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Ian
Law who was the British Middleweight Champion at the time was
helping my friend to run the show. One of the wrestlers had
got himself seriously injured two weeks out from the show and
my friend asked me if I fancied standing in for the missing
man, like nearly everyone, I was convinced that wrestling was
all show and that anyone could do it, boy was I in for a
shock, I had a two week crash course that nearly killed me, at
the end of that two weeks I was just as crap as I was when I
started.
You cant learn to wrestle in two weeks, no
matter what you have heard from the smart marks who think they
know everything because they can drop an elbow on their bed
from the top of their wardrobe, just like any other job you
have to serve an apprenticeship, how easy your apprenticeship
is really up to the individual, you show the older wrestlers
the respect they deserve and most of them are willing to help
you to get on in the job, if you think your to good to learn
from them or show any disrespect to them they will break your
heart and just when you think they cant do any more to you
they will break your bones! Respect costs nothing and I would
give this advice to anyone thinking of coming in to the job,
keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open, always
please and thank you and just maybe you will make it to the
top of the tree.
I had my first pro match against Wild
Angus, I would love to be able to say that I beat him easily
and kicked his ass, it never happened like that, it lasted 5
rounds with Angus beating me all over the ring and holding me
up for most of the time.
A true pro who took a totally
green guy and made him look like I might have been in with a
chance of beating him. I stayed in Scotland wrestling for
another year after that first match, in April 1984 I went down
to England to work for Joint Promotions; the biggest promoters
at that time (in the United Kingdom).
If I thought I
knew nothing about wrestling in Scotland I found out in
England I knew even less. The next 5 years were the hardest I
ever spent in the last 19 years. Ray Steel and Gill Singh beat
me like a rag doll for the first 5 years, and many other
wrestlers beat me too. Those beatings taught me respect for
the job, something that I have never forgotten.
It
winds me up a bit when I see the young green guys who learn
their skills from watching TV and think that they are the
stars. I'm not saying in any shape or form that I'm a hard
man, but most of the new guys wouldn't last more than a few
weeks in the job if they had been around a few years ago. No
offence meant to any of the new guys, there are a few out
there who deserve all the breaks, and I wish them nothing but
the best of luck.
I would like to thank some of the
boys in the job... Ray Steel and Gill Singh for teaching me
the respect that will always stay with me. Danny Collins for
always being a mate, Dave Finley for letting me steal some of
his moves and letting me pick his brains, getting me drunk
many times and for always being a mate. Referee Jeff Kaye for
his insight into the job and for whispering in my ear when I
was doing things wrong, had to whisper to me a lot. Ian
Harrison for letting me train him for wrestling and for taking
15 inches off my waist.
There are a lot of other guys
out there who have helped me in one way or another, I thank
you all guys, if it hadn't been for your help I would never
have made it in the job or seen as much of the world as I
have. Once again, Thank you!
Like I said in the
beginning, I never wanted to be a wrestler, I was quite happy
being a bovver boy with a skinhead who kept getting himself
arrested at football matches or for running fights in the
streets after the games were over, rival supporters were in
our little gangs mind a fair cop. Luckily for me one of my
mates had joined the army. When he came on his first leave and
said how good it was, that was good enough for me. Off I went
with my dear old mum's tears still running down my face, the
Guards Depot at Pirbright was my destination. I had joined the
Scots Guards and loved it, how some of those drill sergeants
spoke to their wives or girlfriends when they got off duty was
beyond me, they spent the who day screaming at us rookies at
the top of their voices, we had to do everything at the
double, run, march, salute. I was surprised we were allowed to
take our time in the toilet. I would recommend anyone to join
up. I met some good friends there, now here's a bit of info
that not many people know, Dave Taylor of WCW Fame, had
enlisted in the same regiment as me, as a bandsman on the same
day. I never knew him then of course, it was only some years
later as we were traveling to a wrestling show together that
he told me about it.
If it wasn't for the army and the
wrestling, I would have ended up a right little scallywag, or
should I say a big scallywag.
LIKES...
People who can look you
in the eyes and tell you if they like you or dislike you. Most
other wrestlers in our job, some are assholes, but you get
that in every walk of life, some of the other wrestlers
probably think that I'm an asshole but I can live with it.
I love my dogs, they are loyal and faithful to me, not
like some of the people I have met in my life.
My job,
most of the time anyway, I must like it or I would have been
out of it a long time ago.
My hobbies, fishing,
reading, training and looking at females.They keep me sane
when everything else is getting on my nerves.
The
Simpson's cartoon characters, they make me laugh, they all
seem to resemble people I know in real life.
I know
this probably sounds sentimental but sunrises and sunsets and
the sky at night, I love sitting outside looking at the stars,
there are so many off them I don?t know if we can claim to be
the only living things in the universe, I do believe in UFOs,
I don't think they will be little green men but I do think
that there is something out there.
My own company,
most of the time, it gives me a chance to clear my head.
Music, I can handle most types of music. House, garage
and that type doesn't do anything for me, I think it all
sounds the same, ain't too keen on opera either, everything
else is good, when I'm in the mood to listen.
Sleeping, what a great way to refresh yourself and
make you feel good, problems don't seem quite so bad once you
have slept on them.
The sun, I love being tanned, I
like being in front of a raging fire when it's cold and wet
outside, I like when it's snowing, I like seeing snow before
we walk on it.
There's probably a lot more but I think
these are the favorites.
DISLIKES...
Two faced people who
would stab you in the back, there's quite a lot of them in the
wrestling world.
Wrestling promoters who give you work
with one hand then take it back with the other, don't they
know the last person who played god got himself crucified for
his troubles.
Religious maniacs who are always
preaching to you about the bible, I'm not a religious person,
I think if religion gives someone comfort that's good, we all
seek comfort in something, just don't try ramming your
believes down my throat, I'll bite you!
Politicians,
what a lying bunch of scumbags they are, most of them are bent
as nine pound notes.
Green guys who come in to the
wrestling job thinking they know it all and with no respect.
People who ill treat animals.
Heroin addicts,
they can destroy their own lives as far as I'm concerned it's
the poor people who they steal from to get their next fix that
suffer, the only advice I can give to them is to go home cook
your gear draw it up in to your needle and overdose you bunch
of wasters. You wont be missed.
I would like to say
this country but I can't be cause really deep down it's a
great place to live, I just wish the country loved its people
as much as they love it, instead it wants to bleed us dry and
keep you in the gutter, it treats illegal immigrants better
than its own people, that's not meant to be a racial statement
so don't take as one.
Bad manners, a please and thank
you costs nothing.
People who don?t wash or use
deodorant, its not nice to smell bad.
Black teeth, go
to the dentist and get them fixed, that's one of the benefits
of living in this country, National Health, a tooth brush and
tooth paste helps, bad breath offends most people unless its
some medical problem that's the cause.
People who take
advantage of others, give them an inch they take a mile, we
have all met them.
I could go on forever about things
that wind me up but I'll spare you the details, after all its
meant to be a wrestling site...
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