Disclaimer: It's tomorrow. It's gonna be awesome. Dae it.
Scottish Wrestling Alliance / Zero 1 Scotland presents
"Aftermath"
Friday 24th October 2014, 7pm
Paisley Lagoon Leisure Centre, 11 Christie Street, PA1 1NB
Facebook Event Page | SWA on Twitter | Tickets via skiddle
Now you know where it is, how to buy your tickets (which are still available via skiddle and are priced at only £12 for General Admission), I guess we should get on with why you should be going tomorrow night.
Jack Gallagher vs Rampage Brown
This event is the aftermath of last week's Battlezone event, where Jack Gallagher outlasted 39 other wrestlers to earn the right to be number one contender to the SWA title. Not only did Gallagher complete that feat, he also outlasted Mikey Whiplash in a 2 Out Of 3 Falls match, forcing Whiplash to submit in the final fall.
All of that goes to show why Jack is the most exciting, versatile and talented wrestler in Scotland right now. I've been highly impressed by him since I first saw him evade a headlock by performing a handstand and "walking" away upside down at an SWA event earlier in the year. Since then, I've seen him perform almost a half dozen times and have raved highly about each one.
From a guy who epitomises wrestling skill, to a man that epitomises wrestling style. Not to take away from Rampage Brown's in-ring ability, which is incredible, but what really draws my awe is the moment Rampage steps out from behind the curtain. The second you lay eyes on the man, you are drawn to his physique. He is what I think of when I think "wrestler" but unlike most with his look, he can actually go in the ring too.
Jack Gallagher may have proven himself as the future of SWA at Battlezone, but he won't be able to rest on those laurels for any length of time. This is as tough a challenge as they come, and is worth the price of admission alone.
Dickie Divers vs Kenny Williams
If Gallagher v Brown is worth the price of admission alone, then everything else is simply cherries on top of that cake isn't it? Everyone else can take a night off, coast it, phone it in surely? Nope. Not the case.
Coasting simply isn't in the vocabulary of these two guys. I'm not overly familiar with the flavour of their individual SWA personas, but I've seen both wrestler live enough times now to know what their deal is. With Kenny you're going to get high-flying attacks, you're going to get him leaping (often backwards) from the ropes and continually chipping away at his opponent's momentum and fortitude until he can finally knock them down for the 1, 2, 3.
But Divers doesn't get chipped down. Divers is the less flashy version of Kenny Williams. He can fly, sure, but he can also get flown around and that can often be the difference maker. Dickie Divers will take your shots, your attacks, your Canadian Destroyers, and Dickie Divers will keep on coming back for more.
I expect there to be a lot of action here, of course, but I also kind of expect this to turn into a war of attrition, of willpower, of seeing who can take the most knocks and keep on coming. And in that area, I expect to see Divers prevail.
Lewis Girvan vs Noam Dar
Right, we're getting ridiculous now. Two of the top young talents in the world right here, with Girvan really coming into his own and hitting a stride that is seeing everyone sit up and take notice. I've got to admit, a few years back I wasn't the hugest fan of Lewis. I didn't see what the fuss was about. But my eyes have been opened a lot in the past three or four months. Lewis Girvan has "it" and he is going to be a star, there is no doubt about that. I'm just glad I'm finally along for the ride.
And what of his opponent? The man hailed "the future" for so long he has now become "the present". The guy who can push Joe Coffey to his limits. He who I hailed only yesterday as being a genius of every genre of wrestling match. The wrestler who, in my opinion, is the shining star of TNA's British Bootcamp right now. Noam Dar could headline this show. Noam Dar could be SWA Champion. Noam Dar could simply say "I'm gonna be there" and I would gladly throw money at the promoters just to watch Noam Dar standing in the ring saying "Aye, I'm here" and nothing more.
Both of these guys are talented. Both of these guys are going to be major money in this business. The fact I'm talking about this match third says a lot about the quality of this card tomorrow. I don't know if there is history between them and frankly I don't care. These guys will tell a story for the ages in the ring and you won't want to miss that, I guarantee it.
Shame & Canyon v Grado & Solar
Is it weird that this is the match I'm least excited for? It features four great guys. Solar is well on his way to finding the momentum that will take him high up cards in the future. Shame and Canyon are unknown enough to me to be incredibly interesting. Then there is Grado.
Grado, the absolute force. It is unfair to call him a wrestler at this point. He exists in his own bubble of awesome. Grado, no matter the situation, no matter the place or the time or the opponent or the partner, simply lights up a room. Again, it is testament to how incredibly packed this show is that the Grado match is seen to me to be the weakest announced. I am enthused to see all four of these guys tie up and trade very differing styles, so credit to SWA for packing so much talent into one show.
Joe Coffey vs Dave Mastiff
A bit of a downer here. Dave Mastiff I have only recently started getting into. His name is well held in Scottish wrestling, but I'm not familiar enough to be entirely gripped on that alone.
But Joe Coffey. What a phenomenal talent. An absolute force of nature and charisma. But he is something else as well right now. He is an EX-Champion, having been dethroned by Doug Williams last week. Last seen chasing the brother betrayer Mark Coffey around Motherwell, and having a major score to settle with Mark and Doug's cohort, Joe will have plenty on his mind leading into this fight.
He will have to clear that mind. Meditate, lift a pick-up truck of his head, whatever it takes. Joe Coffey must focus. For as little as I know of Dave Mastiff, I know enough to know that if Joe isn't fully focused on this event, it could result in not only another loss, but a potential trip to the hospital to fix some majorly broken bones.
SWA Tag Team Championship
Muay Tache vs The Forgotten
The only title match announced, it is going to be an absolute corker. Four great guys, intense focus and great crowd-interaction skills too, I expect this to be a classic Good versus Evil match-up. There's really not a lot I need say here as these four on the night will tell you all you need to know within minutes of entering the ring. Another one, like Girvan vs Dar, for the story-tellers and my personal pick for the one the kids will be most into.
Mikey Whiplash vs Tommy End
No offence to anyone above, and I mean it, but I feel I've saved the best 'til last here. I have no doubt that out of the entire card listed above, there will be at least 3 or 4 classics. There are always matches that look good on paper but don't quite click live, there are always unavoidable mis-steps. Maybe things won't go perfectly and we simply get a handful of excellent, 8/10, go home and tell your friends "man, you should have seen that" and dream about them for a few months before slowly forgetting about them matches. That's alright. Although I personally think at least 3 or 4 of these matches will stand the test of time and will be incredibly gripping viewing, nobody knows until the night.
But this one we do know. Mikey Whiplash versus Tommy End will stand the test of time. This will be the match that, when you see it live, you are going to spend years recounting every step and every wristlock. You are going to find yourself telling strangers about this match. People will buy the DVD, find the video on Youtube, huddle around their cousin's mobile phone as it plays grainy fan-cam footage, and wish they were there.
Don't wish. Come along tomorrow and witness live two absolute marvels of the ring. I don't know what these two will cook up on the night. I don't know how the match will unfold. I can't decide which one I'm more scared of. But I know in my bones that this will be a surefire hit and it is already my selection for Match Of The Year and it hasn't even took place yet.
Don't be left out. Click the link above, get your butt down to Paisley (or up, or sideways) and come see this card.
Scottish Wrestling Alliance / Zero 1 Scotland presents
"Aftermath"
Friday 24th October 2014, 7pm
Paisley Lagoon Leisure Centre, 11 Christie Street, PA1 1NB
Facebook Event Page | SWA on Twitter | Tickets via skiddle
Now you know where it is, how to buy your tickets (which are still available via skiddle and are priced at only £12 for General Admission), I guess we should get on with why you should be going tomorrow night.
Jack Gallagher vs Rampage Brown
This event is the aftermath of last week's Battlezone event, where Jack Gallagher outlasted 39 other wrestlers to earn the right to be number one contender to the SWA title. Not only did Gallagher complete that feat, he also outlasted Mikey Whiplash in a 2 Out Of 3 Falls match, forcing Whiplash to submit in the final fall.
All of that goes to show why Jack is the most exciting, versatile and talented wrestler in Scotland right now. I've been highly impressed by him since I first saw him evade a headlock by performing a handstand and "walking" away upside down at an SWA event earlier in the year. Since then, I've seen him perform almost a half dozen times and have raved highly about each one.
From a guy who epitomises wrestling skill, to a man that epitomises wrestling style. Not to take away from Rampage Brown's in-ring ability, which is incredible, but what really draws my awe is the moment Rampage steps out from behind the curtain. The second you lay eyes on the man, you are drawn to his physique. He is what I think of when I think "wrestler" but unlike most with his look, he can actually go in the ring too.
Jack Gallagher may have proven himself as the future of SWA at Battlezone, but he won't be able to rest on those laurels for any length of time. This is as tough a challenge as they come, and is worth the price of admission alone.
Dickie Divers vs Kenny Williams
If Gallagher v Brown is worth the price of admission alone, then everything else is simply cherries on top of that cake isn't it? Everyone else can take a night off, coast it, phone it in surely? Nope. Not the case.
Coasting simply isn't in the vocabulary of these two guys. I'm not overly familiar with the flavour of their individual SWA personas, but I've seen both wrestler live enough times now to know what their deal is. With Kenny you're going to get high-flying attacks, you're going to get him leaping (often backwards) from the ropes and continually chipping away at his opponent's momentum and fortitude until he can finally knock them down for the 1, 2, 3.
But Divers doesn't get chipped down. Divers is the less flashy version of Kenny Williams. He can fly, sure, but he can also get flown around and that can often be the difference maker. Dickie Divers will take your shots, your attacks, your Canadian Destroyers, and Dickie Divers will keep on coming back for more.
I expect there to be a lot of action here, of course, but I also kind of expect this to turn into a war of attrition, of willpower, of seeing who can take the most knocks and keep on coming. And in that area, I expect to see Divers prevail.
Lewis Girvan vs Noam Dar
Right, we're getting ridiculous now. Two of the top young talents in the world right here, with Girvan really coming into his own and hitting a stride that is seeing everyone sit up and take notice. I've got to admit, a few years back I wasn't the hugest fan of Lewis. I didn't see what the fuss was about. But my eyes have been opened a lot in the past three or four months. Lewis Girvan has "it" and he is going to be a star, there is no doubt about that. I'm just glad I'm finally along for the ride.
And what of his opponent? The man hailed "the future" for so long he has now become "the present". The guy who can push Joe Coffey to his limits. He who I hailed only yesterday as being a genius of every genre of wrestling match. The wrestler who, in my opinion, is the shining star of TNA's British Bootcamp right now. Noam Dar could headline this show. Noam Dar could be SWA Champion. Noam Dar could simply say "I'm gonna be there" and I would gladly throw money at the promoters just to watch Noam Dar standing in the ring saying "Aye, I'm here" and nothing more.
Both of these guys are talented. Both of these guys are going to be major money in this business. The fact I'm talking about this match third says a lot about the quality of this card tomorrow. I don't know if there is history between them and frankly I don't care. These guys will tell a story for the ages in the ring and you won't want to miss that, I guarantee it.
Shame & Canyon v Grado & Solar
Is it weird that this is the match I'm least excited for? It features four great guys. Solar is well on his way to finding the momentum that will take him high up cards in the future. Shame and Canyon are unknown enough to me to be incredibly interesting. Then there is Grado.
Grado, the absolute force. It is unfair to call him a wrestler at this point. He exists in his own bubble of awesome. Grado, no matter the situation, no matter the place or the time or the opponent or the partner, simply lights up a room. Again, it is testament to how incredibly packed this show is that the Grado match is seen to me to be the weakest announced. I am enthused to see all four of these guys tie up and trade very differing styles, so credit to SWA for packing so much talent into one show.
Joe Coffey vs Dave Mastiff
A bit of a downer here. Dave Mastiff I have only recently started getting into. His name is well held in Scottish wrestling, but I'm not familiar enough to be entirely gripped on that alone.
But Joe Coffey. What a phenomenal talent. An absolute force of nature and charisma. But he is something else as well right now. He is an EX-Champion, having been dethroned by Doug Williams last week. Last seen chasing the brother betrayer Mark Coffey around Motherwell, and having a major score to settle with Mark and Doug's cohort, Joe will have plenty on his mind leading into this fight.
He will have to clear that mind. Meditate, lift a pick-up truck of his head, whatever it takes. Joe Coffey must focus. For as little as I know of Dave Mastiff, I know enough to know that if Joe isn't fully focused on this event, it could result in not only another loss, but a potential trip to the hospital to fix some majorly broken bones.
Nikki Storm vs Leah Von Dutch
Do you think I like female wrestlers? Well, aye, of course I do. You only need to chat to me for two minutes to be aware of that. So forgive me if you think I'm biased when I say this - Nikki Storm is hands-down one of the best wrestlers, of any gender, of any nation, at this point in time, and I want her to have all the belts and all the contracts in all the promotions.
She has the look, the skills and the supreme confidence to succeed, but she also has something else. Like Noam Dar, Nikki is versatile. She will threaten to tear your head off, and you will believe it, but at the flick of a switch she will turn self-deprecating and you will feel safe to laugh at her.
But you are never safe. No matter how much she can draw a crowd in, no matter how much she can make you feel safe to laugh, Nikki Storm will always be that woman who can decapitate you in a second.
So what of Leah? Surely she should just turn tail and not show up, right? Not quite.
Leah Von Dutch is no stranger to tough bouts. The multi-promotion champion from Canada has wrestled all over the world at this point. Fierce Females in Scotland. ROH in Illinois. SHINE in Florida. wXw. CCW. PWA. Europe. America. She is on a run of three victories so far this month, over such impressive names as Saraya Knight and Crazy Mary Dobson, so Leah can certainly bring it.
An absolute pleasure to see LVD live having just missed her the last time she visited these shores, you won't want to miss this opportunity either. Female wrestling is the bee's knees and tomorrow night we get to see one of the best taking on one of the most well-travelled visitors to Scotland.
SWA Tag Team Championship
Muay Tache vs The Forgotten
The only title match announced, it is going to be an absolute corker. Four great guys, intense focus and great crowd-interaction skills too, I expect this to be a classic Good versus Evil match-up. There's really not a lot I need say here as these four on the night will tell you all you need to know within minutes of entering the ring. Another one, like Girvan vs Dar, for the story-tellers and my personal pick for the one the kids will be most into.
Mikey Whiplash vs Tommy End
No offence to anyone above, and I mean it, but I feel I've saved the best 'til last here. I have no doubt that out of the entire card listed above, there will be at least 3 or 4 classics. There are always matches that look good on paper but don't quite click live, there are always unavoidable mis-steps. Maybe things won't go perfectly and we simply get a handful of excellent, 8/10, go home and tell your friends "man, you should have seen that" and dream about them for a few months before slowly forgetting about them matches. That's alright. Although I personally think at least 3 or 4 of these matches will stand the test of time and will be incredibly gripping viewing, nobody knows until the night.
But this one we do know. Mikey Whiplash versus Tommy End will stand the test of time. This will be the match that, when you see it live, you are going to spend years recounting every step and every wristlock. You are going to find yourself telling strangers about this match. People will buy the DVD, find the video on Youtube, huddle around their cousin's mobile phone as it plays grainy fan-cam footage, and wish they were there.
Don't wish. Come along tomorrow and witness live two absolute marvels of the ring. I don't know what these two will cook up on the night. I don't know how the match will unfold. I can't decide which one I'm more scared of. But I know in my bones that this will be a surefire hit and it is already my selection for Match Of The Year and it hasn't even took place yet.
Don't be left out. Click the link above, get your butt down to Paisley (or up, or sideways) and come see this card.
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