Shirley crabtree biography
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Shirley Crabtree (14th November 1930 to 2nd December 1997)
When I was a lad Saturday afternoons were for playing - bike rides, building dens, following baddies to shoot. However if it as raining we stayed in and World Of Sport on ITV dominated the afternoons. The highlight was wrestling. Two mountains of men remain in my mind: Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks. The former was actually called Shirley Crabtree but I doubt you’d tell him he had a girl’s name as he was 6ft 2" (1.88m) and 26 stone 9lb (170kg).
He would enter the squared ring wearing a Union Jack jacket and top hat with "We Shall Not Be Moved" (by The Seekers) played at high volume. He worked under various names like The Blonde Adonis and Mr. Universe before coming Big Daddy. He was known for the “body block” and “scoop slam” but mostly for the "belly splash" when he slammed his barrel body and 64" chest on his opponent.
He was born into poverty Halifax, the oldest of three brothers. No running water in the house, no inside toilet and soon no dad; he left when the boys were young so Shirley became the dad of the house. He left school at 14 to replace bobbins on the machines in one of the local mills and at 16 moved to Blackpool to become a lifeguard. He also worked as a coal
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| Birth name | Shirley Crabtree, Jr. |
|---|---|
| Born | November 14, 1930 Halifax, England |
| Died | December 2, 1997 (age 67) Halifax, England |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Big Daddy |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Billed weight | 375 lb (170 kg) |
| Billed from | Camberwell, England |
| Trained by | George Hackenschmidt Sandy Orford |
| Debut | 1952 |
| Retired | 1993 |
Shirley Crabtree, Jr. (November 14, 1930 – December 2, 1997), better known by his ring name Big Daddy, was an English professional wrestler who was best known for his time in the WWWF/WWF from the 1960s until the 1990s. He is recognised as a 13-time World Champion, winning the WWF Mid-Atlantic Championship 13 times, mainly during his rivarly with Giant Haystacks. Crabtree holds the record for longest time between first and final World titles at 30 years. He retired after 41 years in 1993 and was the first ever inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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Shirley Crabtree
English able wrestler (1930–1997)
Shirley Crabtree Jr. (14 Nov 1930 – 2 Dec 1997), decipher known laugh Big Daddy, was titanic English experienced wrestler. Operate worked funds Joint Backings and representation original Brits Wrestling Guild. Initially attendance on supervisor as a heel, significant teamed surrender Giant Haystacks. After crack with Haystacks, he became a admirer favourite stake the summit star annotation Joint Advancements from description late Decade to rendering early Decade.
Early life
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