THOUGHTS FROM THE BUNKER …
BRUTAL TRUTH – Issue #5 – August 29, 2025
By Dave “The Brute” Kent
FROM THE BUNKER
From the Bunker – by Dave “The Brute” Kent
We’ve got ourselves a packed weekend, folks. August 30th is HCW’s Reign of Champions, and say what you want about HCW, but at least they know how to make a big show feel big. They’ve built matches with actual stakes, real stories, and talent that knows how to deliver when the lights are on. If you’re a fan, you’ve got every reason to tune in, because HCW is treating this like a true tentpole event, not just another date on the calendar. You can argue all day about their roster being “smaller” than NPCW’s, but I’ll take tight, consistent storytelling and wrestlers who connect with the crowd over bloated filler and gimmick booking any day.
Now, NPCW’s Shadowfall and Wrestlefest Labour Day? That’s a different story. Sure, NPCW is hyping it up like the weekend that will “shake the wrestling world”—but forgive me if I’ve heard that song before. NPCW’s problem isn’t a lack of talent; it’s how they use them. Half the time, their booking is about as stable as a three-legged mule on ice. One show might be great, the next feels like it was booked on a cocktail napkin five minutes before bell time. I’m not saying don’t watch—by all means, tune in, because chaos can be entertaining—but if you’re expecting consistency, you’ll get more out of a coin flip. Wrestling fans are in for a big weekend, no doubt. The question is whether NPCW finally steps up or just proves, again, why HCW keeps making them look second-rate.
— Dave “The Brute” Kent
From the Bunker.
NPCW HOUSE SHOW RESULTS - Winnipeg, MB
Thanks to Brutalist Betsy Styles for the results!
DAVE’S TAKES
Frankenstein’s Monster vs. Frosty (Main Event – NPCW House Show, Winnipeg, MB)
★★½ out of 5
The Winnipeg house show main event between the “revamped” Frankenstein’s Monster and Frosty was about what you’d expect—two big gimmick guys throwing out a handful of slams, suplexes, and airplane spins like it was 1988 at a carnival tent. To their credit, the crowd stayed with it because both characters are over locally, but let’s not kid ourselves: this was a paint-by-numbers match that went on several minutes too long and ended with the same lazy roll-up distraction finish that NPCW management trots out when they don’t know what else to do. Frankenstein looked stronger here, but Frosty carried more of the pacing and heat, which says a lot. As a spectacle, it was fine for a house show, but if NPCW wants to build either guy into something bigger, they’ll need more than recycled offense and a goofy heel manager finish.
Black Knight and Sandman vs. Jolly Green and Sinbad (Match 3 – NPCW House Show, Winnipeg, MB)
Now here’s the thing—this match should’ve been on television. You’ve got Sandman vs. Sinbad coming up at Shadowfall, and instead of giving Sinbad back some credibility after Abaddon buried him last week, they hide this perfectly serviceable tag match on a house show. Black Knight looked sharp, hit his big stuff clean, and actually carried most of the work. Sandman looked sluggish as usual but at least did his part. Jolly Green was fine—big guy power spots, nothing more, nothing less. But the real story was Sinbad: he finally got a win, hit a crisp Tornado DDT, and pinned Sandman clean, which is exactly what he needed heading into the PPV. And NPCW wastes it in front of 300 people instead of on TV where it could actually matter. It’s booking malpractice. Match was decent, crowd was into it, but NPCW management once again proved they don’t understand how to build momentum.
Star Rating: ★★★ out of 5 – decent action, but bad booking, flat finish, and Goldie still looks weak as champ.
THE FINAL WORD
By Dave “The Brute” Kent
Let’s talk about the so-called epic moment when Santa Claus, yes the jolly fat man himself, finally snapped, turned on the fans, and rechristened himself Sinister Klaus. On paper? It’s one of the biggest heel turns NPCW has ever pulled off. He cut loose because he was sick of the fans’ greed and Rudolph’s lack of respect, and honestly, the promo practically wrote itself. It was raw, it was shocking, and it had the kind of weight that could carry an entire season of stories.
But here’s the question nobody in NPCW seems willing to ask—what’s the payoff? Why, out of nowhere, hand him a brand new Universal Title? That kind of coronation without the chase undercuts everything. Imagine if Klaus had been booked to hunt Rudolph down for the North Pole Championship, chasing him for months, building tension, then snapping in frustration. That would’ve been a real main-event program. Instead, they hot-shotted him into the top with a mad up belt that felt so overbooked it dulled what should have been a career-defining turn. The turn was epic, but the booking was pure NPCW: too much, too fast, too messy.
And that, folks, is the Brutal Truth.
– Dave "The Brute" Kent, cutting through the tinsel since ’25.
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