WELCOME
Welcome to THE WRESTLING FURNACE PICTURE GALLERY.
Please take a couple of minutes to scroll down the page, to find out what's changed on the site recently.
For those who may not have visited the site before, or those returning after some time away, you can catch up with all the developments by reading the full list of updates at the bottom of this page.
On this site, a change in text colour usually indicates a link for you to click on. Your cursor should change from an arrow head to a hand at this point.
MOST RECENT SITE UPDATES: (See bottom of page for the complete listing of site updates)
Posted 20th April 2008
Tom Dowie gallery added.
Posted 10th February 2008
More pictures added to Jack Taylor gallery.
Bob Taylor gallery started.
A collection of 11 photographs, "1980 Matstars", has been added to the "Articles" section.
Reports on two 1966 Royal Albert Hall wrestling promotions, "A Seat at the Ringside", have been added to the "Events" section.
Posted 13th January 2008
Orig Williams,
Billy La Rue,
Ray Steele,
Doctor Death and
Jack Taylor galleries added.
Pictures added to Borg twins,
Stefan Milla,
Jack Dempsey and
Mick McManus galleries.
"Articles" section increased, with three new features:
Wrestlers from Anglia Promotions c.1974, and two Southampton wrestlers (Bob Courage and Tarantula),
"Midlands Miscellany" and "Fighting Welshmen",
A feature on wrestling from the 1962 ATV Show Book.
RECOMMENDED VIEWING:
Items of special interest on the site.
The Who's Who of Wrestling feature gallery is being updated
continually. There are many wrestlers not yet featured on this site, who are more than worthy of a mention. The
book was published in 1971, giving brief details and usually one small photograph of many of the most
prominent characters on the wrestling scene at that time, together with useful tables of their heights and weights.
The Wrestling Furnace Picture Gallery hopes that this page, with its mini-biographies and pictures will encourage
readers to send in more, so that suitable galleries can eventually be presented as a more fitting
tribute to these great entertainers.
The "Readers' Requests" page has been superseded by a "Classifieds" page. You can now place your advertisement without having to email the Wrestling Furnace webmaster.
The "Links" page has been overhauled. Readers can now fill in an online form to submit links to their favourite wrestling websites (subject to approval of the webmaster).
The 16th Annual British Wrestlers' Reunion was held on Sunday 12th August 2007. A photographic report on the day's proceedings can be seen in the "Fraternity" section. Pictures sent in by readers will be added, and are always welcome.
A link has been added to an excellent new website Wrestling Heritage -
"The home of classic British wrestling.". The site is already a tremendous source of photographs and information,
and looks set to become even better. Make sure you add it to your 'favourites' list.
Wrestling fan Paul Douglas, supplier of the award certificates to the British Wrestling Reunion, tracked down Mark "Rollerball" Rocco, star of the 2006 reunion, and recorded an interview with him at his home in Tenerife. The DVD, "A Visit to Rocco's Lair" is now available for purchase, giving a tremendous insight into the career of one of Britain's most respected wrestlers, literally "in his own words".
"Judo" Al Marquette has written a great book, Two Falls, Two Submissions, or a Knockout, packed with stories, mini biographies and photographs from his time at the top of British Professional Wrestling.
WEBMASTER'S NOTES:
Requests from the webmaster.
The 'Readers' section includes a "Readership Survey" and a "Mailing List" form. Please complete the survey, so that future site updates can be planned accordingly. Joining the mailing list enables you to receive 'site update' notifications.
If you notice any faulty links, spelling mistakes, omissions or problems with the layout of this site, please write in. Your feedback is
important.
SITE UPDATES - The Complete List
20th April 2008: Tom Dowie gallery added.
10th February 2008: Jack Taylor gallery augmented. Bob Taylor gallery started. "1980 Matstars" added to "Articles"
section. "A Seat at the Ringside" (1966) added to "Events" section.
13th January 2008: Orig Williams, Billy La Rue, Ray Steele, Doctor Death and Jack Taylor galleries added.
Pictures added to Borg twins, Stefan Milla, Jack Dempsey and Mick McManus galleries.
Three new features in "Articles" section: Holiday Camps 1974, Two 'Ringsport' Features and ATV Show Book 1962.
6th October 2007: Eric Sands gallery added.
Roger Tofield gallery added.
Steve Lee Curtis gallery augmented.
Family photo added to Alan Kilby gallery.
Photos added to each of Majid Ackra and Syed Saif Shah galleries.
Photo of Max Crabtree with Johnny Kidd added to Where Are They Now? page.
16th September 2007: Captions added to Wrestlers' Reunion 2007 photographs, and more readers' contributions added.
Harry Kendall gallery updated.
Steve Lee Curtis gallery added.
16th August 2007: Wrestlers' Reunion 2007 report page added.
6th July 2007: "Wild Black" Angus gallery added.
Royal Albert Hall 1963 wrestling extravaganza feature added.
1st Jun 2007: Majid Ackra gallery added.
Who's Who of Wrestling page updated continually.
27th Mar 2007: "Who's Who of Wrestling" page added to galleries section.
17th Mar 2007: Jim Fitzmaurice and Monty Swann galleries added, Adrian Street gallery updated.
27th Feb 2007: Tony Bates gallery updated, including a copy of one of his Joint Promotions wrestling contracts.
Colour 'stills' from a vintage match against Vic Faulkner added to Al Wood gallery.
27th Jan 2007: Alan Garfield gallery added.
"Links" page overhauled. Readers now able to submit links.
"Readers' Requests" page superseded by "Classifieds" page.
21st Dec 2006: Photo galleries index page redesigned.
Galleries added: Ezzard Hart, Gordon Nelson, ‘Gentleman’ Jim Lewis, Brian Trevors, Harry Kendall, Max Crabtree,
Tom ‘Ringo’ Rigby, Stephen St.John & Billy Stock. Bob
Kirkwood gallery updated.
10th Dec 2006: Homepage, noticeboard, contents and FAQ pages reformatted.
4th Dec 2006: FAQ page added.
Last of Wrestlers' Picture Galleries transferred from the old website.
26th Nov 2006: Eddie Capelli gallery extended.
Frank Rimer and Mark L'Estrange pictures added to 2006 British Wrestlers' Reunion page.
12th Oct 2006: DVD promotion: "A Visit to Rocco's Lair". Rollerball Rocco's career "in his own words".
2nd Oct 2006: Bob Kirkwood gallery added.
Ten more Wrestling posters, added.
Another Wrestling Cartoon added.
13th Sep 2006: Change of venue for biographer Shirley Thompson's "Auf Wiedersehen Pat" celebrity book launch.
9th Sept 2006: Steve Mitchell's wrestling posters, added.
Johnny Kidd with Max & Brian Crabtree photo added.
Text added to British Wrestlers' Reunion page.
17th Aug 2006: British Wrestlers' Reunion draft photographic report added.
1st Aug 2006: Jack Pye gallery added.
Eddie Capelli gallery augmented.
21st Jul 2006: Biographer Shirley Thompson publicising Seamus Dunleavy book and forthcoming "Auf Wiedersehen" to Pat Roach.
Links page updated: ITV Wrestling Listings and The Wrestling Channel's official website.
13th Jul 2006: Details of this year's British Wrestlers' Reunion added.
Feature on "Mad Eli", West Country wrestling enthusiast, promoter and fundraiser.
9th May 2006: Invitation to wrestlers to attend The (Northern) Wrestlers' Reunion added.
"1962 Veteran Wrestler" David Armstrong gallery started.
Floral Hall, Southport, June 1966 programme added.
13th Mar 2006: "The Mike Waller Collection", added.
Photographs and narrative from a bout between Vic Faulkner and Leon Fortuna added.
21st Feb 2006: Jackie Pallo obituary added.
Spencer Churchill's bodybuilding gallery augmented.
Picture added to Vic Coleman biography (third picture at top of page)
11th Feb 2006: Jackie Turpin gallery added.
24th Jan 2006: "Bodybuilder/Wrestlers" page added to the "Articles" section. The page is linked to several wrestlers' individual gallery pages, which have been transferred from the old site location.
23rd Dec 2005: Johnny "Muscles" England gallery added.
3rd Dec 2005: Tony Bates gallery added.
16th Nov 2005: Gwyn Davies gallery updated
Mick McManus visit pictures added to Dropkixx Wrestling Academy page.
2nd Nov 2005: Not a 'proper' site update, but a notice about Kendo's book signing in two days' time has been added.
19th Oct 2005: More photos added to Sunday August 14th's British Wrestlers' Reunion page.
Gwyn Davies gallery added
Alf & Ken Cadman gallery added
Syed Saif Shah gallery augmented.
5th Oct 2005: A moving tribute to his former colleagues back in Britain, written by British Wrestling legend Adrian Street, now residing in Florida.
2nd Sept 2005: Photographic account of Sunday August 14th 2005, the British Wrestlers' Reunion added to the "Fraternity" section.
23rd Jun 2005: Photographic account of Sunday June 5th 2005, the Northern Wrestlers' Reunion added to the "Fraternity" section.
Ray Robinson gallery added.
Photo added to Syed Saif Shah gallery.
Photo added to Stefan Milla gallery.
"Televison" page of "Sources" section revised.
26th Apr 2005: The Reverend Michael Brooks gallery added.
22nd Mar 2005: Ted Hannon gallery updated.
News items added about media coverage of wrestling.
12th Mar 2005: Ted Hannon gallery added.
An article about the Welterweight Scene in 1966 added.
21st Feb 2005: Photo of 23 years old Jim Breaks from 1965 bodybuilding magazine added to his gallery.
New gallery of "Goldbelt" Brian Maxine added.
Doncaster welterweight Dave Shade gallery added.
Johnny Kincaid gallery augmented.
6th Feb 2005: MAILING LIST added to "Readers" section.
Jack Taylor's next live wrestling promotion in Leicester on Monday 28th February.
"The Amazing Kung Fu" Eddie Hamill's tribute site added to the links page.
A recent photograph of Lindy Caulder added to "Where are they now?" page, plus an article from "The Wrestler" magazine added to his gallery page.
Article "Do musclemen make good wrestlers?" added from "The Wrestler" magazine of May 1962.
Material transferred from the old site location into the 'Events' section:
The Royal Albert Hall Spectacular 1970
The Royal Albert Hall Extravaganza 1971
Ron Taylor's Boxing & Wrestling Booth at the Nottingham Goose Fair
23rd Jan 2005: The British Wrestling Collection of video tapes transferred from the old website, and re-styled.
"Readership Survey" added to the 'Readers' section.
8th Jan 2005: Two magazine articles added:
British wrestling 1960s looks back over the previous decade from a 1970 viewpoint.
European Ratings 1972 shows the impact of British wrestlers on the European scene.
23rd Dec 2004: Articles on tag-team wrestling and lightweight wrestlers from "The Wrestler" magazine of September 1963 added.
12th Nov 2004: Barry Cannon gallery added.
Al Wood gallery added.
1985 TV Times article, on 7 wrestlers to watch added
2nd Nov 2004: Two Falls, Two Submissions, or a Knockout added to the recommended reading list.
Jack Taylor's Monday 15th November 2004 poster added.
24th Oct 2004: Report and photographs from the Pat Roach tribute show in aid of Macmillan Cancer Nurses.
Photographs from Jack Taylor's 27th September show.
19th Sept 2004: A couple of requests added to the "Readers" section.
Wrestling Cartoons page transferred from old site.
18th Sept 2004: Poster added to Dropkixx Promotion advertisement (in aid of Macmillan Cancer Nurses on Saturday 25th September in East Sussex).
Johnny Kincaid gallery added
4th Sept 2004: Fraternity section unveiled.
Photographs of The British Wrestlers' Reunion 2004 added.
Wrestling show in aid of Macmillan Cancer Nurses by Dropkixx Promotions on Saturday 25th September in East Sussex.
Live wrestling promotion by Jack Taylor on 27th September in Leicester.
4th Aug 2004: Reunion host, Wayne Bridges gallery updated.
17th July 2004: The "Today" section of the site has been substantially updated, with:
An open invitation to the 12th annual British Wrestlers' Reunion on Sunday 8th August.
News from 'Dropkixx' on the current state of British Professional Wrestling.
And an offshoot of the previous item: information on a new organisation 'RAMWA' - a fusion of rock music and professional wrestling.
30th June 2004: "Mad Eli's" Mega Charity Wrestling Fan Club details are restored to the Wrestling Furnace website - another source of British wrestling videos.
26th June 2004: "Tiger" annual article on the "feud" between Mick McManus and Jackie Pallo added.
19th May 2004: Stefan Milla gallery added.
Videos section updated. "British Wrestling Legends" have sent a poster for inclusion on this site. Contact them for details of their extensive range of very reasonably priced wrestling videos.
5th May 2004: Al Nicol gallery added.
Wrestler galleries section "D to F", plus the Georges Gordienko gallery now fully transferred from the old website.
Magazine feature added to the Jimmy "Tiger" Ryan gallery.
27th Apr 2004: Jack Dempsey gallery added. Jack Dempsey was British Welterweight Champion for many years.
Alan Dennison gallery transferred from the old website.
21st Apr 2004: Syed Saif Shah gallery added - pictures and articles on this outstanding Pakistani Champion heavyweight wrestler who settled here in the UK.
10th Apr 2004: See the poster for the next Jack Taylor Promotions show on 19th April 2004 in the "Today/Seconds out/Jack Taylor" section.
Galleries section "C" (i.e. wrestlers with surnames beginning with the letter "C") now transferred here from the old site.
The "Sources/Television" section has updated news of the new Wrestling Channel on Sky Digital.
30th Mar 2004: Photographs from the Jack Taylor Promotions show on 8th March 2004 now included to the "Today/Seconds out/Jack Taylor" section.
Joe D'Orazio's biography has now been transferred from the old site, and some of the text corrected and augmented.
The "Sources/Television" section has an initial impression of the new Wrestling Channel on Sky Digital.
23rd Mar 2004: "Sources" section now almost complete, giving details of where you can find out more about Professional Wrestling - on television, in books and magazines and on other websites. For videos, you will still have to look to the old website location, while work continues on transferring it all here.
17th Mar 2004: "Tiger" Jimmy Ryan gallery transferred from old site, and several new pictures added, kindly supplied by Tiger's widow, and his son, Jim, from their family album.
15th Mar 2004: "Television" page of "Sources" section added - Details of new Wrestling Channel in the UK on digital TV, with great news for fans of the classic style of British Professional Wrestling.
14th Mar 2004: George Kidd gallery transferred from old site, and a new article, with colour photographs, added.
"Readers' Requests" section updated - can you help with information about Johnny Morgan or Zoltan Boscik, or photos of Danny Collins or Johnny Kidd?
Colour photos added to the Wrestling feature from Independent Television's 1965 "World of Sport" book in the "Articles" section.
The "Formalities" section is now complete, with information on the rules, holds and weight categories in Professional Wrestling.
26th Feb 2004: Jack Taylor Promotions' next show on 8th March in Leicester added to "Today/Seconds Out..." section.
A set of "cigarette" cards featuring "Famous T.V Wrestlers" has been scanned and added to the "Articles" section.
4th Feb 2004: Wrestling feature from Independent Television's 1965 "World of Sport" book added to the "Articles" section.
26th Jan 2004: Galleries section 'A to B' now available. Wrestlers with surnames beginning with A or B have had their galleries transferred here from the old site.
14th Jan 2004: "Articles" section now up-and-running, starting with a look at wrestling in Britain in 1961.
5th Jan 2004: Jack Taylor Promotions' next show on 2nd February added to "Today/Seconds Out..." section.
Previous shows by Jack Taylor and Dropkixx transferred to "Today/Previous" section.
Vic Coleman biography transferred from old site.
Readers' requests section updated again.
23rd Dec 2003: Readers' requests updated.
21st Dec 2003: First galleries transferred from old site: Johnny Saint, Mike 'Flash' Jordan, Steve Logan, Peter Rann.
Readers' requests section transferred and updated.
21st Dec 2003 THE WRESTLING FURNACE PICTURE GALLERY re-launched at www.wrestlingfurnace.com
For the sake of continuity, the last few additions/changes to the old site before this date are given below.
30th Nov 2003: Joe D'Orazio biography added. Joe has been one of the major figures in British Professional Wrestling for many years, and his inclusion on this site is long overdue. Many thanks to Joe for his help in providing information and photographs.
21st Nov 2003: Steve Wright gallery added.
Want to meet other wrestling enthusiasts? The Contacts section has been updated.
5th Nov 2003: Peter Rann gallery added.
30th Oct 2003: Kent Walton tribute page augmented.
15th Oct 2003: Mike 'Flash' Jordan gallery added.
Seven more pictures added to Julien Morice gallery.
Another reader's query added to the Readers' Requests section.
24th Sept 2003: Steve Logan gallery added.
Please note that a different programming technique was used on this page. If there are any problems, please email.
3rd Sep 2003: Kent Walton tribute page added, following the recent death of "The Voice of Wrestling".
