Past show : GPW: "Friday 13th November 2009

Venue : Monaco Ballroom, Atherton Road, Hindley,
Wigan ,WN2 3EU
01942 255138
Door open : 7:00 PM   Show starts :7.30 PM  - End Time 10:00pm
Tickets: - £7 per person
- £24 for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children under 13)
 Multimap (Directions To Monaco)"

Images ©Tony knox --- poster design © Gary mason

On Friday November 13th, Garage Pro Wrestling present the Crazy Cruiser-8 2009 Tournament. review by GPW Own Kevin Moss

A tournament that has quickly gained an impressive reputation all over Europe
Valour, producing some of the best Jnr. Heavyweight matches you'll see anywhere in the UK and beyond. Always entertaining, edge of the seat drama, the CC8 is a must-see event for any wrestling fan. This is our last show of 2009 and we'll be going out with a big bang by crowning the 2009 Crazy Cruiser-8 Champion! 8 Men, 1 Night, 1 Goal. After months of qualification we join the tournament in its Quarter Final stages and follow it through all the way to the Final on the same night.

Bubblegum vs Max Damon was a fantastic opener. Each of the CC8 matches was different and this one brought a lot of innovation to the table, Max Damon clearly had Bubblegum well scouted with counters for most moves and lots of moves I don't think people have seen before. Bubblegum got the win with an jaw dropping Shooting Star Press and kicked the show off on the right note.

Joey Hayes vs RJM was a pretty good followup. This match was newcomer vs veteran, easily RJM's best match to date. I was worried he'd get dismissed early on against the more established Hayes but the crowd did keep supporting him. I'm sure everyone wondered if only for a few momentsif RJM could pull off the upset especially when he pulled off a great backwards style neckbreaker move straight into a pin, was a very dramatic nearfall. Still, in the end RJM was no match for the GI Joe and the first of many Teenage Kicks albeit after missing a swan like senton bomb.

CJ Banks vs Dylan Roberts continued a rivalry that began in December and gave the tournament its first taste of cruiser action spliced with strong style. Dirk Feelgood and Cameron Kraze provided a distraction that inadvertently aided Banks and helped him put Roberts away with a claw style move and then for additional genius, Banks pins Roberts putting additional pressure on the shoulder Roberts injured last month. So Banks advances and Roberts does not but I'll say this about Roberts he really did have a good night, a tough act to follow after Hayes, Bubblegum and RJM but he gave a solid performance and will probably have his breakout year in 2010.

Martin Kirby vs Fox Carter was tenacity vs power. I did think Carter looked a bit out of place in the tournament compared to the other compettitors, albeit in terms of look but he did fit in well with the fast paced style and was quite impressive in his proper debut (after winning the battle royal last month). I wouldnt say the match was particularly brilliant after all Kirby had to carry Fox but I do think Fox benefitted greatly from this, most new guys dont get the chance to wrestle an established star known for consistency in the ring and while it wasn't a memorable match, Fox showed a lot of potential.Banks vs Kirby was really entertaining as the battle for one upmanship between the compettitors really kicked up a notch. I believe as well this is the first time Kirby and Banks have wrestled each other in any capacity but they seemed to have each other well scouted. The crowd was really starting to hate Banks by this point due to his actions in the previous bout with Roberts. Banks debuted a Texas Cloverleaf hold which after an attack by sore loser Fox Carter earlier softened Kirby up enough to earn Banks the victory by submission.

Joey Hayes vs Bubblegum really was a master class with some great action as the two wrestlers battled face to face, on the mat and in the air with the fans divided throughout. Hayes and Bubblegum are currently tied 1-1 and this was essentially the decider. On this night, Hayes was the better man as he put Bubblegum away after a vicious GI Joe and Teenage Kick. Both men shook hands after the match.

The 8 man followed which pit Team Dangerous vs. Team Juggernaught. This was a really fun match which saw Voodoo use some voodoo on William Gaylord which led to an "awkward" moment between him and the ref Danny Chambers! The action was thick and fast and featured a real clash of styles, high flying, strong style and brawling and during the craziness, Damon pinned Juggernaught for the win after his "Dangerous" Diamond Dust.

Main Event time...Joey Hayes vs CJ Banks, a match that seemed unlikely several years ago given both were on the same side in SIN (in fact it was Banks who aided Joey against Bubblegum in the 2006 final) yet here they were in 2009 putting on a mat classic and definitely match of the year contender, in fact in my opinion this was the MOTY in GPW,
as both guys killed each other with their best moves, German suplexes, GI Joes. Frog Splashes, a 450 (which missed) and then it took not 1, not 2, but 3 Teenage Kicks to put Banks away. The fans in attendance gave Banks vs Hayes a much deserved standing ovation and rightly so.In conclusion, an amazing final, an amazing show and an amazing year.
Go order the DVD!!

Breaking news
An 8 Man Heavyweight Tag Team Clash!
Team Juggernaut vs. Team DDL
The teams are: Juggernaut, Paradise Lost & William Gaylord vs. DDL, The Mystcis & Si

The Final 8 men are, "The Juice" CJ Banks, Bubblegum, Joey Hayes, Ricky J. McKenzie, Max Damon, Martin Kirby, Dylan Roberts and Fox Carter. Here's some further info on the Final 8:

"The Juice" CJ Banks
Automatically qualified through the league table as the No.1 Seed based on previous tournament success and titles held.

The No.1 Seed pick for this tournament, the reigning CC8 Champion, the newly crowned GPW British Champion, entering the tournament off the back of a very strong MOTYC and if all that is not enough, he enters November as the 14th month of undefeated singles competition. Recently featured in FSM's "One To Watch" column, The Juice is slowly gaining momentum in a career that looks to be really taking off..

The Juice set out to make 2009 his own by recruiting a personal training team consisting of dietitians, personal trainers, sparring partners and fight specialists all with the aim of getting the British Championship around his waist. Finally, last month all the work paid off as he defeated "Super" Sam Bailey to become the new GPW British Champion. However, he is not finished yet and vows to become the first person in history to win back to back CC8 tournaments. Juice is the first man to have competed in all previous tournaments, and with a good record in them all - would you bet against him? Can The Juice finish the year undefeated, with the British Championship AND the CC8?

Bubblegum

Automatically qualified through the league table as the No.2 Seed based on previous tournament success and titles held.

The first ever winner of the CC8 returns to the tournament this year as the No.2 Seed. With a rich vein of previous success behind him, Bubblegum is not only a former CC8 winner, but also a former GPW Heavyweight Champion. In the 2006 tournament he brought the GPW faithful to their feet after he defeated the then undefeated Joey Hayes in the tournament final. Bubblegum has been missing from GPW action since July this year but is set to make his return at the Crazy Cruiser-8. His popularity with the fans is unrivalled and his return will surely see the roof of the Monaco lift off. Bubblegum's year got off to a flyer with a MOTYC match vs. Dirk Feelgood at February's "Carpe Diem" in a successful defence of his Heavyweight Title, but went downhill when he lost the belt to Juggernaut in April. After Alan Tasker had screwed him out of a chance of getting a shot back at the title, Bubblegum was to get his revenge on Tasker in the form of a boxing match in July. After beating Tasker with a K.O, Bubblegum has not been seen since and returns to make the tournament his own once again. Can the former tournament winner win it for a second time and be the first ever two time CC8 Champion?

 

Joey Hayes
Automatically qualified through the league table as the No.3 Seed based on previous tournament success and titles held.

You'd have bet your house on Hayes winning the tournament in 2006. He had been undefeated for 20 months, had beaten both Emil Sitoci and Darkside in the Quarter and Semi finals and faced an injured Bubblegum in the finals. However, Hayes was beaten by the eventual winner. Joey has not featured in the tournament since, but qualifies this year as the third automatic entrant from the league table. Joey has already had championship gold this year, he and partner Dangerous Damon Leigh held the Tag Team Trophy for 6 months as the Young Offenders after they had beaten The Mil-Anfield Connection in January, however, they lost the titles to Paradise Lost in July. Since being forced to break the tag team up after their loss, Joey has vowed to concentrate on his singles career - starting at the CC8. At "Friday Night Thriller III" Joey gained some momentum ahead of the tournament in a tremendous 6-Man as he and fellow qualified entrants RJM and Martin Kirby beat off Eastern Bloc competition. Joey, one of the most popular superstars on the roster is poised to re-enter the tournament he missed out on winning 3 years ago. Can he do it this year?

Ricky J. McKenzie
Qualified in a 4-way match vs. Jack Toxic vs. Matty "D'Lyrium" Taylor vs. Voodoo at Truth & Consequences, 18th September 2009.

It's hard to believe Ricky J. McKenzie only made his debut 8 months ago. Since breaking out of the GPW training school he has soared in the popularity stakes with the GPW faithful, and has consistently put in performances that you'd be forgiven for thinking he'd been on the roster for years, not just months. RJM fought hard to earn qualification and got his hand raised when he won the 4-way qualifying match at "Truth & Consequences". Fighting hard is nothing new to RJM. Leaving school at the age of 14 to single handedly raise his 3 brothers and 2 sisters, McKenzie never knew his mother and barely knows his own father. He made his pro wrestling debut at GPW: "Carpé Diem" in February after being one of the stand out trainees of 2007 and 2008. Despite impressing everyone, it wasn't until April when he picked up his first win and bagged the valeting services of Miss North West in the process. With a long streak of eye catching matches both in singles, multi mans and tag team encounters RJM has proven he has all the tools to surprise everyone with going far in this tournament. Could RJM be holding the CC8 2009 come Friday 13th?

Max Damon
Automatically qualified as the Intl. Entrant.

Turkey's self professed "King Of Bling" comes to GPW as the International Entrant and gains automatic qualification into the Final 8. He has carved a reputation in The Netherlands as one of the most innovative and exciting wrestlers in the country. Debuting in Turkey in 2001, he has plied his craft between The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Turkey, and on Friday 13th he comes to England to show the UK his talents. Max Damon offers an individual style of offence and completely different moveset to anyone else in this tournament, not to mention anyone in GPW. "King Of Bling" Max Damon is looking to add more gold to his name by winning the CC8 Tournament and taking both the UK and GPW by storm. Can he fly the flag for Turkey and be the first foreigner to win the CC8? How will the other entrants cope with this unknown quantity and unique moveset? Max Damon is just 3 wins away from being the CC8 Champion, will he do it?

Martin Kirby
Automatically qualified as the Fan's Choice.

What a year Martin Kirby has had in GPW! Kirby was chosen by the GPW fans as their choice to automatically qualify for the tournament finals on Friday 13th. Since his debut in January and re-location to Hindley Kirby won the loyal fans over. Those same fans have chosen him to represent them in the Final 8. This is Kirby's first tournament, but with a 10 Man Rumble win already under his belt earlier this year, Kirby has shown he has the tools to go all the way in this one. With wins this year against Lethal Dose, a MOTYC win against "Hurricane" John Walters and a 10 Man Rumble victory, Kirby has also impressed in a wonderful match against Joey Hayes and in a title match against Juggernaut. Dumping Luke Marsden in a bin filled with rubbish when he refused to give him the money he'd rightly won at the rumble enhanced Kirby's reputation as one of the most popular men in the Ballroom. The crowd will be willing their pick on to win the CC8-2009, but can Martin Kirby do it? It's his debut year at GPW and his debut in this tournament, can Kirby impress on Friday 13th where he has impressed all year? Can he round off his year in perfect fashion with a win in the finals? Dylan Roberts Qualified in a singles match vs. Dirk Feelgood at Friday Night Thriller III, 16th October 2009.

Dylan
qualified for the CC8 Finals for the first time in his career following a bizarre set of circumstances.

For reasons not revealed, his announced qualifying opponent - Jiggy Walker did not turn up to take Roberts on in the singles match. Dirk Feelgood then came out to take his place. Feelgood told Dylan he liked him, he saw potential in him and could relate to his hunger for gold, so he offered to lie down for Dylan giving him an easy route into the Final 8 and a shot at the gold he so desired. Dylan refused to lie down and accept Feelgood's offer, but Dirk vowed to qualify Dylan the "hard way". The hard way turned out to be via a steel chair. Dirk's new associate - Cameron Kraze attacked Dylan viciously as the bell rang, attacking the shoulder and giving the win by DQ to Dylan. As Feelgood and Craze left him lying, Feelgood uttered the disturbing words of "well done kid, - you've qualified..." All year long, Roberts has been on a quest for recognition and championship gold. After missing out on The British Title No.1 Contendership in January and The Miss North West Invitational 4-way in April, Roberts went onto enjoy some success in a tag team partnership with Si Valour. The two were the sole survivors at "Only The Strong Survive" and earnt themselves a Tag Team Title shot at July's Heatwave when they beat off competition from The Mystics and Lethal Dose. Despite the title match in September resulting in a loss, it has not stopped the quest for gold. After failing to reach the Final 8 in previous years, this is Roberts' chance. Dylan Roberts has been on the periphery of great things for some time now, could this be his moment? Will Dylan's shoulder heal in time from the Feelgood & Craze attack? Could Dylan Roberts be the next Crazy Cruiser-8 2009 Champion?

Fox Carter
Qualified as the winner of the Last Chance 10 Man Battle Royal at Friday Night Thriller III, 16th October 2009.

Fox Carter has been one of the men behind Juice's development this year. A member of the personal training team Juice employed at the start of the year, Fox has been seen more at ringside than actually in the ring. However, that all changed at "Friday Night Thriller III" when much to everyone's surprise he entered the Last Chance Battle Royal and defeated 9 other men to take the prestigious last spot in the tournaments Final 8. Not much else at this stage is known of Fox Carter, he appears to be competent in the ring, strong and athletic, not to mention he will have a clear advantage over all of his opponents having spent all year watching and studying them on Juice's behalf, he'll know their every move - and they wont know one of his. Carter could well be a dark horse in this competition, could he win the CC8 on his debut? What will happen if he draws Juice? This could be the greatest debut in the history of GPW if Fox wins.

With so many possible outcomes in this intriguing Final 8 it's almost impossible to call. In addition to this to the tournament there will also be a multi man heavyweight clash of the titans, and not forgetting the final raffle draw of 2009.

Pre-book your tickets now by e-mailing gpwrichardnoble@yahoo.co.uk
or ringing 07703 312 146.

Pre-reserve your tickets for the Crazy Cruiser-8 finals on November 13th right NOW, by calling 07703 312 146, or e
-mail gpwrichardnoble@yahoo.co.uk
and we'll call you back! Do not miss out on the best one night tournament in Europe -
this will be HUGE!
To reserve your tickets and beat the queues simply e-mail your party's lead name to gpwrichardnoble@yahoo.co.uk Group discounts available.
Don't miss out on all the Crazy Cruiser-8 2009 build up plus much more!