By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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North Wrestling “NCL 46: Thunderstruck 2
Replay available via TrillerTV+
July 13, 2024 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England at the Walker Dome
Attendance is listed at 800 and that seems accurate. The lighting over the crowd was low but the ring was really well-lit. Veda Scott and a British man provided commentary. This show was recently posted on Triller+.
I admittedly only know the top handful of UK stars so a lot of new faces for me on this one.
1. “Team Faust” Henry Faust, Kegstacker, Big Lou Nixon, and Trent Seven defeated “Team Kayman” Myles Kayman, Kemper, Reece, and Rogan at 10:26. Of course I know Seven, and I think I’ve seen Nixon once, but the rest are new to me. As you’d expect, Kegstacker is a burly guy who carried a keg to the ring. Trent Seven’s appearance popped the crowd and commentators, and his team are the babyfaces. Seven gave towels to everyone on his team to put around their neck. All eight brawled at the bell and I doubt I’ll figure out who they all are. Trent hit some chops on two heels. Kegstacker hit a top-rope dive to the floor on all the heels at 2:30.
The heels began working over the scrawny redhead Henry Faust. Kayman (think heel Ricky Starks) playfully slapped Faust. Kemper (think NXT-era Baron Corbin with dark black hair and plenty of tattoos on his back) beat up Faust as well. Seven and Kemper traded chops at 7:00 and Kemper hit an F5. Kayman hit an Angel’s Wings face plant for a nearfall at 9:00. Kemper and Kayman left mid-match! It was suddenly four-on-two! Trent Seven hit a Burning Hammer. Faust hit a Buzzsaw Kick to the head to pin either Reece or Rogan (they look a lot alike!) Good energy and a good way to start the show.
* Backstage, Mark and Vicky Haskins talked about being a power couple, and Mark ripped into Michael Oku. He said Oku disrespected them and is going to pay the price.
2. Michael Oku (w/Amira) defeated Mark Haskins (w/Vicky Haskins) at 8:58. ROH fans will remember Haskins had a good run during the Sinclair era, prior to the pandemic. The slender Oku has had some stellar matches, notably with Will Ospreay. I would have assumed this would be semi-main event so I’m surprised this is on second. Amira wore what could pass as a fluffy pink prom dress; she isn’t dressed to get involved. The women argued toe-to-toe before the bell, then Mark Haskins attacked Oku from behind. Oku hit a huracanrana and a dropkick. Vicky tripped Oku. Mark dove through the ropes onto Oku. They got back in the ring at 1:30, and Mark choked Oku with a towel. He chopped him and jawed at him.
Oku hit a missile dropkick. He hit a DDT at 3:00, then a dropkick into the corner. He applied the half-crab, but Haskins quickly bailed to the floor. Oku nailed a Fosbury Flop onto Haskins at 5:00! In the ring, he nailed a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall. They traded rollups. Haskins hit a Cradle Shock for a nearfall at 7:00. Oku re-applied the half-crab! Vicky hopped on the ring apron to distract the ref. The women fought on the floor. Vicky got into the ring with a chair! However, Amira speared her. Oku again applied a half-crab on Mark, while Amira had Vicky in a half-crab, and Mark tapped out. That was fun. They got a lot of good offense in.
* Eve Bateman cut a promo outside and she bad-mouthed each of her opponents.
3. Eve Bateman defeated Allie Katch, Debbie Keitel and Natalie Sykes in a four-way at 8:29. Keitel looks like a runway model and she wore a green outfit and she’s a heel. Bateman wore a black one-piece and she has her brown hair in braids. Sykes wore pink and black and she’s a babyface. All four fought at the bell; no tags here. Allie hit a double noggin’ knocker on Eve and Natalie. Keitel hit a Pele Kick at 2:30, then a crossbody block for a nearfall. Allie dove through the ropes onto Keitel. Bateman hit a fallaway slam on Allie, then one on Keitel at 4:30.
Keitel hit a Jarrett-style Stroke faceplant on Bateman for a nearfall. Allie and Natalie hit a team superkick on Keitel. Sykes hit a Lungblower to Allie’s chest. Sykes tied Bateman in a Fujiwara Armbar, but Keitel made the save. Bateman hit a hard kick on Keitel. Katch hit a standing powerbomb on Eve at 7:30. Allie hit a piledriver on Sykes for a nearfall, but Keitel made the save and she pushed Allie to the floor. However, Keitel turned around and Eve hit a STIFF forearm strike that knocked Keitel down, and Eve covered her for the pin. That topped all expectations. (I say that as I only knew Allie and had no idea what to expect from three women I hadn’t seen before.)
4. Joe Hendry defeated Elijah at 6:04. Yes, this is WWE’s Elias. He came out first and got a babyface pop. A mic was set up for him in the ring, and we got the “Hello, I am Elijah” then he strummed his guitar, then he asked “Who wants to walk with Elijah?” He said he’s traveled across the world to be here, and he got a pop. He sounded irritated as he said the attention was shifted from him. He told them “there is a legend in the ring right now.” He said the line for the “meet and greet for (Hendry) made me sick.” He said it made him wish he was in Sunderland (spelling?) and that got MASSIVE heat. He told the crowd to silence their cell phones and shut their mouths (more boos!), and if they don’t, he’ll leave.
