[CVerse 2020] Championship Wrestling from Wigan: The Best of British Wrestling

[Aura]

THE KING OF THE NORTH TOURNAMENT- FIRST ROUND ACTION:

Curtis Jenkins vs. Vernon George

(I don't see Curtis losing in the first round, and I don't see Vernon advancing past the first round.)

 

Jonni Leyland vs. JK Lee

(I think that Jonni's probably the lowest on the totem pole out of the veterans, so I feel like he's safe to go out here. JK needs to redeem himself for last year anyway.)

 

Martin Heath vs. Bryn Archer

(This is probably my most controversial pick for the whole tournament, but I think that debuting with a win would make Bryn look like someone to watch out for.)

 

Leighton Buzzard vs. Pinfall Peters

(I think that Leighton could get more mileage out of a win at this point than Peters could.)

 

THE KING OF THE NORTH SECOND ROUND ACTION:

Jenkins vs. Archer

(I think that Archer gives CJ a good fight, but experience wins over youth in the end.)

 

Lee vs. Buzzard

(I'll guess that Lee continues to show that he learned from his missteps last year and advances to the final.)

 

THE KING OF THE NORTH- THE FINAL:

Jenkins vs. Lee

(I'll give the win to Lee to complete the redemption arc. Everyone likes a feel-good ending.)

 

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION NON-TITLE SHOWCASE

Lenny Mochin vs. Neil Warburton

(Sorry Neil, but Lenny's the top champ.)

 

Lynton Minehead, Jermaine Granger and Myles Cross vs. Grant Taypen, Glen Ward and Gavin Owen

(Grant, Glen, and Gavin just sounds too stacked for me to go against them here.)

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Jon Michael Sharp

(Just a gut feeling on this one.)

[1PWfan]

Show will be going up tomorrow evening folks, so if there's anyone out there who still wants to get predictions in, now's the time. After that updates may slow down a bit- I've hit a creative block on writing up CWW's summer shows so they're taking a while to sort out.

 

Anyway, here's a question from Herrbear

 

Question for Grant Taypen

 

How did you get the nickname "Pig Boy"?

 

Grant: It goes back to my training at the ROF Dojo, back when it was Turnbuckle Wrestling. My dad's a butcher and big on fresh produce so we always have loads of meat around the house, and instead of cutting it into sandwich meat or the like I'd just take a whole ham joint to training and cut it up there, share it with the rest of the lads. So for a while I was known as Ham Boy, and then it turned into Pig Boy for some reason (I think there was an Anne about the place, she was someone's girlfriend or sister I think, and nobody wanted to get mixed up).

[1PWfan]

CWW The King of the North 2020

Recorded as live at Phoenix Nights

Friday, Week 3, March

Audience: 72

 

 

The Show

 

Lenny Mochin vs. Neil Warburton

We needed to open with a good technical showcase, and our best technical wrestlers weren’t involved in the tournament, so this was the obvious answer. Turns out it was also the right answer with extra marks; whilst this wasn’t quite up there with our very best it came ruddy close, and in any case it’s not like Neil’s a major star. I think I’ve said before, in fact, that he’s not ready for a top run and whilst this match proved that’s maybe not as true as I’d thought I’m still of the opinion that Neil needs time to develop some experience before we push him up the card. Lenny, on the other hand, is absolute our franchise player and carried his (admittedly very capable) opponent to a great opener. Whilst this was non-title it’s still very clear what the pecking order is here and which champ was winning; Lenny nailed Neil with the Eye of the Storm for the pin at 20:28.

Winner: Lenny Mochin Match Rating: 41

 

*

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Vernon George

At 6 minutes this was too short for a match featuring a top guy, but you know what? It’s a tournament opener, we don’t need it to be that good. Also, it was actually pretty good given how bad Vernon is when he’s off his game (which he was here) so I’ll take it. This is Vernon’s last match with us before his training camp, so it’s a shame he was so bad as I still don’t know how best to use him; he’s got the right vibe for CWW but is just so bad in the ring and we have too many projects in the undercard as is. As for CJ, he’s a great wrestler but lacks a bit of direction at the moment- he was the last CWW champion, so I don’t want to drop him straight back into that slot and is too big for the Submissions title. If he had a tag partner he’d be a good fit for the tag division but he doesn’t and there aren’t any obvious options out there right now. Still, he’s a good hand who was always going to win here, putting Vernon away at 6:14 with the Fisherman’s Suplex.

Winner: Curtis Jenkins Match Rating: 28

 

*

 

Martin Heath vs. Bryn Archer

I’d booked this one as a potential show-stealer, on the basis that those matches always disappoint and here it’d be forgotten about in short order. Sure enough, it was actually no better than the previous match, although in fairness I was happier with the individual performances here. Bryn was a little hamstrung by debuting in a five-minute tournament match, he didn’t have a chance to really show what he could do and didn’t look great. Still, he was better than Vernon so I wasn’t displeased and it’s not like I was wanting to put a title on him right this second anyways. Martin, meanwhile, was as great as ever and the only reason he doesn’t already have a belt is that I don’t want to change any just yet. He took the win here, as you might expect.

Winner: Martin Heath Match Rating: 28

 

*

 

Jonni Leyland vs. JK Lee

Oh, that’s a nice surprise. This was the best first round match so far, though that was probably always going to be the case as our ‘rising prospect’ is actually more over than the established star. Still, I have no regrets in how I booked this one; I needed something that felt like an upset, Jonni’s definitely a more established presence than JK and Lee needs as many wins as possible if we’re serious about building him into a top guy. Yes, I gave the win to the rookie here; Jonni’s capable (and actually gave his best performance of the year in this one, clearly he’s at his best in shorter bouts) but JK’s going to be CWW Champion in the next couple of years and needed the win more. He got it via submission at 6:24, locking in the Crossface as the clock ticked towards time limit.

Winner: JK Lee Match Rating: 36

 

*

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Leighton Buzzard

Now where did that come from? This was a (very slight) step-up from the last match and I have no idea why. Okay, so Leighton’s a good hand and Pinfall can certainly go but Leighton isn’t JK and Pinfall certainly isn’t Jonni Leyland. On reflection, maybe that’s why this came across slightly better; these two aren’t big names so the crowd wasn’t frustrated at how short the match was and could enjoy it for what it was. Which was a good first-round tournament match that delivered everything I wanted from it; good solid action and a nice clean finish that saw Leighton put Pinfall Peters away with the Buzz Off (spinning heel kick) for the pinfall.

Winner: Leighton Buzzard Match Rating: 37

 

*

 

Lynton Minehead and Cross & Granger vs. Grant Taypen and Ward & Owen

Our first filler match of the evening saw three projects getting their tails kicked by three of our better midcard hands. I took a long time going back on forth on whether Taypen or Buzzard would be in the tournament (in the end Leighton’s superior stamina gave him the edge) and put Grant with the superior team as consolation here. As for the other five, Glen and Gavin are good hands who’re looking at potential title runs in the future (unless Glen hops out for better money, the capitalistic little s*d), whilst the opposing team might as well be termed ‘team big project’. Lynton’s probably the furthest along in his development and he’s super green, Jermaine has charisma but not a huge amount else and Myles mostly exists to discourage confidence in WWA:UK as a training school. Okay, so that last part’s probably a bit harsh, certainly Myles on his game isn’t any worse than Lynton and certainly has clear air on the likes of Vernon, but whatever the case he’s unlikely to get many wins at this stage of his career. Grant, Gav and Glen got the win here, as you might have guessed.

Winners: Grant Taypen and Ward & Owen Match Rating: 33

 

*

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Martin Heath

You’d expect a match featuring these two to be decent and it certainly was; I might revisit this one down the line with less of a time constraint. I won’t lie and say I went back and forth on the winner here; I always knew who I wanted to go over, but either of these two would make for a good tournament winner without any complaints from me. Ultimately, though, Martin’s superior stamina was the big difference maker; these two are both good hands but I don’t want the tournament final to feature a guy who’s totally gassed by the halfway mark. Martin’s one of the best in the company for going the distance so he got the win here, putting CJ away with the Flying Fist Drop.

