Wrestle Ropes' Ready for the Weekend: May 2016 Week 3 - HOPE, CHIKARA UK, PCW, FNW, PWC, Pride, Ironfist, BWP, Reckless Intent, LCW Elevation and FSW

This week's edition will be slightly different from normal. Due to there being a lot of events this weekend we've decided to have a quick look at 11 of the shows taking place. So let's get Ready For The Weekend.

The wrestling weekend kicks off this Friday when HOPE Wrestling are heading to Bedford and the venue of Esquires. Three matches have been announced for the show with the main event seeing 'The Righteous' Joseph Conners taking on Ashley Dunn, a man who has faced the likes of Will Ospreay and El Ligero in recent months. Also scheduled for May 20th are Joey Ozbourne putting his undefeated streak on the line against two-time Kings Of Flight winner, Chris Tyler and White Tiger taking on DOA in singles action. 

This Friday shall also see CHIKARA teaming with Fight Club: Pro to kick off the first portion of their Aniversario tour of the UK "The Chikara Special", in Newport, Wales at The Neon. While the expected Chikara stars will be on the shows, there is also a wealth of British stars involved in the whole tour which takes place across the weekend. Highlights across the weekend include Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) facing The Colony (Soldier Ant & Fire Ant) in Newport, K.Y.S. (MK McKinnan, Pete Dunne & Damian Dunne) teaming up against Nixon Newell, CHIKARA Grand Champion Princess Kimber Lee and Heidi Lovelace at Fixxion Warehouse in Wolverhampton, before Fight Club: Pro Champion MK McKinnan faces Eddie Kingston in singles action at Bush Hall in London on Sunday. Chikara's UK Tour will then roll through Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow next weekend (and Bank Holiday Monday)

Moving on to Saturday and Preston City Wrestling will be making their debut in Liverpool at the Fusion Nightclub. The main event of that show will see Noam Dar taking on former WWE star John Morrison in a match which will be their third meeting in PCW. Grado shall also be in action on May 21st and has the chance to become a champion when he faces the current PCW Heavyweight Champion; Sha Samuels for the gold. Viper, who has just returned from Japan a few weeks ago will be facing Ireland's Martina in a first time meeting between the two. 

Saturday will also see Fight Nation Wrestling in action when they head to Eastbourne for 'Lethal Lottery'. The event will see Sammy Smooth, James Castle, Sid Scala, Jakey, Bruce & Ryan Smile participating in a tournament where the six men will be drawn into three teams. Those teams will face each other in a round-robin series of match with the team with the most wins going forward to the final. Those two men will then face each other in the final with the winner earning a FNW British Championship match. Speaking of the FNW British Championship, Mark Haskins will be defending the championship against Joseph Conners on Saturday. Ring Of Honor World Heavyweight Champion; Jay Lethal will also be in attendance on May 21st when he faces Josh Bodom in a non-title contest in Eastbourne.

Our friends over at Pro Wrestling Chaos are bringing back their hugely successful Total Chaos event this Saturday night at the Yate Leisure Centre in Bristol. The night sees a plethora of stars coming together except for one big difference. Nobody knows who they are facing as all the matches are decided at random on the night. Last year saw some great contests take place and this year is bound to be no different with the King Of Chaos Champion; Wild Boar, El Ligero, Mikey Whiplash and international stars, Colt Cabana and Johnny Gargano all taking part in the aptly named 'Total Chaos' event.

Heading south and Ironfist Wrestling are at the Rainbow Hill Social Club in Worcester. The show has two matches announced so far as Alex Gracie shall be defending the Flyweight Division Championship in an Infinity gauntlet match against Killian Jacobs, Chris Custodio, Matt Hovis, Tommy Sparks, Daniel Arrowsmith, El Kazador, Christopher Drew, Sugar Shay Morris and Joey Scott. Odds on Gracie leaving as champion are 10% and that's not the best chance for the champion. The show will also see the debut of Alex Windsor, formerly known as Liberty who shall be facing Millie Marks in singles action in Worcester.

Finally, Britannia Wrestling Promotions shall see all their championships on the line at the Denbighh Town Hall this Saturday. Marc Morgan shall be defending the PWI:BWP World Catchweight Championship against Danxig. Babyface Pitbull shall also defend the Champion Of Wales title when he faces Dave DelVecchio. We're guaranteed new BWP World Tag Team Champions as the vacant titles will be up for grabs in a match to be announced. There shall also be a 10-man rumble where the winner will hold a Money In The Bank contract for a championship match of their choosing.

Rounding off the weekend on Sunday and Reckless Intent Wrestling are holding their Battle Of West Lothian tournament in Knightsridge, Livingston. The tournament shall see Michael Chase, Jam O'Malley, Sean Mercer, Theo Doros, The Westler, Rob Mills, Delsin Dayre and Jackie Grady compete in four quarter final matches, with the winner progressing to the semi-final and eventually the final all in one night. With a current champion and numerous top members of Reckless Intent's roster all vying for the win, it's a tournament with a lot of unknowns as to who will walk away the winner.

LCW Elevation are at Brockington College in Leicester on May 22nd with 'Ambition'. The main event will see 15 men compete in an over the top rumble match with the winner earning a match for the LCW Elevation Championship. The disturbing group of The Asylum will be in action this Sunday when they face the trio of Shauna Shay, Zak Northern and a third partner of their choosing. The Asylum have been running rough-shot for a while now. This trio will look to stop that momentum. Brett Ryans war against Joseph Conners will continue this Sunday when he faces another close ally of The Righteous one, Lucas Archer. Ryans has taken out Conners friends before and look to add another to the list.

HOPE Wrestling hold their second event of the weekend on Sunday this time in Warsop. The show will see Kyle Kingley try to do what his tag team partner, Robert Sharpe couldn't do a few weeks back, defeat 'The Mexican Sensation' El Ligero. Speaking of Robert Sharpe, he'll also be in action when he faces CJ Banks in singles competition. Martin Kirby shall be defending the HOPE Championship this Sunday as well when he compete against Lucas Archer for the first time ever.

The final event of the weekend will see Futureshock Wrestling back at the Stockport Guild Hall. The show shall see James Drake finally defend the Adrenaline Championship for the first time since January. It might be his last though as his challenger is Jack Gallagher, a man who is due to feature in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic in the near future. Fellow champion, Lana Austin will also be in action this Sunday but her championship will not be on the line. However, if her opponent, Violet Vendetta was to win, it would put her as a very serious contender to the Futureshock Women's Championship. Former Futureshock Champion, Xander Cooper will be competing this Sunday when he faces a man who is everything he is not, Sam Bailey. Both these men want a win over the other to put them on the path to hopefully once again become cahmpion.

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!

Wrestle Ropes' Ready for the Weekend: April 2016 Week 3 - FCP, Pride & RevPro

We're back and once again it's time for everybody to come aboard the.... weekly article? Yeah, so we're no experts at talking. What we are pretty good at though is telling you just a tiny selection of the great events coming up this weekend in British Wrestling. Let's get Ready For The Weekend!

friday
fcp planet terror vol. 2
wolverhampton, west midlands, england

Friday night kicks off another wrestling weekend when Fight Club: PRO are back at their usual haunt in Wolverhampton of The Planet Nightclub. The night sees Vol 2 of Planet Terror take place but it could be virtual bliss for us wrestling fans. Back at 'Rise Against' Pete Dunne was originally scheduled to face Clint Margera in a Death match. However, Dunne said that he would never compete in such a match and Rickey Shane Page took his place. Well this Friday marks Margera's birthday and FCP management have let Margera choose any match he wants as way of a gift. So Dunne will be in this match. He will be facing Margera. And it shall be an unsanctioned Death match! Clint Margera might not only be ripping open gifts, he could be ripping open Pete Dunne. For months, The Hunter Brothers have been at odds with The Facesmashers. Last month, Wild Boar & Dan Moloney said they wouldn't face Hunter Brothers again until they proved themselves. Well FCP think Hunter Brothers have proven their worth so these two teams are going to meet once again in an attempt to settle their differences. Whether we'll see the end to this war or not, we're seeing another battle in Wolverhampton this Friday. The main event on April 15th shall see MK McKinnan defending the FCP Championship for the first time this year. His opponent shall be having their first challenge for a championship in FCP, Nixon Newell. McKinnan has stated that he believes Newell has no place in the ring with him. Newell has proven without doubt that she is equal to any man or woman to grace FCP. If McKinnan thinks that Newell is no real threat to his championship reign then simply he won't walk out of The Planet Nightclub as champion.

planet terror vol.2 match card

*Fight Club: PRO Championship*

MK McKinnan (c) vs Nixon Newell

*Unsanctioned Death Match*

Pete Dunne vs Clint Margera

*Singles*

Trent Seven vs Zack Sabre Jr

*Singles*

Tyler Bate vs Travis Banks

*Tag Team*

The Hunter Brothers vs Wild Boar & Dan Moloney

saturday
pride carry on wrestling
glasgow, scotland

Moving on to Saturday and Pride Wrestling are hosting their first event of 2016 at their home of the Bridgeton Community Centre in Glasgow. The night sees championships defended and new threats emerge. Chris Renfrew and DCT have been battling over the N7 Championship since last year with Renfrew going to any length to remain champion. However, DCT's resilience has lead to Renfrew showing him a degree of respect. DCT's quest and hunger for the N7 Championship is still as strong as it ever was. He will not stop until he becomes champion. Each time he has come closer than the last. Could this be his time to topple Renfrew and become champion or will he come up short once again to the antics of the champion? Massimo Italiano is back in action at Pride after an impressive debut at their last event. This time round he's going one on one with possibly the most popular man in Pride, Bobby Roberts. Italino is a big hitter and he'll need to hit hard to get Roberts off his feet and down for the three-count. The crowd will almost certainly be behind 'Big Beefy' as he welcomes back the big Italian. When Pride finishes we shall know who has a guaranteed championship match as the 24/7 Challenge returns this Saturday. The past two challenges have been won by men who have both went on to become Pride Heavyweight Champion thanks in part to the any championship, anywhere clause. This 24/7 Challenge sees one of those men, 'The Lowland Superstar' Glen Dunbar once again compete for the contract. His long-time tag team partner, Alex Cavanagh and Christopher Saynt have also been announced for the match. The unknown in this match will come from the two unannounced entrants. Everyone in Pride Wrestling will want to be a part of this match as previous winners have shown it's potential to be a rocket to championship gold. The eventual winner will just have to overcome four other competitors to get that chance.

carry on wrestling match card

*Pride N7 Championship*

Chris Renfrew (c) vs DCT

*24/7 Challenge*

Christopher Saynt vs ‘The Lowland Superstar’ Glen Dunbar vs Alex Cavanagh vs ??? vs ???

