10 Greats From The Golden Age Of British Wrestling

A terrifically camp and flamboyant heel, Adrian Street's influence can be seen on generations of later wrestlers, thanks in part to his post-wrestling career as owner of a large wrestling academy in Florida.

Born to a coal-mining family in Wales (the picture above is of Street posing with his hesitant-looking dad on a return home at the height of his fame), Street started out with a fairly bland wrestling persona but soon discovered that tapping into glam-era flamboyance worked wonders for his crowd appeal. Although his persona was tightly stereotyped by today's standards (gimmicks included fussing extravagantly over his appearance and kissing opponents to get them to release holds), Street has recently been thanked and credited by many other wrestlers for making the industry more diverse and accomodating.

His greatest matches were usually the result of well-crafted grudges against other big stars of the day. Street knew how to work a crowd and get the most from his naturally theatrical nature. He once said any wrestling territory is "only defined by the success of its heels."