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PROGRESS WRESTLING REPORT
CHAPTER 31: ALL HAIL THE NEW PURITANS
Sunday 19th June 2016, The Ritz, Manchester
This show is now available to watch on Demand PROGRESS – www.demand-progress.com – or to buy on DVD from www.progresswrestling.com (UK) or www.highspots.com (US, coming soon).
Jim Smallman does his usual introductions, leading us to our first match.
Originally scheduled was a tag team match featuring Damo O'Connor and Joe Coffey against Rampage Brown and Michael Dante to score points in the ongoing Atlas Championship tournament. There is a fifteen minute time limit, and the winning team score 2 points each or – in the event of a draw – all four competitors score 1 point each.
O'Connor and Coffey make their entrances; and Rampage makes his. Dante's music plays but he never comes out. Mikey Whiplash's music plays and he announces that Dante isn't here and that he will be fighting on Dante's behalf.
ATLAS TOURNAMENT: DAMO O'CONNOR & JOE COFFEY vs. RAMPAGE BROWN & MIKEY WHIPLASH
Damo and Coffey – with previous experience of tagging together – clearly have the upper hand against the makeshift tandem of Rampage and Whiplash. Whiplash refuses to be tagged in, tags himself in, tags himself out. All sorts of shenanigans which don't seem to make sense; and only serve to annoy Rampage and give Damo/Coffey the upper hand.
Ultimately Whiplash leaves Rampage to take the fall, thus scoring no points for not only Rampage, but his “fallen brother” Dante.
WINNERS: DAMO O'CONNOR & JOE COFFEY
Group B standings:
Joe Coffey (2 matches, 3 points)
Michael Dante (2 matches, 2 points)
Damo O'Connor (2 matches, 2 points)
Rampage Brown (2 matches, 1 point)
DAMON MOSER vs. ZACK GIBSON (w/ NATHAN CRUZ)
Cast your mind back a year when The Faceless unmasked themselves, revealing Danny Garnell and Damon Moser, lead by Nathan Cruz. Garnell was quickly dumped from the group, and Moser soon followed him.
This match sees Moser finally trying to avenge those who wronged him, namely Nathan Cruz and the current members of The Origin. Before the match, Moser asks Jim Smallman for a match with Nathan Cruz, dependent on Moser being able to win tonight.
Gibson spends most of the match with the upper hand, but Moser scores a quick pinfall to get the victory and earn himself a match against Nathan Cruz.
WINNER: DAMON MOSER
After the match both Gibson and Cruz beat the holy hell out of Moser and leave him laying.
DAHLIA BLACK vs. POLLYANNA
After the tensions between these two – as well as Jack Sexsmith and TK Cooper – this match has a stipulation that if anyone interferes both women will be fired.
During the match Jinny attempts to interfere but Jim Smallman informs her that – if she does – she too will be fired. She begrudgingly leaves and Black and Pollyanna carry on their match. Both ladies get several near falls, but the finish saw Pollyanna dump Black over the top rope (in the corner), deliver a double stomp to her back – sending Black down into the corner – and hitting double knees to Black's back.
WINNER: POLLYANNA
PROGRESS TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: LONDON RIOTS (James Davis & Rob Lynch) (c) vs. THE DAZZLER TEAM (Darrell Allen & Earl Black Jr)
At the SSS16 weekender, the Riots finally won the tag shields, and the Dazzler Team earned themselves a shot. This was a long, back-and-forth, match with the Dazzlers using a more technical-oriented approach and the Riots tending to use more power-based moves.
Earl Black Jr has improved tremendously. Not that he was bad to begin with, but – during his earlier bouts – you could tell he was inexperienced and, perhaps, somewhat tentative. Teaming with a seasoned pro like Allen – who is also Black Jr's trainer – has seemingly boosted Black Jr's confidence and the two gel so well as a team.
Stereo submissions – Allen locking in his Allen-Key manoeuvre on Lynch whilst Black Jr had a submission on Davis – were thwarted when both Riots got to the ropes.
After some near falls, the Riots got the pin following a spear and retained the titles.
WINNERS: LONDON RIOTS
We open the second half of the show with a tag team contest.
PETE DUNNE & DAMIAN DUNNE vs. F.S.U. (Mark Andrews & Eddie Dennis)
FSU are the strong favourites going into this, following on from Andrews' spectacular showing at the SSS16 tournament. The Dunnes blind-sided FSU at the start of the match, which lead to the Dunnes being dumped outside and FSU hitting two double suicide dives. Andrews wanted to go for a third but Dennis decided against it; until Andrews pulled out a Rey Mysterio mask, Eddie became his alter-ego of “The World's Largest Luchador” Eddie Mysterio, and the team hit a third dive.
Whilst the Dunnes did have some moments off offence in this match, it always seemed to be headed towards an FSU victory and – after a Next Drop Driver from Eddie Dennis – is exactly what we got.
WINNERS: F.S.U.
Afterwards the Dunnes were upset, and Pete looked to be storming off alone but, ultimately, him and Damian left together.
MIKEY WHIPLASH vs. PASTOR WILLIAM EAVER
Competing in his scheduled match, Whiplash is back out to face the winner of the Natural Progression series, Pastor William Eaver. This was an absolute brawl, with the two grapplers taking it to each other all over the venue before finally returning to the ring.
Whiplash picked up the (somewhat) surprising victory, derailing a bit of Eaver's post-NPS momentum.
WINNER: MIKEY WHIPLASH
After a well-produced video package, our main event is underway.
PROGRESS TITLE MATCH: MARTY SCURLL (c) vs. CHRIS HERO
Hero vs. Villain for the PROGRESS World Title. The crowd was super hot for this before it even began and the energy levels stayed through.
This match was technical, stiff, vicious, funny in places. and damn entertaining. Scurll plays the role of the arrogant antagonist so well; you can't help but despise the man and desperately want to see him defeated. Even more so with him holding the title and, on many occasions in this match, it genuinely felt like Chris Hero was going to get the win.
Even though this was a great match, I do have to make a criticism of Hero's appearance. I want to take him more seriously but – when you see that he's hardly in great shape – it's hard to think of him as a world class athlete. Then again, wasn't that part of the reason that he left NXT?
Chris Hero missed a moonsault and Scurll capitalised, locking in his trademark Chickenwing as well as kicking Hero in the chest. Somehow, Hero made it to the ropes and broke out of Scurll's finishing move. Scurll hit Hero with a cradle piledriver, but Hero kicked out after just one. This lead to Scurll managing to lock in a second Chickenwing and Hero passing out.
WINNER: MARTY SCURLL
A hugely important victory for Scurll. Not only has he successfully defended his title in the States (against Will Ospreay) and in Italy (against Zack Gibson); but he's now defeated a legitimate world class contender in the form of Chris Hero.
Hero got a huge reaction from the crowd after the match, with an incredibly loud “THANK YOU HERO” chant followed by an equally loud “PLEASE COME BACK” chant. Hero cut a promo afterwards, putting over the fans, the promotion and his opponent.
Another great PROGRESS show as we head to Chapter 32.
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