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The 2007 UKFF 50


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No. 41 - Sweet Saraya

2006 Ranking: Not Eligible

2005 Ranking: Not Eligible

 

_40846890_saraya_long.jpg

 

The decision to allow women into this year's UKFF 50 was always going to mean Saraya getting a well deserved place as one of the top workers in the country. Veteran performer and member of the Knight wrestling family, Saraya counts Norfolk's WAW as her home promotion, but has seen action across the length and breadth of the country too.

 

Arriving in RQW in December, she it it be known that she was going after Eden Black's Womens' Championship. She followed this up by taking part in January's ChickFight 7 tournament, the first ChickFight event to be held outside of the US. Held in front of her home fans in Great Yarmouth, she contested a passionate and emotional bout with the completely evil Cheerleader Melissa, though she lost in this, the first round due to referee stoppage. The rivalry was set, however, and fans began looking forward to a Sarara vs. Melissa rematch.

 

Falling to fellow WAW female star Destiny back in RQW in February in London, Saraya was absent from April's ChickFight 8 tournament held in beautiful Gloucester but was scheduled to make her ChickFight return in June in Orpington. It didn't happen.

 

The night before, during RQW's debut show in Colchester, Saraya finally got her long-awaited rematch with Cheerleader Melissa. A brutal and compelling brawl turned nasty when Saraya suffered a vicious freak injury to her knee, which sidelined her indefinitely. At present, it is unclear as to whether her in-ring career is over.

 

The driving force behind the WAWW concept and trainer to the new breed of UK female wrestlers coming through the Norfolk system, Saraya has promised to address fans and make an announcement about her future at August's RQW show in Dartford.

Edited by UK Hat Guy
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*******************************************No. 40 - "Artful Dodger" Red Lightning2006 Ranking: 422005 Ranking: Not ListedMoving UpRed.JPGPhoto - www.redlightning.co.ukWrite-up courtesy of UKFF member "LionHeartBCW":

The reigning BCW Cruiserweight Champion currently managed by "The Manager of Champions" Charles Boddington, has been making waves on the Scottish scene as of late. Turned his back on BCW to allign himself with WzW and Boddington, Lightning started picking up the pace and had high profile matches with future wwe star Drew Galloway and BCW Openweight Champion Lionheart in which he mocked both men by stealing their ring attire and dressing up as them on shows. Has had a long running fued with Jack Jester over the cruiserweight championship which he has managed to survive so far still champion. Despite changes in attitude still finds himself a firm fan favourite with the fans in WILD Promotions, and in PBW is chasing tag team gold with friend and fellow WILD wrestler Allan Grogan. Considered by fans in Scotland as one of the hottest heels in some time, Lightnings promo skills are second to none. Gaining more in ring experience in camps across the country "The Artful Dodger" is as entertaining as they come. A slightly needed improvement in physique and in ring ability will most certainly see him moving up a few places next year

Edited by UK Hat Guy
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No. 39 - Joey Hayes

2006 Ranking: Not Listed

2005 Ranking: 47

Moving Up

 

strong_surive_3hayes07.jpg

Photo - www.gpwrestling.org.uk

 

A return to the UKFF 50 after a one year absence for a guy coming off a 12 months that has seen him expand his horizons more than ever before. The last year has also seen him become one of the most varied acts on the circuit.

 

In his home GPW, Joey (or Joseph, to be more precise) Hayes has spent the year as a member of the SIN faction, along with Heresy, The Juice and Johnny Phere. In November, he was one of the star players in GPW's "Crazy Cruiser8" tournament, defeating the Dutch Chris Hero trainee "Tremendous" Emil Sitoci in an epic, drag-out quarter-final, downing Darkside in an excellent semi-final, before falling to Bubblegum in an equally superb final on one of the all-around best British pro wrestlnig shows of 2006.

 

2007 saw Hayes engage in a mini-feud with former member of The Geeks, Chris Echo, thrusting him into contendership for Damon Leigh's GPW British Heavyweight Title situation. The trouble was that Hayes' SIN boss, Heresy, also had a long-held desire for the GPW British title, leading to tensions arising between the two. Those tensions saw them nearly come to blows in June at "That's Entertainment!", where the fans seemed to get behind Hayes and the possibility of him turning on the evil Heresy. In July, however, they attempted to co-exist when they were both booked in a triple-threat match against Leigh for the championship. When it did finally boil over, SIN turned on Hayes...but Joey managed to overcome the odds and pin Heresy to lift the GPW British Heavyweight Title.

 

Hayes has also become somewhat of a regular for Manchester's Futureshock Wrestling, with him representing the heels in various singles and multi-mans, without yet having anything meaningful or purposeful to do.

