So, everyone has a bucket list right? Everyone sets themselves goals that they want to achieve?
That’s a thing isn’t it? Well, I have anyway and you can read that list here .
This past weekend, I got to cross one of those off. I got to work in Scotland.
Working for SSW- Scottish School of Wrestling to take part in their event “Tainted Tradition”
Now, this may not sound like a big deal to you but hear me out. Scotland is where my Dad is from and my Dad never got to see me wrestle. Also, a lot of my family still live up in Scotland and this will be one of the little chances they have to see me in action. So this in a way was me paying tribute to someone who couldn’t be around to witness it.
The day started at 8am. Rolling around the house trying to make sure I had got everything I would need for the day. So not only my wrestling stuff like, tights, kneepads, boots and stuff but also the “non-wrestling” stuff like phone chargers and deodorant.
We set off at around 10:30 a car full of different people. Myself, Ivy, David DeVille, Dirtbag Dave Stewart and Krieg all went up for the journey. We were travelling from Sheffield to Bathgate which, in good traffic with no stops was about 4 and a half hours. But that’s in a perfect world.
We were definitely going to hit traffic, and stop.
A lot.
I’ve never really done the wrestling car thing before, I’ve travelled to venues with my usual guys but never in this way. It was pretty cool to have a chance to talk about different things with different people.
The conversation went from wrestling, to food, to football (much to Ivy’s annoyance) and we even spoke about words that freaked us out! One thing that became very apparent very quickly is that these journeys made so much easier when you’ve got good company to share it with.
Anyway, on to the actual show! We arrived at the venue at around 4:30 and went for something to eat while taking in the sites of wonderful Bathgate. They had a corner shop that sold everything you could ever need through your life and beyond!
I literally mean they sold stuff for your death. You could go in to this shop, buy a morning paper, a glass bottle of Irn Bru and a memorial gravestone all in one trip!
Weird place!
As we got in the venue and the ring started to arrive we started to meet all of the talent they had on the show. Introducing ourselves and helping with the ring and things like that. We then found out our matches for the evening. I would be in a triple threat match against Paul Huntly and Benedict Thatcher.
Not knowing anything about these guys I sat down and had a chat with them. They apparently have wrestled each other a lot over the last few months and had a lot of stuff that they can do, so it was a case of me sliding in where I could.
Paul Huntly is one of their most over good guys, and Benedict is one of their rising stars who at the time held their version of the “Money in the Bank” Briefcase. These two guys were the exact opposite to me, smaller guys who had most of their moves in the air so I had to incorporate that into anything we wanted to do.
I got changed ready to go. Stood behind the curtain and this was the first time I had stood somewhere and not been nervous. I stood there and for some reason I knew I would get a reaction. They didn’t know me but for some reason I was confident I would get the reaction that I wanted.
My generic music hit and I walked out. Instantly I locked eyes on kid holding out his hand for a high-five. I just stood and stared at him. His dad was laughing his head off, the kid however looked like he was about to have a breakdown. I walked round the ring, giving everyone the death eye as I walked round.
As I stood in the ring, there was a little guy, I’d say about ten years old, that locked eyes with me. I didn’t break that stare. I stood in the ring just staring at him. Like I was going to kill him. His friends egging him on to say something but he wouldn’t, he just sat there in fear.
With all three of us in the ring. It was time for some cheap heat. I started screaming at the crowd. “I have travelled all the way up here, for a challenge instead you’ve given me a Justin Bieber lookalike (Benedict) and a guy that looks like he’s missed his PE class! (Huntly)”
Instant boos.
I say, I am going to let them fight it out and I’ll be back when it’s my time to go. I roll out of the ring. As I’ve got my back turned, Benedict has gone for Huntly, Huntly’s ducked his strike gone running up the ropes and dove on from the top rope to the floor. The crowds instantly gone up and that’s basically where the match stayed.
They kept everything going, kept it at a relatively high pace and everyone seemed to get their best stuff in. One part of the match I was particularly proud of, Huntly ran at me the hit his springboard cross-body and I caught him in mid-air, the crowd audibly took a deep breath, as I turned round Benedict was on the second rope and hit me with a dropkick from the second rope sending himself crashing to the floor and Huntly flying through the air.
The crowd loved it.
The match ended after I was hit with a flying corkscrew uppercut from Huntly and he pinned Benedict for the victory. I walk backstage and thanked them both for the match. There was some stuff I knew myself I needed to do a bit better but I walked back in to the changing room I was greeted by “BIGG MAAAAANNNNN” as ICW’s Ravie Davie was sat in his chair after watching the match.
“You’re too big to be falling like that my man” he tells me, something I knew already and yet I always do it! “You need to pick your bumps, make them mean something, especially in stuff like that” He’s right, he’s absolutely right. So are the people who have told me previously.
Watch this space.
And there we are, time to travel home. We set off at around 10:30pm and everyone was so tired but we all just started talking about wrestling and I mean this with all due respect to the people who have praised me within the last 2 years but when one of my actual heroes in David DeVille says positive things about the way I work I mark out. DeVille is one of the people who for many reason is someone I look up to, so hearing him say I have done things right and that I am doing well is amazing to hear.
6 hours later I finally crawled through my front door and tried to sleep.
What an experience. I can’t wait to do this again.
UP NEXT
Elite British Wrestling Presents “Wrath-Upon-Dearne” Friday September 1st, Montgomery Hall, Wath-Upon-Dearne. EBW Catch Championship Match – Alan Kay vs Kyle Bradders.
I also have some t-shirts on sale at the moment! Very low stock remaining! I have one shirt in sizes Small, Medium and Large available and that’s it! If you want yours then drop me a message on any of the links below and we will have a chat! They are available for £15 with delivery.
But for now,
Later Nerds x
Cover Photo Credit – John Mayo Photography
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