By Ian Browne

Sometimes life can be very nice, such as a cheeky Friday off, the kid in nursery and the wife at work. This also means that I’ve been left with a list of cleaning and other non-lazy things to do, but am I balls doing that! No, I will wait 90 minutes before the wife gets home before I run around like a sweaty, slightly overweight, man that I am doing everything on that list. Happy wife, happy life.

My first mistake was trying to watch ICW on my fire stick, after 25 minutes and my beer getting warm, I gave up on that and got my Macbook out. It’s not the same watching something on a 15 inch screen so I’ve ordered a cable to connect my laptop to the telly for the next time my fire stick is a dick.

Ah, there’s not much better than seeing Billy Kirkwood with Jennifer Louise, the only time I’ve seen something better was when I saw Billy enjoying the sun outside a Starbucks with Chris Renfrew, Chris was having a Frappuccino and I was too chicken to say hello. I even walked up to them and aborted at the last minute as I’ve no backbone.

Beer going down well and the show is on, Coach Trip comes out with the ICW Champion DCT to thank the crowd and to tell Stevie Boy to get his leg fixed and to get his ass back for a rematch. Red has other plans and see’s the gold going around one of his boy’s waists, Bram rushes DCT and kicks him around the ring. A steel chair comes out and Red is left holding the title, can DCT keep hold of the gold before the Hydro?

The first match of the night is Kez Evans versus BT Gunn.

Now I think BT Gunn is one of the best workers the UK has, so it’s really hard to hold my sense of disbelief when he’s wrestling someone as green as Kez Evans. Now, I can see that Kez is going to be a great worker but he’s not at BT Gunn’s level, so it’s very hard to watch Kez and BT go the distance.
The pacing felt wrong, Billy and William kept putting Kez over time and time again, but saying someone is ready does not make it so. BT picks up the win using the Technodrome. I feel this match lasted too long, it’s just too much too soon for Kez but he sure can sell. BT was doing some very serious favours.

Second match – Kasey versus Aivil.

There is one thing that ICW always does right and that’s managers, God I miss managers. Wee Man is outstanding! Everything he says is gold, and I’m for anything that gives Kasey a bigger platform. Right from the start Kasey is fast and hard hitting, Kasey works the arm from the beginning. It’s not anybody that can make submission moves look good, but Kasey went out there and gives the crowd something different and something that feels real. There’s a darkness in Kasey that I can 100% believe in, I feel if Aivil was not selling then Kasey would step it up, Minoru Suzuki style!

Aivil is a future star, she does not move like someone that’s so new to the business, Kasey was doing the heavy lifting but that lifting helps when your lifting someone as gifted as Aivil. Thank god for ICW and pushing women’s wrestling as there as hard hitting as any of the guys.

Aivil gets the win with help from Wee Man’s interference by hitting Kasey with ‘Willow’ her baseball bat. Kasey losing nothing from this, she was red hot and ready for more. I could see this grow into something very special indeed, same again please.

The Fite Network really are a perfect slice of comedy and watching Krieger give Lou King Sharp a Roll-N-Slice was the funniest thing I’ve seen all week! Don’t believe me? Go find it and watch it for yourselves!

Backstage, Kasey tells us she’s coming after Aivil. YYYEEEEESSSSSS, get in.

Third match is Andy Wild versus Liam Thomson.

It’s at this stage it’s hard not to see a buff Graham Norton in Liam Thomson but this 14 year vet knows this match is going to hurt and my God, Andy slaps the tits clean off Liam. Both men use force and technical in a lovely mix, Andy’s hits have started to make my nips bleed just by watching.

Wild’s technical skills are a joy to watch and Liam keeps up with him every step of the way. Liam takes a beating in this match, bump after bump, the pacing is perfect and the story feels real, no matter how hard Liam is hit, he gets back up looking for more and ready for anything. Liam bags the win and nothing is taken away from Andy. Liam gives some love to Wild and the crowd love it. Then, hold on to your balls(!), Liam tells Wolfgang to get his ass ready as it’s “GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 2”.

All in all Fight Club 98 was a great show, a perfect blend of comedy, story and story progress and of course good wrestling. Match of the night Kasey v Aivil, I’m happy to see Aivil getting a push as you can tell she will give everything in the ring and Kasey will be there to raise her and herself to the next level.