W3L returned to Fife Ice Arena in Kirkcaldy for Lord of the Ladder, their latest offering on Hooked On Wrestling TV.

Tim Strange defeated Nitro Green by pinfall.

Before the Lord of the Ladder event, there was a pre-show match that was featured on the most recent W3L Wrestling Showdown episode. Denmark’s Nitro Green against Canada’s Tim Strange for some international flavour.

It was an easing into the night with a lot of yay-boo antics between Green and Strange to get the crowd interaction going. After an age of clapping and raising arms, Tim Strange finally jumped Nitro Green to get the match going properly. Green managed to dodge a charging Strange to deliver a ten count punch in the corner that rattled Tim into a stotter. Tim tried to throw his weight around but was sent tumbling out to the cold concrete floor.

Nitro Green was drawn out for a brawl that Tim Strange was happy to provide with Tim smashing Green from pillar to post until a rogue chop saw his hand clunk against the metal ring post. Green spotted an opening to roll Strange back into the ring, who once again was back in charge once he returned to his feet. Tim bullied Nitro Green around, landing a splash and a big elbow drop which couldn’t nab a three count. RODEO TIME was delivered to have Green spaghetti legged. Strange went for the lariat that was ducked, Nitro went on one final flurry until he was stopped dead in his tracks with a lariat to stare at the lights.

Once the match actually got going it was good fun. Tim Strange is a specimen and he looks intimidating. It wasn’t a long one but Nitro Green got enough to show spirit in defeat.

The main show began as Joe E Legend made his way out to wait for his scheduled opponent, W3L Wrestling Showdown Champion Hugo Harris. Hera entered and announced that Harris wasn’t there. Some back and forth on the microphone lead to Hera low blowing Legend. She aimed a right fist at the head of Joe, who caught it mid-swing. Frank of the Cross slid into the ring to jump Legend to take up the challenge for the CWP World Heavyweight Championship.

CWP World Heavyweight Championship – Frank of the Cross w/Hera defeated Joe E Legend by count out. Joe E Legend retained the CWP World Heavyweight Championship.

Cross continued the attack following the bell being rung, with Hera assisting when referee Archie Williams was preoccupied. Joe E Legend broke out of the onslaught to ram the head of Frank into the turnbuckles over and over again. His BRAINBUSTAH attempt was halted for Frank of the Cross to counter with a vertical suplex that landed with impact. Legend endured to fire back forearms with Frank returning his own. A big lariat from Joe had Frank on dream street.

A ring hand strike to the jaw of Cross had Frank laid out for an Oh My God Elbow. The Stonecutter didn’t do the job as Legend set up for a big forearm that was thwarted by Hera grabbing the leg, setting up Joe to be sent to the outside. Frank continued the punishment at ringside. Hera once again got involved and ate a punch from Frank when Legend ducked the strikes. A big forearm had Cross knocked silly and rolled back into the ring. Before Joe could re-enter the ring, Hera grabbed the leg of Legend to stop him from getting back into the ring and to be counted out.

Joe E Legend sent Frank of the Cross packing with Hera following shortly after.

A fine match which felt like a scrap. It was a bit of an odd ending with the count out and subsequent celebration by Frank of the Cross with the belt, it did make Frank look silly.

An injured Paul Hubris was on backstage interview duties, catching Sam Bailey to ask his thoughts about the triple title match. Sam put his money on himself or BT Gunn to walk out as a double champion.

W3L Heavyweight Championship/UEWA European Heavyweight Championship/FTLOW Championship – Triple Threat – BT Gunn defeated Luke Aldridge, and Sam Bailey. Gunn pinned Aldridge to win the W3L Heavyweight Championship and retain the UEWA European Heavyweight Championship. Sam Bailey retained the FTLOW Championship.

Before the match there was an added backstage peaks as each competitor made their way through the curtain, which was a nice touch. Archie Williams wasn’t coming to play, sending Luke Aldridge’s entourage, The Jackal and The Tormentor, to the back before the bell.

Sneaky roll ups was the order of the early exchanges, with all three trying to swoop in to escape with their title and add a second to their trophy cabinet. As the match began to settle in, it was BT Gunn that had the best stretch, sending Luke Aldridge into Sam Bailey to construct a situation to have Bailey connect with a DDT onto Aldridge to send Luke head first onto the apron.

The momentum swung all over, with Aldridge becoming the base of a Tower Of Doom with BT Gunn getting the worse of it. Luke Aldridge tried to keep on top of wearing down both Bailey and Gunn, but was met with a superkick from both, individually and then in tandem. That shift continued, and just as the confidence of Luke Aldridge grew he was soon being flatlined to the canvas by BT Gunn while Sam Bailey was being DDT’d simultaneously.

It was only a matter of time before The Commune spawned once again, heading out to take out Sam Bailey. They tried to surround BT Gunn, who fought them off, driving the W3L Heavyweight Championship through the skull of The Tormentor. A flatliner to Aldridge saw an end to his one year plus reign as W3L Heavyweight Champion.

BT was untouchable, it was a quick match but any time Gunn was involved it felt like it was only a matter of time before he was walking out with a second piece of hardware. There were plenty of quick exchanges, Sam Bailey didn’t get super involved then was taken out of the running towards the end. The brief spells between Gunn and Bailey were very smooth.

Winner is added to Lord of the Ladder match – Chris Renfrew w/Sami Sparx defeated Shreddy by pinfall to qualify for the Lord of the Ladder match.

Sami Sparx tried to take out Shreddy before the bell with a chair but was soon being roughed up by the jacked stacked daddy. Shreddy threw Sparx around, ran through him, and dropping Sami with a standing Jackhammer. Just as Shreddy went to spear Sami Sparx, Renfrew slid in a chair to send Shreddy hurtling towards the steel.

A stunner couldn’t keep Shreddy down, a second was avoided with Shreddy spearing through Renfrew. The count was interrupted by Sparx dragging Archie Williams out of the ring mid-count. Distractions and shenanigans lead to Shreddy being victim to another stunner to keep him down long enough for the three count.

Less a match and more like an extended segment to add more interest into the ladder match main event. Shreddy got to showcase his power in the pre-match skirmish.

Pelé & Tony Wright defeated The Commune (The Jackal & The Tormentor) by pinfall.

Pelé tried to get fancy early but Tormentor shut it down with a jab to the stomach. Tormentor got jostled into the corner to bring Tony Wright in, with The Jackal tagging in to take on Wright. A muddle of tag team offense had Wright and Pelé in good stead until The Tormentor interjected himself into Wright’s aerial plans which was enough for Tony to miss a diving crossbody and give The Commune the upper hand.

The Tormentor dropped the Tormentor Elbow, with quick tags for The Commune to isolate Tony Wright from Pelé. Wright kept fighting back, ducking and diving his way over to his corner to bring in a rested Pelé to throw hands and knees against The Jackal and The Tormentor. The Commune readjusted to snatch back control via a lariat from The Jackal. Suddenly The Jackal started arguing with The Tormentor. Jackal was pushed into Tormentor to send him off the apron to leave The Jackal to be double teamed with a high-low combo from Tony Wright and Pelé to pin The Jackal.

There were some shaky moments between Pelé and Tony Wright as they bumped into each other in trying to co-ordinate as a team. The high-low finish didn’t look particularly strong, which left it all feeling messy in conclusion.

Lord of the Ladder – Four Way – Dru Marshall defeated Euan G Mackie, Thomas Blood, and Chris Renfrew w/Sami Sparx to become Lord of the Ladder.

The quest for ladders was immediate, and Irn Dru Marshall superkicked Sami Sparx during his attempt to assist Chris Renfrew. Sparx tried to help out but was on the receiving karmic repercussions repeatedly, like missing a top rope dive to Irn Dru and colliding with Renfrew, or bringing in chairs and seeing Renfrew being suplexed through one by Thomas Blood.

Mackie stopped a chair swinging Blood, kicking the steel into his opponents face to put Thomas Blood on his back. Euan placed the chair over the chest of Blood and delivered a Senton to cause maximum damage. Mackie scaled the ladder but was stopped by Irn Dru who drove Euan to the canvas with a Samoan Driver. Marshall and Blood traded strikes until Mackie and Renfrew returned to break it up. Euan landed the Sliced Bread to Irn Dru but turned around to be knocked down by Chris Renfrew. Renfrew barked orders at Sami Sparx who rushed out with a step ladder… which couldn’t quite do the job intended.

Thomas Blood and Euan G Mackie took each other out, which left it down to Irn Dru Marshall and Chris Renfrew. Once again Renfrew used the advantage of having Sami Sparx with it looking like it was a forgone conclusion. As Chris Renfrew reached up to grab the briefcase a siren played over the speakers to bring out Shreddy. Shreddy bolted at Renfrew with a spear and chased Sparx and Renfrew out of the venue. Marshall grabbed the ladder and scaled up the rungs to bring down the case and earn the Golden Ticket title opportunity.

It was fine, with a popular winner in Irn Dru Marshall. The return of Shreddy was welcomed to tie up that loose thread from earlier. It was a chaotic match with a lot happening and little flow which was jarring when it came to building momentum. It’s interesting to see a subversion of the the Money In The Bank trope with BT Gunn now the W3L Heavyweight Champion you may have leaned further towards Euan G Mackie or Chris Renfrew, but Irn Dru was a great call as he has been lingering around the top of the pack for a bit now and now has the ticket to burst into the main event picture.

The show was entertaining, but I don’t think the venue really gives the best of what W3L can offer. The Fife Ice Arena is massive so there’s such a large space of nothing, and the tiered seating was largely empty, which was very noticeable on the hard cam. The credit to the audience though, they made enough noise to put that echoing around the place to work to create a good atmosphere to be invested in the event, which is something W3L are very good at in having a family focused product first and foremost. I personally wouldn’t bother using those tiered seats, maybe throw a black sheet over them so that when the camera pointed at the ring it isn’t as noticeable in the top third of the screen. Hindsight etc.

Of the matches, BT Gunn really stood out, which is no surprise considering it’s BT bloody Gunn, and with him now holding the main prize in W3L it creates a new carousel of potential challengers going forward with a cavalcade of villains waiting to get their hands on The Oddity to try and take what is now his. An exciting prospect.

The full show is available on Hooked On Wrestling TV now to check out for yourself: