Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted September 19, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 19, 2013 No. 30: Damon Leigh Score: 49 points Total 1st place rankings in 2013 votes: 0 Previous UK50 Rankings: 2012=NL, 2011=NL, 2010=NL, 2009=NL, 2008=NL, 2007=NL, 2006=NL, 2005=40th Twitter: @DamonLeigh Entrance theme: - Gary Moore & Phil Lynott / - Dario G Photo credit - Tony Knox  After an 8-year absence from the UKFF UK50, 'Dangerous' Damon Leigh returns to our rankings for the first time since 2005, achieving a 10-place rise since that occasion. A former occasional star for the old FWA, Leigh has worked almost exclusively for home promotions Grand Pro Wrestling and FutureShock Wrestling in the north-west over the last few years, though the 2013 UK50 year also saw him placed as the top star for Great Bear Promotions in Cheshire and make a guest appearance for PCW.  As one of the long-time leads for Wigan-based GPW, Damon was part of the front line in the angle where they waged war on Morecambe's XWA. Cast as the evil invaders over the course of the 9-month storyline, the GPW wrestlers (and certain GPW fans) walked into a cauldron on 28 July 2012, facing a hostile and partisan crowd in the climatic 'XWA vs. GPW Vendetta' event, which came with a decisive Losing Company Closes Down stipulation. The phrase 'Real in Morecambe' has never been so true. This wasn't like the old FWA vs. IPW:UK 'Final Frontiers' feud, where FWA was effectively already dead; as far as anyone knew this was two active, popular and well-respected promotions fighting for the ultimate prize. Though Damon lost his own individual match to Stixx, Team GPW would go on to be victorious, much to the stunned shock of the Morecambe fans, and XWA has not been seen since.  In GPW itself, top babyface Leigh spent most of the 2012 calendar year feuding with the cocky and arrogant Bubblegum. After months spent clashing in singles matches, elimination matches and Battle Royales and interfering in each other's bouts, the warring pair faced off in a grudge match at 'Fireworks' in November. Nothing was decided there, as Bubblegum blasted DDL with a kendo stick and a kick to the nads for a disqualification ruling. This set up the ultimate Street Fight between the two for the big year-ending 'Heroes & Villains II', where Damon finally put his nemesis away in an awesome bout. DDL carried the momentum into the new year, coming out on top of a superb 6-way bout at 'Back With A Bang 2013' to earn GPW's version of the Money In The Bank briefcase. The success meant Damon caught the eye of Dave Rayne and his new heel group The Cause, as they tried to recruit him to their number. After shunning The Cause's advances, Damon appeared at 'ThunderBrawl' in April in an effort to talk fellow target Zack Gibson from joining. That didn't work out well, as Gibson turned on him in a great angle and the now-6-strong Cause beat DDL down so bad that he was unable to take up his spot in the evening's 30-man rumble main event. Looking for revenge, Leigh gave notice that he intended to cash-in his MITB briefcase on Gibson's GPW British Title at 'A Night To Remember'. In that main event contest, The Cause ran in to attack Damon, causing a DQ which meant he won the match but not the belt. Leigh has since led GPW babyface into battle with The Cause in a 12-man Torneo Cibernetico elimination match, and will face them again in a trios bout a week tomorrow at 'Battle At The Ballroom'  Over in FutureShock, Damon teams with Raynaldo to form Wristlock Rovers which, as you might guess, is a tag team with a terrific football-themed gimmick (here's a match from before the 2013 eligibility period, but you get the idea). Cue lots of football moves ('penalty kick', 'corner kick', '442' etc), mid-match half-time oranges, ringside Pannini sticker albums and a whole lot more wacky fun. Leigh & Raynaldo were on the winning side of 8-man tag team matches at FutureShock '61 (International Supershow)' and '62', putting them in the tag title picture. Rovers failed to pick up the belts in a 4-way elimination match in November, as the straps moved from The Models to The Blackpool Blondes (in a match that also included Notorious BAD), then fell short in their role as The Blondes' first title challengers at '64'. Leigh did beat Blondes member Axl Rage in a singles match in April, but there is much to settle between the teams as they collided again as part of a June 8-man tag and an August 3-way tag bout, and Damon took on Blonde James Drake and BAD's Sean Daniels as part of a super, super-fun triple-threat at 'Underground #2' in August.  Elsewhere, evil 'Deadly' Damon Leigh beat Evan Sarven, Chris Brookes and Sam Bailey in the Championship Chase tournament to become Great Bear Promotions' first title-holder. Established as the top dog, Leigh has gone on to defend against Chikara/DGUSA/PWG star Chuck Taylor, LA Austin Joey Hayes and Bailey in the two-out-of-three falls conditions that title carries.  What did the UKFF think? "the last 3 years have been a huge leap in ddl’s. But this year alone he’s greatly improved, moving from GPW and Futureshock into PCW, Great Bear… and Infinite promotions. It’s been 8 years since Leigh was in the UKFF50, and by Lord has he worked and worked to get recognized once again"  "It's my opinion that Dangerous Damon Lee is criminally underrated. He's been a mainstay in many North West promotions for years,and with very good reason. DDL is one of the very best around when it comes to the two most important aspects of professional wrestling: storytelling and crowd interaction. No matter what promotion he's in, no matter where he's slotted on the card, Damon knows exactly what sort of match to have to suit the slot, and is always amongst the most over wrestlers in any roster. Tag team matches at Futureshock have been exceptional fun, and over at GPW he continues to be one of the main babyfaces, having a great street fight with Bubblegum a few months ago. Rarely spectacular in terms of his moves, but he doesn't need to be. He can tell stories as well as anyone, and that's what matters" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted September 19, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 19, 2013 I'm going to be seeing him at Infinite next month. Haven't been to GPW or FSW in a while but what I saw from Cyanide back then, I wouldn't have considered him one of the best big men in England. For what it's worth, Cyanide's bout with Dave Mastiff for FutureShock in June is currently tied with Hayes vs. Dar (Feb) and Travis vs. Masters II (Jun) from PCW as my own personal 2013 British Match of the Year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king_dezeeuw06 Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I rate Cyanide from what I've seen of him, but I'm not a regular at the promotions he is a mainstay so personally it's hard to judge just how good he really is. I'm hoping to see more of him in PCW after he made his first appearance recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members gadge Posted September 20, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted September 20, 2013 I'm going to be seeing him at Infinite next month. Haven't been to GPW or FSW in a while but what I saw from Cyanide back then, I wouldn't have considered him one of the best big men in England. Cyanide vs Mastiff II at Futureshock 67 was brilliant. I got the DVD of the first match as a raffle prize too, but haven't watched it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted September 21, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 21, 2013 No. 29: Wolfgang Score: 51 points Total 1st place rankings in 2013 votes: 0 Previous UK50 Rankings: 2012=31st, 2011=NL, 2010=49th, 2009=49th, 2008=22nd, 2007=15th, 2006=44th, 2005=NL Twitter: @WolfgangYoung Entrance theme: - Duran Duran Photo credit - David J Wilson & PBWwrestling.com  Scottish wrestling star Wolfgang has been in and out of the UKFF UK50 over the years, achieving widely differing rankings. This year, he appears in the 50 for tghe second consecutive year, improving 2 places on his previous finish. Like all the top stars north of the border, Wolfgang performs regularly for all of the main promotions.  In Insane Championship Wrestling, the dissolution of the Gold Label saw Wolfgang fall into the babyface ranks, where he has become a firm favourite. At 'Insane In The Membrane', he teamed with Grado and the 'Highlander From Hell' Drew McDonald in defeat to the OfCom trio of Damian O'Connor, Scott Maverick & Jamie Feerick in an impromptu six-man tag. This was followed by a singles win over Noam Dar at 'Super Smokin' Thunder Bowl' then a high-profile main-event level singles match at 'Hadouken!' in September, as Wolfgang managed to defeat . This sent him into 'Fear & Loathing V', ICW's biggest show of the year, with momentum, . After Noam Dar and Lionheart were eliminated, Wolfgang went one-on-one with champion Red Lightning for several minutes, with raucous fans convinced WG was going to be the one to finally end the hated Lightning's reign. It wasn't to be, however, as a disgruntled Lionheart returned to lay Wolfgang out with a Rock Bottom and leave him easy prey for Lightning. This set up Wolfgang beating Lionheart at 'Santa Gravy' in the latter's ICW farewell match as he headed into retirement. 2013 started with Wolfgang taking on his top rival, former long-time T2K and Gold Label partner James Scott, in a 30-minute Iron Man match. Time expired while Wolfgang had Scott trapped in his signature Texas Cloverleaf to give Scott a 3-2 win, after which Wolfgang declared their feud finished. At 'Tramspotting' in February, Wolfgang beat Andy Wild for the ICW Zero-G Championship, a title he has since gone on to successfully defend over Noam Dar & Grado & Robbie Solar in a 4-way at 'Get Yer Rat Oot' and then Andy Wild & Joe Coffey in a 3-way at 'Reservoir Dogs'.  Away from ICW, Wolfgang began the 2013 UKFF UK50 eligibility period as a tag team champion in both PBW (with Lionheart) and BCW (with James Scott), though lost his PBW strap when Lionheart and stand-in Falcon lost to Davey Blaze & Chris Rampage in September. PBW wins over TJ Rage, , Saqib Ali and Mark Coffey set Wolfgang up as a top contender, a status he made official with a 4-way win over Rage, Scott & Jack Jester in March. His title shot against PBW Champion , where Wolfgang failed to take the title in their main event bout. Wolfgang has since gone on to lose to Rampage Brown at 'Breaking Limits 8' and TJ Rage in Dumbarton. T2K lost their BCW tag gold when Wolfgang had to go it alone against Mikey Whiplash & Jack Jester and Wolfie failed to beat the odds. With Lionheart retiring at the end of 2012 as the BCW Heavyweight Champion, the belt was declared vacant. Wolfgang went through a Battle Royal at 'A New Beginning' in February, but fell to Kid Fite in the title decider the following month. Elsewhere, Wolgang challenged Mikey Whiplash for the NWA Scottish Heavyweight Title in SWA and teamed with TNA's Magnus for Pro Wrestling Elite, as well as multiple battle with England's Project Ego (Kris Travis & Martin Kirby) for the latter promotion.  What did the UKFF think? "On the Form of his life"  "top drawer performances in ICW (Devitt match was incredible) but also stellar showings on PBW shows and his youTube videos have enhanced his overall character. Anyone who has Duran Duran singing their entrance theme deserves to place high!"  "Much like BT Gunn I just find this guy an awe to watch. Everything is crisp and perfect, and who could forget that match with Fergal Devitt at ICW"  "A big heavyweight guy, who moves like a cruiserweight. Best in Scotland and has been for years. His look lets him down slightly but he can do ANYTHING" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted September 21, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 21, 2013 No. 28: April Davids Score: 59 points Total 1st place rankings in 2013 votes: 0 Previous UK50 Rankings: 2012=NL, 2011=NL, 2010=NL, 2009=NL, 2008=NL, 2007=NL, 2006=NL, 2005=NL Twitter: @AprilDavidsLT Entrance theme: - Joan Jett Photo credit - Gordon Harris & Preston City Wrestling  A first ever appearance within the ranks of the UKFF UK50 for April Davids. Known as the 'Lancashire Terrier', Davids reigned as the FutureShock Wrestling Women's Champion, fought mainly-male wrestlers in Preston City Wrestling and appeared for all-female wrestling groups like Pro Wrestling EVE and ICW:Fierce Females.  Returning from a spring 2012 tour of Japanese joshi promotion Ice Ribbon, Davids beat Jenny Sjoden at FutureShock's 'International Supershow' in Manchester city centre to retain her Women's Title. She teamed with Simon Valour, Sparx & Simon Perdan to face CJ Banks, Nordic Warrior & Health & Safety (Michael Lovejoy & Dan Evans) in an 8-person tag at FutureShock '#63' and she went on to defend here belt against Nikki Storm and Viper to ensure she still holds it to this day.  Just up the M61, April made her debut for PCW in September 2012 in a losing effort against Kay Lee Ray. She made a good impression, however, and was brought back to compete on the 'Road to Glory' weekend in February. She was knocked out of the Road to Glory tournament itself in an entertaining first round match to Bubblegum, then faced The Glamour Gym (Carmel & Sara) in a handicap match on Pro Wrestling EVE's afternoon event the next day, a match that saw the audience singing the Coronation Street and Sesame Street theme tunes after April compared her opponents choice of attire to Bet Lynch and Big Bird. After that, she returned for PCW's feature show that evening to take JWP star Emi Sakura . Now established as a favourite with the PCW audience, April competed in, erm, April's 30-man rumble and eliminated CJ Banks. A peeved and embarrassed Banks came back in to attack her and throw her out. at PCW's second 'Supershow', to be overseen by guest referee Lita. After getting her win back over Bubblegum on Night One, Davids got the better of Banks again as Lita counted her winning fall on Night Two. Since then, Davids was revealed as the mystery challenger for Dave Rayne's PCW Cruiserweight Championship at the second anniversary event, with April scoring a big upset . Elsewhere, Davids teamed with Kaori Yoneyama to face Bete Noire & Viper and The Blossom Twins in separate matches on Pro Wrestling EVE's 'Wrestle Fever' iPPV in November, fought Kay Lee Ray on ICW's 'Fear & Loathing V' show and tussled with the likes of Nikki Storm, the Owens Twins and Fiona Fraser in that promotion's Fierce Females offshoot.  