The Grunt and Groan Boys Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Russian Lion

Hackenschmidt moved to England under the wing of flamboyant promoter and theatrical manager Charles B. Cochran. Although he promoted wrestlers early in his career, Cochran went on to stage many plays, notably working with Noel Coward later in the 1920s and 1930s. He suffered an unusual death in 1951, becoming stuck in a bath full of very hot water!

Cochran set up a match for Hackenschmidt against the Englishman Tom Cannon, which he won, securing the European Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship. He then fought for the world title against American Tom Jenkins, claiming the title in 1905.

Question by Pagea

Answer: Jack Pye

The style of 'All-in Wrestling' is so called as no holds are illegal. It is a variant on the 'Catch As Catch Can' style that had been popular in Britain and the US since the 1890s. 'All-in' was initial introduced around 1930 by (then) amateur wrestler Sir Atholl Oakley. He became the first British Heavyweight Champion of All-in Wrestling in the same year.

Jack Pye almost stole Oakley's crown in a 1933 match but was ultimately unsuccessful. As well as being a professional wrestler, Pye was also an actor, appearing in films such as 'Leave It To Me' in 1937 and 'It's a Grand Life' in 1953.

Question by Pagea

Answer: Admiral Lord Mountevans

After seeing the poor response to wrestling by the media in 1947, Admiral Lord Mountevans brought together a committee to compose a full set of rules for professional wrestling in the United Kingdon. This committee included radio personality Commander Campbell and Maurice Webb MP.

The Admiral-Lord Mountevans rules were implemented in the late 1940s and became almost universally accepted in the UK. One major aspect of the rules was setting out separate weight classes (Lightweight, Welterweight etc) and crowning champions in each class.

Question by Pagea

Answer: Big Daddy

Big Daddy was one of the UK's most famous wrestlers. Born in 1930 in Halifax, Yorkshire, he was a giant of man - 6ft 2ins tall, with a 64 inch chest and weighing in at over 26 stone. He wore leotards to wrestle in - the first one was made by his wife from a sofa cover! He had six children. Shirley retired in 1993 and died in 1997. It's hard to imagine anyone, let alone a Yorkshireman, with a less appropriate first name.

Question by Invinoveritas

Answer: Giant Haystacks

At 6ft 11 ins tall and 48 stone in weight, they don't some much bigger than Giant Haystacks. He began wrestling in 1967, and in 1975 became the other half of a 'heel' (villain) tag team with Big Daddy. The team broke up in 1977 when Big Daddy turned 'blue eye' (a goodie); Haystacks stayed a 'heel' and they maintained a continuous feud which attracted high ratings when they wrestled one another. Ruane was a devout Christian and would not wrestle on Sundays. He died of cancer in 1998.

Question by Invinoveritas

Answer: Kendo Nagasaki

Kendo Nagasaki made his television debut in 1971. He modelled himself after a Samurai warrior, carried out a cleansing ritual of the ring before each match, and, famously, never spoke. All the talking was done by his manager. He was never unmasked during a match, but did voluntarily unmask in 1977. He retired in 1978, made a brief comeback in 1981, retired again, came back in 1988 and retired for good in 1993.

His favourite finishing move was "The Kamikaze Smash" or "Splash", which involved somersaulting into a prone opponent's stomach from the top ring rope. Nagasaki's real name was Peter Thornley.

Question by Christinap

Answer: Les Kellett

Like many of the wrestlers who became television stars in the 1960s, Les Kellett had learnt his trade the hard way. After being demobbed from the Merchant Navy at the end of the war he became a wrestler and wrestled five or six

times a week in gyms, back street bars and sports clubs up and down the country. He became a great audience favourite due to his ability to bring a comical aspect to his wrestling. He would often stagger around the ring, rubber legged, appearing completely punch drunk, before miraculously recovering and defeating his opponent with lightning speed. He was respected and feared in equal measure by other wrestlers, who acknowledged he was a master of his craft and one of the hardest opponents to beat.

Question by Christinap

Answer: British Middleweight Champion

As well as appearing solo, Steve Logan also often partnered Mick McManus in tag team matches. They had a well known and often televised fued with Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks in the days before those two became sworn enemies. As a solo wrestler he was the first holder of the revived British Middlewight Championship when it was brought back especially for television in 1975. He defeated Bert Royal, who had been firm favourite to win, in August 1975. Both men had come through a knockout tournament to decide the finalists. He lost the title to Royal in November that same year.

Question by Christinap

Answer: Kent Walton

Kent Walton made his TV debut on ITV in 1955, and at its peak 'World of Sport' was attracting up to 12 million viewers. It was said that its fans included HM the Queen, HM the Queen Mother, The Duke of Edinburgh and Mrs Thatcher. Probably they preferred to do their screams of encouragement in private rather than at the ringside, but wouldn't it have been fun to see them!

Question by Invinoveritas

Answer: Mick McManus

Mick McManus, born William George Matthews was quite the bad boy of British wrestling. He used to bend the rules to breaking point and became a real household name by frequently appearing on television during a career that lasted over 20 years. He wrestled for the title of British Welterweight Champion several times, with one of the bouts, against Jackie Pallo in 1963, watched by around 20 million people.

The 'Rugged South London Tough Guy' retired from wrestling in 1982 and held several other jobs, including running a pub in Guildford, before his death in 2013.

Question by Pagea