Classic Rivalries: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada By Shaun Nichols

Between February 2012 and October 2013, these two met in six major single matches. Five of those were for the IWGP Heavyweight Title (the main title in New Japan Pro Wrestling) with the sixth occurring during this year's G1 Climax tournament.

All of those matches are considered to be excellent, with at least two of them securing ***** ratings, their feud as been compared to such legendary rivalries such as Flair vs. Steamboat or Misawa vs. Kobashi.

Their first encounter occurred as I said in February 2012.

1) NJPW New Beginnings PPV 12/02/2012

Okada had only recently returned to NJPW at the previous months Tokyo Dome show, beating Yoshi-Hashi in about 5 minutes to a very underwhelming reaction. You may possibly remember Okada from his completely meaningless run as Samoa Joe's sidekick in TNA doing a gimmick inspired by Bruce Lee's character in the Green Hornet TV series.

Nobody really gave him a chance to win here, as Tanahashi was NJPW's biggest star and was already enjoying a 13 month title run which included a record 11 title defences. However all good things must come to an end and shockingly Okada defeated him when he nailed him with the Rainmaker (short arm clothesline) after hitting with him Tombstone piledriver on the floor after Tanahashi had crashed and burned on a flip dive. People were stunned, and as Okada celebrated he found himself challenged by Tetsuya Naito.

Okada made his first IWGP title defence on 04/03 against Naito in an absolutely fantastic match which went a long way to show that Okada could have great matches without having to be carried by Tanahashi. It really was a strong MOTY contender in 2012 and I rated it at ****3/4.

2)NJPW Dominion 2012 PPV 16/06/2012

This was where Hiroshi Tanahashi got his revenge and regained his title and has a result tied the all-time record for IWGP title reigns by winning his 6th championship. It was seen pretty much as a given that Okada would drop the title back to Tanahashi as the fans still saw him as not being on the same level as Tanahashi. However his short title run and especially the plaudits he got for his match with Naito meant that his first run as champion would be seen as very much a success.

During the match they also started to build on their previous encounter, Tanahashi repeatedly managed to block Okada's Rainmaker finisher and also hit the Tombstone piledriver en-route to securing his spot in history with his High Flow (Frog Splash) finisher. Match was around the ****1/2 range.

Kazuchika Okada then moved out of the IWGP title picture, as Tanahashi had ready made challengers in Togi Makabe and Masato Tanaka. However Okada was still very much in the plans and went on to win G1 Climax 2012 tournament which came along with the prize of challenging the champion at the Tokyo Dome show in January 2013.

Okada pinned Karl Anderson to win the tournament and became the youngest winner of the G1 at the age of 24. However to get to the Tokyo Dome he would have to defend the title opportunity along the way, which he was able to do including a strong performance defeating Karl Anderson once again at the King of Pro Wrestling PPV. Also on that show Tanahashi defeated Minoru Suzuki in an absolute classic that was rated ***** by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer.

3) Wrestling Kingdom 7 (Tokyo Dome) 04/01/2013

From a drawing point of view this was a huge success for NJPW as they claimed that 29,000 paid to see the show in the Dome which would make it the most successful Tokyo Dome show for 10 years. It was also available on internet PPV and apparently secured 100,000 orders and the feed didn't break either.

It was also a fantastic card, which saw 5 of the last 6 matches rated at **** or better.

The best of the bunch was Tanahashi defending against Okada, with Okada winning the G1 tournament and having strong matches against a number of different opponents he was treated as a serious title challenger.

Tanahashi was having legendary matches against all challengers and though the highlight up until now had been the Suzuki defence, he was on a string of ****+ title defences. This was another classic world title defence which built slowly, made perfect sense with wrestlers remembering to sell if they had a body part worked over for a period of time. They also produced an awesome ending with lots of big moves, great reversals and a finish which played off Tanahashi's attack on Okada's left knee before finishing him off with the High Flow. The match was rated ****3/4 in the Observer.

To earn another crack at the IWGP title, Okada went on to win the New Japan Cup on 23/03 against Hiroki Goto in another very good match. Meanwhile Tanahashi was quietly cementing his status with another classic title defence against Karl Anderson from February. The scene was set and they would meet again at Invasion Attack.

4) NJPW Invasion Attack PPV 07/04/2013

By now when Tanahashi faced off against Okada it now felt like a big major deal with the crowd reacting to everything that both guys did. This was also the first time that Tanahashi started to bend the rules which got him some boos from the fans.
That's not to say that he was turning as that didn't and hasn't happened so far but a sign that the fans were equally invested in both wrestlers. With the fans reacting to both men when they made the ropes from a submission attempt or made a comeback from a period of selling. It looked like Tanahashi would successfully retain but he met only Okada's knees with the High Flow, after more great action Okada managed to follow a Tombstone piledriver with the Rainmaker to start his second run on top. This was rated ***** by the Observer and deserves it.

The 2013 G1 Climax tournament was probably the most stacked in it's history with two blocks of 10 wrestlers and both Okada and Tanahashi were paired in Block A. They both also started pretty slowly so as they met on the eighth night of the tournament they both had 4-3 records.

