Thanks to IWF for sending the following in:
IWF
Hedworthfield CA, Jarrow (Near Fellgate Metro Station.)
Sat. 25th November
Doors 6:30 – Belltime 7pm
Entry £4 – Family4 £12
3rd ANNUAL TOURNAMENT OF FAITH
IWF CHAMPIONSHIP
YOUNGSTA V ‘THE PHOENIX’ JODY FLEISCH V NICK DAMOCLES V ‘BAD BOY’ JED MASTERS
YOUNGSTA, seemingly hanging on to the IWF title by the skin of his teeth, faces another huge test as he steps into the ring not only against, the 6’4″ NICK DAMOCLES and his former D-Unit team-mate ‘BAD BOY’ JED MASTERS but also with ‘THE PHOENIX’ JODY FLEISCH. Damocles challenged for the IWF strap last week, with only Youngsta’s disqualification keeping him away from the belt, as a result, he gets another chance at glory. Youngsta’s brother Shaun Avery, was originally scheduled to be in this match, but injury has forced a withdrawal. Avery has given his place in the match to his tag team partner Jed Masters. Masters has every motive to take Youngsta’s title as the two teamed together (as D-Unit) for many years until Youngsta cost Masters and Avery the IWF Tag Team titles earlier this year. Shaun and ‘Bad Boy’ have gone on to reclaim the belts and Jed will be looking to leave Hedworthfield CA as a double Champion. The fourth member of this match needs little introduction. One of the most spectacular wrestlers to come from these isles, Fleisch will be looking to make an impact on his IWF debut by adding it’s heavyweight Championship title to his list of accomplishments.
The final two names have been announced for the eight man ‘Tournament of Faith’, They are:
JORDAN WRIGHT
From – Newcastle
Move(s) – Tyrannasaurus Plex (Spinning German Suplex), Enzuigiri
Titles Held – IWF Junior Academy
ToF 2004 – Did Not Enter
ToF 2005 – Did Not Qualify
This is the Tournament of Faith debut for arguably the fastest rising star in the IWF, at least that’s what we would have written a couple of months ago before head and neck injuries led to a losing streak for the popular youngster. Wright has received medical clearance for this show, but it is difficult to imagine him wrestling three matches in one night in his current state. Quick and brave, Jordan will be confident and, were it not for injuries, would be one of the favourites to make the final.
‘ FLOWER CHILD’ JONNY HOGARTH
From – Europe
Move(s) – ‘Roid Driver (Northern Lites Bomb), Ace Crusher
Titles Held – IWF Junior Academy
ToF – 2004 – Did Not Enter
ToF 2005 – Did Not Qualify
Hogarth, who lost a qualifying match to Micky L recently, must feel that luck is on his side as he has been handed the eighth spot in the ToF due to Jed Masters being moved into the IWF title match. Known for his power game, ‘The Flower Child’ is a changed man having travelled around Europe earlier this year, relying heavily on meditation to prepare for his matches, bloody hippie.
Already announced are:
LIAM ‘THE PLAYER’ ATKINSON
From – Gateshead
Move(s) – Gateshead Stomp, Guillotine Choke
Titles Held – IWF Ring of Faith Champion (Current)
IWF Junior Academy Champion
ToF 2004 – Semi Finals
ToF 2005 – Runner up
Atkinson, should he survive from the show on Nov 18th with his title intact, will be forced to defend his belt in every ToF match that he competes in. He certainly has the pedigree, having reached the final last year. His submission-based style is perfect for tournament wrestling and may well be considered the favourite. ‘The Player’, and his angry demeanour, rarely meets with the approval of the IWF fans, but few doubt his ability in the ring. For him to not reach the semi-finals at least would be a huge surprise.
MICKY L
From – Whitley Bay
Move(s) – Best Frogsplash Ever!, Yakuza Kick
Titles Held – None (In IWF)
ToF 2004 – Did Not Enter
ToF 2005 – Did Not Enter
Micky L, always arrogant, and always dangerous, enters the ToF for the first time. Known for his crisp strike, he defeated RD Wood, Flower Child and Little Dragon in a four-way-dance to qualify. Although young, he still possesses an impressive resume, wrestling all over the UK and also onto the continent. His IWF career has been stop/start but, having started to find his niche in the company, must be considered to have a good chance of emerging victorious.
LEE KYLE
From – Jarrow
Move(s) – Knuckle Duster (Submission Hold), Jawbreaker/Lariat
Titles Held – IWF Tag
ToF 2004 – Did Not Qualify
ToF 2005 – Quarter Finals
Lee has been with the IWF for six years, but many feel that he has been reinvigorated by the company switching it’s home base to Jarrow. Indeed, 2006 has seen a huge upturn in the fortunes of the popular ‘Spanish Thug’. He came close to beating Liam ‘The Player’ Atkinson recently despite wrestling with a broken metatarsal, and, with that injury now healed, will feel he has the experience and skills to go all the way in the ToF.
‘J-BIRD’ JOEY WRIGHT (w/ ‘Big Mo’ Billy Morrison and his ‘wag’ Lexx)
From – Hitsville, UK
Move(s) – Flying Elbow, Heterosexual DDT
Titles Held – None as yet
ToF 2004 – Did Not Enter
ToF 2005 – Did Not Qualify
A talented competitor, nevertheless it seems obvious that Joey will be relying on the interference offered by his ‘best friend’ Billy Morrison and his ‘wag’ Lexx. Never a popular competitor, Wright is hated among IWF fans, a situation made worse when he hospitalised his brother Jordan a couple of months ago. His plan of relying on interference may not be the most honourable, but J-Bird may be clever enough to pull it off.
‘TWISTED MESSIAH’ ADAM CHRIST
From – Bethlehell
Move(s) – Split Legged Moonsault, Bicycle Kick
Titles Held – None as yet
ToF 2004 – Did Not Enter
ToF 2005 – Did Not Qualify
Formally, rubbish impressionist Boogie Knights, Christ may be the most improved wrestler in the IWF. His style is an unusual mixture of brawling and flying and his unpredictable style makes him a dangerous competitor. Christ may not be one of the favourites, possibly due to his over reliance on hardcore wrestling and his habit of getting disqualified, but it is worth remembering that he went almost 50 minutes with Tracy Smothers recently and, in the end, was unlucky not to emerge victorious.
ROBBIE RYDER
From – Gateshead
Move(s) Down and Out (Flipping DDT), Top rope DDT
Titles Held – None as yet
ToF 2004 – Did Not Enter
ToF 2005 – Did Not Qualify
Ryder is the smallest man in the tournament, and may well be considered the outsider, but he is no stranger to overcoming the odds and no stranger to wrestling men bigger than himself. He qualified by pinning ‘Charva MC’ Pauly C recently and will prove a tricky opponent to anybody. Ryder has been concentrating on his team with RD Wood recently and will have to re-adapt to singles competition if he is to stand a chance.
ToF – THE HISTORY
The first ‘Tournament of Faith’ was in 2004 and is rated by some as possibly the greatest show in IWF history.
The first round saw two future IWF Champions meet as JIMMY BLADE beat YOUNGSTA in a surprisingly quick match, Youngsta was unable to escape from a perfectly applied sleeper hold. WEAPON X won an evenly contested match against SHAUN AVERY with his ‘Seek and Destroy’ spear. LIAM ‘THE PLAYER’ ATKINSON just about came out on top after a gruelling mat based encounter with ‘BAD BOY’ JED MASTERS when he applied a guillotine choke. The final first round match saw the two members of ‘2 Hot 2 Handle’ collide in a high-flying cracker as ‘UNBREAKABLE’ BOBBY JACKSON beat HOT ED after an inside cradle.
In the second round, WEAPON X beat LIAM ‘THE PLAYER’ ATKINSON at his own game, making the submissions expert tap out to the sharpshooter. JIMMY BLADE took advantage of BOBBY JACKSON’s neck injury to win with a DDT.
WEAPON X won the final to become the first IWF Ring of Faith Champion when he used his ‘Seek and Destroy’ to beat JIMMY BLADE.
In non-tournament matches, PHOENIX reclaimed the IWF Women’s Championship by pinning JETTA following a Death Valley Driver. IWF Champion ASSASSIN the competed with ‘GOLDEN BOY’ CAMERON KNITE in a match that was named IWF ‘Match of the Year’ for 2004. Assassin picked up the win after a Tornado Contract (Flatliner). The 2005 Tournament, saw Weapon X retire on the eve of the tournament due to injury. His place was taken by the first non IWF regular to enter the competition.
‘UNBREAKABLE’ BOBBY JACKSON kicked things off by pinning Lee Kyle after a top-rope ‘Jackson Drive’. ASSASSIN then beat NICK DAMOCLES in a controversial match-up when Damocles lay down for the pinfall. LITTLE DRAGON had won the 8-man ‘Junior ToF’ to qualify for the tournament, but found LIAM ‘THE PLAYER’ ATKINSON one step too far and eventually tapped out to the guillotine choke. Finally, ‘BAD BOY’ JED MASTERS used ‘The Masterpiece’ to submit Weapon X’s replacement, ‘SIMPLY THE BEST’ CHRIS WHITTON.
The second round saw ‘UNBREAKABLE’ BOBBY JACKSON score an upset when he made ASSASSIN submit to a choke-sleeper. Then, for the second year in succession, LIAM ‘THE PLAYER’ ATKINSON made ‘BAD BOY’ JED MASTERS tap out to a guillotine choke.
The final was a momentous occasion, as LIAM ‘THE PLAYER’ ATKINSON and ‘UNBREAKABLE’ BOBBY JACKSON went for 40 minutes, and took all that the other man could throw. Atkinson kicked out from a lariat, a 450 Splash, a multiplex and a Brainbuster, while Jackson survived a Gateshead Stomp, a Moonsault, a Brainbuster and a Gateshead Plex. In the end, it was a desperation Split Legged Moonsault that done the job and saw Bobby Jackson named the new Ring of Faith Champion.
Non-tournament matches this year saw BOOGIE KNIGHTS lose to COURTNEY SYNN and The IWF Tag Team Champions HARRY PAIN and PAC beat SAMURAI and NERO II in a brutal match.