The XWA Wrestling Training Centre at Regent Park Studios in Morecambe opened its doors in January and since then it has been building a reputation as one of the finest wrestling schools in the country.
Visitor news editor INGRID KENT visits the training centre and finds out what it takes to be a top wrestler
WHEN I think of wrestling, images of a sweaty 'Big Daddy' and a lumbering 'Giant Haystacks' in the 1970s spring to mind.
So it's a pleas
ant surprise to arrive at the XWA Wrestling Training Centre and be greeted by a group of athletic and intelligent young men getting ready for their Sunday afternoon session.
The XWA centre is based at the Regent Park Studios – an impressive building fully equipped with a brand new show-quality wrestling ring and training room with a padded floor.
Training school managers, Greg Lambert and Mark Kay, best friends for 28 years, are delighted with the response that the centre has had so far with about 30 trainees on the books.
Sunlight floods into the training room. It's a world away from the dingy back rooms of pubs and draughty church halls that some of the trainees have previously experienced.
The wrestling techniques taught at the XWA centre are mainly based on the high-octane American style of wrestling seen on Sky TV. The athleticism of this style of wrestling is far removed from the old school of Haystacks and Big Daddy, as I am about to discover.
Sometimes perceived as an activity indulged in and watched by small boys, misfits and loonies (as well as the odd granny), wrestling has come a long way over the years. There is still an element of wackiness and comedy, but the amount of training required to reach the top level in the UK and abroad is huge.
Go to pages 6 and 7 of this weeks Visitor for full story and more pictures.
