Event Review: FCP Infinity 2016 - Travis Banks v Trent Seven 2

On 25th November, Fight Club: Pro returned to Fixxion Warehouse in Wolverhampton for their sixth annual Infinity Tournament. This year's tournament featured Joe Coffey, Trent Seven, Jimmy Havoc, Tyler Bate, Mikey Whiplash, Travis Banks, Chris Brookes and Omari doing battle in two Four Way dances, before the final, all for the opportunity to challenge for Pete Dunne's FCP Championship in 2017. With a line-up like that, how could things possibly go wrong?

In a slight departure from the norm, I'm going to talk through the Infinity tournament in order, beginning with the first Four Way Dance which saw Trent Seven earn a place in the final after successfully outlasting Joe Coffey, Mikey Whiplash and Omari in a well-crafted encounter. This bout went through a number of different sections, with a feeling that everyone involved came out of the match better off for having been involved. The shining example of this would have to be Omari, who stepped up in almost every area of his game. The back and forth scuffle with Coffey, including getting a strong near fall off his modified lifting reverse STO, as well trading strikes with Seven, showed just how capable the trainee could be. The encounter built towards a final showdown between Seven and Whiplash, after some enjoyable three way violence involving Coffey, with the duo adding another chapter to a feud that has been all over the country in 2016. It was the classic Mikey and Trent japes that we've come to expect and love with the pair tearing strips from each other before Seven advanced with a spectacular mid-rope piledriver. 

Match in a Sentence - Three strong-style veterans battering each other, whilst Omari raises his game once again.

The second four way dance saw Travis Banks collected his first win ever in FCP, with Jimmy Havoc, Tyler Bate and Chris Brookes providing stiff competition in a story-telling thrill-ride that had the crowd hook for the duration. This was a very different affair from the first with Brookes being a general annoyance to all throughout the early part of the bout, leading to an angle that could produce some gems in 2017. After being eliminated by Havoc, Brookes denied the former PROGRESS World Champion the match, breaking up a pin after Havoc had hit both Banks and Bate with Acid Rainmakers. The resulting brawl was full of fury as Brookes was thrown into anything and everything as the crowd celebrated by serenading Brookes with "Fuck off back to Tipton" in the most joyous of ways. With old rivals Bate and Banks left in the ring, the atmosphere was unreal in Fixxion Warehouse. With every movement the duo had the crowd exactly where they needed to be and put on a great final stretch of action and despite Bate's popularity, it was the Kiwi that had the ground swell of support. The reaction when Banks finally managed to put Bate away resulted in near pandemonium and lead to me simply writing "BANKS WINS! BANKS WINS! BANKS WINS!" in my note book.

Match in a Sentence - Clever use of the gimmick with a brilliant finish

The final pitted two of Fixxion Warehouse's favourite against one another as Travis Banks and Trent Seven battled for the Infinity trophy, in front of an emotionally invested audience, who desperately wanted Banks to claim the trophy, after a turbulent year. If the crowd had been into the two semi finals, they rallied for the main event and created one of the best atmospheres that I've been apart of all year. The audience was gripped by Banks' quest and the man who'd been struggling all year suddenly had a ground swell of momentum, so much so that regular top protagonist Seven found himself in an unfamiliar situation (at least in FCP) of not having 100% of the audience behind him. From the moment Banks hit a brainbuster to kick off the match with a near fall, this match took me on a rollercoaster of emotions in a way that only wrestling can do and from the reactions of those around me and all over the building pretty much everyone felt the same. 

The pair had had a cracking contest at Rise Against in March, but this was a cut above, bringing all the elements that made that match what it was, with added intensity and almost a years worth of storytelling behind it. This was a real fight of a match, as both laid their strikes in hard, scrapping initially on the outside following a tasty suicide dive from Banks. Where the bout came into it's own was in a string of near falls, aided by both men selling the damage of the fight when necessary and good timing, whilst having a crowd completely consumed by every single movement and caring about the result of the match is never going to hinder things. The bout only got more exciting as things went on, with silly things like kicking out of and no-selling piledrivers only managing to add to the excitement. There's a time and place for that kind of stuff and this was the time and it was definitely the place. Beyond Banks pulling out the victory, the highlight of the bout for me was the time that Banks spent in a single leg Boston Crab, as it was almost agonising to watch with the sinking feeling that the hero might fall short once again increasing as he was dragged back to the centre of the ring. This was one of the most emotional and gripping contests I've watched all year. The first chapter of the Travis Banks comeback in Fight Club: Pro story had the happy ending it deserved at the time it needed it, I can't help but get excited about what the next chapter could bring! 

Match in a Sentence - Excellent, everything I'd wanted and more.

The highlight of the non-tournament action came in Kay Lee Ray and Nixon Newell's victory over The Hunter Brothers 2.0 (Lee Hunter and Young Lee Hunter (Drew Parker, subbing for an injured Jim)). This was brimming with hijinks and shenanigans, with both trying to pull off "twin magic" to varying degrees of success and referee Shay Purser just being generally confused by everything and eventually kissing Parker, to the jubilation of all. The japes and chicanery were wrapped inside what was actually a bloody good tag team match, with the New Hunters slipping into the pseudo antagonist role early on as Newell and KLR brought the fire, in a match that was packed with tag team clichés done well and with gusto. The closing section was home to a number of convincing near falls, like Newell's Vulture Culture Destroyer and despite a little mix up towards the end, the bout finished well with Parker taking all the moves before taking the pin. It was different from what I'd been expecting had Jim been able to take part, but Parker was a great replacement who brought a new dimension and ended up bringing a real dynamic strength to proceedings.

Match in a Sentence - A very good tag bout, with some Attack! style shenanigans.

Dan Moloney continued his strong post-Facesmashers streak as he went over the debuting Professional Wrestling Alliance (Sydney, Australia) wrestler Sean Kustom. The wrestling here was full on and packed with big strikes that drove the conflict inside the ropes. Outside of the ring, Moloney's footwear challenges continued as the crowd found the Roderick Strong hymn book once again. Moloney rode the storm well, playing up to the festivities perfectly, even when a pair of babies booties somehow made their way into the ring. Outside of the brogue nightmares, the Superbeast really grew into this one with the unfamiliar Kustom quickly gaining some quick crowd support thanks to some hard as fuck slaps and kicks and having regular sized boots. Moloney wound up picking up another strong win with his spinning sitout powerbomb making him undefeated since splitting with Wild Boar. 2017 may very well be the year of the Superbeast. The shoes thing really did take over my entire being at one point, the wrestling was strong, but when you've been broken, you've been broken, so this is one match that I'd like to rewatch, just to pick up on what I missed whilst in fits of laughter.

Match in a Sentence - Shitty little boots.

The opener provided a pair of FCP debuts, with Johnny T picking up a victory over Adam Cage with both men accounting for themselves well.The two worked a familiar style with lots of big strikes, with simple dynamic and story. Despite the FCP audience being a mostly respectful bunch, it can still be a difficult place to debut, because that crowd has seen a lot of world class action over the years, so credit to both Johnny T and Cage for coming out and putting on a watchable encounter, in front of an audience that was unaware of them. Whilst there was nothing to get overly excited about, it got the crowd settled for the rest of the show, with both newbies showing potential.

Match in a Sentence - A good introduction, but struggled to stand out.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.75/10

Oooft, what an evening at the graps this was! The Infinity tournament was probably my favourite thing of the entire year, in Fight Club: Pro or anywhere. The build of Travis Banks throughout the year has been 100% perfect and whilst I'd initially fantasy booked something completely different, this was without doubt the right time to pull the trigger on a talent who has exploded in 2016. The supporting bouts were a lot of fun, with the tag match standing out for its unique use of the art form. Perhaps the opener held the show back in terms of its ATPW Scale Rating, but it will only help both Johnny T and Adam Cage to have appeared on the show and hopefully we'll get to see them both again as they grow and grow, as that's always a special thing for a fan to witness.

Show in a Sentence - One of the most cathartic nights of my entire life, long live the graps, long live Fight Club: Pro, long live Travis, Travis, Travis Fucking Banks! 

Match of the Night - Travis Banks v Trent Seven

Review - James Marston

Editing - Jozef Raczka 

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Event Review: FCP Breaking Into Heaven - Clint Margera v Pete Dunne 2 *Falls Count Anywhere*

After a very good show on Friday and a superb show on Saturday in Wolverhampton, Sunday, 23rd October saw Fight Club: Pro head North for a show at Manchester Metropolitan University's Student Union in...umm...Manchester. 75 miles from their home, FCP presented a show that saw Clint Margera get a shot at Pete Dunne's FCP Championship in a Falls Count Anywhere Match, Trent Seven went one on one with Mikey Whiplash and Chris Brookes tangled with Fire Ant. With Kimber Lee, Nixon Newell, Shane Strickland, Orange Cassidy and Travis Banks featured on the undercard, could Breaking Into Heaven better the high standards that had already been set across the weekend and smash into Manchester with a cracker? 

Pete Dunne collected his second successful FCP Championship defense in as many days, with a victory over the man who last defeated him in FCP, Clint Margera. The bout began with a similar moment to Dunne's bout with Trent Seven on Pulp Fixxion Part 2, where The Bruiserweight attacked Margera before the bell, calling out the FCP management for making him defend the belt against a "Death Match Worker", only for Margera to turn the tables and make the match Falls Count Anywhere, because...he bloody did. The duo brawled around the Union, fighting on the apron, around ringside, into the fans and onto the stage area. This fracas was punctuated by elongated "Pet-er" chants for Dunne (in reference to a moment from PROGRESS Chapter 37, a week earlier just half a mile away). At times it became a little too much and distracted from the action, which may also have something to do with Margera being a relatively unfamiliar face to the Northern audience. This isn't to say that there wasn't plenty of good to very good stuff going on (Dunne hitting a Tombstone Piledriver on the stage, being the stand out moment), but that it often got overpowered. 

Just like the night before there was plenty a shenanigan in the finish of this on. Chris Brookes made the save for Dunne following Margera hitting an avalanche Death Valley driver and then it all seemed start happening. Ref bumps, biting, wet willies, all sorts of things were occuring, but the long and short of it was that Dunne retained the title with a Rear Naked Choke. There were even more antics post-match, with Trent Seven came out to help Margera, only to be beaten down by Dunne and Brookes as well. This would lead to Jimmy Havoc returning to the promotion, turning on former KYS pal Dunne and turning babyface in the process, as he hit Brookes with an Acid Rainmaker. It was a cool end to the show and after a lengthy time off it's good to see Havoc continue to make his return in different promotions and shake up their stories and rosters in the process. I can't help but feeling that having Havoc announced as already appearing on the show, impacted a little on the moment, as anyone who was paying attention could see exactly where ir was going. Potentially having Havoc come out and cut a return promo earlier in the night before coming back out for the save, would have given the moment more of a swerve factor, but preferably I would've liked this to be a complete surprise.

The semi-main saw Mikey Whiplash defeat Trent Seven, giving Whiplash his second victory in as many days over former FCP Champions. If you've been following British professional wrestling over the last twelve months, then you'll know that Whiplash and Seven have been tearing it up in Insane Championship Wrestling trading victories in Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester, with things spilling over to Scottish Wrestling Alliance in Motherwell and a special show presented by Jimmy Havoc in Glasgow. So as was to be expected, this bout was slickly put together and stiff as fuck as Whiplash and Seven tore strips out of each other and hit the majority of their big moves in an intense scrappy match. There was a lot of back and forth, with reversals and strike battles, with the story playing out as two guys who are extremely familiar with one another and had an answer for seemingly even the most severe assaults. 

If I was surprised to see Whiplash defeat Margera on Saturday, I was flabbergasted that Whiplash pinned Seven with a Gotch-style piledriver, only moments after withstanding a Bret's Rope piledriver (silly, silly nearfall). With two big wins over the weekend, Whiplash would seem to be becoming a regular for FCP, but having already gone through two of the promotions top babyfaces and with FCP currently looking a little heel heavy, I'm intrigued to see how he'll fit in next year. Bouts with the likes of Tyler Bate, The Hunter Brothers and Nixon Newell should provide some great variety, with the returning Jimmy Havoc offering another attractive prospective match up. Seven sold the loss like an absolute boss and after back to back losses he looked not just hurt from the rough clash, but emotionally drained as his quest to regain the FCP Championship seems to have hit a stumbling block. 

In a surprisingly long opener, Chris Brookes picked up his third victory of the weekend, this time besting Fire Ant. This bout was very much in the CHIKARA vein, as the pair mixed some good quality wrestling exchanges with a number of comedic spots and general hijinks. It was clear where the bout was heading from the very beginning as after being a piss-kidney to a loud fan, Brookes repeatedly asked the ref to back Ant up, causing Ant to end up actually outside the ring himself. It was corny spot, but both men, as well as referee Joel, played it perfectly. As Brookes' gimmick is developing into someone who would really rather not be wrestling, after taking control of the bout he took Ant out of the ring and out of the room, into the bar area of the student union, before legging back to the squared circle in attempt for a countout. The moment was made by a couple of verbal quips from Brookes once he got back inside the ring.

One of the spots that I was most looking forward to was Brookes (who is still a turd) going for his, now signature, wet willy spot. You can't do a wet willy on a masked man/ant. The spot didn't let me down and went flying passed what even my twisted imagination had conjured up on the drive to Manchester. After initial confusion by the lack of ears, Brookes pulled a canister of bug spray from a black fabric bag and really went to town with it. I don't know the international rules of wrestling completely, but I'd imagine that bug spray doesn't result in a DQ, because what if there's like bugs, that aren't wrestlers, trying to get involved? Exactly! Following this spot the pair mixed things up with some pacy sequences and a couple of nice near falls, including a Brainbuster from Ant and Michonoku Driver from Brookes. The Calamari Catch King would win with his now familiar closing sequence, getting a submission with his double armed octopus stretch, although Ant had previously been able to reverse the rope-hung whiplash neckbreaker, as repeating that sequence began to pay off in more interesting variations. 

The Hunter Brothers (Lee Hunter & Jim Hunter)' only appearance across the weekend saw Ashley Clementine (Kimber Lee) and Orange Cassidy unsuccessfully answer the open challenge laid down by Lee and Jim. Considering both were already on the show under different guises, it was a mild disappointment when Clementine & Cassidy came out, probably because the open challenge gimmick often leads to a lot of speculation. The match was entirely dictated by the Clementine & Cassidy's gimmick of being The World's Laziest Tag Team. At first, I was quite into the idea with Cassidy putting on weak head locks and both going to sit in the crowd after taking chops from Lee & Jim. It wasn't "laugh so much it hurts" funny, but it was still funny. However, for me it ended up dragging, as the single joke was stretched across almost fifteen minutes without really having a big punchline. It was mostly entertaining, but could have done with losing five minutes or more. Had this been the third night in a row of seeing the Hunter Brothers, then I think I would've enjoyed the change of pace for Lee & Jim, but with this being their only match of the weekend and with very little tag wrestling at all over the three days, a Hunter Brothers bout with a hot local tag team would have felt fresher than a bottle of Tropicana. 

The strongest contest on the show was Shane Strickland going over Travis Banks, in a bout that presented a nice style clash. Banks desperation to get a win in FCP was stamped all over the action once again, this time from the very beginning as Banks upped the aggression level with Strickland matching it and the pair producing a pacy and dynamic opening sequence that set the tone for what was to come. The crowd was well split between the two and both worked the Manchester audience well, keeping things fairly even with a string of top quality reversals. Banks catching Strickland coming out of a Rolling Thunder into a German suplex and Strickland swiftly hitting a Spanish Fly as Banks charged in looking for his running knee strike are the two moments that spring to mind initially, but the bout was full of similar switches and swerves.. The match didn't have as many strong near falls as the Banks v Fire Ant match from the night previously, but it managed to tell a different story within the established narrative in a distinct style. I would love to see the pair have a rematch at some point as an extra five or even ten minutes would have only benefited these two creative performers, especially as they become more familiar with each other.

In the sole women's outing on the show, Nixon Newell defeated Kimber Lee in a hard-hitting battle. The contest fell into a similar pattern that we'd seen from the other female matches that weekend, with the pair trading moves. Forearms, chops, kicks, a few more kicks and a german suplexes. A spot where the pair hit each other with bicycle kicks looked particularly well-done, as I've often seen that moment look awful if not timed right and not built to in the right manner. In comparison to the Newell v Kay Lee Ray match from the previous night, the bout had a little more aggression and omph behind it, especially in a sequence where Newell hit a head butt and a German suplex, before Lee would reply threefold. I would've liked to have seen a little bit more action before the finish to really develop the hostility between them, with Newell wanting to even the score from their previous match in May. The bout concluded with Lee missing a high-angle senton bomb and Newell nailing a picture perfect Vulture Culture Destroyer for the pinfall. 

Continuing his more than impressive weekend, Dan Moloney won a four way contest pinning TK Cooper in a match that also included Ethan Silver and Drew Parker. It was even more of an imposing victory because not only did Moloney call out anyone to face him, but he ended up with three opponents and finished the match standing tall over all of them. The bout concluded with an incredible double powerbomb on Silver and Parker, before a deadlift spinning sitout powerbomb to Cooper, making Moloney look like an absolute (super)beast. Moloney completely owned the space during this one, especially in that final stretch and after the match. Outside of Moloney looking like a top tier talent in the making, the rest of the four way was an entertaining spot fest that managed to fit an awful lot of action into a short amount of the time. Cooper, Silver and Parker could certainly play a role in FCP in the future, with the trio all offering something a little bit different to what's already on the regular roster.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.75/10

Show in a Sentence - A good start for FCP in a new city, but couldn't match the two previous show.  

Match of the Night - Shane Strickland v Travis Banks

Words - James Marston

All images are the property of Fight Club: Pro.

Event Review: FCP Pulp Fixxion Part 2 - Trent Seven v Pete Dunne

On 22nd October, Fight Club: Pro was at Fixxion Warehouse for the second night in a row, with Part 2 of Pulp Fixxion. The main event saw Pete Dunne put his FCP Championship on the line against Trent Seven, whilst Mikey Whiplash and Clint Margera went at it in a No Disqualification Match. With the likes of Kay Lee Ray, Kimber Lee, Nixon Newell, Shane Strickland and Fire Ant making up the undercard, could FCP raise the bar following a very good event just 24 hours earlier? Let's have a look, brah.

Pete Dunne retained his FCP Championship with a victory over Trent Seven in what was the best match across the two Wolverhampton shows. The pair might be PROGRESS Tag Team Champions, but in FCP there's no loved lost between the duo and that showed before the bell with Dunne striking before the announcements even began. The crowd (including myself) were hooked from that moment onwards as Dunne and Seven worked a 16 minute sprint. The bout was a mixture of Seven no-selling shit and some huge dramatic near falls. The two tropes seemed to play into each other, with Seven's ability to dig deep following taking huge moves like a superplex, giving the match a sense of momentum, allowing the fans to start to believe that Seven could take the title from Dunne at the first time of asking. This meant that each near fall had some real weight and believability. Dunne running into a powerbomb, before Seven turned it into a Single-leg Boston Crab, that he's put away Tommy End and Mark Haskins with recently, was a moment that I was completely wrapped up in, desperate to see the heel champion quit. This was helped by how well Dunne sold the hold and the previously mentioned drive of the contest.  

The finish saw a whole lot of shenanigans, beginning with a spectacular ref bump that saw Shay Purser moved into the path of a Seven suicide dive by Dunne. This caused Purser to go through the two rows of ringside seating and It looked wonderful (obviously not for poor Shay) being timed perfectly and getting a big reaction out of the Wolverhampton crowd. Every second following this was brilliant to watch, certainly helped by the emotional investment that I have within FCP as well as the two performers and characters, but I'd like to think it was equally as exciting and entertaining for those attending their first show with the company. In a sequence that was a rollercoaster of emotion, Seven hit a dragon suplex and spinning piledriver, but there was no ref to count the pinfall, but after Dunne had caught Seven low and hit his DT3 (Pumphandle Facebuster) a second referee, Joel Allen, managed to come flying out of the curtain, only for Seven to kick out at two and get another thrilling near fall off a roll-up as Dunne argued with Allen. By the time, Dunne got the submission win, it was as crushing a moment as it should have been, rounding off a wonderful final stretch and enhancing Dunne's credentials as champion. When the moment comes for Dunne to lose the belt, that moment will be all the sweeter because this bout took place. 

In the semi-main slot, Mikey Whiplash picked up his first victory in FCP, by defeating former champion Clint Margera in a No Disqualification match. This was an incredibly creative contest, as the duo took a limited selection of weapons and constructed a number of breath-takingly brutal highspots. Without using the cavalcade of "toys" that were seen across Margera's series with Chris Brookes earlier this year, the bout kept things interesting by having each spot feel bigger and more impressive than the last. This was an aggressive and violent display from the beginning as the two threw forearms at each other and then threw each other into the ringside chairs and walls. This was two chaps with no real backstory, beyond the tag match from the Friday night, just battering the piss out of each other for 15 minutes, just because they bloody could. 

The final three spots of the match were stupid, silly stuff (Meant in the best possible way, that you can call something stupid or silly) Whiplash took a superplex through some chairs, Margera took a slam off the top rope through another load of chairs TO THE FLOOR and then Whiplash hit a Death Valley Driver onto a pair of interlocked chairs on their side to get the win. Any three of those spots could have ended the match and I don't think anyone would have felt hard done by had that been the case. So, is there a case to be made for their being "too much" here? Probably. Is that a case that I'm going to put forward? Fuck no. As uncomfortable as some of teases and spots made me feel at points, it kept me completely involved in the contest as I was on the edge of my seat (bad back and all), partially in anticipation of what carnage was to come and partially because I was hoping neither performer would end up seriously hurt by some of the more high-risk aspects of the bout. The victory going to Whiplash was a slight shocker, as I expected him to come in and put over the FCP regulars, but I'd certainly be up for seeing more Whiplash in Fixxion Warehouse in 2017. It'll be interesting seeing how he'll fit into the wider picture and storytelling within the promotion.

Nixon Newell picked up a big win over Kay Lee Ray, in a match that is difficult to describe because of the ridiculous amount of styles and influences the duo used throughout. Like one moment the pair were doing a cool back and forth headlock and pins thing, which mimicked what had been seen in the Three Way with Kimber Lee from Pulp Fixxion and then all of a sudden Lee and Shane Strickland were having a dance off in a scene reminiscent of the 2001 The Simpsons' episode Tennis the Menace! The match didn't need the dance off to be entertaining, but I also don't feel like it detracted from the quality of the bout either. The pair continued with the back and forth and did so very well with a series of suicide dives, strong-style forearms and a number of finisher attempts, whilst also mixing in some comedy like chopping referee Shay and having him assist Newell in an inadvertent Stunner. It was a difficult task to try and include so much contrasting content within the match but Newell and KLR created something that was entirely enjoyable, featured some excellent wrestling and looked a lot of fun to be involved in as FCP continues to develop it's women's division. This was definitely a step in the right direction. 

One of the strongest stories in FCP in 2016 has been Travis Banks' quest for a win and it was in his loss to Fire Ant (putting him 0-11 in FCP) that it really began to shine and develop into something that currently feels like it could become something particularly special into the new year. Whilst the match seemed to take a couple of minutes to fully connect and grip the crowd, the final stretch of combat was superb stuff, as Banks came agonisingly close to getting his first win in the promotion. Two near falls for Banks stand out in particular, the first being the Kiwi Buzzsaw withstanding a barrage of offense, including a tope conhilo, high crossbody and PK, only to reverse a brainbuster attempt into one of his own, with the second coming moments after when the New Zealander showed his frustration all over his face, and hit a corner roundhouse kick, only for Ant to put his foot on the ropes before the three count. I was so involved in the losing streak angle, that by the end of the bout I found myself turning on Ant, despite him not doing anything wrong at all. I just wanted Banks to win, goddamit. I love being able to get sucked in by the wrestling I watch, get lost in it and begin to engage with narratives and this angle is certainly ticking those boxes right now, with this bout with Ant being a strong continuation of the story. 

In intergender action, Chris Brookes went over Kimber Lee in a fun bout that told a decent story. In my review of Pulp Fixxion, I spoke about how much I hate the Brookes and his asshattery in FCP, which if you've read any of my reviews (or even just another paragraph of this one, I suppose) then you'll know I think that this is a wonderful thing. Before the match began the Calimari Catch King attempted to get out of the bout, revealing that he was actually in love with Lee, giving this as the reason that he lost their previous bout during the CHIKARA Anniversario Tour in May. This was played well by both performers, with it being clear that Brookes simply wanted a night off and Lee wanting nothing to do with it. After an early flurry from Lee, Brookes would control the match following a big boot, grounding Lee and just generally being a cockwomble about it all. It all worked nicely into a strong comeback from Lee, which included a sharp near fall after Brookes ran into a sit-out powerbomb. Brookes finishing sequence was being heavily put over across the weekend, as he hit a superkick and rope-hung whiplash neckbreaker, before locking in a double armed octopus stretch for the submission victory. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how this plays into future matches in FCP. 

The opening match of the show saw Dan Moloney defeat Shane Strickland with his deadlift spinning sitout powerbomb, in what was one of the best, if not the best match I've ever seen out of the Superbeast. There was some tremendous wrestling in this one, as Moloney and Strickland's styles connected well, with Moloney able to operate in the powerhouse role, whilst also showing some real skill in being able to up his pacing and go toe to toe with one of the speediest performers on the Indy circuit. As much as Strickland is a hugely impressive wrestler to watch, thanks to his pace and varied offence, including a wonderful sequence that concluded with a rolling thunder into a jumping cutter, most of my attention was on the local Moloney. He handled the crowd's chants surrounding his smaller than usual footwear well and genuinely looked to be developing into potential top tier star. FCP continued to build it's roster of villains with the Moloney victory, joining the wins for champion Pete Dunne, Mikey Whiplash and Chris Brookes, across this show, seemingly with an eye on the Infinity tournament on 25th November.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.84/10

Show in a Sentence - A very good evening of wrestling, that upped the quality in a number of areas from the stellar card the night before.

Match of the Night - Trent Seven v Pete Dunne

Words - James Marston 

All images are the property of Fight Club: Pro.

Event Review: FCP Pulp Fixxion - Clint Margera & Trent Seven v Pete Dunne & Mikey Whiplash

On 21st October 2016, Fight Club: Pro returned to Fixxion Warehouse in Wolverhampton, West Midlands for the first show of three across the weekend, as they presented Pulp Fixxion. With a main event that saw FCP Champion Pete Dunne team with the debuting Mikey Whiplash to take on former champions Clint Margera and Trent Seven in a No Disqualification Match, as well as Kay Lee Ray, Joe Coffey, Kimber Lee, Nixon Newell and Shane Strickland in supporting matches, could FCP start the weekend in style? 

The headline bout of the evening saw Clint Margera and Trent Seven pick up a momentum building victory over FCP Champion Pete Dunne and Mikey Whiplash in an action-packed tag team collision. From before the bell, when Margera came flying onto Dunne and Whiplash, this was brutal fight that had plenty of energy and a boat load of intensity. The first couple of minutes saw all four on the outside of the ring, with Seven hitting a suicide dive onto Dunne who had been seated at ringside, before Margera was launched into the chairs on the other side of the ring by Whiplash. Both moments looked vicious and the blood-thirsty crowd wanted more. They certainly wouldn't be disappointed as all four men delivered top draw performances, pacing the encounter well and picking things up when needed. This was a great example of British strong-style.

The idea that these two teams were evenly matched was spread throughout the bout, with neither getting the upperhand for long. This was seen during a seated strike battle on the outside and became even clearer when all four went for running front dropkicks at the same time, leading to the foursome hitting multiple strikes on each other one after another. This would play nicely into the closing stages of the bout, as Seven was able to save Margera from taking a con-chair-to from the dastardly duo and Whiplash would save Dunne from taking a piledriver from Seven. By this point, having watched the two teams pull out their biggest moves and bring steel chairs into the mix, it felt like it would take some special or a big mistake to conclude the bout. In the end, it took a tiger suplex from Seven, a hard forearm from Margera and a Piledriver from Seven to get Whiplash's shoulders pinned to the mat. What about Dunne? The Bruiserweight simply watched the pinfall before walking out. Not only had Whiplash saved Dunne from taking a piledriver earlier, but he also stopped the pin when Dunne took one earlier in the clash! As hard-hitting and violent as the match was, it could be easy to miss the story that was told throughout the outing, but it created a satisfying watch for those keeping up. 

Dan Moloney's victory over Fire Ant featured a nice mix of good banter and solid wrestling, as Moloney continues to get more and more comfortable with every match he has. The crowd latched to Moloney's slightly small boots and began to serenade him with the Roderick Strong hymn book. The Superbeast's reactions to this were priceless and I hope that this only develops across the weekend, as there is some real opportunities for more comedic moments and to create even more heat for Moloney. The contest itself was very good stuff, with Ant always seeming to have Moloney's number, until that it is Moloney went for Ant's antennae, in a similar way to how the crowd grabbed onto the opportunity to sing "Shitty Little Boots" in various formats. The pair created some smooth wrestling inside the ring, with a number of tight reversals, whilst Ant got a strong near fall off a trio of big moves as he hits a Frankensteiner, a PK and then a brainbuster in quick succession. Having split from Facesmashers partner Wild Boar at Project Mayhem V, a victory for Moloney has set him on the right path with Boar conspicuous by his absence. 

Chris Brookes continued to get under the skin of the Wolverhampton faithful as he got a win over 2 time CZW Wired Champion Shane Strickland. This was strong blend of slick wrestling and comedic japes as Strickland made his debut in FCP and quickly got over with the crowd, partly because he wasn't Chris Brookes and partly because he's got some fun offence. The match played out fairly simply as Strickland's lucha stylings went up against Brooke's general twattery. Notes I wrote on this match include "Wrestling with Brookes being a general wanksock" and "Brookes is dick", I feel that they kind of sum up how fucking angry Brookes makes me. He put Strickland in a camel clutch and gave him a wet willy. Who does that? The wrestling was paced well, with Strickland getting to show off in exciting bursts, that made Brookes' ways even more frustrating. It would often be Strickland's pacy, risk-laden offence that would catch him out and that would be how the match concluded, because after a missed 450 splash, Brookes would finish off his opponent with a superkick and elevated spinning neckbreaker, before locking in the Octopus Stretch for the submission victory. A fun opener to the main show, that got the crowd nice and warmed up for more wrestling.

Outside of the main event, Joe Coffey pinning Travis Banks was the strongest fight of the night. Banks had suffered nine consecutive losses since joining FCP in February, despite coming close against world class talent like Zack Sabre Jr, Sami Callihan and Trent Seven, and that story really drove the match for me. Each near fall for Banks had so much more behind it, as like his previous FCP matches, Banks appeared to come as close as you can come to winning a match without having your hands raised. Banks hit a number of his big moves including the Running Knee, Brainbuster and a springboard roundhouse, but couldn't hold Coffey down for long enough. This was a real ding dong strong style battle, with the pair not holding back, as the action went mostly back and forth throughout. The finish would see Coffey having to dig deep, removing his elbow pad and after a flurry of action, he'd connect with his AwRaBestFurThaBells lariat combination to pick up the win. It was another tough loss for Banks, as the desperation that had caused him to hit a huge suicide dive earlier in the match, turned to frustration at having lost once again. It feels like it's only a matter of time before Banks snaps and with matches against Fire Ant and Shane Strickland still to come this weekend, it may happen sooner than we think. 

Kimber Lee would come out on top of an entertaining women's match, that also including Nixon Newell and Kay Lee Ray. This bout was almost entirely "Everything you can do, I can do better" as the trio traded headlocks, pinfall variations, forearms, German suplexes, reverse ranas, before beginning to go for their trademark moves. Despite just seven minutes of ring-time, the three way seemed a lot longer for how much the ladies managed to cram into the match, that seemed like it never took a pause for breath! The reverse rana sequence is one of the silliest things I've seen in a while, for all the right reasons. Having three all play babyfaces could have easily caused issues, but the trio worked hard to keep the crowd interested and the audience was happy to chant for all three in various combinations and simply enjoy the grappling. The sequence of near falls in the last leg of the bout were quality stuff, with KLR coming close on a Gory Bomb, Newell nearly winning with the Shiniest Wizard you ever did see, before KLR was able to block a Vulture Culture Destroyer attempt, only to find herself on the receiving end of a massive powerbomb from Lee. With Newell scheduled to face KLR on Saturday and Lee on Sunday, there's more to come from the women of FCP this weekend! 

A special pre-show match saw the debuts of Omari and TK Cooper, with the Big O coming out successful in a decent contest that showcased each man well. With just five minutes, both men established themselves well with the audience, with Omari receiving a strong reaction after being announced as an FCP trainee. Cooper controlled the majority of the outing, after catching Omari with a tasty axe kick on the apron, going on to hit a variation of the Blue Thunder Bomb. It was interesting to see Cooper attempt to pull out a number of tricks and flips, which he almost always missed to give Omari an opening in the match. Cooper has a lot more in his locker than I think I've seen from him previously and I'd very interested in seeing him join the main FCP roster to see just how much he can do when given the chance. Omari has quickly developed into a promising pro wrestler also and it was nice to see a different side to him having watched him come up through Kamikaze Pro. I'd like to see him use his size more and up his aggression levels at points, but this is certainly a young man with a lot of potential.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.93/10 

Show in a Sentence - Really good fun, good solid start to the weekender. 

Match of the Night - Clint Margera & Trent Seven v Pete Dunne & Mikey Whiplash

Words - James Marston (@IAmNotAlanDale)

Wrestle Ropes Ready For The Weekend: October 2016 Week Four - FCP, IPW:UK & ICW

With the news that ITV are bringing back World of Sport for a one off special, there's never been a better time to get into British wrestling. This weekend, we begin our look with Fight Club: Pro in Wolverhampton as they present Pulp Fixxion, before moving down south to Selson in Surrey for IPW:UK UK Future 8 2016 and then flying back up to Glasgow, Scotland for ICW as they celebrate their 10th anniversary with a special taping of Fight Club. There's little time to wait so let's get Ready For The Weekend.

There's also alternative shows in Edinburgh, Swindon, Stroud, Wolverhampton, Kent and Bristol, so there's no excuse not to get down to a show!

On Friday night, Fight Club: Pro kick-off a triple header at Fixxion Warehouse in Wolverhampton with Pulp Fixxion. It promises to be another night chock-full of British Strong-Style, with an added twist as a number of CHIKARA performers join in the fun as well. 

Having won the FCP Championship from Sami Callihan at Project Mayhem V in September, Pete Dunne finds himself teaming with a man making his debut for the company. But this is certainly no rookie taking his first steps in pro wrestling as Dunne teams with veteran and former ICW World Heavyweight Champion Mikey Whiplash. On the other side of the ring will be the man that Dunne and Callihan attacked in September, Trent Seven. With Seven scheduled for a singles match with Dunne on Saturday, both men will be looking to cause as much damage to the other as they possibly can and head into Saturday's clash with the upperhand. Joining Seven will be Clint Margera who is coming out of a brutal feud with Chris Brookes and will be looking for a new face to inflict his own brand of lunacy on. He'll find himself up against Whiplash on Saturday. With four men who are known to like to get more than a little bit violent, this contest could end up going all over the Warehouse, but when the dust settles the title picture in FCP could have a very different look. 

Travis Banks has been one of the most consistent performers in FCP in 2016, but perhaps not in the way that he would have liked. Despite coming close on numerous occassions, against the likes of Zack Sabre Jr, Sami Callihan and Trent Seven, Banks is yet to collect a victory in FCP. That brings us to this Friday where he'll come against the debuting, "Iron Man" Joe Coffey. A former ICW World Heavyweight Champion, Coffey has wrestled some of the best performers in the World, and similar to Whiplash despite making his debut in FCP, he'll be anything but a pushover. Banks desperation for a victory may push him even further against Coffey and force him to take a step up. He'll be looking to move faster, hit harder and dig deep. If there's anyone that can match those attributes it's Coffey, who will be looking to make an impact on the fans in Wolverhampton. 

In an event that is choc-full of debuts, Kay Lee Ray will step into an FCP ring for the first time as she takes on Nixon Newell and Kimber Lee in a mouth-watering triple threat bout. Newell will be looking to bounce back from her loss to Jessika Havok in September, whilst Lee will be looking to recreate the form she was on during FCP's CHIKARA tour in May, that included a victory over Newell, while KLR will be wanting to show the FCP crowd what they've been missing out on. When the discussion turns to the best females in independent wrestling these three names are almost guaranteed to be brought up, so what happens when you put all three in the ring at the same time? Fixxion Warehouse will find out on Friday night!

Also on the card, Chris Brookes faces two time CZW Wired Champion Shane Strickland, whilst Dan Moloney comes up against former CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas Champion Fire Ant. 

Friday Alternative 

World Wide Wrestling League Wrestling Showdown 

Edingburgh

Feat - Mark Coffey v Dickie Divers

Moving on to Saturday and IPW:UK are holding their annual 'UK Future 8 2016' in Selsdon, Surrey at the Selsdon Hall. The event sees eight up and coming stars competing in four quarter-final matches with winner progressing to semi-finals and the eventual final, all in one show. 

This year sees last year's winner, Sammy Smooth back to make it two straight years as UK Future 8 winner. However, this year he will be holding the All-England Championship which he shall be defending in not only his quarter-final match but if successful, every round of the UK Future 8 tournament that he competes in. Sammy Smooth will be facing Cieran Donnelly whose tag team partner, Danny Duggan will also part of the tournament and will be competing against Scott Star in the second quarter-final match. The third quarter-final contest will see the debut of Robbie X in IPW:UK and he'll be facing IPW:UK training school graduate, Ashmore in what will be a big match for both men. The fourth quarter-final sees another IPW:UK training school graduate, Lewis “Maverick” Mayhew in action when he competes against one half of the current IPW:UK Tag Team Champions; Scott Wainwright. Mayhew has a big future ahead of him but it could well be cut short by Wainwright. While it is very hard to pick a winner in these types of tournaments, a few stand outs in the pack are Robbie X, Sammy Smooth and Scott Wainwright. Robbie X has the advantage of not only being a debut in IPW:UK but holds a vast amount of experience. Possibly the most experienced of all eight men. Sammy Smooth on the other hand has the experience of winning this tournament before and that is sure to give him an edge. The added pressure of having the All-England Championship on the line could either be of benefit to him or be the cause of his downfall. Scott Wainwright is probably in the most successful era of his career so far and that is largely down to his change in attitude much to the detriment of his opponents. A more ruthless streak has already lead him to becoming the IPW:UK Tag Team Champions with Paul Robinson and that streak could well lead him the becoming the UK Future 8 winner of 2016.

Also scheduled for this Saturday is the first ever 10,000 peso tag team challenge where Cuban Heat and his new banker, Marc Lloyd shall face Muscle Mountain.

Saturday Alternatives 

4FW Kingdom Rising 2016

Swindon, Wiltshire

Feat - The Sheikh’ Tiger Ali vs Saime Sahin 

Pro Evolution Wrestling Live in Stroud

Stroud, Gloustershire 

Feat - T-Bone v Iestyn Rees 

Fight Club: Pro Pulp Fixxion Part 2

Wolverhampton, West Midlands 

Feat - Dan Moloney v Shane Strickland 

Finally on Sunday, Insane Championship Wrestling will celebrate their 10 year anniversary with another edition of their 'Fight Club' event in Glasgow at The Garage. The event will have a number of implications for 'Fear & Loathing IX', ICW's biggest show to date. 

One match that will shape 'Fear & Loathing IX' is the contest between Kenny Williams and Lewis Girvan. When it was announced that Ricochet would be in action on November 20th, both men threw their hat into the ring to face him. ICW management decided that instead of them choosing who would face Ricochet, they would let them fight it out to see who wants it most. So that's what's going to happen this Sunday, former ICW Zero-G Champion; Williams who has been fighting with Lionheart for a number of months will face Girvan, the self-proclaimed “Best Young Wrestler In The World”. Only one of them is face Ricochet at 'Fear & Loathing IX'. 

ICW have also announced that BT Gunn and Stevie Boy will end their rivalry at 'Fear & Loathing IX' but in what type of match that will be is to be decided by the winner of Chris Renfrew & Gunn vs The Filthy Generation on October 23rd. Gunn and Boy were supposed to face each other at the last edition of 'Fight Club' but that never happened thanks to a chairshot from Kay Lee Ray to Gunn. If it had not been for Renfrew's intervention, the outcome could have been far worse. Both Gunn and Boy hate each other with a passion. Their previous matches show that to be clear. Whoever wins the match this Sunday will have something very special in store for their final encounter. 

Lionheart is defending the ICW Zero-G Championship in a Stairway To Heaven match on November 20th and there have been a number of qualifying matches for the five match places that are available. This Sunday will see another qualifier take place with Liam Thomson taking on Chris Ridgeway. Thomson has been a stalwart of ICW for a number of years and is back in the hunt for championship gold after shall wee say an unsuccessful attempt to woo Debbie Sharpe. Ridgeway has declared his intentions to be in the Stairway To Heaven match and wants his first taste of gold in ICW at their biggest event to date. Both men are hungry for a win this Sunday so they can go on and be in with a chance on November 20th. One element which may come into play is that fact that Thomson never answered Christopher Saynt's challenge on two occassions. Saynt has announced that he will be attendance this Sunday. Take that as you will.

Also scheduled this Sunday is six-man tag team action between Mike Bird, Wild Boar & Iestyn Rees of The Mauraders and the trio of DCT, Sha Samuels and Grado. Additionally, Darkside, William Grange and Dickie Divers will compete in a three-way elimination match while former tag team partners, Davey Blaze and Joe Hendry will meet to settle their differences in the squared circle. While Mark Coffey has been suspended by ICW co-owner, Red Lightning, his tag team partner and fellow ICW Tag Team Champion; Jackie Polo will be facing Red Lightning's cousin, Aaron Echo in singles competition.

Sunday Alternatives 

Internation Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom Women's Showcase 

Swanley, Kent 

Feat - Xia Brookside v Erin Angel 

4FW Kingdom Rising 2016 Night Two 

Emerson's Green, Bristol 

Feat - Tiger Ali v Billy Gunn

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

Wrestle Ropes' Ready For The Weekend: March 2016 Week 3

This week's see another packed weekend of grappling action across the country. In this week's look at some of the shows coming up, we head back to The Planet Nightclub in Wolvehampton, the move on to Morecambe for guaranteed mayhem before ending the weekend with a history-making event in London. Let's get Ready For The Weekend!

friday

fight club: pro rise against

wolverhampton, west midlands, england 

Up first this weekend and Fight Club: PRO are back at The Planet Nightclub in Wolverhampton with Rise Against. The event shall see Clint Margera in a Death Match against AIW star, Rickey Shane Page. Originally, Margera was penciled to face Pete Dunne. However, Dunne refused to compete in a Death Match so found a replacement in Page who we are sure will have no issues with it. Speaking of Dunne, while he might have escaped a match with Margera, he's now found himself in a bout with Dave Mastiff. A former Fight Club: PRO Champion, Mastiff is one of the most dominating forces in British Wrestling. Dunne could find it's a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire this Friday night. In recent months, The Hunter Brothers and the duo of Dan Moloney & Wild Boar have developed quite the rivalry in FCP. However, Moloney & Boar have now informed FCP management that they will not be facing Hunters Brothers again until they have shown that they deserve a match with them. Hunter Brothers are happy to prove their worth and shall now face KYS member's Damian Dunne and the reigning Fight Club: PRO Champion, MK McKinnan in a tag team match on March 18th. If Hunter Brothers need to prove they are worthy of another match with Moloney &Boar then a win over a champion and two members of KYS should be a very good start.

rise against match card

*Death Match*

Rickey Shane Page vs Clint Margera

*Singles*

Infinity Trophy Holder Pete Dunne vs ‘The Bastard’ Dave Mastiff

*Singles*

Trent Seven vs Travis Banks

*Tag Team*

The Hunter Brothers vs KYS (MK McKinnan & Damian Dunne)

*Singles*

Chris Brookes vs Tyler Bate

*Tag Team*

Dan Moloney & Wild Boar vs Nixon Newell & Mike Bird

saturday

alpha omega wrestling morcambe mayhem

morcambe, lancashire, england

Moving on to Saturday and The Winter Gardens in Morecambe see Alpha Omega Wrestling back in action with Morecambe Mayhem. March 19th shall see the AOW Women's Championship on the line except that the champion shall not be present. Viper is currently on tour in Japan which left Nikki Storm (literally) holding the championship while she's gone. Well Alpha Male, Stallion has now announced that 'The Best In The Galaxy' will be defending the championship against Lana Austin for Viper as well. Nobody in The Referendum is happy, including the champion. Lana could become the champion without the real champion even being in the same continent this Saturday. If The Referendum didn't have enough to worry them, the AOW Tag Team Championship shall also be defended in Morecambe by Bobby Roberts and Lewis Girvan. Their opponents? Well only Stallion knows who they are and has no plans on letting on before March 19th. Roberts & Girvan are walking into the unknown and may end up walking as former champions. Originally, Johnny Phere and Mikey Whiplash were scheduled to compete while Big Damo would face Stixx in two separate matches. However an injury to Stixx left Damo without a match for this Saturday. So AOW management took an unfortunate event and turned it into something great. They've announced that Phere, Whiplash and Damo will now compete in a triple threat match where the winner will be named the number one contender to the AOW Championship which is currently held by Stixx. The stakes have just been raised for this Saturday.

morcambe mayhem match card

*AOW Championship Number One Contender – Triple Threat*

‘The Psychotic Warrior’ Johnny Phere vs Mikey Whiplash vs ‘The Beast Of Belfast’ Big Damo

*AOW Women’s Championship*

Lana Austin vs ‘The Best In The Galaxy’ Nikki Storm (c)

*AOW Tag Team Championship*

The Referendum (Bobby Roberts & Lewis Girvan) (c) vs ??? & ???

*Singles*

‘One Man Riot’ Craig Kollins vs ‘The Priority’ Chris Ridgeway (w/ Greg Lambert)

*Singles*

Ricky J McKenzie vs ‘The Leader’ James Drake (w/ Barricade)

*Singles*

‘100% Welsh Beef’ Dylan Roberts vs Sexy Kev

sunday

pro wrestling: eve let's make history

london, england

And finally on Sunday, Pro Wrestling:EVE returns and shall make history when they host the first ever all-female wrestling event in London. PW:E have stacked this show with competitors from over half a dozen nations taking part. Two nations represented will be Portugal and Germany as Shanna faces Blue Nikita. Shanna is a world-travelled competitor while Blue is one of the foundations of female wrestling in Europe today. Let's make some history with some international flavour added to it. The show will also mark Courtney's debut within the company. Her first appearance won't be an easy one as she faces a woman dubbed 'the baddest woman on the planet', April Davids. 'The Lancashire Terrier' is known for her dominating offence and should be a good match for Courtney who herself is known for blending wrestling with kickboxing. Two wrestlers known for blending their arts into one should be a great match up.  A few weeks ago, Nikki Storm became the only three-time Pro Wrestling: EVE Champion after defeating Rhia O'Reilly. However the win can by way of a referee stoppage. Rhia was understandably very angry at the way she lost and demanded a rematch. PW:E have granted the rematch with the stipulation that the match will be a No Disqualification, 2 out of 3 falls Match. Also announced is the inclusion of  'The Female Fight Machine Jenny Sjödin as a Special Enforcer in an attempt to keep some order in the match. Two of the hardest-hitting competitors in PW:E history are going to war this Sunday in London.

let's make history match card

*Pro Wrestling:EVE Championship – No Disqualification, 2 Out Of 3 Falls – Special Ringside Enforcer: ‘The Female Fight Machine’ Jenny Sjodin*

‘The Best In The Galaxy’ Nikki Storm (c) vs ‘The Fighting Irish’ Rhia O’Reilly

*Singles*

‘Portugal’s Perfect Athlete’ Shanna vs Blue Nikita

*Singles*

Kay Lee Ray vs Nixon Newell

*Singles*

Addy Starr vs Pollyanna

*Singles*

Dragonita vs Psycho Lolita

*Singles*

Courtney vs ‘The Lancashire Terrier’ April Davids

*singles*

Tennessee Honey vs Dahlia Black

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!