Hello everyone! BritWresReview's resident Progress fanboy Steve here again, with a look at the most recent show at the Electric Ballroom, Chapter 47: Complicated Simplicity!
What better way to get the crowd hyped for the first match than The Pride Of Wales, Eddie Dennis! He brought himself to the ring to take on a man undefeated in Progress, James Drake. It's been a very long time since Eddie has had a singles match in Progress, and he was slow out of the blocks as Drake jumped him before the bell and brutalised him outside the ring. With the crowd rallying behind the Welshman, he was able to connect with a dive to the outside. The match became more physical as time wore on, Drake connecting with hard offence before Dennis was able to hit a huge superplex. The crowd warmed up for Eddie's comeback, but the end came soon after when Drake was able to capitalise on Eddie being distracted by the referee stopping him laying in some vicious chops, hitting the Mr Mayhem DDT to chalk up yet another win. I'm still yet to see the fascination with Drake. The guy just doesn't get any reaction from me, and I don't think I'm alone in that opinion. I hate being negative about any wrestler, but let's see how he develops in the months to come. Natural Progression Series action next, as the last finalist of the tournament was decided. Who would advance to the final to take on Jinny and Toni Storm? Laura Di Matteo took on Alex Windsor in a match that I enjoyed more upon watching back on Demand Progress. Laura again showed off her new technical MMA-style character, throwing some arm drags in the opening exchanges and throwing in a suicide dive to the outside as well. Windsor is someone who's really grown on me in the last 6 months or so. Carries herself so well, and quite intimidating. She showed off some impressive moves as she came back into the match, nailing a curb stomp, top rope dropkick and an impressive blue-thunderbomb. It even looked like she may take a submission win with a twisting sharpshooter, but Di Matteo was able to break out and lock in a submission of her own, with Windsor tapping out to a Rings Of Saturn-esque hold. So at Super Strong Style 16 it will be Jinny v Toni Storm v Laura Di Matteo to become the first Progress Women's Champion, and I've got a feeling it'll be one of the matches of the 3 day weekend event! The third match of the afternoon saw a Chapter debut and also an all-Welsh battle as crowd favourite Flash Morgan Webster took on one half of the ICW Tag Team Champions, Mike Bird! Bird showed his intentions early, spitting in Webster's face and taking him to the outside to beat him down. Flash was able to rally with an attempt at his Strangler submission hold before nailing an impressive hurricanrana after swinging round the ringpost 619-style! This was also a battle of teacher and student, Bird training Webster when he first started out, and the teacher took control with a big blue thunderbomb, following it up with a crucifix powerbomb for a great near fall. The match really hotted when Flash was able to counter a Death Valley Driver into a reverse hurricanrana. I admit that I lost my shit at that! This was probably the best Progress match Flash has had since his return from injury, and was able to pick up the win when catching Bird with a big kick as Ginger Jesus came off the top rope, before locking in the Strangler. But the defiant Bird was determined not to tap out to his student, giving the crowd the middle finger before passing out. Following the match, Flash took to the mic to thank the crowd for their support through his injury lay-off, but someone in the back took exception to that, with James Drake attacking the Welshman on the stage. A Super Strong Style 16 qualifying match now awaits both of them in Manchester. An intriguing match, seeing as I had both of them down as locks for the tournament. The main event of the first half of the show was an emotionally charged tag team affair, with The South Pacific Power Trip took on the gatekeepers of the Progress tag team division, The London Riots! The match was tinged with more than a little sadness, as it marked TK Cooper and Dahlia Black's final Progress appearance before they headed back to their native New Zealand. Their visas are running out and they have to go home. They received a huge ovation as they made their way to the ring, along with the Kiwi Buzzsaw, Travis Banks, and even a standing ovation for their ring introductions! After the early exchanges which saw Rob Lynch attempt a kip-up and plenty of hugs for everyone, things got a little crazy as all 4 guys too turns in diving to the outside, before JD back body dropped Cooper off the top rope to the outside, with the Kiwi narrowly avoiding a nasty landing! After following this up with a crazy top rope moonsault to the outside, Dahlia Black took exception to the beating her boys were taking, slapping Davis and throwing her moon boot at him (Dahlia still injured after her match with Toni Storm in March). The crowd really hotted up as the Power Trip hit an assited RKO for a big 2 count. It wasn't long before came back into it with a crazy Destroyer flip-piledriver from the big man Lynch, which then led into a crazy finishing stretch with some great near falls, before Cooper and Banks were finally able to finish the former tag team champions off with their finisher, the Sky Tower! The fans immediately rose to their feet in appreciation of a fantastic match, as TK and Dahlia took turns in saying their goodbyes, thanking Jim, Jon, and Glen for taking such a big risk with them when they came over from New Zealand so inexperienced. After Glen offered them a future tag team title shot whenever they were able to come back, British Strong Style entered the fray to show what they thought of this ruling. Viciously attacking TK, and taking out his leg with a conchairto, it took a run in from RingKampf to stop the beatdown. TK still managed to leave under his own power though, as him and Black went up the aisle with the fans