A Fans Perspective: My UNCENSORED thoughts on UK Wrestling in February 2009
DISCLAIMER: The following are my uncensored thoughts on Pro Wrestling shows I have attended in the month of February. As I no longer have time for full reports this will be my way of talking about UK Wrestling from now on. The thoughts below may shock, offend, etc but when I decided to write this, it had to be 100% uncensored. This is my opinion, so only read on if you understand that. Thanks and Enjoy!
Friday 20th February ‘09
‘An Incredible Tag Match caps off an exciting night of Wrestling at Aston University in Birmingham’
Alternative Wrestling World/IPW:UK Joint Show
Non Title
Gladiator Oblivion vs. Spud © – A good big man vs. little man match, Spud (AWW Champion) looked competitive against his much larger opponent and only lost the match via Oblivion’s cheating. So for me that is a perfectly acceptable match, time length was also fine (15 minutes) and it had a logical booking result.
‘Toughest Man To Ever Wear a Dress’ Vito vs. Current CZW Best Of The Best ‘Black Jesus’ Sabian – Thoroughly entertaining comedy match,. Sabian showed some of the skills that have made him CZW Best Of The Best ‘08. Vito showed he can wrestle but at the same time entertain the crowd. Time length was ok (10 minutes) and Vito winning the match wasn’t unexpected so I have no problem with the booking either.
Non Title
‘Irresistible’ Isyten Rees © w/Gilligan Gordon vs. AWW’s MK Mikinan – Gordon is fantastic on the mic, he riles up the crowd so well. Rees looked dominant, MK was fodder (he deserved so much better) and Rees’s Brutal Powerbomb gave MK a concussion. Rees vs. Snow #2 didn’t fill me with great enthusiasm I watched the first meeting at Indypendance Day months earlier (and I didn’t enjoy it). 4 minutes for a squash match is ok, making the Champion look dominant is logical booking so this was acceptable.
1st Time Ever Meeting
Non Title
The Leaders (Zack Sabre Jr & Marty Scrull) vs. The Thrillers (‘Star Attraction’ Mark Haskins & ‘Physical Specimen’ Joel Redman) © – WOW what a match! 3 of the best wrestlers in the UK and my first time seeing Scrull. This was a frantic, fast paced tag with everything the fans could ask for and more, wrestling via Redman and Sabre Jr in the early going of the match. Scrull and Haskins brought the agility and quickness to the match and it all meshed well together. Lots of action, brutal moments Haskins’s nose being made bloody by a Sabre Jr kick to his face! Near-falls a plenty, never before seen double team manoeuvres and after 20 minutes (that seemed to fly by). My Match Of The Year ‘09 thus far, just an incredible match! I CAN’T wait for the Rematch with the Titles on the line, in Birmingham later this year. The Leaders becoming #1 Contenders I’m happy with, 20 minutes (it should have gone on ALL night!), Thrillers looked competitive in losing. Good job all around.
‘Human Hate Machine’ Moralez vs. Doug Basham w/ Gilligan Gordon – Very good back and forth match, Basham has impressed me a lot since leaving the WWE (Although I have always been a fan of his OVW work). Moralez is the Best Big Man in the UK bar none. ‘This’ Basham mic/wrestling wise would have been money for WWE, oh well their loss is US/UK Indies gain. Moralez matching and ultimately beating a Former 2 Time WWE Tag Team Champion will do a lot of his reputation in the UK and beyond. I loved the finish, it was a very skilful reversal by Moralez to change a Leg Lariat into a Sit-Down Powerbomb. I’m happy that Moralez won (as he needed the big win), Basham looked competitive in losing, 17 minutes is a good time and a Kid stealing Gordon’s hat was a true laugh out loud moment!
AWW Guest Match
Dave Williams vs. ‘Mr. 450′ Dan Ryder w/Miss Ryder – I had never heard of Dave Williams, so for him to be in an AWW guest match to showcase AWW made me scratch my head (to say the least). I guess this is what happens when your illogical follow-up booking has cost the Wrestling world two amazing talents in ‘Metro-Sexual’ Danny Devine & B.B. Steele (who have both now retired). Ryder was a given for this match as he has been an AWW mainstay and is one of the best up and comers in the country. Ryder looked sharp in his 2nd match back from suffering a Broken Arm against Mad Dog Maxx, Williams did not seem out of place and pulled out a spinning wheel kick which shocked everyone in attendance (myself included). I feared the worst but this was good match, I’m happy with the 12 minutes given to it and Ryder winning was a logical booking result.
Main Event for the IPW:UK Heavyweight Title
Al Snow w/Head vs. ‘Irresistible’ Isyten Rees © w/ Gilligan Gordon – I have wondered ever since the first time I saw Rees (Indypendance Day ‘08) why he was IPW:UK Heavyweight Champion. He reminds me of Jeff Jarrett in ’05 when there were numerous people on the roster better than him (AJ, Brown, Rhino, Raven etc) and in Rees case (Haskins, Moralez, etc). 20 minutes of stalling was too much (people started leaving). I loved the teasing of a Head attack through the entire match. When this match got going I enjoyed it far more than Indypendance Day, the comedy and old school wrestling were top notch. I enjoyed the pass the parcel (with the Chair) and the “Eddie, Eddie” chants brought a smile to my face. Rees winning by cheating is acceptable booking, 22 minutes is a good time length and Snow has a case for a rematch. So good job all around once more.
Overall Thoughts:
You should buy the DVD for: A show with no single bad match, good booking decisions and a decent amount of time given to each contest. The Tag match was Incredible, Moralez vs. Basham is definitely worth a second watch and the card in general was good.
Saturday 28th February ‘09
A straight up fight between ‘Human Hate Machine’ Moralez & ‘Vigilante’ Johnny Moss is the highlight of a good IPW:UK Show in Swanley, Kent this past Saturday!
Chikara Star Lince Dorado – I have never seen him wrestle so I was disappointed at his late removal from the card.
1st Round Non-Title Match of Extreme Measures Tournament
‘The Star Attraction’ Mark Haskins vs. IPW:UK All England Champion Terry Frazier © – Very good match, my first time seeing Frazier as a singles wrestler and he impressed me. Haskins is slowly but surely becoming one of the best wrestlers in the UK. I liked the story of Haskins continued offence on the injured leg of Frazier, Reed’s constant interference baffled me but the booking was logical as Haskins won the match by submission. 9 minutes is a fair length for the opening match on the card, good job all around.
Non-Title match
IPW: UK Heavyweight Champion ‘Irresistible’ Isyten Rees © vs. Adam De Souza – Rees looked dominant against the IPW:UK Trainee, finishing the match in quick fashion with a Brutal PowerBomb. Rees looked dominant for the 2nd time in two weeks against lesser opposition, 4 Minutes was a fair time for a squash match.
Return of the ‘Showstealer’ Alex Shane – A great shock and surprise, Shane receives a rousing ovation and cuts a good come back Promo on Rees and The Thrillers.
IPW:UK Commentators Dave ‘Stats’ Bradshaw and Big Brother’s Billi – Good duo, Bradshaw as straight up Commentator and Billi as the Colour Commentator everyone hates!
1st Round Match of Extreme Measures Tournament
First Time Ever Meeting
‘Human Hate Machine’ Moralez vs. ‘The Vigilante’ Johnny Moss – A great straight up fight between two of the best in the UK. Easily the Match Of The Night, back and forth action that enthralled the fans in attendance (myself included). I would show this match to those who still believe Pro Wrestling is ‘fake’, as it would quickly put that disillusional thought to rest. 13 minutes is a good fair time for the competitors, and the right man progressed (Moralez remains unbeaten in IPW:UK). So a very good match and logical booking, gets a thumbs up from me.
1st Round Match of Extreme Measures Tournament
Leroy Kincaide vs. Jon Ryan – I have seen Ryan numerous times in the past and each time he has impressed me, in this match I wasn‘t that impressed (because of time restrictions). This was my first time seeing Kincaide and he was impressive, having Former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar like tendencies including a vast array of power moves. The match was too short (7 minutes) and didn’t allow the competitors to leave a lasting impression on the fans. For me this was an upset, but having learnt (since) that Kincaide is a former winner of the tournament, I guess not much so. I thought Ryan would progress but IPW putting a young guy (with a lot of potential) through is fine in my eyes.
Final 1st Round Match of Extreme Measures Tournament
The Leaders Marty Scrull vs. ? – Scrull forces IPW:UK Commentator Dave ‘Stats’ Bradshaw to wear The Leaders T-Shirt! (This would be the best part of this match). ‘Showstealer’ Alex Shane was the opponent for Scrull, I feared the worst and unfortunately IPW bookers delivered. Scrull looked bad as he was dominated for the entire match by Shane, what annoys me about this is Scrull looked like a Superstar the previous Friday in My Match Of The Year ‘09 thus far (Leaders vs. Thrillers Tag Team match). I suppose the only saving grace for Scrull is he didn’t lose the match via pinfall/submission to Shane (the match ended in a DQ via Thrillers Interference). I wish Luke Phoenix was there as a match between he and Scrull would have been superb!
Rematch from Last Friday’s AWW/IPW:UK Show
Gladiator Oblivion vs. Spud – Last Friday’s match with added comedy. The Comedy was excellently executed, with Referee Chris Roberts and Oblivion fighting as Spud Refereed. Oblivion wins via underhand tactics again (this time using the Ref as a Weapon against Spud). Spud doesn’t lose anything by losing twice to Oblivion as both times the Big ‘O’ had to cheat to beat him, 8 minutes time given was ok in my eyes also.
British Tag Title Match
The Thrillers (Ricky Hype/‘Physical Specimen’ Joel Redman) © [3 defences] vs. The Kartel (IPW:UK All England Champion Terry Frazier/Sha Samuels) – I was looking forward to this match as I had heard The Thrillers candid comments about The Kartel earlier (whilst conducting an interview with The Thrillers for DVD, watch this space!). I loved the storyline of the match (possible Kartel break up), but the match itself wasn’t given the time it deserved (it got 10 minutes), I was looking forward to seeing Ricky Hype but with time restrictions I didn’t find out anything about his wrestling abilities. Just when the match looked like it was about to get going, it stopped dead. All 4 competitors did the best with what they had and produced a fine storyline within the match.
“Final Four” Main Event – No DQ Elimination Match
‘The Star Attraction’ Mark Haskins vs. ‘Human Hate Machine’ Moralez vs. Leroy Kincaide vs. ‘Showstealer’ Alex Shane? – The match gets changed to a 3 Way match as Shane is injured. I liked Haskins’s smarts in the early going sneakily getting Kincaide and Moralez to fight each other, I liked the crowd interaction (a first on this night). I’m unsure of how to feel about Moralez’s unbeaten run ending at the hands of Haskins, I guess it had to end somehow. Haskins elimination of Kincaide was superb and deserved to win the match! Shane makes his way out and in quick fashion boots Haskins over the top ropes and wins the match. 17 minutes is a fair time for a match between four competitors but I dispute the result of the match……….
WHY Alex Shane!?
The case for others:
Haskins – Maybe that would have been a bad idea as he and Rees are Villains but it could have produced a good storyline of Haskins breaking away from The Thrillers. I wouldn’t break Haskins away from The Thrillers (yet) so I begrudgingly agree with him not winning.
Kincaide – I have not seen enough of Kincaide to say whether he should or shouldn’t be #1 Contender.
Moralez – Unbeaten in IPW:UK, on a roll after beating Moss in the 1st Round. Moralez vs. Rees would have been a tough challenge for the Champion and there was a strong possibility of Moralez being the next IPW:UK Heavyweight Champion. So why didn’t Moralez win the Tournament, surely that would have been a logical choice?
Shane – Good wrestler/promo guy has done a lot to help British Wrestling but does he really need to be #1 Contender!? Keep in mind he screwed ‘Guv’nor’ Martin Stone out of the IPW:UK Title in order for Rees to win in the first place, so Shane being #1 Contender is strange. To become #1 Contender Shane has beasted one half of the future British Tag Titles #1 Contenders Marty Scrull, and he has won the match over at least 1 (maybe more) worthy contenders for the Title.
IPW are back in Swanley on the same day as 1PW goes ‘To The Extreme’ so with that in mind they have gone for Shane vs. Rees for the Title, that’s understandable. Shane isn’t the future of British Wrestling so what will him (possibly) winning the IPW:UK Title do for the company/British Wrestling, whereas Moralez is becoming a well known name and could do with that one big win that would cement him as a cornerstone in British Wrestling.
I would of gone for Moralez as he is a guy you could build a company around, with that being said I think the IPW bookers have made the wrong choice in making Alex Shane #1 Contender but like most things in the world of Pro Wrestling……only time will tell.
Overall Thoughts:
You should buy the DVD for: The opening match between Haskins and Frazier was very good with a compelling storyline, Alex Shane’s return was a great shock/surprise and the follow up promo was great. Moss vs. Moralez was my Match Of The Night. Standing room only shows that UK Wrestling is slowly but surely picking up.
Match Of The Month:
1st Time Ever Meeting
Non Title
The Leaders (Zack Sabre Jr & Marty Scrull) vs. The Thrillers (‘Star Attraction’ Mark Haskins & ‘Physical Specimen’ Joel Redman) ©
Wrestler Of The Month:
‘Human Hate Machine’ Moralez
Show Of The Month:
Friday 20th February ‘09
Alternative Wrestling World/IPW:UK Joint Show
That’s my thoughts, do you agree/disagree and why?
I look forward to what I hope is a lively debate.
This is just a heads up for people who would like to but aren’t sure how to support me in my quest to be a FULL TIME PAID Pro Wrestling Journalist.
Link to my work: http://blog.myspace.com/brummieol (by copying and pasting this into your web browser).
You’ll find: Show Reports, Interviews (Former NWA/ECW Heavyweight Champion Steve Corino, ECW’s Tyson Kidd (TJ Wilson), ROH Ring Announcer Bobby Cruise, ROH Senior Official Todd Sinclair, Former ROH Pure Champion ‘Hurricane’ John Walters, ROH Commentator Lenny Leonard and Current CZW Best Of The Best ‘Black Jesus’ Sabian (my latest interview), Previews, Articles, etc.
If you would like to show your support, I Implore you to subscribe to my blog, I write because I want to bring RESPECT and PASSION back to Pro Wrestling on the Journalism side of things!
You can subscribe to my work (by copying and pasting this into your web browser): http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseac….iendID=35737715
I have also created a message board where you can read all of my work and
pose questions to future interviewees:
http://olibrum.proboards.com/index.cgi
Oliver Newman