5) G1 Climax - Night 8 10/08/2013

This would be the only 30 minute draw in the entire tournament, they still basically pulled out all their major moves including Tanahashi's big diving plancha, the High Flow, Okada's Red Ink (a move similar to the STF) and with time running out Tanahashi managed to duck under Okada's attempt to hit the Rainmaker. Match rated ****1/2 by the Observer.

You wouldn't expect Okada as champion to win the G1 tournament and he didn't. He lost on the last night to Satoshi Kojima to fall out of the running and setting up another title defence. Tanahashi did win Block A by defeating Katsuyori Shibata on the last night, before losing to Tetsuya Naito in the finals in a matches rated at **** and ****1/2 respectively.

6) King of Pro-Wrestling PPV 14/10/2013

The final encounter at least for a while, having 6 major matches in just over 18 months may seem like overkill but the story is going to put on temporary hold. Okada stated that if he couldn't beat Tanahashi then he would vacate the title, even a draw would not satisfy for him.

Tanahashi on his part said that if he couldn't beat him then he would no longer be able to challenge for the title while Okada was still the champion. They even teased booking a champion vs. champion match (Tanahashi holds the CMLL Universal title in Mexico) but that was dropped.

The thoughts going in was this was time for Tanahashi to get the gold back as it makes sense for NJPW to have their biggest star headlining the Tokyo Dome show in January.

They went into this match with 2 wins each and the draw from the G1 so this was also for the bragging rights to see who would finally come out on top. They told an incredible story and built on everything they had done in their previous match and even adding new touches such as Tanahashi putting Okada in the Gedo clutch, this was great as Gedo is Okada's manager and he was flipping out at this apparent show of disrespect. Tanahashi worked consistently on Okada's right arm to the point where when Okada finally hit the Rainmaker it took him that long to make the cover, Tanahashi was able to beat the three count. His injured arm made his other finisher the Red Ink from being fully effective so again the challenger survived.

They teased a count out spot when Okada hit by a flying plancha retaliated with a Tombstone piledriver that led to Tanahashi only just making the 20 count. However Tanahashi's luck would not last and after avoiding the Rainmaker several times he was eventually nailed by it for the loss. The Observer gave this match *****.

For sheer match quality it is undeniable that the feud between Tanahashi and Okada should be considered one of the all-time great series, I have a soft spot for the Flair/Steamboat series in 1989 but from a in-ring perspective that doesn't match up to these two. I'm sure that they will have future great matches and the likely inclusion of Tetsuya Naito who is also a super talented wrestler means that NJPW is likely to continue to present awesome title matches and main events for a long time to come.

TNA Disaster: Dixie, Hulk & AJ = No BFG Buys By Shaun Nichols

TNA only now offer 4 PPV events are year, with that in mind you would think that TNA would consider these shows to be very important with strong storylines leading to their fans wanting to pay good money to see the conclusion play out on PPV.

Bound for Glory is TNA's biggest event of the year, and other the last few years have seen the company running a BFG Series to determine the challenger for their world title. This year was no different and with very little surprise AJ Styles was the victor and will go on to challenge Bully Ray for the gold.

Since winning the BFG Series, AJ Styles has had very little interaction with Bully Ray on TV and if you weren't paying that much attention to the product then you'd be hard pressed to realise that he will be facing Bully Ray for the title in a storyline that has taken 12 months to get to. What you will have seen is Impact's final segment over the last few weeks ending with interviews from Dixie Carter, AJ Styles and Hulk Hogan with each one frankly being more ridiculous than the last one.

Let's have a look at each of the closing segments of the last few weeks and highlight where TNA is doing a fabulous job of shooting themselves in the foot.

Week 1
This was confrontation between Carter and Styles. Styles stated that he was working without a contract (he isn't as he's got a short term contract until the end of the year), that Dixie had destroyed the chemistry of what made TNA great. That she didn't understand how to treat the stars and mentioned Jerry Lynn, Petey Williams, Jay Lethal, Alex Shelley and Low-Ki left because of it. That she wasted money on wrestlers who treated TNA like being on a paid vacation (probably RVD & Booker T). None of the guys he mentioned would make a difference to TNA and Jerry Lynn has retired.

Dixie responded by saying that she was sorry she had ever given him the impression that he was important to TNA, she said he was average and not as good as he used to be. If it wasn't for her and her family than he would be living in a trailer park. That AJ Styles did not build this house and that he should be thankful that she ever allowed him to play in it. Dixie really did come across as a very poor imitation of Stephanie McMahon.

So after watching this, you have to wonder why AJ Styles is trying to win the TNA World title when he feels the company has been destroyed and he doesn't have a contract to stop him leaving. Meanwhile Dixie is pointing out that the challenger in the main event of the biggest TNA show of the year, isn't very good and he was never 'phenomenal' and although he was never great to start with he's worse today then he was years ago.

Week 2
This saw firstly a Hogan promo where he was trying to get fans to show AJ that they wanted him to stay with the company. It wasn't the greatest reaction immediately but Hogan stuck with it by practically begging the fans to cheer for Styles. Styles did come out to a nice pop, Hulk said he'd fix things later on.

