Mike Marino Memorial Shield

Mike Marino Memorial Shield
Promotion Dale Martin Promotions
Date 29 September 1981 (1981-09-29)
(aired 14 November 1981)
City Croydon, England
Venue Fairfield Halls

The Mike Marino Memorial Shield was a British professional wrestling single-elimination tournament produced by Dale Martin Promotions, which took place on 29 September 1981 at Fairfield Halls in Croydon, England. The event aired on ITV's World of Sport two months later.[1] One of the first, if not the first, memorial shows in British professional wrestling, it was held in memory of longtime British Mid-Heavyweight Champion Mike Marino, arguably the most popular pro wrestler in the country during the 1960s and 70s, who died on the M20 motorway in Folkestone, Kent on 24 August 1981.[2][3] Ten professional wrestling matches were featured on the event's card,[4] with three non-tournament matches.[1][5][6]

The tournament was contested using Admiral-Lord Mountevans rules, greatly differing from professional wrestling in the United States, which included five-minute rounds, a points system, "knockouts" (countouts) and disqualifications counting as automatic two falls in best of three falls matches (which were predominant), and no follow-up moves allowed on a grounded opponent. Two of the first heat matches (Match #3: Mal Sanders versus John Naylor; Match #4: Pat Patton versus Johnny England) were decided on points rather than traditional pinfall or submission; the tournament final was decided in a best "two out of three falls" match.

Mal Sanders won the "knockout" tournament by winning three matches at the event.[7] Over the course of the evening, he defeated "Golden Ace" John Naylor in the first heat, "Judo" Pat Patton in the semi-finals and "Cyanide" Syd Cooper in the final match.[4] Sanders was traveling with Marino at the time of his death.[3][6] In addition to the tournament, there were three standard wrestling matches which saw "Rollerball" Mark Rocco defeat "Gentleman" Chris Adams, Giant Haystacks defeat "Tarzan" Johnny Wilson, and Jackie Turpin beat Steve Logan.[1][5] In the months following the tournament, Mal Sanders defended the trophy against former tournament entrants Jackie Turpin and Steve Logan in addition to opponents such as Johnny Saint, Steve Grey, Johnny England, Bobby Barnes, Ed Wensor, and Mick McManus.[8][9]

Show results

29 September 1981 at Fairfield Halls, Croydon

No. Results[1][4][5] Stipulations Times
1 Mark Rocco defeated Chris Adams Singles match  
2 Giant Haystacks defeated Johnny Wilson Singles match  
3 Jackie Turpin defeated Steve Logan Singles match  
4 Kid Chocolate defeated Black Jack Mulligan First Heat Tournament match  
5 Mal Sanders defeated John Naylor via points decision First Heat Tournament match  
6 Syd Cooper defeated Jan Curtis via submission First Heat Tournament match  
7 Pat Patton defeated Johnny England via points decision First Heat Tournament match  
8 Syd Cooper defeated Kid Chocolate via referee decision Semi Final Tournament match  
9 Mal Sanders defeated Pat Patton Semi Final Tournament match  
10 Mal Sanders defeated Syd Cooper Tournament Finals match  
  • (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

Tournament brackets

This was a one-night tournament which took place on 29 September 1981.[1] The tournament brackets were:

Pin-Pinfall; Sub-Submission; CO-Countout; DCO-Double countout; DQ-Disqualification; Ref-Referee's decision; Pts-Points decision

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
Kid Chocolate Pin
Black Jack Mulligan
Kid Chocolate Ref
Syd Cooper
Syd Cooper Sub
Jan Curtis
Syd Cooper
Mal Sanders Pin1
Mal Sanders Pts
John Naylor
Mal Sanders
Pat Patton Pin
Pat Patton Pts
Johnny England

1. ^ Mal Sanders scored two pinfalls during the match.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lister, John. "1981". ITV Wrestling Listings. JohnListerWriting.com. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  2. ↑ "M: Marino (Page 2 of 4)". Wrestlers: A-Z. WrestlingHeritage.co.uk. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "A Glittering Career - Mal Sanders". WrestlingHeritage.co.uk. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Dale Martin Promotions (Producer) (1981-09-29). Classic British Wrestling, Vol. 51 (DVD). Croydon, England: PuroDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  5. 1 2 3 "1981 BILLS & RESULTS". BritishWrestlingArchive.co.uk. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Garfield, The Wrestling, pp. 79-81
  7. ↑ Garfield, The Wrestling, p. 84
  8. ↑ "1982 BILLS & RESULTS". BritishWrestlingArchive.co.uk. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  9. ↑ "1982 RESULTS". BritishWrestlingArchive.co.uk. Retrieved October 18, 2012.

Further reading

  • Bills, Peter. Wrestling. London: David & Charles, 1983. ISBN 8449994756
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