PROGRESS returns with a WrestleMania weekend drop as Kid Lykos challenged for Cara Noir’s world title.
Quick Results
Jordon Breaks submitted Kid Lykos II in 11:03 (**¾)
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarter-Final: TK Cooper & Chuck Mambo pinned Gene Munny & Big Guns Joe in 12:56 (***)
Millie McKenzie pinned Alexxis Falcon in 8:12 (***¼)
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarter-Final: Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs defeat pinned Black & Chris Ridgeway in 20:57 (***½)
Mercedez Blaze pinned Kanji in 11:36 (**¾)
Cara Noir submitted Kid Lykos to retain the PROGRESS World Championship in 15:09 (***½)
We’re back at the Theatre Peckham in London, and we open with Kanji coming to the ring for promo time. Kanji puts over Jinny as she said she was fighting for a better now… Kanji’s interrupted via a video of Jinny, who mentions former PROGRESS Women’s champions before telling Kanji she’s proven herself. Jinny then tells us that because she loves PROGRESS and the women’s title, she’s decided to vacate it “because of current circumstances.” It looked like Jinny was going to relinquish the title to Kanji, but Gisele Shaw interrupts, since she reckons she’s also a top contender. They bleep out Jinny telling Shaw to shut the F up, before Jinny announced a best-of-three series between Shaw and Kanji for the title.
Oh, and one more thing: Jinny’ll be able to return to get a title shot “when circumstances are different.” You know what that means.
By the way, that means that right now, three of PROGRESS’ four titles are now vacant. Rebuilding.
So, after promo time, we get another promo, this time from the Sunshine Machine of Chuck Mambo and TK Cooper. The volume’s weirdly low as they air one of many vignettes for the entrants in the tournament to crown new tag team champions. We’re then back with Roy Johnson to open the show… with Charles Crowley and Hustle Malone on commentary.
Kid Lykos II vs. Jordon Breaks
They’ve spent the last few shows hyping up Breaks’ debut… and he’s finally here.
Unfortunately, for a debutant, commentary did the thing where they act like we should already know him. Breaks works the wrist of Lykos II early, then rolled away when Lykos tried to return the favour. Breaks returns with a strait jacket attempt, but Lykos II takes control before Breaks flipped his way free for a one-count. Lykos II backs breaks into the corner, but Jordon manages to return with a roll-up, getting a one-count before going back to the wrist. A Breaks arm-lift leads to an arm whip, before Lykos II found a way in with kicks as Breaks was in the ropes, following with a springboard dropkick that barely gets a one-count.
A roll through leads to Breaks being caught in a grounded Octopus, but it’s broken up as Lykos II went for a brainbuster. Of course he called it and Breaks blocks it, countering with a spin-out suplex instead. Kicks from Lykos II keep Breaks on his knees, before a double wristlock turned it around… Breaks throws in a release double underhook suplex, then some uppercuts, before some see-saw pin attempts trolled the ref. From there, Breaks sets up for a Styles Clash, but Lykos kicks out at two and returned with a slingshot Code Red for a near-fall… Lykos uses the ref to unsight Breaks ahead of a brainbuster for a two-count, then took him up top for an avalanche brainbuster… but Breaks fights free and hits a Finlay roll off the top for a two-count, before a Fujiwara armbar led to a rope break.
Breaks regains the wristlock but ends up getting caught with an enziguiri… back-and-forth elbows in the ropes turn up the pace, but Breaks has to escape another brainbuster before he pulled him down into a mounted armbar for the flash submission. A good showing from Breaks, but I’m not sure I’d have debuted a guy I hyped for weeks and have him go 50-50 with a guy who’d been established as a tag wrestler. **¾
Promo time for Gene Munny and Big Guns Joe. The audio’s again way too low yet peaking at the same time…
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarter-Final: Sunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper) vs. Big Money Gun Dogs (Big Guns Joe & Gene Munny)
Munny and Joe were previously a thrown together team earlier in this run of shows, but have given themselves a wacky team name…
Cooper and Joe start, with Joe working over the wrist as he then looked to pull up Cooper in a waistlock. A headlock takedown has Joe down, but it leads nowhere as TK tried to throw in a shoulder block. Of course it doesn’t move Joe, who returns with almost a pounce to take TK into the corner ahead of a diving uppercut off the middle rope for a two-count. Munny and Mambo tag in… Gene rolls with a wristlock as he kept Mambo at bay, only for Mambo to do the “ring ring” spot, which Munny didn’t want to do because “it’s going on the network.” He “picks up” as Mambo reverses the wristlock, before a log roll from Mambo nearly tripped Gene ahead of Munny catching a Reef Break… only to eventually hit back with a low dropkick.
Joe’s in to squat with Mambo ahead of a gutbuster for a two-count, before catching a Mambo superkick… only to get caught with a drop toe hold. Joe’s pulled into the corner with a Romero special… then popped free as TK tagged in to hit a Flatliner for a near-fall. TK’s leg lariat gets another two-count, before Mambo’s double sledge off the top targeted the arm. A springboard armdrag from Mambo’s next before he just got faceplanted by Joe. Munny tags back in as Mambo’s cornered ahead of a Rick Steiner-ish bulldog off the top for a near-fall. Mambo’s back to hang up Munny on the top rope a la Macho Man as things turn around, leading to a Mambo blockbuster for a near-fall.
Mambo keeps going, only to get caught with a slingshot spear… but he dives in to stop Munny from tagging out before Cooper returned for a double-team Final Cut that nearly wins it. Double-teaming ends with Munny hitting a crossbody off the top, before Joe returned to clear house with uppercuts, leading to a Kanuki suplex on Mambo… before he just threw TK into Mambo moments after. A slam drops Cooper for a two-count, before Munny tagged in for their finish… but TK slips out, only to get caught with a spinebuster. They try again for an assisted Regalplex, but Mambo breaks up the cover before an aborted Ainsley Lariat led to Munny eating a Reef Break… then a springboard splash for a near-fall. From there, an assisted Chuck You gets the win as the Chuck Mambo rebuilding project continues. A fun tag match, but I really wish they cooled it on the thrown-together teams in this bracket. ***
More promo time with weird sound. This time it’s the Young Guns.
Alexxis Falcon vs. Millie McKenzie
After losing to Kanji last time out, Millie McKenzie’s looking to get back on track…
The pair trade hammerlocks to start before Falcon was spun into an inverted cravat… then a side headlock as Millie looked for an early advantage. Falcon refuses to go down as she returns with a shoulder tackle, then followed up with a bulldog and a shotgun dropkick as Millie was struggling to get out of the blocks. An armdrag looked to give Millie an opening, as did a swinging neckbreaker, but it only gets a one-count before a tornado suplex turned it around for Falcon. Alexxis keeps going with a bridging chinlock, but McKenzie slipped out for a pin before a running uppercut put her back on top for a two-count.
Elbows keep Falcon in the corner, but she charges back out with clotheslines and another shotgun dropkick, before she hung up McKenzie with a backdrop out of the corner. That gets Falcon a two-count, but she misses with a follow-up head kick and eats a cutter before McKenzie went for a butterfly suplex. It’s blocked, so Millie hits an up kick from the mat for a two-count before she began to tease a German suplex. Falcon escapes for another head kick, but can’t follow up as Millie rolls back in from the corner for a spear that nearly wins it…
Falcon manages to find another opening with a backpack stunner, but it’s not enough to keep McKenzie down, before an attempt at a swinging reverse STO was countered out of as McKenzie finally lands a German suplex, then a Shining Wizard for the win. This was relatively short, but packed full of action – and while the result’ll show a win for McKenzie, Falcon really impressed me on her singles debut here. ***¼
Another promo now for the tag tournament. Danny Black’s in with a mystery partner: Chris Ridgeway. It’s a pairing that’s rather baffling given who their opponents are…
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarter-Final: Chris Ridgeway & Danny Black vs. Young Guns (Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs)
I guess this is “Ridgeway testing his stablemates”, eh?
Ridgeway and Allen start off, with a lockup that looked to go into the corners before Allen took down Ridgeway in an armbar. It’s escaped as Ridgeway went to take control, but he ties up Allen into the ropes before another lock-up ended with Ridgeway swinging for a head kick. There’s some aggro after Ridgeway caught Allen on the break, before he shoved Jacobs off the apron… and that’s the time for Danny Black to come in to be the warm body for a spell.
