Which Overseas wrestlers gave British wrestling a much needed boost?

I quite liked Mr Yasu Fuji (not sure of his real name) who made a great tag partner to John Quinn and also took part in some quite hard hitting solo heavyweight matches.

On one memorable occasion at Liverpool Stadium (26th June 1981) Fuji put Tony St Clair in a sleeper and refused to bring him out of the comatose state - apparently only he knew how to undo what he had done!

On this same exciting evening John Quinn beat Johnnie Kincaid.

By and large it was British wrestlers giving a much needed boost in other countries

Have to agree with SaxonWolf: Billy Two Rivers, Rikki Starr, John Quinn, those were the wrestlers (actually from overseas) that I remember best.

Cheers

Yes, and Indian variant willing, I'll be back being a jazzman on August 3rd with weekly promotions resuming in Wilmslow. I've hated this year and a half. Ever since January '76 I've been a promoter (wrestling, snooker, jazz). It's what I do and I'm so looking forward to returning to it!

Not a bad choice Jazzman

I know I am repeating myself, but I would nominate Maurice La Rue and Adnan Al Kaissie.

Another "action shot" of Chris Colt when he was back in The USA

Spiros Arion v Colin Joynson seemed quite violent at the time, was The American Dream v Mick McMichael worse ?

I would say the wrestler beside Chris Colt in the photo is Adrian Street not Rasputin, Street and Colt were tag partners. I only saw the American Dream once, at King's Lynn, here he wrestled Kung Fu - a very impressive entrance he made too, Highway to Hell by AC DC pumping out, swigging a can of beer as he made his way to the ring and no regard for any of the rules when he started wrestling. The Wrestler Banned from TV - a great marketing tool if ever ! His studded collar was naturally taken off and used as a knuckle duster and Kung Fu certainly ended up giving as good as he got. A memorable encounter for sure ! Would still like to see his TV match with McMichael that was apparently too violent for TV - or so Dicky Davis said at the time ! I recall another match between Rocco and Tony St Clair also not being shown for the same reason. Were there any others that suffered the same fate ? Be nice if these matches saw the light of day sometime....

Great names mentioned but if we rule out those that were here at a time that wrestling didn't need a boost (Starr, Two Rivers), and didn't make a nationwide impact (Guil Don, Colt) it's got to be John Quinn.

Although British Wrestling didn’t require much of a boost in the early 1960’s, it was good to see Americans Frankie Townsend and Catalina George Drake on visits.

I would say John Quinn, with the hatred he generated from TV he was always on a winner. Everyone wanted to see him beat. The first time he wrestled Tony St Clair at King's Lynn, when they had both shifted to All Star, was an awesome atmosphere and a massive queue to get in the Corn Exchange. It was a double knockout finish if my memory serves me right. Similarly Fuji Yamada created huge interest at King's Lynn and Norwich and his bouts with Rocco and Finlay were sell outs with big queues to get in. I think Rocco v Yamada was one of the greatest match ups I ever saw, quite brutal, to say the least.

Contentious, OJ!

The first to place a wrestler above the level of Jon Guil Don!

Le Petit Prince was Jean Ferre's first tv opponent.

The Youtube of him is certainly good, but from memory Jon Guil Don's repertoire was superior. Youtube footage of him really would be a find!

I realize this is an old thread but you can’t mention Quinn without giving props to Butts Giraud.

Did Le Petit Prince ever wrestle any matches of note in the UK? For my money, he was a much better worker than Sammy Lee or Jon Gil Don.

Good shout Saxo

Looks like Johnny "Rasputin" Howard, to his right

Chris Colt pictured in ring at Slough...dunno the opposition,

Colt seems hungry

Thanks Sax. I knew that.

When I was younger, I believed everything that the promoter said in the programmes.

Couldn't work out though how you got a lord from USA.

Sammy Lee and Kwik kick Lee were well worth the admission money and also very innovative

Further to my previous post on this subject, I would add Lord Jan Blears if he was not British.

He was certainly different in 1950's Newcastle.

Red Kirkpatrick was also different from anybody that I had seen previously, with his American Rules wrestling?.

I put a question mark there because it wasn't wrestling, only punching and fouling.

The best heavyweight wrestler I ever saw live was George Gordienko. He really had everything in wrestling skills and was truly formidable.

Chris Colt was a definate "one off" in his time.Back home he took on some of the biggest names in the biz,The Sheik (the original one) amongst them.He certinly did liven up shows.Plenty of footage on youtube,including one bout in Germany

Loved to see Chris Colt , although of course he didnt make the TV screens !!! he certainly livened u p shows he was on.

In the early 50's the arrival of Chief Thunderbird was certainly something I had not seen before.

I suppose Lou Thesz created his own drawing power because of the title that he held(possibly).

Lots of opinions whether he had lost it before he came.

Hi Anglo.Your spot on about Jon Guil Don.He was doing things in the mid 70's that most can't do today.Shame he wasn't matched up better to show off his considerable skills.Guil Don,Starr,Quinn,Sammy Lee and Two Rivers were all fantastic crowd pullers.

I won't go along with those sixties nominations as wrestling didn't need a boost then. They did well to get involved.

By 1975 wrestling needed all the help it could get and for me, Jon Guil Don stands out every time-

In a way QUINN saved Heavyweight Wrestling after the enforced Retirement of KENDO due to

Injury-Him being a VIABLE Alternative to the DADDY Circus!!

Also the French( really Spanish!!) WHITE ANGEL-early '60's was a good draw when over here

also LE BOURREAU DE BETHUNE-sadly only short visits and the 'Freakish' QUASIMODO were

good Crowd Pullers too!!

MAIN MASK

Must agree with Saxon all 5 of his picks were big draws.I would also add (for his short visit) The Iron Greek,Spiros Arion.He left a World Title Belt for Wayne Bridges to wear

In my lifetime I would say Rikki Starr, Billy Two Rivers, John Quinn, Sammy Lee, Fuji Yamada.

In 1897 Evan Strangler Lewis HIMSELF !!!

In the early 1900's Jack Carkeek and Tom Jenkins.

Jack Sherry and Karl Pojello in the 1930's.