Opinion

Top 5: British Wrestlers

Published

7 years ago

May 15, 2018

The United Kingdom has become one of the world’s best pro wrestling markets over the past decade or so. It had been a great place for WWE & other American promotions to tour, but recent years have seen the formation of an independent wrestling scene that rivals that of any other country. PROGRESS Wrestling regularly sells out its events & sells itself as the world’s leading independent wrestling company. WWE has made deals with PROGRESS & Insane Championship Wrestling, and has several of Britain’s top wrestlers under contract for a United Kingdom Division. World of Sport is becoming a thing again, and WWE seems to consider them a competitor worth keeping an eye on.

WWE’s international travels took them to London this week for Raw & SmackDown Live tapings. One would expect that their brass will use the opportunity to increase their presence in the United Kingdom in some form. I thought this was the perfect time to take a look back at some of Great Britain’s greatest performers. Someday, the likes of Will Ospreay, Marty Scrull, Zach Sabre Jr., Pete Dunne & today’s other fantastic British wrestlers could very well knock these men off the list. Pro wrestling’s future in the UK definitely looks bright.

For now, these are the Top 5 British Wrestlers.

5. Big Daddy

Having a list of British wrestlers without mentioning Big Daddy is like having a list of American wrestlers without Hulk Hogan. Shirley Crabtree is widely regarded as one of the worst in-ring talents of his generation, yet he was the biggest star in English wrestling history. A lengthy-built one on one match with Giant Haystacks drew over eighteen million viewers. He teamed with several of the men on this list early in their careers. They got to do the work, which certainly helped them later on.

4. Nigel McGuinness

Ring of Honor has never been more successful on a commercial level than it is in 2018. I remain partial to the mid-2000s years with folks like Joe, Punk & Danielson carrying the banner. Nigel was right there with them. He started off as a technical wrestler, then once he went to Japan he became all about the lariat. Lots & lots of lariats. He also became more willing to take punishment over the years, which led to his career ending much earlier than it should have. He took needless risks during a time period when the safety of wrestlers had never been considered more important. It almost worked, as he was nearly signed by WWE until he failed a physical. He went to TNA & had a brief run of success there until he contracted Hepatitis B. His in-ring career came to an end soon after, but he still found work in ROH & currently works for WWE as a commentator.

3. Fit Finlay

We can’t forget about our friends in Northern Ireland. Nobody represented that part of the Kingdom better than the Belfast Bruiser himself. Finlay was a regular title holder in Joint Promotions & All-Star Wrestling for two decades & dominated in Germany’s Catch Wrestling Association before making his way to WCW in 1995. He didn’t really make an impact there until he & Lord Steven Regal started a feud that regularly stole the show due to the wrestlers’ willingness to lay the shots in. It’s some sort of a code that the Brits & other European wrestlers seem to have with each other.

Finlay had a successful WCW run that led to a job with WWE as an agent, where one of his jobs was training the Divas. Unexpectedly, at the age of 47, he returned to the ring five years after his original retirement. He was part of King Booker’s Court & was often accompanied by Hornswoggle during his WWE run. His father & grandfather were wrestlers, and his son is currently competing in New Japan.

2. William Regal

Regal would probably be the first to admit that he didn’t accomplish as much in his career as he should have. He never held a major World Championship. He lost years to excessive drug usage. When he was on the verge of greatness, he would screw it all up. Even so, he had a remarkable career. As Lord Steven Regal, he was one of WCW’s most detested wrestlers while holding the Television Championship on four separate occasions. He did nearly everything during his time in WWE, winning the 2008 King of the Ring Tournament & holding the Intercontinental, European, Hardcore & Tag Team Championships on multiple occasions. He served as WWE Commissioner & Raw General Manager, and is currently NXT’s GM.

Who better to sum it all up than William himself?

Honorable Mention: Lord Alfred Hayes

I remember Hayes as a longtime WWF announcer & the man who informed us who promotional consideration was paid for by. Before that, he was a highly successful wrestler in Europe & America, and later became a hated manager.

Honorable Mention: Billy Robinson

Robinson was successful all across the world & was known as one of the legendary shooters. He trained mixed martial artists in catch wrestling. He was Verne Gagne’s opponent in the 1974 film The Wrestler.

1. The British Bulldogs

If you ask people of my age to name wrestlers from the United Kingdom, Davey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid are the first two that come to mind. They formed one of the greatest tag teams of the 1980s & were one of the WWF’s most reliable sources for quality in-ring work during the time period. Their entrance to “Rule, Britannia” & the Union Jack prominently displayed on their tights & entrance attire gave their fellow countrymen a tremendous amount of pride. Their matches with their brothers-in-law, the Hart Foundation, set the standard for tag team wrestling in the WWF.

Smith went on to a highly successful singles career while Dynamite had to retire early due to injury. The high point for Davey Boy came at London’s Wembley Stadium, where he beat Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1992. Neither story ended well, as Davey Boy died before his time while Dynamite was confined to a wheelchair & became bitter about his lot in life. We try not to think about their later years, and choose to remember when they were arguably the most popular & talented tag team in the world.

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

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Classic POD is WAR

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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1