Review: SWE Uprising

Satuday 30 May 2015


As always, the last Saturday of the month is SWE Uprising so a wee trip to Dundee was required.  This time I decided to sit on the other side of the hall to see if I got better photos....the answer was not really so in June I will be back in my usual spot!!

Since I am a bit behind with my blogs (getting to be the usual these days) I am going to cop out once again and not get into too much detail but as SWE have made this entire event available for free on YouTube, why not click here and check it out for yourself!

After the usual welcome from regular MC and ring announcer, Chris Duke, the show kicked off with the entrance music of Ian Ambrose playing, which caused a stir as Ambrose had announced just after the European Tournament that he was stepping away from wrestling to dedicate more time to his young son.  Instead, The Jackal and his "Associate" appear, laughing at the fans who were hoping to see Ambrose.  The Jackal then offered a "special opportunity" and issued an open challenge for the SWE Future Division Championship to anyone except Scotty Riccio.....

...which was answered by MDK, who came to the ring accompanied by Chaz Phoenix.  This match was virtually non-existent...but ended up entertaining for all the wrong reasons.  The match ended in a disqualification after just a few minutes when the "Associate" got involved, costing The Jackal the match but saving the title which can only change hands by pinfall or submission.  As Phoenix made his way into the ring, he threw in a chair, which accidentally hit the referee.  The Jackal and his "Associate" made their escape as Phoenix announce that the fans had been robbed of a decent match and required compensation...and that would be in the form of a tag match later that evening with MDK and Chaz Phoenix facing "The Jackal and Lurch" (Chaz's words!!) which was met with a resounding cheer from the fans.

Next out to the ring was SWE co-owner Bravehart, who addressed the fact that "one of his favourites" Ian Ambrose had left and put the blame on LJT for this before giving LJT a message "if you have any sense, you will leave this company".  Of course he also took the opportunity to have a dig at the accidental chair shot in the previous match and said that Phoenix should be sanctioned in the same way he was after he hit a referee.  After having a go at Chris Duke, he then announced that he was declaring himself fit to wrestle and that he would be back in action later that night.

Next was tag team action with Conor Frost teaming with Trident member Darren Blair to face The ComixZone, with Rawlins as Batman and Venym as Superman.  The Dundee crowd love The ComixZone and they had plenty to cheer for as Rawlins and Venym worked well together to take the upper hand.  Unfortunately Blair broke the pin attempt and left Venym out of action at ringside, allowing the heels to punish Rawlins in the ring.  Eventually Venym was able to get back onto the ring to make the tag and things were looking up for the ComixZone until once again Blair broke a pin attempt, this time sending Rawlins into the barriers before double teaming Venym and scoring the win.  Despite the result, I really enjoyed this match.

It was then time for a triple threat match - Felix Fortune v Mikey v Jackie Grady.  As Fortune and Mikey waited in the ring, Grady was announced several times, before finally appearing from the crowd with a towel round his head, claiming he had been in the shower.  Fortune and Grady initially worked together against Mikey until Fortune tried to roll up Grady.  It was very telling that the crowd were still chanting for Mikey while Grady and Fortune battled in the ring and they were rewarded as Mikey took the win, pinning Grady after delivering a boot to the head of Fortune, knocking him from the ring apron.

I mentioned in my European Tournament blog that I was looking forward to seeing both Kenny Kyd and JD Wilde facing other members of the SWE roster.  In the final match of the first half, Kenny Kyd faced Trident member Steven "Air" Myles.  While the crowd didn't seem to get involved, this turned out to be a really nice match.  Kyd took the victory after blocking Myles attempt at the 450 splash and then hitting him with a knee to the face before rolling him for the pinfall and, in a very surprising turn of events, Myles proved himself not all bad and shook his hand....could Bravehart's influence be wavering and the Trident be falling apart??

The second half of the show began with LJT taking the microphone to address recent events and his upcoming match at Hell For Lycra against Joe Hendry for the Heavyweight Title.  With Bravehart saying he would not be wrestling that night, LJT issued a challenge to Hendry to a match for the title then and there, starting a chant of "Joe Hendry" to the tune of 2 Unlimited's No Limits.  The wrestler who appeared was not Hendry but JD Wilde, who had a few words to say himself before attacking LJT when his back was turned.  He then demanded that the referee ring the bell to start the match, then proceeded to remove the pad from the top turnbuckle.  This was a great match which received a "This is Awesome" chant from the crowd and scored my vote as Match of the Night.  Wilde looked to have the match won after he hit LJT with a flying elbow, knocking him into the exposed turnbuckle, but instead of going for the pin he picked up LJT's baseball bat and was disqualified after hitting LJT in the gut with it.  Wilde then used the bat to choke LJT and appeared to be about to smack him in the head when Steven "Air" Myles came out to make the save - another sign that The Trident is falling apart!

Next up saw Euan Mackie face Joe Hendry.  If ever there was a mis-match, this was it.  Hendry used his size and strength advantage to dominate Mackie but this is one guy who never gives up.  Although he fought back as best he could and made some lovely moves to stun the Champion, Mackie was unable to overcome the odds and Hendry took the win.  After the bell, Hendry executed his finishing move again before dumping Mackie through the ropes and onto the floor outside.  As he celebrated, LJT appeared and after hitting Hendry with a cracking kick to the head after springing off the ropes, Hendry decided that he didn't want any part of LJT that night, climbing the barriers into the crowd in order to avoid LJT.

The penultimate match of the night saw Scotty Riccio facing Bravehart.  It had been announced that if Riccio lost the match, he would not be on the card for Hell For Lycra but if he won, he would not only be on the card but he could pick his opponent.  Bravehart started by giving the referee £10, telling him to make the three count.  Thinking he had the ref in his pocket, Bravehart tried to cheat his way to the victory but Riccio was smart, letting Bravehart be his own worst enemy until Riccio was able to make the pinfall.  Bravehart then grabbed the ref demanding to know what had happened to be told that he had done as he was asked and made the three count, Bravehart had to specifically said it was to be in his favour!  Riccio now gets to pick his opponent for Hell For Lycra....and I think if The Jackal still has the Future Division belt at that time, it won't be difficult to guess who he will choose.

For the final match, Chris Duke invited the loudest fan to be the guest ring announcer....and I wonder if it is just coincidence that the wee lass he picked was standing right next to me???

The final match saw The Jackal & The Associate (who I have named Team Jack-Ass) against MDK & Chaz Phoenix.  The Jackal demanded that Phoenix get in the ring first but showed himself as a coward by tagging his Associate as soon as Phoenix set foot in the ring.  A slow but steady match where Team Jack-Ass cheated their way to the win when the Associate pulled MDK from the ring apron as Phoenix looked to make the tag.  A tired Phoenix tried to hit The Jackal with a piledriver but The Jackal managed to fight his way out, grabbing the leg of Phoenix and rolling him up, using the tights as leverage, for the three count.

Things are definitely getting heated in the run up to Hell For Lycra on 29 August but there are still two Uprising shows in June and July which should not be missed.

For information and tickets for upcoming shows, check  out SWE on Facebook

Review: SWE European Tournament - 2 Nights

The SWE European Tournament is a bi-annual tournament and we saw Rob Cage win the final of the first one back at Hell For Lycra X, which was our first SWE show.  For this tournament we decided to take in both shows, staying in Dundee overnight.

Because this was a two night event (and partly because I am so far behind with my blogs) I am going to write this event as a single blog and not focus too much on each match individually (yeah I know it's a cop out but I need to get up to date!!)  It will also be without photographs as the strange lighting which kept changing in Menzieshill made it difficult to get great photos, although there will be a selection uploaded to the Loudmouth Facebook page soon.


FRIDAY 15 MAY - NIGHT ONE

It was a small crowd at Menzieshill Community Centre for the first night of the tournament and no matter how I tried, it was difficult to get them to join in with the chants/cheers/jeers but that didn't stop me being the Loudmouth the entire night.

Tournament - Massimo Italiano (Italy) v El Kid Lux (Netherlands)
A nice match to open the tournament.  Italiano is becoming a bit of a fan favourite with the SWE crowd and Lux played the heel to perfection.  Italiano took the victory to progress to the semi-final on Saturday.

Tournament - Saint-George (England) v Sambroso Maestro (Spain?? erm think he's Mexican mate)
This match never actually happened.  Bravehart and Jam O'Malley came out to the ring with Saint-George.  Doctor Grue announced Sambroso Maestro but he failed to appear.  Bravehart then announced that he and Jam had made sure that Saint-George would get a bye into the semi-finals.  He then demanded that Sambroso be given a 10 count and if he didn't appear, he would forfeit the match.   As Saint-George was awarded the bye, Chaz Phoenix appeared and told Saint-George that he wasn't getting off that easily and that he would have a one on one match there and then against Mikey.

Saint-George v Mikey
What a match!!  Mikey came out all guns blazing and Saint-George had to resort to underhanded tactics to get the upper hand.  Mikey soon came back at him, nailing Saint-George with several cracking moves but unfortunately Saint-George was declared the winner when he manoeuvred the referee into the path of Mikey, causing him to nail the referee instead and Mikey was disqualified as a result.

JD Wilde v Kenny Kyd
This was the match I had hoped to see - the decider between the two trainees who had been on the last two uprising pre-shows.  I was not disappointed.  Another cracking match between these two lads and definitely deserving of a main card slot.  Kenny Kyd took the victory and now I look forward to seeing them both facing other opponents in the future.

Tournament - Theo Doros (Cyprus) v Damian O'Connor (Ireland)
Newcomer Doros came out to the ring singing what I believe was the National Anthem of Cyprus.  He gave it a good try but he was facing Big Damo!!  Doros discovered how it feels to have "The Beast of Belfast" stand on his chest and drop a senton.  Damo took a convincing victory to move into Saturday's semi-finals.

MDK v Conor Frost & Darren Blair
The second half started with a 2 on 1 handicap match.  MDK was accompanied to the ring by Chaz Phoenix.  This didn't appear to be much of a handicap match as MDK made short work of both of Bravehart's minions, dispatching Blair and slamming Conor Frost before pinning him for the three count.  Phoenix then got the microphone and declared war on Bravehart, delivering a devastating piledriver on Blair and stating he would destroy his minions until he got his hands on the co-owner.

Tournament - Euan G Mackie (Castle Mackula) v Scott Renwick (Scotland)
The final tournament qualifier of the night was in my opinion the best of them too.  Mackie and Renwick delivered a top notch match which either man deserved to win and was my Match of the Night.  There was something for everyone in this match - technical and high flying moves, a bit of brutality and some humour.  Bravehart was ecstatic when Renwick took the victory to move into the semi-finals, however while Renwick is associated with Bravehart's minions, there are cracks forming..

Jay the Jackal & Jackie Grady v The ComixZone
A rather strange tag team match where The Jackal and his "Associate" came out to the ring but both appeared rather confused when Grady appeared and announced that he would be The Jackal's tag partner for the match.  Rawlins and Venym appeared in The Flash and Spiderman gear as part of their ComixZone gimmick (which I still don't get).  Grady ended up on the floor outside the ring and "The Associate" took over as tag partner for "The Jackal".  The Jackal scored the pinfall on Venym before leaving the ring with "The Associate".  The ComixZone then took out their frustrations on Grady before making their way backstage.

LJT v Ian Ambrose
The final match of the night and one I felt a strange atmosphere in.  The match itself had everything required to blow the roof off the place - two cracking competitors, both with a firm fanbase but it was somewhat subdued.  Ambrose was not his usual cocky self, posing for photos as usual.  The match was good - Ambrose appeared to be leaving with his belts (his homemade belt and Joe Hendry's SWE belt that he had stolen after the last uprising) but LJT went after him and they took in the entire hall, bouncing each other off walls and using dustbins as weapons.. but still something was missing.  LJT received a cut to the forehead during the match but it did not appear to slow him down.  Ambrose attempted to use the belt as a weapon but the ref intervened and ended up down himself.  Ambrose then took the opportunity to nail LJT with the belt after all and eventually scored the pinfall.


SATURDAY 16 MAY - NIGHT TWO

Night Two saw a much larger and very much more vocal crowd...which was just as well as my voice was not at its best after working so hard the night before!

Tournament - Massimo Italiano (Italy) v Saint-George (England)
Massimo Italiano endeared himself to the crowd by appearing to wipe his butt with Saint-George's top but unfortunately he was unable to give them what they truly wanted.  A belter of a match ended with Saint-George victorious after managing to hit Italiano with his second attempt at the Saint George Cross.  Saint-George has booked his place in the final at Hell For Lycra in the Caird Hall on 29 August.

Bravehart Invitational Battle Royal
Bravehart came out to announce that the winner of the Battle Royal would automatically get a spot on Hell For Lycra at the Caird Hall.  The competitors were Jam O'Malley, The ComixZone (Rawlins and Venym) JD Wilde, Jackie Grady, Scotty Riccio, Theo Doros, Conor Frost and The Jackal's "Associate".  O'Malley and Frost appeared to work together throughout and Bravehart made his presence at ringside felt, however their plan was thwarted and Scotty Riccio was the last man standing.

Joe Hendry v Mikey
These two guys always put on one hell of a show and this was no exception.  Hendry was without his SWE Heavyweight Title belt, which Ambrose had stolen.  From the outset the crowd were chanting for Mikey, who has become a big fan favourite with the SWE crowd.  Unfortunately, despite pulling out all the stops, it was Hendry who would be the victor this time.  A close contender for my Match of the Night, it was only just beaten by the next match.....

Tournament - Damian O'Connor (Ireland) v Scott Renwick (Scotland)
There is nothing like watching two guys who have worked together as a tag team going at it against each other.  These guys know each other so well, it was going to take something special for one to get over on the other.  I have seen Big Damo stand on the chest of several wrestlers over the years, but this was the first time I saw him stand on a wrestlers back and then follow it with standing on his chest and the senton!  Surely it was over and Damo was the winner.....but no....Renwick not only withstood this but he was the one to score the three count and would now face Saint-George at the Caird Hall in August.  In a show of good sportsmanship, Damo and Renwick shook hands after the match.  Saint-George came out and got into Renwick's face and Bravehart and his minions came out to try to smooth the waters between their "comrades".  Bravehart encouraged them to shake hands and as it appeared they would, Bravehart and the minions left the ring, just as Renwick pulled Saint-George in and hit him with the Angels Wings.  The crowd went mad as Saint-George landed on his face.  Scotty appears to have seen the light and will have the crowd firmly behind him in August as Scotland faces England at the Caird Hall.  Definitely my Match of the Night!!

Bobby Roberts v El Kid Lux
A nice match to kick off the second half of the show.  Despite the crowd being on the side of Roberts, the Dutchman put on a better performance on the night and took a well deserved win.

Chaz Phoenix & MDK v Darren Blair and Steven "Air" Myles
The three original Trident members in a match but with one aligned with Phoenix against the other two showed how things change.  There was a lovely spot with Myles walking the top rope before doing a backflip onto the others outside the ring.  I was a bit worried he was going to overshoot with the height he gained on it but boy it looked impressive!  MDK and Phoenix took the victory then Phoenix challenged Bravehart to a match at Hell For Lycra - a 5 on 5 tag team elimination match with Bravehart personally taking part with 4 of his cronies with whoever wins getting 100% control of SWE.  Bravehart avoided accepting the challenge by saying he would give his answer at Uprising on 27 June at the Ardler Complex.

Jay the Jackal & Ian Ambrose v LJT & Euan G Mackie
The final match of the two day tournament saw The Jackal and Ambrose team up against LJT and Mackie, who have worked really well together in the last couple of shows.  The Jackal and Ambrose did not work so well and at one point Ambrose made to leave, saying he didn't need this.  "The Associate" who was ringside tried to stop him only for LJT to dive through the ropes.  Ambrose got the upper hand just as The Jackal joined them, furious at Ambrose for leaving him in the lurch.  Euan Mackie took the opportunity to leap from the top turnbuckle and knock them down like skittles.  The win went to LJT and Mackie after LJT pinned Ambrose for the three count, however it appeared he had taken a bit of a bump to the head and required some assistance getting up and out of the ring afterward.

All in all, this was a good wee tournament, although I wish the Friday crowd would have been a bit more vocal!

SWE have upcoming shows in Blairgowrie on Saturday 13 June and Dundee on Saturday 27 June.  For information on these and future events, including how to buy tickets, check out SWE on Facebook

Review: Reckless Intent presents Super BOWL 2015

Saturday 2 May 2015


Same date, different day....same company, different venue!  This event marked the one year anniversary of attending Reckless Intent shows....

The pre-show match was between Westy and Jam O'Malley for the Hardcore title, however due to our wee shop becoming ever more popular, I missed the entire match and the after-effects - which is something I will regret forever!!!  Jam O'Malley won the match and the title, however Lou King Sharp then appeared and took the belt, only for Saint-George to nail him with the Saint George Cross to take the belt.  Sully then hit him with his "Begorrah Kick" to win the title and then the moment I will regret missing... Rob Mills hit Sully with an enziguri (now known as the Sullybreaker) and pinned him for the belt.  His reign was shortlived as Westy rolled him up to win back the title before he was chased from the building by Jam O'Malley and Wee Jimmy.

The main show started with the first Battle of West Lothian semi-final between LJT and Jackie Grady, who was accompanied to the ring by Westy.  The crowd were firmly behind Grady at first but as the match progressed a few others joined me in chanting for LJT.  A good opening match where LJT showed his agility and flair in the ring taking a well deserved victory in this bout.

Next up the second Battle of West Lothian semi-final pitting newcomer Theo Doros against Venym.  With both guys fairly evenly matched, either could have taken the three count and both had several near falls during the match.  Even the crowd chants appeared to be evenly split between them.  Venym spun Doros around the ring while the crowd counted the spins, before slingshotting him into the turnbuckles but Doros came back at him.  Finally Venym hit his "poison rain" finisher on Doros to take the pinfall.  In a show of sportsmanship, there was hugs and handshakes after the bell.

Next out to the ring was Saint-George who got on the microphone and riled the crowd by referring to the upcoming election and how they should all vote for UKIP, before handing out flyers to the crowd (which were quickly returned to him in ball format).  He then proceeded to call out Rawlins.  As Rawlins stood outside the ring, Conor Frost attacked him from behind, knocking him to the ground before picking him up and ramming his back into the ringpost.  Meanwhile Saint-George left the ring, found a steel chair and smacked Rawlins over the head with it.  At this point GM Jason McKinlay came out and called for some help for Rawlins while Saint-George and Frost celebrated in the ring, revealing that Frost's actions toward Rawlins over the last few months have all been leading to this moment.

With Rawlins down and seemingly unable to compete against Saint-George, Lou King Sharp made his appearance and asked the crowd if, now that the Englishman had no opponent, would they like to see Lou King Sharp "kick seven shades of English out of Saint-George".  With the crowd giving a resounding yes, the match was on - but part way through, Rawlins reappeared, determined to get his hands on Saint-George and the match became a triple threat match.  It appeared that the deck was stacked against the Englishman, however Saint-George capitalised when Rawlins missed a flying headbutt from the top rope and scored a very unpopular victory.

The first half main event saw a change to the originally advertised title match between Joe Hendry and Darren Lewis.  After Jason McKinlay announced that Lewis would be unable to compete due to illness, Saint-George came out and introduced Massimo Italiano to the Reckless Intent crowd before taking a seat at ringside.  The Italian then addressed the crowd in his native language and while the crowd may not have understood the words, they certainly got the message....Italiano was not a nice guy!  Hendry then came out and after making a dig at the Italian, the match was on.....and a great match it was.  These two big guys put it all out there - Hendry pulled off one of those suplexes that seem to never end while Italiano tried everything, including a lowblow, to try to take the title but it was Hendry who took the three count.  Immediately Saint-George got into the ring and issued a challenge to the Reckless Intent Champion to put the title on the line on 6th June, which Hendry accepted.

Just before the interval, Jason McKinlay came out to the ring to announce a couple of birthdays....one a wrestler, the other Reckless Intent's No 1 fan...and both called Jackie.  Jackie Grady and Jackie Cowan were both called out to the ring, where Jackie Cowan was presented with a card signed by the entire roster!

First up after the interval was the Battle Royal featuring the BOWL tournament losers and a couple of wild cards, Rob Mills and Jam O'Malley.  This also featured more Hardcore title action.  Conor Frost pinned Westy for the Hardcore title before being pinned by Jam O'Malley.  Saint-George hit O'Malley with the Saint George Cross but was unable to make the pin.  Sully and then Rob Mills piled on top of O'Malley and Saint-George but neither was successful in getting a three count.  Finally Westy jumped on top of the pile-up in the ring and scored the three count to retake the Hardcore title.  Back to the Battle Royal, Saint-George and Conor Frost teamed up to clear everyone from the ring, before Frost eliminated himself and handing the win to Saint-George.

Jason McKinlay came out to the ring to address Taking Over on 6th June, in which both he and Bravehart would have a team compete for the right to run Reckless Intent.  Saint-George made yet another appearance, getting himself a seat in the ring and making noise about how wonderful Bravehart is and how he would be helping Bravehart destroy McKinlay before demanding that McKinlay get on his knees and beg for mercy, at which point several roster members came out to back up the Reckless Intent General Manager and send Saint-George packing.

The penultimate match of the night saw Mikey take on the self proclaimed "Best Young Wrestler in the World" Lewis Girvan.  An absolute belter of a match, this was by far my Match of the Night.  Girvan took every opportunity to work the recently repaired knee of Mikey (and antagonising Janet)  which only made the crowd cheer louder and harder for Mikey.  Evenly matched in height, weight and agility, there was no clear favourite to win and both showed no fear, pulling off some incredible moves.  With several near falls for both men, the match went back and forth.  This really was one of those matches were both guys deserved to win, but this time it was Mikey who took the victory and I for one would absolutely love to see a rematch!  In fact why not check this one out for yourself by clicking here - you'll be glad you did!

The main event was the final of the Battle of West Lothian tournament between LJT and Venym.  Despite this being a good match, for me it was a little bit of an anti-climax after the previous match.  I don't know if Venym gave it all in his previous match to make it to the final but he appeared to be a bit tired in this match and LJT definitely outshone him in this match and was a worth winner in the end!

LJT with the Battle of West Lothian Trophy

The next event Taking Over is on 6th June at Murieston Scout Hall and is sure to be another cracking show.  Tickets are available now priced £10 Adults £5 Kids or a family ticket (2 adults, 2 kids) is £25.  Reserved ringside seating is also available by booking online for £12.50 per person or £35 for the family ticket.

Check out Reckless Intent on Facebook to keep up to date with all their future events and ticketing information.

Review: SWE Uprising: The Jackal, The Snitch and The Lobbie Press

Saturday 25 April 2015


Last Saturday of the month can only mean one thing.....SWE Uprising!

The pre-show match was a rematch from last month with Kenny Kyd once again facing JD Wilde.  This was another nice match from the trainees and they seemed to have improved on their previous encounter.  This time is was JD Wilde who took the victory and with the count now standing at one apiece, I look forward to seeing a decider in the near future!

The main show began with a Triple Threat match.  "The Superstar" Darren Lewis made his SWE debut and with him and Massimo Italiano already in the ring, Chaz Phoenix came out to announce the return of Mikey.  Mikey got straight down to business, showing he was fully recovered from his knee surgery but was knocked from the post by the big Italian.  Lewis and Italiano went at it before Mikey returned to take down both of his opponents, finally scoring the pinfall on Lewis, much to the delight of the crowd.

Ian Ambrose then came out to the ring carrying his cardboard replica belt and proclaiming himself Champ.  SWE Heavyweight Champion Joe Hendry then came out for a face to face confrontation which ended in a lot of posturing with each trying to make their belt the most visible!  Add LJT to the mix, who announced he was sick of the politics and wanted a title match that night.  Finally Chaz Phoenix appeared and announced that there would be no championship match that night, but that Ambrose and Hendry would have to put there differences aside as they would be be teaming together in the main event, a tag team match against LJT and a partner of his choice.

The next match saw Venym face Felix Fortune.  Venym came out with his Comix Zone tag partner Rawlins dressed as two of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the original TMNT movie theme, much to the amusement of the crowd.  Fortune was booed from the minute he appeared through the curtains.  Fortune appeared to have Venym well under control, including hitting five elbow drops in a row but Venym managed to fight back and take the pinfall.

Next out to the ring was Jackie Grady who would face Rawlins (who once again came out to the ring with Venym to TMNT).  I have to admit that I am not too keen on the Comix Zone comedy persona of Rawlins and really miss "The Baddest Man in Professional Wrestling" heel that he used to be!  This was a decent enough match but I couldn't really get into it (I blame the gimmick).  Rawlins took the victory by pinfall.

The first match of the second half was one that had been brewing for a while.  After months of antagonising on Facebook, Saint-George would finally face Chaz Phoenix.  Phoenix made an immediate impact on the bigmouthed Englishman, taking the action outside the ring, where unfortunately Saint-George managed to reverse the momentum.  As Phoenix was starting to gain some momentum, Saint-George was joined by Conor Frost but even this was not enough and Phoenix nailed Saint-George with a cracking piledriver to take the win.  An irate Bravehart then made an appearance, attacking Phoenix from behind before taking the microphone, berating Phoenix, then Chris Duke and calling out Reckless Intent's General Manager Jason McKinlay and threatening to take control of Reckless Intent at their event on 6 June.

Next up, Jay the Jackal put the Future Division title on the line against former champ Scotty Riccio, who had been promised a rematch by Chaz Phoenix.  With "The Associate" at ringside to assist, The Jackal was determined not to give up the title, however the referee put paid to any plans by sending "The Associate" backstage.  Riccio appeared to have the Jackal well under control but while having a discussion with the referee, The Jackal struck from behind with a lowblow.  The referee called for the bell and it was announced that Riccio was the winner by DQ but as the title can only change hands by pinfall or submission, The Jackal retained the title.  "The Associate" then reappeared and both he and The Jackal beat on Riccio.  JD Wilde, Kenny Kyd and Theo Doros came out to try to save Riccio but each failed.  Finally The Jackal and "The Associate" left the ring, with Riccio draped over the big man's shoulders.

The final match of the night  - Joe Hendry and Ian Ambrose wait in the ring to see who LJT has chosen as his partner.  LJT made his entrance and turned to show he was wearing the mask of EG Mackie, who appeared from behind the curtain wearing LJT's mask.  While Hendry and Ambrose continued to posture with their belts, LJT and Mackie took the opportunity to double team them, dropping Hendry to the mat and then dumping Ambrose on top of his partner.  Mackie then threw Ambrose from the ring, leaving LJT and Hendry to continue.  This was a cracking match with some lovely moves from everyone involved.  The highlights for me were Mackie reversing his fortunes when Ambrose and Hendry had him in a suplex - they held him too long and Mackie flipped himself down onto his feet, dropping the two big men and then later in the match when he launched from the turnbuckle to knock the guys standing outside of the ring down like skittles.  LJT and Mackie work really well together and they proved it once again by taking the win and another Match of the Night.

SWE have Uprising shows in the Ardler Complex on the last Saturday of each month and are now working toward their big annual show Hell For Lycra, which is being held on 29 August in Caird Hall.  To keep up to date with future events and ticket information, check out SWE on Facebook

Review: Reckless Intent presents Sunday Slam: 2015 BOWL Qualifier

Sunday 19 April 2015

It was this weekend a year ago that I first discovered the existence of Reckless Intent after seeing a couple of the guys on an SWE show and had yet to actually see an RI show - how time flies - and how things change....

As has become usual, Rob and I were at the unit early to help with the setup.  Although this was a Sunday show, it was also the qualifier for the next Saturday show and Rob was not on the card....or so I thought.....

I got the shock of my life when the show was opened with the appearance of Rob Mills, who got into the ring, took the microphone and announced that he was "the heart and soul of Sunday Slam" and having been omitted from the tournament, he was holding the event hostage until he got a match! (Apparently my face was a picture but thankfully no-one thought to actually take one.)  Well he got his match all right...from none other than Mikey, who was returning to the ring after having surgery on his knee.  This was a cracking match to start the show.  Mills put on a great performance against Mikey, definitely the best I have seen from him, and although Mikey thoroughly annihilated him in the end, I was very proud of my boy.

Next up was the first of the BOWL qualifying matches between Saint-George and newcomer Theo Doros.  With Saint-George being his usual arrogant self, he proclaimed that this year he would go a step further, having been beaten in last year's tournament in the semi-final.  Continuing a run of good matches, Saint-George gave it a good try but, to the delight of the crowd, he took a step backward and it was Theo Doros who took the win and a place in the semi-final on 2 May.

The next qualifier was a triple threat match between Sambroso Maestro, Sweet Johnny and Jackie Grady.  Before the match started, Saint-George appeared and attacked Westy, who was accompanying Grady to the ring, and took the Hardcore Title, however his reign was short lived as ring announcer Sully quickly took the title from Saint-George.  The match then got underway, producing many comedy moments, including Grady sucking up to referee Brian Laing and Sambroso and Sweet Johnny teaming against Grady before falling out with each other over who would be allowed to make the pin.  Grady's sucking up may have actually worked for him as he scored the pinfall on Sweet Johnny to take the win.

The first half main event was an exhibition match between Scott Renwick and Falcon.  Renwick came out to the ring accompanied by one of his fellow SOS members Darren Lewis.  Once Renwick got in the ring, Lewis was roaming around ringside and as he approached me, I moved into the ring apron to allow him plenty of room to pass.  Instead he moved right in front of me and yelled "MOVE" in my face.  Now it has been a while since I have got into a nose to nose with a heel but never have and never will let one bully me...so I stood my ground and told him no.  I will admit that I was actually a wee bit scared as I thought he was going to pick me up and move me, but Renwick, who is slowing starting to see the light, stuck his head through the ropes and told Lewis to walk round me - thank you Scotty!!  Falcon then made his way into the ring and the match began..and it was a corker!  The skill and experience of these two wrestlers was a joy to watch.  With the momentum swinging back and forth between them, it came down to interference from Lewis, from standing on the apron to distract the referee while Falcon went for a pin on Renwick during the match to entering the ring at the end with a steel chair as Falcon looked to be nearing a victory.  As the referee demanded that Lewis and his chair leave, he was caught by Falcon and knocked out, leaving Lewis free to make his mark.  With Renwick holding Falcon, Lewis swung the chair only for Falcon to drop out of the way and Lewis so nearly nailed his own guy, only just stopping short. It looked as though Renwick was finally going to turn on Lewis and the crowd yelled for him to nail Lewis with the chair, however it was not to be and Falcon took the blow just before the referee recovered and Renwick made the pin.  Renwick seemed unhappy with his victory however with Lewis buzzing in his ear, he made a final attack on Falcon before leaving ringside and some of the other roster members came out to help Falcon from the ring.

The second half began with another BOWL triple threat qualifier LJT beat Davidian Fury and Graeme Leask.  Fury and Leask started by double teaming LJT but this was a short-lived tactic as they each wanted the win for themselves.  LJT pulled off a couple of cracking moves on both guys during the match, leaping over the ropes to take both men down early on and a lovely splash from the top turnbuckle onto both guys about midway through.  A slightly controversial finish but one the crowd thoroughly enjoyed came as LJT pinned Fury but the referee had been knocked out of the ring - enter the little lad that Fury had terrorised at a previous show to make the three count and give LJT the victory.

The final qualifier saw Conor Frost face Venym.  Frost is most definitely a better wrestler than he is a referee in my opinion but is just as unpopular with the crowd.  Complaining about Venym's accessory, a foam disc launcher, Frost attacked Venym from behind as he removed it from his wrist.  Frost had the upperhand for the early part of this match but I have to admit that I missed part of it ("old lady syndrome" struck at the wrong time and I had to go to the loo).  When I returned Venym had gained the advantage and pinned Frost for the victory.

General Manager Jason McKinlay came out to the ring to make the draw for the semi-final matches.  Venym would face Theo Doros and Grady would face LJT at the BOWL on 2 May.  As the semi-finalists faced each other in the ring, Saint-George appeared and attacked Sully for the Hardcore title.  As Saint-George celebrated, Mikey attacked and beat down Saint-George but instead of pinning him, he pushed Westy forward and Westy took the three count to re-take the Hardcore belt.

The main event saw Darren Lewis put the UK Title on the line against Rawlins.  Now this match had all the ingredients to make a a fantastic match - SOS member against one of the RI Originals for the title - but, for me, something was missing.  There wasn't the passion and spark that I expected and it turned out to be just a good match.  After going back and forth, it appeared that Rawlins had the win in the bag when Scott Renwick appeared at ringside.  While it looked like he was on the side of Rawlins, telling him to go for the pin and not try anything fancy, he actually distracted Rawlins and allowed Lewis to take the victory.

I had two contenders for my Match of the Day - Rob Mills v Mikey and Scott Renwick v Falcon and I know I will be accused of favouritism whichever match I pick (cos everyone knows I am a total mark for Scott Renwick) but I have to give it to Rob and Mikey... firstly because it really was a damn good match and secondly for managing to keep it secret and giving me the "OMG" moment too!

Because this is being published late, the BOWL event has already taken place and the next events are Sunday Slam on 24 May at the RI Unit and Taking Over on 6 June at Murieston Scout Hall.

Check out the Reckless Intent Facebook page for details of events and tickets for upcoming events.

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: SWE Uprising: Hearts on Fire

Saturday 28 March 2015


If Livingston and Reckless Intent is my second home, then Dundee and SWE is my third and the last Saturday of the month will find me at the Ardler Complex (unless its August - Caird Hall baby!) for their monthly Uprising show.  As the shows have become more and more popular, it has often ended up standing room only and, for the first time the balcony was opened to wrestling fans.

There was a pre-show match for advance ticket holders featuring two trainees from SWE's training school, JD Wilde and Kenny Kyd. A fairly decent display from both guys ending in a victory for Kenny.  I actually quite enjoy these matches - its good to see the talent emerging from different training schools and it also gives them a chance to feel what its like to be in front of a crowd before they hit the main card.

The main show began with an announcement that Chris Duke had been suspended after striking Bravehart at the previous show and that there would be a replacement for him on the commentary table....none other than Bravehart himself.

The first match saw Felix Fortune face Chaz Phoenix.  Fortune put up a good fight but Phoenix had him well in control when Conor Frost and Trident members Darren Blair, Steven "Air" Myles and Saint-George appeared and they each took their turn to perform their finishing moves on Phoenix.  Suddenly MDK, the Trident member who was replaced by Saint-George after sustaining an injury, appeared however instead of joining his old crew, he shocked everyone when he got in the ring and cleared it of everyone except Fortune who was then pinned by Phoenix.  Bravehart was furious and to add insult to injury, Chaz Phoenix then announced that with MDK now by his side, we were witnessing the rebirth of "The Syndicate".  He then called to Chris Duke, who was sitting in the audience, and reinstated him to his rightful place at the commentary table and as ring announcer.

Next up was Martyn Stallyon v Venym v Jackie Grady in a Triple Threat match.  Stallyon started well before being knocked from the ring, allowing Venym to gain the upper hand on Grady.  Stallyon returned to the ring to prevent either of his opponents making the pinfall.  With all three now in the ring, chaos ensued - Stallyon had a near pin on Grady, who was then taken out by Venym, who then found himself on the receiving end of a pin by Stallyon when Ian Ambrose appeared and attacked Stallyon.  Ambrose and Stallyon then battled their way through the crowd, up onto the balcony and down the other side into the backstage area.  While most of the crowd were focusing on the battle outside of the ring, Grady and Venym continued to go at it with Venym eventually claiming the victory.

The first match of the second half saw fan favourite LJT team up with Euan G Mackie against Trident members, Saint-George and Steven "Air" Myles, with Darren Blair hovering around ringside.  This was an incredible match and most definitely my Match of the Night.  All four guys really pulled out the stops on this and the end result was a delight to watch.  With Saint-George and Myles trying their underhanded tricks and double team moves and Blair trying to get involved, it was nice to see Myles taking out his own partner and being on the receiving end of an LJT/Mackie double team too.  The highlight of the match for me is shown in the photo - LJT had taken out Blair at ringside and Mackie had hit Saint-George and Myles with a double dropkick from the turnbuckle before sending them out of the ring.  Mackie then climbed to the top turnbuckle and cannonballed all three Trident members (and his partner) on the outside of the ring.  Back in the ring (and back in my seat) LJT seemed to be on fire but Myles managed to gain control and hit his 450 splash on LJT however he failed to score the pinfall.  There were a couple more near pins for both sides but finally, Myles tried to flip over the back of LJT and pull him down, but LJT dropped to his knees instead, cinching up the legs of Myles getting the three count.  This truly was a great match and even got a "This is awesome" chant (which was NOT started by me!)

After such a cracking match, the last person we wanted to see was Bravehart - but out he came to the ring and demanded that Chris Duke stand in the corner of the ring until he finished.  He then berated Duke for his actions at the previous event, dishing out insult after insult to the point it looked like Duke might haul off and punch him again.  Of course Bravehart had already considered this and threatened to fire Duke if he dared to raise his hand again and how it was so important for Duke to have a job.  I almost lost my voice at this point screaming at Duke to just hit him and I would arrange a whip-round for him!  Unfortunately he chose not to and returned to the commentary table looking somewhat shell-shocked while Bravehart got into verbal battles with myself and my friends as he left ringside.

The penultimate match of the night had Ian Ambrose against Massimo Italiano.  With Ambrose refusing to acknowledge the loss of the SWE Heavyweight Championship to Joe Hendry at the last event, he came out to the ring carrying a home-made version of the SWE belt then demanded that Doctor Grue re-announce him as the reigning SWE Champion of 428 days.  Ambrose then took the microphone and announced that as a "fighting champion" that this match would be for his SWE title, much to the amusement of the crowd and a few chants of "Joe Hendry, Global Hero" were made.  The match itself was great, with some lovely moves and several near pins from both guys.  Ultimately the match was decided by the interference of Stallyon, who superkicked Ambrose, handing his nemesis the win by disqualification, retaining his "title".

The main event saw Scotty Riccio put the Future Division Title on the line against Jay the Jackal.  As expected, The Jackal used every underhanded tactic in the book in his efforts to regain the belt and his "Associate" was on hand to assist in any way necessary.  This was yet another great match and filled with controversy.  With Riccio having been subjected to outside interference on several occasions, he looked to be regaining some momentum when he was thrown into the corner and knocked down the referee.  The Jackal's "Associate" was quick to capitalise, hitting the ref with a boot to the face before turning his attentions to Riccio.  After The Jackal and his "Associate" hit Riccio with a double team move, a second referee appeared to make the count, however Riccio managed to kick out and an angry Jackal then decked the ref, knocking him out.  Riccio then went on the offensive, knocking the "Associate" from the ring apron before hitting a beautiful lionsault on The Jackal.  A third referee appeared as he pinned The Jackal and made the three count.  The crowd went nuts, however before he could call to the timekeeper to ring the bell, the "Associate" grabbed his feet and dragged him from the ring, causing his head to hit off the ring apron and leave him unconscious on the floor.  With the match still officially going, Riccio was beaten by both men and then, as the original referee came to, was pinned by The Jackal to become the new Future Division Champion.  The crowd were furious, as was Chaz Phoenix who appeared at ringside and announced that Scotty Riccio would get his rematch at the next Uprising on 25 April in the Ardler Complex.

A cracking, if unpopular, end to a great show - easily the best show SWE has put on since October when Paul London and Brian Kendrick appeared - and this time without the big name imports!  SWE goes from strength to strength and with their annual Hell For Lycra just a few months away, things can only get better.

Check out SWE on Facebook for details of their upcoming shows and ticket availability.  Tickets are also on sale for Hell For Lycra which will be held at the Caird Hall in Dundee on August 29th.