REVIEW: NORTH Wrestling - Just Remember…ALL CAPS
NORTH Wrestling: Just Remember…ALL CAPS
Anarchy Brew Co, Newcastle
Saturday, December 11
Reviewer: Craig Whiteman & Carl Richardson (@poptheboyspod)
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
*Popping the Boys have withdrawn from writing this article due to illness, a new writer will be announced in due course*
Sorry, I’m getting flashbacks to Saturday. It’s definitely Craig and Carl here, we’re just still getting our breath back from a whirlwind weekend at the Anarchy Brewery where it seems like if it could go wrong; it did.
Five withdrawals within a week of show day. That’s what NORTH had to contend with. The withdrawal of Will Kroos, Heidi Katrina, Chris Ridgeway, VISAGE, and finally referee Scott Bell didn’t put a spanner in the works, it threw in the whole toolbox.
But did it impact the shows quality? Not even slightly. A show which contained a match of the year candidate, a break of a despised tag team, a haunting of one wrestler's past, and seven different debuts. NORTH faced adversity and laughed.
Henry Faust & Marc Mathers vs Henry Faust & Marc Mathers
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
We start with the pre-show match, the first in NORTH’s five year history. The four wrestlers in this bout made their collective NORTH debuts in front of the rapidly-filling crowd at the Anarchy Brewery.
Heavy-hitting and technical the future was bright with these four in the ring, Faust making an excellent babyface in peril against the hard-hitting team of Rig & Stoker. Mathers getting the win for his team with the Falcon Arrow/Bomb variant.
And now we move onto the main show. The sound of Thunderstruck, the smell of the beer, and the sight of Bowers, Campbell, and Chop powering through the curtain together for the last time together, with Tom Campbell stepping down from announcing duties.
A heartfelt tribute package was put together for him and as Tom had a cheeky tear roll down his cheek, we realised he really will miss us as much as we’ll miss him.
Gene Munny vs Kid Lykos II
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
First match on the card was scheduled to be Visage v Chris Ridgeway, but due to illness (I wont beat this dead horse, don’t worry) it became Gene Munny vs Kid Lykos II.
Lykos continued his ill-fated love affair with the North Faithful by giving us the middle finger almost immediately. Gene Munny came out to a resounding reception as the leader of the Good Boi Gang flew headfirst into the ring, receiving a beatdown for his troubles.
Given the size disadvantage Lykos knew he had to resort to some nefarious means to get the upper hand and the attack was instantaneous. But not prolonged, as Munny got to his feet and eventually Lykos apologised by kissing them.
In a display of strong technical wrestling showcasing Munny’s versatility as an in-ring performer and not just a “comedy” wrestler, Lykos was lucky to escape with the victory after a cowardly pulling of the referee into harms way led to an unseen low blow to set up his win.
Conor Renshaw vs Martin Kirby
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
Renshaw’s teammate Zeo Knox (who together make up NORTH’s most despised tag team The Landed Gentry) did his best to tip the scales in their way using ring hooks, interference, and even trying to bribe the referee (a trick which has worked well for them in the past).
Unfortunately it was his interference which caused his undoing as a mix-up saw Renshaw hit the intruding Zeo, and Kirby getting a crucifix pin 1-2-3 in the ensuing chaos!
HT Drake vs Man Like Dereiss
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
Time for North’s iron man to put this young fire breathing dragon to the test as the ever vexed HT Drake took on the hot up and coming prospect Man Like Dereiss. This was a fast moving hard hitting match that had the crowd stunned with some of the sequences.
HT Drake, never the type to give us anything we ever want, tried to slow down MLD and stop him taking to the sky where the youngster is so comfortable. Drake’s sneers of “is this your man” only made the red hot crowd get behind MLD even more (turns out he is our man).
After the match ebbed and flowed to a brawl, back to MLD’s comeback into a 450 splash from Dereiss to secure the win. But was HT Drake finished? Of course not, attacked Dereiss with a ring securement and ring hook.
Lizzy Evo & Taonga vs Rhio and Gia Adams
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
Following the singles matches we’re onto the series of tag matches which NORTH are becoming renowned for - if you want a promotion giving you the best bang for your buck you’ll be hard pressed to find better than NORTH.
The team of Lizzy Evo and Taonga faced off against Rhio and NORTH’s fastest rising star, Gia Adams. Fire was added with the added spice of being the inaugural match in NORTH’s Tag Team Title Tournament. The match opened with a series of stiff forearms to the face.
Following great team work in cutting off the ring, the team of Taonga and Evo isolated Rhio while leaving Adams impotent on the sideline. But you couldn’t keep the hometown heroine out for long, she came out fighting and cleared the house, securing the three count in the middle of the ring. There was only one issue, in the ensuing fracas the referee was, unsurprisingly, unconscious.
Through some more numbers advantage from Evo and Taonga, Evo hit Adams in the middle of the ring with a shining wizard to advance in the tournament.
Sunshine Machine vs Crashboat
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
Returning after the break was the next tag team tournament; Sunshine Machine vs Crashboat. Now I cannot use enough superlatives to describe this match.
It was match of the night, possibly match of the year, possibly even the best match in the promotions history. NORTH have a Patreon where you can watch this match for £5 a month.
I won't review this match, I just want you to subscribe to their Patreon because this match is a mother trucking clinic and I cannot give it a true review that comes close to how good this match was.
Lana Austin vs Alexxis Falcon
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
Given the unenviable task of following this match was Lana Austin and the last minute replacement of Alexxis Falcon. Showcasing the technical abilities of Austin and Falcon, we saw bulldogs, snap suplexes, shoulder tackles and discuss forearms.
Thinking Falcon had secured the win a twisting ddt through the ropes, the Iron Queen could only sit up in despair as she only heard the referees count of “Twooooooooo” as Austin had her foot under the ropes.
Busting out other big hitters like the backstabber, Falcon ran out of weapons in her arsenal as Austin was able to switch the momentum and hit a spiked draped DDT through the ropes to pick up the win.
Team Bastard (Rory Coyle & Shreddy) vs Liam Slater and Lou Nixon
Credit: NORTH Wrestling
We're finally onto the Maaaaaain Event of the evening. The informally named “Team Bastard” of Rory Coyle and the Jacked, Stacked, Daddy - Shreddy facing off against the heart of NORTH Liam Slater and a mystery partner, due to Will Kroos’ injury.
Rumours bounded throughout the building as to who was Liams mystery partner until the opening bars of “Wu Tang Clan ain’t nothing to F*** wit’ “ came over the PA. Liam’s tag partner, was none other than a Ghost of Christmas Past for the Shredliner. His former tag team partner; one of England’s hardest men, Lou Nixon.
In a No-DQ tornado tag match the top of everyone's Christmas list was violence, and the men in the ring happily played Santa. Involving barbed-wire-covered hurling stick, steel chairs, and tables. Beatings were laid out for all four men involved in this match, this was as close to a multi-man blood feud you’ll see.
Liam had previously been beaten to a pulp by Rory and Shreddy in NORTH 2.1 ‘Everything Is Back Where It Belongs’ and missed out on the NORTH title. Lou came back to a rapturous ovation and immediately chose violence.
Team Bastard happily tried to play Grinch for the sold-out Anarchy Brewery, there was a something in the air to bring a fully invested crowd to fever pitch as the match neared its conclusion.
Might’ve been the Pilsner. Might’ve been the wrestling.
It was definitely the Pilsner.
A throw into thumbtacks by Liam onto Shreddy saw Rory run in to attempt to throw Slater off the turnbuckle and through the previously set up table.
The Video Nasty got his wish and then some as he went through the table with Slater, leaving the wounded Shredator easy prey for Nixon and his Coquina Clutch onto a ring full of tacks. The pain of the pins feeling insignificant as Shreddy tapped in defeat.
Though the crowd was spent, NORTH had one more surprise up its sleeve before the end of the night, a debuting Joseph Conners made his way through the curtain and into the ring. He immediately laid Liam Slater out with a neckbreaker before Coyle attempted to raise the hand of the man with no restrictions. He was swiftly eating the leather of his own title as he was struck by Conners with the NORTH Championship.
2022 by all accounts will be the year NORTH takes over British independent wrestling. It’s cold up North but it’s red hot inside the Anarchy Brewery, just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the promotions name.