While the majority of British wrestling fans seemed to converge on the Coventry Skydome, the WAW faithful converged on The Talk in Norwich as four MPW stars made their debuts, and Britain's youngest wrestler came to the fore.
The Kraft v Jekkel
The first of the MPW stars to debut saw the masked Jekkel take on the ever-improving Kraft, seeking to continue his good run of form after his victory in Canvey Island the week before.
The initial lockup saw both men go into the ropes, neither of them able to gain an advantage. The second lockup saw Jekkel apply an arm wringer on Kraft, which the Essex boy soon reversed. Seconds later Jekkel reversed the hold, and then moved on to a headlock, keeping a tight hold on his Kraft by grabbing his hair whenever the Kraft tried to escape.
The Kraft soon fought back. After being whipped into the corner, Kraft flipped over the top and quickly scaled the top rope, coming off with a flying clothesline. After a hard body slam and a drop-kick, Jekkel went walkabout around the ring.
When he returned to the squared circle, Jekkel used underhanded tactics to regain the advantage, poking Kraft in the eyes and using the top rope to choke him out. When he did use wrestling moves, a body slam followed by an elbow drop, it wasn't enough to put the Kraft away.
After some kicks and more choking in the corner, Jekkel applied a reverse chin lock before going into a surfboard like move. It took a few moments for the Kraft to power himself out of the hold, he connected with a Samoan Drop as Jekkel came off the ropes. Kraft then used an illegal move of his own, connecting with a leg drop to Jackal's lower regions. However, as he argued with the referee Brian Big, Jekkel sneaked up from behind with a roll-up, It wasn't enough to get the pin though.
Afterwards, Jekkel began to work on Kraft's neck before delivering a suplex. Then, as the masked man argued with the ref, he stood on his opponent's longer hair. Seeking to finish his opponent off, Jekkel scored with a sidewalk slam off the ropes, before crashing down with a running senton. This still wasn't enough to put the Kraft away though.
As Jekkel went for a suplex, Kraft came back with his version of the three amigos, three crisp looking suplexes. After a pin attempt failed, Kraft connected with a leg drop, but as the old saying goes, he went to the well once too often and missed a second leg drop. Jekkel then returned to type and began to choke Kraft as much as he could. As Kraft tried to recover, Jekkel then removed one of the top corner pads, exposing the metal post. After alerting Mr. Biggs about the corner pad, Jekkel then proceeded to whip Kraft into the poor man as he tried to remedy the situation. However, this backfired after Jekkel connected with an ace crusher. With the ref taking a nap, he was unable to count the pin.
Once again, Jekkel went too far as he attempted a second ace crusher. Kraft quickly countered this move with his Essex Bomb finisher as the ref recovered to make the three count.
Conclusion: While The Kraft continues to impress, Jekkel just didn't do it for me. It may have been first night nerves, but for some reason he just didn't seem into this match. A good way to open the show though.
"The Dark Angel" Ashe v Leon Lionheart
The second debut match for an MPW star saw Leon Lionheart go up against the current WAW British Heavyweight champion. The opening segments of the bout saw several arm wringer reversals, before Lionheart synched in a side headlock. Ashe was then able to push him off into the ropes, but Lionheart foiled the hip toss attempt and came back with one of his own, followed up by an arm drag, and then more work on Ashe's left arm, before moving back to a front face lock and several forearms. This wasn't enough to get the pin though, and neither was the sidewalk slam off the ropes.
Lionheart kept up his momentum for the next few moments, slamming Ashe and then delivering a back breaker off the ropes. Ashe was soon back on the offensive though, taking down his man with a head scissors, then a suplex, before Lionheart went for a breather on the outside.
When the action moved back into the ring, we saw several reversals of arm wringers, before Ashe connected with a hurricanrana and a drop-kick that sent Lionheart back to the outside. Ashe then ran the ropes and flew over the ropes with a suicide dive, before slamming Lionheart onto the floor and into one of the corner posts. He then continued the assault back in the ring eventually catching Lionheart with a power bomb, but he couldn't get the pin from the following cover.
As Ashe climbed to the top rope, Lionheart came down on the rope, crotching the champion. He then tried to climb to the top himself, and eventually took Ashe down with a superplex. They then ran the ropes, and almost knocked each other out with a double clothesline.
Lionheart was the first man to regain control, and after several shoulder barges in the corner, he lifted Ashe onto the top rope. However, he was unable to follow up his move, as Ashe pushed his opponent off the ropes and connected with a reverse neck breaker off the top to get the winning pin. In a good show of sportsmanship, Ashe and Lionheart shook hands.
Conclusion: Young Lionheart looks to have a bright future ahead of him, but it was obvious from the bout just who the better wrestler was. You have to wonder just how much longer Ashe will be regarded as the best kept secret in British wrestling, as it looks like 2005 will be his breakout year.
Bash v Majik
Before the show even began, Bash attacked Majik with his baseball bat as Majik was cutting a promo for the DVD release, and for a while it looked like Majik would be unable to compete, so much so that WAW Commissioner Steven Howard-Platt came to the ring and announced that Majik wasn't going to compete. It was only when Majik came to the ring and pleaded with the Howard-Platt that the commissioner reluctantly allowed him to wrestle.
From the beginning of the first round, Bash worked over Majik's injured arm, and the injury clearly hampered him in the early moments of the bout, especially in the first round and second rounds. Majik tried to come back with a body slam, but his arm was just to weak to lift Bash up. However, no matter what Bash did, Majik just wouldn't give up. But by the third round, Bash had worked over Majik so much that when he locked in an arm bar, Majik had no choice but to tap, giving the first score to Bash.
Majik mounted a comeback when the match resumed, but an attempted corner attack saw him smash his arm into the corner, and once more Bash tried to seize the advantage, eventually connecting with his variation of the pump handle slam. However, the face painted one came off his game a little and began arguing with referee Brian Biggs. This gave Majik some much needed rest time, and he caught an unsuspecting Bash with a backslide for an equalizing pin fall.
The fifth round saw Bash regain the advantage, slamming Majik onto the arena floor. Once again, no matter what Bash hit him with, Majik just wouldn't go down. In the sixth, Bash again worked over Majik's injured arm, and then went for his three strike move, first taking Majik down with a big boot, and then a DDT. However, Majik recovered enough to roll out off the way as Bash came flying off the top rope, missing the big head butt. Then, after a brief altercation, it proved to be another unlucky night for Mr. Biggs as he took another hit in the corner. As Majik checked the ref, Bash brought his faithful friend Mr. Bat into the ring and clobbered Majik's arm. As the referee came around from his second doze of the evening, Bash locked in another arm bar submission, and Majik tapped for a second time. Bash had won the bout, but he had to break the rules to do it.
After the bout, Commissioner Howard-Platt came back to the ring, and announced that he had signed a rematch between the two for the next Norwich show in July.
Conclusion: A good match here. I'd heard a great deal about Majik, and he didn't disappoint. Bash and Majik seemed well suited to each other, and I find myself looking forward to the rematch in July.
Sweet Saraya v Destiny v Kharisma v Jetta
The Norwich debut match from the World Association of Women's Wrestling saw three of WAW's home grown stars and the fourth MPW star in Jetta making her debut. The bout began with Destiny and Kharisma, with Destiny overpowering her opponent with a hip toss and body slam, before Kharisma came back with a body slam and hip toss of her own, before Jetta tagged in and unloaded with several punches. After Destiny missed a corner attack, Jetta attempted a roll-up, but couldn't get the pin. After Jetta connected with a DDT off the ropes before Saraya tagged in and drove Destiny's face into the mat. She then whipped Destiny into the corner before barging into her at top speed. However. Destiny was soon back on the offensive and came crashing down on Saraya with a big splash while Saraya slumped in the corner.
Saraya came back with some clubbing blows on Destiny before she lifted her onto the top rope and came off with a hurricanrana. Kharisma then tagged in, and connected with an ace crusher. Despite having been worked over for several minutes, Destiny was able to kick out of Kharisma's pin attempt.
Destiny then made the tag to Jetta, and she and Kharisma then exchanged several arm wringers and hammer locks before Saraya tagged back in and showed her superior wrestling skill on Jetta. Destiny then tagged back in, and connected with a back breaker off the ropes, before taking Saraya down with a tombstone pile driver. Then the arguments began. As Destiny went for the cover, but Kharisma then came in and broke up the count, before going for the pin herself. This started a massive argument as Kharisma and Destiny began to brawl uncontrollably. The fight went to the outside, which led in both women being counted out as they brawled all the way back to the dressing room.
This left Jetta to face Saraya. Jetta began to out wrestle Saraya, before she took her down with a shoulder barge and a clothesline. She then connected with a fisherman's suplex, but Saraya was able to kick out. Saraya then fought back, connecting with a TKO and a sidewalk slam, but she was unable to get the pin. Jetta then reversed Saraya's final pinfall attempt to get the upset victory.
After the bout, Saraya paid dues to Jetta for her victory, and then challenged her to a pure wrestling contest at the next Norwich show in July. It was a challenge that Jetta was only too happy to accept.
Conclusion: Sweet Saraya once again proves that she is in a league of her own, but at the moment there are several women vying for that number two spot in the women's division. A good bout here for WAWW's debut in Norwich, and the Saraya/Jetta pure wrestling match is something I'm looking forward to in July.
"Rowdy" Ricky Knight & Jason Cross v The Zebra Kid & Zak Zodiac v The U.K. Pitbulls
Before the bout even began, the Rowdy Man showed that he was in a bad mood again by badmouthing his local crowd, and then introducing them to Jason Cross, who was replacing the injured Jimmy Ocean as his tag-team partner.
The bout began with the Zebra Kid and the Bulk squaring up against each other, with the big man proving to be too powerful for Zebra. A quick tag to his partner saw Big Dave synch in an over the shoulder back-breaker. Zebra managed to wriggle his way out of the hold, and came back with a cross body block, but this wasn't enough to take the Sheringham strongman down, and Zebra soon found himself in the middle of a massive Pitbull sandwich, before Bulk tagged in and caught Zebra in a bear hug. Zebra managed to fight his way out of the hold, before connecting with an enziguri. This wasn't enough to take the big man down, and it was only after two clotheslines and a drop-kick off the top
that the Bulk finally left his feet. Zebra then tagged in Zodiac, and they gave us a reminder of the Dudleys in their glory days as the masked one flew off the ropes and landed below the equator.
Zodiac then tried to use his speed advantage to take Bulk down, but the mistake he made was trying to match power with the big man. Two clotheslines failed to talk Bulk down, before Zodiac went down to a powerful Bulk clothesline. Big Dave then tagged in, and the two man mountains simply squashed the youngster before he was able to make the tag to Zebra.
A few moments later, Knight tagged in, and to the chagrin of the referee, he clobbered the Bulk with his kendo stick. Cross then came in for the first time, and connected with two drop-kicks to Bulk's leg, but again, the big man didn't go down, and the big guy came back with another powerful clothesline. Big Dave then came in and synched in a full nelson on Cross. Cross then managed to break free, and tried to take Waters down with a sunset flip, which proved to be a pointless exercise against the strongman. After Cross applied an arm wringer on Waters, there were then several quick tags from all sides as each man took their turn to work the arm over, before the UKP eventually came back and double-teamed Zak Zodiac. Knight then tagged in as he and Cross began to double up on the youngster. Zodiac soon fought back with a drop-kick on cross, before grabbing Knight's kendo stick and clobbering everyone in sight, much to the delight on the crowd.
When normal service was resumed, Zebra took down Cross with a body slam before connecting with a big splash off the top, and it was only Knight's intervention with the kendo stick that broke up the pin. Cross came back well with a running senton on Zebra, but he couldn't get the pin either. All hell then broke loose again as this time the Zebra Kid grabbed the kendo stick and sent everyone running for cover. However, with the referee distracted, Knight came in and crotched Zebra. After Knight and Cross doubled-up on Zebra, he was able to get back to his corner to tag in Zodiac after super kicking Cross. Unable to get the pin on Cross, Zodiac then attacked the incoming Knight, but failed to take him out with a sunset flip as Knight brought all of his weight down on Zodiac's chest.
