JOHN WADE-MONSTER/IVAN KALMIKOFF?

Progress, of sorts.

Tony Scarlo and Sam Betts both knew Jim Green in the 1960s. They've looked at these photos and both say that Jim Green was not John Wade/Ivan/John Green.

Another theory shot down.

Here you are sir, courtesy of Ron's galleries

Or at least only twice MM, April 1962 by Ray Hunter.

So my understanding from what you say Paul is that it was commonly known Coverdale was the Ghoul but on this occasion at least he was billed as The Monster, still wearing the Ghoul mask. Thanks

It seems pretty clear that most masked wrestlers were played by more than one wrestler behind the mask . Bartelli being one of the exceptions. Monster , Ghoul , Dr Death , multiple imitators.

no Hack he was introduced as the monster and bills all over Blackpool showed top of the bill the monster many years before the talk of Salford was the Ghoul ,I'd heard bill was him so I was puzzled by this.Was the Monster more famous than the Ghoul in Scotland as it was Glasgow fair week ,by the way the bout itself was ponderous.

Was that not The Ghoul bkendo1? We have reports from quite a few wrestlers that Coverdale was The Ghoul, who wore an off white mask and was tag partner of The Monster at that time.

hmmmm not wishing to add to the confusion,but the Monster I shared a dressing room with Albert Rd Blackpool 1969 was neither wade or green.Even when under the bonnet the gait and feet gave it away,Bill Coverdale who I watched as a kid at the Vic in Salford the mask wasn't black it was off white

That looks like the Monster I remember. He was Jim Green. I didn't see The Monster on an early Brian Dixon show. But starting out promoting when he did, northern based, I would have thought that if Brian did use the Monster on his shows he would have used Jim Green. So Brian is one of the few people alive, Max Crabtree would be another, who could tell us if Jim Green and John Wade were one and the same.

Although masked i believe that from his stance, build, body hair etc that this is the same John Wade, Ivan The Monster in Ost's photo/picture featured in a 1968 edition of Ringsport:

Thanks Gernot. You've done well. Sadly the article does not seem to help with any clue as to the identity of John Green, I guess we can take the Superman from Sydney bit with a pinch of salt.

There is a window in the summer of 1962 that would allow a visit to Germany in the summer.

In 1967 there was an item in The Stage newspaper stating that Jim Green, who it said had travelled the world, was now working closer to home as the death of his wife the previous year meant he was bringing up his young daughter alone.

You're on good form today Gernot. There has never been a hint that Jim Green and John Wade were one and the same. Until now .....

As far as I understand is that Wade and Green are two different persons. But now we have a problem. From july 1st to july 12th Wade, and you can see clearly at the picture thats him, wrestled as John Green in vienna austria at the heumarkt. Maybe there was a different green in the uk but now thats a fact he also wrestled as "Green". At least abroad.

Thank you Ostie Boy.

But ....

Are my conclusions open to doubt?

And ...

We know John Wade was the Monster, Ivan Kalmikoff and Ivan the Monster. I think.

But do we know that he wore a mask as Ivan the Monster?

Come on boys.

Awesome work Hack to put all those matches together.

John Wade "borrowed" the name Ivan Kalmikoff from American wrestler Ed Bruce (real name Edward Bogucki).

Bruce wrestled as Ivan Kalmikoff from 1942 to 1979 throughout North America.

Initial thoughts after compiling this listing:

Crabtree brought in John Wade

John Wade was the original Monster, working for Crabtree and other independents

In 1962 Wade went to Joint and took his mask with him

Jim Green came in as a Monster on the independents after Wade had gone over t Joint.

Wade eventually returned to the independents, possibly working as The Monster at the same time as Green

With The Monster unmasked again on a Joint show John Wade now appears on the independents for the first time under that name. Wade disappears from Joint (except for an appearance in 1964) and The Monster continues on the independents.

Is this Monster Wade or Green? Or both? Who is the Monster making a one off Joint appearance

1963, 25th May HACKNEY (IND)

John Wade v Bob Kirkwood

1963, 1st June EDGEWARE ROAD(IND)

John Wade v Flash Lee Edwards

1963, 14th June HADLEIGH (IND)

John Wade v Dave Larsen

1963, 15th June HACKNEY(IND)

John Wade v Mike Marino

1963, 16th June BIRMINGHAM (IND)

John Wade v Al Hayes

1963, 27th July LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Digger Watson

1963, 10th August LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Harry Bennett

1963, 5th September CROMER(IND)

Monster v Angus Campbell

1963, 24th September NEWARK (IND)

