Bits and pieces…

I do differ there. I think each country had its own European and World champions. Modesto Aledo was a world champion. I recall when Horst Hoffmann was high profile in UK that they tried to balance his claim to the European title with Albert Wall's. The beauty of the pre-internet age - they could get away with murder. I think they only acknowledged that some Johnny Foreigner was European champion when said wrestler could also appear in the UK. Rene Ben Chemoul an example world champion. Or some random foreigner was set up with a dubious belt to lose it to a British favourite. Big example of this is when Vic won his European title from some lowly Spaniard we had great difficulty tracing to anywhere else. Agree of course about the Ct Bartelli belt - probably the model Maxine then copied??? We all thought is was so serious, so structured, but it simply wasn't. I mean, even the thought that George Kidd could realistically remain champion for 27 (?) years with all those youngsters appearing every year....and none of them could fathom his "ball."

It was theatre. Champions and shiny belts sold tickets.

That was sort of my point, when I mentioned George Kidd. He was (I think) claiming to be World Lightweight Champ, when wrestling over here, but was often "former" World Champ, when wrestling overseas. Modesto Aledo being the perfect example, where George was the Champ, when facing Aledo in the UK, in 1957 (Royal Albert Hall) and the Challenger, when facing Aledo in Spain, in 1957 (Plaza de toros de Cartagena).

Yes. And of course portly European champion McManus couldn't realistically go off to challenge fit young Spaniards on their home soil. He probably didn't even trust a foreigner not to double-cross him for the title in a UK match, so his rare title defences were limited to Vic, Pallo and a very few other trusted friends.

So, Tont and Thoms were scuffling over the ‘featherweight’ belt? Or maybe the shot was taken by a telescope, turned the ‘wrong’ way around.