(W)retrospective- Toni Storm
Let’s be absolutely clear, the climb to the very top of the wrestling tree, can start here in South East QLD. Our local promotions may be the first rung on the ladder but it is all the same ladder, and if people are committed enough and focussed enough, opportunities will present themselves.
Ask anyone involved in QLD wrestling over the last ten years, about commitment, and one name keeps coming up again and again. Almost from her debut as a teenager Toni Storm showed that she had the talent and the focus to achieve whatever she wanted to in this industry. That commitment saw her competing overseas before she turned 20, winning the 2018 Mae Young Classic at 22, and holding the NXT UK championship for 241 days. In the end it is the same commitment to her craft that has seen her now take her career in a new direction, taking back control and exploring exactly where she wants to go from here.
It’s a decision that is as exciting as it is brave, and tells you all you need to know about Storms refusal to take shortcuts.
So for international Women’s Day, let’s take a look back at Toni Storm with this very special HeatSheet (W)retrospective.
As ever, I don’t suggest these are the best or the definitive matches in Toni’s career, they are snapshots, moments in time, of a wrestler who has found herself being a standard bearer for Queensland wrestling, and whether she likes it or not an inspiration for the scene.
Sara Jay v Storm- AWF Supa Nova Gold Coast 04 05 2014
If you are prepared to look through the Ringside Addiction Tv’s Australian Wrestling Archive, you can find some pretty interesting, and entertaining stuff. The Australian Wrestling Equivalent of old school photos for a good number of wrestlers who have gone on to bigger things. In 2014, Toni Storm, was just Storm an 18 year old Gold Coast local, sporting ring gear that had all the colours to fit in on NXT Circa 2022. But even by that stage she had nearly 3 years of in ring competition under her belt, and it was possible to see the genesis of what she would become.
Storm already had some good looking moves in her arsenal, a fisherman’s suplex and a great looking dropkick, and an array of high kicks, which were perhaps more spectacular that effective. She also showed an ability to sell, which she made ample use of in this match playing baby face in peril, to Sarah Jay’s heel.
The match would end in a loss for Storm but not before she had managed to win over at least some of the audience. No small ask for what was largely a pop culture fandom with little
Toni Storm(c) v Wesna- Progress Women’s Championship 04 May 2018
By mid 2018 Toni Storm was all set to jump feet first into the WWE. She had competed in the Mae Young Classic in 2017, losing in the semi finals to Eventual Winner Kairi Sain, and had been signed up . for the 2018 installment (which she would go on to win, by Beating Io Shirai and NXT Evolution). In the meantime though she was working hard across a raft of independent promotions, earning experience and plaudits in Japan, the United States and Europe.
She was, amongst other things, Progress Women’s champion and on in May she defended that title against Veteran Women’s grappler Wesna at GWF in Berlin
Giving away 20kg and about 10Cm in Height, the two put on an entertaining match, with Wesna’s size and Power going up against Storm’s fire and technical chops. Wesna dominated the early stages keeping control and working Storms left arm mercilessly, with the champion only able to deliver explosive flurries of offence before being cut off.
With Wesna on the outside, Storm made a dive between the bottom and second rope, that rocked her opponent, only to have Wesna gain the upper hand and brutalise her on the outside of the ring.
A Back cracker sent Wesna reeling, only for her to recover and go straight back after the arm.
With her left arm weakened, Toni resorted to headbutts, and forearms with her right, before wearing her opponent down enough to deliver some power of her own. A fishermans’ suplex, early was followed later by a German, and a sit out power bomb (which I think I am correct ins saying became her storm Zero finisher in the Mae Young Classic) was trumped by the Strong Zero Piledriver, that finished the match and saw her go home still Progress Women’s Champion.
Rhea Ripley v Toni Storm -NXT Women’s Championship World Collide Jan 2020
After the 2018 installment of the Mae Young CLassi, both Toni Storm and Rhea Ripley found themselves in NXT UK, though it was Ripley who had gone on to become the inaugural women’s champion, before losing the title to Storm at NXT Takeover Blackpool. By January 2020, Storm had surrendered that title to Kay Lee Ray and Ripley was again in possession of gold of her own, this time the NXT Women’s title.
The Rhea Ripley who ascended to the NXT Championship was a very different proposition to the tall rangy rookie who had been introduced to the WWE audience in the 2017 Mae young classic. While Ripley had been reinvented, Storm had been sharpened.
She still had the air of the tomboy next door, who had grown up mixing it with the boys, but now she was honed to a knife edge.
The match began with a display of technique from Storm rolling through, wrist locks, reversing holds, and showing the body control and technical prowess that establishes her fundamentals. But it doesn’t take long before it gets less twisty and more brutal.
Storm throws Ripley over her back and into the corner, in what had it been in the centre of the ring would have been a text book German but this close to the corner just sees Ripley collect the bottom two turnbuckles with her neck and head. Storm follows up with a front facelock suplex submission attempt and a DDT, that sees her well on top.
