Welcome to 2023! We’re heading back to 2022 to check out Discovery Wrestling’s ‘Year Seven’ event that they kindly uploaded to the interweb for our viewing pleasure. Celebrating seven active years of Discovery Wrestling (cause, y’know, the event), with a stacked line up, storylines, and titles on the line, it promised to once again be a fantastic show from Discovery.

Strap Match – Caleb Valhalla defeated Griffin w/Athena by pinfall.

The show kicked off with a feud that spanned 2022, Griffin and Athena had been a thorn in Caleb Valhalla’s side for a long time with Griffin escaping the wrath of ‘The Mighty’. Problem solved with a strap match. I always appreciate when it’s a proper hate feud so when there’s a stipulation like a strap match it starts as a fight, which this was. no lock ups or sequences and drop downs etc. Both used the strap to throw the other, whip the other, and Athena even found herself clotheslined by the strap.

Griffin hit a sunset flip to the outside of the ring with Valhalla hitting the mat outside with an almighty thud. It wasn’t long before Griffin brought in his mace weapon, bludgeoning Valhalla on the top of his head while in powerbomb peril but it only got a two count.

Athena tried to use the mace herself but, due to Caleb dodging the attack, ended up clubbing Griffin in the stomach, leaving Valhalla to hit a beaut of a spear on Athena before hoisting Griffin into a Helride, slamming him down for the pin.

Though it looks to be the end of this rivalry for now, I’m still holding out hope for Caleb Valhalla versus Athena. A really intense match, as it should’ve been. Both wrestlers took hard spills, that sunset flip to the outside sounded nasty. The intelligence and growth of Caleb Valhalla was displayed with him entering through the crowd to avoid being jumped at the entrance again, his awareness of Athena was excellent, which fuels my desire to see them tangle. Griffin was a fantastic foil, being sneaky and taking digs at any opportunity. A great opener.

Gene Munny Championship of Gene Munny – Gene Munny defeated Jack Morris by pinfall to retain the Gene Munny Championship of Gene Munny.

Gene Munny strutted out with his Gene Munny Championship of Gene Munny to pick a fight with Jack Morris. I adore listening to Gene Munny on the microphone, the words roll of his tongue so naturally, you listen to every syllable. As he was calling out Morris, I noticed up in the balcony area there was a well dressed Ryan Richards watching the ring. Whether that was just coincidence who knows, as Solomon Grum and Deacon Matthews were also spotted, but Munny has gold, and Richards likes money.

Morris, ol’ Jack swaggerin’, arrived. Coolly, and confidently dressed down Munny and told him that he would only fight him if he defended his ugly Gene Munny Championship of Gene Munny, so he can put it in the bin. Match on.

The words back and forth put it lightly, Morris hit a Shining Wizard for a near fall, Munny used a pumphandle TKO move which was very pretty, they brawled at ringside, they traded hard forearms, but Munny finally hit a couple short armed clothelines, while grabbing Morris to prop him up, and ending the match with a short armed lariat.

This was excellent. I don’t know what Gene Munny did during ‘the event’ but since the return of Disco he is having the match of the night every time. A phenomenal wrestler, and speaking of phenomenal, the evolution of Jack Morris since his adventures in Japan are very clear, he hits harder, his confidence on the microphone and in front of a crowd, which was already pretty high before, he is almost untouchable, truly sublime. This was two wrestlers that know what they are about and they had a wonderful match. I got a thesaurus for Christmas and can say that this match was very good.

Discovery Wrestling Tag Team Championships – Kings of the North (Damien Corvin & Bonesaw) defeated Sunshine Machine (TK Cooper & Chuck Mambo) by pinfall to retain the Discovery Wrestling Tag Team Championships.

I’ve heard the names Chuck Mambo and TK Cooper but had yet to see either wrestle, as far as am aware anyway, before. When this match was announced there was a lot of buzz so the expectation increased.

Corvin and Bonesaw jumped their opponents as the introductions were being made which set the tone for a chaotic match. KOTN cut off the ring to focus their beatings on TK Cooper but once Chuck Mambo finally tagged it the tempo increased tenfold. It wasn’t all silky smooth but it was a solid tag team match.

KOTN finished the match with a tandem elevated rolling cutter on Mambo to retain.

It didn’t quite hit the heights of the previous two matches but was effective in showing the Kings of the North as a well oiled machine. Sunshine Machine were fine, but I didn’t feel like they were any threat to dethrone the champions.

Anything Goes Match – Mark Haskins w/Vicky Haskins defeated Aspen Faith by pinfall.

This was another feud ender with an appropriate stipulation. An unhinged war. Haskins and Faith fought tooth and nail. It wasn’t all about the weapons and more about the cold and calculating punishment.

The moments of frustration from Aspen, throwing a chair at Vicky Haskins at ringside, shouting at her to shut up, it set up the conclusion perfectly.

Aspen dragged Vicky into the ring to watch him finish her husband, but as he set up a second rope Moonsault, she moved Mark out of the way and struck a back flipping Faith in the ribs with his own turnbuckle hook, gave him a kiss of death to the forehead, allowing Mark Haskins to knee Faith in the back of the head for the win.

From the chaotic brawl at the start which saw Faith tumbling down a set of stairs, the hard chops, Aspen using two sideways chairs to sidewalk slam Haskins for maximum damage, the release vertical Suplex to a sit out powerbomb from Faith that had a long two count, but the icing on the cake was Vicky Haskins, after all the abuse she had received in previous interactions and during this match, being the Lost Boy’s ultimate demise. Wonderful.

A fantastic match.

Lana Austin defeated Daisy Jenkins by pinfall.

Number one contender to the Discovery Wrestling Women’s Championship, Lana Austin, faced Daisy Jenkins next. Austin has went through quite an attitude shift since becoming number one contender, now dubbed “The Superstar” and gleefully antagonising the crowd with her shenanigans, with one child in the front row not only losing his hat but also his action figures were pinched by Lana mid-match.

Jenkins was out all smiles, there’s this vibe about Daisy that just draws me to her, very likeable.

Lana bullied Daisy in the early going, schooling her, keeping her down but Jenkins kept fighting back, showing plenty of perseverance. There were moments where Jenkins would take a second to hype the crowd that Austin would jump on to turn the tide which really showed the experience difference between the two. Jenkins hit a nice second rope spinning elbow drop but it could keep Austin down for the count.

Austin picked up the win after a rolling forearm out of nowhere.

A great match, Jenkins didn’t look out of place considering she debuted this year, carrying herself with confidence. Lana Austin is a tremendous wrestler and these two created a little magic in the ring.

Ian Skinner, & The Foundation of the Future (Ryan Riley & Bruiser Brad Evans) defeated Theo Doros & Fair City Saints (Air Myles & Alex Webb) by submission.

Ryan Riley introduced Zach Dynamite’s bought in replacement, Ian Skinner, and that changed the atmosphere in the venue. Skinner, up until this point, had been your fun and frolic disco ball of entertainment but when he stepped through the curtain it was all serious Ian Skinner.

The opening exchange between Skinner and Webb was brilliant, two guys trying to gain the upper hand but the other finding a counter to create a stalemate. The interactions between these two throughout the match made me want to see it again in a one on one match, I’m just saying. Webb goading Skinner, who even though was no nonsense, there was still a clear conflict in his posture and split section hesitation before striking.

As expected Riley and Bruiser Brad were immaculate in their tag team offence, they are such a great team, mixing pure power, cunning, and agility to form a perfect duo. The Fair City Saints were at their absolute best with Air Myles even busting out a top rope Moonsault to a brawling rabble on the floor. Doros had some great moments, his springboard Superman Punch to Evans had such a snap on impact, it looked great.

The match broke down with bodies flying everywhere from suplexes all over the canvas, eventually it was back to Skinner and Webb, with Skinner locking in an STF on Webb for the submission win.

Skinner didn’t stick around to celebrate, which played perfectly into him being paid bell to bell, not to make friends with the Foundation.

Tremendous match, tremendous story, what more could you want. The intrigue of where Ian Skinner goes from here, will Theo Doros ever get his hands on Zach Dynamite, when are we getting the Foundation against Kings of the North… you’ve reeled me in Discovery.

Discovery Wrestling Y Division Championship – Joe Hendry w/Mister Manoval defeated BT Gunn by pinfall to retain the Discovery Wrestling Y Division Championship.

Mister Manoval wearing a jacket to match Joe Hendry’s trunks was just excellent. There’s a little thing here where Manoval looks devious and cunning but when Hendry asks him to do something there’s a sudden fear in his eyes and flapping to act quickly to satisfy the champ. There’s such a Roman Reigns – Paul Heyman dynamic but different enough to not to be a carbon copy.

These little decisions seem like such a Joe Hendry thing to do, he is very attuned to his brand and what will look the most professional in presentation.

There were so many twists and turns, we got a referee knocked out with an errant BT Gunn superkick, another being head butted by Joe Hendry, Robb Stow appeared and hit Gunn with a scoop slam backbreaker and was chased out of the venue by security. Low blows, Manoval dying briefly twice, first from a BT Gunn superkick then a Joe Hendry lariat, Discovery Wrestling owner Alan Smith taking over referee duties. This had so much packed into 15-20 minutes and yet it was so well paced that your eyes were glued to the action.

Manoval threw in the Y Division Championship but while Alan was disposing of the title, Hendry grabbed the Impact Digital Media Championship to strike Gunn in the head for the tainted victory.

I always point out that Discovery Wrestling main events always feel like main events, they feel big time, and generally have a bit more of a sports entertainment pastiche that sets it apart from the rest of the show. This was no different as it crafted so many possible endings to keep you, the viewer, on the edge of your seat.

The inclusion of Mister Manoval to Joe Hendry’s act is fantastic and now it looks like Hendry is creating a stable of his students which I’m looking forward to seeing where that goes, I know that Manoval has a big monster under his charge elsewhere…

Discovery Wrestling continue to put on some of the best wrestling shows in the country, providing such variety that gives everyone a bit of everything. It’s commendable that after 7/8 years that the events are not only still top quality but that they are somehow getting better with each passing show.

The production of the YouTube release has to be pointed out, the little video packages before the big storyline driven matches, Randy Valentine and Darren T Goss continue to be a tour de force on commentary, providing so much hyperbole and insight to not only enhance the matches but to also keep new viewers in the loop if they are watching Discovery Wrestling for the first time, great decisions by the team.

For me, near every match overdelivered. The only one that wasn’t up my street was the tag team title match but that’s the beauty of wrestling being subjective as it’s probably someone else’s match of the night.

The full show is available on YouTube now: