Hack
We are coming up to the anniversary of the 1979 match between Daddy and Quinn. To be honest I had little interest in wrestling by then but no one could miss this one. The publicity and build up to the match was phenomenal. It's a pity the match didn't live up to the hype. Daddy's thrashing of Quinn must go down as one of the great mistakes of wrestling. Lost opportunities indeed. What difference would a Quinn win have made to British wrestling? Or a hard fought narrow victory for Daddy?
powerlock
There was never a chance of a close match. The Crabtrees didn't have the foresight to give Daddy a hard match or even a defeat, credibility wasn't even thought of, a defeat and a win in a hard fought return match might have given him some credibility but I doubt he was able to take part in anything more than squash matches even then he looked incredibly unfit
Bill Smith
The Lunatics took over the Asylum with this one.
Quinn worked like he had been "slipped a mickey",and that was that.
A totally unbelievable show of contempt for the "fans" who paid to watch live,and for those who saw it on TV.
Melvin M Melvin
Am I right in recalling that Daddy had already 'done' Quinn in a tag match? - Dave
Anglo Italian
Even if Big Daddy was fairly immobile . though he went on for twelve more years - they could have put some thought in and created a great match. There were plenty of moves he could do, and Quinn was agile. Given the magnitude of the publicity, they could have even rehearsed it.
The build up was phenomenal, tv news coverage, national press.
Wilful laziness wasted the golden opportunity for wrestling to hit the heights again.
The finishing move was good. Unfortunately it came shortly after the start.
Very hard to fathom how the promoters were not aware of their error.
powerlock
They didn't care, and quite simply treat the wrestling fans with contempt. Look how many of us turned away from Joint to All Star or away from attending shows altogether for a considerable time. They dug themselves into the Big Daddy show and couldn't or wouldn't get out of the hole as they killed off so many star quality wrestlers chances of becoming headliners by ruining their credibility as they become fodder for big Shirley.
Paul
I think the buld up was too swift as well. Quinn became just another rent a heal instead of the monster they uilt him up to be.
David Mantell
With Quinn, it was all about the mouth. No one had ever SAID that sort of thing on British TV before and it proliferated into a whole series of foreign Brit-haters with whom Daddy had to dead - The Iron Greek Spiros Arion, Mr Yasu Fuji, Missisippi Mauler Big Jim Harris ...
Anglo Italian
You say theuy simply didn't care, Powerlock, but they were sitting on a goldmine and didn't even bother to scratch the surface.
Look, it was a big match at a high profile venue with expensive seats and tv coverage. What stupidity made them do it like this?
powerlock
It was insular thinking, keeping it in the family regardless of the other workers and the fans. They were pennywise and pound stupid. They killed their own tv deal through shortsightedness by refusing to evolve the product. All Star should have been given the tv contract or it should have been threatened but even then I doubt they would have done anything different. You learn from your mistakes evidently the Crabtrees didn't
Les Prest
I could'nt agree more you hit the nail right on the head, the Crabtrees insulted people's intelligence !!!! Regards Les.
powerlock
Thanks Les. I appreciate that coming from an ex pro as yourself.
Hack
More could have been done with this match, which must rank as one of the nails in the coffin of traditional British wrestling. Much, much more. A dubious Quinn victory would not have dented Daddy's status and would have opened up a lucrative return match for Daddy to establish himself as the better man. My heart agrees with Powerlock but like Anglo Italian just cannot understand the stupidity of failing to see the goldmine.
Kendo would have stayed over in America in 1972 and probably replaced Verne Gagne as AWA World Champion instead of Nick Bockwinkel in 1975 if it hadn't been for his aunt falling ill. In which case a lot of the history of UK wrestling would have been very different - Big Daddy would have had to find someone else in December 1975 to make him and Haystacks into household names and Brian Dixon would have never had a mentor to teach him how to run a business in 1974, let alone a flagship top star for All Star's late 80s/early 90s Golden Era.