We take another look at the New Wave Wrestling academy’s show, featuring ELIJAH defending his New Wave title against Curt Atlas – and an eye-grabbing match in the middle of the card.
Quick Results
Wild Boar submitted Ethan Thomas in 13:54 (**¾)
Lloyd Katt & Splits McPins pinned TJ Walding & Alex Vaughan in 9:51 (***)
Rayne Leverkusen submitted Tilly Rose in 6:10 (**½)
Brendan White pinned James Ellis in 16:58 (***½)
Shane Hooker pinned Leon Cage in 22:23 (***¼)
Harrison Bennett won a scramble in 17:42 (***)
ELIJAH pinned Curt Atlas in 18:39 to retain the New Wave Wrestling Championship (***¼)
We’re live-on-tape from a sold-out St. Andrews United Reformed Church in Cardiff as we drop in on some New Wave… it’s now a part of the Defend-on-Demand subscription, so if you’ve signed up to watch the returning ATTACK!, you’ll get this too. Just remember to stack your chairs against the wall afterwards…
Ethan Thomas vs. Wild Boar
Thomas is one of the new crop of trainees coming out of New Wave… and we’ve got an interruption early on as a guy walks out to watch from ringside. We’ve no commentary, so formal introductions to this fella, Duke Degnan, will have to come later.
Boar bullies Thomas early on, but Thomas is able to use the ropes to reverse an arm wringer as Boar fought his way free. A tijeras from Thomas takes Boar into the corner, trapping him there with dropkicks before a flying tijeras off the middle rope caught Boar off guard. An enziguiri takes Boar into the ropes, but there be no 619 here as Thomas’ boot on the apron took Boar outside… but Boar just traps Thomas in the ring apron and gave him a beating. Degnan gets involved, choking Thomas in the ropes behind the ref’s back as Boar retained the upper hand with a chinbar.
Thomas gets knocked down as Boar clubbered him with forearms, and things get worse for him when Boar sent him shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. There’s more interference from out guy in the coat that’s far too heavy for the time of year, but Thomas is able to mount a fightback with a chinbreaker, before he went up top… and missed a flying clothesline. A wheelbarrow bulldog helped Thomas create another opening as a satellite DDT almost put Boar away, before Thomas got distracted by the guy on the outside, allowing Boar to squash him in the corner before a sit-out powerbomb nearly won it. Escaping a Trapper Keeper, Thomas nearly wins with a running knee, but in the end more interference led to Boar locking that chinbar back on Thomas for the quick submission. **¾
Post-match, Degnan got all self-obsessed and tried to celebrate with Wild Boar… but he ends up eating a Trapper Keeper for his troubles.
Alex Vaughan & TJ Walding vs. Bowl-a-Rama (Splits McPins & Lloyd Katt)
New Wave’s only got a singles title, but with the likes of Bowl-a-Rama around, I can see a tag division eventually building up…
Vaughan and McPins start us off with Splits getting shoulder tackled to the mat, before he returned the favour. Chops follow in the corners from Splits, as a brief run on top from Katt ended with Vaughan got the tag back in. Vaughan got chopped to the outside by Katt after Walding tagged in – and that allowed Bowl-a-Rama to get back on top as Katt picked up a two-count from a standing splash. Walding sidesteps a missile dropkick from Katt, who’s then kept on the deck with a chinlock and a suplex from a returning Vaughan. Walding’s back to hit a Dragon screw as he prepped Katt for an Indian deathlock, with Vaughan coming in to stomp away on Katt behind the ref’s back.
Katt fights his way free, but couldn’t make a tag before Vaughan came back in as he’s kept isolated for a brief moment. McPins gets the hot tag moments later, bouncing Walding around with chops ahead of a flying uppercut off the middle rope. Katt’s back to hand-off Walding for a powerbomb, then land a chokeslam as the more tenured combo looked to pull ahead… only for Splits to take a German suplex as things turned around. A frog splash from Walding almost puts McPins away, but Katt’s quickly back in as Bowl-a-Rama ended up putting Walding away with their version of More Bang For Your Buck. A perfectly fine sub-10 minute match, with not much downtime – I’d have liked to have seen more of Vaughan and Walding as a tandem, but that’ll come in time. ***
Except it won’t, because Vaughan blindsided Walding after the loss, choking him out before giving him a modified version of the Stroke.
Tilly Rose vs. Rayne Leverkusen
This is the first time I’m seeing Rose, who was making her debut here, but she’s got a lot of fans in Cardiff judging from her entrance.
Rose tried to trade wristlocks with Leverkusen early on, but ended up breaking free before she was forced to defend a side headlock, before she broke free and returned with armdrags to catch out Leverkusen. A roll-up gets Tilly an early two-count, before Rayne struck back with an enziguiri. Leverkusen’s release Fisherman suplex gets her a two-count, as she followed up with an elbow drop, which Rose kicked out of. Rayne stays ahead, tying up Rose in a Japanese stranglehold, only for Rose to roll free and mount a fightback with some forearms. A back elbow keeps Leverkusen on the back foot, while a suplex nearly picked up the upset for the debutant.
Rayne strikes back with a kick, then with a pumphandle Exploder before she rolled Rose into a Lion Tamer for the submission. A good showing for Rose on her debut, but Leverkusen pretty much blitzed her away at the end in a match that was really buoyed by a supportive crowd. **½
James Ellis vs. Brendan White
Ellis lost the New Wave title at NWW 6, and he’s not taken it well… to the point he’s going to take out his frustrations on “management.” Wait, I thought Brendan was security?
Ellis gets fed up of Brendan’s Roman Reigns impression, but the former champion’s overpowered in the early stages as Brendan ended up sending him flying with a shoulder tackle. A Biel throw chucks Ellis across the ring, forcing him to powder to the outside as Brendan gave chase. White stops to soak up the crowd’s “tribal chief” chants and ended up getting caught by Ellis back inside, only to return with a Samoan drop of sorts and a springboard moonsault for a two-count. Knees from Ellis led to him running into a backbreaker, before he returned and KICKED BRENDAN’S LEG OUT OF HIS LEG. We’ve another Owen Hart fan here, eh…
Ellis keeps focusing on that leg, forcing Brendan outside for respite as Ellis just kept going back to Brendan’s right leg every time he looked to begin a fightback. After Ellis leapt onto the bad leg, White’s left writhing on the floor… then again after he got thrown into the side of a folding chair. Back inside, Ellis stays on Brendan… but White crumbles to the mat amid an Irish whip. He is able to lift up a charging Ellis onto the apron though, only for Ellis to counter a superplex with a powerbomb out of the corner as a follow-up Blue Thunder bomb nearly put Brendan away. A Figure Four’s next, which Brendan almost rolls out of before he instead made it to the ropes.
A second crack of the Figure Four’s pushed away as White made a comeback, catching Ellis with an uppercut before he launched him into the corner. White adds a rising forearm to the mix for a near-fall, before he hit the ropes to crotch Ellis as he made a rare trip up top. Gritting his teeth, White tries to pull Ellis back up, and superplexes him back into the ring for a near-fall. Ellis hits back with some knees and a spinebuster, before an elbow drop off the top put him close… before Ellis looked to corner the referee. Unsighted, the ref misses a low blow, but that doesn’t get Ellis the win as White returned with a diving boot and a Black Hole Slam to get the win. This was a fantastic match as Ellis is still looking for his first New Wave win since he lost the belt – and even foul means couldn’t help him here. ***½
“During the raffle”, artist Nathan Wyburn’s drawing of the winning numbers is interrupted by Josh Holly, who would easily pass for a GCW ring announcer with that retro WWF gear on. Holly’s annoyed that he’s not on the show, but New Wave found time for Wyburn, and Holly noted that if he wanted to be a part of a wrestling event… he’d make him part of one. Wyburn laid out Holly with a cutter, and accepted his challenge for a match, which has been set for New Wave’s sold-out August show.
Shane Hooker vs. Leon Cage
So this was Cage’s second match in New Wave, having lost to Jay Joshua on his debut a month earlier. He’s also in that bracket of “disgustingly young” at 16…
In fact, these guys have a combined age of less than me, so I’d better stop being a grumpy old fart, eh? Cage looked to be going for a Storm Breaker early, but Hooker armdrags his way free before he got chopped into the corner… returning with a spinning enziguiri to take Cage into the corner. Chops keep Cage in the corners, but he retaliates in kind before he got lifted onto the apron. Cage kicks away Hooker on the top rope, then brought him down with a top rope ‘rana for a two-count, before Hooker chopped his way back into things. Cage fakes out a chop with a rear spin kick, but Hooker ends up taking him back with with a springboard forearm.
Cage’s gamengiri in the corner rocks Hooker, but a quick turn around sees Hooker catch him with a diving kick before Hooker ran at Cage… only to get popped up and suplexed in one fluid motion. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. Cage stays on top, but got caught on the top rope as Hooker brought him down for a reverse Finlay roll, adding a standing shooting star press to the mix for a near-fall. Hooker hurls Cage into the corner with an Irish whip, but couldn’t follow up as he’s pulled out of the corner and into an ushigoroshi, with Cage adding a springboard twisting cutter out of the corner for another two-count. Hooker manages to knock Cage into the apron for a basement dropkick, taking things outside as Hooker’s bid to climb the ropes and potentially dive into the tuck shop ended with him cartwheeling off the apron… then sent back onto it with an X-Plex.
Instead, it’s Cage whose Asai moonsault nearly saw him land in the tuck shop, before Hooker caught him on the apron with a head kick. A superkick from Cage knocked Hooker down as Cage returned to the ring… missing a drive-by-ish kick as Hooker finally found a way back with a missile dropkick back inside. A Samoan Driver’s next, but it doesn’t keep Cage down for the three-count. Cage dives into the ropes to try and avoid the follow-up from Hooker, countering with an X-Plex that Hooker escaped… only to get met with a kick and Cage’s take on Flash Morgan’s Shadows Over Malice senton for a near-fall. A shotgun dropkick from Hooker leads to a springboard stomp on Cage, then a NASTY double stomp that almost won it, while leaving Cage retching. That stomp’ll do that.
Hooker flashes back with a backflip into a German suplex, dumping the young(er) one ahead of a Dragon suplex… Cage is right back up to land a reverse ‘rana, as both men almost lost to the standing ten-count. They resume with strikes as this turns into a bit of a hockey fight, ending with a Pele kick from Hooker, another head kick from Cage, and then a neat shooting star press that almost won it for the 16-year old. A running knee from Cage catches Hooker in the ropes, but Hooker fires back with a running high kick… only to get caught with a Destroyer as they tried to catch the other in the ropes. Cage adds a butterflied Destroyer from there, but Hooker rolls outside, forcing Cage to roll him back in. Hooker’s knackered, and can’t avoid a heck of a lariat from Cage… which still can’t finish the job, as Hooker asked for more… and got it. A goddamn knee strike leaves Hooker laying, but he’s able to get up and stop Cage with a headbutt on the top rope… then with a leaping kick before a slingshot Spanish Fly and a pair of twisting brainbusters helped Hooker on the way to the win.
As a showcase, this was fantastic – if not way too long as the crowd did seem to tire by the end. Still, considering the youth on show here, it’s extremely encouraging to see this as a starting point, and with experience and polish, things should only improve. Ignore the asterisks at the end of this, and keep the names Shane Hooker and Leon Cage on your mind for the (hopeful) many years ahead of them! ***¼
Alexander Hyde vs. Aluna Blue vs. Connor Mills vs. Jay Joshua vs. Chris Bronson vs. Nico Angelo vs. Harrison Bennett
This one’s a scramble for a spot in another scramble match for the New Wave title in December…
Nico Angelo goes for Connor Mills early, clotheslining him to the outside for a plancha as the ring cleared in the opening stages. Harrison Bennett was standing alone, only for Nico Angelo to come in… and we’re firmly into the revolving door stuff as Connor Mills and his Tony the Tiger gear had a brief foray. Hyde tries his luck with Angelo, blistering him with an overhand chop and a standing uranage… but Chris Bronson’s in next for a ‘rana and a dropkick. Aluna Blue returns, sidestepping Angelo and Joshua as she took them both down in one go, before a running kick from Mills wiped her out.
Mills has a go on Angelo, clotheslining him off the apron, then doing the same to Bennett, before Hyde, Bronson and Joshua cornered Mills. He suggests everyone work together, but that breaks down as Mills got swung into a German suplex by Joshua. Bronson and Hyde trade blows next, leading to those two trading German suplexes… with Joshua getting in on the act too, before the trio crashed into each other with running headbutts. Nico Angelo returns, but his stacked-up Samoan drop is thwarted as he instead went after Bronson with a spinning neckbreaker that nearly won it. Bennett sneaks in to kick Angelo through the ropes ahead of a slingshot stomp, while Hyde came and went by way of a boot and a spinebuster that almost won it for Bennett.
Bronson sliced Bennett in half with a discus lariat to cut off a spear, while a pair of powerbombs should have won him it… but Joshua breaks up the pin and put away Bronson with a piledriver… only for Mills to break it up. Joshua and Mills trade kicks for a spell, until duelling head kicks allowed Bennett back in. Mills resumes with a Millshot and an Orange Crush, stacking up Joshua and Bennett for a two-count. Aluna Blue tries her luck, but she’s quickly forced to fight out of a suplex, only to get knocked down as they instead headed to the corner… where Mills got met with a superplex. Everyone else breaks up the pin as Joshua, Bennett, Bronson and Hyde take shots on each other, leading to Hyde and Joshua hauling up Bennett and Bronson in Fireman’s carries that ended up being launchpads for Angelo and Mills to go at each other.
Blue tries her luck again, but Hyde and Joshua looked to put on the brakes, leading to Hyde’s powerbomb on Blue getting countered into a roll-up for a near-fall. Blue manages to knock down Hyde and hits the cornre for a springboard moonsault… only for Joshua to break up the cover and return with a Gotch-style piledriver that almost won it…
Bennett’s running kick assists Joshua’s Muscle Buster on Blue, before a discus lariat off the ropes and a hanging uranage looked to be enough… except Bronson leapt in off the top to break up the pin. It’s avoided by Bennett, as Joshua took the brunt of the landing, before Bennett – who went back to the cover to snatch the win in a match that perhaps went a little long, and struggled to get the crowd after what came beforehand. ***
After the match, Chris Bronson laid out Aluna Blue with a sit-out powerbomb… then scarpered as the rest of the good guys came out to make the save.
New Wave Wrestling Championship: Curt Atlas vs. ELIJAH (c)
This was ELIJAH’s second defence of the tight, having won it back in June…
Atlas kicks away a handshake at the bell, as he overpowered ELIJAH early on, hauling him up in a Jim Breaks-esque arm lift before ELIJAH came back with a cravat… which was easily broken. ELIJAH gets an early two-count off of a Magistral cradle, but Atlas was quickly back on him, albeit with some gouging ahead of a Biel throw. ELIJAH looks to strike back, but Atlas retained the upper hand until he was sent into the ropes for a dropkick. A gamengiri from ELIJAH followed, then some bodyscissors to take Atlas into the corner before Atlas returned with a big boot. Atlas’ splashes and clotheslines keep him ahead, and almost put ELIJAH away.
Returning from the apron, ELIJAH goes for a slingshot sunset flip, but Atlas muscles him up and threw him aside as I swear someone in the crowd chanted for Atlas to shave his back. It’s a tattoo. Stomps keep ELIJAH down as Atlas followed up with a chinlock, but ELIJAH’s able to break free and return with a cannonball off the top rope. A cravat neckbreaker gets ELIJAH a two-count, as he then looked to hoist up Atlas… before changing tactic as he ended up scoring a crucifix bomb for a near-fall. Atlas sandbags as he looked to avoid ELIJAH pulling him up… and it worked, only for ELIJAH to hit a head kick before Atlas returned with a discus lariat.
Atlas’ death valley driver gets a near-fall, as he then caught ELIJAH off the middle rope, turning a crossbody into a backbreaker. ELIJAH tries to sneak a win with an inside cradle, but Atlas kicks out and came right back with a sit-out powerbomb as ELIJAH kicked out… then headed to the apron for relative safety. A relative safety that needed him to dropkick Atlas down to the floor before following back with a crossbody back inside for a near-fall. ELIJAH stays ahead, but he’s back body dropped by Atlas… who pulls the ref in front of him as a human shield before clotheslining ELIJAH down. A powerslam follows for a two-count, but ELIJAH’s able to muscle up Atlas for a suplex… before a Dangerbuster ended up getting the win. This was a pretty solid match that saw ELIJAH overcome a big threat in Atlas – but Atlas looked to be missing that little bit extra that’d probably have gotten him over the line. ***¼
All in all, New Wave’s latest continued to offer an impressive look at what’s coming down the track in the Welsh scene – and while the likes of ATTACK! and Pro Wrestling might have some overlap, it’s always good to get in on the ground floor with the next generation.