Live Review: RHP Numero Uno: Beers, Beats & Brainbusters (Marc Pearson)

Going to a new promotion can be a daunting experience. I’ve been to shows where there was myself and ten other people, on nights like that you feel embarrassed making any noise and feel sorry for the wrestlers who have to perform to an essentially empty room. On the other side of the spectrum I’ve been to shows where there was a hundred crammed in and everything was great. On the 10th of June I headed to the city of Gloucester (a city I’ve never been to by the way) to see how the new company of Riot House Promotions got on with their debut show entitled Beers, Beats and Brainbusters!

Before I go on let me just add something. I love seeing new talent, it’s something that I’ve made a mission of this year, to not just go to the same promotions that I’ve frequented the last 3 or 4 years (Futureshock, PCW and GPW to name but a few), so the draw of this show was that at least half the roster was made up with talent that I’ve never had the chance to see. 

On arrival I got a pleasant surprise, a quick head count resulted in roughly 100 people and a lovely looking venue. The show emanating from the Liquid Diva nightclub meant that there were no seats BUT that wasn’t an issue as everywhere I looked at had a decent view. The crowd was made up of a mixed bunch of rowdy fans, older folks (who I suspect were there to support their children/grandchildren) and they were vocal the whole night which made for a fun atmosphere. 

Speaking of fun (Segway!) the opening contest of the evening was pure fun as the team of The Magnums (Chris Walker & Dick Riley) defeated “Mr Massive” Chuck Cyrus and partner Robbie Roids. Having only seen Cyrus before I was looking forward to seeing what Roids and The Magnums could do. If the plan for the match was to entertain the crowd and get everyone warmed up then this was mission accomplished. Be it a mid-match drinking contest, Dick Riley being de-panted or Roids being exposed as wearing ladies’ underwear this never got boring and had a jaded old fan like me in stitches. 2 moments really stood out for me though. The first was Cyrus taking a line of pre-workout before getting the hot tag, I can’t believe I’ve never seen that spot before but man was it funny. The other was a bit mad but still entertaining as Chris Walker put a condom on his hand, liberally applied some lubricant then proceeded to administer what can only be described as an Anal Claw to Cyrus, who tapped out in quick time. Good stuff and the crowd loved it.

Match number 2 former NXT star Joel Redman beating Big Grizzly. I’ve only ever seen Redman play the white meat babyface, so to see him working heel was refreshing and I was seeing Grizzly for the first time. Redman made the match look effortless as he oozed charisma and confidence, playing up the crowd and looked great. Grizzly was super over with the fans and controlled the majority of the match which was a little odd, at times you almost expected Redman to make the big babyface comeback but then remembered he was a heel. He won with a sneaky rollup complete with heeley feet on the ropes much to the chagrin of the fans. They didn’t worry for long though as Grizzly hit Redman with a nice sit out chokeslam to gain a measure of revenge.

Match 3 saw Wild Boar defeat Charlie Garrett in a good match. I’ve only seen Boar work heel and only seen Garrett work face so seeing them in the other roles was again refreshing. Garrett brought a mop to the ring and much hilarity resulted as Boar pinched it and had a good long chat with it as Garrett was busy jaw jacking with the fans, who took great delight in telling him that he was a cunt! Back and forth with loads of nice looking strikes, suplexes and, of course, stalling from Garrett meant this one built to a frantic finish. A beautiful t bone suplex by Boar and a brainbuster from Garrett were the highlights and I for one was happy that we finally got said Brainbuster after the title of the show! Boar got the win with a lovely sit out powerbomb, he then snogged the mop to a big pop. 

Something quite amazing happened next. The ring announcer told us there would be a 5 minutes’ intermission, and, to everyone’s shock and amazement, it actually lasted 5 minutes!!! This followed the show starting bang on time made a very good impression on someone who is a stickler for time like me. 

The second half began with the massively popular tag team of The Fever (Christopher Queen & RyRy) beating The Heritage City Hitmen (Dave Eaton & Richard Diamond). 4 more men that I hadn’t see before so I was looking forward to this one, both teams have matching outfits so earn Brucie Bonus points! The Fever have a lot of fans and wear flashing glasses to the ring, which you can buy on the merch stand, that’s brilliant! This one was a much more cookie cutter tag match than the opener, with Queen playing your face in peril until he could get the hot tag to RyRy. A splash off the top rope by Queen getting the win. Nothing bad but nothing outstanding.

Match number 5 saw the Ginger Jesus Mike Bird losing to Matt Ridler. Like the previous match there isn’t really much to say about this one, nothing bad but nothing memorable. Having never seen Ridler before he looked good, cutting a decent heely promo before Bird made his way to the ring and cheating to win by distracting the ref, going low then hitting a spinning brainbuster for the win. Mike Bird shone here, looking like a star in a way that I’ve never really appreciated when I’ve seen him at promotions like Fight Club Pro.

As Bird left the ring the ring announcer said, “one bird leaves the ring, but don’t worry, 2 more are coming out” making reference to the upcoming woman’s match. I’d never have dreamed of saying a line like that in my time as a ring announcer! 

I’d tell you all about Toni Storm’s victory over Kat Von Kaige but I needed to nip to the loo as it started and in the time it took me to drain the snake the match was over, so it was short if nothing else. 

When you have men as talented as Pete Dunne, Chris Brookes and Tyler Bate in your main event you know it’s going to be a good match. I went into this one confident that because of the 2 heels (Brookes and Dunne) against one face that Tyler Bate would emerge victorious so was pretty stunned when Pete Dunne got the win. Annoyingly my phone’s battery had died so I couldn’t take any notes but everything was good and the crowd loved all 3 men. 

I had a really good time at this show, all the matches delivered in the ring, the crowd were decent, the show started and ended on time which is very very rare in British wrestling. I spend a lot of time in the area so I’ll certainly be at their next show

You can find out more about RHP on their Facebook Page, at this time there is no date announced for their second show. Photo Credits go to The Dude Abides Photography, who are also over on Facebook here. Get more Marc Pearson on Youtube, Twitter and Facebook. 

Live Event Review: VII Pro A New Genesis (Dickinson vs. Smile *VII Pro Championship*)

On 26th February 2016, VII Pro Wrestling presented their first show of 2016, A New Genesis, at Dawley Town Hall, Dawley, Telford, England. The show featured Ryan Smile defending the VII Pro Championship against Beyond Wrestling regular Chris Dickinson and Chuck Cyrus teaming with the debuting Kelly Sixx to tackle Dan Moloney and Wild Boar as The Facesmashers had their first match as team outside of Fight Club: Pro...but was it any good? Let's find out. 

a new genesis match card

Match 1 - Tag Team - Yolo Squad vs. "Flash" Morgan Webster & "The Ginger Jesus" Mike Bird

Match 2 - Singles - Jinny vs. Dahlia Black

Match 3 - VII Pro British Lions Championship - "The Calamari Catch King" Chris Brookes (C) vs. "White Lightning" Mark Andrews

Match 4 - Tag Team - The Facesmashers vs. "Mr. Massive" Chuck Cyrus & Kelly Sixx

Match 5 - Singles - "Number One" Damian Dunne vs. TK Cooper

Match 6 - VII Pro Championship - "The Dirty Daddy" Chris Dickinson vs. "The All Day Star" Ryan Smile 

fast-forward...A slightly awkward intro the show from announcer Paul Winstaley lead us into the first action of the night...

the yolo squad defeat morgan webster and mike bird

A cracking opening to the show, as Drew Parker and Ethan Silver of the Yolo Squad went over Morgan Webster and Mike Bird in a well put together tag bout. Parker took on the face in peril role here, after an extended period of shine for the Squad, seemingly playing off their experience as a team as opposed to the newly formed Webster and Bird duo. Bird taking on more of a comedy heel role and shouting in a strong Welsh accent "What are you doing, Webster?" played off this idea nicely. The Dawley crowd was loud from the very beginning getting behind the teenage duo, as Bird & Webster used a cacophony of heel tactics to take and then remain in control of Parker. A particular highlight involved Webster using his jacket to cover Parker's face and allow Bird to take advantage. 

Whilst Webster and Bird have been known to pull out flashy offence, they kept things pretty simple here, meaning that when Parker managed to tag in Silver, the crowd was red hot for his exciting series of moves. It had been a while since I'd gotten to see the Yolo Squad in action, and I was impressed with just how much they have improved over the last twelve months. Their offence looked a lot crisper, and they both seemed much more comfortable playing to the crowd. They've developed a lot of sweet tag moves as well, that work well with their current characters. A Samoan Driver/Double Stomp combination, with the Stomp transitioning into a hurricanrana on the other opponent was particularly impressive. By the time the Yolo Squad had picked up the victory with a Double Stomp/Neckbreaker combination, all four men had produced a satisfying opening contest, that had the crowd hooked throughout, but somehow I still felt like they'd only just scratched the surface of what they could do together. 

jinny defeats dahlia black

Now would be the moment to say that I love the crowd that turns up at the Dawley Town Hall. Two debuting wrestlers here could have lead to an awkward silence, as I've seen in other promotions across the country, but luckily that's not Dawley's bag and they gave Jinny and Dahlia Black a lot of noise throughout. That isn't to say that these women didn't put up a solid contest, because they really did, rising up to match the crowd, in a physical and character-based encounter. Jinny has her snobby fashionista character completely nailed, and was continually talking throughout the match, either to the crowd or her opponent, clearly getting across her persona to a new audience. It was interesting to see Dahlia as a protagonist after seeing her at PROGRESS in Manchester a few weeks ago as TK Cooper's distinctly annoying girlfriend and tag team partner, and whilst I found her ever so slightly generic here, it worked for the family crowd. Slightly short, but with plenty of action, Jinny picked up the win with a Rope Hung Sitout Facebuster, following an eye poke. I think most of Telford would agree with me when I say that I hope both women are bought back by the promotion in the near future, with clashes among VII Pro's previously used talent like Nixon Newell, Toni Storm and Lana Austin going towards creating a strong women's division.

chris brookes defeats mark andrews to retain the vii pro british lions championship

Despite working together in various promotions across Europe since 2013, this was surprisingly the first collision between current VII Pro British Lions Champion and TNA star Mark Andrews. First encounters can be a bit hit and miss, sometimes matches that have potential fall short due to a duo's unfamiliarity with each other. However, that wasn't the case here as Brookes and Andrews found some good chemistry in the ring, meshing their different styles together to create a pleasing first half main event that once again had the Dawley crowd whipped into a frenzy. The opening set the stage for what was to come, with Brookes gaining good heat by threatening to walk out, and continued stalling, whilst also stopping Andrews hitting any of his exciting moveset. With Brookes continually denying fans the visual feast and frustrating the crowd even more, it was a shame that when Andrews did hit a version of the skateboard hurricanrana he's been using on TNA television recently, that it didn't quite come off as well as it could've. 

However, White Lightning is one of the best babyfaces on the circuit at the moment and continued to show this throughout the match, with some terrific selling, as Brookes spent a long spell of action in control. Because of this it's easy to empathise with the Cardiff native and once you've bought into his effort to fight back, you get rewarded with some great high-flying offense. Whilst Mandrews comeback was well done, it was once the pair began exchanging reversals that things reached their peak for me, with a standout moment seeing Andrews turning a suplex attempt into a stunner and also escaping Brookes' Michonoku Driver attempt. After a superb false finish saw Andrews miss a Shooting Star Press before Brookes successfully hit a Michonoku Driver, the closing moments saw Andrews tap out to an Octopus Stretch. Brookes had earlier locked the move in whilst the TNA star was in the ropes, so this was satisfying close to the clash, that bolsters Brookes fledgling run with the British Lions Championship. A great end to the first half. 

the facesmashers defeat chuck cyrus and kelly sixx

Most of my feelings around this match come down to the fact that I find the "Mr. Massive" gimmick to be really, really, annoying. Perhaps, this would be awesome if he was a heel and I'd be able to hurl abuse at him, but as a babyface, I find him almost unbearable to watch. There was a spot in this one where Cyrus went for a suicide dive, only to pretend to be stuck between the top and middle ropes, because he's "massive" and then had to be helped out by Sixx. I'm not sure if this spot went over well with the rest of the crowd as I was too busy cringing my balls off. The things is, when Cyrus was actually wrestling, he's seems to be pretty damn good at what he does. His move-set is sweet, he hit a nice dead lift suplex and a silly, Undertaker-style dive over the top rope, and he also worked hard to produce some cool tag sequences in his first outing alongside Kelly Sixx. 

I've praised Dan Moloney and Wild Boar as team in Fight Club: Pro before, so it was pleasing to see bring their team to Dawley and continue to perform well, under the new team moniker, The Facesmashers. They worked well as the no-nonense side of the contest, initially battering Sixx with strikes and power moves. Moloney continues to develop his character and managed to get more than a chuckle by heckling Sixx with this gem..."I had girlfriend called Kelly once...she was a bitch" The fact that Moloney shouted it while he and Boar were delivering a vicious beating made it even better. The duo dominated the closing stages, with Boar taking Cyrus out with cannonball in the corner, before delivering a package piledriver to Sixx, who eventually submitted to a painful looking hold, whilst Moloney continued to stomp away. They ended up looking like a force to reckoned with, within the promotion, even if this bout felt a tad too long for the characters involved.

tk cooper defeats damian dunne

It wasn't a huge surprise to see TK Cooper answer Damian Dunne's open challenge, after Dahlia Black had been on the card earlier in the night, but the two did put decent short contest together. The crowd seemed to take to Cooper straight away, as he got in the arrogant Dunne's face and pulled out a lot of impressive offence. It helped that Dunne had previously cut a strong heel promo on the crowd, as well being a regular antagonist at Dawley Town Hall. The pop when Cooper managed to get himself a victory, after countering Dunne's springboard codebreaker finish with a jackknife cover was one of the biggest of the night, as I'm sure most in attendance had expected Dunne to win his own open challenge. Having seen Cooper play both sides of the coin at PROGRESS and now VII Pro, I'll definitely be looking out for him on future cards across the country as I feel I've only just started to see what he can do. Cooper has the potential to be capable of much more if given the right opportunity.

ryan smile defeats chris dickinson to retain the vii pro championship

After taking a little while to bed in, the main event of the evening developed into a high quality encounter. I felt like Ryan Smile had to carry the first few minutes of the match, as the crowd was mostly unfamiliar with Beyond Wrestling's Chris Dickinson, being mostly made up of families. Smile remained very entertaining to watch throughout this period, keeping the crowd engaged well. After an early tope conhilo from Smile, in which it seemed Dickinson dropped The All Day Star, lead to Smile coming crashing onto the hard wooden floor with a thud, the two looked to gel much better within the ring and crafted an enjoyable narrative. With a mostly power vs. speed type vibe, Dickinson naturally stepped in a more heel role, with the crowd getting behind their regular and Smile taking a beating from the American star. A reverse boston crab with hard kicks to the back from The Dirty Daddy was the move that made me sit up and take notice. 

In the final third of the contest the action shifted, lifting into a ridiculous pace and with lots of stuff going on. After the referee was knocked down, there were run ins from Dan Moloney, Dahlia Black, Chris Brookes, Ethan Silver, Jinny, TK Cooper and Damian Dunne, who subsequently took out one another, before Dickinson hit a crucifix powerbomb on Dunne over the top rope and onto everyone else at ringside. It was Attitude Era-esque silliness that had the crowd going bananas for each and every run-in. If that wasn't enough, Smile then climbed the stage set-up and leapt off it onto everyone below. At this point I didn't care much for the reasoning behind it or if the run ins didn't particularly make much sense, I was too busy having a bloody good time and it looked like everyone else was as well! After The All Day Star and The Dirty Daddy ran through a series of reversals and big moves, it was Smile who retained his title escaping a Crucifix Powerbomb attempt and getting the win with a roll up to cap of a match that grew into a very good and extremely entertaining main event. 

finally...

atpw scale rating - 5.98/10 

I don't think I've ever came away from an event at Dawley Town Hall without feeling thoroughly entertained and of course, this show was no different. The crowd is always up for some wrestling, with a strong family presence and a building that seems to amplify the sound better than pretty much any other I've been in. This was helped out by some quality wrestling action provided throughout the show. For me, Ryan Smile and Chris Dickinson's main event was the best match of the evening (exactly as it should be as a main event) and the two stepped up to the plate in their first encounter, as well as being helped out by a fun run-in sequence. I also wouldn't argue with you, if you preferred Mark Andrews and Chris Brookes' British Lions title bout. Jinny, Dahlia Black and TK Cooper also all seemed to impress on their debuts, whilst the tag team division was strengthened as the Yolo Squad and the Facesmashers were given opportunities to shine. 

Whilst, there was somethings that I either didn't "get" or moments that didn't quite come together as well as they could have, there wasn't a match on the show that couldn't find something to enjoy, as VII Pro produced a varied night of wrestling action.

VII Pro return to Dawley Town Hall on 22nd April for Final Inception. 

Live Review: SWA Summer Blowout 2015

It was my first trip back to the Shropshire Wrestling Alliance since last year's Summer Blowout event (29th September 2014 - Review here) and it seemed like a lot had changed in that ten month period. A few new faces and few changes in alignment, but the one thing that hadn't changed was the strength of the card. With Mark Haskins battling Chuck Cyrus in the main event, as well as Chris Brookes, Chris Ridgeway, Dan Maloney, Damien Dunne, Eric Ryan, Pete Dunne, Ryan Smile, Will Ospreay and more on the show, could this one live up to expectations? Let's have a look.

Lord Graham Thomas opened the show after he was revealed to be our ring announcer for the evening, and after some banter with referee Paul Winstanley that went straight over my head it was into the first match of the night. 

One Fall Match

"The All Day Star" Ryan Smile 

vs. 

"Young & Bitter" Pete Dunne

This was never going to be a bad match, was it? These two have wrestled each other and been tag team partners all over the United Kingdom and into Europe over the last four or so years, and that could be seen in the match that they had. With only one real slip up throughout that was recovered very well, as Dunne turned Smile's slip on a head scissors attempt into a side slam, it was clear to see why Dunne and Smile have risen in the ranks around the UK over the last year or so. Smile's ridiculous suicide dive near the corner post was a highlight of the bout for me, with Smile almost flying completely over Dunne before landing on his feet.

Whilst the wrestling was sleek throughout, this bout was made on the strength of the characters. Smile coming out in a Flash body paint design, which looked incredible, and Dunne working his Young and Bitter persona that has come on and on over the last year. With The All Day Star's red body paint rubbing off on Dunne, it almost looked as if Dunne was allergic to Smile. Dunne having to use various parts of the ring to take control of the match, with a good sequence seeing Dunne repeatedly throwing Smile into the metal part of the turnbuckle on the outside, worked well, suiting the characters and allowing the match to tell a strong story. After some decent near falls, Smile picking up the win with his Smile High Frog Splash set the show off to a good start, with the crowd warmed up nicely.

One Fall Match

Nixon Newell 

vs. 

Toni Storm

A decent showing from these two, there seemed to be a strong in-ring chemistry, that developed nicely as the match progressed. A strong technical start, developed into a mainly pin-fall based match, with multiple pin-fall variations, with the two seemingly evenly matched inside the ring, highlighted by a spot that saw both deliver suicide dives to each other. Whilst the match seemed to have stepped into another gear with Toni throwing Nixon into the ringpost shoulder first, referencing Nixon's breaking her collar bone in their previous encounter, it was a shame to Nixon win with her variation of Beth Phoenix's Glam Slam, a move that would make use of the injured area.

It was time for the TLC match, with Lord Graham Thomas chatting away, as multiple tables, ladder and chairs were placed at ringside.

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the #1 Contendership to the SWA Championship.

Chris Brookes 

vs. 

Eric Ryan 

vs. 

"Number One" Damien Dunne 

vs. 

"Super Beast" Dan Maloney

Fun. Fun. Fun. And a bit more fun. This match was exactly what you'd want it to be, spots and spots and bloody silly spots. All four guys made good use of the gimmick, keeping the match flowing very quickly indeed, moving from one ridiculous move to the next. If the TLC gimmick wasn't enough, Eric Ryan decide to bring some more toys into the match, literally toys. With Lego strewn around the ring, there was a number of painful looking moves onto the miniature building blocks. Anyone who has even trod on Lego could surely imagine that pain that would come following a missed leg drop onto them or even worse, a tiger bomb!

CZW regular Eric Ryan stood out here, with a series of exciting moves that complemented the gimmick.. Putting a hell of a shift in throughout the match, his sequence with Damien Dunne, after the former had introduced the lego, was a hell of an exchange, with the idea of a one on one match between the two now being a mouth watering prospect. The move that won the match was just as impressive as Maloney the match was straight-up ridiculous as he was able to hit a Blue Thunderbomb off the top rope to Chris Brookes, sending him crashing through a table, before being able to retrieve the contract from the ceiling in a terrific climax to the contest. Maloney seems poised for big things in SWA (and around the country) and this victory cements his shift towards the top of the card.

After a quick jaunt to Costcutter it was time for the second half of the show! Or so it would seem, a cheeky raffle shocked us all, when ATPW was able to claim two tickets to SWA British Lions on October 31st.

One Fall Match

"The Aerial Assassin" Will Ospreay 

vs. 

"The Priority" Chris Ridgeway

This was the match that convinced me to buy a ticket, being a big fan of both Will Ospreay and Chris Ridgeway, I was looking forward to being able to see what the pair could do in the ring together. Often when I pick out a match in such a way, I leave disapointed, not because the match wasn't good, but because my expectations were too high. Luckily for me, that wasn't the case here, with Ospreay and Ridgeway gelling well in the ring to created a fast-paced offering, that had the fans in the palm of their hands throughout. 

If you've been checking ATPW's Facebook page recently you would have seen us share an exchange from this match. That exchanging ending in Ridgeway countering Ospreay's ace crusher attempt into a handstand, before delivering a kick to the chest for a near fall. The whole sequence was a blistering back and forth affair that raised the match into the next gear and would surely make even the most jaded of fans sit up and take notice. The ability to change the pace of the match and to know when to do so is an important one that both Ospreay and Ridgeway seemed to have a good grip on, with this sequence coming just at the right time.

Whilst it was a shame that a spot on the outside that saw Ospreay crack Ridgeway's fingers (a move that got a great reaction), seemed to be forgotton after a minute or so, the majority of the crowd couldn't have cared less, popping hard for the rest of the action and especially the near falls. Ospreay kicking out at one following a superkick and sunset flip from Ridgeway, was a nice moment that, and the crowd going nuts for Ospreay's subsequent kicks was even better, even if the Essex Destroyer attempt went a little awry. The Aerial Assassin picked up the win with a Spinal Tap to close a very good match, and pick up his first victory in the promotion.

One Fall Match

"The Star Attraction" Mark Haskins 

vs. 

"Mr. Massive" Chuck Cyrus

This match was way too long for what it was and seemed oddly placed in the main event slot on the card. The first ten minutes or so was rather slow, with the pair exchanging holds, which might have been okay had this not been Mark Haskin's debut for the promotion and the pair both seemingly working babyface. There was very little that held my attention in the first part of the bout, and those around where we were sitting seemed content to come up with various puns about how this supposedly "Massive Party" we were promised by Cyrus, wasn't much of a party at all. I mean, what kind of party doesn't even have balloons...or a cheese and pineapple hedgehog? 

That opening paragraph probably sounds a little harsh and I'm sure many who were in attendance will be shaking their heads in disagreement, because the second half of the match was rather good. Cyrus is genuinely impressive in the ring for a man of his size (although Massive may be an overstatement), with his Standing Moonsault and Standing Shooting Star Press especially showing some good agility. His multiple attempts at a Jackhammer also worked as a nice bit of story, leading a lovely deadlift version of the move that worked as a smashing false finish. 

With a strong pace towards the end, it was the more experienced Haskins who was able to pull out the victory, via submission with a Stretch Muffler. This came about after The Star Attraction had focused on Cyrus' knee for a short portion of the bout, including a dragon screw leg whip in the ropes. Cyrus sold the knee well for this time, but I'd have liked to have seen the injury inflicted a little earlier on, to give the finish a little less of an out of nowhere kind of feel. It seem as if Haskins would be working more a heel role for the promotion going forward thanks to the viciousness shown in the closing stages, against a clear fan favourite in SWA, making the after match handshake even more curious.

We had been promised an appearance from SWA Champion Joey Sanchez and his current manager Joanna Rose, and this came rather strangely after the match that appeared to be the main event. Joanna's promo cut straight through me, as she shouted her words at the microphone. Maybe the intention was to be annoying, but because of the shouting some of the words were lost for me. Essentially, Joanna called out SWA Owner Simon Brown, with a strange promo about Brown leaving the promotion, before Brown placed Sanchez in a title match with Big Mike Wild, who is apparently an SWA trainee.

One Fall Match for the SWA Championship

Big Mike Wild 

vs. 

Joey Sanchez (C)
with Joanna Rose

This was a weird match. I had never heard of Big Mike Wild before this match, he looks like Big Al Snow, which was picked up on quickly by some of the fans around us, with many wondering "Where oh where is Head?". Wild is clearly someone who is limited in the ring, and the match played to those limitations, consisting mainly of Wild hitting Sanchez with various forms of chop, including one to the back that sound like it had legitimately killed the champion. Even other SWA Academy members got involved on the chopping action, with the referee letting it go for reasons, and some of the members taking their involvement a little too seriously. Sanchez was able to retain his title, with a Codebreaker that almost certainly broke Wild's code, as he was unable to kick out. Not a great match by any stretch of the imagination but a match that did the best with what it had, and was thoroughly entertaining.

One Fall Match for the SWA Championship

"The All Day Star" Ryan Smile 

vs. 

Joey Sanchez (C)
with Joanna Rose

Of course, the show wasn't going to end with the Champion facing a Big Al Snow. It was all a rather clever set up for Ryan Smile to make his entrance to the ring (sans Flash paint) and cash-in a title shot that he won in the Gold Rush rumble in November. After a short exchange, Smile captured the title with a Smile High, getting a fantastic reaction as the fans stormed the ring. The moment felt truly special for the company, with every fan in attendance seemingly jumping to their feet for both Smile's entrance and subsequent victory. Smile's speech following the bout closed the show off with a real sense of purpose for the promotion going forward. 

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.14

Another strong showing from the Shropshire Wrestling Alliance. Ryan Smile capturing the title and the fans reaction for that title match stand out as the best moment of the show, for the sheer emotion that those fans emanated. It's clear that those who attend SWA on a regular basis, truly appreciate the work that wrestlers and everyone involved with SWA put into the show and this came shining through when Smile won the title. It's a close  call for the Match of the Night however between the Four Way TLC bout and Ridgeway vs. Ospreay with both matches offering something different and both having different reasons for being worthy of taking the MOTN.

There wasn't a bad match on the show, even the Wild vs. Sanchez match that could have been a mess, worked well for what it was, with the pair clearly aware of what was needed and what they could do together in the ring. I very much look forward to return trip to Dawley (which is great) in October and I hope to see you there.

You find out more about SWA on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on the links.