2018 and 2019 both proved to be truly wonderful years for WrestleZone. There was never any doubt that 2020 was going to be another great for the company, but if Summerhill Showdown was anything to go by, then it’ll be their best year yet. Joe Hendry, Lou King Sharp, Dave Conrad, no Cystos – what more could you want from a wrestling show? All in all, it was a mighty fine night, as it kickstarted what turned out to be one hell of a weekend. For those who follow me on Twitter (@AdamMorrison40, by the way 😉), then you’ll know exactly why if you saw my tweets during the Royal Rumble. Big match Drew. Big boi Edge. All the tears in the Morrison household that night.
We’re not here to talk about the Sunday though, we’re here to talk about the Saturday, we’re here to talk about Summerhill Showdown. Enough jibber jabber, let’s get into the meat of this review!
VIP Ticket Holders Pre-Show – Handicap Match
Mr P def. The Outfit (Dino Del Monte & Ted O’Keefe) by Pinfall
I like Mr P. I like The Outfit even more. Their pre-show Handicap Match was bound to be decent, but I didn’t have any idea just how much I was going to enjoy it. All three men were an absolute joy to watch in this one. Handicap Matches are, more or less, always the same in the sense that the team with the man advantage (in this case, The Outfit) will always keep the match under their control, before the side with less wrestlers (in this case, lonesome Mr P) makes a huge comeback to either win or lose the match. While this was the same for the most part, the three managed to wrestle it their own way, with the former Tri-Counties Champion comedically sliding in and out of the ring to avoid ‘The Granite City Gangsters’, something which did nothing but anger Del Monte and O’Keefe. After P tied both men up in knots, he avoided a Magic Killer attempt, downing Ted with one of his own spinebusters. Don’t worry though Ted, it wasn’t nearly as amazing as one of yours.
Dino hammered P with a forearm smash that looked as if it was the equivalent of being hit in the face by a hammer, with Ted following that up with a delicious 11/10 spinebuster, a move that I would personally like to put forward as an early contender for the Move of the Year category in the next SWN Year End Awards. It’s just the best – eat your heart out, D-Lo Brown. A diving crossbody from Mr P was countered into another attempt at a Magic Killer from The Outfit, however, the former two-time Tag Team Champion instead swung round into a headscissors to send Dino crashing into Ted, followed by an Axe Kick to Dino for the win.
This was maybe the best pre-show match I’ve seen since they became a regular feature on WrestleZone shows other than being an Aberdeen Anarchy exclusive – Bradley Evans vs Kaden Garrick vs Dino Del Monte from Battle of the Nations 2018 comes in at a close second though. Dino Del Monte, ‘The (pre)Showstopper’ it seems. The Outfit never fail to impress me, whether it be Ted’s spinebusters or Dino’s rolling elbows, there’s always something from them at a show that makes me an even bigger fan. They’d be perfect for the likes of Source Wrestling if you’re asking me, I’m sure the Govan crowds would have some choice words for the gangster pairing. As for now though, this thing with Mr P that’s been brewing since October has been lovely to watch. It appears to be over by the looks of things, so let’s just hope Dino and Ted move back into the tag title picture, and are champions by the end of 2020.
The Foundation of the Future (Zach Dynamite, Bradley Evans & Ryan Riley) def. The Rejected (Chris Archer, Mikkey Vago & Kaden Garrick) by Pinfall
In a Halloween Hijinx rematch, The Foundation of the Future and The Rejected again scrapped with each other, with the former ambushing the biker trio as they were making their entrance. Although The Rejected did have some offence in at the start, the majority of the bout was kept in the corner of Zach Dynamite, Bradley Evans, and Ryan Riley, with ‘The Mad Dog’ straight-up booting Kaden Garrick in the skull as he went for a German suplex at one stage. Nasty stuff. Perhaps my favourite spot of the whole night came as ‘The Doric Destroyer’ gave Dynamite (I believe it was Dynamite) a uranage off the ring apron onto the other four men at ringside, followed up by a suicide dive from Garrick that wiped everyone out.
A trio of cloverleafs from The Rejected resulted in a near submission from all three members of The Foundation of the Future, whereas Kaden once again sent Zach to Suplex City by way of Aberdeen Airport. With everyone else brawling at ringside, it gave Evans and Riley (a madly inspirational tandem, if we’re being honest) the opportunity to plant Chris Archer with their nice spinebuster/inverted DDT combo for the win. Such a nice move. Can’t remember seeing anyone else ever using it, which is a shame because it really is just one of the nicest moves you’ll ever see.
Seeing as these two sides have been tangled in this gang warfare since around May last year (I think), it would be easy to get bored of the matches between the six by now. Since the matches are more or less always enjoyable though, especially the two six man tag team matches, you’re left wanting more from them. The Foundation of the Future have really gelled as a trio since coming together at last year’s Regal Rumble. Initially, in my opinion at least, they were merely three singles wrestlers who had randomly joined forces, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t looking forward to what was coming from them. They were voted the Tag Team To Watch in the SWN Year End Awards for a reason. Looking at what’s been announced for WrestleZone’s next event in Montrose, it appears this rivalry isn’t over quite yet, with Dynamite and Archer set to go one on one. Who’s complaining though, lads?
Shawn Johnson vs Bryan Tucker went to a Double Count Out
From one long rivalry to another, Bryan Tucker and Shawn Johnson collided again. Tucker entered wearing a tie, and I still have no clue why, it’s not like he used it as a weapon. Needless to say, Shawn battered Bryan during this one, flying all over the place with a springboard back elbow here and a step-up enzuigiri there. Tucker busted out his old knee lift/neckbreaker combo that, when I was watching it, made me realise just how much I missed The Miz using the Reality Check as his finish. Come on, Mike!
Bryan attempted to use both of his belts as weapons throughout the match – yes, that’s right, two belts. A cunning plan from the former Undisputed Champion here, he was wearing not one, but two belts. Sure, perhaps his trousers were a little loose, so he needed the two belts, maybe he only took them off to over one to Shawn. Referee Mikey Innes was having none of it though, and after Shawn missed a diving double foot stomp, the duo brawled around ringside, resulting in the match being ruled a double count out.
Personally, I’m a big fan that the pair’s rivalry is going on a slow burner. Their previous fued in 2016 just went balls to the wall with all sorts of brawls and Unsanctioned Matches. It was still delightful, but I feel this one had to be slightly different so that it wasn’t just a complete rehash of that. When they actually have a match that ends decisively, whether or not that’s the end of the rivalry, it’ll all be worth it. For now though, I for one am enjoying their rivalry. Shawn Johnson was the crown jewel of Sterling Oil for about three years, but he’s still an easy guy to get behind because of the way he wrestles. Add to that Bryan Tucker being an absolute diddler (in the Cultaholic Wrestling Podcast sense of the word), and you have yourselves a damn good rivalry.
WrestleZone Tag Team Championships
Blue Thunder & William Sterling (c) def. Scotty Swift & Connor Inglis by Pinfall
Rounding out the first half of the show was the hotly-anticipated Tag Team Championships match as new champs Blue Thunder and William Sterling defended the straps for the first time against Scotty Swift and new partner Connor Inglis, with Swift handpicking Inglis as his partner to help cash in The Swift Lions’ obligatory championship rematch. In true William Sterling fashion, he entered planting kiss after kiss on his championship belt, doing everything in his power to agitate Swift. Speaking of Sterling, he clearly hasn’t been watching Connor Inglis’ rise over the last 12 months, as he refused to take the youngster seriously. Because of this, it gave Inglis an added advantage in the early going, quickly moving around the multi-time Tag Team Champion to keep him turning.
Perhaps the challengers should’ve kept it that way, as not too long after Scotty Swift came into the ring, he was suddenly left unable to stand on his own two feet without some sort of assistance. As ‘The Red Haired Warrior’ was helped to the back and removed from the match, the fiery Connor decided to continue challenging for the titles himself, flying off the ropes with some sort of corkscrew dive onto both champions that was a sheer thing of beauty. A barrage of bicycle knees to big William very nearly saw Connor win the titles on his own, however, a schoolboy with a yank of the tights was enough for Sterling and Blue Thunder to retain their championships. Just as William appeared to be turning a new leaf by shaking Connor’s hand as a sign of respect, the WrestleZone original instead continued the assault, prompting Crusher Craib to emerge and chase off the former Thunder Buddies.
This was something special, this one. The whole story of Swift going down with a knee injury played into what he posted on social media after Johnny Lions’ retirement, saying that he didn’t know when his time would be coming – if these sorts of injuries are a recurring theme going forward, then it could be sooner than we had anticipated. It gave Connor the chance to show what he was capable of when a championship is up for grabs, and seeing as he nearly defeated both Sterling and Thunder on his own to lift the Tag Team Championships, it’s almost certain we’ll be seeing Connor holding a title by the end of 2020. The pairing of Connor and Crusher will no doubt be excellent, unless ‘The Creator of Carnage’ simply turns on Connor in their first match as a team. Boo, hiss, etc. I’m here for The C&C Wrestle Factory being a tandem in WrestleZone, should be bags of fun all around. The mismatched pairings are usually the best if we’re being honest – Team Hell No are a prime example. Hell, Blue Thunder and William Sterling were a mismatched pairing, and I’d say they’ve done alright for themselves.
Since writing this, Crusher and Connor have won the titles, so disregard everything I said.
WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship
Joe Hendry def. Alan Sterling (c) w/Caleb Valhalla by Disqualification
After a brief interval, we were back with a match I had been looking forward to nonstop ever since it was announced – Alan Sterling vs Joe Hendry for the former’s Tri-Counties Championship. It was bound to be an entertaining match, no doubts about it, but this one knocked it straight out of Duthie Park. I was beaming from ear to ear before the match even began, as ‘The Prestigious One’ entered to his absolutely banging ROH theme – get it in your eyes right now. From the off, it was clear who the superior technical wrestler was. If you guessed Alan Sterling, then you guessed wrong – congratulations! Hendry dominated the early going, using his technical prowess to take ‘Captain Alan’ off his feet with an intense armlock. Alan, vowing to prove Hendry couldn’t one-up him, attempted the same move only to fail in shocking fashion, despite the assistance from Caleb Valhalla.
With some help from the intimidating Norse God at ringside, Alan was on top of things for a good chunk of time. He busted out all of his big moves, such as the Toot Toot Elbow Drop and the Toot Toot Leg Drop, although he did sadly miss the All About Alan Swanton Bomb (as he often does). Big Caleb tried getting involved in the ring while wearing his very own captain’s hat, as Alan had presented him prior to the bell, but instead speared Alan straight out of his hat after Joe avoided him. Just as Alan shoved down referee Mikey Innes, Joe locked him in the Hendry Lock (shades of Five Star Wrestling icon Jake Hager) for what appeared to be a submission victory. However, Innes only awarded the win to Joe via disqualification, ensuring the joyous reign of Alan Sterling will continue. Little Freak of Nature to the Sterling brother after the bell, because why not, eh?
Big fan of this match. Alan Sterling is an immensely underrated talent, something that I’ll say time and time again. He’s just the absolute best. Whether he’s being a serious wrestler or a comedy lad, Alan has become one of the most underappreciated guys in the country. He would be absolutely perfect in the likes of Source or Discovery – I’m pretty sure Billy included this in a list once, but Alan Sterling vs Gene Munny would be a HUGE match. In terms of this though, I firmly believe this may have been Alan’s best match ever, which isn’t exactly a surprise given who his opponent was. Joe Hendry can literally put on a decent match with a bag of trash, and it would be brilliant. I’m up for Joe being back in WrestleZone at some point – Hendry vs Scotty Swift, Hendry vs Zach Dynamite, Hendry vs Damien, Hendry vs Crusher Craib. All of the matches.
Triple Threat Match
Andy Wild def. Dave Conrad and Jason Reed w/Agent W by Pinfall
Big lads scrapping. That’s exactly the sort of wrestling I’ll take time and time again. Well, that and blood-filled deathmatch bouts but I enjoy watching others suffer. I promise you I’m alright… Andy Wild and Dave Conrad both toyed with Jason Reed in the early stages of this one, chucking him across the ring, and beating the living hell out of the poor Fifer. Now, no offence to the man on a mission, but the Wild vs Conrad sections of this match were absolutely superb. It’s not often you’ll see ‘The Dad Bod God’ lifted off his feet with such ease, and then you’ve got him taking suplex after suplex here. Sady I haven’t seen nearly as much of Dave Conrad than I would’ve liked, but from what I saw from this match alone, he should be getting booked all over the place. Athletic big men are always a great asset to any wrestling roster in my opinion – ‘The Alpha Male’ more than fills those boots.
Fair play to Jason, by the way. ‘The One For The Future’ tried his absolute best to take one of the bigger men off his feet, which he technically did after somehow mustering up the strength to give Conrad a spinebuster. He took a running powerslam for his troubles (bless his soul), as well as a German suplex from Andy Wild (honestly, how he was walking after the match is beyond me). From there, it was down to big hosses slugging it out, ending with both a Wildest Driver and DA BOMB – so deadly, it’s in all capitals – as Andy Wild began his 2020 in WrestleZone with a win.
My main thought coming away from this match was why isn’t Dave Conrad around much these days? I’m not sure if that’s his own personal choice or if promotions just aren’t booking him that much, but ‘The Alpha Male’ is legit one of the best wrestlers I’ve had the chance of watching live. Genuinely, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Andy Wild taken off his feet as easy as Dave Conrad made it seem – in fact, rephrase that, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Andy Wild taken off his feet full stop. Conrad, Wild, and Jason Reed made for a unique combination that I’d love to see more of. Like I said when speaking about Joe Hendry, Dave as a more regular member of the WrestleZone roster would be a true delight. Crusher Craib, Caleb Valhalla, Andy Wild (in singles action), Caleb Valhalla again just for the sake of it. Has it ever been mentioned that SWN writers are big Caleb Valhalla fans?
Undisputed WrestleZone Championship
Damien (c) def. Lou King Sharp by Pinfall
The big hits just kept on coming, as Lou King Sharp made his WrestleZone return for the first time since Battle of the Nations 2018 as he challenged Damien for the Undisputed Championship. Despite sauntering out to “Fix Up, Look Sharp”, this was a much different LKS than what we last saw of him. No longer was it about booting baws and pumping maws, but rather it was about doing whatever it took to head back down to Glasgow with the Undisputed WrestleZone Championship in tow. Each blow from Sharp made it seem as if that would actually be happening, with ‘The Revolutionary’ often finding it difficult to keep up with the new ‘Blood Tourist’ persona of the pint-sized Glaswegian.
As the fight went through the crowd, Damien hit some blistering chops to his challenger, whereas ‘Your Mother’s Favourite Wrestler’ chose an unorthodox way to dish out his pain, diving off the bar with an elbow drop that was just as good as a prime Randy Savage elbow. The brawl made its way over to the commentary desk, before Damien busted out a cutter – Johnny Lions retired at Christmas Chaos, and already on the next show Damien’s claimed sole use of the cutter in WrestleZone. He’ll claim it’s in homage to his former partner, but really he just enjoys doing them that much. A flying Codebreaker caught Lou King Sharp mid-flight as Damien countered the Sharp Splash with his own finisher for the victory.
To the shock of literally nobody, this was another good match to round off a bloody good night at the wrestling. Both Damien and Lou King Sharp are superb talents who can craft together something incredibly special. There may not have been a story coming into this one, but the in-ring action more than made up for that. Not a bad point. What does shock me, however, is how quickly fans have turned on Damien. 2018 saw everyone behind him on his quest to take the Undisputed Championship away from Shawn Johnson, a mission he accomplished in WrestleZone’s first ever Steel Cage Match. To this day, I still have vivid memories of his match with Richard R. Russell at that year’s Battle of the Nations – that show in general remains my all-time favourite show I’ve attended. Damien may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s fine – you don’t have to like everyone. Just thought it would make for some interesting writing, and apparently it did since I just wrote 152 words about it.
Overall, it was genuinely a terrific way to start the year for WrestleZone. Not a bad match, plenty of high intensity and fast-paced action, finally got to see Joe Hendry live, and Caleb Valhalla was there. What’s not to love about all of that? As we saw at their following event at the Montrose Town Hall, the hype isn’t dying down, as Crusher Craib and Connor Inglis lifted the WrestleZone Tag Team Championships from Blue Thunder and William Sterling. Still got plenty coming as well – Training Academy shows, the Regal Rumble, the two-night Aberdeen Anarchy. Get on it if you aren’t already. It’s pretty sound advice if you ask me.
Quick Results
VIP Ticket Holders Pre-Show – Handicap Match – Mr P def. The Outfit (Dino Del Monte & Ted O’Keefe) by Pinfall
The Foundation of the Future (Zach Dynamite, Bradley Evans & Ryan Riley) def. The Rejected (Chris Archer, Mikkey Vago & Kaden Garrick) by Pinfall
Shawn Johnson vs Bryan Tucker went to a Double Count Out
WrestleZone Tag Team Championships – Blue Thunder & William Sterling (c) def. Scotty Swift & Connor Inglis by Pinfall
WrestleZone Tri-Counties Championship – Joe Hendry def. Alan Sterling (c) w/Caleb Valhalla by Disqualification
Triple Threat Match – Andy Wild def. Dave Conrad and Jason Reed w/Agent W by Pinfall
Undisputed WrestleZone Championship – Damien (c) def. Lou King Sharp by Pinfall
SCOTTISH WRESTLING NETWORK | SWN 