Orig Williams
Encyclopedia
Orig Williams was a Welsh
professional wrestler
and wrestling promoter. Williams spent his wrestling career in the persona of a villainous heel
under the pseudonym "El Bandito", and after retiring as a fighter he became a promoter, manager and television presenter. He is recognised as one of the most famous wrestlers to come from Wales.
in North Wales in 1931. He was the son of a local quarryman, and was educated at the local primary school. Williams was accustomed to fighting from a young age, including war evacuees from Liverpool and practising boxing with his village friends. Despite his combative nature, Williams was awarded a place in the local grammar school at nearby Llanrwst
.
After leaving school, Williams spent his National Service with the RAF; and on discharge he became a professional football player. He played for several notable teams around North Wales and the north of England, including Bangor City
, Shrewsbury Town
, Oldham Athletic
and Pwllheli
. He later became the player-manager of Welsh team Nantlle Vale
, and the club, under his mentoring, became known as a very dirty and overly violent team. Williams himself was one of the worst members of his team, and would often be red carded and sent off for his repeated fouling. After a particularly rough game, he received an injury, which forced his retirement from football. Before leaving football, Williams had noticed the local crowds dwindling, with one of the major factors being the televised wrestling, which was being shown mid-day on Saturdays. He took advantage of this new fad, and began working as a wrestler and boxer in fairgrounds; though he nearly lost his job as he could not bring himself to take the hat around the spectators, as he believed it was akin to begging.
who told him that the entire troupe was leaving for Pakistan as another promoter was offering more money. Williams went with them, spending another 18 months in Asia. Later in his life, Williams stated that fighting with the Bholu Brothers was the highlight of his career. Other tours saw him take in the Middle East, the Far East, Continental Europe and America. While in America he adopted the wrestling name, "El Bandito", due to his large handlebar moustache
.
As a wrestler, Williams played as a heel, and enjoyed being physically imposing. He would hurl himself at his opponents and did not hold back his foot stomps on prone combatants. He believed in hard matches, and often quoted the old saying "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen", during his matches. Despite his hard-man image, Williams was a popular member of the wrestling community, and went on to promote several fighters including Adrian Street
, "Mighty" John Quinn
, Tony St Clair, Mark Rocco
and Johnny Saint
.
In the 1980s, as a popular showman and a natural Welsh speaker
, Williams was offered the job of presenting S4C
's wrestling show, Reslo. Although ITV had shown wrestling on British television since the 1950s, Williams brought different forms of matches to Welsh audiences, including cage fights, chain matches, pole matches and female fighting, none of which had been done on ITV. Williams set up a training gym at his house, and many female wrestlers graduated from his 'Garage' training facility including Tina Starr, Rusty Blair, Carla Sanchez and Bella Ogunlana.
Williams was an avid promoter of wrestling bouts and appropriated the name 'British Wrestling Federation', under which his shows were sometimes held. He also appeared in many of his own bills, stating "No point in wasting money for another wrestler".
, and in 1985 he wrote his autobiography Cario’r Ddraig: Stori El Bandito. For his continual promotion of the Welsh language, he was made a member of the Gorsedd
of Bards at the 2000 Eisteddfod at Llanelli.
Williams was a Welsh nationalist, but he believed that the people of Wales should broaden their horizons through travel and self-learning to understand their country's own identity better. He also had a very positive outlook on the abilities of the Welsh, and was disappointed with the negativity of many of his countrymen.
He died from a sudden heart attack in 2009, and was survived by his wife Wendy, and daughter Tara Bethan. In 2008 Tara went on to become a finalist in the BBC One television series I'd Do Anything
, and mentioned her time being babysat by British wrestling superstars.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and wrestling promoter. Williams spent his wrestling career in the persona of a villainous heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
under the pseudonym "El Bandito", and after retiring as a fighter he became a promoter, manager and television presenter. He is recognised as one of the most famous wrestlers to come from Wales.
Early history
Williams was born in the small village of Ysbyty IfanYsbyty Ifan
Ysbyty Ifan is a small but historic village in Conwy County Borough, north Wales. Nearly all the population speak Welsh.-History:Ysbyty Ifan, until 1189, was known as Dôl Gynwal. Then, it came to the attention of the Knights of St John, who set up a hospice...
in North Wales in 1931. He was the son of a local quarryman, and was educated at the local primary school. Williams was accustomed to fighting from a young age, including war evacuees from Liverpool and practising boxing with his village friends. Despite his combative nature, Williams was awarded a place in the local grammar school at nearby Llanrwst
Llanrwst
Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
.
After leaving school, Williams spent his National Service with the RAF; and on discharge he became a professional football player. He played for several notable teams around North Wales and the north of England, including Bangor City
Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....
, Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
and Pwllheli
Pwllheli F.C.
Pwllheli F.C. is a football club in Pwllheli in North Wales. They are members of the Welsh Alliance League and play at the Recreation Ground. They will be competing in Division Four in the 2009-10 season.-Current squad:-Staff:...
