James Milin-Ashmore reviews the final episode of British Boot Camp 2…
Despite moaning about near enough every episode of British Boot Camp 2 (damn filler), I couldn’t help but feel proud as the season drew to a close. The show highlighted some of the best that British wrestling has to offer – and ended with a deserved winner in Mark Andrews.
There was just one match left for the last three contestants to prove their worth, and each brought their A-game as they stepped into the ring for the final time before Dixie Carter’s decision.
Rampage Brown stepped up first, looking comfortable throughout his match against Bram. (Rampage lost, but of course every contestant had to ‘pay their dues’.) Perhaps more importantly, he was solid in the post-match interview, which was a key factor after his dismal promo attempts in the qualifying round.
Rampage has put in consistent, quality performances at every opportunity in the ring during his time on BBC: so much so maybe I came to expect it from him, which took some of the sheen away during his bouts. In hindsight, he probably hasn’t made a mistake in-ring during the process, but he was haunted by his stuttering promo with Samoa Joe.
Mark Andrews was next, facing off against DJ Z. At times, Andrews is simply amazing and his bout raised the roof compared to the first match. He was sloppy in places, but when you consider his age (22) and his potential he was slowly becoming the obvious choice as winner.
I didn’t actually remember him properly from the first auditions (even though I took notes), but he forced himself into the limelight with his high-flying antics – and proved me wrong with his winning personality. Andrews said afterwards that he’s had many doubters along the way (myself included), but I saw the error of my ways after his match.
Kay Lee Ray was the last to enter for her contest against Gail Kim. The pressure must have been immense considering the calibre of her opposition, and the first few minutes of the match were pretty flat, which was made worse after the atmosphere during the Andrews fight.
Thankfully, it soon picked up, as Kay Lee showed her bravery and agility numerous times during the match. She even dived through the ropes and landed on her feet in an eye-catching move, and the crowd finally got going after a great technical display at the end that included some nice pinfall transitions. I just don’t understand why they started so slowly.
After the final bout, Andrews had impressed me the most, but the decision was down to Dixie Carter.
She started off by inviting the last six back, to announce that they would all feature at 2015’s Maximum Impact events, including the much hyped (by TNA at least) Al Snow vs Grado match.
Each of the last three were invited to speak with Carter one to one in a last attempt to sway her decision. Sadly, Rampage reverted to type, as nerves caused him to stumble over his words once again, which probably destroyed his chances at the final hurdle. Whilst the others are relatively inexperienced, they handled the pressure well in comparison – though neither particularly stood out for me.
In the end, she plumped for Andrews, but not before ‘addressing concerns’ or ‘unnecessarily insulting’ all three. She was ‘concerned’ about Andrews’ physical conditioning, but with the right training he could really step up to a new level in the X Division.
Overall, the season has been a great success for both TNA and British wrestling, shining a spotlight on British talent that doesn’t always have the biggest audience, whilst TNA gain another great athlete. Mark Andrews has what it takes to do well in the future, but I could’ve said that about any of the final six.
Hopefully another season will be commissioned, but for now you could spare a thought for the people who showcased their talents during the process. If you live in Britain, there’s a good chance they’ll be putting on quality performances in a venue near you. If you liked the show, it might be worth checking out.