WAW returned to the Princes Theatre in Clacton yesterday, and in front of a very vocal local crowd, put on five top notch matches, beginning with a traditional style British match, and ending with a bruising hard-core encounter.
"SUPERSTAR" MAL SANDERS v STEVE GREY
Our evening began with a contest harking back to the good old days of televised British wrestling, with two wrestlers, Mal Sanders and Steve Grey, who may be a little long in the tooth but still proved they can put on an excellent wrestling contest.
Fought over the traditional rounds system, round one began with a good exchange of wrestling holds between the two men. Both men got their shots in, and the round ended with Grey synching in a leg lock on Sanders.
Round two began with Sanders dominating, controlling Grey with a wrist lock. Grey powered out of the move and almost secured the first pin, before Sanders got the upper hand again with a full nelson. It wasn't long before Grey was fighting back, centring his attack on Sander's knee. Synching in another leg lock, Sanders managed to get to his feet, and tried to escape from Grey's grip with a monkey flip. However, Grey managed to keep a hold of Sanders's leg, and synched in the hold once again. Sanders looked for a way to escape, eventually turning Grey's hold on him into a leg vice, squeezing the air out of Grey's body. Grey tried to power out but Sanders had a good hold on him.
Then, in a surprising show of sportsmanship, Sanders released the hold. Grey soon went back on the attack, once again targeting Sanders's knee. As Grey once again synched in his hold, the round ended with Sanders battering both of Grey's ears with his legs.
Round three began as round two had ended, with Grey attacking Sanders's knee. After a few moments Grey whipped Sanders into the ropes, but missed with the proposed drop-kick. Sanders fought back well, but moments later it was Grey who secured the first pin, reversing a Sanders cross body-block.
Round four began with Grey working on Sander's wrist. Sanders got out of the wrist lock by dropping Grey throat first onto the top rope not once, but twice. Sanders then went to work with a nerve hold, which Grey reversed with another wrist lock. This didn't last long though as Sanders went back to the nerve hold. Grey fought back, eventually connecting with a drop-kick, but he went to the well once too often as he missed with the second drop-kick. A tombstone piledriver from Sanders ensued, and after a three count, Sanders had equalised, one fall apiece.
Round five began with Grey looking like he could collapse at any moment. The referee asked him if he wanted to continue. Sanders then began to work on Grey's now injured neck, once again dropping him throat first onto the top rope. Grey fought back with a series of good moves, but Sanders again got the upper hand with some rather doubtful tactics. Then, scooping Grey up, he tried for another tombstone piledriver. Grey managed to reverse the move, and managed to connect with a tombstone of his own. Three seconds later, and Grey scored the winning pin fall.
"THE SEXY MONKEY" ROBIN KNIGHTWING (with Tommy Lee) v HOT STUFF
In a rematch from the Valentine's Day Massacre, the Canadian superstar enlisted the aid of "the man with the Midas touch" in his ongoing war with the returning Hot Stuff.
Knightwing entered the ring and once again endeared himself to the Clacton locals. The boos soon changed to cheers as soon as Hot Stuff entered the arena.
Knightwing used his power advantage to good effect early on. Hot Stuff countered early on with a wrist lock. The Canadian took the easy way out of this hold by going to the ropes.
As soon as they hooked up again, Hot Stuff went for the wrist. Once again, Knightwing went to the ropes, this time putting one leg over the middle rope. Hot Stuff saw his chance and kicked the rope with all he had, making Knightwing wish he had taken another course of action!
Hot Stuff followed this up by whipping Knightwing into the corner, but missed the vital follow up as he went crashing into the turnbuckles. Knightwing then lifted his smaller opponent high above his head, sending him crashing down to the mat after a press slam.
As Knightwing distracted the ref with several poor complaints, Tommy Lee went to work, doing what a manager does best by attack Hot Stuff several times, and claiming innocence whenever the referee's attention returned to the matter at hand.
Back in the ring, Knightwing whipped Hot Stuff into the corner, but like his opponent before him, missed the vital follow-up as Hot Stuff almost secured the victory with a sunset flip. Knightwing was soon back on the attack before he once again distracted the ref, giving his cohort another chance to attack. However, this time, Hot Stuff fought back, until Knightwing saw what was happening, diving outside of the ring so he could save his manager. The ensuing double team earned Knightwing a public warning for his efforts.
