Wrestling Heritage

Memories of Peter Rann are that of  the ultimate professional. Here was a man who wrestled well, usually stayed just inside the rules, but had a hard, aggressive style that made fans turn up to see him lose.

They were usually disappointed because Peter Rann was a very accomplished wrestler, just missing out on the top run behind the likes of Mick McManus and Jackie TV Pallo.

He was always billed from Camden Town, though actually born in Doncaster and moved to London as a child. He turned professional in 1951 after training at the Foresters AWC, Kensington.

When it came to choosing our Shining Stars we have so many favourites that it seems almost unfair to be excluding others by including some. 

In the end we surprised ourselves with our choice of the Camden Town henchman and night-club bouncer himself in our extended feature. 

Gorilla Reg, the nickname was hardly a surprise in view of his abundance of body hair, was, in his prime, one of the best workers on the British wrestling circuit.

He was, said Eddie Rose, “a natural villain,” and “never took part in a bad bout,” according to  Dennis Lord.

Turning professional shortly after the war Reg was a regular on the Joint Promotion circuit following their establishment in 1952. This brought him into regular combat with the top men of the day, holding his own with the likes of Jack Dempsey and Eric Taylor, Alan Colbeck and Cliff Beaumont.

Like many others Reg chose to leave Joint Promotions in 1962 and work for the independents, most notably for Don Robinson, Cyril Knowles, Brian Trevors and Evan Treharne. 

In his later years he worked mainly for Cyril Knowles, and the two opposed each other on many, some would say too many, occasions. The photo above shows Gorilla Reg Ray about to post Cyril Knowles.

A tremendous villain, a huge contributor to everything that made wrestling great, fondly remembered by fans and wrestlers, he shared the fault of so many, wrestling well beyond his prime.

Heritage readers with any recollection of Leigh's Joe Reid probably remember a veteran well past his prime working until the mid sixties often against Jim Bevan.

Cast aside such  thoughts and celebrate one of the great Lancashire catch wrestlers, champion amateur, and successful pofessional for three decades. 

Born in 1905 and  growing up in an area steeped in catch wrestling tradition Joe was trained by fellow Leigh wrestler Harry Pennington.  The poster on the right advertises a 1927 Lancashire Catch as Catch Can Tournament in which both Joe and Pennington competed.

In 1930 Joe represented England in the first ever Empire Games taking the silver medal after losing to Canadian  James Trifunov in the bantamweight final. Four years later when the games were held in London Joe again took to the podium, this time settling for a bronze medal.

Between times Joe competed in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games. In Britain he was unassaible in the bantamweight division and won the British bantamweight championship every year from 1931 to 1935. The photo above shows Joe Georgio Zervinis of Greece in the third round of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Shortly after his 1935 win Joe turned professional, almost midget like in comparison with most of those who wrestled in the 1930s All-in rings.  For a short time in 1948 Joe was British  lightweight champion in northern rings but in those days, there was no nationally recognised set of champions.

His professional career extended throughout the 1950s and sprawled into the mid sixties by which time he was an occasional feature on the independent bills of the north. Thanks to Allan Best for these photos.

Jacky Rickard was part of the European contingent who came over to Britain following the country's entry into the European Union, or Common Market as we called it in those days.

We know little about the Parisian but gained a clear impression of his ability, and reveal all in our Armchair Corner feature, Wrestling Leads the Way.  

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Arguably the father of modern day professional wrestling.

There was a saying about putting your hand down a coal mine in Wigan and you’d pull up a wrestler or a rugby player.

Riley was from Wigan,  and this was the wrestling capital of twentieth century. Not a miner himself Riley wrestled, with those who were, in the Lancashire catch-as-catch-can style.  Billy Riley founded Rileys gym in the 1950’s, and many of the mid 20th Century  professional wrestling stars owed their skill to Billy Riley and the other trainers at “the Snakepit.”

Stories abound of successful wrestlers who turned up just the once at Riley’s gym and vowed never to return because the experience was too painful. 

Billy himself  excelled in wrestling and was British Middleweight Champion in the 1920’s, as well as holding the World title from 1919-23, before losing it  to the Finnish wrestler Waino Ketonen. Wrestling authority Charles Mascall rated Ketonen and Riley respectively as the two greatest middleweights of all time.

Billy Riley  retired from wrestling in 1946. He continued to referee and promote shows in conjunction with Jack Atherton.  Most notably of all he continued to train youngsters (and those not so young) at his Snakepit  gym until his death in  September, 1977. The photo shows Billy Riley as Guest of Honour at a party organised by famly and friends to celebrate his 65th birthday. 

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Ernie Riley was another of the post war greats to emerge from Wigan and the Snakepit gymnasium. 

Not surprising, really, as he was the son of Billy Riley and continued his father’s tradition of being the best that Britain could offer.

Riley was a more familiar figure on the professional circuit than his father, a sign of the times.

Dismissive of gimmicks, which he didn't need, some fans complained that he lacked colour, and complained even more loudly that his championship defences were too sparse. In his latter years this criticism was justified.

What was without doubt, though, was that Ernie Riley was the best at his weight, and there was no way that the belt could be removed from him. Here was a man who could really wrestle; like no other light heavyweight. 

He was four times British Light heavyweight champion between 1952 and his retirement in 1969; and we are convinced that when he eventually relinquished his title it was on condition that it was passed on to Billy Joyce, a man of the same wrestling heritage.

Billy Joyce came out of the retirement forced upon him by serious illness following his tour of Japan and dropped down a weight to make it through to the final of the knock-out championship tournament and beat Tony Charles for the now vacant title at the King George's Hall in Blackburn. 

On occasions Ernie added the European title to his collection, winning and losing it to Josef Molnar. 

Ernie Riley died  in October, 2000

The trunked wrestler and transport café owner from Staplehurst, left, developed into a spectacular all-round leotarded master of the wrestling craft in the late seventies and he is discussed in more detail in Armchair Corner.

He is one of our Wrestling Heritage favourites, a skilfull under-rated heavy who could have done so much more, if only the promoters would have allowed him.

When not punishing the villains of the ring Basil Riley could be found behind the bar of the Thanet Arms in Hothfield, Kent, where he was the landlord.

Into the Fact or Folklore compartment we must put the claim that Basil drove his horse-drawn Romany caravan throughout Europe on a wrestling tour of Germnany, Spain and France.

During the last half century few men have made their contribution to professional wrestling in such a variety of ways as Frank Rimer.

Where to begin?

An amateur career in which he won the south eastern england lightweight championship, followed by professional training from Johnny Yearsley and at the Dale Martin Gymnasium.

His professional career began with the independents before being signed up by Joint Promotions in 1964. It was a surprise to many when Frank and his good friend, Ray Fury, started promoting their own shows, cheekily using the name Independent Joint Promotions.

In 1998 Frank and Tony Scarlo founded the Dropkixx Wrestling Academy which grew into the largest wrestling school in Britain. Add to that refereeing, MCing, and not least of all member of the organising committee of the British Wrestlers Reunion and management of the British Wrestlers Reunion website. 
 

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In terms of wrestling ability Mel Riss ranked alongside the more often remembered Jack Dempsey, Billy Joyce and Ernie Riley. Mel Riss trained at Riley's gym, and it showed.

During his twenty plus years as a professional wrestler the one time British lightweight champion was a great ring craftsman. Fellow wrestler Eddie Rose told us, "Melvyn Riss was one of the very best wrestlers  ever. I watched him many times; he could wrestle in the rugged Wigan style & he could enhance a bout with moments of sheer comedy magic. He was so full of energy and drive in the ring that you had to work flat out just to survive with him."  

Mel turned professional in 1950 with the first of his many career highlights coming in April 1953 with a Royal Albert Hall encounter against fellow Lancastrian John Foley. Four years later he was back at the Royal Albert Hall, this time topping the bill whilst losing to Mick McManus. The following year he won the British lightweight championship which he held for five years until surprisingly losing it to a young Yorkshireman by the name Jim Breaks at the Royal Albert Hall in October 1963. Melwyn was a main lightweight contender for the remainder of the decade until 1970 when he  cut back on his wrestling commitments and began working for the independents; his last recorded bout being in 1974 using the name Al Prince. 

