Andrew Simmons (born 21 May 1984), better known by his ring name Andy Boy Simmonz, is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

. He is currently working in the independent circuit in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

for several promotions. Simmons' most high-profile work in the UK came in the

Frontier Wrestling Alliance Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) was a professional wrestling promotion in Britain. Established in 1993 as the Fratton Wrestling Association it soon became the Frontier Wrestling Alliance six years later and until 2007 when it lost a scripted ...

under the

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

gimmick of Simmons the Butler. Simmons later returned to the FWA under the ring name Andy Boy Simmons but remained face. He is the current CWL Heavyweight Champion in the Championship Wrestling League. The Boy in Simmons' ring name comes from his idol

Davey Boy Smith David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestler. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring names Davey Bo ...

, best known as WWF's British Bulldog. Simmons has taken on many elements of the Bulldog character including the

ring gear An epicyclic gear train (also known as a planetary gearset) consists of two gears mounted so that the center of one gear revolves around the center of the other. A carrier connects the centers of the two gears and rotates the planet and sun gea ...

and the

finishing move Finishing can refer to: *Finishing (whisky), a whisky making method that involves aging of multiple casks *Finishing (bookbinding), the process of embellishing a book * Finishing (manufacturing), processes that are applied to a workpiece's surface ...

. He now teaches classes in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

at the revolution pro wrestling school on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. He was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in his childhood.

Professional wrestling career

He went to school in Liphook, Hampshire. Simmons first planned to train to become a wrestler at the NWA-UK Hammerlock training school, but not long after securing a week-long training session in August 2000 Simmons received news of a new training centre starting up in

, The FWA Academy, which was 30 minutes away from him. During 2004, Simmons would wrestle in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

for the Italian Championship Wrestling promotion, and around the rest UK for All Star and Premier Promotions before finally leaving the FWA Academy for good. In May, Simmons defeated Tommy Stevens in a Tables Match to win a one night tournament for the EWF trophy at the

Weymouth Pavilion The Weymouth Pavilion, formerly the Ritz, is a theatre in Weymouth, Dorset. The complex contains a 988-seat theatre, 600 (maximum) capacity ballroom known as the Ocean Room, the Piano Bar restaurant, Ritz Cafe and other function and meeting roo ...

in Weymouth,

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

. Outside of the more mainstream promotions Simmons competes for many independent promotions in the UK, most notably All Star, Real Quality Wrestling, Varsity Pro Wrestling and abroad on various European tours. During his time on the UK indies Simmons would begin teaming with Eamon O'Neill under the team name Irish Connection and later, The United Lions. During a tour of Italy in September 2006, Simmons suffered a broken ankle in a rumble match. Simmons was flown back early from the tour to have surgery which should have put him out of action until 2007.

Frontier Wrestling Alliance

Simmons' debut for the company was on 20 January 2001 at FWA Unknown Quantity 2 where he faced of in a Rookies Match against Dave Crispin, Simmons won the match with a victory roll, which he would later be named his ''Simmonz Roll''. After this well received debut Simmons went undefeated for 18 months, but after his first defeat in the FWA Academy Simmons took time away to wrestle in The Wrestling Alliance. After time away in the independent circuit, Simmons returned to the FWA Academy in 2003. During Simmons' time in the academy he wrestled against many of the up-and-coming British stars like

James Tighe James Tighe (born 27 March 1982) is a semi-retired English professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with Frontier Wrestling Alliance. He currently competes around the United Kingdom. Professional wrestling career In the FWA, Tighe wa ...

, Raj Ghosh, Mark Sloan, and

Paul Burchill Paul Birchall (born 8 October 1979), better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English retired professional wrestler best known for his time with WWE. Prior to joining WWE, Burchill wrestled for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance and oth ...

. Simmons also took part in the final TWA tour facing British wrestling superstars "The Anarchist" Doug Williams,

Jody Fleisch Jerome Fleisch (born 2 April 1980) is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jody Fleisch. He is best known for his work with the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, One Pro Wrestling and Real Quality Wrestling. He is current ...

