ASSIRATI Vs BALDWIN ROYAL ALBERT HALL 19TH OCTOBER 1955
Facts of Tonight`s Title Match
Probably the most important event in all the annals of English wrestling will be presented this evening when mighty Bert Assirati of Islington climbs into the Royal Albert Hall ring to joust with Ernest Baldwin of Wakefield to decide, once and for all time, the heavyweight championship of British wrestling. And how, you will ask, did all this come about ?
Nearly four years ago now, Bert Assirati, who had reigned for many years as the invincible monarch of the wrestling world in Europe, decided to make a world tour. For many years he had desired to test the reputed ability of the famous wrestlers of the Punjab, so, in the prime of athletic life, he went out to India carrying with him the British Heavyweight Championship. So that English wrestling would not be without a leader in the heavyweight class to defend our laurels and prestige against any invaders, it was decided by all promoters to sponsor a heavyweight tournament with the winner of this to be recognised as the "interim" champion. In Middlesborough, in the finals of a nationwide tournament, Ernest Baldwin defeated David Armstrong to open his reign as title-bearer.
Ernest Baldwin is a Yorkshireman, a dour one, and a first-class wrestler. In his amateur days he might have made the Olympic team but the question of £.s.d. came first and Baldwin turned professional instead. It can truthfully be said that, during this period of Baldwin`s reign he has never declined to meet any challenger for his wrestling diadem. He did, too, uphold the prestige of our wrestling against many foreign stars by defeating Ted Christy, Addi Berber, Herman Reiss and many others, Yes, Ernest Baldwin is a masterful tactician of the mat, not colourful perhaps but strictly a wrestler`s wrestler.
Assirati may seem to be an impregnable figure of a man, but history has proved that even the greatest one day meet their masters. Is the clever Baldwin superior to the Islington "Hercules". ?
This evening we shall see......
May the best man win! never before in the entire history of the wrestling sport in London has a contest meant so much.
This evening here in this stately stadium, scene of many championships since the beginning of this century, an official British champion will be crowned. And, a problem that has been perplexing the experts and the chroniclers will be solved to the satisfaction of the fans and the most ardent ringside authorities
Bert Assirati has the herculean "brute force" and Baldwin has both the strength and skill.
(the result of the match Assirati won by 1 fall, and 1 Substitute, to Baldwin`s 1 substitute)
I seem to remember that I swollowed the story that Bert had gone off on an extended tour of the Far East, been stripped of the title by Joint, "The Promoters", forces of darkness, whatever, but returned to sweep all before him. It was clearly a lot more complicated. Well, I was pretty young. But this thread has been so interesting. Thanks everyone.