This week marks the 10th anniversary of the third and final show put on by Jason ‘Dirt Bike Kid’ Harrison in Walthamstow, arguably the first events specifically aimed at the UK’s ‘smark’ generation. Though they were far from spectacular business successes, many of today’s internet-based promotions and stars have their roots in the three ‘European Wrestling Alliance’ shows.
The first show (which, hard as it may be for modern indy fans to believe, had no official name) took place on 7 July 1995 and was based entirely around the UK debut of Sabu, to the point that no other match was advertised. While overseas wrestlers had made countless tours over the years, this was likely the first time a performer was flown to the UK for a single date.
Even with the £20 ($40) ringside tickets, which may well have been the highest-priced in UK history at the time, the event appeared to have been a big money-loser. Barely 150 fans showed up, with a truly unique crowd where virtually everyone on hand was either a newsletter editor or subscriber.
It was most fans’ first exposure to two men who’d go on to be among the bigger names in the British industry. The unanimous pick for star performer in an eight-man tournament undercard was Doug Williams, then a 22-year-old grappler with the Hammerlock group. And the referee for the night was a 15 year old trainee who would go on to be known as Alex Shane.
Meanwhile future FWA manager and current RQW commentator Dean Ayass was the evening’s ring announcer and ran a fan convention the following day. And the crowd included future wrestlers Jonny Storm, Jody Fleisch and Erik Isaksen (a Norwegian then studying at a British university).
Following the event, the Hammerlock promotion briefly rebranded as IWA-UK and portrayed itself as the most modern-styled group in the country, even putting together a self-styled ‘hardcore’ show the following spring. Ironically the group, now the British NWA affiliate, is today regarded as one of the country’s most old-school promotions.
It was seventeen months before Harrison promoted a follow-up Walthamstow show, reportedly because it took him that long to recover financially from the first show’s debts. In the meantime he had created his own title, the European Junior-Heavyweight championship, crowning himself as the first champion after a draw against Ian ‘Doc’ Dean on an All-Star show in Croydon. (It appears Harrison was unable to negotiate a win against Dean, one of the promotion’s top stars.)
The ‘Dirt Bike Kid’ then dropped the belt to Mikey Whipwreck on an ECW spot show, the intention being to build up the title’s prestige before Whipwreck came to the UK for the 14 December 1996 ‘Ultra Kaos’ event. Whipwreck was to defend against Harrison with the winner going on to face Sabu. However, a 15 minute draw led to a three-way main event where Sabu captured the title in a disappointing bout cut short because, with no crowd barriers, fans were surrounding the ring and causing safety concerns.
The undercard included Kerry Powers and Danny Royal, wrestlers then working the holiday camp circuit who went on to be part of several attempts at national groups. The opening match featured Erik Oslo, the new ring name of Erik Isaksen, who had made his pro debut for All-Star nine months earlier. Isaksen returned to his homeland shortly after the Walthamstow show with no expectations of wrestling again as Norway had no professional wrestling industry. But after running regular training sessions (between return visits to wrestle in the UK), Isaksen set up the Norwegian Wrestling Federation in 2001. The group continues running regularly today and has close links with Ricky Knight’s WAW group.
In a foreshadowing of the ever-increasing-import trend of later groups, the final Walthamstow show (14 February 1998’s ‘St Valentine’s Day Massacre’) brought back Sabu and Whipwreck and added Rob Van Dam. The show featured an eight-man tournament for the British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight belt, originally a Michinoku Pro based title which had been part of the eight-belt ‘J Crown’ and then vacated when holder Shinjiro Ohtani gave up all but the New Japan component.
Confusingly the show began with Van Dam insisting Sabu was a heavyweight wrestler and was vacating the European Junior title, which was then announced as an additional tournament prize. Clearly there had been some political wranglings as Sabu inexplicably remained in the tournament and won his first round match.
He and Van Dam were set to meet in the semi-final but refused to wrestle one another, instead closing the night with a spectacular tag match against their respective first round opponents Michael Kovac and Ulf Herman (who would go on to be a regular with the FWA and 1PW promotions). The Harrison-Whipwreck semi-final became the default final, with Harrison winning both belts.
Among the notable undercard events, future FWA performer Stevie Knight made his first appearance before the ‘smart mark’ audience, while the late Masakazu Fukuda put on a technical classic with British veteran Steve Grey.
The show’s video was produced by newsletter editor Ross Hutchinson, who went on to become a commentator with the UWA group, which achieved national TV coverage on the small L!ve TV cable station and featured Williams, Knight, Royale and Powers (renamed Kerry Cabrero) among its stars. Another UWA performer, Jody Fleisch, makes a little-known cameo on the St Valentine’s Day Massacre tape; by then a 17-year-old Hammerlock grappler, he is among the spectators interviewed on their way out of the building.
One UWA taping saw Harrison return the British Commonwealth Junior title backstage for the benefit of Japanese photographers; the vacant belt was then won by Tiger Mask IV and eventually wound up in the Toryumon Group. Also involved in the promotion was Dino Scarlo, who would go on to be a behind-the-scenes force with the FWA.
Later in 1999, Harrison took part in the Michinoku Masked Man Tournament where, apparently having failed to follow correct wrestling etiquette, he found himself brutalised by the Great Sasuke. His last known bout took place on a 2000 indy show and he is thought to have left wrestling to concentrate on a career in stunt work.
Following the collapse of the UWA, Hutchinson was taken on by Sports Mondial to run UCW, what was intended to be a full-time national promotion with a permanent office staff. The company even signed several wrestlers, most notably Doug Williams, Jody Fleisch, Jonny Storm and Alex Shane, to full-time exclusive contracts which paid a regular guaranteed wage. After two relatively successful shows, the financial backers cancelled plans for a national tour of mid-sized venues, believing the buildings would look too small scale for potential television outlets. With fixed outgoings and no income, the closure of the group soon became inevitable.
