I attended the 20th Anniversary show of Grand Pro Wrestling (GPW - formerly Garage Pro Wrestling) on Sunday afternoon (8th July).
The show featured some big names from the north west wrestling scene including Joey Hayes, Damon Leigh, Martin Kirby and Sam Gradwell (who trained at one stage with Marty Jones and wrestled for WWE NXT UK).
This was their first show back after the pandemic - formerly they ran about every 8 weeks on Friday evenings.
The show was at the Rose Club, Hindley, the building formerly known as the Monaco Ballroom.
This hall goes back to at least the mid 60's as a regular wrestling venue.
Billy Riley and Jack Atherton promoted there in the 1960's, often using local stars who were graduates from Riley's gym, just down the road in Wigan. The earliest show there that I have details of is from 3rd march 1965, when Peter Maivia wrestled Billy Joyce. Kendo Nagasaki first appeared at Hindley on 19th May 1965. As we know fromhis book, his earliest matches were for Jack Atherton and for Wryton Promotions.
This must be one of the longest standing wrestling venues still in regular use and the place does have a special atmosphere.
Does anyone else have memories of wrestling shows at the former Monaco Ballroom?
Many years ago attended an event at this venue that is memorable only because the ring ropes broke and could not be repaired.A very early night!
Like the Wryton , an ex Cinema. Previuosly Known as The REX Cinema , it changed to the Monaco in 1957.
A few from 1965. Not sure if 3rd March bill got changed to what you suggest. Great Place.