The Welsh re:Mason Ryan

[Dr House's Right Leg]

New Nexus member Mason Ryan (a/k/a Barri Griffiths) was born in Gwynedd, Wales. However, WWE bills him as being from Cardiff, Wales. Ryan's hometown isn't happy about it. The chairman of Porthmadog Town Council told the Daily Post that it was a great disappointment.

 

"We are very proud of him and all he has achieved in his profession, so it is a great disappointment that he is not being promoted as from this area," said Slwyn Griffiths, chairman of the Porthmadog village.

 

Ryan's father Malcom said he assumes he's son wanted to be promoted as being from his home village. "It is a shame but there are not that many people in America who even know Wales, and of those most will only know Cardiff," Malcon said. "I suppose this is why they

[tiger_rick]

Can this be the official Mason Ryan thread so that the euphoria each week he manages to execute a basic move without tearing a quad doesn't fill up the Raw discussion.

[matbro1984]

To be honest, I think they should be grateful he's being billed from Wales at all.

 

I don't enjoy playing the chippy Welshman role, but honestly I'd estimate that less than 5% of Americans I've ever encountered over there have heard of Wales let alone know where it is. To them, England/Britain/UK are interchangeable terms. Conversations invariably go like this:

 

"Where are you from?"

Wales...

(blank look)

...in the UK

"Whereabouts in England is that?" / "Is that far from London?" / "Is that, like, a city?"

[The King Of Swing]

Can this be the official Mason Ryan thread so that the euphoria each week he manages to execute a basic move without tearing a quad doesn't fill up the Raw discussion.

 

As long as you stay out of the thread I'm all for this one being the official Mason Ryan thread.

[tiger_rick]

Can this be the official Mason Ryan thread so that the euphoria each week he manages to execute a basic move without tearing a quad doesn't fill up the Raw discussion.

 

As long as you stay out of the thread I'm all for this one being the official Mason Ryan thread.

Deal.

[ColinBollocks]

To be honest, I think they should be grateful he's being billed from Wales at all.

 

I don't enjoy playing the chippy Welshman role, but honestly I'd estimate that less than 5% of Americans I've ever encountered over there have heard of Wales let alone know where it is. To them, England/Britain/UK are interchangeable terms. Conversations invariably go like this:

 

"Where are you from?"

Wales...

(blank look)

...in the UK

"Whereabouts in England is that?" / "Is that far from London?" / "Is that, like, a city?"

Yeah this happened when I was in the States. A women serving me asked "Are you from England?" after noticing my Scottish accent. I had to supress the 'freedom' fighter inside of me and politely say "Naw Scawlind". She then looked at me like I had just dropkicked a child.

 

When you think about it, it's no different from us calling the USA "America". We diss a whole continent.

[Phil Jones]

I was once asked in New Jersey what part of New York Wales was in!!!

[Carbomb]

I'd hazard a guess from the outside that the only "Gwynedd" most Americans have heard of is Gwyneth Paltrow, so they wouldn't want to risk him sounding like he came from a femininely-named (to them) place?

[The King Of Swing]

Its most likely Cardiff if the only Welsh city most American's may have heard of plus as far as I am award Cardiff is the only place in Wales that the WWE have held shows.

[Happ Hazzard]

It's happened with just about every British wrestlers that's gone to the US. Davey Boy Smith was always billed as being from Manchester (and I think, Leeds for a while in the early 90s), when he's from Golbourne, as is Dynamte Kid. William Regal is announced from Blackpool when he only lived there for a few years before he went to WCW. Wade Barrett is billed from Manchester when he's from Preston. Chris Adams billed as being from Stratford upon Avon when he was from Rugby.

 

I imagine it's no different to American wrestlers who are from small towns that few people have heard of being billed as being from the nearest major city.

[Teedy Kay]

William Regal is announced from Blackpool when he only lived there for a few years before he went to WCW.

 

Always annoyed me that one, especially as he's from just outside Wolverhampton in a place called Coven

[Carbomb]

It's happened with just about every British wrestlers that's gone to the US. Davey Boy Smith was always billed as being from Manchester (and I think, Leeds for a while in the early 90s), when he's from Golbourne, as is Dynamte Kid. William Regal is announced from Blackpool when he only lived there for a few years before he went to WCW. Wade Barrett is billed from Manchester when he's from Preston. Chris Adams billed as being from Stratford upon Avon when he was from Rugby.

 

I imagine it's no different to American wrestlers who are from small towns that few people have heard of being billed as being from the nearest major city.

 

I was always surprised they ever announced Regal as being from Blackpool. And they announced Chris Adams as being from Stratford Upon Avon? Just as surprising - I wouldn't think that many average Americans would've heard of the place. If anything, Rugby would've made more sense - the sport made it famous.

 

Quite a few American guys tend to be announced as being from smaller places - I'm pretty sure Battle Creek, Michigan (RVD) isn't all that big, nor would Allentown, PA (Billy Kidman), Fairfield, CT (Matt Morgan) or Elizabeth, NJ (Jay Lethal) be. Also, isn't Cena from some place in Massachussets that isn't particularly well-known? I remember Edge's excellent promo when he said he "MapQuested it himself".

 

William Regal is announced from Blackpool when he only lived there for a few years before he went to WCW.

 

Always annoyed me that one, especially as he's from just outside Wolverhampton in a place called Coven

Even more surprises. He doesn't sound very Black Country at all - I'd have sworn blind he was from somewhere in Lancashire, going from his accent.

[rhyswynne]

It depends on where you go in the states.

 

New York & the north they've generally heard of Wales, not so much the south.

 

An anomoly I found was Boston. People used to turn my nose up at me when I said I was from Wales. Turns out there was a mental institution in the Boston area called The Wailes Mental Institute. :S

[Happ Hazzard]

Stratford upon Avon is famous as the birthplace of Shakespeare, which also made it fit Adams "Gentleman" gimmick.

 

Battle Creek is fairly well known as the home of Kelloggs.

 

Allentown is well known because of the song named after it by Billy Joel.

[Teedy Kay]

It's happened with just about every British wrestlers that's gone to the US. Davey Boy Smith was always billed as being from Manchester (and I think, Leeds for a while in the early 90s), when he's from Golbourne, as is Dynamte Kid. William Regal is announced from Blackpool when he only lived there for a few years before he went to WCW. Wade Barrett is billed from Manchester when he's from Preston. Chris Adams billed as being from Stratford upon Avon when he was from Rugby.

 

I imagine it's no different to American wrestlers who are from small towns that few people have heard of being billed as being from the nearest major city.

 

I was always surprised they ever announced Regal as being from Blackpool. And they announced Chris Adams as being from Stratford Upon Avon? Just as surprising - I wouldn't think that many average Americans would've heard of the place. If anything, Rugby would've made more sense - the sport made it famous.

 

Quite a few American guys tend to be announced as being from smaller places - I'm pretty sure Battle Creek, Michigan (RVD) isn't all that big, nor would Allentown, PA (Billy Kidman), Fairfield, CT (Matt Morgan) or Elizabeth, NJ (Jay Lethal) be. Also, isn't Cena from some place in Massachussets that isn't particularly well-known? I remember Edge's excellent promo when he said he "MapQuested it himself".

 

William Regal is announced from Blackpool when he only lived there for a few years before he went to WCW.

 

Always annoyed me that one, especially as he's from just outside Wolverhampton in a place called Coven

Even more surprises. He doesn't sound very Black Country at all - I'd have sworn blind he was from somewhere in Lancashire, going from his accent.

He moved to Blackpool in his early teens when his mum and dad split.

 

Another interesting fact regarding that scenario, the fella that ran off with his mother had a wife too, she went on to marry Regal's dad! Very ABBA I'm sure you'll agree!

 

Final fact, Regal's dad made a hell of a lot of money from Turkey farming.