Globetrotting Australian Heavyweight
Earl Black’s Career, in his own words:
Trained by Steve Rickard and Joe Komene in Wellington, New Zealand.
Debut 1966 in Wellington.
Toured New Zealand until going to Sydney to work for Hal Morgan and Jim Barnett.
In 1968 I was chosen to take part in the "World Series", living in Singapore and commuting to wrestle in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. I was originally part of the "World" team. The German team lost a man through
injury, so I joined the Germans for the "Germany vs The World" Tournaments. Each series lasted six weeks.
The Germans were great tournament hosts in those days, and Wild Angus won a tournament which took place in Germany over three months.
Next was the "Far East" championship Tournament which I won.
Other series included "Japan vs The World" and "India vs The World". Anthony Inoki and Giant Baba starred for Japan. The Japanese asked me to work in Japan, but I had to wait a few months.
I left Singapore after a year and took a rest in England. I did work in England, but not a great deal, as I was not there long.
I stayed in Japan for two years and went to Vancouver at the invitation of Gene Kiniski, who I met in Tokyo. I had injured a disc in my spine whilst wrestling in Sydney on Hal Morgan’s solid rings. Now it had come back to haunt me. I struggled on with the aid of chiropractors and masseurs but eventually it ended my career in 1972.
Stu Hart appeared one night in 1970 in Vancouver looking for wrestlers to tour the Stampede loop, so some of us went to Calgary, where we gained valuable experience wrestling longer matches. I had a great time there, making many friends. After a while, my partner Kurt von Hess injured his knee, and I was given Joe Tomasso as my new partner. Danny Kroffat was reaching his peak at this time. Don't forget that I was only around 23 years old. Hess was younger than me, and Kroffat was young too. As time went on, the matches took on a certain style, with Kroffat and myself wrestling each other, showing our speedwork and technical expertise. We both trained hard and were always on the lookout for new moves and techniques. Tomasso was getting long in the tooth by then, so he would take over later in the match and kick off the villainy. After that, it was a free-for-all, and the public seemed to enjoy it as the crowds got bigger. Another great team were Chin Lee and Suki Sito, we had some hot title matches against them.
In 1972, I got a multiple entry visa to work in America, and moved to Kansas City to work for Bob Geigel and Pat O'Connor. From there I ended up in Florida, but in a match against Johnny Walker, I injured another spinal disc and the one below it.
After resting and a slight improvement, I rejoined Kurt von Scholtz in Montreal. I stayed in Montreal for the winter, and then flew to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This is where I saw the hottest match of my life. The bare knuckles tag boxing match between ex-boxer Rudy Kay and Leo Burke, and the team of Justice Dubois and Giant Freddie Sweetan, in Halifax.
I hated to leave when my career was at its peak, but doctors told me that I had to quit the game or be crippled for life. At the age of 27, the only hospital that would operate on me was the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London. I am in perfect health today, as recent tests revealed. A heart specialist told me that, although I am 65, my heart is twice as strong as the average 30 year old's.
Through the marvel of the internet, I am getting in touch with faces from the past and learning how to use a computer. I speak often to Les Thornton, who now lives in Kelowna, near Vancouver.
Earl Black
Read some stories from Earl Black’s Career, in his own words:
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