One of the very TOP MIDDLEWEIGHT Wrestlers in the '50's/'60's was South African Mat
Man-JACK CUNNINGHAM! His Father was a Famous Race Horse Trainer over there and
like Father like Son JACK was an Expert Horseman!
He reached the Summit of Wrestling during his Career and was one of the few Barefoot
Masters of the Ring!
Known for his Famed MONKEY CLIMB Move CUNNINGHAM met and took on All the
Best Wrestlers of his Day and had some Epic Battles with that other Great MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion-TOMMY MANN!!
One such of these was for the WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE at THE BATHS HALL
ROTHERHAM!-He also had a Mini-Series of Matches with MICK MCMANUS in the early
'60's-a particularly notable one of these Bouts being at the TOWN HALL-HIGH WYCOMBE!
When JACK Retired from Wrestling-He reinvented himself-stayed in the Game for awhile as
a Referee before moving on to his New Career in FILMS and T.V.!
The HI-LITE of his Movie Appearances came in 1967 when he had a sizeable part in the
FILM-'CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE'in which his Prowess as a Top Horseman was
Showcased and in which he rubbed shoulders with some of the Best-Known Actors of the
Day including TREVOR HOWARD and VANESSA REDGRAVE!!
So after many Successful Years in the Sport we all Love JACK CUNNINGHAM went on
to prove that there is Life after Wrestling too!
Did Anyone see this Great Middleweight Wrestler?
Article/Poster to follow!!
MAIN MASK
Thanks again Hack.
I think we'll have to start having examinations on finding your way around Wrestling Heritage. Here you are Bernard, in the Memories section:
https://www.wrestlingheritage.com/bernardhughes
And here's our Jack. Was Basner Cunnigham the same fella?
Jack Cunningham in the A-Z
No, but I thought that I was going to meet him.
Somewhere in my memories there is an article about my visit to Wimbledon Palais and how I thought that I was going to meet Jack.