IT'S not often you get a 'world' champion in Blackburn but when was the last time you heard of a new one every week!

But for grapple fans anything is possible - especially if you make your own rules up!

Now some might say that Blackburn Wrestling is a bit of fun but try telling that to someone who has a chair flying at their head.

For the group covers all aspects of the sport, from the usual two submissions and you're out to the no-holds-barred hard core wrestling where anything goes.

Then of course there is tag team wrestling and battle royals where all the wrestlers enter the ring and promptly try to throw each other out.

The group was formed two years ago by a bunch of wrestle fans who decided they wanted a bit more than just watching WWF on the television.

Now budding wrestlers meet every week at Albion Mill Contact Sports Club where they compete for the Blackburn World Title belt.

However champions have just a mere seven days to bask in their glory before they put the title on the line again the following week.

So current champion Steve Edwards finds himself something of a living legend within the ranks having won the title for the past four weeks -successfully fighting off the challenge of previous holder Alex Burkhardt.

The group was formed by Bobby Aspin after being bitten by the WWF bug a couple of years ago. He said: "We started off in an old garage but we have since moved to Albion Mill where we hire a ring every Saturday. We take it all very seriously and fight for the Blackburn World Title belt which we designed ourselves.

"We have taught ourselves all the different moves and holds mainly from watching the WWF wrestling on the television. But what we could really do with is some professional coaching."

The club's ultimate aim is to compete in competitions around the North West. But until then they are content just fighting in the own little world.

Anyone interested in joining the club should contact Bobby Aspin on 01254 240911.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.