“There is a guy who wants to be me, but he’s a phony, he’s a fake copy. When I see him, it makes me want to throw up my lunch, and when he smiles, he’s got a face I want to punch,” Elijah sang. He finally said “Joe Hendry” and this brought out Hendry who had his own song, with the lyrics, “His name is Elijah, he just wants to sing and play guitar, but Hendry took his job, Hendry took his job, took his job,” Hendry sang. Elijah was livid and ripped off his own shirt. On the screen, their names were both written on paper, but Elijah’s name was crossed out. HILARIOUS. We finally got Hendry’s song and the crowd sang along as he came out.
They stood toe-to-toe and I am surprised they are pretty much the same height. Elijah hit a Mafia Kick at the bell and they fought to the floor. He hit a running knee as Hendry’s head was hanging over the ring apron. In the ring, Elijah did the Old School tight-rope walk and struck Hendry’s shoulder. He dropped Elijah with a hard back elbow. Hendry hit a suplex at 3:00. Hendry hit some clotheslines and a Stinger Splash, then a fallaway slam; he kipped up and celebrated (and looks like a megastar with the reaction he is milking out of the crowd.) Hendry hit some European Uppercuts. He leapt off the ropes but Elijah caught him with a jumping knee for a nearfall at 5:00, then Elijah hit a swinging neckbreaker for another nearfall.
Elijah rolled to the floor and got his guitar, but the ref blocked him and took it. Hendry immediately got an inside cradle for the pin! Elijah jumped to his feet, struck the ref, and he grabbed his guitar. “Talk about humiliating,” Veda Scott said. Elijah teased hitting him with the guitar but held off, and the crowd chanted “We believe!” It appears that Elijah also “believes in Joe Hendry.” Elijah joined the crowd in singing Hendry’s theme song and they hugged, then they did the spin-to-the-cameras pose. I kept waiting for Elijah to hit him but he didn’t. That was fun and didn’t need to be any longer than that. (And of course, the entire segment was much longer than the six-minute match.)
5. “Landed Gentry” Benji & Zeo Knox defeated Rhio & Emersyn Jayne, Rampage Brown & Will Kroos, and “The Post Modern Sick Boys” Liam Slater and Rory Coyle in a four-way ladder match to win the North Tag Team Titles at 19:39. I always write this, but no, this is not AEW’s Riho; she has long purple hair in braids. Rhio and the blonde Jayne are the champions. The bald Rampage Brown had a nice NXT-UK run. Kroos is rotund (think Bronson Reed in size and his singlet!) and looks slimy and unwashed; think a heavier Sami Callihan. Liam is thin with curly black hair, while Rory is aging with gray hair. Benj and Zeo wore regular street clothes and don’t look like wrestlers at all.
Everyone brawled to the floor. The women basically held back and watched the men fight, then they dove off the risers onto them. They got back into the ring, where Coyle spun with a ladder on his head at 4:00 and knocked down several opponents. Liam hit a moonsault. Rampage slammed Benji onto Knox at 6:30. Rampage powerbombed one of them to the floor onto a group of wrestlers. The women hit low blow kicks on Rampage. Kroos hit running Stinger Splashes on the women, then a senton. Ladders finally got brought into the ring and everyone started trying to climb them, but of course were knocked off. The women climbed at 11:30, but Rampage knocked the ladder over, and they landed across the top rope.
Rampage hit a powerslam and he went to climb the ladder but Rory hit him with a low blow, then Rory powerbombed Rampage Brown onto a table at 14:00. Kroos hit a backbody drop on Rhio on the apron, then he nailed a package piledriver on her from the apron through a table set up on the floor at 16:00 and that rightfully drew a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Kroos hit a Mafia Kick on Jayne! Liam whipped a chair at Kroos! Emersyn and Liam hit a Spanish Fly off the ladder onto two chairs! OUCH! The scrawny Benji got in the ring and was booed. A fireball was tossed in Rory’s eyes! Benji climbed the ladder and pulled down the titles. The crowd HATED this. “What did we just see?” Veda said. Good ladder match with some big spots.
* Some skits aired of Gene Munny searching for a tag partner.
6. Gene Munny and Grado defeated “Lykos Gym” Kid Lykos and Kid Lykos II at 12:19. Grado is best known for his time in TNA/Impact, and Munny has the same sort of goofball character. Lykos no longer wears a mask but Lykos II does. The Lykoses attacked from behind. Some good comedy with Munny doing the tightrope walk. Lykos II hit a moonsault to the floor at 6:00. Munny hit a double moonsault press onto the heels at 8:00. Grado got the hot tag and he hit some clotheslines. Lykos hit a senton for a nearfall. Munny hit a double slam on the heels, one in each arm, at 10:30. The babyfaces hit stereo rolling cannonballs. Grado hit a Wassup flying headbutt to Lykos’ groin. The babyfaces hit low blows on Lykos II. Grado hit a running Mafia Kick on Lykos and sent him to the floor. Munny hit a clothesline to pin Lykos II. Merely okay.
7. Lizzy Evo defeated Miyu Yamashita at 13:42. Evo was previously known as Eliza Alexander in her 2022 NXT-UK run. The hard-hitting Yamashita has toured the U.S. quite extensively in the past two years. A feeling-out process to open. Lizzy has a slight height and weight advantage but they are pretty comparable. They brawled to the floor at 3:00. Evo slammed Miyu’s head into a lighting beam, then she whipped her into the guardrail. In the ring, Evo hit a snap suplex at 6:00 for a nearfall. Evo applied a Camel Clutch.
Miyu fired back with a hard clothesline. She hit some spin kicks to Evo’s back and a running knee to the back at 8:00. Miyu backed her into the corner and hit some spin kicks. Miyu hit a second-rope Cradle Shock at 10:30 for a nearfall. She hit a spin kick to the head. Evo hit a German Suplex, so Miyu hit a German Suplex. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Evo nailed a hard kneestrike to the collarbone. Miyu nailed the Skull Kick! She hit a Death Valley Driver. However, Evo got an inside cradle for the pin! A really good match.
8. Ace Matthews defeated Clint Margera to win the North Ultraviolent Title at 7:38. Ace wears a plain white T-shirt and looks like a 20-year-old Sandman. Margera has short black hair and beard. Margera also came out with a basket of weapons. Matthews tried to run but Clint grabbed him and threw him back into the ring. Clint hit him with cookie sheets, brooms, garbage cans, etc. Margera got a barbed-wire table from the back. Benji and Zeo Knox hopped in the ring and slammed Clint through the barbed-wire table, and Matthews covered him for the pin. This match did nothing for me, but at least it was fairly short.
9. Leon Slater defeated Man Like Dereiss to retain the North Title at 38:21. Slater has had a few matches in TNA, while Dereiss has made regular appearances in GCW in the past two years. I have often described Slater as the Black British version of Nick Wayne, as they are the same age and same body type, and he’s had a handful of TNA matches. I’ve compared Dereiss look and overall athleticism to a young Shelton Benjamin. These two are clearly among the top half-dozen wrestlers in the UK today; obviously I’m a big fan of both. Dereiss rapped his way to the ring. They shook hands at the bell, and Slater is wearing body makeup very much like Finn Balor’s “Demon character.”
A feeling-out process early on, and Slater rolled to the floor to regroup. Dereiss worked the left arm and he hit a hard chop in the corner at 5:30. They sped it up and Dereiss hit a deep armdrag. Slater hit a handspring back elbow, then a plancha to the floor at 7:30. Back in the ring, Slater was in charge and hit a Mafia Kick and an enzuigiri, and he slowed Dereiss down on the mat. He stomped on Dereiss’ head and got a nearfall at 12:30. Dereiss hit a hard clothesline and a backbody drop. Slater hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 15:30. Slater hit an axe kick in the ropes, but he missed a 450 Splash and landed on his feet. They suplexed each other over the top rope to the floor at 17:30.
Back in the ring, they traded chops and forearm strikes. Slater hit a huracanrana. Dereiss hit a stunner for a nearfall. Slater applied a half-crab as Dereiss was tied upside down on the top rope at 23:00. Slater hit a top-rope superplex and he applied the half-crab on the mat, and Dereiss teased tapping out but he reached the ropes at 26:00. Dereiss hit a German Suplex and they were both down at 28:30. Dereiss tossed Slater off the top rope and they were both down on the mat. Slater was down on the mat and selling a knee injury. However, he popped up and kicked out Dereiss’ knee at 32:00 and was loudly booed!
Slater again kicked out the leg as Dereiss was against the ropes, sending Dereiss crashing to the mat. Dereiss repeatedly slammed Slater’s leg against the mat. They brawled to the floor. In the ring, Dereiss hit a flapjack at 34:30. Dereiss hit a top-rope 450 Splash, but Slater pulled the ref between them, so Dereiss crashed onto the ref! Both men and the ref were down. Slater got his title belt. However, Liam Slater jumped in the ring and took the belt from Leon! Dereiss got a rollup for a nearfall. Leon Slater hit a leg lariat for a nearfall. Liam hit Dereiss with the title belt!!! Leon hit a low blow uppercut on Dereiss, got a rollup, and scored the cheap pin! A very good match before the shenanigans at the end.
Final Thoughts: A very good main event between two top talents. Despite going nearly 40 minutes, the match never dragged and they had the crowd. Oku-Haskins was really good and earns second place, and I’ll go with the women’s match for third. The Elijah-Hendry stuff was a blast, and as I noted, it was a good-length segment that was much more than just the six-minute match. It was certainly memorable and a highlight of the show.
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