I don’t disagree with you Mask but I was referring to both Marino’s longevity in the ring and also his ability to get the crowd behind him. The problem with gauging how good a wrestler was never went by his technical ability in the ring, but more by how much he entertained the crowd. Mike Marino only had to hold his hands out as though to chop his opponent and the crowd would go wild! And to do that for 30 years was amazing…

Although I used to go to bills at various Granada theatres back then, I agree with Ballymoss that the Hackney Empire stood out. It was a real theatre as against a former cinema and the atmosphere on Saturdays was simply magical. The only problem back then with Paul Lincoln was that there was no TV publicity; so you could watch Al Hayes win the Southern Area title in Hackney, whereas just a few days later at the nearby Leyton Baths, someone else would be announced as champion and the same again at Edmonton! Dale Martin, on the other hand, had the TV monopoly and a champion on TV would have to be announced as such at live events. But hey, what did I know!

Whenever I see a poster for the Granada Edmonton, it reminds me of an evening there in the 1960s when so far as I was concerned, everything I saw was as genuine as it would have been had it been a boxing match. The ring was on the stage and the first half was closed with Dr Death v Rebel Ray Hunter with the match ending soon after Ray had what looked like a nasty looking cut and bleeding profusely. There was the usual uproar among spectators as the good Doctor went after the bloodied part. Eventually the ring emptied and we were going to get our drinks. But then the MC came out and asked if there was a doctor in the house - we assumed to treat Hunter. Two things: I remember feeling amazed that there was no medical assistance there and second, I have no idea whether the call was genuine or not and still don't to this day! Bit of a damp squib ending but after 50 years and many, many nights of wrestling, I'm still no wider!

Thanks all. I guessed it might have been me missing the piece rather it not being there! Incidentally, whilst I always enjoyed watching him (always as a heel except when up against Dr Death), I met him several times courtesy of Al Hayes (whose car I used to clean in return for free admission)! I always believed that he had worked at the docks and I had no reason to disbelieve him until one day when he came out of the Hackney Empire together with Al Hayes and I had to be there to give Al his car keys back. Trying to say something to start a conversation, I asked Don if the docks had been busy and he mentioned how he would squeeze in the odd shift when wrestling bookings went quiet. But on this occasion, Al Hayes gave me a knowing look, winked and said that he assumed he was never short of bookings. I remember Don roaring with laughter but neither explained what the joke was - even though it was obviously at my expense! I didn't mind because this must have been around 1959/60 and at around 14 years old, I just felt great to be in their company and to make all my wrestling friends jealous! Not to mention waiting in Al Hayes red MG convertible!

Hope I'm not boring anyone, but this was my favourite pic with one of my all-time favourite wrestlers. Another true gentleman with his time. Chatted for over an hour. A great loss...

I used to be the wrestling correspondent for two magazines aimed at taxi drivers - one in the UK and one in Oz. And as for the mask, what else would Mr X wear! 😀. This is how I looked with Bobby Heenan and should have always looked! As for Judo Al Hayes, I used to help wash his little sports car outside London's Hackney Empire in return for admission! I was always a cheapskate!

I also remember being plied with Champagne at the media launch and I think that could possibly show with this pic from the same Wembley Summerslam of me with Mean Gene Okerlund. He looks great... sadly I do not! But thanks once again to Mr McMahon who sure knows how to look after the media!!!

Thanks Ron...

Did anyone unmask in the main event?

Did not the same apply to Big Daddy? Yes, kids and women loved him but real wrestling fans were turned off by someone whose actual entrance lasted double the length of his fights and who never changed the way he put his fights across..

I may be wrong in my timeline but I know his aim was to get a booking with the then-WWF and sadly he felt he needed the weight as a draw. He made a few appearances in WCW along with a heel group known as the Dungeon of Doom, where he was known as Loch Ness. But he was dropped, incorrect rumours among fans at the time being that he was really Haystacks Calhoun who wrestled several years earlier but who looked very similar to Martin Ruane. His USA career never really took off and he came back to the UK. Thinking about it, in my original post I said I met him at a WCW show in London and he obviously hoped to rekindle old friendships there with the possibility of another shot over the pond. We know now that never happened...

I was around at the time of all that, whilst in addition I remember watching the England 1966 World Cup win live on TV as well as being at my Spurs in 1961 to see us win the then "impossible" double. So does that all together make me feel good or does it just make me feel old! I can't remember!!!

I agree with Ron. The Dr Death piece wasn't just a great read, but it took me right back to those days when I'd go to the Hackney Empire to watch the good doctor in the vain hope that I would see him get unmasked. I was the wrestling equivalent to a new born baby and always thought that one day it would either be Ray Hunter, Mike Marino or Al Hayes who would get the mask off. I remember screaming when Marino tried pulling it off but of course it was never going to get beyond DD's nose! Yes, in those early days I was truly innocent but Wrestling World could have come and asked many of the young wrestling fans who surrounded me who DD was because it did appear that I was the only one there who didn't know he was Paul Lincoln. But no one actually knew anything about Lincoln outsider of him being the promoter and so far as I knew, no one had ever seen even a photo of him back then! But it didn't really matter because we all went back for the next promotion because everyone wanted to see him lose his mask even though we knew that the magic would vanish if he ever did! I disagree that Kendo was the greatest masked wrestler for the simple reason that Paul Lincoln brought colour to wrestling at a time when it badly needed it. By the time Kendo arrived, wrestling was a far more sophisticated model. But in their own ways they were both brilliant and both took our sport to heights it may otherwise not have achieved because whatever aficionados may say, pure wrestling can't survive without heels and heels like Dr Death were few and far between. Great article...

There are some sad responses to this thread from people who know much more than I do about the inside workings of the UK product. I‘ve said it before but I became more involved in the early 1960s when I cleaned Judo Al Hayes sports car in return for a pass into the Hackney Empire most Saturdays for the Paul Lincoln card. Al never looked short of a few bob but from what I‘m reading here, it’s not surprising that the WWF came in and killed us and even less surprising that he went across the pond to work for the McMahons. Bet his money went up from that £2.50!!!

I pretty much agree with SaxonWolf. There was no way that Big D was going to put anyone over. How could he? His skill at wrestling - which he obviously had in his guardsman days - had long vanished as his girth expanded. We all know what should have happened; John Quinn should have picked Daddy up after perhaps poking him in the eyes away from the ref's view, body-slammed and then pinned him. It would have not only made for the biggest return in British wrestling history whilst filling the Royal Albert Hall, but it would also have done for British wrestling what Hulk Hogan lifting Andre the Giant did in the USA - ie people still talking about it 30+ years later. But his refusal to lose or go more than one round was part of the reason real fans began to lose interest whenever he fought, leaving him to the kids. I don't believe that Quinn just wanted the dosh. I'm sure he'd have liked to get involved in a controversial finish rather than just be another just as I'm sure he would have rather fought anyone who had a modicum of skill and who could put on a fight that grabbed the fans attention. That leaves Big D well and truly out of the picture...

Is it April 1st already!

Sorry! Don't know why my above letter posted twice!

What a great article! I met Haystacks at London's Olympia when WCW came over for two shows. I was working for a PR company at the time and a day before the first show I was there to take a few publicity photos. As I went in and showed my pass, I saw Haystacks talking to a security guard who obviously hadn't a clue who he was. He was showing the guard some of the publicity photos he had in his pocket and the guard was examining them. I mean, you only had to look at Haystacks to see that he wasn't just an ordinary member of the public and regardless of whether he was 6'11" or not, he was much taller than the guard and me! As I went through, I said hello to Haystacks as though I knew him and the guard must have realised and waved him through. As we walked in, he asked me about my job, if I enjoyed it and how did I compare the British product with the US one. He was really nice when he saw I was quite nervous. We walked towards the ring and just as we got there, Ric Flair was walking in the other direction. He looked at Haystacks and then just carried on walking even though we both started to say hello to the man carrying the WCW world title. He wasn't interested and pretty much ignored us. Fortunately not all the wrestlers were like that and Sting came up to introduce himself - probably more to Haystacks than me! Then Rick Rude came over to ask Haystacks about himself. I stood and listened. It was just fascinating although in truth I didn't really understand everything they were talking about, although that may have been deliberate due to me being an outsider! The three of them agreed to pose for a photo for me, probably the only one of its kind although I have put it on here before, but the excellent article gives me a reason to put it up again... .

What a great article! I met Haystacks at London's Olympia when WCW came over for two shows. I was working for a PR company at the time and a day before the first show I was there to take a few publicity photos. As I went in and showed my pass, I saw Haystacks talking to a security guard who obviously hadn't a clue who he was. He was showing the guard some of the publicity photos he had in his pocket and the guard was examining them. I mean, you only had to look at Haystacks to see that he wasn't just an ordinary member of the public and regardless of whether he was 6'11" or not, he was much taller than the guard and me! As I went through, I said hello to Haystacks as though I knew him and the guard must have realised and waved him through. As we walked in, he asked me about my job, if I enjoyed it and how did I compare the British product with the US one. He was really nice when he saw I was quite nervous. We walked towards the ring and just as we got there, Ric Flair was walking in the other direction. He looked at Haystacks and then just carried on walking even though we both started to say hello to the man carrying the WCW world title. He wasn't interested and pretty much ignored us. Fortunately not all the wrestlers were like that and Sting came up to introduce himself - probably more to Haystacks than me! Then Rick Rude came over to ask Haystacks about himself. I stood and listened. It was just fascinating although in truth I didn't really understand everything they were talking about, although that may have been deliberate due to me being an outsider! The three of them agreed to pose for a photo for me, probably the only one of its kind although I have put it on here before, but the excellent article gives me a reason to put it up again... .

I agree. Tommy Billington's matches were always the best, especially when they were against Rocco. So it was such a tragedy to see how Dynamite ended up. We all know how pro-wrestling works but how many outside of it realise how dangerous it is and the life-changing injuries that can befall the wrestlers. I have little doubt that even Rollerball's dementia was probably caused - at least in part - by his all action style and the way he put 110% into every bout. RIP two great wrestlers, neither of whom managed to reach the age of 70...