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Joint Promotions

Joint Promotions consisted of regional promoters who worked in conjunction with one another as a sort of self-managed governing body. Each was independently owned until 1964 when the Hurst Park syndicate bought the biggest member, Dale Martin Promotions. Fortunately for wrestling the current owners, the Abbey and Martin families, were to remain in operational control for a further few years. A few years later Hurst Park acquired the largest independent promoter, Paul Lincoln Management. In the late 1960s boxing entrepreneur Jarvis Astaire purchased the Hurst Park acquisitions and subsequently added Best, Wryton, Morrell and Beresford Promotions to his portfolio before selling them on to William Hill. Independent promoter Max Crabtree was employed to manage the northern promotions from 1975, and a couple of years later he took over management of the Dale Martin shows, expanding the brand to the midlands and north. Crabtree’s innovations brought a short lived revival to a business that was already ailing. With many of the biggest attractions joining the independents in the 1980s the influence of Joint Promotions began to wane and eventually their stranglehold on wrestlers’ exclusive contracts was broken. A management buy-out led to Max Crabtree taking ownership of Joint Promotions, but by then the decline in wrestling’s popularity was out of control. In 1988 Joint lost their exclusive rights to televised wrestling. The name Joint Promotions was dropped in 1992, and for the next three years Crabtree re-branded the business as Ring Wrestling Stars.

Dale Martin Promotions

For over twenty years Dale Martin Promotions were the standard bearers of the Joint Promotion organisation. No other promoters did more to establish professional wrestling as a legitimate sport. Theirs were shows of the highest of standards and professionalism, with a higher percentage of technical bouts than seen elsewhere.

Any criticism that could be made would probably be based upon the conservative nature of the business which made some shows appear unadventurous and less attractive than their northern peers. Whilst publicly disparaging the challenge from independent promoter Paul Lincoln in the early 1960s they did, nevertheless, quietly allow Lincoln to nurture much of their talent, including Adrian Street, Bobby Barnes, the Cortez brothers, and the Borg twins.

Maybe those Southern promoters were smarter than the Norhern fans gave them credit for.

Most likely to see: technical bouts, uncharasmatic wrestlers

Least likely to see: Any hint of wrestling being brought into disrepute

Best/Wryton Promotions

As far as we can tell Bill Best promoted alone only at Liverpool Stadium and Blackpool Tower, elsewhere in conjunction with Wryton Promotions, and occasionally with Morrell and Beresford. Lively shows with creative matchmaking.

Wryton Promotions claimed to be the world’s biggest wrestling promotion. Started by a young Arthur Wright, he promoted his first show at Hyde during the war. They presented shows at many halls throughout the north and midlands. Their shows tended to be a bit more adventurous than the Dale Martin variety.

In the late 1960s Wryton Promotions brought over a number of soon to be high profile wrestlers from the independent circuit: Johnny Saint, Al Marquette, Wild Angus and Jock Cameron amongst them.

Of all the Joint Promotion members the chance of seeing a bit of blood or action outside the ring was most likely at a Wryton shows.

Most likely to see: unlikely catchweight bouts, a bit of action outside the ring

Least likely to see: Classic contests

Morrell Beresford Promotions

Yorkshire based promoters mainly in the North and Midlands, though with a few wayward Scottish and Southern venues. Norman Morrell and Ted Beresford put on first rate shows with a higher proportion of big names than Dale Martin in the South – or at least that’s what the Northern fans believed.

Like Jack Dale, Jack Atherton and the Relwyskow family these two were wrestlers of the old breed who were keen to preserve the image of professional wrestling as a legitimate sport. All the more unfortunate, therefore when their number one referee, Don Branch, was more than a little discreet to News of the World reporters and revealed that everything was not quite as it seemed.

Beresford alone was particularly remembered for promoting spectaculars in Nottingham, Paisley and Sheffield.

Most likely to see: Big names in opposite corners.

Least likely to see: Undercard Southerners, Don Branch anywhere near post 1972.

Relwyskow and Green Promotions

These promoters in the North and Midlands were the only member of Joint Promotions to retain independent ownership throughout the Mountevans era.

Matchmaking tended to be on the conservative side, a sort of Northern version of Dale Martin! Unfair maybe, for promoters who maintained the good reputation of professional wrestling right up to the end of the Mountevans era. The poster on the left illustrates a fine show completely undersold, with big names like Les Kellett and Andy Robin something of an afterthought.

Most likely to see: A good quality, reputable show.

Least likely to see: Blood, action outside of the ring, fans in danger of a heart attack

Woodhouse/Jack Atherton Promotions

Not a fully fledged member of Joint Promotions Jack Atherton (one time in partnership with Billy Riley) presented some of the most imaginative Joint Promotion shows, often supplemented with independent wrestlers.

Jack Atherton often trialled wrestlers before they were unleashed onto the Joint Promotion circuit, or otherwise. We loved waiting to see the next Jack Atherton poster because we were never sure who might be on there.

Most likely to see: The stars of tomorrow, wrestlers going nowhere.

Least likely to see: Too many big names.

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Read about the independent promoters.