Tributes to Bert Royal, British wrestling legend

Known as Bert, the sportsman was from Harwood and died on August 20.

He was recognised as the youngest pro wrestler on the British circuit during his debut immediately after World War II.

Bert's brother Vic was also a wrestler – a European Middleweight Wrestler, and British Welterweight Wrestling Champion.

The brothers were famously undefeated as ‘The Royal Brothers’ wrestling tag team.

Bert was considered one of the top middleweights in the circuit by the mid-1950s.

And his fight with Cliff Beaumont at West Ham Baths was the first televised match to be broadcast on ITV on November 9, 1955.

This ultimately kickstarted his 33 years of wrestling on the network.

The Royal Brothers

Bert and his brother also met some of the biggest celebrities at the time including The Beatles, Sandie Shaw, and Adam Faith.

His son Tim led the tributes to him.

He described Bert as a gentleman and a ‘brilliant father’.

He said: “He was very well-known around the Bolton area.

“Everybody that knew him said that he was a gentleman.

“He was a brilliant father and we never wanted for anything.

“He worked hard but spent time with us.

“He will always be known as the famous wrestler, and he was a legend.

“When he passed last week, I got messages from all around the world, from Germany, France, Spain, Canada, and America – places where he wrestled.”

In 1958 Bert won the European Middleweight title, which he managed to hold several times.

But outside of wrestling, Bert committed a lot of his time to charity work, and experienced one of the most varied careers during his life.

He once worked as a hairdresser, at the Chevron petrol station on Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge, and as a councillor in the Turton District in 1967.

Tim said: “He just loved helping everybody, and it wasn’t just for the community, but it was just for everybody.”

He was hugely inspired by his dad Lewis Faulkner, also known as Vic Hessle, an Olympian and wrestler in the 1930s, known as "The Austrian Tornado" and light heavyweight champion of Austria.

Tim added: “All of his dad’s wrestling inspired him.

The time when The Royal brothers met The Beetles

“Bert was so proud of his wrestling career and how professional he was.

“He enjoyed entertaining people and making people happy.”

In his spare time Bert was a big stamp collector and he remained a popular figure until he retired at 75 as a brewery rep, but Tim says that he never stopped keeping busy.

Tim added: “Until he died, he kept doing things to keep busy.

“You’re never prepared for it when someone close dies.”

Bert had three children- Howard, Tim and Heidi-  with his wife Helen of 60 plus years – who was  his childhood sweetheart.

Bert Royal with his childhood sweetheart Helen

Heidi sadly died at the age of 25 in 1988 from cancer.

Tim said: “He still had to keep going and be strong for the family.”

Friend and carer David Griffin cared for him in his last few years at Bolton TLC – a local care company – and he recognised him, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on from where.

He said: “I looked after him until Christmas last year until I retired.

“It was quite a bit of a shock when I found out he passed.

“He was quite healthy and comical and normal.

“When I first met him, I said ‘I know you from somewhere’, and I couldn’t believe it when he said he was a professional sportsman.

“But he didn’t talk much about wrestling.”

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