The Positives and Negatives of NBWA: Slams Of Summer

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

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

Positive: Optimism

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

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

Negative: A Pre-Show Match

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

Negative: The Opening Match

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

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

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

Positive: Out Of The Mess We Have A Contender

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

Negative: 'Wooden Man' Samson

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

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

Negatives: Last Man Standing / This Feud

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

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

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

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

Positive: Because One Needs To Be Here

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negative: The NWA Affiliation

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

Results

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

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

Keep going to shows...

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

The Positives and Negatives of NBWA: Passion For Glory

Sigh.

NBWA continues to give me good and bad in equal measures. This is good for me as it gives me a chance to adopt a 'positive' and 'negative' layout for this post that I did for the last NBWA show I reviewed. Things have improved somewhat in that there doesn't seem to be an authority-figure anymore (or maybe he just wasn't on this show), certain costs seem to have been cut; which is a good thing if NBWA want to continue. Also, running every two months seems a smart move.

Ok, let's hope the positives outweigh the negatives...

Positive: James Mason is handsome
These are not my words. Although he does have a great haircut. On the drive home, my girlfriend pointed out that James Mason, is indeed, a handsome man. Who am I to argue with her? He does kind of model himself on me, I suppose.

James Mason is now the No. 1 Contender

Positive: James Mason in an opening match on the show
Ok, I'm starting to kiss James' arse too much here! But, the bottom line is you cannot go too far wrong in getting James Mason to start your show. In all of the shows where I have seen this, the audience 'wake up' and are into the show. It's a win-win for any promotion across the country. Added to this, he was up against one of NBWA's best (and there aren't many) in Kay Jutler.

During the show, I received messages from Jutler apologising for his performance if it didn't impress too much. I have to say that I really enjoyed the match that he and James put on. They both look the part and both can wrestle - what's not to like here? He also said that instead of the usual pre-match planning, their match was, pretty much, called in the ring. This pleased me and I think should happen a lot more. I realise that pre-planning is the norm these days but how can you plan in advance how an audience will react? Surely calling things in the ring gives you the opportunity to read the crowd from minute to minute and adjust accordingly?

Negative: Samson
There had to be a negative coming, right?

The second match started with the arrival of TAW (Milton Keynes based wrestling show) 'stars' Samson and Nightshade. As they walked to ringside, I wasn't sure if I was to like them or not. Their facial expressions were (kind of) unhappy, but it didn't gain any reaction from the Banbury audience.

During the match, things didn't get much better. I HATE judging wrestlers on wrestling because I'm not a wrestler, but when you see such obvious crap, it's easy to point out. Samson was wooden, stiff (looking) and it felt that he was half-arsing simple things like throwing a clothesline. There were also lazy, idol threats from him that he was going to make Dragonita 'tap out'. He said it with such a lack of enthusiasm. This pointed out to me the worth of having TAW guys on this show.

Positive: Sancho... I love you, Sancho!
The standout thing in this match was Sancho. For a family show of this kind, Sancho is such a great addition. He is enthusiastic (to counter his opponent's lack of it) and he's into the character. It's a really silly character but it just works. It's one of the only times on NBWA shows that I remember grinning from ear to ear.

Negative: Street Fight or
Negative: Frankie Fellasarno vs Kirk Langley again
Take your pick from the two options. Where shall I start here?

Is 'Street Fight' secret code for 'we can't wrestle so, to hide this fact, we're going to have gimmick matches and f*ck them up, too'? I really don't get how this 'feud' has gotten to this point. Is there nothing that these two can do other than go against each other? The last show that I went to (in February) saw these two against each other. During Frankie's Facebook Promo (lol!) he said that this has been brewing for over a year-and-a-half. Why, oh why do we need to see it over and over again??

AND THE NEXT SHOW WILL SEE A LAST MAN STANDING MATCH BETWEEN THE TWO. Oh joy.

I suppose I should be grateful that, unlike Frankie's 'classic' hardcore match with Mike Mason, there wasn't half as many weapons used in this one. The bottom line is that these gimmicky matches only show the lack of wrestling that these guys can do. Frankie being a little over with the Banbury audience doesn't quite cut it, I'm afraid.

