The first man entered into the match is Bubblegum. Having upset Dave Moralez and Joel Redman in previous rounds, the high-flyer’s improbable charge through the tournament was cruelly ended at Hotwired by “All Time Great” Andrew Simmonz, who took advantage of an abdominal injury to the man from Hubba Bubba Ville and forced him to submit to a brutal Boston crab. Throughout their semi-final Bubblegum repeatedly demonstrated the never-say-die attitude that has won over so many FWA fans in recent months, enduring not only Simmonz’s attacks on his injured stomach but also the repeated interference of Ricky Hype. Although the obstacles against him on that night eventually proved to be insurmountable, there is surely no-one more deserving of another chance than this popular underdog.

The second man to enter the Last Chance Saloon will be the “Wonderkid” Jonny Storm. One of the most popular stars in the history of the FWA, Storm’s progress through the ranks since the promotion’s rebirth has been severely impaired by his ongoing rivalry with Rockstar Spud. Having lost to the loudmouthed youngster thanks to a dubious refereeing decision at New Frontiers in August, the Harlow native responded a month later by using similarly underhanded tactics to eliminate his rival from the running for the World Heavyweight Championship. Spud then made it his mission to get revenge at Carpe Diem, first trying to tamper with Storm’s car to prevent him from arriving at the arena, and later causing a distraction which led to his elimination in the quarter finals. By Hotwired the bad blood between the two men had reached boiling point and it was perhaps inevitable that someone would get hurt – Spud ended up taking a trip to the hospital after Storm slammed him on the back of his neck during a tag team match, and is expected to be out of action for several months. With the Rockstar out of the equation, Storm is free to re-focus his energy on the one prize that has eluded him so far in his illustrious FWA career: heavyweight championship gold.

The final entrant in this make-or-break match is Leroy Kincaide. The hip hop superstar has been pegged by many fans as a potential leading light in British wrestling during the coming decade, having had a stunning 2009 in which he picked up major victories and championships in several top promotions. Unfortunately his good form did not translate into success when he arrived in the new FWA – Kincaide was eliminated in the qualifying round of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament after a thrilling match against Pac that ended in a double count out. Despite this, the Kent powerhouse’s explosive strength and agility would normally make him a clear favourite for victory in the Last Chance Saloon match – but with a persistent shoulder injury plaguing him for the past four months this could be a night when Bubblegum and Storm have as good a chance as they ever will to cause an upset.

The stakes could hardly be higher for all three of these stars. A year is a very long time in wrestling – time enough for any number of circumstances to transpire that could prevent a career from ever reaching championship contention again. Bubblegum, Jonny Storm and Leroy Kincaide will all be acutely aware of that when they pass through the curtain at British Uproar: the difference between defeat and victory in the Last Chance Saloon match could well be the difference between a career of unfulfilled potential and one that becomes the stuff of legend.

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