By Nathan P Hunt
Gordon Pryor (left) with Mark 'Rollerball' Rocco at the Leeds Wrestlers' Reunion, March 2016
Gordon Pryor is one of the most recognised and respected ring announcers and referees of British wrestling's golden era. Working for Joint Promotions, All Star Wrestling and several independent companies throughout the years, he is renowned for being a true professional in every way and for always delivering his best in whatever role he was called upon to undertake. Always impeccably dressed, well spoken and taking great pride in his role in the business, he studied and understood the parts he played and how to maximise them for the good of the show. His name is always part of the discussion when fans and peers debate the best non-wrestling personalities who helped make the era so memorable. Having met him at the Northern Wrestlers' Reunions, I am very thankful that he agreed to this interview and can wholeheartedly agree with his peers from the wrestling business that he is a true gentleman.
What are your earliest memories of pro wrestling as a fan? Who were your favourite performers and what attracted you to the business?
At 4pm on Saturday afternoons, everything came to a stop to watch the likes of Mick McManus, Jackie “Mr. TV” Pallo, George Kidd, Les Kellett, Albert Rocky Wall, but to name just a few. This for me was great sporting entertainment, with some sensational personalities. The first time I saw a live wrestling show was in 1967 at St. James Hall in Chesterfield. It was an Independent Promotion featuring Klondike Bill, Toma Hansom, Butch Goodman, Karl Von Kramer (Jack Land), Eric Sands and Pedro The Gypsy. These for me were great shows. The first time I saw a Joint Promotions show was at the Buxton Opera House; promoted by Jack Atherton and featuring the great Les Kellett.
The industry was extremely popular even on the independent level for decades, so there must have been lots of people who were never on TV but were fairly big stars or contributed in other ways to the success of smaller shows. Are there any people who you consider to be unsung heroes of the wrestling business?
In my early days of watching the independent promotions shows, there were some great wrestlers like Farmer Johnnie Allen, Eric Taylor, Pedro The Gypsy (who was a great entertainer), and Ian St. John was a very good lightweight. The list could be endless.
How did you end up getting into the business and what kind of training did you have?
Promoter Ted Beresford advertised a show at the Boythorpe Drill Hall in Chesterfield, so I wrote to him and asked if he required any staff e.g. seconds, stewards or programme sellers. His reply was to go along to the show and he would introduce me to Roy, who was responsible for supplying staff at many of Ted Beresford’s shows, including Victoria Baths in Nottingham, the Festival Inn in Trowell and Nottingham Ice Stadium. I became part of the team, doing various different jobs under the watchful eye of Roy and Ted. It was a good way to learn the business from the bottom and I soon became a respected part of this team.
When Max Crabtree took over the reins from Ted Beresford, he heard me timekeeping at Chesterfield one night. He told me I had a good clear voice and asked if I would like to try as an MC, to which I said “YES PLEASE!” Max asked me to go to Cleethorpes the following night for my trial and that night was the start of my career as an MC (and in the later years, as a referee). Before my trial with Joint Promotions I had been given MC/Timekeeper jobs with various Independent Promoters including Cowboy Jack Cassidy, Jack Taylor, Cyril Knowles, all of which was good experience for me in the future years.
I used to listen to how the top MC s of the day, like Mark Green, Bob Verlander, Ernie Lofthouse and - the man who taught me so much about the business - Ernie Baldwin, would introduce the wrestlers. I would always try to give the fans a full introduction of the wrestlers, including where they came from, weight, any nicknames they may have and finally, a big build up to their name. e.g. “Standing 6ft 11ins in height and tipping the scales at over 45 stone, the bone crushing force of the largest wrestler in Europe today, THE GIANT HAYSTACKS!”
What was it like to work in front of a crowd for the first time? How long before you felt confident as either a referee or an announcer?
As I had been involved with wrestling for many years in other roles, it came naturally to me to stand in the ring as MC, with the exception of TV shows. I never really enjoyed doing TV, as you had to take your cue from the producer and remember which wrestler to introduce first. After time that also became easier. As regards to refereeing , if a referee was injured during the show I would step in for them, which was good training for the years to come. My thanks go to referees Emile Polive and Jeff Kaye for all their help and advice.
You were a referee for Joint promotions in the 1980s. What was it like to work for Joint Promotions and what was the schedule like?
Joint Promotions were very good to work for. They would send me a job sheet about once a month with all the dates, towns, venues and whether my role would be MC or Referee. Ernie Lofthouse would be in the Leeds office along with Mrs. Burns to sort out any problems. As I held a full time job during the day, my travelling in the week was limited to about 80-100 miles. In the summer, my week was something like as follows:
Monday Bridlington or Scarborough
Tuesday Skegness
Wednesday Southport (about twice a month)
Saturday Hanley or Belle Vue
Sunday Blackpool, Cleethorpes, or Great Yarmouth
During the winter months I would be in many Yorkshire venues like Bradford, Halifax, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Rotherham, Leeds, Sheffield etc. and also in the Midlands like Digbeth in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Oakengates, Loughborough, Leicester, Cannock and many more.
How did this compare to your later work with promotions like All-Star Wrestling?
All Star Promotions were equally good to work for. Brian Dixon always liked to use me as the MC because he said I looked too tall as a referee. Brian put on very exciting shows with the likes of Rollerball Rocco, Dave Fit Finlay, Crusher Mason, Kendo Nagasaki. In the later years he had ex WWE stars The Bushwhackers, Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine and Yokozuna, once again to name but a few.
What are the most important traits to make someone a good referee?
I think that all referees should try to be in control, but by doing so should always take a low profile in the ring, letting the bout develop in front of the crowd. You must always remember that the fans have paid to see the wrestlers in a bout, not an interfering referee.
What are the most heated crowd reactions that you can remember from your time in the business?
When Skull Murphy and Fit Finlay tagged together the heat was really on. No more so than one night at the Grantham Sports Centre when they were against Marty Jones and Alan Kilby. What a match that was!!! The Superflys (Ricky Knight and Jimmy Ocean) had some great all action tag matches too, especially against the Liverpool Lads (Ian Doc Dean and Robbie Brookside).
Which performers were your favourites and why?
I had no real favourite wrestlers, but always liked to watch solid heavyweight bouts with the likes of Ray Robinson, Gill Singh, Ray Steel and Alan Kilby. At the other end of the weight scale, the likes of Johnny Kidd, Nipper Eddie Riley and the great lightweight Johnny Saint always gave great value for money. For top of the bill excitement, any bout featuring the likes of Giant Haystacks, Kendo Nagasaki, Fit Finlay, Rollerball Rocco and Marty Jones were the all action, hard hitting bouts the fans had paid to see.
Were there any wrestlers who made your job harder or who you didn't like to work with?
There were a few wrestlers who kept the referee on his toes throughout the bout. These included Tally Ho Kaye, Black Jack Mulligan and of course Rocco and Finlay, who were all great villains and knew just how to get the crowd going. All the wrestlers were good to work with, but I did have the occasional problem with Terry Rudge and The American Avalanche [aka PN News]. Kendo Nagasaki was hard work at first but when we started to understand each other we got on fine.
I have heard reports from some wrestlers and performers that there was more money to be made by working for independent promoters rather than Joint Promotions. Did you find that to be true and which promoters had the best reputations for paying their talent?
I never had any trouble with the money side of things with any promoter I worked for during my career. If you just asked me who were your favourite promoters to work for, that would be easy to answer: Anne Relwykskow and Ken Joyce. Both of them appreciated what I did for them and they were easy to get on with.
The role of an announcer is probably more similar to that of a wrestler than some people imagine as it involves reading a crowd, adjusting on the fly, getting the audience invested in the show etc. What do you see as the key parts of the role and what should MCs do to ensure they are doing the best job possible?
The MC should always tell the crowd if there were any changes on the advertised programme and how many bouts before and after the interval, so the crowd knew what was happening and feel informed. Most of all, it’s important to make good, clear announcements; just like Norman Barratt MBE, the world famous circus ringmaster. The MC must be smart in appearance and look to be in complete control of the show in all aspects. He must always have time for a chat with the fans and have a good working relationship with the stage manager and the sound and lighting staff. They should always give the very best intro possible for all of the wrestlers on the programme and, just in case the occasion arose, a few good heckler-stoppers for some audience members. When reading out the next programme of wrestling for that venue, he must make it sound interesting and exciting.
What were the best crowds to work in front of? Were there any notoriously difficult crowds that were harder to work?
I found the best crowds to work in front of were at the seaside venues. People were on holiday and just wanted to have a good night out. The venues like the Liverpool Stadium and the Norwich Corn Exchange were tougher crowds.
What were your favourite venues to work in?
I only had one favourite venue. For the best atmosphere, crowds - just the best place to work - had to be the world famous Blackpool Tower Circus Arena.
Did you ever have to work in any strange or unusual venues?
I did wrestling shows in many different buildings including Bingo Halls, but I once had to do a show in a club where the promoter had booked everything apart from the ring. We did the show using just judo mats placed on the floor!
The wrestling business is full of interesting and strange characters, both inside the ring and out. Who were some of the more memorable people you have met in the business and do you have any stories that you could share about some of the more bizarre personalities you have encountered?
Kendo Nagasaki was, without a doubt, the most bizarre personality I ever came across. When we meet up I will tell you about the time I lost him at a North East holiday camp!
Do you feel that British wrestling has lost some of its identity and how has the business in general changed? Do you think it could ever get back to its glory days of the world of sport era?
When wrestling was taken off TV it lost its shop window. Now today, the wrestlers have nothing to rely on to get their personality over to the wrestling public - only appearances in their local venues where they appear. Without regular British TV shows from British promoters, wrestling will never get back to the level of the World of Sport Era.
Have you seen much of the current British wrestling scene? If so are there any performers or companies who you feel are future stars in the industry?
I worked for First Class Promotions recently at Middlesborough Town Hall. I was impressed how well organised the show was and also the quality of the matches featuring Robbie Dynamite, Nathan Cruz, AJ Anderson and Tony Spitfire, to name just a few. These could be the stars of the future.
What do you think is British wrestling's legacy to the rest of the wrestling world?
British Wrestling’s biggest legacy to the rest of the world must be the British boys who came out on top in America, like Judo Al Hayes [known as Lord Alfred Hayes in the WWF], Billy Robinson, Dynamite Kid, British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, Steve [William] Regal to name just a few.
What were your experiences and opinions of other referees and announcers in the business, such as Mal Mason, John Harris, Max Ward? Who do you think were the best at what they did and why?
I worked with Mal Mason, John Harris and Max Ward on a few occasions, but as most of my work was up north it would often be myself with the likes of Brian Crabtree on the shows. Brian was a true showman, loved by the crowds, but a totally different kind of style of MC or referee to me. Jeff Kaye was a very experienced referee whom I worked with a lot and the Cleethorpes-based Ronnie Denbry was a good MC who I worked with at various venues. The two of us once did a complete TV show from Alfreton leisure centre. Anne Relwyskow used Ken Lazenby as Referee on many of her shows, he was a nice guy, but not liked by the crowds very much.
What are your favourite memories of being involved in the wrestling business and how would you like your career to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as a good, no gimmick MC and referee, who always gave his best on every show. I am also honoured to have been chosen as the very last MC for the World of Sport era, which ended at Rickmansworth in 1988.
You are a regular at the wrestlers’ reunions, which are a great way for people to get together and reminisce about the business. What do you think of the reunions and would you like to see them continue indefinitely? Do you think more younger wrestlers should attend to hear stories and learn about the history of the business?
The Reunions are great and anyone in the business should try to attend. I like to hear some of the old time wrestlers give a few stories about their careers at these reunions.
Gordon Pryor (left) with Mark 'Rollerball' Rocco at the Leeds Wrestlers' Reunion, March 2016
Gordon Pryor is one of the most recognised and respected ring announcers and referees of British wrestling's golden era. Working for Joint Promotions, All Star Wrestling and several independent companies throughout the years, he is renowned for being a true professional in every way and for always delivering his best in whatever role he was called upon to undertake. Always impeccably dressed, well spoken and taking great pride in his role in the business, he studied and understood the parts he played and how to maximise them for the good of the show. His name is always part of the discussion when fans and peers debate the best non-wrestling personalities who helped make the era so memorable. Having met him at the Northern Wrestlers' Reunions, I am very thankful that he agreed to this interview and can wholeheartedly agree with his peers from the wrestling business that he is a true gentleman.
What are your earliest memories of pro wrestling as a fan? Who were your favourite performers and what attracted you to the business?
At 4pm on Saturday afternoons, everything came to a stop to watch the likes of Mick McManus, Jackie “Mr. TV” Pallo, George Kidd, Les Kellett, Albert Rocky Wall, but to name just a few. This for me was great sporting entertainment, with some sensational personalities. The first time I saw a live wrestling show was in 1967 at St. James Hall in Chesterfield. It was an Independent Promotion featuring Klondike Bill, Toma Hansom, Butch Goodman, Karl Von Kramer (Jack Land), Eric Sands and Pedro The Gypsy. These for me were great shows. The first time I saw a Joint Promotions show was at the Buxton Opera House; promoted by Jack Atherton and featuring the great Les Kellett.
The industry was extremely popular even on the independent level for decades, so there must have been lots of people who were never on TV but were fairly big stars or contributed in other ways to the success of smaller shows. Are there any people who you consider to be unsung heroes of the wrestling business?
In my early days of watching the independent promotions shows, there were some great wrestlers like Farmer Johnnie Allen, Eric Taylor, Pedro The Gypsy (who was a great entertainer), and Ian St. John was a very good lightweight. The list could be endless.
How did you end up getting into the business and what kind of training did you have?
Promoter Ted Beresford advertised a show at the Boythorpe Drill Hall in Chesterfield, so I wrote to him and asked if he required any staff e.g. seconds, stewards or programme sellers. His reply was to go along to the show and he would introduce me to Roy, who was responsible for supplying staff at many of Ted Beresford’s shows, including Victoria Baths in Nottingham, the Festival Inn in Trowell and Nottingham Ice Stadium. I became part of the team, doing various different jobs under the watchful eye of Roy and Ted. It was a good way to learn the business from the bottom and I soon became a respected part of this team.
When Max Crabtree took over the reins from Ted Beresford, he heard me timekeeping at Chesterfield one night. He told me I had a good clear voice and asked if I would like to try as an MC, to which I said “YES PLEASE!” Max asked me to go to Cleethorpes the following night for my trial and that night was the start of my career as an MC (and in the later years, as a referee). Before my trial with Joint Promotions I had been given MC/Timekeeper jobs with various Independent Promoters including Cowboy Jack Cassidy, Jack Taylor, Cyril Knowles, all of which was good experience for me in the future years.
I used to listen to how the top MC s of the day, like Mark Green, Bob Verlander, Ernie Lofthouse and - the man who taught me so much about the business - Ernie Baldwin, would introduce the wrestlers. I would always try to give the fans a full introduction of the wrestlers, including where they came from, weight, any nicknames they may have and finally, a big build up to their name. e.g. “Standing 6ft 11ins in height and tipping the scales at over 45 stone, the bone crushing force of the largest wrestler in Europe today, THE GIANT HAYSTACKS!”
Gordon Pryor presents the Ring Wars Hall Of Fame Awards to Klondike Kate & 'Tarzan Boy' Darren Ward at the Leeds Wrestlers' Reunion
What was it like to work in front of a crowd for the first time? How long before you felt confident as either a referee or an announcer?
As I had been involved with wrestling for many years in other roles, it came naturally to me to stand in the ring as MC, with the exception of TV shows. I never really enjoyed doing TV, as you had to take your cue from the producer and remember which wrestler to introduce first. After time that also became easier. As regards to refereeing , if a referee was injured during the show I would step in for them, which was good training for the years to come. My thanks go to referees Emile Polive and Jeff Kaye for all their help and advice.
