In hindsight, I suppose the events at New Frontiers shouldn't have come as much of a surprise.  In my last blog entry, just before we started Season 2 at the NEC, I talked about just how much of an uphill struggle I expect this coming year to be for the Resistance, which was shaken to its core by Alex Shane’s betrayal last November.  So I kind of knew what to expect going in, but somehow it was still a shock to see just how much the balance of power has shifted in favour of The Agenda, and just how easily they were able to impose their will on everyone for the majority of the weekend.

I won't recount all of the events from New Frontiers again, given that the full results are still available on FWAUK.com for anyone who missed them.  But there are a few guys whose actions in Birmingham merit special attention.

First and foremost, I want to get something off my chest about David Deville.  Being in the FWA should be a privilege, and there are literally dozens of trainees in the BWC system who would do anything for a spot on the roster.  Now, I'm not saying Deville is unworthy of his position, having worked his way up through promotions in London and the south east over a number of years.  But clearly, the way he is parading around is not sitting well backstage.  I probably need to be careful what I say here, so let me simply offer Her Majesty’s footman some friendly advice: Kissing up to your boss might result in you being given a championship belt on a silver platter, but it’s going to take much more work and a distinct change in attitude for you to earn the respect of the fans and your peers in the locker room.  Oh, and wearing a ridiculous purple singlet doesn’t help much either.  Just saying.

Anyway, New Frontiers also saw a couple of other notable début appearances for both sides in the ongoing war for British wrestling.  The first was Colossus, the monstrosity that Deville sent to fight his battle for him against Leroy Kincaide in the main event of day one.  It's now well documented that Leroy ended up passing out at the end of that match, trapped in a submission hold that put unbearable pressure on a neck that had already been badly damaged by a devastating choke slam and an earlier assault by the Agenda.  Of course, given the injury, it doesn’t necessarily follow that any of this means Colossus has Leroy's number – but I think there is plenty of cause for concern if you’re part of the Resistance.  The main reason I say this is not because of any physical damage to Leroy – hopefully that will heal soon enough – but rather the psychological scars that might linger as a result of this unexpected defeat.

Let me explain.  I have known Leroy Kincaide for close to three years now, and I consider him a good friend.  But it is obvious to all who know him well that his intensity can be as much a curse as it is a blessing – he is the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and lives or dies by the amount of self-confidence he is feeling at a given time.  I remember I was commentating when Leroy won his first British championship in 2009 (ironically against Alex Shane), when I was working for a different promotion.  It was quite a moment, but in the course of picking up the victory he injured his shoulder and subsequently lost the belt much more quickly than anyone would have predicted.  Even then the bad times weren't over – for the next few months he seemed to go into a funk that lasted long after his shoulder had healed.  It wasn't until he started winning matches in the new FWA during 2010 that he finally found his feet again and rose to where he is now.  My fear is that this new injury could cause a similar problem for Leroy, and if it does then it will seem to many as though Colossus was the man who made it happen.  I don't personally believe that any rookie is unstoppable, however big and powerful he is, but if this newcomer is able to project an image of invincibility then he might have half of the roster beaten before they even set foot in the ring with him.  Perception has a habit of becoming reality in cases like this.

Anyway, the other début of sorts at New Frontiers arguably caused even more of a stir.  For those who didn’t recognise him, the psychopath who broke into the NEC at the end of Sunday’s show was Johnny Phere – a crazed madman who has been at war with The Ascension for the past few months over the XWA British Heavyweight Championship, up in the north-west.  Having been unable to get the revenge he wanted against Shane, he had vowed to storm into Birmingham and force the issue.  No-one seemed to believe he was serious at the time given his apparently unstable demeanour, but it turned out he had been seriously underestimated.  Just when the Agenda thought they had wiped out all the threats facing them in Birmingham, the "Psychotic Warrior" turned things completely on their head.

Here’s my question: how much of a good thing is Johnny Phere for the Resistance?  On the face of it you might think there is a big upside to his arrival, given the desperate times and the ever-dwindling troops available to fight for the cause.  But I’m not sure it’s all good news.  Phere is the proverbial loose cannon who is liable to assault anyone in his way, and has already said he is not on the side of the Resistance or the Agenda.  His vendetta is a personal one against Alex Shane, nothing more.  The problem is that Shane has now beefed up security at THORPE PARK and promised that Phere has no chance of getting into the building.  Given that he has already attacked FWA staff and event stewards at the NEC, I can’t imagine that Phere has anyone fighting his corner in the FWA management office either.  Frankly, I think managing director Tony Simpson probably sees him as a lawsuit waiting to happen so he’s unlikely to stand up to the Agenda and push for Phere to be given a spot on the roster.  It’s a fair point, but I hope eventually the powers that be will decide to take the risk – Phere is certainly a handful to say the least, but we might just need him if we are to win this war and keep British wrestling alive.

There's one other headline-maker from the opening weekend of Season 2 who I must mention.  Nathan Cruz certainly grabbed the bull by the horns when he inserted himself into a pair of matches involving perennial rivals El Ligero and RJ Singh, eventually gaining victories over both before the weekend was out.  I may not find Cruz to be particularly likeable, but I wonder if he might just have picked the perfect moment to make his mark in the flyweight division.  All of his potential rivals seem to have their attention diverted – Singh and Ligero still seem intent on ruining each other’s careers, while the bitter feud between Rockstar Spud and Jonny Storm shows no signs of abating, even after one of them claims victory in the championship round robin tournament. Is it possible that the only man with the single-mindedness to focus exclusively on the gold might be the person who sneaks through the middle and steals the show from everyone in 2011?

With all of that in mind, we're headed into four days of action at THORPE PARK.  This was the big announcement to which I alluded at the end of my last post, and is a major moment for the evolution of the FWA – I hope and expect it will be the beginning of a very fruitful relationship between us and the Merlin Entertainments Group, which also owns many other top theme parks and attractions around the UK.  It’s actually a homecoming of sorts for me – I had my first job at THORPE PARK, working in the souvenir shops when I was a wee lad!  I’ll be getting a nice home-cooked meal on Saturday night when I visit my folks, but that’s about the only thing I can be certain about as we head into the weekend.  Very little has been announced about the cards for any of the four days, although we do know that Friday will be "Adrenaline Friday".  This is good news in my book – the FWA Adrenaline stars did a great job at the NEC, so I want an encore.  I understand that over the weekend we’re expecting Singh, Cruz and Ligero to all put in an appearance.  The Agenda will undoubtedly make their presence felt while for the Resistance, Nick Riley will be in the house.  I can also tell you that Sha Samuels intends to be there after missing New Frontiers – and by the way, having spoken with him this week I can confirm that he was not simply “stuck in London” that weekend as the Agenda tried to claim.  I won’t say any more than that – I’m sure Sha can speak for himself.

I'm yet to be told about the commentary plans for the weekend, but I gather there's a chance I might be paired with Joel Ross again, which is fine by me.  I won’t say it was a pleasure to commentate with him on Day 2 of New Frontiers, but it was certainly something of a relief to be working with a former BBC Radio 1 DJ rather than a wannabe journalist who thinks a pair of sunglasses and silly leather gloves makes him sinister.  Greg Lambert, please rest assured that you know absolutely nothing about my life, so I’d appreciate it if you backed off.  In fact, ideally I’d like it if you backed off a cliff.

One last thing to mention, although it deserves to be much more than a footnote.  I firmly believe that the announcement we made a few weeks ago about Equity accepting pro wrestlers as full members will turn out to be one of the biggest stories in our industry for many years.  To my knowledge, it is absolutely unprecedented for pro wrestlers to have access to a powerful trade union and to be eligible for the same insurance as stuntmen claim under that union.  Make no mistake about it – this is ground breaking stuff that could reverberate far beyond the UK.  I would think a few tremors are being felt in Connecticut, for example...

That’s all for now.  Hopefully see some of you at THORPE PARK for what promises to be an Easter weekend to remember!

As one half of JK and Joel he has broadcast to millions on BBC Radio 1, Absolute Radio, and local stations across the country.  He is a star of children’s television, and as co-host of The Sun newspaper’s WrestleCast he was the man who broke the news of John Cena’s real opinion about The Rock.  Now, one of the most high profile wrestling fans in the UK is coming to the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, as Joel Ross makes his debut as a colour commentator today at New Frontiers.

This surprise news was revealed by regular colour commentator and new FWA Head of Content Greg Lambert early on Thursday.  Lambert will be giving up his seat behind the announce desk on Sunday, leaving Ross to team up with Dave Bradshaw for the second half of this weekend’s opener to Season Two.

“I have no idea why Greg Lambert is voluntarily giving up an opportunity to hear the sound of his own voice,” Bradshaw told FWAUK.com this lunchtime.  “Nor do I know how Joel Ross has come to be involved with the FWA.  It all seems very odd to me, but in any case I’d like to welcome Joel to the team – hopefully he’ll put less of a dampener on my Sunday afternoon plans than Greg would have…”

Stay tuned to FWAUK.com for all the fallout from day two of New Frontiers 2011.

BEHIND THE MIC

Play-by-play commentator Dave Bradshaw begins his blog of FWA Season Two by looking ahead to a potentially turbulent weekend at the Birmingham NEC…

They already share a footman, and now Her Majesty The Queen is set to share the Christmas Day spotlight with Alex Shane. Just over a month after his shocking betrayal of the FWA’s Resistance movement, the man now known as “The Ascension” will finally address the wrestling world as he explains his actions in an exclusive video for FWAUK.com.

The interview, which was filmed earlier this week, is said to be one of the most uncomfortable and tense exchanges ever seen in the FWA. It is conducted by play-by-play commentator Dave Bradshaw, who was previously considered to be one of Shane’s closest allies. That friendship came to a crashing end at European Uprising, when Shane repeatedly spat at a stunned Bradshaw while leaving the arena at Birmingham’s NEC. This interview was the first time the two men had met since that night, and unsurprisingly the atmosphere was therefore stormy from the very start.

According to the few people who have seen the footage in the past few days, what followed was a compelling, unpredictable and deeply sinister piece of verbal combat. It constitutes a glimpse into the real soul of “The Ascension” – a macabre world of cold-blooded blackmail, twisted philosophy and psychological puppetry. There was even a shock appearance by a major name from the US wrestling scene – this really does need to be seen to be believed.

This video is the first since the FWA channel was given special privileges by YouTube so that it can post videos of longer than ten minutes duration. Sources close to Alex Shane have claimed that he called in favours with some of his contacts to ensure that this important development was approved, especially since it coincides with the promotion's debut on Japanese television this week. It is also believed that this video is the first in which Shane's newly hired professional TV production team have taken over editing duties, which would explain the unusual style of the production. If these rumours are true, they add weight to Shane's claims that he has friends in very high places.

Nonetheless, the central questions remain unchanged: Why did Shane turn his back on the cause he has championed for so long? How long has he been a part of the plot to derail British wrestling? And what does all of this mean for the future of the Agenda and the Resistance? For answers to all of these questions and more, tune in to the FWA YouTube channel tomorrow, Christmas Day, for a discussion that will lay the foundations for Season Two of the Frontier Wrestling Alliance...

Alex Shane, the man responsible for the much talked-about Agenda vs. Resistance storyline and a host of other unforgettable moments during Season 1 of the FWA, has stepped down from his post with immediate effect, according to the promotion’s managing director Tony Simpson.

According to Simpson, the decision was reached due to Shane’s desire to focus on his in-ring persona. As “The Ascension”, Shane was revealed as the apparent leader of The Agenda during the dramatic conclusion to European Uprising last month. His character’s first interview since that night will take place in the near future when he sits down with former friend Dave Bradshaw for what promises to be a tense conversation.

Meanwhile, outside of the ring Shane is known to be a firm believer that there is an inherent conflict of interest when an in-ring performer is also the person booking storylines, and those close to him believe this may also have contributed to his resignation. While Shane will continue to assist the FWA product as a Creative Consultant, his role as Head of Content has been immediately filled by XWA owner and FWA color commentator Greg Lambert. Lambert will head a new booking committee, on which Dave Rayne of Futureshock Wrestling and Rich Dunn from New Generation Wrestling will also serve.

Lambert is expected to address FWA fans personally via the Grapple Group’s YouTube channel in the coming days, but meanwhile he has apparently made it known that his approach will differ from Shane’s in important ways. In particular, it is understood that he intends to focus more on the physical action inside the ring and will downplay the prominence of the Agenda vs. Resistance storyline that has dominated the promotion for most of 2010.

"I want to thank Alex for his dedication over the past 15 months as FWA Head of Content," Simpson told FWAUK.com. "While we have not always seen eye-to-eye on every issue, I have the utmost appreciation for his talents and I fully respect his decision to move on from the role. Like all FWA fans, I look forward to seeing the new direction in which Greg Lambert and his team will take us in Season Two"

This unexpected announcement has clearly caught everyone involved in the FWA by surprise. Keep checking back for more on this developing story as it unfolds in the coming days.