Expecting too much from Heel Turns...

It's been a couple of weeks since Ryback 'turned heel' or became a 'bad guy' to those of you that need the term simplified! Something about it still doesn't sit well with me, though. Maybe I am expecting too much but the last two major heel turns that I can think of weren't that obvious when they occurred. I'm of the opinion that a heel turn should be shocking and you should know, there and then, that that individual has become a villain.

Let's go back to Raw 1000 last year and the CM Punk 'heel turn'. As I watched him Clothesline and then perform a GTS (Go To Sleep) on The Rock, it didn't instantly scream HEEL TURN! to me. If anything, The Rock had come back, staked his claim at the WWE Championship, mocked the champion and received a physical warning from that Champion: he wasn't going to sit back and be disrespected the way The Rock had done earlier in the show.

CM Punk stands over a fallen Rock - Raw 1000, 2012

If Jerry Lawler had not have confirmed to us, the TV audience, that 'CM Punk has turned his back on the WWE universe', then I don't think we'd have been none the wiser until the next week on Raw. On the following Raw and beyond it became very apparent that Punk had indeed turned to the dark side. Until then it only appeared that the popular, cool-heel-face CM Punk had simply sent a message to a challenger to his title.

Fast forward to the night after Wrestlemania 29 - Raw, Monday 8th April - where, at the end of the show, Ryback had seemingly saved John Cena from Mark Henry, before Clotheslining the Champ and delivering his finishing maneuver Shellshocked. Again, this didn't scream HEEL TURN! to me; it simply said that John Cena - as new WWE Champion - had a large target on him; heels and faces alike could make a statement at the expense of the new Champion if they chose to do so. For me it was fair game that Ryback would show that he is in the hunt for that title.

Ryback stakes his claim to the WWE Championship - Raw, 2013

I was genuinely confused all week when I started to read reports that that was perceived as an actual heel turn. Then, on Raw the Ryback pre-recorded promo was aired - explaining his actions - showing that Ryback had turned heel. Again, this was not clear until that admission from Ryback and the subsequent references from Michael Cole that Ryback sounded like he was 'just making excuses'. Ok, so heel turns are a whole lot easier in execution than I remember! You simply need a finishing maneuver followed by a Commentator's disapproval = newly turned heel.

I think what may have added to the confusion was that he turned on John Cena - the guy who has such a mixed reaction wherever he goes that I've stated before that it is virtually impossible to turn someone heel against him.

Steve Austin and Vince McMahon did the unthinkable in 2001

All the major heel turns that I can think of over the years have been very obvious and straight to the point. The two Steve Austin turns in 2001 - first, at Wrestlemania; aligning with Vince Mcmahon and secondly, turning on Team WWF at Invasion later that year - instantly told the viewer that he had become a villain. There was no doubt whatsoever. Even the last heel turn before the CM Punk one last year - Big Show - was obvious straight away; punching out Cena and aligning with Evil General Manager John Laurinaitis.

Maybe WWE only know how to turn someone by aligning them with other heels, and have forgotten how to turn someone properly; or maybe the new approach is the forcing-it-down-our-throats approach a la Miz and Alberto Del Rio's face turns at the end of last year. Them guys were turning face whether we liked it or not!

As is the title of this piece; maybe I am expecting too much from heel turns these days. Or maybe I'm just looking for a more shocking turn here and there that'll keep my attention and keep me excited for a product that doesn't seem to make the effort to keep me on the edge of my seat anymore?

@jimmosangle

Chris Jericho: Building for the Future

I was going to wait until Chris Jericho had finished his stint in WWE this time around before beginning this piece, but I can't quite work out when he is going again! I think he will probably be at Extreme Rules (vs Fandango) before quietly disappearing from our screens again. It'll be sad to see him go; a different sadness to when, say, The Rock leaves us.

Clearly, they have different jobs and responsibilities when they come back these days - usually for Wrestlemania season - but I feel Jericho's is much more worthwhile and important. It is undoubtedly obvious that The Rock's (and Brock, Triple H and Undertaker's) role is to attract attention from a wider audience and to draw as much money in that quarter of the year. Therefore, maybe there isn't as much reliance on the rest of the years Pay-Per-Views - I genuinely feel that as long as Wrestlemania does well then they [WWE] aren't really that committed to putting on a stand-out show for the rest of the year.

Jericho vs Daniel Bryan - Raw, Monday 11th February 2013

As great as it is that these 'legends' and future Hall of Famers bring in an outrageous amount of money, it makes Jericho's job even more important, and maybe even harder. But why?

Well, in the first quarter of this year The Rock ONLY worked with John Cena and CM Punk - these were by far the biggest matches that could've been put on - by doing this it elevated (if that's even possible) Cena and Punk further, and widened the gap in superstardom between the two and the other guys on the roster trying to make a name for themselves. It also holds these youngsters back for three months. Surely this is a bad thing all for the benefit of making a quick buck?

