Jack Dempsey Thomas Moore ( 1920 – November 2007 ) was a British professional wrestler , best known by his ring name Jack Dempsey , who was active in North American and European regional promotions from the 1930s to the 1960s . One of the leading British welterweight champions during the 1960s , he faced many top stars of the era including George Kidd , Joe Murphy , John Foley , Eddie Capelli , Bob Steele , Alan Colbeck and , most notably , Mick McManus who he defeated for the British Welterweight Championship in 1958 . Career . Born in Newtown , England , Moore grew up in Wigan and , at age 11 , began amateur boxing and later became involved in rugby league as a member of the Bradford Northern club , taking part in the first competition for the Ken Gee Cup . As a teenager , he worked as a coal miner while training at the famous " Riley ' s Gym " in Scholes . Taking part in several amateur wrestling bouts , he eventually made his professional debut in 1937 with the 17 - year - old Moore losing to Al Jenkins . Adopting his grandmother ' s surname , he began wrestling under the name Jack Dempsey and gained a large following while wrestling for promoter Billy Riley during the next several years . By the 1950s , he had begun pursuing the British Welterweight Championship held by Tony Lawrence and eventually defeated him for the title in 1953 . Dempsey would defend his title for over three years before losing to Mick McManus in London , England on January 5 , 1957 . Feuding with McManus over the next year , he would regain the Welterweight Championship in one of the most anticipated matches of the era defeating McManus in London on April 23 , 1958 . When he later won the World Welterweight Championship , Dempsey was described by one sports writer as " " The perfect ruthless fighting machine " " . Although publicly criticizing the changing business of professional wrestling , stating his personal dislike for " " clowns , gimmicks and showmen " " in a magazine interview with " The Wrestler " in March 1963 , he would feud with many such wrestlers such as Vic Faulkner , Jon Cortez and " Mr . TV " Jackie Pallo as national televised wrestling matches became more frequent during the 1960s . He would remain Welterweight champion for eight years until vacating the title due to illness in October 1966 . Upon doctors orders , he eventually retired from active competition so as to work with his wife Theresa in their Vine Street store in Whelley and later worked at Gullicks in Wigan . During the 1970s , he became an instructor at Riley ’ s gym along with Billy Riley ’ s son Ernie and head trainer Roy Wood . He later appeared in a documentary on the gym , " The Wigan Hold " , which eventually prompted government funding to move the gym to a location with modern facilities several miles from the original gym . In the years following his retirement , Moore became known as a popular local character often seen wearing a trademark bow tie and beret as well as smoking a King Edward cigar . Often telling stories of his wrestling days in local pubs , he was the subject of a television documentary in 1995 . Spending his last years in Westwood Lodge Nursing Home in Poolstock , he died in November 2007 at age 85 . His funeral held at St Mary ' s RC Church in Standishgate , he was later buried in Gidlow Cemetery on November 26 .