Wrestling Promoters Part 3:1946 -52

Shortly after the end of the Second World War there were green shoots of what could be
described as co-operation and organisation in British wrestling, though the less generous
might, and did, describe it as an effort to exploit the workforce by creating a closed shop
that discriminated against all those who were not part of the group.

The name British Wrestling Board of Control had been used as a generic name to suggest
a wrestling authority since 1931, and the national press had reported the formation of an
official body of that name in 1936. The process was about to be repeated, but this time
with consequences that were to extend at least half a century.

British Wrestling Board of Control

In November, 1946, the press announced the formation of the British Wrestling Board of
Control. Yes, another one. This time, however, there were significant differences from what
had gone on before.

At an inaugural meeting of the Board on 21 st November, 1946 it was claimed they would
perform the same function as the British Boxing Board of Control. First President of the
Board was Lord Mountevans and there were two Vice Presidents, Labour MP Maurice
Webb and Archibald Bruce Campbell, a retired naval officer and star of the Brains Trust
radio programme, with the secretary Leslie Farnsworth of Hammersmith, who otherwise
remains a mystery. The Board forecast that tournaments under their auspices would be
operational within six months and, furthermore, their stated aim was to control all wrestling
in Britain. As with all previous aspirations of a similar nature it was to remain no more than
an aspiration. With the aid of wrestler Norman Morrell the group did manage to create a
new set of rules, the Lord Mountevans Style, which played an important part in
establishing the credibility of professional wrestling.

The new set of rules were approved by the Board at a meeting on 12th December, 1946,
and Chair Maurice Webb,MP, announced they were to be named the Lord Mountevans
Rules, in honour of the President of the Board, and echoing the Marquess of Queensberry
Rules in boxing. At the same meeting it was announced that championship contests would
be arranged with winners awarded Lord Mountevans Belts.

The grand sounding Lord Mountevans Rules presented an opportunity for the post war
promoters to begin a narrative that was to be repeated for forty years; their claim that post
war wrestling was a re-invention, a complete break from what had gone on before. That, of
course, was far from reality. When Harrogate Town Councillors queried the meaning of the
Lord Mountevans style it was said, “I think it is just a fancy name to cover up All-In.”
Another alleged expert on the subject, described as a “Leeds authority,” said, “It’s a
cleaner version of all-in wrestling, but not much.” As we have said in the Years of Wrestling
series post war developments were evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

The British Wrestling Board of Control did it’s job; the rules were written and the story was
told that everything was now different. Maybe no more was to be asked of it and that was
the plan from the beginning. Presumably the members of the Board never had any
intention of getting long term involved; if wrestling was to prosper it would need to prosper
under the direction of those involved in the business. The London Gazette of 16 th May,
1947 announced that the British Wrestling Board of Control Limited, less than six months
after being formed, was to be struck off the Companies Register and dissolved.
British Wrestling Promoters Association

The British Wrestling Promoters Association was formed in March 1949. Membership of
the association comprised of four professional wrestlers and a Manchester business man:

• Norman Morrell
• George De Relwyskow
• Ted Beresford (Globe Promotions)
• Wryton Promotions
• Dale-Martin Promotions

All names that sound familiar to wrestling enthusiasts, being the very same group that
were to cement their relationship further in 1952 with the formation of Joint Promotions.
Secretary of the group, according to Combat magazine in December, 1949, was Norman
Morrell, who you may recall had previously formed the British Wrestling Federation in
October, 1943.

The practices we later associated with Joint Promotions, to limit the work opportunities of
the wrestlers, were common place long before the promoters formally constituted Joint
Promotions, even before the BWPA, as illustrated in the contactual obligation sent to
wrestlers by Norman Morrell in 1946. Furthermore wrestlers working for the group were
prohibited from working within a ten mile radius of any of the halls at which they promoted.

Hostilities arose between members of the new Association and those who were excluded.
In Aberdeen local promoter Alex Bannerman complained, in August, 1949, that he was
being pushed out of business by the new organisation. Both Bannerman and Relwyskow
Promotions had promoted in Aberdeen for some years. Bannerman said he had attempted
to join the new organisation but his letters had gone without reply. He contended that the
new organisation's intention was to divide the country into areas and prevent wrestlers
from working for non members of the organisation. His prediction turned out to be spot on,
though the BWPA and it's 1952 successor, despite their vigorous efforts, failed to
eliminate the opposition promoters.

The BWPA did not have things all their own way, there were numerous other promoters of
variable quality.

Atholl Oakeley and the British Wrestling Association

Highest profile of them all was Atholl Oakeley who continued to use the British Wrestling
Association Banner. The man whose tussle on his garden lawn one Sunday afternoon in
1930 had led to the rejuvination of wrestling in Britain began to pick up the pieces.
Oakeley attempted to pick up where he had left off, a very different offer for the paying
public than that offered by the British Wrestling Promoters Association. They had the
backing of Lord Mountevans and the new rules that bore his name, a clear attempt to
distinguish their new fangled modernised wrestling from Oakeley's product.

Oakeley was critical of wrestlers and promoters who had remained active during the war,
on the grounds that a man fit to wrestle was fit to fight for his country. Whether or not these
were sincere sentiments or resentment at his inability to re-establish himself after the war
must remain the subject of speculation.
A failure to re-establish himself following the war was not for the want of trying. Oakeley
tried to pick up the pieces where he had left off.

Oakeley produced big shows for big stadiums, like the Harringay Arena and the Royal
Albert Hall. Not for him the new fangled Lord Mountevans Rules. His wrestlers wrestled
according to his "International Catch as Catch Can" rules that had been introduced to
Britain by Irslinger and Oakeley in 1930. Three ringside judges decided matches that
ended without a deciding fall, a count of twenty was allowed for a wrestler ejected from the
ring, and championship tournaments were open to all comers.

Oakeley's shows were not run of the mill affairs staged weekly, fortnightly or monthly at low
prices. He brought in big names, such as boxer Jack Doyle, who he matched with Bucht at
Harringay in February, 1950, and later with Eddie Philips, and Two Ton Tony Galento,
brought over specially from the United States. Other big names brought to Britain by
Oakeley included European heavyweight champion, Alex Cadier, American Frank Sexton,
and the gargantuan German, Kurt Zehe.

Almost 10,000 attended Oakeley's first post war Harringay show, five thousand filled the
Royal Albert Hall, but by his own admission numbers soon fell dramatically. By the end of
1954 Oakeley had concluded that the world had moved on; Joint Promotions were
establishing a modern version of the sport he had re-introduced to Britain a quarter of a
century earlier.

There was to be no more wrestling from Atholl Oakeley or the British Wrestling
Association.

More Promoters
As well as the BWA and the grand designs of Oakeley there was a multitude of other post
war promoters eager to revive the sport during the early years of peace time. Most are
now lost in the mists of time, but here are a few.

British Wrestling Enterprises

Amongst the higher profile names was wrestler Leo Lightbody and his British Wrestling
Enterprises. With offices in The Strand, London, Lightbody was one of the first promoters
to receive a license from London County Council following their short ban imposed in
1944. Wrestlers working for Lightbody included British Heavyweight Champion Bert
Assirati. Lightbody promoted around the country, including Scotland.

Shelton Promotions
Bill Shelton was a colourful character who promoted who promoted at the Sports Stadium,
Brighton and the Merry Fidlers public house at Becontree.

G & N Promotions
Promoting at the Seymour Hall, London, in October 1952 and still putting on shows there
in 1958

OK Promotions
Dundee promoter Johnny Owens started out in 1947, putting on a show at the Caird Hall,
Dundee. He also promoted at the St Mungo's Hall, Glasgow.
Raymond Wray Promotions
Raymond Wray of Kilburn, London, registered his wrestling promotion business on 5 th
June, 1947.

B&B Promotions
Promoting in Derby in 1951

Professional Wrestling Promoters Association

Presumably another attempt at wrestling legitimacy; the only information we have about
this body is that by the mid 1950s British Wrestling Enterprises and Bill Shelton claimed to
be members.