Adrian Street, known for his androgynous, glam gimmick, dead at age 82

“The Exotic One” Adrian Street, a longtime journeyman wrestler with a memorable flamboyant glam androgynous gimmick, died a week ago at age 82. Street, real name Blaenau Gwent) died at Cwmbran’s Grange University Hospital, according to a BBC.com article. He recently had undergone brain surgery and battled cancer.

Street’s life and career was chronicled in a 2020 documentary titled “You May Be Pretty, But I Am Beautiful: The Adrian Street Story.”

Street was accompanied to the ring by his real-life wife Linda Gunthorpe Hawker, known as Miss Linda. She told the BBC that he was “the kindest, most loving man you could ever meet.”

Linda told the BBC that Street had battled cancer in recent years and ultimately succumbed to colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, which later turned into sepsis.

His first professional wrestling match was at age 17. He wrestled in his home base of England, but also travelled to Canada, Mexico, and Germany. He was first widely seen in the United States when he wrestled in 1985 for the Continental Champion Wrestling territory based out of Birmingham, Ala. That shows was syndicated in many U.S. markets during the big territorial syndicated wrestling block era.

He also received considerable coverage in the U.S. national newsstand magazines because of his distinct look and flair for the dramatic. He would often kiss his opponents after beating them, smearing make-up on their face.