Review: PWE 4th Anniversary Show "It's Yer Dar"

Another cracking wee review written by the lovely Claire Allan.  Agree wholeheartedly with everything she has written, especially Match of the Night!

Saturday 8th August, Citadel Leisure Centre, Ayr

I have been waiting months for this show, excited was a massive understatement for this!  I was bouncing off the walls all morning, nothing could contain me.

For shows, the banter starts from the queue outside.  Meeting up with Julie, Rob and Janet is always a pleasure.

The difference for this show, I was 2nd row instead of my normal front row but that won't stop me being noisy.

The silver and platinum ticket holders always get the treat of a bonus match, usually this is stars that have performed in front of crowds before but are not as well known as the ones on the main roster.  This time Adrian decided to use some of students from GPWA, to give them some experience of performing in front of die-hard fans.  This was well received.

BONUS MATCH

AUSTIN OSIRIS & KYLE KHAOS VS CS ROSE & FLEX HUNTER

GUEST REFEREE RED LIGHTNING

I was really impressed with the technical abilities of the students, apart from some mishaps with slips off the ropes.  All credit to the coaches.  Rose and Hunter definitely had the power over their smaller opponents but once Osiris and Khaos got going and started using aerial attacks, they held the fans attention.  After a well fought battle Osiris and Khaos secured the win.  It was good to hear the fans getting behind the youngsters and I hope it has done a lot for their confidence.

(Confession: I did get distracted by someone entering the building, you may have had a hoodie on but I know those legs anywhere!)

After this match, it was time to let the general ticket holders in and OMG, they just kept coming and coming.  It felt like an eternity!! Finally all the 729 fans were in the building and the main show got underway 45 minutes late. 

As MC Simon Cassidy was about to get things started, out comes Red Lightning.  He makes his feelings clear that he packed his ring attire as he was wanting a match as well as refereeing the bonus match!  He also said he was miffed that he gets overlooked for these events and wanted answers from Lionheart.  Lionheart honours Red's wish and comes to ringside.  He tells Red that he has learned a few truths since running these shows but two things stand out in this business and they are 1) Sometimes you have to do a deal with the devil and 2) The card is subject to change.......

RED LIGHTNING VS CHRIS RENFREW

The crowd erupted as Chris Renfrew made his presence felt, the amount NAK fans in the crowd was immense.  As soon as Renfrew stepped into the ring he took it to Red Lightning.  Both men have good technical ability but they are also two brilliant brawlers.  It was obvious from the start that this was Renfrew's fight, not taking anything away from Red Lightning but Renfrew is an animal!  Renfrew pinned Red in the centre of the ring.  Hopefully he has learned his lesson that you can always get what you wish for but it can be your worst nightmare!

KID FITE, TJ RAGE & DAVEY BLAZE W/CHARLES BODDINGTON VS LOU KING SHARP

TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH

TJ Rage, Davey Blaze and Charles Boddington come to the ring, closely followed by the Tag Team Champ, Lou King Sharp.  Boddington takes the mic and announces that he felt sorry for Sharp, so he decided to give Kid Fite the night off.  Lionheart comes to ringside and tells Lou that he needs to screw the nut as he isn't going to continue to save his backside. Lionheart then turns to Lou's opponents and says he thought they would pull a stunt like this, Boddington starts to say that Lionheart cannot get involved with the match but he is cut off by the boss who says he knows that he cannot get involved but he does have someone backstage that has a score to settle with Blaze n Rage and cannot wait to get in the ring.....lights go out and the video plays......IT IS THE RETURN OF KRIS TRAVIS!. The crowd went ballistic!

Now a slight deviation from the wrestling....As many people know Kris was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the middle of 2014, prior to this he started missing events due to what he thought was a stomach ulcer.  I sent him a Get Well Soon card but in hindsight, I would have sent a different design!  In September, he announced that it was stomach cancer and that he already had part of his stomach removed and that he was going to require chemotherapy.  The support he was given from colleagues within the wrestling profession and fans was phenomenal.  Shows were made in his honour, friends and fans donated on his behalf, amazing.  After his chemotherapy, Kris got back in the gym and started raising money for Cavendish Cancer Care.  He has been doing charity football matches (and planning to do more?) and helping raise more money for them any which way he can.

I make no secret that I have the utmost respect for him and do care about him (even though he probably thinks I am a mad woman!).  I have known Trav for about 3 years and always get him the same way, very respectful to fans, willing to sign autographs and pose for photographs.  He's friendly and not only is he good looking on the outside but has a beautiful heart on the inside, in my experience this is a rarity.  He is the perfect role model for kids, an inspiration to adults and a true ambassador for what he believes in.

Back to the wrestling.....

BLAZE & RAGE VS LOU KING SHARP & KRIS TRAVIS

For me, this was Match of the Night.  Not because it contained Kris Travis.  It was truly awesome, Kris proved that even after nearly a year out of the ring, he had not lost his ability and was still capable of kicking butt!  Blaze & Rage did not make it easy for them.  Kris then tagged in Lou, who got a good few hits in but the tide turned, due to their power Lou struggled against the bigger men, on one or two occasions he had the chance to tag Kris back in but attempted to go for glory but to no avail. Kris eventually got back in the ring and showed exactly how to do it!  After an amazing fight the Champ retained after the opponents were pinned.

1ST HALF MAIN EVENT

BIG DAMO VS SAMOA JOE

What a first half main event this was, two of the biggest guys I have seen in a ring.  As normal, most of the fans were on the side of the 'Samoan Submission Machine' but my group were firmly on the side of the 'Beast of Belfast' which made the chanting fight very interesting, as my group are some of the loudest fans about!  The two men were equals in the ring in both power and ability.  In the beginning, nothing could separate them.  The fight went on the outside and they got into a chopfest.  Damo is a hard hitter but even I felt everyone of Joe's as they echoed around the Citadel.  After more action in the ring, Joe got the win after making Big Damo submit, showing why he is a Submission Machine!

DREW GALLOWAY VS IESTYN REES

This was definitely a match for the ladies!  Two very handsome men.  As soon as both men were in the ring, you could tell there is a bit of history between them especially after Iestyn blames Drew for him losing the Elite Rumble.  This was my third time seeing Iestyn Rees and have been quite impressed, he has a great ring presence and can hold the crowd’s attention.  Drew Galloway has similar qualities but had the backing from his hometown crowd.  After some in ring action, Drew decides he should take Iestyn on a grand tour of the Citadel, introducing him to fans, walls and doors!  Once back at the ring, Iestyn turned the tables and threatened get his own back with a couple of painful chops against the guard rail.  Eventually Drew managed to pin Iestyn, after a hard fought battle. 

WOLFGANG & KENNY WILLIAMS VS THE COFFEYS

This was another match I was interested in.  In the last couple of shows, there has been some cracks showing between the two brothers, would it finally break tonight?  The fans were split equally, again the chant wars began, even overheard a couple of girls arguing who was the better looking Coffey brother! (and put my tuppence worth in).  Once the match began it was Mark vs Kenny, Mark had the upperhand in this contest then tagged in Joe.  At this point the match was swinging back and forth, so much so Joe even took Kenny for a swing!  Once Kenny & Wolfie took control of the match, Joe did not stand a chance. There was fantastic chemistry on the team of Wolfie & Kenny.  Nearer the end of the match, Joe managed to escape the clutches of his opponents but instead of accepting his tag, Mark jumped from the apron which in turn was the main reason for Joe being pinned and Wolfgang & Kenny being winners.  Joe remained in the ring for a few moments, stunned by what his brother had done.  Mark came back out and Joe demanded answers!  Mark did not explain himself but showed some cowardice by slapping his brother then running away.  I think it is jealousy on Mark's part as it was clear the crowd favoured Joe.

MAIN EVENT

NOAM DAR VS GRADO

This was the most anticipated match of the night, the atmosphere was electric, the hall was buzzing.  Keeping in mind, these two are the best of friends away from the ring and have travelled the world together.  The challenger came to the ring in his usual style, you could see the focus in his eyes, he wants the title and I was praying he would get it. Next out came the champion, accompanied by a young lady singing his entrance music.  Usually in a Grado match there are some comedy moments but tonight it was different, he wanted to retain the title just as much as Noam wanted the win.  No-one could get the upperhand, the bad thing about fighting your friend is they know your style like the back of their hand, they know what moves you are going to do!  It was a great match thus far!!  Unfortunately, near the end poor Eddie (the ref) took a hard knock and was out cold!  Noam managed to get the anklelock on which had Grado tapping but there was no official to make the call.  Noam went over to try to revive Eddie, when he turned round he got caught by 'The Wee Boot' and was pinned.  Again, nobody to make the call.  Enter Iestyn Rees, who believes he should have been in this match instead of Noam, starts to beat up both Noam and Grado.  Drew Galloway makes the save.  This causes Blaze & Rage with Boddington to make their presence known and help Iestyn.  Samoa Joe then comes in and cleans house with the bad guys!  He even manages to cause that 'baldy midget' Charles Boddington some pain!  The match ends in a no contest.  Drew, Joe, Noam and Grado then have a little dance in the ring.  Personally, I would have preferred the match to continue until there was an outright winner but the time was against this match.

All in all it was an excellent show, the best Pro Wrestling Elite show so far.  Adrian McCallum deserves a lot of plaudits for putting on these shows on, they are definitely getting better each time......you may need to start looking for a bigger venue soon!

Wishing Pro Wrestling Elite all the best for the next show on 26th September at Ayr Town Hall, the roof will be raised! Unfortunately I will not be there due to family commitments!

PS If you want to donate to Cavendish Cancer Care, you can text TRAV01 followed by either £5 or £10 to 70070.  Your donations will be much appreciated.

Until next time......

Review: Reckless Intent presents Proving Grounds

Some of my friends made the the journey from Ayr to check out Reckless Intent's Proving Grounds show in July.  I asked one of them, Claire Allan, if she would mind writing a wee review of the show....and here's what she had to say.....


On 4th July, I travelled all the way to Livingston for my first ever Reckless Intent show.  I will be totally honest, I was apprehensive about the show.  It's a smaller company than the ones I am used to going to and was frightened that I would not enjoy it.

THE SHOW

Enter Davey Blaze with the 'manager of champions' Charles Boddington, proclaiming he was only here for one reason and that was to become Reckless Intent Champion.  This statement then brought out current champion 'Local Hero' Joe Hendry.  Joe tried to reason with Davey, explaining that he is aware of his talents and that he doesn't need a leech like Boddington to get to the top and could get there on his own merit.  Blaze took umbridge to this and attacked Hendry, which then set up the main event of the night - Blaze vs Hendry for the Reckless Intent Championship.

LIONHEART VS RAWLINS

I found this quite amusing that one of the participants had to tell us he was a bad guy right at the start so I made the quickest face turn in a century and was cheering for Rawlins.  This was the first time I had seen Rawlins wrestle and was impressed, he could possibly fit in with the events I normally attend.  Lionheart was doing a little parading around the ring and in the process managed to make a young fan cry.  After an entertaining match that could have went either way, Lionheart pinned Rawlins for the win.  After the match, Lionheart went over to the young fan which I thought was to console him but ever the typical heel, he made the fan cry even more!

LEWIS GIRVAN'S OPEN CHALLENGE

The self-proclaimed 'best young wrestler in the world' Lewis Girvan comes to ring with a chair, stating that there is no young wrestler that could beat him and he wasn't leaving the ring until he gets to prove it.  Venym answers his call.  As with Rawlins, this was the first time seeing Venym and the first thing I noticed about him was his beaming smile.  This was another match that could have went either way with both men showing good technical ability and Lewis even took Venym on a walk around the ring and kindly placed him on my knee then hit him with an almighty chop which I felt right through from Venym.  After some more too-ing and fro-ing, Lewis pinned Venym for the win and it added more fuel to his fire that he is the 'best young wrestler in the world.

CHRIS RENFREW VS SAINT GEORGE

For me, this match, first half main event, was Match Of The Night.  A street fight between Chris Renfrew, a man I have a lot of admiration for, and Saint George.  Even though I have never seen Saint George, he is what us Scots call a bawbag especially after waving that English flag over my face!  This match was intense from start to finish.  Renfrew took it to Saint George right from the bell.  Both men knocking lumps out of each other and even had a little trip outside which saw both men being rattled off the fence and round the side of the Scout Hall was a broken toilet, which Renfrew sat Saint George on and hit him with a few chops that could probably have been heard in Edinburgh then grabbed him and stuck his head down it and pretended to flush.  The fight then returns to the ring where Darren Lewis's music plays and Saint George tries to take advantage but fails and Chris Renfrew seals the win.  Renfrew then issues Lewis with a warning saying he will be defending his UK title against Renfrew at Cruel Summer.

SIX MAN TAG MATCH

This match sees Scott Renwick, Theo Doros and Sweet Johnny vs Jam O'Malley, Matt Daly and Rob Mills accompanied by Wee Jimmy dressed as an Ompah Loompah.  Sorry to say, this match didn't light my fire. I was ecstatic that I finally got to see Rob wrestle but Sweet Johnny annoyed the hell out of me!  I did try to get into the fight but my heart couldn't get into it.  After the wrestling, the team of Scott Renwick, Theo Doros and Sweet Johnny secured the win.  Jam turned his attention to his team mates and blamed them for the defeat.  Both Matt Daly and Rob Mills walk away leaving Jam in the hall with the winning team.  After the match, the GM came out and advised Jam that he now had to defend his Hardcore Championship at any time and any place.  This brought The Westler and Jackie Grady to the ring to try to win the title from Jam but they got into a fight with Theo Doros and Sweet Johnny leaving Jam and Scott in the ring.  Scott defeats Jam to win the Hardcore Championship, that brings Saint George out who distracts Scott for Jam to win the title back.  Chris Renfrew was hot on Saint George's heels that caused some members of the audience to run outside in case the scrap from earlier continued.

MIKEY VS KENNY WILLIAMS

I was looking forward to this match, Kenny is someone who I have seen on several occasions and has impressed me each time.  I have only seen Mikey on YouTube but liked what I saw.  Both men lived up to expectations, had a great mix of high flying and technical ability.  Even though Kenny reminded me that it was a family show after yelling 'Kenny is the bollocks' which then started the girls sitting next to me to shout 'Mikey is the mutts nutts'.  After some more fantastic wrestling, Mikey beat Kenny by pinfall.  After the match Mikey said that he has defeated some excellent competitors since returning from knee surgery but at Cruel Summer he will face none other than the 'Beast of Belfast' Damian O'Connor.

JOE HENDRY (C) VS DAVEY BLAZE

This was the night's main event, these two men looked equals when in the ring the only difference is the small person standing at ringside.  Of course, without fail, I managed to get the standard 'baldy midget' chant ringing round the hall plus the poor girls next to me took some abuse from Blaze, think he was scared to abuse me!  Once the match began the two men in the ring were definitely equals and above average technical wrestlers.  This was another match that you could not tell the eventual outcome.  It was move after move, countermove after countermove, it was an excellent match for first timers to watch.  You could tell Blaze was getting frustrated with the near falls.  Joe's resilience was second to none, he knew what was at stake.  In the end it came down to the little person who got involved but was not sly enough and was caught by the referee so Joe Hendry won by disqualification to retain the title.  After the match, Blaze took his anger out on Joe Hendry and started to beat him down only for Scott Renwick to come and save the Reckless Intent Champion and issue Davey Blaze with a match at Cruel Summer.

As I stated at the start of the blog, I was apprehensive about this show but I clearly had nothing to be apprehensive about.  It was an excellent show and I hope the crowd at Reckless continues to grow.  I do hope to return at some point but at this moment I can't say when!

P.S. I do believe some of the gang may be there in September!

A huge Thank You! to Claire for her comments and look forward to your next visit to Livingston.

Review: Reckless Intent presents Never Back Down

Saturday 4 April 2015

April saw the return of Reckless Intent to Murieston Scout Hall and another sell out show.

As announced at the previous Sunday Slam show, there was a pre-show match with Venym defending the Sunday Slam title in a 10 man rumble style elimination match.  The match started with Venym, Disturbed and Chavi with a new competitor arriving at timed intervals.  Venym was eliminated early and Chavi and Disturbed seemed to have the match well in control, eliminating each entrant almost as soon as they entered the ring.  As Hardcore Champion Craig "The Firestorm" Valant made his entrance he was attacked by Jam O'Malley who took the Hardcore Championship under the 24/7 rule.  O'Malley was immediately challenged by Wee Jimmy, however it was Westy who took advantage and rolled up O'Malley to take the belt before running out of the building, chased by Wee Jimmy and Jam O'Malley.  Back in the ring the action continued and it came down to Chavi, Disturbed and Valant, who finally made it into the ring after being attacked.  Disturbed was eliminated and after both men had a near fall, Valant managed to secure a submission on Chavi to become the new Sunday Slam Champion.

The main show opened with Mikey making an announcement that he had been cleared to return to the ring on 2 May and he would face Lewis Girvan, one of Scotland's fastest rising stars at the Super Bowl tournament.  The Sons of Silence then appeared and proceeded to beat Mikey, before attempting to damage his recently repaired knee with a chair.  Joe Hendry made the save and Chris Renfrew appeared behind the retreating SOS and a small preview of the night's main event ensued.  Hendry then took the microphone to announce that he would be teaming with Chris Renfrew to face SOS later that evening and to warn Scott Renwick that he was coming after the Reckless Intent title.

The first scheduled match of the night saw LJT take on Bobby Roberts.  This was an interesting match-up, with Roberts' size advantage being countered with the speed and agility of LJT.  The fight spilled outside the ring with Roberts using his strength to catch LJT as he flew toward him, slamming him into the ring apron and ringpost, however LJT was quick to move out of the way as Roberts barrelled towards him, leaving the big man to smack into the ringpost himself.  The match continued to swing back and forth until, with Roberts in control, Saint-George's entrance music played.  Roberts immediately turned to face the entrance, only for Saint-George to sneak in from the side of the hall, crawling around the ring and enabling him to attack Roberts from behind, at which point Ian Ambrose also appeared.  The referee called for the bell and awarded the match to Bobby Roberts as a result of a disqualification.  Craig Valant then appeared to even the numbers and when an angry LJT got involved, Saint-George and Ambrose attempted to make a hasty retreat.....

....General Manager Jason McKinlay was having none of it however.  He came out to ringside and announced that Ambrose would face Craig Valant right there and then and Saint-George was banned from ringside during the match.  Ambrose, brandishing his cardboard SWE replica, then announced that as a fighting champion the match would be for the "SWE Heavyweight Championship". A great wee match with plenty going on, the crowd were firmly behind Valant and remained vocal throughout.  The end came with Valant looking to be in control of the match, however as he turned with Ambrose across his shoulders while going for "The Firestorm", Ambrose kicked the referee in the head with his boot, knocking him down.  Valant pinned Ambrose but the referee was unable to make the count.  As Valant attempted to rouse the referee, Ambrose grabbed his cardboard belt, hiding the Sunday Slam belt behind it and nailed Valant on the head, then tossing the belts aside as the referee came to, pinned Valant to take the victory (and retain his cardboard title).