Monster v Pat Roach

1963, 28th September LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Haystacks Bright

1963, 19th October LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Jack Taylor/Laszlo Banjo

1963, 2nd November LEICESTER(IND)

Angus Campbell /Monster v Black Mask/Al Strickland

1963, 20th November HEDNESFORD (IND)

Monster v Al Strickland

1963, 5th December BARNSLEY (IND)

Monster v Angus Campbell

1964, 16th January BARNSLEY (IND)

Monster v Chief Thunderbird

1964, 27th January BLACKPOOL(JOINT)

John Wade v Ernie Riley

1964, 8th February LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Dai Sullivan

1964, 11th February SMETHWICK (IND)

Monster v Jack/Ray Taylor

1964, 10th March SMETHWICK (IND)

Monster v Angus Campbell

1964, 13th March NORMANTON(IND)

Monster v Don Vines

1964, 14thMarch LEICESTER (IND)

Monster/Black Mask v Bobo Matu/Harry Bennett

1964, 24thMarch SMETHWICK (IND)

Monster/Black Mask v Lee Scott/Angus Campbell

1964, 28thMarch LEICESTER (IND)

Monster/Black Mask v Bobo Matu/Harry Bennett

1964, 3rd April AYR (JOINT)

Monster v Shirley Crabtree

1964, 10th April ABERYSTWYTH (IND)

Monster v Man Mountain Dean

1964, 14th April SMETHWICK (IND)

Monster v Pat Roach

1964, 17thApril OTLEY(IND)

Monster v Angus Campbell

1964, 18thApril LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Angus Campbell

1964, 18thMay BIRMINGHAM(IND)

Monster v Piet Slabbert/Roy LarRue

1964, 23rd May LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Bearcat McClancy

1964, 26thMay BIRMINGHAM(IND)

Monster v Flash Lee Edwards/Bearcat McClancy

1964, 29thMay HITCHIN (IND)

Monster v Kurt Von Sneider

1964, 2ndJune BIRMINGHAM(IND)

Monster v Dominic Pye

1964, 15thJune FLEETWOOD (IND)

Monster v Angus Campbell

1964, 19thJune CHURCHDOWN(IND)

Monster v Bearded Monarch

1964, 3rd July CHURCHDOWN (IND)

Monster vVince Lawson

1964, 18thJuly LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Gyorgy Cselko/Imra Csak

1964, 4thAugust BIRMINGHAM (IND)

Monster v Red Scorpion/Executioner

1964, 21stAugust TYNEMOUTH(IND)

Monster v Billy Graham

Then we have John Wade JR on a Joint show.

1964, 25th August EDINBURGH(JOINT)

Roy St Clair/John Wade JR v Black Diamonds

1964, 31stAugust COLWYN BAY (IND)

Monster v Hans Kruger

There are many appearances of the Monster, all for the independents, the last one I have recorded in October 1974.

1963 and The Monster working for Jack Taylor in Leicester. More Monster appearances for the independents whilst a simultaneous Monster working for Joint. Looks like Wade working for Joint and Jim Green now The Monster for the independents.

1963, 2nd February LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Bill Coverdale

1963, 14th February DUNSTABLE (JOINT)

Monster v George Gordienko

1963, 15th February DUMFRIES (JOINT)

Monster v Jack Cassidy

1963, 1st March BERMONDSEY (JOINT)

Monster v Gwyn Davies

1963, 2nd March LEICESTER(IND)

Monster v Harry Bennett

1963, 2nd March COVENTRY (JOINT)

John Wade v Lucky Simunovitch

1963, 4th March BLACKPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v Gwyn Davies

1963, 8th March LIVERPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v John Da Silva

1963, 19thMarch EDINBURGH (JOINT)

Legionairre/ Monster bt Ian Campbell/Robert McDonald

1963, 22nd March CHESTER (JOINT)

Monster v Hasan Ali Bey

1963, 25th March BLACKPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v Jack Pye

1963, 26th March BLACKBURN (JOINT)

Monster v Jack Pye

1963, 29th March LIVERPOOL(JOINT)

Monster v Jack Pye

1963, 11th April LIVERPOOL(JOINT)

Monster v Josef Zaranoff

1963, 16th April HARROGATE (JOINT)

Monster v John Allan

1963, 3rd May CHORLEY (IND)

Monster/The Professor v Dominic/Casey Pye

1963, 14th May EDINBURGH(JOINT)

Monster v Shirley Crabtree

1963, 17thMay BATH(IND)

Harry Bennett/Shaun O’Shea v Great Bula/Monster

1963, 21st May EDINBURGH (JOINT)

Shirley Crabtree bt The Monster (umasked as John Wade)

John Wade now found working for Joint Promotions, as John Wade, simultaneously with The Monster working for Joint. Monster appears for Dale Martin only to be unmasked, but there are further appearances of The Monster for Dale Martin. We also have the unmasking in 1961 cited by Tom H on an independent show. So John Wade was unmasked as The Monster on both the independents and Joint Promotions.

