SELDOM SEEN RARE MATCH-UPS!!

An odd bill, especially looking at that McManus - Garfield bout.

We've learned that Ray's bills are not 100% correct but his listing sounds more plausible:

CROYDON .... Tibor v Gueret .... McManus v Dennison .... Bayle v Garfield KO .... C.Fisher/Lancaster/Churchill/Trood

Ivan Pencecoff versus John Casanova right at the bottom of the bill looks as if it would be a fine matchup

Fantastic posters, a great selection.

Oh gosh! McManus outweighed by over 5 stones. Whatever can the backstory have been?

Must have been a special challenge of some kind.

I'm also sure that Garfield will have lost, for the surprise of it all. As we know, he had no interest in results at all.

No, all news to me, Ron, another great find, thank you. Heightens understanding of McManus being the only wrestler at Alan Garfield's funeral.

McManus v Garfield.

Have you ever come across this Anglo.

Great analysis of the drop-kick, Graham!

Currently doing the1960's and a large number of extraordinary matchups......mind you a lot of people were a lot lighter then.....

great inside story Graham . love it.

Regarding Jim Moza (or "Moser" as I used to bill him); I thought that he was a most under rated wrestler who could make most things work. I recall being booked by a local charity to present a show on my doorstep at the now pulled down Public Hall, Wilmslow (now part of Waitrose). Orig Williams was doing the ring for me and wrestling. These were in his "El Bandito" days and he would have made the perfect villain pitted against local man Jim Moser from the town's Colshaw Farm Estate where everyone knew him as Ronnie (or variant) Smith. My relationship with Orig deteriorated when I put on a few shows during the summer season at Rhyl Town Hall although there was no reason in my view why they should have done. Orig was promoting wrestling and I was promoting a short season (it turned out to be shorter than I planned, only running for two shows) of exhibition matches with Welsh snooker champion at the time Doug Mountjoy against a handpicked selection of fellow pros.

Anyway, he was unhappy about me being there and did not provide the ring or himself for the show and, in his place, booked the ring and the wrestling expertise of Al Miquet. Obviously there was a considerable difference in styles between Williams and Miquet but Moser put on an excellent, fast-moving bout with Miquet. He said nothing to me but one of the lads on the bill told me that he was disappointed because he wanted to face and overcome a villain rather than wrestling someone so much lighter. It seems that the previous time he had fought at his local venue it was against Jack Cassidy on Cassidy's own promotion and he had emerged as the hero against the bad man. Things like that rarely bothered Moser. Perhaps it was just a little different being in his home town.

But I have seen him in with lighter weights (although I don't know of any other promoter who put him on with someone as light as Miquet) and super heavyweights and, although usually blue eye, I have seen him occasionally as villain (a particularly good bout I recall where he put the fist in was for Martin Conroy against Steve Wright at The Gaiety Theatre, Rhyl). One interesting footnote. Although he was remarkably easygoing, he would not do the kamikaze crash ending with Nagasaki, claiming that Nagasaki had hurt him. Dixon did not exactly have a plethora of talent to put against Nagasaki when he came over so bouts with Moser had to end either in disqualification or The Rack submission.

Finally, I notice that, whilst I've been typing, Adrian has added a Street/Moser poster. Moser's dropkick was invaluable. He could use it to win by a knockout or mistime it to lose by being counted out or being easy meat for a Boston submission.

I'd like to have seen Guil Don v Faulkner:

And I'll nominate Robinson v Pye here

:

And I bet this main event was a one-off:

I assume Billy Robinson fought Gordienko but I don't think I have such a bill in my collection.

Any recollections.

Neat idea for a topic MM. On the above Billy Two Rivers bout, Crabtree was replaced by Jock McGregor according to Ray's files.

Well there's video of that, Ian, on the Eddie thread. Ron shared a great link (silly ending).

I mentioned in Eddies contributin on THE ZEBRA KID isaw a bout at Halifax between RICKY STARR V THE ZEBRA KID which ithink would have been pretty rare.

Regarards to all, Ian

Good idea, Main Mask, because in some cases we can ask why and find an interesting answer.

McManus v Ken Joyce comes in here, I think.

Kellett v Nagasaki.

Zimba wrestled regularly in the south, like Kellett and Maxine and Masambula. I was surprised to discover at the start of internet discussions that Zimba and Masambula were northerners.

B2R v Shirley Crabtree really is a find!

Well just how Often did This Bout Feature around The Halls then?

On This DIGBETH Show We Find The Main Event is between BILLY TWO

RIVERS and SHIRLEY CRABTREE!!-Just HOW did that One 'Pan Out'

I Wonder?

I've Never Seen This Match Anywhere else?!!