Hello again, WSBF fans! After last week's brilliant episode where we saw the formation of IMPERIUM and Travis Banks claiming the right to be #1 contender, I am super excited to watch this week's show!
We start things off with the usual excellently polished video recap - highlighting that British Strong Style were the faces of the brand until the arrival of IMPERIUM. The heels say that they are 'Big Strong MEN' whilst BSS claim they are gonna beat the shit out of ya'. We then get the match card picture for tonight. Six man tag action. HYPE!
XIA BROOKSIDE & ISLA DAWN v JINNY & JAZZY GABERT
We get a nice little recap of how this match came about, where Jazzy Gabert debuted and destroyed Xia Brookside at the orders of Jinny. Isla Dawn offered her help during a Xia promo and now they look to get their revenge. I don't fancy their chances much, though.
Jinny and Xia start which I like as Jazzy and Xia is the story here really, make us wait for that combination. Is Xia up to the task of facing her attacker - or will she be crippled with fear and PTSD?
Isla gets the upper hand with some Pete Dunne-esque arm wrenching. Xia tags in and thanks to some grappling of her own, continues the attack of the arm. She lands a dropkick - but that only serves to send her opponent flying and into a tag to Jazzy Gabert.
Xia takes a few steps back in trepidation...
She psychs herself up and like a model wrestling pro goes for the single leg. Jazzy ain't having that and she blocks it and synches in a disgusting armbar. Xia does a great job of making it look and sound like she's in incredible amounts of pain.
The size difference between the two is absolutely huge and Xia's offence is simply too weak to have any effect. Jazzy womanhandles her across the ring. Jinny wants the tag now and pummels Xia. I love this. Xia was Jinny's equal earlier, but thanks to Jazzy, she is now firmly on the backfoot. It pays to be rich, and have a hired guard Jinny!
Jinny tags back out and screams FINISH HER OFF, NOW! Xia manages to evade Jazzy though and tag in Isla. She shows no fear and as she is bigger than Xia her attacks have an effect, including a jumping knee that James will appreciate.
Isla tries for a head kick, but it gets caught and eats Jazzy's Dominator finisher. Jinny screams TAG ME IN JAZZY. TAG. ME. IN. Jazzy complies and Jinny cleans up the scraps and immediately gets the pinfall win. What a bitch. Gotta love her! But also... BOOOO.
WINNERS - JINNY & JAZZY GABERT
LIGERO VIGNETTE
We got a pretty cool vignette on the backstory of Ligero. He was born with his right eye closed and didn't have it fully operated on until he was eight, so he suffered at the hands of bullies. He wears the mask as a way of creating a barrier between his disfigurement, but also to stand out amongst the wrestlers.
This was really good, Ligs let his guard down, we found out about more about him and I am certainly pulling for him more after seeing this and I hope more people do too. Good job. Also this will create another layer to his future character work. Someway down the line will he lose his mask and I am sure heels will use it to drive heat.
KENNY WILLIAMS BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW
Kenny is asked about the conduct of his fellow Scot, Noam Dar in his last match against Mark Andrews - where he suckered him in with a fake injury to defeat him. Kenny says that he has known Noam a long time, and he has bit of a mentor for him.
But he's always been a chancer. There is always someone in your friend group who you think is a bit of a pillock. But that won't affect how he conducts himself in his match against Kassius Ohno - he will just have to stay lucky.
Are we going to see Noam and Kenny make friends and Amir Jordan being pushed to the side? I'm really enjoying a lot of this backstory to the wrestlers of late. I feel a bit like WWE just assumes that UK fans knew these intricacies in the past. Bring them to the fore!
ILJA DRAGUNOV v JOSEPH CONNERS
Both men tie up to a stalemate to begin. They trash talk and then Conners cowers into the corner. Big Strong Joel breaks it up as Dragunov goes after him in the ropes, which allows the cerebral Conners to attack.
Dragunov takes a club to the back, but snaps his neck and gives Conners the C'MON! He's so unique and intense. I really want to see him face Nakamura in an oddity off. With Ilja firmly in control, Conners wisely rolls out of the ring.
Conners rolls back in the ring in a game of cat and mouse and drops down from a Dragunov flying press and the Russian absolutely eats shit on the second rope across his throat and bounces back halfway into the ring! That was incredible. What a bump!
Conners smells blood and aggressively strikes Dragunov, before laying in a ground submission. Ilja is simply too intense and strong though - he powers out and lands a vicious forearm.
Sunset bomb into the turnbuckles by Conners! He attempts a springboard over the ropes but gets caught and is DESTROYED with a death valley driver into the turnbuckle. That looked painful...
Trapped arm suplex.. UN-BIE-SIEG-BAR and a Torpedo Moscow for the three. That was great. Hard hitting and exciting. Dragunov is the man, his theme is sick and Conners did a grand job here too. Thumbs up.
WINNER - ILJA DRAGUNOV
TONI STORM BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW
Toni Storm is asked about her thoughts on Kay Lee Ray. She says that she, just like everyone else wants to get hold of shiny shiny. That comes with a lot of pressure, but that excites her because she likes it on the wild side.
If she wants some Toni time, she knows where to find me. No matter what though, the shiny shiny stays home sweet home. She then laughs and leaves.
This was so hammy and weird, it was great. I have seen her goofy interviews in the past and enjoyed them, it will be interesting if her character continues down this path.
TRAVIS BANKS VIGNETTE
We get a cool Travis Banks vignette. He says that outside the ring he is a very chilled person Because he has such a high work ethic, when he is not in the ring he relaxes. It's been a mixed bag.
He arrived with high expectations, his experience at the Albert Hall was amazing but it wasn't to be and he couldn't overcome the injury and beat Zack Gibson in the final. He then dislocated his shoulder and wasn't active for three months.
It focused him and put things into perspective. He waited 10 years for a moment like NXT Takeover and Devlin took that away from him. It has driven him and since then he has been on a winning streak and is now #1 contender. This is his moment. All the false starts and finally he can see the finish line.
Everything he has worked for comes to this. Another bloody brilliant vignette. What an episode and we still have British Strong Style v Imperium to come!
MAIN EVENT - BRITISH STRONG STYLE v IMPERIUM
Pete Dunne attacks at the bell, but Aichner cuts him off with a lariat. Dunne fights back, tags in Bate and some classic double teams follow. Barthel tags in and cuts him off with a shot to the throat.
Bate battles back, tagging in Seven. Barthel cuts off Seven, follows with uppercuts and WALTER tags in. They lock up and WALTER backs him off and to the corner. Seven lays in chops, just pissing WALTER off but he continues as his hair flops from side to side. Love that bloke.
Seven runs wild until WALTER drops him with a single chop. TIMBER! He lays in knee strikes, and hits a slam. Aichner tags back in and he lays the boots to Seven. The belly to back suplex follows.
WALTER now tags back in and Seven fires back with chops, but WALTER cuts him off and starts working the arm. The uranage follows for 2. WALTER lays in grounded knee strikes, Barthel tags in and continues to ground Seven.
Aichner in and double teams follow, and the cover gets 2. Seven hits a desperation jawbreaker, and we finally get Dunne v WALTER!
Dunne runs wild on the champion until WALTER hits a chop and the choke. Dunne counters out, follows with kicks and a snap German and WALTER rebounds and hits a German. This is fantastic stuff! I remember it well from the Ballroom. Special times.
Bate and Aichner tag in and Bate hits a hurricanrana. He follows with uppercuts, knee strikes, and a flying uppercut. XPLODER on Barthel onto Aichner. The airplane spin follows, but WALTER is in until Bate hits bop and bang.
Aichner tags in and the numbers game defeats Bate - a brainbuster gets 2 with Dunne making the save. Double teams follow on Bate, but he manages to kick out. Bate battles back with strikes and chops, and the double lariat completes the comeback..
Trent hits the seven star lariat and a suicide dive and Dunne hits bitter end, but it's STILL not enough. WALTER attempts to chop Dunne, but hits the steps, but slams Dunne on the barricade in retaliation. A masked man walks down the aisle, distracting the ref! REF BUMP.
The masked man nonchalantly walks into the ring, takes off his mask to reveal that it is ALEXANDER WOLFE! Barthel looks like he has seen a ghost! Sitout powerbomb on Tyler Bate, WALTER throws the ref back in and Barthel makes the pin for three. Post match, the three original members of IMPERIUM pose with their hands behind their back before Wolfe slides in and does the same. WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER, LADIES AND GENTS!
British Strong Style are now down 4 to 3. Can they find backup?
WINNERS - IMPERIUM
Thanks for reading!
Ross
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