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Les Kellett

Article: A Column About British Wrestling

Title History

 

Career Highlights

  • Les Kellett didn’t become a full-time wrestler until well into his 40s due to interruptions like WWII..
  • Les Kellett continued to wrestle well into his 60s and possibly 70s!
  • January 9, 2002: Les Kellett passed away at the age of 86..

    Peter Sawyer wrote: Les Kellett was a numerous-time champ, mostly as a middleweight. He had a long-running feud with Johnny Czeslaw between 1972 and 1976 although it was always a friendly rivalry. He virtually patented the Figure-4 leglock and what’s now known as the Indian Deathlock. Kellett was a comedian in the ring- his trademark was acting as if disorientated and ducking out of the way at the last moment, wobbling across the ring and delivering a huge back chop. He became famous for a rather selective sense of hearing- only hearing the bell or referee when it suited him, when it didn’t he would wait as long as possible before breaking, then making a point of telling his opponent that the round was over.

 


Martyn Russell wrote: Les Kellett was not from Manchester. He was a Yorkshire man born in Bradford in 1915. He was trained by Len Pickard. He lived through both World Wars and was a professional wrestler in 1938 but had to stop when the Second World War began. He began wrestling again in the 1940’s and did live in Manchester for a while before moving back to Bradford. One of his two sons, a wrestler called Dave Barrie, died in 2000. Les Kellet died on January 9th 2002


Ray Richards wrote: Les was born in Bradford, and had until his death, a transport cafe in Thornton, Bradford, a favourite meeting place with other wrestlers. He used to train at a farm owned by Sandy Orford, in Great Horton, Bradford, along with such wrestlers as Dennis Mitchell, Tony Orfors, etc..

Updated: August 21, 2023 @ 6:24 pm

Trained By

Len Pickard

Debut

Birthday

1915

Hometown

(Born in) Bradford, England
(Originally) Yorkshire, England
(Billed) Manchester, England

Gender

Male

Height

Weight

Finishing Move(s)

The Boston Crab
Submission Toe Hold

Favorite Move(s)

Tornado Armbreaker
Leg drop armbreaker

Notable Feuds

Ricki Starr
Eric Taylor

Status

Deceased