Opinion

Elisa: The Rise Of Irish Wrestling

The last two matches at WrestleMania 35 were won by Irish wrestlers–see the rise of this region here!

Published

6 years ago

April 14, 2019

Elisa Marie

After Irish wrestlers win the final two matches at WWE WrestleMania 35, Elisa takes a look at the rise of Irish wrestling as a whole.

I personally wanted to write this article to honor the Irish Wrestlers and trainers that have helped Irish wrestling grow into something more tremendous than I believe anyone could have ever imagined. But you cannot discuss the rise of Irish wrestlers in the WWE without discussing independent wrestling scene. What I mean is more specifically, Dublin-based wrestling company ‘Over the Top Wrestling’ or what we famously know it as OTT. OTT has become one of the hottest independent wrestling promotions in the world in recent months and it continues to grow into this huge spectacle that rivals all Indy wrestling.

It wasn’t so long ago that the idea of hearing an Irish accent in the super-charged, trash-talking world of WWE might seem a bit far-fetched. Pre-Conor McGregor in the UFC, the masters of verbal put-downs were predominantly American wrestling icons such as Ric Flair, The Rock and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. But much has changed in recent years. The likes of Sheamus, Finn Balor, Becky Lynch and Jordan Devlin have broken the mold by establishing themselves as major stars in NXT and the WWE while inspiring a new generation of young Irish wrestlers in the process.

The stepping stones to international stardom can now be found in Dublin. Having spent several years performing all over the world as ‘Luther Ward’, Dubliner Joe Cabray formed OTT with the aim of offering Irish fans a viable wrestling show that could compete with the level of independent wrestling he had experienced in more established markets like the UK, Japan and Germany.

What is happening now is a far-cry from when Joe and others were starting out in Ireland in the early 2000s. Since 2014, OTT has built an audience while regularly running shows at the Tivoli Theatre in Dublin, and in the last two years they have attracted audiences of over 2,000 for several shows at the National Stadium on the South Circular Road.

The quality of storytelling in OTT’s hype packages and the production of their live shows is continuing to improve as their audience grows, and this is all built upon a high-level in-ring product that features the best of the Irish talent mixed with top names from the international independent wrestling scene. Cabray is a big believer in developing a wrestling product that caters not only to the loyal, hardcore fan base but also those less familiar with wrestling who might not be interested in the physical aspect, but find more appeal in the theatrical elements of pro-wrestling.

Recently, OTT hosted ScrapperMania, which was INSANE to say the least and featured probably the biggest match in OTT history, Jordan Devlin vs. Walter for the OTT World Championship. The buildup and storytelling to this match was amazing and saw the classic David vs. Goliath theme match in hopes the good would overthrow the evil and it did in true Irish fashion. When Jordan Devlin pinned Walter to win the OTT championship, the crowd reaction was something you never saw before. And because of independent wrestling such as OTT, we see the rise of Irish superstars make a mark in the WWE history.

Not convinced? Well let’s list some of the greatest Irish wrestlers that came from the Indies.

Elisa looks great in her Chairshot t-shirts.
You can too!

Get yours:
https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/thechairshot.html

Sheamus

When you think about a successful Irish wrestler, it is impossible not to think about Sheamus. The Irish wrestler started out in ECW and made his way to Raw and Smackdown later. He has held numerous titles over the years and even defeated Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania in only 18 seconds! The only real negative surrounding Sheamus’ career is poor booking. Of course, this is not due to Sheamus, but more the WWE wasting this amazing man’s talent at times. Fortunately, he is now enjoying great success with tag team partner Cesaro, since the Bar is one of the more exhilarating tag teams on the Smackdown roster. You cannot argue the fact he is on the list of one of the best Irish wrestlers of all time.

Dave Finlay

Another wrestler known for his hard work and his storytelling ability is Dave Finlay. While you might remember him as “the man with the leprechaun,” Finlay is much more than that. Finlay has an impressive track record spanning back thirty years before he joined the WWE. He played a prominent role in WCW and even trained Kurt Angle and CM Punk. He was also in many Money in the Bank Ladder Matches. Nowadays, Finlay is no longer an active wrestler, but this does not mean he said goodbye to it. Currently, Finlay is working as an agent and producer for the WWE.

Finn Balor

One of the most successful wrestlers today is undoubtedly Finn Balor. Finn is one of the main attractions on Monday Night Raw, but his success extends much further than the WWE. Finn Balor has quite the impressive background in the Indies; this includes time as a tope star in New Japan Pro Wrestling. However, Balor also created his own wrestling promotion at one point; this happened just before he conquered a spot on the prestigious roster of New Japan, where he won multiple titles and created the famous Bullet Club. His extensive indie career including OTT and ICW has certainly helped to shape the wrestler we see in him today. He is the first WWE Universal Champion, who unfortunately had to relinquish the title in less than 24 hours due to injury and now a two time Intercontinental Champion. His worth ethnic, charity work, dedication and message of the Balor Club has given a positive message to the WWE and the WWE Universe. I am 110% certain that his legacy is already cemented into the history books in the WWE. I am hoping to see another WWE Universal or heavyweight championship reign in the midst for the future.

Becky Lynch

While we are talking about epic Irish wrestlers, we cannot forget to mention the Irish Lasskicker Becky Lynch. Like most female wrestlers who manage to earn a spot in the WWE these days, Lynch has an extensive track record in the Indies. She started her wrestling career as early as 2002 and has traveled the world before ending up in the WWE. Gaining experience in Europe, North America, and even Japan, it is obvious why Becky Lynch should be on this list. While she may be poorly managed at the moment, nobody can deny the stage presence, charisma, and skill of this fiery Irish lady. She has cemented herself into the WWE history books as one of the three women to main event WrestleMania and win both Raw and Smackdown championships. She has been truly an inspiring, delight to see in and off the ring. I am looking forward to what THE MAN has to offer this coming year.

Jordan Devlin

Jordan Devlin, who was trained by Finn Balor, is the other wrestler who I think could be a future star in the WWE. He wrestled in the WWE UK Tournament and had been on the WWE UK Tours. Devlin is a star on the Irish Indy Scene with yours truly, Over the Top Wrestling and is currently working with NXT UK. He is an extremely agile wrestler. I love his character and portrayal of a classic heel. Recently, as mentioned in the beginning of the article, he became the OTT Heavyweight champion by defeating Walter in Scrappermania in a classic match that saw all of Ireland behind him. Hopefully, Devlin will get even more attention from WWE in the coming months and we may see him in the main roster sometime late this year.

Paddy “Suicide Machine” Morrow

Not many people are familiar with Paddy however, he has contributed in so many ways to the rise of Irish wrestling in my opinion. He is such a talent. I saw a lot of his matches on YouTube and they were absolutely amazing. Not only has he been wrestling for 16 years, but he and Finn Balor were head coaches of a wrestling school out of their hometown of Bray Country Wicklow when there weren’t really any wrestling schools out in Ireland. An interesting fact is that one of his opponents in his career was OTT owner Joe Cabray, a classic rivalry. Now, he is a coach for the school of Irish Wrestling that recently opened and is doing amazing things to bring up the up and coming Irish talent. His experience and contributions in coaching talent in Ireland should be acknowledge heavily when it comes to discussing the rise of Irish wrestling.

Now that I mention some of these great Irish wrestlers, it is good to mention that recently the School of Irish Wrestling opened to help produce more Irish talent. Some of the coaches include not only Paddy Morrow, but Paul Tracy, Jordan Devlin and Sean Guinness. These coaches bring experience and expertise to the table as Irish wrestling opens another school to produce more talent. While the current generation of Irish wrestling talent is still making their name know, they are also assisting in helping the next generation to get even better.

Watching wrestling heavy this year, I have enjoyed so much how amazingly Irish Wrestlers are rising up and bringing in more diversity into the wrestling mix. They are providing excellent story lines, amazing promos and quality matches. Not to mention, headlining major events. I cannot wait to see what the up and coming Irish talent has to bring. In my opinion, the Irish are dominating wrestling all around and with that said, much respect out to them.

Until then fans, farewell.

About Chairshot Radio Network

Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Up Next

Greg DeMarco’s Top 10 WWE Superstar Shake-Up Moves

Don't Miss

Abe: Undisputed Era Didn’t Get Called Up and That’s Okay

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY – Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY – 4 Corners Podcast (sports)

WEDNESDAY – The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY – POD is WAR (Los Tres Friends)

FRIDAY – DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY – The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network
Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts… Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Listen on your favorite platform!

iTunes | iHeart Radio | Google Play | Spotify
Listen, like, subscribe, and share!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1