Given that Professional Wrestling was one great work, with its innermost secrets closely guarded, it is hardly surprising that a whole series of downright lies emerged, possibly off the cuff, and found themselves cemented in wrestling folklore, or even factual history.
Wild Ian Campbell was a qualified vet.
Masambula and Johnny Kwango were Africans.
Alan Garfield grew whiskers to wrestle as Yukon Eric.
Judd Harris wrestled as a German; Joe D'Orazio as a Japanese.
Or as John Shelvey definitively describes in this week's Newsletter, Leon Arras was not a French wrestler and Brian Glover did not steal his ring-name from any such wrestler. (We are none the wiser as to where the name came from, but that hardly matters right now. The truth was probably quite mundane.)
Considering the wrestlers and promoters were endeavouring to pull the wool over the punters' eyes by portraying legitimately competitive bouts, they entitled themselves to take all sorts of liberties.
One of the greatest Wrestling Heritage reveals of 2020 has been that Mick McManus grew a moustache and turned orange to ham it up as a non-existent Mexican who dropped his non-existent world title to George Kidd in 1949.
These stories had to be kept absolutely secret. One slip in this case, for instance, and Kidd's whole career would have become questionable. It's probable Brian Glover had some very good reason for not revealing the source of his ring-name.
I have long interpreted it that the "lads" saw putting one of these tall stories over as a badge of courage, enshrining their names in the inner sanctums of wrestling dressing rooms.
It just makes me want to question everything, especially details that the promoters, assisted by Kent Walton, forced on us.
What other outrageous or blatant wrestling lies have you come across?
The one lie that was repeated over and over by many of the Americans, was the line 'Ive wrestled all over the WORLD'! 'Ive broken every bone in my body ' was on repeat and always the sort of reply when an interviewer asked 'have you ever been hurt wrestling' or 'any injuries'? Lastly, that wasn't really Rasputin in our rings, was it? I'm Sparticus, no I'm Sparticus', that's doubtful too!
The BIGGEST as far as I'm concerned, was when our own Billy Robinson first appeared on Aussie t.v. Sammy Menacker prompted a reluctant Bill, 'you were originally from Australia Billy'? 'yes' said a suitably embarrassed Mancunian, 'from Bondi'! I believe I recall that either Sam or Bill actually said 'Bondi Beach', which of course is the name of a beach and not a town. I didn't hear that claim again, at least not on Bill's first tour Down Under.
There is a 1959 match on You Tube with Belgian wrestler Jack van Dooren .In the intermission between rounds he is shown at work as an estate agent. If this was legit just shown as free advertising for his business
He lived a few doors away from my Aunt after Kes was released..He was a nice chap by all accounts
Brian Glover/ Leon Arras, the man from Paris, as a teacher of French and Geography, amazing! I remember his acting role in the marvellous film Kes, as the PE teacher. Unforgettable.
At least the Leon Arras account gave some publicity to Arras a very interesting city in the Pays de Calais
Joe D'Orazio did wrestle as a Japanese. But he wasn't Japanese. He wasn't even Joe D'Orazio.
What makes you so sure Anglo that Joe d'O never wrestled as a Japanese?
I always reckoned the reason he did it was to boost his income, nothing more, but a genuine clergyman in a world of fakes was a novelty in itself.
Good to see our Rev has so many parishioners on here. So how did he reply when accused "It's all fake!"
Methodist! Such God-fearing austerity. I can only imagine that his conscience was clear.
There was a methodist church near my house also. Unfortunately the vicar's wife did a moonlight flit with one of the parishioners. It wasn't until their marriage night that she realised he had such a small stipend.
Hi Anglo, Mum went to a methodist church in Gosforth which is part of Newcastle upon Tyne & Rev. Brookes did sermons their once or twice.
Regards to you. Ian
I remember many years ago on here wondering about the ethics of it all, especially in respect of Reverend Michael Brookes.
If we do accept he was a bona fida clergyman, (if)...., how could a man of the cloth square it that he was involved in such deception?
Where does cunning trickery end and deceit begin? Do we want to accuse magicians of being unethical? They lie through their teeth, all part of the deception. Good luck to them.
Tag teams presenting themselves as brothers, when they weren't.
I learnt the word palaentologist in relation to John Elijah in 1970. Knowing what we know now, do we really think John Elijah was that type of scientist? It just makes you wonder how they identified the lie? Maybe there was some in-joke -- and I have the impression there often was. Maybe he simply had a girlfriend at the time who was much older?
McManus seemed to be central in deciding just how far you could push a good lie. Must have had a wicked sense of humour.
Talking of Ivan Penzekoff being a pig farmer, I remember him telling me that this was a yarn which he spun to Kent Walton and it gave him immense pleasure to hear said Walton relating it as a fact to the viewing public. According to Ivan, many wrestlers took great delight in spinning yarns to Walton which he diligently recounted on air as fact. Whether Walton knew all the time and was playing along is an interesting matter of speculation.
Incidentally, I recall getting Walton's autograph many summers ago. I have related previously my experiences refereeing for Bobby Barron at Prestatyn Sands Holiday Camp but many years before that the site hosted an American trotting stadium and they held a charity race of celebrities (primarily DJs). I approached the celebrity riders after the race (I forget who won) and Walton was a signee along with now notorious Jimmy Savile, Keith Fordyce, Brian Matthews, Bill Kelly and Jonathan Routh.
The Undertakers Jonathan and Nathaniel weren't really funeral directors
Ivan Penzecoff wasn't a pig farmer.
Yeah, you’re right. It’s all hypothetical anyway and who cares, we loved it! 😁
Absolutely right Peter but it was sold to us as genuine when it wasn’t, so basically they took money under false pretences. Not rocket science to work out it was fake but under the letter of the law someone could have sued. Not moaning I loved it and continued to do so even after I wasn’t fooled anymore. Can’t imagine any other sport doing this and getting away with it.
Judd Harris was Baron Von Schultz, wasn’t he?
Have to say I have wondered from time to time if there were good grounds to sue given the fact that people paid money to see something they believed to be a genuine fight that was infact all fixed, staged and set up. Surely this was illegal ???