Negative: Psychology (part one)
Don't start a match with a f*cking Powerbomb, boys??!! Where do you go after you've delivered a move like that?? Also, nice to see someone kick out of someone's finish easily (just a typical two-count) when it's been delivered to them ON A CHAIR...

NBWA Cruiserweight Champion: Mr E (credit: Superkick.co.uk)

Positive: Dan is becoming a Man
Although I really don't appreciate paying to see trainees on a show where they're billed as proper wrestlers, I was pleased to see Dan The Man's improvement. Dan is a young lad that seems very keen to learn and to better himself. He does appear to have trimmed down a little and this is a great step in the right direction. Praise should go to Adi, too, for taking him under his wing and trying to do the right thing with regards to progressing his development. I would still say that in order to improve further, a good and reputable wrestling school should be attended. Keep up the good progress, Dan.

Negative: Cruiserweight Championship contested in a Heavyweight match
Maybe this was just the case on this show, but it seems that NBWA have a Cruiserweight title but are having un-Cruiserweight style matches.

For me, when you think of cruiserweights, you think of Rey Mysterio, Chavo Guererro or Billy Kidman. These guys fly around all match long, it's exciting, it's fast-paced. Mr E vs Dan The Man wasn't. It was passable as a match but if you're going to have a slower match, almost like others on the card, then surely you should have a mid-card, Intercontinental title style championship going forward.

Negative: Managers ignoring the Referee's authority
Towards the end of the Mr E vs Dan The Man match, referee Paz was forced to throw Dan's manager, Lady Lucy Becksworth(?) out for excessive interference. When he did so it was long overdue. The interference was too obvious at times. The thing that bothered me about her throwing out was that, despite the fact that she should have left to the back, she continued to stand at the entrance way, screaming for her client and taking the attention away from the match due to the ring announcer and others trying to herd her to the back.

If, when ordered to the back, you remain at ringside, it completely sh*ts on the referee's authority. Don't do it.

Negative: The Darb, The Child and The Nipples
The penultimate match of the evening saw a tag team match with a few more guys (from TAW?) and 'Skinny' Johnny Searle. This match probably offended me the most.

First of all, the guy with 'Hunter' on his shorts had a proper darb (gut; belly; no abs - you get the point?) and was just awful (maybe worse than Samson). His tag team partner (The Nipples) was a lot better but was just too far mixed in with the other ingredients that I didn't care. And then there was NBWA's own Johnny Searle...

ANOTHER example of someone that should not be on wrestling shows. I'm sorry to say this but if your arms are the girth of some people's c*cks, then you do not look like you can win a fight, and that's the point of wrestling, right? You should look like you should be able to handle yourself; you should look like you could win a wrestling match. Why should people pay £10 or whatever to see guys 'play' wrestler?? Insulting.

Positive: Taylor Made
This guys was enthusiastic and, at least, tried to get the audience to give a sh*t about this match. He also tried his hardest to get Searle over (with his own fans). Not sure of his wrestling involvement apart from dropkicks, but he was definitely a diamond amongst all the sh*te. 

'Filthy' Chris Walker (credit: Superkick.co.uk)

Positive: Men wrestling men
The main event saw 'Filthy' Chris Walker vs 'Showcase' Stu Oddyssey. This was one of the two matches that I looked forward to leading up to this show - along with Jutler vs Mason - and I knew that it wouldn't disappoint. I remember seeing these guys go up against each other five years ago on the BAWA shows (also in Banbury) and they still put on a decent match today.

Positive: 'Killer' Stu Oddyssey
I absolutely loved when Stu came out for this match and just stared Walker down. He looked angry (understatement), intense and like he was about to MURDER Walker... what more do you need to start a match? I've always seen Stu as a natural heel and I really hope that can happen sooner rather than later as he just has that look. Big, mean, angry, no-sh*t-taking bad guy is what he's best suited for. No way can I see him as a smiley, happy, baby-kissing goody goody that he has been for the last year-and-a-half.

Positive: Psychology (part two)
Walker worked on Stu's knee throughout the match and this was never forgotten about. I see it far too often when someone works a body part and, a few minutes later, it's completely forgotten about and they have miraculously shaken it off. Stu, thank you for making me believe and think that it could be a problem later in the match.

That's all I've got to say about that show. Better, but still a looooong way to go. There are plenty of talented guys out there that could be booked and do a fantastic job... just saying.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

Here We Go Again...

I'm off to NBWA (New Breed) later this evening, a wrestling show that is as local as it's going to get for me; just forty minutes up the road in Banbury, Oxfordshire. For those that have read my previous 'weekend of (British) wrestling' reviews, you'll know that I have been very critical (constructively) of NBWA in the shows that I have been to... hopefully after tonight's show, that can change (maybe) and I can start to say nice things!

Going into tonight's show, I'm a little cautious about how things are run now. From looking at the previous shows, I can see that there hasn't been a need for a 'star', former WWE this or WCW that on the card. This is a positive as I don't feel that smaller shows need these types of 'stars' as the majority of the audience won't have a clue who they are. But that's an article for another time...

I'm aware that they have a partnership (?) with TAW, a Milton Keynes based wrestling show, but I'm unsure about what they bring. We'll see tonight, I suppose. With TAW's involvement, and NBWA being under the NWA banner (I'm still not sure the worth behind that), I sometimes wonder what NBWA bring to these shows themselves.

I believe the changes above are because of the change of booker/runner-of-the-show. Unless I'm mistaken, Adi is now 'in charge' and I think this is a much smarter move than what was going on before. I like Adi and am willing to give him a fair shout. I'm glad that he's been given the opportunity to put a wrestling show together that will attract more fans and balance the books in the process.

I also came across a promo on Facebook, where Frankie Fellasarno delivered a warning to his opponent for tonight. I'm still a little confused about how "pulling down the bottom rope" can cause someone a loss...

Frankie's words for Kirk Langley (link)

Also, what's up with Frankie being friends with Kirk on Facebook... Kayfabe and all that, boys...

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 25 - The Positives and Negatives of NWA NBWA's Homecoming 2

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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 17 - NBWA's '7 Deadly Sins'

Saturday 21st September 2013 - NBWA's 7 Deadly Sins - Spiceball Leisure Centre, Banbury, Oxfordshire

I think when I go to watch wrestling shows, sometimes I get fixated on a particular aspect and can't let it go. I don't think this will ever change because if I see something that annoys me then I feel that people should know. If you like, I can't just say that something is great just for the sake of it. There has to be a more unbiased view than that - simply put, if something is crap then it needs calling crap and at the same time, if something is good, or even great, then it too needs the praise that it deserves. Despite any comments that people deem as negative from me, I really am trying to 'Support British Wrestling' - sometimes calling out bad wrestling is doing the same duty to British Wrestling as calling out the good things. Basically, There'll be no apologies from me. Ever. And I'll continue to do what I do... rant over; on with the show!

NBWA presents 7 Deadly Sins

This time around, I went into '7 Deadly Sins' with a few expectations based on the title of the show, the rules of one match in particular and also how a couple of the matches would go. MC Leo Orbison stated at the start of the evening that each match would have a deadly sin attached to it. Now this interested me but as the night went on it was unclear which sin would be applicable to which match. For me, there would have to be very clear connections between the match and and the sin that they were trying to portray. I think overall there were definitely elements of some of the sins in a few of the matches but not one sin per match. I'd be very worried if any of the matches were about 'Sloth'! Nice idea though.

The opening match of the night pitted three very talented and young guys. Pro EVW Heavyweight Champion Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum would make his NBWA debut in a triple threat against Sam Wilder and Kenbai. For a large chunk of this match Sysum and Kenbai would go through a lot of excellent, and flowing exchanges, with Wilder occasionally getting involved (maybe showing laziness - sloth) only to be tossed back out to the outside. By the end, Sysum would pick up the win over Wilder, but credit has to be given to all three for a solid opener.

Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum

The three co-main events of the evening had mixed results for me.

