Progress Wrestling

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Progress Wrestling
Founded 2011
Headquarters London
Key people Jim Smallman (Owner) [1]
Jon Briley (Owner) [1]
Glen Joseph (Owner)
Website PROGRESSWrestling.com

Progress Wrestling (stylized as PROGRESS) is a British professional wrestling promotion that was established in 2011 by comedian Jim Smallman and events and comedy promoter Jon Briley, later to be joined in management of the company by actor Glen Joseph. PROGRESS focuses on strong-style wrestling and showcasing British wrestling talent.[1]

History

Origins

The company was conceived by Jim Smallman and Jon Briley in 2011. The two aimed to put on the sort of wrestling shows that they would like to watch. Smallman is a big fan of strong-style wrestling, Japanese in particular. At the time, Briley was the comedy agent of Smallman (he would eventually give up comedy to focus on Progress). They were joined in 2012 by Glen Joseph shortly before their second event.

2012

PROGRESS ran their first event Chapter One: In The Beginning at The Garage in Islington on March 25, 2012, which featured a tournament to crown the first PROGRESS champion. Zack Sabre Jr., former WWE star Colt Cabana, Colossus Kennedy and Noam Dar were eliminated in singles matches by Marty Scurll, Loco Mike Mason, Nathan Cruz and El Ligero respectively. The winners advanced to the four-way elimination match main event to crown the first champion, with Cruz finally pinning Scurll to become champion. The event completely sold-out the venue, and also featured the beginning of PROGRESS' relationship with the British Wrestling Council by having a match for the BWC Scarlo Scholarship Title on the show, with champion Xander Cooper retaining against Darrell Allen and Zack Gibson.[2] The match between Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre, Jr. was voted UK Match of the Year by the readers of Alternative Wrestling Magazine.[3]

The second event, Chapter Two: The March of Progress was held at The Garage in Islington on June 24, and was also a sell-out. The event was headlined by Nathan Cruz successfully defending his PROGRESS title against Marty Scurll in a 2 out of 3 falls match after interference from El Ligero. Ligero also defeated RJ Singh and Greg Burridge to become the new number one contender for the PROGRESS title. The event also saw the debuts of both the PROGRESS tag team division, with the London Riots defeating the Velocity Vipers, and indy star Lion Kid, who was victorious over Stixx.[4] In the run up to Chapter Two, Jimmy Havoc instigated a social media campaign to get himself booked on the show, using the Twitter hashtag #BookHavoc. Progress management were initially resistant, as Havoc is primarily a deathmatch wrestler.[5] However after a long campaign Havoc was booked on the show, and debuted in a losing effort to one of his trainers, Danny Garnell.[2]

Chapter Three: Fifty Shades of Pain was the company's third event, held again at The Garage on September 30. The venue was once again sold-out. The main event for the show was announced as Marty Scurll and a partner of his choice against PROGRESS champion Nathan Cruz and number one contender El Ligero. Scurll announced his partner as Greg Burridge, however Scurll was later forced to withdraw from the event, due to his participation in the filming of TNA Wrestling: British Boot Camp.[6] He was replaced by the debuting Dave Mastiff.[7] Scurll ended up appearing at the event after all and was inserted as special referee for the main event, after he, the other contestants on TNA Wrestling: British Boot Camp and TNA announcer Jeremy Borash appeared at the event to film footage for the show. The footage was featured on the second episode of the programme. Burridge and Mastiff defeated Cruz and Ligero after Ligero superkicked Cruz, and walked out. The London Riots continued their winning streak by defeating the team of Danny Garnell and Darrell Allen, who were named The Bastard Squad by a fan vote. Also on the event Jimmy Havoc faced his NWA UK Hammerlock trainer Jon Ryan in a "strictly no blood no hardcore match", which Havoc won by disqualification after Jon Ryan attacked him with a frying pan. At Havoc's request, the match was restarted under deathmatch rules, and Ryan was victorious.[8] Ryan later announced this was his retirement match in an exclusive interview with the Answering The Ten Count podcast.[9]

