REVENGE OF THE MASKED PACHYDERM!!

Not sure what this tells us but I have 1960 , our friend The Pachyderm working for Wryton.

I guess you know Arthur S Howe was Black Butcher Johnson.

The Monster was usually Jim Green. Monster was regular tag partner of Coverdale's Ghoul.

Here's a strange one, Arthur S Howe promoting Tottenham in 1963 (using Paul Lincoln's Empire Hackney programme template) with a Ghoul:

Here's another Coverdale alias, this time as a Monster (that is, if you believe the notes on this programme):

Just adding in some more Ghoul appearances:

Coverdale working for R&G in 1958:

Here's The Ghoul at the Curzon in Liverpool, October 1959:

An early independent Ghoul, from 1960, and he's on with yet another Tarzan

I have read that Marty Jones wrestled under a mask as "El Olympico", but can't find any real evidence of it. If he really did, then I would imagine it would have been when he visited Mexico in the early 70's, as I can't think why he would ever do that in the UK?, he was always a bill topper.

One other point, is that I think that picture is of a random masked wrestler, because I don't ever remember Marty being as muscular as that. Could be my memory playing tricks of course.

MM in the bill on page 1,with The Pachyderm fighting Ernest Baldwin, at Kirby-in-Ashfield, Please can you tell me the year?

It might be that the promoter was exaggerating with the claim for Ernie.( never happens!)

Felix Kerschitz was billed and fought to defend his European title against E. B. twice at Newcastle in 1953.

Hi MM.

That's interesting. The body looks like Bomber as The Ghoul, but the head looks different.

Maybe a bit taller and thinner. But similar.

However the A-Z says that Bomber died in 1961.

Here is a "Ghoul" from 1954 also at the Isle of Man:

In reply to Main Mask , most newspapers in this country are subscription and Ost , you are bang on. O'Shea (Jefferson) was a great mate of Bomber Bates , and seemingly as soon as Bates dies O'Shea uses another Ghoul for about the next five years , almost as though it was a tribute.

The copycat thing is cloudy because Jack Cassidy uses a Ghoul as did Don Robinson in the north east , and Conrad Davies in the Midlands. Could all of them be Coverdale , I don't know.

But O'Shea toured Ireland with a team and some nights he had a Ghoul and other nights he had Coverdale on his shows all on the same tour.

Also possible Jim Lewis and Danny Flynn may have used a Ghoul and also Knowles Peters.

Paul Lincoln also had a Ghoul working for him in the mid 60's

A clear challenge is to find a 1957 Ghoul bill , but for sure 1958-1961 Bates was working mainly Manchester area , one suspects , at an easier pace.

Late 50's would've been when Bates was helping to train other wrestlers for Sean O'Shea, don't you think?

My own memory is of a newspaper exposè about 1967 about Nagasaki. The other wrestlers all apparently hated him. What I recall is that "they" placed a pot of urine over the dressing room door and this then fell on him when he returned after his bout. Maybe it was just good publicity for the boy who had yet to appear on tv.

I'd love to see that article again after 50+ years.

We talk about press exposès. But the Sunday press just fed off wrestling every week.

Such was the appeal.

Hi Bernard , The People series was over several week in July and August 1965.

It was a complete exposure of wrestling being a work.

One week they named many masked men and others with their alias's such as Streiger and Cassidy.

The Ghoul talks of the Globe Stadium at Old Trafford that i mentioned in the Manchester series.

Here is what he said and one of several bills at that venue to give you a feel for it.

The Globe had been a Cinema but before that a Tram Shed. I often think about it when I pass on the trams these days.

Hi Ron.That is interesting about " The People" publishing an article about Bates in July 1965.

Did you see it ? and can you please tell me what it said?

James ......Glad to help, but most of that memory has faded now. You need to thank Hack, I'm always asking him to find an old post of mine. It's easier for me if he can help and he always does.

Thanks Hack.

Here is some more to digest.

Hack asked how it came about that the public found Bates was the ghoul.

Answer , it was revealed in "The People" July 1965.

So we have Bates taking eleven months out after his 1952 injury.

I now find after September 1956 it was to be April 1958 (18 months) after leaving Joint before I can find him again. So I believe another break.

Strangely enough as soon as he works again he is working with Mike McGurn (Derek Oldham)

From what I can see , Joint Promotions never used another Ghoul.

Another quest , is can we find a copy Ghoul before 1961 when Bates dies. I am not so sure we can.

So did Coverdale only become a Ghoul after Bates died.

