The Positives and Negatives of My Weekend of (British) Wrestling at Pro EVW and Kamikaze Pro

Part Two - Sunday 26^th October – Kamikaze Pro – Birmingham

My second show of the weekend was at Kamikaze Pro in Birmingham. The original plan was to go to this so that my girlfriend could see Tyler Bate – her favourite wrestler (more on this later). On closer inspection, I noticed that, in the main event, there would be a huge star of my childhood fandom – Bob 'Hardcore' Holly. Bonus. I'm not usually attracted to shows based on the import (as I've stated in a few articles in the past) but this was a nice addition to getting to a show for the missus' needs (I'm a good boyfriend, eh?).

On arrival, I was pleased that the blonde lady (anybody know her name?) on the door was aware of the blog. It's always nice to know that people know it, read it and enjoy it. Later in the interval, it was nice to know that Tyler Bate also enjoyed what I write here – pointing out the Mad Man Manson interview as a good one. It's nice when fans say that they enjoy the blog and it's probably even more pleasing when the guys on the show say that they do, too.

I haven't been up to a Kamikaze show for a while now and, as always with good shows, I regret this and need to do something about it! Clearly things have improved – as they should do with a growing promotion – with a good sized audience; maybe over 200? Not only was it a big crowd, but they were a loud and 'up for it' crowd; plenty of regulars it would seem.

Positive: An Audience With Eddie Dennis

I got to talk with Eddie not too long ago at a show and he was very pleased with the things that I write about him. This positive will be no different. Eddie came to the ring as a heel, as I expected him to (he had been at the last Kamikaze show that I attended). T-Bone then came out with a scowl on his face, this was typical of him but I assumed that he would be the babyface for this match. Then he started shouting at kids at ringside and emptying packets of crisps over others (tough guy).

I started to think that we were going to have a heel vs heel match, which would've been a strange start (or any part of a show). Within minutes things became clearer; Eddie became a favourite of the Birmingham locals due to his comedy ramblings towards T-Bone. This was also helped due to the audience being a somewhat 'smart' crowd. In wrestling, when a show gets to a certain level of popularity, there's going to be a large number of smart fans and in some ways that helps situations such as this match. Either that or Eddie is getting popular with the Kamikaze audiences and will soon be turning full babyface. EITHER THAT or Eddie can continue doing what he's doing and still be popular regardless?!

Eddie Dennis

Positive: The Match The Missus Had Been Waiting For...

The second match saw The Hunter Brothers taking on Tag Team Champions Dan Moloney and TYLER BATE. I type Tyler's name in capitals there because I'll probably be in trouble if I don't (she's quite defensive of Tyler... it's almost worrying). As I tried to enjoy this match, I had a camera phone resting on my shoulder, with several (hundred?) shots being taken whenever Tyler was in view. When I would attempt to clap something that The Hunters would do, I was immediately stopped and given 'the look'. In the House Of Tyler, clapping for others is extremely frowned upon!

It was quite pleasing that after only two matches, the missus was satisfied with the evening's wrestling and nothing was likely to top that for her... until the interval...

For me, I loved the story of this match. I've read a few things somewhere that there is tension amongst the team of Bate and Moloney. This showed and, along with a decent match, was really pleasing to see. I take it that Tyler wants to do things more 'by the book' whereas Moloney wants to get the job done whatever way he needs to. What's even more impressive is that when they eventually do split and feud, it will be a very looked forward to match – between a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old (please correct the ages if I'm wrong on that?!). How impressive is that that we have two guys that aren't even twenty in a believable, almost 'must see' match?

Negative (Positive really?!): Lee Hunter Thinks He's James Mason

I saw you, Lee. I heard you even clearer.

Lee summoned the power of James 'thirty year veteran' Mason in his “DO YOU WANT SOME MORE?” question to the audience. On receiving the answer he required, Lee then started up a 'WE WANT MORE!!” chant. Sickening!

In all seriousness, though, what a simple and massively effective way of getting the audience into it this is... fair play Lee Hunter, but I'll be watching you from now on to see if you steal any more family-friendly-show, pandering chants!

Positive/Negative: Fighting Females/Weird Match Placement

I'm not going to get into my views on ladies wrestling as I (kind of) addressed it in my post yesterday. The positive to this is the name of the division. There are probably a thousand names that a women's division can be given but I really like the name 'Fighting Females'. It's a really catchy name and if it actually has some scrappy, fighty girls in it then job done.

The negative for me was the match placement. Before the show I tried to figure out what match might go where and I was surprised to see the ladies match on as the first half main event. For me I'd have had the Money in the Bank Ladder match at that point. I think that the ladies match should probably be either second on the card or just before the main event. This is what I've seen in the past and as far as appeal, that's the position that would best suit it.

Positive: The Best Interval Ever?

Before going to the show, a good friend of mine said that I should take my Bob Holly book to the show to be signed. I hadn't even given it a thought as just meeting him would be pretty cool.

During said interval, we made our way over to the merchandise table as Bob was there signing items and taking photos. I waited my turn and then finally got to shake the man's hand that had been a big part of my childhood. Don't get me wrong, Bob wasn't the main star of the Attitude Era but he was a huge character in what that era was all about. Out of all the imports that come over to our shores, he's the biggest attraction that's been here in my eyes and my fandom. I was pleased to let Bob know that I really enjoyed his book; it was one of the most honest and real memoirs that I've had the pleasure to read. I was also pleased to get a photo with him. Not as pleased as he was to get one with my girlfriend though?! Fair play to him though; a very nice, humble guy who deserved all the applause that he received throughout the night.

Hey pal, hands off?!

Other than getting Bob Holly to sign my book, the main aim of this show (apart from enjoying the show itself) was to get my girlfriend a photo with Tyler Bate.

Let me elaborate. Ala – the missus – came with me to a Triple XXX show in January. She saw Tyler in the ring and fell in love instantly. Despite me pointing out that he was 17-years-old, this didn't deter her from stating that, from that day on, Tyler would be her favourite wrestler. This has sometimes been forgotten when she met Chris Andrews, then Justin Sysum, oh and that time she saw Chris Masters at a show (what's up with my abs, eh?). But whenever I would mention going to a show with Tyler on it, she would, again, realise where her loyalties lay (hint: they don't lie with me... #SadFace).

On our way back to our seats from meeting Bob, there HE was: Tyler. I introduced myself and briefly said that Ala was his biggest fan and could we get a photo. He gladly accepted (and was probably a little worried). Ala's dream had finally come true: to be within touching distance of her favourite.

A little excited to meet Tyler...

All jokes aside, I'd like to thank James and Kaminkaze Pro for getting Bob Holly over here so that I had the chance to thank one of my childhood favourites, as well as get my book signed – that book now becomes an even bigger keeper in my eyes. Also thanks to Tyler for the photos with Ala; it made her night (and life probably?!). It's moments like this that show that wrestling is great for everyone. We both got something out of this show that made our nights!

Right, where was I? Oh yeah, wrestling positives and negatives:

Positive (with a hint of Negative): The Craziness Of The Ladder Match

I'll get the negativity out of the way first. Well, not that negative but just my personal preference. I'm not a huge fan of flippy, jumpy, diving-over-the-top-rope here, there and everywhere matches. I'm sure I could have condensed that sentence down, but there you go. I'm more of a 'wrestling' kind of fan and the flippy stuff just doesn't mean anything to me. It's pretty, it gets a 'OOOOOoooooo' from the crowd everytime (and those gosh darn 'THIS IS AWESOME!' chants that are kind of warranted and kind of aren't), but it's just for show. At times it just feels like a way of getting everyone's 'sh*t' in.

Okay, now I'll get onto what I thought of this match: it was excellent! As much as I'm not a fan of this type of flippy, floppy(?) type of match, I thought this was great in that it flowed really well. There were spots galore and it never took a second to breath. It kept you engrossed from start to finish; two guys would be in the ring, flip, spot, spot, flip, CRASH! And then another two guys would come in and do something equally as flippy and spotty and CRASHY! There were combinations of guys all at once and some nice (and scary) ladder spots. The pick of the bunch was when Pete Dunne pushed Damian Dunne from the ladder onto the one rested in the corner. Crazy stuff.

And a match involving Pete Dunne and 'Flash' Morgan Webster wouldn't be complete with a Reverse Hurricanrana?! Such a brutal looking move.

Fair play to all the guys in this match, it was exciting, brutal at times and had an unpredictable ending.

Negative: That Doesn't Seem To Make Sense...

After the ladder match had ended, MC/Commentator/General Manager(?) Lawrie Neal decided that Pete Dunne had been screwed out of winning the MITB briefcase and would fight Robbie X for it at the next show. This is such a bullsh*t way of announcing this match. Robbie won the match fair and square; low blows and all are allowed etc so it makes no sense to announce this match as if Pete is hard done by. Pete Dunne versus Robbie X should be a good one, whatever the prize involved, but this reminds me of when Damian Sandow 'screwed' Cody Rhodes out of winning the MITB briefcase last year. It's every man for themselves and there's no disqualifications. Get to the match without excuses like this.

POSITIVE: I Heart Sebastian Radclaw

I've said it before and I'll say it again; I love the Sebastian Radclaw character. It took me ages to finally see him on a show (previously watching him on his Youtube offerings was funny enough at the time) and when I did I couldn't believe that I'd waited so long. The twitchy, crazy, dancy little guy is TOO funny. I was in absolute stitches throughout this match; from the silliness of it being a 'Skat Monkey on a Pole' match, to his translations of what Marshall X was saying. Seb is so funny and really talented wrestling-wise, too, which is always a tick in the box for me. Comedy-wise I can think of Grado, Mad Man Manson and Radclaw as being genuinely funny guys in British wrestling; and comedy is definitely needed on shows. It's always great when people give their character 100% and I feel that that's what Seb does everytime!

Sebastian Radclaw

I think that Seb versus Marshall was my favourite match of the night. As crazy as this sounds, I was emotionally invested in him getting Skat Monkey back?! I loved the comedy aspect of the match and, for the first time in my British wrestling fandom, was CHANTING along. I have never done that before so it must have gripped me that much?!

POSITIVE: Imports Doing The/Their Job

I posted a tweet on Saturday after seeing one particular show's results. All the imports on their show (well, four out of five) went over their opponents (won). I'm sure this show was fantastic and everything but I couldn't believe that that was the 'scoreline' or whatever you'd like to call it. After doing an interview with Mad Man Manson on imports and having strong views on them myself for as long as I can remember, it really bothers me when we – in this country – seem to pander and treat these guys as if they are something special. Maybe some of them were/are, but they're going to be here for one match. ONE MATCH. It should be their job to make OUR guys look the business and in most cases do 'the job'. That doesn't have to happen everytime, but it should happen a lot more often than not. Don't get me wrong, it's not all about the wins and losses but in the fan's eyes that's sometimes really important; more important than just getting to be in the ring with an import.

Thank you to Bob Holly for doing that on this show. Obviously you do as you're told by the promoter and I think what was asked of Bob Holly on this night made Ryan Smile and Robbie X look better for it. I was completely surprised that Ryan LOST the Kamikaze Pro Championship to Bob Holly and that's a good thing. I had no doubt in my mind that Ryan would sneak a win and continue on as champion with Bob's scalp part of that reign.

It was a nice, unexpected surprise. And so was the finish to the show.

Out popped Robbie X, briefcase in hands, to smash Bob over the head and become the even newer Kamikaze Pro Champion. Great stuff! Not only had there been a huge surprise with Bob winning the belt but he had then done what was right and given Robbie the heel tagline going forward of 'I beat Bob Holly'.

Results

• Eddie Dennis defeated T-Bone
• Kamikaze Pro Tag Team Championship: The Miracle Violence Connection (Tyler Bate & Dan Moloney)(c) defeated The Hunter Brothers (Jim & Lee)
• Fighting Females match: Leah Von Dutch defeated Nixon Newell
• Money in the Bank ladder match: Robbie X defeated 'Dynamite' Pete Dunne, Damian Dunne, Chris Brookes, 'Flash' Morgan Webster and Ethan Silver to receive a future championship match
• Skat Monkey on a Pole match: Sebastian Radclaw (w/ The Spirit of Uncle Eggbert) defeated Marshall X to regain Skat Monkey
• Kamikaze Pro Championship: Bob 'Hardcore' Holly defeated Ryan Smile (c)
• Money in the Bank cash-in: Kamikaze Pro Championship: Robbie X defeated Bob 'Hardcore' Holly (c)

An excellent, feel-good show that was a pleaser from start to finish. Kamikaze has become one of my favourites with a good mix of wrestling, flips and sh*t, characters and stories to sink your teeth into. Thank you again to James and all the crew at Kamikaze for putting on a top show. It looks as if things are on the up and are progressing. The audience seem like they're regulars and with shows like this that will only improve in the months ahead. Birmingham are lucky to have a promotion such as this that brings a great level of entertainment to their Sunday evenings.

Please visit Kamikaze Pro on Facebook and Twitter; follow them and look out for future events – you will not be disappointed!

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 27 - Kamikaze Pro 'Project K'

Saturday 8th March 2014 - Kamikaze Pro presents 'Project K' - Cadbury Club, Bourneville, Birmingham

My aim of going to a range of shows this year continued as I went to my first Kamikaze Pro show of 2014 - Project K. On paper, the card looked really good with UK talents Pete Dunne, Eddie Dennis and T-Bone being joined by a couple of imports from America, ROH (Ring of Honour) TV Champion Tommaso Ciampa and former WWE star Trent Barreta.

Former WWE star Trent Barreta

Now, to a lot of people, these two gentlemen were probably the 'draws' and who people had flocked along to see. For me, the likes of Pete Dunne, Justin [The Hammer] Sysum and The Bhangra Knights were who I'd travelled up to Birmingham for. These are the guys that I'm more familiar with and KNOW what they can do consistently. That being said, I take nothing away from Ciampa and Barreta as they had great matches and made their respective opponents - Dennis and Dunne - look even better than they already are.

Also, going into this show, I was very interested in seeing Battle Squad: Awesome. I'd never seen them before but had heard good things. Earlier this year, along with the support of Harvey Dale, they have managed to get a huge number of votes and secure a PCW (Preston) tag title shot. This got me thinking that there must be something about them worth seeing.

I wasn't wrong, as the second match on the card saw The Bhangra Knights face them in a 'face vs face' match. This was something that really worked as there was a lot of talking amongst them; RJ Singh and Dave Andrews had a comedic exchange, accepting that they weren't going to match the speed and excitement that their tag partners had just displayed moments earlier; being a face vs face match, there was also no need to sneak up on each other to gain an advantage. As a result, you knew that you were going to get a straight-up 'who's the best team' match - this is exactly what we got.

Usually, my uncontrollable smile face is reserved for James Mason shows, but this match had me grinning from ear to ear because of the flow and the tag team work that was on show - I really appreciated the tandem work that both teams put in. I'm just a sucker for proper tag teams who look alike (character and attire) so this match ticked all boxes.

As I started this segment about Battle Squad: Awesome, I'll finish it with them: I don't know much about them but I gather their gimmick is that it's an Avengers tribute with Andrews as Captain America and Chase as Iron Man (due to their tights). I've also checked them out on Twitter and they've also got the alter-ego thing as well. I LOVE that! As my journeys will take me further north in the coming months, I really hope to see these guys more (maybe in Southside or House of Pain?).

After four paragraphs on my favourite match of the night, I should say something about the rest of the show! The first half really worked for me; Justin Sysum and T-Bone were in the opening match and this was something that I knew wouldn't fail as I like to refer to T-Bone as the 'king of the openers'; along with James Mason, Bone can't have a bad match when opening the show. Along with the audience being into this show from the start, Bone and Justin put on a nice little opener that had the audience giving the appropriate reactions throughout. Job done. After speaking with Justin after the show, YES there did seem to be a couple of mistakes, but I've got no doubt at all that he'll work on them and improve as he has done for well over a year now!

The main event of the first half of the show saw a ROH TV Championship match with 'Pride of Wales' Eddie Dennis challenging Tommaso Ciampa for his title. I thought this was a nice touch by Kamikaze/Ciampa for allowing this (or whatever permissions were needed) as it gave the show a little more importance that a title from the USA could be showcased over here. Along with the spitting on the belt (by Dennis) and the derogatory comments made about ROH (again, by Dennis), it all added to a heated brawl between the two and a really nice back-and-forth match that ended with the (somewhat predictable) win for Ciampa, AND the further elevation of Dennis.

ROH TV Champion Tommaso Ciampa

Dennis does the Wales/Sheepsh*gger denial thing and because of it he is comedy and entertaining everytime I've seen him on shows!

Just after the interval, things took a slower pace leading into the main event of the evening. First up was Stixx (heel) taking on Birmingham's own Rick Van Damage.

I really like both guys, but despite this being a, kind of, battle of the heavyweights, it didn't quite flow that well. I was expecting Stixx to carry this match as he's the more experienced of the two and that was definitely the case. I've only seen Van Damage a handful of times in the last year but there seems to be the same issues that I've always had with him; he's kind of stiff looking and robotic at times. He could also do with cracking a smile, too, as if he's the face (and our hero), then we need a friendly face to cheer for. I really hope that this is taken in a constructive way as I hate giving what can sometimes be seen as negative comments.

Also on this night, the Kamikaze Pro Championship was also defended as the popular Robbie X challenged Ryan Smile. This started with a really nice, flowing exchange before the pace would drop just a little. The one thing that I couldn't get past was that towards the end, there were a couple of instances where Smile kind of no-sold a couple of moves and a chop from Robbie X before gaining the win convincingly. I'm not too big on Smile in the couple of times that I've seen him, but a huge positive that I will say is the intensity he showed in the last thirty seconds of this match before getting the pinfall. It was an intensity from a guy that WANTED to defend his title successfully. This impressed me.

The main event of the show pitted Birmingham's own 'Dynamite' Pete Dunne against former WWE star Trent Barreta. As I said earlier, Barreta wasn't the thing that sold the show to me before I came, Pete Dunne, however, WAS one of the things that made the trip up to Birmingham more than worth it; I'd already seen Dunne take on Zack Sabre Jr at a Triple X Wrestling show in January and it was amazing.

'Dynamite' Pete Dunne

Barreta vs Dunne would be a great match for a different reason, though. Yes, the wrestling aspect was faultless, but it was the story of the match that impressed me the most.

The start of the match was a friendly, respect-showing exercise; shaking hands and even hugging-it-out, too - this got a really good reaction. Then for the first half of the match it was a solid 'face vs face' match before frustration set in. Barreta would show more of more signs of annoyance as Dunne matched him move-for-move. The line of the match, and the thing that shifted Barreta from face to heel was when he screamed at Pete, "you think you're in my league?". This set the tone for the rest of the match as Barreta threw everything at Dunne and he kept kicking out and coming back for more. Eventually, Dunne would get the win, a hug and the respect of his American counterpart. Equals and rightly so.

I really love it when guys come to this country and 'do the right thing'; yes, they are the 'stars' but they should be here to make our guys - our EXTREMELY TALENTED guys - look that extra bit special. Credit to Ciampa and Barreta for doing so.

Results

• T-Bone defeated Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum (Justin was then attacked by Marshall X, setting up a future match between the two)
• The Bhangra Knights; RJ Singh & Darrell Allen defeated Battle Squad: Awesome; 'Diamond' Dave Andrews & 'Adrenaline' Danny Chase (MOTN)
• ROH Television Championship: Tommaso Ciampa (c) defeated 'Pride of Wales' Eddie Dennis
• 'The Heavyweight House of Pain' Stixx defeated Rick Van Damage
• Kamikaze Pro Championship: Ryan Smile (c) defeated Robbie X
• 'Dynamite' Pete Dunne defeated Trent Barreta

Overall, a really good show with great showings from both Americans, but more importantly, from our own talented UK guys!

Making strides; Robbie X

Kamikaze Pro's next show will be on Sunday 30th March. Check out their Facebook page and/or Twitter account to see the latest news and to enquire about tickets - a great night out for all the family.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 23 - What's to come in 2014?

It feels like forever since my last 'Weekend of Wrestling' post, but after looking through my archives I've noticed that it was only the end of November at the much needed, family fun show that James Mason and Alan Ravenhill put on in Brackley!

James Mason (photo: Superkick.co.uk)

As I've stated many times, these shows are a winner in anyone's book, and it's probably this reason that I put it in another category to anything else that I watched at the back-end of last year.

I need to make a confession before I move on into 2014: I fell out of love with British Wrestling towards the end of 2013. I think I felt a little burnt out from doing a show review after every show I went to. I contemplated stopping doing them but who am I kidding; the next show I go to WILL have a review conducted - good or bad - so I might as well pick myself up and get ready for a resurgence in 2014!

In all seriousness, a few things really bothered me about British Wrestling towards the end of last year. I'm going to do my best to not name names or promotions but it'll probably be abundantly clear who I'm talking about based on my previous ramblings! As I've stated several times (almost to cover my arse from the too-obvious comebacks that I'm likely to get on the matter) I am not a promoter, never plan to be, and have never run a show. I have, however, been around a fair few people that have. I've also got an idea of basic costs of shows. This is why I hear things, total-up costs in my head, and find myself fuming at some things in British Wrestling. It really bothers me that people do not seem to learn from their mistakes, continue to do things the same way, and believe in their own crap due to having [sort of] 'back-up' from people in 'higher places'. I can't think of a better way of putting it than that so that I don't name names...

A huge probem that really offends me (even though it doesn't directly affect me) is that some promoters still have the nerve to NOT pay the talent that have been on their show. This is completely unacceptable and it baffles me why talent would continue to work for companies where this happens.

Both of the above things had me shaking my head to the point where I had to step back and take a break... only giving Welsh Wrestling (under Mason/Ravenhill in Oxfordshire) the benefit of my time as (1) it was just up the road from me and (2) it's simple, easy to digest, good family fun that you cannot help but smile your arse off all the way through. It's well organised with no egos.

Now I've got that off my chest I wanted to focus on what I've seen in 2013 and what I'm hoping for in 2014:

2013

Last year was the first year where I went to shows on a regular basis. Don't get me wrong, I'm fully aware that I only went to shows that are fairly local to me, but still, I went to a fair few and a few different promotions.

In Oxfordshire, I went to shows in Banbury (NBWA) where I saw an underrated triple-threat match between Justin Sysum, Kenbai and Sam Wilder, as well as several other shows in the county for GSM/Welsh Wrestling. In Birmingham, I had the privilege to see the finest live match I've ever seen when Emi Sakura defeated Shanna (yes, a ladies match!) for AWW, as well as a huge babyface reaction for the usually unpopular Magnums at a Kamikaze Pro show!

The Magnums got a huge ovation at this show

A lot of my 'Weekend of Wrestling' posts were devoted to Pro Evolution Wrestling shows down in Gloucestershire (and surrounding areas), though. This is a promotion that I have a lot of time for and I am sorry that I haven't been down in a few months - this must change in 2014! I've seen a lot of good stuff on these shows, including anything The Magnums do (I have no shame in being a Magnum mark), Chris Andrews' theme music and great little matches involving Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum against Andrews, as well as one against former TNA star Doug Williams.

With the addition of The Alpha Males (Iestyn Rees and Charlie Garrett) to the tag team ranks, I expect more great shows from Pro EVW this year! (cheap plug: my interview with Iestyn is my most viewed article - give it a read, like it, and BOOK HIM on your shows - a really nice guy and top UK talent!)

2014

In 2014 I hope to get to a lot of shows as I did last year. The difference with this year is that I hope to get further a field and see something different. Ref Paz - the Safest Hands in British Wrestling - showed me a Progress Wrestling DVD a few weeks ago and this is a promotion/show that I would love to go and see. I'd also like to get up to House of Pain Wrestling in Nottingham as well as Southside Wrestling.

I'd even like to get up to Preston and see Preston City Wrestling (PCW) - a bit of a trek but one that I think would definitely be worth my time.

Basically, the aim this year is the same as it's always been - to promote British Wrestling. That being said, bad shows need to be exposed, too, and I'll continue to call them out. There's no point in sugar coating problems and saying something was good when it was complete and utter shite. By doing anything other than this would be doing British Wrestling a disservice.

Thoughts

There seems to be a debate at times about where British Wrestling is at. I completely agree that it is on the rise and doing well - we have such great talents in this country; too many to list - but we must be aware that there are a lot of cowboy promoters; WWE-wannabe promoters, if you will; that are making wrestling in this country look like a joke. That sort of thing needs to stop otherwise international talent will lose faith in us. Luckily, there are a lot of companies that are making a genuine effort to give British Wrestling a good and reputable name.

Sometimes I think that a TV deal is the only thing missing from putting us on the map in a big way in the world of wrestling. That ever happening remains to be seen as it is still a very American pastime that has been gone for a generation in this country.

Now that I have gotten through this post, I feel more positive about 2014. I think it'll be another good year for British Wrestling, hopefully making further progress and getting the good name of wrestling in this country recognised by more and more people - in this country and abroad.

Hoping to get along to one of their shows...

I look forward to getting to more shows and extending my readership - hopefully with people enjoying what I write as well as it encouraging people to get along to their local - and not so local - wrestling events.

If anyone has any views/comments or would like to get in touch over the great subject of wrestling then please feel free to comment in the field below, contact me on Twitter (@jimmosangle) or 'like' the Jimmo's Angle Facebook page!

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 19 - Kamikaze Pro

Sunday 6th October 2013 - Kamikaze Pro presents 'Bank On It' - Meadway Sports and Social Club, Birmingham

First of all, I'd just like to apologise to the guys that organised and took part on this show that this edition of 'My Weekend of (British) Wrestling' is so late... hectic week so far and this was the first chance I had to get something together! In no way does this mean that the show wasn't good or that I couldn't be bothered to do a review - this was my first Kamikaze Pro wrestling show and it was really good. There were a few hitches here and there but overall the show was well put together and things made sense. First tick in the box!

As I say, this was my first Kamikaze Pro show but there were a lot of familiar faces. There were also a fair few guys that I hadn't met before and it was good to meet and see these guys in action.

The first match saw Iestyn Rees take on Ricky J McKenzie. This was a decent opener that 'woke everyone up' ready for the rest of the show. This was achieved in the opening few minutes with a battle of the 'Boo/Yays'... this got everyone firmly against McKenzie and firmly behind the more determined Rees. Throughout this match McKenzie would target the taped-up shoulder of Rees to good effect before Rees would come back strong with a devastating Spinebuster Slam for the win, despite his shoulder causing him considerable pain.

The next two matches should have been great on paper and reality but both were let down, not by the wrestlers, but by other factors putting spanners in the works. Up first would be the 'Heavyweight House of Pain' Stixx taking on the 'Pride of Wales' Eddie Dennis. The winner of this match would then earn the opportunity to face Dragon Gate star Uhaa Nation at the next event on November 10th. The match itself was lost to me because of the very confusing finish; towards the end Dennis scored what looked like a three-count that had all at ringside confused - the referee had clearly counted the three but the match would then continue moments later. Then, Dennis would go for another pinfall - this time with his feet on the second rope, gaining the three-count even though Stixx had kicked out on two. This would then be the finish to the match; everyone involved seemed confused to this finish - wrestlers, ring announcers and fans alike. It had appeared that the referee wasn't aware of the finish here? A very flat reaction from the crowd followed, something that these wrestlers did not deserve. During the match, the smaller Dennis would dominate Stixx at times and will now go onto face Uhaa Nation in Digbeth, Birmingham.

The third match would be for the Relentless Division Championship - a title that I assume is like an X Division or Cruiserweight title. The champion, Damian Dunne would be challenged by MK McKinnon. This match was really fast paced and exciting at times. As it went on something became apparent to me, though. I have only seen a handful of episodes of Ring of Honor, but this match seemed to be in the same mold as that. What I mean by that is that there would be big move after big move that would seemingly win a match in say, WWE, but here two-counts would be a regular occurrence for such moves. After a few of these occasions, I felt that the audience started to lose interest, wondering what move would win the match. Now, you're probably thinking that this adds to the excitement, but I think 90% of a British Wrestling audience are not watch-any-wrestling, die-hard fans of the American indies; they watch a bit of WWE or TNA and probably want to see that style of TV when they go to local shows.

I'm not saying that this match doesn't have a place on the UK scene, it's just I think you have to be very careful of if your audience is going to 'get' this type of match and appreciate it. I don't want to take anything away from the two guys in the ring, though - Dunne and McKinnon put on an exciting match and gave everything.

The fourth match of the night was a Money in the Bank ladder match. This would be where six competitors would all compete to earn a shot at the Kamikaze Pro Champion at whatever time they choose to. The six guys all put work into this match and there were some very good moves involving all of them - at the same time; a six-man Side Russian Leg Sweep was really funny to see as was a six-man Tower of Doom where Jim Hunter completed a Sunset Flip from the outside to send all of his opponents crashing to the mat from one corner. There were also a few spots involving just two wrestlers at a time (believe it or not!); Jim Hunter delivering a German Suplex to Chris Brookes onto the folded ladder and also Robbie X delivering a Coast-to-Coast to Marshall X in the opposite corner to him. Really exciting and impressive stuff from all six guys resulted in Robbie X climbing the ladder and retrieving the briefcase and earning himself a title shot whenever he chooses! Match of the Night.

The penultimate match of the night would be a really fun one for me. I'm used to seeing The Magnums ('Filthy' Chris Walker and 'Dirty' Dick Riley) performing as heels - something they do very well. Tonight was a first for me as they were faces (good guys); this resulted in some really funny stuff. After the angry entrances of their opponents - Dan Moloney and Tyler Bate - The Magnums would come out to a huge reception - clearly Birmingham (and Kamikaze Pro) is Magnum country - massively OVER with the audience.

Throughout the match, spots that would embarrass The Magnums ordinarily, would instead make Moloney and Bate look foolish. This was a really entertaining match and a new side to The Magnums that I hadn't seen before - they prove to me show after show that there is plenty of fuel in the tank of The Magnums and there is no end to what they can bring to the ring. Credit to Moloney and Bate as well; I've only realised recently that Moloney is sixteen-years-old, but I believe that Bate is too - they both have a great look and with the time they have ahead of them, they should BOTH be great prospects for the future as they learn more and more.

The main event pitted 'The Mexican Sensation' El Ligero against Kamikaze Pro Champion Ryan Smile - with the championship on the line. This match didn't work for me, and that's not to say it was bad, but something was missing. With Ligero matches, I'm used to seeing flowing and exciting matches. This seemed like a heavyweight match though. What I mean by that is that if I see two heavier wrestlers in a match, then I'd expect a war, a slug-fest, but when I see Ligero and Smile I'd expect a faster pace.

The end of the match would see Smile use the championship belt to gain the pinfall. This would then bring out Robbie X (with his newly won briefcase) ready to cash in. Before he could do so, Relentless Champion Damian Dunne would attack from behind, starting a two-man beatdown of the popular Robbie X. Before they could finish the job, though, Chris Brookes would make the save and chase off the heels. This would then lead to the four agreeing to a tag team match at the next show on November 10th.

Results

• Iestyn Rees defeated Ricky J McKenzie
• 'The Pride of Wales' Eddie Dennis defeated Stixx
• Relentless Division Championship: Damian Dunne (c) defeated MK McKinnon
• Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Robbie X defeated Marshall X, Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum, Chris Brookes, Dan Splash and Jim Hunter
• The Magnums; 'Filthy' Chris Walker & 'Dirty' Dick Riley defeated Dan Moloney & Tyler Bate
• Kamikaze Pro Championship: Ryan Smile (c) defeated El Ligero

This was Kamikaze Pro's fourth show and my first. It was a really nice show and kept me hooked throughout (despite my position over on the merchandise stand!). Unfortunately, one match left a sour taste in people's mouths and one match didn't grip the audience as it should've but that takes NOTHING from the guys in them - they all did a great job despite these factors.

If I can make the trip up, I'd really like to see the next show on Sunday 10th November in Digbeth, Birmingham, where Eddie Dennis will take on Dragon Gate star Uhaa Nation and the Kamikaze Pro and Relentless Champions; Ryan Smile and Damian Dunne will take on 'Mr Money in the Bank' Robbie X and his partner Chris Brookes.

Get yourself along to this show. For more (and up-to-date) information visit the Kamikaze Pro Facebook page and follow them on Twitter!

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle