There were some spooky happenings in Edinburgh on October 24th. Following the conclusion of ‘Disco Derby’ we looked to be on course for an epic title contest between Y Division Champion Leon Slater and Disco Derby winner Judas Grey. Unfortunately the week before the event was due to take place Leon Slater had to pull out of the event that subsequently saw him wrestle at NXT Halloween Havoc.

A scramble took place with AEW star Lio Rush added to the event but that still left the Y Division Championship in question. An interim champion? A new champion? Or would it simply be left to gather dust for another few months until an appearance from the champion could take place?

Ultimately a new champion would be crowned with the man Slater defeated, Gene Munny, returning to stake his claim and cash in a rematch for the title he lost without being pinned. It also set up a rematch from last year when Judas retained the Scottish Openweight Championship and finally accepted the respect from the Judas Choir that filled Portobello Town Hall. That match then was all about respect (and the title obviously) with it being earned when Grey saved Gene from a mugging from The Good Times.

In a rare occasion we had a relatively fleshed out card of matches announced in advance featuring Discovery Wrestling favourites along with some debuts from highly rated wrestlers across the border.

Kwaku strutted his way to being the master of ceremonies and welcoming the Disco Faithful (then who are the Disco Traitors? Chip Watson probably, it’s always the ones you least suspect.)

Chris Bronson defeated Simon Miller by pinfall.

Simon Miller opened the show (why? cause that’s what happened, that’s why!) against the returning Chris Bronson who was taken in by the Discovery Wrestling crowd very quickly in his debut against Franco Fate at ‘Disco Derby’. It was a simple premise, Miller continued his disgust for the Portobello contingent from previous events and colliding with an already popular Bronson put extra shine on his loud reaction.

The chants for Stallion reverberated around the hall while Miller was the over the top overbearing neep that brought the silly buggerness that you laughed at and not with. He is fantastic at it. Simon told everyone that 1 in 10 of the audience will go bald and when they do they can call him and he’ll tell them to go to hell which was a great bit. Chris Bronson followed up a lock up with a open palm slap to the chrome dome which made for a satisfying sound.

Miller might be a bald fella but he’s also a big lad and he reminded The Stallion of this with a shoulder charge that knocked Bronson down. Bronson revved up the horsepower to charge off the ropes for a couple shoulder blocks of his own before taking Miller over for a headscissor. It wasn’t pretty but it was pretty effective.

Bronson kept the pressure on Simon inside and out of the ring, but a quick kick to the middle rope upon seeing his opponent re-enter allowed for Miller to get back on top of the situation by bullying and smashing into Chris Bronson to cause all sorts of body trauma. Bronson wasn’t to go down easy, fighting back but a missed Stinger Splash had Miller once again happily in control. The miss revitalised Bronson to reverse a suplex and throw some jabs along with a lovely spinebuster, a sleek top rope elbow drop earned him a near fall.

A sidestepped spear that lead to a powerslam almost nabbed it for Miller but Bronson kicked out just in time. Miller could feel the end was near by accomplishing a spear of his own that was only saved by Bronson grabbing the bottom rope to break the count. Out of options, and in the spirit of Halloween, Miller chose trick by obtaining a chair from under the ring. Referee Chris Quinn was quick to relieve Simon of the item, in the confrontation a distracted Miller turned around to receive a Stallion sized spear to notch another tally in the win column for Chris Bronson.

The Stallion is now 2-0 in Discovery Wrestling, both wins coming in the opening match against bald men (I don’t think that’s something to read into…). There is something naturally likeable about Chris Bronson that has been clearly picked up by those in attendance. In turn it makes it very easy to root for him to do well. His explosive move set coupled with coming up against nasty bastard for opponents has created a nice dynamic. The Discovery crowd are also very well tuned to filter through a catchy entrance theme and get a good understanding of the wrestler. The catchy theme is a bonus if the wrestler is genuine.

That Simon Miller is pretty good eh? He effortlessly brings the crowd in and is always keeping an ear on them to jump on a heckle if it means getting a reaction in return. He might not have the fancy flash in the ring but a big charismatic bulldozer that can hurt you with brute strength or by throwing insults is a sweet combination.

SKOL BROL (Lost Boy Aspen & Caleb Valhalla) defeated The Disco Fry (Chip Watson & James Erdos) by pinfall.

SKOL BROL got a big reaction when they entered but it was dwarfed by the eruption of Chippy Tea hitting the speakers and our Tribal Chef, Jamie Oliver’s Worst Nightmare, The Boss Man of British Wrestling, Chip Watson arrived… with James Erdos.

Watson pushed Erdos to start the match against the two behemoths in a trial by chip pan fire. Lost Boy Aspen stepped up as the immovable force met… James Erdos. The opening had Watson telling Erdos to put his hands up, which he did but not for fisty cuffs but for reaching for the last batch of frozen king rib’s at the top of the walk in freezer.

Aspen allowed Erdos to push out of a headlock, toddling back over to push Erdos over but during his fall back the left leg of Erdos ended up clashing with Aspen’s pickled eggs. Caleb tagged in and somehow ended up seeing a tripped up James Erdos fall into his mighty groin for the incredible quote from Chip Watson:

STOP HITTING THEM IN THE WEINER!

Chip had enough of the ball busting and tagged in to stop any potential disqualification from the crotch collisions. Unfortunately, after James insisted they do the lucha things that Chip showed him, Erdos and Watson headed to the adjacent turnbuckles only for Aspen and Caleb to bounce off the ropes to see The Disco Fry lose balance and batter their balls to level the testicular torsion score.

All four men slowly collapsed to the canvas clutching their man pearls as a Disco Wrestling chant broke out. The shenanigans subsided for Erdos to assist in stopping a slam from Valhalla to Chip, swinging out the legs of Watson to turn the dicey situation into a tornado DDT.

Thanks to a handshake fake out from Aspen to Chip, SKOL BROL finally gathered some steam with Caleb throwing hands then throwing Watson. Despite some push back from… everyone… Valhalla jumped off the second rope (the most dangerous rope) to deliver a Caleb Smash to send all the competitors flying.

A weakened Caleb was passed a Sneak Energy can by Aspen that recharged the Viking, in turn Chip passed James Erdos his flask of tea to chug. A two and coo infused rush had Erdos ridding himself of his Gilet, shaking wildly with untapped power, Erdosing Up and absorbing whatever else was in that container. Aspen and Chip noticed their respective errors and tried to calm the situation but ended up scrapping between themselves. A meaty lariat from Chip almost nabbed it but the pin was interrupted by Erdos and Valhalla sugar crashing into the fall.

Once again all four got back to their feet, Chip traded punches with SKOL BROL while Erdos kept standing up only to get punched by Valhalla. James had enough and wanted to leave, Chip tried to drag him back into the fold that saw Erdos run into giving Caleb Valhalla a Canadian Destroyer (Erdostroyer?) to send the Disco faithful mad. A move that even had Aspen give him a handshake after.

On a James-Erdos-Doing-A-Canadian-Destroyer high, Chip then attempted to enter a chop off with Aspen… it ended poorly for him. Erdos tried to provide some encouragement but was slammed onto Watson, and because all good things must come to an end, both were victim to some Hot Soup to give SKOL BROL the victory.

Absolute pandemonium from start to finish. Who would’ve thought that a silly bit during the raffle would evolve over the next 18 months or so to see Chip Watson and James Erdos quickly become one of the most popular teams in Discovery Wrestling. This was pure entertainment. Totally ridiculous bollocks but in the best way.

The reason for that is it’s four fleshed out characters that have earned the investment from the diehard Disco audience and they have seen their support pay off. SKOL BROL and The Disco Fry have worked hard to open themselves up by listening and feeding off the crowd who in turn were ready to be seated for a spectacle.

Discovery Wrestling do funny extremely well, it’s not every match but when it happens it is crafted in such a way that the audience can switch off and enjoy the ride that is about to come. Incredible stuff.

Myla Grace defeated Hollie Barlow by pinfall.

The debuting Hollie Barlow against firm fan favourite Myla Grace was up next. Myla’s match with Daisy Jenkins at Disco Derby really impressed the Disco faithful. Myla is one of those wrestlers that you have to see in person as soon as possible because it will only be a matter of time before TNA enquire about relocation and the US will have her on a regular basis.

Hollie wasn’t so much for crowd endearment, clearly learning a thing of two from former Discovery Wrestling competitor, and the other half of LALLIE, Lana Austin on what she will encounter in Portobello.

Barlow’s best efforts to gain control from the lock up where constantly countered into a wrist lock from Myla Grace. A striking boot by Hollie to the face of Myla following a rope break changed course with both trading strikes as once again Grace got the upper hand. A basement dropkick to a seated in the corner Hollie Barlow followed up with a twisting neck breaker earned Myla only a one count.

Myla rushed to the ropes with Barlow following behind with a trip up to get offense in. A couple quick strikes then an awkward something that might have been an attempted running basement flatliner got a two count, unshaken by the issue Barlow put the boots to Myla to reset. Grace tried to counter a hip toss into a crossface but Hollie had it scouted to slip out and ram Myla into the turnbuckle to stay in the drivers seat.

A defiant Myla Grace fought back with forearms, taking down Barlow with a clothesline to unleash a roar of momentum to plant Hollie with a double arm sit out neck breaker for another near fall. Barlow was vicious, kicking the ankle to stop Myla jumping off the second rope and hurtling her down with a lungblower, a kick out was quickly transitioned into a stretch with Hollie using her leg to push the neck away from the shoulder of Myla Grace. Myla rolled through with a crossface but couldn’t get it wrenched back due to being too close to the ropes.

Grace and Barlow went back and forth as Myla aimed to land a reverse spin out neck breaker, after a couple false starts due to Hollie fighting out, the move connected to give Myla Grace another win in Discovery Wrestling.

There were a couple miscommunications that made for some stumbles but I loved that Hollie Barlow just ramped up the aggression after the first noticeable slip up on the running thingy a couple minutes in. That relentless assault from Hollie helped put all the will and support onto Myla Grace so when the finish occurred it made for a natural joyous reaction. Two gifted captivating competitors and that translated into the crowd feedback.

Lio Rush defeated Ian Skinner by pinfall.

The final match confirmed for the event was a big one. Due to the aforementioned circumstances this was a pipedream of a bout but the stars aligned to find us looking at the match graphic 24 hours before Halloween Disco, the Man of the Hour versus a cool guy, with lots of friends.

Skinner offered his hand to start the match and after tease, Lio Rush saw fit to test Ian with a blur of atheism for Ian to keep up with which he passed. There was still no handshake with the two trading counter measures, getting up into each others faces, and switching back and forth with pin attempts. Lio put a stop to the gathering charge with a kick to the bread basket to stop Ian getting on a roll.

A slingshot forearm gave Skinner the opening to dish out the strikes, keeping control of his speed to keep a watch for a potential counter including a mini sequence of Lio Rush trying to stop a suspected brainbustah that had so much weight and tussle as he dropped to a knee and hooked the leg of Ian, all for it to be broken up with a leathering club to the back of Rush.

Lio avoided a piledriver attempt to kick Skinner back, sending him onto the apron and to the floor with a handspring barge. The groundswell of chanting for Skinner looked like it pissed off Lio Rush, who initially opted for a count out but the noise drew him outside to start a strike battle on the floor in the Portobello Town Hall.

Once back in the ring, Rush nailed a gnarly running back suplex for a near fall. Lio tried to tie Skinner up for a rear naked choke but the constant movement and fight from Ian couldn’t get him to stay still long enough to fully lock in. Skinner embraced two hard kicks to the chest to catch the third and begin another build up of offense with a couple jawbreakers, only to have his potential brainbustah plan thwarted by a stunner style jawbreaker from Lio Rush.

There was no give, anything one could do the other met them in return. A slap rush into a forearm from Lio was fired back with a kip up lariat from Ian as there didn’t seem to be a break through for either to string a convincing combination of manoeuvres.

The match gravitated to the apron, there was a sole vocal “no!” from the audience when Lio grabbed Ian for a front facelock and glanced to the floor but Ian hooked a leg, there was same outcry when Skinner tried to piledriver Rush, after a return of open palm strikes, Ian struck with a high knee and crunched Lio Rush onto the apron head first which saw Rush’s body contort as it lifelessly fell to the floor. An in-ring Busaiku Knee looked to the Man of the Hour’s time expire, however, his shoulder lifted in the nick of time.

Somehow Lio found a second wind to counter out of another suplex position for a dazzling display to kick Skinner in the face that needed Ian to regroup on the outside near the corner. There was little time for it when Rush was bounding through the bottom and middle rope for a tightly timed suicide dive. Skinner countered a suplex into a release version with an added kick to the spine for Rush but couldn’t capitalise as he ran into a standing Spanish Fly.

Rush rolled through a missed Frog Splash and was met by a feral Ian Skinner Cave In and front planting GTS for another sick near fall. Ian rattled slaps off the face of Rush that woke him up to unleash a round house kick and bottom rope springboard stunner to leave Skinner looking at the lights after a Lo Down Frog Splash.

A post-match stare off resulted in a handshake offered by Lio Rush, which was accepted to bookend the match.

Pure art. The match itself was all about survival because they were presented as being so evenly matched it just took a string of three/four moves to finally keep someone down long enough for a three count. I want to talk about the aesthetic of the match for a second though, and I will 100% be reading way too much into it as I tend to do, but the little thing of Lio Rush having some yellow scratch flair on his gear was a nice touch. Ian Skinner had black trunks with yellow stripes and a yellow inverted triangle which I couldn’t shake off as not being a purposeful choice, not only the colours representing the Discovery Wrestling branding but the triangle was like the top half of an hourglass, and it was full. Like he had all the time in the world to face The Man of the Hour.

This was 20 minutes or so of high quality war, and that’s possibly the most apt word for it. The beauty with Ian Skinner matches is that he seems to have a never ending spirit to compete and adapting to what is put in front of him. I love seeing opponents try to lock in holds on Ian because there’s always a scuffle, you have to work to make him even be in a situation to submit. Lio Rush was more than game to not only match that but take it to another level.

An inspired match up, I also want to give praise to Lio Rush, not only for being drafted in at the eleventh hour but the work he put into promoting the match before and after. A proper professional wrestler.

Discovery Wrestling Tag Team Championships – The Good Times (Robb Stow & Monstrum) defeated Dave Conrad & Shreddy by pinfall to win the Discovery Wrestling Tag Team Championships.

Cowboy Conrad got on the microphone for a bit of exposition, he assured everyone that he had a tag team partner and that it was organised by Discovery Wrestling management. They had been delayed a little bit but whoever it was would be there soon. So Dave decided to plough on with the match in the meantime by rushing into The Good Times and swinging for the fences.

It wasn’t long before the numbers became a factor with The Good Times taking control, trading tags and putting a hurting on the cowboy. A Hart Attack got a two count, with Conrad fighting back to knock Monstrum off the apron and get cooking against Robb Stow, landing a TKO.

As Conrad and Stow lay on the canvas a siren sounded over the speakers as Shreddy arrived to apparently be Cowboy Conrad’s mystery tag team partner. It was a blind tag, a fake out square up to Monstrum before an immediate spear to Conrad. A confusing mid-match promo from Shreddy tried to make sense of him being harassed into coming to Halloween Disco to defend the Scottish Openweight Champion otherwise he would be stripped of it to then be defending the Discovery Wrestling Tag Team Championships as Dave’s mystery tag team partner… I’ll get back to that.

Shreddy eventually left Conrad at the mercy of The Good Times for a chokeslam/powerbomb combo to see ourselves new Discovery Wrestling Tag Team Champions.

This felt more like an extended segment than an actual match because of the oddly placed promo that with hindsight should’ve been post-match while stood over a beaten Conrad.

So as I understand it;

  • Cowboy Conrad elected to defend the Discovery Wrestling Tag Team Championships with a mystery partner after Joe Hendry left for ‘Murica.
  • At Disco Derby he was aware that his partner would be Grado but on this occasion he wasn’t told by Discovery Wrestling management.
  • That person was late.
  • Turned out it was Shreddy, who was told to come to Halloween Disco to defend the Scottish Openweight Championship or he would be stripped of the title.
  • Shreddy arrived and instead “defended” the Tag Team Championships unsuccessfully.

I’ve come to the conclusion from that it is either:

A) Discovery Wrestling management sabotaged Conrad’s tag team reign by not disclosing who his tag team partner would be and then making it Shreddy who Dave had clearly developed an issue with. As we know Joe Hendry owns Discovery Wrestling and by that logic has a say in management decisions it would make it so that he hasn’t been paying attention otherwise putting Shreddy in that spot to team with Conrad was the absolute worst option, especially after Shreddy interfered in the match where Conrad and Hendry won the belts… or

B) Shreddy was lying when he said that Discovery Wrestling management demanded he defended the Scottish Openweight Championship, however, that still leaves confusion as to why he was made the tag team partner… unless there WAS a partner chosen and Shreddy attacked them and took their place which would add some sense to it. There needs to be a video of Shreddy jumping a conceivable partner like a Umar Mohammed or Connor Molloy that adds weight to him taking the spot by being a horrid git.

But if B) was a lie then why would Discovery Wrestling management not want one of their titles defended on their show especially with the recent events of titles going to far off lands with scheduling defences becoming a bit of an issue. So surely they would have insisted that Shreddy be there to defend…

Was the next match a title match that had to be adjusted on the fly because Shreddy left after the actions in the tag match, but he didn’t defend the Scottish Openweight Championship so if B) was true then he would be stripped of the title. That wasn’t, and as of writing hasn’t been, communicated so all I’m doing is throwing ideas at the screen now.

I’ve gone crosseyed.

I need a lie down.

As I said in the Disco Derby review that the concept of a mystery tag team partner needed to be carefully navigated so that there wasn’t diminishing returns or at the very least it needed some audience participation to make the Disco faithful part of the whole thing. I suppose that’s not an issue now it’s been abandoned. It was a good idea though in theory.

Onto more positive things though, Robb Stow looked particularly good in the actual match portion and his entrance attire including the wearing of a Monstrum mask was a great visual. The Good Times are a big bruising team but other than demolishing Zander Mistry and Shaun Marx at ‘Year 10’ I don’t think they’ve really had that proper showcase of what they can do, with Conrad holding his own against them solo in match until Shreddy’s involvement made things confusing. A good solid run of defences will do them wonders to knuckle them down as an established team.

All that being said, Conrad got a big ovation from the crowd on his exit.

Bruiser Brad Evans defeated Ravie Davie by pinfall.

Brad wasn’t waiting for Ravie Davie to finish his entrance call and response chant, throwing him into the ring with ease. The Beef King proceeded to maul Davie around the squared circle, cutting off a run of jabs and returning the favour with big chops.

A boisterous belly to belly suplex had Davie flying across the ring. Davie tried another comeback but was stopped and turned inside out with a clothesline. A couple of hard Irish Whips into the corner had Bruiser Brad brimming with confidence but a third was countered by a step up backflip off the turnbuckles to allow for Davie to rattle some strikes, using the momentum from Brad rebounding off the ropes to catch a small package for two.

Davie tried a Blockbuster from the second rope but was caught mid-move for a vertical suplex which was effortless. Brad tried for a piledriver but was back body dropped over with Davie landing a Lisbon Lionsault that could only score him a near fall. One last chance step up moonsault from the top rope was denied when Brad grabbed a gasping for air Ravie Davie and compacted his brain into the Discovery Wrestling logo on in the centre of the mat with a piledriver.

It wasn’t a long match but there was clear strategic growth between their bout at ‘Year 10’ in March that had Davie just try his usual tricks to get by but it ended up with him being swatted and thrown around. This was a more grounded between the ropes affair with Davie trying to wear down Bruiser Brad with strikes which had its moments in dazing the Beef King. Then when he thought there was a sufficient weakness exploited he would try something a bit more high risk that had mixed results. ‘Year 10’ had Davie overwhelmed by raw power whereas this one felt like he had more of a game plan to try and pick his spot against a colossal challenge.

The match was also a lot tighter, in March there were some shaky transitions but moves like the Blockbuster to vertical suplex were well polished and it kept an easy and simple flow.

Discovery Wrestling Y Division Championship – Gene Munny defeated Judas Grey by pinfall to win the Discovery Wrestling Y Division Championship.

It was main event time, a returning Gene Munny got a great reception as he stepped in to regain the title he was never pinned to lose. As Gene stood in the ring four nuns made their way to the stage. As the familiar opening notes of Lady Gaga began the curtain was pulled back to reveal Judas Grey also in a nun outfit but his face adorned with white and black face paint to strike fear into those that dared look.

Judas lead his congregation, gathering fans to follow him as he stood in a sea of the Judas Choir while the chorus played. You couldn’t help have Goosebumps emerge from your skin, the hairs standing tall to see a guy, who has admitted his own anxiety and imposter syndrome in the pro wrestling world, showing his reciprocation to outwardly inviting the Disco Faithful to join him to soak in the moment.

The Disco Faithful showered Munny and Grey with chants as they prepared themselves for an opportunity to make history. The cry of “come on Judas” resonated with Grey shooting across the ring with a Shotgun Dropkick, looking to end the night early by bombarding Gene with a handstand ricocheting corner double foot stomp and Swanton Bomb. It managed a two count by marked Judas’ intention and almost desperation to catch the veteran off guard.

Gene shook off the early barrage to catch Grey with a Death Valley Driver and running single leg kick for a near fall of his own. Both traded counters and strikes, breaking for a moment at a stalemate to share a respectful fist bump, offered by Munny, to harken back to last year’s ‘Halloween Disco’ tussle for the Scottish Openweight Championship and for respect. It was back to the battle as Gene was doing his best to get that Ainsley Lariat to connect as the fight ended up on the floor for some hard chops and more strikes.

Munny had the upper hand, and with that it meant he could afford to bring in some of his vintage shenanigans to knock Judas off his game plan. Preparing Grey for a chop only to blow raspberries on his stomach, and stopping short of a punch for a double nipple cripple which would be enough to discombobulate any man.

Shifting his way out off Munny’s shoulders, Judas got some offense going while making sure to duck any lariat possibility and using his body recklessly to target the spine of That Damn Dirty Dog in a bid to make his butterfly twisting neck breaker as devastating as possible. The tides turned so often it lead to Gene preparing for his incredible corner to corner moonsault and being pushed off the top turnbuckle onto the stage.

Grey springboarded his way out to meet Munny, landing a Codebreaker in the process that did damage to both men as evident by the guttural groan from Judas Grey as he slowly got to his feet. Grey lifted Gene into a Torture Rack position but couldn’t get balanced enough to stop Munny dropping out and throwing Judas back into the ring from the stage with an insane release vertical suplex.

It was all Gene Munny, a flying clothesline for a close two count followed by a Uranage and senton for another near fall had Judas grasping at straws. A slingshot spear caught another two count as Munny started to looked baffled about how Grey was holding on. Desperate times called for desperate measures with Gene scaling to the top to put Judas away but wear on the body to slow down the climb gave Judas enough to meet Munny at the top to send him crashing down with a Frankensteiner. The adrenaline coursed through for Grey to land a Shining Wizard to the back of Gene’s head, and lift him for a Torture Rack Bomb which still wasn’t enough to earn him the Y Division Championship.

There was no time to hesitate, Grey went for another Swanton Bomb but it was scouted by Munny getting his knees up. As both returned to their feet Gene got his lariat but it sent both over the top rope and to the floor.

As referee Chris Quinn got further into his ten count, Grey and Munny locked eyes from opposite sides of the ring and slide in at the nick of time to go nose to nose. Grey planted the Kiss of Death but Munny returned the favour. It came down to just outlasting the other and landing that one killer move. Gene thought he had it after countering a springboard dive into a spinebuster to quickly strike with the Ainsley Lariat, the move he had been trying to land all match long but Judas still reached for the sky to keep his title hopes alive. Munny’s shock told the story, like that was his last bullet in the barrel and it didn’t put Grey down.

The bullet was reloaded for another Ainsley Lariat but it was ducked for Judas to land the butterfly neck breaker. 1… 2… kick out. Grey dragged Munny to the centre of the ring to dig deep to cinch in an Ankle Lock. Gene pushed Judas away and while Grey recuperated in the corner, Munny flew across the ring with the moonsault dropkick. One final Ainsley Lariat wrapped it up as Gene Munny became the first ever two time Discovery Wrestling Y Division Champion.

Shock and applause filled Portobello Town Hall. There was something poetic about the journey. When Gene Munny won his first Y Division Championship it felt like a culmination of so many close but no cigar moments, and now he has become the road block in Judas Grey’s story.

The new Y Division Champion gave Judas his flowers post-match and offered a rematch when Grey wants it, they are now one win apiece in Discovery Wrestling, both of which in title scenarios.

What a match. The crowd dynamic was wonderful. The didn’t hate Gene Munny and he didn’t give them a reason to, they just wanted Judas Grey to win more. Gene recognised that subtle difference so didn’t lean into the being more aggressive or go into taking short cuts, keeping the match competitive with splashes of Gene Munny flair.

I don’t think there are many better at reading the ring than Gene Munny, his awareness is incredible as he rarely misjudges the distance or footsteps required to get a sequence of fast paced moves together to make it look as clean as required.

The match felt like No Mercy 2008, Triple H versus Jeff Hardy. The established big dog that has an unshakable level of respect from the crowd against the beloved enigmatic alternative. The emotional response from the crowd, to the wrestlers in the ring, had you drawn into every hand slap to the mat. Your heart sank when the bell sounded as Judas had fallen short but it didn’t rile up any bile or hatred to Gene Munny because it was a fair fight.

It’s interesting to think that Leon Slater is a common thread at either end of this title situation. Leon inserted himself last minute into the main event last April (after beating Joe Hendry in a number one contender match) to dethrone Gene Munny by pinning the third man in the match, Ryan Richards. This time Gene regains the title coming in at the last minute and without pinning the champion because Slater had to withdraw from the event.

An emotional night at Portobello Town Hall was had, the match quality remained high with Munny-Grey and Rush-Skinner being stand out bouts. The Disco Fry against SKOL BROL was ridiculously entertaining and different from any other match on the show. Bar the brain breaking logic of the tag team title match, the rest of the matches delivered and continued to build a new line of a set roster with Chris Bronson, Myla Grace, and Bruiser Brad Evans having good showings against more than capable opponents.

The show schedule in 2024 and 2025 has been a bit stop-start for Discovery Wrestling, though the in-ring itself has continued to be excellent. The back end of this year has got back to basics with regular events featuring high-grade matches exploring the Scottish scene and mixing in the best of the UK with some international talent peppered in. 2026 will be a bold year if that trend continues.

The first show of 2026 has already been announced.
Discovery Wrestling: Year 11
Saturday, January 17 2026 at Portobello Town Hall
Tickets