Match Point is an on-going series at Last Word on Pro Wrestling, where we look at intriguing matchups in indie wrestling and beyond. They may be dream matches, first-time matchups, or hotly anticipated rematches. Today’s edition looks at a very special 30 minute Iron Man Match between two Defiant Wrestling originals – former World Champion Joe Hendry, and former Internet Champion Gabriel Kidd, which is set to air on this coming Sunday’s episode of weekly YouTube show Loaded. The loser of this match will be forced to leave Defiant for good.
For the past few months in Defiant Wrestling, two men who have been at war are “The Prestigious One” Joe Hendry, and “The Young Bull” Gabriel Kidd. Two men who have been with Defiant from day one, two men have risen through the ranks of Defiant, two men who have gone down very different career paths in Defiant. On the Loaded episode following No Regrets, it was revealed that these two would compete in a 30 minute Iron Match Match on a future episode of the weekly show, with the added stipulation that whoever lost would have to leave the company they’ve called home for the last three years. No matter who loses, there will be a huge gap left within the Defiant Wrestling roster.
Joe Hendry
Right now in the UK, Joe Hendry is undoubtedly one of the biggest names on the scene. A regular for Scotland’s biggest promotion Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) (where he is a former Tag Team Champion alongside Davey Blaze), The Prestigious One rose to prominence there with his wacky custom entrance videos to antagonise his opponents. In addition, Hendry has earned worldwide recognition for his work in promotions such as IMPACT Wrestling (IMPACT) and World of Sport Wrestling (WOS), as well as being the current Men’s World Champion in Fight Forever Wrestling (FFW). In Defiant, Joe has undergone a change of character since last July, once again becoming a fan favourite as opposed to the biggest villain in the company. He was involved in the promotion’s first ever main event when he faced Big Damo (now Killian Dain) on the first Loaded episode in June 2016 and ever since, he’s remained one of the biggest faces of the Defiant Wrestling roster. Whether he was representing The Prestige or waving his arms in the air to the sound of his own tunes, Joe Hendry truly has been one of the leading forces in the rise of Defiant to the entity it has become today.
Gabriel Kidd
While Joe Hendry is one of the UK’s best right now, Gabriel Kidd is one of the UK’s greatest unknown stars. Even though he’s making his way around the UK, he’s still not that well known on a worldwide scale. Ever since he first appeared on Defiant, however, Kidd has become one of the hardest working members of the roster, as evidenced when he snapped a 10-month losing streak in April 2017 by pinning Cody Rhodes. In more recent times though, he’s not backed away from using nefarious means to advance his career. If that meant kicking former friend Prince Ameen below the belt, then so be it. Look at it this way though – ever since Gabe showed his true colors at the 2018 Lights Out event, he’s been on a meteoric rise to the top. The Young Bull was in the main event of a pay-per-view. The Young Bull was a serious contender to the World Championship. The Young Bull lasted 75 minutes in the 2019 No Regrets Rumble Match. Most importantly of all, The Young Bull isn’t someone to be taken lightly. In the space of two months, Kidd has debuted for ATTACK! Pro Wrestling (ATTACK! Pro), Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), Fight Club: PRO (FCP), and Wrestle Gate Pro (Wrestle Gate), as well as recently being named as part of SPLX Wrestling’s Young Lions Programme. 2019 may be the year of the pig in China but here in the UK, it’s the year of the bull.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
