I'm looking back on the year when 2,000 wrestling fans watched giants clash in South Shields

It happened in 1961 at a time when grapple fans were really getting into the ring sport.

2,000 people were there

The stars who were coming to South Shields were Black Panther and Ivan the Terrible.

Two thousand people packed into the Regent Cinema to see who would win and it would be decided by a 10-round heavyweight contest.

The Gazette’s sports writer at the time was Dick Kirkup and he got an interview with the 6ft 2in-tall bearded Russian Ivan the Terrible.

Four steaks for breakfast

He asked him what he’d had for breakfast, and the Russian revealed he’d had four steaks and half a gallon of milk.

Also in the news that year:

The television age was really taking off in Britain in 1961, and every household had to have one.

What’s My Line host Eamonn Andrews was pictured advertising sets for AH Cowey at 115 Fowler Street in South Shields.

An injection of humour at the Regent

The movie Dentist in the Chair was showing at the Regent in South Shields. The stars of the show were Bob Monkhouse and Kenneth Connor.

Elsewhere, Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing was the feature film at the Gaumont.

Share your 1961 memories - and the wrestling stars you loved - by emailing [email protected]