Review: Wrestle Carnival - Pure

Wrestle Carnival: Pure
Saturday, October 9
Portland Centre, Nottingham
Reviewer: Gav Richardson (@GavRichardson)

We are back at the Portland Centre Nottingham for Wrestle Carnival’s third show, PURE, and this time it is their first evening show.

Jade Walford begins on ring announcing duties and a video package showing highlights of what has gone before. Already this show seems more of a professional setup than previous shows with dimmed lights, spotlights, strobes, fire, smoke and red and blue spots. The crowd are up for it and we get underway.

Jay Joshua vs Joe Hendry

We start with an in ring handshake before very quickly getting in to a mat based, Greco-Roman style tussle in the middle of the ring. Very 50 / 50 to begin with, before Jay starts to fade and Joe steps up.

Some lovely submission attempts and reversals by both men lead to Jay performing a gut wrench German suplex to Joe getting a two count. Jay is understandably aggravated and in an act of disrespect takes out his mouthguard and throws this to the downed Joe.

After a huge lariat to Jay it goes back to the floor where Jay puts Joe in a figure-four armbar combination. Joe is close to tapping but then reverses in to an ankle lock forcing Jay to tap.

A very solid match which Jay gets over in even in defeat. He really is one to watch.

RHIO vs Mercedez Blaze

Both women came in to fight and Blaze was doing her usual of mugging-off the audience, generating heat from the offset. She really is an outstanding heel in wrestling at the moment.

RHIO proves to be the stronger of the pair early on muscling blaze around in the collar and elbow before slamming her to the floor. Blaze manages to head-stomp RHIO before putting her in a tight headlock.

At one-point, Blaze gets on RHIO and places her in a rear naked choke but gets over-powered by RHIO who rises to her feet and throws Blaze off.

The end sequence seemed to be a bit muddled with Blaze performing a cutter on RHIO whose feet were on the top rope. Blaze went for the pin twice but the ref saw the shoulders off the mat. Blaze repeats the move, eventually getting the pin. This was an entertaining match and I hope to see both again soon.

Riley Nova and Adam Bolt vs The Headline (Will Kroos and Powerhouse Blake)

I honestly wasn’t expecting much from this just thinking it was going to be a simple squash to show off the strengths of The Headline but Nova and Bolt surprised the hell out of me.

This was a straight speed vs power type match that showed the athleticism of all four men, with big power moves combined with dives to the outside. I was already a fan of Kroos, but had not seen Blake before in a full match, and was pleasantly surprised at how agile he was for such a big chap, being able to jump over both of his opponents and able to execute an awesome looking sit out powerbomb.

This was hot from beginning to end, cementing the Headline as the big heel act, but shone a light on both Bolt and Nova too.

Jordynne Grace vs Alex Windsor

The audience was buzzing for this contest. It is all Grace in the early going and there is an amazing segment where shee mugs off the ref, squeezing his biceps “where are they?” getting a laugh from the fans.

Windsor is subjected to a big muscle buster, but kicks out at two before displaying her own strength, lifting Grace for a powerbomb.

Both women are so good and everyone seems enthralled by the match but were shocked when Windsor is able to get a quick sharpshooter variant on Grace, forcing the tap and picking up the W.

Windsor is taking Brit Wres by storm since coming out of her retirement and Grace leaves to chants of “PLEASE COME BACK”.

The Gauntlet Match

After the interval we get what is becoming a staple of Wrestle Carnival - the gauntlet match. We start with a cocky Charles Crowley, performing a monologue to the crowd, receiving a wave of boo’s in the process.

Things heat up when Man Like Dereiss comes out representing the 0121. I don’t think there is anyone else in British Wrestling right now that is as captivating and well-rounded as Dereiss.

A superkick to Crowley, 1,2,3 and Crowley is out! Ring crew have to remove him whilst “twat, twat…” is echoing around the room.

Big Guns Joe next and this for me was the best and most competitive part of the gauntlet. After some great manoeuvres topped with a powerbomb from Joe, Dereiss takes the pin.

Memes is next offering Joe the “great opportunity” to shake his hand. Joe isn’t buying what Memes was offering and takes it to him. Memes is too heavy and powerful for the fading Joe until Joe takes down the unitard straps after slamming Memes to the floor then locking in a Boston Crab for the tap.

Out comes the impressive looking Shreddy asking “WHO’S THE DADDY” and ragdolls a tired Joe. Shreddy hits some power moves before rushing in to the corner to spear Joe who moves out of the way causing Shreddy to hit the ring post with his shoulder.

Joe gets a quick pin however Shreddy picks Joe up and slams him to the floor before leaving. Joe the fan then is the last entrant looking slightly different to his previous appearances.

Big Guns Joe is able to handle him fairly easily, though getting the win and putting paid to the strange rumour that Joe the fan was in fact Big Guns Joe in a mask! Very light-hearted, entertaining stuff.

Jetta vs Charlie Morgan

Both get a great response from the fans as they come in and there are warring chants for their names ably encouraged by both competitors. THIS IS WRESTLING!

Morgan puts Jetta in an impressive looking Mexican surfboard, raising this up and down a couple of times showing off her leg strength. The match speeds up before both come off the ropes and perform a double clothes line downing each opponent.

Ref gets to count till seven before they rise. Jetta performs a sweet looking back cracker on Morgan, before Morgan gets Jetta in a paradigm shift style spike DDT to get the pin.

They leave together and have entertained the audience in a great competitive match. Love them both!

Chris Ridgeway vs Jonathan Gresham

Everybody is pumped for this match and you can feel the tension and buzzing in the air. In what seemed like a love letter to wrestling we witnessed an exquisite chain of submissions and counters.

Gresham seems to be targeting the arms of Ridgeway whilst Ridgeway has to then rely on his superior kicks and knees.

An underrated facet of Ridgeway is his selling and he showed his prowess with aplomb. Pain was etched across his face, he was holding his arms and upon reaching for the ropes he would quickly have to let go due to the pain he was portraying.

This is back and forth stuff. Ridgeway slaps on a tight ankle log and Gresham has no option than to use his last rope break. They both take centre with Gresham chopping Ridgeway and Ridgeway kicking Gresham to the chest.

There are frantic pin attempts with 2.999 kickouts before the crowd erupt in “THIS IS AWESOME” chants.

Ridgeway gets Gresham in a deep ankle lock again and the pain is clearly visible for all to see. Gresham reaches and takes the rope but all of his rope breaks are gone. Rather than tap Gresham drags himself and Ridgeway out of the ring and on to the floor. Ridgeway refuses to loosen his grip and Gresham taps, he cannot take it anymore.

This all counts for nothing being outside of the ring and Ridgeway keeps on the hold causing Gresham to repeatedly slap Ridgeway to the face which is quickly returned.

The ref is counting, the hold is let go, both competitors get up and try to jump in the ring, “20”. Double count out.

Boos resonate around the hall quickly replaced with chants for “5 MORE MINUTES”. Gresham takes the mic. He explains he is trying to find the best Pure wrestlers in the world, and Chris Ridgeway… is one of the best in the world! He offers Ridgeway a place in The Foundation as his equal.

Ridgeway says “I am the Foundation”.

Gresham says “WE are the Foundation”.

Ridgeway leaves the ring and Gresham does a lap, fist bumping the crowd and thanking them for coming to a standing ovation. This is the best match I have ever seen live. Although no winner in the match, the real winners were the audience.

Wrestle Carnival, along with Catch, are quickly becoming a template for what British independent wrestling should be. A buffet of varying types of wrestling catering for all tastes but more importantly giving real representation.

It now is not acceptable to have wrestling cards being all white with one token women’s match and Gary Ward is leading the way in giving all genders and BAME talent an opportunity to shine with a mix of international talent, British mainstays and up and comers.

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