For me, an excellent wrestler. The guy could wrestle but he was so good at winding up the crowd, often before a Big Daddy match at my local venue.
I would put him alongside Sid Cooper in many ways, don't ever remember him not turning up, saw him against various opponents - John Naylor, Vic Faulkner, Steve Grey, Danny Collins, Ian McGregor etc Was he ever given a title shot? Cannot recall him even challenging for one, yet surely he was considered a reliable worker?
Also, watching a bout versus Bobby Ryan, Kent Walton says he was once 16 stone!! Anybody remember him at this weight? Made me think maybe he was heavy during that chain match with Bartelli?
The “almost a gentleman tag” is a variation on HM King Edward V11’s description of the eccentric Earl of Lonsdale (The “Yellow Earl”) of whom he remarked: “ Almost an Emperor, but not quite a gentleman”.
I never met Peter Kaye but I have to admit that I did enjoy his work and blatantly copied Crabtree by staging a "loser gets a custard pie in the face" match at The Champness Hall, Rochdale, between Ian Wilson and Joe Critchley. My idea was that Critchley would lose and Wilson would shove the pie in his face. Wilson had the much better idea of Critchley winning and delightedly approaching Wilson with the pie only to slip and fall with the pie going in his own face. I seem to recall the audience viewing it stoically with little or no reaction so I did not repeat it.
I also recall booking Pedro the Gypsy to face Butcher Goodman one night (of many) and, on this particular occasion, Goodman was bending down to lace up his boots. Pedro approached Goodman from behind announcing, "My impression of Tally Ho Kaye," and mimed an act upon Goodman whilst saying, "Any more work for me Mr.Crabtree?"
Hi John,
"Almost a gentleman" - Yes, I do remember that being said but cannot remember by which MC.
I hope that Peter is well too, and would love to have been able to meet him in person.
Tally Ho Kaye was a great wrestler. Fantastic as a heel, or in tag team action. The whole fox hunting country gentleman persona worked.
Peter 'Tally-Ho' Kaye was one of my favourite wrestlers to watch. I loved his banter with the crowd and his fox-hunting villain act. He was once announced to the crowd by the M.C as 'almost a gentleman', which made me laugh.
I believe that he helped to train many young wrestlers, who then later wrestled him on TV, including Johnny England and Chris Adams. On the Esther Rantzen TV program The Big Time, in 1980, it was Peter Kaye who was chosen to help train the young man, Keith Rawlinson, who wanted to be a professional wrestler. Peter Kaye came across to me as a genuinely nice person in this program.
I hope that Peter Kaye is well.
Strange gimmick he had with the fox hunting thing and his daft horn. He was one of those pretend bad guys who never quite mastered it same as Sid. If your going to be a badass then do it properly. As for the custatd pie and underwear bollocks I guess thats fine if your about 7 and watching a christmas pantomime but its nothing to do with the wrestling and just doesnt belong there, it just degrades the grapple game and chips away at any credibility that was left.
never saw Peter in a gimmick match but never saw him win either. we went through a phase at the City Hall where he seemed to be on every bill that I got sick of seeing him. I could put up with him on tv but was sick of seeing him live, we joked he must sleep under the ring
Never saw him in any of those thankfully! But yes, just shows he would do whatever they asked of him. Always laughed when he had a hold which his opponent was trying to get out of and Kaye would say 'you're not strong enough boy' before he was thrown across the ring!
A superb value for money worker, who as well as the aforementioned "Dog Chain Match" took part in such farces as "loser strips to his underpants" and " loser gets a Custard Pie In The Face" matches. Speaks eons for his profressionalism!