RINGSPORT ISSUE 4 | August 2024

August 2024
Issue 4

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In this issue:

Editors Note
Bridges Coming Out Of Retirement For Pacific Trip
Around The Halls
Roll Call of Champions
The Jury's Out - Johnny Fresno
The Hallmark of Good Wrestling
Q&A With Metallica Panther II
Wanted - Eamon Keane!
Letters
Classifieds

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Editors Note
By Elliot Wanderinghands

There are few wrestling fans as excited about the return of our sport to the small screen as this editor. I'd like to commend the Sir Solomon Simpson, Chair of the Admiral-Lord Mountevans Wrestling Committee on granting a renewed license to KING GEORGE VI WRESTLING CLUB. Their upcoming presentation of 'On The Mat' from Stockton-On-Tees is one of the most mouthwating presentations I have seen in many years. Not only will we have the pleasure of seeing a new Worlds Middle-Heavyweight Champion crowned, but there are a number of international stars who many of us have only read about in magazines and seen pictures of.

As we now boast an international circulation we offer subscribers to RINGSPORT MAGAZINE a special reduced rate when they wish to advertise in our classified advertisement section. St Tropez Wine Merchants have been advertising with us for a number of months and have had replies from all over the world.

Letters we receive from readers say how pleased they are with our articles. Thanks for your letters, we endeavour to print as many of them in these pages as possible, however if you require a personal answer, please enclose a stamp as otherwise we cannot guarantee a reply owing to the enormous postage we have to meet each week. We ofer a first rate service to our riders and we like to see you making the most of this as it places us on a much more friendly basis for all future improvements.

In these pages you will hopefully enjoy some exclusive news as well as interviews with the best that our rings have to offer.

Enjoy.


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Bridges Coming Out Of Retirement For Pacific Trip

"Battling" Barry Bridges, a familiar face on our screens for many years, has agreed to come out of retirement and is heading to the Pacific in September for two shows in Tonga.

Bridges, who was never defeated for the British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship Belt and still retains possession of the trophy, believes he can still lay claim to the top prize after a reorganisation of wrestling authorities led to the championship being discarded for several years.

"Nobody has laid claim to this crown," Bridges said from his home in Deptford, Kent.

"If there were a young lad out there claiming to be the Champion, having won the honour and defended it around the Commonwealth nations, I would post him this Championship belt straight away."

Bridges won the Championship in September 2019 but has not wrestled for nearly two years.

"I'd beaten everyone; it was as simple as that. There was no point in carrying on, travelling all those miles with nothing left to prove," Bridges added.

Since his retirement, Bridges, who now splits his time between Kent and a small model railway shop in the Welsh Valleys, has seen a new generation of British heavyweights arrive on the scene, such as Terry Grudge, Gavin Owens, and the current recognised British Heavyweight Champion Geoff Hammill.

"I haven't been to see any bouts since I retired," Bridges said.

"I'm too busy. People tell me there are some young lads coming onto the scene now in the heavyweight ranks and that they'd give me a run for my money. The truth is, I'm still as fit as ever. I run five miles every morning and still enjoy lifting weights in my garden, especially during the warmer months.

"The chance to go to Tonga is an exciting opportunity. I know my opponent, but I'll let the promoters announce that. All I can say is that I wouldn't come out of retirement to face just anyone."

The two-night "Tango in Tonga" events are part of the birthday celebrations of Crown Prince Tupouto'a-'Ulukalala and will take place on 16 and 17 September. The first two names from Oceana have been confirmed for the Tango In Tonga events with Australian Heavyweight Half-Nelson McGrath and Kiwi Geo 'Gun Slinger' Irslinger set to appear on both shows.

Will Bridges be joined by any other exciting stars from British rings? Only time will tell.


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The Jury's Out - Johnny Fresno

Each month RINGSPORT MAGAZINE's panel of experts (The Jury) will offer their candid opinions on one of wrestling's stars. Whether an up-and-coming youngster or an established superstar in his own right, our panel will always be frank and honest without fear or reprisal.

This issue we look at Johnny Fresno...

Dougie Wright (The voice of ON THE MAT): It's hard to think of a bigger star in British rings in the last twenty years. He's one of the few in the game that have managed to reach an entirely new audience and is just as popular outside of wrestling shows as he is at them. If he was not a wrestler then I could see him being the face of a rock 'n' roll band or staring a soap opera, he's that good looking!

Edwin Luntley (Matchmaker): With Hollywood good looks and able to perform magic on the mat, Johnny Fresno is not just a star, he's bigger than that. While he may not be as young as he once was, he is still a hot ticket and his fans attend in their droves to see him perform.

Billy Tucker (former World Heavy-Middlweight Champion): I had the pleasure of seeing Johnny up close in the ring a few times when I was in the UK. He can go, really go. If he was bigger and had the desire to move to the Untied States, he'd be a millionaire by now. 

Jackie Joyce (Former British Lightweight Champion): One of the most overrated athletes to ever set foot in the ring. Whatever dirt he has on promoters must be good, that's all I can say.

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The Hallmark of Good Wrestling
By Captain Arthur Sandbrook, Secretary of KING GEORGE VI WRESTLING CLUB

When a roving prospector discovered a piece of gold in Australia, it sparked the largest scramble ever seen on the relatively peaceful continent. Every type of 'get-rich-quick' individual grabbed a pick and shovel, hopped on the first available transport heading in that direction, and set off to stake their claim.

Of course, so many people went that soon there was no more gold left to find. They descended on it like leeches, plundering everything in sight. The great Australian Gold Rush couldn't withstand the wholesale and unregulated drain on its resources.

It's always the same story, and it is the same today with the sport of wrestling. Years and years of work have been invested in wrestling by devoted individuals, lifting the sport from obscurity to the very height of popularity. Yet, once again, history repeats itself.

Mushroom promoters have sprung up who know nothing about wrestling, are unlicensed by any responsible national controlling body, and are almost doomed to fail before they even start. They present themselves as wrestling promoters to unsuspecting hall proprietors, succeeding in making a few easy pounds and undoing everything that responsible people have achieved over the years since the end of the war.

In the first instance, it’s the people at the various wrestling halls who suffer. They've heard much about wrestling, and they've been told about towns in other parts where wrestling is regularly presented, where big crowds go to watch, and where well-behaved audiences truly enjoy the excitement of the sport.

These 'wrestling prospectors' present substandard promotions, turning people against the sport. In some cases, local authorities refuse to hire out their venues for wrestling again. This, of course, causes trouble for reputable promoters and places unnecessary restrictions on the proper development of the sport.

It is, therefore, important that local authorities, venues, and fans alike ensure that they only attend events presented by the KING GEORGE VI WRESTLING CLUB, the hallmark of professional wrestling in this country.

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Around The Halls

24/8 (Fleet, Hampshire): George Grouse beat Eugen Bastiens, Johnny Fresno & Billy Eagle beat Kenji Nakamura and Akira Tanaka, Metallica Panther II beat The Black Prince and Terry Grudge and William Miller Harris beat Barry Moran and Mr Rumble.

25/8 (Rochdale, Greater Manchester): The Black Prince beat Barry Moran, Terry Grudge beat William Payable, Kenji Nakamura beat Eamon Keane, William Miller Harris, Quick Kick Nakano and Metallica Panther II beat Johnny Fresno, Bert Eagle and George Grouse.

28/8 (Warrington, Cheshire): Gavin Owens beat Hiroshi "The Titan" Suzuki, Johnny Fresno & Bert Eagle beat The Black Prince and Eamon Keane, Tiger Kid beat Eugen Bastiens, Geoff Hammill and Terry Grudge went to a no contest.


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Roll Call of Champions

World Heavy-Middleweight - Vacant
World Lightweight - Jack Sherry
World Trios - Kashiwazaki BLOOD

Commonwealth Heavyweight - Barry Bridges

European Heavy-Middleweight - Andreas Marinakis
European Lightweight - Vacant

British Heavyweight - Geoff Hammill


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Q&A With... Metallica Panther II

Each month RINGSPORT MAGAZINE will present a 'Question and Answer' forum with an important figure in the wrestling world. It is your chance to meet wrestling's biggest stars as they answer the questions uppermost in fans' minds.

Q: Are you a basketball fan?
A: No.

Q: Will you ever star in Movies like your brother Metallica Panther III?
A: I have had offers come my way, but at the moment I am concentrating on my in-ring career and hopefully winning a number of very impotent championships.

Q: Why did you pick the Panther-Plex (Middle Rope, Belly To Back Suplex) as your finishing manoeuvre?
A: I have had a few big moves over the years, but the Panther-Plex was the first one that I was able to master correctly...and when I say correctly, I mean it always does the job. Nobody has ever kicked out of it.

Q: How is your older brother Metallica Panther I?
A: He is good, but unfortunately wrestling took a tole on his body and he ow enjoys his days fishing and playing with his kids. He says he does not miss the travel, gym or catering at wrestling shows.

Q: Who would you most like to face if you make it to the final of the World Heavy-Middleweight Championship Tournament?
A: I will beat anyone so it does not matter.

Q: What is your favourite food to eat while you are in Britain?
A: Bangers and Mash.

Metallica Panther II is part of a famous dynasty of wrestling brothers, his more famous and celebrated brother Metallica Panther III has stepped away from the sport to concentrate on making a name for himself in Mexican cinema, but Metallica Panther II has returned to British rings and will have a chance to capture the World Heavy-Middleweight Championship at On The Mat VIII.


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WANTED EAMON KEANE!
By Alan Portz

Beware Eamon Keane! Barry Moran is after you.

"I aim to beat Keane on television and let the public know fast who the greatest really is. So far Keane has been lucky, but now I play the same way he does, so beware 'Mr Muscle', I am after you." These are the words of former Boxing Star and Irish hero Barry Moran who intends in the not-too-distant future to rip apart Keane and his legendary in-ring record.

Barry Moran decided that the resulting rings of Britain were not big enough for both of these Irish men, with Keane hailing from Belfast in the North. So to your corners, gentleman, come out fighting!

Officially registered at 190lbs, Moran is a pound into the Heavy-Middleweight ranks, but some wrestling experts think that he may be best suited to drop down to the Lightweight division if he is serious about chasing the lucrative honours that a wrestling championship belt may bring.

Moran who moved to England when he was a third-year professional has now a significant amount of professional experience under his belt. During this period he was coached by Johnny Taylor, the popular Liverpudlian former wrestler. It was Taylor who contacted KING GEORGE VI WRESTLING CLUB Matchmaker Edwin Luntley to bring him into the ranks of the promotion.

When he is not wrestling, Barry's spare time is taken up by reading, painting and model-making. The Fairfield Hall, Croydon misnamed by the youngster as being his favourite hall. The wrestling career of Barry Moran has taken him to several foreign countries including Beirut, Greece and Spain. Barry is not married but hopes one day to settle down and have children.


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Letters

Dear Editor,

With the great television show of our time - On The Mat, set to return. I feel this is a great opportunity to reminder readers that Dougie Wright is a fine man, a fine voice and a very good ambassador for our sport. I'm sure I am not the only read that would enjoying an interview with him in these pages?

Dom Stinkypants
Halifax

Dear Editor,

As a long time lover of the great art of wrestling, one thing has always disappointed me and that is the standard of refereeing in our country. Is it not time that promoters joined forces to petition the authorities to improve the standard of officiating?

Betty Cotton,
Louth, Lincolnshire

Dear Editor

I am disappointed to see on the return of On The Mat that the majority of the card are, of course, foreign. When will we see matchmakers and promoters baking our own skilled sportsmen instead of turning to cheap overseas imitations?

Tommy Roberts
London.


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