Merry Christmas! Fair City Wrestling recently uploaded their event from this past December, ‘A Fight Before Christmas 2: Rich Money’s Revenge’. So let’s dig out what’s left of the Christmas chocolates, most likely the Bounty’s, and cheer you up while digesting the awful coconut concoction, let’s take a look!

Triple Threat – Sam McMillan defeated Rhys Dawkins, and Euan G Mackie by pinfall.

It was a shenanigan filled opening exchange with all three men attempting roll ups and a human centipede headlock. Dawkins took a powder to the outside to leave Mackie and McMillan to get the match started.

McMillan started to build momentum, landing a big suplex to Mackie and landing a crossbody but before he could attempt a pin Dawkins returned to bundle him to the outside and concentrate on his turn to wear down the veteran.

A belly to belly took down Mackie from Dawkins, who then ate a leap over bulldog for his troubles from Sam McMillan. Rhys wasn’t to be phased, slamming McMillan to the ground. As all three congregated in the ring, McMillan and Mackie turned their attention to Dawkins who dodged a Euan second rope splash and decapitated Sam with a lariat.

The action continued, a double Sliced Bread had Euan in a very good position. A leg drop to McMillan left Mackie open to be hit with The Fifth Act from Dawkins, but Sam McMillan swooped in to backslide Rhys Dawkins to pick up the win.

Dawkins didn’t take too kindly to the conclusion, assaulting McMillan until Mackie stepped in to help dispose of ‘The Most Intelligent Wrestler On This Side of the Globe’.

An enjoyable opener, there was little downtime with something always happening. There were some stumbles early on but not enough to take away from the match itself. Great to see Rhys Dawkins expand his territory. Euan Mackie is always on form, and Sam was able to hang comfortably with the two.

Marcus “The Glory” Hunter & El Tremendo defeated Cheeki Breeki (Patryk Peterski & Stan The Slav) by pinfall.

Stan and Patryk burst through the curtain with the energy of a million potatoes (because you can make vodka from potatoes… is this thing on?), but their exuberance was short lived when Marcus Hunter and El Tremendo appeared outta knowhere to attack Cheeki Breeki before the bell.

Paddy broke through the double team attempt to smash Hunter and Tremendo, which allowed Stan to come back in to headscissor the masked character to scarper to the outside to regroup. Stan dove off the apron to duo which allowed Cheeki Breeki for a refreshment break and dance.

As the match looked like it was starting to settle, Stan swung a big lariat to Tremendo as Cheeki Breeki kept the party atmosphere pumping by keeping El Tremendo in their corner. A distraction from Hunter gave Tremendo a chance to get some offense and tag in “The Glory”, putting the boots to Stan and keeping The Slav King away from his corner.

Stan continued to fight and crawl to Patryk Peterski, finally getting the tag and getting his hands on Marcus “The Glory” Hunter with a Polish Hammer or three and a spinebuster as the match broke down. El Tremendo’s mask was removed in the melee to reveal Tommy Raiden, which was enough of a shock to allow Hunter to roll Peterski up for the three.

The Cheeki Breeki tandem was a lot of fun, the crowd were desperate to see Hunter get his comeuppance but despite the taster it was Hunter having the last laugh to keep the feud simmering on. It was a solid match that effectively added another chapter for what we now know to be the road to ‘Nae Mercy’.

Next up was the FCW Heavyweight Championship open challenge from Ian Ambrose accompanied by ‘Mighty Fine’ Eddie Devine. As we awaited whomever accepted the challenge, Spike Tierney and Sebastian Asher burst through the curtain battering Johnny Pressley, Asher carried Pressley to the back to clear the path for Spike Tierney to take up the open challenge from Ian Ambrose.

FCW Heavyweight Championship – Open Challenge – Ian Ambrose w/Eddie Devine defeated Spike Tierney by pinfall to retain the FCW Heavyweight Championship.

It was a counter encounter to start off with both rolling through and out of holds and predicaments, with both champions reaching a stalemate. The pace continued to pick up, but a dropkick to the knee grounded Ambrose to give Spike Tierney the upper hand.

Spike targeted his attack at the left knee of Ambrose, picking apart the weakness of ‘The Infamous’, who tried to fight back. An exchange in superkicks spurred a rush of adrenaline in Ian Ambrose who powered up after receiving a German Suplex to land a discus lariat before crumpling to the mat.

Despite favouring the knee, Ambrose landed a top rope dropkick, then dropped Tierney for a high angled back suplex for a near fall. Tierney clipped the knee of Ambrose mid-springboard to leave him prone for a 619 to the mid-section but Ian managed to kick out of a Swanton Bomb.

Eddie Devine tried to cause a distraction but a malfunction in the junction led to Ambrose being nailed with a ripcord enziguri for another near fall. Ambrose struck a superkick combo into a basement cutter but couldn’t put away the challenger. A leg lariat from Tierney got another two count.

Devine let off a siren to turn Tierney’s attention away, leading to a backslide from Ian Ambrose to retain the FCW Heavyweight Championship.

A Christmas gift for the Fair City faithful seeing DE being scuppered by a distraction, something that they have been using to their advantage since they formed. Both wrestlers were showcased well as fighting champions, and I’m intrigued to see if the continued intervention of Eddie Devine eventually wears thin on the crowd supporting the FCW Heavyweight Champion and leads to a slightly more scummier reign into 2025. A hotly contested bout.

Kevin Williams announced that Brodie Adler was unable to compete at the event due to illness which lead to Sami Sparx storming out to belittle the FCW Women’s Champion. Jay Robin provided the interruption and stepped in as Adler’s replacement.

Jay Robin defeated Sami Sparx by pinfall.

Sparx jumped Robin before the bell but was soon running into the shoulder of the DAPW Champion and taking a break at ringside. He returned to the swinging fists of Jay Robin. Sparx found an opening to ram his knee into the face of Robin to take control.

Sami tried to wear down Jay, relishing in the assault. Jay Robin continued to fight back with a high knee in the corner of his own but his momentum was cut short with a springboard cutter to take down ‘The Rainbow Renegade’. Robin rolled out the way from Frog Splash attempt before planting Sparx out with a Gory Bomb for the win.

A brisk contest, the FCW crowd still love them some Jay Robin with Sami Sparx being a torrid opponent to overcome. A good match with the time given, plus the victory over one half of Legends Never Die playing nicely into the show the next day at The Queen’s Hotel when Robin was to face the larger half, Fulton King, with the DAPW Championship on the line.

Retro Randy Valentine w/Casey defeated Sebastian Asher by submission.

Asher put the boots to Valentine before the bell but Randy had the answers early on, splashing Asher into the corner with a neck snap getting a near fall. The flurry of offense continued with Retro Randy bombarding Sebastian.

Randy got a head of steam for a running knee but Asher dodged to leave Valentine kneeing the turnbuckle to turn the tide in favour of ‘God’s Gift’ who went at it. Sebastian took his time tying up the knee and punishing the Game Changer briefcase holder.

The comebacks from Valentine were quickly cut off as Asher locked in an ankle lock. A brief escape from Randy saw Asher lock it in once more with a grapevine as Valentine dragged himself to the bottom rope to break the hold.

Sebastian Asher unwrapped a present to reveal a pair of brass knuckles but the sight of them unleashed the Retro Rage(TM) as Randy landed the haymakers, big boot, and LEG DROP OF DOOOOOM, but Asher managed to get a shoulder raised.

Valentine went up top for that ELBOW DROP OF DOOM but Asher, thanks to pushing referee Chris Quinn into the ropes, met him up there, driving Randy to the canvas with a superplex to cause a reset. A big running shoulder charge from Asher pounced Randy to the outside as Chris Quinn started the 10 count. Valentine made it back in at 9, grabbing a spear-attempting Asher with a guillotine for the quick tap out.

A really well paced match, RetroMania continued to run wild in Perth as Randy kept up with his younger adversary with old school aplomb.

If Santa Loses, Christmas Is Cancelled – Christmas Chaos Match – Santa Wilde defeated Rich Money by pinfall.

The Christmas shenanigans started quickly, Santa skelped Rich Money with a roll of wrapping paper all over the Empire Zone. Money fired a Christmas tree at Santa, but couldn’t land a cutter as he soared back first onto the pine needles below.

Santa unwrapped a chair to smash the back of Money, who tripped an oncoming Santa to send him to the outside, launching himself off the apron with an elbow drop to the wooden floor below that was occupied by a groggy and chair covered Santa.

Rhys Dawkins arrived to provide the assist to Rich Money, quickly followed by Sam McMillan to take out Dawkins. The McMillan intervention allowed Santa to power up, hitting a crooked moonsault that all but would’ve wrapped it up but Marcus Hunter arrived to drag Chris Quinn out of the ring to break the count. Patryk Peterski emerged to smash Hunter, hitting a glorious Cobra before dragging Hunter backstage.

Sebastian Asher was next to arrive as he and Spike awkwardly powerbomb/dropkicked Santa, Johnny Pressley and Stan The Slav rushed out to stop DE but Tierney and Asher came out on top until Retro Randy, Jay Robin, and Euan G Mackie entered to take out the tandem.

In amongst the madness Money low blowed Santa Wilde, but before he could capture the three count the lights went out, returning to reveal Ian Ambrose and Eddie Devine who, along with Santa, provided a Scumbucks superkick party. Santa and Ambrose slammed Money to the mat with a double team TKO to keep Christmas alive.

As far as some Christmas silly bollocks to wrap up the Fair City year in Perth goes this was aptly called Christmas chaos. It provided callbacks from the antics from the rest of the evening for a constant stream of action with the happy ending being Christmas being saved and Rich Money once again suffering for everyone’s enjoyment. It was exactly what it needed to be.

If I’m nitpicking here, there was some repetition on the show, D’Lo Brown must’ve been backstage suggesting backslides and surprise roll ups to anyone that would listen, along with Ian Ambrose and Randy Valentine having to fight over a set of crutches due to the knee attacks. Did that affect the experience? Absolutely not.

Randy Valentine versus Sebastian Asher was right up my street and provided some good ol’ fashioned family friendly wrasslin’, I would argue it was the main event and the Christmas chaos match was an epilogue for the evening which I treated as such. The rest of the matches had plenty of positives coming out of them for the Fair City faithful to enjoy, the Cheeki Breeki duo being a particular highlight.

The show is available on YouTube: