THUNDERSTRUCK Preview (2/2)//Sat 15th July
By Harry Miller
Thunderstruck is such a big show that the preview is too big for one article! This is the second part, go read the first part as well so that you can get ready for this mammoth of an event.
Scotty 2 Hotty vs Shreddy
After many months out on the injury list, Shreddy made a shock return last show and immediately called out the man who humiliated him in the past, Scotty 2 Hotty.
Shreddy was the victim of Scotty 2 Hotty’s devastating Worm manoeuvre last time the former WWE Tag Team Champion was at NORTH. There is no doubt that Shreddy has been stewing away during his injury spell, plotting the perfect revenge on Scotty.
Scotty 2 Hotty’s last match at NORTH saw him on the losing side to Joe Hendry in what was an extremely entertaining match between two of the most charismatic wrestlers of their respective generations. However, this match will be a completely different ballgame as Shreddy is not coming to entertain, he is coming to release a year of built up anger in the form of a savage assault.
However, this match will be a completely different ballgame as Shreddy is not coming to entertain, he is coming to release a year of built-up anger in the form of a savage assault.
Can Scotty 2 Hotty survive Shreddy? Can Shreddy avoid the deadly Worm? Find out at Thunderstruck.
Rhio vs Mercedes Martinez
Rhio is undoubtedly the greatest woman to ever wrestle at NORTH. The Braided Bruiser has more wins than any other woman and only NORTH Champion Liam Slater and former NORTH Tag Team Champion Man Like DeReiss have more victories than her. As if all this was not impressive enough, Rhio won the inaugural NCL Cup winner and is on the longest current winning streak out of anyone in NORTH.
However, there’s a Latina Sensation who specialises in snapping more than just winning streaks.
Mercedes Martinez is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the world. It would take a team of the nation’s best mathematicians to work out the number of titles that Martinez has won; some highlights of the impeccable accomplishment list include being the longest reigning ROH Women’s Champion and holding the WXW Women’s Championship and Shimmer Championship more times than any other competitor.
This will be the 23rd year of Martinez’s hall-of-fame career but in that span, the veteran has never faced a challenger quite like the white-hot Rhio.
This is truly a dream match in every sense of the phrase. One of the greatest wrestlers of this generation takes on the fastest-rising star in the country. A collision like this only comes around once every solar cycle so make sure not to miss your chance to witness greatness at Thunderstruck.
Amir Jordan vs Rampage Brown
After coming up short in a match of the year calibre affair with Michael Oku, Amir Jordan gave an emotional leaving speech to the NORTH faithful but before Jordan could deliver his own bad news, out came the personification of bad news: Rampage Brown.
It had been five long years since Brown had last been at NORTH and he was back bigger and badder than ever. The mountain of a man went straight to work, destroying an exhausted Jordan with the most ferocious piledriver you’ll ever witness before demanding this match to take place.
This will be a true David and Goliath story, but Jordan is less likely to use a slingshot in favour of just slingshotting his entire body at Brown. The Bhangra Bad Boy is an elite aerial athlete, his speed and evasion skills will make it almost impossible for Rampage to keep up with his opponent. However, if Rampage Brown can get his hands on Jordan, he could be in for a long night of powerbombs and piledrivers.
What’s became apparent lately is how strongly the NORTH faithful are behind Amir Jordan who regularly gets one of the loudest reactions of any show he is on. This is the biggest show of the year with the largest crowd of the year; hundreds of fans will be behind Jordan but will this be enough to get him past the impossible task that is Rampage Brown?
Gene Munny vs HT Drake vs Jack Bandicoot vs Jet Martial vs Man Like DeReiss vs Will Kroos
Half a dozen of the finest men on the NORTH roster battle it out for the opportunity to hold a victory on the biggest show of the year while also putting themselves in contention for a future title opportunity. A true prove yourself showdown.
Gene Munny already holds a championship at NORTH. It may be unrecognised and homemade but he is still holding it. Munny may have found success in the tag division but it has been almost four years since the despicable deviant has won a match on his own at NORTH.
Also, with his furry friends Lykos Gym defending their titles on the same night, Munny may have to split his attention between both matches which could be his downfall.
HT Drake may literally own the ring but at Thunderstruck, he will be out to own the ring in a more theoretical sense. The Gimmick Killer has been with NORTH from the very beginning so it is very fitting that he finds himself in a key position at the biggest show of the year.
However, during his long tenure, Drake has never been able to find any success in the way of championship gold. Winning this matchup could see the Geordie Gatekeeper start his ascent up the rankings and find himself in title contention.
Jack Bandicoot is very much the nearly man at NORTH, coming short in both the Tag Team Tournament final and the NCL Cup final. This bout could see Bandicoot finally turn his fortunes around and rocket jump himself to the top of the card.
With a lot of the other competitors having the size advantage, Bandi will have to use his speed to his advantage to avoid any serious damage. Also, Will Kroos hates and will seemingly try to murder Jack Bandicoot at any opportunity, so that’s something to be wary of for this match.
Jet Martial recently took NORTH Champion Liam Slater to the limit and won’t want to wait too long before getting another shot at the top title. Martial is truly the perfect combination of strength, agility and resilience.
If the Infamous One is able to polish his raw talent and take advantage of his insane potential, not only could he win this match but also start his journey to being the top dog in the yard.
Man Like DeReiss is the most decorated competitor in the match and will be many people’s favourite to win. The Lyrical Dragon was the inaugural Tag Team Champion, has the longest winning streak in NORTH history and has the second most amount of wins in the past three years.
The impressive resume won’t be enough to win this match, but DeReiss’ immense power paired with his insane aerial attacks could get the job done. Interestingly, only two people have pinned DeReiss previously, one being in the main event of Thunderstruck and the other being the sixth man in this match…
Will Kroos has been on a path of destruction only matched by a tsunami or a hurricane. The walking natural disaster is coming off a huge victory against Shigehiro Irie and now he has a date with five more potential victims.
Being the largest competitor in the match, Kroos may see the other five team up against him but the fear of a Kroosificition may put those ideas on hold.
NORTH Title: Liam Slater (C) vs Leon Slater
Champion vs Challenger. Trainer vs Student. Present vs Future. Slater vs Slater.
The biggest show of the year is main evented by potentially the biggest match in NORTH history. This Liam Slater reign has been prestigious and seemingly never-ending, no challenger has been able to survive the intensity of Slater’s technical ability. The Lazarus Kid has defeated the likes of Joe Hendry, Michael Oku and Gabriel Kidd without letting the title escape his grasp.
It has truly been the Slater Era since winning the title but the number one contender has his sights on writing his own story.
Leon Slater is the greatest teenage wrestler in the world. Maybe the greatest teenage wrestler ever. Think about who you think is the GOAT wrestler and ask yourself if they were this good at 18. The answer is probably not. This isn’t even hyperbole, Slater is genuinely the most impressive talent on any card he appears on despite being younger than Facebook.
During his time at NORTH, the Youngest In Charge has left the faithful stunned with his light shattering offence which quickly made him a fan favourite. Slater may be one half of the greatest tag team in NORTH history, Boisterous Behaviour, but this is the time for his individual legacy to be forged in gold.
There have been so many awe-inspiring matches in NORTH’s catalogue but this one may take the top spot. Leon Slater could become the youngest NORTH Champion ever. Liam Slater could cement his legacy as the greatest NORTH Champion ever. This is an era-defying match, whoever wins will always be remembered as the one who won the big one. Which Slater will be King of the NORTH? Find out at Thunderstruck!