Very first wrestling in Newark was 1934. I don't have a bill for it but I can tell you that it was at Newark FC , outdoors and a crowd of almost 500. Jack Hickling of Mansfield was the Promoter.
Never heard of some of the wrestlers but for me the standout for skill would have been a bout between Jack Alker and his great mate Scotty Ambrose.
There was a follow up show then nothing until the war when some shows were done in the Ransome and Marles Canteen that I covered in another thread. After the war a few shows at the Corn Exchange were done before a long interval with no wrestling for many years.
By 1958 wrestling was entering a boom again due to TV Coverage under the guise of Sports enterprises. Again the Corn exchange was to be the venue.
But in 1960 Promoter Matt Lewis came along with another venue.
A little bit of info on these two venues is to be significant. You see , the Corn Exchange held 1500 spectators and yet the Palace Theatre or Cinema only held 630 seats. It's a bit strange how things worked out. Corn Exchange below left and the small Cinema on the right.
No sign of Jack Taylor on the 1950's bills but by 1960 he had for sure captured The Corn Exchange for a long run. Jack as a great Champion was star of his own shows.
So 1961 Jack Taylor is established in the big Venue.
Fascinating that Joint Promotions , Relwyskow and Green should challenge by going into the small venue known as the Palace. The March 4th bill even put Newark on the map as a TV Venue. And Look Mick McManus is there working for Relwyskow and Green. The people of Newark had a feast of wrestling with this choice.
That's exactly right, Ron. He tried out several halls across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Sometimes he'd finish up with just the one show ... in others it would take off. He always presented a "local" lad and at least one striking headliner (Cassidy, Ghoul, Klondike, ladies etc). My only criticism at the time was that very often there would be too many up-and-comers from Jack's training school. They didn't look the part. They were just starting out, of course, but they were young (and looked it) and while we all have to start somewhere I think sometimes he would overload a bill with them. As for the mixed stuff I really couldn't fathom it out ... because it did pull in the punters the first time at each hall ... but it never, ever worked well and putting it on a second time did not bring the punters in. Quite the opposite. A shame, really, because the likes of Nola Goldsmith, Britt Vartzo, Sugar Pye Harlem and particularly Lady Caroline were good workers in their own right ... but both males and females struggled to make mixed match-ups look half decent.
IT's a very interesting area Martin bordering several counties. Looking at the bills I have collected Jack Taylor had a Field Day. I guess some of the venues were just not big enough for Joint , but Jack sure made it pay. What an imagination , but from what you say , he did not always get the balance right.
They are, Ron. I got many of them from Jack before they were stuck on walls ... a reward in addition to the half-crown for bucket duties!
Those posters look in super condition.
Sorry to have to tell you this, Anglo ... but Jack Taylor put on many, many mixed matches. Male vs Female ... Male and Female vs Male and Female Tag .... Male tag v Female tag.
Here are some posters and a report and pic on Mick Collins vs Nola Goldsmith at Wisbech. I saw dozens of these matches ... and I never saw one that wasn't embarassing at least and disgracefully pitiful at worst.
He often used his own lady, Lady Caroline to take part. Not his finest hours ....
MC
Blimey, after all these years Anglo has discovered the only advantage of being a southerner.
But those early girls you point out, Ron, are in a MIXED tag match. Alf Marquette in there with his Betty. I can't recall any other mixed tag, thankfully.
Mick Dalby always fascinated me. He only had two fights as a pro middleweight boxer (one tko loss and one points loss) but he did the rounds (no pun intended) for Jack, nearly always against Legs Valentine in boxer vs wrestler matches and, as I remember it, was usually a ko winner.
Enjoy a few more Jack Taylor shows through the 60's. He kept a hold on that Corn Exchange.
You won't see the ladies much earlier than this. These really were some of the first.
Wonder if Bartelli had an agreement that he could do it as long as it was not done deep in Wryton Land. He certainly seemed to go his own way. So much so that later he had the Bartley promotions venture. We kind of know he was fed up of the mask.
The jokes on us though , we just don't know.
Thanks Ron, I just took a quick look at the link you posted, to remind myself of what we said at the time.
"Jess Conda" seems to be in some high profile bouts (The Monster, Cowboy Jack Cassidy, etc.), so if it is not Bartelli, who is it?
Did Bartelli's love for "the game" mean he would risk upsetting Joint Promotions, to appear on an opposition bill?, cash in hand, no questions asked?
I guess we need to find someone from that promotion, who is still with us, who would remember who he was, or a picture of him?
Sax , I am fascinated with this Jess Conda. Discussed on a previous thread it was concluded that it was unlikely to be Bartelli. But I am finding him a shed load of times with Jack Taylor. Previous debate in the link.
https://heritagedocs.wixsite.com/talkwrestling/forum/memories-of-the-old-days/did-bartelli-fight-maskless-pre-1966
Taylor had a great imagination and this "Mask Night" would have been right up my street.
Some of these are pure fiction.
Some great digging, Ron. Thank you. Hands up those who’d have given their right arm to see Jack Pye v Bomber Bates!
MC
Would that be Count Bartelli, as "Jess Conda" on the Feb 28th 1961 bill at the Corn Exchange?
Also, that 1960 poster!, has Jack Taylor gone a bit "over the top" with all those nationalities on one bill!