Those of you who have struggled through my tenets will know my reasons for becoming a wrestler, it wasn’t fame or glory, it was to get myself fit in a way that I would find fun. My quick rise from trainee to a show wrestler came about due to many factors, luck mostly, but there was also my attitude, my age and my physique.
I made the comment to one of my trainers when I first started training that it would be interesting to find out what I would look like in a year’s time, now I am coming towards that marking point I am wondering what I looked like before I started wrestling.
At the moment I am going on trust of my friends to know there is a difference to my body as I feel just as overweight as I was when I first started, the same clothes are too tight, albeit in different places now so I still feel as fat as I did, but the question is, in a wrestling context does that really matter?
I know American Wrestling, especially the WWE, is obsessed with the muscular form of man and the toned, big-breasted look of women. If they were not this “Adonis” look then they should be extreme, extreme height or extreme weight. However, these people are paid very big money to be a part of the freak show, British wrestling is notoriously populated by people who are interested in wrestling and hope one day to make a career out of it.
I’d like to think that I am pretty impressive to behold, not in looks, but in the point of that I look like a person who can wrestle. There are a lot of people who do look like they can wrestle, the fact is that if they do, half the battle is done.
I have been seeing some of our new trainees who, before they decided to take up wrestling, were busy keeping themselves fit and toned, my guess was for the ladies. This worked in their favour as the audience’s reaction to them (and I might add, kids’ obsession about them) has grown beyond their actual in ring ability and that is great, for them to be so loved with little actual wrestling training can only show how good they will be after a few years of experience!
Some pedants will ask why some people with very little training would be in a ring at show time, I just say this, they didn’t do much, but they did well in what they did, plus the promoter at the time took a chance on them and it worked, the audience loved them.
So where does that leave the 350lb Saracen? Well actually in quite a unique position, I am a large guy already and have, in my opinion, the look of a wrestler already. Hopefully, with more time and training I will end up having a better physique and retain that “look” be a lot fitter and my style will change, but until then I like to think that no one can say I don’t look like I belong in a ring.
In a way the Americans do have it right, fans prefer to see people who wrestle of good physique and fitness and we as British wrestlers will have to fall into line at some point, so if you want to start wrestling, keep that in mind.
Don’t forget it is coming to the end of the month soon and I will need your Federation Top Tens in soon, thanks to all who have already.
Apologies to those who have been wondering where I have been as well, I am keeping away from the forums at the moment as I lose my temper far too easily at the moment.
Regards,
Saracen