Hot Stuff tried to attack, but Knightwing's power was too much for him to handle. After slamming Hot Stuff in the middle of the ring, Knightwing went upstairs and tried for a top rope leg-drop. When he hit, though, Hot Stuff was nowhere to be seen. Connecting with an x-factor, Hot Stuff almost secured the victory. Knightwing was just inches away from defeat.
Knightwing again distracted the referee as Tommy Lee again went on the attack. This time, Hot Stuff had had enough. Fighting back, not even an attack from Knightwing to stop him. Dragging both men into the ring, Hot Stuff smashed his opponents's skulls together. Both men then slumped into the corner, as Hot Stuff followed up his attack by scoring with a bronco buster on both me. As Lee rolled out of the ring, Hot Stuff went for a second bronco buster on Knightwing, but missed as the Canadian rolled out of the way, Hot Stuff crashing into the turnbuckles as a result.
This setback didn't phase him for long though as Hot Stuff was soon back on the attack, connecting with a drop kick before flying off the second rope and connecting with a smashing blow to the top of Knightwing's head. Hot Stuff then tried for another top rope attack, but Lee once again got into the action, pushing Hot Stuff so he went crashing into the mat. Knightwing then secured the victory with his feet placed firmly on the ropes.
After the bout, Hot Stuff contested the decision, complaining about how he was in effect wrestling two men. He then challenged Knightwing to another bout at the upcoming Chelmsford show. Reluctant at first, Knightwing agreed to the rematch, but only after the crowd called him a big chicken.
PHIL POWERS v SWEET SARAYA
Having seen off the vast majority of her female counterparts, the Sweet Saraya challenged local boy Phil Powers to an inter-gender contest, and showed that she could easily hold her own against her male counterparts.
The contest began with Powers overpowering Saraya, but the women's champion fought back with an inzuguri, followed by a back drop over the top rope as Powers charged towards her.
Back in the ring Powers was soon in control again, scoring with a good suplex before tying Saraya up in the ropes and then using a hold that is rarely seen at all - a lip lock. Powers then caught Saraya with a side slam, and followed up with a back breaker.
Saraya fought back well, using her speed advantage when catching Powers in a head scissors, and then a hurricanrana from the top rope. The fight then went outside, as Powers showed conduct unbecoming of a gentleman as he attacked Saraya with a chair.
Back in the ring, Saraya fought back briefly, but Powers got back into the match with an under hook suplex. Going for a pin, he only managed to get a two count.
With Saraya draped over his shoulders, Powers tried to scale the ropes, but Saraya wriggled free, almost getting the pin with a sunset flip. Powers then continued to dominate the contest, scoring with an x-factor.
Saraya then began her fight back, synching in a hold to a part of Powers's anatomy I'm not sure I'm allowed to mention here. While still synching in this hold, Saraya lifted Powers onto the top rope before scoring with another hurricanrana. She only managed to get a one count from the ensuing pin.
Powers fought back briefly with a blow from the top rope, but when he went to the top rope a second time, Saraya caught him and slammed him down. Saraya then climbed to the top rope herself, but only got a one count following a big splash.
Powers fought back with a devastating looking power bomb that literally shook the ring, then earned himself a public warning by choking Saraya. Then Powers turned his attention to the crowd, starting to argue with a couple of ringside fans. Saraya then used a schoolboy roll-up, and almost secured the victory.
Powers once again got back into the contest with a big clothesline and a leg drop, but still couldn't put Saraya away. He then lifted Saraya onto his shoulders, and was about to fall backwards to the mat when Saraya rolled forward and once again almost got the victory with a victory roll.
Saraya continued her momentum, back dropping Powers, then following up with a suplex and a DDT. Powers came back with a kick, but still couldn't secure the victory, again only getting a two count.
Again, Saraya fought back, until Powers got her in a gut wrench suplex. He then missed the follow-up posting as Saraya climbed onto Powers's back and tried to put him away with a sleeper hold. Powers escaped by slamming Saraya's back into the corner. Quickly recovering his senses, Powers placed Saraya onto the top rope before unleashing with a superplex. Three seconds later, and after twelve gruelling minutes, Powers finally secured the victory.
Having watched the action from the back of the arena, Ricky Knight then hit the ring to protect his wife from further attack. Grabbing the microphone from the ring announcer, Knight challenged Powers to a three minute match at the upcoming Chelmsford show. Powers agreed, saying that if Knight could beat him in three minutes, he'll give him five grand.
PAUL TYRELL v THE KRAFT (with Kharisma)
After the interval, the local crowd were treated to a well fought and sporting contest between two local heroes.
With the initial lockup, neither man could gain an advantage. A second attempt got the same result. Tyrell quickly went on the attack, getting his taller opponent in a full nelson before synching in a chin lock. The rookie Kraft reversed the hold with a wrist lock, before grape-vining the arm on the mat. Kraft then released the hold with a good show of sportsmanship.
Seconds later Tyrell went to work on his opponent's leg, tripping the Kraft before going to work on the leg. Tyrell then showed that he was something of a sportsman himself by releasing the hold.
A test of strength then followed, which Tyrell won by drop-kicking Kraft's knee. A second drop-kick again knocked Kraft off his feet, before Tyrell went for a chin lock. The Kraft only managed to escape by going to the topes.
Seeing that the Kraft had been weakened by his previous attacks, Tyrell scored with two more drop-kicks on the Kraft's leg, before he slammed the Kraft into the mat. Following up with a splash from the second rope, Tyrell only managed to get a two count.
Tyrell then continued his attack on the Kraft's injured leg, before changing direction a little by attacking the Kraft's arm. The Kraft was getting quite a beating. Tyrell changed his tactics several times, but soon went back to attack the Kraft's leg with each attack.
The Kraft was soon able to fight back, almost getting the pin with a schoolboy roll-up. He tried to follow up his initial attack, but Tyrell slid under the bottom rope, trying to get his wits about him.
Once back in the ring, Tyrell went back to the leg attack, before scoring with a suplex, and a drop-kick from the top rope. The rookie showed fight as Tyrell only scored a two count. As the Kraft tried to get to his feet, he was soon back on the mat when Tyrell delivered another bruising drop-kick to his injured knee.
Whipping Kraft into the corner, Tyrell tried for a shoulder barge, but the Kraft thought quickly, almost getting the pin with a sunset flip. Tyrell then went back on the attack, before he whipped the Kraft into the corner again. The Kraft ducked out of the way as Tyrell missed his follow-up attack. However, because of his injury, the Kraft was too slow in climbing to the middle rope, giving Tyrell the time he needed to recover as he scored with a hurricanrana. Going for the pin, the Kraft still had enough fight in him to kick out on two.
Frustrated, Tyrell slammed the Kraft into the mat before scoring with a leg drop off the top rope. This still wasn't enough to get the pin.
The Kraft fought back with a rolling front suplex, slamming Tyrell into the mat three times, This only got him a two count.
Both men looked spent as they got to their feet. The Kraft charged forward and tried to connect with a clothesline, but Tyrell ducked out of the way and back dropped Kraft over the top rope. As the rookie hit the hard arena floor, Kraft cried out in severe pain and grabbed his injured leg. Seeing that there was no way the Kraft could continue, the referee called for the bell, and awarded the bout to Tyrell. Grabbing the microphone, Tyrell refused to accept the victory in that way, and asked the referee to rule the bout a no contest.
THE U.K. PITBULLS v "ROWDY" RICKY KNIGHT and THE ZEBRA KID
Originally this hard-core encounter, a re-match from the previous Clacton show, was due to be for the tag-team championship, but once again the big lads from Sheringham refused to put the gold on the line. Annoyed by this, Knight and Zebra vowed to teach their much larger opponents a lesson.
You will probably have noticed that in reviewing the previous matches, I went into some detail. This was next to impossible to do in this match. It started off as a usual tag-team encounter, with the Pitbulls using their power advantage to batter the Zebra Kid, but it wasn't long before all hell broke loose and the toys were brought into the equation. As the clangs sounded throughout the arena, both teams literally threw the kitchen sink at each other not just in the ring, but at one point right up into the cheap seats! Bin shots, shots with backing trays, baseball bats, night-sticks, frying pans, even an old Commodore Amiga computer. There was literally too much action to call at times.
The victory came after the Zebra Kid drop-kicked the now crumpled dustbin into the Bulk. Having secured the victory, Knight grabbed the microphone, demanding a match for the tag-team championship at the next Clacton show in May. Asking the fans what sort of match they wanted, they began to scream for tables. Eventually, the stipulations were set - a cage match awaited the two teams in May.
In conclusion - I always enjoying watching shows in Clacton. The crowds there are probably the most vocal I've ever seen, and they were really into each and every match.
Match of the night - well, nostalgia reigns supreme here. When I first heard that British wrestling legends Mal Sanders and Steve Grey would be wrestling a traditional-style British contest, I was virtually salivating. Although they are not in the first flush of youth, both Sanders and Grey both showed that they can still go, and reminded many of us "ahem" older fans just how it used to be done. Well done lads.
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