Retrospective: May to December - an older woman's love affair with Reckless Intent

So I was sitting thinking now that the year is coming to an end about just how much my life has changed since my first visit to Reckless Intent back in May and I thought it might make a slightly different and hopefully interesting blog post!

We discovered Reckless Intent when two of their wrestlers appeared on an SWE show at Easter and then we met Jackie Grady at Uprising at the end of April.  We received a Facebook invite to their two night Super B.O.W.L event at the beginning of May and, as they were closer to home than most promotions and the ticket prices were extremely reasonable, we decided to check them out.

May
Friday 2nd - The first night of the Super B.O.W.L tournament and we arrived with no real expectations.  This was a relatively new promotion and I hadn't heard of most of the roster but they had a couple of names on the card we knew, Damian O'Connor, Scott Renwick and Joe Hendry so it wouldn't be all bad!!  The first thing I remember about arriving at this little industrial unit was the welcome we received.  Strangely everyone seemed to know who I was and made an effort to say hello.  We had arrived early as I wasn't sure where we were going and I never trust SatNav fully so we had front row seats for our first show.  While not a sell-out, there was a reasonable turn out for the show and by the interval, I had to admit that I was impressed with what I saw and by the end of the show I was really looking forward to the second night.  With the exception of one match, they had pulled off a show that had me hooked and buying into all their characters.

Saturday 3rd - We arrived for Night two to find that most people had read the blog about the previous night's show (those were the days when I started the blogs the minute I got home from the events!) and they seemed to have liked what I had to say.  There was a bigger crowd at the Saturday show too.  I was once again impressed by the quality of the matches and was delighted to see Scott Renwick win the tournament against all the odds.  At the end of the night I spoke to some of the guys and told them we would be back but as their next couple of dates clashed with SWE, it probably wouldn't be for a while!!

Saturday 31st - Taking Over - We weren't supposed to be here!! But Reckless Intent had announced a card that grabbed my interest - with some of the new faces I had seen at a recent Source showcase also appearing.  With no matches on the SWE card announced and Reckless Intent's Saint-George trying to wind me up on Facebook, I decided to make some signs and head to Livingston.  Rob had started training with Reckless so we arrived early so he could help with the set up and I sat in the car reading or stitching and generally keeping well out of the way!  When showtime arrived, I was front row, giving those heels hell and cheering for the good guys and already starting to wonder if I was going to make the SWE show in June....guess it would depend on the card announcements...

June
Saturday 14th found me at a Gala Day!  I honestly can't remember the last time I went to a Gala Day but Reckless were putting on a wee show so we were there - not just for the show but we started by meeting at the unit before 9am before heading to Blackburn and setting up the ring.  With Rob as a trainee, he was ring crew for the day and rather than stand around and watch, I got stuck in too - and I think I surprised a few of the lads with what I was capable of.  After everything was set up, we had a short break before the boys did their stuff in the ring - not just a couple of exhibition matches either but a full on show!  They did great and after it was all over it was time to tear it all down, pack it in the van and return to the unit.  This was the first time I really felt like part of the team and not just an observer at a show.

Saturday 28th - Proving Grounds - With the SWE card not having been announced and Rob becoming more involved with Reckless, we were back in Livingston and another early arrival so Rob could help with the set-up saw me sitting in the car making signs to antagonise the heels and support the faces!  I was also helping out a little with food and drinks outside when a freak wind lifted the marquee and knocked the urn of water over and my foot just happened to get in the way!!  I ended up spending this show barefoot and wearing a pair of Rob's shorts (the first sign I had lost some weight) and doped up on painkillers!

With no shows in July, Rob had continued to attend the training sessions and we were both looking forward to....

August
Saturday 9th - Cruel Summer - This seemed to be a turning point for Reckless Intent - They had booked Colt Cabana and Chris Renfrew for this show and the unit was bursting at the seams. Thankfully the weather held out and they were able to pull up the shutter and create an extended standing area.  The show was great, brought in some new faces and had one of my favourite moments - Chris Renfrew force feeding jaffa cakes to Saint-George!  It also saw Saint-George cashing in his Wooden Spoon and becoming the new Reckless Intent World Champion.

Sunday 24th saw Reckless Intent put on their first Sunday Slam - an afternoon show aimed at younger fans and giving some of the trainees the opportunity to get into the ring in front of an audience.  It also saw me on the ring apron offering to take up Saint-George's open challenge to his title but he was so scared, he used the "I don't hit girls" card.....it's a long time since I was a girl!

September
Saturday 7th - Party in the Park - another outdoor show!  While we didn't arrive early enough to help with the ring set up, we were there to help with anything else required.  I also was allowed inside the barriers in order to take photos and I loved being able to get up close and getting those shots without the ropes or barriers in the way!

Saturday 20th - Unleashed - Once again a show I wasn't supposed to be at!  I'd bought tickets for a Pride show in August which had been rescheduled and clashed with this one.  Rob had attended the Andy Wild seminar before the show and we drove to Glasgow for the Pride show...picked up our friend who had travelled from Dundee to meet up for that show...then drove back to Livingston instead!  Really glad we did as the match between Jackie Grady and Andy Wild was bloody incredible.

October
Saturday 4th - Reckless Intentions - In a word WOW!!!  This was the annual "hardcore" show and it did not disappoint.  The entire show was brilliant and had Scott Renwick and Saint-George in a "Falls Count Anywhere" first half main event, with the second half ending with a TLC match for the Wooden Spoon featuring Chris Renfrew , Darren Lewis, Rawlins and Martyn Stallyon.  The whole night was brutal and brilliant and I loved it!

Sunday 19th - Sunday Slam 2 - This was the show that saw Rob make his in-ring debut during the main event rumble match.  It also saw the "wedding" of Jam O'Malley and Saint-George which had been hyped on Facebook and was a definite highlight of the year!

November
Saturday 1st - Over The Top - Reckless Intent's first main show in an outside venue.  In the 6 months since my first visit, I had seen Reckless go from strength to strength.  New people coming to training, fans who had come for the first time in the summer were continuing to make the journey for shows and new links with SWE were bringing new faces to the roster and their fans were making the trip from Dundee.  The unit was no longer big enough to hold the crowd so we took over Murieston Scout Hall for the day/night...and yes I said we because I was part of the team.  After dropping off Rob and Janet with the food and doing a quick airport run, I returned to help set up the food and merchandise tables, before doing ticket and merchandise sales.  During the show I was able to wander around the ring getting some cracking shots while manning merchandise during the interval and at the end of the show.  I was not missed as the crowd loudmouth as the Russell Brothers had brought support from Bo'ness Rugby Club who more than made up for my lack of chanting!  Scott Renwick beat Saint-George to take the Reckless Intent World Title in a cracker of a match.  Rob got his first spot on a main show during the Rumble main event which I got some video footage of.  Then it was all hands on deck to pack up the ring into the van before heading back to the unit to help unload again.  It was this show that made me truly feel like part of the family - although I still steer clear of the pre-match talk...I don't know anything about the matches until they take place which is why I can still blog them as a fan!

Sunday 16th - Sunday Slam 3 - This show started the trainee tournament for the Sunday Slam title and saw Rob take part in his first singles match against JJ Russell.  I was so proud seeing him in the ring, even though he was heel and told me to shut up as I was yelling support for him.  He did a lovely head scissor armbreaker move which had the friends and family who had come along cheering...and a few others in the crowd too.  Although he didn't win, it was great to watch my boy make those first steps in fulfilling his dream.  The main event between Rawlins and Glen Dunbar caused controversy when the referee made the three count on Rawlins despite him kicking out at 2.  Both wrestlers appeared confused and the crowd were not happy.  Looking forward to a rematch!

