This week I have read about Paul Mitchell doing the noble thing and taking a pile driver; and today Graham shared memories of rule-bender Paul Mitchell.
Unfortunately I never saw Paul live. My opinions centre around his Fanfare for Europe bout where he was the dominant professional on the card, playing his role perfectly against an unforthcoming opponentt.
So I clearly have a fragmented and very incomplete view. I realise he astutely chose his tag partner according to his surname; and I can see from all the great posters we share that he appears to have been active from around 1965 and clearly wrestled all the very best and certainly shared a dressing-room with everyone who was anyone.
From his fascinating posts we know not merely that he is that rare thing, a wrestler who is open about being a fan (so many remain in the closet), but also that he was clearly fascinated by the workings of the business and the various promoters' angles right from his start.
Can those who saw him please share more details so that I/we can get a balanced and fuller profile.
Thank you.
funny how some bouts still stick in your mind after so long,every one with Keith did,I never wanted to do what I saw so many do go on until your dates decrease lose mobility,but to be honest I like many others loveed the game and gradually the prophecy of many old timers that once gimmicks overcome skill believability goes,pay cuts smaller halls were back to 1940s all in,the joint cartel had its issues but maintaining the game was paramount and standards were high,this wasn't altruistic because they knew it was the only way to flourish and be profitable.Hitting clinicaly obese confused man who had no training over the head was a plastic bucket was circus fare and the majority of the punters wouldn't pay to see it.
Well there is another question , how late did Paul go and with who/where. What brought it to a finish , age , enthusiasm , injury , quantity of work or what. Very interested to know.
That's fascinating Paul and I just don't know why we didn't pursue this fascinating and live topic, and one that is very relevant to wrestling Heritage now in 2022.
Your post states lots of points that we as queens can only have surmised, like the fact that you couldn't have too wide a circle of friends because of the intrusive/embarrassing questions.
But I'm also surprised that few wrestlers were close friends with others. Kind of leaves you friendless?
I'm still surprised at all the comments above about rule-bender Paul Mitchell. As stated, all I have to go on is that polite young man on tv!
Can anyone show details of the latest poster or bill we have with Paul Mitchell on it?
There were always workers who were fans,some were amatuer trained some weren't but in the 50s 60s it was a prerequisite that you had to be able to wrestle before joint would consider you Max changed that for monetary reasons.I remain interested in the game,I was nosey I asked questions occasionally being told to go forth and multiply,however and this relates to the Peter Kaye topic I'm not keen to do reunions,very few wrestlers had other workers as close friends although due to the tho shall remain stum rule it restricted your close friend lists.Some loved the game so much they risked their health by going on too long a subject I'll revisit soon.Anglo asks my opinion of Keith,here goes,he was technically superb hard bordering vicious,moody,gave 100 per cent every time ,we had several very hard fights full on and on more than one occasion lost it producing a bloody nasty affair but tempers calmed a bit in the dressing room,next encounter was quieter and established mutual respect.Key word respect like Keith respected him wary of him and always wanted to show him I could do a bit.Now if there's a horse's head on my pillow tomorrow I blame Anglo entirely.Hes so right the whole vale of secrecy in the game still kicks in but I'll risk omerata to pay tribute to Martinelli one of the very best.
His TV match versus Frank Dhondt is still very popular. It appears on several sites and has more views than matches with better known wrestlers
Fascinating stuff,Graham.
Now it's up to The Man himself to tell us what Martinell"y" was like.....
Some lovely old posters here. I was at two of the Belle Vue appearances by The Broughton Rangers; I recall watching them facing the Elite and the Judokas. I also recall them at Belle Vue facing a makeshift teaming of Dane Curtis and Jack Robinson and at the Gaiety Theatre, Rhyl, against The Royals.
It always seemed to me however that Paul Mitchell was happier in a "wrestling" bout than when he was called upon to be an out and out rulebender. Although I was not at the Derby show to see him wrestle Keith Martinelli, I did see them clash at The Gaiety Theatre, Rhyl. Some wrestlers did not take the match as seriously at The Gaiety as they did at venues such as Belle Vue or The Wryton Stadium because they were facing holidaymakers rather than out and out wrestling fans (I recall Tony St.Clair facing Colin Joynson in a match which they could hardly hold together for giggling and laughing throughout). Not so Mitchell and Martinelli! It was a hard-fought wrestling match and, surprisingly, there were no foul moves. It's amazing how perspectives change with time. Matches like these which I regarded back in the day as "fillers" now stick in my memory when the cowboys and indians bill-toppers have faded into the background.
Paul may have to put us right , but I would have thought debut a lot nearer 1970 than 1965. Saw Paul a lot at Belle Vue and I think Bolton and Liverpool. Thrilled really that Salford had a tag team so I was rooting for them. My dad was from Salford and quite a few generations before .
Loved the fast tagging Broughton Rangers and Paul had a great pin fall bridge if that's the right term. Spectacular and the better he got the more clean it was executed. Sadly I never saw Paul later in his career so am unable to remember how much he improved. Tony St Clair for example improved out of sight and I missed all that but he is well represented on youtube.
Over the last 8 years as I have collected bills out of the papers it became evident that Paul fought all the best near his weight. To have those memories is worth more than anything.
To have Paul stick around on here is fantastic.
And don't forget he is the great great grandson of Sam Moores. (hope that's right)
Hi ANGLO!- I Saw PAUL MITCHELL Wrestle Live Quite a Few Times- Both in
Solo Bouts and in Tag- The BROUGHTON RANGERS-with JOHNNY SOUTH
with Whom I was Chatting at The KENT Reunion in 2019!!
I've used The Below Poster a Few Times Now-MARCH 5TH 1971-at WRYTON
STADIUM-BOLTON-as I was at This Great Show and Actually Remember ALL
4 Bouts Very Well!- They were All Really Good Contests with Plenty of Action!
PAUL was a Very Capable Wrestler and his Bout On This Bill against BILL
CONNOR-I Seem to Recall was Quite Hard-Hitting! ++ Including Some
'Controversy'-In Fact EVERY Bout That Nite had Some of This to Say the Least!
MITCHELL's Bout was Full of Good Wrestling Moves and My Impression of
him was of a Hard Man!-Being RingSide you can almost FEEL the Blows!!
I Have LOADS of Programmes Featuring PAUL's Bouts-Especially for 1973-
and I also Recall Seeing The BROUGHTON RANGERS at LIVERPOOL STADIUM!-I Still Have My Programme for This!- I Always Thought More could
'have been made of him'-as Well as The RANGERS- and Think They Should
have had More of 'A Push'!
I'll Dig Out Some Programmes/Posters to Illustrate how Busy PAUL was with
his Wrestling!!
MAIN MASK