“Big Wavy” Roy Johnson’s Memorable Career And The Third Of His Historic “Everything Patterned” Event

Growing up “Big Wavy” Roy Johnson was a professional wrestling fan ever since he could remember. Following a PROGRESS Wrestling event he attended, a conversation with Ali Armstrong in 2014 would convince Roy to give it a try himself and learn at the Progress Training School, also known as the “Projo”.

A few weeks before attending the Projo, Roy was confident that this was something he wanted to do. His first session featured names of young British talent at the time, including Ali Armstrong, Chuck Mambo, Laura DiMatteo, Tom Irvin and more. After only a couple of sessions Roy was hooked.

It would be in March of 2015 when Roy would make his in-ring debut in a six man scramble on PROGRESS Wrestling’s ENDVR:9 event from The Bedford in London.

Roy has always been a world class athlete, playing gridiron to a high level and his list of accomplishments in powerlifting speaks for itself.

Earning 14 medals and various trophies, Roy represented Great Britain at the 2012 world championships placing 4th, in 2013 he earned the title of European Champion and All England Champion, was the All England Champion again in 2014, as well as the 2015 British Grand Prix winner, 2015 British Open Champion and held a British Deadlift Record.

Unfortunately suffering an injury during a competition saw him move away from powerlifting, feeling that it was just self-gratifying at that point in time.

Beginning training at the Projo in October 2014 and getting to learn from the likes of “Dazzling” Darrell Allen, James “JD” Davis, Jimmy Havoc, Eddie Dennis and Danny Garnell. It would be less than five months later that Johnson would make his in-ring debut.

Source: WWE

Since then, Johnson has gone on to be a BPW Champion, Ultimate Sacrifice Champion and Saints of Sacrifice Champion alongside Alexander Roth and Kieran Kurupt as part of their stable “The 87”, which also featured Warren Banks and Jayde. As well as, create the Wasteman Challenge, to see if anyone can match him second to none microphone skills.

In 2017, after less than two years into his wrestling career Johnson would earn himself the opportunity with the WWE. Where he would be one of 16 participants in the inaugural WWE UK Championship Tournament in Blackpool.

In one of the best and entertaining matches of the tournament, Johnson took on Pete Dunne. Johnson made sure that everyone watching saw his talent, and despite Dunne picking up the victory, fans around the world were left impressed and new fans of Roy Johnson.

Johnson would go on to put together an historic event. An event created to bring light on the lack of diversity in British Wrestling and give the platform to black athletes that wasn’t there at the time.

Source: @royjohnsonyeah/Instagram

So on October 12th, 2019, as part of Black History Month Leicester, Johnson with Wrestling Resurgence would hold the inaugural “Big Wavy Roy Johnson’s Everything Patterned” from the Attenborough Arts Centre. It would be the first professional wrestling event to feature all Black athletes on the card in the UK.

The event featured the likes of Alex Cupid, Omari, Rhio, Levi Muir, Warren Banks, Mercedes Blaze, Rampage Brown and many more. Seven incredible matches that showcased some of the best talent you can find in independent wrestling.

This year Johnson accomplished one of his goals that he worked so hard for and documented on his YouTube channel. As he competed in his first bodybuilding competition at the PCA Bodybuilding Hampshire, winning the first timers category and got invited to the British Championships in October this year.

Following up on the Everything Patterned show in 2019, on March 23rd 2022, PROGRESS Wrestling would hold the second Big Wavy Roy Johnson’s Everything Patterned show. Featuring memorable matches that included talent such as TK Cooper, Hari Singh, Gisele Shaw, Man Like DeReiss, Leon Slater, Taonga, Alexander Roth, Darius Lockhart, Trish Adora and Jonathan Gresham.

Now, this month on September 23rd the historical event is back as part of WRESTIVAL at the Main House Cabaret – Pleasance London.