What a great video. Rikki Starr was frankly in a different league to the cumbersome Big Daddy. At his peak he could fill even the biggest venue, and pitted against a" heel "of the calibre of Alan Garfield ,"Docker" Don Steadman etc, was simply magnificent and much appreciated by wrestling fans.
It has to be Starr because of the world stage. Shirley was struggling for work all the time Starr was here packing the Halls. When Shirley finally made it the audience had changed.
Fair play he did well. The game did not earn him a fortune.
I would have liked to have seen the Blond Adonis in the 1950's to form a better opinion.
Starr drew every where, Daddy never left the UK, he and his brothers couldn't call the shots abroad, up against someone who could handle himself Daddy would have been humiliated.
Starr drew every where, Daddy never left the UK, he and his brothers couldn't call the shots abroad, up against someone who could handle himself Daddy would have been humiliated.
It was common for wrestlers to move about territory wise in the US and Canada, it kept shows fresh, it kept attendances up and most importantly it kept wrestlers working regularly
I've just finished reading a book about Wrestling Heroes and Icons (USA)
There's a chapter written about Rikki Starr and he was huge business for the promoters when the old territory system was in place - a big draw. But, due to his style and size he couldn't be kept in the same promotion for an extended period because fans would tire of his routine. To combat this he was always on the move around the country to keep him fresh for his return. Like Ed said Starr was well traveled!!
Despite his smaller frame, he was more than a handful if things got out of hand in the dressing room, or the ring. In my opinion Big Daddy couldn't hold a candle to him!
I would just add that in 1965 when Starr was at his UK height, wrestling was still a huge boom industry with 12 JP shows a night, and countless independent bills.
By 1977 the whole was on the slide and the number of shows had probably more than halved. So numerically, Starr was the biggest draw.
But also ... Starr was the big fish amongst numerous other big names, including Pallo, McManus, The Outlaw, Kellett - and a dozen or so tip-top heavyweights. Big Daddy made his splash into a relative goldfish bowl where his family had hoiked out any likely predators.
Nevertheless, because of advanced technology, Big Daddy managed to penetrate many other areas of public life, particularly through mainstream tv. Against that, Starr was renowned for being privately awkward and complex, shunning some publicity. His impact was largely limited to wrestling arenas.
I believe that Shirley Crabtree wrestled professionally from 1952 to 1966 and then from 1972 to 1993. Would it be fair to say that Big Daddy's heyday was from 1977 to 1993?
Ricki/Rikki Starr wrestled professionally from 1952 to 1977. Starr's heyday was from 1953 to at least 1975.
It appears that Starr was a bigger draw for a longer period of time.
Starr was a draw in America, Great Britain, Austria, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Tunisia and Turkey.
To my knowledge, Daddy was a draw in Great Britain only. Please excuse my ignorance if this assumption is incorrect.
It is my conclusion that Starr was the bigger draw - certainly on a worldwide basis.
Definitely Rikki Starr. He packed Morecambe Winter Gardens for his televised bout with Mal Kirk in 1971.
Rikki Starr lived up to his name.One of the best,if not the best, entertainers of all time
What a great video. Rikki Starr was frankly in a different league to the cumbersome Big Daddy. At his peak he could fill even the biggest venue, and pitted against a" heel "of the calibre of Alan Garfield ,"Docker" Don Steadman etc, was simply magnificent and much appreciated by wrestling fans.
Look at the Skills of Rikki against a great opponent.
It has to be Starr because of the world stage. Shirley was struggling for work all the time Starr was here packing the Halls. When Shirley finally made it the audience had changed.
Fair play he did well. The game did not earn him a fortune.
I would have liked to have seen the Blond Adonis in the 1950's to form a better opinion.
Starr drew every where, Daddy never left the UK, he and his brothers couldn't call the shots abroad, up against someone who could handle himself Daddy would have been humiliated.
Starr drew every where, Daddy never left the UK, he and his brothers couldn't call the shots abroad, up against someone who could handle himself Daddy would have been humiliated.
It was common for wrestlers to move about territory wise in the US and Canada, it kept shows fresh, it kept attendances up and most importantly it kept wrestlers working regularly
I've just finished reading a book about Wrestling Heroes and Icons (USA)
There's a chapter written about Rikki Starr and he was huge business for the promoters when the old territory system was in place - a big draw. But, due to his style and size he couldn't be kept in the same promotion for an extended period because fans would tire of his routine. To combat this he was always on the move around the country to keep him fresh for his return. Like Ed said Starr was well traveled!!
Despite his smaller frame, he was more than a handful if things got out of hand in the dressing room, or the ring. In my opinion Big Daddy couldn't hold a candle to him!
Excellent points, Anglo.
Cheers!
Very empirical, Ed, superb!
I would just add that in 1965 when Starr was at his UK height, wrestling was still a huge boom industry with 12 JP shows a night, and countless independent bills.
By 1977 the whole was on the slide and the number of shows had probably more than halved. So numerically, Starr was the biggest draw.
But also ... Starr was the big fish amongst numerous other big names, including Pallo, McManus, The Outlaw, Kellett - and a dozen or so tip-top heavyweights. Big Daddy made his splash into a relative goldfish bowl where his family had hoiked out any likely predators.
Nevertheless, because of advanced technology, Big Daddy managed to penetrate many other areas of public life, particularly through mainstream tv. Against that, Starr was renowned for being privately awkward and complex, shunning some publicity. His impact was largely limited to wrestling arenas.
G'day Romeo,
A very interesting question.
I believe that Shirley Crabtree wrestled professionally from 1952 to 1966 and then from 1972 to 1993. Would it be fair to say that Big Daddy's heyday was from 1977 to 1993?
Ricki/Rikki Starr wrestled professionally from 1952 to 1977. Starr's heyday was from 1953 to at least 1975.
It appears that Starr was a bigger draw for a longer period of time.
Starr was a draw in America, Great Britain, Austria, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Tunisia and Turkey.
To my knowledge, Daddy was a draw in Great Britain only. Please excuse my ignorance if this assumption is incorrect.
It is my conclusion that Starr was the bigger draw - certainly on a worldwide basis.
Cheers!
Ed