singing their praises. I'm sure gonna miss those two, hopefully they manage to find a way back over here before too long. Before the second half kicked off proper, we found out the first entrant into this years Super Strong Style 16 tournament being held over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May. That morning, former Progress Champion Pastor William Eaver had successfully completed the London Marathon, running over 26 miles to raise nearly £3000 for RAPT, a charity which helps offenders when they are released from prison. Still decked out in his Marathon gear, Jim said that he was so proud of how far Eaver had come both in wrestling and in his personal life (listen to his interview on the Tuesday Night Jaw podcast to hear the Pastor's story), and said he was the first competitor in the hat for May's tournament! Kicking off Part 2 of the show, we had Number 1 Contenders action in the Battle Of The Marks as Haskins took on Andrews! As you'd expect, this was a very technically sound opening with chain wrestling and Haskins attempting his patented armbar early. These two guys always put in top quality performances and the pace quickened as the match progressed, with Haskins trying a stretch muffler submission before both men took turns in diving to the outside. After Andrews had taken Haskins into the crowd with a hurricanrana, Haskins fought back with a Death Valley Driver on the apron. The crowd were lapping this up as Andrews took Haskins off the top rope with a brilliant jumping hurricanrana before missing his finishing Shooting Star Press. It wasn't long before this match was over however, when Haskins locked in a triangle choke, only for Andrews to move his weight and pin Haskins' shoulders to the mat just as he tapped out! With the finish coming a little out of nowhere, the crowd did not really know what to think, as Jim announced the contest as a draw, and that both men would now challenge for the Progress Championship in Manchester. Our penultimate contest saw a match with a lot on the line as Jack Sexsmith took on Paul Robinson in a Super Strong Style 16 qualifying match. In addition to this, Robinson had stated that if he can't beat The Pansexual Phenomenon he would leave Progress for good! High stakes indeed! And we were off to a quick start as Sexsmith attacked Robinson from behind during his entrance, an advantage which did not last long as he got back into it quickly and began pounding viciously on the crowd favourite. He would not be down for long though, coming back into it with a huge jumping DDT, before Mr Cocko made an appearance and the Crossface was locked in! Robinson however knew how to get out of it, and showed Jack what he thought of Mr Cocko by chewing it up and spitting it in his face to great heat from the crowd. After exchanging Destroyers, Sexsmith just would not stay down, withstanding every big move that was thrown at him, including a Curb Stomp and an OsCutter (a shoutout to Robinson's former tag partner, Will Ospreay). Robinson's crucial mistake came when he went for a second Curb Stomp, with Jack able to lock in the Crossface again, this time for the tap out victory! We have our second entrant into Super Strong Style 16! However post-match the mood changed from one of joy from waving goodbye to Robinson, to one of sadness as he got a mic and revealed that he has to step away from Progress for medical reasons. Due to a blood clotting condition that has been passed down through his family, he can no longer perform at the high standards he is so proud of. The Progress family immediately gave him a standing ovation as he made his way to the back. Thanks for everything Paul, you truly were the world's best dickhead. And so onto the main event where so much could possibly happen. British Strong Style took on Ringkampf, with every Progress title on the line! If any of Ringkampf beat Pete Dunne, there would be a new Progress Champion! If any of Ringkampf beat Tyler Bate or Trent Seven, there would be new Progress Tag Team Champions! The crowd was rabid for the start of this and we started off steady with Axel Dieter Jr showing off his offence which many have likened to Cesaro in WWE. In fact Ringkampf started so strongly, the champs were sent scurrying to the outside! It really broke down after British Strong Style were kicked off of the apron by the challengers though, the action spilling all over the Electric Ballroom. Back in the ring, things threatened to break down between the champions themselves after Tyler was pushed into the path of a huge Walter chop by Dunne. The action was unrelenting and picked up another notch when Timothy Thatcher made a hot tag to Dieter Jr, before Walter cleaned house with a huge double German suplex. After surviving a triple submission, the champions came back into it with Bate nailing one of the most insane deadlift German suplexes I've ever seen! The young man from Dudley has strength that rivals anyone in wrestling in my opinion. The finishing stretch saw a crazy triple Tombstone piledriver to Dieter Jr, before the champions picked up the cheap win when Dunne nailed Walter with the title belt when a sleeper was locked in on Seven. The champions retain again! Post-match the Ballroom again rose to its feet for a standing ovation to Axel Dieter Jr who will soon be off to the WWE Performance Centre in Orlando. An immensely talented guy, and one who will be missed not just at Progress but wherever he wrestles. So we finished with an absolutely crazy main event to end a show that while I feel lacked a little in quality, more than made up for in emotion. So, we move onto an exciting few weeks as Super Strong Style 16 draws ever closer! The draw is nearly complete, and it's looking spectacular! I'll be back soon with a special preview of the show, looking at all 16 entrants! This Is Progress!
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Steve DawsonPro graps fan for almost 25 years! Archives
June 2017
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