he failed to grasp Assirati’s European Heavyweight Championship. An 18 stone powerhouse standing over six feet tall he had a number of memorable clashes with Assirati during his 1951 tour, usually going down to the Islington Hercules; also squaring up to Alan Garfield, Charlie Scott and Rex Gable.
Herland was an accomplished amateur wrestler, having represented his country in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, finishing 5th (of 11) in the Freestyle heavyweight competition. Robert turned professional in 1946 having served in the Second World War.
Pete Herman
Welterweight Pete Herman was another of the Barnsley lads, and so unsurprisingly he met Red Devil Charlie Glover as soon as he became interested in boxing. Charlie, father of Leon Arras and a good wrestler himself, ran a boxing and wrestling gymnasium, The Junction. At the time Pete got involved the gym was in Quarry Street and had not yet moved to The Junction Gym behind the public house of that name. Boxing was Pete’s first love, but at Charlie’s gym the lads would mix together and it wasn’t unusual for each to have a go at the other sport. When Pete had a go at the wrestling he found he liked it. He liked it a lot and gradually he found himself learning more alongside Dwight J Inglesburgh, Karl Von Kramer and the rest of the Barnsley lads. They all moved to The Junction Gym in 1956 and a year or so later Pete turned professional. Pete and his friend Sam Betts (Dwight J Ingleburgh) joined the Merchant Navy, based in Goole shovelling coal into the boilers. It was gruelling work but kept Pete in good condition to pursue his wrestling interests. Pete engaged in great matches with Stoker Brooks, Pedro the Gypsy and Butcher Goodman in those early days, working for the independent promoters. In 1965 Pete joined Joint Promotions, though he was quick to tell us that he much preferred his time on the opposition circuit. One of his first opponents in Joint Promotion rings was Peter Preston, and it was a bit of a shock for Pete as he went down by two straight falls. There were to be many other matches with Peter Preston, fortunately with more favourable results, and Pete looks back on them as some of his favourites. Others he enjoyed working with were Vic Faulkner, Linde Caulder and Pedro the Gypsy. Maybe not one of the first names that comes to mind when we remember the old days, but Pete is a typical example of one of those unsung heroes who made the wrestling business great.
Dave Hines
Dave “The Ratcatcher” Hines made his professional debut in 1968. The twenty-one year old had been learning the professional ropes for a couple of years at Bruno Elrington’s Portsmouth gymnasium, alongside Bruno, John Kowalski and Tarantula Alan Turner, under the special guidance of Crusher Mason. Outside the ring Dave worked for his local council in the pest control department, hence his nickname “The Ratcatcher.” A good villain who knew how to upset the fans, as much by his verbal abuse as his rule bending antics Dave Hines remained part of the British wrestling scene for over thirty years, a good run by anyone’s standards. He had his final bout, against Adrian Finch in 2000.
Dave Hines died in May 2012.
Gray Hobman
We remember Gray Hobman as a muscular, bearded light heavyweight who looked the part but ran up an impressive sequence of losses against run of the mill domestic opposition. He came from New Zealand, more precisely from Rotorua, the town of boiling hot mud pools and spurting geezers. He was said to be the heavyweight champion of New Zealand, having taken the title from Luke Graham in 1968. Gray toured Britain, or rather Dale Martin land, for three months during the summer of 1970.
Jess Hodgson
Bradford heavyweight Jesse Hodgson was quite a force on the heavyweight scene in the first half of the 1960s. With a bushy ginger beard many fans likened him to the Manchester veteran Man Mountain Benny. Training at the Windmill Club and later the Hill Top clubs in Bradford Jess was an amateur for ten years before turning professional in his early twenties. Dave Sutherland remembers, “He used to arrive in his van which had his name emblazoned on the side and his occupation of plumber.” A light heavyweight in his early days Jess soon filled out into a full blown heavyweight. Much of his early career was dogged by cartilage injury and this may have led to his short career.
Horst Hoffman
The classy German made it across the Channel to Britain in 1958, returning for a longer visit in 1959 and facing Texas Jack Bence at the Royal Albert Hall. A man of immense technical ability he more than held his own with Britain’s best, and faced most of them during his numerous visits. The promoters didn’t allow him to remain completely invincible, Joe Zaranoff, Ian Campbell and Georges Gordienko being amongst his vanquishers. He was back at the Royal Albert Hall in 1963 for the annual International Heavyweight tournament, going out in his semi-final match against Josef Zaranoff. Last seen in Britain in 1965 Horst Hoffman went to Japan in 1972 and on to the USA in 1974, where during the following three years he wrestled the top men Verne Gagne, Dory Funk Jr and Billy Robinson. This wasn’t quite the last we saw of Horst Hoffman. In the early hours of Saturday morning 26th June, 1976, a transatlantic transmission of his match against Bruno Sammartino was broadcast live from New York to cinemas across Britain. In the 1970s the man known as great shooter was invited numerous times to Japan to exchange holds with legends like “Destroyer” Dick Beyer. Hoffmann retired in 1988.
Gerry Hogan
Clean cut Blackpool based light heavyweight Gerry Hogan was a familiar figure throughout the Midlands and the north for ten years or so. Following a stint in the merchant navy and training as an amateur boxer Gerry learned the wrestling trade in Wigan before making his debut against Alec Bray in 1958. In the decade that followed he swapped holds with the biggest names from middleweight to heavy but was destined to remain a preliminary bout performer.
Kenny Hogan
A blond haired, lanky middleweight who flew around northern rings in the 1970s and 1980s. A good technical wrestler from Ashton in Makerfield who sadly didn’t go on to great things, though made a few impressive television appearances. One was a sizzling bout with Bert Royal, sadly followed by a six man tag match in which he partnered Tally Ho Kaye and Black Jack Mulligan that unsurprisingly failed to display his talent!
Jim Holden
Jim Holden was another of those hard as nails Wigan northerners, respected by fellow professionals, but never producing the spark to make him into a big name. He was, nonetheless, a more than competent career light heavyweight wrestler who was a mainstay of northern and midland shows from 1946 until the mid 1960s. We come across Jim for the first time in January,1946, wrestling Cliff Beaumont in Birmingham, and last saw him in a show at Chorley Town Hall around 1966. He worked full time for Joint Promotions until 1959, up and down the country for Morrell & Beresford, Wryton and Relwyskow Green Promotions. In the twilight years of his career Jim moved across to the opposition promoters where he continued working until the mid 1960s.
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Wrestling Heritage 