Review: PWE - The Road To Revolution

Saturday 9 May 2015

It had been a while since we had been to Ayr and we were looking forward to this show.  While there was platinum packages available, we decided to go with the silver option as we had already met the big stars at previous events and silver still got us early entry for the bonus pre-show match. We even took a couple of friends, Janet and Fiona, along with us!

Said pre-show match was a corker with Saqib Ali facing off against "The Best Young Wrestler in the World" Lewis Girvan.  I've seen both these guys wrestle a few times now and when your pre-show is of this calibre, you know the main show is going to be stunning.  A very nice match where both guys were able to showcase their talent despite the shortness of the match.  Really enjoyed this one and it was nice for Janet to be able to cheer for Girvan this time as he took the victory!

The main show began with the appearance of TJ Rage & Davey Blaze to take on Tag Team Champion Lou King Sharp, who had released a video in the run up to the show announcing that his partner for this match would be PWE owner Lionheart and had cheekily named the team Lion King!  As Blaze and Rage waited in the ring, Sharp announced the arrival of Lionheart who failed to appear.  Sharp was invited to get into the ring, lie down and make it easy on himself and eventually Lionheart reluctantly made his appearance.  Rage and Blaze concentrated on isolating Sharp and the wee guy took some amount of punishment before Lionheart was let loose.  After dropping Rage, he delivered a cracking frog splash on Blaze and Lion King took the victory by pinfall.  After the match, Rage and Blaze asked Sharp to come into the ring and shake their hands and agree to a rematch.  Despite Lionheart telling him not to, Sharp accepted, only to be told that he had just agreed to a 3 on 1 handicap match at the anniversary show in August.

Next up was the clash of the heavyweights as Iestyn Rees faced Chris Masters.  To be absolutely honest, I was a bit disappointed with this match and actually said I wished they had given Saqib Ali and Lewis Girvan this slot instead!  Masters really appeared to be just going through the motions and looked like he didn't actually want to be there which was a let down as I have seen this guy before and he really can put on a good show when he wants to.  Rees took the victory and quickly started antagonising the crowd.  A video then was played and it was announced that Rees would be facing Drew Galloway at the Anniversary show on 8 August.

Next up was a Fatal Fourway match with Joey Hayes v Martin Kirby v Kenny Williams v El Ligero.  This match was fast and furious with all four pulling off some lovely moves. A couple of highlights were when Kenny Williams got some amazing height from the top turnbuckle when going for a dropkick on Hayes who was halfway across the ring and when Hayes managed to catch El Ligero with a boot when he sprang from the ropes, before dropping both Williams and Ligero on their faces at the same time.   Despite the crowd being behind El Ligero and Williams, it was Martin Kirby who was victorious as he quickly rolled up Hayes after that stunning move to take the pinfall.

Just before the next match, another video was played announcing the appearance of  Tommy End at the 4th Anniversary show on 8 August.

The first half main event saw The Coffey Brothers v The Addiction (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian) for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Titles.  This match can be described in one word - WOW!!!!  This was by far my Match of the Night.  Between the action in the ring and the banter between Janet and I with Christopher Daniels, it was brilliant.  I think my favourite moment of the match is captured in the picture - both Coffey Brothers had been knocked from the ring and Daniels bounced off the top rope before doing a backflip onto them at ringside right in front of me - totally amazing.  This incredible match came to an end when Mark Coffey inadvertently hit his brother before being hit by the "Celebrity Rehab" finisher and Kaz scored the 3 count.  The Addiction celebrated their win as Joe Coffey looked on from ringside, before getting back into the ring to confront his brother.

During the interval, The Addiction returned to the ring for fans to have their photo taken with them and despite the verbal abuse during the match, Janet and I took advantage of the opportunity.

First match of the second half saw "Bad Boy" Liam Thomson face off against Noam Dar.  After my normal antagonising of Thomson which received Dar's approval and him giving me a walking stick (which security quickly took from me) the match got underway.  As usual, Thomson used every underhanded tactic he could against his young opponent.  Grado appeared at ringside to cheer on his pal but actually caused a distraction and Thomson attempted the roll-up.  He was unsuccessful this time but Grado would prove to be the catalyst for the match ending the way it did.  Dar went for the dropkick but Thomson pulled the referee in front of him and it was the ref who went down.  Thomson then attempted to use a steel chair on Dar but Grado grabbed the chair from behind to stop him.  Grado then went to hit Thomson with the "wee boot", only for Thomson to drop out of the way and Grado dropped his friend instead.  Thomson took advantage, scored the pinfall and as Grado chased after an angry Dar, attempting to apologise, Thomson took the microphone and announced that he had just beaten the number one contender for the heavyweight title and demanded to know where that left him and that he would not leave the ring until he got an answer.  Lionheart came out to give him his answer - a video was played showing that he would be facing Austin Aries at the show on 8 August.  (Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances, it was later announced that Aries would no longer be able to make this show and that Samoa Joe would be appearing instead, and will face Damian O'Connor)

The penultimate match was Kid Fite v Big Damian O'Connor.  I love Big Damo - how a guy that size can be so agile and pull off some of those moves is just incredible to watch and against a guy like Kid Fite, this match was guaranteed to have everyone going and it did.  I was so into this match, I even forgot to take any photographs for half of it.  Fite gave it everything but it didn't save him from being dropkicked into the corner before being Damo's doormat as the big guy stood on him then dropped the senton.  At this point, TJ Rage and Davey Blaze appeared and attacked Damo.  The referee called for the bell, announcing Damo as the winner by disqualification.  With Kid Fite back on his feet, it was 3 on 1, until Wolfgang appeared to make the save.

The main event saw Grado put the PWE Heavyweight title on the line against he first ever winner of said title, Andy Wild.  This was a good match but had a slightly strange atmosphere....Grado did not seem to have his usual cheer squad.  In fact at one point when he tried to get the crowd going, he was met with silence.  He did manage to parade around the ringside area holding Wild and inviting the kids to "give him a chop".  Wild on the other hand had the crowd chanting for him throughout.  Wild was robbed of the chance to regain the belt when Noam Dar made an appearance and nailed Wild with the title belt.  The ref called for the bell and Wild was declared the winner of the match by disqualification...but the title can only change hands by pinfall or submission, leaving Grado still Champion.  Grado and Dar appeared to have a confrontation in the ring, however it was shortlived and the two ended up dancing in celebration.

The 4th anniversary show on 8 August is shaping up to be another cracker.  Platinum and silver packages are already sold out but general admission tickets go on sale on Friday 26 June.  Tickets can be purchased from their website http://www.prowrestlingelite.com/shop/event-tickets

To keep up to date with match announcements for this show and find out about future shows, check out PWE on Facebook

Review: BCW Live in East Kilbride

Friday 20 February


Another sellout show for BCW at East Kilbride.  This time I had brought along a couple of friends as I had been raving about how good the BCW shows have been.  Unfortunately when we arrived there was already a lot of people who had braved the rain and snow and we were unable to all sit together.  I sat ringside with Janet and sent the boys off to sit together elsewhere!

First up was "Bad Boy" Liam Thomson against Wolfgang. Wolfgang started strong forcing Thomson to exit the ring to escape and endure the "chicken" chants but he was soon back in the ring and using his underhanded tactics to take the advantage such as using the ropes to choke his opponent before applying a camel clutch.  The action spilled out of the ring and continued directly in front of me before returning to the ring for Thomson's second camel clutch attempt.  Wolfgang does not go down easy though and he fought back to take the advantage and took a popular win after slingshotting Thomson into the turnbuckles and then rolling him up for the three count.  A nice match to start the show!

Next up was an Openweight Championship match between Lou King Sharp and current champ, Noam Dar.  Dar took control of the cocky Sharp and the action spilled outside of the ring.  Returning to the ring Sharp tried to gain the advantage, hitting Dar with cracking kick before taking to the turnbuckles.  Dar avoided and there followed some pin attempts by both guys before Sharp caught the leg of Dar and swung him round, only for Dar's foot to hit a lowblow on referee Sri Hari.  Sharp then hit Dar with a lowblow, who returned the compliment, before all three hit the mat holding their "bits"!  Sharp was the first to recover and went for a steel chair to attack Dar, however Dar had recovered sufficiently to thwart this plan and, taking the chair, hit a light blow to the back of the ref before tossing the chair back to Sharp.  Dar then scoop-slammed Sharp but when going for another the referee pushed Dar aside and scoop-slammed Sharp himself!  Dar then finished the job, taking the three count to retain his title and while Sharp crawled backstage, Dar set up the chair in the ring, sat ring announcer Simon Cassidy on it and draped his jacket and belt over him.

Next up was a tag team match to introduce some new trainees from the PBW Academy, Tony Martyns and Taylor Bellando, who would face the team of Switch & Saqib Ali.  Once again Switch reduced a small child to tears during his entrance and Ali managed to rile the entire crowd.  Martyns and Bellando got a great reception on their entrance however it was cut short as Switch and Ali attacked before the bell.  The youngsters pulled off a cracking double team move almost immediately after the bell, combining a backbreaker and double footstomp and got a near pin but from then on they were the victims of Switch and Ali's experience and cheating tactics.  They isolated Bellando for much of the match and antagonised Martyns into coming into the ring, forcing the ref to focus on keeping him out of the ring and allowing Switch and Ali to double team Bellando.  Despite having all the heart and the support of the crowd, the youngsters were outclassed and Ali scored the pinfall victory over Bellando.

