Stormy Waters Report

Stormy Waters Report

It was difficult to imagine that Set Sail could be topped. It had drama, spectacle, storytelling, and some of the highest quality wrestling in the UK today. It turns out, however, that it could indeed be topped, as Stormy Waters had all this times ten, plus more. If you missed it, don’t worry because 1. You can get tickets for the next event now to ensure you don’t miss the next one and 2. I am here to retell it all for your reading pleasure. If you were there, read on to relive the heart stopping moments that undoubtedly had you on the edge of your seat.

The fans piled into the Alhambra in Morecambe on the 16th of October, on what was a wet and miserable day outside but was the complete opposite in the venue which was red hot with excited energy for what was promising to be a brilliant showcase of all that is good about Morecambe wrestling. To get everyone ready for this was Silent Mark, the hilarious and charismatic ring announcer who almost managed to make it into the ring without a hitch this time. He introduced Ethan Edwards who emerged from the curtain holding a mysterious item hidden under a black cloak, but we weren’t allowed to know what it was just yet as next out was the very talented commentary team for the evening, Simon Hill and Ste Bibby. The excitement was rife as Ethan hyped up his very special announcement which was the unveiling of the Odyssey Pro Wrestling Championship, the very first winner of which to be decided at Buried Treasure. This beautiful belt is certainly worthy of being fought for amongst some of the best in the UK wrestling scene and it was a poignant moment to be there when it was revealed for the very first time.

Of course, the most important question is who will hold it first? The journey to finding out began next, as the opening match of the night was a first round match in the much-anticipated championship tournament. It was Rick Markus who was greeted with a huge Morecambe reception first this evening and was clearly raring to go.

He was closely followed by JJ Webb with Sandy Beach in tow who wound the crowd up with their taunts and jeers. Webb even got on the mic and demanded that Rick showed him the respect he deserved by lying down and handing Webb the victory like a man and claimed that after winning the tournament he might give Rick a title shot. Much to the fans dismay, Markus appeared to be adhering to Webb’s wishes only to catch him in a roll up when he went for the cover, almost claiming the victory for himself.

He followed this up with a flurry of huge clotheslines that sent Webb flying and had Sandy Beach reeling from the outside where Webb soon joined him after being thrown to the floor. Sandy was predictably quick to assist Webb, getting in between the two and giving Webb the chance to run back into the ring and fly onto Markus before pushing him headfirst into the ring post. Markus only just beat the 10 count to get back into the ring but was met with stiff boots to the face as Webb tactically trapped him in the corner, fiercely on the offensive.

The chants of “JJ sucks” must have spurred Markus on to kick out at two and come back with a swinging neck breaker, multiple clotheslines and finally a spinebuster which should have been the ending, but Webb proved his resilience by kicking out.

After some more offense from Rick, he seemed ready to hit his spear finisher but Sandy was on the apron to stop him. It didn’t go to plan, however, as Webb inadvertently hit Sandy as Markus moved and this allowed Markus to then go for the spear for the victory. The Morecambe fans were delighted as Webb was visibly frustrated with Sandy – this team perhaps aren’t as well-oiled as they would have us think.

Nevertheless, it was an impressive performance from Webb, but it’s Rick Markus who advances in the tournament and is one step closer to the championship and in outstanding fashion.

Next was a break away from the tournament brackets and a step into the electric women’s division. Taonga followed by her tag team partner for the evening, Lizzy Evo, were the first through the curtain for this tag team match and they were both booed relentlessly. Hardly surprising, considering they were giving attitude to everyone including (but not limited to) the fans, the camera man and the referee.

Alexxis Falcon and Gia Adams were out soon to cheer everyone up though and in matching gear which seemed to be a precursor for their compatibility in the ring.

Taonga wasn’t best pleased with the poor reaction she got compared to her opponents so yelled to the fans for “a bit of respect”, only to be booed again. Falcon did the same and was met with a huge cheer, but Evo and Taonga took advantage of their opponents being distracted by the fans to attack them from behind before the bell had even rung.

Once their beat down had ended, we had Taonga and Falcon in the ring to begin the match. Falcon showed off her athletic skills and dominated for the moment, rallying with the fans. Adams was soon in the ring too and showed off her strength, but Taonga tactically pushed her into the opposite corner meaning Evo could go on the attack. Falcon attempted to get in the ring to make the save but this just distracted the ref, meaning Evo and Taonga could attack with illegal double team moves. This was a common theme throughout the match and although despicable, it was very clever on their behalf to take advantage when they had the chance.

Taonga then attempted to lift Gia for a suplex but didn’t have the strength, so Evo came back into the ring (after a cheap shot on Falcon) to assist her. However, Adams did the impossible and reversed this into an incredible double suplex which showcased not just her unbelievable muscle but her innovation too. She then had the chance to get the red-hot tag to Falcon who launched into the ring taking both women down. Her massive swinging neck breaker on Lizzy looked sure to end the match but Taonga broke up the pin.

Falcon was not happy about this and chased Taonga out of the ring, who ended up trapped between her and Gia. A huge brawl on the outside followed which spilled through the fans and resulted in Adams getting her head harshly slammed on the concrete wall.

The match perhaps disappointedly ended in a double count out, but Taonga and Evo managed to get Falcon back in the ring to hit their vicious double team finisher. Adams ran back in attempt to save her and all hell broke loose again with security having to come out to separate all four women.

It was then that Ethan Edwards came out to announce that the animosity had to be stopped and this would be done in a fatal four-way elimination match at Buried Treasure. That wasn’t all, though. He then said that this show wouldn’t just be about one championship; this women’s match will be to crown the very first Odyssey Women’s Champion. He unveiled his second gorgeous championship belt of the night. Suddenly, the stakes were huge for Buried Treasure for these women and another history making moment shook the Alhambra.

The next match on the card was Sam Bailey vs RP Davies. This match wasn’t scheduled to take place until Big Guns Joe was announced out of the tournament, so RPD may not have had a lot of time to prepare, but this didn’t affect his confidence as he was greeted with a rapturous reception, sporting brand new ring gear for the occasion.

Despite not having wrestled in Morecambe since 2016, Sam Bailey wasn’t short of confidence either and demanded that the fans “shut your damn mouths” as they chanted “RPD” continuously.

The fans may have had a favourite, but this was a very even match up, with the initial lock up not producing a winner. The technical chain wrestling was beautiful to watch as Bailey made use of the versatile wristlock, but RPD showed off his catch-as-catch-can ability to reverse this into a headlock which was then matched by Bailey escaping.

The back-and-forth showcase of wrestling skills was exciting but Bailey was sick of not taking the upper hand and feigned a handshake to throw RPD into the ropes; RPD was too quick to be down for long, though, and pulled off a giant tilt-the-whirl backbreaker.

Bailey was shaken and retreated to the outside and managed to recuperate, hitting a back breaker of his own in the ring and forcing RPD to the ropes again. RPD soon got his own back though and got Bailey into the corner, showing hints of his boxing background with some giant blows.

Bailey pushed back, and again showed technical ability as well as aggression with a submission hold that had RPD’s face wrenched in a very painful looking manner. Bailey tried to take chance to go for a leg drop from the tope rope but RPD had the wherewithal to dodge it just in time, leaving Bailey reeling as he landed hard on his tailbone.

It was time then for him to pull out his finisher, the flying elbow, but Bailey cleverly moved meaning RPD accidentally decked the referee. Bailey went on the attack but RPD went for the elbow again and succeeded this time, but with the ref down there was no one able to count.

Blink and you missed it, suddenly Andre Dekker was in the ring having emerged from the crowd. He launched a brutal attack on RPD and it seemed like it was all over, but Bailey took too long to go for the cover and RPD was able to kick out. Meanwhile, Dekker was wielding a bottle of rum to fend off the security who could do nothing but watch on in terror. Unfortunately, RPD couldn’t do anything to stop Bailey hitting his finisher and the match was won.

Dekker approached the down and out RPD with the bottle and everyone in attendance feared the worst, but RPD’s Born Ready partner Rick Markus was suddenly in the ring and Dekker scarpered away from the arena. Who knows when we will see him again? Maybe next time he will face RPD head on, or is he too scared? I doubt Sam Bailey cares, though, as he advances to the next round in a way none of us expected and had the fans riled up with anger.

Thank goodness for the interval which gave everyone a chance to take a breather after the intense action we had just witnessed.

When the show restarted, we had another appearance from Chris Brooker, but not before Silent Mark was interrupted by Brooker’s assistant who handed a notebook to him which he read out; it was a very flattering introduction for Brooker who wasn’t welcomed by the fans after his antics at the last event. “Who are ya?” they chanted at him, and he responded by saying he “assumed too much on your behalf, I expected you to be aware of a world beyond Morecambe and that’s just not how you guys work.” The patronising and demeaning continued and so did the boos, resulting in Brooker finally loosing his cool, questioning “Don’t you people know who I am? How dare you? Every last one of you is an embarrassment and a disgrace.” and claiming that he will never step foot in Morecambe again. We all certainly hope he sticks to his word.

The first match of the second half was Tu Byt facing the lone Troy Ryan, in one of his first singles matches ever. As Anderson Daniels was injured and unable to make it to even be in his corner, it was certainly going to be an uphill struggle for Ryan in this unfamiliar territory. He was determined to please the fans and progress in the tournament though and didn’t show any apprehension as he made his way to the ring.

Before the match could properly begin, we had Jennifer making her presence known as she jumped in the ring in Ryan’s face, causing the distraction for Byt to dive in with a nasty chop block and display his characteristic ferocious offense. He resourcefully targeted Ryan’s leg for the rest of the match, going for a leg lock at this point but Ryan’s strength was too much for him as he was kicked away and then sent flying all the way across the ring with a huge shoulder tackle, the physical differences between the two becoming apparent. This was also the case when Byt attempted a cross body but hit Ryan like a brick wall that would not go down, followed by Ryan lifting him up for a suplex and holding him upside down for way longer than was necessary to show off his strength.

For what Byt might have lacked in physical strength he made up for with technical ability, managing to wrestle Troy down for an arm submission, but again Ryan was just too strong to be kept down and threw Byt hard into the mat followed by a body press from high up in the air. Ryan’s bear hug seemed sure to suffocate Byt, but he showed his opportunistic skills as his hard strikes broke him free and a roll up nearly turned the tables completely.

Byt then made his way to the top rope for aerial offense but Ryan threw him down, only to be met by Jennifer on the apron who again tactfully caused the distraction for long enough for Byt to hit a dive through the ropes and onto the floor.

Back in the ring, Byt targeted the injured leg again with a chop block, this time with extra damage from the top rope which he pulled off twice. The Rat King wasn’t impressing the fans though, who were calling him “Minnie Mouse”.

Ryan’s resilience was vital in his ability to fight back, but when Byt threw Jennifer into the ring and pushed her into Ryan, there was nothing he could do to stop the brutal attack which followed the distraction and he found himself firmly locked in the Rat Trap which knocked him out cold.

If Jennifer was scared to be in the middle of the action, she didn’t show it as the pair shared a passionate embrace to celebrate Tu Byt’s advancement. He seems well on his way to being the first champion if no one can break out of the Rat Trap.

The next bout was another mismatch of styles, this time in the form of tag action, with the incredibly popular Sexy Kev teaming with Mark Meltzer who became Sexy Mark Meltzer for one night only, showing that stealing gimmicks is what he does best, with his hilarious copying even down to Kev’s strip tease.

The Freakshow couldn’t have been more different, with their eerie entrance, interestingly not joined by Isaiah Quinn which I’m sure Meltzer was pleased about after their strange encounter at Set Sail.

To kick start the match we had Kev facing the ‘Unhinged’ Will Carter, with Kev showing he is more than a pretty face with his ability to wrestle Will to the floor while working his arm.

With the upper hand, Kev was able to tag in Meltzer who barged in the ring with a clothesline and atomic drop which rocked Carter.

However, something bizarre changed the tune of the match. A clip played on the screen and it was Isaiah Quinn with “Now That’s What I Call Meltzer”, seemingly parodying Meltzer and aiming to distract him and it certainly did just that, allowing Carter to show off his athleticism as he went on the attack and tagged in Nightmare.

Double team moves had Meltzer struggling as The Freakshow showed how efficiently they work together, trapping him in the corner and leaving him vulnerable to Nightmare’s breath-taking aerial assaults. It appeared to be the end of the match when Nightmare proceeded to trap him in a submission hold, but when another Quinn video played, Mark was spurred on to slam him down and go for the tag, but he was inches away before Carter was tagged back in and dragged him away. However, Meltzer managed to land a back body drop and eventually got the tag as the crowd went wild for Kev entering the ring.

Suddenly, Quinn’s face was back on the screen, this time asking “What’s wrong Mark? Why won’t you get the job done?”. It appeared to be the final straw for Meltzer as he snapped and aggressively destroyed the Freakshow; Kev had to pull him off, telling him “This is not you, Mark!”. Meltzer then said “Maybe it should be” and shoved Kev, storming backstage as the fans were left bewildered and disappointed.

This continued as Kev inevitably got caught in the Freakshow’s joint offense and despite his best efforts, was down for the count. I am very intrigued to see what’s going to happen next in this unpredictable saga and I hope Quinn has not brought out the worst in Mark Meltzer, as it appears he wants to do.

Before the main event, we had the legendary Morecambe Raffle as well as a very important announcement from Ethan Edwards. He said that to ensure they can raise as much money as possible for the charity of the family of Jordan Banks’ choosing, he wanted the main event for Pier Fear in Blackpool on 20th November to be one of the best ever. It will therefore be a triple threat tag team tables, ladders and chairs match featuring Sinergy, Born Ready and Reece and Rogan. This might just be one of the biggest matches of the year and you need to get your tickets soon before they sell out!

Speaking of one of the biggest matches of the year, the main event of Stormy Waters was next and it was Sandy Beach vs Morecambe’s favourite, Ryan Hunter, out to undoubtedly the loudest reaction of the night.

As if the fans weren’t happy already to see Hunter, they were ecstatic when JJ Webb was banned from ringside due to the shenanigans that took place during his match. It was then a fair and square one on one situation which Webb did not take kindly to, to say the least, unleashing an elbow drop on his own hat in frustration.

Sandy Beach wasn’t happy either, fleeing the ring three times before Hunter could get his hands on him, which eventually came when Beach was berating the crowd on the apron and Hunter suplexed him into the ring followed by a back body drop which had Beach landing hard on the mat twice in quick succession.

He was understandably shaken and went to leave the arena completely but Hunter wouldn’t let him, taking the fight to him resulting in a brawl that spread all the way through and around the audience, treating everyone in attendance to a front row seat.

Hunter broke the referee’s count briefly so he could continue his beat down, but Beach thought fast and pushed him into the ring post. Hunter was hurt and a security guard came to check on him, only to be pushed to the ground by the ruthless Beach.

When Hunter got up, the fight continued on the wooden floor by the bar, with Beach getting side slammed onto it. Hunter then took the battle back into the ring but was caught off guard a swift beatdown from Sandy who flew from the top rope, only for the 2 count though.

Hunter was then able to rally with a powerful German suplex and a knee to the face followed by an attempted powerbomb which was reversed, but Hunter stayed alert and was able to get him up for the powerbomb eventually; to everyone’s disbelief though, Beach kicked out.

Again, we had a referee being in the wrong place at the wrong time, being kicked inadvertently by Beach who capitalised by hitting a low blow and JJ Webb was back with a steel chair, hitting Hunter with a nasty blow straight to the head. As Hunter is so used to doing, though, he fought against the odds and scrapped his way to a kick out before using the deafening cheers of the fans to spur him on to fighting off both men. He hit his signature hook kick followed by a devastating flying neck breaker for the epic victory to one of the loudest reactions I have ever heard.

The joy was nearly cut short as he was celebrating, when Sandy grabbed the steel chair and seemed ready to attack. But as Hunter turned to face him, Sandy seemed to have a change of heart and allowed a nod of begrudging respect.

Hunter closed the show by being celebrated by his adoring fans in a perfect culmination of what everyone loves about Morecambe wrestling. The passion in the Alhambra at that moment was palpable and I will never forget it.

If you want to experience this for yourself, you must buy a ticket for the very special Blackpool show Pier Fear on 20th November, or the next invasion of the Alhambra on December 4th called Buried Treasure where TWO inaugural champions will be crowned. These two history-making events are not to be missed.

📸 @Y2Grae