Modern Wrestling In The UK

[shoe]

I honestly think Haskins is the 3rd best wrestler in the UK behind Sabre Jr, and Ospreay right now.

[kingliam]

I honestly think Haskins is the 3rd best wrestler in the UK behind Sabre Jr, and Ospreay right now.

 

Where do you sit on Scurll?

 

Sabre Jr. is by far and away the best. Just so interesting and dynamic.

 

To open this up, I've never quite clicked with the London Riots. They aren't horrendous, but they can be a bit hit and miss for me.

[shoe]

I feel Scurll and End are right below these guys. Then you have your Big Damo types as the next level tier.

[kingliam]

Not seen much Damo, outside of him trying to cripple Nakamura at one of the last RevPro shows.

 

Scurll is odd for me, insofar as I feel that he is already beginning to occupy a Doug Williams position - he is a great challenger, a steady hand, but won't be the guy you have as 'the man' in your promotion. That Scurll is so much younger than Williams and that is the case feels a little odd.

[shoe]

With Scurll he seems to be missing one thing. I can't quite put my finger on. He keeps me engaged in his matches for the most part, but loses me here and there.

[kingliam]

I feel he'd need a big angle within a big company to be 'the guy'. He has spent too long around the periphery to suddenly be elevated to championship status, even though he is arguably above a lot of wrestlers who occupy that level.

 

It seemed like PROGRESS was starting to go that way when he attacked Travis after their match, but with Travis subsequently legit retiring, it probably won't go anywhere.

[Laz]

The Riots seem like they'd be that much better in a garbage promotion. It seems like they'd be better fit as the street fighter type rather than brute wrestlers (which I feel is more suited to Rampage Brown anyway).

[Ship Canal]

Would this be the right place on the forum for posting my thoughts on ICW Fear and Loathing? Biggest pro wrestling show here for decades as mentioned previously but not sure it warrants its own thread if this thread is sort of the de facto place we are talking UK based wrestling?

[kingliam]

Post them here I guess.

 

I'm going to start exploring outside of just RevPro and PROGRESS. Might have a look at ICW, but seen links to promotions online as diverse as Futureshock, NGW, Pro Wrestling Chaos, IPW:UK, W3L and Discovery all with relatively easy access.

[Laz]

For when you dive into ICW, here's that playlist I posted about earlier:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN3tCxB2QM_aIpdZ_j8K8IVyUmUsVJ1xi

 

It really starts picking up at ICW Online S3, but there are some good bits and pieces of everything prior. The match quality is much poorer than Progress, overall, but I find myself not caring as much because wins and losses actually feel like they matter.

[NotJayTabb]

Glad to see some love bein shown to the UK scene at the moment, there's a load of great promotions running at the moment, and there's so much talent available that promotions are able to build up unique rosters whilst still putting on great shows. Look at a company like Pro Wrestling Chaos - growing at an impressive rate, selling out 400 seater shows only a year or so into their existance, and doing it without a lot of big stars. Their big title feud has been between Mike Bird and Wild Boar, both great wrestlers, but not names you're likely to see high on the card for the bigger companies. But by putting on good show after good show, they've built a deserved reputation without needing to spend a fortune hiring big name stars or aiming for the "international dream match" audience. Promotions like HOPE and Attack! have also built up loyal audiences by the consistency of their shows.

 

In terms of UK talent, I'd have to put forward a vote for Martin Kirby as amongst the elite. He's been performing at a top level for a few years now, and I'd say he's been at his peak this year. He's an all-rounder: really compelling face, hilarious stooging goof heel and utterly convincing vicious arsehole. In August, he had a streetfight with referee Joel Allen that was ridiculously heated, all because of how hateful Kirby had been in the build-up. Not only that, the match itself was terrific because of Kirby, who had to convincingly sell the offence of a non-wrestler whlst at the same time managing to maintain his aura of being the actual trained wrestler in the match. As an audience member who had earlier sat through a tedious Chris Hero/Tommy End strikefest slog, it was a real standout performance.

[kingliam]

Pro Wrestling Chaos is one that I'm thinking of doing some blog stuff on. Cheap streaming of their stuff.

 

I like Kirkby, but do struggle to see him outside of the stooging role.

[NotJayTabb]

I think generally Kirby enjoys doing the stooging comedy stuff, and he's not afraid to look like an idiot. Not many wrestlers would be comfortable dressing in drag and cleanly putting over women wrestlers (as in the "Martina Kirby" vs Viper match I saw this year). But when he does get a more serious role, he's always excelled. The El Ligero/Ego Dragon war was the best thing in Southside for 2012/13, where they just beat the tar out of each other every match, followed by the Kay Lee Ray feud where he forced broken glass into her mouth before superkicking her in the jaw.

 

Hopefully you'll enjoy Chaos, I really like that their undercard consists largely of guys who don't get much exposure in the rest of the UK. Guys like Gideon, Big Grizzly and the Henchmen deserve more exposure.

[kingliam]

Does anyone subscribe to the British Wrestling Weekly stuff?

[stevieg1980]

With Scurll he seems to be missing one thing. I can't quite put my finger on. He keeps me engaged in his matches for the most part, but loses me here and there.

He's just a great scheming cheating bastard. But he's put some viciousness into it now.

 

My opinion on what he could do next depend on spoliers from Chapter 24.