Results: The Eternity Tour (The Duke's Theatre, Lancaster) 22nd January

Walter Morgan defeated KAZ

Leo 'The Lion' Price defeated 'The Red Dragon' Ian Davies

Crusher Von Steinberg defeated The Banzai Kid

'The British Samurai' Robert Brown and Kevin Jones defeated Jared Johnson and Eddie Robinson

'The Tower Of London' Danny Patterson defeated Rolling Johnny Stones (non-title)

After his match, Danny Patterson was once again attacked by the mysterious Phoenix, who went toe-to-toe with the giant before being attacked by the rest of Nova Corporation. Once again the lights went out, allowing the masked man to escape in the confusion.

Results: CWL At The Dome, Saturday January 8th

In the aftermath of the shocking events of the New Year's Day show, the CWL crowd was uncertain of what to expect from the year's second show. Their questions were soon answered, and not in the way that they wanted. Jeff Nova, accompanied by Danny Patterson and the rest of Nova Corporation. Amidst a tide of boos and hurled missiles, Nova addressed the crowd again in his usual ranting style. For those who had seen the end of the New Year's Day show, the theme was much the same. The best wrestlers in the world are the wrestlers who get results, Mister Nova declared. Why, then, are the wrestlers who are willing to go to any lengths to achieve victory not those most respected? The wrestlers of Nova Corporation have one another's backs, and are not afraid to fly in the face of the rules if it gets a victory. Nova continued in this vein for some time, alternating abuse with demands for respect, until the crowd were worked into a veritable frenzy.

The boos turned to cheers, however, when the former champion, 'The British Samurai' Robert Brown, made his way to ringside. Despite having only had one week to recover from his vicious beating at the hands of Nova Corporation, Brown seemed fit and healthy. In a turn of events that has proved rare since the foundation of CWL, he called for a microphone to address the crowd and his opponents. His words were brief and to the point. Nova Corporation's actions were a slap in the face to everyone in this world who respects the sport of professional wrestling. For all the current champion's power, he had been forced to claim a victory by outside interference that could have been fairly won. For the sake of his honour, for the sake of the fans, and for the sake of the sport of professional wrestling itself, he wanted his rematch, and he wanted it tonight. "And before you say anything more, you weaselly little shit, I've got a guaranteed rematch clause in my contract. So, you know... suck it up." Needless to say, the crowd went wild.

As the new challenger for the Red Rose Championship left the ringside area, Nova Corporation remained for the first match of the evening, in which 'The Krakau Crippler' Pavel Vanszycha was to face Rolling Johnny Stones. As with every match in which the unconventional Stones has thus far wrestled, there was a notable clash of styles, which left the ultra-traditional Pole off-balance from the start. What pressed the advantage was the rockstar's often-underestimated command of ring psychology, as he played a hit-and-run game with his opponent that left Vanszycha unable to make full use of his impressive amateur skills. It was not to last, however, as Leo 'The Lion' Price of The Wigan Bulldogs was able to trip Stones up with the referee's attention distracted, allowing his stable-mate to regain control of the match. A series of skillful takedowns and transitional holds later, The Krakau Crippler was locked in, and Stones was forced to tap out.
Pavel Vanszycha defeated Rolling Johnny Stones

After the celebrating Nova Corporation had retired backstage, two wrestlers who had faced one another at the New Year's Day show teamed up as Jared Johnson and Eddie Robinson faced The Martin Brothers. The superior experience of the twins allowed them to bring their strong command of team tactics into play against opponents more used to singles competiton, but one on one the older duo were more than a match for the inexperienced Martins. Johnson and Robinson's double-team tactics seemed almost experimental in nature, and each man watched the other's performance closely as the match progressed. In the end Johnson was able to make Keith Martin submit with the Toronto Crossface to bring his team victory. Once again, the veteran Eddie Robinson raised the younger man's arm in a show of respect.
Eddie Robinson and Jared Johnson defeated The Martin Brothers

Once again, former champions entered the ring to the cheers of the crowd as Harder Better Faster Stronger took a moment to speak. Petey Barnes spoke as Menace glowered at the backstage entrance, daring anyone to show signs of foul play. Barnes' statement was short and to the point: The Wigan Bulldogs cheated, we want a rematch. You think you're worth those belts? You think you're the best? Well, however good you think you are, we were, are, and will always remain, Harder, Better... The crowd-pleasing catchphrase was sadly cut short by the entrance of The Wigan Bulldogs, flanked by the rest of Nova Corporation. Jeff Nova once again earned the crowd's wrath by opening his big mouth. After the irritating incident earlier in the show, he'd done some checking, and it seemed that Barnes and Menace hadn't quite been as savvy with their negotiations as Robert Brown - there were no guaranteed rematch clauses in their contracts, and the Bulldogs didn't have to do a damn thing for them. However, since they asked so nicely, they'd have a chance to earn their shot, rather than just demanding it. If Barnes and Menace could defeat Morgan and Price one-on-one, then they'd prove that they might just have what it took. If not, then you kids can kiss your hopes of championship gold goodbye.

In a demonstration of both power and the will to succeed, Menace then faced down boxing prodigy Dwayne Dark. Though the former Tag Team Champion's skill in the ring is not to be denied, his advantage looked significantly slimmer in the face of the lightning hands of the former amateur boxer. Indeed, Dwayne Dark held his own with great aplomb, lashing out with incredible speed and precision to rain blows down on Menace's head and body. Menace's endurance was entirely equal to the challenge, however, and his retaliation was swift and brutal when it came. The two men hammered back and forth at one another for nearly fifteen minutes of highly competitive action, until Menace was able to counter a low swing with a stunning shot to the temple, followed by an Implant DDT for the win.
Menace defeated Dwayne Dark

Another callback to the New Year's Day show followed, as Kevin Jones, accompanied to the ring as always by the skanky lovely Bambi, took on one of the men he faced in four-way action seven days ago, Crusher Von Steinberg. It rapidly became clear that in the face of the blue-collar brawling and street-smarts of the Welshman, Von Steinberg's vaunted submission offence was not going to be enough to secure the victory. Though he tried with every throw, takedown and hold in his arsenal, the German simply could not keep the fan favourite down, as each time he battled out with fists, kicks and headbutts. After a shot mid-way through the match drew blood, Jones focussed his assault on his opponent's head, capitalising on any advantage he could take, as the European veteran grew increasingly irate. So angered was he at the injury he had sustained, Von Steinberg chose to sacrifice his chances at victory completely, blocking an attempted Powerbomb before kicking Kev squarely in the balls in clear view of the referee to take the disqualification loss.
Kevin Jones defeated Crusher Von Steinberg
(OOC Note: When it says that Crusher was getting pissed off when Kev kept hitting him in the head, it certainly didn't look fake. And that kick in the balls right at the end? That wasn't faked. Not at all. It took Jones several minutes to get backstage after the match. Not that it stopped him suggesting that Bambi 'kiss it better'.)

Finally, the Main Event arrived - 'The British Samurai' Robert Brown getting his first chance to make up for his humiliating defeat at the hands of 'The Tower Of London' Danny Patterson. It seemed an impossible task, entirely insurmountable. Even with all his years of experience, even with his incredible skills and great physical conditioning, at the last show Brown had been dominated from bell to bell by the incredible strength and seeming immunity to pain possessed by the new champion. However, Brown was to prove his critics entirely mistaken, as from the very outset he met Patterson with both skill and incredible fighting spirit. While 'The Tower Of London' displayed speed that might previously have been thought impossible, he was still unable to quite match the dexterity and agility of his challenger. The veteran played a dangerous game of hit-and-run, managing to avoid the worst of Patterson's offence by the skin of his teeth, slowly wearing down the giant's defences. Still, when faced with such raw power it only takes one mistake to suddenly turn things around, and the champion was more than ready to take advantage of any slips. A brief hesitation gave him a chance to swing a hard right hand sraight into Brown's face, and from then on it was all Patterson's show. Rather than go for a swift pinfall, he toyed with his rival, seeking to make another strong demonstration of power and demonstrate his superiority once and for all. A swift victory, however, requires swift action, and Brown was not so dazed by the beating he was taking that he could not take advantage of any opportunities to turn the tables himself. The crowd went wild when Brown was able with great dexterity to drop out of a suplex lift onto his feet and launch a swift kick to the back of Patterson's knees which drove the giant from his feet, something almost unheard of in CWL. However, as he prepared to take advantage of this and possibly create the shortest title reign in CWL history, the lights in the Dome went out completely. In the darkness, the video screen once again showed that same bizarre display: the flaming bird, and the caption 'The Phoenix Rises'. When the lights came back up, both competitors were back on their feet, but a third man had entered the ring. Perched on the top turnbuckle was a man in a mask, who promptly launched himself at Danny Patterson with a Missile Dropkick, flooring the champion in one blow and forcing the referee to disqualify Robert Brown.
'The Tower Of London' Danny Patterson defeated 'The British Samurai' Robert Brown for the CWL Red Rose Championship.

Though Robert Brown vacated the ring quickly, the masked man took the chance to continue his assault on Danny Patterson's prone form. As the rest of Nova Corporation rushed the ring he turned on them too, one by one dropping them to the floor with stiff punches and clotheslines. As he turned back, though, he found his original target ready and waiting to meet him. One chokeslam later, the mystery assailant was flat on his back in the middle of the ring and Nova Corporation were beating a hasty retreat to the back, their championship belts safely in hand. However, as they made their final exit, the masked man displayed one more surprise: he sprang straight back to his feet, showing no ill-effects from taking one of the deadliest moves in CWL! Though Nova Corporation made to rush the ring once more, the technical faults that seem to accompany their mysterious assailant once again won through, and when the lights came back on, he was gone.
(OOC Note: It's Joss Thompson, quite clearly. Same height, same build, same hair coming out of the back of the mask. It's a really cool mask, though.)

Results: CWL At The Dome, Saturday January 1st

Fast-paced brawling action kicked off the CWL New Year's Day spectacular as Crusher Von Steinberg, Dwayne Dark, Roy Edison and Kevin Jones fought for supremacy. Though Kevin Jones as always commanded the greatest fan support, each man acquitted himself admirably in a brutal and hard-hitting struggle for victory. Roy Edison dominated the early part of the match with his trademark hard-hitting offence, dropping his opponents with a vicious array of martial arts kicks before laying into Dwayne Dark with a dizzying ground-and-pound that drew the first blood of the match. This proved to be a crucial distraction, however, which allowed Crusher to launch a surprise attack on the dominant Edison, torturing him with a variety of submission holds before locking in the Mind Crusher. The upset victory was not to be, however, as Kevin Jones came to the rescue, blindsiding the German competitor to take control of the match himself. The contest continued in such style for some time, each man temporarily controlling the action, before Kevin Jones sealed the deal at the thirteen minute mark, pinning Dwayne Dark after a thunderous Powerbomb.

Kevin Jones defeated Crusher Von Steinberg, Roy Edison and Dwayne Dark.

CWL's reputation for excellence in tag team wrestling was proved once again to be well-earned as perennial contenders The Beasts From The East faced 'The Red Dragon' Ian Davies and KAZ, a team looking to take victory in their first ever match. Sadly for KAZ and Davies, it was not to be. The experience of The Beasts From The East proved to be the telling factor as they ruled the ring from start to finish. First Davies and then KAZ bore the brunt of Sumo Sam's notoriously powerful Strong Style offence, coupled with the acrobatic and unpredictable stylings of The Banzai Kid, giving the new team little chance to fight back. Davies came the closest to scoring an upset, managing through great skill to catch The Banzai Kid in an increasingly complex series of pinning predicaments, before being caught off-guard by a sudden tag which once again allowed Sam the chance to run riot. The match was short-lived after that, coming to an end when Sumo Sam caught KAZ with a Backdrop Driver.

The Beasts From The East defeated 'The Red Dragon' Ian Davies and KAZ

The next contest was brief and similarly one-sided. Even the encouragement of his brother at ringside could not prepare Lance Martin for the skill and showmanship of Rolling Johnny Stones. A few seconds of air guitar provided Martin with enough leeway to nail some crisp-looking suplexes, but before long Stones made the reversal, ending the match with his usual Rolling German Suplexes.

Rolling Johnny Stones defeated Lance Martin

With The Wigan Bulldogs unseating Harder Better Faster Stronger less than a month before there was everything to play for in this match, as a loss here would mark the veterans down as the shortest-lived champions in CWL history. Menace and Barnes came down to the ring determined to humiliate the men who defeated them for the belts, and set to the task with a will. With youth and aggression on their side the challengers controlled the early part of the match, but a man would have to get up very early to catch the Bulldogs napping. Price and Morgan had their long-time opponents thoroughly scouted, and endlessly frustrated their attempts to bring the match to a swift conclusion with a combination of innovative counters, punishing submission holds and good old-fashioned cheating. The match was drawing near to the twenty-minute time limit with no finish in sight, when fate intervened. And by fate, I mean Pavel Vanszycha. With Menace getting the worst of the action in the ring, the Krakau Crippler caught Barnes with a blistering surprise attack, doubtless intending to soften him up for their match later that night. When Menace finally managed to make the break to tag out, he found his partner brawling at ringside, and salvation nowhere to be found. Leo Price distracted the referee while Walter Morgan kicked Menace in the balls and twisted him into the Wigan Wrench for the submission victory.

The Wigan Bulldogs defeated Harder Better Faster Stronger for the CWL Tag Team Titles

After the frantic pace of the Tag Team Title match before, Eddie Robinson and JJared ohnson slowed the action down with a classic display of British technical wrestling. In a match that would not have looked out of place in an Olympic tournament, the competitors traded hold for hold in an unbroken sequence that lasted nearly ten minutes of precise, carefully orchestrated mat wrestling. The Canadian rookie put up a spirited fight, but in the end was unable to counter out of Robinson's famed Capital City Crucifix, which forced him to submit. After the match, Robinson took the time to raise the youngster's arm in a rare show of respect.
Eddie Robinson defeated Jared Johnson

The arrival of Pavel Vanszycha was met with a resounding chorus of boos from the audience, who remained incensed with his recent assaults on other members of the CWL roster. His opponent, however, wrestling his second match of the night, was met with cheers that raised the roof. Petey Barnes made his way to the ring with microphone in hand, before addressing the crowd. He had challenged the so-called 'Krakau Crippler' for his disgusting, unsportsmanlike actions in attacking Geordie Jimmy Morris, an attack that had ended the beloved veteran's career. Clearly Vanszycha was allergic to fair play! Clearly the rules meant nothing to him! Any match involving him would need a very special referee, someone who had the savvy to keep an eye out for dirty tricks and the strength to enforce the rules when they were broken. And it just so happened that there was someone who had done good work for the CWL Booking Committee since the promotion's foundation who was looking for work. Vanszycha was furious when Barnes called out the referee, and new chief official for CWL: Geordie Jimmy Morris himself!

A grudge match is never a pretty sight, and this was no exception. Barnes and Vanszycha took the fight to one another from the beginning, laying into each other with ruthless aggression. Geordie Jimmy Morris seemed quite content to let the match degenerate into a brawl, only stepping in to prevent egregious violations of the rules. The crowd seemed quite happy with this ruling, and were particularly delighted when the brawl spilled out into the ringside area, where Morris showed no interest in counting either man out. The competitors harassed one another through the crowd, nearly colliding with eager fans, some of whom even went so far as to try to supply the men with weapons to escalate the brawl. Morris shut that down soon enough, however, going so far as to physically manhandle a chair out of Vanszycha's hands and retaliate in kind when the Pole attempted to shove him away. This distraction nearly proved fatal for the Krakau Crippler's chances of success, as Barnes used the distraction to launch a blistering attack, a series of stiff martial arts kicks driving his opponent all the way back to the ring. The fans went wild when a sharp kick to the head nearly knocked Vanszycha out cold and set him to bleeding profusely, but the Crippler's will to succeed proved too strong and he made his way back into the ring to continue the fight there. Barnes' momentum seemed too strong to overcome, and with Vanszycha laid out on the mat, he seemed to be about to finish the match with the final insult: by attempting to put the Pole in his own trademark submission hold. This proved to be a terrible mistake. Within moments of Barnes trying to apply the hold, Vanszycha had effected a lightning-fast reversal, leaving the young fan-favourite trapped in the centre of the ring in one of the most excruciating submission holds in the country. Tortured and unable to escape, Barnes was left with no option but to tap out.

Pavel Vanszycha defeated Petey Barnes

Though it clearly pained him to do so, Geordie Jimmy Morris raised the arm of the man who ended his career in victory. This humiliation was clearly not enough for the jubilant Vanszycha, who insisted on the newly-appointed head referee of CWL performing the gesture several more times, to each and every section of the crowd. When Morris turned away in disgust Pavel grabbed him, clearly intending to press his demands further. The crowd roared its approval when Morris proceeded to lay out the smug Pole with a brutal left hook that sent him reeling out of the ring! The Krakau Crippler seemed on the point of jumping back into the ring to end yet another phase of Morris' career, when it became clear that Petey Barnes had regained his feet and was set to stand up in the veteran's defence. Faced with two-to-one odds, Vanszycha retreated to the back, as Morris raised Barnes' arm for the approval of the crowd.

Once again the ire of the crowd was raised when 'The Tower Of London' Danny Patterson and his manager, the despicable Jeff Nova, made their way to the ring. Their displeasure was not helped by the fact that Nova promptly took up a microphone and addressed them once again. The time for excuses was over, he informed the assembled fans. The time for lies and evasion was done. Robert Brown had never defeated his client decisively during his tenure as champion, not once. He had been saved by draws, by pinning other opponents, by disqualifications, by any means other than actually defeating the true powerhouse of CWL, Danny Patterson. As 'The Tower Of London' displayed his impressive musculature for the crowd, Nova promised them one thing: that tonight, come hell or high water, Danny Patterson would leave The Dome as CWL Champion, or he would leave CWL entirely.

With one man's title and another man's career on the line, the last match of CWL's first show of 2011 was fast-paced and explosive from start to finish. Robert Brown had clearly taken note of the increasing mobility and rapidly developing in-ring skill displayed by his challenger and had attempted to modify his offence accordingly. He rapidly discovered that whatever preparations he had made were far from enough. Patterson's new-found ability had impressed even those fans who disliked his attitude and disregard for his fellow competitors, but tonight he revealed that he had been holding back. Displaying speed to match his power, 'The Tower Of London' was able to seize the initiative from the start, battering his long-time opponent with a volley of quick strikes and throws that had all the strength and none of the slowness that had previously characterised the monster's distinctive style. The champion, prepared for a game of cat-and-mouse where his superior speed could keep him out of his challenger's grasp, was suddenly sorely pressed to find even a second's breathing space as Patterson hammered him from pillar to post. Many competitors would simply have collapsed from sheer surprise at such an onslaught, but one thing Robert Brown has never lacked is fighting spirit. Rallying under incredible strain he began to fight back, even managing to go toe-to-toe with his giant opponent for a few moments before staggering Patterson with his signature knife-edge chops. A moment's respite was all he got, however. With the referee's attention distracted by the reeling giant, Jeff Nova took the opportunity to lay a vicious blow with his cane into the back of 'The British Samurai'. With the challenger's balance recovered, there wasn't much more to say. A single giant chokeslam put paid to any of Brown's hopes of making a comeback, laying him out so decisively that Patterson made the pinfall by simply resting his foot on Brown's chest. Three seconds later CWL was ready to crown a new Red Rose Champion, and Danny Patterson had claimed his first championship gold.

'The Tower Of London' Danny Patterson defeated 'The British Samurai' Robert Brown for the CWL Red Rose Championship

The evening was not yet finished, however. As the new champion raised his freshly-won belt aloft, He was joined in the ring by three more competitors – The Wigan Bulldogs and The Krakau Crippler himself, Pavel Vanszycha. The four wrestlers contemptuously ejected the fallen Robert Brown from the ring, while Jeff Nova once again grabbed a microphone. A new era was dawning in CWL, he declared. Apparently, some people believed that sportsmanship was enough to crown a champion, and that popularity with the public could stand in place of skill, leaving talented wrestlers to rot in obscurity while capering idiots were paid big money for the biggest fights. This injustice would not be allowed to stand. The future of CWL was now controlled by one interest: the interest of himself, and these men, the four finest that CWL had ever employed. As the audience hurled rubbish at him and his clients, Jeff Nova finished the show by welcoming the audience to the era or the Nova Corporation.

CWL would like to issue a formal apology for the brief technical malfunction that occurred as the audience exited The Dome. Why the video screens displayed the design of a stylised, flaming bird with the caption 'The Phoenix Rises: 8/1/11' is entirely unknown.

Results: The Eternity Tour (The ACE Centre, Nelson), Saturday 18th December

The Wigan Bulldogs defeated The Martin Brothers (non-title)

Pavel Vanszycha defeated and nearly killed KAZ.

Harder Better Faster Stronger defeated Hot Stuff (on loan from Black Country Wrestling)

Kevin Jones and Rolling Johnny Stones defeated Roy Edison and Eddie Robinson.

'The British Samurai' Robert Brown defeated Jared Johnson (non-title)