Ring of Fire: The Wheel Turns

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF: European Showcase
Sunday Week 1 January 2013
Parc des Sports (Mediterranean Europe)
4526 in attendance
RATING: 0.45

vs.
Huntress Makiko vs. Jaime Quine for the ROF Womens Championship
Well, as a first televised womens' title defence for Makiko this was not great, shame, but there it is. We've been working dark battle royals for a while; every so often it's worth testing out combos in one-on-one matches. The Makiko Clutch carried the day after a spirited quarter-hour that I think would have gone better if the two women were better respected in Paris at this point.
Huntress Makiko defeated Jaime Quine by submission
RATING: C

The show then kicked up a gear; a recap of Tuesday's events surrounding the main eventers yielded a very nice reaction from the European crowd.
RATING: B

w/ vs.
British Samurai vs. KC Glenn for the ROF TV Championship
KC Glenn, the hot young prospect. British Samurai, the most respected TV champion in ROF history – and one of our better wrestlers. It's the kind of story that writes itself, and it's an ROF kind of story; all you need is two wrestlers and a motivation for them to fight each other. KC and Sammy both seem to be pulling out new tricks, even at this stage in Sammy's career, and that helps things substantially. It went back and forth for nearly fourteen minutes, but in the end an attempted full nelson was broken and Sammy spun around and landed the fisherman's suplex to keep KC down for the pin. At least the crowd's properly warmed up now.
British Samurai defeated KC Glenn by pinfall
RATING: B


We'd had time since Tuesday. A quickie hype video aired next for Don Henderson/Human Arsenal for the title. If they'd worked together more in the past, this would have had more of the right kind of footage, but the pop was OK nonetheless.
RATING: B-

vs.
Los Leyendas vs. The Disrespected
Los Leyendas have the home field advantage, so to speak; they were briefly shining lights in our old European tag division, and while Chojiro of the Disrespected also spent time in Europe, Keith Adams never has had much success over there. They do their best here, battling hard, but Chojiro has his father's mannerisms in a lot of places and some new tricks of his own, and Keith Adams is Old Reliable in a lot of ways. Eventually the Kitoaji Lariat flattened El Leon and the three count got a good solid response.
The Disrespected defeated Los Leyendas when Chojiro Kitoaji pinned El Leon
RATING: B

vs. vs. w/
El Heroe Mexicano vs. Ernest Youngman vs. Steve Flash
More or less the mirror of Tuesday's match; the tag partners of that triple threat set out to prove themselves. With El Heroe not on the ball and Steve's age limiting the time we could work this, it really wasn't as good a match as it might have been, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable back-and-forth building up to Ernest levelling both rivals with The Hit before pinning Steve for the three. This time, then, the tag champs come out on top.
Ernest Youngman defeated El Heroe Mexicano and Steve Flash when he pinned Steve Flash
RATING: B-


Something a little different here; a pre-taped interview featuring Jonathan Faust answering my questions while wrestling – and dominating – a warm-up match against a CPW developmental talent borrowed for the purpose. It fell more than a little flat...
RATING: E+

vs.
Art Reed vs. Jonathan Faust
Well! As I've already said, Art is a dependable, valuable worker with a massively wide skillbase. It looks like Faust is stepping up his game as a result; maybe their work together on the house shows has helped him pick up a few new tricks, but he was definitely looking a lot sharper in the ring, which got the crowd very happy and meant that the Devil's Drop putting Art down actually got a good reception. Faust may have started to trigger a second wind...
Jonathan Faust defeated Art Reed by pinfall
RATING: B+


Another hype video ran next, focusing on a lot of the top players in the upcoming Commonwealth Cup tournament and putting the cup itself over. Decent but not great pop.
RATING: C+

vs.
Joss Thompson vs. UK Dragon
Not long left for the main event, but two very, very reliable main eventers are generally a good response to that issue, and so it proved here, as Joss and Dragon stepped up to the challenge and went for it, providing a good, entertaining match in under seventeen minutes culminating in a Clean Cutter attempt being caught and twisted into a Dragon Driver to give the former champion the win.
UK Dragon defeated Joss Thompson by pinfall
RATING: B+

Not bad, all told. We kept our momentum ticking over, for one thing.
OVERALL: B

[Phantom Stranger]

From www.ringoffire.com:

Back to the UK with the repercussions hanging over us, Tuesday sees us Fighting Fit with

vs. vs.
East & West vs. The Disrespected vs. The Stunners
All to play for in this three-team match; the winner will be announced the number one contenders for a shot at the tag titles during Commonwealth Games. The Disrespected have the most momentum going into this, but both their rivals are former champion teams, while Chojiro and Keith Adams have never yet held gold together.

vs. vs. vs.
Dean Daniels vs. El Heroe Mexicano vs. Extraordinario Jr vs. Petey Barnes
The underdog Daniels faces TV Championship contender Petey Barnes and two leading lights from the tag division tonight. The Extraordinary Men will be wanting to show they can hold their own against anyone in the company; Petey needs wins to challenge for the coveted TV gold, and Dean needs to prove his way back into contention. This could go to any one of these men.

w/ vs.
British Samurai vs. Daniel Black Francis for the ROF TV Championship
One man in Ring of Fire has to defend his position every time he gets into the ring. Currently that man is the British Samurai, and his gold means a guarantee of a chance to shine every time we go to air. That kind of spotlight is, if you can hack it, a stepping stone to the very heights of Ring of Fire, and Daniel Black Francis wants his chance to prove he can shine. Will he end Samurai's reign after only two weeks?

vs. vs.
Davis Wayne Newton vs. Nigel Svensson vs. Mario Heroic
Davis requested insertion into this match to check up on potential Cup opponents he faces less often. He'll be wanting to prove to himself that he can handle anything; for Nigel and Mario, however, a win over a three-time ROF Champion like the Triple Threat would be a real motivator during the Cup.

vs.
The Shooters vs. Human Arsenal & Leo Price
It's the last match for champion and challenger until the Games begin, and both men will want to gain the upper hand in their opponent's mind here. While Don has his long-term ally by his side, Arsenal has as yet made no alliances within Ring of Fire, but Leo Price has volunteered to take his side and looks to shine in front of the matchmaker's committee out there.

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF: Fighting Fit
Tuesday Week 2 January 2013
Euston Road (South UK)
5935 in attendance
RATING: 0.43


I doubt the larger venue cost will be made up today, but there you go; sometimes estimates don't work out. The show starts with British Samurai and Phoebe Plumridge shown backstage; a promo discussing Sammy's match tonight with Daniel Black Francis and promising victory. The crowd were unusually harsh on this one; I think we're having more trouble than we used to with some of these angles, but experience thus far has shown that, handled well, they can work.
RATING: D-

vs. vs.
East & West vs. The Disrespected vs. The Stunners
A good back-and-forth tag bout which really showed off what the division can do here; a mixture of styles, with technical wizards facing puroresu experts, an old school all-rounder and a high flyer. It went well, though, in part because so many of these guys are used to their partners and to each other, and unusually reached an ending before the twenty minute time limit; Marc Speed took Keith Adams down in a cross armbreaker to force the tapout while Black Eagle was incapacitated and unable to break it up. It's surprising how fast-paced Marc and Nichiren can make submission work look, but it definitely keeps the whole thing looking wild and real; the other four operated at a faster, brawling pace and East and West being able to keep up to that is about the only way to make submission work look like a viable way to win a multi-competitor match. Good stuff and a fine kickoff to the show.
East & West defeated The Disrespected and The Stunners when Marc Speed made Keith Adams submit
RATING: B

Following the decision, we cut my microphone into the Euston Road sound systems, informing the fans in the arena and the home viewers that I was making East & West vs. The Professionals for the tag titles at the Commonwealth Games. Not a bad response for the undercard.
RATING: C-

vs. vs. vs.
Dean Daniels vs. El Heroe Mexicano vs. Extraordinario Jr vs. Petey Barnes
Mostly, this was about giving everyone some time and some work, and about hammering home the bond between the two tag partners, as El Heroe once again allows his team captain to score a pinfall in a multi-man match without fighting back. Petey ate the fall here with Extraordinario hitting the Siempre Peleando once again to a sizable reaction; the Extraordinary Men are slowly gaining the reputation you should have.
Extraordinario Jr defeated Dean Daniels, El Heroe Mexicano and Petey Barnes when he pinned Petey Barnes
RATING: B-


In the locker room, Human Arsenal is seen discussing main event strategy with Leo Price. A decent pop follows a wry crack by Arsenal about Don's developing tendency to use moonsaults in more and more of his matches.
RATING: C+
w/ vs.
British Samurai vs. Daniel Black Francis for the ROF TV Championship
We continue to try out different combinations; Sammy and Daniel do OK here, but no better than that, and disappointingly for two of their talent. The fisherman's suplex keeps Sammy ticking over in the champion's position after the quarter-hour that's currently as long as I trust DBF to wrestle.
British Samurai defeated Daniel Black Francis by pinfall
RATING: B-


Joss Thompson introduced a quick video showcasing the training regime he, Davis, and Joey have developed to keep themselves at the top of the food chain. Some good pops, particularly for the more impressive sequences – Joey in particular works at springboarding from top rope to top rope, the distance of the ring, to ensure that the springboard variant Breeze Block always has the distance.
RATING: B

vs. vs.
Davis Wayne Newton vs. Mario Heroic vs. Nigel Svensson
Mario's turning into gold, involved now in the two best matches of the year so far. From a booker's perspective this was a testing match, designed to get a read on Mario and Nigel and evaluate their potential to rise further up the card, and on that score they seem well-poised – but Davis makes everyone he wrestles look good. Nigel's eventually felled with an STF that Davis applies as the running knee drive reaches him, once again showcasing that he can lock that move in in any situation. With Mario out of it following a failed missile spear, Davis has time to secure the tapout.
Davis Wayne Newton defeated Mario Heroic and Nigel Svensson when he made Nigel Svensson submit
RATING: A

vs.
The Shooters vs. Human Arsenal & Leo Price
A bad combination here as Leo just doesn't have the stamina; my own fault for forgetting. They held it together as best they could, and the Shooters get a win back when Don successfully lands the moonsault on Leo – a good laugh mixed into the pop there – but I should have thought this one through better. Main event level this wasn't.
The Shooters defeated Human Arsenal & Leo Price when Don Henderson pinned Leo Price
RATING: B-

Still, the triple-threat made this a good enough night to be happy with, at least for now, and the build for the Games continues smoothly. I'm fairly happy overall.
OVERALL: B

[Phantom Stranger]

Probably my biggest failing is that, at the start of each year, I find myself hunting through potential new hires. It's because of this I'm glad of the presence of CPW as a way of tuning up some of the weaker workers, and of the Commonwealth Cup tournament near the start of the year to introduce and trial some of them.

With a week and a half under my belt of the year, it looks like we've got the new additions pinned down – or, to put it another way, the rejections are in, as are the acceptances, and the usual procedure's shaken out and been set aside for a while. Aside from signing Byron and shunting him into CPW to help train others and get his fitness up, here's the short list...


Axxis Jr
From the point of view of the UK wrestling scene, this acquisition is easily the biggest. With three years' work with UKW and a strong showing up to and including their main event – though without taking a title – he's a big name in British wrestling we've never had on the books. Thanks to a stint outside the country working for the Hinote Dojo as a trainer, he was off our rival's book and available to be snatched up without even bugging Sammy by signing anyone either under-equipped in the ring psychology department or employed by a cult promotion. A strong entry into the Commonwealth Cup looks likely.


Buddy Garner
Here in the UK, Buddy's not the big name he is elsewhere. What he is, though, is a very sound wrestler who can stand up to Bulldozer Brandon Smith in the power department easily and provide us with a different flavour of match, and someone strong enough to rapidly develop a following and become a force in the tag division to give us that match, and his recent unemployment left him someone we really had to offer a chance. The current plan sees us partnering him with another new signing...


Roy Edison
Roy's actually spent nine months with us before, but between then and now he's had two years in Japan with Inspire and PGHW working on his skills. Their shared MMA background makes them a natural team and Roy has a little more UK awareness due to his time with us and, recently, with Championship Wrestling from Wigan. A good, sound tough guy team, both men should soon be credible competitors with the right booking.


Samoan Machine
Speaking of sound tough guys, the Machine comes to us to allow us to match the popularity UKW are enjoying from Kid Toma, and to give a third angle to the current two-string attractions of the TV championship; a puro style to work alongside the high flyers and the technical mavens. He'll take some work to get sufficiently over, being another poaching from Japan, but he has the skills to do so, provided he can get the attention. Strictly a dark match attraction for the next while, like Buddy, Roy, and the next two...


Josh Jones
Josh has a lot of fun cruiserweight work up on YouTube from the indies – aka the companies who lack the clout and inclination to lawsuit their stuff off YouTube – but has yet to spend notable time in a big company. A Canadian who's only recently committed to the sport despite six years' on-and-off work, he lacks the ability to get over on mic work but, let's face it, that's secondary here anyway. If nothing else, he has the ability to be a useful undercard performer.


KAZ
Like Buddy, KAZ has recently spent a while unemployed. Like Buddy, he's not known in the UK. He has less upside than Buddy by some way, but he's still a worthwhile worker who may well go far in our company – if he can hack it. If not, he's good enough to teach down in CPW, and may come out of there a better worker than he went in, making this an all-round useful addition.

[Phantom Stranger]

From www.ringoffire.com

It's the last show before the Commonwealth Cup tournament begins, and with only thirteen of the sixteen slots granted to Ring of Fire athletes, everyone wants to stake their case for a place in the tournament. Some know they've got it for sure, others want to fight their way in. Sunday's European Showcase is loaded with...

vs. vs. vs.
Blood Raven vs. Dean Daniels vs. Josh Jones vs. KC Glenn
Four of Ring of Fire's lower-ranked talents face off to climb the ladder, including newcomer Josh Jones who'll be looking to make an impact and rise straight to the top. KC Glenn probably is the favourite heading into this four-way match, but that just gives him a bigger target.

vs.
Dos Phoenix vs. The Team-Up Marvels
Four men completely left out of the recent race for the tag contendership, these two teams will be looking to prove once more that they deserve consideration. Both teams have worn gold on several occasions, though Dos Phoenix have yet to do so in Ring of Fire.

vs. w/
Extraordinary Men vs. Pure Perfection
Bad feelings run deep here, as these two teams both feel the others' activities cost them a space in Tuesday's match for the contendership. Youth takes on experience as they clash in the ring...

w/ vs.
British Samurai vs. Mario Heroic for the ROF TV Championship
For someone who's come out on the losing end recently, Mario Heroic is probably the best performer in the ring we've got, and as he returns to the TV championship chase he assuredly finds himself in with a chance of unseating the Governor and picking up the TV Championship for the third time.

vs. vs. w/
Davis Wayne Newton vs. Don Henderson vs. Human Arsenal
After two weeks of lobbying, the Triple Threat has been awarded a match with champion and challenger to alleviate his frustrations at being set aside in favour of Human Arsenal for a title shot. While Davis will be wanting to prove his seniority, both Don and the Human Arsenal will be looking to put him out and demonstrate their rights to the top two spots.

vs. vs.
Art Reed vs. Joey Beauchamp vs. UK Dragon
Terry Roberts has confirmed that the winner of this match will be permitted to select their opponent in the first round of the Commonwealth Cup. With word of challengers from UKW stepping up to reach for the Cup, it's possible we'll see the winner step up to defend Ring of Fire - particularly the firebrand Art Reed who drove a number of UKW competitors out of the promotion last year - or simply make their progress through the cup a little easier, taking on a rival whose style they know well.

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF: European Showcase
Sunday Week 2 January 2013
Ostrava Arena (Central Europe)
2000 in attendance
RATING: 0.56

vs. vs. vs.
Blood Raven vs. Dean Daniels vs. Josh Jones vs. KC Glenn
A shortish four-man match kicked the show off; KC and Dean given the challenge of helping the newcomer and Raven stretch their legs for the audience and generally testing things. Considering that three of these guys aren't even really in a title picture right now, this was damn good.. Dean scored a smooth win with a cradle piledriver over Blood Raven at 14:16.
Dean Daniels defeated Blood Raven, Josh Jones and KC Glenn when he pinned Blood Raven
RATING: B-

vs.
Dos Phoenix vs. the Team-Up Marvels
Oh dear lord. This... was not good in the slightest. Highspot clearly wasn't on form today, and the Marvels are probably the weakest link in the tag division anyway – and Dos Phoenix still need to get a little further over to get the crowd really interested. This match will at least have helped with that – a spectacular sequence at the end was the only worthwhile point as Phoenix II dropkicked Johnny Highspot to the mat and pinned Lowlife with a northern lights suplex, Phoenix III keeping Highspot down with a high velocity legdrop – one I think he added to the match due to his irritation at Johnny phoning it in. Let's just say that Johnny and Jonni will be reporting to CPW for additional training in a couple of days.
Dos Phoenix defeated the Team-Up Marvels when Phoenix II pinned Jonni Lowlife
RATING: D+


A quick hype video for the championship match aired next. At least that's made up for the appalling prior contest.
RATING: B-

vs. w/
Extraordinary Men vs. Pure Perfection
Another problem with a worker not working at full tilt here, with El Heroe being a little distracted. The difference is that here, his tag partner was able to realise that and step things up in spectacular fashion, leading to the stereo superkick Mexican Standoff finish still working as Steve Flash ran headlong into it and the luchadors scored a win to advance.
Extraordinary Men defeated Pure Perfection when Extraordinario Jr pinned Steve Flash
RATING: B


Joey Beauchamp appeared on the big screen and mocked Art Reed and UK Dragon extensively before their match tonight. Joey's UCR history helps us here; he's been a great heel in Europe for so long.
RATING: B-

vs.
British Samurai vs. Mario Heroic for the ROF TV Championship
They didn't have long here – in order to get the disastrous Phoenix/Marvels contest on the card, I'd made the call to keep this one fairly short. They didn't have long to get the crowd going, but they did it nonetheless, hyping the crowd significantly, getting a good solid response and producing a significant groan of disappointment when Sammy finally overcame Mario's challenge. A great match capped off with the Hero Attack converted into a fisherman's suplex, this was definitely a sign that our midcard can give us what's needed.
British Samurai defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall
RATING: B

vs. vs. w/
Davis Wayne Newton vs. Don Henderson vs. Human Arsenal
So many issues in this match, all revolving around the belt at Don's waist. It started hard and fast, with all three men picking a target and going for it, and quickly shifted into a rapid demonstration of move-and-counter. This is what's tripped up various play-by-play men in our history; left to their own devices, our technicians can hold and reverse so fast you've got to work to keep at it. With the pride of all three men on the line... with Don and Arsenal both wanting a win in their last showing before the pay-per-view... and with Davis motivated to prove a point before the tournament begins... this was brutal, dazzling, and at times beautiful, but no one could keep any other down for long enough without being interrupted, and all too quickly their twenty minutes were up.
Davis Wayne Newton drew with Don Henderson and Human Arsenal when the time limit elapsed.
RATING: B

vs. vs.
Art Reed vs. Joey Beauchamp vs. UK Dragon
With the winner able to choose their first-round opponent, there was a lot at stake here, and all three know it. Last year, Art beat Joey out narrowly in the Cup final; last year, Dragon was two months in to his epic title reign. Joey has never held the Cup; Art has never held the belt it guarantees a shot at. At 21:21, with UK Dragon down in the Dread Lock, Joey landed the 450 splash onto both men, pinning Art while they were both out of it in payback for last year and capping off the match of the night.
Joey Beauchamp defeated Art Reed and UK Dragon when he pinned Art Reed.
RATING: B+

Very happy with the build so far. The next week and a half are all given over to the Cup; normal service won't resume until the end of the month. But so far, it feels like we're coming along.
OVERALL: B

[Phantom Stranger]

I had the Commonwealth Cup tournament almost completely booked now, and was pretty happy with it. Then I picked up the phone to speak to my sometime poker buddy, longtime friend, and opposite number at UKW, Fumihiro Ota.

He's held their book now for around five years, ending his run in Ring of Fire due to his responsibilities with them, and he's maintained UKW's status as a major player in the UK over a time when almost every British federation has suffered. On a fairly regular basis, we've effectively worked together - when UKW signed Art Reed, he allowed me to book Art for three shows during which he put on wrestling clinics alongside both Gauge brothers against British Samurai and the Shooters for the best of US and UK technical wrestling, before Art had ever appeared on UKW TV - in order to give Art time to find his feet in the British style before his televised debut. We got Art's first UK matches, he got a better-prepared grappler.

Art featured in another deal, too, when we began his battle with UKW talent; Art having recently left them, we pitched him as a rival to UKW and systematically worked through our joint talent, building Art for me and keeping the UKW crew humble enough to re-sign for Ota. UKW's owner also owns the network keeping us both aired in the UK; the whole arrangement's fairly amicable.

So I wasn't expecting any problems; I wanted three men, and asked Ota for Walter Morgan, an old ROF hand, Merle O'Curle, a man who for some time was synonymous with us, and a third man to surprise me.

No good, Fumi told me. Merle was currently enjoying a renaissance at the top of their pile as champion, and he didn't want him taking losses in another company's tournament. Walter was lower on the totem pole, but had the same problem; he was a tag champion over there alongside Jay B. I told him I'd call him back and spent a while revising my plans, helped by delves into my old tape library. Eventually, I passed him another three for exchange. I offered to send them Mario Heroic (who briefly worked for them), Greg Gauge and Nigel Svensson (both of whom need their profile raising, so it'd help) and I brought back three Ring of Fire Alumni...

Adam Matravers

Petey Barnes' former tag partner. Phoebe Plumridge's real-life other half. The exciting showcase of the Show Stealers, Adam jumped ship to 21CW leaving Petey behind, only to be left behind in turn when Petey's career rocketed off while 21CW floundered. His time in UKW has left him decorated with a near year-long tag title run alongside Leo Price, and he can be relied on to put on a good match. But singles action has not been kind to him; while he will do well for me, he's not really someone to be considered a major threat in the tournament.

Buff Martinez

Less than a year since his time with Ring of Fire ended, Buff has held gold for MOSC, 21CW, and UKW. His Ring of Fire run included a rivalry with Davis that earned him the #12 spot in 2011's Hot 100 (while Davis fetched up #1) and a winning feud against Mario Heroic that saw Buff climb to #10 last year; he's a fan favourite with us and will be seen as having every chance.

Fumihiro Ota

Few fans really remember Ota's time with us these days; it ended over four years ago, before we got TV or PPV distribution, and didn't last long while we had it. That said, he's had two lengthy runs with the UKW main strap since 2010, with the most recent ending only last September; our viewing audience will definitely consider him a credible threat.

[Phantom Stranger]

From www.ringoffire.com

The results are almost in. The roster's been selected for the Commonwealth Cup.

As most of you know, this week both Fighting Fit and European Showcase will be given over to the Cup qualifying matches, as sixteen men begin the fight for the coveted trophy - and the title shot that comes with it.

Here come the opening brackets:

vs.
Match A: Buff Martinez vs. Jonathan Faust

vs.
Match B: Adam Matravers vs. Mario Heroic

vs.
Match C: Art Reed vs. Fumihiro Ota

vs.
Match D: KC Glenn vs. UK Dragon

---


Match E: Joey Beauchamp vs. ????


vs.
Match F: Daniel Black Francis vs. Davis Wayne Newton

vs.
Match G: Billy Robinson vs. Nigel Svensson

vs.
Match H: Axxis Jr vs. Joss Thompson

Tune in for all this plus tag action and, as always, the defence of the TV Championship!

Prediction Key
Buff Martinez vs. Jonathan Faust
Adam Matravers vs. Mario Heroic
Art Reed vs. Fumihiro Ota
KC Glenn vs. UK Dragon
Joey Beauchamp vs. ????
Daniel Black Francis vs. Davis Wayne Newton
Billy Robinson vs. Nigel Svensson
Axxis Jr vs. Joss Thompson

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF: Fighting Fit
Tuesday Week 3 January
Hibernian Arena (Scotland)
4329 in attendance
RATING: 0.44

vs.
The Stunners vs. Los Leyendas
A shortish match designed almost purely to get the Stunners a little momentum back – and set up Joey's decision. The Superbomb Splash finished off Ultimate Phoenix thirteen minutes in, and Brandon followed up with a top-rope splash of his own for the pin. Phoenix is looking better, too.
The Stunners defeated Los Leyendas when Bulldozer Brandon Smith pinned Ultimate Phoenix
RATING: C-


Backstage, Joey Beauchamp informs the cameras that he's decided to reward those gallant members of the tag division. He names his first Cup opponent as El Leon.
RATING: E+

w/ vs.
British Samurai vs. Billy Robinson for the ROF TV Championship
Eeesh. Bad chemistry here, and the whole thing just didn't work well. Sammy continues to get sounder in the ring, however, and the Fisherman's Suplex was fun to watch hit home. I guess Scotland was a bad idea; we've always avoided running here too often.
British Samurai defeated Billy Robinson by pinfall
RATING: C


Backstage, Adam Matravers (accompanied by girlfriend Phoebe Plumridge), Fumihiro Ota, and Buff Martinez discuss the superiority of UKW and promise they'll show that in the Cup matches tonight.
RATING: C-

vs.
Cup Qualifier A: Buff Martinez vs. Jonathan Faust
Good work here, very much in the old 21CW style; these men have faced each other in 21CW, MOSC, and UKW, and both of them have been Ring of Fire players as it goes Buff works hard here with Faust and pushes him to pull out new tricks in the brawling department, and the Scottish crowd really get into that old-school brawl. Eventually the El KO hits, more or less out of nowhere, and Buff Martinez scores the fall to advance.
Buff Martinez defeated Jonathan Faust by pinfall
RATING: B

w/ vs.
Cup Qualifier B: Adam Matravers vs. Mario Heroic
Double-P pulled double manager duty today, coming out at her boyfriend's side to face Mario. I'm considering more and more strongly signing Adam if he ever leaves UKW; his chemistry with Mario is undeniable and the fans popped very strongly for this one. Adam had control for a lengthy portion of the match, but the Mile High Moonsault missed and Mario capitalised, laying in the boots in the DaVE/MOSC tradition before whipping him to the ropes and smashing him back down with the Hero Attack to score a win.
Mario Heroic defeated Adam Matravers by pinfall
RATING: B-


Art Reed hunts Fumihiro Ota down backstage and, all smiles, informs him that he's planning on continuing to run UKW talent out of Ring of Fire, a throwback to his campaign of early last year. The two exchange angry words for a few moments, then Ota's music hits and he heads out to the ring.
RATING: C+

vs.
Cup Qualifier C: Art Reed vs. Fumihiro Ota
I'm grateful to Ota for agreeing to this. In a spectacular match both men really kicked it into gear and worked a spectacular technical contest with occasional outbreaks of high-flying speed, but as the contest kept driving on, Ota made the mistake of going for the Ninja Strike – which handed Art his arm, and the Dread Lock ensued. Ota fought like a champ, but eventually tapped out.
Art Reed defeated Fumihiro Ota by submission
RATING: B+


Releasing the hold, Art allows Fumihiro to rise and they stand off, tensely, before Ota nods and leaves the ring.
RATING: B-

vs.
Cup Qualifier D: KC Glenn vs. UK Dragon
In hindsight, this shouldn't have been the main event, though it was pretty good stuff. With a quarter of an hour between the bells, KC put on a pretty good show but ultimately ate the Dragon Drop to a biggish pop. I just hadn't expected Reed/Ota to be as good as it was.
UK Dragon defeated KC Glenn by pinfall
RATING: B-

So... good enough once more, ultimately, and quite enjoyable. The UKW guys didn't throw their weight around, which is definitely a plus.
OVERALL: B-

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF: European Showcase
Sunday Week 3 January 2013
Parc des Sports
3659 in attendance
RATING: 0.53

The show opened with a recap of Art Reed's match on Tuesday, showing him defeating Fumihiro Ota to advance to the quarter-finals of the Cup. A surprisingly good pop for Art from the Parisien crowd.
RATING: B-

w/ vs.
Pure Perfection vs. The Professionals
It wasn't for the title, and that may be why Greg was slacking a little, rating the match less important. Sergei Kalashnov wasn't firing on all cylinders, either, but between their skills and the abilities of their more energised allies the match didn't suffer. A very good quarter-hour showcased a great many excellent holds, takedowns, throws, and Sergei's aerial arsenal to liven it up, and Steve Flash continues his recent policy of taking the fall to put over as many young talents as possible, tagging in just in time to be dragged down into the Proton Lock by Greg Gauge. I definitely enjoyed this.
The Professionals defeated Pure Perfection when Greg Gauge made Steve Flash submit
RATING: B


Another recap from Tuesday's round of the Cup, this time showcasing Mario Heroic and his triumph over Adam Matravers.
RATING: B-

w/ vs.
British Samurai vs. Nate Johnson for the ROF TV Championship
Oyy... Sammy's having real trouble getting on the same page as any of the other competitors here. It may cut his reign shorter than I'd planned. Both of them seem to be improving, but there was just that lack of communication that makes reversals look weak. The fisherman's suplex finishes after fourteen minutes of weakness.
British Samurai defeated Nate Johnson by pinfall
RATING: C

vs.
Cup Qualifier E: El Leon vs. Joey Beauchamp
Thankfully, this was better. I should probably talk here about Joey's style, because it relates to the story of the match. We've shifted from his old nickname 'The Breeze' to 'The Perpetual Motion Machine' as he's developed and evolved, in part because, save for pinfalls, he never, ever stops moving entirely. But, as with the top rank of Ring of Fire, he arranges his spots very differently in each match nowadays, responding to the crowd; there isn't a 'typical Joey match' anymore. There was, however, in UCR, and that's why we booked this match in Paris; Joey started this out working the old 'typical Joey match', getting some chuckles from some of the crowd and heat from others – El Leon was, briefly, a shining light during our old USPW brand over here, and the disrespect was palpable. Around seven minutes in, however, Leon landed the Split Second Justice for a two-count, and Joey woke up to the fact this was no pushover. It'd take him another twelve minutes at full tilt in his newer style to finally take Leon down with the Breeze Block. The fans ended up equally happy with both men.
Joey Beauchamp defeated El Leon by pinfall
RATING: B


Another recap package next, with the evening's crowning match; UK Dragon and KC Glenn. Another fairly decent pop.
RATING: C+

vs.
Cup Qualifier F: Daniel Black Francis vs. Davis Wayne Newton
Well, this was... massively better than I expected. Daniel eats his second Fisherman Suplex in as many weeks at the end, thereby losing, but before that he stepped up his game and, alongside Davis, produced probably the best match I've seen out of Daniel in his tenure with us – and in only a quarter of an hour. Major crowd reaction as the match punched through the expectations.
Davis Wayne Newton defeated Daniel Black Francis by pinfall
RATING: A


One final video package for the night, this one reminding our European fans that Don Henderson/Human Arsenal is coming up at Tuesday's PPV.
RATING: B-

vs.
Cup Qualifier G: Billy Robinson vs. Nigel Svensson
Another match that had to be less than a quarter of an hour due to time constraints, but also another match that exploded past what I expected from it. Both these men are steeped in the Wigan style of technical wrestling and they really showcased that, seeing a number of great reversals before, finally, Nigel managed to apply the hyper-extension armlock and turn back any counters until Billy tapped. Big reaction for them both here.
Nigel Svensson defeated Billy Robinson by submission
RATING: B+

vs.
Cup Qualifier H: Axxis Jr vs Joss Thompson
Axxis' big debut makes the main event, and unfortunately can't keep up with the standard set by the prior two matches – he's never performed much in Europe, but I didn't have room for him on the UK show. It is, nonetheless, a good solid contest that the fans get into despite themselves, and Thompson once again comes out on the weak end, chiefly due to the phenomenal Gravity Axxisault at the end. It does pretty well, all things considered, and the brawl sequence toward the end showed a better style for it than I'd thought Axxis had. The show goes off the air to a still-decent crowd response, and our quarter-final brackets are made for Fighting Fit.
Axxis Jr defeated Joss Thompson by pinfall
RATING: B

Another good solid show, in short; not spectacular, but more than good enough, thanks largely to the Qualifiers.
OVERALL: B

[Phantom Stranger]

From www.ringoffire.com

It's the last Fighting Fit before the first Pay-Per-View of the year, and between the two shows Tuesday night sees the end of the Commonwealth Cup and a number of other clashes! Tuesday's action will include:

---Fighting Fit---

w/ vs. vs.
British Samurai vs. Billy Robinson vs. Leo Price for the ROF TV Championship

The Samurai is still sitting pretty with the belt and the lady. Recent Cup loser Billy Robinson is looking for his third stint with the belt while Leo Price wants to be recognised as the tough competitor he is - so everything's on the line as Fighting Fit takes to the air. Price is hungry for his first taste of Ring of Fire gold, and may well sate that hunger...

vs.
Cup Quarter-Final 1: Buff Martinez vs. Mario Heroic
Last year these two men engaged in one of the most intense rivalries Ring of Fire broadcast, earning both men international recognition as some of the best of the year. Buff's been away from Ring of Fire for some time - can the duo recreate that magic as they face off again, and if so - who'll come out on top this time?

vs.
Quarter-Final 2: Art Reed vs. UK Dragon
It's last year's Commonwealth Cup winner against the man who held the most prestigious championship Britain and Europe have to offer for most of 2012. Should he reach all the way, the Dragon will gain his first shot against the man who defeated him for that gold; Art, on the other hand, will have his sights set on a first reign on top of the world.

vs.
Quarter-Final 3: Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp
Two multi-time ROF Champions, both of them with championship pedigree elsewhere. Two friends. Tension has built between them over the last month owing to Don Henderson's refusal to accept Davis' title challenge for the Commonwealth Games; the luck of the draw - and Joey's winning the chance to select his first-round opponent - has placed them against each other. The Triple Threat takes on the Perpetual Motion Machine, and anything can happen as both men look toward a tournament title neither man has ever won.

vs.
Quarter-Final 4: Axxis Jr vs. Nigel Svensson
The Iron Luchador is no stranger to British wrestling but a newcomer to the Ring of Fire scene. He looks to make a statement Tuesday night; against him, the Wigan-trained Swede who set people talking with a phenomenal 2012 including two lengthy TV Championship reigns. Nigel looks to cement his place in contendership for the biggest title we offer here, and so does Axxis Jr. Only one of them can make it through to...

---Commonwealth Games---

vs.
The Professionals vs. East & West for the ROF Tag Championship
Since joining up with returning ROF alumnus Greg Gauge last summer, Ernest Youngman has gone from being perceived as a weak competitor to one-half of the current tag team champions. Both men are young, hungry and very, very good - but they face East & West; Marc Speed, an excellent technical wrestler who knows some devastating submission holds and Nichiren Amagawa, described by some as the greatest submission expert currently wrestling. Speed and Amagawa are multi-time champions and will be looking to add another title reign to that count.

Semi-Final A: Winner of 1 vs. Winner of 2

Semi-Final B: Winner of 3 vs. Winner of 4

Commonwealth Cup Final: Winner of Semi-Final A vs. Winner of Semi-Final B

w/ vs. w/
Don Henderson w/ Nadia Snow vs. Human Arsenal w/ Wanda Fish for the ROF Championship
A match born from respect, reigning champion Don Henderson passed over Davis Wayne Newton to offer a title shot to the only man who has never been defeated in a ROF Championship bout. Henderson has held every title Ring of Fire offers today, some multiple times; he won the inaugural Commonwealth Cup tournament and ended the Year of the Dragon last November at Champions League. By contrast, Human Arsenal has been with Ring of Fire only a year, losing his appearance at the last Commonwealth Games against Davis Wayne Newton - another match made from respect. But since then he has racked up a staggering win/loss record, proving himself as a challenger for the grandest of titles within six months and earning the respect of wrestling fans worldwide.

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF: Fighting Fit
Tuesday Week 3 January 2013
Thames Valley Corner (Southern UK)
16288 in attendance
RATING: 0.53

w/ vs. vs.
British Samurai vs. Billy Robinson vs. Leo Price for the ROF TV Championship
Better. Not good enough, but better. Sammy continues to grow as a technical wrestler – as you'd expect, considering who he's been working with – but considering they only had fifteen minutes to work with (to prevent Leo gassing out) the results were pretty good. Double-P continues to work well with Sammy, making a lot of the punishment he took from the other two seem even nastier, and the fisherman's suplex to Leo got a decent pop as a result. Sammy manages, barely, to retain...
British Samurai defeated Billy Robinson and Leo Price when he pinned Leo Price
RATING: C+


A short hype video next for the first quarter-final; Mario Heroic and Buff Martinez. A lukewarm reception; I doubt the crowd expected either man to win.
RATING: C

vs.
Quarter-Final 1: Buff Martinez vs. Mario Heroic
A lukewarm reception for the match, too; the chemistry really wasn't there – I guess Buff's nine months away have lost him and Mario that connection they used to have. Can't be helped, though, and it's not like this will be a problem again any time soon. The El KO finishes in Buff's favour after a fairly weak bout.
Buff Martinez defeated Mario Heroic by pinfall
RATING: C


The next hype video picked the crowd up more than a little; Art Reed. UK Dragon. Two men the fans have to believe can win; Art held the trophy last year, and Dragon is clearly someone looking to re-enter the championship race fully. Good reactions here...
RATING: B-

vs.
Quarter-Final 2: Art Reed vs. UK Dragon
Well, this was damn good stuff. Art and Reed set themselves up opposite each other and just went for it in a fast-paced technical display. On commentary we discussed the strategy here, with both men clearly going for a fast shock pin to preserve energy for the semi-finals. Dragon was trying bigger and bigger tricks as the timer ticked past ten minutes; Art, in contrast, slowed down, making his moves careful, targeted, and efficient. In the end Dragon went for a flying clothesline that Art turned into an armdrag takedown and then further into the Dread Lock, scoring an exhausting win.
Art Reed defeated UK Dragon by submission
RATING: B


The third video of the evening mixed in a little of the dissension between Davis Wayne Newton and Joey Beauchamp from the start of the month, getting a still bigger crowd reaction. The fans seem about ready to explode already...
RATING: B

vs.
Quarter-Final 3: Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp
As ever, these two just threw everything they had into it. At times a one-upmanship contest, at times a technical struggle for a pinfall or submission hold, and at times a simple brawl, both men seemed to know exactly when the crowd wanted them to shift gears, and the peak hit at the right time; a massive suicide dive from Joey wiped both of them out, leaving them fallen on the outside as the time limit ticked over. Draw.
Davis Wayne Newton drew with Joey Beauchamp when the time limit elapsed
RATING: A

vs.
And the night's final hype video, next (why yes, the Cup is formula. No shocks there, right?) Nigel Svensson – an outside chance who'd piqued interest with an excellent match on Sunday, and who had spent the past year obviously being groomed to push forward – and the newcomer Axxis Jr, a man who's already being labelled one of our top players. Decent pop, therefore...
RATING: B-

vs.
Quarter-Final 4: Axxis Jr vs. Nigel Svensson
One's a luchador. One's a Wigan-style hook and shoot specialist. The two styles are not ones that overlap greatly, but Ring of Fire has managed to make a virtue out of that mix over the last six years. Not so much here – in addition to the style clash, these two were utterly unable to click in the ring at any point, their timings being nonexistent together. And yet, despite that, such was the talent of these two that it matched up to Art/Dragon as a very, very solid match. It ran just over nineteen minutes before the Gravity Axxisault finally secured the newcomer a place in... actually, a place in the finals, with Davis and Joey having ruled each other out!
Axxis Jr defeated Nigel Svensson by pinfall
RATING: B


Before the show went off the air the cameras went backstage. Davis and Joey were embroiled in a furious argument, Joey claiming Davis should've opted out of the Cup altogether since he couldn't get that shot from Don, Davis arguing that he deserved the shot as much as Joey – and Joss Thompson joined them, furious at the fact that none of them now had the chance to lay hands on the Cup this year. They arranged to settle their differences in the time that would've been taken up by the semi-final Davis and Joey have caused not to happen on the PPV.
RATING: B

Another 'good enough' show for now. Still, it's also the go-home, and the PPV should hopefully be significantly better.
OVERALL: B

[Phantom Stranger]

ROF: Commonwealth Games
Tuesday Week 3 January 2013
Thames Valley Corner (Southern UK)
16288 in attendance
BUYRATE: 0.69

Estimated attendance and actual attendance are starting to diverge radically, which is not good for our finances.


We kick off the show with a hype video for The Professionals' title defence against East and West. Not a brilliant reception, but it could be worse.
RATING: C+

vs.
The Professionals vs. East & West for the ROF Tag Championship
A good solid showing in the opener, as all four men worked hard at this. With the time limit removed for pay-per-view, the tag teams really seem to feel as if I've taken a major restriction off them. This one, for example, nearly hit twenty-six minutes before the Proton Lock showed Marc Speed that they're now facing a team that can work submissions confidently too. Good solid stuff and the champs look good.
The Professionals defeated East & West when Greg Gauge made Marc Speed submit
RATING: B


Backstage, Axxis Jr takes the microphone. Word has it he's excellent, and his time with UKW has given him a remarkable command of the English language. He opens his mouth and, with a flair, lays out his career to date, concentrating on the respect he's earned from his peers, his remarkable reputation... and the fact he's never held gold at the top level. He promises that changes tonight, and the fans respond to the passion in his voice.
RATING: B

vs. vs.
Davis Wayne Newton vs. Joey Beauchamp vs. Joss Thompson
Hmm. Something a little unfortunate going on here, I think; my suspicion is that Joss has weak chemistry with one of his opponents. Still, with twenty-five minutes they still do a pretty good job in the ring of getting the crowd interested, and Joss – the freshest man tonight by far – capitalises off a missed Breeze Block and lands the Clean Cutter on Davis for a solid win.
Joss Thompson defeated Davis Wayne Newton and Joey Beauchamp when he pinned Davis Wayne Newton
RATING: B-


Joey immediately gets in Joss' face in a screaming argument. Davis, coming up behind him, tries to calm it down before eating a vicious DDT from Joey. Joss, having seen enough, rolls out of the ring in disgust – and a remarkable pop, as friction within this stable continues to get the crowd fired up.
RATING: B+

vs.
Semi-Final: Art Reed vs. Buff Martinez
Not too bad; just solid, dependable stuff by both men that ended, as so many matches have in the past week, with the Dread Lock forcing his rival to submit. Buff's tenure with us comes to an end, for a while at least, and Art continues to build momentum.
Art Reed defeated Buff Martinez by pinfall
RATING: B


Backstage, Wanda Fish did her best to put Human Arsenal over for the title match. It may simply be that she's not yet established enough, but it wasn't well-received.
RATING: D

vs.
Commonwealth Cup Final: Art Reed vs. Axxis Jr
In contrast to the semi-final, this was beautiful stuff. Art's pure athlete background gives him astonishing stamina, and we all know the legends of the Iron Luchador. As such they both had plenty in their tank here to make this a hard-fought twenty-five minutes with the crowd going crazy as it went. Toward the end Art focused on Axxis' legs, keeping him off balance and unable to fly effectively, before working up a focus on the arms that culminated in a huge pop for the Dread Lock. Great stuff.
Art Reed defeated Axxis Jr by submission
RATING: A


After a long moment, Axxis Jr picks himself up, rolling his shoulder and testing his arm gingerly, before offering his hand to the newly-crowned champion Art Reed. The Ring of Fire crowd repay my faith by proving they like respect between competitors.
RATING: B


Just before the main event, we put in one last hype video recapping Don Henderson's history with the promotion.
RATING: B

w/ vs. w/
Don Henderson w/ Nadia Snow vs. Human Arsenal w/ Wanda Fish for the ROF Championship
Just under half an hour left on the card meant we could be pretty confident of a good match from these two, and they definitely got stuck in hard and fast. Notable sequences in there included Arsenal stringing together a suplex, stalling vertical suplex, butterfly suplex, gutwrench suplex, and finally a northern lights suplex only to see Don kick out as well as Don countering a rare foray to the top rope by Arsenal by springing up after him and hitting a spectacular looking spinebuster for two. In the end, with all else tried, Don caught a charge into the tilt-a-whirl powerbomb and stepped through into the Scottish Deathlock, forcing Arsenal at last to tap out.
Don Henderson defeated Human Arsenal by submission
RATING: A

Lovely stuff overall; I'm confident that this was the kind of PPV performance to keep us moving forward.
OVERALL: A

[Phantom Stranger]

From www.ringoffire.com...

With the Commonwealth Cup decided for another year it's time to look forward once again to the next month. The card for School of Tradition now boasts a title match; with the final European Showcase of January we may see more matches made. We'll also see:

w/ vs.
British Samurai (w/ Phoebe Plumridge) vs. Petey Barnes for the ROF TV Championship
British Samurai's been champion now for nearly a full month; he'll be looking to continue that reign well into February. Petey Barnes, meanwhile, is still hoping to pick up that last title he needs to have held everything that Ring of Fire has to offer. While this looks like a technical match, don't underestimate either man's ability to step to the edge of the rules and dish it out - both of these men have held gold in MOSC.

vs.
Dos Phoenix vs. Extraordinary Men
Dos Phoenix are accomplished legends of lucha libre. Tag team and trios champions in OLLIE multiple times, Phoenix II also ended the feud against the Swarm, picking up another Trios reign alongside Swarm II and the Great Hisato. Phoenix III, meanwhile, has been the top champion in both OLLIE and SOTBPW. No one can doubt their ability or their reputation. The warriors known as Extraordinary Men are younger but barely less decorated; with two Ring of Fire tag reigns to their credit, El Heroe Mexicano has also risen to the top in MPWF while Extraordinario Jr has held trios gold in SOTBPW and TV gold here and with the lamented Japanese promotion EXODUS2010. This promises to be a lucha libre bout on a par with anything you'll see in Mexico.

vs. vs.
KC Glenn vs. Nate Johnson vs. Nigel Svensson
Two former TV champions in Johnson and Svensson here, with Nigel having held the title twice and Johnson's reign ended only by Japanese legend Burning EXILE. Their opponent, KC Glenn, is young and looking for his first taste of gold in professional wrestling - but he's already been recognised by wrestling journalists as one to watch, achieving 92 in last year's hot 100. The winner of this match will face the TV champion - whoever that may be by then - on Tuesday's Fighting Fit.

vs.
Jonathan Faust vs. Leo Price
Leo Price was denied the TV championship just on Tuesday. Jonathan Faust considers himself beyond the TV belt but was not entered into the Commonwealth Cup tournament. Both men feel they have everything to prove as a result. Both men have worked for almost all the promotions the UK has to offer - the exceptions being the newest companies, ones made since they entered their exclusive Ring of Fire contracts. They've had to shine on many different stages and in many different styles. This match could go in either direction very easily...

vs.
Mario Heroic & Daniel Black Francis vs. Joey Beauchamp & Bulldozer Brandon Smith

Solid performances from Mario Heroic during the Cup have led him to set his sights on higher things. Daniel Black Francis appears to have decided 2013 is when he starts his drive to greatness. Their opponents here are only loosely aligned through Joss Thompson's friendship, but present a formidable obstacle. A win over them would place Mario and Daniel in high acclaim; a loss would leave Joey and Brandon with leverage in Thompson's little clique, leverage that could result in Joey finding no opposition from Joss or Davis to challenge for the title...

vs.
Art Reed & Axxis Jr vs. Davis Wayne Newton & Joss Thompson
And the jockeying for position in the title challenges continues, as Davis and Joss look for leverage of their own, while the current number one contender, Art Reed, and the man he beat to the Cup form an alliance of respect against them. While Art's challenge at School of Tradition is set in stone, the events of this match may help determine who challenges in March...

[Phantom Stranger]

Something I've been meaning to say, by the way - I'm happy to give detailed updates on what's happened since 2007 to specific wrestlers or promotions on request. The world's a very different one now... one where Lobster Warrior has held the top prize in SWF and DaVE and left them both behind. One where Elmo Benson has sat atop the SWF realm for months before dominating CGC and moving into the Stones territory, where Hell's Bouncer has climbed to the top of USPW and CZCW and looks to be reaching the peak in SWF soon, and where Jack Bruce eschewed certain TCW glory to go to North of the Border and languish in near-obscurity, and where T-Rex can be recognised as Richard Eisen's top champion.

And it's a world where Tommy Cornell hasn't held a title in four years, and Sean McFly hasn't in three. Christian Faith doesn't work in the United States anymore.

Let me know if you're interested.