Euro Fury: Fight Club Pro Rage Against the Death Machine

Fight Club Pro Rage Against the Death Machine

 

July 8 2016
We’re in Wolverhampton, which isn’t far from where I live. I didn’t go to this show though because I was in London for Rev Pro’s Summer Sizzler weekend. At the time of the Fight Club Pro show I was sat in the pub with STRIGGA, Morten VH, Statoke, Jules and Iain in a big old Twitter conversation about exotic graps. Had I not been there this show would have been my second choice. Good brother Alan Boon recommended it to me based on the Travis Banks vs. Zack Sabre Jr. match, which is the opener for crying out loud. On paper this five match card could be one of the best of the year. The Fixxion Warehouse is packed full of people for this show but you can score it on Vimeo for around $5.

 

Travis Banks vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Banks is one of the hidden gems currently knocking around the UK scene. He’s originally from New Zealand but he’s clearly learning from the BritWres style, as is demonstrated by some excellent grappling with Sabre here. Sabre himself is prepared to stretch Travis into various pretzel positions. Sometimes it looks like Zack is making shit up as he goes along. Banks has a power advantage, despite his diminutive stature, but Sabre is constantly one step ahead in the grappling stakes. It makes for a solid little storyline and it helps massively that Travis is good enough to keep up. Travis keeps trying to step up to Sabre, to force him into a mistake but Sabre is equal to everything Banks has. Banks tries to anger Sabre by slapping him but that gets him taken down again. It’s like a shoot! Travis battles on but Zack continually reminds me of his variety of skills, whether it’s grappling, escapology or striking. Travis eventually gets the stand up fight that he wants and Sabre largely decimates him and yet it allows Banks to score a flurry of offence and for the first time in the match Sabre looks vulnerable. Travis benefits from hitting a crazy outta control tope in a building that’s blatantly too small to do it in. Banks gets strapped into the Young Boy Killer though and Sabre scores the win in an excellent opening match. Everything was so slick and well done in this match. It’s a cheeky outside bet for UK Match of the Year.

Final Rating: ****1/2

 

Chris Brookes vs. Clint Margera

I’ve only ever seen Margera in garbage matches and he asks for No DQ before we start. Brookes is a despicable shithead of a heel, which allows the hardcore style of Margera to flourish. I like how he deliberately places Brookes in front of the fans before smacking him around so they can see how snugly he’s working. Brookes doesn’t just sit there taking it and fires back with a neckbreaker off the apron, which is full of hate and anger. I love it. The ring height by the way is perfect. It’s around knee high and everyone feels like they’re on top of the ring. This match isn’t as technically sound as the opener, due to Margera’s slight clumsiness and the match relies more heavily on bloodshed. Brookes is particularly sadistic, busting Margera open and dribbling lemon juice onto his face. Is that really called for? What is called for is the vicious striking in the match, designed to showcase both men’s toughness. It’s a brutal back and forth. Neither guy gives a single shit about their own wellbeing. It’s a match that never feels engineered like most hardcore promotions. They only use stuff from the venue like chairs or stuff they could fit in their bag and bring in like tacks, the lemon juice or a pile of bottle caps. Poor Margera gets slammed onto a set up chair for the loss. This was a wild follow up to the opener. The garbage elements were minimal and designed to one up the opponent. I enjoyed it.

Final Rating: ***1/4

 

MK McKinnan joins us after that match to forfeit his championship after holding the belt for over a year. Apparently he’s been diagnosed with a heart condition. This brings Trent Seven in to hug it out with the champ. Jim Smallman’s music then kicks in but it’s actually Sami Callihan, who must have dug the music when he worked for PROGRESS. MK tells Trent and Callihan that they’re fighting for the vacant belt tonight. Trent vs. Sami! Oh shit! They start off by goofing around and even kiss but on a comedic departure from the ring, where they’re holding hands, they get into a massive fight. So get ready for that main event.

 

Lee Hunter vs. Dan Moloney

A rarity: a Hunter brother in singles action. Moloney is a very young guy but he’s rapidly improving and is better every time I see him. He certainly belongs in Fight Club Pro as he’s a beast. Lee has a lot of babyface spots but with limited upscale. He’s peaked. Moloney has a mass of potential. This one ends rather rapidly as Wild Boar runs in for the DQ. Jim Hunter makes the save and that’ll be a future tag match, which I’m sure will be good. This singles match didn’t get enough time to develop but that’s fine because we’ve set something else up. In the post match scrap Boar murders one of the Hunter brothers by hitting a package piledriver through a table.

Final Rating: **

 

Pete Dunne vs. Tommy End

Dunne is one the UK’s hottest up and coming acts, mainly as a heel. He had a show stealing barnburner at Summer Sizzler the next night versus William Ospreay. End is on his way to WWE and throws the best kicks in Europe. It’s an easy story to tell as the shit-kicking Tommy beats the fuck out of Dunne and the crowd love it. Dunne’s high impact comeback is in danger of turning him face but this company is all about strongstyle. The moves won’t turn you face if you’re an asshole. Pete Dunne is an asshole. Also he’s got a terrible haircut at this point, having ditched a top knot and left himself a mop. A mop that Tommy tries to remove with knee strikes. Nobody does strike flurries like Tommy fucking End. He batters Dunne in this match. Pete is destined to be a star but at this juncture End is the more polished wrestler. As the match progresses the strikes get more and more intense. The sound of flesh colliding with flesh gets more and more violent. It gets to a point where they’re taking it in turns to unload big bombs. Pete positions the referee for the finish where he downs Tommy with the Dead Drop. Very good match between two blokes looking to beat the shit out of each other.

Final Rating: ***3/4

 

Fight Club Pro Championship

Sami Callihan vs. Trent Seven

The title is vacant coming in and there have only been seven previous champions. The first was Trent Seven. Seven. One. Seven. Is it destined to be Trent here? Not really as Sami has decided he gives no fucks whatsoever about his friends wellbeing and aims to kill him from the opening bell. From there the match degenerates into a total mess until both guys chop the ring post in a particularly brutal spot on the floor. It’s a bit annoying that they don’t focus on the in-ring, given their collective talents but I also understand the urge for them to put on a different match to the others on the card. It continues in this vein sending spectators and cameramen scurrying for cover as they hit dives and run around the limited ringside space. They get back into the ring with ten minutes left on the show and start unloading with the big bombs. Seven starting this with two massive lariats, the second of the ripcord variety. They then proceed to beat the holy hell out of each other for ten minutes solid. It’s a barrage of fighting spirit with big strikes, a mess of suplexes and violence until both men are knackered. As the crowd chant loudly for Seven I’m reminded that once upon a time the American imports would always be babyface and the main reason for people attending shows. Now the Americans are mostly heel and the locals are being cheered to the rafters. When did this change? When BritWres starting getting excellent again. The crowd get seriously worked up as Seven refuses to stay down as they exchange ridiculous abuse. The last few minutes, where Trent knows he’s beaten, are the best as he demands that Callihan finish him off like a man. Eventually Callihan gets the submission in a deliciously violent scrap.

Final Rating: ****

8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

There are five matches on this card and three of them are flat out great. You cannot argue with that percentage. The fat has been trimmed and this is a lean and mean show that delivers throughout its 90 minute run time. Yes, it’s short but it’s cheap and cheerful and Fight Club Pro’s underground fight club atmosphere makes it one of the dingiest and most distinctive shows out there. It looked like a riot to attend and Fight Club Pro is now officially on my radar. Check them out on Vimeo.