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Best of British - News from the UK Wrestling Scene
The off-season is over and British wrestling is back in full swing! Here’s what’s happened and what’s happening on this side of the pond:
Next Level Wrestling held their ‘Open Challenge’ Show on the 13th in Smethwick. Here are the results:
Handicap match: “Loco” Mike Mason defeated Kid Lykos & The Firefly
“Dynamite” Pete Dunne defeated Ryan Smile
Jon The Yob defeated Sean Midnight
Lord Graham Thomas III defeated Chainsaw Psycho
Damien Dunne defeated “Pride of Wales” Eddie Dennis
Marshall X defeated Corey “1” Dem
Kid Fite defeated Mark Andrews
Thoughts: The main event (Fite vs Andrews) sounds very good. From what I’ve heard, the show was solid but dragged a little towards the end.
New Generation Wrestling (NGW) will hold their ‘Dawn of Heroes’ event tomorrow (the 21st) at the Eastmount Recreation Centre in Hull. The card so far looks fantastic, with a host of top UK names and both the NGW Championship and Tag titles being defended:
NGW Championship: Matt Myers (c) vs ‘Showstealer’ Nathan Cruz
NGW Tag Team Championship: Los Amigos (El Ligero & Dara Diablo) (c) vs Bhangra Knights (RJ Singh & Darrell Allen)
Rampage Brown vs Joey Hayes
Stixx vs Martin Kirby
The Storr Brothers vs Sam Bailey & Zack Diamond
Plus more to be announced.
Thoughts: Wow. The two title matches will undoubtedly be top-notch, Nathan Cruz and El Ligero are two of my favourite UK wrestlers. The first-time-ever encounter between Stixx and Martin Kirby should be excellent too.
Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) present their first annual ‘Square Go!’ event on the 22nd of January at the Classic Grand in Glasgow. The event is now sold out, which is a first for ICW. The show is going to be taped for TV and will be shown in the UK on TVMyChannel (Sky Channel 219). Here’s the lineup:
30-Man Square Go to determine the number 1 contender to the ICW Heavyweight Championship: Two men start, another enters at random every two minutes. Five random entrants will be drawn to enter with weapons. Confirmed to appear are Chris Renfrew, Lionheart, Jack Jester, Kid Fite, Wolfgang, Joe Coffey, Andy Wild, Noam Dar and Liam Thomson, with many more set to be announced.
ICW Heavyweight Championship: James Scott (c) vs B.T. Gunn
Red Lightning vs Lionheart
Jack Jester vs Mikey Whiplash
6-person Intergender Tag Team Match: Bucky Boys & Lambrini (w/The Wee Man) vs The S.T.I. (William Grange and Dick Divers) and Sara
Thoughts: The first ever Scottish wrestling show to sell out in advance, and without a single poster or flyer to advertise it. Fantastic work from everyone involved. This TV deal is great news too. And the card looks great - the Square Go match is certainly an interesting concept, and should be brutal.
LDN Wrestling’s live events of 2012 start tomorrow (21st) at the All Saints Arts Centre in Totteridge, London. The main event will see LDN Capital Champion Yorghos Christopolous defending against number one contender Hakan. Also confirmed so far are Pirate Paulie vs Bam Bam Barton, Kid Dynamite vs Damian Dunn, and a special open challenge from LDN British Heavyweight Champion Alan Lee Travis.
Then on the 25th LDN will be at the Chequer Mead Arts Centre in East Grinstead. Confirmed so far for that show is Yorghos Christopolous vs Mal ‘Superstar’ Sanders, as well as an appearance from Tom ‘UK Kid’ Jones, appearing at his first LDN show for four years, and new talent Leon Shah.
The show on the 27th at the Hazelmere Centre will feature an over the top rope Rumble main event, as well as a Champion vs Champion bout as Travis faces Yorghos one-on-one. Then the next night in Staines, World of Sport legend Johnny Kidd will face ‘Lone Wolf’ Matt Walters in the only match confirmed so far.
Thoughts: Some fantastic matches to start the year with. Yorghos vs Travis should be a great contest, as should Johnny Kidd’s return to the venue he won the British Heavyweight Championship from last year.
Finally, congratulations to British women’s star and girl of my dreams Britani Knight, who made her debut in FCW, WWE’s developmental territory, earlier this month, under the name ‘Saraya’ (her real first name). We at IWE, along with the entire UK wrestling community, wish Britani all the best. She certainly has both the looks and the in-ring ability, so let’s hope the ‘E don’t screw this one up like they’ve done with so many before her.
Have any news or results from the UK? Do you know if Britani Knight’s received any of the poetry I’ve sent her? Let me know at lonelybitterman@gmail.com.
Sources:
-Adrian
Best of British - News from the UK Wrestling Scene
It’s been a slow couple of weeks in British Wrestling, with few shows or matches announced for the short-term, and most promotions building up for bumper shows in January or February. Nevertheless, there has still been action to report, as well as a couple of shows this weekend to announce.
Southside Wrestling’s final show of the year on the 10th of December in Nottingham, “Season’s Beatings”, was a great success, with a solid turnout for a show which included Nigel McGuinness’s last ever match in England. It was a fine send-off too, with a victory over Martin Kirby in a great technical bout. Elsewhere in the card, Stixx defeated El Ligero, the Predators defeated Spyral and Robbie X, Nikki Storm defeated Holly Rocamora, Val Kabious beat ‘Loco’ Mike Mason, who replaced the injured Max Angelus, Mad Man Manson defeated Rockstar Spud in what I’ve been told was a fantastic and hilarious comedy match and T-Bone defeated Dave Mastiff (replacing the also injured Joel Redman) in the SWE title match.
Thoughts: Sounds like a great show with plenty of high-profile matches. Apparently the women’s match was a little lacklustre (understandable given how green Rocamora is) and the title match was a tad anticlimatic coming straight off the heels of the Manson/Spud match, which many attendees have said was one of the funniest things they’ve ever seen. Still, that match, McGuinness’s farewell and Ligero in action more than make up for it.
Last month’s IPW:UK 7th Anniversary Show, arguably British wrestling’s card of the year featuring such international and home-grown stars as Eddie Edwards, Nigel McGuinness, The Young Bucks, Noam Dar, Dean Allmark and many more, should be made available on demand at the IPW website this weekend, according to their official Twitter page.
Thoughts: Fantastic news, I’ve been dying to see this show for as long as I’ve known about it. IPW:UK’s ‘On Demand’ library has a great range of shows at a really low cost, and I highly recommend putting aside a few quid to get this show.
Tonight (17th December) sees MCW making its return to Cotgrave for Winterslam, the biggest show in MCW’s history. Here’s the announced card:
Number 1 Contender Rumble (Over the top rope rumble, winner gets title shot in main event later in the show, first person eliminated has to ring announce for the rest of the show while wearing a Santa suit): Alex Chaos, Alex Croft, Barricade, Bisto The Butcher, Brute Squad, Dave Mastiff, Diamond Dave Andrews, Freddy Nova, Gilligan Gordon, Jack Union, Joseph Conners, Knightmare, Martin Kirby, Matt Hall, Nate Colt, Paul Malen and Terry Isit
3 Way Dance - Elimination Rules: Bisto the Butcher vs Terry Isit vs Alex Croft
Tag Team War: The Predators (Paul Malen and Joseph Conners) vs Brutemare (Knightmare and Brute Squad)
“Best Wrestler in the World Ever!! - Even Better than Dave Fenix” Title Match: Freddy Nova (c?) vs Martin Kirby (watch this and you’ll understand)
Last Man Standing Match: Dave Mastiff vs Adam Antine
MCW Title Match: Dave Fenix vs winner of the Rumble match.
Thoughts: Another great card. I love the whole Freddy Nova/Dave Fenix/Martin Kirby storyline they’ve got going on. Nova is one of the most interesting people to watch in the UK wrestling scene, both on the mic and in the ring. And of course, everyone loves a good battle royal, and with a great opportunity for whoever wins it.
LDN return to the Mill End Sports Club in Rickmansworth tonight with a huge main event booked, as Hakan will face reigning champion Travis for the British Heavyweight Championship in what should be a feud-ending falls count anywhere street fight! Also on the bill is Kid Dynamite vs the Dark Lord, Gladiator vs Philip Friday and Yorghos defending his LDN Capital Championship against a yet to be announced opponent, plus much more.
Thoughts: LDN continues to put on great shows under everyone else’s radar. The feud between Hakan and Travis has been immense, and it’ll be exciting to see how it culminates tonight.
That’s all for this week. Best of British shall return after Christmas at some point, before going back to its regular Friday slot after new year. Happy holidays!
-Adrian
Sources:
