TARDIS TRAVELS-LINCOLN-DOCTOR DEATH!!

Dear Members,

I hope that this my first post finds you all well.

I have joined today, as my biological father was Tony Kolokotronis (Ellis) and I have just found out that he was a wrestler.

I have only just been united with his 2 sons and their families, so information is flooding in, but no photos.

I would be so grateful if anyone could share any information or photos of my father.

Thanking you all in advance and awaiting for any information that could be afforded to me, with much anticipation.

Adriana Decaro.

Dr Death won both those bouts (Pallo & Veidor).

Great stuff, Al, revealing that Dr Death faced several new opponents in 1969: Viedor, Pallo ...

Fascinating to see McManus even on a non-DM bill commanding second bout, to be away before the interval. This must have mattered so much to him.

Dr Death at Kingston Granada in 1969

Great bill. Gotta love the write up telling us that Capelli would win - only for him then to lose. Nice.

DR DEATH V STEVE LOGAN at Tooting in March 1969

Alan

But it couldn't have been in 1972. Maivia had long gone. I would guess it was 1966 when Dr D made a few appearances for Dale Martin but probably no longer cared much about his brand.

As far as I know, the original unmasking of Doctor Death, by Peter Maivia, was in Colchester.

James Morton is having problems logging on at the moment. he has emailed to say:

Although memories can play tricks James is absolutely certain he's right about this one.

James continued, with reference to the Milo v Peters poster:

Thanks James.

In light of those recent posters, I guess it's a fair possibility that our Dr Death at the Seymour Hall was Tony Cassio?

Yes, MM, it was sad for us all. We had invested a lot of years and interest and energy and enthusiasm wrestling, often in the face of the "knockers" - so plucking up the courage to turn our backs on it wasn't at all easy - though those promoters made it easy for us, unfortunately.

My memories remain of when it was all so good, so structured, seemed so important. And the small doses of clowning and underhandedness were the spice within the context of a serious sport, and therefore believable.

It sounds like 1974 was pretty much a water-shed year. Dale Martin's had fought off and bought out the few competor promoters they had in the south over nigh on 25 years.

Now with the likes of Pallo and others, lots of people had a go at promoting: Tony Skarlo, Nagasaki - maybe even Cornelius? Some were just fly-by-nights. Othersb like Pallo developed a proper structure.

Within this context of widespread disgruntlement with the new DM set-up, erstwhile trusties like Yearsely and Viedor were not averse to moonlighting in 1974.They also felt they could get away with it as it was in the DNA of the new northern managing brothers at DM.

I'm not really being very helpful with this. I do recall that it was in the early seventies and I think the M.C. was Mal Mason. I further recall that Yearsley and Kowalski beat two blue-eyed masked men in white outfits in their tag preliminary and that the team losing to Veidor and Sands included The Wildman of Borneo. There were two contests not in the tournament and one featured an Indian wrestler versus a masked man.

This thread is what we are all about.

Hack's research that Tarzan Johnny was elsehwere that night is telling; especially as DM trusties like him just didn't moonlight.

Wells had a history of moonlighting, so this doesn't surprise. I would guess that Wells brought up a buddy from Portsmouth, and it could easily in fact have been Peter Wilson.

Whether he's billed as Dazzler or not maybe doesn't matter. Joe retired young and could easily have resurfaced seven years later as a one-off. (But no doubt we'll find others ...) Maybe he just felt he had lost his dazzle at that age, or he'd lost his gown. In the 21st Century we'd consider a copyright issue that the name Dazzler belonged to Dale Martin, but we probably don't need to go there in 1974.

Add to this, considering the "promoter" has bent the truth quite liberally, it wouldn't take much to imagine Joe appearing in the ring, all Greek glitz and jewellery, with an arm in supposed plaster, only to be replaced by Joe Blow.

The Wild Man being 18 stone clearly tells us it's not our beloved light-heavyweight original.

The bill is getting more and more Greek and Cypriot. Probably cooked up by Joe. Dr Death probably unmasked that night - but not Lincoln, of course. I bet it was a Greek!

Seymour Hall was such a Dale Martin bastion that the bill is intriguing in our overall picture in understanding how Dale Martin lost its grip on a major venue at a time when we know the overall structure of wrestling was changing radically. And DM was losing its grip left, right and centre.

Happy May Day to all.

I really wish that I'd taken notes of the shows I saw. In the early seventies I attended an independent show at London's Seymour Hall which featured a four team heavyweight K.O. tournament which concluded with Steve Veidor and Neil Sands defeating Johnny Yearsley and John Kowalski. I can remember little else of the show unhelpfully.

That makes three of us, as I too questioned the lack of Dazzler on the poster. I don't think I ever saw Joe Cornelius referred to without the Dazzler prefix. As for the promoter I suggested Tony Ellis, wrestling on the bill as Tony Kolokotroni.

