Talk Wrestling Online User Profile: TheBigBoot

This is the story of TheBigBoot so far…

I have been watching wrestling since I was knee-high to a grasshopper (around seven or eight years old). Having cable television since 1982 it was inevitable I’d find wrestling. As a young child, I can remember seeing glimpses of the odd match on TV (it could have been WWF, NWA, WoS, etc. or even boxing although I didn't really take it in), I enjoyed Hogan's Rockin' Wrestling on Saturday mornings on Sky Channel (the precursor to Sky One) and I had a few friends who watched wrestling but I'd yet to get into it myself. I understood He-Man, Transformers and Stingray but when someone mentioned King Kong Bundy or Bob Orton Jr., I was clueless (… how times change).

Until one day I watched an episode of WWF’s Saturday Night’s Main Event with my dad. A fortnight later I joined him to watch wrestling again and that was it. I’ve been addicted ever since. Don’t let this put you off but my first real hero was Brutus Beefcake. I was also a fan of ‘good guys’ like Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, The Blue Blazer; ‘bad guys’ such as Ted DiBiase, Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect; and tag teams like The British Bulldogs, The Hart Foundation, Demolition and, particularly, The Rockers. I also watched GLOW while my mum was making Sunday lunch after Church, but maybe I shouldn’t mention that. After I was safely tucked-up in bed my dad apparently watched about sixteen billion other federations and kept telling me about “the other Federation” with “Ric Claire” and “Telly Blanchard” (as I thought they were called).

Another early wrestling preoccupation of mine was drawing pictures of wrestlers and even making clothes for my muscle-men figures!

In October 1991, I attended my first live event: Battle Royal at the Albert Hall (sitting up in the gods with my poorly younger brother and reluctant mother). Since I have seen several WWF, WCW, WWE and British cards in the flesh (including Summerslam ’92).

As my tastes expanded I compiled an extensive library of relevant books (including some good old ones), magazines, etc. Like all wrestling fans I have a growing collection of wrestling videos dating from the 1920’s to the present, incorporating a good variety of promotions from different times and locations including the following programs/territories: AAA, AJW, AJPW, ASW (World of Sport), CMLL, CWF, ECW, GAEA, JCP/WCW, JP (World of Sport), Memphis, Mid-South/UWF, MPW, NJPW, NOAH, Reslo, SMW, TNA, WAR, WCCW and, of course, (W)WWF/E. I am a big fan of Memphis (classic and current).

I have been interested in writing about wrestling since my GCSE English oral presentation (which almost won over a non-believer), TheBigBoot name originated from an idea I have for a book (which I have been continually writing and revising for the past century) and I contribute to various forums.

So for the day job, I’m a Theologian (with a 1st from Leeds, currently undertaking a PhD at Liverpool) who enjoys watching live music and sport.