REVIEW: Futureshock - Nowhere To Run

Futureshock Pro Wrestling: Nowhere to Run
The Union, Manchester
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Reviewer: David South (@DavidSouth1980)

Whilst it has only been a fortnight since I crossed the Pennines for a wrestling show, I’m ashamed to admit that it’s been almost a year since I attended a Futureshock show.

I promise that it was only down to personal circumstances though, as the last show I went to, at the Stockport Guildhall, was excellent. On what was a busy Sunday, with several high profile shows taking place across the country, the allure of a grudge match between Tony Wright and Briac Strong was too much.

Neil Bradbury welcomed us to the show, and after a recap video we had our first match…

Declan McCarthy & Gary Maginnis vs Scott Oberman & Ethan Kenny

Interesting dynamics at play in both these tag teams. Bruiser McCarthy just about tolerates his more outgoing partner, but Scott Oberman has little more than contempt for fawning acolyte Ethan Kenny.

He’s not even particularly impressed when, after losing the opening exchanges to McCarthy, it’s a blind tag by Kenny that allows them to take over. Oberman screams instructions at his partner, even as specific as telling him where to aim his kicks at his downed opponent.

The instruction is working though, until Maginnis finally manages to make the tag and McCarthy comes in and cleans house. It takes a double-team spinning heel kick and spear from Oberman and Kenny to cut him off.

Maginnis recovers and they fightback, but don’t see another blind tag by their opponents. McCarthy hits a cutter on Kenny and then launches Maginnis into a big splash, he covers but Kenny is not the legal man. Oberman takes advantage of the confusion and rolls up Maginnis for the win.

Anthony Bodak vs Chris Ridgeway

After some early lockups, Bodak attempts an early pin and nearly catches Ridgeway out. Ridgeway shows just a brief moment of frustration and then decides to take it up a gear.

Ridgeway’s punishment begins as he tries a seatbelt pin and counters the kickout into another submission, snaps his arms and legs and maintains every hold for as long as the referee will allow, as Bodak gets to the ropes.

Bodak launches some punches and kicks, which only seems to amuse Ridgeway, whose more than willing to trade unprotected kicks to the chest. Ridgeway knocks him down and then hits the running PK for a pin, which Bodak kicks out of.

Bodak nearly steals the match, with a two count after a leg lariat, but Ridgeway would end the match with a roundhouse kick to the head and a (perhaps unnecessary) brainbuster ahead of the three.

Lily Winter vs Harley Hudson - Futureshock Womens Championship

After an early stalemate, Hudson hits a running shoulder barge that has Lily taking a moment on the floor. Harley goes out after her, but it’s a mistake as Lily wraps her arm around the ringpost and then around the top rope when they’re back in the ring.

Winter hits a backbreaker for the first near fall and then a La Magistral style pin. She then verbally berates the champion, which proves to be a mistake, as she awakens Hudzilla.

Vicious chops (with her good arm) are followed with a crossbody for a near fall and a Spinebuster for another one. Winter responds with a “Stroke” style legsweep though, so Harley climbs the ropes, only for Winter to yank her down, again stretching that bad arm across the top rope.

Winter hits a back body drop for another two count and the crowd are starting to cheer for the hometown girl a bit more now. Hudson would retain the title though, stunning Winter with a discus Lariat and then rolling her up for the quick three.

The pair would shake hands and embrace after the bout.

Dynamite Lee Dawson vs Solomon - Futureshock Adrenaline Championship

The imposing Adrenaline Champion would jump start this match by throwing the belt at Dawson before the bell and landing some heavy kicks. He would Irish whip Dawson across the ring so hard that he was bouncing back to the middle of the ring.

Solomon taunted the crowd with a long delay suplex and then throws Dawson to the floor. Dawson would fire up and dash back in, only to get caught in a crossbody and thrown back to the floor.

He’d put him in a Texas Cloverleaf, but Dawson made it to the ropes. On the floor again, but this time Solomon followed him out, slammed him into the ring post and then onto the wooden floor with a sickening thud.

Dawson would somehow make it back into the ring at 9 and ¾ and, in desperation, throw a wild headbutt in his direction that connected. He’d follow up with a running dropkick and then climb to the top rope, but Solomon would catch him, hoist him to his shoulders and then hit an F5 move but Dawson kicks out of the subsequent pin.

Solomon sets him up for an Insiders Edge, but Dawson adjusts into a Frankensteiner and the rolls up Solomon for the upset victory and to win the Adrenaline Championship. Solomon reacts badly and beats down Dawson some more.

He then gets the Mic and explains that he has a rematch clause, which he’s invoking straight away and so the match begins again.

Solomon returns to the ring and aims a big boot at Dawson but misses and gets caught on the top rope. Dawson hits a superkick and then lifts up Solomon for a rope assisted DDT. He then pins Solomon and completes his first defence of his newly won title.

The Northwest Saviours (Max Brooker & Rizman Khan) vs Tu Byt & Joe Kessler - Futureshock Tag Team Championships

The Northwest Saviours try to jump start the match, but big Joe Kessler catches and slams them, they look to double team themselves but the Saviours regroup on the outside.

Back in the ring, Rizman Khan hits the first of several of his unique early release German Suplexes, which see Tu Byt flying high and then crashing down. A double team cutter has Tu Byt in further trouble and another German Suplex, into a running dropkick nearly brings about a title change.

Tu Byt though would make the tag to Kessler who would come in throwing arms and hitting an exploder clothesline. Byt returns to the ring and Kessler would slam Max Brooker onto his knees and then follow it up with a Senton of his own.

The Saviours rally and knock Kessler to the outside then hit a ‘3:10 To Yuma’ style double team move on Tu Byt, Kessler manages to get back in to break up the pin though.

Kessler tries to fire up Tu Byt by slapping him across the face, but it backfires as Kessler is again knocked to the floor and Brooker and Khan hit the same double team move and this time Kessler can’t stop the pin.

The Northwest Saviours are the new Champions, but what does the future hold for the team of Kessler and Byt?

Leah Raven vs Taonga

Taonga looks immediate for her Unprettier style finisher, but Raven blocks it and the pair battle in the corner. Taonga hits a snap suplex and then a fisherman’s which is the first two count of the match.

She whips Raven across the ring and then hits a follow up elbow. She pulls her legs out from under her, then bounces off the far ropes for a hip check, then again with a running knee this time.

She looks for the unprettier once more but again Raven gets away. They trade forearms and Raven hits a slingblade then a back stabber in the corner for a near fall.

Raven misses a stomp though, and Taonga responds with a knee. She hits the unprettier this time but Raven gets her foot on the ropes to break the count. Taonga lands a series of forearms, each one flooring Raven.

Raven hits an enzulgiri though that knocks Taonga back, then hits a rope spring cutter to claim the victory.

Taonga shakes her hand and leaves. Raven pauses on the ramp to acknowledge the crowd one more time and is flattened by Hudson, who blindsides her with the womens title. She says that she’s seen Raven’s request for a match in December, but she declines and says that the Futureshock Women’s Championship is coming to TNA with her.

Briac Strong vs Tony Wright - No Holds Barred

A grudge match a year in the making. They stare across the ring for a long time before laying into each other. They brawl to the floor and then around towards the bar area, where Strong takes over after an Irish whip into the wall.

They fight back around the ring and to the stage, where Strong throws Wright back and his head collides hard with the floor. Strong goes to fetch a chair and Wright jumps off the stage into him.

Back in the ring, Wright jumps off the top, but Strong catches him and hits a powerslam. Strong fetches a kendo stick from under the ring, he strikes Wright with it several times and then chokes him.

‘The Hunter’ then fetches another chair and lays it on a prone Wright in the corner, then hits a running cannonball. Wright’s comeback starts with him hitting a Foley style diving clothesline that takes them both to the floor.

He hits a DDT on the floor and then tries to pin him back in the ring, but Strong kicks out. Wright fetches a stepladder, but Strong reverses whatever Wright had planned and back-body-drops him onto it.

Strong hits a splash, still on the ladder, but again Wright kicks out at two. Strong handcuffs Wright’s arms behind his back and hits him repeatedly with a series of baking trays to the head.

Strong gets a heavy pipe from under the ring and we start to fear for Wrights health, not just his chances in the match. Sam Bailey has seen enough and runs to the ring, hits Strong with a chair and then opens Wrights handcuffs.

‘The Leading Man’ then hits a chair shot of his own and dodges a rolling kick that has Strong careering into the ladder. Wright climbs to the top rope and hits a fame-ass-er off the top rope but Strong kicks out again.

Strong reverses a pedigree into a neck breaker, then sets up four chairs in the ring and hits a spinebuster, now it’s Wright’s turn for he miraculous kickout. Strong misses a senton and Wright drives his head into the chairs with his knee.

Wright brings in a table and sets it up in the corner, both men fight on the top ropes until Wright hits a uranage through the table. Wright crawls over 1…2… no! Again, Strong kicks out. Wright though is ready and hits another fame-ass-er and this time, Strong is done.

Wright takes the applause from an adoring crowd who are all standing.

It’s another excellent showing from Futureshock. All the matches were tremendous, with two titles changing hands and two successful defences. That main even was a truly epic encounter though, with Wright embodying the spirit of Mick Foley and the devil may cry risk taking and Strong as a worthy monster to be overcome.

I’m sorry I’ve missed this year of Futureshock and (though I’ve said this before) I really am going to try and make it across more often next year.

REVIEW: Futureshock - Nowhere To Run

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