How sad that in that long list of mourners I can't see any mention of anyone from the wrestling business.

A quick look in the A to Z for London area names turned up a Bromley, two Barnes and a shed load of Angels.

Oldest Geographical Byline match has to be the Russian Lion v The Terrible Turk.

Pancho Zapatta is a combination of two recognizable Mexican names Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Bit like Kendo Nagasaki. Could have been Aikido Hiroshima. Promoters. What are they like?

Your efforts are not in vain. It's interesting stuff. But perhaps I can extend the parameters even further. In this weeks Boxing News there is an article about the British Empire and American Services Boxing Tournament held at the RAH on December 11th and 12th 1918, just a month after the war ended. Some very big name appeared including Bombadier Billy Wells, Harry Grebb and Jimmy Wilde. Was there a wrestling equivalent I wonder?

Thanks John. Something to delve into one wet afternoon.

Les Blousons Noirs caused a bit of head scratching for some of us.

I know that there is a long tradition of stage wrestling going back to music hall days, and for sure Paul Lincoln getting the Grenada contract was a master stroke, but I never liked it that much. Just did not seem "proper". I wonder what the wrestlers thought.

Am I being thick? I don't get it. Is the top photo Garfield?

I think that what I wanted was an air of authenticity and at the time most promotions seemed to provide it. Anglo's list ticks all the right boxes but why the down on Bobby Palmer? I seem to remember him as a believable MC.

@Norfolk Snake. Cracking story. Thanks for posting.

Last year we talked about Ali ring jumping Gorilla Monsoon. I think that as a "work" it was much more popular in the States than here. Usualy with someone famous. Why? I do believe that The Donald had a go. A real (probably drunk) member of the public sounds pretty scarry for all concerned.

Catch as catch can as a pitmans submission wrestling style is an enduring myth and I have to put my hands up here and admit to having helped perpetuate it a bit myself in the past. What probably is true is that Lancashire wrestlers knew how to cause pain and force an opponent onto his back. Certainly that was what I was taught that the double wrist lock was for. But what I would like to ask is what you think of the "carni hooker" narative. Was that also just so much hokum? Rusian I am reposting this as I'm not sure if you spotted it. I realy would like your opinion on the legendary carni hookers.

Catch as catch can as a pitmans submission wrestling style is an enduring myth and I have to put my hands up here and admit to having helped perpetuate it a bit myself in the past. What probably is true is that Lancashire wrestlers knew how to cause pain and force an opponent onto his back. Certainly that was what I was taught that the double wrist lock was for. But what I would like to ask is what you think of the "carni hooker" narative. Was that also just so much hokum?

Saxon Wolf is on the money about those "Bushido" shows. They realy were outstanding and very realistic.

Preston-McManus. Zbyszko-Munn. Hart-Michaels. Nothing beats a screwjob story for us fans, historians, anoraks. None of us will ever know. Least of all me. But if you think it might have been worked - then it probably was.

Some wrestlers were keener Some may have been meaner But for downing a glass Few could surpass The ever popular Anglo Italian star DODGY CORTINA.

Well I'm not sure about the "average" fan Saxon, but he was certainly well known to me. How many members are old enough to remember all this? Bernard, me, not sure who else.

When it comes to history Rusian the only thing you can be sure of is that it's all in the past. But yes, collecting results for a predetermined exhibition seems like a pretty uninspiring thing to do. But hey, that's just me. One of the nice things about W H and the forum is the wide range of interest that members have.

I'll just put my two pennyworth in here and then keep quiet. All In, Professional Free Style, 20th century catch, Catch As Catch Can Rules of 1930, Lord Mountevans. All were, if you like, different "brand names" for essentialy the same "product". Of course, a promoter or group of promoters would want to protect their "brand" and have their own champion. I think that a wrestling style is something different. It implies a set of rules and a way of competing that has developed differently to other styles. Regarding champions I think that part of the problem looking back is that so many of these appointed champions ended up believing their own publicity and of course some could actualy wrestle. There was a willing army of fans and historians keen to perpetuate the mythology. Still is perhaps. Oakeley and Dale had two quite different business plans. One wanted to put on big wrestling extravaganzas at famous venues and the other flood the market with good quality bread and butter shows all over the place. I think that by the time Dale (and Joint) were top dogs Oakeley had had enough anyway and wanted to get on with his sailing holidays and Lorna Doone stuff. I'm sorry, I have responded to half a dozen threads that all started with Bert and Ernie.