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Hassan Ali Bey

One of the most prolific heavyweight performers of the 1950s and 1960s, and a regular of the tv screens in the first ten years or so of televised wrestling. Hassan Ali Bey wrestled, and sometimes defeated, just about every big name heavyweight of the time. The red fez, spectacles and a white towelling robe were the hallmark of the “Strong man of the East” as he entered the ring. Hassan Ali Bey was actually Demers Mashavias, but he took his ring name from his father, a member of the British Embassy in Ankara. Born in Turkey Hassan Ali Bey was educated in Britain. He turned professional in 1944, a tumultuous tussle  with Doncaster’s Jack Pye. He continued wrestling until well into the 1960s, and on one occasion held the legendary Bert Assirati to a draw.

Farmer Johnny Allan

They always called him  the Farmer, and why should we doubt it? Most wrestlers did need a second income to make ends meet despite the packed halls of the 1950’s and 1970’s, and Johnny Allan combined wrestling with running a small holding. . Farmer Johnny Allan was one of the great mid-heavyweights. He turned professional, aged 20, in 1951, after training as an amateur at the Greetland All Rounders Club. As a young middleweight he held World middleweight champion Gilbert Le Duc to a one hour draw.  Growing in skill and size, from middleweight to a stocky, powerful Mid heavyweight, Johnny Allan  took the British Mid heavyweight title from Norman Walsh in 1964 and returned it to him in 1965. Towards the end of his career Johnny Allan, still a classic wrestler, left Joint Promotions, began promoting in partnership with Eric Taylor, and eventually faded away on the independent promoters circuit as so many did. Johnny Allan is pictured with a head chancery on Geoff Portz.

Hippie Bob Anderson

A short lived star of Northern and Midland rings of the 1970s, and even a couple of 1970 televised appearances exposed this tearaway to a wider and appreciative audience. The long, straggly hair, rule bending tactics and just a general disregard for just about anyone and everything made the Hippie a welcome name on any bill. He roughed it with contemporaries like Wonderboy Steve Wright as well as wily veterans like Bill Howes. Even giving away a couple of stones to a hard man like Howes Anderson showed no trepidation. His regular tag partner was Johnny South, but something of an accolade for the hothead to be partnered with Iron Man Steve Logan on occasions.

Bob Anthony

Bob Anthony, the wrestling beatle, was a  popular welterweight that appeared for independent and Joint Promotions during the 1960s. His skill and agility enabled him to travel the world, meeting and beating the best in the business. He was one of a group of wrestlers chosen by Paul Lincoln to take part in a prestigious tour of the Far East in the early sixties.  Son of  Bob Archer O’Brien he had a notable 2-0 win over Alan Sargeant before the latter  took the British welterweight title. Various televised appearances to his name brought national exposure to this fine wrestler who was based in the South.

Mark Anthony

A villain of the first order. The black tights, the trimmed beard, the heavily tattooed arms,  and a snarl at the audience left few in doubt that here was a wrestling baddie. Those not persuaded at once were usually convinced as the first round opened with blind side moves, failure to break on the ropes and a few more snarls and complaints to fans and referee. Mark Anthony reached British shores in 1968, and again in 1972, travelling here from his native Australia as part of an extensive world tour. Anthony was rewarded with a 1968 Royal Albert Hall outing against Tibor Szakacs, which he dutifully lost. In fact, Mark Anthony did the right thing on most occasions, and made the British boys look good!.

Ray Apollon

A man with a presence. When Ray Apollon was in the ring the ring shook. A very powerful and strong heavyweight from Trinidad who gained fame and success in both the UK and America during the 1950s and 1960s. He turned professional in June, 1952, and came to the UK for the first time in December of that year. His first UK contest was a loss to Ernie Baldwin, but he went on to meet, and beat, the best. He moved around the ring with some grace for a man of his size.Billed on occasions as the Black Prince he met big names of the day such as Black Butcher Johnson, Jack Pye, Zebra Kid and Ian Campbell.

Dave Armstrong

If anyone was to demonstrate that wrestling was more science than art it might well be Choppington’s Dave Armstrong, one of the greats of British wrestling. It was in 1952 that Ernie Baldwin defeated Dave in a heavyweight tournament to win the British heavyweight championship. One of the few heavyweights who spanned both sides of the Second World War he met some of the world’s greats, including Atholl Oakeley, Jack Sherry  and the legendary Karl Pojello at Harold Lane’s London Club in 1938. Pojello described him as “The most scientific man in an English ring. “  A frequent opponent of Bert Assirati in the forties and fifties Dave Armstrong held the occasional victory over the great heavyweight.  His career continued into the early 1960s. Legend has it that he was the first wrestler to wear contact lenses in the ring.  Late in his career Dave took to wearing a mask and took the name of The Crusader.

Leon Arras

Starting his wrestling career as Erik Tanberg, the blond from Sweden, until he took up the name of an absentee wrestler and became Leon Arras, the man from Paris. Leon Arras, real name Brian Glover, was known only to the pupils at the school he taught and wrestling fans throughout the North until he shot to fame in the 1966 film, Kes. From that moment on the Barnsley wrestler became known as  Brian Glover the television and film star. For quite a few years after turning to film and television work Leon Arras continued wrestling both in singles matches and with his tag partner, Bobby Graham, as The Untouchables. “Count im ref,” he would cry whenever his opponents shoulders neared the mat. His over animitated boxing stance, mock confidence, cries of  “ ‘ow about that then,”  and gift of the Northern gab made him a favourite with the fans. Born into a wrestling family, his father was wrestler Charlie Glover, Leon Arras’ humour made him one of the country’s most popular wrestlers. He died in 1997 at the age of 63.

Bert Assirati

Born in 1908 Islington’s Bernardo Esserati grew up to become arguably Britain’s greatest ever heavyweight. He was such a dominant real wrestler that many professionals of the day avoided facing him in the ring. Having his first professional match in 1928 Bert Assirati’s career spanned both sides of the Second World War and both All-in and freestyle rules. In 1931 he wrestled in the USA and stayed until the following year. He claimed the British Heavyweight belt in October 1945 and relinquished it in 1950 when he toured India. On March 4th 1947 he was crowned World Heavyweight Champion when he defeated Ivor Martinsen in the final of a championship tournament at Haringey.  He added the European Heavyweight Title in 1949, which he also vacated on touring India. Shortly after returning to Britain in 1955 the Heavyweight Champion Tony Mancelli retired and Bert Assirati regained the title when he defeated Ernie Baldwin in a heavyweight tournament. When the World Heavyweight Champion, Lou Thesz, visited Britain in 1957 he was challenged by Bert Assirati, with the American refusing to meet the Londoner.  Bert Assirati held the British title until he was stripped of the title by Joint Promotions in 1958. He continued to be recognised by a group of independent promoters, known collectively as the British Wrestling Federation, for a further two years. The BWF stripped Assirati of the title in 1960 whilst he was recovering from injury. After the BWF awarded the title to Shirley Crabtree an angry Assirati harassed and challenged Crabtree for much of the sixties. This was for real, and continued until Crabtree retired in 1966. 

Jack Atherton

Jack Atherton learned the trade as a pre war All-in wrestler. He continued to compete in the new post war freestyle rules until well into the 1950s before becoming a promoter in the North. In March 1938 Ring Magazine reported, … a supporting bout saw the "Brown Masked Marvel," a hooded light heavy, take two straight from Jack Atherton of Lancashire . . .” Most of his results were more fortunate than that because Jack was one of the wrestling greats. Wrestlers stories are testament to Jack’s characteristics as a promoter, when he combined generosity, kindness and fairness with an astute business brain.