westlondonmist

My main problem with this was the t shirt. It was made using Gildan softstyle which is a tight fit brand (usually advertised as so) rather than the Gildan Heavy which rpw and NJPW use. If you do not like tight fit then I would advise you to order the size above what you usually wear. I think they should use the heavy, the cost is of little difference (I am related to people who print t's for a living so I do know). I feel it is unfair to sell tight fit without advertising so.

The finn balor stuff is not bad just not sure what I will do with it. 

The dvd looks decent just not got round to watching it but will do soon. 

I don't collect figures so hope to get £13 inc postage for my Daniel Bryan elite 32 figure to cover my cost of getting the upgrade. 

 

If I can get my money back for the figure I may buy the crate again but not otherwise. I only feel the dvd was decent. Shame as the t design was clever. I may wait a month to see what next month is like. 

what was in this months?

Not even put the Meet & Greet tickets on sale yet.

Problem with a Meet and greet for this show is that AJ has been over so many times this year so anybody who wanted to meet him already has. Jay Lethal has wrestled over here this year for other promotions and prior to this year for RPW. Colt Cabana has wrestled God knows how many times for RPW. The only one who would have been difficult to meet is Bailey. I think it could be difficult to sell to people. It may just be worth charging people at the merch stalls to meet people. I think you would have to have at least these those 4 plus 6 Brittish wrestlers to get £40 but many of the Brittish wrestlers would have been met by any fans who wanted to meet them. Scurll, Osprey, Williams and Haskins are all fairly easy to meet if you want. Not sure about Damo or Zabre. If you had not many then I think £40 would be decent (I like meet and greets). People paid lots of money for the Japanese wrestlers because many had not been over before and for many (like myself) was there 1st RPW show.

Were AJ to have to pull out injured, the obvious answer is to make Scurll v Ospreay a decision match for the belt.

And not have Zabre Jr who is the challenger?

Is anyone else more than a little anxious that AJ is going to pull out of this show given his recent back issues? 

 

It wouldn't be the end of the world and given the track record that Rev Pro have for Replacements (Roderick Strong and Austin Aries!) I feel they would find a great replacement to face Zack but god I really REALLY want to see this match and feel if it doesn't happen in January there is a good chance it won't happen.

if it doesn't happen it would be a loss but it is not the end of the show. Haskins/Lethal, Scurll/ Osprey and Williams Cabana could carry the show on their own. I think AJ will be okay, but may not go all out. As AJ wants to do less indy dates, if he does pull out do the 3 mentioned matches, leading to a 3 way on the night for a new champion or have Sabre Jr against someone else like Galloway for a 4 way match..

I think Colt Cabana vs Doug Williams is a great addition to the card. 

They sell t shirts like hotcakes. Dvds are obsolete due to on demand. Can't see any other sort of merch which would be worthwhile

Polo promotion purple hands. 

Has anybody else seen the tv show Josh? I thought it was absolute bollocks. Badly written and badly acted. It comes across as a low budget mesh of Peep Show and Seinfeld. Josh Widicombe is one of the most overrated comedians on the planet. It seems that if you get on Mock the week you are instantly a comedy star. 

That was absolutely brilliant. Heavyweight boxing is back folks. Wilder, Joshua and Haye with Fury as Lineal Champion, brilliant.

I cannot believe Fury has said he will not give Haye a title shot due to previous cancelled matches. I think Haye always all talk and no tackle but the fight would draw big time. Possible sell out at Wembley Stadium and numerous PPV buys. He said he would vacate if Haye was made mandatory title contender but I think he is chatting shit. If he did vacate then Wlad would win the title back instantly. A fight against Chisora would probably draw well enough, sell out an arena at the very least.

 

I think a good chance of a rematch, another one which I think could sell out a stadium in England.

Tried a couple of matches and to be honest did not enjoy either. His kicking move set just comes across as dull, there are many who do it better.

Oh fuck Fury won, I hope he loses it straight away, he is a complete twat. 

Rev Pro have updated the card for High Stakes, currently the following. AJ Vs Sabre Jr, Scurll Vs Osprey, Lethal Vs Haskins, Big Damo vs Bailey. I am not sure who mike bailey is. 

Looked at the price of the 2 dvds which I think together is £21 inc postage, so may be worth trying a box for £25. If I got a t shirt I did not like then I would just give it to a friend. I would be interested if Japanese and Mexican shirts/ autographs and dvds will ever be included. Brit indys would be quite interesting, there is some good talent out at the moment. However not sure what I would do with toys. Only really collect prints that are signed personally but I would still enjoy them.

Just watched Fear and Loathing. Good show but felt the Main event could have been far better, the ending seemed to be more about Foley than Grado and also was under 20 minutes, was expecting 25+. The Damo vs Jester match got only 8:30 and although decent was not at the level it could and should of been, should easily of been given an extra 5 minutes. They have had longer shows than this and there was no reason for the renfrew bit before the main event or for the 1st match not to start until 15 mins in. I could not get into the cage match, I felt that a team with a man escaping is down a man, also you could see Mikey Whiplash escaped well before BT Gunn. I think this would have been far better to just have BT Gunn vs Whiplash in a cage, could possibly have been up there with the Gunn vs Wolfgang cage match.

 

The wrestling overall is quite good. My ratings are as follows.

Davey Boy vs Stevie Boy ***1/2 Action packed opener, perfect way to open a show.

Hendry, Williams, Dar vs 55 **1/4 Good wrestling but I think faces should win clean which lowers my score.

KLR VS Storm vs Viper ***1/2 Good fun and shows the possible strength of the division.

Coffey vs Rhino ***1/2 Good fun brawl.

Polo Promotions vs 55 *** Good tag match. 

Legion vs NAK ** Some nice spots but just did not my cup of tea, some will probably love this match. 

Damo vs Jester *** Good brawl just ended too quick. Some reason the shortest match on the show.

Galloway vs Grado ***1/2 Really good, but bad ending.

Just been having a flick through the videos on ICW OnDemand and Fear & Loathing VII, with Galloway v Jester for the title, the full show (nearly 3 and a half hours) is listed as Free

Seems a good idea to me, quite a stacked show that has an almost identical roster to now but a year old. Once ICW sold out at SECC I think a few people were thinking maybe we should check this out. They are only giving 1 show for free, one that I feel is a good representation of the company. I paid my monthly subcription to see it but that was when it came out so I am sure myself and many others do not care that it is a show that once paid for is now free.

Enjoyed the show and amazing to think how big ICW has gotten. I do think they need to move away from music that they have to mute however and this includes Grado. Massive pop and straight into silence just killed the moment for me.

 

Think the swearing by the announcer should also be turned down or eliminated. Not offended by it at all but can make it sound quite amateur.

 

Apart from those minor niggles, great effort. I think Foley was used perfectly.

Grado's music is a big problem. His theme tune is a big part of his character, the crowds love clapping and singing when they hear the intro but when it is muted on the on demand service his entrance is just not fun. The crowd went mental at Wembley earlier this year when they heard his theme. Sadly we all know they will never be allowed to use it. What do you replace it with that still captures the fun? I hope they find something but it will be difficult for ICW and we have to respect that.

 

There are a couple of others they have to mute out but have less impact and they should use local bands like they use for many other intros such as Jack Jester's.

 

With regard to the announcer are you talking about the commentator/comedian Billy Kirkwood? Sometimes he can go a bit far but again it is ICW and ICW is the alternative. It is also over 18's so they should have no worry. Sometimes he does go a bit over the top but I feel his commentary helps emphasise their matches and how much the wrestlers are going all out. I do not think he sounds amateur, his profession as a comedian makes it easy for him to speak in front of crowds. I would say his style as an announcer and commentator sound far better than many I have seen at live indys and taped ones.