The first half main event saw Saint-George face the upcoming Lou King Sharp.  I have seen Sharp a few times at different promotions and I am in awe of the confidence of this young "pocket rocket" (he is the same age as my own son!!)  He totally embraces the fact that he is shorter and slighter built than most wrestlers but he more than makes up for it with his attitude and character and had the audience in fits of laughter from the minute he entered the ring.  Sharp started off well but the Englishman soon took the advantage.  A trip outside the ring had Sharp grabbing the timekeeper's hammer for the bell and threatening to ring Saint-George's bell with it instead.  Back in the ring, an accidental lowblow to the ref was followed with Saint-George hitting Sharp with a deliberate lowblow.  Sharp returned the favour before all three hit the canvas, holding their respective bits!  While Sharp appeared to recover quickest he was soon hit with the Saint George Cross and pinned, but somehow managed to kick out at two.  Saint-George was furious and went looking under the ring for a steel chair which ended up being his undoing - Sharp knocked the chair back into the face of Saint-George before pinning him for the three count.

The second half of the show started with The Best in the West (-Lothian) Jackie Grady and Westy facing the Russell Brothers.  This was a reasonable match, however it seemed to get a little chaotic after AJ Russell slipped on the turnbuckle, injuring his knee.  Westy and Grady took the victory and both held out their hand to JJ Russell after the match.  JJ and AJ Russell fistbumped each other at ringside before heading backstage.  Then it really got chaotic.  As the victors celebrated, Jam O'Malley made his move on Westy, once again taking the Hardcore belt, donning Westy's wig and trying to shake the hand of Grady.  Conor Frost then attacked O'Malley to take the title before being hit by a springboard missile dropkick from Mikey who claimed the belt and became the second person in the "Triple Crown" club.  His reign was short-lived as Bobby Roberts hit him with a spear before taking the title.  Jam O'Malley hit Roberts with a lowblow, only to be on the receiving end of a lowblow from Westy who then pinned Roberts to retake the Hardcore title and was then, once again, chased from the building by Jam O'Malley.

The penultimate match saw newcomer Theo Doros face Venym.  This was a good match, and Doros put on a good show in his first one-on-one bout against the more experienced Venym, definitely holding his own and showing some amazing potential for the future.  There were several near pins for both guys and surprising it was Doros who took the victory, however Venym was gracious in defeat, shaking the hand of Doros before raising it in victory.

Finally it was time for the main event.  The SOS members Graeme Leask, Darren Lewis and Scott Renwick stood in the ring as Chris Renfrew and Joe Hendry made their way through the curtains.  Lewis was quick to point out that SOS had the numbers advantage but this was soon rectified by the appearance of Rawlins.  The match started off as a giant brawl, with all 6 men in the ring knocking lumps out of each other before gradually settling down.  Renfrew and Co took control early, making several tags and isolating Leask in the ring.  SOS then had a period of control, where Renwick and Lewis made several quick tags which focusing on Hendry.  Lewis then brought a steel chair into the equation, first nailing Renfrew with it and then, when Renwick appeared to have Hendry set up for the Angels Wings, Lewis demanded that Renwick send him to the ropes in order that Lewis could nail Hendry with the chair.  Renwick initially refused but finally gave in to Lewis' bullying, only for Hendry to reverse the move and Renwick was nailed with the chair instead, allowing Hendry to pin him for the victory.  Renwick was furious and a heated verbal encounter took place at ringside between Renwick and his SOS team-mates.

Hendry then took the microphone and announced that he had just pinned the Reckless Intent champion and challenged Renwick to put the title on the line there and then.  Renwick accepted and with Rawlins and Renfrew making sure that Leask and Lewis were "otherwise engaged", an impromptu title match took place.....and Hendry once again pinned Renwick to become the new champ and third member of the "Triple Crown" club.  Renwick sent the referee from the ring, before handing the belt over to Hendry and shaking his hand.  Lewis and Leask reappeared at ringside and Renwick threw his SOS hoodie in the face of Lewis before walking backstage with his head held high.....Scott Renwick has seen the light!!!!

Hendry was then joined in the ring by several of the roster members and made an emotional speech, thanking the fans and Reckless Intent for their support.  To see Hendry win the title and his speech, click here.

This was an incredible show and with the surprise title match to finish it off, I was gobsmacked.

The next Reckless Intent event is the Super BOWL tournament which is split over two dates.  The qualifying rounds take place at Sunday Slam at the RI Unit on 19 April with entry only £5 on the door.  The final of the tournament will take place on 2 May at Murieston Scout Hall and tickets are available online.  Details of matches and ticket available can be found on the Reckless Intent Facebook page

Review: Reckless Intent presents Reckless Intent 3

Saturday 7 February 2015

This was the first Reckless Intent show to have a Bonus pre-show match for advance ticket holders and it appeared that everyone wanted to see it, as there were very few people who required tickets on the door!!

The pre-show match was a corker.  Billed as a Mystery Doors match there was a door in each corner, each with an envelope attached, containing details of the prizes to be won, one of which was the Hardcore Title.  To win the contents of an envelope, you had to put an opponent through the door, eliminating them in the process!  With 5 men and 4 doors, someone was leaving empty-handed and no-one would know who was the Hardcore Champion until after the match when the envelopes would be opened.  Davidian Fury won the first envelop by putting current Hardcore Champ Sam Crowe through a door, ensuring there would be a new champion at the end of the match.  Craig "The Firestorm" Valant took the second envelope after eliminating Fury before being put through the third door himself by AJ Russell.  Finally JJ Russell took the final envelope by putting his brother through the last door.  Then the envelopes were opened .... Davidian Fury won the chance to be guest host at Sunday Slam, AJ Russell won the Hardcore Title, Craig Valant won an Elton John CD and JJ Russell won Fish and Chips - and was so excited, you would think he had won the title belt!!  The action was not over, however, as Bobby Roberts came out to the ring, hit AJ Russell with a spear and pinned him for the Hardcore Title.  Westy then appeared to challenge Roberts but instead was hit in the head with the belt and Roberts left still Champion.

