Many fans of the 1960s will remember reading of the exploits of Whipper Watson in those American magazines that arrived in our shops weeks after their publication. He was another of those larger than life characters that existed in the same distant world as other greats such as Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, Freddie Blassie and Gene Kiniski. Most of us were probably ignorant of the fact that this American superstar had spent his formative professional wrestling years learning his trade in the All-In rings of Great Britain.
Canadian by birth as William Potts, born in Toronto, he was brought to Britain in July 1936 by Harry Joyce (father of Doug and Ken), and during his first week faced Tony Baer, Tony Mancelli and Al Korman. His specialism Irish Whip move quickly led to Billy Watson becoming Whipper Watson. Billy wrestled his way around Britain for four years until shortly after war was declared in September, 1939. He returned to Canada to become one of North America's most popular wrestlers and National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion. Whipper Watson retired in 1971, and died at his home in Florida on 4th February, 1990.
Les would have been 71, Barnu would be 68 and Jack Taylor could have been in his sixties.
Les would surely have been in his 70s by then!
Here's a sure-fire fun night out:
Here's a generally very pretty one, but Hack will need to tell us whether the content is up to scratch. A very late Les Kellett appearance. What a career span!
By the way, under that photo of Norman Walsh, I should have said that he never went to Australia as far as I know.
Wrestling overseas today, Billy Robinson and Great Kusatsu defeated Joe Cornelius and Mike Marino, in Omuta, Japan, on this day in 1969.
On our TV screens, on this day in 1970:-
Johnny Yearsley v Majid Ackra (DQ)
Sean Regan (1) v Geoff Portz (1)
04 February 1942
Johannes Van Der Walt was named in the South African Parliament as a commandant of the Ossewa-Brandwag, an anti-British and pro-German organisation in South Africa during World War II.
Was it 1971? I remember the bout being in black and white and I'm sure we had colour by then. I would have been 17 and, although I don't suppose it's anything to boast about, I didn't actually taste Boddingtons until my 18th birthday at The Railway Hotel in Handforth (49 years before the village became an internet sensation) where mine host was the soon-to-be-famous bandleader and trombonist Syd Lawrence. And when Boddingtons was a decent pint actually brewed on their premises near Strangeways.
Graham Brook
"I've very vague memories of Whipper Watson Jnr and Red Pollard coming over here when i was a boy"
A boy!
Come off it Graham. 1971 . Aren't we the same age? You must have been on underage pints of Boddingtons by then.
Thanks for the info. Main Mask. Couldn't have been the same Bob MacNab from Manchester.
Cheers
Thanks MM. He's sucking his stomach in there.
I don't know when that was ,but I bet that he weighed over the Midheavyweight limit there.
On this thread today are two very formidable but seemingly under-acclaimed heavyweights: Timmy Geoghegan and Gideon Gidea. I saw them both live and on TV and on each occasion Gidea finished his bout with a brilliant souplex. Unfortunately, never saw Timmy operate his sleeping hold.
Wasn't there also a silent movie star called Elmo Lincoln who played Tarzan?
The poster further up, from the Public Baths at Sutton in Ashfield, is the "Elmo" listed there, Jim Foy?, I assume it is, with it saying he was a strong man, but I wondered for a split second (with it saying "from Australia") whether this was an early sighting of Paul Lincoln, who wrestled as Elmo Lincoln, as a young man, but this would be too early wouldn't it?
Interesting poster with Bob MacNab vs Norman Stewart. Which year? I'm wondering because the Bob MacNab that I knew was from Manchester, I think he was with the Grant Foderingham gym, but not sure about that, however he was my very first opponent when I turned professional early 1963 and was then getting on in years. He was billed as coming from Kirkaldy in Scotland, but we all know what promoters were doing with names and places! There is no mention of this wrestler in the A-Z, so hence my query.
Cheers
Whipper Jnr wrestled a lot in Canada,and had several bouts opposing Chris Colt
I remember Whipper Junior being a no-show at the Albert Hall, and that was the end of him.
I've very vague memories of Whipper Watson Jnr and Red Pollard coming over here when i was a boy to do some work for Relwyskow and Green and a TV tag match in which they fought each other partnered by two British wrestlers. I recall Barry Douglas was one but forget the fourth combatant. The initial reaction is that Whipper Watson Jnr was Whipper Watson's son, but in wrestling who knows?
You're right Bernard.
Kwango a clear case, too.
Just goes to highlight how good all the "victims" were at selling all this.
I think I had in mind as I typed the Kamikaze crash or Tibor's chop or the boston crab - which involved real suffering.
I always, even then, enjoyed watching the youngsters selling McManus's innocuous foream jab, but working valiantly for the boss. And when Clive Myers is "thrown" over the top rope by McManus, even McManus can't believe how effective he himself has been.
But these are all specialities, and they go with the turf.
The Irish Whip, used by so many in the opening round while there's still some puff - well, that's a very dodgy speciality.