Kamikaze Pro returns to Birmingham for stellar show - review
The New Year brought a new beginning for Kamikaze Pro Wrestling with the promotion leaving Coventry’s Empire Nightclub to return home to Birmingham.
In 2020 its major shows will all be taking place in The Mill, a Digbeth music venue just a short bus journey from the city centre.
As a venue it was great, with fans seated around the ring so tightly that nobody didn’t have a clear sight of the action, while others took the balcony for an aerial view of the ring.
It made for a great atmosphere, as a mixture of drunken revellers and families generated plenty of noise.
As the name Over the Top suggests, the event was headlined by an over the top rope Royal Rumble, with 20 competitors entering the ring to earn a shot at the promotion’s title in June.
While fan favourites such as Chris Ridgeway, Chantal Jordan and Man Like Dereiss all shone during the match, it would be rulebreaker Elliot Jordan who secured the victory, much to the consternation of the crowd.
Most performers pulled double duty during a stacked undercard. Two Europeans, who have relocated to the West Midlands, would lose physical matches.
Deno Babic, billed as 'The Croatian Savage', had a painful night against Chris Ridgeway, with 'smashmouth' laying into his less experienced opponent with stiff kicks to the chest and back.
Both men hit some eye-catching suplexes, but it would be Ridgeway that finally hit the one that ended the match.
Meanwhile, Madrid’s Carlos Romo travelled down from Wolverhampton face Chantal Jordan. The Lichfield native may only be 16, but she’s built like a tank, frequently overpowering her older and more experienced opponent.
Jordan secured yet another impressive victory with her trademark high kick.
She would also make her presence felt after Sean Kustom successfully defended his title against British wrestling legend Jody Flesich, saving the champion from a prolonged beatdown by Clint Margera and his henchmen.
Afterwards her challenging Kustom for his title was booked for the next show in The Mill. Speaking of future title matches, Canada’s Gisele Shaw confirmed her status as the Number One Contender to women’s champion Chakara by beating Millie McKenzie.
The Coventry native was wildly popular with the crowd, but her trademark suplexes weren’t enough to stop her being submitted by the Canadian, in a hard fought contest.
Overall, Over the Top 7 was a strong debut that suggests Kamikaze Pro Wrestling will have a strong 2020 in their new home.
Over the Top 6 will shortly be available on video-on-demand. Their next show at The Mill will on April 19.
They will also be at The Collingwood Centre on February 15 for Kamikaze Pro Live 23. For more information visit their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/KamikazeProUK.
By Will Cooling
