Great Wrestling Moments

An excellent bill

Here's the bill Peter

The fifty first anniversary of another great moment is approaching. The first Professional Wrestling matches broadcast in colour 15 November 1969

What's happened to David Mantell? We miss you David.

I came across these comments from David which would be a fitting response to the question posed by Anglo Italian

George Kidd unifying the Mountevans, NWA, FFCP, CIC and Belgian versions of the World Lightweight title to become Undisputed World Lightweight Champion and thus (between himself and Johnny Saint) create half a century of box office success that totally disproves conventional theories on the commercial appeal of the lighter weights.

Bert Assirati being stripped of first the Mountevans then the BWF British Heavyweight title and the appalling damage it did to both title claims especially the BWF - a victory for shooter politics and one which would turn Assirati into a folk hero in the biz by the 1980s when his non-shooting replacement as BWF champion was the second biggest super-hype in the entire wrestling world. Talking of whom ...

Big Daddy ripping off Kendo Nagasaki's mask on TV in December 1975 - often identified as the start of Daddymania (although he continued to wrestle bouts as a heel for nearly 15 months after) and also a big moment for us Kendo fans as our man gets the win - something to boast about in later years.

All Star getting a share of TV, thus pulling it even with Joint Promotions and setting it up to overtake Joint by the time ITV finishes.

Certainly British, Powerlock.

Timewise ... just in keeping with the spirit of Wrestling Heritage.

We can even go forward to as recently as 1988 .... not sure if there were any great moments during the decline of 1978 onwards?

I agree with you, we just need to define it tightly.

Like lots of our topics, we are limited by the few words in the title.

We started off also with Hackenschmidt in 1904 and most of us weren't there for that, so in that respect we are going on hearsay.

With 1952 we weren't in on the negotiations; and Pallo v McManus II in 1963 - I don't think anyone here has claimed to remember that at all clearly.

So I think being realistic we just put our wisdom (yes!) together and our knowledge of the last 120 years of history and form conclusions of what was lastingly important (1952) or what really caught the public's attention at the time (1904, 1963).

I agree with Hack (...now there is a rare wrestling moment) that we need to steer clear of purely personal moments if we are to make a usefully historical listing, but those personal memories certainly are important, especially when Members explain them and share them with us.

I do think, in time, that we can take the contributions here and make a listing of Wrestling's 20 Greatest Moments: but this will need some kind of consensus or vote, and necessarily avoid those wholly personal moments.

Fascinating topic but we are in danger of confusing significant moments in wrestling history and our own personal significant moments. Equally important but in different ways (Anglo Italian's thoughts when he watched Mitzi Mueller would probably not merit record in The Wrestler).

Of all our topics, this one must have the greatest variety of interesting answers, almost all proposed and defended with great eloquence.

We are going to have to make something of all this quality.

But it's not finished. Keep thinking!

For me it was my first live show, just a young'un' the whole event was so exciting to a young boy,the colour, the atmosphere, seeing wrestlers you had only seen on tv in various shades of grey are suddenly in front of you, everything was so much more real, and much more exciting as I was caught up in the atmosphere along with almost 4000 other spectators. That first show never leaves you.

Debut of Nagasaki. Mayspcial at the time but look what it led to.

Lou Thesz in England. A genuine American top man.

Thanks for your kind words Anglo, appreciate. It just popped into my head but there's a chance that the 1934 Chicago match was the biggest box office in history when it comes to pro wrestling. As far as English and British wrestling history I sure have my favorites. And that list is LONG. In XX c I would rate the highest following KOs and single matches:

1. 1902 Coronation Tourney under National Sporting Club of London (Lord Lonsdale)

2. Hack v Turk, World Title Match

3. Hack v Jenkins, World Title Match

4. 1908 Hengler's Circus World Titles (both Greco and Catch)

5. 1908-09-10 NSC of London World Titles (Lord Lonsdale)

6. All-in Era. Clark v Gerstmans, World Title Match

7. All-in Era. Gregory v Assirati, British Title Match

8. Mount Evans Era. I wished I researched it more to have an opinion. Sadly newspapers from that era aren't uploaded on BNA enough to make a judgement. Ultimately North v South top heavyweight event would be it whether it was a KO or a single match.

That's about it.

I loved the Kendo & George v Mcmanus & Logan match.

The Daddy / Quinn showdown for me, at 13 years of age at the time, wasn't a dab squib in my personal oppinion. Mighty John Quinn had sucessfully enraged the British public with his anti British torrents that i don't think that any other ending would have worked! If Quinn had defeated Shirley the hostility directed towards Quinn may have resulted in the public brawling in the aisles with John Quinn due to the dragon defeating St.George.

Unfortunatley The Daddy / Haystacks bout was i must agree a complete anti climax. If that bout had been more along the lines of Haystacks encounters with Austrian Otto Wanz in Europe where Haystacks had both beaten and lost to Wanz in much longer contests then perhaps the Daddy/Haystacks showdown would be remembered with kindness.

Some of my fond tv memories include:

Mark Rocco v Kung Fu

Mark Rocco v Bert Royal

The Ceremonial Unmasking of Kendo Nagasaki

Mighty John Quinn (any contest)

Banger Walsh in a late night, mid week, non rule breaking contest with either Marty Jones or Mike Marino.

Brian Maxine having his guitar smashed over his head by Mick McMichael on another late night / mid week recording

Formation of Joint, yes that's a good one.

We often refer to the abolition of the Entertainments Tax being a precursor to the surge of the independents - no idea how much truth there is in that.

The start and end of the Wrestler magazine were also landmark occasions, one in a positive and one in a negative way.

The Daddy/Quinn/Haystacks shenanigans I would include for just the reasons you don't Anglo Italian - the damaging impact they had (for those left who could still be bothered).

Great calls above.

There were some other big tv moments, too:

- The Outlaw's tv debut v Steve Viedor.

- Peter Preston beating Mick McManus.

- I can't remember seeing it, but it had such an effect on the nation that I have to add the tv debut of The Wild Man of Borneo.

Quinn v Big Daddy was a hugely hyped bout with national press coverage and a huge arena. But I can't include it on account of its being such a damaging damp squib in the end.

And back to real life: the formation of Joint Promotions.

Another big moment I've just thought of. The first visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to the Royal Albert Hall.

Daddy v Quinn and/or Haystacks (sorry)

Kendo's voluntary unmasking

Dr Death v White Angel

When 'Mighty' John Quinn first arrived in this country and renewed my interest again in wrestling.

The last Wednesday Evening broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall Breaks v Faulkner 6 December 1977.

Also almost ten years later 31 October 1987 a whole afternoon broadcast devoted to just one fight Finlay v Cullen.In both cases favourable comments from casual/non fans regarding how watchable Professional Wrestling is when it is "real"

The Olympia and Belle Vue shows of 15th December 1930.

The first ITV show.

The last ITV show.