A Handful of really Great Wrestlers from Overseas visited our Shores in the 1950's!
One of Europe's Top Wrestling Stars of the Time was The Heavyweight Champion of
ITALY!!-MARIO MATASSA!-Billed as a 'Stocky Dreadnought of the Mat' and hailing from
GENOA-MARIO was a Leading Contender for the European Title!!
He had-among many- 2 particularly Memorable Clashes with our own JUDO AL HAYES
at the ROYAL PIER PAVILION SOUTHAMPTON and against RAY APOLLON at the
ASSEMBLY HALL TUNBRIDGE WELLS! MARIO was one of the most Popular Wrestlers
ever to Fight in BELGIUM where he was highly regarded!
Definitely a Stand-Out Heavyweight of this Decade!
Photo/Programme to follow!
MAIN MASK
Dear Friends, I have a question, where in which country Matassa spent most of his pro career? Was it in France or may be somewhere else?
Here he is in 1953 working for Atholl Oakeley
Gustaaf Haens was a Belgian heavyweight, a diamond cutter by trade, who came to Britain, liked it and stayed. He was born on 1st July, 1924. We find him on the bills in 1949 with opponents that included Jack Atherton, Billy Joyce, Gerry Hoggarth and Mike Marino. In 1952 he wrestled at the Royal Albert Hall in London, opponents Mario Matassa and George McLean. He settled in Preston, Lancashire, where he married a local girl. We have found a Gustaaf Haens who married Mary Eastham at Preston in 1945, but have not established this was definitely our man. Here’s the interesting bit about Gustaaf’s career. In 1954 he retired from wrestling and took up professional boxing, trained by Dick Knowles, and made his boxing debut on Fred Bamber’s promotion at Preston on 17th January, 1955. His opponent was Dennis Lockton and Gustaaf lost the four round contest on points. It was a short career, just the one match according to boxrec.com. He returned to wrestling and was last seen in 1959. Gustaaf Haens died in 1996.
Gentlemen here's what I think...Constant Le Marin had a belt...which he passed to Ochoa, who in turn passed it to Matassa...I am into conspiracies.
BELTS CAN TALK...if we only listen. Matassa and Ochoa.