WAW celebrated their 10th anniversary in style, returning to their roots with The War of 2004, highlighted by the invasion of the Frontier Wrestling Alliance.
The show began with a surprise of sorts, as Commissioner Steven Howard-Platt came into the ring, and asked Ricky Knight and Sweet Saraya to come into the ring. The two founders of WAW were confused at first, until the Commissioner introduced veteran wrestling fan, the legendary Mad Eli, who had a special presentation for Ricky & Saraya, congratulating them for everything they had done for British wrestling. It was then down to the action.
"THE DARK ANGEL" ASHE v ZAK ZODIAC
Before the bout even began, the new British champion called the Commissioner back to the ring, saying that he didn't want to wrestle Zodiac because he was "a midget". Howard-Platt reminded Ashe who was in charge with a classic line; "I am five-foot-four, and I am the law!"
Zodiac attacked early on, and tried to connect with a 619, but the champion was wise to his tactics, before getting back into the swing of things and starting to work on Zodiac's arm. The youngster fought back briefly but Ashe soon regained control. He then began to work on Zodiac's neck, scoring with a "perfect" reverse neck breaker.
But Zodiac soon fought back, using his high-flying ability, taking him down with a head scissors off the top rope. The following attack only resulted in a two count though, as did the following roll-up.
The champion soon regained control, scoring with a sidewalk slam off the ropes, and then an devastating back breaker. As neither of these moves resulted in a pin, Ashe synched in a surfboard.
Once again Zodiac fought back with some fast-paced action, including a good looking splash while Ashe was slumped in the corner, and a senton, but he couldn't get the pin either.
Seeing that he still had the advantage, Zodiac tried for the 619 again, but as Ashe dodged the bullet, Zodiac crotched himself on the middle rope. Ashe then connected with a DDT, but he still couldn't get the pin. The champion was getting frustrated, and a few moments later the frustration turned into aggression as he connected with several stiff punches as Zodiac lay on the mat.
But this aggression would cost Ashe, as Zodiac fought back and, third time lucky, he finally connected with a 619. Then, as Ashe tried to get to his feet, Zodiac went upstairs. However, Ashe caught his smaller opponent in mid-air, but the momentum was still with Zodiac, as he grabbed onto the top rope and flipped his opponent to the hard wooden floor.
Back in the ring, Ashe regained his composure, and foiled Zodiac's top rope attacks several times. It eventually got to a point where Ashe scored with his reverse neck breaker off the top rope. As his opponent lay prone on the mat, Ashe synched in what looked like a rear naked choke. Seconds later Zodiac tapped, and Ashe had the victory.
Conclusion: A good way of opening the show, with two of the top youngsters in Britain today. A credit to the WAW Academy.
"SUPERSTAR" MAL SANDERS v STEVE GREY
Billed as a World of Sport match, two veterans of the British scene went at it in a contest that showed that these two veterans could still go.
Round one began with Sanders beginning to work on Grey's arm, but the man in the silver boots soon got the better of his man with an arm wringer of his own. Grey tried this several times, but each and every time Sanders would go to the ropes to escape. Sanders fought back briefly, but Grey was soon back on the offensive. Sanders tried to fight back with several moves, but Grey always regained the upper hand, and the round ended with Grey still in control.
Round two got off to a delayed start as Sanders tried to stall. The Superstar used the oldest trick in the book, turning to the referee's blind side several times as he held Grey so he could deliver a punch, each time claiming that he had connected with an open-handed slap. However, despite Sander's questionable tactics, it was Grey who scored the first fall of the contest. After scoring with blow off the top rope, Sanders tried for a roll-up, but Grey had recovered enough to reverse the move and get a pin of his own. Grey was ahead 1-0.
Round three saw Sanders offering the hand of friendship to Grey, which Grey replied to by grabbing the hand and stomping on it. Grey began to work on Sanders' arm again, but had to release the hold when Sanders connected with a punch. Then, Sanders released one of the corner pads, and seconds later, slammed Grey's head into the exposed metal not once, but twice in quick succession. This seemed to fire him up though, as Grey fought back and eventually hurled Sanders over the top rope. Then, as Sanders tried to get back in the ring, Grey hurled him back in. However, Sanders fought back well, and eventually connected with a tombstone pile driver which saw him score the equalising fall. The scores were now tied at 1-1.
Round four saw Sanders kicking Grey as he tried to recover from the effects of the pile driver. Sanders again sought the referee's blind side so he could choke Grey out, before throwing him, throat first, onto the top rope twice. Then, after sending Grey crashing into the corner, Sanders tried for a second tombstone, but Grey powered out and reversed the move, scoring with a tombstone of his own which led to him scoring the winning fall. Grey had done it.
Conclusion: An enjoyable bout here. These guys may not be as young as they used to be, but they proved they could still go.
"RIGHTEOUS" PAUL TRAVELL v "THE WONDERKID" JONNY STORM
A WAW debut for the former member of The Family faction in the FWA, and only the second time I've seen him live as he went up against one of Britain's top stars.
The bout began with lots of faced paced action and pin attempts, which is to be expected from these two, but neither man could gain the advantage, as it quickly ended in a stand-off.
Storm then began to work on Travell's arm, but Travell soon reversed the move. Storm then showed some good wrestling moves as he worked his way out of the hold, and the reversals went back and forth for a while until Storm took Travell down with a head scissors. The Righteous One then tried to take Storm down with a headlock, but Travell reversed by again centring his attack on Storm's arm. Storm fought back, but soon let his confidence get the better of him. He back-dropped Travell over the top rope, and then began to celebrate his move, not realising that Travell got back into the ring seconds later. As Storm realised his mistake and came off the ropes, Travell connected with a devastating looking spine buster, which I'm sure Arn Anderson would have been proud of.
Travell then dominated for a few moments, attacking storm in the corner and eventually connecting with a fisherman's suplex. Neither of these moves resulted in a pin though.
Storm fought back with a Samoan drop off the ropes, then grabbing Travell in a headlock and grabbing his own foot to whack his opponent in the forehead. He then scored with a shining wizard. He couldn't get the pin though.
Travell came back strongly, scoring with a suplex, and then a suicide dive as Storm tried to recover on the floor. Back in the ring Travell went for two pin fall attempts, one after another suplex, but he couldn't keep the Wonderkid down.
Storm went back on the offensive with a super kick off the ropes, a Michinoku driver, and a moonsault off the ropes, but like Travell before him, Storm couldn't get the pin either. Travell came back with a choke slam on his own knee, but still, no pin.
It was just a few moments after all this fast paced action that Storm scored the winning fall. Travell grabbed Storm and tried for a power bomb, but Storm countered and connected with his patented Wonderwhirl move. Three seconds later and he had the pin.
Conclusion: For some reason, I just couldn't get into this match. I'm not faulting the two wrestlers on their efforts here, but to me it seemed more of an FWA-style match than a WAW-style match, which is understandable I suppose.
PAUL TYRELL v THE ZEBRA KID
The tension had been building between these two since their match at the Summer Sizzler in Great Yarmouth in August, and resulted in this bruising hard-core battle.
Tyrell tried to gain the advantage early by attacking straight after the bell, but some fast paced action from the former British champion fought back with a hip toss, a drop-kick, and a clothesline that sent Tyrell flying over the top rope. Tyrell then went walkabout to regain his composure, but as he tried to get back into the ring, Zebra catapulted him over the top rope.
Tyrell fought back briefly with a neck breaker and a follow-up elbow, but couldn't get the pin afterwards. A posting by Tyrell then saw him miss the follow-up attack. Zebra slammed him in the middle of the ring before going underneath the ring to look for some toys to play with. Tyrell blocked a kendo stick attack, and then tried to go back to wrestling by synching in a chin lock, which Zebra countered with a blow to the head, with the held of a tray.
It was then hard-core all the way as Tyrell clobbered the hell out of Zebra with various weapons, including several shots south of the border. But Zebra fought back, and in a novel way, clobbered Tyrell's family jewels with the kendo stick, and a metal tray placed in a strategic position.
Tyrell went outside the ring, tried to get a breather for a few seconds, then went under the ring and grabbed a ladder. This proved to be a mistake, as Zebra ran the ropes and drop-kicked the ladder right into Tyrell.
But back in the ring, Tyrell got the better of things, clobbering Zebra several more times before bringing the ladder into play, setting it up in the corner, and whipping the Zebra Kid into it. However, as the old saying goes, Tyrell went to the well once too often. A second attempt at this move saw Zebra reversing Tyrell's whip and the UWA star flew into the ladder. Zebra then connected with a super kick, and then made sure that Tyrell would be speaking in a slightly higher voice by dropping him, atomic drop style, onto the ladder.
After a brief fight outside which saw both men's heads slammed into a chair, Tyrell's attack was foiled when Zebra connected with a tombstone pile driver. Zebra then placed a metal tray on Tyrell's chest as he climbed to the top rope and flew off the top with the Zebra Crossing elbow smash. A three count later and he had the victory.
Tyrell was not a happy man. As Zebra made his way to the back, Tyrell grabbed the microphone and badmouthed everyone. He called out Commissioner Howard-Platt, and told him how his UWA promotion would promote this kind of wrestling. He then challenged Zebra to a rematch, but with a twist - he wanted two officials at the match, one WAW, one UWA. Coming back out to the ring, Zebra was only too happy to accept the challenge.
Conclusion: An enjoyable brawl here. The crowd were really into this one, and some of the weapons shots had to be seen to be believed. Again, hard-core wrestling done just right.
BASH v THE KRAFT
This match was originally seen as nothing more than a card filler, but given Bash's recent actions during the summer season, it meant a little more.
The match began with a couple of lockups, but neither man was able to gain the advantage. Kraft tried for a shoulder barge off the ropes, but again, there was no advantage from either man. It was then that Bash applied a headlock, before Kraft pushed him into the ropes and finally managed to take him down with a shoulder barge. However, when Kraft went for a follow-up move, Bash held the top rope down. Kraft went flying out to the floor.
Back in the ring, Bash attacked, taking him down with a drop toehold, before eventually coming down on the back of Kraft's neck as the Essex Bomb lay over the second rope. As Kraft dangled over the ring apron, Bash attacked him from the arena floor. But when the action got back into the squared circle, Kraft fought back, back dropping the face painted one out of the ring before drop-kicking him as he tried to regain his senses while outside. Kraft then followed him to the floor, smashing his head onto the ring apron and then onto a table, before throwing Bash back into the ring.
But Bash soon fought back, sending Kraft crashing into the corner then following up with a big splash and a hip toss. This wasn't enough for him to get the pin though. Bash then whipped Kraft into the ropes, but Kraft ducked, and fought back by taking Bash down with a Samoan drop. This wasn't enough to get the pin though, and neither were the following body slam and leg drop combination.
Bash came back by clotheslining Kraft on the tope. He then began to work on Kraft's arm and shoulder, but Kraft fought back with a series of punches that backed Bash into a corner. This meant that Kraft could score with a monkey flip. However, this still wasn't enough to put Bash away.
Recovering a little, Bash connected with a big boot, but Kraft came back with a northern lights suplex. However, during the following exchanges, Kraft saved his own skin by pulling the referee into the fray, and he subsequently got squashed. As the Kraft checked on the referee's condition, Bash grabbed his baseball bat and clobbered his opponent. As the referee came to the first thing he saw was Bash covering Kraft for the winning pin fall.
After the match, Kraft grabbed the microphone from the MC and asked the Commissioner for a rematch at WAW's next show in Fakenham. Howard-Platt granted his request.
Conclusion: If I'm going to be honest, there seemed to be something missing here. Neither man seemed to click with the other, but seeing as this was only their second bout against each other, I'm sure in time this will improve.
SWEET SARAYA v KHARISMA
A match fought over the rounds system here, which is something Saraya seems to be specialising in these days.
Round one began with Saraya using Kharisma's own arms to choke her, but Kharisma reversed this just seconds later, with Saraya powering out to then take her opponent down with a face buster. Saraya then locked in a Boston Crab, then a half Boston before Kharisma used the ropes to escape.
Saraya continued her attack with a clothesline off the ropes, and then a hammer lock/front face lock combination before she took Kharisma down with a reverse DDT. She then went back to the hammer lock, and continued to work on the arm as the round came to an end.
Round two began with a test of strength. Kharisma had a brief flurry of offence, whipping Saraya into a corner. Saraya fought back briefly with a leg drag out of the corner and a roll-up, but she couldn't get the pin.
As Saraya then came off the ropes, Kharisma connected with a back breaker, and then a back stretcher over her knee. She then scored with tombstone pile driver, and went for the pin. She could have had the victory there and then, but decided to pull Saraya off the mat. This proved to be her undoing a little, as Saraya soon escaped the chin lock, and connected with an ace crusher as the round came to an end.
Round three began with Saraya attacking, sending Kharisma into the corner and following up with by slamming her back into her. She was definitely on the aggressive side as she punched and kicked her opponent, eventually connecting with a hurricanrana as Kharisma stood dazed in the corner. Another posting was followed by another hurricanrana attempt, but Kharisma tried to reverse this move, spinning Saraya around on her shoulder.
But as Saraya sat in Kharisma's shoulders, Destiny appeared from the crowd, and clobbered Saraya with what was obviously a loaded handbag. Not realising what had happened, Kharisma connected with a second tombstone to score the pin.
As Saraya lay dazed on the mat, Destiny grabbed the microphone and said that she would stalk Saraya, appearing wherever Saraya wrestled. This enraged the first lady, who promised to take revenge on the up-and-coming star.
Conclusion: While Kharisma showed signs of ring rust, it was still a good match, and I'm looking forward to seeing Saraya get revenge on Destiny for her heinous actions.
THE SUPERFLYS v "THE SHOWSTEALER" ALEX SHANE & AVIV MAYAAN
The main event of the evening saw the tension between WAW and the FWA reach boiling point here, and a surprise appearance by one of the FWA's up-and-coming superstars.
The beginning of the match saw lots of stalling on behalf of the Superflys, who seemed very reluctant to get in the ring with Shane. It was only when Mayaan tagged in that they wanted to get into the match.
Picking up where they left off in Morecombe a while back, Knight attacked the rookie from the get go, barging him down to the mat. As Shane complained about Knight's underhanded tactics, the Superflys doubled up on Mayaan on a number of occasions. At one point, Ocean illegally came into the match, connecting with an elbow off the top rope as Knight held Mayaan over his knee.
Knight then continued the attack on the youngster with a body slam and leg drop combo, but couldn't get the pin. Mayaan fought back briefly on a couple of occasions, but Knight's power proved too much for him. However, a few seconds later Mayaan tagged Shane in, and the Showstealer signalled his intent by slamming both Superflys, then tossing Ocean out of the ring. He then took Knight down with his variation of the ace crusher, following this up with a leg drop. It looked like he was going to score the pin, but Ocean interfered.
As Knight stalled for time, Ocean jumped on Shane's back, but Shane slammed Ocean into the corner, then connected with a big boot after he sent Ocean crashing into the corner post. Tagging Mayaan back in, Ocean showed his superior experience by fighting back well. But as Shane continued to complain about certain tactics to the referee, the Superflys continued to double team Mayaan with great regularity.
The exchanges between Mayaan and Ocean continued, with Mayaan eventually fighting back and almost gaining the first pin. Ocean fought back with a posting and then a clothesline, but seconds later, Mayaan scored with a roll-up to get the first pin of the contest. The FWA boys were leading 1-0.
The second session began with Ocean once again attacking Mayaan, but it wasn't long before Shane tagged back into the contest. Once again, the Superflys ran for cover.
Back in the ring. Ocean tried an arm wringer on Shane, but the big man soon reversed the hold. Ocean tried to escape to the ropes many times, but Shane used his power to simply pull Ocean away from the ropes. But then as Knight distracted the ref, Ocean connected with a low blow before tagging Knight back into the contest.
Knight attacked Shane as he slumped in the corner, and then tried to slam his larger opponent. Shane reversed this with a body slam of his own. He then sent Knight crashing into the corner before taking him down with a choke bomb. Went he went for the pin, Ocean once again broke up the attempt.
After Knight scored with another low blow on the Showstealer, Shane tagged Mayaan in as Knight tagged in Ocean. Another cheap shot on Mayaan by Ocean saw a quick tag to Knight. Off the ropes, Mayaan tried for a sunset flip, but Knight brought all his weight crashing down on Mayaan's chest. Three seconds later and the scores were level - Superflys 1, FWA boys 1.
With the scores now level, the third and final session began with Mayaan unable to continue because of injury. Ocean then demanded that the referee award the bout to the Superflys, but Shane vowed to continue on his own. The Superflys then attacked, but Shane fought back with a double clothesline before whipping Ocean into Knight as Knight lay prone in the corner. The Superflys fought back briefly, but Shane took them down with a double DDT. Once again, the Superflys ran for cover.
As Shane called his opponents back into the ring, Bash stormed the ring and clobbered Shane with his baseball bat. As the Superflys then began to double-team Shane, Jonny Storm and Paul Travell came rushing out to even things up, chasing the Superflys off. It was then that Ashe joined Bash in attacking Storm, Travell & Shane.
Then the music hit, and none other than the FWA's rookie monster, Burchill came down to the ring and cleared house, taking Ashe down with a suplex, and then attacking Bash with his patented series of moves, a rolling thunder, a standing moonsault and standing senton splash. With all this going on the referee had no choice but to rule the bout a no contest.
Enraged, Shane grabbed the microphone, saying that the FWA never wanted a war with WAW. Knight replied by saying that he felt a promotional war coming on. The insults flew thick and fast, and eventually it got to the point where the WAW boys had to stop Knight from entering the ring to try and take out Shane and his FWA brigade.
Conclusion: A great contest, well played out by all parties.
Overall conclusion: As I write this, it's nearly two days since the show ended, and I'm still buzzing about what happened at the end of the show. The WAW v FWA feud has been building nicely since last years War at the Waveney show in Lowestoft, and at the War of 2004, it went up a notch. The appearance of Burchill on a WAW show has to be the main talking point.
Match of the night goes to the main event tag-team match. It may have been a bit messy at times, but the nobody could see in advance what was going to happen. Like the Rowdy Man, I feel a war coming.
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