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Bingo Ballance (real name Gary Ballance) is a pro wrestler from Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. Though primarily based in Ireland, and a full-time roster member of Irish Whip Wrestling, Ballance has also worked, and works, for a number of promotions in the United Kingdom.
Irish Whip Wrestling (2005-2009)[]
2005[]
Ballance began his career with Irish Whip Wrestling, training in their school in Baldoyle from early June, 2005. Progressing exceptionally fast, Ballance débuted 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, and usually opposing resident IwW cruiserweight Red Vinny), and had a well-received singles match with Mad Man Manson towards the end of 2005. IwW fans named Ballance the Breakout Star of 2005 in an online poll at irishwhipwrestling.com.
2006[]
During 2006, Ballance began to move away from tag wrestling- following an exciting series, where he teamed with former rival Red Vinny to face The Ballymun Bruiser and Keego Ward- and developed into more of a singles wrestler, helping to pioneer what IwW dubbed its "Zero Gravity" cruiserweight division, in exciting matches with Red Vinny, Pac (Ben Satterly), JP Monroe, Bubblegum, Canadian stars TJ Wilson and The Hornet, and Pro Wrestling NOAH star Ricky Marvin. Gaining a lot of momentum coming up to the end of 2006, with victories over Keego Ward, The Ballymun Bruiser, and Rick O'Shea amongst others, many fans tipped Ballance to be the winner of the tournament to crown a Zero Gravity Champion, in January of the following year. (It was also in 2006 that Ballance was appointed Head Trainer of the IwW Training School, and helped bring a number of younger stars to the forefront of IwW shows around the country.)
2007[]
In January 2007, Ballance reached the pinnacle of his career, becoming the first ever Irish Whip Wrestling Zero Gravity Champion, during the IwW Zero-Gravity tournament in Balbriggan . Defeating his own trainee- and friend- Brother Skelly in the quarter finals, and pinning Emil Sitoci, in a triple threat match also featuring UK star Bubblegum, Ballance went on to the finals to face 'The Man That Gravity Forgot' Pac. After a gruelling match, where both men emptied their arsenals, Ballance was victorious, pinning Pac with the BSP, in front of a jubilant sold-out crowd, in Balbriggan.
A frequent defender of the Title, Ballance faced and defeated the likes of Red Vinny, Bam Katraz, Brother Skelly, Irish Dragon,'Angry' Andy Barton and- in his most high-profile defence- was victorious in IwW's second Donnybrook match in Donnycarney, Dublin, defeating Red Vinny, El Ligero and Bubblegum, before losing the Championship in Balbriggan to hometown favourite Bam Katraz (at IwW Doomsday in Dublin, on June 23.)
Ballance recaptured the Zero Gravity Title two weeks later, at IwW Global Impact (in Waterford) pinning Katraz with his G-17 finisher, during a triple threat match also featuring Pac. He would hold the Title from July 6 until October 20 (defending against Red Vinny, Brother Skelly, Andy Barton, former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Kid Kash, and Dragon Gate star Keni'chiro Arai) when he was defeated by Red Vinny in Kilkenny. Ballance finished out the year with a singles match, defeating LA Warren in his hometown of Clontarf, in Dublin.
2008[]
During IwW's March tour in 2008, Ballance faced El Ligero in their first singles encounter on Irish soil, defeating the exciting luchadore with a G-17. He would go on to compete in a heated five-way match for the IwW Zero Gravity Championship (at IwW hotspot Donnycarney, in north Dublin) against reigning champion Red Vinny (who had suffered a foot injury a few months previous), Vic Viper, Bam Katraz and Scotland's Liam Thomson. Paying off Katraz to aid him in the match, Viper was able to eliminate Vinny from the action, blasting his injured foot with a steel chair, before going on to pin Thomson with his Snakebite finisher. (All five men received plaudits for the match, which was included on IwW's International Hits DVD.)Following this bout, Ballance & Viper tussled in an exciting series for the Title, competing in a number of two-out-of-three-falls matches around the country. Despite Ballance's best efforts, Viper would usually escape with the gold, after some shady tactics.
It was at IwW's biggest show of the year, however- in the National Basketball Arena, in Tallaght, before over 950 fans- that he was able to capture the Zero Gravity Title for a third time, pinning Viper, in a fourway match with Red Vinny and Metal Master. From June 14, he would hold the Title until the end of the year, seeing off tough 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 would also see tag action, 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 the "Regulator" in a hard-fought best-of-three-falls match for the ZG Title.
2009[]
At IwW's first show of 2009, LA Warren captured Ballance's Zero Gravity Title through dubious tactics. These same tactics would be employed by Warren in later title defences against the former Champion. Ballance wrestled on a number of shows for the company in the first half of the year, usually in Title matches with Warren, or in singles competition—Ballance would gain a number of key wins over the likes of The Supermodel, Joel Redman and Vic Viper, during tours of Ireland in March and June. In mid-June, Ballance finished up his commitments with IwW, and left the promotion.
Dynamic Pro Wrestling (2007-2009)[]
2007[]
Ballance made his début for Leeds-based DPW at their first show Bitter Redemption, in June 2007, facing popular UK luchadore El Ligero. In many fans' favourite match of the night, Ligero defeated Ballance by pinfall, with his C4L DDT.
2008[]
As DPW prepared for their opening show of 2008, entitled Statement of Intent, word got out that Ballance had secretly made an offer of a false booking to El Ligero, to prevent his being there at the show. DPW management were disgusted by this, and put Ballance's career with DPW on the line in a match where El Ligero would take on Jonny Storm. If Ligero was victorious, Ballance would be fired. Ballance, himself, would see action, facing Ligero's best friend Bubblegum. This bout opened DPW's first show of 2008, and after a hard-hitting back-and-forth encounter, Ballance escaped with the victory, pinning Bubblegum with the G-17. He would escape with his career, too, interfering in Ligero's match with Storm, later on, costing him the win.
In the main event of DPW's second show of the year, Heated Exchange, Morley hometown hero Cameron Kraze defeated Ballance, despite the latter's shady tactics, and the interference of Martin Kirby (who aligned himself with the Irishman.) Ligero managed to even the playing field, and prevent Ballance from gaining an unfair victory, and presented a challenge to him & Kirby to face Kraze and Ligero at the following show.
At Built-Up Aggression, Ballance and Kirby faced Kraze and Ligero in the main event of the evening, and managed to eke out a victory- under extremely dubious circumstances- as Ballance hit Ligero in the ribs with the timekeeper's ring bell, and rolled him up, with a liberal handful of tights. The action did not end at the final bell, however, as Ligero pounded his rival into near-unconsciousness, and lay him on the commentator's table, intending to splash him through it. It was the intervention of DPW general manager Christopher Brammer that saved the Irishman, demanding that both men be separated, and announcing a Last Man Standing Match for the final show, in November. If Ballance were to win, Ligero would have to remove his mask. If he were to lose, however, he would be fired from DPW.
A dislocated shoulder kept Ligero from competing in the match at the following show in November (WrestLeeds) but 'The Zenith of Zero Gravity' still saw action, facing Jonny Storm in the main event of the evening. Through some minor assistance from Ligero, Storm picked up the win with the Wonderwhirl.
Ballance and Ligero are scheduled to face off in their Last Man Standing match at DPW's next show on February 28, of 2009.
Other Promotions[]
One Pro Wrestling (1PW)[]
Ballance faced Scottish wrestler Lionheart in his first 1PW appearance at Still No Regrets, in January 2008, in a losing effort. At Underground 5, he took on Kris Travis, Lionheart, and El Hombre Insanico (Mad Man Manson) in a fourway match that Lionheart won. In April, Ballance was a participant in a three-way match with Jason Genesis and Lionheart, which the latter won. (This was at Fight Club Reloaded.) At the Know Your Enemy show later that evening, Ballance faced Darkside, Gary Player and Lionheart in a fourway match to decide the number one contender to the 1PW Openweight Championship. Darkside was victorious.
Premier British Wrestling (PBW)[]
On February 16, 2008, at Urban Assault, in Greenock, Scotland, Ballance faced Red Lightning, in a singles match that the latter won, with a roll-up using the ropes. Ballance returned for Maximum Impact II in October, competing in a six-way King of Cruisers match against Liam Thomson, BT Gunn, Bubblegum, El Ligero and Zack Sabre, Jr. Bubblegum was the eventual winner of this contest.
Real Deal Wrestling (RDW)[]
Ballance was one of the participants in RDW's Third Anniversary Tournament, in November 2007, to crown their first ever Lightweight Champion. In a qualifying match, he faced Jonny Storm and Zak Zodiac. Storm gained the victory, pinning Zodiak with a second-rope moonsault. Ballance appeared again for RDW's show in Caistor, defeating Dan Ryder in the opening contest, with the G-17. He would also return for the final show of RDW's Summer Slamfest series, in August 2008, at the Suncastle in Skegness, defeating El Ligero in a ladder match for the IWW Zero Gravity Title.
Celtic Wrestling[]
Ballance defeated Jonny the Body with a top-rope quebrada at Live and Let Die, in the Canton Community Centre (Merthyr Tydfil, Wales) in August 2006.
Power Trip Wrestling (PTW)[]
In May 2007, Ballance successfully defended his IWW Zero Gravity Title against Ross Jordan, Seb Drea and Matt Naylor in the main event of PTW's Defiance show, in Luton, England, pinning Jordan with the G-17.
Real Quality Wrestling (RQW)[]
Ballance faced Pac and Jonny Storm in a three-way match at RQW's York Hall show, in November 2006. Pac was victorious in this match.
Wrestling Facts[]
- Finishing and Signature Moves
- The G-17 (tilt-a-whirl inverted crucifix slam)
- The B-84 (wraparound swingout faceplant)
- Top rope springboard crossbody
- Running springboard enziguri
- Frog splash
- The 626 (Samoan driver)
- Corner evasion and running leg lariat
- The Ballance Transfer (T-bone suplex with leg and arm trapped)
- Running legdrop takeover
- Tiger driver
- Springboard back elbow
- The BallancePlex (rope-hang swinging suplex)
- The BSP (Ballance Star Press—inverted shooting star press)
- Running plancha
- Nicknames
- The Zenith of Zero Gravity
- The Crown Jewel of the Emerald Isle (heel)
- Entrance Music
- Map of the Problematique, by Muse (main entrance track)
- Everyday Combat, by Lostprophets
- Plug-in Baby, by Muse (2005-2006)
- Spitfire, by The Prodigy
Championships and accomplishments[]
- Irish Whip Wrestling Zero Gravity Champion (x3)
