10 Precise Moments Kayfabe Ended

6. You Grunt, I'll Groan

Buff Bagwell La Parka
F4WOnline

Jackie Pallo was one of the earliest stars of the British pro wrestling circuit.

In a controversy as old as the industry, Pallo's approach and the internal reaction to it wasn't at all dissimilar to the fierce criticism drawn by the Young Bucks, Orange Cassidy, and really, the next generation of stars who will experiment beyond a boundary that nobody has ever objectively defined. On the inside, Pallo was considered as much a menace to the integrity of grappling as he was to audiences who loathed his detestable actions and cocky theatrics. A household name - apocrypha has it that his matches out-drew football, which is astonishing, given the oscillating fortunes of each sport in 2019 - Pallo bit his lip to produce the all-important, drama-enhancing blood.

This is a practise he did not maintain in retirement.

To the disgust of dying industry, Pallo released an exposé of it with the release of his 1985 autobiography 'You'll Grunt, I'll Groan', in which he revealed, for the first time on these isles, the inner, predetermined workings of the business. Everybody already knew, obviously, but this didn't endear him to those who still needed to monetise the illusion.

Pallo's justification was loyal to his old heel persona, at least: to him, the fat lads of the 1970s had already broken it with their terrible athleticism.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!