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Eddie Rose remembers his good friend:

A good nature and scientific style made Llew Roberts a popular figure in the north and midlands for many years.Lew was a good class middleweight in the 60s and 70s, originally from Criccieth in North Wales but based in Crewe.

He was also an expert photographer and took many of the photos that illustrated articles in RINGSPORT, some of which he has passed on to me. Llew first entered the ring as a very raw but enthusiastic debutant and got a serious beating from the unflinching Jack Lang; cuts,blood, and stiches. Lang did not give him a drink of water.

After that, Llew made friends with Alec Burton and came up to Manchester to train at Panther's gym where I first met him. Over the next couple of years he applied himself and became much more competent in the ring, well able to look after himself against the likes of Jack Lang. Being from Crewe and in wrestling, he made friends with Count Bartelli and they became close mates over the years.

He has given me a couple of good photos of Bartelli including one of his memorial stone in Crewe. Llew wrestled for Independent promoters at first, like Jack Oatley, Jack Cassidy, Unique Promotions and for the very good Potteries promoter, John Ford. With a good word in the right ear, Llew transferred over to Joint Promotions (mainly Wryton) and worked with most of the welterweights and middleweights of the time. The one black spot on his career was a nasty head injury during a bout with Ray Steele that put him in hospital for some time with severe concussion.

In a business full of larger than life characters Andy Robin stands out large.

Whenever fans or wrestlers gather together the stories or memories abound.

Memories of a muscular heavyweight who was just about invincible, in his native Scotland at least, and near invincible elsewhere. Fans waited in anticipation knowing that ts was just about inevitable that Andy would eventually wrap his legs around those of  his opponent and secure a submission, and usually a technical knock out, by the application of his Power Lock hold, said to be the deadliest in wrestling from which no opponent ever escaped. Or maybe they are memories of Hercules the brown bear that Andy brought back from Canada and his companion in the ring. When no accompanied by Hercules we remember Andy carrying a huge tractor tyre to the ring which he could toss with ease.  A Highland Games champion in both wrestling and hammer throwing Andy learned to wrestle alongside his friend Jim Bell, who was tragically killed in a boating accident. Much of Andy's early career was spent in Canada, and on his return to Britain he brought with him a Commonwealth Mid Heavyweight championship belt, a bear named Hercules and an air of invincibility. 

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The spring of 1969 saw the emergence of another of the family Robinson  with young Jack following in the footsteps of his father, Alf, and cousin Billy.  Coming from such a famous wrestling family expectations of the youngster were invariably high, but the new addition to the Robinson clan certainly did not disappoint.

What he lacked in the power of his heavyweight predecessors he more than made up for with speed, agility and the wrestling knowldge  that had been passed down to him. Trained by Alf and Billy, along with Ken Cadman, Martin Conroy and Jack Atherton, Jack's first few bouts saw him matched with youngsters like Dave Barrie and Paul Mitchell   as well as experienced and highly rated Alan Wood, Mel Riss and Terry Downs. So he certainly wasn't given an easy start. In fact Jack  had only been in the professional ranks a few weeks when he faced another youngster, Tony St Clair,  at Belle Vue. 

In the 1970s,  as the general standard of pro wrestling declined Jack Robinson was one of those who demonstrated that all was not lost, finding fans across the country with more than a dozen television appearances against quality opponents whilst  bigger men were bringing the business into disrepute. For more than twenty years Jack Robinson was to remain at the top of one of the country's most competitive weight divisions, lightweight, three times holding the European lightweight championship.

Ray Robinson always seemed to embody those old fashioned virtures that were little appreciated by fans of the late seventies and eighties.

Here was a hard, strong wrestler with more than his fair share of technical ability. We could imagine him In the 1960s  swapping hold for hold with the likes of Jack Dempsey, Mel Riss and Tommy Mann.

Trained in schoolboy boxing Ray turned to wrestling in his teens and was trained in the ways of the professional ring by Cyril Knowles.

After only a  few weeks of training it was apparent to Cyril Knowles that the teenager had a lot of potential. It wasn't just his strength and fitness that impressed the promoter, it was Ray's desire to be the best at everything he did, a will to win every time. 

Combine these qualities and you end up with Ray Robinson, a man to whom we pay tribute in "A Man of Steel." Seen above sparring with boxing protege Jimmy Male. 

Read our extended tribute: A Man of Steel.

One look at him and you knew this boy had the star quality. Trained by Manchester's Colin Joynson, without the knowledge of his dad and Colin's old pal, Jumping Jim Hussey.

He started out as a Salford middleweight known simply as Mark Rocco, transformed himself into Rollerball ( a 1970s film) and ended one of the UKs greatest contributions to world wrestling. Rollerball had it all. Wrestling skill, creativity, hard as nails and the killer instinct.

A punishing forearm, a quick follow-up, a few dubious tactics and Rollerball was on his way to his next success.

Championship success came in 1977 with a win over the heavy middleweight champion Bert Royal.  In the years that followed Mark brought vitality and excitement to a business that was in so many respects looking jaded, and we can't help but think that had there been a few more like him things may well have turned out differently. Success in North America and Japan, where he used the name Tiger Mask and embarked on a memorable feud with Tiger Mask, who had wrestled in Britain as Sammy Lee. In later years he was a mainstay of Brian Dixon's All Star Wrestling, finally retiring from the ring in 1991.

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Michigan's Dean Rockwell's first venture to Europe was in the US navy when he led a group of soldiers in the Normandy landings.  His decision to break radio silence prevented imminent disaster and Dean's bravery was recognised by the award of the US Navy Cross and the French Croix de Guerre avec Paume. In 1994 he received further recognition for his actions from President Clinton. Prior to joining the navy Dean had been an amateur wrestling coach and made his professional debut in the late 1930s.

He came to Britain from the USA in 1948,  mainly to watch the London Olympic Games and trace his family history (his parents were British born). Whilst in Britain he took the opportunity to wrestle professionally and stayed for a year, working around northern England and Scotland. 

In the summer of 1948 he seemed to be an almost weekly fixture at Belle Vue, Manchester, with opponents including Farmers Boy, Bert Assirati, Francis St Clair Gregory and Tony Mancelli, Dave Armstrong and Ray St Bernard. Dean returned to Britain for a few months in 1952.

Back home he continued to teach amateur wrestling for many years, and trained the 1964 US Olympic team. . In 2000, America's biggest  wrestling library, the  AAU National Wrestling Hall of Fame, was named the "Dean Rockwell Library and Research Center." In January 2007, Eastern Michigan University named a gymnasium in his honor as the "Dean L. Rockwell Wrestling Facility." Dean Rockwell died, aged 93, in 2005. 

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By the time Bob Roop came to Britain in 1972 Wrestling Heritage writers had been around long enough to know the ropes; it was a well trodden path  - American wrestler was over-hyped by the wrestling press, came to Britain, showed little wrestling ability, broke the rules and disappointed fans immensely. 

Then came Bob Roop.

He was different. He could wrestle, and did wrestle, and we rather liked him. Or at least that's what our distant memories tell us. We now look back on his UK record and see quite a few disqualification losses. Those losses conflict with our memories of a skilful heavyweight who could work with the best we could off.

Little wonder, because Bob Roop had represented the USA in the 1968 Olympic Games. The year following the Olympics (he came seventh) Bob turned professional and so had three years pro experience when he came to the UK.

Following his UK visit he returned to the USA where he had a successful career for another sixteen years, and then it all ended very suddenly. Bob Roop retired from wrestling in 1988 as a result of injuries received in a car accident. 

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Long-time Northern Area Middleweight Champion, Manchester's wrestling schoolteacher Eddie Rose had a long and varied career in a number of guises.

Sometimes we can under-estimate the importance and impact of wrestlers not regularly seen on television, but with a list of opponents such as Eddie Rose's, make no mistake:  Count Bartelli, Johnny Saint, Adrian Street, Jack Dempsey, and in tag, leading pairs The Hells Angels and The Royals. Eddie tagged principally with Pete Lindberg and Ian "Mad Dog" Wilson, a one time member of the Skinheads (with Roy Paul) but  also notably was  for a couple of years Abe Ginsberg's final partner in the Black Diamonds.

