HXC Wrestling presents Lost Circus Sat Oct 5th @ The Man Met Union

[Chris Brooker]

I was intending to send the message on to various folk at MMU and MMUnion at some point but it seems that the letter has made it's way to them already. I had a message this afternoon saying that the complaint will be handled via their formal complaints process. Nice to see that the system works.

 

Again, nothing bad to say about Mike, Lauren and everyone at HXC. To try balance some of the comments here I've heard a lot of folk full of praise for the show, having had a great time. I really enjoyed the last one I went to. I'll admit to getting a bit of a hollow feeling in my stomach when I read some of the replies, rest assured I've not interest in costing HXC any trade.

 

Hopefully the Union management will get their acts together for the next show and it'll be a different story.

[Chris Brooker]

Also, as Mark Adams suggested, who now wouldn't want to see a debuting character called The Licensee?

 

He could win a battle royal by calling the police and having them escort everyone over the top rope.

[diamond_dust]

As well as the fiasco described above, everyone seems to be massively down on this show on Facebook in terms of the show itself. I've seen it described as everything from "disappointing" to "the worst show I've been to in a long time". I was looking at getting to one of these in the near future, but I guess I'll think again...

 

I think the main problem is still how HXC hyped themselves, sounding like they were going to be the British IWA Japan when really it's Futureshock with an added hardcore match. Personally I don't see a problem with HXC. I'm not a massive death match fan but I can watch the odd one and from shows like Tournament of Death its obvious from 3 or 4 matches in the only way to keep the crowd hot is to top whats already been done and that involves pretty much killing yourself. Can any of the guys on the UK scene really afford a few weeks off work because they've had a light tube sever a muscle through a gash that was caused by barbed wire? Add to that the lack of British deathmatch specialists & I don't think a UK company can run in that style other than the odd match.

 

The rest of the card, while not the greatest show ever was a good night and a nice mix. You have great technical wrestlers in the likes of Davey Richards, one of the best comedy guys in Manson, Sam Bailey and Ashton Smith played the hometown babyface role perfectly and T-Bone is one of the best brawlers in the country right now as his matches don't rely on him playing the slow, thrashing meat head Same goes for Cyanide. Plus Any show that has Kasey Owens in PVC look gear chained to the ring for the sex appeal part definitely gets my vote.

 

There are a few bits that I'd personally change. Mexican Eagle for a start. El Ligero has the Brit pretending to be a Mexican gimmick and does a much better job. The Brotherhood too but there's room for that to work. The cult against the edgy promotion is a standard fixture in wrestling, even WWE had RTC.

 

This was my first HXC show although I did see the first one on DVD and I can see why people are disappointed as the product advertised isn't what the company provides but an all hardcore company wouldn't survive in this market. I can see the comparisons to Futureshock too but after 3 shows they still have to tread carefully, using local talent is a smart move to keep costs down, especially when the local talent is so good. It wouldn't be the worst thing to mix in some none Futureshock locals to make it seem a little different because just having Danny Hope as a face isn't really going to separate you from them. There's guys like LA Austin who like and work in the area who would be a good fit and wouldn't have the label of "another Futureshock guy."

[PRINCE2356]

No disrespect to HXC but i'm still not feeling it as in regards that i have not been blown away. Thought the Pondo & Dobson vs Havoc/Margera was a brilliant brawl but the rest is just a bit paint by numbers at times.

 

Manson getting beat by Euan G.Mackie was so preposterous, a bloke twice the size of Manson getting beat by a scruffy midget (head shaking)

 

Where as on another hand at the Futureshock show last night, i know it has been going longer but there is actually meaning to it.

[patiirc]

I think the main problem is still how HXC hyped themselves, sounding like they were going to be the British IWA Japan when really it's Futureshock with an added hardcore match. Personally I don't see a problem with HXC. I'm not a massive death match fan but I can watch the odd one and from shows like Tournament of Death its obvious from 3 or 4 matches in the only way to keep the crowd hot is to top whats already been done and that involves pretty much killing yourself. Can any of the guys on the UK scene really afford a few weeks off work because they've had a light tube sever a muscle through a gash that was caused by barbed wire? Add to that the lack of British deathmatch specialists & I don't think a UK company can run in that style other than the odd match.

