RE-POST: WAW, Canvey Island/Fakenham February 2002 - Live Show Reviews

THE PADDOCKS, CANVEY ISLAND, FEBRUARY 2002

Our evening started in the small Paddocks arena, and an almost capacity crowd greeted both Team WAW and Team Essex as they came down to the ring. To help kick start the night's tournament, our ring announcer Michael Mann asked for the help of the crowd in picking tonight's four single matches. The decisions made, it was on with the show.
  

 
SEXPAC (Team Essex) v BASH (Team WAW)    
The bat-wielding maniac again reminds us just how much he hates us. I often wonder if there is any town in this country he does like! With his new spiky hair style, he looks....erm....different. Sexpac then entertained us, and makes us wonder why he was never offered a position in DX when they were at their peak. After all, we know that X-Pac sucks.    

Once again, Bash & Sexpac put on a damn good match. With the crowd really into this one, probably because Bash kept insulting them. Hey, would you cheer for someone who insulted your home town? Perhaps I'll let you know the answer if WAW ever come to Cromer.    
An entertaining match between two evenly matched opponents saw Sexpac gain the pin after the X-Factor. Team Essex had taken the advantage.    

BODYCOUNT (Team Essex) v BIG DAVE (Team WAW)    
Ah, someone I had never seen before. Bodycount looked impressive, a truly big man. However, compared to the Sheringham strongman, and new WAW Wrestler of the Year, he looked small.    

This matched showed that there were some locals who were not exactly impressed by Team Essex, as a fan opposite me held up his "Pitbulls Rock" sign.    

Bodycount not only looked impressive, but in the ring, he was impressive as well. But tell me, was there really any doubt that the big man would win? Bodycount had the power, but not enough power it seemed. A full nelson slam from Big Dave, and Bodycount was looking up at the ceiling. WAW had pulled level.    

ZEBRA KID (Team Essex) v "ROWDY" RICKY KNIGHT (Team WAW)    
Ricky wondered why his son, who had lived most of his life in Norfolk, was on Team Essex. Guess the Rowdy one forgot his old army days!    
Showing annoyance because this writer cost him a match in Lowestoft in December, Ricky slaps the top of my head and then, while in the ring, throws his ring jacket at me. What was that for? And why I am now suffering from a headache? Post-concussion syndrome perhaps? Me thinks I should get in touch with Mr. Norris, my solicitor.    

With the fast paced action early on, I began to wonder if these two could keep up the pace. I doubted if they could. I was wrong. They did. Move followed by countermove. Once again, the two generations pulled off one hell of a match, and a possible match of the year candidate. Despite suffering from concussion, I could see why Ricky placed third in the Wrestler of the Year awards.    

But once again, despite his experience, the Rowdy one couldn't defeat the younger man. With a flying elbow smash from the top rope, the Zebra Kid gained the pin. Then, using his fingers as visual aids, Zebra Kid reminded Ricky that the score was now Essex 2, WAW 1.
   
STEVE QUINTAIN (Team Essex) v THE BULK (Team WAW)    
The biggest pop of the night came for local hero, the Tattooed Warrior, Steve Quintain. The only fan who didn't cheer for him was the owner of the "Pitbulls Rock" sign. Disgusted, Steve tore the sign in two. But the odds were obviously stacked against him against the massive man mountain. Steve looked positively dwarfed standing near the Bulk.    

Steve tried to use his superior speed against the Bulk, but they didn't work. The big man was able to slow the match down to his pace, but this still wasn't enough. Once again, despite his superior size and power advantage, Bulk could only win with the aid of his big brother. It makes you wonder why with the physical gifts he has, the Bulk constantly needs the help of others.    

A Bulkishi Driver finished Steve off, much to the disappointment of the locals. Well, except the owner of that sign. Note to people who brings signs to ringside - get them laminated - it's much harder to rip them up!
   
The scores were level as we entered the interval, two apiece.
   
WAW BRITISH WOMEN'S TITLE    
ANGEL (Team Essex) v SWEET SARAYA  (Champion,Team WAW)    
Ah, da ladies! Always a crowd pleaser, even when our lovely champion is bad mouthing the locals. I began to wonder if perhaps Saraya and Bash sat together with a map, pointed to a town, and tried to find one that they actually like! (Hey! Cromer's nice in the summer!)    
Despite a vast difference in experience, Angel put up a great fight, but having to contend Saraya AND her manageress, the Naughty Nikki Best, it was just too much for the local girl to handle. Boy, that Nikki has some vicious teeth! I can still see that bite mark on Angel's leg. Perhaps I should get Nikki a part as Buffy's new nemesis!    

Although I had predicted otherwise, Saraya won (damn!). But that wasn't the end of it. Mr. Mann stated that he would petition WAW to stage a lumberjack match between Angel and Saraya for the next Canvey Island show in May. I would also like to petition WAW - I officially offer my services for that match, and I'm sure I can find a few others as well! Dan The Man, are you up for the challenge?
   
Oh damn, I forgot. Team WAW were now up 3 to 2, with just our main event left.
   
SURVIVOR SERIES MATCH    
TEAM ESSEX (Sexpac, Bodycount, Zebra Kid, Steve Quintain & Chris Bullard) v TEAM WAW (Bash, The UK Pitbulls, Ricky Knight & The Brixton Brawler)    
The effects of the concussion starting to overwhelm me, I openly cringe as the Rowdy one walks past me. Anyone know where I can get a hard hat? By the way Ricky, Sue and Russell got a picture of the incident!    

The action if fast as Chris and the Brawler start things out. For some reason, I like the Brawler. Must be that boiler suit he wears. Perhaps I can start a new line in clothing or something.    

My new favourite wrestler Chris put up a good fight, but perhaps he should have made a tag or three. A pummelling from the Brawler, then Bash, and then the Brawler again was two much for him. A sidewalk slam from the Brawler and Chris was first into the shower.    
Zebra Kid took over from Chris, and showed why I was a little surprised that he didn't place higher in the Wrestler of the Year Awards. Good exchanges with everyone eventually led to Zebra taking out the bat wielding manaic with a flying splash. Man, that kid can fly. Go wash the face paint off Bash! If the Brawler hadn't tripped over the ropes, you'd have lasted a little longer!
   
Bulk then showed that for a man of his size, he can move, although not exactly in the Cruiserweight league! (Keep away from the pies and you'll soon get there!)    

The new man, Bodycount, was the next to leave after being pinned by the Brawler. However, the boiler-suited one should have kept his wits about him! Seconds later, Zebra Kid got the better of him, and as the action continued in the ring, Bodycount and the Brawler battled back to the dressing room. I have no idea if they are still fighting.    

Then, what I considered something of a surprise. Despite the HUGE difference in size, Sexpac eliminated the Bulk. Bulk whipped Sexpac into the corner, went for a follow-up, and Sexpac got him with a sunset flip. SP was lucky he pulled this move off, otherwise, I'd have been looking for a spatula.    

With his brother gone, Dave took over in the ring, and it wasn't long before Sexpac was hitting the mat, courtesy of a full nelson slam. Guess he was paying the price for pinning the big fella!    

Dave wasn't long for this match though. Local boy Steve Quintain came in like a house afire, and getting the big man off his feet, forced Dave to tap out to a Sharpshooter. However, this wasn't Dave's last involvement in the match. He decided to stay at ringside, and his help was needed.    
With the odds seemingly stacked against him, Ricky Knight came charging into the ring. My head still hurt as, with Dave's help, Ricky rolled up Steve for the pin. It was now one on one, father against son.
   
Knowing that he couldn't beat Zebra within the rules, Ricky introduced a few toys into the equation, and with the referee distracted, Ricky released one of the corner pads. Telling Charlie of what he had seen, Ricky tried an underhanded attack on Zebra, but the move was reversed. Ricky went flying into the corner, right into Charlie. He may be the fittest man in WAW, but not even Charlie could take a twenty stone man barging into him.    

Stunned, Zebra locked in an ankle lock, and if there had been a ref, he would have won it there and then. But the Pitbulls returned, broke the hold, and power bombed Zebra. A recovering Ricky came to, and pinned Zebra. But guess what dummy! You took him out earlier!    
Team Essex then used Charlie's ailment to their advantage, as Steve Quintain returned and levelled Ricky with a chair. Just as Charlie came to, Zebra pinned Ricky. Team Essex had won the main event, and the tournament was a 3-3 draw. Things were even this night, but there was still the next Canvey show in May to think about. Perhaps things would change then.
   
Now tell me, just where do I apply to become a lumberjack for that women's title match?    

FAKENHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE, FEBRUARY 2002

Ah, we have returned to the county of my birth. Turns out I wasn't suffering from post-concussion syndrome after all, just sleep depravation, from being on the road until 3am!

Possibly the biggest pop of the evening came straight away, as our resident ring announcer, Michael Mann, almost went head over heels getting into the ring. No injuries to report here.
After introducing us to Charlie, still the fittest man in WAW by a long shot, it was down to the action.

TRIPLE THREAT MATCH
SEXPAC (with Crystal Clear) v BASH v THE BRIXTON BRAWLER
Now, I have to be honest with you here, I'm not really a fan of these triple threat encounters. They can either be very messy, or true mat classics.

Some very interesting action took place before the match even started. As Sexpac strutted down to the ring, a young (?) lady called Doris, who I am told was a regular at the old Corn Exchange shows, pinched his ass. Hey SP! Guess your luck was in that night! Wait! Crystal Clear was around.

Using my previous scaling technique, I would have to put this match about halfway between messy and mat classic. For several minutes, the baseball bat wielding maniac (Michael Mann is starting to pinch my material), got the Brawler to help him out, using several illegal moves on 'Pac.

However, the lovely Crystal Clear managed to distract the Brawler several times with her feminine charms. Judging by his reaction, it seemed like he didn't date that much.

The brief alliance between the two heels didn't last long, as they were soon battling each other. Perhaps they were frustrated by the fact that neither of them could get Sexpac down for the count.

Sexpac was able to get the victory, delivering his X-Factor move on the Brawler. Bash, as always disappointed with the outcome, contested the decision, letting us all know how unhappy he was. It was then we heard what would become an often used word - WHAT!!!?!!!

BODYCOUNT v THE BULK
Apparently, there has been a feud going on for years, between the good people of Sheringham, and the good people of Fakenham. Strange how I never heard about it in the North Norfolk News. Mind you, this was my first time in Fakenham for over a year, and I don't get to Sheringham as often as I like.

The Bulk was unhappy with the reception he was getting. My opinion on this is - hey, we paid our money! We can say what we like!

Again, Bodycount was very impressive, but against the mammoth Bulk, his offence was in small spurts. Again, he showed some good agility for such a massive man, and this was just too much for Bodycount to handle. He tried to overpower the Bulk, but couldn't get the job done. A shame really.

A Bulkishi driver followed by a massive leg drop finished the new boy off. I really hope that we'll see Bodycount again at a WAW show. He really impressed me, and I would love to see him go up against Bash, or Ricky Knight.

BIG DAVE v STEVE QUINTAIN
And so the other fat...sorry, I mean award winning UK Pitbull came out next, to face the great Tattooed Warrior (Mr. Mann hasn't used this line yet, hint hint).

I found myself thinking, while watching this, that perhaps Steve was using the wrong tactics to start off with. Perhaps he should have used his superior speed to jab and move all the time. After all, once Dave slows the match down to his slow, methodic pace, he's a hard man to contend with. Steve made brief comebacks, but Dave slowed him right down again. It took a Quintain Stunner to get the upper hand after Dave's many power moves.

With the scales now tipped firmly in his favour, Quintain made the mistake of attempting a chokeslam. Looks like he got some bad advice from ringside here (Dan the Man, the finger is pointed at you!). Dave countered, with a chokeslam of his own. He followed up with a powerbomb, but missed the big splash.
And then Dave once again disappointed one of his biggest fans. As I said in my previous review, Dave has the physical gifts to win a match on his own, but once again, the Bulk came down to ringside to interfere as Steve locked in the sharpshooter. Bulk continued his attack as Dave distracted the referee. A full-nelson slam later, and Steve was out for the count.

Steve contested the decision, as did the rest of the crowd. Michael Mann promised that the video footage would be studied, and that the decision could be overturned at a later date. Hey! It doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to see that Quintain was robbed! There were about 300 witnesses after all!

SWEET SARAYA (with Naughty Nikki Best) v ANGEL
Before I go any further, I would like to address a little something that has come about following my reviews of the recent women's matches. Some people think that I'm turning into a pervert. To that, I reply - yeah, so what! At least these two aren't getting into a wet tee-shirt contest. (Not that I'd complain anyway).

We could tell what sort of night we were in for when, after the introductions, Michael introduced us to a small, animated cuddly toy, which recited a certain song. I must protest strongly that Saraya is no dog!

Saraya once again dominated Angel early on, and once again, I'm left to wonder, why someone with such obvious physical gifts and wrestling skills needs to rely on help from the outside. Nikki was definitely being naughty this night, and I was left to wonder if she had eaten anything before the show, because she was showing signs of cannibalism. Either that or she's still auditioning for that part in Buffy.
And it looked like Saraya was also trying to get on that show as well, either than or they've been taking pointers from a certain Mr. Tyson. Saraya is probably one of the best technical wrestlers in the WORLD, so why does she have to munch on her foes? I could try to answer this question, but I really can't be bothered.

Angel had brief comebacks, but because of a certain naughty girl, they didn't amount to much. Her one big break came about as a mistake.

Despite the best efforts of a fan outside, Nikki introduced a tray into the ring, and as Saraya held Angel, Nikki reared back....and Angel ducked out of the way. Nikki levelled Saraya, and Angel took full advantage, to score what many considered to be an upset victory. Saraya contested the decision, but no one seemed to be listening. Oh well, I've still got that lumberjack match to look forward to. I'll get my CV sent off sometime in the next week.

JAKE "THE SNAKE" ROBERTS & THE ZEBRA KID v THE SUPERFLYS (Jimmy Ocean & Ricky Knight)
Main event time, and rumours of Jimmy Ocean's apparent retirement had been greatly exaggerated, and now, possibly one of the greatest tag-teams in British wrestling history was back together again. It left me wondering if The Snake and The Zebra could handle this sort of challenge.

Now, I'm going to say something that may shock you here - Jake Robert's performance in Lowestoft was a load of crap - compared to this excellent showing.
This was definitely the Jake of old, getting down to his knees, mocking Jimmy's lack of height (which I did take offence to, because Jimmy is the same height as me!), and also looking like he was having a great time.

Showing that fifteen years of tagging together counted for something, the Superflys used every underhanded tactic in the book. Quite often, while Ricky was in the ring against either Jake or ZK, Jimmy would come in, without a tag, and get in a couple of cheap shots.

But despite all of this, there was nothing that was going to stop Jake and ZK. Despite taking one hell of a beating, Jake showed that he still had "it". He had tried several times to get the deadly DDT on Jimmy, and when he finally did, the place exploded. Sorry Superflys, guess this wasn't such a happy reunion after all!

And a quick thanks to Ricky for not slapping or insulting me this time. Maybe I am doing a good job after all!

BATTLE ROYAL
The bane of my reporter's existence! I really enjoy watching these kinds of matches, I really do, but there is always so much going on, it's just hard to report everything. You need to have eyes everywhere!

This battle royal gave us the opportunity to look to the future of WAW, and I must say, the future does look bright (where are my shades?). Seeing these apprentices in the ring made me realise what good teachers the wrestling school has.
I apologise now if I don't mention all the combatants here, but most of the time I had the feeling that perhaps one of you would end up flying into my lap!

The battle royal was won by one half of the Dark Angels, Ashe. I must admit, I really have high hopes for this young team. I predict big things for Ashe and his partner Draven.

A quick mention to the Thetford Connection here. Hi fellas! (Please send your payment to the usual address.)

And so our evening finished with Jake The Snake meeting, greeting, and getting photographed with the fans. Another great show had me looking forward to Friday, February 15th, and the Guildhall in Thetford. I had some new chants to write, and some pictures to develop of the show. Man this is going to be expensive, what with that and the new domain name! I'd ask the boss for a pay rise, but he'd probably slap my head again!