PROGRESS Chapter 25: Chat Shit, Get Banged

On New Year’s Day, PROGRESS Wrestling announced that in September they would be running their Chapter 36 show at the Brixton Academy, a venue with a capacity of 2,000 for what will be by far their biggest show ever. As I have discussed on numerous occasions in my previous PROGRESS reviews, the company continues to grow and the past few months have been particularly important with regards to this after December saw them put on their first Chapter show outside of the capital with Chapter 24. The response to the announcement from the PROGRESS fans, who are as rabid and loyal as any you will find in pro wrestling, was off the page and understandably so- PROGRESS have a reputation for delivering big announcements, important matches and star cameos, even after shows have sold out (which they’ve cultivated to such affect that fans continue to sell out each of their events in advance). Previous surprises have included Ricochet, Samoa Joe, Tomasso Ciampa, Prince Devitt and others, so unsurprisingly, people’s imaginations are running away with them as to what might be in store for the Brixton show when it happens. While the company have been riding a wave of popularity and momentum that has seen their continued growth in an increasingly competitive British wrestling market- they are also beginning to face up to new challenges brought about by their heightened exposure and the competition that they face at this level.

PROGRESS Chapter 24: Hit The North!

‘Expansion’ has arguably been the word of the year in pro wrestling in 2015. The WWE Network was expanded into the UK (as well as a number of other foreign markets) at the beginning of the year- prior to that point the Network had not been performing at the levels WWE were hoping for but the increase in subscriptions following the official UK launch in January saw them attain the kind of figures that have at least gone a little way in appeasing shareholders. New Japan, not to be outdone, launched their own on-demand service just a month prior to that and combined it with the announcement that Wrestle Kingdom 9, their biggest show of the year, would for the first time be available on pay-per-view in the US and with English commentary (promoted by Global Force Wrestling). Then, as discussed in my review of NXT Takeover: London, the WWE’s development brand broadened their horizons with a few dates outside of their home base of Florida, before taking in a mini-tour of Texas and then a full on 7-date circuit of the UK earlier this month. It is no surprise then that the UK wrestling industry has followed suit.

PROGRESS Chapter 23: What A Time To Be Alive

Much of the excitement surrounding PROGRESS Wrestling recently has been focussed on their debut show in Manchester, understandable seeing as it represents perhaps the most significant expansion they have taken as a company so far. Before that show however, they had one more event of the year at the Electric Ballroom in Camden- Chapter 23: What A Time To Be Alive and had lined up a card that was a mouth watering prospect, stacked with potentially great matches. In the main event, Will Ospreay would defend the PROGRESS title against TNA’s Mark Andrews in a contest that, if anywhere near as good as their collisions at Chapter’s 4 & 7, would be quite something. Allied to that, Flash Morgan Webster was set to face Zack Gibson for the former’s Natural Progression Series 2 trophy, and the guaranteed title shot that goes with it, The Sumerian Death Squad were defending the PROGRESS Tag Titles in a 3-way match versus The London Riots and The Origin, and Marty Scurll would be going up against recent NXT signing, Tomasso Ciampa. After what was an average (at least by PROGRESS’ standards) Chapter 22, it was as if the company had something to prove (and possibly also remind their London fans of how good they can be ahead of their first main Chapter show to take place outside of the capital).