BritWres Matches Of the Year: #20-16
Over the last two days our reviewer Iwan Mackenzie has been counting down his favourite matches of 2021 - today we crack the top 20. Take it away Iwan…
20. Jack Bandicoot vs Joe Wade vs Callum Newman: TCW Open Championship Match – TIDAL “Faster, Faster, Angry, Angry” (28/08/21)
Credit: Tidal Championship Wrestling
Three young talents wanting to prove themselves in a promotion packed full of talent. Bandicoot, Wade and Newman did just that on a summer’s evening in Batley.
Chocked full of high flying and some genuinely impressive sequences and athletics. My personal preference of match type is more the technical, hard-hitting side but I love high flying when it’s done right and this was a perfect example.
This show is on IWTV, I’d recommend not only checking the show out but seeking this match out as it’s like Tajiri vs Super Crazy vs Little Guido took place but in West Yorkshire between three British wrestlers instead; high praise but this match does deserve it.
19. Young Guns (Luke Jacobs & Ethan Allen) vs Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos II): Great British Tag League Block A Match – RevPro “Pop Up Show” (15/08/21)
Credit: Rev Pro
I really liked this match and when looking back after the show I did look it as being one of the best matches of the show. That was back in August though and with the amount of wrestling I have watched since then, you find yourself forgetting matches and having to remind yourself of why you enjoyed something as much as you did, this was the case here.
The crowd was really good here, I need to mention as battling chants of “Young Guns” and “Lykos” give the match an extra kick with such a good atmosphere.
Even though they are being cheered and chanted for, both these teams are heels and as such you see a lot of that in this match with both teams, with Lykos pulling out the Latex to whack Ethan and Luke, and the Guns bully Lykos II for large portions of this match.
I’ve made it publicly known before when recording podcast’s, that I’m not a fan of the Lykos Gym gimmick. I enjoyed Lykos when he was teaming with Chris Brookes in CCK years ago and have been a big fan of Joe Nelson on the Northern Undergraps, but this gimmick together hasn’t worked for me.
But in this match I do feel that in this match, it comes together really well for the two as they play to their strengths against Young Guns, as Lykos II plays the Underdog getting his arse kicked by the bigger lads, and Lykos I comes in for the really good hot tag.
A match that actually surprised me when watching it back and I couldn’t deny it entry onto my best of the year list.
18. Francesco Akira vs Robbie X – RevPro “Live not at the Cockpit 54” (03/10/21)
Credit: Rev Pro
A match that I was really looking forward to in the lead up to the show, Robbie X has been a constant highlight in BritWres this year and I’m finally glad that he’s getting the recognition that he deserves.
Meanwhile, Akira is somebody that I had liked in the few times I had seen him online in matches for All Japan and Rising Sun.
This match was even better than what I hoped for, some great chain wrestling that helped pace the match and built to the spectacular high flying that these two pulled out later into the match. I was blown away by this match Live and it’s one that’s remained in the Memory even now.
17. Will Ospreay vs Doug Williams: RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Match – RevPro “IX Anniversary Show” (21/08/21)
In Person I did really enjoy this match but with it getting later into the night and being in a very dark, warm room, it doesn’t take a lot to figure out why I wasn’t able to remember mass amounts of detail. But, when rewatching it, this shocked me too how great it truly was.
Story here was Ospreay returning as the arrogant champion of RevPro who felt offended by some of Doug’s comments regarding him, and Doug as the ageing ambassador of the scene still proving that he’s the best the UK has produced.
This match works so well because of that story. Ospreay kicks off the match with a big shotgun dropkick and takes Doug out of his comfort zone straight away. This does lead to Ospreay beating on Doug a lot ; Ospreay’s heel work here is really good, I’ve been critical of this character and the way he carries himself before but the heel work here is really good and serves the narrative well.
When Doug does get back on offence though, you bite on it more because you’re wanting Doug to beat the respect into Ospreay. The Chaos Theory near fall is one of the most nail-biting moments I’ve seen in person this year.
Credit needs to go to Brendan White on the outside as well, who in his role of Doug’s Mentee works really well in encouraging his Mentor and is living and dying on every move.
16. Mike Bailey vs Luke Jacobs vs Michael Oku vs Connor Mills: RevPro British J Cup 2021 Tournament Final – RevPro “British J Cup 2021” (06/11/21)
Credit: Rev Pro
In the past the British J Cup Tournament has been more heralded for its first round matches of the tournament rather than the final itself.
Now, whilst I’ve enjoyed the finals of the two previous tournaments I’ve been to. I don’t think these comments are unfounded, however this year did do the opposite where even though all the first round matches were good, this final did blow everything out of the water.
This match was built very well and had three distinct stories between each elimination. The opening part of the match was very much for a lot of exciting multi-man sequences and spots, plus some teased dissension in Mills and Oku’s tag team in their action between each other, all culminating in Oku being the one to eliminate Mills.
The second portion had Luke Jacobs take on his bully persona and beat down on both Mike’s, but both Oku and Bailey teamed up to take out Luke, which leads to Bailey making it his personal mission to be the one to eliminate Oku from the match. This portion does feature one of the best moments I’ve seen live this year, with Michael Oku’s big stage dive onto both Luke and Bailey.
After Oku’s elimination via the hands of Mike Bailey, the final portion between Bailey and Jacobs is so hard hitting with the pendulum swinging in both men’s directions throughout the blistering final portion before it’s Bailey who gets a well-deserved major win to become the second Canadian to hold the British J Cup trophy.
Our countdown continues tomorrow - you can read the previous two parts of the countdown below: