Monday, 12 June 2017
(P, PD, BRS) W3L Queens Hall, Hexham - afternoon show Saturday may 20th
0925 and I'm awoken by last night's beer can falling off the shelf. My train leaves in an hour so a quick shower and a dash to the bus stand insues. The sandwich kit and beer are in my bag ready - as is a spare shirt. I'm not taking any chances this time. Quick pause to refill my trusty hip flask, and off we go.
I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll say it again. Stagecoach route planners suck. Badly.
5 min to go and it's all aboard the graps train. My first time in Hexham since the last cannonball run (Tyne valley ale trail). Train beer is a Guinness original - the optical nerves started tingling last night in Asda, and after a little bit of searching I found out why, they had it on 4 tins for £2.50.
The card for the W3L show either hasn't been announced or is buried somewhere, but I've got an idea that one of the Owens sisters is likely to be there. I've not kept up with the product apart from that, but I know it can be viewed on their YouTube channel W3LNetwork.
It's funny, but as picturesque as the landscapes are here I don't get the same urge to listen to the green and the grey by new model army as I get when going between Leeds and Hebden Bridge. So the soundtrack to today's journey is a heavy mix of PJ Harvey, Birmingham 6, bad religion and Desperate Journalist (who's recent album release is awesome by the way Check out their site ) with a little bit of red paintings peppered throughout.
At Hexham station, an uphill walk leads to the venue, I'm an hour early and there's a cafe inside, so a hot chocolate is on the menu - a salted caramel one - luxury and all that...
A quick peek round the corner and there's the wetherspoons I used to work the door of back in the day. I know some of the breweries that have a good relationship with this place, so I'm straight in for a pint of Big Lamp keelman brown - perfect breakfast beer.
Doors are in half an hour
World of sport (the original one) star "Blondie Barratt" is apparently in attendance for this event. It looks like he was a regular tag partner of Kendo Nagasaki back in the day.
Keelman brown sunk, conversation with an older rocker in the spoons ended and its off to the queens hall.
Now, this is a theatre in a library/art gallery/community hub complex. There's a sports centre down the road. With a sports hall. Just saying.
We're in a set place theatre with the ring on the stage at the front and one bank of seating.
This has good and bad points - it's a bit detaching, but the lighting and sound should be good. It would be better if they weren't playing a service station "generic rock" compilation before the start. I've heard Bon Jovi's always twice this last week and frankly that's more than enough
A little concerned by the audience size to be honest. Probably going to end up being moved forward.
Hard cam is set up right in the middle of the seating bank. So we're all viewing from the same angle. As far as the adjustments the wrestlers, I can see this being a bit strange, but working to only one side can put the matches in good stead for a single camera video shoot since to play to the audience they're also playing to the camera so to speak.
The ring announcer comes out - he looks a bit like one of the tech guys I sometimes have a bit of a natter with at Whitby Goth Weekend. Sounds a bit like him too. If that is you Savage, good on you mate. Next time you're up in the Tyne/wear area, give me a shout and I'll gladly give a hand setting up etc.
Lo and behold we're moved forward
There's around 60/70 here initially, mainly kids, and here I am the mid 30s bloke blogging about it. Guess who feels a little out of place.
No open bar at the event, but the cafe I went to before is open. And they do sell beer, though it's not on display - good to know for the Interval.
I'm sitting in line with the camera - mainly because I'm two beers and a hot chocolate deep, and fat man going for a pee is not a regular segment on the W3L network.
The merch table gets moved to the side, the house lights go down.
No videoing or photos for distributors. No lazer pointers no bad language etc public service announcement played from what sounds like a 1940s era 78rpm bakolite cylinder. I think it was the B-side to "dig for victory
And we're off. Ragnar Vs Mike Musso
Heel Ragnar promo pre-match is awesome. Musso is dressed as a Beverly Brother, but kind of resembles a younger and shorter Kevin Nash.
The in ring work is pretty good here, I've not overly detailed the matches here for the most part because the gramophone message at the start would suggest that they might see this as some sort of copyright infringement.
both guys put on a great opener and engaged the crowd well. Musso, for someone that neither myself or seemingly the rest of the punters were familiar with got over nicely as a fan favourite.
Musso wins with a fireman's carry into a DDT. As far as finishers go, it came a bit out of the blue, and looked pretty good.
Blondie Barratt is out next. He's wearing an "old school" T-shirt. A smile comes over my face as it dawns on me that I've seen this particular shirt somewhere before. The WAW has a heel faction called "old school" headed up by Ricky Knight and Jimmy Ocean. I kind of get the feeling I'm the only one here in on this.
His opposition is a firm fan favourite here. Big Dave Jeremi.
Barratt is a fantastic heel. He's someone I genuinely wasn't majorly familiar with before the show, save a YouTube video or two, but was well hooked into watching shortly after he emerged. Oldschool by shirt, old school by nature.
The crowd are properly going for him here by the way, I can't tell is the kids at the front hate him more or of he's loving the reaction more.
Barratt lines Jeremi up for a chop against the ringpost and misses. Jeremi works the hand for a while, leading Barratt around the crowd, until the kids start attacking Blondie. The Ring announcer comes out and ushers the wrestlers back onto the stage.
Barratt won with a feet on the ropes roll up.
The ring announcer comes back to remind us there's a raffle and that we can get merch at half time etc. He then tells us that a member of the W3L roster would like some time to address us.
Euan G Mackie is out to address us all. And lay down an open challenge
There's a back story to this one - Euan took W3L on to judge rinder (cheesy people's court style ITV daytime show) to challenge the suspension they gave him. W3L was represented by Mike Musso.
Musso accepts the open challenge and pulls double duty.
Green mist to the eyes of musso. Mackie is in charge until getting caught mid dive.
He sneaks an advantage again and a bell rings eventually.
Mackie removes a turnbuckle pad. While the ref is repairing it, he went and removed the opposite one - nice touch.
Very entertaining match. Euan G Mackie is one vicious little sod! Gave a nice back story. He eventually walked away and got counted out.
Intermission beer is wylam rocket. The raffle is drawn and a kid wins a W3L DVD, a backstage pass and an inflatable hammer.
Line of the night from the ring announcer: "maybe we could have had more prizes if more tickets were sold". I couldn't tell if he was bollocking the audience or the merch guy.
Woman's match kicks off the second half. Debbie Sharp Vs Ruby Summers.
Debbie's interaction with the audience is awesome. The kids' words here are vicious to say the least.
Ruby wins with a codebreaker. The chemistry was definitely there between these two, and this was
Rumble match to finish.
Participants
Euan G Mackie, Blondie Barratt, Ragnar, Mike Musso, Big Dave Jeremi, and "The Red Tormentor"
Mackie puts out Musso
Red Tormentor thrown out by the Barratt and Ragnar.
Big Dave Jeremi puts out Euan G Mackie
Jeremi puts out Ragnar and Barratt to win.
All in all this was a decent little kid friendly show, I think this is their debut in this place, so more power to them. It's nice to see Wrestling coming to smaller towns, and with the wealth of shows that happen in Newcastle finishing after the last train or bus back to Hexham, it gives folks out here the chance to get into the live experience.
Too big for his boots 1: UK TV starts showing British Wrestling
Strangeness abounds in the world of TV Wrestling in the UK.
Impact got involved with world of Sport shortly before getting a UK TV deal for impact wrestling with spike tv - a channel 5 substation.
Mexican Wrestling is showing up on free TV in the uk, as AAA gives an air date on freeview channel frontrunner.
I've not seen anything of NGW on made in Tyne and Wear for quite some time, and apparently WAW is still airing on mustard TV (ok, it's a repeat, but it's British Wrestling on TV).
WWE have a UK division that are sitting on some of the best talent in the UK, putting three of them on regular NXT programming and the odd one to put those three over every now and again. Apart from that there have been 3 UK division programmes and four live shows (the initial tournament and the epic studios shows which were padded out with 205 live talent)
So here is the state of play as is. In the UK, we have national and regional over the air TV networks in abundance. We have IPTV with more free stuff. We have multiple free to air satellite channels, some that show caravan maintenance programmes for hours on end. You know what we haven't got? On any of it?
A regular nationally screened British Wrestling show on over the air TV.
We have free to air Mexican lucha libre shows and American Wrestling shows, but none from our own country - a country where Wrestling is booming.
ITV were keen to get World of Sport back as a brand, unfortunately their tapings went south - ticket sales were cited by outside sources to be the issue, but the involvement of impact wrestling showed its face again - by face I mean eyes and nose, because the mouth certainly didn't make an appearance for quite a while, and when it did everyone was told it was due to contracts etc.
Here's an idea - you have studios all over the country equipped with on site and outside broadcast equipment.
ITV - realistically, what would it take for you to just remove impact from the management team and start over.
Contract 8 wrestlers, contract a booker. You have TV people you can use for continuity/ring announcing - Dave Brown in Memphis was a newscaster.
Commentators you can borrow, other talent you can borrow/bring in for short runs from other promotions after all, you're a TV show not a promotion. By all means you can expand on this later, but this is a starting point.
Two night tapings in either your studios or town halls, or a mixture of two (promos, hype videos etc) etc around the UK in the form of standard Wrestling shows (as they will appear to the punters/audience)
Use your training/apprenticeship/local college/university community links for video, audio, lighting, runners, you know, all the stuff you need people to learn how to do for regular programming when they finish their courses and apply for jobs. It'll give them a fast paced work environment and good experience to be able to work on pretty much anything else later in there careers.
Run a show in each region first, 8 man tournament style - use your regional news areas as the territories, that's where the kit is and hopefully your apprenticeship programmes. Run one of them as a two nighter.
Your 8 contracted wrestlers win the regional tournaments and go on to do the second night in the chosen territory for the British title.
Quick booking tip at this point, make sure the contracted talent you stick in each regional leg of the tournament are regulars to somewhere near the region or its going to take some of the unpredictability out of it.
Take the videos, and compile them into a set of pilot episodes that follow the tournament, switching between regions from a central studio so that a decent variety of wrestlers from all over appear across the shows. That way, even if casual fan A in Eastbourne is watching for the guy they've seen on a poster in the newsagent window, they see the wrestler from Fort William who properly impresses him, and they've got a reason to tune back in again if he's going to be on etc.
First couple of weeks, watch the feedback from Twitter and Facebook, see who's impressing, listen to the viewers
Run another show in each of the region's you didn't run the final in (you don't run the initial ones as a two nighter when the tournament winners aren't going to be there the following night) Get the library built up so you can chop together another couple of episodes for just after the tournament is done to give you time to book for continuity.
Get footage from other promotions, let other promotions titles appear on the programme, let yours appear on theirs, let a local guy win it, let another of your contracted guys win it back later or at the next regional show. exchange TV time advertising promotions local shows for advertising the tapings at local shows. Don't run it as a promotion per se, run it as a showcase of British wrestlers incorporating a title scene so that there's something for other wrestlers to aim for. Easy enough storyline prop to start with.
Now I understand that this sounds completely barmy to anyone that's been in the business in the short form explanation, but if you're serious about having your own nationally screened British Wrestling show, and you're not willing to let an already established promotion, or set of promotions host these for you (or the Knights and Len Davies, or Alex Shane'strident vision media setup), you're going to have to put some work in and make it inclusive in appeal bloody quickly.
So let's see how this would pan out. For the purposes of this, the ITV regions used will be:
Central
STV (Scotland)
Border / Tyne Tees
Granada (including isle of man)
YTV Yorkshire (Lincoln is in this catchment area as well - hey, ITV made the borders, not me)
Anglia
London/Meridian
West country/West/Wales
Now, Ireland, I've not mentioned yet - there's a good reason for this, and all will become clear later on.
The tapings go ahead as detailed above. Your first two hour show has a central commentary team in a studio. Green screen a production room in the background or something - stay away from cheesy graphics involving massive turnbuckles, silly typeface text, etc it's not the 80s or 90s any more.
It's 2 hrs on ITV, so it's actually 90 min. A mixture of full as-live matches and match highlights go out on air for the first two weeks. Each region gets one full match (1st round in a tournament is normally a 10 min time limit, isn't it?). You've got 4 matches per area to choose from. Here's the kicker, you stick all the matches from round 1 up on the ITV hub with video packages on the wrestlers, and of course adverts between the matches. Also, you're going to want links to promotions where you can see the participants wrestle live. Gotta get that revenue in and make a good start at working with real promotions - after all, you're a TV show advertising British Wrestling, not a real working promotion.
Use a hashtag, use Facebook, get feedback. After week 1, see who's impressing, see who's matches are getting the most views and making the most buzz. Use that to choose the full matches on week 2. If it's someone that's gone out of the tournament get them on the odd live show, while you're building the library. Tell people where they're going to be in the near future if they want to see them live, both in a world of sport showcase show and in other UK promotions.
Round 1 gets done with. Round 2 keeps the same format just with a couple more full matches.
By the time you've got this from tape to air the non tournament shows (or at least some of them) should have been taped.
Were on to week 5 on air by this point, and you've got the 8 regional finals to show. Time to start giving some more promo time to your core for after the matches.
Week 6 - the matches from night 2 of the tournament.
Week 7 - the direction from here is dictated by what you have in the can, what other promotions have sent you, and what the viewers want. You can either stick with the footage from all territories cut together with the central commentary team, or send out your guys to the other territories in a cycle to move to a format where matches from local talent (keeping an eye on the feedback) factoring in your core guys are featured.
Basically do what Vince did with "all American Wrestling" back in the territory days, just don't try to take over completely, because we love British Wrestling as it is, we'd just love to see more of it and more people to be able to see it.
It seems a bit contrived, but there are options. The easiest way to do it of course would be to just back a promotion. Pay them to chuck a few intro video packages together and perhaps organise help with production for video, but as for the show and the booking, let one of the groups that's been doing it for a few years handle it. And possibly think about tying it into world of sport but changing the name of the show, because you've tied that to impact wrestling, which is still pretty toxic, and the recent debacle isn't going to help you get anything off the ground.
Oh and Ireland? Cut together format week 10, matches in two of the territories are interrupted by Irish wrestlers, who are disgruntled at not being included at the initial tournament and demand to be recognised and used as a territory.
Impact got involved with world of Sport shortly before getting a UK TV deal for impact wrestling with spike tv - a channel 5 substation.
Mexican Wrestling is showing up on free TV in the uk, as AAA gives an air date on freeview channel frontrunner.
I've not seen anything of NGW on made in Tyne and Wear for quite some time, and apparently WAW is still airing on mustard TV (ok, it's a repeat, but it's British Wrestling on TV).
WWE have a UK division that are sitting on some of the best talent in the UK, putting three of them on regular NXT programming and the odd one to put those three over every now and again. Apart from that there have been 3 UK division programmes and four live shows (the initial tournament and the epic studios shows which were padded out with 205 live talent)
So here is the state of play as is. In the UK, we have national and regional over the air TV networks in abundance. We have IPTV with more free stuff. We have multiple free to air satellite channels, some that show caravan maintenance programmes for hours on end. You know what we haven't got? On any of it?
A regular nationally screened British Wrestling show on over the air TV.
We have free to air Mexican lucha libre shows and American Wrestling shows, but none from our own country - a country where Wrestling is booming.
ITV were keen to get World of Sport back as a brand, unfortunately their tapings went south - ticket sales were cited by outside sources to be the issue, but the involvement of impact wrestling showed its face again - by face I mean eyes and nose, because the mouth certainly didn't make an appearance for quite a while, and when it did everyone was told it was due to contracts etc.
Here's an idea - you have studios all over the country equipped with on site and outside broadcast equipment.
ITV - realistically, what would it take for you to just remove impact from the management team and start over.
Contract 8 wrestlers, contract a booker. You have TV people you can use for continuity/ring announcing - Dave Brown in Memphis was a newscaster.
Commentators you can borrow, other talent you can borrow/bring in for short runs from other promotions after all, you're a TV show not a promotion. By all means you can expand on this later, but this is a starting point.
Two night tapings in either your studios or town halls, or a mixture of two (promos, hype videos etc) etc around the UK in the form of standard Wrestling shows (as they will appear to the punters/audience)
Use your training/apprenticeship/local college/university community links for video, audio, lighting, runners, you know, all the stuff you need people to learn how to do for regular programming when they finish their courses and apply for jobs. It'll give them a fast paced work environment and good experience to be able to work on pretty much anything else later in there careers.
Run a show in each region first, 8 man tournament style - use your regional news areas as the territories, that's where the kit is and hopefully your apprenticeship programmes. Run one of them as a two nighter.
Your 8 contracted wrestlers win the regional tournaments and go on to do the second night in the chosen territory for the British title.
Quick booking tip at this point, make sure the contracted talent you stick in each regional leg of the tournament are regulars to somewhere near the region or its going to take some of the unpredictability out of it.
Take the videos, and compile them into a set of pilot episodes that follow the tournament, switching between regions from a central studio so that a decent variety of wrestlers from all over appear across the shows. That way, even if casual fan A in Eastbourne is watching for the guy they've seen on a poster in the newsagent window, they see the wrestler from Fort William who properly impresses him, and they've got a reason to tune back in again if he's going to be on etc.
First couple of weeks, watch the feedback from Twitter and Facebook, see who's impressing, listen to the viewers
Run another show in each of the region's you didn't run the final in (you don't run the initial ones as a two nighter when the tournament winners aren't going to be there the following night) Get the library built up so you can chop together another couple of episodes for just after the tournament is done to give you time to book for continuity.
Get footage from other promotions, let other promotions titles appear on the programme, let yours appear on theirs, let a local guy win it, let another of your contracted guys win it back later or at the next regional show. exchange TV time advertising promotions local shows for advertising the tapings at local shows. Don't run it as a promotion per se, run it as a showcase of British wrestlers incorporating a title scene so that there's something for other wrestlers to aim for. Easy enough storyline prop to start with.
Now I understand that this sounds completely barmy to anyone that's been in the business in the short form explanation, but if you're serious about having your own nationally screened British Wrestling show, and you're not willing to let an already established promotion, or set of promotions host these for you (or the Knights and Len Davies, or Alex Shane'strident vision media setup), you're going to have to put some work in and make it inclusive in appeal bloody quickly.
So let's see how this would pan out. For the purposes of this, the ITV regions used will be:
Central
STV (Scotland)
Border / Tyne Tees
Granada (including isle of man)
YTV Yorkshire (Lincoln is in this catchment area as well - hey, ITV made the borders, not me)
Anglia
London/Meridian
West country/West/Wales
Now, Ireland, I've not mentioned yet - there's a good reason for this, and all will become clear later on.
The tapings go ahead as detailed above. Your first two hour show has a central commentary team in a studio. Green screen a production room in the background or something - stay away from cheesy graphics involving massive turnbuckles, silly typeface text, etc it's not the 80s or 90s any more.
It's 2 hrs on ITV, so it's actually 90 min. A mixture of full as-live matches and match highlights go out on air for the first two weeks. Each region gets one full match (1st round in a tournament is normally a 10 min time limit, isn't it?). You've got 4 matches per area to choose from. Here's the kicker, you stick all the matches from round 1 up on the ITV hub with video packages on the wrestlers, and of course adverts between the matches. Also, you're going to want links to promotions where you can see the participants wrestle live. Gotta get that revenue in and make a good start at working with real promotions - after all, you're a TV show advertising British Wrestling, not a real working promotion.
Use a hashtag, use Facebook, get feedback. After week 1, see who's impressing, see who's matches are getting the most views and making the most buzz. Use that to choose the full matches on week 2. If it's someone that's gone out of the tournament get them on the odd live show, while you're building the library. Tell people where they're going to be in the near future if they want to see them live, both in a world of sport showcase show and in other UK promotions.
Round 1 gets done with. Round 2 keeps the same format just with a couple more full matches.
By the time you've got this from tape to air the non tournament shows (or at least some of them) should have been taped.
Were on to week 5 on air by this point, and you've got the 8 regional finals to show. Time to start giving some more promo time to your core for after the matches.
Week 6 - the matches from night 2 of the tournament.
Week 7 - the direction from here is dictated by what you have in the can, what other promotions have sent you, and what the viewers want. You can either stick with the footage from all territories cut together with the central commentary team, or send out your guys to the other territories in a cycle to move to a format where matches from local talent (keeping an eye on the feedback) factoring in your core guys are featured.
Basically do what Vince did with "all American Wrestling" back in the territory days, just don't try to take over completely, because we love British Wrestling as it is, we'd just love to see more of it and more people to be able to see it.
It seems a bit contrived, but there are options. The easiest way to do it of course would be to just back a promotion. Pay them to chuck a few intro video packages together and perhaps organise help with production for video, but as for the show and the booking, let one of the groups that's been doing it for a few years handle it. And possibly think about tying it into world of sport but changing the name of the show, because you've tied that to impact wrestling, which is still pretty toxic, and the recent debacle isn't going to help you get anything off the ground.
Oh and Ireland? Cut together format week 10, matches in two of the territories are interrupted by Irish wrestlers, who are disgruntled at not being included at the initial tournament and demand to be recognised and used as a territory.
Saturday, 15 April 2017
(P, PD, BRS) TCW - wipeout 2017 Church nightclub Leeds, February 19th
TCW - wipeout 2017 Church nightclub Leeds, February 19th
Pre show pint was Newcastle thunder vs hunslet hawks in the ipro challenge cup.
Because rugby league...
Hunslet player warming up with a resistance band or proving that bondage is never a one man pursuit. Another one is doing the shittest can can ever.
Fight sees one of hunslet sent off.
Thunder won by the way.
The venue - slightly bigger than the riverside, £4.80 for red stripe? Nope. Big ball of nope. Doing this one dry. The rugby ground have bottles of best bitter at £3.00 here it's brewdog pisswater for £4.80 or grapefruit pisswater for tenpence more. The Yorkshire in me is coming through
Gripes about prices aside, there's probably around the same amount of people here as were at NORTH - just not as many on the balcony and theres space around the ring, guardrails etc here.
Havoc is out. His collar bone is fucked. He's off the card.
The services's Dan Evans is out for the first match - their music is that familiar horror film loop, which would make sense as Dan James came out to that in Darlington. His opposition is provided by Ace Matthews.
He hates people chanting "Dan" apparently.
Nice work here from both of the lads, though seeing Ace as a face is kind of unfortunate - there's nothing there apart from the tennis references and wrestling clean against a member of a heel faction.
Ace went over after an enzeguri and back suplex.
Lana Austin (womens champion) out to defend next against Lizzie styles. Looks like Lana's working heel here.??
The family from Norfolk are here - nice to see them again!
Lizzie interrupts the schtick with the ref slapping Lana's arse then kicking her head and rolling her up.
Moonsault attempt by Styles thwarted with a powerbomb by Lana. Eat de-feet by Styles.
Lana with a DDT to win and retain the title. Lizzie moons the Norwich folk before leaving
CJ banks vs Joseph Conners next.
Starting off with a handshake - nice to see the sportsmanship here. Collar and elbow tie ups and jockeying for position third one followed by some great chain work - this is act one of an absolute epic wrestling match.
Act 1 - The feeling out process
Act 2 - The fight
Act 3 - The scramble for the win
Conners takes the win with the "DLD" - it looks better in person than it did on TV. The Service take to the stage to applaud Conners as he heads to the back.
TCW title on the line - Eddie Dennis vs Rampage Brown.
Eddie looking confused at the support being for the hometown hero Rampage, and not for him.
Eddie spends a while backing away from Rampage.
When they do lock up, Rampage starts overpowering him easily. Dennis acknowledges the fact that Rampage is massive.
The shoulder blocks off the ropes start, and after a failure from Dennis, a Lucha mask is produced and donned. The Pride of Wales starts uncorking the head scissors and suicide dives. Rampage acquires the mask and does a rolling senton over the ropes Guerrero style before despatching the mask and going back to the power moves
Rampage retains after reversing a super Plex into a small package. Fun match all in all. The ending didn't hurt anyone, but showed them on an almost equal footing.
Minor ring maintenance taking place during the interval.
Second half starts.
Dara Diablo out for the service. That horror film loop is both perfect and annoying in equal measure. Put to good use for the heel faction. Sean Only is out with him. As tempting as a "you're just a shit James Castle" chant is, he seems angry enough at this point.
White Tiger is the lamb to the Service's slaughter tonight
Armdrags to start - Diablo evaded for a bit, and tried to keep up his strength and power game against the luchador. White tiger is keeping on top though with the faster paced offence.
Only trips tiger from the outside on a dive attempt and is ejected.
A fair amount of back and forth here with no real advantage being taken.
Tiger goes for a double stamp, misses and is met with some kind of vicious looking lariat neckbreaker thing that looked like it almost decapitated him. Dara goes over with that.
Ligero comes out for his match with Sean Only, and is quickly attacked by Dara and Only. Double team wheelbarrow kerbstomp onto a chair basically kills Ligero. I really hope that mask has some protection under it. Faces and ring crew out to check on him.
Jumpin John Myers says he's done and the match is called off. Only tells Tidal that he'll sue if it doesn't go ahead.
One foot cover for an easy, quick win by only. El Ligero kicks out at two, but there's not much behind it.
For the duration of this one Only keeps kicking Ligero down, choking him and basically pasting him all over the place.
The referee is pulled in the path of a flying kick by Ligero. Interference and a whip reversal into a chair held by Dara Diablo lead to the Mexican wave splash and the comeback win for Ligero. The service are understandably surprised and upset.
Riots vs Nation - TCW tag titles on the line
Round 3... Fight!
Brawl all over the place to start this one. The Riots try to kneecap Primate using the cricket bat and chairs. The ref decides that he's throwing this one out.
Primate is helped to the back by the ring crew.
Henry's not having any of this and wants to take both of the Riots himself, Demanding that the ref restarts the match. And he does.
Brief flurry of offence by Henry, the Riots take over quickly though.
The Riots hit a nasty senton on Henry who was being draped over the second rope.
Henry keeps trying to fight them off as they take advantage of the numbers, until Primate hobbles back and makes the save. Shatter machine gives the Nation the win.
Looks like the rings broken at the edge - luckily the bloke who built it is in the next match...
Main event time
Ht Drake vs.... Amir Jordan? Drake's sceptical that Havoc picked Jordan.
Nice technical work here from both.
Amir wants a dance off and Drake obliges with a spineroonie before a waist lock take down on Amir. Drake locks in a surfboard submission, but Amir is in the ropes.
Amir is on fire here. Nice swanton bomb on to Drake. Battle around the outside after a couple of dives. Drake takes back over after reversing a whip into the ring post.
Drake looks about to take the win, the service surround the ring. Havoc comes out, seemingly to help, but wipes out Jordan and Drake. The New Nation come out to help but get laid out as well.
Havoc says he hired the service to fuck things up in Tidal since they weren't using him, And now they're taking over.
The show ends with Drake, the nation and Jordan recovering and raising their hands. Looks like the service has some opposition.
Unfortunately I didn't get to the following event - I do hope to get back to one in the near future though.
Pre show pint was Newcastle thunder vs hunslet hawks in the ipro challenge cup.
Because rugby league...
Hunslet player warming up with a resistance band or proving that bondage is never a one man pursuit. Another one is doing the shittest can can ever.
Fight sees one of hunslet sent off.
Thunder won by the way.
The venue - slightly bigger than the riverside, £4.80 for red stripe? Nope. Big ball of nope. Doing this one dry. The rugby ground have bottles of best bitter at £3.00 here it's brewdog pisswater for £4.80 or grapefruit pisswater for tenpence more. The Yorkshire in me is coming through
Gripes about prices aside, there's probably around the same amount of people here as were at NORTH - just not as many on the balcony and theres space around the ring, guardrails etc here.
Havoc is out. His collar bone is fucked. He's off the card.
The services's Dan Evans is out for the first match - their music is that familiar horror film loop, which would make sense as Dan James came out to that in Darlington. His opposition is provided by Ace Matthews.
He hates people chanting "Dan" apparently.
Nice work here from both of the lads, though seeing Ace as a face is kind of unfortunate - there's nothing there apart from the tennis references and wrestling clean against a member of a heel faction.
Ace went over after an enzeguri and back suplex.
Lana Austin (womens champion) out to defend next against Lizzie styles. Looks like Lana's working heel here.??
The family from Norfolk are here - nice to see them again!
Lizzie interrupts the schtick with the ref slapping Lana's arse then kicking her head and rolling her up.
Moonsault attempt by Styles thwarted with a powerbomb by Lana. Eat de-feet by Styles.
Lana with a DDT to win and retain the title. Lizzie moons the Norwich folk before leaving
CJ banks vs Joseph Conners next.
Starting off with a handshake - nice to see the sportsmanship here. Collar and elbow tie ups and jockeying for position third one followed by some great chain work - this is act one of an absolute epic wrestling match.
Act 1 - The feeling out process
Act 2 - The fight
Act 3 - The scramble for the win
Conners takes the win with the "DLD" - it looks better in person than it did on TV. The Service take to the stage to applaud Conners as he heads to the back.
TCW title on the line - Eddie Dennis vs Rampage Brown.
Eddie looking confused at the support being for the hometown hero Rampage, and not for him.
Eddie spends a while backing away from Rampage.
When they do lock up, Rampage starts overpowering him easily. Dennis acknowledges the fact that Rampage is massive.
The shoulder blocks off the ropes start, and after a failure from Dennis, a Lucha mask is produced and donned. The Pride of Wales starts uncorking the head scissors and suicide dives. Rampage acquires the mask and does a rolling senton over the ropes Guerrero style before despatching the mask and going back to the power moves
Rampage retains after reversing a super Plex into a small package. Fun match all in all. The ending didn't hurt anyone, but showed them on an almost equal footing.
Minor ring maintenance taking place during the interval.
Second half starts.
Dara Diablo out for the service. That horror film loop is both perfect and annoying in equal measure. Put to good use for the heel faction. Sean Only is out with him. As tempting as a "you're just a shit James Castle" chant is, he seems angry enough at this point.
White Tiger is the lamb to the Service's slaughter tonight
Armdrags to start - Diablo evaded for a bit, and tried to keep up his strength and power game against the luchador. White tiger is keeping on top though with the faster paced offence.
Only trips tiger from the outside on a dive attempt and is ejected.
A fair amount of back and forth here with no real advantage being taken.
Tiger goes for a double stamp, misses and is met with some kind of vicious looking lariat neckbreaker thing that looked like it almost decapitated him. Dara goes over with that.
Ligero comes out for his match with Sean Only, and is quickly attacked by Dara and Only. Double team wheelbarrow kerbstomp onto a chair basically kills Ligero. I really hope that mask has some protection under it. Faces and ring crew out to check on him.
Jumpin John Myers says he's done and the match is called off. Only tells Tidal that he'll sue if it doesn't go ahead.
One foot cover for an easy, quick win by only. El Ligero kicks out at two, but there's not much behind it.
For the duration of this one Only keeps kicking Ligero down, choking him and basically pasting him all over the place.
The referee is pulled in the path of a flying kick by Ligero. Interference and a whip reversal into a chair held by Dara Diablo lead to the Mexican wave splash and the comeback win for Ligero. The service are understandably surprised and upset.
Riots vs Nation - TCW tag titles on the line
Round 3... Fight!
Brawl all over the place to start this one. The Riots try to kneecap Primate using the cricket bat and chairs. The ref decides that he's throwing this one out.
Primate is helped to the back by the ring crew.
Henry's not having any of this and wants to take both of the Riots himself, Demanding that the ref restarts the match. And he does.
Brief flurry of offence by Henry, the Riots take over quickly though.
The Riots hit a nasty senton on Henry who was being draped over the second rope.
Henry keeps trying to fight them off as they take advantage of the numbers, until Primate hobbles back and makes the save. Shatter machine gives the Nation the win.
Looks like the rings broken at the edge - luckily the bloke who built it is in the next match...
Main event time
Ht Drake vs.... Amir Jordan? Drake's sceptical that Havoc picked Jordan.
Nice technical work here from both.
Amir wants a dance off and Drake obliges with a spineroonie before a waist lock take down on Amir. Drake locks in a surfboard submission, but Amir is in the ropes.
Amir is on fire here. Nice swanton bomb on to Drake. Battle around the outside after a couple of dives. Drake takes back over after reversing a whip into the ring post.
Drake looks about to take the win, the service surround the ring. Havoc comes out, seemingly to help, but wipes out Jordan and Drake. The New Nation come out to help but get laid out as well.
Havoc says he hired the service to fuck things up in Tidal since they weren't using him, And now they're taking over.
The show ends with Drake, the nation and Jordan recovering and raising their hands. Looks like the service has some opposition.
Unfortunately I didn't get to the following event - I do hope to get back to one in the near future though.
(P, PD, BRS) House of Pain Lethal Lottery, St Ann's church hall Nottingham
House of pain - lethal lottery St Anns church Nottingham January 28th 2017
The venue here is a church hall - nice retro feel for myself in attending event at a venue like this, not since the old IWF shows in Gateshead have I been to one. It's looking like a decent crowd, a fair amount of youngsters - that's always a good thing when it's advertisement said it was 100% family friendly.
Now, I know this blog is called pints, piledrivers and bus replacement services, there's no alcohol at the venue - again, with it being a family friendly show, this could be a good thing - especially as a lot of folk have driven here. So, for the purposes of this event, I'm rebranding it coffee, codebreakerers and completely misunderstanding Google maps (walking around trying to find the place initially - hey, it's my first time in Nottingham, gimme a break) there's plenty of time for the pint/pub portion afterwards
The venue is about 3/4 the size of the innesfree back in Newcastle - I'll be honest that's about the best frame of reference I can come up with, my estimates of potential house sizes aren't the best (my career as an estate agent beckons), and it is pretty much full - save a few seats that were reserved and not used. Lighting wise 6 full yet filtered square ceiling lights. not filtered as in coloured, but softened to a nice mellow yet functional level. It works here because it suits the venue, it's pretty much full, and the ring is fairly large - there's not much chance of focus being lost.
The ring is a good 2ft extra along each side than the one the I'm used to seeing at home promotions. The ring posts appear to have a little bit of an inward lean on them, I'm not sure if that's intentional or not. Real ropes as opposed to cables, good to see that's a tradition being kept, even if they do tend to loosen over time.
The ring announcer and ref are out with the extremely popular Joey Cement (I might be wrong, but it seems like he's one of the young trainees who's on ring crew - one thing is for certain, he's well over) to give us an introduction to what is happening tonight, they know nothing. Anyone can be involved and anything can happen. The bell rings, and Joey Cement rolls up the announcer for the quick win!
Steven Harris comes out with Harley. They are not well liked here, and it looks like the feeling is mutual.
Sensational Saj Malik is his opponent for this singles match.
Steven is trying to use his technical skills and power against the sensational one, and keep the pace slow. That's not happening straight away, lots of head scissors and fast paced defence / reversals to start from Saj. Harley's keeping her presence felt on the outside with some well placed interference and vocal interaction with the audience.
Steven would eventually get the better of Saj, in a contest that made great use of all of the space in and around the ring. Great (formal) opener.
Six man tag action up next with Sam Spencer, a guy In a tux who's name sounded like Theodore DiamondAnd Harley (with Steven Harris) vs Danny Thomas, Karl Brown and one half of the House of Pain tag champs, BFD.
Harris is ejected at the start of this one. Harley and Harris aren't happy about this in the slightest.
Lots of good interaction with the crowd from the heels
Harley giving a great showing, the fact that she's the only woman in the match isn't phasing her at all
Eyerake on the rope by Diamond and a side suplex right out of Dino bravo 1989 playbook. Nice to see these still being executed so well.
Spencer is an absolute beast, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on more cards soon. So is BFD - who finished it for his team with a black hole slam
Next up: Princess Charlie Logan vs Vegan powered Nick Hendricks
The Vegan as a heel is a bit of an odd one that I've never quite got. The condescending preachy aspect isn't something I've ever encountered in real life situations I've not been able to just walk away from. That being said, this guy wears it well. The obnoxious smirk and dismissal of his opponent today is enough to reinforce his place in this match.
Fantastic big guy vs small woman match, story told really well. With Charlie going over with a roll up
Danny Chase and Sam Spencer are out for the next randomly drawn match - Disco Dan is the opponent
Disco is trying to get chase to dance, and it looks like it might happen
The heels bail and disco brings in Princess Logan and half the audience in to cha cha slide.
Then I don't know exactly what happened, but I might have slipped into an alternative universe where Chase and Spencer did the "time of my life" routine from Dirty Dancing. Full routine including the lift!
Danny Chase gets the win after retaliating to a sneak behind trip and roll up attempt from Disco Dan. Apparently "nobody puts Danny in the corner". The beating he gave the Disco Cat showed us why.
I really hope someone was taping that cause that was so god damned funny it was unreal
Interval - some nice merchandise here - no xls though, so I'm gonna have to go online..
Concrete, the announcer and referee come back to the ring for the second half.
Our second half opener is a tag team match set for one fall.
Syntax is out first - the masked man is massively popular here.
James Stewart is his partner, and does not garner the same reaction. It looks like we have a heel and face team brought together by the draw here
Opposition provided by the other half of the House of Pain tag champs Joseph Starr and Tommy Taylor
Great fundamentals from all 4. Both teams are not getting along.
Starr and Taylor the first to crack with Starr forarming Taylor in the face. Taylor would get revenge when Stewart tagged in, throw syntax out and Taylor took the opportunity to level Starr and dragged Stewart on top of him for the pin costing himself and star the match. Excellent reinforcement of Taylor's recent heel turn.
Nathan Nyx with the Supermodel Visage - or should I say against...
The banter between these two is awesome as they please not to have to fight each other. A double lay down/pin was their first attempt at getting out of it.
Multiple refusals to fight insue until the threat of a double head shave from Stixx' was put on the table.
A reluctant square up with a pinky promise of no face shots starts a pretty good match between these two. The promise held up until visage had his Japanese style paper fan broken amongst the antics.
Visage ends it with a sneaky kick after coming out of a make up hug. Visage is highly entertaining, and Nyx definitely held his own.
Our main event of the night is a 6 man scramble match for the House of Pain Title
The world warrior Juken
Ruthless Bjorn Jones,
House of Pain champion Kyle Kingsley
Timberwolf
The Righteous Joseph Conners
G-wiz Garrett Bond
Highlights - dives, great chain work, towers of doom, Conners going ape on timberwolf leaving him a back redder than the ring skirts after a chopping match with Ric Flair
Plenty more too - all of these guys have great futures ahead of them.
Jukin over with an insane looking cross calf hold German suplex.
All in all this was a great show - lots of very promising young talent here. Stixx and Juken are doing a fantastic job giving these guys the building blocks for great careers.
Back to the town centre
The post show pint at the lord Roberts. Kopek stout - dark and smoky enough to satisfy.
It was like nectar. The pub isn't badly priced, but artisan facial hair virus is rampant here and the bouncer looks like a cross between porkpie from Desmond's (fuck me I'm dating myself with that reference) and an American 1950s portrayal of a gangster
I like it here - but I'm not shaving while I can remember what the locals look like.
Supplemental- robbing bastards award goes to the Six Barrels, where a pint of snecklifter cost £4.10. I don't know when snecklifter became a craft brew!
Quick tip for anyone going from Nottingham to Lincoln - in the winter, the first train is mid afternoon. The line is closed half of the day for some reason.
The venue here is a church hall - nice retro feel for myself in attending event at a venue like this, not since the old IWF shows in Gateshead have I been to one. It's looking like a decent crowd, a fair amount of youngsters - that's always a good thing when it's advertisement said it was 100% family friendly.
Now, I know this blog is called pints, piledrivers and bus replacement services, there's no alcohol at the venue - again, with it being a family friendly show, this could be a good thing - especially as a lot of folk have driven here. So, for the purposes of this event, I'm rebranding it coffee, codebreakerers and completely misunderstanding Google maps (walking around trying to find the place initially - hey, it's my first time in Nottingham, gimme a break) there's plenty of time for the pint/pub portion afterwards
The venue is about 3/4 the size of the innesfree back in Newcastle - I'll be honest that's about the best frame of reference I can come up with, my estimates of potential house sizes aren't the best (my career as an estate agent beckons), and it is pretty much full - save a few seats that were reserved and not used. Lighting wise 6 full yet filtered square ceiling lights. not filtered as in coloured, but softened to a nice mellow yet functional level. It works here because it suits the venue, it's pretty much full, and the ring is fairly large - there's not much chance of focus being lost.
The ring is a good 2ft extra along each side than the one the I'm used to seeing at home promotions. The ring posts appear to have a little bit of an inward lean on them, I'm not sure if that's intentional or not. Real ropes as opposed to cables, good to see that's a tradition being kept, even if they do tend to loosen over time.
The ring announcer and ref are out with the extremely popular Joey Cement (I might be wrong, but it seems like he's one of the young trainees who's on ring crew - one thing is for certain, he's well over) to give us an introduction to what is happening tonight, they know nothing. Anyone can be involved and anything can happen. The bell rings, and Joey Cement rolls up the announcer for the quick win!
Steven Harris comes out with Harley. They are not well liked here, and it looks like the feeling is mutual.
Sensational Saj Malik is his opponent for this singles match.
Steven is trying to use his technical skills and power against the sensational one, and keep the pace slow. That's not happening straight away, lots of head scissors and fast paced defence / reversals to start from Saj. Harley's keeping her presence felt on the outside with some well placed interference and vocal interaction with the audience.
Steven would eventually get the better of Saj, in a contest that made great use of all of the space in and around the ring. Great (formal) opener.
Six man tag action up next with Sam Spencer, a guy In a tux who's name sounded like Theodore DiamondAnd Harley (with Steven Harris) vs Danny Thomas, Karl Brown and one half of the House of Pain tag champs, BFD.
Harris is ejected at the start of this one. Harley and Harris aren't happy about this in the slightest.
Lots of good interaction with the crowd from the heels
Harley giving a great showing, the fact that she's the only woman in the match isn't phasing her at all
Eyerake on the rope by Diamond and a side suplex right out of Dino bravo 1989 playbook. Nice to see these still being executed so well.
Spencer is an absolute beast, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on more cards soon. So is BFD - who finished it for his team with a black hole slam
Next up: Princess Charlie Logan vs Vegan powered Nick Hendricks
The Vegan as a heel is a bit of an odd one that I've never quite got. The condescending preachy aspect isn't something I've ever encountered in real life situations I've not been able to just walk away from. That being said, this guy wears it well. The obnoxious smirk and dismissal of his opponent today is enough to reinforce his place in this match.
Fantastic big guy vs small woman match, story told really well. With Charlie going over with a roll up
Danny Chase and Sam Spencer are out for the next randomly drawn match - Disco Dan is the opponent
Disco is trying to get chase to dance, and it looks like it might happen
The heels bail and disco brings in Princess Logan and half the audience in to cha cha slide.
Then I don't know exactly what happened, but I might have slipped into an alternative universe where Chase and Spencer did the "time of my life" routine from Dirty Dancing. Full routine including the lift!
Danny Chase gets the win after retaliating to a sneak behind trip and roll up attempt from Disco Dan. Apparently "nobody puts Danny in the corner". The beating he gave the Disco Cat showed us why.
I really hope someone was taping that cause that was so god damned funny it was unreal
Interval - some nice merchandise here - no xls though, so I'm gonna have to go online..
Concrete, the announcer and referee come back to the ring for the second half.
Our second half opener is a tag team match set for one fall.
Syntax is out first - the masked man is massively popular here.
James Stewart is his partner, and does not garner the same reaction. It looks like we have a heel and face team brought together by the draw here
Opposition provided by the other half of the House of Pain tag champs Joseph Starr and Tommy Taylor
Great fundamentals from all 4. Both teams are not getting along.
Starr and Taylor the first to crack with Starr forarming Taylor in the face. Taylor would get revenge when Stewart tagged in, throw syntax out and Taylor took the opportunity to level Starr and dragged Stewart on top of him for the pin costing himself and star the match. Excellent reinforcement of Taylor's recent heel turn.
Nathan Nyx with the Supermodel Visage - or should I say against...
The banter between these two is awesome as they please not to have to fight each other. A double lay down/pin was their first attempt at getting out of it.
Multiple refusals to fight insue until the threat of a double head shave from Stixx' was put on the table.
A reluctant square up with a pinky promise of no face shots starts a pretty good match between these two. The promise held up until visage had his Japanese style paper fan broken amongst the antics.
Visage ends it with a sneaky kick after coming out of a make up hug. Visage is highly entertaining, and Nyx definitely held his own.
Our main event of the night is a 6 man scramble match for the House of Pain Title
The world warrior Juken
Ruthless Bjorn Jones,
House of Pain champion Kyle Kingsley
Timberwolf
The Righteous Joseph Conners
G-wiz Garrett Bond
Highlights - dives, great chain work, towers of doom, Conners going ape on timberwolf leaving him a back redder than the ring skirts after a chopping match with Ric Flair
Plenty more too - all of these guys have great futures ahead of them.
Jukin over with an insane looking cross calf hold German suplex.
All in all this was a great show - lots of very promising young talent here. Stixx and Juken are doing a fantastic job giving these guys the building blocks for great careers.
Back to the town centre
The post show pint at the lord Roberts. Kopek stout - dark and smoky enough to satisfy.
It was like nectar. The pub isn't badly priced, but artisan facial hair virus is rampant here and the bouncer looks like a cross between porkpie from Desmond's (fuck me I'm dating myself with that reference) and an American 1950s portrayal of a gangster
I like it here - but I'm not shaving while I can remember what the locals look like.
Supplemental- robbing bastards award goes to the Six Barrels, where a pint of snecklifter cost £4.10. I don't know when snecklifter became a craft brew!
Quick tip for anyone going from Nottingham to Lincoln - in the winter, the first train is mid afternoon. The line is closed half of the day for some reason.
its been a while...
Ok folks,
I know it's been a while since I got round to posting anything up on here - I've got a couple of shows that I went to and enjoyed throroughly that I've not posted up for one reason or another, and I think its about time that I did.
For anyone that is/was following the blog previously and was wondering what the hell happened to the posts and with the getting to shows etc, here's the lowdown.
The cast is off my ankle and I can pretty much walk around again - standing for long periods of time is still a wee bit too painful, and this "boot" thing that makes walking bearable has the look, feel and practicality of a prop from a low budget knock off of robocop. It does stop the pain whereas the military boot I thought would be a good enough replacement for it doesn't.
Between this and the extra costs of taxi trips into and out of work instead of busses, I've really not gotten out as much as I should have, and that's just not good enough. So, there will be more blog updates, because concrete plans are in place for me to get to the following promotions.
MPW and FTW - these guys run shows all over Tyne and Wear (and County Durham) and I will get to see them soon.
EPW - I see they're running Ashington Leisure Centre shortly - I did night shift security at the end stages of its build/commissioning - Its a great venue I know I can get back to Newcastle from afterwards.
MEW - I was gutted that I missed their last show, especially after Planet of the Primate was so god damn good. "THEEEEEE CLASS APAAAAART" taking the title, however, they are back at the Innesfree social club in Longbenton soon with "4 Way War" - and I will be at that one.
W3L - Running Hexham on an afternoon that doesn't clash with another show elsewhere, and i can get back from on the train or bus? yup, I'll see you there.
ACW - Apollo Championship Wrestling. As much as I love going to wrestling shows, I will travel to see bands that I love as well. so when I see that one of my favorite bands, The Red Paintings (Check them out here) are due to play London on June 4th, the first thing I did was to look up Wrestling events happening on the night before in London. There were two results - BEW's international grand prix, which looks like its going to be epic, but its a two nighter and night two clashes with the gig. I remember getting a copy of wrestlemania 4 when I was a kid, and the second video was just filed up with random crap from TV as opposed to the second half of the event - ever since then I've vowed never to watch half a tournament again. (I'll be back to catch you in the future BEW!) The other one was ACW - their second event "Fear No Foe" takes place on June 3rd, and the talent advertised was enough for me to make my plans to go (Paul Robinson, The London Riots, Jack Sexmith, Damon Moser etc) - coupled with great reviews of their first show, it looks like this is going to be a corker.
NORTH - NCL5 Head Over Heels on July 1st - NORTH have been putting on consistantly fantastic shows recently - Andrew's doing a great job in running this one. honestly - if anyone is in the vicinity of Newcastle, I whole heartedly recommend paying this one a visit.
Later in the year, I'm hoping to get around a bit more to more places - the planning is getting a fair bit easier to do now, and I really want to visit more cities I've never been to.
On the personal side of things I'm fulfilling an ambition in a couple of days and going to have a pop as stand up comedy. I don't think I'll be incorporating wrestling into that, but if it goes well, and the confidence comes I might offer myself about as a ring announcer/VOD commentator - hey, it might be worth a go, and the old saying goes "shy bairns nee sweets" doesnt it? Yes. Yes it does. Where I live anyhow.
Right so without chuntering on further, I'll get to editing and posting the House of Pain show from Nottingham, the Tidal Championship Wrestling show from the second day of my weekend in Leeds,
and North NCL4: We're in this together
See you at Ringside, or at the bar, or on the bus.
I know it's been a while since I got round to posting anything up on here - I've got a couple of shows that I went to and enjoyed throroughly that I've not posted up for one reason or another, and I think its about time that I did.
For anyone that is/was following the blog previously and was wondering what the hell happened to the posts and with the getting to shows etc, here's the lowdown.
The cast is off my ankle and I can pretty much walk around again - standing for long periods of time is still a wee bit too painful, and this "boot" thing that makes walking bearable has the look, feel and practicality of a prop from a low budget knock off of robocop. It does stop the pain whereas the military boot I thought would be a good enough replacement for it doesn't.
Between this and the extra costs of taxi trips into and out of work instead of busses, I've really not gotten out as much as I should have, and that's just not good enough. So, there will be more blog updates, because concrete plans are in place for me to get to the following promotions.
MPW and FTW - these guys run shows all over Tyne and Wear (and County Durham) and I will get to see them soon.
EPW - I see they're running Ashington Leisure Centre shortly - I did night shift security at the end stages of its build/commissioning - Its a great venue I know I can get back to Newcastle from afterwards.
MEW - I was gutted that I missed their last show, especially after Planet of the Primate was so god damn good. "THEEEEEE CLASS APAAAAART" taking the title, however, they are back at the Innesfree social club in Longbenton soon with "4 Way War" - and I will be at that one.
W3L - Running Hexham on an afternoon that doesn't clash with another show elsewhere, and i can get back from on the train or bus? yup, I'll see you there.
ACW - Apollo Championship Wrestling. As much as I love going to wrestling shows, I will travel to see bands that I love as well. so when I see that one of my favorite bands, The Red Paintings (Check them out here) are due to play London on June 4th, the first thing I did was to look up Wrestling events happening on the night before in London. There were two results - BEW's international grand prix, which looks like its going to be epic, but its a two nighter and night two clashes with the gig. I remember getting a copy of wrestlemania 4 when I was a kid, and the second video was just filed up with random crap from TV as opposed to the second half of the event - ever since then I've vowed never to watch half a tournament again. (I'll be back to catch you in the future BEW!) The other one was ACW - their second event "Fear No Foe" takes place on June 3rd, and the talent advertised was enough for me to make my plans to go (Paul Robinson, The London Riots, Jack Sexmith, Damon Moser etc) - coupled with great reviews of their first show, it looks like this is going to be a corker.
NORTH - NCL5 Head Over Heels on July 1st - NORTH have been putting on consistantly fantastic shows recently - Andrew's doing a great job in running this one. honestly - if anyone is in the vicinity of Newcastle, I whole heartedly recommend paying this one a visit.
Later in the year, I'm hoping to get around a bit more to more places - the planning is getting a fair bit easier to do now, and I really want to visit more cities I've never been to.
On the personal side of things I'm fulfilling an ambition in a couple of days and going to have a pop as stand up comedy. I don't think I'll be incorporating wrestling into that, but if it goes well, and the confidence comes I might offer myself about as a ring announcer/VOD commentator - hey, it might be worth a go, and the old saying goes "shy bairns nee sweets" doesnt it? Yes. Yes it does. Where I live anyhow.
Right so without chuntering on further, I'll get to editing and posting the House of Pain show from Nottingham, the Tidal Championship Wrestling show from the second day of my weekend in Leeds,
and North NCL4: We're in this together
See you at Ringside, or at the bar, or on the bus.
Friday, 10 March 2017
What the hell did I just watch? 1 - ultimate death match
Ok - since I'm laid up with a broken ankle, I thought I'd make use of the unlimited data plan I've got from three (Cheers guys) to at least do something. So I looked up something pro wrestling related on a little website called filmon.tv - and boy was I surprised at the plethora of bargain basement guff on there. Since I ballsed up my first attempt at walking on crutches and almost did my good foot in during an impromptu breakdance attempt, it looks like I've got a day or two with sod all to do apart from change position every now and again and consume the culinary delights of cafe Royal Victoria Infirmary. So here goes with the first of a trilogy of a little curiosity that might just kill some time.
Ultimate death match
We're pretty much dropped straight into a backstage type meeting at a wrestling school/show/training school on about the dwindling audiences for wrestling on TV. Who's in the ring talking to folk on the outside? It's perennial stars to any weird shit they can shoehorn wrestling into films, Kevin Nash, and Shane Douglas. Oh boy, there's a seal of quality right there.
We get given the premises that the business is on its arse and it's time to innovate. Ok fair enough.
Random singular papparazo accosts a promoter, and we get the second lead-in story - a wrestler had a heart attack in the ring at an indy show and the athletic commission took the promoters license away. The reporter is politely told to depart and the promoter is shown in a bar. Two guys kick shit out (read badly implement heel wrestling spots on) of the promoter in the bar for him being responsible for the death of "Johnny".
The typewriter font credits finish
I'll be honest, at this point I'm developing an ear worm of "things can only get better" by D:ream because it looks like nothing is going to make this any more horrible.
How wrong am I? It's the hat trick, Al Snow is here. Apparently his name here is Frosty. I don't see a carrot anywhere, if I did, I'd cut it into slices and carefully layer the slices over my eyes to create a blindfold. A review is what I said I was going to do, and by God I'm going to stick to my guns on this one. Luckily I have another round of painkillers due in about half an hour so that should take the edge off.
Anyhow - Frosty is talking to "Jimmy" (who was with Nash and Douglas during the intro. They're arguing over still running a show after Johnny Pain died. "Jimmy" has an idea
A blonde woman who looks vaguely familiar appears - it looks like she's Frosty's partner. Frosty relays the idea of a pay per view tournament where someone "dies" in the main event, but it's all a work, nobody is actually getting killed and hey, the money's good . The blonde woman doesn't trust Jimmy at all and does a good job of being the pissed off wife, and tells out sub-zero friend to do what he wants, walking off as if he's just asked to go to the pub with his mates on their anniversary.
Quick cut to an office, and apparently the ATF and FBI have gotten wind of the idea.
Back to the school/gym and Jimmy is laying down the tournament to the prospective competitors.
Back to the FBI office, where street clothes guy passes off the web address for the pay per view and some card details. The FBI guy "Bognor" (no, it's not fake razor) is pissed off with the whole thing and wants to be out catching bank robbers.
Bognor, fuck off. You can either risk dying outside of a bank somewhere or watch a really shitty wrestling show. Honestly, I've never seen a show so bad it's made me want to go and start a fight with someone who might have a gun instead. Take the job and be happy with it you miserable sod.
Now that the back story is done with, it's pay per view time. Frosty James and double R are our announce team tonight. Dear god this is awful.
Frosty: yes, that's right tonight, in this ring someone will die.
Double R: yes frosty, death for a price, and we're excited about this new type of entertainment
Frosty: well R and R, it's not really a new type of entertainment, I mean the Roman gladiators have been doing it thousands of years ago
Opening banter aside, the premise is as follows:
8 competitors in a round robin tournament (single elimination surely). In the first round anything goes and KO or submission is the only way to win. The winners move on to the finals where there are no rules (I'm guessing pinfalls count after round 1 - is Vince Russo booking this?). In the championship match someone gets $3 million and the opponent goes home in a wooden overcoat.
Let's meet the contents:
Match 1 - The Beast vs Larkin
Frosty is on promo duty. The Beast (no idea) is here to kill someone, and the masked Larkin is too busy pissing himself laughing or having a series of small strokes (I couldn't tell because the acting is bloody awful) to care.
Frosty asks if he's the only sane one around here. That's pushing it a bit mate, your participation in this debacle already means your room is getting lined with rubber while you're out filming, and not because the blonde woman is getting kinky.
To the ring. The beast is mad over. The crowd shots we keep cutting to focus on a guy with a cigar wearing a black cowboy hat and a bunch of women with him.
Larkin is all over the Beast to start - the Beast comes back with a hand bite, a finger split and a kick up the arse. Kerb stomps by the Beast and a variety pack of headkicks.
A paving slab gets involved somehow. Beast is blatantly going for the KO with all these head attacks. Paving stone to the back of the head for the knockout. Beast wins. Apparently not by fatality, but pretty close.
Cut to a box room somewhere - the promoter is watching the analytics. His henchman is wearing an eye patch. Not enough evil bastards wear eye patches anymore.
They've just broke 10 million viewers. Perfect time for the promoter to ask the henchman if he lost his eye in a "masturbation accident". Harsh, and completely out of left field!
Wobbly screen flashback to him getting a syringe pushed and emptied into his eye. Wobbly screen return to present and the henchman replies in a sombre tone "I don't remember".
Promoter tells the Cyclops to get frosty to push the death angle. The Cyclops heads off to comply while giving possibly the least menacing menacing chuckle imaginable - and bearing in mind I've seen Prince of space, that's saying something.
Match 2 is Jimmy Flame VS Azul. Bloody hell.
Jimmy Flame cuts a 2003 era CZW style promo. All foul language and over the top threats from our slack jawed typically southern friend, who does look like he's been paid in either meth, or meths.
Azul is a luchador apparently. 3rd generation - and he looks like the distant cousin of a random villano. I don't know which one - if you've got a dice to hand roll it and write it in yourself. This should be interesting.
Flame has a chain with him as we cut to the ring. Flame has "dynamite" written on his tights. Azul is luchadoring his ass off and getting the upper hand on flame when we cut back to the FBI office.
Bognor is taking a call from his mother when his crony and a blatantly off her face on something female officer rock up in the background. The phone call ends and Bognor is reminded to watch and record the event because they think someone is going to die. He's still not having it.
Back to the match. Azul is still running rings around Flame. Flame comes back, much to the delight of our cowboy friend in the VIP booth.
Flame with a choke using the chain, and a top rope fist drop into azul's head on top of the chain.
Azul kicks flame in the back, and hits him with the balled up chain. "Blood" everywhere at this point (It's not a blade job, that looks sod all like actual blood)
Flame ejects the ref for no reason. Lots of back and forth with the chain between these two until Azul finally gets choked out with the chain. Flame advances
Match 3
Dash venture Vs Aaron bolo
Bolo cuts a bi-lingual promo. Dash just wants to win the money and be "notorious"
Dash has a pop at a fan and is levelled by bolo. The match gets underway and bolo (apparently south Korean) is no selling hard until he gets his balls caved in. Venture is properly heeling it up with the crowd while choking bolo out.
A jawbreaker reversal gives bolo the upper hand, venture exposes a turnbuckle, slams bolo's head into it and hits a DDT for the knockout.
The crowd half drown out the post match promo.
We cut to the Cyclops (Doc) and the promoter. Who reiterate that Dash really wants to win. Good job because we couldn't hear a bloody thing dash said after that match.
Match 4 - Pauli ventura Vs Russian python.
Python shouts something in Russian, Pauli is doing it for the money and to get his family back. Not sure how or where he lost them, but there you go.
Python attacks with a mop handle - that must be some mop because that handle is around 7 feet long. Pauli takes over and knocks out python with a knee to the head.
Doc Cyclops is stroking a gargoyle in the promoters office. Promoter sends Doc out to get him the Beast. Looks like the beast is getting the push here.
Beast accosts Pauli who is now bleeding for some reason - it didn't happen during the match. Doc separates them. I'm guessing he's more of an agent than a henchman.
Cut to the ring and a random match in progress. TKO vs Steve Rush. There's a crutch wrapped in barbed wire being used. TKO opens a bag of drawing pins. Both him and Rush end up in them. No finish shown. The commentary is hilarious on here.
Frosty briefly discussed the morality of the event with the promoter, not really getting any answers.
It is single elimination. The round 2 graphic proves it.
Dash vs the Beast. More awful promos. The Beast dominates this one and is apparently a heel now. Lots of throat and neck work here. Frosty can't tell the difference between a sidewalk slam and a spine buster. Dash reverses a piledriver, but the advantage is short lived as the Beast takes over again. A DDT gives the Beast the win.
Another DDT afterwards just for good measure. Harsh.
Pauli ventura vs Jimmy Flame
Flame is on top for a good portion of this one. Russian python is shown shaking hands with the promoter and saying "I'll do it". What "it" is, I dunno, but I'm sure it won't be long until we find out.
Pauli gets the upper hand back and knocks out flame for the victory.
Beast vs Pauli ventura is our final. The prize money increased to $5 million somewhere along the line.
Pauli is in the promoters office. The promoter gives him a heads up that the Beast isn't playing around.
The commentators tell us that there's 15 million viewers, so the prize money increases to $7 million.
Just as we're about to get started, we cut to the back and Doc has spiked a drink he's given to Pauli. What a dick.
Pauli is blatantly done for here. The Python and the Beast take liberties on Ventura. Drugged Pauli is rolled to the outside. The fans aren't happy. Presumably because nobody died. The promoter pits the Python and the Beast against each other in the final. Beast quickly attacks Python and beats him down. The eye gouges throughout this film have been bloody horrible looking.
That paving slab is back from before. For a quick shot or two. The Beast hits a piledriver to kill the Python, and take the money.
In the promoters office, they seem happy with the whole affair and the 27 million viewers. Doc goes to get the helicopter. The cowboy and his women leg it for a limo. Frosty rolls it up with a rant about how "we all had a part in this murder" and proceeds to have a meltdown over being implicated in this event - so he was ok with it up until now? - he's off to find promoter Jake, and double R completely no sells the whole thing wrapping up the broadcast in a calm, professional manner while Python is laying dead in the middle of the ring.
Cut to the FBI office, and Bognor is on the phone to a superior confirming the death. He can't believe they have a murder to solve.
The credits come up - here's a few nuggets from them:
Commentators: Frosty James and Brutus beefcake (that looked and sounded fuck all like Ed Leslie)
Cameraman: cornbread, ring rat, bung .T. chopper.
The gags go on throughout. These are blatantly the credits for the show within a show.
Frosty catches up with promoter Jake and confronts him about the death being a shoot. Jake tells him he can either take the money and do one or hang around for the coppers to turn up. Double R reappears with Frosty's kit and they bugger off.
We get some out-takes of the promos while the actual credits roll.
This was just over an hour of my life I'm never going to get back, but it was this or the lingerie fight club. I'm on a ward in a room with three other guys, im not watching that here.
Ultimate death match
We're pretty much dropped straight into a backstage type meeting at a wrestling school/show/training school on about the dwindling audiences for wrestling on TV. Who's in the ring talking to folk on the outside? It's perennial stars to any weird shit they can shoehorn wrestling into films, Kevin Nash, and Shane Douglas. Oh boy, there's a seal of quality right there.
We get given the premises that the business is on its arse and it's time to innovate. Ok fair enough.
Random singular papparazo accosts a promoter, and we get the second lead-in story - a wrestler had a heart attack in the ring at an indy show and the athletic commission took the promoters license away. The reporter is politely told to depart and the promoter is shown in a bar. Two guys kick shit out (read badly implement heel wrestling spots on) of the promoter in the bar for him being responsible for the death of "Johnny".
The typewriter font credits finish
I'll be honest, at this point I'm developing an ear worm of "things can only get better" by D:ream because it looks like nothing is going to make this any more horrible.
How wrong am I? It's the hat trick, Al Snow is here. Apparently his name here is Frosty. I don't see a carrot anywhere, if I did, I'd cut it into slices and carefully layer the slices over my eyes to create a blindfold. A review is what I said I was going to do, and by God I'm going to stick to my guns on this one. Luckily I have another round of painkillers due in about half an hour so that should take the edge off.
Anyhow - Frosty is talking to "Jimmy" (who was with Nash and Douglas during the intro. They're arguing over still running a show after Johnny Pain died. "Jimmy" has an idea
A blonde woman who looks vaguely familiar appears - it looks like she's Frosty's partner. Frosty relays the idea of a pay per view tournament where someone "dies" in the main event, but it's all a work, nobody is actually getting killed and hey, the money's good . The blonde woman doesn't trust Jimmy at all and does a good job of being the pissed off wife, and tells out sub-zero friend to do what he wants, walking off as if he's just asked to go to the pub with his mates on their anniversary.
Quick cut to an office, and apparently the ATF and FBI have gotten wind of the idea.
Back to the school/gym and Jimmy is laying down the tournament to the prospective competitors.
Back to the FBI office, where street clothes guy passes off the web address for the pay per view and some card details. The FBI guy "Bognor" (no, it's not fake razor) is pissed off with the whole thing and wants to be out catching bank robbers.
Bognor, fuck off. You can either risk dying outside of a bank somewhere or watch a really shitty wrestling show. Honestly, I've never seen a show so bad it's made me want to go and start a fight with someone who might have a gun instead. Take the job and be happy with it you miserable sod.
Now that the back story is done with, it's pay per view time. Frosty James and double R are our announce team tonight. Dear god this is awful.
Frosty: yes, that's right tonight, in this ring someone will die.
Double R: yes frosty, death for a price, and we're excited about this new type of entertainment
Frosty: well R and R, it's not really a new type of entertainment, I mean the Roman gladiators have been doing it thousands of years ago
Opening banter aside, the premise is as follows:
8 competitors in a round robin tournament (single elimination surely). In the first round anything goes and KO or submission is the only way to win. The winners move on to the finals where there are no rules (I'm guessing pinfalls count after round 1 - is Vince Russo booking this?). In the championship match someone gets $3 million and the opponent goes home in a wooden overcoat.
Let's meet the contents:
Match 1 - The Beast vs Larkin
Frosty is on promo duty. The Beast (no idea) is here to kill someone, and the masked Larkin is too busy pissing himself laughing or having a series of small strokes (I couldn't tell because the acting is bloody awful) to care.
Frosty asks if he's the only sane one around here. That's pushing it a bit mate, your participation in this debacle already means your room is getting lined with rubber while you're out filming, and not because the blonde woman is getting kinky.
To the ring. The beast is mad over. The crowd shots we keep cutting to focus on a guy with a cigar wearing a black cowboy hat and a bunch of women with him.
Larkin is all over the Beast to start - the Beast comes back with a hand bite, a finger split and a kick up the arse. Kerb stomps by the Beast and a variety pack of headkicks.
A paving slab gets involved somehow. Beast is blatantly going for the KO with all these head attacks. Paving stone to the back of the head for the knockout. Beast wins. Apparently not by fatality, but pretty close.
Cut to a box room somewhere - the promoter is watching the analytics. His henchman is wearing an eye patch. Not enough evil bastards wear eye patches anymore.
They've just broke 10 million viewers. Perfect time for the promoter to ask the henchman if he lost his eye in a "masturbation accident". Harsh, and completely out of left field!
Wobbly screen flashback to him getting a syringe pushed and emptied into his eye. Wobbly screen return to present and the henchman replies in a sombre tone "I don't remember".
Promoter tells the Cyclops to get frosty to push the death angle. The Cyclops heads off to comply while giving possibly the least menacing menacing chuckle imaginable - and bearing in mind I've seen Prince of space, that's saying something.
Match 2 is Jimmy Flame VS Azul. Bloody hell.
Jimmy Flame cuts a 2003 era CZW style promo. All foul language and over the top threats from our slack jawed typically southern friend, who does look like he's been paid in either meth, or meths.
Azul is a luchador apparently. 3rd generation - and he looks like the distant cousin of a random villano. I don't know which one - if you've got a dice to hand roll it and write it in yourself. This should be interesting.
Flame has a chain with him as we cut to the ring. Flame has "dynamite" written on his tights. Azul is luchadoring his ass off and getting the upper hand on flame when we cut back to the FBI office.
Bognor is taking a call from his mother when his crony and a blatantly off her face on something female officer rock up in the background. The phone call ends and Bognor is reminded to watch and record the event because they think someone is going to die. He's still not having it.
Back to the match. Azul is still running rings around Flame. Flame comes back, much to the delight of our cowboy friend in the VIP booth.
Flame with a choke using the chain, and a top rope fist drop into azul's head on top of the chain.
Azul kicks flame in the back, and hits him with the balled up chain. "Blood" everywhere at this point (It's not a blade job, that looks sod all like actual blood)
Flame ejects the ref for no reason. Lots of back and forth with the chain between these two until Azul finally gets choked out with the chain. Flame advances
Match 3
Dash venture Vs Aaron bolo
Bolo cuts a bi-lingual promo. Dash just wants to win the money and be "notorious"
Dash has a pop at a fan and is levelled by bolo. The match gets underway and bolo (apparently south Korean) is no selling hard until he gets his balls caved in. Venture is properly heeling it up with the crowd while choking bolo out.
A jawbreaker reversal gives bolo the upper hand, venture exposes a turnbuckle, slams bolo's head into it and hits a DDT for the knockout.
The crowd half drown out the post match promo.
We cut to the Cyclops (Doc) and the promoter. Who reiterate that Dash really wants to win. Good job because we couldn't hear a bloody thing dash said after that match.
Match 4 - Pauli ventura Vs Russian python.
Python shouts something in Russian, Pauli is doing it for the money and to get his family back. Not sure how or where he lost them, but there you go.
Python attacks with a mop handle - that must be some mop because that handle is around 7 feet long. Pauli takes over and knocks out python with a knee to the head.
Doc Cyclops is stroking a gargoyle in the promoters office. Promoter sends Doc out to get him the Beast. Looks like the beast is getting the push here.
Beast accosts Pauli who is now bleeding for some reason - it didn't happen during the match. Doc separates them. I'm guessing he's more of an agent than a henchman.
Cut to the ring and a random match in progress. TKO vs Steve Rush. There's a crutch wrapped in barbed wire being used. TKO opens a bag of drawing pins. Both him and Rush end up in them. No finish shown. The commentary is hilarious on here.
Frosty briefly discussed the morality of the event with the promoter, not really getting any answers.
It is single elimination. The round 2 graphic proves it.
Dash vs the Beast. More awful promos. The Beast dominates this one and is apparently a heel now. Lots of throat and neck work here. Frosty can't tell the difference between a sidewalk slam and a spine buster. Dash reverses a piledriver, but the advantage is short lived as the Beast takes over again. A DDT gives the Beast the win.
Another DDT afterwards just for good measure. Harsh.
Pauli ventura vs Jimmy Flame
Flame is on top for a good portion of this one. Russian python is shown shaking hands with the promoter and saying "I'll do it". What "it" is, I dunno, but I'm sure it won't be long until we find out.
Pauli gets the upper hand back and knocks out flame for the victory.
Beast vs Pauli ventura is our final. The prize money increased to $5 million somewhere along the line.
Pauli is in the promoters office. The promoter gives him a heads up that the Beast isn't playing around.
The commentators tell us that there's 15 million viewers, so the prize money increases to $7 million.
Just as we're about to get started, we cut to the back and Doc has spiked a drink he's given to Pauli. What a dick.
Pauli is blatantly done for here. The Python and the Beast take liberties on Ventura. Drugged Pauli is rolled to the outside. The fans aren't happy. Presumably because nobody died. The promoter pits the Python and the Beast against each other in the final. Beast quickly attacks Python and beats him down. The eye gouges throughout this film have been bloody horrible looking.
That paving slab is back from before. For a quick shot or two. The Beast hits a piledriver to kill the Python, and take the money.
In the promoters office, they seem happy with the whole affair and the 27 million viewers. Doc goes to get the helicopter. The cowboy and his women leg it for a limo. Frosty rolls it up with a rant about how "we all had a part in this murder" and proceeds to have a meltdown over being implicated in this event - so he was ok with it up until now? - he's off to find promoter Jake, and double R completely no sells the whole thing wrapping up the broadcast in a calm, professional manner while Python is laying dead in the middle of the ring.
Cut to the FBI office, and Bognor is on the phone to a superior confirming the death. He can't believe they have a murder to solve.
The credits come up - here's a few nuggets from them:
Commentators: Frosty James and Brutus beefcake (that looked and sounded fuck all like Ed Leslie)
Cameraman: cornbread, ring rat, bung .T. chopper.
The gags go on throughout. These are blatantly the credits for the show within a show.
Frosty catches up with promoter Jake and confronts him about the death being a shoot. Jake tells him he can either take the money and do one or hang around for the coppers to turn up. Double R reappears with Frosty's kit and they bugger off.
We get some out-takes of the promos while the actual credits roll.
This was just over an hour of my life I'm never going to get back, but it was this or the lingerie fight club. I'm on a ward in a room with three other guys, im not watching that here.
Broke his leg in Whitley dancing with a train...
And so it comes to pass that I've spent two weeks laid up with a pot on my leg. I missed freedoms road -which I was absolutely gutted about, and was sufficiently sick of so much going wrong that I gave up the opportunity of a free ticket to the WCPW exit wounds show the same night and watched that on YouTube instead. However, it's not all bad news, - during the stay in hospital I googled something I came across a while ago, and treated myself to a movie. The reviews (or burial as it turns out) is in the next post.
Tuesday, 21 February 2017
(P, PD, BRS) UKW British Bash 2017 - UKW gym Batley
UKW British bash - Alexandra mills Batley
Frenzied attempt at getting ready an hour before I thought I needed to after loading my ticket email and realising it was 0910 and not 1020 my bus was due to depart - I switched out my SD card for the music to listen to in the gym and forgot to reset my alarm songs - hence no alarm - I was going to hit the jacuzzi in the gym for a bit - loosen me up before the journey. That obviously didn't happen. But I have my hip flask of jaegermeister, a bottle or two of beer and a tightly rolled change of clothes, time to hit the road...
Megabus - I don't know when the passengers got sensible on these things but the last couple of journeys have been boring as hell. I kind of miss the old days - From driving through floods and having obnoxiously loud conversations about where the emergency oars and lifejackets were, observing a failed chat up attempt lead to a live baptism, to being kept out of London to avoid running over Bruce Forsyth and his entourage as they did a live dance in the streets, which I can only assume was some kind of immortality ritual, because he's still here. How, how in the blue hell has that happened. Want my take on it? Here we go with the first random tangent of this post.
Brucie's dance routines can be traced back to ancient tribes of massive chinned homo-playyourcardsrighticus on now unpopulated islands in the south pacific, where tribal mass dance rituals took place, and gave them eternal life. This came with a caveat that people performing these rites would be less and less likely to conceive as couples. Around the age of 327, the tribal elders were so bored of living that they all would just walk off cliffs or into the sea. By the time the last of the women had taken the plunge, evolution had taken hold elsewhere and that particular phase in the ascent of man was brought to a close. Forsyth learned of the practice at a miss world competition he was at in his younger days during an undocumented *ahem* interview with one of the contestants, and he's been practising this ever since.
Anyhow, basically, the bus ride down to Leeds was uninteresting.
The accommodation was a strange thing - in that it wasn't a b&b like I thought it was going to b(e). I arrived at the address and then was walked down to where I was staying. A shared house with a spare room in it. Hey, it's crash space I've been in worse.
The train to Batley had me overhear one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard an adult say to another adult - "we've got some of them in Selby, you don't need to go to Los Angeles for that" the only feasible thing I can imagine that being about would have been clouds.
You know those awkward moments when a child stares at you. That train journey also produced one of those. But thanks to an inquisitively purchased green tea latte (who thought that was a good idea), and a little spark of longing for self amusement, a solution was found:
a) calmly take a swig from the green tea latte with the lid off the cup.
b) part way through the swig, pull the crazy eyes and stare off into space.
c) slowly pull cup away from face revealing a slack jaw and green foamed milk from the latte around your mouth. Optional extra, slowly reposition head to acquire eye contact while still staring off into the distance.
d) enjoy the reaction. don't forget to stumble slowly off the train past them if you're getting off first.
Pre show pint at the cellar bar next to the train station. Rudgates Jerusalem (4%) - it's a pale, but so be it. It's going down quite nicely for a light one. Everards tiger next (4.2%) nice copper colour on this one, a little more malt but not much.
This is an actual wrestling gym, a bespoke customised one. - it looks good, the light is static, but it is just right. Black walls help with that. An ECW style brick print stage piece stands around the Union flag curtain at the entrance way and a well constructed commentary booth. There are a few empty seats, but I would say that could be down to the location, Tidal being tomorrow in Leeds, or people maybe not knowing about it. I can't wait until this goes to VOD, because the product looks absolutely fantastic.
Out of the three rings they have, set up on site, the one being used is the full sized show ring - there is a smaller one similar to the one used at a lot of events in Newcastle, and another which was not as high off the ground (like chikara's old ring, around half height).
The ring announcer is sporting an almost steampunk look, sans top hat.
Pre-show match Scar & Felicia vs James Thwaite and Rogue
To steal a bit from the OSW review podcast, Felicia is wearing a gold and purple ensemble, what barrrr is she? Definitely a crunchie, and a happy one at that! Felicia introduces us to Scar and gets the crowd warmed up.
Nice heel work by Rogue and Thwaite until Thwaite hits the ropes accidentally knocking her off the apron, and she storms off leaving Jamie on his Lonesome. That doesn't end well for him as Scar gets the win for his team. Great warm up to the show, and nice to see some of the academy with so much potential.
Officer Rogers vs Andrew Jepson (The man mountain) kicks us off.
Officer Rogers is asserting his "law and order of the ring" self-appointment very well here, and is quickly disliked by the audience.
Rogers could end up in trouble here - his attire is extremely close to actual police uniform. Is he going to arrest himself for impersonating an officer? There's a philosophical question for you. He starts by calling for a test of strength and starts to get an advantage. Jepson starts to reverse it and the officer grabs a headlock. The wrestling here is really slick and a pleasure to watch.
Two Shoulder blocks from Jepson, on the third one Rogers misses a front and reverse lariat, both ducked as Jepson is running the ropes before taking flight for it to knock him down.
,
A fair bit of rule breaking to get the advantage by the Officer. The temptation to start a police brutality chant was resisted.
A chokeslam attempt by Jepson was reversed into a German suplex by Rogers.
Jepson takes the straps down - business is about to pick up. Rogers reverses the move Jepsen was setting up for. While Jepson is down, Rogers loses focus, and has a pop at a kid reading a book in the audience. Once he's said his piece he turns round straight into a chokeslam from Jepson to end it.
Rogers has a right go at the child afterwards until a parent intervenes and he freaks out, making a hasty exit.
We have a Handicap match next Juvenile Delinquent Callum Moorhouse (with Lana) and Cayman Carlisle vs Alpha Predator Rex Savage.
Savage is overpowering the two smaller opponents early until a drop toe hold onto the middle buckle. Stuns him long enough to let Carlisle and Moorhouse in with some quick and fast paced offence.
Lots of double teaming, which would seem to be the best strategy against someone the size of Savage (it's getting harder not to type Rampage when im looking at this guy)
Lana slaps from outside while he's draped over the second rope. Moorhouse uses his full bodyweight to drop over Savage, and slides over him to the outside where he works the crowd after landing on his feet. Moorhouse and Carlisle continue double teaming, strikes and dives to get the best of every advantage Savage gets. They each take an arm and lock on a cross arm breaker. Savage lifts both simultaneously and slams them back down. Hard. Awesome strength right there. That does it for this one - top notch match.
Das Wildcard Tommy Dillon comes to draped in a German flag - I didn't know he was German! Nice throwback to Nikolai Volkoff here with the heel promo, wanting to sing the German national anthem (badly), but being boo'd into oblivion
LRB is the opponent here, and he's coming draped in the St George cross to a massive reaction.
Flag lifting by both to rile up the crowd. Obviously Dillon isn't pleased with the result. So, he decides to give us another rendition of Deutschlandleid, and he wants to be shown respect. That doesn't happen. So he extracts it physically from LRB.
Dillon with a flag choke, top notch old school heel work here from the German. nice to see the persistent working of the leg leading into a figure four. Dillon started singing the anthem at him while he had him in the hold! Awesome. The hold is reversed by LRB, but goes into the ropes for the break. I've got to say I'm massively impressed with the use of the ring space from these guys.
Dillon delivers a Luftwaffe elbow from the ropes - I don't know if that's what it's called, but I'm going with it in the spirit of the gimmick.
An iron claw! Dillon is awesome - he's definitely staying on my radar for the future. Reversing the claw led to LRB regaining an advantage.
Two cutters to Dillon but his arm is under the ropes when the cover is made.
Dillon cheats again to get the win and puts his feet on the ropes just to add insult to injury.
Eliza Roux vs Rosemary up next. Eliza has the FFW belt with her. It's not on the line, but Rosemary's TNA one is.
TNA theme plays for Rosemary (as opposed to "the nobodies" by Marilyn Manson - it's going on VOD, so I'm guessing that's why we're treated to the Dale Oliver one) who's dealing well with a quiet crowd very well, nice Zombie/Girl from the Ring (the movie) type entrance. Eliza looks well spooked.
Rosemary licks her hands and runs them down her face, Eliza backs off. Rosemary wipes her hands on the referee's shirt, and then they lock up.
Nice arm work from Eliza. Spun to the outside by Rosemary, who keeps on top of Roux with strikes both outside and inside the ring, and a face bite/roar (I couldn't quite see for the bottom rope.)
Eliza's fear of Rosemary plays into this one nicely, Rosemary stopping Eliza mid-run with a scream.
Rolling chancery from the outside in by rosemary - Roux makes it to the ropes.
Roux dodges a corner run, Rosemary's shoulder goes straight into the post.
Eliza goes back to the arm. Rosemary uses a strategic bite to get out of an armbar
Head scissors over the rope from Rosemary who falls to the floor. As we get back into the ring, Eliza goes back to the arm.
After escaping, a spear by rosemary gets a two. Roux locks a double arm breaker in on rosemary when Moorhouse, Carlisle and Lana interfere to cost eliza the title via DQ
Lana took the mist to the face. An authority figure comes out, calls Moorhouse, Carlisle and Lana a disgrace and asks his friends from Lincoln to remove them.
Tommy Rider, the Ragency and a few others from Fight Factory in the audience stand up and throw the delinquent and his entourage out of the fire door.
Short Interval notes
Rosemary is really sweet
The delinquent entourage had to jump the fence to get back into the premises.
I'm noticing something here - there are a lot of great athletes in Newcastle, but I'm seeing more psychology and thought going into match structure elsewhere. If anyone is looking to travel to different schools, this place, house of pain and Fight Factory are definitely worth a visit. It's not a knock on the scene back home, and it may just be because I've been watching wrestling for so long that I'm not necessarily into the prevalent style, but going in cold with little to no knowledge of anything leading into the shows, I've been invested in a lot more characters quicker than anywhere else
Part two:
Josh and Joel Redgrave out for the tag tournament semi finals. Elis and Jay Jay Barker are the other contenders. I know they're the faces here, but I really hate Limp Bizkit to the point of suspicion of anyone who makes me listen to them.
Lots of fast action in this one.
Headbutt exchange with the Redgrave lad mocking Jay Jay's "king of the headbutts" moniker. Soon finding out exactly where it came from. The Barkers get the advantage.
A misfire on a leapfrog by one of the Barkers results in him taking a Redgrave inverted atomic drop.
The teamwork, and use the ring space here is phenomenal to see from guys this young.
The Barkers go over and into the finals of the tournament after an awesome sequence ending in a forearm strike to the back of the head of a Redgrave which looked like it knocked him clean out.
There's a Marshall amp in the ring. They snuck that one in, quietly.
Edward Crowley and Allie the axewoman are out. There's a guitar. It's an electric, so I can't see it getting broken over anyone - I know that shouldn't be an expectation, but I made the mistake looking at the dirt sheets earlier and there's a lot of talk about Jarrett wanting to involve himself in the uk scene. After a failed attempt at a riff, the guitar is being tuned by the ref who looks suspiciously like the vocalist from Chameleons (ask your parents - then listen to the "script of the bridge" album) if you squint and close one eye.
That guitar isn't working for Crowley. Anything can happen with live entertainment folks
His opponent for tonight, Hades makes his way to the ring.
Hades is sporting a hood like Terry Gordy era executioner hood for his entrance. in body at least. Looking at him, I keep thinking in watching a more agile Warlord (body wise at least - dude is in good shape)
Hades asserts his power against Crowley for the best part of this one, finishing it by making Crowley pass out to a gogoplata/hell's gate submission.
Academy championship open challenge - the jester Jay-Row Sporting a blue, band white outfit and jester hat.
Billy O'keefe answers... and so does Joe Nelson.
O'Keefe is on the short end of some nice double teaming by Nelson and Jay-Row. The focus is definitely on incapacitating him at this point.
The alliance breaks down when Nelson goes for a cover and Jay-Row breaks it up. Jester reminds him that it's his title they are fighting for.
Jester retains, another fantastically structured match.
Our main event is up next.
Dutch (fight factory champion) vs Lewy"Ripper" Paradise (UKW champion)
Lewy is a tanned "body guy".
I'm sitting with the fight factory contingent, the Agency isn't here to watch his back, so I'm into this one with an open mind. Who the hell am I Kidding, I'm behind Dutch. Lots of nice heel work by Dutch here, though the fight factory lot were out-chanting the UKW fans.
Duelling Lincoln/Yorkshire chants - Lewis seems a bit thrown off by how much support Dutch has. Looks like the response Paradise wants to give would result in a fine...
Champion vs champion with neither title on the line - this one is all about pride.
Very nice heel work by Dutch, "he's got the hair" had the ref confused/fooled, I couldn't tell which. Dutch being bald and all that. Careful positioning to obscure the ref's view of the face grabs/fish-hooking, and distraction with his belt, having the ref confiscate it and while handing it to the ring announcer grabbing a chair to sandwich between the top two turnbuckles was a nice touch - even though the whip reversal by Paradise sent his Dutch into it head first.
Hades came out to chokeslam paradise, and Dutch went over. Hades is the number one contender - that's that one explained then. Dutch and Hades shake hands to close out the show.
All in all, in ring this show was spot on it was a bonus and a half them having fight factory involved, especially since I'd enjoyed them so much at the engine shed in Lincoln, and the main event was Fantastic. I'm looking forward to coming back on my travels in the future.
Frenzied attempt at getting ready an hour before I thought I needed to after loading my ticket email and realising it was 0910 and not 1020 my bus was due to depart - I switched out my SD card for the music to listen to in the gym and forgot to reset my alarm songs - hence no alarm - I was going to hit the jacuzzi in the gym for a bit - loosen me up before the journey. That obviously didn't happen. But I have my hip flask of jaegermeister, a bottle or two of beer and a tightly rolled change of clothes, time to hit the road...
Megabus - I don't know when the passengers got sensible on these things but the last couple of journeys have been boring as hell. I kind of miss the old days - From driving through floods and having obnoxiously loud conversations about where the emergency oars and lifejackets were, observing a failed chat up attempt lead to a live baptism, to being kept out of London to avoid running over Bruce Forsyth and his entourage as they did a live dance in the streets, which I can only assume was some kind of immortality ritual, because he's still here. How, how in the blue hell has that happened. Want my take on it? Here we go with the first random tangent of this post.
Brucie's dance routines can be traced back to ancient tribes of massive chinned homo-playyourcardsrighticus on now unpopulated islands in the south pacific, where tribal mass dance rituals took place, and gave them eternal life. This came with a caveat that people performing these rites would be less and less likely to conceive as couples. Around the age of 327, the tribal elders were so bored of living that they all would just walk off cliffs or into the sea. By the time the last of the women had taken the plunge, evolution had taken hold elsewhere and that particular phase in the ascent of man was brought to a close. Forsyth learned of the practice at a miss world competition he was at in his younger days during an undocumented *ahem* interview with one of the contestants, and he's been practising this ever since.
Anyhow, basically, the bus ride down to Leeds was uninteresting.
The accommodation was a strange thing - in that it wasn't a b&b like I thought it was going to b(e). I arrived at the address and then was walked down to where I was staying. A shared house with a spare room in it. Hey, it's crash space I've been in worse.
The train to Batley had me overhear one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard an adult say to another adult - "we've got some of them in Selby, you don't need to go to Los Angeles for that" the only feasible thing I can imagine that being about would have been clouds.
You know those awkward moments when a child stares at you. That train journey also produced one of those. But thanks to an inquisitively purchased green tea latte (who thought that was a good idea), and a little spark of longing for self amusement, a solution was found:
a) calmly take a swig from the green tea latte with the lid off the cup.
b) part way through the swig, pull the crazy eyes and stare off into space.
c) slowly pull cup away from face revealing a slack jaw and green foamed milk from the latte around your mouth. Optional extra, slowly reposition head to acquire eye contact while still staring off into the distance.
d) enjoy the reaction. don't forget to stumble slowly off the train past them if you're getting off first.
Pre show pint at the cellar bar next to the train station. Rudgates Jerusalem (4%) - it's a pale, but so be it. It's going down quite nicely for a light one. Everards tiger next (4.2%) nice copper colour on this one, a little more malt but not much.
This is an actual wrestling gym, a bespoke customised one. - it looks good, the light is static, but it is just right. Black walls help with that. An ECW style brick print stage piece stands around the Union flag curtain at the entrance way and a well constructed commentary booth. There are a few empty seats, but I would say that could be down to the location, Tidal being tomorrow in Leeds, or people maybe not knowing about it. I can't wait until this goes to VOD, because the product looks absolutely fantastic.
Out of the three rings they have, set up on site, the one being used is the full sized show ring - there is a smaller one similar to the one used at a lot of events in Newcastle, and another which was not as high off the ground (like chikara's old ring, around half height).
The ring announcer is sporting an almost steampunk look, sans top hat.
Pre-show match Scar & Felicia vs James Thwaite and Rogue
To steal a bit from the OSW review podcast, Felicia is wearing a gold and purple ensemble, what barrrr is she? Definitely a crunchie, and a happy one at that! Felicia introduces us to Scar and gets the crowd warmed up.
Nice heel work by Rogue and Thwaite until Thwaite hits the ropes accidentally knocking her off the apron, and she storms off leaving Jamie on his Lonesome. That doesn't end well for him as Scar gets the win for his team. Great warm up to the show, and nice to see some of the academy with so much potential.
Officer Rogers vs Andrew Jepson (The man mountain) kicks us off.
Officer Rogers is asserting his "law and order of the ring" self-appointment very well here, and is quickly disliked by the audience.
Rogers could end up in trouble here - his attire is extremely close to actual police uniform. Is he going to arrest himself for impersonating an officer? There's a philosophical question for you. He starts by calling for a test of strength and starts to get an advantage. Jepson starts to reverse it and the officer grabs a headlock. The wrestling here is really slick and a pleasure to watch.
Two Shoulder blocks from Jepson, on the third one Rogers misses a front and reverse lariat, both ducked as Jepson is running the ropes before taking flight for it to knock him down.
,
A fair bit of rule breaking to get the advantage by the Officer. The temptation to start a police brutality chant was resisted.
A chokeslam attempt by Jepson was reversed into a German suplex by Rogers.
Jepson takes the straps down - business is about to pick up. Rogers reverses the move Jepsen was setting up for. While Jepson is down, Rogers loses focus, and has a pop at a kid reading a book in the audience. Once he's said his piece he turns round straight into a chokeslam from Jepson to end it.
Rogers has a right go at the child afterwards until a parent intervenes and he freaks out, making a hasty exit.
We have a Handicap match next Juvenile Delinquent Callum Moorhouse (with Lana) and Cayman Carlisle vs Alpha Predator Rex Savage.
Savage is overpowering the two smaller opponents early until a drop toe hold onto the middle buckle. Stuns him long enough to let Carlisle and Moorhouse in with some quick and fast paced offence.
Lots of double teaming, which would seem to be the best strategy against someone the size of Savage (it's getting harder not to type Rampage when im looking at this guy)
Lana slaps from outside while he's draped over the second rope. Moorhouse uses his full bodyweight to drop over Savage, and slides over him to the outside where he works the crowd after landing on his feet. Moorhouse and Carlisle continue double teaming, strikes and dives to get the best of every advantage Savage gets. They each take an arm and lock on a cross arm breaker. Savage lifts both simultaneously and slams them back down. Hard. Awesome strength right there. That does it for this one - top notch match.
Das Wildcard Tommy Dillon comes to draped in a German flag - I didn't know he was German! Nice throwback to Nikolai Volkoff here with the heel promo, wanting to sing the German national anthem (badly), but being boo'd into oblivion
LRB is the opponent here, and he's coming draped in the St George cross to a massive reaction.
Flag lifting by both to rile up the crowd. Obviously Dillon isn't pleased with the result. So, he decides to give us another rendition of Deutschlandleid, and he wants to be shown respect. That doesn't happen. So he extracts it physically from LRB.
Dillon with a flag choke, top notch old school heel work here from the German. nice to see the persistent working of the leg leading into a figure four. Dillon started singing the anthem at him while he had him in the hold! Awesome. The hold is reversed by LRB, but goes into the ropes for the break. I've got to say I'm massively impressed with the use of the ring space from these guys.
Dillon delivers a Luftwaffe elbow from the ropes - I don't know if that's what it's called, but I'm going with it in the spirit of the gimmick.
An iron claw! Dillon is awesome - he's definitely staying on my radar for the future. Reversing the claw led to LRB regaining an advantage.
Two cutters to Dillon but his arm is under the ropes when the cover is made.
Dillon cheats again to get the win and puts his feet on the ropes just to add insult to injury.
Eliza Roux vs Rosemary up next. Eliza has the FFW belt with her. It's not on the line, but Rosemary's TNA one is.
TNA theme plays for Rosemary (as opposed to "the nobodies" by Marilyn Manson - it's going on VOD, so I'm guessing that's why we're treated to the Dale Oliver one) who's dealing well with a quiet crowd very well, nice Zombie/Girl from the Ring (the movie) type entrance. Eliza looks well spooked.
Rosemary licks her hands and runs them down her face, Eliza backs off. Rosemary wipes her hands on the referee's shirt, and then they lock up.
Nice arm work from Eliza. Spun to the outside by Rosemary, who keeps on top of Roux with strikes both outside and inside the ring, and a face bite/roar (I couldn't quite see for the bottom rope.)
Eliza's fear of Rosemary plays into this one nicely, Rosemary stopping Eliza mid-run with a scream.
Rolling chancery from the outside in by rosemary - Roux makes it to the ropes.
Roux dodges a corner run, Rosemary's shoulder goes straight into the post.
Eliza goes back to the arm. Rosemary uses a strategic bite to get out of an armbar
Head scissors over the rope from Rosemary who falls to the floor. As we get back into the ring, Eliza goes back to the arm.
After escaping, a spear by rosemary gets a two. Roux locks a double arm breaker in on rosemary when Moorhouse, Carlisle and Lana interfere to cost eliza the title via DQ
Lana took the mist to the face. An authority figure comes out, calls Moorhouse, Carlisle and Lana a disgrace and asks his friends from Lincoln to remove them.
Tommy Rider, the Ragency and a few others from Fight Factory in the audience stand up and throw the delinquent and his entourage out of the fire door.
Short Interval notes
Rosemary is really sweet
The delinquent entourage had to jump the fence to get back into the premises.
I'm noticing something here - there are a lot of great athletes in Newcastle, but I'm seeing more psychology and thought going into match structure elsewhere. If anyone is looking to travel to different schools, this place, house of pain and Fight Factory are definitely worth a visit. It's not a knock on the scene back home, and it may just be because I've been watching wrestling for so long that I'm not necessarily into the prevalent style, but going in cold with little to no knowledge of anything leading into the shows, I've been invested in a lot more characters quicker than anywhere else
Part two:
Josh and Joel Redgrave out for the tag tournament semi finals. Elis and Jay Jay Barker are the other contenders. I know they're the faces here, but I really hate Limp Bizkit to the point of suspicion of anyone who makes me listen to them.
Lots of fast action in this one.
Headbutt exchange with the Redgrave lad mocking Jay Jay's "king of the headbutts" moniker. Soon finding out exactly where it came from. The Barkers get the advantage.
A misfire on a leapfrog by one of the Barkers results in him taking a Redgrave inverted atomic drop.
The teamwork, and use the ring space here is phenomenal to see from guys this young.
The Barkers go over and into the finals of the tournament after an awesome sequence ending in a forearm strike to the back of the head of a Redgrave which looked like it knocked him clean out.
There's a Marshall amp in the ring. They snuck that one in, quietly.
Edward Crowley and Allie the axewoman are out. There's a guitar. It's an electric, so I can't see it getting broken over anyone - I know that shouldn't be an expectation, but I made the mistake looking at the dirt sheets earlier and there's a lot of talk about Jarrett wanting to involve himself in the uk scene. After a failed attempt at a riff, the guitar is being tuned by the ref who looks suspiciously like the vocalist from Chameleons (ask your parents - then listen to the "script of the bridge" album) if you squint and close one eye.
That guitar isn't working for Crowley. Anything can happen with live entertainment folks
His opponent for tonight, Hades makes his way to the ring.
Hades is sporting a hood like Terry Gordy era executioner hood for his entrance. in body at least. Looking at him, I keep thinking in watching a more agile Warlord (body wise at least - dude is in good shape)
Hades asserts his power against Crowley for the best part of this one, finishing it by making Crowley pass out to a gogoplata/hell's gate submission.
Academy championship open challenge - the jester Jay-Row Sporting a blue, band white outfit and jester hat.
Billy O'keefe answers... and so does Joe Nelson.
O'Keefe is on the short end of some nice double teaming by Nelson and Jay-Row. The focus is definitely on incapacitating him at this point.
The alliance breaks down when Nelson goes for a cover and Jay-Row breaks it up. Jester reminds him that it's his title they are fighting for.
Jester retains, another fantastically structured match.
Our main event is up next.
Dutch (fight factory champion) vs Lewy"Ripper" Paradise (UKW champion)
Lewy is a tanned "body guy".
I'm sitting with the fight factory contingent, the Agency isn't here to watch his back, so I'm into this one with an open mind. Who the hell am I Kidding, I'm behind Dutch. Lots of nice heel work by Dutch here, though the fight factory lot were out-chanting the UKW fans.
Duelling Lincoln/Yorkshire chants - Lewis seems a bit thrown off by how much support Dutch has. Looks like the response Paradise wants to give would result in a fine...
Champion vs champion with neither title on the line - this one is all about pride.
Very nice heel work by Dutch, "he's got the hair" had the ref confused/fooled, I couldn't tell which. Dutch being bald and all that. Careful positioning to obscure the ref's view of the face grabs/fish-hooking, and distraction with his belt, having the ref confiscate it and while handing it to the ring announcer grabbing a chair to sandwich between the top two turnbuckles was a nice touch - even though the whip reversal by Paradise sent his Dutch into it head first.
Hades came out to chokeslam paradise, and Dutch went over. Hades is the number one contender - that's that one explained then. Dutch and Hades shake hands to close out the show.
All in all, in ring this show was spot on it was a bonus and a half them having fight factory involved, especially since I'd enjoyed them so much at the engine shed in Lincoln, and the main event was Fantastic. I'm looking forward to coming back on my travels in the future.
Saturday, 18 February 2017
(P, PD, BRS) NORTH wrestling NCL3 - "were in this together"
NORTH ncl3 were in this together now,
Pre show pint - sorry, pizza at pizzastorm in the new Eldon square food court. Base dough freshly prepared, and pressed via the use of a massive clamp thing. Heavy machinery and pizza finally meet here. Is there anything more awesome than that? Big thumbs up on this one, loads of create your own pizza options, and still drinks on the refillable deal. Made of win. Definitely worth a visit.
To the venue, the main body of the riverside is very compact, dark, and getting full over half an hour before the show starts. A few more here than last time by the looks of it, which is always good. The presentation is fairly gritty, definitely feels like an underground fight club.
Ring announcer for tonight is Stevie Aaron though between the failing microphones (hey, technical difficulties happen to us all at times) and the annoying tool in front of me who decided to emit a low "booooooooooo" through everything he tried to say like a broken fridge wired up to an arse hole amplifier between the unfunny offensive chants. (that's the only time I'm mentioning you if you're reading this, you're not getting over on this blog for being a dick, and I did hear your name, but it's not gracing this page. And booing the rainbow flag? Fuck you) he had a hard night being heard.
Jumping John Myers is the ref for tonight.
The first contest takes some explanation: the Sons of Ulaìd have been screwing with Liam Slater and costing him matches. this was meant to be Slater and Dom Black vs the Sons of Ulaìd. Rory Coyle was suspended after laying out a fan called Lewis at the last show (hence the reference to the incident in the blog about the 3CW show. this left it as a handicap match (Dom Black and Liam Slater vs Bas Ban)
Dom Black was out to cut a promo about his love of wrestling and Newcastle. He gets round to introducing his tag partner, but instead gets Bas Ban. I was half expecting a hessian bag containing Slater, some corn syrup and red dye to be over his shoulder, alas no, Slater is nowhere to be seen.
So we have ourselves a singles match.
Mixed crowd support on this one, the Ulaìd boys have got themselves a bit of a following, but it does kind of seem like Dom is getting the "tag partner to the star" kind of reaction.
Part way through the match Martin Kirby appears to substitute for Slater and help out Black, doling out a series of excruciating head kicks, but gets thwarted by a mystery luchador who reveals himself as Rory Coyle. Coyle and Kirby brawl to the back while Bas Ban goes over with a vicious looking fall away slam.
We have a debut up next for Amir Jordan, who gives us an account of how he loves the area, but accidentally makes a John Prescott style cock-up referring to the famous Rupali curry house, which hasn't been there for a while now (Prescott - a labour MP made a reference in a tv interview to the Consett steelworks being the pride of the north east in the present tense, almost 10 years after it closed - there you go, obscure references ahoy, brought to you by pints, piledrivers and replacement bus services). It all goes a bit four lions when he gets his toy gun out. I think being called out on Rupali being closed down for ages put him off his stride a bit as he almost forgot he'd brought it. But hey, he recovered it well, and the ref and ring announcer selling it seemed to help.
Amir has his work cut out for him tonight, his opponent is Screwface.
An amusing chant of "works at B&Q" aimed at Screwface through this one, and a pretty decent match between the two. Jordan makes an impressive debut here.
Screwface would eventually get the win here, but Jordan definitely has a promising future.
Ht drake v Jimmy Havoc is our first half main event, and Havoc starts off by trying to intimidate Drake. It's not working.
The action spills out to the floor quickly and goes all over room.
Little bit of a slip on one of the dives Havoc went for, but he made up for it later on with an on target one. Havoc did seem more than a little focused on hitting the acid rainmaker through the match. Interference from the London Riots, a couple of cricket bat shots from Havoc, the New Nation come out to counteract and chase the Riots to the back. The Havoc goes over in this one, and the main event tag match is now no DQ.
David O'Docherty makes his way out to declare himself "king of the session, and proceeds to make an arse of himself by failing to down a tin of frosty jacks, elbow dropping his flat cap, then calling out "Queen of the session" Session moth Martina. O'Docherty has a surprise for Martina in the form of April Davids as opposition.
Session moth Martina is out and ready to fight both of them. She's not come alone as she's brought jack Sexsmith along for the ride.
The sheepskin coat wearing manager has another acquisition - body guy Roy Johnson. Roy tells O'Docherty that him and Jack trained together and are friends. But in this business, friendships don't matter. He proceeds to level Sexsmith, and cue an intergender match between the two teams.
Lots of nice back and forth here, April Davids is a machine and seemingly fearless. Here's hoping we see more of her.
Session moth Martina & Sexsmith go over with a middle rope codebreakerer.
O'Doherty kicks off at April and Roy for not getting the job done. They tell him where to go and walk off. Sexsmith and Martina celebrate, and humiliate him afterwards with "Mr cocko" (a mandible claw using a condom) and a bare back stinkface. Just to top it off, the del boy lookalike is treated to the session moth and Sexsmith dancing to the theme tune from only fools and horses while recovering.
Dunne vs Margera - hard core match.
Dunne is adamant that this isn't going to involve any weaponry. Margera has other ideas. Lots of plunder used here - highlights this one include Dunne pushing a cheese grater into the back of Margera, then smashing a chair over the cheese grater, Margera sending Dunne through a set of chairs and dustpan full of pins.
Dunne gets out the duplo, and takes a death valley driver onto the blocks, sealing his fate and Margera's vicrory
No DQ tag match - London Riots vs Nation
(Round 2 - Fight!)
Nation, being the faces here, get attacked for the quick start.
After incapacitating Primate, the Riots plant Henry with a spike tombstone on the stage. This sees Henry taken to the back and the Riots take control with a series of double team sequences on Primate including a cricket bat shot or two just for good measure.
Henry resurfaces upstairs, and dives into the Riots from the balcony. Nation dominate from here to get the win with a couple of awesome double team moves
In this rivalry, after the progress show in Sheffield, that leaves them at 1-1. Sunday the 19th in Leeds at Tidal's wipeout is the rubber match I guess.
The pint after was again in the hop & cleaver - Spectre Welsh stout - dark and smooth, just what I needed to be honest - though if i'd seen the coffee porter first I would have probably went for that. Anyhow, that's yer lot for this blog - if I can make it back to the next one I will. Haskins is booked for that one too.
Pre show pint - sorry, pizza at pizzastorm in the new Eldon square food court. Base dough freshly prepared, and pressed via the use of a massive clamp thing. Heavy machinery and pizza finally meet here. Is there anything more awesome than that? Big thumbs up on this one, loads of create your own pizza options, and still drinks on the refillable deal. Made of win. Definitely worth a visit.
To the venue, the main body of the riverside is very compact, dark, and getting full over half an hour before the show starts. A few more here than last time by the looks of it, which is always good. The presentation is fairly gritty, definitely feels like an underground fight club.
Ring announcer for tonight is Stevie Aaron though between the failing microphones (hey, technical difficulties happen to us all at times) and the annoying tool in front of me who decided to emit a low "booooooooooo" through everything he tried to say like a broken fridge wired up to an arse hole amplifier between the unfunny offensive chants. (that's the only time I'm mentioning you if you're reading this, you're not getting over on this blog for being a dick, and I did hear your name, but it's not gracing this page. And booing the rainbow flag? Fuck you) he had a hard night being heard.
Jumping John Myers is the ref for tonight.
The first contest takes some explanation: the Sons of Ulaìd have been screwing with Liam Slater and costing him matches. this was meant to be Slater and Dom Black vs the Sons of Ulaìd. Rory Coyle was suspended after laying out a fan called Lewis at the last show (hence the reference to the incident in the blog about the 3CW show. this left it as a handicap match (Dom Black and Liam Slater vs Bas Ban)
Dom Black was out to cut a promo about his love of wrestling and Newcastle. He gets round to introducing his tag partner, but instead gets Bas Ban. I was half expecting a hessian bag containing Slater, some corn syrup and red dye to be over his shoulder, alas no, Slater is nowhere to be seen.
So we have ourselves a singles match.
Mixed crowd support on this one, the Ulaìd boys have got themselves a bit of a following, but it does kind of seem like Dom is getting the "tag partner to the star" kind of reaction.
Part way through the match Martin Kirby appears to substitute for Slater and help out Black, doling out a series of excruciating head kicks, but gets thwarted by a mystery luchador who reveals himself as Rory Coyle. Coyle and Kirby brawl to the back while Bas Ban goes over with a vicious looking fall away slam.
We have a debut up next for Amir Jordan, who gives us an account of how he loves the area, but accidentally makes a John Prescott style cock-up referring to the famous Rupali curry house, which hasn't been there for a while now (Prescott - a labour MP made a reference in a tv interview to the Consett steelworks being the pride of the north east in the present tense, almost 10 years after it closed - there you go, obscure references ahoy, brought to you by pints, piledrivers and replacement bus services). It all goes a bit four lions when he gets his toy gun out. I think being called out on Rupali being closed down for ages put him off his stride a bit as he almost forgot he'd brought it. But hey, he recovered it well, and the ref and ring announcer selling it seemed to help.
Amir has his work cut out for him tonight, his opponent is Screwface.
An amusing chant of "works at B&Q" aimed at Screwface through this one, and a pretty decent match between the two. Jordan makes an impressive debut here.
Screwface would eventually get the win here, but Jordan definitely has a promising future.
Ht drake v Jimmy Havoc is our first half main event, and Havoc starts off by trying to intimidate Drake. It's not working.
The action spills out to the floor quickly and goes all over room.
Little bit of a slip on one of the dives Havoc went for, but he made up for it later on with an on target one. Havoc did seem more than a little focused on hitting the acid rainmaker through the match. Interference from the London Riots, a couple of cricket bat shots from Havoc, the New Nation come out to counteract and chase the Riots to the back. The Havoc goes over in this one, and the main event tag match is now no DQ.
David O'Docherty makes his way out to declare himself "king of the session, and proceeds to make an arse of himself by failing to down a tin of frosty jacks, elbow dropping his flat cap, then calling out "Queen of the session" Session moth Martina. O'Docherty has a surprise for Martina in the form of April Davids as opposition.
Session moth Martina is out and ready to fight both of them. She's not come alone as she's brought jack Sexsmith along for the ride.
The sheepskin coat wearing manager has another acquisition - body guy Roy Johnson. Roy tells O'Docherty that him and Jack trained together and are friends. But in this business, friendships don't matter. He proceeds to level Sexsmith, and cue an intergender match between the two teams.
Lots of nice back and forth here, April Davids is a machine and seemingly fearless. Here's hoping we see more of her.
Session moth Martina & Sexsmith go over with a middle rope codebreakerer.
O'Doherty kicks off at April and Roy for not getting the job done. They tell him where to go and walk off. Sexsmith and Martina celebrate, and humiliate him afterwards with "Mr cocko" (a mandible claw using a condom) and a bare back stinkface. Just to top it off, the del boy lookalike is treated to the session moth and Sexsmith dancing to the theme tune from only fools and horses while recovering.
Dunne vs Margera - hard core match.
Dunne is adamant that this isn't going to involve any weaponry. Margera has other ideas. Lots of plunder used here - highlights this one include Dunne pushing a cheese grater into the back of Margera, then smashing a chair over the cheese grater, Margera sending Dunne through a set of chairs and dustpan full of pins.
Dunne gets out the duplo, and takes a death valley driver onto the blocks, sealing his fate and Margera's vicrory
No DQ tag match - London Riots vs Nation
(Round 2 - Fight!)
Nation, being the faces here, get attacked for the quick start.
After incapacitating Primate, the Riots plant Henry with a spike tombstone on the stage. This sees Henry taken to the back and the Riots take control with a series of double team sequences on Primate including a cricket bat shot or two just for good measure.
Henry resurfaces upstairs, and dives into the Riots from the balcony. Nation dominate from here to get the win with a couple of awesome double team moves
In this rivalry, after the progress show in Sheffield, that leaves them at 1-1. Sunday the 19th in Leeds at Tidal's wipeout is the rubber match I guess.
The pint after was again in the hop & cleaver - Spectre Welsh stout - dark and smooth, just what I needed to be honest - though if i'd seen the coffee porter first I would have probably went for that. Anyhow, that's yer lot for this blog - if I can make it back to the next one I will. Haskins is booked for that one too.
Monday, 6 February 2017
Hell of a busy month!
February is turning out to be a massively busy month - I'm gutted that I didn't get to the first show of a local upstart company at heworth on Saturday gone, but I've got my eye on them for the next one.
Saturday coming there's two shows in Newcastle worth a look - W3L are on in ouseburn, for more of a mainstream entertainment based night, but there's also NORTH at the riverside - which I'll be going to, because I enjoyed the last one so much
Current plan for the week after is UKW in Batley and then Tidal at Church in Leeds (I did promise after the Darlington show I was going to go back when they were on their own turf.
The week after, there's two on the same night again in Newcastle - either Megaslam at the theatre royal or first class at the Wallsend memorial hall. Its a tough choice, but I'm leaning towards first class - two reasons, first is because I missed their north Shields one because I was going to Tidal in Darlington, and secondly, where I'm not normally that fussed about imports, Gangrel is one guy I've wanted to see live for years - in the less well received days of British wrestling, he was on a show I'd saved up to see, which got cancelled. So I'll finally get to see him - I might even wear a white shirt for the occasion in case of blood spit, it'll make a good souvineer!
March brings the freedoms road tapings in London with progress which I'll have to check if I'm allowed to blog about after as normal or if I have to wait until it's aired.
It's going to get busier and busier, and I love it - wrestling is booming - it's going to be a great ride!
Saturday coming there's two shows in Newcastle worth a look - W3L are on in ouseburn, for more of a mainstream entertainment based night, but there's also NORTH at the riverside - which I'll be going to, because I enjoyed the last one so much
Current plan for the week after is UKW in Batley and then Tidal at Church in Leeds (I did promise after the Darlington show I was going to go back when they were on their own turf.
The week after, there's two on the same night again in Newcastle - either Megaslam at the theatre royal or first class at the Wallsend memorial hall. Its a tough choice, but I'm leaning towards first class - two reasons, first is because I missed their north Shields one because I was going to Tidal in Darlington, and secondly, where I'm not normally that fussed about imports, Gangrel is one guy I've wanted to see live for years - in the less well received days of British wrestling, he was on a show I'd saved up to see, which got cancelled. So I'll finally get to see him - I might even wear a white shirt for the occasion in case of blood spit, it'll make a good souvineer!
March brings the freedoms road tapings in London with progress which I'll have to check if I'm allowed to blog about after as normal or if I have to wait until it's aired.
It's going to get busier and busier, and I love it - wrestling is booming - it's going to be a great ride!
(P, PD, BRS) Fight Factory Wrestling "origins" Lincoln Engine shed
FFW origins at the engine shed Lincoln
First off I have to say that the folks here are really helpful, extremely nice to deal with and complete professionals. I absolutely loved my experience here, and will definitely look to come back in the future.
Meet and greet - i might have made a bit of an arse of myself here. I normally don't do the meet and greet things on account of being a bit socially awkward, my encounter with the sandman a few years back at Eldon leisure pretty much sealed it for me on that one. I took the safe option and went to talk to one of the security guards, turns out he wasn't a security guard but the heel authority figure Shane Manson, who's Agency faction had won control of the main roster at the previous show. (I totally should have done my research first) he went easy on me though while remaining in character. I had a brief natter with the faces, then Magnus, then was going to go back to the heel table, but thought that locating my seat was probably a bit more important.
This is a really well set up and thought out venue, old school steel guard barriers, plain red brick walls, an entrance way and video screens that look straight out of a tv production unit. The lighting is top quality, and the audio is better than some of the 02 venues I've been to in the past. It's a 16x16 ring, with plenty of room around the outside. It looks sturdy and all of the turnbuckle pads are fixed and lined up correctly. The smaller details really can make a big difference.
I'm not the only one who has travelled for this - there's a family from Norwich who've made the journey up too! Great to see more people travelling to good wrestling
An extremely well produced video package highlighting some of the events of the last show and that this is a new beginning. Massively impressed with the A/V quality at this one, it was actually easier to figure out what was happening here than it was at the last WCPW tapings I went to where they condensed highlights of the ippv that hadn't aired at the time.
The ring announcer is out and we're ready to go - he's soon interrupted by Koss industries. Kosta K and Kip Sabian introduce themselves, then give us the low down on where they stand by calling the audience ugly in a variety of amusing fashions, before Kip tried it on with, and was quickly turned down by a member of the audience. Kosta K's request for someone to be brought out for them to hurt is answered with a Steamy Windows video including awesome comedy training montage. Steamy Windows consist of The steampunk sensation Edward Ripper, and the European champion, Dishonourable Dave Issac, who had been thrown together by circumstance and ended up sticking together.
Koss industries attack after DDI tried to get them to join in the fun with the 80s mullet wigs. lots of "suck it" references and snot rockets from Koss - nice ref distraction spots and illegal double teaming. Steamy Windows come back and start to get the upper hand - some great offence with a hint of comedy (heels falling into a 69 position after a corner attack then getting squashed together in said position via a rapidly decending steampunk, kosta wobbling about then falling head first into Sabian's knackers at one point after being stunned in the corner) - Koss end up going over after some chicanery. great opener, very entertaining. Sabian basically teabagged DDI for the pin following Koss' double team finisher. As Steamy Windows make their way to the back DDI is apparently confused at why he can taste balls and wonders if it's just him.
Miss Rebecca comes to the ring to introduce the academy match up next. Manson and the Agency may have won the match for control of the company, but the academy is hers, and they aren't going to take that away from her
Brett "Magic" Myers is challenging for the academy title. Champion Will Kroos makes his way down to the ring belt in hand.
This is another thing I have to mention, the belts here are awesome - they look really old school, almost like boxing belts. absolutely love it.
Kroos is much bigger than Myers so there is a bit of a David vs Goliath dynamic going on here. Myers gives it his best, but each time he would gain the upper hand, Kroos had an answer. The full stop came in the form of a vicious powerbomb from Kroos to retain the title. A valiant attempt by Myers, but Kroos was just too much for him this time.
Manson is back out with another suit who would appear sporadically through the night. I had no idea who this guy was, but he's silent, in a suit and with the Agency, so I'm getting the vibe that he bad.
The Agency make it known that they are our friends. Like in 1984 the party were our friends. Myers starts squaring up to them and is told in no uncertain terms that the agency aren't his friend, as Kroos levels him and joins the Agency. The Agency might not have control of the academy, but they now have the academy champion in their ranks.
3 way match up next
Dale Preston (agency) is introduced first. My first impression: "who put 50p in the Clone-a-vader machine?". He cut one hell of a harsh promo, initially praising Lincoln for winning at football, before the "pride of Boston" slated Lincoln for being a hive of inbreeding. As an outsider, I was trying to stifle my laughter a bit
T-Bone is next out, fresh off of his appearance at the wwe uk tournament, and on full gypsy beast mode.
Time out for a second - I've been to 3 UK shows in three nights, and at each one. A wwe uk tournament competitor has been a participant - Huxley in Newcastle, Conners in Nottingham and T-Bone here in Lincoln. Sweet.
Joey Ozbourn makes up the number for this match, which is scheduled for one fall. (He's the one that lost the match for the company to the Agency at the last show)
Ozbourn took a pasting for a good portion of this one. through most of the arena. T-Bone and Preston turned on each other over who was going to get the pin on Ozbourn, and a bit of miscommunication that led to an errant forearm. Joey ozbourn came back to get the win over T-Bone.
Post match, a couple of promos from Ozbourn and T-Bone set up the next event. Ozbourn is the number 1 contender and reckons T-Bone was tough competition
T-Bone wants and wants a rematch with Ozbourn when he wins the title.
On to the interval, and we have a bonus. Match for those not diving out for nicotine.
Academy match
The Ragency (guess who they're aligned with) vs Max o pain (?) in a handicap match.v very nice work from all involved here, Max wins. The ominous suit from the Agency comes out for the post match attack on Max.
They're coming back April 2nd for a double shot - I might just have to book up for that
Jeff the ref is a face - And it's his birthday! What does fight factory wrestling do for Jeff's birthday? Assigns him a Ladies title match to officiate!
Lana Austin vs Womens champion Eliza Roux, flanked by the Agency.
This was a pretty damn awesome match,
Agency interference (the silent suit distracting Lana while she was on the top rope, allowing Eliza to fall into the ropes knocking Lana off) causes Eliza to retain. Eliza flaunted having her feet on the top rope during the pin.
Rising star Tommy rider vs Flex Buffington
Rider is a young face who's worked his way up from the Academy. He's in for it tonight...
Flex Buffington - how do I explain this one. He's a wrestler of average physique, who ia billed as a muscle-bound super heavy weight. He has muscles drawn on to his body with black marker pen when he removes his shirt. This being an average 18's show, he also removes his track suit bottoms to reveal a massive set of knackers drawn on one inner thigh as if they're hanging out of his trunks, and an almost knee length penis on the other side. Hysterical laughter all round at the reveal.
Great mixture of humour and great athleticism here. Buffington going for the protein shaker of power and hulking up (including a big boot and leg drop) was awesome. Eventually, Flex went over with a mahistrol cradle.
After Flex made his way back, Kip Sabian comes back out to have a pop at Rider - he's taking someone elses spot at April 2nd (someone who's not been seen for ages from what I can gather). Savage promo including a "phone call from Rider's mother" telling him it was past Tommy's bed time. Fully had a go at The rising star for being young and inexperienced, even though Kip himself is probably around the same age.
Main event title match. the Agency's mystery suit is Dylan Søab, and he is the special enforcer for this one.
Magnus vs Dutch
Dutch is Agency. Image Big Vito, before the whole cross dressing thing, but in orange and black. This was a solid main event - the Agency teased getting involved in places, but held off until the finish where they all cut in en masse to cost Magnus the match - faces out to counteract the agency beatdown on Magnus and end the show - DDI stunner to the enforcer to finish it. (Honourable mention to the guy in the audience who shouted "he's just killed wetherspoons bouncer!" On Søab getting decked)
Pint after was sharps Atlantic - in the tower bar, where I was going to stay to watch the rumble, until after I had eaten there and I could feel the food coma kicking in. I had written sharps brewery off after mistakenly having a mouthful of doom bar, but this wasn't too bad for a pale one. Next time I visit, I know they're hiding hand pulls around the corner!
The poplars is a great hotel, basically a massive house on a hill about 15 min from the engine shed to allow for the uphill walk
Great accommodation, well stocked kitchen with breakfast stuff, with really nice landlords - I kind of felt bad for not checking if the cats lived there or not, but spent a fair amount of time petting one of them outside before going back up to my room. Hell I'm a softie at heart.
The journey back - a brief stop at Newark north gate summed up by the station staff:
Me: I've got almost an hour to kill here, are there any half decent bars around?
Staff member: no.
First off I have to say that the folks here are really helpful, extremely nice to deal with and complete professionals. I absolutely loved my experience here, and will definitely look to come back in the future.
Meet and greet - i might have made a bit of an arse of myself here. I normally don't do the meet and greet things on account of being a bit socially awkward, my encounter with the sandman a few years back at Eldon leisure pretty much sealed it for me on that one. I took the safe option and went to talk to one of the security guards, turns out he wasn't a security guard but the heel authority figure Shane Manson, who's Agency faction had won control of the main roster at the previous show. (I totally should have done my research first) he went easy on me though while remaining in character. I had a brief natter with the faces, then Magnus, then was going to go back to the heel table, but thought that locating my seat was probably a bit more important.
This is a really well set up and thought out venue, old school steel guard barriers, plain red brick walls, an entrance way and video screens that look straight out of a tv production unit. The lighting is top quality, and the audio is better than some of the 02 venues I've been to in the past. It's a 16x16 ring, with plenty of room around the outside. It looks sturdy and all of the turnbuckle pads are fixed and lined up correctly. The smaller details really can make a big difference.
I'm not the only one who has travelled for this - there's a family from Norwich who've made the journey up too! Great to see more people travelling to good wrestling
An extremely well produced video package highlighting some of the events of the last show and that this is a new beginning. Massively impressed with the A/V quality at this one, it was actually easier to figure out what was happening here than it was at the last WCPW tapings I went to where they condensed highlights of the ippv that hadn't aired at the time.
The ring announcer is out and we're ready to go - he's soon interrupted by Koss industries. Kosta K and Kip Sabian introduce themselves, then give us the low down on where they stand by calling the audience ugly in a variety of amusing fashions, before Kip tried it on with, and was quickly turned down by a member of the audience. Kosta K's request for someone to be brought out for them to hurt is answered with a Steamy Windows video including awesome comedy training montage. Steamy Windows consist of The steampunk sensation Edward Ripper, and the European champion, Dishonourable Dave Issac, who had been thrown together by circumstance and ended up sticking together.
Koss industries attack after DDI tried to get them to join in the fun with the 80s mullet wigs. lots of "suck it" references and snot rockets from Koss - nice ref distraction spots and illegal double teaming. Steamy Windows come back and start to get the upper hand - some great offence with a hint of comedy (heels falling into a 69 position after a corner attack then getting squashed together in said position via a rapidly decending steampunk, kosta wobbling about then falling head first into Sabian's knackers at one point after being stunned in the corner) - Koss end up going over after some chicanery. great opener, very entertaining. Sabian basically teabagged DDI for the pin following Koss' double team finisher. As Steamy Windows make their way to the back DDI is apparently confused at why he can taste balls and wonders if it's just him.
Miss Rebecca comes to the ring to introduce the academy match up next. Manson and the Agency may have won the match for control of the company, but the academy is hers, and they aren't going to take that away from her
Brett "Magic" Myers is challenging for the academy title. Champion Will Kroos makes his way down to the ring belt in hand.
This is another thing I have to mention, the belts here are awesome - they look really old school, almost like boxing belts. absolutely love it.
Kroos is much bigger than Myers so there is a bit of a David vs Goliath dynamic going on here. Myers gives it his best, but each time he would gain the upper hand, Kroos had an answer. The full stop came in the form of a vicious powerbomb from Kroos to retain the title. A valiant attempt by Myers, but Kroos was just too much for him this time.
Manson is back out with another suit who would appear sporadically through the night. I had no idea who this guy was, but he's silent, in a suit and with the Agency, so I'm getting the vibe that he bad.
The Agency make it known that they are our friends. Like in 1984 the party were our friends. Myers starts squaring up to them and is told in no uncertain terms that the agency aren't his friend, as Kroos levels him and joins the Agency. The Agency might not have control of the academy, but they now have the academy champion in their ranks.
3 way match up next
Dale Preston (agency) is introduced first. My first impression: "who put 50p in the Clone-a-vader machine?". He cut one hell of a harsh promo, initially praising Lincoln for winning at football, before the "pride of Boston" slated Lincoln for being a hive of inbreeding. As an outsider, I was trying to stifle my laughter a bit
T-Bone is next out, fresh off of his appearance at the wwe uk tournament, and on full gypsy beast mode.
Time out for a second - I've been to 3 UK shows in three nights, and at each one. A wwe uk tournament competitor has been a participant - Huxley in Newcastle, Conners in Nottingham and T-Bone here in Lincoln. Sweet.
Joey Ozbourn makes up the number for this match, which is scheduled for one fall. (He's the one that lost the match for the company to the Agency at the last show)
Ozbourn took a pasting for a good portion of this one. through most of the arena. T-Bone and Preston turned on each other over who was going to get the pin on Ozbourn, and a bit of miscommunication that led to an errant forearm. Joey ozbourn came back to get the win over T-Bone.
Post match, a couple of promos from Ozbourn and T-Bone set up the next event. Ozbourn is the number 1 contender and reckons T-Bone was tough competition
T-Bone wants and wants a rematch with Ozbourn when he wins the title.
On to the interval, and we have a bonus. Match for those not diving out for nicotine.
Academy match
The Ragency (guess who they're aligned with) vs Max o pain (?) in a handicap match.v very nice work from all involved here, Max wins. The ominous suit from the Agency comes out for the post match attack on Max.
They're coming back April 2nd for a double shot - I might just have to book up for that
Jeff the ref is a face - And it's his birthday! What does fight factory wrestling do for Jeff's birthday? Assigns him a Ladies title match to officiate!
Lana Austin vs Womens champion Eliza Roux, flanked by the Agency.
This was a pretty damn awesome match,
Agency interference (the silent suit distracting Lana while she was on the top rope, allowing Eliza to fall into the ropes knocking Lana off) causes Eliza to retain. Eliza flaunted having her feet on the top rope during the pin.
Rising star Tommy rider vs Flex Buffington
Rider is a young face who's worked his way up from the Academy. He's in for it tonight...
Flex Buffington - how do I explain this one. He's a wrestler of average physique, who ia billed as a muscle-bound super heavy weight. He has muscles drawn on to his body with black marker pen when he removes his shirt. This being an average 18's show, he also removes his track suit bottoms to reveal a massive set of knackers drawn on one inner thigh as if they're hanging out of his trunks, and an almost knee length penis on the other side. Hysterical laughter all round at the reveal.
Great mixture of humour and great athleticism here. Buffington going for the protein shaker of power and hulking up (including a big boot and leg drop) was awesome. Eventually, Flex went over with a mahistrol cradle.
After Flex made his way back, Kip Sabian comes back out to have a pop at Rider - he's taking someone elses spot at April 2nd (someone who's not been seen for ages from what I can gather). Savage promo including a "phone call from Rider's mother" telling him it was past Tommy's bed time. Fully had a go at The rising star for being young and inexperienced, even though Kip himself is probably around the same age.
Main event title match. the Agency's mystery suit is Dylan Søab, and he is the special enforcer for this one.
Magnus vs Dutch
Dutch is Agency. Image Big Vito, before the whole cross dressing thing, but in orange and black. This was a solid main event - the Agency teased getting involved in places, but held off until the finish where they all cut in en masse to cost Magnus the match - faces out to counteract the agency beatdown on Magnus and end the show - DDI stunner to the enforcer to finish it. (Honourable mention to the guy in the audience who shouted "he's just killed wetherspoons bouncer!" On Søab getting decked)
Pint after was sharps Atlantic - in the tower bar, where I was going to stay to watch the rumble, until after I had eaten there and I could feel the food coma kicking in. I had written sharps brewery off after mistakenly having a mouthful of doom bar, but this wasn't too bad for a pale one. Next time I visit, I know they're hiding hand pulls around the corner!
The poplars is a great hotel, basically a massive house on a hill about 15 min from the engine shed to allow for the uphill walk
Great accommodation, well stocked kitchen with breakfast stuff, with really nice landlords - I kind of felt bad for not checking if the cats lived there or not, but spent a fair amount of time petting one of them outside before going back up to my room. Hell I'm a softie at heart.
The journey back - a brief stop at Newark north gate summed up by the station staff:
Me: I've got almost an hour to kill here, are there any half decent bars around?
Staff member: no.
(P, PD, BRS) MEW planet of the Primate, Longbenton
Mew - planet of the Primate
A couple of notes for this one - Wolfgang is out with an injury, but Mr D, heel manager has something else in store for Primate. Tonight is also the tag team debut of the Tyne and Wear Wolves.
The Journey. Stagecoach Newcastle are completely useless. 20 minutes freezing my tits off for a bus service that's supposed to run every 5. This is partly due to the roads and traffic, but they've had long enough to figure out a way around it. Once the bus arrived and I'd thawed out, the metro to Longbenton was its usually clunky but somehow functional self. Functional enough to get where it's supposed to be, but not to timetable. Metro apologises. Incidentally, if you want a full on laugh at some interesting theories regarding train delays, check out the Facebook page, metro apologise. My personal favourite "wrong size disco ball ordered, trains delayed metro apologise"
No pre show pint elsewhere due to stagecoach's idiocy, but there will be a post show bevvy to review. The bar area of the social club does allow people waiting for the show to have a beer without begging local members to sign them in under the arcane rules of the CIU. Newcastle Exhibition. my favourite thing about social clubs is being able to get a well kept pint of this. Either this or a tin of mackesons stout. (Ask your grandparents).
The hall is filling up nicely. Drake's ring is being used again. I try to put the idea that this might give us 2 spoilers for the night out of my head along with the thing about the apron. The minute the show started they dissolved nicely.
Very charismatic ring announcer "sexual chocolate" gives us a rundown of some of the action we can come to expect tonight, the raffle prizes, sponsors, the food room next door and then an introduction to the referee.
MEW, like most other promotions has its own chant tradition: ring announcer points at one side of the crowd, they chant "M" the next side chant "E" and the third chant "W". Mexican wave style. There's nearly always some smart arse that shouts either a random letter, or their assigned letter at random points throughout the show. It's fairly amusing depending on their timing, though I can see some potentially getting irritated at it. There is another tradition with this particular venue, "heel corner" - one particular corner of the room where the heels get the cheered. It keeps it contained for the most part, it's pretty much voluntary, and fairly entertaining being close to it. Next time I'm back here im going to get in on some of that.
The ref needs help seeing people cheat - so we're encouraged to boo if anyone does anything nefarious behind the ref's back. Nice touch.
Tyne and Wear Wolves over Assassin and Adam Christ. Christ was a replacement for Lucas Marvel, who's seemingly vanished off the face of the planet.
Great showing by the wolves - neither Carbon or Kavero have lost a step during their hiatus. Adam Christ is like a human pinball here. Dissention in the ranks between Christ and Assassin following the match.
Sammi Jayne vs Roxxi
No reaction to Sammi at first. She's debuting for MEW tonight. Her personality came through very well during the match Roxxi was really well received, being a staple of local promotions. Roxxi over after a tornado DDT that half ended in the ropes somehow. It might not have looked as effective as it was, unlike the german suplex into the turnbuckle earlier in the match.
Mew North east title match - Nikki star out wearing Pokemon garb. Wrecking Ball by Mikey Cyrus is perfect for this guy as an entry theme - there are enough parallels here: pretty damn talented but fairly unpredictable and manages to annoy people just enough for them to find him properly irritating. Throughout the rest of the entrances, Starr is tightrope walking the beam between fixed sets of seats, lightly kicking punters in the head, dancing about and generally irritating people. Joseph Biggs out next, the audience are a bit happier to see him. Mihai with newly acquired slave Jose. Even though Jose now belongs to a heel after the deportation match at the last event here, he's still pulling a lot the hyperactive hijinks that keep the kids loving him. Tonight, we get a Portuguese puppet promo from el sooty. Prince Ameen next, then Krobar of the purge from ICW. Liam Slater, the newly crowned North east champion Slater comes out to the vengaboys tune he's known for, and the crowd go mental for the Lazarus kid.
Multi man matches are fairly difficult to keep up with, especially at the pace this one was going. Highlights included a dive fest culminating in Ameen's hilarious magic carpet ride top turnbuckle dive on to the rest of the participants, a chain submission which could only be described as a Boston centipede. Slater retains after a fantastic entertaining match
Ameen calls out Dan Fitch to get to the bottom of why he's not in the main event scene. Fitch promises to come out of retirement to participate in the Gurjurat prince's qualifier for a main event spot - a 4 on 4 match at the next event on march 10th.
Kirby vs drake for calling spots title is up next. Kirby not in pink? Whats All this then? He's still being awesome even if he was using o-town over Kirb stomp. Yes, I've fallen into the trap of getting too used to his WCPW bit.
Drake has something against the ring crew - there's parts of that leather jacket that could have had the guy's eye out. He's also not a fan of the Calling spots title - to him it's just a toy apparently
There's a lot of good chemistry between these two, the match was a brilliant technical showcase for both of these guys and a lot of escapism. Kirby is proper old school. Drake goes over in this one, to become (whether he likes it or not) the inaugural Calling Spots champion - a belt which he throws down saying "it's just a toy"
Joe Rage out to start the second half. Here he's tagging with Alex Henry. Henry is telling Rage to follow his lead.
The NAK are the opponents tonight. Henry cheap shot to Renfrew to start. Very nice sacrificial move by Rage saving Henry from the double stomp. Miscommunication between Rage and Henry caused the end as the NAK took advantage of the situation to get the win. There was a bit of afters with a package piledriver to Rage from Henry.
NAK return to the ring to help out rage and set up Rage vs Henry (who they christened the "ginger fanny") for March 10
Main event time
Saxon Huxley (substitute for the injured Wolfgang) vs Primate
That briefcase wanker is out first. Mr D who turned on Primate last show and got speared out of his shoe zone footwear
Saxon is essentially his hired gun here. Whether Mr D has remembered the ammunition is another matter.
Primate is out to a rousing ovation. Hell, the show is named after him, and he's from walker. No blood spit this time
Interesting note Huxley is from Hartlepool. Primate is supposedly some sort of monkey... Wonder if we're going to see a noose at any point.
Lots of shoulder blocks initially. Huxley takes a nasty looking bump off the top rope to the floor. Lots of working on the back from Huxley to the point of Primate not being able to hit a German suplex as his back gave out.
Multiple Canadian backbreaker deraillers from Huxley to Primate. Harsh offence. A quick comeback from Primate following Huxley spearing him, including snap German suplexes and a buzzsaw spear to finish it.
After the match the lights went out, the Sons of Ulaid and Assassin appear ringside and decimate everyone.
Assassin got right in the face of a crowd member at one point. He looked genuinely like there was going to be trouble here. Rory Coyle from the Sons of Ulaìd got in between them and kissed the fan on the lips (bit weird, but it definitely dissipated the situation - probably out of confusion). This fan wasn't a plant either.
Post show pint at the lonsdale after the metro halfway home. Hadrian and Border secret kingdom - nice dark pint, malty and very smooth. Just what was needed to finish off the night, before boarding another metro home.
A couple of notes for this one - Wolfgang is out with an injury, but Mr D, heel manager has something else in store for Primate. Tonight is also the tag team debut of the Tyne and Wear Wolves.
The Journey. Stagecoach Newcastle are completely useless. 20 minutes freezing my tits off for a bus service that's supposed to run every 5. This is partly due to the roads and traffic, but they've had long enough to figure out a way around it. Once the bus arrived and I'd thawed out, the metro to Longbenton was its usually clunky but somehow functional self. Functional enough to get where it's supposed to be, but not to timetable. Metro apologises. Incidentally, if you want a full on laugh at some interesting theories regarding train delays, check out the Facebook page, metro apologise. My personal favourite "wrong size disco ball ordered, trains delayed metro apologise"
No pre show pint elsewhere due to stagecoach's idiocy, but there will be a post show bevvy to review. The bar area of the social club does allow people waiting for the show to have a beer without begging local members to sign them in under the arcane rules of the CIU. Newcastle Exhibition. my favourite thing about social clubs is being able to get a well kept pint of this. Either this or a tin of mackesons stout. (Ask your grandparents).
The hall is filling up nicely. Drake's ring is being used again. I try to put the idea that this might give us 2 spoilers for the night out of my head along with the thing about the apron. The minute the show started they dissolved nicely.
Very charismatic ring announcer "sexual chocolate" gives us a rundown of some of the action we can come to expect tonight, the raffle prizes, sponsors, the food room next door and then an introduction to the referee.
MEW, like most other promotions has its own chant tradition: ring announcer points at one side of the crowd, they chant "M" the next side chant "E" and the third chant "W". Mexican wave style. There's nearly always some smart arse that shouts either a random letter, or their assigned letter at random points throughout the show. It's fairly amusing depending on their timing, though I can see some potentially getting irritated at it. There is another tradition with this particular venue, "heel corner" - one particular corner of the room where the heels get the cheered. It keeps it contained for the most part, it's pretty much voluntary, and fairly entertaining being close to it. Next time I'm back here im going to get in on some of that.
The ref needs help seeing people cheat - so we're encouraged to boo if anyone does anything nefarious behind the ref's back. Nice touch.
Tyne and Wear Wolves over Assassin and Adam Christ. Christ was a replacement for Lucas Marvel, who's seemingly vanished off the face of the planet.
Great showing by the wolves - neither Carbon or Kavero have lost a step during their hiatus. Adam Christ is like a human pinball here. Dissention in the ranks between Christ and Assassin following the match.
Sammi Jayne vs Roxxi
No reaction to Sammi at first. She's debuting for MEW tonight. Her personality came through very well during the match Roxxi was really well received, being a staple of local promotions. Roxxi over after a tornado DDT that half ended in the ropes somehow. It might not have looked as effective as it was, unlike the german suplex into the turnbuckle earlier in the match.
Mew North east title match - Nikki star out wearing Pokemon garb. Wrecking Ball by Mikey Cyrus is perfect for this guy as an entry theme - there are enough parallels here: pretty damn talented but fairly unpredictable and manages to annoy people just enough for them to find him properly irritating. Throughout the rest of the entrances, Starr is tightrope walking the beam between fixed sets of seats, lightly kicking punters in the head, dancing about and generally irritating people. Joseph Biggs out next, the audience are a bit happier to see him. Mihai with newly acquired slave Jose. Even though Jose now belongs to a heel after the deportation match at the last event here, he's still pulling a lot the hyperactive hijinks that keep the kids loving him. Tonight, we get a Portuguese puppet promo from el sooty. Prince Ameen next, then Krobar of the purge from ICW. Liam Slater, the newly crowned North east champion Slater comes out to the vengaboys tune he's known for, and the crowd go mental for the Lazarus kid.
Multi man matches are fairly difficult to keep up with, especially at the pace this one was going. Highlights included a dive fest culminating in Ameen's hilarious magic carpet ride top turnbuckle dive on to the rest of the participants, a chain submission which could only be described as a Boston centipede. Slater retains after a fantastic entertaining match
Ameen calls out Dan Fitch to get to the bottom of why he's not in the main event scene. Fitch promises to come out of retirement to participate in the Gurjurat prince's qualifier for a main event spot - a 4 on 4 match at the next event on march 10th.
Kirby vs drake for calling spots title is up next. Kirby not in pink? Whats All this then? He's still being awesome even if he was using o-town over Kirb stomp. Yes, I've fallen into the trap of getting too used to his WCPW bit.
Drake has something against the ring crew - there's parts of that leather jacket that could have had the guy's eye out. He's also not a fan of the Calling spots title - to him it's just a toy apparently
There's a lot of good chemistry between these two, the match was a brilliant technical showcase for both of these guys and a lot of escapism. Kirby is proper old school. Drake goes over in this one, to become (whether he likes it or not) the inaugural Calling Spots champion - a belt which he throws down saying "it's just a toy"
Joe Rage out to start the second half. Here he's tagging with Alex Henry. Henry is telling Rage to follow his lead.
The NAK are the opponents tonight. Henry cheap shot to Renfrew to start. Very nice sacrificial move by Rage saving Henry from the double stomp. Miscommunication between Rage and Henry caused the end as the NAK took advantage of the situation to get the win. There was a bit of afters with a package piledriver to Rage from Henry.
NAK return to the ring to help out rage and set up Rage vs Henry (who they christened the "ginger fanny") for March 10
Main event time
Saxon Huxley (substitute for the injured Wolfgang) vs Primate
That briefcase wanker is out first. Mr D who turned on Primate last show and got speared out of his shoe zone footwear
Saxon is essentially his hired gun here. Whether Mr D has remembered the ammunition is another matter.
Primate is out to a rousing ovation. Hell, the show is named after him, and he's from walker. No blood spit this time
Interesting note Huxley is from Hartlepool. Primate is supposedly some sort of monkey... Wonder if we're going to see a noose at any point.
Lots of shoulder blocks initially. Huxley takes a nasty looking bump off the top rope to the floor. Lots of working on the back from Huxley to the point of Primate not being able to hit a German suplex as his back gave out.
Multiple Canadian backbreaker deraillers from Huxley to Primate. Harsh offence. A quick comeback from Primate following Huxley spearing him, including snap German suplexes and a buzzsaw spear to finish it.
After the match the lights went out, the Sons of Ulaid and Assassin appear ringside and decimate everyone.
Assassin got right in the face of a crowd member at one point. He looked genuinely like there was going to be trouble here. Rory Coyle from the Sons of Ulaìd got in between them and kissed the fan on the lips (bit weird, but it definitely dissipated the situation - probably out of confusion). This fan wasn't a plant either.
Post show pint at the lonsdale after the metro halfway home. Hadrian and Border secret kingdom - nice dark pint, malty and very smooth. Just what was needed to finish off the night, before boarding another metro home.
Saturday, 4 February 2017
Last weekend - Newcastle Nottingham and Lincoln
Allo folks, just a quick update to let you know that the next three show write ups will be up shortly - just polishing off the last of the bits of the notes off ready to post.
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Thoughts on travelling to other towns for shows
Travelling to other cities for wrestling - the actual cost
So, today I've put the finishing touches to the plans for the March pints piledrivers and replacement bus services trip, where I'm going to visit progress at the home of their new project "freedoms road". This involves a journey from Newcastle to London, one or two nights stay over (a good tester for if I end up trying to do the super strong style 16 later in the year) and the tickets to the two nights shows.
Sounds expensive. Relatively though it's worked out fairly cheap - digs were just shy of £50, tickets were £15 covering both shows (would have been £18 if i'd have booked both shows separately) and Newcastle to London return cost £6.50 thanks to megabus.
So here's how to do it on a budget.
1) if something of interest is coming up, book it early as possible, but make sure you check out local transport infrastructure first. If the train goes to Coventry but the event is taking place on the outskirts, check out bus services from the train station/digs to the venue and back after the finish time. ring a couple of local cab companies as well to get an idea of what the cost will be to get yourself back safely if buses fail.
2) trivago, booking.com, travelstay.co.uk, hostel world, hotels.com, laterooms.co.uk - cheap digs are usually readily available, sometimes there are special offers on there too which knock a lot off the price. Read the reviews though.
3) Have a natter with folk on Facebook who are intending to go also, see if you can share travel etc. I've seen it work on some promotions pages.
4) the main travel bit - check from all available local terminals. For London shows for instance, check virgin trains, grand central rail (goes from Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool etc), airlines, national express and megabus. There's also a site where you can chainbook/split ticket your main journey. Google "raileasy trainsplit" for that. Booking travel early is a great money saver - 12 hours can be the difference between £14 and £50.
5) check if there's anything else on in the area or anywhere connected. Hell, if you're on the road you might as well take something else in on your way home - the Nottingham house of pain show had me hooked in with the words "lethal lottery" - I might have mentioned before, but I loved WCW back in the day. An errant finger slip on Google maps shifted the screen across to Lincoln. The train fare between the two is cheaper than it is between Newcastle and Darlington. A quick search/scroll through wrestling events the same weekend brought up a show in Lincoln for Fight factory wrestling with a very reasonable VIP package, including getting to meet Nick Aldis (Magnus) and a viewing of the royal rumble at a bar next door. (The owner/management of fight factory wrestling is absolutely fantastic to deal with by the way) anyhow the upshot of this point is, you might as well make a weekend of it. Mid February, there's a Tidal championship wrestling event in Leeds - I was 50/50 on booking up for, but there's also a show from UKW in Batley the night before, a late train home after TCW, and making a weekend of it is what finally tipped me into going.
6) have fun - give yourself a couple of hours wherever you are going to and explore it. Whether it's a pub crawl or a tourism based wander, see more of the country, find out what else is going on there.
Hopefully these tips will be useful to some of you. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to comment - feedback is always appreciated.
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