Martin Stone vs. Iestyn Rees - The Story So Far
Posted by Daniel Edler
» This Sunday in Bromley, IPW:UK begins its Fourth Anniversary Tour. Five huge matches have been announced for the show, with more exciting special attraction bouts to be added on the night, but one match on the card stands out above all others. This match has been on the books for months, ever since “Gentleman” Gilligan Gordon’s Thrillers announced that they were gunning for IPW:UK Championship gold. So right now, TapOut Magazine, the official programme of IPW:UK, presents a special preview by Charles Wheeler of Sunday’s Championship match - Martin Stone vs. Iestyn Rees.
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Handcuffs. Metal crutches. Metal chairs. Cricket bats. These are just some of the objects that have played vital roles in the ongoing war between The Firm and The Thrillers. Tonight, however, when the dust has settled from the 6-man tag team match, and when all the other contests have been resolved, the two figureheads of these arch-rival factions will step into the ring in the Great Hall of the Bromley Civic Centre, and only one item will matter - the black leather belt and gold-and-blue plates that signify the International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom Champion.
It’s hard to believe now that Martin Stone was once the bane of the IPW:UK fans - a hated, sneaky champion who took the easy way out and backed down from challenges. But as the rivalry with the Frontier Wrestling Alliance began to take root, Stone’s time at the top played into his favour. The fans chose him as their representative, as the man who summed up what IPW:UK was truly about - and in response, Stone adopted the values displayed by the IPW:UK fan favourites. Heart. Courage. Integrity. Stone became a people’s Champion, and faced up to challenges from wherever they should come.
As the fans’ newfound hero, Stone began to take on international challenges, and along with The Kartel has represented IPW:UK in America, as well as taking on many touring competitors from Japan. This worldwide experience has helped Stone develop into one of the most refined and well-balanced competitors in British wrestling, and his fans from Orpington carried over to Bromley - in terms of skill and crowd support, Stone really had defined himself as “The Guv’nor”. But earlier this year, only a short time into his second reign as IPW:UK Champion, Stone encountered a challenge unlike any he had faced before - a challenge which, through the circumstances of the time, was ever-present, but could never be beaten.
The challenge was that of “Irresistible” Iestyn Rees. Named #1 contender thanks to some skilful politicking from “Gentleman” Gilligan Gordon, Rees suffered a knee injury that put him out of action for months. In that time, Gordon’s protégées, The Thrillers, made it their chief goal to torment IPW:UK’s Champions - Stone and The Kartel. This unexpected and sudden mass threat to the Champions caused them to band together more tightly than their previous loose association, and pundits speculated that IPW:UK appeared to have a fully-fledged gang war on its hands.
And that’s exactly what it got.
The Firm and The Thrillers have since done battle in almost every conceivable way - singles matches, tag matches, one-on-one brawls and multi-man Great-Hall-spanning fistfights have gone down between the two sides. Every Thriller has had a Championship match with Stone, under the condition that they would hand the belt over to Rees if they were victorious. Mark Haskins had two shots. When none of the Thrillers could take down The Guv’nor, Gordon went outside IPW:UK, and even outside Britain to find a man who could. Former WWE Superstar Doug Basham appeared to have Stone beaten and the belt on its way to Rees in dubious circumstances, but the decision was rightfully overturned and Stone overcame the odds again. Dejected but not defeated, The Thrillers took out their frustrations on responsible board member Steve Lynskey for overturning Basham’s win. Thanks to more political wizardry from Gordon, Lynskey’s standing on the board has been cast into doubt, and it’s unlikely that the former head referee of this country will dare assert himself on The Thrillers’ affairs again.
Through all the incident and all the controversy, fans could see the chaos heading towards order. The only way to settle the issues between The Firm and The Thrillers would be to put the two group leaders up against each other, one-on-one with everything on the line. Despite loathing his presence, the IPW:UK faithful have been dying to see Iestyn Rees return from his injury, so he can finally step up and face the consequences of his allies’ desperate and despicable actions, and meet Martin Stone for the IPW:UK Championship, one-on-one. The fans want it, and tonight, they’ll get it.
Except it’s more complicated than that. Last month at IPW:UK’s Summer Sizzler, Gilligan Gordon shockingly defeated Stone in a First Blood match, allowing him to pick the stipulations for tonight’s contest. Gordon has appointed himself, Mark Haskins, Joel Redman and Ricky Hype official ringside positions as Guest Commentator, Guest Master of Ceremonies, Guest Timekeeper and Guest Enforcer. There’s nothing to stop The Kartel and newest Firm member Leroy Kincade from making an appearance, but the official nature of The Thrillers’ ringside placement may well win out. The odds have swung massively in favour of a new Champion.
Tonight is IPW:UK’s biggest show of the year. The past Anniversary shows have seen the best in the world take each other on. Tonight, IPW:UK simply presents the best Britain has to offer. Even with The Thrillers making their presence felt at ringside, Martin Stone will defend the belt on IPW:UK’s biggest stage, for the fans and for himself, as he has done so well in the past. The match may not be straightforward, but it will be hard-fought and up-front.
This rivalry has provided little certainty, but the IPW:UK faithful know by now to expect some things to crop up every time The Firm and The Thrillers go to war. Expect The Thrillers to throw everything they can into the mix for things to go their way. Expect The Guv’nor to battle his heart and soul out and defend the belt like a Champion’s Champion. Expect twists and turns, wrestling and brawling. And expect passion, because even with all the history behind this match, when the black leather and blue-and-gold plates are raised into the air, all else ceases to matter. This is about passion. This is about glory. This is Martin Stone vs. Iestyn Rees for the IPW:UK Championship. This is your main event.
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This article, plus others about all the announced matches, is featured in this month’s edition of TapOut, along reviews of previous shows and a results page for you to fill in the action as it happens! It’s just £2.50 - see Sarah Barraclough at ringside or the merchandise table for your copy, and do it quickly - we do sell out!
IPW:UK Championship match with the Thrillers at ringside
- “The Guv’nor” Martin Stone [5 defences] vs. “Irresistible” Iestyn Rees [number one contender]
6-man tag team match
- The Firm (Sha Samuels, Terry Frazier and Leroy Kincade) vs. The Thrillers (“The Star Attraction Mark Haskins, “The Supreme Being” Joel Redman and “The Fitness” Ricky Hype)
British National Championship - 3rd Round
- “Vigilante” Johnny Moss vs. “The Anarchist” Doug Williams
Grudge match #1
- JC Thunder vs. “Sadistic” Jack Storm
Grudge match #2
- “The Human Hate Machine” Dave Moralez vs. “The Bad Boy of British Wrestling” Jon Ryan, volume IV
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