For Us Time-Honoured Wrestling Enthusiasts most Wrestling Names are Familiar to our
Knowledge and Memory!-Even if we never saw a particular Wrestler Fight Live or in a T.V.
Bout-generally we've HEARD OF the Name sometime-somewhere!!
It doesn't happen very often but just occasionally a Name appears on Wrestling Posters and
lo and behold we think to ourselves:-'Who's this Guy?'-'Don't know that Name!'-'Never heard
of him!'
Of course we know Wrestlers use Different Names but these Ring Monickers are usually
ASSOCIATED to the Wrestler at different times!-Some Wrestlers had very short 'Careers' but
even then these Guys ARE Known to us however Obscure as we are Fortunate to have Wizard Gurus like RON with his vast repository of Wrestling Bills!!
But recently I came across a Wrestler even I'd never heard of before!........
Wrestling in the '60's and Billed from YORK-Who is/was STEVE ADAMS??
I know a few ADAMS-but not this one?
Does Anyone know him? Has Anyone heard of him?-He's NOT in the A-Z that I can discover!
2 STEVE ADAMS Posters to follow!
Apologies in advance by the way for one of his Opponents!!
MAIN MASK
Hi all. Me again. Thank you again for all the kind words and information about Dad. @twad @peter @adrianpollard.shangri-la @RON HISTORYO....Time Cop, Where Dad is currently living are organising a day to celebrate his wrestling achievements. We have reached out to a few people and I have been overwhelmed by the lovely response from the wrestling community. You are truly a lovely lot! I’m still trying to gather more stuff. If anyone has photos or clips or stories to tell I would love to hear them. And Dad would too. Thank you again everyone xxxx
Hi all. Me again. Thank you again for all the kind words and information about Dad. @twad @peter @adrianpollard.shangri-la @RON HISTORYO....Time Cop, Where Dad is currently living are organising a day to celebrate his wrestling achievements. We have reached out to a few people and I have been overwhelmed by the lovely response from the wrestling community. You are truly a lovely lot! I’m still trying to gather more stuff. If anyone has photos or clips or stories to tell I would love to hear them. And Dad would too. Thank you again everyone xxxx
What a superb array of opponents in 1965/1966 and to recall that Steve was still a teenager and student at York University
Your dad did tell me his favourite wrestler to fight was Mick McManus who was extremely well known as a baddie. Your dad said how he (MM). was technically perfect and never caused any injury unlike Jackie Pallo who also was extremely popular in the 60's and 70's and frequently made mistakes such as scratching with fingernails. If a fighter had scratches he couldn't fight the next night as the scratches would show. The general idea was that although you inflicted pain (I can vouch for that especially Boston crabs and knee drops) you in no way injured your opponent as you were probably fighting him again that week somewhere else and if he couldn't fight you would lose money. Often it's said the fights were rigged but it wasn't that, rather they were an entertainment where genuine strong brave men showed what they could do. The important thing was to show what was happening so you did not rush to get out of a hold but rather endured it and then after a while made an escape. Results were never fixed because there was no need, the result didn't matter usually as the two fighters were fighting each other somewhere else tomorrow.
A few early newspaper bills of Steve Best.
Steve Best (Roger Adams) is my Dad. It’s so great to see him on here. I can confirm most of the stuff posted before. Unfortunately dad has been unwell for a few years now. If anyone has any stories they can share about Dads wrestling time we would love to hear them. I have heard many amazing tales over the years but I would love to know more.
I was at school with Roger Adams who became Steve Best. We wrestled each day in the gym and put on shows for the boys half of the school. How we didn't kill each other I'll never know. Roger was an excellent athlete and I believe was Yorkshire schools long jump champion in 1962. He went to York University and after graduating he became a teacher, eventually wrestling as "The wrestling Headmaster"
A You Tube contributor commenting on a Steve Best match confirms he was Mr Adams Maths and Judo teacher at Barnsley Grammar School. He was billed from York because he began his career as a Professional Wrestler whilst at York University in 1964.He became tag partner to Johnny Saint and was a considerably better wrestler than Jimmy Saville
Top is 1966, bottom is 1970.
Which gives us this: BRIDLINGTON;Jimmy Savile v Best;
Breaks is a popular Yorkshire and in particular Bradford name.
In a Northern accent it could sound like Briggs which often went on early bills.
Those lightweights all took their ring names from stars of the day: Steve "George" Best; Johnny "Simon Templar" Saint; Zoltan Bostik ☺.
I always thought Breaks was such a good wrestling name that it must have been invented. But when he was in the newspapers last year they called him Breaks. Was it real?
Makes you wonder whether others did like McManus and changed their names by deed poll?
I'm with these two. I had previously believed he was Steve Best. No evidence, just due to his birth name.
I agree with Frank, it could be Steve Best (originally billed from Sheffield, I think, then later billed from York).
Got a feeling it may well have been Steve Best,from York. Something tells me in the back of my mind that his birth name was Roger Adams? Stand to be corrected if not.