At other times Eddie would pull on a hood and become one of the masked Barons tag team, a pairing that could raise heat like few others.Except maybe when he was one of the Red Devils tag team). If that's not enough, those who remember a young Wat Tyler on Jack Atherton shows might well  have noticed a similarity, yes that too was Eddie. 
 
Others may remember Eddie as a regular contributor to The Wrestler magazine under his real name of Eddie Caldwell.

Eddie is seen left, in action over Pete Lindberg. He wrestled both for Joint Promotions and on the independent circuit.  For a fuller account of his career read his own highly acclaimed book "Send in the Clowns."

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The high flying Scot was a popular figure on the lightweight scene from the mid sixties and into the 1980s. Little wonder he was popular because his wrestling skill, agility and speed made him an equal of those other top men of the time Al Miquet, Jon Cortez, Jim Breaks etc.

The etc. is of significance because the lightweight division had a surplus of talent during the late 1960s and 1970s, with Johnny Saint, Jim Breaks, George Kidd, Al Miquet, Zoltan Boscik, Jackie Robinson, Jon Cortez, Bobby Ryan (need we go on?) ensuring that only the very best could be uttered in the same breath.  Even in Scotland George Kidd, Jim McKenzie and Bill Ross could ensure the Scottish title was worth having.

Bill's wrestling commitments were limited to the midlands, north of England and Scotland, which we can only imagine was of his own chosing. It was only this lack of national exposure that prevented him being classed as an equal with Breaks, Saint, Boscik and other lightweight greats.

Trained by Andy Robin and Jim Bell, neighbours of his in Auchterarder,  the youngster found success in both singles matches, winning  both the Scottish, Commonwealth and European lightweight titles, and in a tag partnership with Jim McKenzie, a pairing that were a match for the Royal brothers, Jet Set and just about every other tag team of the time.

Another tag partner was his mentor, Andy Robin. The oddly matched pair (Andy being a good five stones heavier and of a more rugged style) wrestled together in both Britain and overseas. 

At a competitive level Bill Ross also found auccess. He held the Commonwealth lightweight title for five years, from 1971 until 1976, and on three occasions had the European lightweight belt secured around his waist.  

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Stockport heavyweight Jack Rowlands, whose athletic build and dark, handsome features led to an alternative billing as "Beau Jack" graduated through the 1960s independent rings into Joint Promotion territory.

As a youngster Jack watched the wrestling near his home at the Levenshulme Ice Rink, where his favourites included Jack pye and Tommy mann. He trained at the Manchester YMCA, encouraged by the Canadian Carl Van Wurden, before turning professional in 1960 for the independent promoters.

In those days there were sufficient independent shows every night in southern Lancashire and Yorkshire to give a youngster an excellent grounding in the professional business.

We always felt that those early matches in which we saw him against villains such as The Ghoul, Lord Bertie Topham and Dai Sullivan were the ones where we enjoyed him the most. 

On Monday 10th October, 1966, he moved across to Joint Promotions, losing to Don Vines at Carlisle. For the following fifteen years Jack remained a popular figure in British and overseas ring, holding his own against the top heavyweights but never really making it into the big league. His career extended into the early 1980s.

Northamptonshire was of course Ken Joyce territory and the two had an ongoing feud, with Rowney ever the one  booed by the fans.  See the pair right.

We had first become aware of him in the very early seventies with tales of wrestling lions inside their cages at the zoo

A background in boxing and the faurgound booths life of taking on all comers led to his pro wrestling career. His first televised bout was in 1977 against Dynamite Kid, followed a few months later with a televised contest against Kung Fu.

Due to his daytime job at a steelworks, Tony was greatly limited travel-wise throughout his career, but we are sure he would have become a big name had he chosen to dedicate himself full-time to wrestling.

Tony passed away on 25^th June 2009, aged seventy years old.

