Wrestling Heritage

Discussions of fondly remembered wrestling events eventually lead to memories of one of the great venues. The Royal Albert Hall, Liverpool Stadium, Nottingham Ice Rink, Haringey Stadium, Belle Vue, and a few others are all venues that will remain forever part of wrestling folklore. The buildings themselves evoke memories just as vivid as those of the wrestlers that filled them. What was it though that made some venues so important in wrestling history?  Was it the size of the venue? Do five thousand fans automatically generate a more electrifying atmosphere than two thousand? Are a thousand screaming fans packed into a tiny Corn Exchange or Drill Hall  likely  to be more emotionally involved than those in a large sports hall?

Was there something about the architecture and design of some venues that made them more evocative?

Maybe the greatness of the venue lies more in the mind of the fan than the creativity of the architect. Forty years ago most wrestling took place in small town centre halls. Town Halls, Corn Exchanges, Public Halls were the venues of the great names of wrestling. Jack Pye, Mick McManus and Bert Assirati might have stood in front of five thousand screaming Royal Albert Hall fans one night and the next appeared before a five hundred or less at Tipton Baths or Chorley Town Hall. In many towns the swimming baths would board over their pool every September, and set up the wrestling ring for the weekly tournaments that would run until the following March.

We present our top twenty venues, in no particular order, and invite readers to offer their memories of each, which we will dutifully report. If your particular favourite is missing then let us have your memories anyway, and we’ll add your favourite haunt to the list.

Royal Albert Hall

This was the grand daddy of all wrestling venues. Dale Martin Promotions presented the greatest wrestlers in the world during the post war years. Five and a half thousand fans every month crammed  inside the Kensington arena. This was the hall that attracted royal patronage, and quite a few of our readers. Every famous British wrestler, and just about every top class overseas visitor appeared at the kensington arena. There was no greater accolade for a wrestler than a booking at the Royal Albert Hall.

Nottingham Ice Rink

The place where Torvil and Dean met. Never mind. Years before that pairing came together wrestling fans cheered and booed more excitng couples like the Royal brothers, the Hells Angels and the Black Diamonds. Ted Beresford presented tournaments that equalled any others in the land. If any arena was to claim to be the Northern equivalent of the Royal Albert Hall then it would be Nottingham Ice Rink. Even George Kidd and Andy Robin, the allegedly invincible Scots with a seeming aversion to travel, were regularly tempted to Nottingham.  

Paisley Ice  Rink

From the 1940s until its closure in 1973 Paisley Ice Rink was the venue to five thousand wrestling fans at a time, another Ted Beresford promotion. Bills were five  bout spectaculars with  regular championship matches, clever matchmaking and attracted the biggest names in wrestling to bonnie Scotland.

The Stadium, Liverpool

Another huge venue. Built originally for boxing tournaments Liverpool Stadium survived for many years thanks only to the enthusiasm of wrestling fans. Bill Best was the promoter and there was no other venue like it. Throughout the country it was known that in Liverpool  "Every Friday Night is Fight Night". Jack Pye was a regular star in the 1950s, but every big name was eventually attracted to this very special venue. 

New St James Hall, Newcastle

Norman Morrell was the promoter at the New St James Hall, home to Saturday night wrestling from the 1930s to the 1970s.  Bert Assirati made almost weekly appearences during the 1940s, championship bouts were commonplace, and for many wrestlers as well as fans this hall held a special place in their affections.

Belle Vue, Manchester

Probably one of the most famous wrestling venues in the world, and hosted to every big named wrestler to appear in Britain from the 1930s onwards. Belle Vue was chosen as the venue to introduce the American all-in style to a British audience in the 1930s.  At times Joint Promotions presented three shows a week at Belle Vue. One of the few venues where the smell of tobacco mingled with the whiff of Elephants (Blackpool Tower being another). Belle Vue regularly hosted wrestling  right through to the closure of the site in 1977. Read more in Blood, Sweat and Speedway

Victoria Hall, Hanley

Almost unique in our collection as the only venue where professional wrestling can still be seen. Wrestling has been a regular feature at the venue for over a half century. Saturday night has always been wrestling night at Hanley. The unmasking of Bartelli, the last match of Nagasaki. What memories.

Granada, Tooting

Another plush London venue, maybe the plushest of them all, and the home of the 1960s spectaculars of Paul Lincoln Management. Paul Lincoln challenged the might of Joint Promotions in the first half of the 1960s. Paul Lincoln managed to convince fans at all his shows that they were watching a wrestling spectacular, but the Granada Tooting shows were the real thing. It was here that Doctor Death defeated and unmasked his rival The White Angel.  Read more about the Granada Tooting

Haringey Stadium, London

From the 1930 to the 1950s this was the venue where promoter Athol Oakeley brought wrestling to the masses, until they forsook his old fashioned style tournaments for the new fangled Mountevans style wrestling following the war. Garnon, Pojello, Sherry, The Angel, Gargantua, can’t you just smell the atmosphere?

The Tower, Blackpool

Another old favourite that was the home of a weekly British wrestling fix throughout the Mountevans period. Another Billy Best Promotion. Wrestling shows were presented regularly throughout the year for over a half century, from the all-in era through to the 1980s. Jack Pye was an almost weekly performer at the Tower in the 1960s, when he was a resident of the town.

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow

Boxing promoter Peter Keenan turned his hand to wrestling and  was the man who brought the greats to Glasgow. Great bills and legendary stories abound about the very enthusiastic fans. Where better for yet another George Kidd or Andy Robin win?

Ardwick Stadium, Manchester

Another great Northern venue, figuratively speaking in the shadows of Belle Vue. For many, though, this blood and guts stadium could not be bettered.

Sofia Gardens, Cardiff

Paul Lincoln presented monthly spectaculars at the Sofia Gardens. Possibly the only venue other than the Albert Hall that regularly featured six contests. When lincoln ceased promoting Dale Martin took over the reigns, bringing the big names like Pallo, McManus and Kellett  to the venue.

SS Empire, York

In 1958 the new owner of the Empire Variety Theatre re-named it the S.S. (Shepherd of the Shambles). This intriguingly named venue was another that survived thanks to profits from the weekly wrestling tournaments.

Colston Hall, Bristol

Not the prettiest of buildings but the West Country’s finest venue.  Dale Martin and All Star Promotions presented regular shows over a forty year period that ended in 2003.

Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham

Built as the Digbeth Instritute in the later 19th century and from the outside must have been one of the country's least imposing venues. Those simple double doors squashed between shops on either side cunningly hid the excitement that lay inside. Was there anywhere else quite like the balcony at the Digbeth Civic Hall?  Fans, tightly packed in, felt that they could reach out and touch the wrestlers in the ring below. This was another venue that hosted wrestling for much of the latter half of the twentieth century, and one that many fans will have memories to share. Read more about Digbeth Civic Hall

Kings Hall, Belfast

Another great wrestling venue for the past forty years, and still hosting wrestling today.

Wimbledon Palais

Wimbledon fans have so many memories. The erstwhile promoter Herbert Devereux was succeeded by Ken Joyce, an independent promoter licensed to use Joint Promotion wrestlers.

Beckenham Baths

This is where it all started, the first venue of the fledgling Dale Martin Promotions. Jack Dale himself topped the bill, and if he had failed to pull in the punters maybe none of us would have anything to reminisce.

Willenhall Baths

The humblest of venues. We list it in our top twenty because this was the home of wrestling for the whole of the Mountevans period. From October to March the pool was boarded over and every Friday night wrestling fans were treated to the biggest names available. Not forgetting, this was the venue where a young lad put on a mask, climbed into the ring for the first time, and called himself Kendo Nagasaki.

Twenty venues,a million memories. We invite you to share your memories of these, and other, favourite halls.

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