Amelia Davies says she’s always been a bit of a showboat and goes into everything wanting to win. So when she entered the World Gravy Wrestling Championship, the 31-year-old had the perfect chance to do both.
Donning a viking costume – competitors are encourage to grapple each other in fancy dress – she fought off all comers to scoop the crown in the saucy showdown to take the trophy – and £100 cash prize – home to Warrington.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, the world champion revealed while it was great fun, there was a downside to grappling in 1,500 litres of gravy. “It gets everywhere,” she says. “It’s pretty minging. It’s not like water, it looked quite thin but it sticks to your skin.”
The annual event, held in Bacup, Lancs., aims to raise money for charity, sees wrestlers battle it out in slippery two minutes rounds. Wrestlers are judged on their showmanship, costume and entrances during the day.
First-time entrant Amelia, a nail technician by trade, devised a cunning plan to give herself the edge after being warned fluffy costumes get heavy when soaked by the gravy.
“I had a viking costume which had a fluffy arm piece so when that was soaked in gravy, I could take it off and hit my opponent with it,” she says.
Amelia, who also won the prize for best fancy dress, was cheered on by a band of friends and family in the crowd. “I go into everything and give 110%,”, she says. “I’m a bit of a showboat. I like to entertain my friends.
“I had a lot of family and friends there with banners. It was like I had my own little section of the crowd backing me. But I was genuinely surprised when I did win it.
“This was my first year. The lady who I was up against has been doing it for the last six years, so I thought she would win.”
Despite knocking lumps out of each other, Amelia says the atmosphere among competitors was great. She says: “It’s just fun. Everyone was willing to have fun and have a great time tine.
“It’s all in the name of fun. It was such a good laugh. When do you ever get the opportunity to roll around in gravy?”