I hope someone can help me. I am writing currently a book about the wrestling history in vienna.
1953 was the first year for Felix Kerschitz as promotor. He had verry good connections to the U.K. So a lot of his participants came from there. Unfortunatly the newspapers didnt spend a lot attention to the tournament. So you find only the, often wrong pronounced. last name,
I give you the list of the wrestler who compete at the tournament in vienna at the famous "Heumarkt"
Dennis Mitchel was the first time here in Austria wrestled as O.K. 1.
later there was a O.K.2. in Germany it was played by Geoff Poertz. Not sure in Austria.
Salvo? maybe Pasquale Salvo
Valentine-Dave?
Johnson?
Mike Barrett?
Charly?
Peter Cyril Knowles
Chic Purvey
Samson?
Tommy Mann
Masambula-this was his only season in vienna.
Davies-this gives me headaches. Bearded Davies. Roy Bull Davis or Killer Davis?
Carl von Wurden
Rogers?-Dick the Dourmouse?
Rex Reagan?
and Heath-I dont think Ted Heath wrestled in 53.
So please if some of the names (prefering the with the "?") ring a bell, let me know.
Thank you
Gernot from Vienna
I've had a look at newspapers and my lists of results
Cyril Knowles - The only date in July I can see him billed in the UK is 23rd.
Purvey - I have an advert for him at Newcastle on 18th July, and a listing of him losing to Don Branch.
Mann - Within your dates I only have him in UK on 11th August, and this is not confirmed in an advert or programme.
Masambula- UK July dates end on 20th
Johnson - Not found in UK in July
Barrett - Not found in UK in July
Velentine - In UK up to July 11th
Van Wurden - Un UK up to Aug 13th
Suppose as with all good things Professional Wrestling at this amazing venue in the heart of Imperial Vienna had to come to an end
Thank you hack so I can cancle Dave Valentine from my todo list. Odd that I didnt find him when I looked at the A-Z. I am sure that van Wurden is van Wurden. The papers covered the exact name "Carl von Wurden". For "Charly" and "Samson" I found a Joe Charly from belgium and a Raphael Samson but have no clue if these are the right guys.
Purvey-i it was not unusual in these time, early 50, to have lighter guys in the tournament. It comes later with Blemenschütz and Wanz that the focus was only on big guys..
The time frame.
The tournament starts July 3th.
Salvo was there from the beginning and left vienna End of July.
Cyril Knowles and Purvey only mentioned in the papers on July 18th.
Mann arrives July 21. and stays to the end august 26th.
Masambula July 24-end
Davis July 22-Aug 6th
Johnson July 19th-end
Barrett July 18th-end
Valentine July 23th-August 6th
Heath only Aug 2nd and 4th.
van Wurden Aug 18th-end
oh I forgot that Jach Atherton also was part of the tournament. He arrives, together with Jean Morandi, aug 18th and stays to the end.
greetings from vienna.
Pasquale Salvo. Possibly, but does seem early for him. The earliest I find him is 1958.
Dave Valentine. Very likely.Our A-Z states a six week Austrain visit in 1953.
Black Butcher Johnson is a possibilty. He was around at the time and travelled. There was also Ron Johnson, but he didn’t travel much, and Alf Jenkins occasionally billed as Jimmy Johnson seems unlikely. In the A-Z
Mike Barrett. Yes we had Iron Mike Barrett in the early 1950s. Wrestled big names like Assirati and Armstrong. He was said to be from Broken Hill in Australia, but who knows?
Charly? Not a lot to go on. Could be Charlie Green. In the A-Z.
Peter Cyril Knowles. Cyril knowles used all sorts of variations – Cyril Knowles, Peter Knowles, Knowles Peters, Penio Knowles. In the A-Z
Chic Purvey. Could be our Scottish hard man, would have been light (around 13 stones) for an Austrian tournament. In the A-Z
Samson. No one comes to min.
Tommy Mann. Manchester middleweight champion. In the A-Z.
Masambula. He started here in 1952, so coud be him. In the A-Z.
Carl Van Wurden. He would have been 55 in 1953. Still wrestling occasionally but I thought he was back in North America by then. In the A-Z.
Dick Rogers. Was certainly wrestling until the end of 1952, but mostly in Manchester. Did a one-off at belle Vue in 1954. In the A-Z
Rex Regan. Manchester heavyweight. A possibilty. Just noticed he’s not in the A-Z
Ted Heath. Certainly seems too early.
Have you got the dates of the Vienna tournament Gernot? We might be able to see if any of these were absent from our rings at that time.
not 1953. He was 13 then.
Billy Samson?
Others will know much more than me but Big Boy Charlie Scott and Black Butcher Johnson were both around at the time and I know Scott wrestled in Germany.