list of british wrestlers of the '60s and '70s list of british wrestlers of the '60s and '70s

Tweet. Wrestling stars of the 60s/'70s1 of 18. You probably noticed that the name of Bruno Sammartino was repeated often and was featured in many videos. Well known in Los Angeles, Texas and WWWF from 1972 to 1974. Can you imagine if Cena held the WWE title that long nowadays? He was one of the first to implement karate into his performance and is often credited with the invention of the superkick, a now-signature move of many. 15 episodes 1975-1984 Dickie Davies Self - Presenter 7 episodes 1974-1985 Neil Durden-Smith Self - Commentator 3 episodes 1974-1985 Johnny England Johnny England Brian Crabtree Self - Wrestling Ring Announcer 3 episodes 1981-1985 Tommy Billington Self - Wrestler 3 episodes 1981-1983 Gilbert Singh Self - Wrestler 3 episodes 1981 Luke Graham was one of the rare to have a gimmick that didn't include specific outfits such as cowboy or other Russian characters. Former WWWF World Tag Team Champion. One bout with Jackie Pallo was seen by 20 million fans. Welcome to professional wrestling in the 1970s, where anything goes and grapplers weren't participating in sports entertainment. His sole presence guaranteed sold-out arenas to any promoter, and it was no exception for the growing WWWF. Born in Iraq, wrestled in AWA and WWF as General Adnan. 10. This series of highly regarded matches would also lead to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) contacting Rocco, leading to the birth of the "Black Tiger" persona and some of the most highly rated matches in Japanese television history against Sayamas Tiger Mask. He retired in 1982, worked in public relations, bought a pub and became a porcelain expert. The Liverpool-born wrestler initially performed in a tag team called The Golden Boys alongside William Regal (then known as Steven Regal). He won three WWWF Titles in the tag team division with three different partners from 1971 to 1978. Was the promoter of Seattle wrestling, from 1958 to 1969 he was the sole promoter in Washington, Idaho, and Northeast Oregon. * Championships in parentheses ( ) are noted according to the approximate date of the information, usually three or four months prior to the publishing date, in order to give a better idea of why the wrestlers may be ranked. A major star of Midget Wrestling Littlebrook was born in England in 1929. The Baron enjoyed a great career with the WWWF in the '60s and in the '70s as one of the top heels. Although after thirty years of being a performer, he was able to transition into becoming a talent scout for the WWE. Click here to watch the only excerpt I found of Backlund winning the WWWF Championship and click here to watch him against Pat Patterson in a cage match in 1979. We have taken a lot of time and careful attention to detail in bringing you our free to use and access Wrestler's Database. He was also a trainer even when he was an active wrestler. 5. With two different partners (Professor Tanaka and Mr. Saito), he managed to have five reigns as Tag Team champion, for a total of 932 days. He didn't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he joined the WWWF in the mid-60s. Kowalski, who opened a pro wrestling school after he retired in 1977, trained none other than Triple H and many others. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! Sandor Szabo 60 October 16, 1966 Heart Attack; Primo Carnera 51 June 29, 1967 Cirrhosis of Liver . He retired in 1970 and moved to Las Vegas where he became a blackjack dealer. to these sites/people. Gori Guerrero - World Champion I hope you enjoyed that ride back to the old school universe, and as usual, your comments are more than welcomeespecially if I missed anyone on the list and/or if you disagree with the order. The Gentleman, as he was known, still did get his due in other less mainstream promotions such as the Global Wrestling Federation, where he won the GWF Heavyweight Championship twice in 1994. Credits for information on this site are given He retired, ran a care home and, now aged 70, still sells Kendo merchandise online. With his flamboyant gimmick, combined with his powerhouse in-ring style and his bodybuilder's physique, he was the prototype who established the future WWF wrestlers standards. We're a brand new wrestling site dedicated to the most superb of sports - Wrestling! Throughout his whole career, Killer Kowalski was a top heel everywhere he wrestled, and he cemented his status when he ripped off an opponent's ear in the ring. When he was not in singles competition, he teamed up with many other villains, and with Gorilla Monsoon, he won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in 1963. The long-running debate over the best Muscle Cars from the 60s and 70s finally ends in this article. At just 5 feet, 6 inches (1.68 m) tall, and 175 lbs (79 kg), he was known for his brutal way of punishing opponents of all sizes. [Photo: dailymail.co.uk]McManuss main catchphrase was Not the ears! Different versions of this character would form in the years to follow, showing the personas longevity, but none