MASKS AND MEMORIES-THE MASK!!

The programmes make good reading and bring back the memories of fighters I liked. I didn't go every Saturday as there needed to be at least 5 out of 8 fighters that were crowd pleasers. I noticed another Emile Poilve v The Mask but Emile and six others weren't worth going for as far as I was concerned. I noticed a reference to Ernie Kingston on a programme and I remember he was often billed as Ernie Kiwi Kingston as he came from New Zealand. He also played the part of Frankenstein's monster in a Peter Cushing Film, but I guess you all know that.

Tony

Those are great memories from bridgecues. Thanks for joining us and I hope you will share more of your memories with us. Sorry but I don't know the answer to your question.

No win for Jack Dempsey in his three Manchester outings. Some champ....

My era was from 1960 to 1970, mainly at Belle Vue though I did see a Knock Out Comp at the Free Trade Hall between 8 masked wrestlers who all unmasked as they lost. They were not Joint Promotions wrestlers and I didn't know any of them.

My brother's time was 1954 to 1958 and Dick the Dormouse was a promoter/MC.

I'm sure I was at the 1961 Jack Pye v The Mask and if I remember correctly Jack was disqualified when he nearly had the mask off. I remember most of the under card fighters too.

The programme you kindly showed me made me remember that Charles Forte of the Hotel fame was Vice Chairman of Belle Vue at the time as shown at the top of the programme.

I lived in Clayton until I got married aged 27 and Jim Hussey had a green Grocers shop near to where I lived. I also used to go in the Grapes off Deansgate near to where the Opera House is now, in fact the Grapes is still there. Many celebrities went in there and I remember Tommy Mann drinking with a Coronation Street actor. My father new a man who had a shop in the Cheetham Hill area and he was Bill Benny a wrestler before my time. I still remember going to school on Mondays looking at the bill posters to see if any good fights were scheduled for Belle Vue for the coming Saturday. Happy days.

Oh no! A photo of the worst ever UK MC. Arthur Green. So much of him on Youtube still to give me the willies.

Me and my classmate used to go to Belle Vue, Manchester most Saturday nights and Easter, when they had wrestling on Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Monday. Jack Pye always filled the arena but our favourite was The Mask. He was skilful and after quietly rolling out of being thrown across the ring would emerge stood upright with his arms folded. This was something we would copy in the playground. We had an English teacher who often stood at the front of class with his arms folded and we began to think he could be The Mask.

After 50 years or more wondering who The Mask was, your article has provided the answer.

My first wrestling match I ever saw was when my mam and dad took me to see Billy Two Rivers at Belle Vue and Sandy Orford was fighting someone who's name I can't recall, but there was a lot of blood involved and my mam had to leave the arena for a while.

Having got the answer to that long asked question I will chance my luck at this next one. Belle Vue always played a fanfare for the two wrestlers who were the main event, a spotlight guided the fighters in for two separate spotlight shows and two plays of the inspiring fanfare. I have tried to find out what it was and even stayed behind one night to ask the officials but they only came up with Selection of Fanfare which I think was the name of the LP and not the track. I can still hum the tune today but would like to know what it was called.

All the best and thanks for keeping the memories of British wrestling sharp in my mind.

Tony Bridge

THE MASK vs. BIG BRUNO ELRINGTON.......

MAIN MASK