Mark lives up to his ring name (From Herald Series)

Mark lives up to his ring name

12:16pm Thursday 12th November 2009

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WRESTLER Mark Haskins lived up to his nickname when he took part in an inaugural contest in Oxford.

Known in the ring as The Star Attraction, Mark, 21, hailed it as one of the biggest nights of his career when he beat an international superstar at the sell-out show.

The wrestler, who lives in Great Coxwell, was the local hero on a star-studded bill of Japanese professionals when Dragon Gate Invasion: UK came to The Regal in Cowley Road, Oxford.

Mark, who boasts the cradle tombstone piledriver as his signature move, played up to his reputation as a pantomime villain as he beat Japan’s Kagetora.

The 5ft 8in, 11st 8lbs competitor said: “The crowd were really into the match.

“They were excited to see the guy I was fighting as it was his first time in the UK.

“Most places I usually get booed so they were carrying on that tradition.”

He said: “It was just one of the biggest events I’ve done in my short career.”

A crowd of almost 500, including fans from Finland, the Netherlands and the US, packed the venue to watch competitors including BxB Hulk, Dragon Kid and Cima — who are all TV stars in their native country — make their European debut. Mark, a former Faringdon Community College and Abingdon and Witney College student, said: “It went really well. The set-up was one of the best I’ve ever seen in this country — it was amazing.

“There were so many fans there, I think in the region of 400 or 500, and they were all ready to go and were there for a really good time. So many different factors made it exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.”

Event promoter Mark Sloan, who is a wrestler himself, said the event might return because of its success.

He said: “The event went extremely well, we were turning people away.

“It was one of the loudest crowds we have witnessed and Mark Haskins showed he was one of the best in Europe with a stunning victory.

“Oxford has never seen wrestling like this. It was a perfect city for wrestling, we’d love to come back, The Regal was a great venue

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