If Cena and Punk are raised any further, and your next guys down have to wait three months for their opportunities, then it makes these future threats seem less, almost non-existent - it makes it harder for a Mark Henry or a Ryback to be seen in the same 'league' as a John Cena.

That's where Jericho steps in to bridge that gap. In the last four months, there hasn't been many of the mid to upper-mid card that he hasn't worked with - and improved. He came back and went forty minutes alongside Dolph Ziggler in the Royal Rumble match before giving Ziggler the honour of eliminating him. He had Match-of-the-Year contenders against CM Punk and Daniel Bryan in the first few weeks of returning to Raw. At Elimination Chamber he put in a great effort and everyone benefited from being in the match with him, and at Wrestlemania he took on the challenge of working with debutant Fandango; with both coming out the other end smelling of roses.

Jericho vs Fandango - Wrestlemania 29

Jericho has even crossed paths with The Shield and became another statistic on their unbeaten run. Momentum continued for them and credit where credit is (most definitely) due to Jericho; all of this in just one encounter.

As I read back through my notes of Jericho's 2013 run and his body of work this time around, I am in complete awe of the contribution the man has made. He came back at Royal Rumble and gave 1000% straight away.

So, although The Rock and company bring in huge sums of money to help towards the future, it all counts for nothing if there are no stars being made to carry the business forward. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times - when The Undertaker and Triple H finally hang up their boots; when Brock is done with coming back for a quick and easy paycheck; and when Rock realises that movie directors don't want to risk him getting injured - pressuring him to retire for good - and he decides to come back in a mainly non-physical role; who is going to top the card at Wrestlemania then?

Jericho was the first Undisputed Champion in WWF/E

With any luck, Chris Jericho will have had enough of an input that the next generation of 'Superstar' will have risen by then. If not, then maybe it might have been a wiser idea to use Rock, Brock and other part timers to contribute to the future the way that Jericho has attempted to.

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 8

Saturday 20th April 2013 - Brackley Leisure Centre, Brackley, Oxfordshire

Saturday afternoon saw me attend another show put on by Alan Ravenhill and James Mason in association with Welsh Wrestling. Previously, I attended their shows in Kidlington and Abingdon (both Oxfordshire) as they made their way through the South of England. Again, I was not disappointed.

I arrived at the venue and was lucky enough to meet James Mason, who thanked me for the previous write-ups of the past shows that I'd been to - just a quick note to James: I'm very happy to endorse your shows when they are as good as the ones that I've attended so far! It was very nice to be appreciated and, as always, I hope that people manage to find these posts, see the good work that James and his crew do, and attend future shows.

As with the previous shows, I was grinning throughout the show as what I saw was simple, but very entertaining - they truly put on a great family show that appeals to all. You cannot go wrong attending one of these shows!

Lee Bamber announced the evening's event and again I have nothing but good things to say about the enthusiasm and information that he provides - proving that a Ring Announcer's job is a very important one when putting a wrestling show on.

Hometown Hero -AD Driscoll

Alongside Lee, was a talented group of wrestlers with a few outside additions; adding something new to the shows that I'd previously seen. These were in the form of 'The Filth' Chris Walker and AD Driscoll - both of whose work I'm familiar with, and both who always put on a decent showing.

Results

• 'Mean' Tommy Dean defeated James Mason
• A D Driscoll defeated 'The Filth' Chris Walker
• Stevie Starr defeated Big Dog
• Japan's Tagori defeated Josh Faulkner
• Brackley Rumble winner: James Mason

'The Filth' Chris Walker (right) - one half of The Magnums (courtesy of Superkick.co.uk)

As always, everybody put in a good shift - standout performances from youngster Josh Faulkner and Stevie Starr showing great strength by slamming 400-pound Big Dog to gain the win.

Breaking the rules a little here; I'd just like to thank Tommy Dean and Big Dog for being very welcoming after the show - I found out the Tommy's football team are doomed before next season's even started, so I wish them luck!

'Mean' Tommy Dean

I urge you to check out Welsh Wrestling's website and check the 'Live Events' tab to see if there is a show in your area soon - these guys are a great bunch and it's a great family show!

Support British Wrestling!

@jimmosangle

WWE: Is The Balance Of Power About To Shift?

After Monday Night Raw, I got thinking that things concerning the two main World Titles could be set for a change in the near future.

All of 2013 has seen the WWE title contested by three main contenders - CM Punk, The Rock and new champion John Cena. The only problem going forward here is that The Rock has now disappeared again leaving Punk and Cena as the two main guys competing for the WWE's biggest prize. It needs to be noted that these two are head, shoulders, and the majority of their bodies, above everyone else.

The obvious answer to this is to have these two square off. The trouble with this situation is that we have seen this match far too often in the last couple of years. We need something fresh. For the sake of the WWE and the WWE title, we need new contenders. The wheels to this were set in motion on Raw this week.

