Most well known Wrestlers came into the Sport via prior different Disciplines!
Many like MAXINE,HAYSTACKS,ELRIINGTON even STEVE GREY and BOBBY
BARNES- did Boxing first!
And One Common Denominator for pre-Wrestling Days was Martial Arts-did this Myself
for many years-and Principally JUDO!!
Many Wrestlers Professed 'Judo Skills' and/or were Billed as having such!!
One Eventual Top Heavyweight started out as a Student of Judo and actually incorporated
it into his Ring Name!-AL HAYES-known as 'ALFIE' to his Peers!
Long before bulking-up to 15 Stone-He was a lot 'smaller' in his Teens as a 'Judoka'!
Picture to follow of AL circa 19 Years old in his Judo Gear!!
MAIN MASK
Now he's from Birmingham!
The broken ankle sure sounds like a run under a bonnet ....
He was dark-haired through the 50's and most of the 60's.
Never mind the stones ---- he wasn't even blond!
I seem to recall that Nagasaki had something less than flattering to day about Judo Al's judo prowess.
And while we are on the likes of Judo Pete Roberts, and I can remember whene the moniker was exciting, seems so dull now, why were there so many Judo Als? Did they all copy Hayes?
Here's Al, circa 19