By JCH
Wrestlemania Diary - Day 2
Mick was off to work early. Mikey and Diana were flying in so Me, Sal and Mike the Chant police left RevPro Rob and Cook bickering about everything and headed down to Independent wrestling’s Family Reunion.
I’d planned to do less shows this year and didn’t have tickets to anything today, but spent the morning searching for anything nearby that hadn’t sold out.
We got to the White Eagle Hall and after a nice sandwich at a local cafe. Gia’s. I recommend. We asked if they had tickets. They did. We were in luck.
The venue was great. Imagine the Electric Ballroom wtihout the huge supports. Bar, balcony, stage seating. Standing. All with perfect sight lines. The show was a mixture of companies putting on a showcase. It was so much fun.
Jonathan Gresham (one of I think 3 people on the card I’d seen before) vs Orange Cassidy (one of 5 I’d heard of) opened up the show in a European Rounds match. Cassidy’s low energy, I don’t care gimmick was great and Gresham is such a talented performer, that he fell into the role of foil perfectly. Cassidy is a very entertaining character and when the match picks up he can go as well. Great start to the week of wrestling. MJF who had been sat front row on his own during the match challenged OC. OC said nah. So MJF beat him up. MJF continues to impress me.
The second match was from a Canadian based promotion, possibly a match between two Canadian promotions as there were a shit load of belts. Alpha 1 I think one was called. Someone in the match was called Space Monkey. He only communicated as a monkey. It was brilliant. He’s calling spots as a monkey. When he hit a flashy move Mike called him a spot monkey. One of the other dudes translated the monkey talk at one time to ‘Pitter Patter, let’s get at her’. Like majority of the show, a fun live match, Space Monkey stood out. Maybe because he was a monkey.
There was a 6-man scramble. Ethan Page was in it. I think I’ve seen him before. There was a wacky dude called Mikey. Someone called Cannon who later became the most aggressive ring announcer I’ve seen. Red eagle, Ophsidian and Venna??? I think rounded out the group. Fuin 6 man scramble that I enjoyed live but struggle to remember a lot of after the fact.
6 person tag from PWA up next. Best thing on show so far. Mick Moretti great character and fun in ring. Caveman Ugg absolute beast. Chopped the shit out of Bell Pierce when she threw glitter on him, before then killing Moretti with chops. We spoke with Moretti after the match. Suoper nice dude who said there is no better way to take those chops. You don’t get used to them, they just hurt. Really enjoyable.
Smiley Kylie and Isasias vs Shotzi Bklackheart and a big dude who’s manager looked like Spike Trivet dressed as a clown. Again another enjoyable match. Shotzi looking to do the drop kick to a seated Isaaias and then shouting ballsy and dropkicking him in the dic was brilliant. Kylie has a smiling gimmick. She’s like WWE Apollo Crews but has turned it into an actual gimmick and it works. She is easy to root for. Isaisas I’d say was the least showcased in the match, but I was the most impressed with him. He seemed like he made everyone else look good.
AC Mack vs Fred Yehi. I’ve seen 4 people. I saw Yehi vs Hero at Evolve a few years ago and think I’ve seen him a couple of times at RevPro. He’s crisp. This match seemed pretty short. I finally understood Yehi’s name. He’s short. How high. Yay high. Yehi is pretty slick in the ring. Mack was fine. Again good fun grabs just not hugely standout on this show and then that will I imagine be forgotten by the end of the week.
Kris Stalander and Solo Darling vs Shazza McKenzie and Jessica Troy (thanks Steve)
I don’t like getting my phone out during matches and my memory is poor. This was fun. Shazza hit a split legged Stunner that really stood out. Statlander looks like she has something about her.
6 man match that I missed the names of as shouty announcer. Dominic Garrini I saw at Bloosport last year so I recognised him. This was spots galore.
Big Oshay Edwards nailed a moonault. impressive. Kevin Ku, I think from research hit gut wrench codebreaker on CMD (aka US Indy Sebastain). Big Brick, who had Brick shaved in his head hit a cool razors edge power bomb. USebastian then hit a big flipflop assault. Fun match again. This show has been easy to watch,
Main Event - Gary J vs Warhorse. - Last Man Standing
Opened up with chop fest. Brilliant. Then a wicked corner tope from Warhorse who celebrated by standing on the turnbuckle. As he did that Gary J knocked him off. By launching a chair. At his head. Aboslutely loved it. A door came out sparking a Doorhorse chant from the crowd, Pretty brutal. They fought into the crowd, right infant of me. Went though a couple of doors. Then Gary J started taking the ropes down. Presume he was on ring crew for Bloodsport and was getting a head start. This spot ended with Warhorse fish-hooking Gary with the ring hook. Bloody loved this match. Such good fun. They killed each other.
What a fun way to start the week. Already decided to go back to White Eagle for Boner jam and could well end up staying for the show with Swoggle vs Scott Steioner on.
Changing my ploy this year by going to more variety of shows, rather than the sam e guys I see in UK or on TV. Loved it. I don’t watch much wrestling outside of what I see live and WWE/New Japan and Stardom. So it’s great to be surprised by new characters. Not knowing what to expect and reacting to them unspoiled. Love it.
Hopefully can remember some of Boner Jam later to add to this…..but we’ve been back to the house met up with Mikey and Diana and carried on drinking……Game On
We went for Pizza at Vinnies. Would recommend. We only just got in as a bloke was trying to get in there whilst being threatened by a stop sign. Pizza was great and we almost got a hardcore match for free.
Me and Mike walked down to The Healy Tavern. It was $3.50 a beer. Result. It was 50 metres from White Eagle Hall result. We met Colin and his friends in there. Result. It’s like the Dundee Arms, but with worse beer choices.
A lovely bloke named Ken bought us a beer. Colin and the boys had been at Bloodsport so we heard about that. Sal turned up and then we headed in to Interspecies wrestling - Balls Out - Boner Jam IV. Yep. That’s the title.
There was a match in progress as we arrived. I was more excited by the fact there was a lager for sale called Vince McCahon.
Some show highlights as my memory is terrible. Daniel Makabe wrestled in a football shirt. Makabe 9 on the back. He also opened the match with a sideways tope. It was awesome. We moved to the balcony and it had its own bar. It was brilliant and quiet.
Team Tremendous vs Gym Nasty Boys. This match was great fun. TT are funny dudes and the Gym Nasties who I hadn’t seen before went great with them. Big guys, big guys and a Gym Nasty boy shouted ‘Your milks gone sour you bad bitch.’ Which made me laugh a lot.
After the show Bill faked a turn on Dan Barry and even one of the Gym Nasty Boys bought it. They then laughed it off.
Swoggle wrestled a guy who looked like Rick Grimes from the Walking Dead. Grimes said his dic was bigger than Swoggle. There was a lot of dic kicks in this match.
Food Fight Invitational.
Words won’t do this justice.
Some kid came out with Carrot nunchucks. There was a lot of food being used as weapons. Foreheads grated by pineapples, baguette to the faces, slams onto pasta. The lot. It was ridiculous and very enjoyable a few pints in.
Fluffy Bunny took on a guy with a fake moustache who was managed by a cross between Noel edmonds and Indiana Jones.
Ugly Ducklings vs Butcher and The Blade. This was the best wrestling match. Recommend checking it out. Also Butcher and the Blade is a great name for a Tag Team. Proper sick tag moves.
Chris Brooke v Chris Dickinson. I decided for the first time ever I think to cheer CCK. Support the British lads abroad and that. Mike the chant police disowned me and has petitioned to have me thrown off the Wrestling Should Be Fun crew. If this makes it to print, it means he’s forgiven me.
Main event was a Lego Death match. This was brutal and hard to watch sometimes. Tremont and Cannoball hard way busted each other open with headbutts. The crowds love for Nick Gage as him and Addy Starr went to war was strange. M-D-K they chanted. I asked someone what it meant. Murder, Death, Kill. Sorry what. Bloody hell. I was glad I didn’t join in.
Brutal war as they destroyed each other.
Quick trip back to the Healy in between shows, Mikey and Diana met us and we were back to the Eagle for Slumber Party
It was busier on the balcony, we arrived two minutes in and someone was already bleeding. Not messing around here.
Joshua Bishop and Dom Garrini killed each other in a submit or surrender match. Razors edge of the stage through some chairs didn’t do it, but being doused in lighter fluid and handcuffed to the ring post did the job. Probably a good life choice submitting there.
I found PBR. Notes are even less coherent now….
Otani beat up Eddie Kingston. It was brutal, I loved it.
Steiner vs Swoggle was a disappointment. I don’t know what I was expecting but Steiner can not go. To be fair he got people in the door and allowed others to shine to an audience so he did his job.
Feeling bit down after that Colt Cabana and Fucking Space Monkey vs Ethan Page and MJF (playing Colt’s son) was just what was ordered to bring us back up. Great fun.
Nick Gage had a match with Mance Warner I think….I’m pretty cut by now and it’s affecting me as I’m less scared of Nick Gage and dare to shout for Warner.
Xavier Woods and Luke Harper are now stood next to us. Mike speaks to Woods then turns to me and says ‘I thought he’d be cool’ Classic Chant Police.
Main event was a 4 way. Tom Lawlor stood out. I was distracted by Swoggle and Woods talking about the Wee-L-C .
Came home. Passed out. Day 1 done.
RevPro tomorrow.
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