By Nathan P Hunt
Preston City Wrestling has built a strong following and a stellar reputation since it was established in 2011. It is due to these factors that they were able to secure a deal whereby they could co-promote their annual Supershow event this year with perhaps the world's premiere independent wrestling company, Ring Of Honor, for a full weekend of shows and bonus events. With the ticket packages for the full weekend selling out fast, an additional show was added to the already impressive lineup for the Sunday afternoon which would feature Ring Of Honor talent almost exclusively, while the original three shows scheduled were PCW's usual mixture of homegrown and international talent. It promised to be an incredible experience with some memorable action and multifaceted entertainment, and it certainly delivered. There were even hints that the formula could be repeated for next year's Supershow weekend, which promoter Steven Fludder must be keenly negotiating already.
Show one would start with Kris Travis coming to the ring to address the crowd. Kris was warmly welcomed by the fans, who have rallied behind him as he battles stomach cancer, and it was a good way to kick off the weekend as well as to remind the fans about PCW's upcoming January show, from which proceeds will go to helping Travis with his medical costs etc.
Getting on to the action, we would be treated to a six-way match where Joey Hayes stole a win over El Ligero, Cedric Alexander, ACH, Charlie Garrett & Dean Allmark. The match was fast paced and packed with jaw-dropping action as you would expect from the participants involved.
Brodus Clay would be introduced next and made his entrance to his WWE 'Funkasaurus' music, but would quickly take to the microphone to denounce the name and his whole previous gimmick, reminding everyone that he is now known as Tyrus. Unfortunately his repackaging as a monster heel was not to be enough to gain a victory as Michael Elgin would score a German suplex pin after a physical, but slow-paced match.
Delirious pinned Mad Man Manson (who was introduced as Simon Musk as an inside joke) after a hilarious match which featured some innovative comedy spots, including a test of strength with their feet. As far as comedy wrestling and entertainment, there have been few who could touch Manson, and Delirious was a perfect foil for the Mad Man's antics.
We would then quickly move on to a more serious contest as Canadian legend Lance Storm faced one of the best talents in the UK, Martin Kirby. As technically excellent as anyone would expect, it was surprising that the match was booked so early on the card as it felt like it should have been the main event. Saying that, it was utterly outstanding and was a classic wrestling clinic which was a pleasure to watch and elicited impassioned responses from the crowd. Kirby did the UK fans proud in defeat as he suffered a pinfall to Lance after a series of reversals.
Dave Mastiff would then prove why he is another of our most prized and beloved performers as he defeated Adam Cole in an absolute stunner of a match. The back and forth between the two was intense and hard-hitting and the crowd was rabid by the conclusion.
Tommaso Ciampa would make a fantastic impression throughout this weekend, entering great matches every time he stepped into the ring. In his first match of the weekend, he pinned Uhaan Nation after a distraction from PCW Champion Chris Masters, which also served to set up the title match for Uhaa the following evening.
Bubblegum surprised everyone by scoring a clean win over Paul London after a very good Cruiserweight match before Dave Rayne came out to draw the raffle. Chris Brooker would make some jokes later in the weekend about the British tradition of holding raffles at wrestling events and how it was an eye-opener for the ROH crew, but on this occaison the segment was used for a further purpose as Dave would be attacked by former tag team partner Chris Masters. This cemented the dissolution of the 'Legion Of Boom' and sets up a match for further down the line.
PCW General Manager Lionheart would then announce that due to a coin toss, it had been decided that the four-way tag team match would be for the ROH Tag Team Championship. reDRagon eventually defeated The Decade (Roderick Strong & BJ Whitmer), The Briscoe Brothers & Team Single by Pinfall to retain the ROH Tag Team Championship after brawling all over the venue and displaying some incredible exchanges inside the ring. Afterwards, The Briscoe Brothers cut a promo where they challenged Team Single for the PCW Tag Team Championship on the following night. Team Single of course accepted the challenge to build to one of the marquee matches of the weekend.
Show Two would start the following day with a bang, as a Fatal Four-Way saw Uhaa Nation defeat El Ligero, Tommaso Ciampa & BJ Whitmer. This match had a bit of everything and as always, Uhaa is amazing to watch, especially in person, as his agility, speed and skill are rare qualities in someone of his formidable size. Chris Masters then got on the microphone to ask Uhaa Nation to remain at ringside to watch his match with Michael Elgin. This would backfire on Masters when Uhaa cost the PCW Champion his match by distracting Masters, much as the champion had done to him the previous evening.
Joey Hayes then defeated ACH with a questionable pin, where he used the ropes for leverage after a strong and exciting match. A brutal chopfest brought about a highlight of the match when Hayes loudly asked ACH to stop chopping him, much to everyone's amusement. Joey is very over in his heel role, but still manages to raise some laughs as well as ire amongst the fans, while ACH was the perfect babyface; likeable and exciting.
Roderick Strong would show his comical side when he joined in with Paul London's arena-wide entrance before the pair put on one of the best matches of the weekend (which was no small feat with the outstanding talent and booking for these shows). Then, Adam Cole (who was definitely one of the most over stars of the weekend) defeated Noam Dar after a superkick and German suplex in another brilliant match. Apart from the outstanding action in the ring, the fans made this match even more entertaining with their singing of Dar's name to several different tunes, including one which recieved Mad Man Manson's praise on Twitter when a Coronation Street theme was finished off by a fan shouting 'Norris Cole Bay-Bay!'
Martin Kirby evened his score for the weekend so far with an exciting and impressive win over Cedric Alexander, and then it was on to Six-man tag team action, with Team Single taking on 'Team Thug Life' - consisting of Dave Rayne, Mad Man Manson & Dave Mastiff. The match was a complete comedy-fest, which featured a 7-way nipple twister (including all participants & also Kris Travis, who made a surprise appearance during the bout) and Manson threatening to violate his teammate Dave Rayne with a makeshift version of the 'Big Daddy Dildo' - a fictional product thought up in the course of the previous night's comedy show. The match would finish when Bubblegum, who had disappeared earlier in the match after loudly proclaiming that he had defecated in his trunks, returned with toilet roll hanging from his rear to score a surprise roll-up. The match was so funny that even Rampage Brown & T-Bone, who usually control their facial expressions masterfully, were visibly amused and enjoying themselves.
The main event of the afternoon show saw reDRagon defeat Mark & Jay Briscoe to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship. This was a fantastic Ring Of Honor match which showcased what the two teams and the promotion are all about. Excellent from bell to bell, the match was a worthy main event to another good card.
There would be a meet and greet session in the afternoon and then it was soon time for the Saturday evening show, which was the most heavily attended of the weekend. It would open with an eclectic, captivating and fast-paced 6 way match where Cedric Alexander overcame ACH, Martin Kirby, Bobby Fish, Noam Dar & Roderick Strong. A very strong opener, it raised the energy of anyone in the audience who may have been depleted or exhausted from all the outstanding action and bonus attractions from the first half of the weekend. It also featured Martin Kirby's 'Zoidberg Elbow', which anyone with even a passing interest in Futurama will definitely appreciate, as well as a six-man simultaneous sleeperhold.
Michael Elgin then defeated BJ Whitmer by pinfall in a classic ROH encounter which was brutal and technical in equal measures. Tommaso Ciampa then continued his streak of impressive performances when he defeated El Ligero in an incredible match of which both men should be extremely proud . Each worked hard and built perhaps the highest level of suspense for any match of the weekend as they battled towards the finish.
Lionheart made his entrance to announce that Matt Hardy would be a part of PCW's Road To Glory event in March 2015, then special Guest Booker T came to the ring and announced a Harlem Heat reunion for PCW next year, much to the delight of the crowd. Tyrus would then come out to apologise for his heelish promo the previous day and acknowledged that the Brodus Clay character was not as bad as he had stated, citing that there may be kids for whom the memory of dancing with Tons Of Funk in WWE is a fond one. The mention of dancing brought focus back to Booker T, who would succomb to the behest of the crowd and perform a Spinaroonie to a thunderous ovation.
Rayne Man (Dave Rayne & Mad Man Manson) would beat Paul London & Delirious in a very entertaining match, which we learned at the conclusion would serve as Manson's last. The announcement was largely met with a dumbfounded silence as people seemed confused as to whether it was a joke or a work before Manson clarified that he was indeed retiring.
Next up, Joey Hayes scored a massive upset when Lance Storm submitted to a Crossface after another stunning & enthralling technical match, prompting a huge ovation. Later in the show, Joey would interrupt Lionheart as he was making an emotional speech about having to step down as PCW General Manager to demand a title match as reward for defeating Storm. Lionheart shocked the audience by making Hayes the first offical entrant in the Road To Glory tournament, then announcing himself as number two. He then suddenly slammed Joey to the mat, making his return to action official. The crowd reaction to this moment was an incredible thing to behold and the palpable emotion in the air was an awesome thing to experience.
Team Single continued the UK's winning streak with a win over the Briscoe Brothers to retain the PCW Tag Team Championship in a brutal & physical war, and with Bubblegum successfully defending the Cruiserweight championship against Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly. The Cruiserweight triple threat match was another truly exciting and well executed match in which all three performed on a rarified level.
Lionheart had added Dave Mastiff to the main event, making it a three-way elimination match with Chris Masters & Uhaa Nation. Masters would feign an injury early on, allowing him to rest while his two opponents wore each other down, but would quickly be eliminated when he returned to try to take advantage. This left the two challengers, meaning that either way, a new PCW Champion would be crowned. The match would be intense as each challenger would score near falls and impressive maneuvres. Eventually, Uhaa Nation would score the win to become the new Champion and the crowd exploded for the dramatic conclusion. Chris Masters would come back to announce his intention to invoke his rematch clause by challenging Uhaa Nation at Road to Glory in a match where the loser leaves PCW.
Lastly, it was on to Show 4 to close the weekend. The show was much more sparsely attended than the previous shows, but was still a decent and lively crowd who were not going to be deterred in the slightest as they showed as much, if not more, creativity and verve than any audience of the weekend. It started off strong with a No Disqualification match between reDRagon & Team Single, with the ROH team winning after a hotly contested and rewarding opener. Roderick Strong would defeat Mark Briscoe in a very entertaining outing where Strong staged a walk-out & Briscoe stole Roderick's T-shirt, yet the physicality between the two remained solid, making for an interesting match. Paul London & Delirious would also tow the line between entertainment and actual wrestling in a very varied match with a devastating superkick finish for London to score the victory.
Then we had one of the most memorable moments of the weekend, when ACH defeated Cedric Alexander in a match which was largely performed in silence. Chris Brooker had joked about the massive hangover which was plaguing the audience and performers, which led to the crowd greeting any loud noise with a unified 'ssshhhhhhh!'. The performers embraced the idea and worked the majority of the match in such a way that almost no noise was being created, allowing for the innovative crowd to elicit whispered chants and click their fingers in place of the usual claps. It was a hilarious and memorable moment which will no doubt become the stuff of legend, even if only in UK wrestling circles.
Adam Cole scored a count-out on Chris Masters, who walked out of the match after being mocked by the audience for losing his title the previous evening. This then led us to Uhaa Nation's first defense of the PCW Heavyweight Championship, as defeated Michael Elgin to retain in another impressive performance for both men. Finally, in the main event of the final show, Jay Briscoe defeated Tommaso Ciampa to retain the ROH World Heavyweight Championship in an intense and brutal war. Jay would then thank the crowd and speculated that there could be another Supershow Of Honor again next year.
Overall, it was an incredible weekend featuring some of the best in-ring action that anyone could hope for, as well as some emotional moments and an incredible atmosphere throughout. The comedy show on the Friday night was hilarious and seemed to be successful across the board, being well executed and well recieved, and will hopefully become a regular feature of the PCW shows and weekends. The ROH performers were surprisingly receptive to the fun aspect of the British wrestling atmosphere and embraced it far more that expected, but it was not at the expense of the high octane, intense and outstanding action for which Ring Of Honor is best known. Mr. Fludder and all of the PCW performers and staff should be very proud to have produced an incredible weekend of wrestling which will not be soon forgotten by anyone who experienced it.
[I had originally written this live review for another outlet, but due to several issues the publication of the piece was postponed and then eventually cancelled. I recently came across the piece and wanted to share this here ahead of several upcoming PCW reviews.]
Preston City Wrestling has built a strong following and a stellar reputation since it was established in 2011. It is due to these factors that they were able to secure a deal whereby they could co-promote their annual Supershow event this year with perhaps the world's premiere independent wrestling company, Ring Of Honor, for a full weekend of shows and bonus events. With the ticket packages for the full weekend selling out fast, an additional show was added to the already impressive lineup for the Sunday afternoon which would feature Ring Of Honor talent almost exclusively, while the original three shows scheduled were PCW's usual mixture of homegrown and international talent. It promised to be an incredible experience with some memorable action and multifaceted entertainment, and it certainly delivered. There were even hints that the formula could be repeated for next year's Supershow weekend, which promoter Steven Fludder must be keenly negotiating already.
Show one would start with Kris Travis coming to the ring to address the crowd. Kris was warmly welcomed by the fans, who have rallied behind him as he battles stomach cancer, and it was a good way to kick off the weekend as well as to remind the fans about PCW's upcoming January show, from which proceeds will go to helping Travis with his medical costs etc.
Getting on to the action, we would be treated to a six-way match where Joey Hayes stole a win over El Ligero, Cedric Alexander, ACH, Charlie Garrett & Dean Allmark. The match was fast paced and packed with jaw-dropping action as you would expect from the participants involved.
Brodus Clay would be introduced next and made his entrance to his WWE 'Funkasaurus' music, but would quickly take to the microphone to denounce the name and his whole previous gimmick, reminding everyone that he is now known as Tyrus. Unfortunately his repackaging as a monster heel was not to be enough to gain a victory as Michael Elgin would score a German suplex pin after a physical, but slow-paced match.
Delirious pinned Mad Man Manson (who was introduced as Simon Musk as an inside joke) after a hilarious match which featured some innovative comedy spots, including a test of strength with their feet. As far as comedy wrestling and entertainment, there have been few who could touch Manson, and Delirious was a perfect foil for the Mad Man's antics.
We would then quickly move on to a more serious contest as Canadian legend Lance Storm faced one of the best talents in the UK, Martin Kirby. As technically excellent as anyone would expect, it was surprising that the match was booked so early on the card as it felt like it should have been the main event. Saying that, it was utterly outstanding and was a classic wrestling clinic which was a pleasure to watch and elicited impassioned responses from the crowd. Kirby did the UK fans proud in defeat as he suffered a pinfall to Lance after a series of reversals.
Dave Mastiff would then prove why he is another of our most prized and beloved performers as he defeated Adam Cole in an absolute stunner of a match. The back and forth between the two was intense and hard-hitting and the crowd was rabid by the conclusion.
Tommaso Ciampa would make a fantastic impression throughout this weekend, entering great matches every time he stepped into the ring. In his first match of the weekend, he pinned Uhaan Nation after a distraction from PCW Champion Chris Masters, which also served to set up the title match for Uhaa the following evening.
Bubblegum surprised everyone by scoring a clean win over Paul London after a very good Cruiserweight match before Dave Rayne came out to draw the raffle. Chris Brooker would make some jokes later in the weekend about the British tradition of holding raffles at wrestling events and how it was an eye-opener for the ROH crew, but on this occaison the segment was used for a further purpose as Dave would be attacked by former tag team partner Chris Masters. This cemented the dissolution of the 'Legion Of Boom' and sets up a match for further down the line.
PCW General Manager Lionheart would then announce that due to a coin toss, it had been decided that the four-way tag team match would be for the ROH Tag Team Championship. reDRagon eventually defeated The Decade (Roderick Strong & BJ Whitmer), The Briscoe Brothers & Team Single by Pinfall to retain the ROH Tag Team Championship after brawling all over the venue and displaying some incredible exchanges inside the ring. Afterwards, The Briscoe Brothers cut a promo where they challenged Team Single for the PCW Tag Team Championship on the following night. Team Single of course accepted the challenge to build to one of the marquee matches of the weekend.
Show Two would start the following day with a bang, as a Fatal Four-Way saw Uhaa Nation defeat El Ligero, Tommaso Ciampa & BJ Whitmer. This match had a bit of everything and as always, Uhaa is amazing to watch, especially in person, as his agility, speed and skill are rare qualities in someone of his formidable size. Chris Masters then got on the microphone to ask Uhaa Nation to remain at ringside to watch his match with Michael Elgin. This would backfire on Masters when Uhaa cost the PCW Champion his match by distracting Masters, much as the champion had done to him the previous evening.
Joey Hayes then defeated ACH with a questionable pin, where he used the ropes for leverage after a strong and exciting match. A brutal chopfest brought about a highlight of the match when Hayes loudly asked ACH to stop chopping him, much to everyone's amusement. Joey is very over in his heel role, but still manages to raise some laughs as well as ire amongst the fans, while ACH was the perfect babyface; likeable and exciting.
Roderick Strong would show his comical side when he joined in with Paul London's arena-wide entrance before the pair put on one of the best matches of the weekend (which was no small feat with the outstanding talent and booking for these shows). Then, Adam Cole (who was definitely one of the most over stars of the weekend) defeated Noam Dar after a superkick and German suplex in another brilliant match. Apart from the outstanding action in the ring, the fans made this match even more entertaining with their singing of Dar's name to several different tunes, including one which recieved Mad Man Manson's praise on Twitter when a Coronation Street theme was finished off by a fan shouting 'Norris Cole Bay-Bay!'
Martin Kirby evened his score for the weekend so far with an exciting and impressive win over Cedric Alexander, and then it was on to Six-man tag team action, with Team Single taking on 'Team Thug Life' - consisting of Dave Rayne, Mad Man Manson & Dave Mastiff. The match was a complete comedy-fest, which featured a 7-way nipple twister (including all participants & also Kris Travis, who made a surprise appearance during the bout) and Manson threatening to violate his teammate Dave Rayne with a makeshift version of the 'Big Daddy Dildo' - a fictional product thought up in the course of the previous night's comedy show. The match would finish when Bubblegum, who had disappeared earlier in the match after loudly proclaiming that he had defecated in his trunks, returned with toilet roll hanging from his rear to score a surprise roll-up. The match was so funny that even Rampage Brown & T-Bone, who usually control their facial expressions masterfully, were visibly amused and enjoying themselves.
The main event of the afternoon show saw reDRagon defeat Mark & Jay Briscoe to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship. This was a fantastic Ring Of Honor match which showcased what the two teams and the promotion are all about. Excellent from bell to bell, the match was a worthy main event to another good card.
There would be a meet and greet session in the afternoon and then it was soon time for the Saturday evening show, which was the most heavily attended of the weekend. It would open with an eclectic, captivating and fast-paced 6 way match where Cedric Alexander overcame ACH, Martin Kirby, Bobby Fish, Noam Dar & Roderick Strong. A very strong opener, it raised the energy of anyone in the audience who may have been depleted or exhausted from all the outstanding action and bonus attractions from the first half of the weekend. It also featured Martin Kirby's 'Zoidberg Elbow', which anyone with even a passing interest in Futurama will definitely appreciate, as well as a six-man simultaneous sleeperhold.
Michael Elgin then defeated BJ Whitmer by pinfall in a classic ROH encounter which was brutal and technical in equal measures. Tommaso Ciampa then continued his streak of impressive performances when he defeated El Ligero in an incredible match of which both men should be extremely proud . Each worked hard and built perhaps the highest level of suspense for any match of the weekend as they battled towards the finish.
Lionheart made his entrance to announce that Matt Hardy would be a part of PCW's Road To Glory event in March 2015, then special Guest Booker T came to the ring and announced a Harlem Heat reunion for PCW next year, much to the delight of the crowd. Tyrus would then come out to apologise for his heelish promo the previous day and acknowledged that the Brodus Clay character was not as bad as he had stated, citing that there may be kids for whom the memory of dancing with Tons Of Funk in WWE is a fond one. The mention of dancing brought focus back to Booker T, who would succomb to the behest of the crowd and perform a Spinaroonie to a thunderous ovation.
Rayne Man (Dave Rayne & Mad Man Manson) would beat Paul London & Delirious in a very entertaining match, which we learned at the conclusion would serve as Manson's last. The announcement was largely met with a dumbfounded silence as people seemed confused as to whether it was a joke or a work before Manson clarified that he was indeed retiring.
Next up, Joey Hayes scored a massive upset when Lance Storm submitted to a Crossface after another stunning & enthralling technical match, prompting a huge ovation. Later in the show, Joey would interrupt Lionheart as he was making an emotional speech about having to step down as PCW General Manager to demand a title match as reward for defeating Storm. Lionheart shocked the audience by making Hayes the first offical entrant in the Road To Glory tournament, then announcing himself as number two. He then suddenly slammed Joey to the mat, making his return to action official. The crowd reaction to this moment was an incredible thing to behold and the palpable emotion in the air was an awesome thing to experience.
Team Single continued the UK's winning streak with a win over the Briscoe Brothers to retain the PCW Tag Team Championship in a brutal & physical war, and with Bubblegum successfully defending the Cruiserweight championship against Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly. The Cruiserweight triple threat match was another truly exciting and well executed match in which all three performed on a rarified level.
Lionheart had added Dave Mastiff to the main event, making it a three-way elimination match with Chris Masters & Uhaa Nation. Masters would feign an injury early on, allowing him to rest while his two opponents wore each other down, but would quickly be eliminated when he returned to try to take advantage. This left the two challengers, meaning that either way, a new PCW Champion would be crowned. The match would be intense as each challenger would score near falls and impressive maneuvres. Eventually, Uhaa Nation would score the win to become the new Champion and the crowd exploded for the dramatic conclusion. Chris Masters would come back to announce his intention to invoke his rematch clause by challenging Uhaa Nation at Road to Glory in a match where the loser leaves PCW.
Lastly, it was on to Show 4 to close the weekend. The show was much more sparsely attended than the previous shows, but was still a decent and lively crowd who were not going to be deterred in the slightest as they showed as much, if not more, creativity and verve than any audience of the weekend. It started off strong with a No Disqualification match between reDRagon & Team Single, with the ROH team winning after a hotly contested and rewarding opener. Roderick Strong would defeat Mark Briscoe in a very entertaining outing where Strong staged a walk-out & Briscoe stole Roderick's T-shirt, yet the physicality between the two remained solid, making for an interesting match. Paul London & Delirious would also tow the line between entertainment and actual wrestling in a very varied match with a devastating superkick finish for London to score the victory.
Then we had one of the most memorable moments of the weekend, when ACH defeated Cedric Alexander in a match which was largely performed in silence. Chris Brooker had joked about the massive hangover which was plaguing the audience and performers, which led to the crowd greeting any loud noise with a unified 'ssshhhhhhh!'. The performers embraced the idea and worked the majority of the match in such a way that almost no noise was being created, allowing for the innovative crowd to elicit whispered chants and click their fingers in place of the usual claps. It was a hilarious and memorable moment which will no doubt become the stuff of legend, even if only in UK wrestling circles.
Adam Cole scored a count-out on Chris Masters, who walked out of the match after being mocked by the audience for losing his title the previous evening. This then led us to Uhaa Nation's first defense of the PCW Heavyweight Championship, as defeated Michael Elgin to retain in another impressive performance for both men. Finally, in the main event of the final show, Jay Briscoe defeated Tommaso Ciampa to retain the ROH World Heavyweight Championship in an intense and brutal war. Jay would then thank the crowd and speculated that there could be another Supershow Of Honor again next year.
Overall, it was an incredible weekend featuring some of the best in-ring action that anyone could hope for, as well as some emotional moments and an incredible atmosphere throughout. The comedy show on the Friday night was hilarious and seemed to be successful across the board, being well executed and well recieved, and will hopefully become a regular feature of the PCW shows and weekends. The ROH performers were surprisingly receptive to the fun aspect of the British wrestling atmosphere and embraced it far more that expected, but it was not at the expense of the high octane, intense and outstanding action for which Ring Of Honor is best known. Mr. Fludder and all of the PCW performers and staff should be very proud to have produced an incredible weekend of wrestling which will not be soon forgotten by anyone who experienced it.
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