Live Review // ATTACK! Pro Wrestling GooseBUMPS VI // Drew Parker vs. Splits McPins

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 

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

Wrestle Ropes Ready for the Weekend: October 2016 Week Three - TW, OTT & PROGRESS

Another busy week of British and Irish wrestling is ahead of us, this week we take a look at Target Wrestling in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway on Friday, before jumping over to Wexford, Ireland as Over The Top Wrestling take over Spiegeltent Festival on Saturday and rounding off in Manchester as PROGRESS Wrestling present Chapter 37: A Sudden Sense of Liberty. So without further ado it's time to get Ready For The Weekend! 

If none of those are near you or you're just looking for more, we've got alternative shows in highlighted also. Including shows in Armadale, Aylesbury, Aberdeen, Bury, Glasgow and Newport! 

Friday kicks things off with Target Wrestling heading back to Annan and The Corner House Hotel. This show marks the first of two events over the weekend for Target Wrestling with them heading to Carlisle the following night. 

In Carlisle, Shady Nattrass is scheduled to defend the Target Wrestling High Octane Division Championship against DCT. However, Natrass might not even make it to Carlisle as champion as he'll be facing Martin Kirby this Friday. Kirby has been close to championship gold in TW as well as being a multi-time champion all over the UK. Could Kirby finally win TW gold or will Nattrass be successful in his first championship defense of the weekend?

This Friday will see Annan's own Ivy Mist back in action in TW where she will be teaming up with former TW Champion; Medallion to face former TW Tag Team Champions; Havok & Karnage. Mist and Medallion have teamed before and had success doing so, but this will be their toughest challenge against former champions. Mist will have the backing of the crowd this Friday, however if the pressure of being in front of home town fans takes over, it may not be the homecoming she so desires. 

In the past, Alexander Henry, Spyda, Benny Munroe and Luke Rose have all crossed paths with each other. This Friday they'll all be meeting in the ring in a fatal four-way match. Some have wins over others, some don't like each other. Regardless of who likes who and who doesn't, only one person is walking of of this match as the winner. We might see alliances form but no alliance can win this match. It can only be one man. The one who fights the hardest for it.


Other matches on the show shall see “The Primate” Jason Prime taking on The Coyote Kid for the first time while Ryan Hunter and Ben Vicious shall be competing against each other in singles action.

Friday Alternative 

Premier British Wrestling Live in Armadale 

Armadale, West Lothian 

Tickets Available - From £8 per person 

On Saturday, Over The Top Wrestling make their debut in Wexford for a show at Spiegeltent Festival. 

Kimber Lee makes her first appearance for OTT, as she takes on Martina. Lee has proven to be one of the toughest competitors in Independent wrestling, female or otherwise, even reigning as CHIKARA's Grand Champion earlier this year, even succesfully defending the title against Nixon Newell in Wales. Yet on Saturday she may very well be at a disadvantage, not only because of the unfamiliar surroundings in her first match in Ireland, but also due to Martina being a little bit unpredictable. Even though she reigned a top of CHIKARA's gang of ragamuffins and oddballs for almost six months, Lee may never come into contact with a wrestler like Martina and that might just give the upcomer the edge over the much more experienced Lee. Whatever the outcome, expect plenty of shenanigans and some great action. 

Hubba Bubba Lucha explodes? Quite possibly as Bubblegum debuts in OTT to take on a man he's very familiar with, El Ligero. This pair have battle each other, teamed with each other and just about everything in between all over the UK and into Europe for over ten years and on Saturday that level of experience and familiarity comes to Spiegeltent Festival. Both are known to favour a high-flying and pacy style, so this one could very well be fought and won above the ring. Ligero struggled during his previous trip to OTT, so he'll be looking to put the demons of dual loses to Pete Dunne to bed, whilst Bubblegum will be looking to make a big impact on the company in Wexford. Either way, this match may steal the show! 

At the other end of the scale, Dave Mastiff is returning to OTT for the first time in over a year to take on a performer who will be looking to put himself in the conversion over Pete Dunne's No Limits Championship. Garrett has had a number of successes since debuting at the start of 2016, thanks to his sheer power and impressive speed for a 225 lb man, but in Mastiff he may have some who can match him for power and will work hard to keep Garrett from being able to break into a high gear and use his pace. The Bastard will be looking to show OTT what they've been missing out on over the last year and defeating one of the companies top contenders would definitely send out the right message. Mastiff and Garrett will give their all to get one over the other and you'll have to be in Wexford on Saturday night to find out who comes out victorious. 

Also on the card for Saturday are appearances from Love Island star, Adam Maxted and security guard turned actor turned wrestler, Tiny Iron. 

Tickets Available -  €18

Saturday Alternatives 

HOPE Wrestling Live in Aylesbury 

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire 

Feat - Gene Munny v Chuck Cyrus 

Tickets Available - From £5 per person 

WrestleZone Live - In Aid of Kincorth Community Centre

Aberdeen 

Feat - Alan Sterling & Shawn Johnson v Mr. P & Kaden Garrick 

Tickets Availabe on the Door - From £10 per person

Futureshock Wrestling Underground 19 

Prestwich, Bury 

Feat - Fabian Aichner v Zack Gibson

Ticket Available - From £8 per person

After holding their biggest show to date in September, but not one to sit on their laurels, PROGRESS Wrestling holds their final Manchester event in 2016, with Chapter 37: A Sudden Sense of Liberty. 

After British Strong Style (Pete Dunne & Trent Seven) won the Tag Team Championship in September, three teams will be looking to get their head above the water and begin to stake a claim for a shot at the new men at the top of the division. FSU (Eddie Dennis & Mark Andrews) are perhaps the most popular tag team in the company, getting insane reactions whenever Andrew WK's Party Hard hits. However, their 2016 hasn't been a vintage year, at least in terms of victories, as they unsuccessfully challenged for the Tag Team titles on two occasions. The team that was champions at that time, The Origin, will be represented by El Ligero and Dave Mastiff. Perhaps surprisingly this is the first time they will be teaming as a pair, but with plenty of big match experience they'll be difficult to beat, even without Zack Gibson and Nathan Cruz at ringside. The wild card in this match has to be The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper & Travis Banks) as whilst they're still a relatively knew team in PROGRESS, they've impressed in their first few matches and remain undefeated. If Dahlia Black is at ringside they may well cause an upset. Three teams and six competitors will make for pacy scramble of a match, but who walks out with the win is anyone's guess!

In another bout involving a lot of variables, Pete Dunne, Joe Coffey, Shane Strickland and Marty Scurll will go to battle for a shot at the World Championship, currently held by Mark Haskins. Just take a look at that line up, it's perhaps the most diverse four way ever. Dunne won the Tag Team Championship and has impressed enough since creating British Strong Style with Trent Seven to get a place in this four way. With Seven by his side, Dunne will do anything he can to earn a title shot and the chance to be a joint champion. Joe Coffey was unsuccessful in his quest to become the first ever Atlas Champion, but had previously blazed his way to the final with victories over the likes of Dave Mastiff, Michael Dante and Mikey Whiplash. Coffey is easily the most powerful man in the contest and will be looking to use that power to turn the negative of losing the Atlas tournament into a positive. 2 time CZW Wired Champion is still a newcomer to PROGRESS, but after defeating former World Champion Will Ospreay in August, he find himself with this big chance. Strickland is the quickest of the competitor, so will be hoping to win this one in the sky. The final participant, Scurll lost the World title in Brixton, but with PROGRESS offering no automatic rematches, he'll have to earn himself a chance here. The Villain has shown that he's obsessed with the title in the past, so who knows what he'll do in order to get the belt back in his possession. Dunne, Strickland, Coffey and Scurll all have what it takes and all four have incredibly different styles, this should lead to absolute classic in Manchester. 

After defeating Marty Scurll and Tommy End just three weeks ago, Mark Haskins will have his work cut out for him when he puts the belt on the line for the first time against The Origin's Zack Gibson. Gibson hasn't been in the best of form since reaching the Semi-Finals of Super Strong Style 16 in May, but managing to pin Jack Gallagher in his final match before leaving for WWE, as well as keeping The Origin from disbanding, has seen him catapulted into a title match. This could be a master class in submission wrestling as both are known to favour specific arm-based holds, but their similarities end there as Haskins is adored by the audience, whilst only Donald Trump seems capable of getting more heat than Gibson at this point in time.  The Star Attraction won their first encounter in January, so will be hoping for a repeat, but there's more than a possibility that Gibson could play spoiler and make sure that Haskins title reign is over before it begins.

Rounding out the show, Rampage Brown faces the unknown as he puts his Atlas Championship on the line in an Open Challenge, Kimber Lee faces Kay Lee Ray, James Drake takes on Fabian Aichner and Bubblegum returns to PROGRESS for a match with Chuck Mambo. 

Sold Out - Re-sale Tickets Available - From £10 per person

Sunday Alternatives 

Glasgow Pro Wrestling Asylum Proving Ground

Glasgow 

Feat - Austin Osiris & Kyle Khaos v Lionheart & Alex Hauser

Tickets Available on Door - £5 per person 

Dragon Pro Wrestling Battle Royale  

Newport, Gwent

Feat - Sierra Loxton v Jetta 

Tickets Available - £8 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

Supercard Review: WCPW Refuse to Lose - Martin Kirby v Joseph Conners

On 6th October 2016, WCPW presented their first Supercard event in Newcastle, Tyne & Wear. With Joseph Conners putting his World Championship on the line against Martin Kirby in the main event and a mixture of imported talent, like Kurt Angle, Minoru Suzuki and Kimber Lee, and British talent like Doug Williams, Joe Hendry and Joe Coffey, was it time for WCPW to cement it's place on the world stage, just 4 months into it's existence? Let's find out. 

Disclaimer - I've never watched an episode of Loaded or any previous WCPW adventure, so I really was going in dry here! I also watched the event a few days after it aired, so there won't be any complaining about how shitty the live stream was either (but apparently it really was the drizzling shits)...

Martin Kirby unsuccessfully challenging Joseph Conners was the main event of this show in everything but name as the pair put on a great showing for the first twenty minutes of the bout. They've wrestled a number of times outside of WCPW, in places like SWE, HOPE and RDW and that showed here with some incredibly smooth wrestling, with a clever narrative at it's heart. Kirby was painted as having the rub of the green on this occasion, getting the better of Conners at almost every opportunity, with Conners able to take advantage of the referees positioning to make sure he was able to stay in the match. Conners looked great when in control, bringing a more vicious and gritty side to the bout, but also sold well for Kirby on his comebacks, in fact both men's facial expression were marvelous throughout the contest. The contest built well into a number of near falls, including a variation of an Avalanche Fireman's Carry Slam from Kirby, whilst also keeping Kirby's Sable Bomb in the mind of the audience. 

I have to say that I was really getting into Kirby and Conners' war, they'd gone twenty minutes and seemed like the duo were about to change gear and head for home when Conners began to fire up on Kirby, then the ref got bumped and I groaned. Everything after the ref bump was so frustrating to watch, as whilst the initial moment of there not being a ref to count Kirby's victory after a Sable Bomb, was hurt by the fact that the supposed babyface Kirby, and then damaged even more so when Adam Pacitti stopped Kirby from hitting the Zoidberg Elbow and gave Conners the title win. I just didn't get why the WhatCulture personality had to be pushed to the level of causing the main event finish, effectively placing himself above the talent. Maybe it's because I don't really watch WhatCulture or that I'm completely new to WCPW but I couldn't get my head around it. It didn't make me want to see Pacitti get beat up or feel anything in particularly for anyone involved. In my personal opinion, on WCPW's first supercard, where new eyes like mine would be on the product, I would've made sure that my World title match was an absolute killer. Kirby and Conners showed they were capable, but had their legs cut from underneath them with the screwy finish. 

Okay, so I've already mentioned that I didn't enjoy the gratuitous WhatCulture personality interference in the World title bout, so I was going to absolutely hate a Street Fight involving Adam Blampied and Rampage [Brown], wasn't I? Well, to be honest I went into the bout wanting to absolute hate it, but it actually was kind of alright? It was set up quite nicely from the outset with Blampied trying to offer Rampage a suitcase of money to buy some meat, before a stream of interference left Rampage fighting from underneath. The former PROGRESS World Champion excelled in this role, with some nice selling, whilst a moment that saw him take out each member of Prospect (Alex Gracie, [H.T.] Drake & Lucas Archer) whilst Blampied cut a promo was handled well by all, even if it was a little bit corny. Adam Pacitti sending out numerous talents (including Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) who mind bottlingly weren't actually on the card) to help combat Prospect and Big Damo was a little confusing, especially with Pacitti costing Kirby the title match later on, yet it did build to a satisfying finish as Rampage powerbombed Blampied through a table. Personally, I think they could have shaved five minutes of this and made it a more concise and exciting bout, but I still found this a much more entertaining watch than I was expecting.

In the opening contest, Pro Wrestling NOAH's Minoru Suzuki made his WCPW debut in hard hitting affair with former ICW World Heavyweight Champion Joe Coffey in a match that was fought under "NOAH Rules". This match was mostly made up of hard strikes as the pair went back and forth, with the main narrative thread coming from Suzuki's second El Desperado's constant interfering on the outside. The crowd ate this up and even if the "Shit Kalisto" chant made me cringe a little bit, it was still some good heat for the heely action of Suzuki, something which is often difficult to achieve as a well known import and respected veteran. There was some nice mirror storytelling in the final stretch of the match, with Suzuki dodging Black Coffey (Discus Lariat) before Coffey hit the move for a near fall and then later Coffey would escape Suzuki's sleeper hold, only to end up back in the move for another near fall later on. The finish where Suzuki won the match with a Gotch Style Piledriver set things up strongly for a rematch as the move would regularly be outlawed under WCPW rules. There's a lot of potential in a rematch between these two as whilst this match was an enjoyable scrap, there pair seemed be holding back and never quite hit their top gear. 

Whilst Doug Williams' "Mr. Brexit" character is a jumble of ideas which boils down to another rehashed Anti-Import gimmick, his match with a debuting Cody Rhodes was a smooth encounter that gave just a glimpse at what the pair could do together. As crisp as the early wrestling was, as Rhodes and Williams appeared to exchange holds with ease, Rhodes impressed me most with his selling as he made a real effort to make Williams offence look as devastating as possible, including trying to shake some life into his arm after taking a gutwrench suplex. I feel like with an extra five minutes or so, the pair would torn the house down as whilst we saw both go to the sky, as Rhodes hit a slingshot crossbody to the floor and Williams hit a diving knee drop, that seemed to be only the tip of the ice berg for the two technicians. I would've liked have seen a few more narrative seeds planted to build to finish, but Rhodes getting the win with Cross Rhodes still left us with a delightful bout. 

6 time TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle defeating "The Local Hero" Joe Hendry would close the show, because Angle is a big enough of a star to command a show closing position. The match was a compelling watch, helped by some brilliant commentary, as Angle and Hendry told an easy to follow story, that progressed throughout the match. The idea that The Local Hero was outwrestling Angle in the early stages, given legitimacy by talk of Hendry's background in the amateur sport, leading to Angle taking a rougher brawling style to steal control. Later, the Olympic Gold Medallist would constantly go for the Angle Slam or Ankle Lock, painting The Cyborg as a veteran on the back foot, desperately trying to hold onto his status. The only spot that didn't quite work in this was the Avalanche Angle Slam as there seemed to be some miscommunication on how the move would be hit, leading to a couple of awkward seconds as Angle tried to explain to his opponent. Luckily, the finish didn't have any problems as after the straps were down, the pair would trade Ankle Locks with Angle selling for Hendry marvelously, before Angle would get the eventual win after grapevining the leg. Was it a must-see classic? No. Did it raise the profile of Joe Hendry, whilst giving fans a rare chance to see a bonafide legend who can still go? Oh hell yeah.

Nixon Newell retained her Women's Championship over former CHIKARA Grand Champion Kimber Lee in what was the most disappointing contest of the evening. Part of that disappointment was to do with the brevity of the match, part of that was too do with the commentary teams apparent indifference for the bout as they talked about previous events instead and part of that was to do with a couple of moments of sloppiness, that unfortunately came at key points within the bout. Those moments of sloppiness coming at those key moments, such as the messy finish, meant that the good work that the two women had put together previously, including a nice German suplex section, was pushed to the back of most people's minds. Lee would attack Newell after the match, I'm hoping the pair get to go at it again in WCPW, as they can do much better than they displayed here.

Perhaps one of the most curious bouts of an evening filled with curious bouts was a Triple Threat encounter, as 2 time WWE World Champion Alberto El Patron (Alberto Del Rio), 2 PROGESS Tag Team Champion El Ligero and Travis Banks came together in an attempt to become the first ever Internet Champion. This easily could ended up being a bit of a mess, with the unfamiliarity of the three competitors, but the trio managed to flow quite nicely together, with opening partnership between Ligero & AEP crumbling quickly to set the stage for the rest of the match. I would have liked to have seen some better use of the three way set up, but that would have come with the match being given a little more time to grow, as when we did see the threesome begin to look at this, like Banks blocking AEP's build to the cross armbreaker on Ligero (which was poorly shot), they produced some interesting stuff. The best work of the match came between Banks and Ligero in the first half of the contest, as they traded big moves and did so smoothly, but AEP still held up his part of the bargain including hitting a tasty middle rope lungblower on Banks in a nice swerve when they looked to be doing a tower of doom spot. The finish didn't quite hit the right notes for me as Ligero pinned Banks with a magistrale cradle, but once again it does set-up a number of interesting possibilities heading out of the show.

Easily the most head-scratching part of the show was the opening segment of the show, that involved 5 time WWE World Champion Bret Hart getting some cheap pops and putting over talent like Kurt Angle and Cody Rhodes, before James R. Kennedy and Prospect (Alex Gracie, Drake & Lucas Archer) interrupted. From this point on it was one botch after the another, as first JRK's mic didn't work, leading to an awkward moment where Hart had to hand him his mic, and then Alex Shane on commentary called the company NGW (his promotion) instead of WCPW, which certainly won't help those rumours that Shane is heavily involved in the creative for the promotion. Even without the botches, this was a dull segment lacking in any real friction or drama, that concluded with Liam Slater, Gabriel Kidd and Johnny Moss making the save. Seeing Hart is always a treat, but I'm not sure this was the best use of the WWE Hall of Famer.

Best of the Rest 

• In a "What the fuck is happening" segment, Jack the Jobber bought out some flowers for ring announcer So Cal Val, before The Primate came out and then attacked his valet Suzy...I think...whatever it was it didn't make a whole lot of sense and shouldn't have been on the PPV.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 5.42/10 

Show in a Sentence - Decent, above average, but needed more PW and less WC. 

Match of the Night - Martin Kirby v Joseph Conners

Words - James Marston 

All images remain the property of their respective owners.

Wrestle Ropes Ready for the Weekend: October 2016 Week One - SWE & Source

With another weekend of wrestling ahead of us, British wrestling just continues to move forward. This week we're looking at a couple of Southside Wrestling Entertainment shows, one on Friday in St Neots, Cambridgeshire and another on Saturday in Nottingham, as well as a Source Wrestling School event in Glasgow, also on Saturday. Of course, we also have alternative shows from around the country that this week features shows in Glasgow, Liverpool, so there's certainly a bit of something for everyone as we get Ready for the Weekend! 

Friday night kicks off the wrestling weekend with Southside Wrestling Entertainment hosting the first of five weekend events! This first event entitled Adrenaline Rush shall be held at The Priory Centre in St Neots. As is the norm with SWE, the card is packed with international stars alongside home-grown stars of the UK. 

One match that is the essence of international and domestic is Bubblegum vs Fenix. Bubblegum is one of the finest wrestlers in the UK. Simple as that. Numerous wrestlers name him as an example they wish to follow and learn from while others claim that the best matches they have had in their careers have been with him. He is constantly in the upper echelon of talent in the UK and has held numerous championships in British Wrestling, some on multiple occasions. His opponent, Fenix, is best known on these shores for his time in Lucha Underground where he is one third of the current Trios Champions. Fenix is an exceptionally fast competitor who utilises his Luchador style to perfection. Both of these men will be competing in the Speed King tournament the following day and may meet at some point. This match will give both men an idea of what they'll face should that happen and whoever wins this match, may well take a psychological advantage on any future contests. 

The war between Joseph Conners and El Ligero continues to grow ahead of their championship match on October 29th. Neither man is allowed to touch the other unless it is a competitive match. That being said, both men will meet in a tag team match this Friday. Now another scheduled match this weekend will see the duo of Ligero and Brian Cage face Conners and HC Dyer. Conners wasn't best please at Ligero's choice of partner and when this made it's way to “The Mexican Sensation”, he hit back claiming that he could beat Conners with anyone as his partner. Conners is one of the sharpest minds in wrestling and capitalised on that by challenging El Ligero to let him choose the partner. It was accepted and now Conners has an ace in the hole. We don't know who he will choose but it doesn't take a genius to know that it is unlikely to be someone that will be of aid to Ligero and most certainly will be an aid to Conners. 

Originally SWE had announced that Sami Callihan would be facing Will Ospreay. However due to Ospreay being unable to compete this Friday, this has created an opportunity. That opportunity will be heading to “Smashmouth” Chris Ridgeway who will be filling the void. Now Ridgeway is certainly not here to make up the numbers and he will know that this is a huge opportunity to not only test himself against a world-class calibre wrestler but also to send a message to everyone else. Ridgeway is part of the Speed King tournament this weekend and a win over someone like Callihan would do amazing things for his confidence and mindset. That being said, if Callihan does walk away with the win, it could motivate Ridgeway even more. “Smashmouth” hits hard to begin with, as does his opponent. When Ridgeway has confidence or anger in his mind, he's even more hard hitting.

This Friday will also see Damian Dunne taking on international star Lio Rush while Jessicka Havok is back in SWE where she'll compete against Alex Windsor. In a true international match, New Zealand's Travis Banks and Japan's Kazma Sakamoto will face each other in singles action. And finally, Southside Wrestling always like to have some multiple competitor matches on their shows and Friday will be no different as Chris Tyler, Robbie X, Chris Brookes and Nixon Newell all fight it out in a fatal four-way match in St Neots. 

Tickets Available £10-£25pp

Friday Alternatives 

Glasgow Pro Wrestling Asylum Live in Dennistoun 

Dennistoun, Glasgow 

Feat - Jack Jester v Lionheart

Tickets Available - £6-£10pp

 Britannia Wrestling Promotions Scouser Series 

Liverpool

Feat - Don Meacho v The Babyfaced Pitbull

Saturday shall see Source Wrestling School's second event in Bridgeton, Glasgow at the Bridgeton Community Centre. The first event they held their was a huge success with a loud crowd packed in the building. This Saturday's event look to be a repeat of that based on the matches that have been a announced so far. 

This weekend has a special extra layer as the president of All Japan Pro Wrestling, Atsushi Aoki shall be competing in Bridgeton as well as Source Wrestling School's other event in Govan on the Sunday. On the Saturday, Aoki will be facing one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in Europe in the shape of “Iron Man” Joe Coffey. Aoki will bring his experience of competing for over a decade in a true test for Coffey. While obviously a test, Coffey shall have an idea what to expect this Saturday as he has spent time in Japan himself and faced a number of competitors during that time. Aoki has not been in the UK for over 5 years and there is no indication of when or if he ever will return again. Matches like this are few and far between which makes them even more unmissable to wrestling fans. 

Tag team wrestling or more precisely tag teams are on fire right now in the UK. One of the top regarded teams in the UK if not Europe are the duo of Jackie Polo and Mark Coffey, better known as Polo Promotions. Now both of these men had success as singles competitors before joining together, but their success as a team has been even greater. Their opponents this Saturday in Bridgeton have had a similar beginning. Lewis Girvan and Aspen Faith are two of the finest young wrestlers in Scotland today. In fact scrap that, they're two of the finest young wrestling in Britain today! While they are known, the feel they aren't taken as seriously as they should be and have decided to join forces and form The Kings Of Catch. Now all four of these men are proven in the ring. They're all great individually. They're just as good as teams. Put both of those teams together in one match and we could have a match we're talking about for a long time after this weekend. Polo Promotions have proven themselves as one of the best team today. They've got the accolades to back it up. The K.o.C. may be new to the tag team circuit but Polo Promotions will know the quality that faces them. They'll probably see parts of themselves when they first began as a team in this new duo of Girvan and Faith. If Polo Promotions win, they'll prove again why they have their reputation. If The K.o.C. pick up the victory, they'll make a statement right out the gate that they're here to make people pay attention. 

Source are not only producing some of the best new wrestlers in Scotland right now but they're also showcasing some of the most promising talent in the UK. The match between Ryan Griffin and Danny Jones is a prime example of that. Griffin is a Source graduate who now holds the SWA Junior Heavyweight Championship with a reign of over 500 days. He's continued to improve and evolve his craft since his debut a few years ago. His opponent, Jones hails from South Wales and is a graduate of the Dragon Pro Wrestling Academy. He's been competing for a number of years under a number of guises but now he stands simple as himself. Jones is a quick moving, very entertaining wrestler to watch, much like  Griffin. These two men have never met in a match yet they do share a number of similar traits. This match encapsulates one of the Source Wrestling School's greatest positives. It's bringing two young, hungry, talented wrestlers together to let us the fans see what the near future holds for British Wrestling.

Also scheduled so far for Source's event at the Bridgeton Community Centre in Glasgow is a match between two wrestlers from other training schools in Scotland. Glasgow Pro Wrestling Asylum's C.S Rose shall be taking on Premier British Wrestling Academy's Aaron Echo in a match that will mark both men's debut for the Source Wrestling School.

Tickets Available - £6-£10 pp

As their big weekend continues, SWE present two event on Saturday in Nottingham, with Day of Reckoning 12.5 in the afternoon, whilst the show we're focusing on Speed King 2016 is in the evening. This is the fifth incarnation of the junior heavyweight tournament that boasts Marty Scurll, Martin Kirby, Jay Lethal and El Ligero as it's previous winners. The tournament takes the form of six singles matches, leading into a six way scramble to crown the winner. In a break from the norm, I'm going to be assessing the chances of six of the top contenders to the crown! 

Perhaps the favourite to take the crown is Will Ospreay, who has had the biggest year of his career, so far, after breaking into New Japan Pro Wrestling in April and winning Best of the Super Juniors XXIII. He's also reached the final of PWG's Battle of Los Angeles, HOPE's King of Flight and TNA's Joker's Wild, whilst also winning the RevPro British Cruiserweight Championship this year. The reigning Speed King Champion is undefeated in SWE since winning the belt from Andrew Everrett in August. Ospreay kicks off the day with a huge match against Brian Cage, before having a mouth watering clash with Lio Rush in the First Round! With The Aerial Assassins' appearances in the UK becoming sparser over the last few months, this is a rare opportunity to see a performer who has been on the tip of the wrestling world's tongues in 2016. 

Fenix will be making his SWE debut across the weekend, having wowed audiences on Lucha Underground, as well as reaching the Semi-Finals of Battle of Los Angeles this year. The Mexican star has already won the Lucha Underground Trios Title and PDM Light Heavyweight Championship (twice) in 2016 and is looking to make Speed King the centre piece of his debut weekend. He'll have his work cut out for him as he face Stixx on the afternoon show, before rolling on to face Sami Callihan for the second time in just over a month! Another performer who isn't often seen in Europe, let alone the UK, he'll be bringing a style that Nottingham may not be used, but will certainly have them loving the lucha thing on Saturday night! 

It's a big weekend for Martin Kirby, who celebrates his 100th SWE appearance on Sunday, but before that he'll be a major part of Speed King, as he goes up against Robbie X in the First round. Kirby already has a Speed King victory to his name as he defeated the likes of Kay Lee Ray, Ospreay and Pete Dunne to win the tournament in 2014. He's also had a run with SWE Tag Team titles in 2015, whilst winning the HOPE Championship and PCW Tag Team Championship this year and having more tournament success in GBP's Junior Heavyweight Cup in 2015, DPW's Tag Team Title Tournament in 2010-11 and 3CW's Free for All Rumble in 2008. Kirby's familiarity with SWE would have to elevate him to one of the tournament favourites, and his ability to entertain the crowd whilst wrestling a high impact style will make sure that his involvement will must-watch, no matter what. 

The dark horses for the tournament, includes Lio Rush, Mark Haskins and Sami Callihan. In just his third year in the business, Rush has had an incredible 2016, winning ROH's Top Prospect Tournament and MCW's Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup XVI, as well as winning CZW's Wired Championshion on two seperate occassions. Rush also making fan's sit-up and take notice with a breakout match with Jay Lethal at ROH Supercard of Honor X - Night 1, so he'll be looking to captilise on his momentous year, by taking the Speed King title back to Lanham, Maryland. Haskins has been collecting championship gold this year, winning the PROGRESS World Championship, Smash Wrestling Championship, 4FW Junior Heavyweight title and FNW British Championship all within one calendar year. However, he hasn't won a tournament since 2009, and despite tearing it up at the Battle of Los Angeles and all over Europe, Haskins will be looking to show that he can get it done against some of the World's best Junior Heavyweights, when he tackles Stevie Xavier in the First Round. Callihan has been a man on a mission since leaving WWE at the end of 2015, having great matches in PWG and EVOLVE, winning titles in AAW, PWX, FCP and PW 2.0 and getting to the semi-finals of wXw's 16 Carat Gold Tournament. He's arguably the most powerful wrestler in the tournament and will be looking to use that too his advantage, whilst also showing he's got plenty of speed to matches his opponents. 

Matt Cross, Bubblegum, Stevie Xavier, Robbie X, Chris Ridgeway and Chris Tyler complete the field for the tournament, but they certainly won't be there to just make up the numbers! They'll be chances for them to prove that as Cross will go up against Tyler and Bubblegum will tangle with Ridgeway with a win putting them straight into the final! Also on the card, El Ligero teams with Brian Cage to take on Joseph Conners and HC Dyer, whilst Nixon Newell will team with 3 time WWE Women's Champion Melina to face Kay Lee Ray and Alex Windsor. 

Tickets Available - £10-£30 pp

Saturday Alternatives 

Premier British Wrestling Live in Larbert 

Larbet, Falkirk

Feat - Rampage Brown v BT Gunn

Tickets Available - £10-£13 pp

4FW Live in Thatcham 

Thatcham, Berkshire

Tickets Available - £5-£10 pp

Sunday Alternatives 

Southside Wrestling Entertainment Kirbymania

Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Feat - Martin Kirby v El Ligero

Tickets Available - £8-£18 pp

International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom Har-Low Can You Go

Harlow, Essex

Feat - Fabian Aichner v Sammy Smooth 

Tickets Available - £9-£12

HOPE Wrestling Savages

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Feat - Cy Gregory v Hustle Malone

Tickets Available - £3-£10 pp

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

All images are property of their respective owners.