This year’s Battle of the Nations event will feature a six man tag team match, as Bryan Tucker, Johnny Lions, and Scotty Swift team to face the Sterling Oil trio of Crusher Craib and The Sterling Brothers, Alan and William. If Sterling Oil are victorious, they’ll be allowed to accompany Richard R. Russell to ringside for his match with Damien. However if they lose, they’ll be banned from the building for the rest of the night. But today, I’m not here to speak about the match so to say. I’m here to tell you why (not if) Bryan Tucker will join Sterling Oil during the night.

So without further ado, in the wise words of Simon Miller; Why? *slaps head* Here’s Why!

Ever since then-partner Shawn Johnson turned on him at Christmas Chaos 2015, Bryan Tucker hasn’t been the same. Judging by what’s been happening over the last few months, the former multi-time Tag Team Champion is in desperate need of an attitude change. Tucker hasn’t been on the best of runs since the Tri-Counties Championship Tournament culminated last year. Since failing to take the title down, Tucker has been floundering around the scene with unsuccessful challenges for all three of WrestleZone’s titles over the past 12 months. He lasted less then 2 minutes (if I remember correctly anyway) in this year’s Regal Rumble Match, something he won’t be proud of considering he’s a former winner of the match in 2011.

While Scotty Swift and Johnny Lions appear to be getting all chummy nowadays following years of conflict, Bryan is tagging along as a third wheel. As I sit here typing what is starting to sound like some sort of strange love story, Tucker needs to realise that he’s going to go nowhere by standing in their shadows. By trying to help Swift in his Regal Rumble No DQ Match against Crusher Craib to stop the interference of William and Alan, it left Tucker as a target for The Sterling Brothers as they easily disposed of him in the actual Rumble Match itself.

Given the added stipulations of this match as well as the journey that has been built with Damien’s monumental rise to the top, it feels as if Russell will indeed have help at ringside. So what happens? Do Crusher, Alan, and William simply get the victory by cheating? Does Shawn Johnson interfere to help his comrades? How about a new member to join the ranks of Sterling Oil? Now although Bryan Tucker is one of the least possible candidates to join the Richard R. Russell led group, but it would at least give him something to do for the foreseeable future. It’s the next step in Tucker’s career at this current stage.

But just how could Bryan Tucker, a man who has always been adored by the WrestleZone faithful, join such a devious faction? Personally, I see it happening like this;

The six man tag team match should open the show and should be won by Tucker, Lions, and Swift. Tucker performs a big move, perhaps his Twist of Fate finisher, on Crusher Craib without realising Swift had tagged himself in. WrestleZone’s Red Haired Warrior gets the pin on Crusher, his first pin over The Creator of Carnage since Crusher’s return from injury last year. Tucker is visibly annoyed with Swift and heads to the back with his head looking at the floor. The stipulation entailed to the match means Sterling Oil are barred from ringside for Richard R. Russell’s match.

Damien vs Russell appears like it may possibly be the main event, if not then definitely high up the card. As the match goes on, Richard avoids a corner knee strike from Damien, who in turn connects with the referee, leaving the match without an official for the time being. Of course, this is followed by Crusher Craib and The Sterling Brothers storming the ringside area but they’re met by Bryan Tucker, Scotty Swift, and Johnny Lions before they can lay their hands on The Revolutionary. As a war ensues all over The Northern Hotel, Damien, Russell, and Tucker are left in the ring. Undisputed Champion Shawn Johnson emerges from the curtain to try and even the numbers, steel chair in hand. He tries sliding the chair to Richard, but it’s stopped by Tucker. The perennial fan favourite lifts the chair from the ground while staring down his former Granite City Hotshots partner. Bryan, seemingly frustrated with his current position, swings the chair and connects with Damien’s skull. The fans gasp with their jaws dropped to the floor. Tucker revives the referee and Russell gets the pinfall over Damien, meaning he has full match control at Aberdeen Anarchy X and also Damien will be unable to challenge for the Undisputed Championship at the Beach Ballroom.

Following on from this, I’d then have Tucker and Crusher Craib face Scotty Swift and Johnny Lions in a Street Fight at Aberdeen Anarchy.

So that’s my hot take for Battle of the Nations 2018. Have you got any?

 

 

 

 

Credit for the Sterling Oil logo goes to Bearhug Design
Credit for the Bryan Tucker promo pic goes to http://www.wrestlezonescotland.co.uk