One of ANGLO's Top Favourite Wrestlers was ALAN GARFIELD!- Nicknamed 'The
Turbulent One' and Billed as a'Sensation'-GARFIELD was around back in the Late 1940's
but when exactly did he 'Hang-Up' his Wrestling Boots then? GARFIELD seemed to have
Long Spells in BRITISH Wrestling only to Drift away to Other Countries for Spells away
from Our Rings! Below I have him Wrestling on a HULL Bill as late as DECEMBER 1972
even though I Personally never saw him Wrestle in 'My Time' and in 'My Neck of the Woods'
-He was 'around' after 'My Time' began in 1966!
Was below one of GARFIELD'S Swan Songs' then?-25 Years+ after his First Appearances?
Do we know?-ANGLO MUST surely know?!
Note Early ROCCO on this Bill!!
MAIN MASK
Probably because of the negative stories and comments about promotors, I've always wondered about the one night tournament I attended in '63/'64 at the Brighton Stadium and especially the final match between Joe Cornelius and Alan Garfield. As I've posted before, Joe got through to the second round by beating Danny Lynch who had worked on Joe's eyes, on the ref's blindside (as you do). In Joe's second bout, he faced another rough character in Texas Jack Bence, who was disqualified after rubbing rosin (from the rosin box the guys sometimes stepped into before a bout), into one of Joe's eyes. I can't recall if Alan had fought a first round match, but certainly remember that he beat Johnny Yearsley in the match-up of ruffians and rogues. When Joe came out for the final, he did so with the beginnings of a 'nice' shiner and Alan took up the attack on the eye which noticeably started to close. By the later rounds Joe's eye was closed and he had taken to fight a rear guard action as Alan constantly attacked him on his blindside. Even though I was a youngster, I had been watching wrestling for some six to eight years and I 'knew' Joe would ultimately prevail, as Joe was not only the handsome hero, but was said to be the most popular wrestler to ever appear at Brighton. I was then shocked when Alan went over two falls to one. Throughout the years, whenever I recalled that night, I had always thought that the surprise result was a masterpiece of booking, but now, older and sillier, I wonder who booked the nights entertainment. Could it have been a case of Joe accidentally suffering a black eye early and then he and perhaps one or two others came up with the scenario that followed. Was the plan hatched after the first fight, or after the semi-final against Bence? I'd like to think that an individual planned the whole of Joe's three fights, black eye and all, but then Heritage would be full of memories about clever and intriguing booking across the country. (I don't believe that's the case).
Perhaps our Heritage guys can start a tournament (one night or other) thread, supposing of course those that witnessed such a night, can recall the intricacies of the booking!