In the last two years my good friend and former pro wrestler advisory Adrian Street has published five separate additions of his totally enjoyable autobiography. Eddie Rose again a former middleweight ring rival has also published his excellent memoir in recent years. Now I am launching mine. It tells the story of my twenty, largely enjoyable years in the ring, warts and all. Nothing has been omitted or redacted! Sadly serious injury cut short my time and my momentum building career! Shortly thereafter British Style TV Performances were withdrawn due to falling viewing figures. This as time has shown resulted in the rise of the American Hollywood Style and the inevitable demise of the domestic sport I loved. My opus gives the reader my candid views and opinions on why our sport got to that low point and what could and should have been done to arrest that totally avoidable decline. British Professional Wrestling was once unique, the envy of the world! Now rather sadly we just imitate the American Style! Dale Storm
About the Author: My name is Dale Storm and I was a Professional Wrestler in the UK for approximately twenty years during what was recognised by the purists as the "Golden Era." Spanning the years 1955 to 1975 primarily. Like most of my generation I worked for both the Independent Promoters and also for the TV people. (They were known as Joint Promotions) I could be seen mostly in my native country of Scotland, although I did work over on the other side of Hadrian's Wall when booked to do so in England and on the Isle of Man as well. I started in the grappling business as a teenage lightweight flier but I learned pretty quickly, early on, that the heavier you were the more you got paid. So I immediately started to bulk up on the weights etc. although I was always careful to maintain my fitness levels and my agility. If there was more appearance money to be had then I wanted my fair share. Sadly I had to finished my career early due to a horrendous spinal injury sustained in the ring. I also ran my own gym in the mining village of Mossblown in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was free of charge to all who were invited to join. Seldom if ever did anyone gain admittance to our closed fraternity except by that route! During the time the fitness club operated I was responsible for training and then introducing around forty good solid male professionals into the business of wrestling. Latterly I also trained around half a dozen very, very capable female performers many of whom worked regularly for Spartan Promotions as did the lads. This was a overarching set-up we all worked under when running our own shows in social clubs, village halls, large Town Halls, Outdoor Agricultural Shows and Rotary Events etc. In fact just about anywhere and for anyone who expressed an interest. I'm not a big fan of the American Show Business Style of performance that pervades the Satellite Television Screens nowadays. Although I am a big fan of Hulk Hogan as a ring performer. On another level I have a particular respect for The Hart Foundation and the Funk Family. And I also give that respect to "Catch" men everywhere. I much prefer the good old UK style, now sadly largely forgotten by most of the present generation of younger UK based workers, performers and trainers and rather sadly destined never to return.