From Paul McDonald

It was Halloween season in the realm of insanity as ICW presented Scary Moves, live at The Garage. A month on from ‘I Assure You, We’re Open’ ICW look to capitalise upon recent momentum with their flagship show, ‘Fear and Loathing XVII’, just around the corner, mixing the new generation of Scottish wrestling with a handful of familiar faces looking to show they are still on top.

Ruff Riders (Jack Ripley & Gene Munny) w/Natasha Swann defeated SAnitY (Big Damo & Axel Tischer) by pinfall.

Despite a lower attendance than usual, support for the Ruff Riders was at an all time high as the trio got into the Halloween spirit as they dressed up with a nod to Scooby-Doo, however it was no fun and games for SAnitY who were on a mission to take the first step in getting the ICW tag team titles back which they lost at the last show to Arcade Violence.

Jack Ripley and Axel Tischer got the match underway as Tischer asserted his dominance early, much to Ripley’s satisfaction, which became all too much for Tischer as he soon tagged out for Big Damo, which gave Munny his chance to tease Damo, which only infuriated the brute as he and Tischer combined with some neat teamwork to put an end to the nonsense.

With an assist from the crowd, Munny’s ears perked up as a slingshot spear put Damo on his back. Soon Munney made the tag as Ripley danced around Tischer and Damo, almost scoring a quick pinfall in the process. After some back and forth, the match looked to be over as SAnitY hit a suplex powerslam which Jack Ripley just managed to kick out of, this looked to be a turning point in the match for the Ruff Riders as Munny took Damo out the picture with a Death Valley Driver leaving Tischer vulnerable to a roll up which stole a victory for the Ruff Riders.

SAnitYs frustration then got the better of them as they jumped their opponents after the bell. That was not quite satisfactory enough for them as they turned their attention to Natasha Swann who despite defiance, was met with a devastating boot and a suplex powerslam for her troubles.

With a monumental victory like this, could the tag team championships be in the Ruff Riders’ not-so-distant future? Where does this leave SAnitY, who are on a bit of a skid currently?

Mark Coffey addressed his return to ICW and discussed his future.

Coffey started off addressing his departure from WWE, and despite the lack of courtesy for his release, he took it in his stride, as one door may have closed, so many have opened, starting with a return to his home, ICW. He then turned his attention to Kenny Williams as he poked fun at him losing the ICW World Heavyweight Championship at the previous show, which Coffey had a hand in.

Before Coffey could continue, he was interrupted by Williams’ right-hand man, Colton Davis. Davis looked ready to have their match scheduled for the night early, as he had his boots on and was ready to fight. Coffey then responded to Davis’ claims that Coffey will be a shadow of himself without his Ghalus brothers, showcasing some of his solo accolades, such as an NXT Heritage Cup Champion and multiple ICW Zero G Championships. Coffey then invited Davis into the ring to have their match then and there, and as Davis approached the ring, Williams came out to drag Davis away.

Coffey then made an impromptu announcement and announced Sean McLaughlin as the new ICW GM, much to the dismay of Kenny Williams, as McLaughlin has been a thorn in the side of Williams for a while now. McLaughlin kept it short and sweet as he announced a new era for ICW, spearheaded by himself.

“ICW Women’s World Championship” – Daisy Jenkins defeated KT Mills by pinfall to “retain” the “ICW Women’s World Championship”.

Despite the controversy surrounding this match, as Jenkins essentially just stole the belt at the previous show, Jenkins looked to defend “her” championship and get through her first test and complete her first defence of her “title”.

KT Mills got off to a strong start in the match as she used her strength advantage to manhandle Jenkins before landing a heavy leg drop and looking to score a quick pinfall, but was unsuccessful. Mills’ physical advantage continued to be too much for Jenkins as Mills continued to throw Jenkins about.

After some strong offence from Mills, Jenkins finds an opening and begins to chop down Mills with a strong emphasis on the legs. Despite Jenkins looking to build up some momentum, she was quickly shut down as Mills hit a Uranage to bring Jenkins crashing back down.

As Jenkins desperately looked to catch a break on the apron, she got a hold of the title and smashed Mills with it, stunning her enough for Jenkins to hit the Fallen Star and pick up the victory.

The match clocking in at under five minutes left some things to be desired, despite that, Mills did not look out of place and was able to get some good work under the circumstances.

Post match, Jenkins looked to reaffirm her delusions as she picked up the mic to try justify herself as the ICW “Woman’s World Champion”. She was quickly interrupted by The Wee Man of all people. Wee Man then went on to scathe Jenkins for stealing the belt and announced that he was taking a more deserving woman under his wing, that being none other than Angel Hayze who laid out Jenkins and put down a challenge for Fear and Loathing, a triple threat between herself, Jenkins and Lana Austin in a ladder match, to finally decide who the real ICW Woman’s Champion is. Hayze’s music then hit and The Wee Man busted out some dance moves that I can only one day dream of doing.

ICW Tag Team Championships – Arcade Violence (Brody Turnbull & Jake Lawless) defeated The Dangerous Brothers (BT Gunn & Kez Evans) by pinfall to retain the ICW Tag Team Championships.

Despite BT Gunn leaving Kez Evans high and dry in their last tag team outing, they looked to move past it as they teamed up to try and dethrone tag champions Arcade Violence, who were coming off a very impressive win in an ICW Tag Team Championship gauntlet match, reclaiming their belts.

Although not making his entrance, BT Gunn stumbled to the ring, taped up, just as the match started. Commentary made note that just before the match, Gunn was in the trainers’ room getting checked over regarding an unknown issue, and by going off Gunn pushing away the doctor, it would be safe to assume Gunn entered the match at less than 100%. Gunn did not let this hold him back however, as he insisted on starting the match across from Jake Lawless. Gunn got off to a fast start but it remained evident he was not up to speed as he quickly tagged out for Evans.

Turnbull and Evans then vied for dominance early as the two juggernauts went head-to-head, with Turnbull ultimately gaining the upper hand. Turnbull then brought Lawless in as they combined to get some damage in on Evans in the corner opposite his partner. A few duo slams and headbutts only kept the pressure on Evans as Arcade Violence showed off their experience and chemistry as a team, which Evans and Gunn lacked as an unorthodox tag team. Evans and Gunns’ best work was done when they were able to get Turnbull and Lawless one-on-one, where they could really use their solo experience. This worked effectively until Evans looked to hit Lawless with his own version of Shattered Dreams; however, Gunn got involved and appeared to stop Evans from hitting the “dirty” move, which then gave Turnbull a chance to line up a clothesline, which turned Evans inside out.

After some back and forth between all competitors, Evans and Gunn looked to carve out an opportunity for a potential victory, just as Evans looked to combine with Gunn, the previously stated issues with Gunn seemed to have caught up with him, as his back gave out, and after a miscommunication, Evans was thrown into Gunn, taking him out of the picture.

Arcade Violence was punishing every error as Turnbull hit shock treatment on Evans, which was not enough to put him down for good. Evans built his way back into the match, hitting a piledriver on Lawless, leading to a near fall. A lack of cohesion and chemistry once again played into Arcade Violence’s hands as Gunn accidentally knocked Evans off the top rope, leaving Evans to fend off Lawless and Turnbull. Arcade Violence used their veteran instincts as they smelled blood and combined to hit their finisher and retain the titles.

Lawless and Turnbull losing the belts at ‘We Run This Town’ now looked to have been nothing more than a bump in the road as they continue their dominance of the ICW tag team division, albeit against a struggling BT Gunn and Kez Evans who will certainly be looking at their future as a tag team as for right now it simply is not working out for the pair.

Mark Coffey defeated Colton Davis by pinfall.

The first half main event was upon us as the previously advertised Coffey versus Davis took centre stage. Would Coffey be able to back up his talk earlier in the night, or would Davis continue his rise in ICW, adding another big name to his resume?

The absence of Rudo was notable as Davis made his way to the ring solo, a rarity these days.  As Coffey made his entrance through the ropes, Davis tried a cheap shot, which backfired spectacularly as Coffey, without breaking a sweat, put Davis outside the ring and continued his entrance as if nothing ever happened. The lackadaisical attitude came back to bite Coffey, however, as he re-entered the ring and clocked Coffey with a massive boot, flooring him. Davis had a strong start to the match, running his mouth all the while, which has become the standard in Davis matches.

Some nice technical wrestling gave both men the chance to get off some offense, but it was Kenny’s right-hand man who was able to take control of the match early doors. Davis’s showboating and mockery were once again his downfall as he mimicked the Ghalus member using one of their signature poses, standing over him with his arms crossed, which gave Coffey just enough time to recover and roll Davis into a small package, almost stealing the three-count in the process.

The match was unfamiliar territory for Coffey as he would have to ride the waves of Davis offense and look to find and capitalize on chances which he did a great job of as when Davis Irish whipped him into the corner he was able to meet a charging Davis with a boot and flying shoulder tackle off the middle rope which gave Coffey a rare chance to build some momentum. The momentum was short-lived once again, however, as a reversal and subsequent suplex put the Heritage Cup winner on the back foot yet again. Was Mark Coffey biting off more than he could chew? Was he still able to compete with the new breed of ICW?

Regardless of the circumstances, the last thing Coffey would do would be to give up, which was evident as no matter how many times Davis would put him down, he just kept getting back up. That paid dividends as while Davis looked to be slowing down, Coffey was only getting stronger, and Coffey returned the favour with a suplex of his own, paired with a flying crossbody, which instilled a bit of confidence in the crowd and Coffey himself that the match was there to be won. Coffey kept to his game plan of rope a dope and was able to withstand more of Davis’s offense, and as Davis set up for his match-ending chokeslam, Coffey slid into a crucifix and earned a hard-fought victory to build on his return win on the previous show.

Colton Davis once again let his temper get the better of him as he unleashed a melee on Coffey, culminating in a chokeslam and yet another mockery of Ghalus as he once again stood over Coffey, mocking the pose. However, it was not Davis who got the last laugh, as it was a taste of his own medicine instead, as Aaron Echo, who had quite the past with Davis, came to Coffey’s aid, laying Davis out cold.

It was a strong showing from both men, showing just how strong the roster is between the new and returning faces, but it was Davis and his lack of experience that cost him yet again as he lost focus, ultimately costing him the match.

Wolfgang won the Scare Go to become the No. 1 contender for the ICW Zero G Championship.

The Scare Go was now upon us, and with only three competitors announced, being Landon Riley dressing up as our favourite British sporting icon, Landy Murray (Andy Murray), Ben Rodgers donning the iconic robes and lightsaber of Ben Kenobi, and Craig Anthony doing his best impression of the legend himself, Craigy Mercury. (Freddie Mercury) It was certain to be a match you could not take your eyes off.

It was Craig Anthony and Ben Rodgers to get the battle royal started with a standoff you would only see in Fortnite as they clashed with their lightsaber and microphone, respectively. The jokes quickly took a back seat as they did everything in their power to eliminate the other as quickly as possible.

After a couple of close calls for both competitors they found themselves jousting on the outside of the apron as the third entrant entered the match, that being none other than one half of the Girvans as Lewis who has put his own spin on Waluigi came flying down to the ring and almost put himself straight out, presumably as Lewis is a massive Halloween fan and got too excited. Lewis quickly got his head in the game and used said head to hit a couple of flying headbutts on Rodgers and Anthony’s balls in what can only be seen as unorthodox offense.

Before we know it is time for entrant number four to enter the fray as the United Kingdom’s best sportsman Landy Murray makes his way to the ring. Riley dishes out a few aces before making a pact with friend and tag partner Ben Rodgers as they looked to work together to eliminate the opposition.

Entrant number five was on the way, and there still had been no eliminations as Stevie James donned the iconic mask of Michael Myers. James stormed to the ring, dishing out superkicks left and right upon arrival, most impressively catching Anthony with one as he attempted to land a moonsault.

Entrants were coming thick and fast as the sixth entrant was introduced, and it was a relief for Lewis Girvan as his brother dressed up as Wario made his way to the ring. Fraser then cleared the ring with some vicious headbutts, much like his brother earlier in the match. It was not Mario headbutting blocks for cash, but instead Wario headbutting blokes for a laugh. There seemed to be some tension between the brothers, but they were quick to put that to the side as they combined to hit a duo Uranage on Rodgers.

Just as the Girvans were beginning to assert their dominance in the match, entrant number seven was upon them as Judas Grey looked to bring law and order to the match as he dressed up as Judge Judy. Unfortunately for the rest of the field, the jury was out as Grey dished out some nasty blows with the gavel. It was all too easy for Grey until an objection from Fraser Girvan put a stop to Grey’s destruction. The Girvans then met with Rodgers and Riley in the middle of the ring as they teed off on each other, hoping for a couple of eliminations. Riley almost managed to throw Lewis out as he held onto the rope for dear life, but it was instead Fraser who eliminated his own brother as Riley pushed him into Lewis. Fraser, realising his mistake, looked out of the ring in horror, leaving him vulnerable, and Riley and Rodgers combined to make it game over for the Girvans. Rodgers then got caught up in his own glory as he leaned over the ropes to laugh at the Girvans, which now left him vulnerable, and much like Skywalker and Kenobi, Riley turned his back on him, dumping him out of the Scare Go.

Number eight was an unidentifiable ghost who glided into the ring. After a brief stare down, the ghost lifted its veil, and it is none other than Molly Spartan! This was Spartan’s first time in ICW since the Square Go back in February and going off the crowd reaction you could tell her absence was missed. Spartan wasted little time spearing Anthony and hitting James with a massive Fallaway Slam, followed by James’ elimination at the hands of Spartan.

Disappointingly the second to last entrant was Hunter Samson who did not bother with any fancy dress, do better Samson! I digress as it was clear Samson was not here for a joke as he dwarfed his competition, Samson delivered multiple vicious clotheslines and kicked Judas Grey straight out the ring, leaving the field of Riley, Anthony, Spartan, and Samson himself. Spartan showed no fear in the presence of such a brute and looked to take him head on which very brave was not the smartest idea as she was quickly put out by Samson.

As Spartan was put out, the countdown for the final entrant ticked down, and for Samson, the only way putting Spartan out of the match could come back to haunt him would be if the last entrant was none other than her husband, Wolfgang, but that would never happen, right? As you might have guessed, yes, yes, it did happen, and a look of terror came over Samson’s face as he stared down Wolfgang, who at least put some effort into the Halloween theme with a wolf mask. Wolfgang got straight to work on Samson with some clubbing blows, and after some back and forth, Samson charged towards Wolfgang, who lowered the top rope, and Samson went flying over. I guess that is what happens when you don’t follow the dress code. Despite a valiant effort to take down the giant, it is game, set, and match for the Scotsman Landon Riley, who is served out of the match by Wolfgang.

Only two remained, Anthony and Wolfgang, and to Anthony’s credit, he fought to the end, but Wolfgang was simply too big and fresh for Anthony, and after eating a monstrous clothesline on the apron, Anthony is out, and Wolfgang is your Scare Go winner and will be facing Jack Morris for the Zero G championship in what is sure to be an absolute classic.

Joe Coffey defeated Dylan Thorn by pinfall.

Looking at the card, this match had the chance to steal the show with Joe Coffey making his ICW in-ring return and Dylan Thorn game as ever, despite a late opponent change, this had all the makings of a match of the night contender.

From the get-go, there was evidently a lot of respect between opponents as they cautiously felt each other out, but as they began to initiate, Coffey was able to show his experience as he put Thorn in various locks and holds early doors. For the first few minutes of the match, it looked as though Coffey was just one step ahead of Thorn and was showing that there were levels to wrestling, but as is typical with Thorn, he had the bit between his teeth and looked to bring the match where he was comfortable, making the match as gritty and rugged as possible.

Despite these attempts, Thorn had limited success while the former ICW Champion kept the match at his pace, slow and methodical. A Boston Crab was just another way for Coffey to break down Thorn as he struggled to the ropes to break the hold. Coffey was having the match all his way until he went for a backbreaker, which, with an awkward landing, ended up tweaking his knee, giving Thorn some time to recover and fight back into the match. Thorn knew he was not going to get many chances like that, so after managing to back Coffey up, Thorn was able to land a huge top rope blockbuster to put the match on a knife-edge.

Thorn was the fastest to recover, and after a handful of lariats and a dropkick, he was able to land a full nelson slam, leading to a near fall. The match was becoming less and less pretty, which was an advantage to Thorn. However, just because the match was getting gritty, this did not mean Coffey was going to be any less effective, and after parrying a Crown of Thorns, Coffey turned Thorn inside out with a huge lariat.

Both men were determined not to give up, even screaming at each other as they met in the middle with duel clotheslines, and both men simply would not go down. Thorn once again looked to hit Crown of Thornes but yet again Coffey countered with a superman punch followed by a shotgun dropkick into the corner and a german suplex, this ultimately gave Coffey the time he needed to size up Thorn for Aw the Best for the Bells as he almost took Thorns head off before securing the 1, 2, 3 and a massive win on his ICW return.

It was all class from Coffey after the bell as he took to the mic to give his respect to Thorn and the new generation of ICW wrestlers. Coffey also went on to speak about how ICW has not been this strong for years and that the feeling is that it is on the cusp of breaking into something huge again; it just needs the backing from the fans it once had.

There was zero shame in Thorn losing a match like that, and if anything, his stocks will continue to rise off the back of a match like that. For Coffey it just shows that he his sharp as ever and you really would not be surprised to see him looking to reclaim that ICW Championship he held so many years ago.

ICW World Heavyweight Championship – Rhio defeated Theo Doros to retain the ICW World Heavyweight Championship

Six matches down with one to go, it was time for the main event of the evening with a surprising choice of opponent for the Heavyweight Champion on her historic first defence as Rhio took on Theo Doros, who, despite losing quite comfortably in his last outing against Mark Coffey, had fallen upwards with a chance to win the ultimate prize in ICW. These are however the chances you can be afforded when you have the pedigree he has as a multiple time Zero G Champion, as he looks to make the jump from the Zero G division to the heavyweight division.

Rhio strutted to the ring holding three belts – PROGRESS Woman’s World Championship, Fourth Rope Woman’s World Championship and the ICW World Heavyweight Championship – just in case anyone was in any doubt about Rhio’s credentials, she oozed confidence as she was introduced, with the full backing of The Garage crowd behind her it looked to be a monumental task for Doros to overcome.

The match was all action from the get-go as they headed to the outside mere seconds after the bell had rung, as the pair brawled along the ringside with Rhio getting the upper hand.

Doros was struggling to keep up with Rhio on the outside as he took his chance to bring the match back into the ring, where he could use his technical wrestling to his advantage.

Rhio evidently fed off the electric crowd as she put constant pressure on Doros, punishing his every mistake. Doros was able to survive Rhio’s early onslaught, and now it was his chance to deal some punishment on the outside, as he bounced Rhio’s head off the various cornerposts. Doros now had a very clear game plan, look to break down Rhio with hard, stiff shots, slowing the pace of the match and silencing the crowd in the process. Rhio had a few moments where it looked like she was building back into the match, but strong kicks and uppercuts were killing any momentum before it could materialise.

Doros once again looked to be the architect of his own downfall as he mocked a downed Rhio with some cheap kicks, which did nothing but piss off Rhio, who looked irate. Before Doros could realise his mistake, it was too late, and despite a plea to let him away with it, Rhio unloaded with massive blows, shifting the tide in the matchup. A brutal headbutt almost secured the victory for Rhio as Doros just beats the three count.  

Rhio knew it would take something more to put Doros away as she once again looked to the outside, landing a massive suicide dive, sending Doros flying. A war cry followed by Rhio showed just how fired up the World Heavyweight Champion was.

Doros knew he was outmatched in the fight by Rhio, so when the chance presented itself, he pulled a steel chair out from under the ring, hoping to even the odds. It was a good use of veteran instincts from Doros as he unleashed several chair shots on the stage. Doros’s overconfidence and arrogance once again got him into trouble as he took his foot off the gas to showboat, giving Rhio enough time to recover and reverse a piledriver, putting Doros on the back foot once again.

Desperation was setting in for both competitors as a few close falls showed how one big move could finish he job. It was Rhio who landed said big move as she hit her patented package piledriver making the match all but over. Rhio covered Doros with no time wasted however a last second rope break kept Doros in the match.

Doros once again turned to his dirty tactics, bouncing Rhios’ head off an exposed turnbuckle and landing a massive right hand with brass knuckles, which somehow did not put Rhio away as she kicked out in the nick of time.

This looked to be Doros’s last chance as Rhio found one last burst of fight to hit a second package piledriver, securing the pinfall, marking her first successful title defence, with many more looking to be on the way after that gutsy performance.

Rhio’s celebrations were quickly halted as a rough-looking Williams entered the ring to firstly give Rhio her flowers for beating him for the belt, but secondly, and most importantly, he challenged Rhio to a match at ‘Fear and Loathing’ in December. New GM Sean McLaughlin then upped the stakes, making the stipulation of the match a King of Insanity match.

Overall, despite The Garage not being at its usual capacity, the ICW crowd still showed out, an energy that was matched by the wrestlers who, across the board, delivered some great matches, with Joe Coffey versus Dylan Thorn really being the pick of the bunch. Next on the cards it’s a trip to Edinburgh at The Corn Exchange as ICW presents ‘We’re No Fae Here’, with some blockbuster matches announced, such as Jack Morris versus Wolfgang for the Zero G Championship and Aaron Echo and Mark Coffey versus Kenny Williams and Colton Davis.