Year in review.....

As 2005 is getting closer to the end, I thought it was good idea to have a quick look on the happenings over the year.

On the 8th January, I had my big test as Eurostars
European Champion, facing Robbie Brookside at the Rockefeller arena in Oslo (see photo of Brookside iconclasm). The match was pretty solid with me taking most of the beating but defending the title successfully. It was pretty cool that Norway's national TV station, NRK, showed some clips on their weekend sports show. That was the first time and so far the only time that NRK's Sunday sport programme has reported on NWF.

The next month, my IWS intercontinental championship was on the line against Chris the Bambikiller in Italy. I have been in contact with Chris for a few years, and it was a good experience to wrestle him. He has since then been on regular tours for Zero One Max in Japan and also tried out for WWE. Best of luck to him.

In 2005 I was put together with Daniel Sebastian as a tagteam, and we did a series of matches against Fremtiden (the Future), a team which is made up by Isak and Victor. Those matches have had some creative team moves and also some pure comedy moments. Isak and Victor have tons of potential but sometimes they get into trouble in the most comedic ways possible. The first tag match took place on 13th February and the last one at PowerSlam III on the 27th November, a total of five matches over the year.

On 11th March I wrestled against Canada's Starbuck in Norway, our first match against each other since he broke his ankle in a match in 2003. We had several hard-hitting battles over the year, culminating with the "no holds barred match" at HeteSLAG on 21st August. That turned out to be a bloody match (see photo here). In that match, I regained the IWS intercontinental championship that I had lost to him on the 13th August in Italy. In the matches against Starbuck, I have always had to change my gameplan from being a technical wrestler as every match against Starbuck is not just a match but a WAR!

In April, I was on an "international tour", wrestling in France on the 8th and 9th of April and travelling to Italy on the 10th April. I lost my European Championship against Bernard Vandamme in Vendomé, France, on the 8th after a five month reign as champion. That was in front of about 1.500 lively people who created a good atmosphere. In Italy on the 10th, I wrestled the big Samoan wrestler Alofa. Although I kept on to the IWS Intercontinental Championship when he was disqualified for hitting me with the belt, I got extra work as I had to repair the belt.

On 4th June, I had an awesome experience. IWS brought me to Italy to wrestle a dark match on the New-Japan show in Milan. On Wednesday 1st of June, I was asked if I could come to Italy to wrestle a dark match. I sorted out things on short notice so I could go there, and on Saturday I was making my New-Japan debut just a few days after being asked to do a dark match! That's quite a difference. Before the show, I was tested in the ring in front of all NJPW key personell such as Masa Chono, Jushin Liger, Scott Norton, and others. Instead of wrestling a dark match, I was put in a match on the actual New-Japan show, teaming with Koji Kanemoto against Gedo and Jado. A scan from a Japanese magazine has been included in this article. All in all, the experience of being backstage on a New-Japan show was awesome as I was treated well by everyone. The match was broadcasted unclipped on TV in Japan. I was getting positive comments from a few of the New-Japan wrestlers after the match. I will not tell who but it made me proud.... Anyway, this whole experience was surreal as everything happened on such a short notice. I really hope to wrestle more for New-Japan in the future, but I will have to wait and see what happens.....

In September, I wrestled in Finland again for the first time since August 2004. The Finnish cult wrestler Suomi-Poika went down in the first match of the PWF championship tournament but I lost the second round match against Starbuck. This was my fifth match against Starbuck this year, so he has been one of my most regular opponents the last few years. He was bloodied in a 20+ minute match and got the crowd fully behind him. By the way, Suomi Poika, has a cool character and was a better wrestler than I thought before the match. That match had some comedy although the Finnish referee Raine Kauppinen told me he had never seen the Suomi Poika beeing victim of so many big impact moves before.....

On the 8th October, I wrestled in Italy against El Dinamico and lost the IWS Intercontinental Championship (see photo). What made that show the most interesting was everything that happened before the show, but that's a long story that I will save for my biography when I have become famous around the world. Ok, so maybe the story will never be on print then:-) It was a good crowd of around 1.000 people there and it took place outdoors in front of a mega store.

Anyway, being in Caselle, an outskirt of Torino, can be pretty boring but this October weekend, I think Bjørn, Daniel and I were able to get time to pass by quicker than ever. We even attended a local bingo hall to buy something to eat after walking several kilometres to get there. That sounds really, really boring but the whole setting made it a moment to remember.

I think that pretty much sums up the year.

Highlight of the year: Wrestling on a New-Japan show! Definately!!!

Favourite match of the year: *maybe* my "no holds barred" match vs. Starbuck, but I can't really make my mind up....

Special thanks go out to: The wrestlers I have been in the ring with in 2005, the promoters who have booked me, and all the people within the promotions I have wrestled for. All are part of making the shows happen.

Predictions/wishes for 2006: I wrestle in at least one "new" country in 2006 - hopefully! Daniel Sebastian and I make an impact in NWF;-) I win another championship, or on second thought, maybe not since it makes my bag a lot heavier..... Just joking:-) I wrestle a traditional European match with the round system and best out of three falls. And lots, lots more.....

Relevant links:
www.wrestling.no
www.eurostars.be
www.wrestlingsuperstar.it
www.pwfinlandia.com
www.njpw.co.jp