We’ll have a road trip episode of the podcast soon about this event, in the meantime it is available on Patreon in audio form here: www.patreon.com/scotwresnet

For the final time in 2024, WrestleZone host a sold out event at Danestone Community Centre. A venue that has become the thee place for big shocks and epic matches, and this was no different.

I have no report on the door opening situation on this occasion as we arrived at 6.18pm. 18 whole minutes after VIP doors open, I put 100% the blame on TGI Friday’s being uncharacteristically slow as we sat at the train station car park at 6.04pm but managed to shave 4 minutes off the expected arrival time so suck on that Google.

As we walked into the hall, the fade out into Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott’s ‘Hero’ kicked in for Alex Webb to make his way to the ring. I’ll be honest, it felt great, I was ready to thwip about.

VIP Ticket Holder Match – Rhys Dawkins defeated Alex Webb by pinfall.

After being rightly scalded by the most intelligent wrestler on this side of the globe, Dawkins turned his attention to YouTube megastar Alex Webb and his 195k subscribers and mocked the big bit of metal that formed one of those plaques that I can only dream of having with Scottish Wrestling Network etched onto (subscribe now)…

Webb replied by getting his hands and, according to Dawkins, misread and desecrated the words of Big Willie Shakes. Alex threatened to elbow drop the book, Dawkins threatened to drop the elbow onto the METAL plaque. Chaos ensued, Webb faked out the drop and Dawkins wasn’t quite Macho Man when he was saying “oooooooh noooo” when the bone hit the steel.

The action was thick and fast with Webb trying to pick up the pace, using big forearms smashes to rock Dawkins, but Rhys used a power game to thwart the build up. A waist lock half Nelson slam had Webb flat on the mat.

Alex managed to get something going following a pendulum counter into the ropes to hit an enziguri for Dawkins to make a hasty exit only to be followed for a kick in the face from the apron. Just as it looked to be all Webby, Dawkins sidestepped a double foot stomp and planted his opponent down with a belly to belly suplex. Moments later Rhys Dawkins had the leg hooked to end the year on a high note.

A great match, I will keep singing his praises but I believe that Rhys Dawkins is going to have a big breakout year in 2025. I hope for opportunities coming his way in the new year. The VIP portion of the WrestleZone shows have been quietly producing bangers, and has been for a while, well worth the extra £3 on the ticket every time.

The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together. All’s well that ends well, still the fine’s the crown; Whate’er the course, the end is the renown.
– All’s Well That Ends Well, Act IV

Evan Young & Oliver Green w/Chris Archer defeated SAILOR BROL (Lost Boy Aspen & Captain Alan Sterling) by pinfall.

The main show opened with the odd couple tag team, unofficially dubbed Lost At Sea (I will get this to be a thing), against Evan Young and Oliver Green in their final night under the mentorship of Chris Archer.

Captain Alan and Aspen might not have been on the same deck but Young and Green weren’t much better as they continued to be outmatched and running into each other during the contest, a foreshadowing of things to come. Someone on the crowd shouted that Aspen required a battle hat which Captain Alan agreed with and marched over to the merch tables to pick up a signed battle hat (£10 and it could be yours at a show near you) and placed it onto the bemused head of his tag team partner.

There was a moment where Captain Alan was stuck in the wrong corner with Young and Green standing between him and the tag… so Alan left the ring and ran around it to get to his own corner which was ingenious. SAILOR BROL attempted a double suplex but Alan walked off before the drop to leave Aspen vulnerable to a tandem assault from Evan and Oli to the cries of “ALAN???”. Aspen regained control throwing his opponents about and slamming them with powerbombs and release suplexes. It was smooth sailing but Alan stepped in to stop Aspen using a piledriver, or something equally or more devastating, to not allow the move and to re-place the battle hat.

Aspen threw away the sailor’s hat but Young dropped down to get his opponents shoulders on the mat to get the surprise pinfall to the shock of everyone, including Evan himself. Afterwards Young grabbed the mic and berated Archer, but before it could get physical Oliver Green jumped Evan from behind and put the boots to him as Archer looked on with his hands up and not taking any blame for the pain that was being caused.

You felt that this was going to come but to witness it was shocking. Oli had accepted their fate at Aberdeen Anarchy but Evan Young kept pushing back and being stubborn so I can see why Green finally snapped. Why would he want to continue a partnership with someone that is actively not taking him into consideration, or listening, as he was stuck in the backseat while Evan and Archer bickered throughout the year. A justified ending even if the way it was executed leaves Oli Green at the mercy of the WrestleZone crowd. It will be time to sink or swim as we head into 2025 with Green showing a new attitude.

The match was a hell of a lot of fun. Captain Alan Sterling continues to be a delight to watch and it’s one of those situations where you are always laughing AT Alan which maintains the dynamic of him being a bad guy. I was already sold on this team when it was teased at Halloween Hijinks and to see it in action makes me very happy.

WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship – Bryan Tucker vs Tommy Raiden ended in a time limit draw. Bryan Tucker retained the WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship.

It was a masterclass of using the time limit to full advantage, as referee Dennis Law rang the bell Bryan Tucker set his own watch timer and made a hasty exit to the outside to begin the avoidance of Tommy Raiden as Mikkey Vago watched on in the crowd.

Unfortunately Tucker ran into a dead end with Raiden throwing him into the ring to start the action properly, diving from the second rope with a crossbody for a near fall. Tommy continued to try and get the champion involved but Tucker was doing anything he could to run down the clock. A basement cutter from Raiden had him in the driver seat which soon brought out Rhys Dawkins to assist his fellow Warrior Against Low Life Entities.

There were chants of “cheat” when Rhys arrived who quite rightly responded with something to the effect of “I’ve just got here and haven’t done anything” which was a fair summarising of the situation.

The clock continued to wind down with regular updates on how much time was remaining, Raiden fired up, firing his knee into the face of Tucker but the Grand Slam Daddeh rolled to the outside. The timer ran out as Dawkins quickly grabbed the Tri-Counties Championship they quickly made their way to the back. Another defence succeeded…?

This had a lot of stalling, using the 10 minutes to the full extent but it was kept entertaining watching Bryan Tucker find routes to run out the clock. It makes you think that if/when the reign comes to an end it’ll be a Honky Tonk Man-Ultimate Warrior style demolishing that will be incredibly wonderful to watch, but my track record for predictions is woeful so let’s not fantasy book into a disappointment eh?

WrestleZone Tag Team Championships – The Outfit (Ted O’Keefe & Murphy) defeated The Influence (Judas Grey, Ronan King, & Connor Molloy) by pinfall to win the WrestleZone Tag Team Championship.

In our first have main event we got some Christmas treats in the form of The Influence. Even if the gift I received was a balled up Judas shirt point blank to the left ear. Between the VIP match and main show a child came up to me and asked “are you the guy that always gets stuff thrown at him by Judas” yes, this is my legacy.

I don’t know much about fashion but Connor Molloy arrived in a Christmas tree jumper, with his bottom half not exactly the same but very similar to the gear Lost Boy Aspen wore at last year’s Christmas Chaos where we got the union of Connor Molloy and Ronan King in WrestleZone. Ronan’s Christmas gift gear is always a statement with Judas wearing the corresponding jacket with a pink cowboy hat with a white fluffy trim. Choices were made and I could only wish that I could pull them off but alas I would look like Mr Blobby.

There were so many bodies flying around whether in tag team offense from The Influence or when Murphy got a hold of one of them. The Influence used the extra man to their advantage throughout, but Ted O’Keefe kept fighting back to try and open up space as Grey, King, and Molloy comboed move after move as the trio strung together an impressive sequence. We got a stunning standing moonsault from Judas that saw him float in mid-air. Ronan King manage to hoist Murphy up for a TKO which was fantastic.

As The Outfit continued to kick out and survive, Judas Grey called the shots to get the title belts but as Ronan and Connor approached the time keepers area they were missing, as they looked behind the entrance curtain they were welcomed by the Ghost of Nations Past as Dino stood there with both belts draped over his massive shoulders. The distraction allowed for Grey to walk straight into a 3D from Murphy and O’Keefe to find the titles heading back to The Outfit in time for Christmas.

This was a fast paced bout where everyone had a moment to shine. The standout in the match being Murphy as he ragdolled his opponents when called upon, showing intelligence when the numbers started to pile up. O’Keefe had a bulldog energy as he just kept going, not allowing his opponents to breathe and if they stopped to pose he would crash the party. The Dino reveal garnered a great reaction, as did the fall as The Outfit win their third tag team title in 12 months with their first being in the same venue at last year’s Christmas Chaos event.

The Influence trio are so talented, I know, what a shock that I am saying this. We’ve seen the chemistry that Judas Grey and Ronan King have as Vanity, traveling the UK to train and impress. My question mark into 2025 is will Judas overshadow Connor and leave him in the cold as the third wheel? Something to keep an eye on.

The thing now is, what comes next? The tag title scene has been going back and forth between The Outfit and Flippy N Drippy throughout the year and with the potential of SAILOR BROL entering the division, The Foundation of the Future likely resetting to return, Scotty Swift and Umar Mohammed looking forward, are Oliver Green and Chris Archer going to be a team, what of Speed Metal, and Warriors Against Low Life Entities, are Los Cystos still in a basement somewhere? Plus the reveal of Casino Brutale on the poster for January 25th’s Granite City Showdown makes for a very interesting look ahead into 2025. The tag team division is seemingly heating up with The Outfit maybe finally getting proper traction of the Freebird Rule which they haven’t been able to really get their teeth into due to injuries in 2024.

If it opens up the door for more tag teams to head North there’s some cracking teams going right now that would be welcome additions like Arcade Violence, Tall ‘N’ Tiny, Meat Factory, and The Par to name but four.

We returned from the interval with the announcement of Zach Dynamite’s replacement. I had my eyes on Umar Mohammed, his entrance saying “one more time” was a reference to the final chapter in this story with fore, and hind, sight but there was just a sliver of suspicion that he would cause a sensational scene. It wasn’t to be as Richard R. Russell announced Shawn Johnson as the third man, two years since his apparent retirement in the same venue, and a man that had a lot of history with Richard R. Russell’s Sterling Oil. Damien was incensed by the revelation, he has not had a great year for his blood pressure.

Scotty Swift, Damien, & Umar Mohammed w/William Sterling defeated The Foundation of the Future (Bruiser Brad Evans & Ryan Riley) & Shawn Johnson w/Richard R. Russell by pinfall.

The brawl started with all six men through fists, it took some time for the match to settle with the brawl heading around the venue. When it did finally get in order there was one thing abundantly clear, Bruiser Brad Evans and Ryan Riley had no trust in Shawn Johnson. Tagging in and out, barely making eye contact with their new tag team partner.

When Johnson finally got in by way of Riley falling forward and happened to slap his hand, he immediately went to running through Umar Mohammed, laying him out with a Michinoku Driver. He then ripped off his Foundation of the Future shirt and left the ring. Russell had to defuse the situation as Evans and Riley agreed to actually involve Johnson going forward.

The match went back and forth with plenty of scary moments for William Sterling to look on as Riley and Evans operated like a well oiled machine but Swift and co. continued swinging. It looked to be going well they were overwhelmed by the singular goal of Swift, Mohammed, and Damien who were not to be denied as Shawn Johnson stood by and watched Mohammed and Damien ram their knees into the face of Evans and Riley respectively in sync to end this war once and for all, and make all of Richard R. Russell’s nightmares come to fruition.

Watching The Foundation of the Future crumble under Richard R. Russell’s guidance was so satisfying from a story standpoint. The loss of Zach Dynamite for the last leg started putting nails in the coffin with victories still coming but the trust waivering without Dynamite there to form some unity and show the leadership that has seen The Foundation of the Future be so successful in WrestleZone.

The Shawn Johnson reveal was so unexpected and that it played into Evans and Riley not being on board with the decision was perfect. Russell was latching on to the unit, but his decision making was out of place for this new generation. Excellent. All Scotty Swift, Umar Mohammed, Damien, and William Sterling had to do was just hold on as the cracks were beginning to show.

Lumberjack Match – William Sterling defeated Richard R. Russell by pinfall.

Old school WrestleZone fans knew of the stronghold Richard R. Russell had on the promotion for so long with the Sterling Oil faction. Pissing off fans and wrestlers alike with this smug demeanour and stranglehold on the Undisputed and Tag Team Championships. To really see him get his comeuppance, at Christmas no less, was cathartic.

It wasn’t plain sailing, it was a lumberjack match so there was still some more shenanigans. Sterling made sure that his pals got a couple hits in as he launched Russell to the outside for Damien, Swift, and Mohammed to maul on. Russell begged off the assault throughout. Riley tried to assist by grabbing the leg of Sterling to give Russell hope but a second rope jump saw him land chin first on the sole of William’s right boot.

A corner splash saw Dennis Law get caught in the crossfire, which was a Christmas gift to me, as the bodies piled in for one final flurry of moves, Riley taken out with a Midnight Hour from Swift and Mohammed which saw his nose explode upon impact with the blood flowing at ringside. It finally came down to Shawn Johnson holding a chair, Russell on his knees, and Sterling propping himself up in the corner. Johnson handed the chair to William Sterling to add one final twist to the tale, who struck Triple R to finally close the book on this year long saga.

Johnson seemingly reconciled with the Swift, Sterling, and eventually Damien with handshakes following the conclusion.

A definitive end to this 12 month span of matches. I’m sure there will still be some ripples from the aftershocks but for now there is some peace.

WrestleZone Undisputed Championship – Christmas Brawl – Caleb Valhalla defeated Monstrum by pinfall to retain the WrestleZone Undisputed Championship.

It didn’t take long for this one to break down as Caleb Valhalla went straight after Monstrum before the bell. An epic Christmas Brawl that used the loose terms of Christmas items being legal weapons to it’s fullest.

The fight went to the far corner of the venue which saw Caleb produce a tinsel covered Singapore cane (that was obviously a Vago suggestion), before charging Monstrum into pile of Christmas themed boxes. Monstrum replied by spearing Valhalla through a terribly placed spare ring board to send them both into a storage room. Red rag to a bull that.

Monstrum dragged Valhalla by the leg to ringside where he brought out a chair with a tinsel wreath taped on to whack the back of Caleb several times. Valhalla barely moved out of the way when Monstrum tried a Vader Bomb which saw the monster land onto the chair. The champion fought back, using a chair of his own to wrap around the neck of Monstrum.

The monster was still alive as tried to bring a Christmas tree into the action but Valhalla flew through the ropes to have the two land at our feet. Monstrum flung the tree into the face of Caleb before whipping him with the tree lights. Monstrum produced a burlap sack that was full of baubles but Valhalla managed to backdrop him overhead so that the big man landed onto his own construction. A follow up spear from Caleb took down the monster but as the viking recovered Monstrum got to his feet first.

It didn’t deter Monstrum as he grabbed the ring crew to bring in a gift wrapped wooden board that was set up into the corner. Valhalla fought off Monstrum once more before finally spearing him through the board and keeping Monstrum down for the three count.

A wild main event, no comedy items, just things to cause pain and destruction. Both threw everything at the other with very little downtime. A match that really cemented Caleb Valhalla’s Undisputed Championship reign. I hope to see more of Monstrum in 2025, even if his aesthetic is terrifying, maybe we’ll see some Good Times… even if it’ll cause some bad times for others.

As silly people began getting ready to make an exit, Santa arrived to help the good guys give out gifts of selection boxes and posters. Damien made an individual entrance to talk to Valhalla in the ring, the conversation couldn’t be heard but the intention was clear, he wants next crack at the title now that The Foundation of the Future situation has been settled. After a tense handshake, Shawn Johnson stepped in to cool things over. He assisted Valhalla by opening the ropes, only to kick them and attack Valhalla, laying in the punches before anyone could intervene. Johnson made his exit and he and Damien glanced over to each other. What a cliffhanger to end the year!

January 25th is too long to wait, it looks like Damien and Shawn Johnson have made bids to be next in line for the Undisputed WrestleZone Champion with both making different plays. Damien went diplomatic to the source whereas a returning Shawn Johnson, who has no recent wins, and a two year layoff, to pull upon to justify the challenge went to Valhalla’s penchant to act irrationally when angered. A bold move. I can’t wait to see how this gets resolved when WrestleZone opens their doors in the new year.

What a finale to 2024, some stories came to a conclusion whilst others have just started. That’s the beauty of wrestling, there’s no forever end game and you’re left wanting more. Another strong year from the North East promotion with plenty of twists and turns, I’m sure they’ll get twisty and turnier as 2025 approaches and the road to Aberdeen Anarchy begins again. Let’s go!