A well known Hall but not the first venue in Warrington.
That title probably goes to the Baths Hall which for sure was doing wrestling in 1939.
However , there to be beaten , I believe I have a set of the first bills for the Parr Hall and during the war at that.
Promoter Jack Cullen and he did some pretty good shows. Many future promoters actually wrestled on his shows.
I can only show you some sample.
Some very local names above , yet again as discovered my Main Mask recently , Tom Rigby fighting as Wild Tarzan. Billy Riley and Jack Atherton on there , trainer of Dynamite Kid Ted Beckley. To put the record straight Ted Betley was born Warrington 24th Jan 1922 and was a Butcher's Errand Boy at the start of the war. Betley being the correct spelling.
Golden ace and Golden Boy , Norman Morrell on Cullens shows , wonder how many went to both shows on July 7th 1942 in the middle of the war. Big names like Bill Benny and Bert Assirati.
And talking of Bert.
Bert unmasks The Green Asp , OK , it went in the local press , but Van Wuden would have done his Green Asp again and again. I think we have 2 or 3 unmaskings of him now. As for wrestling under his own name , well next year 1943 he's back in with bert again.
END OF PART 1
Ron, just going through this again as I update my bills & results. I noticed Doncaster was often run the day prior with a similar crew.
Great stuff Ron, thanks again.
PART 2
In 1944 Wryton took over from Jack Cullen. Cullen who was born 1905 was already a sports promoter when he turned to wrestling. Son of an Irish Police Constable but brought up by his mother in Atherton. Looks to me like he died in 1953 age only 47. Why Wryton took over I cannot explain.
So lets look at early Wryton. And this is very early , possibly only Wryton's second venue to open after Hanley.
Many Manchester , Bolton and Wigan area wrestlers. Riley and Atherton there at the start with Wryton and Ted Beresford who went big away from Wryton with his own territory. Young Hussey and Billy Joyce , the reliable Bob Silcock, Alf Cadman.
Jack Pye and Beckley in there and not too many internationals.
So Wryton here looks to be a close knit Roster and the Parr Hall missing a few weeks here and there but often providing weekly war time wrestling.
More to say about Wryton on another thread soon.