British Wrestlers - Sam Finally Tells the Truth!

[Uncle Sam]

British wrestlers. Wrestlers from Britain. Or from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I'm all for being inclusive. Don't we all just love a good wrestler from Britain? Yeah, they're great, aren't they?

Actually, wait, no. They're not. They're - well, I wouldn't say fucking awful and an embarrassment to a nation I'm otherwise fairly proud of - but they're definitely not anywhere near the standard that the United States, Canada, Mexico or Japan produce. Not to say that I care about Japan or Mexico. At all. I doubt I ever will.

Know who I reckon the greatest British wrestler of all-time is? William Regal. How sad is that? That's not to say he's a bad wrestler. As a matter of fact, I'd say he's pretty good. He's somehow retained his Britishness and isn't face-buried-in-your-palms awkward about it. The man's good at cutting promos, he's had some great matches and he very nearly had a shot at the world title a while back. But he's still not quite the standard I would like.

Yeah, there's the "legendary" Dynamite Kid, but as a singles wrestler I don't honestly give a shit about him. Oh, he had some great matches with Fingah Masista III and Ape Penis, Jr.? Good for him. They make for some cool videos on YouTube.

This has been triggered by the recent introduction of British wrestlers (i.e. four) into TNA. Rob Terry is fucking awful, Doug Williams has a nice finisher and, uh, Brutus Magnus cuts some of the worst promos I've ever heard because the arrogant cunt thinks it's OK to pretend you're still in the 80's.

I hear a British accent during a wrestling show and nine times out of ten I end up cringing so hard I have something of a stroke. The best example of this isn't even from wrestling - it's from UFC. Dodgy example, sure, but I'm gonna run with it. During the build-up for Michael Bisping/Dan Henderson, they showed snippets of an interview they had with Bisping. They gave Bisping subtitles. Fucking subtitles. The rest of the night, they kept saying how Bisping was like something out of a Guy Ritchie film. Ouch, my pride.

Desmond Wolfe is actually OK. He has his detractors but he's able to cut a promo that's of a reasonable standard and his gimmick isn't just "uh, he's British". That's progress right there.

I'm actually pretty sure there's some unspoken agreement between British wrestling fans to never mention how appalling we find our own talent. Having broken this agreement, I expect to have my account and this thread deleted by Luther and for him, Jake, Becca and any of the other British randoms that hang around here to deny my very existence. It's like I'm revealing the magician's secrets.

 

[spinningtorturerack]

I think you are being pretty harsh on the british kind!

I think it is hard for british wrestlers to get over in the US because their different. Just look at any wrestler who isn't american or canandian ie japanese or mexican - they all get horribly stereotyped.

Just look at eddie & Chavo, british bulldog, yoshi tatsi, taienkai or even la resistance.

All thoe people are completely stereotyped because people like VKM feel that that is the only way that they can get them over because their looks or accent is too obvious more than anything else.

Admittedly i do slightly cringe in a british accent promo, mostly because I'm not used to listening to it on an american promo and its harder to sound bad ass without putting on a vinnie jones voice. Its a shame but that is how it seems to work.

If you look at more indy wrestling in britain you'll find some perfectly good wrestlers who are just as athletic or capable as any american wrestler, the difference is, america is where the big promotions are that everyone watches, not in britain.

 

[Miko]

Totally agree, English Wrestlers just dont seem as good as wrestlers from the US and such, I dont know what it is, but they just dont seem as believable as World Title contenders.

I'd be inclined to agree about Regal being the best, he's good enough in ring and is probably the only English wrestler that sounds natural on the mic. Sometimes I wonder if English wrestlers are asked to put on really think accents, because I swear we dont sound that bad normally.

It just sounds so out of place. "Ello' Mistah Angle, muai names Desmond Wolf-ah"

 

[jmt225]

The thing is, Sam, how many wrestlers have come out of the UK? Not many. I guess there's just not as much passion and respect for the art there like there is in America, Canada, Mexico, Japan, etc. I'm sure if more Englishmen or Brits or whatever I'm supposed to call them before Jake Red Reps me about it, then I think we'd have a lot more British wrestlers who are respected in the sport, both in the past and present.

Dynamite Kid is regarded as one of the greatest in-workers in the history of the business. So, obviously... there's one gem that came out of the country. Then you also have Davey Boy Smith, who was damn good as well and participated in a couple of legendary matches himself. And of course there's William Regal, who is/was an awesome wrestler in his own right. His matches against Benoit are some of my favorites, in fact.

Today, as you mentioned, you have Nigel, err.... Desmond Wolfe and he's been in, in my opinion, some of the absolute best matches this decade. He's also unique and very creative in the ring (more so than anyone else from this generation, IMO), has great mic skills, and is full of charisma. He is going to do some awesome, awesome things in TNA, I believe.

You also have Pac and Paul Burchill from today's generation. Pac is really, really spotty, but I'd be damned if the guy wasn't just a thrill to watch. He's a little inconsistent, but as he gets more experience under his belt, I can easily see him going to TNA and them building the X Division around him. And as far as Burchill... well, I was always a fan. I think WWE has just fucked up his career, especially once they got rid of the pirate gimmick, which I thought could have been huge.

But I think that's the ultimate problem, man. Not since Davey Boy has WWE really pushed a British wrestler, and that's why it seems only shitty wrestlers come out of the country. However, when you look at the picture as a whole... that isn't the case at all.

 

[Lee]

However aside from the three of Dynamite Kid, Bulldog and Regal we've not had anything really. Burchill is so generic it's unbelievable, some stuff he's done in the past was good but he's our resident jobber of ECW. Add in Taylor who again was a great worked but it just didn't seem to connect.

If Pac is the future of British wrestling god help us all.

 

[gd]

It's the fact that they don't bother trying to develop their characters at all because being British is enough. Seriously, what makes the BI special at all? Their accents, that's about it.

At least with Regal he's done a few things that have been interesting and people in the US care about him. The Bulldogs were pretty good as well, but other than that, nothing really.

I do really like Wolfe though, he's pretty hot at the moment and has a chance to become a major champion in the near future.

 

[Loveless]

As said, there's just not the passion or competition in this country to really push the talent to what they're capable of. What we're left is extremely raw talent who have to work with crap. Wrestling in the UK has at least gotten away from the ATROCIOUS 70's/80's Sunday evening wrestling with guys so big and old they couldn't get off the ground. Wrestling in the UK now resembles a 3rd rate American company of the 80's. It's no wonder we're not producing many stars.

 

[absent]

I think one of the problems with any wrestler from outside the US (and Canada to some extent) is that pretty much the sole gimmicks given to them is being from their country. That's extremely limiting and degrading. From the British Bulldogs to the Mexicools.

It's like being an actor in the UK, if you're from Liverpool or Newcastle, it's bloody hard to get an acting job that isn't a Liverpudlian or Geordie character.

The accent thing is weird, it seems to get amplified when you're out of the country or on TV. I have friends who used to be in Byker Grove (a UK kids TV show), and I swear they sounded like horribly clichéd Geordies on TV but don't sound anything the like in real life. Maybe it's all just bad acting that amplifies the dodgy accents.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Actually, wait, no. They're not. They're - well, I wouldn't say fucking awful and an embarrassment to a nation I'm otherwise fairly proud of - but they're definitely not anywhere near the standard that the United States, Canada, Mexico or Japan produce. Not to say that I care about Japan or Mexico. At all. I doubt I ever will.

To be fair, we're smaller than all of them and there isn't anywhere decent for them to train. Also, like yourself, most English people look feeble.
Also, there have been more shit American/Canadian/Mexican/Japanese wrestlers than there have English.

Rob Terry is fucking awful,

Those muscles are fucking ridiculous.

Doug Williams has a nice finisher and, uh,

Cut abs?

Brutus Magnus cuts some of the worst promos I've ever heard because the arrogant cunt thinks it's OK to pretend you're still in the 80's.

I told you to stop stealing from me. Although I did say that when I thought Gladiators was still on.

I hear a British accent during a wrestling show and nine times out of ten I end up cringing so hard I have something of a stroke. The best example of this isn't even from wrestling - it's from UFC. Dodgy example, sure, but I'm gonna run with it. During the build-up for Michael Bisping/Dan Henderson, they showed snippets of an interview they had with Bisping. They gave Bisping subtitles. Fucking subtitles. The rest of the night, they kept saying how Bisping was like something out of a Guy Ritchie film. Ouch, my pride.

One of those cheeky chappy types? Hate those *****. Bisping has a lisp, which I think only a small percentage of the British population do. Cunt doesn't even talk in slang.

They did need subtitles for Ross Pointon though, to be fair.

I'm actually pretty sure there's some unspoken agreement between British wrestling fans to never mention how appalling we find our own talent.

Is there? I've always stated how I don't like somebody just because we share a country. Because actually liking somebody from my country would be totally out of the norm.

Having broken this agreement, I expect to have my account and this thread deleted by Luther and for him, Jake, Becca and any of the other British randoms that hang around here to deny my very existence. It's like I'm revealing the magician's secrets.

Becca supports Portugal, or maybe that was a phase. Which leads me to this question: Why don't glory hunting football fans support more successful international teams? '''Cus I is from England, innit'' But you're not from Manchester now, are you, cunt.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

I don't think that sharing the same nationality as a wrestler makes any difference as to how far over he gets. I don't cringe at British wrestlers more so than any others tbh, but do notice that they tend to get the short end of the straw when it comes to working in somewhere like WWE, and only WWE, because TNA and ROH seem more than happy to push the Brit guys.

Unfortunately, if your birth country is not physically connected to the US, or you're from a different country but you're HUUUUUUGGGGGEEEEE ie Andre and Yokozuna, then Vinnie Mac isn't going to give you a serious push. Bulldog never got one, and how long was he with the 'E' on and off?

Right now though, it seems UK talent are getting all the best rubs and pushes. Drew McIntyre spent a good 2 years in roster limbo, and is now being hailed as a future champ. Sheamus has beaten up Jamie Noble and the King and is #1 contender in the space of a month. Regal is currently the top heel on ECW, and Paul Burchill is about to re-join the #1 brand. Guess we'll have to stay tuned to see how it goes.

 

[LigerBomb]

Hey! Fingah Masista 3 and Ape Penis Jr. were legends, I say LEGENDS, of the (non) sport. Dare I say it but those two were right up there with The Great Fish Hookah, Furious "Lightening" Unicorn I & II, and Dr. el Masked Face Jr. Senior and they have feuds with Dynamite Kid to thank for reaching such lofty heights. Cooler matches on the youtubes have never and will never be seen.

That said I always thought Johnny Saint was good. Not Ape Penis Jr. good. But still acceptable in the ring. I dunno I guess you're right about Regal being the bee's knees and all that. That ain't so bad though especially since Pro Wrestling isn't as big in the UK as it is/was over here in the States.