We complete our backfill of old PROGRESS chapter shows, with their unofficial Third Anniversary from 2015!
You know the drill by now – it’s another sold out, rabid crowd in the Electric Ballroom in Camden, and this is the first main-chapter show that’s presented “end-to-end” rather than the usual indie wrestling “show match graphic to cut out entrances” format. The downside is that this adds many minutes to the show, but it also helps keep the live event feel on tape.
We get our first taste of a Jim Smallman pre-show spiel – and to show his feelings (at the time), he’s bedecked in a Die Havoc Die t-shirt. Jim leads a “Happy Birthday” chant for the company, which gives way to “we want cake” chants, before the crowd show their respects for the (then) recently-passed Perro Aguayo Jr., Cincinnati Red and Drew McDonald.
Jim then teases the crowd with “something after the interval” – but chants of a raffle are quickly shot down. Those never go well in PROGRESS… nor do falafel raffles, but they do make for an exceedingly good chant.
There’s an extremely surreal moment after Jim runs down the sole rule of PROGRESS, as a massive dog mascot comes to ringside. It’s the Download Dog – and this is the announcement that PROGRESS are going to appear at the Download music festival in June 2015. PROGRESS were up for five nights of action, so I guess those cards will be on our list soon (along with the 2014 Sonisphere festival shows). The Download Dog bans Jimmy Havoc from the Download festival, which is an instant cue for the champion to come out. This is surreal – a giant dog mascot cowering from Jimmy Havoc, and then security coming out to pull apart Paul Robinson and Isaac Zercher from the mascot. Zercher’s thrown out of the building as the dog’s helped to the back.
Zack Gibson vs. Damo O’Connor
…or “Big Damo” as he affectionately became known before going on to become Killian Dain in NXT. Gibson’s shaved his head since he was last here, but it’s not quite full cue-ball Zack.
Damo flies into Gibson with a shotgun dropkick at the bell as Gibson falls to the outside where he’s just shoved into the crowd by the Northern Irishman, who throws another dropkick in the Scouser’s direction. Yep, this is a hot start! Gibson’s placed next to the ring post, but he manages to avoid a running charge as Damo tries for an avalanche, and from there Gibson goes to work on the left arm.
After using an armbar, Gibson pulls down Damo by the hair, before he grabs another armbar on the Belfast giant. Damo stands firm though, and declares that nobody likes Steven Gerrard as a prelude to a comeback. Avalanches lead to a slam and a back senton from the Beast of Belfast, as Gibson tries to go after that arm again in vain. Gibson tries for the Ticket To Ride (middle rope Code Breaker), but he’s caught and dropped in a spinebuster by Damo for a near-fall. Second time was lucky for Gibson though, before he dropped Damo with the Helter Skelter (spinning suplex)… but Damo pops up at the count of one!
Gibson replies by grabbing a fork out his boot – it’s spotted and removed by the referee… but Gibson has a second one, and uses it to block the Ulster Plantation before finishing off Damo with a PK. A good opening match, with Damo showing a lot in his debut for the promotion. **¾
Sha Samuels vs. Kyle Ashmore
Sha issued an open challenge to anyone from the PROGRESS training school – the ProJo. Kyle Ashmore answered as he replaced Ali Armstrong – who had to drop out of the show with illness (and sadly ended up retiring a few months afterwards).
Samuels jumps Ashmore as he entered the ring, and it was pretty one sided from the start, with Samuels taking Kyle to the corner for some elbows. Ashmore gomes back with a kick and a knee strike before a ‘rana sent the East End Butcher to the floor… where a tornillo sees the youngster fly into the path of Samuels. Kyle’s crotched on the top rope after the referee’s knocked into the ropes, and Samuels takes over from there with an uppercut and some elbows. Samuels gets rattled by some anti east-London chants, so he chokes Ashmore with a scarf, before Kyle comes back with a series of dropkicks.
Samuels slips, which allows Ashmore to hit a running shooting star press for a two-count, before a back cracker out of the corner gets him another near-fall. Sha fires back with a spinebuster for a two-count, before a powerbomb is blocked and countered with a backbreaker and a bridging German from Ashmore. Ashmore calls for a flip, and he goes up top for a corkscrew senton, but Samuels moves away and rushes in with a piledriver to claim the victory. Decent stuff here – the right result, but Ashmore showed plenty on his main show debut. **½
Sweet Jesus (Chuck Mambo & Pastor William Eaver) vs. Sumerian Death Squad (Tommy End & Michael Dante)
This was the SDS’ debut in PROGRESS as a team – and this was apparently a number-one-contendership match.
Sweet Jesus jump their Dutch opponents at the bell, but Dante quickly turns things around as Mambo’s flapjack’d as End throws Eaver into the ringpost. Dante hiptosses Mambo into a kick from End, before Eaver’s flapjack’d with a hiptoss off the ropes as it’s the SDS who are doing all the heavy hitting so far.
Mambo gets End in a Tree of Woe and follows up with a dropkick as Eaver gets a diving headbutt in as they too look for an early finish, before End gets out of a crucifix powerbomb. End takes an enziguiri and a Pope-ish Hammer for a near-fall, as the match finally slows down a bit via a toe hold from Mambo. Eaver grounds End for a spell as Sweet Jesus take control, working away on End’s knees in a bit to prevent him from kicking their heads off.
Needless to say, it didn’t work as End exploded into both Mambo and Eaver with kicks and knees before tagging in Dante, who promptly booted Eaver after Mambo escaped a suplex. Dante takes a crossbody before Mambo blocks another move – this time a back body drop – before Eaver lands a pendulum backbreaker. Mambo throws in a Meteora onto the suspended Dante for a near-fall as End breaks things up.
The SDS went outside – and into prime position for a somersault plancha from Mambo to the floor. Back inside, Dante hits a lariat on Eaver before bring End back in for some more of his vicious kicks and knees to Mambo… who then took a Dante spear to the outside. In the midst of that, Eaver flipped End inside out with a Clothesline from Heaven that almost won the match,.
Eaver looks for a superplex, but he’s caught by Dante who catches him in a bearhug before a Meteora and a German suplex from End looked to be the end of it… but Dante keeps the chain going by picking up Eaver from the German suplex and powerbombed him onto End’s knees… and that was just a near-fall. How in the hell?! Seconds later though, the SDS take the win with the Black Mass. A fine showing for both teams, and this would be the start of a brief, but monumental run for the SDS! ***½
No Disqualification: Mark Haskins vs. Rampage Brown
After their outing at chapter 17 ended via a cheap disqualification, this one’s eschewing almost all rules to make sure we get a winner.
Rampage charges into Haskins in the corner from the off, but Haskins comes back with a dropkick after barging Rampage into the ropes, before using his t-shirt to choke away on his former stable-mate. They spill to the outside where Rampage clubs away at Haskins, but a series of kicks sends Brown down to the floor. A suplex ensures that Rampage cut off that brief flurry of offence, but Haskins keeps on at his opponent like an annoying chihuahua.
With Haskins down in the crowd, Rampage pulls a table from under the ring… and that sparks a comeback from Haskins, who fights up the aisle and onto the stage, where Rampage takes a boot to the head, then a knee-drop after that Chuck Mambo beach ball went flying. Haskins takes Rampage down again and lands a double stomp off the stage, before Rampage throws Mark through several rows of chairs.
Rampage takes one of those loose chairs and waffles Haskins with it. A trio of shots follow – echoing throughout the building – before a fourth shot is blocked by way of a dropkick. Haskins catches Brown on the top rope and ties him in the ropes before tying him up in the ropes by way of a punch off the top turnbuckle. An outside-in dropkick through a chair eventually gets Haskins back on top as he chokes Brown some more, before some more kicks rock Rampage.
Haskins gnaws away on Rampage before using that chair again, as he then props up the table in the corner of the ring. Rampage finally comes back and whips Haskins into a chair that he’d wedged in the corner earlier, before a diving clothesline and a powerslam off the ropes gets a near-fall.
Rampage keeps up the pressure with a Michinoku driver through a chair for a near-fall, before he wedges that chair between the turnbuckles again. Haskins rakes the eyes to free himself as Rampage boots that chair out of the corner, and that miscue allows Haskins to hit a Dragon screw before rolling through into a modified kneebar. Some headbutts from Rampage free himself from the hold, but Haskins grabs that chair again and uses it on Rampage’s arm.
The Star Bar bridging armbar follows from Haskins, but Rampage stands up out of it and replies by bouncing Haskins off of the table in the corner. Yep, it didn’t break! Another powerbomb follows, and Rampage finally smashes the table… but it’s only good enough for a near-fall. Brown goes up top as Haskins grabs a chair… and uses it to swat Rampage out of the air, before using the chair repeatedly on the back and shoulder of Brown.
Haskins heads outside and comes back with… some wire coat hangers? He uses them to hook away at Rampage’s mouth, before he gets some salt and pours it into bloodied mouth of Rampage. Yeah, this is right up there with lemon juice on a cut… Eventually Rampage hits back with a Samoan drop that saw Haskins’ ankle break the chair, before a piledriver onto the remnants of the chair earns Rampage the win. Suitably violent for a no-DQ match, and a satisfying result to boot. ***½
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship: “Wild Boar” Mike Hitchman & Eddie Dennis vs. The Faceless (c)
This was Eddie’s rematch – albeit with a new partner in the form of “Wild Boar” Mike Hitchman. There’s three of the Faceless out today, but they’re jumped as soon as they enter the ring by their challengers.
Big Faceless gets thrown into the ringpost by Dennis before recovering to give Boar a low blow. In the ring, Dennis tosses Small Faceless around with a swinging side slam for a near-fall, before he’s sent to the outside… where Eddie drags him out with him for a Next Stop Driver attempt.
Big Faceless back drops Eddie onto the floor as Small Faceless pushed away from the driver – and all three of the Faceless briefly attacked Boar in the ring as the referee struggled to contain things. When things calmed down, Big Faceless slammed and dropped a knee onto Boar, who then got chokes in the ropes by Third Faceless. Small Faceless works over Boar with some punches in the corner, before an avalanche is blocked with a forearm – but Big Faceless pulls Eddie Dennis off the apron just as Boar was about to tag out.
More three-on-one attacks happen outside to the Boar, as the crowd tell the Faceless that they’re “just shit London Riots”. Finally Boar fights his way free out of the Faceless’ corner, after dumping the Small Faceless with an Exploder, before making that hot tag to Eddie Dennis. Big Faceless takes an atomic drop, before Small Faceless eats a diving clothesline, then a somersault plancha to the outside gets rid of the Third Faceless. Big Faceless gets picked up in a Fireman’s carry, and the Small Faceless’ cross body is caught as they get thrown into a Fallaway slam and a Samoan drop for a near-fall.
Dennis calls for the Next Stop Driver, but Small Faceless makes the save, only to eat a pop-up powerbomb from the Boar. Big Faceless cuts off a corner cannonball with a lariat to the Boar, but Hitchman finally lands it on Big Faceless for a near-fall in the opposite corner. Eddie tags the Boar back in as he presumably went for the package piledriver, but Small Faceless comes in and hits Dennis with something metallic.
From there, a double-team DDT into a German suplex gets rid of Eddie before Boar looks to take the stuff backpack stunner… but he fights free. So we get a ref bump and a load of waistlocks before Third Faceless hits Boar with the tag title shield for a near-fall. Eddie’s still out, so all that’s’ left is for the double stomp/backpack stunner onto the Boar as the Faceless retain. A fun match, but that middle part with the Faceless getting heat on the Boar was starting to drag for me. ***¼
Bubblegum vs. “Flash” Morgan Webster
Another debut on this chapter here as Bubblegum appeared for the first time. Webster’s ring gear was much more restrained here – swapping the Union Jack-inspired stuff for a pair of trunks that seemed a world away from the “King of the Mods” act.
The pair start with some rope running and leapfrogs until Webster hits a dropkick that sends Bubblegum to the outside, before Webster out paces him and lands a slingshot roll-up for a near-fall. Bubblegum avoids the imploding senton but gets taken onto the apron with an armdrag as Webster flies again, this time with a slingshot ‘rana from the ring to the floor!
Its second time lucky for that imploding senton (soon to be called the Special Brew Flip), but Webster’s caught with an eye rake on the ropes before Bubblegum’s low dropkick knocks Webster almost to the floor. A baseball slide dropkick completes the job, as Bubblegum takes control with some more kicks as Webster returned to the ring.
A simple bodyslam gets Bubblegum a two-count, and he follows up with a camel clutch with some added grossness for the hell of it. From there, Bubblegum grounds Webster with an armbar, but Morgan hiptosses himself free before his springboard into a reverse rana is caught and saved, only for Bubblegum to land… a One Winged Angel?! I bet Damo wasn’t best pleased to see his move here! That gets Bubblegum a near-fall, but Webster manages to come back with a crossbody block, then a series of slaps before taking Bubblegum into the corner for some more of the same.
Webster goes up top and lands a leaping knee to the head, only for a springboard moonsault to miss. They keep going back and forth, ending with an Exploder onto Bubblegum in the corner for a two-count, before Bubblegum again rakes the eyes as a set-up to a Pele kick and an enziguiri. Bubblegum flies in with a stomp to the back of Webster for a near-fall, before he gets distracted with the crowd and takes too long to go for his Ice Cream Headache (Pedigree).
Again Webster fights out, but takes a superkick and a spit from Bubblegum, who then eats that springboard reverse ‘rana for a near-fall. Bubblegum sits upright from the kick out, before springing to his feet to crotch Webster on the ropes again, then goes up himself… only to get caught with a wild chop from Webster. Morgan brings Bubblegum down with a pop-up rana, which sends the Mancunian rolling across the ring into place for a 450 Splash as “Flash” gets the win! A wonderful debut for Bubblegum, and another impressive outing from Webster – someone who it’d be fair to say is deceptive in terms of his ring-style. ***¾
There’s almost an hour left in this – so this is going to be an epic main-event! A six-way elimination match that needs two referees! But first, a video promo from Jimmy Havoc who runs down four of his five opponents, calling them “cattle who are being used by a promotion that cares about nothing but itself”. Havoc calls himself and Robinson “animals that have been backed into a corner”, before the bloodied Havoc tucks in to a bit of steak…
PROGRESS Championship: Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll vs. Noam Dar vs. Dave Mastiff vs. Paul Robinson vs. Jimmy Havoc (c)
During the entrances, I couldn’t help but notice that Marty didn’t have a special video – which was really odd considering where he’d go… This was being held under elimination rules, so by rights, the only pins being broken up should be by Robinson on Havoc (and vice-versa).
We start with Paul Robinson seemingly being recruited away from Havoc – but it’s just a rise as hits a pair of low blows as Havoc unwisely targets Dave Mastiff. They wander around the ring as Scurll surprises Havoc with a kick from the apron, and already this is chaotic! Mastiff dumps Havoc through several rows of seating, before holding him in place for Marty Scurll to poke him in the nuts with an umbrella.
Scurll turns the umbrella on Mastiff as we see Paul Robinson throw his former tag partner into the ring post as Dar and Ospreay look to form an alliance for a spell. On the other side of the ring, Scurll throws Havoc into the video wall, whilst Dar and Ospreay’s alliance falls apart in the ring as Ospreay lays into Dar with kicks and knees. The handspring enziguiri’s caught by Dar who turns it into a Champagne Super-Knee-Bar… but Robinson decides to fly in off the top to break it up.
Dar signals for the “Dar-li chop”, but Robinson blocks it to avoid a potential nose breaker, and instead swings for one of his own… he misses, and Dar grabs the nose instead before we get a parade of kicks and elbows as Havoc stood tall… for a few seconds. Scurll dropped Havoc, but was cut-off by Mastiff’s lariat before he could capitalise, and Big Dave decided to follow-up by booting Paul Robinson and propelling him to the floor with a crucifix powerbomb! The crowd chant for a flip from Mastiff, but Havoc cuts that off before the big guy could leave the ground.
Havoc and Ospreay tangle on the top rope, and the swarm of bodies on the ground gives rise to a superplex to the ground as both men crash down! Robinson and Mastiff return to the ring first, and that’s bad news for the kickboxer, as his slap to Mastiff earns him a pop-up flapjack and a back senton. Mastiff then counters an Acid Rainmaker from Havoc into a German suplex into the corner, but he misses a cannonball in the corner as Havoc rolls to the outside. A low blow follows from Robinson, and Noam Dar rushes into Dave with a knee strike as we have our first elimination.
Dar blasts Robinson with a Dar-li chop afterwards, before kicking out of a schoolboy from Havoc – and eventually dives to the floor to take out Scurll and Ospreay. He returns to the ring to block an Acid Rainmaker and reply with a brainbuster for a near-fall, before trapping Havoc in the Champagne Super-Knee-Bar… but Mastiff returns to break up the hold with a back senton! What the hell is going on here?
With Mastiff berating Dar, Havoc dives in and scores a pin to eliminate the Scotsman, leaving us with Havoc, Robinson, Scurll and Ospreay as our final four – and you can guess what allegiances are being formed… but already they split apart as Havoc and Robinson end up double-teaming Scurll in the ring. Scurll’s “Just Kidding” wipes out Havoc before a release suplex drops Robinson… a corner enziguiri and a tornado DDT sees Scurll roll Havoc into a chicken wing, but the champion elbows free and tries for another Acid Rainmaker. That comes to nought as Scurll sends Havoc to the outside, before sending Robinson the same way with a gorilla press slam!
With the two Regression members done, the crowd chant for Scurll and Ospreay to go “this way” and dive on the two heels… but instead Ospreay and Scurll end up trading shots back and forth, ending with a long string of uppercuts in the corner by the Villain. Ospreay blocks a corner charge, before springboarding into another uppercut as Scurll looked to prepare for the chicken wing again. Another tornado DDT’s rolled into the chicken wing, but Ospreay rolls out… and gets nothing but knees from a shooting star press. Marty comes back with another “Just Kidding” superkick for a two-count, but Ospreay manages to get a dive in… but he again gets cut-off with a dropkick from Scurll as he went for a handspring.
Nevertheless, Ospreay kept pushing on – a suplex is turned into a stunner, but he’s caught in the chicken wing again, before Scurll turns it into some Bryan Danielson elbows, until Will frees himself and gets a wheelbarrow roll to eliminate the Villain!
Unfortunately, that left Ospreay as a marked man, as Havoc and Robinson just double-teamed him with the violence you’d expect. Kicks and slaps from Robinson knocks Ospreay loopy, but Will doesn’t take it laying down… until Havoc actually holds him on the mat for some stomps. Finally, Ospreay fires back with wild shots and kicks to both opponents, before Havoc shoves Robinson into the path of an OsCutter.
Will flips out of an Acid Rainmaker and grabs a Slingblade… but then Robinson runs in with a curb stomp for good measure. The crowd get Robinson to make a cover on Havoc, only for a two-count though, and this is where things start to explode. Havoc stares a hole through Robinson, but they then shake hands as Ospreay comes in, shoves Havoc to the floor and eliminates Robinson after an Essex Destroyer! We’re down to the final two – and wouldn’t you know it, it’s the repeat of the last chapter’s main event! Havoc immediately pounds away on Ospreay, and somehow Paul Robinson stays involved… until referee Marc Parry literally drags him out of the ring! Back inside, Ospreay turned a belly-to-back piledriver into a Destroyer, and Will’s firing up!
Ospreay goes up top, but Havoc quickly pops up and dropkicks him onto the turnbuckles… but a headbutt takes Havoc back down and Will’s back to um-ing and ah-ing over doing a flip. He can’t bring himself to do the 630 Splash, despite the crowd’s backing, and it’s a shooting star press that sees Will meet Havoc’s knees for a near-fall. An Acid Rainmaker drops Ospreay again, and now Havoc orders Jim Smallman to hand the microphone.
Havoc tells Ospreay that he’s never getting the title, then orders Smallman towards the ring as Havoc curb stomps Ospreay’s mouth into the rope, and then blasts him with an Acid Rainmaker for the win. That was quite the main event: fun, chaotic, a little spotty, but it kept the story going of Jimmy Havoc managing to sidestep everything PROGRESS threw at him whilst still being an evil sod. Easily the best thing on this show ****¼
After the match, Paul Robinson returned to continue the beatdown on Ospreay… but all of a sudden, The Jam’s “In The City” hits, as “Flash” Morgan Webster heads out. It looks like he wants to cash in his title shot… but instead, Webster says he won’t, because he wants to be respected. Oh, and because “his rent boy” will just help him retain. So Webster’s got an insurance policy to even the numbers… and as everyone’s looking at the curtain, out come the London Riots! James Davis and Rob Lynch lay out Havoc and Robinson with a cricket bat, and so with a pop-up spear to Havoc, that seals the Riots’ return and babyface turn!
Having taken the fall that at chapter 15 “Just Because You’re Paranoid, Doesn’t Mean They Aren’t Out To Get You”, and therefore being forced to leave PROGRESS, the London Riots are back as the company’s “insurance policy” as the show ends with them hugging Jim Smallman to the adulation of the crowd… and an announcement for the first night of the Super Strong Style 16 weekend, as Havoc and Robinson will take on the Riots!
As a third-anniversary show, this was pretty good – solid matches up and down the card, plenty of action that advanced storylines, and a wild main event. Although in this current role, “Flash” Morgan Webster didn’t seem to be on the same level as Havoc, it’s still fun to see them tease an upset. Make no mistake though, the end was drawing near for Jimmy Havoc, but it’s been a hell of a ride with him on top!