Winner: Martin Heath Match Rating: 39

 

*

 

JK Lee vs. Leighton Buzzard

This was another decent match that’s worth revisiting in the future; if nothing else the King of the North Tournament has thrown up a lot of potential rematches for later shows when we don’t have so much to cram in. Admittedly Leighton was off his game here, but even with that in mind he was decent enough, and in any case it’s not like he’s going to be the key player in that many singles matches anyway. As for JK, he’s been astonishingly consistent all night, in fact I think he’s rated out about the same in both matches so far. Once again I always knew who I wanted to win this one, but this was less about stamina and about the fact that one of these competitors is just better than the other. JK once again took home the win via submission, locking Leighton in the Crossface to progress through to the final.

Winner: JK Lee Match Rating: 37

 

*

 

Jon Michael Sharp vs. Padraig O’Hearne

The last of our filler matches delivered pretty much what you’d expect; a good solid semi-main that did its job without ever really standing out from others of its kind. There’s a big gap between what JMS and his partner are capable of, which might be more of a concern if a) Jon wasn’t still pretty good and b) I have no intention of splitting up the team anyway. As for Padraig, I started the year with him as Lenny’s top contender and he’s still in that same basic spot but the emergence of guys like Martin and JK have muddied those waters a bit and I’m no longer quite as certain as I was that O’Hearne’s a lock for the next CWW Champion. Don’t get me wrong, he’s probably still at the top of that list but that word ‘probably’ really says everything I need it to. He’s still more of a singles guy than JMS, though, and took the win here with the Crowning Glory.

Winner: Padraig O’Hearne Match Rating: 40

 

*

 

JK Lee vs. Martin Heath

When I first took on the CWW job I was most worried about the King of the North tournament, I’ve never put one together before and my nightmare was that the whole thing would fall apart. Fortunately this first attempt has worked out pretty well; nobody complained that any of the talent was overused and the tournament final ended the night on fine form. We’ve had better matches, to be honest, but they weren’t contested between two guys who’d already wrestled twice before that same evening so this one wins the moral victory (if not, y’know, any actual competitions or anything). The winner here was JK Lee; I like Martin a lot and he would be a deserving and credible King of the North but JK’s just a better long-term prospect in singles competition (though his term with O’Hearne is also pretty good and I’m not ruling out a Tag Title run), so he finished the night as the new King of the North Tournament Champion, locking in the Crossface to force his third straight submission of the night and win the trophy.

Winner: JK Lee Match Rating: 47

 

 

Overall Rating: 42, a step down from January and February but still more than good enough. JK and Martin obviously get significant praise for their work all evening, whilst Grant gets pointed out as a good example for his backstage contribution (he organised a poker tournament backstage that kept morale up all evening).

[1PWfan]

The hardest thing for Sid about visiting Leighton Buzzard in the hospital had to be the constant reminders not to make jokes about the fact that a man named Buzzard had been attacked by an eagle. Not because of taste issues or anything, it was just that there was no way Leighton hadn’t already made them all himself.

 

 

“Alright Sid, boss-man said you’d be along. Want a grape? Apparently you have to have some when you’re recuperating even if you hate the ruddy things.”

 

 

 

“Honestly, Leigh? Right there with you on grapes. No, I was just wondering how you were.”

 

 

“And how it happened, right? Honestly, I have no idea. I’m at the zoo with the family…”

 

 

Leighton had two sisters, both of whom had multiple children and a tendency to forget Leighton wasn’t one of them. To be fair, once you took in Leighton’s general demeanour Sid couldn’t blame them.

 

 

“I’m eating my lunch and suddenly pow, eagle to the face. Apparently I’m lucky it just broke my nose, they’ve been known to take a bloke’s eye out.”

 

 

Nothing summed up Leighton Buzzard more than the cheery grim with which he delivered the news of potential blindness.

 

 

“Any idea when you’ll be healed up? Vernon’s off into training camp now and honestly mate, we need you.”

 

 

“Oh, I’ll be fine in a week or so, well before showtime. It’s only a broken nose Sid, I’d had hundreds of them.”

 

 

“Anybody else says that, I’d assume they’re exaggerating.”

 

 

Leighton burst into loud guffaws at this, clearly amused at the truth of the statement, and turned the telly on to UKB Prime for Grandstand’s coverage of the England/India test series. Sid was frankly rather relieved- making small talk had never been a particular skill of his but as a proud British Indian he’d been mocking England’s batting order since shortly after he started talking.

 

***

 

From Sid’s notebook:

 

Current finances sit at a little over 15k in the bank, with consistent profits over the first quarter of the year. Used this to persuade CJ to upgrade our broadcast quality; up to now we’ve been using Samurai’s stepson to film and edit the shows (in fairness, he has a degree in film production from somewhere apparently). Now…well, we’re still Samurai’s stepson but now we’re paying him so he can afford more kit and a couple of mates to do close-ups. Unfortunately upgrading anything else is well outside our current budget, otherwise I’d improve our production values as well. Ah well, there’s always the autumn.

 

Oh, and Vernon went into training camp for his MMA fight. He’s due back at the end of July, I think, which will bring him in for part of the Summer Sizzler tour.

 

***

 

Card for CWW Battlefield:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. JK Lee

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Curtis Jenkins

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Taypen & Buzzard © vs. Ward & Owen

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSION TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Pinfall Peters

[Regis]

Card for CWW Battlefield:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. JK Lee

Lee can chase a bit longer.

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Curtis Jenkins

Top guy, out.

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Taypen & Buzzard © vs. Ward & Owen

You know what? Let's take a chance.

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSION TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Pinfall Peters

Yeah but no.

[Herrbear]

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. JK Lee

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Curtis Jenkins

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Taypen & Buzzard © vs. Ward & Owen

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSION TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Pinfall Peters

[1PWfan]

Show will go up tomorrow so there's still time for predictions

[1PWfan]

Apologies for the delay, technical issues and exhaustion meant I only just got back on the computer that has the dynasty on

 

CWW Battlefield

Recorded as live at Sham 69

Friday, Week 3, April

Audience: 76

 

The Show

 

Neil Warburton vs. Pinfall Peters

We kicked things off with our customary technical showcase, and I think this was the first time since January we’d mixed the technical showcase and Submission title match. It worked as well as you’d expect; Neil and Peters are two of our best pure technical workers (in the midcard anyways) and are ideally suited for this kind of match. Neil in particular seems to have stepped up his game after his match with Lenny, he’s not quite performing at the same level as Lenny or CJ but he’s making progress and I wouldn’t bet against him getting up there by the end of the year (always assuming there’s room for him of course, which there might not be). As for Peters, he’s still as ‘good midcard hand’ rather than ‘future star’ level but hey, there’ll always be a spot for solid performers who can anchor the opening few matches in this company. Neil got the win here- I’m not ready for a title switch just yet- with the Texas Deathlock.

Winner: Neil Warburton Match Rating: 35

 

*

 

Bryn Archer and Lynton Minehead vs. Sharp & Heath

Right, I’m gonna have to tear up my plans; Martin Heath will at some point this year become CWW Champion, he’s operating on a whole other level than the rest of the company right now. Admittedly that might leave the tag division undermanned, but talent is talent and Martin’s got what it takes to really carry the company forward. As for his partner, JMS is a good hand but just doesn’t have Martin’s out-and-out quality; I might see if we can find another partner for him and keep him in the tag team division, see if that works. Their opponents, meanwhile, are very much projects but both look decent; Lynton’s already improved from where he was at the start of the year and Bryn wasn’t particularly awful here. Don’t get me wrong, he’s probably our weakest performer right now but he’s only been here for two shows and needs time to develop; give him a few months and I imagine he’ll have reached the same level as guys Lynton or Jermaine. If you couldn’t guess, Sharp and Heath took the win here, with JMS pinning Bryn after hitting the Disarmer (Double Arm Trap Neckbreaker).

Winners: Sharp & Heath Match Rating: 35

 

*

 

Jermaine Granger vs. Myles Cross vs. Jonni Leyland

This was better than I’d expected; it wasn’t exactly great or anything but clearly our prospects are starting to develop and step up their game in the ring. Admittedly this one was still carried by Jonni, but then he has roughly twenty times as much experience as both his opponents put together so what do you expect? He’s certainly not going to be appearing in any main events soon but put him up against the younger guys and Jonni can carry them to a decent match whilst hopefully teaching them a few tricks along the way. As for the other two, Jermaine’s pretty good for his level of experience and has steadily improved over the last few months, whilst Myles is a bit more of a complicated case; he’s definitely improved but is still up-and-down in his performance. It’s not that he’s inclined to off nights or anything, it’s more that his floor-to-ceiling gap is pretty wide and he’s yet to bring that floor up the way I’d like him to. Still, even if he isn’t particularly likeable he’s yet to cause trouble so I’ll give him a chance to improve some more and see what happens. He still took the loss, tonight, though, as Jonni hit a Low Down and got a pin before Jermaine could break the fall.

Winner: Jonni Leyland Match Rating: 31

 

*

 

Taypen & Buzzard vs. Ward & Owen

This one was a good-to-great match that saw the first title switch of the year as Ward & Owen took the W to get their first run with the tag titles. It was also the first time a match didn’t suffer for having the competitors try to steal the show; okay, so Gavin couldn’t keep up and Grant was off his game anyway but Glen and Leighton both stepped up admirably (even if Glen was gasping for breath by the end). I don’t have any issue with Grant and Leighton, they’re great guys and have done a great job as champions but they’ve held the title for something like 200-odd days and I thought it was time for a switch on that one; they’ll still be key competitors (and given how much our fans seem to enjoy high fliers Leighton might even move up the card if a gap opens up) but for now it’s time for another team to have a go. That team was Ward & Owen who’ve delivered solid performances all year and have earned this run (plus, y’know, if it fails miserably there’s at least two options already around that can replace them). Gav got the win here, locking Grant in the Judo Arm Lock while Glen took Leighton at ringside with the soggiest judo throw you’ve ever seen (it was basically Leighton flipping himself over Glen’s shoulder whilst Glen stood there gasping).

Winners AND NEW CHAMPIONS: Ward & Owen Match Rating: 39

 

*

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Padraig O’Hearne

As usual, once we got to our top matches the quality jumped up a notch. CJ and Padraig remain two of our biggest stars, and pretty much anyone could predict this would be a show-stealer, which indeed it was. Padraig remains a strong contender for the CWW Championship but the emergence of other names like Lee and Martin has seen him drop a little way down the pecking order; he’s still got the juice but I feel like he’s such a dead cert that I want to try out somebody else first and see what happens before giving it to him. As for CJ, stamina concerns have kept him away from the top spot since he dropped the belt but as we get closer to summer we need to build as many contenders as possible for the sizzler tour (more on that later). That’s why CJ got the win here, reversing the Crowning Glory into the Fisherman’s Suplex for the pin; Padraig’s body of work will always keep him as a challenger, CJ needs a big signature win to get him back in the picture.

Winner: Curtis Jenkins Match Rating: 48

 

*

 

Lenny Mochin vs. JK Lee

This one, whilst still a good main event, was definitely a disappointment. Neither man was bad, there was no off nights or anything, but it turns out Lenny and JK don’t click and it made for a very awkward bout (and when you’re dealing with two mat technicians that can particularly obvious). Throw in his awkward attitude backstage and I’m thinking it might be time to cool the jets on Lee’s push up the card; he’s good, that’s obvious, but is he someone we want at the top of the card right now? With how many other options there are out there that aren’t misery-guts I’m not so sure anymore. As for Lenny, this didn’t reveal anything about him I didn’t already know; he’s one of our top guys, one case of bad chemistry doesn’t change anything. He got the win here (this was always more of a test for Lee than a true opportunity; I don’t know if he passed just yet), putting Lee away with the Eye of the Storm at 22:22.

Winner: Lenny Mochin Match Rating: 45

 

 

Overall Rating: 45, our best show of the year despite the disappointing main event. Glen Ward, CJ and Padraig get the praise tonight.

[1PWfan]

So, since we just had the three predictions for the show, everybody gets a fan question this time! Including new posters because hey, why not?

 

Next post will go up later today.

[1PWfan]

Sid was awoken from his slumber by the dulcet tones of The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony, which meant that either Curtis was phoning him or somebody had hacked into his ipod and replaced all the good music.

 

 

“What is it? ‘Cos ringing me this close to midnight just to chat could be considered workplace bullying.”

 

 

“Nah, it’s good news mate. We got the Nagasaki Prize!”

 

 

Kendo Nagasaki was the first Anglo-Japanese man to sit in the House of Lords, and after he’d died a prize had been founded in his honour to reward diversity in business or something. Sid had known CWW were up for it but that whole side of things had been run by other people so he hadn’t really been paying attention.

 

 

“You’re kidding me, really?”

 

 

“Course we won mate, we’re a company owned by a black bloke, our chief creative office’s British Indian, we’ve got a gay champion and our broadcast team are Jewish and Irish traveller, how were we ever NOT going to win it, eh?”

 

 

JB was Irish traveller the way Sid was from Jharkhand (their parents had settled years before either were born), but apparently that still counted.

 

 

“Right…listen, can we talk more in the morning? I’m completely knackered and it sounds like you’re hammered”

 

 

“Honestly mate? I’m past hammered and coming up on totally sh*tfaced so let’s say we’ll talk tomorrow afternoon? I want to really earn this hangover mate.”

 

***

 

Of course, come the next morning CJ rang him mid-morning anyway.

 

 

“Right, here’s the deal. The Nagasaki prize came out to about a eighty five thousand quid, which puts us firmly on a solid financial ground but isn’t anything on what 21CW or the haggis f*cker have in their accounts…”

 

 

Mark Carnie’s name was not to be spoken outside of SNP’s locker room, lest you summon him up to inflict endless toxic bullsh*t on all in the local county.

 

 

“So I don’t want us to start running about and splashing the cash around. We can sit on it for now, build up some profit for a couple of months and then once we’re planning for the summer tour, that’s when we start spending, alright?”

 

 

“Fair enough- there’s some guys I’m looking at bringing in for the tour but they won’t suffer for having a couple of months more to develop before we bring them in.”

 

 

“Exactly. Also, we’re not using this to improve any more of our production just yet, either- I agree that spending more money on Danny Brown’s filming was the right call but that’s 500 quid less profit every month and that’s not a small percentage, alright? Unless Wrestleworld decides to start broadcasting out of the UK none of that guff matters at the moment anyway.”

 

 

Sid couldn’t deny CJ’s point, even if he was still keen on upgrading the production values to something a little more polished. Still, there was always the future.

 

 

“Fine, you’re not wrong. Anyway, here’s what I’ve got planned for the next show…”

 

***

 

Card for CWW Only the Strong:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Martin Heath

 

Jon Michael Sharp vs. JK Lee

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. Neil Warburton & Jonni Leyland

 

Bryn Archer vs. Pinfall Peters

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Lynton Minehead

[Herrbear]

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Martin Heath

 

Jon Michael Sharp vs. JK Lee

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. Neil Warburton & Jonni Leyland

 

Bryn Archer vs. Pinfall Peters

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Lynton Minehead

[1PWfan]

Show will go up tomorrow night, so if anyone else is interested in predictions or fan questions, now's the time folks.

 

In the meantime here's one from James the Animator:

 

My question is for JK Lee: It’s no secret your style is vastly different from most of your peers in SNP. How did Mark Carnie convince you to work for him, and how do you feel about your current position there?

 

JK Lee: CWW didn't exist back then and I needed work so I said yes. How do I feel about it now? Well, I like the paycheck. Don't like much else but pay is always good.

[Regis]

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Martin Heath

CJ's not going to be the next champ, and you can't win the diversity prize and then take the title off one of the people who helped you win it.

 

Jon Michael Sharp vs. JK Lee

He's just better.

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. Neil Warburton & Jonni Leyland

No hotshotting in CWW!

 

Bryn Archer vs. Pinfall Peters

Not much attached one way or the other.

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Lynton Minehead

Good ol' Paddy.

 

Fan question for CJ: You did a long stint in America with MAW. Are there any wrestlers from your time there that you'd like to see do a stint in CWW one day?

[1PWfan]

Okay, slight change of plan: I'm going to put off posting the show for a day. Not for any dramatic reasons or anything, there's just other things I wanted to get done tonight that I haven't managed so I'm rearranging my schedule.

[1PWfan]

CWW Only the Strong

Recorded as live at LeChuck’s Revenge

Friday, Week 3, May

Audience: 77

 

The Show

 

Ward & Owen vs. Neil Warburton & Jonni Leyland

We kicked things off with our usual technical showcase, giving our new tag champs their first title defence. It worked as well as ever; three of the four guys are absolute technical specialists, and whilst Jonni was definitely the odd man out he at least knows the basics and did as good a job as he could. That’s actually something I’ll have to keep an eye on when the summer hiring spree starts- we’ve got a lot of dedicated specialists (brawlers, puro guys, even some high flyers) but very few versatile all-rounders, it’s basically just Jonni and CJ and even then Leyland’s more of a high flier who can sort of mat wrestle a bit. As for the other three, Glen was definitely the star performer here but I’ve no complaints about Neil or Gav, they were perfectly fine. Glen got the win, locking Jonni in the Judo Choke-Sleeper and forcing the submission.

Winners: Ward & Owen Match Rating: 36

 

*

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Bryn Archer

This was probably the weakest match we’ve had since the King of the North tournament; I’d overestimated Peters’ ability to carry a greenhorn (I wonder where that term comes from?) like Bryn. Still, compared to where we were at the start of the year this was pretty good, and Bryn’s biggest problem is simply that he’s very inexperienced. Given more time to develop, and the right opponents, I’m confident that he’ll eventually get there and in any case, he’s definitely better than the likes of Vernon George. Peters was good but nothing more; I like him but he’s definitely still got room to grow. In a few months I could definitely see him getting a run with the Submissions Title but that’s for the future; for now Peters got the win to help build up his momentum after a couple of losses. That victory came (naturally enough) via pinfall, as he put Bryn away with the Bridging Roll-Up.

Winner: Pinfall Peters Match Rating: 28

 

*

 

Cross & Granger vs. Taypen & Buzzard

One of the big advantages of having Grant and Leighton drop the belts is that I could immediately book them against our weakest tag team without undermining the belts. The results were about what you’d expect; the former champs were great, Jermaine was alright, Myles wasn’t particularly good but has improved since the start of the year. I’m not massively sure what to do with Myles, to be honest; he’s improved and deserves to be kept around for a while if he continues to avoid making trouble but I don’t love his team with Jermaine, there’s a big talent gap and I’d rather put them with other partners who match their styles better. Let’s put it this way; Myles with Bryn is an equal pairing that can develop together; Jermaine with a different partner could conceivably challenge for the titles and feel credible. Cross & Granger, though, are just a filler tag team that I’ve no plans and no major use for; they took the loss here to give the former champs some momentum back, with Taypen pinning Granger after the Missile Double Impact (Missile Dropkick/Electric Chair Drop combo)

Winners: Taypen & Buzzard Match Rating: 32

 

*

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Lynton Minehead

Man, I cannot figure Lynton out at all. On paper he’s one of our brightest young prospects but every time I give him the chance to really stake his claim he comes up way short. Take this match; I booked it as our designated show-stealer and thought Lynton had the intensity and style to at least do something, instead of which he completely shrivelled up and couldn’t perform at all. Honestly, if our fans didn’t expect it I wouldn’t book any more of these bl**dy things, we’ve got maybe three people who can handle the matches and they’re all needed in big match spots that use different booking rules. Fortunately enough Padraig’s one of the ones who can, so whilst I’m annoyed at this match’s existence it wasn’t that bad or anything. You really should be able to guess who won here.

Winner: Padraig O’Hearne Match Rating: 33

 

*

 

Jon Michael Sharp vs. JK Lee

This was predictably good, given that JK’s still one of our top guys and JMS isn’t exactly a slouch himself. I’m not sure what to do with JK, to be honest; his chemistry issues with Lenny make a rematch unlikely in the near future so the CWW Championship’s back-burnered and him and Padraig have probably outgrown the Tag titles for now (plus, y’know, new champions). I figure for right now we’ll keep him around the top of the card and just cool off his push a little, give some other guys a chance to show what they can do and come back to Lee when the titles have moved round and he’s got a new opportunity. As for JMS, he’s a long way behind his partner but a good hand in every other respect- I haven’t ruled out putting him with another partner but finding the right one will be tricky and I don’t especially want to split Sharp & Heath right now anyways. He took the win here- like I said, I’m cooling JK’s push a little and JMS deserves a win- via a flash roll-up, preserving at least a little of JK’s momentum even in defeat.

Winner: Jon Michael Sharp Match Rating: 44

 

*

 

Lenny Mochin vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Martin Heath

It says something about how good Martin is that he was having an off-day and was still the top performer in this match. Okay, so not by much but still, it’s a matter of when, not if, Martin becomes CWW Champion. Not that Lenny’s done a bad job at all, mind you; he was only a half-step at most behind Martin in performance terms and has done a great job of consistently delivering main-event level matches. Okay, so he’ll drop the title at some point, but make no mistake, the only reason Lenny will drop out of the main event is if 21CW comes a-calling. As for CJ, he’s a good hand, a great boss and did a good job in this match even if he wasn’t quite as good as either of the other two. I don’t see him as necessarily a franchise player for us anymore but I’m not giving him too many losses anyway, he’s too reliable to waste on filler matches. This went to a time-limit draw as I didn’t want anyone here to lose- all three guys are needed to main event the Summer tour and this was mostly a pilot run to spot any potential chemistry issues.

Winner: None Match Rating: 49

 

 

Overall Rating: 47, our best show yet. The main event gets all the plaudits for delivering our best match yet.

[1PWfan]

So, show's in the bank (quite a long way in the bank, to be fair, but work scheduling and such means that posts will be irregular for the forseeable), let's see how predictions went.

 

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Martin Heath

 

Jon Michael Sharp vs. JK Lee

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. Neil Warburton & Jonni Leyland

 

Bryn Archer vs. Pinfall Peters

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Lynton Minehead

 

3/5 (I'm assuming you picked Padraig over Lynton as it's really bleedin' obvious), having missed on the two big matches. Fair enough, really, the semi-main was a 50/50 toss-up and nobody ever really predicts a draw.

 

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Martin Heath (This is the time to do the change. Heath can pin Jenkins, and Mochin can validly demand a rematch.)

 

Jon Michael Sharp vs. JK Lee (You’ve alluded to slowing Lee’s push a bit. Perhaps a rivalry with Sharp can hold him over for the rest of this year.)

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. Neil Warburton & Jonni Leyland

 

Bryn Archer vs. Pinfall Peters

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Lynton Minehead

 

4/5 for James the Animator, as once again the Main Event Draw puts paid to a perfect record.

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Martin Heath

CJ's not going to be the next champ, and you can't win the diversity prize and then take the title off one of the people who helped you win it.

 

Jon Michael Sharp vs. JK Lee

He's just better.

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. Neil Warburton & Jonni Leyland

No hotshotting in CWW!

 

Bryn Archer vs. Pinfall Peters

Not much attached one way or the other.

 

Padraig O’Hearne vs. Lynton Minehead

Good ol' Paddy.

 

3/5 for Regis, who came out the same as HerrBear. Also, here's your question:

 

Fan question for CJ: You did a long stint in America with MAW. Are there any wrestlers from your time there that you'd like to see do a stint in CWW one day?

 

Curtis Jenkins: Two names really spring to mind- Al Coleman and Ricky Turner. I don't know that they're globally known stars but they were great technical workers who deserve way more recognition than they've got so I'd love to see them in CWW. And of course it'd be great to team back up with Riley and get The Atlantic Connection going again.

 

 

Anyway, the winner of this predictions contest is James the Animator, who gets the fan question this month. Next show will be up either tonight or tomorrow, depending on how my schedule shakes out.

[1PWfan]

The CWW-Cast

 

 

 

 

“Hello fans and welcome to another edition of the CWW-cast. I’m your host Justin Blackham, joined by broadcast partner, CWW Analyst Jackie Goldstein.”

 

 

“At this time of year we’re looking ahead to our Summer Sizzler tour that takes us all over the UK but before that we have CWW Throwdown and at this show we’ll see a range of new stars debuting for Championship Wrestling from Wigan.”

 

 

“On tonight’s episode we’ll take a look at these debuting stars and what you can expect from them in CWW”

 

 

 

“First among the big debuts is Aurelian Bradley, the Welsh technician fighting out of Swansea.”

 

“Bradley’s a graduate of the National School of Wrestling and one of the finest young technical wrestlers on the independent circuit. With his emphasis on technical mat wrestling and deadly figure four leglock you have to assume the Submission Title is firmly in his sights.”

 

“He’s no veteran though- Bradley’s only 18 and has been wrestling for just over a year.”

 

“Yeah, and you’ve got to assume the great team at FightAnalytics.com are going to bear that in mind as they work out his CVOA and his ranking in the company. But make no mistake, Bradley may be 18 but so was Tommy Cornell once and now? He’s the greatest wrestler in the world.”

 

“Can’t argue with that, so let’s move onto our next big arrival…”

 

 

 

“…Gazz Vedmore and Mickey Robson, The Black Country Boys.”

 

“The best thing to come out of Wolverhampton since the music of Slade. Fans have been clamouring for CWW to bring these lads in since the start of the year and now that wish has come true.”

 

“These two will surely challenge for the Tag Team Titles in the near future.”

 

“Yeah, but to get there they’ll have to get through a lot of other great teams and that won’t be easy. Look for them to chalk up some big wins in the division before going for the titles, Gazz and Mickey aren’t fools and know they’ve got to prove themselves before getting the title shot they’re after.”

 

“And on that note, let’s turn to the last and undoubtedly the biggest of all our new signings…”

 

 

 

“The greatest catch wrestler in all the UK, Coventry’s own Walter Morgan has returned to the UK and we are thrilled to announce that he will be challenging for the CWW Championship at Throwdown.”

 

“Has there ever been a more natural fit for CWW than Walter Morgan? This is a competitor steeped in the traditions of classic British wrestling, exactly the kind of style we at CWW promote.”

 

“I can remember seeing Walter in his prime back in Ring of Fire and honestly, there were maybe three wrestlers in the whole UK who could have matched up in pure technical terms. Two of them are retired, and the last is fighting in Europe and hasn’t competed in the UK for a few years now.”

 

“Now let’s be honest here, at 46 years old Walter’s definitely not in the prime of his career, but that also means he’s seen pretty much every trick you can think of. We’ve got some great wrestlers here in CWW, and the big question is, will the likes of Lenny Mochin or Curtis Jenkins be able to out-muscle Walter? Because believe me, even at 46 there’s no way you’ll out-think The Shooter.”

 

“Certainly a main event to look forward to at Throwdown. Now that’s all we’ve time for tonight fans, but stick around for the credits and we’ll run down the full card as well…”

 

***

 

Card for CWW Throwdown:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Walter Morgan

 

Shark & Heath vs. Lee & O’Hearne

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Leighton Buzzard

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Grant Taypen

 

NON-TITLE TAG TEAM SHOWCASE

Ward & Owen vs. Lynton Minehead & Jermaine Granger

 

The Black Country Boys vs. Cross & Archer

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Aurelian Bradley

[Regis]

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Walter Morgan

I pop for Walter, but his limited psychology never quite let him live up to his full potential. He will put over a younger talent, and give the champion more legitimacy in doing so.

 

Sharp & Heath vs. Lee & O’Hearne

This is a tricky one. JMS went over JK, but only by a flash pinfall. Martin Heath is being groomed for a run at the top, but Paddy could easily take over. I think I'll go for the experienced team with the top prospect to win.

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Leighton Buzzard

I showcase for the boss. Let him and Jonni impart some wisdom to young Leighton.

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Grant Taypen

Not yet, Pig Boy.

 

NON-TITLE TAG TEAM SHOWCASE

Ward & Owen vs. Lynton Minehead & Jermaine Granger

Lynton and Jermaine can keep the champs' momentum up.

 

The Black Country Boys vs. Cross & Archer

...While the Black Country Boys make a splash with their debut.

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Aurelian Bradley

And speaking of making a splash, Aurelian can do good work here as part of finding his new level within the company.

[Herrbear]

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Walter Morgan

 

Shark & Heath vs. Lee & O’Hearne

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Leighton Buzzard

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Grant Taypen

 

NON-TITLE TAG TEAM SHOWCASE

Ward & Owen vs. Lynton Minehead & Jermaine Granger

 

The Black Country Boys vs. Cross & Archer

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Aurelian Bradley

[1PWfan]

CWW Throwdown

Recorded as live at LeChuck’s Revenge

Friday, Week 3, June

Audience: 87

 

The Show

 

Neil Warburton vs. Grant Taypen

As usual we kicked things off with our technical showcase and Submissions Title match. It was just about the best it’s ever been; Grant’s a great hand and Neil continues to develop into a serious prospect, although how much is native talent and how much is momentum remains to be seen. Whatever the case, this was a terrific opener that got the show off on just the right footing and didn’t show any poor chemistry, which is great as we’ll definitely come back to this match on the Summer Sizzler tour. Neil took the win; I was seriously considering having Grant win the belt but there are other options out there that I want to explore first, and in any case I want Neil to rack up as many defences as possible first to boost his credentials for a potential top run.

Winner: Neil Warburton Match Rating: 36

 

*

 

Aurelian Bradley vs. Pinfall Peters

I wasn’t sure how this one would go; Bradley looked good on paper, but anything could happen once he’s in the ring and for all I know he’s a habitual crack smoker who’d turn up high and botch the whole match. Fortunately he wasn’t (not that I really thought he would be, to be fair), and whilst his lack of name value probably affected how well he performed this was a decent match that did everything I wanted it to. It probably helped that Peters was on the other side of the ring; his momentum tanked after a couple of big losses but even with that in mind I’d put Peters as our most reliable mid-level guy, and once I get that momentum warmed back up he’s due another go-round at the Submissions Title. As is Aurelian, to be honest; he’s ideally suited to holding that belt and a couple of wins on the summer tour would make him a good choice for a shot if we swing through Wales. This show, however, took place in Newcastle, so Pinfall Peters got the win with an Oklahoma Roll at 12:20.

Winner: Pinfall Peters Match Rating: 28

 

*

 

The Black Country Boys vs. Cross & Archer

This was a step down from the last couple of matches but I always knew it would be; the talented guys in this match aren’t as over and the (relatively) over guys aren’t as talented. Cross looked pretty good here by his standards, but those aren’t great standards to begin with. I’m not cutting anyone yet but if I was he’d be on the bubble, he’s improved but not by enough to make up for issues with his selling or the looming possibility of serious backstage problems (though with Walt and The BCB’s around that’s even less likely than it used to be). On the plus side, his new team with Bryn looks promising and Bryn himself was alright; don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t any better than Myles but Bryn’s fundamentals have just shot up since he debuted with us and that’s worth paying attention to. As for Gazz and Mickey, they’ve got the chemistry and fluidity of a way more experienced unit, but our fans are still getting to know them so I’m gonna hold off on putting the titles around their waists just yet (especially since Ward & Owen are so good). Still, the debutants are the guys with the big future so they got the win here, with Mickey nailing Bryn with his Package Piledriver to secure the fall.

Winners: The Black Country Boys Match Rating: 24

 

*

 

Ward & Owen vs Jermaine Granger and Lynton Minehead

There was no way I could credibly sell this as a title match, hence the non-title designation for what was essentially a pilot scheme to see if Jermaine and Lynton would gel as a team. The results weren’t bad- there weren’t any chemistry issues or anything- but I’m pretty sure this won’t become a permanent fixture. Lynton’s improving, don’t get me wrong, but the fact that Jermaine was off his game and still the better performer indicates that the talent gap here isn’t in Jermaine’s favour. I like him, and I think Jermaine has solo potential, so he’s gonna stay solo for now and we’ll see how it goes (and if it doesn’t work out there are certainly better options out there). As for the champs, this one was never going to tell me anything new; they’re both good, Glen’s better but Gav’s easier to work with, end of story really. They took the win here, as you’d obviously expect, with Glen forcing Lynton to submit to a Judo Rolling Leglock.

Winners: Ward & Owen Match Rating: 31

 

*

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Leighton Buzzard

I’m exploring options on moving away from a product that needs a show-stealer, but for now we still need one and I picked this triple threat as the best option. It actually worked out really well; Jonni still isn’t really cut out for it and the crowd didn’t like how (comparatively) short the match was but in every other respect it delivered. Leighton in particular is looking really good at the moment; I’m not breaking up his team with Grant Taypen but let’s face it, one of them looks more like a solo star than the other and it ain’t the one they call Pig Boy. As for Jonni, I’ve already said he doesn’t really suit this kind of intensity but he’s no disaster or anything and he’s one of the options I’m looking at for a potential Submissions Title run (it doesn’t really suit his style but he does at least know a leg lock from a padlock). That just leaves CJ, who remains a top player and consistent performer despite being on paper a fairly mediocre all-rounder; mind you, he might not be better than anyone else at something but he competes at everything and that counts for a lot. Also, he’s willingly taken some big losses in the past so I gave him the win here, which he got via Fisherman’s Suplex to Leighton after Buzzard had taken out Jonni with the Buzz Off.

Winner: Curtis Jenkins Match Rating: 44

 

*

 

Sharp & Heath vs. Lee & O’Hearne

I want you to understand, I’m not saying that Sharp & Heath are the best Tag Team in British wrestling. I’m just saying that they’re definitely in that conversation and I can’t think of many better units at the moment. Martin continues to build an argument as to why we’re idiots for not putting every title in the world on him, he’s insanely good, whilst JMS is quietly carving out a niche as the strongest of our second tier stars, guys like him and Leighton that are maybe main event level but not on a consistent basis. Across the ring their competition are both pretty good but need a bit more direction and a proper plan; Lee won the King of the North but last month’s chemistry issues with Lenny and concerns over his backstage influence have put him on a losing streak over the last couple of months and O’Hearne hasn’t really had anything specific to do all year. If we did feuds and the like that’d be easier but that’s not something that really fits with our product at the moment, so I guess I’ll just have to find them a couple of good strong wins to get them back on track. At least their losses have come in really good matches like this one, which ended with Sharp & Heath nailing Padraig with The Disarmer for the victory.

Winners: Sharp & Heath Match Rating: 50

 

*

 

Lenny Mochin vs. Walter Morgan

Two straight months with bad chemistry in the main event; at this point Lenny’s shelf life as champion is coming to an end. Admittedly this one was less of an issue as Walt’s not long for the main event; he basically came in here to drain off some pop and then we’ll drop him into the midcard where he can work with the rookies and play elder statesman until he retires. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled we were able to bring him in and we could really use him but, well, he’s 46 and on the downslope of his career, main events are basically not on the cards for him. As for Lenny, he’s a great individual worker but an ideal top guy can work with everyone on the roster and two cases of bad chemistry are really two more than I’d like him to have. Even once his run’s come to an end I’d expect him to stay near the top of the card, mind, but when you’re not champion I can afford to be more selective with where I put you so there won’t be as much pressure on Lenny to deliver every single time. As I’ve already said, though, Walter isn’t and never will be the man to take the title and he did the job here, losing out after Lenny hit him with the Eye of the Storm.

Winner: Lenny Mochin Match Rating: 40

 

 

Overall Rating: 41, quite a comedown from last month. Leighton, Gav and JMS get the praise tonight to spread the love around a bit.

[1PWfan]

So, let's take a look at predictions:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Walter Morgan

I pop for Walter, but his limited psychology never quite let him live up to his full potential. He will put over a younger talent, and give the champion more legitimacy in doing so.

 

Sharp & Heath vs. Lee & O’Hearne

This is a tricky one. JMS went over JK, but only by a flash pinfall. Martin Heath is being groomed for a run at the top, but Paddy could easily take over. I think I'll go for the experienced team with the top prospect to win.

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Leighton Buzzard

I showcase for the boss. Let him and Jonni impart some wisdom to young Leighton.

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Grant Taypen

Not yet, Pig Boy.

 

NON-TITLE TAG TEAM SHOWCASE

Ward & Owen vs. Lynton Minehead & Jermaine Granger

Lynton and Jermaine can keep the champs' momentum up.

 

The Black Country Boys vs. Cross & Archer

...While the Black Country Boys make a splash with their debut.

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Aurelian Bradley

And speaking of making a splash, Aurelian can do good work here as part of finding his new level within the company.

 

6/7 for Regis, with only the opening match tripping you up (I'm not entirely surprised, this wasn't one of my favourite cards and that always makes them more predictable).

 

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Walter Morgan

 

Shark & Heath vs. Lee & O’Hearne

 

Curtis Jenkins vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Leighton Buzzard

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Grant Taypen

 

NON-TITLE TAG TEAM SHOWCASE

Ward & Owen vs. Lynton Minehead & Jermaine Granger

 

The Black Country Boys vs. Cross & Archer

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Aurelian Bradley

 

 

5/7 for HerrBear, though it could easily have been 6 as I was considering giving the tag win to Padraig and JK.

 

Other than the bottom match (which I changed), I agree with Regis.

 

The formatting hasn't quite worked out the way I wanted it to here, but James the Animator gets the perfect score and once again has the question. Here's the response to your last one:

 

Thank you! My next question is for Bryn Archer. Where do you see yourself in five years?

 

Bryn: I don't really think in those kind of terms. I mean, in an ideal world I'd like to be working in 21CW in a big role but so much of this business is about luck and chance that there's no way I can actually control what happens next. I prefer to focus on the here and now and being the best young prospect in CWW.

 

 

Next show will probably go up tonight.

[1PWfan]

From Sid’s Notebook:

 

Sat down and talked with CJ today- persuaded him to slightly change our product. Up to now we’ve been presenting ourselves in that very Japanese wrestling as a sport style, and that’s not a perfect fit for who we are and where we sit in UK scene. Instead we’ve agreed to move in a slightly lighter direction, more a Pseudo-Sporting look; it’s not a major difference but it does mean that the audience isn’t expecting a show-stealer every single show and we can mix in a few more gimmicks and character bits if we want (not that that’s on the cards or anything but it’s nice to have options).

 

Also, as we’re past the halfway stage of the year TEW.com put out their first look at the potential year-end award winners. Good news for British wrestling, we’re favourites for Wrestler (Edward Cornell), Tag Team (Buff Martinez and J-B Cash aka Hot Stuff), Match (Eddie vs. Adam Matravers, Leigh Burton and Jonathan Faust at Steel Cage Challenge) and Show (Guess) of the Year. Of course, by ‘we’ I mean 21CW but hey, any win for British Wrestling means everyone knows we’re better than the Yanks anyway.

 

With it being the halfway mark me and CJ sat down for a roster review to take stock of where we’re at- I know I’ve been recording my thoughts on a show-by-show basis but this helps put everything side by side, it’s much more holistic (that’s what CJ says, anyway). I’ve also copied JB’s notes on entrance music and move details, mostly because he gets annoyed if nobody else reads his notes.

 

 

Major Stars

 

 

Curtis Jenkins

Age: 35 Billed From: Wigan, Greater Manchester

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Fisherman’s Suplex

I don’t think you can really emphasise enough what a good boss CJ is; whatever I’ve asked of him he’s done without any posturing or complaint and he’s been a consistently positive influence in the locker room. I’ve probably also undervalued him as a wrestler as well; I’d got it into my head that he was one of those jack-of-all-trades ‘okay at everything but not good at anything’ types but he’s actually one of our best technical wrestlers and can hold his end up well in a brawl as well (he’s even improving as a flyer, though I wouldn’t put him near JMS or Marty yet). Future plans are a little vague but I’m definitely keeping him at the top of the card; provided he’s still at peak fitness next year I wouldn’t rule out taking the King of the North Trophy.

 

 

JK Lee Current CWW King of the North

Age: 26 Billed From: Ipswich, Suffolk

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Crossface

At the start of the year I saw JK as a future CWW Champion and the big rising star of the year. Unfortunately since then he’s been overtaken by other workers and his miserable personality and refusal to back down from a fight means that it’s been easy to drop him down the priority list. He’s still a great worker, though, who’s shown useful improvement in his workrate so he probably deserves some renewed focus in the back half of the year. As for his attitude, I’ve already mentioned how problematic he could be but surrounding him with positive influences has meant that there’s been no trouble so far. I don’t love the potential for trouble if he becomes our top guy but that’s only a potential issue, whereas his actual performance means he’ll be a key player for us for quite a while yet.

 

 

Jon Michael Sharp & Martin Heath- Sharp & Heath

Ages: 32 & 31 Billed From: Leeds, Yorkshire

Entrance Music:

Finishers: Flying Cross Body (Sharp), Flying Fist Drop (Heath), Disarmer (Double Arm Trap Neckbreaker, Double Team)

CWW’s top tag team, the only reason these two don’t have the titles is that they’ve already held them once. Well, that and the fact that Martin’s sneakily become our top performer and de facto next CWW Champion. That was probably the biggest surprise of this year so far; I always knew Martin was a crazy-good high flyer but I didn’t think that was a style our fans would particularly go for. Turns out that they just like any wrestling as long as it’s good, which is fair enough and definitely something I can get behind. As for Jon, he’s definitely a step or two behind his partner but has stronger technical skills to make up for it; he’s unlikely to be a key player but I can’t rule out a Submissions Title run for him in the future. Throw in the fact that both guys are model workers behind the scenes and I want to really emphasise Sharp & Heath as cornerstones of CWW.

 

 

Lenny Mochin Current CWW Champion

Age: 29 Billed From: Woking, Surrey

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Eye of the Storm (Butterfly Powerbomb)

Lenny’s an interesting one; he’s never not delivered in the ring, but as other wrestlers have improved their game and stepped up their performance he’s largely stayed where he was. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a great wrestler and a good champion, but his improvements feel like minor things that I’m less fussed about, things like his aerial skills or his basics. Throw in two straight months of bad chemistry that limit our main event options and I’m increasingly of the opinion that his time with the top title is coming to an end.

 

 

Padraig O’Hearne

Age: 26 Billed From: Cork, Ireland

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Crowning Glory (Brainbuster)

Padraig’s apparently our top star in terms of drawing power but I’m honestly not sure why. He’s not our most over name, he’s not our most talented worker and he probably isn’t our most charismatic (not that anyone really cares about that anyway). Don’t get me wrong, he’s a very good worker and has improved in some crucial areas but calling him a bigger name than the likes of CJ or Martin seems a stretch. Still, the fact that he’s such a big draw despite some fairly indifferent handling can only be a good thing, and a championship rematch is definitely on the cards.

 

 

Walter Morgan

Age: 46 Billed From: Wigan, Greater Manchester

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Wigan Wrench (Scissored Armbar), Northern Crossface (Over the Shoulder Crossface)

When you’re as close to 50 as Walter is nobody can blame you for being past your best and there’s no point denying that Walter is up here because of name value rather than what he’s capable of in the ring. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still the best technical wrestler we’ve got by some distance but his stamina has dropped off a cliff since the start of the year and he’s physically declining as well. Current plans have him working more with our rookies, guys like Bryn Archer and Jermaine Granger, and giving up the occasional big win to rising stars like JK Lee or Ward & Owen.

 

 

Stars

 

 

Gavin Owen Current CWW Tag Team Champion

Age: 28 Billed From: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

Entrance Music:

Finishers: Judo Arm Lock, Judo Rolling Leg Lock

Gav’s probably the weaker half of our current Tag Champs but not by a lot, and what he lacks in raw talent he makes up for in physical prowess. Really Gav’s biggest issue is his inexperience; he’s got all the raw ability and physical gifts to be a success but he needs more seasoning before I’m ready to put him in a major singles run. He’s a great fit for us, though, and has the kind of legitimate combat sports background that’s an easy sell to our fanbase (and unlike Vernon George he combines that with actual wrestling ability).

 

 

Glen Ward Current CWW Tag Team Champion

Age: 36 Billed From: Barnet, North London

Entrance Music:

Finishers: Judo Choke-Sleeper

Glen’s the slightly stronger worker of our current tag team champs but not by a lot; it’s largely a matter of experience and a couple of key areas like brawling and psychology. The biggest issue with Glen are his physical attributes; he just doesn’t have the stamina or athleticism to handle a main event push and unless that improves there’s very little chance of him moving any further up the card. Plus, of course, the second he gets a better offer he’ll be out of here so it’s hard to build around him long-term anyway. Still, he’s worked out so far in tag team action and everything I said about Gav’s background applies to Glen as well.

 

 

Grant Taypen & Leighton Buzzard- Taypen & Buzzard

Ages: 30 & 27 Billed From: White City, London & Southwark, London

Entrance Music:

Finishers: Single Arm DDT (Taypen), Buzz Off (Spinning Heel Kick, Buzzard), Missile Double Impact (Missile Dropkick/Electric Chair Drop combo, Tag Team)

The former tag champs are a little in limbo at the moment, with no clear indication as to where they fit in the rankings post-title run. They’re both good hands, Leighton a little more so than Grant, but nothing about them jumps out as particularly astonishing at the moment. Still, they’ve both shown solid improvement (Leighton in particular has come on leaps and bounds from where he started the year) and if they continue to improve I could definitely see one or both of them getting a protracted singles run with one of the titles; Leighton in particular could either slot into the Submissions scene (he’s more of a high flier but a surprisingly competent mat wrestler) or potentially follow Martin into a main event role.

 

 

Jonni Leyland

Age: 34 Billed From: Manchester

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Low Down (Swinging Reverse STO)

Jonni might be considered a star performer but I definitely see him as a midcard anchor, he’s at his best working shorter matches with our younger talent, helping them improve. There’s not really a lot more to say about him; he’s a solid high flier who can brawl and wrestle a bit, and whilst he’s nowhere near main event level he’s definitely improved in some key areas (stamina’s probably the big one). I don’t figure on him being a key player around the titles any time soon but he’s useful in an anchor role and could become a serious tag contender if we bring Johnny Highspot in. That’s not on the cards any time soon but Your New Favourite Team were a good unit and if a gap opens up I wouldn’t be opposed to bringing them in.

 

 

Neil Warburton Current CWW Submissions Champion

Age: 23 Billed From: Sheffield, Yorkshire

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Texas Deathlock (Indian Deathlock)

Neil started the year as a solid midcard champion with little chance of moving up the card, and at the halfway stage he’s moving increasingly close to the main event. Experience remains an issue, as does the potential for a major tantrum if things go wrong (Neil’s not a bad guy but he’s infernal touchy), but in terms of talent there’s very few better than Mr. Warburton on our roster. I’m still sorting out who our next Submissions champion will be so Neil’s push isn’t likely to skyrocket in the near future, but fortunately he’s ideally suited to his current role.

 

 

Well-Known

 

 

Jermaine Granger

Age: 20 Billed From: Birmingham, West Midlands

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Frog Splash

I like Jermaine but I’ll freely admit I don’t really know what to do with him. He’s got a lot of potential but there’s some major weaknesses in his game that need to be developed, especially his consistency. I split him off from his team with Myles because I think he’s better suited to singles work but it’s fair to say there’s still a lot of work to do before he’s ready for a major push. Don’t get me wrong, the raw materials are all there and the improvement does seem to be happening but there’s a gap between where Jermaine is right now and the guys ahead of him in the booking order.

 

 

Myles Cross

Age: 21 Billed From: Mile End, London

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Spinning Back Fist

It’s interesting to compare Myles to his former tag partner Jermaine; both of them are in that ‘improving but still raw’ bracket but in different ways. With Myles, his fundamentals are strong (except his poor selling) but his workrate’s pretty mediocre, though both are improving surprisingly quickly. The biggest issue with Myles is really his attitude; though he’s never caused a problem that’s more down to how many good people I’ve surrounded him with. He’s a selfish pr*ck with a lousy temper- not in and of itself a major problem (heck, he’s no worse than JK and we like him) but it does put him at the top of the cut list.

 

 

Pinfall Peters

Age: 22 Billed From: Hull, Yorkshire

Entrance Music:

Finishers: Bridged Back Suplex, Oklahoma Roll, Bridging Roll Up

Pinfall Peters is kind of the physical ideal of a CWW midcarder; if I had my way everybody outside the main event would be variations on him. Admittedly it’d be nice if he could become a bit less one-dimensional but at least he’s improving (not enough but it’s only been six months and it’s going to take at least another six before he’s even a mediocre brawler). He’s my current favourite for next Submissions Champion but probably needs a little more seasoning before he’s ready, not to mention a boost in momentum.

 

 

Recognisable

 

 

Aurelian Bradley

Age: 18 Billed From: Swansea, Wales

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Figure Four Leglock

The only problem with Aurelian is his age; in almost every other respect he’s already one of our best young wrestlers. As I said, though, at 18 he’s the youngest guy on our roster and that means he’s some ways down the pecking order, if only to make sure he doesn’t develop an attitude problem through being pushed too far too early. Besides, there’s still things I’d like to see him improve, especially his psychology, so whilst he’s too good to be a consistent jobber he’s probably going to a kind of junior version of Jonni Leyland- win against lower guys, lose against top veterans who can help him improve.

 

 

Bryn Archer

Age: 20 Billed From: Pontypool, Wales

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Spinning Elbow Strike

Bryn improved a lot in the early part of the year- it’s why I brought him in- but he’s tailed off a bit since then and is largely settled into a similar role to Myles Cross as a decent undercard brawler with a lot of room for improvement. Of course, unlike his new tag partner Bryn’s a quiet guy who doesn’t make trouble so he’s got a much longer shelf life.

 

 

Gazz Vedmore & Mickey Robson- The Black Country Boys

Ages: 22 & 24 Billed From: The Black Country

Entrance Music: https://i.imgur.com/i6jPqjF.jpg[/img]"]Gudbuy t’Jane- Slade

Finishers: Rolling DDT (Gazz), Package Piledriver, Short Arm Lariat (Both Robson)

Our newest tag team, The Black Country Boys have a lot of promise but are definitely on the rookie side of our projects-to-stars gap. There’s plenty to work with here, no two ways about it, and a specialist tag team with good chemistry is always useful but as individuals neither Mickey or Gazz are much to write home about. They’re both solid enough, Gazz more so than his partner, but solid is about the best you can say, there’s plenty I’d like to see them improve.

 

 

Lynton Minehead

Age: 19 Billed From: Wigan, Greater Manchester

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Tombstone Piledriver

Lynton’s biggest problem is that he’s yet to improve on his big weaknesses. Some areas have developed, that’s for sure, but his psychology and selling are both not good and haven’t improved at all since the start of the year. Really, the biggest plus point in his favour right now is that he’s British Samurai’s protégé, otherwise he’d be second behind Myles on the bubble; he’s not a bad guy but I don’t like the lack of key improvement and all the new signing have really come in ahead of him.

 

 

Vernon George

Age: 25 Billed From: Leeds, Yorkshire

Entrance Music:

Finisher: Knock Out Left Hook

Two things count in Vernon’s favour; firstly he keeps winning his MMA fights which gives him an air of well-earned toughness. Secondly, he’s a Leeds-Bradford boy and we’ve got to stick together. Otherwise, though, he kinda sucks; there’s been no improvement in his truly dreadful fundamentals, and okay he’s been away from wrestling for a while training for his fight but that doesn’t make it better. I’ll give him a chance to improve but as it stands he’s not going to be winning a huge amount, I don’t know if there’s anyone I’d put below him in the pecking order.

 

 

Non-Wrestlers

 

 

Justin Blackham and Jackie Goldstein- the Commentary Team

JB and Jackie are both perfectly adequate at what they do and cause no problems so they’re here for the long haul. In all honesty Jackie’s more than good enough to fly solo at the desk but I prefer two-person teams and the colour options weren’t as good, plus JB’s knowledge and history with ROF is a good fit for us. I see no reason not to keep these two around, though I’m not opposed to bringing in a third voice if the right one becomes available.

 

 

Sid Chaudhry and Allan Granger- The Referees

Leaving aside the fact that I can’t fire myself, I’m perfectly happy with the work of our ref team thus far. Allan’s a boozy old thing but he’s a good guy and has actually sharpened his game up over the last few months- not bad considering he’s the oldest member of the roster by a good 12 or so years- so there’s no reason to bring in an extra hand to augment the two of us. Not that any such hands exist (I mean, Jackie could as he can do basically everything but I prefer him on commentary) but hey, at least it’s not a problem.

 

 

British Samurai- The Road Agent

BritSam’s the best road agent in the British Isles not named Cliff Wilson so why on earth would I want to get rid of him? The only possible downside is that he’s fairly expensive but he’s worth every penny so he’s here until he says otherwise. And even if he does choose to leave we’ll probably grab him round the ankles and try to stop him going anyway.

 

***

 

Card for CWW Summer Showdown Night One:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Leighton Buzzard

 

Martin Heath vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Padraig O’Hearne

 

JK Lee vs. Walter Morgan

 

Grant Taypen vs. Gavin Owen

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Aurelian Bradley

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Jon Michael Sharp vs. Glen Ward

 

Jermaine Granger & The Black Country Boys vs. Lynton Minehead and Cross & Archer

 

 

 

Card for CWW Summer Sizzler Tour Night Two:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin/Leighton Buzzard © vs. Martin Heath

 

Grant Taypen, Jon Michael Sharp and Leighton Buzzard/Lenny Mochin vs. Curtis Jenkins, JK Lee and Padraig O’Hearne

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. The Black Country Boys

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Jonni Leyland

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Myles Cross vs. Aurelian Bradley

 

Jermaine Granger vs. Bryn Archer

 

Walter Morgan vs. Lynton Minehead

 

Quick note; whilst the predictions are being posted simultaneously shows will go up as usual with a gap between them, with fan questions being handled separately. Unless I change my mind

[Herrbear]

Card for CWW Summer Showdown Night One:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Leighton Buzzard

 

Martin Heath vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Padraig O’Hearne

 

JK Lee vs. Walter Morgan

 

Grant Taypen vs. Gavin Owen

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Aurelian Bradley

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Jon Michael Sharp vs. Glen Ward

 

Jermaine Granger & The Black Country Boys vs. Lynton Minehead and Cross & Archer

[Herrbear]

Card for CWW Summer Sizzler Tour Night Two:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin/Leighton Buzzard © vs. Martin Heath

 

Grant Taypen, Jon Michael Sharp and Leighton Buzzard/Lenny Mochin vs. Curtis Jenkins, JK Lee and Padraig O’Hearne

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. The Black Country Boys

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Jonni Leyland

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Myles Cross vs. Aurelian Bradley

 

Jermaine Granger vs. Bryn Archer

 

Walter Morgan vs. Lynton Minehead

[Regis]

Card for CWW Summer Showdown Night One:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin © vs. Leighton Buzzard

Nice chance for Leighton to show what he can do, nice easy win for Lenny.

 

Martin Heath vs. Curtis Jenkins vs. Padraig O’Hearne

Is that a rocket I see strapped to Martin?

 

JK Lee vs. Walter Morgan

JK can take a loss to the incredibly experienced veteran, though he will definitely moan about it.

 

Grant Taypen vs. Gavin Owen

Probably? Might be a singles victory leading to a tag team challenge.

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Aurelian Bradley

Not yet.

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Jonni Leyland vs. Jon Michael Sharp vs. Glen Ward

JMS FTW.

 

Jermaine Granger & The Black Country Boys vs. Lynton Minehead and Cross & Archer

Do I see some JOBBERS?

 

 

 

Card for CWW Summer Sizzler Tour Night Two:

 

FOR THE CWW CHAMPIONSHIP

Lenny Mochin/Leighton Buzzard © vs. Martin Heath

Let's do it.

 

Grant Taypen, Jon Michael Sharp and Leighton Buzzard/Lenny Mochin vs. Curtis Jenkins, JK Lee and Padraig O’Hearne

And why not, indeed?

 

FOR THE CWW TAG TEAM TITLES

Ward & Owen © vs. The Black Country Boys

Not close enough, boys.

 

FOR THE CWW SUBMISSIONS TITLE

Neil Warburton © vs. Jonni Leyland

He's got a good few matches left.

 

Pinfall Peters vs. Myles Cross vs. Aurelian Bradley

Keep building momentum.

 

Jermaine Granger vs. Bryn Archer

You know what? Let's do something unexpected.

 

Walter Morgan vs. Lynton Minehead

The veteran schools the youngster.