The BHOLU brothers tour Britain.

A bit more of the Bholu brothers from the November 1962 edition of "The Wrestler" along with a description of the Pakistan style of wrestling at the time.

Agree with all that Ron has said, this was just like any other wrestling show, a show!

I am sure all of the wrestlers who "lost" to Bholu Brothers every night, would have given them a very competitive match, if it were "real".

In fact, I would go as far as to say that big George Gordienko, a legitimate shooter, and a legendary strong man, would have taken them all on, one after another, and snapped them in half.

I am sure that the Bholu's could wrestle, in the Pehlwani style, which is like Freestyle, from what I have seen (there was a documentary about it on one of the obscure freeview channels, last year), but as has been said, to be unbeatable for so long is not logical and beating men like Thornton, Taylor and Gordienko, every night, pretty much impossible (or maybe I mean, implausible).

Thanks Ron, that's certainly cleared the water from that muddy pool.

For sure Bert shared results with the top men in Europe. What little footage there is of him shows him getting beat. I don't think news of defeat was ever meant to travel home.

Kendo Nagasaki came back from North America undefeated according to Gillette's intro's when he got back. The magazines only showed a bit of action here and there. The results were not published. More than 40 years later we found that he dropped the belt back to Portz ready to come home. Pinned fair and square.

There is a lot of legend in the Kayfabe.

Some great work there Ron & Ost. So if some of the top stars of the late 1960s sold to the Bholus do you think Bert Assirati did the same when he lost to Aslam?

I just think it was a money making opportunity and the only way to get them was they would not even draw a match.

It was a job and as long as the money was good many wrestlers did not bother that they had to sell. Steve Logan did it often enough. Loads sold to Daddy whilst a few were powerful enough to refuse like Pat Roach.

It is beyond belief that they could win all the matches , but pre internet nobody would ever know for decades. Indeed they probably thought there was no way it could ever come out in those days.

"They" though is the word....Who brought them over. I think a few wrestlers helped but who was the main man or consortium.

Hardly worth recording how great or unbeatable the Bholu's were. This is just the circus that was wrestling. The greatest deception ever.

Ron you've just answered my next question do you think the likes of Gordienko, Pierlot/Thornton and Campbell sold to the Bholus. It makes me wonder if the brothers were:-

1. Incredible wrestlers that were in a class of their own.

2. Great at their own style of wrestling.

3. Rich and powerful enough to dictate the outcome of their contests.

For so many brothers to remain undefeated surely can't be feasible, in a way it staggers belief. Take the Hart and Von Erich brothers for instance, not all were championship quality, dare i say some were barely mediocre. So again could it have been the Bholu's influence and power that gained them such unparalleled success, after all Orig Williams described them as having a Mafia like status.

Now i may have this wrong but i seem to recall in Orig's autobiography that the Bholu's weren't submission wrestlers, more Freestyle/Greco Roman or the Indian/Pakistani equivalent. Perhaps the opposition were also chosen for the British tour knowing that they wouldn't face submission type wrestlers who could either hurt them or highlight their flaws. Just a thought.

Really interesting stuff. So the promoters put together a UK tour, mainly in areas where they could pull in a large, Asian audience, charged a fortune and used a roster of mainly-the-same opponents (Campbell, Gordienko, Reed, Taylor, etc.).

I am guessing it was a success?

If it was a success, did Joint Promotions miss a trick, by not being involved?, could they have used the Bholu name to bring in new punters and help build up local Asian wrestlers?

There will be a few more but newspaper publicity seems to have gone under the Radar. Good discussion though , we are a bit wiser now.

AS I previously pointed out all the matches were arranged for the Bholu's to win.

Gordienko and Angus probably knew them well from tours. A bit shocked that Gordienko sold , but he went on doing more of that in Stampede wrestling just as a part timer near the end of his career. dedication to the game.

Here are the results I have for the UK shows: May 27th, 1967 – Bradford, England

Goga Bholu b Wild Angus Campbell

Azam Bholu b George Gordienko

Hamid Bholu b Guy Mitchell

Aslam Bholu b Ron Reed

Akram Bholu b Eric Taylor May 28th, 1967 – Birmingham, England

Azam Bholu b Danny Brett

Akram Bholu b George Gordienko

Hamid Bholu b Guy Mitchell

Gogoa Bholu b Eric Taylor

Aslam Bholu b Bill Verna May 29th, 1967 – London, England

[Wembley]

Shirley Crabtree b Jim Armstrong

Wild Angus Campbell b The Zulu

Aslam Bholu b Georges Gordienko

Hamid Bholu b Guy Mitchell

Bholu Bholu b Henri Pierlot

Azam Bholu b Ron Reed

Goga Bholu b Eric Taylor

Akram Bholu b Bill Verna June 2nd, 1967 – Manchester, England

Gogo Bholu b Jim Armstrong

Aslam Bholu b Wild Angus Campbell

Akram Bholu b George Gordienko

Azam Bholu b Ron Reed June 4th, 1967 - Bingley, England [*This was a @RON HISTORYO....Time Cop, find]

[Bingley Hall]

The Bholu Pahelwan Brothers (Gogo, Bholu, Azam, Aslam, Akram & Hamed) vs Eric Taylor & Bill Verna & Danny Brett & Angus Campbell & George Gordienko

Promoter: Eastern Promotions & Lew Phillips

June 10th, 1967 – Preston, England

Hamid Bholu b Guy Mitchell

Goga Bholu b Henri Pierlot

Gogoa Bholu b Ski Hi Lee

Aslam Bholu b Ron Reed

June 11th, 1967 – Halifax, England

Azam Bholu b George Gordienko

Goga Bholu b Henri Pierlot

Hamid Bholu b Eric Sands

Aslam Bholu (Pahelwan) b Bill Verna June 13th, 1967 – Glasgow, Scotland

[Kelvin Hall]

Shriley CRABTREE bt The ZULU;

George GORDIENKO bt Eric TAYLOR;

Aslam BHOLU bt Jim ARMSTRONG;

Azam BHOLU bt Wild ANGUS Campbell

Hamid BHOLU bt Guy MITCHELL;

Akram BHOLU bt Ron REED

[Report from the Wrestler was:

Bholu Pahelwan did not wrestle

Aslam Pahelwan b Jim Armstrong (1st round)

Hamed Pahelwan b Guy Middlewood (2-0, 4th round)

Georges Gordienko b Eric Taylor

Azam Pahelwan b Wild Angus Campbell

Shirley Crabtree b The Zulu

Aslam Pahelwan b Ron Reed]

Hope this works, here is the the youtube link to the Akram / Inoki bout, dated 19/12/1976 and refereed by Orig Williams:-

Orig Williams dedicates an entire chapter to the Bholu brothers in his autobiography. He states that he wrestled for the brothers for what sounds like a considerable amount of time. Although he speaks of them highly he says that the Bholu's couldn't read or write and had a mafia like status in Pakistan. He goes to say that Akram phoned him and asked Orig to handle the British tour which he declined. Orig believed that although the Bholu's were a massive draw in Pakistan and India, filling stadiums of 75-100,000 people they were unlikely to draw here. Orig states how wrong he was, as each venue was packed with mainly Indian and Pakistani fans. He goes onto say that some venues were charging £5 entry and £10 for ringside seats (a fortune back in 1967) .

Later, during the mid 1970s the Bholus were irritated by the popularity of Antonio Inoki, especially following the ballyhoo of the Mohammed Ali / Antonio Inoki contest. The Bholu brothers demanded Akram fought Inoki. The bout took place in Karachi in front of 60,000 fans. Akram was nearly 50 and Inoki proved to strong, not only did Inoki force the Pakistani wrestler to submit but the submission hold broke Akram's arm.

Pretty sure it would have been an independent set up, though surprised to see Gordienko getting involved. Sam Betts ruled out Orig Williams, who was suggested at one time.

Think I have had a break through. Good old Ray P Index picks some up as Indy and tour probably 2 weeks. The Bholu's win every bout.

27th May Bradford

Goga v Wild Angus. Azam v Gordienko Hamed v Guy Mitchell Aslam v Ron Reed

Akram v Eric Taylor

28th May Birmingham

Goga v Angus Azam v Gordienko Hamed v guy Mitchell Aslam v Bill Verna

Akram v Eric Taylor

29th May Wembley

Aslam v Gordienko Hamid v Guy Mitchell Bholu v Henry Pierlot Azam v Ron Reed Goga v Eric taylor Akram v Verna

2nd June Manchester

Gogo v Gordienko

10thJune Preston

Hamad v Guy Mitchell Gogo v Pierlot Goga v Ski Hi Lea Azam v Ron Reed

11thJune Halifax

Azam v Gordienko Goga v Pierlot Hamid v Eric Sands Azlam v Verna

13thJune Glasgow

Aslam v Jim Armstrong Azam v Wild Angus Hamid v guy Mitchell Akram v Ron Reed

i

The tour is a mystery. I can't find the Glasgow date and it seems significant that the regular big halls did not seem to do a show. Maybe Halls like Belle Vue and St James did not wish to put off regulars with a steep price. Or was the whole thing independent.

This Free Trade Hall bill shows that it does not seem to be Joint.

Wow prices up to 3 Gns. 33 Shillings old money. I have a suspicion that this was Cape promotions.

I have a few questions about this tour. Does anyone know if:

1. George Gordienko faced any of the brothers during the tour and if so what was the result?

2. Did Wild Angus Campbell " " " " " ?

3. How many shows were in the tour?

4. Why were the entry prices so expensive, £1 in 1967 was still a bit of many to pay.

5. Did the venues sell out?

6. Did Bert Assirati ever discuss his defeat by Aslam?

With Shirley being mentioned in the article i wonder if brother Max Crabtree might have been part of a group of promoters who perhaps brought the brothers over from Pakistan to tour here?

I remember them coming over because they were on at Preston Public Hall. I didn't go because the prices were so high. We were normally paying 7/6 ringside at that time (I've just checked) but for this show it was either 3 pounds or 3 guineas if I remember right. An odd assortment of opponents from Danny Brett to George Gordienko. I've asked various people if they knew who brought them over but not found out, even Sam Betts doesn't know.

From my own collection the year 1967 matches , but not sure of the significance of Lew Philips doing the promotion.

The price was 3-4 times higher than one might normally pay.

The correspondent is Joe D'Orazio!