The LilsBoys
Encyclopedia
The LilsBoys, Simon and Richard, are online wrestling
columnists for The Sun
newspaper in the UK since June 2001.
It is not known where their ring name
comes from, but the close friends used it in E-Feds
in the late 1990s and decided to take it with them to The Sun as their real names made them sound “more like a pair of middle-aged accountants than hot young wrestling writers”.
In real life Simon is a showbiz journalist, while Richard is in banking. Unsurprisingly given this Simon does the writing, interviews and live reviews for The LilsBoys column, while Richard provides guidance and support.
The two most common questions they are asked by wrestling fans are “when are they going to put your column in the paper” and “are Kane and Undertaker
really brothers”.
They have been penning a weekly column ever since, which appears on the sports pages of The Sun's website each Thursday.
They have interviewed almost lots of big names in the wrestling business including Hulk Hogan
, Ultimate Warrior, Ric Flair
, Bret Hart
, Dynamite Kid
, Stone Cold Steve Austin
, Mick Foley
, Booker T
, Chris Benoit
, Eddie Guerrero
, Kurt Angle
, Rob Van Dam
, Edge
, Batista and John Cena
.
The two biggest controversies were Flair calling Foley a “stunt man” and then-Raw star Batista saying Smackdown “makes me sick” - which led to real-life and WWE storyline bust-ups between Foley and Flair and Batista and Booker T.
's talkSPORT
wrestling radio show, co-hosted by Alex Shane
.
After Boyd was fired by the station, Simon took over hosting duties with Alex, Dean Ayass
and female grappler Nikita
, who is now in TNA Wrestling wrestling as Winter
.
After TalkSPORT bosses decided they wanted to bring an older demographic to the station, the wrestling show was dropped for an easy listening programme fronted by 73-year-old actor Gerald Harper
.
Simon is still good pals with all the team, including contributors like Greg Lambert
and Mo Chatra, and dreams of bringing it back one day.
.
He and Radio 1
's Joel Ross
record a show roughly once a month when a big star is in town to join them. Previous guests include Randy Orton
, Mick Foley
and Chris Benoit
, in one of his last interviews before he died in June 2007. Simon and Joel also conducted a controversial interview with Mr. Kennedy about the WWE's Wellness Policy, released shortly before Kennedy was suspended by WWE for obtaining steroids over the Internet.
Simon and Joel also attended WrestleMania 23 together, along with Joel's Radio 1 partner JK
, Dean Ayass and others.
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
columnists for The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper in the UK since June 2001.
It is not known where their ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
comes from, but the close friends used it in E-Feds
Fantasy wrestling
Fantasy wrestling is an umbrella term representing the genre of role-playing and statistics-based games which are set in the world of professional wrestling...
in the late 1990s and decided to take it with them to The Sun as their real names made them sound “more like a pair of middle-aged accountants than hot young wrestling writers”.
In real life Simon is a showbiz journalist, while Richard is in banking. Unsurprisingly given this Simon does the writing, interviews and live reviews for The LilsBoys column, while Richard provides guidance and support.
The two most common questions they are asked by wrestling fans are “when are they going to put your column in the paper” and “are Kane and Undertaker
Brothers of Destruction
The Brothers of Destruction was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of The Undertaker and Kane, both currently wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown roster.-History:...
really brothers”.
The Sun Online: June 2001 - Present
With the popularity of wrestling growing all the time in the UK, The Sun spotted the need for a column about the grap game. The LilsBoys were hired and wrote their first piece on King Of The Ring 2001.They have been penning a weekly column ever since, which appears on the sports pages of The Sun's website each Thursday.
They have interviewed almost lots of big names in the wrestling business including Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, Ultimate Warrior, Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
, Dynamite Kid
Dynamite Kid
Thomas Wilton Billington , best known by the ring name Dynamite Kid, is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid- to late-1980s...
, Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
, Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
, Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
, Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
, Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
, Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
, Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, Edge
Adam Copeland
Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
, Batista and John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
.
The two biggest controversies were Flair calling Foley a “stunt man” and then-Raw star Batista saying Smackdown “makes me sick” - which led to real-life and WWE storyline bust-ups between Foley and Flair and Batista and Booker T.
TalkSPORT: Nov 2001 - Nov 2002
Shortly after starting their Sun Online column the boys were invited to be regular guest experts on Tommy BoydTommy Boyd
Timothy Leslie Boyd , better known as Tommy Boyd, is a British radio and television presenter who now lives in Chichester, West Sussex.-Early career:...
's talkSPORT
TalkSPORT
Talksport , owned by UTV radio, is one of the United Kingdom's three terrestrial analogue Independent National Radio broadcasters, offering a sports and talk radio service broadcast from London to the United Kingdom....
wrestling radio show, co-hosted by Alex Shane
Alex Shane
Alexander Daniel Spilling is a British professional wrestler who is best known by his ring name "The Ascension" Alex Shane. Spilling also works as a promoter and wrestling teacher.-Early career:...
.
After Boyd was fired by the station, Simon took over hosting duties with Alex, Dean Ayass
Dean Ayass
Dean Ayass is a semi-retired British wrestling manager and commentator.-Early career:Ayass grew up as a wrestling fan: in interviews, he has stated that some of his earliest memories involving watching wrestling on ITV's World of Sport programme with his father...
and female grappler Nikita
Katarina Waters
Katarina Leigh Waters is a German-born English professional wrestler and valet, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Winter. She is best known for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment, performing on its Raw brand under the ring name Katie Lea...
, who is now in TNA Wrestling wrestling as Winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
.
After TalkSPORT bosses decided they wanted to bring an older demographic to the station, the wrestling show was dropped for an easy listening programme fronted by 73-year-old actor Gerald Harper
Gerald Harper
Gerald Harper is an actor, best known for his work on television, having played the title roles in Adam Adamant Lives! and Hadleigh ....
.
Simon is still good pals with all the team, including contributors like Greg Lambert
Greg Lambert
Greg Lambert is a professional wrestling manager, journalist, promoter and ring announcer.-Early years:From 1990-1994, Lambert studied English and History at Keele University...
and Mo Chatra, and dreams of bringing it back one day.
WrestleCast: June 2006 - Present
Simon returned to the airwaves in June 2006 with a grappling podcastPodcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
.
He and Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Joel Ross
Joel Ross
Joel Ross is a British radio DJ. Along with Jason King he presented the coveted UK Top 40 show on BBC Radio 1 each Sunday from March 2005 to October 2007...
record a show roughly once a month when a big star is in town to join them. Previous guests include Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
, Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
and Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
, in one of his last interviews before he died in June 2007. Simon and Joel also conducted a controversial interview with Mr. Kennedy about the WWE's Wellness Policy, released shortly before Kennedy was suspended by WWE for obtaining steroids over the Internet.
Simon and Joel also attended WrestleMania 23 together, along with Joel's Radio 1 partner JK
Jason King (radio)
"JK" is a Sony Gold awarding winning British radio DJ and Rose D'Or award winning TV presenter of programmes such as Hider in the House and Escape from Scorpion Island with friend and long-time colleague Joel Ross...
, Dean Ayass and others.