Many good things come in threes and so what follows is the third (and final) part of our bite size guide to some of the top talent working across the UK Independent scene today (see parts one and two). Given Mark Andrews won British Boot Camp 2 (and you can see our interview with him here) we've made a change from the advertised line up! The truth is that whoever we highlight, the UK will continue to be blessed by what Uhaa Nation called "ridiculous" talent.
1. Kay Lee Ray:
The first female on our list and one of the premiere talents on the scene, Kay Lee was put through the initial stages of British Boot Camp for good reason. A veteran of the ring, Ray cut her teeth in ICW but has global experience. She was the inaugural "Fierce Females" champion and has competed at the top level for Pro Wrestling: Eve and JWP in Japan amongst others. Perhaps Ray is best known for her gargantuan efforts against her male contemporaries. Be it Mikey Whiplash, Kris Travis or Martin Stone in the opposite corner, Ray is fearless in the ring. Whilst she must have been disappointed to go out in the final of Boot Camp, selfishly we're pleased as it means this high-flyer will be entertaining us UK fans for a long time to come.
2. Nikki Storm
Another talented Scot, Nikki Storm was also a Boot Camp 2 star. Having started as a cheerleader at Glasgow University, she began training and debuted in 2008. Having worked her way across the UK scene in promotions like Pro Wrestling Eve and ICW she is now a familiar face in Japan's JPW and with Shine in the US. A trained personal fitness instructor and nutritionist, Storm has a number of strings to her bow. A bright wrestling future beckons.
3. Joel Redman
Perhaps best known to some as Oliver Grey, Joel "Redman" Pettyfer is a serious talent and has courted the interest of the world's top promotions. Redman shared the honour of holding the inaugural NXT Tag Team title with Adrian Neville and has won belts in promotions across the UK with amongst others, former TNA star Mark Haskins and another NXT alumnus, Martin Stone. A former forester, Redman started wrestling with the Devon Junior Wrestling Alliance and word of his talent spread. Having worked the UK and Irish scene extensively, Redman was asked to participate in WWE try-out matches. He debuted in September 2012 for NXT as Oliver Grey, won the tag-championship but then sadly tore his ACL. He spent a year away from TV, returning in April 2014 and later being released. With head rightly held high, Redman was last seen in TNA's British Boot Camp 2 and continues to headline across the UK.
4. Will Ospreay
'The Aerial Assassin' Will Ospreay is one to keep an eye on. This man will be going far if his remarkable development to date is anything to go by. Will is a high-flyer who has been named "one of the most entertaining high-flying prospects to come from the UK scene in years" by IPW: UK and was said by PCW to have had "onlooker's jaws on the floor". Be it as a singles star or in the tag-team that he has formed with Paul Robinson, Ospreay is a big draw. Not understated about his talents, Ospreay has described himself as "the next cruiserweight sensation and taking off from where PAC (Adrian Neville) left off. He may very well be right.
5. Erin Angel
Erin "Angel" Marshall may only measure some 4 foot 11 but she is a towering figure on the UK independent scene. Having worked both as a wrestler and a valet, Angel is well regarded for her ability to mix old-school British wrestling techniques with more current grappling styles. Having started wrestling at 16, Angel is made of tough stuff and having been trained by Doug Williams amongst others, she is unafraid to take on male opponents. She has beaten Klondyke Kate, valeted for Jake "The Snake" Roberts and overcome Paige's fearsome mum Sweet Saraya. A swimming teacher in her spare time, Angel will continue to make a splash both in and out of the ring.
6. Zack Sabre Jr
Rounding off our final list is the indefatigable Zack Sabre Jr. Starting at 14 in the NWA-UK Hammerlock school, Sabre Jr has worked his way through One Pro Wrestling, (1PW), IPW:UK, Progress, FWA, wXw, Pro Wrestling Noah, SAS and Triple X Wrestling for whom in 2008 he faced Bryan (Daniel Bryan) Danielson. Time and again his matches are contenders for "best of the year". His hard hitting and impressive technical wrestling makes him a joy to watch. Together with fellow Brit legend Marty Scurll, Sabre Jr is known as part of the "Leaders of the New School" tag team. Old School or new, he'll be leading the card for promotions across the UK for the foreseeable future.
This concludes our trilogy. Sadly, space has forbidden us from highlighting all of those we would have liked to feature. The London Riots, Stixx, T-Bone, Lionheart and so many others deserve credit for making the UK scene so vibrant and well respected. The list is endless. The scene, bursting with talent. The simplest way to find out what's going on? Go and get a ticket and have a look.