Last night’s fight ended like all the Runner Bean’s fights; he got in the ring and was soundly beaten by his opponent. True, on this occasion, a bit more painful an experience, before he picked up his £25 appearance fee. But this particular defeat was the one that ended the Runner Bean’s long and consistently poor career in the amateur wrestling ring.

He has a day job as a trade counter clerk at a local Plumber’s Merchants, thankfully, because his visits to the wrestling ring cost more than the £25 match fee. All of his previous 46 fights had ended the same way; a brief and sometimes violent defeat and an exit from the ring, until he recuperated nought to find the courage to face another opponent.

 

The Runner Bean was named so for his appearance; a tall slim man in a green shade of spandex all-in-one suite. But it was his green mask, which hid his true identity, that gave him the mystery. Throughout the other 46 defeats the Runner Bean was always beaten, yet maintained the spirit of participation, albeit briefly, but fight number 47 was the one that ended all the fun. His wife had mocked his appearance, but admired his spirit, if not stupidity.

“I told him he didn’t have the nerve to do anything, many years ago,” his wife recalled, “… and now I’m used to it,” she sighed.

 

The Runner Bean had a small cult following with residents in the Berkshire area, with his defeats uploaded regularly to his website: therunnerbean.com which promoted good causes and his profession, as well as high-definition close-up pictures of his latest defeat; gaining dozens of fans worldwide, to-date.

 

He had many more views on videos that had gone viral without his knowing, such as ‘world’s worst wrestler,’ but those close to him never told him. Nonetheless, after years of trying his best, the Runner Bean couldn’t buy a win or even win a single fight in all those one-side affairs.