Later turned out to be our main event segment, things started well when Hogan gave Styles a new contract to sign and said he believed in him. Enter Dixie Carter, who immediately gushed out brilliant Hulk was and how much of a difference he had made to TNA. I know Hulk has complete control of his angles but it's quite a stretch to take that comment seriously.

Dixie then ripped up the contract, Styles said that was the biggest mistake that she had ever made. She responded by telling him to get out of the ring, and just like a child being told off by their parents off he went never to be seen again. She then complained how hard her life was and how nobody understood just how difficult it was making all those hard decisions and the fans should respect her. She now knew what she had to do to help TNA and she wanted Hulk to join Team Dixie.

This week really gave no reason for anyone to rally behind AJ Styles, he was basically treated as someone who should be quiet when the 'important' people are talking. Dixie's promo clearly shows that she thinks Styles is not any kind of asset to the company, while Hogan in his 60's and someone who will never wrestle again is essential to the success of TNA.

Week 3
Another bad week for AJ, though he did manage to cut a promo stating he would take the title from Bully Ray. Dixie then went to have security throw him out but Styles chose to leave voluntarily because he didn't want to breathe the same air as she did. This AJ is really someone who'll stick up for himself.

This left Dixie to concentrate on the really important issue of Hulk Hogan, Hogan by all accounts has left TNA although this could easily be a swerve and he ends up playing a key role at the PPV.

Dixie wanted to know if Hogan was going to join Team Dixie, Hulk said he'd always wanted to be a part of a power couple and teased he would agree. Finally though he told her he was quitting, Dixie thoroughly dejected immediately fell to her knees and grabbed his legs and begged him not to leave.

You have to hand it to Hulk, he really does understand that if you can choose to put yourself over then why even consider trying to help any other wrestlers or the company. As the show ended it was clear that the only person who could be considered a winner was Hulk who left with his integrity intact, Dixie and TNA looked like bunch of sorry losers.

TNA will probably wonder why the Bound for Glory show will not do well, but they should understand that having Dixie come across as a low rent Stephanie, Hogan be the only star on the show and they are telling you he's gone that your not going to do well. Finally having AJ as a weak lead babyface who hates the owner but doesn't have the guts to find something better is a recipe for disaster.

AWW 10th Anniversary show – Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton – Sunday 15th September 2013

Before travelling to any wrestling show, I always wonder if the time spent on the road will be worth it. After my previous experience of AWW (back in February) I had no doubt that it would be. That show saw an excellent ladies match between Emi Sakura and Shanna, as well as some top UK and International talent. This time would be no different as the likes of El Ligero, Nathan Cruz and Mark Haskins would be joined by former TNA star Doug Williams, and two exciting Japanese wrestlers in Kenbai and Hiromu Takahashi.

These two Japanese guys both put on great matches; first, Kenbai took on El Ligero in a match that I fully expected to be a great one. I wasn't disappointed as both men started with excellent, and flowing sequences resulting in a stalemate each time, showing how equally matched they were. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park for either man. Towards the end, Ligero seemed to show signs of frustration as he couldn't put his Japanese opponent away – trying for three-counts at every opportunity before throwing Kenbai to the floor – hoping to gain the victory by count-out. After an exciting ending, Ligero managed to roll up Kenbai for the win – an excellent showing by both men. It's matches like this that melt my smarky heart and make me realise that I am still just a fan underneath it all!

Hiromu Takahashi took on Nathan Cruz in the other 'International' offering. This had great sequences at times but differed from the Ligero/Kenbai match; hard hitting throughout and what I would call the war of the night. Both men were physically drained by the end as Cruz would take the victory.

Other than the star-studded main event, two other singles matches were on the card, pitting some of the best UK talent against each other. The opening match of the night saw former TNA Bootcamp contestant 'Party' Marty Scurll take on the ever-popular T-Bone. Bone's strength and intimidating look took centre stage as Scurll would run away in the early going. Really great work from Scurll throughout to get the crowd to hate him; T-Bone instantly loved as a result. I've lost count of how many opening matches that I've seen T-Bone in this year and it's credit to him as he puts on a great show everytime and gets the crowd 'warmed up' leading into the rest of the night.

The pop of the night, for me, went to Mark Haskins. The Oxford native came out to a huge ovation against his very bearded opponent, Saul Adams. The early part of the match would see duelling 'Yes' and 'No' chants as well as a 'Sh*t Matt Morgan' chant that was quickly thrown out as Haskins would remind that part of the audience that there were kids present. I still don't understand why some people don't think about that kind of thing when at shows. None of us – fans or wrestlers – need to swear to have a good time and put on a great show. Much of this match was entertaining with Haskins grabbing a handful of beard at every opportunity. Despite Adams getting the somewhat surprising victory, Haskins would trash Adams' feather boa and mirror, infuriating the bearded, vain, Sensational one.

With all the star names that I've mentioned above, there was also a six-man tag team match between some of the AWW's brightest prospects. Charlie Garrett, Matt Lightening and Daniel Valentine would be victorious over the heel team of 'The Real Deal of Sex Appeal' Tukay, The Judge and Sam Wilder. Most notably for me was the performances of Garrett and Tukay – Tukay in particular as I haven't seen him wrestle since the February show. At that show, he was also in a six-man tag match but seemed a little nervous and a little too 'smiley' for a heel. He seems to have improved greatly since then – looking mean at times and giving great facial expressions depending on the situation in the match. It makes me happy when I know that there are youngsters that are taking their wrestling training seriously and I think Tukay is right up there in that respect.

The main event saw four gentlemen that were looking to resolve issues from the previous show. The new AWW Champion Johnny Storm, the former champion Brandon Thomas, the claimant to being the next AWW Champion Stixx, and former TNA Star Doug Williams all had scores to settle in this one. The main situation that I could see in this match was that Stixx is a dominant force that will, in the near future, challenge Johnny Storm for his AWW title. As the faces entered the ring they would charge their opponents' corner only to have Thomas bail out of the ring and Stixx refusing to budge; firmly locking eyes with the new champion. This would continue throughout as Stixx would show the gap in size between him and Storm. Luckily, Storm's lightening quickness would show through at times as he got the better of both larger opponents. The ending would see Storm and Stixx brawl to the back leaving Thomas to fall prey to the experienced Williams.

Results
T-Bone defeated 'Party' Marty Scurll
Charlie Garrett, Matt Lightening & Daniel Valentine defeated Tukay, The Judge & Sam Wilder
El Ligero defeated Kenbai (Match of the Night)
'Showstealer' Nathan Cruz defeated Hiromu Takahashi
'Simply Sensational' Saul Adams defeated 'Star Attraction' Mark Haskins
AWW Champion 'Wonderkid' Johnny Storm & Doug Williams defeated Stixx & 'The Messiah' Brandon Thomas (w/ Violet Vendetta)

Overall, an excellent show from top to bottom. All the matches with top UK talents delivered and the six-man tag match was performed at a really fast pace at times which made it really enjoyable and exciting.

It's shows like this that make the travel time MORE than worth it. I believe the next AWW show is sometime at the end of November and I think I'll be needing to make the trip back up to Wolverhampton!

For my work (on WWE and British Wrestling) please visit jimmosangle.co.uk and follow me on Twitter @jimmosangle

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Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection DVD Review By Shaun Nichols

The Dungeon Collection is the latest WWE release for Bret, and is basically a collection of rare matches throughout his career and as such haven't been seen on previous releases. It's a three disc set that covers his career from Stampede all the way through to his ill-fated run in WCW.

Before each match he gives his thoughts on the match or his opponents. Some of these are really interesting such as the 'Hitman' gimmick was a cross between Dynamite Kid and John McEnroe. Or why Owen Hart changed his style for his feud with Bret in 1994. Others are where he just says nice things and others are just really strange with the 'highlight' being where he thinks Ric Flair doesn't understand psychology which is a ludicrous thing to say.

I'll give my thoughts on what I believe are the best things on each DVD and my general thoughts overall.

Disc 1

The best thing on Disc 1 is a singles match against Dynamite Kid from the WWF in September 1985, it really is very good but before the match starts we get Bret saying that Terry Funk called it a master class and Randy Savage compared it to being back in school. It's very good as I say but it's not that great.

Other matches include an intriguing 10 minute draw against Buzz Sawyer from Georgia in 1979 which is a pure wrestling match in front of a crowd that didn't know him at all. Another couple of matches from Stampede against Dynamite Kid and Leo Burke which had great crowd reactions but had cheap finishes which only led to further matches we aren't going to see.

An early match against Mr Perfect from 1989 gives an interesting taste of the classic matches that would follow a couple of years later but were slightly hindered by the fact that WWF fans hadn't seen enough of Mr Perfect to see him a big star.

Another contender for match of the disc, was a very exciting tag match where the Hart Foundation battled The Islanders in front of a really hot crowd in Philadelphia for the Tag Titles in 1987. Where the fans were pretty convinced they were going to see a title change.
Bringing up the rear is a very rare match against Andre The Giant from Milan in 1989, this really was a disappointment as at this point Andre couldn't really do much at all. Though it's pretty funny to hear the Italian crowd chanting for Hulk Hogan.

Disc 2

On paper this looks to be the strongest disc as it features 20 minute matches against Tiger Mask II (Misawa) from the Supercard held at the Tokyo Dome in 1990 and also a long TV main event against Flair where Hart defended the I-C title.

Both of those matches are good but nothing more, the Misawa match is hindered by the fact we don't get any commentary track. Also Miswa's style just wasn't suited to playing the Tiger Mask character so it's not particularly exciting to watch in large parts. The fans react to that as it's only until in the closing few minutes that they show any real interest.

The Flair match from November 1991 just didn't click. I don't think that the WWF really knew how to push Flair in his first run. He was cutting great promos saying he was the best wrestler and they booked him to where he had to cheat or rely on interference to beat any average midcarder.

A more interesting match supported by an inspired Bobby Heenan on commentary was against The Undertaker in January 1992. At this point The Undertaker was all about the gimmick and was aided considerably by a sterling effort by Paul Bearer. This was about Bret doing battle against the unstoppable monster and was very good from a storyline point.

Ending disc 2 was another match from Milan but this time against Bam Bam Bigelow, this another good but not great match but is interesting to see that the Italian fans see Bret as a major singles star by this point.

Disc 3

The strongest of the discs in my opinion, it starts out with the best match on the entire set and a very pleasant surprise. Bret defending the WWF title against Diesel at King of the Ring 1994 PPV, not even the awful commentary including ex-NFL star Art Donovan (who had no idea what was happening or who the wrestlers were) could ruin it.

Special mention must go to the great work by Shawn Michaels on the outside, there can't be much funnier sights than a rather tubby Jim Neidhart desperately trying to chase a smirking HBK. This was a fantastic effort by Bret and one of Kevin Nash's all time best matches. Even with the slightly unsatisfying DQ finish this is still comfortably over ****.

Also we get a very entertaining 10 minute streetfight against Owen just before Mania XI which is by the numbers but still great due to the brothers talent. An entertaining match against Jean Pierre Lafitte who had an awful pirate gimmick and a match based on a stupid story of Bret having his jacket stolen and he wanted it back.

Also very good was a match from South Africa against Steve Austin in from September 1996, this was when he was on his hiatus from the company though he officially returned also against Austin at that year's Survivor Series. The match starts pretty slowly features lots of good basic wrestling and an amusing bit of commentary by Owen Hart who tries to convince Jim Ross that his brother has now come around to his way of thinking.

The set closes out with two of Bret's matches in WCW, the first was against Booker T from Nitro in January 1999 and is a very fun encounter with Booker getting plenty of his offence in and Bret playing crafty heel to perfection.
Closing out is his match against Sting from the Mayhem PPV in a WCW Title tournament semi final, what's clear is that no-one really cared. We had a completely pointless run-in by Lex Luger that ended up being ignored. I think it's only included to remind fans how dreadful WCW was in the final 18 months.

Overall Thoughts

I actually had really high hopes for this set and there are some pretty enjoyable matches on there but I actually expected a little bit more. It isn't as good as the first Bret Hart set of 'The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be'.
Saying that there is plenty to enjoy just don't expect it to be the best WWE release because it really isn't. The top five matches I would say are as follows.

1. vs. Diesel
2. vs. Dynamite Kid (the WWF 1985 match)
3. vs. Steve Austin
4. Hart Foundation vs. The Islanders
5. vs. Booker T

Southside Retribution IV (17/8/13) Review By Tom Linberry

Banner designed by Simon Humphreys, pictures owned and supplied By Brett Hadley with thanks to Southside Wrestling Entertainment.

After an excellent show the night before in Nottingham, the Southside crew move on to Huntingdon for another great card.

1. SWE Tag Team Champions The Predators v The London Riots

In the opening match of the night the number 1 contenders (who won the right to be No.1 contenders at the Big Bump Theory back in July) the London Riots took on the champions the Predators.

From the off set the Riots took advantage of there size and used it to gain the early upper hand, hitting big move after move to keep control. But after some back and forth. Predators managed to regain control of the match, and cut off the ring so it was hard for the Riots to tag in and out.

Just as the Riots were making a comeback thought, 2 masked men made an appaearance and distracted The Riots just long enough, for the Predators to pick up the win and mark 1 year as Southside Tag Team champions ***

(Below: Joseph Conners of The Predators with a flying shoulder block on Rob Lynch of The London Riots)

2. Robbie X v Zack Sabre Jr

This match was supposed to be Noam Dar v Zack Sabre, but due to Dar's continuing injury, Robbie X was into Dar's place and this match did not disappoint.

During the opening minutes of the match, neither man could get the advantage, with various holds being exchanged, and counter holds, it really did set the pace for the rest of the match. Zack took the early advantage, and triedto lock in the fatal armbar early, Robbie managed to scramble to the ropes both times. So Zack continued the onslaught with some well placed kicks to Robbies chest.

But just as Zack was wearing down Robbie, he came roaring back with some high paced offense, which left Sabre down, and in trouble. X went for a few quick pins but could not gain the victory.

Zack managed to gain the advantage again, trying to hit a German suplex and a full nelson suplex, but Robbie kept fighting him off. But as the match progressed, it didnt seem either man would give an inch with both men exchanging kicks and superkicks.But it was Zack Sabre Jnr who came out on top. And quite rightly deserved at the end the crowd gave a standing ovation. It was a true classic, and one of the best matches ive seen on my travels this year ****

(Below right: Zack Sabre Jr with his trademark armbar on Robbie X)

3. Number 1 Contenders match for the SWE tag team titles The Bhangra Knights v The Hunter Brothers.

This match saw 2 teams who have both had a crack at the Tag titles, square off to see who deserved an opportunity at a rematch.
It started off with some back and forth action, between both teams not willing to budge. But it was the Knights who took early advantage, and seemed eager to get there rematch.

But The Hunters managed to regain the upper hand and regain control, with there quick style hitting some great tag team moves. Including scoring one near fall, on the knights.

The Knights regained the upper hand, but it wasnt long before, the 2 masked men remerged from the back and beat down both teams. And the match was declared a no contest. After the masked men made there way to the top of the stage, they revealed themselves to be House of Pain members Stixx and Alex Gracie. Then Joseph Connors came out and cut a short promo saying that they will be keeping the belts forever. Star Rating **

(Above: The Bhangra Knights prepare to hit a double team move on Jim Hunter)

4. Speed King Champion Jay Lethal v 'Ego Dragon' Martin Kirby

This match on paper looked great, and i must say it lived upto the hype. Both men, started very cagey and Lethal took the upper hand on Kirby.

Lethal used his experience to keep on top of his oppenent for several minutes. But Kirby managed to get in control for the first time, by hitting Lethal with some hard offense. Kirby was determined to beat Lethal, and got several near falls on Jay.

Kirby continued the onslaught with some vicious kicks to Lethal's head, but the crowd got behind the Speed King champ and he managed to pick up the pace and regain control of the match, including getting a near fall that looked 3 from the onlookers eyes. But after a flurry of offense, Kirby regained control and beat Jay Lethal to become new Speed King champ. Afterwards on the mic, Kirby said "the belt means nothing to me until I have beat Ligero inside the steel cage at the 3rd anniversary show" and threw the belt on the floor. A really good match and that led us to intermission ****

(Right: Lethal prepares to hit Kirby with the big elbow)

5. Southside Heavyweight Championship Stixx v MK McKinnan

This match was made at Menace to Society the night before, when MK won a number one contendership match, to face off against the champ Stixx.

The match started of with Stixx bragging how this was gonna be easy work and be done in 5 minutes. MK used this as fuel, and went after Stixx in the opening Minutes of the match. But the Southside champ was having none of it and took control pretty early on, throwing MK around like he was toy.

After a few more minutes of action, Stixx was still in control bragging how it was nearly over to the crowd. But MK came roaring back, with some quick offense which stunned the champ, which got MK a nearfall on the champ. The crowd were solidly behind McKinnan, and one point the ref got his hand so close to 3 the crowd thought MK had won the match, but Stixx managed to kick out by the skin of his teeth.

MK continued to fight hitting 2 kicks to Stixx's head, but still only getting a nearfall. But alas, it was Stixx who picked up the victory, and thus retaining his belt. MK came so close, a really good match, and hopefully not the last time we will see these 2 wrestle. ***

(Below: McKinnan catches STIXX as he tries to cheap shot him with the belt)

6. Loco Imbecil v Alex Gracie

This was a fun little match, which started off with Loco making his way to ringside chucking Jaffa Cakes into the crowd.

Opening few minutes, Gracie didn't quite know what to make of Loco and Loco managed to get a few moves in. But Alex was having none of it, and took control of the match pretty quickly. And it wasnt long before the 'Noisy Boy' Alex Gracie picked up the victory. Short and sweet, fun match **

7. No Disqualification Match: Mark "Hotdog" Haskins v Sabu v Kris Travis v Marty Scurll.

This was our main event of the evening, and I must say was a really good match to round up a great night of action.

Opening exchanges Scurll & Travis were working together to beat down on Haskins and Sabu, but the partnership didn't last long, as they then turned on each other and it broke down into a proper 4 way.

Sabu and Travis paired off a brawled around the ring and towards the merch tables while Haskins and Marty faced off in the ring. Keeping track of the action was hard, but Haskins and Scurll were exchanging some excellent moves in the ring, while Sabu was beating down Travis including hitting a moonsault to the outside on a standing, all be it not for long Travis.

(Below: Sabu has Kris Travis in a painful looking camel clutch)

It all came to a head in the ring, and when all 4 men were brawling Sabu was thrown to the outside, by the tandem of Travis and Scurll. But that still left 3 in the ring, and after eliminating Travis from the equation, Mr Money in The Bank Mark Haskins picked up the victory ***

After the match Haskins and Sabu shook hands and the crowd went home happy.

Another great outing for Southside here. Some stella matches, and some matches that progressed stories leading into the next batch of shows. If you can try and pick up the DVD you will not be dissappointed, this was Brit wrestling at its best. Great show, and if Southside comes near you check them out.

Thanks to Stu of The Indy Corner for giving me an outlet to do this.

Thanks for Reading :) and see you at the shows.

Tom Linberry - Follow me on twitter @mr1985TAL.

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Southside 'Menace to Society III' (16/8/13) Review By Tom Linberry

Poster created by Simon Humphreys / Photos provided and copyrighted By Brett Hadley with thanks to Southside Wrestling Entertainment

Coming from The Rushcliffe Arena in Nottingham, Southside Wrestling Entertainment comeback with another stacked card.

1. Pete Dunne v MK McKinnan v El Ligero (Number 1 contenders match for the Southside Heavyweight title)

Opening match of the show, and needless to say this match set the tone for the rest of the night. It opened with a feeling out process between the 3 combatants, who were out to earn a shot at the Southside title.

After the initial feeling out process, they kicked into 4th gear, with some excellent high paced moves, including MK hitting a flip dive through the ropes onto Ligero & Dunne.

(Right: Pete Dunne dropkicks MK McKinnan as he trapped in a 'tree of woe' with El Ligero looking on)

Drawing towards the end of the match, Pete Dunne hit some high flying offense and nearly picked up the win, but it was MK McKinnan with the victory. Who earned a shot at Stixx at Retribution IV in Huntingdon. Great match to open with, crowd were on fire and the 3 guys in the match really pulled out all the stops and set the tone of the night and things to come ***

2. The Hunter Brothers & R J Singh v "Ego Dragon" Martin Kirby & The Predators.

Next we have a 6-man, great start to the match with The Hunters getting the upper hand early on, and Singh adding to the offensive with great technical ability.

But wasn't long before Kirby entered the match and went to town on Singh, breaking every rule he could when the refs back was turned. And to add insult to Singh, whenever they could the Predators double teamed Singh. However after many attempts to to make the tag, Singh reached his corner and managed to tag in Lee Hunter, who came with a flurry of clothslines and dropkicks, and seem to momentarily swung the momentum back in his teams favour

But when the Hunters went for the pin RJ pulled them off, saying it was his pin, and caused to decention in the ranks. Which allowed the Predators to hit the finish, And claim the victory for them and Kirby. Good 6 man tag, carried the momentum of the show well, and set up for Bhangra Knights v The Hunters at Retribution IV ***

3. Mark Haskins v Darrell Allen

This match started an peculiar note, Mr Money in the bank Mark Haskins, on his way round the ring before the match started, managed to knock a fans hotdog on the floor, to which for the rest of the match he was referred to as Hotdog Haskins.

This is one of the matches I went for because I've been watching both guys for ages all over the country, and both are great talents. So after the chorus of "Hotdog Haskins" had somewhat calmed down, we got down the match. It started with both men, exchanging holds, with Haskins getting the upper hand.

But Darrell managed to roar back with some great offense, and take the upper hand against his more experienced foe. But after a great comeback, Haskins hit a Michinoku driver for the win. It was a very fun match, with Haskins and Darrell both playing off the Hotdog incident, and the action was good too ***

(Below: Darrell Allen catches Marks Haskins in mid flow)

4. Southside Heavyweight Champion STIXX v Super Crazy

Stixx made his way to the ring with Harvey Dale and his Southside Heavyweight title. He proclaimed he was a huge fan of his oppenent, and he just wanted a clean fight with him. So he sent Harvey packing to the back, and Super Crazy made his entrance to a rowdy crowd.

Great opening exchange with neither wrestler giving an inch. Which to everyones displeasure bought out Harvey Dale to console Stixx and stay in the corner for his match.

The ex ECW star Super Crazy, hit some crazy offense, to stay on top of STIXX, who was having trouble getting to grips with the Mexican's offense.

But STIXX managed to ground the high flyer just long enough to get the upper hand, and take control of a very competitive match. after a few minutes the Crazy one re-took control of the match, and mounted a strong comeback. But it was STIXX who picked up the victory, by pinning Super Crazy for the count while using the ropes for leverage. Another great match wich the crowd going intermission buzzing ***

(Above: Super Crazy with an abdominal stretch on STIXX)

After intermission we had the arm wrestling contest between commentator Dale Mills and House of Pain advisor Harvey Dale. After much back and forth on the mic and Harvey Dale refusing to lock up they finally did. But as they did Mrs Haskins jumped up on the ring apron to distract Harvey Dale by lifting up her shirt. He was distracted just enough for Dale Mills to get the victory and claim bragging rights between the two.

(Below right: Arm wrestling with Harvey Dale & Dale Mills with Adam Curtis looking on)

5. Speed King Champion Jay Lethal v Robbie X

Jay Lethal taking on for Speed King champion Robbie X. Robbie X had lost the title at Speed Kings, so he was out to try and unseat the man who won the 6 man at Speed King back in May Jay Lethal.

The crowd were hot for this match, with both guys, going all out pretty much from the bell ringing. Lethal took the upper hand on the former champ, including hitting a handspring elbow. The crowd were really into this one.

Robbie managed to get back into the match by hitting some quick offensive moves and take the control over Lethal. Robbie on several occassions thought he had the match won, but Lethal kept kicking out and coming back for more.

Lethal who had the experience edge came back slowly but surely and managed to hit the 'Lethal Combination' but he only got a near fall. With Lethal growing frustrated, Robbie managed to make a quick comeback and nearly become Speed King champ for a second time.

But as the match wore on Lethal regained control and after both hitting some big kicks Lethal Picked up the victory and retained the title. Great match, Robbie X has really come into his own and has grown into a great performer ****

(Left: Robbie X & Jay Lethal shake hands after an epic Speed King title match)

6. wXw Unified Heavyweight Champion Tommy End v Zack Sabre Jr

This match was sanctioned by wXw in Germany and was an official match and will also appear on an upcoming wXw dvd release.

This match pitted 2 very well travelled men, both with experience in Japan and the USA against one another as wXw champion Tommy End took on England's own Zack Sabre Jr. Both these men have met before in wXw and wrestled in the final of this years 16 Carat Gold Tournament and on a side note of interest, Zack was the first ever unified champion in wXw.

This match started very cagey, with guys hitting hard Kicks to each other. But after the opening exchange, Zack went straight for the armbar, but Tommy managed to scramble for the ropes.

After the initial excahnges, Tommy tried to lock in the Dragon Slayer sleeper, but Zack managed to squirm free. With some more hard hitting strikes, Tommy hit a kick to Zack's head that dazed the former champ and may have stunned him a bit.

Tommy made it to the top rope, and managed to hit a double stomp right to Zacks chest, that winded Sabre, but didnt keep him down for the 3. While Tommy was trying to restructure his gameplan, Zack took the upper hand with some hard kicks off his own and and locked in the armbar once again, and this time Tommy only just made the ropes. After several more exchanges, Tommy End locked in the 'Dragon Slayer' sleeper and forced Zack to pass out. Great match, good to see the title get defended on these shores and hopefully not the last time we see Tommy End in this country ****

(Right: Tommy End hits Zack Sabre Jr. with an awesome German suplex)

7. Sabu v Jimmy Havoc (Hardcore Match)

The ECW legend v Britain's own deathmatch worker. In what was the main event of the evening, Sabu went to work early on Havoc using anything that wasn't nailed down to try and keep Havoc grounded.

But Havoc made a brief comeback, nailing Sabu with a few chair shots. But the ECW legend, used his experience and regained the upper hand, and took the match to the Extreme getting a table from under the ring and setting up on the outside, both brawled round the ringside and eventually Jimmy was back dropped through the set up table. Sabu threw a chair at Jimmy which cut him open deep.

Sabu then promptly set Havoc up on a chair, got back in the ring and after a few attempts ran off the ropes and jumped on the chair onto the ropes and dropkicked Jimmy head first into another chair. Sabu dragged Havoc into the ring and made a pin attempt but Havoc kicked out.

So Sabu set up another table, near the turnbuckle and placed Jimmy on the table head first, he then proceeded to head to the top rope and hit the Arabian facebuster, and put Jimmy through yet another table. He crawled over onto Jimmys motionless body and picked up the victory. The crowd roared with appreciation for both guys, and the fans went home happy ***1/2

(Above: Sabu prepares to go airborne on a prone blood Jimmy Havoc)

Another top notch show, with some great wrestling invovled. Southside is one of the top promotions in the UK and it was truly a great show and I urge you as soon as the DVD is available to buy it. It was one of those shows if you missed it, you missed out.

The next Southside show in Nottingham is Crossing the Line, on September 28th, featuring CZW champ Drew Gulak, Drake Younger, Ricochet & the high flying sensation AR Fox as well s the usual Southside crew.

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Tom Linberry - Follow me on twitter @mr1985TAL

And for all the UK & US indpendent news, views & reviews you're likely to need, head over to http://theindycorner.podomatic.com and give the guys a LIKE over at http://facebook.com/TheIndyCorner

ATTACK Pro Wrestling 'We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat' (11/8/13) Review By Derrie Catton

ATTACK! Pro Wrestling created a lot of buzz earlier this year when their style was showcased in the above video. The display remains a superb mix of fun-themed humour and awe-inspiring moments, which brought tears to the eyes of those not within travelling distance of Cardiff where the promotion is based. APW answers this complaint, by literally setting stage in the middle of the UK with their visit to the Midlands. So on August 11th crowd flocked to Dudley to see if the event could live up to the hype videos.

Themes are taken seriously at APW, exampled by an announcer donning a Hawaiian shirt and a lei as he enters through a blown up image of a shark's open jaws to welcome the attendance to their world. Wrestlers followed up on the antics, from summer songs as entrance themes, to beach appropriate attires, along with Jay Lethal being dubbed a boat enthusiast and what can be best described as a 'Anything From The Beach Goes' match. These quirky touches make for a fun show, and plenty of laughs come in tow. From their trailer packages, APW are expected to deliver surreal moments of unpredictable hilarity, and when surprise star Clint Margera is eaten by a shark only to return wearing the remains of his foe a match later, it can only be said that they delivered.

Thanks to the W in APW a certain amount of wrestling ability is to be expected too, and on many accounts that mark was hit. Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews impressed a crowd which was not expecting to see the likes of an attempted 630 splash in a match that quickly turned from comedy to great action. It was the Wild Boar and Tyler Bate who hit a home run however, as it pitched a quality presence against a guy so local he went to the very school hosting the event. Wild Boar is fantastic on the offence, convincing with every strike and move he uses, but Bate is full of ability and gradually got the crowd behind him and to their loudest point of the show as everyone rallied up for his array of moves including the execution of a 450 splash.

At sixteen, Tyler is an incredibly promising talent and an example of the roster APW puts together. The already mentioned Jay Lethal was a guest addition, who reeled of all his signatures manoeuvres for the fan's appreciation in a match against the very capable 'Dynamite' Pete Dunne. Clint Margera's surprise appearance was also a treat as he transferred his skills from deathmatch specialist to comedy antics, and on that humour front came a team that stole the show, not least thanks to Damien Dunne's partner Ryan Smile spouting comedy gold at every given opportunity. Chris Brookes also put in a good showing in an opener that did well for setting the shows tone, rounding out a robust roster featuring star highlights and flexible talents.

There are many unremarkable promotions around today that become clouded in the mist of similarity. ATTACK! Pro Wrestling is something different for the UK wrestling scene, not only stand out but at the top of their game and more giving than a handful of examples in this article can convey. They provide a great showing of comedy, often topped off with superb wrestling content and it's serve you well to attend their event if you like your wrestling fun.

Below is a DVD trailer of their previous show 'Press Start'



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