The crowd are right into the match at this point, half willing Ripley back into the match and equal numbers urging Storm to finish the job. By the time they are exchanging blows in the centre of the ring though the momentum has turned and Ripley doubles Storm over with clubbing blows. A big boot is followed by a disdainful kick to a grounded Storm before the NXT Champ goes for the submission herself with a Standing Cloverleaf. While Storm is able to get out of that hold, there is an air of desperation in her offence thereafter. A German Suplex, doesn’t even bring a pin attempt. A headbutt
And when Ripley hits a riptide it is all over for the challenger.
I won’t pretend to know what Toni Storm’s future career plans are. Maybe she will return to the Independent scene, and chase titles all over the world like she did through 2017- 2019. Perhaps she will look to establish herself in AEW or it’s recently acquired ROH, or base herself in Europe or Japan and look to dominate in those markets. The options are literally all there.
What I do know is that Storm has achieved as much (or more) as any South East QLD wrestler, and that she has a lot that she can teach the next generation , both as a role model and no doubt as an actual trainer, and we’d be mad not to take the opportunity to learn what she has to teach.
The Eastern Front
I’m the type of wrestling fan who gets excited by new stuff.
New merch, new matches, new wrestlers if it is something I’ve not seen before, or a new spin on something I have, it will get me interested, so you can bet I would be interested in a new wrestling promotion. Granted, Eastern Wrestling Alliance is not brand new, they first started popping up on my Facebook feed in early 2020, with roster announcements, and plans for a first show in Ipswich in May, but bad timing and covid-19 meant that no sooner had they announced their first show than the entire state shut down.
That was then though, and this (with 80% + double vax rates across the state) is now, and EWA is back, under new management, at a new venue and looking to launch, this Saturday 18th December at Helensvale Hawks Cricket Club.
Seb Dagan, who you may know as head ref at Venom Pro Wrestling, has put his money where his mouth is, and bought into EWA, in order to get it happening.
He has joined together with the venue to put on Fighting for Xavier, a fund raiser for 5 year old Xavier Brooks who is in a full on fight against Cancer.
There are a few promotions running shows in our neck of the woods now, it is not always easy to find clear air, often with shows clashing South East Queensland wrestling fans have to make a difficult choice about which promotion they will support. Not this weekend though, EWA is the only wrestling on, and the last wrestling for the year. That and the opportunity to help a kid in need, should be all the incentive you need to get yourself to Helensvale.
Heat Sheet will be there.
The Wrestling Spirit
I have a confession. I have gotten by in my career as a wrestling journalist while writing about wrestling moves as little as possible. Writing about wrestling is hard, especially after two years. There are only so many ways to describe moves, and the names do not always help.
The names rarely describe the actions that occur. It might be different for wrestlers themselves, but I find the title of a move doesn’t always match its flow in practice. Some of them make sense, I can discern both power and a slam in a power slam, but why is a move in which the wrestler is quite obviously jumping as high as they can to kick their opponent called a ‘drop’ kick, and what even is a Hurricanrana.
I understand that naming things is hard, and most moves are established favourites with a personal spin on them, which is why there are more types of suplex than stars in the night sky. Clearly though some level of standardisation is required.
That’s why I propose that wrestling moves start following the naming conventions of cocktails, taking after one of three naming styles: First they can be super explicit about what is happening, like a Whiskey Sour. (see Power Slam above). Alternatively they could be named after a person – I would personally love to drink a cocktail named Dude Love, especially if they found a way to make it tie dye. Third they only have to be vaguely related to the move, but have a name too good to forget, like Sex on the Beach (eg Tiger Driver).
To get the ball rolling, here are some cocktails that could already be wrestling moves: Blood and Sand, a staple of a ‘falls count anywhere’ match. Corpse Reviver No.2 is the cocktail The Undertaker should be drinking after a long day. And of course, everyone’s favourite English folk tale turned hangover cure the Bloody Mary.
Special shout-out to Brandy Alexander for being ahead of the curve.
Cheers!
Drink responsibly and support local wrestling.
Aisling Taylor
Wrestle Diary: Get Well Soon
NB: This article contains references to and photos of surgical procedures.
Dear Wrestling Diary,
Where to begin? Day one – surgery.
I have finally got my surgery and thankfully my operation went well. I was fortunate enough to be operated and worked on by one of the best knee orthopedic surgeons around the world. I am counting my blessings that Brisbane is home to Dr Peter Myers. He is notoriously known for having athletes around the world sent to him for operations to their knees, and funnily enough has done surgeries on both ‘R.I.P’ Josh Ives and Peter ‘The Hawk’ Ball. Although I didn’t know this prior to organizing my surgeon and operation, it was comforting knowing I was in good hands.
I arrived at the Brisbane Private around 7am and was then wheeled into theatre around 9am. Until this very moment, I had never undergone any surgical operations. Fortunately, I have only sustained injuries that were naturally rehabilitated. For the most part of the morning I just spent time reflecting and keeping myself calm ahead of the procedure. Once they wheeled me into theatre and begun to prepare my knee and insert all the needles and drips, my nerves decided it was good time to introduce themselves. The thing with nerves and surgeries, is that if you get too nervous that your heart rate beats over a specific number, then your surgery can be completely canned. Instantly I begun to focus on my breathing and calming myself. Then the anaesthetist begun to ask me questions about professional wrestling which I happily answered and of course started to relax again. Cunningly enough as I started to answer, the gas and drips kicked in and I was lights out.
The lights were out cold until around 2.30pm. I slowly gained consciousness but was disorientated as to my whereabouts. The oxycodone and whatever other pain relief I had been given was working overtime to keep me at bay. When you finally wake up and see yourself hooked up to needles, drips and oxygen and your leg wrapped up and in a brace, it can kind of be overwhelming and a bit scary. The part that shook me most was not having any feeling inside the leg that was operated on. I could move my toes but everything else between the hip and ankle was almost switched off. Going from someone who loves to run the ropes, do leap frogs or anything active, that moment sort of took me back.
Leading up to the operation I had received a lot of advice and personal stories on experiences from people who had knee ops, so I was sort of prepared mentally. However, it doesn’t really kick in until you’re in it, had the surgery or really going through the experience of it all. I spent the time in hospital watching wrestling on my phone, along with movies and sports, and really had a relaxing time.
I can say that everything went well, and I am grateful for it all. Initially when I had received the MRI reports and was told I tore three ligaments, my meniscus was flipped upside down and my bones had contused and bruised badly, I thought to myself that surely I had gone through the worst of it, but the road after surgery is a whole other ballpark. I stayed in hospital for three days and constantly had nurses and physios around me to assist and check on me. After an ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair and a lateral tendinosis added to my outer knee, we are done with the worst part and finally on the mend. Day 1 has consisted of a rumble of emotions, but we are hanging in there.
So, what now? Well, the next chapter begins. The road to full recovery is next and it will come with lots of small goals to hit, so that hopefully one day soon I will be back in the ring doing what I love most, wrestling.
Eugenie
Nightfall Wrestling Alliance – Back to Life
Nightfall Wrestling Alliance might be a name we haven’t covered before but they are certainly not an unknown in QLD wrestling, it’s just that Nightfall have always done things differently.
While other promotions have focused on establishing a presence in their Local Area, Nightfall under the leadership of Johnny Hardwood, has been taking their show on the road, doing regional tours, and spot shows and conventions, throughout regional Qld. It’s a model that has left them rich in experience, connections and, having supported and helped out a lot of other QLD promotions in their three years of existence, goodwill, and now they are looking to cash in some of those chips, starting with a three show ‘season’ in Brisbane, kicking off this Saturday with an action-packed evening.
Alex Shepard is a figure we have not seen active inside a wrestling ring as often over the last couple of years, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been behind the scenes helping in one way or another. A wrestling polymath, Shepard has been around QLD wrestling for ten years, a former triple crown champion Shepard now joins Nightfall as their producer and creative director for the next three shows.
After speaking to Shepard about what he has planned, it’s hard not to be excited, because this will be more than just three live shows. In what he acknowledges is his biggest wrestling project since stepping out of the ring, Shepard is aiming to package Nightfall Wrestling Alliance, as a multi format showcase of what QLD wrestling can be and what the wrestlers up here are capable of.
This all starts with the wrestlers selected; wrestlers who in his view represent a mix of the hardest working talent available in Southeast Queensland. Wrestlers who have all shown the spark, effort, or creativity which shows a potential to go further and a willingness to make the effort to get there.
“I have seen some of the best wrestlers in Australia compete, and the thing is we have some of them right here in Queensland. So why not work together, all of us to showcase some of our best and most underrated talent.”
Secondly, Nightfall and Shepard’s ambition continues with the postproduction video product, with plans to package the live shows online as an easily accessible and digestible episodic show. This will give wrestling fans a unique look at the wrestlers in matches, vignettes, and promos, in a way that will allow the stories to flow and the moments to be memorable.
Like many of us, Alex Shepard grew up as a wrestling fan, a fan of the larger-than-life characters and the wild storytelling that is pro wrestling, and that is very much his focus with this first season. To work with the wrestlers and establish their characters, to allow them space to explore and develop beyond just a person who “wrestles”.
Where all this leads to, is anyone’s guess, Shepard is already talking, ‘covid willing’ about some interesting visitors and intriguing returns throughout the three-show season. Where it all starts though is Saturday August 14th, Narangba Community Centre, Nightfall Wrestling Alliance – Back to Life.
See you there.
An Opinion Piece
Bra and Panties Match: Defn: a match consisting of two or more female wrestlers where the only way to win is to strip one of the opponents to their bra and panties.
So apparently we are getting a Bra and Panties Match, and we at HeatSheet have our reservations.
There is obviously a conversation to be had about this. It’s 2021. Women’s wrestling around the world is as legitimate as wrestling comes, whether that be internationally where women like Madison Eagles, Tenille Dashwood/Emma, the IIconics, Toni Storm, Rhea Ripley, Indi Hartwell, and Steph DeLander have shown the world the wrestling skills of Australian women, or at home where women are main eventing shows and earning the spot by putting on the match of the night.
Do we need Bra and Panties matches?
Do we want Bra and Panties matches?
And if we answer yes to either of those questions, is there a way to do them that elevates wrestling?
Let’s start in the middle.
The first local wrestling show I went to was an 18+ show that included a Burlesque performance at intermission: two women, dancing in provocative fashion for the entertainment and presumably the titillation of the audience. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but if there is a space for that, then it follows that there is a space for flesh in wrestling shows. Of course, those performers are Burlesque performers who were there to put on that performance; they were practising their art on their terms and I presume being paid for it.
It is not uncommon for female wrestlers to have an OnlyFans account, or to include in their range of 8 x 10s risqué or racy images. If there is space for that, then it follows that there is space for female wrestlers to monetise their sexuality if they choose to do so. Of course, with an OnlyFans or selling photos, the wrestler is in control – it is their money, there is no booker deciding how many pieces of clothing they have to take off to excite the live crowd, there are fewer questions as to the wrestler’s agency and autonomy.
So why the reservations? Well, let’s talk history…
The Attitude Era was arguably the most successful era in wrestling. Certainly it was the most successful era for the WWE in terms of mainstream acceptance and eyes on their product. It gave us Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Rock, the Undertaker and of course… the bra and panties match.
These matches began (at least, the most well-known version of them did) in the year 2000. Early in the year WCW held their first women’s “Rip-Off-The-Clothes” match, but the codifier for what this style of match was to become came in WWE’s first display in late October, when Trish Stratus and Women’s Champion Lita competed to rip each other’s clothes off in front of a raucous crowd. WWE continued to run the match type until March 2007. One woman who competed in these matches, Gail Kim, described them as, quote, “some of the most traumatic moments of my life that I have to live with, feeling like I never had a choice.”
Regardless of what the WWE will try and tell you, women’s wrestling did not start with the women’s revolution. It didn’t even start with Mae Young or Moolah. There have been great women’s wrestlers for years, both within and outside the WWE, women wrestlers skilled at the craft: Mildred Burke, Bull Nakano, Luna Vachon, Manami Toyota, the Jumping Bomb Angels, Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, Molly Holly, Trish Stratus… but when wrestling was at its most visible, the only way some of these athletes could get onto our TV screens was to appear in a striptease match.
A statement from Jynx
Like it or not, the Bra and Panties stipulation is a direct reference to those times: a time when it was virtually the only way for a woman to have a match, when if they weren’t prepared to wrestle three to four minutes in a Bra and Panties match, then they weren’t on the card at all. We want to be past that. We want there to be regular opportunities for women to perform as wrestlers, to earn their place on the card as athletes, not as eye candy.
Maybe we are past that. Jynx has been regularly featured as a legitimate wrestler at UPW events over the last 12 months. In this instance, she’s made it clear that this is not only a match she wants to do, it is a stipulation that she suggested. A way to well and truly take the promotion she wrestles on outside of its family friendly comfort zone for its first 18+ show. She is actively and enthusiastically on board with this. (see her statement)
Anyone who has been to a UPW show knows that they have a performance-based style that emphasises storytelling and pacing over ‘spots’ designed to pop the crowd. UPW management have themselves indicated that it is a gimmicked match, so we can expect a swerve, and we would expect that it is a swerve likely to keep Jynx strong and preserve her dignity.
But we still have reservations.
A Bra and Panties match is a strip tease match; it is about two performers actively seeking to disrobe and thereby humiliate and disempower the other, for our entertainment. We get it, wrestling is make believe, the wrestlers are in on it, but this is make believe about denying bodily autonomy, and we find that unsettling.
If one advertises a Bra and Panties match, regardless of the finish planned, then you will get people buying tickets for the chance of seeing a woman disrobed against her will. You are selling the denial of bodily autonomy, and we find that unsettling.
If one is inclined to put on a Bra and Panties match, a match predicated on the denial of bodily autonomy, we think it is in very poor taste to have one of the wrestlers performing under the name Britney, when one of the dominant news narratives of the past week has been about a young entertainer of that name who has been denied, and continues to be denied, her own autonomy. We find that way beyond unsettling.
Maybe we are overthinking this, but someone needs to. We don’t know what UPW have planned for this match; it is possible that the match and finish they have planned will be fine, and funny, and leave us all feeling stupid for having over-thought this. Honestly, we have ourselves thought of a couple of directions this match could go that we could get behind, so we will reserve further judgement until after the event. Maybe we will have more to say.
