1973 Wryton Tourney - Winner Keith Martinelli

Hack...this cup is an amazing find...and special thanks to Lee for sharing it with heritage members fans of British pro wrestling...now it's a WRYTON BELT time...

Ruslan, are you going all weak at the knees? Thanks Lee. Brilliant.

Lee - this photo will cure Corona on this site!

Brilliant.

this is the trophy bobby ryan has

Dear bkendo1 I was able to find out that in 1947 Martin Conroy held the Wryton Belt, but looks like in the 1950's besides tradtional Wryton Belt there also has been Wryton Silver Trophy ( I am assuming it was a cup). I am attaching image of Mick McMichael with the Cup, do you recognize it?

Still I have to admit that all this "Trophies Studies" led to one major discovery - PREEXISTENCE of real Mountevans Belts. Those finds are historical, credible evidences that Morell Belts weren't in fact Lord Mountevans Belts as they were billed for decades, but rather, the belts given to champion wrestlers who competed under the Mountevans Rules. Though originally in circa 1950 there were very few actual Lord Mount Evans Silver Belts produced and awarded champions like Geo Busfield, Alan Colbeck and Ernie Baldwin.

Anglo Italian is dead right, putting into a concise and precise way what many of us have been getting at Ruslan, but not saying half so well. I think you're starting to understand that these titles and knock out tournaments had little value. The promoters would say anything to get bums on seats. I went to one show where the newspaper advert listed a match as a title match. The poster listed two different matches as title matches. On the night all three matches took place but not one title was ever mentioned.

What you have discovered, and it is of value, is that at the shows many of us went to the promoters did use some historical belts (not that I remember seeing any belts other than Maxines). But other than the Mountevans champions the titles those belts were linked with were or little significance.

I am not so sure this was an annual tournament. If something worked, the promoters repeated it quickly.

This would explain why there was no reporting of this tournament in the wrestling press. Posters above saw the tournament at different venues ... it probably took place frequently, or erratically.

If it did have any importance, the weight categories would have had to have been established much more authoritatively.

Four and Eight-wrestler tournaments abounded in Dale Martin Land and sometimes they rustled up a trophy and gave the venue's name as a title. These were one-offs and not reported.

Promoters kept a tight lid on their best ideas. Wryton was simply a promotion with a narrow "catchment" area, and Riley and Wright and Rylands could personally oversee most bills, and travel the belt safely.

Sorry to be a damp squib.

Another great Ron's find, 1961 Wryton KO Tourney.

This 1973 programme speaks of first round and quarter finals. In fact we have two pairs: Royal v Martinelli and Street v Pallo, BUT there's additional info on the poster - winner of the two above contests to meet....and we know winners were Martinelli and Pallo...so they met, and Martinelli won...then what about Rocco v Conneely. Dear Friends please help to understand that.

another question is how in fact the tourney worked...

Hack, quick question was it solely Arthur Wright's Promotion from the get go, or there were some other individuals involved in the establishment of the Wryton pro-wrestling company.

Thanks Hack appreciate, great info as always. So he was Mancunian, Hyde (historical Cheshire). They had great Lancashire Wrestling Traditions by the way...Hyde and Dukinfield Area was among the best ever.

Arthur Wright wasn't a wrestler. He was a business man from Manchester with an interest in wrestling. He promoted his first show, at Hyde in Cheshire, during the Second World War.

Wryton was established by Arthur Wright right after the war...that's to the best of my understanding. And they shortly introduced their own title The Wryton Belt, so I am assuming Wright was the owner of the belt in the late 1940's. Does anyone know Wright's background, where was he from? Was he a former wrestler like let's say Morell was, or he was just a manager, promoter.

Here's the link to the Steve Wright belt

https://heritagedocs.wixsite.com/talkwrestling/forum/memories-of-the-old-days/steve-wright-s-belt

I made a post last year it's called Steve Wright Belt. Please have a look at it. Let me know what you think.

Ruslan sorry wasnt on either bill,only saw belt accidently on a.sunday training session.incidently in the sixties and before as Bernard will confirm titles belts trophys meant something prior to crabtrees flowers and the same generic trophy renamed for every leisure centre.

Cant swear to it Ruslan but it was very similar if not this belt.

I rembeabout 73 the old pay kiosk at wryton under the shelf were two belt boxes one empty othr contained very elaborate decorated belt i really wished id checked it out.but i was preoccupied every sunday morning

RIII

Dear Friends there is a good chance that Keith Martinelli was the LAST holder of the Wryton Belt looks like title was retired after his victory. Wryton Promotions existed for 10 more years...but there was NO such a title as The Annual Wryton Belt anymore.

Notably the 1946 event wasn't even in Bolton...New Brighton Tower.

I do realize that to build the whole entire lineage is probably impossible...BUT I am sure we still have good chances to figure names of many wrestler who held the trophy in the past. I am asking for help all the members of Heritage who consider themselves experts on the Best Wryton Promotions.

Great info as always Ron, thanks yes I saw it on BNA they practiced team matches...the earliest is dated back to 1946...for Wryton Gold Belt. Jack&Harry Pyes v Man Mountain Benny&Jimmy Hussey. I wonder which team won that belt...

That 1959 line up is a strong one. The difficulty with building the lineage Ruslan is that there are no official records of wrestling in Britain and newspapers only rarely covered the tournaments. A good challenge though.

I would love to build the lineage of the Wryton Trophy Holders, not sure if it's even possible (almost 3 decades of champions). But you always hope for the best.

Hack, I wonder how big is the chance that Ernie Riley won the 1959 Trophy? I am referring to the bill discovered by Ron Historyo.

Dear Hack, yes I see your point and I agree with you, I was thinking about the importance or significance of Wryton Title as well. Some people would prefer calling it "regional" title. That's what we would call it in States...meaning local promotion's championship. An it probably is applicable in this case. It wasn't billed as British, or English, or Commonwealth, or Empire etc. title, it was called Wryton Title. An yes it was the most historical title that promotion had since it was their very first official title, they introduced it right after the war. I am not sure when exactly Wryton Promotions was established, I have newspaper clippings dated 1945 which refer to them.

Ruslan's research is first class. He's demonstrated the tournament took place as early as 1946 and as late as 1973. But I'm still not convinced it was a title of any significance, most likely an attempt to jazz up a pretty ordinary bill (though that 1973 one is class). Rocco and Jones were not big names in 1972, they were novices. I need someone who was there at the time to tell me this tournament had any significance. I don't recall ever seeing it mentioned.

According my info the final match of the 1972 Wryton Belt was a draw between Rocco and Jones. There was NO winner that year.

and finally the one that was posted few months ago.

This one is from Ron's Collection Oct 30th, 1959.

Dear Hack, thanks for your feedback, appreciate. The Annual Wryton Tourney was the oldest title that organization ran, they started it right after the war. In 1946/47 season there already was The Wryton Tourney. Lasted throughout all late 40's 50s, 60s and early 70s. Basically over 3 decades, for any pro-wrestling title its a very very long time. Usually promotions unless they are huge nation-wide organizations don't live that long. I am not sure but there's a chance that 1973 was the last their official title. Looks like there were some changes in 74 but I need to collect more info and need help of people who remember it on TV or may be even were present at some of those tourney matches. It usually was 2 semis and then the final. All matches at Bolton I am assuming, but again that needs to be also double checked.

Bloomin' 'eck Bernard. I'm at an age when everything seems to cost at least twice as much as I think they should and here you are saying the prices are cheap. I've just found a Preston advert for 1972, main event Streiger v Two Rivers, and ringside seats were 55p. I probably grumbled at the time, and never sat ringside.

This Wryton tournament has been mentioned before. I have to admit that watching the wrestling at the time I never heard of it. The bill above were big names. An earlier example I saw sounded like a promoter trying to give a bit of umph to an underwhelming show.

So, how significant was this Wryton tournament?

The prices for 1973 seem cheap. I would have thought that they would have gone up more than that from the 1950's.

Dear Friends, any info regarding that title would be highly apprciated. Thanks in advance to everyone. Kind regards, R