FAULKNER'S EURO. MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE!

One of the Great Wrestling Venues in the 1960's was NOTTINGHAM'S ICE STADIUM!

Some Spectacular Shows were put on here and one such took place on MONDAY

28TH NOVEMBER 1966!

In the few Years before this Super Bill-the ROYALS-BERT ROYAL and VIC FAULKNER

were being Pushed and Promoted as Top Stars-Both in Solo and Tag Combat!

ROYAL was already the MOUNTEVANS MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE Holder and now it was to be the turn of his younger brother to acquire a Belt to reinforce his 'Credentials'!

So VIC was pitched against Spain's Champion-JOSE RODRIGUEZ for the 'Vacant'

European Middleweight Crown!-FAULKNER was Victorious and now had a Title to his Name!

But this Date was not as Auspicious for his older brother who was also defending his

BRITISH MIDDLEWEIGHT CROWN on this NOTTINGHAM Nite!

Arguably facing a tougher Opponent than his brother in DUNDEE'S CLAYTON THOMSON-

BERT was Defeated over 15 x 5 Minute Rounds-and thus began CLAY'S first Tenure as

Boss of the MIDDLEWEIGHTS-which was to last 350 Days before losing the Belt to MICK

MCMANUS on 13/11/1967!-The Terror from NEW CROSS could only manage to hold it

for 72 Days before THOMSON was to Regain the TITLE and going on to hold it for 1224

Days!

Amazingly these 2 TITLE Bouts weren't even Top of the Bill-that Slot was occupied by

GEORGE KIDD taking on - Yes that Man again MICK MCMANUS!!

Some ?s however arise from this Spectacular?-Was FAULKNER REALLY the BEST

MIDDLEWEIGHT in Europe at this point in his Career?-In fact was he EVEN a MIDDLEWEIGHT at all?

Also it has been mooted that ROYAL 'dropped' the Belt because he was struggling to

keep making the Weight-and indeed went on to later 'own' the BRITISH HEAVY-

MIDDLEWEIGHT Title instead!-BUT the SAME applied to THOMSON who was more of

a natural LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT-and future SCOTTISH Title Holder in this Bracket!

MY Answer is that CLAY was a better Wrestler than ROYAL-and I'd choose Other Wrestlers

ahead of FAULKNER to be a Champion!

Rare Poster to follow!

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