Reach Wrestling: 365 Days Later (7th July 2019) Review

“In THE BEGINNING, they came together, and set a tone. They ignited a fire and unleashed a fury within the South West. Then that fury grew, became a passion, a call for an Army to follow, as they bared witness to that of the SECOND COMING.

And as that Army set on their way, the glory of two excellent events one after the other, there was great rejoicing as they witnessed ACT 3. The fury, the passion, and the rejoicing would become one, lead to the no limits of THURSDAY NIGHT REACH, when the people learned…If you know…you know.

But then the Army would hear the trumpets, the beckon to the call, the anticipation in preparation, as they would witness the desire of those who seek the JOURNEY FOR THE GOLD.

As they reach the culmination of the build, the end in sight, as they narrowed the field of the FINAL FOUR and succeeded in their INVASION, they look back over the 365 DAYS gone past and rejoice.

Sunday 7^th July. It’s Time. The Army will stand in support, prepared for War. The history of REACH has been written in Gold and Blood. The future is unknown, but has one guarantee…

The Army will be there, at the altar of REACH WRESTLING.”

There’s a big event feel as I walk around the building, the atmosphere is already there as the crowd feels the excitement, and the commentators are clad in full suits and bowties galore, Dave ‘The Eye’ Rawles and Carl ‘The Voice’ Andrews looking very smart and classy. Their usual partner on the commentary table, Vinnie Clay, will not be joining them, due to his appearance in the upcoming Battle Royal. There are flashing disco lights on the balcony, giving a party atmosphere, as MC Jonjo Obrey can be seen mixing with the crowd, a flashy red blazer adorning him. There’s already a briefcase high above the ring, in preparation for the Ladder match, only thing is that the ReachTron behind the ring doesn’t seem to be working this time, which is unfortunate. Due to this, there is no ten minute counter as usual, instead there is a five minute callout by Obrey, As the five minutes ends, “Reach” by S Club 7 begins to play (a tongue in cheek moment that I loved and made the crowd smile) and welcomed by the crowd is our referee Cameron, having recently refereed every match at Reach: Invasion whilst Callum is on sabbatical, and would referee every match again this evening with his usual consistency, having grown into his role over the last year. Following Cameron is the crowd favourite and hype man Obrey, who gets a little dance in and cheerfulness with the Reach Army, hyping them up as he takes us through the upcoming match card, and the importance of tonight, the One Year Anniversary for Reach Wrestling! And with that, we go to our first match of the evening.

Six-Man Ladder Match For Within Reach Contract

(Winner Gets A Title Shot At A Time Of Their Choosing):

‘Country Big’ Josh Knott Vs Lance Cole Vs ‘Bronco’ Brendan White Vs Charlie Sterling Vs Lucian Phillips Vs Beano

Knott enters first to boos, having had a successful first year following his victory at The Beginning for a year long contract, so he has history of winning big matches. Lance Cole comes out in robes to a chorus of boos, gyrating his hips to antagonise the crowd, he’s been unsuccessful this year so far but quickly proved himself not just a pretty face, smooth and talented in the ring. Plymouth’s arch rival Brendan White comes out to a raucous level of boos, lambasting the fans as he shouts “I’m Number One” and “Shut Up Plymouth”, who retaliate likewise. Charlie Sterling would grimace as he entered to boos, he’s been part of some of the finest matches in Reach’s short history, having main evented the first ever event in a losing effort to Eddie Ryan, a loss that would consume him over the following year. Lucian Phillips, one year ago a Psycho booed as he opened The Beginning against local hero Chris Andrews, now surrounded by cheers as he enters the ring without fear, surrounded by four villains but eyes only on Lance Cole, who once attacked him at Thursday Night Reach on behalf of ‘The Winner’ PJ Jones. Finally, Beano would come out to a huge reaction, a cracking level of cheers as he stands and soaks in the moment, an underdog who the fans have taken to warmly. There are two ladders set up outside the ring, with Beano climbing up one and dancing to the crowd. Before the match even begins, Cole kicks Phillips from behind, with Phillips antagonising him back. The bell rings and all six men warily approach the middle, Beano attempting to jump up and grab the briefcase but with no luck (a moment that may see daft but instantly tells people that the briefcase may seem low, but the ladders are imperative). Lucian goes straight for Cole, Sterling and Beano rushing out to one ladder, Knott and White to the other on the outside, and we go from zero straight to madness.

The action is very fast paced, and the crowd are instantly involved, an inflatable sheet (in reference to Knott’s Linda) quickly getting stamped on by Knott, showing his seriousness for this match, as Beano tries sneaking a ladder. White stops Sterling at one point by grabbing his hair, however Sterling still gets inside the ring and sets up a ladder, climbing up and touching the briefcase, but quickly getting pulled down by White, ending up outside where there is complete carnage with all six men. Sterling climbs up and grabs the briefcase again, but gets stopped by Phillips, as Beano psyches the crowd up outside. White has had enough and uses the ladder to attack everyone, knocking them down, until he turns to find Phillips in his face, threatening a punch, asking the crowd who cheer massively, and Lucian knocks White down, the ladder dropping on top of him. Phillips would grab the ladder himself and start climbing up, but would get kicked off by Cole, who would gyrate in celebration. Phillips would retaliate by baring Cole’s backside as he climbed up, slapping Cole’s backside to cheers, clotheslining Cole out of the ring onto a very appreciative woman (not every day Lance Cole with a bare backside lands in your lap). Knott and Sterling meanwhile, attack Phillips, the two agreeing to put the ladder in the corner as a weapon, trying to Irish Whip Phillips into the ladder but he holds himself back, Phillips moves and throws both men onto the ladder at the same time as Beano attacks Cole on the outside.

Photo courtesy of @Attadvismedia

White dropkicks Phillips out the ring, then Beano with a spin kick to White, a Roaring Elbow and then an Enziguri onto the ladder. Beano dives onto Knott, but Sterling interrupts with a Superkick and then jumps off the apron onto a second turnbuckle and hits a Moonsault onto White, Knott and Beano, to huge cheers of appreciation. Phillips goes up top, but Cole stops him with a kick, climbs up, only for Phillips to push Cole off onto the other four, and then dives onto all five men to applause! Chants of “One More Time” as Phillips puts a ladder up in the corner but is attacked by Knott, exchanging forearms, Knott hits a Samoan Drop on Phillips, then a Lance Cole Codebreaker on Knott, White follows up with a Big Bossman Slam on Cole, Beano hits White with an Arn Anderson Spinebuster, and finally Sterling hits Beano with the ladder, an example of Sterling keeping his attacks simple and not exerting too much energy. Sterling starts climbing up but Phillips tips him off, Phillips turns around and gets a ladder thrown into his face by Lance Cole! Cole climbs up the ladder set in the corner, and hits a Splash on Sterling, stands up and gets hit by a Phillips Chokeslam, only for Bronco to pull Phillips out and throw him into the wall, as Beano jumps off another ladder to hit Cole with a lovely Elbow Drop! We’re left with Beano and White in the ring, back and forth hits, Beano hits a Twisting Rock Bottom off the ropes, he’s left alone, starts climbing up the ladder, but Knott hits him with a ladder to the back! Knott climbs up the other side, is attempting a Superplex on Beano, who fights back, only for Bronco to appear and Powerbomb Knott onto the ladder in the corner! Beano climbs up with White opposite him, exchange of punches, grappling for the briefcase, Beano hits Bronco with the briefcase to the head three times, Bronco falls off the ladder, Beano reaches up for the briefcase but STERLING HITS HIM IN THE BACK WITH A STEEL SHELF! Sterling climbs up and grabs the briefcase to win.

Winner – Charlie Sterling

That was an excellent opener featuring six of the best regulars for Reach Wrestling, the action was nonstop with little down time, the familiarity of all six men with one another allowed a seamless exchange of sequences, such as the aforementioned sequence of six finishers in a row. There were subtextual stories, such as Cole and Phillips continuing their feud and focusing on one another, I feel there has to be an upcoming feud ender between the two, such as a No Disqualification or even an I Quit match, which would most likely be a Thursday Night event? Sterling’s actions over the match showed his desperation for victory, he went for the ladder most often, he got closest to the briefcase several times and kept himself relatively protected throughout, Beano exited afterwards looking dejected, which offers him a possible development in his character. Sterling was probably the best choice to win the Briefcase, he’s had an ongoing feud with Eddie Ryan and has been involved in several main events, he’s a snivelling enough villain that he would cash in at any time, but is good enough to challenge for the Championship, he’s had multiple match of the nights and it feels a fitting reward. Knott took the most impressive bump during the Powerbomb onto the ladder, and the gash on his back showed the damage he suffered, whilst White continued to impress in his ring general role, the workhorse seems one of the most likely to be utilised in future main events. Great choice to open the event, set a huge standard for the other matches to try and reach.

First Round Match for the Reach Tag Team Championship Match:

Pretty Deadly (Sam Stoker & Lewis Howley) Vs The Brothers Awe (Joey & Scott)

Pretty Deadly enter first with their smart shirts, strutting and hitting a Vogue Dance, which I admit to appreciating due to the audacity of it, whilst the Brothers Awe came out to huge cheers (finally got absolute confirmation that Joey is the longer haired one with a bun, whilst Scott is the shorter haired one, I think I may have been incorrect previously). Stoker kicks off by throwing his shirt at the brothers, Howley follows up and does the same, and Scott motions to wear the shirt, only for Howley to steal it back and decree “they can’t pull it off”. Howley and Scott tie up, with Howley slapping him hard, mentioning to Stoker that the crowd seem to think they care about their opinion, but they don’t! Scott with the Flapjack and backdrop on Howley, Stoker tagged in and Scott with the drop toe hold, Joey tagged in. Joey with the slingshot against the ropes and Stoker draped over his knees, Scott with the Somersault onto Stoker. Joey with a near fall, Stoker blind tag to Howley but Joey hits a Double Dropkick, bounces off the ropes but Stoker lowbridges him and Joey slides on a chair into the wall! Great image that looked unique and legitimate, with the crowd reacting.

Stoker and Howley now in control of Joey, cutting off the ring as Joey tries battling back, hits an Inverted Face Buster on Howley. Scott with the hot tag, Rock Bottom twice to Stoker, clotheslines Howley out, Back Suplex to Stoker. Scott backdrops Joey onto the two outside, Buckle Bomb to Stoker in the corner, tries to Buckle Bomb Joey onto Stoker bur misses, Pretty Deadly hit the Codebreaker but only a nearfall, all four men inside now. Pretty Deadly go for their finisher but Joey interferes, another near fall, Brothers Awe go for a Powerbomb finisher, but Joey gets pulled out by Howley, who runs in and low blows Scott behind the referee’s back, Stoker pulled on top, and the three count.

Winner via Pinfall – Pretty Deadly (Sam Stoker & Lewis Howley)

I admit to being surprised to see Pretty Deadly win, it seemed obvious that they were here to put over crowd favourites The Brothers Awe, but a pleasant surprise on a night full of them. Stoker had previously impressed as a singles performer at Thursday Night Reach and as a team, Pretty Deadly had impressed at an IPW show, so it was good to see the crowd appreciative of their abilities, even if they were portraying a more antagonising team, full of trash talk and cockiness, but their Vogue poses were excellent. My opinion of The Brothers Awe has been relatively negative prior to now, they were in a bad Intergender tag team match for CPW and their last performance against Heritage City Hitmen had them performing slightly gratingly, more concerned with laughs and mugging for the crowd. However, I will hold my hands up and say, this performance was the first time I finally got to see what the fuss was about The Brothers Awe. They’re always popular with crowds, there is never that issue, but it too often feels to the detriment of their in-ring ability, and they were very good in this match, a good flow to their moves, quick tags, a good babyface in peril and a babyface comeback focused on actual battling back, not just screeches and mugging, and I actually found myself caring about The Brothers Awe as opposed to my normal lack of interest. I’d like to see The Brothers Awe showcase their ability more often for Reach, not allow their character work to detract from their in-ring ability. For the moment, however, Pretty Deadly have joined Man Like Dick in progressing from their opening matches, which leaves me curious to see what other teams may appear in future.

Singles Semi-Main Event Match:

‘Dirty’ Dick Riley Vs ‘The Phoenix’ Jody Fleisch

One of the biggest stars for Reach Wrestling, Dick Riley, comes out dancing with referee Cameron, and the crowd reaction is very positive. Over the last year, Riley has proven himself an undoubted highlight of every event, having cracking single matches with Grayson Reeves, Charlie Sterling and Joel Redman, having only lost by disqualification under dubious circumstances to Redman in the Semi-Finals of the Reach Championship Tournament. I do feel that the decision to have Riley feature in a special exhibition match against a wrestling legend such as Jody Fleisch is testament to how important he is to Reach, as it would have been easy to make him an also ran in the Ladder Match or Battle Royal, but instead they gave him a huge match that allowed him to show whether he deserves a Title opportunity. Fleisch is an absolute British wrestling legend, a twenty year career that includes forays in Ring Of Honor, Combat Zone Wrestling, and a great main event with Charlie Sterling at Thursday Night Reach. The match kicks off to the duelling chanting of “We Love Dick” and “We Want Jody”, with the two men smiling and shaking hands respectively. Tie-up, Jody with a Wheelbarrow roll-up for a two count, Dick replies with his own arm-locked side roll up for a two count of his own, Jody impressed as the duelling chants kick off again. Dick with the shoulder block and gyrating hips, the two exchange moonsaults off the top turnbuckle over one another, Dick hits a Neckbreaker for a two count only. Joey with a Reverse Hurricarana to send Dick out of the ring, Jody jumps out but Dick with a back suplex onto the apron, followed up with a Somersault onto Jody. Huge chop to Jody, Irish Whips him towards the wall but JODY RUNS UP THE WALL AND TURNS TO HIT A TORNADO DDT ONTO DICK RILEY! Crowd pop massively, cheering their appreciation.

The two inside the ring again, ducking one another, Dick hits a Superkick on Jody, Dick goes up top but Jody with a Hurricarana off the turnbuckle, Jody follows up with a Springboard but Dick reverses with a Sit-Out Powerbomb, one, two, Jody kicks out! Exchange of pinning attempts as Cameron follows with difficulty, about four two-counts and ELEVEN one-counts. Dick follows up with a Spanish Fly, two count only, as the duelling chants start off again, Dick puts Jody up top but Jody pushes him off, goes for a Shooting Star Press only for Dick to roll out of the way, Hurricarana for a two count only, then a Face Buster on Dick for another two count. Jody attempts the Phoenix 720 DDT but lands on his feet and is caught by Dick, who hits a Fallaway Slam into the Flatliner, three count for the victory.

Winner via Pinfall – ‘Dirty’ Dick Riley.

Huge victory for Dick Riley over a wrestling legend, the two shaking hands afterwards in mutual respect. A fun back-and-forth match with a few big spots that popped the crowd, the chemistry was quite strong with the fans enjoying themselves tremendously throughout. There’s not many regular high flyers in Reach Wrestling, so Fleisch offers a different type of match for the Reach Army, mixing with Dick’s smooth wrestling acumen well to create a good match up, I’d like to see Fleisch appear more regularly for Reach Wrestling, possibly even as a tag team with his career-long frenemy Jonny Storm? Riley had grown into one of the biggest stars in Reach Wrestling and was a favourite to reach the Final, losing to Redman was cleverly done to put over a heel Redman but in a manner that protected Riley, one of the few times a wrestler has been protected in defeat. This means that regardless of who wins the main event, Riley has a legitimate claim to being a Number One Contender, backed up by this victory here. Curious to see where Riley goes from here. We take a half time break, with a raffle occurring and a call out for commentary. There’s a humorous moment where Obrey calls for referee Cameron to come out and he doesn’t appear, so Obrey sat down cross legged in the ring waiting.

Anniversary Battle Royal:

Winner Earns A Title Shot Of Their Choosing

Quite a few wrestlers entered the Battle Royal at the same time, such as Danny Steele, Jacob Kitto, Blake Harrison, David Eton of Heritage City Hitmen fame with new tag team partner Ricky Reed, Joey Seven, Xander Grey, and even ‘The One’ Vinnie Clay, in a Power Rangers-esque type. ‘Dancing’ Daddy Bainsley would get his own entrance, dancing around and up the stairs on the right hand side, then down the left hand side, he sits down for a breather, then jumps up and grabs two guys in Hawaiian shirts, the three of them doing the Conga Line. ‘The Winner’ PJ Jones came out next to a huge chant of “Wiener”, and then the man he has a bet with on who will win, Jason King, comes out with a 365 Days Later shirt, huge cheers and reaction from the fans. There’s a stand off between Jones and King, Jones screaming he’s going to throw everyone out, which leads to everyone but King attacking him. There would be a dog pile, with Jones crawling out from underneath.

