Lee wants to be Lord of the Ring
Fernhill wrestler ready to fight for ICW world title
Rutherglen wrestler Lee Grieg has faced many challenges in his career, but he is ready for a whole new experience this Sunday.
The grappler, who competes under the name Jack Jester, will appear in the main event of Insane Championship Wrestling’s card at the O2 ABC in a steel cage match.
The bout, for ICW’s World title against Joe Coffey, will cap off Shug’s House Party, a two-night double header at the Glasgow venue.
Lee said: “It’s the first time I’ve ever taken part in a cage match and it’s against Joe, a guy who is very good at what he does.
“There’s always an excitement about a show at the ABC, it’s a big size and you maybe don’t realise how big until you’re in there when it’s empty.”
The match will see Lee try and win the promotion’s top belt, a title he previously held from September 2013 until October 2014.
The Fernhill wrestler has been a key part of ICW’s rise to the top.
From low-key beginnings in community centres the promotion’s mix of wild stories, wrestling that ranges from high flying matches to bloody brawls and a dash of Glasgow humour has seen it become the hottest ticket in town.
Two documentaries about the promotion on the BBC helped grow their name, and last year saw the company promote a show at the huge SSE Hydro for the first time.
Top American talent regularly come over to appear, while Scottish-born WWE wrestler Noam Dar will return to ICW to compete in Saturday’s show.
Lee added: “I run my own training school in Glasgow with four other guys and I’ve known them most of my career.
“When we think back to how training used to be and how the shows were run I’m amazed we ever got beyond that stage.
“We’d struggle to get 20 folk through the door.
“It’s a Scottish company and we always wondered how that would translate outside of Scotland, but it does relate to people, even if they maybe can’t understand what everyone’s saying!
“It’s been great to bring in top talent from across the world for shows, when you think that they’re all coming to this renegade Maryhill company.
“We don’t spoon feed people, we listen to what the fans are reacting to and go from there.”
Recent years have seen more and more British talent head for WWE, with three Scottish wrestlers currently on the company’s books.
Lee would obviously be interested if America came calling, but believes the local scene is flourishing so much that there is no longer a desperation to go Stateside.
He added: “Some folk have their sights set on WWE and of course I’d be interested, but whereas in the past everyone was desperate to leave British wrestling because it was going nowhere, now things are different and you can do a lot here.”
Insane Championship Wrestling is at the O2 ABC on Saturday , July 29, and Sunday, July 30.
Tickets are onsale now, priced at £23 for each night.
There’s always an excitement about a show at the ABC. it’s a big size . . . Lee Grieg