My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 13 - Pro EVW

Saturday 29th June 2013 - Pro EVW - Wotton Hall club, Gloucester

Justin Challenges for the Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship

After going to the last show in Trowbridge, Wilts, I decided that I was going to drive along to this show in Gloucester to see if Pro EVW could hit another home run... I was not disappointed as another excellent show was put on and was capped off by a great main event; which pleased the red-hot local audience no end. I also took my nephew as I wanted to show him how a good show is presented!

The challenger, Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum

This show was all about one man - Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum - and his first attempt at challenging for the Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship in front of his home town. This factor alone would place a huge amount of pressure on the young shoulders of Sysum who has been working hard to get to this position.

The Wotton Hall Club filled up with what I believe was around 180 people - with a huge amount of Justin fans - all anticipating a great show and performance from their local hero.

The first match saw Birmingham native Dan Maloney challenging the popular T-Bone. Although Maloney gave up a lot of experience to T-Bone he gave a good showing, causing a lot of trouble to T-Bone's arm throughout the contest. With the support of the audience, coupled with his determination, Bone was able to get Maloney up for a Jackhammer to score a hard-earned opening victory. It was good to see Maloney look strong in defeat.

The second match was not as expected, though. Scotland's Jocky Saltire would go up against Newcastle's Paul J Knox in a very odd and, at times, awkward match to watch. There never seemed to be any flow about this match; high impact move after high impact move were hit but often with no pinfall attempt. This baffled me as some of the moves would end a normal match. Unfortunately, the only positive that I could draw from this bout was that some of the moves were executed very well and looked impressive; it was just a shame that the match itself lacked something.

Iestyn Rees took on Magnum 'Dirty' Dick Riley

The third, and last match before the interval pitted one half of the Pro EVW Tag Team Champions, 'Dirty' Dick Riley against the always impressive Iestyn Rees. Without his sleazy tag partner Chris Walker, Riley would have to rely on their errand boy, Big Daddy Bainsley for underhanded assistance. After the disappointment of the previous match it was up to Riley and Rees to get the fans back onside and they managed to do so before the bell even rang; Riley gaining the hatred of the Gloucester audience before (another) home town hero, Rees, gave everyone something to cheer for. This match was very flowing and resulted in a final twenty seconds that had me more excited than any match that I've seen on (WWE) Raw in recent memory. Riley and Bainsley attempted to gain the victory in the sleaziest way possible before Rees would outwit them both to gain a well deserved win after delivering a devastating Spinebuster slam.

Before the interval started, Rees stayed in the ring to hype the main event and brought out the Pro EVW Heavyweight Champion 'The Shark' Chris Andrews. A fairly warm reception for Andrews along with a few boos from the pro-Justin crowd; something to be expected and accepted by the confident champion. Andrews would go onto hype the main event, reminding everyone that he has defended against some of the best and that Justin is definitely a threat to him on this night.

UK Dominator

The next two matches after the interval were very entertaining and contained some of the best that Pro EVW has to offer. Firstly, The Ultimate Rulebreaker, UK Dominator and 'The Winner' PJ Jones would take on the impressive and popular Hunter Brothers. After several acts of cowardice and sneaky ways to win the match, the 'Ultimate Winners' would be outsmarted as they were pinned at the same time with double roll-ups from the Hunters. The penultimate match of the night saw The Monstrosity known as Richtor take on 'The Daredevil' Matt Ridler in a 'Richtor Rules' match; meaning that Richtor would give the advantage to his opponent - only needing a two-count against him - whilst Richtor would have to score a five-count over Ridler to be victorious. After toying with the smaller Ridler, Richtor moved in for the kill; delivering an Earthquake splash for the easy five-count. Impressive.

The main event was set and ready to start. The crowd were on edge and ready to cheer their home town hero on throughout the final bout of the evening. This was the match that I had come to see; both men physically gifted and also extremely popular amongst Pro EVW fans - it had all the makings to be a great local wrestling match that would send everyone home happy. But who would come through as the champion when it was all said and done?

The Champion came out to a mixed reaction as he had done earlier in the night. Faithless' 'Insomnia' then blared from the sound system to signal the arrival of the man of the hour; the first appearance of the night by the challenger, 'The Hammer' Justin Sysum. Out he came, oozing excitement and nerves for his big night... what followed should make both guys proud of what they do.

Both men gave it their all and it showed. It was hard-hitting, physical and competitive - Andrews, at times, desperate and even heel-like in his approach to hold onto what he holds dearest; Sysum, confident and out to show that he can overcome the slightly larger champion. After kicking out of some of Andrews' signature moves - including an excellent TKO (possibly the best looking move of the night) Justin managed to counter another top turnbuckle attempt at the TKO to deliver a perfect 450-splash to capture the Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship for the first time! An AWESOME main event that capped of a great show for the local Gloucester crowd.

'The Shark' Chris Andrews

Results

• T-Bone defeated Dan Maloney
• Jocky Saltire defeated Paul J Knox
• Iestyn Rees defeated Pro EVW Tag Team Champion 'Dirty' Dick Riley (w/ Big Daddy Bainsley)
• The Hunter Brothers defeated The Ultimate Winners; UK Dominator & 'The Winner' PJ Jones
• Richtor Rules match: Richtor defeated 'The Daredevil' Matt Ridler
• Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship: Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum defeated 'The Shark' Chris Andrews (c) to become the new champion

The last two weeks have shown me that British Wrestling has a very bright future. There have been some top talents on display and that was evident with some of the performances from last nights (Saturday) show. Everyone should be proud of the job they did in putting on the show, from the wrestlers, to the ring crew to the guys running the promotion. A great night of wrestling was had by all; a super hot crowd cheering Justin on through the match and after, too.

Special thanks to Smudger for his kind words to me before the show; it really is appreciated when I get any kind of feedback but your words gave me more confidence and less doubt over what I (try to) do! Also a well done to the Ring Announcer who did a fine job on the night in front of a very appreciative crowd.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 12 - Pro EVW & GSW (Grand Slam Wrestling)

This weekend of British wrestling saw me visit two shows - Saturday was the Pro EVW show that took place in Trowbridge, Wiltshire and Sunday was the GSW (Grand Slam Wrestling) that took place just up the road from me in Blackbird Leys, Oxfordshire.

Pro EVW - Trowbridge, Wilts - Saturday 22nd June 2013

I hadn't been down to see a Pro EVW show for a couple of months and was very much looking forward to seeing them again. It's a show that never disappoints me. It was also my first show after the previous marathon that I saw the week before in Banbury! One thing that I knew would be a given was that the quantity of matches would be a lot less to that show and it wouldn't be a chore getting through them.

Project Ego's Kris Travis

Leading into this show I knew that there were going to be five matches featuring some great British talent - Kris Travis, T-Bone and Rampage Brown - just to name a few. In addition to the talent, the matches themselves were straightforward and easy to follow - singles (and one tag) matches, with distinguishable faces and heels. That's as simple as I want my wrestling - get two guys in the ring and tell me a story - and I'm happy.

The crowd started to fill up the Trowbridge Civic Centre and it was looking good as streams of people filled the seats very quickly - possibly over 300 people were in attendance as the show got underway. This crowd definitely added to proceedings as they were hot throughout - all out hatred for the heels and huge receptions for the faces. As a result of this it seemed quite easy to get the desired reactions whenever the wrestlers needed them.

Any of the matches could've been Match of the Night - the first three matches before the interval could not be faulted; Justin 'The Hammer' Sysem had the crowd's backing as he fought Rampage Brown in a losing effort. Justin was hugely popular and as a result the fans despised Brown - who looked dominant, aggressive and mean throughout. A great opener. The second match was for the Pro EVW Tag Team Championship between The Magnums and Project Ego. This was a really good, flowing match. It swung both ways with everyone looking great. I felt that Kris Travis and Chris Walker stood out for their respective teams. Unfortunately for Project Ego, The Magnums felt their belts slipping away from them and took the sleazy way out; hitting belt shots to their opponents to lose the match, but retain their titles.

The third match pitted the cocky 'Winner' PJ Jones against 'The Mexican Sensation' El Ligero. This promised to be an exciting match as I haven't seen a bad El Ligero match yet - he's undoubtedly one of the best in the UK at the moment. His opponent, who the fans agreed was actually a 'Loser' also played his part in this match - I said in a previous post that he had the Match of the Night against Zak Garrett and this match was up there with that showing.

El Ligero

The fourth match saw Rik Van Damage against Dan Maloney. Both guys came down from Birmingham and played their part in the show very well. A nice match saw the power of Van Damage shine through - starting off unstoppable before his knee became his achilles heel. Maloney worked on this throughout the match before Van Damage would earn the victory. This was a good match to get the audience ready for the main event.

In the main event, T-Bone would challenge 'The Shark' Chris Andrews for the Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship - a title that T-Bone would dispute that he never lost. This was debated in a promo exchange earlier in the night - Andrews more than ready to defend his title if T-Bone felt that aggrieved.

The actual match later that evening was a battle - could've gone either way; T-Bone looking strong throughout, wanting his title back in the worst way. This was different to the other matches on the card as it was hard hitting and gruelling - Andrews wanting to keep his well-earned title; T-Bone wanting to regain the belt that he felt he should never have been stripped of. This shone through in the match.

Overall, this was an excellent show - the crowd were completely into it, all night. All the wrestlers put on a great show - the guys in the first three matches really stood out to me. Even the Ring Announcer did a great job - very confident and enthusiastic! Also, a thank you to everyone that I saw, said hello to, and spoke with.

Results

• Rampage Brown defeated Justin 'The Hammer' Sysem
• Pro EVW Tag Team Championship: Project Ego; 'The Shooting Star' Kris Travis & 'Mr Bad Attitude' Martin Kirby defeated The Magnums (c); 'The Filth' Chris Walker & 'Dirty' Dick Riley by disqualification (Magnums retain the titles)
• 'The Mexican Sensation' El Ligero defeated 'The Winner' PJ Jones
• Rik Van Damage defeated Dan Maloney
• Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship: 'The Shark' Chris Andrews (c) defeated T-Bone w/ Mia Ray

If you would like to see the next Pro EVW show then get yourself down to the Wotten Hall Club in Gloucester this Saturday 29th June. On the card will be two of the most popular wrestlers locking horns as Justin 'The Hammer' Sysem will challenge the reigning champion 'The Shark' Chris Andrews. Also scheduled to be on the show are Iestyn Rees and one half of the Pro EVW Tag Team Champions - The Magnums - 'Dirty' Dick Riley. Check the Pro EVW facebook page for more details.

GSW (Grand Slam Wrestling) - Blackbird Leys, Oxford - Sunday 23rd June 2013

Sunday saw me visit a local show that always makes me smile - Alan Ravenhill/James Mason's Grand Slam Wrestling (in association with Welsh Wrestling). This show is a hugely popular family friendly one. It differs very much from a Pro EVW or NBWA one, for example, as it is all about simple, PG-rated fun. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon!

Again, this show saw five simple matches that were easily digestible to all that were in attendance. There wasn't anything that the fans had to think too much about or 'get'. This show also showcased some excellent talent - JD Knight, Stevie Starr and a special appearance from British wrestling great Johnny Kidd.

British wrestling legend Johnny Kidd

As I said before, these shows never disappoint; the kids in the audience were really into everything that happened, giving the heels the abuse that they deserved - especially an unwelcome visitor from rival town Swindon - JD Knight. He would challenge Stevie Starr for the GSW Heavyweight Championship. The Swindon native would not be successful though, much to the delight of Oxford!

Some really nice positives taken from this show; usual MC Lee Bamber couldn't make the show; in his place was the ever-reliable MC Hank McCoy. A confident and capable performance as I always expect, and I am never failed by him. McCoy warmed the crowd up and kept them interested throughout the show - a very good deputy to Mr Bamber - also an excellent MC.

Another positive is the inclusion of James Mason to the show. Despite his age, he still managed to keep up with the younger and fitter Iestyn Rees in the opening bout. There are definitely signs of age creeping up with him but there seems to be plenty of fuel in the tank!

Youngster Sean Morel - one for the future

A third positive was the match between youngster Sean Morel and British wrestling great Johnny Kidd - Morel putting in a great effort and nearly shocking the veteran; earning his respect by the end of their match.

Results

• Iestyn Rees defeated James Mason
• Two Ton Tank defeated Antonio Marella
• GSW Heavyweight Championship: Stevie Starr (c) defeated JD Knight
• Experience vs Youth: British wrestling icon Johnny Kidd defeated 16-year-old Sean Morel
• Flatliner & local hero Little Legs defeated Tagori & Two Ton Tank

A top weekend of wrestling. Both shows were really different in their target audience but one thing they had in common was the simplicity in the format and how popular they were as a result. Everyone was entertained, everyone went home happy and everyone had new heroes by the end of each show.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 11

Sunday 16th June 2013 - NBWA - 'Home is where the Hart is'

I need to get something off my chest. So unfortunately this post isn't going to be a show review in terms of the matches and what went down. That's not to say that nobody put in a good performance - there were several good matches and positives to take from this show wrestling-wise. My problem, which has been a problem for me since the first show, is with the logistics of the show.

I need to make two things very clear before I get into this -

1. I am not a promoter and I have never put on a wrestling show; 
2. I very much want there to be a local wrestling show in Oxfordshire, the area that I live. 

My problem is that I don't think this is going to be the case if glaringly obvious things do not change. And this saddens me.

After the first couple of shows that the NBWA put on I addressed a few issues that bothered me and it appeared that small teething problems were addressed, creatively. In my opinion, this continues to improve in some parts of the show - there is some storyline progression. Well done on that aspect.

My continued issue since the first show revolves around the quantity of wrestlers being used and in some part the confusing nature of several types of match being used on the card. Maybe the reason for this is to accommodate all the talent that is booked each show.

The last few NBWA shows that I have attended have had, on average, 8 matches, 25 wrestlers and 2 managers. This is a huge amount of people working on one show! As a result of so many matches (along with promos etc) the show's duration goes from 6.30pm until around 10pm. This is a very long show. There is a lot to take on board in that time - I sometimes feel that the first couple of matches have been forgotten about by the time the main event happens - and that's a shame to them guys in them first matches as they put in effort to entertain and it could be for nothing due to the length of the night and people's attention span.

Another issue here is that this is not ideal on a Sunday night. Kids have school on a Monday morning and I can't imagine it's great for their bedtimes. I have work on a Monday morning and it can be a chore for me to get through a show of this length with all the many things and matches going on!

I've put together some stats from other shows that I've attended, as well as stats from WWE PPVs to show how simple things should and could be:

• Pro EVW: Each show, on average, have 5 matches and use 12 wrestlers

• James Mason/GSW/Welsh Wrestling: On average have 5 matches and use 9 wrestlers

• NBWA: On average have 8 matches and uses 25 wrestlers and 2 managers

• WWE in 2013 (not counting Royal Rumble): On average have 8 matches and use 20 wrestlers and 4 managers

I think these stats speak for themselves; the other shows (above) seem to have a formula; a formula that works and makes money - otherwise why do this? As much as I despise talking about this aspect of wrestling, I understand that the whole point and the main reason for putting on a wrestling show is to make money. If you're not making money then you're are simply doing it wrong. From the stats above, you can see that the NBWA are having the same amount of matches and using more workers than the WWE use (yes, this is an extreme comparison, but you get the idea).

The WWE are able to use so many wrestlers as they don't just draw a few hundred fans; they draw thousands, every show, all throughout the week. They also have several incomes and are a global force - they can afford to do this on the biggest scale. They can cover the costs of their workers and amount of matches that they put on. They also have a cast of wrestlers that the audience are familiar with - they don't need to introduce them every show as a local show might have to to a new audience.

Local shows haven't got the luxury of deep, deep pockets. This is why the majority of shows that I've been to have the above format (5 matches, 9-12 workers per show) - it's simple, it works, it entertains and makes money.

I hate to be hard on local shows but this has annoyed and baffled me for some time now. It's funny how it's our gain as fans to see so many talented guys on a show, as well as International stars (Harry Smith and Doug Williams on the last show), but it could be our loss in the long term if the cost of all this talent brings about the downfall of our cherished local promotions.

Results

• NBWA Contract match: The Big Grizzly defeated Kenny Williams
• 'Showcase' Stu Oddyseey & Frankie Fellasarno defeated The McCoy Family; Kristoff Walton & Scotty Riot w/ Mr McCoy
• Handicap match: 'Shining' Johnny Searle defeated The Heavy Metal Cowboys w/ Marcus Thorne
• Mask vs Mask match: Sancho Cortez defeated Kirk Langley
• Loco Mike Mason w/ Rebecca defeated Mad Man Manson and Sam Wilder
• Doug Williams & T Bone defeated Pro EVW Tag Team Champions The Magnums; 'The Filth' Chris Walker & 'Dirty' Dick Riley
• Alpha Female & Nikki Storm defeated Kay Lee Ray & Pollyanna
• Davey Boy Smith Jr defeated Andy Wild
• NBWA Championship: 2 out of 3 falls: El Ligero defeated 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler (c) in sudden death to become new champion.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

In Depth: WWE's Future Stars - revisited

Back in November of last year, I wrote an article about where the future stars of the WWE were going to come from - examining the last ten years worth of attempts. My conclusion was that I was worried as to where the next crop of stars were going to come from.

What a difference six months make!

2013 has seen the emergence of some young talent that has really added, and improved, to the current roster of the WWE. Dolph Ziggler has finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and it's now his time to shine. Ryback has grown and emerged as a genuine threat to John Cena's WWE Championship. And most recently, Daniel Bryan has sparked a new phase of popularity with his 'weak link' talk; showing great intensity and gaining huge reactions from live audiences as well as the IWC.

Along with these three, there are also a line of young up-and-comers who are making great strides and turning heads. Here are my '10 to watch' (individuals/teams/factions) in the coming months:

1. Curtis Axel (age: 33)

After a failed and potentially career suicide name 'Michael McGillicutty', the real-life Joe Hennig has now been repackaged as the newest 'Paul Heyman Guy' - Curtis Axel; taking his father's first name and a variation of his grandfather's nickname for his last name, Axel has now got a name and an association (in Heyman) that should take him places. Added to this, he has been thrown in at the deep end - facing John Cena and Triple H in his first few matches in his new persona.

Clearly there is a lot of faith in Axel this time around, and it'll be interesting to see where/how far this new path can lead him. He competes for the Intercontinental Championship at Payback on Sunday.

2. Antonio Cesaro (32)

Antonio Cesaro has been on the main roster for nearly a year now. He made an instant impact by defeating Santino Marella and capturing the United States Championship on the pre-show of Summerslam 2012. Subsequently, he went onto have a very successful and dominant reign before losing the title to Kofi Kingston a few weeks ago. This filled me with wonder as to how he would then be used.

Antonio Cesaro

I saw some positives in Cesaro's run of matches after his title loss. Despite losing the majority of these encounters (to the likes of Orton and Del Rio), Cesaro still looked very strong, getting in an above-average amount of offence against these bona fide main eventers. This leads me to think that he is simply waiting his turn to challenge for one of the World titles. Whether this is the current plan or not, Cesaro will be a World Champion in the not-too-distant future. It appears that Zeb Colter might be showing an interest in him after Raw this week...

3. The Usos (both 27)

When it comes to tag team wrestling, I'm a fan of traditional tag teams. This is why I'm not a fan of Team Hell No or Rhodes Scholars; I'm not big on two singles wrestlers being thrown together because there's nothing else for them to do. Due to this, I have a great appreciation for the Usos. Like many of the current crop of WWE superstars, they have the heritage - being the sons of Rikishi. They also have a unique look and a great entrance - modern, and also paying homage to their Samoan roots.

The 'powers that be' in WWE seem to blow hot and cold with regards to the tag team division in the last few months, with Kane/Daniel Bryan being the stand out performers allowed to shine. With the newly crowned Reigns/Rollins as Tag Team Champions, though, new contenders must be found. Realistic contenders at that.

This seems to be where the Usos fit in. The last few weeks have seen a slight change in appearance - with the introduction of face paint - to go with a strong, winning run in their matches. The tag team division should start to look bright from now on and a new charge could be led by the Usos.

4. The Shield (Ambrose 27, Rollins 27, Reigns 28)

Possibly the best build of any debuting faction in the history of the WWE is that of The Shield. Back at the Survivor Series (2012), the 'Hounds of Justice' - Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns - interfered in the WWE Championship match between CM Punk, John Cena and Ryback, powerbombing the latter through the announce table to allow Punk to retain his championship. Since then they have been on a path of destruction, fighting what they deem as 'injustices' and defeating every three-man-team that have stood in their way.

Nobody has gotten away. Not even the legendary and superhuman have been able to resist this threesome. John Cena, The Rock and The Undertaker are probably the three biggest names that have felt The Shield's wrath.

To freshen thing up, and to further their story, all three members of The Shield won gold at Extreme Rules; Ambrose winning the United States title and Reigns/Rollins capturing the Tag Team titles. These title wins have shown that they can work well individually as well as a complete unit. I think that there's still a lot of mileage in them as a team, but when they do eventually go their separate ways I feel that there will be even greater storytelling and matches for us all to enjoy.

5. Fandango (31)

Fandango danced onto the scene at the start of March on the lead-up to Wrestlemania 29. In a few short weeks, he went from correcting people who couldn't say his name perfectly to having his debut match against the ever-giving Chris Jericho. To top it off, he gained his first feather in the cap with a win over Y2J in their match at Wrestlemania.

The night after Wrestlemania saw a partisan crowd confirm that Fandango is well-and-truly 'over'. It has been all uphill since; competing in another decent outing with Jericho at Extreme Rules and now in the Intercontinental title picture (although a recent concussion could put a halt on that for the time being). Don't be put off by the current gimmick, though. Look past this Fandango character as somewhere down the line we will see the true Johnny Curtis - and he'll be a star with a normal name, too.

6. Bray Wyatt (26)

Wyatt - and his family - will soon be lighting up our Monday (and Friday) nights. This debut could be on par with that of fellow NXTers, The Shield. The emergence of Wyatt and his disciples has been highly anticipated for a while now and this is a great opportunity for the second generation Rotunda.

Bray Wyatt

After a failed attempt on the main roster in 2011 (as New Nexus' Husky Harris), the elder brother of Bo Dallas went back to developmental and has now struck gold with the Bray Wyatt character - described as Max Cady (Cape Fear) leading The Devil's Rejects. A perfect description of how freaky, hypnotising and unpredictable these three may be presented to us. They're coming.

7. Big E Langston (27)

With the emerging news that Langston lost the NXT Championship to Bo Dallas recently, are we now going to get the big man exclusively on the main roster? I hope so as he has definitely earned his stripes in the last few months as Dolph Ziggler's 'heavy'.

When Ziggler suffered his concussion we finally got to see Langston's potential come to life - having several matches with number one contender Alberto Del Rio - looking very strong and even winning a couple. These are huge results so early on for Langston and could also add fuel to any potential program that might happen with Ziggler.

It also appears that Langston has a great personality going forward, too - showing confidence and wit on the mic and in hilarious responses/tweets on Twitter.

8. AJ (26)

Despite Kaitlyn being the current Diva's Champion, the stand out diva in the last year has been AJ by a mile. Lately, she has taken a back seat to Ziggler and Langston in more of a valet's role. This seems to be changing in the last week as she was revealed as the mastermind behind Kaitlyn's secret admirer - this being for the purpose of building to their title match at Payback.

Prior to all of this, she was the young, innocent girlfriend of Daniel Bryan who accompanied him to ringside before cracking and becoming the crazy chick who took a shine to CM Punk, Kane, John Cena and now, Dolph Ziggler. Also, during this time she has shown her talents in the ring and on the mic. All these 'layers' that AJ has shown add positives to the future of the Diva's division.

9. Cody Rhodes (27) / Damien Sandow (31)

I'll focus on these two as a pair. Both seem to be talented and ready for the big-time, but both are stuck in a rut right now.

Cody is a former Tag Team Champion, a credible former Intercontinental Champion and a former associate of Randy Orton in Legacy, but still he remains firmly rooted to the mid-card, jobbing to the likes of Sheamus whenever he needs another win from somewhere. Surely there should be a better use for the young Rhodes?

Damien Sandow has quickly emerged as a great talker in the last year. Very much talking the talk with regards to his 'Intellectual Saviour of the Masses' gimmick. But similar to Rhodes, he constantly loses to top talent with no obvious direction in sight. This has changed in the last few weeks with some good TV time on Smackdown where he conducts intellectual challenges; Sheamus accepting these invitations. The first couple of weeks saw Sheamus get the better of Sandow, but recently Sandow got his revenge; putting the boots in on Sheamus. This has resulted in a match between the two on the pre-show of the Payback pay-per-view - with the result being fairly predictable, I feel.

Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes

Although both Rhodes and Sandow are stumbling along as singles wrestlers, they almost found success as a team - Rhodes Scholars - at the turn of the year, feuding with the then Tag Team Champions Kane/Daniel Bryan in several losing efforts. I still feel that this was a missed opportunity in not putting the tag team titles on two of the most talented individuals on the roster today.

10. NXT

The Breeding ground for pretty much all of the talent on this list was NXT. And if you think these names are the only ones that will flourish from NXT then you need to start watching this fantastic 'developmental' show that WWE has.

Waiting in the wings to make their main WWE roster debuts are the likes of Leo Kruger, Corey Graves, Adrian Neville and the outstanding Kassius Ohno (formerly Chris Hero). Along with these gentlemen, a young English lady by the name of Paige will also be waiting to make a much anticipated showing on WWE's flagship show. That could spark new interest in the ladies division.

I started watching NXT regularly from around February and I find that it's really interesting to see where the 'future' is coming from.

Summary

Unlike my article in November 2012, I am now a lot more optimistic about the future main eventers. All in this article (with the exception of the Usos... at the moment) I can see becoming World Champions. They all have youth on their side coupled with an enormous amount of talent.

I'm very glad that this crop of talent has arrived in the last six months, and if things continue to improve then I'll be happy to say that I overreacted back in November.

@jimmosangle

Jimmo's Angle Special: Interview: MC Hank McCoy

Unsung Heroes - The Ring Announcer/MC

When it comes to putting a wrestling show together I can imagine that it's not as easy as it looks compared to how good it actually looks, and how flowing and entertaining it may feel to the audience. I think there are many factors that make up, and add to, a good wrestling show.

I've been lucky enough at times to see behind-the-scenes of some wrestling shows and see how much time and effort goes into them. A big reason why I have been so privileged is because of a good friend of mine – Hank McCoy – who has announced for several promotions since starting out in 2010.

Hank McCoy announcing for AWW

Since his debut, Hank has gained in confidence and experience to become one of the most underrated talents contributing to British Wrestling. It is my intention in this interview to highlight a Ring Announcer's worth to a wrestling promotion, as well as Hank's very valid thoughts on the subject.

I caught up with him recently to go over his role as an MC/Ring Announcer and why he feels it's an important, but sometimes overlooked, part of the show.

Jimmo's Angle: Hi Hank, how long have you been Ring Announcing for? Which promotions have you worked for?

Hank: I've been regularly announcing for about 3 years, working mostly the South and Midlands areas of the England. Companies I've worked for include FWA, Pro EVW, AWW, DWA, and BAWA. I'm really enjoying being an announcer and hope to continue for a long while yet. Obviously I'd love to have a go at being an announcer for WWE or TNA, but in the UK I'd like to work some shows for PCW, Progress and 4FW. I'm also a decent heel manager, working James Mason's GSW and NBWA.

JA: How did you get into the role?
Hank: It's not that well known but my original plan was to be a wrestler, so like everyone I started my career in wrestling as a trainee with a local promotion. I can't really remember how the announcer gig came up - it was more a case of needing to fill in as an emergency but ended up staying. The intention was to still wrestle one day but it turned out that I was really good as an announcer. I enjoyed the wrestling training and continued to train with the boys for about two years until the promotion closed. I guess I was hard to replace and more use to the company as an announcer. I didn't really fancy starting again as a trainee elsewhere and already had established myself in the area as an announcer, so it continued as-is.

JA: What relevant training and experience did you go through before taking up Ring Announcing?
Hank: Before getting involved with pro wrestling I was a radio presenter for a few years. It's where I developed mic and presenting skills. It's also the reason how I know my way around the PA kit. When I started I was mentored by the promotion's existing announcer, Dragongate:UK's Larry La Rue. In addition to this I've taken acting classes to help with presenting skills.

JA: How important do you feel the role of Ring Announcer is?
Hank: Having a good announcer is very important. Unfortunately it's one of the things that a lot of promotions tend to overlook or put little effort into finding, but can make a huge difference to the show and the company running it. From experience I've found that quite often it's the first name to be dropped from the card if pre-sales are down, often being replaced by whoever is willing and able to do it for free. This actually does more harm than good.

JA: Why?
Hank: There's lots of reasons. Don't get me wrong, rarely do fans go home after a show and say to the people they're with "that was a really great announcer." But they will definitely say things like "that announcer really screwed up/looked a mess/sounded awful/talked too much." An announcer is the face and an official of the promotion they are working for. They need to look, sound and act as such. They are an extension and a public representative of the brand. If they screw up or look awful, it is a reflection upon the company that hired them, and actually can do more damage than hiring a really terrible wrestler. At least a bad wrestler can take a beating, finish the match and get out - after all, it's supposed to look like a fight. An announcer that can't hold an audience, is visibly nervous, or even gets the names wrong has nowhere to hide and worse still, will be back on again in 10 minutes for the next match. As a promoter, it makes sense then to spend a few minutes considering your options and booking a decent front of house team. (Good referees and effective managers are also generally under-appreciated).

JA: In your opinion, what factors make a good Ring Announcer?
Hank: A good ring announcer at very least should look and sound the part. They need to have a good commanding voice, but with a friendly demeanour, and be dressed accordingly. Shoes, shirt and jacket are minimum. Personally, I really dislike the "loose tie, unbuttoned collar" overly casual look.

Announcing isn't just reading out names. There's much much more to it. In this day and age of shiny floor shows such as X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent, audiences expect "hosts" and not just MCs. Really good ring announcers build on basic expectations by being charismatic performers and know exactly how to work the crowd, interact with them and build an energy. Everyone knows that shows are better with a hot audience so knowing how to warm them up and being able to force them through their inhibitions is vital. They can also bring back an audience's attention if a match happened to be a disaster. I've found being able to bump, sell and being expressive is really handy too. Being able to think on your feet and react to situations is vital, especially if you're wearing an ear-piece and things change. I was taught that you had to be like a swan - on the surface things look great and glide along nicely, but hidden under the surface you have to be paddling like crazy to stay afloat. This is so true!

The best announcers go even further still and taking advantage of the relationships they've built with the audience, use this influence to convince them to buy merchandise and come back to future shows. I always work the house during the intervals, constantly pushing backstage passes, in-ring photos and anything else that would help draw income into the company. Put simply, the best announcers not only pay for themselves, but bring in profit. This is why dropping a good announcer from a card when your pre-sales are down can help makes things worse - we could help claw back a profit either pushing merch sales, or using some effective crowd psychology, send people home on a high so they return with friends.

JA: Finally, have you taken anything from the likes of The Fink, Justin Roberts, Michael Buffer or other Ring Announcers?
Hank: The Fink is the best announcer ever in my opinion. You look up 'Ring Announcer' and you will see a picture of him. He looks and sounds the part. He's charismatic, likeable and really over with the audiences. He's one of the reasons why I wear a tux in the ring. Unlike Buffer, he's not just about the vocal skills - he got actively involved with the show, playing the character of a much-loved but pudgy, balding, dweeby guy; a perfect target for heels and a great heat opportunity. How many other announcers do you know that can be identified by nickname alone? Exactly.

JA: Thank you for your time today, Hank!

If you would like more information on Hank then please visit his Superkick Media page

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

Jimmo's Angle Special: Interview: Referee Marc 'Paz' Parry

Unsung Heroes - The Wrestling Referee

When you think of referees in Pro Wrestling you probably just remember that they were the guy in the black and white stripes or the shirt and bow tie. Maybe you know a few of the most famous, such as Earl Hebner, Mike Chioda or Nick Patrick. Not many people realise that the referee can have great bearing on a contest and add to a so called 'great' match.

Referee Marc 'Paz' Parry

One such fellow is a friend of mine, Marc 'Paz' Parry. Paz has been refereeing Pro Wrestling matches for 6 years now, starting out in 2007, and has grown in knowledge, confidence and experience in that time. Whilst being a fan, Paz still 'marks out' at watching some of the biggest names in Pro Wrestling but whilst in the ring, Paz is always professional regardless of who he is refereeing.

I caught up with him recently to discuss why he does what he does and also why the wrestling referee is the quiet, overlooked, unsung hero of a wrestling match.

Jimmo's Angle: Hi Paz, thanks for giving me some of your time. Let's start at the beginning; What/who inspired you to start refereeing?
Paz: I accidentally fell into the ref role. The company I was training with (BAWA) had lost its ref so I stepped in temporarily to fill the gap until a replacement was found....that was 6 years ago! But I wouldn't change a thing if I had the chance!

JA: In your six-year career who have you had the privilege of refereeing?
Paz: In terms of international talent I've reffed: Colt Cabana, Jimmy Jacobs, Dragon Phoenix, Ricochet, Brian Kendrick, Emi Sakura and Shanna. In terms of UK talents, I've been in the ring with the majority of the UK's top guys; Mark Haskins, El Ligero, Wade Fitzgerald, Kid Fite, Dominator, Ricky Knight, Sweet Saraya, Noam Dar, Dave Mastiff, Chris Andrews, Skarlett, Charlie Rage, Stixx, Nathan Cruz, Stu Odyssey, Team H8, The Hunter Brothers, The London Riots, UK Dominator and many more.... I should be reffing Kid Kash in May and Doug Williams and/or Jay Lethal in May as well; fingers crossed!

JA: What has been your favourite match to referee? why?
Paz: Favourite match.... I have a few I guess; Skarlett vs Sweet Saraya (EWW): Going into this match I wasn't a big fan of women's wrestling but knowing Skarlett as long as I have I knew this wouldn't disappoint and I was right! Both Skarlett and Saraya are excellent technicians and storytellers!
Shanna vs Emi Sakura (AWW): Any UK fan will have heard of THIS match, and I had the pleasure of reffing it! This match had it all, stiff shots, near falls and the crowd in the palm of their hands, plus after this match my reffing was praised through the roof by Dann Read (Pro-Wrestling:EVE promoter!) who is a guy I have the utmost respect for!
El Ligero vs Ricochet (PROGRESS): Ligero has been my favourite UK guy since I was a fan before I entered this business. To share a ring with him for a company like PROGRESS was a MASSIVE honour, and seeing as Dragon Gate is my favourite company and Ricochet represents DG:USA, this made this match extra special. Both guys gave 150% and all three of us had fun in the ring and even shared a joke or two during the match!