The first half main event saw Jack Jester face Davey Blaze in a No DQ match. With the glass still boarded from the encounter between Damo and Drew Galloway, who knew what destruction might result from this match!  And what a match...Jester attacked Blaze before he even got in the ring and the two went at it hammer and tongs from start to finish.  At one point the action spilled out of the ring and Jester tried to put Blaze through the windows before they ended up ringside in front of me, where Blaze had the upper hand, shoving Jester onto the guy sitting a couple of seats along from me and trying to grab another crowd member's walking stick to use as a weapon.  Back in the ring a steel chair was brought into the mix with both guys using it to try to gain the advantage.  Finally Jester nailed Blaze with a tombstone piledriver to take the win.

The second half started with Damo v Joe Coffey and this was a stormer.  Each tried to knock the other down with shoulder blocks that rocked the ring with their impact but neither man would go down.  The action spilled out of the ring and continued right at my feet, with Damo taking the advantage.  Back in the ring, he continued to control things by working the back of Coffey using a camel clutch and then bear hugs!  Coffey tried to come back but ended up on the canvas with Damo standing on his chest before dropping the senton on him.  Once again, Coffey attempted a comeback with a cracking suplex but it was not to be his night as the big Irishman got Coffey up on his shoulder and drove him down to the mat before pinning him for the three count.

The penultimate match saw Aaron Echo face-off against Kenny Williams.  I had only seen Echo once before in a pre-show match and I have to say that I saw a big improvement in his skills.  While Williams dominated much of the match with his fast pace and aerial skills, Echo had a couple of cracking moments during the match, including a cracking suplex, and scored a couple of near pins.  But as they say "Kenny is the bollocks" (loving the new ring gear) and it was Williams who took the victory in a really enjoyable match.

Main event time and BCW owner Graham McKay got into the ring to thank the fans for another sell-out show, before asking retired MC Tommy if he would do the honours, which he agreed to do.  First out to the ring was Kid Fite, sporting a bit of a shiner and his usual bad attitude.  BT Gunn then came out to a huge pop before both men were stunned by the announcement of a third participant, Gunn's tag team partner, Stevie Xavier.  Now I love Just Uz, but I was really disappointed when this happened, as I was really looking forward to what would have been an amazing battle between Fite and Gunn.  As Fite said himself before the match got underway, they might be tag partners but neither man was going to let the other win.  The match itself was good, some great moves from all three and there was a moment when "Just Uz" appeared and hit Fite with that double kick to the head in the corner they do so well, but in the end Fite's prediction came true.  Fite had Gunn down in an anklelock submission when Xavier made the save, however, with Gunn down rather than focus on Fite and take his chance for the title, he instead grabbed the ankle of Gunn, giving Fite the opportunity he required to roll him up for a pinfall.  There appeared to be a bit of confusion however as it looked like the referee only made a two count but Fite left the ring, grabbed his belt and walked away, leaving Gunn and Xavier behind.  What this means for the future of the tag team champions is yet to be seen.

The next BCW event will take place on 4 April in Kilmarnock Grand Hall and will feature TNA stars Angelina Love and Davey Richards, as well as Marty Scurll and Drew Galloway.  Event and ticket information can be found on the BCW Facebook page

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: BCW Homecoming

Friday 29 August 2014

Travelling through to the West for shows on a Friday is a nightmare and this was no exception. The traffic was a nightmare from the start, with an accident and a breakdown on the Bypass then slow moving traffic on the M8 and frequent heavy downpours reducing visibility, it took forever to arrive in Kilmarnock.  We had front row seats booked which gave early entry to the venue at 5pm. We didn't actually arrive until 5.10pm but things were running a wee bit late and the doors opened a few minutes after we arrived and just before another heavy downpour!

Photo by David J Wilson

First up was a wee meet and greet with Drew Galloway (aka Drew McIntyre) who would be competing in his first match in Scotland since his release from WWE - the reason for the show being called Homecoming.  I think due to the slight delay and in order to keep the rest of the night on time, there was no "photo op using your own camera" at the meet and greet but there would be photos taken by David Wilson during the interval at a cost of £15.  Rob and I both had special event posters signed and also met Joel Redman from WWE NXT who signed Rob's book and had a pic taken with him.  We got our BCW shirts and Rob got a very nice Drew Galloway one.

