by Craig Hermit.
“Congratulations to BT Gunn, last night at BCW he became the first and only ever Scottish Grand Slam Champion, winning every main title within the central belt, he has reached the top and I am proper proud of him, he is my brother, the only person In this crazy business I truly trust, NAK till death” – Chris Renfrew
On the 15th of April, a magnificent achievement occurred at BCW (British Championship Wrestling) in Kilmarnock. During the main event, BT Gunn participated in a triple threat match where every title in that promotion was on the line. The conclusion; one man ending Kid Fite’s 3-year + long BCW Championship reign and that man was BT Gunn.
Now winning the BCW Championship is an amazing achievement in itself but capturing the title on this night had greater ramifications as he became a Grand Slam Champion after capturing the PBW, NWA/SWA, ICW, and BCW Heavyweight Championships within his career.
Looking back, BT Gunn has captured multiple championships in almost in every promotion he has competed in during his career. He has captured titles ranging from tag team championships as well as the BCW Openweight which would lead him to that promotions premier championship.
His Grand Slam Championship journey started in NWASWA in March 2009, the promotion later renamed itself as SWA (Scottish Wrestling Alliance) when he defeated Adam Shame & Lionheart in a triple threat match for the NWA Scottish Heavyweight title. Amazingly, BT Gunn would hold on to that championship for 84 days before losing it to Lionheart but the statement had been made and Scottish Wrestling was witnessing a new exciting talent emerging through the ranks.
After this defeat fans wouldn’t have to wait long until he captured another Heavyweight Championship. In June 2010, he defeated Johnny Moss, Liam Thompson and Wolfgang in a four-way elimination match to seize the ICW Heavyweight Championship for the first time.
A phenomenal achievement for a wrestler whose records show he débuted in 2006, only four years earlier. With two of Scotland’s prestigious championships captured within such a short time it was easy to see that fans recognised what he could achieve in professional wrestling.
Before we go further, it’s hard to ignore the amazing things he has accomplished in the tag team divisions in multiple promotions across the country. For example, he is a three time ICW Tag Team Champion, a Pro Wrestling Elite and Target Tag Team Champion alongside friend & NAK Brother; Chris Renfrew as well as holding the BCW and PBW Tag Team Championship with Stevie Xavier.
Now looking at his time in ICW, fans have witnessed multiple changes in BT Gunn since he captured his first ICW Heavyweight Championship and every change has excited the fans every step of the way. From his wars alongside Chris Renfrew representing Team ICW facing the Gold Label when he would have his second reign at ICW’s Heavyweight title, However, it would be afterwards when he lost that title that fans witnessed a difference in his demeanour as he would depart the promotion only to return at ICW ‘Hadouken’, where he cost his friend, Chris Renfrew the ICW Championship. The shock wouldn’t end there as, he would terrorise his former partner for months after. The conclusion would see fans witness a venomous feud between the two that would eclipse anything ICW had seen before but that would be only a teaser of the destruction BT Gunn would achieve later on in the promotion.
Facing Wolfgang during 2014 would see fans divided as the battles between the two would get more personal with each match, ending in a brutal steel cage match at ‘Square Go 2015’. Later on that year his battles with Mikey Whiplash (I wouldn’t call it a rivalry because during the months they feuded it became so much more and the matches stunned even the more hardened ICW fan) won feud of the year 2015.
This year, reunited with Chris Renfrew, the duo have continued to excite the promotion in dangerous and dazzling ways, including during an episode of ‘Friday Night Fight Club’, BT Gunn leaped off the balcony at The Garage in Glsagow to the ring to aid his partner in an amazing sight.
In the family friendly environment of PBW (Premier British Championship), he would defeat Lionheart during February 2011 to capture the PBW Heavyweight Championship, a title reign that would last well over a year until he was defeated by Liam Thompson. The fans in PBW have grown accustomed to seeing him as part of the phenomenal tag team; ‘Just Uz’ with Stevie Xavier. United, the two men are flawless in their combination of high flying talents and executing exciting wrestling that has lead them to tag team championships in PBW as well as BCW. It’s clear PBW have listened to their fans as BT Gunn has been given a shot at their Heavyweight Champion; Jack Jester this Saturday in Greenock in what is sure to be an amazing match.
He appears never to boast of his adaptability in a sometimes chaotic wrestling environment or indeed the skills that he possesses. He is now the Grand Slam Champion and with WWE along with many other mainstream promotions from all over the world casting their eye over UK wrestling to who could enhance their own company, maybe should ask the fans or the wrestlers because there is one name that keeps coming up and it’s BT Gunn.
“No words can describe how proud I am of this guy.
He’ s worked so hard for over 10 years and last night at BCW it all paid off.
GRAND SLAM winner in Scotland.
And not only that, he has also held all 3 championships within BCW as well.
Just amazing. No matter what he puts everything into all his matches and to see him win last night and share it with his uncle, the man who introduced him to wrestling when he was young and started it all And his sister who has been through so much with him growing up. Meant everything
#BTGUNN #GRANDSLAMCHAMP #BCW #BRITISHCHAMPIONSHIPWRESTLING #TRIPLECROWNCHAMP #THEODDITY” – Kasey Owens
*Our thanks to David J Wilson Photography for the images used in the article.
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