CHILDREN were left in awe at a family-friendly wrestling show that took place at the Boom Battle Bar.
Wrestling Society UK, which is run by local wrestler Nadia Sapphire, took over a section of the town’s Regent Circus entertainment venue and drew a crowd of expectant families keen to see some in-ring action.
Wrestling in this country was a big thing in its heyday with the likes of larger-than-life characters Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks taking over the country’s television screens on a regular basis.
Its popularity here has waned since then there’s still a strong following thanks mostly to a burgeoning independent scene of which Wrestling Society UK is a part.
Some turn their noses up at wrestling as a form of entertainment as they don't see the appeal of seeing people pretending to fight each other, but as someone who has been to a few live wrestling shows - there's nothing quite like the atmosphere of seeing it in person.
This is something that Nadia knows all too well which is why she’s put together a straightforward show with a good grasp of old-fashioned storytelling and ample amounts of audience interaction.
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Throughout the afternoon the good guy would often high-five kids, pose for photos, and hand out items of their ring gear, while the bad guys would sneer and jibe at the audience, act as dastardly as possible, and regularly dish out insults to parents and children alike. It’s a tried-and-tested formula, but it works!
And incredibly, the children dished insults right back. When they weren’t staring with dropped-jaws, or aghast that a fan favourite had been beaten, they were giving as good as they got and shouting their little heads off at the villains.
The wrestlers themselves, many of which are local to Swindon, seemed to have a great time performing in front of the lively hometown crowd as well.
It was a little goofy at times, and some of the matches did drag a little, but if you spend an afternoon in a room full of children who absolutely buy into everything that happens and react to things as if their very lives depended on it, you completely understand the appeal – honestly, it was equal parts joyous and hilarious.
We all know that wrestling isn’t real, and yes, Wrestling Society UK is a small outfit with a low budget, and it does show, but to the children in Boom Battle Bar it was the most real, most amazing thing they’d seen and that alone is worth the price of admission.
Wrestling Society UK returns to Boom Battle Bar Swindon in April - tickets are available here: wrestlingsocietyuk.eventbrite.co.uk.
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