5 Ups And 3 Downs From WCPW Loaded Episode 1
It all hits the ring!
At long last, WhatCulture Pro Wrestling is here! The first episode of WCPW Loaded was released on WhatCulture Wrestling's YouTube channel on Monday, and it's already racked up tens of thousands of views.
What sets WCPW apart from other independent promotions (besides that fact that it's available for free worldwide) is that the writers and personalities from WhatCulture play a major role in the storylines. The characters, like Adam Pacitti, Adam Blampied, and Jack the Jobber are already hugely popular online with WhatCulture's millions of fans, so there's a built-in market for amping up the feuds and relationships with a dose of pro wrestling.
All in all, the show was a lot of fun - don't go in expecting WrestleMania-level presentation or Wrestle Kingdom-style five-star classics, but as independent promotions go, it was what it needed to be. It also features some of the stars of the UK wrestling scene, which is becoming more and more popular globally.
Oh, and Simon Miller and King Ross, who did commentary for the show, had instant chemistry that added to the broadcast. There are still some kinks that need to be worked out, but practice makes perfect.
Here are 5 ups and 3 downs from the first episode of WCPW Loaded...
8. Downs - Premature Disqualification
The opening match on Reloaded - in fact, the first match in WhatCulture Pro Wrestling history - was a three way elimination bout featuring Ryan Gracie (ably managed by James R. Kennedy and accompanied by Lucas Archer), Gabriel Kidd, and Joseph Conners. The action was pretty good (more on that later), but the finish left something to be desired.
Kidd was the first one out of the match, falling victim to a Righteous Kill DDT from Conners and the subsequent pinfall. That brought it down to Conners and Gracie, and the two fought one-on-one... for about thirty seconds. Then, Archer ran in and hit Conners with a low blow for the disqualification, and he, Gracie, and Kennedy put the boots to the victor.
The problem wasn't that the first match on the first show ended with a disqualification - that could have worked if it were handled better. Conners and Gracie should have wrestled for a few minutes longer and built up to a point where fans really wanted to see Conners win - then Archer could attack him and draw the DQ.
As it went, though, there was no time to build up drama in the second fall and the end felt anticlimactic.