1962, 16th April SHOREDITCH (JOINT)

John Wade v Jo Zaranoff

1962, 17thApril COLCHESTER (JOINT)

John Wade v John Allan

1962, 18th April GRIMSBY(JOINT)

Monster v Dave Armstrong

1962, 19th April PETERBOROUGH (JOINT)

Horst Hoffman bt The Monster (unmasked as John Wade)

1962, 20th April BRIGHTON (JOINT)

John Wade v Johnny Allan

1962, 21st April NORWICH (JOINT)

John Wade v Dave Armstrong

1962, 23rd April HAMILTON(JOINT)

Monster v Robert McDonald

1962, 24th April LEEDS(JOINT)

Monster v Jim Armstrong

1962, 28th April KIRBY IN ASHFIELD (JOINT) Monster v Black Mask

1962, 1st MAY PECKHAM (JOINT)

Monster v Joe Cornelius

1962, 2nd May CARDIFF (JOINT)

John Wade v Roy Bull Davis

1962, 3rd MAY WIMBLEDON(Now Devereux using JP wrestlers)

Monster v Pat Barratt

1962, 5th May COVENTRY (JOINT)

John Wade v Norman Walsh

1962, 7th May YORK (JOINT)

Monster v Dave Armstrong

1962, 9th May LINCOLN (JOINT)

Monster v Dave Armstrong

1962, 11th May LIVERPOOL(JOINT)

Monster v Robert McDonald

1962, 12th May MIDDLESBROUGH(JOINT)

Monster v Eric Leidermann

1962, 16th May LEICESTER(JOINT)

Monster v Alf Cadman

1962, 19th May PORTSMOUTH(JOINT)

Monster v Roy Bull Davis

1962, 25th MayGLASGOW(JOINT)

Monster v Bill Howes

1962, 28th May KILMARNOCK (JOINT)

Monster v John Lees

1962, 1st June LIVERPOOL(JOINT)

Monster v Francis St Clair Gregory

1962, 2nd June MIDDLESBROUGH (JOINT)

Monster v Dai Sullivan

1962, 5th June PURLEY(JOINT)

KO John Wade/Gerry DeJaegar/Bill Joyce/Francis Sullivan

1962, 8th June NORTHAMPTON (JOINT)

John Wade v Johnny Yearsley

1962, 9th June PORTSMOUTH (JOINT)

Monster v Francis Sullivan

1962, 15th June WELLING(JOINT)

John Wade v Joe Cornelius

1962, 18th June WALTHAMSTOW (JOINT)

John Wade/Doug Joyce/Johnny Peters/Kiwi Kingston/John Lees/Tug Holton/Tony Mancelli/Jack Beaumont

1962, 1st or 11th September EDINBURGH (JOINT)

Monster v Dave Armstrong

1962, 14th September DUMFRIES (JOINT)

Monster v Black Panther

1962, 5th October LIVERPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v Masambula

1962, 13th October NEWCASTLE (JOINT)

Monster v Albert Wall

1962, 19th October ROCHESTER (JOINT)

John Wade v Gwyn Davies

1962, 20th October BRIGHTON (JOINT)

Gwyn Davies bt John Wade

1962, 26th October LIVERPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v Roy Bull Davis

1962, 15th November BARNSLEY (JOINT)

Monster v Black Panther

1962, 22nd November BRIERLEY HILL(JOINT)

Monster v Seamus Donlevy

1962, 24th November NEWCASTLE(JOINT)

Monster v Albert Wall

1962, 29th November BARNSLEY (JOINT)

Monster v Harry Bennett

1962, 4th December WARRINGTON(JOINT)

Monster v Robert McDonald

1962, 28th December LIVERPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v Jack Pye

1962, 29th December SOUTHALL(JOINT)

Monster v Johnny Yearsley

1963, 7th January BLACKPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v Norman Walsh

1963, 11th January LIVERPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v Pietro Capello

1963, 24th January BRIERLEY HILL(JOINT)

Monster v Francis St Clair Gregory

1963, 28th January BLACKPOOL (JOINT)

Monster v Jim Hussey