Finally got round to watching ICW Barramania 4. Taking place on Sunday April 29th at the Barrowlands Ballroom, this will go down in history as one of the most important nights in ICW history!
Gauntlet Match for the vacant ICW Zero-G Championship
Mark Coffey last eliminated Rampage Brown to win
Andy Wild and Aaron Echo began the match and showed exactly what you’d expect from them, two big hosses fighting it out. A huge overhead suplex from Wild and a brutal elbow to the jaw from Echo, two guys I could watch all day and not get bored. The Wild Boys were out in full force and supported Andy right through, as he eliminated Echo and Jordan Devlin. It felt like Devlin was in and out without really doing much, but he had apparently suffered a wrist injury in the weeks leading to the show so fair enough. DCT was number four as he debuted a new addition to his wardrobe of snazzy singlets, quickly nailing Andy with a standing fist drop (Billy Kirkwood called it The Fisting…). A flying knee put Andy away and Mark Coffey was next out, former Polo Promotions allies facing off. Terrific back and forth action between these two, but two Red Forman’s to the jaw of DCT put him away. The Sam Barbour Experience was scheduled to be the last man in, only to be assaulted by Rampage Brown with The Wee Man by his side. The Wee Man really gets on my nerves, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s great at what he does. Brown and Coffey squared off (that’s a singles match I’d quite like to see, so someone book it, please and thanks). Power moves from Brown wore down Coffey, but another Red Forman from Coffey put the Englishman away as he became a three-time Zero-G Champion. Joe Coffey returned afterwards and challenged his brother to a title match at Shug’s Hoose Party 5, which has since been confirmed.
Order of Entry
1. Andy Wild
2. Aaron Echo
3. Jordan Devlin
4. DCT w/Coach Trip
5. Mark Coffey
6. The Sam Barbour Experience Rampage Brown w/The Wee Man
Order of Elimination
1. Andy Wild def. Aaron Echo by Pinfall
2. Andy Wild def. Jordan Devlin by Pinfall
3. DCT def. Andy Wild by Pinfall
4. Mark Coffey def. DCT by Pinfall
5. Mark Coffey def. Rampage Brown by Pinfall
I’ve said it in previous articles and I’ll say it again, I love that Gauntlet Matches have been opening Barramania for the last few years. They’re a fantastic way to kick off the night and I’m a fan of Gauntlets in general. Not being biased here, but Andy Wild was the star of the match for me. Not only did he eliminate two people, but the pop he received was immense. Lovely to see he’s still a welcomed face to an ICW audience, and has since been awarded a full-time contract. As for the Coffey/Coffey showdown, well it’ll be bloody brilliant, won’t it!
Chain Match
Wolfgang def. Tor Atterhagen by Pinfall
The Chain Match was next, and I was honestly so bored watching it. No disrespect meant to Wolfgang, it’s more about Tor Atterhagen. He’s no different to any other big guy that’s bald and has a beard. The stipulation didn’t even mean anything considering the fact neither man remained strapped to the chain. Some big shoulder tackles from each side early on, along with a spear from Atterhagen that was the best thing I’ve seen from him. Wolfgang clipped the chain to Tor’s wristband which he kept on, but couldn’t Tor have just detached himself? Wolfgang knocked him from the ropes and wrapped himself in the chain for a Howling as he put an end to this rather dismal rivalry.
Can’t remember the last time I was this happy to see the back end of a feud, and that’s coming from someone who watched Sin Cara Azul vs Sin Cara Negro. Sweden isn’t known for producing wrestlers and judging by Tor Atterhagen, there’s a reason why. I’m sure he has his fans somewhere, but you won’t see me praising him. This match just wasn’t my kind of, as hipsters put it, the graps.
Falls Count Anywhere Match – Day 76
Chris Renfrew w/Kieran Kelly def. Joe Hendry w/Leyton Buzzard by Pinfall
Out with the bore, in with the gore. Or at least it would’ve been, had it not been for the fact that Joe Hendry refuses to use weapons because of the rules and regulations associated with being a Local Hero. Anyway though, it was day 76 of the historic Falls Count Anywhere Match. Renfrew and Hendry appeared in the crowd suddenly before going through a back door and emerging onstage. Two Freak of Nature’s from Hendry wasn’t enough. I’m still surprised that after 76 days of non-stop wrestling, Hendry still had the strength and power to lift Renfrew up for the move. Supporting acts Kieran Kelly and Leyton Buzzard got involved because they’re part of this as much as Renfrew and Hendry are at this point. Kelly was busting out dropkicks, leapfrogs, and backstabbers from all angles, whoever trained him to be a referee should have their license revoked. After some more shenanigans, Kelly and Renfrew each performed a Stoner on The Prestigious One to put an end to this once and for all. As Hendry performed a solo on the triangle after the bell, Bantz (otherwise known as Dave Conrad) made his debut and decimated Kelly with a monster of a powerslam. The ‘most charismatic man in all of wrestling’ had just one thing to say to the ICW faithful; awrite?
I’ve loved every second of the Renfrew/Hendry saga. Whoever came up with this idea deserves all the adoration available. It’s put Kieran Kelly and Leyton Buzzard on the map to a wider audience, and now Bantz has been added to the picture, a man I believe is one of the most underutilised talents in Scotland. The rivalry may be continuing but as for now, the longest match in wrestling history has come to an end.
Fatal Four Way Match for the ICW Tag Team Championships
The Kinky Party (Jack Jester & Sha Samuels) (c) def. The Kings of Catch (Aspen Faith & Lewis Girvan), The Purge (Stevie James & Krobar) and The Sons of Ulaid (Rory Coyle & Screwface) by Pinfall
So, Rory Coyle is one of my favourite talkers in British wrestling. He oozes charisma, and his pre-match promo where he introduced new Son of Ulaid Screwface was a fine example. Big brawl to kick things off with all eight men getting in on it, Lewis and Aspen both coming off the top with cannonballs which is something we used to rarely see from The Kings of Catch. I personally would’ve preferred it to be an Elimination Match, but there’s only so much you can do with that I guess. The match featured plenty of unique tag team moves involving knees meeting jaws and backs meeting the mat. That one tag move Lewis and Aspen have where the opponent gets tripped in to a knee strike is just brutal, as is The Sons of Ulaid’s straight jacket chokeslam thing they use. A Fatsault from Sha Samuels knocked everyone down at ringside, and Screwface was spiked with a Team-Stone Pal Driver to give another victory to The Kinky Party.
A brawl all the way through. Each of the teams involved bring something different to the table which is what you need when including such huge personalities as The Kinky Party and The Kings of Catch. With The Marauders recently returning to ICW and RUDO Sports & Entertainment Brand clients Bram and Iestyn Rees throwing their names in the hat, it’s an exciting time for ICW’s tag division!
Jackie Polo def. Lionheart by Pinfall
Oh man. “Just Justice” Jackie Polo is the absolute best thing of all time. Coming out dressed head to toe in Jeff Jarrett-inspired gear, JJJP strutted to ringside for the match against Lionheart that Mark Dallas campaigned so hard for. Some back and forth brawling to start things off before Lionheart kipped right back up in response to a big slam from the former King of Chat. Everything about this match was perfect, from the no-nonsense stance of Lionheart to the fun and games provided by Just Justice. A Rock Bottom almost shattered the ramp, with Polo later escaping a sharpshooter by whacking Lionheart with his mallet which created a cut on his head. The blood flowed out but it only lit a fire under Lionheart who fought back with a flurry of offence. A massive boot in the corner almost knocked Polo out, followed with a second Rock Bottom and a frog splash where Lionheart almost hit the roof. The Polo mallet came in to use again and a sitout electric chair allowed Just Justice to be victorious in what he wants to be called his ICW debut.
A third match between the pair has since been announced for Shug’s Hoose Party 5 at the end of July. I’ve seen a few comments from fans online who are slightly bothered about the rivalry continuing, but I’m personally all in for it. The promos, the flow of the match, the big fight feel. Everything about this was fantastic, and I can’t wait to see more of what there is to come next month.
Ladder Match for the 2018 Square Go! Contract and Kenny Williams’ ICW Contract
Stevie Boy w/Kay Lee Ray def. Kenny Williams
If you told me how good of a match this would’ve been when it was first announced, I probably would’ve believed you. But this match far exceeded the expectations set out. Kay Lee Ray’s involvement came at a minimum, she did what she needed to do but didn’t go overboard. Stevie Boy channelled his inner Terry Funk during the match by spinning a ladder on his head, before taking a release German suplex on another ladder in the corner. Looked rather scary considering he was still holding the first ladder and it looked like it landed full-pelt on his face, but luckily he was fine. A spear from Kenny later in the match took The Icon Killer off the apron and on to a table that didn’t break. Damn you tables! KLR again looked set to interfere but was stopped by Aaron Echo, which later brought out The Kings of Catch. After delivering the nastier spots of the match, it was time for Kenny to take a tumble on to a ladder bridged in the corner. A roof cam showed Stevie yanking the Square Go! briefcase down to retain, a camera angle that should be used more often. A heartfelt promo after the match before Kenny kicked Aaron below the belt, revealing he has signed a new contract; this one with RUDO Sports and Entertainment Brand.
An exciting new venture in the career of Kenny Williams. Since first seeing Kenny, I can’t remember ever seeing him as a bad guy, so this will be a nice refreshment for me. He was never going to leave ICW, was he? Kenny vs Aaron is a rivalry with bags of potential, so let’s see what happens as we approach Shug’s Hoose Party 5 next month.
RUDO Sports and Entertainment Brand (Bram & Iestyn Rees) w/Red Lightning def. Ravie Davie & James Storm by Pinfall
There are plenty of wrestlers in the world I can’t stand watching. Randy Orton, TJP, Alberto el Patrón. Ravie Davie is a man slowly worming his way on to the list. It’s not that he’s even that bad, I just can’t get behind him. It feels like this thing with Bram has been dragged out. Is there anyone other than Cousin Zander who won’t turn on Davie at this stage? The Fresh Prince of Drumoyne Square came in busting out all kinds of flips until the action slowed down at the hands of RUDO, Iestyn Rees and Bram are two guys you wouldn’t want to run in to on a night out. James Storm finally got the hot tag he was desperate for, with him and Davie doing a unique backstabber/double stomp thing that was quite nice. Just when it looked like Davie was finally about to get one up on Bram, Red Lightning blasted him with a steel chair followed by an Alpha Wave spear from Rees that blasted him in to oblivion. It came down to Davie and Bram as it always does, but Storm smashed a bottle over Davie’s head to hand the win to RUDO. Mark Dallas appeared after and had a go at The Cowboy, receiving some spit in the face for his troubles.
Honestly, I’m not sure if this is the end of the Ravie Davie/Bram saga but it looks like they’re both moving on to pastures new for the time being. Davie has since challenged Storm to a Texas Death Match at Shug’s, a challenge waiting for an answer. With RUDO having seemingly entered the Tag Team Championships picture, hopefully this is the end of the near 10-month rivalry. Please.
ICW Women’s Championship
Viper (c) def. Kasey by Pinfall
An unfortunate position for this match to be placed, coming after a swerve and before the highly-anticipated main event but it’s a darkhorse for one of the best matches of the entire event. A brutal-looking belly to belly suplex on the ramp from the champion came just after the bell rang before Viper was tripped up on the apron. In case you didn’t know by now, that’s the hardest part of the ring! Incredible back and forth action with powerbombs and shining wizards being dodged. Kasey escaped the pin following a Viper Driver, while Viper did the same to a Killing Joke. It was a Viper Driver off the second rope that allowed The Vixen of Violence to retain the championship.
As mentioned earlier, it was a tough spot to be put in but that didn’t stop Viper and Kasey from having easily one of ICW’s best women’s matches. Hard slams from the champion were met by a vicious strike-based offence from the challenger. It’s now been announced that Viper will defend against both Kasey and Martina at Shug’s Hoose Party, so that’ll be another one to watch!
Triple Threat Death Match for the ICW World Heavyweight Championship
Stevie Boy w/Kay Lee Ray def. BT Gunn (c) and Mikey Whiplash w/Aivil by Pinfall
If you thought November’s King of Insanity Match was insane, then watch this. I don’t even want to think about how two people (eventually three) can deliver this level of punishment to one another. There was a back body drop on the apron earlier on, and the torture levels just got worse going forward. Whether it was Mikey Whiplash being launched on to a barbed wire spiderweb next to the ring or Aivil bulldogging BT Gunn on a pile of cinderblocks, there wasn’t a single person in that venue or watching at home that wasn’t wincing from what they were seeing. Thanks to Aivil’s interference, it allowed The Necromancer to take full advantage and piledrive the champion off the apron and through a table on two(!) separate occasions. Both competitors were downed thanks to a Gunnshot on thumbtacks, and that’s when it happened. The Filthy Generation theme played over the PA system and every man, woman, and child lost their minds as Stevie Boy, Kay Lee Ray in tow, entered and cashed in his Square Go! briefcase. A superkick from KLR took care of Aivil while The Kings of Catch sauntered down with a pane of glass because why not? Stevie became the first person to kick out of the Techno Drome DDT, so BT moved his attentions to Whiplash, powerbombing him through the glass as those in the front row escaped the flying shards. The Filthy Generation leader dumped The Oddity out of the ring and pounced in for the pin, becoming ICW’s second Grand Slam Champion.
Personally, I’m a fan of hardcore wrestling. It’s not for everyone, especially not stuff like glass and barbed wire, but it works for the likes of Gunn and Whiplash. Two men renowned for going to dark places to hurt opponents. Gunn even entered in his old Oddity gear with the mask. I wasn’t expecting Stevie to cash in this early, but I’m glad he did. He’s not exactly underrated because just look at all the titles he’s captured, but he’s certainly the most deserving man on the roster to be holding the championship.
So, that was the fourth instalment to the Barramania series. The show had something for everyone, so check it out right now on ICW On Demand!
ICW’s next shows are on Saturday July 28th and Sunday July 29th at the O2 Academy in Glasgow for Shug’s Hoose Party 5, with tickets available at www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
Quick Results
Gauntlet Match for the vacant ICW Zero-G Championship – Mark Coffey last eliminated Rampage Brown to win
Chain Match – Wolfgang def. Tor Atterhagen by Pinfall
Falls Count Anywhere Match Day 76 – Chris Renfrew w/Kieran Kelly def. Joe Hendry w/Leyton Buzzard by Pinfall
Fatal Four Way Match for the ICW Tag Team Championships – The Kinky Party (c) def. The Kings of Catch, The Purge and The Sons of Ulaid by Pinfall
Jackie Polo def. Lionheart by Pinfall
Ladder Match for the 2018 Square Go! Contract and Kenny Williams’ ICW Contract – Stevie Boy w/Kay Lee Ray def. Kenny Williams
RUDO Sports and Entertainment Brand w/Red Lightning def. Ravie Davie & James Storm
ICW Women’s Championship – Viper (c) def. Kasey by Pinfall
Triple Threat Death Match for the ICW World Heavyweight Championship – Stevie Boy w/Kay Lee Ray def. BT Gunn (c) and Mikey Whiplash w/Aivil by Pinfall
SCOTTISH WRESTLING NETWORK | SWN 