Kumite Combat Wrestling Takes Over The Hairy Dog – 17 August 2025

Walking into The Hairy Dog on Sunday afternoon, we did not know exactly what to expect. The venue is best known as one of Derby’s most intimate and atmospheric live music spots, a place we have seen plenty of bands in before. To walk in and find a full-sized wrestling ring filling the room was a genuine shock. The crowd was packed tightly around it and the energy was buzzing from the very start. It was clear within minutes that this was going to be more than just wrestling. It was going to be a full-on spectacle.

The opening contest set the tone. The KCW Double Dragon Tag Team Championship saw Franco Fate and Tommbie take on BTT Lou Nixon and Brett Semtex. What started as a savage two-on-one beatdown quickly unravelled into a brutal back-and-forth. The ending came when Tommbie accidentally struck Franco Fate with a bat, causing Franco to storm off in anger. This left Tommbie to suffer a two-on-one beating, handing the victory to Nixon and Semtex. The fight was a statement of intent for the afternoon, showing just how fierce the action was going to be.

The second bout was a singles contest between Roarke and Big Daddy Unicorn. Roarke, a powerhouse armed with a tyre, clashed with the nimble Unicorn, who leaned into both agility and humour. The fight kicked off before either man even stepped into the ring. What followed was a mix of comedy and violence, with Unicorn brandishing a sex toy as a weapon and wearing spiked pants to comical effect, while Roarke filled the ring with Lego before slamming Unicorn down on top of it. The mix of pain and absurdity had the audience in stitches.

The third bout featured Harley Harris against Joseph Cardinal. Cardinal attacked Harley before she even reached the ring, sparking a fast-paced and furious fight. The action spilled out into the crowd, with Harley throwing Cardinal through the barriers and straight into the audience. This match in particular showed just how close the fans were to the action, with the line between performers and spectators almost disappearing.

Next came the KWC BoozerWeight Championship as David Grant faced Danny Darko. Both men began by downing drinks, with Darko keeping a can in his hand for most of the match. What started slowly, with both more interested in their drinks than fighting, soon escalated into all-out chaos. At one point the audience began chanting “this is wrestling”, a reflection of how much better the sport feels when experienced up close in such an intimate setting.

After a short interval, the energy cranked back up with Luke Douglas against the American villain August Artois. Douglas entered with a guitar, while Artois wound up the crowd from the moment he appeared, hurling insults at the fans, the city, and even the venue itself. Their fight went far beyond the ring, spilling in front of the stage with traffic signs, canes and sheer mayhem. At one stage Artois was held helpless in front of the crowd, who even got a few strikes in themselves. The match returned to the ring with athletic, high-flying moves before Douglas smashed his guitar over Artois to seal the fight.

The KWC World Championship followed, with Tim Strange facing Blueshe. What at first looked like a straightforward win for Strange was turned upside down when Blueshe struck with a low blow. The match then turned into a dramatic back-and-forth battle that highlighted both the power and the performance skills of the wrestlers involved.

Before the main event the crowd was warned of what was to come. The ring was prepared with glass and various weapons, and fans were reminded to be mindful of what might come flying their way. The anticipation was enormous.

The finale was a deathmatch, pitting Alton Thorne and B.A. Rose against Antoni Gonzales and Tyler Owens. It started at full speed before anyone had even reached the ring, with fighting breaking out on the stage. From there the action ripped through the crowd, bodies flying into barriers and down the aisles. Once the wrestlers reached the ring the violence escalated, with glass lightbulbs smashed to pieces, trays used as weapons, and blood spilling quickly. At different points the fight left the ring again, with performers being slammed into walls, doors and anything that was not bolted down. By the time it returned to the ring, skewers, barbed wire and shattered glass turned the contest into a shocking display of endurance and brutality. It was impossible to look away.

By the end of the night, it was clear that Kumite Combat Wrestling had brought something unforgettable to Derby. The combination of action, humour and intimacy made it one of the most exciting shows the city has seen in years. The small venue atmosphere meant the fans were not just watching the event, they were part of it.

Kumite Combat Wrestling will return to The Hairy Dog on 19 October 2025. If this show was anything to go by, it will be an event is not be missed.

All Images from: @rumblesnaps85

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