The final event of 2012 was Chapter Four: the Ballad of El Ligero which was held at The Boston Dome in Tufnell Park on November 25 due to a schedule clash at The Garage. The event was again a complete sell-out, and was headlined by El Ligero defeating Nathan Cruz to become the Progress champion. The London Riots and Noam Dar both won their third match in a row with wins over The Hunter Brothers and Jimmy Havoc respectively. In the first match of the inaugural Natural Progression Series, Mark Andrews defeated Will Ospreay in a match lauded by fans and critics. RJ Singh defeated Paul Robinson and teased a face turn after the match when he argued with his entourage and stopped them attacking a downed Robinson. Dave Mastiff defeated Stixx and Marty Scurll in a triple threat match, during which Nathan Cruz interfered and dragged Scurll to the backstage area, removing him from the match.[8] The event was voted UK event of the year by the readers of Alternative Wrestling Magazine.[3]

2013

The first event of 2013 was Chapter Five: For Those About to Fight, We Salute You on January 27, and saw the company return to The Garage. Danny Garnell defeated Stixx, while Lord Jonathan Windsor defeated Mike Hitchman. Nathan Cruz defeated the debuting Rampage Brown, while El Ligero successfully defended the PROGRESS championship by knockout over Dave Mastiff. Darrell Allen defeated RJ Singh in RJ's open challenge, and in the main event The London Riots defeated The LDRS of the New School, Zack Sabre Jr and Marty Scurll.

Chapter Six: We ♥ Violence was PROGRESS' one-year anniversary show, held on March 31 at a sold-out Garage. In the opener Noam Dar defeated Dave Mastiff to become number one contender to the PROGRESS title, while Paul Robinson defeated the debuting MK McKinnan to advance to the Natural Progression semi-finals. Nathan Cruz defeated Jimmy Havoc, while The London Riots defeated The Hunter Brothers in a weapons match. Mexican Eagle defeated "Loco" Mike Mason, while The Bhangra Knights (RJ Singh and Darrell Allen) defeated Team Defend Indy Wrestling (Mark Andrews and the debuting Eddie Dennis). In the main event El Ligero defended his PROGRESS championship against US indy star Ricochet successfully.

Chapter Seven: Every Saint Has a Past, Every Sinner Has a Future was held once again at The Garage on May 19. The show began with the main event, with El Ligero retaining the PROGRESS championship against Noam Dar. Eddie Dennis defeated Joey Lakeside, Xander Cooper and Darrell Allen in a four way elimination match to advance to the semi-finals of the Natural Progression series. The London Riots defeated Project Ego, whilst Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Jimmy Havoc with Nigel McGuinness serving as the special guest referee. Mark Andrews defeated Will Ospreay, forcing Ospreay to leave PROGRESS as a result of the pre-match stipulations. Danny Garnell defeated RJ Singh, with the London Riots attacking Singh after the match. In the main event Nathan Cruz, Mark Haskins and surprise partner Rampage Brown defeated Marty Scurll, Paul Robinson and last-minute partner Dave Mastiff, with Brown pinning Mastiff to become number one contender to the PROGRESS championship.

Chapter Eight: The Big Boys Guide to Strong Style took place at The Garage on July 28, and sold out more than four weeks in advance. Stixx defeated Mark Haskins by submission in the opening match, followed by Mark Andrews defeating Lord Jonathan Windsor in the first semi-final match of the Natural Progression series. In the last of the London Riots contracted matches with PROGRESS, Danny Garnell defeated Rob Lynch in a no weapons Last Man Standing match whilst James Davis defeated Jimmy Havoc in a Hardcore match. The debuting Doug Williams defeated Darrell Allen and Eddie Dennis, who replaced the injured Noam Dar, in a triple threat match. Project Ego defeated The Hunter Brothers and in the main event Rampage Brown defeated El Ligero to win the PROGRESS championship.

Chapter Nine: Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kick Me, Kill Me took place on 29 September, with The Garage selling-out in around 24 hours. Tommy End, replacing the injured Jimmy Havoc, defeated Dave Mastiff in the opener while Paul Robinson beat Eddie Dennis in the second semi-final of the Natural Progression series. Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Mark Haskins and Ricochet in a three-way match, while Stixx defeated Nathan Cruz by submission. Project Ego and the debuting T-Bone defeated RJ Singh, Darrell Allen and the debuting Grado, replacing the injured Danny Garnell. After the match The London Riots attacked Allen and Singh, with Jimmy Havoc attacking promoter Jim Smallman. In the main event Rampage Brown defended the PROGRESS championship successfully against Doug Williams.

The final event of 2013 was Chapter Ten: Glory Follows Virtue As If It Were Its Shadow and was held at The Garage on 24 November. Tommy End defeated the debuting Mikey Whiplash in the opener, while Project Ego defeated Grado and the debuting Mad Man Manson to advance in the Tag Team championship tournament. Doug Williams defeated Nathan Cruz, while the debuting Adam Cole defeated Mark Haskins in an open challenge. The London Riots battled The Bangra Knights to a double count-out, thereby meaning both were eliminated from the Tag Team championship tournament. Rampage Brown successfully defended the PROGRESS championship against Stixx, and in the main event Mark Andrews defeated Paul Robinson in the final of the Natural Progression series. As a result of winning the tournament, Andrews had the opportunity to select a competitor to take part in the 2014 Natural Progression Series. Andrews chose Will Ospreay, thereby reinstating Ospreay to the Progress roster after the stipulations of their match at Chapter Seven. Mark Andrews chose to cash in his title shot, won as a result of winning the tournament, immediately. Andrews was successful against Rampage Brown to become the new PROGRESS champion, only to be attacked by Jimmy Havoc and the London Riots. Havoc, armed with a contract and a bottle of lighter fluid, threatened to severely injure Andrews and set fire to both him and the building if he did not get a championship match immediately. This was a result of his long-standing open contract that he agreed with Smallman several months ago. Smallman made the three-count, and Jimmy Havoc became the new PROGRESS champion. Tickets for this event sold out in 31 minutes.

2014

The first event of 2014 was Chapter Eleven: To Fight War, You Must Become War which took place on January 26. The Garage sold-out in a record 24 minutes. Nathan Cruz & Mark Haskins beat Stixx & Dave Mastiff to reach the Tag Team tournament final, while Morgan Webster beat Josh Bodom in the first match of the 2014 Natural Progression series. The returning Noam Dar beat the also returning El Ligero, while FSU(Eddie Dennis & Mark Andrews)beat The Swords of Essex(Will Ospreay & Paul Robinson)to also reach the Tag Team tournament final and Rampage Brown beat Tommy End. In the main event PROGRESS Champion Jimmy Havoc faced the number one contender Zack Sabre Jr.. Jim Smallman, flanked by two security guards during the introductions because of Havoc's previous actions, announced that referee Chris Roberts felt he could not referee this match after Havoc gave Roberts the Go-Home Driver at Chapter 10, so therefore announced Marty Scurll as the special guest referee. Sabre Jr. looked to be close to becoming the new champion when Marty Scurll was knocked-out and one of Smallman's guards, presumably paid-off by Havoc, took the championship staff and put it in the ring for Havoc to drive Sabre Jr.'s head into. Havoc then told Smallman that either he came into the ring to check that Sabre Jr. gave up or he would choke him. Relunctantly again Smallman entered the ring, dropped Sabre Jr.'s hand three times and Havoc retained the title.

