First show of 2018!
12th January 2018 - From Cathays Bingo Hall, Cardiff
Pre-show) Danny Jones beat Oliver Sudden
1) Chuck Mambo beat Eddie Dennis, Travis Banks, Mike Bird & Chief Deputy Dunne
2) Mark Andrews beat El Phantasmo
3) The Brothers Of Obstruction (James & Leigh Obstruction) beat Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)
4) Pete Dunne & Chris Brookes beat Nothing to Prove (Drew Parker & Elijah)
5) Will Ospreay beat Wild Boar MOTN
6) ATTACK Tag Team Championships: Bowl-A-Rama (Splits McPins & "Fat Katt" Lloyd Katt) beat Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate)
Probably the best wrestling show I've seen live from start to finish. The opener was full of main eventers, I should have known then that we were in for something special. The WWE UK and ATTACK 24/7 Champion, Pete Dunne made a surprise appearance (a theme of the second half of the show) in a fantastic way. Brookes arrived to compete in a tag match but Lykos has just had surgery. Brookes said he's got a partner in the back and would just go and get "it" which suggested that he was getting inflatable Lykos. I love inflatable Lykos but Pete Dunne topped it. Dunne destroyed Drew and Elijah around the ring, just madness. Then 8 days after winning the IWGP Junior title at Wrestle Kingdom, Will Ospreay made a surprise appearance in an excellent bout with Wild Boar. The match was insane and included Boar diving from the top rope to Ospreay who was standing on a chair. Moustache Mountain then topped off the night with an fun tag match which also showed that Bowl-A-Rama are ready to be booked all over the UK. Fat Katt did the first ever wrestling encore by singing Bate's Sledgehammer theme then making up words to his own theme. Epic.
2017 was the first full year of attending wrestling shows. I've seen some of the best wrestlers on the circuit such as Travis Banks, Mark Andrews and Mark Haskins as well as international talent such as Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and 'Speedball' Mike Bailey. Seeing Will Ospreay live was also a big moment, as he was one on the checklist I really wanted to see.
Overall, I've been to 16 shows this year, all great shows. Here's the run-down:
#1 - PROGRESS Wrestling - Life, the Universe and Everything - 15/01/17
#2 - ATTACK! Pro Wrestling - Kris Travis Tag Team Invitational Night 1 - 04/03/17
#3 - ATTACK! Pro Wrestling - Kris Travis Tag Team Invitational Night 2 - 05/03/17
#4 - ATTACK! Pro Wrestling - Press S5tart - 04/03/17
#5 Lucha Forever - All Rise - 18/06/17
#6 ATTACK! Pro Wrestling and Dragon Pro Wrestling - Thursday Night Throws - 22/06/17
#7 ATTACK! Pro Wrestling and Dragon Pro Wrestling - Thursday Night Throws - 03/08/17
#8 ATTACK! Pro Wrestling - Thank God It's Not Winterslam 2 - 20/08/17
#9 Lucha Forever - SomethingMania - 17/09/17
#10 Rev Pro - Live in Cardiff - 15/10/17
#11 Lucha Forever - Card Subject to Change - 02/11/17
#12 ICW - Fear and Loathing Tour - 5/11/17
#13 ATTACK! Pro Wrestling - SRVRSRSLY - 19/11/17
#14 Dragon Pro Wrestling - Ultraviolet - 03/12/17
#15 ATTACK! Pro Wrestling and Dragon Pro Wrestling - Festive Night Throws - 14/12/17
#16 ATTACK! Pro Wrestling - Under the MistleTour: Cardiff - 16/12/17
That's
x9 Attack
x3 Lucha
x1 Progress
x1 Rev Pro
x1 ICW
x1 Dragon Pro
In these shows I saw some amazing matches including ladder matches, a deathmatch and a Snow Holds Barred bout. I saw surprise appearances from WWE contacted wrestlers including Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Finn Balor, Tommy End and Triple H. Despite all the guest appearances, there are a few wrestlers who I've seen at most shows and they always give it their all. Travis Banks is always a joy to watch, Aussie Open went from singles opponents to one of the best teams on the circuit but my favorites around are 'best boys' Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos, CCK.
ATTACK! Pro Wrestling - Under the MistleTour 2017: Cardiff - 16 December 2017 - Cathays Bingo Hall
1) Mark Andrews beat Ryan Smile
2) Chris Brookes beat Inflatable Kid Lykos beat Mark Davis and Inflatable Kyle Fletcher: Real Kid Lykos killed Inflatable Kyle Fletcher with a scissors. Brookes then choked Davis out with the dead body of his tag partner.
3) Nothing to Prove (Elijah, Drew Parker and Jayson Bishop) beat Jack Sexsmith, Love Making Demon and El Phantasmo
4) Snow Holds Barred: Travis Banks of the Anti-Anti Fun Police beat Chief Deputy Dunne: The match included a Coast to Coast with a Christmas Tree and Dunne being slammed into Christmas decorations. Santos was also blinded by snow and sent into the crowd where he cheered on Dunne despite his inability to see.
5) ATTACK! Championship: 'Flash' Morgan Webster beat Eddie Dennis, Mike Bird and Wild Boar: This was a rematch from what was supposedly Mark Andrews' last match at "Mandrews' goes to America" way back when he joined TNA. During the match Webster dived off a ledge by the entrance way.
6) Danny Jones beat Kyle Fletcher
7) ATTACK! Tag Team Championships: Bowl-A-Rama (Splits McPins and 'Fat Katt' Lloyd Katt) beat The Brothers of Obstruction: This was a heated affair and after a good start, Splits tried a suicide dive but got smacked by a wet floor sign in mid air. Splits' face was busted open (again), he tried to carry on but then went to the back. Fatt Katt struggled with the 2-on-1 but then made the comeback until Chief Deputy Dunne and Santos made his way out and Katt was slammed off the apron through some presents. Splits somehow returned and both Santos and Dunne were sent packing. The Brothers of Obstruction ripped open Splits' mask but Bowl-A-Rama managed to overcome to win the titles in a true feel good moment to end 2017. MOTN
ATTACK! Wrestling & Dragon Pro Wrestling - Festive Night Throws - 14 December 2017 - Cathays Bingo Hall
I've missed the last couple of Thursday Night Throws but was available to make this one which was a special festive edition which included Beano behind the bar and Santa being the host for the evening.
1) Drew Parker beat Jeff Ramsey
2) 'Flash' Morgan Webster and Chris Brookes (with Kid Lykos and inflatable Kid Lykos) beat Posada and Josh Holly
3) Mark Andrews beat Elijah
4) Mike Bird beat Brendan White MOTN
5) Chief Deputy Dunne beat Oliver Sudden
6) Bowl-A-Rama (Splits McPins and Fat Kat Lloyd Katt) beat Danny Jones, Wild Boar and Sierra Loxton
Dragon Pro Wrestling - Ultraviolet - 03 December 2017 - The Neon, Newport
This was my first full Dragon Pro show after seeing a lot of the Dragon Pro wrestlers at Thursday Night Throws and Attack shows throughout the year. The main event was originally Pete Dunne versus Mark Andrews but Dunne was pulled due to WWE commitments and Jimmy Havoc was subbed in.
1) Golden Opportunity Ladder Match: Danny Jones beat Wild Boar, Brendan White and Beano
2) Dean Winter beat Big Grizzly
3) DPW Tag Team Championship Open Challenge: The Brotherhood (Elijah and Joe Mezinger) beat Jayson Bishop and Jay Jewell
4) #1 Contenders to the Women's title: Sierra Loxton beat Kay Lee Ray and Sofia Ari
5) Posada and Josh Holly beat Jeff Ramsey and Oliver Sudden
6) Mike Bird beat Matt Horgan MOTN
7) All Wales Championship: Jimmy Havoc beat Mark Andrews
Havoc celebrated cheating to win the belt but was interrupted by Danny Jones who cashed in his Golden Opportunity
8) All Wales Championship: Danny Jones beat Jimmy Havoc
ATTACK! Wrestling - SRVRSRSLY - 19 November 2017 - Cathays Bingo Hall, Cardiff
Dark March) Charli Evans beat Jeff Ramsey
1) Kyle Fletcher beat Dick Riley
2) Drew Parker beat Elijah, Jack Sexsmith, Danny Jones, El Phantasmo and Love Making Demon
After the match, Drew Parker, Elijah and Bishop formed a group
3) ATTACK! Championship: 'Flash' Morgan Webster beat Kid Lykos
4) Eddie Dennis beat Mark Davis
5) Jim Obstruction and Los Federales Santos Jr beat Bowl-A-Rama (Fat Katt Lloyd and Splits McPins)
6) Chief Deputy Dunne beat Travis Banks
ICW - Fear and Loathing Tour - 05 November 2017 - Tramshed, Cardiff
A year ago, I attended my first indy wrestling event. I went to a ICW event in the Tramshed. I've been lucky enough to attend plenty other indy shows since them from the best UK promotions such as Progress, Attack, Lucha Forever and Rev Pro. It's only fitting on my one year Anniversary that I attend my second ICW show. ICW has a different vibe, it's more serious and adult and is quite story driven. Given that their big show, Fear and Loathing is a few weeks away, there was a bit of story development in this show which was the last in a series of tour shows outside of Scotland.
1) Chris Renfrew beat Lionheart - music kept playing that distracted Lionheart
ICW World Champion, Joe Coffey ran down the crowd before being interrupted by his opponent for Fear and Loathing, BT Gunn. BT's scheduled opponent for tonight, Bram then showed up and Coffey and Bram beat down BT.
2) Non -title: ICW Women’s Chamion, Kay Lee Ray beat Viper & Sierra Loxton
3) Cardiff Streetfight: ICW Tag Team Champions, Bird and Boar (Mike Bird & Wild Boar) beat The Kinky Party (Jack Jester & Sha Samuels) - in a match that included Samuels moonsaulting off a brick wall outside the building!
ICW Owner Mark Dallas made his way out and spoke about the early start was due to WWE taking place in the Motorpoint Arena. He mentioned he had friends in WWE and brought out WWE:UK Champion Pete Dunne. Dunne spoke about going from struggling to sell 100 tickets in Cathays to now and Dallas then said that Dunne wasn't his only friend and welcomed Triple H! Everyone lost their minds as Triple H showed up at the Tramshed, he put over ICW and indy wrestling and thanked everyone for coming. Unreal.
4) Joe Hendry beat Beano
Wolfgang confronted Ravie Davie then introduced the Purge who he would allow to take his place.
5) The Purge (Stevie James & Krobar) beat Ravie Davie - afterwards Wolfgang said that Davie had earnt his respect
6) Stevie Boy beat Big Grizzly
7) Death match: Jimmy Havoc beat Mikey Whiplash - They traded fists at first before there was a loud bang and I turned to someone to ask what that was. It was Havoc using a staple gun on Mikey's head! Havoc then stapled Mikey in the balls and they traded throwing each other into the barricade taking a few fans out. Havok then did papercuts to Mikey's fingers and between the balls and legs. Havok sent Mikey back first into a chair wrapped in barbed wire in the corner before Havok went head first into a chair in another corner. They threw each other into tacks before Havok brought out lighttubes. He busted one over Mikey's head then taped another to the outside ringpost which Havok was sent back first into. Cinderblocks were then brought into play and after a bit more back and forth, Havok dumped Mikey onto the blocks for the win. Absolutely brutal. I'm not a big deathmatch fan but like any style, when done right it's brilliant and it was done right here. MOTN
The pure shock of Triple H was worth the price alone. Every match was fun, special mention to Beano, a graduate of the Dragon Pro Academy who has all the ability to make a name for himself. Meanwhile, his opponent, Hendry has improved on his build since I saw him a year ago. Although his gimmick is a bit ropey, he is an excellent heel and I wouldn't be surprised to see more of him in the future. But the main event takes MOTN for bring so damn brutal.
