Ring of Fire: Fighting Every Step of the Way

[chris caulfield]

[B]The Animals [/B]vs. Death from Above [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith [/B]vs. Jonni Lowlife [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. El Critico for the Heritage Championship [B]Young Blood II[/B] vs. Death from Above for the Tag Titles Sergei Kalashnov vs. [B]Hidekazu[/B] vs. Johnny Highspot in a number one contender's bout for the Heritage Championship [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. Petey Barnes vs. Jed High for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 3 April Aston University Sports Hall 924 in attendance It's not a full thousand, but it's nice. And with what we charge for tickets up here, it's actually a better income. The Animals decorated our dark match again this week, this time facing Death from Above; Amo del Gato continues to learn eagerly, but in the end he ran into a Velocidad Tornado and was pinned. [I]Death from Above pinned the Animals when Velocidad pinned Amo del Gato[/I] RATING: D [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Jonni Lowlife[/B] Not bad, not brilliant. The two aren't a perfect mesh, but – as ever – they can learn off each other, and both have their upside. This was a good opener; a solid knockabout match which ended twelve minutes in as the Backdrop Driver claimed another victim. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Jonni Lowlife by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Don Henderson vs. El Critico for the Heritage Championship[/B] Another nice solid bout, continuing to build Don's momentum as he runs through nearly fifteen minutes of entertaining battle to cinch in the Scottish Deathlock and make a tenth defence of the Heritage Championship. For the moment, at least, Don is on a roll... [I]Don Henderson defeated El Critico by submission[/I] RATING: C [B] Young Blood II vs. Death from Above for the Tag Titles[/B] Only a short bout, as DfA had already wrestled in the dark, but not bad, and we needed another tag defence reasonably soon; with only nine minutes to go before the Newton's Cradle pinned Black Eagle, they didn't have time to work up much of a story. On the other hand, Davis and Velocidad looked to be learning a lot and, as ever, Davis came across as a star, so I can't complain too much. [I]Young Blood II defeated Death from Above when Davis Wayne Newton pinned Black Eagle[/I] RATING: C [B]Sergei Kalashnov vs. Hidekazu vs. Johnny Highspot in a number one contender's bout for the Heritage Championship[/B] Once again we see a match that isn't all it could be, but on the other hand, it's a pretty good contest all the same. Hidekazu dominated early on by hitting hard moves fast and alternating between his two rivals, keeping their speed under control; unfortunately, Sergei is pretty resilient and managed to suplex Hidekazu over the top rope, before slamming Johnny into the turnbuckle with an Eastern Block and covering him for the pin. [I]Sergei Kalashnov defeated Hidekazu and Johnny Highspot when he pinned Johnny Highspot[/I] RATING: C- [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes vs. Jed High for the ROF Championship[/B] Whistles, catcalls, and UCR chants accompanied the UCR champion to the ring – because so did Simona Cox, his girlfriend, the 'Princess' who managed the Force over there. In no small part she was here to help us cover Jed's own lack of stamina; we're hoping, as with Toby, to see that develop over time, but for now while his reputation and skills demand a main event position he's not entirely developed into one. Simona did fantastic work and ringside, covering a multitude of flaws, and the bout ran for a full half-hour before the finish; Petey, flattened, ate a Sky High before Joey hauled Jed off him, whipped him to the ropes, and hit the Breeze Block on the way back, pinning Jed to retain his title. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Petey Barnes and Jed High when he pinned Jed High[/I] RATING: B- We got complaints about Purpura and Velocidad featuring for too long, but that didn't matter too much; they liked it and we continue to reap the word of mouth. Which is good; I'd love to reliably sell this place out, too. OVERALL: C+ Dirtsheets now tip me as heavily developing Seiji Jimbo to be a figurehead for Ring of Fire. In the long term, perhaps, though I'm uncomfortable about making long term plans regarding our rookies if we can't grow large enough to keep them with us. It's true that Seiji has name value, skills, and it's also true that he's become one of the poker night regulars, but I don't expect him to put friendship ahead of earning potential. He's not stupid.

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Hidekazu vs. Nichiren Amagawa vs. Black Eagle vs. Capitao Brasil Jr Billy Robinson vs. El Critico Hector Montez vs. Steve Flash Don Henderson vs. Sergei Kalashnov for the Heritage Championship Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. British Samurai in a two out of three falls match The Force vs. Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp

[chris caulfield]

Hidekazu vs. Nichiren Amagawa vs. [B]Black Eagle [/B]vs. Capitao Brasil Jr Billy Robinson vs. [B]El Critico[/B] [B]Hector Montez [/B]vs. Steve Flash [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. Sergei Kalashnov for the Heritage Championship [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] vs. British Samurai in a two out of three falls match The Force vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp[/B]

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 4 April Parliament Square 960 in attendance Slight downer compared to last week, but I'll live. A four-man match ran during the dark this week; Hidekazu, Nichiren Amagawa, Capitao Brasil Jr and Black Eagle kicked things off and produced a fantastic performance given the youth and inexperience of two members. Nichiren squared off against Black Eagle while Hidekazu took on Capitao, and Nichiren spent the ten minutes working a technical game against the high-flyer that taught Eagle something about chain wrestling. In the end, though, a vicious irish whip from the puro expert sent Capitao into Nichiren and both of them tumbling through the ropes, whereupon Hidekazu baited Eagle into a Turnpike, rolled to avoid it and got a quick pin. [I]Hidekazu defeated Nichiren Amagawa, Capitao Brasil Jr and Black Eagle when he pinned Black Eagle.[/I] RATING: C- [B]Billy Robinson vs. El Critico[/B] I must confess I was curious as to how these two would square off, and the answer is: not too badly. Critico at the least can do better, however, and I honestly believe that Billy can, given development. In the end, the Critical Mass won the day, however, and Critico continues to demonstrate his ability... [I]El Critico defeated Billy Robinson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Hector Montez vs. Steve Flash[/B] Poor Steve... he's another man I wish I had the time and the expendable workers to push. Unfortunately I don't, and Hector has risen higher, so in this thirteen-minute battle of the veterans Steve was the man who found himself on the receiving end of the Hijack Suplex; Hector immediately covered for the win. [I]Hector Montez defeated Steve Flash by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Don Henderson vs. Sergei Kalashnov for the Heritage Championship[/B] I have no idea why they went this way. I told them I wanted a draw this week, and that I wasn't forcing Don to run longer than he's comfortable with so time limit victories weren't an option. Aided by how well they mesh, they put together a great match, but opted to end with a double disqualification finish; brass knuck headshot from Sergei, low blow from Don at the same time. This was not how I expected them to roll with it, and it went down a lot better with the fans than I expected; the match was the best received of the night thus far. [I]Don Henderson drew with Sergei Kalashnov by double disqualification[/I] RATING: C[B] Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. British Samurai in a two out of three falls match[/B] One day I'll remember that these two don't mesh; not that this was in any way a bad contest, but I'd hoped it would be better. Brandon caught the first fall, early on, with a running powerslam-driver of some description; Sammy got utterly flattened and it looked like it was over, but after the thirty seconds' grace period, Brandon's attempt to lift him led to his own shoulders being pinned to the mat and the score evened out. That was six minutes in; then they really started going at it, and astonishingly both men weathered the storm. The bout drew to a close, undecided, at the time limit. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith drew with British Samurai at one fall apiece, the final Fall running out of time.[/I] RATING: C [B] The Force vs. Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp[/B] This was good. Short, but good. Not as good as I'd hoped, I grant you, or as good as I'd have wanted after a relatively average show – but it was good, and made up for the prior attempt at this kind of main event tag. Simona helped, Davis' tag experience came in handy – and man, did he look like a champ out there – and just about everyone was either revealing or developing new facets to their game. While all of these men can do better, I'll take this for now, I really will. Davis got flattened with a Kenobi Kutter in the closing stages before Jed dropped Joey with a Sky High – then the Star Destroyer hit home and Toby covered Davis for the pinfall. [I]The Force defeated Davis Wayne Newton & Joey Beauchamp when Toby Juan Kenobi pinned Davis Wayne Newton.[/I] RATING: C+ Simona hopped into the ring, throwing Toby his lightsaber and handing Jed Joey's title belt. Then the three of them struck a pose right out of a Star Wars movie poster, Jed holding the belt like Han Solo's blaster while Toby lit the toy sabre and raised it aloft... and that was how the net broadcast ended, amid howls of laughter and cheers – from the fans and the commentary table. RATING: E Not our best outing by any stretch of the imagination, but good enough. Better chemistry between Sammy and Brandon, and it could've been better – but once again, downloads are up, chatter on the forums is up, and there are few complaints. OVERALL: C

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Velocidad vs. Hector Montez Hidekazu vs. Nichiren Amagawa El Critico vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith Don Henderson vs. Sergei Kalashnov for the Heritage Championship Joey Beauchamp vs. Davis Wayne Newton in an Iron Man match for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

Velocidad vs. [B]Hector Montez[/B] [B]Hidekazu[/B] vs. Nichiren Amagawa El Critico vs. [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. Sergei Kalashnov for the Heritage Championship [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. Davis Wayne Newton in an Iron Man match for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 1 May Aston University Sports Hall 865 in attendance Our dark match this week is one of the best we've ever run, and the kind that leaves you wondering if you made a mistake in show order. Velocidad took on Hector Montez in a very, very solid ten minutes that really got the crowd pumped; in the end, Hector caught the Tornado while Velocidad was still airborne and converted it into the Hijack Suplex for the pin. And dammit, but Hector looked great. [I]Hector Montez defeated Velocidad by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Hidekazu vs. Nichiren Amagawa[/B] Yeah, I got this the wrong way around. I'll know better for next time; this was only a tolerable match, sadly, ending after a quarter of an hour when Hidekazu landed a northern lights suplex for the pin. [I]Hidekazu defeated Nichiren Amagawa by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B]El Critico vs. Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] Once again this pair went at each other hammer and tongs; once again neither man could win the match. It wasn't quite as good this time, or at any rate it didn't get the same response – I think they had to do a lot of work cheering the crowd up after the prior match – but these two really can perform when they set their minds to it, and seeing El Critico bust out some puroresu was very satisfying. [I]El Critico drew with Bulldozer Brandon Smith when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Don Henderson vs. Sergei Kalashnov for the Heritage Championship[/B] Once again these two put together a satisfying but not absolutely superb match. This time, however, there are no shenanigans; as Don begins to show early signs of exhaustion Sergei smashes him across the jawline with a European uppercut, hits the ropes, and flattens him with the Eastern Block. Stunningly Don fails to kick out, and the Heritage Championship changes hands! [I]Sergei Kalashnov defeated Don Henderson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Davis Wayne Newton in an Iron Man match for the ROF Championship[/B] Joey, I informed the crowd, requested this as payment for Davis standing by his side last week, even if he did lose the match. Naturally enough, the young blue chipper was more than happy to step up himself and try his luck; and man, this went well. Joey just about has the edge on Davis in speed and aerial talent; Davis knows his submissions and is more than happy to brawl, and by the end of the half hour Joey looked better than he had done at both, which is great investment in the future. This showed some fantastic back-and-forth action; Joey, fairly early on, got a fall off a German suplex, but around the twenty-five minute mark Davis' dogged work paid off, with the Breeze Block tripped into the STF and the champ forced to tap in the centre of the ring. With five minutes left on the clock Davis really went to town and both men scored numerous near-falls, but the score didn't change before the time ran out. Feedback and my own interpretation: Our best match to date, capping our best show to date. [I]Joey Beauchamp drew with Davis Wayne Newton at one fall apiece[/I] RATING: B Complaints once again about the active time of Brandon; also some issues with Nichiren getting fifteen minutes against Hidekazu. But the tone was overwhelmingly positive, and for good reason; this was a great show – our best ever - and it could've been better. (If I'd just exchanged Hector's match for Hidekazu's...) OVERALL: B- On the same night UCR ran a supercard; they took hasty advantage of Jed's availability to get the title off him as his interests run closer and closer in line with Ring of Fire. I don't blame them. I do question the choice of Poppa Punisher to carry their main event scene, however. Oh, and the newly-formed Phoenix Wrestling Championship based in the US turns out to be the brainchild of Arson Wells, who's currently holding the book while he looks for a new head booker. I think I'll pass. ...And Shawn Gonzalez has taken the job. That's never worked out for you, Shawn. Ever. The really good news, however... Don Henderson is finally ready to step up and be counted as a main eventer.

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Nichiren Amagawa vs. Nigel Svensson Amo del Gato vs. Capitao Brasil Jr vs. El Bestia Purpura vs. Extraordinario Jr vs. Huracan Sandoval Jr vs. Velocidad in an elimination match Sergei Kalashnov vs. Johnny Highspot for the Heritage Championship The Force vs. The Shooters Joey Beauchamp vs. Davis Wayne Newton vs. Petey Barnes And an announcement from Terry Roberts!

[chris caulfield]

Nichiren Amagawa vs. [B]Nigel Svensson[/B] Amo del Gato vs. Capitao Brasil Jr vs. El Bestia Purpura vs. Extraordinario Jr vs. [B]Huracan Sandoval Jr [/B]vs. Velocidad in an elimination match [B]Sergei Kalashnov [/B]vs. Johnny Highspot for the Heritage Championship [B]The Force[/B] vs. The Shooters Joey Beauchamp vs. [B]Davis Wayne Newton [/B]vs. Petey Barnes

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 2 May Parliament Square 1000 in attendance Back to full house. Not sure that'll last; I'm expecting a comparatively poor show while we set things up. Our dark match this week: recent signing Nichiren Amagawa against newcomer Nigel Svensson. An awkward match, but one that nonetheless shows a great deal of promise for the future. At the end of the first ten minutes Nichiren grounded Nigel and locked in his feared Five Point Stretch for the win. [I]Nichiren Amagawa defeated Nigel Svensson by submission[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Amo del Gato vs. Capitao Brasil Jr vs. El Bestia Purpura vs. Extraordinario Jr vs. Huracan Sandoval Jr vs. Velocidad in an elimination match[/B] Ugh. Horrible. I'd hoped for a better showing than this, but I knew it was going to be weak. Just... not this week. Every single young luchador strutted their stuff in this and that was just too ambitious; too many spots, too little time, too unpolished. Extraordinario fell to Brasil early, immediately before Velocidad got the pin on Purpura. Gato flattened Brasil and pinned him, but Velocidad caught Gato as he rose, destroying him with a shining wizard and eliminating him swiftly. Then it was just Velocidad and Huracan, and that was a match that would have only one winner – a Velocidad Tornado settled the matter at 14:55. [I]Velocidad defeated Amo del Gato, Capitao Brasil Jr, El Bestia Purpura, Extraordinario Jr and Huracan Sandoval Jr by elimination.[/I] RATING: E+ I stood up, after that, and found myself really regretting scheduling the announcement for that moment; but what's done is done. “Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see around you, we've sold out Parliament Square. Ring of Fire has grown by leaps and bounds over the past three years, and for that we thank you. “We've also seen a great many changes over that time, and arguably our weekly shows are the smallest part of that. Certainly the unification of the #1 Contendership and the new Heritage Championship has been a major step, and I salute Don Henderson for his achievements in that field – and Brandon Smith, of course. “But heritage is about looking back. We do, here at Ring of Fire; we remember, we honour the past, we still perform as British wrestlers always have. But that's not all we do; we honour the heritage of other nations' grapplers – just ask El Critico – and we honour the future, whether that be new grapplers who wrestle in an old style or any grappler wrestling in a manner not new to these shores. Already a great many of our wrestlers have found themselves in demand in other promotions, here and abroad. Some of them hold prestigious championships – and you see those belts borne proudly to the ring here. “Ring of Fire, as a name, is designed to say what we are; a trial by fire of your ability between the ropes – but also a beacon, a sign of things to come. Accordingly, we will be instituting another title within the promotion soon, a belt which will be contested by those of whom great things are expected. The Ring of Fire Beacon Championship, like the Heritage Title, will become an important part of what we stand for.” RATING: E [B]Sergei Kalashnov vs. Johnny Highspot for the Heritage Championship[/B] Oh, tonight is not going well. These two don't work together that well – and of course they're also trying to make up for an abysmal start to the show. We ran an awkward fifteen minutes before the Eastern Block ran Johnny over. [I]Sergei Kalashnov defeated Johnny Highspot by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B] The Force vs. The Shooters[/B] Better. Not good enough, but better. A good solid knockabout tag bout showcasing both teams – with Simona continuing excellent work on the sidelines – before Billy ate a Star Destroyer and Jed covered him while Toby blocked Don from rescue... [I]The Force defeated The Shooters when Jed High pinned Billy Robinson[/I] RATING: C- [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Davis Wayne Newton vs. Petey Barnes[/B] Thankfully my main event could lift things up again. Not as much as I'd hoped for, but this was still a fantastic match, and as the last half hour, did pretty well to pick things up from the prior sections. Hopefully we won't lose too much ground this week; in the end Joey ducked an X Factor, Breeze Blocked Davis on the run, and threw Petey out of the ring as he tried for a Future Shock before covering Davis for the win. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Davis Wayne Newton and Petey Barnes when he pinned Davis.[/I] RATING: B- Well, we'll live. Announcement of a new title played well on the forums, where it triggered a ridiculous amount of speculation. Speculation being our lifeblood, we may actually be up on fanbase overall. OVERALL: C

[Phantom Stranger]

Coming soon: Steve Flash vs. Nigel Svensson Bairei Yasujiro vs. El Critico: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship Johnny Highspot vs. Velocidad: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship Black Eagle vs. Seiji Jimbo: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Hector Montez: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship Joey Beauchamp vs. British Samurai for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

Steve Flash vs.[B] Nigel Svensson[/B] [B]Bairei Yasujiro[/B] vs. El Critico: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship [B]Johnny Highspot [/B]vs. Velocidad: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship Black Eagle vs. [B]Seiji Jimbo[/B]: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith [/B]vs. Hector Montez: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship [B]Joey Beauchamp [/B]vs. British Samurai for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 3 May Aston University Sports Hall 943 in attendance Our opening bout this week was great, and another of those that really should have been put online, rather than being kept in the dark; Steve Flash gave Nigel Svensson another putting through his paces. Nice and solid, this; Nigel could go far, given the time to develop and the right push. For now, however, he discovers what it's like to be hit by a Flash Bang and kept on his back for the count of three. [I]Steve Flash defeated Nigel Svensson by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Bairei Yasujiro vs. El Critico: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship[/B] Nice. Very nice. Both of these men can deliver better, but Bairei's still drained by his WLW tours – not that I mind that; rather, I'm proud to have shown the world that Bairei could still compete and gotten him back out there. And it begins the build to the Beacon championship well; it was toss and go who I pushed forward here, as both of these men are too old for me to favour them as a first Beacon holder, but they'll make the following bouts better. After a quarter of an hour Critico slipped free of a hold and got the Critical Mass, pinning Yasujiro cleanly. [I]El Critico defeated Bairei Yasujiro by pinfall.[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Johnny Highspot vs. Velocidad: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship [/B] Nowhere near as good; neither of these men can yet call a match. In time, hopefully... Johnny and Velocidad had an even opening few minutes before Johnny took control; unfortunately for him, however, Velocidad caught him on the turnbuckle before he could hit the frog splash, and the young luchador executed a fantastic Velocidad Tornado for the pin. [I]Velocidad defeated Johnny Highspot by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Black Eagle vs. Seiji Jimbo: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship[/B] A much better performance; Eagle is about as experienced as Highspot but has had to learn to put bouts together much better over at the Coastal Zone, where his push is better than Johnny's had here outside of his Contendership run. Seiji, on the other hand, is Seiji; an excellent competitor to say the least. This one was a good bout full of conflicting styles, ending with a Jimbo Driver at 11:47. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Black Eagle by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Hector Montez: First Round Match for the Beacon Championship[/B] Nice; I've got other plans for these two, but they completed the quarter final scene admirably and really got across the importance of becoming the first holder of a given belt – by going at each other so hard that, in the end, Humphrey felt forced to throw the match out. Neither man advances and Seiji gets a bye through the semis. These two put on a fantastic war of escalation; the only problem being that Hector's wrist was broken during a fairly hectic sequence. He continued through to the scripted finish, and he says he'll work through it, though I think I'll avoid holding him to that. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith drew with Hector Montez when the referee lost control[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. British Samurai for the ROF Championship[/B] New ROF defends against old ROF and they both look fantastic, as you'd hope. This wasn't their best match, but it wasn't far behind, and the fans got heavily into it; Joey broke free of the fisherman's suplex in mid-arc, landed on his feet, and got the Breeze Block as Sammy turned. The pin happened at 28:37 [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated British Samurai by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- We need more shows like this. Definitely well worth putting on; the speculation on the outcome of the Beacon tourney's only overwhelmed by dissection of the matches thus far on our forum. Which, frankly, is excellent. OVERALL: C+ Poor old Ota... he took a sharp kick to the head in UKW from Jonathan Faust, and ended up with temporary short term amnesia. Lobster Warrior's been talking about how he gets nervous whenever he gets pushed too highly; he's still DaVE Unified Champion, proving that anything but an in-ring return for me is possible.

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Extraordinario Jr vs. Huracan Sandoval Jr vs. Jonni Lowlife vs. Steve Flash The Animals vs. Young Blood II for the Tag Titles Sergei Kalashnov vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the Heritage Championship Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Don Henderson El Critico vs. Velocidad: Beacon Championship Semi-Final Joey Beauchamp vs. Toby Juan Kenobi in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 4 May Parliament Square 981 in attendance [B]Extraordinario Jr vs. Huracan Sandoval Jr vs. Jonni Lowlife vs. Steve Flash[/B] A big dark match, but a necessary one. Steve really shone, and as he did so he guided the other three in putting matches together; Jonni and Extraordinario in particular appeared to be learning from his ring generalship. People have been expecting certain things when Steve Flash appears in the dark, and it was also time to shatter those assumptions, so when Jonni got the Low Down on Steve and followed through with the pin, that was something we needed. Not too bad, not too great, but acceptable. [I]Jonni Lowlife defeated Huracan Sandoval Jr, Extraordinario Jr and Steve Flash when he pinned Steve Flash[/I] RATING: D [B]The Animals vs. Young Blood II for the Tag Titles[/B] Such a mismatch in terms of card position, but the Animals get rub just from going up against these two. And they have the chance to learn, too; Davis stood out, as ever, but you could see del Gato learn as he wrestled. There was a real drive forward in his development, and it left me grinning; while this particular tag exchange was weak, I can see the Animals turning into a dangerous tag team in the future. For now, though, the Newton's Cradle conquered Purpura and the champions retain... [I]Young Blood II defeated The Animals when Davis Wayne Newton pinned El Bestia Purpura[/I] RATING: C- [B]Sergei Kalashnov vs. Bairei Yasujiro for the Heritage Championship[/B] Not bad. Not great, but not bad; the two put together a very fast-paced match, but unfortunately it was weak whenever they deviated from speed. Ultimately, though, it worked for what it was, and the Eastern Block gives Sergei another successful defence on the docket at 14:45 [I]Sergei Kalashnov defeated Bairei Yasujiro by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Don Henderson[/B] While the fans are still unhapppy with Bulldozer wrestling twenty minutes, the best thing I can sensibly do is put him up against people whose endurance limitations keep them to shorter matches – though Don may hopefully be getting better at that. A nice solid back-and-forth that built Don up a little further as he won the way with the Scottish Deathlock; his main event status needs solidifying. [I]Don Henderson defeated Bulldozer Brandon Smith by submission.[/I] RATING: C+ [B]El Critico vs. Velocidad: Beacon Championship Semi-Final[/B] Oh, ouch. This should've been better, and I'm not quite sure why it wasn't. Velocidad is perhaps not as far along as I'd believed, outside a tag environment. Critico, thankfully, got the win with a sunset flip out of nowhere. [I]El Critico defeated Velocidad by pinfall[/I] RATING: D+ [B] Joey Beauchamp vs. Toby Juan Kenobi in a Ladder Match for the ROF Championship[/B] Good chemistry and good tuition lead to a good match that leaves Joey looking stronger than ever, as he defeats Toby with a backdrop from the ladder giving him plenty of time to collect the belt at 15:56 [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Toby Juan Kenobi when he retrieved the title[/I] RATING: B- Not great, but – even with the semi-main-event dud – good enough. Next week we crown a new champion, hopefully to better acclaim than the semi-final gave us. The fans continue to laud the show, though; we must be doing something right. OVERALL: C+

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Animals vs. Death from Above Sergei Kalashnov vs. Jonni Lowlife for the Heritage Championship El Critico vs. Seiji Jimbo in a two out of three falls bout: Beacon Championship Final Steve Flash vs. Nichiren Amagawa vs. Nigel Svensson Don Henderson vs. British Samurai Joey Beauchamp vs. Jed High for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

[B]Animals[/B] vs. Death from Above [B]Sergei Kalashnov[/B] vs. Jonni Lowlife for the Heritage Championship El Critico vs. [B]Seiji Jimbo [/B]in a two out of three falls bout: Beacon Championship Final Steve Flash vs. Nichiren Amagawa vs. [B]Nigel Svensson[/B] [B]Don Henderson[/B] vs. British Samurai [B]Joey Beauchamp [/B]vs. Jed High for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 1 June Aston University Sports Hall 930 in attendance A hot crowd tonight, knowing full well that a new champion must be crowned. Our dark beginning: another match between the Animals and Death from Above. Despite recent defeats and consequent loss of momentum for all four men, this got the fans involved pretty much as well as any of their prior bouts, demonstrating a palpable improvement in skill. Del Gato and Velocidad in particular seemed to be showing each other new tricks either in chain wrestling or in storytelling, in both cases adding to the smooth flow of the bout. In the end, however, Purpura's heroic fightback was shut down by a Velocidad Tornado. [I]Death from Above defeated The Animals when Velocidad pinned El Bestia Purpura[/I] RATING: D [B]Sergei Kalashnov vs. Jonni Lowlife for the Heritage Championship[/B] A lacklustre outing only for both men, I'm afraid. It does, however, serve to further establish Sergei's credentials as a title holder, so it'll serve. Sergei, naturally, gets the win with the Eastern Block. [I]Sergei Kalashnov defeated Jonni Lowlife by pinfall[/I] RATING: D [B]El Critico vs. Seiji Jimbo in a two out of three falls bout: Beacon Championship Final[/B] A pretty good performance, with a reasonable match put on despite chemistry issues. Critico got off to an early start, the veteran on fire with a springboard backflip inverted DDT, but shortly afterward a motivated Seiji powered through his opposition and got the Jimbo Driver, evening the scores at around fourteen minutes in. The bout would last another four minutes before, while trying for a superplex, Critico found himself countered with a top rope DDT giving the Japanese combatant the win – and to become the first holder of the ROF Beacon Championship! [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated El Critico by two falls to one[/I] RATING: C- [B]Steve Flash vs. Nichiren Amagawa vs. Nigel Svensson[/B] Two of Seiji's potential challengers face off with the wily veteran here, putting on an excellent show that shows what they can become in the future – but not just yet; at the end Steve ran wild, Flash Bangs laying out both challengers before he pinned Nigel for the victory. [I]Steve Flash defeated Nichiren Amagawa and Nigel Svensson when he pinned Nigel Svensson[/I] RATING: C [B]Don Henderson vs. British Samurai[/B] Now this I very much enjoyed. Don has to establish himself as a top level man; Sammy isn't ready to be removed from that role yet. The two lasted twenty minutes against each other, putting on a fantastic back-and-forth show of old school technical prowess, but only the time limit could end this one. [I]Don Henderson drew with British Samurai when the time limit elapsed.[/I] RATING: C+ [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Jed High for the ROF Championship[/B] And Jed's a main eventer, is he? Not yet ready for it in Ring of Fire if this is anything to go by; a mediocre match by Joey's standards, even with Simona Cox working her heart out to make this seem better. The one plus side was that, before the Breeze Block, Joey seemed to have picked up a few new tricks. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated Jed High by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- Not a good show by our standards, not at all. The best thing that can be said about it is that most of the forumgoers wrote it off as an anomaly and are looking forward to us trying to pull it all back. OVERALL: C-

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Steve Flash vs. Extraordinario Jr vs. Johnny Highspot vs. Huracan Sandoval Jr The Stunners vs. The Animals Sergei Kalashnov vs. Hidekazu for the Heritage Championship Marc Speed vs. Seiji Jimbo for the Beacon Championship Davis Wayne Newton vs. Jed High Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

Steve Flash vs. Extraordinario Jr vs. Johnny Highspot vs. [B]Huracan Sandoval Jr[/B] [B]The Stunners[/B] vs. The Animals Sergei Kalashnov vs. [B]Hidekazu [/B]for the Heritage Championship Marc Speed vs. [B]Seiji Jimbo [/B]for the Beacon Championship [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. Jed High [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. Petey Barnes for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 2 June Parliament Square 1000 in attendance A full house turns out this evening, and their exclusive bout features Steve Flash, Johnny Highspot, Extraordinario Jr, and Huracan Sandoval Jr. Needless to say it isn't a fantastic performance, but it's good enough – definite indications that the newcomers are learning to develop their trade. The finish comes when Johnny's Frog Splash gets three, the ref counting there rather than across the ring where Steve has Extraordinario's leg hooked after a Flash Bang. [I]Johnny Highspot defeated Steve Flash, Huracan Sandoval Jr and Extraordinario Jr when he pinned Huracan Sandoval Jr[/I] RATING: D+ [B]The Stunners vs. The Animals[/B] There's still a lot of work to be done making the Animals into a pair of credible challengers for tag gold, but it's work worth doing. The Bulldozer and Black Eagle, too, have things to learn – and all four men come away from this match having learned a great deal, with Black Eagle also recording a pinfall over Amo del Gato after the New Jersey Turnpike. Brandon, though, was the real star of the show. [I]The Stunners defeated The Animals when Black Eagle pinned Amo del Gato[/I] RATING: D+ [B]Sergei Kalashnov vs. Hidekazu for the Heritage Championship[/B] Much better than Sergei's outing last week, the Fresh Prince of Belarus puts on a fantastic display of speed against the brute force and technical wizardry exemplified by Hidekazu. Great, great fun to watch, capped off with a lethal looking Eastern Block. [I]Sergei Kalashnov defeated Hidekazu by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Marc Speed vs. Seiji Jimbo for the Beacon Championship[/B] This I liked. The debuting Marc Speed was a little cagey about his elbow, only recently healed, and I can't blame him, but for all that this was still a pretty good technical back-and-forth with good flow. Both of these comparative youngsters know how to put their matches together, and it showed. Eventually the Jimbo Driver ended things. [I]Seiji Jimbo defeated Marc Speed by pinfall[/I] RATING: C- [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Jed High[/B] So. We've established that Jed still has some way to go before he's a true main eventer. And he and Davis don't really mesh. For all that, they did a great job here; over fifteen minutes we saw some true flashes of excellence from both men, the bout turning into something worthwhile despite that lack of chemistry. At 14:56, however, the Newton's Cradle forced Jed's shoulders to the mat and the Canadian came away with the win. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Jed High by pinfall[/I] RATING: C [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. Petey Barnes for the ROF Championship[/B] An extremely taut half an hour of action here, hard-fought not really enough to describe it. Joey worked over Petey's legs, aiming to kill his speed; Petey went for that right shoulder, aiming to eliminate the Breeze Block. Petey got himself broken open around twenty minutes in; Joey started to bleed himself after a Future Shock from the top turnbuckle at twenty-five minutes, but Petey was too tired to make the pinfall in time to capitalise, and Joey kicked out. Things got nastier after that; matters ended when the X Factor and the Breeze Block clashed, both men collapsing, and at 30:45 both men proved unable to answer the count of ten. The Breeze retains, but barely, against his greatest rival. [I]Joey Beauchamp and Petey Barnes drew when neither man could reach his feet within the count of ten.[/I] RATING: B There was a mild complaint that Purpura survived a little too long to be believable; nevertheless this seems to have gotten the crowds pumped both in Parliament Square and online. Very glad to have put this together. OVERALL: B-

[Phantom Stranger]

Next week: Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Nichiren Amagawa vs. Nigel Svensson Billy Robinson vs. Steve Flash Seiji Jimbo vs. Sergei Kalashnov: Champions Bout Davis Wayne Newton vs. Black Eagle Petey Barnes vs. Bairei Yasujiro Joey Beauchamp vs. British Samurai in a Submission Match for the ROF Championship

[chris caulfield]

[B]Bulldozer Brandon Smith[/B] vs. Nichiren Amagawa vs. Nigel Svensson [B]Billy Robinson[/B] vs. Steve Flash [B]Seiji Jimbo[/B] vs. Sergei Kalashnov: Champions Bout [B]Davis Wayne Newton[/B] vs. Black Eagle [B]Petey Barnes[/B] vs. Bairei Yasujiro [B]Joey Beauchamp[/B] vs. British Samurai in a Submission Match for the ROF Championship

[Phantom Stranger]

Tuesday Week 3 June Aston University Sports Hall 902 in attendance Still flagging behind the south as far as attendance goes, up in our home, but because of the gulf in charge, still actually making more money here. Another solid dark match this week as we asked Brandon to fill the 'veteran' role against Nigel Svensson and Nichiren Amagawa; a good solid match ensued which saw Nigel pick up a few puro tips and both other men show Brandon a little more about chain wrestling before Brandon laid Nichiren out with the inverted piledriver, turned, and met Nigel's charge with the backdrop driver, pinning Nigel. [I]Bulldozer Brandon Smith defeated Nichiren Amagawa and Nigel Svensson when he pinned Nigel Svensson[/I] RATING: C- [B]Billy Robinson vs. Steve Flash[/B] Two great veterans here; they put out a really nice little opener, and Billy manages to pick up a singles victory for himself, getting the Capital City Crucifix for the win. [I]Billy Robinson defeated Steve Flash by submission [/I] RATING: C- [B]Seiji Jimbo vs. Sergei Kalashnov: Champions Bout[/B] Neither belt on the line here but the pride of each in question. Nice bout, if not quite as good as I'd hoped; but neither man let me down here with a twenty-minute battle that went right up to the time limit. [I]Seiji Jimbo drew with Sergei Kalashnov when the time limit elapsed[/I] RATING: C- [B]Davis Wayne Newton vs. Black Eagle[/B] Oh my God. For months now the Eagle has been putting in serviceable but not outstanding performances whether in tag or solo action. Here, he pulled out all the stops and produced a fantastic bout with Davis; it's not that they click spectacularly well, it's not that either man was operating beyond their usual capacity in any way I could put my finger on, or anything that I can really define, but this was phenomenal, particularly when Davis saw a diving clothesline coming and twisted with it, locking the STF in before the Eagle even hit the ground. [I]Davis Wayne Newton defeated Black Eagle by submission[/I] RATING: B- [B]Petey Barnes vs. Bairei Yasujiro[/B] These two acquitted themselves equally well, though it was more expected here, particularly as these two really do have chemistry together. There were points where Matthew Morris, now on his own on play-by-play duty, just couldn't keep up with them, which hasn't happened for a while. After nearly eighteen minutes Petey countered the Yasujiro Suplex into a sneaky rollup and got the pin. [I]Petey Barnes defeated Bairei Yasujiro by pinfall[/I] RATING: B- [B]Joey Beauchamp vs. British Samurai in a Submission Match for the ROF Championship[/B] Shame the main event couldn't maintain that level of quality, really; Joey was put to a tough test, but his technical aptitude isn't on a par with his speed work, and I'd neglected to consider just how broad a gulf their was. In such a concentrated match, though, he had plenty of time to pick up some tips on his holds from a master, and Sammy played the part excellently. In the end Joey managed to lock in a grounded sleeper and just keep it going by sheer power alone. [I]Joey Beauchamp defeated British Samurai by submission[/I] RATING: C Good performance, this; very good performance. We're reaching the point where this sort of thing will be expected, though – or so I believe. Our downloads have to reach a maximum sometime, right? OVERALL: C+ Runaway Train throws his weight around on the wrestling news sights. It's been twelve months since he last stepped between the ropes, but he's vowing his return will be soon... In other news, Jed High's turned down UCR's latest request for a contract extension, informing them they're just not big enough. Well, he's probably right, but this is another nail in the coffin for UCR... And the contract 21CW gave Joey after he became my champ has ended; Joey turned down the extension for the same reason Jed turned down UCR. On the other hand, we're a big enough promotion for Optimus to sign a contract with us; he'll be operating as a road agent for the next while.