 

In a move that you could say was unexpected, the past year has now seen Joey become the latest guy to partner Ruffneck in the Pain Inc. tag team. With Sabotage and Battallion come and gone, Hayes linked up with Ruffneck to make his 1PW debut and participate in a number of messy gauntlets and multi-ways in the Doncaster Dome, before they entered into a violent feud with the former FWA Academy faction of The Chavs, which has led to a series of exciting gimmick brawls. The feud is due to end at August's "Invincible" show in a Last Team Standing match.

 

In yet another new move, Hayes has also joined the roster of SAS Wrestling, which promotes shows in the odd combination of West London and the West Midlands. Teaming with fellow GPW wrestler "The Model" Danny Hope, Hayes has actually adopted Hope's gimmick and the tag team of "The Models" has been born.

 

In addition to all of this, Joey Hayes has continued to be a member of the Manchester Massive tag team in the FWA/XWA. In fact, the cocky chavs actually turned babyface to a massive (no pun intended) reaction when FWA/XWA needed someone to step up to the plate to fight for their honour against both IPW:UK and then WAW in interpromotional situations. Indeed, the pair are now among the most popular wrestlers on the regular Morecambe Dome shows.

 

A remarkable year for Hayes, which has seen him finally break out from the North of England and start to be recognised elsewhere. In the best in-ring form of his career, developing his (many) characters and personality and looking more and more like an exceptional talent, the next 12 months will surely see his star continue to rise.

 

I'm looking for the (former) SIN/Manchester Massive/Models/Pain Inc./Fabulous Fourbirds member to move up the rankings next year.

Edited by UK Hat Guy
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There's alot of talented people in the top 50, but it's all down to personal prefrences and which voters have seen which wrestlers when it comes down to it.Personally I think that Steve Grey and Johnny Kidd are excellent wrestlers, but I have only seen one or two of their matches from this year which so I chose to vote for other wrestlers over them.On the other hand I have seen alot of Joey Hayes this year and think he is certainly worthy of a top ten position, but he is still unkown or relativly new in many areas of the country so it is understandable that he has picked up the position that he has.

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Personally would have thought that Joey Hayes would be a bit higher. Shame John Ricthie is in there though, never seen the fuss with him

See, it's all personal preference and who you've seen plenty of. I've seen Joey Hayes two or three times this year in various gimmicks, and he hasn't wowed me. Jon Richie, on the other hand, is the main reason I ever consider going to LDN shows - he's great.
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No. 38 - "Bad Boy" Jon Ryan

2006 Ranking: Not Listed

2005 Ranking: Not Listed

Moving Up

 

ryanah4.jpg

Photo- UK Hat Guy

 

First ever entry into the UKFF 50 for the "Bad Boy of British Wrestling". Despite being a regular of the NWA-UK since 1998, it is only in the last 12 months that he has started to gain the recognition which is reflected in this ranking.

 

Taking the Midlands-based Triple-X Wrestling by storm with his violent feud with Dragon Aisu in 2006, Ryan also arrived in RQW in January 2007 under the guidance of Greg "The Truth" Lambert, where he was involved in an interesting developing gimmick where he would basically kill jobbers (like Tommy DeMorey) who tried to survive his 5-minute challenge. Like many great ideas in RQW, it went nowhere and now appears to have been dropped altogether.

 

2007 also saw Ryan make his IPW:UK debut. As one of 30 entrants in April's "Battle Royale" rumble, no-one really knew much about him. However, when he locked horns with fellow super-intense, super-tough bruiser Sam Slam in the middle of the match, people knew they'd seen something special. Ryan and Sam were a perfect match - the classic tale of irrestible force vs. immovable object. In the rumble, it was Ryan that tipped Sam over the ropes, and as per the stipulation of the match, earned a shot at Sam's National All-England Title. Battling to a hard-hitting double DQ in May at "Royale Rewards", the rematch took place at July's aptly-named "Unfinished Business". A bloody, violent and utterly enthralling spectacle, Ryan and Slam went at each other with nunchucks, a samurai sword, a chain, chairs, drawing pins and a hardcore banana. Really. Bleeding heavily, Ryan was not successful on this occasion, but had managed to look incredible in front of a crowd that didn't know much about him, and until then had thought that hardcore meant Battalion vs. Flaming Red. Exactly.

 

Still a major part of NWA-UK, Ryan is a feature of their regular hardcore-type shows in Chatham in his native Kent, where 2007 has seen him clash with his TXW rival Dragon Aisu in May, before going all the way to the finals of July's "Hardcore Lottery" tournament, losing to "Suicidal! Suicidal!" Suicidal!" Jimmy Havoc in a Barbed Wire match. He now appears to be heading for a mouth-watering collision with another no-nonense hard-man, Martin Stone.

 

With a big clash with Stone on the horizon, nothing settled between him and Aisu (their last match in Triple-X went to a no contest when the entire rosters of SWA, LPW, NWA-UK and 3CW ran in...), and a newly interested fanbase in Orpington eager to see what he is going to do next, 2007-8 looks like a big year for the "Bad Boy".

Edited by UK Hat Guy
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