Wrestling Legend Alan Serjeant Passes Away At 89 After An Iconic Career

Alan Serjeant's remarkable British wrestling career comes to an end at 89.© NDTV Library

Alan Serjeant, a two-time British Welterweight Champion and one of the sharper technical wrestlers of his time, has died at 89. News of his death came out on November 8. Serjeant did most of his work in the 1960s and 1970s, a stretch when lighter wrestlers with strong technical games were getting more recognition in Britain, and he was praised for his bridging and escape work. He also wrestled on television against some of the biggest names in the country, and Mick McManus was the man across the ring for his TV debut.

From Dale Martin Promotions to the Welterweight Title

Serjeant trained under the Paul Lincoln family before he joined Dale Martin Promotions. He was a smaller guy, and early on that made his chances look shaky. But the technical side of his game gave him an edge over opponents who leaned more on strength.

The TV debut against McManus came in 1966. Serjeant lost that match, though it still helped build his name with British wrestling viewers. The same year, on 26 November, he was crowned British welterweight champion at the Pavilion in Hemel Hempstead.

A televised tournament with eight wrestlers had been set up to find a new champion after Jack Dempsey's temporary retirement, and Serjeant got past Sid Cooper and Linde Caulder before beating Alan Wood in the final.

Then came the second reign. Serjeant regained the title on 20 May 1968 at St George's Hall in Bradford, stopping Jim Breaks to do it.

Brian Maxine took the belt from him with an eighth round submission on 30 September 1969, and Maxine beat him again at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon on 10 February 1970 to retain it.

Around this time Serjeant was part of a group of technically skilled lighter wrestlers that included Jim Breaks and Bert Royal.

His style was clean wrestling, quick escapes and technical manoeuvres, and it earned plenty of praise while more smaller competitors were reaching the top of the British scene.

Europe Tours and Life After Wrestling

Serjeant didn't only work venues in England. He also competed in Ireland, France and Belgium, so crowds across Europe got to see that style first hand.

He kept wrestling into his late forties before deciding to retire in the mid-1980s, by which point he had spent more than two decades competing as a pro. Leaving the ring didn't mean leaving sport, though.

Serjeant later worked as a sports centre manager, where he taught fitness classes and coached trampolining.

He was described as a “technical wrestling master”, a fair summary of what he gave British professional wrestling.