After the trials and tribulations which took place at 2NDREIGN, Sovereign Pro Wrestling returns for the first time in 2024 on the 18th February at Trinity Sports Centre in Manchester and we have one hell of a show lined up for you!
Personal rivalries will come to a head, 2 championships will be on the line and a British television icon will step through the ropes for the very first time! Let's break down what's in store for the Sovereign Nation...
Les Battersby Makes His SOVPRO Debut
Les. Battersby. Yes you read that right, so let's start there shall we? British soap opera icon Les Battersby will be rockin' all over SOVPRO on February 18th as he makes his first steps into the wrestling business! Ever outspoken, Les has caught the attention of one of the other more outspoken members of the roster, one Mr Thatcher Wright.
Insistent that everything should be the ways his values dictate they should be, Thatcher has taken great exception to a working class icon making a foray into his industry and has vowed to do something about it. The Wright Way could very easily play the numbers game leaving Battersby in a very sticky situation, but luckily people know people and it appears Les has made a phone call to some unexpected friends: the Banter Bus!
SOVPRO Commonwealth Championship Match:
Leon Slater (C) vs Jordan Oliver
In a bout which Oliver himself has declared a battle of two of the future best wrestlers in the world, Leon Slater will make the very first defence of a title he won back in June 2023 at Boiling Point. Having overcome 3 incredible talents in Killective's Leyton Buzzard, NOAH's Ninja Mack and his own 0121 teammate Man Like Dereiss, Leon now goes toe to toe with a man that many have been calling a standard bearer for indie wrestling, GCW star and current JCW Champion Jordan Oliver.
Having faced each other once previously the two are very familiar with each other and there is a mutual respect in place, but friendly rivalry aside when gold is on the line both men will be wanting to prove that they alone are the one to watch and putting it all on the line to walk out calling themselves SOVPRO Commonwealth Champion.
SOVPRO Tag Team World Championship Match:
The 87 (C) vs Ian Skinner and Simon Miller
With a history dating back to our very first show where they competed in the first ever Crown Cup match, which Skinner eliminated Miller from, it's safe to say that these two men are not friends. With Ian appearing to take umbrage with Simon's popularity with the Sovereign Nation and resenting the title opportunity he was granted at Heavy Is The Head, The Troublemaker called out everyone's favourite Bald A-Hole back at Warpath.
This turned out to be a set-up as Big T emerged through the curtain to help Ian deliver #Justice4Skinner in the form of a savage assault which left Miller laid out in the ring before being assisted backstage. Inaugural Crown Cup winner Kidd Bandit leapt to the defence of her friend and a tag team match was set for Boiling Point. During the match Skinner knocked Bandit unconscious with the Crown Cup to steal the win, also stealing the Crown Cup trophy in the process! Not one to let facts get in the way of a good story, Skinner declared himself the official holder of the Crown Cup and vowed to defend it at 2NDREIGN.
Not only was Skinner unsuccessful in this venture, he was eliminated from the match by none other than Simon Miller by surprise roll up! Payback is a bitch. Unhappy with this outcome Ian attempted to once again leave with the trophy, when Simon intervened the ensuing scuffle led to the trophy "accidentally" being broken over his head leading to his elimination at the hands of eventual winner Kelly Sixx.
Furious at the property damage, SOVPRO owner Shotty Horroh was about to issue a punishment to both men involved before the lightning bolt struck, The 87 need opponents for their new Tag Team World Championships and what better way to get the divided duo on the same page than a good old fashioned tag team match?
"Thank You" Match:
Sam Gradwell vs Brady Phillips
This all started at FIRSTREIGN... While not officially a part of the card for the show, Sam Gradwell shocked the Sovereign Nation as he made a surprise appearance to return to the British wrestling scene after his time with WWE. During his speech Gradwell acknowledged the contribution of the current crop of wrestlers in keeping the scene alive, but he fell short of saying thank you and this didn't sit well with Brady Phillips.
At first it was simply an unsettling video of Brady expressing his displeasure with the situation, but then the other videos started, the videos of Sam being watched from a distance... At the gym, at his home, even with his children, a line had been crossed very quickly due to Brady's obsession so a match was made for Heavy Is The Head where Gradwell proceeded to punch Phillips into unconsciousness to claim the victory.
We thought that was the end of the story, until several months later in June at Boiling Point. With the champion Joseph Conners on the ropes it seemed like the Gradwell era was being ushered in, that is until the fateful sound of the brass knuckles wrapped fist of Brady slamming into Sam's jaw rang across Academy 2 and a kiss was planted on the forehead of the fallen Blackpool native. When this same chain of events played out during the Date With Oblivion at 2NDREIGN the call was made to end this once and for all, and it will only end when one of these two men finally hear those two little words...
Video Store Massacre Match:
RPD vs Rory Coyle
How do you preview a match when you have no idea what's going to happen or even what the rules are? I guess you start at the beginning...
Heavy Is The Head, February 2023, fresh pairing RPD and HT Drake had just fallen short in a valiant effort against a well oiled machine in The 87 and were holding a discussion in the ring when the lights went out. Enter The Auteur. Rory Coyle had arrived and declared his intention to create a horror masterpiece at SOVPRO, offering the parts of co-star and "final guy" to the men in the ring and leaving them with a decision. The decision didn't take long as HT Drake surprised his one time tag partner with a low blow before Coyle declared his production open via a VHS tape to the skull of the Natural Born Fighter.
One show later and SNUF was officially born as Alton Thorne passed his "casting" match with HT Drake and was brought on to the production crew. He immediately placed himself as the first obstacle between RPD and Coyle and Heavy Nettle Nightmare was born, forcing RPD to endure the most uncomfortable challenge possible in a ring full of nettles. Next came HT Drake in what Rory Coyle dubbed the Directors Cut, it's hard to say if there was really a winner in this but Coyle certainly got what he wanted when RPD attempted to take an axe to the skull of Drake.
Momentarily seeing the dangerous man Coyle knows lies behind the fan favourite exterior presented by RPD, he finally issued the challenge everyone had been waiting for: the Final Guy gets to face the Big Bad... but the problem is the match stipulation comes straight from the twisted mind of the Video Nasty...
Lana Austin vs Lucia Lee
The Decibelles arrived in SOVPRO with a bang back at Warpath, unfortunately that bang was the sound of an Easter egg exploding against the head of Aurora Teves as Lana Austin emerged from a bunny costume much to the chagrin of the Sovereign Nation. Immediately the deafening duo set their sights on "having fun", which loosely translates to "tormenting British wrestling", using both Teves and Lucia Lee as their earliest targets.
When Teves became the target of a vicious post-match attack after a loss to Lana at Boiling Point, our Hero of Hydration stormed the ring to protect her friend and look for a measure of payback but the bullies did what bullies do and made a "strategic withdrawal" to keep the fight on their terms.
At 2NDREIGN things should have been resolved through a fair singles match between Lee and Ivy, but despite Austin having other commitments in another part of the country, Ivy somehow still emerged through the curtain with "Lana Austin" in tow. One hard hitting battle and an Adam Bolt reveal later and the Cult Classic gained the win, although she would much have preferred that win to not be via a disqualification as Ivy found additional use for her megaphone as a bludgeoning weapon.
Now aiming to take The Decibelles apart completely, Lucia has laid out a challenge to face the "real" Lana Austin and not the Queen of Mean she's become.
Iestyn Rees' Gauntlet Of The Gods
Let's be honest, Iestyn Rees has been one of the most dominant figures in SOVPRO since he arrived at FIRSTREIGN. While yet to collect any major accolades he makes light work of any challenger who steps in front of him, even dispatching a very large KC Payne in under 4 minutes at Boiling Point!
Determined to put that dominance beyond dispute and increase the standing of his client, James Roach has arranged for his assistant Wimbo to arrange what they've named The Gauntlet Of The Gods: Iestyn will stand in the centre of the ring and face off against 3 wrestlers back to back to prove once and for all that there's nothing superior to the Alpha Male.
Leyton Buzzard's Homecoming
A central figure to Killective and a man who's been there since day one, Leyton Buzzard took some time away after competing for the Commonwealth Championship. Heading out to Japan to study and hone his craft while competing against some of the best the country has to offer, Buzzard now returns to SOVPRO with even greater drive than before.
In his absence Killective have been on a rampage with LA Taylor dominating the Women's World Championship picture, Kelly Sixx laying claim to the 2023 Crown Cup and thoroughbred Chris Bronson joining the ranks. Now with all 5 members united and a whole world to conquer, what do Buzzard and the gang have planned for whoever and whatever they target next?
Harley Hudson Addresses The Sovereign Nation
Everyone's favourite Pink Powerhouse unfortunately came up short in her valiant quest to claim the Women's World Championship. Beaten but never defeated, Hudzilla picked herself up ready to go again and has since gone on to win the 2023 TNA Gut Check contest! Congratulations Harley!
As a result of her win Canada will shortly find itself 9 Stone of Scouse Girl Power heavier as Harley arrives to train with TNA's best, including Josh Alexander who was present to see her impressive performance in the Sovereign 6 Scramble back at Heavy Is The Head.
Their gain is our loss for now however, as Harley will make what could be her last ever appearance in a SOVPRO ring on February 18th and has asked for time to talk to a Nation which has sung her name since the very first show.
Tickets for It's Dark And Hell Is Hot are available now from our tickets page, thank you as always Sovereign Nation for your undying support!