On-Topic RIP

[Carbomb]

Couldn't find the old thread if there was one.

Shocked to find out that Sammii Knee has passed away at the age of 44. She was literally one year younger than I am.

To those asking who, she was the promoter of Herts & Essex Wrestling back in the day; they were quite a popular "territory" promotion, working with WAW.

I haven't seen her for years - last time I saw her was pre-transition - but she was always friendly and outgoing whenever I met her on the BritWres circuit. 

No age at all. RIP Sammii Knee.

[Carbomb]

"Goldbelt" Brian Maxine passed away a couple of days ago.

https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/brian-goldbelt-maxine-passes-away

(Yes, I am aware that this could make me the On-Topic Olympic Pete.)

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

I can't believe he was only 86. He looked older than Methusalah when I saw him at the LDN Legends Showdown in 2007. Also him having a WWE dark match at the age of 53 in 1991 seems mental. Alright it was against Regal but he was still 53.

[Carbomb]

8 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

I can't believe he was only 86. He looked older than Methusalah when I saw him at the LDN Legends Showdown in 2007. Also him having a WWE dark match at the age of 53 in 1991 seems mental. Alright it was against Regal but he was still 53.

Seems maybe the old British blokes had some sort of aura about them - I was surprised they gave Dave Taylor and Fit Finlay jobs at their ages.

[simonworden]

13 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

Seems maybe the old British blokes had some sort of aura about them - I was surprised they gave Dave Taylor and Fit Finlay jobs at their ages.

I've always thought from reading at the time bother were employed tied to the company for a number of years as trainers and then the company brought them through the curtain in 05 to help train some of the younger roster members already on camera. Finlay obviously caught on more and got a good 4 to 5 year run out of it. 

[Carbomb]

That makes a lot more sense.

[BomberPat]

Yeah, Finlay definitely came in as a road agent/trainer after the WCW purchase, and was properly knackered at that point so likely saw that at the end of his career. With the roster split creating more space for wrestlers that WWE probably wouldn't have historically taken a punt on, that created more space for him to have an in-ring comeback, and it made sense to have a veteran like him to work with a lot of the greener talent getting called up straight from developmental with minimal experience anyway.

Taylor's a similar story, I expect - he was there in 2001 to train developmental wrestlers, but quit because he didn't want to relocate. Came back in 2006 when developmental was moved to Deep South, as that's closer to where he lived in Georgia, but seemed to only be there five minutes before getting called up to Smackdown. He might have been seen as someone to provide a bridge between developmental and the main roster, to allow newer wrestlers a safe pair of hands to work with, particularly as they seemed to put a lot of new call-ups in tag teams around that time, but it's just as likely that it was just a favour to Regal to let him travel with his mate for a while. Given the role Regal has in scouting and developmental now, and that he managed to get Robbie Brookside a high-up position at the Performance Center, he obviously has a lot of clout when it comes to old British lads.

 

Brian Maxine was fantastic, a proper worker and a great villain. He also trained Debbie Harry to wrestle for the play Teaneck Tanzi (the original, Tuebrook or Trafford Tanzi, was a pretty successful feminist play in the UK, with Toyah Wilcox starring in one production - the Broadway version, with Debbie Harry and Andy Kaufman, closed after one day), and recorded a few folk and country albums, somehow managing to get Fairport Convention as his backing band. Here he is doing some backing vocals with the Fairports in the '80s:

 

 

[simonworden]

Realized I Lance Stormed my post earlier by not talking about Brian. I met him a few times at weird shows when I was young (the type happening at odd times or at community fairs). Think I saw him wrestler and he looked way over 60 something 20 years ago. Nice bloke, signed my copy of the wrestler which my mum threw out. 

[kieranjennings]

My dad was a British country singer and knew Brian Maxine. He'd come to our house for Sunday roast when I was a baby apparently and he introduced my Dad as his manager at one of his shows...which led to a lot of booing an spitting at my Dad who was petrified apparently! Sad to hear that he's passed. 

[Chris B]

The Wrestle Me video about Brian Maxine is one of their best - nice easy watch, and plenty of fun stuff, while getting across just what an interesting bloke he was.

 

[Merzbow]

The lad had one hell of a run, starting in 1967 and having his last wrestling match in 2009. Best known for being a ref during the late 90's in All Japan and then moving with Misawa to NOAH.

 

[JNLister]

Just seen the posts above regarding Dave Taylor. He was originally hired by WWE as a trainer and picked up an extra bit of work doing motion capture for one of the video games. Tommy Dreamer was there doing some liaison work and realised Taylor was able to give and receive everyone on the roster's finisher straight off without having to be shown how to do it and told the office they needed to have him wrestling on TV and on the road.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

Brian Burgess known as 'The Monk' passed away after a long illness 

[FLips]

My mate text me saying "Poor Rey Mysterio" and I replied "aye his Dad and his Uncle" and he put "Him. He's dead".

Long story short he thought Rey Mysterio Jr was Rey Mysterio Sr and Dominik was Rey Mysterio Jr. He thought Rey Mysterio was his birth name.

[gmoney]

Every time I see this thread title I keep thinking it's someone doing a flounce