The Positives and Negatives of Grand Slam Wrestling (Ravenhill/Mason)

This weekend was one of them busy ones where I thought it would be a great idea to go to two shows and then write up the reviews for both. This all equals having not much of a weekend left, but in the case of this one just passed, it was well worth it! From a wrestling point of view, this weekend wasn't ever going to fail – Saturday I saw the likes of Martin Kirby, 'Flash' Morgan Webster and El Ligero alongside some of the best there is in the Bristol area (see the link) and on Sunday I saw James Mason, 'Returing from a WWE tour' Stevie Starr, and one of my favourite comedy heels, Mean Tommy Dean.

As much as I love going to CHAOS or PROGRESS shows – quite possibly my two favourites at the moment – I love going to see shows put on by Alan Ravenhill and James Mason. You just cannot go wrong with these types of shows. On a side note, I NEVER know what to call these shows?! I'm pretty sure it's called 'Grand Slam Wrestling' but then I hear it referred to as 'Superstars of Wrestling' (not to be confused with the SUPERCARDS that are on offer down Gloucester way...). It could also be called 'Welsh Wrestling' (in England?) but that's who I always think this is 'in association with' and all that...

Anyway, what it is is a great afternoon of wrestling for all the family (urgh, I feel like I'm promoting it on the radio or something?!). Like my other review this weekend, this review will probably be a complete ass kissing affair, too! What I want to try and get across here, though, is why this particular show is quite possibly one of the BEST in the country without doing anything massively fancy. And I can imagine what some of the die-hard fans of other promotions will think to that comment; 'he's talking sh*t' or 'my promotion has eight matches and there's loads of dives and stuff' and other hugely hilarious crap like that.

Let the kissing-up commence...

Positive: A Nice Surprise...

When I've attended Alan and James' shows in the past, there hasn't been what I'd call a great turn out for them. I'd have thought that there's been around the 80 mark at other shows, and that's not bad considering they don't really use any online advertising (not that I can find, anyway!). The advertising is somewhat old-school with flyers, posters and radio plugs. I think it's sometimes hard to grasp what the single best way to promote a wrestling show is but I've always liked the idea of handing out and posting flyers to people – it's got a personal touch to it; you've made that first connection with a potential show-goer and made it seem that you want that individual to come to your show. Anyway, when we walked into the hall of the Bracknell Leisure Centre, I was pleasantly surprised to see a good-sized crowd ready for some wrestling. In situations like this I don't really do a proper headcount (sometimes I'm not THAT sad...) but scanning around, I think there was around 150; pretty good for a one-off show.

Positive: Headset Hank McCoy

This weekend I really wanted to give my pal, Hank McCoy a shout out. On Saturday he was slightly annoyed at a Twitter comment that suggested that he was 'annoying'. Whoever sent that tweet has no idea; you see him every now and then at a show, I have to put up with him every week?!

Jokes aside, Hank had a tough start to this show as the microphone decided to be a bugger, resulting in him having to shout the announcements out to the audience. I was at the back and could just about hear him so it was a good effort to get the required information out there until a headset was sorted for him to use for the remainder of the show. I kind of hoped that he would wear it like he was Britney Spears but that never happened!

Here's Hank with a crap example of my point

Saturday's annoyance at people questioning his work in tweets (not as bad as I'm making it out to be!) and his professionalism on Sunday all makes me think that this guy is so underused in British wrestling. Yes, I'm completely biased because he's my mate, but Hank McCoy (if that is your real name?!) doesn't just announce people for their matches; he doesn't just shill merchandise and backstage passes; he works his ass off from before doors open until the last person leaves because he understands that he has a job to do; an IMPORTANT job that is completely overlooked by a lot of promotions in the UK. I'm not writing this to get him booked anywhere, I'm simply pointing out that if you have a Hank McCoy (which you don't) on your show then you've already got a great presentation that will attract fans back the next time.

Negative: Because I Need One Somewhere!

I need to admit something. I f*cking hate 'Rockin' All Over The World' by Status Quo. I really do. In my lifetime I have heard it thousands of times and I'm sure generations and generations before me hated it too when it came out in 1875. But I kind of love it a little bit when James Mason enters to it (does that sound naughty to anyone else, or have I just got a dirty mind?). It's such a happy, clap-along, babyface song that it works so well. God damn you, James, for making me like Status Quo a little bit...

Positive: A James Mason Opener

This will never, ever be a negative. If you need someone to open your show then book James Mason (he's got a lightening strike on his singlet that makes him go faster!). I have never seen a bad opener involving James Mason (apart from against Justin Sysum, but that must've been Justin's fault!) and I don't think I ever will. It's one of the most important things to get right on a wrestling show and James never fails to deliver.

And then there's Tommy Dean.

I wish I hated Tommy when he comes out for a match, but I never do. I just find myself laughing at his 'manliness' or whatever he calls it. I'm in awe of his chiselled physique and 28-inch biceps. He is a wrestling god. I'm glad to say that he makes a James Mason Opener that much better, because James has to beat someone, right?

Positive: Why I Think That This Show Is One Of The BEST In The Country

Let me get to the point here. I've looked forward to going to one of these shows because I knew it would be my favourite to do a review on. This show was made for doing a positives and negatives post on as it highlights one of my key beliefs when it comes to British wrestling.

This shows layout is the layout that should be used more. Match one was a simple, flowing affair that gets the audience involved, wakes them up and gets them ready for the night ahead. Match two slowed things down a touch and got the audience ready for match number three, where, on this occasion, there was a big shiny belt to look at and say 'OOOOOOooooooooo' in amazement. After the hard-hitting championship bout there was an interval so everyone could regroup, get a drink, and the kids could recharge their batteries before screaming their lungs out for a further two matches (yes, just two matches in the second half – don't overdo it and kill your crowd's energy by making them sit through a WWE-amount of matches; you're NOT WWE in so many ways so don't copy them!).

This consisted of a match to remind everyone it's time for wrestling again (congrats to Jutler and Tagori for that) and then the main event which saw a tag team contest between four 'backstage brawlers' from ealier in the night. The heroes win, the villains get laughed at and get chased out, and your audience leave knowing that good prevailed over evil. How f*cking difficult is that to do? Not very.

One of the best things about this layout was something that Chris Walker (Magnums) pointed out to me in the car ride home from CHAOS on Saturday: people need to understand their position on the card; if there's a powerbomb in the first match then how is your main event going to top that, for example? Instead of getting all of one's 'sh*t' in because it's your 'opportunity' to shine and blah blah blah, how about just doing your job in your designated part of the show. If you get to the main event one day, do as many powerbombs as you like.

The Smiling Psycho (does that work?)

Positive: This Kade Callous Fellow...

I'd never seen Kade Callous before. I think he's a Welsh Wrestling regular (right?) and that's one of the shows that I'd like to check off the list so I'm sure I'll see him again. Just a quick note here about him; I really liked his crazy-smile-to-angy-psycho look that he did throughout the afternoon. I think it's something he does well and, for me, it's unique to do it AND do it right.

Positive: New Attire

Just lately, I'm blown away that James Mason seemed to have a new singlet – the one with a lightening strike on them – and NOW I'm even more blown away that Tagori – the Japanese Warrior with matching music – also appears to be sporting new gear since the last time I saw him?! Maybe they could tag sometime? (I genuinely feel dirty for attempting such a crap joke...)

Results

• James Mason (w/Status Quo) defeated 'Mean' Tommy Dean
• JD Knight defeated Antonio De Luca
• British Heavyweight Championship: 'Returning From A WWE Tour' Stevie Starr (c) defeated Kade Callous
• Tagori defeated Kay Jutler
• Stevie Starr and Antonio De Luca defeated Kade Callous and JD Knight

I should point out that I've given Stevie Starr the moniker 'retuning from a WWE tour' because I think it is both genius and hilarious that it's used to introduce him! Sometimes I just sit here and amuse myself...

I couldn't find a picture of Tagori, so here's Tajiri (close enough)

Anyway, what a fantastic show this was. It's amazing how such a simple show can get just as good a reaction as some of the regularly-run shows that there are around the country. I really hope that I have conveyed this in this post as it really is pleasing to see a show that sends you home in a good mood with the least amount of effort (not to say that there wasn't effort from the performers, but it seemed so effortless to get the appropriate reactions throughout the afternoon!).

If you can get to a Ravenhill/Mason/Grand Slam Wrestling/Whatever They Call It show then I urge you to. It is a fantastic family afternoon of simple-to-follow wrestling, with lots of laughs and a great feel-good ending... unless Tommy Dean is main eventing, of course...

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

The Positives and Negatives of Pro Wrestling CHAOS

Fiesta Del Rey Chaos

My third visit to Pro Wrestling CHAOS would come this weekend as they presented 'Fiesta Del Rey Chaos', a Mexican-themed version of the show with a Mexican flag and sombrero wearing Ring Announcer, a talented, horned Mexican (British) performer in the main event followed by a pinata (happy) ending.

I was really looking forward to this show as it appeared to be the best line-up that Dave and co. had put together. Alongside their mainstays of Gideon, Jeckyl, The Wild Galleons et al, there were going to be the additions of both Project Ego members Martin Kirby and Kris Travis, El Ligero and T-Bone. CHAOS has been making great strides since it's first show and this has paid off with these kinds of additions to an already entertaining roster.

I'm going to get straight to the point of this post; 'The Positives and Negatives' of CHAOS will be hugely in favour of the positive aspects of the show. I've really tried to come up with negatives but there are very, very few and even those are probably more jokey or me being a picky, shut-your-face-and-enjoy-the-bloody-show blogger...

Positive: So Many Beards...

Before the show I would look around and be in awe of all the facial hair that would be on offer for this show. The Hanham audience probably still don't realise how lucky they were to have witnessed such a showing of testosterone and machoness. Gideon, Grizzly, Bane, Jeckyl, Eddie Dennis, Chris Walker, Mike Bird... writing that list just brings it home how much beardy goodness was on offer. Note to self: grow my beard back like a real man.

Here's a cut-out beard...

Positive: The Panic And Passion of Dave Youell

And in the same kiss-ass way that I did with Nick Ashberry at EAW the other week, this positive will be all about one of the men driving CHAOS in the successful direction that it is currently going in. I met Dave at the first show that I went to earlier this year and was instantly humbled that he liked my reviews etc, and was very welcoming to me (probably because he wanted a decent review himself!). Since then I have had a few interactions over Facebook with him as well as seeing him up at Triple X Wrestling (Coventry) where he does a sleazy, disgusting character that you should go and see for yourself (use protection). I have also gotten advice from him in a couple of phone conversations and I'm very grateful for the time that he has given me for the questions that I've thrown his way.

The point of this positive is to highlight the passion and determination of him (as well as Nick and Rob) to make this show as successful as possible. He's a huge wrestling fan himself that wants to give local fans the best possible show so that they come back again and again. I think he's doing a fantastic job of making that happen. The panic of Dave Youell is something I've seen every show now; even though the show is sold out or WILL sell out; even though he has a great team around him that are doing their bits, whether it be constructing their matches, doing the music and sound checks; and even though everything is in order and ready to go, Dave is still on edge – probably until the show is over – and this is great to see. It's great to see that he cares so much and it's great to see that that panic, passion and determination pays off with having over 200 fans making as much noise as possible before, during and after six extremely entertaining matches.

Positive: As If They Needed Waking Up MORE!

The first match of the evening should wake the crowd up and get them ready for the rest of the night. On this night, the audience were crazy up-for-it BEFORE the show. They were then worked into a further frenzy with the addition of MC Hank McCoy and THEN the first match had an easy job ahead of it. Perfect. For me, the first match should be short(ish), fast paced and to the point. Dave Mercy versus Jeckyl was just that. They went off at a quick pace and it didn't drop too much from that point. It ended at just the right time and, as if the Hanham locals needed anymore reason to be rowdy, Jeckyl got the win to get them p*ssed off and even more passionate for the night ahead.

Positive: The Sleaziness Of The Second Match

The second match of the night would be the funniest match of the night. The first ever ladies match in CHAOS would take place between Scotland's Kay Lee Ray and the rest of the UK's Pollyanna. The first positive of the match would be Kay Lee Ray's entrance. At first she would come out, arms firmly behind her back, not really giving the fans any acknowledgement. On entering the ring, after getting an indifferent reaction, she would snatch the microphone from Hank McCoy and let everyone know that she deserved better, would be making her entrance again and expected a more welcoming response. On entering again, she received the response that she deserved as Hanham would make it clear that she should go back to where she came from. Now I knew that she was the heel. Simple and effective.

The second positive of this match was the introduction of special referee, 'Filthy' Chris Walker – one half of The Magnums. He would stake his claim to being the referee as he had more experience with 'dealing with two women at the same time'. I'd question that claim but he was made the referee anyway. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments in this match with Walker reacting to every sleazy-looking move and pinning predicament in the funniest way.

The third positive of this match was the pleasing ending. After siding with fellow heel Kay Lee Ray throughout the match, Walker would have a falling out with her towards the end which would earn him a slap from her. This would then lead to her downfall as he would deliver a fast-count in favour of Pollyanna for the win.

Negative/Positive: The Death Of The Kraken/Emergence Of Big Grizzly

The Wild Galleons do it for me. They're a great act for the kids to get behind, but they're also so likeable and silly that it gets a 31-year-old 'Yo Ho, Let's Go!'ing along with them. Part of their act is The Kraken, who is dressed pretty silly but can move really well for a big man. I loved him chucking himself around in the six-man tag elimination here! The ending would see The Kraken turn on his fellow shipmates and then reveal himself to be Big Grizzly, complete with his best 1999 Vince McMahon impression: 'It was me! It was me all along!'.

Steve (Grizzy) is too much of an angry, scary heel to have been playing a Kraken forever so it's nice that he'll get a new start without the mask. It's a good way to end the Galleons/Doomsday Killers storyline and give Captain Jack and Roger something new to do. Looking forward to the future there!

Negative: Oh He's A Heel...

Here's where I'm going to be a picky, w*nker blogger. The triple threat after the interval between Martin Kirby, Morgan Webster and Wild Boar started with all three coming out and doing the usual babyface-slapping-hands-with-everyone-in-sight gig before entering the ring ready to put on a trademark CHAOS triple threat match. When all three were in the ring, it would be then that Kirby would decide to berate the audience and reveal that he would be the heel of the three. I much prefer it when the battlelines are drawn before the match starts. If you're the heel, then come out and scowl at people; knock kid's hats off their heads; anything, don't do the slap hands routine and then do one thing that shows your a heel.

Negative: No Kirby vs Webster singles match?

But then...

Positive: Another Really Exciting Triple Threat Match

Part of me was annoyed that Wild Boar got added to this match. With the news that Kris Travis wouldn't be able to make the show I really hoped that a new opponent would be picked for Boar and things could commence as I'd wanted. I was really looking forward to the fast paced spotfest that Kirby and Webster would've put on; in other matches that I'd seen these two in they had really impressed me; this would have been a fresh match that I didn't remember seeing advertised anywhere else.

I made a deal with myself that I would give the three-way a chance and I'm glad that I didn't sit there in a mood that I couldn't see the originally-planned match. This triple threat was up there with the others that I'd seen at CHAOS and keeps me interested and excited for future triple threats as they always seem to deliver.

Positive: Ring Rage

Just a quick note: I loved T-Bone's entrance for his match with Eddie Dennis. He came out and seemed really p*ssed off! I'd say he was probably the scariest heel of the night as he walked to ringside shouting in kids faces, knocking kid's hats of their head (quite tame, I know) and even pushing one guy back in his seat when he dared to square-up to Bone. This is the type of thing where everyone can really get behind the babyface – with the aggression that Bone showed, I'd want to see him to get the sh*t kicked out of him.

T-Bone

Positive: The CHAOS Of The Ringside Brawl

Normally, I hate it when a match, especially a main event, spills to the floor and then there's ten minutes of fighting amongst these chairs then fighting amongst them chairs, followed by fighting by the bar. Not everyone can see what's going on and it gets somewhat boring and tedious waiting for it to get back in the ring where you know the finish will take place. I sometimes find it lazy that there isn't enough wrestling to get through a match of this importance. Ligero vs Bird was a little different, though. Yes, the fighting in these chairs and them chairs got a bit tedious, but then Ligero dived from the stage onto Bird – that got a reaction out of me. That grabbed my attention. The more engrossed I got, the more it reminded me of championship 'wars' that I had seen down at Pro EVW in Gloucester. On them shows, the champion generally went through the ultimate struggle to keep hold of his title. This match felt like those. Great to see a Piledriver making a comeback, too!

Personal Positive: Feedback

It really pleased me that during the afternoon and evening, I had several comments and chats with people regarding the reviews that I do. People seemed genuinely interested and this made me feel that there is good to what I do. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to do them regardless, but it's nice to know that people, including wrestlers, enjoy and appreciate(?) the b*ll*cks that I spout! Thank you to those that approached me and sent comments my way about what I do. One of the hardest thing to get is feedback so I always welcome anyone's opinion and I'm more than happy to justify my positives and negatives. Admittedly, sometimes it's just my personal preference on something and other times something just flat-out p*sses me off because I'm sure it shouldn't be that way?!

Results

• Jeckyl defeated Dave Mercy
• Pollyanna defeated Kay Lee Ray (Special Referee: 'Filthy' Chris Walker)
• Six-man Tag Team Elimination: The Wild Galleons (Captain Dick Morgan, Roger The Cabin Boy and The Kraken) and The Doomsday Killers (Gideon, Killbain and Ian Williams) ended in a no-contest
• Triple Threat: Martin Kirby defeated 'Flash' Morgan Webster and Wild Boar
• 'The Pride of Wales' Eddie Dennis defeated T-Bone
• King of CHAOS Championship: 'Flyin'' Mike Bird (c) defeated El Ligero

I realise that I have massively kissed CHAOS' ass here but it is well deserved! As a fan, I couldn't fault anything really and this worried me?! I never intend to find anything negative about the shows but something normally crops up. On this occasion, I just enjoyed the hell out of it; I was smiling from the first match all the way through to when everyone was leaving and the ring was being dismantled!

If you can manage to get a ticket (they sell out every show, didn't you know?) then I urge you to attend a Pro Wrestling CHAOS show. It's one of the up-and-comers in the country and provide an excellent night out for all the family. That's a very notable word there: family. There is such a great family feel to these shows. The wrestlers that compete (more-so the regulars) interact in a way that lead you to KNOW that they are all on the same page; the people that attend these shows unite and sing, cheer, boo, scream and get frustrated as one; and together, the CHAOS guys and the fans have a great relationship that I don't see getting weaker in the future. As I've typed that I've felt that it sounds a bit cheesy, or deep, but I don't care! A top wrestling show gets an emotional reaction from it's fans and that's what happened at this show.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

The Positives and Negatives of EAW: Caged Warfare

I've been very fortunate that a lot of people have welcomed my 'positives and negatives' posts when doing show reviews. On the back of this, I have had invites to a few shows to give my view on what I like and didn't like. I'm grateful to them and applaud them for having the bottle to take any constructive criticism that might come their way. Obviously, I can't stress enough that they can take it or leave it – let's face it; I'm a nobody – if you're confident in your show and what you're doing then great; If you see that what I offer is complete crap then carry on with what you're doing.

I just hope, in some way, that I can highlight something that you didn't spot and change it for the better.

Anyway...

This weekend was a bit of a stacked one for me for a change, with NBWA in Banbury on Saturday evening (see link) and then a kind invitation from Nick Ashberry to come up to Rushden to see his EAW (Extreme American Wrestling) show and give my thoughts. I spoke to Nick over Facebook and really liked the way he described EAW and what his shows are about.

Positive: The Pemberton Centre, Rushden

The venue was pretty easy to find. Unlike visiting Southside a few weeks ago, we took a more direct route to Rushden to ensure that we got there on time and there were no country roads to overcome! As we walked into the hall of the centre, it was an impressive sight: the ring (obviously), plenty of seats around and a very good set-up on the stage, where the wrestlers would enter from. This looked like a wrestling show and was a great positive before the show even began. And yes, the ceiling was VERY high – Jimmo = happy.

Positive: Know Your Role, Fans

As we got a drink from the bar, Nick (Owner, MC, Ring Announcer...) was on the mic to give the fans some direction on what they should do during the show; basically, when the heels come out you 'BOO!' them and when the babyfaces come out you 'YAY!' them. This wasn't really needed, as the audience seemed to know what they should do, but it was a nice touch. USUALLY I would hate this but this is a largely family orientated show so it's probably a good move to involve them early on and iron-out any confusions they would have in making any sort of noise. Luckily, the Pemberton Centre was filling up nicely, and when you have a big attendance they feed off each other and get comfortable making noise. I couldn't say for sure how many were there but it must have been easily over 200.

Positive: This Is Going To Sound Picky...

At the previous night's show (and NO, this isn't going to be a comparison post) there was a 'pre-show match'. EAW gave us a 'free match' before the show. I can understand if this is seen that I'm being picky but, for me, a simple thing like having a pre-show match and calling it one thing rather than another is a big deal. By calling it 'free' you are 'giving' the fans something for nothing – that sounds a hell of a lot more appealing than calling it a straight-up 'pre-show match'. That just makes it seem that you're copying a well-known American company... very small thing but I instantly noticed the wording and how that made me feel as a paying customer – it was nice that I was seemingly getting something for nothing.

Positive: I prefer Rude Boy Matt and Rude Boy Taylor to 'Shortfuse' Matt Walker and Taylor Made

Okay, that statement isn't entirely true; I dig the WHAM! Theme music that Taylor Made has, but I can definitely do without the nipples gag every show, so it was nice that Rude Boy Matt wears a vest to cover them burger nips. I also liked the Prime Time Crew's gimmick (this was the team name that Rude Boys Matt, Taylor, and their partner Nate (?) had). I hate chavs and what better gimmick to have as heels – it works, they were hated (“dirty chavs” chants) and it's very British... that was nice to see on an Extreme American Wrestling show!

Paul Malen

Positive/Negative: Get Your Own Moves!

This is the start of me being a moany, whiny know-it-all, 'shut your mouth and just enjoy the show' blogger tw*t. There were a LOT of WWE signature moves in this match and it bothered me. And that's not a bad thing! For me, I didn't appreciate seeing an Attitude Adjustment, a Rock Bottom, I'm sure there was an RKO in there, an attempt at a People's Elbow and a 'You Can't See Me' taunt. I did appreciate the 3-D with the RKO variation to it, though; that was a little different. MORE IMPORTANTLY, the screaming kids next to me and all around LOVED all this. After all, it is Extreme AMERICAN Wrestling so why not thrown in WWE moves?!

Negative: This One's For You, Paz: The Referees

A lot of shows don't see having a good referee as a priority. I can kind of understand that as in their eyes and, for them, the fans eyes, it's all about the wrestlers. But having a sh*t referee can make a hell of a difference in a BAD way. The two referees on this show didn't look interested at all. They allowed EVERYTHING that happened and didn't show ANY authority when a heel would do something outrageous, and were far too easily distracted (the referee distraction was used a little too much early on). In the main event they might as well have not been out there as Andy Poole climbed the cage whenever he liked or slammed a door into Marc Massa's face and they just watched and allowed it. I can imagine Ref Paz watching this match and stabbing his eyes out at it! Paz, they also missed several 5-count opportunities – I know this eats you up inside!

POSITIVE (IN CAPITALS): Stixx And The Story Of The Second Match

The second match was probably my favourite of the night. I say this because I could not stop smiling at the story, the personalisation of certain moves/strikes, and the 'will he, won't he' ending to the match.

First of all, Stixx (heel) came out and explained the story so far. This was great for me – a new fan around these parts – as I had no idea who people were. Stixx explained that Blake, an EAW favourite, was getting nowhere kissing up to the fans and that he was going to take him under his wing (basically, whether he wanted it or not). Their opponents would be The Predators; Joe Connors and Paul Malen. The match would tell a great story of Stixx showing Blake 'how it's done' before Blake would reluctantly get in, do the minimum and then not like his actions. The only complaint I had was that he was a bit reluctant to WRESTLE his opponents – whether you like Stixx or not; COMPETE! Anyway, as the match went on, The Predators would keep questioning Blake about his partnership with Stixx (hey, he didn't ask for this?!) before Blake started to show signs of frustration, before grabbing a handful of tights for the win...

Stixx; excellent job on the night

On the stage, Blake would then confirm his new, and true, colours by embracing Stixx (not in that way) and stating that they were 'winners'. Blake looked a little inexperienced so an alliance with Stixx is probably a good thing for him going forward.

Oh, and the 'personalisation of moves/strikes' I referred to was in relation to The Preators. I'm not saying that they are the innovators of these but it pleased me that when they had an opponent in the corner, instead of your average, generic punches, Malen would bounce Stixx' head into the top turnbuckle a couple of times, then the middle a couple of times and then would finish the obligatory ten on the bottom turnbuckle. Good stuff. Connors' impressed me a little more with his clothesline/elbow combination strikes in the corner. Little things make it look like you have your own identity.

Positive: I Recognise Them Nipples

Hey, Super Koji, I recognise your nipples; you're not fooling anyone! AND you don't sound Japanese! I'm onto you...

Negative: Get In The Gym ASAP

I thought it, I still think it, so I have to say it... there were a few guys on the show that needed to get in the gym. I know this is the case with a lot of shows, but this is the first thing I thought when Andy Poole got into the ring and took off his 'I did not tap out' shirt (I'm guessing he did tap out at some point?). I realise that this is a family show so this won't be important to a lot of them fans as long as he gets the sh*t kicked out of him by the crowd favourite (as he did), but it's just something that stuck out to me.

Positive/Negative: Mister Monster Is A Great Character, But This Match Type Isn't Family Friendly

This is the part where I sound like an old git, and sometimes, I am. I thought the Mister Monster guy was really good. The kids loved him, he's got a... unique look. But it always screams one thing to me when a guy's 'speciality' is hardcore-style matches. I don't know the history between these guys as this was my first show, but sh*t must have gotten real if they require a Dumpster/Weapons That The Fans Bring Can Be Used match.

The fish flapping in TK Hayward's face was a good laugh and the introduction of Lego bricks (I think?) was a nice touch, too.

Supplemental positive for having the hardcore guy go for the Light-Heavyweight title!

Although this match could be family friendly if not as much stuff was used etc, this one didn't seem that way due to a couple of unsure, silly spots. As I pointed out about 'dangerous' spots on the NBWA show the night before, the table-over-the-dumpster spot where Mister Monster went into it looked like it didn't go exactly to plan. As I said previously, if in doubt, don't be an idiot and hurt yourself. I know some people in wrestling think that this is their life etc etc, but I can guarantee that you have a day job on Monday morning so make sure you can get to it. Stick more to wrestling and leave your ironing boards and decorating tables at home.

Yes, the families and kids loved this match but isn't this the type of stuff that gets wrestling in the news due to one kid hitting his sister with a frying pan or some other 'hardcore' act of violence?

Wow, that was deep... onto more positives:

Positive: The Charity Scalping And The Raffle

I'm always a little sceptical when the words wrestling and charity collection are in the same place. This was a nice touch, though, and hopefully worked towards gaining extra cash for the chosen charity (sorry, didn't catch the name of it). On last hearing, I believe that they reached the goal of £1400 which is a huge amount to generate! Well done to EAW and the guy (sorry, didn't quite catch his name, either) that got his head and beard shaved!

The raffle was the best that I'd ever seen. Usual prizes on wrestling raffles include posters, show dvds, wrestling figures and future-show tickets. All very nice prizes and gives those that win a souvenir of the show they went to. EAW gave out a poster, too, but signed by WWE's Sheamus. They also gave out Bret Hart and John Cena dvds, Bret Hart show tickets and a ring-worn John Cena armband. This all felt 'big' and went along nicely with 'American' part of the EAW name.

Speaking of the EAW name...

Positive/Negative: EAW – Extreme American Wrestling (The Name)

Before I went to the show, this bothered me a little. AT the show, I understood it and it's something I think is a simple but effective selling point. When people in this country think of wrestling they think of WWE, you know, that highly successful, long-running American company. What better way to 'sell' your show by having the word 'American' in there? I'm pretty confident that if you have that word on your poster or when you promote your show, you will have just as much interest as when you advertise an American 'star' (from the WWE, TNA or wherever else).

It still bugs me that we're in the UK so it should still be 'British' wrestling, but monetarily (I like that word this weekend!) I need to shut up!

Positive: A Steel Cage Match

What a fantastic spectacle for everyone in that venue. Where else in the country do you see an actual steel cage match? And as much as some of you laugh at that, it IS a great selling point. I remember seeing on Nick's posters about a 'Steel Cage Match As Seen On TV'... if I'm a kid and I see that then I want IN.

'Ultra' Marc Massa became the new EAW Champion

Positive: Characters Done Well

One of the best things that EAW does is the characters that it presents. Yes, there are a few, generic looking, pretty boys that look angry and a few that need to get in the gym, but there were a lot of gimmicks that were pure fun and covered for other downsides.

The Prime Time Crew and Mister Monster were two that really stood out as having a few layers to them.

POSITIVE: Nick Ashberry

There are a lot of promoters and 'promoters' that have bad reputations in this country. I'm not sure what is thought of Nick Ashberry, but I really don't care. I like Nick. He's passionate about his show and seems like a genuine fan as well as wanting to put on a great family show (with a view to making a bit of money). This is clear to see in the type of show that he puts on – it's American named and themed, and that WORKS in this country. It's not 100% my cup of tea because I would rather we adopted our own identity, but it really works for him. Nick's energy throughout the show was amazing and I challenge anyone to match it. He did the ring announcing (in a very comical, American-sounding voice); he presented the show from start to finish; he was a character on the show and he kept the audience's spirits up during the interval and construction of the steel cage. It was similar to how I view Jim Smallman at PROGRESS; there is a connection with the fans that attracts you to the show. He is the promoter, the ring announcer, and your FRIEND throughout the show that encourages you to get involved and that it's ok to cheer your heart out for your favourites. I know most promoters' place is in the back, but I love that Nick is as hands-on as he is. It's his baby and he's determined to see it grow up under his watchful eye.

Results

• Free match: EAW Tag Team Championship: The Prime Time Crew (Rude Boys Taylor & Nate)(w/ Rude Boy Matt) defeated Andy Reign & Eric Phillips
• EAW Academy Champion Stealth defeated Rude Boy Matt
• Stixx & Blake defeated The Predators (Joe Connors & Paul Malen)
• Super Koji defeated Andy Poole (w/ EAW Champion Chris Tyler) by DQ
• Dumpster/Weapons match for the EAW Light-Heavyweight Championship: TK Hayward (c) defeated Mister Monster
• Steel Cage match for the EAW Heavyweight Championship: 'Ultra' Marc Massa defeated Chris Tyler (c)(w/ Andy Poole) to become the new champion

I got to speak to Nick during the interval and he says that he doesn't normally listen to the internet and the things that keyboard warriors have to say. I completely understand that. I also agree that he shouldn't because most people are negative for the sake of it. There are also far too many ass-kissers out there that really don't progress anything, either.

I hope that Nick finds this helpful, or just a little entertaining if nothing else. I want to enjoy every show that I go to but have become a right old man at times that if I don't see what I like I reach for the pen... or keyboard! It's never anything personal, just my view on the British wrestling that I see. If you know that there's something dogsh*t with what you do then I'll probably say it. If it's something THAT obvious then I won't be the only one to say it (others will probably say it more privately, though).

Keep going to shows and...

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

The Positives and Negatives of NBWA: Slams Of Summer

I'd like to thank NBWA for giving me so much material to work with at the last show that got some of the best (and most defensive) feedback that I've received so far on Jimmo's Angle. It was nice to see so much support for what I had written, showing me that when I get annoyed with a show and write from the heart there are those that understand and know that this type of review is needed. As I also said, there were some defensive comments, too, and I fully expected this. For the record, none of what I write is personal, it's just my view as a paying customer; and YES, I know that I don't have to pay and see a show that I think is garbage, but it needs to be someone's duty to write about the BAD in British wrestling as well as the good sometimes.

This Saturday just gone I travelled up to Banbury by myself due to my usual companions not being able to make the trip up and also not wanting to put themselves through another show. Luckily, I met up with Matt Lomax (wrestler and good guy), who I wasn't sure would recognise me from the (one?) time that I met him before. I was going to make this a 'positive' but I'll get it out of the way now; it was great to talk with Matt throughout the show and to confirm some of my thoughts on the show as it went on. The highlight of this was our 'similtaneous sigh' when Marshall X and Samson decided to have a hug instead of one of them being thrown into the ropes!

Positive: Optimism

Going into this show, I was optimistic about some of the matches. James Mason and JD Knight was easily going to be the match of the night. The Cruiserweight title, triple threat had potential as it was using the two TAW (Milton Keynes) guys that stood out from the last show with one of NBWA's better wrestlers, Mr E. I had high hopes that Tukay and Sancho would lead their respective trainees through a passable match, too.

MC Hank McCoy was on hand to give a great presentation as always

Negative: A Pre-Show Match

Somebody tell me the point of a pre-show match? What are you hoping to gain by having a free match (which, if you saw, you had to pay to get in to see it??!) before the actual show started. This isn't going to get more people in the door; those that are there were coming anyway – there aren't any random people walking past the Spiceball Leisure Centre as it's a little bit out of the town centre, so there is probably zero chance of getting anyone extra in. All it did was put Kay Jutler (probably the best that NBWA has to offer) in a match with a guy that should not be on shows. This is probably why he wasn't technically on the show and on the 'pre-show'. What is this – a WWE pay-per-view??

Negative: The Opening Match

Where do I begin here? The opening match saw a tag team match to determine the number one contender to the cruiserweight title. Basically, whoever scored the pinfall would have the shot against whoever would be the cruiserweight champion on a future show. Therefore you would expect a little dissention between the partners, right? Wrong. There was no problems between any of the four guys. Each one would go for a pin and their partner wouldn't care. Surely if there is a championship opportunity you would make sure that YOU and you alone had that chance. The ending saw Tukay get the pin on the child in the blue bodysuit as his tag team (and Stable) partner, Dan 'The Man' Tucker, just stood there and allowed it. THEN Dan (The Man) complained (mildly) that Tukay had gotten the pin; the pin that he could've broke up if he really wanted to.

Basically, this was a very overbooked, complicated opener to a show. I would expect a simple, one-on-one match to open a show, where it WOKE the audience up. This didn't happen.

Supplimental Negative for putting a child in a match that I had to pay for. I know a tag team match might seem to cover for this as there were two guys that can wrestle (Tukay and Sancho) and one that is at least trying (Dan 'The Man') but that does not mean it excuses you to put a kid in a match. Sugar-coat it all you want with putting him in a mask, full bodysuit, and calling him 'midget warrior' (or whatever) in Spanish, it still doesn't get away from the fact that it's a kid that should not be on shows.

Positive: Out Of The Mess We Have A Contender

Despite this crappy opener, we now have a number one contender; Tukay. I like Tukay and haven't seen him wrestler for a while now. It's good to see that in the future we will have Tukay vs Mr E; two guys that don't have me tearing my hair out at how offended I am before it starts!

Negative: 'Wooden Man' Samson

That's his moniker, right? As the weeks went by, I looked at this show's card and saw that Matt Walker and Taylor Made (TAW's better options) were in the triple threat match. I didn't see Samson's name and this pleased me. He was dire at the last show. Wooden is probably an understatement. That show he was a heel, complete with half-arsing a 'tap out!' request to a girl on that show. This show he magically transformed into our hero for the night versus Marshall X. In the NBWA Universe (please don't let that be a thing), continuity seems to be a very important thing so having a heel from the last show be a babyface this show (and a shit one at that) goes against that grain. Added to that was that he entered through the curtain and just stood there: expecting the adulation from a group of fans where not a f*ck was given. I suppose that when you get a car load of guys from Milton Keynes this type of shite is going to be on offer.

Mr E (photo credit: Superkick.co.uk)

Negatives: Last Man Standing / This Feud

Where do I begin? (And yes, I know I've started a paragraph with that already, but it REALLY needs using again). First of all, let me start with the Last Man Standing (LMS) match type. I'm not a fan of this type of match, but that's beside the point. A LMS match, I would guess, is a tricky one to pull off. It wouldn't be a type of match that I would think that everyone and anyone could do, or do successfully or believably. Unfortunately, the two guys in this match could not pull it off; neither should they be attempting to. Is it really thought that the Banbury audience knows what all of these types of matches are and how they work? Why has this stuff got to be SO complicated when it could be so simple and have a much better response?

Now let me address the feud/match. If I had a twenty-month feud and been beaten in the (feud-ending) Street Fight the show before, when my music hit I wouldn't walk to the ring, slap hands with my tens and tens of fans, get in the ring and wait for the bell. I would run to the ring and put a beating to the guy that has been stinking up my wrestling career for the last TWENTY-MONTHS! But no, here we got Frankie and Langley (there's a double-act name for you) competing for 'yays!' from the audience before starting things out with a test of strength. TWENTY-F*CKING-MONTHS, guys??!! Tear each other apart for f*cks sake?!

Next up on my list was the dangerous table spot that they set up at the start of the match. A suplex was teased after the initial setting up of said table, but of course, something bigger and more dangerous was destined for that table (that I'd hoped to do a spot of decorating on at a later date). The biggest worry for us during this whole thing was that the table had been set-up by an old lady sat at ringside; this wasn't going to end well. When Frankie eventually went through the table, it appeared that the table legs on her side did indeed connect with her. Now, whether it was a hard connection or not, what a stupid spot to do with that particular spectator there? At least move the table to a position where you haven't got the possibility of hurting someone. Or if in doubt (which there probably was NONE) DON'T DO THE SPOT.

Lastly, I'd like to applaud Frankie for selling the leg injury that Langley had given him, but COMPLETELY NO-SELLING punching a chair into Langley for the win. What the actual f*ck. I don't care how 'iron' your fist is; if you punch a chair into someone – and it gains you a ten-count in a LMS match – then you should be selling that fist for days to come. Instead he slapped hands with everyone on leaving the ring and ringside... and into the interval, where he, again, sold the leg but not that IRON FIST.

Positive: Because One Needs To Be Here

Yes, I'm aware that there haven't been too many 'positives' in this post so far. That's partly because the first half was the shits, in all honesty. It had kids 'playing wrestler', wooden men and the best in 'no-selling' in one of the hardest matches to pull off. The positive was in the interval. No, not the interval itself, but it was a nice touch to have the birthday kid be the centre of attention and have his favourite wrestler, Frankie Fellasarno, present him with a birthday cake. Fair play to the NBWA for that. I can't wait for that kid to grow up a little more and realise that he'd rather cheer for the heels over the babyfaces.

POSITIVE: The Best Match Of The Show: No Gimmicks Needed

Predictably, and obviously, the match of the night was James Mason versus JD Knight. Complete with sparkly ring jacket and 'go faster' lightening strikes on his (new?) ring singlet, Mason would have a simple, but more-effective-than-anything-on-this-show match with Knight that should have been watched by all and, in turn, notes taken and stuff LEARNT from it. As it always is, this was a pleasure to watch; everything flowed, made sense and MEANT SOMETHING. It was a straight-up singles match that needed no gimmicks. Look at the rest of the show: Match one was a Tag Team Number One Contenders match; match two was an Open Challenge; match three was a Last Man Standing match; match five was a Triple Threat Cruiserweight title match; Match six was a Elimination Rumble match (I capitalised all of them to make them seem important). This was a singles match that had two guys that know what they're doing, and it was the best match of the night by a million miles – surely it shouldn't be THAT good in comparison to the rest of the show? Surely that says something about the rest of your show if that is the gulf in standard?

Shiny jacket... Go Faster Lightening Strikes: James Mason has it all!

Positive/Negative: The Rumble Match That Nearly Turned Into A Trainee Battle Royal That Was Saved By The Finish

The main event of the show was a Royal Rumble elimination match that would determine a new NBWA Champion, due to Stu Oddyssey vacating it after the last show. I had my worries that there would be 30 guys in this thing as the last rumble in NBWA, that I'd seen, did. Thankfully it was just the guys that had been on the show that night (as well as someone's dad). Phew! The match started off nicely with wrestler-looking wrestlers Mr E, Kay Jutler and JD Knight kicking things off. It was always going to go downhill as these guys were eliminated, but my heart started to pound with fear as, at one point, it was just NBWA trainees filling the ring. Were they going to make one of them the next champion? No, they wouldn't... would they?

Luckily, by the end, someone that I could stomach had apparently won the match – Sancho. Only, I'd noticed that it wasn't the Sancho that I know... the Sancho I know was sat watching the match. So who was this imposter? For a while I couldn't work it out, then at the end he unmasked to reveal that it was the former champion Kay Jutler, cheating his way in to win another one.

Positive/Negative: Nice, But Back To The Status Quo

This was a very good end to the show, but kind of goes against the 'sending the audience home happy' mentality that you would expect from your typical, local wrestling show. On one hand it makes complete sense to have Jutler as the champion. There is no one else on the NBWA roster that should be in that position. Future matches could include number one contender James Mason (he's still got that, right?), one against Sancho who would feel aggrieved that his attire was stolen, and, of course, there's the former champion Stu Oddyssey, too. On the other hand, it shows just how thin the NBWA are for guys that could main event for them.

Negative: The NWA Affiliation

Seeing that Jutler mentioned it, I thought I would address it. The NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) puts it's name to the NBWA. I'm not sure of the ins and outs of this, but I would assume that the NWA would benefit more from this, monetarily, than NBWA ever will. This is because, like it or not, the NWA is a name that is not known in this country. Maybe smarter fans do, but Average Joe wrestling fan does not know who or what the NWA is. This is probably because it hasn't meant anything in America for a long time, either, and when it comes to American wrestling in this country, if it's not WWE or TNA then the typical family-attending-wrestling-shows doesn't know it. It might seem really cool to be the only show in the UK to boast this affiliation, but it means absolutely nothing.

Results

• Pre-Show match: 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler defeated 'Shining' Johnny Searle
• Tag Team, Number One Contendership (Cruiserweight): Tukay (No 1 Contender) & Dan 'The Man' Tucker (w/ Lady Lucy Becksworth) defeated Sancho Cortez & El Pequeno Gurrero
• Open Challenge: Marshall X defeated 'Wooden Man' Samson
• Last Man Standing: Frankie Fellasarno defeated Kirk Langley
• James Mason defeated JD Knight
• Cruiserweight Championship – Triple Threat: Mr E (c) defeated Matt Walker and Taylor Made
• NBWA Championship Rumble winner: 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler

So there you go, another show, another review. It sometimes amazes me how much I can write for one of these things, but then it REALLY doesn't at times.

Keep going to shows...

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle