Local Indie-Wrestling Review | TCW: The King Of Tamar Tournament

I must begin this review with a caveat, which is that there have been four TCW events that I didn’t attend before this, so it’s likely there are some character arcs and story developments that I am not entirely aware of, as I entered this event relatively cold. However, if I am made aware retrospectively, or I find out I made a mistake, I will add an extra comment — but for the most part, this review will be based upon purely what occurred at the event and my own thoughts, opinions and understanding. What I was aware of, and the reason that inspired my going, considering in the last few years the only live shows I’ve been to have been AEW All In and the Rev Pro Anniversary Show the day before, in both 2023 and 2024, was TCW's mission. Most wrestling shows are purely for profit, but Tamar Community Wrestling was inspired by the wish to support local charities in the Devon & Cornwall area of England. As of these first five shows, any profits earned are being donated to one of three charities: Keep Me Close (dedicated to supporting families with sick newborn babies in hospital), Jeremiah’s Journey (which focuses on children dealing with grief), and Derriford Children’s Ward (dedicated to the helping sick children and young people from the age of 7 days all the way up to 18 years).

What helped me catch up on what I had missed, being a newcomer, was the event kicked off with a music video on a large screen behind the ring, showing context from previous events. The main things I learned was that a tournament had been announced, I believe to crown the number-one contender to Josh Knott’s TCW Title, and Danny Boy Johnson of the tag team Viral Connection wanted in. In response, his tag team partner, Omega Luke (and the organiser of the charity promotion Tamar Community Wrestling), also wanted an opportunity in the tournament. Another competitor, ‘Headshot’ Alex Campbell, is shown winning a match and being rewarded with entry into the tournament, and finally, we see DB Johnson cost his team a match when he uses a chair, and as a frustrated Omega Luke recovered, a randomiser on the screen announces DB Johnson vs Omega Luke in the tournament. A quick, simple and concise setting of the scene — and already I’m curious to see where the night takes us.

The beloved MC, Joe Obrey, comes out to a great reception, and announces that in January, TCW will host the Mid-Season Rumble, where the winner will be able to claim a title shot within one year, and at the same event, the Final of the "King of Tamar" Tournament will occur. For a lover of Rumble matches like me, my interest is getting raised by the minute, and the announcements keep coming, as Obrey informs the crowd that the first half of tonight's show will feature the Quarter-Finals of the King of Tamar tournament, and the second half will feature the Semi-Finals. Then something especially interesting occurs, as the General Manager Ethan Edwards comes down to ringside and admits that all the competitors announced tonight are here, but some matches will be changed around due to things out of their control. This was a moment that I found fascinating and really appreciated, it was reminiscent of when Paul Heyman for ECW would announce at the beginning of shows if there were changes to the card, injuries, etc, and helped develop a trust between the promotion and the fans. By taking the time to be up front, the fans will be more receptive if issues occur in the future.

Quarter-Final Match: Devon Fulton vs Heath

This is the first time I have seen either of these two individuals: Devon is energetic when entering, his Mullet bouncing as he hypes up the crowd galore — a good choice for opening match. In comparison, Heath's is a much more measured entrance — carrying his chain with a sense of menace. Heath plays the spoilsport powerhouse, attacking Devon early on, who slightly slips when trying to avoid an attack but does recover well. Heath achieves an impressive deadlift Alley Oop Release Suplex — a good display of power. During the match, Devon establishes a great connection with the kids, with a throwback babyface style with good selling, making every move look painful. I find myself thinking he’d excel as a Ricky Morton-esque babyface-in-peril tag-team partner.

I like the fact that Heath doesn’t rush his attacks, he takes an extra breath to antagonise the crowd to get them cheering for Devon. Fulton did have one or two unsteady moments where he didn’t land on his feet properly, but he quickly recovered and didn’t allow it to bother him — instead he moved on with the next attack with a sense of maturity for someone who seems quite young. He sold particularly well on an enziguri from Heath, and there was an impressive Stunner / Roll-up combo by Devon that got a nearfall.

The finish saw Heath use a chain around the fist to win — overall, a solid little opener that gave both competitors the chance to look good, and the result makes sense as Devon can portray that underdog babyface who struggles initially, but when he gets that big victory, the crowd will love it. In fact, the crowd continues to give him a good reception afterwards as he staggers backstage.

Winner – Heath by pinfall.

Quarter-Final Match: Eric Myers vs Lucky

This was our first changed match, as Lucky had been booked to face ‘The Invisible Man’ Rich Miller, while Eric Myers had originally been slated for a tag-team match against Act Two. Myers entered this match accompanied by his tag-team partner Ryan Stevens, who was wearing a similar singlet to DB Johnson and Omega Luke, which added an interesting subtle dichotomy throughout the night, making me wonder whether there was possible foreshadowing for a future stable? This match, though, had Stevens attacking before the bell, and I would later find out that Lucky had entered this match on a 0-4 losing streak. I haven’t seen Lucky perform for at least a year or two, and here he was very fluid and smooth in the ring, instantly standing out. Stevens kept on interfering, until he tripped Lucky in front of Matt the Referee, getting himself thrown out in the process.

After Stevens is kicked out, Myers changes his game plan, focusing his attack on Lucky’s left leg to ground his offence, some good tactical planning from a tag-team specialist. Lucky exhibits some good subtle selling, as he’d attempt his offence while on one leg or take a few extra seconds to get to the top rope, giving Myers time to recover. A desperate Lucky hits a one-legged Suicide Dive to wipe out Myers, both men battling on the outside as the referee counts to ten, with Lucky just returning in time, while Myers is unable to make it.

To the shock of the crowd, DB Johnson appears from underneath the ring, having grabbed Myers’ leg to prevent his making the ten-count, and is chased backstage by an irate Myers. I liked this booking for a multitude of reasons, firstly it’s a clever underdog victory that keeps Myers relatively strong, demonstrates Lucky’s intelligence and guts, ties in Viral Connection’s ongoing feud with Myers and Stevens (did Danny Boy attack to avenge himself against Myers, or did he want Lucky to win to give himself a better chance of victory in a later match?) and finally, having a fan favourite win after another favourite lost in the first match is good booking sense to keep the crowd onside and prevent them being deflated too much.

Winner – Lucky by count-out.

Quarter-Final Match: Ry Stevens vs ‘Headshot’ Alex Campbell

This is our second changed match, as Campbell had been meant to be taking on Hood. Myers accompanies Stevens looking annoyed still by his loss in the match before. I’m glad to see wrestlers act like they care even beyond their own match, there’s been examples in the past where wrestlers would act unbothered about losing and to me, it always gives this air of trying to act cool, but all you end up doing is making the fans think “if you don’t care, why should I?”

Campbell entered to Bon Jovi's “You Give Love a Bad Name”, and is the third hyped-up, energetic babyface in a row, which seems a good idea to me — it keeps the crowd’s energy always at peak level throughout the first half, with no time to be disappointed or bored. I’m also curious as to whether or not Campbell and Devon would make a good tag team as young babyfaces, Devon has strong selling abilities to get the crowd onside, and Campbell has a bit of extra fire to him — the two could gel well together. For this match, Stevens is unrelenting on the attack, with Campbell always on the back foot, picking his spots, his selling not as large as Devon but in a similar vein, so the crowd stays invested, especially during some tremendous selling of the Double- and Single-Leg Boston Crab. We see some clever ring awareness from Stevens when he rolls from the centre of the ring after a big finish so that Myers could put his leg on the rope. Matt the Ref correctly counts the three, but then sees the leg on the rope and continues the match, a move that makes Matt the bad guy with this crowd, but on another occasion might have made him the hero for admitting his fault. Poor Matt, he would referee seven matches single-handedly and do an excellent job playing his role throughout the show, often being tricked and left confused.

Stevens takes advantage of the confusion and gets the win, and an interesting theme has developed through the first three matches which I will go into in my conclusion. Good effort from Campbell, and I feel there is potential for a developing storyline of the young babyfaces grouping together against the dastardly heels.

Winner – Ry Stevens by Pinfall.

Quarter-Final Match: Omega Luke vs Danny Boy Johnson

Before the match, a hot crowd are vocally attacking poor Matt the Ref, declaring he screwed Alex, and in the sort of personal comedic moment that makes these shows so special, someone walks up to the ring and gives Matt his glasses, who then retorts “ahh, there’s the ropes!” A small bit of levity that demonstrates a crowd caring and enjoying the night so far, as was I.

This was the match that had me most interested, two men who went through training together, became a tag team, had developed a respected reputation in the South West as a team, and have demonstrated themselves to be closer than some brothers, now about to face one another for the opportunity for singles gold. 

One of the most underrated elements of a wrestling match can be a competitor’s attire, at times that can add significant history and meaning. Think of Ric Flair wearing red tights any time he ends up losing a big match, Bret Hart wearing an all-pink singlet while his three brothers wore black, allowing the WWF World Champion to stand out more, or Seth Rollins wearing the old Shield attire in a match against Roman Reigns for mental warfare. An outfit can tell a subtext to the story that very few other elements can, and our competitors here do the same as they both enter in their usual singlets, but this time Luke is in black and green while Danny Boy is in yellow and black, yet both come out to their tag-team music entrances, signifying that while they are still a team, there is a growing divide between the two that is adding extra tension to this match, a subtle reflection that they are not necessarily on the same page. A small but beautiful touch that silently tells an entire story before the bell even rings.

We begin with a firm handshake — respectful but wary — with the impression that Luke expects Danny Boy to betray him, but wants to give him the benefit of the doubt. The two show their familiarity with one another, by avoiding each other’s attacks and with some clever reversals throughout the match. DB attempts some underhanded cut-offs such as a kick during a handshake, only for Luke to catch his leg and attempt to cleanly break. The crowd is firmly split, cheering both men on. The erstwhile partners keep having moments where one looks at the other, but they miss it, like two star-crossed lovers who can never catch each other at the same time. Johnson is quite vocal throughout the match, akin to a Steve Austin or MJF, cries of pain or trash talking, always engaged, whereas Luke is more focused and silent. There was a brief slip at one point during a move but both men recovered well so that much of the audience didn't notice at all.

Then the best part of the match — Stevens and Myers come out and distract the ref, giving DB a chair to use, tying into their match at the last event. A desperate DB, needing to win, says “I’m sorry”, and just as you think he’s about to hit his brother, he slams the chair on the mat and falls to the ground, ala classic Eddie Guerrero. Matt the Ref catches Luke with the chair, and Omega decides to hit the mat too, and also falls to the ground. Then, DB instantly sits up, sees Luke is down, and starts lambasting the referee, thinking he hit Luke, who ends up taking advantage and hits a gorgeous Springboard Kinshasa for the three count. Afterwards, DB is still angry — Luke hugs him, but DB walks away.

A fascinating match that took what could have been a simplistic story and added a level of complexity I didn’t expect. The Eddie moment was fun, but it also reflected the mindset of both characters, and the difficulties they are going through. Johnson could have easily hit Luke to win, but instead, even though he tried screwing his blood brother over, he attempted to do it in a manner that hurt Luke the least, no physical pain, just trickery. In response, Luke does a similar action to teach Johnson a lesson, and in that moment, Johnson’s first thought is “you hit my partner, I’m going to attack you”, showing he still cares and loves Omega. I’d go so far to say that it was reminiscent of a Kevin Owens character step, a man consumed by the knowledge that he is capable of dastardly things but attempting to avoid descending to that level and failing because of it. Like Owens, is Johnson failing because he cares too much. Is Luke more subtly undermining his partner by using DB’s own emotions against him? Is this a case of two men trying to avoid an end they both know is inevitable, like Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale of The Wire, two men who love one another and make a formidable team, but must betray each other to get what they want and need as individuals? Regardless, as we entered the interval, I realised that I was engrossed— not just by the wrestling, but by the story unfolding before me.

Winner – Omega Luke by Pinfall, but at what cost?

Before the second half kicked off properly, the UK Dominator storms into the ring, terrifying Obrey and lambasting Ethan for not putting him in the tournament. As a furious Dom goes ballistic, Alexander Grey appears and interrupts his former trainer, and the two have an intense standoff, Grey announcing he will be in the Rumble, and Dom telling Ethan he dares him not to put Dom in the Rumble. Dom in two minutes and an off-the-cuff promo can impact an entire show, suddenly injecting a sense of menace and terror, while Grey has worked tirelessly over the last few years to create a growing support and appreciation from the South West, and probably knows better than most what his trainer is capable of… but is he taking an unnecessary risk after a return from an injury that sidelined him at the worst time? Either way, these are two big names wanting to get their shot at the TCW Title, and it’s a great way to make the title feel more important than ever.

Tag Team Match: Hood & ‘Invisible Man’ Richard Walker vs Act Two (Benjamin Harland and Jack Knudsen)

This was the match most impacted by the changes to the card, Hood & Walker exiting the tournament and being teamed together instead, while Act Two’s original opponents entered the tournament instead. Knudsen is the blond in shorts I believe, while Harland is the dark-haired competitor in tights, and their selling of Walker in the invisible cloak is excellent, first asking Hood where his partner is, and then when Walker removes the cloak, crying out “he’s got a partner!” Lovely team chemistry from Act Two — they have a very smooth interplay and are also very vocal, keeping a dialogue with the crowd and their opponents running to help get the crowd onside. Knudsen has a gorgeous standing Moonsault for a two count, but Hood demonstrates his tactical awareness by cutting Harland off from a tag, keeping Knudsen isolated and the heat segments strong. I’ve not seen any of these four before, but Hood looks to be a solid hand who seemed to be leading the match quite well, manoeuvring the next spots into place, keeping the match flowing.

Walker has an interesting gimmick, but I found myself wanting to see more done with it, such as wearing the cloak whenever he enters the ring to break a pinfall attempt, believing he won’t be seen. However, he did use the cloak to blind Knudsen so Walker could hit a Stunner and then a Hood Jackhammer for the three count! I admit to being surprised that the makeshift tag team won, as Act Two got quite a reaction from the audience and never seemed to be in much trouble, but it’s a result that makes tremendous sense if the intent is to broaden the tag-team division. History has unfortunately gotten me to expect that makeshift tag teams will appear once just to put another team over, and I normally find myself frustrated at the bookers not taking advantage by creating a new team to broaden a tag team division. Instead here, the bookers seemed to have the same thoughts as I do, as they’ve gone from an initial division of Stevens & Myers, Act Two and Viral Connection, to a fourth team in Walker & Hood now with a big victory that means they can aim for a title shot, and sets Act Two back in a manner that gives them a more interesting story to tell. Fair play to the bookers, they took what could have been a throwaway tag team match, and just made it one of the most important matches of the night.

Winners – Hood & Richard Walker by Pinfall.

Semi-Final Match: Heath vs Lucky

Ry Stevens’ music kicked off, but he refused to come out, so GM Ethan Edwards instructed Obrey to proceed to the next match. Instead, Heath came out, basking in the boos, in contrast to a limping Lucky who had the crowd firmly behind him. This was a similar clash in styles to Heath’s first match, but now against a much more experienced opponent, so it was going to be fascinating to see how Lucky  would do. Heath is instantly relentless in his attack, focusing on the injured left knee, and twice throws Lucky to the outside for an attempted count-out victory— the second time Lucky only just returning at the nine count. There was a moment where Lucky was inconsistent with his selling, jumping and landing without any issue, and then a slight miscommunication that Heath recovered from by hitting a vicious Clothesline.

Heath gets the advantage with a lovely Sister Abigail a la the late Bray Wyatt, yet in his arrogance is slow to cover and only gets a nearfall, angering him. Heath is physically dominant against Lucky, cutting off every attempt at a comeback from his opponent. Lucky with a one-legged dive to Heath on the outside narrowly avoids injury as his head clips the stairs at the bottom of the stalls … thankfully this led to no major issues, despite the worry of the crowd. Heath then stupidly attempts to use the chain in front of the ref, but Lucky ducks and sends Heath into the ring post. Lucky briefly threatens to use it, but instead ties Heath to the ring post on the floor and for the second successive round, wins by count out.

This is the section that might be most controversial, deemed nitpicky by others, but I found myself disappointed slightly in this match, not from the efforts, but the fact I felt it had potential to achieve more. The finish was excellent, Lucky again demonstrating his ring awareness and intelligence to defeat a much bigger opponent, but I felt his selling was inconsistent enough that it took me slightly out of the match. Now, I admit, that may be unfair, as I love moments such as Bret Hart limping into the ’94 Royal Rumble as he sells the kick from his brother Owen earlier in the night, I love Orange Cassidy’s AEW International Title reign where his Orange Punch began to lose power due to injury, so he had to resort to alternative methods, I love when a wrestler has to vary their moveset to defeat an opponent, and I felt this match could have benefitted from that exact inclusion. Instead of Lucky still jumping to the top rope, or doing high-flying attacks, he could have attempted different methods such as elbow strikes when Heath goes for the leg, more roll-ups and dodges, and using Heath’s momentum against him. Again, this is me probably being overly-critical, as the match was still fun and the finish was strong, but I just feel that if that struggle had been more pronounced and noticeable, that finish would have been even more cathartic as the hero battles against the difficult odds. The finish even helped protect Heath, and if Lucky goes on to become champion, then Heath has a legitimate claim for a rematch for the title, possible in a Last Man Standing match?

Winner – Lucky by Count-out.

Semi-Final Match: Ry Stevens vs Omega Luke

It’s now time for our main event, and the developing throughline of the night of tag teams and their varying success culminates into a battle between one tag-team specialist in tandem with his partner, against another tag-team specialist divided from his partner. This is seen in how Stevens comes out with Myers beside him, showing they are in support of one another and on the same page, whereas Omega Luke comes out alone. This then gets an extra wrinkle of uncertainty when the Viral Connection’s music plays again and Danny Boy comes out with a chair to sit down in support, cheering on a visibly confused Luke. I’ll admit, this match was when I took my least amount of notes, as I was transfixed by the unfolding story in front of me, but I did make note of a moment where Omega Luke demonstrates a lovely control of Stevens’ arm to transition into a Swinging Fisherman Suplex — the level of confidence and wrist control for that belies the fact Luke has probably less than fifty matches under his belt (according to Cagematch that is, I am sure he will correct me if I'm wrong!)

Danny Boy spends the match cheering on Luke throughout, motivating him to win, and it's here that the complexity of the storyline develops further, because Danny Boy comes across as legitimate and sincere in his support for Omega — hyping the crowd up, and showing shock and hurt any time Luke is in danger. Meanwhile, Luke plays it subtly, glancing back every now and again, allowing himself to be distracted at times, his mind conflicted, an ironic position considering previous matches showed him feeling confident knowing Johnson was at his side, while now it has him worried. It would be remiss of me to not give attention to Myers and Stevens, who play the heel tandem wonderfully, in sync throughout as they manipulate both Luke and Johnson to their advantage. All four men deserve flowers for their chemistry and work throughout the show.

In the end, Danny Boy suddenly tries sliding the chair into the ring, with Luke refusing to use it, and the ref being distracted long enough that Myers could sneak in to low-blow Luke, allowing Stevens to get the pinfall victory.

Winner – Ry Stevens by Pinfall.

Afterwards, as the crowd sits in shock, Danny Boy aghast as Luke writhes in pain and Stevens & Myers celebrate. GM Ethan makes his way to the ring… In a surprise, he declares that he’s had enough of the cheating — referencing the grief poor Matt the Ref had received all night — and that he doesn’t want the tournament tainted by this ending. Due to that, Ethan announces that this match will be a double elimination, so at Mid-Season Rumble, it will be the winner of the other Semi-Final, Lucky, advancing to the Final against…a mystery opponent. And instead of going for a singles title, Stevens and Myers will be taking on Viral Connection in a match for the new TCW Tag Team Titles, in an attempt to let the four of them finally sort out all the issues between them. While it wasn’t a surprise to see Stevens and Myers angry about Ry Stevens's elimination, the most interesting responses were from Viral Connection — where Danny Boy was overjoyed and started celebrating, while Luke was annoyed and unimpressed, barely responding to Danny Boy’s hugs.

This was a fun match — it could have done with a few extra minutes to breathe and allow the ending to come more naturally — but I get the feeling that they were running out of time to finish the show. If that is the case, it could be worth shortening the interval in future, as it ran surprisingly long (maybe thirty minutes at least), but that could have been due to extenuating circumstances. Regardless, this main event was an excellent ending that built on an enticing show full of twists, turns, and uncertainties, leaving open possibilities for characters and stories to develop not just at the next event, but possibly over the course of the coming year if played right. Even at the end, I found myself conflicted, wondering whether Danny Boy Johnson was sincere and let Luke down by accident, or was it an intelligent long-term plan to help betray Omega? If it is an accident and Johnson legitimately wants to win the Tag Team Titles alongside Luke, has he unwittingly caused the break-up that seems inevitable? Maybe Luke will decide he’s had enough, that he will betray Johnson before he is betrayed, beating him to the punch?

There are enough elements of classic callbacks and archetypes here, such as Kevin Owens and his tag-team partnerships, his attempt to curb his worst instincts and anger, the friendship between Eddie Guerrero and Batista where Eddie doesn’t want to betray his friend but Batista thinks he inevitably will, even the arc of Kenny Omega and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, where a successful tag team find themselves struggling due to conflicting feelings of anxiety, frustration, frayed trust, and opportunity as singles wrestlers. Within one show, I’ve gone from curious, to emotionally invested: thinking the split is inevitable, but wishing it wasn’t — that the two men might end up settling their differences before finally moving on. Maybe they can, maybe they won’t, maybe they’ll win tag titles or singles gold, maybe they’ll split amicably or they’ll make each other bleed. But either way, I find myself needing to know, and that’s because of the top-notch character work done by Omega Luke and especially Danny Boy Johnson, both of whom have created fascinating multi-dimensional characters who are telling stories with their entrances, attires, wrestling style, reactions — everything is near perfection.

Next Show, and Conclusion

Quick thoughts for the Mid-Season Rumble? It looks like there will be some big names in the Rumble — I always think that for a first time, a heel is a better choice for winning a "challenge anytime" stipulation, due to the ability to get heat by using the contract to take advantage of a weakened champion in the future. Looking at some wrestlers who have appeared at previous TCW shows, you could have Blake Harrison, Jordan Sparkes, Karl Parker, UK Dominator, or even a shock return from names such as Big Papa Brady or even PJ Jones (one of my favourites who I feel was massively underappreciated in his final years and I’d love to see come out of retirement). I’m more curious about the rest of the event, and where we can go from here. If it was up to me — to build upon this show — I’d be tempted to have a card of just four matches: the Rumble, Viral Connection vs GL2, a Street Fight between UK Dominator and Alexander Grey, and the Tournament Final.

I’d have the Street Fight open the event, then VC vs GL2 for the Tag Team Titles, and announce before the event that all three winners of both matches will go on to face Lucky in a Gauntlet match for the Final at the end of the night. Have the Rumble finish off the first half, then after the interval, dedicate it purely to the Gauntlet, where Lucky is given the final entrance, maybe have UK Dominator as entry number one, and the Tag Team champions flip a coin to determine entrant number two and number three. That way, Lucky who had earned his way to the final gets the last lucky entrance, UK Dom kicks off as he had the first match and was not originally in the tournament, and the tag team champions have earned it through being in the original tournament. I’d have Omega Luke win the coin toss and have DB Johnson kick off against UK Dominator, I’d have UK Dom be extra nasty in his attacks to the point that Luke throws the towel in, making people wonder whether he is betraying or protecting DBJ. I’d then have UK Dom vs Omega Luke, and if possible, have DBJ return and then also throw the towel in, having the fans wonder again whether DBJ is being sincere or is he getting revenge. This allows their storyline to continue as champions but with that uncertainty, and then the injured Lucky comes out to face the monstrous UK Dominator, against all the odds.

Returning to the show at hand, appreciation must be given to the audience, who were hot throughout — every babyface was cheered on… they were slapping hands up and down the stairs… you had children standing in the aisles screaming for their favourites and rudely describing the heels! While I’ve always been a more clinical and contemplative fan, wanting to appreciate the work and efforts, I couldn’t help but find myself caught up at times in the midst of a crowd who were engaged from the first moment and were still raving about the show as we left, with plenty of people staying after to talk to the wrestlers and supporting crew. The booking of the show was one of the strongest elements of the entire night: not only did every result make sense, but the flow between the matches helped create a thematic connection that meant each new match built on the previous. For instance, the first three matches all featured a young babyface taking on a dastardly heel, with the first match having the heel in Heath succeed by cheating. The second match had a more experienced babyface in Lucky able to survive and win by using Myers’ own tactics against him, while the third match had the same heel tag team succeed with their underhanded methods against a less-experienced babyface. So over three matches, you had a heel try to take advantage of their opponent, and it depended on the knowledge / experience of the babyface, whether they succeeded or not. Long term, this helps the development of both Campbell and Devon as they can learn from the antics of Lucky, and become more tactically aware as they grow into more seasoned wrestlers. In the short term, you have a variety of outcomes to keep the audience engaged and on their toes, with the babyfaces losing in the first match, winning the second match to keep the fans onside, and then with the partner of the second match's heel capitalising on the work already done so far to win the third match.

The fourth match then tied the previous two matches together perfectly, as you went from seeing a successful tag team in Stevens and Myers working in tandem, to a tag team who have a growing divide between them. Having Viral Connection face off in the final Quarter-Final match made the best sense for having the first half build up to the ‘main event’ of the first half, the one with the most emotional connection, but then the second half kicked off with a tag-team match, continuing the flow of subtly enforcing the importance of the tag team division to TCW, so that by the end of the show, not only does the TCW Title matter, but now so does the future Tag Team Titles, obtaining two achievements in one show. I’m not entirely sure what prompted the changes to the card, but whatever the reason was, instead of allowing that to damage the show, the changes may have actually improved the show, as you progressed an interesting heel in Heath, you’ve had Lucky earn two big victories but now struggling with injury, you’ve created a brand new tag team in Waller and Hood which increases the burgeoning tag team division, and you’ve given two of your original tag teams legitimacy as main-event talents who can battle over the title, and that doesn’t even include Grey and Dom now throwing their hats in the ring, (pun not intended). I was very impressed with the setup of the show, the order of the card, how each match mattered, and that they developed other enticing storylines that make me want to see the next show, as I need to see where it progresses from here. For me, that makes this show a resounding success, with every match at least solid to good, and more than that, it made me want to come back in January. I appreciate being based in the Southwest of England, it may be difficult to support charity events, but if any of the aforementioned charities are close to your heart, hopefully this article will help inspire you to do so. And wherever you may live, there are likely independent promotions (charitable or not) well worth your patronage. If you've only ever watched or gone to the shows of the globally-known promotions, I highly recommend checking out your local independent, you may be pleasantly surprised!