So, I’ve added a new video.

The Best of the Best was a set of ten-man gauntlet matches featuring wrestlers from all over Scotland. The aim was to filter down to two men who would then face off in a singles match at the Gathering and the winner would have the claim to being the Best of the Best in Scottish wrestling.

A week before the Gathering SWA hosted the last of the Gauntlet’s in our spiritual home of Bellshill. A few months before during a booking meeting, I was surprised that I was to be added to the match. When we double checked the booking just before the event, I was even more surprised that I hadn’t been pulled as, due to my situation outwith wrestling, I’d lost a bit of mass and was generally out of shape. I was sure I was going to be pulled.

When I arrived on the day there were some time concerns due to the length a ten man gauntlet may take. It would eat up have the show so I was offered a quick comedy moment that I had to turn down. Not only because I was amped up and ready for the match, but I was champion of a division that I felt wasn’t taken seriously – and whether my decision was right or wrong, I didn’t want another black mark on the title’s name by letting myself do more comedy.

There was the added bonus of having the worst week of my life, and that is no exaggeration. I was in a severely bad place mentally and just wanted to get some rage out. The down side was that mentally and physically… I wasn’t in the best of shape.

When the match came I was still in a bad mood and had psyched myself up. I’d had some really good conversations about wrestling in general and some mutual ego stroking with Majik before the match began, so I was thrilled to see him standing in the ring after he defeated Liam Thomson in the first part of the Gauntlet. I was up next, and I was going against the guy who’d not only made me feel better… but he was a personal icon of mine.

It was like the times I’d wrestled Conscience in the ring. That meant a lot to me, and despite having skirmishes with Majik in the past including a good few punches echanges, kicking the crap out of each other through the crowd and even hitting my finisher on his during his match with Falcon… this was our first one on one encounter.

So to say I was pleased to see him standing in the ring as I made my entrance is an understatement. Unfortunately, I was also pooing myself a little. Even now Maj has retired, he can still wrestle circles around me. Training with him and Johnny Moss in the past made me realise that they’ve forgotten more than I’ll ever know. so despite being in the mood to fight, I was also incredibly nervous. It’s a twice in a lifetime thing to prove to your icon you can do the job.

So after he battled Liam Thomson in some spectacular technical mastery, I went in and changed the pace. Maj had just done what he does best, wrestle. I was going to do what I do best. Fight.

The first time I watched this match back I felt I’d really let us both down. I stalled, I was sloppy, I was cautious, I was rough. I got a text from him the next day telling me his jaw was still aching, and even Con made a running joke out of it for a while. Facing one of my icons was scary enough. Almost taking his face off was terrifying.

It’s fair to say, despite the name of the tournament being Best of the Best, I was not at my best. Mentally and physically I had gone fishing. My nerves were getting the better or me, not for the crowd, but for the man I was facing, and to make matters worse I had a headache and an internal monologue telling myself not to be shit because I’m not well.

As it wasn’t the best, I hesitated to put it online, but I don’t expect myself to be a five star classic and nor do many people. So now my boots are packed away in the cupboard of things I’ll never use again, I figured I may as well show me at my worst… but still in a match where I genuinely enjoyed being in the ring with someone.

So here it is.

The video was provided by David and Elaine Wilson, who do some tremendous work for Scottish wrestling. To find out more, check out David Wilson’s photography.

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Tags: reflection, wrestling