Seeing as we’re in lock down, I’ve finally made time to catch up on the back log of wrestling on the YouTubes. Scottish Wrestling Entertainment uploaded their recent Fast Track Rumble event, I love a rumble. Taking place at Strathmore Hall in Forfar, there was a lot of buzz following the event with several matches being picked out in our Monthly Poll for February.

Spike Tierney defeated Ryan Kidd by pinfall.

The show kicked off straight away with Spike Tierney taking on a new name to me, Ryan Kidd. The commentary team boasted Kidd’s travels around the world. Kidd struck first while Spike was on in the corner but Spike hit back with a nice dropsault. The crowd were eating up Spike’s offense as the match went to the outside. Kidd suckered Spike into a knee to the head as the masked man was re-entering the ring before following it up with a big suicide dive. Kidd continued the assault, focusing on the shoulders and back before attempting to take Spike’s mask off.

Spike countered a cutter attempt, knocking Kidd into the middle rope for a 619, followed up with a roll through cutter but it only got a two count. The match went back and forth with Kidd hitting a lovely running cutter that could only get two but missed a follow up frog splash, leaving him prone for an Abra-Kebabra.

Fast paced, smooth moves, another match from Spike Tierney that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Ryan Kidd looked super impressive, absolutely smug, super arrogant and very pleasing to see him lose. What more could you want.

Don Massimo defeated Scotty Riccio by submission.

The hulking mass of Don Massimo wasted no time, casually walking up to Riccio, whilst he was getting patted down by the ref, and laying in the boots straight away. Riccio fought back to knock down Massimo with a missile dropkick, but his follow up dive was caught by the beast, who dropped Riccio onto the ringside barrier. Massimo continued the beating as the crowd chanted for Riccio as he tried to battle back, swinging wildly at any turn.

Massimo went for a powerbomb but Riccio leaped out at the summit, evading any attacks but a 619 attempt was caught to see Riccio planted with a sit out powerbomb. Massimo broke up his own count to continue the domination of Scotty Riccio. Riccio fired back again but ate a big clothesline for a 2.9 count.

Riccio got another head of steam, hitting a big wheelbarrow bulldog but a lift up cutter into a cravat clutch saw Riccio pass out.

This felt disjointed and may’ve benefited from Don Massimo being a straight up killer. Riccio got quite a bit more offense in this that he perhaps needed to in my opinion. Taking out one of the comebacks may have made the match flow better. Easy to say that while I’m sitting on my chair sipping a beer eh.

SWE Future Division Championship – Zack Leon defeated Euan G Mackie by pinfall to retain.

Mackie brought his shenanigans, running around the ring with Leon’s belt before the bell and being the scamp that he regularly is. Once the bell rang, Leon immediately took down his smaller opponent with a headlock takeover. Mackie wriggled out and topped it with a cheeky boot to the buttocks of Zack Leon.

Both men were evenly matched, trading back and forth until Leon took a breather on the outside, maximising the referee’s ten count. All his jawjacking with the crowd left Leon open for Mackie to fly off the apron with a crossbody. It didn’t take long for Leon to get back on top following an eye rake and knees to the face of Mackie, countering a headscissors into a hard backbreaker then one more for good measure.

Mackie kept fighting, hitting a seated senton for a near fall before whipping the legs from underneath Leon to send him into the turnbuckle and open for a double knee smash to the back of the neck. Mackie looked to have it wrapped up with a Sliced Bread but Leon push Mackie off onto the apron, dragged him back in for a headlock driver whilst Mackie was drapped on the middle rope.

A very entertaining back and forth match which I always expect from Euan G Mackie but Leon really brought it in this one. A match that could’ve went either way. Consider me entertained.

Rayhne defeated Lisa Lace by pinfall.

A match that I was very much looking forward to watching once this show went up. One of the matches that were highly praised following the show. My only experience with Rayhne so far is the ‘The Granite Bruiser’ battering folk with disgust. We got the cheery, fan favourite Rayhne for this one and I was all in.

Rayhne got an early fire with clotheslines as Ryan Kidd joined commentary. Lace turned the tide and pummeled Rayhne in the corner. Diving down with senton’s and elbow drops to keep Rayhne grounded. Rayhne battled back with forearms, backing Lace into the corner for a splash, pulling Lace out for a spinning hangman’s neckbreaker for a near fall.

A rake to the eyes gave Lace the chance to DDT Rayhne, Rayhne kicked out of the pinfall before crushing Lisa Lace with an emphatic the Rayhne Drop for the win.

A great match, didn’t last too long but it was effective as it didn’t outstay it’s welcome. This was another first for me having never seen Lisa Lace in action and she was really good. Rayhne continues to impress, there’s a reason why she keeps popping up on my lists of ones to watch, she is quickly becoming a must watch wrestler for me.

SWE Heavyweight Championship – Darren Blair defeated Ian Ambrose by pinfall to retain.

After an early exchange, Ian Ambrose went at the knee of Darren Blair, wrapping it around the bottom rope before locking in a knee bar to send Blair on the back foot and out of the ring to create some space. Ambrose was soon following as they scrapped at ringside. Blair got the upper hand, rolling Ambrose back into the ring for a leaping clothesline to keep Ambrose down. The wear down continued but Ambrose fought back, countering a boot into a grapevined ankle lock to continue the punishment to the knee of Blair.

Blair got to the outside and was able to lift Ambrose with a back suplex onto the ring apron. Crashing into Ambrose for a senton into the barricade before rolling Ambrose back into the ring. The momentum shifted, Ambrose was able to connect with a top rope crossbody and build up a head of steam, a high angle back suplex before finding his way to locking in another grapevined ankle lock but was interrupted by a rope break. Blair went for corner rush but was rolled into another ankle lock that was broken again by the ropes.

The two big lads kept trading moves and strikes, fighting from their knees, wearing down each other down as the minutes rolled on. Blair tried something from the ropes but was left in position for a double foot stomp for what looked like the win for Ian Ambrose.

The match was restarted due to Darren Blair having his foot under the bottom rope. Ambrose didn’t waste time, hitting a codebreaker and locking in a submission but JD with the rest of The Cleansing entered to distract Ambrose long enough for Darren Blair to DDT Ambrose to retain.

The Cleansing attacked Ian Ambrose after the match.

This was a war. They told a good story with the knee, before it eventually came down to two big lads smashing each other. The Cleansing intervention really made you want to see more of this feud. Enjoyable stuff.

Tommy Cross won the Fast Track Rumble

Chris Duke struggled to recap the rules of the Fast Track Rumble, to the point where I wasn’t even sure but it’s like a rumble but with extra steps with how the entrants come in, so I chose not to worry about it too much.

Ken Kaiden came out first and started talking, pretty much cementing that he would be going after the Future Division Championship if he won.

Anyway, it’s a rumble so no play by play, I’ll type up some notable moments that caught me eye:

There was a prolonged shouting portion with Vladimir the masked Russian that I won’t be rushing to listen to again. Atomico was attacked by a child, for reasons unknown. Nathan Reynolds chokeslammed Sean Roberts out of his skin before clearing the ring, eliminating five men in quick succession before hitting Ken Kaiden with a spin out spinebuster. The Reynolds rampage was stopped by Kevin Williams, who was then dragged out of the ring for a brawl.

Bravehart entered after Jace Jackson got to the ring to announce that Jackson would still have to defend his Hardcore Championship even during the match. Jackson proceeded to hit everyone in the ring with the belt. Spike pinned Jackson after a Salina-Del-Spike to win the title. He was soon planted with a ripcord DDT from Luke Aldridge to lose the Hardcore Championship. Botchico tried to get his hands on the title but Aldridge climbed over the top rope and left with his prize in hand.

Craig Stephens and The Alpha Male ambushed Felix Fortune, giving him a double chokeslam then tossing him out. Shortly after JD entered, Ian Ambrose entered to throw out JD and himself as they brawled to the back. Rory Shaw entered and cleared most of the pack before being triple teamed to get us to a final four of Kevin Williams, Tommy Cross, Rayhne, and Ken Kaiden.

Rayhne hit Williams with a Rayhne Drop but her momentum saw her going over the top rope after Tommy Cross dropped to dodge on the ropes. Nathan Reynolds returned and distracted Williams long enough for him to be eliminated. Cross and Kaiden fought on the apron before Cross was able to trip Kaiden off the apron to win the Fast Track briefcase.

The Cleansing entered following victory, it appeared that Tommy Cross surrendered the briefcase to JD to close the show.

A pretty chaotic rumble match, as far as rumbles go. There was plenty of little moments. I enjoyed Luke Aldridge just launching himself out of the ring in order to keep his newly won Hardcore Championship. Rayhne took on both Craig Stephens and The Alpha Male and looked brilliant. Some little story line progression with Kevin Williams and Nathan Reynolds, Ian Ambrose and JD, plenty of good bits to take from the match. The final moments could’ve benefited from a little more time to build up as it happened out of nowhere as most of the heads were turned to see Williams and Reynolds interact.

A very solid event from SWE. Lots of positives and the two hour show went by quickly, which is always a good sign. Special mention for Ryan Kidd, not just for his in-ring work but his turn on commentary for Lace versus Rayhne and Blair versus Ambrose was outstanding and it really added a little extra something to the match. Both matches were elevated further by his insights and enthusiasm for the matches.

An entertaining show, I’d recommend Ryan Kidd versus Spike Tierney, and Rayhne versus Lisa Lace, I can see why both got quite a lot of votes in our February Monthly Poll, very well deserved.

You can watch the show on YouTube now: