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