Disclaimer: This is one of the greatest UK wrestling cards, nay worldwide wrestling cards, of 2014 and it is all free.
Before we get to the show, a quick rundown of events. Progress Wrestling (http://www.progresswrestling.com/ or @ThisIs_Progress) hosted an event on 18th May at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, but it was plagued with some technical issues. Rather than try to sell the show on DVD or online, the company made the decision to host it free of charge on YouTube.
Crazy.
The quality of this video can only be described as high. There is no hard camera, but I didn't feel the ringside cameras missed anything. There was only a couple of "footage interrupted" parts and hardly any of the audio problems they mentioned. The commentary was very good in my opinion, sparse but insightful. I honestly felt it was still heads and shoulders above a lot of Indy products.
As for the matches their selves, from the opening bout of Rampage Brown v Darrell Allen to the main event of Jimmy Havoc (c) v Mark Andrews for the PROGRESS title, there was not a dull moment. Taking in both amazing comedy and mat wrestling in Michael Gilbert v Eddie Dennis, a 4-way Tag match, El Ligero v Tommy End and Zack Sabre Jr v Prince Devitt, and even more, this was a 2 hours+ stacked card showing the very very best of European wrestling.
I'll stop talking now and let you enjoy the footage.
Building A Legacy
Fergal Devitt made his in-ring debut some time in 2001 and it is estimated he has wrestled in almost 800 matches since. His career got off to a great start, winning the NWA British Commonwealth Title by 2003 and wrestling in Ireland, the UK, France, Canada and the USA. It was during his US matches in 2006 that Devitt began to get noticed by New Japan Pro Wrestling, eventually wrestling his first match in Japan in April 2006, under the moniker of "Prince" Devitt.
In the following 7 years, Prince Devitt would grow to be thought of as one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. Picking up titles such as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship several times, as well as winning the Best Of The Super Juniors in both 2010 and 2013, Devitt was a highly decorated and loved foreigner in the Japanese promotion.
A lot of that adoration grew from his four years teaming with Ryusuke Taguchi as Apollo 55 - one of the most highly decorated tag teams in NJPW history, breaking records along the way. They were each individually able to win the Best Of The Super Juniors tournament and Prince Devitt even obtained the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship three times during this era.
It was this third reign that spelled the end of Apollo 55 however, and the rebirth of Prince Devitt. A whole article could be written on the dissolution of Apollo 55 and the rise of Bullet Club, but at its essence was Prince Devitt's singles success, his frustration at not being able to win the IWGP Heavyweight title, and the inability of Apollo 55 to regain their tag belts. It all culminated with Devitt turning on his long-term partner and forming a new group of villainous foreigners, hell-bent on taking over NJPW.
(c) NJPW - Original photographer unknown
Bullet Club
Inarguably, Prince Devitt's Bullet Club group brought him to the attention of fans worldwide. Formed with Tongan wrestlers Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga, along with American Karl Anderson, the group has gone on to boast members such as former WWE and TNA star Doc Gallows, former ROH and TNA tag team The Young Bucks, and even a Latinoamerica spin-off group based in the CMLL promotion.
Throughout it all however was Prince Devitt's undisputed leadership. With Bullet Club by his side, Devitt won the 2013 Best Of The Super Juniors tournament with an unprecedented unbeaten run. Despite this incredible achievement, at Wrestle Kingdom 8 on January 4th 2014, Prince Devitt was defeated by Kota Ibushi, putting an end to his 14 month reign as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, a match discussed the world over and which sets the scene for:
Fergal Devitt v Jack Jester - ICW Heavyweight Title Match
ICW: 3rd Annual Square Go
January 26th 2014
One of the most talked about aspects of the aforementioned Wrestle Kingdom 8 match, even more so than the outcome, was Prince Devitt's entrance. It's fair to say that even non-NJPW fans saw footage and images of Devitt done up as Marvel's Carnage supervillain. As awesome as that looked, his entrance at ICW's 3rd Annual Square Go was something else entirely:
The crowd's cheers for Devitt's "Venom" get-up were almost louder than for the hometown hero, defending ICW Heavyweight Champion and Hardcore Icon, Jack Jester:
Clips from the match can be viewed on the video below (Episode 2 of ICW Worldwide's Season 2 - match footage starts at 17:48):
If you can't be bothered watching the match above (what the hell is wrong with you?) here is a quick run-down with some awesome pictures from Mr David J Wilson. The match got off on Devitt's terms, with a chop and delayed dropkick stunning Jester into attempting to climb to the top rope, only to find himself in the Tree Of Woe position and recipient of another series of dropkicks.
It had become clear to Jester that he was not going to win this bout on anything but his own terms, so after a few moments of head-clearing with the ICW fans at ringside, the Hardcore Icon attempted to bring a chair into the ring, only to find himself dropkicked all the way into the crowd. Devitt then threw Jester's own chair at him, as the audience chanted "I C DUB" in approval, despite now becoming part of the violence.
From there, the wrestlers made their way back to the ringside area - only for Jester to throw Devitt back into the crowd on the other side of the venue. Compared to even the carnage of BT Gunn v Devitt this was on a whole other level of insanity, worlds apart from Devitt's debut against Wolfgang away back in 2012. While in those two contests Devitt was welcomed to the ICW ring, with this brawl he looked like he had been ICW for life. Putting paid to that sentiment, Devitt combined his Japanese stylings (a huge double-foot stomp) with his new ICW flavoured attitude - launching himself from the announcers' desk and through a table with Jester lying prone upon it.
This was fast looking like the night that Fergal would dethrone Jack, a situation that the crowd seemed shockingly to be lapping up. It felt right. It did not feel like an invader coming into the company and getting an undeserved title shot. After his last two matches, and with his look and attitude on the night, Fergal Devitt deserved this shot, and he was grasping it with both hands (and feet).
But a hard-as-nails Glaswegian with a deadly weapon can never be taken lightly. Jester managed to wrest control of his chair and the momentum of the match, striking back against Devitt and declaring he was about to meet the true face of I-C-W.
Shaking off the chops that had so displaced him earlier in the bout, Jester even absorbed a brainbuster from Fergal, kicking out at two. This spurred Devitt on to hit Jester with everything he had, but still the champion would not quit. Having absorbed incredible damage, Jack Jester finally managed to hit back and struck with his Tombstone Piledriver finisher to earn the victory, and the respect of one of the best in the world.
Post-Match
A world apart from Prince Devitt's last visit to ICW, this was a sporting contest from both wrestlers who gave it their all. The victory spurred Jack Jester on to defeat all comers throughout 2014, including a three-way match with former 2-time ICW Heavyweight Champion James Scott and the Iron Man Joe Coffey at the same time, and a FOUR-WAY bout with the NAK's Chris Renfrew (the man who helped put Devitt down during his last visit), the Homicidal Suicidal Genocidal Death-Defying legend that is Sabu, and the only other man who could claim a victory over Fergal Devitt in ICW, Wolfgang.
None of Jack Jester's defenses have been easy tasks, but his battle with Devitt at the turn of the year taught him how to dig deep and win on his terms, an experience I believe helped him overcome ever-increasing odds throughout 2014.
And Devitt? Not only did his appearance at ICW put an exclamation mark on the UK wrestling scene, it also proved a point. Since losing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight belt, the rumour mills had been buzzing as to whether Devitt would leave NJPW and sign for either WWE or TNA. No other option seemed credible.
Fergal proved in this bout that he didn't need either company, as his future in British wrestling was secure, should he choose to leave Japan. In doing so, he lent credibility to the already strong and growing British wrestling companies that what we have on these islands are a group of very special companies.
As for Insane Championship Wrestling, the 3rd Annual Square Go sold out in advance, starting a string of seven sell-outs across nine events so far for 2014, including the first ever ICW show in London, the first ever ICW show in Newcastle, Up And Atom in Edinburgh and Still Smoking at the huge o2 ABC in Glasgow (... more on that show to come). Their latest event, Shug's Hoose Party on 27th July 2014, sold out before a single match was even announced!! To say ICW's 2014 started off strong and went from strength to strength is putting it lightly.
Back To Japan
Prince Devitt was not done with Bullet Club, not by a long shot. The rumours may have started that he had left New Japan, but this was far from the truth. Despite the interference of Bullet Club throughout Prince Devitt's matches, a
very rare sight in Japanese wrestling, Devitt was unable to seize the
IWGP Heavyweight title during his run as Bullet Club leader. But other matters were soon to become his main consideration.
The day after Wrestle Kingdom 8, Prince Devitt's former tag-team partner Ryusuke Taguchi returned from injury to attack the former champion, re-igniting a feud that would see the two battle in a variety of tag matches involving the Bullet Club team of Devitt, Fale, Gallows, Anderson and Tonga taking on Ryusuke Taguchi and a variety of tag partners, with neither side gaining a distinct advantage over the months of fights.
A singles match was begging to be made, and at Invasion Attack 2014, one year since the event that saw Apollo 55 split so violently, Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi would finally meet one on one to settle the score. The Young Bucks, the two newest recruits to the Bullet Club fold, were keen to help their leader, but Prince Devitt made it clear this was to be a one on one wrestling match with no outside interference.
