By Derek Burgan, Torch Media Guy

Torch DVD DoubleShot Review
IPWUK Extreme Measures
IPWUK Show 2!

IPWUK is a wrestling promotion based in Jolly Ol’ England and today we get a chance to look at their first two shows on DVD. Unfortunately the first show, Extreme Measures, is on a DVD that can only be played with whatever Region players the UK uses. I brought it over to a friend of mine, who has fooled around with his DVD player so that it plays DVDs from any region, but because I watched it on a different player I wasn’t able to get any screen caps. And that’s a damn shame because the show is loaded with talent including probably the funniest wrestler in America today, Colt Cabana, and Super Dragon, a wrestler who is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Cabana can be seen regularly in Ring of Honor shows while Dragon operates out of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

What stood out the most to me was that the shows didn’t look all that different from many of the indie shows I have seen over here. I’ve heard horror stories of wrestling in other countries that comes across so low rent that it makes backyard feds in America look like the WWE. This isn’t the case at all with IPWUK and they come across like a show I would see down in Boston. The crowds were about 100-150 for each show and in fact came across a lot like the AWA: Lethal Encounter show I reviewed recently, except not nearly as rowdy.

Extreme Measures



Colt Cabana was the special emcee for the evening and was just hilarious, although I’m not sure how well his humor translated to the crowd. As anyone who has seen the incredible show The Office can tell you, the style of humor over in England is a lot different than it is here. The format of the show was a tournament to face Super Dragon. The guy making it to the finals, Jonny Storm, can be seen in several ROH releases.

(1) The Assassin beat Shaun Avery.
(2) “Bad Boy” Jed Masters beat Spud.
(3) Tony “Superstar” Sexton beat Darren Burridge.
(4) “Wonderkid” Jonny Storm beat Rob Hunter.
(5) “Classic” Colt Cabana & Brookside beat “Rowdy’” Ricky Knight & Stevie Knight.
(6) Jonny Storm beat Jed Masters and The Assassin and Tony Sexton in a No Rules Fatal Four Way
(7) Super Dragon beat Jonny Storm.


Show 2!



(1) LDN Wrestling Guest Match: Cabritro vs. Hombre Del Veilo went double count out. These were the two whitest Lucha wrestlers in the history of wrestling.
(2) Samurai beat Flaming Red (w/Jetta). Jetta left with Sexy Eddy.
(3) 6 Man Tag Match: Stevie Knight & Team Charming (The Assassin & Jed Masters w/ 'Charming' Don Charles) beat Majik & 'Superstar' Tony Sefton & 'Flyin' Phil Powers.
(4) Aviv Maayan beat 'Thee' Drew Galloway (w/Charles Boddington).
(5) 'New Superstar' Stevie Douglas beat Leon Lionheart.
(6) No Rules Match: Paul Travell beat Flaming Red and Sexxxy Eddy (w/Jetta) in a Three Way Dance.
(7) - World Of Sport Rules: Robbie Brookside (w/Stevie Douglas) over The International Man of Mystery (w/Miss Amy) 2 falls to 1. After this match there was a big to-do with the International Man of Mystery being unmasked. It turned out to be SOME GUY, but Brookside was immediately jumped by Stevie Douglas in a pretty decent angle.

Here’s some shots from the show:

Cabritro about to German Suplex Hombre Del Veilo

This doesn't do justice to the severity of the suplex

"He's folded up like an accordian!" - Gorilla Monsoon

No, that's not the Sherminator, it's The Flaming Red (w/Jetta)

The Flaming Red, about to go through the 10 items or less aisle

The International Man of Mystery about to get unmasked

The shows have backstage promos, so that is an added bonus. Unfortunately there is no announcing crew, something I think would be a great asset to the shows. I would love to hear a European crew call a match if only to hear their dialect and expressions.

****

For those of you that live over in the UK, you might want to check out the next IPWUK show which includes both Super Dragon and former ROH champion Samoa Joe. For God’s sake, I’ve been waiting forever for ROH to have those two on the same card. The show also has El Generico, which is a guy who is starting to get a lot of press over here in America and is primed to blow up in 2005. CLICK HERE for tickets. Here’s some info on the show:

Venue: Orpington Halls, Orpington High Street, Orpington, Kent
Bell Time: 7:00 Doors Open: 6:30 March 20, 2005

MAKE or BREAK - No Rules Tornado Tag Team Match
‘New Superstar’ Stevie Douglas & Super Dragon vs. Aviv Maayan & El Generico

If Maayan Wins: Stevie Douglas is removed from the active IPW:UK roster.
If Douglas Wins: Stevie Douglas replaces Aviv Maayan as Best British high-flyer AND #1 contender to the IPW:UK title.
If Dragon Wins: TBC.
If Generico Wins: TBC.

A Round Robin Tournament with Martin Stone, Spud and SAMOA JOE. Yes, that Samoa Joe!

Overall Thoughts: What do you know, indie wrestling outside the United States isn’t all that different than the stuff we get here. I can give Extreme Measures a big thumbs up with highlights being Colt Cabana, Jonny Storm and of course, Super Dragon. I know I’m really looking forward to the next show with Super Dragon and SAMOA JOE! Show 2 has less star power but is perfectly indie good action. Right now you can only purchase these DVDs from the IPWUK website or SmartMark Video UK, so give them chance if you live “over the pond”, as they say, and are looking for some wrestling.

Torch Media Guy Derek Burgan has been writing for the PWTorch website for almost four years. If you have any questions, corrections, feedback, comments and ideas, he can be reached at: derek@gumgod.com

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