Wrestle Ropes' Ready for the Weekend: July 2016 Week Three - VII Pro, NGW & FSW (Andy Scotland)

It's that time once again when we take a look at all the wrestling goodness that is about to come our way over the next few days. This week we shall be travelling to Telford on Friday before moving on to Hull on Saturday and finally ending the weekend on Sunday in Stockport. Let's get Ready For The Weekend!

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We start our wrestling weekend on Friday night as VII Pro Wrestling will be at the Dawley Town Hall in Telford for Summer Blowout 2016. 

The show will see the crowning of a new number one contender to the British Lions Championship which is currently held by Chris Brookes. The match will be a fatal four-way contest between Dan Moloney, Chris Ridgeway, Damian Dunne and Drew Parker. All four men are worthy challengers to the British Lions Championship and a clear victor is very uncertain. The winner of this match will probably not come down to just pure skills but rather a combination of that skill and opportunity. Regardless of the winner, Brookes has a challenge coming his way in the near future. 

Another man who is in possession of an opportunity is 'The Bruiserweight' Pete Dunne. This Friday in Telford, the current holder of the VIIth Heaven contract will be in singles action against Travis Banks. Banks is very similar in style to Dunne as in they both hit really hard! Not many many can equal Dunne for his strikes and power but Banks may be one of the few. Dunne shall want to continue his winning ways ahead of his inevitable contract cash-in whenever that may be. Banks on the other hand shall be looking to score a win not only over the VIIth Heaven contract holder but one of the top talents in the UK today. 

The main event at Summer Blowout came about after Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos of CCK attacked the VII Pro Champion; 'All Day Star' Ryan Smile at the conclusion of Final Inception in April. Since then Smile has been in a rage and has demanded that he face both men this Friday. VII Pro granted Smile the match with the understanding that he have a tag team partner. Smile accepted and found himself a tag team partner in the 2016 New Japan Pro Wrestling Best Of The Super Juniors winner, 'The Aerial Assassin' Will Ospreay. Smile and Ospreay have battled each other in the past but now they join forces to fight the CCK duo, under the tag team name, The Uptown Funkers.

Match Card

The Uptown Funkers (‘All Day Star’ Ryan Smile & ‘The Aerial Assassin’ Will Ospreay) vs CCK (‘Calamari Catch King’ Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos)

Travis Banks vs ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne

Tyler Bate vs Wild Boar

Nixon Newell vs Alex Windsor

British Lions Championship Number One Contender – Fatal Four-Way

Dan Moloney vs Chris Ridgeway vs Damian Dunne vs Drew Parker

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Moving on to Saturday and the Hull City Hall will be the venue for New Generation Wrestling's The Eight Year Anniversary event. This show is going to change the future of NGW as a number of matches with big consequences have been announced. 

Firstly, the long running rivalry between El Ligero and Dara Diablo looks to come to an end when the two look to end things in a Last Man Standing match. These men who were former tag team champions together have been at odds for months with each man attacking the other at various points. However, now things have gotten to a point that this cannot continue and has to be settled with only one man being able to walk away. To end this, both men will have to probably go further than they ever have before and ensure they are the last man standing in Hull. 

This Saturday will also see the return of the Davey Boy Smith Cup tournament. The Eight Year Anniversary event will see the first match of the tournament take place when 'The Bruiserweight' Pete Dunne faces 'Liverpool’s No.1' Zack Gibson. Gibson won the inaugural cup tournament and was therefore ineligible to be a part of this tournament. However, the Hart-Smith family has decided that Gibson could participate in the open invitational. Gibson shall be looking to show that he is still the number one in this tournament regardless of being ineligible while a win for Dunne over the last winner would send a huge message to everyone involved in the second installment of The Davey Boy Smith Cup. 

Finally the landscape of NGW will be changed this Saturday and the war between The Control and Team NGW comes to a head in an 8-man tag team match. The Control's Rampage Brown, Caz Crash, Sam Wilder and a fourth competitor shall face Matt Myers, El Ligero, Liam Slater and the current NGW Undisputed Champion; Nathan Cruz. These men have all fought against each other for a long time. This time the stakes have been raised to the highest they can be. If Team NGW win on Saturday The Control will disband. If The Control walk away the winners, then they will take possession of the NGW Undisputed Championship. While difficult to choose the winning side of this match, two factors could come into play in who wins. One is the unknown fourth member of The Control's team after Mark Haskins was forced to withdraw after not being cleared to compete. The second is the fact that Ligero and Myers will be competing for the second time in one night as both men have other matches earlier in the night which is bound to have an effect on "The Mexican Sensation". A lot of variables in this match which will decided how NGW continues after Saturday.

Match Card

8-Man Tag Team – If Team NGW Wins, The Control Disband. If The Control Wins, They Take The NGW Undisputed Championship

The Control (Rampage Brown, ???, Caz Crash & Sam Wilder) vs Team NGW (‘The Showstealer’ Nathan Cruz, ‘The Amazing’ Matt Myers, ‘The Mexican Sensation’ El Ligero & Liam Slater)

GEN:X Championship

Bubblegum (c) vs ‘The Amazing’ Matt Myers

Last Man Standing

‘The Mexican Sensation’ El Ligero vs Dara Diablo

The Davey Boy Smith Cup II Tournament Open Invitational

‘Liverpool’s No.1’ Zack Gibson vs ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne

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Finally we round of the wrestling weekend in Stockport at the Guild Hall with Futureshock Wrestling Uproar 89. Another stacked night of action from FSW looks to be on the cards here. 

