Factions continued to dominate the ICW locker room throughout Barely Legal Tender until the surprise return of Jimmy Havoc sent the fans into a frenzy as ICW returned to London. Presenting perhaps the most stacked card of the tour thus far, ICW made a huge impression on the London crowd as chants of ICW echoed around Koko nightclub after the final bell rang.

Joe Hendry vs Sha Samuels

The first match of the night saw two competitors rekindle their long-standing rivalry. As previous contests between these two have demonstrated, Sha Samuels and Joe Hendry have excellent comedic chemistry: tonight further confirmed their chemistry as Joe Hendry played the Sha Samuels movie trailer much to the annoyance of Sha Samuels before the match started.

After landing a delayed vertical suplex, Joe Hendry sat back to let the crowd psych Samuels out as ooh ahhh fat Cantona and your’e just a shite Danny Dyer chants reverberated around the arena: quite an insult considering Danny Dyer, at the best of times, is shite.

After landing several cheap shots, Samuels grabbed the mic to inform Hendry no one makes a mug out of him. Maybe someone should make a mug out of him, literally: I’m sure there is a merch opportunity somewhere there, I would buy a Sha Samuels mug.

Anyway, after an Asda’s Butcher chant, a distraction from James R Kennedy allowed Samuels to strangle Global Hero, Joe Hendry, with his scarf before rolling him up with a hand full of tights as well as assistance from the ropes to secure the win.

.This was a really fun opener with little substance wrestling wise but enjoyable nonetheless. Joe Hendry has one of the most entertaining gimmicks in professional wrestling and Sha Samuels provides the prefect comedic foil for the Global Hero.

El Specifico’s Star Rating: **

The GZRS/ Noam Dar vs NAK (Stevie Boy & Chris Renfrew)

Seemingly, the NAK have followers all around the UK as many fans threw up the NAK hand symbol as Stevie Boy and Chris Renfrew made their way to the ring.The GZRS, usually popular in these parts, received a frosty reception from the London crowd as a shove your fucking Geeze up your arse chant underscored their entrance.

After a lot of “fucking about”, Mark Dallas, ICW Owner, informed the fans Noam Dar would be joining The GZRS to make it a three on two handicap match. Noam Dar landed consecutive tope suicidas to take out both members of the NAK before Renfrew tossed Dar into the barricade.

The NAK worked over Sebastian with frequent tags before an STO allowed him to tag in fellow Geeze member, Tom Irvine. Irvine attempted a stunner to no avail before Renfrew connected with one of his own: Dar broke up the count before he applied a Champagne Super Knee Dar to both members of the NAK before they reached the ropes.

Again, the NAK gained the advantage before Davey Boy, former partner of Stevie Boy in the Bucky Boys, delivered a spear to Renfrew sending him to the outside ass Stevie Boy delivered a low blow to his former partner: the distraction allowed Irvine to hit the stunner then Sebastian to hit the GTS followed by a fisherman suplex by Dar to secure the win.

Dar was really fantastic in this match, he is a huge talent. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, he will be announced on the Fear and Loathing card, perhaps against his perennial adversary, Red Lightning.

El Specifico’s Star rating: **

Grado vs Doug Williams

When the main event was announced for ICW Fear and Loathing, many would have questioned Grado’s main event credentials, myself included. The major question heading into this tour was would Grado be able to adopt a more serious style heading into his match with Drew Galloway? Barely Legal Tender provided some preliminary answers.

Doug Williams, the Ambassador of wrestling, was greeted by a warm welcome before Koko erupted as the first bar of Madonna’s Like A Prayer hit as an arena wide rendition of the classic hit rung out. Chants of Grado’s gunna eat you broke out before Grado announced he had, in fact, lost nine pounds.

After trading leverage on each other’s arm, Doug Williams attempted a german suplex before realising he could’t lift the Ayrshire Dream. Williams delivered a cheap shot after Grado offered a handshake: following a brawl around the ring, Williams applied a body scissors as the crowd encouraged Grado to escape.

Williams missed a double foot stomp as Grado connected with the Ayrshire Dream elbow: an attempted Roll N Slice was dodged by the veteran Williams before connecting with an exploder suplex. An R-Gra-Do out of nowhere scored a near fall before Williams delivered a german suplex followed by a knee drop from the top rope to secure the victory clean in the middle of the ring.

Following the match, James R Kennedy and Sha Samuels returned to deliver a beat down as Doug Williams, after shaking hands with the 55, delivered a Jerry Lawlor-esque anti ECW promo, referring to ICW as Insanely Crappy Wrestling.

This struck me as a very odd decision considering Grado’s position on the Fear and Loathing VIII: perhaps interference by the 55 before the end of the match would have served better. Despite veteran advice from Colt Cabana and Damo, Grado appears unwilling to put his happy go lucky persona behind him and get serious. It will be very interesting to see how this develops over the coming weeks.

El Specifico’s Star Rating: **

Mikey Whiplash vs BT Gunn

Every time Mikey Whiplash and BT Gunn step inside the same ring, a war follows. Last time ICW visited London, Whiplash and Gunn tore apart the ring and fought around the arena in a brutal battle: tonight was no different.

Following a vicious striking battle early on, BT Gunn emerged on top to deliver a series of thunderous chops to Whiplash’s chest that drew blood. Whiplash found brief respite on the outside of the ring before Gunn inflicted several more chops to the chest. Whiplash fought back, delivering two virgin suicide dives before rolling Gunn back in the ring.

Whiplash applied a triangle sleeper as BT Gunn struck the referee in the head before Whiplash released the hold. Both men found kendo sticks under the ring, encouraging each other to deliver harder shots: after both men connected with a shot to the head, Gunn delivered a low blow before pulling the ref’s flaccid body closer to count the pinfall himself.

After Whiplash kicked out, Gunn proceeded to untie the second rope from the turn buckle: Gunn attempted to utilise the rope as a weapon before Whiplash delivered a drop toe hold before applying a cross face to tap out Gunn.

This was an absolutely brutal match: BT Gunn and Mikey Whiplash are two of the craziest bastards I have ever seen and they tore the house down, literally and figuratively, to deliver one of the matches of the night.

El Specifico’s star rating: ***1/4

Damo vs James Davies

Following two incredible performances for RevPro last week against Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura, Damo returned to ICW as the Road to Fear and Loathing Tour gathered momentum.

Damo faced James Davies, tonight bereft of his London Riots’ partner, in a fast paced match after intermission. Chants of Damo’s gunna kill you underscored the opening moments of this contest as Damo’s size advantage allowed him to gain the upperhand before a drop kick sent The Beast of Belfast reeling to the outside. After connecting with a tope suicida, Davies rolled Damo back in the ring only to be greeted by the Belfast Drop followed by a senton.

Damo picked up the victory with an inverted ddt to gather further momentum on the Road to Fear and Loathing where he will meet the deity of destruction, Jack Jester. This was a short, high paced match perhaps restricted by time constraints.

El Specifico’s star rating: **1/2

Joe Coffey vs Jack Jester

ICW’s Iron Man, Joe Coffey, emerged to a raucous ovation from the London crowd. Conversely, Jack Jester received a frosty reception upon his return to London. Evidently a fan of NJPW, Jester took a page out of Tetsuya Naito’s book, procrastinating more than I did at university before finally getting in the ring.

Joe Coffey gained the initial advantage before Jack jester utilised a diamonte encrusted dildo (at least that’s what it looked like from where I was stood, so i’m going to stick with that description) to gain the advantage before an arena wide brawl ensued. Unfortunately, due to a technical malfunction, the majority of the audience couldn’t see the action before Jack Jester delivered a scoop slam to the hard wooden floor.

Jack Jester proceeded to deliver a series of devastating shots to the back of Coffey with a steel chair as the audience sung Black Sabbath’s Iron Man to encourage Coffey to his feet. Sadistic as ever, Jester delivered several more shots before Coffey shifted the momentum with a lariat. After exposing his elbow, Coffey attempted the discus lariat only to be greeted by a diamonte encrusted dildo shot to the arm before Jester connected with a tombstone piledriver to secure the victory.

This was an excellent match, from what I saw: both men emerged looking good from this contest. Joe Coffey is fantastic and, in my opinion, following the promo he cut during ICW’s Fringe Festival run, should have been the man facing Galloway for the championship at Fear and Loathing. Coffey has it all; size, strength, speed, charisma and the ability to talk. It’s a damn shame he is facing Rhyno in a throw away match of little importance when he should be featured higher up on the card.

El Specifico’s star rating: ***3/4

Joe Hendry

Global Hero, Joe Hendry, introduced one of his best friends in the ICW locker room, Davey Boy: the Buckfast Barbarian, Davey Boy, proceeded to deliver the most passionate, intense promo of his career, laying the challenge down to Stevie Boy, his former Bucky Boy ally, at Fear and Loathing.

Stevie Boy and Renfrew emerged from the curtain before picking the super low hanging fruit by insulting the London crowd. Stevie Boy rejected Davey Boy’s challenge, smugly returning to the back.

Sumerian Death Squad vs Jonny Strom/ Jody Fleisch

Silent, intense and uncompromising, the Sumerian Death Squad, composed of Tommy End and Michael Dante, made their way to the ring to chants of Tommy Fucking End. Their opponents, British legends Fleisch and Storm, received a warm reaction.

The Sumerian Death Squad wasted little time to get things under way as a brawl around the ring ensued: at one stage, Storm scoop slammed a fan onto a grounded Dante as chants of ICW echoed around Koko.

Fleisch delivered a moonsault to the outside to ground both End and Dante before the Sumerian Death Squad delivered a series of double team moves. Stevie Boy and Chris Renfrew ran interference allowing Fleisch to land a shooting star press to secure an unlikely victory.

I really enjoyed this match. It was high paced, full of big spots and fun: everything tag team wrestling should be. Based on their performances this year, I would argue the Sumerian Death Squad have become one of the best tag teams in the world: few have the presence, intensity and technical ability like SDS do.

El Specifico’s star rating: ***

Drew Galloway vs Marty Scurll

Arguably, Drew Galloway and Marty Scurll have had the best year of their career thus far: Galloway, since being released by WWE, has proved his critics wrong by producing incredible matches across the globe where as Scurll has been making a name for himself on both sides of the Atlantic. This match had potential to be really great and it delivered.

After Galloway announced Scurll would have to defeat him to receive a shot at his title, the match got under way with Scurll emerging on top connecting with a drop kick to send the champion to the outside. Scurll was caught off a tope suicida before being dropped on the barricade. Back in the ring, Scurll shifted the momentum with a superkick just kidding followed by a series of uppercuts before beginning work on the ICW Champion’s arm.

Following the application of a European Clutch, Scurll stomped on Galloway’s arm before the champion reached the ropes. The ever nefarious Scurll, after calling for the chicken wing which was blocked, reversed a Future Shock ddt before raking Galloway’s eyes: a powerbomb was blocked by Galloway before the champion delivered a yakuza kick for a near fall. Sensing his opportunity, Galloway delivered a piledriver but Scurll kicked out at one to a huge roar from the home town crowd.

Incredulous, Galloway lifted Scurll to the top to deliver a death valley driver only for The Villain to kick out again! Scurll caught a forearm attempt before snapping Galloway’s fingers: Scurll followed up a tilt a whirl ddt with a tornado ddt before transitioning into the chicken wing! After refusing to tap, Jack Jester, fellow Black Label member, came to break the hold before delivering a piledriver but Scurll kicked out at two!

After dodging a boot, Scurll applied the chicken wing as the crowd came unglued before Jester broke the hold with his diamonte encrusted dildo allowing Galloway to land the Future Shock to secure the victory.

Post match, Sha Samuels and James R Kennedy came to issue the beat down before Damo emerged from the curtain with back up; Dar, The GZRS, Davey Boy and Joe Hendry came out as an arena wide war ensued before JIMMY FUCKING HAVOC made his return to an ICW ring and had Acid Rainmakers for everyone.

First, Havoc delivered one to Jester, then Samuels, then to both the GZRS after they attempted to shake his hand before finally delivering one to Drew Galloway, signalling his intent by lofting the title above his head before leaving to chants of Jimmy Fucking Havoc.

The main event was fantastic and could have headline any show around the world: Galloway and Scurll are not only two of the best in the UK but two of the best period and they delivered a match that reflected that. The atmosphere was lifted to a completely different level when Jimmy Havoc made his return to ICW in his home town. Evidently, Havoc has intentions of capturing the ICW World Heavyweight Title which will probably culminate in a match with Galloway during the tour.

El Specifco’s star rating: ****

Final World: After what some would call a disappointing show last time ICW visited London, Mark Dallas and co knocked this one out of the park. Excellent matches between Whiplash/Gunn, Jester/Coffey and Galloway/Scurll ensured chants of ICW echoed around the arena as the show closed. ICW has a great history of executing surprise returns and the return of Jimmy Havoc was no different: it was the indie equivalent of Stone Cold turning up in the late 90’s. This show is well worth watching as soon as it becomes available on demand.

Follow @KayfabeToday for more updates on the Road to Fear and Loathing.