The name George Busfield has cropped up a few times over the years. Ruslan found that he had been declared a Mountevans champion in 1950, pre-dating the formation of Joint Promotions, which was a surprise. Ruslan also supplied a photo showing the belt used by Busfield pre-dated the ones that fans of the 1960s had recognised as Mountevans belts.
The Ost supplied a photograph of him wearing the belt, following a win over the Bernard Murray. This match was in 1950, so reference to 1948 and 1949 status remains a mystery.
But this man was no big name. Hardly remembered these days and little is written about him. In fact I couldn't find anything. So I decided to do a bit of rummaging.
The earliest record of wrestler George Busfield I found was in the pages of the Leeds Mercury on 2nd March, 1936, when he competed in the Olympic wrestling trials, and again on 16th March when it was reported that a meeting of the Yorkshire Amateur Weight Lifting and Wrestling Association had nominated wrestlers for the National Championships, to be held on 28th March, which would be used as part of the selection process for the 1936 Olympic Games. Amongst those selected were George Busfield and Raymond Cazeaux at bantamweight. It was Cazeaux that went on to represent Britain.
I found a number of newspaper cuttings during the Second World War in which George, the northern counties amateur champion, was reported wrestling whilst serving a sergeant in the Royal Air Force. The British title seemed to elude him.
The earliest documented professional record I found was in May, 1948, losing to Scotland's Andy Anderson by two falls to one at the Caird Hall, Dundee. There are unverified professional contests going back to December, 1945, at Lime Grove Baths. This must have been one of George's first, if not the first, professional matches as he had taken part in the British Amateur championships just four weeks earlier.
There is evidence of frequent professional working for promoters George DeRelwyskow and Norman Morrell in the second half of the 1940's. As a fellow Bradfordian and celebrated amateur George would certainly have known Norman Morrell for many years. Professional opponents included other young wrestlers who were to go on to professional success that included George Kidd, Alan Colbeck, Jack Dempsey and Bernard Murray.
In 1951 Mat magazine published the photograph of George and Bernard Murray with the caption declaring that George had just won the British Featherweight championship by defeating Murray at Earls Court. I uncovered such a win at Earls Court on 4th December, 1950. The late historian Allan Best saw George wrestle and recalled an excellent lighter man who had some tremendous contests with fellow Bradfordian Murray. Winning a national title in 1950, reportedly under Lord Mountevans rules, made George one of the first Mountevans champions that pre-dated the formation of Joint Promotions by more than a year.
Despite his wrestling credentials Busfield failed to make a lasting impact on the professional wrestling landscape and retired at the end of 1952 shortly after Joint Promotions had withdrawn recognistion of the bantamweight division. He doesn't seem to have lacked amateur skill.
Maybe as he headed towards forty years of age George just didn't have the inclination or energy to pursue a professional wrestling career.
George
Busfield, born 28th February, 1913, died 1969.
Sounds like he didn't keep many mementos from wrestling?
George won the belt 3 times and was given rhe belt to keep. I think he donated it to an amateur club in Bradford but I do not know its whereabouts now. I only wish I did
I.ll Have a look and see what I can find. Heres a pic of Sandy Orford wife Nellie Edith Busfield, Phoebe Morrell, Norman Morrell and George Busfield
Thanks Buzzi. Looks like I got dad mixed up with another George when it came to date of birth and death. Please supply more information if you can, either wrestling related or his background.
Hi Sax, funny thing is that now it is mentioned, Bernard Murray was a bit of a comedian too.
Possible that he got that from Les as well, although meeting Les you would not think that he would have blossomed late in his career to be so funny in the ring.
Thanks Ost, and thanks Bernard too. I hadn't seen the article beneath the photo. Yes, the article certainly adds a bit more to our image of the man. He must have known Kellett and Murray very well indeed.
George sounds like the prototype for Les Kellett, with the mention of comedy wrestling, was he a mentor or role model in some way?
Hi Hack, Just posted a little bit about Busfield in my post today on Jack Dempsey thread.
Here's the full context of the photo posted above, from an advertisement from his clothing business. Here, he talks about wrestling in the past tense.
His wife Edith, also had some mat skills:
Brilliant stuff, Hack! Considering you started with nowt, this time you have struck gold.
I guess your research means that George is the current British Featherweight Champion? Kind of wins him the parallel topic.
I can't recognise Bernard Murray at all in the photo, not just because of the hair - but this must have been the Bernard Murray that our Bernard used to watch.
Great historical sleuthing lads.
Thanks Ost. That seems to fit in. Yes I can see lots of 1946 appearances but the first published one I see is May 1948. Do you have anything before that, or are you going off Ray's listings?
I can find him wrestling fairly regularly from January 1946.
He was featured quite often in Mat magazine, which is where I obtained the photos that have been posted here previously. It was noted then (1951 & 52) that George was a businessman and wrestling had become a secondary means of employment, although he still enjoyed it.