By Haydn Gleed, Prowrestling.net Staffer (@haydngleed)
WOS Wrestling
Aired September 15, 2018 on ITV
Taped in May 2018 in Norwich, England at Epic Studios
Following a recap of the high points of last week’s show (and the low points – can anyone say toothbrush?), they showed some clips of this week’s action including labelling the show as “size matters” as the powerhouses face each other. In the WOS arena, the broadcast team of Alex Shane, SoCal Val, and Stu Bennett checked in from the ringside area. Bennett said he had some huge news which he will share at the end of the show…
1. Viper vs. Ayesha in a No. 1 Contenders Match for the WOS Women’s Championship. As the women were being introduced, they talked about the history between them, including Ayesha interfering when she shouldn’t have a number of weeks ago. Both ladies met in the middle of the ring with Viper talking charge. This led to some pushing back and forth before they locked up. Viper showed early on that she is the most powerful and took great delight in showing that fact. Despite Viper showing great heel tendency’s and mocking the crowd a “let’s go Viper” chant started.
Following some more back and forth with no one budging with the announcers using the cliché “the unmovable force meeting the immovable object” Viper gained the early advantage in the corner. Viper continued to be cheered. Viper slowed the match down mid ring but Ayesha tried to get Viper on her shoulders but failed. Viper followed this up with a number of big splashes. Shane framed this as showing how tough Ayesha is by being able to kick out.
Late in the match, both women collided, which led to Viper and Ayesha being down for a close ten count. Both women beat the count, and Ayesha went on the offence with a number of power moves followed by a splash in the corner but Viper wouldn’t go down. She hit a bridging suplex which didn’t look great for a near fall. SoCal rightly said that the days of the cat fights are long in the past in the women’s divisions around the world. Viper regained the advantage and hit a cannonball in the corner for another near fall. She scaled the corner, but Ayesha caught her and went for a powerbomb but Viper escaped. Viper hit her powerbomb finisher and covered Ayesha for the three count….
Viper defeated Ayesha to become the No 1 contender to the WOS Women’s Championship.
Alex Shane announced the main event as being Robbie X vs. Crater in a loser must unmasked match….
Gleed’s Take: Holy burning through gimmicks, Batman. So in the eight week run so far we’ve had numerous ladder matches, numerous three way and four ways, a tag team tournament, a battle royal, a loser leaves town, and now a mask vs. mask match. Alrighty. Anyways, as for the match, it was ok. It didn’t excite me, but at the same time it didn’t over stay it’s welcome either. Viper had a big bruise on her forehead so it looks like she got caught at some stage. I can’t say I’m overly impressed with Ayesha, but it does look like there is something to work with there given her height and obvious power. She would definitely be unique on the UK independent scene.
The announcers set the stage for the first couple vs. couple match in WOS….
Gleed’s Take:I forgot to add this to the list of gimmicks above…
Viper was interviewed by Rachel backstage, with the Glaswegion saying she told everyone she would do it and now Kay Lee Ray is next…
2. Will Ospreay and Bea Priestley vs. Stevie Boy and Kay Lee Ray. Both teams got great reactions. Stevie Boy was still sporting his 80s throwback face paint from the tag team tournament. Alex Shane announced that the men could face the men and the women could face the women but no man on women wrestling. Ospreay and Stevie started with some very quick back and forth with both men exchanging huracanranas before a double kip up. The women were then tagged into the match.
Ray and Priestley themselves exchanged some impressive back and forth action with the champion getting the early advantage with a middle rope dropkick for a two count. Priestley came back by jumping on the back of Kay Lee and then followed up with a back suplex. In another horrible editing job, Kay Lee Ray was seen rolling to the outside before magically appearing back in the ring a second later. Bea hit a kick to the head which ITV edited by showing the crowd at the moment of impact. Both ladies tagged out with Stevie Ray gaining the advantage with a kick to the head which itself was returned with a kick by Ospreay. He hit a 916 (like a 619 but over the top rope) but Stevie returned with a powerbomb for a near fall.
Down the stretch Bea Priestley attacked Stevie Boy which brought all four competitors into the ring. Ospreay hit a cheeky Fernando’s (a cheeky Nandos) on Stevie Boy for another close count. Will climbed to the top rope but Stevie Boy caught him in an attempted huracanrana from the top but Will landed on his feet. Both women came into the match and hit back suplex’s on their respective male opponents before suicide dives to the outside. Nice spot. The finish came when Ray attempted a suicide dive to Bea on the outside but was caught with a forearm shot. Bea held a submission on the women’s champion while in the ring Ospreay hit a Spanish fly followed by his finisher for the three count…
Will Ospreay and Bea Priestley defeated Stevie Boy and Kay Lee Ray
Gleed’s Take: I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but the editing and production of this show is taking away any enjoyment I’m getting from it. This was a really good match, possibly the best match they’ve had in WOS for a number of weeks, but it was completely ruined by the editing and production. The awful moment where you saw Ray roll to the outside and then a second later she’s the opposite side of the ring inside the ring took me completely out of the moment. Then you have the inconsistent crowd shots when people get blows to the head. I legitimately don’t understand the policy as eight times out of ten they will show the crowd instead of a blow to the head like from a forearm and then show a superkick to the head with no crowd shots it doesn’t make sense. Then you have moments like the amazing looking huracanrana from the top which Ospreay landed on his feet. On the first showing it looked amazing but then WOS replayed it several times in super slow motion and you can see that Stevie Boy didn’t use any force to drag Ospreay from the top. Instead you could see Will leapt from the top rope in a somersault motion. It’s things like that that really need to be tightened up because you are taking anyone watching out of the moment. My ten year old niece mocked this match because of the things I pointed out above so it’s not just me being overly critical.
Following a commercial break, the three announcers setup for the singles match between one half of the tag team champions Iestyn Rees and Davey Boy Smith Jr…
3. Iestyn Rees vs. British Smith Jnr Davey Boy Smith Jr. The announcers tried to frame this as an important match for two men who have aspirations of becoming the WOS Heavyweight Champion. Before the bell, Iestyn Rees jawed at Smith, who no sold it. Both men locked up and were going back and forth trying to gain the advantage. They exchanged leverage holds before Rees offered a test of strength. Bennett said it was like two bulls going at each other. With Smith gaining the advantage, Rees hit a knee into the mid-section and had Smith down for a pin but Smith powered back out of it and hit a suplex on the tag team champion.
After gaining the advantage Rees threw Smith into the ring post shoulder first several times and then continued to attack the left shoulder. The audience started a loud and long “Let’s Go Smith” chant. Smith had several hope spots, but Rees continued to gain the advantage by going after the shoulder, which ITV kept cutting to crowd shots for some reason. Rees went to the top rope, but Smith caught him and hit a superplex, which Smith said was invented by The Dynamite Kid. Rees quickly regained the advantage and went for a crossbody, but Davey moved out of the way. Smith then hit three German suplex’s in a row for a near fall. The finish came when Smith caught Rees in a running powerslam for the pinfall victory….
Davey Boy Smith Jnr defeated Iestyn Rees via pinfall.
Gleed’s Take: This was a pretty good match that I enjoyed a lot. Iestyn Rees has always been someone who had the look and ability but every time I’ve seen him I’ve never been wowed. I still feel that way now but he and Smith put together a decent to good match that was entertaining. My only complaint was I never felt that this match really mattered despite the good job the announcers were doing to frame it otherwise.
SoCal Val setup the mask vs. mask match by bringing up famous moments from the past on WOS, with Alex Shane trying to frame the match as one of the biggest matches in the series…
Gleed’s Take: It is a very intriguing matchup and I’m kinda looking forward to seeing what happens, but just like the whole run of WOS, it feels that everything is being rushed and interesting stories could mean so much more. Last week I talked about the loser leaves town being three or four weeks too soon, and now we have a mask vs. mask match that they are trying to frame as historic even though they only announced it halfway through the show. I know the show is catering to a different audience than what I’m used to, but that’s no excuse for lazy, rushed storytelling.
4. Robbie X vs. Crater in a mask vs. mask match. Both men made their entrances with Robbie X getting a great reaction. SoCal described Crater as terrifying. Robbie X tried to use his speed to confuse Crater, but following a springboard handspring into the ropes, Crater caught him and hit a big back breaker. The crowd chanted for Robbie X. Crater applied a bear hug which slowed Robbie X right down. Robbie desperately tried to break the hold and eventually did by trying to take the mask off Crater. Robbie managed to hit a number of powerful looking high flying maneuvers, which backed Crater into the corner, but the big man powered out of the corner with a dropkick.
Robbie X hit a number of kicks which seemed to slow the big man down. Crater fell to the outside and hit a moonsault which knocked Crater down momentarily. Robbie X went for a suicide dive but eat a forearm to the face. Crater climbed back in the ring and walked over Robbie twice. He went to follow up with a big splash but Robbie X moved. Robbie hit the X Express (springboard stunner) and tried to unmask the big man. He managed to pull the mask off to win the match. ITV didn’t bother trying to show the face of Crater with stupid camera angles until Crater had retrieved his mask and put it back on…
Robbie X defeated Crater in a mask vs. mask match.
Gleed’s Take: WTAF?! You have a mask vs. mask match with no build, you have your dominant monster take a defeat to one man after one big move, and then when he has the mask removed you do everything you can to not show the face of the unmasked wrestler? I don’t think I need to say anymore about that.
Stu Bennett stood at the announcers desk with a microphone and asked for the attention of the audience. He said he had some breaking news and you can call him Breaking News Bennett (funny). He said next week we would have a completely unique match never seen before that will involve the entire male roster. He said that whoever wins this match will have a shot at Rampage for the WOS Championship.
They then showed some action from next week including Kay Lee Ray vs. Viper and further built the 16-man match next week with brief clips. From the clips it looked to me like a reverse Battle Royal but we shall see…
Gleed’s Take: I laughed at the Breaking News Bennett line, but the overall show felt a bit meh in general to me. I enjoyed Iestyn Rees against Davey Boy Smith Jr. but never felt that it meant anything, Viper and Ayesha was okay, but in my eyes is probably two years away from being a really good match, the mask vs. mask match was stupid, and the best match of the night was ruined by insane production decisions.
Any comments? Feel free to get in touch via email haydn.gleed@gmail.com or twitter @haydngleed
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