OTT’s second show on FloSlam was their debut in Belfast for their final show of 2016.
The promotion was in a sold-out function room at the Clayton Hotel in Belfast, and after your usual opening shtick with Aonghus Og McAnally and Don Marnell (still in his t-shirt), we got underway. I’m not quite sure why we “need” a heel colour commentator, but at least Marnell announces the main event of the night will be Ricochet vs. Marty Scurll.
Luther Valentine vs. Tucker
Valentine is a Belfast native who usually works for Pro Wrestling Ulster… and got a good reaction from his hometown crowd. Tucker is another Northern Irishman, who had just gotten signed by WWE for their UK Tournament days before this show.
This was one of Tucker’s first matches back after over a year out with injury; something that McAnally played up on commentary at the start. Tucker starts off with a ‘rana after Valentine had run the ropes and hit a leapfrog, before Valentine suckered Tucker into a forearm from a handshake.
Valentine works over Tucker in the corner, but he backflips free and hits a back elbow off the top rope to wake the crowd up. After seeing a lariat caught, Tucker takes a bridging German for a near-fall, then gets chopped in the corner of the ring. They exchange chops in the middle of the ring, before a ‘rana attempt from Tucker ended up looking more like a Shining Wizard.
Tucker follows up with a Miz-like clothesline in the corner, before a dive in gets caught and turned into a Valentine slam for a near-fall. A roundhouse kick from Tucker is followed up by him going up top, but a senton bomb gets nothing but Valentine’s knees, as a Superman punch forces Tucker to kick out at two. Valentine spikes Tucker with a DDT for another near-fall, but Tucker again fights back with a leaping neckbreaker, and lands his senton bomb at the second attempt for another near-fall.
The two men go back and forth, but Tucker’s spun around and kicks Valentine in the knee, before landing a superkick out of nowhere for the win. Decent opener – both men were impressive, and you can see exactly why WWE’s had their eyes on Tucker! ***
Rocky Mac & Pa Ward vs. B. Cool & Kenny Williams
So the Gymnasties’ first match after losing their OTT tag titles was meant to have been against the Ward family – whom have been off of the OTT scene for a few months now. B. Cool has baubles tied to his beard as he cuts a pre-match promo addressing Justin Shape’s betrayal and claiming that Sammy D. has been concussed…so he has a replacement: Kenny Williams!
With all due respect, I think it’s safe to say that “The Bollocks” may well be an upgrade!
A squat-off with B.Cool and Pa Ward seems to give Pa cramp, and Cool starts off with some right hands before Ward comically feints away from a superkick. Kenny Williams tags in, so Ward scampers away to tag in Rocky Mac… who takes a back elbow off the ropes from Williams.
Another springboard crossbody gets Williams a two-count, before Cool tags back in with an axehandle smash over Mac’s arm. Wash, rinse, repeat, despite Mac’s attempt to block a flying Williams with a forearm, before B. Cool calls for a brainbuster… which is reversed by Rocky Mac. That B. Cool “brainbuster” call didn’t get much of a response – we’re definitely not in the Tivoli!
Rocky Mac and B. Cool traded chops back and forth, before a back elbow gets Mac a two-count as the Wards take over on the Gymnasty. Eventually, Cool blocks Ward with a big boot and hits a dropkick as he looks to make a tag out to Williams, but Ward snuck around to pull Williams off the apron before throwing him into the ringpost.
Logic goes out the window when Cool ducks a double clothesline and tags in Sammy D, who dumps Mac with an Ace crusher as the referee apparently was tending to Kenny Williams… who now gets tagged in and goes flying with a double missile dropkick. Mac gets thrown to the outside as Williams flies into him with a tope, before Ward makes a save from a top rope back elbow that nearly got the win.
Williams again fires back with a dropkick before B Cool scales the turnbuckles, but his crossbody is caught by Mac who dumps him with an awkward looking TKO for the win. Better than I expected, but the “home” talents certainly stick out like a sore thumb on some of these cards. **¼
Fabian Aichner vs. Joe Coffey
As Jim Ross used to say, business is about to pick up here!
Aichner takes Coffey into the corner from the start, as they have a rather tentative opening sequence, ending with Aichner landing some Ospreay-like see-saw kip-ups to escape a wristlock. A leg lariat from Aichner takes Coffey into the ropes, before the Scotsman returned the favour and laid into Aichner with a swinging front facelock.
Coffey teases a dive, before Aichner follows up with a springboard High Fly Flow to the floor. Somehow, Coffey gets back first and ties up Aichner with a Boston Crab-like hold in the ropes, before the Italian fights out of a front facelock, only to fall into another Boston crab. It’s too early though, as Aichner easily crawls to the ropes for a break, but Coffey remains on top.
After taking some punishment, Aichner slips under Coffey and surprises him with a pumphandle slam, before a springboard cross body is caught and turned into a slam for a near-fall. Aichner replied with a step-up moonsault for another two-count, but the tables keep turning as Coffey lands a deadlift superplex as he brought Aichner in from the apron for another near-fall.
They continue to go back and forth with avalanches in the corner, before Coffey hits his step-up crossbody out of the corner. Coffey misses an attempt at Black Coffey but manages to pull off a bridging German for a near-fall, before a second Black Coffey attempt is met with a Finlay Roll and a springboard moonsault by Aichner for a two-count.
Aichner hotshots Coffey on the top rope, then springboards back in with a tornado DDT for yet another near-fall, before he goes up for a frog splash… but Coffey hits an uppercut and catches Aichner in a piledriver position that goes to a Boston crab for an instant tap-out. That submission barely registered with the crowd, who finally reacted with what I can only describe as polite applause at the end. This match was fine, but the lack of response from the crowd hurt it badly. **¾
Body Bros (Adam Maxted, Brian Abz & Carl Curl) vs. The Lads from the Flats (Paddy M & Workie) & Swoggle
The Body Bros are all local to Belfast, but it’s only Adam Maxted who really looks like a wrestling “bodyguy”… Maxted cuts a promo, something about having more followers on social media than the entire crowd put together, and that apparently equals jealousy here.
We start with Swoggle and Maxted, the latter of which sank to his knees and ended up getting punched. Maxted gets his arse bitten before Swoggle trips him and lands a back senton, as Paddy M then tags in for a double axehandle smash off the top. Workie comes in for the same, then just watches as Brian Abz runs the ropes like a goddamned fool. He needed the cardio, I guess…
Paddy M hits a Wazzap headbutt to Abz, who then takes some corner punches and then looks on in confusion as Paddy does a headstand on the top turnbuckle. That headstand helps Paddy knock down all three of the Body Bros, before Abz’ superkick sees him take an upper hand.
Curl finally comes in and drops Paddy with a clothesline for a near-fall, before Maxted tags and lands a nice standing dropkick for a two-count… pulling up Paddy just so Abz can have a go. Of course, Abz misses, so Paddy makes a comeback and gets the hot tag to Swoggle, who chops away at Abz’s legs, before landing a hip attack. Curl comes in and takes a punch and a German suplex, only for Maxted to dump Swoggle with a big boot.
The Lads from the Flats nearly win it with a nice reverse DDT/moonsault combo – but Swoggle stops the count as he tells the referee that he’s the legal man. So Swoggle goes up top for a Tadpole Splash to earn the win. Basic, but a lot better than you’d expect. **½
OTT Tag Team Championships: Social Elite (Paul Tracey, Jordan Devlin & Charlie Sterling) vs. The Kings of the North (Bonesaw, Damien Corvin & Dunkan Disorderly) (c)
Weirdly, this was a six-man tag match with the standard tag titles on the line. Needless to say, the Kings of the North were massive babyfaces here…
Devlin and Bonesaw started out, and it was the red-handed Bonesaw who took the upper hand with shoulder tackles and hiptosses as the Social Elite found themselves on the back foot. Corvin drops Sterling with a right hand after a baseball slide, then dumps Sterling with a big back body drop and a hanging vertical suplex to pick up a near-fall. All six men flood the ring, then hit the outside before we get a dive from Bonesaw as he slingshots himself across the corner with a plancha. Corvin adds in a tope suicida, before Dunkan grabs a fan’s drink and overshoots an Asai moonsault that sees him clock some fan with his boot.