Despite this, the duo continually tried to push the subject, leading to a physical altercation between Devitt and the Bucks to keep them at bay. The crowd were beginning to sense something had changed in Prince Devitt. By the time Ryusuke Taguchi had managed to score the victory, he could tell it too. With his trademark facepaint smeared and a look of pain twisting his face beyond the physical punishment of the match, Devitt extended his hand to his former partner. With a handshake of forgiveness gained, Prince Devitt rolled out of the ring. It was to be his last match at New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Disclaimer: This article is just a little bit of fun really. Enjoy. (This article was originally published in June and updated in July)
That. That was interesting. It was also incredibly short, and is all Insane Championship Wrestling gave us a few days ago. What the hell does it all mean? Well, with the spate of wrestlers being future endeavoured right now, as well as the eyes of the world seemingly focusing on ICW, this could mean anything. Let's take a fun look at the facts and the odds.
The Facts
I have been reliably informed that the video description translates to "Will Rise After It Fal" and that the binary within the video translates to "13/14" which adds to 27. The 27th of July is the date of ICW's next Glasgow show, Shug's Hoose Party. The video is also an hourglass. The title is essentially "Time". WHAT?!
The Odds
Most people, myself included, think this is a hint towards a wrestler appearing on the 27th of July at Shug's Hoose Party. But who could that wrestler be? Let's take a look at the shortlist:
Drew McIntyre / Galloway - 1/66
Drew McIntyre, before he was Drew McIntyre, was Drew Galloway. The inaugural ICW Heavyweight Champion, Drew went on to hit the big time, the mecca of wrestling, the WWE. You either will or wont know of his WWE career, but either way what you perhaps don't know is Drew was recently let go. Fired. Told to take a hike. Or left of his own accord. Either way, he is no longer of the employ of WWE. He has appeared on podcasts discussing his future, one of those podcasts by a man called Chris Jericho. A man who had promos quite like the one above. Who also liked time, and countdowns. Hmmm......
Oh, and Drew is already booked to return to another Scottish promotion he called home and who called him champion, making his return after 7 years to BCW on August 29th.
He's confirmed to be in the country. He's been missed at ICW. He is the original insane champion. He has connections to the video. It all makes sense. Drew Galloway is the odds-on favourite.
BREAKING NEWS
New evidence has arisen and a challenger appears to Drew Galloway's title. ...tIME eh? Time?! TIME!?! What about this:
Rob McKai - 1/20
Last
seen, I believe, at September's "There's Something About Maryhill"
where he was involved in a multi-man angle, specifically with Adam
Shame. Haven't heard what he's done since and have no insight about what
this could mean for the future, really, which is incredibly lazy
journalism I know, but the video had Time in the title, so deal with
that! Ha! .... Ha?
William Grange - 12/1 3/1
Once one half of the formidable
STI tag team with now NAK-aligned Dickie Divers, Grange hasn't been seen
since I believe April 2013, and hasn't wrestled in ICW since the STI
split in March 2013. Excuse my ignorance as I'm not entirely sure why he
has disappeared off the Insane face of the Wrestling earth, but I miss
him and I'm not alone. How does this tie into the video above? Because
you can't spell "S" tIMe without STI, and "..." is Morse code for "S".
Makes sense eh? In fact, I'm revising these odds. Switch Red Lightning
and William Grange about editor! (Editor's Note: There is no Editor.) ((Editor's Note: Turns out there is an Editor, and it's me! Red Lightning and William Grange have now been switched.)
Fergal Devitt - 5/1
Because it's Devitt. Because he already said this is his home. Because he will never leave us. Because I want to write 33 articles on his reign in ICW. Because I miss him already :-(
CM Punk - 9/1
Bear with me here, I've not gone Insane. CM Punk is pretty much a free agent at this point. I've heard he is under contract with WWE until July, but then he is his own man. CM Punk is a friend of Colt Cabana. Colt Cabana has wrestled for ICW and will do so again, four times no less, before the end of the Summer. CM Punk is also known to like ice hockey. Ice hockey is cold. Scotland is cold.
Thus CM Punk will attend Shug's Hoose Party, have a warm reception despite not understanding a single drunken Scottish word of it, then go on to engage in four amazing triple threat matches with Colt Cabana and Grado in Edinburgh for the whole of August! I am the best in the world at predictions.
Red Lightning - 3/1 12/1
Alright, alright. So
that is far too obvious. Who is next then? Who is dastardly, sick,
conniving enough to pull our heartstrings thusly? Surely it's got to be
the master heel himself, Red Lightning?
Ever since
losing the ICW Heavyweight title to Mikey Whiplash last year, it seems
Red has been perennially set to return. First it was his barnstorming
fight that got taken to the streets of Maryhill against Wolfgang back at
September 2013's "There's Something About Maryhill" event. Then his
attempt to dethrone Jack Jester at April 27th's "Show Me Your Lizard", a
match that itself could garner its own article. Whenever talk of
someone 'returning' arises, Red Lightning is on the tip of everyone's
tongue.