 

The rest of the card, while not the greatest show ever was a good night and a nice mix. You have great technical wrestlers in the likes of Davey Richards, one of the best comedy guys in Manson, Sam Bailey and Ashton Smith played the hometown babyface role perfectly and T-Bone is one of the best brawlers in the country right now as his matches don't rely on him playing the slow, thrashing meat head Same goes for Cyanide. Plus Any show that has Kasey Owens in PVC look gear chained to the ring for the sex appeal part definitely gets my vote.

 

There are a few bits that I'd personally change. Mexican Eagle for a start. El Ligero has the Brit pretending to be a Mexican gimmick and does a much better job. The Brotherhood too but there's room for that to work. The cult against the edgy promotion is a standard fixture in wrestling, even WWE had RTC.

 

This was my first HXC show although I did see the first one on DVD and I can see why people are disappointed as the product advertised isn't what the company provides but an all hardcore company wouldn't survive in this market. I can see the comparisons to Futureshock too but after 3 shows they still have to tread carefully, using local talent is a smart move to keep costs down, especially when the local talent is so good. It wouldn't be the worst thing to mix in some none Futureshock locals to make it seem a little different because just having Danny Hope as a face isn't really going to separate you from them. There's guys like LA Austin who like and work in the area who would be a good fit and wouldn't have the label of "another Futureshock guy."

 

 

It's not about it being Hardcore Futureshock, it's about getting the mix right, fans were there wanting something different from the norm. The NW is saturated with wrestling companies, good wrestling companies, from Futureshock, Infinite, PCW, PAID, GPW Pro wrestling 4 U or whatever it's called and that's just the big names. It needs to set it self out as different and the original incarnation of HXc appeared to be something more akin to Fight Club Pro more than extreme death match shenanigans. However, it has played on that mantle despite the 1st show having slim to no stuff, and this one having it all in one. The 2nd show was the perfect blend of wrestling, I mean really good wrestling and hardcore stuff, no one was taking insanity stuff, and it genuinely was one of the best shows of the year. This one was like the first never existed and it needs to keep with a USP rather than being marketed one way and not delivering for the 2nd time.

 

It's new and needs bedding in, but the disparity between shows being good and rubbish is alarming!

[Richie Freebird]

I actually had a very good time at HXC. Despite missing the photo ops with Pondo and Mrs Pondo, not getting a signed poster that I paid for, and missing the only match that actually drew me out to the show, I still enjoyed the trip. For me, these events are more about meeting up with the friends I have made in the wrestling scene over the past couple of years than the actual matches themselves these days. Pondo answered a couple of my questions in the Q&A, which I was happy with, and mingling with the likes of Manson and Dave Rayne in the bar was good fun before the show started.

 

My hazy memories of being in the actual arena where the matches took place were those of a jubilant atmosphere, with lots of shouting and chanting going on (at least earlier in the night). Socialising with my friends in the adjoining bar was also a happy time for me. Although threatened with a kicking out whilst going for a smoke, my girlfriend talked the big angry bastard into letting us back in, so for once, I got away with it when it sounds like other (less deserving) victims were ejected. I was pretty sloshed in truth, and suggested that a glass of water and a good old punch in the face from Mrs Freebird might have been enough to sober me back up enough to get through the main event. However, I underestimated her strength and she bust my lip open and gave me

[Chris Brooker]

Thanks for the drink Richie. Pleasure to make your brief acquaintance.

[aranbailey]

a good old punch in the face from Mrs Freebird might have been enough to sober me back up enough to get through the main event. However, I underestimated her strength and she bust my lip open and gave me

[ClassicsGuy]

I kind of thought it was going to be a one match show going in (the Death Match) and having never seen anything remotely like that before in person, I thought it was an incredible spectacle. As a one off, it was crazy.... mental.... and will live long in the memory.

 

I enjoyed the atmosphere and the adult nature. Sure, it was a little OTT, but at least it was different. There are so many promotions in the north west at the moment - PCW, Infinite, Futureshock, Grand Pro - and all using the same talent, which is okay, but it's nice to see the wrestlers in a different context. This was my first HXC show so I have no previous HXC shows to compare it to. I enjoyed the T-Bone vs Gibson and Bailey & Smith vs Brotherhood matches.