The Merch Table // February 2018

Its that time of year again, when we’ve said goodbye to the Christmas trees, failed to live up to the “New Year New Me” routine and the snow just damn well won’t leave. But regardless of all of that, like death and taxes its time to focus on the other constant in the world, wrestling and wrestlers need to sell merch.

With that that in mind, my name is Craig Hermit and I'm back with The Merch Desk. If you haven't read this type of article of mine before, basically promotions and wrestlers release merchandise with the intention that you’d want to buy their merch and if you like said merch, I’ve done the work so all you need to do is click on the link and then buy that merch. The money part is all up you though, leave me out of that one.

So lets begin:

WWE

POP! Vinyl figure’s are incredible and WWE have released a new range featuring RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, WWE Champion AJ Styles, Braun Strowman and Andre The Giant (as seen), add them to your collection by heading to WWE Euroshop.

https://euroshop.wwe.com/en_GB/pop%21-vinyl-figures/?curr=GBP

PROGRESS

Next up, we look at Progress, this year they are heading to Australia, New Zealand and America, incredible right?! And they have created some new merchandise which looks awesome. 

Both the Hoody and T-shirt is available in sizes Small to 3XL

2018 EAGLE GRAPHIC SHIRT - 15.00

BLACK METAL HOODIE - £35.00

https://progresswrestling.myshopify.com/collections/all

REV PRO

Staying the UK and directing our attention towards another promotion within the London area, its Rev Pro Wrestling. In the last few months their merchandise has improved dramatically and it shows, featuring T-shirts from THE Queen British Women’s Champion Jinny, British Cruiserweight Champion Kurtis Chapman and much more. All sizes are available in Small to 2XL and prices start from £19.99

https://shoprevpro.com/collections/shirts

BARBERSHOP WINDOW

Based in Chicago and founded in 2011, then sold to Barbershop Window in 2013, the group create excellent and original T-shirts and have a timescale of 7 - 10 business days to ship. The prices start from $19.99 and sizes go from Small to 5XL

http://www.barbershopwindow.com/wrestling-shirts/all-wrestling-t-shirts.html

JIMMY HAVOC

He is the Co-holder of the Progress Tag Team Titles, he is the Defiant Hardcore Champion and the winner of the Combat Zone Wrestling Tournament of Death, his name is Jimmy Havoc and you already know his name and what he does…

T-Shirts start from Small to 2XL and comes in at £20.00, the excellent Jimmy Havoc calendar is priced at £20.00 and the 8 x 10 Signed Traitors Gate Print is at £10.00.

http://jimmyhavoc.bigcartel.com

TNT EXTREME WRESTLING

TNT Extreme Wrestling made their debut show back in February 2014 and from then the Liverpool-based promotion made an impact on Merseyside and certainly put Liverpool on the map for British Wrestling. Hosting Merseyside Massacre in Liverpool on Thursday Feb 15th, they have an excellent array of Apparel starting from £20 and sizes from Small to 3XL. Head to their Facebook page to pre-order their range of items.

https://en-gb.facebook.com/tntextremewres/

THE SARAYA STORE

Outside of WWE, Paige has created an incredible range of T-shirts, Hoodies and Accessories with The Saraya Store. A brand that focuses on Being Yourself, Be you. If you like your clothing with an attitude, with personality and with something focused on you have a look here. Sizes starting from Small to 4XL and starting from $25

https://thesarayastore.com/collections/tees

So that was this month, hope you enjoyed it. 

Written by Craig Hermit // @CraigHermit

The Merch Table // WWE EuroShop // PROGRESS // Smash // ATTACK! // FCP // PBW

Okay, it's the festive period, you know the time we give gifts to each other to say thanks for not being a dick for the last year.

Special mention to James (my Editor) and hope you're recovering mister.

With that in mind, I’m Craig Hermit and it’s my Merch Table to hopefully help or give you a guide on what wrestling merch is around, 

WWE EuroShop

I'm promoted loads of t-shirts and hoodies from WWE, so let's look at this range on sale this week: 

All ornaments are currently priced at £7, except for Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss in at the bargain price of £4.

Alexa Bliss Elf Ornament

Naomi Elf Ornament

Becky Lynch Elf Ornament

Charlotte Flair Elf Ornament

Bayley Elf Ornament

Sasha Banks Elf Ornament

PROGRESS Wrestling

What a year for PROGRESS! And their fans for that matter! Well bring on 2018 with more of this awesome stylish merch.

https://progresswrestling.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage

BEANIE HAT (SLOUCH OR CUFF STYLE)

Price: £15.00

WORLDWIDE SHIRT

Price £15.00

Sizes: S - 3XL

WINDCHEATER - CLASSIC LOGO

Price: £28.00
Sizes: S - 2XL

2018 PROGRESS WALL CALENDAR

Price: £15.00

Smash Wrestling

Superb merch and great wrestling? Yeah, I'm talking about Smash. To fans in Canada, this promotion always brings great wrestling and are always ones to watch, and merch like this? Nice.

http://smash-wrestling.com/shop/

CANADIAN WOLF

Price: $20.00 – $22.00
Sizes: S - 3XL

SMASH HOODIE 2017

Price: $40.00

Sizes: S - 3XL

ATTACK! Pro Wrestling

Fun? Oh yeah. Confusion? Yup. A great night? Definitely.  It's ATTACK! So celebrate the festive period and the fact you lost the raffle with their NEW merch.

http://attackprowrestling.bigcartel.com/

ATTACK! I LOST THE RAFFLE TEE

Price: £20.00

Sizes: S - 2XL

ATTACK! WEIRD AND WONDERFUL KNITTED SCARF

Price: £15.00

So let's move away from T-shirts and go to the shops to see what figures and things are available from Toys R Us, Argos and A1 Comics.

Toys R Us

http://www.toysrus.co.uk/toys/browse/brands/wwe/_/N-103430?Dy=1

WWE Network Spotlight Best of 2002 Figure 5 Pack

Includes Batista, Kevin Nash, Brock Lesnar, Scott Hall and John Cena.

Price: £39.98 

WWE Tough Talkers Interactive Ring Playset

Price: £34.99

WWE Heavyweight Championship Collectable Title Belt

Price: £99.99

Argos

http://www.argos.co.uk/search/wwe/

WWE Contract Chaos and Finn Balor

554/4626

Price: £19.99

WWE Steel Cage And Figure

578/7562

Price: £35.99

WWE Guess Who? Board Game

605/9220

Price: £13.99

A1 Toys

https://a1toys.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=2&q=Wwe

WWE UK Championship Belt

Price: £25.99

Monopoly WWE Edition - Winning Moves (2nd edition)

Price: £29.99

Becky Lynch - WWE Elite Series 49

Price: £20.99

Alicia Fox - WWE Superstars Doll - Mattel

Price: £20.99

Fight Club: Pro

One promotion this year that has been incredible is Fight Club Pro, and their NEW merch is out now.

http://fightclubpro.bigcartel.com/

FIGHT CLUB: PRO - BORN INTO STRONG STYLE HOODIE

Price: £40.00

Size: S - 2XL

FIGHT CLUB: PRO - BORN INTO STRONG STYLE T-SHIRT

Price: £20.00

Size: S - 2XL

PBW Wrestling

This year PBW has released some excellent merch, whether you are heading to the gym or heading to a training session, go there in style.

https://merchslam.co.uk/collections/premier-british-wrestling

PBW VINTAGE TSHIRT

Price: £16.00

Sizes: S - 2XL

PBW TRAINING JACKET

Price: £40.00

Size: XS - 2XL

PBW ACADEMY HOOD

Price: £28.00

Size: XS - 2XL

PBW GYM BAG

Price: £25.00

And that's us for this year, hope you have a great festive period, remember be nice to the teams in retail, this is the worst times for them, but have an awesome time. My name's was Craig Hermit until next year.

