This weekend, Progress Wrestling will host what has become one of independent wrestling’s biggest tournaments of the year, Super Strong Style 16! Alexandra Palace will see sixteen of independent wrestling’s biggest names fighting for a guaranteed Progress World Title shot. Here, I will run down the tournament and the non-tournament matches announced, and give my prediction for who will win the whole damn thing.
Day One: Super Strong Style 16 Tournament Matches
Chris Brookes vs. Kassius Ohno
The artist formerly known as Chris Hero returns to Super Strong Style 16 to take on local long boy and CCK representative Chris Brookes. Brookes is coming off some really good showings at Chapter 65 against TK Cooper and Chapter 67 against Rey Horus, but the winner is in very little doubt here. Even though he can’t find a win in NXT with a magnifying glass, he’s gotten to the semi-finals of this very tournament in 2016. Plus, I don’t think WWE would rent out Ohno just for him to lose in the first round. Would they?
Prediction: Kassius Ohno
Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin
In a battle of WWE UK representatives, rising Irish star Jordan Devlin returns to Progress to take on former WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate. This should be a very anticipated encounter, as Devlin’s run as the “Import Killer” in the Irish promotion OTT has gotten a lot of eyes on him in the past year or so. Both of these guys have talent for days, so don’t sleep on this one earning Match of the Night buzz when it’s all said and done. Now it wouldn’t shock me to see Devlin get a win here, but Bate is by far the more established guy in Progress, reaching the finals of the tournament last year. I’ll take the safe bet and pick Bate.
Prediction: Tyler Bate
WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne vs. Doug Williams
This should be a fun generational clash, as the big UK star of yesteryear Williams takes on the current UK star and WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne. Progress has really been pushing that Williams is on his last ride, and that this may be his last match for Progress. I couldn’t think of a better way to go out than with a brilliant technical showcase with Dunne here. Pete Dunne wins, via fatality.
Prediction: Pete Dunne
Joey Janela vs. Either Zack Gibson or James Drake
The Progress Tag Team Champions, the Grizzled Young Veterans, are in a bit of a pickle here. Both men felt that they deserved spots in Super Strong Style due to their domination in the tag team division. However, by the time they demanded spots in the tournament, there was only one open spot left. So, Progress has allowed them to choose which one of them will compete in the tournament. The person who takes the spot will take on the King of Wrestlemania Weekend, the “Bad Boy” Joey Janela. I see this match going in the style of the Matt Riddle/Trent Seven match from last year, where the hated heel gets quickly embarrassed, so I’ll take Janela regardless of opponent.
Prediction: Joey Janela beats James Drake
Angelico vs. Mark Andrews
The only Triple Crown Champion in Progress history and 2016 finalist Mark Andrews goes up against the debuting Angelico of Lucha Underground fame. This one can be set in stone. Mark Andrews has lost in the first round in both SSS16 tournaments he’s competed in (he got back in the 2016 tournament on an injury replacement), and he lost to a debutant last year in Flamita. There’s also the whole “Eddie Dennis being a jerk” thing. Angelico moves on.
Prediction: Angelico
Keith Lee vs. Flash Morgan Webster
In a rematch from Chapter 57, Keith Lee takes on Flash Morgan Webster. I’d put this one in stone too, as Lee has counted more lights than an electrician before his vacation to Florida. Flash got robbed of the title at Chapter 65 and finally broke his losing streak in New Orleans, so I can see his association with Vicky Haskins getting him far in this tournament. Lee takes his bows, Webster takes the win.
Prediction: Flash Morgan Webster
Chuck Mambo vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
LOL
Prediction: Zack Sabre Jr.
TK Cooper vs. David Starr
Finally, we have the newly-heel TK Cooper taking on David Starr. This one is the biggest toss-up of the first round. Starr is great, but Cooper just turned heel at Chapter 65, so losing here would take some wind out of his sails. As much as I want to see a Starr/Sabre rematch from last year, I think some shenaningans gets TK his first SSS16 win.
Prediction: TK Cooper
Day Two
Tournament Matches:
Tyler Bate DEFEATS Kassius Ohno
- This should be awesome, but WWE UK outranks NXT.
Pete Dunne DEFEATS Joey Janela
- Pete Dunne always hated Spring Break.
Flash Morgan Webster DEFEATS Angelico
- Flash beats the Angel with the Devil in his corner.
Zack Sabre Jr. DEFEATS TK Cooper
- TK Cooper will JUST. TAP. OUT.
Non-Tournament Matches:
The House of Couture (Jinny, Chakara, & Nina Samuels) vs. Millie McKenzie, Sierra Loxton, and X
The number one contender to the Progress Women’s Title, Jinny, teams with her flunkies Chakara and Nina Samuels to take on the team of Millie McKenzie, Sierra Loxton, and a mystery teammate. I am excited to see more of Sierra Loxton, as she really impressed me on the Revelations of Divine Love women’s show last year. I’m gonna give myself two guesses for the mystery partner, because I’m writing the article and you can’t stop me. My guesses are either Kay Lee Ray or Rhia O’Reilly. I have no real basis for those guesses, I just think they would be fun additions to the match. I would be stunned if Jinny didn’t score the fall here, considering her title match is coming up on the next show.
Prediction: The House of Couture
Night Two: PROGRESS World Title Match: PROGRESS ATLAS Champion WALTER vs. PROGRESS World Champion Travis Banks
Presumably the main event of night two, this is Progress history in the making. For the first time ever, Progress’s two singles champions are going one-on-one. WALTER has the opportunity to become only the second double champion in Progress history, after Pete Dunne. Travis Banks has the chance to add onto his already record-breaking Progress World Title run, making his FIFTEENTH defense of the title on this night. Coming off of their limited interactions before this match, there will be a real main event atmosphere here on this show.
Now it’s time to pick a winner, and I’m almost certain on who it should be. Ever since returning to Progress full-time in January of 2017, WALTER has been the undisputed MVP of Progress. He has consistently had standout matches, be it with Ringkampf against British Strong Style and the South Pacific Power Trip, or on his own against Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher. He has raised the Atlas Championship to the same level of the World Title, and in many people’s minds, he’s raised the Atlas Title above the World Title. WALTER is coming into the prime of his career, he may be the biggest star in the company, and the people are ready for it. We will see a new World Champion in Alexandra Palace.
Prediction: NEW PROGRESS World Champion, WALTER
Day Three
Night Three: PROGRESS Women’s Title Match: Charlie Morgan vs. PROGRESS Women’s Champion Toni Storm
This match has seemingly come from left field, as the Toni Storm/Jinny title match in June was all but booked after Wrestlemania weekend. Charlie Morgan laid out this challenge, seemingly without running the idea by the House of Couture, as none of them were happy with Morgan’s comments about the group. I think Storm retains here to heat up the Jinny match, but this may be more of a opportunity to showcase Morgan. This is by far Charlie Morgan’s biggest opportunity in Progress. She has yet to have the standout performances people have expected from her, but she’s not done much outside of tags and multi-man scrambles. She’s getting a match with one of the best women’s wrestlers in the world on the biggest weekend in Progress’s calendar. This is Morgan’s chance to rise to the occasion and live up to the hype, and I personally hope she does.
Prediction: STILL PROGRESS Women’s Champion, Toni Storm
The Annual Hangover Scramble, possibly hosted by Roy Johnson
There’s always a scramble with the tournament losers from the first round of the tournament. Usually, it’s a Roy Johnson Wasteman Challenge gone ary. For this, I’ll pick Joey Janela to get the win, as he seems perpetually hungover.
Winner: Joey Janela
Tournament Semi-Finals:
Pete Dunne DEFEATS Tyler Bate
- Young Tyler is good, but just not good enough to beat the Bruiserweight here.
Flash Morgan Webster DEFEATS Zack Sabre Jr.
- Flash gets payback on Zack for literally destroying his body at Chapter 29.
Tournament Finals:
Pete Dunne vs. Flash Morgan Webster
My final is Pete Dunne vs. Flash Morgan Webster. These two are already booked against each other at Chapter 69, in a six-man tag with British Strong Style going up against Flash, Jimmy Havoc and Mark Haskins. I expect all six men to get involved, much like the Tyler Bate/Travis Banks final last year. When it comes down to it, I think the winner of this match will get their title shot at Wembley Arena. And I think Progress Champion vs. WWE UK Champion would be a worthy main event.
Dunne winning works with Flash’s story of being the Nearly Man, it gets Dunne back in the main event scene, and again, Progress Champion vs. WWE UK Champion would fill a ton of seats. Pete Dunne is my pick to win the 2018 Super Strong Style 16.
2018 Super Strong Style 16 Winner: “The Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne
Tickets are still available for all three nights of Super Strong Style 16! If you’re in the UK, get your tickets here: Super Strong Style 16 Tickets
If you aren’t able to see the event live, you can see it soon after on Progress’s streaming service, Demand Progress. You can see the past three Super Strong Style 16’s, as well as every other show in Progress history and other independent wrestling events from all around the world. You can sign up for a subscription here: Demand Progress
See you on the other side!
Suit Williams
Twitter: @SuitWilliams