BritWres to Impress Preview // RevPro // PCW // FutureShock [Dec '17 Wk 1]

Welcome back for another edition of BritWres to Impress, as we preview the biggest, brightest and best professional wrestling on offer in the United Kingdom this week. As we begin December, we've got another eclectic bunch of shows to look at. We'll be looking at a pair of double headers beginning with Revolution Pro Wrestling's BWTI debut with Contenders 17 in Portsmouth on Saturday and Live at the Cockpit 23 in London on Sunday and then focusing on another BWTI debutante Preston City Wrestling with a pair of shows, starting with Joey Janela's Big Top Adventure on Friday in Blackpool, Lancashire and then onto Live! on Saturday in Wrexham, Clwyd, before concluding with a look at Futureshock Wrestling in Manchester for Reloaded #4, also on Sunday. So lets get into it, here is the BritWres to Impress for the first week of December 2017!

Also This Week 

Friday // Fight Club: PRO Infinity 2017 // Wolverhampton // fightclubpro.bigcartel.com

Sunday // Pro Wrestling 4 U Ho Ho Ho Let's Go // Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire //  facebook.com/prowrestling4u

Saturday // HOPE Wrestling Evolution 54: Broken Bones Matilda Left a Note and a Rose... // Leicester // hopewrestling.co.uk

Saturday // Revolution Pro Wrestling Contenders 17 // Portsmouth // revolutionprowrestling.com

Sunday // Revolution Pro Wrestling Live at the Cockpit 23 // London // revolutionprowrestling.com

As the dust settles from the massive Global Wars 2017, RevPro is back for their final shows in Porstmouth and at the Cockpit of the year. 

The Portsmouth show is a smaller affair, featuring up and comers, clashing with regular roster members. The scheduled card so far see's Andy Boy Simmonz tag with Ian Logan to take on Johnny Rocket & Timo, whilst Zan Phoenix goes one on one with Rishi Ghosh in an intergender showcase.

One group who had an amazing Global Wars was CCK. Travis Banks and Chris Brookes put away Rocky Romero & YOSHI-HASHI on Night One before Lykos joined them in picking up a victory over Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI and Gedo on Night Two. The Legion of Lords didn't have as good a time, with Chief Deputy Dunne and Lord Gideon Grey falling to Gedo and Toru Yano on the first show, but with Rishi Ghosh returning for the first time since Dunne joined the group, maybe they'll find a new groove here. The other pressing matter is that Kid Lykos has suffered another major injury last weekend and will be unable to join Brookes and Banks for the match. Who will CCK draft in as a replacement? How will that effect their rhythm as a trio? How will Dunne try to stop anyone from having fun? There's lots of questions to be answered at the CCKpit on Sunday, but it'll no doubt be entertaining finding out! 

It appeared that "Flash" Morgan Webster had Josh Bodom's number in RevPro. Webster defeated Bodom in August 2015 in Sittingbourne, then a month later in a triple threat with Mark Haskins in Broxbourne, January 2016 saw Webster advance past Bodom in a tournament to crown a new British Cruiserweight Champion at the Cockpit, before Webster returned to the promotion with a victory over the then British Cruiserweight title holder Bodom this October. Since then their feud has escalated, with Bodom getting disqualified in a title match in Cardiff two weeks later and then cost Flash a match with El Phantasmo at last month's Cockpit show. Things seemed to be setting up for an all-out war between the two over the belt, but then Global Wars when Ryan Smile walked out as British Cruiserweight Champion in a match also including El Desperado. So now we have Webster vs. Smile for the strap on Sunday. They've clashed in ATTACK, SCW, Kamikaze Pro and FIGHT! in the past, including a couple of title matches, but at the Cockpit the stakes may never have been higher. Expect these two high-flyers to put on a spectacular showcase in the intimate theatre.

Josh Bodom will also be action, tagging with new partner Zack Gibson to take on Aussie Open's Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher. Whilst Bodom's fortunes where mixed at Global Wars dropping the Cruiserweight belt, but also picking up a big win against former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Rocky Romero, Gibson did not have the same fortunes taking two straight loses to Yuji Nagata and Toru Yano. They'll both be looking to use that weekend to push on as a duo and stop Aussie Open from regaining the momentum that they came into the promotion with in September. Either way it'll be a fascinating clash of styles and personalities. Another fascinating clash sees a debut and a return. Martin Stone has been absent since beating Eddie Dennis in August, spending time working in America for WWE, Beyond and MLW, in the mean time "Smash Mouth" Chris Ridgeway has been killing it in PCW, SWA, Southside and all over the country. The two go head to head at the Cockpit and considering how these two hit, they could very well tear each other apart!

Also Jinny prepares to be the first woman to wrestle for RevPro in York Hall on 8th December with a clash against Charli Evans, El Phantasmo goes up against Kurtis Chapman and RJ Singh faces Rob Lias.

Friday // Preston City Wrestling Joey Janela's Big Top Adventure // Blackpool, Lancashire // prestoncitywrestling.com

Saturday // Preston City Wrestling Live! // Wrexham, Clwyd // prestoncitywrestling.com

When PCW returns to Blackpool for the first time since August, the Lancashire fans are in for something a little bit different. Anyone who caught the Game Changer Wrestling show Joey Janela's Spring Break during WrestleMania weekend in Florida will know exactly the kind of madness to expect from Joey Janela's Big Top Adventure. 

Janela has had a breakthrough year in 2017, tearing it up in Beyond, CZW, AIW and elsewhere for his hardcore style and off the wall imagination. One of the elements introduced at his Spring Break was the mystical Invisble Man. At Big Top Adventure, the Invisible Man returns to go one on one with Janela. Yes, Joey Janela is having a singles match with the Invisible Man. The Invisble Man is literally...an...invisible...man. If you're someone who struggle to suspend your disbelief this will almost certainly not going to be the match for you. But if you're not a Jim Cornette type and can enjoy the more bizarre areas of the art form then you should have a whale of a time! But who could come out with the win? That's the real question, that will be answered on Friday, when the unstoppable force meets the invisible object! 

Spring Break saw Marty Jannetty, Glacier and Dan Severn make appearances and Blackpool will be treated to some more wrestling "legends" when Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and Virgil hit the Tower. A smorgasbord of guys who were below average for the 1980s, but this is gonna be retro and cool and stuff, probably. Virgil tags up with Danny Hope and Joey Hayes to take on Big T Justice, Sheik el Sham & Dave Birch in a match that is certainly happening this weekend. I have no idea where to even begin when previewing this, to be honest. The Models are comedy gold and Virgil used to managed Ted DiBiase back in the day, so there's that. Lots of comedic potential that will hopefully be realised on Friday night!

The PCW Heavyweight Championship is also on the line as T-Bone puts the title on the line against the man he took the belt from in October, Iestyn Rees. Both men spent time as the FWB faction that was rampant on PCW shows in 2015, but have since been part of fiery rivalry. The two clash in a Street Fight on Friday night, which promises to be a violent, hard-hitting affair between two heavyweight brawlers. There's also a match between two men who know each other very well as Scarlet & Graves duo Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz go head to head. The two are known for their risk-tasking as a duo, so this should be a spectacular blink and you miss it contest. Xavier got the victory on a joint PCW/CZW show in Liverpool in November 2016, so Wentz has something to prove when they go head to head again in Lancashire.

The rest of the card includes a triple threat that may well steal the show as Bubblegum returns to face Chris Ridgeway and Ashton Smith, whilst Martin Kirby, Lionheart, Matthew Brookes, Tal Benham, Arcadian and Phillip Michael have a six man Ladder match. The whole event is available on PPV through Powerbomb.TV

There's nothing announced for the free show in Wrexham on Saturday, but the promotions first and only trip to Wales in 2017 is scheduled to feature the likes of Joey Janela, T-Bone and Dean Allmark are all scheduled to appear.

Sunday // FutureShock Wrestling Reloaded #4 // Manchester // futureshockwrestling.co.uk

FutureShock Wrestling returns to 53Two Theatre in Manchester and their bringing former ROH World Champion Jay Lethal with them. It's been three month's since FutureShock were in Manchester, but they're back with another hot card of family-friendly action. 

In November, T-Bone's FutureShock Championship match with Ashton Smith ended in disqualification when T-Bone introduced the champion to a steel chain in Stockport. With Smith obviously wanting some revenge on the WWE UK competitor, things are set to taken up a notch on Sunday as the two take part in the most appropriate match available, a chain match. The match would seem to favour the rougher T-Bone, who has in the past used No DQ matches to his advantage winning a Street Fight against Mark Massa in April 2016, as well as putting away rival Rampage Brown in Trailer Park Street Fight in August. Smith is going to have to dig deep and find something to get passed the 6 footer from Worcester on Sunday. Who knows whether he'll be able to do it, but it should be fascinating to watch him try.

Jay Lethal has collected titles wherever he's gone in wrestling. In ROH he took the World, Television and Pure Championships, in TNA he took the X Division title six times, as well as the World Tag Team straps with Consequences Creed, as well as the World Heavyweight Championship in the now-defunct FWE. Now he's coming for Xander Cooper's Adrenaline Championship. The last time Lethal was in FutureShock, way back in March 2013, Xander Cooper was just beginning to find a foothold in the promotion as a singles star, having won the Trophy tournament the previous November, but since then he's developed massively, developing the Uprising faction, taking the FutureShock Championship from Jack Gallagher and is now in his second run as Adrenaline Champion. Cooper is also no stranger to defeating International stars however, he took the title from WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne in October (in three way including Soner Dursun) and having manager Bobby Gage by his side means that he always has something up his sleeve if things don't quite go his way. This could be the proverbial chess match come Sunday night in Manchester. 

There will also be two more First Round matches in the Legacy Tournament. Joey Hayes and Abel Stevens have already qualified for the next round and on Sunday, Soner Dursun will take on Kenny Williams in what is sure to be an aerial showcase. Up and comer JJ Webb is also scheduled to take on the reinvented Thomas Wolfe as the competition continues to throw up intriguing combinations. Cyanide will look to keep his path of destruction going as Joey Hayes steps up following his victory over Damon Leigh, whilst Lana Austin puts her Women's Championship on the line against Molly Spartan.

