Greatest Foreigner?!

Ski Hi Lee was a big name and lived over here.

In the lighter weights Zolly Boszkic.

Photo from the Royal Albert Hall in May 1963

Let's narrow down this category to naturalized British citizens only, please. My concern is about the wrestlers who actually permanently lived in UK, and wrestled in UK on regular basis not the come and go types. so to say basically they were British pro wrestlers but of foreign birth. Tibor is a perfect example. Another rasler from the same category would be someone like Borienko.

Gordienko without a doubt. Kovacs very formidable. The appearance of both Starr and Two Rivers could sell out a venue.

The Americans, Frankie Townsend and Catalina George Drake were good imports during the early sixties.

Tibor was undoubtedly a skilled wrestler but as competent as he was he never did it for me in the ring, I dound his matches very samey. He no doubt had the repetoire but very rarely used it to full effect.I would never have paid my money if he was the main attraction without a very strong undercard. I just don't think he was that big a draw.

Tibor died on this day in 1981.

I have another name I would like to discuss here - MIKE DEMITRE. He held both international titles locally (of the Green-Relw company) namely worlds and euros. Another question is about MIKE MARINO was he billed from Italy when he held the worlds/euros?

We should separate out boring from over-exposure.

Tibor must have cut a fine figure when he arrived in 1957. Indeed his 5 trophies were all in the immediately ensuing years. That was his Big Push. Some accolade.

But after that he wrestled in Dale Martin rings for 98% of his twenty-year career. He had the one show and trotted it out against all and sundry, including the best international visitors.

I was bored with Mick McManus through over-exposure. Torontos, Robby Baron, Logan and some others. Yes some non-Southerners on here laugh when I recall the excitement of seeing Ct Bartelli, Mick McMichael, Steve Best and Al Nicol early seventies.

Developing that, top marks to wrestlers you never tired of even after over-exposure: Alan Garfield, Bruno, Nagasaki, Jon Cortez, Steve Viedor, Prince Kumali, Romany Riley.

I meant TS and not JGD

This is probably heresy and a lack of my knowledge but I always found him boring

depends very much on the criteria but not Billy two rivers in all but drawing power.personally Jon Guil Don when I first saw in France then here was breathtaking.

Was Tibor really a big draw because of "popularity among the fans"?

Ok. First of all thanks for the comments. And I am going to clarify few things.

Foreigner to me is a person of foreign origins regardless whether they became citizens or not and even if they became they almost always were themselves sorry meant to say 'played foreigners' in ring. Let's say Tibor always was billed from Budapest, Hungary, right? Never from Chelsea, London...lol. And yes I do mean people who actually lived and worked in UK permanently. So yes someone like Tibor. People for whom it was a daily job. People whom every wrestling fan in UK knew who they were. Definitely not some "star" from abroad brought by a promoter to perform for couple of months and then they are gone...till next time if that will even ever happen.

Now the greatest. The greatest?! Obviously titles, titles and titles again. Who in my opinion would have been the greatest? Let's say if Tibor or someone like Tibor held World or Euro title under Mount Evans System in UK. But he never did. And held it preferably for years. Maybe you know such person. I don't.

I do believe, or better say I want to believe that they crowned Tibor with 5 RAHs because he was all of the above, a technician when it comes to style and a big draw when it comes to popularity among the fans.

Thanks again. R

Rikki Starr,,,,,Box Office,,,,,,and he could wrestle

Gordienko for me, but can see why people are making a case for others. Billy Two Rivers was a household name in the 1960's, whether you watched wrestling or not (along with Mick McManus and possibly Jackie Pallo).

what about Paul Lincoln not only as the Dr but as a promoter?

Are we talking about 'great' as in greatest drawing foreigner or 'great' as in best technical wrestler.I think we decided some years ago that Starr was the greatest draw and Two Rivers not far behind,however,I think John Quinn was also up there.If were talking about greatest technician then for me it was Gordienko by a country mile.

Yes, good question. As John says, it's all about what makes GREAT.

Agree on Gordienko and Starr and Thesz. Can throw in Jon Guil Don, Hackenschmidt, Horst Hoffman, Masambula.

Purely "on form" we would have to consider Wolfgang Starck/Saturski since he won the Royal Albert Hall Tournament Trophy at the height of that competition's prestige.

But then Tibor won it 5 times....so maybe Ruslan is right.

For longevity, maybe Masambula.

Visitor, or resident foreigner? Szakacs for resident. Gordienko for visitor, although some could make a case for Lou Thesz. Box office, Ricki Starr. Good question Ruslan.