British Wrestling

More than 80,000 fans gathered at Wembley Stadium to watch pro-wrestlers including Saraya, MJF and Will Ospreay.

The event was a rare opportunity for British fans to see a live event of this size - the last major US wrestling show at Wembley was 1992's Summerslam.

Co-founder Tony Khan said the event was a "huge milestone" for AEW, which was set up in 2019 as a rival to WWE.

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Saraya, whose full name is Saraya Jade Bevis, grew up in Norfolk and claimed victory as the AEW Women's Champion.

The 31-year-old and her wrestling family inspired the film Fighting With My Family.

"The fact that it's Wembley Stadium in my home country, it was the most amazing experience of my whole life," she said.

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The rivalry between the two organisations runs deep and Tony is keen to emphasise that the 81,035 tickets sold is more than the higher estimates of 80,000 when WWE, then WWF, brought Summerslam to the UK more than 30 years ago.

"This is the first time, on record, we could find any [event] that has sold over 81,000 tickets," he says.

He confirmed the event would return to Wembley in 2024.

The adrenaline-fuelled event took place on Saturday (August 19), with wrestling fans from across the city arriving in droves to watch the action.

The annual ‘mega show’, which began at midday and ended at 5pm, was free to watch on the Flag Market for those willing to stand.

A group of professional Welsh wrestlers are set to return to their home county of Blaenau Gwent this month, to put on what is described as one of the biggest wrestling events the south Wales valleys has ever seen.

The show named Echoes in the Valley, which will take place at Ebbw Vale Sports Centre on August 23, will feature a number of former WWE stars including Flash Morgan Webster, Wild Boar and Mark Andrews- and will mark the return of a number of local stars who grew up wrestling in make-shift rings around Blaenau Gwent.

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They released their first report in April 2021 with the recommendations:

• Wrestling has fallen between the categories of sport and theatre, sometimes characterised as sports entertainment. The panel recommends that wrestling training schools be considered as ‘sporting’ and shows, promotions and associated activity be considered ‘theatrical’ or ‘artistic’ or ‘performative’, in respect of future guidance, legislation and regulation.
• The minimum health and safety standards across independent wrestling in Britain is worryingly low. The parliamentarians have recommended a raft of measures most notably, enhanced requirements under the licencing and insurance arrangements wrestling companies have in place, and the adoption of concussion protocols. Signed PAR Q fitness forms, guidance from the Health and Safety Executive and minimum first aid training are also recommended.
• Wrestling’s own MeToo movement, known as SpeakingOut highlighted stories of sexual abuse, assault and predation. The report makes a number of recommendations in response to the movement, including hardwiring the voice of abuse survivors into British wrestling, the development of practical guides for first responders and working to establish case management systems to address allegations of abuse.
• Wrestling training schools have insufficient protections in place, particularly given they are regularly working with minors. The report recommends that, as is proposed under current legislation, sports coaches be recognised as a position of trust for the purposes of child sexual offences and that wrestling coaches be considered sports coaches for this purpose. A number of interim steps in relation to safeguarding and data protection are also proposed.
• The wrestling industry suffers from a lack of official representation, and the report recommends the establishment of trade bodies to more effectively promote British wrestling.
• Other recommendations include a call for increased data collection about the industry, appropriate memorialisation of great British wrestling talents building on the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame for Scotland, work to better understand the gender pay gap in wrestling, infrastructure to support wrestlers working overseas and better measures to accommodate visiting talent, and creating a safety standard for wrestling rings.

And in June 2023 it looks like they held a meeting at Loughborough University to discuss the issue of concussion in British wrestling:

Professor Warden said: “Concussion in sports is an important topic that requires attention and research, and this event aims to shed light on the issue within the wrestling community.

“With a line-up of esteemed speakers and experts, the event promises to be a significant platform for enhancing knowledge and fostering dialogue regarding concussion recognition, management, and guidance for a safe return to sport and work.

“We are delighted to have experts sharing their knowledge and experiences in this critical area of research and practice, and sincerely glad to partner with the APPG in applying world-leading research to wrestling”.

Alex Davies-Jones MP said: "Wrestlers from across the UK pressed us to do more on concussion, we listened and have acted. It has been brilliant to work with Loughborough University on today’s event which is shining a light on the significant issues around concussion that professional wrestlers face.

“For too long the wrestling industry has been unregulated and the lack of concussion protocols are particularly problematic.

“As co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Wrestling in Parliament I am keen to support where I can, and will continue to work with wrestlers, industry experts, academics and all involved to bring improvements to this thriving sector."

The Brynmawr-raised performer was known for his androgynous appearance and claimed to have taken part in more than 12,000 fights during a career that spanned seven decades – including one contest where he dropkicked Jimmy Savile.

Street left his home town in the 1950s to seek fame as a wrestler in London, rejecting his family’s tradition of working in coalmines. In the capital he became known for being a heel (bad guy), specialising in antagonising crowds with his fighting and appearance.

He later developed a penchant for flamboyant costumes that challenged social norms and helped sow the seeds for glam rock – often appearing wearing lipstick, with bright dyed hair and wearing a feather boa.

Trigger warning: may contain traces of Jimmy Saville.

Don't even remember how I found it, but WF is a Brit wrestling promotion that I've enjoyed for a long time through their youtube channel; lots of updates and always enjoyable match commentary.

These types of shows were my first introduction to pro wresting back in the day, and I'll always have a soft spot for them. Any other good ones out there?

Atomic Pro Wrestling is a Liverpool-based promotion with their third show at the start of August.

I have been meaning to go and I am hoping that the third time's a charm.

I added the British Bulldogs as the community banner for obvious thematic reasons but feel it worth flagging up the DSotR episode about The Dynamite Kid (on the left of the image) as he was a complicated figure and we need to acknowledge the rough (violence, physical and mental health issues like so many of that era) with the smooth (he was a fantastic performer who helped inspire modern wrestling).

Thoroughly enjoyable two-part documentary from 2014 looking at Glasgow's Insane Championship Wrestling, focusing on their star wrestler Grado.

• Part 1
• Part 2

It's an oldie but a goodie and Mick is a star.

It'd be rude not to start off by going back to one of the big highpoints in British wrestling popularity. We had very few telly channels and this was almost must-watch viewing that crossed generations.