After a gloomy Sunday morning filled with dark clouds and light rain, the sky cleared in the afternoon and the sun shone down on the folks gathered at The Hobbit pub in Southampton for a day of excitement, laughter, and high-quality wrestling, featuring some truly memorable, highly skilled, and eccentric characters.
Match 1: Keano vs “The Prince of Peckham” Tyler Walker
Opening the day was Keano vs Tyler Walker in a wonderfully paced match that set the tone for what was to come. The fans (especially the younger ones) were vocal throughout with their uncontainable excitement echoing through the garden in a mix of cheers, boos, and laughter.
Highlights included Tyler putting Keano in a hold and dragging him around ringside, offering kids the chance to each deliver a hard chop to Keano’s chest. Another standout moment saw Tyler trap Keano in the turnbuckle and deliver a harsh combo of a clothesline, forearm, and big boot by bouncing off opposite corners. Despite the beating, Keano pulled off a surprise win, much to the disappointment of some of the crowd, which only seemed to fuel his self-importance as he basked in their reactions.
Match 2: Abi Cartwright vs Lila Kyle – Women’s Championship
Next up was Abi Cartwright vs Lila Kyle for the Women’s Championship, a strong follow-up match that quickly got the crowd riled up. Cartwright entered full of hubris, sharing her “creative writing” with the crowd, essentially a poetic diss about how much she thought Southampton and the rest of the crowd “sucked”, which the ring announcer read aloud to the audience. It worked a treat in getting the crowd behind Lila, whose infectious energy instantly won everyone over anyway.
The match was intense, with Lila gaining the upper hand for most of it, but just as it looked like she might take home the gold, Cartwright disqualified herself by attacking the referee, allowing her to retain the title. It was a frustrating end to an otherwise thrilling match—leaving the title just inches from Lila’s grasp.
Match 3: Twitch & Spartan vs Dory Gibson & Raging Riversticks
Although originally billed as a singles match between Twitch and Spartan, things quickly took a turn when Dory Gibson and the rest of his “band” came out to interfere. After some cheap shots and taunting, the match was upgraded to a tag team bout: Twitch and Spartan vs Dory Gibson and Raging Riversticks, with the rest of the DGB at ringside.
The crowd was electric, with ominous chants of “Twitch is gonna kill ya” rippling through the garden, terrifying Dory in the process. Dory’s cartoonish screams and exaggerated fear were hilarious, especially as children chanted “Scaredy cat!” at him. The DGB’s in-ring antics also got laughs from adults thanks to move names like “Running a Train” and “Golden Shower”, cheeky innuendos that thankfully flew right over the heads of younger fans.
Just as it seemed Dory might sneak the win, Spartan saved Twitch from a DDT with a devastating spear. Twitch followed it up with a splash from the middle turnbuckle, getting the three-count. The win means Dory must now defend his title against Twitch in a Hardcore Championship match in Gosport, a fact that left the crowd buzzing with anticipation.
Match 4: The Kiwi Crusade vs The Classic Busters – #1 Contender Tag Match
After a short intermission, the crowd was reignited by a tag team number-one contender’s match: The Kiwi Crusade vs The Classic Busters. The latter came out in full Ghostbusters cosplay, complete with Dr. Logan wielding a foam gun and Kris Kay hyping up the crowd with his phenomenal mic work. Their combined 30 years of experience showed in the ring, with crisp execution and masterful crowd control.
Highlights included the Kiwi Crusade distracting the referee to isolate Kris Kay, the hot tag to Dr. Logan who cleaned house, and a final move where Kris lifted one Kiwi Crusader into an electric chair position as Logan delivered a top-rope clothesline for the win. The crowd roared their approval for the Classic Busters’ textbook wrestling performance.
Match 5: Fatal 4-Way – Matt Linx vs Jack Lumber vs Hakan vs Spiral
The fifth match of the day was a Fatal 4-Way featuring Matt Linx, Jack Lumber, Hakan, and Spiral which displayed a perfect mix of skill, high spots, chemistry, and humour. The action was non-stop, with each competitor having moments to shine. Hakan and Matt briefly teamed up, but it didn’t last long, ending in an argument over who should get the pin.
The final sequence saw Spiral catch Matt Linx (after being slingshotted by Jack Lumber) and deliver a tombstone piledriver. As Spiral went for the pin, Hakan dived in to break it up, but left himself open for a Woodcutter from Jack. Jack rose to his feet, only for Spiral to hit a last-ditch high knee to the face. Both men collapsed, but to the crowd’s amazement, Jack’s unconscious body landed on top of Matt Linx. The referee counted to three, awarding Jack Lumber the surprise win to an explosive reaction.
Main Event: Will Kraven vs Alexander Murdoch
The main event saw Will Kraven face off against Alexander Murdoch in a brilliantly paced bout between two incredibly talented performers. Early in the match, Kraven hit a hurricanrana that sent Murdoch to the outside, followed by a suicide dive that almost included a young fan, who thankfully was fine and more excited that he got to be a part of it more than anything else. Kraven followed it up with another dive, this time hitting only Murdoch on the concrete patio.
From bell to bell, the match never slowed. The energy was constant, and the crowd remained completely engaged. Just as it looked like Kraven had it won, Murdoch faked a serious leg injury, prompting medics to come and escort him out. But just as they reached the stairs, Murdoch miraculously recovered and sprinted back into the ring to deliver a cheap shot on Kraven, stealing the win to a chorus of boos and chants of “Cheater!”
His celebration didn’t last long though, as Heroweight Champion Archie Cole made his entrance, leading to a heated exchange and an all-out brawl. Eventually, the locker room emptied to pull the two apart.
As the dust settled and Archie’s theme played, the event came to a close on an exciting cliffhanger.
Even after the matches ended, the fun continued as fans (especially kids) got to meet their favourite wrestlers, take photos, get autographs, and soak up the sunshine with a few more drinks.
Final thoughts
Everyone left with a huge smile, having witnessed some of the most entertaining and technically impressive wrestling the UK indie scene has to offer. With a mix of promising new talent and experienced veterans who haven’t forgotten what lies at the heart of pro wrestling, this was an event for all ages, and one that could easily reignite that childhood love of the sport.