7. He Wasn't From England, But Everyone Believed That He Was
I did some research and settled on Newcastle, England as my home town. I didn't want to be from Stratford-upon-Avon or London and use the typical upper-crust royal accent that everyone else did when putting on a British voice. I wanted to be more of a, F**k you mate, wot you talkin abaht? kinda guy. Brian Johnson from AC/DC was from Newcastle and he described it as a gritty and grungy place, which was exactly what I wanted. A real industrial, blood and guts, working class town. The first time I met Adrian Street, a veteran British grappler from the World of Sport era who had moved to the States, he asked me, So what part of the country are you from my love? I flashed him a smile and said, Baltimore!. He was stunned. Baltimore!? Youre not from England? He was so amazed that he called over his manger/wife Miss Linda to tell her.Hes from America! Hes from Baltimore! he told her in astonishment. I would not have believed it. You do it so well, she said. Steve Austins ex-wife Jeanie Clarke (a/k/a Lady Blossom) - who was from Southend, England - was similarly convinced. Oh, it is such a pleasure meeting a fellow countryman, she told me when we met. I told her that I was from Baltimore, and she remarked, Thats eerie how you are able to do that. Doing voices and impressions is something I have always had a knack for. I find it easy to pick up on dialects or a voice. I have been that way since school.
The author of the highly acclaimed 'Titan' book series, James Dixon has been involved in the wrestling business for 25 years as a fan, wrestler, promoter, agent, and writer. James spent several years wrestling on the British independent circuit, but now prefers to write about the bumps and bruises rather than take any of them. His past in-ring experience does however give a uniquely more "insider" perspective on things, though he readily admits to still being a "mark" at heart.
James is the Chief Editor and writer at historyofwrestling.co.uk and is responsible for the best-selling titles Titan Sinking, Titan Shattered, and Titan Screwed, as well as the Complete WWF Video Guide series, and the Raw Files series.
