Title History
- NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Tag Team titles w/James Blears defeating Fred Atkins & Ray Eckert (????, 1953);
- NWA (Chicago/Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/James Blears Billed as Champions upon arrival (????, 1953);
- WWA (Los Angeles) International Television Tag Team titles w/James Blears defeating Sandor Szabo & Wilbur Snyder (March 8, 1954);
- NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Tag Team titles w/James Blears defeating Tom Rice & Hard Boiled Haggerty (April 10, 1954);
- WWA (Los Angeles) International Television Tag Team titles w/James Blears defeating Bobo Brazil & Wilbur Snyder (July 19, 1954);
- NWA (Toronto) Canadian Open Tag Team titles w/Billy Watson defeating Karol & Ivan Kalmikoff (July 14, 1955);
- NWA Hawaii Tag Team titles w/Tom Rice defeating Lucky Simunovich & Al Lolotai (April 28, 1957);
- MWA Ohio Tag Team titles w/Ilio DiPaolo defeating Mike & Doc Gallagher (November 21, 1959);
- AWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Dick the Bruiser (????, 1962);
- AWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Fritz Von Erich (July 20, 1963);
- NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/Bobo Brazil defeating Dick Murdoch & Dusty Rhodes (August 8, 1970);
Career Highlights
In the Beginning:
- Athol Layton born in England, and moved to Australia at 13, where he met his wife Leah..
- Athol Layton was discharched from the Australian Imperial Forces after World War II..
- Athol Layton was Australia’s Heavyweight Amateur Boxing Champ for two years..Toronto Maple Leaf Wrestling:
- Athol Layton eventually landed a job working for Frank Tunney’s Toronto-based Maple Leaf territory as a wrestler and TV commentator..
- November 1950: Athol Laydon made his Maple Leaf Gardens wrestling debut in a main event against Sky-Hi Lee..
- 1953: Athol Layton challenged Lou Thesz for the NWA Heavyweight title at Maple Leaf Gardens..
- 1956: Pat O’Connor defeated Athol Layton to win the vacant British Empire title..
- Athol Layton frequently worked as a special referee in Maple Leaf Gardens main events in the 1950s and 60s..
- Athol Layton formed a successful tag team with Lord James Blears..
- 1975: Athol Layton teamed with Mighty Igor against Abdullah the Butcher & Waldo Von Erich..
- 1976: Athol Layton (age 55) in his final Maple Leaf Gardens with Lou Klein in a match against the Kelly Twins..Retirement:
- Athol Layton was nominated to run as a Liberal in a Toronto riding in the 1963 Ontario election..
- Athol Layton become involved with the Toronto Shriners and became a Canadian citizen in 1958. ..
- January 18, 1984: Athol Layton died of a heart attack at the age of 63..