I’m going outside the US for this
review and I’m looking at 1 Pro Wrestling’s 1st Anniversary show
which took place 14th October 2006 in the Doncaster Dome. So a
little back story on 1PW, the company started in the UK and relied heavily on
US talent but did put UK talent in. The company would run for a good few years
but would close down and restart several time. This company was a prime example
of the problem that some UK companies have, I went to a show for the short lived
company Pro Wrestling 101 and they relied so much on US talent and it cost them
so much that they didn’t last long. But 1PW did it right, the Doncaster Dome is
a big arena and they filled it every show for that first year plus so it did
become one of the big companies here in the UK. With that said let’s start the
review.
El Ligero vs. El Generico: Fast lucha pace
which is expected with these two. Both are so good but Generico is fantastic
someone made the point once “Have you ever seen an actual bad match from
Generico” and honestly I haven’t. Ligero takes advantage, little hard to
believe as he’s the smaller of the top but I don’t think Generico can work as a
heel. Ligero goes for a Sunset flip, Generico pops up and Ligero blocks his head
so Generico flips over and dropkicks him in the back, was very quick and a nice
spot. Generico goes for a plancha but it looked like he caught his foot, he
didn’t hit that too well. Ligero hits a great Yoshi Tonic/Code Red, Generico
comes back and kills Ligero with his Yakuza kick in the corner. Ligero hits a
super reverse hurracana and a tornado DDT for the win. A great opener between
these two, the biggest drawback with masked wrestlers is the lack of facial expressions
but those two talked with their bodies so well. It made sense for Ligero to win
as he’s the UK talent and would be used more often.
Mad Man Manson vs. Jamie Brum: This is nothing
but an attempt at comedy, Manson loses to an “invisible man” but then quickly
beats Brum. Pretty meaningless and could of done without it.
Jay Phoenix vs. Kingdom James: This started
with an in ring promo looking back at the year, James comes out to join in. He
cuts a promo in front of a screen and you can just see the delay on the screens
on the screens on the screens, it’s ENDLESS. Phoenix comes out with a present,
wearing a kilt. The present was a pillow with James face on, Phoenix’s
trademark. Jay slaps him and we apparently have a match. James pulls the kilt
and hits a couple of clotheslines. James goes for the 10 punches, gets
powerbombed and that’s it. Jay wins and after James his Jay with the pillow, a top
rope leg drop and a curb stop into a cake. The promo section was boring and the
action wasn’t bad but this wasn’t needed and went on too long for what it was.
Tag Gauntlet: We start with
Entourage vs. Maximum Head. Maximum Voltage jumps of the rope and is caught in
a “Crossface” slam, imagine Sin Cara’s face plant. Dan Head does the Al Snow
spot of trapping the arms and hitting headbutts. Maximum Head do a cool double
team of Head getting them in a powerbomb, Voltage hooking in the reverse DDT
and then spinning out into a Hero’s Welcome. Entourage win by Mark Sloan
kicking Head in the face while in a Crossface. The Chavs are next, only UK fans
will get this. We quickly get “Kill the Chav” chants. It should be noted that commentary
just stops during this gauntlet for some reason, a real pain as I don’t know
who many of these guys are. A 3rd Chav comes in with a bat for the
win. Pain Inc is next out and commentary is back on. Pain Inc dominates until
the Chavs hit the Dominator on the knees to move on. The final team is Damned
Nation. This was just Nation killing the Chavs until they hit a version of the “H-Bomb”
for the win. Overall this Gauntlet went well, the fans were into it all and
each match got enough time. The Entourage looked like the best team by far.
Curryman vs. Goldustin: Goldustin is
Goldust basically but he could have least drew “in” at the end of the Goldust
on his back. Curry does the pop and lock to break out of an armbar and we get a
tango after. Mostly comedy here until Goldust misses a cross body. Goldust hits
a great snap powerslam for a near fall. Fans chant “This is Awesome” are we in
TNA? It’s good but not awesome. Goldustin hits the Curtain Call for the win.
Good match but nothing great, actually think the comedy hurt this at points.
Iceman vs. Martin Stone vs. Ulf
Herman-European Deathmatch: Ulf brings out a trolley full of weapons
right at the start. Everyone gets whipped it the rail one after another and the
railing is just destroyed everywhere, we then lose everyone and can’t see
anything the fans respond the way you think they would by swearing. We get back
in the ring and Ulf does the New Jack spot hitting a low blow on Iceman with a
hoover on a cookie sheet. The fans pop when Ulf blows a horn, the simple things
people. Ulf brings in pliers and it’s obvious he’s nowhere near grabbing guys
which I’m glad about. Random fact here, Ulf appeared on ECW’s November to
Remember 98 being squashed by Spike Dudley. A keyboard explodes when Iceman
uses it on Ulf and he’s bleeding as a result, I’m surprised this happened 20
minutes in. Ulf hits a piledriver on a car hood on Iceman. Stone hits Iceman
with a trash can for the win. A little long and Stone actually looked out of
place here, even though he won. I think this would have been better if this was
just Ulf and Iceman as those two did the bulk of the work.
Sterling James Keenan & Team Supreme
(Jack Storm & Dave Mastiff) vs. Spud, Samoa Joe & Darkside: Starts as a
handicap match as Supreme “took out” Joe earlier in the night backstage. But
Joe comes out very early making it a 6 man. You may know SJK from his FCW works
as Corey Graves (where he’s one half of the tag champs). Spud is one of the
smallest wrestlers I’ve ever seen and if you want something funny check out
Snog, Marry or Avoid as he appeared on that. The heels get the advantage on
Spud. Spud & SJK have had a feud all year long in 1PW. SJK hits a great
looking Spinebuster, really Double A-ish. Joe and Spud do duel Tope’s in a nice
spot. Darkside misses a 450 and SJK hits the “MK Ultra” for the win, you flew
Joe over for this he did nothing. After we see a video saying the Great Muta
was coming to face SJK, that match would not take place as 1PW wouldn’t do that
show instead Muta worked Martin Stone in Real Quality Wrestling. A good match
which was mainly done to establish SJK as a main event guy but it was rather
short for a 6 man tag.
AJ Styles vs. PAC: AJ has the NWA
tag title with him, something I’ve always loved about AJ is that he is proud of
being a champion many guys don’t take the belts with them. Fans do duelling chants
from the very start. Looks like AJ
physically overpowered PAC in some spots here, almost as if PAC forgot what he
was doing. AJ hits his beautiful dropkick and PAC does a flip when it hits, it
looked great. AJ followed that up with his flying forearm off the apron onto
PAC on the floor. We get “This is Awesome” chants 5 minutes in, going to leave
that alone I think. I’ve said this before but AJ is so smooth in the ring and
everything he does. AJ misses his Twisting clothesline and spills to the
outside with some force, PAC then hits a spring board twisty thingy on Styles
(the best I can do). PAC is only 19 in this match, that’s insane you can see
that he would become something great and he did. PAC goes for a springboard but
AJ catches him into a torture rack and spins him out into a slam for a near
fall. PAC hits a twisting shooting star for a near fall, the fans are on their
feet now. AJ hits a load of knees and then the Styles Clash for the win. Match
of the night by far, this was fantastic. AJ puts PAC over afterwards and they
both get “That was Awesome” chants.
Johnny Storm & Jody Fleisch (c) vs.
Team Shag (Darren Burridge & Colt Cabana) vs. Southern Comfort (Tracy
Smothers & Chris Hamrick)-Ladder match for 1PW Tag titles: Tracy’s here so
EVERYBODY DIES!! The tag titles are really far apart from each other, a good
few feet I’d say. Everybody tries jumping for the belts, sadly they could
probably reach them if they did it off the top rope. Tracy demands a dance off
to start, a little odd for a Ladder match but at least it was at the beginning.
Tracy the punches everyone and does a 619 to save himself from a dive, Mysterio
does it better. Darren dives out, followed by Storm, followed by Fleisch and
ending with Hamrick teasing a dive but getting a ladder. Damned Nation then interfere
and take out Southern Comfort, probably a wise choice. Storm gets irish whipped
and crotched on a ladder in a harsh spot. Tracy then comes back alone and while
climbing Storm pulls his trunks to show his ass, to please the ladies. Team
Shag do a double team version of the Terry Funk spin, would have been better
with just one of them doing it. Colt hits a moonsault of the top of the ladder,
that would be impressive if the ladder wasn’t as tall as the top rope, they’re
seriously small. Storm climbs the ladder actually kisses the belt and jumps off
with a splash, I hate those spots why would you hurt the guy when you could
win. Jody takes a sick fall on a ladder when Darren shoves it. Hamrick then
comes back. Team Shag then climb and grab the belts to win. I don’t see the
point of Southern Comfort being in this match and I just don’t think the ladder
match worked well here. The new champs wouldn’t remain champs as Colt wouldn’t
comeback.
Steve Corino vs. Abyss-No Rope Barbed
Wire Hell: There’s
confusion about this match as no one was sure if it was for the 1PW World title
or not. Corino was champ but didn’t bring it with him. But Abyss was named
champ afterwards and that wouldn’t last as he didn’t come back. The barbed wire
looks insane here, probably the sickest barbed wire I’ve seen in a match. This
starts like every Barbed wire match does with both guys blocking it obviously.
Corino goes for a sit down pin and gets kicked off into the barbed wire, a
usual spot you see in these matches. Corino gets his face grinded in the wire
and is busted open. Corino attacks Abyss’ arm and starts to bleed, that’s what
you get for doing hardcore wrestling and wearing a mask! I see a problem here,
I think neither man is confident enough to run into the way as they are bumping
really badly on it but how do you bump on wire? Abyss pours rubbing alcohol
onto his own arm and onto Corino. Corino fights back and throws Abyss into a
barbed wire board but after Abyss kicks a barbed wire chair into Corino. Corino
gets pressed, really badly, into a board. Corino brings in a really awful
looking table and places a board on top. Team Supreme come in and give Abyss a
light tube, which he uses on Corino. He chokeslams Corino but the table doesn’t
break and he splashes Corino for the win. After Team Supreme attack, Ulf comes
in but gets chokeslammed. Eventually SJK comes out and saves them, turning
babyface and the fans love it.
Overall: This show really
had something for everyone. We got comedy, hardcore and some great serious
wrestling. It set up things for the future nicely and really made SJK a top
guy, I feel he found the right place in England and improved a lot while
working over here. There were some things that weren’t needed but nothing
dragged too much. Re-watching this I remember it being a lot better than it was
but it was still a damn good show.
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