Wrestling Heritage

Only one wrestler entered the ring with a geisha girl on each arm. Yes, and an eagle on his chest, a tiger and a couple of soldiers.

The wrestler was Johnny Eagles, the popular Mancunian welterweight whose body was covered with a dozen tattoos, geisha girls included.

Apart from those tattoos Eagles was known for a rather snazzy range in dressing gowns, and some lightning speed dropkicks. Born in 1935, with the name  Roy Boyd, he was destined to become one of the most popular and successful 1960s wrestlers, cheered on by fans as he was robbed yet again by the dastardly McManus and Pallo.

During his national sevice Johnny found an interest in wrestling, and after leaving the army he began to learn the professional style at Rileys gymnasium under the watchful eye of Dick the Doormouse.

 Johnny Eagles made his professional debut by losing to Ray Kimba  at Hyde Town Hall. Johnny was a tv favourite, both in singles contests and as one half of the White Eagles tag team.

Wrestling took him around Europe, Africa and America, where he died in 1999, aged just 64.

Lee Edwards had the ability to upset the fans before he entered the ring.

Long before, in fact, as his entrance was often interrupted by frequent stops to sneer at the audience and give them that familiar Lee Edwards “look.” It was a look of arrogance and conceit for those around him as he swaggered towards the ring.

Once  he eventually made it in to the ring Edwards would slowly  removed his satin  robe.  As the ring lights caught the sequins of his robe and the wavy blond hair fans would have no thoughts of later more famous sequined blonds because Lee Edwards pre-dated flamboyant blonds by quite a few years.

As was to be expected by his entrance Edwards wrestling style paid little attention to the rules; he was a tempestuous brawler who appeared in a hurry to end his bouts as quickly as possible.

A regular in British rings from the mid 1950s onwards Edwards was at his most prominent when he became a regular on the Paul Lincoln independent shows of the early 1960s.

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German Wolfgang Ehrl was a scientific wrestler who visited Britain in the mid 1950s defeating George Kidd amongst others, and often matched with far heavier opponents including the likes of Ernie Riley and Les Kellett.

Ehrl's credentials were outstanding, being a silver medallist in the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games and European champion  in 1934. Born in  Munich on 4th March, 1912, seventy seven year old Ehrl died on 11th June, 1980.

Dundee’s Scottish Lightweight Champion seemed a very promising prospect in the early 1960s. A skilful wrestler he rarely travelled far south of the border. He entered wrestling following completion of his national service and trained in Dundee alongside other Scottish professional such as George Kidd, Ted Hannon and Chic Purvey. Jim’s professional career was shortened by other interests, and the world of wrestling prematurely lost another potential star.

For twenty years the Manchester based heavyweight Chic Elliott was a mainstay of Northern rings tackling everyone who was anyone. For the first five years after the war it seemed that not a week would pass by without Chic appearing on the big bills at Belle Vue Manchester, Liverpool Stadium and Blackpool Tower. His contests, of course, were not limited to these major venues but he rarely ventured too far south!

One of those tough men in the ring and a gentle giant outside the ropes, that was Elmo the Mighty, otherwise known by his real name of Jim Foy. Born in 1904, Elmo was one of the great characters of professional wrestling for close on twenty years, from the mid 1940s until his retirement in 1963. Born in Bolton he was brought up in the hard tradition of Lancashire style wrestling and was Lancashire Heavyweight Champion before he turned professional. Highly rated by Billy Robinson who said he had trouble getting Jim off the mat. During his career Elmo travelled throughout the country and wrestled all the greats like Black Butcher Johnson, Jack Pye, and Bill Benny. Jim Foy died in 2000.

Bruno Elrington might well have been a big package, but it was a package that packed in all the necessary ingredients to be a top rated wrestler.

We don’t recall any fan being critical of Bruno Elrington. Just the name Bruno on the bills, no need for the surname, was enough for fans who knew exatly what to expect.

