Naggers unmasked him all over the place in that year. When I saw the Belle Vue bout , it was very poor. Lasted a couple of minutes with no resistance. Martin Conroy announced the Angel as Gypsy Joe Roman , I think also Known as Smith.
Same happened at Houldsworth hall if my memory serves me right.
I suspect that was a Kendo Nagasaki promotion in Stafford. I remember the era of Haystacks and Starr and him. Also, he has written television in Japanese.
I would imagine if MJQ and Haystacks faced each other on the one occasion i previously mentioned then it probably happened a few times up and down the country as their encounters would have sold many tickets at the box office. Interestingly enough they faced each other in tag action in a number of tag matches in the late 1980s in Ireland (and probably here too). Mighty John Quinn was partnered by Mal Kirk and Haystacks was paired with his old adversary Tony St. Clair.
From the above article it would appear that former Black Diamond John Foley was perhaps one of the links between Joint Promotions & Stu Hart's organisation.
I've never seen the picture posts by The Ost and Ron Historyo before, and look at the ticket prices!!!!!!!!! Below is an article taken from Joint promotion's magazine "Wrestling Scene" circa 1980.
Great article, and just take a look at that audience, probably grew up watching wrestling and attended into old age, would we see that these days?, I doubt it.
The above was taken from the TVTimes supplement 25 Years of wrestling on ITV, November 1980 and features Kent Walton's top 5 heels/villains.
Perhaps Giant Haystacks was never destined for the WWF but it must be said that he was a star not only here but also Europe, Japan and Australia. Although his matches in Japan tended to be 3 minute squash bouts his appearances in both the Austrian & German rings were much lengthier affairs, and here in blighty he was stopped in the 10th round due to a cut during a challenge for Mighty John Quinn's version of the world title.
Did not the same apply to Big Daddy? Yes, kids and women loved him but real wrestling fans were turned off by someone whose actual entrance lasted double the length of his fights and who never changed the way he put his fights across..
Alas you're right Anglo, when you consider some of the name's mentioned in my previous post were capable of drop kicking an opponent even at their huge size Stax had lost any agility and athleticism to sheer weight & girth.
Seeing those names of big US wrestlers from the era I used to go to Madison Square Garden, I have regrettably to say that Haystacks was not in their league.
He stood out in Britan where nobody came near him height-wise. But he simply wasn't athletic and I don't think he enjoyed taking the bumps. His body wasn't up to it.
He was the Black Jack Mulligan amongst outsized Roccos and Syd Coopers.
I agree Sax the big man would have been a great foil for Hogan in the mid 80's. Wonder why the WWF never picked up upon him, especially when wrestling for the Calgary Stampede Organisation during the early to mid 80's. Perhaps the WWF thought they had enough "giants" in their arsenal to challenge Hogan with the likes of Andre, Bundy, Studd, Kamala, Earthquake & Typhoon.
I distinctly remember being gobsmacked at the sight of Haystacks in the late 90s walking to the ring to challenge Hogan, following Hogan's win at a WCW spectacular ( a triple ring contest if my memory serves me correctly). Again being announced as Loch Ness he was restrained from entering the ring by the Dungeon of Doom, including The One Man Gang who appeared around the same height as Haystacks! I think his cancer diagnosis brought an end to his big break in the states culminating in his defeat to "The Giant" Paul Wight. A great shame for him and his family.
The only other losses by a clean pin i can recall Haystacks suffering were by the hands of Austrians Otto Wanz & Klaus Wallas along with Japanese star Killer Khan. Haystacks did have his victories over both of the afore mentioned Austrians and a young Leon "Bullpower, Vader" White in the European tournaments.
I may be wrong in my timeline but I know his aim was to get a booking with the then-WWF and sadly he felt he needed the weight as a draw. He made a few appearances in WCW along with a heel group known as the Dungeon of Doom, where he was known as Loch Ness. But he was dropped, incorrect rumours among fans at the time being that he was really Haystacks Calhoun who wrestled several years earlier but who looked very similar to Martin Ruane. His USA career never really took off and he came back to the UK. Thinking about it, in my original post I said I met him at a WCW show in London and he obviously hoped to rekindle old friendships there with the possibility of another shot over the pond. We know now that never happened...
I wonder if Haystacks was encouraged to become "Europe's Biggest Wrestler" or whether it was a decision he made himself. Once going beyond the 35/36 stone mark he appeared to trade mobility for bulk and became more of a target for his opposition to punch and kick rather than wrestle. The lighter, dare i say more agile Haystacks was still an enormous man who still made his opponents look small but could move when needed to. In my humble opinion the lighter Haystacks could even have challenged Geoff Capes for the Britain's Strongest Man Title Gaining some much weight must have caused him untold health issues such as heart and joint problems. I always grimaced when he fell from the ring as one mishap and it would've been career over. That routine must have been well practiced as Stax not only did it here but also in Europe.
Below is an article written by Ringsport editor Evan R. Treharne British correspondent to U.S. magazine "Wrestling News." Issue number 116.
GIANT HAYSTACKS In Germany circa 1985/86
Quite a few other Brits among this group.
Thanks Ron...
Naggers unmasked him all over the place in that year. When I saw the Belle Vue bout , it was very poor. Lasted a couple of minutes with no resistance. Martin Conroy announced the Angel as Gypsy Joe Roman , I think also Known as Smith.
Same happened at Houldsworth hall if my memory serves me right.
Did anyone unmask in the main event?
I suspect that was a Kendo Nagasaki promotion in Stafford. I remember the era of Haystacks and Starr and him. Also, he has written television in Japanese.
Couple more with Galhoan
How many times did he fight Mighty John Quinn in England
From the above article it would appear that former Black Diamond John Foley was perhaps one of the links between Joint Promotions & Stu Hart's organisation.
I've never seen the picture posts by The Ost and Ron Historyo before, and look at the ticket prices!!!!!!!!! Below is an article taken from Joint promotion's magazine "Wrestling Scene" circa 1980.
Just before he burst on the TV Scene.
Early days: Haystacks "Galhoan"
Great article, and just take a look at that audience, probably grew up watching wrestling and attended into old age, would we see that these days?, I doubt it.
The above was taken from the TVTimes supplement 25 Years of wrestling on ITV, November 1980 and features Kent Walton's top 5 heels/villains.
Perhaps Giant Haystacks was never destined for the WWF but it must be said that he was a star not only here but also Europe, Japan and Australia. Although his matches in Japan tended to be 3 minute squash bouts his appearances in both the Austrian & German rings were much lengthier affairs, and here in blighty he was stopped in the 10th round due to a cut during a challenge for Mighty John Quinn's version of the world title.
Did not the same apply to Big Daddy? Yes, kids and women loved him but real wrestling fans were turned off by someone whose actual entrance lasted double the length of his fights and who never changed the way he put his fights across..
Alas you're right Anglo, when you consider some of the name's mentioned in my previous post were capable of drop kicking an opponent even at their huge size Stax had lost any agility and athleticism to sheer weight & girth.
Seeing those names of big US wrestlers from the era I used to go to Madison Square Garden, I have regrettably to say that Haystacks was not in their league.
He stood out in Britan where nobody came near him height-wise. But he simply wasn't athletic and I don't think he enjoyed taking the bumps. His body wasn't up to it.
He was the Black Jack Mulligan amongst outsized Roccos and Syd Coopers.
I agree Sax the big man would have been a great foil for Hogan in the mid 80's. Wonder why the WWF never picked up upon him, especially when wrestling for the Calgary Stampede Organisation during the early to mid 80's. Perhaps the WWF thought they had enough "giants" in their arsenal to challenge Hogan with the likes of Andre, Bundy, Studd, Kamala, Earthquake & Typhoon.
I distinctly remember being gobsmacked at the sight of Haystacks in the late 90s walking to the ring to challenge Hogan, following Hogan's win at a WCW spectacular ( a triple ring contest if my memory serves me correctly). Again being announced as Loch Ness he was restrained from entering the ring by the Dungeon of Doom, including The One Man Gang who appeared around the same height as Haystacks! I think his cancer diagnosis brought an end to his big break in the states culminating in his defeat to "The Giant" Paul Wight. A great shame for him and his family.
The only other losses by a clean pin i can recall Haystacks suffering were by the hands of Austrians Otto Wanz & Klaus Wallas along with Japanese star Killer Khan. Haystacks did have his victories over both of the afore mentioned Austrians and a young Leon "Bullpower, Vader" White in the European tournaments.
I may be wrong in my timeline but I know his aim was to get a booking with the then-WWF and sadly he felt he needed the weight as a draw. He made a few appearances in WCW along with a heel group known as the Dungeon of Doom, where he was known as Loch Ness. But he was dropped, incorrect rumours among fans at the time being that he was really Haystacks Calhoun who wrestled several years earlier but who looked very similar to Martin Ruane. His USA career never really took off and he came back to the UK. Thinking about it, in my original post I said I met him at a WCW show in London and he obviously hoped to rekindle old friendships there with the possibility of another shot over the pond. We know now that never happened...
I wonder if Haystacks was encouraged to become "Europe's Biggest Wrestler" or whether it was a decision he made himself. Once going beyond the 35/36 stone mark he appeared to trade mobility for bulk and became more of a target for his opposition to punch and kick rather than wrestle. The lighter, dare i say more agile Haystacks was still an enormous man who still made his opponents look small but could move when needed to. In my humble opinion the lighter Haystacks could even have challenged Geoff Capes for the Britain's Strongest Man Title Gaining some much weight must have caused him untold health issues such as heart and joint problems. I always grimaced when he fell from the ring as one mishap and it would've been career over. That routine must have been well practiced as Stax not only did it here but also in Europe.