Allen takes Black down in a side headlock, before Allen worked the arm, tightening a wristlock as Black rolls free. A springboard armdrag and a dropkick staggers Allen… who then got absolutely spiked on his head in a headlock takedown. The headlock’s pushed off as Allen dumps Back with a back elbow, before Luke Jacobs came in with a nasty take down on Black. Jacobs trips Black down to the mat again, but gets caught as Black looked for a knee bar. The scramble’s stopped with Black in headscissors… he tries to bridge out, but Jacobs just grabs an armbar, before he obliterated him with a chop. Black tries a crossbody off the middle rope, but he slips free after getting caught… and returns with an enziguiri.
Ridgeway’s back to boot Jacobs into the corner, but Luke tries to fire back with back-and-forth elbows as things descended into a slugfest. A shoulder tackle eventually has Ridgeway down, but he snaps back, pulling the hair of Jacobs and backing him into the corner. Allen gets the tag in to slam Ridgeway while Jacobs’ elbow drop helps get a pin attempt going as Allen then went to slow the pace down. Ridgeway gets free but kicks away at Allen to take him down, before Black returned to try and build on that. A snapmare gets a one-count as Black returned to a side chinlock, wearing Allen down enough as Ridgeway returned for some more kicks, before Allen’s attempt to counter a kitchen sink knee just ended with Ridgeway countering *that* into a modified crossface.
Jacobs comes in to stomp it apart, sensing a defeat was incoming… Ridgeway ends up leathering Jacobs before the double-teaming began to wear down Ridgeway, Jacobs’ spinebuster plants Ridgeway… except he’s not legal, and rather than go for a cover, Allen just sits in a side headlock again. Ridgeway’s kept in the wrong corner as Jacobs returned with chops and stomps, but Ridgeway just BOOTS Allen away before kicking Jacobs in the corner. A Dragon screw spins down Allen as Black was brought back in, using headscissors to knock the Young Guns into each other… following up with a Koppo kick to Allen.
A moonsault off the apron takes out Jacobs on the floor as Black pushed on, landing a Meteora for a near-fall before Allen’s kicks led to a gutwrench… but Black counters with a sunset flip for a two-count. Black throws in a double-jump springboard cutter for a two-count, before Ridgeway tagged back in to plaster Allen with slaps. A pumphandle Go 2 Sleep nearly puts Allen away… before Danny Black went for a blind tag for… reasons. Ridgeway’s pissed and just boots Black off the apron, before Ridgeway took a Saito suplex and a kick-assisted piledriver from Allen. Except Ridgeway’s not legal, so the Young Guns again have a pin ruined. Amid the confusion, Black’s back in with a crossbody before an inside cradle nearly beats Allen, only for a guillotine choke to be countered as the Young Guns double-team Black.
Jacobs’ repeated German suplexes eventually leave Black laying, before a short lariat and another kick-assisted piledriver gets the win for the Young Guns. With a crowd, this could have gone over the top, but without any atmosphere it felt like it was starting to drag – with the Ridgeway/Black disagreement at the end feeling rather… needless? ***½
After the match, Ridgeway slapped Black down and left the ring to utter silence.
We then see the updated tag brackets – commentary don’t refer to them for… reasons. There’s then a backstage promo from the Young Guns, which seemed to be leaning towards the Grizzled Young Veterans’ style…
Kanji vs. Mercedez Blaze
Kanji found out earlier she’d be in the best-of-three series for the vacated PROGRESS Women’s title… so this is a warm-up of sorts for that. Considering Gisele Shaw’s not wrestled as much since the PROGRESS restart, this seems a little one-sided?
Kanji starts by grabbing a side headlock before a waistlock takedown had Blaze on the mat… but also in the ropes. Returning, Kanji bridges a hammerlock on the mat, but Blaze escapes and gets a headlock takedown of her own off before Kanji tried to roll back to escape. Mercedez crucifixes Kanji for a one-count, then goes back to the side headlock before Kanji’s headscissors offered a way out. Blaze manages to escape and floats her way into a leg clutch pin, before Kanji headed onto the apron and slid in for a sunset flip for a near-fall. Cradles keep the momentum going, before a step-up legdrop keeps Kanji slightly ahead.
Blaze blocks an O’Connor roll, but gets tripped ahead of a clothesline to the back of the head for a two-count as Blaze then headed to the corner for respite. She baits Kanji in for a drop toe hold into the corner, but misses some running knees as Blaze instead pulls herself up into some headscissors as those knees finally land. A suplex chucks Kanji into the corner, before Gisele Shaw wandered out to watch from ringside. Kanji flights back for a roll-up, then trips Blaze before missing a knee drop as a neckbreaker gets Blaze a two-count. Shaw’s looking to call the shots as Blaze grounds Kanji with a full nelson, letting go to go for a running Meteora that almost ends it… and it’s back to the full nelson.
Kanji escapes and drops Blaze ahead of a low dropkick, before a 619 leads to a roll-up for a near-fall… Kanji keeps going with a series of strikes, before a springboard forearm almost led to the win. Shaw’s proving a distraction at ringside, and it costs Kanji as another springboard goes awry, before Blaze returned with headscissors. A shotgun dropkick shoots Kanji to the corner for a two-count, before Blaze lifted Kanji onto the apron… Kanji recovers for a slingshot spear, before a rewind stunner out of the corner looks to get the win, but Shaw distracts the referee (who falls for it). It means Kanji only gets a two-count out of it as she then went to some ground and pound on Blaze… losing her temper in the process as she continued to push ahead, before a triangle choke on Blaze drew in Shaw.
Shaw distracts Kanji and slides in a pipe to Blaze… who nails Kanji with it before a Tower of London got the win. The interference stuff got a little tropey, but they’re hammering home Kanji as the underdog babyface going into the title series – and I guess Shaw and Blaze are buddies again? **¾
PROGRESS World Championship: Kid Lykos vs. Cara Noir (c)
This was only Lykos’ fourth singles match in PROGRESS, having largely been a tag team guy before a win on the last show propelled him to this match.
Lykos tries to hide in the ropes at the bell, but Cara Noir chases him around the room, supposedly upset at Lykos interrupting his entrance. The game of keepaway ends badly for Kid Lykos II, as we continue to Benny Hill around the place. They Yakety Sax into the commentary table, before Cara Noir went to kick Lykos… who ducked… while the camera angle they ran with showed Cara slapping the ring post instead. I guess to feign an injury? Cara Noir shrugs it off and clotheslines Lykos back inside, then threw him into the turnbuckles before a snapmare led to Cara Noir just staring at Lykos… who then pulls him to the outside as Lykos distracts the ref to allow Lykos II to attack Cara on the floor.
Lykos goes after Cara’s leg, tying it up against the edge of the ring before wrapping it around the ring post. The baking tray’s used next on Cara’s leg, and that remains Lykos’ focal point, as he rolled Cara into an Indian deathlock, but Cara Noir rips Lykos mask apart and pulls off the ear. Cactus Lykos gets back up and stomps away at Cara Noir, and went back to the legs, wrapping them around the ring post before Cara kicked the baking tray away. The Lykii try to collect themselves, but Cara Noir just lays out Lykos II with an elbow before a series of lariats and kicks finally drew Lykos out.
A headbutt frees Lykos in the ropes, but he tries to run and gets caught with a German suplex before he staggered as Cara went for a superkick. Cara goes back to the mask, then lands a neckbreaker before he started to target Lykos with kicks … but a knee from Lykos nearly nicks a win. Lykos calls for a brainbuster, but Cara slips out for a sleeper, only to get taken into the corner before Lykos called for an avalanche brainbuster. Cara goes back to the mask, then leaps into a kick as he was apparently besotted by Lykos’ half wolf/half swan mask… and then had to kick out after a brainbuster.
A leg lace has Cara in more trouble, but he spins out and grabs a rear naked choke so he could rip apart the mask again… but Lykos headbutts free. Another knee strike cracks Cara, but Cara bites back before another knee gets a near-fall. Lykos II gets involved again with a missile dropkick to Cara as the ref was dealing with an errant baking tray, but Lykos can’t get the three-count… and goes back to the leg lace. Another diving headbutt from Cara buys him time after he’d escaped… before he fired up and returned with a shotgun dropkick. A second one follows, then a third, as the champion spammed the move ahead of a package piledriver… but Lykos II leaps in and gets caught with Madame Guillotine. Lykos I then gets caught with a rear naked choke, and that’s the submission. A really good main event, with perhaps some of the mind games from Cara Noir flying under the radar on commentary, but the story that was shown and told worked pretty well. ***½
You know the score here: the name on the marquee keeps inviting unhelpful comparisons that are hard to overcome, in spite of the efforts up and down the card. Much like we’ve seen across the indies this weekend, there’s talent out there, but a lot of them are relatively inexperienced and as such, the complete packages – in terms of performers at a top level, and the presentation of the shows themselves – are few and far between right now.