Wrestlers on the card :-
• "The Stallion" Chris Bronson
• "The Main Character" Prince Phoenix
• "The Silverback" Saime Sahin
• "The English Lion" Eddie Ryan
• Nadia Sapphire
• Tiger Ali
• Ruby Manitoba
• Charlie Sterling
• "The Hossfather" Curt Atlas
• Owadasan
• JD Knight
• Toby St. John
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Here's
a promo video to show you what you're missing out on if you haven't
been to a Brit King Pro event. Do yourself a favour and buy tickets.
They regularly put on shows in Swindon, Oxford, Cardiff, Gloucester,
Bristol, Pontypridd, Portishead, Thatcham, Emersons Green, and other places! The
ticket prices are more than fair and I guarantee you'll have a great
time! One of the things that separates Brit-King from most indie
companies is that their events are story-driven. They give you
cliffhangers that make you desperate to attend again next time.
With that being said, let’s dive in…
Another weekend, another Brit-King Pro Wrestling show! Hot off the heels of last Saturday's spectacular event in Thatcham, myself and Susie headed to Swindon for another night of wrestling excitement. Thatcham was the return show after the summer hiatus so the card for Thatcham wasn't announced in advance - the team were still enjoying a well-earned summer off - but unlike Thatcham, Swindon's card was announced in advance...
On paper the card looked awesome! However, we've all seen cards that look amazing on paper, but shit the bed in reality. Could the event itself live up the billing's potential? Without giving away too much upfront, yes it did! From top-to-bottom, pound-for-pound, this was the best Brit-King Pro show we've ever been too. Frankly, we expected the main event to be amazing. It was a T.L.C. match containing four of the best heavyweights in the country. Brit-King's main events are legendary. The "Brit-King style" of main event is a formula that is tried, tested, and proven to give an explosive, memorable ending to the show...but would the rest of the card deliver? Could Toby St. John succeed a solo without the other half of The Blockbusters, Jordan Sparkes? Has JD Knight shaken off all the ring-rust from a summer in Mythos Theatre? How would the first ever one-on-one match between "The Hossfather" Curt Atlas and SWW Heavyweight Champion, Charlie Sterling, play out? How good is Owadasan? Can Phoenix rise to the occasion again and successfully defend his Junior Heavyweight Championship? How would the Lionesses, Nadia Sapphire and Ruby Manitoba, hold up to the rabid crowd and live pressures of Swindon? Let's find out together.
It was also humbling once again to have people mention to me that my reviews encouraged them to buy tickets to attend live! Being a small part of spotlighting this fantastic company is a real honour.
Swindon is the home of Brit-King Pro. It was the home of its predecessor company, 4FW. The 4FW events from Swindon are legendary. The crowds are typically large and noisy. The last couple of shows in Swindon, Prince Phoenix has nearly caused riots and fights with the crowd. We already knew it was going to be busy - front row was sold out, second row was sold out, and general seating had sold well. A lively crowd is the difference between a good match and a great match in my opinion. You can have the best moves in the world, but if the crowd is silent it doesn't translate well. I wasn't worried about Swindon; they are notoriously energetic. The ingredients were there for greatness...
With the Heavyweight Championship already hanging from the rafters, it was time to start the show.
Match 1: JD Knight vs. Toby St. John
I have had the privilege of watching JD Knight wrestle live for over 15 years. He is one of the most tenured, most well-respected, most accomplished members of Dave Sharp's roster. One could forgive JD for living off of his former glory and reputation, and dare I say 'phoning it in' for the remainder of his in-ring career...but that's not his style. Even with his acting and theatre career going from strength-to-strength, JD does not disappoint. Contrasting the grizzled veteran was up-and-coming likeable babyface Toby St. John - the man with the best smile in wrestling....according to all the ladies sat at ringside that I overheard anyway.
Speaking of ringside, before I get too deep into the show...one of the best things about Swindon's event was that it was filmed. Professionally for Brit-King's YouTube channel. So please keep an eye out for it here. The only downside to the entire show was that the filming process did get in the way of the front two rows. The gentleman filming had a tendency to stand right in the way of the crowd's view to get his desired angle. This definitely irritated a lot of people in the centre of the front row as some of the biggest moments of the matches were blocked from view. I'm all for recording, promoting, and progress...but not at the expense of the paying consumer. The matter could easily be solved for the future by crouching down. Win-win. Emma - Brit-King's photographer - has mastered the art of getting incredible photgraphs while not obstructing views. This needs to be replicated for the video element as well.
Back to the match...both JD Knight and Toby St. John aquitted themselves well. The athleticism on display was impressive, their chemistry was solid, the offence looked impactful, and, as always, JD Knight's facial expressions were joyous.
Toby St. John is impressive. Physically gifted, easy to like, easy to get behind and root for, and he has energy for days. He's a name that people should become familiar with if you aren't already as he's going to be special. With a picturesque top rope elbow drop that Randy Savage would approve of, Toby St. John defeated JD Knight and was declared the winner. Some highlights of the match are below.
Match 2: Junior Heavyweight Championship Match - Prince Phoenix (Champion) vs. Owadasan
Prince Phoenix is less than a week away from being the longest reigning Brit-King Pro Junior Heavyweight Champion in history. Yes, the company is still in its infancy, but it's still impressive given that the other two title holders have been Nico Angelo and Mochizuki Jr. I must admit, I knew very little about Owadasan. Hailing from Pro Wrestling Noah, Owadasan started out as a legitimate wrestler in Japan before transitioning to professional wrestling. In Japan, pro. wrestling is treated like a legit sport. The wrestlers go through a rigorous recruitment process to be accepted to be trained. Even then the "young boys" (as they're called) get the shit kicked out of them for a long time afterwards to prove that they're tough enough. Only after earning it will the wrestler be trained. Part of that training process is sending the wrestler all over the world to learn as much as they can about all the various wrestling styles that exist. I would suggest that Owadasan's foray into Brit-King Pro was part of that process as Owadasan's professional career started two years ago.
Bringing up-and-coming Japanese and Mexican stars to the U.K. is very on-theme for Brit-King. They've been doing it for 20 years. Getting to watch some of the 'cream of the crop' stars of the future for Japan is always awesome. As I've stated at nauseam before, Prince Phoenix is one of the best workers in the U.K. right now. His character work is right up there with the best, his ability to generate heat is probably the best in the company (two near-riots this year proves that), his offence looks believeable, and his body is growing to the point where he's looking at home competing against the heavyweights. There is nothing this young man can't do. I'm glad to see he's starting to spread his wings and grow as a performer - a three-week trip to Mexico and the development of merchandise being the two most recent examples. More on the merch later...
Owadasan and Phoenix had a very solid match. Lots of hard strikes, high-impact offence, and great heel work from Phoenix. While queuing to enter the venue, I overheard numerous people talking about Phoenix and his dastardly ways, so his heelish tendencies extend beyond the ring and bleed over into real life too, which is the mark of a great heel. Phoenix successfully defended his title, inching ever-closer to the longest reign bragging rights. With his match concluded, Phoenix had the rest of the night off to recover...or did he?....match highlights below.
Talk about two body transformations over the last couple of months! I'd be remiss not to say that neither Charlie nor Curt have ever been in bad shape, but both of them have gone through impressive changes in recent times - just like Prince Phoenix and Chris Bronson. Perhaps everyone can sense that the U.K. indies are exploding after WWE moved to Netflix? Whatever the reason is, kudos to all involved. I've gone through my own transformation since May, shedding 3 stone and 2 pounds thus far. Lifting weights daily, doing cardio daily, and being mindful of my diet. It's stories like Bronson's, like Phoenix's, like Atlas', and like Sterling's that keep me motivated to keep pushing forwards.
I've seen Atlas' improvements over the last few years and have documented them already: he's improving as a performer by the day and is one of the shining beacons coming out of a crop of studs from Wales right now. Whatever Brendan White is putting in the water in the Welsh valleys, it's working. While I've been following Sterling's career from afar via social media, I'd never seen him wrestle live until Swindon. What a talent! Looks like a champion, acts like a champion, wrestles like a champion. The first ever one-on-one match between Curt Atlas and Charlie Sterling was expected to be great...and it was. Lots of near-falls, lots of impactful maneuvers, and a stunning moonsault from Sterling were some of the cherries on top of the cake that was a very good match. After a ref-bump knocked Drew to the ground, Sterling had the match won. The crowd counted to three...then four...right up to thirteen, but Drew did not wake from his slumber. Atlas used this opportunity to bring his chain into the ring. He turned around ready to damage Sterling...and walked right into an RKO! Sterling was victorious! The crowd loved it!
Highlights below.
It was intermission. Myself and Susie took the opportunity to check out the merchandise tables. Typically, most wrestlers wait until after the show has concluded before hitting the merch. area, but there's always one or two that take the opportunity to do it mid-show as well. On this occasion, it was Sterling. As always, I was prepared. I'd brought two Sterling prints with me from home. I got both of them signed by Sterling and grabbed a picture with him. I actually gave him my silver Sharpie as well as his was running out.
Match 4: Nadia Sapphire vs. Ruby Manitoba
Nadia vs. Ruby was a match we'd seen before, earlier this year in Emersons Green, Bristol. While the match in Bristol was good, this one was better. Nadia is a great character. She's whiny, irritating, and it's very, very easy to root for someone to smack her! On this day, Ruby Manitoba was the leading candidate to do just that...and did. After an entertaining back-and-forth match with lots of mat-wrestling, character work, and impressive acrobatics from Ruby, Ruby managed to pin Nadia and get the victory.
This was my second time watching Ruby live and I must say she's also improving by the day. Her athleticism is obvious, but there's a difference between athleticism and a believeable wrestler. Ruby is blending the two together beautifully now. What a talent for the future! Meanwhile, Nadia's night was just beginning.
Match 5: Brit-King Pro Heavyweight Championship T.L.C. Match - "The Stallion" Chris Bronson (Champion) vs. "The Silverback" Saime Sahin vs. "The Main Character" Prince Phoenix vs. "The English Lion" Eddie Ryan
While the first four matches on the card were good-to-great, the main event was on another level. I've had the distinct honour and privilege of watching Saime Sahin and Eddie Ryan wrestle live for roughly 15 years. I also watched Phoenix wrestle live 11-12 years ago as Volkan Azlan. Bronson has been the face of Brit-King since its inception 2 years ago. I'll say it again: four of the most talented men working on the U.K. indies today.
Originally, Antonio De Luca was slated to be in the match instead of Prince Phoenix. I'm not sure what happened to De Luca - another 4FW veteran - and I hope he's okay, but I was quietly delighted at Phoenix being included. Was tonight the night (channelling my inner Dexter Morgan there) that my 3rd prediction about Phoenix was going to come true? Would he leave at Heavyweight Champion? When Chris Bronson came out for the match 3rd, I smelled a rat. I knew something was up. Why would "The Stallion" come out before De Luca? Bronson stated that De Luca wasn't there and he was drafting his best friend in instead: the Junior Heavyweight Champion and his matching-tattoo buddy, Prince Phoenix.
The introductions by Giovanni Giorgio was enough to hype up the crowd...
Frankly, there isn't a lot I can say about the match that will do it justice. It was one of if not the best match I've ever seen live as an adult - I have to say "as an adult" as I saw Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog (Summerslam 1992) live as a young child. It had standing moonsaults off of the top of ladders, it had three big table bumps - including one where Nadia was put through a table by Saime Sahin - but most importantly it had psychology. It wasn't a spot-fest. The moves made sense. The use of weapons made sense. It was a well-told story. All four competitors brawled through the crowd, everyone had a moment to shine, and everyone left the match a bigger star. The heels got the upper-hand for a while, until Phoenix tried to sneak up the ladder and grab Bronson's Championship while he was talking shit to the crowd. Nadia came to the rescue and stopped them from bickering. The bromance was restored.
Saime Sahin has battled back from immense back injuries to compete in this match - and he looked spectacular. From his top-rope-to-the-outside splash onto Bronson and Phoenix, to his table bump, to his putting Nadia through a table, to his almost-victory, he looked every bit as good as he always does.
There was a moment in the match where I thought Phoenix might get the upset victory - it's included in the highlight video below. Bronson was down, Eddie was down, Saime was climbing the ladder...and Phoenix was poised on the outside, ready to jump into the ring and strike. It's exactly what happened, but it wasn't enough to retrieve the Championship that was suspended from the ceiling. Just as Saime dispatched Phoenix and was reaching for the Title, his old nemesis, Tiger Ali, came to the ring and hit him with a chair. He then helped Bronson climb the ladder and retain his Heavyweight Championship. The bastard. I'm secretly happy though as The Stall is money. There is something about him that is just "it". He has "it". Whatever the fuck "it" is.
The event ended with Bronson, Phoenix, and Tiger Ali reigning supreme. All of the gold is theirs.
After the event ended, it was time for the meet-and-greet! For the low price of £6, you can meet all the wrestlers on the card. Get autographs, get selfies, and have a chat. It's well worth the money! As I was starting to prepare my 8x10's to get signed, Drew (referee extraordinaire) quietly told me that pieces of the tables were still around ringside and I could likely grab one to keep. I went straight back to the theatre room that contained the ring and chatted to Tiger Ali, who grabbed a piece of the table for me. I got all four competitors to sign it. It was probably the coolest piece of memorabilia that was created from an unforgettable show! It now has pride of place on one of my man shelves - the Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon whisky and wine shelf to be precise (best shows ever!).
(How cool is that?!)
Another surprise emerged during the meet-and-greet: Phoenix has just started to get his own merchandise. He created it himself in fact. "The Main Character" prints and t-shirts adorned the merchandise table in front of him. Phoenix presented me with the first print out of the box. The first print of his career. Individually labelled "1/28". He told me it was for me and it might be worth something some day...like I'd ever sell it! It meant a lot. See kids, even heels aren't always assholes!
Alongside all this merriment, I also grabbed pictures with Ruby Manitoba, Owadasan, and Le Champion, "The Stallion" Chris Bronson. It's always a pleasure talking to Bronson.
I also got a number of prints signed that I brought with me from home. Most of which were photos taken by the incredibly talented Emma Meek. Here are some of them...
The Nadia one is actually a picture my talented Wife took in Thatcham the week before.
I grabbed a t-shirt from Prince Phoenix and also took the opportunity to take some pictures of the new Heavyweight Championship that Chris Bronson currently holds.
(She's a beauty!)
As much as we weren't ready for it to end, it was time to go home. We said our goodbyes and headed back to the Shire...Gloucestershire to be precise. It was an unforgettable night at Brit-King Pro. Make sure you book tickets for an event. You won't be disappointed.
Here's an artsy fartsy shot I hovered around for 5 minutes to take so that the area around the ring was clear...it encompasses everything we loved about the night and will remember forever: Brit-King Pro, the proud lion that is its mascot, a ladder, a broken piece of table (the one I was given to get signed), and a little bit of fluid dripping out.
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