No, this is not another thread about belts. Don't confuse me any more Ruslan my friend.
It does follow on from Ruslan's "Mike Marino Titles. 1950s-60s-70s" but that thread is more about the history of the physical belt.
Arising from that thread was the question of the origins of the British Mid Heavyweight Championship. Until researching the Years of Wrestling series I had always assumed the mid heavyweight division had been inaugurated along with the rest of the weight classes with the introduction of Mountevans rules in December, 1946. True, I had seen references to Junior Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champions in the 1950s, but never investigated further. Until now.
I have deliberately left out references to World and European titles.
Ruslan believes Morrell invented the Mid Heavyweight division. I've no idea if that's true, certainly no evidence, but it is feasible. As, seems likely, it was after 1952 it would need the agreement of the other Joint Promotion members. Morrell was very powerful in that group, prabably the most powerful, so if he did want to introduce the weight division it would most probably happen.
When?
Well, we can see above there was no Mid Heavyweight division in 1946 with the introduction of Mountevans rules.
The earliest reference I can find to the Mid Heavyweight division is 18th August, 1959, a Relwyskow show in Aberdeen.
The following week Relwyskow is back at the same hall with a Mid Heavyweight Championship Match between Al Hayes and Bill Robinson. The newspaper report announced a ten round draw.
At the same hall again, one week later we again have British Mid Heavyweight Champion, Norman Walsh.
Another week later Walsh is billed as British Mid Heavyweight Champion in Welling, a Dale Martin show.
So, the title was used in 1959, and not just by Morrell.
We now know that Joint Promotions were using the Mid Heavyweight division by 1959.
But how much earlier?
Not a lot I would guess, as no earlier references have yet been found but there are references to Junior heavyweight and Cruiserweight matches.
There is still one more surprise.
Was Mid Heavyweight created to fill the void between light heavyweight and heavyweight some time between 1946 and 1959?
No. Because the void had already been filled.
As early as 1949 we find Norman Walsh on a Ted Beresford bill as British Cruiserweight Champion
Cruiserweight matches were listed as early as 1947, just a few months following the introduction of the Mountevans rules.
By 1952 Vic Hessle was billed as British Junior Heavyweight Champion.
In May, 1958 Dennis Mitchell is billed as British Junior heavyweight champion. So, it looks to me that the mid heavyweight division was not created for the benefit of Norman Walsh in 1959 but was more an evolution from the cruiserweight - junior heavyweight division from the 1940s onwards.
Thanks Ost, I'll await further information on the gaps, before I comment further.
One other point, please can someone tell me who was the British L/H champion straight after Walsh , and when Ernie Riley got the title?
Hi Hack, I always understood that the Cruiser weight was the same as the Lightheavyweight.
Norman Walsh went from being the Lightheavyweight Champion of Britain to the Midheavyweight Champion as he put too much weight on to be recognised as L/H any more.
Whilst at the lighter weight he was sometimes billed as the Cruiserweight Champion.
Splendid work The Ost (Can friends just call you Ost?)
So now we have a British Junior Heavyweight Champion in May 1958.
You have now brought forward the transition to a British Mid Heavyweight Champion to April 8th,1959.
World Mid heavytitle? Now that's interesting Ost
A curio from Belfast, 1962. A match to decide the World Mid Heavyweight champion goes to an unsatisfying DCOR (double count-out):
Koltschak very interesting last name.
Hi Hack, just seen your post on the other thread.
Clear as mud now!
Thanks for the info Hack.
You say the heavy middleweight title was created in 1960.
I don't know but Wikipedia says 1953.!
Lovely programme, Ost. "Anglo-Mongolian" - magnificent.
Before that though, already billed as champ in London:
Thanks Hack, my appreciation. Great info, and as always a lot to think about. I think more titles to defend, more matches to play, more money to make. And yes I do believe that Morell in fact created titles for each single one of his top wrestlers. Everyone was safe and happy. No competition between major players. If they would have followed the original Mountevans weights classification, obviously few wrestlers would have felt upset. And for sure Taylor and Walsh wouldn't have had championships. Joyce and Ernie still would have had their titles though. No one ever heard of Morell's fly, bantam and feather weight champions though. Geo Busfield was given original Mount Evans Belt emblematic of featherweight title in 1950 at Earl's Court.
EDIT: Have replaced text with poster, year is 1959
Hello Bernard, I have replied on the other thread, but only today so you might not have seen it. The photo was on a Morrell/Relwyskow programme from 1961. It had to be taken in 1960 or 1961 because it included Eric Taylor as Heavy Middleweight Champion and that title was introduced in 1960.
Hack said that the first reference to Midheavyweight title ,that he could find was August 1959.
Hack, I repeat my request to you on another thread. What was the date of the photograph showing the JP champions? That showed Norman Walsh wearing the midheavy belt and Norman did not look look that in 1959. The caption further said that Ernie Riley L/H champion was missing.
I think that the photo was about 1952/3 time and I think that Walsh was billed as British M/H champion on Newcastle and Middlesbrough bills well before 1959.
Some internet sites(I know that they are not necessarily accurate) are showing Walsh as champion in 1952.