Big Daddy

[Boston Crab]

There's not much on this site about Big Daddy. How come? It's not as if he wasn't a great wrestler. I watched him loads of times and he always won. Why was he not a champion?

[GHOST of SANDY SCOTT]

why was he DADDY not champion is that what your asking ???? why was daay not a champion.... is that what your asking ???

[Tigertiger2]

Before being Big Daddy he was a champion, and a very good wrestler, then along came the brothers and the gimmicks...no need to say any more I feel.

[kenny]

I have posted many times on the subject of Shirley Crabtree/Big Daddy over the years but I guess you are a newbie here so feel free to ask what you want about any of the stars of the past.  Crabtree was an accomplished wrestler in the 1950s and 60s holding both British and European Heavyweight Titles.  In those days Crabtree was around the 18 stone mark and very fit for a man of that size.  Crabtree retired from wrestling in the mid 60s but was brought back by promoter Norman Morrell as Big Daddy.  By this time Crabtree was several years older and had increased in weight to 24 stone.  However the character of Big Daddy took off almost immediately and Big Daddy became one of the biggest names in British wrestling history.  It is well known that much of Crabtrees wrestling ability had gone by this time purely because of his age but from a business point of view he was the biggest box office draw in British wrestling history selling out most wrestling halls throughtout the UK therefore making the promoters money.  Daddy was plagued by a lot of ill health during the later years and whilst, even as a great fan, I think he should have retired long before injury forced him to do so it was still always good to see him live.  I saw one of Daddys last ever fights in Swindon and even though it was apparant that it was a great struggle for him he still had time for the fans unlike a lot of the wrestlers.  Daddy never wrestled for titles under the Big Daddy gimmick for the simple reason he would not have beaten the younger and fitter heavyweights.  However, Daddy had had his title reigns earlier in his career and was therefore pleased for the younger stars to carry the baton.

[Hack]

Tigertiger2 and Kenny are both right. Shirley Crabtree was an accomplished wrestler and British champion long before Big Daddy. I didn't see him so don't know how good, but definitely someone to be taken seriously.

Emotions still run high as to the part he played in wrestling during his later years. It is very easy to dismiss him and speak in negative terms, but it was no simple story, maybe one Wrestling Heritage will explore in greater depth one day.

Meanwhile he is on this site, a Big Daddy article in issue 2 of the Ringsport pages, and a Shirley Crabtree entry in letter C of the A-Z. He'll be back in issue 3 of Ringsport with a report of that first Shirley Crabtree v Kendo Nagasaki televised contest.