This is something that everyone can have a go at. What is the most unexpected, unusual, entertaining or different thing that you have ever seen happen in a wrestling ring? With a time span of up to 50 years we should get some wide ranging answers. I will start you off with 2 things that I remember from my youth. Please remember this was the early 1950's. Lord Mount-Evans rules had perhaps just started. The first was when The Ghoul was fighting an opponent ,who's name I can't remember. As usual in those days the referee got the wrestler in a corner facing the ropes. First he ran his hand over the soles of the boots to check that they were smooth, then he ran his hands down the wrestler's back to check for oil. When turned round he checked the chest, arms then hands. Les Kellett was the referee and he was always strict. When he got to The Ghoul's hands , something was said and the big man complained bitterly. The second was despatched to the dressing rooms and came back with the biggest pair of scissors that I remember having seen at that time. Les then proceeded to cut the fingernails, and you could see bits of nail flying off. No doubt it was all pre-arranged but to me it was unexpected and definitely unusual. The second time was from a bout between Abdul the Turk and Jack Pye. As usual Abdul came to the ring first with his prayer mat and compass. Set everything up ,facing towards Mecca, and Jack got into the ring went to his corner and lent back on the ropes. Abdul was on his knees, started his ritual and on the second time that his arms went into the air Jack flew across the ring and kicked the mat out of the ring onto the ground. The fight started there and then without waiting for the bell. Once again unexpected and unusual for those days. Right that's my two starters , now let's hear some of yours from later years.
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From 1962 to 1972, aged 13-23, I lived as a teenager in Corby, Northants, where they used to have reasonable wrestling (Adrian Street, Steve Viedor) at the late, lamented Civic Centre.
Experience 1 (naff version): one night I was sitting in the audience when I heard a disembodied voice: the seats were separated by barriers formed from metal piping, doubtless from the local steelworks, and some cheeky kid had shouted down the hollow tube.
Experience 2 (not so naff); we were walking to town along a main road known colloquially as 'the bypass' when a worse-for-wear Jag screeched to a halt and a large, bearded driver asked “the way to the wrestling”. We easily told him the route, as we were headed there ourselves, but were quite surprised later that evening when one of the participants clambered into the ring for the third bout. My mate exclaimed: “Hey – it’s that bloke who asked directions!” None other than a young 'Bomber' Pat Roach, on his way up: I've always looked at wrestling as a way of seeing TV stars in the flesh!