Live Review: SWA Summer Blowout 2015

It was my first trip back to the Shropshire Wrestling Alliance since last year's Summer Blowout event (29th September 2014 - Review here) and it seemed like a lot had changed in that ten month period. A few new faces and few changes in alignment, but the one thing that hadn't changed was the strength of the card. With Mark Haskins battling Chuck Cyrus in the main event, as well as Chris Brookes, Chris Ridgeway, Dan Maloney, Damien Dunne, Eric Ryan, Pete Dunne, Ryan Smile, Will Ospreay and more on the show, could this one live up to expectations? Let's have a look.

Lord Graham Thomas opened the show after he was revealed to be our ring announcer for the evening, and after some banter with referee Paul Winstanley that went straight over my head it was into the first match of the night. 

One Fall Match

"The All Day Star" Ryan Smile 

vs. 

"Young & Bitter" Pete Dunne

This was never going to be a bad match, was it? These two have wrestled each other and been tag team partners all over the United Kingdom and into Europe over the last four or so years, and that could be seen in the match that they had. With only one real slip up throughout that was recovered very well, as Dunne turned Smile's slip on a head scissors attempt into a side slam, it was clear to see why Dunne and Smile have risen in the ranks around the UK over the last year or so. Smile's ridiculous suicide dive near the corner post was a highlight of the bout for me, with Smile almost flying completely over Dunne before landing on his feet.

Whilst the wrestling was sleek throughout, this bout was made on the strength of the characters. Smile coming out in a Flash body paint design, which looked incredible, and Dunne working his Young and Bitter persona that has come on and on over the last year. With The All Day Star's red body paint rubbing off on Dunne, it almost looked as if Dunne was allergic to Smile. Dunne having to use various parts of the ring to take control of the match, with a good sequence seeing Dunne repeatedly throwing Smile into the metal part of the turnbuckle on the outside, worked well, suiting the characters and allowing the match to tell a strong story. After some decent near falls, Smile picking up the win with his Smile High Frog Splash set the show off to a good start, with the crowd warmed up nicely.

One Fall Match

Nixon Newell 

vs. 

Toni Storm

A decent showing from these two, there seemed to be a strong in-ring chemistry, that developed nicely as the match progressed. A strong technical start, developed into a mainly pin-fall based match, with multiple pin-fall variations, with the two seemingly evenly matched inside the ring, highlighted by a spot that saw both deliver suicide dives to each other. Whilst the match seemed to have stepped into another gear with Toni throwing Nixon into the ringpost shoulder first, referencing Nixon's breaking her collar bone in their previous encounter, it was a shame to Nixon win with her variation of Beth Phoenix's Glam Slam, a move that would make use of the injured area.

It was time for the TLC match, with Lord Graham Thomas chatting away, as multiple tables, ladder and chairs were placed at ringside.

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the #1 Contendership to the SWA Championship.

Chris Brookes 

vs. 

Eric Ryan 

vs. 

"Number One" Damien Dunne 

vs. 

"Super Beast" Dan Maloney

Fun. Fun. Fun. And a bit more fun. This match was exactly what you'd want it to be, spots and spots and bloody silly spots. All four guys made good use of the gimmick, keeping the match flowing very quickly indeed, moving from one ridiculous move to the next. If the TLC gimmick wasn't enough, Eric Ryan decide to bring some more toys into the match, literally toys. With Lego strewn around the ring, there was a number of painful looking moves onto the miniature building blocks. Anyone who has even trod on Lego could surely imagine that pain that would come following a missed leg drop onto them or even worse, a tiger bomb!

CZW regular Eric Ryan stood out here, with a series of exciting moves that complemented the gimmick.. Putting a hell of a shift in throughout the match, his sequence with Damien Dunne, after the former had introduced the lego, was a hell of an exchange, with the idea of a one on one match between the two now being a mouth watering prospect. The move that won the match was just as impressive as Maloney the match was straight-up ridiculous as he was able to hit a Blue Thunderbomb off the top rope to Chris Brookes, sending him crashing through a table, before being able to retrieve the contract from the ceiling in a terrific climax to the contest. Maloney seems poised for big things in SWA (and around the country) and this victory cements his shift towards the top of the card.

After a quick jaunt to Costcutter it was time for the second half of the show! Or so it would seem, a cheeky raffle shocked us all, when ATPW was able to claim two tickets to SWA British Lions on October 31st.

One Fall Match

"The Aerial Assassin" Will Ospreay 

vs. 

"The Priority" Chris Ridgeway

This was the match that convinced me to buy a ticket, being a big fan of both Will Ospreay and Chris Ridgeway, I was looking forward to being able to see what the pair could do in the ring together. Often when I pick out a match in such a way, I leave disapointed, not because the match wasn't good, but because my expectations were too high. Luckily for me, that wasn't the case here, with Ospreay and Ridgeway gelling well in the ring to created a fast-paced offering, that had the fans in the palm of their hands throughout. 

If you've been checking ATPW's Facebook page recently you would have seen us share an exchange from this match. That exchanging ending in Ridgeway countering Ospreay's ace crusher attempt into a handstand, before delivering a kick to the chest for a near fall. The whole sequence was a blistering back and forth affair that raised the match into the next gear and would surely make even the most jaded of fans sit up and take notice. The ability to change the pace of the match and to know when to do so is an important one that both Ospreay and Ridgeway seemed to have a good grip on, with this sequence coming just at the right time.

Whilst it was a shame that a spot on the outside that saw Ospreay crack Ridgeway's fingers (a move that got a great reaction), seemed to be forgotton after a minute or so, the majority of the crowd couldn't have cared less, popping hard for the rest of the action and especially the near falls. Ospreay kicking out at one following a superkick and sunset flip from Ridgeway, was a nice moment that, and the crowd going nuts for Ospreay's subsequent kicks was even better, even if the Essex Destroyer attempt went a little awry. The Aerial Assassin picked up the win with a Spinal Tap to close a very good match, and pick up his first victory in the promotion.

One Fall Match

"The Star Attraction" Mark Haskins 

vs. 

"Mr. Massive" Chuck Cyrus

This match was way too long for what it was and seemed oddly placed in the main event slot on the card. The first ten minutes or so was rather slow, with the pair exchanging holds, which might have been okay had this not been Mark Haskin's debut for the promotion and the pair both seemingly working babyface. There was very little that held my attention in the first part of the bout, and those around where we were sitting seemed content to come up with various puns about how this supposedly "Massive Party" we were promised by Cyrus, wasn't much of a party at all. I mean, what kind of party doesn't even have balloons...or a cheese and pineapple hedgehog? 

That opening paragraph probably sounds a little harsh and I'm sure many who were in attendance will be shaking their heads in disagreement, because the second half of the match was rather good. Cyrus is genuinely impressive in the ring for a man of his size (although Massive may be an overstatement), with his Standing Moonsault and Standing Shooting Star Press especially showing some good agility. His multiple attempts at a Jackhammer also worked as a nice bit of story, leading a lovely deadlift version of the move that worked as a smashing false finish. 

With a strong pace towards the end, it was the more experienced Haskins who was able to pull out the victory, via submission with a Stretch Muffler. This came about after The Star Attraction had focused on Cyrus' knee for a short portion of the bout, including a dragon screw leg whip in the ropes. Cyrus sold the knee well for this time, but I'd have liked to have seen the injury inflicted a little earlier on, to give the finish a little less of an out of nowhere kind of feel. It seem as if Haskins would be working more a heel role for the promotion going forward thanks to the viciousness shown in the closing stages, against a clear fan favourite in SWA, making the after match handshake even more curious.

We had been promised an appearance from SWA Champion Joey Sanchez and his current manager Joanna Rose, and this came rather strangely after the match that appeared to be the main event. Joanna's promo cut straight through me, as she shouted her words at the microphone. Maybe the intention was to be annoying, but because of the shouting some of the words were lost for me. Essentially, Joanna called out SWA Owner Simon Brown, with a strange promo about Brown leaving the promotion, before Brown placed Sanchez in a title match with Big Mike Wild, who is apparently an SWA trainee.

One Fall Match for the SWA Championship

Big Mike Wild 

vs. 

Joey Sanchez (C)
with Joanna Rose

This was a weird match. I had never heard of Big Mike Wild before this match, he looks like Big Al Snow, which was picked up on quickly by some of the fans around us, with many wondering "Where oh where is Head?". Wild is clearly someone who is limited in the ring, and the match played to those limitations, consisting mainly of Wild hitting Sanchez with various forms of chop, including one to the back that sound like it had legitimately killed the champion. Even other SWA Academy members got involved on the chopping action, with the referee letting it go for reasons, and some of the members taking their involvement a little too seriously. Sanchez was able to retain his title, with a Codebreaker that almost certainly broke Wild's code, as he was unable to kick out. Not a great match by any stretch of the imagination but a match that did the best with what it had, and was thoroughly entertaining.

One Fall Match for the SWA Championship

"The All Day Star" Ryan Smile 

vs. 

Joey Sanchez (C)
with Joanna Rose

Of course, the show wasn't going to end with the Champion facing a Big Al Snow. It was all a rather clever set up for Ryan Smile to make his entrance to the ring (sans Flash paint) and cash-in a title shot that he won in the Gold Rush rumble in November. After a short exchange, Smile captured the title with a Smile High, getting a fantastic reaction as the fans stormed the ring. The moment felt truly special for the company, with every fan in attendance seemingly jumping to their feet for both Smile's entrance and subsequent victory. Smile's speech following the bout closed the show off with a real sense of purpose for the promotion going forward. 

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.14

Another strong showing from the Shropshire Wrestling Alliance. Ryan Smile capturing the title and the fans reaction for that title match stand out as the best moment of the show, for the sheer emotion that those fans emanated. It's clear that those who attend SWA on a regular basis, truly appreciate the work that wrestlers and everyone involved with SWA put into the show and this came shining through when Smile won the title. It's a close  call for the Match of the Night however between the Four Way TLC bout and Ridgeway vs. Ospreay with both matches offering something different and both having different reasons for being worthy of taking the MOTN.

There wasn't a bad match on the show, even the Wild vs. Sanchez match that could have been a mess, worked well for what it was, with the pair clearly aware of what was needed and what they could do together in the ring. I very much look forward to return trip to Dawley (which is great) in October and I hope to see you there.

You find out more about SWA on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on the links.

SWA Summer Blowout Review

It's been a while since I've reviewed any British wrestling, so I thought I'd returned with a double header of excitement. Kicking of said double header, will be a look at Shropshire Wrestling Alliance's Summer Blowout show, presented on 29th September 2014 at Dawley Town Hall in Dawley (which is great).

The venue itself was superb, with the shape of the room and height of the ceiling, providing some great acoustics for the loud crowd. Although, calling this crowd simply loud feels like I'm doing them a disservice. This was perhaps the loudest wrestling crowd from start to finish I have ever had the pleasure to be a part of. There was no lull in this crowds enthusiasm and it certainly gave the performers in the ring a great soundscape to work with.

Let's take a look at the matches then...

Match 1 - 

Damian Dunne (C) vs. Mark Andrews 

for the British Lions Championship

The show kicked off with Damian Dunne defending the British Lions Championship against Mark Andrews. This match worked very well as an opening contest, with the two guys giving just enough of a taste of what they can do in the ring to get the crowd warmed up for the rest of the evening.
The wrestling throughout the match was clean and crisp, with Dunne spending a lot of the earlier stages of the match working over Andrews arm. Andrews was effective whilst working from underneath, as always he is an instantly likeable babyface so seeing him cut off everytime he attempt to make a comeback, meant that when he finally get in some sustained offence the crowd was red hot. It certainly helps that Andrews has one of the most exciting movesets in British wrestling, when you can pull out Super Hurracanranas and Standing Shooting Star Presses with ease, you're always going to get a great reaction. 

The finish saw the dastardly Dunne distract the referee with the championship belt, allowing him to hit a low blow on Andrews, rolling him up to get the three count and retain the title. A solid finish to the match, unfortunately I felt the referee took a little too long to turn around and make the three count, meaning Andrews was down for a very long time. It was a little disappointing to see the earlier work on the arm not come back into play, but I'd certainly like to see what these two could do in a main event, compared to this opener.

Simon Brown suspends Damage, Joey Sanchez Open Challenge

I spent the entire of this segment, completely and utterly confused. That's partly my own fault for not being familiar with storyline and the wrestlers involved, but the poor PA system and talent speaking to closely to the mic. From what I deciphered General Manager Simon Brown suspended wrestler Damage for attacking an official on a previous show, whilst Joey Sanchez issued an "Open Challenge" to G John Chase. Less of an open challenge, more of a.....erm.....challenge. G John Chase then came out an made it a Gauntlet match, with Sanchez' first opponent being Chase' new client. It's difficult to really say if this was a good segment or not, or even if the promos were any good, because I just couldn't hear what was being said! 

Match 2 

Sebastian Radclaw vs. Marshall X vs. Robert Rochester Rose

Before this match started, Sebastian Radclaw got on the mic to explain the history of his valet, a cuddly toy by the name of Skat Monkey. I really like Radclaw's character, but after the previous lengthy talking segment I found myself switching off from what was happening as Marshall X turned to attempt to steal Skat Monkey. Again the segment was hurt by the PA, I was relieved when Robert Rochester Rose came out to put an end to it. 

This match never really clicked for me, for a number of reasons. Firstly, Marshall using Skat Monkey directly in front of the referee made absolutely no sense, especially when there was an extra man in the ring to create a distraction for the referee. Secondly, Rose added very little to the match, his moves were a little sloppy and he only hit a few of them anyway. Personally, I think this match would have been far better off as a singles match between Radclaw and Marshall X.

Radclaw went on to pick up the victory with a roll up on Rose, hopefully this will lead to a bout between Radclaw and Marshall X later on down the line, as I think the two characters could work very well together if given the opportunity. 

Match 3

The Vulture Squad vs Second City Collective 

The first half main event began with...more talking. I understood why Ryan Smile was explaining the importance and background of this contest, I just could have done without it following on from one long talking segment, and the previous match that included a lot of talking. Credit to Smile who managed to come through quite clearly however, as he held the mic a little further from his face. 

However, once Pete Dunne hit Nixon Newell with a strong forearm to the face to open the match, things really got going as the four competitors put on an exciting tag team bout. The in-ring action was technically sound, with a real intensity and depth to it, especially when Nixon and Dunne were in the ring together. The action was well paced, building nicely to each moment, with a good array of tag team moves like The Vulture Squad's Camel Clutch/Front Kick combination, and solo efforts like Smile's early Tope Conhilo.

Dunne spent a long time working Nixon's knee, which seemed to simply be a way of building for a hot tag to start with, so I was very happy to see it factor into the finish of the match, which saw Dunne kick Nixon in the knee and slap on a Texas Cloverleaf. Nixon did manage to make it to the ropes, but with the referee down he unable to stop Dunne dragging Nixon back into the centre of the ring for the submission victory, just after the ref came to. Big thumbs up from me on this finish, and with the teams now level on one a piece I certainly wouldn't say no to a rematch.

The dynamic of Dunne and Ryan Smile as a tag team was an interesting one, with Dunne working as an out and out heel, whilst Smile worked more of a tweener role. This idea could have fallen flat on it's face, but the Birmingham two pulled it off very well. As with another rematch, I'm intrigued to see where this partnership leads, it's certainly grabbed my attention.

Match 4

Joey Sanchez vs. Marc Morgan with G John Chase

Following the interval, G John Chase brought out his newest client, Marc Morgan to be Joey Sanchez's opponent. It was my first time seeing both Sanchez and Morgan and I have to say I was impressed. 

After some work on the outside before the bell rang, including a nasty looking baking tray shot to Morgan's head, the match settled into a strong storytelling bout. The psychology was spot on, as Morgan spent the entire match focused on Sanchez's arm. Things were kept interesting with some really nice offence from Morgan including an Old School transitioned into a Leg Lariat focused on the arm! A number of times Sanchez would attempt to fight back, only for Morgan to land another move on the arm. This would lead Sanchez getting caught in a Crossface, who managed to hold on despite Chase holding the ropes away from him. 

With Sanchez seemingly gaining an upperhand with Morgan in a Sharpshooter, Chase distracted the referee, allowing a mystery man to run in and attack Sanchez and allow Morgan to pick up the victory. Another strong finish that advanced the storyline, as the mystery man was revealed to have joined Chase's stable alongside Morgan and Damage. I couldn't make out the name of the attacker on the night, but it would turn out to be Darvien Vayne, another name new to me. 

Sanchez gets extra points for continue to sell the arm injury for the rest of the night, including when coming out sing "Happy Birthday" to young fan at ringside. It was something he didn't particularly have to do, but to those fans sitting directly opposite him as we were, the slight winch when clapping his hands was the icing on the cake. 

Any review of this match would be incomplete without a mention to perhaps the greatest piece of heckling there has ever been at a wrestling show. With Sanchez gaining an advantage, some fine chap, belted out the words "Thunderfuck him" in reference to Morgan. I have no idea what "Thunderfuck" means, but whoever it was that shouted it out, I will find you and I will shake your hand for reducing grown men to giggling like girls for the majority of the car ride home.

Match 5 - 

Dan Maloney vs. Edwards

Before this show, I had never heard of Edwards, let alone seen him wrestle. But that wasn't the case for the crowd in Dawley Town Hall, who gave him a terrific pop upon his entrance. He's certainly doing something right here. 

The match was a lot of fun and a nice change of pace from the previous contest, mostly made up of a brawl on the outside, before the bell, including the use of a mop, an ice bucket and at one point a small child, in what became known as "child slam gate". 

Bell to bell, the bout was relatively short, as Edwards hit a Rock Bottom and Swantom Bomb, which Maloney no sold, before hitting a Lariat to pick up the pin fall victory. Whilst I understand the reasons behind having Maloney no sell the Swanton Bomb, a move like this from a man the size of Edwards shouldn't have been brushed off in such a fashion, it makes it very hard to suspend disbelief in such situations. 

Match 6

Tyler Bate vs. Jay LethalFor The ROH World Television Championship

What a terrific match this was. It's not often that single match is worth the admission price alone, but this certainly was. 

Face vs Face matches have the potential to be very flat, but the crowd split nicely between the two, including some electric duelling chants. The wrestlers returned the favour keeping a good pace throughout the bout, which went back and forth with a number of impressive reversals and sequences. 

Lethal certainly wasn't turning up expecting an easy payday either, delivering some loud chops to Bate early on in the match, with Bate giving as good as he got. The match built nicely towards it's finish, with Lethal attempting to hit his Lethal Injection finisher a number of times, with Bate coming up with some inventive reversals, including a Reverse Aeroplane spin which got a nice pop out of the crowd. 

When it's clear that one wrestler is going to win, it can be very difficult to get a crowd invested in the false finishes. Therefore, it's a credit to both involved that the false finishes were so good, that the crowd, including myself, were completely and utterly invested with everything they did in the ring. The false finishes came thick and fast towards the end, and at times I was convinced Bate was walking out with the title, especially following a Yakuza Kick into Sitout Powerbomb combination. 

When Lethal did pick up the win, via Lethal Injection, the crowd was on their feet, applauding the sublime performance the two men put in. The crowd getting in the ring to lift Bate into the air is one of the strongest visuals I've seen at a show. Bate might have lost here, but it's a loss that has elevated with the SWA ranks, and in the eyes of the fans. 

 For a 17 year old, to be able to step into the ring with a man of Lethal's calibre and not look out of place is a testament just how far Bate has come in the last year. Has there been a more complete wrestler at such a young age?

Finally...

The most important question following a wrestling show is "Would I go to this promotion again?" and the answer here would be a resounding yes. From the incredible crowd and venue to the top notch main event, I was entertained for the majority of the show. Whilst there was a few problem with the PA and maybe a bit too much talking in the first half, for £6 it was more than value for money. 

Thanks for reading, if you'd like to know more about ATPW, check out our Facebook and Twitter pages.