paul mitchell
I am deeply saddened to learn of Jeff's passing so soon after Mick both lovely genuine men.
frank thomas
Always a good solid wrestler, and one of the best "third men" in the business, RIP Jeff..
mark
Very sad news indeed. I shall always remember the time back in 1973 at the Brent Town Hall when i was a lad and waiting in the hallway at the end of the evenings show with my Who's Who Of Wrestling book and asking him if he had time to sign it for me. " Of course i have son. Of course i have." was his kind reply. I have never forgotten that and i'm so sad to hear the news of his passing. R I P Jeff.
Powerlock
Jeff was not only a very good wrestler but also a very good referee. Always excellent whether wrestling or officiating. Another sad loss
R.I.P. Jeff
Andy
RIP Jeff - another great gone.
Ron Historyo
Such sad news. Jeff was an excellent wrestler and an excellent referee. He will be greatly missed but all enthusiasts of proper wrestling.
Graham Bawden
Another sad loss so soon after Mick McMichael. Remember a great clash, Jeff Kaye v Marvellous Mike Bennett. RIP one of the greats.
Anglo Italian
As we write and record history, The Barons will go down as a fleeting tag-team who lasted a couple of years.
But for those of us who lived through those years impressionably, The Barons were the real thing. Super slick, skilful, unbeatable. Here to stay.
They didn't stay, as it transpired. But they made their own huge impact for a short while.
RIP Jeff.
Sapper James
Yes, another sad loss. I saw Jeff twice wrestling and many times refereeing. All good memories.
Hack
Really here for such a short time Anglo? You surprise me. Yes they made their mark with cracking matches against the likes of the Royals and the Black Diamonds.
Another sad loss.
Anglo Italian
We don't generally have squabbles on Obituary threads, Hack ... but since you insist.
For just how many years did they tag as the Barons? From first to last appearance together? I would guess no more than three years.
By the way, Mark, I like your autograph memories. Those are the small details that meant so much and keep me interested in reliving the glory days.
Romeo
When wrestling singles,tag or officiating Jeff always looked like he enjoyed what he was doing.A slick,skilled wrestler.R.I.P. Jeff.
djmask
Very sad news especially so soon after Mick McMichael. I’ve come across this tribute to him which was filmed in 2014 at a training session; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey61lLXJyIo
terry
So sad to have lost two great men ( also great workers ). In the past week or so.
I have tried to pass on some news of Joe Cornelius but have'nt seen it on the site.
Two weeks ago my wife and I had lunch with Ray Luxford and his wife in Brighton. ( We now live in Devizes, Wiltshire )
Ray told me that Joe had been ill before Christmas and was now in a care home in Brighton. Joe has turned 90 so deserves to be 'waited on' by the carers. I hope this is not old news>> if it is I apologise. I remember first seeing Joe wrestle at the Sports Stadium in Brighton in the early sixties ( versus Charlie Fisher ).
grahambrook
I saw Jeff Kaye many times in the seventies, primarily in tag and primarily with Ian Gilmour although I did see him partner Mick Mc.Michael on a couple of occasions. Jack Atherton always was something of a law unto himself and he used Kaye as a dirty fighter and partnered him with namesake Peter Kaye. I well remember a riotous match between The Kayes and The Borgs at The Queen's Baths, Derby.
With Gilmour my memories include them fighting The Royal Brothers (Bert Royal and Vic Faulkner), The Saints (Roy and Tony St.Clair, The Dennisons (Alan Dennison and Ted Heath), Lee Sharron and Bill Bennette, Masambula and Honey Boy Zimba, The Undertakers (Brian Abbott and Vince Apollo), The Pallos (Jackie *Mr.TV" Pallo and Jackie Pallo Jnr), Hells Angels (Adrian Street and Bobby Barnes), Jon and Pete Lapaque, The Elite (Johnny Saint and Steve Best) and The Dangermen (Steve Haggetty and Colin Joynson).
Their bout against The Dangermen, at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, was a wild affair with The Barons winning on a disqualification. Both Barons were in the bar after the show and I approached them but, unfortunately, my encounter was very different to the one reminisced by Mark earlier in this thread. I wasn't trying to be a nuisance but just mentioned how much I had enjoyed the bout and that i was looking forward to seeing them in three nights' time when they were opposing The Dangermen again at The Gaeity Theatre in Rhyl. Ian Gilmour could not understand me wishing to watch a live wrestling show on both a Wednesday and a Saturday on the same week and let rip with a torrent of foul language and abuse shouting to all who could hear that i was a freak and suggesting that I watched televised wrestling at home with my trousers round my ankles. I had never spoken to Gilmour before so was totally stunned by his outburst. Geoff just looked straight ahead whilst all this was going on.
It was around two years after this that I started promoting my own shows when so many of the Joint lads came over to the independent side and Gilmour came over whilst Kaye remained with Joint. I used Al Miquet on my shows quite a lot ; he was a good, clean wrestler, he could also don the bonnet as Kung Fu or Kamikaze, and he also had a ring for hire. And he was very fair with his pricing. He suggested his good friend Ian Gilmour to me informing me that they had a good bout together and also tagged well together. I must admit recalling my verbal assault by Ian at the bar of The Pavilion Gardens and did not take his advice on this one.
However, to return to the main thread, I derived much pleasure over the years watching Geoff Kaye and am sorry to hear of his passing.
Hack
It isn't a squabble Anglo Italian. I was genuinely surprised when you drew the shortness of their activity as a team to our attention because they did make an impact. That obviously didn't come across in my comment.
SaxonWolf
RIP Jeff Kaye
Anglo Italian
Sorry if my light-heartedness wasn't conveyed, Hack - damned written word.
I was just thinking that the Barons are perceived as an important and established tag team but my inkling is that they didn't actually last for very long.
Neil Kemp
I am very sad to hear about the passing of Jeff. I didn´t know him personally, but did appear on several shows he was in, and we did speak a couple of times. He seemed to be a nice chap and I will always remember him. RIP, Jeff. You were a great showman.
Tom H
R.I.P Jeff.
Jacko
Not been on here for a while. Sorry to hear this. R.I.P. Jeff Kaye
Gerald
So sad to hear about Jeff Kaye, There is a video on Youtube of Jeff Kaye Wrestling Ken Joyce before they both became Referees, That bout was Refereed by Dave Rees who I've met.