My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 22: Grand Slam Wrestling (w/ Welsh Wrestling)

Saturday 23rd November 2013 - Grand Slam Wrestling (in association with Welsh Wrestling) - Brackley Leisure Centre, Brackley

It has been a few months since I've been to an Alan Ravenhill/James Mason show, but I was looking forward to the show last night when the opportunity presented itself. A little trek up to Brackley with MC Hank McCoy and Ref Marc 'Paz' Parry saw us meet all the usual guys that are connected to Grand Slam Wrestling/Welsh Wrestling - always a nice and friendly bunch with no ego whatsoever.

This 'Weekend of (British) Wrestling' won't focus on each individual match but on the show in general as its strength is the whole event in general. That's not to say that each match wasn't great - they definitely were - it's just the basics are done SO well at these shows.

Big Dog - DO NOT mess his music up...

The battle lines are clear and easy to follow on these shows - heels are clearly heels; big, mean, angry... ugly. In turn, the babyfaces are happy, friendly and mostly good looking. The fans get it and understand as soon as these guys come out... and the thing that I still can't work out is that the heels at these shows get massive heat and abuse from the fans and the babyfaces get monstrous ovations when they come out. This is credit to all on the show but maybe moreso to the heels who have to gain the hatred before the babyfaces are inevitably going to be 'our' hero for that match.

The best word to describe these shows is 'simple'. Now, you might think that is a bad thing but it's really not. 'Simple' is rarely seen at shows and it is all that wrestling fans - especially casual fans - require. They don't need big names and fancy match types; they just need wrestlers that can wrestle and look like they should be in a wrestling ring, y'know, wrestling. It might not sound that exciting and doesn't cater to your ultra-smart, hardcore know-it-alls, but the casual fan is a lot more easily pleased. The guys at Grand Slam Wrestling/Welsh Wrestling understand this and book the show accordingly.

James Mason (photo: superkick.co.uk)

Even though what I've just said seems like a dig to the wrestlers on the show last night, it really isn't. In all honesty, they are some of the best characters and showmen that I've seen in my time watching wrestling. And as far as 'big names' go there are a few guys on the show last night that are respected over a wider area - I never hear bad things said about James Mason, ever. He is a very well respected wrestler in the UK and would be an asset to any wrestling show. Along with T-Bone, James is a great way to start your wrestling show off and 'warm' the audience up.

'Mean' Tommy Dean, Big Dog, Big Grizzly and 'Filthy' Chris Walker were the big, mean, angry, sleazy and ugly heels on the show and they are what a heel should be in my book - look mean and be mean - simple (there's that word again) but easy to digest as a fan.

Also, it should be noted that MC Hank McCoy did another excellent job - standard. If you are in need of a competent, professional MC/Ring Announcer then you wouldn't go far wrong with getting him in to do the duties.

Results

• Big Grizzly defeated James Mason
• 'Filthy' Chris Walker defeated The Red Eagle
• Welsh Heavyweight Championship: Stevie Starr (c) defeated 'Mean' Tommy Dean
• Big Dog defeated 'Mr Reem' Scotty Essex
• James Mason & Stevie Starr defeated Big Grizzly & 'Mean' Tommy Dean

I highly recommend getting along to any Grand Slam Wrestling/Welsh Wrestling show if they happen to be in your area. You will love it and your kids will have a great time, too. I believe the next show is this Friday evening in Kettering - www.welshwrestling.com/Live-Events - get yourself along to this for a fun evening for all the family.

'Filthy' Chris Walker w/ OFFICIAL action figure

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

I'd Appreciate Your Input 2: Survivor Series & Miz

For my second 'I'd Appreciate Your Input' I'd like to address a couple of problems I have thought of this week. One is the Survivor Series and it's current purpose and lack of gimmick. The second is that of The Miz' supposed heel turn this week on Raw...

Survivor Series

This point is nothing new, and you've probably heard this complaint a million times over the past several years, but what is the point of the Survivor Series anymore?

The Survivor Series is the second longest running PPV after Wrestlemania, starting in 1987. As the name suggested, the idea of each match (usually four-versus-four) was to determine an ultimate survivor(s). Over the years this hasn't always been the case but the majority of the  annual offerings have had a fair few traditional Survivor Series matches; until the last few years.

I realise that times change and blah blah blah, but this is supposedly one of the 'big four' WWE pay-per-views and had a difference to other pay-per-views throughout the year. Now it seems that WWE are only relying on the name that comes with its annual November event. It seems to be the norm to offer ONE traditional match in the last few years (and no, I'm not going to count the Diva's elimination match - it was a clusterfuck on Raw, it was a clusterfuck on Main Event... do I need to go on?).

• What are your feelings on the lack of traditional Survivor Series matches?

• Would it be refreshing to have a card full (apart from, say, the two main titles defended) of traditional Survivor Series matches? This would be different and give feuds a different type of match in the process?

The Miz

I've tried to forget about Miz' heel turn from Monday night but something has just been eating me all week about it.

Basically, on Raw Miz teamed up with Kofi Kingston (something I found very strange unless a heel turn was a possibility) and when required to tag in, he pulled his hand away and allowed The Real Americans to pick up the win over Kingston. Heel turn then right?

Well, after viewing Main Event and Smackdown I'm puzzled as to whether WWE are actually going with a heel turn (don't get me wrong, I think that is the goal here, it just doesn't feel like it yet). Main Event saw Miz on commentary. I watched it purely to see what Miz' attitude would be throughout the show and to see if there were any heely characteristics to his views. I was astonished that he was normal, babyface Miz throughout the show, INCLUDING the Kingston vs Fandango match that main evented the show.

Yes, he did get involved in the finish of the match (kind of) but did nothing that he shouldn't have seeing that Kofi threw Fandango into him. If anything, it wasn't so much Miz playing heel but Kofi being completely untrusting of Miz and taking his eye off Fandango.

Through the whole of the match, Miz was very complementary of Kofi - and not in a sarcastic, heel way, but in a fellow-babyface-showing-respect way... either that or this is the PG way of making someone hated these days?

As for Smackdown; this feud wasn't continued? Surely if you turn heel on Raw then it should be followed up on Smackdown... ESPECIALLY when you have a pay-per-view on that Sunday?! Give that match a little more fuel??!!

• What did think of Miz' heel turn? Do you feel that it is a complete turn or is he more of a tweener until after Survivor Series?

• What do you think of WWE heel turns? Do they go the whole way or is it half-arsed most of the time?

As with the first 'I'd Appreciate Your Input' (see link), please discuss this either in the comments field below or tweet me - @jimmosangle... I'm really interested to hear what you think on these issues!

@jimmosangle

I'd Appreciate Your Input 1: WWE's Call-ups vs Outside Talent

I thought I'd do something a little different and (try to) get some discussion on this...

For some reason, after seeing Xavier Woods debut on Raw last night, I started to think about the call-ups that WWE have made from NXT - their developmental show. For me, Woods wouldn't have been my first choice to promote from that show as there are masses of talent ahead of him that deserve a shot on the main roster, but I digress...

The difference that I've noticed in the last year, maybe starting with The Shield's first appearance, is that, unlike years ago, debutants nowadays aren't going to be catapulted to the main event scene straight away. I understand that things have drastically changed - i.e no real competition outside of the WWE to cherry pick from...

Let me give a little background on my thoughts here: In 1999, Chris Jericho debuted on Raw in an epic segment with The Rock. Jericho was a name that had been places and was well respected in wrestling - he was a major coup. Then, in 2000, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko jumped ship from WCW to WWE, instantly populating the upper ranks of the card as soon as they appeared on TV. These are just some examples of WWE bringing in established guys from OUTSIDE of their own ranks. Very rarely did they have to start at the bottom and work their way up.

I suppose from about 2002, WWE would find their future megastars in John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista and Brock Lesnar in an OVW developmental system that they had at the time. From what I understand, NXT is different to OVW in that OVW was a wrestling promotion that was a 'farm' for up-and-comers; NXT is a WWE-owned, WWE-run developmental promotion.

In the last year, The Shield debuted at the Survivor Series last year and have stayed at, kind of, mid-card-to-henchmen-to-main-eventers level since. They all have potential individually but I think it's a long time until we see it. Big E Langston was brought in as Dolph Ziggler and AJ's 'heavy' and is only just getting some momentum with his first singles title win. The Wyatts have come in and gained a first 'big' scalp in Kane and have a similar spot to The Shield. Antonio Cesaro came in and instantly became US Champion but has since been relegated to the tag team division (for now). No one has really been promoted/debuted and stayed at the top - a la Kane in 1997.

What I'd like to know is:

• Do you think that WWE will ever get 'big names' in from outside of their own ranks again?

• Do they need to? Does it go against their 'best for business' model?

• Will an NXT-er ever get onto the main roster as an instant main event talent (i.e will they be introduced as a big player straight away) or are the days of that over?

• What are your thoughts of NXT guys having to earn their stripes when they make the main roster? Although they should (to gain experience) is it a little boring that no one will get pushed to the stars on debuting?

Please give me feedback via the comments field below or tweet me - @jimmosangle

I look forward to hearing everyone's take on this

@jimmosangle