Will Ospreay and Ricochet did battle once again in the latest episode of WCPW’s Loaded – with a slight twist.
#TLDR: Zack Sabre Jr stole the show again, this time with Gabriel Kidd as Loaded’s first episode of 2017 went underway with a bang!
The Full Review: After a Kirbymania free show and a Lights Out special, WCPW got their latest season underway with an episode of Loaded featuring a battle of the partners!
We start with a recap of Lights Out, including the return of Will Ospreay, who stole Drew Galloway’s title belt. Then we see Paul Robinson mouthing off to someone on the phone, but he shuts up when Drew Galloway bumps into him.
Drew holds up Robinson against a vending machine, and he’s jumped by the rest of the Swords… who Drew easily overcomes, until Ospreay grabs that kosh/baton and waffles him with it. This was clearly taped in the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester (there’s a desk with the Bowlers’ logo on it!), so I sure hope he recovers by the time they tape in Newcastle!
Apparently Drew Galloway is injured after being sent through a table by Bully Ray? But we just saw him getting attacked by the Swords of Essex… erm, storyline continuity, chaps? What injured him? The chokeslam through the table, or that attack we just saw?
Will Ospreay’s New Japan music hits, and out come the Swords of Essex – including both stolen titles. Will says “dickhead” like he’s just learned the word from Martin Kirby’s t-shirt, and laughs off the Gillberg chants aimed at Paul Robinson. Ospreay reintroduces the Swords one-by-one, before bragging about wrestling at the Tokyo Dome and saying “he’s only here because he’s being paid a load of money to be here”. Gotta love that heel Willy!
Ospreay declares himself the champion since Drew Galloway isn’t there, then mentions that the Swords of Essex weren’t in the WCPW tag team title tournament. To be fair, he has a point. Ospreay demands that the crowd stop ogling Bea, and to stop calling Paul Robinson and Scott Wainwright Gillberg and Scotty Essex respectively… oh, and he wants Martin Kirby to give the Swords a tag title shot. Instead, the tag champions come out, after the stupidly-long intro to their theme.
Jack the Jobber’s out with them, with a message from Martin Kirby, but he’s cut off by Johnny Moss, who agrees to the tag title match… before Jack announces another match: Ospreay & Bea vs. Ricochet & Tess Blanchard. Well, it’s as close as we’re going to get to *that* rematch I guess. The Swords head to the back, and that’s our segment.
There’s a plug for the WCPW Edinburgh show. I’ve not missed seeing this video… why weren’t these inserted to the iPPV or the Kirbymania show?? Particularly the latter, if it ended up with 77,000 live viewers…
Gabriel Kidd vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Will Kidd get his first win tonight? Well, he’s facing a Zack Sabre Jr who’s smarting after losing to Travis Banks at Lights Out, so it’s going to be more of a vertical climb than an uphill struggle.
They try to compare Sabre to Ronda Rousey – saying that Sabre might not be unbeatable after-all. Sabre starts with a wristlock, but Kidd counters it down into some headscissors, before Sabre gets free and ties up the youngster in a bow-and-arrow lock. That’s turned into a pin for a two-count, before Kidd grabs hold of a waistlock like there’s no tomorrow!
A waistlock takedown sends Sabre to the mat, but he frees himself and grabs an armbar to force Kidd into the ropes. Sabre gets a knuckle-lock and bridges Kidd down for a one-count, and Sabre keeps on top from there with a headlock as the match maintains its deliberate pace. Some headscissors see Sabre try for a submission, but Kidd eventually frees himself via a headstand… and he falls back into the hold.
Kidd tries the headstand escape – and this time he easily gets free! Sabre replies with a cravat that leads to a snapmare then a neck twist, before Sabre cranks away with a double armbar for more pain. A Dragon-sleeper like hold forces Kidd into the ropes as Sabre busts out more unusual submission holds, before he lays into Kidd with forearms… but Kidd fights back!
Sabre locks in a guillotine with body scissors, but Kidd frees himself and drops Zack in a Falcon arrow. Kidd comes back with a side suplex variation for a near-fall, before surprising Sabre with a death valley driver and an inverted brainbuster attempt… but Sabre turns it into an Octopus. Kidd again works free and punches Sabre before that inverted brainbuster gets him a near-fall.
They trade more slaps, with Kidd decking Sabre, but his death valley driver attempt is caught and turned into a triangle choke by Sabre – with Kidd managing to make the ropes yet again. More back and forth forearms follow before Sabre slaps down Kidd, which leads to a PK for a very arrogant near-fall. Kidd nearly shocks Sabre with a near-fall from a folding pin, before a big boot leads to a Finlay roll, but a moonsault from Kidd leads to a triangle choke for an instant submission. Fantastic stuff here, and Kidd’s getting closer and closer to that elusive win. ****
We’re backstage now with Joe Hendry and Martin Kirby. Hendry’s mad that he’s not got his title match already, and he’s upset that Kirby cost them the win. They argue over popularity… which gives way to Kirby telling Hendry to get the belt back, and if he does, he gets a title match in Edinburgh.
They replay the promo for a new character that’ll be debuting on next week’s episode: BT Gunn! That’ll be an interesting signing…
Drake vs. Joe Coffey
Drake surprises Coffey with a shotgun dropkick at the bell, but Coffey comes back with a shoulder tackle as Alex Shane gets in the World of Sport reference, noting that Joe got the pin in the first tag team match on ITV in 30 years.
He had to, didn’t he?
A front facelock giant swing and a suplex gets Coffey the advantage… until Drake lands another dropkick and throws the Scotsman into the ringpost. Drake throws him outside, but doesn’t go after Coffey as James R. Kennedy puts the boots to him instead. No DQ, nor is Kennedy thrown out, as Drake instead rolls Coffey back inside.
Drake blocks the Black Coffey, but falls into a pop-up uppercut and a bicycle kick from Coffey, who followed up with some avalanches. Horrendous coffee puns from Shane give way to a springboard cross body for a near-fall, before Joe takes too long going up top, and he gets crotched up there.
Drake pulls him down for a coast-to-coast dropkick for a near-fall, but his follow-up missile dropkick is turned into a Giant Swing, but Drake blocks the Boston crab follow-up. A spinning heel kick misses from Drake, who gets nailed with a Black Coffey for the win. Decent, but otherwise throwaway. **¾
We’re backstage where James R. Kennedy is approaching Prospect, who are taking off their wrist tape. This is apparently from “last Friday” after Lights Out, where Kennedy talks about their loss to Moss and Slater at Lights Out. Kennedy’s annoyed that Prospect are still talking about going to Orlando – but without the tag titles, that’s not happening, as they’re not going unless they book the tickets themselves.
We get a promo announcing the arrival of Rey Mysterio to WCPW – featuring lots of grainy lucha footage. Rey’s coming on April 29 to Newcastle. That list of imports must be getting shorter…
WCPW Tag Team Championship: Swords of Essex (Paul Robinson & Scott Wainwright) vs. Liam Slater & Johnny Moss (c)
Wainwright slates Moss at the bell, but we start with Slater and Robinson trying for a suplex, and it’s Slater who succeeds with a hanging vertical suplex that ends in a Jackhammer.
Johnny Moss comes in and Robinson actually wants a piece of him… but he’s easily swiped down by the Cumbrian. In comes Wainwright now, and they have a mean guy battle, with shoulder charges and strikes, but Moss again dumps down Wainwright with ease. Slater tags in and lands a dropkick for a two-count, before he tries for a wristlock on the gloved Wainwright.
Slater quickly gets overwhelmed as the Swords take over, but an arm whip sends Robinson flying, as does the Jim Breaks special… but Robbo’s biting Slater’s ear as the heels stay on top. More ear-biting helps delay a Meteora/neckbreaker combo, before Robinson picks away at Slater’s nose… then eats it. That’s wholesome!
At the second attempt, Wainwright gets a floatover suplex on Slater for a near-fall, with a knee drop getting a similar result before he goes to a grounded chinlock. Everything Wainwright does is decent, but there doesn’t seem to be anything there – no emotion, just moves without any expression.
A back suplex lets Slater tag in Moss, and he goes wild with suplexes to Wainwright, then again to Robinson who came down with snow on him! A Hart Attack gets Slater a near-fall, but Wainwright comes back with a death valley driver before he goes up for a moonsault… but Moss catches him and brings him back down with a German superplex! Robinson’s cross body to Moss is easily caught and turned into a powerbomb/crossbody combo, and the champions retain! A fun tag team match, but without Robinson’s aggression, the Swords just feel like they’re just there… ***¼
We’re backstage again with Prospect, who interrupt Jack the Jobber. They’re looking for James R. Kennedy, and they’re still begging for a spot on the trip to Orlando. Jack tells them that Martin Kirby’s offering them one last chance to go – but they have to win matches to get £100 on the “Get Prospect to Orlando Fund”, but every loss takes away £100. That’ll be a LOT of matches…
Another backstage promo with a jubilant Marty Scurll. He’s the number one contender to the WCPW Internet championship, and he’s got a nursery rhyme for Cody.
Will Ospreay & Bea Priestley vs. Ricochet & Tessa Blanchard
Here’s our main event – and it’s under intergender rules too apparently.
The cameras missed Stevie Aaron being attacked as Will and Bea were intent on keeping their stolen title belts. We start with Ricochet and a still-bleached Ospreay… but Will instantly tags out to Bea, as does Ricochet. Save the good stuff for later, eh?
Blanchard uses Ospreay’s see-saw kip ups to get out of a wristlock, before she’s taken to the corner as Tess tags in… so Bea rushes to tag in Will. The crowd are all over Ospreay, who boots Ricochet in the gut before Ricochet comes back with a headscissor takedown. Will replies in kind, and they’ve gone from 0-100 in a matter of seconds. Yep, cheer for your heel!
Ricochet and Blanchard land a pair of dropkicks before Ricochet fakes out a dive… but Tessa doesn’t! Back inside, Ricochet grabs a rear chinlock, before he picks up Ospreay for that bow and arrow hold for some turnbuckle batting and an airplane spin that dizzies both men. Tessa tags in to face the dizzy Ospreay, and she gets a drop toe hold for her boyfriend to follow up on with a dropkick.
Priestley comes in and gets dropped, before an insane complex rope running sequence ends with Ricochet and Tessa taking a pair of Cheeky Nando’s! The intergender stuff kicks in with Ospreay throwing Blanchard into the turnbuckle, before a slam in the middle of the ring gives way to some double-teaming as Ricochet inadvertently tied up the referee.
Bea chokes Tessa in the ropes, then grabs a camel clutch… before Ospreay catches Ricochet in one as Tessa is forced to eat some of Bea’s gum. Ricochet gets some too after Bea gives Will some to hand over as our gross segment concludes. After those shenanigans, Ospreay tags in as Tessa tries for a tag, but he decides to make out with Bea – which leads to a double ‘rana from Tessa who finally makes the hot tag out.
A back body drop from Ricochet takes down Ospreay, but Bea replies by shoving some gum into Ricochet’s forehead. So he decks her with a pump kick as Newcastle cheer man-on-woman violence! Ospreay charges at Ricochet, but takes a 619 in the corner for a near-fall, before Ricochet uses his other half to take down Will with a rana out of the corner.
A standing shooting star press gets Ricochet a near-fall, before Ospreay blocked a Regalplex and came back with a handspring corkscrew kick. Priestley and Ospreay combine to take down Ricochet for another near-fall, before Ricochet uses them on each other for an accidental DDT. Yeah, that spot’s fun, but getting ridiculously overused these days.
Blanchard unloads on Ospreay in the corner with chops, but he takes her down… but not for too long as Blanchard drops Priestley with a forearm as this gets amped up again. A pair of Destroyers see the women come out on top before all four competitors are left laying – and of course, there’s no such thing as replays!
The two women exchange forearms, before Ospreay kicks Tessa in the midsection… but Ricochet enters to drop Will with a pop up powerslam. Tess is spun around by Ricochet for a satellite DDT onto Ospreay, before a hammerlock DDT from Blanchard takes down Priestley… but the Swords of Essex come down to really uneven things. Ricochet takes down Robinson and Wainwright, before wiping them out with a somersault plancha, but that leaves Blanchard alone in the ring.
Bea kicks away at Tess’ arm, then grabs a Kimura with some body scissors… but Tess fights out and lands a move I don’t know how to call. A diving corkscrew kick from Ospreay cuts off Blanchard before she can make a cover, and all that’s left is for Will to drape Bea over Tessa to steal the win. This was carnage, but fun carnage! Yeah, you can nitpick over Heel Will still flipping, but as a main event, this was miles better than I was expecting. ***¾
Ospreay offers a handshake ro Ricochet after the match, before flipping him off… and Will gets a Benadryller to send everyone home happy. Joe Hendry comes out to rescue the WCPW title belt, and I guess he’s getting his title shot in Edinburgh!
That brings an episode of Loaded that was full of good wrestling to an end… except they built to nothing next week, as the next major thing they’ve built up is a possible Joe Hendry title match down the line. But still, another thumbs-up show from WCPW… what’s happening to me?!