Whatever MM has to tell us about The Pachyderm may of course be a different matter.

Fascinating stuff.

Further to my post of yesterday , I have been doing some further tracking of the Ghoul who worked for Morrell and Relwyskow. From what I can see The Ghoul finished at Newcastle in September 1956 and also ceased at regular places Aberdeen , Dundee , Glasgow, Morecambe and Liverpool (Best promotions)

After that date all these regular venues were without any Ghoul and I see no attempt at these big venues to replace him.

Le Ghoule was never meant to be a copy or deception of the spectators , and was always advertised as such.

The Pachyderm is up for grabs and there was possibly more than one.

Did Bomber Bates do that 1958 stint at Colne for Billy Riley as the Pachyderm.

I think any copying of the Ghoul came after Bomber Bates moved to the Independents. The next question is if he was even copied at all whilst he still worked or was it just later after his death.

Just over a year ago we talked of Bate's last match on a big thread that lead to his unmasking and I put on quite a few bills 1958-1961 of the Ghoul in the Indy's in the Manchester area. I am pretty confident all these are Bates and these guys were his circle of friends.

https://heritagedocs.wixsite.com/talkwrestling/forum/memories-of-the-old-days/the-ghoul-s-last-match/p-2

Okay Bernard, Just for you. Even if you have said we are no way forward when I uncover yet another name for you that no one has heard of. That's progress. I've even corrected a spelling mistake for you!

Bernard Hughes

First of all it was not the night described in “The Wrestling”. It must have been later in the year or the following year, and it was not raining. Now I have to confess that I cannot be certain that it was Bill Coverdale, but as he was the normal impostor in the Southern area and because he was of a similar build, I would guess that it was. As soon as I saw the mask ,I knew that it was not the real one. Others around me were also commenting that this was not “The Ghoul”. This man was shorter,weaker looking, bit of a belly and definitely not as menacing. However a lot of what followed seemed to be following the normal script. In the first round after much running and evading by the masked man, Assirati got on a single leg boston. The mask got himself well and truly entangled in the ropes and would not let go. The referee (can't remember who he was) broke them up and dislodged the man in the mask from the ropes. Coverdale, if it was him, rolled under the bottom rope and fell heavily on the floor. Two seconds or assistants helped him to the dressing room and the announcer declared that as the masked man was injured accidentally ,he had to declare it a “No contest” This was obviously pre-planned and disappointing.The crowd were not pleased, but nothing apart from a little shouting. I watched Assirati and thought that he would say or do something to show his displeasure but nothing happened.. He had put his gown on and made his way to the dressing rooms. This was Assirati, but not the Assirati that I saw in the 1949-50 time. Then he seemed more vicious , now he seemed to accept what had just happened. Had he mellowed or just fallen in line with the promoter's wishes? An easy nights work. If it was not Bill Coverdale under the mask, then I offer my apologies.

Hi Ron, no I can't really remember this stoppage in The Ghoul's visits to Newcastle, but it did happen as you say.

17/5/52 drew 1-1 with Geoff Portz.

Next one was

18/4/53 Ko - ed Jim Hussey.

Once again as you said.

Thanks for trying Hack, no further forward.

Ron I will take a look and let you know.

James -I have written about this before. I know Hack is busy on his project, but he may be able to find my post later.

If not I will wrack my brains to give you a brief summary.

For anyone interested and in particular Main Mask I have been looking at the Ghouls injury.

He goes missing just after the middle of May 1952 with one or two cancelled shows no doubt due to injury. Can't actually find a likely bout where he was fighting Derek Oldham , who went on after this with a push and actually fought Ernie Baldwin for the title.

For the most part The Ghoul is out for eleven months , coming back mid/late April 1953. First two bouts I can see are a nice safe pair of hands in Jim Hussey.

Exceptions.

In September 1952 I found Ghoul fighting Mike McGurn , Bolton , but this was on an index , not in the papers. It would have been an Indy show and at that time Bolton had no regular wrestling. The year could be wrong , the bill looks late 50's to me as Mike McGurn was Derek Oldham , who used the alias after he had finished with Joint.

Also in September 1952 I found Vic Hessle fighting a Ghoul in the Isle of Man ,but it was a bill and not a report. Did he show or was it a stunt. Did it happen.

One thing comes out of all this ......In an eleven month absence there is no sign that anyone regular was standing in for him. Wonder if Bernard remembers missing the Ghoul for about a year.

You could even interpret this bill as not being "The Ghoul" and just " A Ghoul"

Clever promoting from Bob Sicock.