Eddie's Heroes

This was a most entertaining article. I promoted Bartelli thrice towards the end of his career, all three occasions in West Bromwich where I was teaching at the time. He actually lost to Ian Wilson at Hilltop British Legion (the idea being to engender a return booking with Bartelli getting his revenge but the committee were unable to cough up the cash for me to promote the return) and he won twice at The Gala Baths, West Bromwich, against "Strangler" Lewis and Roger Palin. Lewis was a strongman and karate expert whom Bartelli had trained and, as far as I'm aware, he only wrestled(and always Bartelli) on a handful of bouts. Palin was a dubious character who tried to take over the hall behind my back trying to make a deal with a bewildered council official offering him a backhander much to the guy's bemusement. He had only just been released from prison and was trying to set himself up as a promoter. I was refereeing and he used the opportunity of the bout to deliver to me a rather nasty backhander. Not wishing to have wrestlers on my bills who would deliberately try to hurt me and to steal my hall behind my back, I did not use him again.

However, Bartelli was a genuine legend and I was privileged to have promoted him on three occasions.

We know lots about Count Bartelli but always great to get these extra snippets, especially when they reveal more about the Man's character. Thanks Eddie.

Read Eddie's tribute to Count Bartelli

Count Bartelli