Set Sail Preview

Odyssey’s very first show is just around the corner and anticipation is rife for what this new company will bring to the table. Now that the whole card has been announced, it’s clear that we can expect huge personalities clashing in the ring, and there’s no better time to run down exactly what’s led us to this point and what’s on the line in each match.

RPD vs Scotty Rawk

Perhaps the most anticipated show on the card is this one, due to the amount of trash talk that has occurred between these two in the media in the lead up to the show. RPD is a boxer who is a new-comer in the wrestling scene, so how will he adapt to this new style of fighting? He is certainly going to bring an undeniable amount of intensity in the ring borrowed from his boxing days, something which Scotty Rawk needs to be prepared for. However, like RPD, Rawk has been using the past few months to prepare for this moment and is eager to explode back into wrestling in a big way so I have no doubt that he is ready for this match. He has wrestled all over the UK against some of the best and some believe he is one of the hottest breakout stars today, so he has a lot to prove in Morecambe and believes he is “taking RPD to school”. He certainly has experience on his side but RPD believes he is “born ready” for this moment, and both have had big things to say about each other, so I am eager to find out who will back this up in the ring and come out on top.

Sinergy vs The Freakshow

When Sinergy released their video announcing that they were “built ready” (a dig at Rick Markus and RPD’s team “Born Ready”) to face any team in Odyssey at Set Sail, I’m sure many fans were hopeful that it would be the Freakshow and were delighted when this was the case. This is because these two teams couldn’t be more different. On one hand, we have the absolute work horses of Troy Ryan and Anderson Daniels; a pair of true athletes who can lift just about anything and make it look easy, and will put this to good use in the ring where they will demonstrate their physical prowess in a painful fashion. As they themselves put it, “the real freakshow is in this weight room every single day”. On the other hand, we have The Freakshow joined by Isaiah Quinn who are also very agile and capable of going in the ring but are a bit less, shall we say, conventional than Sinergy. Will Carter and Nightmare are eccentric and unique to say the least, and with Isaiah Quinn now leading them, it’s going to be interesting to see how they respond to a team like Sinergy – will they run rings around them with high flying antics, or pull a supernatural twist on them to gain a victory? Or maybe both? One thing’s for certain, these two teams are going to clash in a major way and I can’t wait to see who’s going to steal the spotlight in the tag team division on this first show.

Rick Markus vs Lance Revera

Rick Markus is a well-known face to the Morecambe faithful so it’s going to be awesome to see him make a comeback – Revera certainly had this in mind when he challenged Markus to this one-on-one battle, knowing that a victory here would cement him as a main player in OPW going forward. “The Playboy Prince” is incredibly confident and isn’t afraid to run his mouth, and can back this up in the ring as he has proven in his career, but he has yet to do this in Morecambe. Only time will tell if he is up for the challenge against the brutal Markus, who was not happy with Revera’s comments towards him on social media, including claiming that Markus facing Revera would be his “15 minutes of fame”, so Markus will definitely have some anger he is keen to take out on him in the ring to put an end to Revera’s attitude. These two are worlds apart, so it’s no wonder they don’t get along, but both know how to pull it out of the bag in the ring so this is sure to be a showstopper of a match with long term ramifications.

Lizzy Evo vs Taonga vs Gia Adams vs Alexxis Falcon

I won’t go into much detail about this match here because it has its own article which you can read here: https://www.odysseyprowrestling.co.uk/post/a-rundown-of-what-to-expect-from-the-female-wrestlers-of-opw. Going into this match, these women have an illustrated history all over the country having wrestled already in multiple promotions, but in front of a Morecambe crowd in a brand new promotion, the stakes are far higher because they have the chance to cement themselves in the OPW history books and become the face of the women’s division and the company as a whole. All of the women involved have voiced on social media their disdain for one another and how they believe they will come out on top, but only time will tell, and I personally can’t wait.

Lucas Neon vs Mark Meltzer

After the huge announcement that Mark Meltzer was going to be returning to Morecambe, everybody was left wondering who his first opponent in Odyssey could possibly be. He has a huge legacy behind him; his storied history has seen him emulate the likes of Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Ultimate Warrior in truly entertaining fashion and has gained him legendary status at the Carleton. Needless to say, then, he will be keen to continue this and his opponent is going to be hard fought to destroy his momentum in this match. However, as we have all found out, his opponent is used to being the underdog, as it is none other than Lucas Neon. Neon is a familiar face to those who frequent KOW, but if you aren’t aware of him, allow me to summarise. He’s a young, gritty, never-say-die athlete who has fought from the bottom multiple times to come out on top against the odds. This is perhaps his chance to begin his own legacy in Morecambe and prove to everyone that he deserves this spot in such a major match on the card against a legend, so the pressure is most definitely on. It will be very interesting to see how these two interact, considering their differing ages, styles, sizes, and careers. Who will come out on top – the young upstart wanting to make a name for himself, or the established veteran proving he can still go?

Tu Byt’s Open Challenge

Tu Byt is another fresh face to Morecambe, so inviting an open challenge is certainly a ballsy move from him, exhibiting his fearless and arrogant attitude. Like Neon, if you know KOW you will know Tu Byt, but if you don’t, all you have to do is visit OPW’s social media pages and watch his promos and let him tell you himself what he’s all about. He wants to earn money and will do anything he can to do it, so I have no doubt that because of this, he will be even more aggressive and devious than usual. It’s going to be really exciting to find out who will answer the open challenge and if they will be ready for Byt’s new attitude, or if Byt will just be too much to beat in his determination to be successful. There is the catch that with not knowing who he will be facing, Byt cannot prepare for a specific opponent, so will this hinder him? I have to say, I doubt it will because he has shown himself to be adaptable and brutal no matter the opponent, so whoever it is must be brave and bring their all.

Ryan Hunter and Craig Kollins vs Sandy beach and Big Guns Joe

After all of the aforementioned matches were announced, we were all left in anticipation over what the main event would be for such an already stacked card of such an important show. The announcement more than delivered, with this bombshell of a match featuring two of the biggest legends of Morecambe wrestling facing off with two of the most promising and popular stars of the UK scene. Ryan Hunter and Craig Kollins are both former champions in Morecambe, so they will surely feel confident and comfortable returning to an adoring crowd who will welcome them back with open arms. Even if you don’t know these two, you will soon join in with the reaction because they are so charismatic and courageous in the ring, being well known for fighting tooth and nail and battling against the odds with the help of the crowd firmly behind them. On the other hand, the perhaps unusual team of Sandy Beach and Big Guns Joe is sure to bring the fight to the Morecambe favourites, always keen to entertain the crowd with antics that are sometimes funnier than they are effective. Having said that, the pair have wrestled all over the UK so they have experience to bring to the table, and I can’t wait to see how they will interact with the two seaside veterans. All of the wrestlers involved are certainly deserving of the main event spot, but there may be wrestlers backstage who disagree, so I am certain tempers will flare triggering some butting heads. A win for either team will surely catapult them to the top of the Odyssey ranks, so it’s all to battle for – who knows what could happen?

And finally, I have to acknowledge Andre Dekker, even though OPW management probably don’t want me to; he is certainly going to play apart at Set Sail even though he is not an official member of the roster. General Manager Ethan Edwards has an ugly history with Dekker stemming back to KOW, so it’s no wonder Ethan hasn’t jumped at the chance to sign him. However, Dekker is furious and believes that he has been unrightfully forgotten and deserves to be recognised in Morecambe again so he has promised to turn up despite not having a match - he has sent multiple videos claiming that “I’m going to be there regardless of whether you invite me”. His message is clear – he is going to turn up at the Carleton against everyone’s wishes, but when, where, and how is less clear. Everyone is going to be on edge waiting to see what he does; hopefully OPW management can keep it under control because Dekker is a real threat when he is this angry and I dread to think what plans he has in mind.