French wrestler Tiger Tim DeLisle was born in Marseilles on 7th May, 1905, but moved to Montreal in Canada when he was just six years old. He took up amateur wrestling aged seventeen and seven years later turned professional, having been taught the professional style by Eugene Tremblay, one of the world's top lightweights at the time. Our earliest record of the Tiger in Britain is in March, 1933, and from then on he seems to be a permanent fixture until shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. One of the lighter men Tiger had some cracking bouts in Britain against Harold Angus and Mike Howley. Enjoyed and respected by the fans his rough style, sometimes outside the rules, did little to endear him to the British public. From the autumn of 1939 and throughout the Second World War DeLisle wrestled in Canada. He returned to Britain following the second world war in 1948 and 1949, with our last recorded match in Canada in 1955.
I'm still considered, among my fellow pensioners, that I retain a fairly decent memory so it must be that I was so jaded with the wrestling situation of that time. All the more surprising that Dennis Mitchell was on the bill as I was a great follower of him. Also that just a couple of weeks earlier I was completely enthralled by Kendo Nagasaki who stood out among the new batch of wrestlers emerging on the scene.
I'm wondering if that's a comment on the state of wrestling or Dave's state of mind.
As far as I can recall the 1966 St James' Hall presentation was the final night that I worked there. Unfortunately, even though Dennis and Donald Mitchell were on the bill, I can't remember a single thing about it!
Wrestling overseas today, Geoff Portz went to a time limit draw, against Josef Molnar, in Karlsruhe, Germany, on this day in 1971.
On our TV screens, on this day in 1966:-
Geoff Portz (Bradford) v Billy Joyce (Wigan)
Jon Cox (York) v Syed Shah (Pakistan) (W)
Alan Miquet (Huddersfield) v Jon Cortez (London) (W)
The excellent PWInsider.Com tells us that on May 7 1982, the Motherland was well represented in the US as Adrian Street and Timothy Flowers (presumably not the goalkeeper) defeated Chris Adams and Ringo Rigsby (presumably Rigby, and not a relative of the lecherous TV landlord) for the NWA Americas Tag Team Title.
Great bill in Ply-mouth, albeit well tried routines:
7th May 1909
The Bearded Wrestler was something of an enigma for us for years. There was no mask to conceal his identity, but who was he?
He certainly wasn't the Bearded Monarch Ken Davies, and there were other wrestlers
sporting beards, but no clues that they used the alias.
The breakthough came when Ron Historyo found a poster that not only named him but gave a bigger clue, "The famous portrait artist." Really? Well, yes, really.
We started to dig around and found The Bearded Wrestler of the 1930s was Patrick
O'Connor, an artist born in Paris on 7th May 1909, the son of a sculptor. This would
place him in his mid twenties when he started wrestling the likes of Jack Pye, Douglas Clark and Francis St Clair Gregory.
The family moved to the United States when war broke out in 1914, returning to Paris in 1926. He was indeed an internationally acclaimed artist with exhibitions around the world. Wrestling must have been very much a sideline, but biographical details of the artist do confirm he was indeed a wrestler in Britain, Ireland, Europe and the U.S.A.
Having lived most of his adult life in the United States he died on 27th April, 1997.
Another Handsome Bob Kirkwood poster.
Much though we all love Bob I find this Handsome Bob business just as nauseating as Popular Mick McMichael.
Such ambiguity at The 'Stow!
Is this a title bout? Viedor is mentioned as the Challenger.
Interesting to see John Hall up against someone different.
These threads are making us all too knowing, focusing on "rum" details as Beancounter says. Haggetty with his peroxide look was the wrong opponent for La Rue. But I do love that yellow poster.
1963:
1970:
Pallo v Alf Cadman - rather rum matchmaking here surely? There must have been a four stone difference!
Even more incredible than Joyce as champion is Morrell claim that McMichael v Jowett was by public demand.
Who were these people?
That Ken Joyce title is an oddity.
Its a Devereux show. Devereux had recognised Joyce as European champion in 1960/61 when they were working outside Joint as independents. But this is the second half of the 1960s when Devereux were working with Joint. Maybe if we look we will find other instances on Devereux bills we haven't noticed before.
Angus had done well since I was watching him on the opposition just 5 years earlier.
Wrestling overseas today, in history, Wild Angus beat Bill Cody, in Calgary, Alberta Canada, on this day in 1971.
On our TV screens, on this day in 1960: -
Ernie Riley v Remy Bayle
Jimmy Dempsey v Cliff Belshaw
Mike Marino v Tibor Szakacs