Rock & Wrassle is brought to you by two of Nottinghamshire’s most popular young entrepreneurs, Adam Clarkson (Captain Dangerous fame) and Dan Lord (Forecast Designs) so you know this collaboration is going to be sweet. Having randomly met when Adam briefly moved in next door to Dan last year these two quickly bonded over their love of wrestling and so began the dream….
Dan (far left) and Adam (far right) are the men behind Rock n Wrassle.
So how did you dream up this concept?
Adam – Dan and I briefly lived 2 doors down from each other in Lambley and before I moved back to the city we finally got round to having a pint together. We got chatting and it turned out we were both big wrestling fans. Dan told me that he was working for a female wrestling federation as a photographer and I volunteered my copy writing services. From there I went on to write wrestler bios to match his photos. After a while and realising we worked well together we decided to strike out alone and create our own wrestling company. It’s really snowballed from there.
Dan – I think the moment I realised it was meant to be was returning to my home after a few beers and seeing the look in Adams eyes when I showed him my signed ‘Stinger baseball bat.’ We were both involved in the wrestling scene in complimenting fields and both share the same vision in putting on a show which showcases the pure entertainment of wrestling.
So what is it all about?
Adam – The idea is to create 6 monthly mixed wrestling title tournaments to crown one champion. Additionally there will be live bands playing the wrestlers to the ring. Each show will be an amalgamation of wrestling, cabaret, theatre and a gig with lots of surprises. In the run up to each show we will be producing loads of videos and photography content with a keen focus on rivalries so each fight means something. Our first show will be announced very very soon.
Dan – Sports hall UK wrestling absolutely has a relevance and market, we are not looking to tread on toes there, but as I am all too aware when I mention to most of the people around me my passion for wrestling, I see the eyes glaze over and images of sweaty local working clubs and geeky hulk Hogan posters are being conjured in their minds. I think we are looking to liberate the wrestler’s imaginations and let them go wild with storylines, twists and turns that will demonstrate the fun and cabaret that the naysaying public never knew was there. We want to respond to the question ‘But wrestling isn’t real, ‘ with – ‘absolutely it’s not, so sit back and enjoy the show!’
Dan, Adam and the Rock n Wrassle girls
What bands have you got on board and how did you choose?
Adam – So far we have Deaf Bridges and the Breakfast Club confirmed but there will be more. We want to choose bands who totally get what we’re doing and want to be part of it. Deaf Bridges and Breakfast Club totally get it.
Dan – We are receiving lots of offers on our social media from bands, which is a lot of fun going through them all.
Is it all female wrestlers?
Adam – It’s totally mixed. Our plan is to build up a pool of wrestlers both male and female that we can dip into for each show to keep it fresh. Our aim is to treat everyone really well, tell the truth, deliver on our promises and treat it like a family so everyone has fun. It’s wrestling after all and wrestling should be fun.
Dan – As long as the wrestlers share the same vision, all are welcome!
Were you surprised at the amount of interest Rock and Wrassle has stirred up?
Adam – It’s been amazing and got moving really quickly. The wrestlers have been absolutely fantastic and supportive with helping us get the company off the ground and the initial audience buzz has been massively encouraging. There really seems to be an appetite for what we’re trying to do.
Dan – The feedback from the wrestlers is that of ‘thank god, promoters that really want to hear what we’d like to get out of our performances’ and that is reflected in their post-show hard work and dedication to spreading the word. I think we have a great team and everyone is bringing something to the table, which is really helping get things off the ground quickly.
Check out their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rocknwrassle?ref=ts&fref=ts
Watch this space for more exclusive interviews and behind the scenes photos and videos.
Interview by Josie Opal
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Adam – Dan and I briefly lived 2 doors down from each other in Lambley and before I moved back to the city we finally got round to having a pint together. We got chatting and it turned out we were both big wrestling fans. Dan told me that he was working for a female wrestling federation as a photographer and I volunteered my copy writing services. From there I went on to write wrestler bios to match his photos. After a while and realising we worked well together we decided to strike out alone and create our own wrestling company. It’s really snowballed from there.
Dan – I think the moment I realised it was meant to be was returning to my home after a few beers and seeing the look in Adams eyes when I showed him my signed ‘Stinger baseball bat.’ We were both involved in the wrestling scene in complimenting fields and both share the same vision in putting on a show which showcases the pure entertainment of wrestling.
Q. So what is it all about?
Adam – The idea is to create 6 monthly mixed wrestling title tournaments to crown one champion. Additionally there will be live bands playing the wrestlers to the ring. Each show will be an amalgamation of wrestling, cabaret, theatre and a gig with lots of surprises. In the run up to each show we will be producing loads of videos and photography content with a keen focus on rivalries so each fight means something. Our first show will be announced very very soon.
Dan – Sports hall UK wrestling absolutely has a relevance and market, we are not looking to tread on toes there, but as I am all too aware when I mention to most of the people around me my passion for wrestling, I see the eyes glaze over and images of sweaty local working clubs and geeky hulk Hogan posters are being conjured in their minds. I think we are looking to liberate the wrestler’s imaginations and let them go wild with storylines, twists and turns that will demonstrate the fun and cabaret that the naysaying public never knew was there. We want to respond to the question ‘But wrestling isn’t real, ‘ with – ‘absolutely it’s not, so sit back and enjoy the show!’
Q. What bands have you got on board and how did you choose?
Adam – So far we have Deaf Bridges and the Breakfast Club confirmed but there will be more. We want to choose bands who totally get what we’re doing and want to be part of it. Deaf Bridges and Breakfast Club totally get it.
Dan – We are receiving lots of offers on our social media from bands, which is a lot of fun going through them all.
Q. Is it all female wrestlers?
Adam – It’s totally mixed. Our plan is to build up a pool of wrestlers both male and female that we can dip into for each show to keep it fresh. Our aim is to treat everyone really well, tell the truth, deliver on our promises and treat it like a family so everyone has fun. It’s wrestling after all and wrestling should be fun.
Dan – As long as the wrestlers share the same vision, all are welcome!
Q. Were you surprised at the amount of interest Rock and Wrassle has stirred up?
Adam – It’s been amazing and got moving really quickly. The wrestlers have been absolutely fantastic and supportive with helping us get the company off the ground and the initial audience buzz has been massively encouraging. There really seems to be an appetite for what we’re trying to do.
Dan – The feedback from the wrestlers is that of ‘thank god, promoters that really want to hear what we’d like to get out of our performances’ and that is reflected in their post-show hard work and dedication to spreading the word. I think we have a great team and everyone is bringing something to the table, which is really helping get things off the ground quickly.
Check out their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rocknwrassle?ref=ts&fref=ts
Watch this space for more exclusive interviews and behind the scenes photos and videos.
