Wrestling / Celtic Championship Wrestling

Celtic Championship Wrestling was an independent wrestling promotion based in Ireland - ran by promoter and onscreen character Lee Cahalane.

Established in 2012, CCW initially ran about four shows a year. 2014 marked a boom period that allowed them to put on shows monthly - which they continue to do to this day. Originally based entirely in the Cork region, CCW has expanded to do shows in other parts of Ireland as well. They originally featured exclusively Irish talent - but have since expanded to include various wrestlers from across Europe as well.

The CCW Wrestling School was established in 2014, and Ricky Combat became the first alumnus of the school to hold CCW gold - the CCW Heavyweight Championship. The promotion features additional titles - the All-Star Championship and the Tag Team Championship, and in 2017 introduced a Women's Championship as well. The promotion features storylined content - which is run through their Youtube channels here and here. In 2017 they moved to video on demand here.

The promotion abruptly shut down in 2018 and the majority of talent set up a new promotion in Phoenix Wrestling. Word of a revival in 2019 was quickly silenced when multiple roster members came forward about various forms of abuse that happened.

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Tropes:

• Aborted Arc: To be expected, given the nature of pro wrestling. Most notably is Ross Brown pulling a screwjob to become CCW Champion and ushering in "The Prick Clique" - and then abruptly severing ties with the promotion. This was explained by Lee Cahalane firing him between shows.
• Acrofatic: Marion Armstrong is built bigger than most of the roster and is able to do cannonballs and moonsaults effortlessly.
• Affectionate Parody: Total Armstrongs, the Armstrongs' answer to Total Divas.
• Affirmative Action Girl: Kazza G was initially the only woman actively wrestling for CCW. The roster has since expanded to include more females.
• Afro Asskicker: LJ Cleary has a magnificent afro that does not prevent him kicking ass.
• Alliterative Name: Ballymun Bruiser, Bedlam Billy, Michael Mayhem, Vic Viper, Bingo Ballance.
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Katey Harvey is dark-haired and aloof. Notably the dark-haired Kazza eventually became a blonde.
• Amazonian Beauty:
  • Katey Harvey references her muscles in most of her promos and flexes before she enters the ring.
  • Debbie Keitel is also a glamorous model who is incredibly jacked.
• Amoral Afrikaner: Jack Vice, who is South African, and the brute of The Establishment.
• Animal Motifs: Wolves for Lycan, snakes for Vic Viper, bulls for Rough Stuff.
• Ax-Crazy: Bedlam Billy Lynch, as his name suggests.
• Badass Cape: Xavier Burns eventually added a long cape to his entrance gear.
• Badass Preacher: "The Pastor" William Eaver, who became CCW Champion in 2017.
• Badasses Wear Bandanas: Marion Armstrong has taken to wearing a bandana in the ring.
• Bald of Evil: Xavier Burns, Bedlam Billy. Inverted with Ballymun Bruiser who started shaving his head after turning face.
• Battle Couple: LJ Cleary and Valkyrie, who debuted teaming together.
• Bash Brothers: Rough Stuff, The Sidekicks, The Tie-Dye Express and (initially) Omega & Deano Glyde were all tag teams of two good friends working together.
• Beard of Barbarism: Danny "The Beast" Butler underlines his nickname with a long shaggy beard.
• Big Good: Ricky Combat has been the CCW top face since 2015. Bingo Ballance filled this role initially.
• Blood Knight: Xavier Burns, Marion Armstrong and Raven Creed are among those who really just love to hurt people. The Executioner as well.
• Boxing Battler: The raison d'etre of Marion Armstrong.
• Bratty Half-Pint: Connor Charisma, Raven Creed, Omega (initially).
• Break Up Breakout: Omega made his debut as part of a tag team with Deano Glyde. The latter decided not to continue with wrestling, while Omega eventually became All-Star Champion.
• Breakout Character:
  • Ricky Combat tends to get the most bookings outside of CCW - at least as far as homegrown talent.
  • As of 2017, Raven Creed has been getting the most bookings outside CCW. She was the first CCW talent to wrestle for rival promotion OTT.
• Buffy Speak: Paul Scarfe of Rough Stuff decides to say "lozzers" instead of "losers".
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Ricky Combat seems rather chilled and laid back in promos and interviews - bordering on Cloud Cuckoo Lander, making it all the surprising how effectively he wins matches.
• The Bus Came Back:
  • Rough Stuff both took hiatuses from wrestling in 2014 but made a surprise return in 2017.
  • Xavier Burns made a one night only return in 2017 too.
• Camp Straight: Rough Stuff - a pair of oiled up, narcissistic Adonises.
• Carpet of Virility: Appropriately enough, "The Lone Wolf" Lycan, has a very hairy chest and body.
• Cast Full of Pretty Boys: Being a wrestling promotion, CCW features its share of in-shape attractive young men.
• Characterization Marches On: The Armstrongs were ruthless Blood Knights before they Took a Level in Kindness to become goofballs.
• Charlie Brown from Outta Town: Inverted. The Cork Kid wrestled on several shows for months before eventually getting revealed as Lee Cahalane.
• Child Prodigy: The likes of Omega, Conor Charisma and Raven Creed won titles while still in their teens.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: A lot of gimmicks and storylines get dropped due to outside circumstances.
• Companion Cube: Bedlam Billy has a Creepy Doll he calls 'William'.
• Cool Mask: Roughshod, El Charisma, El Jobrito, The Cork Kid, The Executioner etc.
• Cool Shades:
  • Ricky Combat wears these.
  • Ditto for Debbie Keitel.
• Corrupt the Cutie: Bedlam Billy and Raven Creed managed to do so to Lauren LaRoux, creating Therapy.
• Dark Is Evil: The Establishment are colour-coded with black, and are promoted with other traditionally dark promos etc.
• Dark Action Girl: Raven Creed is one of the perfect examples of the trope - dark clothing, aggressive attitude etc.
• Dark Magical Girl: Katey Harvey meanwhile - while still a Heel - is more concerned with being the best and proving that she is so. Her feuds tend to have a personal agenda rather than mere love of violence.
• Dark Messiah: Quite literally with Xavier Burns, whose Red Baron is "The Messiah".
• Denser and Wackier: The Armstrongs compared to how they were when they first formed.
• Designated Girl Fight: Early shows featured female wrestlers Kazza G as a backstage interviewer and Kasey Owens as the valet to Vic Viper. After Kasey interfered in another match, Kazza made the save, to set up a match between them.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Marion Armstrong realising he's made a Heel–Face Turn is played very much like a Coming-Out Story.
• The Dreaded: The Executioner was presented this way - occasionally taking out several wrestlers at a time.
• Early-Bird Cameo:
  • Kazza G first appeared as a backstage interviewer before getting integrated onto the roster.
  • Ricky Combat can be glimpsed as a runner at several early shows, and features as a bodyguard in front of Lee Cahalane's office at one point.
  • Bedlam Billy was first a commentator and then a ring announcer.
• Easily-Distracted Referee: But of course.
• Even the Guys Want Him: The commentators say as much about Ricky Combat.
• Everyone Loves Blondes: Backstage interviewer and ring announcer (and occasional wrestler) Siren is a perky blonde who the fans love. Kazza G also became blonde and remained beloved.
• Expository Hairstyle Change:
  • Marion Armstrong grew his hair long and wore it in a topknot after turning heel.
  • Lycan's long hair was cut short around the time he began pursuing the Heavyweight Championship.
• Face–Heel Turn: But of course, as a wrestling promotion, it has featured some notable heel turns:
  • Xavier Burns started out as a friendly Dark Is Not Evil babyface, before turning into a misogynistic arrogant cheater.
  • Lee Cahalane went from Reasonable Authority Figure to Corrupt Corporate Executive and eventual leader of The Establishment.
  • DOC started out as a happy-go-lucky Country Mouse, only to emerge as another dastardly member of The Establishment.
  • Marion Armstrong began as a Gentle Giant who Took a Level in Jerkass.
  • Phil Boyd switched from peppy cowboy to narcissistic brute.
• Female Misogynist: Raven Creed has elements of this - all her feuds so far have been with Girly Girls and she has spoken about her dislike of 'divas'.
• Fighting Irish: Ballymun Bruiser best exemplifies this trope, despite not conforming to the Oireland stereotype.
• The Fighting Narcissist: Rough Stuff, Katey Harvey, Connor Charisma.
• Foreign Wrestling Heel: Mostly averted. Any non-Irish talent that works for CCW could be either face or heel.
• Fragile Speedster: Roughshod, LJ Cleary, Valkyrie, El Jobrito.
• Full-Name Ultimatum: During their feud, Xavier Burns insisted on calling Ricky Combat "Richard".
• Gender-Blender Name: Marion Armstrong is a male. Although the name Marion can be unisex, it's known primarily as a female's name.
• Genki Girl: Valkyrie has lots of peppy energy, and pulls off some energetic moves in the ring.
• Genki Guy:
  • DOC was this in his Face incarnation - being eternally smiley, energetic and happy-go-lucky.
  • The Sidekicks are both very peppy and lively.
• Gimmick Matches: Among those featured have been - a tables match, a dog collar match, a Deise Death Match, a ladder match and a hairspray on a pole match. 2018 featured the first women's ladder match in Ireland.
• Glass Jaw Referee: How else could dirty finishes and numerous run-ins happen undetected?
• Good Is Not Nice: Danny Butler is an intimidating brutish powerhouse - but also a babyface who only dishes out punishment to those who deserve it.
• Gorgeous George: The Fabulous Nicky - whose name should be all the indication you need.
• Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Elektra the Girly Bruiser favours gear with purple on it.
• Green and Mean: The members of Therapy wear variations of green on their gear. Raven also sports green hair.
• Groin Attack:
  • Xavier Burns tried to do this to Kazza G. Emphasis on 'tried'.
  • How Connor Charisma became All-Star Champion. Naturally his attempt was more successful.
• Hair Flip: Katey Harvey's signature taunt as she enters the ring.
• Halloween Cosplay: Ring announcer Marie dressed as Harley Quinn for the 2016 Halloween show. Jason Maxx dressed as Freddy Kruger.
• Heel–Face Turn: On the flip side, CCW has featured many heels who saw the light.
  • Omega began as a Bratty Half-Pint but proved popular with kids, and Took a Level in Kindness.
  • Ballymun Bruiser went from antagonising everyone in the audience to only one-upping heels.
  • Karl Brien's ego deflated through some Teeth-Clenched Teamwork with the newly babyfaced Omega.
  • The Fabulous Nicky entered CCW as a cowardly heel, but fans found his antics endearing and he appeared as a face from then on.
  • The Wood Brothers acknowledged Omega as a Worthy Opponent after one match and were able to be pushed as faces against the Establishment.
  • The Armstrongs were initially a team of despicable heels, but soon became lovable faces. The first episode of Total Armstrongs lampshades this, with Marion being in denial that he has turned face.
• A Hero to His Hometown: Despite playing the heel in a match against Lycan, Xavier Burns received a Face reaction because the match took place in his hometown of Waterford. At the end of the match, he even shook Lycan's hand.
• Ironic Name: Pollyanna Peppers is most certainly not The Pollyanna.
• Iconic Sequel Character: The leading names of CCW - Ricky Combat, Marion Armstrong, Raven Creed - didn't appear until 2014.
• Jobber: Parodied with Karl Brien, who had a 'Defeated Streak' of repeated losses.
• Kid-Appeal Character: Roughshood, an underdog luchador, was one of the most obvious examples of this.
• Kick Chick: Valkyrie favours a spinning heel kick.
• Lady of War: Katey Harvey even dubs herself "The First Lady of Irish Wrestling".
• Lesser Star: Played for Laughs with the Armstrongs' "Get Butch Over" campaign.
• Loser Leaves Town: DOC lost such a match. It did not stick.
• Lovely Angels: Valkyrie and Kazza G vs Katey Harvey and Raven Creed in the first women's tag team match in CCW.
• Masked Luchador: El Jobrito.
• Monster Clown: Early shows featured a character called Phibes, who evoked this trope to a T. He also had clown minions too.
• Mr. Fanservice:
  • Ricky Combat is a Hunk with a Heroic Build who wrestles entirely in trunks.
  • Bingo Ballance is a less obvious, more clean-cut version of the trope.
• Ms. Fanservice:
  • Siren is a slightly cuter version of the trope - leaning more towards Girl Next Door - but still fits.
  • Current ring announcer Marie fills this role too, in a more Perky Goth sort of way.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown:
  • The formation of The Establishment saw nearly the entire roster being attacked and laid out by the stable.
  • The feud between Marion Armstrong and Bingo Ballance feature a large number of these.
• Odd Friendship: JC Williams - one of the manliest playboys ever - and The Fabulous Nicky - one of the campest wrestlers in existence. And they formed a team called The Fabulous Sexbombs.
• Older Than They Look:
  • DOC turned 30 in 2017 but looks like he's 21.
  • Valkyrie looks like a teenager but is in her 20s.
• One-Steve Limit:
  • The L in LJ Cleary stands for Lee. Presumably it's abbreviated to avoid confusion with Lee Cahalane.
  • Technically averted as they have a Marion Armstrong and a ring announcer called Marie, which is a derivative of Marion.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: DOC's Texan accent comes and goes in promos.
• Parts Unknown:
  • The Executioner is billed literally from 'Parts Unknown'.
  • Xavier Burns is from 'The Crystal City' (a nickname for his hometown of Waterford).
  • Bedlam Billy is from the Bedlam House.
• Perky Female Minion: Kasey Owens to Vic Viper.
• Phrase Catcher:
  • "Muppet with a puppet" - for Bedlam Billy.
  • "We've got wood!" - for The Wood Brothers.
  • "Baby face!" - Marion Armstrong.
  • "Get Butch over!" - for Butch Armstrong.
• Pop Punk: The tag team Flight Mode have this image on their gear and entrance music.
• Power Stable: Therapy - consisting of Bedlam Billy, Raven Creed and Lauren LaRoux.
• Proud Beauty: Rough Stuff, Katey Harvey, The Fabulous Nicky.
• Purple Is Powerful:
  • Katey Harvey often favours purple outfits. As she calls herself 'The First Lady of Irish Wrestling', this overlaps with Graceful Ladies Like Purple too.
  • Pollyanna Peppers wore a purple skirt and kick pads when she appeared at one show. It should be noted that Pollyanna has trained in Japan.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Chris Ellis eventually had to take this role after Lee Cahalane and The Establishment got out of control.
• Red Baron: To name a few:
  • "The Lone Wolf" - Lycan.
  • "The Zenith of Zero Gravity" - Bingo Ballance.
  • "The Role Model" - Ricky Combat.
  • "The Messiah" - Xavier Burns.
  • "The First Lady of Irish Wrestling" - Katey Harvey.
  • "The Sligo Sex Bomb" - JC Williams.
  • "Mr Knockout" - Marion Armstrong.
  • "The One Woman Revolution" - Raven Creed.
  • "The Beast" - Danny Butler.
  • "The Whole Shebang" - Debbie Keitel.
  • "The Swiss Rockstar" - Kurt Simmons.
• Ring Oldies: Bedlam Billy actually began his career in his mid-30s. Jack Vice is also one of the oldest members of the roster.
• Sexy Santa Dress: Marie whenever there's a Christmas show.
• Sibling Team: Lorcan and Lewis Wood, two brothers who wrestle as 'The Wood Brothers'.
• Spell My Name With An S: It's Bingo Ballance with two ls.
• Three Month Rule: Averted. They would initially run shows in this time and carry on storylines from that period.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: The match between Raven Creed (tomboy) and Elektra (Girly Girl) was a perfect illustration of this phenomenon. Raven repeated this a year later, this time with Debbie Keitel as the Girly Girl.
• Took a Level in Badass:
  • Karl Brien went from perennial loser to the first CCW All-Star Champion.
  • Connor Charisma likewise went from Bratty Half-Pint to All-Star Champion.
  • Bedlam Billy was initially just a ring announcer before transitioning to active wrestler.
• Villain Team-Up: The Establishment was formed by several Heels uniting and one or two faces turning heel to join together.
• Waif-Fu: Valkyrie is notably smaller than most of the roster, yet easily beat up Michael Mayhem with kicks and various aerial moves.
• Would Hit a Girl: As intergender matches happen, the CCW males often have to hit their opponents. Roughshod was reluctant to hit Raven Creed - until she socked him first.
• Wrestling Family: The Wood Brothers. Marion Armstrong also later gained a cousin in Butch.
• You Go, Girl!: Intergender matches are not uncommon in CCW and the women will happily get into the ring to try and beat the men. Kazza G in particular started her career wrestling exclusively intergender matches.

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