SOUTH STREET
If you thought Sinead O’Connor’s stance against the Catholic Church was ahead of the curve, pro wrestler Adrian Street beat up Jimmy Savile decades before the cigar-chomping paedo’s true colours were household knowledge. A series of gimmick matches were set up where Savile was to win or draw against pro wrestlers to furnish a “tough guy” image, and Street was roped into one of the bouts. Street didn’t take kindly to this, nor to Savile’s boasts about the underaged girls who lined up outside his dressing room. He pulled out chunks of Savile’s scalp, and a bloodied Savile never returned to the wrestling ring. Reminiscing on the event decades later, Street stated he would’ve hurt Savile even worse had he known the full extent of his evil then.
Anyone with that on their CV can claim a career for the ages, but Adrian Street didn’t start or stop there. The Welsh grappler started off as a jungle-themed heel, but quickly grew bored of the Tarzan gimmick. He remained a baddie, but now under the guise of the extravagant, genderbending “Exotic Adrian Street”. His character’s unimposing makeup, lurex, and peroxide locks concealed a fearsome foe that left many an opponent knocked out with lipstick on their face before they knew what hit them. Street’s brand of glam wrestling gave way to glam rock, and was cited by Marc Bolan as a key influence.
Street was 82 and had been in poor health in recent years, and Zero Hit’s Wishlist delivers the kiss of death.
Adrian Street
5 December 1940 – 24 July 2023, aged 82
💀💀💀💀💀💀 + 👻 = 10 POINTS