What did DM Promotions do differently to other members of JP Promotions when they could claim to be the biggest Wrestling Promotion?

DM was very much "of its time "no Internet,Mobile Phones or Email and TV in its infancy.Would not have achieved such success without TV and could not sustain it as the communications revolution unfolded

What has that got to do with the question, Saxonwolf? Romeo is asking about Dale Martin's performance.

But to address your point, the various northern JP members had their fellow promoters all around them with as far as I can see few clear territorial lines and I bet there were conflicts.

I stand by my opening remark that joining JPs belatedly, but on the basis of virtually eliminating the competion from the souhern half of the country, was the shrewd move, and in my opinion this is the key point in answering Romeo's question. Interesting that DM joined in belatedly. Did they hold back sceptically, to wait and see if the northern cartel worked? Did they hold back strategically, to secure their claim to their large territory? Or did they quickly see that the cartel worked and could become a threat and therefore hurriedly joined in, cap in hand?

Joint Promotions was based in Leeds, not London, enough said.

I'll believe you Bernard. I never went to a Morrell show. But from the posters I see on here, Morrell bills seemed to have top names all over. One yesterday showed Kellett v Arras in what was probably the opening bout.

DM swooped in on the RAH in 1953 and what a good job they made of it over 25+ years. This will have legitimized wrestling in the eyes of a large part of the public and helped make it seem suitable for ITV.

Size probably also came into it in being able to offer full time contracts, 25 bouts a month, to a large roster of wrestlers. The Czeslaws and Kirkwoods and dozens like them didn't need to travel much up north. I wonder whether Morrell and Wryton had enough shows to have many wrestlers on full-time contracts?

Hi Anglo, we have had this discussion before.

Although you won't admit it, Norman Morrell with his trainers, Kellett, Murray, Proctor and later Baldwin, I think,were turning out as many youngsters fit for the ring as DM.,

"...And they strove to make wrestling respectable, culminating with ITV in 1955 and then World of Sport 8 years later...."

That was Norman Morrell, with his brilliant Mountevans idea.

None of those you mention can be compared scale-wise with Dale Martin and the question here is about being the biggest. I said that other JP promoters worked to a similar standard.

The size and scale of the Dale Martin breeding gound was second to none.

All comments above are descriptive of what happened and are probably all true.

But I think Romeo's question is interesting as the answers to it will indicate which procedures and disciplines and strategies and skills and marketing and risks ... and more ... enabled Dale Martin's to achieve this status.

The first point I would propose is that they skilfully eliminated most of the opposition through joining Joint Promotions in 1953. Eliminating the opposition in any business is very shrewd. They then successfully exploited the near monopoly very effectively.

With most of the southern half of the UK at their disposal, they could then operate a real business. Discipline, probably military discipline, was key. They had to keep all the arenas happy, complaint-free, avoiding bad local press. They needed to avoid no-shows. And they strove to make wrestling respectable, culminating with ITV in 1955 and then World of Sport 8 years later.

The discipline is not to be under-estimated. Managing a couple of hundred near-full-time wrestlers, visiting northerners and an exciting array of internationals - what a task!

And managing the whole in secrecy, not letting wrestling's cats out of the bag.

Wow! My hat goes off to them. They didn't know it at the time, but they magnificently exploited the lack of internet.

Of course we can compare other Joint Promotions promoters who worked to a very similar standard.

But Dale Martin's size meant they had also to include a breeding ground for new talent. They didn't shy away from having a couple of bouts on each bill that had relatively lowly undercarders wrestling clean. They served this medicine up to the fans and the fans swallowed it whole, it all helped cement the seriousness of the sport. I do see mouth-watering Morrell bills with three or four top-of-the-bill bouts each time but I cannot defend Morrell in developing the sport through this selfish sensationalism.

And one general point I haven't mentioned before: I went to Dale Martin presentations at numerous venues and every single time it felt like a stylish, smart, important evening, complete with MC in sober suit and bow tie. The mike always worked ... little details that get taken for granted.

Dale Martin's identified the standards they wanted to achieve and ensured these were maintained.

Agree with Bernard, the sheer number of venues within an hours drive in any direction would be a big help. Good transport links.

Literature usually refers to how many shows they were running.

I should think that with a lot of shows in the London area, the vast reduction in travelling expenses compared to Northern England would be a big help.