Trash Talking: Evolution of the X Division

written by Rob Poulloin 

On the March 21, 2013 episode of Impact Wrestling new rules for the X Division were implemented which are:

• A 230lb weight limit
• All matches will be contested under triple threat rules
• In matches contested for the championship who ever gets pinned / submits will be illegible for the next championship match.

These new rules are another attempt by TNA to freshen up the division and restore the attraction to its former glories but will this change in rules add anything to the product or will it just vanish like the previous attempts at shinning up the former star attraction?

Weight Limits

This rule change is the second attempt TNA have made in placing a weight limit on the X Division, the first coming in August 2011 after Abyss had reigned supreme over his smaller opponents until the Destination X event where the entire division helped Brian Kendrick defeat the monster, with the rule implemented weeks afterwards to stop it from happening again although this limit was removed in March 2012 to allow wrestlers  who wrestle in the style of the division such as Samoa Joe and Rob Van Dam to compete.

I'm not a big fan of an imposed weight limit as it restricts the division too much, the previous mentioned champions can no longer compete for the title if they wish to and if current champion Kenny King puts on just 1lb he would go over the restriction. If a limit is needed then it should be closer to 300lb to stop the Abyss' of the roster dominating the division again rather than forcing wrestlers such as King to watch their weight in fear of being stripped of his title. 

Triple Threats

Zema Ion going high risk at Lockdown

In an unusual twist all matches will be contested under triple threat rules, making one on one matches in the division a thing of the past but going through the history books the more memorable moments from the X Division have been when there have been more than two wrestlers in the ring. The decision to make the matches triple threat's are unclear but I imagine the opener of Lockdown had something to do with it with as King, Christian York and Zema Ion put on an entertaining match that was more memorable than anything put up by the division in the last year despite the dangers the match posed.

There are limitations to this new rule though with the most noticeable being the lack of wrestlers currently on the roster who would compete for the championship. With the number of wrestlers required for a match increasing we will be seeing more of the same faces competing against one another so unless TNA are looking at bringing in new wrestlers or some from developmental then the matches come under threat of getting old quickly. 

The division will also have to tread carefully between conventional matches and 'spot fests', X Division matches are famed for having high spots to increase the excitement but increasing the number of wrestlers will raise the bar of those looking to stand out and could be dangerous for the health of those involved, just look at the injury's suffered by Jesse Sorensen, Chris Sabin and Sonjay Dutt over the last couple of years along with the painful looking moments suffered by Marty Scurll on Impact and Kenny King in the previously mentioned Lockdown match. I'm a fan like most of the exciting spots but I don't wish to see wrestlers taking unnecessary risks on their career and more importantly their life just to get an extra crowd pop.

The new rules follow on from last years failed attempt of boosting the division by offering the Champion a trade for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship (which was cashed in successfully by Austin Aries) as the idea has gone by the wayside after the PPV was dropped. 

TNA will have to push the division and invest in new talent to bring back the former glories to make the X Division relevant again; it is an area that WWE are  currently overlooking on their main products but slowly building on NXT; but this is a chance to for TNA to differentiate themselves again, making use of the fresh crowds on the road  to lap up the action to create a buzz that has been missing for a number of years. Given enough television time the change in rules could be a success in the short term but developmental of talent is vital to ensure that the company builds stars for the future and doesn't find themselves in the same position in another couple of years. 

Review: TNA British Boot Camp Episode 4

Sorry for the lateness of this review everyone, as always, life intervened. Look for coverage tomorrow of episodes 5 and 6 aka the big finale. But for now, let's catch up with last week's peak behind the backstage curtain that is British Boot Camp!

Kicking the show off, we find the Blossom twins being treated to a makeover by the best stylists the industry has to offer. As to be expected, they had a whale of a time. When do women being pampered not! Slowly but surely, the men were brought in to gaze upon the ladies revamped beauty. Well, I say gaze, it's more of a gawp really. Rockstar Spud thought them both to be "pretty fit", while Party Marty clearly had his eye on one Blossom in particular. Just don't ask which, as I'm still in the dark on that front (as I imagine I always will be, sorry girls!). Now, instead of which one has a fringe and the other not, they've switched things up with a pair of straighteners and curling tongs. It definitely improved their look and brought them one step closer to the image of a TNA Knockout.

Rejoined by the always classy TNA President, Dixie Carter, the Campers were whisked away to a fancy restaurant called The Palm. A notorious celebrity hotspot, it's walls are positively covered in signatures. In a rare moment of humility, the boys were both hit by the surreal nature of where they were and just who they were dining with. It never hurts to massage the ego of your future boss. There may be hope for them yet! But let's not get carried away, there are plenty more situations for the boys to make colossal asses of themselves...and it just so happens...upon toasting their success, Marty and Spud down their glasses of wine like a pint down the local!

Pulling out her trusty iPad, Dixie proceeded to school the Campers as to how to present themselves. Not just at the dinner table, but the night before at TNA's signature event, Bound for Glory. Having the footage of their brief appearance on camera all cued up, she played it to them for the first time. Working her way around the table, she correctly called Spud out for being a little too emphatic and desperate in his few seconds of fame. A rockstar's behaviour, it was not. Very smartly, she also pointed out just what a negative reaction the sight of Spud mugging for the camera had on the Blossoms. As I mentioned in the last review, the twins were entirely thrown by the manic ball of energy to their side and damn near winced their way through the brief moment of TV time. Fortunately, they recovered well, blowing kisses to the audience, pulling their proverbial iron from the fire at the last moment. Marty was the most confident of the group, assuming his gesture of "number one" would win over the audience. However, he was soon deflated to realise he'd been chewing gum throughout the entire shot and looked worryingly unprofessional.

With no clear winner from group's first official TNA appearance, there was only one way to decide this - a drinking contest. And who better to preside, than "The Cowboy" himself, James Storm. Only a day removed from his bloody Bound for Glory victory over "The It Factor" Bobby Roode, his forehead was covered entirely by a huge plaster. Probably the only thing keeping his brain from spilling out after such a deep blading the night before. Frankly, heavy drinking after blood loss like that, it's a wonder he was still standing! But where the Cowboy could take his liquor, the Brits were, in his own words, "pretty pissed".

The night's festivities began with the group rewatching Storm's match from the night before and the reactions were absolutely classic. The brutality was making all of them shy away in terror, with Spud quoted as saying "I've never seen someone bleed so much before". Whether any of the Campers have such dedication to their craft, it remains to be seen. Pitching in his opinion of the potentials, Storm thought the Blossoms may be in for a tough time, listing countless world class Knockouts on the TNA roster. As for the boys, he immediately pegged Marty Scurll as the ladies' man, and wouldn't you just know it, yet another TNA legend calling Spud out as a good guy and alot of fun. I don't think there's any acting to be done where Scurll is involved, but Spud has been downright schizophrenic throughout this entire process. When a camera is in his face, it's almost as if his mind explodes and he becomes the insufferable prat we've all been watching. But keep him behind closed doors and ask him to bond with his fellow wrestler, they all come away fans of the Rockstar.

As the party continued, the Campers apprehensively tried their hand at a Nashville tradition - the mechanical bull! Clearly spurred on by their excessive intake of alcohol, they all stepped up to the plate...and they all failed abysmally. For professional wrestlers, these guys are lacking any sense of balance whatsoever! I do, however, admire their delusional belief in their own abilities. Lots of embarrassing fun was had that night and it didn't end at riding a bull, although that depends on what you've heard about Marty...

That's right, ladies and gentleman. Put enough alcohol down his neck and boy does he Blossom! For the first time in the six week process, the twins show a difference of opinion, as Hannah gladly snogs Marty's face off! Their fellow contestants watched on in horror, almost more so than at James Storm's bloodletting. Particularly, the victim's sister, Holly. But like a car crash, you just can't take your eyes off it. Frequently turning her gaze back to the lovebirds, Holly sure did take in the show.

Last, but not least, ACTUAL WRESTLING!!! Just when you were thinking that British Boot Camp was all about copping off and getting drunk, TNA throw a curve ball and feature wrestlers wrestling. It's a radical approach, but I'll see where it leads. And where it leads is Ohio Valley Wrestling, the long time developmental ground for WWE and more recently TNA. CM Punk, John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Mickie James, Tara, etc. All the superstars you watch on a weekly basis, they once came through the doors at OVW.

The instructors putting the Campers through their paces were none other than Al Snow and Doug Williams, two veritable legends of the sport and current TNA agents. Beginning with a few easy mindgames, Snow was tying the desperately respectful Spud in knots. By the time he worked his way round to Marty, the contestants were falling into a remarkably nervous cliche patter. Scurll talked of how much he'd sacrificed to get there, just what Al's heard a thousand times over from every other rookie in the business. Finally, Snow posed an interesting question to the Blossoms - what happens if one is more successful than the other? No good answer to that question, but the awkward looks between the pair were hilarious.

Doug Williams then took over for basic drills, asking them to run the ropes for a few minutes. The biggest surprise of the episode had to be, at this late a stage in the game, they were doing it wrong! Both Marty and Spud were putting their full body weight against the ropes, with no care or consideration if something were to go wrong. Al Snow correctly pointed out that they should be grabbing the top rope and leaning into it. The last thing you want to be seeing in the fourth episode out of a series of six is that the contestants can't do the simplest of maneuvers!

Join me back here tomorrow for the reviews of the final two episodes of British Boot Camp. Who will be the lucky Camper to win the prized TNA contract and appear weekly on Impact Wrestling? Guesses in the feedback!

Written by Mark Clements

Follow Canned Heat Wrestling on Facebook

Review: TNA British Boot Camp Episode 3

Welcome back to our weekly look at the reality show everyone in professional wrestling is talking about! This episode focused on the contestants' journey to Phoenix, Arizona for TNA's biggest show of the year, Bound for Glory. While there, they also bear witness to the induction of the Icon, Sting, into the brand new Hall of Fame. Not to mention, meeting numerous stars of Impact Wrestling in the process.

The sheer scale of these events worked wonders in impressing upon the audience, as well as the contestants, just how important this competition actually is. To have genuine icons wandering the halls and treating the contestants as colleagues, to walk out on that Bound for Glory stage and take in the entire width and breadth of the arena, to know just what is expected of them when they become the newest TNA Superstar. Before this, the contestants had only been to small independent shows and in the case of their "training" with Rollerball Rocco, a single ring in an empty storage unit. Whereas a packed arena, housing thousands of screaming fans, being seen live all over the world...this contest just got real.

In the first of what became a series of meet and greets, the Campers (it's a thing now, go with it) were introduced to long-time TNA Knockout and Ring Announcer, Christy Hemme. Having seen the gorgeous redhead at a live show, I know just how enthusiastic this living-dynamo can be. So you can imagine my surprise when one meeting with Rockstar Spud could send her slinking away in disgust! Rather than politely introducing himself, the joker of the group decided to make an impression by telling Hemme that Party Marty has a poster of her on his wall. If he'd left it there and it was simply a joke about Scurll being a fanboy, everything would've been fine and dandy. Instead, Spud pushed things one step too far and shook his fist in the air, hinting his co-competitor likes to masturbate to said poster! Oh my god. That was so embarrassing, even I felt the shame emanating from the screen. I apologise for my fellow Brit, Christy, we're not all like that, I swear. Saying it out loud, I mean. We're probably all still thinking it.

This bad behaviour continued well into their interaction with the TNA fanbase, bordering on unprofessional. In a rare moment, the boys ire turned towards the Blossoms, who everyone wanted their picture with (and who can blame them). Each time a fan would pass by Spud in favour of the Blossoms, he'd sneer, make rude comments and clap sarcastically. To look at the expressions on the fan's face, he was not impressed and in a distinct rush to get away from the Rockstar! I'm all for solid character work in professional wrestling, but when it comes to the fans, you have to win them over, face and heel alike, and make sure they had a good time. Whereas Spud was making such a stink, he was ruining the mood for everyone involved.

The single success story in Spud's one man charm offensive seems to be none other than multiple-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle! The fan-favourite took time out of his evening at the Hall of Fame ceremony to sit down with the young prospects and weed the future legends from the jobbers. Wouldn't you just know it, Spud impressed him! The miniature menace made a risque joke about having ripped his jacket during a bowel movement and that it was a shame because it was his Dad's favourite suit, which brought Angle out in fits of laughter. I maybe would've saved that material for a couple more minutes into knowing him, but if the best wrestler in the world is impressed, who are we to argue! Although, this is the man that's currently impressed by Wes Brisco, Garret Bischoff and once told Chris Sabin his next gimmick should be Pig-Pen from Peanuts. Mr Angle has his hits and misses, we'll wait and see with this one.

However, some sound advice did come in the form of the man of the evening himself - Sting! Passing the Campers in the hall after his induction, he stopped to wish them all good luck in the contest and that the key to success in this industry...longevity. Deceptively simple answer, yet really makes you think. How many of the greats that we worship at the feet of now, only got there because they outlasted the competition? With both Hogan and Sting standing tall at nearly three decades a piece, it's safe to say they climbed the mountain and they sure as hell aren't coming down!

The MANY photo-shoot segments were most definitely the highlight of the show, as the contestants true personalities began to shine through...and not always in a good way. Away from their icons, the Campers' pretense of civility fell away and in some cases, outright hostility broke out. The Blossom Twins were as professional and mature as ever, but the same could not be said of the boys. We'd already gotten glimpses of their pre-existing problems in episodes one and two, but here, the one-upmanship boiled over. Both Marty and Spud attempted to sabotage the other's shoot, whether it be with a playful pair of fingers over the head or the more drastic mooning (which was more of Spud than I ever needed to see!).

Almost a co-star of the episode, TNA President Dixie Carter's shadow loomed large over our Fab Four. No less than three times in the space of a half hour show, the group were called to meet with her. The repetition didn't do any favours for the structure of the show, but she's such a strong presence, I'm happy to see Dixie taking a firm hand with potential employees. Although, with Jeremy Borash running back and forth fetching them, he's coming off like Jonathan from 30 Rock. Does he have a desk outside Dixie's office and runs around adoringly while she sits inside drinking Scotch? What am I saying, OF COURSE that happens!

Finally, the Campers were escorted to their seats at the ringside of Bound for Glory 2012! Having been promised guaranteed television time by Dixie earlier in the night, all four were on best behaviour and clearly on the lookout for cameras for their big moment. If you can remember from watching the pay-per-view live all those months ago, it eventually came during the entrances for the Knockouts Championship match. Swinging the camera away from Tara and Tessmacher, we caught a quick glimpse of the group. Spud chewed scenery with the best of them, so much so, the Blossoms were mildly distracted and almost missed their cue entirely. They did recover though, blowing the audience at home a pair of kisses, before Marty signed off at the end. It was only a quick moment in the grand scheme of things, but you can tell it's going to be watched back by upper management and analysed ad infinitum, perhaps more harshly than it should.

At the end of the day, this episode exposes an interesting flaw in the premise, commonly referred to as "squeaky wheel gets the oil". The majority of the focus went on Rockstar Spud, but not because he's the better wrestler or the better speaker or the better publicist, simply because he's making the most noise. In drowning out Marty Scurll and the Blossom Twins, Spud could win this competition for all the wrong reasons. Hannah and Holly should most likely win on merit, but by being quiet and not causing a fuss, they're drifting to the back of the pack and not being noticed nearly enough. A problem that could very well be solved next week as the trailer teases potential romance between Fringe-Blossom and Party Marty. Could this be the perfect match in and out of the ring?

Written by Mark Clements

Follow Canned Heat Wrestling on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canned-Heat-Wrestling/225595667504614

Review: TNA British Boot Camp Episodes 1 & 2

Long neglected, the British wrestling scene has been crying out for a little attention from it's mainstream American cousin. Finally, after a deluge of UK talent through their ranks over the past ten years, TNA Wrestling have sat up and taken notice. In their first joint production with Challenge TV, their UK home, TNA have gathered the cream of the crop from all over the country and chosen four lucky independent wrestlers for greatness. Those four being Hannah & Holly aka The Blossom Twins, Rockstar Spud and Party Marty Scurll.

The first episode kicks off in similar fashion to the trailer that's been kicking around the internet for the past couple of months. Dixie Carter and Hulk Hogan quickly set up the premise of the show, before cutting across to footage of the launch party, where all four contestants were announced and introduced to the raucous crowd. These fifteen minutes which constituted the first half were fairly by the numbers and entirely introductory by nature. This is so and so, smile, wave for the camera and oh, don't they have such an inspirational story. Marty and Spud were largely just two macho guys saying "I wanted to be a wrestler, so I am one". However, I did like the Blossoms far more personal touch of walking the cameras around the school where they work and talked about how they'd used the concept of professional wrestling to reach out to a troubled child.

The second half of the first episode was where the reality aspect really kicked in full force, as the contestants were whisked away from the launch party to have a little drink and get to know one another properly. I say "little" drink ironically, as all four seemed worse for wear by only eight in the evening. Particularly, Marty and Spud, who were slurring words, swearing incoherently and starting fights with each other over who had the most Twitter followers. I admit, I found the fight between the two to be hilarious. I don't value Twitter in the slightest, so to see two grown men resort to fisticuffs because of it, you couldn't stop me laughing. Spud came off worse from the segment, having retreated on his lonesome to do some moody solitary drinking. However, anyone with two brain cells to rub together could tell Marty had done his fair share to instigate the situation. And this is only the night of the launch party!

Ending the episode with the looming threat of training in the morning, we were finally introduced to the trainer of British Boot Camp, Rollerball Rocco. A legit UK Legend, he received no end of praise from Hulk Hogan, TNA Announcer Mike Tenay and even a swanky staged entrance to emphasise his importance. However, while Scurll and the Blossoms were giving him their full attention and respect, Rockstar Spud was away with the fairies. Still feeling hungover (or still drunk?) from the bender that ended mere hours before, the premiere episode ended with the sight of Spud puking his guts up behind a dumpster and a less than impressed Legend looking on.

I have to say, that is a hell of a ballsy note to end your premiere on! Your contestants all hate each other, one of them is so drunk he may not be able to compete and a veteran stands on looking disgusted with the state of the current generation. Spud, in particular, is going to be feeling the repercussions of that mistake for episodes to come. Not just from the judges at TNA, but from we the viewers. My Canned Heat co-writer assures me Spud is a nice guy and not nearly as bad as portrayed on-camera, but the disrespect he showed by turning up hungover is a fairly stinging place from which to start.

But never fear, Episode 2 was a mere commercial break away! Cracking on with the contestant's training, which was actually far more of a one-off evaluation, we were first treated to the Blossom Twins going one on one. They were utterly convincing as TNA Knockouts from the get-go, landing some extremely hard hitting moves on one another. There were occasional mistakes in the course of the montage, usually resulting from the pair running the ropes against each other, but I think that was more down to the fact they're used to working together as a team, rather than against each other. The biggest botch involved one of the girls attempting a dropkick, but their sibling pulled away, causing the original to land awkwardly (don't you dare ask me which was which!). However, Rocco, and the editing itself, made it clear we should appreciate the Blossoms working through a potential injury rather than giving in. A dangerous move that could cause further damage later down the line, but I'm not going to be the one to tell a wrestler to get out of the ring and rest up!

Now it was the boys' turn. Spud and Marty took to the ring like a dose of salt, both still clearly wound up from the night before. Whether it was because of Spud's hangover or Marty's talent, the latter of the two fiercely dominated, tying his opponent in knots. The video package was definitely not in Spud's favour, as Scurll placed him in submission maneuver after submission maneuver, looking extremely painful in the process. Believing Marty to be sabotaging his chances, Spud bolted from the ring, making a sharp exit to the outside. He threw a major hissy fit before Rocco could catch up and talk some sense into him. Just how much of this was real will always be in doubt due to kayfabe, but I can see both sides of the argument. One one hand, professional wrestling is a complimentary art-form and requires both men to work in unison to make each other look good, whereas Scurll was intentionally squashing Spud. On the other hand, why shouldn't Marty do everything to improve his own chances? This isn't the big show yet, this is a training ring in the arse end of nowhere, of course you can embarrass your opponent to make yourself look dominant. Rockstar Spud should've been doing the exact same thing! I did find this unwillingness to take the lead slightly troubling whilst watching Spud. Even in his later sparring with Rocco, he wasn't dictating the pace like a ring general should. Instead, he was selling bump after bump after bump. I can't remember a single offensive move landed in the entire segment. There's a word for that - Jobber.

After a thorough workout for the contestant's bodies, we come to one for their minds. Firstly, TNA wanted to know how each of them would deal with the press. The majority of the group carried themselves with the appropriate decorum, fielding numerous newspaper, radio and television interviews (look out for WrestleTalk's Patrick Lennon!). The one glaring exception was Party Marty, who lived up to his nickname in all the worst ways. When asked about his opinion of TNA President, Dixie Carter, Marty replied he "definitely would" *slaps forehead*. In a national forum, one of the stars of the show is quoted as wanting to shag the boss! Urgh. Stupidity doesn't quite cover it. I'm sure he meant it in the most flattering way possible, if the most flattering way possible is to violate the woman who signs your cheques. Try looking her in the eyes at the next Christmas party, I dare you. It's almost as bad as when he said on WrestleTalk he "definitely would" when talking about Mickie James, his best friend Magnus' girlfriend! For future reference, life is not a series of questions as to who you would sleep with!

Anyway, moving on, they've spent the day running their mouths in the press, so now it's time to run their mouths in the ring of a local wrestling promotion. Taking over the show for the evening, the always lovable Jeremy Borash introduced each talent one by one (or two in the case of the Blossoms) and asked them to cut a show-stopping promo that'll get the crowd riled up, either in support or baying for their blood. First come, first served, we have Rockstar Spud. Cutting a fairly convincing heel promo, he opens with a memorable line about "for a building i've never stepped foot in, you all seem to know who i am". A good blend of cockiness and confidence, oozing with smarm. Something tells me he's used it before. Next up came the Blossom Twins, who before they could even finish a sentence, had the microphone ripped from their hands by Spud, who wasn't quite finished as it turns out. The lines the Blossoms retaliated with were slightly laboured and forced, but when they started physically pushing Spud and backing him into a corner, the crowd went nuts and were clearly praying for a woman on man beating not seen since Awesome Kong. Finally, we come to "Party" Marty Scurll, who the audience obviously knew beforehand and ate up his schtick in spades. He didn't even have to say anything particularly clever, but his name was being chanted above everything else. The most inspired part of his promo being when he told Spud "I thought there was an age limit of 14 to get in here?", which kicked off a massive "You're not 14" chant.

Ultimately, a solid beginning for TNA's first experiment in reality television. Having two episodes air one after the other was a good move, as one on it's own could have felt anemic (a problem they may still face with further week's programming). Both the boys' images took severe hits with various moments making them look like pretentious prats, yet the innate maturity of the Blossom Twins kept everything grounded and added a certain degree of heart to proceedings. The girls have taken an early lead for me, but if the boys can get their personalities in check, we may have a competition yet.

Written by Mark Clements

Follow Canned Heat on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canned-Heat/225595667504614

Trash Talking: TNA British Boot Camp

In September TNA announced that they would be pairing up with Challenge TV to create a new television show exclusive to the channel called TNA British Boot Camp. The show air in December and will be a six part series which will follow four British wrestlers who are looking to crack the American market, they will enter TNA's developmental system, receive training from the likes of Rollerball Rocco and 'The Immortal' Hulk Hogan and will wrestle in the Impact zone in an aim to impress judges who will include Dixie Carter. The 'winners' of the show will be awarded a contract with TNA and a spot on the Maximum Impact tour in January. 

The Finalists

We're not entirely sure of the details but the four wrestlers who have been put through to the show are being labelled as 'finalists', these are Rockstar Spud, Marty Scurll and The Blossom Twins.

Scurll facing off against LDRS team mate Zack Sabre Jr 

Scurll is well known as half of the tag team LDRS of New School with Zack Sabre Jr, with the pair becoming one of the best teams in the country, but solo Marty has also shown he is also one of the best cruiserweights which shows as he became the first ever Southside Speed King Champion and is also the IPW:UK Cruiserweight Champion.

Rockstar Spud is considered the smallest wrestler in the UK but don't let his size fool you as he is highly decorated in with many championships from many different promotions and is one of the best mic workers on the scene.

The Blossom Twins make up the finalists, Hannah and Holly have worked for TNA's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling and have both held the OVW Women's Championship as well as being apart of Pro-Wrestling EVE and wrestling some of the best females around including the likes of Mickie James.

Guest Opinion 

Recently I had the chance to talk to Southside Wrestling promoter Ben Auld and took the opportunity to ask him his opinions regarding the new show... 

"The show is a good idea, it is exciting that British Wrestling is getting out there and receiving main stream publicity and that people will see it being on a channel that is heavily linked with TNA anyway." 

Rockstar Spud knows how to work the crowd

When asked about the finalists Ben replied "I'm surprised they have only selected four, I would have thought it would have been more but without knowing the details of the show it may not fit what they are after, there is plenty of talent who could have made it including the likes of Stixx, El Ligero, Noam Dar, MK McKinnen, Nikki Storm and Alpha Female to name just a few. The cruiserweights in the UK are excellent which is probably why they have chosen two, especially as there are not many top heavyweights compared to the US market. The four that have been picked are likely to be seen as having more of an all-round package with Spud being one of the best talkers and cleverest workers in the industry, Marty being on of the best wrestlers and the Blossom Twins being a unique pairing as well as being two of the best females."

As pleased as Ben is for the wrestlers as a promoter he has some concerns for his own business... "there may be a negative impact on the business as I may lose some of my biggest names, there is a chance that Marty may have to pull out of shows that he is already scheduled for and being my Speed King Champion it is difficult to change plans, especially when championship matches are booked.There are possible advantages however due to the greater exposure received, if the show is a success then having Marty and Spud on the card could be a major draw for fans who don't usually pay attention to the UK scene although Spud has already demanded his wages are quadrupled". 

With it being unclear how the show will actually be won Ben struggled picking an overall winner... "I can't help but think Spud but I'm unsure, he's a better talker but it depends on the criteria they are being judged against, all four can wrestle and shouldn't have any issues adapting to the US, from a promotion stand point I don't want to lose my talent but on the other side I would like one of my guys to make it to the big time, we are all friends and I want to see them all do well."

It's good to see more British wrestlers being given the chance to shine, there is a great deal of talent that people don't see unless they go to the UK promotions shows, some of the finalists are still booked to be on some shows including some Southside shows and I highly advise to go check them out as well as some of the other great talents on the card.

Hopefully 'Bootcamp' wont be a one off but will become a yearly showcase for talent and will put the British market back on the map!

@Robbie_G_CH

Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canned-Heat/225595667504614

special thanks to Ben Auld - http://www.southsidewrestling.co.uk/home 

Ringside Report: NBW Southside Wrestling: Supremacy (19/08/12)

Back in January the Maximum Impact IV tour inspired me; I have been a wrestling fan for many years but before my venture to the Capital FM Arena, I had only previously been to two wrestling live events, both held by the WWE and both over 10 years ago; but watching the likes of A.J. Styles and Austin Aries in person made me want more. Last month I attended Leicester Championship Wrestling's 'Summertime' event and now I had a front row ticket for Southside's 'Supremecy' event in which the main attraction was to see Ring Of Honor's Davey Richards in person as he is regarded as one of the best in the world.

Arriving at the venue I wasn't sure what to expect, the LCW show I attended was good but had a crowd made up of kids; but walking into the bar waiting area I could tell this would be different, a large array of different people but only a small number of children to be seen and a variety of wrestling t shirts ranging from the everyday WWE CM Punk shirts to the rarity of ROH merchandise. 

After a lengthy delay, presumably down to the Q&A session taking place we were allowed into the arena, we were sat on top of a bowling green, but I guess finding  places to hold events is tough and once I was seated I was in a wrestling arena rather than anywhere else.

Seated at ringside, right in front of the corner of the ring near to the wrestlers entrance way and sound desk, it was worth the extra fiver not to have anybody in front of me to have the perfect view, only spoilt on occasion by the camera men trying to make their living. 

The show kicked off and the ring announcer 'Diamond Dale Mills' made his way to the ring to a chorus of boo's, but only from the side of the crowd that I was in! Having not read up on the history I was a little taken aback, but on the introduction of Harvey Dale it became clear there was a divide between Southside and the House of Pain which are two promotions (but seemed more like factions such like the WWE Invasion angle) and the crowd behind me was made up of HOP trainees. The two in the ring had a good back on forth on the mic and set the tone of the rest of the show and then introduced the opening bout of Lionheart vs. Ego Dragon, Harvey was then sent packing to the back and DDM took a spot on the commentary table. The match was a solid opener and I was familiar with Lionheart having seen some of his matches on the internet, but the crowd heat died off from the opening promo and the in ring action suffered slightly from it, Ego Dragon picked up the win which continued his undefeated streak    

The second match on the card was a treat as it was unscheduled, Gresham and MK Mkinnon took on the 'LDRS of the New School'  Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre Jr in tag team action. LDRS are regarded as the best British tag team and from this showing its easy to see why, once the novelty of referring to 'Party' Marty as that guy from ITV's Take Me Out has worn off. The match built from comedy moments at the start including lots of hugging and 'wrestling friends' to a hard fought, hard hitting bout which showcased the talents of all involved including some great technical wrestling and excellent selling by ZSJ who spent a large period of the match looking out of it right by my feet. LDRS picked up the win and Zack challenged Marty for a shot at his Speed King Title for later on this evening. 

The entrance of Rockstar Spud

The next 'match' segment brought out HOP's Max Angelus with Harvey Dale to face Rockstar Spud; who coming to the ring to the whole of Living On A Prayer rivalled any Wrestlemania entrance in length; Spud grabbed a mic and said he didn't want to be there so tried to strike a deal with Dale to make Max lie down for him, this went back and forth with Max initially refusing and riled up the crowd giving back and forth opinions with the HOP side yelling for him to do it and the rest telling him to stand up for himself. After a period of time Max hesitantly got on his back while Spud instructed the camera man and referee to do exactly what he wanted, after the two count though Angelus reveresed the pin and rolled up Spud for the three count. Dale was angry at Max clearly setting up a further angle between the two. 

During the segment I have to say how great Spud was on the mic, his entrance gave him a sleazy feel but his mic work made him despised, especially as he talked down to audience members and bossed around the employees, but he played his part elevating this segment. 

The next contest was a six man tag splitting the audience as it was House of Pain (The Predators and SC Supreme) vs. Team SWE (Martin Kirby, Robbie X and Mad Man Manson). The match showcased everybody's abilities and having read about Mad Man in Fighting Spirit Magazine was amused to see his act in person, with drawn on ring boots, straight jacket and random moves such as nipple twists which added to the match making sure it didn't go too much in one direction.

Noam Dar - Future Superstar

Noam Dar came out next which meant it was time for Davey Richards, going into the event this was the match I was most excited for and it delivered! From stiff looking kicks to hard hitting knocks in and out of the ring this was an excellent match up. Davey picked up the victory but Dar came out looking like the winner, going toe to toe with one of the best in the world, a few more matches like this and it wouldn't surprise me if he was called up to one of the big American companies.
After the match Davey grabbed the mic and put Dar over, then it was time for the interval where Richards stayed in the ring for photo's while selling a very serious limp, whilst Lionheart was selling merchandise in which I quizzed him over a number of things and am hopefully looking forward to seeing him on the Maximum Impact Tour next January.

Richards - Best In The World

After the break it was time for the Speed King title match between LDRS members Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre Jr. The match started slowly between the two friends and tag partners with holds taking part between jokes and reversals being more a 'you can do it, I can do it' mentality but this built into another excellent match with each willing to do anything to become the victor. The crowd were a little flat during this match but I think it was mainly down to not knowing which man to cheer for!  Scrull retained his title in the end after hitting a tombstone and ZSJ was upset with the loss and almost went straight to the back, but Marty won him over and the two embraced to send Zack off on his tour of Japan, with a promise of a rematch in the future to whet out appetites.

The Main Event was to crown a SWE Heavyweight Championship and started with Stixx coming to the ring in street clothes as no opponent had been named for him. After another two and fro between Harvey Dale and 'DDM' the HOP side of the crowd were demanding Stixx just be awarded the strap, but then Mark Haskins was announced as his opponent and the match was a NO DQ match! The match was wild and spilt into the crowd on multiple occasions, the crowd were all on their feet lifting the roof off the venue with the noise being made as the two athletes threw everything at one another, well mostly chairs! HOP got involved in the match but SWE members came to chase them to the back, duelling referees played their part and eventually Stixx picked up the victory, after Harvey Dale took a super-kick off the apron.

The HOP side of the crowd went mental for Stixx winning and he made his way to celebrate with them as Haskins pulled himself together in the ring as stated this wouldn't be the end between them. The crowd continued to be at war with one another with the HOP rubbing the title win in the faces of the rest of the crowd. Once the excitement had died down a little Stixx and co went backstage to draw an end to a fantastic show.



I can only recommend that if you see a promotion close to you holding a show then you should give it a try and if you can make it to a Southside show then what's stopping you! From reports I may have been lucky and caught one of the best independent shows ever in this country but it shows that with quality talent and booking this was from top to bottom an excellent card and definitely worth the price of admission with the only down point to the show was that Juvi Guerrera pulling, but the talent on show and getting to meet most of the card afterwards more than made up for it!
I saw Stixx open the LCW show I attended before this and little could I have predicted he would have been beating a TNA superstar the next event, it just goes to show that you never know what to expect!

Written and Photos by: @Robbie_G_CH

Full set of photos at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.395327070531472.94499.225595667504614&type=3

International Impact

The set of Ring Ka King
(http://www.wrestlestars.com/2011/12/tnas-ring-ka-king-set/)

TNA have gone International. With Ring Ka King being in full swing and Impact Wrestling from London's Wembley arena airing this week and next, a different side to TNA can be seen opposed to the usual site of the Impact Zone. 

Don't take that as a dislike to the Impact Zone, having a business head on my shoulders I know the benefits of that the 'zone' brings to TNA but seeing the intro to this weeks Impact and being in the crowd at Nottingham it is refreshing to see crowds who care for the product rather than being there to be entertained whilst on holiday (again not saying that all the crowd are Disney tourists) as the atmosphere in the 'zone' can sometimes deter away from the product. The financial implications to take Impact on the road could be crippling doubled up with the extra travelling the wrestlers would do but it would be nice to see shows similar to last years ventures on the road, even it is just a taping every other month or the odd PPV just to add the extra buzz into the show. 

Anyway with the television launch of Ring Ka King and the great crowd's at the Maximum Impact tour I was deliberating the idea of whether TNA could hold a similar event to Ring Ka King here in the UK? well of course my answer was a yes but to what extent is the problem I am stumbling over. I'm not very knowledgeable of the UK wrestling scene but after going to the TNA show in Nottingham I have done a little research, well actually my first research occurred oddly after watching the ITV show 'Take Me Out' when Marty Scrull's appearance drew comments on twitter from Nick (Magnus) Aldis; but anyway I know there are multiple regional promotions and a lot of talented guys that appear across the different promotions, I have watched a few matches on TV this weekend and have to say I'm impressed and sad that I have overlooked the UK scene for so long which is mainly down to the minimal exposure I have had to the scene. 

Mark Haskins has appeared occasionally on TNA
(http://www.pbwwrestling.com/roster/mark-haskins)

TNA could do a television taping in the same way they have done so with Ring Ka King to crown a King of the ring of England, or something to that extent. I don't think that a title need be involved but a trophy would be a nice touch. The format would be a knockout tournament so that it would not get bogged down with storylines and would include (if possible) the best wrestlers on the UK scene and throwing in some lesser used TNA stars to bring some recognised names to entice viewers who may be put off my 'unknowns' and could take place once or even twice a year. 

This venture would not only give UK fans a taste of televised wrestling that looks set to be an annual event on the Maximum Impact tour but would also promote the talent that is under our noses in the UK, Mark Haskins (@Mark_Haskins) has had little time to make an impression in the brief appearances he has made on Impact, but he among with others such as the aforementioned Scurll (@MartyTakeMeOut), Lionheart (@LionheartUK) and Noam Dar (@NoamDar) to name but a few would have their time to shine on the biggest platform with the wider viewers that TNA brings in.

It is about time the UK had some home grown talent on TV and this seems like the perfect way to do so,they could use the footage on Xplosion and it would boost the growing profiles of the UK talent and could benefit TNA in multiple ways, they would receive increased exposure too and have access to new talent that the may consider signing. 

In the meantime I intend to check out more UK shows and I advise you all to do so too! 

@Robbie_G_CH