TV Review // NXT UK #1 // Pete Dunne vs. Noam Dar

It feels like we've been waiting a long long time for NXT UK to finally begin. The rumours, the non-starts, the Takeover classics, Pete Dunne battering Enzo Amore on RAW, the three sets of tapings with no episodes aired...it had been almost two years since WWE UK first began to take shape. But on 17th October 2018, WWE finally aired the first episode of NXT UK on the WWE Network, with footage coming from the 28th July taping at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England. 

The premiere episode brought us a United Kingdom Championship main event as Pete Dunne put the title on the line against 205 Live regular Noam Dar, whilst Moustache Mountain's Tyler Bate & Trent Seven, Toni Storm, Mark Andrews, Dave Mastiff and Joe Coffey all appeared. But was it any good? Lets take a look. 

A big ol' pompous opening that felt very Triple H, as it discussed building an empire and showed some of WWE's history with the UK. 

The first match of the show saw ICW's Joe Coffey get the better of PROGRESS' Mark Andrews in a battle of UK Championship Tournament semi finalists. The pair had a rock solid bout, that played to their strengths, with Coffey able to display his power and Andrews pulling out a lot of very pretty fast paced offence, with a healthy dollop of the underdog babyface fire that made him a top name on the BritWres scene. Mark Coffey's distractions at ringside worked well to develop the dynamic between the brothers, whilst also building to the spot of the match nicely when Andrews nailed a moonsault onto both men at the same time. Cambridge was super hot for Mandrews from the very beginning and I think that had a massive impact on my enjoyment of this one, as it bought a new dimension to the dynamic and meant that every fight back from the smaller man felt that little bit more important. I'm still unsure whether WWE realises how much of a diamond they have in Mark Andrews. On that note, Coffey would pick the win moments after the moonsault spot, nailing an overhead belly to belly suplex and the Aw'ra Best for the Bells lariat to earn the first ever victory on NXT UK. 

Stat - The only other match between the pair had the same result when they battled at Discovery Wrestling in Edinburgh, Scotland back in November 2015.

After the match, the Coffey Brothers began to lay into Andrews, with "Flash" Morgan Webster heading out for the save. A nice early bit of storyline and what could a fun feud between these two teams. All good so far. 

Moustache Mountain were seen wheeling their suitcases through Cambridge, looking like a pair of b i g s t r o n g b o i s. 

Eddie Dennis made his debut in a video package, discussing his history with Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews, with some classic pictures of all three flashing on screen, before Dennis revealed he had some stories to tell. This has a lot of potential and was one of the elements of this episode that made me most excited to see what was to come from the brand.

Former NXT Tag Team Champions Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) came out to say a few words. I don't really know what else I can say here, because nothing really happened, with the segment seemingly acting as a way to simply shoe-horn Bate & Seven onto the first episode without having them compete. I mean, there was nothing wrong with the pair interacting, they're both entertaining to watch and managed to hold the crowd with their banterous chat, but there also wasn't anything resembling substance. There was no feud to push or surprise interruption, this was just a thing that happened for a bit. Even the discussion of the NXT Tag Team titles ended up abruptly, because at this point there's not enough teams to have a division, which is an odd thing to have to point out on your first episode. The rest of the promo was a bit circle-jerky, discussing the achievement of NXT UK and how the fans had been a big part in it happening. I'm hoping NXT UK doesn't continue this habit of repeatedly patting it's own back, because it will get old fast. 

Dave Mastiff is in action next, so we get a little look at what Mastiff is all about, which is basically bodying lads. 

A recap of how Noam Dar earned his WWE United Kingdom title shot last June, with his four-way victory over Travis Banks, Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews.

Dave Mastiff picked up his first victory on WWE TV in a quick, one-sided match with the debuting Sid Scala (IPW:UK). Mastiff looked very impressive here, showing off not only his range of power moves, but also his innate charisma as he laughed at any offence that Scala managed to get in on him. The 16 year veteran owned the space, showing off his range of agility with a wicked closing sequence of moves that included a front dropkick, release german suplex and a 315 lb cannonball. Scala is someone who could offer a lot to NXT UK in the future and his bumping performance here should have put him in good stead to do just that.

Match stat - This was Dave Mastiff's first televised victory since defeating Grado to win the vacant World of Sport Wrestling Championship on New Year's Eve 2016.

Blue Peter presenter Radzi Chinyanganya (strangely uncredited) interviewed Nina Samuels backstage as Samuels said she wanted to make a name for herself at the expense of Toni Storm. For me, the promo felt a little forced, with Samuels coming across as nervous throughout, whilst it also taught me very little about Samuels or her character, with a general "insert name" here feel. This could have been anyone. 

Considering Toni Storm's only previous WWE losses have come against NXT Women's Champions Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler, it was no surprise to see her pick up a clean victory over the debuting Nina Samuels (Pro Wrestling EVE) here. This match didn't click for me, with Samuels looking awkward when on both attack and defence, whilst she also struggled to stand out as anything other than a generic heel foil. Obviously the match was designed to showcase Storm, but considering the amount of offence Samuels got in, I felt like I learnt next to nothing about her from this performance, with the character coming across your basic wrestling villain. This wasn't helped by some sloppy offence, including a poor tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. That isn't to say that the match didn't have it's bright spots, because some lovely stiff forearms from Storm as part of her comeback and an early tease of the running double knee smash that would later help Storm on route to her victory. The finish felt a little familiar with a similar set-up to how Dave Mastiff went over Sid Scala a few minutes earlier, as Storm hit a German suplex into the corner to set up the knee smash, with the addition of a Storm Zero adding a little differentiation. 

Stat - These two had previously faced off at WrestleForce in Southampton in 2015, British Empire Wrestling in Tooting and Westside Xtreme Wrestling in Tufnell Park both in Greater London in 2017, with this match leaving Storm with a 3-1 record. 

Next week - Tyler Bate vs. Wolfgang in a 2017 United Kingdom Championship tournament semi-final rematch.

The main event saw Pete Dunne successfully retain the United Kingdom Championship in a very good match with Noam Dar. A strong example of the meshing of a classic British technical outing and WWE style main event, this clash gave plenty of hope that NXT UK will be able to find its own distinct style, whilst still appealing to a wider audience. The match managed to be both all-action and storyline-based with the early part of the match showing this off perfectly as whilst numerous threads for later in the match were being woven we also got a great spot as Dunne's trademark backflip out of the corner was thwarted by a chop block, before Dunne also used his signature X-Plex and then a sitout powerbomb for a near fall. Dar worked as the matches aggressor, targeting Dunne's knee in anticipation for the Champagne SuperKneeBar, but the crowd split about 70/30 in favour of Dunne, which created a cool football match type atmosphere on the screen. A series of delicious back and forth strikes, followed up by a superb submission exchange seemed to have the Cambridge Corn Exchange rocking and would be my pick for the best wrestling in the match, although the gorgeous Bitter End reversal into the CSKB by Dar was also a major contender. I'd have loved to see these two go another ten minutes, because their work was so crisp and precise and it felt like they'd only scraped the surface of their creativity together. The finish had been hinted at all match with Dunne attempting the finger snap on Dar multiple times and Dar repeatedly flashing his pinkies up with cocky swagger, so therefore it was only fitting that Dunne would eventually bend Dar's pinky back and stomp it right into the mat. The spot looked horrible but in the absolute best way and set up for the Bitter End to seal the victory.  For me, this was the best that Dar has looked in his time with WWE, given the opportunity to work a type of match that suits his style with an opponent capable of helping him to raise his game when needed. 

I was half expecting a big attack angle to close the show and lead into next week, but instead the commentary posed the question of who could possibly take the belt off Pete Dunne. This was a pretty cute way to end the first episode, especially because, as of now, it's rather difficult to pick someone from the pack as the person who could do it. Building the show around a dominant champion is an interesting move to kick off the brand with, but one that should provide plenty of scope for storytelling, as well as a number of top class matches. With the thought that it can surely only be a matter of time before Dunne finds himself on an even bigger stage, I can't wait to see who will the one chosen to step up from the pack and take over his role as the face of the brand.

Stat - Pete Dunne continues to be undefeated in singles action on WWE TV since losing the final of the 2017 United Kingdom Championship tournament. With the run now at 16 matches, Noam Dar joins a list that includes Roderick Strong, Ricochet and Adam Cole, Dunne's overall singles records stands at an impressive 19-1.

A strong debut episode for NXT UK, booked ended by a good opener and a very good main event. The middle of the episode could have been tighter, with the women's match and the Moustache Mountain appearance not really working for me. There's certainly lots of space for improvement, which will come as the wrestlers become more acclimatised to regularly working with WWE and WWE becomes more aware of the performers it has on it's books and what they are capable of both in the ring and within the various storylines and feuds that we'll hopefully see develop. It's clear that this isn't the finish product, just like the early episodes of NXT only showed glimpses of what that show would become and Iooking forward to seeing how the show finds it feet and who from the roster of talented performers steps forward and takes this considerable opportunity by the horns.

Written by James Marston 

BritWres to Impress // PROGRESS // Southside // BLW [Nov. '17 Wk 4]

We've got another week full of British and Irish wrestling ahead of us and this week we focus on PROGRESS Wrestling in London on Sunday with Chapter 58: Live Your Best Life, a double header of Southside Wrestling Entertainment shows in Sheffield on Saturday with Queen of the Ring 2017 and Ill Manors 2017 and Grandslam from Big League Wrestling in Yeovil, Somerset on Sunday. So let's look at this week's BritWres to Impress! 

Also this week 

Thursday // TNT Extreme Wrestling A Cold Day in Hell // Liverpool // facebook.com/tntextremewres/

Saturday // Premier British Wrestling Live // Dumbarton, West Dumbartonshire // pbwwrestling.com 

Sunday // Over The Top Wrestling Contenders 4: Road to the Elite // Dublin // ottwrestling.com/

Sunday // PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 58: Live Your Best Life // London // progresswrestling.myshopify.com

Chapter 58: Live Your Best Life is PROGRESS Wrestling's penultimate show at The Electric Ballroom of 2017 and they've assembled the sort of varied card we've come to expect from the Strong-Style specialists.

The event will be headlined by Travis Banks' third PROGRESS World title defence against two time PROGRESS Atlas Champion, Matt Riddle.  Banks has been on fine form since winning the World Championship from Pete Dunne in September, holding back challenges from Keith Lee in October and Mark Andrews earlier this month, but now steps in the ring with arguably his most dangerous challenger to date. In fact, The Super King of Bros picked up a victory over the Kiwi Buzzsaw back in July, as well as picking up impressive singles victories over the likes of Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, WALTER and more in the last twelve months. Riddle may be one of the few in PROGRESS who can match Banks for popularity and the lively Electric Ballroom crowd will almost certainly be treated to brutal strikes, off the scale physicality and a submission showcase when Banks and Riddle go head to head on Sunday afternoon. 

On Sunday, Jinny and Dahlia Black go to war. This rivalry has been rumbling for months, told in a wonderful promo from Black here. Things reached a head at Chapter 57, with Jinny and Black unable to control their dislike for each other in a four way number one contenders match also including Alex Windsor and Candyfloss. Before the night was over the former friends were scrapping backstage with more than a few curses thrown in each others direction. That brings us to Chapter 58, where the two will collide in a No Disqualification match, with the added caveat that the winner will receive a match for the Women's Championship. As if the pair needed any more reason to beat the shit into each other! Things could get ugly at the Electric Ballroom.

The rest of the card is full of intriguing singles matches, such as Eddie Dennis bringing his new found bad attitude to face Jack Sexsmith. Dennis has shown that his attention is completely on former partner Mark Andrews, shouting "Fuck you Mark" moments before nailing Chuck Mambo with a forearm smash at Live at the Dome last week. Even if Sexsmith hasn't had a one on one match since July and no singles victories since May, if Dennis is looking elsewhere there's always the chance that "The Pansexual Phenomenon" could cause the upset...or Dennis could just beat the shit into him... There's also a Women's Championship match with Alex Windsor getting the title shot that she won at Chapter 57. Toni Storm has proven to be pretty unstoppable as the inaugural champion, putting away the likes of Candice LeRae, Kay Lee Ray and Laura Di Matteo, so Windsor will have to bring her A-game and the intensity that we saw from a backstage confrontation earlier in the month.

Also on the card is a rematch from Chapter 56 as Strangler Davis puts his Atlas Championship match opportunity on the line against wXw World Tag Team Champion Timothy Thatcher, Joseph Conner's PROGRESS singles debut against "Flash" Morgan Webster and a qualifying match for Tetsujin's Beauty in Combat II tournament as Chris Ridgeway faces Damon Moser.

Saturday // Southside Wrestling Entertainment Queen of the Ring 2017 // Sheffield // southsidewrestling.co.uk/

Saturday // Southside Wrestling Entertainement Ill Manors 2017 // Sheffield // southsidewrestling.co.uk

On Saturday, Southside return to Sheffied for the final time in 2017, presenting a double header at Corporation. Queen of the Ring 2017 takes place in the afternoon, before Ill Manors 2017 closes out the day in the evening.

The Queen of the Ring tournament debuted last year, with 3 time WWE Women's Champion Melina walking out the winner, after a victory over Kay Lee Ray in the final. This year's tournament features an array of internationally renowned female talent and perhaps none more so than Toni Storm. The current World of Stardom Champion has shown tournament acumen in 2017, winning PROGRESS' Natural Progression Series IV, the Cinderella Tournament and 5Star Grand Prix in STARDOM and wXw's Femmes Fatales, as well as reaching the semi-finals of WWE's Mae Young Classic. It's hard not to say that Storm is the favourite to take this tournament as well. Last year's finalist Kay Lee Ray is a 2 time Queen of Southside Champion and has won titles in ICW and WCPW in 2017, as well as reaching the finals of the Pro Wrestling: EVE title tournament. The always dangerous KLR faces Storm in the first round, a match that may very well decide the winner of the whole tournament! 

Another interesting first round collision pits Shanna against Sienna [Allysin Kay]. Shanna returns to Southside for the first time since March, having won titles in Japan and Germany, whilst Sienna debuts on the back of a year that has seen her hold both the Knockout's Championship in Impact Wrestling and GFW's Women's Championship. This could be a classic power vs. speed encounter. Also in first round action, Viper faces "Session Moth" Martina and current Queen of Southside Lana Austin looks to hold onto her title against debuting EVE Champion Sammii Jayne. A non-tournament scrap see's Kasey Owens go one on one with Saraya Knight.

When you look at the Ill Manors 2017 card, it's hard to look past the Triple Threat tag team bout. Scarlet & Graves (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) have been wowing audiences all over in 2017, with a crazy amount of creative tag team offence and individual flair, including a trip to Southside in May, as well as appearance elsewhere in the UK for the likes of RevPro, Fight Club: Pro and Lucha Forever. #CCK (Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos) might have only appeared once for Southside (a loss to Magnus & Doug Williams in March) but there's no denying that they are one of the most entertaining duos on the circuit, with a knack for the underhanded tactic. They even took the CZW Tag Team Championships from Scarlet & Graves in May. To outsiders, GBH members Damian Dunne & Kip Sabian might seem like the outsiders, but anyone who has been paying attention to Southside knows that this pairing will be no pushovers. They're undefeated in three as a duo, including a win of Scarlet & Graves in May. Expect an action-packed, shenanigan fest, that will leave you trying to get your breath back.

Chris Ridgeway is yet to taste singles victory in Southside, but has impressed against some of the world's best including Sami Callihan, Cedric Alexander and Ophidian. On Saturday, he'll have the challenge of trying to record his first win against one of Germany's best the debuting Bad Bones. Ridgeway might be known as a heavy-hitter, with bag of intensity and fire, but he'll be giving up, at least, 60 lbs to his opponent on Saturday, who is also known for possessing brutal strikes and dominating opponents. Bones is the current wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion and anyone who is yet to catch him in action is sure to be impressed by the man Bitburg when turns up in Sheffield. This has all the makings of an absolute belter. 

The card also features the controversial Bram facing Adam Maxted, former Southside Heavyweight Champion Robbie X up against Brady Phillips, the odd couple pairing of "Session Moth" Martina and Joseph Conners opposite Alex Gracie and Shanna, El Phantasmo vs. Gabriel Kidd and a trios match with Kasey Owens, Kay Lee Ray and Sammii Jayne battling Saraya Knight, Lana Austin and Sienna.

Sunday // Big League Wrestling Grandslam // Yeovil, Somerset // twitter.com/blwwrestling

I'm not sure if we've ever covered Big League Wrestling here on Across the Pond Wrestling, but the group has created a good deal of buzz for their show at Westlands in Yeovil, Somerset on Sunday, through the combination of an inter-promotional rivalry and an international first main event. 

That international main event see's BLW Heavyweight Champion Alberto el Patron [Alberto Del Rio] go one on one with one half of the PWG World Tag Team Champions, Matt Riddle. There's very little denying that this is a big time match anywhere in the world, whether you're a fan of AEP or not, his credentials in WWE and Impact Wrestling mean that he is a top calibre name, whilst very few indy performers have the same buzz as Matt Riddle has had in 2017. The two both have history in Mixed Martial Arts and employ a variety of submissions, strikes and throws to control matches. Will AEP be able to hang with a man almost ten years his junior? Will Riddle's lack of experience count for or against him? We shall see on Sunday, but if the pair are motivated and connect, there's no reason why they can't put on a match that Yeovil will be talking about for a long time to come. 

The conflict between BLW and fellow Somerset promotion Ultimate Pro Wrestling has been burning for quite some time. There's been twists and turns across a number of show's, including UPW's Final Resolution earlier this month. This leaves us with an Elimination match on Sunday as both promotion have selected five competitors to represent their brand. This includes UPW Champion Josh Bodom representing Team BLW, BLW Tag Team Champions Big Grizzly and Dave Mastiff on opposite sides and the BLW promoters brother, Adam Da Silva representing UPW! The full teams are as follows; Dave Mastiff, Dick Riley, The Brothers AWE and Adam da Silva for UPW, Josh Bodom, Sid Scala, Psycho Phillips, Big Grizzly and Chris Walker for BLW. That's two talented teams, but you just know that it's not going to go down without shenanigans and hijinks. Whichever promotion stands tall on Sunday, this match should end up being a great showcase for wrestling in the south west. 

Also on Sunday, the rivalry between Eddie Ryan and Chris Andrews culminates in a Street Fight, Harlem Bravado faces off with Dean Allmark in what should be an action-packed junior heavyweight clash, former tag team partners Kieran Bruce and Jake McCluskey go head to head and Mae Young Classic competitor Ayesha Raymond faces Jamie Hayter. The whole show is available on PPV via the Fite app.

We'd like to wish everyone competiting for PROGRESS, Southside, BLW, TNT, PBW, OTT and anywhere around the country this week the very very best. To the fans enjoy the action and don't forget to send your reviews to acrossthepondwrestling@hotmail.co.uk 

See ya next week for more BritWres to Impress!

Article by James Marston

WCPW Fight Back Preview

So, this was initially supposed to be a look at the return of WhatCulture Pro Wrestling's Loaded Youtube series, scheduled to run every week at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester from this Friday. However, things have changed. Earlier this week, the company announced that due to changes in Youtube's monetization policy that now lists wrestling content as "non-advertiser friendly" broadcasting a show on the channel was no longer a clever move financially. 

Before I get into what WCPW have come up with to replace the 2nd June event, lets talk about Youtube and the changes they've made. To classify a whole genre of entertainment as "non-advertiser friendly" is quite frankly ridiculous, especially considering some of the other content that the site hosts. The move to make their website suitable and safe for all is a commendable move, but I can't get my head around cutting off the majority of the revenue stream to professional wrestling. There is pro wrestling out there that is all about the violence and I couldn't imagine straight-laced advertisers wanting to be associated with Japanese Death Matches but to generalise when the medium is so diverse, doesn't add up. Imagine banning advertising on all music videos, because some of them having swearing in them? Or advertising on all films because some have sex scenes? Ridiculous. Professional Wrestling at it's core is storytelling, mixed with athleticism and while there's been a few complaints levied at WCPW since their debut last year, no one could accuse them of producing content as "inappropriate". Youtube is a brilliant tool for professional wrestlers and professional wrestling companies, it would be a real shame if that was taken aware permanently.

Luckily, WCPW decided to still run on 2nd June and have created a bigger card of action featuring some of the top talent in the UK, including WCPW Champion Joe Hendry, El Ligero, Rampage, Dave Mastiff, Martin Kirby and more. The Fight Back against the new Youtube rules begins here, let's take a look at what WCPW has prepared for us. The event will air live on YouTube. Tickets are still available from wc.pw 

 
The main event will see Martin Kirby attempting to get the WCPW title back from Joe Hendry in a Last Man Standing match. After Kirby won the title from Drew Galloway in a 30 man Rumble at No Regrets in Newcastle on 29th April, it would be in his very first title defense that Kirby ended up losing the title to Hendry following a referee stoppage at Pro Wrestling World Cup - Mexican Qualifying in Coventry a day later. With Hendry willing to kick Kirby in the head, despite the then champion being clearly knocked out, in order to take the title from him, to say that Kirby wanted revenge goes without say. Last Saturday at Hendrymania in Edinburgh, Kirby got his rematch, only for Hendry's fellow Prestige member Joe Coffey to get involved and cost Kirby the match. There's plenty of animosity here with Kirby desperate to get one over on Hendry, not just for taking his title but the way in which it was done, whilst we know that Hendry will stop at nothing to stay on top of the mountain. This has the potential to be an all out war tomorrow night.

The Four-Way Number One Contenders match features an intriguing mixture of styles and personalities as Joe Coffey, Dave Mastiff, Rampage and El Ligero. Coffey's alignment with champion Joe Hendry and the Prestige could lead to some interesting developments and with one of the strongest records heading into the bout, having only two losses in 2017, one against Rampage last week and the other in a title match with Drew Galloway in March, as well as advancing to the Pro Wrestling World Cup. Mastiff debuted at No Regrets impressing in the World title Rumble and having to be ousted by the all star team of Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes, he's got history with all three of his opponents so it'll be interesting see how he slots into this one and WCPW at large. Rampage has picked up two victories over the Prestige recently and after taking part in the first WCPW title match he'll be desperate to get back in the hunt. El Ligero is the wild card here, not just in having a completely different wrestling style and is at least 70lbs lighter than everyone else, but he also hasn't been in a bit of tailspin since dropping the WCPW Internet Title to Cody Rhodes. There's no mistaking that Ligero is the underdog, but with three big lads battering the piss into or out of each other, he may get the opportunity to use his agility to his advantage. There's huge potential in this bout and a hell of a lot of talent, who comes out with the win though is anyone's guess. 

After using a wrench to defeat Sha Samuels last week, Drake finds himself in a Hardcore match with a man who has been known to take it to the extreme in WCPW, Primate. With victories in a Boiler Room Brawl and a Chairs match against Rampage, as well as two recent Hardcore wins against Scott Wainwright and Bad Bones, this is a position that Drake didn't look too happy with when Adam Blampied placed him in it. Either way this is gonna be too big blokes beating each other up with some toys. Also on the show, Zack Gibson gets a shot at Gabriel Kidd's Internet Championship and there's also Tag Team Gauntlet to work out who gets a shot at The Swords of Essex's (Wainwright & Will Ospreay) belts as Kid Fite & Lou King Sharp, Prospect (Alex Gracie & Lucas Archer), Johnny Moss & Liam Slater, Kings of the North (Bonesaw & Damien Corvin) and Polo Promotions (Jackie Polo & Mark Coffey) battle it out. 

Also appearing - Viper, WCPW Women's Champion Bea Priestley and "Session Moth" Martina.

WCPW Fight Back airs live on YouTube at 7pm BST. 

Tickets are available from wc.pw. 

Doors open - 6:15 

Event Time - 7:00-10:00

Opinion: There's No Such Thing as the Big Bad Wolf

What a 2017 it has been for UK Wrestling already and it’s only the middle of January okay nearing the end, I’m not good with dates! Anyway fans have witnessed ITV's World of Sport, amazing shows from PROGRESS, Rev Pro and many others, not to mention the WWE United Kingdom Tournament.

I went to the Tournament for both days and it was incredible. The event brought together wrestling fans and united them in positivity and hope for what the event will bring. There was no arguments of booking and it was great to see and read. But that euphoria of positivity can only last so long before issues arise, so I’ll discuss some here.

How often have wrestling fans said, “(insert UK wrestler name here) should be in the WWE” or “if WWE took notice of (insert UK wrestler name here) they will be signed!”. I've seen quite a lot of fans saying this type of thing over the years and guess what, your dreams have come true. The WWE in all its glory is shining a very big spotlight over Wrestling in the UK & Ireland and many of your favourite wrestlers are signed to one year contacts with a possible extension depending on their success.

Now how is this a bad thing, oh it must be a bad thing right? Because some fans are now saying WWE are ‘stealing’ the UK talent, ‘robbing’ fans of seeing their favourite wrestlers in promotions and even showing signs of trying to monopolise the UK and Irish Wrestling scene with ‘insiders’ claims they have links to Insane Championship Wrestling, PROGRESS, Over the Top Wrestling and RevPro as well attempting stop any wrestlers they have feature in any worldwide streams no involved with WWE.

Okay that's one way to look at it, but here’s something you should look at, UK and Ireland are jam packed with incredible talent and equally resourceful promotions and promoter, as well as brilliant training schools, with many of the countries top talent passing on their knowledge to a whole new generation of potential Tyler Bate's or Dave Mastiff's. If you’re a fan of a wrestler who has signed one of the "exclusive" WWE or ITV or any contracts...be happy for them! Each one has worked and made sacrifices to get there, whether it is for a year or more, the experience of being part of WWE will be something that they will benefit for years as well as other wrestlers if they chose to share their knowledge. Is WWE “robbing” fans either? I don’t see how, WWE is planning a weekly TV show in the UK with exclusive wrestlers to their brand, why will you go see a wrestler in WWE if you can see them every week in another promotion, for a perhaps cheaper price in-fact? Also take into account the risks, the wear and tear on the body of the pressures by wrestling continuously that the Indie circuit causes, WWE can ill afford to take these risks with individuals they see can evaluate their image in the UK.
If you bought a ticket to go to an event just for one or two wrestlers. I may question your logic on that one, sitting through a 3 hour show to see one wrestler…erm okay and that is why every promotion has card subject to change on there advertising, because anything can really happen. It is that point a promotion if a wrestler pulls out either the promoter might be able to call another top line star in and they will demonstrate why their show should be seen in spite of the absent star. Case in point, PROGRESS Wrestling on January 15th, didn't have their World Champion or their Tag Team Champions due to the WWE UK Championship Tournament were some fans concerned at the start, hell yeah they were. But afterwards as per usual they were raving about how incredible the Chapter 42 show was and rightly so. (Editor's Note - Whilst this was partly down to PROGRESS' WWE connections getting Finn Balor and Tommy End to appear on the card, as well as a surprise appearance from World Wrestling Network star Matt Riddle, the hard work of British and European talent like Axel Dieter Jr., Rockstar Spud, Jimmy Havoc, El Ligero, Dave Mastiff and more was just as, if not more valuable)
How did that happen? Forward planning, great story lines and even better wrestling, something PROGRESS does extremely well and they aren’t alone in that. As I said earlier, the British Isles has resourceful promotions, they book their events well in advance, but are are also capable of managing potential problems and turning them into positives, as well as not relying on one of two wrestlers to make that show a success. My personal opinion is that while wrestling is a business, cold and calculating, it needs to generate and promote emotion for it to thrive.

My thoughts, start from the Academy level, if you have trainees that are ready to showcase their talents on the Academy or Main shows, put some effort into getting the fans interested and invested, promote them, teach them to cut a promo or even a 30 second vignette otherwise why should fans watch them, or take interest in them, a move set can only do so much. The end result is fans who many have gone to the show to see someone else will sit silently on their phones and it will awkward and weird. That isn’t just about trainees either, it’s across the board. Why not raise your game for the wrestlers to be noticed, get the fans emotionally involved in what might happen during their matches, do what you need to create an angle, storyline or even consistent narrative of why wrestlers are wrestling. It sounds simple but I would believe how many times I’ve gone to a show and I’ve wondered why are these two wrestlers fighting, because you know…reasons?! Just get fans invested in your shows dammit.

The WWE arriving is making every wrestling fan in the world take notice of the wrestling involved in UK and Ireland, right now fans across the world are staring at every promotion in the UK thanks to the WWE Network, that is a fact. Fans and other international promotions are keen to see where wrestlers started, who to watch out for, who's the next promotion to keep an eye on, who to work with and they are starting to see great promotions that may have not have been able to be seen to a larger audience, Attack!, Alpha Omega, Fight Club: Pro, PBW and PWU only to name a few are being seen by fans as far as Australia. Sure WWE focusing their microscope here has drawbacks in the short term but its larger gains in the long term are out of this world. For that to happen every wrestler, promotion, hell even wrestling journalists need to raise their game now more than ever. This message is for wrestlers not just in the WWE United Kingdom Series, but wrestlers all over and this counts for the promoters as well, fans from all over the world hear that wrestling from the UK and Ireland is the best in the world, you’ve now got the floor, the world is watching you now show them exactly why those fans should be watching you, why they should care about you and show them what you got because it might not just be the WWE that is watching you.

Words - Craig Hermit

Images - Craig Hermit & James Marston

Editor - James Marston 

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The Merch Table - Kayfabe Clothing, Mark Haskins, SPLX, Pro Wrestling Tees & One Fall Media

So, The Merch Table has been away for awhile and well it has returned as a three part special for this week, no really. Divided into three parts, Part one focuses on the wrestlers merchandise, Part Two aimed at the Promotions and concluding on Friday with a combination of anything I may of missed and even requests from yourselves of merchandise from your favourite wrestlers that I’ll hunt for.

With that said and done, let’s move on time is not our friend and we start off with the superb Clothing line of...

I featured this line from other wrestlers before namely The Filthy Generation (Stevie Boy and Kay Lee Ray) and Carmel Jacob in a previous Merch Table but let’s focus a bit more in what the clothing line aims for & who else they feature…

“Kayfabe Clothing aim to bring the highest quality in alternative pro wrestling T-Shirts inspired by the industry itself or parodies. We supply Men's T-Shirts, Ladies T-Shirts, Hoodies of both the pullover and zip variety and other apparel inspired by the pro wrestling industry.” - Kayfabe Clothing Website. 

You know what, they are absolutely right, I can vouch that what they say is true, 

BT Gunn

Who is BT Gunn? - In a nutshell, he is one of the UK’s most dynamic and resilient wrestlers in the world today. He is the PBW Heavyweight and BCW Heavyweight Champion as well as Co-Holder of the PWE Tag Team Championships with Chris Renfrew. He is responsible for being involved in some of ICW’s most brutal rivalries throughout it’s 10 year history and continually leads by example as a trainer in the GPWA Academy.

http://www.kayfabeclothing.com/bt-gunn

Hoody: £34.99.
Available in Sizes: S - 2XL.

Wolfgang

Who is Wolfgang? - He is the ICW World Heavyweight Champion and he is one of Scotland’s most prominent figures in wrestling. Some people say big men can’t fly, those people haven’t seen Wolfgang in the ring, wither he’s matching power with power against some of the strongest men across the UK, he also has the agility to surprise opponents and fans alike with his highflying ability.

http://www.kayfabeclothing.com/wolfgang

T-Shirt: £19.99.
Available in Sizes: S - 2XL.

Mark Coffey

Who is Mark Coffey? - The SWA Heavyweight Champion as well Co-Holder of the ICW and SWA Tag Team Championship alongside Jackie Polo. Straight up one of the most respected men in UK wrestling, equally responsible of some of the best and shocking moments on SWA, ICW and PWE. When he’s good he’s good but when he’s bad…Who’s Bad? He Bad.

http://www.kayfabeclothing.com/product-page/49ea99f3-173f-96df-2bc4-55e6bdce34db

T-shirt: £19.99.
Available in Sizes: XS - XL 

“I do this for my kids, my wife, for the never ending passion that burns within me, to where every moment of each day my brain can only think of that one thing. I hate it when people say that your dream can't be reality, like, come on, look at me. I’m a 5'6 180lbs country boy from England and yet I get to travel the globe, striving forward in the land of the big guys, living my dream in front of thousands of fans. That’s pretty fucking mental to me. Dream big.” - Mark Haskins.

More than I can ever say really, the PROGRESS World Champion

http://www.fighthaskins.com/product/haskins-never-stay-down-pre-order

T-shirt: £20
Available in Sizes: S-XL

“Suplex (SPLX) is a team formed of top athletes from the professional wrestling world. We fully embrace the athletic aspect of the industry and believe we have formed a stellar unit featuring Zack Sabre, Jr., Adam Cole, Dave Mastiff, Gail Kim, Prince Devitt, and Kyle O’Reilly.Thank you for supporting the SPLX brand and our sponsored athletes. We aim to always progress as a company and help assist in creating your legacy.” - SPLX

The mission statement of the illustrious SPLX team.

http://store.suplexapparel.com/product/team-suplex-ampersand-t-shirt-zack-sabre-jr-adam-cole-dave-mastiff-fergal-devitt

T-shirt: £16.99
Available in Sizes: M-XL

“Here at ProWrestlingTees.com we work directly with some of the greatest wrestlers in history. By allowing wrestlers to create their own stores it gives you, the fans, the opportunity to own t-shirts you have seen at shows, in pictures or may have never seen before. All stores, products and photos are owned by the wrestlers themselves. Profits go directly to the wrestlers to support what they do and what you love.” - ProWrestlingTees.com

I’ve personally ordered from PWT and found them to be excellent also I find it’s no surprise that many more wrestlers are becoming part of their ever growing circle.

Viper

One of the many stars to be featured in the recent ITV World of Sport Pilot and Alpha Omega Wrestling Wrestling Champion.

http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/catalog/category/view/id/847

We are focused on his T-shirt: Prices start at $19.99
Available in Sizes: S-5XL

Kimber Lee

World famous star who has already made of hell of an imp at in the UK and soon to be seen on ICW’s Road to The Hydro tour, she has been a multiple Champion in many different promotions across the world, need I say more.

http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/princess-kimber-lee.html

T-shirt: $19.99
Available in Sizes: S-5XL

Su Yung

This was a special request, so I’ve found images of several t-shirts by the lady in question on Pro Wrestling Tees. For fans who may not have seen Su Yung, she has excelled and terrified fans alike in any promotion she has been a part of, like Shine, Shimmer, FCW, MLW to name a few and many many more.

T-Shirt: $19.99
Available in Sizes: S-5XL

Concluding today’s Merch Stand is…

This team are hosting the debut of The One Fall Sessions LIVE from Glasgow on Thursday 17th November, as part of the Insane Championship Wrestling. Hosted by Simon Cassidy, bringing  exclusive interviews and Q&A hosted with Tag Champions Mark Coffey & Jackie Polo, Polo Promotions, DCT - Wrestler and Kenny Williams ahead ICW in The Hydro.
The event will also feature stand up from the one and only Billy Kirkwood!

To celebrate this show or just simply support them…

http://www.mansruinstore.co.uk/onefall/

T-shirt: £14.99
Available in Sizes: S-3XL

Words and Images - Craig Hermit 
Editor - James Marston
        

Wrestle Ropes Ready for the Weekend: October 2016 Week Two - GPWA, IPW:UK & ICW

The nights might be drawing in, but that doesn't mean we can't still get Ready for the Weekend! This week we kick things off in Glasgow on Friday as Glasgow Pro Wrestling Asylum host the sixth edition of A Night in The Asylum, head down south for the first night of International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom's Super 8 2016 on Saturday before finishing off back in Glasgow as Insane Championship Wrestling presents a Fight Club Taping. 

Not near Glasgow or Kent, don't worry we've got a couple of alternatives for each day! 

Friday starts the wrestling weekend with Glasgow Pro Wrestling Asylum's latest event in Glasgow. Once again, the young stars of GPWA will be mixing it up in the squared circle with more established names of British Wrestling based north of the border. 

That mix is no more evident than in the main event match between the NAK and The Purge. Chris Renfrew and BT Gunn need little introduction. Both skilled as singles competitors, they've even more a threat as a duo and as such have held numerous championships. The Purge are also making a name for themselves with GPWA as a very skilled team who have a very bright future ahead of them. Both teams are known for a hard hitting offence. One thing that the NAK do have that The Purge don't is the PWE Tag Team Championships. That could change though as it's been confirmed that the championship will be defended on Friday for the first time outside of Pro Wrestling Elite. If The Purge were to win, they would become champions of a promotion that they have yet to compete in. A true history making moment itself. 

When you speak about big impacts, few people can match Flex Hunter. A genuine Goliath of a man, Hunter has been dominant in his time at GPWA and has went through more than a few of GPWA's stars. His opponent is one of the men who helped to train him but one of Scotland's most decorated stars, Lionheart. Lionheart has faced some of the biggest stars in professional wrestling but only a few of those could match Flex Hunter for his sheer size and power. Lionheart has a lot more experience in the ring than Hunter and that experience will be vital to defeat a man who has destroyed many men who have stood before him. 

Over a number of months, Molly Spartan and Kasey have been exchanging blows and victories over each other. Neither seems to become a definitive winner between the two. The next chapter of their feud will happen this Friday when both women bring a partner for some tag team action. Spartan has brought in an unknown factor in the shape of Jokey. Little is known about Jokey other than she is from Italy. Kasey on the other hand has went with a partner who is probably one of the best known females today, Viper. A champion on numerous occassions, Viper is world travelled and has as much experience as she does power. Picking a winning team in this match isn't easy. It's really a case of experience against the unknown.

GPWA's event will also see Stevie Boy in action against Ravie Davie while The Sam Barbour Experience shall be facing Kez Evans. Barbour's tag team partner, C.S Rose will also be competing this Friday when he faces Jack Dillon. The final match of the card will see the very unique Iriving Garrett in the ring with the current ICW World Heavyweight Champion, Wolfgang.

Tickets Available - £10 per person

Friday Alternatives 

HOPE Wrestling Evolution 39: The Past Is Only The Future With The Lights On

Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

Feat - The Boogeyman v T-Bone 

Tickets Available - From £7 per person

WrestleForce Wrestling at The Cricketers 

Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Feat - Kevin Hanley v Harrison Bourne

Tickets Available - £5 per person

On Saturday, International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom brings the third incarnation of the UK Super 8 tournament to Casino Rooms in Rochester, Kent, as they present one of the most eclectic line up an eight man tournament can really hope for. Who will follow in the footsteps of Zack Sabre Jr and Rampage Brown? Let's take a look at some of the front runners.

It seems strange to place a man who hasn't been appearing regularly for IPW:UK this year as the favourite, especially considering he hasn't won in the promotion since June 2015, but quite simply anytime Dave Mastiff steps into a ring he has to be considered a favourite. Mastiff's sheer power, experience and endurance make him a match for pretty much anyone in the world. He's won the VPW Heavyweight Title Tournament in 2015, the BCC Title Tournament in 2010 and the RQW Tag Team Title Tournament in 2007, whilst his title reigns this year in VPW and PCW are only the tip of the ice berg for his reigns on top of various promotions. In 2014, Mastiff reached the semi-finals of UK Super 8, losing to the eventual winner, Zack Sabre Jr, he'll be looking to go one further this year and make the final and perhaps win the whole thing! Mastiff's Quarter Final opponent will be a man he is no stranger to, as he clashes with old FCP rival, Clint Margera, in what could prove to be one of the most brutal encounters of the entire weekend! 

Another man who must be considered on favourite, despite a lengthy absense from IPW:UK, is Magnus, who will be returning after an almost two year absense. Magnus has proven ability in that ring and has shown in the past that he's willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top of the business, as was clear during his rise to the top of TNA in 2013. It was there where he gained his tournament pedigree winning a TNA World Tag Team Title #1 Contender's Tournament with Desmond Wolfe in 2010, Championship Challenge Tournament and Wild Card Tag Team Tournament with Samoa Joe in 2011 and TNA World Heavyweight Title Tournament in 2013. Of course, more recently Magnus has been holding onto GFW's Global Championship, recently defending the strap on a brutal tour of Canada. As the most recognisable name in the tournament, he'll have something to prove on Saturday when he steps in the ring with Big Grizzly for the first time. 

Since debuting in IPW:UK last August, Chris Brookes has only lost one match, one match to someone has almost certainly had the best year of his career, Chris Hero. So, Brookes has to be considered a major contender heading into UK Super 8. Brookes has proven tournament calibre, winning FCP's Infinity Trophy in 2014, Plex Wrestling British Title Tournament and SWA British Lions Tournament in 2015. Outside of IPW:UK, Brookes has found success this year also, reinging as VII Pro's British Lions Champion, whilst also capturing the ATTACK! Tag Team Champion with Kid Lykos on two separate occassions. Brookes has shown in the past that he go with the best in the country, using his techincal knowhow to make a tough opponent for anyone, but he's certainly not afraid to bend the rules when it suits him, something that he may have dig into if he wants to walk away as the winner of UK Super 8. He faces current IPW:UK All England Champion "Smooth" Sammy Smooth in the First Round! 

Other tournament participants include former IPW:UK British Tag Team Champion James Davis, current EPW Champion Big Grizzly, 2015 Hardcore Lottery Semi-Finallist Clint Margera, All England Champion Sammy Smooth and Scott Star. Outside of the tournament, The Swords of Essex (Paul Robinson & Scott Wainwright) put their British Tag Team title up agaisnt DND (Danny Duggan & Cieran Donnely), 5 time WWE Women's Champion Mickie James takes on Jetta and in an international tag team contest 3 time AAA World Tag Team Champions Angelico & Jack Evans battle Shane Strickland and Lio Rush in a bout that may literally blow the rough off the Casino Rooms.

Tickets Available - From £15 pp

Saturday Alternatives 

Premier British Wrestling Live in Airdrie 

Airdrie, North Lanarkshire

Feat - BT Gunn v Sha Samuels 

Tickets Available - From £10 pp

Kamikaze Pro Live in Rubery

Rubery, Worcestershire 

Feat - Liam Doyle v Mika

Tickets Available - From £5 pp

The weekend rounds off on Sunday when Insane Championship Wrestling host another edition of the Fight Club TV tapings at The Garage in Glasgow. It's another packed show with eight matches scheduled to take place. 

Two of the matches announced will be qualifying matches for the Stairway To Heaven match for the ICW Zero-G Championship at Fear & Loathing IX. The first match will see Andy Wild face Kenny Williams. Both men are former champions and both have a desire to once again be champion. Williams has been trying to get back in the title picture for months while Wild's last match where he faced Noam Dar in his final ICW appearance, has reinvigorated the former champion. The second qualifying match will see Christopher Saynt face Zack Gibson in a match that shall be the first meeting between the two. Gibson is a no nonsense competitor who is all about business. Whilst Saynt is also a very skilled competitor, he does put on quite a show when he comes to the ring. It's unlikely that Gibson will appreciate that but Saynt will be sure to remind him that he's not just all show without substance.

 A few months ago, BT Gunn and Stevie Boy had a match that was supposed to end their dispute. It didn't. Instead those in attendance witnessed both men nearly destroy each other with steel chairs. Their issues are still there and if anything have grown bigger. These two men are going to have another match this Sunday in the hope that they can finally end this battle. However, if they went to the lengths they did last time in almost destroying each other, what will they do this time? 

Championship gold will be on the line this Sunday as well as Lionheart will be defending the ICW Zero-G Championship against Lewis Girvan. Girvan has been trying to get a championship match for a while now and finally he will have an opportunity in Glasgow this Sunday. Lionheart was the one who came up with the Stairway To Heaven match and obviously he will expect to be in the match to prove himself as the greatest ICW Zero-G Champion of all time. However, looking past Girvan and his desire to be champion could well result in Lionheart not even getting to the match he created.


Also this Sunday, Joe Coffey takes on Matt Cross in singles action. Tag team action comes in the from of Jack Jester and Kid Fite facing Sha Samuels DCT. ICW World Heavyweight Champion, Wolfgan will be in non-title action when he competes against “Local Hero” Joe Hendry while Hendry' former tag team partner, Davey Blaze shall be in singles competition against Trent Seven.

Tickets Available - £15 per person

Sunday Alternative 

International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom UK Super 8 2016 - Night 2

Rochester, Kent 

Feat - Tennesee Honey v Mickie James

Tickets Available - From £15 per person

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

Words - Andy Scotland & James Marston
Images - James Marston

Image Source - Facebook.com