Bruce Jones and Steven Arnold went head to head at a wrestling event this weekend, sending Coronation Street fans into a frenzy.

The Corrie legends, who respectively left the ITV soap in 2007 and 2010, clashed as they were reunited in Manchester’s Trinity Sports Centre, after the Les Battersby actor made his debut in the ring earlier this year. Bruce, 71, and Steven, 49, squared up to one another during a fiery row before turning their attention to the ring.

Steve, who portrayed beloved Weatherfield butcher Ashley Peacock until the character’s tragic on-screen death in a tram crash, sported a Burberry shirt as he confronted his former co-star, who cut a casual figure in a cream jumper and a pair of denim trousers.

The pair of soap stars squabbled outside the ring, with Steven pushing a firm finger into Bruce’s chest in a crowd of 200 people. A promotional video showed the actors off in character as they hinted at bad blood building up between them.

“Les – you can run and hide all you want. We both know what you’ve done and I’m not having it. Don’t dare say it wasn’t you, because I know it was”, Steven said, addressing his ex-co-star by his soap name.

“You think you’ve got a gang? You think that the LBWO (Les Battersby World Order) is a gang? Well I’ll show you a gang Battersby, bank holiday May 6th – get ready for the Butcher Club you cheeky little monkey.”

Bruce put quite the show on with a thunderous entrance to Status Quo’s Rockin’ All Over The World, which was played at Les’ wedding to Cilla Brown in 2005, and declaring: “They don’t call him Batters-by for nothing”, which has become his opening slogan, while Steven was backed by another professional wrestler in the ring.

During his time in the Manchester-based program, Bruce’s character, troublesome Les Battersby, was Corrie’s “neighbour from hell” as he became well-known for his explosive encounters with other Weatherfield residents.

But after years of drama and two ill-fated marriages to Janice Lee and Cilla Brown, Les walked out on his new family to go on tour with tribute band ZZ Top O’ the Morning, with Bruce leaving the soap behind in 2008. His ITV alter-ego hasn’t been seen or heard from ever since.