Named after the European tours of the 1990s, Rampage: The WWF’s Invasion of The British Isles (1989-1993) is a book delving into when the WWF became a national craze in Great Britain.
After a glowing Foreword by Barry Darsow of Repo Man and Demolition fame, declaring his affection for the UK and its fans, we are confronted with a 400+ page tome reminiscing on just how enchanted us Brits were by the larger-than-life personalities travelling across the pond to perform in WWF rings.
Author, Lee Herbert writes of feelings towards pro wrestling at the time that were often mostly negative towards what many portrayed to be a ‘fake’ sport.
“I’m 40 with a hairline like Hulk Hogan’s in 1987 – shouldn’t I have left all this childish nonsense behind?” he says. “Absolutely not. Even when I was a kid, my interest in this curious phenomenon was questioned. I didn’t listen then and I refuse to now.”
Numbered notes ongoing throughout the book helpfully explain anything the readers might need for context, such is Herbert’s attention to detail.
Often forgotten, is how difficult it was to follow the product, back in those pre-internet days; the complete opposite of the wall-to-wall coverage available now on free and paid streaming services.
When Greg Dyke kicked professional wrestling off ITV in 1988, no-one knew how in a few short years, the WWF would become such a big part of British pop culture.
“There were many factors that contributed to the British WWF craze,” Herbert explains, “but it was Rupert Murdoch’s revolution in choice that made it all possible. Sky didn’t see WWF as an embarrassment: they saw it as an asset.”
The reader is treated to instantly recognisable black-and-white illustrations of logos, superstars and iconic moments between the chunky chapters.
Hearing tales of British folk getting their initial fix of the WWF on satellite television and the joy it brought reveals a naive charm to our how we might have forgotten our lives were over three decades ago. My nerd senses tingled repeatedly recalling many of Herbert’s memories being similar to mine. Those first shows in 1989 started a behemoth that still rolls on to this day.
“They’d only seen Hogan on TV and in magazines – it was as if he’d arrived from another planet,” the author writes, illustrating how starstruck the UK crowds were.
All-consuming WWF
A key part of garnering attention and eyes on the product for those without Sky TV was the WWF magazine. It was the ultimate companion, full of kayfabed information and images. Also, the sticker albums by Merlin and VHS tapes produced by SIlver Vision were items worshipped by young boys and girls.
Herbert manages to speak to many directly involved in the processes the book details, which is obviously crucial to its credibility. It’s nice to hear how shows were put together, how the magazine was created, and how licensing deals were secured for VHS tapes by Silver Vision.
“Silver Vision was such a big deal to so many of us. I wanted to learn more about the company and the man who founded it, Ian Allan. I’d spoken to people who worked for Ian during the DVD era, but details of those early years were scarce. When I finally tracked down Ian – the man behind so many pivotal memories – and he kindly agreed to speak with me, all the niche questions (some too nerdy to print) I’d held about video cassettes from over 30 years ago could finally be answered.”
“It stood as one of the five pillars of WWF’s success in the UK, alongside Merlin, WWF Magazine, Hasbro, and Sky. Silver Vision left an indelible legacy, and Ian deserves to be celebrated for the crucial role he played in fuelling the UK’s WWF craze.”
British wrestling experts Findlay Martin and Kenny McIntosh both contribute to this book with their valuable input.
Herbert smartly updates readers on what happened in WWF stateside between tours so the reader can follow the story through. It’s not solely about what happened on this side of the Atlantic.
We read about how the UK market stayed extremely strong even when demand back in the U.S. stalled. I particularly enjoyed the story of 12,500 fans swarming a trading estate in Milton Keynes in the summer of 1992 to catch a glimpse of a WWF superstar, such was their fandom and desire.
Fans were enthralled at the live vents despite the proliferation of DQs and count-outs across the early UK tours that sold out within hours. The talent had the fans in the palm of their hands all night, every night.
“BY NOW, everything in my life was WWF,” Herbert recalls. “I was wearing official WWF pin brooches made by Dufort & Sons and an official calendar made by Danilo was on my wall. I was washing in Hulk Hogan bubble bath and sleeping under WWF bedsheets. I was playing WrestleMania on my Amstrad CPC 464 and staging my own championship bouts with Hasbro toys every chance I got, when I wasn’t busy admiring my stickers and trading cards. Copies of WWF Magazine were stacked beside my bed, while posters from Sporting Superstars adorned my walls. Lunchtime football matches at school would grind to a halt for impromptu Perfect Plexes, flying elbow drops, and figure-four leglocks,”
Judging that paragraph solely, the author is a perfect narrator for our journey into British wrestling obsession. So much of the book triggers memories from a bygone era of my childhood, lost to time.
I wholeheartedly concur with Herbert’s belief that action figures were the second biggest reason, behind Sky, for the WWF’s UK boom. It certainly was the case for me! The chapter on action figures is a tribute to how cult-like collecting them became.
“On the surface, I’m a 40-year-old man who’s regressed to buying toys again,” our author jests. “I used to think people like that were the nerdiest of the nerds (we’ve all seen The 40-Year-Old Virgin, right?). But now, I see it differently.”
Bret vs. Bulldog
We read of Davey Boy Smith’s slow build of consecutive wins on UK tours as he headed towards the moment pro wrestling in Britain reached its summit at Summerslam ’92.
Whilst house shows were being cancelled due to poor ticket sales at home, they were able to stage Summerslam ’92 at Wembley Stadium, such was the contrast between the markets. That day in August, over 80,000 fans attended in an astonishing show of love for the WWF.
Ric Flair said it was the greatest week of his life and Hawk allegedly disappeared for a week after, somewhere in England.
It was simply stunning and the main event was perfect.
From packing out Wembley to venues in “Blackburn, Telford, and Peterborough” just two years later, the book covers the aftermath and downturn in popularity by the mid-’90s.
Tidbits of info Herbert provides, like exact ticket and merchandise prices from 1992 help flesh out his story. He even retells Davey Boy’s appearance on a 1992 episode of You Bet. The sheer amount of information and excerpts from everything WWF UK-related that he compiles in the book is staggering. He had to pen hand-written letters to some of his interview subjects and many were nonplussed or oblivious to how crucial their roles were in establishing the WWF. He’s put 100% effort into this project that he initiated in 2024.
“Nostalgia hits hard,” the final chapter starts. And this book is simply that; a nostalgic look back at what were some of the best days of their lives for WWF fans in the early ’90s. It wasn’t about endlessly poring over dirt sheets and online forums like many do today, it was about feeling something – be it positive or negative – for the brash and heroic characters of the time.
Rampage: The World Wrestling Federation’s Invasion of the British Isles (1989-1993) is published by Wrestling Life Online Press, who plan to publish more books in 2026 from British legend Doug Williams and Marc Copani (Muhammad Hassan).