A wrestling show in Tony's memory was organised by wrestler Blondie Barratt, with competitors fighting for the Ring Gladiator Trophy. 

Photos exist of a young Bert Royal as a masked wrestler, which surprised us as much as his other fans. Bert Royal was one of the big name middleweights from the 1950s until the mid seventies, a Middle and Heavy Middleweight champion of long standing. 

Herbert Faulkner chose his ring name to avoid confusion with his father Lew Faulkner, who latterly wrestled as Vic Hesle.

Very popular, though we would dare to suggest that much of that popularity rubbed off from his far more youthful looking brother, Vic Faulkner. Nonetheless, he was exceedingly well-liked, and an acrobatic, skilful wrestler, albeit criticised by Jackie Pallo for an unwillingness to allow opponents look good. In balance we have to report that others have not shared Pallo's views and quite a few wrestlers have reported the joys of wrestling Bert Royal.

A Bert Royal bout was certainly full of joy for fans also, whether it be a clean, scientific affair against another technician or bringing about the come=uppance of villains such as Jackie Pallo, Mick McManus or Chic Purvey. Forty years on whenever fans discuss the wrestling of old the name Bert Royal is usually one of the first to crop up. 

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Long-term career mid-heavyweight who could wrestle clean or dirty, bald or hairy, tanned or pale.  Blocked at the Royal Albert Hall by Mike Marino in his title bid, this was the story in the over-crowded Mid-Heavyweight division all along for the Dunstable utility wrestler, the Barry Douglas of the south.  Seen on the right trying for a submission on Marty Jones.

A surprising protegé of Wrestling's Most Influential, Bradford  based Norman Morrell.

Terry turned professional in the late 1960s, quickly gaining experience and weight before taking part in the German summer tournaments. As he matured Terry developed a harder edge style which didn't endear him to fans.

Can claim one of the most ourageous quotes:  his toughest opponent was Tornado Torontos!

In the early 1970s the lightweight division was bursting with talent - George Kidd, Johnny Saint, Jack Robinson, Zoltan Boscik, Jim Breaks, Jon Cortez, Bill Ross,  and Hanley's Bobby Ryan. Bobby was the son of  referee Stan Rylands.

His stylistic maneouvres,speed and agility made him a fans favourite, never more so than in his clashes  with Jim Breaks.They had some great matches around the country, matching one another with speed and skill, and delighting the fans when Bobby would outwit the Yorkshire man who would oblige with one of the tantrums that he made his own. 

Bobo Matu, as well as his father, Stand Rylands, were influential in preparing Bobby for his professional debut, against Sid Cooper. In the years that followed he developed into a first class lightweight, whose epic battles with Jim Breaks are remembered to this day. 

In the early to mid 1970s the British and European lightweight titles moved freely between Breaks and Ryan, with fans rarely being more delighted than the four occasions they witnessed Bobby snatch one or the other of those titles from the Bradford man. 

Television exposure gave him national popularity though Bobby worked mainly in the midlands and north of England for Wryton Promotions.

We are certain that Bobby Ryan could have remained one of the top men in the lightweight division until the sport went into near terminal decline at the end of the 1980ss but Bobby chose  premature retirement from the ring in 1982. Fans were shockened and saddened at his departure from the ring when he was at the top of his profession, but Bobby's decision does mean that all our memories are golden ones. 

Born in Hudderfield in 1945 and trained by Ian St John the Yorkshireman had moved to the Isle of Man before making his professional debut. He was in his mid twenties when we  last saw him in action and longing for his big chance on the mainland.

Fortunately for Sean there was a healthy wrestling scene in the Isle of Man at the time with a dozen or so youngsters training together and working regularly with weekly shows during the summer season.

Seab was one of these  dozen or so youngsters who trained regularly at the George Barnabus wrestling club. When he was deemed ready to set foot in the profeesional ring Sean'made his  debut  against fellow Manx man Leon Ski at the Isle of Man Holiday Centre.

Sean was a clean and skilful wrestler who was very popular with fans.

We last saw Sean wrestling around the Isle of Magic some forty years ago, and would welcome news of what happened next. 

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