Disabled wrestlers are stepping into the ring in Derry, Northern Ireland, transforming physical and learning disabilities into powerful alter egos that build real-world resilience, confidence, and community independence.
The music thumped, the lights blazed, and from the ring the announcer did a countdown. “Who is ready to rumble?” he roared. The bellows and cheers indicated that the crowd at St Columb’s Hall in Derry on Saturday night was more than ready for the Foyle Rumble, and so began a wrestling extravaganza of heroes and villains in leotards, masks, and kneepads, The Guardian reported.
The Tuned in Project and CAW Collaborate on Foyle Rumble
- The Foyle Rumble at St Columb’s Hall marked the third and most ambitious iteration of the event, growing significantly since its 2024 inauguration.
- The initiative is a joint collaboration between the Derry-based NGO the Tuned In Project and County Donegal promoter Complete Anarchy Wrestling (CAW).
- Participants train for months to master choreographed stunts, developing stage personae that directly foster independence and personal agency.
From Special Schooling to the Foyle Rumble Squared Circle
The blend of athleticism and scripted storytelling would have been familiar to fans of WrestleMania, but this Northern Irish version came with a distinct twist. Many of the performers have learning or physical disabilities, and the characters they play in the ring do not quite stay in the ring, noted The Guardian.
They are part of an initiative that aims to sow confidence and resilience by teaching them to wrestle and to create stage personae whose feats inspire them in real life.
“I’ve been slagged and made fun of because I was overweight and went to a special school, but I’ve proved that I’m somebody,” Keelan O’Hagan, 24, who has an alter ego called Kellio, said before the show, as reported by The Guardian.
O’Hagan transformed his diet and fitness to play Kellio, adding, “No matter what, he doesn’t quit. To anybody who has tried to bring me down, I’ve been able to get back on my feet and come back stronger.”
Inside the Partnership Driving Northern Irish Wrestling
The Foyle Rumble is a joint initiative of the Tuned In Project, a Derry-based NGO that creates opportunities for disabled adults, and Complete Anarchy Wrestling (CAW), an event promoter based across the border in County Donegal, according to The Guardian. The goal is to give disabled people more independence and agency.
“We challenge them to be the best they can be. It gives them purpose and a support community. It’s a reason to get out of bed in the morning,” said Phil Conn, the Tuned In Project’s programme manager, as cited by The Guardian.
Participants train for months and know there is an element of real risk and danger, Conn explained, noting that students have been bruised and battered because the throws and hits have a genuine impact.
🔴 Disabled wrestlers train for months, perform choreographed bouts at Derry arena The Foyle Rumble, held Saturday at St Columb's Hall in Derry, featured dozens of performers with learning and physical disabilities competing in scripted wrestling matches alongside able-bodied… pic.twitter.com/YKj1XrgYvb
| Performer | Alter Ego | Key Background & Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Keelan O’Hagan (24) | Kellio | Transformed diet and fitness; overcame bullying and special schooling. |
| Brian Walsh (44) | Brian Brogue | Blind wrestler utilizing wrist and head locks to vanquish opponents. |
| SJ Murray (25) | Siren | Learned combat moves and strategy to play a brave, protective badass. |
Training for Stunts and Building Stage Personae
The idea originated when Sean Curran of the Tuned In Project, acting as best man at a friend’s wedding, hired Stephen Campbell—a gymnastics teacher and wrestling coach with CAW—to choreograph a stunt at the reception, The Guardian reported. Campbell started to coach the Tuned In Project students, instructing them in moves and discovering they had the ability and desire to create characters and perform.
“Tonight is your night,” Campbell told performers in a rousing speech before they entered the hall, adding, “Fuck WrestleMania. They never had a blind wrestler,” according to The Guardian.
Brian Walsh, 44, who is blind and plays a character called Brian Brogue, stated, “Before, I wouldn’t have had the strength. The training was scary at the start, then I got the hang of it. To be a blind person who does wrestling is the best thing ever.”
