punknrasslin

[punknrasslin]

Hello! This weeks bonus top 3 list blog continues on from the first one that you can go back & read at your enjoyment! It’s another 3 promotions that deserve your custom once all this is over & we can safely socialise again. Last blog we focused on Attack, Riptide & Futureshock. Three more for your consideration this week! Hope you all enjoy!

OTT Wrestling- based in Dublin.

Many a time I’ve boarded a god early flight to save a few quid for merch at Manchester Airport just to watch this promotion tear it up. One of the best independent promotions out there I believe, a fantastic atmosphere paired with unrivalled in ring action. I think I’ve witnessed some of the best wrestling in the world, and been among some of the hottest crowds as part of OTT. They just keep getting better & better! From the early days of the now unfortunately demolished Tivoli Theatre to the now talked of world wide stadium shows, this company deserve all the success they are getting & more. If not for the current climate, they would’ve secured what surely would’ve been a huge MOTY candidate in John Moxley vs David Starr. Unfortunate yes, but as always in BritWres we bounce back & we bounce back stronger.

North Wrestling - based in Newcastle.

A promotion close to my heart this as I always went to Newcastle growing up as a teen for concerts & days out, North have took the punk rock DIY spirit I adore, and placed it in a small room to be enjoyed by all. Currently one of the countries ‘best kept secret’ promotions, the reputation grew stronger throughout 2019 & in their only show of 2020 (Thanks COVID 19) tote the roof off the Riverside with their first ever sold out crowd. Focusing more on letting the in ring work do the talking, North aren’t one to focus on imports coming in, more letting the UK guys take the stage & show their worth. Amazing stuff! Really credit where credit is due.

Schadengraps- Manchester

I say based in Manchester.. The shows are currently run out of Manchester. I say shows... Ideas that many may deem too insane or ludicrous to even attempt. Yet every show, a sold out crowd piles into the Frog & Bucket to witness this insanity. Shows based on Japanese Cult Movies? Done it. Shows based on summer pool parties? Done it. Think of the most ridiculous match & Schadengraps have likely put it on or something similar. It’s ideas that’s shouldn’t work but do. The venue itself, it’s a comedy club! Not a wrestling venue. Yet it adds to the idea, it’s the mystique. Just good look getting a lucky ticket!

So there you have 3 more promotions for your consideration. Thanks for reading & I’ll catch you Thursday for the weekly influence blog!

Jx

Blog Soundtracked By.. Dream State

[punknrasslin]

Good evening you!! Happy Thursday and welcome to the weekly lockdown blog from PunkNRasslin. Each week focusing on a new influence in wrestling that’s stuck with me throughout my years, be it from my youth, modern era influence or just something or someone that’s made me sit up & take notice to make a change. This week, I’ve decided to focus on a creative genius. King of the merch. A great mind with a passion for what he does. Mr Chris Brookes!

My first experience of Brookes was a strange one, he landed on my knee to shield himself from his opponent! But the same day I’d seen him tell his tag partner to shut up & treat him like a slave. I was intrigued. Who was the long haired cute faced character bossing around his mask wearing tag partner? And why was it, despite being mean and horrible, hilarious?! It was the manner. The obvious love hate relationship between this human Brookes character & his wolfy friend Lykos. They’d loose their matches, he’d blame the wolf, tell him to shut up loudly & sulk off. Yes, this was what I’d travelled to see!

I enquired further into this with friends in the know, and these 2 characters were regular faces in this basement venue in Sheffield. Next show, I travelled hoping to say hello to said Wolfy & his master. And they were as lovely as I’d hoped! Chatty, friendly, even asked me about my own wrestling travels. Over the years, there’s been many of these on the road chats. Hello there! Ugh, you! You get my merch money though MISTER (more on that later)!

In ring wise, it was back to the style I loved. A sprinkle of comedy, a splash of attitude and a huge dose of talent. Chris is more than a tag guy though, singles action is just as hot! With Lykos’ various injuries, Chris was left to his own devices. No wolf to blame for a loss but still the comedy value was gold. Out of the ring, it seems Chris had another talent. Merch design. Now to the BIG reason (yes, ok in ring is clearly fantastic) I was drawn towards Brookes. The art work on the merch!! The dripping, horror inspired writing. The scaringly brutal yet sweet animation skills. The colours! Brookesy my bank don’t like you but I sure do!

Now before we go full fan boy with the artsy stuff, let’s go back to the in ring! Name me another guy who can make falling on thumbtacks off a ladder look natural. Name me another character who can make you pity a poor guy in a wolf mask when he’s being mean to him. And alas, name me a guy who’s influenced & inspired as many British Wrestling fans as he and his CCK merry men.

It’s not all CCK though. More recent times has seen Chris move away from the CCK monicker & towards the German influenced Schadenfreude. Not a cult, not a faction but just a load of mates killing it in ring & making memories forever. Ask any of the regular British wrestling crowd, they all have a favourite memory of the man himself. Ask again, most will have a Schadenfreude memory too.

Chris has also had a great long standing rivalry with NXT standout Tegan Nox (FKA Nixon Newell). Never have I believed two people hated each other more! Some of the most brutal matches have happened between Brookes & Nixon, and luckily I was there to witness the gory glory. Inter gender wrestling at the highest level. Fantastic!

Currently, Chris is miles away from his Tipton hometown working for Japanese promotion DDT, showing the world his work. And he’s absolutely killing it! Swimming pool spot, is all I’ll say!

So what made me a fan of Brookes? The style? The attitude? The inter gender in ring work? The merch game? In fact it’s all of those in a full package that very few have. I’ve made friends for life through being a Brookes fan. I’ve made memories I’d never of made without finding that tall man with an attitude that afternoon.

To be fair this is only touching the top, I could sit here all night & type about my love for this one. But I won’t bore you with all the details! I’ll just inform you that CCK were involved in my most embarrassing moment to date at a show! The moment they debuted in Manchester as a surprise I jumped up, yelled, grabbed the person next to me & hugged... I’m sorry I’m a pain!

Matches to check out then

Chris Brookes vs Nixon Newell- Fight Club Pro Rise Against.

CCK (Brookes/Lykos) vs Moustache Mountain Ladder Match- Progress Wrestling Chapter 55 Chase The Sun.

Side note- I could only choose one singles & one tag contest :( also check CCK (Brookes & Gresham) vs LAX from Progress Wrestling Chapter 80 Gods & Monsters. In fact you know what... Watch their whole trilogy from Progress!

So. I didn’t ramble too much, I kept it short (kind of) and didn’t bore anyone (I hope). Here’s to many more years of memories from the tall one himself!

Have a fantastic week & I’ll blog something early next week!

Jx

Blog Soundtracked By.. Creeper

[punknrasslin]

Hello there & welcome to the bonus blog, the weekly to follow as per tomorrow. Hope lockdown hasn’t been too harsh on you, and on the subject of said lockdown this bonus blog focuses on 3 matches you should watch this week. These are all available on the companies VOD Services, so if you can check them out after reading this that would be swell. I’ve tried to cover all aspects of wrestling here but it’s gets difficult when there’s so much of the stuff out there!

Progress Wrestling Chapter 28: FSU vs The Origin. Available on Progress On Demand.

Going back to 2016 here for what was one of the greatest tag matches of that year. Let me set the scene. No DQ, Manchester Ritz, Absolute CARNAGE venue wide. Chairs, Tables, Weapons, Flips... All the good stuff! But really this match was all the good stuff turned up to 11. I marked out many times during this one live & I don’t think I was the only one. There’s no main Progress Title match on this show so this is actually the main event, and DAMN worth. Watch out for the PnR favourite son Mark Andrews dive from the stage. Breathtaking stuff!

WWE NXT Takeover New York 2019: 2 out of 3 falls Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano. Available on WWE Network

Huge fan of both these guys since their indies days but this was them showing off on a major stage and I’m glad to include this in. The atmosphere in the arena that night (so I’m told. I was at another show in NY Centre.) was electric, the main event to end all main events to crown the next NXT Champion. Johnny was battling against the odds going 1 fall down, but somehow had the heart he’s known for to fight back & win 2-1. Did you ever doubt? One of the greatest moments in WWE in recent memory, up there with D-Bry Mania 30.

Jordan Devlin vs David Starr OTT 5th Anniversary. Available on OTT On Demand.

