BBC television broadcast their first wrestling match, they called it catch-as-catch-can on 12th March, 1938, describing it as a form of fighting mid-way in violence between all-in wrestling and ju-jitsu.
The exhibition match was between the Canadian Earl McCready and the South African Percy Foster. For the record the commentator was Emil Voight, who had competed in the 1904 Olympics as an athlete and some four years earlier had authored "Modern Wrestling Holds." The referee of the contest was K.J. Staunton. Voight and Staunton were to become regular officials of the BBC contests.
Read BBC and The Other Side of Wrestling
Ever stronger grows the Kid Lincoln connection. They shared countless bills before the bonnet went on. I wonder if Kidd lodged with Lincoln?
Few (any?) signs of Lincoln in Dundee.
8 bob Main Mask. Dale Martin knew how to rob us.
Seriously, that looks like a good bill. Paul Lincoln was a serial loser before he started to decide the results himself and Arthur Beaumont was class. John Foley against Kidd could have been interesting. I've not seen Foley billed from Preston before. It would be satisfying to think there was a Preston Connection but more likely that Dales thought anywhere up north would do, they're all the same.
Hard to believe Johnny Saint and Jim Breaks were still working this one in 1990.
Assuming they met in the 1960's they must have fought in four different decades.
Fabulous poster here:
Wrestling overseas, on this day, Judo Al Hayes went to a time limit draw with Karl Von Steiger in El Paso, Texas, USA, on this day in 1973.
On our TV screens, on this day in 1977:-
Tony St.Clair (0) v Colin Joynson (0)
Mick McManus (S, RSF) v John Naylor (F)
Big Daddy (KO) v Buster Hunt (0)
12 March 1937
The Daily Mirror reported a new Sunday entertainment for the men of Rotherham. Following their Sunday lunchtime pint the men were not going home for their Sunday lunch but had found a new diversion. Five times police had been called to scenes of uproar as spectators, said to be fuelled with “liquid refreshment” were watching open-air wrestling matches between women. The female contestants were said to be tough and partial to throwing the referee about.
1970 (at some point I will do a couple of Walthamstow galleries, really like this era of poster design):
Ian St John, Dave Shade and Alan Colbeck definitely in there as market leaders.
Each of the four main bouts must have been performed scores of times down the years. My estimate:
Logan v Royal: twice monthly at least over 27 years = 729.
Faulkner v Saint: same over 20 years = 480
Marino v Bruno: same over ten years = 240
Tag over two years but once or twice weekly = 150
We'll never know precisely but the figures are something like this.
When you think of a theatre run where the cast are word perfect after a week and have a run of maybe 50 or 100 performances ... how smoothly did these guys work together!
Wrestling overseas, on this day back in 1973, Sean Regan beat Buck Ramstead in Vancouver, Canada.
On our TV screens, on this day, back in 1960: -
Judo Al Hayes v Dazzler Joe Cornelius
Remy Bayle v Johnny Yearsley
John Foley v Jack Cunningam
Chic Osmond v Bob Anthony