Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
PROGRESS Wrestling presented their final show of 2016, "Chapter 41: Unboxing Live!" on December 30th at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London. The card was kept as a mystery before the show, much like PWG's "Mystery Vortex" shows and most of SHIMMER's shows, and proved to be quite eventful.
1: F.S.U. (Eddie Dennis & Mark Andrews) & Nixon Newell defeated the South Pacific Power Trip (Dahlia Black, TK Cooper & Travis Banks) - A high energy, fun opening match, with the fans solidly behind the Welsh trio of Andrews, Dennis and Newell. After various dives and great combo moves, a funny moment came when everyone paired off into forced kiss spots, which given there were only two women meant that Mark Andrews and Travis Banks ended up kissing, which got a big pop. Newell got the win for her team by hitting the Shiniest Wizard on Black.
2: Toni Storm defeated Kay Lee Ray - These two are familiar opponents, having wrestled all over the UK, and against each other in Japan for STARDOM. Kay Lee Ray used punishing offence to try and keep Storm down, but Storm battled back with various suplexes and a Muscle Buster into a bridging pin. KLR locked on a guillotine choke, but Storm powered out into a brainbuster, and won the match with a Piledriver. The match streamed live on PROGRESS' Facebook page, and is available there to watch now as an archive video.
Before the third match, "Bodyguy" Roy Johnson, one of the wrestlers entered into the upcoming WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, issued his Wasteman Challenge, where anyone can either wrestle him, or engage in a rap battle with him. The challenge was accepted by the returning Mad Man Manson, who retired from wrestling in 2014. The segment is better viewed than explained, but it led to Johnson burning Manson with verses that led into his version of "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, with Manson responding by miming hilariously to "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham, inspired by the recent passing of George Michael. All the fans in attendance enjoyed it, and it'll come as great comic relief when you watch it on Demand PROGRESS.
3: British Strong Style (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) defeated The London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch) and The Leaders of the New School (Marty Scurll & Zack Sabre Jr.) in a Triple Threat Match to win the vacated PROGRESS Tag Team Championship - The titles were held up due to Pete Dunne passing his share of the titles over to Tyler Bate without permission from PROGRESS Management, so PROGRESS stripped British Strong Style of the titles, but allowed them to be in the match to determine the new champions. Marty Scurll literally "unboxed" Zack Sabre Jr. as his partner by revealing him coming out of a backstage crate. The match was initially comedic, but eventually chaotic, including dives from everyone, including Big Rob Lynch onto everyone involved in the match. The Riots hit Sabre Jr. with the GBH, but British Strong Style took advantage, with Seven hitting a Piledriver on Sabre Jr. and Bate hitting him with a Tenzan Tombstone Driver to win the titles, earning Seven his second PROGRESS Tag Team Title, becoming the first to win them with two different partners (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate).
4: Pete Dunne defeated Fabian Aichner to retain the PROGRESS Championship - Dunne spoke before the match about how he would leave PROGRESS and take the championship with him to the WWE, so Fabian Aichner, who had experience with the WWE in the Cruiserweight Classic, was booked to challenge him for the title. Aichner looked impressive once again, getting great height on a springboard dive to the outside, but he missed a moonsault, and Dunne hit the Drop Dead to retain his title. Afterwards, Dunne told everyone that in 2017 they could see him "on the Network".
5: Pastor William Eaver & Sebastian defeated Sex On The Beach (Chuck Mambo & Jack Sexsmith) - Sebastian demanded that Eaver take out his best friend Mambo, and at the start Eaver outright refused. As the match went on, Eaver started to fall in line, although at one point, Sexsmith gave Sebastian a bare-cheeked Stinkface which resulted in Sebastian getting something resembling faeces on his face. Sexsmith got injured outside the ring, leaving Mambo alone with Eaver and Sebastian, and after initial hesitation, Eaver lariated Mambo twice for the win.
6: Jimmy Havoc defeated Will Ospreay - A complete role-reversal from their prior battles in PROGRESS, with the fans completely behind Havoc and against Ospreay. Will targeted Havoc's bad knee, to the point that he had Havoc in the Cheeky Nando's position, and instead kicked the knee. Ospreay focused most of his offence on Havoc's surgically repaired knee, but Havoc battled back, eventually putting Ospreay down with the Acid Rainmaker to the delight of the fans, in a match every bit as good as their previous PROGRESS matches.
After the match, Havoc apologised to Ospreay for all the evil things he had done to him over the years, and asked for his help in taking on British Strong Style. Ospreay shook Havoc's hand, but then gave him a low blow, attacking Havoc and saying he would never forgive him for what he did. Paul Robinson, a former partner of both Havoc and Ospreay, emerged with a barbed wire baseball bat, and reunited with Ospreay to reform the Swords of Essex, attacking Havoc repeatedly with the bat.
PROGRESS returns on January 15th 2017 with "Chapter 42: Life, The Universe & Wrestling", their debut show at the O2 Academy in Birmingham.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