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

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

Also this week 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See ya next week for more BritWres to Impress!

Article by James Marston

BritWres to Impress // PROGRESS // ICW // FutureShock [Nov. '17 Wk. 3]

Hot diggity dog, ATPW's weekly preview of British Wrestling is back and we're not messing around! With so many mid-week shows, I felt it was silly to keep calling this Ready for the Weekend, so after a quick Twitter poll...welcome to BritWres to Impress! Each and every Monday we'll be taking a look at three of the biggest shows across the week and around the British Isles. This week we're focusing on PROGRESS Wrestling Live at the Dome on Wednesday (15th Nov.) at The Dome in London, Insane Championship Wrestling's double header with France '98 on Saturday (18th) at The Garage in Glasgow and the massive Fear and Loathing X on Sunday (19th) at the SSE Hydro in the same city and FutureShock Wrestling Uproar 97 on Sunday at Stockport Masonic Hall in Stockport, Greater Manchester. 

*Disclaimer - All cards are subject to change*

Also This Week  

Saturday // 4FW Live! // Thatcham, Berkshire // 4fw-online.com

Sunday // ATTACK! Pro Wrestling SRVRSRSLY (This Time It Really Isn't a PPV Tie-In Event) // Cardiff // SOLD OUT

Sunday // 4FW Live! // Portishead, North Somerset // 4fw-online.com

Wednesday // PROGRESS Wrestling Live at the Dome // The Dome, London // www.tickettailor.com/all-tickets/15857/eb5f

Hot off the heels of Chapter 57: Enter Smiling in Manchester, PROGRESS returns to the Dome on Wednesday with a card mixing up and comers with some of the promotions top stars. 

The biggest match on the card features someone who has had a change of heart in recent months, that man is Eddie Dennis. At Chapter 57, Dennis cost former tag team partner Mark Andrews his PROGRESS World Championship match and on Wednesday, Dennis will have his first match with the company since breaking up FSU at Chapter 55: Chasing the Sun. His opponent? The exciting and likeable Chuck Mambo. The gnarly ass pro wrestling surfer might not have the best singles record in PROGRESS, but with The Dome behind him and Dennis' mind elsewhere there's always a chance he could off an upset. The powerful and angry Dennis will have a point to prove and will be looking to back up the points he made in an emotional promo video released last month, whether this will translate to a victory is yet to be seen, but this clash of styles as power and aggression takes on speed and good vibes will no doubt end up being a thoroughly entertaining affair. 

The last show at The Dome, Revelations of Divine Love, featured a Women's tournament that would eventually be won by Charli Evans. The Women's action continues on Wednesday with a pair of intriguing matches. Tournament standout, Millie McKenzie takes on a returning Laura Di Matteo, who hasn't been seen in PROGRESS since losing a Women's Championship match at Chapter 52: Vote Pies in July. The two have a similar intense style and with both women looking to make cases for future appearances, the bout has a boat-load of potential. Coming off a Chapter debut on Sunday, but still without a win to her name, Candyfloss takes on the debuting Nina Samuels, who is seen most regularly in Pro Wrestling: EVE. Whoever comes out on top will be walking away with their first win for PROGRESS and with the Women's roster getting more competitive each and every month, now is certainly the time to start chalking up some Ws! The two have met previously in EVE and Battle Pro Wrestling this year with Samuels currently 2-0 to the good.

The theme of returns continues when Damon Moser faces off with Roy Johnson. Both men are Projo trained but have made limited appearances in 2017 and will be looking to do everything to make sure that isn't the case in 2018. Expect this first time ever clash to be a rough and tumble scrap between two men with a point to prove. Elsewhere on the card, The Bhangra Knights (RJ Singh & Darrel Allen) are back to face the undefeated duo of Big T. Justice and the OJMO, whilst in further tag team action Connor Mills tags with Maverick Mayhew against Never Say Die (Alex Cupid & Dillion D'Angelo).

Saturday // Insane Championship Wrestling France '98 // Glasgow // ticketmaster.co.uk/search?tm_link=tm_header_search&user_input=ICW&q=ICW

Sunday // Insane Championship Wrestling Fear and Loathing X // Glasgow // ticketmaster.co.uk/search?tm_link=tm_header_search&user_input=ICW&q=ICW

The night before the massive Fear and Loathing X at the SSE Hydro, ICW have a taping of their Fight Club series, interestingly named France '98. With the biggest show of the year literally right around the corner, there's a chance that everything could break down! Nowhere is that more evident than the waiver signing that will take place for the much anticipated King of Insanity Death match. Just one night before they step into what is being promoted as one of the most dangerous matches in history, for a company that has made on a name on presenting gritty and violent professional wrestling, Jimmy Havoc, Mikey Whiplash, Chris Renfrew and Stevie Boy will all be at The Garage and chances are the night won't end with them all 100% heading into Sunday! 

The card is littered with intriguing match-ups, but the one that stands out for me is El Ligero's return to the promotion for the first time since 2013, to take on Kenny Williams. The pair are known for their high-pace, action-packed offence, so this should be an exciting clash that sets up Williams for his high profile encounter the following night. Elsewhere, Ravie-Davie has a chance to earn some payback and a spot in a #1 Contenders Ladder match at The Hydro as he faces Bram, the ICW Women's Championship match from the Hydro is previewed as champion Kay Lee Ray teams with the debuting Katie Forbes to battle her two challengers Viper and Kasey Owens in tag team action, Stevie Boy pulls double duty teaming with Filthy Generation teammates Aspen Faith & Lewis Girvan against The Kinky Party (Jack Jester & Sha Samuels) and Jody Fleish in a match featuring an intriguing array of talent, The Marauder's Iestyn Rees battles Aaron Echo, whilst new group The Fite Network (Krieger & Lou King Sharp, with Kid Fite) take on a team who have built momentum in the second half of 2017, Krobar and Stevie James, The Purge.  Then there's the small matter of the first ever Carlos Vanderama Invitational Battle Royal.

Onto Fear and Loathing X, the biggest show promoted by a British wrestling company in 2017. There's a reason I decided to bring back weekly previews this week! After last years event offered spectacle by the barrel load, but lacked an in-ring punch, this years card looks to marry the two concepts. 

With three former WWE Champions on hand, the show also combines homegrown talent with major household names. Kevin Nash will be appearing, with the founding nWo member acting as guest commissioner for the show the chances for shenanigans are high. Nash will be joined by Cruiserweight pioneer Rey Mysterio Jr., in only his second appearance in Scotland since leaving WWE. Mysterio goes one on one with ICW's own Kenny Williams. Williams has never lost at Fear & Loathing, but has also never had a match as a high profile as this one. It'll be youth vs. experience here, as Mysterio looks to wind back the clock one more time and Williams looks to continue building a name for himself. Also appearing, for the first time in Scotland outside of WWE and TNA, is the "Whole F'n Show" Rob Van Dam, who will collide with Lionheart and Zack Gibson in an eclectic three way dance. The feud between Lionheart and Gibson lit up quickly with Gibson beating Lionheart at Eleven in Edinburgh last month, with Liverpool's Number One demanding that he be added to the contest. With Gibson getting his wish after goading his rival repeatedly, this has the potential to be a very heated affair, something which RVD is very familiar with. A win for either Lionheart or Gibson would propel them into the title picture, but their dislike towards each other may end up costing them the opportunity on the grandest stage in British wrestling.

The biggest match for ICW regulars has to be the clash between Joe Coffey and BT Gunn, with both Coffey's World Heavyweight Championship and Gunn's Zero G Championship on the line. After defeating Trent Seven at Barramania III in April, aligning himself with Red Lighting, Coffey has gone through a who's who in title defences, picking up victories over Kassius Ohno, Colt Cabana, Pete Dunne, Moose, Joe Hendry and more. BT Gunn has been on a similar roll in the Zero G Division, since receiving a shot at the WWE United Kingdom Championship at Shug's Hoose Party 4 - Day 1 in July, going on to win the Zero G belt the following day. Since then Gunn has retained against the likes of Jimmy Havoc, Jody Fleisch, Wolfgang, Jordan Devlin and James Drake. The two have clashed multiple times in ICW, as well as WhatCulture Pro Wrestling and Target Wrestling, but never has so much been on the line. This should be a barn-burner.

Jimmy Havoc. Mikey Whiplash. Chris Renfrew. Stevie Xavier. One of these men will walk out of the Hydro with the title of King of Insanity. There's been a weaving and dark story being told involving all four men at various points on Fight Club, but whether that will matter once they step into the ring on Sunday is anyone's guess. What will matter is that these four are known for their risk-taking, their willingness to inflict and take pain,  their cringe-inducing violence and that's what to expect here. The idea that a death match is taking place in a building like the Hydro is a tantalising prospect and knowing these four, this will be something that people won't be forgetting in a hurry.

Elsewhere on the show,  Kay Lee Ray will defend her ICW Women's Championship against Kasey Owens and Viper, as the three women step inside a steel cage for the first time in company history, The Marauders (Wild Boar & Mike Bird) put their ICW Tag Team Championships up against Polo Promotions (Jackie Polo & Mark Coffey), the odd-couple Kinky Party (Sha Samuels & Jack Jester) clash with The Kings of Catch (Aspen Faith & Lewis Girvan) and Bram, DCT, Jody Fleish, Joe Hendry, Aaron Echo and Kid Fite battle it out in a Ladder match for a future title shot.
KLR vs. Kasey vs. Viper.

Sunday // FutureShock Wrestling Uproar 97 // Stockport, Greater Manchester // futureshockwrestling.co.uk/upcoming.html

In August, Ashton Smith won the FutureShock Championship at 13th Anniversary SuperShow in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, defeating Zack Gibson, that same night former champion Tyson T-Bone put his feud with Rampage Brown to bed by winning a Trailer Park Street Fight. In September, during a presentation ceremony, Smith declared that he'd defend the Championship against anyone the fans thought deserved it, this bought out T-Bone, who after a short confrontation landed a headbutt on the champion, leaving Smith on the mat as he held the title that he held between September 2015 and April last year above his head. The two met in June with Smith coming out with the win, after an appearance from Rampage Brown, but with the title on the line will the result be the same? Or will Smith lose the title at the first time of asking? 

It seems like it's a good weekend for returns for El Ligero. After Travis Banks had to pull out, Ligero was drafted in as his replacement in a FutureShock Adrenaline Championship match against Xander Cooper. The last time Ligero stepped into a FutureShock ring was over seven years ago at FutureShock 48 and in that time away it's safe to say that the El Ligero in 2017 is a whole different beast. Xander Cooper, however, took the title from current WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne in September and has been known to enjoy an underhanded tactic or two, to keep a championship belt around his waist. "The Man For All Seasons" and "The Mexican Sensation" have clashed in Preston City Wrestling and Full House Wrestling previously and their clash of styles should produce a tremendous encounter for the Stockport faithful. 

Another change to the originally announced card, sees Chris Ridgeway replace Zack Gibson in a contest against James Drake. It's a shame that the original stipulation of Gibson potentially losing his championship deposit has been lost, but that doesn't mean that this bout won't be just as physical. Ridgeway is yet to taste victory in FutureShock and Drake has been on a downward spiral after winning the Lotto Thunder Tournament in July, so that might just produce the most ferocious contest, from two competitors known for their unforgiving ferocity. No matter who leaves with their hand held high, expect both "Smash Mouth" and "Mr. Mayhem" to leave a mark on each other.

Elsewhere on the show Don Meacho is looking for revenge on Cyanide and the Legacy Tournament begins as "Deadly" Damon Leigh faces Joey Hayes and Danny Hope goes one on one with Abel Stevens in two First Round clashes. 

---

Until next week!

Article by James Marston