This poster appears far from authentic as the real Joe Cornelius would have surely been billed as "Dazzler". By 1974 wrestling had lost some of it's former glory and wrestlers billed as Doctor Death and Wild Man of Borneo add further suspicion. It could have been promoted by Tony Cassio who was a local and did promote at nearby Acton Town Hall where I remember seeing the wonderful Lord Bertie Topham. Seymour Hall did attract an affluent "punter" and promotions staged there must have been lucrative over the years to promoters, notably Dale Martin.The price for seats back in 1974 were certainly expensive.

Here's the poster from the show, which raises more questions.

Was it really Dazzler Joe? There's no mention of a single sequin. Joe Cornelius was always Dazzler Joe?

Was John Wilson Tarzan Johnny? Tarzan Johnny is recorded as losing to Johnny Yerasley at Bristol on that night.

Was Tony Kolokotroni the promoter? Tony Kolokotroni worked for the independents in the 1960s and 1970s. At other times, as Tony Ellis, he worked behind the scenes as a fight arranger on numerous films and acted on tv as a supporting role actor in programmes that included The Avengers and Coronation Street. Tony Ellis also staged wrestling shows, mainly in London, in aid of charities for those facing difficulties in society.

Fascinating thread. Clearly an independent bill I'd be surprised if it was Paul Lincoln. I'm told Lincoln moved to Scarborough for a while, but not sure of when.

Just seeing Stan Grey from Peckham in 1969, I'm wondering whether that was in fact his real name, before a rethink?

The truth often comes out through errors on wrestling programmes (Peter Kendo!)

Some really brilliant posters bringing back such happy memories. I love the fact that the brilliant "heel" Lord Bertie Topham is billed as being from Harrow-no doubt his old school!

I do believe Joe Cornelius officially retired in 1967, but of course he could have made a comeback. Seymour Hall was a lucrative venue, being in the heart of London and also staged professional boxing. I guess it would have been available to the highest bidder, as a good crowd was usually guaranteed.

58/59 George Kidd is on a number of independent shows in the London area

Did Pat Kloke ever work for Dale Martin?, I only ever seem to remember seeing his name on Indie bills?

Hack unearthed this 1959 poster a few years ago. So Seymour Hall had an independent heritage (Lord Bertie) as well as moonlighting (Geo. Kidd). Hard to say whether this bill is Dale Martins or independent. Any thoughts, anyone?

Very expensive seats even then - the priciest venue in Britain?

Thanks so much for typing that out, Main Mask!

Certainly reads like an indie bill of the era - with quite a Greek / Cypriot slant.

I'd say 50-50 whether the real Dr Death. We will never ever know. (Though Cornelius is around to reveal all...)

Wells and Tarzan Johnny moonlighting away from DMs in the car up from Portsmouth.

But as I said, it's the venue that really intrigues me. Maybe DMs had just finished at Seymour Hall, and it is late 1974 after all. And Dazzler Joe stepped in with his own little promotion, maybe he simply knew the management there having wrestled there frequently.

Including Dazzler, 4 Greek names on the bill (another under the bonnet?). Cyprus Relief Fund indeed.

Another great find of yours with so many surprising aspects.

Was this a one-off at Seymour Hall, or were these independent bills continued into 1975, do you know?

That all sounds rather strange, Main Mask.

Dr Death couldn't have faced Maivia in the early seventies.

And he definitely didn't have a series of 1969 Tooting bouts against Steve Logan.

If the 1974 Seymour Hall bill took place with Cornelius and the Wild Man (who was indeed around at that time on the indies) it would be incredible as Seymour Hall was a Dale Martin stronghold in that period and I have all the bills. It would be amazing if they had snuck in this bill of yours. Could possibly have been one giant scam to sell a few tickets for the Cyprus Relief Fund, pocket the money and run. Your poster will be a prize possession. The link between Cyprus and Cornelius in intriguing, something definitely up there.

Doctor Death's legit low-key 1974 bouts for Devereux were in places like Andover and IoW.

Ted Betley and Alfred "Buddy Ward" Woodward also wrestled as "Dr. Death" at times.

I saw Dennis Winn once at Newcastle. He was all right,had been taught some moves, but obviously a top bodybuilder. They always play on the posing.

(He came sixth in Mr Universe short class one year)

He asked me the way to Newcastle Central station, and as we walked he told me that he was going to America shortly after.

What struck me most about him was that with his overcoat on, he looked as broad as he was tall.

But we have photos of his 1969 bout with McManus, so he was around in 1969. Maybe Mick gave him the push after that runthrough?

But Dr Death reappeared in about 1974 and his (aged) photo appeared in Wrestling Scene, with a little article. I think he can be seen on a number of bills at that time, particularly for Devereux Promotions.

At this time I believe he most very definitely needed to keep his identity concealed and also needed the money ....

On the 1969 card, ended up being Mike Marino vs Tug Holton. I suspect he put "Dr Death" on the programme as a placeholder.

I've found undocumented records of Paul Lincoln as early as June 1952, with the earliest advert I've found being March, 1953.

Main Mask has found a programme from 1954 and a late Dr Death from 1969.