Drew McDonald (wrestler)

Drew McDonald
Born	1955 Perth, Scotland
Died	9 February 2015 (aged 60)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Drew McDonald Mad McDonald Ben Doon McDonald Comrade McDonald The Spoiler The Ultimate Chippendale
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight	22 st (310 lb; 140 kg)
Billed from	Glasgow, Scotland
Trained by	Ian Law
Debut	1983

Drew McDonald (born Charles Shaw, changed his name by deed poll to Drew McDonald) was a Scottish professional wrestler. He was best known for wrestling on the independent circuit in the United Kingdom since the 1980s.

Professional wrestling career

McDonald first got into wrestling when friend of his who ran a school in Perth for wayward children was promoting a wrestling show to make funds for the school. Ian Law who held a splinter claim to the British Middleweight Championship at the time (the main lineage being held by Brian 'Goldbelt' Maxine) was helping his friend to run the show. One of the wrestlers had got himself seriously injured two weeks out from the show and his friend asked McDonald if he would stand in for the missing man, like nearly everyone, McDonald was convinced that wrestling was all show and that anyone could do it, but McDonald was in for a shock, he had a two-week crash course before first pro match against Wild Angus, The match lasted 5 rounds with Angus beating McDonald by the final bell.

McDonald stayed in Scotland wrestling for another year after that first match, in April 1984 he went down to England to work for Joint Promotions, the biggest promoters at that time (in the United Kingdom).The next 5 years saw McDonald wrestle against the likes of Ray Steele and Gill Singh and become a frequent face on ITV's televised wrestling coverage. Outside of the ring, McDonald would also develop friendships with the likes of Danny Boy Collins, Fit Finlay and referee Jeff Kaye. McDonald at one point would join the army at the Guards Depot at Pirbright where he joined with the Scots Guards. During his time there he met Dave Taylor, later of WCW fame, who had enlisted in the same regiment as McDonald, as a bandsman on the same day.

A match screened as part of ITV's 1984 FA Cup Final coverage saw McDonald team with Big Daddy to defeat Giant Haystacks and Finlay. Ironically, as a heel McDonald would later go on to be a frequent opponent of Daddy, teaming with "Russian" Red Ivan (Richard Charland) to lose to Daddy and Collins on television in 1987. Later that year, he adopted the persona of the masked Spoiler, managed by the German Doctor Monika Kaiser. Teaming with King Kendo to face Daddy and Andy Blair, he was unmasked by Daddy but preserved his identity after a wig fell out of the mask, distracting everyone's attention long enough for him to get away. A subsequent match pitting the Spoiler and Rasputin (Shawn Doyle) against Daddy and Jason "Kashmir" Singh saw the Spoiler again unmasked and this time identified clearly as McDonald. A rematch between the four with a "Hair vs Hair" stipulation ended in the defeated McDonald being shaved bald. He would retain this look for all his remaining matches on ITV.

After the demise of ITV's wrestling coverage, McDonald moved to All Star Wrestling. For some time, he continued to be managed by Kaiser in All Star. In the early 1990s, he adopted the imaged of "The Ultimate Chippendale", later forming a tag team of 'Chippendales' with Dale "The Model" Preston. McDonald's early 1990s run in All Star is also notable for his armdrag matches with "The American Dream" Steve Adonis.

As well as wrestling for all the top promotions in the UK, McDonald travelled all over the world, wrestling for promotions like Canada's Stampede Wrestling under the name Ben Doon McDonald feuding with stars like Chris Benoit. When World Championship Wrestling was in England, Drew wrestled on their show, WCW Worldwide, but was defeated by Buff Bagwell.

Back in the UK Drew McDonald would win many top titles including Scottish Championship Wrestling's Scottish Heavyweight Championship, and All Star Wrestling's British Heavyweight Championship. McDonald won the British title when he defeated Robbie Brookside in Croydon on 7 July 2005.

McDonald would also team up with many long time wrestlers, including Dave Finlay (in the Catch Wrestling Association), Ulf Herman, and Robbie Brookside. Later McDonald would team with rookie stars like Thunder, and Raj Gosh. During a time when both Thunder and Gosh wrestled in Frontier Wrestling Alliance at the same time as McDonald the group banded together under the stable name "The Triad."

During January 2006, Steve Sonic defeated McDonald in a ladder match for All Star Wrestling's British Heavyweight Championship. Throughout 2006 McDonald would continue to wrestle in All Star as well as with other British independent promotions. McDonald also runs his own wrestling school along with former wrestler and referee Jeff Kaye in Stanningley, Leeds.In 2008 Mcdonald started working for Superstars of Wrestling.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Celtic Crusher (Stunner)

• Nicknames
  • "The Highlander (From Hell)"
  • "The Spoiler"
  • "The Ultimate Chippendale"

Championships and accomplishments

• All Star Promotions
  • ASW British Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• European Wrestling Promotion
  • EWP Iron Man Tournament winner (2005)

• Frontier Wrestling Alliance
  • FWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ulf Herman

• Scottish Championship Wrestling
  • SCW Scottish Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• The Wrestling Alliance
  • TWA British Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

External links

• Official Site