The Week In British Wrestling: XWA champion beats the odds
July 18, 2020 | News | No Comments
Main photo by CWP Images’ Chris Wiles
Here’s five things you need to know about British wrestling this week:
1) Lion Kid faced Pastor William Eaver twice in the same night
XWA champion Lion Kid was forced to run a one-man gauntlet last Saturday at the Delphi Centre in Sudbury as he faced Pastor William Eaver twice in the same night to defend his XWA British Heavyweight title. The first match, opening the show, was declared a no contest after Eaver and his Congregation stablemates Tom Dawkins and James Castle attacked the champion before the bell and the referee refused to start with Kid lying injured.
XWA owner Dann Read then declared that, since Dawkins’ opponent for the night — Nick Aldis — had already competed earlier in the day for IPW:UK and that Eaver had hurt the champion, that the pair would have to work another match before their contests later in the show, and introduced The Quick & The Dead (Lance Lawrence & Voodoo).
Dawkins & Eaver triumphed in a thrilling match, and when the Pastor came back for another bite at the champion in the main event, he still came up short, despite Lion Kid receiving a legitimate injury.
Tom Dawkins attacks a downed Nick Aldis — photo by CWP Images’ Chris Wiles
The Congregation were all over the show, with Dawkins re-emerging late in the show to pin former TNA star Nick Aldis, and James Castle winning a brutal hardcore match against Danny Blaze, who had to agree to waive any indemnity on XWA’s behalf to compete. In addition, the first year rookie Malik beat Lord Gideon Grey, and the team of “Savvy” Sid Scala & Adam Maxted defeated Captain Rumbeard & Jerry Bakewell in an entertaining encounter.
Four matches were made at the show for the XWA’s next big Colchester event, on November 27th at the Charter Hall, including XWA Frontier Sports champion Doug Williams taking on MVP, James Castle facing Tommy Dreamer in an Extreme Anarchy Rulz match, Paul London flying in to fight Tom Dawkins, and the team of The New Pitbulls & Hornswoggle vs. Scala, Maxted & Gideon Grey. Tickets can be bought here.
2) Smooth was super in Rochester
Normally, appearances by Ring of Honor top prospect Lio Rush and Lucha Underground stars Shane Strickland, Jack Evans, and Angelico would take top billing, but last weekend IPW:UK ran its Super 8 tournament, a two-night, single-elimination competition with the best of the promotion’s regulars and some special guests.
In the first round of the tournament, held last Saturday at the Casino Rooms in Rochester, there were wins for Sammy Smooth, Clint Margera, Nick Aldis, and James Davis of the London Riots (over Chris Brookes, Dave Mastiff, Big Grizzly, and Scott Star, respectively), and they paired off on Sunday, with Davis beating Margera and Smooth defeating Aldis to make the final, where Smooth pinned Davis to lift the trophy.
Shane Strickland flies — photo by Turning Face’s Jim Maitland
Rush & Strickland teamed up to face Evans & Angelico on night one, with the winners getting a shot at IPW:UK Tag Team champions, The Swords of Essex, on night two. However, Scotty Essex gave Paul Robinson the night off on night one, and both Swords failed to appear on night two, and so Rush faced Strickland in an outstanding contest instead.
Evans & Angelico teamed again on night two and faced Pete Dunne & Chris Brookes (surely one of the most unlikable pairings in recent history?), while other tag team action saw the West Midlands team of Clint Margera & Dave Mastiff beat former IPW:UK Tag Team champions DnD.
DnD had been part of an eight-man match on night one, teaming with Maverick Mayhew & IPW:UK Women’s champion Tennessee Honey to beat Scotty Essex, The Ruckers & Amazon. Honey faced Mickie James (who beat Jetta on night one) on night two for her title, and lost, meaning that former WWE divas now hold two UK women’s titles — Melina, of course, won the Queen of Southside last weekend.
All the action will soon be available on IPW:UK On Demand, and the promotion return on October 22nd.
3) Silver won gold
“The Kid” Ethan Silver continued a strong 2016 by winning the four-way tournament final at Knockout Wrestling’s Road To Gold III. Silver defeated Bubblegum in his qualifier, and was joined in the final by Nightmare, Robert Sharpe, and Chris Ridegway. Ridgeway had earlier attacked Nightmare, and the two went at it in the final, with Silver emerging from the melee to claim the gold.
An emotional Silver receives his trophy
The other qualifiers saw Ridgeway defeat Drew Parker, Sharpe pin Ricky J. MacKenzie, and Nightmare dispatch Damian Dunne. After that match, Nightmare was attacked by ALP and Taylor West, and Ridgeway made the save before, as mentioned earlier, turning on Nightmare and declaring himself a hired gun. ALP continued his reign of terror in the show’s opening segment, announcing that Adam Rush had been suspended for his insubordination at August’s Unfinished Business.
Away from tournament action, Shaun Vasey defended the number one contender to the KOW championship against Rikki Kray, and will be looking to champion Dan Maloney before long. Kray blamed Sheriff Steele for the loss and the two will face off in a Sheriff’s Rules match at the promotion’s fourth anniversary show early next year.
4) Seven gets Wolfgang at Fear & Loathing
Last Sunday, at the Garage in Glasgow, Insane Championship Wrestling held the penultimate batch of TV tapings for their Friday Night Fight Club show before their big Fear & Loathing IX event at the Hydro next month.
The night was headlined by a non-title match between ICW Heavyweight champion Wolfgang and Joe Hendry, which ended when Davey Blaze attacked Hendry and the two fought to the back. Trent Seven, who had earlier lost to Blaze after Wolfgang had interfered, stormed the ring, tied Wolfgang up, and threatened to “knock the sh*t out of him” until Red Lightning granted him a title match at Fear & Loathing IX — in a steel cage!
Trent Seven celebrates with the fans — photo by David J Wilson
A second title match for the Hydro was also made at the tapings when Viper demanded she be involved on the show. ICW Women’s champion Carmel offered her a shot at the belt, and Kay Lee Ray insisted she be involved, too, making a three-way for the title on November 20th. The promotion’s secondary men’s title, the Zero-G championship, was also defended as Lionheart beat Lewis Girvan, and Zack Gibson and Andy Wild won qualifiers to be a part of the Stairway to Heaven match for that belt at the big show.
The show also featured singles wins for Joe and Mark Coffey (over Matt Cross and Massimo, respectively) and for Jack Jester and Kid Fite, who Red Lightning revealed would be the first two members of his team to fight Mark Dallas’ team for control of the company at Fear & Loathing IX.
ICW go on the road in a few weeks, with stops in Leicester, Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Sheffield, and Wolverhampton, and you can see Friday Night Fight Club on ICW On Demand, as well as on the Fight Network.
5) BT Gunn had a good weekend in Scotland (and other stuff)
ICW’s official training school — the Glasgow Pro-Wrestling Asylum — ran another of their showcase events last Friday, headlined by a title match from another of the school’s affiliates, Pro-Wrestling Elite.
That promotion’s tag team champions, the New Age Kliq of BT Gunn & Chris Renfrew, put their belts on the line against school graduates The Purge, who put up a brave fight but came away empty-handed. The show — which also featured Viper, CS Rose, and The Rich Kids — saw wins for Lionheart and Wolfgang, although Stevie Boy suffered a loss in the opener, going down to Ravie Davie.
Airdrie Town Hall prepares for PBW — photo by David J Wilson
Also in Scotland, Premier British Wrestling promoted an event at the Town Hall in Airdrie last Saturday, which was main evented by a PBW Heavyweight title tussle between BT Gunn and Sha Samuels, with Gunn retaining his title after pinning the East End Butcher.
The show opened with a clash of the former Buckie Boys, as Stevie Xavier beat Davey Blaze, and also featured Lou King Sharp, Lionheart, Wolfgang, and Kay Lee Ray, as well as a Kenny Williams pinfall victory over Mikey Whiplash. PBW return on October 14th in Armadale.
Mika, the Polish Punisher, defied all fears of a Brexit by retaining his Kamikaze-Pro Live title at the promotion’s event at Rubery Social Club in south west Birmingham last Saturday. After beating Liam Doyle, the champion survived a 15-man over-the-top-rope battle royal to take the title into the company’s next show, Bank On It, on October 30th.
Earlier in the show — which also featured Sean Devine and the debut of David Scott Preston — Jim Hunter beat Hammer Heeley, and Palmer picked up a big win against former FWA star Brandon Thomas.