The third No Regrets Rumble saw a reversal of fortunes as the next title contender was decided.
We open with a surprising F-bomb from Rory Coyle in the opening promo. Defiant’s been very careful with their bleeping… Martin Kirby’s won the first two rumbles, but that has not been played up at all in the build up. We’re from the Academy in Manchester, and it’s straight to action. Dave Bradshaw & James R. Kennedy are on commentary.
David Starr vs. Gabriel Kidd
Starr’s Independent shirt didn’t get quite the reaction it got elsewhere, as he’s in the opener trying to trade up his number one spot in the No Regrets Rumble for Gabriel Kidd’s #30.
This was feisty, given the backstory between Kidd and Starr… and it’s Starr who shot out of the gates with a lariat and a tope as the pair proceeded to brawl around the ringside area. Kidd blocks a suplex by the announce table, before he got taken into a chair for a chop by the Super Strong Style 16 winner. There’s an Ikea coffee table that they’ve used as a timekeeper’s table (hey, it’s not for the lack of trying…)… and we’re back out again as Kidd hits a slingshot DDT onto the edge of the apron. Nice! Back inside, a low dropkick from Kidd rocks Starr, who trapped a leg on the rope to save himself… only for Kidd to use the situation to his advantage. Starr made a comeback with an Okada-like neckbreaker slam, before a barrage of body blows took Kidd into the corner. There’s a switcharound, and back again, before Kidd almost shocked Starr with a small package.
We keep going as Starr hits a rope-free Product Recall for a near-fall, before Kidd took advantage of Starr wanting to get to him by landing a low blow behind the ref’s back. It doesn’t get Kidd the win though, before Kidd tried to sneak out a win with a rear chinlock, choking out Starr. Starr got free and looked to win with a lariat, before he countered an O’Connor roll into a Euro clutch for the win! Starr gets into the rumble at number thirty, while the cocksure Gabriel Kidd has to start at #1. A heck of a match, but I’d wish this was on the prior PPV rather than all in one night. ***¼
Defiant Women’s Championship: Lana Austin vs. Lizzy Styles (c)
It’s Manchester vs. Liverpool as Lana Austin looked to secure the women’s title in front of a very partisan crowd. Styles came out with her own mic so she could start a chant straight out of Anfield… before taking shots at Lana for “not sleeping with the right people” because she “only had one match on the Network”. Yeah… the line’s long since been crossed.
Styles started by kicking Lana in the corner ahead of a hairmare, but Austin retaliates with a headbutt and a kick to the head. Thanks to the Manchester/Liverpool thing, the crowd’s hot, even if it’s only Lizzy playing up the football side of it… and she really leans into the crowd reactions as she pulls Austin outside and into the ring post. Lana has to fight back from the arm attacks, but a double clothesline perhaps didn’t help. Still, Austin made a comeback, landing a Northern Lights suplex for a near-fall, before Lizzy lands a German suplex as the momentum remained even. A rolling elbow from Austin nearly ends the match right there, only for Styles to come close with a knee strike…
On the outside, Austin dumps Styles with a hanging DDT off the apron, but she took too long rolling the champion back in as Styles was able to kick out at two. The ref gets shoved down by Styles for… reasons, and when Austin pulls her down into a crossface, the champion taps instantly. Of course, the bell isn’t rung for the submission – it’s for the DQ, and the crowd knew this, lightly booing it… even more so when Stevie Aaron’s announcement that Lana had won the title was corrected. I mean, the ref never even looked at Styles tapping, so this was coming from a mile off! **½
Defiant Tag Team Championship: Team Whitewolf (Carlos Romo & A-Kid) vs. South Coast Connection (Kelly Sixx & Ashley Dunn) (c)
This is the Spaniards’ third attempt at the titles, having lost the first one to a bad call, and the second to cheating. We’ve got a special referee added to this, as General/Prince Ameen comes out before the bell to add himself to the situation… throwing in a mention of how Ospreay “has no idea who you are”.
A-Kid tries to force an early submission on Kelly Sixx with an armbar, before he rolled him into the corner for a near-fall. Tags took us to Dunn and Romo, but Dunn blocks a leg lariat before falling to it at the second go around. Another armbar led to a nice backbreaker/springboard legdrop from the challengers, as they had Dunn on the back foot briefly. Sixx ties up the easily-distracted Ameen, who misses Dunn attacking A-Kid on the floor before the Spaniard was thrown in for a suplex. A-Kid’s taken into the champions’ corner, where he’s kept isolated until a missed charge by Sixx knocked Dunn off the apron, allowing A-Kid a chance to hit a Meteora.
The dive’s made to tag in Romo, who is a house afire with chops, before a series of kicks to the chest had Sixx woozy… but he’s able to block a cutter as A-Kid got a blind tag in to land a German suplex and some superkicks for a near-fall. The champions make a comeback with an Iconoclasm/powerbomb combo for a near-fall – dipping into one of Ospreay’s newer moves – before a Romo pulled A-Kid out of the way of a springboard attack. Romo again tags in, but takes an enziguiri from Dunn before he threw in a top rope moonsault for a two-count, thanks to a save from Sixx. Chops between the SCC and Whitewolf continue the pattern, before superkicks and a springboard cutter leave Sixx down, before a blatant low blow from Dunn looked to force the DQ.
Except Ameen refused to call it, then harkened back to the dodgy ref in Whitewolf’s initial title shot by holding up a count when A-Kid rolled up Dunn. Sixx was very late in his save, and as Sixx went to threaten a belt shot, Ameen promised to strip the champions. Problem was, Ameen got distracted again and missed a belt shot from Dunn, before going into the ring and counting the slow, agonising three-count on A-Kid. Well, by hook or by crook, the SCC retain, but if they had any heated challengers I’d be wondering when/where they’d be booking a ladder match to remove any such issues. ***
John Klinger vs. Simon Miller
By default, this is the biggest match of Simon Miller’s fledgling career… and he’s smart to an early cheapshot from Klinger, before the German managed to hit back.
A German suplex sends Miller to the outside, where he’s caught by a tope… Klinger takes his time throwing Miller back in, and for once that doesn’t lead to the trope of a like-for-like response. Instead, Miller had to withstand some chops before he took Klinger to the outside with a chop, only for Klinger to rebound with a Bonespear for a near-fall… because he pulled up Miller at two. A superkick’s next, as Klinger mocks Miller, before he’s caught with a small package for the win. Well, they played off of Klinger being too cocky and getting caught with his trousers down, but this felt more like a banana peel than Miller really winning. **
Post-match, Klinger beats down Miller with German suplexes, before referees come out to separate a crossface. Both these guys are in the No Regrets rumble later on… Adam Foster ends up coming out to make a save, but he doesn’t run in, as instead Foster breaks the news that Klinger’s been pulled from the rumble. Of course, Klinger doesn’t go quietly, as he uses a chair on Miller’s bad shoulder
Defiant World Championship: Mark Haskins vs. Rampage (c)
Rampage tries to cheapshot his way at the start of the match, missing with a belt shot before he was taken outside as Haskins unleashed on the champion.
The commentary table goes flying as Rampage gets taken down, before a barrage of uppercuts had Rampage rocked by the ring apron. Those kicks threatened to see Haskins lose via countout, but he breaks the count and continued on Rampage with an apron PK, only for the champion to take some control. Haskins uses an Indian deathlock on the mat to try and take out Rampage’s leg, before the champion fought back and clotheslined Haskins to the outside. Chops follow on the outside, as Rampage led Haskins onto the stage for a bodyslam, before he kept up the domination back in the ring with an Irish whip into the corner. That bounces Haskins to the mat for a two-count, before a powerslam sent Haskins rolling to the outside.
Rampage suplexes Haskins back in from the apron for a near-fall, but Haskins makes a comeback with a series of kicks that took Rampage off his feet. A snap German suplex out of the corner follows, taking Rampage outside… where he wandered into the path of a misdirection tope from Haskins to boot. Rampage tries for a roll-up, but Haskins rolls through into a crossface, then into a trapped arm armbar as Rampage ended up making the ropes with his feet. A death valley driver keeps Rampage down for a near-fall, before the champion made a comeback, calling for a piledriver… only for Haskins to counter with a roll-up for a near-fall. Taking Rampage into the ropes, there’s a kick before a flying double stomp led to another two-count, before Rampage fought back with a piledriver onto the apron.
Back inside, a DDT forces another near-fall as Haskins kicked out, before Rampage went for the belt… which was just a cover for Rory Coyle to come in with the video tape. Vicki Haskins swats it away with her bat before she slapped away Coyle… opening the door for Haskins to roll Rampage down with a Sharpshooter. Haskins lets go when Coyle tried to grab Vicki… but Mark wanders back into the path of a piledriver as the champion took the win. Bell-to-bell, this was pretty great, even if the crowd didn’t seem too invested in the new Rampage character. ***½
No Regrets Rumble
We’re not going to do this move-for-move. Winner goes to Built to Destroy to challenge (presumably) Rampage. The No Regrets Rumble has eliminations with pinfalls, submissions and the over-the-top stuff.
Entrants (in order): Gabriel Kidd, Visage, Carlos Romo, Mark Billington, Joe Hendry, No Fun Dunne, John Klinger (did not appear), Joe Nelson, General Ameen, Los Federales Santos Jr., Adam Foster, Robbie X, Drake, Thomas Billington, Simon Miller, Lizzy Styles, Laura di Matteo, Martin Kirby, Nathan Cruz, Lana Austin, Benji, CJ Banks, Rory Coyle, Conor Renshaw, A-Kid, Man Like Dereiss, Sean Kustom, Myles Kayman, Jack Sexsmith, David Starr.
Kidd’s the early aggressor over Visage, sore over having lost his number thirty spot. A lariat gets Kidd the first elimination and a few seconds of rest. Carlos Romo barely lasts as the game seemed to be “how many people can Kidd put away with a lariat”, something that looked to change when Mark Billington came in, but his flurry is brief as a powerbomb and a Lion tamer got Kidd the next submission.
Another breather’s interrupted with Joe Hendry coming out, and now it gets competitive as Hendry doesn’t go down so easily. It means the ring gets to fill up a little, even though John Klinger’s number seven spot went empty thanks to him being removed from the match. The Defiant debut of Joe Nelson – as Officer Joe Nelson of the Anti-Fun Police – drew a loud “WHO?!” from commentary as we went all IPW here. Kidd, Dunne and Nelson stomped away on Hendry. General Ameen comes out to whack everyone with his magic carpet (not a euphemism), but Los Federales Santos Jr. comes out to pretty much complete the Anti-Fun parade. We get a callback to the older days of WCPW as Kidd wanted to reunite with Ameen, but just got punched out as Adam Foster came out to make an Anti-Fun Police vs. Defiant Management match a thing here.
Giant Swings from Foster endear him to me, but he’s dizzied and accidentally lifts out Ameen for an elimination. Whoops. Hendry sends a distracted Foster packing moments later. Robbie X clears house on the Anti-Fun Police with handspring cutters and moonsaults, but couldn’t get any eliminations from that flurry. Drake’s out with his old music, and minus any Anti-Fun Police garb. He goes straight for his former colleagues, sending Nelson flying into the bottom turnbuckle with a nasty release German before clotheslining Dunne out of the match. Nelson goes seconds later, before John Klinger rushed the ring and attacked Drake from behind. The Anti-Fun mugging continues on the floor, as Thomas Billington came out to try and take advantage of things. A chairshot from Klinger smashed Drake’s hand on the guard rail, before Drake was rolled in for Kidd to take the easy pin.
Simon Miller’s out, confronting Klinger as the German tried to head to the back, and of course those two go at it. Miller throws him into the crowd before he joined the match, and manages to eliminate Santos quickly with a powerslam. Lizzy Styles enters at 16, going after all the good guys with forearms and chops, before Laura di Matteo entered to make sure Lizzy wasn’t the only woman in the match. Di Matteo nearly puts Kidd away with a tornado DDT as the crowd seemed be slowly getting behind Joe Hendry. Martin Kirby’s out to try and three-peat, but he hides under the commentary tablecloth. I don’t think it works.
Tombstone piledrivers from Kidd put away Thomas Billington, to little reaction, before Nathan Cruz joined and went straight for Gabriel Kidd. Robbie X’s springboard cutter looked to put Cruz away, but Lizzy Styles broke up the cover so she could throw Robbie out. Just because. Lana Austin joined the match to renew her fight with Styles, throwing bomb-like forearms at each other before she threw Styles out. Styles instantly retaliates by pulling Austin out, which counts as an elimination for some reason. Martin Kirby appears to throw out Simon Miller, before Kirby ran out and hid again. CJ Banks makes his debut as Martin Kirby ran in and out again to throw out Laura di Matteo, before Benji almost tossed out Nathan Cruz. Benji does eliminate “Rory Coyle”, who sent out a minion with a sack on his head… before the real one came out and pinned Benji with a Dip in the Lake. The sack boys lay a beating to Benji on the outside as the crowd sounded bemused. Conor Renshaw comes out and gets surrounded by the sack boys as the referees just stood there dumbfounded. They watch as Renshaw’s tossed out, before Coyle unmasks. Hey, they made my Doink ‘93 reference! Thanks for reading, Dave!
A-Kid’s next with a crossbody off the top to Coyle, as the crowd just fell silent. Nathan Cruz drapes himself between the ring apron and the crowd barrier in a smart move to avoid elimination. CJ Banks is forced to tap to an ankle lock from Hendry as the crowd were still out of it. The debut of Myles Kayman, sans an entrance video, doesn’t help the crowd much, but he does manage to take down Man Like Dereiss with a springboard corkscrew forearm, before he lowbridges Kustom onto the apron. Jack Sexsmith comes out to clear house, but he’s quickly put in the corner as a butterfly brainbuster from Kustom put away A-Kid to little fanfare. David Starr is out last and tries to clear the ring, but he has to resist Man Like Dereiss, who’s turfed out, before we had an impromptu Sexy Starr reunion. That the crowd didn’t bite on. Nathan Cruz tosses out Sexsmith, before a slingshot took Starr onto the apron, with a back body drop through the ropes saving Starr and taking out Cruz to boot.
A sore loser, Cruz pulls out Starr and dumps him into the crowd barrier, before slamming him on the floor. In the ring, Kustom’s eliminated after a Sack Boy distracted him, before Coyle’s forced to resist an ankle lock from Hendry. The Sack Boy interferes, but it backfires as Coyle’s clotheslined out, as we had a final “three” of Starr, Kidd and Hendry. Starr and Hendry wheel away on each other, leading to a Freak of Nature from Hendry that Hendry couldn’t capitalise on. Martin Kirby, still in the match, tries to capitalise by tossing out Hendry, but the Scotsman skins the cat before throwing out the Internet champion. Gabriel Kidd capitalises with a low blow before he threw out Hendry – all missed by the production crew – as we were left with our opener. Kidd and Starr are your final two!
They exchange chops back-and-forth, before Kidd’s attempt to throw out Starr was stopped. He comes back with an Irish whip as Starr ends up lifting him onto the apron, before Kidd returned and almost stole the pin with his feet on the ropes. Starr responds with a Blackheart Buster for a near-fall, before Kidd landed the low blow – which was perfectly legal here.
Starr returns the favour, then wore down Kidd with more chops before he ran into a clothesline. A tombstone’s next for Kidd, but Starr kicked out, only to get thrown over the top as he was forced to pull himself onto the apron. Some biting from Kidd looked to force the issue, but Starr pulls his foe onto the apron as the pair grappled on the edge of the ring, leading to a Trapped Arm Bob Fossil on the edge of the ring… and by a split second, Starr takes the win after both men fell to the floor. A satisfying finish to the long-term feud, with David Starr shedding the “nearly man” tag in another promotion… ***
One observation here – the crowd fell dead after the Coyle stuff in the match, perhaps confused as to why Rampage’s lackey would have his own minions. This needs to be fleshed out or one of those directions dropped on this evidence.
No Regrets was another solid show for Defiant, as David Starr looks set to rise to the top in another part of Britwres. As for the undercard, well, the directions are there – the South Coast Connection continually cheating for instance, and other stuff that was fleshed out on Loaded. Can Defiant continue to build and be more than a solid show that most people gloss over? Hopefully the summer will see the promotion’s rebuilding finally build some fruit.