frank rimer

WRESTLER, PROMOTER, MASTER of CEREMONIES, TRAINER, REUNION ORGANISER ...




Frank Rimer has been a part of the wrestling business for over 50 years. His numerous activities and achievements within the world of wrestling include: former Southern Area Lightweight amateur champion, professional wrestler, second, referee, Master of Ceremonies, promoter, co-founder of the Dropkixx Wrestling Academy, organiser of the British Wrestlers' Reunion, writer, webmaster and columnist.

      Outside the ring, his life has been equally varied, ranging from being Mr South-east England bodybuilding champion and life member of NABBA, Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme Physical Training Instructor, karate black belt 1st Dan, and high-board diver, to model, rock'n'roll promoter, and commentator for television Channels 4 & 5 on the British Strongman Championships.

The early years:

When he was just 9 years old, Frank's parents were involved in an horrific car crash in which his father was killed and his mother crippled. This inevitably resulted in very hard times for the family financially. At 11 years of age, Frank was taken swimming to a local lido, where some mindless louts threw him in the deep end, not realising that he couldn’t swim. Two huge athletes were quickly on the scene to pull him out, with a third acting as pool attendant. One was European diving champion Perry Blake; the second was the great Johnny Yearsley and the third was TV wrestling legend Bobby Barnes. John Yearsley took Frank home and offered to assist his mother in raising him, by teaching him "the manly side of life". She was initially very sceptical, and insisted on inspecting John's home, only to relax somewhat when she met his boys, Mark and Carl.


1960
Posing at Gym
1961
17 years old
1962
18 years old

Johnny Yearsley and Physical Culture

Frank trained in John's home gym with other aspiring athletes, including his brother Malcolm Yearsley, Charlie Fisher's son Brian Sparks, Leon Fortuna, Dave Phillips, physique champions such as Dave Marshall and amateur wrestling new boy Wayne Bridges, with whom he has remained friends ever since. Sometimes they would visit the Billy Stevens gym in Stratford, where Frank met and befriended Dave Prowse MBE who was then Britain's Strongest Man. Film star Sean Connery also trained there and went on to be placed in the Mr Universe contest, having also been guided by John.


1964
John's writeup with Frank
1964
John's writeup
1965
NABBA award

Frank attended diving and swimming lessons with Perry Blake, eventually joining his aqua show as a stunt diver opposite another young hopeful, Brian Phelps, who went on to win Olympic gold. Another swimmer was Anita Lonsborough who also won an Olympic medal.

Just before his 12th birthday, John enrolled Frank in the Viking Amateur Wrestling Club where Wayne Bridges trained, and he began to study the catch-as-catch-can style of grappling. Wayne was also an ardent swimmer and eventually won an Olympic medal in Australia in 1962.


Sparta wrestling club

Frank began to get bigger, and by 1959 had transferred to the Sparta Club in Shoreditch when he won the South Eastern Lightweight Amateur Wrestling Championships at Pentonville. Two years later he took the Mr Junior South East England physique title at the Scala Theatre in London.


1959
Olympic medallist Ken Irvine teaching Frank at Sparta AWC
1960
Gebby Brooks and Frank practising at Sparta AWC
1961
Frank loses Southern Area Championship final
1961
Childhood pals wrestling at Sparta

Starting out in Professional Wrestling

In 1960, Frank won a place at Dale Martins gym in Brixton, where he enrolled with another athlete called Rajendra Singh. It was while he was there, being trained by former World Shoot champion Mike Demitre, and watched by Jack Dale, that a trainee wrestler decided to "scurf" Frank in order to impress "The Boss". "Scurfing" means hurting your opponent in a shoot match. Frank felt really humiliated, as he didn’t know the art of submission wrestling at that time. A well-built athlete training in the corner had seen this happen, and asked if he could replace Frank in the ring. Mike agreed and Frank witnessed the total annihilation of the other "wannabe". That athlete was Ray Fury, who Frank later learned was Demitre’s protégé, and regarded as one of the top ten submission wrestlers in the world. He and Frank have remained friends to this day.