You were a referee for Joint promotions in the 1980s. What was it like to work for Joint Promotions and what was the schedule like?
Joint Promotions were very good to work for. They would send me a job sheet about once a month with all the dates, towns, venues and whether my role would be MC or Referee. Ernie Lofthouse would be in the Leeds office along with Mrs. Burns to sort out any problems. As I held a full time job during the day, my travelling in the week was limited to about 80-100 miles. In the summer, my week was something like as follows:
Monday Bridlington or Scarborough
Tuesday Skegness
Wednesday Southport (about twice a month)
Saturday Hanley or Belle Vue
Sunday Blackpool, Cleethorpes, or Great Yarmouth
During the winter months I would be in many Yorkshire venues like Bradford, Halifax, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Rotherham, Leeds, Sheffield etc. and also in the Midlands like Digbeth in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Oakengates, Loughborough, Leicester, Cannock and many more.
How did this compare to your later work with promotions like All-Star Wrestling?
All Star Promotions were equally good to work for. Brian Dixon always liked to use me as the MC because he said I looked too tall as a referee. Brian put on very exciting shows with the likes of Rollerball Rocco, Dave Fit Finlay, Crusher Mason, Kendo Nagasaki. In the later years he had ex WWE stars The Bushwhackers, Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine and Yokozuna, once again to name but a few.
What are the most important traits to make someone a good referee?
I think that all referees should try to be in control, but by doing so should always take a low profile in the ring, letting the bout develop in front of the crowd. You must always remember that the fans have paid to see the wrestlers in a bout, not an interfering referee.
What are the most heated crowd reactions that you can remember from your time in the business?
When Skull Murphy and Fit Finlay tagged together the heat was really on. No more so than one night at the Grantham Sports Centre when they were against Marty Jones and Alan Kilby. What a match that was!!! The Superflys (Ricky Knight and Jimmy Ocean) had some great all action tag matches too, especially against the Liverpool Lads (Ian Doc Dean and Robbie Brookside).
Which performers were your favourites and why?
I had no real favourite wrestlers, but always liked to watch solid heavyweight bouts with the likes of Ray Robinson, Gill Singh, Ray Steel and Alan Kilby. At the other end of the weight scale, the likes of Johnny Kidd, Nipper Eddie Riley and the great lightweight Johnny Saint always gave great value for money. For top of the bill excitement, any bout featuring the likes of Giant Haystacks, Kendo Nagasaki, Fit Finlay, Rollerball Rocco and Marty Jones were the all action, hard hitting bouts the fans had paid to see.
Were there any wrestlers who made your job harder or who you didn't like to work with?
There were a few wrestlers who kept the referee on his toes throughout the bout. These included Tally Ho Kaye, Black Jack Mulligan and of course Rocco and Finlay, who were all great villains and knew just how to get the crowd going. All the wrestlers were good to work with, but I did have the occasional problem with Terry Rudge and The American Avalanche [aka PN News]. Kendo Nagasaki was hard work at first but when we started to understand each other we got on fine.
I have heard reports from some wrestlers and performers that there was more money to be made by working for independent promoters rather than Joint Promotions. Did you find that to be true and which promoters had the best reputations for paying their talent?
I never had any trouble with the money side of things with any promoter I worked for during my career. If you just asked me who were your favourite promoters to work for, that would be easy to answer: Anne Relwykskow and Ken Joyce. Both of them appreciated what I did for them and they were easy to get on with.
The role of an announcer is probably more similar to that of a wrestler than some people imagine as it involves reading a crowd, adjusting on the fly, getting the audience invested in the show etc. What do you see as the key parts of the role and what should MCs do to ensure they are doing the best job possible?
The MC should always tell the crowd if there were any changes on the advertised programme and how many bouts before and after the interval, so the crowd knew what was happening and feel informed. Most of all, it’s important to make good, clear announcements; just like Norman Barratt MBE, the world famous circus ringmaster. The MC must be smart in appearance and look to be in complete control of the show in all aspects. He must always have time for a chat with the fans and have a good working relationship with the stage manager and the sound and lighting staff. They should always give the very best intro possible for all of the wrestlers on the programme and, just in case the occasion arose, a few good heckler-stoppers for some audience members. When reading out the next programme of wrestling for that venue, he must make it sound interesting and exciting.
Gordon Pryor (far right) leads the applause as Marty Jones (left) awards Mark Rocco with his Wrestlers' Reunion Hall Of Fame Award
What were the best crowds to work in front of? Were there any notoriously difficult crowds that were harder to work?
I found the best crowds to work in front of were at the seaside venues. People were on holiday and just wanted to have a good night out. The venues like the Liverpool Stadium and the Norwich Corn Exchange were tougher crowds.
What were your favourite venues to work in?
I only had one favourite venue. For the best atmosphere, crowds - just the best place to work - had to be the world famous Blackpool Tower Circus Arena.
Did you ever have to work in any strange or unusual venues?
I did wrestling shows in many different buildings including Bingo Halls, but I once had to do a show in a club where the promoter had booked everything apart from the ring. We did the show using just judo mats placed on the floor!
The wrestling business is full of interesting and strange characters, both inside the ring and out. Who were some of the more memorable people you have met in the business and do you have any stories that you could share about some of the more bizarre personalities you have encountered?
Kendo Nagasaki was, without a doubt, the most bizarre personality I ever came across. When we meet up I will tell you about the time I lost him at a North East holiday camp!
Do you feel that British wrestling has lost some of its identity and how has the business in general changed? Do you think it could ever get back to its glory days of the world of sport era?
When wrestling was taken off TV it lost its shop window. Now today, the wrestlers have nothing to rely on to get their personality over to the wrestling public - only appearances in their local venues where they appear. Without regular British TV shows from British promoters, wrestling will never get back to the level of the World of Sport Era.
Have you seen much of the current British wrestling scene? If so are there any performers or companies who you feel are future stars in the industry?
I worked for First Class Promotions recently at Middlesborough Town Hall. I was impressed how well organised the show was and also the quality of the matches featuring Robbie Dynamite, Nathan Cruz, AJ Anderson and Tony Spitfire, to name just a few. These could be the stars of the future.
What do you think is British wrestling's legacy to the rest of the wrestling world?
British Wrestling’s biggest legacy to the rest of the world must be the British boys who came out on top in America, like Judo Al Hayes [known as Lord Alfred Hayes in the WWF], Billy Robinson, Dynamite Kid, British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, Steve [William] Regal to name just a few.
What were your experiences and opinions of other referees and announcers in the business, such as Mal Mason, John Harris, Max Ward? Who do you think were the best at what they did and why?
I worked with Mal Mason, John Harris and Max Ward on a few occasions, but as most of my work was up north it would often be myself with the likes of Brian Crabtree on the shows. Brian was a true showman, loved by the crowds, but a totally different kind of style of MC or referee to me. Jeff Kaye was a very experienced referee whom I worked with a lot and the Cleethorpes-based Ronnie Denbry was a good MC who I worked with at various venues. The two of us once did a complete TV show from Alfreton leisure centre. Anne Relwyskow used Ken Lazenby as Referee on many of her shows, he was a nice guy, but not liked by the crowds very much.
What are your favourite memories of being involved in the wrestling business and how would you like your career to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as a good, no gimmick MC and referee, who always gave his best on every show. I am also honoured to have been chosen as the very last MC for the World of Sport era, which ended at Rickmansworth in 1988.
You are a regular at the wrestlers’ reunions, which are a great way for people to get together and reminisce about the business. What do you think of the reunions and would you like to see them continue indefinitely? Do you think more younger wrestlers should attend to hear stories and learn about the history of the business?
The Reunions are great and anyone in the business should try to attend. I like to hear some of the old time wrestlers give a few stories about their careers at these reunions.
(Photos courtesy of Darren Potts Wrestling Photography)
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