Does anyone have any information on the British Wrestling magazine "Wrestling World"?
I have a couple of issues in my collection but know very little about it compared to 'The Wrestler.'
Both magazines appear to have begun life in 1961. Whereas The Wrestler recognised the Lord Mountevans titles and champions the Wrestling World recognised the alternative organisation The British Wrestling Federation titles and their champions. I don't seem to be able to trace anything about the publication. Was it short lived? Was it the brainchild of TBWF to promote their stars and company? Apart from pro wrestling there were also pages dedicated to other combat sports amateur wrestling, martial arts and boxing. Any information would be appreciated.
Another mystery unsolved :)
It's a long time ago but that looks like the Wrestling Whirl I remember.
One difference is that World is the mag of the BWF and Whirl the WFGB.
Crabtree returned to Joint in 1962 prior to the formation of the WFGB. Taylor was in both. So this makes me think your Whirl has nothing to do with Crabtree. There are similarities though.
All just assumption on my end Hack. Just trying to make sense of the two different Wrestling Worlds. This is the only image i've seen of a Wrestling Whirl:
So I think what you're saying Ost is we have two different Wrestling World's from about the same time. The larger one is the Lou Ravelle version and the other possibly Crabtree. You believe the smaller one morphed into Wrestling Whirl, which I associate with Taylor. We do need a copy of Whirl. I can tell you that Taylor and Crabtree did associate in the early 1960s. All things are possible.
"British wrestlers holding World or European Ratings are excluded from these British Ratings" and yet earlier in the post we have Shirley Crabtree as both British and European Champion!
Here are a couple more images from the smaller, "second" Wrestling World from Halifax. If it gives any more clues:
Okay, I dug out my magazines and I got things a little mixed up. Here are the two Wrestling Worlds. I have two Vol 1, No 2s. I have a feeling the smaller one tied to Max Crabtree.
Lou Ravelle was a mine of information when we interviewed him about ten years ago.
His big subject was The Mandrake Club behind Charing Cross Station where, he maintained, wrestlers would congregate nightly after appearing on various London bills. But I cannot recall anyone else mentioning The Mandrake Club.
Lou was living in Spain when we spoke; I hope he remains well.
Hack, you most likely have it correct, I would love to see a Wrestling Whirl. That would make sense it was Jack Taylor as he loved to repurpose old stuff. I will get out the two "first" issues of Wrestling World and put the covers up.
Right at the end of the 1960s Brian Dixon brought out Wrestlesport. Again it was similar in design to Ringsport but was all wrestling.
"Wrestling Whirl" not heard of that publication before fellas! were there any other British wrestling magazines around the 1950s-60s? i may not know of? I think there was Boxing Illustrated & Wrestling News but that was an American magazine. I think somewhere in my misty memory i recall a mag called "COMBAT or am i imaging that as at 56 i'm beginning to have senior moments LOL.
Interesting Ost. But that's not the Wrestling Whirl I remember. Wrestling Whirl was published for years by Jack Taylor. It was a small magazine, more similar in size and design to Ringsport. Not similar to Wrestling World. Maybe the Whirl name was used initially and then opposed by Taylor.
I believe it started out at Wrestling Whirl, then was renamed. There are two "first" issues of Wrestling World (Vol 1, No 1) and the earlier one uses the same header as Wrestling Whirl (which I am looking to obtain copies of).
I have just looked into this a bit further. Although Main Mask is right about Wrestling World ceasing in 1962 the company was finally wound up in May 1965.
My thanks both to Adrian & Hack, the pair of you are knowledge personified. Adrian your collection of wrestling memorabilia is beyond compare. The opposition from Joint to the Wrestling World magazine appears similar to their opposition to Ringsport Magazine many years later, perhaps because both WW & Ringsport featured all promotions and not just Joint who would have been pleased to see their competitors buried and in sole control of professional wrestling. It's a great shame that WW went under after just 14 issues. I'll have to keep scouring Ebay in hope that the 12 issues i am missing surface on one of their auctions.
Yes Lou Ravelle was the editor. Paul Lincoln Management certainly had some sort of investment in the magazine but what the exact business relationship was I don't know. He did say that the magazine did come under a lot of opposition from Joint Promotions. Interestingly Lou Ravelle did say that they did include Joint wrestlers in the magazine as this added credibility or status, but Joint were very much against this.