First of all, I'd just like to apologise to the guys that organised and took part on this show that this edition of 'My Weekend of (British) Wrestling' is so late... hectic week so far and this was the first chance I had to get something together! In no way does this mean that the show wasn't good or that I couldn't be bothered to do a review - this was my first Kamikaze Pro wrestling show and it was really good. There were a few hitches here and there but overall the show was well put together and things made sense. First tick in the box!
As I say, this was my first Kamikaze Pro show but there were a lot of familiar faces. There were also a fair few guys that I hadn't met before and it was good to meet and see these guys in action.
The first match saw Iestyn Rees take on Ricky J McKenzie. This was a decent opener that 'woke everyone up' ready for the rest of the show. This was achieved in the opening few minutes with a battle of the 'Boo/Yays'... this got everyone firmly against McKenzie and firmly behind the more determined Rees. Throughout this match McKenzie would target the taped-up shoulder of Rees to good effect before Rees would come back strong with a devastating Spinebuster Slam for the win, despite his shoulder causing him considerable pain.
The next two matches should have been great on paper and reality but both were let down, not by the wrestlers, but by other factors putting spanners in the works. Up first would be the 'Heavyweight House of Pain' Stixx taking on the 'Pride of Wales' Eddie Dennis. The winner of this match would then earn the opportunity to face Dragon Gate star Uhaa Nation at the next event on November 10th. The match itself was lost to me because of the very confusing finish; towards the end Dennis scored what looked like a three-count that had all at ringside confused - the referee had clearly counted the three but the match would then continue moments later. Then, Dennis would go for another pinfall - this time with his feet on the second rope, gaining the three-count even though Stixx had kicked out on two. This would then be the finish to the match; everyone involved seemed confused to this finish - wrestlers, ring announcers and fans alike. It had appeared that the referee wasn't aware of the finish here? A very flat reaction from the crowd followed, something that these wrestlers did not deserve. During the match, the smaller Dennis would dominate Stixx at times and will now go onto face Uhaa Nation in Digbeth, Birmingham.
The third match would be for the Relentless Division Championship - a title that I assume is like an X Division or Cruiserweight title. The champion, Damian Dunne would be challenged by MK McKinnon. This match was really fast paced and exciting at times. As it went on something became apparent to me, though. I have only seen a handful of episodes of Ring of Honor, but this match seemed to be in the same mold as that. What I mean by that is that there would be big move after big move that would seemingly win a match in say, WWE, but here two-counts would be a regular occurrence for such moves. After a few of these occasions, I felt that the audience started to lose interest, wondering what move would win the match. Now, you're probably thinking that this adds to the excitement, but I think 90% of a British Wrestling audience are not watch-any-wrestling, die-hard fans of the American indies; they watch a bit of WWE or TNA and probably want to see that style of TV when they go to local shows.
I'm not saying that this match doesn't have a place on the UK scene, it's just I think you have to be very careful of if your audience is going to 'get' this type of match and appreciate it. I don't want to take anything away from the two guys in the ring, though - Dunne and McKinnon put on an exciting match and gave everything.
The fourth match of the night was a Money in the Bank ladder match. This would be where six competitors would all compete to earn a shot at the Kamikaze Pro Champion at whatever time they choose to. The six guys all put work into this match and there were some very good moves involving all of them - at the same time; a six-man Side Russian Leg Sweep was really funny to see as was a six-man Tower of Doom where Jim Hunter completed a Sunset Flip from the outside to send all of his opponents crashing to the mat from one corner. There were also a few spots involving just two wrestlers at a time (believe it or not!); Jim Hunter delivering a German Suplex to Chris Brookes onto the folded ladder and also Robbie X delivering a Coast-to-Coast to Marshall X in the opposite corner to him. Really exciting and impressive stuff from all six guys resulted in Robbie X climbing the ladder and retrieving the briefcase and earning himself a title shot whenever he chooses! Match of the Night.
The penultimate match of the night would be a really fun one for me. I'm used to seeing The Magnums ('Filthy' Chris Walker and 'Dirty' Dick Riley) performing as heels - something they do very well. Tonight was a first for me as they were faces (good guys); this resulted in some really funny stuff. After the angry entrances of their opponents - Dan Moloney and Tyler Bate - The Magnums would come out to a huge reception - clearly Birmingham (and Kamikaze Pro) is Magnum country - massively OVER with the audience.
Throughout the match, spots that would embarrass The Magnums ordinarily, would instead make Moloney and Bate look foolish. This was a really entertaining match and a new side to The Magnums that I hadn't seen before - they prove to me show after show that there is plenty of fuel in the tank of The Magnums and there is no end to what they can bring to the ring. Credit to Moloney and Bate as well; I've only realised recently that Moloney is sixteen-years-old, but I believe that Bate is too - they both have a great look and with the time they have ahead of them, they should BOTH be great prospects for the future as they learn more and more.
The main event pitted 'The Mexican Sensation' El Ligero against Kamikaze Pro Champion Ryan Smile - with the championship on the line. This match didn't work for me, and that's not to say it was bad, but something was missing. With Ligero matches, I'm used to seeing flowing and exciting matches. This seemed like a heavyweight match though. What I mean by that is that if I see two heavier wrestlers in a match, then I'd expect a war, a slug-fest, but when I see Ligero and Smile I'd expect a faster pace.
The end of the match would see Smile use the championship belt to gain the pinfall. This would then bring out Robbie X (with his newly won briefcase) ready to cash in. Before he could do so, Relentless Champion Damian Dunne would attack from behind, starting a two-man beatdown of the popular Robbie X. Before they could finish the job, though, Chris Brookes would make the save and chase off the heels. This would then lead to the four agreeing to a tag team match at the next show on November 10th.
Results
- Iestyn Rees defeated Ricky J McKenzie
- 'The Pride of Wales' Eddie Dennis defeated Stixx
- Relentless Division Championship: Damian Dunne (c) defeated MK McKinnon
- Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Robbie X defeated Marshall X, Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum, Chris Brookes, Dan Splash and Jim Hunter
- The Magnums; 'Filthy' Chris Walker & 'Dirty' Dick Riley defeated Dan Moloney & Tyler Bate
- Kamikaze Pro Championship: Ryan Smile (c) defeated El Ligero
If I can make the trip up, I'd really like to see the next show on Sunday 10th November in Digbeth, Birmingham, where Eddie Dennis will take on Dragon Gate star Uhaa Nation and the Kamikaze Pro and Relentless Champions; Ryan Smile and Damian Dunne will take on 'Mr Money in the Bank' Robbie X and his partner Chris Brookes.
Get yourself along to this show. For more (and up-to-date) information visit the Kamikaze Pro Facebook page and follow them on Twitter!
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