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).

ICW Fear & Loathing VIII

From a commercial perspective, Fear & Loathing VIII was a phenomenal success for Insane Championship Wrestling before it even took place. Managing to draw a genuine sell out crowd of 4,000 to the SECC in Glasgow demonstrated exactly how big the promotion has become and how much of a clamour there was to see Grado’s bid to win the ICW World Championship in the main event. There can be no denial now- ICW is the real deal and the only question left is: how big can they get? That very question may be answered this time next year when, as was announced by ICW owner Mark Dallas at the beginning of the show, the company promote next year’s Fear & Loathing event at the Hydro Arena- a 13,000 capacity venue where WWE hold their annual shows in the city on their visits to these shores. You might argue that such a jump within a year is over ambitious for any wrestling promotion, but saying that would be to ignore the phenomenal rise the company has enjoyed over the past couple of years- and specifically in the 12 months since Drew Galloway won the ICW World Title back at Fear & Loathing VII.