PROGRESS will hold their second anniversary show Chapter Twelve: We're Gonna Need A Bigger Room on March 30 at The Electric Ballroom in Camden. At this show The Bhangra Knights will face The London Riots in a street fight, the first PROGRESS Tag Team champions will be determined when Project Ego face Nathan Cruz/Mark Haskins and FSU in a triple threat tag team match and El Ligero will face Tommy End.

Training School

In November 2012, PROGRESS launched their training school in central London, also known as the ProJo. The school has classes for beginner and intermediate level wrestlers, with classes for both running on a weekly basis. The head trainer for the school was originally Jimmy Havoc, who was trained at NWA UK Hammerlock, and wrestles all over Europe. Following the events of Chapter Nine Havoc was replaced by Darrell Allen. Other trainers include Progress co-owners Jim Smallman and Glen Joseph, Rhia O'Reilly and Eddie Dennis. The ProJo hosted seminars by Zack Sabre, Jr. former TNA Tag Team and X Division champion Doug Williams and WWE, WCW and ECW alumni Raven in 2013.[10] The first graduate of the ProJo was Joey Lakeside who made his professional debut at Chapter Seven, just five months after starting training.

ENDVR

On September 1, 2013 PROGRESS held the first show for members of the ProJo training school, entitled ENDVR1 at The Bedford in Balham, South London. Joey Lakeside beat Lord Jonathan Windsor by submission, while El Pantera Negra defeated Chuck Mambo. Krisys beat Tyson James, while The Burden of Justice(Steve Burden and Phil Ward) defeated Jimmy Havoc and Ali Armstrong. Danny Garnell beat Damon Moser, while Paul Ryker defeated Mark Hendry. In the main event, Eddie Dennis beat Darrell Allen.

ENDVR2 was held November 17, 2013 again at The Bedford. Eddie Dennis and Joey Lakeside ended in a draw due to a double pin, while Thomas Cartelle and Paul Ryker defeated Chuck Mambo and Mark Hendry. In the first ever PROGRESS women's match Easy Tiger beat Leah Von Dutch and Rhia O'Reilly in a triple threat match, while Morgan Webster defeated William Eaver. Fug beat Ali Armstrong, and in the main event The Bhangra Knights defeated The Burden of Justice.

ENDVR3 will be held at The Bedford in Balham on February 2, 2014.

Wins, losses and appearances at ENDVR are not counted in a competitor's PROGRESS record.

Championships and Accomplishments

Progress Championship

Unlike conventional wrestling championships which are generally represented by a belt, the PROGRESS championship is represented by a large staff with an eagle head piece. The eagle represents the promotion's logo, but is affectionately referred to as the "Nazi staff" by fans. Promoter Jim Smallman is never afraid to defend the accidental likeness of the championship during shows, by occasionally declaring "It's not Nazi, it's regal" whenever a "Nazi staff" chant is started by the fans in attendance.[11]

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Nathan Cruz
def. Marty Scurll, El Ligero & Mike Mason
Chapter One: In The Beginning
The Garage, Islington
March 25, 2012 246 days

1. def. Marty Scurll at Chapter Two on June 24, 2012

2 El Ligero Chapter Four: The Ballad of El Ligero
The Boston Dome, Tufnell Park
November 25, 2012 245 days

1. def. Dave Mastiff at Chapter Five on January 27, 2013
2. def. Ricochet at Chapter Six on March 31, 2013
3. def. Noam Dar at Chapter Seven on May 19, 2013

3 Rampage Brown Chapter Eight: The Big Boy's Guide to Strong Style
The Garage, Islington
July 28, 2013 119 days

1. def. Doug Williams at Chapter Nine on September 29, 2013
2. def. Stixx at Chapter Ten on November 24, 2013

4 Mark Andrews Chapter Ten: Glory Follows Virtue As If It Were Its Shadow
The Garage, Islington
November 24, 2013 0 days

No successful defences

5 Jimmy Havoc Chapter Ten: Glory Follows Virtue As If It Were Its Shadow
The Garage, Islington
November 24, 2013 80 days
(incumbent)

