Did Feelgood Play Fair as Referee ?

What goes around comes around.

That common phrase was certainly apparent in the night’s main event as having been denied the GPW Heavyweight title on four separate occasions without being pinned, special guest referee Dirk Feelgood lifted the gold.

Yes, you read that right. The man who walked in to the clash between recently crowned GPW Heavyweight Champion Johnny Phere and Bubblegum as the special guest referee left with the championship around his waist.

After offering what seemed like an assist to the Hubba Bubba Ville native by dragging Phere in to position for Bubblegum to pounce from the top rope, Feelgood clocked him with a fierce kick and counted his own pin on Phere.

Bubblegum initially began the match brightly and came right out of the blocks despite Phere yelling “This is mine! It’s going nowhere!” and Bubblegum drawing a cross across his face as if to wish himself good luck. Both men exchanged chops before Bubblegum dropkicked Phere and headed to the top. But Phere kicked away, dragged him from the lofty heights and hurled him outside the ring. He then viciously whacked Bubblegum against the barrier and delivered several shots to the back. Feelgood screamed at Phere to get back inside the ring but Phere simply yelled back “I’ll do what I want!” and delivered the figure four leg lock around the ring post. Feelgood and Phere clashed over Phere’s refusal to comply and Dirk checked on Bubblegum on the outside before Feelgood returned to the outer parameters to throw Bubblegum back in for the first two count. The now struggling challenger tried to hit back with shots to Phere but he was caught in a submission hold as Phere gripped his leg. Bubblegum fought out and grabbed the ropes but was caught with a kick to the back of the leg by Phere. He grabbed the ropes once again when Phere locked on the hold and the former S.I.N member was told to release his hold but he grabbed Bubblegum and slammed his leg against the ring post on the outside. Feelgood once again yelled at Phere to say the move was illegal but Phere landed a vicious suplex back in the ring. He kicked away at Bubblegum in the corner and much like Bubblegum earlier, headed to the top rope.

But Bubblegum hurled him down and the pair exchanged punches. Bubblegum won the fierce exchange and slammed Phere to the mat. A dropkick by the fan favourite got him his first two count. “Finish this? he shouted out, much to the appreciation of the GPW fan faithful. Taking another chance, Bubblegum leapt up top and dove but he was speared harshly to the ground by Phere for an extremely close two count. “You watch this!” Phere yelled at Feelgood. But Feelgood took down his adversary and looked to Bubblegum to finish him off. Bubblegum, who must have been sensing the end, went to the top rope but to the utter shock of the GPW crowd, Feelgood super kicked the challenger to leave both men laying. He then successfully pinned Phere and quickly grabbed the house mike.

“Did you see that?” he shouted.

“You just saw it, the new GPW Heavyweight Champion, Dirk Feelgood!”

The initial quiet shock from the GPW fans had now turned in to a chorus of boos as supporters of Feelgood reacted angrily to the match result. Their other hero, Bubblegum, had come within inches of winning GPW’s grand prize, but he was denied the chance to begin a championship reign by Feelgood’s super kick.
Former champion Johnny Phere was also irate and left the ring fuming.

Bubblegum told me afterwards: “It was the same as two years ago where I’ve come so close to the title and someone’s cropped up and taken it from me.

“I didn’t expect Dirk and I’ve been ringing him all week to try and talk to him and he wasn’t returning my calls so it’s kind of out of the blue and I don’t know what to feel. It’s just strange. “I don’t want to go after him, he’s my friend. I would never fight him so I don’t know why he kicked me. “Since I became a professional wrestler, I’ve always suffered knock backs and people bullying me and beating me up so I’ve always overcome it but never had a chance of overcoming losing my best friend.  “I don’t even know if I’ve lost my best friend. I’m going to have to wait and see what Dirk does.”

Bubblegum couldn’t be accused of coming in to the match unprepared: “Anything with Johnny Phere is possible. I’ve wrestled him four of five times before and I’ve always come out battered and bruised.
“Especially the title on the line, it’s always going to be that next step. So, yeah, I was a bit worried.”
Amazingly, the main event wasn’t the only mis-carriage of justice felt at this latest GPW event.

Dangerous Damon Leigh is no longer the GPW British Champion largely as a result of a nasty beat down by all five members of the newly formed Eastern Bloc.
Jak Domitrescu won the belt in just 20 seconds of match time after a crooked official helped count the pin fall on Leigh. For at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled battle, the stable members literally beat down DDL all the way around the ring in what can only be described as a heinous assault before the official quickly counted the three count inside the ring.

Throughout the match the Bloc berated GPW fans, telling several children they “needed to go back home with an ASBO” and trying to flog GPW merchandise at ridiculously high prices. All while shot after shot was delivered to DDL. Last month, Leigh was prevented from a clean title defence against Juice when the Bloc intervened. This month, the Bloc actually cost the fan favourite the gold. Revenge has got to be on the cards for the group as far as DDL is concerned. It won’t be the only clash at the next event where fans will look on in anticipation.

The TJ Cain/Joey Hayes rivalry has been brewing for months as the pair have clashed a number of times. Next month may see these two finish what they started as the pair agreed to face off in an unsanctioned match after Cain antagonised Hayes on the house mike and Hayes arrived on the scene to confront his nemesis.

“For the last two months you’ve tried to jump me,” Cain began.

“It isn’t going to happen this month. What I have here is a contract. I had to go above and beyond the top guys to get this. What I have here is an unsanctioned no holds barred contract.

“I know you’re here. So, Joey, show yourself, take this pen and sign on the dotted line,” Cain requested, badgering Hayes to hit the ring. 
It didn’t take the fan favourite long to fulfil Cain’s wishes. Hayes seemed to arrive in the ballroom via the balconies and encouraged by loud “We Want Joey!” chants, he simply picked up the pen and yelled “Signed!”

But just as Hayes looked to leave the venue, Cain leaped at him from behind and stomped away as this feud became even more heated. After kicking Hayes in the corner, Cain yelled at GPW’s security to get him out of the ring. But Hayes wouldn’t go quietly. Taking the house mike off announcer Luke Marsden, he issued a fierce warning to his future opponent.

“TJ, next month, I just signed, it’s gonna be right here at the Monaco Ballroom!” Hayes told the crowd, before being forced to leave the ring by the security just ahead of the show interval.

Hayes’ former friend and rival Heresy also left his mark on Ballroom Blitz, but certainly not in a positive way. The hated star has stooped low before. But surely nobody could foresee what he would do at the conclusion of the heavyweight clash featuring Si Valour and Juggernaught. Immediately after Juggernaught secured victory via pinfall in an intense battle, Heresy hit the ring and knocked out Valour with his Bible. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Heresy eventually chopped locks out of Valour’s hair and left the ring grinning at his actions.

It was immediately clear it would be tough to call a winner of the bout. Both men exchanged shots early on, with Juggernaught, who was accompanied to the ring by manager Alan Alan Alan Tasker, forcing down Valour and Valour fighting back with several head butts. Yet when Valour tried to mount offence in the early going, Juggernaught hurled him in to both the ring post and apron. Valour only just made up by the referee’s eight count but was once again thrown on to the ring apron. As Juggernaught hit away at Valour’s back, Tasker screamed “break his back” in a bid to see his athlete cause further damage. Juggernaught whipped Valour in to two corners before bear hugging him. Again, although Valour fought out of the submission manoeuvre, he was slammed hard to the canvas by Juggernaught who was greeted with loud “You suck” chants in turn. Juggernaught started where he left off and bear hugged Valour on the floor. Valour, who could never be accused of giving up, again rose out of the mammoth’s move, but he was kicked and elbowed by Juggernaught. A second kick to the canvas got Juggernaught both his and the match’s first two count. But when Tasker arrived on the ropes, Valour caught a break to get his own near fall via a roll up.

Trying to build momentum, Valour sought to pick Juggernaught up but was slammed to the mat for two. Yet Valour, still hanging in there, nailed his adversary with a rock bottom variation for two. But in a display of sheer power, Juggernaught threw Valour to the canvas with just one hand against his head. As the match began to portray a back and forth battle rather than the one sided affair it seemed to have become earlier, Valour slammed Juggernaught and sat on him after climbing to the top rope. Yet luck wasn’t with Valour. Moments later, the referee was accidently struck with a kick, leaving no one to count the fall when Valour clothes lined Juggernaught. Queue Heresy. The former S.I.N leader ran to the ring and nailed Valour with a Crypt Keeper Kick then a Doctor Bomb before throwing the referee in for a three count after Juggernaught covered the fallen fan favourite. But it wasn’t the end of Valour’s punishment.
Heresy immediately whacked Valour with the Bible.
“Who’s the man?” he yelled.

A crescendo of boos greeted Heresy’s question, but he continued to attack Valour. Valour got to his feet but was soon back down again after Heresy caught him in a sleeper in the centre of the ring. You’d have thought he’d done enough. Valour wasn’t just left laying. He wasn’t moving. But Heresy soon returned to the ring.

“I was going to go home but I decided to stay for a bit longer,” he said.

Referring to last month’s show, Heresy uttered: “Si Valour, you called me out and here I am. Now, I’m going to embarrass you!”
Climbing out to reach under the ring, Heresy entered it again with a pair of scissors.

“Who doesn’t think I’ll do this?” he asked the crowd.

Barely giving the GPW faithful a chance to respond, Heresy immediately chopped off most of Valour’s hair before sickeningly shouting “I thank you!”.

Heresy left the ring happy, but Valour left shocked. He clearly had no idea what had happened as he rose to his feet feeling his head. He chucked Heresy’s Bible to the floor and left dumbfounded.

Two men who may also have left the squared circle with similar emotions are the Next Gen Superstars, Dave Rayne and Harry Doogle. The team, who are rapidly gelling together successfully and becoming popular, came within an eyelash of becoming GPW Tag Team Champions following a back and forth encounter against current champions the Mil Anfield Connection, Danny Hope and Jiggy Walker. The team more than held their own in a fascinating match up and at one point it looked as if they would walk away with the gold. Sadly it wasn’t to be. When Doogle found himself in the ring with the despised pair, it wasn’t long before he was hit with a double team for the bout concluding three count.

After the two teams climbed to the ring ropes several times to very different reactions (the Mil Anfield Connection certainly weren’t cheered), they quickly tangled in the ring. Hope punched away at Doogle and Rayne hit away at Walker, but Walker and Hope were soon clothes lined simultaneously by the Next Gen Superstars after stopping in their tracks following individual clashes. After the initial melee, the teams sorted themselves in to opposing corners and Rayne and Doogle began a quick exchange of tags as they had the early advantage.
Rayne caught Hope in a wristlock and arm drag before tagging in Doogle who applied the same offence. The pair double teamed Hope with a slam before Rayne was in once again to lock in another wristlock. Doogle arrived via a tag to work on Hope’s left arm before Rayne leapt on the arm from the top rope following a tag. Much like earlier, Doogle repeated Rayne’s offence as they sought to isolate and frustrate the tag team champions.

Ever the opportunist, Hope raked Doogle’s eyes and tagged in Walker, who dropkicked Doogle and distracted Rayne so Hope could strangle Doogle in the corner while the referee was occupied with the furious Rayne. The Connection initiated their own double team on Doogle before Hope kicked him and shoved Rayne down from the ring apron. Rayne, who was justifiably irate, tried to enter the ring and thus kept the referee away from the action, enabling a huge suplex on Doogle by Walker. The move earned the Connection a two count and the pair once again double teamed Doogle with the referee again distracted by Rayne. Walker tagged in Hope who chopped and kicked Doogle before knocking him to the canvas. Doogle was then floored with a high knee by Hope but Hope then ran in to Walker.  The mis-judgement gave the Next Gen Superstars the break they were looking for. Rayne took the tag and clothes lined and slammed both his opponents. He then grabbed Hope and hurled him in to two corners before punching him. Walker hit Rayne just as he looked to finish the match but Doogle knocked down Walker and looked for a flip. The risk was to be the fan favourites’ down fall. Doogle missed the move and was nailed with the Connection’s double team for the deciding three count.

Rayne was still in the mood to celebrate despite the loss: “We nearly had it, we were so close. Opportunities come and go, I’m sure we’ll get another one.

“We had a party planned and we’re going to go ahead with the party and still have it.

“I think we were awesome. Considering this is only our second match together as a team, I think we surprised a lot of people who didn’t think we deserved a title shot but we took it to the wire and now we’re gonna go off and party!

“I would like another match against the Mil Anfield Connection. I think we could win and then we’ll have another party!”

The night’s opening contest, a Crazy Cruiser 8 qualifier, featured an exciting clash of styles between El Ligero and “Iron” Mike Holmes, who was accompanied to the match by manager Tasker. Holmes, clearly disrespecting Ligero’s Mexican heritage by donning a sombrero, hardly endeared himself to one of GPW’s most popular wrestlers. He was eventually made to pay as Ligero got himself a spot in next month’s tournament following his patented frog splash.

Holmes had the initial advantage with a shot and headlock to Ligero, but the quick grappler flipped out and Irish whipped Holmes in to the corner. In the night’s first funny moment, Ligero managed to grab Holmes’ cigarettes from Tasker and pretended to throw them in to the crowd but preferred to stamp on them while Holmes turned around. Holmes kicked Ligero but was soon sick in a bucket. After the pair fought to the outside, Holmes called his manager to fetch the bucket but after Tasker tripped Ligero, Tasker ended up covered in sick from the bucket. Back in the ring, Holmes dropped Ligero on to his knees for a two count. Holmes kicked away at Ligero and strangled him on the ropes while the stinking Tasker distracted the official. Holmes followed up a whip to the corner with a dropkick and punches on the ropes, but Ligero soon landed a hurricarana and clothes lined Holmes outside before diving on top of Tasker with Holmes laying on the other side of the ring. Ligero returned to catch Holmes in a huge back drop. Holmes, seemingly in desperation, threw the earlier used bucket to Tasker but the bucket eventually ended up on Holmes’ head. With the fans in raptures, Ligero dropkicked the bucket and Holmes’ head before leaping up top and nailing a huge top rope splash for the three and thus a spot in the Crazy Cruiser 8 tournament.

The evening’s first match was one of several battles which gave winners spots in May’s event and so there was a lot at stake. Juice, much like Holmes, hardly endeared himself to anybody in the crowd when he grabbed the microphone ahead of his qualifying match with Dylan Roberts.

“Shut your mouths! You are looking at greatness and tonight I’m going to show each and every one of you exactly why I’m the best pound for pound wrestler in GPW!” he told the crowd, who can definitely be forgiven for referring to Juice as a muppet.

The pair sized each other up straight after Roberts arrived in the ring. Juice was the first to hit out as he chopped at Roberts but Dylan clothes lined him and nailed a back breaker variation to set a high tempo to the match. Juice recovered to dive on Roberts for two but Roberts delivered shots to his back and another backbreaker before following it up with a leg drop for his own near fall. A whip and dropkick got Roberts a second close fall before he caught Juice in a submission move. The frenzied crowd called ferociously for a tap out but Juice reached the ropes to end the manoeuvre. He quickly recovered to catch Roberts in a Boston Crab variation before telling the crowd the match was over and climbing to the top and hitting his patented frog splash for the three count.

Roberts was gracious in defeat following the match: “It was hard fought, Juice is a top guy and I was fortunate enough to snatch an opportunity but unfortunately it didn’t go my way.

“I’m just going to keep on trying. I get knocked down but I dust myself off and I get back up and keep on going.”

Jack Toxic won’t complain that he also kept on going. The All Stars member suffered a setback with his loss to ‘Super’ Sam Bailey in another Crazy Cruiser 8 qualifier but rebounded to win the Last Chance Saloon Battle Royal.

Toxic, accompanied to the ring by Lethal Dose tag team partner Cyanide and Tasker, voiced his disgust at the finish to last month’s qualifier when he faced Spud. The match went to a draw and Toxic wasn’t happy. He went as far as to challenge anybody to a match to grab himself a place in the tournament.

“To those who don’t know who I am, I am the number one cruiserweight in GPW. Last month, I did not lose and Spud did not win. I didn’t qualify for the Crazy Cruiser 8,” he began.

“I challenged Spud to one more match and he did not turn up. I believe I should be qualified so I’m giving any successful cruiserweight ten seconds to come out and challenge me!”

Images: Tony Knox © 2008

Announcer Marsden counted to eight before the popular ‘Super’ Sam Bailey stormed to the ring accompanied by fellow WKD member D’Lyrium. Bailey and Toxic quickly jockeyed for position as both men looked to get the advantage. Bailey was arm dragged to the corner but he soon dropkicked and nailed his own arm drag on his adversary. He then threw Toxic to the outside. As Tasker and Cyanide looked to take advantage, D’Lyrium hurricaranaed Cyanide. Back inside, Bailey whipped Toxic to the corner but Toxic kicked Bailey and stood on top of him for the match’s opening two count. Bailey tried to fight back but was flattened in the corner by Toxic who caught him in a nonchalant cover for his second two count. It didn’t take long for Tasker to distract the official so Cyanide could strangle Bailey on the ropes behind his back. Toxic caught his opponent in a headlock but after Bailey hit out with punches and shots to Toxic, Tasker grabbed Bailey to allow Toxic to kick him in the lower extremities, stand and stomp on him. Bailey again tried to fight back with kicks but Toxic knocked him down and head butted him. But when Bailey was thrown in to the ropes he began a solid fight back.

He reversed the manoeuvre to take shots at Toxic’s head and jump on him in two corners before kicking him to the canvas from the ropes for his first near fall. He whipped Toxic to the corner and bashed him against his knees for a second consecutive two count. Bailey kicked him to the ground for an extremely close near fall. Toxic rallied with a head lock to eventually get himself a two count but Bailey quickly recovered to climb to the top rope and dive on him for the match winning three count, placing Bailey in the running for the Crazy Cruiser 8 next month.

But Toxic quite literally took his Last Chance Saloon to qualify for the tournament despite the singles match loss. Toxic threw out Doogle before Mike Holmes was eliminated by Voodoo and WKD member D’Lyrium rid of several competitors. But Toxic successfully hurled D’Lyrium over the top rope before Toxic eliminated Roberts. The battle came down to fan favourite Voodoo and Toxic. Following a exciting battle between the pair, Toxic eventually saw off Voodoo to win the match.

Talking about the matches he was involved in, Alan Alan Alan Tasker said: “I was very disappointed and embarrassed with Mike Holmes. I will get my vengeance on El Ligero.

“I wasn’t too happy with Jack Toxic’s performance against Sam Bailey but he pulled it back and I’m hoping for a draw in the Crazy Cruiser 8 against El Ligero for throwing vomit on me.”

Tasker had extra messages for both Holmes and Toxic: “Mike Holmes has not earned his dole benefits and I can tell you this: Mike Holmes needs to prove himself to stay in the All Stars. The guy’s got talent, but he just didn’t use it tonight. We had it won and he screwed it up.

“Jack Toxic redeemed himself. There won’t be any celebration until we’ve got that Crazy Cruiser 8 in the bank.”

Tasker also berated the night’s fans: “Just look around, they’re all fat, pie eating, dole queuing monkeys. They don’t know nothing. They haven’t been to law school and been trained by the best lawyers in the country. What do they know?”

Last Chance Saloon participant Jeff Mackenzie was unhappy with his elimination: “I was unfortunate to lose. I’m pretty disgusted by the double teaming that went on.
“Jack Toxic hit me with a beer can which I believe is illegal. I’ve never seen a beer can used in wrestling, in a normal wrestling match anyway, it’s not like a wristlock.
“I was hit in the head with a beer can and then thrown out by Mike Holmes and I’m not too happy about it. As far as I’m concerned, I could have won that if it weren’t for the cheating going on.”

Fans who left the Monaco Ballroom did so with unanswered questions. What ramifications will occur as a result of Dirk Feelgood leaving with the GPW Heavyweight Championship?

What on earth will the GPW faithful witness when TJ Cain and Joey Hayes clash in an unsanctioned No Holds Barred match? How will Si Valour react after Heresy chopped his locks? How will the Crazy Cruiser 8 go?

Come to the Monaco Ballroom on May 2 to find out the answers to these questions and more!