Progress Wrestling is a United Kingdom based wrestling promotion that calls itself “Punk Rock Wrestling.” To start the show, Jim Smallman (owner of Progress) kicks off the show to run down what the plan is for the night. There will be several singles matches, and the winners of those matches will compete in a multi-man main event for the vacated PROGRESS World Championship.
F.S.U. (Mark Andrews & Eddie Dennis) vs. South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper & Travis Banks, w/Dahlia Black) – #1 Contender’s Match (Progress Tag Team Championships)
Going into Progress for the first time, it helps that there is a familiar face in Mark Andrews to kick off the show. Andrews (like many wrestlers on this show) competed in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, and advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated by Pete Dunne. Andrews is only 5’8” and a high flyer, while his partner, Eddie Dennis, is the tallest man in Progress Wrestling (according to the commentary team). Dennis focuses more on strength and hard strikes.
While this is a #1 Contender’s Match for the Progress Tag Team Championships, the winners will be placed in the main event elimination match for the Progress Championship. So while the winners will be partners now, they will be adversaries later on.
Andrews and Dennis seem to have Travis Banks put away, but the referee is distracted, giving Dahlia Black the ability to ruin the double team attempt. After a low blow to Dennis from Black, the South Pacific Power Trip hit an assisted DDT on the big man to enter the main event, and earn #1 Contendership for the Tag Team Championships.. Winners: South Pacific Power Trip
Joe Coffey vs. Pastor William Eaver (w/Sebastian)
Joe Coffey calls himself the “Iron Man,” which is quite obvious by the Iron Man mask he wears to the ring. Not much is explained about Pastor William Eaver, other than he lives up to his name with crosses all over his gear. Also, Eaver is a former Progress Champion, so he is more successful than Coffey has been.
For the second match in a row, interference decides the winner. Eaver taps out from Coffey’s Boston Crab attempt, but Sebastian distracts the referee. Eaver rolls Coffey up and pulls the tights, getting leverage for a stolen victory. Man, a second referee would solve everything. Winner: Pastor William Eaver
Eaver would get a spot in the main event, but since Sebastian was the main reason he won, Sebatian will take his spot in the championship match.
British Strong Style (Pete Dunne & Trent Seven) (c) vs. London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch) – Progress Tag Team Championships
Here are two more familiar faces to fans of the United Kingdom Championship tournament, Pete Dunne and Trent Seven. Seven was considered an early favorite, but would get the shocking loss in the quarterfinals to Wolfgang. Pete Dunne certainly made a name for himself, attacking most of his opponents before the matches started, giving him the clear advantage going into the finals. Unfortunately for Dunne, he would lose the first-ever United Kingdom Championship match against Tyler Bate.
James Davis and Rob Lynch held the Progress Tag Team Championships from May to September 2016, so these teams have met in championship competition before. Lynch as a mask over his face to brace a broken orbital bone, much like the nose guards seen in WWE on Trish Stratus and Cody Rhodes.
Trent Seven rips Lynch’s mask off, Pete Dunne bites Lynch’s injured nose, then British Strong Style put Lynch away with a superkick/piledriver combination. Seven and Dunne retain the gold and advance to the main event, where they could possibly be double champions. Winners, and STILL Progress Tag Team Champions: British Strong Style
Matt Riddle vs. Will Ospreay
Matt Riddle and Will Ospreay are two of the biggest independent wrestling names of 2016. Riddle is a former Mixed Martial Artist whose transition into pro wrestling has been compared to Kurt Angle’s. Riddle’s only been a wrestler for 18 months, and has earned victories over Zack Sabre Jr. and Chris Hero among others. Will Ospreay is known for his high flying ability, putting on an athletic showcase with Ricochet (aka Prince Puma) last year, which had the wrestling world buzzing, including Vader.
Will Ospreay looks to stand up to the brutal strikes of Matt Riddle, and to his credit, he does. However, Riddle wins with a chokehold, forcing Ospreay to tap out. Like every other match so far, Riddle will be placed in the championship main event. Winner: Matt Riddle
Marty Scurll vs. Jimmy Havoc
If you don’t watch Progress, you have probably still heard the names of Jimmy Havoc and Marty Scurll. That would be with good reason, considering that Havoc is the longest-reigning Progress Champion, while Scurll is the only two-time Progress Champion. At the beginning of the match, they pay a little homage to Goldberg squashing Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series by starting with two spears and a finishing move. It’s not a complete copy, since Scurll kicks out and the match goes on.
To end the match, Jimmy Havoc takes a page out of another former WCW wrestler. Havoc takes Scurll’s umbrella, hits himself in the head with it, then tosses it back to Scurll, making it look like Scurll did it. The referee believes this trick, and disqualifies Scurll. Winner: Jimmy Havoc
Nixon Newell vs. Katey Harvey
Nixon Newell is only 22 years old, and she has already earned a contract with WWE. Newell was only signed about a month ago, along with Heidi Lovelace, Kimber Lee, and Evie. Katey Harvey, although she is getting booed by the audience, is currently the Women’s Champion for both PWU and OTT, and well as the FWF Tag Team Champion.
After a kick to the leg of Harvey, Nixon Newell hits the Shiniest Wizard of Them All (just a regular Shining Wizard) to pick up the win. She definitely has me intrigued in her work in NXT. Winner: Nixon Newell
TK Cooper vs. Sebastian vs. Pete Dunne vs. Trent Seven vs. Travis Banks vs. Matt Riddle vs. Jimmy Havoc – Progress World Championship
Everyone in this championship match had to win previous matches earlier in the night (except Sebastian). It could be argued that British Strong Style and the South Pacific Power Trip have the best chances of winning the match, since they have their respective alliances in a free-for-all match. Someone who doesn’t have an advantage is Jimmy Havoc, who was attacked by Marty Scurll before the match gets underway.
Matt Riddle hits the Go to Sleep and a Fisherman Buster on TK Cooper to get the first elimination of the match. Eliminated: TK Cooper
Jimmy Havoc returns from his pre-match assault, and immediately hits Sebastian with the Acid Rainmaker to make this a 5-man match. Eliminated: Sebastian
Trent Seven battles it out with Travis Banks on the top turnbuckle, and Seven hits a piledriver on Banks from the second rope to take out the second half of the South Pacific Power Trip. Eliminated: Travis Banks
Both members of British Strong Style are still in the match, and they work together to take out Matt Riddle, leaving the duo with Jimmy Havoc. Havoc manages to fight off both long enough to dispel of Trent Seven with the Acid Rainmaker. Eliminated: Matt Riddle & Trent Seven
Seven purposely knocks out the referee, and along with Tyler Bate, helps Pete Dunne defeat Jimmy Havoc to become the only dual champion in Progress. Winner, and NEW Progress World Champion: Pete Dunne
To end the show, Tyler Bate officially joins British Strong Style.