Raw started with Mark Henry challenging Cena for his newly won championship - a challenge Cena gladly accepted. By the end of the night, we had a second contender throwing his name in the hat in the form of Ryback. These are two promising 'newbies' in the WWE title picture. But something needs to change - massively - if these guys are to be seen as credible challengers that CAN take the belt from Cena.

John Cena is the most discussed WWE superstar, and hottest topic on every wrestling fan's lips in recent history. He is loved by kids and hated by adults - this is because we see through the crap that we are fed on a weekly basis. Don't get me wrong, Cena deserves his position of 'face of the company' - he is heavily involved in WWE ventures outside of the ring and makes the WWE tonnes of money. For these reasons it is difficult for the WWE to turn him heel (bad guy) and anyway, why would they want to?

My argument isn't based on a John Cena heel turn, though. He gets such a mixed and confusing reaction from the fans that I think it's virtually impossible for WWE to turn him anyway. My argument is that his 'superman' booking needs to be drastically toned down and this needs to happen as soon as possible. This will not only help his future opponents - making them appear a genuine threat to Cena and his title - but, if done correctly, will also help the new World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler.

Monday night on Raw saw Ziggler finally cash his Money in the Bank contract in and successfully defeat a wounded Alberto Del Rio. This was welcomed by the awesomely over-the-top (out of town?) Monday Night Raw crowd, as well as the IWC, as they finally got something that they wanted (I should note that I agree with an article I read, by Kevin Kelly (@realkevinkelly), about Ziggler's win and booking prior to the cash in, where he says that despite the win WWE still haven't shown 100% faith in Ziggler).

WWE now need to keep our attention; not by continuing to give us what we want, but by presenting us with a leveller playing field. What I mean by this is that WWE has a chance to make their World Champion as important as their WWE Champion. I know this is a crazy notion as the World Title has been seen as a secondary title for so long now that we've forgotten how prestigious it used to be, but with Ziggler - a popular and talented future of the company - being given the ball, why not really go with something that will benefit the majority instead of the few?

This 'level playing field' could start with the new World Champion confronting the new WWE Champion, cockily outclassing him not only on the mic but also in the ring. They could play off Ziggler's win over Cena from TLC and where they both are now. This could be followed up by Ziggler getting some credible wins (as well as a few cheat wins thrown in). Ultimately, they need to give Ziggler a win over Cena - maybe even a clean win - without Cena kicking out of Ziggler's best moves as was the case at the start of the year.

Along with this, a few beatdowns by Henry and/or Ryback wouldn't go amiss either, thus building credible, title-threatening contenders and bouts in the coming months. Basically, we need to see a more beatable, mortal John Cena.

I know this is crazy, blasphemous talk amongst Cena lovers, but a change along these lines NEEDS to happen going forward otherwise the only credible opponent Cena will have is CM Punk, and Dolph Ziggler will just be another guy given the World Title that isn't quite good enough for the 'big one'.

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 7 (Wrestlemania weekend)

It's been more of a 'Week of Wrestling', than just a weekend. Along with my usual viewing of WWE Raw, Smackdown, Main Event, NXT and ROH TV, there was also a Pay-Per-View offering of a little show called Wrestlemania on Sunday night - anyone heard of that? I also had an enjoyable evening on Thursday watching some old ROH matches, as well as some old BAWA (British Allstar Wrestling Alliance) - a defunct local, Banbury-based wrestling promotion.

Saturday 6th April 2013 - Pro EVW - The Capital Venue, Gloucester 

In a lot of respects my Saturday night of wrestling was more important than all of it. I attended a Pro EVW show in Gloucester with some friends that were working on it. This show was a special one as it was a tribute show in honour of Kamil Ciemniewski - a young trainee of Pro EVW wrestling that sadly passed away a few weeks ago.

I would hazard a guess that around 300 people were in attendance - including many of Kamil's family and friends - to support this night and to raise as much money towards charity as they could. I should point out here that all proceeds - whether it be ticket sales, backstage passes, merchandise sales - would go towards a charity of Kamil's family's choice. Huge credit to those at Pro EVW for doing this. Credit is also due to the wrestlers that took part on this show as they all donated their fees to charity, too.

The Pro EVW crew stand in tribute to Kamil as British Wrestling veteran Roy Harley conducted the 10-bell-salute

I can't claim to have known Kamil, but after hearing the tragic news I thought back to the one time that I did meet Kamil. It was the first Pro EVW show that I had attended and I was sat watching the set-up through the day. Kamil approached me, which at first surprised me as we'd never met, but Kamil knew that at least we had wrestling in common to talk about. He seemed very excited about the evening ahead and that he was able to be around guys that he saw as idols. He reminded me of me when I was his age - a fan that was excited about wrestling. I think of this encounter fondly.

The night was a success, with the audience getting into the action and being very noisy at times. This was helped by MC Hank McCoy's enthusiasm, as well as all the wrestlers putting in great showings to get everyone either on their side or firmly hating them!

Results

• Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship: 'The Shark' Chris Andrews (c) defeated 'Big Bad' Dave Mastiff
• T-Bone (w/ Gilligan Gordon) defeated JD Knight (T-Bone became last entrant in Rumble match; Knight became 1st entrant as a result of loss)
• Iestyn Rees, Sam Andrews & Zak Garrett defeated Pro EVW Tag Team Champions The Magnums (Walker & Riley) & Jules Lambrini
• UK Dominator defeated Dan Splash
• Tyler Hawke defeated Kidd Lycos
• Rumble match; winner - JD Knight 

By the end of the night, Kamil's favourite wrestler came through and won the 25+ man Rumble match to end the show in the right way.

Other highlights of the show included a great opening match from Pro EVW Heavyweight Champion Chris Andrews beating Dave Mastiff. Some really impressive strength was shown by Andrews as well as getting the audience excited and 'into' what they were seeing. I said to a friend that Andrews has a kind of Batista look to him, which instantly impresses you when he comes through the curtain - you know that this guy is a wrestler - and his intensity and enthusiasm makes it easy for you to back him and want him to come out on top.

The Pro EVW Tag Team Champions The Magnums - 'Dirty' Dick Riley and 'Filthy' Chris Walker - were also in fine form again. They have the right amount of comedy and sleaziness on the way to the ring mixed in with the right amount of aggression when the bell rings - ultimately, an entertaining showing as always. Their opponents put on a great babyface showing with Zak Garrett, Sam Andrews and Iestyn Rees picking up the victory before making their way through the crowd to give thanks to everyone for coming.

As always, I'm pleased to see UK Dominator at his rulebreaking best; this time defeating Dan Splash. Dom is possibly my favourite heel as he is what I look for in a heel - he's an aggressive, imposing, nasty bully. He's not a 'cool' heel, he's simply someone that you can easily hate. What more do you need?

Rumble winner JD Knight; Kamil's favourite wrestler (with Kamil in the photograph)

I really enjoyed this show and I think everyone in attendance did, too. It was for a great cause and I tip my hat to everyone at Pro EVW for putting the event on - I personally think they did Kamil proud. I hope his family and friends felt the same and had a great evening.

If you haven't been to a Pro EVW show yet then you should treat yourself to the next show - Cinderford, Gloucestershire on Saturday 27th April 2013 - check the Pro EVW Facebook page out for further details.

Support British Wrestling!

@jimmosangle

WWE 'Invades' NXT: Why?

As I wait for this weeks (4/4) NXT to download, I thought I'd give my view on last weeks abomination of a show. By that I mean it was the complete opposite of what I expect from watching NXT on a weekly basis.

In the last few months, I have started to watch more and more wrestling; most notably the offerings that the WWE give us - Raw, Smackdown, Main Event and NXT. The latter is a show that I found hard to get into to start with as I wasn't too familiar with the roster. As the weeks have gone on it has slowly crept up the list of 'favourites' that I have. This is probably due to it being something fresh and new - it is the breeding ground for future WWE stars. By watching it each week, I'd like to think I can spot the 'next big thing' that is in development. It excites me that I get to see that unfold.

It is also a welcome break away from the crap that is presented to us on the main shows - Raw and Smackdown. For a long time now, we have been fed sloppy, unimaginative feuds and matches, with the occasional five-star match/promo happening every blue moon - Cena vs Punk from a few weeks ago on Raw.

Therefore, NXT is something that I have enjoyed watching as I can turn off my anger and stop shaking my head at god-awful 'filler' segments. Last weeks NXT had me fuming, though...

It started with The Fink announcing. Ok, that's different for starters... why is he there? This was followed by a Diva's Championship match between Kaitlyn (c) and Natalya. This was a great little match as far as Divas bouts go, but why was it on NXT? Why am I to believe that this title will switch on a 'lesser' show such as NXT? Why aren't these two battling it out for the title on Raw/Smackdown/Pay-Per-View??

I was baffled further as the show went on; World Champion Alberto Del Rio had a backstage interview; Brodus Clay defeated El Local (Rodriguez); and the main event was Randy Orton defeating Damien Sandow. About the only NXT guy that I remembered seeing was Kassius Ohno, who attacked William Regal - luckily, Jim Ross was already on commentary so that there was still a two-man commentary team for the rest of the show. What was he even doing there??

This was an awful use of this TV show; and I don't care if it is Wrestlemania season - there is absolutely no reason why the WWE main roster should take over all of NXT. They have SEVEN hours of TV time on their own shows to showcase WWE talent. If they need to show more of the main roster, how about they have main roster guys against NXT guys - surely this gives the WWE guys even more exposure (like they need it!) and it also gives them particular NXT guys a rub against the best.

I've said before that I don't mind the main WWE roster being on NXT but it should be ONE guy making a special appearance every once in a while; maybe getting into a verbal confrontation, or maybe even a match, with a young up-and-comer? That would be good for the NXT guy and for the WWE talent. This situation kind of reminds me of the WWE as a whole just lately: the main show being taken over by part-timers and not benefiting the youngsters trying to make a name for themselves.

If I want to see Randy Orton getting ANOTHER win over the likes of Damien Sandow I'll watch Raw or Smackdown, thanks!

Anyway, I'm going to watch the latest episode of NXT in the hope that normality has been restored...

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 6

Saturday 23rd March 2013 - Pro EVW - Ross-on-Wye, Gloucester

I was fortunate enough to travel along to Ross-on-Wye for the Pro EVW wrestling show at the Larruperz Centre with MC Hank McCoy and Referee Mark 'Paz' Parry last night. This would be the location for six fine wrestling matches, showcasing some of the best young talent in the UK.

Pro EVW Heavyweight Champion; 'The Shark' Chris Andrews

The show was kicked of with the capable and consistent MC Hank McCoy welcoming the audience to the venue and getting them ready for the evenings events. Unfortunately, he was rudely interrupted by Big Daddy Bainsley - an associate of The Magnums; the UK's sleaziest tag team. Bainsley would go onto introduce The Magnums down to the ring before the opening match between 'Dirty' Dick Riley's and Tyler Hawke. This match would end in a disqualification due to 'Filthy' Chris Walker's constant involvement in the match. This then led to a two-on-one beatdown of Hawke, who would be saved by Pro EVW Heavyweight Champion 'The Shark' Chris Andrews. The result of this brawl would be the tag team main event later that evening of the Pro EVW Tag Team Champions; The Magnums squaring of against the impressive team of Andrews and Hawke.

This would be one of the matches of the night as Andrews and Hawke would defeat The Magnums after a huge feat of strength by Andrews; lifting both Magums up to deliver his TKO finisher.

During this match, two things stuck out to me. Throughout the night it was very difficult to get the crowd into the action. The talents and intensity of Chris Andrews helped to 'wake' the crowd up and get them into this match - after some encouragement, the audience reacted to every move that Andrews delivered.

Pro EVW Tag Team Champions; 'Dirty' Dick Riley (left) & 'Filthy' Chris Walker (right) (courtesy of Superkick.co.uk)

The other aspect that was pleasing was that of The Magnums act. After only forming as a team in the last few months, 'Filthy' Chris and 'Dirty' Dick are fast becoming a team to watch out for due to their in-ring talent, comedy, and the belief and fun that they have. I have seen them a few times now and I really enjoy everything that they do - the slow, deliberate, sleazy walk down to the ring; the excellent choice of entrance music that they come down to; and the naturally funny antics and dialogue that they come out with during a match. It entertains me and makes me laugh out loud - two of the main things I look for when watching wrestling.

'The Winner' PJ Jones

My 'Match of the Night' goes to the second match on the card; 'The Winner' PJ Jones vs 'Zesty' Zak Garrett. This was a very flowing match that was great to watch - both guys are very talented and did a great job getting the relevant responses from the audience. Unfortunately for Garrett, 'The Winner' was PJ Jones on this occasion.

Results

• Tyler Hawke defeated 'Dirty' Dick Riley by disqualification (this then led to a brawl and the setting up of the tag team main event)
• 'The Winner' PJ Jones defeated 'Zesty' Zak Garrett (MOTN)
• Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum defeated T-Bone
• 'The English Lion' Eddie Ryan defeated Marshall X
• Scotland's UK Dominator defeated England's Dan Splash
• Pro EVW Heavyweight Champion 'The Shark' Chris Andrews & Tyler Hawke defeated Pro EVW Tag Team Champions The Magnums (non title)

Some good performances by the likes of Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum, T-Bone and one of my favourite heels - UK Dominator, were also on offer here. Overall, a very enjoyable show - especially for the two noteworthy matches that I have detailed above!

The next show that Pro EVW will present is on Saturday 6th April at The Capital Venue, Gloucester (GL2 2FN). For more information visit Pro EVW Facebook page

Support British Wrestling!

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 5

Friday 22nd March 2013 - GSW (Grand Slam Wrestling), Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Last night saw me visit the talented guys of GSW (Grand Slam Wrestling) at their show in the Abingdon Guildhall, Oxfordshire. This was on the back of a very well put together, enjoyable show in Kidlington (also Oxfordshire) earlier this month.

'Mean' Tommy Dean

Back for this show was the ever capable MC Lee Bamber to present five entertaining, and at times funny, matches. Along with Bamber, were some of the talent from the last show - James Mason, 'Mean' Tommy Dean, Stevie Starr and youngster, Josh Faulkner.

