The World Wrestling Federation [now WWE] went on a Rampage in the UK in the early 90s in more ways than one.
Fans in the UK have been mesmerised by the spectacle that is pro wrestling for decades. Although memories of watching wrestling in the UK can vary from the clashes between Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks to a live Raw or SmackDown taping on the latest European tour, there is no competition for what is the most historic pro wrestling event to take place on the British Isles.
On August 29, 1992, nearly 80,000 fans packed into Wembley Stadium to witness SummerSlam in the UK for the first and only time. Although the show was loaded with starpower as the likes of The Undertaker Leigion of Doom and Randy Savage were all in action, all were outshone by the main event. Still regarded as one of the greatest SummerSlam matches of all time, the man from Golbourne, Wigan known as “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith defeated Bret Hart to capture the Intercontinental Championship. Seen as the climax of the pro wrestling boom of the early 90s, Rampage author Lee Herbert takes fans back in time to tell the story of how the WWF was able to not only conquer Wembley, but UK pop culture as a whole.
Herbert’s fandom and humour leap off the page from the first chapter, where he opens his introduction by talking about none other than The Giant Gonzalez, and compares the former WWF star’s infamous bodysuit to something out of The Only Way is Essex, and describes Bastion Booger as “An American version of Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances.” Although international readers may have become lost at this point, UK readers will connect with Herbert’s references throughout. Yes, the UK still misses Toys R Us and the wrestling figure aisle. Not one to let up with the 90s UK references, Herbert’s charm makes the book an incredibly entertaining read and makes his very relatable as a fan and author.
For many years, the UK has always been fascinated by American entertainment. With big-budget production, fireworks and everything cranked up to the max, it’s rare that a USA franchise struggles to sell out arenas when they make the trip across the pond, and this is no different when it comes to pro wrestling. The WWF Rampage began in the late 80s when World of Sport in the UK stopped airing after more than 30 years. Capitalising on a gap in the market and an untapped territory crying out for action, WWF made a deal with Sky to air its content on its network. With the stars in much better shape and even more charismatic than their British counterparts, this wasn’t what the UK was used to, but boy did they love it! Only rivalled by The Simpsons, the WWF became a cornerstone as part of Sky’s battle against terrestrial TV.
Continuing to capitalise on the UK fans being gripped by American Wrestling, Rampage recounts the process leading up to the famous UK shows that the book was named after. With Hulk Hogan headlining the show in London and Roddy Piper noting that the fans were loving it, the WWF captivated fans despite the fact that the in-ring quality was subpar at best.
It wasn’t just the storylines and characters that gripped the attention of the UK though. Much like fans of today, video games, action figures and music from the WWF smashed its way into the mainstream. Additionally, sticker fans were gripped by the Merlin sticker albums in the 90s, something that Premier League football fans were also very familiar with. This wasn’t just a TV show, this was a marketing juggernaut that looked to get its logo and star’s faces on as many items as possible in an effort to get kids [and their parents] to part with their hard-earned money. Insights into the Hasbro toys, videogames and Slam Jam album are fascinating as it is a blueprint that WWE still largely follows today.
It’s clear that this is as much of a passion project for Herbert as it is one to inform and educate the readers. Seeing the lighter side of a period that wasn’t firing on all cylinders, Herbert is one of many fans of a certain age who still holds WrestleMania 9 very fondly, even if it is regarded as one of the weaker iterations of the event. Herbert also admits that while the in-ring action of the modern era far surpasses anything seen during the early 90s, it was the over the top charatcers and sheer absurdity of some of the segments that left children part terrified and part wanting to see more to satisfy their curiosity. As Herbert fondly recalls when discussing 1991, WWF was all around him, and he wasn’t the only one:
“By 1991, everything in my life was WWF. I was wearing official WWF pin brooches made by Dufort & Sons and an official calendar made by Danilo was on my wall. I was washing in HULK HOGAN bubble bath and sleeping under WWF bedsheets.
I was playing WrestleMania on my Amstrad CPC 464 and staging my own championship bouts with Hasbro toys every chance I got, when I wasn’t busy admiring my trading cards. Copies of WWF Magazine were stacked beside my bed, while posters from Sporting Superstars adorned my walls.
Lunchtime football matches at school would grind to a halt for impromptu Perfect Plexes, flying elbow drops, and figure-four leglocks.”
Although this is Herbert’s story, major names in the world of pro wrestling media and beyond provide their own insights into that golden time period. From Power Slam’s Findlay Martin providing a bittersweet assessment of SummerSlam 1992, to legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith recalling the pro wrestling frenzy, it’s clear that the UK was gripped with wrestling fever. This is not a book thown together with recycled material, but a recollection of an important time period that covers all bases.
On a personal note, I was only 8 days old when SummerSlam 1992 took place inside Wembley Stadium. However, while I was too young to be gripped by pro wrestling, that would come around 10 years later, I am old enough to remember a time when the internet did not exist for the majority of the world, there were only a handful of channels on TV, and the world wasn’t trying to capture everything on their smartphones. With this in mind, it’s clear that the reduced competition for fans’ attention played into WWF’s strengths as newspaper articles and daytime talk shows became essential tools in the company’s fight for UK supremacy. Let’s just say one story will make you want to go onto YouTube and enter the very unique search of “Hulk Hogan and Lorraine Kelly.”
Rampage Is A Must Read For All Things WWF In The UK
Although the UK has remained a strong market for the WWE in the years that followed, even returning to a stadium in 2022 for Clash at the Castle in Wales, there has yet to be show to touch down in the UK to rival that of SummerSlam 1992. For those too young to remember Hulkamania at its peak, the rise of The Bulldog in the UK or simply watching a WWF show on a VHS tape, Rampage is as much of a snapshot of UK life at the time as it is a deep dive into some of the most important years of British pro wrestling. WWE is stronger than ever and continually makes its way over to the UK, but this book will make you wish you were around for what was easily WWE’s greatest era in the UK.
Rampage can be purchased here.
Featured image: Wrestling Life.
