The Wrestling Game (1962) part 1 of 2

[massiveham]

Lord Alfred Hayes!

[boxerteeth]

Whatever happened to Docker Don Stedman?

[steddars]

The Bigger Bearded wrestler (Docker Don Stedman) is my Granddad :D

[auxbel]

good wrestling but better if they jump over the ropes

[Ironbulluk]

Was this made by the BBC?

[rteubler]

@Ironbulluk

No

[swfcocs1]

@rteubler Is the Max Ward mentioned the same guy from the "glory days" on ITV? Thanks for uploading this video,a real insight into the real "old days" of wrestling.Was kayfabe an open secret or was it regarded as a shoot as far as the public was concerned?

[rteubler]

@swfcocs1 It is the same Max Ward from the "glory days" on ITV. Whether the public regarded the wrestling as kayfabe or as a shoot, it doesn't really matter. The fact that milions regularly watched the wrestling at 4pm on Saturday afternoons on ITV's World of Sport is testament to the draw that wrestling had, especially in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's.

[swfcocs1]

@rteubler Thanks for the reply.I was a huge fan of the ITv era,and still watch it on men & movies.My question was rather whether the wrestlers kept the illusion of kayfabe in their encounters with fans,as there wasn`t the "smart"wrestling press in those days doing shoot interviews and the like.I seem to remember that they did maintain the illusion but wasn`t sure

[rteubler]

@swfcocs1 The wrestlers certainly did maintain the illusion of kayfabe in their encounters with fans.

[swfcocs1]

@rteubler thanks again.In your opinion was the "protecting the business" era a better way to approach the subject of kayfabe,or would that position be impossible to maintain in the era of "shoot" interviews,dirt sheets and ECW-type promoting? Also,in your opinion who was the best wrestler of the ITV era?Maybe dynamite kid? I always loved Jim Breaks,great performer,great persona !

[rteubler]

@swfcocs1 The "protecting the business" era has long gone. Kendo Nagasaki IMHO was the best wrestler of the ITV era. Other heels who were not in the same league but nonetheless entertaining were Johnny Kincaid, Roger Wells, Rollerball Rocco, Mick McManus, Crybaby Sid Cooper, Bobby Barnes. They all had their own unique style. Thanks to reruns of World of Sport we can at last relive classic wrestling bouts.

[swfcocs1]

@rteublerYeah,they did have some great heels in those days.What is your opinion on the argument that an over-reliance on big daddy type "squash" matches helped them in the short term but frustrated new talent in the long term,or was the explosion of coverage of wwe type wrestling and the habit of some UK promoters doing wwe tribute nights a bigger factor in the decline of the old UK scene.

Keep up the good work,there are too many people who think that pro wrestling means US style type matches!

[paladin313]

Nice power bomb at 1:10



[wemsom]

Thats my father!

[slydewinder]

His Lordship as a mear broth of a lad. Great video for us old dudes

[tornmask]

my personal favorite "Pro Wrestling" of all times! =0]

[BREMENMURRAY]

Golden Age of British Professional Wrestling