The main show began with the appearance of the SOS, dragging a dishevelled Jason McKinlay to the ring.  They sat him on a chair and berated him before they unmasked themselves one by one....first the mouthpiece of the group was revealed to be Graeme Leask, then UK Title holder Darren Lewis was unmasked and took credit for putting the group together before introducing the final member of their group....none other than Reckless Intent Champion Scott Renwick!

With the SOS still in the ring, Chris Renfrew came out for his match against Darren Lewis, however the match never happened as all three members of SOS beat Renfrew, using the steel chair.  The RI Originals, Rawlins and Mikey came out to make the save and acting GM Doctor Grue came to the ring and refused to allow the match to go ahead, despite Renfrew's protests that he was able to continue.  Instead a match was set between Lewis and Renfrew for the next show at Murieston on 4 April and Renfrew announced that if Lewis is going to have his friends there, he would be bringing some friends of his own, before making the NAK hand sign.

Next was Joe Hendry against Rawlins.  Before the match started, Rawlins asked acting GM Doctor Grue to remove Conor Frost as referee, citing Frost's previous questionable decisions.  This request was granted and an alternative referee , Brian Laing, took over.  Frost then announced that he had lodged an official complaint against Rawlins for putting his hands on him at Sunday Slam.  With Frost removed from proceedings, we were then treated to a cracking match.  With attempted pins and submissions from both guys, this match went back and forth but Rawlins attempted a flying headbutt from the ropes which Hendry avoided and capitalised on to take the pinfall.  A win for Hendry, but Rawlins appeared to accept a defeat where the referee was not a factor!

The first half main event saw Bobby Roberts pick an opponent for Saint-George and, very cleverly, picked Saint-George's friend and ally, Ian Ambrose.  The match began with the two friends refusing to fight each other before messing about, gently poking each other and acting like they had taken the hardest hit ever.  With the crowd getting annoyed at this blatant mickey-taking, Doctor Grue came out to the ring and restarted the match, demanding that they take it seriously or be fired.  The bell rang and Ambrose went straight for the pin.  Saint-George was shocked and angry and a proper match began to take place.....until Bravehart appeared and restored harmony between the friends.  All three then turned on Grue.  First they started stripping him of his shoes, jacket and tie and then began to bully him, demanding he hand the GM powers over to Bravehart.  Bobby Roberts made the save but a shaken Grue said it was too much for him and handed Bravehart the GM position.

The first match of the second half saw Saint-George pick Bobby Roberts' opponent and he chose the new acting GM Bravehart.  The first thing the new GM did was make it a 3 on 1 handicap match, leaving Roberts at the mercy of Bravehart, Ambrose and Saint-George and effectively handing Bravehart the win.  This was not enough for the "Better Together" crew and they continued to beat Roberts, tearing his Scotland flag and draping it over him before LJT came out to make the save.  As Bobby got to his feet however, LJT struck with a superkick and pinned Roberts to take the Hardcore title.  Immediately AJ Russell appeared and hit LJT with a spear before becoming Hardcore champ for the second time that night.  The action was not over as JJ Russell came out and hit his brother with a crutch and the title changed hands once again.  As Russell made his way backstage with the belt, Westy appeared to challenge him and once again took a whack to the head with the belt.

The penultimate match saw The Super Friends, Venym and Chris Echo, take on Jackie Grady and Westy.  Now I am not quite sure where Venym is going with his character - he came out carrying a replica of Thor's hammer and there was this weird skit with Echo not being able to lift it but Venym could...the crowd seemed to like it though but personally I don't think he needs the hammer gimmick!  Anyway the match was okay - Venym swung Grady around while Echo jumped over Grady's head which was cool!  Westy got his usual pop from the crowd which appears to be getting under the skin of Grady, who walked away and left Westy alone and allowed the Super Friends to take the win.

Finally it was main event time - Scott Renwick would put the title on the line against Mikey. Acting GM Bravehart made this match a No Disqualification, Anything Goes match, effectively stacking the match in favour of the newly revealed SOS member.  Now, anyone who has attended a RI show will be aware of how Mikey's mum Janet deals with seeing her son in matches and after the No DQ was announced, I was advised to keep Janet occupied and out of the hall.  I was partially successful - she sneaked in but soon left again in tears - but this meant that I did not witness the action as it happened, rather I was allowed to watch the video footage afterward in order to give my opinion for this blog and I thank Callum Kerr for the photo used as I was not able to get any shots of my own. There is only one word to describe this match and that is brutal.  Mikey dived straight into the ring and let Renwick know how angry he was with his fists.  This was no wrestling match...this was a fight!  As Renwick took the upper hand, he appeared to tell his SOS cohorts that he had this under control and they left....but they would return later! As Mikey started to gain an advantage, they returned, quickly followed by Rawlins to help even the numbers......in fact, just watch it for yourself by clicking here and check out Mikey's 18ft leap from a ladder inside the ring onto tables outside which ultimately led to Renwick taking the win!  Amazing match...definitely match of the night!!

The next Reckless Intent show is "No Going Back" on 7 March at the RI Unit and tickets will be available on the door priced at £7 for adults, £5 for kids or a family ticket (2 adults/2 kids) is £20.  Details of this event and all future events are on Facebook

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: Reckless Intent presents Reckless Intentions

Saturday 4 October 2014

Reckless Intentions is the annual Hardcore show and WOW!!! What a show!  This had to be the best RI show ever and has slotted nicely into second place in my top three shows I have attended!  Even better as earlier in the day I wasn't sure how things would work out.  There had already been a card change due to illness and when I arrived at the unit shortly after noon there was hardly a soul about and Mikey was looking decidedly green!  After being nagged constantly, he finally went home for a couple of hours in the hope that he would feel better for his match later but to be honest, I really didn't think he would manage.

The show started with the announcement that former Ring Announcer Jason McKinlay had been appointed the new General Manager after the departure of John Long.  As Jason thanked the crowd for their support and asked them to show their appreciation for the effort for the guys in the back, the entrance music of Joe Hendry began to play and out came Joe Hendry with the Reckless Intent Hardcore belt which he decided he wanted to be renamed the "Joe Hendry Global Hero Technical Wrestling Championship" with all future matches to be under a strict 15 minute time limit.  He then announced that there was no-one in the building who could take the title from him under his rules and demanded McKinlay sanction his match or he would "boot the title out the door".  McKinlay said there would be no name change but he could have a time limit match.

