Training and Wrestling Schools

    223. Britain can boast to have trained and inspired some of the greatest wrestlers in the world. As many reading this report might know, leading talent across major promotions learned their trade at home, with names like Drew McIntyre, Kay Lee Ray, Will Ospreay and Jamie Hayter synonymous with top-tier action. Famously, William Regal trained under Marty Jones before debuting in Blackpool. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Robbie Brookside leads training efforts at WWE’s performance centre in the US whilst in the UK English talents like Johnny Moss are offering their knowledge to developing talent.

    231. We were told that one area in which schools were allegedly failing to implement the rules related to the misuse and abuse of data covered under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules, including lack of care with privileged information and allegations of underage trainees signing official forms.

    232. We recommend that the Information Commissioner’s Office prepare a guide for wrestling promotions and schools outlining their responsibilities under the GDPR regulations.

    234. We recommend that the law be amended to make sports coaches a position of trust for the purposes of child sexual offences, and that wrestling coaches be explicitly recognised as being in such positions of trust.

    239. We recommend that trainer-trainee relationships with those under-18 on social media be expressly prohibited by schools with immediate effect, that appropriate age segmentation be instituted for all training and continuous professional development be offered to coaches

    244. We were pleased but simultaneously concerned to learn about training that had continued through the pandemic. One submission referenced “small bubble training classes” for “elite athletes and pros” where others said any training was likely impossible. As we outlined in an earlier chapter, the lack of clarity is, in our view, strongly connected to the lack of definition for wrestling and we have already made a recommendation in this regard. More broadly, details from witnesses including that: “medical arrangements in training schools are insufficient and there are no set standards either for clinical provision or a requirement that injury recognition and self-care is part of the teaching” are worrying.

    248. A shared resource bank for schools would be a smart and easy measure to establish at speed, from pedagogy to professionalism and the APPG commits to holding a school’s summit at which we hope such a measure will be implemented. An inspection regime and industry-wide pro-card for graduates would also be advisable, and is something we would seek to discuss at the summit.

    Governance in British Wrestling

    252. Apart from a lack of confidence, as one submission put it, having discussed the idea of governance with well-known British talents, the idea is good but in practice it has always felt impossible. There were a multitude of reasons given for this: the differences between promotions; wrestling’s alternative or marginal positioning meaning the industry was set against it; the relative unavailability of funds and costs of subscription; the potential damage to smaller companies, which play an important local role, which might be forced out of business by costly governance; the lack of trust and prevalence of grievances being inconducive to representation by particular individuals; and so on.

    253. This point was echoed by the Equity Trade Union which set out its belief that it was hard to identify ‘honest brokers’ given many people are considered to be – or perhaps are – compromised, and credibility is important in what is a fragmented industry with low levels of trust. We were told that amongst wrestlers there had been anxiety, with individuals worried that would have to expose unionisation to their bosses, and with people seeking to work for WWE, worried that they will lose opportunities from the choices they make, given the WWE’s position on unionisation. More broadly, we were told that there is fear of a change of culture and loss of tradition and indeed of rules and regulations being applied to an ‘outlaw’ industry. The result is a push back.

    256. As one renowned international talent put it to us, the nature of the industry is that change being promised but not delivered, means that people think change cannot come. “We must change that”. We hope this report is a start. We must be honest though, a fully functioning governing body cannot just be imposed on wrestling. There are however, in our view, three broad categories into which the various demands fall that is:
    1) Setting minimum standards across the board.
    2) An arbitration process for disputes or allegations below the criminal threshold.
    3) A requirement for someone to speak on behalf of the industry and represent it to outside bodies. Taking these in reverse order reflects the difficulty in successfully satisfying each element.

    259. We consider that it would be beneficial to the wrestling industry in the UK to establish two trade bodies, one for independent promotions and a second for touring promotions.

    260. For example, RevPro, Progress, Eve, Riptide and Fight Club Pro would be part of the one and LDN, All Star and perhaps WAW though it told us its status is less certain, in another, liaising with relevant holiday camps. Some role for talent, fans and independent voices.

    266. Gibraltar Pro Wrestling, to which we have previously referred, is planning to launch its promotion so that there is something aspirational for local citizens, including from minoritized communities. So far as GPW is concerned, it is in a unique position to deliver a governance system for the country which can embed good practice, demonstrate this for visiting talent and therefore set an example for others for how a promotion can work. The company is open to testrunning a system of governance, and wishes to help the industry at wide. We will be engaging with GPW about this report in the hope it can be a standard bearer for good governance.

    268. Throughout, the process we have been determined to seek to change the industry because we love it. To that end, we return to our foreword, and what we sought to keep in mind throughout this process which is the joy and excitement of wrestling and our shared love for it.

    • “At its best, British Wrestling can lead the world in terms of creativity, diversity, and inclusivity”
    • “I’d always been a fan of concerts and live events but this was on another level. The show, the spectacle, the pyro, the complete madness and over the top craziness of live stunt work in a pantomime setting with thousands of fans clapping and chanting in unison to fire up their favourites or boo the bad guy – I was completely hooked.”
    • “I have met and still have some of the best friends I will ever have in my life, so I have a lot to thank the industry for”.

    269. This then, painful in places, meaningful, always honest, but driven by passion and a desire for us to succeed together, is our love letter to British wrestling. We hope it is well received.

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