1961
poster
1966
Frank posing at Dales ring in Brixton


1972
Frank posing
1973
Frank with headlock on Ray
1973
Frank and Ray posing
1973
Frank on receiving end of Ray's forearm


1973
Frank held in stepover leglock
1973
Frank returns the favour
1973
Frank trapped in reverse arm lever
1973
Frank with aeroplane spin on Ray

Frank Rimer's Wrestling Bouts

Frank's first Pro bout was for an opposition promoter called Mickey Kylie in a fairground booth in Plymouth, where Johnny Kincaid also started. Then followed sporadic work for Gorden Corbett, Baverstock Cooter, Orig Williams and other lesser-known promoters. By 1964 Frank had his first bout for Dale Martins and served as a part time wrestler for several years, against many top names of the day.


1966
Frank takes dropkick from Johnny Williams
1967
Frank in The Wrestler magazine with Ken Shaw in Bletchley


1974
Frank bumping in action shot with Tiny Carr ref
1974
Frank vs Peter Rann from Kent Walton book
1975
Frank gets rolling butt from Archer O'Brien
1976
Frank throws Reg Trood


1968 1969 1970 1971

Wrestling Friends


1969
Frank and Ronnie Carroll
1969
Frank at Danson outdoor lido with the wrestlers
1971
Frank plays Tarzan


1978
Modelling at Eureka
1978
Warm-up before bout

Frank Rimer: Promoter

1969 saw Ray Fury and Frank form Independent Joint Promotions, which they ran for some years, utilising many former TV names such as Danny Lynch, Basil Riley, Wildman of Borneo, Harry Kendall, etc., who had left Dales. At this time Ray Fury, Tony Scarlo and Frank accepted many modelling and bit-part acting roles for magazines, TV, movies etc., and they also promoted many Rock'n'Roll revival and Country & Western shows featuring names like Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent and Shakin' Stevens. Frank also managed blues bands at this time.


1969
New Musical Express (NME) writeup
1970
Bracknell writeup
1972
Further NME writeup

Karate

Mid seventies, and Frank took up karate and studied Wado-Ru (Way of peace) under Tatsuo Suzuki, winning a black belt 1st Dan in 1978. He taught physical training and bodybuilding at the Association of Boys Clubs, which was sponsored by singer Frankie Vaughan during the 80’s, and also qualified as a Fitness Instructor for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme in 1985.


1973
Frank karate kicks Lee Charles (Charlie Macdonald)
1974
Frank in karate outfit
1974
Karate strike
1975
Magazine shot

The Annual Reunion

In 1995, Frank attended his first British Wrestlers' Reunion in Greenwich, and he has now been organising the Reunion with Wayne Bridges and Joe D’Orazio since 1997. Attendances have increased greatly each year, making it the largest of its type in the world, other than the American Cauliflower Alley Club. Frank has helped build the reunion website, and written 10 newsletters which go out worldwide. In 2002 he received an award from the founder in recognition of his work.


2003
Always the entertainer
2003
Crowd scene
2004
Frank being Bossy!


2007
Reunion
2008
Reunion
2008
Jon Cortez and Bob Anthony


2001
Mick McManus
2003
Jake the Snake Roberts
2003
Peter Cortez


Young Frankie Rimer (Frank's son) meets Wrestling star names


1993
Gravesend - "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith
1995
Eddie Capelli, George Kidd
1995
Johnny Kincaid, Goldbelt Maxine and Jo...?
1995
Kent Walton


1995
Brian Glover (Leon Arras)
1995
George Kidd, Danny Lynch & Spencer Churchill
1995
Mel Stuart
1998
Dave Prowse and Joe Robinson


1998
Frank and Baggit with Jackie Pallo
1998
Mick McManus
2000
Fit Finlay and Frank
2001
WWF's 7ft 3" Tiger Steel


2001
Horace Hogan at Barking
2001
Al...?

Dropkixx Gym

In 1998 Frank co-founded the Dropkixx Wrestling Academy with Tony Scarlo whom he had known and wrestled for over 45 years. It became, and still remains, the largest school in Europe (under Jon Ritchie), teaching amateur, submission and Pro styles of grappling, especially "Word of Sport" traditional British style. They have helped 85% of current wrestlers in U.K. to start and also helped many bullied and medically disabled children. Dropkixx made several TV documentaries during this time and became involved in the ‘Britain's Hardest’ endurance shows, featuring Leroy Kincaid, Hade Vansen , Darren Burridge and Ian ‘the machine’ Freeman. Frank retired from active 'bumping' in 2005, following a spinal and neck injury, and was honoured to receive another award from the wrestlers for his achievements in this venture. Frank says his proudest moments were seeing a paralysed boy roll into the ring and grab legendary Doug Williams -"My deepest respect and love to Doug who proved what a great star he really is by giving his time to that project", says Frank - seeing several bullied kids make their wrestling debut on the circuit, and also watching his son Frankie in his inaugural bout with Jonny Storm against Darren Burridge and another American ECW wrestler, and meeting his boyhood hero, actor, movie and physique star "Mighty Joe" Robinson, who asked for Frank's autograph!!


2001
Frank and Harinda training
2001
Frank and Tony Scarlo at Maidstone
2001
Frank and Tony with gym posters at Maidstone
2001
Lee Johnson and Frank


2001
Frank in mask with Harinder Singh Maidstone
2002
Frank demonstrates an arm roll
2002
Frank demonstrates a flying neck drop
2002
Gym training


2002
Gym training
2003
Frank teaching Leroy Kincaid
2003
Girls wrestling while Frank refs
2003
Frank teaching


2003
Lee Johnson and Frank at Dropkixx
2004
Frank with John Ritchie and Doug Williams at Dropkixx
2004
Frank and Gangrel at Croydon
2005
Frank and John Hall teaching


2005
Mick McManus, Frank and lads at the Dropkixx gym
2005
Retirement at last!
2007
Maidstone show


2004
Battle bill
2004
Camp show
2004
September show
2004


2005
Feb Fondu
2005
Queenborough bill
2005


Master of Ceremonies

Frank's Master of Ceremonies work has been ongoing since 1968, and he still acts as ring announcer for Dropkixx and LDN wrestling shows for the Fight Channel on Sky TV, plus guest spots on the annual Legends shows, where he has presented "Lifetime Achievement" awards to Mick McManus, Joe D’Orazio, Mel Stuart and more. He commentates for TV on the Strongman Tournaments and works for the prestigious "Ministry of Muscle" gym.


1970
Bracknell bill
1969
Epsom Baths. Frank and Doctor Death
1970
MC for European Championship with Jack Dempsey and Steve ...?
1970
Frank in moody writeup


2007
Legends show Broxbourne
2008
Close up at Legends show
2008
Commentating at British Strongman show


2008
Commentating at UK Strongman show
2008
Hop Farm show for TV


2007
Legends show November
2008
Legends 2 with McManus, D'Orazio, Saint, Kincaid and Kidd
2008
(Paddock Wood show/ TV awards)? with Bobby Stafford, Wayne Bridges, Billy LaRue, Titch White, ??? and Charlie Cornish


Writing

Frank currently writes for many internet wrestling sites such as Piledriver and One Stop Wrestling, and has written articles for magazines such as Power Slam, both in the UK and in the U.S. He has contributed to the Kendo Nagasaki book and Pat Roach's memoirs, and written poetry for the forthcoming Joe D’Orazio book. He also has the very sad but honourable task of writing obituary speeches for deceased wrestlers' funerals.

Many thanks to Frank for his help in supplying photographs and information for this feature.

Have you got any photographs or stories about Frank Rimer you'd like to share with others?
All contributions acknowledged, unless requested otherwise

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