Stating once again there was no-one in the building brave enough to take him on in a match of this type, the crowd went wild when "The Beast of Belfast" Damian O'Connor appeared.  With Hendry reluctant to get in the ring and face the big man, referee Westy began to count him out and finally Hendry entered the ring on the count of 9.  Hearing the crowds "Total Zero" response to the Joe Hendry chant, big Damo capitalised on this and began shouting out Joe Hendry for the crowd reply - Hendry was not amused!  This was a cracking match with some great technical moves displayed.  We were treated to the sight of the big man standing on the chest of Hendry before dropping a senton on him.  Hendry managed to lift Damo onto his shoulders - a feat I don't think I have witnessed before (if he had managed to get Damo into his signature suplex I would have been utterly awestruck but I don't think he is ready to attempt that just yet)  Finally Damo somersaulted across the ring with Hendry on his shoulder before going for the pin, however as the referee counted two, the bell rang to announce the end of the 15 minute time limit.  An incensed Damo demanded 5 more minutes as Hendry crawled out of the ring.  The new GM returned to announce that not only will be belt NOT be renamed, the Hardcore 24/7 rules were back in force with immediate effect.  Hendry then ran out door and out of the car park, chased by Damo but without a referee with them, the title would not change hands that night.

The second match of the night was the one I did not expect to happen - a non-title handicap match between SOS and Mikey.  First the three members of  Sons of Silence entered the ring and did some trash talking before the lights went out.  When they came on again only two members remained in the ring.  Despite still being extremely sick and running a fever, Mikey came out.  The two SOS members attacked from the second he got in the ring and Mikey took quite a beating before starting to pull it back and gain some momentum.  With one member of SOS lying prone on the floor at ringside and Mikey looking to finish the other, this was when SOS #3 reappeared and nailed him with a powerbomb, scoring the pinfall.  Once again the lights went out and when they came on SOS were gone and Scott Renwick, DCT and Bobby Roberts were in the ring to assist Mikey, who proceeded to throw up in a bin at ringside.  After being helped backstage, he then did the sensible thing and went straight home.

The first half main event saw "The Butcher" Scott Renwick face Saint-George in a falls count anywhere match for the RI World title.  This was an amazing match and a close second place for Match of the Night.  Renwick came out to huge cheers from the crowd who were looking forward to seeing Saint-George taken down,  Saint-George was antagonised first by the presence of Jam O'Malley at ringside and then by a certain person holding up a rather fetching picture stating this had been found in the dictionary as the definition of troglodyte! (check out the Loudmouth profile pic on Facebook) The action started in the ring before heading out into the car park.  As both men battled outside, slamming each other onto the concrete and using barriers, metal shutters and even bottles of water from the merch table as weapons, Jam O'Malley tried to calm the situation, further antagonising Saint-George.  As the action returned to the unit, it looked like Renwick was about to take the Englishman into the loo and flush his head, however Saint-George managed to gain the advantage, ramming Renwick into the ringpost.  Back in the ring, Saint-George maintained the advantage, putting Renwick in a sleeper hold but the crowd rallied him and Renwick began to mount a comeback.  The match then swung back and forth as each tried to finish the match, however a shove from Saint-George sent Renwick reeling into the referee, knocking him out and leaving him unable to count after hitting Saint-George with the Angel's Wings.  As Renwick tried to rouse the ref, Saint-George hit a lowblow then rolled him up and, using a handful of tights as leverage, scored the pin to retain the title. Then chaos ensued.  Saint-George attacked Renwick, Jam O'Malley got into the ring to restrain him before Renwick made an attack of his own.  Suddenly the entire roster were in the ring holding Renwick and Saint-George in opposite corners as they continued to try to fight.  General Manager Jason McKinlay then announced that there will be no cheating under his rule and that Renwick would be granted a rematch for the title at Over the Top on 1 November.  With Renwick still being restrained in the ring, Saint-George was ushered by others backstage, running his mouth the entire way!

The first match after the interval was scheduled to be a triple threat match with Craig Valant v Jackie Grady v Venym, however with Valant having to withdraw due to illness, this was ended up a one on one match between Grady and Venym.  This was actually a really good match, however the crowd were a bit subdued, not entirely sure who to cheer as both are known heels.  Venym came out in his new ring gear and a new attitude - no trash talking the crowd - but any face turn here had not been made obvious and it's possible that a wee promo might have helped!  The match swung back and forth with Grady taking some big boots to the face and Venym being caught in Grady's "Hamburger Time" submission move however the end came when Venym swung Grady around the ring before catapulting him into the corner, however Grady managed to regain his equilibrium faster and caught Venym with a kick to the face, following it up with his "No Place Like Home" cravat neckbreaker finisher to score the win.

Next up was a tag team elimination match where Bobby Roberts and DCT faced The Gatecrashers.  The match began with a pose-off between DCT and Christopher Saynt, with the crowd definitely more appreciative of the moves of DCT.  Once the match got properly underway, The Gatecrashers used their slickness in order to keep the referee focused on Roberts while double teaming DCT before they eliminated him.  They then blatantly attempted to double team Roberts, however Roberts managed to eliminate Saynt, leaving him to face Dave Conrad.  There is bad blood between these two and this was the first time Roberts was able to get his hands on Conrad since he interfered in Roberts title match against Rawlins at Proving Grounds in June and they went at it hammer and tong.  As Roberts took the advantage, Saynt reappeared, jumping on the ring apron to distract Roberts and the referee, however DCT came out and pulled Saynt down, once again levelling the field and allowing Roberts to score the win.

Finally, the main event - a  TLC match featuring Chris Renfrew, Martyn Stallyon, Darren Lewis and Rawlins, with the Wooden Spoon Briefcase suspended above the ring.  The winner of the match will be able to cash in the briefcase for a shot at any title at any time in the next year.  This was definitely Match of the Night.  As soon as the bell rang, Lewis shot out of the ring, chased by Renfrew and out into car park, leaving Rawlins and Stallyon to battle it out in the ring.  Rawlins pulled down the top rope and Stallyon went over to the floor, Renfrew and Lewis returned and Rawlins suicide dived them all.  Renfrew grabbed a chair, which just happened to be the one I had vacated, and used it to attack Lewis but managed to catch me with it too! Stallyon went for the case but Saint-George appeared, pulling him from the ladder and sending him through one of the tables.  Scott Renwick came out, Saint-George ran out the door, followed by Jam O'Malley and Renwick helped the injured Stallyon away from the ring.  Lewis and Rawlins then double-teamed Renfrew, before turning on each other.  As Rawlins is about to take the case, SOS appear.  Rawlins suicide dived them before taking them out into the car park.  Lewis and Renfrew continued to battle until they both climbed the ladder.  Still fighting at the top, it suddenly buckled and fell, sending Renfrew through yet another table - he went through three of them in total!  Lewis was then able to climb the ladder and grab the case to win the match.  This match was incredible but don't just take my word for it, check it out for yourself!

All in all, an incredible show...and all for only £5!!

The next Reckless Intent shows are:-

Sunday Slam on 19 October at the RI Unit, which will showcase some of the trainees and will also see Saint-George face Jam O'Malley. Tickets for this event are only £5.

The "Over The Top" Rumble show on Saturday 1 November at Murieston Scout Hall with tickets costing £10 adults and £5 kids or a family ticket at £25 (2 adults and 2 kids). As well as the rumble, matches announced so far are the rematch between Saint-George and Scott Renwick and Rawlins will face Falcon.

Information on upcoming events and tickets can be found at their Facebook page.

Review: Reckless Intent presents Cruel Summer

Saturday 9 August 2014

So, as has become normal with Reckless Intent shows, we arrived early so Rob could help with the prep work - this time he was going to be doing some ringside camera work.  I, of course, sat in the car finishing off posters and awaiting the arrival of Colt Cabana!!  I broke my rule of not entering the unit until showtime in order to take some photos of the show roster in the ring but this one by Andrew West is so much better than any of mine and he has given me permission to use it in my blog!

With Colt Cabana and Chris Renfrew making their Reckless Intent debuts, there was a lot of interest in this event.  In order to accommodate more people, a standing area was created by opening the large shutter door and extending slightly outside of the unit, and by the time the show started, it was standing room only!

The show started with "The Superstar" Darren Lewis coming out to the ring accompanied by Joe Hendry.  After demanding silence, he was greeted with a chorus of "slightly average" and then went on to complain about the management calling his character into question and bringing an American over to face him!  Enter Colt Cabana to a massive pop from the crowd and he entertained from the start, picking up babies from ringside and dancing them on the apron.  Once in the ring, he continued to entertain, first moonwalking across the ring, then making fun of referee Adam and the fact that he was wearing cowboy boots and finally spending ages smoothing and rolling up his jacket, before tossing it over his shoulder, while Lewis got more and more wound up waiting.  There followed a lovely wee match with lots of genuine wrestling moves, interspersed with comedy moments and I can now see where Grado gets his inspiration!  Of course Lewis would not fight fair, with Joe Hendry at ringside, who grabbed the leg of Cabana, breaking the momentum and giving Lewis the opportunity to take the advantage, before tossing Cabana out of the ring to be attacked by Hendry while Lewis distracted the referee.  When the referee finally noticed, Joe Hendry was removed from ringside.  The match then swung back and forth, with Cabana missing a corner splash, then Lewis going over the ropes and being catapulted back in.  Finally with Cabana holding the advantage, he climbed the turnbuckle to finish Lewis when Hendry reappeared, throwing a cup of water into the face of Cabana, causing him to lose his balance and fall and allowing Lewis to roll him up for the three count.

After the match, Colt Cabana took the microphone and said how he would have liked to have come out and scored the win for the crowd and he was sorry not to have done so.  He then said he has pretty much wrestled for every independent promotion in the world but there was something special about being in "a garage in a corner" packed with fans having fun and enjoying themselves, from in their 50's to 3 days old, before thanking the crowd for having him.

Next out to the ring was Bobby Roberts, who told the crowd of his anger at not being given a match against Dave Conrad and that no matter who was announced as his opponent, in his mind he would be facing Dave Conrad and therefore that individual would suffer the consequences.  Out came General Manager John Long who announced that Roberts' opponent would be Venym.  As usual, Venym came out running his mouth but, true to his word, Roberts tore into Venym like a man possessed.  After pummelling Venym in the ring, Roberts continued his assault outside the ring, but on re-entering the ring, Venym managed to get the upper hand, attacking the knee of Roberts to try to keep him off-balance.  Venym hooked the legs of Roberts and attempted to swing the big man but was unable to lift Roberts from the mat and appeared to injure his back after his third failed attempt.  This gave Roberts the opportunity to regain the advantage, however suddenly Conrad's entrance music played and Roberts turned to face the entrance waiting for Conrad to appear.  Venym capitalised on his distraction, hitting him with a lowblow and scoring the pin.  An irate Bobby Roberts then took out his frustrations on referee Westy, knocking him to the mat before leaving the ring.

Once again Dave Conrad's entrance music rang out, only this time he did appear, followed by his opponent DCT.  These two men seemed evenly matched in size and strength but DCT had the crowd firmly behind him and took the early advantage however Conrad fought back and soon had the upper hand.  With the match continuing to swing back and forth, both men scored near falls but the difference between them was Conrad's preference for underhanded tactics.  Conrad grabbed the bell and was about to whack DCT with it, but referee Westy grabbed the bell from him.  With the ref returning the bell to the announce table, Conrad hit DCT with a low blow and was about to attempt to finish the match when Bobby Roberts returned to the ring and chaos ensued as Conrad and Roberts attempted to tear each other to pieces.  It took SIX men to try to keep these two apart while the crowd chanted "Let them fight".  After eventually managing to get Conrad out of the ring, General Manager John Long attempted to reprimand Roberts, slapping and shoving him but Roberts was not going to take this and once again vented his frustration and speared the General Manager to the delight of the crowd, before losing it completely and knocking down anyone who dared to get within arms length.  Long then told Roberts to consider himself suspended.  It was then announced that the match win had been awarded to Dave Conrad as a result of a disqualification.

