A brief peek behind the curtain here at SWN Towers, I’m currently holed up in my living room, with a pissed off dog, as two workmen are ripping out (and replacing) three windows upstairs. The pissed off dog, of course, is because Sandi has to stay out of the way when all she wants to do is greet the guests.

Anyway, I was glad to see that Fair City Wrestling (and Discovery Wrestling) somehow knew about my plight and uploaded recent shows on the YouTube for me to sit back, enjoy, and ignore the drilling, banging, and, the noise that such activity entails.

Wrestling. That’s what your here to read about, probably.

Fair City Wrestling were on fire last year, figuratively, (and to one “concerned” onlooker physically… allegedly) returning to their home base of Perth in January for the first of two shows that weekend.

Onto the show!

We opened with a snazzy video package covering the ongoing feud between Sirena Rose and Brodie Adler, recapping First Contact and the reveal of Cirque Du Lit in Fair City Wrestling.

Sirena and Brandi Maxx entered to kick off, running down the crowd, Brodie, and anything else that came to mind. FCW Commissioner Kevin Williams entered to announce that Sirena Rose was banned from ringside for the upcoming match between Brandi and Brodie.

Before the first match, there was a quick backstage video of Captain Euan G Mackie and Botchico having a chat where Botchico seemingly refused to join Mackie’s crew.

Captain Euan G Mackie defeated Botchico by pinfall.

Botchico, sporting a Huracan Ramirez lucha mask, and falling over mid-entrance. I feared this may have been too silly even for my tastes. Botchico slipping into an armdrag to Mackie which I enjoyed, incorporating the “botching” into offense. Mackie took control by Botchico tripped into kneeing his opponent in the skull for a two count.

Botchico rolled away from two top rope visits by Mackie much to the Captain’s annoyance. A Sliced Bread #2 from Mackie got a very close kick out at two. A sleeper hold from Mackie being countered by Botchico dead weight falling backwards was a nice moment.

Mackie decided to bring in his sword, which was removed by referee Chris Quinn allowing Mackie to sneak out and grab his rum bottle to aim a spray mist into the face of Botchico, who ducked. As the referee removed the bottle from the ring, Mackie kicked Botchico between the legs and drove his head to the mat for the win.

When it comes to the Botchico character there are so many ways that this could verge onto plain stupidity but there was a nice balance struck with Botchico falling into offense and being on top by pure happenstance at times. A fun opener.

Taylor Bryden defeated tom fulton by pinfall.

Tom Fulton entered, accompanied by his jacket. A very even start with both going hold for hold, trading body slams, counters, with Fulton trying to slow down the match. Fulton trapped Bryden with a leg lock, when Bryden returned the favour Fulton simply turned and walked out of the move for a laugh.

Bryden caught a flying Tom Fulton, who was coming off Bret’s rope (the most dangerous rope), in an impressive feat of strength considering Fulton is a solidly built wrestler. Lifting into a fireman’s carry position but Fulton escaped before he could be driven into the ground.

Taylor Bryden’s strength display was topped with Fulton caught mid-headscissor for a backbreaker and gutbuster for his troubles. Fulton started throwing in forearms before attempting, what looked like, a Sliced Bread #2, but Bryden again powered Fulton up and into Tier Zero for the three count.

A really well built match, started with the hold trading, into the counter portion, some scrapping, before Bryden hoisted Tom Fulton up for that Samoan Driver for the win. I’ve made mention a couple times but Taylor Bryden’s strength to control and move the larger Tom Fulton to his will was incredible to witness.

Bryden got on the microphone after the match and announced his intention to be FCW Junior Heavyweight Champion in 2022.

Brandi Maxx defeated Brodie Adler by pinfall.

The story that was recapped from the opening dialogue, if Brodie won she would receive a fair rematch against FCW Women’s Champion Sirena Rose. However, if she lost then Brodie goes to the back of the line. A high stakes bout.

Brandi ducked, dived, and dodged, Brodie in the early exchanges. Brodie finally got a hold of Brandi (this won’t get confusing at all) and went to town with big corner splashes. Just as Brodie lifted Brandi onto her shoulders to finish the job, Hammer and Sickle arrived to distract Brodie who then got rolled up for the three count.

Sirena Rose burst out to celebrate with Brandi and rushed to the back while Brodie once again demolished Hammer and Sickle.

A very quick match, not much to write about as far as in-ring content goes as the match was over just as it got started but it continues the rivalry, and though the result meant Brodie technically heads to the back of the line as far as the FCW Women’s Championship goes, this feud looks to be far from over.

FCW Junior Heavyweight Championship – Ken Kaiden defeated Umar Mohammed by pinfall to retain.

After a brief feeling out process to start off with, both started with your prototypical junior heavyweight rush until Mohammed stopped it with a straight right fist to the face of Ken Kaiden. Following up with a nice spinebuster, showing a lot of intensity.

Mohammed continued to bully Kaiden around the ring, throwing in kicks and a variety of strikes. Throwing shade at the strong strike style of Ken Kaiden by torturing him with a mirror of his own moveset.

Kaiden fought out of a superplex with a top rope Meteora and sent Umar onto the backfoot with dropkicks, ducking a clothesline with a lovely springboard crossbody but was caught with a Side Effect from Umar Mohammed for a two count. Umar missed a second rope corkscrew splash by taking too long to launch, allowing Kaiden to step to the side. A follow up flying knee looked to wrap it up for Kaiden but Umar rolled to the ropes.

The match stepped up a gear with Kaiden slingshotting over the top rope to the outside with a forearm, Umar responded with a double knee in the corner looking to finish Kaiden off with Kaiden’s own finish, the Three Handled Credenza, but Kaiden countered and hit the move himself to retain the FCW Junior Heavyweight Championship.

What a match. I’ve been used to seeing the fun loving, dancing, sports entertaining, Umar Mohammed but this shift in attitude was brilliant. The story they told with Umar trying to beat Kaiden with his own moves, like a “if you can do it, I can do it better” one-upmanship thing was excellent and played out into the final moments. Umar Mohammed is quickly becoming the total package. After a slightly disjointed match with Tommy Cross last time I saw him, I’m glad to see Ken Kaiden match up with an opponent that complimented his style nicely.

Kaiden got on the microphone after the match and accepted Taylor Bryden’s challenge. Ace.

Nathan North & Duke Cannon defeated The Foundation of the future (Zach Dynamite & Ryan Riley) by pinfall.

I was excited for this one when it was announced. The Foundation of the Future have really become a well oiled machine up in the North East and to see them compete in another promotion is testament to their work.

Duke Cannon started with some confidence with a big shoulder block to Dynamite. North followed up by discombobulating Ryan Riley, slingshotting into the ring with a tope before being joined by Cannon to tandem suplex Riley.

It was soon The Foundation of the Future in control, keeping Duke Cannon in the ring. Keeping the action moving with Riley suplexing Nathan North on the outside to the wooden floor to keep Cannon isolated with quick tags to punish him further.

Cannon finally created space with a double suplex counter into a duo of DDTs to tag in Nathan North who threw some clotheslines and a big Block Buster to Ryan Riley and a Blue Thunder Bomb to Dynamite who tried to sneak in with a blind tag.

North attempted his crooked moonsault but was stopped on the top turnbuckle by Riley who followed up with a big sit out powerbomb as the match broke down with moves flying everywhere including Dynamite hitting a Styles Clash on Nathan North for a close two count. Riley and Dynamite set up North in a wheelbarrow position to finish the match but a boot from Cannon to Dynamite allowed North to roll through with a pinfall to seal the win.

Their victory was short lived when the spooky girl in the mask skipped out to distract Cannon and North which allowed Tommy Cross and Jacob Deacon Wilde to blindside and brutalise the winners.

An excellent match. This was the first time seeing Duke Cannon and while he was a bit rough around the edges he certainly brought plenty of fire into the match. A good prospect coming through. The tag team dynamic of Ryan Riley and Zach Dynamite is so smooth and definitely one of the best teams in the country today. I’m just slightly disappointed we didn’t get that crooked moonsault from Nathan North as I do enjoy it, we only got a tease on this occasion.

FCW Heavyweight Championship – Caleb Valhalla defeated Ian Ambrose w/Skully by pinfall to retain.

Caleb Valhalla being announced from St Abbs is a wonderful meta joke that I appreciate. Ambrose tried to capture Valhalla’s head in a sack to start off with but was soon overpowered by the big Norse God.

After some big forearms, Ambrose sought refuge to the outside via a wonderful turnbuckle flip ala Ric Flair to the apron leading Caleb to the outside, Ian tried to spray water into the eyes of Valhalla before realising the water bottle was empty and finding himself whipped into the ring post was hilarious. Eventually Valhalla was lead back into the ring where Ambrose tried and successfully took advantage, a beard pull here, a eye rake there, but he was soon getting baled about again. Ambrose wriggled out of a powerslam with an eye rake and went back to keeping down the big man with a running senton, forcing Caleb to bite the middle rope while pulling at the beard, before knocking Valhalla out of the ring with a dropkick into the corner.

Valhalla fought out of a sleeper but was met by a superkick and top rope draping twisting neckbreaker but it was only good for a near fall. Caleb met Ambrose on the top turnbuckle and threw Ambrose overhead with a belly to belly.

A forearm trade was cut short by Ambrose kicking the knee out from Valhalla but that just seemed to annoy the Viking who powered through several forearms to powerslam Ambrose for two count. Ambrose fought out of a Helride to hit a Saito Suplex. Valhalla responded with a snap German Suplex and White Noise. Ambrose hit a double foot stomp in the corner. Ian Ambrose got distracted by Skully, then brought in a chair which was removed by the referee. Ambrose then threw Skully at Valhalla which had little effect. Valhalla picked up Skully, threw it to Ambrose, who caught it then felt a spear shortly afterward before being put down for the count with the Helride.

A heavyweight clash, two wrestlers slugging it out. The Skully stuff is a bit jarring but if anyone can make it work it’s Ian Ambrose. Right now it’s Al Snow-Head-esque, interested to see where that goes.

I really enjoy Caleb Valhalla’s naiveté in his character. Ian Ambrose has skull, Caleb want skull. Ambrose brings in a sack to put over Caleb’s head? Ah that must be the game so Caleb puts sack over Ambrose’s head. It’s just so much fun. Even to go as far to take Skully, seemingly having a conversation with it, and returning the skull to a knocked out Ambrose after the match was *chef’s kiss*.

Overall a highly entertaining main event.

Another fine show from Fair City Wrestling, bringing plenty of variety to the table. The production is clearly worked hard on. My only, and very minor, complaint was it took about 15 minutes before we actually got to see some wrestling between the Rose-Adler recap, Cirque Du Lit in-ring promo, then the bit between Mackie and Botchico. It looks like the package was played to the live crowd before Cirque Du Lite entered, but for the YouTube release maybe it could’ve been moved to double it with Adler’s promo video before her match with Brandi Maxx? I think Sirena Rose did enough in her promo to get the general gist of the ongoing story in the ring. Like I say, very minor from a viewers perspective. It wouldn’t have shaved too much time off it but it maybe gave it a better flow than FCW intro, Rose-Adler recap, in-ring promo, backstage promo… wrestling. Not that it hampered my enjoyment of the show just throwing out my uneducated opinion.

It’s always great to see talent from up in the North East make an impact and The Foundation of the Future certainly provided a polished tag team product with Cannon and North holding their own very nicely, in a bit more time I hope the two sides of the gamer coin build on that tandem, can never say no to another tag team.

We got some storyline development between Brodie Adler and Cirque Du Lit with a callback to the previous full event YouTube upload with Hammer and Sickle being involved. I very much appreciate continuity.

Of all the matches though, I’d say Umar Mohammed versus Ken Kaiden was the standout of the show. Umar brought something new, to my eyes, to the table in his performance. The story that he and Ken Kaiden told was very good and you could really get invested in.

Fair City Wrestling has been getting a bit more attention recently due to outside forces trying to play spoiler and they have responded by putting out a highly entertaining show with talent from around the country. The best way to respond is by putting on the best show possible.

The full show is available on YouTube, that’s how I watched it, head to Fair City Wrestling on YouTube or you can just watch the show below: