It’s ten to four in the afternoon and inside the Electric Ballroom, Progress Wrestling co-founder Jim Smallman is pacing around the ring. Nerves are riding high and fourteen successful chapters thus far have done nothing to soften that. Chapter Fifteen, however, would see the two year old promotion raise the bar even higher than it had before. The card was stacked, the building was packed, and omens were good for the evening that was to follow. “Good”, however, would barely scratch the surface as the night began.
As is typical for Progress shows, the first match was preceded by Smallman’s own personal introduction to get the crowd warmed up, but it wasn’t long before the time came for Project Ego to clash with Screw Indy Wrestling. Only… it wasn’t exactly Project Ego who would show up. Without Kris Travis (missing the show through illness), a mystery partner was touted to join Martin Kirby to take on SIW… bring out TNA and Ring of Honor alumnus Doug Williams. It would, however, be the more experienced pairing that would win the day, sending Screw Indy Wrestling into the #1 Contenders spot for the Progress Tag Team Championships. A huge assist should be given to referee Chris Roberts’ determination to find something else to look at whenever SIW started resorting to slightly more underhanded means. It’s no wonder that Roberts’ reputation amongst the Progress faithful has deteriorated a little over time, but credit to him for sticking so fervently to the “dumb ref” schtick.
The opening tag team contest, however, would soon be driven from everyone’s minds by a quite thrilling collision between Pete Dunne and “The Modfather” Morgan Webster as part of the promotion’s Natural Progression tournament. Webster came into the ring as a slightly outsized Jay from Inbetweeners lookalike, but would leave it as one of the best things the Ballroom crowd would see all day. Luckily, Webster will be back for the tournament final at Chapter Seventeen in January. After providing the nights earliest MOTN contender and showing off some great chemistry with Dunne, the Modfather will surely be welcomed back with open arms. Pan-European Veteran Stixx and Pastor William Eaver (Bill Eaver. Believer. Get it? He has a priest gimmick) had a tough task on their hands in following Webster and Dunne, and despite a slow start both did manage to put in a decent enough showing to keep the first half of the show rolling on solidly.
Also on the card were two triple threat matches, which would in turn reveal the two number one contenders for a triple threat Progress Championship match at November’s Chapter Sixteen event. The first would be Rampage Brown, Zack Sabre Jr. and Marty Scurll. Both Sabre and Scurll had plenty to fight for, both wronged by current Champion Jimmy Havoc an with plenty of reason to try and take the title from him. It would, however, be the former champ Rampage Brown who came out on top, booking his place in a title match two months down the line. We were taken to an interval on that note, with a whole heap more action still to get through.
RJ Singh’s clash with “No Gimmicks Needed” Michael Gilbert (the former Mikey Whiplash, who the crowd took delight in reminding that his current “No Gimmicks Needed” phase is actually a gimmick in itself) would turn out to be a throwaway, with Singh emerging dressed as Sin Cara (Singh Cara) and Sting (RJ Sting) before finally taking Gilbert on as himself. He would tap out three times, but this would all be background noise for a larger plan. For the second time tonight, out came Stixx, who despite losing earlier himself chastised his friend for not taking things seriously enough. From there, it was all downhill for the pairing. By the time the smoke cleared however, you had two furious ex-friends and a Career vs. Career match on the card for November 30th, a night which in that moment became unmissable.
There was still another championship contender to crown, and that matter would be decided in a clash between El Ligero, David Mastiff and Progress debutant Martin Stone. There isn’t another figure in British wrestling quite like Dave Mastiff, an embodiment of the strong style that the promotion prides and now, fans get to imagine him wielding the championship staff (the Progress Champion carries a staff, rather than a belt. It’s quite cool) as he smashed through his first two obstacles to book his spot in the triple threat at Chapter Sixteen.
One issue was left to settle after that. Well, quite a few issues, but it would be one match that tied them all together. Perhaps the biggest main event Progress has masterminded to date, it would be Titles vs. Careers in an 8-man Tag Team match with a whole heap of catches on the line. Jimmy Havoc could lose his title if he took the defeat, as could Tag Champions F.S.U. or Thunderbastard Champion Will Ospreay. Paul Havoc’s partners in Regression, Robinson and the London Riots, could lose their jobs if they were to lose, as could Noam Dar. Everyone had something to fight for, and whether it was through a new champion or lost job, the landscape of Progress Wrestling would certainly not be the same when the bell rang for the final time.
On one level the match was – predictably – a spot-fest, but there was far more to it than that. This was eight men going into business for themselves to protect what each of them had. It was, in all the chaos (most of which took place outside the ring), near impossible to track, but F.S.U.’s Eddie Dennis emerged as an early MVP. Havoc and Robinson were sent scurrying out towards the bar area, and momentum continued to shift back and forth… until Havoc and Ospreay disappeared from sight.
And then they were back. Back, that is, above the heads of all those at ground/ring level. Havoc hung precariously from the Ballroom’s balcony (we didn’t even know the Ballroom had a balcony) with six men below him. And with one final strike from Ospreay, he fell into the mass off bodies sending them flying everywhere. The “holy shit” chants came instantaneously. And they weren’t ending any time soon. Ospreay, not to be outdone, would climb over the balcony himself and, in the sort of spot that makes you love indy wrestling more and more each time you see it, executed a perfect-looking shooting star press wiping everyone out all over again.
This is, indeed, progress. Progress for the popularity of British wrestling. Progress for the infamous nature of one of its brightest rising stars. Progress, finally, for Progress itself, fast becoming one of the best attractions the Ballroom has to offer. All progress would cease, however, for the Regression-allied team of the London Riots. There were going to be four winners as Sunday ended no matter what, but one or two big losers would be decided too. Those losers were Rob Lynch and James Davis, banished from Progress as the night came to a close. If not for Robinson dragging him out of harm’s way, Jimmy Havoc may have fallen too, but the Riots’ Regression co-conspirators were nowhere to be seen when the final announcement rang out. Though we’ve got to admit, if the Riots haven’t resurfaced by Chapter Twenty, we’ll be beyond surprised.
It was a success, then, and a grand one at that, for the fifteenth chapter of Progress history. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and the word continues to spread about the one of the best environments for indy wrestling across the whole of Europe. Their youth as a promotion is no setback, only serving to make each moment all the more impressive, and there can be no doubt that Progress have us hooked for good. Roll on Sixteen, where the bar looks set to be (somehow) raised once again.
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