Insane Championship Wrestling
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Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) is a Scots perfaisional warstlin promotion based in Glesga, foonded bi Mark Dallas in 2006. The promotion mixes elements o tradeetional sports enterteenment wi haurdcore warstlin, thus attendances at events ur restrictit tae fowk aged ower 18-year-auld. Some performers incorporate zany gimmicks an play up Scots stereotypes sic as references tae Irn-Bru.
The company stairtit tae expand oothrou the UK, an wis featurt in a Vice Magazine documentarie in 2012 and BBC documentarie in 2014. The promotion wis cried UK Promotion o the Year bi Fighting Spirit Magazine in 2012, 2013, 2014 an 2018.
Umwhile, ICW wis pit on on cable television station MyChannel oothrou Europe. ICW records an releases maist o thair programmes on limitit edeetion DVD anent producin a series o thair ain YouTube programme, ICW Worldwide. In 2015, ICW pit oot thair On Demand service (ICW On Demand), which haes turnt intae the company's primary source fur distreebution o content.
Historie
[eedit | eedit soorce]2006–2012
[eedit | eedit soorce]
Mark Dallas funded the promotion while bidin wi his burd in Glesgae's Red Road Flats in 2006. Efter attendin warstlin trainin tae lear the business fae inside, he ran his first shaws at Maryhill Community Centre. Drew Galloway wis cried the company's inaugural Heivyweight Champion on 15t October 2006 efter defeatin Darkside and Allan Grogan in a three-way match at ICW: Fear & Loathing. Galloway held the title 'till 22nd July 2007 whan he wis defeatit bi Darkside. Efter awmaist 2-year aff, ICW wis pit back on 9t May 2009 wi ICW: Fear & Loathing, hounaiver, efter anither brief hiatus, the company stairtit tae run shaws ivery ither month stairtin wi ICW: Payback on 28t February 2010.
On 5t Juin 2010, ICW: Menace 2 Society, a new ICW Heivyweight Champion wis crowned fur the first time in ower three year as BT Gunn won the vacant title in a 4-wey match against Wolfgang, Liam Thomson an Johnny Moss. The event kicked aff a tournament fur a seicontarie title an aw: The ICW Zero-G Championship. Anither title chynge happened on 4t September 2010 at "ICW: Dazed and Confused" whan mauments efter defeatin Red Lightning, BT Gunn wis challenged bi James Scott, wha won the match an jynt the villainous Gold Label faction.
ICW: Fear & Loathing 3 signaled ICW's first venture intae Glesgae Ceety Centre wi the event takkin place at Apollo 23 nightclub on 21st November 2010. The finals o the Zero-G Championship Tournament teuk place wi Noam Dar defeatin Andy Wild, Falcon and Rob Cage in a four-way eleemination match. The Zero-G Championship wis drappit swiftlike bi Dar tae Lionheart at ICW: Summerbam on 14t August 2011 afore winnin the title back at ICW: Fear & Loathing 4 on 23rd November.
2012–The Nou
[eedit | eedit soorce]2012 saw the introduction o a new event on 22 Januar: Square Go!. This event wis heidlined bi an ower-the-tap-rope battle royal gien the winner a shot at the ICW Heivyweight Championship at any time thay're wantin. ICW's next event, ICW: Smells like Teen Spirit, teuk place in The Garage venue, in Glesgae; the venue wad later host mony ICW shaws. The stairt o the year gied ICW TV exposure throu MyChannel, awtho thair tenure on the station wis short-leeved as thay war taen oot fae programmin after ane o thair programmed wis shawn at an inappropriate time.
Durin the simmer, the ICW Tag Team Championship wis introduced an, efter a series o eleemination matches, STI (Dickie Divers & William Grange) defeatit The Bucky Boys (Davie Boy & Stevie Boy) fur the titles at ICW: Hadouken!.
Efter the airin o an in-hoose mockumentary an his prominent role in the Vice documentary, Grado became prominent in the promotion o ICW. At the 2nd Annual Square Go!, Mikey Whiplash secured his opportunity at the Heavyweight Championship while ICW ventured oot o Glesgae fur the first time with a shaw at Studio 24 in Embro. In Embro at "ICW: Tramspotting", qualifyin matches wad stairt fur the new "ICW Fierce Females Championship". The Tag Team Championship chynged hauns fur the first time with STI lossin thair titles tae The Bucky Boys in a ladder match at "ICW: Get To Da Choppa". At "ICW: Reservoir Dogs", ICW annooncit 'at thay war being filmed as the subject o a BBC documentary.
On 7t Februar 2015, the ICW Heavyweight Championship was name tae the "ICW World Heavyweight Championship" efter title defenses in Ingland, Denmark and the United States bi Drew Galloway. On 27t Februar 2016, ICW haed thair first shaw in Ireland cawed The Big Elbowski, whaur Big Damo battered Chris Renfrew fur the ICW World Heavyweight Championship.
On 5t November 2017, on a Road to Fear and Loathing X tour shaw in Cardiff, Triple H an WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne made a special guest kythin.
On 12t September 2018, the ICW Women's Championship was named tae the "ICW Women's World Championship", efter than-champion Viper (wrestler) defended the title in a nummer o kintras aroond the warld.
Events
[eedit | eedit soorce]The nou, the promotion books maist o its events in Glesgae wi occasional events in Embro. As the company graws, it's expanded tae the rest o the UK, hivin held events in Lunnon an Newcastle wi shows in Liverpool, Leeds an Birmingham booked in the future as part o a wirkin relationship wi O2 Academy venues. ICW rins shaws in Glesgae's The Garage and Studio 24 in Embro as weel as ABC Glesgae.
As Fear & Loathing got bigger, ICW went on tae host events at SEC Centre, an in 2016 held the biggest event in European warstlin since the Dale Martin Wembley Arena shaws o the early 80's in Glesgae’s SSE Hydro, claimed tae hiv ower 6000 fowk attendin. Fear & Loathing wad be held at the SSE Hydro in the follaein twa year, featurin the likes o Rey Mysterio, Rob Van Dam, Noam Dar & James Storm.
In July 2018, efter a recent fire that caused daimige tae O2 ABC Glesgae, ICW had to reschedule their 2 day summer event Shugs Hoose Party 5 to Glesgae’s O2 Academy for the first time ever.
In Februar 2019, ICW annoonced the first iver 'King Of Hawners' tournament, taein place on the 26 & 27 May, wi 8 trios teams competin in the inaugural tourney.
ICW On Demand
[eedit | eedit soorce]ICW On Demand is a video-on-demand service awnt bi Insane Championship Wrestling. Aw major ICW events aur uploadit on the service no lang efter takkin place.
ICW Fight Club is the company's weekly episodic programme, wi episodes premierin on ICW On Demand on Friday nichts.
The service featurs matches fae the promotion's archives an aw, datin back tae 2012. Retrospectives fur pre-2012 events, shoot interviews and documentaries are available an aw.
Champions the nou
[eedit | eedit soorce]| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held |
Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICW World Heavyweight Championship | Stevie Boy | 2 | Julie 28, 2019 | 1926+ | Glesgae, Scotland | Defeated Wolfgang at ICW Shug's Hoose Party 6 – Day 2. |
| ICW Zero-G Championship | Liam Thomson | 1 | Julie 27, 2019 | 1927+ | Glesgae, Scotland | Defeated Joe Coffey at ICW Shug's Hoose Party 6 – Day 1 |
| ICW Tag Team Championship | The Purge (Krobar and Stevie James) |
1 | November 3, 2019 | 1828+ | Glesgae, Scotland | Defeated The Kings of Catch (Aspen Faith and Lewis Girvan) at Fear & Loathing XII – Day 2 |
| ICW Women's Championship | Aivil | 1 | November 3, 2019 | 1828+ | Glesgae, Scotland | Defeated Kasey Owens at Fear & Loathing XII – Day 2 |
Square Go! Briefcase Holders
[eedit | eedit soorce]In a combo o WWE's Royal Rumble an Money in the Bank matches, the competitors compete in a 30-man ower-the-tap-rope battle royal, the Square Go!, wi the winner earnin the Square Go Briefcase. This gies the huander an opportunitie tae cash-in the briefcase fur an ICW World Heavyweight Championship match at ony time of thay're wantin fur up tae a year.
| Holder | Date Won | Event | Match Type | Location | Cash-In Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lightning | 22 January 2012 | 1st Annual Square Go! | 30 Man Square Go! Match | Glesgae, Scotland | 3 June 2012 | Cashit in an defeated than champion BT Gunn, wha haed juist successfully defended the ICW Heavyweight Championship against Lionheart, tae win the championship at In Your Gaff |
| Mikey Whiplash | 27 January 2013 | 2nd Annual Square Go! | 30 Man Square Go! Match | Glesgae, Scotland | 5 May 2013 | Efter hivin annooncit his intention tae cash-in at the nixt shaw, Whiplash wad g'on tae defeat Red Lightning at Reservoir Dogs tae win the ICW Heavyweight Championship |
| Chris Renfrew | 26 January 2014 | 3rd Annual Square Go! | 30 Man Square Go! Match | Glesgae, Scotland | 25 January 2015 | Successfully defended the briefcase against Grado at 1.21 Gigawatts, Great Scott! on 31 August 2014. Unsuccessfully cashit-in against champion, Drew Galloway, at the 4th Annual Square Go! on 25 January 2015 |
| Dickie Divers | 25 January 2015 | 4th Annual Square Go! | 30 Man Square Go! Match | Glesgae, Scotland | N/A | |
| Chris Renfrew (2) | 26 July 2015 | Shug's Hoose Party II | Ladder | Glesgae, Scotland | 24 January 2016 | Won the briefcase fae Dickie Divers in a ladder match at Shug's Hoose Party II on 26 July 2015. On 20 December 2015, Renfrew annoonced that he wad be cashin in against World Heavyweight Champion, Grado, on 24 January 2016 at The Fifth Annual Square Go. At the event, Renfrew cashed-in and defeated Grado via pinfall successfu-like, tae win the ICW World Heavyweight Championship |
| Wolfgang | 24 January 2016 | Fifth Annual Square Go! | 30 Man Square Go! Match | Glesgae, Scotland | 31 July 2016 | Successfully cashit in on Joe Coffey (that haed won the championship fae Big Damo juist afore) defeatin him via pinfall tae win the ICW World Heavyweight Championship at Shug's Hoose Party 3 |
| Joe Coffey | 5 February 2017 | Sixth Annual Square Go! | 30 Man Square Go! Match | Newcastle, Ingland | 16 April 2017 | Annoonced his intention tae cash in at Barramania III on the 14 April episode o Fight Club (recorded 19 March), an successfu-like defeatit Trent Seven bi submission tae win the ICW World Heavyweight Championship |
| Stevie Boy | 11 February 2018 | Seventh Annual Square Go! | 30 Man Square Go! Match | Glesgae, Scotland | 29 April 2018 | At Barramania 4, Stevie retained his Square Go contract in a ladder match against Kenny Williams. Than he successfu-like cashit it in the main event atween Mikey Whiplash an BT Gunn, defeatin Whiplash via pinfall tae win the ICW World Heavyweight Championship |
| RUDO Lightning (2) | 24 February 2019 | Eighth Annual Square Go! | 30 Man Square Go! Match | Glesgae, Scotland | 27 October 2019 | First 2-time winner o the Square Go match, an the seicont tae haud the Square Go contract twa times. Unsuccessfu-like cashit-in against champion, Stevie Boy, at ICW: France 2000 on 27 October 2019 |
Ither personnel
[eedit | eedit soorce]| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Mark Dallas | Owner
Founder Executive Producer |
| Billy Kirkwood | Lead Commentator fur ICW |
| Simon Cassidy | Ring Annooncer |
| Thomas Kearins | Referee |
| Sean McLaughlin | Senior Referee |
| Scott Reid | Producer |
| Adam Carrel | Director fur Television & Media |
| Jennifer Louise
Veronica Lestrange |
Backstage Interviewer |
Haw o Fame
[eedit | eedit soorce]| Year | Image | Ring name (Real name) |
ICW recognized accolades |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | N/A | Carmel (Carmel Jacob) |
Ane-time ICW Women's Champion[1] |
| 2018 | 
|
Drew McIntyre (Andrew Galloway) |
Inaugural an two-time ICW Heavyweight Champion |