To understand the roots of the British style of wrestling, you must first be familiar with the different rules and customs which created that style. Aside from Mexico’s Lucha Libre, British wrestling was once the most distinctive style of grappling in the world. While some of the in-ring routines would seem outlandishly unrealistic to those who followed legitimate grappling, the culture and presentation of professional wrestling in Britain was arguably the most sports-like in the world before the advent of shoot-style in Japan.
The use of weight divisions was more active in British wrestling than in any other form of the sport. The rules called for seven divisions:
- Lightweight (154lbs upper limit)
- Welterweight (165lbs)
- Middleweight (176lbs)
- Heavy middleweight (187lbs)
- Light heavyweight (198lbs)
- Mid-heavyweight (209lbs)
- Heavyweight (no limit)
In reality, of course, there were no legitimate weigh-ins and a wrestler’s announced weight would often be a nominal figure based on his appearance. A match between wrestlers from different divisions would be announced as catchweight. Unlike other combat sports, the divisions had no lower limits so, for example, a lightweight grappler could challenge for the welterweight title (but would be portrayed as being at a disadvantage in doing so.)
It was customary for matches to be held under a rounds system, as in boxing. Early matches were over 10-minute rounds, though five-minute rounds were more common, with bouts scheduled for between six and 12 rounds depending on their importance. Title matches were over three-minute rounds, which eventually became the preferred format for all bouts in the final years of televised action.
There were two specific advantages of the rounds system for performers in a worked sport. Inexperienced workers could play the role of cornermen who were supposedly offering advice and support during the breaks between rounds, but were in fact taking advantage of their ringside seats to closely observe more skilled performers. And the rounds broke the match into convenient chunks, making it easier for workers to remember a basic outline to the story of their match without having to rely on an overly choreographed routine.
The major difference of the rounds format between wrestling and other sports was that British wrestling matches were traditionally scheduled for the best of three falls. Unlike boxing, a bout that went to the time limit with the score level would always be a draw. The only exception was in elimination tournaments where the referee would pick a winner on points.
However, a knockout (which covered both a boxing-style 10 count on the mat, and a US-style countout outside the ring) would automatically win the match, regardless of the score at the time; the logic had it that a KOed wrestler could not continue. Creative bookers would use this to liven up the final round of a match. Because a fall would always end the ongoing round, a wrestler trailing by one fall at this stage could not possibly score a 2-1 victory. He could either ‘play it safe’ by attempting to score an equalising fall and settle for a 1-1 draw, or he could ‘go for broke’ and aim for a knockout and an outright win.
Another notable booking trend was that far more matches in Britain would end with one or both men ruled unable to continue, for example after suffering a cut or taking a bump to the arena floor. As well as putting over the ‘danger’ of wrestling, this was a useful way to avoid a clear-cut finish and build to a rematch. It also helped distinguish ring styles as, if one wrestler could not continue, his opponent would be given the option of taking the victory by default. Sporting babyfaces would always turn this down, leaving the match to be ruled a ‘no contest’, while heels would usually accept the ‘cheap’ win.
The final significant difference in British matches, and perhaps the most confusing to the unfamiliar viewer, was that wrestlers could not attack a downed opponent. This meant top rope moves were rare, though spots such as a top rope dropkick or a flying cross-body were permitted. In theory, any grappler performing a move such as a suplex or slam had to stand back and allow the referee to begin a ten count for a potential knockout.
In practice, wrestlers were allowed to follow up if they were quick enough that the referee ‘ruled it part of the same move’. This custom is one of the reasons the chain-wrestling style, where a grappler switched from hold to hold without releasing his opponent, was so popular. It also allowed the unique ‘Lady of the Lake’ spot, popularised by Johnny Saint, where a wrestler would roll himself up into a ball, meaning his opponent had no legal way to attack him as there were no free limbs to take hold of. (This is an example of a move that only works in context: a modern American indy grappler using the same spot simply makes his opponent look foolish for not immediately kicking him in the back, which would have been illegal under British rules.)
