The final show before Lights Out this week confirmed the challenger for Rory Coyle’s title at Lights Out – and threw in a few new twists…
You know the score – recaps from last week, and then we have an announcement from Prince Ameen telling us that injury’s forcing David Starr, Joe Hendry, Simon Miller and Adam Foster off the show. Ameen then treats No Fun Dunne’s title match tonight as something new, calling it a repercussion of last week’s attack. Shame it was already advertised…
We’re back inside the O2 in Newcastle, with Dave Bradshaw and James R. Kennedy on commentary.
Man Like Dereiss vs. Robbie X
Winner faces Mark Haskins at Lights Out, and it seemed to be a prize both men were keenly after as they shot out of the gate.
After a standing moonsault nearly put him away, a shotgun dropkick gets Dereiss back in it, as did a Blockbuster neckbreaker. We see a shot over the shoulder of Mark Haskins, who was watching from the balcony, even though we see there’s a video screen right in front of them.
Robbie looks for a corkscrew splash, but aborts it as Dereiss came back with a Hat Rack Crack (sit out front suplex) for a near-fall. A 450 from Dereiss is aborted next, before he’s clocked with a handspring overhead kick in the corner as Robbie nearly wins with a Spiral Tap. The X-Clamation follows, and that’s all for Man Like Dereiss. A solid TV match, although calling someone “beloved” when the crowd’s barely making a peep is unfortunate timing. **¾
Gabriel Kidd and John Klinger are backstage. The former Bad Bones is ripping away signs as he goes into his shtick… while Kidd complains about David Starr’s complaining online. We then get a graphic to announce that Jonny Storm and Jody Fleisch face the Dynamic Duo of Mark & Thomas Billington at Lights Out, as their development continues in front of us.
El Phantasmo’s backstage too, breaking that fourth wall about that match with PAC. He’s not excited to wrestle PAC (well, it is the third time in a few weeks…), as ELP reckoned it should be the opposite way around, as he called himself the top high flyer in the world. The PAC-baiting continues…
No Fun Championship: Jack Sexsmith vs. No Fun Dunne (c)
Jack’s out with Visage, while Dunne came with his own back-up.
Slaps and chops start us off as Sexsmith’s early offence quickly wore away, thanks to come cheating from Drake on the outside. A roll-up from Sexsmith sparked a comeback, but Dunne rolled to the outside, where he was crashed into with a tope, before eating an LGBDT for a near-fall. Sliced Bread would have won it, but Santos distracts the ref as Drake slid in the belt… but Sexsmith stops it. Drake recovers his screw up, as more interference neutralised Sexsmith until Visage made a save… Jack leaps off the top into a low blow before Dunne’s springboard lungblower gets the win. Standard fare for these No Fun titles, a butt-load of interference, and sadly, a flat crowd by the end. **¼
Benji rushes out after the match with his Magnificent Seven briefcase… NOW the crowd wakes up. Stevie Aaron commentates it all as Drake attacked the referee to prevent the cash-in, as it led to a 3-on-3 staredown with Sexsmith and Visage forcing the Anti-Fun Police to the back.
General Ameen’s backstage on the phone as he’s demanding that Martin Kirby defend the Internet title on Loaded. Chris Brookes interrupts as he makes light of how he shouldn’t have to “qualify to wrestle PAC”, as the promotion is “doing nothing” with him.
We find out that an injury to Lucky Kid means he’s off of Lights Out… Sean Kustom fills in for him against Martin Kirby instead. That could be quite special.
Lizzy Styles comes out uninvited to do commentary… and there’s an awkward moment as we await the next match.
Ruby Radley vs. Kanji
Radley’s entrance – with not even the “jobber” video – is a backdrop for Lizzy Styles to claim that Kanji’s injury was fake.
Radley jumped Kanji in the corner as she put a beating to her early on, before Kanji fought back with a nice leg sweep/facebuster through the ropes. A springboard elbow drop puts Radley down as she was still caught in the ropes, following up with a springboard stomp and a German suplex, before a rope-walk stunner and a roll-up got the win. By the numbers, but a win’s a win for the champion. **
Post-match, Styles hits the ring and attacks Kanji…
The Anti-Fun Police are backstage bemoaning how Benji almost cashed in. Given they’ve racked up so many enemies, the Police get some annual leave – so they’re not going to be at Lights Out.
Elsewhere… Benji’s having trouble with a photocopier/fax machine. Conor Renshaw comes in to mock him for sending a fax, and offers him help. Considering Renshaw was fighting him for the briefcase a while back, it’s a little surprising that the Mackem MJF (it’s in the scarf) wants to team up to win the tag titles with him… except Jack Sexsmith tries to talk some sense into Benji. This led to Sexsmith/Visage vs. Benji/Renshaw next week.
Commentary runs through the card for Lights Out:
Defiant Women’s Championship: Kanji (c) vs. Lizzy Styles
Defiant Internet Championship: Martin Kirby (c) vs. Sean Kustom
Joe Hendry vs. John Klinger
David Starr vs. Gabriel Kidd
Robbie X vs. Mark Haskins
PAC vs. El Phantasmo
Defiant Championship: Rory Coyle defends against the winner of the main event…
Justin Sysum vs. Rampage
This was the “both men had a title shot but chose to have a scrap to make it a singles match” match…
They start at quite a pace for lads of their size, with Sysum hitting first with a dropkick, before leaping off the middle rope into a similar strike from Rampage. A wacky clothesline/neckbreaker from Sysum takes down Rampage for a one-count, before the former champion cartwheeled out of a monkey flip. Rampage’s spinebuster opened the door for him to get back in, as he worked up to a belly-to-back superplex. A back body drop from Sysum lifts Rampage to the floor, as “the Hammer” made his own comeback, before his corkscrew forearm was just booted away as Rampage nearly took the win with an implant DDT.
Sysum manages to fight back with a sidewalk slam, before he rolled through a 450 splash as a springboard crossbody got rolled through as Rampage turned it into a tombstone… following up with a regular piledriver for the win. Well, Sysum looks smart doesn’t he? Taking a guaranteed shot and losing it as he’d rather show Rampage some gratitude! **¾
After the match, the lights go out as the ring empties… save for Rampage, who’s surrounded by Rory Coyle’s burlap masked men. One of them was Coyle, was all four mug Rampage, presumably with Sysum having vanished into thin air as Coyle drills Rampage with a belt shot.
Loaded this week was a solid offering, and one that could well be more important down the line as I have a weird feeling that the result of Justin Sysum’s match isn’t exactly going to be something that’ll just be forgotten about after Lights Out…
- Watch Loaded #19 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPxnmfHkBnM