Paul Lincoln was never a fully blown heavyweight. Mid heavyweight, possibly even light heavyweight looking at opponents under his own name. Worked in Southern England for Dale Martin But looking at the earliest Dr Death appearances, July 1959 against welterweight Roy LaRue in Derby Sept 1959 against lightweight Pat Kloke in Livetpool November 1959 against middleweight Terry Sparkes in Hull Makes me wonder who was the original Dr Death?

This week there's a tribute to Jim Mellor been added to the Heritage website https://wrestlingheritage.co.uk/jim-mellor/ I saw him just the once, and it must have been right at the end of his career when he was wrestling only occasionally. My memory is that when I saw his name in the newspaper advert he sounded like just another old wrestler (that's how I judged them in those days - any Steve, Andy or Ricky would be in - but not a Jim, Harry or Dick). To be honest I remember nothing of the match, or his opponent, except I do remember it being a good opening match where the old fellah stood up really well to his upstart young opponent.

Here at Heritage we usually avoid reference to the personal life of our living greats. On this occasion, as it's in the papers anyway, we'll make an exception. Congratulations Eddie and Marie on their sixtieth wedding anniversary. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24216174.former-bury-woman-year-ex-professional-wrestler-celebrating/

A new tribute page added today https://wrestlingheritage.co.uk/leo-lightbody/

For a long time we have from time to time considered the connection between Harry Joyce and Devereux Promotions. As today (28th February) is the anniversary of Herbert Devereux's birth I thought it time to take a closer look at Herbert Devereux. My belief is that there was no connection, or at least business connection between Harry Joyce and Herbert Devereux. Harry's son, Ken, took over Devereux Promotions, but this was long after the death of Herbert Devereux (1959) and Harry Joyce (1965). I have a letter from Devereux Promotions showing Herbert's son, Charles, still in charge in 1976. Herbert Devereux was born on 28th February, 1899 in Battersea. An Electrical Engineer by trade he remained in that business, as owner of Neal (Electrical) Ltd. until his death. His involvement with professional wrestling began as a timekeeper for Dale Martin Promotions. In 1949 he promoted his first season of wrestling at Kingston Upon Thames. The following year, 1950, he turned his attention to Elm Street Baths. This venture didn't go so successfully and in January 1951 he announced he was passing the contract over to Dale Martin Promotions attributing failure to Battersea Borough Council being unrealistic in charging £50 a night for the rent of the 2,000 capacity hall. On 26th July, 1951 Devereux Promotions took over the promoting of wrestling events at Wimbledon Palais, a hall with which they became inextricably linked. In January 1953 Devereux took over promoting responsibility at the Coronation Ballroom, Ramsgate, from Dale Martin Promotions; it was back with Dale Martin in 1955. Devereux's relationship with Joint Promotions, more specifically Dale Martin Promotions, ebbed and flowed over the years. In the most part, whilst stating their credentials as independent promoters it was a relationship of co-operation, with Devereux utilising wrestlers under licence from Dale Martin. This arrangement resulted in interesting shows that combined Joine and independent wrestlers. At some point in 1958 Devereux and Dale Martin Promotions became more estranged. This was around the time that Dale Martin workers that included George Kidd, Joe D'Orazio, Eddie Capelli and Paul Lincoln left the Joint Promotion syndicate to wrestle and promote independently. Things came to a head with an announcement in the Wimbledon Palais programme of 4th December, 1958 "Last week there was an interesting article in the Daily Mail which dealt with the affairs of Joint Promotions Ltd., and repeated the old title of 'All in' wrestling throughout. While we do not agree with all that was said about this type of wrestling we can disassociate ourselves from all that was said, for we are not part of Joint Promtions Ltd., and we do not have any 'top liners under contract' as the article stated was the case with that company. All the wrestlers that appear here are independent entities, with whom we deal direct, and who wrestle here of their own free will for money that they themselves negotiate in the proper manner." From 1959 Devereux were members of the independent promoters group British Wrestling Federation alongside Paul Lincoln Management, Matsport, Conrad Davis, International, Twentieth Century, and Premier Promotions. This independent status remained until the beginning of January, 1962, when Devereux and a number of other independent promoters returned to work co-operatively with Dale Martin Promotions. Herbert Devereux died on 28th March, 1959, leaving a widow and son. The son Charles took over Devereux Promotions and steered it successfully throught the BWF years and re-forming the Joint Promotion relationship in in 1962. Eventually Charles Devereux was to sell the business to Rushden wrestler Ken Joyce. Precisely when that was we don't know, but Charles Devereux was certainly in charge as late as 1976.

I remember day trips to Blackpool and seeing Dominic Pye driving up and down the promenade in his open air American car carrying wrestlers, loud speaker blaring and promoting that days wrestling with mini skirted girls handing out handbills inviting us to that days shows for six bob. One of those was Monty Britton https://wrestlingheritage.co.uk/monty-britton/

We hear fro MC Lee Bamber that officialling at Harlow yesterday it was his 1,000th show, Congratulations Lee. You must be almost as old as Anglo Italian. Lee Bamber(https://wrestlingheritage.co.uk/lee-bamber/)

In 1964 Michael Gabbert, an investigative journalist, revealed the soccer betting scandal which led to ten players being jailed for match fitting. In 1966 he turned his attention to professional wrestling, with a five week series in the Sunday newspaper, The People. As an eleven year old with an insatiable thirst for knowledge I lapped up the revealing backgrounds of these strange and mysterious creatures that he revealed whilst retaining an ability to totally ignore the substance of the pieces, i.e. that matches were fixed. This was not the first wrestling exposure, and wouldn't be the last.Every four or five years it seemed the Sunday newspapers could cash in on their new discovey. It may surprise many to learn that today is the anniversary of one of those Sunday paper "Wrestling is Fixed" declarations way back in 1956, that's over sixty years ago. In one of the earliest Sunday newspaper investigations into the legitimacy of professional wrestling the Sunday Dispatch reporter Jacqueline Mackenzie asked "Is wrestling fake?" As would be expected she found it hard to get a straight answer. There was an admission that not everything was genuine. Francis St Clair Gregory told of the time he had been reprimanded by a referee in Belgium for grimacing as if he was in pain when his opponent got a hold on him. One man did talk. He was former boxer and wrestler Jack Doyle. Doyle told the reporter that the result of all his wrestling matches were pre-planned and explained how blood could be produced on demand. By the end of the piece the reporter did have a grudging admiration for the men she had met.

Posting this a few hours early for some of us but it's already 23rd November in Fiji. We hear that our 1960s visitor Mohammed Yakub is doing well and today celebrating his 98th birthday at his home in Fiji . His granddaughter has written to say, "Nearing December we do have decorated shops, but the weather is hot and humid. Granddad is doing great, still rides horses and his never ending stories. We really can't wait for his big day." Happy birthday Mohammed Yakub

Much has been written and discussed about London County Council's ban of wrestling due to its poor reputation in the 1930s. Whilst there were undoubtedly poor practices of outlandish gimmicks, oversized giants with little skill and poor promotional practices (sounds like the 1980s) we have never subscribed to this monochrome view. Indeed it was a commentary that was purveyed by post war promoters who saw it advantageous to draw a distinction with the past and present theirs as a new and improved product. Things were more nuanced, of course. Amongst the lumbering giants, midgets, blood and tossed about referees were men of the calibre of Douglas Clark, George Clark, Billy Riley, Harold Angus, Bert Assirati, Mitchell Gill, Francis Gregory and many more genuinely skilled wrestlers. Today is the anniversary of the day London County Council chose to ban wrestling in the halls they controlled. Many may be surprised to learn it wasn't in the 1930s at all. The decision was taken in 1944 and took effect in 1945. With a nation still in the throes of war the Council found time to debate and bar an entertainment that had benefited the war effort through countless fund raising events and helped to maintain a normality of wartime life. The Council accepted the Public Control Committee recommendation, “In our view all-in wrestling cannot be regarded as true wrestling in any sense. We do not consider that it contains any element of sport, and we regard it as a degrading and unhealthy form of entertainment.” The decision was to come into effect on 1st January, 1945. It seems odd that if the council had been getting so incensed by wrestling they left it until then to take action. After all, quite a few towns had banned wrestling in the early 1930s, only to lift the ban a few years later when promoters persuaded them, rightly or wrongly, that they had cleaned up the business.

This is a subject that has cropped up over the years, but I can't find a dedicated thread - sorry if I've missed it. We have often said that wrestling was such an important part of British life that wrestlers cropped up all over the place, for example McManus on the Generation Game, Mick and Jackie on the Eamonn Andrews show. It goes back further than the peak 1960 years though. In 1955, so that's before ITV wrestling started, Harry Brooks was on What's My Line. Lady Isabel Barnett eventually guessed right.

Wrestler Jack rarely talked to his family about his experiences during the Second World War. When he was eighty years old he agreed to write down a commentary of his war service. Jack’s family have now shared this treasured family archive with Wrestling Heritage readers. https://wrestlingheritage.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/jack-austins-wartime-story-.pdf(https://wrestlingheritage.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/jack-austins-wartime-story-.pdf)

The Wrestlers' Reunion Scotland has a new Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/3501929673401965(https://www.facebook.com/groups/3501929673401965) https://www.facebook.com/groups/3501929673401965

Apparently the website is currently down and could be for up to 72 hours. This is due to the transferring of the name to the new site We did think the temporary address would have continued working during the process, but apparently not.