Guest Article: Ain't No Party Like A BAE Club Party (Billy Strachan)

Women's wrestling in Scotland is at an all time high with talent bursting from all over, so in this spotlight of the Scottish scene I'm going to focus on two of my favourites that I've seen grow into two fantastic wrestlers whether they team up or fight individually.

SAMMII JAYNE

Making her start with Scottish Wrestling Entertainment back in 2012, Sammii started as a shy and quite vanilla in character. Being one of the only females on the SWE roster at the time she would face both men and women, being the scrappy underdog in most bouts. She would evolve, thanks in large part to Source Wrestling School and her association with "The Hashtag Scumbag" Ian Ambrose, into one of the best wrestlers on the SWE roster. Having blistering matches on a regular basis with the likes of Nikki Storm, Viper and Debbie Sharpe. Sammii was one of only two female wrestlers to hold the SWE Future Division Championship, she did so by beating the first, Viper, in a triple threat match also involving Debbie Sharpe.



Her SWE chapter was only the beginning, laying the ground work for bigger things. It was her Fierce Females journey that really got all eyes on Sammii Jayne. An incredible match against Fierce Female's Scottish Champion Kay Lee Ray saw people take notice of Sammii, she may've come up short in a match that took to the streets but she left a lasting impression on the Fierce Females fans that night.

Now you can see Sammii Jayne all over the country, from Discovery Wrestling in the capital, ICW in Glasgow, PBW, SWA, to up North for Rock N Wrestle and WrestleZone. I would even go as far to say that Sammii Jayne is, right now, one of the Top Five women wrestlers in the country in my opinion. Up there with Nikki Storm, Viper and Kay Lee Ray.



I'm like a broken record when I say that I saw Sammii right near the start when she faced Nikki Storm way back in August 2012 but to see someone evolve so much in so little time it's hard not to harp on about it. You wouldn't believe that it was the same person now. It was in stark contrast to the confident demeanour that fans should expect when seeing Sammii in action now. Confident, devious and hungry.

DEBBIE SHARPE

Starting with SWE as a referee, Debbie soon saw herself right in the action with the likes of Viper and Sammii Jayne. In SWE she was the polar opposite of Sammii's more serious, by any means nessacery, no nonsense approach, Debbie was the fun and bubbly side and the SWE fans took to her immediately. Debbie Sharpe vs Sammii Jayne was one of SWE's biggest feuds, tradiing wins back and forth with each match better than the last. It's a rivalry that has seen them face each other all over the country from WrestleZone in Aberdeen to Fierce Females in Glasgow.



Debbie has been unfortunate to suffer from several injuries early on in her career but with bad luck, Debbie saw opportunity and with that the #PrayForDebbie social media campaign was born. Her natural charisma is infectious whether she wants you cheer or boo her, she has the ability to make you react.



Seeing Debbie wrestle it's clear she puts everything into her craft and is entertaining. Whether she's the cowardly baddie, the feisty fan favourite or just Debbie Sharpe, she is one of the finest that Scotland has to offer.

VERSUS

As mentioned, Debbie and Sammii have faced each other numerous times in SWE, SWA, ICW and WrestleZone. Tag team matches, battle royals, triple threats, these two are very familiar foes that know each other very well which has the danger of getting stale but I, personally, have seen them face off many times and they find a way to keep their matches fresh. One that stands out is a triple threat ladder match between the two, plus another name that has been mentioned a lot in this article, Viper. A hard-hitting encounter with high risks that had everyone on the edge of their seats.

TEAM BAE

Debbie Sharpe and Sammii Jayne are the Ying to the others Yang. They are destined to be together whether as a team or fighting on opposite sides of the ring. With a chemistry that works in both scenarios, they have a natural rapore that extends from not only the in ring work but onto promo videos, like this latest one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mjLeb8J4lI


If you want to find out more about Sammii Jayne or Debbie Sharpe, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter by following the links below.


Sammii Jayne Facebook 
Debbie Sharpe Facebook 
Sammii Jayne Twitter 
Debbie Sharpe Twitter 



'Til next time…



- Billy



If you would like me to feature any wrestlers in particular in future articles, contact me on Twitter @VoiceOfOSW or email VoiceOfOSW@gmail.com

Over The Border II - Wrestling with Social Media

OSWtv's Billy Strachan returns once again with the second edition of Over The Border! This time Billy focuses on how important social media can be to Scottish wrestling.

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Back in ye olde days of UK professional wrestling, the barren times, once World of Sport was removed from ITV in 1985, the only way to advertise your local promotion would be through posters around town, newspaper advertisements, maybe an interview on your local radio or television station if you were lucky. 

An example of the posters one could see

But this 2014...things have changed! 

Here are a few figures for you. 3 BILLION active users on the internet, 1.23 BILLION active Facebook users, 1 BILLION active YouTube users, 284 MILLION active Twitter users. Social media is the most effective way to reach wrestling fans nowadays and there are promotions that have taken advantage of this by making sure that their audience is kept up to date with all the latest news and promotion. 

Here are the top 5 Scottish wrestling company pages on Facebook:

Insane Championship Wrestling: 17,000+ Likes
Scottish Wrestling Alliance: 7,241 Likes
Premier British Wrestling: 5,921 Likes
Scottish Wrestling Entertainment: 3,479 Likes
Pro Wrestling Elite: 3,330 Likes

So keeping your website or Facebook page up to date is so important. When you set up a company page/website you are not only making a commitment to your product but also to your fan base. You can't go on once a month and go "oh aye, this is happening". We are in the age where if people lose interest they will move onto the next thing without hesitation. Social media is also the quickest and most effective way to get a wrestlers character out there be it through a fan page, YouTube promo videos, podcast or interviews.

On the subject of keeping your page up to date, this is a personal preference, but if you don't write in a professional manner or have a basic grasp of the English language, I'm not going to be reading whatever you've written to promote yourself or your show. Basic common sense really. It's a business at the end of the day. This is different if it’s built towards a character, like Switch, but a wrestling promotion should have a professional look when writing.

Don't get me wrong, posters and newspaper adverts and all the things I mentioned at the start of this piece are still effective, they bring in the casual fan that maybe isn't aware of the social media presence the promotion has. Word of mouth is also being integrated into social media with blogs and fan podcasts. 

Oop's...How did that get there? 

If you don't believe what I'm saying I'll give you an example. Grado made a name for himself through YouTube videos, through a social media campaign "Get Grado Booked", he's arguably the biggest name in Scottish and UK professional wrestling today. Without social media, there might not be a “chubby wee chancer fae the tap end of Stevenson” shouting "IT'S YERSEL!" today. 

If you don't keep on top of your social media then it could stunt the growth of your promotion and possibly your growth as a wrestler. Getting yourself out there and making a name for yourself gets you from being a name on the card to THE name on THE card. 

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.

Reckless Intent "Over The Top" Preview

OSWTV's Billy Strachan takes a look at another upcoming event in Scotland. 

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Reckless Intent are a relatively new promotion from West Lothian. Having only been active since early 2013 they have started to make waves in Scottish professional wrestling. Their next big event takes place on November 1^st with Over the Top. Debuts, grudge matches and great action is on the cards. Let’s take a look at the match card so far.

Rawlins vs Falcon

 

 

Reckless Intent Original Rawlins will have his mind elsewhere with the mysterious Sons of Silence around. Falcon will have a chance to score a huge win over the former RI World Champion.

Ian Ambrose Will Debut at Reckless Intent

After Saint George successfully defended his World Title against Scottish Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Martyn Stallyon, he invited the current SWE Heavyweight Champion, and #Scumbag, Ian Ambrose to Reckless Intent to celebrate both of them defeating Martyn Stallyon in recent months. General Manager Jason McKinlay has advised that Ian Ambrose will compete at Over the Top. Ambrose is hot off his debut at Discovery Wrestling in Edinburgh and will be preparing by adding even more finishers to his arsenal and will be showing off his uncanny ability to kick out at 2.

“The Superstar” Darren Lewis vs Craig Valant

 

 

The current holder of the Wooden Spoon, Darren Lewis, faces a newcomer to professional wrestling. Craig Valant will be hoping to get an upset victory and curtail the momentum that The Superstar has been building. The ever cocky Darren Lewis may be looking past the youngster towards the World Title match and waiting for his chance to cash in his Wooden Spoon, so if Valant wanted to make an impact, tonight may be the night to do it.

