Adrian Street

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[goc]

This is going to be one of those "What are your criteria?" things where some people might look at this and think Adrian is a ridiculous nominee but I think he at least deserves a fair discussion. If I were going to make a list of "Top 100 characters in wrestling" Adrian Street would be on it. And pretty high up the list. It is going to be hard to point to any great Street matches to help his case though.

 

I liked his matches with Rip Rogers in 1986 CCW although none of them were really any better than "fun TV match." My favorite Adrian Street match is him teaming with The Bullet against Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden. It's a bunch of comedy and schtick so that's not going to have a lot of mileage for some people but this was EASILY my favorite match from 1986 CCW.

 

[Dylan Waco]

Streets best match is the match v Saint from WOS. And that is great .

[Grimmas]

Streets best match is the match v Saint from WOS. And that is great .

That is a great match, but if that is the best he has he is not top 100. I liked his performance a lot, but there is a high bar to pass to get on the list.

[PeteF3]

This is the first I've heard of a Street vs. Saint match being out there. Or are we thinking of Street/Jim Breaks?

[Dylan Waco]

Sorry, meant Street v. Breaks.

[Timbo Slice]

He was fantastic in the AWA stuff I watched but I didn't get to the WOS stuff. If it's as good as his AWA stuff, he'll be in the mix.

[Matt D]

The Breaks match is great. I love how he starts cocky and playing the mind games but as the match goes on Breaks is just unrelenting and dogged and you can see the toll on Street with his physical appearance and body language. Then, after he's forced to submit he goes back to the prancing as a feign.

 

It's a very strong performance.

 

I'll watch that tag later.

[ohtani's jacket]

There used to be an Adrian Street/Mick McMichael WoS match on YouTube but it looks as though it's gone. I have one other Street match from that era, which I guess I can rip if anyone is interested.

[ohtani's jacket]

There used to be an Adrian Street/Mick McMichael WoS match on YouTube but it looks as though it's gone. I have one other Street match from that era, which I guess I can rip if anyone is interested.

 

Arthur Psycho uploaded the match I was talking about. It's against Les Kellett's kid, Dave Barrie.

 

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

I couldn't justify voting for Street. Just don't see him near at that level. Fun enough character, though a bit broad for my tastes. Not that I expect subtlety in wrestling, but I think it takes a certain kind of performer to pull off this character well, and Street was just too hammy. I did enjoy when he would drop the shtick and just go on the offensive though, as that provided a neat contrast. Where Street suffers for me though is that his matches too easily just became drowned in shtick. I'm not a great matches guy, but I am a good matches guy, and I haven't seen too many good Street matches. The list may begin and end with the Breaks match actually (which is really quite good). Some of his stuff was actually difficult to get through. It could be a case of not having enough footage, or not having the right footage, as he was obviously a talented grappler, and could lay in some nice touches to his matches, but on the whole I won't be rushing to seek out more of his stuff.

[El McKell]

[Matt D]

We’re gotten some wonderful performances with an elated crowd from early 80s Germany.

[David Mantell]

On 11/27/2025 at 1:32 AM, Matt D said:

We’re gotten some wonderful performances with an elated crowd from early 80s Germany.

I only know of one (vs Axel Dieter Senior 1981).  He's almost a babyface there.  He still does his act but it's almost like him and Axel are politely flirting with each other as an expression of sportsmanship!

AFAIK the only other pre America bouts in circulation are:

(1) The Hells Angels (Street and Bobby Barnes) vs The Dennisons (Alan Dennison  and Sid Cooper) 1960s 8mm fading colour fancam

(2-4) World Of Sport/ midweek late evening ITV vs Jim Breaks, Mick McMichael and Dave Barrie (son of Les Kellett who faced Barnes on the same broadcast)

(5) Jackie Pallo Promotions home video cum pilot for a (declined) share of ITV coverage - teamed with Steve Kelly to lose to Pallo And Son (Jackie and JJ)

In both the last bout and the German bout with Axel, Street has a beard which was later cropped down to form the muttonchop sideburns he sported in 80s America

[El McKell]

41 minutes ago, David Mantell said:

I only know of one (vs Axel Dieter Senior 1981). 

There's also one with Paco Ramirez, I've just uploaded it to YouTube for you here

 

[David Mantell]

Thanks for that, will check it out. 

I've already got a 2019 EWP match earmarked for the German thread for this weekend but this can slot in for the weekend after.

Paco Ramirez sounds an interesting opponent - a complaining Spanish heel, Gerard "Flesh Gordon" Hervé's debut French TV opponent in 1979 IIRC.  Interesting to see if Street is the babyface or if it's heel vs heel like the Breaks match.

[David Mantell]

The referee is the unsung blue eye/babyface of the 1972 Street/Breaks match, keeping control of these two notorious villains and getting a good technical 1-1 draw out of them with only 1 public warning seconds before the end.