biggest draw in the uk?

[The Miz]

Wrestling itself is the draw, no one wrestler is bigger then the show, people want a nightout end of the day so its a combination of great wrestlers, great production values and all the little things that make shows work, thats the draw. You could have a top name at the show but if everything else about the show is shite, noone will come again.

 

Not really. If Cena was billed to appear on a run of the mill indy show or even Rock was scheduled to make his Wrestling comeback on a very weak looking WWE PPV it would sell huge numbers.

[knightmare]

I dont think thee is any UK wrestler out there will put bums on seats nationally. A local lad build up in the newspaper pre show will draw a few, thats how it was done when it came off tv. For example Zebra Kid will sell 150 tickets plus in his home town of Norwich everytime and we try to build up the local lad wherever it may be to help sales. I think ipw are doing a great job of establishing people at their sittingbourne shows. Apart from that i agree its the show rather than an individual which is the draw. There is some good talent in this country but unfortunately not known well enough to be a draw.

[BrainBuster69]

William Regal.

[Your Fight Site]

William Regal.

If we're going down that route, I would have thought Sheamus. He's a former WWE Champion and main event player in WWE, and technically from the UK.

[Richie Freebird]

He's the midget, maybe little person is more PC, who works for All Star Wrestling.

 

I don

[Gordon_The_Gopher]

I dont think thee is any UK wrestler out there will put bums on seats nationally. A local lad build up in the newspaper pre show will draw a few, thats how it was done when it came off tv. For example Zebra Kid will sell 150 tickets plus in his home town of Norwich everytime and we try to build up the local lad wherever it may be to help sales. I think ipw are doing a great job of establishing people at their sittingbourne shows. Apart from that i agree its the show rather than an individual which is the draw. There is some good talent in this country but unfortunately not known well enough to be a draw.

 

This is probbaly the answer ^^

 

Couple of other examples:

Spud and Jack Storm were a draw in Collingwood before SAS was really established

Iestyn Rees is a draw in Gloucester

Dave Sharp, JD Knight and Jack Dynamo in 4FW (and now established others too)

Kris Kay in Gosport

Joel Redman/DWA guys in Devon

Mark Haskins in Oxford area

Chris Walker et al at BAWA

 

Also, Lionheart has coach-loads of people following him wherever he is booked so he maybe worth a shout for a wider draw.

[Baxter]

I dont think thee is any UK wrestler out there will put bums on seats nationally. A local lad build up in the newspaper pre show will draw a few, thats how it was done when it came off tv. For example Zebra Kid will sell 150 tickets plus in his home town of Norwich everytime and we try to build up the local lad wherever it may be to help sales. I think ipw are doing a great job of establishing people at their sittingbourne shows. Apart from that i agree its the show rather than an individual which is the draw. There is some good talent in this country but unfortunately not known well enough to be a draw.

 

This is probbaly the answer ^^

 

Couple of other examples:

Spud and Jack Storm were a draw in Collingwood before SAS was really established

Iestyn Rees is a draw in Gloucester

Dave Sharp, JD Knight and Jack Dynamo in 4FW (and now established others too)

Kris Kay in Gosport

Joel Redman/DWA guys in Devon

Mark Haskins in Oxford area

Chris Walker et al at BAWA

 

Also, Lionheart has coach-loads of people following him wherever he is booked so he maybe worth a shout for a wider draw.

 

Does he??

[diamond_dust]

Wow! Nothing beats a promotor essentially telling their talent that fans don't care whether they are there or not! And that regardless the show will go on either way! Always a morale booster!

 

Back to the topic! As most people have said nobody makes me want to attend a show though names like johnny storm, pac, and maybe spud are people I would hope were on a card but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Doug williams can't be classed as a uk star now but he was one of the few I have gone to a show to see. Funnily the quality of the undercard was so awful that he looked even more of a star as a result.

 

Did anyone else read this as him just backing up Ross point after criticising it?

 

Basic summary of those 2 posts.

 

Ross "These are the guys fans watch to see but it wont put everyone off without"

Michael " Don't tell your talent it wont matter to fans if you're not there. These are the guys I want to see but I wont be too bothered if they're not there"

[Ravenhill Promotions]

Wow! Nothing beats a promotor essentially telling their talent that fans don't care whether they are there or not! And that regardless the show will go on either way! Always a morale booster!

Yeah but it's true though, and any British wrestler who thinks he's a draw is deluded. I always joke that the foam hand should win the UKFF top 50, because it makes more money for promoters than any one British wrestler.

[theblackvinnymac]

Alex Reid (not a wrestler but no doubt would draw if booked on a uk wrestling card)

 

Paul Birchill (former WWE wrestler used the Birchill name while in the States and UK recently stopped wrestling but is now looking to get back into it)

 

TNA uk wrestlers in order of draw: Desmond Wolf, Doug Williams, Nick Magnus, Rob Terry

 

non uk based wrestlers who'd draw on a uk show: Dave Taylor, Fergal Devitt

 

big drawing uk based wrestlers (well as big drawing as u can be for a uk based wrestler not on tv or formally signed to wwe): PAC

 

other uk wrestlers who might put a few bums in seats: Martin Stone, Storm, Fleish, Haskins, Spud, Kincade, & Lionheart

 

 

Which british wrestler, tag team, announcer would be the biggest draw for casual fans and or indy fans?

Also who would be a good celebrity draw as a guest?

 

The Answer to this for me would be Alex Reid.... he'd bring a high level of media coverage that a uk promotion wouldnt normally get and he'd put bums in seats if on a good uk wrestling card (as much as people might hate to admit it)

[Kenny McBride]

Why would anyone go to see Dave Taylor or Fergal Devitt? It's not that they're not good, but Taylor was last on TV in anything like a memorable spot more than ten years ago. Devitt has never been on TV here. He might persuade a handful of hardcore fans to go to a major IPW show if they were swithering, but otherwise he's a non-entity in this country.

 

Burchill might get a handful of people in, but it's what, two years since he was on TV? Who really remembers him?

 

As for Gordon The Gopher's list - do you seriously think the crowds would drop off significantly if those guys weren't on the shows? Being the guy on a show who gets the biggest reaction is not the same as being a draw. If the difference between you on the show and you off the show is less than 10% of the crowd, it's probably a statistical anomaly (or, more cynically, your family didn't show up). Only if your presence in a promoted position makes more than about a 10% difference to the audience can you really claim to be any kind of draw, and since most British audiences are so small, it's really pretty meaningless. After all, 10% of 300 is only 30 people, which could be attributed to getting two or three posters up in decent places or a couple of new families moving into the area or a kid having a birthday party.

 

NO-ONE IN BRITAIN IS A DRAW. WITHOUT TV, NO-ONE EVER WILL BE. UNDERSTAND THIS AND YOU'RE HALFWAY TO HAVING A CLUE ABOUT TEH BRITWRES.

[Gordon_The_Gopher]

As for Gordon The Gopher's list - do you seriously think the crowds would drop off significantly if those guys weren't on the shows? Being the guy on a show who gets the biggest reaction is not the same as being a draw. If the difference between you on the show and you off the show is less than 10% of the crowd, it's probably a statistical anomaly (or, more cynically, your family didn't show up). Only if your presence in a promoted position makes more than about a 10% difference to the audience can you really claim to be any kind of draw, and since most British audiences are so small, it's really pretty meaningless. After all, 10% of 300 is only 30 people, which could be attributed to getting two or three posters up in decent places or a couple of new families moving into the area or a kid having a birthday party.

 

NO-ONE IN BRITAIN IS A DRAW. WITHOUT TV, NO-ONE EVER WILL BE. UNDERSTAND THIS AND YOU'RE HALFWAY TO HAVING A CLUE ABOUT TEH BRITWRES.

 

Well I can speak for SAS in Collingwood and Gloucester and definitely yes they were draws, as in a high % of people went to see them. SAS suffered significantly form the loss of Jack Storm and Iestyn makes a marked difference when he is on shows. In those areas, people are draws. Does it matter Nationally? No. But on a local level, sure.

[theblackvinnymac]

Why would anyone go to see Dave Taylor or Fergal Devitt? It's not that they're not good, but Taylor was last on TV in anything like a memorable spot more than ten years ago. Devitt has never been on TV here. He might persuade a handful of hardcore fans to go to a major IPW show if they were swithering, but otherwise he's a non-entity in this country.

 

Burchill might get a handful of people in, but it's what, two years since he was on TV? Who really remembers him?

 

the question asked was:

 

Which british wrestler, tag team, announcer would be the biggest draw for casual fans and or indy fans?

Also who would be a good celebrity draw as a guest?

 

Dave Taylor and Devitt would both appeal to the indy fans. Devitt v PAC would draw quite a few indy fans in my opinion,

Devitt wrestles in japan so a nicely promoted match on a uk card against quality opposition such as PAC would appeal and draw

 

Taylor is a UK legend.... I think a few people (ok mainly hardcore indy fans :-) )would be interested in him making a appearance in some capacity on a uk show

 

Birchill would draw in the UK if on a good card which was well promoted/advertised with quality wrestlers against a good opponent

[Truth]

Why would anyone go to see Dave Taylor or Fergal Devitt? It's not that they're not good, but Taylor was last on TV in anything like a memorable spot more than ten years ago. Devitt has never been on TV here. He might persuade a handful of hardcore fans to go to a major IPW show if they were swithering, but otherwise he's a non-entity in this country.

 

Burchill might get a handful of people in, but it's what, two years since he was on TV? Who really remembers him?

 

As for Gordon The Gopher's list - do you seriously think the crowds would drop off significantly if those guys weren't on the shows? Being the guy on a show who gets the biggest reaction is not the same as being a draw. If the difference between you on the show and you off the show is less than 10% of the crowd, it's probably a statistical anomaly (or, more cynically, your family didn't show up). Only if your presence in a promoted position makes more than about a 10% difference to the audience can you really claim to be any kind of draw, and since most British audiences are so small, it's really pretty meaningless. After all, 10% of 300 is only 30 people, which could be attributed to getting two or three posters up in decent places or a couple of new families moving into the area or a kid having a birthday party.

 

NO-ONE IN BRITAIN IS A DRAW. WITHOUT TV, NO-ONE EVER WILL BE. UNDERSTAND THIS AND YOU'RE HALFWAY TO HAVING A CLUE ABOUT TEH BRITWRES.

Good arguments, Kenny, but as Knightmare said. When Zebra Kid is wrestling in Norwich, WAW get significantly bigger crowds (estimated figure: 150) than if he is not wrestling. That is what I call a draw, at least by British wrestling standards.

 

Brian Dixon gets big crowds with good marketing featuring wrestlers looking like wrestlers in his marketing. A theme like UK vs USA draw more people than "come and see whoever in action". Without British wrestling on a popular national TV channel, no British wrestler will become a draw unless he is recently let go from WWE. Local publicity is important, meaning that a local wrestler could be called a draw if newspapers/other media shows an interest in him and a bigger than usual crowd come to the show.

[Richie Freebird]

If we're going down that route, I would have thought Sheamus. He's a former WWE Champion and main event player in WWE, and technically from the UK.

 

I thought he was from the Republic of Ireland? Dublin?