One of the more enduring mysteries is that of Kim Kendo. We can find him as early as 1960.
I have a couple of promo photos, one of which was used in Paul Lincoln programmes (the kimono is the same in both), the other is signed:
What's as equally as interesting, and I thought MAIN MASK especially would get a kick out of this, is his 1966 run with Dale Martin. Whilst I have yet to find Kim Kendo & Kendo Nagasaki on the same show, I have found at least two bills with Kim Kendo tagging with either member of the Hells Angels, Barnes & Street:
It gives his home billing as Chelsea. So a local London guy? Was his martial art background legitimate? Who could we talk to, in order to learn more about him?
Yes Hack, and consider: we had no idea what Kendo Nagasaki was nor how to pronounce it. I remember my brother and I in fits at the sight of him taking his skirt off - it was 1968 after all!
I thought I knew the Who's Who by heart, I'll have to open mine very delicately to find Mike Bandele as I have no recollection of him being included at all.
Cracking bill Anglo Italian.
I'm surprised to see Mike Bandele, always thought of him as a figment of the Who's Who of Wrestling imagination. He only seemed to be around for about a year. Somehow I don't think that match would have been the one to get you to part with your 10/6. I would have thought McManus and Kellett would sound a belter at the time and good heavyweight matches (your disdain for Verdu is noted yet again). A bit of a blow to have Syed Saif Shah turn up instead of The Outlaw.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe:
And it went on very very late.
McManus and Kellett paraded down the central aisles and as I was in an end seat I was brushed by Kellet's gown. Such excitement! I must have been in the ten-and-sixes.
And this wasn't a single outing for Nagasaki in the South,
This was the only time I saw Crusher Verdu ... and I have often commented how dreadful he was. I wish I could remember what Maxine was like, but I'm afraid he must have been crownlessly forgettable. Surprising to see he won so close to Cappelli Land.
Evidence? I was there!
"There is very little Chance that KIM KENDO and KENDO NAGASAKI Ever Featured
on the Same Bill!"
Public Warning for Fake News!!!
I saw Nagasaki before 1969 and indeed for Paul Lincoln Management in London; but with no Kim Kendo on the bill. So there is every chance that he wrestled on other Lincoln bills where the original Kendo did also appear.
Having said that, if I were the promoter, I'd have been very wary of putting two Kendos on a single bill - other than in tag. And the silly mis-weighted tag matches of ten years later had, thankfully, not yet surfaced.
Nagasaki was very active in the South from 1967 onwards.
But this is all about Kim Kendo - let's get back to the Original.
There is very little Chance that KIM KENDO and KENDO NAGASAKI Ever Featured
on the Same Bill!
1964-1969-NAGASAKI Campaigned Predominantly in The NORTH for WRYTON
but did Venture into The MIDLANDS!-The Furthest NORTH I have KIM KENDO is
DUDLEY and LEICESTER so far-See My Original Programmes Below:-
MAIN MASK
Here's another photo I found in Dave Cameron's collection (photo taken by Dave):
The earliest documented recoro I can find (as Kendo) is in August 1962, with the earliest documented Kim Kendo in September 1962. Ray Plunkett lists matches from April 1960, but doesn't differentiate between Kendo and Kim Kendo. As Ray has quite a few matches from 1960 onwards I would say it's highly likely the debut was 1960.
The last documented match I can find is July 1968, Ray has September 1968.
Here he is in 1954.
It seems Sarah that your Grandfather WAS BILLED as Just 'KENDO'!
But ALSO as 'KARATE KENDO'!!
See Below for 1962 and 1963!
Here......
MAIN MASK
Thank you for sharing, Sarah.
Some great and original materials there. Kim Kendo was clearly great friends with Zoltan Boscik....did he ever by chance go to New Zealand to visit him later in life? Boscik later became television's British champion so this very old photo of the pair is priceless:
He comes across as a "blue eye," a clean wrestler. So the one billing that sticks out surprisingly is when he and Boscik are billed as Europe's "Most Vicious" tag team.
He was also a British tag champion! Must have been one of the very first to make that claim.
Does look like he wrestled under the name 'Kendo' in his earlier days!
He has this hung up in his house - was obviously very proud of this career!
So I was able to catch up with my father this weekend. He's going to try to pull out some more billings/photos when he goes through his paper work. But just to share some background: Terence Moulton - 20 Dec 1931 - 1st Jan 2022
He wasn't the same as Kendo Nagasaki but did know of him - don't know if he ever tag teamed with him or not, but likely not. As for background for the name: He was in the National Service as an RAF medic in the early 50's (51/52, or 52/53) based in South Korea. He spent quite a lot of time between South Korea and Japan as he was working with an American MAS unit. It was there that he met his sensei (who went on to teach him Judo - where he earned a black belt). He also met a Canadian (not sure of the name) who he went on to work with and Terry was one of the first and most respected reps for Hoover in the UK. While back in London, his sensei wanted to come to London to help set up a dojo and Terry helped facilitate that and also him and his family coming over. Not sure where the dojo was in London (somewhere North west?) - for helping him set up his sensei presented him with a katana (my father believes he has a photo somewhere of that, though unfortunately I think the katana has been lost). As for his career, not sure when he would have started, but could have been as early as the late 50's and went to 1969-1970 when he retired due to a back injury. Some of his tag team partners that my father remembers were TV Jackie Pallo, Mick McManus, Billy Two Rivers (a Canadian?). Not sure on these. My dad remembers going to the Edgeware bout (posted on this thread) and one other in the Royal Albert Hall in 1968 or 1969.
I'll share some more photos/newspaper articles as I/my dad finds them if you would find them interesting! 😊
Great Ron!
Kim Kendo actually passed in the place where he was always billed from. A rarity in wrestling!
It's amazing to hear from you all that you know who he is! I'm speaking to my father at the weekend to get some more information from him about his career! Will update soon!
Many Thanx OSTY!
Yes!-Most Interesting Indeed!
You will Know of course that KIM KENDO also Tagged with ZOLTAN BOSCIK!
Here!....
MAIN MASK
With a bit of guesswork from when Terry Moulton died , I would say that he was 90 years old and his wrestling career spanned late to cover his thirties. What he did before that , we do not know.
I could be wrong but I make him born very late 1931 and died 2022
Birth, Fulham district , death Chelsea and Kensington.
Also of note , he seems to have launched just as Kendo , but even before the end of his first year Kim Kendo was adopted.
All "Best Guess"
Thanks so much for that info Sarah. I did find one or two more photos of your uncle in my friend's collection. It's great to be able to put a name to the face.
Thanks for sharing with us Sarah. Yes I agree with Anglo-Italian, we do so much want to learn more about your great uncle.
This is brilliant, Sarah.
And welcome on behalf of us all.
Your great uncle has been an enigma to us all here. A fascinating innovative gimmick and name, at a time when few Brits knew what kendo was.
He was a cornerstone of the most vibrant promotion of the early sixties, Paul Linclon.
It is sad to hear he has passed away but sounds like he had a good long life.
I am curious to know what has caused you to crop up here six years after his passing?
It will be great if you can share memories with us of what Uncle Terry used to say about his wrestling years? Who his buddies were? What the employers were like? Why he never wrestled on tv?
Did he ever have anything to say about Kendo Nagasaki taking part of his name in 1964?
Hope you'll be able to share some replies.