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British wrestling back in the big time as fans witness rebirth of World of Sport

6:22 PM

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Hundreds of British grappling fans filled an ITV studio this week to witness the rebirth of World of Sport Wrestling.

While many punters were turned away from the oversubscribed event at Manchester's Media City, those lucky enough to be a part of history were in for a real treat.

World of Sport provided hard-hitting family entertainment on the channel every Saturday afternoon from 1965 until 1985.

Now the brand has been rebooted for a new one-off show - expected to air on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day - featuring some of the top UK talents of 2016.

They will hope the two-hour pilot episode generates enough interest to lead to a full series - providing home-grown stars with the opportunity to flourish on national television.

To do that, the new generation will need to connect with casual viewers in the same way that larger than life characters Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks did more than 30 years ago.

Scottish wrestling star Grado

There is no doubt the current crop boasts plenty of strong personalities, from the clown prince of Scottish wrestling Grado, to the 'Tassel-Tastic' performer 'Delicious' Danny Hope.

And fans will be pleased to see ring generals such as Zack Gibson and Rampage Brown emulating the technical skills of heroes of yesteryear like Johnny Saint and Marc 'Rollerball' Rocco.

The evening began with an introduction from comedian Andy Collins, who performs warm-up sets for The X Factor, Alan Carr and Paul O'Grady.

His slick routine and regular call to arms helped work the crowd into a frenzy when the cameras started rolling, even if fans were forbidden from shouting 'one fall' when a contest was introduced, as many do at British wrestling shows.

Plenty of red and blue foam fingers were handed out to the audience, who were soon marvelling at all the glitz and glamour, fireworks and pyrotechnics associated with past ITV productions such as Gladiators.


The ring action was called by legendary WWE announcer Jim Ross - greeted with huge 'JR' chants - and former British champion wrestler turned TV producer Alex Shane.

Those in attendance were unable to hear the duo's commentary, but to have someone of Good Ol' JR's calibre, whose words have lit up some of the greatest moments in wrestling history, alongside a promoter who has spent years trying to get British grappling back in the spotlight, is a huge plus for WOSW.

They were not the only familiar faces, with UK wrestling referees Steve Lynskey and Chris Roberts, plus boxing MC Phil Seymour, all involved in the production.

In between bouts, interviewer Rachel Stringer spoke to wrestlers to get their reaction in a series of backstage segments.

She also chatted with authority figure Mr Beesley - aka Manchester actor Max Beesley Snr - who called the shots and stood for no nonsense, channelling the spirit of a northern Jack Tunney.


The actual wrestling was more akin to the American antics familiar to most wrestling fans today, than the 'World of Sport style' played out under the old Admiral-Lord Mountevans rules.

As such the contests included a ladder match, where four men competed to retrieve a briefcase dangling high above the ring, and an over the top rope, elimination battle royal.

Perhaps the biggest 'World of Sport' first was a women's singles match, pitting the dangerous Viper, from Ayrshire, Scotland, (complete with an appropriate name-influenced prop) against the Cheshire-billed siren Alexis Rose.

However, there was still plenty of nostalgia, in the form of tremendous video packages highlighting some of the icons of yesteryear, from Mick McManus and Jackie Pallo to Kendo Nagasaki and Adrian Street.

They were narrated by key figures from the time, including All Star Wrestling promoter Brian Dixon, World Mid Heavyweight legend Marty Jones and formidable crowd antagonist Klondyke Kate.


It was great to see several of these influential figures invited to watch the taping, joined by those who are carrying the torch today, including Manchester's WWE Cruiserweight Division star Jack Gallagher.

Sadly, I didn't see any grannies hitting the wrestlers with their handbags as used to be the case, and thanks to the smoking ban, performers didn't have to worry about irate fans stubbing out cigarettes on their backs!

Enthusiasts can be reassured that top-notch wrestling remains at the core of the presentation, with the aforementioned 'Liverpool's No.1' Zack Gibson and the masked 'Mexican Sensation' El Ligero among the standout performers.

It was clear most observers were familiar with the stars of the UK independent scene, judging by the loud boos that greeted vicious heels like 'The Pound For Pound Best' CJ Banks, and the raucous cheers for prodigious Scottish high flyer Kenny Williams and the lovable local favourite Sam Bailey, competing in his home city.

The hilarious fan chants synonymous with British shows were also present, as fans teased the athletic Ashton Smith for bringing his 'dad', Leeds' powerhouse Rampage Brown, to a clash with the impressive Glaswegian brothers Joe and Mark Coffey.

Nobody was quite as over as Grado, who even had supporters singing his famous entrance music, Madonna's Like A Prayer, despite a generic theme being used to mark his arrival at the show.


However, the 'Black Country Beast' Dave Mastiff cast a long shadow over the event, thanks to his explosive power moves, disregard for the rules and the help of two fearsome allies.

With the bruising 'East End Butcher' Sha Samuels and muscular colossus Johnny Moss in his corner, Dudley's finest seized command of the new-look World of Sport landscape.

The evening could not pass without at least one big surprise appearance, which when it came, had fans on their feet going absolutely wild.

While obviously being targeted at a family demographic, the programme showcased a range of wrestling styles, with plenty of camp frivolity, crowd-baiting and audience-rousing melodrama.

So whatever you do, make sure you tune in when WOSW is aired, whether it ends up being the perfect appetiser for your New Year's Eve celebrations or a hangover-curing New Year's Day pick-me-up. Finally, British wrestling is back in the big time.



VIEW GALLERY



Wrestler Shirley Crabtree alias Big Daddy,

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