Hamish Woodward 
Nobody in wrestling has as many finishing moves as Zack Sabre Jr, and with them comes the increasingly bizarre names he comes up with to call them. While he claimed on AEW Dynamite that he didn’t have a finishing move, he actually has many. That is because he wins matches with a litany of holds, … Read more
It was a dark day in 1997 when Shirley Crabtree, better known as Big Daddy, died at the age of 67. Up until his retirement in 1993, it is undeniable that Big Daddy was the biggest star in British wrestling history. Thanks to his legendary feud with Giant Haystacks, he was known across the country, … Read more
The 1930s saw All-In Wrestling grow in popularity, blending raw violence with captivating entertainment. However, it almost killed the sport.
The British Bulldog was once hand-picked as the man to replace Big Daddy and save British wrestling. When Big Daddy retired from wrestling at the end of 1993, the British wrestling scene was in disarray. The fall off from its peak in the 1970s and the 1980s was stark, but the scene wasn’t dead yet. … Read more
Shirley Crabtree was Big Daddy, the most popular wrestler in British history. Over 20 million fans tuned in to see his battles with the likes of Kendo Nagasaki and Giant Haystacks during the 1970s and 1980s.
Every hero needs their supervillain, which was ideal because Giant Haystacks was the only wrestler who could match up to the superstar that was Big Daddy. While Shirley Crabtree (Big Daddy’s real name) was the king of wrestling in Britain, he would have been nothing without his former partner and longtime rival, Giant Haystacks, in … Read more
Joint Promotions were the biggest company in the history of British professional wrestling. This conglomeration of promotions created a monopoly in the UK that reigned for three decades. Their underhanded tactics copied the National Wrestling Alliance from the US, creating a closed shop in British wrestling that few could live without. In 1952, six promotions … Read more
At Wembley Arena on the 18th June, 1981 the biggest match in British wrestling history took place. Not just in terms of fan interest and TV coverage but in the sheer amount of weight in the ring. The titanic clash between Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks completely took over the airwaves in the early 1980s. … Read more
Say whatever you want about him, but you cannot deny the incredible longevity of Big Daddy. Of course, Big Daddy had his critics. He has been accused of killing the wrestling business, with his incredibly poor wrestling ability and over the top showmanship in the ring. He also literally killed a man. Big Daddy killed … Read more
All Star Wrestling was created by Brian Dixon as he sought to destroy the monopoly that Joint Promotions had created in the British Wrestling business.