6 Man Elimination Match To Determine Entry Number In The Battle Royal Main Event

(First Man Eliminated Enters #1 - Second Man Eliminated Enters #5 - Third Man Eliminated Enters #10 - Forth Man Eliminated Enters #15 - Runner Up Enters #18 - Winner Enters #20)

 

Jackie Grady vs Venym vs AJ Russell vs JJ Russell vs ??? vs ???

Two wild cards have yet to be announced for this one. With a win you have the best number for the main event battle royal, however, if you get eliminated first then you have to outlast 19 other competitors to win. High risk with high reward in this match. Jackie Grady should be the early favourite from the competitors announced after several high quality bouts in the recent months along with reigns as UK and Hardcore Champion recently.

Reckless Intent UK Title Match

Mikey © vs “Global Hero” Joe Hendry

 

Joe Hendry received his title shot against Mikey for the UK Title in return for returning the Hardcore Title that he refused to defend the belt 24/7. Mikey has been having trouble with the Sons of Silence and will have trouble keeping his mind on, the always dangerous, Joe Hendry. Joe Hendry has a list as long as your arm with championships and accolades in the last year, so will relish adding the Reckless Intent UK Title to that list.

Reckless Intent World Title Match

“The Prodigal Son” Saint George © vs “The Butcher” Scott Renwick

 

 

Saint George has done everything he can to avoid defending his championship, most recently losing to Jam O’Malley by count out, he’s also took the time challenging members of the audience or those that are not prepared. But to beat Renwick and retain his title, he has to play by the rules. Scott Renwick has had his ups and downs in Reckless Intent but this is his chance to get on top of the mountain. Darren Lewis will also be watching this one closely, waiting for his chance to cash in he Wooden Spoon.

20 Man Rumble

 

 

The main event of the evening. At least six men in this will have competed earlier in the night, fighting to enter last. The winner will get their chance to face the World Champion, whether it’s Saint George or Scott Renwick, at The Battle of West Lothian. I’d expect a couple surprise entries and, as always, a few twists and turns. 

Tickets are available online at http://www.reckless-intent.com/top-2/

£10 for an adult

£5 for a child

£25 for a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children)

Doors open at 6.30pm, first bell at 7pm.

SWE Hell for Lycra XI: Oh, What A Rush Preview by Billy Strachan

 

SWE hold their eleventh Hell for Lycra event on August 30th and for the second year in a row it is being held at the Bonar Hall. This will be my third Hell for Lycra and once again SWE have pulled out all the stops to make sure this is the premier event on their calender.

The week before, August 23rd, they host Hellbound at Kirkton Community Centre which will include Grado vs Colt Cabana and the contract signing between Chaz Phoenix and Steven Magners. It is also the final stop to Hell for Lycra and with so many wrestlers still to make it to the event like the Future Division Champion, Christopher Saynt, or the Sirens, this will be their last chance to get onto an already huge event.

The first name announced for Hell for Lycra XI was Terry Funk, however, due to him securing a TV pilot he had to pull out. Dennis Stamp was announced not long afterwards before the big one, Road Warrior Animal is coming to Dundee.

So without further ado, let’s look at the event.

The Beast vs The Animal

Damian O'Connor vs Road Warrior Animal

The Beast of Belfast faces Road Warrior Animal in a battle of the behemoths. Both men are big, hairy, hard-hitting dudes. This isn't for titles; this is just to prove who the King of the Jungle is, the Beast or the Animal.

Global Hero vs Global Wrestler

Joe Hendry vs Doug Williams

Doug Williams returns after last years loss to Claymore, 12 months ago he was Ted Dibiase's hired gun but this year he is on his own against mmmmm Joe Hendry…Global Hero. Joe Hendry is collecting titles everywhere at the moment and one big win against a former TNA X-Division, Tag Team and Television Champion will propel him back into the SWE Heavyweight Title picture. It won't be easy as Doug Williams is a well travelled veteran who has faced, and beaten, the best.

The Trident Try to Take Down the Foundations

Scott Renwick, Darren Bliers, MBK & Steven "Air" Myles vs Claymore, Mr News, LJT & ???

The Trident and Scott Renwick have been running riot over SWE, taking out anyone and everyone that has got in their way. Kevin Williams was due to be on the SWE Originals team but parted company with SWE at the end of July. Will a forth member be announced at Hellbound or will we have to wait for Hell for Lycra to find out the last member? The Trident team have youth and power on their side but you can never count out the wiliness that comes from experience.

The Evil Scotsman Will Fight The Goblin of The Skies

Bravehart vs Euan G Mackie

This has been a personal feud stemming from Euan G Mackie no showing a main event back in January at Season’s Beatings. Bravehart has made it his personal mission to rid, not only SWE but, all wrestling of The Very Good one. Bravehart himself has said he isn't 100% after taking a break from the ring after numerous injuries, including a concussion, but will relish the chance to beat Mackie once and for all. This won't be a wrestling match, this will be a fight.

World of Sport Legends Collide

Johnny Saint & Felix Fortune vs No.1 Marty Jones & The Jackal

Two World of Sport Legends will be in the ring on August 30^th. This will be a tough one to call as Felix Fortune has just started his career with SWE and The Jackal is as hungry as ever to make a name for himself. It’ll also be interesting to see Saint and Jones work with younger opponents.

Career vs Career - Cage Match

Chaz Phoenix vs Steven Magners

 

Now, if you want to talk personal. Steven Magners left SWE while SWE Tag Team Champion and member of The Syndicate with his tag team partner being, Chaz Phoenix. Magners didn't like the way that Chaz was siding with Authority, and namely, Bravehart. When Mr News needed a partner to defeat The Syndicate and win his job back, there was one man that had his own personal vendetta against them and Chaz Phoenix. After Magners and News won, and with the implosion of The Syndicate, Chaz became more vicious than ever and took out all his frustration on Magners. Magners was only too happy to get a little crazy. From kendo sticks, steel chairs, hammers, plastic bags, tables, steel guard rails and even going through the entrance way at Uprising. These guys have been trying to kill each other. At Hell for Lycra XI, it's career vs career. Those were the cliff notes. Here is a video to illustrate the upcoming match.

SWE Heavyweight Championship Match

Scumbag vs Stallyon

#Scumbag Ian Ambrose vs Martyn Stallyon

Ian Ambrose enters his 7th month as SWE Champion and he'll be facing his long time rival Martyn Stallyon. At last years Hell for Lycra Ian Ambrose lost to Rob Cage in the SWE European Championship finals, the year before he won the Tag Team Championships with Sam Ross, only to have that moment taken away from him due to a reversal by previous owner Ted Dibiase. Ambrose will be looking to pick up a win and hold onto his championship while Stallyon looks to put on another 5 star match and take home the big one. The former Future Division Champion will expect nothing less that to walk out with the gold. I think this will be match of the night judging by their previous matches with each other and both of them always kicking into another gear at Hell for Lycra. 

There are only a few physical tickets remaining over at www.sweonline.co.uk/shop

Also on the 29^th August at the Queen’s Hotel in Dundee, there will be a special Q&A with some of the Legends that will be at the event. It’s £10 to enter but tickets are limited, The Queen’s Hotel is literally across the road from the Bonar Hall. You’ll have a chance to meet Road Warrior Animal, Dennis Stamp, Marty Jones and Johnny Saint.

I, for one, have been looking forward to this all year. It's a night where anything can happen and the venue will be packed. If you haven't got a ticket, best hurry, as they won’t be around for much longer. It always promises to have moments that you won’t forget like last years Nursery Krymes Match or the cage match one year prior. If you want to get into the Hell for Lycra mood, last years event is here

All graphics by Desire Lines Graphic Design

All videos from www.youtube.com/sweonlinetv

SWE Uprising Presents Seasons Beatings VI Review - Craig Hermit

The show kicked off with a great reception from fans, eager to see more from this organisation that has been growing in there fanbase from the past year's events.

The first match to kick off the show was a Handicap match seeing Johnny Lions vs Euan G Mackie & Jam O’Malley,   those who were excited to see Lions weren't disappointed by the display as he was in control of the match until Mackie blasted him with the ring hammer to the knee and then a following shot to the head from O’Malley with his cane took out Lions again leaving him defenceless, he was forced to submit as O'Malley executed the leglock.

Nikki Storm vs Debbie Sharp was up next. Storm seemed to channelling her inner Trish Stratus in this match, as the fans were clearly on the side side of Sharp. The fans worked hard to fire Sharp up and encourage her to go that extra mile, but it was Storm who was able to get the win after Debbie's high cross body off the top turnbuckle failed to connect, allowing Storm to hit her with the spinning neckbreaker. A credible match.

Braveheart arrived to the scorn of the fans and announced that every winner from tonight will compete in a soul survivor elimination match in the main event. A great addition to an already good card, the fans loved the idea knowing that the heels where 2-0 up already!

The cheers turned to boos again as Braveheart brought out his new security team, The Trident, the fans looked displeased as this new team looked like a copy of the WWE's The Shield. However, this new team under Bravehearts orders attacked Scotty Riccio, but one thing  to take from this angle was one of the members of the Trident performing an amazing 360 shooting star press on Riccio. A good angle, but more needs to be shown to fans that the Trident aren't just a carbon copy.

Chaz Phoenix vs Joe Hendry was next up, and it was clear that Phoenix was here to show dominance over Hendry, despite Hendry's agility in the ring. Phoenix was all business throughout the match to show why he should be a contender for the Heavyweight title, and a point proven when he made Hendry tap to the Texas Cloverleaf.

The SWE Heavyweight Championship match was next, 
Champion Damian O’Connor defending against Ian Ambrose, O'Connor was clearly the champion of the fans as well, as they rained cheers on him and scorn on Ambrose. Ambrose pulled all the stops to show why he was a threat to the Champion, the climax of the good match came when O'Connor accidentally hit the referee with his Brogue Kick and gave Ambrose the chance to hit him with the title belt, fans were in uproar as they couldn't bare to see there Champion defeated this way, but after a near fall O'Connor rallied to connect the Brogue Kick on Ambrose to get the pin and retain the SWE Heavyweight Championship.

Then it was Jason Costello vs Claymore. Costello did everything he could in this match to get under the skin of Claymore but the fans recognising this, repaid in kind by doing the same to him, and it showed as Claymore was in control of the match until after a nearfall. Claymore saw red, arguing with the referee, Costello got the pinfall by rollup.

Next was the Future Division Championship, (champion)Viper vs Sammii Jayne, a competitive match, with women proved why this division is one to watch for great wrestling. Viper showed the fans why she is their Champion by making Sammie Jay tap with the Boston Crab to retain the SWE Future Division Championship, and they were delighted to see their Champion win.

Martyn Stallyon vs Jackie Polo was next, Polo let the fans listen to his singing before the match, and they weren't impressed, both showed great skills and storytelling in the ring, Stallyon was able to get the pin on Polo after Polo connected with the exposed turnbuckle pad he tried to force Stallyon into, falling victim to the frog splash and the fans overjoyed he got the win.

Next was the Elimination match, based on the results before hand it would be 3 vs 4 Survivor Series rules,  Damian O’Connor, Viper & Martyn Stallyon vs Jam O’Malley, Nikki Storm, Jason Costello & Chaz Pheonix. Some great matches and feuds were made to tease the fans, as Costello and Stallyon started the battle, as the match continued, Phoenix pinned Stallyon then Viper pinned O'Malley and O'Connor beat Costello, the fans erupted as Viper battled Storm and on this occasion Viper got the pin, then Pheonix entered and showed no mercy to Viper, almost ready to tap to Pheonix in the boston crab, O'Connor hit Phoenix with the Brogue Kick for Viper to get the pin, leaving the Heavyweight and Future Champion the sole survivors.

As expected, Mr News appeared to picked his tag team partner, despite the threats from Braveheart, Mr News picked Steve Magners as his partner to face The Syndicate on January 25th at ‘Uprising’ much to the fans celebration that Magners returned

This was a great event, and the fans clearly enjoyed, and based on this night showing that this is one organisation to watch for the future.