, and

Robbie Brookside Robert Edward Brooks (born 11 March 1966), better known by his ring name Robbie Brookside, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a trainer/producer for the NXT brand. He has toured all ov ...

. Simmons came up into the FWA main roster with the gimmick of a stereotypical English butler, in the style of Jeeves in the

Jeeves and Wooster ''Jeeves and Wooster'' is a British comedy-drama television series adapted by Clive Exton from P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories. It aired on the ITV network from 22 April 1990 to 20 June 1993, with the last series nominated for a Britis ...

novels. Within a year as The Duke of Danger's trusty butler

sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...

, Simmons would become one of the most popular wrestlers in the FWA's history. As part of the tag-team Hampton Court with the Duke of Danger, and their

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "valet ...

"Buttercup". He would soon go on to hold the tag titles in the company with the Duke for a short time, before losing them to the team of Stixx & Martin Stone. After another absence away from the FWA Simmons split away from Hampton Court but returned under the name Andy Boy Simmons. He set out to find a new tag partner, one he could team with to win the tag belts from the champs Stixx and Stone. Simmons return to FWA with new tag team partner, Eamon O'Neill, as ''The United Lions''.

International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom

Simmons has also appeared regularly in International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom (IPW:UK) shows from late 2004 right through into 2006. During a show on 21 November 2004, Robbie Brookside defeated The International Man of Mystery 2–1 in a British Rules match after the match the Man of Mystery was unmasked as Simmons, but Brookside was then attacked by Stevie Douglas, Douglas went on to say that he was the real International Man of Mystery. In 2005, Andy Boy Simmonz entered into IPW:UK's heavyweight division and became a fan favourite. In July 2005, Simmonz would also make his mark in IPW:UK's tag team division teaming with the British Bulldog's son, Harry "Bulldog" Smith as "British Beef". On 18 February 2006, however, Simmonz turned on the company's mainly internet based fans who regularly "booed" him and unsuccessfully attempted to de-throne IPW:UK Champion Martin Stone at the event in Orpington, Kent. Simmonz soon fell back into his heel persona in IPW:UK and even had a bodyguard for a short time in June. Around this time, Simmonz won an over-the-top rumble at ''Battle Royale'' to earn himself any match of his choice in IPW:UK. However, by September, Simmonz had left IPW:UK (due to the injury he suffered on tour) claiming he was retiring without ever utilizing the stipulation. On 22 October 2006, while still incapacitated and in a wheelchair Simmonz used the stipulation to gain himself a No DQ, Falls Count Anywhere bout for the IPW:UK title. After help from Aviv Maayan and Simmons' former bodyguard, LT Summers, as well as a steel crutch, Simmonz became the third IPW:UK Champion. The team are known as the "Hated Heroes". It was announced that at the cross over event IPW:UK vs New Generation Wrestling in Hull on Friday 13 February 2009, Simmonz would represent IPW to take on NGW's "Prima Donna" Nathan Cruz, a match which saw Simmonz win, thus earning the first point for team IPW, Simmonz later wrestled in an IPW vs NGW 6-man elimination tag team match which was won by NGW's Alex Cyanide when Cyanide pinned Simmonz.

1 Pro Wrestling

Simmons would also become one of the British stars in the

1 Pro Wrestling One Pro Wrestling (abbreviated as 1PW) is a British professional wrestling promotion. 1PW was founded in 2005 by Steven Gauntley. Originally run by the now defunct retail chain 1 Up Games, the company's headquarters were located in Doncaster T ...

roster from its inception in 2005, competing under his heel persona. Simmons appeared in 1PW's inaugural match the Proving Ground Battle Royal but didn't appear again on a 1PW card for several months for a brief stint before leaving the company once again. In 2006, Simmons would make a return to 1PW as the surprise tag team partner from Lance Storm before working a pro wrestling storyline in which he would take open challenges from any competitor for a match. Simmonz's open challenges resulted in a long losing streak for Simmonz in 1PW.

Real Quality Wrestling

Simmons would also make appearances in Real Quality Wrestling as both a face and a heel. As a heel, Simmons would team with Aviv Maayan as ''The Hated Heroes''. They participated in the RQW British Tag Team Tournament to have a chance of becoming RQW British Tag Team Champions. They made it to the final but were defeated by ''Team Charming''. Simmons is also known for teaming with

as ''The Iron Lions''.

World Wrestling Entertainment

During

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

shows held in London, England, Simmons has participated as an enhancement talent. Simmons was a part of WWE's 2006 tour of the United Kingdom where he worked for the company, competing on both its ''

WWE Velocity ''WWE Velocity'' was an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and ran from May 25, 2002 to June 11, 2006. It replaced two syndicated WWE shows, ''Jakked'' and ''Metal''. Once ...

'' and ''

WWE Heat ''WWE Heat'' (formerly known as ''Sunday Night Heat'' and also known as ''Heat'') is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and aired from August 2, 1998 to May 30, 2008. Ori ...

'' shows. Simmons would compete against

Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE. With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...

in a singles match on ''Velocity'' and teamed with Eric Schwarz to face the team of

Goldust Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE ...

and Snitsky during ''Heat''. On 15 October 2007 Birmingham, England edition of ''

WWE Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show fe ...

'', Simmons competed in a few squash matches against Umaga. He was put through 3 types of matches by Mr. McMahon: a Street Fight, a

First Blood Match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

, and a

Steel Cage Match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. Simmons lost all three matches.

Irish Whip Wrestling

In June 2008, Simmons took part in an

Irish Whip Wrestling Irish Whip Wrestling (IWW) is an Irish-owned independent professional wrestling promotion established in January 2002. The company is named after a wrestling move called the 'Irish Whip'. IWW runs shows Nationally throughout the whole of Ireland, ...

Show in the ESB Arena in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

where he beat Chad Collyer.

Fightstar Sports Entertainment

On 16 November 2010, Simmons competed in a Championship Tournament for Fightstar Sports Entertainment's vacant All-Counties Championship at the Barrington Centre in Ferndown,

. After beating X-Con in the first round, he went on to win the title in the main event Triple Threat match that night, beating Jivin' Jay Knox and 'Iron Hulk' Karl Atlas to lift the title.

Revolution Pro (2012-2020)

Simmons was an active competitor and trainer for

Revolution Pro Wrestling Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro/RPW) is a British professional wrestling promotion founded on 26 August 2012 by Andy Quildan after separating from International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom. Revolution Pro Wrestling currently has partnershi ...

at the FWA's former training facility. He made his last main show RevPro match in 2014. His RevPro stint came to a quick end in June, 2020 after allegations about him harassing underage students came to light

Championships and accomplishments

*British Real Attitude Wrestling League **BRAWL Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Catch Wrestling Council **CWC All-In Championship (1 time) *Celtic Wrestling **CW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Thomas Bassey *Championship Wrestling League **CWL Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current) *European Wrestling Federation **EWF Trophy (2004) *Extreme World Wrestling **EWW St. George's Championship (1 time) *Fightstar Sports Entertainment **FSE All-Counties Championship (1 time) *

FWA Tag Team Championship The Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship contested for in the British Frontier Wrestling Alliance promotion. The title was only contestable by male tag teams and in tag team matches. B ...

( 1 time) – with Duke of Danger * International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom ** IPW:UK Championship (2 times) *Italian Championship Wrestling **ICW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with

*Premier Promotions **PWF Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) - with Rishi Ghosh **PWF Welterweight Championship (1 time) *Revolution Pro Wrestling **Dirty 24/7 Championship (1 time) *Solent Wrestling Federation **SWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Flash Barker

References

External links

IPW:UK profileInterview
regarding The Wrestler (2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Simmons, Andrew 1984 births English male professional wrestlers Living people People from Liss Professional wrestling trainers British podcasters Undisputed British Heavyweight Champions