Canvas combat
WRESTLERS were nearly floored when their ring didn’t appear.
A LOCHGILPHEAD garage saved the day by rescuing a wrestling ring bound for a Tarbert match.
The Scottish Wrestling Alliance (SWA) bout, on Friday last week, nearly came a cropper when the van carrying the ring broke down in Minard. Thankfully the Stag Garage crew stepped up to the plate.
An SWA spokesperson said: ‘There was the peculiar situation of having a room full of Scotland’s finest wrestlers and no ring to wrestle in!
‘Thanks to the rescue, the show was off and running, just 30 minutes late.’
Wrestling fans from across Mid Argyll flocked to Tarbert to see the SWA action. Topping the bill was heavyweight champion Mark Coffey who successfully defended his title in an outstanding match with Kenny Williams.
Coffey, out first, blasted the Tarbert crowd for being obsessed with wrestlers Grado and Joe Coffey, both of whom had to pull out of the show due to other commitments.
Chicken
He refused to defend his title and Kenny Williams appeared, calling him chicken and demanding the match.
Words and blows were exchanged and with the words ‘nobody calls me chicken’ the match was on.
Hardcore iron Jack Jester was next out in a bout with Junior Heavyweight Champion Flyin’ Ryan Griffen.
This was a brawl that went all over the hall and Griffin managed to survive being thrown through the tuck shop table to get back into the ring and secure one of the biggest wins of his career so far.
In other matches, Craig Forsyth defeated Arrochar’s Alexander D MacAllan, Scott McManus defeated Timm Wylie and Rowan Frey defeated Kieren McColm after interference from his Titans of the North tag partner MacAllan.
Scott McManus blasted the Titans and set up a tag match for them for him and McColm ‘The Underdogs’ which they duly won.
In the main event Coffey just held onto the title in what was a match of the year for the contender.
The event has given a welcome boost to the Clachan Village Hall Development Fund.
The organisers said: ‘We’d like to thank the crowd for their patience as we worked through the ring problems to get a show on.
TERRIFIC TIME
‘The crowd was fantastic and really into the show and our friends in the SWA and Source Wrestling School had a terrific time and have offered to come back in the future.
‘After two cancellations over the summer by English-based promotions, we proved there is an appetite for this type of show in the area and we are grateful for everyone’s support and efforts to make it a success.’