PROGRESS Chapter 48: Bang the Drum
May 14th, 2017 | The Ritz in Manchester, England
PROGRESS returns with Chapter 48. It’s a post-South Pacific Power Trip world for me. Still, there’s a lot to be positive about. PROGRESS is gearing up for the Super Strong Style 16 Tournament and this, the final show before those, features two marquee matchups. The WWE UK Champion takes on the WWN Champion, while Pete Dunne defends the PROGRESS Title against his two biggest recent rivals, Mark Haskins and Mark Andrews.
We were treated to the typical Jim Smallman opening monologue. He’s newly vegetarian, if you didn’t know.
Super Strong Style 16 Qualifying Match: Flash Morgan Webster vs. James Drake
Last month, Drake jumped Webster after his match. Here, Webster turned the tables and attacked Drake before the bell. It was a good twist on Drake’s aggressive character change. He still showed that off, matching Webster’s fire. I thought Drake targeting the jaw was great since it’s not something we see too often. Drake got caught cheating, opening the door for Webster to score with a standing Shiranui for the win in 8:22. A hard hitting battle that got the show off to a hot start. I liked the jaw work, though it didn’t last long enough. I wonder where Drake goes from here, because his win streak didn’t even get him into the tournament. [***¼]
Jinny vs. Session Moth Martina
I saw Martina for the first time back at Old Man Yells at Cloud, and she’s quite fun. Jinny looked so done with Martina’s antics within seconds. Martina spit beer in her face, which didn’t help matters. They had a history, with commentary mentioning that Jinny always gets the better of her in singles competition. Martina’s antics were great, including drinking a beer while applying a modified hanging tarantula. Jinny overcame those things and won with a middle rope X-Factor at 6:38. It was mostly one-sided, with Jinny on her way to the Women’s Title Finals, but it was a hella entertaining one. [**½]
The London Riots vs. Sweet Jesus
Sweet Jesus consists of Pastor William Eaver and Chuck Mambo. Like Session Moth Martina, Mambo is a wacky character. He brought his brand of off-beat shenanigans to this. Lance Storm would not be amused. Eaver did some too, which is a far cry from the guy I saw beat the hell out of Sebastian a few chapters back. The coolest spot came when Eaver crucifix bombed Mambo onto the London Riots outside, only for them to catch him and powerbomb him on the apron. Sweet Jesus picked up the win at 17:10 with a crucifix bomb/blockbuster combo. I wasn’t a fan of a lot of the stuff done here and it took way too long. Put it closer to ten minutes and I think I’d be happier with it. [**]
Travis Banks vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Trent Seven
“Keep it 100” just isn’t the same without Dahlia Black and TK Cooper. Banks is awesome though. Considering Seven and his buddies jumped SPPT during Dahlia and TK’s farewell, it made sense when Banks dove out onto him during his entrance. He proceeded to beat Seven up around the arena before the bell even rang. That allowed the match to go at a crazy pace once it got started. They threw everything at one another, from stiff strikes to big offensive blows. Banks avoided a super piledriver with a Liger Bomb, and had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He survived a ripcord lariat and got to his feet instantly after a dragon suplex. Just when it looked like Travis had it, Seven rolled him up with a handful of tights for the win in 8:09. An insanely awesome sprint. They beat the hell out of each other in a match fitting what went down on Chapter 47. Seven is an excellent dick heel, while Banks has wowed as the fiery babyface, and it all came together masterfully here. [****¼]
Super Strong Style 16 Qualifying Match: Nathan Cruz vs. Spud
I appreciated commentary bringing up Spud’s awesome Hair vs. Hair match against EC3 in 2015. Cruz has been a strong heel for a while, but did some of his better work here. He abused Spud and Spud is one of the best at taking a beating. His hope spots got great reactions and he refused to quit. Spud kicked out of two “Show Stolens,” causing one man to chant “TNA”. It got drowned out with “This is PROGRESS” chants. They also chanted “You’re not Banter” at Cruz, who just basked in it before hitting a reverse Show Stolen. That got him the win at 10:36. This was good thanks to a simple, yet effective story and a hot crowd. I do think it was a bit too similar to the stuff Jack Sexsmith has done recently, though. [***]
PROGRESS Atlas Champion Matt Riddle vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Tyler Bate
Also, WWN Champion vs. WWE UK Champion. What a time to be alive. They traded showing off their titles, with Riddle getting the overwhelmingly more positive response. These two brought it, working at a fast pace and nailing all their signature stuff. Bate’s so cocky that he tried battling Riddle in the submissions department. To be fair, he did a good job holding his own there. Near the end, they just busted out their best shots. The Bro to Sleep and a standing SSP weren’t enough, but then Riddle countered the Tyler Driver ’97 into a triangle choke. The final stretch was bonkers. Riddle nearly locked in the Bromission, when Trent Seven ran in for the DQ at 13:37. This was awesome until the lame finish, though I do understand why they did it. Both guys are on the same side of the SS16 bracket, so maybe they rematch it there. This was two of the best right now just trading their best stuff and it was a blast. [***¾]
Riddle fought them off and sent them packing.
PROGRESS Championship: Pete Dunne (c) vs. Mark Andrews vs. Mark Haskins
Both men have come close to dethroning Dunne. The champion got this off to a hot start, jumping Haskins during his introduction. That set the tone for a match where the action pretty much never stopped. Some of the highlights included Dunne using the Regal stretch on Andrews, only for Haskins to break it up by putting him in an armbar and an awesome Stundog Millionaire. Haskins put the armbar on both opponents. Seven and Bate showed up to distract the referee, but Haskins took them out. He ate a low blow inside and Dunne hit the Bitter End on Andrews, dropping him on Haskins. A Pedigree later and it was over at 14:52. I wish BSS wouldn’t have gotten involved. They didn’t do much, but I think Dunne could’ve retained with the low blow, since it was no DQ, and not have to use his teammates. Still, the match was non-stop action and felt like the culmination of the story for these three. It was a fitting end. [***¾]
British Strong Style jumped the losers, until Matt Riddle ran in. He took a beating too. Dunne got on the microphone and said nobody could take the title from him. That led to “Travis Banks” chants. Unfamiliar music played and out came #CCK! Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos got a massive ovation and took out BSS to close the show.
Overall: 7.5/10. I can’t remember the last time PROGRESS had a bad show. They delivered yet again here, with a strong showing from pretty much everyone. Banks/Seven is one of the better sub-ten minute matches in recent memory, right up there with the highly regarded Ospreay/Riddle match from last year. The two main events are very good and the two qualifying matches also delivered in different ways. Throw in a fun women’s match and you’ve got a winning card.
PROGRESS Chapter 49: Super Strong Style 16 Night Three
May 29th, 2017 | Electric Ballroom in Camden, Greater London
Matt Riddle. Tyler Bate. Travis Banks. Zack Sabre Jr. Those four men remain in the Super Strong Style 16, which has been an excellent tournament thus far. Night two improved on night one and I could see night three continuing that trend. Not only will this show crown a winner, but Pete Dunne is also defending the PROGRESS Championship.
A video package highlighting the night two tournament matches opened the show. Jim Smallman gave us another fun (and at times emotional) opening promo.
Before the next match, Roy Johnson seemed to challenge the competitors to rap battles. David Starr went first and since he’s from Philadelphia, he did the Fresh Prince theme. He forgot the lyrics at one point, so Roy dispatched of him for that. Eaver didn’t do well, but Flash at least got off two bars. He said they weren’t friends, which apparently hurt Roy’s feelings. He wanted to end it there, but Andrews hopped on and made a short rap about HHH never calling Roy back. The reactions of everyone in the ring was priceless. Flamita then rapped the lyrics to the Macarena, since he doesn’t speak English. Watching Flash, Andrews and Eaver do the Macarena is must-see. Jimmy Havoc came out and ran them down before attacking with the chair. Jack Sexsmith came out in his sling to start the scramble match.
Wasteman Challenge Scramble: David Starr vs. Flamita vs. Flash Morgan Webster vs. Jack Sexsmith vs. Mark Andrews vs. Pastor William Eaver vs. Roy Johnson
When I watch a Scramble match, I want to see wild and wacky shit going down. That’s what we got here. The antics between Eaver and Starr were just as great here as when they were teammates on night two. Flamita had a highlight with a ridiculous corkscrew dive onto everyone outside. Sexsmith left to go commentary, but returned after Starr started hitting everyone with his “Jewish Cannon” (thrusting crotch shots to the face). He eagerly wanted the move done to him, only to bite the cannon. The final few minutes were wild and gave Flamita a chance to shine. He picked up the win via Flam Fly on Starr at 9:46. That was so much fun. Exactly what I wanted and everyone got some sort of highlight. You won’t find many matches more fun than this one. Also, props to Flamita for having a great weekend. [***½]
Super Strong Style 16 Semi-Finals: Travis Banks vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
In 2015, Sabre was the UK guy who broke out to me. In 2016, Ospreay and Scurll did the same. In 2017, it’s been Travis Banks, who I like more than the other three. These two aggressively beat the shit out of each right off the bat. It slowed a bit and Sabre went after Banks’ neck. The fans were rather split, but I’d say Banks had an edge there. Sabre’s submissions wore down Banks, but were never enough to put him away. He realized he had to dig deep and, after hitting a PK, busted out a Liger Bomb for a great near fall. Banks refused to give in and was prepared to go toe to toe with the Suzuki-Gun member in strikes. He fired up and nailed the Slice of Heaven. Knowing it wouldn’t be enough, he tried again, only to get caught in a triangle choke. Banks fought free and brutally stomped on Sabre’s head. Another Slice of Heaven and he advanced in 11:07. Travis Banks continues to deliver high quality matches, while Sabre was his usual self. Banks’ resiliency is carrying him through the tournament. Other guys have to bring everything in their arsenal to find anything to best him and it’s never enough. [****]
Super Strong Style 16 Semi-Finals: PROGRESS Atlas Champion Matt Riddle vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Tyler Bate
These two met at Bang the Drum (***¾) and it ended via DQ. Bate removed his boots to be even with the barefoot Riddle. It backfired quickly, when Riddle twisted at the foot in an awful looking position. They advanced from mat work to strikes and, at one point, hit each other with brutal forearms. Bate fell outside, but Riddle stayed on his feet. It was something he was used to. Bate took things back to the mat but Riddle got back into it when it moved back to kicks. Down the stretch, they traded big offense, with a highlight being a Gotch style Tombstone from Bate. Riddle popped up from two Germans, hit the Bro to Sleep and his own German, yet it wasn’t enough. In the end, Riddle escaped the Tyler Driver ’97 and hit the knockout knee, but Bate became the first person to kick out of it! Bate avoided a kick and hit two Tyler Drivers to win at 14:14. Another strong match in this tournament. Bate tried working Riddle’s style and got a bit overmatched at times, but overcame it. Riddle looked great, it felt different and Bate got a big win without the help of BSS. [***¾]
Number One Contender’s Match: Katey Harvey vs. Kay Lee Ray
I’ve never seen Harvey before, but I’ve caught Kay Lee Ray on Shine and SHIMMER. Champion Toni Storm was on guest commentary. She didn’t add much, showing none of the personality she brings to the ring. There was some early fun, with both women looking for identical cheap shots on several occasions. The ladies went back and forth, with neither gaining a clear advantage. Ray kept going for the Koji Clutch, while Harvey wanted the Billy Goat’s Curse. Neither woman would give in. When the submissions failed, they graduated to more impactful moves. Ray survived a Curb Stomp, before winning with a Gory Bomb at 12:20. I enjoyed this. They told a sensible story and things moved into a harder hitting match as it progressed. [***]
Toni Storm came to the ring for a faceoff with her first challenger. KLR slapped her and exited before a brawl broke out.
Submissions Match: Mark Haskins vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Trent Seven
After a somber promo, Seven charged at Haskins and was caught in a submission. The crowd counted down, hoping for another quick loss for Seven. Interestingly, this didn’t follow typical Submissions match tropes. There wasn’t a ton of mat work. It was far more physical and better for it, especially since Seven isn’t known for his submission ability. They fought up to the stage, where Jimmy Havoc did commentary. Havoc tried giving Haskins a chair, but Seven ended up using it on Havoc. Back to the ring, Havoc returned and accidentally leveled Haskins with a sick sounding Acid Rainmaker when Seven ducked. Seven took out Havoc and put a Sharpshooter on Haskins. Haskins was out cold, so it was over at 7:05. A different and fun match. I loved how it wasn’t traditional. The finish adds a bunch of intrigue going forward. I loved that Seven, not a submission specialist, found a way to win by being a dick. [***¼]
Jimmy Havoc took out his frustrations on Trent Seven, hitting him with a forearm and throwing the chair at him. Havoc then helped Haskins to the back.
PROGRESS World Championship: Pete Dunne (c) vs. Jeff Cobb
During Cobb’s introduction, Dunne hit him with a low blow. PETER, PETER YOU’RE A CUNT! Once the bell rang, he charged in and was met with a bunch of suplexes. That became the story of this match. Dunne trying to find every way possible to combat Cobb’s insane power. Dunne tried cheap tactics, mat wrestling and even his own power with an impressive Explex. The best spot might’ve been Cobb countering the Pedigree into a standing moonsault powerslam. Dunne countered the Tour of the Islands into a small package, then German suplexed Cobb into the turnbuckle and finished it with the Bitter End at 8:46. A fun sprint that told another logical story. Cobb is a monster, while Dunne is cunning and always finds a way to win. They played to that here and it worked. I dug how Dunne won cleanly too. No matter what tricks he tries, the dude is skilled and sometimes that’s enough. [***½]
Super Strong Style 16 Finals: Travis Banks vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Tyler Bate
There was such a big fight feel to this. Two of the top performers of 2017 thus far. Normally, I write up my match reviews while watching the match, but for this, I watched the entire thing and then went back to do this review. I love that the PROGRESS fans loathe British Strong Style. Too often are great heel wrestlers (like BSS) cheered for their talent. It added so much here, because the crowd was so pro-Banks and so anti-Bate. It made for an incredible atmosphere. They went at it and when a ref bump came, I worried. Instead of something cheap, we got something awesome. Dunne and Seven arrived and you just felt like Banks would get screwed. Banks’ buddies and recent PROGRESS additions, #CCK, made the save to a MONSTER pop. They hit some great offense and took BSS to the back, leaving it one on one. The back half of this match was nuts. Bate did things like a Gotch style Tombstone on the floor, only for Banks to fire up and forearm some chair shots away. Both guys brought their best, from Banks’ coast to coast dropkick to Bate bringing out the spiral tap. When Banks kicked out of the Tyler Driver ’97, the fans reacted perfectly. Bate looked for a super Tyler Driver, but Banks countered to an avalanche Kiwi Krusher! Bate somehow kicked out, only to get locked in the Lion Clutch and submit at 22:51. Incredible. They took fans on emotional roller coaster where everything worked, including the interference segment. I’m so glad it didn’t play into the finish either. The fans ate it all up. Travis Banks has arrived and he feels like the guy who should dethrone Pete Dunne. It’s insane how good Bate is, especially for his age, while Banks could be the top guy in the back half of 2017. I might be rating this higher than some, but I loved everything about it, except for an over reliance on kickout spots at times. [****¾]
Jim Smallman hugged Travis Banks and properly announced him as the Super Strong Style 16 winner. Banks gave an emotional speech and said he wants to main event at Alexandra Palace. Smallman granted it to him, so Banks will cash in his title at PROGRESS Chapter 55: Chase the Sun, in September.
Overall: 9.5/10. One of the best shows all year and probably my favorite PROGRESS event ever. That’s saying something, since I consider PROGRESS to be the best wrestling promotion around right now. Everything on this show ranges from good to great, with the tournament matches being the best and all delivering. The main event is a legitimate MOTY contender in my eyes. See this show. In fact, see the whole tournament. Better yet, just start following PROGRESS.
Pentagon Dark is back! He returned to Dario Cueto's office, looking for Black Lotus. Dario said she left to Hong Kong and hasn't been seen in months. He threatened to break Dario's arm, but Dario put him in the Cueto Cup. Pentagon said if he doesn't leave Ultima Lucha Tres with Aztec Gold, he'll leave broken bones behind
Cueto Cup First Round: The Mack vs. Mala Suerte
Suerte is a Rabbit Tribe member if you don't remember. Mack remains way over despite coming up short in his recent Lucha Underground Title match. I was surprised at the amount of offense Suerte got in. Mack has been booked well for a while now, while Suerte hasn't done much. There was also a surprising "holy shit" chant on a senton by Suerte. It was just one a few cool moves Suerte got in before falling to a pounce and Stunner at 7:29. Good way to start the tournament. I was impressed with Suerte and Mack continues to be entertaining. [***]
Backstage, Cage was working out with his new gauntlet. Dario came up to him and told him to thank Councilman Delgado. Cage didn't care to do so, but Dario said he should at least meet with him tonight.
Cueto Cup First Round: Argenis vs. Pentagon Dark
Pentagon came out firing and was aggressive. Despite that, Argenis got in a fair amount of offense, including a rather nice neckbreaker and ace crusher like move. Both got him near falls. Pentagon eventually righted the ship and won with a package piledriver at 5:34. It's good to have Pentagon back, but this was too competitive. Argenis is a nobody in Lucha Underground and Pentagon's return should've seen him run right through him. [**]
Pentagon Dark broke Argenis' arm after the match. This wasn't the first time that happened.
Cueto Cup First Round: Famous B w/ Brenda vs. Texano
Famous B said he wanted to represent Texano, not fight him. He hilariously dressed like a cowboy. Texano took the cover but pulled Famous B up and powerbombed him to win at 0:12. Not a match, but it advanced the angle well and Famous B is hella entertaining. [NR]
Brenda slapped Texano on the ass and he liked it.
A great video package aired, focused on Rey Mysterio and Johnny Mundo. There was great voiceover work Michael Schiavello as both men trained for their title match. Though it's a match I saw on Smackdown in 2009, I love how they're making it seem like a big deal.
Cueto Cup First Round: Aerostar vs. Drago w/ Kobra Moon
These two are 3-3 against each other in Lucha Underground. However, this is the first to feature heel Drago (decked out in red). It's personal after Drago turned on Aerostar and Fenix last week. This wasn't worked like the 7th match in a series and that was good and bad. Bad because Aerostar was hesitant at times to attack his friend, and good because it told the story it needed to. Their exchanges were still crisp and there was a feeling of knowing each other well. Aerostar tried using the Whip of the Dragon (Drago's move) to win, but Drago got out and won with it himself at 7:18. Not a patch on their best work, but it wasn't supposed to be. It advanced the story and was entertaining. [***]
Post match, Kobra Moon gave instructions to Drago to destroy Aerostar, so he attacked.
In the final scene, Cage met with Councilman Delgado at City Hall. Delgado said the gauntlet is working and soon, their work can begin. Cage said he doesn't work for Delgado. He choked Delgado and slammed him to the wall. Delgado said he's thinking like a man, causing Cage to PUNCH HIM SO HARD HIS HEAD EXPLODED! LORENZO LAMAS IS DEAD! Cage said he's not a man, he's a machine, and walked out. He even stepped on Delgado's eye on the way out. WHAT THE FUCK?
Overall: 6.5/10. A solid hour of TV. Even on nights like this, where the in-ring action isn't special, Lucha Underground delivers the entertainment. Pentagon is back, the Rey/Mundo video package ruled, the Cueto Cup is underway and CAGE KILLED A MAN! With better stuff in the ring, this would've ranked higher.
Want to watch Lucha Underground, Raw and Smackdown and don't have cable? Try signing up for Fubo.tv. Stream USA, El Rey, NBA TV, SyFy and many other channels by getting Fubo.tv right here!
PROGRESS Chapter 49: Super Strong Style 16 Night Two
May 28th, 2017 | Electric Ballroom in Camden, Greater London
The Super Strong Style 16 tournament continues on night two, but that’s not all. PROGRESS and WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne competes on this show. Also, another tournament comes to a head when the first ever PROGRESS Women’s Champion is crowned.
We got the standard Jim Smallman show opening stuff.
Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews vs. The London Riots
The Andrews/Webster pairing makes up a very popular team. The London Riots are a regular team, which they showed with several tandem moves. They also cut the ring in half, wearing down the smaller Andrews. When Andrews and Webster got the chance, they showcased their chemistry and hit some fun offense of their own. The London Riots tried ending things early, but “Team Attack” was resilient and responded. Rob ran into the post, leaving Davis alone to get hit with Stundog Millionaire. Flash followed with his own move and Andrews nailed the SSP to win at 8:49. A fun way to start the show. I’d like to see Flash and Andrews as a more consistent team. I like them both, but don’t care to see them with singles gold, so a tag run could be good. The Riots continued their losing streak in another strong effort. [***]
James Davis nearly walked out without his partner, but went back to check on Lynch anyway.
Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: Mark Haskins vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Tyler Bate
Bate’s gotten involved in some of Haskins’ chances at winning the PROGRESS Title on recent chapters. Though there’s animosity there, they did a lot of grappling. Typically Haskins’ strength, it was Bate who held serve, continuing to show growth in singles competition. Haskins rallied and busted out Emerald Flowsion, which I’ll always pop for. The physicality ramped up by this point. Haskins excellently countered the airplane spin into a Sharpshooter. Pete Dunne arrived and pulled out the referee. Jimmy Havoc, who was a guest on commentary, came to ringside to even the odds. Dunne pulled the ref to the back with him and Trent Seven jumped in the ring to hit Haskins with a piledriver. The referee returned and counted the three at 15:16. Very good match. People may not like the interference, but Bate hasn’t done a ton in singles matches in PROGRESS, while Haskins is a former champion, so the help made sense. Before the run-ins, they built towards some hard hitting stuff that ruled and everything made sense. [***½]
Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: Jack Sexsmith vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Sexsmith came out with his arm in a sling and said there’s a tear in his bicep. He was advised not to compete and apologized to the crowd. His apology is because he’s going against doctor’s wishes and will compete. Jack did all he could to try and steal this, but he was literally a one-armed man in an ass kicking contest. He threw all the slaps and everything he could, yet he stood no chance. Sabre applied a half crab to mercifully win at 4:00. Fine storytelling, as Sexsmith wouldn’t quit regardless of his injury. As good as they could’ve done with the circumstances. [**]
Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: Jeff Cobb vs. PROGRESS Atlas Champion Matt Riddle
This is the kind of match you’d expect to be for the Atlas Title. Their WWN Title match in Evolve was a blast, but short (***½ and 6:21). They also compete as a team, known as the Chosen Bros. I loved that Riddle went for the knockout knee again, only for Cobb to have it scouted. The partners were playful, with Riddle slapping Cobb on the ass after getting the advantage. Riddle also impressed with rolling gutwrench suplexes, so Cobb showed him how it’s really done. From there, they traded big blows in an awesome display. Cobb survived a Bro to Sleep and German, while Riddle barely kicked out of a Tombstone. Riddle hit a flurry of strikes and a Tombstone of his own for a goddamn one count. There was Riddle hitting a series of fisherman busters and it not being enough. Cobb busted out a fucking Destroyer and then an absurd popup German and that still didn’t get it done. Riddle escaped the Tour of the Islands and advanced with the brutal knee strike at 13:39. That fucking ruled. Two dudes who knew a lot about the other just throwing bombs to overcome each other. Riddle was resilient and used his established deadly knee to combat his larger opponent. Match of the tournament so far. [****¼]
Super Strong Style 16 Quarterfinals: Flamita vs. Travis Banks
A first-time ever match can sometimes come off awkwardly. I thought this might go that route after an early slip-up, but that wasn’t the case. The rest of the match was smooth. Banks brought stiff kicks, but Flamita’s spent a lot of time in Dragon Gate, so he’s used to that and dared Banks to bring more. This was similar to the last match in that it was two guys throwing everything at each other to try and advance. It went at a quicker pace though, with Flamita showing why he’s a top high flyer and Banks showing his versatility. Flamita’s muscle buster lung blower is insanely good. He missed a 450, only to land on his feet and then kick out of the Kiwi Krusher! There was a great spot where Banks countered Flam Fly into a pin. Flamita looked on the verge of an upset, but Banks avoided a 450 splash. He quickly locked in the Lion Clutch and Flamita tapped at 12:50. I might be going high, but I loved this. Banks keeps having Slice of Heaven countered, so he digs deep and finds something else. Just a fantastic back and forth match from two great wrestlers trying to win a tournament. Sometimes, that’s all you need. [****]
British Strong Style (PROGRESS and WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne and PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Trent Seven) vs. David Starr and Pastor William Eaver
Always good to see Pete Dunne, who is having a 2017 to rival guys like Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada. Lots of chants for Seven losing in six seconds (I counted nine) on night one. That included “He’s Just a Sixy Boy” sung to the tune of Shawn Michaels’ theme. They even teased him losing quickly again, only for Dunne to break up the pin. The antics throughout this were highly entertaining. I don’t know why, but there was no commentary for this match. Maybe it was so we could hear the wrestlers and fans clearer. I enjoyed the chemistry between Eaver and Starr and, like the Andrews/Flash combo, would enjoy them as a regular team, especially given their gimmicks. In the end, Seven used a spinning piledriver on Starr to win in 12:03. Like I said, this was fun and not meant to be taken too seriously. [***]
Natural Progression Series IV Finals for the PROGRESS Women’s Championship: Jinny vs. Laura Di Matteo vs. Toni Storm
The Women’s Title looks great. Jinny and Di Matteo have a history, with Laura being Jinny’s personal assistant and it was hell. The three women traded a bunch of flash pins from the opening bell, before Di Matteo and Jinny got into it, hockey fight style. Jinny controlling most of the match was smart, as it allowed for Di Matteo to take a beating with a few hope spots and for Storm to pop in with power offense. Di Matteo and Storm both had high impact spots in the crowd that got a pop. Jinny was great at drawing heat throughout, from talking smack to posing with the title to using it as a weapon. The fight went to the stage, where Storm hit a piledriver on Jinny and Di Matteo took out Storm with a tornado DDT. Back inside, each girl came close to winning and Jinny crawled back inside. She nearly hit the Acid Rainmaker but Storm countered, hit a headbutt and won with another piledriver at 18:43. Great main event. They worked it wisely and kept the action going. Storm brought big offense, Di Matteo was the underdog, who also wanted revenge on Jinny and Jinny was the star. She held things together with great heel work throughout. I’d have had her win as a PROGRESS original, but I understand Storm as champion since she’s the biggest star. Second best women’s match I’ve seen all year. [***¾]
Overall: 8.5/10. An improvement on night one and one hell of a top to bottom show. Everything cracks at least three stars except the Sexsmith match, which couldn’t be helped. Flamita/Banks and especially Riddle/Cobb are must-see matches. The main event rules too, with the women putting on one hell of a performance. A highly entertaining show with PROGRESS continuing to be my favorite wrestling promotion right now.
PROGRESS Chapter 49: Super Strong Style 16 Night One
May 27th, 2017 | Electric Ballroom in Camden, Greater London
I started following PROGRESS consistently near the end of last year. I missed this tournament, but other than the G1 Climax, it was my most anticipated of 2017. If you missed the way they came up with the brackets, check it out. They took two people who didn’t know a thing about wrestling and used them for it. One guy drew up images of what he thought the competitors looked like based purely off their names and the other guy matched them up. Completely wild and random and I loved it.
The show began with Jim Smallman doing his usual introduction. However, he added a special shout to some victims in the Manchester bombings, which got a standing ovation that made him quite emotional.
Super Strong Style 16 First Round: Jeff Cobb vs. Nathan Cruz
I believe this is the PROGRESS debut of Cobb. Cruz quickly noticed he was overmatched, so he tried different tactics. He went up top, but that failed, so he sent Cobb into the ring post and looked for a countout. When that didn’t work, Cobb got to showcase his awesome power for the PROGRESS faithful. Cobb got way over with it, though I’m sure a lot of people have enjoyed him in other promotions, specifically Lucha Underground. It was interesting to see the heel, Cruz, have to make the comeback. Cobb proved to be too much though, and won after a popup German and Tour of the Islands at 9:40. Cruz matches sometimes go too long, but this was given the right amount of time. It was right in Cobb’s wheelhouse and was a solid opener. It did the job of showcasing Cobb. [**¾]
Super Strong Style 16 First Round: Flash Morgan Webster vs. Mark Haskins
These guys returned together at Chapter 43 to oppose British Strong Style. Though they’re friends, Haskins went after Webster’s ankle, which is why he was out for most of 2016. It showed how badly Haskins wants another title shot. Each time Webster seemed to get something going, Haskins had an answer. He twisted and stretched Webster in horrible ways, looking like a man possessed at times. Haskins dominated for the most part and rolled Webster into a Sharpshooter, with a deep wrench, to win at 9:19. I loved how this started and the finish. Haskins going after the leg was great and the extra torque on the Sharpshooter was fantastic. However, some of the leg work got lost in the middle and Webster kept using his legs for the bicycle knee. Still, this was good. [***]
Post-match, Webster was pissed about Mark targeting the leg and they argued. They shoved one another before making up.
Super Strong Style 16 First Round: Jimmy Havoc vs. Travis Banks
Both guys losing their themes made me sad. The fans were split as Banks is red-hot and Havoc is a PROGRESS legend. That atmosphere added to things and made the match feel like the most special thing so far. The mat work that started the match quickly transitioned to brawling, with each guy showing they can hang in the wheelhouse of their opponent. Havoc brought out some big offense, including a Destroyer and middle rope rana, looking to keep his spot from the up and comers in PROGRESS. Near the end, they started throwing bombs and it led to an awesome finish. Banks blocked the Acid Rainmaker and just murdered Havoc with nonstop kicks, before advancing with the Kiwi Krusher in 10:34. This ruled. The atmosphere was great, but I loved how they played to their strengths and tested one another. It felt like Havoc was fighting for his spot, while Banks continues to break out. [***¾]
Super Strong Style 16 First Round: David Starr vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
We got a lot of mat wrestling in the early stages on this one. Sabre’s known as a specialist there, but Starr more than held his own and frustrated Sabre. That led to aggression (a trait we’ve seen a lot lately) from Sabre, as he fired up and worked the arm. Starr sold the arm well as he came back with his own fiery flurry. At one point, Sabre caught him in an awesome jumping triangle choke, only for Starr to power out and counter with a deadlift powerbomb lung blower. Starr also hit an apron DDT and brainbuster on his knee, but Sabre continued to kick out. Sabre locked in Ode to Breaks and added brutal kicks to the head to take home the win at 12:24. I dug this. Sabre viciously went after the arm and Starr sold the hell out of it. His rally attempts were great, as the crowd was firmly behind him. Starr threw everything he could at Sabre, but couldn’t hit the big German, mostly due to the arm. Sabre was just too much for him. [***¾]
Super Strong Style 16 First Round: Jack Sexsmith vs. Zack Gibson
At Old Man Yells at Cloud back in February, these two had a ***½ match. Gibson opened with his typical dick promo, so Sexsmith ran and stomped the fuck out of him. Gibson got to his feet and the bell officially rang. Like Cruz having to fight from behind in the opener, this was a twist on something we typically see. Gibson still turned things around quickly, only for Sexsmith to use the crowd to fire himself up. Sexsmith applied the Crippler Cockface, but it wasn’t enough. It made people wonder if he could continue his dream run. There was a great moment where he nearly got counted out, only for the fans to physically put him back in the ring. Sexsmith managed to pull Gibson into a small package to win at 14:20. The fans eat up everything Sexsmith does, but I’m just not fully sold on him. This was a good match that continued the Sexsmith story and the crowd helped. I preferred their February outing by a hair. [***¼]
Super Strong Style 16 First Round: Pastor William Eaver vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Tyler Bate
It’s been one week since Bate lost the WWE UK Title in my current MOTY. The crowd started by singing “Personal Jesus” to Eaver. After some back and forth, Tyler mocked the crucifixion (complete with Benoit throat cut taunt), leading to him getting his ass kicked. Eaver nailed a plancha and went for a crucifix bomb, but Tyler slipped free. He went into a flurry of offense, capped with the Tyler Driver ’97 to win in 6:32. A surprisingly dominant effort from Bate. Commentary mentioned he had success elsewhere, but never took off as a singles guy in PROGRESS. That changed here. It was short, sweet and to the point. [**½]
Super Strong Style 16 First Round: Flamita vs. Mark Andrews
I’ve seen Flamita over in Dragon Gate and for those who don’t know, he’s in the conversation for best high flyer in the world. I’d put him behind Ricochet, but ahead of Will Ospreay. Andrews is up there too. There was some unexpected mat work focusing on the legs early, but it didn’t last long. It was a bit out of place, but I understood trying it against an aerial opponent. They built up to the high flying stuff and when they got there, it truly picked up. Andrews landed on his feet on an absurd springboard avalanche Frankensteiner in one wild spot. Flamita got his knees up on an Andrews 450, but then got hit with Stundog Millionaire. Andrews would run into Flam Fly to lose at 13:49 though. Great back and forth action. You could never tell who was going to win, thanks to how evenly this was played.[***½]
Super Strong Style 16 First Round: PROGRESS Atlas Champion Matt Riddle vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Trent Seven
These two had an awesome match at PROGRESS: Orlando (****¼). The crowd sang for Riddle before the match and kept doing it when Trent tried cutting a promo. Seven brought up his WWE contract and how he’s colleagues with Brock Lesnar, who Riddle wants to retire. Trent called Riddle a pussy and said he couldn’t cut in WWE or UFC. The bell rang and Trent charged into a knee strike that ended it in 0:09! Jim Smallman announced it as Riddle winning via knocking Trent Seven the fuck out! As a match, I can’t rate this, but it was a great way to end the show. It showed that Riddle can win at any time and Seven got what was coming to him. [NR]
Overall: 7/10. A good way to start the tournament. None of the matches are bad and they all deliver something different. The opener was a strong way to introduce Jeff Cobb, while Webster and Haskins had a good match. I was surprised that Bate didn’t get a long match, but that worked out for him. They successfully continued the story of Jack Sexsmith and got Flamita a big upset win. Banks/Havoc and Starr/Sabre were the best things on the show, as was the unexpected awesome moment that was the main event.
NJPW Dominion
June 11th, 2017 | Osaka Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan | Attendance: 11,756
So here it is. Wrestle Kingdom 11 2.0. Gedo booked his second biggest show to be a near carbon-copy of the biggest show of the year. I’ve made my thoughts clear on this booking strategy, so no point in going further into it. I dislike it, most people let it slide. It’s done. This show features the biggest names in New Japan in some big matches, setting the stage for the upcoming G1 Climax.
David Finlay, Syota Umino and Tomoyuki Oka vs. Hirai Kawato, Katsuya Kitamura and Tetsuhiro Yagi
David Finlay seemed to enjoy playing the older brother of sorts to the new crop of young lions. Commentary tried putting over how he’s grown in 2017, but he had a much better 2016. Umino and Yagi, the most unknown lions, went to war at the start, getting a chance to showcase themselves. Finlay got some shine but again, the highlight was Oka vs. Kitamura. Yagi nearly upset Finlay with the crab, but it was broken up. Finlay eventually hit him with the Stunner to win at 7:37. Fun little pre-show stuff here. The lions brought it and Finlay fit right in. [**½]
Post-match, wild man Hirai Kawato went after David Finlay and they brawled.
Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi and TenKoji vs. Tiger Mask IV, Tiger Mask W, Togi Makabe and Yuji Nagata
It’s Tiger Mask W and all the dads. I’ll never get over how weird Kota Ibushi is. Dude was on the verge of being a massive star a few years ago and now he’s an anime character. And I don’t think he’d want it any other way. This was your typical NJPW multi-man tag. Everyone got their signature stuff in, Tiger Mask W was fun and the match moved along briskly. Makabe had some awkward moments, including not getting in position for a Nakanishi spear, which got a chuckle from the crowd. It was Togi who picked up the win with the King Kong Knee Drop on Nakanishi at 7:01. Like I said, this was fine. [**½]
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship Gauntlet Match: BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA (c) vs. Bad Luck Fale, Hangman Page and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Juice Robinson, Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano and YOSHI-HASHI
It’s the first of our “this basically happened at Wrestle Kingdom” matches. This gauntlet is bigger though. The Bullet Club trio (and the lovely Tokyo Latina) started against the CHAOS guys. It was basically every Bullet Club/CHAOS battle ever. It moved quickly, YOSHI got isolated and Yano was Yano. Speaking of, it was Yano who rolled up Yujiro to steal it at 6:01. Next in was the Suzuki-Gun guys. Imagine not booking El Desperado on this show after his run in the BOTSJ. Yano was no match for Sabre, who beat him in 0:43 by wrapping him in a pin. Taguchi Japan was next. When they did their series of corner attacks, they added a baseball parody trick to them. Suzuki-Gun tried cheating a bunch, but it was never enough. Juice won via Pulp Friction at around 4:53. Sabre slapped him in a submission just before our final entrants, LIDJ, came out. They took advantage, but Taguchi Japan are a resilient group. Ricochet was his usual great self, but nearly got injured trying to add a powerbomb to a tower of doom spot. In the end, BUSHI hit MX on Taguchi to retain at a grand total of 18:39. I enjoyed this a bit more than the WK one. Sabre looked great, nothing overstayed its welcome and everyone played their roles. I’m glad the titles didn’t change hands either. [***¼]
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Roppongi Vice (c) vs. The Young Bucks
RPG Vice took the titles from the Bucks at WK11, lost them to Suzuki-Gun, won them back and then inexplicably challenged the Bucks again. Their WK match was better than expected. The Bucks had a smart game plan, taking Rocky Romero out and isolating Beretta. That made for good TV, because Beretta has been one of the best tag babyfaces in 2017. From NJPW matches to a particularly great tag in PWG. Just when he was about to make the tag, Romero was taken out again by a powerbomb on the ramp. Beretta survived a ton and when Rocky came in, he was nearly just as good. From firing up to hope spots, he did great. In a nice twist, the Bucks won via Sharpshooter in 14:14. It was a great way to play off the back work on Rocky and I appreciate that the Bucks (who I’ve called one-dimensional on multiple occasions) worked a different style of match. My biggest gripe is the title switch. Like every Jr. Tag Title switch since I started watching NJPW, it was just there for the sake of it and meant nothing. Anyway, I’ll take logically worked tag match Bucks over their typical stuff any day. [***½]
IWGP Tag Team Championship: War Machine (c) vs. The Guerrillas of Destiny
War Machine has been great and a breath of fresh air in the dreadful heavyweight tag division. This was structured so strangely. GOD jumped War Machine before the bell and then dominated at times. If I’m booking War Machine, that’s not the route I go. When War Machine was in control and doing their thing, the match was fine. If GOD was on offense, the match suffered. Especially whenever Tanga Roa did anything. Tama Tonga had the best moment, countering a popup double team move with the Gun Stun. A ref bump, chair shot and Guerrilla Warfare gave us another title switch at 10:43. A few fun moments in this sprint, but it was structured in a way that killed things. The finish was lame too. It’s hard to get invested in Gedo’s tag matches when the booking is largely the same. [**¼]
Cody Rhodes vs. Michael Elgin
Hey, it’s Cody Rhodes against a fellow gaijin. So, like Wrestle Kingdom again. As a fan of Cody, it’s painful to know how lackluster his post-WWE run has been, especially in NJPW. I wonder if there’s an issue with the language, since Cody hasn’t worked anyone but gaijins. Cody got in control and did a lot of posing in between offense. It led to a great moment where Elgin mocked him. Elgin tossed Cody around with ease, but I thought Cody showing his power by lifting Elgin a few times was great. I’m not sure why, but Cody’s moonsault looked off tonight. It’s usually almost Angle levels of perfect. Cody must’ve watched Naito against Elgin, because he similarly went after the knee. The finish was wisely done. Cody slipped free of the deadlift superplex, kicked Elgin’s leg and hit the Cross Rhodes at 11:53. Certainly the best work of Cody’s NJPW run. The leg work was smart and they drew the crowd in. [***]
After the match, Cody told the English commentary team that he was coming for Daniels and the ROH Title, but also made sure to call out Okada.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. ROH World Television Champion KUSHIDA
It’s another WK rematch. On that night, Hiromu took the title from KUSHIDA (****¼) and then Hiromu squashed him in under two minutes at Sakura Genesis. Hiromu (2017’s wrestler of the year) got a Rey Mysterio like “JUMPING OUT THE SKY) entrance. Hiromu’s in KUSHIDA’s head and that was kind of the story here. His antics made KUSHIDA aggressive, which pulled KUSHIDA into his style. From battling with strikes to a Sabu like springboard dropkick off a chair, KUSHIDA was ready to get just as wild as the champion. KUSHIDA targeted the arm, because though he has a new finisher, he still utilizes the Hoverboard Lock. They went at a crazy pace with some awesome spots throughout. KUSHIDA took a particularly nasty bump on the sunset flip bomb. KUSHIDA hit a super Back to the Future, like he did against Ospreay, but was too hurt to cover. That led to a great battle of strikes, before KUSHIDA stomped on Hiromu’s head a bunch. That drew boos, most likely since LIDJ is so over in Osaka. A wicked twist on the Hoverboard Lock made Hiromu tap at 19:12. Better than their WK outing. I hate that Hiromu lost, because it seems like his entire (incredible) run was just to put KUSHIDA over even more. That being said, it was a great story. Hiromu broke him in every single way and he had to dig way deep to overcome him. KUSHIDA did things he usually doesn’t do, bending the rules just enough in order to win. Hiromu’s WOTY resume continues growing. [****½]
Post-match, Hiromu seemed to motion for a rematch. KUSHIDA got on the microphone and gave a speech. BUSHI interrupted to mist him and set up the next challenger. Again, my main issue with Gedo’s booking is that it’s so repetitive. He just HAS to continue the LIDJ/Taguchi Japan stuff, so that means KUSHIDA/BUSHI for the fifth or sixth time in two years. I love both guys, but it’s too much. Shit, give KUSHIDA a friendly rivalry for a bit. He could still be part of the LIDJ/TJ matches, while setting up a tiebreaker with Ricochet.
