Shirley Crabtree
| Shirley Crabtree | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
14 November 1930 Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, UK |
| Died | 2 December 1997 (aged 67) Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, UK |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Big Daddy Mr. Universe The Battling Guardsman The Blond Adonis |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Billed weight | 26 st 9 lb (170 kg; 375 lb) |
| Billed from | Halifax, West Yorkshire |
| Trained by |
George Hackenschmidt Sandy Orford |
| Debut | 1952 |
| Retired | 1993 |
Shirley Crabtree, Jr (14 November 1930 – 2 December 1997), better known as Big Daddy, was an English professional wrestler with a record-breaking 64 inch chest. He worked for Joint Promotions and the British Wrestling Federation. Initially a villain, he teamed with Giant Haystacks. He later became a fan favourite, working until the 1990s.
Crabtree decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, Shirley Crabtree, Sr., becoming a professional wrestler in 1952. He first became popular in the late 1950s, and early 1960s as a blue-eye billed as "Blond Adonis Shirley Crabtree." He won the European Heavyweight Championship in Joint Promotions and a disputed branch of the British Heavyweight title in the independent British Wrestling Federation before he quit in 1966 following a (non-kayfabe) campaign of harassment by former champion Bert Assirati. He retired for roughly six years. During the 1960s Crabtree owned an underground nightclub in Bradford which is now called Sunbridge Wells.
In 1972, Crabtree returned to Joint Promotions as a villain with a gimmick of the Battling Guardsman based on his former service with the Coldstream. It was during this period that he made his first appearances on World of Sport on ITV.
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