“Press X to Cancel”: The Strange Saga of 5★ Wrestling — The Indie That Tried to Out-Hustle WWE and Broke Its Own Controller

There are ambitious wrestling promotions — and then there was 5★ Wrestling, the Scottish-born brainchild that tried to leapfrog the indies, conquer television, and tie it all together with a PlayStation video game.

It had AJ Styles, John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, and even a (very theoretical) million-dollar offer to CM Punk. It had a 128-man tournament “bigger than the G1.”

It also had… cancellations, empty arenas, broken promises, and one of the most gloriously weird wrestling video games ever coded.

This is the story of 5★ Wrestling — how it rose, glitched, and crashed in spectacular fashion.

Level 1: Insert Game Disc to Start

Before it was a wrestling company, 5★ Wrestling was a video game.

Released in 2015 by Scottish studio Serious Parody, it was marketed as the thinking fan’s alternative to WWE 2K — less corporate, more creative. The developers bragged about “limb targeting,” “finisher-to-finisher counters,” and “authentic storytelling.”

What we actually got was… a love letter to wrestling that had been folded, photocopied, and dropped in a puddle.

The roster was full of legally distinct versions of famous stars:

• Curtis Angle instead of Kurt,

• Greg Hardy instead of Jeff,

• Ragnabrock instead of, well, you can guess.

It wasn’t bad, exactly — it was just wonderfully janky. The animations were stiffer than a Zack Sabre Jr. joint lock, and the commentary sounded like two robots arguing over a cup of tea.

And yet, the game had heart. You could feel the developers genuinely loved pro wrestling.

So much so, that they decided to turn the game into a real promotion.

Level 2: From Pixels to Pyro

Promoter and developer Dan Hinkles announced that the 5★ Wrestling brand was going IRL.

Not just a few live events, mind you — but a touring company with television deals and international stars. This wasn’t your dad’s bingo-hall indie. 5★ booked arenas. It brought in AJ Styles, John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, and Rob Van Dam.

In January 2016, 5★’s first big card in Newcastle featured John Morrison vs AJ Styles for the brand-new 5★ Championship — a genuine dream match.

But as one review frankly noted:

“There were tons of awful finishes, the show started late, overran, and hardly any atmosphere with 800 people in an arena.” F4W/WONAnother writer said:“The problem … is although we care about the wrestlers themselves, we don’t know why they’re fighting and why they’re fighting for this title.” Kayfabe Today

Fan reaction echoed the tension between star-booking and logistic gaps. One Reddit thread summarised:

“5 Star Wrestling was a short-lived UK promotion that was horribly mismanaged. However, there’s no denying they attracted some of the biggest unattached talent between 2015-2018.” Reddit

That duality—big name, big promise, small boots on the ground—is central to 5★’s story.

AJ was gone to WWE weeks later, but for one night, in a Scottish startup’s ring, the indie universe felt limitless.

Level 3: “We’re Doing a 128-Man Tournament!”

Some companies build slow. Others build hype.

5★ Wrestling chose chaotic energy.

In 2017, Hinkles announced the 5★ Wrestling 128-Man Tournament — billed as the “largest pro wrestling tournament in history.”

The plan: dozens of cities, weekly TV coverage, a massive single-elimination bracket featuring the biggest names on the planet.The catch: there was no bracket, no schedule, and (as it turned out) no budget to make it happen.

And then came the CM Punk stunt — a public $1,000,000 offer for Punk to wrestle in the tournament. According to The Courier:

“We’ve been trying to contact CM Punk on and off for well over a year.” The CourierThat alone got headlines around the globe. But of course: the tournament never happened. The Punk appearance never materialised. The ambition outpaced execution.One review of their Dundee TV-special hinted at the struggle:“The best matches on the show had a Scotsman… but the crowd was off-putting, the camera work missed some action, and music played the winner’s song before the match ended.” Nerdly

The lesson: Hype is free. Infrastructure costs. 128 entrants means dozens of shows, logistics, payouts, venues. And 5★ didn’t line all of that up in time.

Level 4: Big Names, Big Arenas, and Big Problems

Let’s break down three key shows to illustrate both the promise and the cracks.

Show A: Newcastle, January 13, 2016

• Headline: John Morrison defeated AJ Styles for the 5★ Championship. Wrestle Ropes Archive+1

• Under-card: Joe Coffey vs Will Ospreay, Grado vs Carlito, Rey Mysterio vs Jay Lethal (DQ).Reviewers were blunt:

“There were tons of awful finishes … the show started late, overran, and hardly any atmosphere.” F4W/WONAnother nails the logic:“On paper booking big independent stars … should work. In reality, not a chance.” Kayfabe Today

Fan takeaway: They paid premium for big names, but the production seemed unready. Many left early. The mystical “arena show” dream clashed with reality — smaller crowd, late start, uneven matches.Yet as one fan put on Reddit:

“You’re unlikely to see this type of run reproduced by another indie promotion — and for good reason based on how quickly 5 Star folded.” Reddit

Show B: Dundee – “Dominant Wrestling: Live from Dundee”, January 28, 2017

• Format: 8-man one-night tournament for the 5★ title, televised on SPIKE/FreeSports. Nerdly+1

• Participants: John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, Carlito, PJ Black, Nick Aldis, Moose, Drew Galloway, Chris Masters.Reviewers liked parts and hated others. From SWN:

“Drew Galloway may be the best wrestler around right now and this was possibly one of the best matches on the show.” SCOTTISH WRESTLING NETWORK | SWNFan quote:“Actually liked this. Had a crowd feeling rather than studio feeling … that’s for sure.” NerdlyBut issues persisted: many UK-talent fans felt under-represented; camera work & timing were sloppy; crowd fill was weak in certain areas.Promoter David Low of rival SWE called it out:“Dundee is SWE country and it’s not very polite for a rival to pitch up on our turf and put on a show.” The Courier

Show C: Liverpool Echo Arena, February 1, 2018 (Live on FreeSports)

• Headline: 5★ developed “Tap Or Snap” submission title; Mark Haskins won a five-way elimination match. Wrestlezone

• Matches: Rampage Brown pinned Moose; Max Money captured Tag Team titles; Rey Mysterio saved Morrison & RVD post-TV taping.Fan angle: This was 5★ trying to pivot into TV-friendly, monthly big-venue shows. The gaps in logistics were more exposed: tapings, multi-match card, star names, but also cost, coordination, timing.One press piece noted:

“5 STAR MEMORABLE MOMENTS … Talk about starting a historic show off hot.” WrestlezoneBut the underlying financial model remained precarious.

Level 5: The Final Bell

In March 2018, 5★ Wrestling officially folded.

As the SmackDownHotel succinctly states:

“Founded September 20 2015 … ceased March 20 2018.” The SmackDown HotelBehind closed doors: missed shows, low ticket sales, large guarantees, broadcast obligations.Fan comment:“On paper … big independent stars … should work. In reality, not a chance.” Kayfabe TodayIt was indeed a crash. But also, in many ways: a burst of energy, an experiment, a “what-if” footnote in the UK scene.

The company released a short statement saying it had ceased operations, citing “unforeseen circumstances.” Translation: they ran out of money.

The wrestling world’s reaction was a mix of sympathy and “we told you so.”Even rival promoters like Preston City Wrestling stepped up to honor unused 5★ tickets, which was both classy and deeply symbolic — the indie scene cleaning up after one of its own.

Bonus Level: What 5★ Got Right (and So, So Wrong)

Looking back, it’s tempting to dunk on 5★ for its missteps. But buried under the chaos was something rare — ambition.

This was a small Scottish company that dared to book dream matches, land a TV slot, and believe wrestling could be a multimedia empire again. That’s not nothing.

What they got right:

✅ Booking top-tier talent who cared

✅ Trying to innovate with a media-first approach

✅ Actually getting some TV exposure

What they got wrong:

❌ Scaling faster than their finances

❌ Over-promising (the 128-man tournament, CM Punk)

❌ Forgetting that consistency builds credibility

In the end, 5★ Wrestling didn’t die because it was bad — it died because it tried to be everything before it was something.

Epilogue: The Glitch Lives On

Today, 5★ Wrestling exists mostly as a trivia question and a YouTube rabbit hole.The video game has become a cult classic — a perfect snapshot of that era’s indie spirit and indie jank.

The promotion itself? A fascinating footnote in the UK wrestling boom — proof that in wrestling, as in gaming, you can’t just “press start” and expect a happy ending.

But hey, for one night in 2016, John Morrison pinned AJ Styles in Newcastle to become a world champion in a promotion born from a parody video game.

And that’s the kind of chaotic, brilliant nonsense that makes pro wrestling… five stars.

References

Bleacher Report. (2017, May 17). 5 Star Wrestling offers CM Punk $1 million for U.K. tournament. Bleacher Report. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2710530-5-star-wrestling-offers-cm-punk-1-million-for-uk-tournament

F4W Online. (2016, January 13). 5 Star Wrestling results from Newcastle: John Morrison vs AJ Styles. Figure Four Weekly Online. https://www.f4wonline.com/news/other-wrestling/5-star-wrestling-results-newcastle-john-morrison-vs-aj-styles-205596

Hinkles, D. (2018, March 20). Official 5 Star Wrestling statement on cessation of operations [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com

Kayfabe Today. (2016, January 14). 5 Star Wrestling Newcastle 13/01 review: Was it 5 Star or not? Kayfabe Today. https://kayfabetoday.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/5-star-wrestling-newcastle-1301-reviewwas-it-5-star-or-not/

Nerdly. (2017, January 29). 5 Star Wrestling: Dominant Wrestling – Live from Dundee review. Nerdly UK. https://www.nerdly.co.uk/2017/01/29/5-star-wrestling-dominant-wrestling-dundee-review/

Push Square. (2015, March 17). Review: 5 Star Wrestling (PS3). Push Square. https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps3/5_star_wrestling

Reddit. (2021, July 3). What was the deal with 5 Star Wrestling? [r/SquaredCircle thread]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/odqj5q/what_was_the_deal_with_5_star_wrestling/

SmackDown Hotel. (2023). 5 Star Wrestling promotion profile. The SmackDown Hotel Database. https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/promotions/5-star-wrestling

SWN Scotland. (2017, February 4). Review: 5 Star Wrestling presents Dominant Wrestling – Dundee. Scottish Wrestling Network. https://swnscotland.com/2017/02/04/review-5-wrestling-presents-dominant-wrestling-dundee/

The Courier. (2017, January 19). Legendary wrestling icon may head to Dundee after £1 million offer. The Courier (UK). https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dundee/430145/legendary-wrestling-icon-may-head-to-dundee-after-1m-offer/

The Courier. (2017, January 26). Turf war breaks out over Dundee wrestling show. The Courier (UK). https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dundee/350396/turf-war-breaks-out-over-dundee-wrestling-show/

WrestleZone. (2018, February 2). 5 Star Wrestling results for 2/1: RVD vs John Morrison, Rey Mysterio & Jack Swagger in action. WrestleZone. https://www.wrestlezone.com/news/921103-5-star-wrestling-results-for-21-rvd-vs-john-morrison-rey-mysterio-jack-swagger-in-action

WrestleRopes UK. (2016, January 13). 5 Star Wrestling UK tour – Newcastle (full results, new champion). WrestleRopes UK. https://wrestleropesuk.wordpress.com/2016/01/13/5-star-wrestling-uk-tour-newcastle-full-results-new-champion/