Sterling hits out with some kicks as all six men remain ringside, with Devlin taking some double-team chops. Back inside, Dunkan sends Tracey flying with a ‘rana, before a missile dropkick keeps the Lord of the Manor down for a little longer, before he returned with a lariat as the Social Elite tried to take over.
Devlin chops away on Dunkan as the Elite cycled through with tags, before Dunkan backdropped Devlin away… but Sterling and Tracey ran in to knock the rest of the Kings down before a tag could be made. Tracey hits a middle rope legdrop for a near-fall, but gets taken down with a back elbow as the Elite again try to prevent a tag, but this time it’s unsuccessful as Corvin cleans house and lands the White Star-line (somersault clothesline) for a two-count.
Tracey hits a similar clothesline for a two as Bonesaw makes the save, before Devlin makes a save from a Blue Thunder Bomb. Tags seemed to be irrelevant here as referee Niall Fox was counting any pin he saw, including a piledriver from Sterling to Dunkan, despite neither man seemingly being legal. In the end, a fireman’s carry and a dropkick from Bonesaw and Corvin proved to be enough as the Kings retained. Decent, but that fell apart badly at the end in search of pins for the sake of it. **¾
OTT Women’s Championship: Katey Harvey vs. Kay Lee Ray vs. Martina (c)
This is being held under elimination rules for a change, and we start with Metina offering Kay Lee Ray a can. Katey tries to take advantage of Martina distracting herself with a roll-up, but Kay Lee breaks it up for our first piece of Wrestling Logic! Kay Lee gets schoolboy’d by Martina for a near-fall, which Harvey went to break up, before she found herself in the middle of a brief chop war. Harvey powders to the outside as Martina went for a Bronco buster, and eventually takes a tope from Kay Lee, then a tope suicida from Martina!
Another tope sees Kay Lee go head-first into the crowd, before Martina blows herself up in trying for her dive… so she has another can then completes her second tope. Kay Lee and Martina share a drink, but the Scotswoman double-crosses the champion with a kick before being caught with a Northern Lights suplex for a near-fall. Martina countered a Gory Bomb into a sunset flip for some near-falls, before taking an overhand chop as Kay Lee gets low bridged by Harvey to the outside.
With Kay Lee down, Harvey smashes one of the cans from earlier into Martina, then gets a roll-up for the elimination. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting Martina to be out so early… Martina’s shocked too, as is the guy who chanted “this is awful”, so we’re left with Harvey and Kay Lee Ray. Eventually, that is as Harvey vocally expressed her annoyance at Martina’s slow exit from the arena.
Harvey whips Kay Lee into the ringpost, before she stays on top of the Scotswoman with avalanche charges and a wrist-clutch Exploder for a near-fall. Kay Lee went for a missile dropkick, but it was caught and turned into a pendulum submission, before a curb stomp saw Harvey collect a near-fall.
An inside cradle almost got Kay Lee a shock win, as she worked towards a Gory Bomb, but ended up scoring with a superkick and a roundhouse. Another attempt at the Gory Bomb gets Kay Lee a two-count, just as the crowd woke up with several pro-Kay Lee chants. Harvey again went outside, but she caught Kay Lee with an uppercut as the Scotswoman went for a dive… and Kay Lee eventually gets that dive, albeit by wiping out some of the front row with an overshot senton off the top.
Another senton in the ring misses as Harvey rolled away, before Katey sends Kay Lee into the top turnbuckle with a Gory bomb to collect the pin. The first half was throwaway, the second was much better, but it felt way too short for what it meant, if that makes sense? ***
Marty Scurll vs. Ricochet
Scurll used his ROH theme here, so I guess that is part of his indy deal now… as was Ricochet’s attempt to get heat by starting a “Party Marty” chant. So Scurll replies by sparking a “Prince Puma” chant in the battle of the gimmicks.
Ricochet flips out of a front facelock in the opening exchanges, before working over Scurll’s legs and ending up in an Indian deathlock. Scurll goes back to the front facelock as he starts to work over Ricochet’s left arm, before he wrenches away on the neck of Ricochet with some headscissors.
Scurll wriggles his way out of a grounded headlock from Ricochet, who replies by bouncing on his arse to mock Scurll’s escape. Another headlock sees Ricochet try and escape by grabbing the beard, before the tempo is turned up with Ricochet eventually landing a dropkick to take down the Villain.
Ricochet does the Tye Dillinger ten gimmick, because that’s a thing, as he snapmares Scurll to the mat and follows up with a kick for a two-count. The People’s Moonsault follows for another two-count, before a modified bow-and-arrow hold sees Scurll’s head bounced off the middle turnbuckle.
The crowd ignores Ricochet as he tries to hush the crowd, just so he could call for a brainbuster… that Scurll switched and countered with an arm whip. Going to the outside, Scurll dumps Ricochet with a superkick off the apron as he mocks those “ten” chants from earlier, and this is a really unco-operative crowd in terms of hushing for the wrestlers. Back inside, Scurll does the old Rick Rude hip swivel en route to a surfboard stretch – one that rolls all around the ring too!
Scurll trolls the crowd by ordering them to move, before just throwing Ricochet in the ring instead of into their seats. That’s followed up with some ear biting as Scurll held Ricochet in a Japanese stranglehold on the mat, but Ricochet finally recovers with a back elbow and a dropkick as Scurll tried to go at him in the corner. A springboard clothesline gets Ricochet a near-fall, before both men tried and missed kicks, as Ricochet snapped into a Regalplex and a shooting star press for a pair of near-falls.
Scurll clings onto the ropes to avoid an Irish whip, so he just gets clocked with a forearm, before Ricochet gets slammed into the ropes. A Last Ride powerbomb gets Scurll a two-count, which seems to be the warm-up to a chicken wing, but Ricochet just elbows free before they trade knee strikes.
Ricochet falls for the “Just Kidding” superkick, before he rolls up into a knee strike and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb to leave both men down on the mat. They get back to their feet to engage in a series of chops, then forearms, and finally an eye poke! Just when Scurll thought he’d had it his way, Ricochet surprises him with a German suplex, but Scurll quickly fires back with a finger snap.
A brainbuster attempt from Scurll is countered as Ricochet hits a rolling Northern Lights suplex for a two-count, before a missed shooting star press sees Ricochet locked in a chicken wing as they go back and forth. An O’Connor roll gets Ricochet a near-fall, but from the kick-out Scurll gets the chicken wing again as Ricochet forces a rope break… so Scurll just blasts him with superkicks in the head after that.
Ricochet replies with a spit and a big boot, before a handspring back elbow sees him miss as Scurll again grabbing the chicken wing for the quick tap-out. A fine main event – easily the best thing on this show! ***¾
After the match, Scurll took the microphone for a show-closing promo, putting over OTT as one of the few places in the world where Ricochet vs. Scurll could ever happen. Scurll then goaded referee Niall Fox to do the worm, before this turned into a dance-off… with the OTT video crew feverishly hunting for a music video of Uptown Funk… and then getting massively booed as an advert appeared on YouTube. That’s the first time any crowd’s chanted “skip the ad”, then “buffer” as you-know-what happened! In the end, they had the crowd clap along as the music finally emerged, with the Villain dancing his way out of 2016!
And yes, “Foxy” did the worm to the loudest pop of the night, before Scurll pulled off a Spinaroonie… all whilst the OTT IT guy feverishly hunted for Uptown Funk on their iTunes!
What Worked: As much as Martina is a OTT staple, it was a case of right place, wrong time as being the right fit for their women’s title – especially if they’re trying to make the division more than a distraction. The Kings of the North worked well as babyfaces in Northern Ireland – the only time that the Kings vs. the Social Elite could probably work as a match in this group!
What Didn’t: Aside from the WiFI in the building at the end, quite a lot, sadly. Seemingly, a lot of the Belfast crowd weren’t familiar with most OTT tropes, with only Martina getting much of a reaction (aside from the Kings of the North).
Thumbs: Middle, pointing down. OTT don’t tend to release their non-Tivoli shows on demand, and this probably should have joined them. This wasn’t a bad show, but there’s hardly anything you need to see apart from the main event and the women’s match.