D

We reach the fourth letter of the alphabet, and the illustrious names of Davies, D'Orazio, Dynamite and the double D himself, the grand daddy of all masked men, Doctor Death 

Joe D’Orazio

Most of those fans that still remember Joe  think of the dapper referee who kept control of thousands of contests in the 1960s and 1970s. Before that Joe was a  very popular wrestler who followed his cousin, Mike Marino, into the wrestling business. With Italian parents Joe’s family name was Scala. He was born in Bermondsey in 1922 and turned professional fairly late in life as a result of a diversion called World War 2. Joe’s professional debut, in 1948,was against the visiting New Zealander, Russ Bishop. Jackie Pallo, Steve Logan, Vic Coleman, Johnny Peters and most other big names opposed Joe in  his twenty year career which reached an end in 1968. Behind the scenes Joe penned much of the Dale Martin promotional material under his real name of Bob Scala, and co-authored “The Who’s Who of Wrestling,” a book of pen portraits of many big names, but mysteriously omitting some of the names that fans of the time expected.

Ken Davies

Heavyweight Ken Davies grew a beard whilst serving in the navy during World war 2 and it became a trademark  of the Maesteg wrestler. Ken Davies combined professional wrestling with professional rugby playing, and it was his pursuance of a rugby career that led him to move from Aberavon to Yorkshire. Davies was a big, rugged wrestler who competed with the top heavyweights like Assirati and Armstrong.  Like so many others wrestling seemed to be part of Davies’ genetic make-up that was passed to family members as he fathered another Welsh Heavyweight, Gwyn Davies. Occasionally Ken  donned a mask and  wrestled as The Legionnaire. Fans have often mistakenly confused this Ken wilth Killer Ken Davies, the welsh welterweight. Only the names are the same. Ken Davis is pictured applying an arm lever.

Gwyn  Davies

Every  Mountevans era wrestling fan remembers the giant, smiling  round faced heavyweight Gwyn Davies. Imagine a huge frame, immense strength, wrestling skill and a determination to win and you have a picture of Gwyn Davies. The baby face could not disguise the fact that here was a hard man who was willing to bend the rules when he deemed it necessary and towards the end of his career there was certainly a harder edge to his style.  Following a short stint as British champion in 1966 it wasn’t until  Bill Robinson’s departure for North America in 1970 that Davies and Albert Wall began a duel for the top heavyweight spot that was to last a decade. As a wrestler Davies relied heavily on his great strength and opponents were mercilessly punished until he ended it by extracting another submission. Often that submission came from the Davies Suspension Hold, in which opponents were caught in a double finger lock and lifted upwards. It looked very, very painful.

Roy Bull Davis

The balding ruffian Roy Bull Davis sneered and snarled at the fans, who did him the compliment of enthusiastically booing and jeering him. Davis was a beefy, rugged type, with the  remnants of what was presumably once  a fine head of hair. Although his  physique was not the sort associated with a fine athlete he was a far cry from the super heavyweights that later brought wrestling into disrepute.   After serving in the merchant navy and  a background of fairground booths and taking on all comers these were the skills that Plymouth’s Roy Bull Davis brought to the wrestling ring, This was an entry route to the sport that contrasted with the amateur background of most professionals, but lack of those credentials did him no harm at all.  He was a wrestler who  combined wrestling knowledge learned in the business with the cunning and skill of the experienced street fighter.  Skilful technician, no, value for money crowd pleasing villain most definitely. Shown on the left letting Shozo Kobayashi have a good hard look at the sole of British wrestling boots!

Gerry De Jager

He looked in trouble, but then delivered the kind of magic that was not an illusion. Without warning, and seemingly from any direction South African Gerry de Jager would execute  a perfectly placed  drop-kick. Although a master of all the holds for Gerry the drop-kick was his jewel in the crown, delivered with a speed that meant it was always a surprise weapon used to devastating effect. He was a big, powerful man and his speciality combined that power with a natural agility and speed that belied his stature.   The popular 1960s heavyweight was said to have the fastest knock-out win on record, just twelve seconds. Gerry took up amateur wrestling in 1945, turned professional in 1948 and came to Britain in 1951. For the best part  of the next twenty years but always returned to Britain where he was welcomed by fans

Many fans remember Mike Demitre as an authorative referee who could deal with any situation. Refereeing was his second career, though as previously he was a popular wrestler who had turned professional in the 1930s.  In 1939 Demitre took the European Junior heavyweight title when he defeated Hungarian Stanislaus Karolyi.  Ten years later a 1949 win over The Farmer at Morecambe saw Demitre crowned world junior heavyweight champion., a title he retained until losing it to Mike Marino. Demitre continued wrestling until the mid 1960s, when he took up refereeing. 

Jack Dempsey

Wigan’s Jack Dempsey must be included in any list of wrestling greats. He epitomised wrestlers of his age, being  skilful, crafty, tenacious and very hard. By the early 1960s, though, the age of such wrestlers was drawing to a close and we saw the emergence of men such as Breaks, Faulkner and Cortez, who were able to combine their wrestling skill with speed, acrobatics, excitement and charisma. The unkind might say that Jack had none of these, but that would be to miss the point entirely. Here was a master of many holds, a student of the Snakepit, who was able to apply his skill with a touch of genius, and relentlessly punish his opponents. The entertainment value of Jack Dempsey was watching him outwit and outclass opponents with sheer wrestling brilliance. Read more.....

Alan Dennison

The Strongman nickname was appropriate for this Northern hardnut who resembled the Mighty Atom. Smaller than he appeared on television the biceps bulged and Dennison was always willing to use his strength to overcome opponents. After turning professional in 1958 Alan soon became a familiar face to the television fans  For many years he was one of the great bad men of the ring, but like so many the character mellowed in later years. He could change his style to suit the occasion but always gave value for money. In the 1960s The Dennisons team of Alan and Syd Cooper antagonised fans, especially when matched against the blue-eyed teams like the Royal Brothers and the White Eagles. When Cooper moved South it could have been the end, but his place was admirably taken by Hooker Ted Heath, the perfect replacement. A gentle and kind man Alan’s place in the nation’s heart was demonstrated when his untimely death was announced on the national television news.

Dynamite Kid

When Dynamite Kid appeared in the wrestling rings of the North in 1975 he caused a sensation. Fans had never seen anything quite like this wrestler. Speed, athleticism  and  acrobatics were taken to a new level, but the boy could wrestle as well, trained by veterans Ted Betley and Jack Fallon.  During the following three years he travelled the country, learning new skills like any other novice, but uniquely fearlessly developing breathtaking new aerial moved previously unimaginable to fans and opponents alike. Three years later Dynamite Kid emigrated to North America where his innovative and unique style made him a legend of North American rings fondly remembered to this day.