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Although well remembered by 1960s British wrestling fans Yuri Borienko’s appearances in British rings were surprisingly limited. He was a rugged heavyweight of the 1960s whose entry to the ring was made all the more colourful with his traditional Russian dress. Not exactly a villain of the first order Yuri’s aggression and bending of the rules nevertheless made him less of a fans favourite.
We know that he worked, as simply Borienko initially, for independent promoters from 1960 onwards. The name may well have been borrowed from a wrestler named Stanislaus Borienko. Stanislaus worked in Britain from 1947 to 1948, too early to have been our Yuri who was just fifteen at the time. The earliest we find the first name of Yuri added was in September, 1961. This was five months after Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin had gained world-wide fame when he was the first human to journey into outer space. Could this have been coincidence or promoters cashing in on a foreign sounding name that was new to most British ears?
So certainly a 1960 start for Borienko, but possibly a good few years earlier. There are numerous references on the internet claiming that Yuri Borienko started out as Red Staranoff. The collective resourcefulness of Heritage members could not find any primary sources to substantiate this. But it is possible. Red Staranoff worked in Britain from 1951 until 1953. In 1951 Borienko would have been nineteen years old, a bit young for a “Russian Menace” but certainly not impossible.
Staranoff disappeared in 1953. If he was Borienko where did he go until his resurgence in 1960? Well, before answering that let’s take a step back and ask who was Borienko? Was he even Russian?
Wrestling historian and genealogist has discovered that Yuri Borienko was Polish and his name was Jan Boleslaw Kadlubowskii. Kadlubowski travelled to America in 1956, which co-incides with unauthorised internet reports that Borienko wrestled in America at that time. Kadlubowski returned to Britain in a couple of years later in time to get married in 1960 and resume his wrestling career as Borienko.
The London Gazette of 20 December 1966 (page 13744) listed Jan Boleslaw Kadlubowski, of 14 Birch Grove, London, as a professional wrestler, granted British naturalisation on 14th November 1966. He was listed as Polish.
Yuri Borienko worked for independent promoters from 1960 until signed by Joint Promotions in 1962. His first televised contest came in November, 1964 when he wrestled Sean Regan. This was the first of around a double televised matches with opponents that included Dazzler Joe Cornelius, Peter Maivia, John Da Sillva, Mike Marino and Steve Veidor, so Yuri always played the role of the villain. As well as wrestling Josef also owned a club that was frequented by wrestlers, the 47 Club.
During the 1960s, up to 1969, he could be seen regularly around the rings of southern England, occasionally further afield, wrestling all the top heavyweights. From time to time he would disappear as his time was taken up in films and television dramas most famously the part of Grunther in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Yuri Borienko, born 7th November, 1932 , died at his home in Vancouver on 10th February, 1999.
Page added 05/02/2023
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