At the end of the day, though, Heat Sheet aren’t about selling tickets to a particular show or a particular brand. Heat Sheet are about promoting wrestling and in particular South East Queensland wrestling, in whatever form it may take. But in saying that, we do think that wrestling will be better when it is more inclusive, when it is more representative, when for all its goofiness, or craziness, or indeed raciness, it makes people feel good, and draws them in, not just for a night but forever.
Maybe this match will help that, but we have our reservations.
The Rookie
It has been almost one year, since I stepped foot in the IPW School for the first time. After speaking to owner Josh Ives earlier that day and him encouraging me to come by, I drove from Brisbane to the Gold Coast to see what pro-wrestling training was all about and if I might have the wits to try.
Like many, I began watching WWE from a young age with my brother and our cousins. Some of my greatest childhood memories are of tag team matches against each other, mimicking our favorite wrestlers during the early 2000s. Twenty years on and that love of wrestling never faded. So after my first visit to an IPW training session, watching the wrestlers do holds and all sorts of finishers, plus a welcoming but broken Spanish/English conversation from LFB. I knew I was coming back in 2020 to learn more.
In January my wrestling journey started, and I can say firsthand how incredible the IPW wrestlers are to train beside. On my first day of training, I was welcomed by the IPW female division: a bubbly Zara Delarosa and smiles but as expected not too many words from Chase Copper or Morgan Frye. Ashe being a veteran and great teacher took me through my first session and so many after that. The first month of training and every month after (honestly) has been filled with brain busters. But not the type from your head driven into the mat. I am talking about learning all the details behind every single feature that creates a showstopping match and pro-wrestler.
With the constant guidance and coaching of Josh, who has a Google like knowledge of pro-wrestling, I came to learn how intricate the art of pro-wrestling really is. Josh’s attention to detail, consistent help and patience have pushed me to come a long way. From a first day of not even knowing how to do a front roll, to now, being able to say that I will debut on IPW: Santa Rumble Show (the 5th of December).
Even with a 3-month hiatus on training due to COVID-19 the entire IPW roster has been working hard to keep the show going with weekly training. So many wrestlers have been helpful in teaching me the ropes and how to improve from the best in game Tim Hayden, to Jesse Love, our champ the Lone Ranger, to even the scariest Skhorn, Reaper and CJ.
With that said helping a rookie comes with risks in particular the risk of copping a move gone wrong. Proof being stomping on Jesse Love’s hand and hard punches to Lone Rangers face and even to the best ribs in the game, Tim Hayden’s. I can confirm all are fine and my strikes have since improved too. Since then the favor has been returned when learning beside Alexander Kashmir (debuted in Nov ’20) who I’ve had the pleasure of training with frequently.
With a week left to go before the Santa Rumble, the locker room is buzzing with ideas, refining wrestling details, filming of all sorts and conversations by each wrestler on what they’ll bring to the table. Sometimes this showcases a little egotism and competitiveness by strong personas, but that just means the best of everyone will be on display every training session until it’s showtime. To cap my 2020 pro-wrestling experience, it has been ever challenging but so much fun. My favorite part of it all is that it has left me with a new family. Here at IPW we are more than a company, we are a family. I’ve learned by showing up every week, working hard and being nice that you can come far, and efforts are reciprocated by everyone else. So, thank you to the entire IPW family for best time during a rollercoaster year. More than that I hope everyone reading this, buys a ticket to go on one last ride to finish 2020!
E
“Five” more things …
by Lachlan Albert
These last couple of months have felt like the longest rest hold in wrestling history. Like any good rest hold, though, the explosion of energy afterwards is going to be incredible. Obviously, I would have loved to be at wrestling shows every week like the good old days of January, but sometimes we have to take the bad and look for the good in it, so here’s five things that are going to be oh so much sweeter when wrestling returns.
The Many Exploits of Bobbert “Bobby” Bishop
Bobby Bishop has had a very interesting year. At AWL’s Purge event in January, he failed to reclaim the Tag Team Championship and was subsequently turned on and crushed by his partner, the monster Rip Reilly. He backed this up at Enter Phase One by trying to be a valiant defender of the downtrodden, but instead was trodden on by Sorrow. To the north in Wide Bay Pro Wrestling, Bobby has been evaded by Jackson Spade and his SUPLEX Championship, despite very much earning a shot by defeating everyone’s favourite stonewashed stuntman, Double Denim Danger Dan. On top of this, Bishop has been honing his craft with the EPW School of Pro Wrestling, one of the strongest wrestling schools in the country.
Over the break, Bobby hasn’t slowed down. Officially teaming with the verdant vigilante Lucille to form Brawl and Bishop, and working online with the EPW School to keep growing and strengthening himself, the work hasn’t stopped in House Bishop.
I cannot wait to see what comes of the Retro Kid when he gets back in the ring.
Building the Thunderdome and the Super Triad*
Okay, you all knew this was coming. PWA’s Colosseum event in Sydney is now my most anticipated show of the year, full stop, no exceptions. Sorry, Royal Rumble and Wrestle Kingdom, there’s a new sheriff in town.
Obviously I’ll be far more excited if (read: when) Mitch McCarthy takes his rightful place amongst the competitors (#Smashface2020) but since we already know that the first two entrants are some of Australia’s finest talents in the Airbender Royce Chambers and the Queen of Australia Madison Eagles, the event is already shaping up to be an absolute barn burner.
Speaking of interstate events, Pro Wrestling Darwin’s Super Triad Series has been a truly explosive way for a new company to make their mark on the Australian scene. Taking three of Australia’s best competitors and pitting them against each other round-robin style has led to some incredible matchups, especially in their opening show featuring the finest talent from Perth’s EPW, and their most recent show which saw first-time matchups between all the members of Sydney and Melbourne’s Prehistoric Death Cult.
With three of these events in the record books, Pro Wrestling Darwin was gearing up to take the three winners and put them all in a Super Triad Series against each other. A Super-Duper Triad Series, if you will.
The Dominance of El Cartel
The team of Diablo and Flashman were always dynamic and exciting to watch. In January, though, they became all the more imposing when they were joined by the behemoth biker Bruiser. Using Bruiser’s help to take Venom Pro Wrestling’s tag team championships, El Cartel started their reign with destruction by taking advantage of a handicap stipulation to put the boots to Kobra Jones.
I can’t help but think that this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, but I can’t look away. The team is just so hateable. Diablo is the blueprint of a wrestling bad guy, the silent intimidation of Bruiser dares anyone to bring him to justice, and Flashman’s natural babyface tendencies (the underdog cancer survivor who is always standing up to bigger opponents) somehow makes him even more despicable when he’s doing wrong.
I cannot wait to see who steps up to put El Cartel in their place down the line, but until that happens, I’ll be watching their reign of terror intently.
IPW’s Title Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Words**
Impact Pro Wrestling has truly interesting stories happening with all three of their championships.
The Heavyweight Title was, at the end of last year, held by the monstrous Viking Skhorn. Suddenly, with a Santa Rumble win under his belt, Bodhi Jackson appeared from nowhere with an underdog victory and became the company’s top champion. Managing to hold off three competitors to retain the belt, Bodhi has a target on his back, as well as several on his front and sides.
With Bodhi eliminating his fellow tag team champion to win the Santa Rumble, though, he was left to defend the belts by himself before his encounter with Skhorn. Unable to hold off the handicap onslaught, the new tag champs became the fresh team of Jesse Love and Tim Hayden. While these two maybe aren’t the first thought for a cohesive tag team, they’ve worked together effectively to hold onto the belts, and their alliance could prove troublesome for any team trying to gain the gold.
Speaking of holding gold, there’s a record on the horizon. LFB, the palest luchador in the state, is mere days away from surpassing Jesse Love’s record as the longest reigning IPW Unified Champion. He’s recently overcome massive threats like RIP and Dick Brutal, as well as great technical wrestlers including EC Diamond. However, with the break between shows, LFB’s reign has officially been frozen. To earn that record reign, LFB will be fighting not only whatever opponent meets him for the belt, but the ring rust that comes with such a long gap between matches.
It’s rare that a company can get me so invested in the stories transpiring with every championship, but IPW are accomplishing that feat right now.
The Rise and Rise of Air Hyde
It’s no secret that we here at HeatSheet HQ have a soft spot for the anti-gravity antics of Jason Hyde. The young talent has been so impressive with his feats of high-flying matched with intense technical striking. One of the big things I’m predicting to result from this break is a reset in momentum for a lot of talent, and that reset could be just the opportunity that Hyde needs.
Hyde has been fingertips away from gold on multiple occasions. In Venom Pro Wrestling, he’s been so close to grabbing the Origins title which has been moving back and forth between Tequila Young and Zac Reynolds. Meanwhile in AWL, his teaming with JL Gold (which I obviously had to dub Hyde Strong) has had the two of them mere moments from capturing tag team championships.
As everyone’s momentum comes in line as shows return, Hyde could break the short streak of losses he’s recently experienced and put himself at the top of the card where I honestly believe that he belongs.
- *Did Lachy just list two things under one heading, to give him six things? That doesn’t seem fair.
- ** Hang on, now he’s listed 3 more things. That’s eight things all up.
Photos used are from Callum Rule Media, Pro Wrestling Darwin and Barb’s Photos.
5 things to look forward to
So it seems we are through peak pandemic, at least in this country, and while there are no guarantees that Lachy will be able to get to and from NSW for Colosseum in October (he’s got form) we may be getting announcements about Local Wrestling dates in the next few weeks. With that in mind, we’ve set the HeatSheet team some homework, to come up with the five things they are most looking forward to when live shows resume. I’ll go first.
LFB Extending his run.
La Flamma Blanca has been the IPW Unified champion since 3 August 2019. To you and I that might suggest he has held the title for 320 something days. For IPW Commissioner Jace the Ace that’s not quite good enough, when Impact shut down its schedule due to Covid-19 Jace announced that the clock would be paused on LFB’s extraordinary achievement, keeping him trapped on a 245 day reign for the last two and a bit months. IPW haven’t announced a restart yet, but I for one am looking forward to LFB getting that clock ticking over again and wiping the smirk of Jace’s face.
The AWL Tag Division.
I love tag team wrestling and this might be the most stacked tag division anywhere in the country, Brawl and Bishop are officially a thing now, Wacol’s most wanted have arrived, Renegade and Lynx Lewis Jr have sent the message that they will be together often enough to go with a rebrand “Strong 94” (formerly The Street Revolution)), I am hoping we have not seen the last of Hyde-Strong, and the Daniels Republic have multiple wrestlers they can freebird into a tag team threat. I’m not saying Gen Next have a target on their back but… yeah I am, and it’s going to take all of Todd Eastman’s rat cunning to keep the belts on his boys.
Malibu v Stockman
In beating Ricky Rembrandt, the Stockman underlined that no amount of bravery, speed or technical wizardry would help if he actually got his hands on you. In taking the UPW title off the Gospel, Malibu showed that resilience and ring smarts could, if the stars aligned, overcome power. But how much power? And how much impact might Vegas Starr have on this fight. The Stockman may be the ultimate blunt object, but he’s got someone in his corner who is not above a bit of sharp practice.
The Reign of the King
I like my champions, to be humble. To be respectful of their opponents. Confident but not arrogant, proud but not prideful. Tim Kade is clearly not my kind of champion. On the other hand, I’ve not seen Tim Kade have a bad match, and if the top of the card at Venom over the second half of 2020 is a succession of barnstormers, leading up to someone finally getting the strap off of Tim Kade, yeah I’m looking forward to that.
Eastern Wrestling Alliance
By Mid March, EWA had announced their roster, their opening venue and let us know that their first show was scheduled for May 7. This lockdown derailed a lot of peoples plans. It hasn’t ended them though and a two month delay in starting might ultimately be less of an issue than the loss of momentum that would have come with having started and then being forced to stop.
Heat Seeker Online #1
Writers not Fighters: “The Tryout”
Saturday 14th February
11.30am: And I’m driving to Caboolture to take part in United Pro Wrestling Academy’s second Tryout day at UPW HQ. I have packed a towel a spare shirt, knee pads, another spare shirt, water bottle. I stop on the way for petrol and buy another bottle of water and a bag of red frogs. I figure I may need a quick energy boost after.
What’s the go with red frogs? Why are they no bigger than ripe raspberries, and why aren’t ripe raspberries a thing anymore?[1]
12:30 pm: there’ve been some big changes at UPW HQ since the first tryout we covered (check out issue 7), and while I had noticed some of them at ‘Welcome to the Neighbourhood’ (check out issue 8), this is the first time I’ve seen those changes in the bold light of day. It still has the space, but with the backstage/training area cordoned off and the bleachers set up around the show ring, it’s easy to see exactly how it can serve as both training base and house show venue.
I’m not the last to arrive, I’m not the first either. When we arrive, there are maybe 20 people sitting around the ring, watching and waiting. I’m frankly a little nervous. I’m doing this to get some perspective rather than any real ambition to be a wrestler[2] but I have come with three distinct and intersecting goals:
- Don’t quit
- Don’t get a concussion
- Don’t bring shame on my family
1:00 pm: Elliot welcomes us and introduces us to the coaches, Gospel and Max, who will be taking us through the tryout. They’re supported by a handful of other UPW roster members. He tells us what UPW is about and what we can expect from the day – and from our training if we go further.
He tells us we will be doing lots of cardio to start and here is where I have an advantage, cause I’ve been here before. I know how this goes: we’ll do 60 squats, 30 push-ups and 30 sit-ups, and I have been preparing for that
1:30 pm: Gospel starts us with 100 squats and 50 push-ups and I don’t know many how many sit-ups cause I lost count but it was more than thirty, and I’m sucking in the air. I’m still going, but no trainer in the world would accept my last couple of push-ups, and my sit-ups soon devolve into these sad half crunches that look pathetic but still hurt in ways that surprise me.
I should indicate, there is a not insignificant sub group of the class that I will politely describe as Big Beardy Blokes, and in saying ‘big’ I mean that the ideal wrestling aesthetic they might aspire to is more Heavy Machinery’s Otiz Dozevic than Drew Mcintyre and in saying ‘they’, I mean ‘we’, because I am firmly in that particular sub group.
We are not, generally, a group well suited to the cardio.[3]
But I don’t quit.
2.00 pm: After warm-ups and more cardio (Brooksides and Grape Squishers and up and downs that see me leaving a sizeable puddle of sweat on the floor), we are into the ring and it’s time for rolls, and with that comes confession time.
At school, I was a reasonable gymnast. Not great, but I could hold an L sit on the parallel bars and rings, and do the flippy vault stuff and the tumbling runs on the floor. That was part of my jam. I would be ok with this bit.
Also I’d been to watch the last tryout – I knew what was coming and I’d had time to prepare. So four days ago I did my first forward roll in (literally) 30 years. Reader, I would not be ok with this bit.
We are in family shame territory here.
And I am towards the front of the line.
12 trainees are still going, we’ve lost four including one BBB, and I’m now fourth in line. In front of me are: the 17 year old who looks like he has just stepped out of a Nike add, the fitness model/ last woman standing, and YC, who had done the last try out but had then gone to Singapore (presumably on a wrestling scholarship) and has decided to do another tryout just for shits and giggles. There is a good chance that not only will I fail at this, but I will be the first to fail at this.
I wipe my feet.
I step between the ropes.
I nod to Gospel.
And then I deliver the ugliest, sloppiest, most uncoordinated forward roll that can charitably be given that name, but, and this is important, it could be given that name… and then, in a move that firmly establishes my particular wrestling skill set… I get out of the ring. Perfectly.
After that, it gets easier. Not easy, there are still stumbles and tangles. I don’t want to imagine how it looks from the outside, because from the inside I have no idea, but I roll and turn and fall and bump, and I begin to see some vague connection between what I am doing and what I am meant to be doing.
2:45 pm: I’ve been to a few UPW shows now, but I’ve never seen Ricky Rembrandt against Gospel. Until now. As an aspirational example for the class, Elliot orders them into the ring, UPW head ref Grant Simonds slips in to officiate and what follows is a lovely little one-act play. A six-minute vignette that puts the previous two hours into context.
And then we are done: a few closing remarks, a quick group photo, and Elliot indicates that he will be talking to a few of the class about taking the next step. I don’t need to stick around.
(photo courtesy UPW Training Academy)
Sunday 15 March
2.30am:
I woke up 20 minutes ago. My back and
arms and chest and glutes don’t hurt too much if I lie completely still.
Raising my arms to the keyboard causes the dull aching tone in my triceps to turn
into a banshee wail, and any form of bending is going to be out of the question
for at least 4 hours. Yay wrestling[4].
[1] I’m too old for this
[2] Did I mention I am too old for this?
[3] Also, I am too old for this
[4] See footnotes 1-3
An Apology
Once again it seems that we have managed to upset Jesse Daniels.
After we posted our December issue on Christmas Eve, Daniels took to Facebook to lament the lack of Republican representation. We’ve been thinking on this for two days now. Mulling it over as we have unwrapped our presents and peeled our Christmas prawns, and difficult as it is to admit, Jesse Daniels is right.
The rise of the Daniels Republic was one of the most significant events in South East Queensland wrestling in 2019, and that we failed to address that, can only count as… well, a failure. This then is our insignificant attempt to correct that significant wrong. Join us as we share with you (in no particular order) our:
Fave Five Members of the Daniels Republic
Draegan
It sounds like dragon, but is a little bit more fey. Like the way hippy girls in rope sandals talk about “Faerie”, instead of saying Fairy the way everyone else does. He does have great ring gear though, shiny red, and black with a scale pattern that shimmers and shifts as he takes a bump. Which is important because he takes a lot of bumps.
Roberto Puccino
Let’s face it Roberto Puccino is more literate than you. He is better read, and probably if the truth be told he is smarter than you. He has a puffy shirt, and occasionally wears a beret, and these are clearly the signs of sophistication and class in the Democratic Republic of Daniels. But, and we don’t say this lightly, he seems a little bit full of himself. Would it hurt him to maybe be a bit humble on occasion, no-one likes a dick.
James Jaeger
Had it not been for ref turned stooge Jaegar we might never have known who was under the Hugh Manatee mask. Having got over my shock and disappointment that it was not in fact a real manatee we have to offer thanks to James, after all Chiddy Bangs’s “Mind Your Manners,” is the best entrance music going around and now we can get to hear it twice as often.
CJ
CJ is there. Sometimes.
Zac Reynolds
Groucho Marx once said that he wouldn’t want to be part of any club that would have him as a member. Which maybe makes Zac Reynolds the Groucho Marx of the Daniels Republic. They didn’t want him, and while it no doubt hurt at the time, like so many rebound flings after the break-up of a long term relationship, maybe it was never meant to last.
Honourable Mention
The Scary Nun at PWL: Project Revolution 2
Look we don’t know what she was doing there either, with her walking around the ring doing that random crucifix inversion thing, but hey, who are we to judge. You do you Sister.