REVIEW: 1 Pro Wrestling - No Turning Back
Credit: 1PW
1 Pro Wrestling: No Turning Back
The Engine Shed, Lincoln
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Reviewer: David South (@DavidSouth1980)
The first non-WWE show I ever went to was a 1PW event at the Doncaster Dome back in 2006. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the first show of the resurrected promotion but, on Saturday night, for the first time in nearly 17 years, I took a seat at a sold out 1PW event.
It was a stacked card and a hot crowd, but they would be turned up a notch by the entrance to the opening match.
Boisterous Behaviour (Man Like Dereiss and Leon Slater) vs The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz)
Credit: 1PW
Though there was respect and appreciation shown to the Rascalz, particularly current Impact X- Division champion Miguel, this crowd could not have been more pro ‘0121’ had we been in Small Heath, rather than Lincoln.
They took the early part of the match and debuted, for me anyway, the 0-1-2-1 stomps in the corner. Wentz would manage to tag in Miguel though who turned the tide a bit, with his DDT/Cutter combo to both his opponents.
Having hit a doomsday neckbreaker and Slater hitting his trademark running dive over the corner post on Wentz, things were looking good for Boisterous behaviour, but it was not to be. Missed 450 splashes set up The Rascalz to hit their stomp/neckbreaker combo on Slater and claim the victory.
The teams shook hands but there was to be more news, as Stevie Aaron announced that these two teams would be joined by Subculture, and the Bullet Club (Ace Austin and Chris Bey), for a four-way ladder match, for the 1PW tag titles, on the next show.
Lizzy Evo vs Ruby Soho vs Session Moth Martina
Credit: 1PW
There was a stipulation added to this match just before they came to the ring; the winner would be entered into the Gauntlet for the Gold, on the next show and the person who takes the fall will also be added, but as the first entrant.
Ever unlikable, Soho and Martina quickly formed an alliance against Evo, but she eventually managed to get Martina out of the ring to concentrate on just one opponent.
Moth returned and, with a big headbutt to Evo, nearly managed to claim victory. Evo had Soho in a Camel Clutch which it looked like Martina was going to break up, but then she had other ideas and decided to add a Boston Crab to the mix.
With Soho in pain, Evo and Moth threw wild elbows at each other and eventually knocked each other out of the move before Ruby submitted.
The end would be rather out of nowhere, Marina rolled up Evo and managed to get the three count. Soho raised her hand in victory, happy that at least it wasn’t Evo that won. With the pair gone, Evo took to the mic and said that despite what had happened here, she would still become the 1PW women’s champion and there was nothing that could be done to prevent it.
Ace Matthews came to the ring, even though he was pointedly not on the card and, using Jessy Maria as a human mic stand, he began to read out a list of improvements he wanted to see to 1PW.
The crowd . . . disagreed. As apparently did 1PW original (and a man who was on that 2006 card) Ulf Hermann. He stormed to the ring, smacked Matthews, hit a Piledriver and left barely even breaking stride. Matthews needed helping to the back, whether or not his improvements will be implemented remains unclear.
Cara Noir vs Davey Richards
Credit: 1PW
The Black Swan vs The American Wolf was an eagerly anticipated encounter that did not disappoint. They were very evenly matched. They traded surfboard submissions, brutal kicks on the floor, clotheslines and submissions before Richards began to focus on Noir’s leg, wrapping it around the ropes and snapping it at odd angles.
He missed a stomp off the top but then applied another submission hold which Noir used the ropes to escape. Noir attempts his package piledriver, but his knee is not up to it and Richards transitions into an Ankle lock.
He releases it, hits a PK and brainbuster and then reapplies the ankle lock. This time Noir rolls through, and Richards goes to the floor. He’s too eager to get back in though and Noir fastens in a backpack sleeper hold. Fading, Richard has no choice but to tap out.
The pair shake hands after the match to end a truly epic encounter.
Mark Haskins w/Vicky Haskins vs Rhino
Credit: 1PW
No such respect between these two though. We’d seen a video package earlier in the show that explained Haskins wasn’t impressed by his opponent’s history. Rhino replied that he’d get the chance to experience some of it, as this match would be Extreme Rules.
Haskins delayed the start by a long time, patrolling the outside and arguing with a crowd that was very much behind his legendary opponent.
Haskins gets on top though, with a knee dropkick and kicks and punches to the War machine. They fight to the floor, where Rhino takes a pint from a fan (who, frankly, looked a little reluctant to give it up) which he then smacked Haskins with.
They continued around the ring and the former ECW champion suplexed Haskins on the ramp. Vicky Haskins would turn the tide in her husband’s favour, she distracted Rhino as Haskins attacked from behind.
He sat Rhino on a chair and hit a running kick to knock him flat. Back in the ring, he hit another dropkick, then prised a chair between the ropes and attempt a gore of his own, but Rhino would move, and Haskins hit the chair face first. Rhino hit a spinebuster onto a small pile of chairs in the ring and then fetched a table and set it up in the corner.
Haskins would fight back, until Rhino hit a version of the spear off the ropes, which Haskins only just kicked out off. Sensing the end was near, Rhino got set in the corner to gore Haskins through the table, but again Vicki would get involved and this time prove the difference maker…
She threw powder into Rhino’s eyes and with him unable to see, Haskins rolled him up for a three count. Haskins revelled in his victory, for a little too long though, as Rhino recovered and as Haskins turns around, Rhino hits his Gore, driving Haskins through the table.
Callum Newman, Will Kroos, Scotty Rawk and Amir Jordan vs Luke Jacobs, John Skyler, Ricky Knight Junior and Charles Crowley
Credit: 1PW
I’ve been to whole events with less star power than this match! Following the most enthusiastic entrance I’ve ever seen from team Jordan, this match breaks down quickly. Will Kroos’ sunset flip to the floor is an early highlight, as are Ricky Knight Junior’s loud chops.
Continuity is better on the heel team, except that is for Crowley, who tags himself in and out whenever he feels like. In an impressive feat of strength, Knight holds both Rawk and Jordan on his back for a double back drop, before he tags in Luke Jacobs who hits a last ride style powerbomb on Rawk and looks to have the match won.
Crowley though, tags himself in and attempts the pin, but Rawk kicks out. Furious, Crowley berates and pushes Jacobs, who is taken beyond breaking point and clotheslines his teammate, then leaves. John Skyler attempts to play peacemaker but then Crowley argues with him and he decides to leave.
Seeing the writing on the wall, RKJ also decides that discretion is the better part of valour and leaves as well. Now stuck four against one, Crowley blunders from power move to power move, before Callum Newman’s shooting star press gets the three count.
Taonga vs Taya Valkyrie
Credit: 1PW
This is bad tempered from the first lock up and Valkyrie’s chops to the chest don’t do much to calm things down. The match is pretty much all Taya, with Taonga only sporadically managing to get some separation and even less frequently managing to get in some offence.
The match ends with three big moves by Wera Loca in a row. Firstly, a sit out powerbomb, which is followed up by a surfboard hold curb stomp. Then the ‘Road to Valhalla’ a chicken wing facebuster gets her the three count.
Nathan Cruz w/ Matt Myers vs John Morrison
Credit: 1PW
A second match on the card with a vicious veteran of the UK scene against a future hall of fame legend. Cruz takes over early in this one, Irish whipping “1Pro Johnny” into the corner and back body dropping him as he comes out, then repeatedly whipping him into the corners over and over.
Cruz also has the ace up his sleeve of Myers in his corner, who is always willing to take a shortcut behind Ref Greenwood’s back. He pulls Morrison to the floor and then throws a chair in. As Greenwood takes it from Cruz, he misses a blatant low blow. Cruz rolls Morrison up, but only a two count.
Cruz climbes the ropes, but Morrison catches him and hits a huge Spanish Fly to have them both down. Cruz attempts a codebreaker in the corner, but Morrison hags on and transitions into Starship Pain, he has the match won but as Greenwood’s hand comes down for the three, Myers pulls him to the floor.
He is ejected but, as the ref is doing that, in the ring Cruz pulls brass knuckles from his tights and lays Morrison out with them. When Greenwood returns its an easy three count and another tainted victory for the UK crew.
Robbie X vs Will Osprey
Credit: 1PW
Despite it being a homecoming for Robbie X, the crowd is remarkable pro-Osprey and he looks at his bravura best in the opening stages. He gets the first near fall with a snake eyes and running kick combination.
Robbie X is rapid though, just as quick as Osprey and gets his own near fall following a running senton after a kick in the corner. They fight to the apron, where Osprey hits a cutter and both fall to the floor.
Osprey returns to the ring and decides that a count out victory will be enough, Robbie X returns to the ring on the 9 count but Osprey is waiting and hits a rope assisted dropkick.
Osprey hits his first hidden blade after a German suplex and a blue thunderbomb but Robbie kicks out. A series of arrogant kicks and slaps fires up Robbie X, who staggers to his feet and won’t go back down despite the punches and forearms.
Osprey attempts the OsCutter, but Robbie X is ready and transitions into a poisonrana, he then grabs Ospreys hand, bounces of two ropes and hits a spring DDT for a two count, then hits his lethal injection for another unbelievable kick out.
Robbie goes to the top rope but is caught by Opsrey, they trade forearms until a series of headbutts return Robbie to the mat. From there Osprey hits a second hidden blade and finally the Storm Breaker corkscrew neckbreaker to claim a hard-fought victory.
There was a deserved standing ovation. It was an excellent show overall, though I felt that nothing, until the main event, could quite match the opening tag match for its in ring quality.
There were big reactions for the imports though and it feels like we’re building towards bigger and better things.
P.S. If anyone from 1PW is reading this, the race is on to be the promotion that hosts the dream match between Leon Slater and Will Osprey