December
Saturday 6th - Lights Out - The second show at Murieston and having done it once before, Janet and I let the boys get on with the ring set-up while we got stuck into the setup of our food and merchandise tables.  Ticket pre-sales had been fantastic and it was another sell-out at the Scout Hall.  The Bo'ness boys were back in force making plenty of noise.  The matches were cracking, Rob got to be a lumberjack, Chaz Phoenix made an appearance and distracted Saint-George long enough for Bobby Roberts to get the win before ripping his England flag and draping the pieces on his face while the crowd went nuts and referee Conor Frost screwed Rawlins over in another match (storyline developing!) and Scott Renwick had a cracking match against Eric Canyon to defend his title.  Once again, after the show was over it was time to pack everything up and head back to the unit to unload!

Sunday 14th - Christmas Sunday Slam - The final event of the year.  Rob took his first victory in a match with Jackie Grady, rolling up his opponent while he was distracted by "West Grady".  The final of the Sunday Slam tournament ended as a no-contest when Falcon interfered, setting up a triple threat match between Falcon, AJ Russell and Venym for the belt at the first Sunday Slam show of 2015 on January 25th.

And so there you have it - from May to December I discovered a little wrestling promotion and fell in love with it.  I count the roster members and their families as friends and you really don't want to be in earshot of me and the boss's mum when we are at other events, eh Janet?

Review: BCW No Blood No Sympathy Night 1 - East Kilbride

Friday 5 December 2014

So December sees the BCW annual two night extravaganza No Blood, No Sympathy return to East Kilbride and Kilmarnock.  Having missed their show in September, I was really looking forward to this one and it appeared I was not the only one.  Arriving at the venue just before 6 as we usually do in order to get our ringside aisle seats, I was surprised to see how many people were already waiting in line.  Tickets had already sold out and there would be limited standing tickets available on the door.  Luckily we were able to get ringside seats close enough to the entrance aisle for me to still get some great photos!

The first match of the night saw Paul London take on Kid Fite for the BCW Heavyweight Championship.  Kid Fite had made his feelings clear about being in an opening match and not the main event for the Homecoming show back in August and here he was in the opening match once again!  Paul London made his super long entrance and did the rounds of the crowd (which we all love) and was about to enter the ring when Kid Fite appeared and made a sneak attack.  This was a cracker of a match and could most definitely been a main event match.  There were no holds barred as both guys went all out to take the title belt.   London drop-kicked Fite from the apron and the match continued outside the ring for a time with London having the advantage.  Back in the ring the momentum swung back and forth with both having near pins but it was Kid Fite who took the victory, retaining the belt which he would have to defend the following night against Drew Galloway.

Next up was Wolfgang v Joe Coffey.  Now I love both these guys, whether heel or face they both put on one hell of a show and tonight was no different but, for me, something was missing.  I cannot quite put my finger on what though.  It may be that they had to follow such an incredible opening match or possibly because it appeared neither man was in heel role and it all seemed a bit too civilised with them shaking hands before and after the match.  I think I am just used to seeing both these guys do their best to destroy their opponents.  As I said the match itself was good, there was a chant of "that was awesome" from some of the fans, but the buzz that makes me want to get in their faces just didn't happen and I couldn't get into it they way I normally would.  There were near pins for both guys but Wolfgang took the win on this occasion.

The next match saw my personal favourite, Jack Jester face fan favourite, Grado.  Jester managed to make a small child cry on his way to the ring and Grado seemed to be the Pied Piper of East Kilbride as every child in the room seemed to flock around him during his entrance.  Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this match.  While I think Grado is really entertaining, I had started to find his routine becoming a little boring but he has picked up his game - gone was the checking the ref and having a cheeky pinch of his bum and there were no somersaults around the ring.  I mentioned in a previous blog that Grado appeared to be looking leaner and improving on his wrestling ability and it was really evident in this match.  There was some cracking stuff from both guys but there was still some humour - the funniest moment obviously unplanned when Jester threw Grado onto a guy in the crowd only for the chair he was sitting on to collapse..."he's hardcore" yelled Jester.  Despite the crowd being firmly behind Grado and hitting Jester with the "wee boot" and "roll and slice", it was Jester who took the win, rolling up Grado for the pinfall.

The first half main event saw Johnny Moss up against former WWE superstar Hardcore Holly.  I really enjoyed this match, although Rob seemed less impressed.  The majority of the crowd were behind Holly but there was a small contingent of Moss supporters who would not be silenced.  Moss dominated much of the match and hit a couple of cracking suplexes on Holly but the sound of Holly's chops to the chest of Moss actually echoed in the hall.  Holly was able to fight back, hitting Mossy with the Alabama Slammer to take the victory to the joy of the crowd.

Just before the interval, BCW owner Graham McKay came into the ring to thank the fans for coming out and making the show a sell-out, when Big Damian O'Connor appeared, furious that UK talent such has himself had been overlooked in favour of big names from the US and demanding that he be given a match.  With Damo hovering over him in the corner, McKay got on the phone to ask for assistance in the ring...and it arrived in the form of Drew Galloway, setting up the main event for later that evening.

During the interval Hardcore Holly, Chavo Guerrero and Paul London came out to the merchandise tables, selling their merchandise but also willing to sign items brought by fans and have pictures taken at no additional cost.  Having already met Chavo at a TNA show, I had my wee book signed by Hardcore Holly and Paul London and got a couple of pics too.  (I met Paul London in Dundee but as I was with the RI crew at the time, I didn't get autographs or photos)  I also picked up a copy of the Homecoming DVD which was available for the first time that night.

The first match of the second half was Liam Thomson v Chavo Guerrero.  As usual, I managed to wind Thomson up during his entrance and followed it up with a "chicken" chant when he left the ring to escape the onslaught from Guerrero, although I admit to being outdone by the group of guys who chanted "Carmel's better" - that seemed to really wind him up.  Chavo also had a "pied piper" moment when he left the ring and every child in the room flocked to him.  This was another great match with some nice moves from both guys.  It was great to see "The Three Amigos" carried out up close and Thomson hit a cracking dropkick to the back of Guerrero while he was on the ropes.  It was Guerrero the fans wanted to win and they got their wish when he hit Thomson with a frog splash from the top rope and scored the pinfall, leaving Thomson needing assistance from the ring and backstage.

The penultimate match of the night saw Kenny Williams and Davey Blaze team up to face Just Uz, accompanied by Kay Lee Ray, for the Tag Team Titles.  This was an absolute belter and was a real close contender for match of the night.  I have said in the past that some of the combinations put together as teams to face Just Uz did not have the chemistry needed to make a really good match.  I hadn't seen Williams and Blaze as a team before but they did an incredible job, they worked really well together and the whole match just flowed.  There was plenty of strength and agility shown by both teams and it really was a joy to watch.  Just Uz retained their titles on this occasion but if Williams and Blaze continue to work as a team to this standard, they may just be wearing those belts themselves in the near future.

Finally it was time for the main event, Damian O'Connor v Drew Galloway.  This was by far Match of the Night.  It was strange to see Damo have to look up to the face of an opponent and these two giants went at it hammer and tong.  They started in the ring, however they ended up battling all over the hall.  At one point Damo slammed Galloway into the fire exit door with such force the glass smashed.  They continued to battle around the hall and I actually feared for the Christmas Tree at one point.  Back in the ring they continued to fight and after several failed pin attempts, Damo got frustrated with referee Sri Hari and knocked him down and out of the ring.  Galloway seized the opportunity to make a pin attempt but there was no referee to make the count.  A second referee came out but he was accidentally knocked out by Galloway.  This time Damo had the pinfall attempt but once again there was no referee to count.  Damo dragged Hari from the floor back into the ring before attempting to finish Galloway but when his attempt failed, he again attacked the referee.  The match ended with Galloway having both referees in the ring before hitting Damo with the Futureshock and both referees made the 3 count.

With Damo beaten and lying on the floor at ringside, Kid Fite appeared.  Galloway called him into the ring to go for it immediately but Chavo Guerrero then came to the ring and said that Galloway should enjoy his victory tonight and Kid Fite would wait until the following night when he would be putting the title on the line against him during No Blood No Sympathy night 2 in Kilmarnock.

I unfortunately was unable to attend the Kilmarnock show as Rob was involved in Reckless Intent's show on the same night, so I am eagerly awaiting the DVD release of the event so I can see what I missed.

BCW have been putting on some of the most incredible shows and after selling out the Kilmarnock Grand Hall with their Homecoming show, went one better and sold out both Ballerup Hall in East Kilbride and Kilmarnock Grand Hall with the No Blood No Sympathy shows.  My advice is that if you want to see one of their shows, DO NOT wait to buy tickets on the door - you may well be disappointed.  Check them out on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on future events and ticket sales.

Review: SWE Uprising

Saturday 29 November 2014

Another trip to Dundee for SWE Uprising, but this one was a little different.  This was the first show I attended without my son.  Rob travelled with the Reckless Intent boys and helped backstage and I travelled with friends for show instead.

SWE have introduced a new system where booking tickets in advance gains you early entry to the venue and a pre-show bonus match before the doors open to the general public who wish to pay on the door.  The bonus match for this show featured warring brothers AJ Russell v JJ Russell.  This was a good wee match, with JJ Russell taking the win on this occasion, although having seen these two face each other several times recently, I would have liked to have seen each of them matched up against members of the SWE roster and hope this happens on future shows.  Footage of the match is on the Loudmouth Facebook page and you can watch it by clicking here.

The main show began with a video montage of the intense rivalry building between Ian Ambrose and Martyn Stallyon in their recent matches and of Chaz Phoenix taking 50% ownership of the SWE, climaxing with the brutal attack on Stallyon by Ambrose the night before the show - video footage is available on the SWE Facebook page.

First match of the night saw Jay The Jackal take on Trident member Steven "Air" Myles.  This was a strange match as neither man is a fan favourite which made it difficult for the crowd to get behind either man.  The Jackal antagonised the crowd into booing him which had a small number of people chanting for Myles but overall it was fairly subdued.  I hate to say it this but I found it really difficult to get into this heel-on-heel match (usually I can pick one guy over the other to cheer for) but this one just didn't work for me, although I did manage to get a "potato" chant going for a bit.  The Jackal works the whole heel angle really well but for some reason against a face opponent it just works better.  The Jackal took the win by submission in this match and got the usual boos from the crowd.

Immediately following his defeat, Myles returned to the ring with fellow Trident member Darren Blair and SWE co-owner Bravehart, who announced to the crowd that one of his Trident members, MDK, has been put on the shelf due to a serious injury and, as you can't have a Trident with only two members, tonight he would be introducing a new member.  Before that however he wanted to make an announcement regarding the actions of Ian Ambrose against Martyn Stallyon.  He then publicly applauded Ambrose on his actions and gave him the night off.  He then returned to the announcement of the new member of the Trident..."England's Own....Saint-George"!!! The Evil Scotsman has joined forces with The Prodigal Son of England.  I was totally gobsmacked and I may have let out a curse or two (I'm very sorry!). I knew that Saint-George would be making an appearance at some point during the night as I had spent two days working on the robe he wore (and it did look bloody good) but I was convinced that his appearance would be connected to the recent spats on Facebook with Chaz Phoenix!  After introducing Saint-George to the other Trident members, a very smug Bravehart left the ring with his "new and improved" security force.

Next up was a Sirens match featuring two ladies making their SWE debuts, Layla Rose and Kasey Owens.  This was also the first time I had seen either girl in action and both made a good first impression. Their match was relatively short however Owens showed her speed and agility and Rose used brute strength and really worked her heel character well, antagonising the crowd by yelling at them in German.  Both girls had near pins but it was Layla Rose who was victorious on the night.  I would like to see them both in action again in the future.