Thanks for checking out BritWres to Impress this week, hopefully we've helped you find the right show for you. Don't forget to send your reviews in acrossthepondwrestling@hotmail.co.uk. 

Article by James Marston

BritWres to Impress // PROGRESS // ICW // FutureShock [Nov. '17 Wk. 3]

Hot diggity dog, ATPW's weekly preview of British Wrestling is back and we're not messing around! With so many mid-week shows, I felt it was silly to keep calling this Ready for the Weekend, so after a quick Twitter poll...welcome to BritWres to Impress! Each and every Monday we'll be taking a look at three of the biggest shows across the week and around the British Isles. This week we're focusing on PROGRESS Wrestling Live at the Dome on Wednesday (15th Nov.) at The Dome in London, Insane Championship Wrestling's double header with France '98 on Saturday (18th) at The Garage in Glasgow and the massive Fear and Loathing X on Sunday (19th) at the SSE Hydro in the same city and FutureShock Wrestling Uproar 97 on Sunday at Stockport Masonic Hall in Stockport, Greater Manchester. 

*Disclaimer - All cards are subject to change*

Also This Week  

Saturday // 4FW Live! // Thatcham, Berkshire // 4fw-online.com

Sunday // ATTACK! Pro Wrestling SRVRSRSLY (This Time It Really Isn't a PPV Tie-In Event) // Cardiff // SOLD OUT

Sunday // 4FW Live! // Portishead, North Somerset // 4fw-online.com

Wednesday // PROGRESS Wrestling Live at the Dome // The Dome, London // www.tickettailor.com/all-tickets/15857/eb5f

Hot off the heels of Chapter 57: Enter Smiling in Manchester, PROGRESS returns to the Dome on Wednesday with a card mixing up and comers with some of the promotions top stars. 

The biggest match on the card features someone who has had a change of heart in recent months, that man is Eddie Dennis. At Chapter 57, Dennis cost former tag team partner Mark Andrews his PROGRESS World Championship match and on Wednesday, Dennis will have his first match with the company since breaking up FSU at Chapter 55: Chasing the Sun. His opponent? The exciting and likeable Chuck Mambo. The gnarly ass pro wrestling surfer might not have the best singles record in PROGRESS, but with The Dome behind him and Dennis' mind elsewhere there's always a chance he could off an upset. The powerful and angry Dennis will have a point to prove and will be looking to back up the points he made in an emotional promo video released last month, whether this will translate to a victory is yet to be seen, but this clash of styles as power and aggression takes on speed and good vibes will no doubt end up being a thoroughly entertaining affair. 

The last show at The Dome, Revelations of Divine Love, featured a Women's tournament that would eventually be won by Charli Evans. The Women's action continues on Wednesday with a pair of intriguing matches. Tournament standout, Millie McKenzie takes on a returning Laura Di Matteo, who hasn't been seen in PROGRESS since losing a Women's Championship match at Chapter 52: Vote Pies in July. The two have a similar intense style and with both women looking to make cases for future appearances, the bout has a boat-load of potential. Coming off a Chapter debut on Sunday, but still without a win to her name, Candyfloss takes on the debuting Nina Samuels, who is seen most regularly in Pro Wrestling: EVE. Whoever comes out on top will be walking away with their first win for PROGRESS and with the Women's roster getting more competitive each and every month, now is certainly the time to start chalking up some Ws! The two have met previously in EVE and Battle Pro Wrestling this year with Samuels currently 2-0 to the good.

The theme of returns continues when Damon Moser faces off with Roy Johnson. Both men are Projo trained but have made limited appearances in 2017 and will be looking to do everything to make sure that isn't the case in 2018. Expect this first time ever clash to be a rough and tumble scrap between two men with a point to prove. Elsewhere on the card, The Bhangra Knights (RJ Singh & Darrel Allen) are back to face the undefeated duo of Big T. Justice and the OJMO, whilst in further tag team action Connor Mills tags with Maverick Mayhew against Never Say Die (Alex Cupid & Dillion D'Angelo).

Saturday // Insane Championship Wrestling France '98 // Glasgow // ticketmaster.co.uk/search?tm_link=tm_header_search&user_input=ICW&q=ICW

Sunday // Insane Championship Wrestling Fear and Loathing X // Glasgow // ticketmaster.co.uk/search?tm_link=tm_header_search&user_input=ICW&q=ICW

The night before the massive Fear and Loathing X at the SSE Hydro, ICW have a taping of their Fight Club series, interestingly named France '98. With the biggest show of the year literally right around the corner, there's a chance that everything could break down! Nowhere is that more evident than the waiver signing that will take place for the much anticipated King of Insanity Death match. Just one night before they step into what is being promoted as one of the most dangerous matches in history, for a company that has made on a name on presenting gritty and violent professional wrestling, Jimmy Havoc, Mikey Whiplash, Chris Renfrew and Stevie Boy will all be at The Garage and chances are the night won't end with them all 100% heading into Sunday! 

The card is littered with intriguing match-ups, but the one that stands out for me is El Ligero's return to the promotion for the first time since 2013, to take on Kenny Williams. The pair are known for their high-pace, action-packed offence, so this should be an exciting clash that sets up Williams for his high profile encounter the following night. Elsewhere, Ravie-Davie has a chance to earn some payback and a spot in a #1 Contenders Ladder match at The Hydro as he faces Bram, the ICW Women's Championship match from the Hydro is previewed as champion Kay Lee Ray teams with the debuting Katie Forbes to battle her two challengers Viper and Kasey Owens in tag team action, Stevie Boy pulls double duty teaming with Filthy Generation teammates Aspen Faith & Lewis Girvan against The Kinky Party (Jack Jester & Sha Samuels) and Jody Fleish in a match featuring an intriguing array of talent, The Marauder's Iestyn Rees battles Aaron Echo, whilst new group The Fite Network (Krieger & Lou King Sharp, with Kid Fite) take on a team who have built momentum in the second half of 2017, Krobar and Stevie James, The Purge.  Then there's the small matter of the first ever Carlos Vanderama Invitational Battle Royal.

Onto Fear and Loathing X, the biggest show promoted by a British wrestling company in 2017. There's a reason I decided to bring back weekly previews this week! After last years event offered spectacle by the barrel load, but lacked an in-ring punch, this years card looks to marry the two concepts. 

With three former WWE Champions on hand, the show also combines homegrown talent with major household names. Kevin Nash will be appearing, with the founding nWo member acting as guest commissioner for the show the chances for shenanigans are high. Nash will be joined by Cruiserweight pioneer Rey Mysterio Jr., in only his second appearance in Scotland since leaving WWE. Mysterio goes one on one with ICW's own Kenny Williams. Williams has never lost at Fear & Loathing, but has also never had a match as a high profile as this one. It'll be youth vs. experience here, as Mysterio looks to wind back the clock one more time and Williams looks to continue building a name for himself. Also appearing, for the first time in Scotland outside of WWE and TNA, is the "Whole F'n Show" Rob Van Dam, who will collide with Lionheart and Zack Gibson in an eclectic three way dance. The feud between Lionheart and Gibson lit up quickly with Gibson beating Lionheart at Eleven in Edinburgh last month, with Liverpool's Number One demanding that he be added to the contest. With Gibson getting his wish after goading his rival repeatedly, this has the potential to be a very heated affair, something which RVD is very familiar with. A win for either Lionheart or Gibson would propel them into the title picture, but their dislike towards each other may end up costing them the opportunity on the grandest stage in British wrestling.

The biggest match for ICW regulars has to be the clash between Joe Coffey and BT Gunn, with both Coffey's World Heavyweight Championship and Gunn's Zero G Championship on the line. After defeating Trent Seven at Barramania III in April, aligning himself with Red Lighting, Coffey has gone through a who's who in title defences, picking up victories over Kassius Ohno, Colt Cabana, Pete Dunne, Moose, Joe Hendry and more. BT Gunn has been on a similar roll in the Zero G Division, since receiving a shot at the WWE United Kingdom Championship at Shug's Hoose Party 4 - Day 1 in July, going on to win the Zero G belt the following day. Since then Gunn has retained against the likes of Jimmy Havoc, Jody Fleisch, Wolfgang, Jordan Devlin and James Drake. The two have clashed multiple times in ICW, as well as WhatCulture Pro Wrestling and Target Wrestling, but never has so much been on the line. This should be a barn-burner.

Jimmy Havoc. Mikey Whiplash. Chris Renfrew. Stevie Xavier. One of these men will walk out of the Hydro with the title of King of Insanity. There's been a weaving and dark story being told involving all four men at various points on Fight Club, but whether that will matter once they step into the ring on Sunday is anyone's guess. What will matter is that these four are known for their risk-taking, their willingness to inflict and take pain,  their cringe-inducing violence and that's what to expect here. The idea that a death match is taking place in a building like the Hydro is a tantalising prospect and knowing these four, this will be something that people won't be forgetting in a hurry.

Elsewhere on the show,  Kay Lee Ray will defend her ICW Women's Championship against Kasey Owens and Viper, as the three women step inside a steel cage for the first time in company history, The Marauders (Wild Boar & Mike Bird) put their ICW Tag Team Championships up against Polo Promotions (Jackie Polo & Mark Coffey), the odd-couple Kinky Party (Sha Samuels & Jack Jester) clash with The Kings of Catch (Aspen Faith & Lewis Girvan) and Bram, DCT, Jody Fleish, Joe Hendry, Aaron Echo and Kid Fite battle it out in a Ladder match for a future title shot.
KLR vs. Kasey vs. Viper.

Sunday // FutureShock Wrestling Uproar 97 // Stockport, Greater Manchester // futureshockwrestling.co.uk/upcoming.html

In August, Ashton Smith won the FutureShock Championship at 13th Anniversary SuperShow in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, defeating Zack Gibson, that same night former champion Tyson T-Bone put his feud with Rampage Brown to bed by winning a Trailer Park Street Fight. In September, during a presentation ceremony, Smith declared that he'd defend the Championship against anyone the fans thought deserved it, this bought out T-Bone, who after a short confrontation landed a headbutt on the champion, leaving Smith on the mat as he held the title that he held between September 2015 and April last year above his head. The two met in June with Smith coming out with the win, after an appearance from Rampage Brown, but with the title on the line will the result be the same? Or will Smith lose the title at the first time of asking? 

It seems like it's a good weekend for returns for El Ligero. After Travis Banks had to pull out, Ligero was drafted in as his replacement in a FutureShock Adrenaline Championship match against Xander Cooper. The last time Ligero stepped into a FutureShock ring was over seven years ago at FutureShock 48 and in that time away it's safe to say that the El Ligero in 2017 is a whole different beast. Xander Cooper, however, took the title from current WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne in September and has been known to enjoy an underhanded tactic or two, to keep a championship belt around his waist. "The Man For All Seasons" and "The Mexican Sensation" have clashed in Preston City Wrestling and Full House Wrestling previously and their clash of styles should produce a tremendous encounter for the Stockport faithful. 

Another change to the originally announced card, sees Chris Ridgeway replace Zack Gibson in a contest against James Drake. It's a shame that the original stipulation of Gibson potentially losing his championship deposit has been lost, but that doesn't mean that this bout won't be just as physical. Ridgeway is yet to taste victory in FutureShock and Drake has been on a downward spiral after winning the Lotto Thunder Tournament in July, so that might just produce the most ferocious contest, from two competitors known for their unforgiving ferocity. No matter who leaves with their hand held high, expect both "Smash Mouth" and "Mr. Mayhem" to leave a mark on each other.

Elsewhere on the show Don Meacho is looking for revenge on Cyanide and the Legacy Tournament begins as "Deadly" Damon Leigh faces Joey Hayes and Danny Hope goes one on one with Abel Stevens in two First Round clashes. 

---

Until next week!

Article by James Marston 

Rampage Brown Interview - WOS Wrestling/IMPACT Wrestling

Recorded at ITV's WOS Wrestling press conference on at MediaCityUK in Salford on Monday, here's our interview with former PROGRESS World Champion, Rampage Brown! 


ATPW - So Rampage, how does it feel to be here today with WOS Wrestling and ITV and to be part of such a big project?


Ramage Brown - Yeah, it feels really good. Obviously anything to do with British wrestling being on TV again is "sign me up". I'm happy with that. It feels great to be apart of it. 


On the special, you tagged up with Ashton Smith, how do you feel that went? 


Yeah, it was good. Surprsingly, because no one had seen me and Ashton as a team before, but we got a lot of good feedback. Me and Ashton are good close friends, that's the thing with a good tag team, you've got to get on outside the ring as well as inside the ring. It was good to share the ring with him definitely. 


You faced off against the Coffey Brothers, who've you've worked with in the past, how was it to share this stage with them?


It was an experience as always, you're in their running about, blowing up and slamming yourself around. It is what it is. But they're a highly respected tag team. I've got so much respect for them both. Good guys. I couldn't think of a better think of a better team to share the ring with. 


The WOS taping is coming up in Preston in May, obviously a place you're very familiar with from working for PCW, what do you think the city will bring to the show? 


They will bring their own atmosphere. As long as other fans don't get intimidated by that and jump in their and have fun, because not everybody's a wrestling fan in that capacity. There'll be families and things like that. Yeah, it should add to the atmosphere, as long as they're aware that there's other people around as well. I think it'll be great and add to the show. As long as it's lively. 


I think that came across on the special and created a good soundtrack for the show...


There's nothing worse than when people sit on their fingers and do nothing. Without a doubt, they definitely did a good service to the show. 

You've worked both sides of the coin in wrestling, you've been a good lad, you've bad lad, do you have preference or is it all about getting a reaction? 


No I don't have a preference, I used to do, but now I don't really care. It's all about going out there and doing your job, going out their and doing what you're hired to do. 


With IMPACT Wrestling coming in, you were on the second series of TNA British Bootcamp, did you take anything from that experience or was it all about the opportunity?


It was just a situation that came up at the time and it was a just a way of making money. I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything other, but that's just what it was at that time. 


Do you think there's going to be an opportunity for guys who work for WOS to get seen on American TV? Would you be open to that?


Possibly. Only the future will tell. 


What was it like to be featured on a main stream channel and get such a prestigious slot on New Year's Eve? 


It was one of those things where it just kind of came out of nowhere, so it was hard to take it all in. When you actually saw it on the TV at the time, it was a bit surreal. But again, it's all apart of the journey.


Did you ever, ever think this was going to happen? 


Not in my lifetime, not in my time in the ring. I feel fortunate that it has and that I'm apart of it. 

I'd like to thank Rampage for taking the time to speak to us on Monday and we'd love to get an opportunity build on this short interview in the future. WOS Wrestling tapes for TV at Preston Guild Hall on 25/26 May and tickets go on sale on 9th April at 9am for Gigs and Tours, Tickermaster and Preston Guild Hall.

Interviewer - James Marston 

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling 

Instagram - @ATPWrestling

TV Review: World of Sport Wrestling - Coffey Brothers v Ashton Smith & Rampage Brown

On 31st December, World of Sport Wrestling made it's return to ITV, with a one-off two hour special. The show was structured around qualifiers for a battle royal that would crown a new #1 contender, after Dave Mastiff won the promotions belt under suspect circumstances against Grado in the opener. This was highlighted by a tag team clash where The Coffey Brothers (Joe Coffey & Mark Coffey) faced off with Ashton Smith & Rampage Brown. With the likes of Johnny Moss, Viper, CJ Banks, Zack Gibson and El Ligero also in action, would the special lay the foundation for a World of Sport return? Let's take a look. 

The show's lone tag team contest produced some of the best action across the two hours as The Coffey Brothers advanced to the #1 Contender's battle royal with a victory over Ashton Smith and Rampage Brown. This match didn't exactly re-invent the wheel, but it didn't have to, taking the regular tag team structure and filling it out with strong believable performances from all four and some bloody good wrestling also. The two tandems dispositions and chemistry were put over well, with the big man/small man dynamic of Smith and Brown working much better than I had expected, considering they worked the villain role. The build towards the hot tag was exciting, with Mark getting a nice inside cradle near fall, before the tag to Joe got a pleasing pop from the audience. Everything from that point onward was spot on, with each team getting a good near fall in, including a very well worked distraction false finish off a Brown spinebuster, before heel miscommunication resulted in Smith taking a forearm and lariat combo for the pin. 

Match in a Sentence - A very good, simple tag structure, fleshed out by strong performances all round.

The strongest match was a cracking technical outing, that saw "The Mexican Sensation" El Ligero defeat Zack Gibson. These two have clashed numerous times over the last five or six years in places like Grand Pro Wrestling and FutureShock Wrestling and that familiarity was on show throughout with some silky smooth grappling as the two told a clear story. Gibson looked for the submission win with his Shankly Gates (Grounded top wrist lock), Ligero was just trying to keep away from the move, doing all his lucha things in search of victory. The match was taken up a notch when Gibson swung Ligero into the announce table, injuring the Mexican's arm and bringing a whole heap of drama to the rest of the match. Ligero sold the injury magnificently, helped by Jim Ross and Alex Shane on commentary, with some slick sequences, like Gibson reversing a second modified wheelbarrow facebuster attempt and locking the Gates, producing some thrilling television. Both men came out of looking like stars, with Gibson coming across as a vicious non-nonsense villain, whilst Ligero picked up the victory with C4L (Springboard Tornado DDT), despite the injury. If WOS Wrestling does get commissioned for a full run, a series of matches between these two has major potential.

Match in a Sentence - A very good wrestling match with a stellar story and well defined characters.

The seven man over-the-top battle royal saw Grado earn a title shot against Dave Mastiff in the show's main event, after he outlasted Johnny Moss, Sha Samuels, surprise entrant Davey Boy Smith Jr (Harry Smith), Mark Coffey, Joe Coffey, El Ligero and Kenny Williams. Whilst it was a shame to see talent like Williams and Ligero leave the match so early, their exits allowed for the unit of Moss and Samuels to built up, considering they were the only two who were yet to be involved in a match. DBSJ's participation was a well kept secret, especially considering the event was taped in November, and while the logic of him getting to enter whenever he pleased was flawed, it did allow for a cool moment when he came to Grado's aid when the Scot was left alone with Moss & Samuels. DBSJ's involvement produced the matches finest action when the former 2 time IWGP Tag Team Champion mixed up with Moss & Samuels with a number of impressive suplexes, before the numbers game caught up with him (Grado was supposedly too star struck to help out). The crowd was hot for the final flurry, with the TNA performer out maneuvering the villainous pair to advance. The post-match attack from Samuels & Moss appeared cut short the sugary sweet conclusion, with paramedics checking over Grado, although this was only putting the inevitable on hold.

Match in a Sentence - A battle royal that worked for the specific needs of the show, featuring a great moment in Davey Boy Smith Jr's entrance.

World of Sport got it's introduction to the Ladder match, with Kenny Williams earning a battle royal spot with a victory over Sam Bailey, CJ Banks and Delicious Danny in a fun affair that built nicely throughout, making the most of it's slender seven minutes run-time. The action might not have always been as crisp as it could have been, the camera team may struggled to keep up with the gimmick and Alex Shane was uncomfortably annoying on commentary, but when the match clicked it produced some lovely stuff, that went above and beyond my expectations of what the lads would be allowed to do. The winner Williams shone throughout with a lighting quick opening flurry, a nice sequence with Danny, as well as taking a German suplex from Banks off the ladder, before battling off all three of his adversaries at the top of a pair of ladders to claim the briefcase. A special mention has to go to Danny's dive off the top of ladder also.

Match in a Sentence - Despite some awkward moment, when it worked it worked very well and produced an entertaining match that stood out from the rest.

The opening contest saw Dave Mastiff win the World of Sport Championship by defeating Grado, with more than a little help from Johnny Moss and Sha Samuels. This was a solid opening contest that introduced the two characters in the match, the individuals at ringside and the general concept of professional wrestling well. This created an engaging match that was easy to get into, helped by the lively studio audience. With his experience working for TNA, Grado was almost definitely the right man for the role, with his selling in particular being very TV, allowing Mastiff to look like the rough and tough bastard that we know and love to hate. I would have liked to have seen Mastiff have little longer in control, but with the plans for the rest of the show it makes sense that this one would be kept relatively short. The interference finish, that saw Moss push Grado over the top rope, in the very first match bugs me just a little bit, but again with the plans for the show long story, it was almost necessary for things to happen like this.

Match in a Sentence - Introduced the concept and the characters, but wasn't long enough to do much else.

Any Other Business

• Viper went over Alexis Rose in a short contest, that made Viper look like a beast.

• In the main event, Grado overcame the odds to win the World of Sport title from Mastiff in a match that was way too short to tell the "injury" story, that had seen paramedics trying to keep Grado from competing, effectively. 

• The backstage antics, conducted by interviewer Rachel and also involving General Manager Mr. Beesley, gave the show a different dimension, whilst never feeling like they were about to take over from the in-ring content.

• The vignette's sprinkled throughout, looking back at the history of the show, featuring interviews with former stars and retrospectives on the likes of Big Daddy and Kendo Nagaski gave the show a nice link to the past.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.2/10

The return of World of Sport Wrestling produced a good television product that had an appeal across a number of age groups. The Coffey Brothers v Rampage Brown & Ashton Smith, as well as El Ligero v Zack Gibson produced the strongest wrestling, but there was a good variety across the card. Some elements of the booking did mean that parts of the show weren't quite suited to their placing on the event, however the ongoing story also managed to give a feel of momentum, leading up to the feel-good victory from Grado to cap off the two hours. 

There's certainly potential to make this into a series of hour long episodes, perhaps with more two hour specials, with the ground work already being laid for a number of future stories and matches. More WOS Wrestling, ITV pls.

Review - James Marston
Picture Credit - ITV

Find Us 

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling

Instagram - @ATPWrestling

Wrestle Ropes' Ready for the Weekend: April 2016 Week 1 - GPW, Southside & ICW

Well after a week off last weekend, we're back with the latest edition and what a weekend it's bound to be. As you shall all know, this weekend is the biggest in the whole calendar of professional wrestling thanks to a little show taking place on the other side of the Atlantic this Sunday. However, it's just a regular old weekend here in the UK with bumper load of events all over this wrestling isle. Let's get Ready For The Weekend!

friday

grand pro wrestling only the strong survive

hindley, greater manchester, england

Friday night kicks off with Grand Pro Wrestling who are back that their home of The Rose Club in Hindley, Wigan. Their Only The Strong Survive event is packed with names with chaos bound to ensue. One championship up for grabs is the GPW Tag Team Championship. The Hate League will be defending the championship against 5 other teams in GPW's first ever Tornado Cibernetico. The teams challenging Hate League are some of the most successful in GPW with two sets of former champions and three long standing duos all fighting it out to walk away as champions.  From one multi-man match to another as the current GPW Heavyweight and GPW British champions; T-Bone and Bubblegum join forces with Chris Ridgeway and Ashton Smith to face the group of Dylan Roberts, DDL, Craig Kollins and Travis Banks in an 8-man Survivor Series style match. Everyone wants to make an impression in this match and wins over certain people could be very lucrative in the future. One man with an opportunity that could also be lucrative in the future is 'Jumpin' Jimmy Jackson. Jackson is currently scheduled to compete in the next Fast Track 4-Way in May. However, Ricky J McKenzie is hell-bent on getting a shot at the GPW Heavyweight Championship by whatever means he sees necessary and has demanded a match for this Friday. Therefore, he will now face Jackson with the agreement that if he beats him, he will take his place in the Fast Track 4-Way.

only the strong survive match card

*Only The Strong Survive – 8-Man Survivor Series*

T-Bone, Bubblegum, Ashton Smith & Chris Ridgeway vs ‘100% Welsh Beef’ Dylan Roberts, DDL, ‘One Man Riot’ Craig Kollins & Travis Banks

*GPW Tag Team Championship – Tornado Cibernetico*

Midnight Bin Collection (Ste Bin Mann & Jet Fashion), The Island Brothers (Tabu & Rio) & The Circus (Noah & Jack Gallagher) vs The Bad Lads (Drill & Mickey Barnes), The Hate League (Soner Dursun & Danxig) (c) & Martin Kirby & The Sheikh

*Singles*

‘The Ringmaster’ Nicholas Cartier vs ‘Toxic Terror’ Cyanide

*If Ricky J McKenzie Wins, He Enters The Fast Track 4-Way In May*

‘Jumpin’ Jimmy Jackson vs Ricky J McKenzie

*Singles*

‘Bad Lad’ Don Meacho vs ‘Magnificent’ Matthew Brookes

saturday
southside wrestling entertainment raw deal v
stevenage, hertfordshire, england

