ATTACK!'s Halloween spectacular was back for the sixth time with the Trinity Centre in Bristol as the host of the grizzly graps. This year's edition was hit by taking place on the same day as a NXT UK taping and a big RevPro event, meaning a whole host of regulars, including ATTACK! Champion Wild Boar and 24/7 Champion Pete Dunne, as well as the likes of Chris Brookes, El Phantasmo, Aussie Open, Millie McKenzie, Travis Banks, Eddie Dennis, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate were all absent. It was definitely a blow and a test of the depth of the ATTACK! roster, but offered up opportunities to the likes of Drew Parker and Splits McPins who main-evented in Halloween Havoc 2018, as well as The Hunter Brothers colliding with Team WhiteWolf in a "Grudge" match. The show also featured action involving Martin Kirby, Mike Bird, Damian Dunne, Chuck Mambo and Spike Trivet...but was it any good? Lets take a look.
FUN fact - This was the first GooseBUMPS missing appearances from Pete Dunne and Eddie Dennis (with at least one of the pair having main evented every incarnation of the event, including together on the original and third shows), meaning Mike Bird and Damian Dunne are the only two to have wrestled on all six shows.
The show kicked off with an appearance from ATTACK! General Manager and general scamp Kid Lykos, who announced that former tag partners turned bitter rivals LK Mezzinger and Splits McPins would be taking part in Pick Your Poison at the show, with both men able to choose their enemies opponent. Cheers Lykos.
A solid opener saw 2 time ATTACK! Tag Team Champion LK Mezinger pick up a victory over former ATTACK! Champion Damian Dunne. The bout continued the narrative of a disheartened Dunne, still recovering from the breakup of the Anti-Fun Police at the hands of Nothing to Prove in August, keeping things short and sweet as we were provided with glimpses of the old Chief including a thunderous spear that garnered a big pop from the Trinity Centre and that felt like it could have been a turning point. Mezinger didn't look out of place with a more experienced performer, working well in the spoiler role, as he mocked Dunne and provided the early ammunition with a massive slap. I'd like to see the character fleshed out slightly and a few of the disparate elements (the outfit, the cane, the nickname of "Your favourite scumbag" etc.) bought together more to create a better defined persona, but that will surely come with more singles exposure over time. Dunne attempting his springboard lungblower finish (without trademark "No Funahhhhh") was a running theme throughout, so of course it would eventually be his downfall with Mezinger able to transition into a cradle belly to back piledriver. It was a shame that the following move, a senton bomb, missed by a mile taking the punch out of the finish that really didn't require the top rope move after the more impressive piledriver.
FUN Fact - This was LK Mezinger's first singles win in ATTACK!, having previously suffered losses to Big Grizzly and Tyler Bate.
Nothing to Prove continued to gain momentum as ELIJAH put away Niwa in what was a strong showing from both performers. This was probably the best singles work I've seen from either as they paced the bout well and plotted in a few brilliant spots. I've been waiting to be impressed by both men for some time and whilst both have shown potential in multi-mans and tag outings, this was the first singles match that I've been genuinely into from Elijah, whilst in the case of Niwa, it's difficult to buy into someone you mostly see in scramble matches. It wasn't a must-watch classic, but both men took the opportunity and produced a match that was full of action and physicality. The obvious highlight of the match was the massive springboard coast to coast dropkick that ELIJAH used to knock Niwa off the apron on the other side of the ring, because it came almost completely out of nowhere and took me completely by surprise. I'm hoping both men get more opportunities like this one around the country because it will only be a benefit to both the performers and the scene in general.
FUN fact - Niwa is still searching for his first ATTACK! singles win, after previously suffering losses to Travis Banks in July and Mike Bird in August.
Okay, the first two matches had been alright, solid stuff, but where the fudge was my Halloween goodness? It came in the form of a Grudge Match for the Tag titles, which the Hunter Brothers took literally as they appeared to have been transformed into the spirit from Halloween classic, The Grudge. Team WhiteWolf on the other hand reminded us that "No one expects the Spanish inquisition" as the Spaniards arrived as the Monty Python sketch to hilarious consequences. Seriously, I struggled to breath through portions of this match, with some utter silliness displayed by both teams as they played up the roles and had a number of ludicurous interactions in the opening portion of the match. The variant on the cliche bridging pin reversal spot was the highlight, before the Hunters were offered a beer and quickly snapped back into their usual selves. From then the match shifted into something much more recognisable as The Hunter Brothers continued to show why they're thought of as one of, if not the, best tag team in the UK with a number of sleek tag team sequences including a lovely superkick spot. Whilst there was some miscommunication that lead to a really awkward dive spot, Team WhiteWolf still had a strong showing, flying about the place with ease and pulling out a number of cracking tag moves, including a missile dropkick variant of Total Elimination (Totaller Elimination?), as well as a top-rope Spanish Inquisition Fly from A-Kid. They aren't the finished article yet, but more matches like this will help them get there.
FUN Fact - The Hunter Brothers have been undefeated since the break up of the Anti-Fun Police at WinterSlam 3, with their run as a duo extending back to the second night of Press Start VI.
The second half began with more Nothing to Prove success as Chuck Mambo (as a creepy face-painted Love Making Demon) defeated Martin Kirby (as Uncle Fester off of The Addams Family). A little bit spookier than the previous Nothing to Prove singles match, but with similar structure, it's difficult for those match not to merge into one in my head, but this was probably the strongest of the three. Whilst it lacked the emotional element of the opener and the big spot from ELIJAH vs. Niwa, this was just a good solid wrestling match, with the two working nicely together in their first one on one bout. Whilst it feels like Mambo is still settling into his heel character, the role allows for him to explore his style in ways that the happy-go-lucky surfer gimmick doesn't, with Chuck able to display (perhaps oxymoronically) both his technical talents and fiery brawling side. Kirby is, of course, one of the most dependable and consistent performers in the country and worked well in his role, getting the crowd behind him with ease, despite having not performed for ATTACK! in Bristol since December 2016, thanks to some offence like his springboard dropkick and by not being a part of Nothing to Prove. A nasty bump of heads on an O'Connor roll into sleeper hold could have derailed the finish, with Mambo suffering a nasty wound under his eye, but they kept on with a couple of good near falls for each, before the dreaded sleeper hold sealed the win for Mambo.
FUN Fact - Martin Kirby has never won a match at ATTACK! in Bristol.
HALLOWEEN MADNESS! If there's one thing this show will be remembered for it's that Spike Trivet dressed up as Theresa May and came out to Dancing Queen. As soon as I realised what was about to happen, a few seconds into the famous song, until the end of the match I was in absolute stitches, with Trivet owning every second of his Bristol ATTACK! debut. He was part of a four way scramble, that also featured Mike Bird (as Big Mummy), Shay Purser (as Kung-Fu Panda) and Nico Angelo (as Tarzan), that was stacked full of the silliness that ATTACK! is most loved for. There was the ridiculous Big Mummy character, a parody of World of Sport legend Big Daddy, full of lots of insider stuff to pop those who got it, the delightful Purser just trying to Kung Fu shit and Angelo with a more animalistic twist on his super flippy and athletic self, what more do you want from a batshit mad four way? Trivet pulled it all together with his various Spinnatory attempts, with the match peaking when Trivet offered £20 to Angelo to do a dive for him, quickly swapping for banana when he realsied Tarzan didn't understand the concept, before striking Angelo in the junglefruits. The finish saw Bird going nuts with piledrivers and Steiner Screwdrivers for all, before Purser completely no sold a top-rope over the shoulder Tombstone and won with a swift punch to the stomach. This had actually been set up earlier in the match with Purser unable to use the move because of Big Mummy's big belly (a hoodie inside Bird's singlet) but with the belly now gone Purser was clear to hit the move and pick up the win. Side note: Purser moving up the belt classes of pro wrestling is really cute gimmick that will hopefully become even more interesting and dramatic as things progress.
FUN fact - Mike Bird ties Travis Banks for most ATTACK! four-way appearances in 2018, although neither man has managed to win one.
The best thing to come out of all the absences on the show was that Splits McPins and Drew Parker got a big opportunity to main event in a singles match and grabbed that opportunity with both hands. With a Halloween Havoc No Disqualification type gimmick, this was a rough and tumble clash with plenty of menace behind it, with the pair having issues since the start of the year (including McPins' tag partner LK Mezinger (fka Lloyd Katt) defecting to NTP). The match built well throughout, shifting through the gears well, moving from back and forth seated punches to big shots with plastic wet floor signs to stapling balls and apron bumps, there was pretty much no let-up or lull as McPins and Parker consistently upped the ante. Parker's experience in the Hardcore zone/sphere meaning he was able to come out on top of number of exchanges was a nice little story, that threaded the match together, making this feel more main event than throwaway plunder brawl. Some big highspots helped towards this aim as well, with a nasty death valley driver on the apron from McPins and Parker's avalanche falcon arrow through a table being the most memorable. The finish saw things develop further with a clever ref bump that involved Parker stapling McPins mask back to front and putting referee Huw in place for a superkick, before thumbtacks and LK Mezinger arrived on the scene. Mezinger accidentally clobbering Parker with his cane almost immediately was a nice way of playing with the audiences expectations, especially after three previous Nothing to Prove victories, whilst McPins ended up with a convincing victory after a Full Moon and a solo More Bowl for your Buck into the drawing pins. These lads stepped up and using a few tricks to get there, produced a good main event that didn't look out of place on regular ATTACK! event.
Post-match - There seemed to be issues between Mezinger and Parker, I'm intrigued to see if that leads to anything on the last few shows of 2018.
FUN Fact - Splits McPins has only lost one singles match in ATTACK!, to Tyler Bate at Club One Hundred #2 in September 2016.
This was a lovely fun show, with every match being somewhere in the solid to good range and nothing looking to outstay it's welcome. Whilst it would be wrong to say the absences weren't noticeable and that no match was without its issues, pretty much everyone that had to step up on these shows did and I think that's part of what made it such a lovely experience as a fan. Perhaps ironically this was most notable with the group that calls itself Nothing to Prove with all four members proving their ability and/or potential as singles guys across the card and whilst it's arguable that the group was seen too much on a six match card, the experience will be invaluable to all four as they continue to grow. ELIJAH out performed my previous estimations, whilst Drew Parker looked extremely comfortable in the main event. It's difficult to pick a match of the night, because I wouldn't class any one match as "must-watch", but there were certainly stretches of the Hunters vs. WhiteWolf, the four-way scramble and Parker vs. McPins main event that would make any of those three worthy winners. It's been questioned recently the effect that WWE running NXT UK events reguarly in the UK will have on the Indy scene, but If GooseBUMPS VI is anything to go by ATTACK! Pro Wrestling and British wrestling as a whole has enough talent coming through to keep things entertaining for quite some time and perhaps not having to rely on big names will allow new and fresh talent to come through.
You can check out the On Demand version of this show for yourself here - https://vimeo.com/ondemand/goosbumpsvi/295116631
Review by James Marston
Photo credit - Ringside Perspective
After a three night stretch at Bush Hall in London, Fight Club: PRO was back at Starworks Warehouse in Wolverhampton for the first time in just over a month on 31st August 2018. Whilst all title holders (World Champion Meiko Satomura, Tag Team Champions Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos and Infinity Trophy (deceased) holder WALTER), were all absent, alongside other regulars like Travis Banks, Angelico and Clint Margera, the originators of British Strong Style still managed to put on a rather tasty looking card on paper. This included the only advertised match in the main event between former BJW Strong World Heavyweight Champion Daisuke Sekimoto and former WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate in a mouth-watering international clash. Elsewhere, Pete Dunne & Trent Seven were joined by Millie McKenzie to become British Strong Mates as they took on The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wents joined by Trey Miguel) and the newest member of Schadenfreude, Mark Davis, took on FCP Original MK McKinnan, as well as action featuring Jordan Devlin, Kyle Fletcher, "Session Moth" Martina, El Phantasmo and Chuck Mambo. But was it any good? Lets find out!
Six Person Tag Team Match //
British Strong Mates (Pete Dunne & Trent Seven & Millie McKenzie) def. The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel) //
Pinfall
This international six person tag was a strong start to the evening, presenting varied action throughout. Underlined by some fun character work from all involved, the bout followed what has become a trademark of British Strong Style (and the Bruisermates) beginning with almost pure japes, before launching into more serious and exciting work in the stretch. The comedy was highlighted by some variation on some of Trent Seven's spots as the Wulfrunian looked to prove his lucha credentials. Seven's run as face in peril had it's moments, but the match really hated up following a hot tag to Pete Dunne, with the pace lifting and leading into a wonderful sequence between Dunne and Trey Miguel. In his Wolverhampton debut Miguel really impressed for me with this delightfully fast and crisp exchange with Dunne, being followed up by a series of truly impressive dives to the floor later on in the bout. For me, a few more convincing near falls could have elevated this one just that little bit more, with jumping piledriver from Seven that was preceded by duel headkicks from Dunne and McKenzie being the only moment I can remember as feeling like it could have been match-ending, but perhaps that's the difference between an opening match and a main event. Destroyers from all three members of British Strong Mates to Xavier was a neat way pulling the matches two strands together, with Starworks popping big for Seven pulling out the move for the eventual pin.
WrestleHouse Stat // This leaves poor Trey Miguel with a 0-5 record in Fight Club: PRO.
- Trent Seven stuck around, being joined by Martin Zaki, to welcome Project London Super Trainee Stars Of The Future Tournament winner Scotty Davis. This was all fun and games until Davis mentioned wanting to do Ireland proud, bringing out Jordan Devlin. Some words later and we had ourselves a match...
Singles Match //
Jordan Devlin def. Scotty Davis //
Pinfall
As someone who hadn't seen Scotty Davis before this was a great introduction to what he can offer to FCP, as he took part in an even contest with one of the top singles performers in the company. The two have previous in Over the Top Wrestling (OTT) meaning that the familiarity allowed for a heated and mostly smooth clash, with Davis showing impressive babyface fire from the very beginning. I was particularly impressed with some of his strong style strikes out of the gate, as well as some solid selling in the later stages. Obviously, Davis will need to evolve past a relatively generic babyface role later down the line in FCP, but as a first introduction to Wolverhampton this worked just fine. For me, this one lagged a little in the middle, losing some of the impact it had in the opening exchange and perhaps could've been improved by being a little shorter and punchier. As the story developed in the later stages, there were plenty of near falls for both sides, including a Fisherman buster for Davis and an avalanche DVD from Devlin, which really put over Davis to the new audience as he held in their with a more seasoned wrestlers and showed a tonne of fighting spirit (something which would become quite a theme for the evening going forward). A desperation headbutt leading to Devlin falling into the pin for the victory deepened the narrative and should lead to a very interesting rematch down the line.
WrestleHouse Stat // Jordan Devlin's one on one record in FCP goes to 7-2, with only Travis Banks and Jeff Cobb managing to beat the Irishman in singles action since August 2017.
Singles Match //
Kyle Fletcher def. Omari //
Submission
The first half main event was the match of the night for me, as Kyle Fletcher got his win back on Omari after their match at June's World Warriors event. Obviously since June, we've seen Fletcher turn to the bad side and join Schadenfruede and Omari lose his Infinity Trophy to WALTER, so this was a very different match-up from the original clash. Like the previous bout this was one was heated from the very beginning with Omari getting a massive slap for the face from Fletcher after the Big O had repeatedly called his opponent "Chris Brookes' bitch", before Omari replied with a barrage of offence. After his match with Travis Banks last month was cut short by an injury to Banks, this was my first real chance to get to see Fletcher's new heel persona and the Aussie Arrow impressed heavily as he targeted Omari's bandaged hand for long periods, with vicious stomps and submissions, often varying his offence to focus on the injury, whilst also spending time to soak up the heat from the crowd. On the flip side, Omari sold the injury well, continuing to perform effectively in the sympathetic babyface role. The damage played a big part in the closing stages with Omari unable to get the cover after his lifting reverse STO finish in a dramatic moment, before a miss tope conhilo would see Fletcher captalise with as series of moves that concluded with a nasty looking modified crossface (with a heavy focus on the hand of course) gave the Aussie the win. This was a much more mature display from each than their previous outing, bringing the story to the forefront, lifting the intensity and opening up a number of possibilities for both men going forward. With the pair at one a piece, a rematch would seem possible before the end of the year.
WrestleHouse Stat // This loss leaves Omari without a win in his last six in FCP, since beating Fletcher at World Warriors in June.
Singles Match //
Mark Davis def. MK McKinnan //
Pinfall
"Find a well known hard man...and start a fight" - MK McKinnan's Arctic Monkeys entrance music acted as an omen of things to come as he scrapped with "Dunkzilla" Mark Davis in the Aussie's first Wolverhampton appearance since joining Schadenfreude, coming hot straight out of the gate. In one his best performances since returning to action, McKinnan took an absolute beating from the bigger man, including a barrage of vicious looking chops and just kept on plugging away. I've felt that McKinnan has struggled to gain a connection with the larger Starworks crowd since returning, with many unaware of his past or his importance to the promotion, but his performance here should hopefully have won a lot more people over, as he sold tremendously throughout, not just the beating, but his desire to prove himself. McKinnan's facial expressions and body language in particular were spot on, drawing me further into the match and almost feel the pain myself. This was, of course, made easier by Dunkzilla being a big violent bastard and the ongoing Schadenfruede story in general, something which was maybe missing from other recent MK matches. It's much easier to root for the underdog, when you've got a connection with the villain of the piece! Davis would pick up the win with Close Your Eyes and Count to Fuck, but both men came out better off following this one. All we need now is for more promotions to start booking McKinnan because he's only going to benefit from further ring time and exposure.
WrestleHouse Stat // Mark Davis remains undefeated one on one in FCP, having previously put away Kyle Fletcher in June 2017, Kay Lee Ray in December 2017 and Clint Margera this May.
WrestleHouse Scramble Match //
Chuck Mambo def. "Session Moth" Martina and El Phantasmo and Drew Parker and Charli Evans //
Pinfall
A well-placed and welcome scramble match, as Chuck Mambo finally got his chance in Wolvo and completely owned it, alongside strong performances from Martina, El Phantasmo, Drew Parker and Charli Evans as well. Particular moments that I noted down were Phantasmo's rope walking escapades, which I don't think could ever not be entertaining, as well as a strong sequence with Martina and Evans, who both put on impressive displays. A couple of slip-ups here and there, including a nasty blockbuster from Mambo, but it's rare to have a six-way bout at this pace without something going slightly awry at some point. It was pleasant surprise to see Mambo so dominant in the victory as he cleared the field with a series of moves in quick succession including a dive to the floor before a top rope splash was enough to put Parker away. A fun change of pace from regular scramble finishes, which can come off a fluke, this seemed to be a way of establishing Mambo as a regular roster member going forward.
WrestleHouse Stat // This loss means that still Martina's only FCP victories in England were shooting Chief Deputy Dunne with a nerf gun and in a three-way that involved a stuffed giraffe as one of the participants.
Singles Match //
Tyler Bate def. Daisuke Sekimoto //
Pinfall
Whilst it was a very good and extremely physical encounter, the real strength of Tyler Bate's victory over absolute unit Daisuke Sekimoto was the groundwork that had gone in across the previous couple of hours. Each singles match on the show followed a similar pattern, with one performer having to fight from underneath (Scott Davis, Omari, MK McKinnan) whilst the other (Jordan Devlin, Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis) dominated the majority of proceedings, before the underdog was unable to overcome the odds. That meant that when Bate hit a gorgeous spiral tap to pull out an unlikely victory over an opponent that was bigger, more experience and had shown to be a consistently stronger boi, it felt like a much bigger moment than if the match had been consumed in a vacuum.
The match itself was a meaty affair with the Big Japan star using strength and size to control, absorbing almost all of Bate's offence (including some big chops). With a much more considered pace than the rest of the card, this match took it's time to tell the story, holding the crowd more through the presence of the performers than a blow-away series of action, especially in the early goings. It was refreshing to see Bate back in a role in which he performs so well, as he got plenty of time here to show the fighting spirit and guts that saw him rise to the top of British wrestling, with some delightful facial expressions as he looked to find a way past Sekimoto. For me, I would've liked to have seen Sekimoto go in a little harder when the two were exchanging strikes, as Bate's chops almost always came across as more impressive, when it felt like Sekimoto's should have been the exclamation point on the exchange, whilst I think the bout could also have benefitted from a gear change down the stretch and perhaps one more good near fall. Overall though, this was a very good conclusion to the show, that tied things together nicely and provided a brilliant and rare opportunity to see Daisuke Sekimoto perform in England.
WrestleHouse Stat // One on one Tyler Bate is undefeated in Fight Club: Pro since All the Best in February 2016 (a loss to Pete Dunne at the Planet) with Daisuke Sekimoto joining a list that also includes Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb and Travis Banks (twice).
ATPW Scale Rating //
7/10
A lovely show once again from Fight Club: Pro who have real hit a rich vein of form since Dream Tag Team Invitational. Whilst this show didn't have the stand out match that other shows this year have had, everything seemed to hit around the good to very good range, with nothing that really dragged the show down. The pacing was some of the best I've seen FCP this year, with the right matches opening and closing each half and the scramble match coming at just the right point to clear the palette before the main event. The story told throughout the show was also a masterful piece of booking that could easily be overlooked. I touched on this in my Bate vs. Sekimoto review, but it really does need bringing up again, because it's not something that I can remember happening in FCP for quite a while.
Review by James Marston
Photo Credit - The Ringside Perspective
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
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).
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.
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.
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Until next week!
Article by James Marston
On 8th August, we got the opportunity to sit and chat with PROGRESS Wrestling's Chuck Mambo about all kinds of wrestling goodness. This is that interview. We discuss getting into PROGRESS, landmark matches, tagging with Pastor William Eaver, wishlist opponents and promotions and a whole lot more.
Across the Pond Wrestling - I wanted to start about about talking about how your weekend went? You were at Riptide against Eddie Dennis and Battle Pro against TK Cooper...
Chuck Mambo - Yeah that was mad fun. Really nice. Riptide is super cool because the guys that run it are musicians so they really want to make sure that everyone's took care of backstage. So the first time round there was crates of beer and this time there was a keg backstage. We got there at 12 or something, so we went for a swim on the beach and to all the old arcades, so that was super fun. The match with TK was really cool, we've wrestled a few times, before he went back to New Zealand... so we've got a good thing going on in the ring there. Then Battle Pro, obviously that's super cool as well because our friends run it and it's a new place to work in London, which is really nice. I've been wanting to wrestle Eddie for like four years, so I was mad nervous about that one, but it was really really fun.
ATPW - Did you get up to anything else at the weekend?
CM - There's these summer camps in the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, called Phoenix Wrestling, but more properly known as MinelliMania. They have these traditional old school rounds matches and they were so much fun. I had a brawl around a fun fair.
ATPW - So let's go with the basic opener question, how did you get into wrestling? What made you become a fan of pro wrestling?
CM - Well the earliest thing I remember for wrestling was my friend Dan came across the road and he had an Owen Hart and The Rock action figure set. I was like "These action figures are cool" and he said "Yeah, they're wrestlers". Our brother were both five years older or something, so they were kind of keeping up to date with WrestleMania X-7 and talking about Rock/Austin all the time and I was like "No, The Rock's going to win because he's the best" even though I'd never seen him but I'd seen the action figure! Then I got a Kane/Mankind double set and we were playing with them all the time and then eventually at a car boot sale I bought a wrestling video, but then I realised that Hulk Hogan wasn't on it so I cried until they gave me on with Hulk Hogan on. Which was WrestleMania IX which apparently everyone says is a bad WrestleMania but I thought it was pretty good! From there, I just started watching WWF I suppose. My friend had Sky, so I'd go over on a Friday night and watch RAW and you know there was like SmackDown and Superstars and then another one, something like AfterFlame (Afterburn?), well we'd watch about six hours of wrestling. I guess, that's it really?
ATPW - What year was that? What was going on in WWF/E at the time?
CM - I guess, it would've been just after WrestleMania X-7, it was sometime around then that I started watching the programming. I can't really remember any of the storylines from early on, but then the first one I remember being really excited about was Rock and Hogan and being like "This is going to be the maddest!". But then when was the triangle ladder match, because I definitely watched that. That was like WrestleMania 2000. So somewhere between (WrestleMania) 16 and 18 I started watching it! You don't remember everything from when you're that young, I would've been like five, maybe. I can't really remember too much of the storylines, but I remember being mad for Matt Hardy!
ATPW - From watching WWF, how did you find out about there being a British wrestling scene?
CM - When I was 15, I just googled "wrestling schools" and luckily enough there was one opening up near me...near where my Dad lived, at least. It was called Pro Evolution Wrestling and they're stilling running, they're really cool. So if anyone's in the South West and gets a chance to see Pro Evolution Wrestling it's worth checking them out. I went to train there for a bit, but I don't think I had enough focus and I could only make it if I was at my Dad's, so rather than training a couple of times a week, it was one every two weeks. So it wasn't very much and with time I ran out of money and fell out of it the first time round. Then I came to London for Uni when I was 18/19, so I spent a year doing amateur wrestling, because I didn't realise there was much going on with wrestling in London, even though PROGRESS had been going like that whole year. But then I saw a DEFEND Indy Wrestling sticker in a toilet in Shoreditch and googled that and then somehow through the powers of Facebook found out about PROGRESS. I guess because DEFEND Indy were doing their thing against Screw Indy on PROGRESS. Then PROGRESS was like half an hour away from my Uni, so I ended up being able to train five times a week and then after about six months there was the first ENDVR and I ended up on that and I got rolling from there.
ATPW - What year did you begin training at the Projo?
CM - It would've been 2013 I think, it would've been around February, I think.
ATPW - What was your focus when you started training? Did you have a plan?
CM - I just wanted to be wrestling, really. Not too many years before, obviously the wrestling was still good, but the shows were all quite small and I was envisaging that PROGRESS would be like town hall and family wrestling. I really should've known the product better, I guess, but I hadn't seen any of their shows online, because I really suck at the internet. So I didn't really know what to expect, but I went to Chapter 9 and it was like holy fuck, it was so good. Everyone actually really cared about everything and it had high production values. So once I'd seen the Chapter I was like "Wow, yeah I want to be on this!". It was sick when I got to wrestle in the Garage, because that was where I saw Jimmy (Havoc) turn on Jim (Smallman) and that was a mad wrestling moment, so it was really cool to wrestle in the Garage. So then I really wanted to be on the PROGRESS shows and I guess everyone wants to wrestle for WWE one day. Then there was a Doug Williams seminar where he was like "Have a long term goal, like WrestleMania or whatever, but try and have goals along the way". So then I wrote down "After one year I want to be on the Chapters", after two years or three years I wanted to be regularly booked around the country and then after four and five I wanted to start getting around all of the top British promotions and then some of the European promotions and then after ten years I guess it'd be sick if I got to wrestle for WWE. Right now, I'm just having so much fun wrestling. I mean obviously, I want to wrestle for WWE, but if I never did I'd still be pretty happy.
ATPW - Back to the Projo, when did you start doing character work? Because when I watch Chuck Mambo, it's the character that draws me into the wrestling. So when did you start developing that or is it something that comes natural?
CM - It's such a lame thing to say "It's just me with the volume turned up". Jim Smallman was at the Projo one time and I was like "I don't really know what to do" and he said "Do you own a surfboard", so I said "Yeah" and he told me just to roll with that then. Then because I actually do like surfing, I felt like I didn't need to...I was watching some old WCW wrestler, not Raven when he was a surfer guy, he was called "Surfer Ray...something" and he'd come down in a wetsuit and be really loud about being like a surfer and I didn't want to be too hokey. Which I know is a little silly now, because I'm pretty hokey! I managed to just be me in the ring, which is nice.
Then I guess the big thing over the last year or so probably, has been trying to progress from just me, who's like happy-go-lucky, having fun being in a wrestling ring to actually being a credible threat to the person I'm in the ring with and trying to actually get the win and look competitive, which I guess doesn't come quite as naturally to me, but with time I'm feeling it more. More of...not...well yeah aggression, yeah I guess aggression.
I feel like because the character stands out in some ways on PROGRESS, it's cool to have this easy going guy, but you also need to hold your own and be competitive because why else would you be there, but you don't want to get lost in the mix being another super serious guy. So it can be a bit of a balancing act sometimes.
ATPW - So when you made your debut in September 2013 at the first ENDVR show was that your first proper full match in front of a crowd?
CM - I had done a few actually when I was a teenager, but real small stuff and I don't know if I'd want to watch any of them back! But that was the first time I wrestled as Chuck Mambo and I've got a match book with all my matches in and it start with that match against El Pantera Negra.
ATPW - At that time, did you feel ready for that match?
CM - Yeah, yeah I did. I think I'd actually messaged Jon Briley, I'd been on holiday and I messaged him, "Hey man, I feel like I'm super ready for this show. If there's a spot available" and he messaged back saying "Yeah man, we're already considering you" so that was cool. Actually, quite luckily, when I went out, the match was super simple so I could just be me and enjoy it and I guess that was the first time that the character started working. Just reacting how I would react in real life works, I didn't have to worry about "Would the dead zombie react like this?" because it was just me, so that was handy to know. Yeah, I did feel really ready for that match.
ATPW - Can you remember getting any feedback from anyone on the match afterwards?
CM - Yeah, like little bits and bobs. Mostly people said it was kind of cool, but like tricks and tweaks, like not being funny if you're in a move, because obviously you're in a move, so you should be trying to get out of the move. Stuff like that was quite helpful. Then the feedback from the second ENDVR that I did was that I needed to get some boots because I broke my heel, doing a double axe handle. The first ENDVR I was wearing just board shorts and flip flops! But I guess it's fine if you work like Matt Riddle, but it's not so fine if you're doing the dives and stuff.
ATPW - Moving onto Chapter show debut, which was in July 2014, so not too long after your PROGRESS debut, it was a triple threat with Ali Armstrong and William Eaver. I was there on that show, it was my first PROGRESS show and it had Samoa Joe, Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, Noam Dar
CM - Dude, Samoa Joe vs. Rampage Brown!
ATPW - How did it feel to be so well received? Because the crowd were so into that match and gave all three guys a really good reception.
CM - I remember feeling like a total rockstar! I remember thinking that we smashed it, looking back now I'm sure we'd have a much better match with we did it now, but at time I remember thinking "Yeah...this is sick!". It was mega, mega exciting. That's the cool thing about PROGRESS, it's a really big platform to have, so if you do well, then it feels really good, because you know that people are watching. The crowd is also mega supportive, so if you're trying new things, like trying to be a time-travelling surfer or you're a bit nervous, they're really supportive, as well as really rowdy. Even though they have the funny chants for the bad guys, more often than not they cheer the good guys and are on side, which is really cool. It makes it a lot more fun and then because you're having fun, it becomes a lot more fun to watch.
ATPW - So when I was doing a little bit of research, I was looking at your cagematch profile, I noticed you worked in CZW in 2014, just after your chapter debut, so how did that come about?
CM - Well, at the time, I didn't know that the summer was the busy time for wrestling in Britain. I really should have done, but I didn't. I think I'd just turned 21 and then I had some friends in America, who I promised I'd go out there and meet when I was 21. The tickets to America were maybe five hundred quid, so I thought "If I go for five weeks, then that will justify the price of the ticket", but I totally didn't think about how expensive it is to live for five weeks. So I ended up just bumming around the country, so poor the whole time, but it was mega fun. Just before I went Drake Younger was doing some final seminars and shows in England before he went to NXT. He was super duper nice and they were some of the best seminars I've ever been to. So inspiring and he was talking about how the business is such a gift and he was just a great guy. Then he added me on Facebook, so I was like "Hey man, if I'm in America is there anywhere good to wrestle?" and he was saying about CZW and going down to see DJ Hyde. So I trained with those guys for like two weeks, maybe two out of the five weeks that I was there and they were all super nice. They run Dojo Wars on Wednesdays, so it's like a real small show just in the training school with friends or family, more or less, and some die hards, that come to watch the matches. That was fun and then from there they were like "We need someone on this iPPV" so I said "Yeah, sweet, I can do that!". It was fun, tough crowd though.
ATPW - Yeah, perhaps slightly different to what you were used to at PROGRESS?
CM - Yeah, I came out and some guy was like "Who the fuck is this guy? He doesn't deserve to be here!". You know, lessons learned about how to debut.
ATPW - Do you think it's almost as beneficial to wrestle in front of a hostile crowd as it is to wrestle in front of a supportive crowd like PROGRESS?
CM - Yeah totally. The PROGRESS fans can be pretty forgiving about silliness and stuff. It was really helpful to learn to maybe be a bit more serious in new places. I guess, to just to work to the right audience, because I came in thinking "This is my schtick and I've got it so down" but, of course, they didn't know that, they just wanted to see CZW style stuff. Definitely a good learning experience.
ATPW - In 2015, you began tagging up with Pastor William Eaver as Sweet Jesus. How did the tag team form and who's idea was it to put you together as a team?
CM - I don't know who's idea it was. I guess Jon, Jim or Glen's. But when the Sumerian Death Squad (Tommy End & Michael Dante) were coming in, they need opponents and I don't know why or how, but Jon was like "Yeah, you and Pastor against the SDS!" and I was like "Ahhh shit". And then I don't know, I thought because I was "sweet" a lot and he looks kinda like Jesus, it was a cool tag name and then I think if I'm honest the tag name has taken us a lot further than anything else has! Then, it was pretty well recieved and it's quite a fun tag team to watch, with a bit of an 80's type thing, so I guess it stood out a bit. So then other promoters wanted to use us. So they put us together, I think because SDS needed opponents and we needed experience, but because it was fun it worked out for both of us.
ATPW - Not a bad tag team to step in with to get some experience!
CM - I know right! Like one of the best tag teams in the world! I guess our second matches or second or third. It was so cool. I think my nose was bleeding within a minute or two of that fight! For all of the ouch, it was a super fun experience.
ATPW - Do you prefer tagging or multi-man matches to singles match or is it more like different shades of the same thing?
CM - Maybe I feel more comfortable doing singles matches and I really love doing singles matches, but then when tag matches come off well then I really, really enjoy that and when multi mans come off then I really, really enjoy that. But I suppose I'm better at singles matches, so I enjoy them, because they come off better more often. Basically, any match that I get a chance to do I like doing, so I guess it's more of different shades of the fine art that we call professional wrestling.
ATPW - So the Brixton show for PROGESS, Chapter 37, was that the biggest crowd you've performed in front of?
CM - Yeah man, at least I think it was. I think at one night we had like 3000 at Download, but they must not have all been wrestling. But to perform in front of two and a half thousand proper, proper wrestling fans was sick! It was so cool.
ATPW - How did you think that match went with Paul Robinson? Because that was almost a bonus match that hadn't been previously announced.
CM - It's not even announced on the on demand. Which is kind of sad, because I had this great match against this really respected wrestler and it's not publicised anywhere. Although that's not fair to say, because Jon Briley said it was his favourite match of the year or one of his favourite matches. I'm really grateful for that match.
ATPW - What was it liked to see all those beach balls?!
CM - It was a wicked cool thing to see, especially from the entrance. I was really cool with everything the whole day, I felt sweet and then just as Paul went out, I kind of couldn't feel my legs and I was like "Ah shit!". I'm not sure if it was because I warmed up too much or if it was just nerves. But then when the "Hey Ho Mambo" bit happened and I heard all the crowd be onside with it then I was like "This is just going to be fun" and then I think came out of the wrong part of the stage because I got confused. But then I came out and I saw all the beach balls and I thought "Ahhh, this is super fun, this is the funnest". Then the match was wicked! It was definitely one of my favourite matches I've ever had. It hurt like fuck, it hurt so bad, but it was really, really fun.
It was a real simple one, because the characters are so obvious and the stories are so easy that it didn't need any build up. I'm really flattered that they gave me that chance. It was sweet. The funnest.
ATPW - You've done some stuff with PROGRESS' Freedom's Road show, what's that like to take part in?
CM - Really fun, I think one of the coolest things about it, other than the fact that they seemed to have stopped saying "No" to ideas, is that the crowd know that don't know everything that they'll know by the time that it's on the on demand. So the first time that I was time travelling, I don't think that anyone knew that I had a time-travelling surfboard, so I had to try and let them know throughout the segment. But I feel that must be the same with lots of the other storylines, the fans get to enjoy wicked good wrestling and some of the fucking coolest matches have been on there like James Davis vs. Timothy Thatcher or Rob Lynch vs. Matt Riddle or TK Cooper vs. Riddle or Donavon Dijak vs. Kyle Ashmore, so the wrestling is definitely still sweet, but then the fans also have to be like "What's going on? I guess we'll have to wait and it will actually make sense the next time we watch it!", which is fun. Then from a wrestling perspective, it's just super duper fun. I get to do all these silly stories and funny promos. I really love it.
I'm slowly getting my head around working cameras, but I still get way too excitable about the audience and the fans. But yeah, it has been really good practice, learning to do that!
ATPW - To round up the PROGRESS chat, how do you feel about your position in PROGRESS at the moment? With that being still your main promotion or home base at the moment.
CM - Yeah man, I psyched with being involved in such a big company. I never really know what's going on with their expansion or whatever, but I'm psyched to be involved. I would like to be on more regularly than I am, but I guess everyone would like to be on more regularly than they are. I'm happy to be there. I'd like to work my way up into a cool storyline or a series of matches, because I've not actually had many singles matches on PROGRESS chapters. The ones I've had have been sweet, I've got to wrestle Damian Dunne, I've got to wrestle Paul Robinson, I got to wrestle Bubblegum and then on the Freedom's Road's I got to wrestle Ashmore and Roy Johnson and loads of great people. Obviously, you always want to work more and get better and sell more merch.
ATPW - If you had to choose one of your matches to show someone who had never seen you wrestle before, what would you choose to win them over?
CM - Usually, I would use either the Paul Robinson match or the Bubblegum match, because I feel they are two of the best matches that I've had and because those two are such classic bad guys it shows up my character really well and their character and they're still competitive, exciting wrestling matches. Also if you're showing someone who doesn't like wrestling and there's really big crowd, then they think it's a bit cooler than a show in leisure centre or something like that. Not knocking shows in leisure centre's though, because there's been some cracking show's in leisure centres!
ATPW - Outside of PROGRESS, where have you had the most fun wrestling?
CM - The most fun? Well, the Phoenix holiday camps that I talked about are really, really fun. On Sunday, it was me and Maverick Mayhew against Pastor and Steve Minelli and it was just so much fun, because it's really all about getting the kids on board. So that's really cool. At All Star, I was a baddie. I think I'd been wrestling for about a year when they took me on as a baddie and that's super duper fun, because I never get to shout at people and stuff. That was really fun. And not that I've done a lot actually wrestling for them, but I've been along on the Fight Club: Pro Dream Tag Team Invitational tour and I did a dark match there. I really really like the way that everyone on the team is super duper nice and everyone feels respected and they just want everyone to go out there and be the best that they can be. Which obviously...is the case in any wrestling company, but that was just a super nice environment. Then maybe the funnest place of all is definitely Attack!...maybe, definitely. Well, they are all super fun, but Attack! is mad fun.
ATPW - Yeah, definitely. I think at the Attack! show, and with FCP as well, you can tell that everyone in the building is having a really really good time!
CM - Yeah, I think more and more it seems to be the case at all of the wrestling shows because from what I can tell when I'm there, everyone is having a really good time at PROGRESS, everyone's having a really good time at Fight Club and Attack! Then even some of the smaller shows that you go to, where sometimes the crowd are quite hard to get involved, because sometimes if the lights are on and if you're in a Rugby club and there's like a 100 people, maybe it doesn't feel so much that you're watch a sweet wrestling show, but then once the shows have started, because so many British guys are becoming "names" ourselves, it's easy to get excited and to realise that you're watching a sweet wrestling show. Even if you're in a lights on venue with a really low ceiling!
ATPW - One of my favourite venues is actually the Frog & Fiddle in Cheltenham that Attack! run!
CM - Ahh man, it's the best, right?
ATPW - It's the perfect size for a small, intimate show. It's not a leisure centre with 100 people in, it's this tiny room with 100 people squeezed in!
CM - Yeah, that's super true. It's atmospheric and kind of quirky, I can't rememeber when it was, I guess it was the time it was CCK & Shay against Team Defend and someone was like "We've just watched the WWE UK Champion tear it up in front of 80 people in a barn". It's fucking mad, isn't it? It's so cool. That's such a great venue.
ATPW - What do you think goes into a good wrestling match?
CM - Ah, yeah, I guess you could call it a philosophy. My philosophy on this has kind of changed a lot lately and I guess for the better. I used to try to follow that traditional thing of "You've gotta have a goodie and you've gotta have a baddie" and "less is more", but now I try to think about how the fans are going to feel and react and making sure that the fans have a great time. I think sometimes it's like "Wrestling is this and this and this" but really if the fans are having a sweet time, then that's all that really matters, isn't it? I try to just think about what's going to give the fans the funnest time.
ATPW - Who's been your biggest influence in coming to that point of view?
CM - One time I was talking to Pete Dunne and Eddie Dennis as well, he was talking about not worrying about your moves or anything and thinking about how to take the audience through the right level of excitement...I'm trying not to say journey because it sounds so cheesy. I guess, Pete Dunne and Eddie, but obviously they've got a little more to it than that simplified version. And then like Jimmy (Havoc) has been really influential as well, on making everything mean stuff, rather than just running a spot because it's cool. Trying to get the maximum out of it for the fans as well as just because you think it's sweet.
ATPW - Is there anywhere in the UK or anywhere that you'd like to wrestle more? I'd love to see you in FCP and Attack! more often.
CM - I'd really like to get into ICW still and I'm doing some holiday camps with RevPro, but obviously RevPro are a wicked place to get to wrestle because they've got wicked show. So I suppose ICW and RevPro are two of the biggies. Pretty much anywhere that there's work I'd be happy to work, because I just want to be wrestling as much as I can really. It's getting quite busy now. I'd really like to get more involved with more summer camps, I'm doing a couple, but if anyone wants me on a summer camp that would be sweet. The main two I'd like to be super regular on, other than PROGRESS, are Attack! and Fight Club and then if I could get anything with ICW or RevPro I feel like I'd feel like I was properly on top of the British scene. The big five. Oh shit, OTT would be sweet as well. That would be awesome.
ATPW - You mentioned earlier that you'd been waiting four years to work with Eddie Dennis, is there anyone else on the scene that you'd like to work with more often?
CM - The two other big names on my "To wrestle list" at the moment are Zack Gibson and Rampage Brown. I think it'd be really funny with the size difference between me and Rampage. I'd love to wrestle Zack Gibson, we've had bits and bobs with a four way at Manchester, but to have a one on one with Zack Gibson would be awesome. I am actually a pretty good technical wrestler, I don't get to showcase that too often, but I am actually pretty alright at the old grappling. It would be an awesome opportunity, if that every came out I would grab it!
ATPW - Do you still watch wrestling as a fan?
CM - Yeah man, loads. For a little while early on while I was training, because lots of people will be like "You've gotta do this" or "You've gotta do this" and then you watch RAW and you're like "But they're not doing this, does that mean they're bad?". But then I realise that everything's different and there's not "got to" and "got to not". So I just try to watch things and to think about what I like and what I don't like and to think about why it works, but for the most part when I watch wrestling I'm just enjoying it.
ATPW - What have you been checking out of the last couple of months?
CM - I've been trying to get my head around Japanese wrestling a little bit more, because I've got to confess, I've not seen as much as I probably should have. So I've been really enjoying Zack Sabre Jr. stuff in Japan. Also just some more WWE, I do really like NXT, I went through a phase of watching that way more than SmackDown and stuff, but I do try to keep up with SmackDown and RAW. Then just live shows and old British stuff, like Billy Robinson, Fit Finlay, all the classic. Quite a lot of Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid as well.
As well, I've been making more use of the PROGRESS on Demand thing, like rewatching Riddle vs. Jeff Cobb, which was fucking insane match. Then old stuff with Jimmy Havoc and then obviously the British Strong Style matches because they're so fun.
ATPW - Do you ever go back and watch your own stuff?
CM - You know what, sometimes I fairly hate watching my own matches. There's times where I'm quite happy to watch them, like the Paul Robinson match. If I'm sending it to someone and it starts playing, I can be like "I could watch this for a bit!", but for the most part I try to watch it with another wrestler or with a non-wrestler and see what their opinions of things are and to see what they react to. Quite often, wrestlers react quite differently to not wrestlers, so I find it's pretty helpful to watch things with people who are not wrestlers and see what they go for.
I was watching a match back with Jon Briley and JD from the London Riots and Darrell Allen. I had this spot and I still think it's pretty sick, where I catch a clothesline into a Gory special and the guy escapes and I switch another clothesline into a reverse gory special, which is my favourite submission of all time and JD gave me a little wink and a nod, Darrell gave me a wink and a nod and Jon just had a blank face. But obviously he's looking at it from the angle of what you can promote and stuff like that. Everyone's picking up on different things, which is handy.
ATPW - Do you have any short term or long term goals in wrestling at the moment?
CM - I guess my long term goal is to be able to make a good living out of professional wrestling. I never really want to be rich, but I'd really like to have enough money, to where that I could give a good amount away and still have a roof over my head. It would be sick to do that, ideally with the WWE, but however I do that. You look at the Young Bucks, I'm not saying I'm as good as the Young Bucks right now, but one day it would be sweet to be. My short term goals, going back to the Doug Williams timeline of goals, I want to get more regular on more of the big shows, like Fight Club and Attack! and PROGRESS around England, to debut in other places around Europe. So I had the show which was half PROGRESS and half wXw, so hopefully that goes in the right direction. Then me and Pastor and Jody Fliesch are going to Celtic Championship Wrestling sometime this month and later on in the year as well. Fingers crossed I can get something with OTT and there's this company Bull Fight Pro in Italy that I've been talking to. I just want to get around and wrestle as many places as possible at the moment.
ATPW - It's crazy to think how many places there are for guys to work in the UK and into Europe at the moment and learn different styles and work different crowds, compared to when I started getting into BritWres about five years ago.
CM - Yeah, you can still do traditional rounds matches at Premier or the Phoenix camps or you can do the holiday Butlins things and family shows. You can do the strong style, the super exciting athletic wrestling and you can go so many places.
ATPW - I think it's brilliant for the fans and the wrestlers, that there's a place for everyone to gravitate towards. Whether they like comedy wrestling, the modern indy style, lucha...
CM - Oh dude, I totally forgot to mention how much I'd like to work for Lucha Forever, which was dumb. Mega mega shows. Another thing that's been cool is that I've had a couple of chances to work for Fight! Nation on Fite TV, getting used to working a wrestling show on a TV show and I'm really grateful to Billy Wood for that. Hopefully I get the opportunity to do more of that and get more experience with that.
ATPW - Just to close things off, where can people catch you next and where can they find you online?
CM - I'm going to be at the UnProffesional Wrestling show in Hackney on the 20th August. If you want to follow me on the line you can go to Facebook.com/chuckmambo, twitter.com/chuckmambo or Instagram.com/chuck_mambo, that's the one with the most picture and you can get merch from mambomerch.bigcartel.com. All of the newest stuff is earth positive, so it's got ten percent of the normal carbon footprint and they regulate their own factories to make sure that no ones being exploited and there's free association of labour and working hours are kept to reasonable standards. Pretty good merch to buy! It's bright colours!
Also, another thing that if people would like to follow it it would be awesome, on Twitter there's an organisation called Help for Refugee Children and they always need donations. Because at the French border in Calais and Dunkirk, the camps have gone and some people did get re-homed, but some of the re-homing was so bad that some people decided to go back to the camps more or less. There's a lot of people living on the streets and the last time I went there was this big national park where people are living in makeshift tents in the park. It's a bad way. Help for Refugee Children run nice activities with the kids and stuff and they're friends with all the families so if the families do get over, they can put them in touch with the right legal support and make sure that their rights are respected and they get everything they're supposed to get and that they have friends. It's a really super cool charity to support, if has the money, which I know is hard to come by.
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A massive thanks to Chuck Mambo for taking the time to speak to us. It was a pleasure to spend an hour with Chuck and I hope that comes across in what you've just read.
All the best,
James xoxo
