I remember Judd Harris billed as Judo Harris on a city hall Newcastle handbill arround 1970ish. Sorry i cannot be any more specific . Later oo was also billed as Gunboat Harris.
I have never learnt to drive and I recall refereeing for Bobby Barron at Diamond Lil's Showbar in Morecambe. Bob arranged for Woody Waldo to drive me back to his Liverpool home, give me a bed for the night and for me to find my own way home next day. He confined me to my bedroom with the threat of a huge alsation dog wandering around the house at night. And he didn't even provide a chamber pot. He also erroneously told the other workers that I had pleasured myself in his sheets which was totally untrue. I was too scared of the damned dog to think about such things!
Not Lancashire, but Yorkshire, Barnsley in fact. An independent, of course, who trained wrestlers, including women, and promoted. Lots of stories about the rickety bus in which he transported wrestlers, the wig he wore in the ring, or the instruction to wrestlers staying at his home to not leave their bedroom because he let the alsations loose at night for security.
Did he get some training in Lancs , and not Snake Pit but training in showmanship which came later 1958 by Wryton Stadium doubling as a training school. (Bolton training)
Well Ron, maybe I did start something, and your Lancs connection is fascinating. But that Al Hayes in Portsmouth is in a welterweight contest, so surely not Alfie.
But Hack's "Chunky" surely outdoes me! Marvellous, Hack, do tell more. Was Chunky by any chance from Lancs?
Professor Eddie Stratton was occasionally Judo Eddie Stratton ... which would later rhyme with Judo Pat Patton.
Graham mentioned Kung Fu but what about Judo Eddie Hamill?
I think we need to remember that judo was a mysterious new Olympic sport in the sixties, a superhuman prowess. Hence the rush to be associated with it. Karate and Kung Fu followed and then ju jitsu and then the rest. But in the sixties, Judo monopolised the general public mindset.
Therefore it's very interesting to see Al Hayes billed as Judo in the fifties. It would have been quite a gimmick then. I wonder what the earliest reference was? And I wonder whether he was a legit judo player?
When I was promoting ('76-'87) it was all about Kung Fu but I did use the judo monicker twice. Once was at Walsall Football Club when I promoted "Judo" John Brown against Klondyke Jake and once was at The Champness Hall in Rochdale when I promoted King Kendo versus The Judoka. King Kendo was, of course, Bill Clarke and The Judoka was Ian Wilson who was quite annoyed to find himself billed as such when arriving at the hall and even more annoyed when the judo outfit I handed to him didn't fit. Gamely he agreed to wear it to the ring for the introduction then he shed it immediately and wrestled Clarke in his normal wrestling attire.
As a punter I recall Stockport's "Judo" Al Marquette who wrestled singly and in tag as The Judokas (most regularly with Pete Roberts and occasionally with Terry Jowett).
Judo Buller was an older one we have mentioned elsewhere, but not in this topic.
Was it a miss print...who knows, but twice
I remember Judd Harris billed as Judo Harris on a city hall Newcastle handbill arround 1970ish. Sorry i cannot be any more specific . Later oo was also billed as Gunboat Harris.
My very kind thoughts William.
Ian P.
I remember Jud Harris once being billed as Judo Jud Harris, probably a printer error!
Judo Big Daddy? ...No?
Love your stories, Graham.
I have never learnt to drive and I recall refereeing for Bobby Barron at Diamond Lil's Showbar in Morecambe. Bob arranged for Woody Waldo to drive me back to his Liverpool home, give me a bed for the night and for me to find my own way home next day. He confined me to my bedroom with the threat of a huge alsation dog wandering around the house at night. And he didn't even provide a chamber pot. He also erroneously told the other workers that I had pleasured myself in his sheets which was totally untrue. I was too scared of the damned dog to think about such things!
Not Lancashire, but Yorkshire, Barnsley in fact. An independent, of course, who trained wrestlers, including women, and promoted. Lots of stories about the rickety bus in which he transported wrestlers, the wig he wore in the ring, or the instruction to wrestlers staying at his home to not leave their bedroom because he let the alsations loose at night for security.
Did he get some training in Lancs , and not Snake Pit but training in showmanship which came later 1958 by Wryton Stadium doubling as a training school. (Bolton training)
Well Ron, maybe I did start something, and your Lancs connection is fascinating. But that Al Hayes in Portsmouth is in a welterweight contest, so surely not Alfie.
But Hack's "Chunky" surely outdoes me! Marvellous, Hack, do tell more. Was Chunky by any chance from Lancs?
Judo Chunky Hayes, who was no relation to Al.
Judo Chris Adams.
Now you have started something Anglo.
The earliest I can find Judo Al Hayes is April 1953 cutting his teeth with Jack Atherton.
https://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/apps/photos/photo?photoid=203973209
The earliest I have him as Al Hayes is November 1952 strangely billed from Lancs.
https://www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk/apps/photos/photo?photoid=199061788
Judo Alf Margates
Professor Eddie Stratton was occasionally Judo Eddie Stratton ... which would later rhyme with Judo Pat Patton.
Graham mentioned Kung Fu but what about Judo Eddie Hamill?
I think we need to remember that judo was a mysterious new Olympic sport in the sixties, a superhuman prowess. Hence the rush to be associated with it. Karate and Kung Fu followed and then ju jitsu and then the rest. But in the sixties, Judo monopolised the general public mindset.
Therefore it's very interesting to see Al Hayes billed as Judo in the fifties. It would have been quite a gimmick then. I wonder what the earliest reference was? And I wonder whether he was a legit judo player?
I seem to think that Pete Roberts was occasionally billed as Judo Pete Roberts, but that could be my mind playing tricks on me
When I was promoting ('76-'87) it was all about Kung Fu but I did use the judo monicker twice. Once was at Walsall Football Club when I promoted "Judo" John Brown against Klondyke Jake and once was at The Champness Hall in Rochdale when I promoted King Kendo versus The Judoka. King Kendo was, of course, Bill Clarke and The Judoka was Ian Wilson who was quite annoyed to find himself billed as such when arriving at the hall and even more annoyed when the judo outfit I handed to him didn't fit. Gamely he agreed to wear it to the ring for the introduction then he shed it immediately and wrestled Clarke in his normal wrestling attire.
As a punter I recall Stockport's "Judo" Al Marquette who wrestled singly and in tag as The Judokas (most regularly with Pete Roberts and occasionally with Terry Jowett).
Judo Pat Roach
Judo Al Hollamby