These are our shorter Biographical portraits which we would like to extend if you can provide information or memories.
Tarzan Taborda
The most famous Portuguese wrestler of all time, Tarzan Taborda wrestled in Britain for around three months from September 1958. His curriculum vitae combines the peculiar combination of body builder (runner up in Mr Europe), heavyweight wrestler, stuntman and ballet dancer in Paris! He was 23 years old when he came to Britain to face the likes of Jack Pye, Ramon Napolitano, Al Hayes, and Alan Garfield. His wrestling career extended until 1981, following which he became a wrestling commentator on Portuguese television. Albano Taborda Curto Esteves died on 9th September, 2005, aged 70.
Keith Talbot
A trainee of the St Lukes Club in Middlesbrough, Ian Gilmour was another, Keith went on to further his education at Alex McDonald’s Gym in Middlesbrough and finished off at Jim Stockdale’s Gym in Stockton on Tees. When he turned professional in the early 1960s he used his real name, Keith Smith. Some time later Keith became landlord of The Talbot Public House in Stockton High Street and he changed his ring name to Keith Talbot. He and his wife, Georgina were to keep charge of The Talbot for more than twenty five years. Their hosting of the pub is remembered by locals to this day, not least the Midsummer Christmasses and the time Keith walked into the bar with two lions. Shortly after assuming the name of the pub in the ring the brewery changed the name of The Talbot, to “No. 9.” Yes we know you’re wondering. No, of course he didn’t change his ring name to Keith No.9! Keith worked for the independent promoters in the North East of England.
Talio Kid (Also known as Derik Standing)
Talio Kid, known to family as Derik Standing, hailed from Halton, near Lancaster. Derik was trained by the Cumberland and Westmorland champion and heavyweight pro, Gerry Hoggarth. Derik the Talio Kid worked for the independent promoters, and when not wrestling he worked in a textile mill. His textile work tragically led to his premature death from an industrial disease in his early fifties.
Gora Tanaka
Japanese visitor to northern England during the winter of 1973-74. He worked in the country for four months with mixed results with opponents that included Barry Douglas, Johnny Yearsley, Tibor Szakacs and Steve Veidor. Flirted with various tag partners including Colin Joynson, Bobo Matu, Barry Douglas and Hiroshi Yagi. Made two television appearances, against Lee Sharron and disqualified against Mike Marino.
Sheik Tannous
A visitor to Britain in 1961 and again in 1964, all in the north with opponents Andy Robin, Albert Wall, Barry Douglas, Pietro Capello, Billy Joyce, Gordon Nelson, Masambula, Reg Williams and Gerry DeJager. The quality of opponent suggests a respected and high calibre wrestler. Defeated Ian Campbell on tv in 1961 when the wild Scot was disqualified in a match in Morecambe. Sheik Tannous was an experienced wrestler who was well known in Germany and Spain. Wrestled as Youssef Tannous in Germany and Jouseff Tannous in Lebanon, where he was last reported wrestling in 1998, when he had already turned 60. He died in July, 2015.
Jose Tarres
Jose Roses Ibañez wrestled as Jose Tarres and was one of the best post war Spanish wrestlers. A 1960s visitor from Barcelona known, for obvious reasons, as “The Man with the Iron Head.” We understand this was because of his fondness of headbutting rather than the rumour his head was implanted with pieces of metal following an accident. jose is reputed to have head butted and knocked a bull unconscious on one occasion. Presumably the likes of Ken Joyce, Johnny Yearsley and Joe Cornelius did better. One time European heavyweight champion.
Tiger Tasker (Also known as Alaskan Tiger)
Canadian Ken Tasker came to Britain with his friends Whipper Billy Watson, Al Korman and Tommy Nelson in 1936, and stayed in Europe for three and a half years until he returned home in June, 1939. Like many of the overseas visitors 23 year old Ken Tasker was a novice when he came to Britain to gain experience in the rapidly expanding British wrestling scene. He had been a professional for only a year or so, and what he learned facing the likes of Jack Pye, Charlie Green and Stan Roberts gave him a good foundation to continue wrestling back home in North America until 1964, at which time he joined the ranks of the referees. He was the referee of the 1963 encounter of Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers. Billed as Alaskan Tiger on occasions Ken Tasker was from Toronto, Ontario. Tiger Tasker died on September 30th, 1991.
King Kong Taverne (Also known as Paul Taverne)
Big, bad and bald King Kong Taverne (Omer to family and friends) nipped over from Germany twice to upset the wrestling fans of Britain. He was here for short tours in 1951, 1955 and 1958. Opponents included Count Bartelli, Vic Hessle, Jack Pye and Indian Dara Singh.
Alec Taylor
Brighton’s Alec Taylor was trained by Bert Assirati, alongside his younger brother Tony and Ray Luxford. He worked for the independent promoters in the 1970s. Tragedy struck in December, 1978. Whilst wrestling in Bombay, India, as “The Mongol Warlord” Alec complained of chest pains and died following a match. Alec Taylor died on 2nd December, 1978.
Bob Taylor
Bob Taylor was a well known and popular wrestler of the 1960s and into the 1970s, twenty odd years in the business. Bob turned professional with a draw against Tommy Milo after ten years experience in the amateur ranks. In the late 1950s and early 1960s Bob made regular appearances for Paul Lincoln, Tony DeMarto and other independent promoters, and was working for Dale Martin Promotions by 1962 with televised matches against Bill Howes and Spencer Churchill. The match against Howes was a particularly fiery affair with the advantage to-ing and fro-ing until Howes knocked Bob out with a piledriver. The following year he made his third, and possibly last televised match, against Ray Fury.
More television exposure would possibly have come his way had he not been such an extensive traveller. He made his first overseas visit in 1959, wrestling in Germany and Austria. He had hardly caught his breath at home before he was off again, this time to India. It was a pattern repeated in the years that followed, with France being another regular jaunt.
When in Britain Bob wrestled the biggest names in the business, Billy Joyce, Danny Lynch, Axel Dieter and Gerhardt DeJaeger amongst them.
He continued working until around 1980, by now for the independent promoters and on occasions donned a mask as Torbellino Blanco, he White Whirlwind or another White Angel.
Horace Taylor
Horace Taylor of Leeds was a celebrated northern area amateur champion and England representative from the Bradford Premier Club during the early years of the 1930s. In July 1934 he took part in the finals of the trials of the Empire Games. Having missed out on the Games, and after representing England in their match with Belgium in November, Horace took the professional road, having his first match on December 3rd, 1934. We have found many professional matches for Horace between 1934 and 1938, all of them in Lancashire and Yorkshire. In each of them he was in supporting matches but he had an impressive record with wins over Val Cerino, Cab Cashford, Fred Unwin and The Farmers Boy, amongst many others.
Rocky Taylor
Yes there was a Rocky before the great Dave Taylor. This Rocky Taylor was a Manchester based wrestler working for the independent promoters in the north during the late 1950s.
Lee Thomas
Tall, slim and wearing his habitual white trunks Dundee’s Lee Thomas quickly became one of the most popular Northern middleweights of the late sixties and early seventies. Turning professional in 1967 he quickly established himself throughout the north. Lee was a fast and skilful wrestler who combined agility, acrobatic flair and wrestling skill. His flying body scissors and drop kicks were a delight to the fans. He proved a real contrast to those other Scottish middleweights, the rough hard man, Chic Purvey, and the dour Ted Hannon. Seemed at ease with his frequent tag partner George Kidd, who was also from Dundee.
Norman Thomas
“The Cockney Kid” weighed around 13-14 stones and was a prolific worker in the 1940s and 1950s. So much so that we feel guilty for not knowing more. We come across him in 1946 when it is said he has just finished serving in the RAF. Throughout the 1940s we find Norman billed as Welsh, which he may well have been. By 1950 we find references to Norman Thomas “The Cockney Kid.” In a moment of wrestling inspiration a young Tony Scarlo wrestled Norman Thomas for use of the title “Cockney Kid.”
Tiny Tom Thumb
Chelmsford lightweight Tom Thumb was given the name when wrestling for Jackie Pallo Promotions (though it was Jon Cortez’s idea). It didn’t take a second look to know why because he stood barely five feet tall and was said to be Britain’s smallest wrestler. For the Essex teenager it all began when Neil Sands invited him to his new gym in Chelmsford and that was the start of the classic wrestling fan’s dream of becoming a wrestler coming true. In the ring the fans loved him as he literally ran rings around villains such as Sid Cooper, Bobby Barnes and, maybe most memorable of all, Jim Breaks. More comedy than classic wrestling there was certainly a place for Tom Thumb in British wrestling of the seventies and eighties, and no one was more likely to send the fams home with smiles on their faces. Memorable tag partner of Catweazle and Big Daddy; both pairings cold have been dubbed The Odd Couple! Since retiring from the ring Tom Thumb has remained very much part of the wrestling business, as promoter, referee and master of ceremonies.
Chief Thunderbird (UK) (Also known as Chief Sitting Bull, Ben Watijeski)
The name Chief Thunderbird re-emerged in the 1960s on the shows of the independent promoters. This time his origins were not wild west, but east European. The man beneath the headdress was Polish born Ben Watijeski who was now living in Levenshulme. Wrestled for the independents throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s. He was the Indian who was double crossed by Bill Blake in “Send in the Clown” and finished up getting a tomahawk chop down his own throat.
Thundercloud
A breath of fresh air and a much needed dash of colour came to British wrestling in 1973 when genuine overseas visitors were far less in number than during the previous decade. Chief Thundercloud was another he addressed native American, oft seen partnering Whitecloud, another Hispanic. Thundercloud was an American wrestler named Jesus Lopez who until adopting the native American persona for his British tour had wrestled during the 1960s as Pat Valentino. Although he did wrestle in singles matches Thundercloud is best remembered for tag matches in which he and Whitecloud faced the Dennisons, the Hells Angels and the Saints. The Hells Angels were in the opposite corner, and victors, when they met at the Royal Albert Hall in May 1973. During the same month Thundercloud and Whitecloud made their only television appearance, losing to Roy and Tony St Clair. There were Thundercloud and Whitecloud imitators working for the independent promoters.
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Wrestling Heritage 