REVIEW: Wrestling Resurgence - A Requiem for Resurgence

Wrestling Resurgence: A Requiem For Resurgence
The Y Theatre. Leicester
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Reviewer: Tia Owen (@BlazingOptimist and @TiaOwen_Author)

With Wrestle Carnival finished for the year, I didn’t originally have any other trips planned - until Wrestling Resurgence announced their 5th anniversary show.

As you’ll see from this review, one match in particular was the catalyst for me attending - but in beautiful surroundings at the Y Theatre, this card delivered something for everyone.

Rhio vs Spike Trivet (c) - Resurgence Championship

This match involved a late change, as Alex Windsor had picked up an injury (get well soon!). Her replacement was more than worthy, though - the runner up of this year’s Iron Woman tournament, Rhio.

Spike’s own journey to the Resurgence title has been an interesting one (explained to me via a very handy storyline sheet given to all audience members). After first appearing as the dastardly Tory heel, in 2021 the unthinkable happened: he was cheered. And it wasn’t a one night thing either; he stayed good for so long that many thought he’d actually turned over a new leaf. That was until August’s Resurgence Rumble, when he alligned with Tate Mayfairs and Hari Singh, taking Resurgence’s top title for himself.

After years of hunting the championship, Spike wasn’t in the mood to let it go easily. Almost immediately he began wearing Rhio down, focusing on her left arm and even breaking a finger. Taunting her and the crowd by saying how there was “no runner ” here, he was definitely looking to assert his dominance. The crowd responded the exact way you would expect.

For her part, Rhio relied on her sizeable power game - but as good as it was, it couldn’t stand up to the machinations of Mayfairs and Singh. They were great, foreboding presences on the outside of the ring; tension came from not knowing when they might strike. In the end, brass knuckles felled Rhio - not that the trio stayed around long to bask in the victory…

Commander Stephanie Sterling Promo

Though this was my first time seeing them live, I’ve been aware of Commander Stephanie Sterling for a while: outside of wrestling, they’re the host of The Jimquisition and a video game critic.

With their star-shaped mask and towering stature, The Commander’s unlike anyone else in wrestling - a point they drove home in their promo. They’d lasted a grand total of two and a half minutes in the Resurgence Rumble - and was looking to rebound in a company that gave them a chance despite not fitting the mould of a professional wrestler.

They’d seen who in the company was contributing - and who wasn’t - so the Transfem They/Them Polyantagonist Princesque vowed that 2023 would be the year of The Constellation - “like the Avengers but way better dressed.”

But of course, Lykos Gym took issue with that - with Kid Lykos stating that “no group matters in Resurgence more” than them. After using the distraction to attack the Commander from behind, the group paraded around the ring. The truth of that statement was tested as we went straight into the next match.

Munnywood Blondes (Gene Munny and Elijah Gene Munny) vs Lykos Gym (Nico Angelo and Kid Lykos II)

If you know nothing about the Munnyverse - where have you been? Explaining it is somewhat of a fool’s errand, but I’m going to try anyway. Since Gene unwittingly opened the door to the Munnyverse a few shows ago, multiple versions of The Damn Dirty Dog have graced us with their presence.

These two together form The Munnywood Blondes - a good-hearted sendup of 1980’s territory style wrestling. It was that style that informed this entry in the saga. In the territories, Gene explained, you had to feel another man’s body (and yes, these were the words he used). And what better way to do that than by taking away sight via a blindfold?

What followed was a physical comedy masterclass. While Gene and Elijah Gene obviously played a big part, Kid Lykos II also deserves praise for just how good he is at looking silly. From jumping for a non-existent tag to being scared of the ropes and getting clocked by his own partner, it’s one of the things he does best.

Both teams bent or outright broke the rules several times. Of course, as the Munnywood Blondes were involved, these often bordered on the absurd. Two of my personal favorites were when Elijah Gene looked as if he was going to go full ECW and launch himself from the balcony (but was unable to get the right angle), and a spot where the ref was unwittingly enlisted to help with an arm wrench.

The Munnywood Blondes eventually won via a submission. Though there was some stellar wrestling embedded in this match, the whole Munnyverse falls flat if you don’t buy into its silliness. The crowd at the Y Theatre certainly did, adding to a great comedy match.

Chris Ridgeway vs Kanji

This was one of the other matches that I was really excited for. Ridgeway has previous for amazing intergender bouts, and Kanji’s a massively underrated local hero. Though the feud was originally born out of her respect for a standard bearer of BriWres, that was punctured by Ridgeway’s unprovoked attack at the last show.

There was a really interesting atmosphere to this match: even though he played the heel, Ridgeway got a mixed response. To his credit though, Chris knows how to turn people against him quickly. After Kanji used her speed to outsmart him for a spell, Ridgeway relished the opportunity to get back on top.

Every time he pushed her against the ropes, he would motion for the audience to take pictures, at one point asking “anyone else got a camera on them?” It’s a side of him we don’t see often, and I was glad that it came out here.

Kanji eventually took it to the outside, suplexing him onto the hard wooden floor. This beating was so intense that Kanji could have easily taken the bout by count out- but of course, she didn’t want it to end like that.

These two are acutely aware of each other’s tricks. In that way, it made perfect sense for the agile, whip-smart Kanji to gain the pin via a roll up. This was a close fought contest for sure, and showed why both competitors are some of the best pure wrestlers in the UK right now.

Alexxis Falcon vs Dani Luna vs Kid Lykos (c) vs Tate Mayfairs - Arthouse Championship)

A quick note on the Arthouse Championship: it can only be defended in multi-person bouts. This stipulation has meant that since its inauguration, no champion has been able to retain the belt. That put Kid Lykos at a disadvantage before the match had even started.

All the competitors in this match were deserving of a title shot, but the biggest talking point going into it was the Resurgence return of Dani Luna. Back from a two-and-a-half year stint in WWE, all eyes were on how she’d perform in this high-pressure match.

With Tate and Lykos in the ring, we had an immediate clash of egoes. It wasn’t big enough for both of them, so Dani and Alexxis did the sensible thing and threw them both out. That led to a great section where the two women were able to showcase their stuff - and I can confidently say that Dani hasn’t missed a beat.

When Lykos and Tate did get back, this allowed for some interplay between all four competitors. Quadruple suplex bits happen more often than you think - this one was pulled off with aplomb, especially Lykos getting out of dodge by scurrying to the back of the line.

With Kid Lykos looking down the barrel of another Arthouse Curse, Lykos Gym took the initiative and interfered. As they choked out would-be champion Alexxis Falcon, things seemed to be going well…until a shadow appeared up the ramp.

Commander Sterling wasn’t going to let the earlier attack go unpunished. If there’s one way I can describe the Commander here, it’s “barely controlled chaos”. Watching them cackle with glee before smacking Kid Lykos in the head with a baking tray was their character in a nutshell - and the fact it clinched Falcon the title was the icing on the cake.

Alexxis will now hold onto the Arthouse Championship until next March. Whether that’s as part of The Constellation is anyone’s guess.

Hari Singh vs Man Like Dereiss - No Disqualification Match

To really understand this feud, you have to go back to 2018. Hari and Dereiss were two Resurgence Originals - foundations on which the company was built. Their rivalry was based on healthy respect - until Hari turned on Dereiss at the last show, forming an alliance with Spike and Tate. The bad blood runs deep - and it was why this match was No Disqualification.

The Punjabi War Prince came out with his cockiness at an all-time high. Gloating, he ordered his hand to be raised for a forfeit victory.

I’ve only ever seen Hari work as a face, but I could tell he was settled in his heel role. Case in point - the crowd taunted him with a chant of “he’s not even from Leicester”, and he responded by saying that he’d stayed in the city “three years and not a moment longer”. It looked as if this marquee match was going to end early - until Dereiss stormed into the theatre with payback on his mind.

Though Dereiss did manage to get some early shots in outside the ring, Hari raked at Dereiss’ eyes to get the upper hand. This left the 0121 weak enough to have his hands taped to the ropes. With his opponent neutralised, Hari grabbed a steel chair and rocked Dereiss with it - once for each time he had wronged him.

In the end, the ropes turned out to be his savior. Hari fell back against them, getting tied up and leaving him at Dereiss’ mercy. The Lyrical Dragon could’ve used the chair, but decided against it with a badass one-liner: “I don’t need a chair to inflict pain on this b*tch!”

A flurry of chops followed, to the delight of the crowd. Dereiss built up enough momentum to hit a 450 splash - but Tate Mayfairs pulled the ref out of the ring before he could get the pin.

It was that numbers game which proved too much for Dereiss to overcome. Hari toyed with donning Spike’s infamous brass knuckles, but stepped aside, opting to watch as Trivet did the honours.

Paradoxically, I think this blowoff match benefited from being delayed. Singh and Dereiss are different wrestlers now than they were 2 years ago, and have grown into performers that can carry its emotional weight.

Jim Diehard vs Elijah

Jim Diehard has been a marauding presence in Resurgence for the last few months. A title shot might well be in his future, but tonight he was focused on revenge after being eliminated from the Resurgence rumble.

If you looked up “underrated” in the British wrestling dictionary, you’d find a picture of Elijah. He’s a great all-rounder, and I completely agree with Andrew from Champs Out Last that companies should “just let the man wrestle!”

However, that was the last thing Diehard wanted to let him do. An attack as Elijah made his entrance set the tone for the entire match. Though the smaller man made some valiant attempts at a comeback, Diehard showed why he was called the King of Beasts, laying Elijah out with multiple powerbombs. He wasn’t the first wrestler to fall to Big Jim, and likely won’t be the last.

Charles Crowley vs Clementine - If Clementine Wins She Can Leave Wrestling

And now, we come to our main event.

As I said earlier, I wasn’t initially planning to hit any more wrestling events in 2022. This match - specifically the buildup - changed my mind.

Since forming, BDSM (Big Dangerous Scary Mammals) have shown what wrestling promos can be. Their videos are innovative, hilarious, and definitely not PG. This one was none of those things.

Despite becoming Resurgence tag champs, Clementine was demotivated. She didn’t feel like a champion, and was steadfast in her conviction of wanting to go. In desperation, Crowley suggested one more match - against him. If she wins, she can leave wrestling.

With no fancy editing, no soundtrack, and a running time of just over two minutes, Crowley and Clementine convinced me that I had to see their match as it happened.

Having been a proud member of the BDSM Army since its inception, I knew this was going to be emotional. And of course, my heartstrings were tested immediately. Both Crowley and Clementine entered in their tag gear, to the BDSM theme, and posed - potentially for the last time.

In wrestling, a silent audience is usually a bad thing. In this match, it was the exact opposite. I saw somebody on Twitter compare it to watching a Shakespeare performance - and that was exactly how it felt.

The emotions were palpable. Crowley was at pains to make sure he won, but clearly reluctant to have to be there at all. Every spare moment between moves was filled by him begging her to calm down, but Clementine was stubborn to a fault. Even after a dive to the outside appeared to injure her arm, The Zesty One rejected a referee stoppage to keep the match going.

Clementine is known for her sweetness, but here we saw a different side. No one in The Y Theatre wanted to see her retire, but it was hard not to feel for her as she beat madly against her tag partner’s chest, screaming at him to “hear me!”

Her frustration was clear, and it soon boiled over - after Crowley found himself unable to punch her, Clementine spat at him.

This was a dare. Crowley didn’t need to be asked twice.

With frightening speed, Charles hoisted Clementine onto his shoulders. She was slammed down - once, twice, and eventually seven times. We’ve seen rage from Crowley before, but this was different. He was trying to get through to his tag partner in the only way that was left.

Even that, though, wasn’t enough. The tag team champions had grown together- and neither was going to yield.

If this match was a Shakespearean play, its ending was the denouement. Clementine was on the top rope, Crowley in the ring below with his back to her. There was a tragic inevitability to the way Clementine pleaded for him to turn around.

One diving crossbody, and it was done.

I can’t really put into words the feeling in the room - or myself - after this match ended. Clementine may not have begun her career in Resurgence, but it definitely flourished there. It felt fitting for this to be where it ended.

After Clementine had bid her farewell, Crowley made his own - raising the tag titles aloft before laying them in the ring. Their ownership’s now up in the air - but you sensed how little this mattered as the crowd applauded.

I’m not a Resurgence regular. However, I have been to anniversary shows before. If there’s one thing I expect them to be, it’s a celebration of the promotion and what it stands for.

This more than delivered on that front - bringing inclusivity and storytelling wrapped up in a heap of heart.

To quote the show’s final line, “Wrestling is stupid. Long live Wrestling Resurgence.

“Wrestling Resurgence presents A Requiem For Resurgence” is available to watch now on IWTV.

REVIEW: Wrestling Resurgence - A Requiem for Resurgence

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