What did the UKFF think? "One of the best technical wrestlers in the UK and very under exposed in this country"  "uk’s leading female wrestler by far, a very large percentage of the guys cant hold a candle to her effort and ability"  "Whether she's vs Men or Women, has consistantly great matches with everyone. Her suplexes are a thing of beauty"  "Whether she is against a male or female, the opponent is in for a pasting. An exciting, fun wrestler to watch"  "Really great British wrestler. Showed with her PCW stuff she could have good matches with men and her Futureshock stuff really showcased the best of women's wrestling especially the matches with Becky James, Jenni Sjodin and Nikki Storm"  "April Davids is a superb wrestler. Her hard hitting bout with Jenny Sjodin at Futureshock International Supershow was outstanding. Battles with Nikki Storm and Viper at the same promotion have been constantly great also. Matches at PCW vs Bubblegum and CJ Banks have been excellent fun, and April always brings her A game. Also, despite her short stature, when she gets in that ring, she scares me a bit. Absolutely intense and believable" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted September 21, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 21, 2013 No. 27: Nikki Storm Score: 61 points Total 1st place rankings in 2013 votes: 0 Previous UK50 Rankings: 2012=NL, 2011=NL, 2010=NL, 2009=NL, 2008=NL, 2007=NL, 2006=NL, 2005=NL Twitter: @NikkiStorm1  Photo credit - NikkiStorm.com  Glasgow's Nikki Storm makes her first ever appearance in the UKFF UK50, and in doing so is recognised as the UKFF's pick for top British female wrestler as she finishes ahead of both April Davids and Kay Lee Ray. Storm held the Pro Wrestling EVE and W3L Women's Titles, and headed to Japan in April 2013 for a tour with joshi promotion JWP. In ICW, she was 'Nicola Storm', the ultra-serious member of the OfCom heel stable.  Nikki began the 2013 eligibility period down in England for 3CW, where her match in Redcar against Kirsty Love was interrupted by Priscilla, Queen of the Ring (former FWA and IPW:UK wrestler Ollie Burns doing a cross-dressing gimmick). Storm beat Priscilla in an impromptu contest. The next day, Nikki headed to Pro Wrestling EVE's home town of Sudbury, Suffolk, where she defeated former WWE, TNA and FWA star Kat Waters (Katie Lee/Winter/Nikita) in a feature bout. Storm was to face another TNA Knockout in September, as she teamed with Carmel Jacob to face Micky James and Kay Lee Ray for Pro Wrestling Elite in Ayr.  Storm successfully defended her W3L Women's Title in September, but fell short in her attempt to wrest the FutureShock Women's Title from April Davids in their bout at '#62' the following month. There was more championship action to be seen in November, as Pro Wrestling EVE made it's first foray into the world of iPPV with Storm cast as a central figure. A brutal main event contest saw Nikki beat Alpha Female by referee stoppage to become the EVE Champion, but then cockily issue an open invitation for any immediate challenger. That was , who beat Storm moments later to become a double champion. Storm would lose her W3L strap just a week later, as Carmel came out the winner of a 3-way (with Sara) in Fife. Nikki initially teamed with long-time All-Star Wrestling regular Frankie Sloan as part of Tyneside promotion RAD:PRO's Inter-Gender Tag Team Title tournament, besting Scott Renwick & Amazon in the first round. Martin Kirby replaced the unavailable Frankie Sloan for the semi-finals, but the pair were eliminated by Rubix Roach & Kirsty Love. Staying in England, and Storm failed a second time to take the FutureShock Women's Title from Davids at '#64', before her EVE Title rematch with Sakura took place in Preston the week after. The highlight of an otherwise atrocious show, Storm and Sakura engaged in a compelling and dramatic battle before Storm got the win to become 2-time champ. Post-match, however, Storm (presumably still narked at the way she lost the title the first time) attacked Sakura, and then beat up April Davids when she ran in for the save. Storm's first defence of the EVE title came against Davids on an SWA show in March - Storm picking up the win. It was after that that Storm went to Japan, a tour which saw her team with Sakura on one occasion and defend her EVE title against Hanako Nakamori on another.  Upon returning to England, Storm put up her belt in a battle of the baddies against Rhia O'Reilly at EVE's 'Queen of the Ring 2013'. While neither showed any regard for the rules, it was Storm that was disqualified when the referee saw her returning a title belt shot. The pair continued to brawl, setting up a new rivalry. From there, she continued to wrestle Viper for SWA, beat Carmel at the 'Kelvin Hall Brawl' supershow in Glasgow, defeated Miss Mina at WAW offshoot Bellatrix and fought Mickie James once again, this time in a singles bout, for Pro Wrestling Elite. She has also faced the likes of , and for LadySports Wrestling, and at the time of writing she will make her debut for US iPPV promotion SHINE week weekend. What did the UKFF think? "She's come a long, long way since the days her act consisted of shouting 'I've no got a cock!' in TXW"  "Has come on leaps and bounds since her original Mickie James inspired cheerleader gimmick. Destined for great things"  "Great wrestler, fantastic heel, and she's done something few (if any) man on this list has done - got in the ring with one of the most globally revered and talented wrestlers of her gender (Emi Sakura) and not looked out place, contesting a convincingly competitive match and even cleanly winning. For me, the smoothest female performer Britain has produced in.... well, maybe ever"  "Not a big female wrestling fan but what i have watched i am impressed by nicki storm and in particular her involvment in eves queen of the ring this year and some of her southside matches. Heard great things about her match with mickie in scotland and am looking forward to watching"  "Had a great match with April Davids at Futureshock and her character work and some of her promos in her feud with the Owens twins has been so intense they remind me of the ROH CM Punk promos with Raven"  "Only seen Storm wrestle twice in the voting period, both times against April Davids, but these performances were enough to warrant a place in my list. Absolutely excellent crowd interaction" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Southside crew Posted September 22, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted September 22, 2013 Nikki really is brilliant  You guys might enjoy this - Nikki Storm v Rockstar Spud from the beginning of last year  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted September 27, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 27, 2013 Apologies for the break in the countdown - I've been away with work a bit over the past week. Normal service should resume in the next few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freaky Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Glad to see Kay Lee Ray, April Davids and Nikki Storm getting nods in the list. Three great wrestlers, all with different styles and varying personalities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members bAzTNM#1 Posted September 30, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted September 30, 2013 Hate doing this, but that Nikki Storm is a bit of allright ain't she? PHWOAR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted October 7, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 7, 2013 No. 26: Bubblegum Score: 67 points Total 1st place rankings in 2013 votes: 0 Previous UK50 Rankings: 2012=16th, 2011=NL, 2010=14th, 2009=1st, 2008=3rd, 2007=5th, 2006=37th, 2005=NL Twitter: @PipBubblegum Entrance theme: - Dizzee Rascal Photo credit - Gordon Harris & Preston City Wrestling  Now somewhat of a veteran of the UK wrestling scene, former UKFF UK50 winner Bubblegum has scaled-back his appearances but remains a regular for a select few like Preston City Wrestling and Infinite Promotions.  As PCW's ultimate man they love to hate, Bubblegum's annoying little prick heel character is one of the highlight's of any Preston card, where fans mock him as a 'Manchester rent boy' and heckle him by singing his own entrance theme back to him with modified lyrics of "He's jus' a rent boy". Bubblegum took part in the 6-way Scramble match at PCW's first anniversary event in August 2012, though it was Noam Dar that hung on to be crowned the inaugural Cruiserweight Champion. The next month, 'Gum was presented with the unlikely task of having to overcome ROH's Canadian powerhouse Michael Elgin. He ducked, weaved and cheated as best he could and even managed to score the winning fall, but was destroyed after the entertaining bout with a spinning powerbomb. Bubblegum was then matched with resident comedian Mad Man Manson for singles bouts in October and December, and joined forces with newly-evil former rival T-Bone to beat Manson & Sam Bailey at the 'Festive Fury' supershow. 'Gum fell to Sean Maxer in an excellent match at January's 'More Bang For Your Buck' then returned during the main event to assist his 'Team Single' buddy T-Bone in beating Kris Travis for the PCW Heavyweight Title.  Over in nearby neighbour GPW, Bubblegum's 2012 had most notably consisted of feuding with 'Dangerous' Damon Leigh. Though both had been with GPW for many years, this was the first time they had opposed in other in a singles programme. After months spent interfering in each others' matches, chasing each other and battling with no clear result, the feud was to be settled in a Streetfight at the bug year-ending 'Heroes & Villains 2'. DDL got the better of Bubblegum in a terrific battle. It was around the turn of the year that it started to become known that 'Gum required knee surgery which would put his in-ring career on hold, potentially permanently. His opponent at GPW's 'Back With A Bang 2013', Matt Myers, specifically brought this up and implored him to shun his arrogant, rule-breaking ways and if he was going to go out, go out as the honourable fan-favourite he had once been. Myers' words seemed to resonate with Bubblegum, but didn't force a change in ways that night as 'Gum left him laying. Back in Preston, he wound up his scheduled appearances in the 2013 'Road to Glory' tournament, besting April Davids in the first round before being eliminated by former WWE, ECW and AAA star Super Crazy in the quarter-finals. He then made his emotional GPW retirement at 'Romance is Dead', scheduled to face former long-time partner El Ligero in a bout which was turned into a triple-threat with the late addition of Joey Hayes. Though he failed to get the win (that went to Hayes), Bubblegum did indeed go out the right way in the end, showing respect to his opponents and thanking the GPW audience for their support.  While undergoing his recuperation, Bubblegum was cast as T-Bone's mouthpiece and accomplice in PCW. During the 30-man 'Spring Slam' rumble in April, he delighted in swerving the fans into thinking he was returning (-'Bone was the actual entrant) and unveiling Rampage Brown as the newest addition to Team Single. It was then over the course of the 'No Retreat, No Surrender' supershow that he did make his in-ring return for the promotion, facing female wrestle April Davids and Mad Man Manson in singles bouts across the weekend. He followed this up with an appearance at PCW's second anniversary in August, where he competed in the 6-man Money in the Bank Ladder match won by Kris Travis.  Elsewhere, a babyface Bubblegum competed in the annual 6-way King of Cruisers match at PBW's 'Maximum Impact 2012', beat Rampage Brown and Wild Boar for Infinite Promotions in Liverpool, and returned to the latter for a Steel Cage match against CJ Banks in August.  What did the UKFF think? "'Just a rent boy' or something, great as a face in Infinite, great as a heel elsewhere, can go with anyone. Knee injury kept him out for a bit, massively entertaining"  "even with a serious knee injury, he came back and gave 110% percent, and always got my ticket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted October 7, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 7, 2013 No. 25: Jack Gallagher Score: 69 points Total 1st place rankings in 2013 votes: 1 Previous UK50 Rankings: 2012=6th, 2011=15th, 2010=NL, 2009=NL, 2008=NL, 2007=NL, 2006=NL, 2005=NL Twitter: @GrappleDays Entrance theme: 'National Acrobat' - Black Sabbath   Passing the half-way mark in our list, Jack Gallagher qualifies through the Stage Two vote-off and returns for his third UKFF UK50 appearance. Jack is also the first of the wrestlers appearing in this year's leaderboard to have received at least one individual first place ranking from a UKFF member. The former Jack Toxic would almost certainly have scored a ranking closer to last year's Top 10 finish... if he hadn't spent a large portion of the eligibility period in Japan, having taken up the opportunity to wrestle on an extended tour with Pro Wrestling ZERO-1. Presented as a shooter and billed as hailing from the infamous Snake Pit gym in Wigan, Gallagher began the 2013 UKFF UK50 period as a double singles title-holder of sorts - both the heroic Heavyweight Champion in FutureShock Wrestling and the ruthless 'Gallagher's Gold' champion in Grand Pro Wrestling.  'Gallagher's Gold' was the no-nonsense wrestling title Jack created and awarded himself after losing the British Title to cartoon-like ultra-fan-favourite Ste 'Bin' Mann, part of crusade against gimmickry and the more outwardly entertaining aspect of wrestling. He put the belt up as his stake in the 4-way 'High Stakes' main event of 'Battlefield II' against Martin Kirby's Heavyweight Title, Cyanide's #1 contendership and Dirk Feelgood's career, and escaped with his gold intact as Dirk was sent packing from GPW in a superb bout. Gallagher then successfully retained his Gold over British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside in the main event of 'From Wigan With Love', before crossing paths with 'Binman' once again. An all-star tag bout in October saw Gallagher team with GPW's Money in the Bank holder Danny Hope to face still-reigning British Champion Binman and long-time fan favourite Joey Hayes at 'Friday Night Thriller VI'. Binman had to go alone when Hayes had to abandon the match through injury and even managed to score an unlikely underdog pinfall on Jack, but the toll of the match and Gallagher's post-match attack in particular left him an easy target for a MITB cash-in from Hope. Now without his own belt, Binman's win over Jack and subsequent angle set up a bout for Gallagher's Gold at 'Fireworks!' the following month. There, a fun bout ended with Binman replicating his title win over Gallagher from a year prior and consigning Gallagher's Gold to his rubbish bin as both the title and Jack Gallagher himself ended their GPW runs.  Across in FutureShock, Gallagher had made a name for himself as champion with wins over Dave Rayne, Mikey Whiplash and CJ Banks and headed into his 'International Supershow' defence against Davey Richards, a rematch from one of 2011's highest-regarded British matches, with momentum. After , Jack and Davey contested another well-received battle, which ended in controversy as Richards capitalised on a knock-out to leave with as champion. Attempts to put together a rematch fell apart, and an angle saw Richards refuse to return to England to defend the title. Gallagher instead beat Stixx and Zack Gibson in a 3-way at 'FS#62' in October, then scored a victory over 'Just' Joe Legend the following month. That same month, Jack headed back to SWA in Scotland for their 'Battlezone' weekend, which included the Pro Wrestling ZERO-1 'European Challenge' showcase card. After beating Lewis Girvan at 'Battlezone' itself, Gallagher then the following night. ZERO-1 officials were suitably impressed with what they saw, though, and early 2013 saw Gallagher pack his bags and head out to Japan to appear on a full-time basis for the promotion on an extended multi-month tour. Known as 'Jack Anthony', he formed part of the New Age Wrestling Future stable and faced the likes of Fujita Hayato, Ikuto Hidaka, Takuya Sugawara, Kohei Sata and Yutaka Yoshie. His oriental excursion has also seen him appear for Big Japan Wrestling, where he competed in their Strong Style RISING Tournament (beating Atsuchi Ohashi before being eliminated by Shinya Ishikawa) and in tag action (teaming with Ishikawa against MEN'S Teioh & Shinobu), and Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he faced Hitoshi Kumano on a 'New Crew' branded event.  Before heading to Japan, Gallagher also faced Joe Coffey for SWA's Laird of the Ring title, beat Noam Dar in Infinite Promotions' British Premier League and lost to CJ Banks for the Infinite Championship. He apparently made his return to Britain in a chaotic surprise appearance for FutureShock Wrestling (as did Davey Richards) last night...  What did the UKFF think? "One of the best young technicians in the game, and again, spending a large part of the year in Japan is the reason he doesn't feature higher on the list. But he's a wrestler who always puts on a brilliant match, and I love watching his matches"  "even with 6 months off , he still had a year to rival most others"  "He's not spent most of the voting period in this country but while he was here he never failed to produce the best match on the card. His Futureshock match with Davey Richards was my favorite match of the year the way they sold the injury, the intensity of the final moments and the crazy finish completely got me, pure wrestling magic. It was one of those genuine moments in wrestling where you think 'what did i just see and was that supposed to happen?' regardless of if it's a work or not the fact that it made people wonder and even now it's still a point of debate amongst fans shows how good it was. Jack also going to Japan and seeming to impress over there also shows how dedicated he is to his craft and how much his stock continues to rise. He would easily be higher up the list if he had been here all year but hopefully he will come back soon better than ever and establish himself as one of the very top workers in this country. Jack vs Davey 3 must surely happen soon"  "Even though he didn't wrestle much in the UK this year his stuff was great and he is probably my favourite British wrestler. His stuff as Futureshock champion was great and amazingly he seems to have really stepped up in Japan. I think he will be a major force in British wrestling when he returns in a wider variety of places and will be much higher ranked next year"  "Gallagher would no doubt be ranked higher if he had spent more time during the voting period in this country. However, his skills have brought him to Japan, and though his career will no doubt soar, his placing on this list will suffer. As far as I have seen, the best technical wrestler the country has produced in a long time, every single hold and transition looks astonishingly real, and his matches always look like a legitimate fight. More importantly, they tell gripping stories. His war with Davey Richards ended in a legitimate knock out from the American, but everything up until that point was sublime (and I have a strong disliking for Richards and his style). Had a great match with Zack Gibson and Stixx, and a good contest with Joe E Legend. Also unsuccessfully defended his Gallaghers Gold at GPW against Ste "Bin" Mann, in a real styles clash match that still managed to be a great deal of fun"  "like his style. Shocked he didn't automatically make the 50" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Southside crew Posted October 7, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted October 7, 2013 Massive for Jack considering he has been out of the country for so long. Â Bubblegum is ace and I'm sure his location is possible why he does not work that much outside of the North west. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Big Benny HG Posted October 7, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 7, 2013 No. 24: Grado Score: 72 points Total 1st place rankings in 2013 votes: 1 Previous UK50 Rankings: 2012=NL, 2011=NL, 2010=NL, 2009=NL, 2008=NL, 2007=NL, 2006=NL, 2005=NL Twitter: @GradoWrestling Entrance theme: - Madonna (yeah, I know it's not this version, but still...)  Grado is here! The cult sensation from Ayrshire qualifies for his first ever UKFF UK50 after a year in which he has shot to national recognition. One UKFFer even voted him their own individual number one choice.  After an SWA run in the mid-00s as Grant Dunbar of The Lowlanders, Grado returned after virtual disappearance as the hapless, somewhat-daft wrestling mega-fan trying to get himself booked on Insane Championship Wrestling cards in Glasgow. After his campaign gained him cult popularity but fell on deaf ears of ICW management, Grado to save legendary Drew McDonald and Wolfgang from a beating at the hand of The Official Community. ICW promoter Mark Dallas finally relented and booked Grado in an impromptu six-man tag to a massive reaction. Grado, Wolfgang & McDonald were beaten by Damien O'Connor, Scott Maverick & Jamie Feerick of OfCom when Wolfgang's rival James Scott interfered to take out Grado. At the next show, however, Grado was announced as the unlikely-yet-popular challenger to Red Lightning's ICW Heavyweight Title. In a huge moment, it appeared as though . Later in the night, Lightning had the match . Just a few weeks later, with the legend of Grado already spreading throughout the country, the man himself made his English debut when he faced Rockstar Spud in a hilarious match for Triple-X Wrestling in Coventry. Back in ICW, Grado took advantage of Wolfgang's help to beat James Scott at 'Hadoken!' in September, then found himself coming up against the disturbingly sinister Mikey Whiplash. Whiplash beat Grado in a singles bout at 'Fear & Loathing V', but Grado gained a measure of revenge the following month at 'Santa Gravy' when he teamed with Whiplash's arch-enemy Jack Jester to beat Mikey & Jam 'Jamdog' O'Malley. Grado then faced Red Lightning again in another losing effort at ICW's Edinburgh debut, then teamed with Wolfgang again to beat Jamie Feerick & 'Teen Sensation' Christopher at 'Get To Da Choppa'. In April, Grado was granted a shot at Wolfgang's Zero-G Championship as part of , then followed up with ICW singles matches against Lewis Girvan and Andy Wild. Then, in June, he teamed with comedian Robert Florence to face Red Lightning & comic Greg Hemphill as the feature attraction of the 'Kelvin Brawl' supershow. Back in England, Grado returned to Triple-X in February for the 'Clusterfuck' rumble-style bout, then made his IPW:UK debut in March by first taking on Mark Haskins, then competing in the 30-man Battle Royale later that night. He would be back in IPW:UK later in the year, first facing Lord Jonathan Windsor at 'The June Show' then battling The New Firm in a trios bout the next day. His return to TXW after the end of the UKFF UK50 eligibility period would see him pick Adam Shame as tag team partner to face The Henchmen (Jim Diehard & Benton Destruction) in a fantastically entertaining bout. Just last weekend, he made his much-requested surprise debut for THIS IS PROGRESS in London, followed by a British Title bout with Sha Samuels for IPW:UK a few hours later.  Elsewhere, Grado has appeared for PBW, BCW and Pro Wrestling Elite in Scotland, as well as NBWA and HOPE in England.  What did the UKFF think? "Just a fantastic entertainer that makes you smile when his music hits"  "this charcter debuted in ICW just over a year ago having stunk up the rings of Scotland as Grant Dunbar for 6 or 7 years. Great crowd reactions and as shown against Mikey Whiplash at Fear & Loathing 5 and their most recent encounter outside of the votign period his wrestling has improved a ton as well"  "Burst onto the scene in tremendous style last summer and has been a breath of fresh air on a scene full of serious wrestlers who for the most part look and act the same"  "haven't seen much but there's such a buzz around him, you can't ignore it, and from what I have seen, it's deserved" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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