WrestleZone celebrated their official 10-year anniversary earlier this week, with their first show taking place on April 4th 2008. They’ve come a long way since then, including selling out the historic Beach Ballroom 5 years in a row. Having followed them since 2013, I’ve been able to see some of their best matches so of course, that means it’s time for a list!
10. Undisputed WrestleZone Championship: Crusher Craib (c) vs Jack Jester (Aberdeen Anarchy 10/05/14)
The 2014 Aberdeen Anarchy was main evented by Crusher Craib defending his Undisputed Championship against 2014 Regal Rumble winner Jack Jester. The two had faced off once prior to this, with Crusher being disqualified at the Cloverleaf Hotel the previous January after using a steel chair. Following a mass brawl at the end of The Regal Rumble, the match was set for The Beach Ballroom. After using ringside attendant Thea as a distraction, Jester blasted Crusher across the head with a chair and followed with a huge Tombstone Piledriver to end the near 1-year reign of The Creator of Carnage.
9. No DQ Match: Crusher Craib vs Scotty Swift (Regal Rumble 24/03/18)
Another Crusher Craib match up next, this being his recent No DQ Match against Scotty Swift from last month’s Regal Rumble. This rivalry started back at Aberdeen Anarchy 2016, where Crusher was injured after he missed an attack off the top rope and was put on the shelf with a broken hip before returning to cost Swift the Undisputed Championship the following year. The two faced off twice, with Crusher winning by referee stoppage (putting The Red Haired Warrior on the injured list in the process) followed by a DQ win this past January in Swift’s first match back, with Scotty’s anger getting the better of him. Their most recent encounter was as brutal as you can really go on a family show. Cookie sheets, kendo sticks, tables, this match had all you could ask for. An unfortunate unbreakable table ruined the ending but Crusher once again came out on top, thanks to some help from The Sterling Brothers.
8. Christmas Brawl for the WrestleZone Tag Team Championships: The Sterling Brothers (Alan Sterling & William Sterling) (c) vs The Rejected (Chris Archer & Mikkey Vago) (Christmas Chaos 02/12/17)
2017 saw The Rejected and The Sterling Brothers going back and forth, trading the WrestleZone Tag Team Championships between them. Following Mikkey Vago’s return from an injury caused by Alan Sterling, WrestleZone management put the two teams in a Christmas Brawl at last year’s Christmas Chaos show, with this being the last match between the two sides. What followed was absolute chaos. Everything, either Christmas-themed or not, was used by all four men to inflict pain on each other, with Chris Archer suffering a nasty cut on his back. After Scotty Swift’s music played to distract the Sterling Oil members, Mikkey Vago slammed Alan Sterling through a steel chair to capture The Rejected’s third set of Tag Team Championships.
7. Undisputed WrestleZone Championship: Shawn Johnson (c) vs Damien (Halloween Hijinx 28/10/17)
Quite possibly the most anticipated match in WrestleZone was the main event to Halloween Hijinx 2017, as Shawn Johnson defended the Undisputed Championship against former Sterling Oil stablemate Damien, who turned his back on the group at the previous month’s Battle of the Nations. With The Sterling Brothers accompanying Shawn to ringside, they were sent to the back by referee Dennis Law not long after the match started. But after an accidental collision left Dennis laying on the mat, Crusher Craib emerged and chokeslammed Damien on the apron but it wasn’t enough. As the champ springboarded off the ropes, he was caught mid-air with a Codebreaker for the win as the crowd erupted. Damien was crowned a two-time Undisputed Champion and most importantly, the title was away from the members of Sterling Oil.
6. Unsanctioned Match: Bryan Tucker vs Shawn Johnson (Battle of the Nations 13/08/16)
The Unsanctioned Match between Bryan Tucker and Shawn Johnson from the 2016 Battle of the Nations was the second time the former tag partners had squared off following their break up, with Tucker picking up the win at Aberdeen Anarchy two months prior. However, it was Shawn Johnson that had the last laugh, attacking his former friend with a steel chair after the match. WrestleZone management allowed these two to go at it once again with no rules, which both men used to their advantage. Several steel chairs were used throughout the contest, with Shawn ramming Tucker’s head into one placed in the turnbuckles before rolling him up and using the ropes for leverage to pick up the win. Tucker assaulted the Sterling Oil member afterwards, with the rivalry far from over.
5. Intergender Match: Aspen Faith & Sammii Jayne vs Lewis Girvan & Debbie Sharpe (Christmas Chaos (Comes Early!) 14/11/15)
Christmas Chaos came a bit earlier in 2015, taking place in November. With wrestling legend Mick Foley looking on from behind the curtain, Aspen Faith and Sammii Jayne faced off against Lewis Girvan and Debbie Sharpe in a terrific Intergender Match. The King of Catch had demanded better competition after easily disposing of Cysto at a show in Blackburn the previous month. As a result, he got this match. All four competitors got their fair share of offence in. With Sammii diving through the ropes to Debbie at ringside, Aspen was able to snap Lewis’ fingers back in the ring but The Best Young Wrestler was able to fight back back and lock in his Peacemaker submission for the victory. This was just the start of the fantastic series of matches Faith and Girvan had in WrestleZone.
4. Fatal Four Way Ladder Match to determine the inaugural WrestleZone Tri-Counties Champion: Aspen Faith vs Bingo Ballance vs Bryan Tucker vs Zach Dynamite (Aberdeen Anarchy 17/06/17)
Going back to last year’s Aberdeen Anarchy event as we had a Fatal Four Way Ladder Match to crown the inaugural WrestleZone Tri-Counties Champion. Aspen Faith, Bingo Ballance, Bryan Tucker and Zach Dynamite put everything on the line to make history. Aspen conquered his fear of heights, Bryan performed a Twist of Fate off a ladder and Zach dove off a ladder to everyone else down below. With Bryan stuck in the tree of woe and Bingo trapped under a ladder, Aspen snapped Zach’s fingers and retrieved the title to become the first ever Tri-Counties Champion.
3. Ladder Match for the WrestleZone Tag Team Championships: The Thunder Buddies (Blue Thunder & William Sterling) (c) vs The Granite City Hotshots (Bryan Tucker & Shawn Johnson) (Aberdeen Anarchy 10/05/14)
Another Ladder Match next as we go back to Aberdeen Anarchy 2014, as The Thunder Buddies put their Tag Team Championships on the line against The Granite City Hotshots. Blue Thunder and William Sterling were randomly put together towards the end of 2013 and ended up winning a tournament for the vacant Tag Team Championships, beating Team SMASH in the finals. Shawn Johnson and Bryan Tucker were vying to win the titles once again and after some shenanigans involving ladders at previous shows, the match was made. Each man used a ladder to inflict pain on the opposing side, including a miraculous dive off a ladder to ringside from Shawn Johnson. In the end, The Hotshots came out on top to win their third set of Tag Team Championships.
2. Damien vs Tyler Bate (Battle of the Nations 09/09/17)
An instant classic took place at Battle of the Nations last summer, as then-Sterling Oil member Damien went toe to toe with the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate. Having been on a losing streak at that time with losses against names such as Johnny Lions, The Rejected and Bradley Evans, it came as a surprise that WrestleZone management gave this huge opportunity to The Revolutionary. However, it may have been one of the best decisions they’ve made. Damien took the fight to the British Strong Style member as the two traded stiff strikes. Tyler Bate came out on top after a phenomenal match with a Tyler Driver ’97 and offered his hand to Damien following the match.
1. Bingo Ballance vs Stevie Xavier (Aberdeen Anarchy 01/06/13)
Not sure if any WrestleZone will be able to top this one. With their first show at The Beach Ballroom in June 2013, WrestleZone needed a match to get the fans pumped for the rest of the night so they signed Bingo Ballance to face off with Stevie Xavier. A match that had it all. High-flying offence, powerhouse slams to the mat, chain wrestling masterclasses. Bingo gained the win with a G17 and the two embraced afterwards. Bingo also picked up the win in a rematch in 2016. How about we go best of 5?
Here’s to many more fantastic matches in the years to come!
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