View source for Robbie Brookside

{{Short description|English retired professional wrestler (born 1966)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name        = Robbie Brookside
|image       =
|caption     = Brookside with his daughter [[Xia Brookside|Xia]] in 2020
|names       = '''Robbie Brookside'''<br>Robby Brookside<br>Rob Brookside<br> Robbie "The Wildcat" Brookside
|birth_name  = Robert Edward Brooks
|height      = {{height|ft=6|in=3}}
|weight      = {{convert|241|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1966|3|11|df=y}}
|death_date  = 
|birth_place = [[Liverpool]], England
|children    = [[Xia Brookside]]
|resides     = 
|billed      = 
|trainer     = Liverpool Olympic Wrestling Club<br>Carl McGrath<br>Bobby Barron
|debut       = October 22, 1981
|retired     = 2013
|}}

'''Robert Edward Brooks''' (born 11 March 1966),<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/robbie-brookside.html| title=OWOW profile| date=14 June 2023|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com}}</ref> better known by his [[ring name]] '''Robbie Brookside''', is an English retired [[professional wrestler]]. He is signed to [[WWE]], where he works as a trainer/producer for the [[NXT (WWE brand)|NXT]] brand. He has toured all over the world during his career, wrestling in the United States, Japan, Germany, and Mexico. He was a regular [[Tag team|tag partner]] of [[William Regal|Steve Regal]] in the United Kingdom and has competed in the [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]]'s annual tournament, the Super J Cup, in 1997, where he picked up a victory over [[Chris Jericho]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=41700 |website=Cage Match |access-date=27 August 2023 |title=NJPW Best Of The Super Junior IV - Tag 12}}</ref>

== Professional wrestling career ==
Brooks was discovered by Bobby Barron, who invited him to wrestle at the [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach|Pleasure Beach]] in [[Blackpool]], and [[Brian Dixon (wrestling)|Brian Dixon]], who got Brooks some jobs on the [[holiday camp]]s with established wrestlers such as Sandy Scott. Wrestling as '''Robbie Brookside''' (a name given to him by Dixon, in reference to the [[Channel 4]] soap ''[[Brookside (television program) |Brookside]]''),<ref>Rehill, Navdeep (2013). [https://books.google.com/books?id=ybBkAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT137 ''Britain's Heroes and Villains''], p. 137, at [[Google Books]]. Grosvenor House. Retrieved 27 December 2016.</ref> he first appeared on television in Britain for [[All Star Wrestling]], first for [[Screensport]] in 1985-1986 and then for [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] in 1987–1988.  During this period, he tag-teamed regularly with [[William Regal|Steve Regal]] as The Golden Boys.  Their most notable match was against [[Peter Thornley|Kendo Nagasaki]] and "Blondie" Barrett at a late 1988 TV taping in [[Bedworth]] in which Brookside unmasked Nagasaki who retaliated by hypnotizing Brookside to turn on Regal, causing their team to lose the match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kendonagasaki.org/node/52.html|title=Welcome to kendonagasaki.org|website=kendonagasaki.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-wwes-robbie-brookside-201746|title=5 things you may not know about WWE's Robbie Brookside|date=15 November 2015}}</ref> This started an angle, running on after the end of TV and into the 1990s in which Nagasaki would hypnotize Brookside into assisting and even tag partnering him. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s Brookside also regularly wrestled on [[Orig Williams]]' Welsh language wrestling show ''Reslo'' on [[S4C]].

Brookside won his first title after World Heavy-Middleweight Champion [[Mark Rocco|"Rollerball" Mark Rocco]] retired and Brookside won the [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Vacated|vacant]] title in a tournament. The following year, he lost it to Frank "Chic" Cullen.<ref name="worlhm">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/world/world-hm.html|title=World Heavy-Middleweight Title}}</ref> After Regal increasingly began wrestling overseas, Brookside then teamed with [[Doc Dean]] as The Liverpool Lads, together winning the [[British Tag Team Championship]].  During this period, Brookside produced a [[Video Diaries|Video Diary]] for [[BBC2]] including footage inside the ring (including the Liverpool Lads' 21 January 1993 tag title loss to Steve Prince and Vic Powers in Norwich) and backstage footage, as well as a tour of Germany and a visit to the United States to reunite with Regal, by then working for [[WCW]]. Frankie Sloan later teamed with Brookside as The Liverpool Lads in place of Dean. In 1996, Brookside got the chance to wrestle in Germany for the [[Catch Wrestling Association]] through his contact with the group, [[Fit Finlay|Dave "Fit" Finlay]]. From then through to the turn of the century, Brookside could be found wrestling across many promotions in Europe and won many titles during his travels.

Brookside spent six months in the U.S. wrestling for [[World Championship Wrestling]], including several matches on ''[[WCW Monday Nitro|Nitro]]'', WCW's main TV shown worldwide. On 25 April 2005, he had a [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Dark match|dark match]] on [[WWE|World Wrestling Entertainment]]'s ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'' during a taping of the show in the UK, losing to [[Mike Bucci|Simon Dean]]. When WWE once again returned to England, Brookside joined other British wrestlers Thunder and [[Steve Lewington]] as part of the WWE security squad that helped keep the warring ''Raw'' and ''[[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown!]]'' wrestlers apart.

Brookside continued to wrestle in and around the UK and remained one of the top British wrestlers, winning many of the top titles in the UK. Brookside became the first-ever Real Quality Wrestling Heavyweight Champion on 29 April 2006, defeating former WWE and WCW Superstar [[Billy Kidman]] during a match at RQW's ''A Night of Champions'' event. Brookside would later go on to win the [[Frontier Wrestling Alliance]]'s [[FWA British Heavyweight Championship|British Heavyweight Championship]] at the ''FWA Summer Classic'' in a [[Professional wrestling match types#No Disqualification match/No Holds Barred match|no-DQ]] [[Professional wrestling match types#Basic elimination matches|elimination three-way match]], finally pinning [[Jonny Storm]] after then-champion Hade Vansen, who was eliminated first, returned to the ring and hit Storm with his [[DDT (professional wrestling)#Lifting DDT|''South City Driller'']] finishing move.

Though FWA Champion, Brookside was in fact wrestling under the banner of another promotion, [[All Star Wrestling]]. Brookside remained an All-Star wrestler throughout his reign, with various FWA wrestlers trying to take back "their" championship. During this time, Brookside vacated his RQW Heavyweight title and left the promotion. Brookside also took an interest in the future of the business by going on to train future wrestlers, eventually opening his own [[Leicester]]-based wrestling school, Wrestleicester, in late 2006.

Brookside appeared on the 23 April 2007 episode of ''Raw'', losing a no disqualification, 3-on-1 handicap match to [[Shane McMahon]], [[Vince McMahon]], and [[Umaga (wrestler)|Umaga]]. Brookside was introduced as a man that Shane McMahon had personally seen take down six men by himself in a fight at a local pub. Brookside has also had WWE matches against Snitsky and Maven. Brookside wrestled around the country in 2008, including defeating James Mason in a World of Sport rules match at [[Maesteg Town Hall]].

In February 2008, Brookside won [[All Star Wrestling]] British Heavyweight Championship for the second time but was forced to vacate the title in May 2009 due to injury.<ref name="aswbrithwt" /> At a WWE house show in Birmingham on 7 November 2011, William Regal announced that Brookside was in the crowd and credited him with his success as well as that of [[Sheamus]] and [[Wade Barrett]].

In 2013, Brookside, who had already been working as a talent scout for WWE, began working as a coach in WWE's developmental system, [[NXT (WWE brand)|NXT]], also ending his career in the active competition after nearly 30 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/last-of-the-british-masters-the-robbie-brookside-story-26849700|title=The last of the British masters shares his story}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/scars-stripes-drake-wuertz-nxt-hardcore-referee-27047554/page-3|title=Shows}}</ref> Brookside made an appearance on the 16 February 2015 episode of ''Raw'', separating a brawl between [[Bryan Danielson|Daniel Bryan]] and [[Roman Reigns]].

According to ''Pro Wrestling Torch'' in 2017, Brookside teaches the beginner class at the [[WWE Performance Center]], the first of four levels of classes.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Radican|first1=Sean|title=Update on newly signed former ROH talent at WWE's Performance Center|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/site/2017/09/06/update-newly-signed-roh-talent-wwes-performance-center-plans-dijak-rush-differ-oreilly-cole-fish/|website=pwtorch.com|date=6 September 2017|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Brooks daughter [[Xia Brookside|Xia-Louise]] is also a wrestler, best known as Xia Brookside.

== Championships and accomplishments ==
* '''All Action Wrestling'''
** AAW North East Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* '''[[All Star Wrestling]]'''
** [[British Heavyweight Championship|ASW British Heavyweight Championship]] ([[British Heavyweight Championship#All Star Promotions|2 times]])<ref name="aswbrithwt">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/europe/uk/bri-h.html|title=British Heavyweight Title|website=Wrestling-Titles.com}}</ref><ref name="ASW">{{Cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/All-Star_Wrestling.htm | title=All-Star Wrestling Title Histories| access-date=11 July 2008|publisher=titlehistories.com}}</ref>
** [[British Tag Team Championship|ASW British Tag Team Championship]] ([[British Tag Team Championship#Title history|2 times]]) – with [[Doc Dean]]
** ASW World Heavy-Middleweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="worlhm" /><ref name="ASW" />
* '''[[Catch Wrestling Association]]'''
** [[CWA British Commonwealth Championship]] ([[CWA British Commonwealth Championship#Title history|1 time]])
** [[CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship]] ([[CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])
** [[CWA World Tag Team Championship (Germany)|CWA World Tag Team Championship]] ([[CWA World Tag Team Championship (Germany)#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/Catch_Wrestling_Association.htm | title=Catch Wrestling Association Title Histories | access-date=11 July 2008|publisher=titlehistories.com}}</ref> – with [[P. N. News|Cannonball Grizzly]]
* '''European Wrestling Promotion'''
**EWP Intercontinental Championship (2 times)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/European_Wrestling_Promotion.htm | title=European Wrestling Promotion Title Histories| access-date=11 July 2008|publisher=titlehistories.com}}</ref>
** Ironman Hardcore Knockout Tournament (2001)
* '''European Wrestling Union'''
** [[European Heavyweight Championship]] ([[European Heavyweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])
** European Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Doc Dean
** Manfred Koch Memorial Cup (2001)
* '''[[Frontier Wrestling Alliance]]'''
** [[FWA British Heavyweight Championship]] ([[FWA British Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/X_Wrestling_Alliance.htm|title=X Wrestling Alliance Title Histories|access-date=11 July 2008|publisher=titlehistories.com}}</ref>
** FWA European Union Championship (1 time)
* '''New Alliance of Wrestling Athletes'''
** NAWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/New_Alliance_Of_Wrestling_Athletes.htm | title=Newe Alliance of Wrestling Athletes Title Histories | access-date=11 July 2008|publisher=titlehistories.com}}</ref>
* '''Premier Promotions'''
** PWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* '''Premier Wrestling Federation'''
** Worthing Trophy (1995, 1999, 2005)
** Ken Joyce Trophy (2004, 2006, 2009)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/other/2004-12.html | title=Independent Wrestling Results – December 2004 | access-date=5 July 2008|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com}}</ref>
** Wrestler of the Year (1995, 2005)
* '''Professional Wrestling Alliance'''
** PWA European Championship (2 times)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/other/2003-04.html | title=Independent Wrestling Results – April 2003 | access-date=5 July 2008|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/Professional_Wrestling_Alliance.htm | title=Professional Wrestling Alliance | access-date=11 July 2008|publisher=titlehistories.com}}</ref>
* '''Real Quality Wrestling'''
** RQW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="RQW">{{Cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/Real_Quality_Wrestling.htm|title=Real Quality Wrestling Title Histories|access-date=11 July 2008|publisher=titlehistories.com}}</ref>
* '''The Wrestling Alliance'''
** [[British Heavyweight Championship#The Wrestling Alliance|TWA British Heavyweight Champion]] (2 times)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/other/2002-01.html|title=Independent Wrestling Results – January 2002|access-date=5 July 2008|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com}}</ref>
** [[British Tag Team Championship|TWA British Tag Team Championship]] ([[British Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) – with [[Doug Williams (wrestler)|Doug Williams]] (1)
** TWA Hardcore Championship (1 time)
* '''[[Westside Xtreme Wrestling]]'''
** [[wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship|wXw World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/Westside_Xtreme_Wrestling.htm|title=Westside Xtreme Wrestling Title Histories|access-date=11 July 2008|publisher=titlehistories.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080808113941/http://www.titlehistories.com/Westside_Xtreme_Wrestling.htm|archive-date=8 August 2008}}</ref>
**[[Westside Xtreme Wrestling#wXw Hall of Fame|wXw Hall of Fame]] (Class of 2019)<ref>cite web|url= https://www.cagematch.net/?id=97&nr=170#2017</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{CWA British Commonwealth Championship}}
{{CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Champions}}
{{CWA World Tag Team Championship}}
{{WWE personnel}}
{{WXW Unified World Wrestling Championship}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brookside, Robbie}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:English male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling trainers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Liverpool]]
[[Category:Expatriate professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Germany]]
[[Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:21st-century male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:WXw Unified World Wrestling Champions]]
[[Category:CWA British Commonwealth Champions]]
[[Category:CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:CWA World Tag Team Champions]]