These are our shorter Biographical portraits which we would like to extend if you can provide information or memories.
Maruti Vadar
In the early 1970s Count Bartelli claimed Maruti Vadar had proved his toughest opponent in recent years. The very powerful Indian held Bartelli to a 15 round draw at the Digbeth Civic Hall on 6th May, 1969, with Bartelli’s Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship at stake. Maruti Vadar came to Britain from his home town of Kolhapur in the state of Mahrashtra in 1969.
Dave Valentine
Rugby league player for Huddersfield (and 15 caps for Great Britain and captain in the 1954 World Cup Finals in which Britain beat France 16-12 in Paris) Fartown’s Dave Valentine also gained his kicks in the professional wrestling rings of the north during the 1950s.
Dave made his debut for Huddersfield Rugby Club on 1st November, 1947, and was to go on and make over 300 appearances for his club as well as playing for Great Britain every year from 1947 until 1954. In the early 1950s Dave took up professional wrestling, weighing around 13 ½ stones, working around the country and making a six week tour of Austria in 1953. Shortly afterwards he retired from wrestling at the request of his Rugby club. On the occasion of Dave’s Testimonial match in 1956 Norman Morrell and Ted Beresford wrote: “In this sphere he found himself outweighed, inexperienced and pretty well up against it. However the streak of dogged persistence that runs through him kept him at it until after months of training he was clashing with the best. But for the Australian tour …. he might have been in the top ten British wrestlers, but Rugby naturally had first call.”
Greg Valentine (Also known as Greg Gable)
Way back in the 1960s we wrestling fans bought three month old American wrestling magazines where we read of the likes of Freddie Blassie, Bruno Sammartino and Greg Valentine.
Promoter Max Crabtree made use of the latter’s name when his son Steve, having already been billed as Greg Gable, turned into Greg Valentine.
Greg worked around the country in the 1980s and 1990s, often seem as tag partner of his famous uncle, Shirley “Big Daddy” Crabtree, and more fittingly with Danny Collins as “The Young Ones.”.
Tall, slim, blond haired, and agile Greg was popular with female fans. Highlights included winning television’s Golden Grappler Trophy and appearing at the Royal Albert Hall. Greg did have the physique, looks and ability to have established himself without the family credentials.
But any of us expecting to see Greg the Hammer would have been bitterly disappointed.
Johnny “Legs” Valentine
Johnny “Legs” Valentine was, like so many others, nurtured by Jack Taylor at his Leicestershire gymnasium to take his place in the independent promoters’ rings of the 1960s. Jack gave the twenty-three year old his chance to enter the professional ranks and in 1961 he was touring the country tackling the likes of Butcher Goodman, Mick Collins and Leno Larazzi. John lived in the village of Newbold Vernon, Leicestershire, and continued wrestling until into the 1970s. A teenage interest in politics continued throughout his life, serving as a local councillor and standing as a candidate in Parliamentary elections. An organiser of charity events over many years and involvement in the jazz club which he ran at Newbold Verdon Working Mens’ Club, led to Johnny receiving the Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Services in the Borough of Hinckley and Bosworth. Following a long battle with lung cancer Legs Valentine passed away on 29th December, 2011. He was 73 years old.
Scott Valentine
Another of the Crabtree clan and son of Max Crabtree. Spencer Crabtree joined brother Greg in the wrestling world and, unsurprisingly found himself a frequent tag partner of uncle Shirley, the Big Daddy.
Frank Valois
Canadian bruiser Frank Valois was wrestling in France and Germany when he was brought to Britain in 1950 by Atholl Oakeley to wrestle Stan Karolyi at Harringay Stadium. This is the only British appearance we can find. He was advertised on 3rd April, 1958, to wrestle Jack Pye in Morecambe but was replaced by Jose Calderon (Professor Adiwasser).
He was later to become known as the trainer of Jean Ferre, a pertnership that continued in 1980 when they formed, along with Gono Brito, the Montreal based promotion, Promotions Varoussac.
Frank Valois was born 17th December, 1921, died 31st December, 1998.
Paul Anton Vargas
1956, 1957 and 1959 visitor to Britain who kindly dropped the European middleweight title to Bolton’s Bert Royal at Hanley in October, 1956. We can find no information about him winning the title. Opponents included Charlie Fisher, Black Butcher Johnson, John Allan and Jean Morandi (all at the Royal Albert Hall). Ron Historyo added he was mostly billed from Hungary, sometimes Austria with the odd Germany thrown in. Gernot Freiberger warned against confusing him with an entirely different wrestler, an Austrian – Hungarian named Harry Aaron Vargyas who used the name Bela Vargyas.
Varsity Boy
Billed from Cambridge and active in the late 1940s we wonder if this was an alternative name for College Boy?
Vega-Dingo
Heritage member Tom H visited a small museum in Bognor Regis where he saw a wrestling handbill on display in a glass cabinet. The main event was described as follows: “Paul Lincoln proudly introduces the real life American Cherokee red Indian, VEGA-DINGO, Do not miss the fire ritual entrance to the ring of this young brave.” His opponent was “REBEL” RAY HUNTER.the British Empire champion.Tom went on to learn that Vega-Dingo wrestled for Paul Lincoln in 1963 and also wrestled in Spain. Further detective work by SaxonWolf discoovered that Vega-Dingo was a Spaniard named Sebastien Campos Vega-Dingo.
Braulio Veliz
The baby faced Spanish welterweight from Cuenca made two journeys to the British Isles, the first in 1965 and again in 1967. Promoters did the visitors no favours and top rated men like Pallo, Kidd, Dempsey and McManus disposed of the Spaniard, the latter at the Royal Albert Hall in April 1965. That didn’t stop Charles Mascall (editor of The Wrestler) describing him as as one of the best Spanish welterweights for some time. Whatever, that didn’t stop Linde Caulder taking the decision over him in the same month. Whilst the 1965 visit was confined to southern Dale Martin Promotion rings the 1967 tour was to the north of England and Scotland. Veliz was willing to rough up his opponents when he felt necessary, never more so than when he partnered Inca Peruano during his 1967 tour.
Lino Ventura
Italian Lino Ventura visited Britain for a short tour in 1949. Opponents included Ted Betley, Lew Roseby and Tim McCoy. Shortly afterwards Lino’s career was ended by an injury. He went on to a successful film career, mainly in France, where he had lived since he was seven years old. During the Second World War Lino was conscripted into the Italian army, but he deserted to remain faithful to the French people. Lino Ventura was founder of the Pierce-Neige charitable foundation which encourages governments to recognize the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and their families, particularly in terms of childcare, and change the way society looks at people with intellectual disabilities, their integration, and overcome stereotypes. In 2005 Le Plus Grand Français de tous les temps (The Greatest Frenchman of all Time) was broadcast on French television. It was based on the BBC series Great Britons, in which viewers voted for their greatest countryman of all time. Lino Ventura was voted number 23, just above French President François Mitterrand and the architect Gustave Eiffel.
Crusher Oscar Verdu
The magnificent specimen that was early sixties Rick Ferraro billed out of Chicago, managed to metamorphose into the ponderous “dis”graced British rings over several visits in the sixties, initially with Paul Lincoln Promotions in 1964 and 65, and later on with Dale Martin Promotions up to the end of the decade.
Billed from Columbus, Ohio, Crusher Verdu spent excessive periods not engaged in combat and not doing his job, under the guise of preening. Years later Giant Haystacks would make a habit of spending a couple of opening minutes on the prowl, but we didn’t want such disengagement from someone half his size ten years earlier.
Allegedly a master of the bearhug, and allegedly beat Bruno Sammartino at Madison Square Garden to claim the World Heavyweight Championship on 15th June 1970. He in fact never did gain that title and after a stopped bout against Bruno Sammartino was firmly put in his place in a return shortly afterwards. Thanks to stateside Heritage browser Derek Bush for his confirmation of New York events.
Just goes to show what status a wrestler of limited ability could achieve in the USA if he could point to a lengthy British stay on his curriculum.
Factually again, Verdu lost to Rebel Ray Hunter at the Royal Albert Hall.
Resurfaced in European rings eight years later with a run in the German tournaments, where he often tagged alongside Mal Kirk.
Charles (Jan) Verhulst
The Popular heavyweight wrestler from Liege, Belgium was just twenty-four when he visited the UK in 1962 and periodically through the decade. He was a popular and skilful wrestler who met the best but had a record that was at best mixed. Draws against Al Hayes and Kendo Nagasaki were more than offset when he surely reached an all time low with a 2-0 loss to Crusher Verdu at Southampton in March, 1969. Worked extensively throughout Europe in the 1970s and Japan in 1985, where he used the name Johnny Londos.
Big Bill Verna
Born in Perth, Australia, in 1929 Bill Verna travelled the world mostly from his homes in Belgium and Britain. When he came to the UK in 1950 he weighed just sixteen stones, but our memories of him as a 1960s wrestler are of a 21 stone villain. Following a short interest in boxing turned to wrestling and made his professional debut aged eighteen. After a couple of years working around the rings of Australia he made his way to Europe where he quickly established himself in the German tournaments and in British rings . Following a short period in England in 1950 Bill wrestled in the Far East, where we have reports of him wrestling Dara Singh, and billed as “The Blonde Tiger” in a match where both men were said to display rare mastery in the game. Other opponents included Aslam and Akram Pahalwan and Emile “King Kong” Czaja. He was back in Europe in 1954 and amongst his opponents during this visit was the American world champion claimant Frank Sexton, who he held to a draw. Over the next fifteen years he wrestled all over the world but always returned to the UK, where he was one of those popular villains the fans loved to boo. His status as a top class professional was confirmed when Bill was selected as one of the few to oppose World champion Lou Thesz on his British visit.
Sid Vickers
There was a very active wrestling scene in East Lancashire in the late 1960s and early 1970s, not just in cities like Blackburn but in the smaller halls of Darwen and Cole, and outdoor events such as the Burnley Horse Fair. Eddie Rose attributes much of this to the work of promoter and wrestler Sid Vickers. The wrestler and promoter from Burnley was something of a firebrand in the rings of the 1960s. Okay, we are basing this only on the stories we have heard and the one time we saw him in the ring. That was the only time we have seen the crowd involved, chairs flying and the police called to a scene described in the evening paper as “a riot.” Not that we are pointing a finger…. Syd Vickers, a great character and all action wrestler who kept the 1960s/70s wrestling scene so lively.
Bernard Vignal
Globe trotting French heavyweight who was a regular British visitor in the 1950s and 1960s. He also wrestled in the USA and Canada, which in the 1950s was fairly uncommon. Whilst in Canada he tagged with Whipper Billy Watson to claim the Canadian tag team title.
The Viking
Complete with Norse battle clothing Tony Wood was The Viking. As a teenager Tony began wrestling in the south of England, unsurprisingly finding that his career was interrupted by the inconvenience of two years National service. Here was a villain of the first order who could rile the fans on Joint Promotions and later independent rings. After retiring he took up a new career as a stock car racer! Hobbies for Tony included the creation of rocking horses and study of Norse culture. Tony Wood passed away in 2011 as a result of lung cancer.
Tony Vince
In the 1970s Terence Alwyne Grayson was known as the clean cut Milton Keynes wrestler Tony Vince. Born on 5th February, 1942, he died of cancer, aged 70, on 14th May, 2012.
Don Vines
The Welsh and Great Britain international rugby player moved north in 1956 and played for Oldham, where he played seventy games and was part of the 1957 championship side. In 1958 he signed for Wakefield Trinity, appearing in four rugby league cup finals at Wembley.
All that was before he became one of the biggest, in more ways than one, villains of the 1960s (mainly) Northern wrestling rings. Frequently seen in the rings of Morrell-Beresford and Relwyskow & Green. Weighing eighteen stones and standing over six feet tall Don was most definitely one of the villains of the ring whose combination of rule bending and arrogance made him unpopular with fans. Appeared in the 1960s film “This Sporting Life.”
After wrestling Don became a debt collector for a furniture company in Wakefield.
Don Vines died on 17th September, 1989, aged 57.
Al Vipond (The Gay One)
Jackie Pallo’s pigtail had been considered flamboyant. Jim Lewis’s preening himself had amused, and Adrian Street firmly established himself as the queen of them all. Where Adrian Street had started others followed and went further, and further. Al Vipond was “The Gay One,” a wrestler from Luton in the late 1970s and 1980s who cashed in on the more liberated views of the time with a camp persona to amuse, entertain and enrage.
Ed Don Virag
Ede Virág-Ébner was known to wrestling fans on both sides of the Atlantic as Ed Don Virag. Born in Budapest on 12th August, 1912, he represented Hungary in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, competing in the freestyle light heavyweight competition and eliminated in the third round when beaten by the eventual gold medal winner Knut Fridell of Sweden.
He moved to America in the 1930s and served in the United States Army during the second world war before resuming his wrestling career and coming over to Europe in 1948.
Although recognised as National Wrestling Alliance, winning the title in 1942, beating Roy Dunn in Wichita, we can find a record that can best be described as only mixed, with wins over Frank Sexton and Everett Marshall, a draw with Lou Thesz and losses to many lesser names.
Ed Don Virag visited Britain for promoter Atholl Oakeley in January, 1950, being knocked out by Frank Mantovitch at Harringay Arena before moving on to Germany and France. He is reported to have died in a car accident in Greece on 22nd October, 1951, aged 39.
Le Grande Vladimir (Also known as Taras Bulba)
It may be over forty years since we first came across Le Grande Vladimir, a 1968 match against Roy St Clair, but he left a vivid impression of a majestic giant that we recall to this day. One look at him and you knew he would be up to no good. Vladimir, otherwise Hektor Van Mullen a French based Dutch heavyweight who travelled across much of Europe, and had made his first visit to Britain in 1963 for Paul Licoln and the independent promoters. He returned in 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1969 for Joint Promotions, making televised appearances against John Lees and Johnny da Silva. During the 1967 tour he assumed the name Taras Bulba, a Peruvian heavyweight! He was known as “The Miracle Man of Wrestling,” as we were told that he had returned to wrestling following a serious injury when doctors said he would never walk again. He made a further month long tour of Britain in January 1981, dutifully going down to Wayne Bridges at the Royal Albert Hall in a World title eliminator.
We have read reports that Vladimir also used the name Sergei Kalmikoff, a name borrowed from the “Siberian Ape Man” of the 1930s.
Young Vulcan
The fast and clever 1950s wrestler from Treeton, Sheffield, obviously thought that Vulcan had more of a ring than his real name, Fred Higginbottom. A couple of television appearances under his belt and he continued wrestling until the mid sixties. Following retirement Vulcan and his wife became top breeders of bulldogs!
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