lived up to the original. El Santo - National Champion, Welterweight (Mexico): Thanks to photographer David Maciejewski we can see pictures of the 'little' wrestlers before the hype and hoopla of WWF took hold. Yet, he doesnt get as much recognition outside of Britain. To build the list, I had to rely mostly on reading and assumptions in regard to what I could actually watch. Farmer Pete wrestling in Milwaukee, December 3, 1972. The forgotten heroes of Midget Wrestling: Vintage photos from the 60s and 70s, Oliver Reed as a prototype Alex from A Clockwork Orange in These are the Damned, I Have No Desire To Be Nico: Post-Punks Muse Of Manchester, Linder Sterling. Those I ranked are only the tip of the iceberg because other legends and pioneers existed before them. Blood, barrel chests, and mutton chops. He was ahead of his time, innovating a level of athleticism unlike most before him. 1963-09 - Boxing Illustrated Wrestling News, 1967-10 - The Wrestler (credit: @wrestlerweekly), 1968-12 - Wrestling Revue "Official Wrestling Ratings" (credit: Tom Burke), 1968-12 - Ring Wrestling: "Official World Ratings". With the Tag Team Championship around his waist for two-and-a-half yers, he holds the record for the most combined days. The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1) by. Worthington 'E' Ind Coope Double Diamond Draught (launched 1962) Whitbread Tankard (launhed 1957) Watneys Red Barrel During his time there, he would become a four-time TV Champion. In the late '50s and in the whole '60s, he never stayed in the same territory very long because his presence often overshadowed the various World Championship promotion matches. Knowing every heel tactic in the tag team action environment, he became the manager known as "Luscious" Johnny V who introduced Demolition to the WWF and who worked with The Dream Team (Greg Valentine / Brutus Beefcake) among others. He also had many great matches against British wrestling greats such as Fit Finlay and Mick McManus. He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. Matthewss extensive knowledge of wrestling holds aided him, even in some of Britains most ruthless towns. However, since I didn't watch wrestling in those great days, I could hardly evaluate the in-ring abilities, the charisma and the mic skills. Karloff Largarde - World & National Champion. Wrestled his last match for FMLL teaming with. After a long battle with dementia, Rocco sadly passed away on July 30th, 2020. Buy Wrestling Tickets securely and cheaply online -. If you're looking for rock-solid results backed by data (not just my opinion like every other article on the internet) on the best Muscle Cars from the 60s and 70s, keep reading..Discover the definitive list of classic American Muscle Cars that dominated the 1/4 mile charts from 1964 to 1974. Nowadays, he trains the stars of tomorrow at the WWE Performance Center. It was a very different case with wrestling, whatever Joint Promotions would have us believe. No matter where he wrestled, Koloff generated heat like no other with his Russian gimmick, all that right in the middle of the Cold War. Big Daddy regularly prevailed in his bouts, commonly using his star-studded finisher, The Big Splash.. Wrestlers fell in two categoriesthe goodies and the baddies, who would either seek the cheers or loud disapprobation of the audience by skill or pantomime cheating. Monsoon lost the match, but he once again proved he could hold his own against the largest wrestlers in the business at the time, being himself a 6'5", 400-pounder. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages. Share. He won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in June 1964 with Dr. Jerry and they held the title for nearly eight months. Tag team: Little Bruiser and Billy the Kid, September 23 1972. We have taken a lot of time and careful attention to detail in bringing you our free to use and access Wrestler's Database. Also wrestled as The Battling Bohemian and Red Menace. Iron Sheik Reigns Supreme: His 10 Greatest Tweets, 10 Golden Era Wrestlers in WWEs Ruthless Aggression Era, 10 Wrestlers You May Not Know Appeared in ECW, 11 Wrestling Managers Who Deserve Some Love. I also considered the longevity with the WWWF, a point not very important after the early '80s and the death of the territories concept. Began his career in the 1940s. Admittedly, we've had a lot of fun putting this wrestler information together and we hope you enjoy reading it too! Warner Bros. Click here to watch Pedro Morales defeating Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Championship. Wrestled in his last match defeating Frenchy Roberre at a. Wrestled his last match in a tag team match with his son, Wrestled his last match at the VerdugoMania 3rd Anniversary show in Tonala, Jalisco, Mexico, teaming with Jaque Mate Jr., Rafaga, and Rayman in a loss to the team of, Wrestled his last match in an event in Mexico City, Mexico, teaming with, Wrestled his last match for Battleground Championship Wrestling in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, teaming with. It's normal because he was like the main