I think it might say Roy Le Gardia, which may be a play on words for Le Guardia (the airport in New Jersey)?

I am always amazed that this lad hasn't had more "mainstream" runs in WWE, etc. He is an absolute unit, who can really wrestle, in any style.

Just reviving this thread, as I have been reading some great research by Wrestling Historian, Phil Lyons, who had written a detailed history of Wrestling in France. It was interesting to see so many of our lads crop up, in the 1930's; Bill Garnon was in a few headlining bouts, Bob Gregory vs Butcher Johnson was a midweek headlining bout in Paris in 1937, Jack Pye hit the referee in a match in 1932!

RIP George Passalaris.

Sad news, RIP.

Great stuff, I always find this interesting. Carver Doone (who you mentioned) wrestled all over South America!

I have mentioned this before, but I used to see Jim Moran regularly, when he was working on on the door of "Josephine's" night club, in Sheffield (Alan Kilby also worked there). He was absolutely huge and towered over my tallest pal, who was 6ft 5! I would say that Jim Moran would be 6ft 8 (or maybe slightly taller) in shoes.

There could be more than this, if you search for the old Reslo videos on youtube. Skull Murphy & Robbie Hagan v Orig Williams & Geraint Clwyd Reslo: Collins vs. Robbie Hagen

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone on this great site/forum. Best wishes for 2025!

Merci pour l'imformation.

Most wrestlers biographies or autobiographies touch upon people they liked to work with or disliked working with. I would have to read them all again to remember everything, but a few things spring to mind. From memory - Jackie Pallo said that one of the Belshaw brothers (Cliff, I think), could be really awkward to work with, if he felt so inclined, on any given evening, and if so, there was nothing you could do about it, because he was so skilled (in real wrestling) he just did as he pleased. I think he said the same about Peter Szacaks? Dynamite Kid liked working with anyone who made it look "real" and was hard hitting/convincing, he really rated Mark Rocco and said good things about him. On the other hand, he mentioned that when Steve Wright worked for the Hart family, in Canada, none of the wrestlers would face him, after a while, because (like Cliff Belshaw), once he realised you couldn't actually wrestle, he just did what he wanted in the ring, and you couldn't stop him. From across the pond, it seems no one had a bad word to say about working with Tony Charles, and the same was said about Al Hayes, Ramon Napolitano, Geoff Portz, Johnny Eagles and Les Thornton, amongst others who relocated there. American wrestler, Terry Taylor, has said before that the first time he wrestled against Les Thornton, he was still a young "blue eye" rookie, and was nervous about doing the wrong thing in the ring. Les said something along the lines of "just let me do everything and we will be fine". Taylor said that the minute they locked up, in the collar and elbow starting position, it was like a blur, Les would grab him in a hold, and then reverse it and put himself into a hold, then counter that, and then reverse it again. To the paying audience it looked like Terry Taylor was the equal of Les Thornton, but Terry said he literally just stood there and Les did everything. At one point, Taylor was shouting out in (pretend) pain, and Les had to whisper "no Terry, it's you that has me in this hold!". Steve (William) Regal said great things about the British wrestlers that he faced, in his early career, especially Dave "Fit" Finlay, Skull Murphy and people like that. I would have to read all the books again, to get the proper quotes, but it does seem that there was a genuine brotherhood and most people got along fine.

Agreed, that is a great line that really encapsulates the subject matter.

He must have liked the fish and chips a bit too much, in Cleethorpes, because he appears to have put on five stones in two weeks, between his appearances. The Morecombe bill has plenty of famous names on it, probably a good night out for holiday goers there. He also faced John Kowalski, Prince Kumali and Wayne Bridges, in 1974, defeating the latter two. In terms of other Brits that Jean Breston faced, over here, his late 60's appearances were against John Lees and John Cox. I am sure there were more. Overseas he took on Barry Douglas, Earl Maynard, Billy Robinson, Les Thornton, Ray Glendenning, Geoff Portz, Jack Rowlands, Dave Morgan, Danny Lynch, Don Vines, Jim Hussey, Terry Rudge, George Gordienko, Judd Harris, Steve Wright, Marty Jones, Johnny South, Roy St. Clair, Steve Taylor, Colin Joynson, Caswell Martin, Jim Moran, Bobby Graham, Pat Roach, Johnny Saint, Mal Kirk, Johnny Kincaid, George Burgess, Jim Moser, Pete Roberts, I included big George Gordienko, as I always consider him an honorary Brit! In the vast majority of these bouts, Breston won. He even had a few wins against big George (who would have been coming to the end of his career). He never got a win against Billy Robinson, naturally!, nor Pat Roach from what I can see. More often than not, though, he appears to have been booked to win, throughout his career. As for his UK matches, I can only assume that all of the above wrestlers, who faced him, didn't come back home and give the promoters glowing praise?

I did Freestyle, Greco-Roman and Submission, in MMA (along with boxing, thai boxing, ju-jitsu, etc.) I enjoyed the grappling a lot.

Excellent stuff, and Dale Storm's book is a fantastic read, for anyone who hasn't bought it yet.

Just checked and as far as I can see, Tibor and Peter escaped from Hungary to Austria in 1956. By the end of that year (1956), in December, they arrived in England. Tibor started wrestling a couple of months later, so February 1957 could very well be him having a few try outs.

Yes, Tibor was 1957 as far as I know, and April being the first result I see, but that could be incorrect. "Hungarian Refugee" would be a good clue, though! A shame no picture exists, the tall, skinny frame would give it away.

I think John Quinn took the original World Title belt with him, when he went to work for Orig. Max Crabtree created another belt, that they put on Wayne Bridges, but he jumped ship with that one, as well, eventually. Just trying to remember if Tony St. Clair took the British Heavyweight title with him as well.

Another one of those wrestlers who people "loved to hate", especially when he would "saw" his forearm, back and forth, across his opponents eyes on the mat (like a "sawing" motion, when you are sawing wood). How many of us (as youngsters) would shout out for the ref to stop him, but he just continued doing it! A late 60's to mid-70's bill topper, and a name that every wrestling fan knew and had seen. I seem to recall him being in a few hard-hitting clashes on the mid-week, late night TV wrestling as well. I do remember being confused, as a young lad, when I saw him walking down the aisle, to the ring, once, with his LP in his hand, and I was trying to work out how a tough, no-nonsense wrestler, could have another job as a singer. Surely when he wasn't wrestling, he was training hard in the gym? Oh to be young and naïve! As a final "tip of the hat" to a true professional, I'll never forget reading about, in print, and seeing on Youtube, William Regal, telling the story of how an ageing Goldbelt Maxine was his opponent when WCW came to watch him wrestle, to see if he was right for them, in the early 90's, and he said Maxine basically let Regal (still "Steve" at the time), throw him around the ring, to show off all his offence moves, and make him look good. I'm sure Brian woke up with a few aches and pains the next day, but was basically "doing the right thing" for a young lad and helping him get the job that transformed his life. RIP Brian "Goldbelt" Maxine.

Here's Sam, in his own words (link below), which includes many of the pictures below. He mentions that when he wrestled for Jack Atherton, Jack always had him use the name "Bill Dunne", so any bills/posters that appear with that name, we will know it is Sam. https://wrestlingfurnace.site/biographies/ingleburgh/ingleburgh.htm