After all the front and second row ticket holders were seated, there was a special pre-show bonus match featuring Tommy Marx and Aaron Echo against Lou King Sharp and Switch. I have to admit to being a little bit disappointed with this match - I am used to seeing Tommy Marx and Lou King Sharp flying around the ring and struggling to get pictures that are not blurred but the match seemed to lack energy.  This may have been due to the slower pace of Echo and Switch.  Marx and Echo took the win after Echo delivered a powerbomb on Sharp then scored the pin.  Although a decent warm-up match and good experience for the young guys, I feel that it would have been totally out of place as part of the main card.

The main show started with BCW owner Graham McKay coming out to the ring to announce that Kilmarnock Grand Hall had never sold out for a wrestling show, even back in the days of World of Sport, but that night, for the first time ever, BCW had done it - the Homecoming show was sold out!  He also announced that Galloway would be back for the annual No Blood,  No Sympathy double header on 5 and 6 December and that also appearing would be Chavo Guerrero, Hardcore Holly and Paul London - take my money now!!!!

The first match of the night was for the BCW Heavyweight title between champion Kid Fite and Davey Blaze.  This was a bit of a surprise as usually the title matches are the main event (or at least first half main event) and not show openers.  These guys faced each other in East Kilbride back in June and that match was an absolute belter....and this one was just as good.  With Blaze determined to take the gold and Fite just as determined to keep it, they both pulled out all the stops.  Fite took an early advantage but no matter what he threw at Blaze, Davey just kept coming back at him and the crowd let him hear their appreciation.  There were some cracking moves and a belter of a double clothesline that threatened to decapitate both men!  While Blaze did have a couple of pin attempts, it was not to be his night and eventually Fite hit the challenger with a DDT and took the win to stay champion.

Next up was Red Lightning v Joe Coffey.  I am really liking Joe Coffey more and more every time I see him and, as much as I love to hate Red Lightning, I really had to feel sorry for him - the amount of punishment he took was incredible.  He was suplexed, bulldogged, swung around several times before being put in a Boston crab, took two massive corner splashes which actually moved the ring a good couple of inches from the walkway - I have the photo to prove it!!  Even his attempt to block Coffey's discus clothesline by kicking his arm went against him, Coffey just spun round and used his other arm instead.  There was a small period where Lightning did get the upper hand but it didn't last very long and once Coffey gets the momentum going, he is exceptionally hard to beat and he proved it here once again - Coffey wins by pinfall.

The next match up pitted Jack Jester against Joel Redman.  With Redman waiting in the ring, Jester burst through the barriers into the crowd, terrorising the kids who had been standing against said barriers jeering him just seconds before.  Once back at ringside, Redman was quick to point out the large corkscrew in Jester's hand and demanded the referee take possession of the offending item before Jester entered the ring.  The match very quickly spilled out to ringside, with faces being smacked off the barriers before Jester pushed Redman into the ring then hit him with a legdrop on the apron right in front of me.  Back on his feet, Redman then grabbed Jester, who had climbed onto the apron to the front, and suplexed him into the ring.  This match went back and forth and with Angel Wings from Jester and superkicks from Redman both scoring near pins this could have been either man's match.  Finally, with Redman standing on the top rope, Jester pushed the referee into the ropes, Redman gets "crotched" and Jester finishes him off with the tombstone and takes the three count.  An absolute belter, this was a close contender for my match of the night.

The first half main event was a mixed tag team match with "Bad Boy" Liam Thomson & Carmel Jacob up against Grado & Kay Lee Ray.  As always, Grado received a rapturous welcome from the crowd which Thomson and Jacob did not appreciate.  With Grado pulling out his usual comedy antics, Thomson decided to get in on the act, attempting to pull off one of Grado's comic stunts of sitting on your opponents back and slapping their ass as if riding a horse.  Jacob was not impressed and got into the ring, screaming at her partner and asking what the hell he was doing.  Thomson's attempt to explain ended up with Jacob sitting on Grado, only for Grado to slide out, ending up with Grado astride Jacob and Ray astride Thomson.  Then followed another comedy skit where Grado and Ray are chasing their opponents around the ring only for Grado to tire out and end up being chased.  The match ended in a win for Grado and Ray when Grado hit Thomson with a "wee boot" and Ray followed up with a Swanton before they both piled onto Thomson for the three count.

As Grado and Kay Lee Ray are doing their celebratory dance in the ring, Johnny Moss appears, attacks Grado and holding Kay Lee Ray by the hair, demands to be given a decent match and who should appear to save Kay Lee - Drew Galloway!  After dealing with Mossy, Galloway grabs a microphone and challenges Moss to a match.  Moss demands that the match be for Galloway's Evolve Championship. Galloway agrees - main event set!!



The second half started with a Tag Team title match between champions Just Uz (BT Gunn & Stevie Xavier) and The Models (Joey Hayes & Danny Hope).  I have only ever seen Hayes in singles competition and never seen Hope before but I have to say they work really well as a team.  I make no secret of the fact that I think Just Uz are amazing as a tag team and really need more teams of a similar calibre to compete against.  The Models definitely fill this void (although I still think the Just Uz/Hubba Bubba Lucha match in April was the best tag match I have ever seen)  Anyway this match was non-stop from start to finish and looked like their may be new champions when The Models managed to isolate Xavier and give him a hell of a beating.  Xavier managed to tag BT Gunn and the match ended after Gunn hoisted Hayes onto his shoulders, Xavier launched from the top turnbuckle clean over his tag partner to take out Hope who was about to attack from behind, leaving Gunn to finish off Hayes and score the pinfall to retain the titles.

Next, another title on the line, this time the BCW Openweight Title with champion Noam Dar defending against Kenny Williams.  Williams just gets better every time I see him and this match was another stormer.  Dar took an early advantage, knocking Williams from the ring and into the barriers right in front of me.  Back in the ring he then hit Williams with the most stunning dropkick.  Williams never gives up and fought back and after trading blows, began to gain momentum, scoring a couple of near falls himself before Dar tried to use the referee as a shield.  As Williams continued his assault, Dar suddenly swept the leg and a couple of cracking kicks later, Williams is pinned for the three count.  Dar leaves the ring still champion but Williams won our hearts.

Finally, the main event and quite obviously Match of the Night, Drew Galloway faced Johnny Moss for the Evolve Championship. OMG - how on earth can I describe this match in any way that does it justice? Actually I can't! It was one of those matches you just had to see to believe.  I'd never seen Galloway in action before - I don't watch WWE - all I can say is WOW!!!!  After being clotheslined out of the ring, Mossy looked to be leaving, only for Galloway to catch up with him on the walkway for a slugfest before backdropping Mossy back into the ring.  Slamming Galloway into the turnbuckles, Moss takes the upper hand but Galloway keeps fighting.  He produced an amazing armdrag from the top rope on Moss and after several near pins from both, Galloway hits the Futureshock and scores the pinfall.  The crowd go wild!

With the match over and Galloway celebrating, Kid Fite appears and attacks him with a steel chair before grabbing the microphone to let the crowd know he is not happy at being moved from a main event slot to opening the show because Galloway has returned.  Next Charles Boddington, who is Kid Fite's manager in other promotions, arrives in the ring with his ever present briefcase....and decks Kid Fite!!  After telling of his happiness to have Drew back, he states that someone else wants to see him - the one and only Lionheart, the very man Galloway faced in his last match in BCW before leaving to join WWE.  And it looks like we will be seeing these guys face off in the ring at some point in 2015, once Lionheart is medically cleared to wrestle after his neck injury.

Finally, the entire roster came out to the ring with a case of beer and toasted the return of Galloway, with the obvious exception of  Mossy and Kid Fite, however one other member did not join in the celebrations, Jack Jester.  When he did finally come to ringside, he glared at the scene before him, before spitting in the face of Galloway and leaving again.  I foresee one hell of a match in the near future between these two!


We purchased a copy of the official programme and having a read through it, we noticed there had been a few changes to the original card.  Having originally advertised both Joel Redman and Martin Stone to appear, Stone was nowhere to be seen and his absence was not mentioned or explained.  This obviously led to the changes to the match-ups in the programme of Moss v Redman, Stone v Red Lightning and Coffey v Jester, however in my opinion, the changes worked out for the best and this show now ranks as Number 1 on my list of best shows attended, beating the amazing April show featuring Fergal Devitt.

BCW's next show is in East Kilbride on 20 September and tickets are on sale now.  We unfortunately will miss this show due to already having an event on the same date, but I am so looking forward to the No Blood, No Sympathy double header (tickets for these shows go on sale 1 October).

For information on BCW's future events and tickets, check out their Facebook page or website

Review: BCW Live in East Kilbride

Friday 27 June 2014

After the last BCW show in April, I didn't know how they could top it.  Well maybe this time they didn't but they came close...and the next show....well I will get to that at the end....

The first match of the night was Switch against Tommy Marx.  Switch managed to reduce a young girl at ringside to tears during his entrance when he suddenly turned to face her and shouted boo!  Tommy Marx got a great reception from the crowd throughout the match but it was Switch who dominated most of the match.  Despite pulling off some great moves, Marx was not able to overcome the size and strength advantage and underhand tactics from Switch, who eventually took the win.

Next up was Red Lightning v El Technico.  Red Lighting took the microphone and starting whinging about hurting his shoulder at the last event and that the crowd were unsympathetic before threatening to go “El Technico” on El Technico, whose mask still reminds me of the Predator movies.  Obviously the masked man did not take kindly to this and went straight for the shoulder of Lightning, before Lightning escaped to the ringside area to chants of “chicken”.  Once back in the ring, Lightning managed to gain some momentum and began working on the leg of El Technico in an attempt to keep the big guy grounded, but this was not successful and it was El Technico who scored the pinfall.

The next match was a very close contender for Match of the Night – “Bad Boy” Liam Thomson v Joe Coffey.  Coffey is becoming one of my favourite wrestlers and I have developed a grudging respect for Thomson after his recent match with Uhaa Nation at PWE and this match did not disappoint.  Their chops echoed around the hall, the slams into the corners moved the ring and neither man held back in their bid to win this match.  It was action packed from start to finish.  With the advantage going back and forth and both scoring near falls, it really was too close to call.  Both pulled out their usual finishing moves, but Coffey kicked out of the pin and Thomson got to the ropes breaking Coffey's Boston Crab hold.  Finally, Coffey delivered a devastating clothesline on Thomson and pinned him for the 3 count to the delight of the crowd.  This really was an amazing match and Rob even commented that he could not believe this was NOT the first half main event!! A video showing the climax of the match is on the Loudmouth Facebook page and is most definitely worth a wee look!

The first half main event pitted fan favourite Grado against Noam Dar for the Openweight Championship.  This match was hysterical from the start and I have to admit that I probably laughed more during this match than at most comedy movies!   It would appear that Grado has toned up recently and while still retaining his “Chubby Chancer” character, seems to be working on both his physique and his wrestling ability.  Anyway, rather than tell you about the match, why not watch the entire match for yourself!

First up after the interval was my favourite, Jack Jester against Kenny Williams.  Jester’s entrance included the BCW debut of his lizard, Gallus (there’s a wee video clip on the Loudmouth Facebook page) and now Rob is pestering me for a pet lizard!  With the majority of the crowd firmly on "Team Kenny", Jester took a lot of abuse from the kids in the audience and spent some time chasing a large group of kids from one side of the stage to the other and managing to reduce another child in the crowd to tears.  Once in the ring, Jester dominated Williams for much of the match, even dumping him in the laps of the ringside crowd before taking him over to introduce Williams face first to the merchandise table.  Back in the ring again, Jester continued his assault, including a legdrop on the ring apron and a suplex.  Williams seemed to gain a little momentum and scored a near pin but Jester caught him off the top turnbuckle, delivering a piledriver and scoring the win.

The next match was supposed to be a tag team title match between Damian O'Connor & T J Rage and Just Uz, however the team of Damo & Rage attacked Stevie Xavier with the belts before the bell had rung and it was declared a no contest with Just Uz still champions.  With Rage and Damo trying to claim the belts in the ring, BT Gunn then said if they wanted a tag match, they could have one as he would take them both on himself.  While Damo and Rage did work well together, they did not have the chemistry Damo shares with his "Britain's Most Wanted" tag team partner Scott Renwick.  The match itself was short but very, very sweet, with Gunn unloading on the two big guys and proving that he is a force to be reckoned with.  Despite the obvious disadvantage, Gunn took it to Rage initially before landing a dropkick on Damo.  He also landed a cracking suicide dive through the ropes onto both his opponents which almost had Damo landing on me!  Back in the ring, Gunn then took some punishment from both guys before finally landing a superkick to the head of Rage and scoring the pin to retain the titles.

Finally, the main event - Kid Fite v Davey Blaze for the BCW Heavyweight title – and this won Match of the Night for me.  This match started in the ring but spilled out into the ringside area, before heading off to the merchandise tables and back again and despite warning Fite that I didn't want him landing on me again, he very nearly did.  It was, in a word, brutal!  Within minutes of the match starting, Blaze was in the ringside area checking his nose wasn't broken, only for Fite to come out and slam him into the ring post.  Back in the ring, Fite kept the advantage, attempting to use a sleeper hold to defeat Blaze but Blaze rallied before his hand could fall for the third time.  The match then spilled out of the ring again and headed over the to the merchandise table, where Blaze had the advantage but Fite was not going down easily, regaining the advantage and driving Blaze into the chairs which had quickly been vacated by the crowd, before grabbing a hoodie from one of the chairs and using it to choke Blaze (upsetting the young owner of said hoodie and causing more tears!).  Back in the ring again, Fite kept the upper hand but it took several attempts before he was able to keep Blaze pinned for the 3 count.  Another fantastic match to end the night's entertainment.



Rob & Leah Owens

Rob & Kasey Owens

After the show, Jester and Grado signed posters in the foyer while Rob got photos taken with Leah and Kasey Owens and got up close and personal with Gallus!

This was a great evening's entertainment with a very noisy crowd, which meant I did not have to work to get them going.  In my opinion, BCW have definitely raised the bar as far as wrestling shows go.

As promised at the beginning of this blog, here is the scoop on the next BCW show - it will be held at Kilmarnock Grand Hall on 29 August and features the first Scottish appearance of Drew Galloway (aka Drew McIntyre) since his release from WWE.  Guaranteed to sell out, tickets go on sale on 10 July so check out BCW's Facebook page to keep up to date with all the information.

Review: Pro Wrestling Elite - No Turning Back

Saturday 17 May 2014

I always enjoy going to PWE shows - PWE was my introduction to the Scottish wrestling scene and for a while was the only promotion we went to...how far we have come in such a short time!

Once we had met up with some good friends we have made in Ayrshire and got our seats sorted, Rob and I were on the lookout for Adrian "Lionheart" McCallum, the owner of PWE - I wanted to ask him if he was willing to do a "spotlight" on PWE for me and Rob had created a Tag Team belt design he wanted to give to Adrian.  Adrian liked Rob's design and told him "it's funny you come to me with Tag Team designs tonight...."  And I better get my ass in gear and sort the questions for the spotlight piece cos he said yes to that!!

The show started with a lovely video intro on the late, great, Ultimate Warrior, dedicating the show to his memory. 

The first match was billed as Instant Classic II, the tag rematch of  Project Ego, Kris Travis and Martin Kirby versus Andy Wild and Noam Dar... and what a match it was.  Andy Wild appeared in his new ring gear, looking considerably bigger than last time I saw him.  Noam was his usual cheeky self, starting off messing around with the ref while Martin Kirby lay across the ropes in the corner waiting for him to get on with the match.  The Dar/Wild combination took the upper hand early in the match, isolating Kirby for a while.  When Travis finally got into the ring, he went wild and I was gobsmacked to see him take a boot to the face from Andy Wild, then a boot to the head from Dar, a powerbomb and still kick out of a pin, only to then bulldog Wild and clothesline Dar at the same time.  Pic is a bit blurry but still... 

Anyway, Project Ego took the win again and after all shaking hands, they left ringside, while Dar decided to take the mic and state that while this tag team thing was cool, he was ready to go back into singles competition and the title scene.  Wild reminded Dar that he had a title rematch to claim and that he became the first ever PWE Heavyweight Champion after defeating Dar and challenged him to a match at Gradomania, which Dar accepted.  Having seen these two guys face each other before, this one is not to be missed.

There was then a promotional video of Iestyn Rees "a heavyweight powerhouse set to make his debut in Scotland this Autumn" I googled him and checked out some of his matches on YouTube and can say I am looking forward to seeing him wrestling live!

Next up was billed as a 2 on 1 handicap match with Davey Blaze and TJ Rage taking on Joe Coffey.  Blaze and Rage appeared, accompanied by "The Manager of Champions" Charles Boddington, who took the mic and informed the crowd that Joe Coffey had failed to show and set up an open challenge to anyone brave enough, answered by Lou King Sharp.  There are two things I have learned about Sharp, 1) he is tiny, and 2) he is fast!  It's really hard to get a good pic of him cos he literally flies about the ring so damn fast, he is either completely out of shot or a blur!  His speed worked for him at the start, when he caught both of the bigger guys napping, but it was just a matter of time before he succumbed to the brutality of Rage and Blaze.  Give the wee guy his due, he didn't give up and kept trying but there was no coming back from the spear from Rage and after the big guys took the win, Boddington was back on the mic, spouting off about how the team of Blaze and Rage were not only the best team in PWE, they were the best in the whole of the UK...only for the words "Card Subject To Change" to ring out of the PA system and the lights dim...enter NAK members BT Gunn and Chris Renfrew who immediately tear into Blaze and Rage.  As they are battling, Project Ego reappear in the ring with Kirby taking the mic and saying that Ego are not only the best team in the UK, they are the best tag team in the World and if the other guys want to find out just how good they are, then they should have a triple threat match at Gradomania.  The crowd love it and the card for Gradomania just keeps getting better!

The first half main event pitted "Bad Boy" Liam Thomson against Uhaa Nation.  This was by far Match of the Night.  It also produced a first for me - after antagonising Thomson as usual and getting told to shut up, Uhaa Nation leans over he ropes and says "Love your hair" - my first ever compliment!!  Anyway back to the match - bloody incredible. To be honest, I don't think anything I could write could accurately describe just how bloody incredible it was so instead I will just say PWE have uploaded the full match on YouTube and you NEED to watch it....The double standing moonsault finish Uhaa pulled off on Liam was utterly astounding!!!  If you ever get the opportunity to see this guy in action live, take it - he is amazing and you won't regret it.  I also have to say hats off to Liam Thomson because he really put in the effort in this match (and as I have said in a blog about another show, it doesn't matter how good a wrestler is if his opponent doesn't put in the work too.)

During the interval, we were able to have photos taken in the ring with Uhaa Nation by the ever lovely Mr David Wilson....Rob and I were in there like a shot!  We were really lucky to catch the man again at the end of the show and have him sign the photo!

The second half kicked off with another video, this time announcing The Fallen Angel, Christopher Daniels would be coming to PWE in September.  This news had the crowd buzzing and Rob immediately told me "We are going!"

Next up were fan favourites Wolfgang and Joey Hayes facing each other.  Joey came out in new Marvel themed ring gear...but Rob noticed he was wearing a superman armband which was not only upside down, it was DC and apparently Marvel and DC should not be mixed!!  The match was good, with the crowd split and both guys getting cheers, Hayes kept trying to lift Wolfgang and after going back and forward a while, he finally managed it, but it was Wolfgang who took the win.  Wolfgang extended his hand and with the crowd chanting to shake his hand, Hayes shook it but then attacked Wolfgang from behind.  He appeared to be leaving the ring, but returned moments later with a chair and continued his attack.  When he finally left the ring, it was to boos from the crowd - heel turn complete!

The raffle was then drawn and normally the ticket directly after mine tends to get pulled, so I was shocked to actually win something - two tickets to Gradomania!

It was then time for the contract signing for the main event at Gradomania, Grado and Dave Mastiff.  Grado came out to a fantastic reception, taking the microphone and telling the fans that it was thanks to them he was getting to live his dream but he really wanted to win a title to validate everything and that he was coming back in July with his sights set on taking that belt home with him.  Mastiff appeared on the big screen and began berating Grado and saying he wasnt worth the effort to travel to sign the contract and that if Grado chooses to sign, he will in fact be signing his own death warrant.  Of course, Grado goes ahead and signs....and suddenly Kid Fite's music starts to play and out he came along with Charles Boddington, Davey Blaze and TJ Rage.  Fite then berated Grado too, saying that the "wee chubby chancer" who started out putting videos on YouTube did not deserve a title shot, that Kid Fite was a real wrestler who had worked his way up over the last 10 years and was more deserving, before he, Blaze and Rage attacked Grado.  Enter El Ligero to help even the numbers.

There was then battles in the crowd, with Grado tackling Kid Fite and TJ Rage amongst the crowd on the other side of the ring, while El Ligero was kicking seven shades of something nasty out of Davey Blaze right behind me!  When they finally got back into the ring, a 3 on 2 handicap match is announced.  The heels take the upper hand, isolating El Ligero after TJ Rage caught his crossbody attempt and subjecting him to some serious punishment.  While chanting for El Ligero, Kid Fite tells me to shut up, I tell him to come and make me and he says he will swing me around by my blue hair - I love it!!   Finally Grado gets tagged in and shows Kid Fite he does actually have some wrestling moves.  Then all 5 men are in the ring and it gets hard to work out who is doing what, but Blaze ended up at our feet ringside, Rage hit Ligero with one of those devastating spears but took a boot from Grado, who then scored the pin.

The heels gather together with Blaze asking what happened as he missed it before Charles Boddington jumps into the ring and confronts Grado, who promptly decks the "Baldy Midget" before attempting a superfly splash from the top rope - Boddington moves out the way, Grado lands on his feet and does the splash from the mat instead.  Boddington is carried away from the ring on the shoulders of Kid Fite, while Grado and El Ligero entertain the crowd with their celebrations.

The next PWE show is their 3rd Anniversary show, Gradomania on 19 July and the card is already shaping up nicely.  Tickets are available from Skiddle click here to check availability.

Platinum packages are also available for PWE Fallen Angel on 13 September, priced at £40.  While this price might appear a little steep, they are limited to just 50 and gets early entry and a meet and greet with Christopher Daniels....and with numbers limited there is not a rushed feeling that you get at some of the big show fan interactions.  Rob & I have ours booked already and last I heard 50% of the platinum tickets had gone so if you want to take advantage of this, be quick and click here now. Going by past events, I assume the silver and general admission tickets will go on sale just after Gradomania.

Links to the promo and intro videos mentioned in the blog and information on future events can also be found on the Pro Wrestling Elite Facebook page