*Singles*

Massimo Italiano vs ‘Big Beefy’ Bobby Roberts

*Singles*

Mr Byers vs Solar

sunday
revpro sittingbourne spectacular 2016
sittingbourne, kent, england

Rounding off the wrestling weekend and Revolution Pro Wrestling are at the UK Paper Leisure Club in Sittingbourne with their 'Sittingbourne Spectacular 2016' event. RevPro are well-known for the international match-ups and this event is no different with international stars in every match that has been announced. That is not be a slight at RevPro as they have scheduled some mouthwatering match up with the best of British stars. Pete Dunne only debuted in RevPro a few months ago during the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship tournament. He went on to win that tournament and has been having stellar matches since. This Sunday looks to be no different as he faces one of the best cruiserweights in the world in the shape of Matt Sydal. Sydal has had a number of memorable matches in the past few years. This match could well be added to that list when he faces Dunne. When RevPro announced the first match for this event we knew the calibre we were getting. King Ricochet returns to RevPro to face 'The Aerial Assassin' Will Ospreay. Both of these men have appeared in the US, both are members of the New Japan Pro Wrestling roster. This is a match of world-class, epic proportions. Make no mistake this match will show why both of these men are the most in demand stars in the world right now. The main event will see championship gold defended as Zack Sabre Jr defends the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship against Michael Elgin. ZSJ won the championship from now WWE star, AJ Styles back in January. Not only did ZSJ win but he made Styles tap out to do it. Styles on that night declared the new champion to be one of the best in the world. A sentiment echoed by many others. He'll have to be indeed one of the best this Sunday as the challenger, Elgin, is a powerhouse of professional wrestling. Elgin has appeared in RevPro before and he impressed in a big way. Since then he has grown in talent and power. ZSJ is a technical wizard whose kicks are as hard as his holds are to escape from. He'll need those talents to counter the power and strength that Elgin will bring to the table on April 18th.

sittingbourne spectacular 2016 match card

*Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship*

Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs Michael Elgin

*Singles*

‘The Aerial Assassin’ Will Ospreay vs King Ricochet

*Singles*

Donovan Dijak vs ‘The Anarchist’ James Castle

*Singles*

ACH vs ‘The Beast Of Belfast’ Big Damo

Za

‘The Reborn’ Matt Sydal vs ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne

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!

Over The Border - A Revolution Has Begun

2014 has been a huge year for professional wrestling. With Scottish wrestling promotions really coming into their own and at least two companies drawing over 1000 fans in attendance, it's growing at a fast rate. Thanks, in part, to the Insane Fight Club documentary on the BBC. It really helped people realise that there are local wrestling companies that aren't "WWF Tribute" shows but legitimate companies with their own identity.  

In every corner of Scotland there is a company that gives you something a little bit different, from Rock N Wrestle and Caithness Pro Wrestling in the Highlands, WrestleZone in Aberdeenshire, SWE in Tayside, Reckless Intent in West Lothian, even Target tread the borders into Dumfries and Galloway. I can't forget the central belt and surrounding area that harbours a bursting scene with ICW, SWA, BCW, PBW, Fierce Females, PWE and Pride respectively. With many companies starting in the last year, like the aforementioned Rock N Wrestle and also Discovery Wrestling, and companies touring Scotland over the year like W3L, you can't help but be swept up in the momentum that Scottish wrestling is building.

Wrestling is a serious business, no more Tribute Kanes and Tribute Mankinds rolling about and failing to fool even the 10 year olds in attendance, but now there are actual wrestlers, entertainers and something you can believe in. It's proven by how many people want to spread the word about Scottish wrestling through blogs, videos, podcasts and Facebook pages (myself included) we are all proud of this revolution happening in our country. 

Proof is shown in TNA British Bootcamp Season 2 where four of Scotland’s best made it through to the UK Finals; Noam Dar, Kay Lee Ray, Nikki Storm and Grado. This is just scratching the surface of what Scotland has to offer.

It can only get better, with the country producing the best male and female talent it is only a matter of time before we see Scottish wrestling back on TV (and I don't mean a graveyard slot on MyChannel). Insane Fight Club 2 is set for airing next year on BBC One and with the ICW On Demand service (only £3.95) available plus a whole load of content on YouTube including full events from SWE and PWE, we are in a haven of opportunity to watch the cream of the crop, the best in Europe and it is right on your doorstep.

Drew Galloway sums it up best.