The Wrestling

Simon Garfield's The Wrestling documents the dramatic history of British professional wrestling through firsthand accounts and interviews with key figures from the sport's golden age. The narrative spans the rise and eventual decline of wrestling as mainstream entertainment in Britain during the twentieth century. Through conversations with legendary wrestlers like Mick McManus, Big Daddy, and Kendo Nagasaki, the book reconstructs the culture and atmosphere of wrestling's peak years. The interview format captures the authentic voices of those who lived through this unique period in British sporting entertainment. The book examines both the public spectacle and behind-the-scenes reality of professional wrestling, including the business decisions that shaped its fate on television. Coverage extends from the height of wrestling's popularity to its removal from mainstream programming in the late 1980s. The Wrestling serves as both a historical record and cultural analysis, revealing how this distinctive form of entertainment reflected changing British society and attitudes toward sport, celebrity, and authenticity in performance.

Readers found this insider account of British wrestling's decline in the late 1980s engrossing and melancholic. The book follows both stars and struggling performers as the sport loses its TV platform and cultural relevance. Readers appreciated: - Detailed behind-the-scenes access to wrestlers' lives - The candid portrayal of financial struggles - Coverage of both famous names and lesser-known regional performers - The balance of nostalgia and harsh realities Common criticisms: - Limited focus on earlier glory years - Abrupt ending that skips later developments - Some found the tone too pessimistic Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (89 ratings) Amazon UK: 4.5/5 (31 reviews) Notable reader comments: "Captures a specific moment when an entertainment form died" - Goodreads reviewer "Made me both smile and feel incredibly sad" - Amazon UK review "Too much emphasis on the negatives of the business" - Wrestling forum post

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🤼‍♂️ British wrestling's peak TV viewership reached 12 million viewers on ITV's "World of Sport" during the 1970s, making it one of the most-watched programs in the UK. 🎭 The mysterious wrestler Kendo Nagasaki maintained his masked persona for over 40 years and rarely broke character in public, adding to his mystique and legendary status. 📚 Author Simon Garfield conducted over 200 hours of interviews over three years to compile the intimate stories and behind-the-scenes details for this book. 💪 Big Daddy, one of the book's central figures, began his career as a villain named "Shirley Crabtree" before becoming British wrestling's most beloved hero. 📺 The decline of British wrestling coincided with the rise of American WWE (then WWF) programming in the UK, marking a significant shift in wrestling entertainment styles and presentation.