1961

Notes:

Shows between January and March did not have match listings in the TV Times. After the summer break, each week's listing of wrestling in the TV Times included the words "By arrangement with Joint Promotions".

Several shows in 1961 had Peter Cockburn as commentator rather than regular host Kent Walton. We have noted these dates. All other dates either had Walton, or no commentator was listed.

Click here for a key to results.


7/1/61, Preston, 7-7.30

Johnny Allan v Jose Arroyo

Eric Cutler v Sid Cooper

Josef Ski v Cliff Beaumont

Jack Beaumont v Maurice Whitfield


14/1/61, Blackburn, 7-7.30


21/1/61, Bulwell, Near Nottingham, 7-7.30


28/1/61, Sheffield, 7-7.39

Ian Campbell 2-1 Kiwi Kingston

Bob McDonald 2-1 Les Kellett

Chic Purvey 2-1 Alan Dennison

El Mansour 2-1 Bobby Graham


4/2/61, Doncaster, 7-7.30


11/2/61, Hanley, 7-7.30

Mike Marino 1-1 Hassan Ali Bey

Majid Ackra KO Frank O’Donnell

Masambula DQ Francis St Clair Gregory

Emile Poilve KO Count Daidone


18/2/61, Coventry, 7-7.30

Matches at the live event included Mike Marino v Jose Arroyo, Tony Charles v Julien Morice, Mick McManus v Inca Peruano and Jim Breaks v Eric Cutler.


25/2/61, Ellesmere Port, 7-7.40

Billy Two Rivers v Francis St Clair Gregory

Roy St Clair v Abe Ginsberg

Jim Hart v Joe Critchley

Ernie Riley v ?


4/3/61, Newark on Trent, 7-7.30

Mike Marino v Jose Arroyo

Tony Charles v Julien Morice

Mick McManus v Inca Peruano

Jim Breaks v Eric Cutler


11/3/61, Wembley, 7-7.30

Tony Charles v Bob Anthony

Horst Hoffman v Johnny Yearsley

Spencer Churchill v Monty Swann


18/3/61, Wallasey, 7-7.30

Matches at the live event included Alf Cadman v Jamie Olivera, Bert Royal v Vic Stewart, Jim Hart v Gerry Hogan and Jim Mellor v Joe Critchley.


25/3/61, Beckenham, 7-7.30

Mel Riss v Len Wilding

Roy Davis v Dean Bravo

Pat Barratt v ?


1/4/61, Tottenham, 3.45-4.30

John Lees v Gordon Nelson

Steve Logan v Arthur Beaumont

Mick McManus v Gil Sesca

Commentary by Peter Cockburn.


8/4/61, Shoreditch, 3.45-4.30

Johnny Allen v Kurt Stein

Dean Stockton v Seamus Donlevy

Jackie Pallo v Johnny Foley

Commerntary by Peter Cockburn


15/4/61, Wembley, 3.30-4.45

Bernard Vignalle v Gerhardy de Jaeger

Johnny Czeslaw v Joe Cornelius

Commentary by Peter Cockburn


22/4/61

Wrestling was not shown, because of the football Amateur Cup Final.


29/4/61, Bolton, 3.45-4.30

Hassan Ali Bey (DQ) v Jim Hussey

Jim Mellor (W) v Eric Cutler

Dean Stockton (1) v Gerry Hogan (1)

Taped but not broadcast: Hans Streiger v Eric Leiderman


6/5/61, Wembley, 1.05

Billed but possibly not broadcast: Billy Two Rivers v Francis Sullivan

Mick McManus (1) v Jack Cunningham (1)

Joe Cornelius (2) v Johnny Allan (1)

Commentary by both Peter Cockburn & Kent Walton. This was the first FA Cup Final day wrestling special.


13/5/61, Harrogate, 3.50-5

Ray Apollon v Dennis Mitchell

Clayton Thomson v Bob Steele

Jean Morandi v Don Branch


20/5/61, Wembley, 3.45-4.30

Mike Marino (2) v Josef Zaranoff (1)

Billed bit possibly not broadcast: Ted Hannon v Julien Morice

Tony Charles (1) v Alan Colbeck (1)

Commentary by Peter Cockburn


27/5/61, Purley, 3.55-5

Bill Robinson v Georges Gordienko

Jacques Lageat v Johnny Yearsley

Steve Logan v Dean Stockton

Commentary by Peter Cockburn


6/6/61, Hanley, 3.45-5 (recorded 3/6/61)

Hans Streiger (W) v Dean Stockton

Francis St Clair Gregory (W) v Johnny Czeslaw

Billy Two Rivers (W) v Tony Mancelli

Taped but not broadcast: Jim Hussey (W) v Hassan Ali Bey


10/6/61, Morecambe, 3.45-5

Sheikh Youseff v Ian Campbell

Reni Ben Cehmoul v Chic Purvey

Les Kellet v Frank O'Donnell

Alan Colbeck v Roy St Clair


17/6/61, Dorking, 3.55-5

Tibor Szakacs (W) v Matthieu Rosges

Jackie Pallo (W) v Bobby Steele

Johnny Kwango v Monty Swann

Jack Dempsey v Bernard Murray

Dick Conlon v Mick McMichael


2/9/61, Acton, 4.10-5

Clayton Thomson v Francis Sullivan

Cliff Belshaw v Jim Breaks

John Foley v Al Nicol

Eric Leiderman v Reg Williams

An article in that week's TV Times quoted Joint Promotion's secretary Arthur Green as having been to St Louis to meet NWA president Sam Muchnick. Green reported seeing Pat O'Connor wrestle in front of 12,000 fans and said he discussed the possibility of bringing O'Connor and Buddy Rogers over to wrestle in Britain.


9/9/61, Bolton

Dean Bravo KO Dai Sullivan

Al Brown 1-1 Abe Ginsberg

Ernie Riley 1-1 Arjit Singh


16/9/61, Sheffield

No matches listed.


23/9/61, Purley, 3.55-5

William Hall v Lino Di Santo

Jean Rabutt v Mick McManus

Bob Anthony v Mick McMichael

Tony Charles v Monty Swann


30/9/61, Wembley

Jack Dempsey v Chick Purvey

Gerhardt de Jager v Sandy Scott

Steve Logan v Ajit Singh

Joe Cornelius v Jim Hussey


7/10/61, Halifax

Julien Morice (2) v Jim Breaks (1)

Eric Taylor (2) v Bert Royal (1)


14/10/61, Tottenham

Billy Howes 2-1 Majid Ackra

Johnny Kwango 2-1 Don Branch

Jackie Pallo 2-1 Keith Williams


21/10/61, Lime Grove, 3.55-5

Ricky Waldo v Bill Rawlings (DQ)

Billed but possibly not broadcast: Robert McDonald v Eric Taylor (British Mid-Heavyweight champion)

Alan Colbeck (European Welterweight Champion) (2) v Bob Archer O'Brien (1)

Bernard Murray v Al Nicol


28/10/61, Barking, 3.45-5

Len Wilding (1) v Jack Cunningham (1)

Mick McManus (2) v Marcel Gobi (1)

Frankie Townsend (2) v Big Bill Verna (1)

Johnny Czeslaw (2) v Dean Stockton (Dene Stockton) (1)

Commentary by Peter Cockburn


4/11/61, Walthamstow, 3.55-4.55

Gomez Maximilliano 1-1 Johnny Allan

Cliff Beaumont 2-1 Peter Szakacs

Masambula 2-1 Seamus Donlevy


11/11/61, Beckenham, 3.45-5

Roy St Clair (2) v Mike Donlevy (1)

Joachim LaBarba v Mick McManus (KO)

Luther Lindsay (Official coloured heavyweight champion of the world) (KO) v Ivan Josef Zaranoff

John Czeslaw v Bob Sweeney


18/11/61, Morecambe

Barry Douglas (W) v Bill Rawlings

Sandy Scott (W) v Johnny Allan

Ian Campbell (W) George Nutall

The 17/11/61 edition of Midlands magazine show Look Around asked "Wrestling: Is it sport". According to an article in the TV Times the show concluded that there were widespread suspicions about wrestling's legitimacy but that most fans "didn't care".


25/11/61, Portchester Hall, London, 4-5

Geoff Portz v Albert Wall

(Portz was replaced by Ernie Riley)

Josef Zaranoff v Bill Rawlings

Johnny Aleen v Reg Williams

Harry Fields 2-0 Frank O'Donnell

Commentary by Peter Cockburn


2/12/61, Lewisham, 3.45-4.55

Billed but possibly not broadcast: Axel Diter v Masambula

Julien Maurice (1) v Jim Breaks (1)

Billed but possibly not broadcast: Bernard Murray v Jack Dempsey (British and Empire Welterweight champion)

Spencer Churchill (KO) v Jim Hart


9/12/61, Crewe, 3.45-5

Bert Royal DKO Dean Stockton-DKO

Abe Ginsberg KO Jim Mellor


16/12/61, Bolton, 4-4.55

Ray Apollon (W) v Hassan Ali Bey

Cliff Beaumont (W) v Bernard Murray

Jack Beaumont (W) Phil Fogg


23/12/61, Trowell, Near Nottingham

Sandy Orford (2) v Dai Sullivan (1)

Billy Howes (2) v Ernie Riley (1)

Tosh Togo (2) v Bobby Graham (1)


30/12/61, Seymour Hall, London, 4-4.55

Majid Ackra v Jim Armstrong

Steve Logan (W) v Tommy Mann

Tony Charles (KO) v Mike Donlevy

Roy St Clair v Brian Travers