“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 looked back over the 365 DAYS gone past and rejoiced in victory.
But the time has now passed, and as the old blocks stumble and fall, they begin to look to the future. As the SECOND THURSDAY struck the calendar, we witnessed the standing of Men and Women in proclamation, crowned as their respective Champions.
They have laid the pathway for the RISE of those who follow the journey, who view the Titans of the ring and aim to join. But victory comes at a cost, and the darkness may set in soon, as we prepare for the cold and cruel unveiling, of WINTER.”
In a brief disclaimer, this event was actually the first I went to after I was prescribed anti-depressants to deal with anxiety and panic attacks that had been occurring prior. Because of this, I do apologise that the amount of detail in certain matches aren’t up to my usual standards, due to the difficulties I was experiencing. One positive in this situation, however, is that it turns out my friends who I see at the event were right: I would have regretted not going. The fact that despite being in a vulnerable state and uncomfortable in crowds, I still had a tremendous time. With that in mind, let’s move onto the show itself. In a really cool added inclusion, the ReachTron shows snow falling upon the Reach logo, the sort of small little details that adds to an image. The snow logo would mix with photos for Attitude Advisory Media (their official photography team, who get amazing action shots), the new Reach website, the upcoming matches for today, and reminders of previous shows. I noticed that the picture for Aurora Vs LA Taylor got a big cheer, which was a good sign.
Our ‘Main Event Referee’ Cameron comes out to a good reaction, and then was joined by MC Jonjo Obrey, who came out to a fun rendition of “Daddy Cool” by Boney M, hyping the crowd. MC Obrey starts off with some bad news, as not only have they had Reach Wrestling mainstays Beano and ‘Dirty’ Dick Riley recently get injured (with Beano’s opponent ‘The Winner’ PJ Jones getting a replacement match and Riley’s opponent Kian Fox being given the night off), but last night Big Grizzly also got injured (was meant to feature in the main event against Reach Wrestling Champion Joel Redman), and because of this, there would be changes ahead for the card. I remember when I was younger, buying a VHS tape of ECW’s Guilty As Charged ’99, and the opening of the video featured Paul Heyman admitting there were several injuries and wrestlers who couldn’t make it. During the opening, Heyman informed the audience that rather than lie to those who bought tickets, they want to be honest and still put on a tremendous show. What always kept in my memory about this, was that the honesty of the moment made me more open to ECW, as I felt they were less likely to mess me around. During MC Obrey’s opening, I was reminded of the honesty from Heyman when doing his own PPV, and whilst there was a brief moment of disappointment at the announcement, it meant that the crowd quickly moved on and were interested in what would happen next, it created a feeling of spontaneity and a possibility of something different occurring.
Jason King Open Challenge:
Jason King takes on…Blake Harrison!
Jason King comes out in tights with smiley Jack Skeleton-esque faces on them, white boots attached, taking in a good reaction from the crowd. The challenge is answered by a masked man attacking him from behind, who would unmask to reveal himself as…Blake Harrison, who had recently cut a promo at Thursday Night Reach 2 on Reach Wrestling. Blake would hit a leg drop on King as he’s draped across the apron and bottom rope, to a chorus of huge boos and a chant of “t***”. Blake would hit a Boot to King’s face to knock him down, choking him with his T-Shirt, and then hit an Inverted DDT on King for a two-count, as a huge chant for “Jason” begins. King battles back with a Slingshot Sunset Flip on Blake, gaining a two count, only for Blake to cut him off with a Spinning Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count of his own. As Blake continues his attack on King, a huge chant of “Let’s Go Jason” kicks up, causing Blake to shout at the crowd “shut up, you t***”, hitting a Chokeslam for another two count. King attempts a Superplex, but Blake knocks him off the ropes, only for King to quickly scamper back up to hit a Top Rope Overhead Belly-To-Belly Suplex! King follows up with a Schoolboy for a two count, hits Blake with an Atomic Drop, then an inverted Atomic Drop and a Dropkick as the crowd is rocking. King hits a Middle Rope Cross Body as the crowd cheers, motions for and hits the Flatliner, covers, one, two, three, King wins to a huge reaction.
Winner Via Pinfall – Jason King
This was a great opener as it got the crowd hot and frenzied very quickly, the inclusion of Blake Harrison as the opponent made complete sense, as he’s been having issues with Reach Wrestling for several months now. Blake generates good heat from the crowd, his arrogant and dismissive treatment of the crowd antagonising the audience and helping throw support behind the battling King. King has been unbeaten in Plymouth for several years now and having had the Open Challenge occur at the first ever Reach event The Beginning, it’s always a nice call back to the history of Reach Wrestling. With the crowd-pleasing victory to kick off the show, the crowd were already on a good high and ready for the next match.
