U.K. promoters lifting names from U.S. stars - any go the opposite direction?

[clintthecrippler]

A question for the wrestling historians around these parts. U.K. promotions in the '60s, '70s, '80s cribbed a lot of wrestler names from U.S. attractions (Blackjack Mulligan, Greg Valentine, The Legend of Doom, etc.).

Is "Kendo Nagasaki" the only instance of U.S. promoters from that era swiping from a popular U.K. attraction?

[SirEdger]

Wasn't there 2 Haystacks Calhoun - one in the UK and one in the US?

[JNLister]

The US had a few variants on Big Daddy (eg Big Daddy Ritter for JYD). I'd assume many of them were just taken from the same original source material (the Cat On A Hot Tin Roof character), but it's possible one of the numerous Brits in Stampede suggested the name for JYD.

The UK also had an Undertakers tag team in the 60s, but that and the WWF character was obviously just the same generic gimmick rather than borrowing the name. Similarly we had a Jimmy Hart in the 60s, but that was just coincidence.

[clintthecrippler]

10 hours ago, SirEdger said:

Wasn't there 2 Haystacks Calhoun - one in the UK and one in the US?

You might be thinking of U.K. wrestler Giant Haystacks.

I could see the "Big Daddy" deal just being a super generic nickname, same with "Dr. Death" as has been mentioned elsewhere.

But "Kendo Nagasaki", that's really specific.

[Richeyedwards]

Giant haystacks did go by the name haystacks calhoun at points very early in his career but his far more famous runs with and Vs big daddy were as giant haystacks throughout the 70s and 80s.

[C.S.]

Wasn't Giant Haystacks briefly in WCW under another name, or did I hallucinate that whole thing?

[Richeyedwards]

Loch ness, a name he used in stampede when he was over there for a couple of runs. He was under that name in 96 and was in the alliance to end hulkamania. He died shortly after I think. I don't know if he was gonna have a longer run or not.

[SirEdger]

2 hours ago, Richeyedwards said:

Giant haystacks did go by the name haystacks calhoun at points very early in his career but his far more famous runs with and Vs big daddy were as giant haystacks throughout the 70s and 80s.

Ah, that explains everything then. Thanks!

[sek69]

49 minutes ago, Richeyedwards said:

Loch ness, a name he used in stampede when he was over there for a couple of runs. He was under that name in 96 and was in the alliance to end hulkamania. He died shortly after I think. I don't know if he was gonna have a longer run or not.

 

Pretty sure he was going to get at least the "monster built up for Hogan to conquer" push, but IIRC he found out he had cancer almost immediately after he debuted. 

[NotJayTabb]

I remember Scotty Riggs saying he'd faced Loch Ness in his first Nitro match, and that Loch Ness had fallen onto his head, which caused Hogan to instantly nix any programme. 

[GSR]

Just now, NotJayTabb said:

I remember Scotty Riggs saying he'd faced Loch Ness in his first Nitro match, and that Loch Ness had fallen onto his head, which caused Hogan to instantly nix any programme. 

I'm sure it was Meltzer who wrote that WCW were under the impression that Haystacks was this Vader-esque level super heavyweight worker, until they actually saw him on his first night and realized he was nothing of the sort (which makes me wonder did they even bother to search out footage of this guy or was someone like Regal ribbing them?).  That reminds me, does anyone know if any of Haystacks' sole All Japan tour from 1985 ever made tape?

[returner82]

I don't know if the first elbow lands on his head, but there's certainly that moment where Riggs jumps into his arms from the top rope and he catches and drops him straight away and then falls on top of his legs. A guy like that, getting ill or not, just wasn't someone who would necessarily be strong. It's like Andre after the back surgery and how little he could do compared to even a few years prior.

[ButchReedMark]

There was a Doctor Death in the UK in the 60s, if that's worth anything.