These are our shorter Biographical portraits which we would like to extend if you can provide information or memories.
Tony Quarmby
Wrestling fans of the 1950s knew Huddersfield’s Tony Quarmby because he was one of the busiest wrestlers on the circuit. He turned professional in 1952 wrestling mainly in the north of England but sometimes journeying south. In his first year the young middleweight met many of the big names of the day, including Johnny Stead, Fred Woolley, Eric Sands, George Kidd and Jack Dempsey. Said to have a “brilliant future” it just didn’t happen unless someone can out us right. Too frequently Quarmby seemed to end up on the wrong end of the decision and he disappeared from the scene as quickly as he arrived in 1958
Joe Queseck
A surge of energy that moved like lightning across the rings of Southern England in the late 1960s. National Service delayed Joe’s entry to the professional ranks, but he made good use of his time and gained a grounding in wrestling, boxing and weightlifting whilst serving as a paratrooper. We know that wrestlers learn how to fall, but jumping out of aeroplanes does seem to have been a bit extreme. After just two years as an amateur Joe turned professional, working firstly for the independent promoters before being quickly snapped up by Joint Promotions, gaining a name around the south as a fast, energetic and skilful welterweight.
Joe Queseck died in 2010.
Jose Rodriguez Questa
Visiting monkey-climbing Spaniard who relinquished his European Middleweight Championship to Vic Faulkner at Nottingham Ice Rink in November 1966. He was only in the UK for Novemeber and December of that year but his famous loss marks the arrival in the UK of a belt that would be fought over by a whole host of big names from home and abroad over the following 15 years. Unlike many of the legion of overseas visitors Questa provided more than cannon fodder for Britain’s home grown talent. He was a skilful technician capable of giving master technicians such as Alan Colbeck a run for his money.
Danny Quinn
Portsmouth’s heavyweight Danny Quinn came from the Bruno Elrington gym to make it onto the independent circuit of the 1960s. He was in good company, training alongside Farmer’s Boy Ron Night, Cyril Dummer, Bob Kirkwood, Jonny Kowalski, Roger Green, Dave Larsen. Dave Hines, Spiderman Alan Turner, Butcher Mason, and Mick Sullivan. Obviously Big Bruno was doing something right. Ex Commonwealth champion Mickey Sullivan got in touch with Wrestling Heritage to tell us of his memories of working alongside Danny. When Mick turned up at Bruno’s gym it was Danny Quinn who took him onto the mat and began to teach him the business of professional wrestling. “I learned a great deal from him, I cannot speak highly enough,” Mickey told us. Good memories aren’t confined to the ring. ” He always had time for you; the man to be with, so funny, always joking. He was the man to travel with, you would not stop laughing I well never forget him.” Danny Quinn died in July, 2009.
Steve Quintain
Admittedly the name Steve Smith would not excite the fans, which is presumably why Steve became the more exotic sounding Steve Quintain, Steve, from Canvey Island in Essex, was a regular on the independent shows, and later Joint Promotions, of the 1970s. Remarkably Steve is one of the few who has survived and in the 2010s can still be seen in the ring, mostly for Ricky Knight’s WAW Promotions or on his own shows. Even more remarkable are the tattoos that adorn much of his body, and less remarkable that he went on to run his own tattoo studio in Lowestoft. Why have two when you can have two hundred? Trained by popular 1960s star Bert Alliday he is a former holder of the Southern Area Lightweight title.
Joe Quintero
The winter of 1965 saw a flying visit from the Texan villain who provided little resistance against home grown talents. The variety of opponents was wide ranging, from the youthful lighter men like Dave Phillips to the experienced heavier men such as Steve Logan and Gerhardt DeJager. Whoever the opponent the result seemed similar. He seemed to notch up losses with regularity, and was on the wrong end of the decision against Ray Fury, Johnny Kwango, Gerry DeJager, Johnny Czeslaw and Dave Morgan amongst others.
Gordon Quirey
A good wrestling name, and his real one. Gordon Quirey was born in West Ham on 30th October, 1942. The window cleaner turned welterweight wrestler for a few fleeting years at the end of the sixties. His career started slowly; a serious injury falling from a ladder interrupting his livelihood for more than six months after just two bouts. Ironic really as he had started the window cleaning business as a “fall back” if the wrestling career hadn’t worked out. In those first couple of bouts Gordon, who was a keen motor cyclist, was possibly the first true Hell’s Angel of the ring with his for the time unusual mane, but on his return he quickly evolved into a clean cut crowd favourite. He regularly worked in the South for a few years, always the promising star but with a dearth of real success, and then quietly disappeared from the scene.
Wrestling Heritage 