Bingo Ballance

Gary Ballance
Born 1984
Residence Dublin, Ireland
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Bingo Ballance
Matt Richards
Billed height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Billed weight 172 lb (78 kg)
Debut 26 June 2005

Gary Ballance (born 1984) is a professional wrestler from Dublin, Ireland, who is better known by his ring name Bingo Ballance. Ballance lives and competes in Ireland, and is perhaps most well known for his four-year stint with Irish Whip Wrestling. He now competes independently in Ireland, England, Scotland and Germany.

Professional wrestling career

Irish Whip Wrestling (2005–2009)

Ballance began his career with Irish Whip Wrestling (IwW), training in their school in Baldoyle from early June 2005. Ballance debuted in a battle royal at Gym Wars 3, three weeks after he had begun training. Over the course of the year, he took part in a number of tag team matches, teaming mainly with Bam Katraz, to oppose Red Vinny, and had a singles match with Mad Man Manson towards the end of 2005.

During 2006, Ballance began to move away from tag wrestling, following a series of matches where he teamed with former rival Red Vinny to face The Ballymun Bruiser and Keego Ward, and developed into a singles wrestler, helping to pioneer what IwW dubbed its "Zero Gravity" cruiserweight division, in matches with Red Vinny, Pac, J. P. Monroe, Bubblegum, TJ Wilson, The Hornet, and Ricky Marvin. It was also in 2006 that Ballance was appointed Head Trainer of the IwW Training School.

In January 2007, Ballance became the first ever Irish Whip Wrestling Zero Gravity Champion, during the Zero Gravity Championship tournament in Balbriggan. Ballance defeated Pac in the finals. He lost the Championship in Balbriggan to hometown favourite Bam Katraz at IwW Doomsday on 23 June. Ballance recaptured the Zero Gravity Title two weeks later, at IwW Global Impact in Waterford, pinning Katraz during a triple threat match also featuring Pac. After successful defences against Red Vinny, Brother Skelly, Andy Barton, Kid Kash, and Kenichiro Arai, he was defeated by Red Vinny in Kilkenny for the championship on 20 October. Ballance finished out the year with a singles match, defeating LA Warren in his hometown of Clontarf, in Dublin.

During IwW's March tour in 2008, Ballance faced El Ligero in their first singles encounter on Irish soil, which he won. He would go on to compete in a five-way match for the IwW Zero Gravity Championship against reigning champion Red Vinny, Vic Viper, Bam Katraz and Scotland's Liam Thomson. Viper pinned Thomson to win the match. Following this bout, Ballance and Viper competed for the title, wrestling in a number of two out of three falls matches around the country. At an IwW show in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght on 14 June, that he was able to capture the Zero Gravity Title for a third time, pinning Viper, in a four-way match with Red Vinny and Metal Master. He held the title until the end of the year, seeing off challenges from LA Warren, Vic Viper, Billy Boy Meehan, UK stars Wade Fitzgerald and T-Bone, and his own trainee Keith Connolly, amongst others. He also competed in tag team matches, aligning himself with Mad Man Manson, and crowd favourites The Hurling Heroes (Captain Rooney and 'Mr. GAA' Conor Hurley) to face the likes of The Ballymun Bruiser, T-Bone, Billy Boy Meehan and LA Warren. For the second year in a row, Ballance finished out the year with a singles encounter with LA Warren, defeating him in a best of three falls match to retain the championship.

LA Warren ended Ballance's third reign as ZG Champion, defeating him in January. Through outside interference and the use of his nightstick, Warren was able to gain a pinfall victory and capture the Championship. Ballance had a few attempts to regain the Title, but was usually hindered by these same tactics and denied the chance to take it back. Ballance defeated The Supermodel (Billy Boy Meehan) at Lucan, Dublin, in February. In March and June, Ballance competed in two tours for IwW, defeating Vic Viper, Joel Redman and The Supermodel, and tagging with Captain Rooney and Working Class John. Following the tour of June, Ballance finished up his commitments to IwW and left the promotion.

Dynamic Pro Wrestling (2007–2011)

Ballance made his debut for the Yorkshire-based promotion Dynamic Pro Wrestling (DPW) at their first show Bitter Redemption, in June 2007. He was defeated by UK luchadore El Ligero. As DPW prepared for their opening show of 2008, entitled Statement of Intent, Ballance was involved in a storyline in which he had prevented Ligero from being at the show. As a result, El Ligero was in scheduled in a match with Jonny Storm, where if Ligero won, Ballance would be banned from competing in DPW. Ballance, after defeating Bubblegum earlier in the night, interfered in Ligero's match with Storm, helping Storm to win. In the main event of DPW's second show of the year, Heated Exchange Cameron Kraze defeated Ballance, despite interference from Martin Kirby, who had aligned himself with Ballance. Ligero, however, prevented Ballance from gaining an unfair victory, challenged Ballance and Kirby to a match at Built-Up Aggression. In the main event of that show, Ballance and Kirby faced Kraze and Ligero and won after Ballance hit Ligero with the ring bell. After the match, Ligero attacked Ballance, until DPW general manager Christopher Brammer intervened and announced a Last Man Standing match for the final show, in November, with Ligero's mask and Ballance's job with DPW on the line. A dislocated shoulder kept Ligero from competing in the match at the following show in November, but the two faced each other at One Year Old in 2009. Ligero scored the victory in the end, which meant that Ballance was fired from DPW.

Ballance made his return to DPW, at the 12 Fights of Christmas show on 5 December, as a face, and as Cameron Kraze's mystery partner, against DPW general manager Christopher Brammer's team of 'The Big Dog' Rainz, and DPW British Heavyweight Champion 'The Juice' CJ Banks. Ballance and Kraze were victorious. On 26 January 2010, Brammer acquiesced to the requests of Kraze and El Ligero (via his translator) that Ballance be given another chance with the promotion and granted Ballance the opportunity to wrestle back his position with the company. At DPW's 2 Years Old show on 13 March, Ballance faced, and defeated, Scottish wrestler Lionheart to win himself a new contract with the promotion.

Ballance competed twice at DPW's August Anarchy show in Morley; he defeated Joey Hayes, Sam Bailey and Danny Hope in a four-way elimination match, lastly pinning Hayes with the G-17, and faced CJ Banks in the main event, for the DPW British Heavyweight Title. Banks won by pinfall.

Ballance returned in October, for DPW's début in Pontefract, defeating his former ally Martin Kirby, with the G-17, and joined forces with former rival El Ligero to advance to the finals of the DPW Tag Title Tournament. Ballance & Ligero defeated Joseph Connors and Zack Diamond in the quarter finals, in Ossett, in December 2010, along with Prince Ameen and Diamond again in the semis in Castleford, in January 2011.

In addition to appearing on shows for the promotion, Ballance has also taken a number of seminars for the DPW Academy, training in new students of the promotion.

Dublin Championship Wrestling (2011)

Ballance débuted for DCW at their Collision Course show, in February 2011, defeating his old IwW rival, LA Warren. Ballance advanced to the semi-finals of the Championship Chase tournament in March, defeating Tucker, but was defeated by Vic Viper, via count-out; Viper's faction, The Family Against Sinners, abducted Ballance mid-match, and he was unable to return to the ring to answer the referee's ten count.

Other promotions

Ballance competed for Welsh promotion Celtic Wrestling in August 2006, defeating Jonny the Body at their Live and Let Die show.

In November 2006, Ballance participated in a triple threat match for Real Quality Wrestling at their Rebirth show in Bethnal Green, London, taking on Pac and Jonny Storm. Pac was victorious.

Ballance made the first defence of the IWW Zero Gravity Title outside Ireland in May 2007, when he defeated Ross Jordan, Seb Drea and Matt Naylor in a fatal four way match at Power Trip Wrestling's Defiance show.

Ballance has competed on a few occasions for Real Deal Wrestling. In November 2007, he took part in their tournament to crown their first Lightweight Champion, facing Jonny Storm and Zak Zodiac in a triple threat match, which Storm won. That same November, Ballance defeated Dan Ryder in a singles match in Caistor with the G-17. In August 2008, Ballance once again successfully defended the IWW Zero Gravity Title outside Ireland, when he defeated El Ligero in a ladder match.

Ballance has appeared on a number of shows for One Pro Wrestling, as well. In January 2008, he faced Lionheart at Still No Regrets, and competed in a four way match the following evening at Underground 5 against Kris Travis, Lionheart and El Hombre Insanico (Mad Man Manson.) In April that year, he also faced Lionheart and Jason Genesis in a triple threat match, along with Lionheart, Darkside and Gary Player in a four way match at Know Your Enemy. Darkside was victorious in that contest.

In February 2008, Ballance débuted for Scottish promotion Premier British Wrestling, in a losing effort to Red Lightning. He competed in the annual King of Cruisers match at Maximum Impact 2 and Maximum Impact 3, in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and was defeated by Wolfgang in a singles match in Barrhead in March 2010.

Ballance competed on two shows for German promotion Saarland Wrestling Organisation in 2009 before the company became defunct. He was defeated by Bernd Fohr in February, at SWO's Behind the Border II show, and competed in a three-way dance in April, against Marc Roudin and X-Dream.

Ballance débuted for Northern Irish promotion Sports Entertainment Wrestling (also known as Wrestling.IE) in June 2009, and made a number of appearances over the course of 2009 and 2010, at shows in Tyrone, Antrim, Armagh, Down, and Derry. In August 2009, Ballance won the King of the Ring tournament in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, defeating Shawn Maxer in the tournament finals.

Ballance has competed for Scottish promotion Wrestlezone on a number of occasions, as well. In July 2009, he defeated Johnny Lions with the G-17. In their rematch in October, Lions was victorious, using questionable tactics. Ballance would return twice for WrestleZone in 2010, in June, and in August.

Ballance appeared for Plex Wrestling in December 2009 in a match with Jay Knox.

In January 2010, Ballance returned to Germany for Alpha Pro Wrestling, defeating Bernd Fohr with the G-17.

Ballance has made two appearances for Ireland's No Limit Wrestling in 2010. In January, he defeated Bonesaw McGraw, and in April, he was defeated by Omen. He also competed for American Wrestling Superstars (sister company to American Wrestling Rampage) in May 2010, in Dublin, defeating Bonesaw McGraw.

Ballance defeated Mr. Efficient in March 2010, competing for the British All-Star Wrestling Alliance, and took part in a triple threat match for the Scottish School of Wrestling that same month, against Falcon and Rob Cage. Ballance returned to SSW in July losing out on a place in the 10 Man Rumble at Tainted Tradition.

In May 2010, Ballance débuted for both the Independent Wrestling Federation (IWF) in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Pro Wrestling Ulster. Ballance returned for IWF in June 2010, and for PWU in October.

Ballance had successful débuts at Scottish Wrestling Entertainment and Total Action Wrestling in August and September, respectively. He defeated Scotty Swift at SWE Hell for Lycra VII, and teamed with Blue Lightning to defeat Shane Summers and Jet Valentine at TAW BattleZone.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.