With news breaking earlier this week, that LDN have been exclusively contracted for the World of Sport Wrestling show by Wos Wrestling Ltd on 17th November that is to be filmed for ITV, LDNWRESTLING.COM recently sat down with LDN Managing Director Sanjay Bagga. Here are some quotes on his thoughts about the upcoming taping.
-Really excited about the show, my phones been off the hook with interest from wrestlers from not only Britain but all over the world.
-We are always looking for up and coming athletes and have already contacted some of the top British technical wrestlers for this event. Here at LDN, we are fortunate enough to have several technically adept wrestlers such as: Alan Lee Travis and Yorghos Christopolous as an example, both of whom have extensive experience against legendary WOS opponents that are also seconded to the Company, the likes of Johnny Saint, Dave Fit Finlay, ‘Superstar’ Mal Sanders, Mr Smooth Johnny Kidd, Blondie Barratt, Keith Myatt, Kendo Nagasaki and many more and technically brilliant U.S. wrestlers that have appeared for us like Joe E Legend.
-Our training school is continually turning out new grapplers, as is the long established Jon Ritchie's Dropkixx wrestling Academy together with Ricky Knight’s WAW Promotions and training Centre, both specializing in shoot ( submission), amateur catch wrestling and WOS style professional wrestling, guaranteeing LDN a continuous flow of exciting new talent. There are many fine wrestlers already working the circuits that will be welcome additions to our roster bookings for this TV taping, providing they are willing to adapt back to their roots by getting down on the floor and doing what we in Britain do best: WRESTLE.
-The whole premise of the show is World of Sport and the Lord Mountevans Rules. It’s a big part of our history, and something that we all should be proud of. One should always remember that for many years the Americans that we are so ready to copy these days were in total awe of British skills, dreading our heavy body contact styles, with great wrestlers like Karl Gotch and GEORGES GORDIENKO moving to this country just so that they could master their skills at gym like the legendary snake pit in Wigan, where men like JACK DEMPSEY, BERNARD MURRAY, BILLY JOYCE and the RILEY BROTHERS were the envy of the world. To this day, our cousins across the pond study DVD’s of Johnny Saint to learn their craft and at the Reunion of 2006, six of their top stars attended, with the sole intent of meeting him.
-LDN has a very successful track record, by being a family orientated outfit, with the weekly house shows which number around 150 per annum, being directed at a younger audience. However, we have found that these young admirers also appreciate and respond to traditional mat wrestling, offered in rounds with the best of three falls and often mix n match the events accordingly. We are extremely proud to be a part of this country’s wrestling heritage, taking every opportunity to promote the true British style of grappling. We are fervent supporters of the British Wrestlers Reunion, upholding the legend of these great gladiators that set the way for British wrestling to be admired and envied the world over.
-LDN was honored to have promoted Legend Shows in 2007/2008 and 2009, enticing the former World Champion Johnny Saint out of retirement and also booking Kendo Nagasaki plus other Legends like Johnny Kincaid to wrestle once again, with many personal appearances from other Legends such as Wayne Bridges, Tom Tyrone, Romany Riley, Pretty Boy Mel Stuart, Tony Banger Walsh, Steve Grey etc. As a result, we hope that we have demonstrated the ability to offer a top class wrestling evening, utilizing both old and young wrestlers in tournaments that our predecessors would have been proud to be associated with.
As a result, the venues sold upwards of 800 tickets for the events, and thanks to the internet, the international wrestling community has witnessed our work and commented very favorably on the quality and content. Johnny Saint’s comeback match in 2007 against the amazing Johnny Kidd drew 60,000 you tube views from wrestling fans and wrestlers from around the world including the WWE.
-Looking forward to working with WOS Wrestling Ltd in regards to this event, congratulations to them on agreeing a deal with ITV Broadcasting Ltd and ITV Studios Ltd. It’s been a breakthrough that British wrestling has needed for some time now.
-I would like to add I am really looking forward to Nov 17th, working with the entire British wrestling community in a common cause to restore British wrestling to its rightful place as the envy of the world, and am both privileged and humbled to be given this opportunity, as we were with the old Wrestling Channel.
Sanjay Bagga
Managing Director
LDN Wrestling
www.LDNwrestling.com