Moving on to Saturday and Southside Wrestling Entertainment hold the fifth installment of their Raw Deal event at The Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage. As usual from Southside there is a blend of homegrown stars with a mix of international names as well. One international name who shall be making his Southside debut is Cedric Alexander. A mainstay in Ring Of Honor, 'The Lumbar Legacy' will now step in the ring with the longest reigning Speed King Champion in history in the shape of Martin Kirby. 'The Zoidberg Master' is one of the foundations of Southside Wrestling and British Wrestling as a whole. Alexander is known for bringing his non-stop style to every match but his opponent, Martin Kirby does exactly the same. Opportunity is the keyword for four teams this Saturday as they fight it out to become the next number one contenders to the Southside Tag Team Championship. The Young Wolves, The Hunter Brothers, Stixx & Flips, and The Inter Coastal Violence Connection are all competent as both individuals and teams so a winner in this match won't be easy to pick. While Hunter Brothers and Young Wolves have more experience as teams, the new team of Stixx and Chris Tyler or the birth of Chris Brookes and Travis Banks brand-new team could provide an upset and head straight to a championship match. When Angelico announced his tour of the UK, he went on record as saying he wished to face the best. Well he's going to get his wish this Saturday in Stevenage as he will be facing former Southside Heavyweight & Tag Team Champion; 'The Star Attraction' Mark Haskins. When a Haskins match is announced, you don't ask whether it will be good, you ask just how good it's going to be. Angelico is no walkover by any means and will be a serious challenge to Haskins. That being said, Angelico may end up thinking twice about asking to face the best when the best is world-class.

raw deal v match card

*Singles*

‘The Righteous’ Joseph Conners vs Mr Anderson

*Queen Of Southside Championship – Four-Way*

Toni Storm vs Jade vs Nixon Newell vs Penelope

*Southside Tag Team Championship – Special Rules*

The Second City Collective (‘Number One’ Damian Dunne & ‘All Day Star’ Ryan Smile) vs The London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch)

*Singles*

Angelico vs ‘The Star Attraction’ Mark Haskins

*Singles*

Martin Kirby vs Cedric Alexander

*Four-Way Tag Team – Number One Contender*

Young Wolves (Dan Moloney & Tyler Bate) vs The Hunter Brothers (Lee & Jim Hunter) vs Inter Coastal Violence Connection (Chris Brookes & Travis Banks) vs Stixx & Flips (Stixx & Chris Tyler)

sunday
insane championship wrestling barramania II
glasgow, scotland

Finally ending the weekend on Sunday and Insane Championship Wrestling return to the the world-famous Barrowlands in Glasgow with BarraMania II. While ICW will be immortalised in the Barrowlands Hall Of Fame, the event will also see two roster members leave the promotion on the same night. Firstly, Nikki Storm shall compete against her former intern, Sammii Jayne. What started off as productive relationship soon turned sour as Sammii found herself overshadowed by 'The Best In The Galaxy'. After standing up for herself, Sammii now wants Nikki gone from ICW and in-turn Nikki wants to see the last of Sammii. Somebody is getting their wish this Sunday. April 2nd will also see one team walk away without their manager and possibly their championship gold. Since winning the ICW Tag Team Championship, The 55's Kid Fite and Sha Samuels have been rather reluctant to give Mark Coffey and Jackie Polo of Polo Promotions any more opportunities at winning the gold back. Polo Promotions had to resort to attacking The 55's manager, James R Kennedy with a steel chair before ICW majority owner, Red Lightning would grant the match. However he added the stipulation that at BarraMania II the match shall be an I Quit Towel contest with the added dimension that whichever manager throws the towel in for his team will be force to quit ICW. When the biggest weekend in professional wrestling comes around, it's only fitting that member and former members of one of the biggest dominating factions in ICW history would collide. BT Gunn and Chris Renfrew of the New Age Kliq were shocked when their allies and family, Wolfgang and Stevie Boy turned on them and aligned themselves with Red Lightning and the Black Label. Since then they hatred as grow to epic proportion between to two groups and now it's come to a head. Former brothers will meet in the ring this Sunday and settle their differences. However, not everyone may be walking out.

barramania II match card

*ICW World Heavyweight Championship*

‘The Beast Of Belfast’ Big Damo (c) vs ‘The Chosen One’ Drew Galloway

*ICW Zero-G Championship – Scramble Match*

Davey Boy (c) vs Lionheart vs Noam Dar vs Kenny Williams vs ‘Local Hero’ Joe Hendry vs Liam Thomson

*ICW Tag Team Championship – I Quit Towel Match – Losing Manager Quits ICW*

The 55 (Kid Fite & ‘The East End Butcher’ Sha Samuels) (w/ James R Kennedy) (c) vs Polo Promotions (Jackie Polo & ‘The Real Deal’ Mark Coffey) (w/ Coach Trip)

*Loser Leaves ICW*

‘The Best In The Galaxy’ Nikki Storm vs Sammii Jayne

*Tag Team*

‘Iron Man’ Joe Coffey & Grado vs The Black Label (‘Big Kink’ Jack Jester & Red Lightning (w/ Flex Hunter))

*Tag Team*

New Age Kliq (BT Gunn & Chris Renfrew) vs Wolfgang & Stevie Boy (w/ Kay Lee Ray)

*Singles*

Massimo vs Doug Williams

*Singles*

Mikey Whiplash vs Trent Seven

That wraps up this week's preview of the weekend's wrestling schedule. Of course, there are many more events taking place over the three days. To find out more about the shows we've highlighted here as well as all the others, check us out at www.wrestleropesuk.wordpress.com for the latest show and match announcements, British Wrestling event list, interviews, exclusive columns, reviews, reports and results!