Grudge Match:
LA Taylor Vs Aurora
Of all the matches that occurred at Reach Academy’s first show, The Rise, the one with the biggest reaction was the match between these two, having impressed the crowd and connected early. As Taylor entered the ring, her cocky attitude elicited strong boos from the audience, whilst Aurora came out in a glitzy jacket to huge cheers, and very quickly, this match had invoked some strong expectations from the audience. There was a little moment where as Aurora is circling the ring, interacting with the audience, she happened to notice Taylor and her smile turned to a grimace, this is such a good character action that adds to the story. Taylor is antagonistic to the crowd early, whilst Aurora leads the crowd in cheers and clapping along for momentum. They lock up and Taylor quickly overpowers Aurora, pushing her over into the corner, Aurora standing back up and motioning for support against the cocky Taylor. Aurora attempts a German Suplex, but Taylor is too strong, Aurora reverses a Suplex for a Roll-Up, Taylor kicks out and hits a clothesline to cut Aurora off. Taylor with a Splash in the corner, Aurora still backed by the crowd, Taylor misses a second Splash and Aurora with a Roll-Up, two count only and this time Taylor cuts Aurora off with a Big Boot for a two count of her own.
Taylor would hit a big Bodyslam once, twice, getting a two count only, and hitting another Splash on Aurora, who would start battling back with a huge boot and a Cross Body off the top for a two count. As Aurora would start hitting clotheslines, she would get huge support from the crowd, clapping and cheering as she would get a headscissors takedown and knees to Taylor in the corner. Aurora would motion for her Cross Armbreaker finisher, but Taylor would take control, motioning for a suplex and hitting it hard, both women down. Taylor would go for the legs of Aurora, who would kick Taylor away and hit a huge Release German Suplex. Aurora would quickly lock in the Cross Armbreaker, and Taylor would tap out to a huge ovation from a happy crowd.
Winner Via Submission – Aurora
Apart from one mistimed cue early on, these two worked really well together, utilising each other’s strengths and protecting one another as they told a solid, basic story. The miscue was actually a very important moment, as this was a situation where two young rookies could either allow themselves to panic and kill the crowd or rise to the occasion and impress. In that situation, Taylor hit Aurora down with a Clothesline, and it allowed them both a breather moment to regroup themselves, then rebuild the match from scratch. By the end of the match, they had done a good job that still hinted at a lot more potential to come. By allowing themselves to not panic, both Taylor and Aurora showed a level of maturity that belied their experience. Similar to Joey Seven’s first few appearances, both women may look a little stiff in their actions to start off with, but that comes with time and experience, what was more important was their involvement with the crowd.
Both women have a great handle on their characters, showing confidence in their interactions with the crowd, this is something that can’t be taught, it has to be natural, and they both have charisma and confidence in abundance. For instance, when Taylor came out to the ring, she very quickly made me think of Rhea Ripley, but not in terms of a bland copy, more with her own portrayal that was inspired by Ripley, full of attitude and tall stature. The attitude she gave the crowd quickly had them booing her, whilst Aurora has a natural underdog appearance and positive attitude that the crowd instantly loves. Both women have tremendous potential to come, and they also could have a good rivalry going ahead from here, their chemistry together coupled with their contrasting characteristics make them natural enemies, and I would gladly see them face one another again. Whilst they may be frustrated at the miscue, they should take tremendous confidence from how they dealt with it, how the crowd instantly connected to them both, and the fact they will only improve from here.
Tag Team Quarter-Final Tournament Match:
Heritage City Hitmen (Ricky Reed and David Eton)
Vs
Lance Cole and Lucian Phillips
With Man Like Dick (Beano & ‘Dirty’ Dick Riley) already confirmed as Finalists on one half of the tournament, it was time to witness the other half of the tournament, kicking off with the return of proud tag team specialists, Heritage City Hitmen. Coming out in a very cocky manner, it’s understandable considering they would be facing a makeshift team of two rivals, partnered together by a mischievous Jason King. Lance Cole would come out alone in his peacock-esque robe, posing for the crowd, whilst Phillips would come out to a good reaction from the crowd, Cole and he giving each other grief early on. A chant of “Anyone But Lance Cole” would start up as Lucian would motion for Cole to enter the ring, but instead, Cole would grab a microphone, announcing “My name is Lance Cole”, prompting Lucian to congratulate him for knowing his own name (I laughed, I won’t lie). Cole would refer to Lucian and himself as “Too Hot To Trot”, with Lucian instantly demanding Cole hand the microphone over. Cole then changes, referring to them both as “Beauty And The Beast”, saying how the men want to be Cole and the women love him, whilst the men are scared of Lucian and the women run from him. Lucian would get the microphone and describe himself as having “beast mode” with women, whilst Cole calls himself the Captain of “this weird thing” (Cole even brought out a Captain’s armband, which was an inspired moment). Lucian would inform Cole that he’s “something that begins with C”, and as the crowd reacts, the Hitmen attack both opponents. I have to say, this segment prior to the match was golden material, I couldn’t stop laughing and the entire crowd loved the segment, getting them hyped up.
Cole would battle back against the Hitmen and slap Lucian on the chest to tag him in, an unimpressed Lucian would respond with a chop that would leave Cole tip toeing around the ring in pain. The next tag would be Cole slapping Lucian in the face to get Lucian in, and during all this time, Reed has been suffering punishment from both men. Lucian would tap Cole’s face to get in, and then Irish Whip Cole into Reed in the corner, shouting that “he’s the Captain”. Lucian would hit a Senton for a two count, which would elicit a reluctant applause from Cole. Lucian would then hit a chop on Reed, and ask the crowd for one more, with Cole shouting “the Captain said one more”! Eton would get a sneaky tag and take control of Lucian, Cole screaming abuse like “come on, you idiot” and “tag your Captain” at Lucian because of it. Cole would then tell a woman in the crowd to “shut your mouth! Put your teeth back in your face”. Lucian would begin battling back against Eton to good support from the crowd, hitting a back suplex to cheers, but Eton holds onto Lucian’s leg to prevent the tag (great tag team psychology from Eton), causing one fan to shout at the Hitmen, and Cole quips “You tell him”. Reed and Eton combine with a Subset Flip/Dropkick combo for a two count on Lucian. Lucian starts battling back, wiping out both Hitmen, swinging Eton into Reed and then slamming Eton, before hitting Reed with a Lariat and getting a hot tag to Cole.
Cole is a house on fire and getting huge cheers from the crowd, screaming “Captain” as he beats both Hitmen down as the crowd support him. Lucian and Cole start arguing over who will finish the match, with the Hitmen taking advantage with dual Schoolboys. Cole and Lucian hit a dual Uranage and Neuraliser on Eton and Reed for a double two count, which leads to Cole and Lucian arguing over it. Hitmen take advantage with a back suplex and Neckbreaker combo on Lucian, one, two, Lucian kicks out. Lucian with babyface fire, battling back with a Spinebuster on Eton, Cole then hits a Top Rope Splash onto Eton, and then Lucian headbutts Cole, who falls on top of Eton, one, two, three.
Winner Via Pinfall – Lance Cole and Lucian Phillips
I normally am annoyed about tag team matches where the makeshift team beat a confirmed tag team, but in this situation, the story told throughout helped convince me that I wanted Cole and Phillips to win. Whilst the attention was undoubtedly on Cole and Phillips, Reed and Eton played their part very well by offering someone for Lucian and Cole to bounce off of, their more straight laced style allowing the ridiculousness of Cole and Lucian to be more expressive. From the start, the crowd were highly involved, with a good ongoing story of the rivalry between Cole and Lucian and was just tremendous fun throughout. In all honesty, I can’t remember the last time I just laughed with genuine fun throughout, Cole was at his absolute best in his peacocking, cocky Captain role, with Lucian as a no-nonsense ballbuster against him. I legitimately cannot wait to see Lucian and Cole team up again, especially as after the match, Lucian would steal Cole’s armband, put it on his own arm, and then Cole out nonchalantly over his shoulder. This would lead into the half time break, with a raffle being put on for an Independent T-Shirt featuring signatures from every wrestler who appeared at Thursday Night Reach 2. Cameron would actually be late out for the second half, so MC Obrey would jokingly take a seat in the ring whilst waiting.
Singles Match:
‘The Winner’ PJ Jones Vs NIWA
Following the confirmation of Beano’s injury, NIWA was announced as his replacement, to the excitement of the Reach Army. The agreement was that if Jones won the match, he would gain the vacant Reach Contract, following the unsuccessful attempt by Eddie Ryan at Thursday Night Reach 2. Jones would enter the match sans wiener suit, whilst NIWA would come out to a good reaction. NIWA would send Jones flying straight away with a push to huge support from the crowd. NIWA knocks Jones down and hits a Tiltawhirl Backbreaker for a one count only. Jones sent out of the ring, NIWA follows with a huge Superkick and a chop to the delight of the rocking audience, only for NIWA to whack his right arm against the post. Exchange of chops, Jones brings the briefcase in and then stomps NIWA out of the ring, chants of “Let’s Go NIWA” ringing around the arena. NIWA with a big delayed suplex for a close two count, Tiltawhirl front slam for another two count, and the crowd are fully behind NIWA, lots of stamping and clapping along in support. Jones would hit a front Dropkick, then a Rolling Fireman’s Carry and a gorgeous Moonsault off the top rope for a close two count. NIWA would retaliate with an Uranage and a Senton for another two count, Jones begging off to lull NIWA in and throw him into the corner. Jones would roll out of the ring to grab a chair, but referee Cameron would try stopping him, grabbing the chair off him, and as Cameron turned away, Jones grabbed the briefcase, swinging for NIWA, but NIWA ducks and the briefcase bounces off into Jones’ face! NIWA grabs Jones and hits a Sit-Out Powerbomb, one, two, three, NIWA wins in his Reach Wrestling debut.
Winner Via Pinfall – NIWA
This was a very impressive debut by NIWA, his offence was smooth and explosive in the ring, whilst the crowd loved NIWA from the first moment. NIWA was an impressive capture by Reach Wrestling, and hopefully he enjoyed himself enough that he would want to return. Meanwhile, Jones was his usual solid self, displaying some chemistry with NIWA and coming close to winning the Reach Contract. I actually think the Reach Contract would suit Jones’ character much better than most, so I was surprised to see him lose this match, unless Beano was originally meant to go over (often, replacements will go over in matches as a method to keep the fans happy). Either way, this was a fun match with a hot crowd throughout.
Tag Team Quarter-Final Tournament Match:
‘Bronco’ Brendan White and ‘Country Big’ Josh Knott
Vs
Joey Seven and Danny Steele
With Lucian Phillips and Lance Cole having succeeded in one Quarter-Final, this time we get to see the longest aligned team in ‘Bronco’ and Knott (having first come together at The Second Coming) take on two of the least experienced members of the roster. ‘Bronco’ comes out first alone to a chorus of boos, stealing a hat off an audience member and throwing it onto the floor, mocking the crowd’s clapping and even ripping a fan’s sign. Knott would also enter to a chorus of boos as ‘Bronco’ would applaud his partner. As their opponents began to enter, with the crowd getting excited, ‘Bronco’ would make fun of the Reach Army by going “Oh My Gawd, Joey Seven”. Seven himself was proudly showing off his Reach Academy Title to a huge ovation, as well as chants at Knott of “Where is Linda?”, referencing the beloved blow-up sheep of events previously. Seven and Knott kick out, with Knott rushing out when Seven picks him up with ease, familiar with Seven’s strength following their ongoing feud since Reach: Invasion in Bodmin. ‘Bronco’ enters instead and demands Steele in the ring, which gains a huge ‘Danny’ cheer, the heat is huge in this match so far. ‘Bronco’ with the strength advantage, Steele uses his speed to knock ‘Bronco’ down and tag Seven in, the two Academy graduates focusing on the left arm of ‘Bronco’, who avoids an attack, leading Seven to take out Steele. Hard chop by Knott to Seven, cutting the ring off, until Steele gets the got tag, throwing kicks galore and hitting ‘Bronco’ with a German Suplex. ‘Bronco’ battles back and takes control of Steele, antagonising Seven into the ring whilst Knott attacks Steele in the corner, Seven leading support for Steele.
Seven gets knocked into the crowd by ‘Bronco’, who then hits a release vertical suplex on Steele, who still receives huge support and cheers from the crowd still. Steele a good face in peril as he gets beaten down, he throws both Knott and ‘Bronco’ into one another and then gets a hot tag. Seven hits body slams galore to huge ovations, taking on both men singlehandedly. Knott throws Seven out of the ring, but Steele with the blind tag and gets a Kimura Lock on Knott, who in desperation overhead suplexes Steele to escape. Knott tag to ‘Bronco’, Seven knocked off the apron and ‘Bronco’ hits a Moonsault for the three count.
Winner Via Pinfall – ‘Bronco’ Brendan White and ‘Country Big’ Josh Knott
‘Bronco’ and Knott both get booed heavily as they celebrate, with ‘Bronco’ demanding that MC Obrey announce them as the future Reach Tag Team Champions. Putting over Knott and ‘Bronco’ makes perfect sense here, as they’ve been the longest landing team in Reach Wrestling, ever since The Second Coming, and have recently been losing matches. The two of them are two of the most reliable wrestlers in Reach Wrestling and could have gone much further in the tournament for the Reach Championship. With the tremendous heat they generate every match, as well as their previous feud with Man Like Dick, it feels perfectly primed for the two of them to make their way to the Final of the Tag Team Tournament. Steele and Seven deserve credit for another solid performance from both men, they now look much more comfortable in the ring and more at ease with themselves, having gained some more experience that they required. Both men can take confidence from the connection they’ve gained with the audience, and I do feel there is potential for a strong team from the two, Seven as the powerhouse to Steele’s tough hitting, submission specialist.
Joel Redman would come out afterwards in preparation of the main event, interestingly to the song “Tattoo” by Big Mother Thruster, a song more well known as the theme song for Tough Enough Winner, Maven, so that was a wonderfully nostalgic moment. With the mention being made at the beginning of the night that Big Grizzly had suffered an injury, his replacement had been unknown all night to the audience. Redman would take the microphone, ridiculing the fact that Grizzly has a bad arm, citing that Grizzly was actually just afraid of facing “the best wrestler in the South West”. Redman would then reveal he had attempted to find a replacement himself, specifically the retired Chris Andrews, of early Reach Wrestling events fame, but Andrews wasn’t “man enough” to face him.. It was at this point that Redman would turn to the crowd and inform a heckling crowd member “Shut your mouth, you stupid cow”. After the shock subsided, Redman would tell the audience of how he decided to pick the toughest wrestler in the back, and announces his opponent…Dom.
Reach Championship Match:
Joel Redman defends against…Dom
Dom is an Academy graduate, portrayed as a small skinny lad in red boxers and blue kneepads and boots, with a huge support from the crowd. As the crowd cheers for Dom, Redman decides to make the match interesting, and officially puts the Reach Championship on the line. Dom would start off with attempting some chops, but an unfazed Redman would hit a vicious chop of his own to knock Dom down. Dom would get a sudden Schoolboy attempt, one, two, Redman kicks out! The crowd popped massively, cheering for Dom, but this has angered Redman and he knocks out Dom with a Running Knee. Redman would follow up with a Tombstone, and cover, one, two, three.
Winner Via Pinfall – Joel Redman
Redman celebrates the victory, preparing to hit another Tombstone on an unconscious Dom, only for Co-Owner Grayson Reeves to make a shock appearance! Grayson gets a huge response as he tends to Dom, and gets a microphone, motioning for referee Cameron to get the ropes for his injured leg, Cameron also keeping Redman away in support for Grayson. Grayson would announce his belief that the previous match was not worthy of a main event for Reach Wrestling, and as soon as they’d discovered Grizzly was injured the previous night, they had looked for a replacement. Grayson mentions that whilst Redman couldn’t convince Andrews, Grayson found somebody he could convince. Following arguments from Redman, Grayson admits that technically, the Championship had already been defended, so this would be a non-title match. Suddenly, Redman would attack Grayson, but before he can damage Redman’s leg, his opponent was revealed, and it’s Eddie Ryan!
Singles Match:
Joel Redman Vs Eddie Ryan
Ryan comes out in a Viking-esque kilt, and claw marks over his right eye, a much darker depiction of his character. Ryan instantly goes on the attack, chasing a desperate Redman up the stairs, Ryan much more vicious in his attacks, hitting some wincing chops. The two of them end up on the balcony, and Ryan threatens to push Redman over the side. Redman would escape and then try throwing Ryan over himself, a terrified Cameron getting security under the balcony just in case, only for Ryan to battle back and save himself. The two rivals battle back down the stairs, Redman entering the ring and bringing Ryan inside with a Middle Rope Vertical Suplex. An exchange of forearms on the inside, riotous support for Ryan, prompting Redman to snarl “come on Eddie, you b****”, Ryan attempting to battle back. Ryan hits a Middle Rope Uppercut, aims for a Superkick, Redman reverses and hits his own but bounces off the ropes into a Ryan Superkick! Ryan with the cover, one, two, Redman kicks out. Redman is able to hit three German Suplexes on Ryan, and shows a sly grin afterwards, pleased with himself despite the chants of “Redman sucks”. Redman aims for a Tombstone, but Ryan reverses and transitions into a Reverse Pumphandle Slam, then hits his version of the White Noise, covers, one, two, Redman kicks out again! Ryan looking for a Piledriver, reversal by Redman and he goes for his own, but Ryan back body drops Redman over. Ryan successfully hits the Superkick, follows up with the Alabama Slam, rolls on top, one, two, thr-Redman kicks out again!
Redman retaliates with a Powerbomb, and climbs up top, motions for and hits his patented Diving Knee Drop, covers Ryan, one, two, thr-Ryan kicks out! Redman, in frustration, goes up top again, but this time Ryan catches him, exchange of punches, and Ryan with the Superplex, covers, one, two, th-Redman still kicks out! Ryan digging deep in his repertoire as he hits a Canadian Destroyer on Redman, covers again, one, two, thre-REDMAN KICKS OUT AGAIN! The crowd are hot as hell as they chant “That Was Awesome”, Ryan grabs the Championship to cheers, Cameron tries to stop him, Redman with the Schoolboy and even pulls the tights, one, two, thr-Ryan kicks out, transition into a Redman Tombstone, covers Ryan, one, two, thr-RYAN KICKS OUT THIS TIME, but Redman transitions into the Crossface! Last time, Ryan passed out from the pain, and this time, Cameron checks on Ryan, whose hand drops twice, but he’s still alive at the third check, drags himself forward, scrabbling, and finally achieves the ropes, to huge cheers from the crowd. A frustrated Redman grabs the belt, Cam busy checking on Ryan, Redman knocks Cam down with the belt and sizes up Ryan. Redman with the shot, Ryan ducks, RED MIST TO REDMAN! Redman is blinded, Ryan with the Superkick, cover, one, two, three!
Winner Via Pinfall – Eddie Ryan
Whilst this match was tremendous fun with a chaotic air to it and a crowd-pleasing finish, it also told a good story. In their first two matches, Joel Redman had outwrestled Ryan massively, able to manipulate Ryan into playing Redman’s game and gradually breaking him down. However, this match showed a Ryan who had learned from these matches, and instead began an intense, pressing game that pressurised Redman and had Redman having to respond as oppose to control. Ryan’s much more vicious attacks upset Redman’s natural game plan and would lead to a more desperate style from Redman later on, and this is demonstrated in the last sequence. Redman had to utilise a Schoolboy pin with tights as he wanted to gain victory anyway he could, whereas previously Redman had been in control enough that he could aim for a more concrete finish. Ryan was actually treated more similar to when Redman faced Dick Riley, someone who had proved themselves as Redman’s equal. Even the Tombstone/Crossface combo, last time an example of how Redman was able to pre-empt any of Ryan’s attack, was this time demonstrative of a more desperate Redman trying to gain the victory in whatever way he could, falling back on tried and tested methods. The use of the red mist was also a fascinating touch, showing how Ryan was now more of an anti-hero as opposed to clean cut favourite, but also the colour choice of the mist being very referential to Ryan’s opponent, a subtle inclusion that I enjoyed.
After the match, Ryan would grab the Championship and hold it aloft, foot upon Redman’s chest, in a mocking manner reminiscent of Redman’s celebration at 365 Days Later, which the crowd cheered wildly for. Ryan would leave the Championship draped over Redman as he left, the Reach Army chanting “wakey wakey” towards the Exeter-born Champion. When Redman did recuperate, he would hold his Championship tight as he ran to safety backstage, his feelings of invincibility possibly broken a little more in his mind. The main event was very representative of the overall show, Reach Wrestling had to deal with three of their biggest stars having to pull out with injuries, something any company would struggle with (look at the desperation of WWE when just Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt suffered illnesses prior to TLC 2017), and yet, in a manner reminiscent of classic Paul Heyman ECW, instead it was admitted to publicly and Reach worked on dealing with it. It’s tremendously easy to put on a good show when everything goes to plan; it’s much more impressive when you achieve a great show when it feels everything that can go wrong, does so. Reach bought in two replacements, reorganised the matches, and rode the momentum of a hot, supportive crowd to put on an event without a single weak match. Every match either entertained the crowd, or told a story that the audience cared about, a surprisingly strong and consistent event despite the injuries, and leaves the roster in an interesting position for the upcoming events. When their backs were against the wall, Reach Wrestling stood up to the occasion, just like usual, and put on a cracking show. If this was the standard of show they had less than 48 hours to plan, then get yourself to another event and possibly witness something truly special…
#TeamRB
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