SouthSide Wrestling Entertainment Presents Retribution (18/8/12) By Adam Joyce

Last weekend Southside Wrestling did their first weekender. This may be lost on some people the enormity behind this but it is a sign that the company is really trying to push itself as the amount of money and effort that goes into promoting one show is a massive task. To do that for two shows so close together takes a lot of commitment to be successful. With some rather disparaging comments being passed between the Southside management and certain House of Pain roster members via social media Retribution and Supremacy were certainly looking like they had a lot on the line at them going in with House of Pain representatives in positions to claim all the gold over the course of the weekend. I made it down to Retribution 3, the first of the two shows, to see how it would work out for them.

Unfortunately I got stuck in traffic and missed the first match that featured Gresham getting the win over Robbie X. From what I’ve seen of these guys in the past this was probably a solid match and would like to track down a copy at some point to see how well it went. This marks another loss for Robbie X and you have got to wonder where Southside are going with this. Robbie is a great talent but is still quite young so regardless of the payoff to this streak there is still time for him to get past it. Hopefully though there will be some sort of rub in it for him at the end of the angle.

The second match featured LJ Heron taking on Ego Dragon. While the result was mildly obvious due to the big grudge match coming up at the next Huntingdon show LJ put up a great fight. With a few near falls really sucking in the crowd to believe that he might just pull the match off. The result however was academic as Ego Dragon claimed the win after a series of stiff kicks. It doesn’t help that LJ is not that established but that’s something that takes time to change so we’ll have to wait and see if that changes any time soon.

Up next Harvey Dale from House of Pain came out to announce that he would be introducing all House of Pain competitors on the show. The first of those competitors came out for this match in the guise of Max Angelus as he prepared to face Mark Haskins. I’ve missed te last couple of Southside shows but gathered pretty quick that Max is associated with HOP against his will, although on the entrance Max seemed unsure about how exactly to portray this. The match itself was solid and they seemed to get the face/face scenario across well with the crowd cheering both of them on. After a number of near falls the finish came when Dale tried to get Max to use his Money in the Bank briefcase but Max threw it back to him causing a distraction that Haskins took advantage of to pick up the win.

The last match before the interval saw Davey Richards taking on Stixx. The two have completely different styles but still managed to pull off a great match, a sign of the talent of both men. It started off quite heated going round the ring but started to cool off after a while with Stixx using his size to his advantage while Davey kept going for the ankle lock as well as throwing some stiff looking kicks, one catching Dale as he tried to pull Davey off the apron. Stixx’s chain came into play near the end as he placed it on the middle buckle but ended up going face first into it for a near fall. After fighting off a couple of anklelock attempts Stixx managed to get a win using a backslide with his feet on the ropes. He then went on to claim how the Predators would win tonight and tomorrow he would capture the SWE title bring the two top titles to the HOP boys.

The post interval match featured Marty Scurll defending the Speed King title against Noam Dar. The match featured a number of sequences of moves and counter moves that slowly descended into Dar working over Marty’s leg to set up for his leg lock. Interestingly this featured a lot of heel work from Dar seeing as the last two times they met up it was face/face. Eventually Scurll fought off Dar picking up the win with a tombstone piledriver. Immediately following the match Max Angelus came out and threatened to cash in his briefcase. However as Stixx and Dae Harvey were egging him on from the stage Max promised Scurll that it would happen, but not on the HOP’s time scale.

Lionheart took on MK McKinnan next in a solid bout. The match between the two was a great but I feel it was over shadowed by an incident with a person in the front row which Lionheart used the cheap heat method of spitting water in the kids face which, understandably, got the kids dad very upset. MK got the win and looked good, he even injured his ankle and you couldn’t tell.

The main event of the show saw Project Ego face the Predators to crown the first Southside tag champs. Travis reportedly suffered a shoulder injury the night before at PCW. During the first few minutes it looked like he had recovered from the previous nights injury but that seemed to subside quickly. After a heated start to the match it slowed down quite quickly as order was restored and an obviously injured Travis got back on the apron. This led to an extended heat segment with the Predators working over Kirby for the majority of the match. Even after the hot tag Travis didn’t stay in for long. Eventually the cheating ways of the Predators were too much for the Ego boys and they became the first Southside Tag Champs. Project Ego got a small measure of revenge as Kirby hit a step up ensiguri on Dale Harvey, much to the appreciation of the crowd, as the Predators watched on from the stage.

Overall there wasn’t a bad match on the card and it all came together well. The one biggest problem that comes to mind was the venue was unbearably hot. The heat seemed to help build the emotions in the crowd making them very heated. As I said with the Lionheart match I think the cheap heat with the guy in the front row drew the attention away from what was going on in the ring. I couldn’t make the show the following day but it certainly had a good set up with this one here.

The Perfect Storm...By Helen Robinson

So another Summer Slam has been and gone. Disappointing in some ways and great in others, like all WWE PPV’s. It all started off so well, Jericho and Ziggler had a great match, my favourite of the night. Jericho always delivers. Fact. He has been a massive part of WWE for so many years and has always done it in style. Not a champion this time around, however, stole the show at Summer Slam, Wrestlemania and many shows in-between. Jericho can still win the big one, and beat Ziggler in style with an entertaining match. After being such a great heel, it was still nice to hear the fans chanting Y2J, a great way to end his current run (before touring with Fozzy).

Daniel Bryan and Kane followed with what was a boring match up for me. Is this the end of Bryan’s push? I was hopeful earlier in the year that we would see Bryan as WWE Champion. After his 18 second defeat at Wrestlemania he needed a new angle, the Punk storyline was genius and they shared some of the best matches I’ve seen for a long while. As good as Kane is, for a technical wrestler like Bryan, he is not his dream opponent. The match was dull. Kane went for the tombstone; Bryan countered and rolled Kane up for the pinfall victory. Bryan legged it and Kane went on his usual rampage back stage breaking stuff... Great...

Miz and Rey Mysterio also did not disappoint. Two good wrestlers, both deserving of a push on their return. I passed comment on how one of them must have been slightly off or injured as there did not seem to be the usual amount of high flying action I expected to see. A good match all the same! Glad to see Miz prevailed, it’s about time he got a decent run. He has returned somewhat more mature, and seems to be moaning a hell of a lot less than previous months. It’s good to see him keeping his cool and getting the upper hand this time round. Mysterio will always be super popular; he didn’t NEED to win that match anywhere near as much as Miz did.
I am so tired of the Sheamus / ADR feud. Another unfair match where someone cheats. Predictable, even for WWE. Sheamus is a great HW Champion; he works his arse off, is always bruised up to hell and takes a massive beating every time he fights. He has got better and better since his win at Wrestlemania and I look forward to seeing his matches. Alberto is also a great wrestler, I have always liked him, but, this desperate neediness of current times has got me pissed. He doesn’t need Ricardo to help him cheat, nor does he need all the underhand tactis we have been seeing on Smackdown. Just when I thought they might just have a fair fight; it all took a turn south. The introduction of a shoe (yawn) and a leg on the ropes left Sheamus victorious, but also left a massive opening for yet more feuds and wars between the two. Sheamus and ADR need some new direction, I’m hoping now that Orton is back that might just happen.

And so, it all goes downhill...

The Tag Team Championship match. I have little interest in the tag team division of late. The Prime Time Players make me cringe and this Little Jimmy gimmick has me vomiting in my mouth. If you look back to some of the awesome tag teams of the past, and some that would be great if given the chance, this match doesn’t even deserve to have been on a PPV!

Punk, Cena and Show was what I expected it to be. Show throwing the others around, some controversy in the middle and a dirty win at the end. I do however think WWE did the right thing in this instance. It was a stupid match from the off set, but I would have been super disappointed if the title would have changed hands in a ridiculously made triple threat match. As per triple threat rules, the Champion does not even have to be involved in the match up to lose the title. Which for the opponent would be a shitty way to win, and a shitty way for the Champion to lose. I expect lots more from Cena and Punk, especially with the Rock angle added for the Royal Rumble. As a Cena fan I hope to see him win the title back, I’d like to see him take it off an ever arrogant Punk, however, to see him take it back from our Part Time Player (Rock) would be equally as satisfying!
The Perfect Storm...

The one I was waiting for... Triple H is one of my all time favourite wrestlers, I love him! I still get goose bumps when his music hits even after all these years. Brock Lesnar is one of the guys I can’t stand. I struggle to respect all his 3 moves, his brute force and blatant idiocy. Going into Summer Slam I can honestly say, I had no idea what the outcome of this match could possibly be. I think we all knew that Lesnar would ‘injure’ Trips and it would be more about the violence than the actual winning of the match. Having included Trips family in arguments on previous occasions, it was little surprise when we saw The King of Kings telling referee Scott Armstrong to ‘bend’ the rules. No count outs, no disqualifications, a fight to the end. And that it was. A brutal ‘fight’ would follow. Again, Lesnar fought more in the MMA style he has been used to in recent years than that of a wrestler. Big stiff blows from both men all the way though. After suffering another ‘broken’ arm Trips lost the match up and some self respect. He apologised to the WWE Universe and refused medical treatment before staggering from the ring. Is this the end of The Game? Hell no! I’m certain a rematch will follow. There was talk of it being his last match, that Lesnar had ended the Cerebral Assassin. But isn’t that what the Cerebral Assassin is all about? Lesnar might have won the battle, but one thing is for sure... The most certainly will not win the war!

WrestleTalk TV Comes To Challenge

British Wrestling's biggest step to a revival in decades? Wrestle Talk TV debuts on Challenge!

On Sunday the 26th of August at 11pm the internet wrestling phenomenon Wrestle Talk TV, debuts on Challenge directly after America's Impact Wrestling. From humble beginnings in September 2011, the YouTube sensation has grown to having over 350,000 views and has gained mainstream attention by getting no holds barred interviews with some of the biggest names in pro wrestling such as Hulk Hogan and Mick Foley. Now the wrestling chat show has been signed to a national TV deal that will put it, and the British wrestling scene which it was created to support, in a prime position to to show the millions of wrestling fans what the Brits have got to offer in 2012. Many in the mainstream believe that the timing of this deal could not be better, with a British wrestling resurrection seemingly around the corner.

Wrestle Talk TV will be the first show to have regular features on British wrestling appear on national TV in over 25 years. Industry insiders are now predicting a return to glory for an industry that was once a national treasure. British wrestling was a national institution during the 1960's and 70's, viewed by millions every saturday afternoon. It even had celebrity fans in the Royal Family, who attended live events at the Royal Albert Hall in London. After it’s cancellation from ITV in 1988 after 33 years of programming, British wrestling disappeared from the mainstream media until 2001, when former heavyweight wrestling champion Alex Shane hosted a radio show on talkSPORT called ‘Talk Wrestling’. The show helped to bring British wrestling to an audience of over 400,000 listeners at its peak and also lead to the ‘Revival’ event in 2002, which was broadcast on national TV as a 2 hour special. Those behind Wrestle Talk TV believe that the new deal with Challenge will be the final step on the road for British wrestling's return, which some of them have been working on for over two decades.

Executive Producer and the show's creator Alex Shane said ‘The goal of Wrestle Talk TV is to give British wrestling a platform in the mainstream media which portrays us in the same light as our American counterparts. Having a show directly after the UK's most watched American wrestling show and on a TV channel that is in every home in the UK, we feel that there has never been a better chance for British wrestling to experience a proper revival’. In the last 18 months alone the British wrestling scene has had more mainstream attention than at any other point in almost three decades, with related content appearing on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and countless newspaper and magazine articles. There is now also more British wrestling talent in the big US companies like WWE and TNA than at any other time in history.

Wrestle Talk TV is hosted by DJ and TV Presenter Joel Ross of JK and Joel fame, featuring The Daily Star’s Patrick Lennon and Wrestle Central’s Francesca Wood as co-hosts. Showcasing both American and British wrestling, Wrestle Talk TV will bring fans the latest news, interviews and discussions in the wrestling world. The first episode features an in depth interview with WWE superstar and front man of the rock band Fozzy, Chris Jericho. It will also showcase British wrestling with a documentary feature of BritWres-Fest 2012, the event run in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital which took place in April this year, plus much more.

You can catch Wrestle Talk TV on Challenge Sky Channel 125, Virgin Media Channel 139 and Freeview channel 46.

Also you can get interactive with us at our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

http://www.facebook.com/WrestleTalkTV

http://www.twitter.com/WrestleTalk_TV

http://www.youtube.com/WrestleTalkTV

The House Of Pain Hype Machine By Pinki Blush

Here we have the main man from HOP STIXX (Photo credit: James Abbott)

It's been all over Facebook and Twitter in the last few weeks that the Nottingham-based House of Pain are 'taking over' Southside on Sunday 19th. A ballsy move from a relatively small East Midlands promotion, who in comparison to Southside, with their history of big name imports, and regular roster peppered with some of UK wrestling's finest talent, have seemingly little to bring to the table. But could they possibly be on the verge of pulling off the coup of the century?

On paper, it doesn't look too promising. Lacking in numbers, the HOP contingent on the current Southside roster seems to be at an instant disadvantage, however with an opponent for Stixx yet to be announced, and noone yet to come forward for the challenge, it would seem that HOP have Southside more than a little nervous.

What the Team HOP lack in number in the ring, they make up for in their loyal supporters in the area. The cogs of the social networking hype machine have been turning, with HOP fans openly calling out Southside fans, and the HOP team seems to be gaining some hefty support.

The fan interaction possible from shows such as this is, in this writer's opinion, the thing that can make or break a promotion. Giving the fans an opportunity to really pin their colours to their chests and pledge their loyalty to a particular promotion is what will keep people coming back for more. As seen recently at XWA vs. GPW in Morecambe, where the fans spent just as much time shouting at each other as they did cheering/jeering the action, it enables people to really interact with the thing they love, and can build a really great atmosphere.

Whether HOP can build on that support and use it to gain the advantage over Southside, and put an up and coming promotion firmly on the map, remains to be seen.

This writer believes that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and suspects that there will be a large serving of humble pie on the menu for someone on Sunday at the Rushcliffe Arena. Either way, fans of British wrestling, and supporters of indy wrestling should be encouraged by the support that relative newcomers House of Pain have gained in the last few weeks.

Kevin Nash – Worlds Worst Attention Seeker...By Helen Robinson

What can I say about Kevin Nash and his barrage of ridicule this week? What a tool! First of all I would like to point out that one of my favourite moments of wrestling history was Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit at Wrestlemania 20. An epic moment for me as a big fan of both men, how very dare Kevin Nash belittle that moment! What he says has very rarely been relevant, now even more so. I fear what fan base he has remaining after this will dwindle lower. Small men are not appealing wrestlers? Now, not massive in height, personally I would not call Eddie or Benoit small in build or more importantly charisma. Both were loved throughout the industry for many years, which is indeed more than I can say for Nash. It is a well known fact that in his reign as champion both viewing and merchandise sales were significantly lower than past and future times. He has been angling for attention over the past weeks with talks on a nWo reformation and his absurd comments about wrestlers past and present, seriously does he not realise no one cares? No one would recognise Punk or Sheamus without their belts and ‘gimmick’ shirts? I probably wouldn’t recognise Nash anymore if he slapped me in the face with a wet fish! As one of my favourite wrestlers so aptly put it – He probably tore a quad just tweeting about it!

Later in the week he tried to defend his comments in yet another image damaging interview. He again, did himself no favours. Comparing wrestlers to Stan Lee’s superheroes and commenting that they would never have taken off it they were small in stature. I could go into the dimensions of said superheroes, many of which were not said to be anything other than average size, but I won’t. I could also go into the fact that actual superheroes such as the men and women of the armed forces, are indeed of average size, again, I won’t.

As much as I love WWE and the pro wrestling, I am under no illusion that its main aim is to make money and nothing more. The size and build of the wrestler is irrelevant. What he can do is the key to success.

Santino Morella is not a great wrestler, nor a big chap, however, his charm has carried him and the US championship for quite some time. The Great Khali is massive, should he be the next Heavy Weight Champion? Chris Benoit is notably one of the greatest technical wrestlers we as fans will ever see, he was also (until one of the darkest days pro wrestling will see) likeable, hardworking and humble. Three traits that will never be used in the same sentence as Kevin Nash. Eddie had the same mindset, work ethic and likeability, no amount of muscle or extra height would have changed the fans opinion on these men. We simply liked them for who they were and the way they played out their characters. Our current champions are excellent wrestlers, I can honestly say, Punk’s matches with Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho have been some of the best we have seen for a long time. Chris Jericho has had an amazing career with WWE and continues to be a big draw for the company (unlike Nash) despite being of average size. Nash must be desperate to get back into the spotlight, it’s just a shame that once gain he has gone about it the wrong way. All that has been achieved is people are now less interested in him than before. There’s no such thing as bad publicity? I disagree; Kevin Nash has proven this over the last few days. Over the past 5 years I have never heard so many people talking about Benoit and defending his achievements, nor has Eddie been in the spotlight this much for some time. Well done Kevin Nash for getting the attention back on people that were and still are notably better than you!

Follow me on Twitter @helenrobison82

WWE The Best Value In Sports Entertainment? By Helen Robinson

Hell NO!

After reading the new sale info for the Wrestlemania 29 package I’m totally appalled to realise that 4 days away for the biggest event of the year would set me back almost £10,000. What? Really? Ridiculous! I have been an avid WWE fan for the past 20 years and have always dreamed of going across the pond for a once in a lifetime trip to watch my heroes wrestling on the grandest stage of them all. However, with the prices growing every year this will indeed remain a dream. It’s always hard for UK fans to gain access to such monumental events, with them all being held in the states it’s a costly trip to take. At least £1,000 for air fare, then add on the cost of tickets, accommodation, merchandise, food and drink etc it turns into one hell of a dear do. With WWE not having any fan Axxess in the UK it makes a trip across the pond seem even more appealing. The question is, why are WWE trying to shut out loyal fans?

Events in the UK aren’t cheap, with a floor seat costing between £50 and £60 now it’s becoming even more difficult to get close to the action. A lower tier seat will still set you back around £40. Inside the venue you are drawn instantly to the stalls selling the merch you can’t usually buy over here. A signed promo of your hero will set you back a further £30 as will a t-shirt or sweatband set. Unless you have unlimited funds, you are going to be disappointed a lot of the time.

I recently bought tickets to watch TNA in January and was amazed at the fact that a seat close to the action only set me back £25. TNA also have UK Fan Interaction events where you can go and get up close and personal with your wrestling idols. This meet and greet session will only set you back a further £25 or so and you will walk out with dozens of pictures and autographs to treasure. Far better value. I wouldn’t plan on going to the US to watch TNA, but that’s partially because I don’t feel the need to. I can get the full experience on my doorstep for a reasonable price. I have been swayed a lot towards TNA lately. They are doing great things recently and it hasn’t gone unnoticed in the wrestling community.

With TNA regularly doing shows in the UK and Indy wrestling events really starting to take off here, WWE need to be careful they don’t end up doing the opposite of making more money and losing it to the overseas fans who just aren’t willing to pay through the nose for it anymore. I was planning on making the trip to Mania in 2014, but will be thinking twice if the prices are so ridiculously high!
Sort it out WWE! You have many loyal fans from around the globe. Don’t take advantage of our love for the sport by extorting money out of us so we can watch what we love!

You can as always follow me on Twitter – @helenrobinson82

Davey Richards To Retire? By Stuart Rodgers

Davey Richards announces that 2013 will be his last year in pro wrestling. Recently I heard a podcast with Richards where he said this so it’s not one of the hundreds of internet rumours that flood the world wide web on a weekly basis but also, it’s not the first time I’ve heard him saying he’ll be retiring.

Yes a couple of years ago, Richards said he was going to retire and it never happened, he was drawn back in probably with the promise of an ROH title win, which we all know he got at Best In The World 2011 when he defeated Eddie Edwards.

Davey Richards claims to be the best in the world and I have many times said just the same thing, he has had so many great matches to list them here would take ages and I can guarantee I’d miss some off but in saying that, Richards has many haters. He has a reputation for not selling in his matches, this was something I always ignored and looked past, well to be honest, just disregarded it but in the last year or so in ROH I did notice this but as an indy fan, I got to see many matches from Davey in not only other indy promotions but other countries, more specifically Japan and I notice Davey does sell so it must be a ROH thing where he doesn’t want to let his guard down or it’s just he thinks as the top dog in ROH he finds it hard to, only he could answer that really.

When all said and done, if Richards does retire in 2013, pro-wrestling will lose for me a top, top wrestler and will be remembered for many great matches by me and these are just what have happened up to now, he has the rest of this year and next before he does call it a day if he actually does. I have met Richards, shook his hand and had a photo taken with him but I have never seen him wrestle live but this August he is due for a tour of the UK with some of the great companies we have here like Fight Club: Pro, SouthSideWE & FutureShock so I hope, I get to see him wrestle live at least once before he hangs them up.

Follow me on twitter @WLHSTU or @TheIndyCorner also, please LIKE http://facebook.com/TheIndyCorner and listen to past episodes of the show over at http://theindycorner.podbean.net