We’re back to Newcastle now, as NORTH’s tenth show (already?!) saw the first defence of their new championship, with Rory Coyle defending against the head of the Anti-Fun Police.
We’re inside the Riverside in Newcastle, and with the commentary team of Matthew Gregg and Tom Campbell on hand, we’re straight into the action, complete with Shreddyvision – the live feed from Lou Nixon’s phone. It’s a nice little wrinkle, and it’s not overdone… as they film a little bit called “Singalong with Shreddy”, which is just them leading off their chant before a “Shreddabration”. If you’re not part of the bubble, I can imagine this wearing thin pretty quick!
Shreddybrek vs. Gavin Lewis
Lewis has one of the easiest gimmicks going in NORTH – he’s from Sunderland, so he’s an instant bad guy here. As is Tom Campbell in my eyes with that football reference…
The pre-match gimmick was that England’s Hardest Men had to pick which of them was facing Lewis… Shreddy won that out, and he started out hot… only to get caught off guard when Lewis tried to attack him from behind during an oiling session. It didn’t quite work, as Shreddy’s back in with a shoulder block, then a delayed suplex as Lewis rolled outside for respite. Lewis pulled Lou Nixon into his way as he stopped Shreddy from diving, before a kidney punch actually got Lewis into things, almost shocking Shreddy with a scoop slam, before taking the bodybuilder into the ropes for a chop. A trip takes Shreddy to the mat for a near-fall, as commentary called out that Gavin was sticking to his basics pretty well, taking Shreddy down with a clothesline after weathering a brief storm.
Shreddy tries to come back with an Angle slam, but instead Lewis escaped and tried for a backdrop suplex, eventually hoisting him up and dumping Shreddy on his neck for a near-fall. Unexpected strong style suplex! Somehow, Shreddy’s able to come back with a scoop slam for a near-fall, before charging Lewis into a corner and suplexing him out of it with an overhead belly-to-belly.
Shreddy still looked rocked from that backdrop suplex, and almost loses when he’s rolled up with a big handful of tights before Lewis took another near-fall with a “whatever the hell that was”, which looked to be Keith Lee’s Ground Zero. Lewis looked to try for it again, but Shreddy slips out into an Angle slam, before grabbing his weightlifting medal and going full Kurt Angle with an ankle lock, only for Lewis to make it to the ropes. Lewis tried to come back by stealing Shreddybreak’s weightlifting trophy, but Lou Nixon comes in to make the save and kick Lewis in the head, giving Shreddy the win. Being charitable, this was alright, but when commentary’s calling out big (and dare I say dangerous) screw-ups you’ve got problems. Still, both guys are pretty new, so things like this were to be expected. *½
Post-match, Screwface’s music hits, as he comes out while taping up his wrist. Except all he does is throw the remains of his wrist tape to Lou Nixon, who catches it, and that’s apparently a challenge between the two for some point down the line… by which I mean, later tonight.
Landed Gentry (Benji & Zeo Knox) vs. HT Drake
Originally announced as a singles match, with one of the Gentry meant to take on Drake. For Matthew’s benefit, I was one of the three…
Anyway, the Gentry were meant to toss a coin to decide who’d wrestle, but neither of them have a coin to toss. They eventually get one from the crowd, but they jump Drake at the coin toss, and I guess this is a handicap match, especially since they pay off the referee to allow it. The crowd booed the bribed official, who I hope fast-counts things here, but Drake’s right back in with a springboard dropkick and some corner-to-corner forearms. Benji quickly knocks Drake off the apron, before Zeo Knox got draped between the bar and the apron… where he’s left as Benji’s used as a human battering ram right into Zeo’s Knoxes.
Back inside, a floatover Northern Lights suplex from Drake spikes Benji, who’s then met with a clothesline for a near-fall. Referee John Myers wasn’t paid off enough to slow-count Drake, who gets some near-falls before a satellite DDT almost put away the Geordie. A diving knee from Benji’s good for another near-fall, as they followed up with… a Zoidberg Elbow? Of course not, that move never comes off, as the Gentry crash into each other, then get slammed onto each other as the back-and-forth continued.
A missed dropkick from Drake opens it up again, as the Gentry double-team him with a dropkick and a fireman’s carry slam that almost ends things… they try again, but Drake escapes and shoved Zeo into Benji, before putting them both on the top rope for a Cost to Coast dropkick which proved to be enough to put away the Gentry. A waste of money, methinks for the Tory Boys. This was short and fun, although I sense repercussions for this ref… **¾
During the post-match replays, Maffew was starting to sound a LOT like Space Monkey. Has anyone seen those two in the same room at the same time?
Little Miss Roxxy vs. Kris Wolf
Roxxy is still doing her best to get booed in Newcastle – and it’s working. Kris Wolf’s got some different music, which feels odd, but this is Post Copyright world… and my God, Stevie Aaron actually read out the “Born in America, but Made in your Mum” line. Can’t beat a bit of Kris Wolf in your wrestling!
Roxxy mocks Wolf’s mannerisms, getting in some crotch chops as the crowd booed… while referee John Myers inspects Wolf’s tail. Apparently these two have been wrestling for about the same length of time, but it’s Wolf who’s the early chaser, only to get taken into the ropes with an armbar as Roxxy tried to control things from the off. Instead, Roxxy’s caught in headscissors… she tries to escape, but Wolf bites her thigh before putting the wolf head onto Roxxy… and then kicks it off before a stomp to the chest gets a near-fall. Kris keeps up the pressure with some double knees into the corner, before trapping Roxxy in the corner for a box-smashing dropkick.
Roxxy headed outside, but she gets wiped out with a crossbody off the top rope… then with some empty drinks glasses as Wolf made full use of the venue, throwing Roxxy into a pole… before using a fan’s handbag as a weapon. Well… if it’s there, use it, I say! Another dive follows as Roxxy crashes into Wolf, before rolling her back inside for a near-fall as Roxxy started to wear down her foe. A dropkick in the ropes sent Wolf reeling down to the mat, before some kicks in the corner and a suplex out of it garnered another near-fall. Wolf sidesteps a charge into the corner as she began a comeback, shrugging off Roxxy’s Scorpion kick to take her down with an enziguiri… but Roxxy’s right back with a backdrop suplex for a near-fall after she went after the wolf’s tail!
There’s more back-and-forth as Roxxy’s taken down with an Exploder, then a Shining Wizard for a near-fall as Roxxy got her hands to the bottom rope in time. Roxxy’s right back in with a back cracker, before taking her time to catch Kris with a bridging backslide a la BUSHI… and that’s the win! That has to be a bit of an upset after a match that was fine, but seemed to be missing something. **¾
After the match, Roxxy and Wolf hugged it out… and it wasn’t a ruse! Instead, we get Benji and Zeo Knox back out to the ring as they went after Roxxy for… reasons. She avoids some double teaming with a low blow to Benji, before dishing out the same punishment to Zeo Knox… and I guess this is Roxxy’s slide to the good side?
No Disqualification: Jack Jester & Chris Renfrew vs. Drew Parker & Clint Margera
Mikey Whiplash was originally meant to have been involved here, but injuries he picked up at ICW beforehand meant he was on the shelf – and replaced by Jack Jester in this deathmatch.
It’s the Scottish pair who were the early aggressors, as Renfrew was all over Margera until he got himself crotched in the ropes and dropkicked to the floor… just as Jack Jester came in as the deathmatch rules made tags a moot point. Drew Parker tried his luck, but gets charged down with a shoulder block off the middle rope for a near-fall, before Chris Renfrew brought some goodies into play.
A flapjack dumped Clint in the ring, just as Drew Parker came back with more goodies in the form of baking trays, which met the heads of Jester and Renfrew to turn the tide… only for a bin to be used on him as they revealed… a barbed wire baking tray?! The match spills to the outside as Drew’s already bleeding, and we’re outside in the bright daylight as the brawl entered the actual riverside, with everyone teasing throwing each other into the River Tyne. We’ve got to go picture in picture for a spell as Jester rubbed Drew Parker’s blood over the ring van, before we’re back inside as Parker gets a Snake Eyes onto the bar. In the ring, Jester uses the barbed wire baking tray on Margera’s head, before a kebab skewer was poked into Clint’s head… yeah, it’s massively one-sided in favour of the Scotsmen here.
Parker returns to save Clint from being suplexed onto a chair, following up with some headscissors before dropping Renfrew with a Detonation kick. That chair’s used again as a Falcon arrow from Clint is good for a near-fall on Renfrew… just as Jester returned with a scaffolding pole on Margera for a near-fall. He followed up with his oversized corkscrew, before taking Clint outside for a DDT onto a chair while Renfrew uses a staple gun to block another Detonation kick. That same staple gun’s used to keep Parker’s nipple down, before a slam into a powerbomb nearly ended the match as Jester and Margera kept on fighting in the crowd. There’s another weapon now, in the form of a drawing-pin-laden chair, which gets wedged into the turnbuckles… but Parker saves himself as Renfrew charged shoulder-first into the chair, which then gets used on his back as the madness continued. Jester goes back to that skewer, drilling it into Parker’s forehead, as Margera went under the ring and pulled out a table. To be fair, it got little reaction, because after barbed wire baking trays, a table is a bit of a step down!
It’s Jester who uses the table, putting Parker on the table which looked like it was bowing already… but it gives way once Jack dropped an elbow off the apron, which drew rather contrasting reactions on commentary. Margera’s got a barbed wire chair, but it’s turned around and used on him by Renfrew, who then wedged it between the ropes… and hopefully this works out better for him this time… and it does! One Stunner later, and Renfrew picks up a near-fall as Clint’s got a crimson mask. Drawing pins are next, with Renfrew making a pile of them before his powerbomb is countered with a backdrop into them… he rolls through though and ends up dumped with a death valley driver into the tacks for another near-fall. Okay, they’re going to have to kill each other to end this… especially after a dropkick-turned-into-a-powerbomb for Margera gets a near-fall too.
The barbed wire chair’s used again, and with such force the barbed wire falls off it… so Margera hits a death valley driver onto the chair and wire on Renfrew, and that’s it! For me, this went way too long – although I’m not a death match connoisseur… this ticked all the boxes, but perhaps in the wrong order, as seen by the table coming out to silence. Still, a heck of an effort with Chris Renfrew leaving as sore losers, as you’d expect. ***
Chris Brookes vs. Amir Jordan
So, last year, Chris Brookes was meant to have debuted for NORTH in a tag match against the Sons of Ulaid. Problem was, both Brookes and Kid Lykos pulled out citing injuries, so as to save themselves for PROGRESS’ show the next day. That was what sparked a turn of sorts for Rory Coyle, and made CCK the butt of a few jokes in this part of the world.
Amir plugs the NORTH VOD service, but only because he can re-do his entrance, with “proper” music for the live crowd only, which only served to amplify the pro-Amir feeling in the crowd.
Brookes started by taking Jordan down by the arm, but that’s escaped as Amir tried to break into dance, except the sound guy wasn’t listening. Awkward! When we did get the dance-off, Brookes decided to just attack Amir from behind… and so he’s comfortably slotted into bad guy territory here! A kneedrop’s good for a near-fall on Jordan, before Brookes comes back with a take on the backbreaker stretch, which he used to slam Jordan down to the mat as a roll-up gets a near-fall to end a nice series.
The wet willie is next as Brookes poked around inside Jordan’s ear, before he wrenched away on Jordan’s knee and ankle in search of a submission, rolling him into an Indian deathlock. Jordan mounts a comeback with a double axe to the gut, before he sent Brookes outside for a tope that took Brookes into the sound desk! Back inside, a crossbody’s good for a near-fall, as Brookes tried to chop his way back into it… but Jordan fired back with some right hands, only to run into a pump kick as they went back-and-forth. Brookes gets sent onto the apron, but he’s back in with a slingshot cutter for a two-count, as Brookes again tried to assert himself. It just angers Jordan though, who again runs into a superkick before dumping Brookes with a clothesline as the two seemed to be on their last legs.
Jordan headed up for a senton, but he overshot – and Brookes moved away anyway – as he’s caught with a brainbuster for a near-fall, before falling to a roll-up as one of Brookes’ own trademarks led to the upset! This was good back-and-forth stuff, and hey, there’s nothing like a bad guy getting their comeuppance while having a fan immortalised in flipping them off! The Amir Jordan hype train continues to grow, as that’s now two in a row here… ***¼
Post-match, Jordan tries to coax Brookes into the dance-off… but instead it’s the paid-off referee John Myers who’s dragged into it. Until Amir comes back with a jacket just for Brookes, and we’ll say no more!
We’ve a bit outside from Chris Renfrew, who reckons he “marched into your house and made it my house” despite losing… he’ll be back, so that deathmatch feud against Clint Margera will rumble on… and then Stevie Aaron gets all sweary in front of the live crowd. You won’t get THIS at Defiant or 3CW. Probably…
Screwface vs. Lou Nixon
Set up earlier tonight when Screwface threw some wrist-tape to Nixon (seriously)… and Nixon demanded to go it alone as he sent Shreddybrek to the back.
Screwface started by taking Nixon into the corner, but some punches are ducked as they continued to circle each other instead, before a series of feinted kicks led to a stalemate. From there though, Screwface cheapshots Nixon as he took over with a series of elbows… but Nixon’s back, trapping Screwface in the corner with some elbows before dropping Screwy with a kick, only to get met with a similar response as Screwface tried to kick his leg out of his leg.
The match spills outside as we get some more brawling, but Nixon tries to take over with some kicks as Screwface was pinned against the apron. A sit-down splash back in the ring puts Screwface back in control, as he continued to go after Nixon’s knee, before catching Lou with a ripcord boot. Nixon doesn’t go down though, but a few more of those do the trick as Screwface collected a near-fall, before a slugfest ended with both men getting sent to the mat at the same time. Nixon has another flurry of offence after he got back to his feet, leathering Screwface with some kicks to the chest before one misses and gets turned into a roll-up for a near-fall. A superkick’s next as Screwface leapt off the middle rope, but Nixon gets caught in a triangle armbar as he went for a cover, but he punches his way free.
From there, Lou counters with a leg lock, before punching Screwface to the outside… where he crawls under the ring. Shreddybrek comes out for… reasons, but Lou’s telling him to go to the back. Amid their own distraction, Screwface comes back in, but he’s clocked with some more kicks, before he catches Nixon with some mist to counter a ripcord boot, as an anaconda choke almost forced the submission… but Nixon fought free, only for Shreddybrek to throw in the towel! The crowd did not like that, as commentary painted it as Shreddy upstaging his tag team partner. This was a pretty decent match given Nixon’s relative inexperience – and the win perhaps puts Screwface into title contention? ***
NORTH Championship: Chief Deputy Dunne vs. Rory Coyle (c)
If you remember back at NCL.9, the scramble/elimination match to crown the first ever NORTH champion was a bit of a shambles, with Dunne having been eliminated by… means. So as a sort-of make good, he’s got the first shot at the inaugural champion.
Dunne starts by slapping a cup of Kool Aid out of Rory Coyle’s hand, and that gets the expected response, with Dunne eventually getting taken down and booted in the back as he shrugged off the Chief’s offence. They head outside, where Dunne’s introduced to the ring post, before he’s passed around the crowd for some chops!
Back in the ring, Dunne sneaks in an enziguiri as he tried to put the boots to Coyle… keeping him by the ropes as some right hands to the gut followed. A headbutt keeps Coyle rocked, but Rory comes back in with a clothesline and a back suplex, taking Dunne into the corner ahead of a bulldog as the champion was resurgent. Dunne’s forced to kick out after taking a big boot… but the Chief’s right back in with a spear as the tide quickly turned.
A headbutt from Coyle swipes away a springboard lungblower attempt, before Dunne cowered to avoid a punch… and gets DDT’d anyway. Dunne turned it back around as he purposely pushed Coyle into the referee before landing a low blow… but with no referee, there was nobody to count the pin from the Fun’s Over hanging DDT! Wait – Myers woke up and counted a near-fall… so Dunne grabs his megaphone and tries to use it. It’s a swing and a miss from him, as Coyle succeeds on his go, before the Dip in the Lake (air raid crash) followed, and that’s the win! A little brief for my liking, but this was perfectly solid as a match, and a fine way to establish Coyle in his role as champion. ***
Post-match, Rory Coyle took the mic and laid into those who drew comparisons to him – comparing him to Kevin Owens or Mick Foley – before vowing to defend the belt… only for there to be interference from Japan. No, it’s not Misawa. Nor Kobashi. There’s leopard print… that means one thing… it’s Martina, live from Japan, demanding a title shot. There you go!
NCL.10 was a big improvement on the prior show – in spite of the decidedly rough start to affairs. Yet again, the hot crowd in Newcastle boosted the atmosphere. There’s something for everyone here, and the turn of Roxxy on the show should mean that we’ll get a slightly different run of women’s matches, hopefully with the crowd on her side rather than against her.
NORTH returns to their usual venue in Newcastle on July 14, with Rory Coyle defending the NORTH title against Martina, while HT Drake, Nathan Cruz, Robbie X and Eddie Dennis battle to become the next top contender.