The first match that was announced for the event included a debut as Little Miss Roxxy makes her first appearance for the promotion when she faces former FSW Women's Champion, April Davids. LMR is a fiery competitor and would love a win on her debut. However she is facing probably one of the most dangerous women in wrestling today in the shape of Davids. The former champion made her return to FSW a few months ago and instantly showed her dominance. At Underground #17 in June, Davids choked Violet Vendetta unconscious after their match. LMR will be aware that she shall have to bring her A-game if she is to avoid a similar fate this Sunday. 

Also at Underground #17, Zack Gibson and his partner, Cyanide, managed to steal a win from T-Bone and Rampage Brown after Gibson hit T-Bone with a steel chain. That may turn out to be an action that Gibson lives to regret as FSW have announced that Gibson will be defending his FSW Championship against Brown at Uproar 89. Brown is an aggressive heavyweight at the best of times, but now Gibson has angered him even more with his actions the last time they were in a ring together. Gibson may indeed have a talent for winning matches in any way he can, but will that talent be enough to curb the rage and power that Brown will undoubtedly bring with him in Stockport. 

This Sunday will see another debut as The New Nation's Alexander Henry and Jason Prime will be in action against Don Meacho and Ryan Hendricks of The Uprising. Meacho and Hendricks have been long time players in the FSW tag team division through both talent and cunning actions. New Nation on the other hand have been appearing all over the UK making an impact and they come to FSW with the same goal in mind. The Uprising shall be looking to prove that what has happened in the past won't be happening in the Future(shock) when both teams compete at Uproar 89. Will New Nation show why they're such a hit all over the UK or will The Uprising be a roadblock that New Nation stumble over at the first opportunity?

Match Card

Futureshock Championship

Rampage Brown vs ‘Liverpool’s No.1’ Zack Gibson (c)

Adrenaline Championship

Sam Bailey vs James Drake (c)

Little Miss Roxxy vs April Davids

Sexy Kev vs Mark Massa

T-Bone vs ‘Deadly’ Damon Leigh

The New Nation (Alexander Henry & Jason Prime) vs The Uprising (Don Meacho & Ryan Hendricks)

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 4 - VII Pro, OTT & PROGRESS

This week we are not only crossing borders, we are crossing water. Firstly we are heading back to Telford for VII Pro Wrestling. Then we head across the Irish Sea to Dublin for Over The Top Wrestling before finally travelling to London for another sold out PROGRESS Wrestling event, Let's get Ready For The Weekend!

friday

vii pro final inception

telford, shropshire, england

Kicking off the weekend and VII Pro Wrestling shall be hosting their 'Final Inception' event at the Dawley Town Hall in Telford. The show will see the first VIIth Heaven Ladder match with Pete Dunne, Morgan Webster, Nixon Newell, Dan Moloney and Chris Ridgeway all in the ring at the same time with the goal of reaching the contract hanging over the ring which shall allow the winner to choose any championship match, at any time of their choosing. All five competitors would be worthy challengers to any championship. But only the one who wants it most will walk away with the contract. Back in November 2015, VII Pro Wrestling held their trifecta trophy tournament which saw The Bruiserweights and The YOLO Squad meet as part of the final. Well since then, these two teams have had on-going issues. The next chapter of their saga looks set to take place this Friday when The Bruiserweights' CJ Banks and Wild Boar will face Ethan Silver & Drew Parker of YOLO Squad. This feud has been back and forth for almost six months. Something has got to give at some point. It might be this Friday in Telford. The main event for April 22nd shall see the VII Pro Champion and British Lions Champion meet one on one. Ryan Smile and Chris Brookes are the top two in VII Pro Wrestling even if their paths to get there have been very different. Smile has taken on all challenges and walked out with his head held high. Brookes on the other hand has resorted to doing anything he can to ensure he remains champion. While no titles will be on the line this Friday, the bragging rights to claim you are the top champion is worthy almost as much.

final inception match card

*Champion Vs Champion*

‘All Day Star’ Ryan Smile vs Chris Brookes

*VIIth Heaven Briefcase Ladder Match – Winner Earns A Championship Match At A Time Of Their Choosing Within 12 Months*

‘Young & Bitter’ Pete Dunne vs ‘Smashmouth’ Chris Ridgeway vs Nixon Newell vs ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster vs ‘SuperBeast’ Dan Moloney

*Singles*

Liberty vs Toni Storm

*Tag Team*

The Bruiserweights (CJ Banks & Wild Boar) vs The YOLO Squad (Drew Parker & Ethan Parker)

*Tag Team*

‘Number One’ Damian Dunne vs Tyler Bate

saturday

ott better than our best

dublin, ireland

Moving on to Saturday and we turn our attention to not only a promotion we've never covered but also a country we've never featured before. On April 23rd, Over The Top Wrestling are that their home of the Tivoli Theatre in Dublin with 'Better Than Our Best: Return Of The Assassin'. The main event for the evening shall see Ryan Smile and Will Ospreay make their tag team debut. They demanded that they face the best that OTT can give them and they certainly get their wish as they'll be facing Pete Dunne and the OTT No Limits Champion; Luther Ward. While Dunne and Ward may be the very best in OTT, they are not the best of friends as they have been fighting for the Championship in recent times after Dunne turned on Ward in a previous match. We'll need to see if they can work together once again to face a team looking to make immediate impact in Dublin. A number of months ago, Gerry Humperdink told Justin Shape that if he and his fellow Gymnasties team-mates could win three matches in a row then they would be granted a championship match. They have so far won two matches. The third match could well be the toughest though as Shape shall be facing Dunkan Disorderly who is on a winning streak right now. Not only will The Gymnasties' championship opportunity disappear if Justin Shape loses but so will Shape's beard as it has been confirmed that will be on the line as well this Saturday. At OTT's last event, Jinny made her debut with a a win against Martina. Now the loss would have been bad enough for Martina except Jinny didn't stop there and took it upon herself to ridicule not only her opponent by everyone in attendance. Now Martina wants some sort of retribution. So she has called upon her friend, Nixon Newell who shall join her to face Jinny and the returning Katey Harvey. Jinny will no doubt be looking to repeat her win from March against Martina. However she may have a small issue in the fact that Katey Harvey has made it known that she's out to prove she's the most dominant female in Ireland. And that might not sit well will Jinny.

better than our best match card

*Tag Team*

Luther Ward & ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne vs ‘All Day Star’ Ryan Smile & ‘The Aerial Assasin’ Will Ospreay

*Tag Team*

‘Session Moth’ Martina & ‘The Welsh Destroyer’ Nixon Newell vs Katey Harvey & ‘The Knightbridge Fashionista’ Jinny

*Singles*

Charlie Garrett vs Jordan Devlin

*The Beard Vs The Streak*

Justin Shape vs Dunkan Disorderly

sunday
progress chapter 29: practically progress in every way
london, england

Finally we wrap up the wrestling weekend with another sold out show for PROGRESS Wrestling at the Electric Ballroom in London. PROGRESS always deliver on their events and this one shall be no different. It'll also be rather special as this show will feature two qualifying matches for the WWE Global Cruiserweight Series which shall be airing on the WWE Network later this year. The first qualifying match will see Zack Sabre Jr face Flash Morgan Webster while Jack Gallagher shall face Pete Dunne in the second contest. Both matches would be a perfect fit for PROGRESS Wrestling regardless of their major meaning for the winners. This Sunday shall also see the continuation of the Atlas Championship tournament for PROGRESS' brand-new championship. The tournament is a round-robin style with two groups of four men. The winner of each group will meet in the final for the championship. The two matches that are kicking of Group B give us a glimpse of the calibre of matches we are going to see over the next few months with Joe Coffey and Rampage Brown going one on one while Michael Dante faces Damo O'Connor on April 23rd. The person who does eventually win this championship is going to have earned every piece of it. The main event this Sunday shall see Marty Scurll face Tommy End in a rematch from Chapter 28. The big difference this time is that Scurll's PROGRESS Championship will be on the line. At Chapter 28, Scurll refused to defend his championship. However, PROGRESS ensured that 'The Villain' did compete as he was scheduled for an open challenge. When End answered, Scurll was not best pleased. He was even less pleased after End knocked him out and pinned the champion. Such a big win over the champion put End as the next in line for a title shot and he'll get it this Sunday. If their last meeting is repeated then End could be walking out of the Electric Ballroom as the new PROGRESS Champion.

chapter 29: practically progress in every way match card

*PROGRESS Championship*

‘The Villian’ Marty Scurll (c) vs ‘Anti-Hero’ Tommy End

*Natural Progress Series Final*

Pastor William Eaver vs Damon Moser

*Atlas Championship Tournament – Group B*

Damo O’Connor vs Michael Dante

*Atlas Championship Tournament – Group B*

‘Iron Man’ Joe Coffey vs Rampage Brown

*Pick Your Opponent’s Partner*

Pollyanna & ??? vs ??? & Dahlia Black

*8-Man Tag Team*

F.S.U (‘White Lightning’ Mark Andrews & ‘The Pride Of Wales’ Eddie Dennis) & The London Riots (Rob Lynch & James Davis) vs The Origin (‘The Showstealer’ Nathan Cruz, ‘The Mexican Sensation’ El Ligero, ‘The Bastard’ Dave Mastiff & ‘Liverpool’s No.1’ Zack Gibson)

*WWE Global Cruiserweight Series Qualifier*

Zack Sabre Jr vs Flash Morgan Webster

*WWE Global Cruiserweight Series Qualifier*

‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne vs Jack Gallagher

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!

Live Event Review: VII Pro A New Genesis (Dickinson vs. Smile *VII Pro Championship*)

On 26th February 2016, VII Pro Wrestling presented their first show of 2016, A New Genesis, at Dawley Town Hall, Dawley, Telford, England. The show featured Ryan Smile defending the VII Pro Championship against Beyond Wrestling regular Chris Dickinson and Chuck Cyrus teaming with the debuting Kelly Sixx to tackle Dan Moloney and Wild Boar as The Facesmashers had their first match as team outside of Fight Club: Pro...but was it any good? Let's find out. 

a new genesis match card

Match 1 - Tag Team - Yolo Squad vs. "Flash" Morgan Webster & "The Ginger Jesus" Mike Bird

Match 2 - Singles - Jinny vs. Dahlia Black

Match 3 - VII Pro British Lions Championship - "The Calamari Catch King" Chris Brookes (C) vs. "White Lightning" Mark Andrews

Match 4 - Tag Team - The Facesmashers vs. "Mr. Massive" Chuck Cyrus & Kelly Sixx

Match 5 - Singles - "Number One" Damian Dunne vs. TK Cooper

Match 6 - VII Pro Championship - "The Dirty Daddy" Chris Dickinson vs. "The All Day Star" Ryan Smile 

fast-forward...A slightly awkward intro the show from announcer Paul Winstaley lead us into the first action of the night...

the yolo squad defeat morgan webster and mike bird

A cracking opening to the show, as Drew Parker and Ethan Silver of the Yolo Squad went over Morgan Webster and Mike Bird in a well put together tag bout. Parker took on the face in peril role here, after an extended period of shine for the Squad, seemingly playing off their experience as a team as opposed to the newly formed Webster and Bird duo. Bird taking on more of a comedy heel role and shouting in a strong Welsh accent "What are you doing, Webster?" played off this idea nicely. The Dawley crowd was loud from the very beginning getting behind the teenage duo, as Bird & Webster used a cacophony of heel tactics to take and then remain in control of Parker. A particular highlight involved Webster using his jacket to cover Parker's face and allow Bird to take advantage. 

Whilst Webster and Bird have been known to pull out flashy offence, they kept things pretty simple here, meaning that when Parker managed to tag in Silver, the crowd was red hot for his exciting series of moves. It had been a while since I'd gotten to see the Yolo Squad in action, and I was impressed with just how much they have improved over the last twelve months. Their offence looked a lot crisper, and they both seemed much more comfortable playing to the crowd. They've developed a lot of sweet tag moves as well, that work well with their current characters. A Samoan Driver/Double Stomp combination, with the Stomp transitioning into a hurricanrana on the other opponent was particularly impressive. By the time the Yolo Squad had picked up the victory with a Double Stomp/Neckbreaker combination, all four men had produced a satisfying opening contest, that had the crowd hooked throughout, but somehow I still felt like they'd only just scratched the surface of what they could do together. 

jinny defeats dahlia black

Now would be the moment to say that I love the crowd that turns up at the Dawley Town Hall. Two debuting wrestlers here could have lead to an awkward silence, as I've seen in other promotions across the country, but luckily that's not Dawley's bag and they gave Jinny and Dahlia Black a lot of noise throughout. That isn't to say that these women didn't put up a solid contest, because they really did, rising up to match the crowd, in a physical and character-based encounter. Jinny has her snobby fashionista character completely nailed, and was continually talking throughout the match, either to the crowd or her opponent, clearly getting across her persona to a new audience. It was interesting to see Dahlia as a protagonist after seeing her at PROGRESS in Manchester a few weeks ago as TK Cooper's distinctly annoying girlfriend and tag team partner, and whilst I found her ever so slightly generic here, it worked for the family crowd. Slightly short, but with plenty of action, Jinny picked up the win with a Rope Hung Sitout Facebuster, following an eye poke. I think most of Telford would agree with me when I say that I hope both women are bought back by the promotion in the near future, with clashes among VII Pro's previously used talent like Nixon Newell, Toni Storm and Lana Austin going towards creating a strong women's division.

chris brookes defeats mark andrews to retain the vii pro british lions championship

Despite working together in various promotions across Europe since 2013, this was surprisingly the first collision between current VII Pro British Lions Champion and TNA star Mark Andrews. First encounters can be a bit hit and miss, sometimes matches that have potential fall short due to a duo's unfamiliarity with each other. However, that wasn't the case here as Brookes and Andrews found some good chemistry in the ring, meshing their different styles together to create a pleasing first half main event that once again had the Dawley crowd whipped into a frenzy. The opening set the stage for what was to come, with Brookes gaining good heat by threatening to walk out, and continued stalling, whilst also stopping Andrews hitting any of his exciting moveset. With Brookes continually denying fans the visual feast and frustrating the crowd even more, it was a shame that when Andrews did hit a version of the skateboard hurricanrana he's been using on TNA television recently, that it didn't quite come off as well as it could've. 

However, White Lightning is one of the best babyfaces on the circuit at the moment and continued to show this throughout the match, with some terrific selling, as Brookes spent a long spell of action in control. Because of this it's easy to empathise with the Cardiff native and once you've bought into his effort to fight back, you get rewarded with some great high-flying offense. Whilst Mandrews comeback was well done, it was once the pair began exchanging reversals that things reached their peak for me, with a standout moment seeing Andrews turning a suplex attempt into a stunner and also escaping Brookes' Michonoku Driver attempt. After a superb false finish saw Andrews miss a Shooting Star Press before Brookes successfully hit a Michonoku Driver, the closing moments saw Andrews tap out to an Octopus Stretch. Brookes had earlier locked the move in whilst the TNA star was in the ropes, so this was satisfying close to the clash, that bolsters Brookes fledgling run with the British Lions Championship. A great end to the first half. 

the facesmashers defeat chuck cyrus and kelly sixx

Most of my feelings around this match come down to the fact that I find the "Mr. Massive" gimmick to be really, really, annoying. Perhaps, this would be awesome if he was a heel and I'd be able to hurl abuse at him, but as a babyface, I find him almost unbearable to watch. There was a spot in this one where Cyrus went for a suicide dive, only to pretend to be stuck between the top and middle ropes, because he's "massive" and then had to be helped out by Sixx. I'm not sure if this spot went over well with the rest of the crowd as I was too busy cringing my balls off. The things is, when Cyrus was actually wrestling, he's seems to be pretty damn good at what he does. His move-set is sweet, he hit a nice dead lift suplex and a silly, Undertaker-style dive over the top rope, and he also worked hard to produce some cool tag sequences in his first outing alongside Kelly Sixx. 

I've praised Dan Moloney and Wild Boar as team in Fight Club: Pro before, so it was pleasing to see bring their team to Dawley and continue to perform well, under the new team moniker, The Facesmashers. They worked well as the no-nonense side of the contest, initially battering Sixx with strikes and power moves. Moloney continues to develop his character and managed to get more than a chuckle by heckling Sixx with this gem..."I had girlfriend called Kelly once...she was a bitch" The fact that Moloney shouted it while he and Boar were delivering a vicious beating made it even better. The duo dominated the closing stages, with Boar taking Cyrus out with cannonball in the corner, before delivering a package piledriver to Sixx, who eventually submitted to a painful looking hold, whilst Moloney continued to stomp away. They ended up looking like a force to reckoned with, within the promotion, even if this bout felt a tad too long for the characters involved.

tk cooper defeats damian dunne

It wasn't a huge surprise to see TK Cooper answer Damian Dunne's open challenge, after Dahlia Black had been on the card earlier in the night, but the two did put decent short contest together. The crowd seemed to take to Cooper straight away, as he got in the arrogant Dunne's face and pulled out a lot of impressive offence. It helped that Dunne had previously cut a strong heel promo on the crowd, as well being a regular antagonist at Dawley Town Hall. The pop when Cooper managed to get himself a victory, after countering Dunne's springboard codebreaker finish with a jackknife cover was one of the biggest of the night, as I'm sure most in attendance had expected Dunne to win his own open challenge. Having seen Cooper play both sides of the coin at PROGRESS and now VII Pro, I'll definitely be looking out for him on future cards across the country as I feel I've only just started to see what he can do. Cooper has the potential to be capable of much more if given the right opportunity.

ryan smile defeats chris dickinson to retain the vii pro championship

After taking a little while to bed in, the main event of the evening developed into a high quality encounter. I felt like Ryan Smile had to carry the first few minutes of the match, as the crowd was mostly unfamiliar with Beyond Wrestling's Chris Dickinson, being mostly made up of families. Smile remained very entertaining to watch throughout this period, keeping the crowd engaged well. After an early tope conhilo from Smile, in which it seemed Dickinson dropped The All Day Star, lead to Smile coming crashing onto the hard wooden floor with a thud, the two looked to gel much better within the ring and crafted an enjoyable narrative. With a mostly power vs. speed type vibe, Dickinson naturally stepped in a more heel role, with the crowd getting behind their regular and Smile taking a beating from the American star. A reverse boston crab with hard kicks to the back from The Dirty Daddy was the move that made me sit up and take notice. 

In the final third of the contest the action shifted, lifting into a ridiculous pace and with lots of stuff going on. After the referee was knocked down, there were run ins from Dan Moloney, Dahlia Black, Chris Brookes, Ethan Silver, Jinny, TK Cooper and Damian Dunne, who subsequently took out one another, before Dickinson hit a crucifix powerbomb on Dunne over the top rope and onto everyone else at ringside. It was Attitude Era-esque silliness that had the crowd going bananas for each and every run-in. If that wasn't enough, Smile then climbed the stage set-up and leapt off it onto everyone below. At this point I didn't care much for the reasoning behind it or if the run ins didn't particularly make much sense, I was too busy having a bloody good time and it looked like everyone else was as well! After The All Day Star and The Dirty Daddy ran through a series of reversals and big moves, it was Smile who retained his title escaping a Crucifix Powerbomb attempt and getting the win with a roll up to cap of a match that grew into a very good and extremely entertaining main event. 

finally...

atpw scale rating - 5.98/10 

I don't think I've ever came away from an event at Dawley Town Hall without feeling thoroughly entertained and of course, this show was no different. The crowd is always up for some wrestling, with a strong family presence and a building that seems to amplify the sound better than pretty much any other I've been in. This was helped out by some quality wrestling action provided throughout the show. For me, Ryan Smile and Chris Dickinson's main event was the best match of the evening (exactly as it should be as a main event) and the two stepped up to the plate in their first encounter, as well as being helped out by a fun run-in sequence. I also wouldn't argue with you, if you preferred Mark Andrews and Chris Brookes' British Lions title bout. Jinny, Dahlia Black and TK Cooper also all seemed to impress on their debuts, whilst the tag team division was strengthened as the Yolo Squad and the Facesmashers were given opportunities to shine. 

Whilst, there was somethings that I either didn't "get" or moments that didn't quite come together as well as they could have, there wasn't a match on the show that couldn't find something to enjoy, as VII Pro produced a varied night of wrestling action.

VII Pro return to Dawley Town Hall on 22nd April for Final Inception. 

Wrestle Ropes' Ready for the Weekend: February 2016 Week 4

This week's edition shall see us heading to Telford on Friday night before heading back up north to Liverpool. The weekend ends with trip across to Leeds. It's time once again to get Ready For The Weekend!

Kicking off on Friday night and VII Pro Wrestling are at the Dawley Town Hall in Telford. The show will mark VII Pro Wrestling's first event since changing their name from Shropshire Wrestling Alliance. The show features numerous debuts, two of which are 'The Fashionista' Jinny and New Zealand's Dahlia Black. Both women have been making waves in British Wrestling over the last few months and will hope to do that same in Telford. VII Pro want to reignite their female division and these two competitors will do a great job of fanning the flames. At the last event in Telford, Chris Brookes became the British Lions Champion in a six-way ladder match. However, it was in fact Mark Andrews who retrieved the championship from above the ring. With the referees distracted, Brookes took advantage by delivering a low-blow to Mark Andrews and taking the championship just in time for the referees to declare him the winner. Understandably, Andrews is far from happy and neither were the fans. So this Friday, Brookes and Andrews are going to meet one on one with the British Lions Championship on the line. Let's see if Brookes can keep the gold when the focus is solely on him and his opponent. The main event on February 26th sees the current VII Pro Champion, 'All Day Star' Ryan Smile in action. His opponent? One of the hottest independent prospects in the world right now. Beyond Wrestling's 'The Dirty Daddy' Chris Dickinson. In his last defense, Smile was able to defeat Dan Moloney and now wants the best competition he can have. VII Pro have certainly delivered on that front as Dickinson has been making a name for himself wherever he has gone. His sights are now set on VII Pro Wrestling and challenging the top man in the company.

full card

*VII Pro Championship*

‘All Day Star’ Ryan Smile (c) vs‘The Dirty Daddy’ Chris Dickinson

*British Lions Championship*

‘Calamari Catch King’ Chris Brookes (c) vs ‘White Lightning’ Mark Andrews

‘The Modfather’ Flash Morgan Webster & ‘Ginger Jesus’ Mike Bird vs The YOLO Squad 

Dahlia Black vs Jinny

Kelly Sixx & ‘Mr Massive’ Chuck Cyrus vs ‘Super Beast’ Dan Moloney & Wild Boar

Open Challenge

‘Number One’ Damian Dunne vs ???

Moving on to Saturday and we head up to Liverpool for TNT Extreme Wrestling's Merseyside Massacre at the Fusion Nightclub. At TNT's last event,  Bubblegum became the very first TNT "World" Heavyweight Champion by defeating Rampage Brown after some help from Ashton Smith, Sam Bailey and a steel chair. Brown is an aggressive competitor at the best of time but Bubblegum has now pissed him off and he has demanded a shot at the championship and revenge. TNT have granted Brown his request and also added the stipulation that steel chairs will be legal. Bubblegum might be lucky to leave with his life on Saturday never mind the TNT World Heavyweight Championship if Brown has a say in it. Speaking of Ashton Smith & Sam Bailey, a man who was enraged with their actions at the last TNT show was Ruffneck. 'Mr TNT' has been almost the conscious of TNT, dealing out justice to those who disrespect not only TNT but it's fans. Ruffneck has now joined with The Babyfaced Pitbull to challenge the new Manc Union to a match. While the Manc Union may be quick to dismiss Pitbull & Ruffneck, failing to see the danger may be their undoing. Every show has an element of unknown about it but we can guarantee that we will have a new champion this Saturday. A few weeks ago, TNT Extreme Wrestling announced the TNT Extreme Division Championship. They promised that the challengers would be known for their extreme, no limit style. They haven't let us down either with Robbie X, Chris Ridgeway, Flash Morgan Webster and Liam Lazarus all competing in a fatal four-way match. All four of these men are on the rise, constantly getting better with each passing week. Nobody has a clear winner and anyone could be leaving as the inaugural TNT Extreme Division Champion.

full card

*TNT World Championship: Chair Match*

Bubblegum (c) vs Rampage Brown

*TNT Extreme Division Championship (Vacant)*

Robbie X vs ‘The Priority’ Chris Ridgeway vs ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster vs Liam Lazarus

‘The Righteous’ Joe Conners vs ‘The Mexican Sensation’ El Ligero

*The Danny O’Doherty Open Challenge*

Danny O’Doherty vs ???

