Before The Bell

MEDIA REVIEWS

FALLS, BRAWLS, AND TOWN HALLS

For much of its institutional existence, professional wrestling’s brightest spotlights have remained focused upon its largest markets, from the dynamic and diverse territories of the United States to the tradition-steeped promotions of Canada, Mexico, and Japan. But most every enclave and locality enjoys its own distinct history. And, as such, it’s worth writing those stories down for posterity. Nick Campbell’s new book, Falls, Brawls, and Town Halls: The History of Professional Wrestling In Northern Ireland, offers a timely example of such regional recordkeeping.

Hailing from “The Emerald Isle”—and a local wrestler and promoter himself—Campbell presents the evolution of wrestling in Northern Ireland as a vivid tapestry that, beginning in the early-1930s, developed along a course comparable to pro wrestling in North America and Britain. Carefully researched, the work includes transcriptions of rare, contemporary media accounts and intriguing details regarding event cards, results, purses, and personalities. Campbell’s multifaceted historical narrative, which unfolds before the backdrop of some of Northern Ireland’s most tumultuous times, is buttressed by firsthand contributions from some of the nation’s renowned roughnecks, including Billy Joe Beck, Rocky Hunter, and Dave “Fit” Finlay. The