Just wondering is there a list anywhere of tag-teams from British Wrestling from the 70s and 80s ? I have had alook around and can't find anything other that going by wrestler or match-by-match.
I greatly admire your stout defence of the integrity of professional wrestling, Peter.
In a debate we had about 15 years ago regarding 1960s grunt and groan, I asked about the ethics and morals of professional wrestling, precisely with a religious slant, in relation to the Reverend Michael Brookes (once I had been persuaded he was a legitimate man of the cloth.)
The fact is that wrestlers, then, were involved in duping the fans into believing what they saw was real. Just how serious was the duping then? All good fun? True deceit? A blurred area.
I recall so many wrestlers simply unable to discuss the business because they just didn't have the words to carry off the deception. A few actors like McManus and Roach and Bartelli dared publicly, but most remained largely silent or, at best, grunting like Masambula or Tornado Torontos.
Magicians also lie and cheat, and there'd be no moral blur with them.
It's what continues to fascinate me - the magical aspects of how our wrestlers carried it all off, before our very eyes.
Those without our advanced perception of the business, outsiders, religious groups, here Jehovah's Witnesses, may well have perceived wrestling as phoney, deceitful, immoral - to be abhorred.
In the comments regarding Mike Eagers retirement you ask if wrestling is a no go profession for Jehovah's Witnesses.It should not be because it is one of the few sports mentioned in the bible along with walking,running and fishing. In Genesis chapter 32 Jacob is wrestling prior to receiving the name Israel
Good to see Les Diables Rouges in at no.11. The team did make appearances for Wryton, Jack Atherton-Billy Riley and others associated with Joint Promotions but did about 80% of their work with Brian Dixon, Orig Williams, Jack Cassidy, Spartan and a host of the independent promoters. Jack Atherton started them off with Eddie Rose and Peter LIndberg and then they acquired Ian Wilson and rotated the team around depending on availability and injury. They had a dozen encounters with the Royals who they rated the best and Black Diamonds (for which team Eddie Rose tagged with Abe Ginsburg in he final year of his career) and all the other top rated teams over a period of some 15 years and never had to unmask. It was hot under the outfits and masks, some times very hot!!
Great memories as always Eddie. We really enjoy your contributions. it's a shame more wrestlers don't join us on the forum, especially when so many have signed up as members and receive the newsletter. But thanks to you Eddie, keep 'em coming.
Yes, I agree. I remember the many hours of work that went into compiling this Top 50 and sourcing the 100 or so photos.. Unfortunately, the article seems to be read by too many fans and wrestlers as if it were a public service and there by right. This countdown is so open to discussion and debate - as we stated at the end 15 years ago. We hope that people appreciate the painstaking work that went into conjuring up this fun list and many others on Wrestling Heritage, and that they will comment and share memories.
The above link is not exclusively 70s - 80s as you asked John, though some are from those decades. If you started a list of exclusively 70s/80s tag teams here I'm sure others would join in.
I greatly admire your stout defence of the integrity of professional wrestling, Peter.
In a debate we had about 15 years ago regarding 1960s grunt and groan, I asked about the ethics and morals of professional wrestling, precisely with a religious slant, in relation to the Reverend Michael Brookes (once I had been persuaded he was a legitimate man of the cloth.)
The fact is that wrestlers, then, were involved in duping the fans into believing what they saw was real. Just how serious was the duping then? All good fun? True deceit? A blurred area.
I recall so many wrestlers simply unable to discuss the business because they just didn't have the words to carry off the deception. A few actors like McManus and Roach and Bartelli dared publicly, but most remained largely silent or, at best, grunting like Masambula or Tornado Torontos.
Magicians also lie and cheat, and there'd be no moral blur with them.
It's what continues to fascinate me - the magical aspects of how our wrestlers carried it all off, before our very eyes.
Those without our advanced perception of the business, outsiders, religious groups, here Jehovah's Witnesses, may well have perceived wrestling as phoney, deceitful, immoral - to be abhorred.
In the comments regarding Mike Eagers retirement you ask if wrestling is a no go profession for Jehovah's Witnesses.It should not be because it is one of the few sports mentioned in the bible along with walking,running and fishing. In Genesis chapter 32 Jacob is wrestling prior to receiving the name Israel
Good to see Les Diables Rouges in at no.11. The team did make appearances for Wryton, Jack Atherton-Billy Riley and others associated with Joint Promotions but did about 80% of their work with Brian Dixon, Orig Williams, Jack Cassidy, Spartan and a host of the independent promoters. Jack Atherton started them off with Eddie Rose and Peter LIndberg and then they acquired Ian Wilson and rotated the team around depending on availability and injury. They had a dozen encounters with the Royals who they rated the best and Black Diamonds (for which team Eddie Rose tagged with Abe Ginsburg in he final year of his career) and all the other top rated teams over a period of some 15 years and never had to unmask. It was hot under the outfits and masks, some times very hot!!
Fit Finlay & Skull Murphy, Sid Cooper and Bobby Barnes and the Taylor brothers Steve and Dave
The above link is not exclusively 70s - 80s as you asked John, though some are from those decades. If you started a list of exclusively 70s/80s tag teams here I'm sure others would join in.
Certainly not exhaustive, but enough to be going on with
https://wrestlingheritage.co.uk/top-tag-teams/