Before the interval there would be a hardcore match between 'Loco' Mike Mason and Frankie Fellasarno. This match had been set from the previous show and boiled over early on in this show - the Bacardi vs Katie Harvey (Mason's handler) match was due to start when a brawl would ensue between Mason and Fellasarno. The NBWA locker room would spill out to separate the two, adding fuel (and maybe wrath?) to the match that would occur later in the night.

Although this was an adult-themed show I felt that this match was a little over-the-top on weapons. For a match that hasn't had a hell of a lot of build, this match-type seemed a little too much at this stage of the feud. Through the match, chairs, kendo sticks and keyboards (different I'll give you, but potentially dangerous to the audience) were used before the main arsenal of thumb-tacks and a staple gun would be used (the staple gun to the groin getting the reaction of the match!). This match didn't work for me due to the amount of weapons that were 'used for the sake of being used' and also the length. I think the match could've benefited from ending a lot sooner than it did. One thing of note was when Mason wanted to throw Fellasarno into chairs but none of the fans would co-operate (and move) meaning that that particular spot dragged on until willing fans would get out of the way!

A match that really interested me, and in-part sold the show to me was the 'World of Sport' rules match between Stu Oddyssey and Doug Williams. It's a set of rules that I'm not familiar with and I think that could be said for the majority of the audience. My worry with this match would be that these rules wouldn't be clear - fortunately, MC Leo Orbison was at hand to enlighten everyone that we would witness six five-minute rounds and where the man to score two falls over his opponent (either pinfalls or submissions), or one knockout, would be deemed the winner. In simpler terms, this is a two-out-of-three falls match with a couple of additional rules.

Now, to British fans of yesteryear, this was a mouthwatering prospect. It should be stated that both wrestlers did an excellent job in the match - it was technical and it had a slow pace to start with (as is to be expected with the marathon that stood in front of them), and as the match went on the pace and determination grew. Unfortunately, the audience lost interest early on. This could've been due to the prospect of knowing that it could be a thirty minute match, and it could've been due to not fully 'getting' what the rules of the match were. Maybe 'World of Sport' rules matches have their place, and should be respected for putting the UK on the wrestling map, but I don't think the Banbury area quite appreciate what was put on for them. Big congrats to Stu Oddyssey for picking up the win over the experienced Williams - by doing so he won the right to face the NBWA Champion at a later date.

The main event of the evening saw a rematch between 'The Mexican Sensation', and NBWA Champion, El Ligero taking on his former protege, 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler with the NBWA Championship on the line.

This would be a rematch from the June show where Ligero captured the title in a two-out-of-three falls match. As expected, this match was excellent and flowing - exactly what you would expect from Ligero and NBWA's finest Kay Jutler. The ending to this match pleased me, too; after several near falls towards the end, and both trying to use the championship belt to gain the advantage (after a ref bump), Jutler would lock in a Crossface submission to which Ligero could not escape. This is a great feather in Jutler's cap - defeating Ligero AND making him submit.

Other matches on the night would see 'The Filth' Chris Walker pick up a long overdue win defeating Rhys Taylor, Bacardi finally got her match, and win, over Irish Katie Harvey, and a tag team match would take place between Sancho Cortez and Kirk Langley against the dysfunctional team of Bunker Roberts and Malicious Michael Adams - the ending of this match will surely split the former Management members further.

The new co-General Manager (that was hinted at at the last show) made his first appearance in NBWA, too. Pete Andrews ended the show revealing himself to be the balance to Marcus Thorn's luke-warm-evil reign at the helm of the NBWA.

Results

• Pro EVW Heavyweight Champion Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum defeated Sam Wilder & Kenbai (triple threat)
• Sancho Cortez & Kirk Langley defeated Bunker Roberts & Malicious Michael Adams
• 'The Filth' Chris Walker defeated Rhys Taylor
• Hardcore Match: 'Loco' Mike Mason (w/ Katie Harvey) defeated 'Iron Fist' Frankie Fellasarno
• World of Sport Rules Match: 'Showcase' Stu Oddyssey defeated Doug Williams (2 falls to 1; 1st Fall: Round 2- Stu (pinfall); 2nd Fall: Round 4- Doug (submission); 3rd Fall: Round 5- Stu (pinfall))
• Bacardi defeated Katie Harvey
• NBWA Championship: 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler defeated El Ligero (c) to become new champion

Overall, not a bad show at all. A lot more positives and sign of improvement. Maybe the length of the show could be looked at, too, as it started to become a chore towards the end of the night. It was also a real shame that the audience didn't really appreciate the match that Oddyssey and Williams put on; this let the show down a little even with the great effort that both guys put on. Really good matches from Ligero and Jutler, but if I was to pick a 'match of the night', it would be the opener between Justin Sysum, Sam Wilder and Kenbai. Really solid, exciting and enjoyable opener that set the night up nicely. I've seen a lot of Justin down in Pro EVW (Gloucester) and he's always learning and improving all the time - this highlighted that further. I saw Wilder and Kenbai at last weeks AWW show and both looked great there, too.

Ref Paz (photo: superkick.co.uk)

Special mention to Referee Marc 'Paz' Parry, who, for the second week running, split his trousers while refereeing. We salut you for your dedication to carrying on with the show through adversity! Replacements will be bought...

The next NBWA show will be in the Spiceball Leisure Centre on November 2nd. This event will see the return of The British Bulldog's son - Davey Boy Smith Jr. Be sure to attend; check the NBWA Facebook page for further and up-to-date info regarding this event.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

Jimmo's Angle Special: NBWA '7 Deadly Sins' Preview: Kay Jutler vs El Ligero

This Saturday, NBWA (New Breed Wrestling Association) presents '7 Deadly Sins', their seventh show of the year. This will again be in the Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The headline match will be a rematch for the NBWA Championship between Champion El Ligero and challenger Kay Jutler.

This match is due to Jutler's rematch clause that entitles him a chance at regaining the belt that he held so dear for so long. After becoming the 'Face of the NBWA' since its inception this year, Jutler was a proud and dominating champion before he met his match in the very talented El Ligero. Their two-out-of-three-falls war at the 'Home Is Where The Hart Is' show back in June showed the determination, fight and spirit of both men with Ligero finally being the man to defeat Jutler in sudden death overtime.

Since then, Jutler has been on the war path, fighting off such names as Stixx and Doug Williams on his way to getting his chance at the NBWA Championship. I managed to catch up with the 'most handsome man in wrestling' to get his thoughts about his opponent and their upcoming rematch:

Jutler on Ligero: 

"My first match in this crazy business was with El Ligero standing as my tag team partner. Now some nine years later we’re in the biggest feud in the NBWA. I would be lying if I said I didn’t respect the man, but I make a living from being the best, not being the nicest guy in the locker room. I have always strived to be the greatest athlete in professional wrestling. My victories across the globe stand as proof of that, but when El Ligero gets voted as the number 1 wrestler in Britain that strikes a nerve. It’s I who beat 29 other athletes on the NBWA debut show. It’s I who was crowned the first ever NBWA Heavyweight Champion and its I who beat El ligero in defence of that Heavyweight Championship. For him to be holding my belt is a personal insult. Despite how many people love him I am the number one wrestler in Britain, I am the NBWA’s top star and I am the REAL NBWA heavyweight champion."

Jutler on 2/3 Falls match at previous show: 

"Lets clarify a few things. Before that match I already held one victory over El Ligero from his last attempt at taking my belt. So logic dictates I should have already been one fall up going into that match. The NBWA management didn’t see it that way so we had to start from zero. I beat him down to the point that he couldn’t get back in the ring. I gained the first fall. Now combine that with my victory I already had over him two months prior and you’ve got a clear winner right there! Then the referee gave me a quick count whilst Ligero had me rolled up with a hand full of my tights so Ligero was gifted a fall against me. That was an unfair decision on the part of the referee but we haven't even scratched the surface of the injustices that night. Finally Ligero somehow drags me off the top rope with a vertical suplex, I am sure should have been made illegal from that height, causing me a slipped disc. I wasn’t able to get to my feet for the ten-count but neither was Ligero. It was a double count-out which means we technically both gained a fall on each other. So that means we were at two falls each - a draw! Now as we all know in the event of a draw the champion retains his title, but no! Management, not content with screwing me once, had to come out and screw me again by re-starting the match. There is not a sane individual on this planet that would deem that fair! Ligero hit me with a cheap shot and rolled me up stealing my Heavyweight Title in an injustice of biblical proportions."

Jutler on Saturday's rematch: 

"The simple fact is, from my early years under Ligero's wing, to my present days as the top star in British wrestling, I have learned everything Ligero has to throw at me. Ligero's problem is that he hasn’t paid attention to how I have progressed and developed. Ligero thinks he can beat me, but I know I can beat him. I have defended my title successfully against him but he has yet to defend the title against me. All I can say is the wolf climbing the hill is hungrier than the masked idiot on the top."

As you can see from Jutler's comments, he is very confident heading into this match on Saturday. He also feels that there is a score to settle after his loss to 'The Mexican Sensation' on the last occasion that they met.

Saturday will also see another mouth-watering match in former TNA star Doug Williams taking on 'Showcase' Stu Oddyssey in a 'World of Sport' rules match. These two heavy-hitters will be sure to put on a war, paying homage to the rules that made wrestling famous in the UK.

 

Be sure to get yourself along to the Spiceball Leisure Centre, Banbury, Oxfordshire (OX16 2BW) to see all the stars of the NBWA. Please be aware that this is an adult-themed show and under-16s are advised to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 15 - NBWA (New Breed), Banbury, Oxfordshire

Saturday 31st August 2013 - NBWA - Spiceball Leisure Centre, Banbury, Oxfordshire

It's been a couple of months since the last NBWA show. Hopefully this time away has given them the chance to re-evaluate what they do and how they're doing it. Again, I'll stress that I'm not a promoter myself, and that I have never put on a show (just in case anyone wants to dig me with that comment!) - but the one thing I do understand is that a wrestling show should make sense and money. More on that later...

The Show

The show started out with The Management (Authority figure Marcus Thorn, 'Malicious' Michael Adams (MMA), and one half of The Heavy Metal Cowboys; Bunker Roberts) coming out to ringside. From the exchange, I gathered that Thorn had taken sole-control of the NBWA and no longer needed his lackeys; disbanding The Management to pursue better opportunities. This would anger MMA and Roberts; MMA quietly taking a seat at ringside without question; Roberts threatening to hit Thorn before being reminded that he would be fired if he were to do so. This segment confused me.

My issue here: who was heel and who was face as a result? This was not clear at all. By disbanding the group, would this make Thorn a evil boss and Roberts (and co.) faces who would rise up against this new regime? With Roberts threatening to hurt his former boss, and Thorn confidently (and heel-like) reminding him that he would be fired, this would seem to show that Roberts was now a face and Thorn would continue his evil authority figure? Did I see this right? Is everyone keeping up with this?

Further adding to my confusion was that Thorn would come out in the following confrontation between Stixx/Doug Williams and Chris Walker/Kay Jutler and would support the face team berating Walker and Jutler (heels), letting them know that a tag team match would happen between the four and that Jutler's NBWA contract would be terminated should his team lose. Surely if Thorn was a heel then this match would have been set up between the four of them instead? So Thorn's a face then?

'The Male Model' Kay Jutler (credit: Superkick.co.uk)

After this confrontation, Bunker Roberts would come out for the next match (vs Sancho Cortez) but as a HEEL. This is the point where I needed clarification. Another situation that didn't help matters was that in the interval, Thorn and Roberts would come from backstage and walk towards the drinks table together. Kayfabe being firmly adhered to, right?

To relate this to a current situation in the WWE: Triple H has recently become a heel authority figure. We know this because he has betrayed the ultra-popular Daniel Bryan and sided with new, hand-picked Champion Randy Orton - also a heel as a result. These turns were clear as day and didn't need confirming - we knew what battle lines had been drawn. It was simply done and we, as fans, now know where we stand.

Onto the rest of the show.

After the confusion of the first segment, Stixx came to the ring for a number one contenders match (for a future shot at the NBWA Championship) against Doug Williams. This confused me at first as I thought they were going to give away the main selling point of the show in the first match. After good exchanges between two very competent guys, 'The Filth' Chris Walker and former NBWA Champion, Kay Jutler would run to the ring and attack both men. This would then set up the main event for later in the evening - Doug Williams and Stixx vs Chris Walker and Kay Jutler. For me, this was a good outcome - two of the UK's top talents in Williams and Stixx against two guys that I know can put on a decent show; Jutler and Walker.

In a more adult-orientated show, Sancho Cortez would make use of the platform to get a 'boobies' chant going. I like his style. His match against Bunker Roberts (the only Heavy Metal Cowboy on the show) wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sancho was possibly the funnest, and funniest, that I have seen him and Roberts (a trainee) did show signs of improvement - that can only be a good thing.

Bacardi

The rest of the card saw a Falls Count Anywhere match between Bacardi and Rebel Yell, a botched Killswitch finish between Kirk Langley and Scorpion, and a tag team match between Frankie Fellasarno (Fellatio could catch on, though) and Joey Sanchez against The Dirty Little Scoundrels; Jayme 'Tie-dye-Brian-Kendrick' Future and Damien 'Purple London' Vaine.

The main event lived up to my expectations. Williams and Stixx; two of the UK's best, would battle 'The Filth' Chris Walker and 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler to try to avenge the attack that they received earlier in the night. A really good match coupled with the usual comedy from Walker and Jutler, made this something that would trap my attention and keep me guessing who would win. It would have made sense for Williams and Stixx to gain revenge with a win, but I really liked it that Walker and Jutler came away with a hard-earned victory - Jutler getting the underhanded pin to save his contract with NBWA. Walker and Jutler made a great pairing, too, as it displayed a nice balance of sleaze, confidence and cockiness.

Results

• Number One Contendership: Stixx vs Doug Williams (No contest due to interference from Walker and Jutler)
• Sancho Cortez defeated Bunker Roberts (heel? face? I don't know...)
• Falls Count Anywhere: Bacardi defeated Rebel Yell
• Frankie Fellasarno & Joey Sanchez defeated The Dirty Little Scoundrels (Jayme Future & Damien Vaine) w/ G. John Chase
• 'Special K' Kirk Langley defeated Scorpion
• 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler & 'The Filth' Chris Walker defeated Doug Williams & 'The Heavyweight House of Pain' Stixx

Overall, this wasn't a bad show but wasn't a great show, either. The star power and talents of Williams, Stixx, Walker and Jutler saved this show which seemed to be a glorified trainee show at times.

Stixx

I also liked that there were a few plugs for the next show by MC Leo Orbison; cleverly inserting them where necessary, to try and sell it. On Saturday 21st September, Kay Jutler will get his rematch against NBWA Champion 'The Mexican Sensation' El Ligero (I wondered where he and the belt had gone?!) and also Frankie Fellatio will take on 'Loco' Mike Mason in a Hardcore match. See NBWA Facebook page for the latest updates.

Structure/Logistics

I am pleased to say that this was a six-match card. This is a hell of an improvement to the last shows. It used a lot less workers and was digestible. The confusions I had over the Thorn/Management situation could do with a little clarity but other than that it was simple one-on-one matches that everyone could follow.

As a company though, NBWA still put on two shows over the course of the day and I would question what the cost of this was. This is where things might not have changed. I don't know all the costs that go into a wrestling show but I have a good enough idea. There were deals on ticket prices and admission over the two shows, so even though they might have seemed "packed", (I can't comment on the first show as I didn't attend) the actual money taken probably didn't reflect that. Also, with a two-show-day, you've got to be hoping for two separate audiences, no? I can't imagine the same audience sitting through 5-6 hours of wrestling in a day...

I really hope that these shows did turn a profit. This will be a great step in going forward with these shows and would show that lessons have been learnt. If it didn't (and only a few will know this for sure) then things need to be seriously looked at further.

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle