This week I asked a panel of leading British wrestling figures, past and present, a simple question: “What was the most important lesson you learned from wrestling?”

 

*** Klondyke Kate (arguably Britain’s leading female grappler of the past two decades):

 

Over my 31 year career I’ve learnt that:

 

The small amount of TRUE friends you do make (which usually aren’t that many) end up being your friends for life.

 

You never stop learning new things.

 

If you believe you’ve learnt it all, you’ll be a failure.

 

Someone will always watch you’re back but some will also stab you in it!

 

When you’re aiming to be on top don’t stand for being a big fish in a little pond, aim to be a small fish in a big pond: only then will you get to where you want to be.

 

Be different: wrestlers are ten a penny, diversity is what this wrestling business needs.

 

Finally, there is nothing on earth that fills the void when you call it a day. I will be one happy lady if I ever find something in my life that equals the feeling of when I’m on the road, in the locker room and especially the feeling you get when you’re in the ring and the crowd are baying for your blood.

 

*** Doug Williams (widely regarded as Britain’s best in-ring performer today):

 

Though I despair of people [in the business] fighting over the crumbs instead of working together for the whole cake, I’ve learned it will never change in this country.

 

*** Jon Ritchie (owner of the Dropkixx Academy and head trainer for LDN’s Romford school):

 

Always train regularly because you never stop learning. Pro-wrestling is an art form and consists of many skills including wrestling skills, fitness, acting, character acting, facial expressions, one liners, whole story lines – the list goes on and on. The people who think a couple of months learning secures them a living from wrestling are the ones that don’t earn a living.  So train and learn and train and learn more.

 

*** Eddie Hammill (1970s and 80s World of Sport star billed as ‘The Amazing Kung Fu’):

 

I was only as good as the other wrestler [in the match] made me look.

 

*** Tony ‘Banger’ Walsh (1970s and 80s villain who had more matches against Big Daddy than any other grappler):

 

The most important thing I learnt in wrestling is never to short change the fans. I always gave my all and I think that set me apart from the wrestlers who just went through the motions night after night.

 

*** Alex Shane (Wrestler, FWA promoter, and trainer):

 

The most important lesson I have learned from wrestling is that we should all appreciate it more for what it is. I cannot speak for everybody but for myself, it offered me a way to follow my childhood dream for a living and do so in something that when done properly can be one of the most fun, creative, exhilarating and rewarding things I will ever do. However I got so caught up in it for a while that I forgot this and it started to become more about money, politics, control and self denial.

 

I look around at the wrestling world today and can see many other people making the same mistakes. To them and everyone else be they a wrestler or simply a fan, I say do not forget what wrestling really is and that is one of the most complex and misunderstood forms of entertainment that we have ever been blessed with. To forget this and slowly allow yourself to have the fun and enjoyment sucked out of it is like buying a first class plane ticket to Florida on your holiday only to try swimming there instead.

 

If you want to get bent out of shape and become a cynical, know it all then please turn your attention to one of the many subjects out there that are really worthy of that sort of treatment and attention. God knows the world needs people who can get so passionate about things they don’t like but while those people focus all that anger (which is powerful energy) on something as insignificant in the big scheme of things as wrestling, then the few will continue to control the many from their mansions and the people with the power to make change and show their disapproval will instead spend their time on forums ripping into one of the few things in their life that is meant to be enjoyable.

 

So in closing I have learnt that you should enjoy it for what it is, make the most of the good times while you have them, understand what can be learned from the bad times when they fall on you but keep safe in the knowledge that no matter who or what pisses you off and no matter how important it all may seem at the time, the simple truth is……….. It’s only wrestling. I just wish I had learned this five years ago.