We’re a little late, but it’s our fourth Rumble of the week as NGW finally held their Destiny Rumble!
The show opens with a note concerning the recent allegations that have surrounded the Britwres scene, saying that the fact their shows are taped many months in advance (this particular series featured matches taped in April 2017) has caused “production concerns” and that they’re “currently making decisions about… who to feature on future programming as more information becomes available”.
It’s a double-length show this week, to account for the fact that it’s a 20-man Rumble – which would have caused a headache or two in the repeats had they tried to edit it down into separate shows!
Destiny Rumble
Jake McCluskey and El Ligero drew the first two numbers respectively, but McCluskey slides in-and-out of the ring to start the match, so I’m guessing another one of RJ Singh’s “assets” will be in at number three, given how much Jake is dicking around. Little Miss Roxxy pops up on the apron to distract Ligero, but he doesn’t fall for it as he turns around and decks Jake instead.
Roxxy’s caught going to the back, but number three isn’t another RJ Singh guy… it’s Robbie X! Commentary paints this as a warm up for next week, where Robbie X has Will Ospreay in a singles match, and Robbie’s on fire, landing the X-Express (OsCutter) and a standing shooting star to send McCluskey reeling into the corner. He’s got a good run with Ligero too but McCluskey recovers to separate the two and bombard the pair with forearms in the corner, before shoving down Robbie off the top rope for our first elimination.
Next out is Liam Slater, whose now free from that short-lived spell of Joseph Conners, and he makes a beeline for Ligero as he tries to smooth things over. McCluskey shoves Liam into Ligero though, before a phantom snapmare sent Jake flying. Ligero and Liam pair up against McCluskey, but rather than throw him out, they pull him out of the corner with a thud as another entrant appears in the form of Bubblegum.
McCluskey’s instantly taken down by Bubblegum, who went after everyone else too, but didn’t try for any eliminations just yet, seemingly preferring to throw heads into turnbuckles as the show went to commercial. We return as Cayden Lay joins the fray, instantly going for Slater with bodyslams.
Lay and McCluskey team up to eliminate Bubblegum, before their focus on Slater and Ligero is quickly aided by the arrival of Cyanide – another big man, representing Joseph Conners, whom had been banned from the Rumble itself. Cyanide went straight for Slater, kicking him when he was down, before the two big lads squared off. Lay and Cyanide have a brief shoving match, which quickly escalates before Cyanide tried to throw Lay out… only for Alex Gracie to appear to help make the save.
Gracie, Lay and McCluskey triple-team Cyanide as they try to throw him out… and they do so after some help from Ligero and Slater! Slater and Ligero quickly get turned on as RJ’s crew focus on them, while Cyanide slinked to the back after his elimination. Eventually, RJ’s crew throws out Ligero after spending an age wearing him and Slater down, before Liam takes yet another powerslam.
Yep, the bad guys don’t throw Slater out, and instead celebrate as the countdown clock signals the entrance of Justin Sysum! He’s quickly ganged up on by RJ’s crew, but Sysum fights back, before Alex Gracie throws him over… but Sysum tries to skin the cat, and takes Gracie out with some headscissors! Always the bumbling bad guy, eh Alex?
McCluskey and Lay still go after Sysum, but “The Hammer” ends up having to resist another elimination attempt from Lay, before charging back in to clothesline him out! McCluskey’s the third one to try, but an eye rake saves him as Kid Fite (and his generic entrance video) come out. He’s got no dog in the proverbial fight though, so he’s not exactly rushing into the ring. When he does get there, he went toe-to-toe with Sysum, as things lull so badly that they replay some eliminations.
Dara Diablo’s out next as Liam Slater’s got another of Joseph Conner’s goons to face, and of course, Dara’s gone straight for him. Another commercial break comes here as we return to the arrival of Caz Crash, a name I’d long since forgotten about because The Proven haven’t figured on NGW TV in forever. Crash takes out Diablo with a handspring back elbow, and it’s Crash and Slater working together on Diablo… nearly eliminating him before Kid Fite made the save. Err, why?
The next entry comes in the form of Joe Hendry as two-thirds of the NGW tag champions are in the match, but Justin Sysum tries to overpower them, only for a low blow from Fite to have him reeling as Team Insane Fight Club double-team him for an elimination. With the ring still pretty full, we get another entry in the form of Amir Jordan, making his NGW TV debut here (although away from NGW canon, he’s appeared all over the place first!)
Jordan went straight for the tag team champions, who tried to get rid of him instantly, but he rebounds… only to dance his way into trouble as Hendry and Fite quickly eliminate him. Oh well. Another one comes out in the form of Nathan Cruz, as these entries aren’t exactly sticking to time.
Hendry and Fite powder instantly as Cruz wiped out Jake McCluskey with a lungblower before he was thrown out with ease. Liam Slater’s back to dropkick Dara Diablo out of the match as we’re starting to thin down, but Dara’s straight back in to get some backpack, hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb, a death valley driver and a jackhammer as commentary noted that this was how Slater was eliminated a few rumbles ago.
Sam Wilder is the next man out as we’re shown more replays, so we get The Proven vs. Team Insane Fight Club for a spell. Fite’s errant forearm takes out Hendry, before the champions grab hold of their title belts for a pair of belt shots to the Proven, which quickly leads to Crash’s elimination.
Zack Gibson comes out next as Team Insane Fight Club have another sort-of team to deal with, with Gibson and Cruz having fought them earlier in the season. Sam Wilder and Liam Slater are still down on the mat as nobody thinks to try and eliminate them, and it’s Joe Hendry out next thanks to Gibson and Cruz. Kid Fite’s on the outside, but still in it, as we have one last break…
…and we return as Rampage Brown enters the fray, and instantly tries to eliminate Cruz, only for Gibson to make the save. Kid Fite keeps coming and going as Screwface enters, with Liam Slater having yet another body to worry about. Screwface takes his time, but takes his time going to Slater, spraying Sam Wilder with some mist to eliminate him, before Slater almost eliminated him.
Screwface saved himself as the last man out appeared as Colossus returned to NGW. Kid Fite mocks the big guy, and quickly gets thrown out… before Rampage and Colossus squared off. That doesn’t last long as Rampage ducks a punch and lifts Colossus out, leaving us with a final-five.
Liam Slater gets distracted by the appearance of Cyanide and Diablo, but a tope helps knock those two out… they brawl with Slater to the stage, where a slam leaves Liam laying, while Zack Gibson gets eliminated at the hands of Rampage. Problem is, all of the referees were busy tending to Slater, so they didn’t see that… so Gibson slides back in and gives a helping hand to Rampage and Cruz, eliminating the pair of them!
We’re down to three (technically) with Gibson, Screwface and Slater left in it as Cruz argued with the referees. Gibson runs into Screwface with a Ticket to Ride before almost eliminate Conner’s henchman. A cross-chop to a flying Screwface follows, as does a lariat, as commentary’s written off Slater, but Screwface lifts Gibson to the outside… where Zack skins the cat, only to get booted out!
Stevie Aaron announces that Zack Gibson has been eliminated – but with Screwface the only man in the ring, it’s curious that they don’t announce him as the winner… but that’s because Liam Slater emerges from the back, and the crowd naturally will him on to get back into it! Slater hauls himself into the ring, giving Screwface plenty of time to measure up Liam… and Slater’s unloading with punches to him in the corner!
Screwface hits back though, only to get lifted onto the apron, as a springboard dropkick knocks him down into a skin the cat attempt, only for Screwface to lift Slater onto the apron… the pair trade blows on the apron, before a Slater headbutt is replied to with a big boot. After rolling back in, Screwface tries to charge Liam off the apron, but a slingshot spear sees Slater avoid it, before a full nelson takedown and a clothesline takes Screwface over the top rope – and Liam Slater wins the Destiny Rumble!
This was a pretty solid Rumble, with plenty of stories weaved into it – my only criticism though, comes as a symptom of the way NGW shoots their TV. With names like the Proven not having been seen together since halfway through last season, a Rumble that seemingly had no stand-out obvious pick going in was left with a fair amount of filler, all being told. Still, all of NGW’s leading lights had a crack, and while the Rumble didn’t set up any new storylines, it was an entertaining match nevertheless. ***
So Liam Slater gets a shot at Matt Myers down the line, and the show quickly fades to black…
From the results that are available online of NGW shows that have happened since this, there’s a few blanks that I’d expect will be filled in in future episodes/seasons – but with the issues addressed by NGW at the top of the show, this product could be facing some storyline black holes in the not too distant future.