Carlow at the core of Irish pro wrestling
'The Da Vinci of Violence' Frankie Vendetta.
A 'genericised trademark' is when a brand achieves such dominance in the market that it becomes synonymous and interchangeable with that product. Examples include 'Tayto' used interchangeably with crisps and 'Hoover' used interchangeably with vacuum cleaners.
In the world of professional wrestling, 'WWE' is the genericised trademark. When most people talk about wrestling, they call it WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment); but wrestling, as with crisps and vacuum cleaners, has far more options than the traditional market leader.
WWE is the biggest and most recognisable wrestling company in the world, with an unparalleled global reach and revenue stream. However, there are countless other wrestling companies/promotions spread across the globe.
WWE’s biggest competitor is another US-based company, AEW (All Elite Wrestling), owned and operated by the billionaire Khan family that also own English Premier League club, Fulham. Other American companies run smaller shows, including TNA, NWA and MLW.
There are major wrestling companies in Japan, such as New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom; Mexico has two main attractions – CMLL (the oldest wrestling company in the world) and AAA; while there are numerous companies across Europe, including Progress and RevPro in Britain and WXW in Germany.
Even in Ireland there are several wrestling companies, such as No Limit Wrestling, Rebel County Wrestling, Hard Knox Pro Wrestling, and Fight Factory Pro Wrestling. The market leader in this country, however, is Over The Top Wrestling (OTT); owned and operated by Joe Cabray, a pro wrestler turned trainer and promoter from Dublin.
Since its established in 2014, OTT has showcased the best Irish wrestling has to offer, as well as attracting some of the biggest names from across the globe, including Mick Foley, Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Kenny Omega, Penta, Jon Moxley, and Ireland's own Finn Balor, to name just a few.
While most Irish companies are regionally based, OTT operate all across Ireland, with their premier shows attracting thousands of fans to the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin. Over the past couple of years, OTT have begun running shows in Britain, with a tour scheduled for later this year in Germany and Italy.
Many of the shows are available on OTT’s YouTube channeltarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">, while the company also offers a streaming service called ‘OTT on Demand’, where their entire back catalogue is available for €8 per month, with new shows added as they happen.
Now, following two hugely successful events in Carlow in October and February, OTTtarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> are making their return to the county for the third time in under a year. 'OTT Live in Carlow' will take place on Saturday, September 12th, at the Carlow Youth Centre. Tickets are on sale, with ringside seats available at €27.75, general admission, €16.85, and family tickets for €55.
The show in Carlow is part of OTT’s ‘Velocity Tour’, which included an appearance over the weekend at Electric Picnic. As with the last two Carlow shows, there will be a local feel to the event, with several OTT wrestlers holding close links to the county.
Never in his wildest dreams did Tommy Lynch think he would ever become a professional wrestler. A native of Bagenalstown, Tommy attended Presentation De La Salle College; but speaking to The Nationalist, he admits he wasn’t the most sporting person in the school.
“I wasn't athletic at all growing up - I'd even skip school to avoid PE. I'll tell you now, I’m the most completely unathletic person you'll ever meet,” he said.
“I started going to OTT shows in 2017 and it wasn't long till I became one of the front-row, die-hard fans - one of the number one fans. I was one of the first couple of people in the queue every time, queuing up for the seats and going to 90% of the shows around the country. So, I was kind of known as a super fan.”
He began training in 2022, and three years later, Tommy Lightning was born.
“I was taken by surprise and announced kind of last minute for a match - my debut. I had no wrestling gear, I had nothing prepared, I wasn't expecting it. One of the lads, Shane O'Keefe, gifted me a pair of 20-year-old pink lightning spandex that was passed down to him by other wrestlers; and he basically christened me Tommy Lightning.
“It's kind of a throwback; it's like an old 80s name, 80s gear; it's after catching on well with all the lightning, that's my kind of logo. I've been building up a move for the last year or so and I'm finally hoping to hit it. It’s called ‘The Lightning Strike’ and if you want to see it, you’ll have to come to Carlow in September.”
The Undertaker.
The Undertaker v Shawn Michaels (WWE WrestleMania 25/26).
Bittersweet Josh.
A native of Carlow Town, Lorcan Xavier Thompson is a life-long wrestling fan who grew up dreaming of one day stepping inside the squared circle. His affinity for sport began while attending Askea Boys' School, playing football with O’Hanrahan’s, hurling with Setanta, soccer with Hanover Harps and Dolmen Celtic, and rugby with County Carlow.
He joined Carlow Boxing Club under the watchful eye of Mary and Dermot Lawlor before turning his attention to another combat sport, training under Larry Brennan at Larry's Kickboxing. On St Patrick’s Day last year, Thompson capped off his 11 years in the sport by winning the Irish Kickboxing Super Cruiserweight Championship.
Yet despite his incredible success, kickboxing could not fill the void, as Thompson, who now wrestles under his initials ‘LXT’, explained to The Nationalist.
“The reason I did kickboxing is because it was the closest thing to wrestling,” he said. “I always wanted to be a wrestler. As a young lad in Carlow there was no wrestling - it was never heard of. We used to do it, messing as kids; we'd make a makeshift wrestling ring out in the back garden or we’d do it on trampolines. So, I decided if I can't be a wrestling champion I’ll just go just kick ass somewhere else.
“But when I saw Tommy Lightning perform last October in the Carlow Youth Centre, I realised that this is actually within reach. I said it’s time to make a switch and do what I’ve always wanted to do.”
LXT took to wrestling immediately and made his debut just four months later in front of his home crowd in Carlow in February, teaming with Tommy Lightning as the local duo faced off against one Europe’s top tag teams, BDE (Bittersweet Josh and Big Bad Dirty Nicky).
The Rock.
The Undertaker v Shawn Michaels (WWE WrestleMania 26).
BDE.
By day he is Shane O’Keeffe, presenter of KCLR’s ‘The Afternoon Show’, but by night he is Irish wrestling’s Da Vinci of Violence, Frankie Vendetta. Alongside The Sem and ‘The Duchess of Doom’ Kat Von Kay, Frankie is one third of ‘The Weirdos’.
His is a wrestling journey with a lot more twists and turns than most, as he told The Nationalist: “I started back in 2008 when I was 17 or 18, but the scene was a lot different than it is now. I was traveling up to Dublin to train; I used to get on a bus, to get on a dart, to get on another bus. I was only finishing bouncing at four in the morning, and I'd have to leave at seven, so it wasn't really sustainable.”
Shane left wrestling behind and pursued several other avenues. He returned to college, set up a production company, and even made a movie – ‘The Hurler’, starring Irish comedy royalty, such as Jon Kenny (available on Amazon Prime).
Then, after a 15-year sabbatical, Shane rekindled his dream of being a pro wrestler. “I always had the itch to get back into wrestling. I gave up alcohol three years ago - I had to go to AA and all that kind of stuff - and then I basically just swapped one addiction for another, which is wrestling,” he said.
Shane has a flair for the dramatic and set out to create a persona that fully captures his wrestling journey. “Frankie encapsulates different parts of who Shane is, so he's a showman. So, who's one of the great showmen of all time? Frank Sinatra.
“A Vendetta is a blood feud. Who's he feuding with? Everybody. He's going to feud with everybody because he's so jealous of what wrestling became and how he missed out on it.
“I'd always liked the name of the artist, but Shinsuke Nakamura was the artist. So, who's one of the greatest renaissance artists? Da Vinci. So, the Da Vinci of Violence is the renaissance of Shane. My rebirth.”
Shane also co-hosts the Wrestling Fan Wrestling Show, a podcast he describes as his “social outlet,” saying, “I really wanted to do something with all this wrestling fandom that I have. I wanted to talk about wrestling with other people, other nerds - we're all life-long fans.”
Mick Foley.
Mike Awesome v Masato Tanaka (ECW One Night Stand).
Trent Seven.
A native of Castledermot, Nathan Murphy calls Carlow his “home” town. As the man himself put it: “I've always hung out with friends in Carlow; I go to Energy Fitness in Carlow - it's always been like my home.”
Murphy’s journey as a wrestler began five years ago. “I was originally going to start (wrestling) before the pandemic, but the pandemic happened,” he said. “I had been following OTT for a number of years; I'd been to a few of their big shows and knew of their school, but only really got the courage to go after the pandemic.
“They had an Open Day in September 2021 - a week before my 21st - and through that open day we have a number of lads that are still at it five years on. We have myself, Bittersweet Josh, Cian Noonan, Luke Frehill, Jacob Strong, and The Sem. We all started on the same day and we're still going pretty strong.”
While honing his craft in the ring, Murphy attended the Carlow Institute, where he took courses in filmography and digital marketing. He has since become a mainstay on the Irish wrestling circuit as part of The Tate Estate alongside tag team partner Ilija Zarkov and manager, Edward Stuart Tate.
The Undertaker.
The Undertaker v Shawn Michaels (WWE WrestleMania 25).
The Weirdos.
From just over the border in Paultown, ‘Chainsaw’ Luke Frehill spent much of his formative years in Bagenalstown, attending school in Presentation De La Salle College.
He played on the wing for the De La Salle rugby team, but quickly put that behind him when he graduated to instead pursue a career in the ring.
“I always just liked (wrestling) when I was younger,” Frehill told The Nationalist. “I said I'd give it a go after I finished school. Unfortunately, I actually finished school during Covid, so I had to wait a bit longer. But I finally went to an open day at the Irish School of Wrestling and gave it a go.”
Still just 23, Frehill is already a champion; after a year-long rivalry with Cian Noonan, the pair put their differences aside to become the new OTT Tag Team Champions. The young duo have been defending their titles all across the country and headlining some of OTT Wrestling’s biggest shows of the year.
Frehill and Noonan are two of the fastest rising stars in Irish wrestling, with Chainsaw's sharp tongue, quick wit and rugged demeanor making him a menace on the microphone.
Sheamus.
Ric Flair v Ricky Steamboat (NWA Chi-Town Rumble).
Cian Noonan.