attraction for all those years. The number one hit singles in Australia in the 1960s 1960: 'It's Now Or Never', Elvis Presley 1961: 'I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door', Eddie Hodges 1962: 'Good Luck Charm', Elvis Presley 1963: 'I Want. He could've been a world champion in any promotion, but he preferred the freedom of travelling all over the USA thus becoming the most popular wrestler in the country. Profile aside, however, there were many reliable independent promoters and, although statistics do not exist, it seems quite credible that on any one night the independent shows presented would outnumber the Joint Promotion shows, albeit many being in small halls and clubs. He dropped out of West Texas State College in 1953 to take up the fight game. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. The Fabulous Moolah is the longest reigning champion in pro wrestling history. You can find this story in My Bookmarks. The Original Sheik portrayed a rich and brutal Syrian who brought a new level of violence in pro wrestling. Former NWA World Tag Team Champion. Rex. UK hitmakers The Dave Clark Five were one of the foremost 'British Invasion' acts. He needed a solid supporting crew to become such an icon. Click here to watch Andre The Giant winning a battle royal in the mid-70s. The contest ended after an hour-and-16 minute time limit draw in front of a crowd that went nuts after the officials declared they had to comply with a curfew. He was so pushed on television that he was unbeaten for twenty years. Here, Matthews would go by Steve Regal a name he had used going back to 87, and a name he had seen in an American wrestling magazine in use by another wrestler named Mr. Armstrong's last match was for Continental Championship Wrestling in Dothan, Alabama, where he defeated The Assassin. Most recently wrestled for Appalachian Championship Wrestling in Williamson, West Virginia, in a match against Kerry Morton that went to a Double Count-out Draw. He went on to win one world title. In pictures: Mick McManus and the stars of the British wrestling FOLLOWING today's news of the passing of Mick McManus, one of the stars of ITV's World of Sport wrestling, we look back on. From her blue eyes to her athletic build and immersive backstory, we are Angela Ziegler Or Mercy, was born in Switzerland. The Promoters A-Z lists many of those promoters who made it all happen between 1930 and 1988. Wrestled for Pacific Northwest, WCCW and NWA Georgia. In the end, there can be only one! The former NWA World Champion Jack and the former Stooge Jerry both began in the late '60s and had careers that spanned decades, including winning the NWA Tag Team Championship several times during their career. [Photo: mirror.co.uk]Nagasaki had superhuman powers, such as the power of healing and the ability to hypnotize. while others continued to bill Byers as the title holder. Wrestlers like Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks thrilled kids with their bouts, not to mention a remarkable number of their usually peaceable grandmothers. Little Bruiser was a demon in the ring, but a gentleman outside. After that last success, Graham slowly faded away from the WWWF. Cowboy Bob Bradley was born Robert Claton Bradley in Dickens County, TX, in February 1935. As a result, he never got to show his full potential on the grandest stage. On the top of all that, if that means anything, he was the PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 1973 and the Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year in 1979. His calculated evil ways made him one of the biggest heels in any company he worked. This is a list of oldest surviving professional wrestlers. One such style was the Vidal Sassoon pixie, which was created by the British hairstylist of the same name. Joint Promotions was a collection of promoters who became all powerful by using their collective force to create a stranglehold over all those who worked for them. 11:52, 21 APR 2013. source Cauliflower Alley Club, Spanish announcer in boxing and wrestling in Los Angeles. "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith 39 May . ITVs World of Sport was a household name in Britain, where it saw millions of viewers weekly. Clockwise from top left: the band Chicago in 1978, Paul Butterfield of The Paul Butterfield Band, Jerry McGeorge of The Shadows of The Knight, Frankie Sullivan of Survivor, Jim Sohns of Shadows of. Also was a bodybuilder, swimmer, and actor. The legendary Lord Littlebrook (aka Eric Tovey), in Milwaukee July 7, 1968. He had grueling rivalries against Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund over the WWWF Championship. By Kelly O'Sullivan. He was a real animal in the ring, and his brutality was matched by only few other hardcore legends. Also, the rarer the item the higher the gear score will be within the gears tier range. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. He currently lives in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and finds his spare time training to become a wrestler. Oldest Canadian Wrestler. 1. The 20 Great Lost Albums of British Rock, 1968-72. By M.A LeBlanc Ring Of Honor Tag Team Champion Jay Briscoe Passes Away At 38. Brother of. Even today, there are wrestlers who won't dare try the now 75-year-old Jerry. The duo, called The Executioners, holds the distinction to have not actually lost the belts since they were stripped after a third Executioner interfered in a match. Thankfully, during a golden age of wrestling, photographer David Maciejewski documented the legends of the ring from 1966 to 1974from which some these pictures have been culled. When his three-year reign ended in 1977, Sammartino established an unbeatable record of 11 years as the reigning WWWF Champion. He was 52. Most recently wrestled on October 22, 2022, at Niigata Pro Wrestling event in Niigata, Japan, where he teamed with, Last wrestled at the 2022 C-K Autumnfest in Kenova, West Virginia, where he teamed with, DeNucci wrestled his last match at a PWS card in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, teaming up with, Last wrestled at the 2019 Expo Lucha convention in San Diego, California, teaming up with. Wrestled in AWA. Collectors of British & American back issues will find some great stuff here like Beat Instrumental magazine, early 70's glam & pop magazine Music Star, The excellent Zigzag magazine, for blues enthusiast there's Blues Unlimited, Creem, Crawdaddy, Let it Rock . Fit Finlay David "Fit" Finlay began his wrestling career in 1974, though his first mainstream exposure came when he debuted as the Belfast Bruiser in WCW in 1996. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Once Mia Farrow rocked the style, it was a spiral of everyone and their mother wanting to do the same. Retired wrestler Saraya-Jade Bevis, better known as Paige, has won the Divas Championship twice and was also its the youngest winner. As of 2017, there are 42 living veterans from the "Golden Age of Wrestling" (1950s1970s) over 75 years old. Wrestling stars of the 60s/'70s3 of 18. Paige. The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. Although some of the wrestlers we detail below broke through to major promotions during their time in the business, often, they arent given the recognition they deserve. His hard-hitting persona was hard not to hate as he would do anything to win, even if it meant cheating. Goldberg and William Regal When Things Went Wrong in El Paso, Canadians in Wrestling 13 Individuals With a Rich History in the Sport. 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He was a master of the heel tactics, but he was also very agile in the ring. Click here to watch Luke Graham in the ring; it's probably not a WWWF footage, but that's all I could find. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! Wrestled his last match on a AAA show in a loss to El Pistolero in San Pedro Cholula, Mexico. He was so popular in Britain that in one of his performances, he pulled in twenty million viewers against Jackie Mr. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. In addition to his championships, he left his mark on the WWE hardcore scene, with his uncommon mix of technician and brawler's skills.Click here to watch Pat Patterson defending the Intercontinental Championship against Dominic DeNucci. I also discovered many gems of the WWWF era before it became the WWF. As with everything in the Wrestling Heritage pages this is an evolving project taken forward by our Heritage community. In the 1st 5 years of the '60s the following wrestlers showed in the Spanish rings: from Britain, John Foley, Chic Purvey, Michael Gale, Ian Campbell , ClayThompson, Bill Robinson (years later became a tag team champ in the AWA), Lord B. Tophan, Bob Anthony, Vick Faulkner, Jackie "Mr. TV" Pallo, Tony Cassio, Lindey Caulder, Peter Berg, Dave Dozens of wrestling tournaments were held every night of the week, (with a handful on Sunday), whilst boxing in the doldrums struggled to put on a couple of shows a night. A number of bands emerged with an amalgamation of diverse musical influences. It is said that his disillusion with his career direction led to a return to the Texas independent scene in late 99. From his debut in 1973 and for the rest of the decade (in fact until 1987), Andre was one of the most beloved wrestlers and the most well known across the planet. Voice of World Class Championship Wrestling. After his face run, he ended his stint with WWWF as a heel, but it was not before earning the 1975 PWI Match of the Year award against Bruno Sammartino and to win a long feud against Jay Strongbow. 1962-08-10 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) Coventry Live. However, at the end of the decade, he could not get rid of his "Sammartino's Protg" label, and he turned heel, to eventually leave in 1981. In the process, I discovered countless wrestlers I hadn't heard about or I didn't really know. In fact, he was so known to the British public that the Queen and former Prime Minister Margret Thatcher were said to be fans! All rights reserved. The theme to the show was created by Morton Stevens and is recognized easily by millions of people even now, more than 40 years later.