The Skinhead Wrestler
In 1979, I was 13 years of age, and like half the kids on my estate, I became a skinhead. Down the local youth club i would just love to hang about listening to all the 2tone tracks that were being played. Going to school in my 14 hole pair of Dr Martins, Sta press trousers, school tie turned around the wrong way, so that only the thin part was showing, made me feel like a somebody.
At the age of 16, in 1982 i left school and got a job on a fun fair which, had visited Bristol for 2 weeks. After about a year and a half of travelling around the country with the fair i left, and signed on the dole for around 6 months.
By then I was 18 years of age, watching the telly one rainy Saturday afternoon, some wrestling came on the box, i remembered watching it years before with my family, and thought that I’m sure that I could do that. I decided to contact the local venue that held wrestling shows every fortnight, and asked them who the promoter was. The phone call has stuck in my memory forever, like as if it were yesterday. The guy asked if i had a portfolio which of course i said yes too, and they also said if i had any experience which i followed with another quick lie about having done judo for the last few years,
I had two days in which to get a few photos done and to sort out what i will say to the promoter when i met him. The night came for the first meeting, i showed him my photos and just blagged it whilst talking, it was arranged to meet the following Sunday in Liverpool for my 1st bout which would be in Ayr, Scotland, Determined, the next day i ordered my 1st pair of wrestling boots and shorts.
I travelled up alone, arrived in Scotland and got changed ready for my first match, to tell the truth it went so quick i couldn’t remember much about it. My opponent was a Scouse guy Robbie Brookside, I was more excited than scared, he was about the same size as me. I don’t remember much about the crowd reaction, but due to the fact I am the villain character, they always bay for my blood. The promoter said that i was ok and that the match went well, which made me think that i could make a living doing this, so i trained hard, started to make a name for myself.
In the early days of my career, my wrestling name was Hammer Head, quickly became a villain which i didn’t mind, as there’s no way i could have been one of those good guys.
A few years later i watched a new film called Romper Stomper and thought, now there’s a good idea, being that i was a villain i decided to put my wrestling kit away and purchase some new jeans, Dr Martins and a pair of bracers to which i became The Romper Stomper. The next step was to choose the right piece of music in which to walk out to, deciding there was only one track which i could possibly use, and that was the skinhead moonstomp.
In the 26 years of being a pro carreer, i travelled all over the country wrestling 7 days a week , with only Christmas day off, becoming British heavy middle weight champion, appearances on World of Sport, cable tv, sky and the local news, when the Americans visited.
I wrsesteld non stop, working with a lot of my hero’s like big daddy, giant haystacks, Kendo, Dave Fit Finley, Rollerblade Rocco and Danny Boy Collins, who was in my class at school.
I must say, that as hard as the sport can be on your body, I wouldn’t have changed any of it .
I retired in 2000 from wrestling, after having 3 back operations, so for the next 6-8 months trained other people who wanted to get into the sport.
I enjoyed helping and training people, but missed the part of entertaining,
I decided to try standup, so went to a comedy venue for an open mic session.
The spot was only on me for 10 minutes, and to tell the truth, felt like 1 hour, but I caught the bug.
Robbie Twinkle was born and I started to travel the country once again. I’ve now been entertaining audiences with my comedy show for just over 10 years .
Staying a true skinhead, since my teenage years, I have proved to the finger pointers, who prejudged us as lazy, low life, wasters,.
Never judge a book by the cover!
cheers
