These are our shorter Biographical portraits which we would like to extend if you can provide information or memories.
Gene Reska
Said to be a blond haired South African the name Gene Reska can be found on wrestling programmes from 1946 to 1948 and again in 1952, 1954 and 1960. Always in the north against northern wrestlers.
Dirty Dave Reynolds
We had the pleasure of seeing Burnley’s Dirty Dave Reynolds in action just the once, a tag match partnering the equally unruly Syd Vickers. Now we would not dare suggest that Dave and Syd were entirely responsible for the near riot that resulted in police being called to quell the crowd disturbance that ensued, but their tactics did little to calm the emotions of the fans present. A bruising battler Eddie Rose said of his good friend, “I found that this was the norm for Dirty Dave and he often switched from his normal affable self to violent brawler. In the ring, Dave was as unpredictable as any wrestler I ever met. He could be your sporting best mate one round and whacking your tender bits the next; all without warning.”
Tomas Riandi
The man with the sombrero and the poncho, colourful Mexican Tomas Riandi visited Britain in 1961. Trained in the United States he went on to become a world top ten as ranked light heavyweight by the NWA. Riandi weighed in around 14 stones and gave weight away when facing top class heavyweights such as Gordienko and Szakacs. Lost to Gerry DeJager at the Royal Albert Hall.
Roberto Ricetti
Visiting Italian middleweight during the late 1950s and early 1960s, working for both independent and Joint Promotions around the country, opponents ranging from a young Roy St Clair to the very experienced George Kidd and Mick McManus.
Bob Richardson
One time tag partner of John Scott, another Scot, in the Braw Lads tag team. They lost by straight falls to the Royal brothers in their only televised appearance, which was from Preston’s Guild Hall and broadcast in January 1976.
Jacky Rickard
Jacky Rickard was part of the European contingent who came over to Britain following the country’s entry into the European Union, or Common Market as we called it in those days.
Rickard came over to Britain with a reputation as a tough guy, being the tage partner of Scarface Laval. Dale Martin programmes claimed that whenever he appeared on French tv the broadcasters were indundated with letters demanding that he was never allowed on television again!
We know little about the Parisien but gained a clear impression of his ability, and reveal all in our Armchair Corner feature, Wrestling Leads the Way.
Chris Riley
Chris Riley was born in Maidstone in 1953, eleven years younger than his older brother Basil Romany. He wrestled in the late 1970s, often in tag matches with his brother known as the Romany Barons. Chris Riley died on 15th July, 2024.
Frank Riley
The name is Riley and the home town is, of course, Wigan. Frank Riley was a trainee of Billy Riley’s gymnasium. Respected amongst colleagues he had a short lived career as a welterweight during the first half of the 1960s.
Len Ring
Londoner Len Ring was born in Stepney on 11th May, 1919, the son of Polish born parents Alfred and Rosed. He was active from 1937 until 1947 with a break during the war years to serve in the army. Opponents included the likes of Fred Unwin, George Kidd, Jack Beaumont and, in January 1947 losing to British middleweight champion Jack Dale in a title contest. Having married Polly in 1943 the two of them emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand in 1947.
He trained at the New Zealand School of Physiotherapy, graduating in 1954 to run a physiotherapy practice in Mount Eden, Auckland. He went on to become a Lecturer in Ergonomics at the School of Architecture, University of Auckland and Lecturer in Industrial Handling for the National Safety Council of New Zealand.
The Ringer
Yet another 1970s second division masked man, from an age when masked men were created as overnight flash in the pans to go down and enhance the glory of the stars of the day. We are not talking Bartelli or Nagasaki here. We have been told various well respected wrestlers performed the role. One name we have heard is Ted Heath whilst we have records of Phil Pearson and Jack Rowlands being unmasked.
Ali Riza Bey
A wrestler of truly international standing the rugged and powerful Ali Riza Bey was a heavyweight star whether appearing in Europe, the Far East or Australia. Billed as Turkish he was actually Ivan Hayes-Scott. Born in 1915 he was a veteran when he first wrestled in Britain if our records are complete, as we come across him in 1954, wrestling the likes of Black Butcher Johnson, Bert Assirati, Dave Armstrong and Count Bartelli. He fell to Ray Apollon in the Royal Albert Hall international tournament of 1956, eventually won by Dennis Mitchell. For the following ten years he was to remain a near permanent feature in British rings, wrestling all the top heavyweights of the day. Adorned with tattoos it was claimed he had a new one in each country he visited, and had more than twenty-five, including a kangaroo souvenir from Australia covering his chest.
Unconfirmed newspaper reports inform us that Ali Riza Bey was born in Turkey, but spent most of his childhood living in India and Britain. Having served in the British artillery during the war he wrestled in Singapore post war, numbering the mighty King Kong amongst his opponents, before moving on to Australia in 1950.
Ali Riza Bey died in 2002
Vasco Roberri
Here was a big man. The Portuguese heavyweight stood 6’4” tall and weighed twenty stones and reported to have a 20 inch neck , described by the press as “The Carnera of wrestling.” With the rapid development of British professional wrestling in the early 1930s he was one of our earliest overseas visitors, gaining quick wins over Jack Pye and King Curtis. He was back again in 1932, this time less fortunate as he went down to British heavyweight champion Athol Oakeley in Nottingham. Science beat bulk with Oakeley taking the only fall required in the fourth round after 30 minutes 10 seconds, pinning his shoulders to the mat with a double arm scissors and body press.
Duncan Robert
Colin Robinson used the name Duncan Roberts and was a 1950s and 1960s worker for the independent promoters, billed as the British Featherweight Champion, the only time we have seen mention of this weight class in the professional sport. We have found him working between 1959 and 1969 with opponents that included Jimmy Devlin, Al Benniston, Zoltan Boscik,Cliffe Milla and Roy LaRue.
Blackburn Roberts
Barnsley’s Tommy Blackburn adopted the ring name Blackburn Roberts after learning the pro wrestling trade at the famous Junction Gymnasium run by Charlie Glover behind the Junction public house in Barnsley. Like so many of his peers, Pedro the Gypsy, Karl Von Kramer and Dwight J Ingleburgh Blackburn started out as a boxer (the Junction was primarily a boxing gym) and later turned his attention to professional wrestling. Having turned professional in the late 1950s. Blackburn Roberts worked initially for the independent promoters before being signed up by Joint Promotions in April, 1964, and meeting high calibre opponents such as Billy Joyce, Arthur Ricardo, Billy Howes and Gordon Nelson.
Lee Roberts
Lee Roberts had a short lived wrestling career in the mid 1980s, but it was a career appreciated by Heritage member “Seconds Out.” Lee was trained at the Norman Baish wrestling gym in Burton Latimer and worked for independents including All Star Promotions. Lee saw tag action with Robbie Brookside, Doc Dean, Spinner McKenzie, and John Kenny.
Gill Roberts
Gill Roberts had a brief career in professional wrestling in the early 1930s. Brief maybe, but we have found recorded matches against the international French star Rene Dupont and a win over Black Butcher Johnson. He was the older brother of wrestler Stan Roberts, who had a long career. Gwilym Evan Roberts was born in Bala in December, 1903 and died in December 1953. He was also the father of the now deceased Heritage member, David Roberts, who posted on the Forum using the name Palmer.
Joe Robinson (Newcastle)
We have earlier Joe Robinson’s listed but another Joe hit the rings in the 1970s. The long hair and beard made the choice of a name for Joe’s tag pairing with the even longer haired Pip Alvison an easy choice, they were The Hippies. Newcastle’s Joe Robinson trained at the gymnasium belonging to the Hardwick Hall Gymnasium in Sedgefield alongside Farmer’s Boy Pete Ross and Pip Alvison. Joe, from Newburn, midway between Newcastle and Gateshead, had his early experience in the fairground booth of Ron Taylor, turning professional in the late 1960s. A mid heavyweight standing six feet tall Joe’s wrestling career lasted about ten years. When he wasn’t wrestling Joe could be found in his day job, he was a school teacher.
1908
Wrestling Heritage 