Person Open DS/UK/8708 Foley; John (fl 1950s-1960s); British wrestler Foley John fl 1950s-1960s British wrestler Male Babe Foley | The Katt | Johnny Foley

Foley 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. www.wrestlingheritage.co.uk International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes RAHdroberts 10/31/2013 Rachael.Fragola 3/1/2022 1859625d-36fb-463f-8360-c324899b9c23