Fight Club PRO, Schadenfreude’s Weltschmerz, The Hanger, Wolverhampton – review and pictures
Saturday night saw a unique experiment from Fight Club: PRO as Chris Brookes’ Schadenfreude faction seized control of the presentation for one night only.
With Kid Lykos as a caustic emcee, no stone was left unturned to stamp their mark on proceedings, with sponsor signs defaced, the ring crew berated, and very different music played during intermission.
However whilst it may be Schadenfreude’s show, it wasn’t their night, with fan favourites managing to resist their attempts to capture championship gold. Despite the rules being stacked against them, Tipton’s Hunter Brothers managed to retain their tag team titles against Jonathan Gresham and Brookes.
Likewise a mass invasion by Fight Club: PRO regulars evened the odds in the main event, allowing Meiko Satomura to retain her title against Mark Davis in a hard hitting match. A crucial assist came from Fight Club: PRO co-owner Martin Zaki, who successfully prevented Austria’s Walter from attacking the champion.
The night wasn’t an entire bust for Schadenfreude. Kyle Fletcher managed to pick up a victory against America’s Orange Cassidy, who once demonstrated his uniquely laidback approach to pro-wrestling.
And Walter won a classic match against Masato Tanaka. Hailing from Japan, Tanaka has been wrestling for twenty-five years, and in the nineties had some brutal brawls in America’s infamous Extreme Championship Wrestling.
Despite his advanced years, he brought the fire to Wolverhampton, as he and Walter fought all over The Hanger in a match that involved chairs and tables. This will be a contest that attracts international attention and acclaim.
Yet Schadenfreude’s greatest victory came in a match that they weren’t even competing in.
With rumours swirling that WWE wants their contracted talent to focus more on their own shows, Lykos booked the West Midlands’ own British Strong Style against their fellow WWE UK superstars Jordan Devlin, Travis Banks and Dan Maloney in a loser leaves Fight Club: PRO match.
The two teams gave everything in this match, with Devlin even jumping from the rafters. The finishing sequence saw Trent Seven, Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate unload on Jordan Devlin with an extending beating.
Yet the Irishman was able to counter Bate’s attempt to slam him from the top rope, to secure the shock victory with a Spanish Fly.
Afterwards, the fans gave a standing ovation to three local men whose work in Fight Club: PRO and other British promotions have made them some of the most celebrated pro-wrestlers in the world.
The inevitable sadness at seeing them leave should be tempered by happiness at seeing them succeed.
