Super Strong Style 16 2023 Participants.

The Super Strong Style Tournament, an annual tradition since 2015, is almost upon us once again. This year the three day tournament (May 27-29) will be held at two different locations night one from The Dome and nights two and three from the Electric Ballroom both in London, England. The prize will be a shot at the Progress Championship currently held by Spike Trivet. Special commentator for the event will be Nigel McGuiness. McGuiness will also be performing a magic show on night two. Tickets can be bought at this link for both Super Strong Style and Nigel McGuiness's Magic Show. With that being said let's have a look at this years participants in no particular order.

Nick Wayne is a seventeen year old from Seattle, Washington and third generation wrestler. Nick was presented an AEW contrcat by Darby Alin while he was just sixteen. He is set to make his official debut against Swerve Strictland on July 12, 2023 just one day after he turns 18. These two won't be going into that bout complete strangers as Nick Wayne beat Swerve this past April to become the current Defy Champion. Nick Wayne also was part of match card for Ric Flair's Last Match. He faced Alan Angels, Takeshita Tonoskue, and the winner Johnathon Grisham.

Big Damo the Beast from Belfast hasn't had the best luck in this tournament; he has never made it passed the first round. He is known around the world for his time in the WWE which started in 2016 and ended in 2021 where wrestled as Killian Dane. Big Damo however, started wrestling in 2004 for Scottish Wrestling Alliance. Big Damo is a previous champion in Progress. For a more in depth look at his accolades check out this podcast down with RealRasslin.

Will Ospreay winner of the first Super Strong Style 16 and former Progress Champion. Nigel McGuiness said it best when he announced Will Ospreay as returning to Progress for this tournament. Will Ospreay needs no introduction. He is the leader of the United Empire and one half of the Swords of Essex. In NJPW, He is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, US Champion, Never Open Weight Champion and Junior Heavyweight titles. Additionally he has won the Best of The Super Junior Weight Tournament and New Japan Cup. At a very young age of 30, this young man has cemented himself as the Billy G.O.A.T.

Shigehiro Irie entered this world March 28, 1988 and has been wrestling since 2008. Shigehiro Irie first started building fame in Japan's DDT promotion where he achieved victories over top stars like Kota Ibushi. Irie first competed for Progress at Chapter 81 challenging WWE's Gunther, then known as Big Daddy Walter, for the Progress Championship. Shigehiro Irie will also be wrestling for WXW on May 27 after night one of Super Strong Style.

Maggot the Son of Nothing hails from Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Deutschland. His professional debut occurred in 2014. Like Shigehiro Irie, Maggot will also be performing at WXW after the opening round of Super Strong Style 16. His opponent will be Layton Buzzard. Last year Maggot and Mr. Charles Crowley faced off in the tournament and did a tango inside the ring.

Danny Black this up and coming star debuting in 2017 against Cuban Heat. He is booked as "The Kid Without Fear". The moniker and other aspects are fashioned after the Marvel superhero Daredevil. Danny has already had a dream match facing Lio Rush in January of this year. Outside of wrestling Danny Black is into street fashion.

Mr. Charles Crowley the Spectacular Twat. This 30 year old has trained at the Progress Acedemy. His professional wrestling debut was in 2018. His debut match was for Ultimate British Wrestling in a trios match. In an interview with slam wrestling, In an interview with Slam Wrestling, Crowley said this about being the TNT Champion "I’m currently TNT Champion and TNT is associated with GCW, it’s all extreme. Which is hilarious because there’s all these badass extreme guys and I’ve slithered my way into becoming champion. Alongside Alexxis Falcon, who’s also their women’s champion and she’s fantastic. Together we are just dominating and we are really enjoying it.” In contrasting his ability to go inside the ring is his charismatic carnival persona. Mr. Crowley is definetly a hidden gem of the UK wrestling scene.

Mark Haskins made his wrestling debut back in 2006 with FWA Academy. During 2011 Haskins would reach his peak with international audiences when he joined TNA wrestling. While there he would cross paths with Zema Ion, Douglas Williams, Austin Aries, and many more while competing in their X-Division. After he departed TNA, Haskins would make his Progress debut at Chapter 7 aligning himself with Screw Indy Wrestling stable which included Nathan Cruz and Rampage Brown fellow Super Strong Style 16 participants this year. Haskin has previously had some success in the Super Strong Style 16 tournament making it out of the first round in the 2016 edition but dropping out due to exhaustion. Mark Haskins is a previous Progress Champion having beaten The Villain Marty Scrull for the title. While still working for Progress, Haskins would sign a contract with Ring of Honor joining their Lifeblood Stable.

Nathan Cruz made his wrestling debut at the age of sixteen and was the first ever Progress Champion. When interviewed by Progress about this years tournament Nathan said “I am so excited for Super Strong Style 16, and my return has been a long time coming." Nathan Cruz is also a two time Progress tag champion once each with El Ligro and The Origin. Below Nathan is pictured with the staff that represented the Progress Champion from 2012-2014. Check out this link to hear Nathan Cruz discuss with RealRasslin his favorite opponents.

Luke Jacobs just like Stan Hansen this young lad will take your head off with a lariat. In 2021 Jacobs would win the Natural Progression Series. Luke Jacobs had held the Progress Atlas Championship but lost to Big Damo. Luke Jacobs will be going against Shigero Irie at WXW after night one of Super Strong Style 16.

Leon Slater is an 18 year old from Bradford England made his wrestling debut in 2019. He has been training since age ten at a school in Wakefield. Since then he has wrestled for GCW and Progress. Some of his opponents include Takeshita Konosuke and Mike Bailey. Leon Slater looks up to Michael Oku as he was one of the only black wrestlers he seen on TV growing up.

Man Like DeReiss started wrestling in 2016. He made his debut with Progress 20 February 2021. Man Like DeReiss takes inspiration from the early days of TNA's X-division and starts like Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, and Xavier Woods.

Rampage Brown started his career with the WWE in 2008. Rampage Brown would make his Progress debut in 2013 two years after leaving the WWE. By July of that year Rampage would capture the Progress Championship. In 2014, Rampage Brown would lose in the finals of The Progress World Cup to Noam Dar. Rampage Brown would compete in TNA's British Bootcamp. In 2020 Rampage would make his return to WWE for the NXT UK brand.

Robbie X is making his return to Progress along with his partner in the Sword of Essex Will Ospreay. Robbie's first appearance of the promotion was in May of 2014 at Chapter 13 losing in the Natural Progression Series II Tournament.

Kid Lykos is a member of the Calimari Catch Kings alongside Travis Banks and Chris Brookes. Kid Lykos debuted in 2011 and took a temporary retirement in 2019. He returned at Progress Chapter 104 in 2021.

Tate Mayfairs who is the self proclaimed Greatest Wrestler to walk the Earth. Tate made his first televised appearance for Progress at Chapter 126. In 2022 he was signed to WWE in 2022.

For this tournament the youngest participant is Nick Wayne at 17. The oldest participant is Rampage Brown at age 39. The average age for everyone involved is just under 28.5 years of age. Ages could not be found for Maggot or Tate Mayfairs. Below is the bracket.

While not in the Super Strong Style 16 also on the card for the weekend is a Clock Strikes Midnight Match between Alexxis Falcon and Nina Samuels. Not much could be found about this match. From the few promos out there Alexxis Falcon said her truest form would appear definitely a match to anticipate.