Welsh Wrestling

Welsh Wrestling
Founded 2005
Style Professional wrestling
Sports entertainment
Headquarters Wales, United Kingdom
Founder(s) Alan Ravenhill
Website WelshWrestling.com

Welsh Wrestling is the only national Welsh professional wrestling promotion. Neath-based Alan Ravenhill is the founder and promoter of the group, which was established in 2004 and holds live events all across the country.

Overview

Welsh Wrestling is the only national Welsh professional wrestling promotion, holding live professional wrestling events across the length and breadth of Wales.

Welsh Wrestling at Porthcawl's Grand Pavilion in October 2014

The shows combine athleticism, drama and fun, with each having the primary goal of giving each paying customer an enjoyable and action-packed night out. The product is family-orientated sports entertainment, catering for adults and especially children, while aiming to provide humour, excitement and overall enjoyment for both.

The actual wrestling is hybrid of American wrestling and traditional British wrestling, with contests most often contested under ‘one-fall’ rules. Each match is overseen by a referee, dressed in traditional bow-tie and shirt, with a smartly-attired MC hosting the evening's entertainment.

Wrestlers on the card will typically be larger-than-life, both in persona and physique – with the heroes drawing influence from wrestling stars like Hulk Hogan, Big Daddy and Rey Mysterio and the villains bringing with them traits popularised by past performers Kendo Nagasaki, Ravishing Rick Rude, Superstar Billy Graham and others.

Welsh Wrestling at Trecco Bay in August 2015

Throughout each year, the roster perform in front of several thousand fans at primarily theatre-based venues. The live events run around two hours in duration, with a short interval, and are typically headlined by either a Battle Royal, Royal Rumble or multi-man tag team match, with an array of singles bouts on the undercard.

At the conclusion of each event, Welsh Wrestling offers a Backstage Pass – allowing spectators to meet the evening's wrestlers, take photographs with them and collect autographs. Traditional wrestling merchandise, including foam hands, is commonplace at the shows, and adds to the colourful, carnival-like atmosphere.

The Welsh Wrestling touring roster consists of wrestlers with experience from WWE, TNA Wrestling, National Wrestling Alliance, Ohio Valley Wrestling, Michinoku Pro Wrestling and promotions across Europe. WWE NXT athletes Oliver Grey[1] and Gavin Reid[2] worked extensively for Welsh Wrestling prior to signing their developmental contracts and moving to the United States.

International stars

In the early days of Welsh Wrestling, international talents including Billy Kidman, Chad Collyer and Joe E. Legend were brought in for various big events. However, in recent years the promotion has maintained a policy of promoting quality domestic talent. Among the WWE superstars to have plied their trade in a Welsh Wrestling ring are the former Intercontinental Champion, Wade Barrett. Promoter Alan Ravenhill also helped to introduce Impact Wrestling star Rob Terry to the wrestling business, after a chance encounter in the Swansea area in the mid-2000s. Through his association with Orig Williams, Ravenhill has been a long-time advocate of North Wales grappler Mason Ryan.

Celebrity involvement

In 2012, former Liberal Democrat MP and media personality Lembit Opik became embroiled in a feud with Welsh Wrestling's Kade Callous, with the dispute covered by The Guardian,[3]The Daily Express,[4] The Daily Mirror,[5] The Daily Mail,[6] The Metro,[7] The Daily Star,[8] The Independent,[9] The Telegraph[10] and The Huffington Post.[11]

The key incidents between the two, culminating in a tag team match in Welshpool, drew television coverage on both BBC News[12] and ITN News,[13] as well as entertainment programmes The Wright Stuff and Have I Got News For You. National radio station talkSPORT also covered the story, which appeared on the MSN, AOL[14] and Orange[15] websites and spread as far as Albania,[16] Croatia[17] and Opik's homeland of Estonia.[18]

Premiership footballer and Wales captain Ashley Williams of Swansea City has also appeared in Welsh Wrestling,[19] participating in an in-ring angle with Mean Tommy Dean.

Venues

South Wales

Mid, North and West Wales

Holiday camps

Grand Slam Wrestling

Welsh Wrestling also hold wrestling events in England under the Grand Slam Wrestling banner, in towns including Abingdon, Bude, Banbury, Brackley, Cheltenham,[51] Crewe,[52] Colne,[53] Congleton,[54] Craven Arms, Didcot, Eastbourne, Henley-on-Thames, Kidlington, Kettering, Newbury, Oswestry, Ormskirk, Oxford, Plymouth, Poole, Reading, Walburton, Witney and Weymouth. These shows typically use a similar structure, ethos and talent pool as the Welsh Wrestling shows.

Roster

The Welsh Wrestling touring roster typically consists of 8–12 heavyweight and super heavyweight wrestlers at any one time, with light heavyweights and guest talent featuring often as further attractions. Women's matches are a rarity in Welsh Wrestling, but have been known to occur as a special attraction.

Super heavyweights

  • Big Dog
  • Bison Brody
  • Grizzly Jones
  • Kade Callous

Heavyweights

  • James Mason
  • John 'The Machine' Titan
  • Mean Tommy Dean
  • 'Mr. Irresistible' Iestyn Rees
  • Rocco Berretta
  • Stevie Starr
  • Tagori
  • 'The Fame' Robbie Caine

Light heavyweights

  • Magico
  • "Wild Boar" Mike Hitchman
  • "Kid Cymru" Gethin Williams

Jishin Katayama

  • jay Russo

"Flash" Morgan Webster

Welsh Heavyweight Championship

History

The inaugural Welsh Heavyweight Champion was crowned at a special "King of the Castle" tournament in Harlech on 1 May 2010, run in association with Cadw at the Harlech Castle site.[55] The six-man tournament consisted of three singles matches, which saw contenders Dafydd Rhys, The Saint and JD Knight eliminated. The final match was contested under triangle rules, and saw James Mason defeat both Kade Callous and Danny Garnell to win the championship. The present Welsh Heavyweight Champion is Stevie Starr, while Kade Callous holds the record for longevity, with a reign of 480 days.[56]

Champions

Location Champion Date won Via Previous champion
Barry, Wales Stevie Starr (4) Friday 3 June 2016 Pinfall over Kade Callous in three-way elimination match John 'The Machine' Titan
Merthyr Tydfil, Wales John 'The Machine' Titan (2) Sunday 10 April 2016 Pinfall Kade Callous
Blackwood, Wales Kade Callous (4) Saturday 16 January 2016 Pinfall John 'The Machine' Titan
Barry, Wales John 'The Machine' Titan Thursday 29 May 2015 Won tournament for vacant title N/A
Llanelli, Wales Kade Callous (3) Monday 16 February 2015 Pinfall Stevie Starr
Tenby, Wales Stevie Starr (3) Thursday 31 July 2014 Pinfall Kade Callous
Barry, Wales Kade Callous (2) Thursday 29 May 2014 Pinfall Stevie Starr
Swansea, Wales Stevie Starr (2) Saturday 27 April 2013 Pinfall Bison Brody
Maesteg, Wales Bison Brody (2) Thursday 21 February 2013 Pinfall Iestyn Rees
Cardiff, Wales Iestyn Rees Sunday 23 September 2012 Pinfall Bison Brody
Blaengarw, Wales Bison Brody Friday 13 July 2012 Pinfall Mean Tommy Dean
Machynlleth, Wales Mean Tommy Dean Friday 6 July 2012 Referee stoppage Stevie Starr
Llanelli, Wales Stevie Starr Wednesday 15 February 2012 Pinfall Kade Callous
Builth Wells, Wales Kade Callous Saturday 23 October 2010 Pinfall James Mason
Harlech, Wales James Mason Saturday 1 May 2010 Pinfall Won Tournament

Affiliation

Welsh Wrestling is Wales' representative in the UEWA (Union of European Wrestling Alliances),[57] which recognises the Welsh Heavyweight Championship as the country's premier title. As part of their membership, the promotion has hosted one of the few European Heavyweight Championship title matches on UK soil[58] and sent light heavyweight standout Wild Boar to represent them at the inaugural European Cruiserweight Championship tournament in Oslo, Norway.[59]

External links

References

  1. ↑ "WWE Oliver Grey profile". WWE. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  2. ↑ "WWE Gavin Reid profile". WWE. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  3. ↑ "Lembit watch". London: The Guardian. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  4. ↑ "Oh pick on someone your own size Lembit Opik". The Daily Express. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  5. ↑ "Carried out on a stretcher: See how Lembit Opik ended up as the fall guy in bruising encounter with 18 stone wrestler". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  6. ↑ Allen, Emily (15 April 2012). "Lembit Opik dragged into the ring by 18-stone wrestler during match". London: The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  7. ↑ "Lembit Opik hospitalised after wrestling debut lasts just two minutes". The Metro. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  8. ↑ "KO for fall guy Lembit Opik". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  9. ↑ Norman, Matthew (16 April 2012). "A new outlet for Lembit's cheek". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  10. ↑ "Lembit Opik stretchered from wrestling match by paramedics". London: The Telegraph. 3 June 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  11. ↑ "Lembit Opik dragged into wrestling ring". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  12. ↑ "Ex-MP Lembit Opik 'black and blue' after wrestling bout". BBC News. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  13. ↑ "Former Lembit Opik dragged into wrestling ring". ITN News. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  14. ↑ "MP dragged into wrestling ring". AOL. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  15. ↑ "Wrestler drags Lembit Opik into the ring". Orange. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  16. ↑ "Albanian coverage". Albania. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  17. ↑ "Croatian coverage". Croatia. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  18. ↑ "Estonian coverage". Estonia. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  19. ↑ "Swans star is in the ring for fights night". South Wales Evening Post. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  20. ↑ "Coliseum: What's on? Live Superstars of Wrestling". Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  21. ↑ "Wrestling stars set for Barry's Memo". Barry and District News. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "Welsh Wrestling - Live Events". Welsh Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
  23. ↑ "WW @ Blaenavon". WrestlingData.com. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  24. ↑ "Welsh Wrestling". UKFF. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  25. ↑ "Former Welsh MP Lembit Opik gets ready for the wrestling ring". Gwent Gazette. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  26. ↑ "Live Superstars of Wrestling". Ticketline UK. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  27. ↑ "Live wrestling in Cwmbran. Interview with The Big Dog.". WordPress. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  28. ↑ "Friday's pro wrestling events". Gerweck.net. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  29. ↑ "Live Superstars of Wrestling". Carmarthenshire Theatres. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  30. ↑ "Wrestling – Maesteg date for Welsh Wrestling". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  31. ↑ "Live Superstars of Wrestling: Kade Callous, Iestyn Rees, Tommy Dean, Magico". Ents24. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  32. ↑ "Shows Calendar". Three Count Magazine. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  33. ↑ "Live Superstars of Wrestling". Bridgend County Council. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  34. ↑ "Live Superstars of Wrestling". WhereCanWeGo.com. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  35. ↑ "Opportunity knocks for city wrestler with WWE dreams". South Wales Evening Post. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  36. ↑ "Welsh Wrestling at the Welfare Hall, Ystradgynlais, Wales, UK". CageMatch.net. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  37. ↑ "Welsh Wrestling Live Events". WelshWrestling.com. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  38. ↑ "Live Superstars of Wrestling – Wyeside Arts Centre". Wyeside. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  39. ↑ "Superstars of Wrestling – Caernarfon". TheTicketSellers. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  40. ↑ "Wrestlers' show can prove a hit with families". Carmarthen Journal. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  41. ↑ "Welsh Wrestling LIVE! in Colwyn Bay". Facebook. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  42. ↑ "Welsh Government – Welsh wrestling making history at Harlech Castle". Welsh Government. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  43. ↑ "Live wrestling heads for Lampeter in Ceredigion". ThisIsSouthWales.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  44. ↑ "Superstars of Wrestling – Llanrwst". WordPress. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  45. ↑ "Wrestlers face off for April fund". The Free Library. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  46. ↑ "February 2012 Events @ The Queen's Hall, Narberth". The Free Library. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  47. ↑ "Superstars of Wrestling – LIVE at Pater Hall Pembroke Dock". Savvy Network. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  48. ↑ "A slamming night out for charity rumble". Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  49. ↑ "Lembit Opik hospitalised in wrestling debut". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  50. ↑ "Wrexham.com What's on Guide". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  51. ↑ "My Weekend of Wrestling". Blogspot. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
  52. ↑ "Wrestling comes to Crewe". Crewe Guardian. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  53. ↑ "Listings: October 26 – November 2". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  54. ↑ "Superstars of Wrestling – Congleton Town Hall". MumsInTheKnow. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  55. ↑ "King of the Castle wrestling at Harlech Castle". Cadw. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  56. ↑ "Welsh Heavyweight Championship history". Welsh Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  57. ↑ "UEWA website and members list". UEWA. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  58. ↑ "UEWA European Heavyweight Championship title history". UEWA. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
  59. ↑ "Norwegian Wrestling Federation stages UEWA European Cruiserweight Championship Tournament". The Wrestling Press. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
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