So, with the return of wrestling to terrestrial UK TV, I thought it might be worth following the show on a weekly basis. They've got a really good looking roster, and it'll be interesting to see if some of these guys start getting better bookings because of it. First show? Bit of a mixed bag, but overall a promising first impression.
Rampage vs Adam Maxted vs Crater vs Sha Samuels vs Justin
Sysum
First match to kick off a new generation of British
wrestling on network TV, and it’s a poorly booked mess that doesn’t do justice
to the talents of the wrestlers involved. First of all, it’s an elimination
match with three cheap eliminations and then the end sees a screwy finish where
the winner isn’t entirely clear. To a first time viewer, this would be a
confusing, convoluted mess. The first elimination sees Crater disqualified for
not breaking while choking Maxted on the ropes, and the second sees Sysum
rolling up Samuels after Rampage, who had been teaming with Sha, accidentally
hits him with a clothesline. The final elimination sees Maxted counted out,
with Sysum being declared the winner after beating the count…even though it’s
then pointed out that Rampage had beaten the count too. This was the first
impression that a lot of viewers will have got for the modern UK scene, and it
was too short to let anyone really shine. Sysum got the most shine, getting
impressive height on some flying clotheslines and Stinger Splashes, though he
nearly crashes and burns on a dive.
Will Ospreay vs British Bulldog Jr
This feels like it would have been a better choice of
opener, it told a much simpler story and contained enough action to impress a
new audience. They told a basic speed vs power story, before going for an
ending run full of nearfalls. The spot where Bulldog tried to throw Ospreay out
of the ring, only for Ospreay to springboard into the ropes and rebound with a
kick looked great, and deserved the sometimes intrusive mid-match replays.
Bulldog tried a little legwork, not extensive focus, but enough that whenever
Ospreay landed on his feet, it slowed him enough to give Bulldog an opening.
Both hit some big moves in the final minutes which looked like finishers, a
midring Spanish Fly by Ospreay and a huge sitout powerbomb by Bulldog. In the
end, a top rope powerslam gave Bulldog the win, and I bet more fans were
talking about this afterwards than the opener.
Martin Kirby & Joe Hendry vs Iestyn Rees & Kip
Sabian
This is an opening round match in the tag team tournament.
Really like the team of Sabian and Rees, they complement each other well in the
ring and had the look of a proper team. They also came out to the ring
together, unlike their opponents, which made them feel more like a unit. Their
double teams looked well rehearsed, loved Kip hitting a droptoehold on Hendry,
then posing whilst holding him in place for a big Rees elbow. Hendry
accidentally knocks Kirby off the apron at one point, preventing him from
tagging out, and letting the heel team hit a string of moves on him. Kip misses
a missile dropkick, to give Hendry the opening for the hot tag…only for Kirby
to jump off the apron and walk out. Hendry is still given a little shine,
hitting an impressive double fallaway slam, but the numbers add up, and a top
rope neckbreaker/powerbomb give Rees and Sabian the win. Good solid stuff here.
Grado vs Rampage vs Justin Sysum
So after the clusterfuck that was the opener, we get a
triple threat main event, based on the fact that Rampage didn’t actually get
eliminated in the opener. This highlighted Rampage and Sysum far more than the
opener. Liked Grado and Sysum, the faces, repeatedly throwing Rampage out so
they could have a straight up match, and Grado hitting a cannonball from the
apron was a neat highspot. There’s a little bit of comedy, with Grado side
stepping and outsmarting Sysum, causing him to fall on his face, before Rampage
hurls Grado around the ring. The bits with all three in look really good and
well timed, with Grado hitting a Wee Boot on Sysum, who was about to hit a
discus lariat, looking great. Sysum looks to have the match won with a 450 on
Grado, but Rampage swiftly throws him from the ring and plants Grado with a DDT
to win the WoS title. Makes sense to go forward with a heel champion at this
point, and all three looked really good here. Given that Grado maybe works best
as a special attraction, it may work best with Sysum chasing Rampage, but it
opens up some interesting options either way.
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