Record

CodeDS/UK/8708
NameFoley; John (fl 1950s-1960s); British wrestler
AliasBabe Foley | The Katt | Johnny Foley
Datesfl 1950s-1960s
GenderMale
BiographyFoley came into wrestling after working as a coal miner, making his professional debut against Tommy Milo. Well regarded as a one of the country’s top middleweights, journalist Charles Mascall said John was one of the world's best middleweights of all time. His greatest notoriety came in the 1960s as a member of the Black Diamonds tag team, partnering Abe Ginsberg and distinguished with black leather helmets.

For a short time Foley also wrestled in northern England and Scotland as the masked wrestler, The Katt, with the real mystery being why a wrestler of his calibre chose to have his identity concealed. Well travelled throughout most of Western Europe later in his career he travelled to Canada and Japan, achieving further success. John’s son in law was Ted Heath, and when the two of them wrestled as a tag team in the USA in 1975/6 they called themselves “The British Bulldogs,” and carried a large stuffed bulldog (called Winston) into the ring, pre-dating another higher profile British Bulldogs team by quite a few years.

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