Disclaimer: This is a slight departure from the usual, but I promise you it's still wrestling related.
Picture the scene - it's a Sunday night, there's no WWE PPV coming up, there's no ICW show on in either Glasgow or Edinburgh, Fierce Females isn't for a few more weeks and even the football has stopped for the weekend. What are you gonna do, watch TNA?
Breaking Baws had the answer with The Dok Hendrix Wrestling Time Machine, an inaugural event that took place last Sunday, 6th July.
The Dok Hendrix Wrestling Time Machine looks set to be a monthly event hosted in Glasgow pub The Ark (46 North Frederick Street, Glasgow, G1 2BS) with a wrestling PPV event shown on the big (and small) screens from 7pm, great cheap drink and food and several other ideas in the pipeline.
The great thing about this night is the community feel to proceedings. The PPV will be chosen by a vote-in, with the first poll seeing invitees pick Wrestlemania 17 as our entertainment for the evening. Starting prompt at 7pm, a particularly professional touch, WM17 was the perfect choice as it is arguably one of the strongest PPVs of all time. People cheered as The Rock and Stone Cold went toe-to-toe, there were audible gasps as we re-watched TLC2, and for even a few seconds I found myself truly believing that Triple H could defeat The Undertaker before The Streak was even a thing.
But the PPV was essentially a back-drop and not the centerpiece of the evening. What was the true main event was the atmosphere cultivated by the patrons and staff. Hosted by Breaking Baws, a truly entertaining podcast and website run by four local wrestling fans, The Ark was somewhat bustling for a Sunday night. There was no standing on ceremony, simply at 7pm the staff switched the screens over from silent news to Wrestlemania 17, resplendent with Jim Ross and Paul Heyman's commentary coming loud and clear over the speakers.
The staff were engaging and casual with all, there was only one confused enquiry from the regulars as to why wrestling was being shown, and Paul in particular from Breaking Baws seemed to make a point to mingle with everyone that turned up. By the end of the night, complete strangers were making plans for wrestling projects, lapsed fans had found theirselves suckered back into the joy that is wrestling and many found theirselves staring gape-jawed at one of the many screens, cheering on Shane McMahon or loudly deriding Vince.
As I've mentioned before, the event was started promptly at 7pm, and thusly ended just before 11pm, which makes a huge difference to people who have to work in the morning or catch the last train or bus. The atmosphere was incredibly laid back and friendly. Drinks were cheap and the food was fantastic. There are several 2 For £7 deals if you and a buddy decide to have your Sunday dinner there, but even outwith the deal the food is priced superbly. I personally ordered a chicken burger that more than filled me up. If I recall correctly, food is served until 9pm, perfectly positioned for mid-PPV.
I am truly hopeful that more people catch on to this superb night and bear witness to a sub-culture within the Glasgow wrestling fandom begin to blossom from the ground up.
Breaking Baws - http://breakingbaws.wordpress.com/ - @BreakingBaws - Facebook
Picture the scene - it's a Sunday night, there's no WWE PPV coming up, there's no ICW show on in either Glasgow or Edinburgh, Fierce Females isn't for a few more weeks and even the football has stopped for the weekend. What are you gonna do, watch TNA?
Breaking Baws had the answer with The Dok Hendrix Wrestling Time Machine, an inaugural event that took place last Sunday, 6th July.
The Dok Hendrix Wrestling Time Machine looks set to be a monthly event hosted in Glasgow pub The Ark (46 North Frederick Street, Glasgow, G1 2BS) with a wrestling PPV event shown on the big (and small) screens from 7pm, great cheap drink and food and several other ideas in the pipeline.
The great thing about this night is the community feel to proceedings. The PPV will be chosen by a vote-in, with the first poll seeing invitees pick Wrestlemania 17 as our entertainment for the evening. Starting prompt at 7pm, a particularly professional touch, WM17 was the perfect choice as it is arguably one of the strongest PPVs of all time. People cheered as The Rock and Stone Cold went toe-to-toe, there were audible gasps as we re-watched TLC2, and for even a few seconds I found myself truly believing that Triple H could defeat The Undertaker before The Streak was even a thing.
But the PPV was essentially a back-drop and not the centerpiece of the evening. What was the true main event was the atmosphere cultivated by the patrons and staff. Hosted by Breaking Baws, a truly entertaining podcast and website run by four local wrestling fans, The Ark was somewhat bustling for a Sunday night. There was no standing on ceremony, simply at 7pm the staff switched the screens over from silent news to Wrestlemania 17, resplendent with Jim Ross and Paul Heyman's commentary coming loud and clear over the speakers.
The staff were engaging and casual with all, there was only one confused enquiry from the regulars as to why wrestling was being shown, and Paul in particular from Breaking Baws seemed to make a point to mingle with everyone that turned up. By the end of the night, complete strangers were making plans for wrestling projects, lapsed fans had found theirselves suckered back into the joy that is wrestling and many found theirselves staring gape-jawed at one of the many screens, cheering on Shane McMahon or loudly deriding Vince.
As I've mentioned before, the event was started promptly at 7pm, and thusly ended just before 11pm, which makes a huge difference to people who have to work in the morning or catch the last train or bus. The atmosphere was incredibly laid back and friendly. Drinks were cheap and the food was fantastic. There are several 2 For £7 deals if you and a buddy decide to have your Sunday dinner there, but even outwith the deal the food is priced superbly. I personally ordered a chicken burger that more than filled me up. If I recall correctly, food is served until 9pm, perfectly positioned for mid-PPV.
I am truly hopeful that more people catch on to this superb night and bear witness to a sub-culture within the Glasgow wrestling fandom begin to blossom from the ground up.
Breaking Baws - http://breakingbaws.wordpress.com/ - @BreakingBaws - Facebook
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