In my twenty-year voyage of discovery as an internet fan, some of the most satisfying revelations have been when one wrestler compliments another, thereby revealing to me their professionalism in all those bouts I witnessed 50+ years ago.
At home once with Heritage favourite Bob Kirkwood, the most self-deprecating of anyone we name on this site, the Portsmouth Adonis shared the revelation that "Alfie could make a broomstick look good." I lapped that up. Maybe you lap it up likewise if you are reading this for the first time.
So my mind wanders to wonder what other satisfaction I can derive from similar peer praise, just like those comments about Judo Al Hayes.
Steve Best's family shared with us a few months ago that Mick McManus was Steve's favourite opponent: such a light worker who could arouse such heat. Bob also nominated Mick in a bout where the Dulwich Destroyer had to whisper: "Too much heat; you go over." And a dq duly ensued.
I have enjoyed Paul Mitchell trying to defend "Puffing Billy" whilst not being completely, or even partially, convinced. This (blind) camaraderie is also interesting. However, as a dedicatedly objective OUTsider, with no aspirations to ingratiate, I will continue to look for wrestling truth, be there such a thing, above loyalty or, in the case of some fans, mere adulation.
In the BBC TV documentary, Johnny Kincaid was complimentary about Nagasaki in a way we are not accustomed to. His words still resonate with me.
Most surprising of all is that, at this point, my list starts to dry up.
Oh they all loved Vic and Bert ... after their passings. This list needs to embrace more than polite obituaries.
Poring over the hundreds of pages of the Nagasaki book, one remains hard-pressed to identify just who the wrestlers were that he most appreciated for putting him over. Bruno gets some kind of mention, but not exactly enthusiastic.
I just cannot recall any wrestler recording comments about how skilled the likes of Masambula or Sid Cooper or Tibor Szakacs were.
I would love to extend my list with others' further contributions.
Hope you can help?
Most wrestlers biographies or autobiographies touch upon people they liked to work with or disliked working with.
I would have to read them all again to remember everything, but a few things spring to mind.
From memory - Jackie Pallo said that one of the Belshaw brothers (Cliff, I think), could be really awkward to work with, if he felt so inclined, on any given evening, and if so, there was nothing you could do about it, because he was so skilled (in real wrestling) he just did as he pleased. I think he said the same about Peter Szacaks?
Dynamite Kid liked working with anyone who made it look "real" and was hard hitting/convincing, he really rated Mark Rocco and said good things about him. On the other hand, he mentioned that when Steve Wright worked for the Hart family, in Canada, none of the wrestlers would face him, after a while, because (like Cliff Belshaw), once he realised you couldn't actually wrestle, he just did what he wanted in the ring, and you couldn't stop him.
From across the pond, it seems no one had a bad word to say about working with Tony Charles, and the same was said about Al Hayes, Ramon Napolitano, Geoff Portz, Johnny Eagles and Les Thornton, amongst others who relocated there.
American wrestler, Terry Taylor, has said before that the first time he wrestled against Les Thornton, he was still a young "blue eye" rookie, and was nervous about doing the wrong thing in the ring. Les said something along the lines of "just let me do everything and we will be fine". Taylor said that the minute they locked up, in the collar and elbow starting position, it was like a blur, Les would grab him in a hold, and then reverse it and put himself into a hold, then counter that, and then reverse it again. To the paying audience it looked like Terry Taylor was the equal of Les Thornton, but Terry said he literally just stood there and Les did everything. At one point, Taylor was shouting out in (pretend) pain, and Les had to whisper "no Terry, it's you that has me in this hold!".
Steve (William) Regal said great things about the British wrestlers that he faced, in his early career, especially Dave "Fit" Finlay, Skull Murphy and people like that.
I would have to read all the books again, to get the proper quotes, but it does seem that there was a genuine brotherhood and most people got along fine.