Martina made her final appearance for OTT in 2019 – so it’s only fitting that it was a Gaff Party!
OTT’s final show before their 5th year anniversary saw them head north of the border to Belfast, as the Europa Hotel played host to Martina’s Gaff Party.
After Aonghus McAnally and Tony Kelly did the intros, announcing that thanks to the closure of Thomas Cook, Solo Darling and Ophidian were off the show (and some associated card changes), we were interrupted by B. Cool, who was coming out for the opener. With Angel Cruz having retired, B. Cool was looking for a new partner… and still hadn’t found one come bell time. So he dragged Amy Allonsy off of merch, and asked to have his match bumped so she could get into gear.
Only True Pros (Michael May & Liam Royal) vs. Body Bros (CT Flexor & Adam Maxted)
Sadly, Perfect Stranger is no more. I guess they ran out of franchise money. The un-named man mocks B. Cool for still being able to appear at OTT, despite being beaten in ten seconds last time out, before he’s interrupted by CT Flexor doing his best Elias backstage, playing Seven Nation Army on a guitar. Adam Maxted is there too… so we’ve got an impromptu Body Bros reunion!
There’s a lot of beef in this match, as we start with May and Flexor swapping shoulder tackles. CT lands a couple of dropkicks before Maxted and Royal tagged in, locked up, then saw Royal land a big shoulder tackle as Royal dubbed Adam a “Love Island Reject”. Oof.
Maxted hits back with a diving shoulder tackle off the middle rope, then a dropkick for a near-fall. Flexor’s in with a left hand to knock May outside, but there’s some distraction as Royal “tagged” in, but there was no tag as all four men ended up in the ring, only for the Body Bros to land duelling dropkicks.
A roll-through nearly gets CT a win over May, but Michael’s back to charge him down as the Only True Pros quickly worked into a neat slingshot spinebuster for a near-fall. Flexor’s grounded by a front facelock from May, but eventually Flexor freed himself as Maxted cleared house, landing a neat scoop slam before dropkicking Royal into the corner.
A springboard missile dropkick from Maxted connects on Royal for a near-fall, with May breaking up the cover as the Pros looked to double-team. Royal’s caught with a spinebuster for a near-fall, which led to Flexor looking to do a People’s Elbow, but he dicks around a little too much and ends up paying for it, as he’s caught by Royal on the outside, before Liam helps May with some leverage on the pin. Not exactly clean, but very enjoyable – Flexor and Maxted have improved in leaps and bounds since their original days as the Body Bros. Hopefully this isn’t a one-and-done… **¾
After the match, the un-named J. Money declared that the Only True Pros have had five wins in a row… and they want to continue it at the National Stadium. Well, technically, he said he wanted the National Stadium, which may not be for sale…
Club Tropicana (Captain Sexsea & Aidan) vs. B. Cool & Amy Allonsy
B. Cool’s making sure Amy can’t upstage him, stopping her running around the ring or climbing the ropes. Something tells me this pairing may not work out well…
Straight at the bell, Allonsy tags in, much to B. Cool’s chagrin… so he tags himself in and gets a little un-PC in the process. Cool charged down Captain Sexsea with a shoulder tackle for a one-count before an attempt at a sunset flip was stopped by Sexsea’s paddle. B. Cool disarms him, and swings the paddle, bonking himself on the ropes before Sexsea gave us a healthy dose of Alex Wright!
Cool refuses to tag out, as he thought he had Aidan’s number. Christ, those Kamala-style trunks… Aidan pulls down the trunks to reveal the Kamala belly, but B. Cool just slams him, then mouths off to Amy. Meanwhile, Fabulous Nicky had rolled in to replace Aidan (with the same trunks… who made two pairs?!). The ref somehow misses all this, as “Aidan” hits the Dirty Dancing pop-up splash onto B. Cool for a near-fall.
Another switcheroo brings back real Aidan as B. Cool again refused to tag out to Amy. Aidan took him into the corner as Sexsea tagged in for the Super Sexy Slip ‘n’ Slide, before a bunch of switcheroos finally led to Allonsy coming in! She thrust kicks Aidan to death before a springboard stunner left Sexsea down. “Aidan” comes in for a springboard tornado DDT, but B. Cool tags her out as she went for a brainbuster. Of course, he wants to do it, and gets caught in a small package as “Aidan” took the win. Exactly what you expected from an overly-confident B. Cool, as Allonsy looked good in her brief run… but this was all storyline. In a good way. **
After the match, B. Cool claimed Amy cost him the match. The crowd didn’t like that, as she ended up not going to her dark place…
Omari, Chris Ridgeway & Lucky Kid vs. More Than Hype (LJ Cleary, Darren Kearney & Nathan Martin)
It’s a very quick return for Omari, after he impressed on the Road to 5th Year Anniversary show a few weeks back. With RISE dead, Lucky Kid’s been bequeathed a version of Human Fly. And a flag. Which he holds up the right way.
Ridgeway tries to corner LJ Cleary before the bell, and starts out by grounding him in a front chancery. LJ escapes, but Riddy isn’t impressed, taking him down with a leg lock as Lucky Kid tried to pull the rope away from LJ as our measured opening spell had Ridgeway on top. They eventually reach a mutual stand-off after some missed kicks, as Darren Kearney came in to try his luck with Riddy.
Omari comes in after Ridgeway took Kearney into the corner, but it’s Omari who retained the upper hand with some ice pinning attempts before his crossbody was caught, allowing Kearney back into it. Kearney looked for a half crab, but it’s way too early, although Kearney was able to maintain the advantage as he and Nathan Martin worked into a double Japanese armdrag and a low dropkick combo. Lucky Kid comes in too, as we find out you probably shouldn’t chant for the guys who are fighting the people whose shirt you’re wearing…
Lucky chops the turnbuckle as Martin got away just in time, before the pair went back and forth some more until Lucky scored with a low dropkick for a two-count. A crossface looked to follow, but Martin’s quickly in the ropes, as Ridgeway ends up coming in as he tried to kick Martin’s spine out through his skin. After Lucky Kid threw Nathan back in, he’s peppered with kicks from Ridgeway, which he eventually responded to ahead of tagging in LJ again. Cleary has more luck with his kicks, dropping Ridgeway for a two-count, following those up with chops. You can guess how Riddy responded.
Lucky stretches Cleary’s face for good measure as the 16 Carat Gold winner looked to snatch the win, following those up with chops as Belfast sounded weirdly muted. Omari returns with a scoop slam for a two-count on LJ, then added some clubbing blows to LJ’s shoulder for good measure. LJ tries a crossbody, but has to fight out of an O-Zone counter as he had to tag out. Darren Kearney’s in with a back body drop to Lucky as he looked to clean house, dumping Lucky with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near-fall, but Lucky fought back with a slingshot cutter before his tope con giro crashed into the rest of More Than Hype on the outside. Omari throws in a Fosbury flop on top of it, as Ridgeway decides to slice through Kearney with kicks, allowing Lucky Kid to get a near-fall as commentary was having a hard time keeping up.
In the end, More Than Hype recomposed themselves with triple superkicks to Omari for a near-fall… Lucky’s back with a La Mistica into a crossface, as More Than Hype were caught in a trio of submissions. Eventually, Kearney got a foot to the rope, before the ring cleared… as Ridgeway chopped his way further ahead. An assisted springboard dropkick from LJ clears the ring, except for Lucky Kid, who had to fight off 1-on-3 as he looked to snatch a win with a small package… only to handspring into triple superkicks before he got monkey flipped into a powerbomb that Kearney transitioned into a half crab for the win. This was fine – it didn’t have a fraction of the zip and vigour that the Dublin trios match did, but the crowd seemingly not being into this didn’t help either. ***
Darren Kearney makes the UNIVERSAL SIGN OF A TITLE BELT afterwards, which was quite fortuitous as a graphic flashed up on their way to the back as it was announced that Kearney and Martin would face Moustache Mountain for the OTT tag titles at the 5th year anniversary show. Hopefully second time is going to be the charm!
Terry Thatcher vs. Timothy Thatcher
Ooh, I bet Thatcher wins! Timothy’s not coming out as a Lonely Boatsman, as we got the ironic “let’s go Thatcher/Thatcher sucks” chants before the bell.
Timothy takes Terry to the ropes early on, for a clean break, as the pair remained at close quarters, but it’s Timo who remained on top as Terry had to scramble away. Timo looks thoroughly unimpressed as Terry tries to chop him, eventually cracking the Irishman with an uppercut before turning a missed dropkick into a half crab.
There’s still thumb tacks in Timo’s boots as he turned Terry into a bow and arrow hold, rolling him down for a pin as Timo continued to dominate. A falling chop connected with Terry’s throat as the momentum continued, leading to a rebound belly-to-belly suplex off the ropes for another near-fall. Yup, it’s one-way traffic for the former RINGKAMPF man.
An elbow to the top of the head downs Terry as the crowd began to back the Dubliner, who then got caught in a knee bar in the middle of the ring, while Timo looked so nonchalant… he removed a thumb tack from his boot and jabbed it into Terry’s bare knee. Some very sly nastiness there from Timothy…
Unimpressed Timo returns as Terry tried to slap him, but instead Timothy’s low-bridged and takes a nasty spill to the outside, ahead of a springboard body press from Terry. Timo’s having to shake out his leg after that landing, but he’s still able to batter Terry, who beat the 20-count… and took a clubbering forearm over the ropes. A deadlift gutwrench suplex follows, as we’re back to business as usual.
Terry tries to block a butterfly suplex before kicking the leg out of Timo’s leg, getting a two-count before a shotgun dropkick and a running dropkick into the corner kept Timothy at bay. In the end though, another butterfly suplex from Timo drops Terry for a near-fall, before he rolled him into a Fujiwara armbar, which somehow got escaped as Terry countered back with a springboard tornado DDT. Terry followed up with an elbow off the top for a near-fall before he got slapped silly. That just fires him up. A missed superkick’s followed up with more head kicks, before Timo spun out of a Dethatched attempt and took him down with a Fujiwara armbar… only for Terry to roll him up for the win! That was a bit of a surprise finish to a match that went well, but aside from the snarky chants at the start, nobody was really able to pick a Thatcher. A big win for Terry, but it didn’t feel as big as it should. ***¼
NLW Championship: Calum Black vs. Scotty Davis vs. Curtis Murray (c)
This belt’s kinda been on ice since Murray won it almost a year ago, with the man himself having been frozen out of OTT for… reasons. The Godawful Contenders match with Gavin Fitz was his last appearance.
Murray’s out with Steven Carvel and a chair. Both of which I think would have gotten more of a reaction. He starts by shotgun dropkicking Black, before clocking Davis with a head kick, as the crowd’s expectations of an early exit were dashed. He’s quickly met with some double-teaming though, with Black’s lariat flipping him inside out before Calum back body dropped Scotty into the pile outside.
Steven Carvel gets involved, throwing Davis into the ring post, then into the crowd, before Murray punted Calum low. It’s legal, because it’s a three-way, following up with an awkward Harlem Hangover to the back of a crouched-over Black. Murray block a clothesline and retaliates with a springboard cutter for a near-fall, before Carvel got involved with a chair.. Scotty Davis double legs him to neutralise “The View”, before Murray missed a chair shot… then got wrecked with a uranage backbreaker as Davis Gator rolled him to death… landing a Supremacy for the elimination. The crowd loved that. Good riddance.
So we’re guaranteed a new champion, and we start with Scotty and Calum boxing clever. A lariat from Calum gets a near-fall, but Davis’ Dragon suplex keeps him in it, as does another flurry of strikes before a Fisherman suplex dropped Black for a two-count. A brainbuster follows for another near-fall, before Black blocked Supremacy with knees and some murderous powerbombs to swing the match his way. Clubbing shots from Black looks to lead to a Burning Hammer, but Davis slips out and rolls him into a crossface, then a double-armbar, trapping the leg as he tied up Calum in knots for the submission! Opening stuff with Murray aside, this was a hell of a competitive scrap, as Scotty Davis left Belfast with more gold to add to his growing haul. ***½
After the match, LJ Cleary joined Scotty in the aisle and seemingly challenged him to a shot… I guess that’s going on at the National Stadium in October!
Filthy Generation (Aspen Faith & Stevie Boy) vs. Kings of the North (Damien Corvin & Bonesaw)
It’s a welcome return for Corvin after his nasty spill last time here in Belfast, he didn’t take the surgical option and managed to avoid an 18-month spell on the sidelines… instead, returning in six weeks. That kinda overshadowed the debut that the Filthy Generation were making, sort-of being ICW all stars here.
Of course, the Kings had a partisan crowd behind them, and they railed on the Scots as they started things off with a suckerpunch. All four men stayed in the ring to start with, as the Filthy Generation looked to take a lead, but Corvin wants to get a monkey off his back as he went for – and landed – a tope con giro.
I heard the phrase “more bollocks than brains” a LOT in the opening minute here from commentary, Corvin, fans… and t-shirts.
All four men are outside and brawling around the ring as Aonghus feigned surprise, while Stevie Boy almost got poor Linus chopped in the front row. We keep going down the same vein, before Faith found himself on the apron with both Kings looking to knock him down… only for things to turn around as Faith ended up powerbombing Corvin into the front row.
The Filthy Generation cheat a little behind the ref’s back as Bonesaw was the worse for wear, not helped by a gamengiri on the corner from Stevie Boy as Corvin was down on the floor, feeling his shoulder. Stevie Boy rushes the ring to club away at Bonesaw, who hit back with a spinning heel kick, then with a double-team clothesline as Corvin got back onto the apron. Cue a tag, as Corvin’s quickly in with a double dropkick and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker as he continued to breeze through the ICW All Stars, nearly putting away Stevie Boy with a White Star Line.
Despite a clash of heads, Corvin recovers to land a 3D for a near-fall, with Faith breaking the cover. Faith’s discus lariat and a Blue Thunder-ish bomb drops Corvin, before Aspen walked into some right hands… then dropped Corvin into a knee strike that didn’t even get a one-count. In the end, Corvin lands a Deep Six on Faith for a near-fall, with Stevie Boy breaking up the cover. A nasty reverse ‘rana on Corvin and a Destroyer builds up to a sandwich of diving knees, but the Scots take too long as Corvin fought back with a tornado DDT before they… erm, hit an assisted Tongan Twist for the win. Well, I don’t want to criticise, but the Filthy Generation looked a step off the pace at times here, while the Kings seemed to be relatively back on track. ***
Corvin got the mic afterwards and acknowledged that they’re unable to wrestle in Dublin. They wanted to change that, and vowed to gatecrash the 5th Anniversary Show to face the best they could get. Cue a fortuitous graphic: the Kings face the Guerrillas of Destiny! Live, this had some people scratching their head, and I can only assume that Corvin’s injury meant that we lost a step in the “road back to Dublin”. Still the crowd liked it, and them vs. the Guerrillas could be quite the match-up.
The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel) vs. The Besties in the World (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) & Martina
“Savage Garden is one of the worst things to come out of Australia”… not my view, but I think a few people share Tony Kelly’s take there. Martina came out to a club version of “Truly, Madly, Deeply”, which was quite the segue for her latest farewell match (as she’ll be in Japan for most of the rest of the year, meaning this was her last match for OTT this year).
Martina gets her partners tipsy before the bell, then tried to remove her jacket from Try Miguel. He responds by taking her jacket off, but Martina likes that, much like the opening exchange. She takes Trey down with a wristlock, as they embarked on some “wrestling!” to get us going, before a lucha armdrag took us into some headscissors and a dropkick from Miguel.
Martina and Miguel continue to trade holds, until Martina grinds on Trey to make him let go. He has to dive under the ring to let, erm, something calm down, as Mat Fitchett and Dezmond Xavier come in to trade shoulder tackles and dance along to Truly, Madly, Deeply. Xavier looked as nonplussed as Tim Thatcher.
The Besties double-team Xavier for a spell, but they turn it around with Wentz Bronco Busting Davey Vega on the way to a near-fall. A distracted referee just plunges Vega into deeper trouble, before he was put in a Tree of Woe ahead of a punch to the dick that the ref barely saw. Finally, Vega’s able to tag out to Fitchett, who looks to clear house, dumping Miguel with an overhead kick on the apron before a leap into Wentz went badly for him.
Wentz drags Fitchett towards the corner as he roughed him up some, before Martina came in and took out Miguel with an enziguiri and a Twister suplex. She followed that up with a tope to the outside, a flying ‘rana to Miguel back inside, then a satellite DDT roll through into a suplex for the hell of it! A double springboard from Martina ends with a Miguel superkick and a drive-by kick before she sidestepped a leap… only to eat Wentz’s Codebreaker and a standing shooting star press as the Rascalz took over again. Miguel’s tope wipes out the pile, but Wentz’s moonsault was caught… until Xavier’s tope con giro knocked them down… which gave Martina an idea. To do a bloody moonsault off the top rope!
Back in the ring, Martina slipped on a springboard, then found better luck with a double-jump Seshbreaker for a near-fall. Miguel’s kip-up enziguiri drops Martina, before Xavier and Wentz just double-teamed Fitchett into oblivion. Davey Vega had the same treatment, but Martina breaks it up… the Besties turn it around by double-teaming Xavier, then handing him off to Martina for a Jagerbomb… and that’s your lot! Martina sends the crowd home happy with a win after a main event that was decent, but sadly threatened to fall apart a few times. ***¼
The show closed with a bit of a rave from Martina – a throwback to the OTT of yore, as she bade farewell to Irish wrestling. At least for 2019. Remember when everyone called her a joke? Those trips to STARDOM have done her the world of good…
Perhaps the victim of changes to the card, this was a decent show that ultimately felt a little flat across the board. Maybe it was the flight issues, or perhaps it was Jordan Devlin being pulled from the card (so he could spend the day representing NXT UK at a tabletop gaming convention at Alexandra Palace… I’m not making that up), but this felt like a show that did little to build hype for the 5th Anniversary Show, save for the two matches announced live.