OTT’s Scrappermanina 3 was a O-mega success

Dublin’s National Stadium played host to Over the top Wrestling’s ‘Scrappermania 3’ on April 15th as the young Irish promotion looked to put on the biggest night in Irish professional wrestling history.

All 2,200 tickets were sold as Dublin welcomed some of wrestling’s biggest stars including Kenny Omega who recently became the biggest name in wrestling outside of WWE following a classic with Kazuchika Okada at January’s WrestleKingdom 11 show.

Omega was joined by fellow members of the ‘Bullet Club’ Matt and Nick Jackson who have made a huge impact in Japan and USA. The faction, who have been likened to a modern-day NWO, have previously boasted the likes of AJ Styles and Irishman Finn Bálor in their ranks, both of whom have since gone on to claim WWE’s top prizes in the past twelve months.

The crowd was raucous from the first match which saw the World Champion of the newly rebooted ITV show World of Sport Wrestling; Grado defeated Charlie Sterling in a comedy-style opener.

The night provided Ireland’s up and coming talent a chance to mix it up with some of the world’s best as Scotty Davis lost valiantly to another ex-Impact Wrestling regular, Jigsaw.

Davis, whose obvious pre-show nerves didn’t show during a thrilling encounter with the masked indie star, spoke to The Liberty before the event. “I’m nervous,” he said. “But I’m excited more so.

“I couldn’t explain how my last match for OTT [at Road to Scrappermania in the Tivoli last month] felt. It was a ridiculously good feeling. The reaction I got from the crowd alone kept me happy for weeks on end! Tonight I get the biggest opportunity of my career to show what I can do.”

The larger arena allowed for an improved spectacle for OTT Wrestling with Jurn Simmons emphatic entrance wowing the crowd before he dispatched of Irish wrestling veteran Paul Tracey.

The popular ‘Gymnasties’ entertained the crowd in a losing effort to Justin Shape and Logan Bryce, putting on one of the most well-received matches of the night in the process.

The Nasties were beaten after interference from the on-screen new owner of OTT; William Humperdink, who inherited the company from father Gerry Humperdink at last month’s Tivoli Theatre show.

It was later announced that William will be replaced for one night only by the recently departed WWE Raw General Manager Mick Foley when OTT returns to the National Stadium on August 5th for WrestleRama.

The Kings of the North defeated hometown heroes the ‘Lads from the flats’ to retain their OTT Wrestling Tag Team Championships in a match notable for the one night only return of OTT original Martin.

One of the biggest reactions of the night came for Irish talent Karen Glennon whose ‘Session Moth Martina’ character has landed her work in Northern Ireland and the UK. The crowd filled the ring with glow sticks as her ‘Maniac 2000’ entrance music boomed throughout the packed arena.  

“I’ve been so lucky over the last few months,” Glennon told The Liberty. “I’ve been booked in the UK regularly, basically every weekend… I was on a show during the week and there were a thousand people there… It was a great crowd, it was always going to be fantastic, but the Dublin crowd, even the 600 at the Tivoli, are the best in the World.”

Ring of Honor World Television champion Marty Scurll defeated Jay White in a high quality technical encounter, which ended when Scurll managed to lock in his infamous ‘chicken wing’ finisher.  

On the eve of the main event, Liverpudlian Zack Gibson stormed the ring demanding a match, which was granted by the hilarious local wrestler ‘Ultrastar’ Angel Cruz, who came out with a choir to sing his ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ parody entrance song.

Star attraction Kenny Omega and his stable mates the Young Bucks took on Lio Rush and ‘The Uptown Funkers’ Will Ospreay and Ryan Smile in the main event of the evening. Smile is currently the promotion’s champion, having main evented the Tivoli theatre in early March.

“Ireland is kind of my second home now,” said Will Ospreay ahead of the show. “I fall in love with pro wrestling every time I come [to Dublin]. I get to enjoy myself, whereas everywhere else I have to be all serious, but here I get to kind of kick back and relax and be surrounded by a good group of people.

The fast paced and entertaining contest culminated with ‘The Elite’ getting the win before the customary end-of-show dance session in-ring with the Funkers, who invited all the people involved in the show to join them in capping off a phenomenally successful night of professional wrestling.