Big Daddy versus Giant Haystacks: A Super Heavyweight Story | POST Interview
The end of World of Sport
The death of Malcolm 'King Kong' Kirk... he died in the ring with Big Daddy after taking the Big Daddy splash... and that was the sort of final nail in the coffin. That's what convinced ITV, now enough's enough.
Malcolm Kirk's death
He [Big Daddy] even testified at the inquest, he wouldn't give away the business... and he still maintains and he starts telling these what are blatant kayfabe lies about how, you know, it could have just as easily been me. Malcolm Kirk's beat me as many times as I've beaten him.
Big Daddy's career history
The reason why that period of his life and career is so unknown is because it kind of got buried purposely. So the Big Daddy character could be elevated. They wanted to present this Big Daddy character as a real working man, as though somebody that they've just almost got off the street to come and tackle these huge veteran eels who were career trained professional wrestlers.
Kayfabe culture in the 1970s
I found an amazing newspaper article that was so key to this, whereby in Halifax, Shirley Crabtree's hometown... a little fan had managed to get in the ring to confront Giant Haystacks... the police come, Giant Haystacks is arrested, questioned, he has to maintain kayfabe during his questioning.
Kayfabe and historical revisionism
I saw a national newspaper that did an obituary on him, stated openly that his career started in 1975, and it definitely didn't. I found that an interesting microcosm into how, in them days, what wrestling promoters and wrestlers themselves wanted to become reality, they could almost manifest into being reality.
Max Crabtree's legacy
A lot of people who don't know it in true detail think that Shirley was lucky to have Max, when it really is the other way around. Shirley was lucky to have Max. And I think that a lot of people think that he was maybe a lucky promoter, that he had this superstar brother, when in reality it was him that created the superstar brother.
The decline of Joint Promotions
He [Max Crabtree] felt that he could go on forever with this Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks formula. Shirley was aging and aging quickly. They were both slowly getting more and more out of shape. Meanwhile, his younger stars, he wasn't utilizing properly as he might have done.
Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame
If Shirley Crabtree's career was being assessed on the whole, the 40-year career, I think that there is no argument against him going in [the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame].
Giant Haystacks in Stampede Wrestling
Brett [Hart] spoke so warmly about Giant Haystacks being over in Stampede when he was actually the one that named him the Loch Ness Monster and gave him that sort of really impactful run.
Bret Hart's memories of British wrestling
He [Bret Hart] was describing being given a spot on the last ever show at Bellevue, the iconic venue of Bellevue, and he just happened to be on tour here when it was the last ever show there. He said it still makes him emotional to talk about to this very day.
Giant Haystacks' background
Martin Ruane's story, his life was well on track to be rather tragic, one of just complete poverty, abject poverty. He was going from cash-in-hand job just to put food on the table and often struggling.
