To British Escapists

[SadakoMoose]

Do you know who this man is?
He's Johnny Saint
Ask your mother and or grandmother who he is, and behold the legacy of British wrestling.
He was only 11 stone, but he used his wits and clever thinking to trip up his more intimidating opponents. Kind of like a Pro Wrestling Dr. Who.

British wrestling used to be a big deal. It's one of the places New Japan Pro Wrestling (Currently owned by Yuke's, ironically the same company that makes the Smackdown vs Raw games) would send it's Rookies for cross training, because they knew how good the British were at technical wrestling. It was where nearly anybody spent their Saturday afternoons, if they watched television at all. These old World of Sport tapes are still used at wrestling schools all over the world, and taught from like writings of Pythagoras.

Ask anyone over the age of 30 who Kendo Nagasaki is, I dare you.

But what of Johnny Saint? He retired at the age of 54, in Japan...
The only country where there was enough interest in him to draw a big enough crowd.

Because somewhere along the line British wrestling basically died.

ITV canceled All Star Wrestling's TV Show.
Vince McMahon pulled some real dick moves with the networks.
And people just stopped caring...

It's a shame when an 18 year old AMERICAN knows more about world of sport than a 30 year old Briton. Pro Wrestling is not an exclusively American thing, it never was.

To Be British or to propagate British culture isn't to exclude or dominate over others, but to add to the world's cultural make up.

Come on British escapists.
Look at your country's proud contributions to the sport and the legacy it's culture leaves behind.
Let's take your wrestling back and put it into British hands again!

Oh...right...

Discuss:
WORLD OF SPORT
WRESTLING IN GENERAL
BRITISH THINGS

 

[drbarno]

some people just aren't into sport, though I still hate the fact that most people in the country like watching shitty soap opera's, so our TV channels are clogged with them. Also as a british person I dislike things that you would expect a british person to like.

like Tea, for example.

 

[monstersquad]

What's a stone? Is this camelot measurements?

 

[SadakoMoose]

What's a stone? Is this camelot measurements?

About 11 pounds
Making him 154 pounds on average
EDIT
14, my mistake

 

[Hero in a half shell]

The closest thing to Wrestling on British TV I have ever seen was the Gladiators gameshow, and it kicked a whole lot of ass.

I think it may have been the fakeness of the wrestling, looking at that video, while very technical, some of the moves are fake as get out. (0:50, where he crawls through the guys legs for example) I know it's an old cliche, but maybe the whole wrestling scene just became too un-english as it got more and more outrageous.
I am reminded of the English navy general who in the 1910's called the newly emerging submarine warfare, "Unfair, underhanded, and damn unenglish" Actually that doesn't have an awful lot to do with this, but its a great quote.

 

[SadakoMoose]

The closest thing to Wrestling on British TV I have ever seen was the Gladiators gameshow, and it kicked a whole lot of ass.

I think it may have been the fakeness of the wrestling, looking at that video, while very technical, some of the moves are fake as get out. (0:50, where he crawls through the guys legs for example) I know it's an old cliche, but maybe the whole wrestling scene just became too un-english as it got more and more outrageous.
I am reminded of the English navy general who in the 1910's called the newly emerging submarine warfare, "Unfair, underhanded, and damn unenglish" Actually that doesn't have an awful lot to do with this, but its a great quote.

Well wrestling's changed a lot since the 70's and 80's.
But that's just more reason for Britain to really get back in the game.
Time it became a world renowned innovator again, and not a cheap imitator.

 

[thelonewolf266]

Sorry I just don't see the appeal its so fake its painful to watch it looks more like a synchronised dance than a fight.That is however just my personal opinion and I don't condemn you for liking it.

 

[SillyBear]

Wrestling is stupid. I don't care if a British person was influential in an industry I don't like.

 

[SadakoMoose]

Sorry I just don't see the appeal its so fake its painful to watch it looks more like a synchronised dance than a fight.That is however just my personal opinion and I don't condemn you for liking it.

Well, now admittedly the footage in that video is mostly from the 1970's and 80's.
Just look at action movies from back then.
Anyway, pro wrestling nowadays is much different.
Besides the point isn't to be realistic...
It's to exhibit neat athletic skills in the context of heated competition.
No one's in it to see a real fight.

 

[SadakoMoose]

This thread seems strangely biased against the British. I take offense, bloody twat OT.

How so?

 

[SadakoMoose]

This thread seems strangely biased against the British. I take offense, bloody twat OT.

How so?

I should have added the "British and their wrestling." Also, I am not British.

Fair enough

 

[thylasos]

Not a fan of wrestling since my early teens, and the rock music and spectacle of the thing was probably what drew me in.

Big Daddy fighting in the Milton Keynes Bowl probably wouldn't have appealed.

Mind you, I don't follow Cricket or Rugby either, and only occasionally check in with Colchester United or Zenit Sankt-Peterburg.

 

[Nerf Ninja]

Being over 30 I've got a vague inkling of Kendo Nagasaki, mainly just by name only though.

I hated British wrestling simply because it was so poorly funded it couldn't compete with the WWF as it was then called.

Why would you want to watch a huge fat man (Big daddy) when you could watch what was essentially an action movie fight scene from America?

I think these days that the British are so culturally mixed that it's hard to pin down modern Britishness.

Captcha - entoop research. I agree, not enough is known about the entoop. (Sounds like a Pokemon)

 

[Nickolai77]

Brit Escapist here:

Wrestling has never really interested me, but then again most sports don't. Personally though i enjoy archery and badminton, both of which are sports connected with English culture. I'll also watch football if my friends are, i'm not a massive fan but can enjoy the odd game. Of course, we codified that game too.

Why don't i like wrestling? For me, personally, i've never been interested in physical fighting or martial arts. Tried taikwondo with one of my friends for a few weeks, stopped after a month or so as i just didn't find it enjoyable. Personally, other forms of violence interest me. Archery for one, but i also have a general interest in all forms of military equipment, from the celtic longsword to the L85A2.

But that's me personally, what about the rest of the nation? I think it might be something to do with the image that wrestling has. Most people think of wrestling to be this:

Spoiler

It's very Amerianised, very macho, very individualistic- heck they all look like super-hero's, none of which mean anything to stereotypically modest and introverted Britishers.

Now, let's look at popular British sports.

Spoiler

That's Liverpool FC at their home ground in Anfield. They're the pride of the city, and the pride of most people whom identify with scousers and perhaps anyone whom hates Man U. Football is something any city kid can play, all you need is a football and a few friends. It's something that practically all British children grow up playing, and when they are too old to play, they watch in their local pub. Football is a team game, and it's a game with it's heart in the city. It's rooted into the mindset of British working class culture.

Spoiler

Now, this is from a recent England V India cricket match. Cricket certainly appeals more to the wealthy rural classes, the middle England type i suppose, but is also very popular in places up north such as Yorkshire. Cricket is a living legacy of the British Empire, which perhaps at a subtle, subconscious level appeals to some people. However, for most i think it's something you just grow up with if you have a privileged upbringing in one of the many rural towns across the countryside. Many English villages have a cricket green, it's a very nice, comfortable game to play on warm summer days. Again, like football it's a team game, only this time in the countryside and perhaps with a dose of old British stiff upper lip.

If wrestling was a major British sport, i can only think that it got overtaken by football or perhaps boxing, which is a major sport in the UK. If anything, i think wrestling needs to lose it's American image and tone itself down a bit if it wants to appeal more to Brit's.

 

[Doive]

Now, let's look at popular British sports.

Spoiler

That's Liverpool FC at their home ground in Anfield. They're the pride of the city, and the pride of most people whom identify with scousers and perhaps anyone whom hates Man U. Football is something any city kid can play, all you need is a football and a few friends. It's something that practically all British children grow up playing, and when they are too old to play, they watch in their local pub. Football is a team game, and it's a game with it's heart in the city. It's rooted into the mindset of British working class culture.

Spoiler

Now, this is from a recent England V India cricket match. Cricket certainly appeals more to the wealthy rural classes, the middle England type i suppose, but is also very popular in places up north such as Yorkshire. Cricket is a living legacy of the British Empire, which perhaps at a subtle, subconscious level appeals to some people. However, for most i think it's something you just grow up with if you have a privileged upbringing in one of the many rural towns across the countryside. Many English villages have a cricket green, it's a very nice, comfortable game to play on warm summer days. Again, like football it's a team game, only this time in the countryside and perhaps with a dose of old British stiff upper lip.

If wrestling was a major British sport, i can only think that it got overtaken by football or perhaps boxing, which is a major sport in the UK. If anything, i think wrestling needs to lose it's American image and tone itself down a bit if it wants to appeal more to Brit's.

Just because some of the best english cricket players are seen to be from privelidged backgrounds does not mean the fans are. I have been to alot of cricket matches, both county and international, and there is nothing posh about it that isn't done ironically. Football is played more than cricket in cities because there aren't as many big, flat fields/parks in cities, not because you have to be posh to play cricket.

 

[Wadders]

Englishman here:

Yeah, the only time I ever hear anything about British Wrestling is from my ma, who is 50, and used to go and watch it when she was a young 'un with her dad (my grand dad) Pretty sad really to see a sport die out like that, but we still have some decent boxers

The only sport I take part in as a player is Clay Pigeon shooting. Got my own gun and all, it's a great sport!

I do love football though, as do most British males from like age 4 onwards, going to see a live footy game is brilliant and addictive

Spoiler

That's Liverpool FC at their home ground in Anfield. They're the pride of the city, and the pride of most people whom identify with scousers and perhaps anyone whom hates Man U. Football is something any city kid can play, all you need is a football and a few friends. It's something that practically all British children grow up playing, and when they are too old to play, they watch in their local pub. Football is a team game, and it's a game with it's heart in the city. It's rooted into the mindset of British working class culture.

Spoiler

LFC are the pride of Liverpool city? I know a few Everton fans who would beg to differ

Also, another major British sport is Rugby, no way near as popular as Football, but just as awesome, for different reasons

 

[Nickolai77]

Just because some of the best english cricket players are seen to be from privelidged backgrounds does not mean the fans are. I have been to alot of cricket matches, both county and international, and there is nothing posh about it that isn't done ironically. Football is played more than cricket in cities because there aren't as many big, flat fields/parks in cities, not because you have to be posh to play cricket.

I was probably being unfairly generalising, i didn't mean to imply cricket fans were posh because they're not, you have my apologies. What i meant was that they tend to come from confortable middle class backgrounds, usually from rural areas.

 

[Nickolai77]

LFC are the pride of Liverpool city? I know a few Everton fans who would beg to differ

Also, another major British sport is Rugby, no way near as popular as Football, but just as awesome, for different reasons [/quote]

Bollocks, can't believe i forgot about Everton. I guess it's just because they're not as good as Liverpool

True about rugby as well, that's defiantly a major sport.