The Rise + Fall of ITV's Celebrity Wrestling

It's the video that no one asked for!
Billy dives into the story of ITV's Celebrity Wrestling.
Sources
BBC News - May 2005 news.bbc.co.uk/...
The Sportsman - April 2022 www.thesportsm...
Slam Wrestling slamwrestling....
Celebrity Carnage Tour info Br...
“Becomes” video: @PDT_TV PD...
BizarreTV Footage www.facebook.c...
Cookie’s Classics • Celebrity Wrestling Tr...
@MaassChristo Ma...
thisisfivefortvworld • ITV1 ident 2005 - Cele...
Lost Media • ITV’s Worst And Forgot...
Retrospect Everything • Retrospect Everything:...
BBC Radio 5 Live, 25 April 2005 • Celebrity Wrestling - ...
The FWA Files • 01.06.2005 FWA Carnage...
Leilani vs Kate Build Up • Leilani vs Kate - Buildup
Leilani vs Kate • Leilani vs Kate - Matc...
JOE ST.PIERRE www.ebay.com/i...
Brothers Bar www.bothersbar...
ilxor.com www.ilxor.com/...
Irish Examiner www.irishexami...
Rexfeatures www.rexfeature...
The Guardian www.theguardia...
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[@sophie_drachen]

The problem with "Celebrity Wrestling" was that it was less wrestling and more akin to that of Gladiators with some of the challenges. When it did focus on wrestling, there wasn't enough wrestling in there for it to call it such a thing.
It seemed to just focus on more of the behind the scenes drama and less on the actual fights.

[@RoyStantz]

ITV couldn't let go of Gladiators after losing the license to Sky (who would later lose it to BBC).

[@OSW]

Great job brother! Oh man, I'd repressed Joey Legend & D'lo Brown's venture. Dammit D'lo!

[@paulhayes5724]

Interesting how some of them seem to misremember what happened with Doctor Who. It was already five weeks in when Celebrity Wrestling started!

[@ChrisDoc]

Ahhhhh I love this!!! Where did you get clips of the show? I’ve been looking for decent footage for YEARS!!!

[@ScotWresNet]

It took a fair bit of searching but I’ve put all the sources for clips in the description (so that I wouldn’t lose them if I needed a nostalgia kick 😂)

[@ChrisDoc]

@@ScotWresNet I had a few episodes recorded onto VHS when I was younger… they’re long gone now!!! Surely there’s someone out there who’s got at least 1 full episode!! Haha

[@RoyStantz]

The joke's on you, Kate Lawler, because the piping hot Doctor Who iron has not cooled off for nearly twenty years.

[@joeelegend2192]

Such a shame it didn't work out. I had a great time.

[@ScotWresNet]

Hopefully we can arrange a chat in the new year and discuss it 😊

[@joeelegend2192]

@@ScotWresNet I'd be happy to

[@Dim4323]

This isnt wreslting its basicly mini gladiators.
Hulk hogan celebrity wrestling was more like wrestling

[@RoyStantz]

That's true.

[@Dim4323]

​@RoyStantz
Yeah they simply Slap the name for false advertising.
Yeah give Hulk hogan celebrity wreslting, at least it had wrestling

[@celebwrestling]

We’ll, they needed “actual” celebrities like my league

[@andrewjames9996]

I remember this show vaguely. That was the problem we were already saturated with C - Z celebrity shows. No big names were on it apart from Jenny Powell, Lee Sharp and the pro wrestlers. It needed film, more bigger TV stars, newsreaders, bigger household name footballers. Not Big Brother or Pop Idol contestants. ITV didn't give it good marketing either it was not pro wrestling but it was another format of It's A Knockout.
The after show was a snooze fest. I wouldn't be surprised if the master tapes are destroyed.