BRITISH WRESTLINGS BIG DADDY
Noted for his strength and physique and he billed under a collection of ‘stage names’ the Blond Adonis, Mr Universe and Battling Guardsman. He won the European Heavyweight Championship and the British Heavyweight title before quitting wrestling out of frustration at the politics within British wrestling at the time.
15 years later, wrestling in the Britain was quickly growing in popularity due to the ‘World of Sport’ TV show, and Crabtree was brought back into the limelight by his booker brother Max, taking the Big Daddy name.
Crabtree was no longer the muscular wrestler he once was but was now a large, heavy set man. As Big Daddy he would come to the ring in a Union Jack Top Hat and Jacket to the theme tune of "We Shall not be Moved" and his appearance in any Arena would be greeted with chants of "Easy! Easy!" or "Who's the Daddy" from the crowd. He would quickly become one of the most recognizable faces of British television.
In his early day's he was booked as a heel, forming a formidable tag teamwith TV newcomer Giant Haystacks, together they became notorius for crushing blue eye opponents (faces).
However in late 1975 he began his transformation into a fan favourite following a feud with Kendo Nagasaki, where Crabtree would become the first man to remove the mask from Nagasaki during a televised match.
The subsequent breakdown of his tag team partnership with Giant Haystacks and the feud that followed completed his face turn.
With a name like Shirley Crabtree you were bound to learn to fight living in 1930′s Halifax.
Big Daddy as he became known was born in Yorkshire town of Halifax on the 14th November 1930.
A former Rugby League player for Bradford Northern he had stints as a coal miner & with the British Army before following in his dads footsteps & becoming a professional wrestler in 1952.