Summerhill Showdown 2022, otherwise known as The Next Show Where Aspen Faith Definitely Isn’t Returning, will see a capped audience flock to the Best Western Hotel for the first time in 2022 as a new arc begins in WrestleZone. There’s an Undisputed Championship match three years in the making, a lovely little Tri-Counties Championship rematch, and yes, there’s even a WrestleZone debut as Alex Webb travels up north, although how he gets there is a mystery…

The Best Western Hotel, or the Sure Hotel, or the Summerhill Hotel *and breathe* has played host to many, many famed WrestleZone moments and matches over the years. It’s a home venue for the promotion in the same vein as the Northern Hotel. There’s been new champions crowned, there’s been Regal Rumbles, there’s been Johnny Lions joining and leaving Sterling Oil all in a matter of seconds, there’s been a plethora of guest stars, from Joe Hendry to Jack Jester to Grado to Noam Dar.

There’s seven matches confirmed in total, including the pre-show, so why are we wasting time?

Undisputed WrestleZone Championship
Damien (c) vs. Zach Dynamite

It’s the match three years in the making, but the story behind it travels back further. Damien is the Undisputed Champion, celebrating his 1,015th day as the champion come Saturday night, and yes, COVID days count, apologies in advance to previous record holder, Scotty Swift. Although he was the inaugural Undisputed Champion in 2011, Damien wouldn’t regain the title until October 2017, the journey that began when he emphatically Superkicked Shawn Johnson the month before in a moment that, if you listen close enough, you can still hear the rapturous noise of the audience. That same night, though, Zach Dynamite challenged Shawn for the title in a Triple Threat, having returned to wrestling just over one year before. It’s all been building and brewing and bubbling and other b-words since then, really, including both men being crowned a champion at Aberdeen Anarchy X. It all culminates in this, a result of Bad SantaDynamite’s assault at the end of Christmas Chaos (and then Aspen Faith can return at the end, get a title match, and make this neck of the woods a pack of happy bunnies pls and thx xoxo).

WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship
Chris Archer (c) vs. Captain Alan Sterling

It’s a Halloween Hijinx rematch, as Captain Alan Sterling challenges (pains me to no longer be writing defends for him…) Chris Archer for the Tri-Counties Championship. Their first match at Halloween Hijinx was very much up WrestleZone’s street, a story intertwined throughout the whole show, really. It was meant to open the show, then it didn’t and you wondered why, and then you realised the reason, as Chris Archer ended the night as the new Tri-Counties Champion. It was as perfect a title change as you could imagine, the big celebration schmozz at the end with the roster and all sorts, with a successful defence of the title coming against Bryan Tucker at WrestleZone’s Training Academy show. The loss of the title has taken its toll on Sterling, however. He lost a carrot to his seahorse, was then chased by the seahorse around a snowy field, and has since reunited with his long-lost brother William. This is real. It all happened. If Alan now doesn’t come up the stairs of the Best Western Hotel on his seahorse, then what was even the point?

Crusher Craib & Connor Molloy vs. Caleb Valhalla & William Sterling

The WrestleZone Tag Team Championships are not on the line at Summerhill Showdown, with William Sterling being recruited to tag with Caleb Valhalla against the current but not defending champions, Crusher Craib and Connor Molloy. William, having seemingly also adopted an accent of sorts, seemed delighted at the prospect of a non-title shot, offering to teach the “kid” a thing or two… ah, he’s getting a Helride, isn’t he? At the 2020 Regal Rumble before, y’know, it was Alan and Caleb who were due to challenge Crusher and Connor for the Tag Team Championships. We all know what was going to happen there, or at least what we think would have happened. This feels like a way of building back around to this. Helrides for everyone. Catch a flying Connor Molloy mid-air with one, why not, it’s the new year, go all out.

Mr P & Shawn Johnson vs. The Foundation of the Future (Bruiser Brad Evans & Ryan Riley)

This feels like something is happening, perhaps a new member in the Foundation of the Future, but that only means nothing will happen and I am yet again wrong. The FOTF’s Bruiser Brad Evans and Ryan Riley lost a Tag Team Championships match at Christmas Chaos, but Riley’s foot was under the ropes, contrary to popular belief. The pinfall should’ve been ruled null and void, but Dennis Law refereed the match, as he did at Aberdeen Anarchy X in the Tables match, and yes, this will forever be brought up in conversation discussing shady refereeing in WrestleZone. A match with Mr P and Shawn Johnson, who have six Tag Team Championships reigns between them (seven if you include when Shawn subbed for William Sterling in 2016) is the thing to lead them into a second title bout, presumably at either the Regal Rumble or Aberdeen Anarchy. An all-gold Foundation of the Future by May sounds just about right.

The Outfit (Dino Del Monte & Ted O’Keefe) vs. Scotty Swift & Umar Mohammed

The Outfit is back together, and all is right in the world once again. Dino Del Monte, the George Michael of Scottish wrestling, resurfaced at Christmas Chaos by elbowing Umar Mohammed‘s face to mush, giving Ted O’Keefe an easy win. A simple story followed; The Outfit laid down the challenge for a tag team match, Umar accepted, and chose Scotty Swift to take the place of his partner. I certainly wasn’t predicting it to be Johnny Lions, based off his Facebook posts. Nope, not at all, 100% false news. This could be fun, with Umar’s energetic style, The Outfit’s intense barrage of strikes, and Swift’s general knowledge and expertise combining to make a fun little match. If nothing else, we can look forward to seeing Swift’s customised Kameez. If Ted can get one, then Scotty deserves one, too.

Alex Webb vs. Bryan Tucker

Alex Webb in WrestleZone, you love to see it. He’s stepping into the Webbverse, he’s swinging from train to train, insert other Spider-Man-based puns despite Spider-Man: No Way Home being one of only a few MCU films I’ve seen (I’ll see myself out) to face Bryan Tucker, a pillar of Aberdeen wrestling. Webb has slowly been asserting himself as a one to watch around the country, with regular work in Reckless Intent Wrestling, as well as seemingly joining the Discovery Wrestling roster full-time. His style should work for a WrestleZone audience, he’s always shouting and getting the crowd involved, plus he’s got – no joke – 69,000 subscribers on the YouTubes. Nice. Bryan Tucker stands no chance, unless, hear me out… he becomes a sensation on Dailymotion! Very good match, though, yes.

VIP Ticket Holders Pre-Show
Mikkey Vago vs. Ronan King

Talk about a clash of styles. Mikkey Vago, the Heavy Metal Hooligan and host of the famed (at SWN Towers) Mikkey’s Mosh Pit, will contend Ronan King, a flamboyant youngster with TikTok-y entrance music. It’ll be a fun match for the pre-show to get everyone hyped for the main festivities. Vago, in 2021, had a stellar time of it, winning the Halloween Brawl that was needlessly fun and then teamed with Chris Archer in a win over Captain Alan Sterling and Caleb Valhalla, during which he headscissorsed (is that a word?) Valhalla in a neat moment. Ronan, meanwhile, suffered two losses to Mr P and Evan Young; the zebra tights are unlucky. Watch him come out in leopard now and win. A pinfall over a former Tag Team Champion will set King off on the right foot for 2022.

---

Tickets for Summerhill Showdown are sold out, with WrestleZone doing the right thing as always and capping the attendance in lieu of the ongoing restrictions. Doors open at 6pm, seemingly for everything, with the card kicking off once everyone is safely seated. Do your lateral flows, wear your masks, and keep your distance.

Announced Matches
Undisputed WrestleZone Championship – Damien (c) vs. Zach Dynamite
WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship – Chris Archer (c) vs. Captain Alan Sterling
Crusher Craib & Connor Molloy vs. Caleb Valhalla & William Sterling
Mr P & Shawn Johnson vs. The Foundation of the Future (Bruiser Brad Evans & Ryan Riley)
The Outfit (Dino Del Monte & Ted O’Keefe) vs. Scotty Swift & Umar Mohammed
Alex Webb vs. Bryan Tucker
VIP Ticket Holders Pre-Show – Mikkey Vago vs. Ronan King