Photo credits: Martin Ryan, Turning Face, and PWG
1) PROGRESS returned to Manchester.
Named for a Joy Division song, Unknown Pleasures – or chapter 26, as numberphiles will no doubt insist on calling it – was another big show for PROGRESS, and another one that succeeded in its aims. Those aims, to entertain while keep the storylines marching forward, ought to be the simplest of professional wrestling staples, but you’d be surprised how often these things go awry.
The show was main evented by new champion Marty Scurll (who defeated Will Ospreay at chapter 25) taking on challenger Mark Haskins (who beat Zack Gibson to win that honour, also at chapter 25). With Scurll triumphing, there does seem to be a lack of contenders on the horizon with the exception of former champion Rampage Brown, always well-protected in the booking here (and defeating Mikey Whiplash on this show).
One thing that is certain after the show is that the London Riots versus Sumerian Death Squad tag-team battle at chapter 27 next month will not only be a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match, but the losers will be forbidden from teaming again in PROGRESS again. That came after Tommy End defeated James Davis to even up Michael Dante’s loss to Rob Lynch at chapter 25.
Jack Sexsmith again divided opinion in the north when losing to Bubblegum in a horribly sleazy encounter, and perhaps it’s just those of a more southern, erm, bent that he primarily appeals to. Also on the show, “Flash” Morgan Webster & Pollyanna teamed to down the South Pacific Power Couple, ensuring that feud will keep on running, Jack Gallagher out-grappled Evolve champion Timothy Thatcher, and a huge four corners tag-team match opened the show, which saw the Origin team of Dave Mastiff & Zack Gibson triumph over Sweet Jesus, The Dazzler Team, and Joe Coffey & Big Damo, who cleaned house afterwards. The show should be up on OnDemand next week.
Credit: PWG
2) Mark Andrews is stepping out of that TNA shadow.
Signing for a big American wrestling company – even one down on their uppers – has to be the boyhood dream of 99% of the lads plying their trade on the British scene. The downside is that it takes “our” lads away from us, although few would begrudge them their career development even if it does take them away from being regulars on our cards. 2015 was a weird year, then, for Mark Andrews, because in signing with TNA as the winner of British Bootcamp 2, he certainly missed a huge chunk of the year at his regular haunts, but didn’t really make all that big an impact over there either.
Instead, “Mandrews” was ghettoised into the X-Division and rarely used on TV, save for multi-man matches which did little to showcase his considerable all-round skills. Still, that’s the past, and 2016 seems to be a more even year for the former Lightning Kid, with appearances for TNA interspersed with dates all over the UK, and – perhaps most important for that long-term career development – some choice dates for Pro-Wrestling Guerilla.
Click Here: Rugby league Jerseys
Andrews fought in the 2015 BOLA, going down to Will Ospreay in a bout which made the latter’s name in the US, and played his part across that weekend, which was enough to be invited back for All-Star Weekend 11 – where he faced Chuck Taylor & Ricochet (out on DVD this week), and All-Star Weekend 12, in April, where he’ll face Evil Uno and PWG champion Roderick Strong (albeit in a non-title match). Marty Scurll, Drew Galloway, and Zack Sabre Jr are on the shows, too, but it’s Andrews I’ll be keeping an eye on as he builds that reputation in the US, a year later than it should have happened.
Credit: Turning Face
3) There was a Valentine’s Day Heart ATTACK!
Valentine’s Day doesn’t seem to be the most obvious day to promote the latest in your series of sold out shows, especially because the stereotype of the wrestling fan who doesn’t have a girlfriend doesn’t hold so true any more. But it’s still a risk, given the sheer amount of options for pleasure-seekers on that day, although not one that didn’t pay off for ATTACK! Pro-Wrestling on Sunday. Wrestling To Make Love 2, a sequel to last year’s Wrestling To Make Love To, saw the ATTACK! lads take over the Cathays Community Centre in Cardiff again, for the latest chapter in their odd, odd story.
The show was headlined by 24/7 Champion Pete Dunne defending against Wild Boar, which led to a challenge being issued for Dunne and a mystery partner teaming against Boar and former champion Eddie Dennis at their big show on Wrestlemania weekend. ATTACK!’s other belt holders, the tag-team champions Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos, lost a non-title match to Mark Andrews & Nixon Newell, which should also set up challenges for the near-future.
Earlier in the show, Eddie Dennis beat ATTACK! debutee Charlie Garrett, the Project: Lucha pairing of el Ligero & Martin Kirby shut down the Anti-Fun Police, and the Love Making Demon (yes, you read that right) & Danny Jones downed Big Poppa Sunflower (again, you’re not hallucinating) & Sebastian Radclaw. ATTACK!’s next show is back in Bristol, on April 1st, and I will actually be there and I am RIDICULOUSLY excited. Wrestling should always be fun and that’s something this group have stamped all the way through them. Wrestling To Make Love 2 should be up on their Vimeo channel by the time you read this.
4) FutureShock continued their solid run of shows.
Possibly benefitting from PROGRESS fans making a weekend of it, FutureShock attracted another healthy crowd to the Longfield Suite in Prestwich, Manchester, on Saturday, for the simply-titled Underground 15. The show was built around the Heavyweight title match between champion T-Bone and challenger Massa, but it went to a DQ finish and they’ll come back on April 9th for a streetfight which should settle things.
Zack Gibson, who had earlier beaten Mikey Whiplash and who holds a “Money In The Bank”-style title shot, teased cashing it in but preferred to keep his powder dry, earning the ire of the fans – the travelling portion of whom took to “Warrington’s sexiest man” Sexy Kev as their wrestler of the night, despite his loss to Xander Cooper.
The show featured a six-man tag featuring tag-team champions The Models teaming with Lana Austin against Christopher Saynt, Glen Dunbar & Bete Noire, and also starred Cyanide, Damon Leigh, and Ashton Smith. FutureShock shows have been described to this reporter as a huge amount of fun, and they return on March 13th with Uproar 87, while Underground 15 should be on their Vimeo channel soon..
5) There’s a little bit of something for everyone, somewhere.
Up in Scotland, at The Asylum – the home of the Glasgow Pro-Wrestling Asylum – the students and teachers of the GPWA staged A Night At The Asylum, which saw the more experienced faculty members taking on their less travelled students. Senior trainer Wolfgang took a win in the main event, beating Flex Hunter, and the rest of the training team – Lionheart, Jack Jester, Red Lighting, and BT Gunn – all had outings, alongside Kasey Owens, who took on Molly Spartan.
WrestleForce ventured west (for them) to Fleet, Hampshire, on Friday night, with one of their popular all-ages shows. Unusually, the show was main-evented by a women’s match, between Nina Samuels and Dahlia Black, with the devilish angel overcoming the challenge of the touring Kiwi. Black’s boyfriend, TK Cooper, worked underneath, defeating Gianni de la Vallette, on a show which also featured Dragonita, “Blackbelt” Tom Dawkins, and former WWE-developmental talent The Zulu Warrior.
Starting out as a “meet & greet” specialist, but latterly branching out into promoting shows, Exposure Entertainment presented their St Valentine’s Day Massacre, at the Walkabout in Cardiff, scene of the upcoming ATTACK! show on Wrestlemania day. Headlined by Jack Jester downing popular local Mike Bird, the show opened with a win for Panda Cub, and also featured IPW:UK champion Tennessee Honey against Nadia Sapphire. The Hunter Brothers and IPW:UK tag-team champions DnD also appeared.