NEVER Openweight Championship Lumberjack Death Match: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Hirooki Goto
It’s the rare, non-WK rematch on this card. Unfortunately, it features the most underwhelming rivalry of 2017. TAKA, El Desperado, Kanemaru and Sabre were the Suzuki-Gun lumberjacks, while Goto had Jado, Ishii, Yano and YOSHI. Nothing of real note happened until Minoru antagonized Jushin Liger on commentary. Liger threw a chair at him and it instantly made me wish Liger was in this match instead of Goto. He showed more fire. There was just no sense of urgency from the challenger. Then, in a match designed to combat interference, they still found a way to include a ref bump and Suzuki-Gun nonsense. That included Taichi randomly showing up and pulling the referee out when Goto had it won. Suzuki hit the Gotch piledriver shortly after and won at 16:00. I hated that. It was rather hard hitting but lacked anything to make me care. The CHAOS/Suzuki-Gun feud has been awful. [*½]
After the match, they teased YOSHI-HASHI as Minoru’s next challenger. That should be fine, but I wish it was Liger.
IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Ah, another WK rematch. At least this one was my MOTN (****½) in the Dome. On that night, Naito finally got his big Tokyo Dome victory. Like KUSHIDA earlier, Tanahashi got booed a bit when he jumped Naito before the bell. Throwing the IC Title in front of him was too much for Tana. Tanahashi’s wrapped arm (he partially tore his bicep) became a target, giving a nice change of pace from recent Naito outings. Of course, Tanahashi combated it by going after Naito’s leg. Some of Tanahashi’s bumps didn’t come off too well, but I chalk that up to his legitimate injury. However, he gets props for how everything he did felt desperate. Like he knew a loss here would not only cement the end of the IC Title, but his time near the top. High Fly Flow wasn’t enough, so Tanahashi went to the Cloverleaf to make Naito tap at 25:56. A high quality match, but not on par with their WK11 match. It lacked some of the drama from that one, but was possibly more intense. The finish was interesting. I like that it made the leg stuff count and it showed the Cloverleaf isn’t just a rest hold for Tana, but felt a bit anti-climactic. At least this frees up Naito to win the G1. Hopefully. [****]
IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Kenny Omega
Their WK match got the infamous six stars from Dave Meltzer, but I wouldn’t call it the best match of either man’s 2017 or even the best match at WK11. You could see where this was going from the start. It was paced slower than the first match for a reason. I do like how commentary noted that more people praised Omega for the WK match. Okada’s title reign has been him trying to prove himself against everyone, so that must eat him up. Omega went after the leg and viciously attacked it. Leg work in main events are a bit tired (thanks Tanahashi). It was going well, but then they forgot about that work so they could move into bigger spots. However, they at least gave a lot of selling to each big bump, helping to draw out the match. They called back to their first match, with Okada using a table. I dug the spot where he took Omega’s gun taunt into a Rainmaker spot. The best part was Omega finally hitting the One Winged Angel, only for Okada to get his foot on the ropes. A move nobody kicks out of, so it made for a great near fall. Actually, the highlight might’ve been Omega avoiding a Rainmaker simply by falling under it from exhaustion. Time expired at 60:00 after a Rainmaker, leading to a draw. Another great match from these two, but not GOAT status. My major gripe with their first match was how the first 15 or so minutes could’ve been cut out and you’d miss nothing. Here, that wasn’t exactly the case, but they threw the leg work out the window so they could get their good shit in down the stretch. There were parts I loved (Omega avoiding the Rainmaker, the One Winged Angel spot, calling back to the first match) and I must commend them for going at the pace they did for so long. It was even more impressive in that aspect than the first match. Ignoring the first chunk of the work and overdoing it on the Rainmaker/V-Trigger stuff was too much to make this an absolute classic, though. I also don’t like the draw finish. They’ve been telling this story of Okada overdoing himself and getting worn down so Omega could beat him and he still couldn’t get it done. Like the WK match, it has flaws, but it still a great main event. [****¼]
Overall: 7.5/10. Very much like Wrestle Kingdom 11, though not quite as good. I do feel that the main event was about even with the WK11 one and some things were honestly improvements (Cody’s match and the Jr. Title match). However, a few things under delivered (IC Title match, though still great, Tag Titles and NEVER Title). In fact, the NEVER Title match was a total travesty. The big matches were mostly great, most of the undercard was solid and a few matches took away from this being a memorable show.