The first half main event was a UK Title match between current champion Mikey and the man he beat for the belt Jackie Grady.  There appears to be a rather intense rivalry between these two young guys and they both went all out to show who was the better man.  The match started with them slapping each other before spilling out of the ring with Grady quickly taking the upper hand, slamming Mikey's head off the ringpost and apron.  After returning to the ring and Grady scoring a near fall, Mikey took the advantage and when the action again spilled out of the ring, this time Mikey was in control and slammed Grady into the ringpost.  Back in the ring, Mikey fulfilled the crowd's request to make Grady squeal like a girl.  This match went back and forth and with both guys trying everything they could to win, we saw everything from chops and slaps, armdrags from the top rope, high flying moves from the turnbuckles, a package piledriver from Mikey and a very nice cravat neckbreaker from Grady.  With Mikey appearing to have injured his knee, Grady looked to capitalise however a brave (or stupid) dropkick into the corner on Grady by Mikey, followed by a kick to the head, a shoulder block from the top rope and a scoop-slam/piledriver hybrid move sealed the deal and Mikey was able to pin Grady for the three count, retaining the belt.  While celebrating on the turnbuckle, a masked figure appeared in the ring but this time it was Mikey who came up trumps, slamming him onto the canvas, however the mysterious man managed to escape the ring before Mikey was able to unmask him.

The second half started with Saint-George Bernard facing Chris Renfrew.  Saint-George and I have had "exchanges" on Facebook and I have recently taken to commenting on anything and everything he posts with Blah blah blah!  Having made up a quantity of Blah! Blah! Blah! flyers, these had been handed out to the crowd during the interval and he made his entrance to the ring faced with a sea of flyers - his face was priceless!  On reaching the ring, he then announced that, as holder of the wooden spoon (which guarantees a title shot at any time) he was going onto bigger and better things and would not be wrestling Renfrew after all.  Unfortunately for him, Chris Renfrew had other ideas and made his entrance.  After a few slaps and chops in the ring, the action moved outside...literally outside....when Renfrew took the big-mouthed Englishman into the car park and gave him a little taste of a Glasgow street fight, smacking him off the brick wall then scooping him and slamming him down onto one of the barriers, before force-feeding him a jaffa cake and slamming him face first into another barrier!  The match finally returned to the ring where Renfrew continued to beat on Saint-George until Darren Lewis came out to ringside and distracted Renfrew, allowing Saint-George to catch him off guard and score the win.

Next up was Darren Lewis' second match of the evening, this time he faced "The Butcher" Scott Renwick.  It started off well for Renwick who quickly took the advantage and managed to smack Lewis silly all the way around the outside of the ring, however Lewis gained the upper hand back in the ring, keeping Renwick down as much as possible, standing on his chest while using the ropes for leverage.  Renwick fought back, attempting to pedigree Lewis, who broke free and choke-slammed Renwick instead, before delivering a kick to the head that knocked Renwick unconscious and then proceeded to stand on his head.  After the referee had made the 10 count and Lewis was declared the winner by knockout, several of the wrestlers came out to the ring to assist in removing Renwick from the ring and helping to carry him backstage.

The penultimate match of the evening had Joe Hendry facing Hardcore Champion Falcon.  Hendry appeared to dominate most of this match - he hit Falcon with his signature suplex before attempting to remove Falcon's mask.  He also threw him clear across the ring before attempting a pin.  Falcon did appear to fight back and had a near fall himself, however it was Hendry's night and he took the victory.  It was the next morning when questions were asked regarding the Hardcore title.  It had not been announced as a non-title match and, as the Hardcore title is under 24/7 rules, it would appear that Joe Hendry could be the Hardcore Champion - Joe Hendry certainly seems to think so and, as much as it pains me, I have to agree.  I have suggested that a rematch be scheduled for their Sunday Slam event on 24 August to decide this once and for all....maybe John Long will like my suggestion??

The main event pitted Lowblow against Rawlins for the Reckless Intent World Title.  This was a match that Lowblow needed to win in order to secure his position on the roster.  As Lowblow made his entrance, Rawlins came out from behind the curtain and attacked him with a steel chair - the baddest man in professional wrestling was living up to his name and this match was not going to be pretty!  With Rawlins battling to keep his title and Lowblow battling to keep his job, both men have everything to lose and neither was going down easy.  With Rawlins having taken an early advantage, Lowblow dug deep and pulled off a cracking suplex which he held as the crowd counted to 20, before dropping the champ on the canvas.  The action again spilled outside of the ring, and I decided it might be a good idea to move as Rawlins hurled his opponent toward the unit door and knocked down the three lads doing security for the event!  Back in the ring, Rawlins continued his underhanded tactics, distracting the referee while appearing to tie his bootlace, while his other foot was over the throat of Lowblow.  This was followed by a series of submission moves but Lowblow refused to quit.  Rawlins then took to the ropes, however Lowblow managed to move before Rawlins landed, giving him the opportunity to get back into the match and put Rawlins into a sharpshooter but Rawlins would not submit.  The match continued to swing back and forth until both men were struggling to stand and Lowblow was finally able to put Rawlins down for the pinfall and become the new Reckless Intent World Champion.

After hugging his wife at ringside, an exhausted Lowblow got back into the ring.  As he struggled to his feet and stood clutching his newly won belt, and with Rawlins still lying prone in the ring, out came Saint-George with his briefcase containing the wooden spoon.  He shoved the briefcase into the hands of the referee, cashing in his title shot.  As soon as the bell rang, he grabbed Lowblow, delivered a stunner on the new champion, covered him for the three count and became the new Reckless Intent World Champion.

And so ended a cracking show - the best Reckless show I have seen and it definitely makes my top 3 of all time! My only regret is that I didn't get a photo with Colt Cabana when I had the chance before the show.  My pick for Match of the Night was the UK Title match between Mikey and Jackie Grady - a true showcase of young talent which, for me, outshone the big names and more experienced men on the night.  They should both be proud to say they put it all out there and I, for one, appreciated it.

For more information on upcoming Reckless Intent shows, check them out on Facebook. You will also find links to their website and YouTube channel and there will be footage from this event posted over the next few days!

Colt Cabana is appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival until 25 August.  You can see him every night at 10pm Monday to Saturday at the Stand on the Square doing his show with Brendon Burns - more info at www.thestand.co.uk.  On Sundays at 4pm  he is recording his "The Art of Wrestling" podcast in front of a live audience at Studio 24  before appearing at the ICW shows later that night at the same venue.  Tickets for podcast and ICW shows available from Ticketmaster.  He is also appearing at SWE Hellbound in Dundee on Saturday 23 August.....and if I am lucky I might get a photo with him there!!