JA: Possibly the most important question I wanted to ask you; What do you feel is the importance of referees in Pro Wrestling?
Paz: To quote the Iron Shiek - "A good match needs three things; a good face, a bastard heel and a good referee". The referee isn't just there to count to three, five or ten like people think; a referee is much more important. A referee needs good body language and good expressions; the referee needs to sell the situations as well as the wrestlers do; if a wrestler hits a big move and the ref just stands in a corner looking into space it makes the move look dire! A good referee will also show concern for the 'injured' face when he's 'hurt' and cower away from a threatening heel when needed. The referee is the authority and needs to show it without overshadowing the match... In my opinion it takes years of practice to get all this down.

JA: I couldn't agree more, Paz! Finally, what has been the funniest moment you have had whilst refereeing?
Paz: I'd have to say Eddie Dennis ripping my trousers in the finish of a Tag Team Championship main event for PRO EVW. It was Dennis and Wild Boar vs The Hunter Brothers, and for the finish Eddie pulled me out of the ring when I went for the three-count; as he did he ripped the crotch of my trousers, it was about a nine-inch rip! Hilarious after the match, slightly embarrassing during!

Paz would also like to take this opportunity to thank a few people:
Paz: Thanks to the promoters who continue to book me. Thanks to the guys who have to share cars with me on the way to shows. Thank you to my Supervisor Anna and Manager Alex at Fresh Direct, who approve all my holiday requests so I can indulge in this sport I love so much! And a big thank you to my better half, Mary, who puts up with me being away most weekends!

JA: Great stuff! Thank you very much for taking time out to talk to Jimmo's Angle! I really hope that we've opened people's eyes about the wrestling referee and they now realise the referee is an extremely important factor in mapping out a match.

Marc 'Paz' Parry has refereed for several UK promotions: AWW, BAWA, CSF, EWW, NBWA, NLW, Pro EVW, PROGRESS and Welsh Wrestling.
For more information on Paz, please visit his Superkick Media page.

Support British Wrestling!

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 10

Wrestling - Didcot Town Football Club - Thursday 30th May 2013

Ok, so I realise that Thursday isn't the weekend, but it goes along with the theme of my previous posts?!

THURSDAY saw me go along to another local wrestling show organised by James Mason (in association with Alan Ravenhill and Welsh Wrestling). This one was at Didcot Town FC - low ceiling et all!

If you've read any of my other posts on my attendance of other wrestling shows, then you'll know that I'm not a huge fan of low ceilings - it just limits you to what you can do. On this occasion, it didn't seem to hurt anything on this show - none of the wrestlers on the show were particularly high-flying so you wouldn't expect them to climb the turnbuckles for any reason.

Flatliner

The only exceptions to this was a suplex where the suplexee's foot brushed one of the ceiling tiles, and in the main event when Flatliner, probably the tallest (and most colourful) wrestler of the night, climbed the corner and almost stood completely upright on the top turnbuckle - putting his head and upper-body through one of the ceiling tiles!

This added to the comedy of a really entertaining main event between the crazy Flatliner and the mysterious Japanese warrior Tagori. This match was a great comedy match to send everyone home happy. At one stage it was pointed out to me that I was grinning from ear to ear at the match - that's the beauty of these shows - they bring out the inner kid in me! The silliness and pantomime of it all makes me smile and chuckle uncontrollably!

There were a lot of positives to this show. On previous outings there were a lot of the same faces and at times, same matches. This show was different, though, as there were a lot of fresher faces on offer - Mr USA Paul Ryker, 'Charismatic' Chris Walker and Kristoff Walton, just to name a few.

A big positive with regards to Kristoff Walton was the contribution (to the show) that he and his manager, Mr McCoy, provided. I've seen both of them several times now and they work very well together; Walton, the muscles of the pair - physical and aggressive, and McCoy, the brains and competent mouthpiece. McCoy is great at gaining heat for his client, as his client dishes out the punishment - gaining even more hatred from the audience. On this occasion the crowd seemed to have more contempt for the pair. I think it helps a hell of a lot more when the audience is 'into' the show - as the Didcot faithful were. I think another invaluable factor in this working is a popular face - something that James Mason is excellent at portraying.

I don't feel that the Mason vs Walton match was the best match of the night, but the cheers that Mason worked from the crowd coupled with Walton/McCoy's work in getting the audience's hatred was a great example of simple Good vs Evil. Thank you and well done to all three!

Lord Jonathan Windsor

A special mention for Lord Jonathan Windsor, who's gimmick I really enjoyed. I don't recall seeing too many British/Royal characters out there. It kind of reminded me of George (Prince Regent) from Blackadder 3?!

Results

• Lord Jonathan Windsor defeated Andy Boy Simmons
• Mr USA Paul Ryker (USA) defeated 'Charismatic' Chris Walker (England)
• James Mason defeated 'The Casual One' Kristoff Walton (w/ Mr McCoy)
• Andy Boy Simmons & AD Wright defeated Lord Jonathan Windsor & Saint Lucian
• Flatliner defeated Tagori

A really good show put on by everyone, with a special thanks to whoever was in charge of the music...

James Mason

If you would like to catch a local (Oxfordshire) show then James Mason and company will be at the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, Oxford on Sunday 23rd June.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle