TOM HAYES
WRESTLING
By TOM HAYES GIPPSLAND Pro Wrestling wrapped up their most recent event leaving fans on the edge of their seats, but those fans must wait until December to see what happens next. The ‘In Your GRISS’ event was held on October 21, with five physically intense fights going ahead for the 150-or-so in attendance. Natasha Valentine and Tarlee got the crowd going to start the night. The two traded blows going back and forth for a considerate amount of time, before Valentine got the better of her counterpart. Valentine secured consecutive wins, following her victory over Aysha, during ‘Battle at the GRISS’ back in August. Next up was a tag-team match, which saw The Overkill take on Darcy Moss and Camby Crawford. For those that don’t know, Moss was remained without a win since joining the GPW scene in 2018 and has since been trained by Camby. Moss valiantly stood in the ring for dubious amounts of time, as his partner refused to get in the ring. Reluctantly, Camby got into the ring after an accidental tap-in. Camby was then pinned by The Overkill teammates, keeping Darcy Moss winless. Following the fight, the two teammates, Moss and Camby, began to feud with themselves, turning on each other in the meantime, setting up a fight for the next card in December. GPW owner, trainer, wrestler and current champion Andy Rhodes was next into the ring, who came up against Anth Cava. Rhodes remained the self-proclaimed GPW champion, defeating Cava with haste, mocking him in the meantime, starting a chant while locking him in holds. Although he may be the self-proclaimed GPW champion, he’ll have to put it all on the line in the next event. In the penultimate fight of the night, Liam Lush stepped up to the plate to take on Krackerjak, in what was a highly entertaining affair. Both had chances to finish the other, but just when the wave came crashing in the tide turned the other way. But it was Krackerjak who got the last laugh on the night, securing the win, but it won’t be the last time we see Lush. Then it was time for the fight everyone had been waiting for; the main event, a rematch with Traralgon’s Owen Steadman against Lochy Hendricks. “I’d say my latest bout is without questions one of my achievements I hold closest to my heart,” Steadman said. “It was my longest match, and it was most certainly the most violent and physically demanding. “It was a match I couldn’t have had a year ago, or even earlier this year. I feel I have grown and matured as a pro wrestler after having this match.” Steadman prevailed in an intense second bout against a wrestler he had watched in his younger years, it truly had it all. “The match exceeded beyond my expectations. Going into it there was the stress of trying to top our previous bout, which I was also happy with,” Steadman said. “But the rematch garnered a lot more of a universal reaction from the fans and wrestlers alike, who gave the match – and me and (Lochy) Hendricks – high praise for our efforts.” Steadman has come a long way since the beginning of the year, from opening fight nights to competing in main events. “Its night and day looking at my career from 2022 compared to this year,” he said. “I’ve honed my craft over the past year, and developed a greater ring awareness, and improvement in my body control, strength, cardio skill set and mindset.” GPW owner, trainer and wrestler Andy Rhodes was over the moon with how the fight turned out. “I think it exceeded my expectations, I know Owen’s good – like crazy good. Out of all of the people I’ve trained and trained with, he’s probably close to the best I’ve been involved with,” he said. “And Lochy Hendricks is always a solid performer, especially character wise, he can really draw the heat of the fans.” GPW have the next fight night in the works, the Christmas-themed night named Merry GRISSmas is set to take place on Saturday, December 2. Some exciting fights are scheduled for the evening, as storylines continue to blossom in the GPW world. The tag-team duo of Moss and Camby are set to go at each other after their spat at the end of their loss at the last event. Camby has trained Moss to help him get his first win on the GPW scene, but now the two are due to settle their own differences. Rhodes has challenged Big Rig FOX for the GPW championship, which is set to end the debate over who is the true GPW champion. Lush will take on Jake Lindo in a ‘falls count anywhere’ match, the two have feuded all year and will now get the chance to end the dispute anywhere in the arena. And finally, Steadman is preparing for the biggest match of his life, which tends to be every next match at this rate, taking on the wrestling figure of Adam Brooks. Brooks recently returned from a tour of Japan, where he competed in the Pro Wrestling Noah N1 Tournament. “(The) next event has me eager to even be in the same locker room as Adam Brookes, let alone sharing the ring with him,” “I’ve watched him wrestle ever since I was a kid, and he’s at the top of the list of my dream opponents in Australia, as well as Andy Rhodes. “I expect Brookes to bring the best out of me, and to put every ounce of passion I’ve had for this sport to the test. “Ultimately, this match will be a test, as much for him, as myself. I’m looking to prove to myself, and one of the nation’s greats, that if it wasn’t evident before, that I am made for this.” Rhodes is eager to keep the crowd growing each event, and get more people involved in the GPW storyline. He believes the loyal crowd that regularly attends show up in their numbers and thoroughly enjoy the show. “It’s always loud, the guys are always commenting about how the crowd always get into the show,” he said. “I think that’s one of our benefits as a company, we ty to get the fans involved. “Come along, we’ve built a solid fanbase, I’ve never heard anyone talk bad about the show. Replays of the fights can be found on GPW’s YouTube page at youtube.com/@GippslandPro
