As the shadow of Halloween starts to creep towards us, it's time to log in the blog, some seasonal scaries..
First up is Kendo Nagasaki - yes him of the blood red dead eyes, tattooed head, lumbering Leatherface gait, and startled little piggy squeaks and squeals. The man-mass of Giant Haystacks menaced like a silent film foe, Cyanide Sid Cooper was just a caveman stooge - but Kendo, Kendo really was genuinley terrifying wasn't he?
The unmasking of Kendo Nagasaki
There's some recommended reading here..
Observer interview with Kendo
And Simon Garfield's The Wrestling is a must read if you were ever a watcher of ITV's Saturday afternoon rumbles.
5 comments:
Ah! Mr Pete Thornley himself!! Legend!! Love me 'ol wrestlin PM... did you know that he is STILL wrestlin on the low-budget wrestling shows that visit tired old theatres?? I saw him live in the 70's and again only about 5 or 6 years ago. He still turns up now, although he must be in his 60's now.
Remember that unmasking well! That was the must watch tv of the day - and everyone was talking about it at school on monday!
Great post!
P
PS - Kendo was\is just about the only British wrestler who really 'got it'. Even in the 70's the British wrestling scene was very 'end of the pier/pantomime' stuff. Kendo rose above that and created a genuinly menacing character and stuck to it too. Thats why that unmasking was such an event in its day.
P
Thats' exactly it - most of the others Giant Haystacks, Mick McManus, Les Kellet were like Hanna-Barbera villains, whereas Kendo was more Hammer Horror and properly creepy.
Didn't know he was still going though - last I heard he was running care homes, and being investigated by the BBC (as well as living with his manager Gorgeous George)
Now here's something really scary - I've reinstated the blog. I know, I know, but I missed it and I just couldn't let it go.
So adjust your URL to bar-six.blogspot.com, if you can bear it!
Blimey PM, I think you'll find that 'ol "Gorgeous" George died about 20 years ago. He had a new manager when i saw him a few years back.
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