Wrestling Heritage

Our Heritage ratings of the top TV wrestlers moves to the years 1965-68. The social revolution of the mid sixties was reflected amongst the wrestling stars of the day. Harold Wilson’s “White heat of technology,” the musical and fashion revolution, and the long awaited discarding of the wartime legacy meant that some of the biggest names of wrestling now appeared unfashionable. It was time to move on.

Only three of our previous top ten were able to stay in the rankings. Casualties were widespread, and some of them surprising.  Billy Howes and Johnny Kwango escaped relatively unscathed, falling to twenty equal. Surprisingly, Bert Royal fell from the top ten to position 41.  Others out of favour included Farmer Johnny Allan, Alan Colbeck, Bob Steele and Keith Williams.

So, who were the new fangled television superstars to take over from the old guard? Well, there were our first two fully blown heavyweights for a start, a Londoner who epitomised the new era and a Yorkshireman we were surprised to see here.

9. Mick McMichael and Jon Cortez

Doncaster’s Mick McMichael is the one we were surprised to see in our ratings. We have been known to gently make fun of his “Popular Mick” tag, but maybe we should start to reassess the situation. Well, maybe, but not yet Mick. Nevertheless, Mick McMichael makes it effortlessly into our top ten. George Kidd, Jackie Pallo, Jim Breaks, Mick McManus, Clayton Thomson….Mick lost to them all, but each time added to his appearance tally, aided by his tag team outings as part of the Yorkshire Terriers team, where we’d enjoy reporting more disappointments but cannot as Mick and Steve Clements were a great tag team.

Jon Cortez shares the number nine slot. He hadn’t even made it to our tv screens in the 1960-64 period and so the top ten position shows the rapid impact he had made on the nations television viewers. A victory over Bernard Murray gave the Dulwich wrestler the Golden Trophy. Other opponents included Mick McManus, Ted Hannon, Adrian Street and George Kidd. Jon Cortez’s tv tally was enhanced by his highly popular and very successful tag teaming with brother Peter.

6. Steve Logan, Al Miquet, Bill Robinson

We have to admit that as top tens go three equal at number six is hardly makes for the most exciting countdown.  Nonetheless, the facts are that three wrestlers tied for position number six.

Steve Logan is one of the three survivors from our previous top ten, though despite two more appearances than in the previous period he has fallen from position four to six, not to mention the indignity of sharing the placing with a lightweight and a northerner.

Yorkshireman Al Miquet had only just missed a top ten position in the 1960-64 ratings, but this time half as many appearances again moved him from number 12 to joint 6^th.  One of the few to hold McManus to a draw on television showed how significant Miquet was becoming on the welterweight scene (he was later to drop to lightweight). Other opponents included Jack Dempsey, Zoltan Boscik, Bobby Barnes and Jon Cortez.

Our third contender at number six is heavyweight Billy Robinson. Heavyweights have been noticeably few on the ground in our ratings so far. Robinson more than doubled his appearances to take him from position thirty four to number six. Robinson met just about all the top heavyweights on our television screens of the time.

5.Jackie TV Pallo

The self proclaimed Mr TV, having come close to ousting rival McManus in our last ratings now took a sharp turn in the wrong direction and fell to number five, despite notching up a couple of extra appearances. Another cup final day clash with McManus drew viewers by the million.

4. Roy St Clair

The son of a man who appeared on the first ITV wrestling show way back in 1955 doubled his appearances to climb from 19 to number 4. A wide range of opponents stood in the opposite corner, from middleweight Bert Royal to super heavyweight Crusher Verdu, from newcomer Dave Larsen to experienced men such as Mike Marino and Les  Kellett. In May, 1967 Roy introduced his kid brother to the viewing public in a tag match against the Black Diamonds in Rotherham. Things would never be the same again.

3. Tony Charles

Another youngster, Tony Charles, doubled his appearances to move up from 15 to number 3. Television fans saw the Welshman mature over the four year period, and in 1968 opponents included heavyweight greats Billy Joyce, Al Hayes, Roy Bull Davis and Steve Veidor.

2. Steve Veidor

We have to admit being as surprised as anyone by these tv ratings, and expected the Cheshire Golden Boy at number two no more than we expected a Welshman at number 3 and a Cornish man at number four.  Veidor tripled his tv showings to move from number 39 to number 2. Opponents were top notch. Steve Veidor is a surprising, but worthy, holder of the runners up position.

1.      Mick McManus

Well, you weren’t surprised were you? Niggly Mick’s victory was even more conclusive than in the 1960-64 period. Many opponents promised no match for Mick, and they weren’t. The one exception came in January, 1967. the time of the infamous disqualification loss against Peter Preston at Lime Grove Baths. According to www.itvwrestling.co.uk McManus got himself deliberately disqualified when the result didn’t go quite the way he planned.