 

 

All the talk of tv is old hat.icw sold out secc based on the Internet and word of mouth, as bbc docs were both out before it was announced. Why get lost in amongst hundreds of channels, when linking clips on Facebook and twitter is proving succeful so far? Tv should be an addition, not the end product. Highlight show once a month of the events in that period would be plenty. All shows are recorded in hd anyway so no real extra costs

 

Agree on the above re the music. Don't get like a prayer being muted on entrance, but not on post match.

Just because the documentaries were before the show was announced does not mean it has had nothing to do with their business. I bought some dvds based on seeing the 1st documentary and enjoyed the product. I am sure many others got into ICW from the documentaries. I think you are correct in saying that them using more and more promos on the internet recently has helped as it makes sure it keeps people updated on storylines but tv has had alot of impact on their success. Due to the shows being more frequent now than they once were, and would not be surprised if they do more next year, a fortnightly show would be better to keep up to date.

Glad to see it was still a decent view no matter where you were. It may have put some off and the confirmation of the good view will make some more likely to go.

As it seems many travelled up to see the show, I am wondering what their plans for venues for other shows and tours are. They have changed the London venue; Koko I believe held 6-700 but believe Brooklyn Bowl can hold up to 1000 depending on set up of the venue (however I have only been there for a small Tragedy gig).

 

Screengrab from the On Demand show. If you look closely about halfway up the picture to the left, you may be able to spot a ring.

 

That looks amazing, and definitely impressive, but how do people, you know, see?

 

I'm going to sign up to the on demand purely to check this show out - just by its very nature it's become an 'occasion' worth seeing. That's a lot of the draw of next year's too.

 

I wonder that myself, seeing at the back of the small venues is not the easiest. I thought it may put people off going but obviously not. I would like to hear from people about what the views were like. I feel the seating they have next year will help them for anybody who was worried.

 

If you sign up make sure you check out Square Go from this year, only 4 matches but good throughout.

Far too many British promotions have looked at TV as the Holy Grail and fucked themselves over doing it. As soon as you get on TV you're going to be compared with WWE as they are just a click away. ICW works great as a live product, I don't think it would translate nearly as well to weekly TV. They're better off keeping doing what they're doing, especially if they can keep getting documentary type stuff about them on TV, as well as segments on local news etc.

Good point, their current style comes across as a good night out with your mates atmosphere which is fun and some may not enjoy watching it on the tele, although I find watching their pre recorded shows fun also.

Another documentary would be great. A guy who in the 1st documentary was working out of his kitchen, in the 2nd getting his own office and having a show main evented by a former IC champ coming home to ICW to get his belt back, and in a 3rd running a show in an arena WWE use without the aid of tv. A true if you want it and work for it you will get there, quite an inspirational story when you look at it. He didn't rush it like I felt others did but let it grow naturaly. Being on BBC helped alot of people hear of them. People seeing them run and arena may think hang on this is not a cheap promotion but a real big one. I told people at work about them before and they thought meh, I told them they sold out 5,000 on Sunday and thought wow and on Monday they are doing the Hydro and a couple thought maybe we should check this out. I am trying to get them go to Pin Pals.

 

Great attendances, good quality production. It's a mysetery why some think TV would "help". They'd lose their control over the product and potentially money, as the subscription income is theirs minus costs.

 

Indeed. TV isn’t the be all and end all. ICW are doing fine without. Better than fine. They had nearly 5,000 at a bona fide arena, and are now going to more than double that. TNA can’t do that, even with TV, and even with the attraction of being a Stateside promotion visiting the UK for a once-a-year trip.

 

These two points are relevant, I did say earlier how I thought TV companies may want rid of some of the wrestlers and characters that make ICW a good alternative. Also you have to look at how much they will receive for production costs and if it is worth it and if On Demand service they currently use brings in enough money. I don't know how many subscribers there are. I hope more wrestling sites review them to make the On Demand service more well known. It could get more, I think there is a further market out there. The On Demand is a good price, $5.99 (roughly £3.90-£4.15 depending on rates) is far better value than RPW who charge £7-9 a show especially as ICW have had about 30 shows this year.

 

Back to Fear and Loathing, the best part is that they did not need to bring in 5 imports to sell the show out. I think they would of done well with none or maybe just Foley on his own. I think they will still bring a couple next year to try and fill the 13,000. However a couple of shows in Coventry had about 3000 ten years ago but needed shit loads of imports. Not only was this a Brittish promotion this was actually an almost all Brittish card. I thought they could only sell that out by bringing in imports but Dallas has used previous imports well enough to get them spotted in the past so that people saw the true ICW wrestlers.

 

 

 

 

Other than TNA Xplosion airing on a Saturday morning, I'm struggling to think of when TNA aired as a daytime repeat.

 

I agree the ICW content is adult and could only be screened after the watershed but that's not really a decent reason for Challenge not to give it a shot.

 

A 10pm or 11pm one hour weekly show would be perfect.

 

With TNA they buy a pre-produced weekly tape. ICW they would have to likely completely fund expensive production. Pretty simple mathematical reasons.

 

ICW’s production values are quite good. It may not be glossy, WWE HD standard, but it’s going to look no worse than re-runs of SD Bullseye re-broadcast in HD. There’s nothing stopping Challenge (or another station) buying pre-produced tapes from ICW.

 

 

I think that is an unfair comparisson. People watch Bullseye and other 80's crap for the nostalgic reasons and not because they look good, although they may have done back when it was made. I think watching shows like that and the grand prize is either a crap car or 2k is amazingly funny. When it comes to new shows people want it to look good so it is fair for clessie to make the point about extra production spending. For what I am aware the only things Challenge have spent money on with TNA is Boot Camp and the live taping in Glasgow.

 

The on demand product looks decent but it would need a tweek. I think it will be hard for a Brittish promotion to get a TV deal, which is a shame, Some ICW on BBC 3 after their documentaries would be fantastic. Sky have the biggest promotion, many channels will not touch wrestling full stop and those who are willing will want high production values.

 

At no point did I compare the products of ICW and Bullseye, just the video quality. Also, remember anything streamed online is going to be compressed and is not going to be as crisp as broadcast TV.

 

You compared the production value. I was pointing out that the poor production value of old shows is kind of entertaining but for new shows not as much. I am sorry if my post came across as insulting. With regards to production I am not complaining about the ICW streaming quality which I actually think is very good especially for the price. More as in set ups need a tweek, their decent part is the darkness of shows and being in night clubs as it gives atmosphere. They would need to keep this while still adding something to make it look a bit more high quality.

You have to remember Challenge TV also air WrestleTalk TV which has lower production values than Gay Rabbit and show random matches from FWA with its terrible lighting from the early 2000s.

 

From what I have seen of ICW it is of a decent standard and could easily be modified to fit TV guidelines. There is no need to rush to TV right away though. ICW have been organically growing at a steady pace and the TV will come after time.

Never seen WrestleTalk TV so not sure what it looks like, but the same goes for Gay Rabbit. I suppose if the show was aired at 10pm or 11pm they would be less bothered on production so it could get away with current production for 1st 3-6 months of television and improving if they get enough viewers to warrant a 9pm slot (I am unsure what the earliest ICW could be shown at would be). As ICW has quite heavy elements of humour and so does Dave (except when Top Gear is on) maybe it would be suited there.  

 

 

Other than TNA Xplosion airing on a Saturday morning, I'm struggling to think of when TNA aired as a daytime repeat.

 

I agree the ICW content is adult and could only be screened after the watershed but that's not really a decent reason for Challenge not to give it a shot.

 

A 10pm or 11pm one hour weekly show would be perfect.

 

With TNA they buy a pre-produced weekly tape. ICW they would have to likely completely fund expensive production. Pretty simple mathematical reasons.

 

ICW’s production values are quite good. It may not be glossy, WWE HD standard, but it’s going to look no worse than re-runs of SD Bullseye re-broadcast in HD. There’s nothing stopping Challenge (or another station) buying pre-produced tapes from ICW.

 

I think that is an unfair comparisson. People watch Bullseye and other 80's crap for the nostalgic reasons and not because they look good, although they may have done back when it was made. I think watching shows like that and the grand prize is either a crap car or 2k is amazingly funny. When it comes to new shows people want it to look good so it is fair for clessie to make the point about extra production spending. For what I am aware the only things Challenge have spent money on with TNA is Boot Camp and the live taping in Glasgow.

 

The on demand product looks decent but it would need a tweek. I think it will be hard for a Brittish promotion to get a TV deal, which is a shame, Some ICW on BBC 3 after their documentaries would be fantastic. Sky have the biggest promotion, many channels will not touch wrestling full stop and those who are willing will want high production values.

Other than TNA Xplosion airing on a Saturday morning, I'm struggling to think of when TNA aired as a daytime repeat.

 

I agree the ICW content is adult and could only be screened after the watershed but that's not really a decent reason for Challenge not to give it a shot.

 

A 10pm or 11pm one hour weekly show would be perfect.

I don't know how many subscriptions ICW get but the TV money may be less as by looking at shows Challenge show, apart from TNA they show repeats that must cost bugger all. Then again ICW may get more followers allowing them to do Ippvs and other on demand shows, more tours and in bigger venues. A TV show could possibly allow bigger shows around the country with TV tapings mainly in Glasgow. If they wanted to do a big standing event with some tiered seating the York Hall (providing they allow standing) would be great for that.

However I stand by ICW being limited to what channel they can go to, really only late night challenge or possibly Channel 5.

 

I think a big worry for me would be that with being on TV is that channels may want shift of some wrestlers and want more english accents. I know some people who struggle with Scottish accents. This could kill some of the stronger characters in the promotion. Also channels may want to get rid of people based on look. Some guys in ICW are not that big or particuarly ripped and they could go. People like Drew Galloway may not be allowed on due to being a tv taping so TNA could stop it.

Show at the Hydro, video game coming... literally the only thing left for this promotion is a weekly tv show on a decent channel. 

 

Why Challenge stick with the dead horse that is TNA when they could partner up with something uniquely British in ICW is perplexing.

 

Of course, I know why - TNA still pulls in decent figures, and they do still have some guys with ex-WWE name recognition like the Hardys and Angle etc.

 

But ICW is surely worth a shot in investing tv time in. 

TNA can be put as day time repeats, ICW cannot. A big problem I think it will face. I also think it is for a specific fan base and not a general one. I think they should be fine on their on demand. I am sure anybody interested would have given at least 1 month or at least should as it is only $5.99. Although a 2hr TNA starting at 8pm or 7pm and then a 1hr ICW starting at 9 or 10pm may not be such a bad idea, have a wrestling evening like in USA.

 

Can someone put a spoilers up of the show and a general review (I cancelled my on demand after a year as I was not watching much) so want to know whether to get it again to watch the show. Grado and Galloway had a corker earlier this year on the 1st tour so that should be good but different as Galloway was a face about to turn heel at that point. How was the cage match, I am usually not a fan of non 1 on 1 cage matches but I know there are exceptions (but doubt it will be near as good as Wolfgang vs BT Gunn which was the ICW MOTY so far). The women's title match, I have always thought ICW should utilise their women's division more and glad they are. I prefer theirs to WWE. Did Foley have any real impact? He is not someone I would pay to see but people do. I heard 10 years ago he charged $10k to come to England but I wouldn't be shocked if ICW made his fee back on autographs alone.

 

The clip for the game says Steam so if it is for the PC I will get it if at a decent price.

 

I think Hydro is a good idea, standing with some seats. I went to a show earlier this year and although the show was good I was tired after 3.5 hours of standing.