IT WAS rated by professionals as one of the liveliest venues in the country.

Wrestlers in the nineties would relish the prospect of travelling to Southampton to flex their muscles in front of screaming crowds at the Guildhall.

During a championship wrestling match held on Nov 4, 1993, the reigning world heavyweight champion, Wolf Krammer from Germany, lost his belt to Portsmouth based wrestler Tarzan Johnny Wilson.

300 wrestling fans were in attendance, including eight year-old Nybee Snaddon who said she liked wrestlers who were “really fierce”.

Philip Nicholson, 13, said he enjoyed live wrestling because “you get to see them in the flesh, not just on TV”.

One elderly woman managed to sneak past the bouncer and clobber the referee with her handbag three times before being stopped.