Carmel Jacob vs Lana Austin

RuffBull (Ruffneck & Babyfaced Pitbull) vs The Manc Union (Sam Bailey & Ashton Smith)

Finally ending another packed weekend and Tidal Wrestling are back at the Leeds University Union. The show shall see the debut of former PWG World Tag Team Champion Andrew Everett who shall go one on one with the best in Tidal Wrestling right now, 'The Mexican Sensation' El Ligero. This is sure to be a very fast, high-flying affair with both men known for their speed and agility. Ligero has been on a good run during his second reign as champ and shall look to continue that this Sunday. From one champion to another as Dan James shall be in action on Sunday defending the TCW Open Championship against one of the best pure wrestlers in Europe, Jack Gallagher. These two men were previously scheduled to face each other a number of months ago but car issues stopped James from competing. So now he's going to do what he never got the chance to do before; face a world-class athlete but this time his championship is on the line. This Sunday, HT Drake was due to face Robbie E but due to some unforeseen circumstances that match won't happen. However, HT Drake shall still be competing. His new opponent will be 'The Juice' CJ Banks, who shall be making his Tidal Wrestling debut. HT Drake has been having some killer matches recently in TCW and could soon be in line for a championship opportunity. He will need to get round this new roadblock in the shape of Banks for that to happen though. To continue on his road to being the best in TCW, he's going to have to defeat one of the best in the UK and Banks will not go easy on him.

full card

‘The Mexican Sensation’ El Ligero vs ‘The Apex Of Agility’ Andrew Everett

Addy Starr vs Leva ‘Blue Pants’ Bates

Liam Lazarus vs ‘The Priority’ Chris Ridgeway

*TCW Open Championship*

‘The Armbar Superstar’ Dan James vs ‘The Gentleman’ Jack Gallagher

*If Any Competitor Leaves The Ring They Are Eliminated*

The Proven (Caz Crash & Sam Wilder) vs. The New Nation (Alexander Henry & Jason Prime)

‘The Juice’ CJ Banks vs ‘The Gimmick Killer’ HT Drake

‘The Dapper Grappler’ Josh Alden vs David Graves

JD Boom vs Nsereko

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: November 2015 Week 2

As we fast approach another packed weekend of wrestling, we look forward to what will in fact be a historic weekend not just for British wrestling but for independent wrestling as a whole. But more of that later. For now, let's get Ready For The Weekend!

Up first on Friday night, VII Pro Wrestling return to The Hive in Shrewsbury with Urge To Thrill... Rising! which will feature their inaugural Trifecta Trophy tournament. This tournament shall see trios teams compete with the winner of the one-night tournament being crowned the Trifecta Trophy tournament winner. While we don't know which teams shall face which, we do know that the teams in the tournament include some of the best wrestlers in the UK today. Teams like, The Number One Offenders that includes Damian Dunne, Mike Bird & Flash Morgan Webster. Or The Bruiserweights which includes CJ Banks, Dan Moloney & Pete Dunne. That is only two of the teams competiting so you can see the amount of talent involved. It won't all be tournament matches on November 13th though, as Lana Austin will face Nixon Newell with the spot in the Shropshire Wrestling Alliance's British Lions Championship ladder match on November 28th up for grabs.We will also get to see Dave DelVecchio of The Number One Offenders in action as he competes against a man, who as of yet, is not part of any Trifecta team. That man being Wild Boar. The match itself should be a very hard hitting affair with both men known for their full force offence.

Full Card

*VII Trifecta Trophy Tournament*

Confirmed Teams: 

The Bruiserweights (‘Superbeast’ Dan Moloney, ‘YoungXBitter’ Pete Dunne & ‘The Juice’ CJ Banks), 

The All Day Squad (Drew Parker, Ryan Smile & Ethan Silver), 

Number One Offenders (Mike Bird, ‘Number One’ Damian Dunne & ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster)

Culture Club (Tyler Bate, Chris Brookes & ???)

*VII Trifecta Trophy Tournament Final*

??? vs ???

*VII Trifecta Trophy Tournament Semi-Final*

??? vs ???

*VII Trifecta Trophy Tournament Semi-Final*

??? vs ???

*SWA British Lions Qualifier*

‘The Welsh Destroyer’ Nixon Newell vs Lana Austin

Dave DelVecchio vs Wild Boar

Moving on to Saturday and Wrestlezone will be at the Beach Leisure Centre in Aberdeen with their SOLD OUT Christmas Chaos (Comes Early!) event. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this event since it was announced that WWE Hall Of Famer, Mick Foley would be in attendance. That is not to say that the event is solely based around the WWE Hall Of Famer as the show has a stacked card. One match on the card this Saturday is The Rejected's Chris Archer & Mikkey Vago challenging Mr P & Kaden Garrick for the Wrestlezone Tag Team Championship. These two teams have exchanged wins and losses in tag team and singles action for the past few months in Wrestlezone. The Rejected has been calling for another shot at the gold and thanks to two wins of the champions in singles action, they will get another opportunity against the crowd-favourite duo of Mr P & Kaden Garrick. One man who has been making an impact in Wrestlezone in the past few months is Aspen Faith. Faith has demanded the best competition he can face. A few weeks ago he sent out a challenge to the man who claims to be the Best Young Wrestler, Lewis Girvan. He challenged him to a match on November 14th. However, Lewis Girvan countered the challenge by proposing an intergender tag team match with Aspen Faith & Sammii Jayne facing himself and Debbie Sharpe. The match was agreed with a contest between Sammii Jayne & Debbie Sharpe taking place last week in Huntly. It was Debbie Sharpe who took the win in her Wrestlezone debut contest on that occasion. Whether that is a glimpse of the result we'll see on Saturday, who knows. Either way we're getting to see four of the best wrestlers in one match. The main event for this Saturday will see Scotty Swift defending the Wrestlezone Undisputed Championship against Crusher Craib, Alan Sterling & Bingo Ballance. Swift has had a running feud with Alan Sterling and Sterling Oil from almost the moment he won the championship. Crusher Craib on the otherhand has been on a quest to recapture the champions since losing it earlier this year. The wild card is this match is most definitely Bingo Ballance. While only appearing in Wrestlezone on rare occassions, he has picked up some big wins in the past. Scotty Swift has been battling the odds since winng the championship but this is without doubt his biggest challenge yet.

Full Card

*Wrestlezone Undisputed Championship Fatal Fourway*

Alan Sterling vs Scotty Swift (c) vs Crusher Craib vs Bingo Ballance

*Wrestlezone Tag Team Championship*

The Rejected (Chris Archer & Mikkey Vago) vs Mr P & Kaden Garrick (c)

*Former Champions Showcase: Wrestlezone Undisputed Championship Number One Contender's Three Way*

Johnny Lions vs Damien vs Bryan Tucker

*Intergender Tag Team*

Aspen Faith & Sammii Jayne vs Lewis Girvan & Debbie Sharpe

*Christmas Brawl*

Blue Thunder vs William Sterling

Shawn Johnson vs Lord Mr Malice

WWE Hall Of Famer, Mick Foley Confirmed To Appear

Finishing the weekend off and there was really only one show that we could talk about. The SOLD OUT, Insane Championship Wrestling Fear & Loathing VIII event at the SECC in Glasgow. Now, ICW are no strangers to sold out shows in big venues. However, this event is actually historic and record-breaking. This event is the highest-grossing since Big Daddy vs Giant Haystacks in Wembley in 1981. This show will also have a larger crowd that any US independent promotion (excluding ECW) EVER. And do you know why? Because it is stacked from bell to bell with incredible matches and talent. Every championship will be on the line during the event, including the ICW Women's Championship which will be presented to the winner of Nikki Storm vs Kay Lee Ray. Both of these women have progressed through a series of tournament matches in the run up to this event. Nobody can say they know the definitive winner of this match as both wrestlers are so equal in talent and desire to be champion. Fear & Loathing has been known as a place to end rivalries and one of the biggest rivalry in ICW in recent memory has been between Legion and the New Age Kliq. This feud started many months ago and has gotten more intense and violent as time has went on. The hatred between Legion's Mikey Whiplash, Tommy End & Michael Dante and the NAK's Chris Renfrew, BT Gunn & Wolfgang has now gotten so big that this match will be contested in a Steel Cage. Violence is nothing new in ICW but this match may well set a standard in violence that might never be surpassed. With Fear & Loathing VIII being the biggest show in British Wrestling history it is only fitting that the biggest prize in ICW, the ICW World Heavyweight Championship is on the line. The challenger to Drew Galloway's title? Probably the most recognisable face in British Wrestling today, Grado. Back in August, Grado announced that he would challenge for the ICW World Heavyweight Championship. An announcement that brought Grado into the sights of Drew Galloway, Jack Jester & Red Lightning who have attacked Grado at every opportunity. Others such as Chris Renfrew has also questioned Grado being in the main event. Something that has light a fire in Grado that has never been seen. Grado is looking to prove to the the detractors that he deserves to be where he is. While The Black Label's attacks on Grado may have been a way to make him change his mind, they have only focused him more. The time for fun, laughs and jokes is over. Grado is now looking to prove to anyone who said he shouldn't be in the main event that he deserves his place and he'll look to do that by becoming the ICW World Heavyweight Champion this Sunday in front of 4,000 fans.

Match Card

*ICW World Heavyweight Championship*

Grado vs Drew Galloway (c)

*ICW Zero-G Championship*

Davey Boy (w/ The Wee Man) vs Stevie Boy (c)

*ICW Women’s Championship Tournament Final*

‘The Best In The Galaxy’ Nikki Storm vs Kay Lee Ray

*ICW Tag Team Championship*

The 55 (Kid Fite & ‘The East End Butcher’ Sha Samuels) (w/ James R Kennedy) vs Polo Promotions (Jackie Polo & ‘The Real Deal’ Mark Coffey) (c) (w/ Coach Trip)

*Steel Cage Six Man Tag Team*

Legion (Tommy End, Mikey Whiplash & Michael Dante) vs New Age Kliq (Chris Renfrew, BT Gunn & Wolfgang)

‘The Man-Beast’ Rhyno vs ‘Iron Man’ Joe Coffey

‘The Beast Of Belfast’ Damo vs ‘The Hardcore Icon’ Jack Jester

*Six-Man Tag Team*

Lionheart, ‘Bad Boy’ Liam Thomson & Doug Williams vs Kenny Williams, Noam Dar & ‘Global Hero’ Joe Hendry

‘Hardcore Legend’ Mick Foley As Commissioner For The Evening

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 and more