Kyle Fletcher gets a shot at Rampage this week as Loaded continues the build to No Regrets.
After the recaps, we’re back in Stage 2 in Newcastle, with Dave Bradshaw and James Kennedy on commentary. But first, Simon Miller’s moaning about how simple it is to upload something to YouTube, wondering how/why General Ameen had a problem. Did someone at WhatCulture screw up… and it somehow ended up as a sketch here? Miller’s approached by Ameen’s other unnamed assistant so he can pick his No Regrets Rumble number. He ends up with a number that’s “not bad”, but we fade to black…
Gabriel Kidd vs. Joe Hendry
We’ve a rematch from the Magnificent Seven, and hopefully this isn’t going to drag as badly.
The early scrambling sees both men in the ropes, before Kidd took down Hendry with a wristlock. He clings onto it, until Hendry got free with a snapmare, following through as he had a go with a wristlock. Some headscissors on the mat help Kidd free himself, before he rolled outside so he could slow down the pace some more. Kidd returns and gets stuffed on the mat with a North/South headlock as a Fisherman suplex-like takedown wasn’t successful for a pin as Kidd had a dangling leg in the ropes. We’ve more of a tie-up struggle around the ropes, before Kidd went for a toe hold on Hendry – and while this is technical, they’re definitely working a much better pace than the first match.
Kidd wrenches away on Hendry’s ankle some more before the Scotsman rolled away, prompting Kidd to put himself between the ropes to delay things. A knuckle lock tie-up from Hendry forces Kidd to his knees, albeit not for long as a shoulder tackle from Hendry led to more two-counts for the former champion. A Hendry lock attempt is resisted by Kidd, but Hendry manages to roll him through… only for Kidd to boot away as we’re back to the back-and-forth strikes. Uppercuts sink Kidd into the corner, as a rolling headlock took Kidd back to the mat for a two-count, ahead of a chinbar to again make the pace more deliberate.
Again Hendry rolls back into a Hendry lock, and this time he’s able to apply the hold, mixing it with a half crab for good measure, but Kidd gets a hand to the rope and pulls himself outside… then came right back in with a low blow for the blatant DQ. Cheap finish aside, this was an enjoyable technical match, albeit one that Newcastle barely cared for. ***
Post-match, Kidd continued to rough up Hendry before David Starr ran in for the save. Extra points to Starr for continuing to be the face of Rev Pro on another show, as he dumped Kidd on the apron with a side suplex, before he sent Kidd packing to the back. Starr and Hendry eyeball each other, then jawjacked before they got into a pullapart that quickly resembled something you’d see in a pub as they continued to mouth off.
Backstage, General Ameen is reading feedback… it’s not good reading. Visage interrupts as he’s here to pick his No Regrets Rumble number. We don’t see the number, but Visage is happy with it.
Elsewhere, Drake is trying to explain away what happened last week. No Fun Dunne blames him for their loss, and issues a second warning as Drake is almost done with the Anti-Fun Police. He’s getting a punishment… a hardcore match against John Klinger. Who then yells in Drake’s ear with the megaphone. I never knew a man’s neck could bend so much, voluntarily…
Back in the arena, Stevie Aaron tells the crowd that Martin Kirby isn’t present, and Kirby hopes they have a bad day. In not so many words.
Dynamic Duo (Mark Billington & Thomas Billington) vs. RenBen (Benji & Conor Renshaw)
After their match against Jonny Storm and Jody Fleisch, which I found hugely disappointing, they’re back for a match against some fellow young guns.
Before the match, Benji feels a little icky for wearing red and white in Newcastle… and he presents Conor with a present. It’s a black and white shirt. Conor has second thoughts about it, and ends up putting the shirt on as we now have three folks here who look like refs. Thomas Billington starts with Benji, charging through him with a shoulder tackle before scoring with a snap suplex that takes Benji’s headband off. It’s in-ring aggression that befits his uncle as Benji’s taken outside and whipped into the guard rails, before a suplex and a powerslam from Mark led to just a one-count.
Renshaw tags in, takes a dropkick, then tags out, as Benji whips Mark into a kick from Renshaw in the ropes. Conor’s back in to score with an elbow drop for a two-count, before Benji returned and misses a shoulder charge into the corner. A double-team suplex from the Billingtons drops Conor, who rushes to tag out to Benji, who traps Thomas in a Gargano Escape… while Conor traps Mark in a Torture rack.
Mark slips out and breaks up the other submission, before a double-team dropkick lands ugly on Conor… all before a Hart Attack missile dropkick took down Benji for a near-fall. Renshaw tags back in and gets taken down with a dropkick from Mark, having caught Thomas, before he came back with a big boot to Mark Billington.
Thomas tries head in off the top rope, but Conor catches him… then gets knocked down as he instead grabbed Benji’s briefcase. He throws it aside, only to get knocked down and met with a swandive headbutt as Thomas almost took the win… but seconds later a suplex/crossbody from Benji and Renshaw gets the win. Enjoyable, if not very rough around the edges as these four continue to develop in front of the cameras. **¼
Next week: Robbie X vs. Sean Kustom…
We’re in Ameen’s office as the South Coast Connection have invaded. They’re ordered out as they continue to trumpet themselves as Will Ospreay’s best friends. Ameen reckons he’d spoken to Ospreay, who couldn’t remember them, and they’re told that they’ll be defending the tag titles against Team Whitewolf at No Regrets. They leave, and are replaced by Gabriel Kidd, who’s throwing shade and asking for favours. He wants David Starr at No Regrets… even though they’re both in the rumble. Ameen agrees – but the winner gets Kidd’s number 30, and the loser goes into the Rumble at number one.
We’re interrupted by Rory Coyle, who tells us he’ll be ringside for Kyle Fletcher’s match against Rampage… but will “Big Mark For Himself” Davis be doing the same for Kyle? Coyle questions if Kyle and Mark have the locker room’s respect, while saying that he respects the likes of Rampage for creating a scene to be in. This felt a little rambly, perhaps intentionally, but I kinda got what Coyle was going for.
Kyle Fletcher vs. Rampage
Kyle’s on his own for this one, as we’re told that he’ll be added to the Defiant title match at No Regrets if he wins here.
We start with the customary tie-up as the pair end up trading forearms, before a shoulder tackle from Fletcher knocks the champion down. Kyle tries to leap over Rampage, but instead ends up caught in a powerslam for a near-fall, before Rampage sunk him with a chop in the corner.
A legdrop on the apron keeps Rampage ahead, before a suplex dropped Kyle in the middle of the ring for a much delayed two-count. The same follows from a backbreaker, before Kyle managed to take down Rampage with a Quebrada attempt. There’s a corner clothesline next as Kyle ends up getting caught in another suplex attempt… but he counters in kind and suplexed Rampage for a near-fall.
Rampage powers back with a back suplex for a two-count, before Kyle began another comeback, landing a big boot in the corner. An attempted Aussie Arrow’s lost as he instead hits a Michinoku driver for a near-fall, before a series of superkicks sent Rampage into the ropes… albeit briefly, as a sheer-drop brainbuster proved to be an effective counter for a near-fall. A jack-knife pinning attempt from Kyle swung it back around for a near-fall, before Rampage pulled him by the hair and into a piledriver for the win. This didn’t feel like it got going, but decent for what it was. ***
Post-match, Coyle continues to film the crowd as Rampage went for a second piledriver, only for Mark Haskins with a chair to make a save as the show went off the air.
Next week: a contract signing for the Defiant title match at No Regrets… John Klinger takes on Drake… Robbie X faces Sean Kustom.
In all, a rather flat episode of Loaded, but one that managed to stoke a few fires as we continue to head down the road to No Regrets.
- Watch Loaded #23 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7CWJv-x6g