Boxing was a sport of masses before World War II, with the level of popularity of football competition. The best professionals in Great Britain are home names, idols, students, and in some cases ahead of their hearts who love women. On the other hand, Pro Wrestling tried and could not be captured by public imagination. This is until the end of 1930, when the mating matt appeared again in an exhilarating up-to-date disguise, which stormed Great Britain. Wrestling “All-in” is the name of the up-to-date madness, the so-called, because it combined Catch-as-Catch-Can, Jiu-Jitsu and classic Greek-Roman supplies into one exhilarating style.

The fights were false, with torture-ticking and breaking the fingers, eye paralysis and other brutal accent-related component, but British crowds loved it. It was something they had never seen before and for one or more nights of the week he raised the darkness of universal unemployment, bad salary and pathetic working conditions. All-in-in-in wrestling has spread like a fire and soon popular boxing rooms, such as Kilburn Vale Hall, Nottingham’s Victoria Baths, Liverpool Stadium and Blackfriars Ring, put out regular wrestling nights, and leading wrestlers-like the leading boxer-in-laws.

Some places contained joint wrestling and boxing bills because the audience crossover between sport was inevitable. Many former boxers have tried their hand at all-in-British British Master of Ponderous Reggie Meen and the one-time boxing “Wonderboy” Nipper Pat Daly, who are two known examples. Another former pitch that moved to wrestling was the bulky Hammersmith chick “Cucky” Knight. After boxing as an amateur, in 1935 and 36 Knight had a brief spell as a pro boxer, winning four and losing three before switching to wrestling.

In the last sport he quickly left its mark, and in two years he noticed the boxing world. In the echo of the Floyd Mayweather match with the UFC Conor McGregor star 79 years later, Chick-which was incorrectly settled as an American-he took part in the former boxing champion in bulky weight Bombardier Billy Wells, who left the retirement at the age of 49 for this competition “Boxer vs wrestler”.

The eyes of the audience -loving audience were glued to this news, took place in the Earls Court in December 1938 and promoted by the leading impresario wrestling Harold Lane. Unlike Mayweather vs McGregor – a real boxing match – in this fight, everyone was obliged to stick to the methods of his native sport. Wells wore boxing gloves and could not struggle, while Knight was a bare fist, he let him struggle, but forbade the hit.

A strange fight, shot by Pathé News for Cinema Broadcast, did not last long. Wells also danced around the ring, keeping the knight with his arm length with his celebrated straight left, the wrestler was frustrated and, according to press reports, was warned several times before hitting. After only two minutes and 14 seconds, Chick was disqualified as a shot in a body, which some reports considered low, and in any case opposed the rules. The boxer triumphed, but it was an empty victory.

In addition to financial encouragement, it is arduous to see what Wells – a beloved figure in Great Britain and the first heavyweight winner Lonsdale – he had to gain, entering the fight after 13 years outside the ring. But for Knight, who was at the beginning of a long career as a wrestler, he ensured invaluable publicity.

The story of the colorful life of Knight-in this life-saving heroic, working as a bodyguard for Princess Margaret and friendship with the infamous Kangjant Albert Pierrepoint-is based on the up-to-date book, Lovable Villain London (reference to one of the pseudonym of the wrestling Knight). It is available at Bookshop Barnes or from the author, Ady Scott Chick’s washed, via eBay.