Whilst some loved to jeer him as a rule bender others loved him because he could, and did, wrestle. His height and weight, around 20 stones, caused an interest, but so did his speed and agility that was surprising for a man of his size. His strength and power moves were admired by many, but so was his wrestling skill.

Bruno had an enormous ring presence and  he made a fearsome site as he climbed into the ring. But fans always realised that here was a generous, warm hearted man, and had a special affection for him even in his most villainous of days. 

Bruno entered the professional ring following six years service in the Royal Marines. Mind you, he could have been lost to the world of boxing, having four fights as a pro boxer before turning his sights to wrestling. 

Bruno was at his notorious best when he turned professional for Paul Lincoln Management. He mellowed later in his career and was rewarded with winning the Royal Albert Hall Trophy in 1969, and succeeding Al Hayes as Southern England Champion.

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Tony Elsden was a popular welterweight who debuted around 1964. He was a skilful welterweight who worked regularly for Joint Promotions.  Future success seemed limited by his bouts restricted to the local North East and Yorkshire. After half a dozen years of promise he seemed to abruptly disappear around 1970.

Another of those wrestlers who really knew the business but never made it to the big time. In Ken’s case this might have been because he spent so much of his career tearing around the world, with Australia being a favourite haunt of his. Indeed Stockport’s Ken spent much of his professional life living in Australia, where he not only wrestled but also promoted and trained youngsters. Seeing him in the ring fans were of no doubt that here was a man with considerable skill. He was one of those wrestlers that didn’t actually break the rules but was never a true blue eye. A bit more colour, a more sustained campaign in Britain and Ken Else could by now have been remembered as a post war great.

One of the last masked men in the period covered by Wrestling Heritage, the Emperor stood well over six feet tall and was said to be heavyweight wrestler Bill Bromley, also known as Big Bertha.

A shooting star with high impact but vanishing as quickly as he appeared. Johnny England created a minor sensation when he first appeared on television. His arrogant nature, tendency to sneer at the fans and predisposition to punctuate bouts with displays of his physique antagonised those who had paid their hard earned cash.

And they loved every minute of it.

Those who knew him testified to what a nice man he was, but his wrestling personae of the mouthy big head was one he carried off to perfection. Fans did admire his wrestling skill, and an ability to outwit far more experienced opponents. 

His prominence seemed short lived, but he did continue in the wrestling business long after leaving Joint Promotions.

It’s not unknown for a sportsman to turn to wrestling as a second career. That was the case for the burly 1960s heavyweight Sam Evans.

Sam was known to rugby followers as a player for Hull Kingston Rovers and Wakefield Trinity before turning to wrestling in 1962. His background also included a six year stint in the Household cavalry, which led to him standing guard at Buckingham Palace and performing duties at the state opening of Parliament and trooping the colour.

The initial interest aroused by his fame as a professional rugby player was sustained when he showed that he had the natural ability to succeed in the rough and tumble world of professional wrestling. His professional debut, in 1963 against Bob McDonald, led to a disqualification defeat, which must be quite a distinction for a first outing.

Sam is shown above holding Leon Arras in a side headlock.

The Executioner has been a frequent name for masked men from the 1950s onwards, with the name most often associated with Birmingham wrestler Gordon Corbett in the 1970s. Corbett was accompanied by his manager, Miss Jamie Barrington. He wore a boot with a raised sole, said to be necessary due to an horrific motor racing accident, which fans claimed was used illegally as they the toe cap  contained hidden weights!

A black cape, a bible and a candle were the hallmark of The Exorcist.  Not to mention the exaggerated limp as he walked towards the ring. Masked men abounded in the Mountevans wrestling era……. Some, like Nagasaki, were born into greatness, whilst others were short lived attempts by promoters to lure a gullible public.  The Exorcist fell into neither category. Despite his clearly identifiable personae and wrestling ability The Exorcist never caught the imagination of the paying public. Beneath the mask of The Exorcist was a fine wrestler, Clayton Thomson,  right and left, who gave up the gimmick without being unmasked. The Exorcist character returned in the mid 1970s with Gordon Corbett behind the mask.