1. def. Zack Sabre Jr. at Chapter Eleven on January 26, 2014

Tag Team Championship

It was announced at Chapter Nine that beginning November 2013 they would start a series of matches to determine the first PROGRESS Tag Team champions. The champions will be crowned at Chapter Twelve, the second anniversary show, in March 2014. At Chapter Ten, Project Ego advanced with a win over Grado and Mad Man Manson, while the Bhangra Knights and the London Riots went to a double count out and were eliminated from the running. Following those results it was announced that Project Ego would compete in the championship match at Chapter Twelve, with the match being a triple threat against the winners of two qualifiers to be held at Chapter Eleven.

Natural Progression Series

Beginning with Chapter Four: The Ballad of El Ligero, PROGRESS launched the Natural Progression Series, with the intention of showcasing young and up-and-coming British talent. From Chapter Four each card will feature a match in the series. The tournament was announced as an annual tournament, with the winner gaining a shot at the PROGRESS title.[12]

2013
Mark Andrews won the inaugural Natural Progression series at Chapter Ten in November 2013. He cashed in his titleshot immediately and won the title from Rampage Brown.

  Quarterfinals
(Chapters Four, Five, Six and Seven)
Semifinals
(Chapters Eight and Nine)
Final
(Chapter Ten)
                           
   Mark Andrews Pin  
 Will Ospreay  
   Mark Andrews Pin  
   Jonathan Windsor  
 Mike Hitchman
   Jonathan Windsor Pin  
     Mark Andrews Pin
   Paul Robinson
   MK McKinnan  
 Paul Robinson Pin  
   Paul Robinson Pin
   Eddie Dennis  
 Eddie Dennis Pin
   Darrell Allen, Joey Lakeside & Xander Cooper  

2014

  Quarterfinals
(Chapters Eleven & TBC)
Semifinals Final
                           
   Josh Bodom Pin  
 Morgan Webster  
   Morgan Webster  
     
 
     
     
   
     
   
   
     
 
   Will Ospreay  

The Progress Report

On May 10, 2012 PROGRESS launched a regular YouTube show entitled The Progress Report, hosted by Glen Joseph. The show is normally a mix of promos, upcoming card information and match clips from previous shows.

Roster

The following wrestlers have all made at least one appearance for PROGRESS, with their current win-loss record following their name. Wins and losses as a singles competitor and a recognised tag team are counted separately.[13]

Name Nickname Wins Losses Appearances
!a!a!a-9999
Ligero, ElEl Ligero The Mexican Sensation 6 4 9
Nathan Cruz The Showstealer 5 4 8
Mark Andrews White Lightning 7 1 6
Danny Garnell Dangerous 5 0 5
Noam Dar z ! 5 1 6
Dave Mastiff The Bastard 2 4 6
RJ Singh The Bollywood Dream 2 3 6
Stixx The Heavyweight House of Pain 3 4 7
Jon Ryan z ! 1 0 1
Mexican Eagle z ! 0 1 1
James Davis z ! 1 0 1
Williams, DougDoug Williams z ! 2 1 3
Burridge, GregGreg Burridge The Cockney Crusader 1 1 2
Lion Kid z ! 1 1 2
Mike Mason Loco 1 2 2
Xander Cooper The Man For All Seasons 1 2 3
Paul Robinson Mr Wrestling 2 4 6
Scurll, MartyMarty Scurll Party 2 3 4
Darrell Allen Dazzling 1 4 5
Colossus Kennedy z ! 0 1 1
Cabana, ColtColt Cabana Boom Boom 0 1 1
Zack Gibson z ! 0 1 1
Cage, RobRob Cage z ! 0 1 1
MK McKinnon z ! 0 1 1
Ricochet The Future of Flight 0 2 2
Joey Lakeside Tan Fight Win 0 1 1
Rob Lynch z ! 0 1 1
Mike Hitchman Wild Boar 0 2 2
Will Ospreay z ! 0 2 2
Zack Sabre Jr z ! 2 2 4
Lord Jonathan Windsor z ! 1 1 2
Rampage Brown z ! 4 2 5
Eddie Dennis The Pride of Wales 1 2 3
Mark Haskins The Star Attraction 0 3 3
Tommy End The Anti Hero 2 1 3
T Bone z ! 1 0 1
Grado z ! 0 1 1
Jimmy Havoc z ! 2 6 8
Adam Cole z ! 1 0 1
Mikey Whiplash z ! 0 1 1
~z~z~z9999

Teams

Name Members Wins Losses Appearances
!a!a!a-9999
London Riots James Davis & Rob Lynch 6 0 7
The Velocity Vipers Alex Esmail & Will Ospreay 0 1 1
The Bastard Squad Danny Garnell & Darrell Allen 0 1 1
The Hunter Brothers Lee Hunter & Jim Hunter 0 3 3
The LDRS of the New School Zack Sabre Jr & Marty Scurll 0 1 1
The Bhangra Knights RJ Singh & Darrell Allen 0 2 3
Team DEFEND/FSU Eddie Dennis & Mark Andrews 1 1 2
Project Ego Kris Travis & Martin Kirby 3 1 4
Team SCREW INDY WRESTLING Nathan Cruz & Mark Haskins 2 0 2
Grado and Mad Man Manson z ! 0 1 1
Swords of Essex Paul Robinson & Will Ospreay 0 1 1
~z~z~z9999

*Jimmy Havoc originally defeated Jon Ryan by disqualification at Chapter Three, however the match was restarted under no-DQ rules and PROGRESS management do not recognise it as an official result.

Media Review/Industry Response

PROGRESS Wrestling has garnered considerable interest, attendance and praise from British & international wrestling fans and industry professionals/writers.

Patrick Lennon, lead wrestling journalist for The Daily Star, has attended and reviewed PROGRESS Shows such as the acclaimed "Chapter Seven: Every Saint Has A Past, Every Sinner Has A Future."[14]

Carrie Dunn, founder and main contributor of wrestling blog "The Only Way is Suplex",[15] recently published "Spandex, Screw Jobs & Cheap Pops: Inside the Business of British Pro Wrestling".[16] PROGRESS Wrestling features frequently in the book including opening a chapter regarding London based wrestling promotions.[17]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "About". Progress Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Results". Progress Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Alternative Wrestling Magazine - Issue 7". RTJR Publishing. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  4. "Results". Progress Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  5. "Jim Smallman Weighs Up the Pros and Cons of Booking Jimmy Havoc". Progress Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  6. "Marty Scurll withdraws from Chapter Three: Fifty Shades Of Pain". Progress Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  7. "And Greg Burridge's Chapter Three Tag Team Partner Is...". PROGRESS Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Results". Progress Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  9. "Jimmy Havoc, Jon Ryan and Rob Lynch Interviews at Progress Wrestling". Answering The Ten Count. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  10. "Training School". PROGRESS Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  11. "PROGRESS Chapter One DVD review". RTJR Publishing. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  12. "Natural Progression Series". PROGRESS Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-01-02. 
  13. "Past Results | This is PROGRESS". Progresswrestling.com. 2013-07-25. Retrieved 2013-08-16. 
  14. "Every Saint Has A Past, Every Sinner Has A Future show is a winner". Daily Star. Retrieved 2013-12-08. 
  15. "The Only Way Is Suplex". Carrie Dunn. Retrieved 2013-12-08. 
  16. ""Spandex, Screw Jobs & Cheap Pops: Inside the Business of British Pro Wrestling" Amazon listing". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-12-08. 
  17. Dunn, Carrie (2013). "Chapter 11: In the spotlight - London calling". Spandex, Screw Jobs & Cheap Pops: Inside the Business of British Pro Wrestling. Pitch. pp. 174–176. ISBN 978-1-909178-46-5. 

External links

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