Former Coronation Street star Bruce Jones has made his wrestling debut at the age of 71 in a plot twist worthy of the ITV soap.
Jones played the role of Les Battersby from 1997 until 2007 and was well-known for his encounters with the other residents having been billed on his introduction as a “neighbour from hell”.
Taking to the wrestling ring at Manchester's Trinity Sports Centre on February 18, Jones embodied his iconic character sporting his signature double-denim in his first match as part of SOVPRO (Sovereign Pro Wrestling).
With around 200 fans cheering him on, the promoters declared before the fight: "They don't call him Batters-by for nothing."
Another wrestler, Sam Gradwell, described witnessing Jones’ surprising career change as a “fever dream” as he took to Instagram to share some backstage pictures.
"How often do you get back from your match and a hammered Les Battersby is waiting for you with a beer to congratulate you on your win?" he quipped.
Opening up about the change of path in an interview with The Guardian, Jones admitted it had originally been planned as a cameo for his character, but soon became a lot more."So, they were like: 'You don't mind getting knocked about in the ring a bit, do you?'" Mancunian Jones, who is also a one-time fireman, told the publication.
In Corrie, Jones’ character got into a number of brawls with the likes of Martin Platt (Sean Wilson), Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) and Mick Hopwood (Ian Gain).
Following his departure from cobbles, Jones performed stand-up comedy routines in Benidorm and appeared in other TV shows including Celebrity Wife Swap, Come Dine With Me and Celebrity Big Brother.His last acting gig was in a Manchester panto in 2023.
