Professional Wrestler.BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

It would be interesting to know if the ITV vote included only sports shown on ITV.Considering 1968 was an Olympics year Kellett did very well if it included all sports

The vast majority of the British public will have no idea who Drew McIntyre is, and I would imagine that if he won, the backlash would be huge against the BBC (with the old "waste of licence payers money" argument).

Wrestling is (or at least was) a great form of entertainment, but what we see on TV and go to watch in venues (or used to) is not a "sport", therefore the Wrestlers are not "sportsmen or women" and could not be considered a "sports personality".

Are they highly trained?, yes, could a Wrestler from yesteryear, like Billy Robinson, Marty Jones or George Kidd take on an Olympic Wrestler and win, in a real match?, yes.

So if it was "fittest personality of the year", or "most entertaining personality in a sports based drama" then a Wrestler could win, but for "Sports Personality"?

Nah...........

Mary Rand presented Mike Bennett with the TV trophy after he knocked out the Spaniard Castella at Bolton in January 1965.According to another website the broadcast from Bolton achieved the highest non Cup Final day viewing figures of the 1960s

I do think that a professional wrestler can win it this year.

Tyson Fury is a hot favourite with the bookmakers. He had a major victory in Saudi Arabia; and he is participating enthusiastically in hype for another all-British bout. This makes him a professional wrestler.

While we're at it, don't forget that Mary Rand achieved fame by being placed second in the Ladies of Wrestling countdown on this site; having previously won several Olympic medals and been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Back to 1968, Bernard: I would also like to find out more about that poll, but Les Kellett's placing is pretty much all I know. I would imagine it involved filling in a TV Times coupon. It's interesting that the current show always uses "BBC" in its title, perhaps a throwback to when it had a commercial tv rival?

Drew is not unknown to UK audiences as he featured fairly heavily alongside Jack Jester in the 2nd documentary about ICW wrestling both were produced by BBC Scotland

Hi Anglo, I don't remember seeing this show, but of course that would be when Les was a big drawing card on Saturday afternoons wouldn't it?

I can't see BBC promoting a wrestler nowadays.

In 1968 ITV set up its own Sports Personality of the Year - and Les Kellett came second.

I would agree Bernard

I don't think that a professional wrestler will ever be voted as "Sports Personality of the Year", because it is not and probably will never be, accepted by the establishment as a true sport.

Any one else think this too ?

There's still over seven months to go but there might not be much sport going on. Drew could be in with a chance.