Over The Border VI: Something Something Something Anarchy

It's around this time of year that WrestleZone begins the countdown to their biggest event of the year. The last two years has seen over a thousand wrestling fans of all ages descend towards the Beach Ballroom and I have been one of them. After the dust settles from the Regal Rumble the Road to Anarchy begins…

Aberdeen Anarchy is WrestleZone's WrestleMania with special guests, star attractions and presenting an overall experience as opposed to just a wrestling show. For the last two years it has been an event that is a highlight of my wrestling calender and this year will be no different. 

Back on June 1st 2013, I attended Aberdeen Anarchy, the fifth event but the first to take place in the Beach Ballroom. This was a venue that had seen wrestling in the past but not for 30 plus years. WrestleZone were pulling out all the stops by bringing in an 80's Legend and an American Icon in "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. If that wasn't enough nostalgia, they also announced that Billy Gunn would also be at the event which sprung a generation that grew up on the Attitude Era into life. Two guests that peaks the interest of two generations. I went because it was Billy Gunn attending, I mean, this guy was one of "my boys" and the chance to meet him? Oh hell yeah!

But it wasn't the guests that kept me coming back, the first match I saw on the main Aberdeen Anarchy show was Stevie Xavier vs Bingo Ballance. If there is ever a match to draw you into an event this was it. The high-flying, the crispness in movement, it was a masterpiece. Quite possibly the best opening match that I've ever seen. From that point onwards I was in for a ride of nostalgia and cementing why I love the crazy world of professional wrestling. The venue was beautiful, the wrestling was incredible and I was only a short train ride from my own bed. Was this heaven?

That night I was among the 1,103 in attendance for a record breaking night in Aberdeen. A night that lives in my memory for evermore. What could top that?

May 10th 2014. Aberdeen Anarchy.

Oh man. I have never been so excited for an event like I was for Aberdeen Anarchy 2014. Scotty 2 Hotty was coming to Aberdeen and this guy was my hero growing up. It was like Jeff Hardy, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Scotty 2 Hotty. I would try and do the worm but could never manage it. WrestleZone had outdone themselves again, I attended their Regal Rumble event to witness Jack Jester win the main event battle royal and saw the intense brawl between him and the Champion, Crusher Craib. I had seen Grado book his place at Aberdeen Anarchy by defeating Jay Lethal and Zach Dynamite to go onto face Scotty 2 Hotty at the big show. Yes, Scotty 2 Hotty vs Grado. The Worm vs The Slug. This was the must see event of the year, Aberdeen Anarchy 2015. WrestleZone returned to the Beach Ballroom and opened up space in the balcony so that more people to come in, 1,271 rabid fans flocked to Aberdeen to see WrestleZone put on their finest show ever.

This event showcased what WrestleZone offers in terms of family entertainment from a wrestling match between Andy Wild and Bingo Ballance, a heated contest between Aspen Faith and Len Ironside. It featured comedy from Alan Sterling and the amazing Grado vs Scotty 2 Hotty match. It had a brutal ladder match between Thunder Buddies and The Hotshots. Plus X-Pac in action in a six man tag team match and an expertly built main event between Crusher Craib and Jack Jester.

1,271 people didn't just see a wrestling show, they saw the best wrestling show in the North East of Scotland that I have ever seen. 

This leads us to 2015 back at the Beach Ballroom. Aberdeen Anarchy is beginning to take shape with fan favourite Scotty Swift winning a shot at the current WrestleZone Undisputed Champion Joe Coffey in lue if winning the Regal Rumble. The special guests, again, are big names with Chris Masters, D-Von Dudley and Hardcore Holly all coming to the Granite City
.

It'll be a night of shock, awe and action. The landscape of WrestleZone will never be the same. You won’t want to miss this!

The VIP Meet and Greet tickets have sold out but there will still be a chance to meet the special guests.

http://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/events/wrestlezone-aberdeen-anarchy-supershow-293232  

Best of British III - WrestleZone

       This month's Best of British see's Over The Border writer Billy Strachan take a look at WrestleZone.

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      WrestleZone have been tearing up the North East of Scotland since 2008, with a strong and rabid fanbase along with steller wrestlers and guests, I'm here to throw their name into the hat to be called "Best of British".

I had gotten the independent wrestling bug in mid-2012 when I attended SWE Hell for Lycra IX and from then on I was on the hunt to see as many shows that I could afford…which wasn’t many but it allowed me to pick and choose events. When I saw that one of my favourite wrestlers (Billy Gunn) was coming to Aberdeen of all places, I had to get along to that!

Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Billy Gunn was the man that got Billy interested.

My first experience of WrestleZone was their fifth Aberdeen Anarchy event in 2013. Before this I had attended a couple SWE shows and a W3L event so had an idea what to expect from an independent event. The main drawing point for me was the special guests, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Billy Gunn. When I got to the Beach Ballroom to watch the event though, wow, it was the wrestlers that made me want to come back. When you kick off the show in a sold out Ballroom with Bingo Ballance vs Stevie Xavier (www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOvAElvdRm4) you know you're in for a treat. What followed was a packed show top to bottom and that's what you expect when you come to a WrestleZone event. They have their "big events" like the Regal Rumble, Aberdeen Anarchy and Battle of the Nations but they also tour the North East in places like Ellon, Huntly and Fraserburgh so that everyone gets a chance to see their roster in action.

      Their core roster is full of talented individuals, with some just coming to prominence and debuting in other promotions. The characters are well thought out and fill the needs for every person that comes to an event from comedy acts like Mr Malice, Super Executioner and the Cystos to pure wrestling like Aspen Faith or just a hero for the crowd to pull for like Scotty Swift.

Scotty Swift is a big fan favourite at WrestleZone

      Their tag team division is currently home to three very good teams from the champions The Granite City Hotshots (Bryan Tucker and Shawn Johnson) to the odd couple team of Thunder Buddies (William Sterling and Blue Thunder) and the dangerous pairing of Revolution (Damien and Johnny Lions). Two of these teams put on a fantastic display at Aberdeen Anarchy in 2014 when Thunder Buddies and The Hotshots faced off in a ladder match. It was brutal but mesmerising with a well deserved standing ovation at the end for all four competitors.

       What impresses me about WrestleZone is their production, match graphics for every match, every event. Promos from their wrestlers are produced in plenty of time and their own podcast answers any questions fans may have about the product. They excel in fan interaction and getting people involved.

An example of WrestleZone's recent match graphics.

        I went to their Regal Rumble event which saw Jack Jester win the annual battle royal to face the champion at Aberdeen Anarchy that year. This program between Jack Jester and the champion Crusher Craib was the best build up that I had seen in a very long time. It had started prior to this event when Jester handed the champion his first loss (by DQ) and gotten into the monsters head. Crusher was a monster that just booted folk in the face and left but with Jester he had become more human by showing weakness. After Jester won the Regal Rumble there was a pull apart brawl between the two which consisted of the whole roster and staff to pull the two away from each other. What happened at Aberdeen Anarchy was shocking as Jester had Crusher pleading as Jester had held one of the camera girls by the neck and threatened her with his corkscrew. The monster had become human by showing mercy. It was fantastic storytelling, with every little detail adding to the match. The video package before the match at Aberdeen Anarchy summed it up (www.youtube.com/watch?v=w32sRBoWqE8).

Not only do they pull out all the stops at their big events but at their smaller events the guys involved put everything into their matches and work hard to get the crowd invested into their matches. Their regular roster boasts a lot of talent from the likes of Zach Dynamite, Chris Archer, Alan Sterling and the aforementioned Scotty Swift, Crusher Craib and Aspen Faith. I’ve been to smaller shows in Fraserburgh and Nairn where the crowd may not have been big but they were loud and were left wanting more.

Crusher Craib is a regular for WrestleZone

     In the last couple of years, WrestleZone have brought over some fantastic guests that have been enthusiastic and willing to perform, no false advertising or phoning in here. The likes of the aforementioned “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Billy Gunn, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal have come from across the pond along with Colt Cabana, X-Pac, Scotty 2 Hotty and, in May, D-Von Dudley, Chris Masters and Hardcore Holly. With these stars they’ve hosted dream matches like Grado vs Scotty 2 Hotty.

It’s not only international talent that comes through the doors at WrestleZone but the best in Britain like Drew Galloway, Joe Coffey and Lionheart having made appearances for them in the past.

Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Drew Galloway appeared for WrestleZone in August.

      WrestleZone are a company that work hard and try and give the fans something to remember at every event. They are definitely a company to keep your eye on.

    For more on WrestleZone see http://www.wrestlezonescotland.co.uk/, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.