I just finished reading Jean Corne’s “La vérité sur le catch” (The truth about catch) book from 1974. In it there's a section where Corne talks about touring the UK. I don't know how true this story is, but I enjoyed reading it and I thought I'd share it here. Corne wrote the following: “During the summer season of 1959, I was on tour in the French Riviera. On the beach in Cannes, I met a young girl who was a dead ringer for Brigitte Bardot. As a joke, my fellow wrestlers called her Brigitte or B.B. However, in our group, there was an Englishman named Ken Joyce, who spoke our language very poorly. So he was convinced that he was in the presence of our great screen star. The following year, Ken Joyce, who had become a matchmaker in his country, asked me to come and do a series of matches for him. The contract was not extraordinary but I accepted straight away. At the time I was single and I really wanted to know the atmosphere of the halls across the Channel, where wrestling is king. To give you an idea of its popularity, know that in London for example, there is no less than one hall per neighborhood which presents two or three wrestling cards per week. My first match was to be at Dover. Much to my surprise when I disembarked from the ferry boat I saw a huge blue-white-red poster on which my name was written in bold capitals with the following words: ‘The Bardot! Former bodyguard of Brigitte’. My friend Ken Joyce, convinced that I had had an affair with B.B., had modestly given me the title of her former bodyguard. In the evening, the hall was packed, because all the residents of Dover wanted to see B.B.'s bodyguard! Throughout the tour (sixty matches) I experienced the same curiosity success, thereby saving my employers many pounds sterling. The final bouquet was given to me in London by Paul Lincoln, the promoter of the Metropolitan, who had it displayed throughout the capital: ‘Come and see Brigitte Bardot's bodyguard wrestle!’... but it took a good sight or glasses to read my name below! In conclusion, this involuntary deception did not enrich me because a contract is a contract, and despite the success of the operation I did not receive a ‘cent’ more. In fact, the only thing I gained from this tour was a great lesson in humility because, without the sponsorship of Brigitte Bardot, I would probably never would have had such success with the ladies! When I returned to France, my friend Isha Israel told me: ‘You should go see B.B. I'm sure your adventure will amuse her. It's even possible that she would enjoy playing along. It would be great publicity for you!’ Maybe he was right, but I never dared to ring Brigitte Bardot's doorbell.”

For the past year or so I have been researching the history of pro wrestling in Barcelona, Spain, starting with 1943 and so far I'm up to 1967. A lot of British wrestlers passed through there over the years and I thought it might be interesting to share a quick list of all the championship matches with British wrestlers in Barcelona. August 20, 1948, at Plaza de toros de las Arenas: Jose Tarres def. Jack Dale (c) to become the new European Middleweight champion. May 4, 1956, at Sala Gran Price: Pedro Bengoechea (c) def. Billy Joyce to retain his European Light Heavyweight Title. August 3, 1961, at Plaza de toros de las Arenas: Jose Tarres (c) def. Bill Robinson to retain his European Mid-Heavyweight Title. August 26, 1962, at Plaza de toros Monumental: Pedro Catarecha (c) def. Jackie Pallo to retain his World Middleweight Title. June 18, 1964, at Plaza de toros de las Arenas: Pedro Bengoechea (c) def. Al Hayes to retain his World Light Heavyweight Title. July 17, 1964, at Plaza de toros de las Arenas: Jose Tarres (c) def. Dave Larsen to retain his European Light Heavyweight Title. March 12, 1965, at Sala Gran Price: Alan Miquet (c) def. Brunet to retain his World Middleweight Title. June 20, 1965, at Plaza de toros Monumental: Alan Miquet (c) def. Salvador Vento to retain his World Middleweight Title. July 17, 1966, at Plaza de toros Monumental: Jose Tarres (c) def. Bert Royal to retain his European Light Heavyweight Title.