WOS WRESTLING @ VICTORIA HALL, STOKE

It was not lost on me as I took my seat at the Victoria Hall, Stoke for the World Of Sport (WOS) Wrestling tour that all but for a few days, it is 40 years since I first witnessed wrestling at the venue. My very first live wrestling event was on Saturday 3^rd February 1979, and featured an amazing bill of British wrestling greats. From that date up until the mid-90s I was addicted to the wrestling shows (and back then they were weekly) presented by Max Crabtree for Joint Promotions and later Brian Dixon’s All Star Wrestling. Over the years I have seen so many British wrestling legends at the Victoria Hall: Rollerball Rocco, Marty Jones, Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith alongside icons Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks and Kendo Nagasaki. Then there were the overseas visitors of note Big Jim Harris (Kamala), Sammy Lee (Tiger Mask), Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart and Mighty John Quinn to name but four. Let’s not forget either Stoke's home grown stars, Potteries born European Lightweight Champion Bobby Ryan and the big girl with attitude, Klondyke Kate.  My weekly Saturday night visits to the Hall ensured I saw a Who’s Who of Wrestling over many years. Memories which I treasure now, the atmosphere of a full house whipped up to fever pitch will always stay with me. I must have litterally been to hundreds of shows over the years at the venue. 

Poster for the very first bill I attended in 1979.

ITV Wrestling ended its glorious thirty year run in 1988, seemingly out of favour with television executives, if not the public. A further three decades passed before it was back on our screens for a new ten part series, with a contemporary rosta of British grapplers looking to make their mark. The business has changed a lot over the intervening period. The WWE have steamrollered over global wrestling, bringing many good things but also pushing excesses to such saturation point that kayfabe became irrelevant. This was out and out entertainment, stretching the envelope as far as it could go. The notion that sometimes less is more sadly wasted on Vince McMahon in my opinion. In recent years the rise of independent promotions and now the return of WOS Wrestling has been very healthy for the wrestling business as a whole. For those that want Amercian spectacle, they still have the WWE but for wrestling purists the action is just as slick and breathtaking in the smaller promotions happening all over the UK and further afield.

 Fascinating fact: the BBC started showing wrestling before ITV. This is 'Catch As Catch Can' broadcast in 1939.

I’m not saying the presentation style of WOS Wrestling is totally my cup of tea (the TV studio setting is too sterile for my taste) but I have to support the undoubted hard work and effort in getting British grapplers back on primetime television, showcasing skills which have to be admired. And so to this live tour, back in the Victoria Hall where my addiction started.

 

First match up on the bill is a tag match. Masked star Robbie X and his partner BT Gunn take on ‘Alpha Bad’ Kip Sabian and Iestyn Rees. Alpha Bad are the villains of the piece – swaggering, cocky, arrogant and the crowd delight in letting them know what they think of them.  But to be fair they can back up their claims as former WOS tag champions.  The action is fast and frequently tumbles out of the ring.  Robbie X (the mystery man – from Lincoln) is a particular crowd favourite and his smaller stature allows him a lot of aerial dexterity.  Glasgow's BT Gunn is targeted by the Alpha’s and takes a beating from the pair double teaming and blind siding the ref, but he holds his own and battles back after some heavy slams.  X and Gunn cannot say they were not buoyed by the crowd support for them,  in the end though it proved too much as Alpha Bad gained the winning fall over Robbie. Boo.

Next up an altogether different affair.  Scotland’s own Grado taking on burly Londoner Sha Samuels. Nobody can doubt Grado’s ability to entertain an audience. He’s a regular on the Glasgow pantomime scene and he brings much of his cheeky panto antics to the ring.  It is a comedy masterclass.  But every comedian needs a straight man, and Sha Samuels plays it to the hilt.  There are very few straight wrestling moves in this one,  but the audience doesn’t mind. Its having too much fun seeing Grado humiliate Samuels.  The big yin would certainly be a contender for the most popular performer of the night.  He has an instant connection with a crowd. Full marks too for Sha Samuels who is a consummate professional in the role he is cast in. On another occasion he might well be a devastating heavyweight force in his own right but here succumbs to crowd pressure by being pinned, thus allowing Grado his moment of glory.

Third on the bill sees a grudge match which kicked off on telly,  Hull’s Nathan Cruz takes on Belfast’s Adam Maxted. The 6ft 3inch Maxted has garnered a lot of publicity through appearing in the tacky Love Island reality show, but do not be fooled folks.  This is not a ‘reality star tries pantomime’ situation.  He’s the real deal, an experienced wrestler with a repertoire of great moves.  Its a fast and furious affair,  as the two big guys trade forearm smashs, slams, flips and in the case of Cruz some highly illegal punches blind side of the ref.  Both men are in great shape,  and it takes on an element of Olympian Gods battling for domination. Naturally the kids are all on Maxted’s side. But ultimately it is Cruz that triumphs as the feud is set to continue for the foreseeable.  Maxted's popularity remains untarnished and there were more than a few squeals from excited females when he entered the hall. Nuff said.

Last match of the first half is a three way threat. Joe Hendry vs. Martin Kirby vs Will Ospreay. On paper this is a cracking match, but actually turns out to be something of a comedy routine. Ospreay at just 25 years old is already something of a legend of the global wrestling scene for his high flying antics and ability to match hold for hold the best in the world.  However here tonight he seems to have channelled the Chuckle Brothers. Kirby tries to get out of the match claiming he’s developed a sniffle which might go on to become a full blown cold.  Acting General Manager, the terminally bubbly SoCal Val is having none of that, she threatens to sack him if he doesn’t get on with it. As the match gets underway Ospreay produces a sheet of stretchy elastic and proceeds to engage the help of Edinburgh based Hendry (check out Hendry’s theme song “Joe Hendry Makes Things Better”...  top karaoke) in stretching said elastic to the back of the hall and flirting it at Yorkshireman Kirby’s bum and more sensitive areas.  We do get a few wrestling moves, and a couple of Ospreay’s famed aerial dives but essentially its all about humiliatin of cry baby Kirby. Ospreay gets an easy win and the chance to get to sleep easily without taking too many bumps. Sadly because of the comedy antics of Kirby and young William, Hendry doesn’t really get a chance to grab the limelight and show just what we know he can do.

After the interval, and a chance to visit the merchandise stand where Maxted is flexing his muscles,  we crack on with a second coming.  This time it is a David and Goliath struggle. Nottingham’s Gabriel Kidd is a strapping fella at 6foot tall and an impressive 15 stones. But then out walks the masked monster. Crater is 6ft 4inches and is said to tip the scales at a whopping 36 stones.  A Giant Haystacks for the streaming generation.  We know where this is going from the start.  To be fair Kidd launches in with some strong smashes, and flying kicks but someone with the natural size and strength of Crater isn’t going to be beaten easily and when the full force of the man mountain descends on Kidd, a quick count of three by the ref and its over.

There was a time when women’s wrestling in this country was treated as some kind of carnival sideshow.  Only worth curiosity value.  How things have changed, with a growing rosta of great talent dishing out the punishment with the same gusto as their male counterparts. Here we have New Zealand’s Bea Priestley, the current WOS womens champion, facing the wrestler she took the title off just a few days ago,  Ayrshire’s Viper.  The rumours are that Viper will shortly be announced for WWE NXT UK’s rosta but that doesn’t stop her from going all out to regain what was once hers.  Priestley is the smaller of the two competitors and considerably lighter but having travelled the world picking up experience, she is not short of some terrific moves to make her presence felt. At one point it looked as though Viper might have the title in the bag with Priestley taking some hard blows but an over confidence sees Viper rolled for a fall and Priestley once again emerging as a popular champion.

Finally,  topping the bill we get another grudge match.  WOS heavyweight champion Justin Sysum takes on the former champion Leeds gurner Rampage. Sysum relieved Rampage of the title on TV and now the hard hitting campaigner wants it back.  Its all out war, and it looks as though we have a new champion when Sha Samuels appears and belts Sysum outside the ring with the championship belt allowing Rampage to get the fall. Celebrations are cut short though by SoCal Val once more demanding a re-start to the match.  With the strength of the audience empowering Sysum he romps home with another win over the imposing Yorkshireman.  Sysum has natural good looks and charisma and will I am sure be a popular campaigner for WOS for some time to come.

Overall, it has been a great evenings entertainment. Seven top quality matches,  and an impressive rosta of stars which would not look out of place on any bill.  If the live shows are to continue, attention has to be paid to pricing,  My ticket cost me £36.00. If I was taking a family that would be serious housekeeping money gone.  WOS Wrestling aims itself at the family market and if it should start to price outself out of reach of the average family then it may shoot itself in the foot.  But on the plus side,  the kids will go home with an evening they will long talk about.  The technical set up is first rate,  with lights, sound and media screen all adding to the atmosphere of the occasion.  I attended the VIP meet and greet beforehand (another £35 strike) and found the wrestlers there very friendly and down to earth. Everyone gets an A4 signed print of all the wrestlers in attendence too. Particular mention must be made of Grado and Justin Sysum who really went out of their way to make the kids attending welcome along with SoCal Val's ability to make everybody feel special.

We still wait to hear whether ITV will commission a second series.  They would be mad not to. The brand is growing all the time, and WWE feel threatened enough to start poaching members of the WOS rosta.  As I’ve said before I’d like to see a few presentation changes if it comes back, but it is what it is.  Saturday afternoons will be poorer if these grapplers are not given another opportunity to play heroes and villains in the squared circle. But in the meantime the live tour is doing a good job in keeping the magic alive.  WOS Wrestling is a quality product,  lets support it whilst we can.

 News of all tours and broadcasts can be found at

Official WOS Website

 Meeting and greeting with great and the good of WOS