After some brief work by Cross, the Bulk tagged in and connected with his trademark Bulkishi Driver, normally a move that puts his opponents away, but it had the opposite effect on Zodiac. Waters then tagged in, and as Bulk held Zodiac on his knee, Waters came down with a elbow drop. This still wasn't enough to put the youngster away though.
The Zebra Kid was back in the match a few moments later, and after some quick reversals with Knight, it was an ace crusher-fest as Zebra hit the move on everyone in sight. As all the opponents sought refuge on the outside, Zebra ran the ropes and connected with a suicide dive to the outside. That wasn't enough though. As everyone recovered on the floor, Zodiac ran the ropes himself and came down on everyone with a somersault off the top. As the old saying goings, it looked like a train wreck on the outside.
Back in the ring Zebra unloaded on Bulk before connecting with a flying forearm. There was then a lack of communication between Knight and Bulk as Knight accidentally clobbered the big man with the kendo stick, with Zebra gaining the pin afterwards. As surprising as it may have seemed, the WAW Tag-Team Champions were the first team eliminated from the bout.
The second session began with Cross clobbering Zodiac before Knight took over. As Knight bragged about his achievements to anyone who would listen, Zodiac pulled himself up from his sitting position on the mat straight to the top rope, and connected with a drop-kick on an unsuspecting Knight, before failing to get the winning pinfall.
Cross and Zebra then tagged back into the match, with Zebra eventually lifting Cross onto the top rope and connecting with a superplex. Cross still had his wits about him though, enough to roll out of the way when Zebra came crashing down with a Zebra Crossing attempt. Zebra wasn't that stunned though, as he had enough of his senses left to roll out of the way when Cross came off the top with a moonsault attempt. That miss was the beginning of the end for Cross. After Zebra came back with a tombstone pile driver and his patented Zebra Crossing elbow drop, he tagged in Zodiac, who finished Cross off with a moonsault for the winning pinfall.
After the final bell, Knight and Cross attacked Zodiac and Zebra, before Knight called the Pitbulls back to the ring. Then, to the surprise of everyone in the crowd, the big men attacked Knight and Cross, before helping Zodiac and Zebra chase the opponents from the ring. Knight then made a challenge for the next Norwich show, an eight man builders cage match, a challenge that the four men in the ring readily accepted.
Conclusion: A match definitely worthy of it's status as the main event of the show. Outstanding performances from all six men, and the events afterwards, with the Pitbulls turning on Knight, were played out to perfection. Well done to everyone here.
Academy Superbrawl
Even though I enjoy watching these kind of matches, they are the bain of this reporter's existence, as they are almost impossible to report on live in person. I guess you'll just have to wait until the DVD is released for an in-depth review of this match. At least then I'll have the advantage of the pause button.
This match had two incentives for those in it - Commssioner Howard-Platt put up a £500 prize for the winner, and the last two men in the bout would go on to wrestle for the vacant Eastern Counties title in the summer.
Some old a new faces in this sixteen man battle here, which saw Rock Weiler eliminate Ty Tanium for the win. Special mention must go to Rude Boy Roberts, who took one hell of a pasting from everyone in the match, leaving the ring with his chest the colour of beet root.
Conclusion: Good effort from everyone in the match here.
Overall Conclusion: While The Wrestling Channel's supercard in Coventry will no doubt get the most coverage from the wrestling press, tonight's show in my opinion looked just as strong on paper. While the efforts of some didn't exactly set my pulse racing, everyone put in a tremendous effort. Special mention must go to referee Brian Biggs, who took two blows in the matches he was in charge off, proving that referees need to be of a hardy breed these days.
Match of the night goes to the tag-team main event. Three great teams with six guys putting in a great effort, and surely an early candidate for the 2005 Match of the Year award.
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