in 1965 a Huge 270lb Heavyweight from WESTERN TRANSVAAL was hitting our Rings-
'hitting' being the Operative word'!
JAN WILKO at 6' 5" entered the Professional Ranks bringing with him a very Impressive
Amateur Record with a string of Titles that included the SOUTH AFRICAN Junior AND
Senior Heavyweight Championships and even the Police Senior Heavyweight Title!!
6 Years an Amateur his Wrestling 'Grounding' boasted over 400 Contests!
WILKO rated the West German Olympic and World Champion- WILFRIED DIETRICH as his
Toughest Opponent before turning Professional!
A Dedicated Athlete-he adopted an exacting Training Regimen that included 600 Free Squats and 100 Push-Ups per session!!
WILKO didn't waste Time 'Softening Up' Opponents-He went all-out to gain Submissions
and Pinfalls!!
Outside of the Sport JAN used to enjoy Driving round SOUTH AFRICA in his VW 1500
Twin S-and had a Fondness for Boats and Sailing!
WILKO was a True Giant of the Wrestling Rings around the World!!
Programme/Photo to follow!!
MAIN MASK
One strange/interesting thing that I have found, regarding Jan Wilko, is that he appears to have created his own federation, called the European Wrestling Union (based in South Africa), which seems to have only one title, the World Super Heavyweight title.
The title/belt seems to have been active for 10 years and followed the usual pattern of a visiting wrestler coming in, winning the belt, touring with it before "losing" it back to Jan Wilko prior to flying home.
Jan Wilkins 1974<
Don Leo Jonathan 1975
Jan Wilkins [2]1976<
Seiji Sakaguchi 1976/10/30 Johannesburg
Jan Wilkins [3]1976/11/13 Johannesburg
Blackjack Mulligan 1981/10/03 Cape Town
Jan Wilkins [4]1982/10
John Studd 1984/02/13 Cape Town
Jan Wilkins [5]1984/02/18
Hercules Ayala 1984/10/06 Johannesburg
Jan Wilkins [6]1984/11/03 Wilkens retires in 84.
I know that Jan Wilko (Jan Wilkens) had wrestled against Seiji Sakaguchi in Japan, and probably met him there, not sure how he booked the other wrestlers.
I just found it strange that Wilkens would call his promotion "European"?
Thanks for the link to the South African Reunion SaxonWolf. Talking of South Africa John Shelvey recently sent in this link to a podcast of an interview with the son of a South African masked wrestler
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/anton-enus/10918468
And then, back to Wilko
He was still alive as of 2015, travelling around South Africa in a motor home, when not working on his farm, and still training six days a week!
https://randburgsun.co.za/273065/gallery-old-bonds-stay-strong/
He was before my time, but I have seen pictures of him and he is a monster of a man.