Another of my favourite wrestlers.
Whilst researching for information on another thread, I saw a note that Geoff Portz retired in 1965 after an accident, and gave up the British Midheavy weight title .
Please can anyone give me some information on this? In the ring or a car crash?
Thanks.
Also discovered he was the father of Scott Mghee who fought Dave Finlay a few times
Bernard
This post got some very worthwhile replies which is the whole point of the forum
Yes I guess that I just wasn't thinking when I posted the original query. Sorry all.
Thanks for all of your replies boys. I'll have a read tomorrow.
No, I read it in Wikipedia on "British Midheavyweight champions.
he did a couple of months in Japan early 1973
A couple of places he was in 1972 included Morocco and Canada. Also Germany. A true world traveller.
Portz Moved on from Stampede about 1973 and travelled a lot. For him and Bill Robinson it was a new life down the card.
I saw Geoff portz up to 1970 close to when he went to North America, so definitely not 1965. You didn't see it on Heritage did you Bernard (unless it was in the forum where everyone writes what they think).
As you know Norman Walsh had a car crash; maybe the writer was confused.
According to the ITV listings website he was one of the first wresters to appear on ITV in January 1956 and made his final appearance on World of Sport 29 December 1971.Included appearances in Hemel Hempstead,Croydon and Wembley
And of course he lost and took back the North American Title off Kendo on his tour in 72.
A fact that almost all have tried to keep secret.
I saw him in the states in 1981,I wonder if the 'retirement' was so Geoff could undertake possibly more work abroad and pass the title without losing in the ring. Geoff worked a fair few territories in the USA for around 10years from the early 1970s.
Geoff Portz was on tv plenty in the seventies, Bernard. But he didn't wrestle in the south as far as I recall.
I recall seeing Geoff Portz occasionally at The Kings Hall, Belle Vue. I particularly recall Gwynn Davies and Billy Howes being opponents. The last time i saw him was when I was seconding for Brian Dixon in the mid seventies at a show at The Civic Hall, Middleton. For some shows Brian Mason had been wrestling as a blue eye against a masked opponent (I forget the name). This was top of the bill on this particular night but, for some reason, Mason no showed. Dixon was genuinely surprised but then Portz arrived backstage to say hello to the lads. Dixon chatted with him and persuaded him to step in against the masked man. Disappointed by Mason's no show after several shows building up the feud, Dixon said to me, "I'm fed up with this. I'm going to end it tonight." And so it occurred with Portz using his aeroplane spin to dizzy the masked man then pinning him and tearing off the mask to reveal Pat Curry.
Bernard
Geoff Portz did not retire in 1965.He went to the States and has a match with Jack Brisco on You Tube from as recently as 1980