I personally would love to see this and think
it could be smartly played out as a trick on all of us by the original
wanker turned "People's Wanker".
Big Van Vader - 18/1
It's time. It's all about time. Who is the master of time? Vader. It's Vader time. Time time time. Get the connection yet? Vader time.
Vader's last match was back in 2012 as far as I am aware, but he did a few back then so it's not inconceivable that he could return. And the bloke is right up ICW's street - he ate both of Mick Foley's ear and half his eye, or something. Anyway, aye. If it's about time, it's Vader Time!
The Sumerian Death Squad - 22/1
They are known for their weird promos, all vague, mysterious, crazy cuts. Conspiracy theories. All this has the hallmarks of The SDS. But, they are usually a bit more direct. And having recently been ICW Tag Team Champions, there is really no reason for all this mystery if it is them. Still, I'm incredibly scared of Tommy End and Michael Dante, so I feel I have to include them. Even if this was a list of my favourite goalscorers of the World Cup, I would probably still include them just to be safe, and I don't even know if either man has visited Brazil let alone scored an incredible goal there.
Teddy Long - 33/1
I originally read the title as "...tlMe" and began to theorise that it stood for "... teddy long Main event" and that it would be a special Tag Team edition of ICW at Shug's Hoose Party that would see the likes of Noam Dar team up with Lewis Girvan to take on the team of Jack Jester and Solar, just because they were all hanging about randomly backstage when Teddy Long appeared as special guest booker of the show. Then I learned to read and realised this wouldn't happen. And got sad :-(
Michael Gilbert - 66/1
If you're reading this and just asked yourself "Who?", get out. Go discover who, then come back. Back now? Realised it was Mikey Whiplash did you? Cept the man doesn't need a gimmick, and he apparently doesn't need to wrestle for ICW either, having last competed at March's "Still Smoking" event, putting an end to his war with Grado. I personally don't see it happening (my personal wager is on it being CM Punk btw), but someone (Alayne) is adamant it will happen. See if you're right, I'll give you 66 shots of Bucky, alright?
The Boogeyman - 70/1
The guy loves knowing the time.
Jindar Mahal - 80/1
Picture speaks a thousand words.
Credits: I normally try and accredit every picture, video, etc I use on this blog. But I haven't here. This was just for fun and all the pictures were Google searched, if you see one you made and want credit for it and/or removal, let me know.
Disclaimer: I know my articles are sometimes picked up and re-posted on somewhat "PG" websites. While there are no vulgarities, swearing or blood contained within the body of my article, the content of the videos are classed as 18+ so if you're reading this anywhere other than AWBA be forewarned... oh, and visit the original site at http://aweebitabout.blogspot.com
Introduction Insane Championship Wrestling prides itself on showcasing the best of Scottish and British wrestling, never having to rely on outside talent to sell out a show. However, ICW has not been shy in bringing in foreign wrestlers that complement the company's ethos, from Crazy Mary Dobson to Brian Kendrick, from Sabu to the Sumerian Death Squad.
The nearly 2 year tenure of Prince Fergal Devitt was something else entirely however. Hopefully over the course of this three-part article I do justice to just why that was.
An Insane Debut
Fergal Devitt v Wolfgang
ICW: Hadouken!
September 2nd 2012, The Garage, Glasgow
Sporting a list of achievements a mile long, "Prince" Fergal Devitt was already highly thought of amongst the ICW faithful before making his debut, well evident with very early chants of "We want wrestling" and a split crowd cheering for both Wolfgang and the visiting Devitt.
It is a beginning that will come across more than a bit strange for newer ICW fans. A pre-Duran Duran entrance from Wolfgang followed up by Fergal being introduced with a tune that would become more synonymous with the Coffey brothers; nevertheless the music didn't matter once the action began.
What started as a polite battle of wristlocks and snapmares, appeasing the pro-wrestling hungry record-setting crowd of 650, soon gave way to an introduction to ICW style. Having suffered a fierce dropkick that sent him to the outside, Wolfgang responded with a fiercer clothesline followed up by literally throwing Devitt to the ICW masses. In less than 3 minutes, Fergal had been given a true Scottish welcome.
His adaptation was swift, however. As Wolfgang then launched himself through the air, Devitt deftly rolled back into the ring leaving the hometown hero with nothing but the dancefloor of the Garage to greet him. Devitt himself then took a turn to fly, taking the big man out before turning to a fan in the crowd and downing his beer. Devitt had responded to the warm welcome in style.
What followed next was an incredible exchange of raw strength and brutality - chops, whips, dropkicks, splashes, even a tree of woe! By the time Devitt re-organised Wolfgang's spine with an incredible double-foot stomp at the 9 minute mark, it had already felt like a war for the ages. What followed next were four incredible 60 second sequences, each one feeling like a full match in itself, punctuated by a 2nd rope moonsault, a Brainbuster, powerbomb, cloverleaf, Swanton, you name it.
By the end of the match, the entire club was standing anywhere they could grab a vantage point. Piercing silence from the fans and the commentary team contributed to an eery and fitting atmosphere, punctuated by the most ICW of chants as the crowd firmly got behind their own - "F--- Em Up Wolfgang, F--- Em Up".
As the battles raged and momentum switched, the crowd returned to their unified ways. "This is awesome" rang out as Wolfgang finally hit his finisher to hand Devitt his first defeat in ICW. It is no wonder this bout gained Match Of The Year credentials, but don't just take my words for it - the entire match has been hosted for your viewing pleasure:
The madness had truly bit. With a shake of the hand and a respectful bow
of the head, Prince Fergal said a short farewell to a company he would
soon be calling home.
A Welcome Return
Fergal Devitt v BT Gunn
ICW: Reservoir Dogs
May 5th 2013, The Garage, Glasgow
In the months following Devitt's debut, ICW continued to grow. Major changes were afoot. Wolfgang had used his victory over Fergal to launch himself headfirst into the Zero G division, becoming the Champion by the time Reservoir Dogs rolled around. Mikey Whiplash had won the 2nd Annual Square Go and was about to challenge Red Lightning for the ICW Heavyweight title. The Bucky Boys had obtained the ICW Tag Team belts and were about to embark on an incredible war with the Sumerian Death Squad that would still be raging a year later. But not all was good on the ICW front.
At April's event, "Get Your Rat Oot", the disassembled parts of the New Age Kliq, BT Gunn and Chris Renfrew, were due to battle in a match deemed too vicious for the refereeing team to handle. ICW owner Mark Dallas instead donned the black and white stripes and bore witness to the dawning of a new age. BT Gunn succeeded in "opening the eyes" of his former friend Chris Renfrew, who took a kendo stick to the back of Dallas, knocking the boss unconscious. This brutal and unexpected attack immediately drew the ire of the crowd and was left unexplained for weeks.
At Reservoir Dogs, the duo made their intentions clear. They were now anti-ICW. They were no longer here for the braying masses or the delusions of the company. They were here to bring in a new era. The era of the NAK. With Renfrew firmly aligned with Gunn once again, ICW needed a new hero, and entering to the fitting refrain of You're The Best Around, Fergal Devitt looked set to be that hero.
In a reversal of last time, Fergal's opponent was resoundingly met with boos, despite BT Gunn's own impressive list of titles. Devitt sensed the wishes of the crowd and wasted no time going on the offensive against BT, launching with a dropkick the second the bell had rang, following this up with a top rope chop and superplex, leading to the first nearfall within seconds of the match starting.
The action then lead to the outside as Devitt, firmly in command, set BT up on a chair against the railings and drilled him with a massive dropkick. It was dropkick city, as Devitt lead BT to another corner and repeated the feat. Insane Championship Wrestling madness had set in on the visitor. Cheers of "Fergal Devitt" and "I C W" rose up as BT Gunn made a quick escape through the crowd, only to be cut-off at the stage by Fergal. A picture speaks a thousand words as to what happened next:
Back in the ring, the Prince continued to reign with cutting chops to Gunn's chest only halted by a desperation lowblow from BT. It was now the NAK man's time to chop, and chop he did. Finding time to mock Fergal's mannerisms, BT looked in cool control as he took Devitt out with a suicide dive, breaking through the barrier and into the crowd.
BT followed this up with a big elbow from the top rope and looked to have victory in the bag, but Fergal mustered just enough energy to kick out. Both men then proceeded to attempt decapitation via various vicious kicks, succeeding in flooring each other (with heads still thankfully attached). A toe-to-toe exchange of punches and ear-splitting chops followed, with BT coming out of the exchange with the upper hand, but still he couldn't put Fergal away. It was time for NAK tactics.
Rolling to the outside, BT retrieved a hidden pair of scissors, a pair of scissors that would notoriously go on to ignite a heated rivalry between BT and Devitt's previous dance partner Wolfgang - but that's for a future article. For now, BT thankfully had no chance to utilise his dastardly weaponry as Devitt cancelled them out with a lifting inverted DDT then a double-footstomp, which resulted in a nearfall so close it nearly left Devitt in shock.
Wrestling, however, seemed to be prevailing over pure violence, with Gunn responding in style to Devitt's attempted suplex with the most incredibly sublime spinning clothesline. The local man(iac) seemed to have things wrapped up as he mockingly went to put Devitt away with his own Brainbuster, only for Fergal to reverse it and follow up with a double-foot stomp to the back, getting the closest of nearfalls so far. Striking quick, Devitt finally put Gunn away with the Brainbuster.
The celebration was extremely shortlived. Chris Renfrew, who had been providing commentary for the match, ran down to the ring to attack Devitt. The visitor did have enough left in the tank to both clear the ring of the NAK and resume celebrating, pointedly and respectfully shaking hands with the referee Yum Yum.
If you haven't seen this match before, I urge you now to check it out. Once again ICW have uploaded the full match for free via their Worldwide youtube show. Here is the full episode here, Fergal Devitt v BT Gunn begins at 27:38:
As you will have seen above, all was not over yet... without warning, a masked man emerged from the crowd armed with an 8 ball, taking out Devitt as Yum Yum was unceremoniously kicked out of the ring by the returning NAK. Chris Renfrew took to the microphone to further explain the NAK's mission - they are here to destroy pro wrestling piece by piece, starting with the best wrestler in the world lying prone at their feet. This action was met by general derision and angry voices, as the three slithered away like snakes.
Despite now improving his ICW record to 1-1, the brutal post-match beatdown would have been enough to leave a lesser man broken and dismayed. Instead, Fergal got himself to his feet and addressed the crowd:
"On Friday, in Japan, wrestling in front of 5,000, on live PPV, it doesn't compare to wrestling here in ICW."
With that, and an offer to come back to face Chris Renfew one on one, Prince Devitt once again left to consider his experience at ICW, this time leaving to strong and loud chants of "Please come back."
What happened next...
Unfortunately, the match with Chris Renfrew did not materialise. With Devitt vanquished back to New Japan Pro Wrestling, the NAK went from strength to strength. The third man was unmasked as Dickie Divers, the trio utilised the Card Subject To Change proviso to gain Tag Team gold, and Chris Renfrew went on to claim victory at the 3rd Annual Square Go, promising him an ICW Heavyweight title shot in the future. To this day, Project Mayhem continues to ravage ICW and pro wrestling.
Some of the NAK's sentiment may have actually rubbed off on the Prince. From May 2013 through to April 2014, Devitt headed up a dastardly group of NJPW foreigners called The Bullet Club. Turning on his former partner Ryusuke Taguchi, Devitt and his various cohorts embarked on a tear throughout New Japan that would cement Fergal Devitt's legacy throughout the world as the star of the future. Boasting nine accolades as a group, including the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship held by Devitt and his unparalleled victory at the 2013 Best Of The Super Juniors, the Bullet Club dominated proceedings at New Japan, at least in the eyes of many on the outside. It would only be a matter of time before America came a-calling for Prince Devitt...
Further Reading
Part 2 of this article should be published soon. For now, here is a link to an ICW interview from Prince Fergal Devitt during the time of Reservoir Dogs:
Disclaimer: I wrote notes for this at the time and am only now trying to put them into some sort of context. Half of it won't even make sense to me, so good luck. Tempted to just post my notes and let you figure the rest out....
Saturday 19th April - Kilmarnock Grand Hall Match 1 - BCW Openweight Championship: Noam Dar (c) v Kris Travis Original Notes: "Cracker, plenty of comedy spots, got a fan heavily involved, hair ruffling, clapping Travis hand. Won with a big kick (ADR) and an almost German brainbuster."
WTF Interpretation: Both of these guys are incredible wrestlers and played their parts to perfection. Normally you find with local, family shows that the heel takes the majority of the crowd interaction, generating heat etc. But for this one, Noam Dar was doing a lot of the hard work, singling out one fan to keep his jacket safe for him, ruffling Travis' hair and forcing him to clap his hands. All great stuff.
I can't remember much of the specific match except clearly the ending involved a step-up Enzuigiri and some kind of brainbuster that reminded me of a German suplex. Love both those moves so I'm sure it was immense and I was marking harder than The Funky Bunch.
Match 2 - BCW Tag Team Championship: Just Uz (Stevie Xavier & BT Gunn) (c) v Hubba Bubba Lucha (El Ligero & Bubblegum) Original Notes: "unnanounced tag match... EL LIGERO, WTF?!?!?! Better than Devitt winning the zero G. Vs the champs Stevie and BT Gunn ; errbody dance now : suicide dives, bt Gunn chops.bt Gunn powerbombed Stevie onto? Back. Why??? Stevie boy took an almighty dive from all 3. Looked over after a dual double stomp/ligero neckbreaker, but BT kicked out at 2. Great exchange of kicks from bt and bubble. Everyone shared rollups, then a double superkick led to the finisher of LOD clothesline."
WTF Interpretation: El Ligero was literally the only UK wrestler I hadn't seen live that I really wanted to, and I had been a fan of Just Uz but never seen them live. Being an ICW fan I can't tell you how odd Just Uz look to me. So, I was pretty amazed at how many specific notes I took for this match.
Not much else I can add to the above other than to say if you are an ICW fan reading this and see no reason to branch out, both Just Uz and El Ligero are THE reasons to branch out. Bubblegum was great too btw, no disrespect, but EL.... LIGERO...... UNANNOUNCED MATCH :|
Match 3 - "Bad Boy" Liam Thomson v Kenny Williams Original Notes: "missed the start. Came back to chants of lets go Kenny//Liam sucks. Tornado DDT from Kenny blocked but turned into a clothesline out and a suicide dive & big dive back into the ring led to a near fall. End was a strange one. Kenny did a superman punch in the corner, Liam responded with a hanging clothesline in the other. Kenny handstanded onto the ropes which somehow dazed him so Thomson picked him up on shoulders, spun, dropped, backstabber."
WTF Interpretation: Kenny is amazing, Liam Thomson is amazing, and I spent much of this match either running to the bathroom with one of the kids or trying to explain to them why both guys are amazing. Hated the "groggy" opponent ending and I think I felt the Superman Punch should have been given more respect, but eh, what you gonna do.
Match 4 - Red Lightning v Grado Original Notes: "1st half Main Event. Lightning took to the mic, Bad News Lightning declared to us to show some respect as he reclaims his throne as Scotland's number 1. Crowd having none of it, a McManus-less Madonna tune starts. Red right into heel tactics. Not starting match til smoke clears, claiming he's not 100% due to his asthma, rope breaks, etc. Usual early comedy spots from Grado with a few new ones, some Colt Cabana moves too. Failed F5 let Lightning make his comeback. Imitating Grado mannerisms and Cabana moves. Grado attempted the Pedigree. Hit roll and slice. Nearfall. Straps doon. Wee boot missed. Lightning DDT. Nearfall. Sloppiest Pedigree ever for the win."
WTF Interpretation: Despite the eldest boy's protestations, I totally bought into Red Lightning. His heel tactics were amazing, from demanding the smoke cleared to mocking Grado, I bought into him. He was, shock horror, funnier than Grado on this occasion. It's a shame as I feel I was a wee bit hard on Grado, but at the time it was just a great match, kids loved it, kudos to both. (I'm sure it wasn't the sloppiEST Pedigree ever btw. Hyperbole.)
Extra Notes: "Wee dance at end led to Petta messing up a cartwheel."
WTF Interpretation: lol poor Sri.
Match 5 - Joe Coffey v Bad Bones Original Notes: "after the bell. Bad Bones typical heel, throwing his shirt in ref's face, antagonising crowd, refusing to be searched, etc. Iron Man chant. GRAPPLING! Bad Bones actually overpowering the Iron Man at points. Huge Joe dropkick. Massive spear in corner from Bad. Awesome Cesaro swings into sharpshooter from Joe. HUGE missile dropkick from Bad. Nearfall. Exchange of punches to chops to dual punches to Bones changing a lariat spin into Northern Suplex but Joe got a massive clothesline (from HELL?!) from the corner. Big splashes to bulldog. Some sort of pumphandled northern lights suplex thing. Missed with the lariat, Bad Bones capitalised with a Brainbuster-to-Knee (Gut Buster?), several nearfalls. Joe with a huge release German to a delayed German. Nearfall. Spinning lariat missed to a huge running double knee, Bad Bones wins.
WTF Interpretation: I'm sure Sharpshooter = Boston Crab, Lariat Spin = Discus Clothesline, and Northern Suplex = Northern Lights Suplex, the rest of it I haven't a scooby, but you get the gist. Big men doing big stuff. Awesome. It was actually refreshing seeing Joe lose for once. I love the Iron Man, but when Bad Bones overpowers you early on, it's really a matter of time. The type of match that makes you want to lift weights.
Match 6 - Davey Blaze v James Scott (standing in for Marty Scurll) Original Notes: "Battle of the Take Me Out stars.... Gonna enjoy and not take notes..... ONE note, lots of outside work AND JS chopped a metal pole..... FINISH JS misses chair shot, Davey hoists onto shoulders, Diamond Cutter."
WTF Interpretation: Eh, ye wit?! Davey Boy hit a Diamond Cutter? Oh wait, should go back to the start. Basically, Marty Scurll was clearly too banged up to fight, but he still cut an impressive promo, claiming that a man of his calibre is above fighting the likes of Davey, and instead he got paid so much money just to show up that he could afford to hire someone else to fight on his behalf, which is where James Scott came in. Now, I loved the promo. I love heels and heel work. But it kind of didn't make either of Davey or Scott look good, and surely the point of bringing in outside talent is to ENHANCE the home talent? Of course if Scurll were to lose to Davey, that would have worked, but the angle of paying James Scott to come out kind of made them both look weak. A shame, was a good match though.
Bonus Notes: "nice moment in raffle"
WTF Interpretation: BCW had a raffle for some prizes, one guy (teens? early 20s?) won a few prizes and donated some to a young fan who looked heartbroken to have not won anything. Sweet moment, hope you're reading this fan, you're awesome.
Match 7 - BCW Championship: Kid Fite (c) v Prince Fergal Devitt Original Notes: "Devitt had fireworks. Another totem on his pole. No notes, enjoying it. Fite ran away haha..... A lot of imitations from Fite, kicked out of all of Devitt's finishes. Double foot stomp, kick out, a half-nelson esque DDT for win."
WTF Interpretation: Hey, I can't remember. It was Devitt though. DEVITT. (And he looked at me. We made eye contact. Sparks flew... then he flew and dropkicked Fite who was sat on a chair outside the ring. Belter.)
Summation
Only been to a few wrestling shows with the kids. It was a great experience, however if I'm ever going back to Kilmarnock I will make sure to get there early. Sitting up on the balcony was a decent enough view, but the atmosphere suffered. Being in association with A1 Comics was great for the kids, but not so much on my bank balance. That said, was good to leave with a few figures and a Sin Cara mask. Would I recommend BCW? From the few DVDs I've seen and this event, I surely would. This was a well balanced card featuring strong men, colourful characters and engrossing matches.
Disclaimer: I wrote this half-asleep and in a rambling mood on the drive back from Newcastle. Published more for amusement than anything else.
Sunday, June 1st - Riverside Nightclub, The Close, Newcastle, NE1 3RQ
First match wis Wolfgang BT, what the actual fuck, Darkside and Renfrew came out, briefcase got fucked and BT won.... Second match was CARFUCKINGMEL and Bad Boy Liam who of course won over Stevie Boy and KLR. "Great" KayLee was not happy but, Y'know wit?! When you get pinned aff CarFuckingMel in London you might as well hand her the belts. #CarmelCorner. Third match up was Damo v Joe Coffey with Joe Hendry as Special Guest Referee. Can I take a second to say something? Fuck Jackie Polo on commentary. Anyway, Joe Hendry graciously allowed Kenny some screen time. See, the Global Hero has hit the big stage harder than the Emmulation. So Kenneth Is The Bollocks hit the stage and got changed faster than I did when @SammieCochrane made my "Carmel Jacob Guy" tshirt. A hard fought contest ensued with Joe "Iron Man" Coffey winning through no fast counts from Joe Hendry, and the two left fir a pair of pints. Newcastle, mate . Lovely. Next up was our first half main event.....
Jimmy Havoc (who bled just chanting his name) v Chris Renfrew. Now, I thought this was 3x 5minute rounds which is highly respectable, but it turns out these sick fucks wanted 5x 3minute rounds. By my count, Jimmy "Bleeding" Havoc was up 1-0 near the end of the fight, but apparently Renfrew had it 1-1. Time was called, BT came through the crowd with a Man Utd top on, and Darkside appeared fae wherever Undertaker keeps his tumblers, and Renfrew declared himself the winner for whatever fucking reason. Havoc (horizontally) delivered a promo that essentially, slurringly, amounted to "lets dae this again", and hauf time was called. Now, a bunch of negative shite normally gets published about our crowds, but on the whole Newcastle where fan-fucking-tastic, so let's leave it at that....
So (after Dallas and Toal inform us we'll be back, yassssss * FUCK LONDON *), we had Darkside v Noam Dar. Now, I don't need to tell you, Noam Dar is the fucking future, and Darkside for all his "Wee Fat Taz" shite is all the fucking bollocks, this match was sterling. Am no gonna fuck aboot, Noam Dar passed out and that's all there is to it. You give me these two, in any capacity, you get my $10 a month. You don't? Fuck the Network. I digress. The future, the franchise, the shit. Speaking of, out comes Polo "Coffey Could Do Better" Promotions v Grado & Mossy. Am not too sure why Johnny Moss is back in ICW, and I don't care. A stauner of a match with plenty of crowd interaction leads to a winner for Stevenson's finest. No sure if Mossy took exception to Grado "stealing" the win, or if he'd planned it all along, but yer man with the "rage" took it oot on our Greggs munching finest. Yeeps, kapow, where's ma glasses Velma? After aw that we had Devitt v Jester. Look, if ye wurnae there, fuck ye. Devitt is a legend, a living specimen of a man, and even though he tried to destroy my burd's car, he deserved 6 hours of yer time for a round trip. Jester won with few shenanigans, that's all yer getting. We gret our fucking eyes out and the bloke is off to WWE. The gist?
Car-Fucking-Mel, Noam Dar and Kenny are the future, Newcastle is relatively sound, and I miss Prince Devitt already. I touched his shoulder and am getting that finger embalmed. Thank you very fucking much....