This show, as was the case with the Kidlington show, was directed for the whole family. What I mean by that is that it was very straightforward, easy-to-follow, digestible storytelling that all in attendance could grasp, whether you're a regular fan or a newcomer to the wonderful world of wrestling. I'm not sure if it was the venue that added to the volume, but the kids in the audience were insanely into this show. What helps this is James Mason in the first match of the night. He comes across as a very likable guy and is very skilled in waking the audience up and warming them up for the rest of the show. I found myself with a huge smile on my face from the first bell - I was fully invested in Mason as face and his opponent, Wild Boar as heel - both doing an excellent job of getting the audience to cheer or boo them, respectively.

Wild Boar

The smile never once dropped from my face all night. It was simple; the faces were over-the-top 'good guys' and the heels were over-the-top 'bad guys' - having long interactions with the crowd to get them on their bad sides, and ultimately boo the hell out of them.

I think that this show made me realise why I watch the different offerings of wrestling that I do. I catch WWE's Raw, Smackdown, Main Event and NXT shows on a weekly basis. After a recommendation from Billy Carpenter (@hashtwrestling), I have also added Ring of Honor to that list. Each brings it's own type of wrestling and entertainment. WWE offers the storylines to get your teeth into (although I realise that they do lack in that department just lately), and Ring of Honor seems to be a wrestling-heavy show in the short time I have been watching.

The British wrestling scene seems to be a mix of ongoing storylines (if you are a regular to a particular promotion), wrestling, and good, entertaining family fun. This is especially true of the GSW offerings that I have attended. All bases are covered for my wrestling needs. Earlier this week, my friend stated that he enjoys the 'pantomime' that wrestling brings and I think that's what I love about some of the British/local promotions that I've been to see.

Stevie Starr

A huge positive from last nights show is that the kids were massively into it - this is really important. If shows like this can gain kids as fans then wrestling in this country will never die. A little girl of about four-years-old was sat next to me with her dad (who was also hugely into it all night!) and she was really happy to be there - I was told that it was her first wrestling experience. I could tell that she was really entertained as she kept jumping up and knocking me at every opportunity! The next generation of wrestling fans ladies and gentlemen!

Results

• Wild Boar defeated James Mason (resulting in him progressing to the second half of the show to face a 'mystery opponent')
• 'Mean' Tommy Dean defeated Josh Faulkner
• Stevie Starr defeated the mysterious, masked, Japanese Tagori
• Interval
• Mystery opponent, Little Legs defeated Wild Boar
• Stevie Starr & Josh Faulkner defeated 'Mean' Tommy Dean & Tagori

17-year-old up-and-comer

As I say, a very enjoyable night of British wrestling in Abingdon. The next time that GSW will be in the Oxfordshire area is on Friday 12th April at the Witney Public Hall, Witney, OX28 6AA. Check www.welshwrestling.com for further details and also upcoming events near you!

Support British Wrestling!

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 4

For those of you that are unsure, NBWA or New Breed Wrestling Association is a North Oxfordshire-based wrestling promotion that has been newly created in the last few months. Its first show was on Friday 15th February and second show on Sunday 17th March. The next show is due to take place on Sunday 14th April 2013.

Before looking at the NBWA in depth, I wanted to go to two of their shows before giving my verdict. As stated above, the first show took place on 15/2/2013 in the General Foods Social Club, Banbury and was entitled 'Home Coming'.

On entry to the venue, I couldn't help but notice the height of the ceiling. It would be my biggest hang-up of the night as I felt it would limit certain wrestlers from performing to the best of their ability. I couldn't help but wonder how any high-flyers on the show would be able to 'fly' with this restriction just above their heads.

Another concern of mine was when the ring announcer came to the ring to start proceedings. MC Rob Maltman, who is supposedly the 'Voice of British Wrestling' is not the best man to have as a ring announcer - throughout the night his style of ring announcing was very strange for a wrestling show; instead of announcing wrestlers to the ring, he would 'ask' for them to come out. This was a very strange approach in my opinion. He would also go onto get several names wrong throughout the night - names and basic information of each wrestler should be one of the first things that a ring announcer should be familiar with, right?

Something that was not in Mr Maltman's favour was that the microphone/speakers didn't seem to be able to handle the volume that was required to get the announcements to all in attendance. Admittedly, this was out of his control - unless sound checks were not carried out before the show? A lot of the announcements were very muffled as a result. This weakened the show in an area that you might feel isn't that important, but a good ring announcer and equipment are a very important aspect to a wrestling show to get the audience 'warmed up' and excited for what they're about to witness.

Another unneeded situation that involved Maltman was when [heel] wrestling manager Harvey Dale entered the fray to confront him. This interaction was a little confusing as it seemed that the two have had an ongoing feud. Unfortunately, for the majority of the new Banbury crowd this feud would have gone completely over their heads. Why would they care that a manager and a ring announcer are engaged in a feud? They're here to see wrestlers wrestle; not two weedy, shirt-wearing 'talkers' go at it?

Stixx

With regards to Harvey Dale; his situation over the night was very strange. I believe during the night, he and Maltman had three separate confrontations. This overshadowed a lot of the rest of the show; it seemed like the main focus, instead of the talented guys that were on the card wrestling. One of the talented individuals that I talk of is the 'Heavyweight House of Pain' Stixx - Harvey Dale's main client. Now, my understanding of a wrestling manager is to promote and make sure the audience knows their client's name, as well as their credentials. They should not overshadow their wrestler. This night in Banbury seemed a hell of a lot more about Dale than it did Stixx (who was in, arguably, the match of the night against Stu Odyssey). This was a disappointment to a very good debut show by NBWA.

An overwhelming positive in all of these negative comments that I've presented is that of the talent that was on offer in this show. Names such as Noam Dar, The Bhangra Knights, Stixx and The London Riots were on show here just to name a few. I'm not sure that having nine matches (the last being a 30-man-rumble match) was such a great idea, though. It became a chore to get through the night with so much talent on offer - maybe a couple of matches less might have been ideal.

All in all, a good first show; there were always going to be teething problems to sort out going into the second show. Going into the second show, I was looking for some of these problems to be ironed out. I was not disappointed. Lessons seemed to have been learnt from the first outing and it made for a very enjoyable second show - 'Born 2 Fight'.

For starters the second show; still at the General Foods Social Club, Banbury; had a new ring announcer - Leo Orbison - a very competent MC, who has been part of several shows in this area, as well as in the Midlands. Orbison is clear in delivery, gets the main points across, announces wrestlers in a familiar way so that we know who is who, and gets the audience ready for the show that they are about to see. He was also complimented by working equipment. A very good change made by the NBWA there!

Secondly, the ceiling of the venue didn't seem to be as low as the first show. Maybe a different ring (lower)? Or maybe my vantage point was different this show? There were several spots that required coming from the top turnbuckle and the height of the ceiling didn't seem to hinder these situations.

Harvey Dale made another appearance this show and I was delighted to see that he did what he should have done - promoted his wrestler. Not only did he endorse Stixx, but also another tough, tattooed, talented individual - T-Bone. The only downside to his promo (to show a new babyface side) when addressing the crowd was that 'we were all lucky' that he and Stixx had had a change of attitude and decided that Banbury folk are actually alright - this still seemed very heel-like and arrogant; maybe the intention? Still, another positive over the last show!

NBWA Champion Kay Jutler (courtesy of Superkick.co.uk)

The show started out with the introduction of the NEW NBWA Heavyweight Champion 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler. On the 'Home Coming' show, Jutler would beat 29 other wrestlers to earn the right to be the inaugural NBWA Champion - a well deserved honour; I have seen Jutler wrestle for around three years now and he is probably my favourite performer to see wrestler and strut around the ring. A genuinely funny and entertaining guy. Jutler would cut a promo outlining his match that night with star attraction El Ligero and would end the show against him.

In between this segment and match were some very entertaining and funny matches. The talents of Mad Man Manson, Noam Dar, Grado and Kay Lee Ray were on offer along with more local talent in Kristoff Walton, Stu Odyssey, Chris Walker and Scotty Riot.

The opening match told a story that I really enjoyed. It's one of my favourite situations that wrestling brings to life. Scotty Riot faced Dante in what was billed as two pals having a friendly match. Both started out and there was good fun and banter between the two. Towards the end of the match evil manager Mr McCoy - flanked by his client Kristoff Walton - made their way to ringside. After directing unflattering comments to him, he would cost Dante the match. McCoy would then inform Riot that The McCoy Family would like to invite him as one of their own. Surely this was something that Riot would resist in favour of helping his friend to the backstage? But in a shocking turn of events, Riot would then shake McCoy's hand and help Walton in the destruction of Dante.

Another match that I was looking forward to was the debut of The Magnums; 'Dirty' Dick Riley and 'Filthy' Chris Walker. This is a fairly new tag team, who are already making waves throughout the south of England. Their entrance is something to be admired - a stroll down to ringside accompanied by a slow, sleazy version of a 1970's classic song; checking out the local females and MILFs in attendance, before entering the ring to conduct their business. Unfortunately, they were faced with another newly formed tag team - The Bone Yard - consisting of the earlier mentioned Stixx and T-Bone. A very dominant looking force across the ring.

Results:

• Singles match: Scotty Riot defeated Dante (and then became the newest member of the McCoy Family)
• 6man tag: Noam Dar, Grado & 'Shining' Johnny Searle defeated The Heavy Metal Cowboys & Frankie Felicano
• Ladies tag match: Kay Lee Ray & Bacardi defeated Carmel Jacob & Dragonita
• Mad Man Manson defeated Kirk Langley
• No 1 Contenders match (triple threat): Kristoff Walton (w/ Mr McCoy) defeated 'Showcase' Stu Odyssey and 'Bhangra Knight' Darrel Allen to become the number one contender to the NBWA Championship.
• The Bone Yard; Stixx & T-Bone defeated The Magnums; 'Dirty' Dick Riley & 'Filthy' Chris Walker
• NBWA Championship: 'The Male Model' Kay Jutler (c) defeated El Ligero

Kay Lee Ray

Overall, a very entertaining night. Instead of the nine matches on the previous show, we had seven this time around; which made for a manageable show length-wise. Situations that needed ironing out, were ironed out; Leo Orbison was excellent on ring announcing duties and Harvey Dale did a great job making his clients look the threats that they were when they entered the scene. I think there was also a good blend of singles, tag and ladies matches on the card - something for everyone.

Everybody worked hard and played their parts in making this a very good show. It stands them in good stead for future shows.

The next show - entitled 'Fight for 3Dom' - will take place on Sunday 14th April 2013 at the General Foods Social Club, Banbury. Check the NBWA Facebook page out for updates and future shows.

Support British Wrestling!

@jimmosangle

The Main Event rub

If you have ever read any of my articles, you'll notice that I go on about the future of the WWE and when, or if, it's ever going to get here. I keep on because I care that there will be a future; a future where we get top level stars on par with your Hulk Hogans, Stone Cold Steve Austins, Rocks and Cenas.

A few months ago I did an article looking at the last ten years worth of main eventers and the downfall in top, top talent that populates our main event picture. Since then, I have slightly changed my opinion as there does seem to be an effort being made, and there is a lot of talent waiting in the wings that I can see being major players in the future. Unfortunately, I wonder if these particular up-and-comers are being raised in the correct way.

Let me paint a picture; I've noticed, as everyone probably has, that there have been a hell of a lot of the same matches being booked as of late. I realise that this is the case due to the amount of hours the WWE has to fill each week in television time and as a result you would want to showcase your most talented guys. What I don't understand is the outcomes to these matches. I've taken a closer look at 'the future's' matches against the top guys and it was worse than I'd remembered when watching Raw and Smackdown on a weekly basis.

Wade Barrett

Let's take future main event stars Wade Barrett, Antonio Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler. All three men are in prominent and trusted positions within the WWE as one is the Intercontinental Champion, one is the United States Champion, and one is the World Heavyweight Championship Money-in-the-Bank briefcase winner. Now you would think that these three would be three guys that should be raised and nurtured in the right way to get them to the 'next level'. Looking at their records versus, say, the top five babyfaces tells a different story.


The following takes into account singles matches versus the top five faces in WWE (John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Ryback and the World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio) since the start of 2013 (until 16/3/2013) on Raw, Smackdown and Main Event:

• Intercontinental Champion, Wade Barrett has faced this group eight times (Orton x4, Sheamus x2 and Del Rio x2) losing six, drawing one (vs Sheamus) and having his only win against them when he beat Orton on the 14/1 Raw.
• United States Champion, Antonio Cesaro has faced this group nine times (Orton x5, Ryback x3 and Del Rio x1) losing eight, and having one 'no contest' (vs Orton).
• Money in the Bank briefcase holder, Dolph Ziggler has faced this group eight times (Del Rio x4, Cena x2, Sheamus x1 and Ryback x1) losing all eight.

From this you can see that the only win that these three men have had over the top five faces was Wade Barrett's clean win over Randy Orton. This was a surprise at the time and I'm still unsure as to why it happened seeing as though he has jobbed to him every other time since.

I know there will be people that will say that the losses don't matter; that having these matches against top talent such as Randy Orton or Alberto Del Rio can only be a good thing for these rising stars; but I completely disagree. I'm in the camp that says that losses do matter - maybe the odd one here and there doesn't, but losing every encounter can't be a good thing can it? Would it really hurt to give them a few more wins against the top guys? I don't think the odd loss to Orton or Sheamus would be the end of their careers; it would show that they are mortal and that they do have a chance of losing matches. I say this because every time a match like this comes up I'm already in no doubt of who will win - in a way, I don't care to watch it because I've seen it before; I know the outcome, and I also know that Barrett, Cesaro or Ziggler will put a good showing in; but ultimately it'll be for nothing.

If these three gentlemen aren't up to standard yet, they should be put in matches that will show their dominance at the level that they're at. Put them against the likes of a Miz or a Kofi Kingston. Yes, put them against the top guys, but present this match to us every once in a while so that there could be doubt that the mid card champion could beat the next level guy; not every other week.

Dolph Ziggler

I think the most worrying stat is that Ziggler hasn't got a single win over the group in question ALL year. He will soon be the World Champion when he cashes in that MITB briefcase and will be a joke and WEAK for this build he has been given. I don't care if he 'steals the show' every time he is against them; when he becomes champion he'll start beating all of these guys as if it's normal all of a sudden. That will look laughable.

I would have added Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow to my findings but I think we all know that their recent pasts haven't been any better!

Hope this look at the 'future' wasn't too surprising to anyone...

Pray for the 'future'.

@jimmosangle