Full Event Preview: Sunday’s IPW:UK 1st Anniversary Show

IPW:UK (International Pro Wrestling:UK)



First Anniversary Show



September 25, 2005



Doors: 6:00pm



Orpington Halls, Orpington, Kent, England



Website: www.ipwuk.com

Main Event #1: IPW:UK Title Match:



‘The Enforcer’ Martin Stone (c) vs. ‘The Phoenix’ Jody Fleisch

Martin Stone enters this match in his second full month as IPW:UK champion, having been crowned on July 17th 2005. After successful defences vs. Ashe at New Territory and Spud at Extreme Measures, Stone is now going into a ‘first-ever’ encounter with Jody Fleisch.

The champion was originally scheduled to face Jonny Storm, however, at time of contract signing, Storm was unable to commit to the event due to a possible American booking. As such, his title shot was held over, and he was given the option to suggest an opponent of his choosing for Stone. The obvious choice came up almost instantly, with Storm giving the opportunity to Fleisch.

Even though Storm is now back on the card, Fleisch is still the one who’s name is signed and WILL be facing the champion come Sunday September 25th.

Fleisch himself of course has only just returned from an 18-month spell out of the wrestling profession. Now it’s time to prove to himself and the fans why he came back, as he gets the chance many work for time and time again in IPW, the chance to become the king of the pile, the IPW:UK Champion.

Main Event #2: IPW:UK Tag Titles Match – Tables, Ladders & Chairs!:



AK47 (c) vs. The Kartel vs. The Chav Army vs. Tony Sefton/Ashley Reed (w/ Donna)

Ever since the beginning of the year, The Chav Army have been getting under the noses of anybody they come into contact with. The most contact, however, has been with current champions, AK47. After tag matches, Ghetto Brawls and hardcore singles matches, it all came down to the finals of the IPW:UK Tag Title tournament.

The Chav Army, clearly with the idea of bringing the titles home in their own environment, demanded the match throw the rulebook out the window. AK47, ever the optimists, accepted this stipulation, but still managed to overcome the odds once again (much like in the semi-finals, handing the High Class Catch Club their first ever defeat as a team) and take the titles home.

Enter, the Kartel. Irate that they were omitted from the Tag Tournament on a technicality (two tag teams dropped out in weeks pre-show, from the original three-team brackets), they showed off their skills against PJ Black and Ian Logan on the afternoon show of Night 2 of the Weekend of Champions, being crowned the “WINNERS!”, ironically enough, their catchphrase.

Rising through the rankings by being the only tag team available in IPW:UK for Extreme Measures 2 without a competitive loss tagging together, The Kartel managed to sneak in and get a tag shot – only to lose via disqualification after The Chav Army once again made it their business. Meanwhile…

After their superb performance at New Territory, in opposition corners, Tony Sefton and Ashley Reed were in line to be rewarded for their death-defying efforts with a two-on-two, straight up, tag title shot at the Anniversary Show. With the Kartel and Chav Army both (probably rightly) claiming they had much more claim to a title re-match than the new team of Sefton & Reed, AK47 now had a decision to make. All four teams were stood facing each other in the ring, and before a massive brawl ensued, there was just enough time for AK47 to propose a four-way tag team match… TABLES, LADDERS and CHAIRS!

Main Event #3: Grudge Match – Spud vs. ‘Sadistic’ Jack Storm

Jack Storm debuted in January of 2005, as ‘Party Boy’ Jack Storm, alongside ‘Party Boy’ Dragon Phoenix. Taking their bout against Team Sexay with ease, the crowd were then able to decide who took the spot in the main event alongside four other top flyers – Phoenix, or Storm. The crowd were clearly into the more high-risk offence of Phoenix, against the aggressive style of Storm. Jack was even given the chance to redeem himself and take the spot in a game of ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’, available on the BOB1 DVD. Defeated in that element also, Storm was furious at missing out on his chance to forge a path into the main event scene.

Come time for the main event, Dragon Phoenix was setting up for one of his trademark dives to the outside, when from out of nowhere came Jack Storm. One spray of salt water to the eyes was all it took, and Phoenix had his big shot taken from him – he was eliminated from the match.

While Phoenix was touring other continents, Storm had to find other former friends to p*ss all over. Former road-mate, drinking partner and most of all, best friend, Spud was that man. During a massive match with Martin Stone in March, Storm publicly showed his alliance to the now-champion by attacking Spud while the referee was distracted, giving Stone the victory.

Spud though, managed to get one-up on the Sadistic one in May – or so he thought. Coming in as a surprise appearance to replace the injured Tony Sefton, Spud was once again one-upped by the Sadistic one and (this time) Dave Moralez. Some measure of revenge was achieved as Sefton and Spud distracted Storm/Moralez to knock them out of the tag tournament.

With Storm coming off the back of a big victory against Dragon Phoenix in August, and Spud coming so close to taking the IPW:UK title after going 2-0 up in the Iron Fist match against Martin Stone before being knocked out cold by his London Bridge finisher, both men are going in with more momentum than a freight train. What will happen when these two mortal enemies clash?

The Debutants

Making their debuts at the show are two highly rated British performers, both of whom so nearly made their debuts for the company in the past only for scheduling to let it fall through.

First announced was Ross Jordan. Jordan, currently a UK Flyweight champion, is an arrogant high-flyer, who thinks he’s god’s gift. So much so, that it’s his nickname, “The Gift”! Technically proficient on the canvas, Jordan will be looking to make quick work of his rookie opponent, Paul Robinson.

Robinson, a gravity-defying high-flyer from the same trainers as such stars as Darren Burridge and Tony Sefton, picked up the huge win in the opening contest of Best of British 2, outing El Ligero via pinfall, as well as Ashley Reed, the third man in the dance. Now he has the chance to continue his momentum, by taking out one of the biggest names in his division in the UK today.

Secondly, also making his IPW:UK debut, is JC Thunder. Thunder has had a superb middle sector of 2005, making his debuts in high places and coming out on top of wars all around the country. Now, the Thunder is gonna strike down on charismatic American Jake.

Jake, who could well be in his final match here on English soil – before returning back to the States to continue his quest for wrestling’s greater gold – is still looking for his first singles victory on an IPW show proper. After a win against Nixon, strong performances against Andy Simmonz back in March, and more recently Battalion & Flaming Red, this first-time meeting could well see a first or even a last win for the one-name-wonder.

The Contenders

Jonny Storm is probably the best placed of all four men in contender’s matches. Originally scheduled to be facing the champion, Martin Stone, anyway, Storm is filling in for the injured FORMER champion Aviv Maayan. Maayan, who lost the title after just one day and zero defences to Martin Stone back in July, injured his ankle on a northern show a few weeks back, and while he will be in attendance to make his feelings clear, he is out of action for up to another 6 weeks.

This gives Storm the opportunity to cement his claim as the #1 British contender, but is probably more of an opportunity for his opponent, Dave Moralez. ‘The Human Hate Machine’ made his re-emergence alongside Jack Storm at Best of British 2, but has been on the losing side of things ever since, including crashing out of the Tag Tournament in the first round after he himself was distracted by Spud & Sefton, and a loss to Spud in singles competition. Can he break out of this rutt he finds himself in, or will Storm defeat the champion’s Stable-mate on the way to the title?

The other contendership match is likely to be an all-technical affair, as well versed meets well versed, when James Tighe and Andy Boy Simmonz collide. Simmonz, unpinned in 2005, knows James Tighe like the back of his hand. Both coming from the Portsmouth FWA:Academy, Andy Boy will almost certainly be the favourite going in to the match, both in terms of win/loss record and in the fan’s eyes. Will the amazingly powerful Running Powerslam get the 1-2-3, or will Tighe manage to make the Hull native submit to his vicious Texas Cloverleaf?