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George Kidd - Undefeated...
George Kidd (Champion Wrestler)
Undefeated World Lightweight Champion 1950 - 98
George Kidd born 1925, in Hill Street, Dundee, and one of 3 brothers, little knew the career he was to embark on when tackling the bullies he faced at Clepington Primary School where he was called ‘The Wrestler’.
As a plucky wee lad of 7 years old, with a strong sense of justice, George went along to the local boxing club to learn to look after himself, only to be ridiculed and severely beaten by the bullies in the club. On his first visit to the boxing club he was matched with the local boxing champ who literally knocked spots off George.
“The boy I was fighting seemed to have 10 arms." "He hit me with his gloved fists until everything changed into a brown blur.” “ I tried everything I knew; I jinked around the ring, ducked and swayed but he kept treating me like an Aunt Sally.”
“Suddenly he landed a real hard one on my nose and that did it!“ “I dived at my tormentors legs and dragged him to the canvas and by the time the boxing officials pulled me off him I felt I had at least a little bit of my own back even though it cost me a jeely nose.”
George decided to study physical education, fitness, stretching and weight lifting to improve himself physically. He also scientifically studied Ju Jitsu and self defence as well as Yoga.
In 1943, George enlisted in the Royal Navy where he began wrestling. In 1946 George de-mobbed from the Navy and it was then he vowed to become a professional wrestler. Now George’s problem was that he measured only 5’ 6” and weight only 9½ stone and most thought him too small to take his desire to become a professional wrestler seriously. He went to see George de Relwsykow a wrestling promoter in the Caird Hall, Dundee and he gave George his first opportunity in his wrestling career.
In May 1947 George entered a tournament in Edinburgh during which he defeated Tony Lawrence to claim the title of Scottish Lightweight Champion. Until this time he had fought some 60 contests and lost only 10.
In the cold winter of 1947 he decided to widen his horizons and went to Bradford where he met with Norman Morrell (an ex-Olympic wrestler who competed in Berlin 1936). Morrell had a gym in Bradford and when George arrived he was again ridiculed as being ‘too short’. “I had heard that one before and it hadn’t beaten me” “I hear you keep yourself in training.” George said casually. Morrell nodded. “How would you like to try a few rounds with me, then?” George asked. Within minutes George was caught in a face bar hold which he had never seen before and as the pressure on the hold increased, he struggled harder until …..Crack!!! The bout ended suddenly with Morrell full of apologies but he was greatly impressed with George and offered to train him and be his coach.
“I couldn’t wait.” “ I lived and worked with Norman for 18 months – the hardest of my career.“ “Every night he made me do 100 ‘bridges’ (a stance in which the wrestler’s hands and feet are firmly planted on the floor so that his body forms an arch) and by the time I was finished my neck measured 17½ inches."
At Morrell’s stable one of George’s teachers was Joe Reid, then the British Lightweight Champion and during a non-title fight with George, he made it clear that no mercy would be shown. 12½ minutes into the bout George applied a figure four-leg hold on Joe, but Joe wouldn’t give up and neither would George. Suddenly Joe’s leg snapped and although he recovered well he lost his British title to wrestler Jack Dempsey.
In 1948, George fought Jack Dempsey in a grueling 11 rounds to win the British Lightweight Championship to add to his Scottish title. George now set his sights on a European title.
14th May 1949 George traveled to Cirque d’Hirve, Paris to compete in a European Championship. George beat all comers and secured the European Lightweight Championship title. This left only one title…..the world championship.
Later that year 8th June 1949, George married his wife Hester MacLachlan in Dundee. Within months, George decided to have a crack at the world title.
The man recognised as the world champion was Mexican Rudy Quarez. A fight was arranged in Dundee.
“I tried to pin him but he was as steady as a coliseum and then in the 10th round it came to me like a flash.” “ I whipped my legs under his and heaved; Quarez flipped over and I now had him in a hold called a Boston Crab.“
Quarez wouldn’t submit even after almost 4 minutes of George’s efforts. Both got up from the canvas and immediately George threw Quarez, now sapped with energy with a ‘monkey climb’. George was almost World Champion.
Almost…..because the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA) refused to recognise George’s win. They had their own champion called Rene Ben Schemoul. “I could have ignore them and claimed the title, but I wanted no doubts about it.“ In February 1950, Morrell arranged for George to fight Schemoul in Dundee, Scotland. “ He looked like a good wrestler at first, then I realised that he was what I called a routine wrestler.“ “By that I mean he had a set pattern of moves.” “He was very spectacular, but by the end of a few rounds I knew what he was going to do next.” “Then with the score one each, I pinned his shoulders to the floor….One…..Two….the longest second I had ever known and then…..Three.” “I rose from the canvas as Champion of the World.”
For over 20 years following, George successfully defended his world lightweight championship title in no less than 49 challenges. Among those were in 1971 he defeated Adrian Street, and in 1972 Jim Breaks. In his last bout he defeated Steve Logan on 2nd March 1976 and this heralded his retirement. George Kidd retired from professional wrestling the undisputed, undefeated World Lightweight Champion.
In 1963, the Duke of Edinburgh expressed a desire to see some wrestling and the first name to be considered was George Kidd. On 22nd May that year George Kidd gave a command performance for the Duke of Edinburgh in the Royal Albert Hall.
George was awarded Grampian TV Personality of the Year in 1965 and was made Dundee’s first ‘Citizen’ when honoured by the Dundee District Council.
In his retirement years George encouraged the development of the youth and on 5th January 1998 he sadly but peacefully passed away.
Many thought he was chasing a dream and against the odds, George literally fought his way to the top to win the World Lightweight Championship Very few sports people have shown the tenacity and the single-minded determination that George Kidd did, and of those who have shown these qualities have found their way to the pinnacle of their sport. There, George Kidd should share the limelight alongside the greats who have been and be remembered for all they achieved.
George is honoured here in this Hall of Fame.
Undefeated World Lightweight Champion 1950 - 98
George Kidd born 1925, in Hill Street, Dundee, and one of 3 brothers, little knew the career he was to embark on when tackling the bullies he faced at Clepington Primary School where he was called ‘The Wrestler’.
As a plucky wee lad of 7 years old, with a strong sense of justice, George went along to the local boxing club to learn to look after himself, only to be ridiculed and severely beaten by the bullies in the club. On his first visit to the boxing club he was matched with the local boxing champ who literally knocked spots off George.
“The boy I was fighting seemed to have 10 arms." "He hit me with his gloved fists until everything changed into a brown blur.” “ I tried everything I knew; I jinked around the ring, ducked and swayed but he kept treating me like an Aunt Sally.”
“Suddenly he landed a real hard one on my nose and that did it!“ “I dived at my tormentors legs and dragged him to the canvas and by the time the boxing officials pulled me off him I felt I had at least a little bit of my own back even though it cost me a jeely nose.”
George decided to study physical education, fitness, stretching and weight lifting to improve himself physically. He also scientifically studied Ju Jitsu and self defence as well as Yoga.
In 1943, George enlisted in the Royal Navy where he began wrestling. In 1946 George de-mobbed from the Navy and it was then he vowed to become a professional wrestler. Now George’s problem was that he measured only 5’ 6” and weight only 9½ stone and most thought him too small to take his desire to become a professional wrestler seriously. He went to see George de Relwsykow a wrestling promoter in the Caird Hall, Dundee and he gave George his first opportunity in his wrestling career.
In May 1947 George entered a tournament in Edinburgh during which he defeated Tony Lawrence to claim the title of Scottish Lightweight Champion. Until this time he had fought some 60 contests and lost only 10.
In the cold winter of 1947 he decided to widen his horizons and went to Bradford where he met with Norman Morrell (an ex-Olympic wrestler who competed in Berlin 1936). Morrell had a gym in Bradford and when George arrived he was again ridiculed as being ‘too short’. “I had heard that one before and it hadn’t beaten me” “I hear you keep yourself in training.” George said casually. Morrell nodded. “How would you like to try a few rounds with me, then?” George asked. Within minutes George was caught in a face bar hold which he had never seen before and as the pressure on the hold increased, he struggled harder until …..Crack!!! The bout ended suddenly with Morrell full of apologies but he was greatly impressed with George and offered to train him and be his coach.
“I couldn’t wait.” “ I lived and worked with Norman for 18 months – the hardest of my career.“ “Every night he made me do 100 ‘bridges’ (a stance in which the wrestler’s hands and feet are firmly planted on the floor so that his body forms an arch) and by the time I was finished my neck measured 17½ inches."
At Morrell’s stable one of George’s teachers was Joe Reid, then the British Lightweight Champion and during a non-title fight with George, he made it clear that no mercy would be shown. 12½ minutes into the bout George applied a figure four-leg hold on Joe, but Joe wouldn’t give up and neither would George. Suddenly Joe’s leg snapped and although he recovered well he lost his British title to wrestler Jack Dempsey.
In 1948, George fought Jack Dempsey in a grueling 11 rounds to win the British Lightweight Championship to add to his Scottish title. George now set his sights on a European title.
14th May 1949 George traveled to Cirque d’Hirve, Paris to compete in a European Championship. George beat all comers and secured the European Lightweight Championship title. This left only one title…..the world championship.
Later that year 8th June 1949, George married his wife Hester MacLachlan in Dundee. Within months, George decided to have a crack at the world title.
The man recognised as the world champion was Mexican Rudy Quarez. A fight was arranged in Dundee.
“I tried to pin him but he was as steady as a coliseum and then in the 10th round it came to me like a flash.” “ I whipped my legs under his and heaved; Quarez flipped over and I now had him in a hold called a Boston Crab.“
Quarez wouldn’t submit even after almost 4 minutes of George’s efforts. Both got up from the canvas and immediately George threw Quarez, now sapped with energy with a ‘monkey climb’. George was almost World Champion.
Almost…..because the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA) refused to recognise George’s win. They had their own champion called Rene Ben Schemoul. “I could have ignore them and claimed the title, but I wanted no doubts about it.“ In February 1950, Morrell arranged for George to fight Schemoul in Dundee, Scotland. “ He looked like a good wrestler at first, then I realised that he was what I called a routine wrestler.“ “By that I mean he had a set pattern of moves.” “He was very spectacular, but by the end of a few rounds I knew what he was going to do next.” “Then with the score one each, I pinned his shoulders to the floor….One…..Two….the longest second I had ever known and then…..Three.” “I rose from the canvas as Champion of the World.”
For over 20 years following, George successfully defended his world lightweight championship title in no less than 49 challenges. Among those were in 1971 he defeated Adrian Street, and in 1972 Jim Breaks. In his last bout he defeated Steve Logan on 2nd March 1976 and this heralded his retirement. George Kidd retired from professional wrestling the undisputed, undefeated World Lightweight Champion.
In 1963, the Duke of Edinburgh expressed a desire to see some wrestling and the first name to be considered was George Kidd. On 22nd May that year George Kidd gave a command performance for the Duke of Edinburgh in the Royal Albert Hall.
George was awarded Grampian TV Personality of the Year in 1965 and was made Dundee’s first ‘Citizen’ when honoured by the Dundee District Council.
In his retirement years George encouraged the development of the youth and on 5th January 1998 he sadly but peacefully passed away.
Many thought he was chasing a dream and against the odds, George literally fought his way to the top to win the World Lightweight Championship Very few sports people have shown the tenacity and the single-minded determination that George Kidd did, and of those who have shown these qualities have found their way to the pinnacle of their sport. There, George Kidd should share the limelight alongside the greats who have been and be remembered for all they achieved.
George is honoured here in this Hall of Fame.