• Xander Grey eliminated by Jason King. Surprised to see Grey eliminated first, to be honest.
• Matt Evans eliminated by David Eton and Reed.
• Dominic(?) eliminated by Eton.
• David Knight eliminated by Eton and Reed.
  • Eton betrays his partner and throws him over, Reed lands on the apron and pulls Eton over with him, as they battle.
• David Eton and Ricky Reed eliminated. This was a bit of a daft decision, Eton and Reed had eliminated three people in quick succession, were looking strong, and then tried to eliminate his own partner in a ridiculous move, leading to both being eliminated. Last year, Eton didn’t do that with his original partner Goodwin, so why would he do that now, unless there’s less trust between the two? Not a good booking decision there.
• Danny Steele eliminated by Blake Harrison.
  • Bainsley and Jones face off, Jones having betrayed Bainsley’s alter ego Marcus Bain at Act 3. Jones tries telling Bainsley that he loves him, only for Jones to get Stunnered and rolling under the ropes. Big hoss fight between Bainsley and Jacob Kitto, only to become a dance-off instead, to the crowd’s pleasure! Unfortunately, Kitto would ruin it shortly.
• ‘Dancing’ Daddy Bainsley eliminated by Jacob Kitto.
• Jacob Kitto eliminated by Adam Davis.
• Amadeus eliminated by Jason King.
  • Left with four in the ring, Joey Seven, Vinnie Clay, Blake Harrison and Jason King (PJ Jones currently hiding under the ring). Harrison garners heat by lambasting Seven, hitting Seven with an Electric Chair Drop.
• Blake Harrison eliminated by Joey Seven.
  • Clay and King face off, a duelling chant of “One” and “Two”, Clay hitting a Cutter and screaming at a downed King “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that”. King with the Flatliner in response.
• Vinnie Clay eliminated by Jason King.
  • Left with King and Seven in the ring, huge chants of support for Joey, as the two men fist bump and then start exchanging punches. As they battle, Jones runs in and hits King with the Fireman’s Carry and Moonsault combo.
• Jason King eliminated by PJ Jones.
• Final Two: Joey Seven and ‘The Winner’ PJ Jones.
  • Jones with the eyepoke to Seven, attempts the Fireman’s Carry and Moonsault combo but lands on Seven’s knees, lowbridge by Jones but Joey saves himself, the crowd cheering Joey on. Back inside, Seven with the Fireman’s Carry, transitions into a Cutter, Jones pops back up and Seven hits him with the clothesline to eliminate Jones to a HUGE pop!

Winner via Elimination – Joey Seven

Jason King would enter the ring and demand a microphone, congratulating Joey after his victory and calling Jones back for his forfeit, Jones having guaranteed he would win. Jones tries sneaking out the back as Grayson Reeves comes out to a huge cheer, his injured knee having sidelined him unfortunately. Chants of “Wiener” by the crowd, as Grayson asks the crowd if anybody had given out spoilers? Jones music plays and he comes out in a hotdog outfit! Huge chants of “Wiener” as Jones is forced to walk around the ring. Grayson offers Jones a truce for their year long feud, if Jones says just one word. “You are not a winner, not even a loser, you are a…”

Jones looks in disgust, then an anguished cry of “Wiener!” to huge cheers from the Reach Army, and then another cry of “Wiener”, before Jones turns around into a Flatliner by King. Afterwards, Grayson admits there is a huge announcement, mentions their pride in the growth of Reach Wrestling over the last twelve months, and the growth will just continue: In 365 days’ time, they will be in the Guild Hall in front of 800 people! Huge chants of “REACH” by a very happy Reach Army. This was a huge announcement and the reaction was very positive, it’s big step to attempt the Guild Hall in twelve months’ time but demonstrates the overall growth of the company, and the confidence of King and Grayson in their product. They’ve played it just right so far, they have created a set base at the Plymouth School of Creative Arts with regular family events every two months that have a strong following, they’ve had an Over-18s event at nearby Walkabout in February with another coming along in August, broadening out to another different audience, and have expanded to just one location so far, the Bodmin Jail, so that’s three different prospective audiences that would be interested in such a huge event, so 800 tickets isn’t impossible, especially with a year of build-up. I was surprised to see Seven win the match, I felt the most likely options were either Jones or a surprise entrant such as Joseph Miller, but with neither of those in the match and King not winning, Seven would be the most popular choice. It is a dangerous choice, Seven has lost his first two matches but such a big victory could have a taint of favouritism, Reach have booked him just right so far but he’s still a raw element that needs looking after and crafting. For me, if Seven is going to have his choice of a Title shot, then there are three possible options for it:

1. Choose to face the winners of the Tag Team Tournament. It allows Seven to continue learning from a more experienced wrestler, possibly King due to Grayson’s long term injury, it makes the Tag Team Titles feel important and there won’t be a resentment of Seven being overpushed if he went for the Reach Championship. Seven can even sell it as the Tag Team Championship having been his favourite Division as a child and he wants to experience at least once a Tag Team Championship.
2. Choose to face for the Reach Heavyweight Championship but do so at an event where the Tag Team Championship Final is main eventing. Allows Seven to challenge for the Championship but without feeling too much too soon, the match could be the Semi Main Event and Seven can be protected from overexposure.
3. Chooses to face for the Reach Heavyweight Championship but choose Reach: Invasion 2 at the Bodmin Jail. It would similar sense to when Rob Van Dam cashed in at ECW One Night Stand, home advantage with a huge support network, similar to how the Bodmin audience loved Seven (seriously, the pop was ridiculously loud).

I’ve liked Seven in his appearances so far, he has a great look, sells well, has a connection with the audience and possesses a good babyface fire to battle back against the heel. However, he also still has a stiffness to his appearance, his lack of experience meaning he still overthinks his next move, it hasn’t become natural to him yet. I’m worried about audiences turning against him if he challenges for the Reach Championship, as I’ve always heard minor murmurs of feeling he’s being overpushed, and that’s when he’s only won a single match out of three? Seven has the potential of being a popular member of the roster, and the point of the Reach Academy is to create a strong roster, but just like it would be too soon for Reach to try running a show in London or the Plymouth Pavilions, it would be too soon for Seven to challenge for the Reach Championship in a main event, unless you book it just right. However, Reach has earned my trust, so I shall wait to see.

Reach Championship Final:

Joel Redman Vs ‘English Lion’ Eddie Ryan

“Time to lace up your boots, and prepare for war, tape up your wrists and march on out the door, Victory is determined by the bravery of the bold, as they prepare for sacrifice on their Journey…For Gold. Upon the Squared Circle stepped eight men, who all believed they would win and thereby progress. A Cowboy was shot down, a Flexing celebrity was beaten, a Country Boy was outwrestled and a Showstealer couldn’t achieve success.

Our tournament was left with an English Lion, a Man Born 4 Wrestling, the Next representative of wrestling excellence, and a pearl of brilliance shrouded in dirt. They had all achieved victory against the odds, and now with momentum on their side, they hoped to win again and reassert. Whoever won would climb the mountain, and meet their equal, the one man who may end their tourney. Ryan, Grayson, Redman and Riley focused on Gold and attempted to successfully complete their journey.

As the dust settled, the blood dripped and the sweat stained the mat, the pearl was left betrayed and disqualified, a manipulation of fact, whilst the man to whom wrestling was born, his chances died in his land of birth, and the Lion cemented himself as an equal on his home turf. As the clock ticked, tocked, ran down the clock, the sands of time grew from minutes since, to days past, and months afar, until the grains reached three hundred and sixty five days later. The Lion, Eddie Ryan, the conqueror of the flexing celeb and a pillar of the company, shall stand across from Joel Redman, the one man he’s never defeated, never pinned, his duplicator.

The bell shall ring, and two behemoths will meet. They will battle, strike, bleed, stagger, but will refuse defeat. They will fight until they cannot stand, they will throw every weapon, every move, every strike will land. The crowds will cheer, the Army will boo, they will jump and wince, every emotion stricken anew. But in the end, once exhaustion and pain will overwhelm those involved, the question for our journey will be solved.

There will be one man, one victor. They will stop, breathe, and feel the moment, the history engulf them, live it. Ryan or Redman, one will stand, body teeming in sweat and blood, staggering to the ropes, struggling to stand, unable to believe it. Until they see that which they battled for: the Reach Heavyweight Championship. Challengers will rise, Champions will fall, history books will fill with names and verse. But no member of the Reach Army will forget where they were when they saw the unveiling, not of just any Champion…

But the first.”

Huge match feel during the build-up, as Cameron shows the Championship to the crowd and both competitors, Redman full of heat whilst there is a huge following behind Ryan. These two once faced each other at ACT 3, ending in a twenty-minute time limit draw that had Redman on top for the majority of the match, but here there will have to be a winner. Stand off between the two, Redman offering a handshake, which Ryan accepts, and they back off one another, to huge chants of “Eddie”, you could cut the tension with a knife. Redman starts off with a wrenching of Ryan’s left arm, who retreats to the corner. Test of strength, where again Redman yanks and manipulates the left arm, stamping on the elbow, causing Ryan to retreat to the corner again. Redman locks in a Crossface on the Ryan, Ryan gets to the ropes but is already frustrated with himself as Redman has controlled the entirety of the match, huge chants of “Eddie” kick in. Ryan rolls out, then comes back in and hits a dropkick to cheers, hits a Pumphandle Fallaway Slam, Ryan is now back on top, he jumps off the second rope but Redman reverses into a Spinebuster, two count on Ryan and the crowd applauds. Redman with the Diving Knee Drop off the second rope for another two count, follows up by locking in a headscissors submission, more chants for Eddie. Redman grounds Ryan by kneeing him in the head and attacking the left knee. Redman mounts a down Ryan and attacks him with punches, leaving the crowd frustrated on Ryan’s behalf. Ryan is on the apron, Redman baseball slides through the legs and drops Ryan face first onto the apron, and Ryan’s struggling badly, his left arm and knee leaving him weakened and Redman’s pace and mat wrestling is leaving Ryan overwhelmed, chants of “Come On Eddie!” ringing out.

Redman clears the timekeeper table and brings it over, picking Ryan up but Ryan slides off and hits Redman with a Full Nelson onto the apron. Redman suplex Ryan from the outside apron to the inside of the ring, goes up top but Ryan catches him, only for Redman to hit a Sunset Flip Powerbomb! Cameron starts counting, gets to two and then catches Redman’s feet on the ropes, Redman and Cameron start shoving each other, Redman turns into a Superkick from Ryan, who hits an Avalanche, one, two, thr-kick out by Redman! Ryan brings in the table, the referee questioning him, as Ryan asks the audience if he should use it? Ryan lifts Redman up but it knocks Cameron out by accident, Redman slides off and kicks Ryan in the nether regions and climbs up top, only for Ryan to catch him and Superplex Redman through the table! The referee wakes up, starts the slow count, one, two, th-Redman kicks out! Ryan and Redman exchange some punches, Cameron is down again, hard chops exchanged, Running Uppercuts in the corner, Ryan with a Full Nelson Slam, he has the momentum, he hits a lovely Canadian Destroyer (possible shout out to Grayson), and then a Piledriver, goes for the cover, the crowd is chanting as the referee counts, one, two, thre-REDMAN KICKS OUT! The crowd is chanting loudly for “Eddie”, as their eponymous hero motions for a Piledriver. Cameron staggers up, Ryan goes for the Superkick but Redman pulls Cameron in front! Cameron is down, Redman with the Running Knee to Ryan, then Redman rolls out and grabs the timekeeper’s bell, only for Jason King to run down! King into the ring, and he takes the bell off Redman, who punches King down, and then Charlie Sterling appears! Sterling motions to cash in but can’t find the bell, he throws it into the ring, Ryan hits Redman with the bell, the referee is up as Ryan goes for the cover, one, two, Sterling pulls Cameron out! Redman takes the opportunity to grabs the bell, hits Redman, but Redman kicks out at two, as Grayson hobbles down the staircase, throwing Sterling out from ringside! Redman grabs the ring bell and chucks it to Ryan drops and acts like he’s been hit, reminiscent of his actions against Dick Riley at Final Four, but Cameron is still down, Redman gets up and Ryan tries it himself, just as Cameron gets up and sees Redman holding the bell! Redman distracted, Ryan with the roll up, one, two, Redman kicks out, Ryan goes for a Tombstone Piledriver but Redman reverses into his own Tombstone, two count on Ryan and Redman transitions into the Crossface in the middle of the ring! Ryan is scrabbling for the ropes, he’s too far away, he won’t tap, and Ryan goes limp…Cameron call for the bell, the match is over, he grabs the Reach Championship and rewards it to Joel Redman.

Winner via Knock-Out and the NEW Reach Champion – Joel Redman

Redman would pose with the belt as he basks in the shocked expressions of the fans around him. After Redman left, Ryan would come to, and would stand in anguish, apologising to the audience, as they applaud him out. This match was a slow burner, starting off at a gradual pace and quickening, building up the momentum until it reached a crescendo, tying in Redman’s heel tactics against Dick Riley, the previous draw with Ryan, Ryan’s underdog babyface fire, Charlie Sterling’s ongoing hatred for Ryan, Ryan’s undefeated record, twelve months of storytelling coming together in a gut punch of an ending. I will freely admit that prior to this event, I thought the most likely result would be that Sterling would win the Briefcase, Ryan would win the Championship and then Sterling would cash in that night, finally scratching that insatiable itch from the last twelve months. It seemed too obvious that the babyface hero, Ryan, would battle against the odds and defeat the one man who he hasn’t beaten in Redman, so surely the twist would be the use of the briefcase? And for the briefest of moments, in a smart case of booking, Reach teased that inevitability, pointed in that direction. But then, in a brief but shocking moment, Grayson came down to ringside, blending story and subtext as he sends Sterling backstage, a mixture of on-screen authority figure wanting a clean finish (just like Jason King did earlier), and the off-screen booker telling the fans “you think you know what’s next, but I’ll surprise you” and in the end, yes, the result surprised me, I never expected Redman to win, but the truth is, it makes perfect sense. Redman had shown himself as having better stamina and ability than Ryan in their first match, and in the end, Ryan couldn’t battle past that. Ryan may be a tremendous babyface, but he’s not Superhuman, his tremendous undefeated streak over the last twelve months hit an inevitability, someone better than him. By losing to Redman, Ryan has proven himself that best type of hero, one who is determined and capable, but all too human and beatable. Where Ryan goes from here is an interesting question to have, as the looks he gave afterwards suggested a man beaten not just in the ring, but his spirit mildly broken.

Redman is a very well deserved first Champion, he has a great look, tremendous stamina and cardio, and his wrestling ability is unquestioned, his talent is to the level that he controls every match he’s featured in so far. Redman has a tremendous reputation in British Wrestling and is a big enough name to give legitimacy to the Championship, but also relatively local enough (he’s from Exeter, the Derby rivals of Plymouth) that it’s believable he would lead a South West-based wrestling company. Redman can go on to become a great defending Champion, gaining recognition for the Championship, but even more, whoever defeats Redman will get the rub of an unconquerable villain, who had already defeated Reach stalwarts such as Josh Knott, Dick Riley, and now the face of Reach Wrestling, Eddie Ryan. I’d felt for a while that a heel Champion would be the best choice as the first Reach Champion, naming ‘Bronco’ Brendan White as my own preference, but Redman is the perfect pick, and he has legitimate challengers who can face him now, whether Ryan in a rematch, Riley in revenge for being screwed out of his opportunity, Charlie Sterling after having won the Briefcase, Joey Seven after having won the Battle Royal, wrestling legends such as Jody Fleisch, and that doesn’t take into consideration any new competitors making their way to Reach Wrestling, such as TNR2’s upcoming attraction…David Starr. Overall, this match was frenzied, emotional, and worthy of crowning the first ever Reach Champion.

This might be Reach Wrestling’s strongest event, worthy of a one-year anniversary. Whether a brilliant opener featuring six undoubted stars in the first ever ladder match that had the crowd rocking all the way through; whether a fun tag team match featuring a strong debuting team and the strongest performance of a South West favourite yet; whether an opportunity to see two of the British best meet in a Semi-Main Event in a blend of technical wrestling, high flying and excitement; whether a fun Battle Royal that combined wrestlers from Reach’s past and possible future with an ongoing year-long storyline that possibly culminated in a fun but ridiculous manner; or a tremendous main event featuring two of the best booked wrestlers in Reach Wrestling history that ended in a shocking result that leaves the audience uncertain but curious of the future ahead of them. Whether looking at the pacing or the running order or performances, there is very little that can be complained about. When the biggest issue is most likely that the Reach Tron wasn’t working for once and yet you barely care because the action has your attention, you know you’re being spoiled. The biggest compliment I may be able to give this event is that less than two days prior, a mate of mine decided last minute to come along, and within an hour of the event finishing, he’d paid for a ticket to TNR2. 365 Days Later did the almost impossible, not only did it celebrate the year prior in a rewarding manner that the faithful Reach Army could love and appreciate, but it also made a huge step on their journey forward for the next year whilst also drawing new fans in. Eight events in, including an Over-18s special and a Bodmin-based original, and I can confirm that every time I watch Reach Wrestling, I feel like I’ve never wasted any time watching a match, that I’m always watching something special, that I feel I am being rewarded for watching. Not only will I be there in August at Thursday Night Reach 2, but I shall be there in one year’s time, sat at the Guild Hall, watching history unfold. Hope to see you there, 365 Days later.

@BigBadaBruce

@Rasslinblogs

#TeamRB