Due to the inane stupidity of my life choices, Friday’s SWN Podcast suffers from having a sore throat so if you don’t want to hear the flehmy tones of my thoughts and feelings in the final 10 minutes of the episode, cast your eyes below for those thoughts and feelings in written form.

The interweb devices said it would be minus 3 degrees so I thought it was best practice to wear a Christmas jumper to shield me from an hour in the bitter cold, not a jacket because that would make way too much sense. Why did I decide to queue an hour beforehand? Past Billy has a lot to answer for.

That same guy once again had to go around the houses to find Danestone Community Centre. Geography isn’t my strength and it continues to get tested, and I continue to fail that test.

After missing Halloween Hijinks (Past Billy, you jerk), I was buzzing to get to WrestleZone for their final show of the year. A packed line up, a good venue, and having missed Hijinks there was a hole missing in my soul that only a bit of wrestling could fill.

Despite the chill in the air that drained my social battery to critical level before the show began, the doors opened on time (folk starting knocking the doors bang on 6pm and if it wasn’t baltic and my bladder was trying to catch my attention, I would’ve made them wait longer. Thank God Martyn Clunes wasn’t there because I reckon the chance of that happening would’ve increased). We all filed in, a seat was found in front of the commentary desk for a wee bonus exclusive of the sultry tones of Blue Thunder and James Chesser talking about the action mere metres away.

With WrestleZone’s resident MC Martyn skipping the final show of the year (cancel that man), management representative Mr Paterson filled in for the evening, who was in his element hyping the crowd.

VIP Ticket Holder Match – Oliver Green defeated Chris Archer by pinfall.

Enough preamble, let’s get talking about the wrestling. Kicking off the pre-show was Oli Green against Chris Archer, at Hijinks, Green got his first win with a victory over Tommy Raiden, and Chris Archer, in the pre-show.

As expected the bare minimum expectation was that this match would be good. Archer tried to bully Green throughout, with Oli relying on speed (the attribute), there was a moment where Green ran the apron, swung off the ring post to give Archer a Frankensteiner on the floor. It might not have been the cleanest but the effort was commendable.

Green hitting a nice springboard clothesline. Archer retaliated by attempting a very pretty Moonsault but Oli moved to send The Outcast crashing and burning onto the canvas.

A Shining Wizard wrapped it up for Green who, following his debut in The Regal Rumble match, started his singles journey losing to Chris Archer inside the WrestleZone Training Academy and ending it by beating the same opponent in one of WrestleZone’s bigger venues, a full circle moment.

After a solid debut year, 2024 should hopefully see Oli develop his personality more, get on the main shows, cut some promos, because there’s an opening on the roster for a wrestler the crowd to get behind (reason why later), and with WrestleZone beginning to become a bit top heavy with bad guys there is scope and opportunity for Green to find his way in about it. There’s moments on this show where you can see Oli be integrated into the new year so fingers crossed.

It hasn’t been the best year for Chris Archer in WrestleZone for one reason or another, illness saw his feud with Mikkey Vago having to skip a couple steps and it didn’t really get resolved unless I totally missed the reason why he broke up The Rejected. I assume it was jealousy in the end because Vago was enjoying success in a singles compacity.

WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship – Caleb Valhalla defeated Ronan King by pinfall to retain the WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship.

Following the entry of stragglers that didn’t pay that additional £3 per ticket, the main show began with the WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship match. Ronan King arrived as the Christmas Present (and future heh heh), adorned in a Christmas wrapping style ring gear, while also proudly holding the title he stole from Valhalla at Hijinks.

Caleb stormed out, serious Caleb, no Christmas flare to his entrance. No time for games. Mr Paterson announced that it has been confirmed that if the champion was disqualified then Ronan King would become the new Tri-Counties Champion.

The match itself saw a new side to Caleb, who busted out some Lucha armdrags, counters and the like, some looked good, some were a little wobbly with both suffering from miscommunications at times. Caleb went Air Asgard with a missed flying headbutt which was impressive to witness even if he didn’t stick the landing, as was his dive through the ropes which was a direct hit to a wide eyed Ronan.

King tried to leave with the title as the referee went to the back to get him to return to the ring, which was a weird moment considering that if King just left and was counted out… then Caleb retained. Ronan tried to bring the title into the ring but was speared outta nowhere to eat the pin for a mighty retention.

I enjoyed the match for a match but the story was a bit wonky, I just feel like the additional stipulation became a non-factor with Caleb keeping level headed throughout from memory. For that disqualification rule to really provide an emotional response there should have been a moment that Caleb treads the line, batters Ronan until Dennis Law warns him, skirt along that five count, or have King successfully cheating to gain an advantage in order to get Valhalla to go full rage mode. King talked about trying to win the match fair and square but tried to leave, then brought the title into the ring, maybe it was just to show us that we can’t trust that self proclaimed greatest 20 year old wrestler, the rascal.

Ronan slapped Caleb in the face following the match to show that this wasn’t over. The git.

Dino defeated Zach Dynamite by pinfall.

Dino entered this one with his right arm wrapped up, I can only assume it was due to the battle between The Outfit and Foundation of the Future at Halloween Hijinks. Dynamite targeted the arm straight away by locking in armbars, armlocks, and taking advantage of any hesitation from Dino.

Coming into this one I thought we’d just see heavy hit after heavy hit, but due to the injury to Dino we got the cerebral side of Zach Dynamite, punishing his opponent with abject glee. Zach hit one of the best Elbow Drops from the top rope. Dino tried to use his arm, including a great snake eyes into a lariat, before starting to rely on his feet and head to cause damage with him missing a second rope leg drop that shook the ring.

Zach threw Dino with a German Suplex. Dino faked out a right armed Discus Elbow and striking Dynamite with his left which was great.

This match had a new referee, and it was noted on commentary that maybe due to his inexperience the match is continuing longer than maybe a Dennis or Mikey would allow. Which was a fascinating observation that I hope is used in the future, how I don’t know, but you can’t leave that plot point to fester on a DVD release as it is so good.

I can’t quite remember how the conclusion arrived but I think Dynamite locked in another armbar but Dino rolled through for the pin out of the blue. He didn’t have long to enjoy his victory with Dynamite returning to the ring to hit a superkick, before trapping Dino’s injured arm between the ring apron and booting it.

The fact that both, especially Zach, kept to their word of no interference made me think that the Foundation had developed, begrudgingly, a respect for The Outfit. The post-match attack maybe dispelled that thought though.

It wasn’t the match expected in my mind but did provide the hard hits, showed how ruthless Dynamite is, and the crowd got behind Dino to will him to work through the pain.

Christmas Brawl – Damien defeated Captain Alan Sterling w/Sea Santa by pinfall.

And now for something completely different. Captain Alan arrived with his Sea Santa, who looked a little young to be brought into this battle. Damien entered and noted the disadvantage and had sought out accompaniment of his own, SANTA CLAUS. However, Mr WrestleZone, adorned in a Santa jacket and hat, popped his head through the curtain which didn’t look to be part of Damien’s plan.

After Umar Mohammed arrived to drag Mr WrestleZone to the back, the unintended distraction lead Captain Alan and Sea Santa to launch an attack in this Christmas Brawl. Both combatants arrived with a sack of weapons to use and they were definitely used.

I don’t think the written word really gives the idea of how absurd, yet entertaining, the moments were in this one. Damien and Alan had a sword fight using rolls of wrapping paper as the crowd sung jingle bells, baubles were in play that smashed as Damien senton splashed Alan in the middle of the ring, Alan smashed a Christmas ornament over the forehead of Damien, Damien retrieved a plastic Christmas dinner from Alan’s sack, it was just weird.

At one point both brought out a selection box each and chocolate flew everywhere with the children in the crowd swarming the ringside area to grab a Chomp. This lead to a little rest as both took a bite of chocolate, however, Sea Santa wanted some and jumped on Damien like Mini Me going mental on account of the chocolate.

Just as it looked like the numbers were too much for Damien, Santa Claus finally arrived to slam the imposter and allow Damien to his a Codebreaker to a bauble holding Alan to snatch the win.

Switch off brain stupidity. There was a bit at the start where Damien announced that he found a big Christmas loving friend and my heart leapt at the thought of Crusher Craib making a one night only return but it wasn’t to be. It probably won’t win any awards, even those rigged ones, but it was good fun.

WrestleZone Tag Team Championships – Fatal Four Way – The Outfit (Ted O’Keefe & Murphy) defeated The Foundation of the Future (Bruiser Brad Evans & Ryan Riley), Warriors Against Low Life Entities (Bryan Tucker & Rhys Dawkins), and Umar Mohammed & Mr WrestleZone by pinfall to WIN the WrestleZone Tag Team Championships.

After Caleb and Damien were swarmed at the interval for photographs, seats were once again sat in for the second half, and if I’m breaking down everything in this match we may be here all day.

It started with Mr WrestleZone revealing that he was wearing a Foundation of the Future shirt which Evans and Riley demanded was removed, which just revealed an Outfit shirt underneath which got a good laugh.

This meshing of the main tag team stories from year provided some shenanigans with Mr WrestleZone’s allegedly inflated causing issues for many in the bout, but the Mr WrestleZone bit that was the most intriguing was the use of a side spinning neckbreaker during a portion that Mr WZ was firing up which caused Rhys Dawkins and Bryan Tucker to go apoplectic and shouting that it was proof that the masked man was actually Scotty Swift as they’ve banged on about since Regal Rumble.

Umar became a human bowling ball as the wrestlers gathering into the middle of the ring as the match broke down to send everyone to the mat. Brad threw Murphy with a German Suplex, O’Keefe gave Brad a cutter in response. In a moment of strange bedfellows, Murphy and Ryan Riley teamed to double chokeslam Rhys Dawkins whom they found to just be annoying. He and Tucker had already suffered duel spinebusters from Ted O’Keefe and Umar Mohammed earlier in the bout.

Ryan Riley asking Bryan Tucker for a high five, which bamboozled Tucker into tagging himself out, was nice. As was the Peep Peep’s Special that almost sealed the deal for the Foundation.

In a moment that would come back to haunt Mr WrestleZone, he distracted Brad who had Murphy in the set up to a piledriver position and looked to be offering to assist with a piledriver from the second rope. Evans didn’t take him up on that as Riley returned.

Mr WrestleZone and Ryan Riley then brawled to the entrance which gave The Outfit the chance to take out Bruiser Brad Evans and capture the WrestleZone Tag Team Championships.

A lot happened, and a lot of little subtilties for those paying attention throughout the year. Coming into this I wasn’t sure who would walk away with the titles as all four could conceivably find a way to win. The Outfit pinning The Foundation of the Future may see that chapter close for the moment, but after Dynamite’s attack on Dino the war is far from over. The tag division has been a little closed off this year with Dawkins and Tucker embroiled in a feud against Mohammed and Mr WrestleZone, leaving just three established teams in The Foundation of the Future, Fair City Saints, and The Outfit. It will be interesting to see if there’s an expansion to division in 2024 with the possibility of Vago and Raiden entering the fray, or a couple other teams that formed at the conclusion of the event.

Mikkey Vago w/Tommy Raiden defeated Judas Grey by pinfall.

Speaking of Mikkey Vago and Tommy Raiden, they entered with Tommy still very much looking the same so he hasn’t quite started any metamorphous following his new allegiance with The Heavy Metal Hooligan but it’s early days.

This was my, and WrestleZone’s, first live Judas Grey experience. It started with him stealing a hat from someone in the crowd then launching his jumper with a sniper aim right into this writer’s face which cause his glasses to slide underneath someone’s chair with seconds between him driving home safely and… not safely but they were quickly retrieved.

With that shock out of the way it, we got to see what Judas was all about. It seems redundant to say due to his clear inspirations but the guy has that Jeff Hardy enigmatic quality. I mean, he was very easy to dislike but you just can’t stop watching him. We got a taste of what Judas can do but he paid a lot of attention on bullying Tommy Raiden at ringside who was very easily goaded.

Grey produced some very unique offense, especially for the WrestleZone audience, his rag doll physics are fantastic, and it matched up well with Mikkey Vago who happily throws punches to faces. Grey made the error of slamming Vago’s head into the turnbuckle which just fired him up but Grey’s corner handstand corner dropkick hit the spot. We got the signature cartwheel elbow, and a running corner knee strike from Vago as the match went back and forth.

Judas then had enough and tried to take the Singapore Cane from Tommy Raiden who played tug of war until Grey prized it out of his hands. Referee Dennis Law removed the cane and in the distraction Raiden struck Grey, leaving him prime for a Vago Stunner for the pin.

During the match it was seen that Vago was trying to calm down Raiden when Judas got into his face. I will be interested to see what Vago’s reaction is when he sees Raiden was the difference maker. After all, Judas didn’t technically do anything underhanded from what I remember, he ruffled feathers, sure, but Raiden actually got physically involved behind the back of the referee and Mikkey Vago. Is this the start of a dark path for Raiden, and would Vago encourage it? You would initially doubt that as it is a tainted win, but who knows. I wouldn’t say no to a rematch though as we’ve only scratched the surface of Judas Grey, throw in a stipulation and watch the sparks fly.

Before the main event it was raffle time, usually Len Ironside would be on hand but as a wee Christmas treat it was due to be Umar Mohammed and Mr WrestleZone, however, Umar suffered a knee injury that was getting checked out at the local medical facility. Mr WrestleZone decided to get into the ring after the raffle to wish everyone a Merry Christmas but was interrupted by The Foundation of the Future trio.

After a tense confrontation, Mr WZ announced that he wasn’t stupid and was just going to leave. Dynamite called Mr WZ a coward, and to paraphrase, walking away wouldn’t be something Scotty Swift would do. Which caused Mr WrestleZone to pause, before double legging Dynamite in the middle of the ring to cause a brawl. The numbers were too much with Dynamite bringing in a chair and the trio gave Mr WrestleZone an assisted piledriver to lay out the masked man.

Security, and wrestlers, ran out to stop any further punishment as Mr WrestleZone was helped out to the back.

Two Scotty Swift references in one night that involved Mr WrestleZone. After months of denial, and making Tucker and Dawkins look like wallys, I think this is the first time Mr WZ has properly reacted to it, coupled with being called a coward showed different side to Mr WZ and that it happened when Umar Mohammed was out of the way.

So much to unravel from that, is Mr WrestleZone starting to crack? Will the piledriver jog his memory on his possible past life? Not much is known about Mr WrestleZone, if, IF, it’s Scotty Swift what happened between Christmas Chaos in 2022 and Regal Rumble 2023? Was it all a plan to return to WrestleZone under the guise, did he have a fall and he lost his memory? Does Umar Mohammed know who is under that mask? So many questions unanswered!!

Undisputed WrestleZone Championship – Lost Boy Aspen defeated Connor Molloy by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WrestleZone Championship.

After all that it was time for the main event, Connor Molloy entered all guns blazing, new music (unless it changed at Halloween Hijinks) which had a bit more of a serious tone. Lost Boy Aspen entered to Christmas music, wearing a Christmas jumper, and rocking some festive lounge joggers as he was totally taking his match seriously.

That’s how it began with Aspen just out to have a bit of fun, it’s Christmas after all, and he was one day shy of holding the Undisputed WrestleZone Championship for a whole year. After Connor demanded Aspen to get serious and remove the Christmas jumper (which revealed a matching vest to complete the loungewear), he told Connor, in as many words, that Molloy wasn’t going to win so best of luck in the Regal Rumble which lit the fuse for Connor who started striking and kicking like his life depended on it.

Aspen quickly got his head in the game and returned with hard forearms, chops, sentons, but Molloy returned with a fantastic step up tornado DDT that had to be adjusted on the fly when one of his feet missed the second rope to gain the leverage. They battled to the top turnbuckle which saw Connor manage to hit Aspen with a Shiranui (aka Sliced Bread ) which saw the champion crash from the second rope to the floor for a near fall.

Molloy went to the Shiranui well again but Aspen caught him for a Tombstone but Molloy slipped through for a roll up but it was counter and the Lost Boy got the pin.

As the crowd started getting their jackets on, Aspen offered his hand to Connor who slapped it away. Ronan King ran out to attack the champion before looking over to Molloy, who pushed King aside and continued the attack. They tried to set up Aspen for a Curb Stomp onto the title belt but Caleb Valhalla returned to cause King and Molloy to quickly exit the ring.

A shocking end to the show with the fan favourite Molloy partnering with the dastardly Ronan King. Coming into this show my bold prediction was Aspen was going to destroy Connor to the point that we would be booing the Lost Boy, but as always my predictions are either wrong or hilariously late if we go back to my Aberdeen Anarchy chat earlier this year talking about Connor using his title shot to go after the tag team titles with Ronan, though right now the tag team titles may be distant on the mind of both.

The match was really good, there were a couple slips here and there if we get picky but the story was there throughout with Aspen not taking the challenge on until Molloy started wailing on him so Aspen had to go into business mode. King and Molloy have teamed once elsewhere, and we’ve seen the friendship between Caleb Valhalla and Lost Boy Aspen blossom over the year on the interwebs through skateboarding and Caleb discovering magical things like lightbulbs and mobile phones.

So it looks like we’re getting SKOL BROL and The Aberdeen Dream Team soon, possibly January 20th at Granite City Showdown which I will be very excited to see.

The outcome has also seen my five picks to win the Regal Rumble start to take shape with Connor and Ronan surely in the running now that they have picked a fight with the Undisputed WrestleZone Champion. There are still a few months to go until it’s Regal Rumble time so we’ll see what Granite City Showdown brings and whatever events take place between then and the Rumble.

As far as a whole event, I was initially of the opinion that it wasn’t my favourite WrestleZone event this year but the Regal Rumble and Aberdeen Anarchy were top tier, plus the events at the Station Hotel were fantastic, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad night and just shows how consistent WrestleZone have been this year with several sell out events. Christmas Chaos provided a reason to come back next year to hopefully see Ronan and Connor get their comeuppance, to see Mr WrestleZone get some revenge, or even to see what happens between Vago and Raiden.

Writing about the event after the fact, and after recording my thoughts for the podcasting stuff, there was a lot going on on the show, which has been one of my biggest compliments for WrestleZone, is that they provide stuff for those that have been to every show, or the majority of the shows, and are invested in the stories, but they also provide cliffhangers to try and convince new attendees to get a ticket for the next event.

WrestleZone bringing Judas Grey into the fold, I hope, gives them the thought to bring some more new faces, it doesn’t have to be a drastic influx but with Umar Mohammed and The Fair City Saints having success having wrestled elsewhere is any indication it wouldn’t hurt to have some additional Scottish talent on shows just to mix it up a little.

No doubt I’ve forgotten things, or maybe misremembered stuff but Christmas Chaos has provided a great end to another strong year for WrestleZone.