Two former best friends, now fierce rivals competing over the covetdd OTT Title. Look online there’s review after review after raving review of this match but I’ll try & do it justice also. It was... Beyond words. It was what it was supposed to be. It was Starr’s moment to shine & fight for independent wrestling’s name against the WWE branded Devlin. It wasn’t Wrestling it was more. It was the rebel standing against the corporate machine fist high & proud. I don’t think I sat down all this match, the atmosphere in the stadium that night was one of the best I’ve been a part of. It’s a five plus star match, paired with the emotion & feeling of a Hollywood Blockbuster.

So there you have it, 3 matches to load into your Tv’s this week. I’ve gone back myself & watched all 3 & let me say they stand the test of time. They all stand up against the older classics I’m sure you can find 100’s of recommendations on! Just trying to provide something a bit different here.

Hope you’re all safe & well, another blog tomorrow remember <3

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Broadway Calls

[punknrasslin]

Gooooooood Afternoon my dear reader! And how are we all? Good? Good! The weekly theme blog this week will focus on my love of Lita . So, sit back & relax.

When I first discovered wrestling as a weird child flicking through sky channels on a Friday Night, I think like most my exposure to this whole new world was WWE. Superstars at the time. A weekly wrestling show, with little to no (I can’t remember any!!) Women’s Wrestling exposure. Which is a shame cause move a few years down the line, my mind was opened. I think the first female I really noticed in wrestling would come well into my teen years, and it wasn’t the obvious Sable/Sunny/Trish insert blonde supermodel lookalike name here. No disrespect, those names are all worthy of a notable mention! Just wasn’t cup of tea!

No, my cup of tea came with a flame haired, differently dressed from the rest, daredevil type called Lita. She could kick it with the boys, she could flip, moonsault & above all had this real punk rock attitude I was drawn to at the time. She was different, not your average sculptured eye candy wrestler. She actually wrestled. And my mind at the time was blown. I was sucked in by this vixen on my screen!! To this day my weakness is the dyed red haired look!

But back on subject here, that was my love of women’s wrestling beginning. But something then at the time was odd. Off maybe. It was the tagline of ‘Divas’. Today even, I cringe looking back at that era of wrestling sometimes. I hated the term & everything it stood for, I felt these ladies deserved a grander stage than eye candy. I believed & argued that given the chance the Lita’s of this world could battle on a stage and win your hearts. But this was the late 90’s and the ‘lads’ in the school yard of course did not watch for the moves. I kept my opinions on the Divas tag to myself. For now..

Fast forward into the 2000’s, and something happened. It was a Monday Night Raw (still Friday over here in the UK at the time) and the main events were usually reserved for your Stone Cold’s, Rocks etc but WWE took a plunge one evening and made a women’s match the main. YES! Finally! My heart was giddy that Lita was getting her push. Women’s Wrestling was getting an exposure it deserved!! Lita & Trish stole the FUCKING show on that evening. December 6 2004. The night I jumped around my parents living room & watched 2 women steal the damn show & prove their worth.

Was it the image that this women on my screen was enticing me in with? Was it the fact she’d Moonsault men with ease? Was it the fact her jeans were so far down her underwear was showing teasingly? Maybe not the last one, we are more than eye candy remember ladies! But the rest yes, I’ll combine those. She could battle, fight, kick arse & look good doing it.

This was not of course a one off. Lita would go on to become a multi time Women’s Champion, a WWE Hall of Famer, manage a WWE Champion in Edge & would manage the Hardy Boys to victory over years. She would be involved in major storylines, get major screen time weekly & be given a spotlight to shine in. FINALLY! In a mans world the ladies got a shot.

In her Hall of Fame speech in 2014, Lita encouraged the next generation to, quote, ‘find their punk rock’. And rewatching that moment at the time I figured it. It’d took a few years of fandom but it was the lightbulb moment. Lita was more than another wrestler, she was just like us. Inspired by the same influences we were growing up, with the same ideals and values.

In one of two meetings with the lady herself I plucked up the courage to thank her for everything she stood for. She held up the meet & greet line, held my hand and went ‘man, I love what punk means’. I never ever forgot this, the second meeting in a Liverpool convention centre asking ME about my tattoos. Me?! No no you don’t understand saying hello took me years of building up. I had not planned beyond!

Amy Dumas. Lita. Whichever you prefer. PunkNRasslin salute you and everything you stand for. A change in a world that so desperately needed it. In a male dominated world, a ‘girl’ kicking butt! No, this isn’t the clichè ‘One of the boys’ , it’s so so much more. It’s for the young girl looking for a role model. The teenager searching for a belief.

Not ‘womens wrestling’ at its best. Just wrestling.

Thanks for reading & enjoy the rest of your week,

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Letlive

[punknrasslin]

Good evening dear readers & welcome to a bonus blog this week focusing on the 3 UK Wrestling Promotions you should be checking out after this lockdown/isolation whatever is through. Happy Monday, sit back & enjoy!!

Attack Pro Wrestling based in Cardiff. If you’re after seeing the future of BritWres in a small bingo hall, this is your place! Of course the established names still show a face your Flash Morgan’s, your Damien Dunne’s & Santos’ etc but at a reasonable ticket price you can check out one of the best nights you can have on the scene right now. If Comedy Wrestling is your bag, Attack got you. If you’re a fan of the flippy divey high flying style, Attack cater. If you just like to see a good story play out in front of your eyes, then yes this is your place. A highly recommended promotion.

Riptide Wrestling based in Brighton. If you’re a fan of watching a full on wrestling themed story play out in front of your very eyes, head to this promotion in 2020. Theatric, Over The Top, Glamorous Graps Operatics but not by any means a traditional wrestling show. Head to Tide’ this year & you’ll be exposed to a whole new world of wrestling. You’ll probably be converted as one of the faithful. You’ll feel at home, welcome & above all safe. A true community feel with bloody good grappling to boot. This, let’s be honest here, is more than your average wrestling show.

Futureshock based in Manchester. One that’s been on my list of ‘must attend’ for quite a while now this, running in various venues in & around Manchester. Definitely more one to check out the stars of the future as they have a lot of up & coming young talent on board the roster. A fantastic mix of a good afternoons crack with your friends & great in ring action. I mean, what other promotion offers cask ale & street vendor food at reasonable prices. Get to a show whenever you can!

Matches to check out from each then;

Attack- Bayside High vs CCK from How Do You Learn To Fall Off A 20ft Ladder?

Riptide- Cara Noir vs PAC from Point Break (see link below as Riptide have kindly put this cracker up for free!) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WswcvsHW8N4

Futureshock- PAC vs Soner Dursun from Futureshock Underground 31.

I’ll likely during isolation do another 3 promotions I think deserve some love but fir now those 3 are my main favourites. Hope you all enjoy checking those out.

I’ll write the weekly wrestler focus blog this week as per usual, any ideas for those would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading,

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Every Time I Die

[punknrasslin]

Hi, hello, greetings & welcome return to PunkNRasslin after a short hiatus. These lockdown blogs will be weekly & focusing on a different subject each week, be it in Wrestling or Music. Which, let’s face it, is what it says on the tin here. Punk & Wrestling, PunkNRasslin. Each week a new insight into what we at PnR like & maybe dislike, although I’ll try & keep the PMA here!

This first weekly blog focuses on my love for a certain tag team in British Wrestling (BritWres if you’re down with the kids). Three letters. Guessed it yet? No not ‘THOSE’ 3 letters (maybe next time) but the 3 that just beat them as my favourite 3 letters in wrestling. Who’s got it? Another clue? Fair enough, 2 best friends standing united. I gave it away right. This first week we focus on FSU! Load Andrew WK into the PA & let’s go!

My first exposure to Mark Andrews & Eddie Dennis was one of two things. The first was seeing Mark on TNA British Bootcamp, which led to him joining the X-Division in the company way back when TNA was easily accessible on Challenge TV Sunday Nights. That was the perfect end to my week in that period to be honest, 9PM Challenge TV. The second was seeing them as a tag team for the first time which, online viewing aside, was at Fight Club Pro in 2017 at the Dream Tag Team Invitational Tournament. Let’s touch on the night 1 match later in this piece shall we?

I don’t know if seeing Bootcamp was my first exposure to Andrews but it was certainly the first time I went ‘OK, I need to get myself off the sofa & to a live show’. The energy in that man, the movset, the agility.. I dare anyone to find a more energetic talent although equally as, there’s a few though. Around this time, just as the finals for Bootcamp were being broadcast, I attended a PCW Charity Show for the now passed on Kris Travis partly due to Mark being booked on the show & partly cause Kris himself was an amazing in ring worker. An idea for a future piece there. The night of the event came, it wasn’t a ‘wrestling show’ in the stereotypical sense it was more friends gathering together to raise some money for a good cause. If you can, go back & look at the talent present on that show. From memory here, Tyler Bate & Trent Seven were in action along side Zack Gibson.

Back on subject, I think I was just more blown away by the fact one man could do such magnificent things in ring. It really, cliche I guess, reminded me of watching Liger on WCW as a teen. I went out soon after & got more involved in British Wrestling shows despite 1) knowing nobody and 2) being nervous as heck! So many journeys, miles & cities ahead of me I booked as many shows Mark was booked on at the time. Through this I discovered his tag partner in FSU Eddie Dennis. I’m not sure if I was biased cause of the mark fandom, but I was as impressed with this taller, harder hitting grappler as I was that night at PCW. And so, the fandom grew. As did my Merch collection actually thank you Defend!

Fast forward to 2017. A journey from Preston to Wolverhampton on a good Friday. A bad idea? Well a broken down train & delayed arrival not withstanding, I managed with little to no worry. Let’s ignore the mini panic when on an overcrowded stationary carriage at Manchester Oxford Road. I got through it & arrived in one piece. That night, stood with new and familiar faces from the now many shows I’d attended, we witnessed together ‘the’ moment that transformed a mid 20’s fanboy into a screaming teenager without a care. The second match on the card was FSU taking on Los Gueros Del Cielo AKA Jack Evans & Angelico. In the first, say ten minutes, we had witnessed flippy agility alongside strikes to rival the best. One moment though sticks in my mind from this night, Andrews deciding during the match to scale the venues scruture & do what can only be described as something impossible to most from a high ledge to the ground below. Magic had happened. That was it, no going back. I was sucked in to FSU I was well & truly part of their fanbase. I don’t think I’ve ever had the courage to say to any of them how much that warm 2017 night sticks in my heart. Or how many times during a low period I put it on to remind myself to be strong. Over that weekend FSU would progress to face The Lucha Bros in a match in London I always regret missing.

Moving on from life altering moments, I think I’ve counted I’ve seen FSU Perform in 4 different cities (Cardiff, Wolverhampton, Manchester, London) not withstanding the other trips to see the boys in singles action. But London September 2017 is another moment that sticks. I’ve apologied many times to those involved in witnessing this many times probably too many! But if you know your FSU History, you know exactly the match & moment I mean. It wasn’t the Mark victory in the number 1 contenders scramble. No it was the seconds after. The heartbreaking (at the time) moment that Eddie turned his back on Mark and was a bad guy. How dare he?! His best friend. How could he?! You stand united you are a unit! No! It’s not supposed to end, EVER! I think I sat at the back of Alexandra Palace after that & cried. It was just so believable & like ‘this is it, no more FSU’. Of course after a fantastic storytelling experience & a match in front of Wembley Arena of all places they did in fact stand united once more a calendar year later. Go back & watch some of the unrivalled promo work during that rivalry, the emotion in Eddie enticing mark into fighting his friend, Mark staying loyal to his buddy & refusing until he’d had enough after months of taunting & torturous attacks. Just remember if you go back to the Wembley Match, those tables are tough!!

FSU of course during Mark/Eddie rivalry did still exist under a different form. Wales’ Rising Star Danny Jones briefly tagging with Andrews for a one night only appearance, but as Heel Eddie nicely phrased it on the night, FSU was never Mark Andrews with Insert Welsh Buddy Here. The team of FSU will be forever known as the Andrews/Dennis pairing.

Nowadays, FSU stands once more. This time as a heel faction in Progress Wrestling. As an old school party hard FSU fan, I’m still a bit in love with this new heel incarnation. It elevates FSU to a new level. It’s something to keep the fanbase interested. Do we want the Andrew WK theme Party Hard again? Yes! Of course! It was part of the whole appeal, it was the ‘boys night out on the Jàgerbombs’ vibe. But do we as fans also see that this is a natural progressive route for the team? Yes, of course!

So in closing, what does FSU stand for to me. It means to me what it means for the others. Friendship Standing United. Standing by your crew until the very end, supporting your friends like family through thick & thin which in these times is irreplaceable. FSU is what it says. Friends. Stand. United.

Hope you all enjoyed that. It brought back some happier memories for me & made me want to relive ‘that’ Ally Pally moment from 2017 again. Only no tears this time I promise! Fantastic storytelling boys!

Matches to check out then;

FSU vs Los Gueros Del Cielo Fight Club Pro Dream Tag Team Invitational 2017 Night 1

Mark Andrews vs Pete Dunne PWG BOLA Stage 2 2016

Eddie Dennis vs Travis Banks Progress Wrestling Chapter 59 2017

Thanks for reading, WHEN IT’S TIME TO PARTY WE WILL..

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Tiny Moving Parts

[punknrasslin]

Schadenfriends2

Goooooood evening! And welcome one and all to the latest blog from me, PunkNRasslin. This time around we look back on last nights action at the Frog & Bucket In Manchester, where we attended SchadenFriends2. Sit tight, seat belts on, it is a bumpy ride.

Our night of wrestling begins with host Kid Lykos informing us that tonight will bring Blood, Violence, Murder.. And a singles match. Standard night out in Manc for £20 then eh?

First in ring action is our only actual wrestling match of the evening as Aussie Arrow Kyle Fletcher takes on NJPW sensation & UK Wrestling hero Zack Sabre JNR. Yes, this OPENED the show. I’m telling you if you weren’t there, the pop when Mother by hit was something out of this world. A huge, welcome surprise. It’s a contest full of submission attempts, hard strikes, one or two flips and lots and lots of mark out moments. Wrestling in its purest form. Sabre gets the pinfall & we are under way. My throat was sore already by this point!

The Schadenfreude Battle Royale starts next and despite the beautiful wrestling contest we just witnessed, is the reason we are here. Zone 1 gets under way with recently injured Boy Number 1 Mark ‘Dunkzilla’ Davis facing Boy 2 Tyler Bate. With Davis not yet cleared for in ring competition, this match is very much based on the movie of the same name as this event! Guns used as weapons, Heart removal, Blood, Gore, Guts... Not for the squeamish! Bate advances to the main event via murder!

Zone 2 sees Cheif Deputy Munne vs Good Fortune Child, the newcomer from Germany. Why doesn’t he resemble Lucky Kid?! Anyway, theories of conspiracy aside the match itself is average. Cheese grater to the head spots, grenade use & police trungon use here as we venture from comedy to daft territory. Good Fortune Child with a win via Hand Grenade. I swear I’m not making this up.

Zone 3 now, and Gene Dunneay takes on Dani Luna a one to watch for 2020. Both use their speciality weapons, Dunne a dog bone Luna a sword, to their advantage as as in zone 2 we venture from Comedic Wrestling Gold, to unbelievably daft! But hey ho, who are we to judge whilst we are having fun? Luna gaining an advance to the main event with a sword to the gut.

Zone 4 is our final zone match of the show, and Schadenfreude’s Chris Brookes faces relatively unknown but rising name Aleah James. Inter gender weapon use & confusion the key here as Aleah goes for a pinfall mid match. It’s victory by murder only I’m afraid! But we do see the return of Inflatable Lykos as a deadly weaon and the best use of a Seive in wrestling ever. Oh there was a winner too though, Brookes advanced.

So this leaves 4 competitors for our main event Battle Royale & it’s for sure a I Was There moment when you see the ring is surrounded by cellophane. Well, ok the official title Hell In A Cell-ophane! Oh deary me this shouldn’t work but oh boy it did! It really did! 4 wrestlers. One ring. Much violence with weapons galore. Dani Luna & Chris Brookes eliminated via Hand Grenade expolsion, leaving Bate & Good Fortune Child in the cellophane to battle it out for victory. Ever seen a good fortune child choked out by cellophane? If you were there, you know! But what’s this, as Child’s mask slips off, he REALLY does look like Schadenfreude Black-Listed Lucky Kid. Surely not!! Because he gains a suffocating victory! A victorious Good Fortune!!!

So there we have it. I don’t think I’ve ever walked out of a wrestling show with such a bewildering yet happily content grin. This wrestling thing is bloody marvellous isn’t it?

Match of the night- Kyle Fletcher vs Zack Sabre JNR

Until next time folks, stay happy! PMA4LYF

Jx

Blog soundtracked by Knocked Loose

[punknrasslin]

Fight Club Pro Infinity

I decided to start writing again, now I’m attending more shows, and it’s a huge passion of mine so I enjoy it. It’s been a while since PnR was active, it’s about time we got back online. Sit back, put the kettle on & let’s roll.

Friday night took us to The Hangar Events venue in Wolverhampton for Fight Club Pros annual Infinity tournament, usually contested for a trophy but this years, is for the championship, with the belt being vacated last month by Dunkzilla Mark Davis. This is the first show without Dunk & his stable Schadenfreude so a change bound to be noticed in the card.

First up in the ring we see Eddie Kingston squaring off against DAN! Dan Malony, which on paper should’ve been a good opener but it turns into just being there to warm up the audience. Heavy punching from Kingston, Hard kicks from Malony & a few high spot type moves thrown in for good measure. All in all, an average affair which sees Dan progressing to the main event with a victory.

Second match in, we see what many believe looking at the card was match of the night between Cara Noir &Jordan Devlin. We most certainly were not disappointed here, with everything and more being left in the ring by both men. Not many can match NXT UK star Devlin move for move but BritWres’s new poster boy Noir lives up to the challenge. A Devlin victory after a close encounter, sees him being the second man to progress to the final.

Match number 3 then sees Trent Seven’s open challenge answered by Yorkshire’s up & coming rising star Joe Nelson. Nelson the one to watch for the future here vs the old guard in Moustache Mountains Seven. Joe you get the feeling going into this was trying to prove his worth in Fight Club, a kind of ‘first big challenge’ type of deal & he deals well with the pressure of a big match, at times looking like he might get the upset on Seven but it’s Trent who gets the victory to become man number 3 in the final.

With 1 main event spot left to fill, we see a 6 person scramble match for the final place. The six men being; Carlos Romo, Conner Mills, fight clubs staple boy Clint Margera, Cheif Deputy Dunne from the Anti Fun Police & big name on the card for the evening Orange Cassidy of AEW fame. It’s hard in these types of matches to keep track of the action in ring, which is why sometimes they get lost on me but this had just the right amount of outside the ring spots & near falls in to keep interest. Cassidy hitting his famous casual headbutt from the top rope is something I for one hope to see again in FCP soon, as it’s both comedy gold & great ring work. But in the end, the final spot in the main event goes to FCP original Chuck Mambo. A few high spots here and there in this contest, keeps it interesting.

After a half time break, we get into tag team action and see Travis Banks & Omari take on Mooight Express, in what was promised to be a fast paced, high flying affair. The team of Banks & Omari working well together to get the victory in what was a mile a minute contest. If you like your flips & kicks, this is for you.

Next up on the card we see Meiko Satomura facing Millie Mckenzie. Yes it was as good as it looks on paper, yes they used every move under the sun & YES it was pure pro wrestling at its best. Meiko of course no stranger to FCP, really taking to the British Strong Style approach well against Millie, who is probably one of the best grapplers out there today. Watch this match in all its glory when it’s put up online you won’t be disappointed. Like every contest though there has to be a winner, Meiko Satomura walking away here with that privilege.

After another quick break to judge the annual Halloween Infinity costume contest, we get of course to tonights main event which is the four way for the vacant title. On paper, you’d look at the four finalists & say the man first eliminated was actually the favourite to win, as Jordan Devlin is first gone. Second, joining him backstage in defeat is Chuck Mambo (Mamboooo!) leaving Drilla Dan Malony & Trent Seven to battle it out for the belt. After one or two near misses, and many ouch moments to the exposed floor outside the ring, Dan Malony walks away as FCP Champion. Well deserved for the man who’s been with the company long term, plus it eliminates the issues of NXTUK talent in UK promotions.

At the end of the day, it was a good night. Some great matches, some excitement and many many high kicks and chops. Until next time dear reader, this is PunkNRasslin.

Match of the night- Meiko Satomura vs Millie Mckenzie.

Blog soundtracked by- Creeper

[punknrasslin]

Defiant Wrestling Manchester

Good Evening & welcome to get another fine page of wisdom from PunkNRasslin! This one takes us just up the road to Manchester for Defiant Wrestling.

Our night began with a taping of Loaded, for the companies YouTube channel & we kick off with Lizzy Styles from Liverpool, entering the ring decked in the recently top of the league football teams scarf. That’ll go down well in the local rivals town won’t it? She takes on ‘Asian Sensation’ Kanji, the martial arts inspired fighter. The match itself plays very heavily on Styles Liverpool roots, seeing her duck & dive her way around her rival. But in the end it’s all too much & Kanji rolls her up for a win. A top start then!

Match number 2, and now we have Conor Renshaw facing Visage, the drag art inspired infusion of glam & in ring talent. Any match which sees a ballet style kick to the face is in my good books really!! Quick victory but a victory none the less for Visage. YASS QUEEN!

Next up, we are ready for the Loaded main event and it’s Oldham boys & Wrestling Legacy Dynamic Duo taking on The Models, the old school pairing of Danny Hope & Joey Hayes. At just 15 & 17 respectively The Duo show some amazing in ring work & some special knowledge of the ring. It’s in their blood really isn’t it? Using their families signature flying headbutt for the victory, I do hope this isn’t just a 2 minute cash in on the family name & Defiant & other companies go far with these 2.

So that’s the loaded show over, but our night is just beginning. It’s time for Unstoppable, Tonight’s Defiant PPV. Match 1 of our main show is the tag team contest seeing Gabriel Kidd & Rory Cole facing Primate & comedy intro & all Joe Hendry. This one really was a gem though so hunt it down! To the match though, it’s a bit of an all over match seeing the action in & out the ring. Coyle showing his agility squaring up against Primate as the Hendry/Kidd rivalry continues. But though, as the ref is distracted a VHS tape that sends out red mist (I’m not joking) sees Coyle get his team the win.

Match number 2, Omari vs Nathan Cruz. Two similar styles, 2 young workers with a love for Hugh flying agile moves. So that’s what you’d go in expecting & it’s exactly what you get. A highlight reel of flips, dives, quick paced action & daredevil like movesets. A brave attempt by Defiant to waken up the sparse crowd, and it does in fact work to a degree. A quality match, Cruz hitting his famous Death Valley Driver for a win.

Bad Bones is the next competition to the ring & his opponent comes in the form of WoS own Justin Sysum. An alright match that could’ve been over sooner but it doesn’t feel like it dragged really. One or two highlights here including Sysums special Spear through the ropes signature move which eventually gets him a win.

Hardcore title match next & as the news breaks that Jimmy Havok is unfortunately unable to compete due to being hospitalised (Get Well Soon Jim you crazy man!) we are left with no opponent for No Fun Dunne. As he stands in ring, arms aloft awaiting his hardcore belt due to forfeit, Defiant GM Prince Ameen enters the ring (no lollipops this time, boo) interrupts & makes an Anti Fin vs Anti Fun match for the belt as Cheif Deputy Dunne is made to face stable mate Officer Drake. For a Hardcore match this isn’t at all bad if a little thrown together. A dodgy looking ‘table’ set up outside the ring by 3rd Anti Fun member Santos sees Dunne with a win & a Hardcore Title.

More hardcore action now as Lana Austin & Bea Priestly go to war in a Women’s Hardcore match. Personally, this is more my thing than the previous match, a favourite spot being the kick to the head of Austin through a chair by Bea, who eventually after in the crowd battling & many chair spots gets a win.

Card subject to change next, as ELP hobbles to the ring to unfortunately inform all he’s not cleared to fight Martin Kirby tonight, stating some kind of drunken flip injury? But anyway. ELP vs Kirby soon becomes Kirby vs his old nemesis the underdog Benji. The only criticism here being Benjis music hitting as the ref hit 2 and v nearly a 3 but Kirby kicks out. Sort it out tech! But Kirby hits the sharp shooter & sees him with a win. My guess is something was addressed on the stream about the botched music play but live crowd get nothing.

We are well into our wrestling evening & it’s time for some more tag team action as CCBlah Lucky Kid & Chris Brooks take on Aussie Open Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davies. A personal favourite this as I’m a fan of both teams. It’s a very close encounter & comes close to finishing a few times with added heightened drama, however the finish does come as quite a surprise as it doesn’t actually look like a 3 count. But the music is played & the Aussies walk with the belts in tact. A fantastic match, marred with a What The Heck finish.

So it’s now tonight’s main event. In one corner, and challenger, The cream in your coffee... David Starr! And in the other corner, as champion, Rampage Brown. On paper a match to be circled as ‘one to watch’ and it lives up to that as both men leave it all in the ring. However like all matches, there must be a winner and Rampage is still champion after it all ends, winning a very close call.

So that was PunkNRasslin’s Saturday Evening. Not bad at all for £25 for front row, a good selection of matches & two shows. The rest of the night took us to Satans Hollow on Portland Street to celebrate a friends birthday. A Saturday Night which turned into a Sunday Morning!

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Alkaline Trio

[punknrasslin]

WXW Back To The Roots

Hi, Hello & Welcome one & all to this an international blog coming from Oberhausen, Germany! Sit back, put the kettle on, relax & let us talk some wrestling!

So Saturday saw us boarding an early morning Eurowings flight from Manchester Airport bound for Germany all in the name of the graps. Landing in Düsseldorf, quick train journey & we are having lunch in Oberhausen by 12. Bliss.

But, onto the wrestling. Usual Oberhausen home away from home as we enter the Turbinenhalle for the first time in 2019 and collect our green bonds. Seats taken, refreshed after a nap we are ready for some in ring action.

Our first contest set for one fall (One Fall!) sees Shigehiro Ishi taking on Gunns... Bobby Gunns. The mammoth Ishi using his size to his advantage with crippling punches & submission attempts, Gunns retaliating with hard & fast paced striking & submission attempts of his own, one of which broken by biting the bottom rope! A unique yet admirable way to break the count! Howrever, Gunns does eventually go away with a victory making Irie tap. And we’re off to a flying start!

Match number 2, Jurn Simmons taking on the monster of a man Avalanche. A rivalry which began in 2018, sees its way into 2019 & these two go at it like the hatred is real. A fierce bout with many moments of ‘ow I bet that hurt’, which unfortunately ends in a double count out. A shame as this match could’ve done with a winner outright, but the pair scrap past the bell & we get confirmation Avalanche will be entered into 16 Carat.

Next up we get a nice tag team match, as Jay FK the high flying heels face Walter & Viet Mùller. The smaller yet faster paced Jay FK versus the hard hitters in Walter & Viet. The two styles combine perfectly to create one heck of a tag team match, which is brought to a close when Jay FK reverse a submission attempt on Viet into a roll up. As the pairing of Walter & Viet leave the ring, they appear to be not as close as they once were as tag partners. Maybe a match between the two somewhere soon along the way.

David Starr vs Timothy Thatcher up next as 2 of the best known names in WXW collide. Starr is quite visibly hurt, arm in sling but still battling on. This adds to the not so good as it could be or has been previously for both these competitors, and even the Starr win by a roll up seems rather ‘what?’ Even Starr looked shocked as the ref hit 3. A shame really as this had the makings of an absolute belter.

We’ve reached our first half main event then, and it’s the Women’s loser leaves town contest between Toni Storm & Melanie Grey. Two women who have claimed to have started the women’s division in WXW so the only plausible way to end this is, well there’s only room in WXW for one, loser leaves. It’s a very closely contested & string style affair, as Storm flies at Grace from all sides & Grace strikes storm with such power. A fierce battle ending with a Storm win, and unfortunately Melanie Grey has left WXW.

Second half time and after a catch up with friends & those we don’t see very often due to being an aeroplane away, we take our seats for the 2 cage matches. The first of which sees Lucky Kid Rise taking on Tarkan Aslan Rise with all 3 titles on the line. It’s a up for grabs in what turned out to be a belting contest. High dives from cages, death defying stuntman like behaviour & bloodied shots with a cage door later, all 3 Members of Aslan’s Rise tap out in unison. It’s a bit good this wrestling thing!

But we still have a main event to go, and that is for the WXW Unified World Title as current champion Absolute Andy squares off against Ilja Dragunov with the added somewhat confusing & unnecessary addition of Nic Hein as special ref. The match is off to a flying start as both men trade strikes & blows, it looks to be brutal from the off. Chairs are used, tables are introduced to the ring, the cage itself is even used as a weapon! But the ending leaves a sour taste as Hein screws a certain Ilja victory and raises the hand of Andy in a not so shocking but rather pointless Nic Hein swerve alliance with Andy.

So that was our Saturday trip! See you in 6 or so weeks Oberhausen for the first major tournament of the year, the big 16 Carat Gold 2019!! PunkNRasslin will of course be blogging from the event live!

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Fever 333

[punknrasslin]

NXT UK Takeover Blackpool

Hello everyone & welcome to this the second blog of a 2 show weekend. This one focusing on the evening show from this past Saturday, NXT UK Takeover taking place at the historic Blackpool Tower.

Before we get into the main action we have some pre show dark matches to wet our appetite. The first of these coming from the Mexican Luchador who’s actually from Leeds Ligero and Saxon Huxley. Ligero, not always the biggest dog in the fight but always biggest heart. The ultimate Lucha Underdog flying off from the beginning trying to make this into a fast paced affair, and this works to his advantage as he comes away with the victory. Hopefully more network time in the next few weeks for the Luchador.

Our second dark match then sees some women’s action as the fashionista Jinny takes on the dark hearted Isla Dawn. Two absolute warriors in the ring with a varied mix of styles, really showing they belong here & showing they can do it just as well. A Jinny victory however, and I’m hoping this at least gets shown at some point on the NXT UK TV Tapings.

Our third & final dark match appetiser then & it’s a tag team match seeing my welsh faves Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster taking on the very wise NXT pairing of Fabian Archer & Marcel Barthel. Just looking at this surprise match written down fills me excitement and it certainly didn’t disappoint, a great way to warm up a sold out Ballroom for the main show. The high flying pairing of Flash & Andrews vs the hard strong stylings of Barthel & Archer. It’s everything it says on the tin plus more. Fingers crossed this goes further than a special match for attendees only. However, like always there’s got to be a winner and Barthel & Archer pick up a victory. Well that’s me warmed up!!

Main show then, we’re live on the WWE Network and we start live proceedings with a tag team title match seeing Moustache Mountain take on Zack Gibson & James Drake. A close one to call & a great way to showcase the talent we have here in the UK as the two teams really go for all to claim gold. Near fall heart in mouth drama & some of the best tab team work in the UK later, and we crown Gibson & Drake the new NXT UK Tag Team Champions.

Match number 2 of the televised evening sees a change to the scheduled as the originally booked Travis Banks vs Jordan Devlin is called off due to a Trav injury. Trav’s replacement is a huge one though as the crowd explodes for a return to the UK for Finn Balor! Two of the best in recent Ireland wrestling history going head to head. Two very similar styles just colliding & showcasing just what they can do in a ring. Finn walks away with the hard earned victory but the true winner here is the capacity ballroom crowd.

After we’ve gotten over that shock, Dave Mastiff & Eddie Dennis go at it in a No DQ anything goes war. Tables are used, canes appear from the under the ring & chair shots are swung as these two go to war. Dennis in his patriotic dragon inspired attire takes the fight to The Bomber, but it’s just not enough as Mastiff earns a win.

We are nearing our evenings end but we still have 2 title matches to go. The first sees Rhea Ripley take on Toni Storm, a rivalry that has been ongoing since Rhea won the title. This to be honest, is a flawless contest. Watch this back & try & find a fault it’s really an amazingly crafted contest. Back & forth action teamed with a louder than Wembley stadium atmosphere, this will certainly be in the run in for my match of the year. The drama is heightened also by the crowning of a new NXT UK Women’s Champion! Congratulations Toni Storm! Well deserved.

So, unfortunately we’ve reached our final match of the evening. Pete Dunne, now the longest running champion in WWE, defending his converted title against Joe Coffey. The word here for this match is close, as both men go to an absolute battle to call themselves champion. It’s not the best match on the card by all means, but it’s certainly what it needs to be. Drama heightened plus amazing in ring skill. Dunne retaining his title though submitting Coffey.

But the major talking point online & post show leaving the venue is what happens as Dunne is stood in ring after his win. A familiar to many piece of music hits & it comes clear that the rumours are true. Walter has signed with NXT UK & he’s here for Pete. Specifically, he’s here for what’s around Pete’s waist.

So that was the first NXT UK Takeover. A successful night, hopefully before the year is out we get at least another Takeover here in the UK.

Have a great week, and we’ll blog something next week as we travel to Germany for WXW Back To The Roots.

Jx

Blog Soundtracked By.. Comeback Kid

[punknrasslin]

PCW Over Take

Hello & welcome to this the 2nd blog of 2019 from PunkNRasslin! We’re well on the way now to a very graps & fun filled January so let’s get going shall we?

Saturday took us to Blackpool for the WWE’s NXT Takeover Network Special but before that, we ventured to Club Domain situated just passed the prom with a good sea front view for PCW Over Take. A rather old school venue, and they still have Christmas Decor up! 12 night rule Club Domain? Anyway..

First match of our 7 match afternoon sees James Finn taking on Jack Bandicoot, of course Jack being 1 half of pop punk inspired tag team Crash Boat. Expecting high flying from this opening match, it’s a case of don’t blink or you’ll miss a flip. The ropes being used as leverage for pinball like springboards, and dives coming from all directions a great fast paced start which sees Jack walk away with the victory.

Our second contest sees Callum Corrie (Sandy Beach to us Northern fans) taking on former PCW Champ Iyesten Reece. A basic affair or maybe it just seems so after the high flying previous match but still sees a good strong performance from both, however Reece walking away with a victory. Post match shenanigans here also as Reece promises he won’t be relying on outside interference from now on for wins. A possible face turn on the cards.

Our third contest sees Sheik El Sham taking on arch nemesis & the man with a great set of lungs on him ‘Operamania’ Matthew Brookes today feeling very patriotic in his Union Jack trunks. Sham takes the fight to Brookes in a seesaw affair, which half way in sees Sham disrobe of his formal attire. It’s a strange sight for a Saturday Blackpool afternoon but Sham earns a win!

David Birch taking on James Mason next in our fourth encounter of the afternoon & it’s a mix of styles in both ring entrance, in ring style & attire. Old school Brit style vs hard hitting strong style approach. A great start to the second half, Mason walking away with a win. Any excuse to have a boogie to Status Quo!

Philip Michael next up taking on PCW’s 2018 breakout star Tel Banham. Two young upstarts of the PCW’s own Academy showing what they’ve learned since graduating, and boy does this show what a future they have! Tel playing the old school heel perfectly, Birch playing the underdog character. This match ventures into the venue with a rather ouch looking spot on the bar, and a rather amusing spot with a fans Money In The Bank briefcase. Benham the winner here, and a standing ovation is deserved.

We’re well into our afternoon entertainment now as a match that was originally meant to be Big Time Bruce Wheeler vs Arcadian turns into both these taking on Big T Justice. How this turns out this way is a mystery but I’ll take it. Big T out-powering even both these smaller individuals combined as the finish to this shows. T is certainly on the rise here in PCW, he walks away with a powerhouse win.

So we’ve reached our main event & it’s 2 PCW Originals going head to head as Joey Hayes takes on former best friend & tag partner now enemy Danny Hope. Two former allies going at it, usually brings hard strikes & in the crowd battling & that’s what we get. A close encounter & a battle in front of an unfortunately sparse crowd, Hayes gaining a victory here but only via DQ after Hopes new stable mates ambush Hayes in the ring. This sets up another squaring off at Road To Glory next month in the Tower I think!

So that was my Saturday afternoon by the seaside. Also found time before NXT (blog to follow!) to sample Yates Blackpool new vegan menu. Highly recommend the Spicy Burger!

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. The Ghost Inside

[punknrasslin]

Defiant Newcastle

Happy New Years then! Welcome to PunkNRasslin in 2019, we hit the road early after the New Years celebrations to bring you only the best in wrestling blogging reviews of evenings spent up & down the country, even the world, in the name of the graps!

Our evening begins then in the O2 Academy Newcastle with an opening promo & lollipop giveaway (I got purple cheers!) from GM Prince Aheen, welcoming one and all the venue & informing the rammed Academy that we see 5 weeks of YouTube tapings tonight. Value for money indeed, a full night ahead it seems!

We start out big, our first contest sees Lucky Kid taking on BT Gunn. Lucky, not overly known in these parts but using his mixture of comedy and in ring skill to win over the crowd & the match itself warms the crowd up for what’s ahead. A good match which ends with a BT victory. And we’re off!

Second match then & it’s women’s action as Little Miss Roxy takes on Kanji. I’m not one to focus on negatives (Positive Mental Attitude) but in this day in age, we surely should be passed the foul & vulgar words about these 2 women I heard from the men around me. Get your t*ts out & you’re fit being the general gist. But I enjoyed this match the best I could, and the 2 put on a good match. Both can work a ring like a pro & both are athletic. A win for Kanji though, and an impressive display to win over (or attempt to) the very unimpressed crowd. Get a pint & shut up you bloody caveman!!

Rory Coyle next takes on Joe Hendry in a quick turn around. Obvious Defiant are squeezing as much into 1 evening as they can! Hendry enters to a custom entrance video parody of ‘shut up & dance’ entitled ‘shut up use dvd’ referencing Coyle’s love of using VHS in his promos. A mediocre match mind, lacking in originality however, a Hendry win.

Next up, South Coast Connection facing North West’s own The Models. SCC of course, trained by the great Will Osprey and it comes across in their style in ring. A high flying team taking on the more veteran models Hope & Hayes, with SCC inevitably walking away with a victory.

So we’re on a roll now, and it’s Omari taking on Conor Renshaw. Two very similar high, fast paced styles & on paper a great match which doesn’t really sell to the crowd who, lets face it are probably only here to see hometown boy Pac later on. But that aside, Omari gets a win & addresses some issues to be dealt with ‘Next Week’ aka later on tonight. The 5 shows a night confusing folk!

So, speaking of hometown hero Pac he’s up in the next match facing off against David Starr. After we’ve got the football style ‘he’s coming home, he’s coming, Pac is coming home’ chants out the way we can ring the bell. And this was to be fair the main reason I travelled here this match looked great written down & had the makings of a technical wizards dream. The match is fast paced, suiting Pac, but Starr not to be outdone. It really shows the ability of both men & lives up to expectation. Of course though, a home win with a red arrow for Pac. And the crowd goes wild(er)!

Two on one action up next, the Anti Fun Police consisting of Drake & Damien Dunne on one side and Mark Haskins on the other. Haskins making up for the man less with his fast kicks & hard as hell strikes. But however, he can only manage a DQ win after Drake strikes Haskins with a chair in an attempt to do damage. A shame, should’ve been more but a wins a win.

We’re well into the night by now, so time for Nathan Cruz vs Omari a rivalry that’s been bubbling for a few weeks in the company ever since a backstage attack on Omari by Cruz. Tempers fly as expected in this, and it’s a contest I enjoyed personally. An Omari win, which as we see later on isn’t enough to finish the feud.

Lucky Kidd is up again next facing his WXW fierce rival Bad Bones. This rivalry has been up & down in WXW, but doesn’t sell to a disinterested Saturday Night in Newcastle crowd. In ring, the action is fantastic & sees a hard earned Bones win but outside the ring the fans might as well be in the pub the amount of interest they take.

We see the return of Brighton’s own South Coast Connection next as they face up & coming Oldham team & late great Dynamite Kid nephews the Dynamic Duo. If this is the future of British Wrestling then we certainly are in for many years of success as both teams show some amazing potential. However got to be a a winner, and SCC steal a heel victory from the clutches of the Duo.

No Fun Damien Dunne appears again next, and earns a victory against Visage who for those unfamiliar (most I’m guessing) is a drag queen style gimmick who can wrestle. Funahh indeed!

BT Gunn gets his second match of our packed night next up facing local Tyne boy Primate. A match which starts with both competitors having a pose off & ends in a blaze of fists and a Tyne Boy victory. A hard fought battle which keeps the evening going.

We’re on the home stretch now and Man Like Dereiss is facing Nathan Cruz. I say facing, the match lasts all of less than a minute. But afterwards Cruz threatens to injure Dereiss if Omari doesn’t give him a match in Manchester on February 9. So that’s set then, Omari vs Cruz part two in a few weeks time.

Martin Kirby the internet (interweb) champion makes an appearance next with his newly won title. A segment in which Kirby lets the crowd choose between 3 up & coming trainees to face him. A rather confusing affair which just seems like a bit of mic time to fill the gap.

However, the women are back in action next & Kanji faces Manchester’s Lana Austin. At least this women’s match isn’t met with body comparison comments from the men! It’s a good contest, with a Kanji DQ victory after Lana hits the poor ref with a chair. Heel Lana incoming it seems!

Micky The Dragon next. The gimmick is as bad as the name sounds, Bad Bones walking in & out the ring with ease. But after Lucky Kidd ambushes Bones post match, it’s announced that UnBeiseigBar Ilja Dragunov will be making his way to defiant to meet Bad Bones in February.

It’s been a long evening, and after a Pac promo announcing his return to Newcastle next month, it’s main event time as Defiant champion Rampage takes on Gabriel Kid. Rampage showing his dominance here as Defiant champ, not easily but still defeating Kid in ring. Our long & graps filled night ends with a stare down between David Starr & Rampage who it’s announced will face each other for the title in Manchester Feb 9.

So there we have it dear reader! A long night, 11pm finish & many YouTube tapings made. After all that, I wasn’t ready for a night on the ‘toon’ more a nice lay down in a hotel room bed! 😴

That was PunkNRasslin’s weekend then & we shall return this Saturday when we travel to Blackpool for NXT! Should be a belter! Until then..

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. AFI

[punknrasslin]

Happy first birthday PunkNRasslin

Grab the balloons, light a candle on the vegan cake & put up the streamers. Happy New Years & Happy first birthday PunkNRasslin.

I think the best way to celebrate this is firstly to thank everyone for reading. If you have Retweeted, liked or just read anything I’ve done over the past 12 months thank you. And secondly is to look ahead to 2019 & see what we have to look forward to in the first half of a packed year.

As is the usual, the first major event in the big leagues stateside will be on January 27 when WWE host their traditional year opener Royal Rumble, made even bigger again in 2019 by the addition of the second annual Women’s Rumble which was a huge success in 2018. PunkNRasslin predictions for the first of the big four to follow in the coming weeks, watch this space!

Looking slightly further ahead over the pond, April 7 will see the spectacle that is the Grandaddy of them all WrestleMania, this year to be hosted at the MetLife Stadium situated somewhere half way between New York & New Jersey. As 2018’s sucessful New Orleans trip, PunkNRasslin will be blogging live from the shows out in the states. The traditional Graps holiday for us & many other Worldwide fans.

Looking ahead closer to home, Progress Wrestling make their welcome return for 3 days of grappling at Alexander Palace when the Super Strong Style 16 tournament is held at the venue for the second year running. Predictions, previews & of course PunkNRasslin blog to follow live from Ally Pally.

Outside of Progress but still based over this side of the pond, all female promotion Pro Wrestling Eve return to the historic York Hall in London to host the second ever WrestleQueendom. A huge success back in May 2018, Eve move the show from a Saturday bank holiday to a Sunday June evening. A great evening packed with wrestling action & fun.

Moving a little further afield, WXW in Germany host 16 Carat Gold, the traditional 3 day (4 if you include all pre activities) tournament. Something that’s always been on the PunkNRasslin bucket list to see in person, and this year that is ticked off as we will be blogging live & in person from the shows.

Elsewhere in Europe, and only a Ryanair flight away is OTT in Dublin who start their show year on January 20, with the first big show happening February 17 with a mouth watering main event of Walter, their current title holder, taking on Ex WWE Hugh flyer PAC. A match many promotions have wanted but OTT got first.

And that concludes the look ahead to the first part of 2019, with many shows already booked in to review & break down we begin the PunkNRasslin on the road blogging this coming Saturday as we attend Defiant in Newcastle at the O2 Academy, a nice main event of PAC vs David Starr taking us a little further north.

Thanks for the past 12 Months, here’s to many more!

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Hatebreed

[punknrasslin]

The PunkNRasslin awards 2018

Happy New Years Eve you lovely people! And welcome to this the inaugural PunkNRasslin Awards! What a year it’s been then! So let’s get straight into the awards, some sentimental and some just for the fun :) enjoy. PS- I do realise some of these are covered in further detail in the Christmas Eve blog so check that out too!

Wrestler of the year- Pete Dunne

Only 1 winner really, from the states, to Germany, to Camden Pete has been a staple of the Indies for the past 13 years, but since January his name has taken him to places beyond Bingo Halls & gig venues. Unfortunately now, his days of wrestling the Independent Circuit are done & he’s moving kn up to bigger & better things. Congratulations man, but don’t forget to smile in promos ;)

Album Of The Year- Basement- Beside Myself

Any great journey has to have a great soundtrack. And the amount of travelling I’ve done this past 12 months, I need a lot of bloody soundtracks! This was a close 1 this year, with new releases from old faves Alkaline Trio, hardcore heroes Casey & Palm Reader, pop punk masterpieces from Stand Atlantic but Basement take this title for this absolute gem of an album from beginning to end. A varying mix of styles, emotional lyrics & loud noisy guitars brought to you by England’s own. Got me through many a long trip!

Pub of the year- Hope & Ruin, Brighton

Was very nearly piped to the post by late comer LePub, Newport but the award for best pub of 2018 goes to Hope & Ruin. Any pub with a full vegan menu mixed with a wide selection of ales & spirits gets my vote. A punk rock, independent feel about the place also which is definitely my kind of pub! Have the vegan hot dog next time you’re in that area, you won’t regret it! A 10/10

Fanbase of the year- Progress Wrestling

Well, who else could it be really? A warm welcoming crowd who live up to the Everyone Welcome company ethics. I started making journeys south for Progress in March 2017 & it’s always been the same. Welcoming, open minded & just genuinely humbling nice folks! It’d be wrong to pick just one fan out for fan of the year so anyone who’s made me & many others welcome at Progress over the past 12 months take a bow.

Best weekend of the year- SSS16

Imagine your perfect weekend. Sun, good friends, cracking wrestling & a gig afterwards to boot. You’ll be hard pushed to beat this May excursion. I had the time of my life (A la Dirty Dancing) during this 3 day tournament & I’ll be doing it all again in 2019. And you know, stick my favourite band on the Sunday night it always helps a good bank holiday :D

Newcomer of 2018- Scotty Davis

The suplex machine. OTT’s rising star. Basically, worth a road trip to Fight Club Pro or OTT or wherever he can get a booking just to see this talent in the flesh. What sold me on him was his match up with Mark Davis in the National Stadium in October which in a stacked card was an absolute show stealer. A rising star that’s on the up.

Promotion of the year- Attack Pro Wrestling

Want comedy wrestling? Attack has it. Want High flying flips & tricks? Attack has that too. Want an entertaining night out with decently priced drinks & a BYOB policy? Attack. Want fan interaction & value for money? You get where I’m going here. At the end of 2017 one of my to do list points was to get to an Attack show in Cathays, their spiritual home, and I managed this. It was everything I could’ve wished! So Attack, promotion of the year. Well earned!

Best boi award for 2018- Mark Andrews

Ok, this is kind of a personal one so I apologise. 2018, I’ve visited quite a few countries & in many of them when I’ve headed to the merch area of the venue to spend my hard earned pounds, I’ve been met with ‘Heeey man!’ and an outstretched hand for a shake. It’s been a real delight to talk to Mark on the road this year & get to know him not just as the lad who I admire in the ring, but the lad who shares my love of the same music & many same interests. DAY ONE ON MY OWN.. ..

Best merch of 2018- CCK

Is it Brookes & Lykos accepting? Brookes & Thatcher? Grisham & Brookes? Whatever. The sickest merch award for 2018 goes on the mantlepiece of CCK. Such unique & lively designs on a good quality shirt. Also this year branching out into pin badges & head gear. See them at the merch table for a purchase & photo.

The Shauna BoOoOoO award for biggest heel- Zack Gibson

I AM LIVERPOOLS NUMBER 1.. This promo intro is usually met with the loudest chorus of boos trying to drown out the man with the mic. Or in the case of Royal Albert Hall in June, a verse of Shoes Off If You Hate Gibson. What the usual ushers of RAH thought of a load of wrestling fans taking their shoes off & waving them around who knows. But it was truly amazing. So the Shauna BoOoOoO award goes to Zack Gibson & his big head heel tactics.

Best travelled fan of 2018- Kyle James

Over a hundred shows a year? I managed 47 & I still needed a long sleep in between! Serious note though, a familiar face now on the UK scene up & down the country & one of the best guys around. And people ask ME how I travel so much?!?! Fair play sir, you are award with PunkNRasslin’s best travelled fan!

So, there we have it. That was the crazy thing that was the year 2018. We had a laugh, we shed a tear, we travelled to America for only the second time ever. And guess what? 2019 begins in just 5 days with Defiant in Newcastle & looking at the places already this blog will take me in 2019 I’m looking forward to another happy year. If 2018 was the start of something big, 2019 will be the making of something huge.

Let’s all join hands & sing a verse of Auld Lang Syne shall we?

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Cancer Bats

[punknrasslin]

Dragon Pro Newport

Welcome to this, my final show review of 2018. A well travelled & sucessful year if I do say so myself. A year in which I decided ‘hey, I travel a bit. I could write this down & try making something of it’. More on that in the New Years Eve blog to follow!

So, Friday saw me making a long trip to South Wales for Dragon Pro Wrestling, quick change over at the now infamous Crewe Station and I’m en route. Lodgings for the evening provided by the very convenient Travelodge Newport Central reasonable price & locates right smack bang opposite the train station. Other side of the road houses a Weatherspoons. Handy! For those like me of an animal friendly nature, LePub is about a 5 minute if that walk with a full vegan menu. Yummy too!

To the graps action then, now we are fed & watered. Housed in what was an old Odeon cinema, Dragon Pro find their home now in The Neon. A keep walking over the bridge & you’re there really if you stay central. Before we reach match number 1, we see the introduction of a special guest Ring Announcer or as he likes to see it ‘facilitator’. Pretty big give away there that it’s none other than my old chum ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster. Nice touch.

So really now, match 1. Next wave title match seeing Nothing To Proves own Elijah take on Josh Holly. A real show of 2019’s talent up & coming with the young Holly showcasing his ability, but in the end it’s the big monster Elijah who walks away with the title.

Match 2 of our evening sees Big Grizz facing Flynn Burden, which from the outside looks like a real David vs Goliath encounter. And we all know how that classic ended! This one ends with the same result as the smaller man Flynn earning a victory over the bigger Grizz. A close encounter that shows yet again, Dragon Pro really has some decent talent on their roster.

Match number 3 of the evening sees Sid Oakley taking on Clay Williams. Two dragon pro young upstarts who have a bright future in the company, and further showing that the future of British Indy Wrestling will still shine after the current wave of call ups get the call stateside for NXT UK or otherwise. A Sid victory in a fast paced encounter.

Number 4 encounter then, and we’ve reached 6 man tag action. The team of Mark Andrews, Danny Jones & now last minute replacement partner Wild Boar Mike Hitchman facing the team of Fletcher Law the father of sin, Elliot Hightower & Chief Deputy Dunne. Six real in ring workers who are willing to showcase their ability & agility, and to put nothing less than the best on the line. The match looks good on paper, and goes down well as a first half main event. A personal highlight being Danny Jones showcasing his skills in a ring with some more veteran performers, hitting the finish on the No Fun Captain Dunne.

Second half has arrived then, and we are straight into the action with Oliver Sudden facing Bronco Brendon White. Another case of two Dragon Pro upstarts looking for more ring time. A Sudden victory, which upsets White resulting in a brawl continuing backstage. The rivalry may well continue here into the new year.

So we have had the male spotlight, but now it’s time to showcase the female division of Dragon Pro as Dani Luna takes on Shax. Two very strong competitors going 1 on 1 for supremacy within the company going into the new year. Shax using her power & strength to try & outdo the slightly smaller Luna, but in the end Lunas agility comes up trumps as she rolls up Shax for a hard earned victory.

So, we’ve reached main event time & we see Newport’s own Ginger Jesus Mike Bird defending his title against man like beano. Not the most ideal of wrestling names for the challenge to be taken seriously but given half a chance Beano can rise to the occasion. In a back & forth affair, riddled with outside interference from Birds stablemates Beanos attempts to overcome the odds almost comes good when he gets the 3 count on Bird, only for original match referee Chris Roberts to reverse the decision due to Beano inadvertently striking him during the contest. A tough call, but sets up an All Wales Battle Royal main event in February, including Mark Andrews, Flash Morgan, Beano and many more battling for Birds championship.

So there we have it, 2018 shows are done. A hell of a journey, many cities, too many kind souls to name who’ve helped along the way. A 2018 in review style post to follow tomorrow, but for now I think the travel to Newport has left me needed a Soy Latte & nap. Good night all!

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Casey

[punknrasslin]

Christmas Eve best of time

Hello & welcome one & all to my best of the past 12 months be it in the world of music or wrestling. So take a seat, grab a brew & let’s discusss crazy things that happened in 2018. Honourable mentions to follow in a follow up blog.

The best place to start I think here is my promotion of the year, and there was many candidates this year with me clocking up many miles not only uk wide but also jetting off abroad all in the name of the graps. But the out & out winner here has to be WXW, bringing me much joy not only this side of the country but also my first Germany trip back in September. I’ve been a fan of the WXW scene a few years now & my first trip to Deutschland was not before time. A quick 90 minute flight, reasonable price through Eurowings, an out & out great weekend which included not only a show from Progress Wrestling but also WXW. Highlight of the year for me though, despite not being there in person, is always 16 Carat. With my trip in March booked already, 2019 is looking bright on that front. A great year for the German company which saw many great matches including a personal favourite when David Starr met Jurn Simons in a no holds barred match at Fans Appreciation Night in Oberhausen.

Moving swiftly on, we reach away from the wrestling for 1 award as we get to Album of the year. There’s been many candidates for this one with many of my personal favourites releasing albums but this one has to go to UK Post-Hardcore heroes Basement with their October offering Beside Myself. From start to finish a masterpiece which sits up there with in my humble opinion, the best Post-Hardcore albums of all time, certainly of recent times. A mix of genres & lyrics of alienation growing old & anxiety of old age brings you what is truly no more a piece of art than an album.

So award number 3, and after a break away, we return to the graps for venue of the year. The amount of venues I visit in a year can vary from the 20’s to up in the 50-60’s so I know a good venue when I see one. A good venue has to have that homely welcoming feel & this winner certainly does. It’s maybe the punk in me that thrives the DIY ethics of this old school venue, or maybe the nostalgic in me that thrives the old school wrestling feel of graps in a bingo hall, but take a bow Cathays Community Centre. You are punknrasslin’s venue of the year. Mikes away from home, yet possibly the most homely feeling of venues.

Award number 4 then. And we’ve reached another graps award with Wrestler Of The Year. Another many candidates one this, and one that has been pencilled in & erased throughout the past few days of reminiscing & looking through notes from my travels. But the winner of punknrasslin’s Wrestler Of The Year is none other than the Bruiserweight Pete Dunne. Sadly this year it seems we are saying goodbye to Dunne this side of the pond with him moving into bigger things stateside but entering the year as UK WWE Champion & leaving the year as the same, having many outright 5 star matches in between earns Pete this crown. A true talent in the ring, a true gent out of it it surely seems that our loss is America’s gain. Pete, this year has been amazing. Thank you. You’ve earned this.

So that brings us now to the 5th & final award of this bloggers year & it’s the graps once again and Match Of The Year. Well this was the tricky one. Many changed minds, much frustration & many many discarded notes later I think I’ve cracked it. Back in January, 2 men stepped into the ring in the Electric Ballroom in Camden. Two giants, two goliaths battling not for a title but for supremacy. Hardest of hard hits. Chops that can send a tree tumbling. Punches to make the hardest of hardcore wince. A behemoth contest bringing a sold out Ballroom to its very knees. Walter vs Timothy Thatcher. January 28 2018. The match that wins this award & the award also for most hard hitting chops in a match. Take a well earned bow!

So there you go, 5 awards & all opinions my own. A follow up review of the year blog to follow in between Christmas & New Years, plus an extra review blog as I make the Journey to Newport on Friday for Dragon Pro Wrestling. Until then, have a very Merry Christmas & I hope Santa is kind to all. Love, peace, goodwill to all

Jx

Blog soundtracked by.. Basement- Beside Myself. The well deserved album of the year