. He later became the player-manager of Welsh team Nantlle Vale
Nantlle Vale F.C.
Nantlle Vale F.C is a Welsh football club from Penygroes, near Caernarfon, probably formed in 1920. They play in the fourth tier of Welsh football in the Welsh Alliance League...
, and the club, under his mentoring, became known as a very dirty and overly violent team. Williams himself was one of the worst members of his team, and would often be red carded and sent off for his repeated fouling. After a particularly rough game, he received an injury, which forced his retirement from football. Before leaving football, Williams had noticed the local crowds dwindling, with one of the major factors being the televised wrestling, which was being shown mid-day on Saturdays. He took advantage of this new fad, and began working as a wrestler and boxer in fairgrounds; though he nearly lost his job as he could not bring himself to take the hat around the spectators, as he believed it was akin to begging.
Wrestling career
By the mid 1960s Williams became the top-billing performer on the independent wrestling circuit. As his career progressed he was invited to fight in India. While in India he wrestled the Bholu Brothers, and on one occasion he was awoken at night by Bholu PahalwanBholu Pahalwan
Bholu was one of the most popular wrestlers of 1950s. His name has been recorded in the annals of wrestling. Bholu originates from aGujjar family of renowned wrestlers from Amritsar, Punjab. He lived in Amritsar till age 9. Then during one of his school holidays Bholu moved to Patiala to visit his...
who told him that the entire troupe was leaving for Pakistan as another promoter was offering more money. Williams went with them, spending another 18 months in Asia. Later in his life, Williams stated that fighting with the Bholu Brothers was the highlight of his career. Other tours saw him take in the Middle East, the Far East, Continental Europe and America. While in America he adopted the wrestling name, "El Bandito", due to his large handlebar moustache
Handlebar moustache
A handlebar moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy, upward curved, extremities. It is named for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a "spaghetti moustache", because of its stereotypical association with Italian men...
.
As a wrestler, Williams played as a heel, and enjoyed being physically imposing. He would hurl himself at his opponents and did not hold back his foot stomps on prone combatants. He believed in hard matches, and often quoted the old saying "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen", during his matches. Despite his hard-man image, Williams was a popular member of the wrestling community, and went on to promote several fighters including Adrian Street
Adrian Street
Adrian Street is a Welsh professional wrestler known for his flamboyant, androgynous wrestling persona, brought to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Street was often accompanied to the ring by his long-time manager Miss Linda, and the two worked primarily as villains...
, "Mighty" John Quinn
John Quinn (wrestler)
John Quinn is a retired Canadian professional wrestler who competed in North American regional promotions including NWA All-Star Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling during the 1960s and early 1970s...
, Tony St Clair, Mark Rocco
Mark Rocco
Mark Hussey is a retired English professional wrestler who competed for All-Star Wrestling as Mark "Rollerball" Rocco and as the original masked Black Tiger in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1970s and 80s...
and Johnny Saint
Johnny Saint
John Miller is a semi-retired English professional wrestler better known by his ring name Johnny Saint, who worked around the United Kingdom during the World of Sport era.-Career:...
.
In the 1980s, as a popular showman and a natural Welsh speaker
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, Williams was offered the job of presenting S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
's wrestling show, Reslo. Although ITV had shown wrestling on British television since the 1950s, Williams brought different forms of matches to Welsh audiences, including cage fights, chain matches, pole matches and female fighting, none of which had been done on ITV. Williams set up a training gym at his house, and many female wrestlers graduated from his 'Garage' training facility including Tina Starr, Rusty Blair, Carla Sanchez and Bella Ogunlana.
Williams was an avid promoter of wrestling bouts and appropriated the name 'British Wrestling Federation', under which his shows were sometimes held. He also appeared in many of his own bills, stating "No point in wasting money for another wrestler".
Later life
In his later life Williams became a sports journalist for the Daily PostLiverpool Daily Post
The Liverpool Daily Post is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Friday and is published in Merseyside, Cheshire, and North Wales editions, and is a morning paper...
, and in 1985 he wrote his autobiography Cario’r Ddraig: Stori El Bandito. For his continual promotion of the Welsh language, he was made a member of the Gorsedd
Gorsedd
A gorsedd plural gorseddau, is a community or coming together of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is occasionally spelled gorsedh , or goursez in Brittany....
of Bards at the 2000 Eisteddfod at Llanelli.
Williams was a Welsh nationalist, but he believed that the people of Wales should broaden their horizons through travel and self-learning to understand their country's own identity better. He also had a very positive outlook on the abilities of the Welsh, and was disappointed with the negativity of many of his countrymen.
He died from a sudden heart attack in 2009, and was survived by his wife Wendy, and daughter Tara Bethan. In 2008 Tara went on to become a finalist in the BBC One television series I'd Do Anything
I'd Do Anything (BBC TV series)
I'd Do Anything is a 2008 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom and broadcast on BBC One. It premièred on 15 March 2008...
, and mentioned her time being babysat by British wrestling superstars.