For the final match of the first half, Reckless Intent General Manager Jason McKinlay came out to introduce Venym and Jackie Grady.  This was a bit different from their previous matches - it was the first time I had ever seen Grady play face!  Even funnier was when his entrance music was suddenly changed from his usual "Word Up" to Hanson's "Mmm-bop".  Grady got a fantastic reception from the SWE crowd from the start, which was rather strange to witness.  Venym took the upper hand early on in the match and scored a near pin.  He played the heel card to a t, using the ropes to his advantage but Grady rallied to score a near fall of his own.  The match ended when Grady managed to hit his "No Place Like Home" cravat neckbreaker on Venym and take the three count.

The second half started with an appearance from Chaz Phoenix, who updated the audience on the condition of Martyn Stallyon and confirmed he would be out of action for the foreseeable future.  He then called out both Ian Ambrose and Bravehart and proceeded to tell Bravehart that as co-owners of the SWE, there are things they cannot do without each other's approval and that includes giving Ambrose the night off.  There are, however, some things Chaz can do without requiring the approval of Bravehart, such as making the main event a triple threat match for the SWE title with Ambrose having to defend against LJT and Mikey.

The penultimate match of the night saw Scotty Riccio put the Future Division title on the line against "The Baddest Man in Professional Wrestling" Rawlins.  The majority of the crowd were firmly behind Riccio in this match, although there was a small band of support for Rawlins.  This was a pretty good match up with a bit of everything. The match started off with a series of wristlocks and cartwheel counters before Riccio took the upper hand and Rawlins left the ring.  Riccio went for a move from the ropes but Rawlins intercepted and ended up slamming Riccio flat on the ring apron before doing a suicide dive onto Riccio, however his second attempt was not as successful.  Back in the ring, the match continued to go back and forth.  Riccio hit not one but two 619s during the match, Rawlins hit his flying headbutt from the top turnbuckle  and caught Riccio in a crossface submission hold which Riccio escaped by grabbing the ropes and also unsuccessfully attempted an armbar submission.  Riccio managed hit Rawlins with his springboard moonsault after the second 619 and scored the pin to retain the title.

Finally it was time for the main event.  The match started with Ambrose getting into the faces of both his opponents and ending up in the receiving end of kicks to the face from both, sending him out of the ring.  Mikey and LJT then battled, while Ambrose watched from outside, ready to act if either of the other men looked like making a pin, before attempting to dropkick both guys from the top turnbuckle and missing, ending up outside the ring again.  This time he grabbed Mikey's foot, slamming him face first into the canvas before dragging him outside and attacking him.  There was a rather untidy exchange between Ambrose and LJT in the ring, before Ambrose launched himself from the ring apron onto Mikey.  This was followed by first LJT launching himself over the ropes onto both men outside the ring and then Mikey recovered to the ring before doing the same.  Mikey and Ambrose then took to the ring where Ambrose dominated much of the action, keeping LJT out of the ring as much as possible.  Ambrose took to the turnbuckles looking to finish Mikey when LJT appeared, moving Mikey out of the way and taking the blow himself.  Ambrose again made an escape, leaving Mikey and LJT to battle in the ring.
An attempted a springboard from the top rope from Mikey was intercepted by Ambrose, leaving Mikey outside the ring and Ambrose and LJT to finish out the match.  After a couple of near pins by LJT, he caught Ambrose in a submission hold, however Ambrose manoeuvred the hold into a pinfall.  It has been stated that Ambrose tapped out, however from the angle I was seated, it was a clear pinfall - if Ambrose did tap, neither myself nor the referee were in a position to see it.  LJT thought he had won the match until the announcement was made and, not happy with the decision, he attacked Ambrose - this story is far from over.

The night ended with Scotty Riccio making a wee presentation and leading the crowd in singing happy birthday to a young lad from the audience.

I am not going to award a match of the night for this event, as for me the stand-out moment was not a match, but the reveal of Saint-George as a Trident member - completely unexpected and certainly made my jaw drop.

The final SWE event of the year, "Seasons Beatings VII" will be held in the Ardler Complex on Saturday 13th December and tickets are available now.  Details are available on their Facebook page