Here are five things you need to know about British wrestling this week:
1) WWE taped two days of TV in Norwich
The classic British game show, Sale Of The Century, began every episode with the catchphrase, “From Norwich, it’s the quiz of the week,” and while there was only one prize on offer during last weekend’s WWE UK tapings at the city’s Epic Studios — Tyler Bate’s WWE United Kingdom Championship — there was plenty of action taped for the WWE Network.
The principal members of the WWE UK roster had been added to WWE’s twice-yearly house show tour of the UK, and they were joined in Norwich by much of the rest of the 16-man field from the Blackpool tournament in January, as well as a sprinkling of cruiserweights from the 205 Live show.
Dunne comes out, carrying the PROGRESS title
Bate headlined both nights of the tapings, beating Joseph Conners on Saturday and Mark Andrews on Sunday, and it was announced that he would also defend the title on the NXT TakeOver event on May 20th in Chicago, against the winner of a clash on night two of the tapings between Trent Seven and Pete Dunne.
Dunne, who came out carrying the PROGRESS Championship (try to sort out the storyline implications of that at your peril!), won out.
The wins were shared around the roster, with only Dunne, Bate, and Tyson T-Bone undefeated all weekend, and other talent featured included Roy Johnson, HC Dyer, James Drake, Saxon Huxley, Sam Gradwell, Dan Moloney, and Wolfgang.
The tapings will begin airing this month on the WWE Network, as a taster for a regular show. That show may eventually include some of the talent who attended the tryouts held this week, which included TK Cooper, Travis Banks, Chris Brookes, Big Grizzly, Jurn Simmons, and Stevie Xavier, among others.
2) Dijak and Bodom KILLED IT again at the Cockpit
Early last year at one of Revolution Pro Wrestling’s regular Live At The Cockpit sessions in Marylebone, London, an under-the-radar Donovan Dijak took on an underrated Josh Bodom in a match that looked every bit disposable card-filler. They engaged in a furious battle, which went all over the auditorium, and then got into a post-show brawl which resulted in a rematch being made for one of RevPro’s big shows in Reading.
The two, with reputations enhanced since that time, faced off again last Sunday, as part of Live At The Cockpit 16, and again tore it apart, with Dijak bleeding from the first minute but eventually picking up the win over RevPro British Cruiserweight Champion Bodom when Ashley Dunn distracted the title holder.
Scurll and O’Reilly clash
Dunn had earlier made his RevPro debut, in an impressive six-man opener in which he teamed with Portsmouth School of Wrestling graduates Josh Wall & Kurtis Chapman against Ash Draven, Cara Noir & Malik, the latter two graduates of the London School of Lucha Libre, and all three highly recommended by Will Ospreay.
The show was main evented by a clash between Marty Scurll and Kyle O’Reilly, which resulted in a politically-pleasing win for the Ring of Honor TV Champion, after which O’Reilly announced himself as the third entrant in this summer’s British J Cup, alongside Jushin Thunder Liger and KUSHIDA, who O’Reilly will face in the first round.
The show also featured wins for Zack Gibson, Jinny, RevPro British Tag Team Champions CCK, and Lord Gideon Grey, and is already up to watch on RevPro On Demand. RevPro returns on May 28th in Portsmouth with Michael Elgin vs. Dave Mastiff as the headline attraction.
3) Matt Riddle has OTT Champion Ryan Smile in his sights
After defeating Kyle O’Reilly in a battle of MMA-style top contenders at Over The Top Wrestling’s Marble Zone Act 1 last Saturday, at the Tivoli in Dublin, Matt Riddle challenged the promotion’s No Limits Champion, Ryan Smile, to a title match on June 4th.
Matt Riddle is welcomed by the Tivoli crowd — photo by John Morrissey
Smile had just teamed with the Commonwealth Catch Kings — Chris Brookes & Travis Banks — to beat the Kings of the North in the show’s main event, and as a result of claiming the “Golden Ring” CCK will get a chance to add the OTT titles to their RevPro British Tag Team Championship down the line, possibly also on that June 4th show, Stranger Things II, which again takes place at the Tivoli.
Riddle also appeared in Scotland over the weekend, stepping out for Discovery Wrestling at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh, where he lost to Mikey Whiplash.
That show was headlined by a four-way elimination match for the Discovery Y Division Championship, won by champion Lewis Girvan over Lucha DS, Joe Hendry, and Danny Boy Rogers.
The Bakewells fly into Scotland — photo by David J Wilson
The show featured the Scottish debut of the Fabulous Bakewell Boys, who lost in the opener to Dave Conrad & Deviation, and also featured two tournament matches — for two different tournaments!
Chris Ridgeway beat Mark Coffey to progress in the Hotter Than Hell tournament, and a Discovery Women’s Championship tournament qualifier was won by Nina Samuels over Debbie Sharp. Discovery are back in Edinburgh on June 23rd.
4) Bubblegum finally won the Speed King tournament
Although he’s held the belt that comes with it (a belt that is defended year-round, outside of the yearly tournament which resets the title), and despite having entered the very first one, Bubblegum had never won Southside Wrestling Entertainment’s 12-man Speed King tournament — an anomaly he put right last Saturday when he triumphed in the latest edition, held at the Rushcliffe Arena in Nottingham.
‘Gum triumphed in the six-man final, pinning Robbie X after Dezmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz, Suicide, and Chris Tyler had been eliminated, and joins an honor roll which also includes Jay Lethal, Mark Haskins, and Marty Scurll.
The tournament also featured Kay Lee Ray, Kenny Williams, Angelico, Flash Morgan Webster, Shane Strickland, and the reigning Speed King Champion Damian Dunne, who forfeited his title upon losing his first round match to Bubblegum.
The Speed King 2017 field — photo by Brett Hadley
Outside the tournament, the big news of the day was a shenanigan-filled no DQ Southside Heavyweight title match between El Ligero and BT Gunn, which saw the Scot upset the champion to take the belt north of the border. Former champion Joseph Conners, who was in Norwich with WWE, maintains he never lost the belt, and has promised to hunt down Gunn.
The show was part of an all-day event, which kicked off with Day Of Reckoning 16, and also saw former WWE and current New Japan star Davey Boy Smith Jr. in attendance. Southside are back on June 18th in Bedford.
5) True Grit resurfaced in Yorkshire (and other stuff)
Although Target Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Shady Nattrass wasn’t there to defend his title at the promotion’s latest outing in Haltwhistle last Saturday, the latest entrant into an elimination four-way for the belt on May 20th was decided, when Karnage beat Jason Prime to join Nattrass, Joseph Conners, and one more still to be announced.
Also in Haltwhistle, there were wins for The Coyote Kid, the Tyne & Wear Wolves, Ryan Hunter, and the team of Sami Sparx & E-Bomb, and that May 20th show is in Target’s hometown of Carlisle.
As part of an alliance with Grapple Wrestling, True Grit Wrestling resurfaced last Saturday with the aptly-titled The Return at Fibbers in York. The show was main evented by a Grapple Championship match which saw Martin Kirby dethrone David Graves, and also saw the Grapple Tag Team Champions Sean Only & BA Rose in action.
CJ Banks beat Grapple Velocity title holder Jack Bandicoot in a non-title match, and there were also wins for Amir Jordan, Evee Black, and for Dom Black in that old staple of indie wrestling shows, the battle royal. No return date has been announced for True Grit, although Grapple return on June 24th in Bradford.
Joe Hendry escapes with his title — photo by Warrior Fight Photography
Lastly for a very busy Saturday, Pro Wrestling Elite presented Even Odds at Ayr Town Hall, a show headlined by Joe Hendry successfully defending the PWE Heavyweight title against Iestyn Rees.
Polo Promotions were also victorious, beating Fight Club’s Liam Thomson & Kid Fite, and then announced they were coming for the New Age Kliq’s PWE Tag Team titles.
Charlie Sterling defeated Mikey Whiplash in the opener, and fans also got to see Davey Blaze beat TJ Rage, Viper pin Jamie Winters, and Joe Coffey win a four-way elimination match over Chris Renfrew, Jack Jester, and Rockstar Spud.
PWE announced that Alberto El Patron would face Kenny Williams this coming July on their 6th Anniversary weekender.