General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

Wigan was the home of many of the great British professional wrestlers of the twentieth century. Those who are old enough will remember the likes of Jack Dempsey, Billy Joyce, Mel Riss, Billy and ERnie Riley and dozens more. Let's keep their memory alive on the Wigan forum.

We will start things rolling with an anniversary. On this day 14th December) in 1954 in a match between two masked wrestlers The Dark Owl defeated and unmasked Le Masque at the Corn Exchange, Kings Lynn. Le Masque removed his hood and revealed the face of Manchester's Bill Coverdale. The Dark Owl is believed to have been Wigan's Ernie Riley. He worked as the Dark Owl until January, 1958 when Ernie was forced to remove his mask by another masked wrestler, Count Bartelli of Crewe. According to Bartelli Ernie's dad, Billy, had previously worked as the Dark Owl too.

Ernie was three times British light heavyweight champion over a seventeen year period from 1952 until 1969.