Event Review: PROGRESS Chapter 39: The Graps of Wrath - TK Cooper v Travis Banks v Sebastian v Pete Dunne v Trent Seven v Matt Riddle v Jimmy Havoc

On 27th November, PROGRESS Wrestling looked to crown a new World Champion at the Electric Ballroom in London, following Mark Haskins having to vacate the belt through injury. A series of matches were held throughout the show with the winner from each match advancing to a seven person elimination contest in the show's main event, including The London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch) getting a rematch for British Strong Style (Pete Dunne & Trent Seven)'s Tag Team Championship. With Marty Scurll, Will Ospreay, Mark Andrews, Matt Riddle and Nixon Newell in action, would PROGRESS crown a new champ in style? 

Pete Dunne became the tenth World Champion by last eliminating Jimmy Havoc in a Seven Way match that was a rollercoaster of emotion and also included Trent Seven, Matt Riddle, Travis Banks, Sebastian (who forced Pastor William Eaver's to give him his place) and TK Cooper. If you were unsure if Chris Roberts took a bump in this match, you probably haven't watched a whole lot of PROGRESS recently! The reaction to Tyler Bate making his return was loud, especially considering it was towards the end of a long afternoon of the Graps, with it seeming like Bate was here to put a stop to the already his already eliminated former Moustache Mountain partner Seven. This all after two dramatic near-falls for both Havoc and Dunne following multiple Acid Rainmakers and a piledriver and running kick, which I can only imagine Bate was having a piss during. It was all however just a Tyler Bate and Switch, as the 19 year old took Havoc out with a Gotch Style Piledriver and allowed Dunne to hit his DT3 pumphandle for the victory. I may have called the turn from the positioning, but that doesn't mean I was any less shocked by the turn of events. The three together at the top of the promotion has a lot of potential, not just offering some great match ups, but a whole array of stories as well.

The rest of the contest was just as rammed with happenings, with Marty Scurll returning to batter Havoc during the entrances, leaving Riddle as the bouts only babyface and sending the crowd into some kind of Spandau Ballet based euphoria. From here the bout was constantly shifting from one style to another, pulling through a number of story threads in the process. There were shit loads of flips, with Cooper pulling out a ridiculous corkscrew to the outside, whilst Sebastian played the spoiler role and just being the general nuisance that he is. Banks and Seven put together some great stuff together, concluding with a mid-rope piledriver taking out Kiwi Buzzsaw, whilst if Riddle battling against British Strong Style en route to elimination didn't have your mouth watering with the possibilities of future singles matches then the graps life just isn't for you. The bouts main story of Havoc fighting adversity worked as the glue, as after his return to save us all from Sebastian, he ended up alone with the Tag Team Champions for the thrilling final stretch, with the crowd rebounding for the underdog story.

Match in a Sentence - An epic rollercoaster of emotions and styles.

British Strong Style (Pete Dunne & Trent Seven) had earned their spot in the World Championship contest, by retaining their Tag Team Championship in a rematch with The London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch) in the longest of the five qualifying matches. This was a nice advancement of their September bout, with plenty of fire from the Davis & Lynch as they looked to take back the tag shields. The two teams brawled with intensity, before Dunne & Seven began to slow the match down and control inside the ring. The exchange built up nicely from here, with a strong feeling of momentum and escalation from the hot tag as a series of big strikes and suplexes that the two teams are known for, as well as some highspots like Lynch hitting Seven with a spear off the apron and a missed Lynch corkscrew splash. The highlight for me was a ridiculous pop-up powerbomb and german suplex string that full of some glorious no selling! 

Just like the original contest, the finish was full of shenanigans as after London Riots came close off a District Line powerbomb, the Riots cricket bat was introduced with Seven accidentally clobbering Dunne with it as the momentum swung back and forth like a pendulum on it's first generic party drug. The story twisted more than Dorothy's favourite board game, with Dunne recovering to remove Davis' protective mask and bite his nose, like the oral obsessed shitehawk he is and BSS getting the win with their piledriver and running kick combination. I mentioned in my review of their first clash, that I felt there was more avenues for these two teams to explore in the ring with each other, as Dunne and Seven continue to find themselves as a tandem, and following their second outing, I actually find myself still feeling the same. We've seen them put on two different matches, both good hard-hitting battles, with antics based finishes, but I've still got the feeling that there's a new level for these guys to reach, the idea that they could create something just that little bit better, if provided with the right environment. Hopefully, we still get to see that in PROGRESS, although Dunne winning the World title obviously casts doubt on that. 

Match in a Sentence - Good hard-hitting tag team action with antics.

Jimmy Havoc's win opposite Marty Scurll was perhaps most notable for an unexpected finish that saw Havoc channel Eddie Guerrero, being able to convince the referee that Scurll had clobbered him with his umbrella. I think, you'll either have loved this finish or loathed it, but I found it a lot of fun, giving Havoc an edge over Scurll in their continuing feud, whilst also keeping the focus on the main prize in the company. There was an undeniable logic behind it and that's good enough for me, especially with an eye on a bigger match down the line. At the other end of the bout their was an homage to Goldberg and Brock Lesnar's Survivor Series main event, with Scurll kicking out of an Acid Rainmaker, following a pair of spears, that got a big reaction. The main body of the contest had all the things that I'd want from these two without giving a whole lot away either. The pair showing their animosity well, whilst running through a number of their signature sequences.

Match in a Sentence - An entertaining stepping stone to develop their feud with some nice logic.

The blackmailing plot between Sebastian and Pastor William Eaver continued as the former was at ringside for and directly involved in the finish of Eaver's victory over Joe Coffey. Whilst I'm yet to be fully convinced of the story itself, Eaver and Coffey put together good contest. The similarities between the styles of the two performers was played up well, with some humorous taunting to kick things off, before the strongest portion of the bout saw the two exchanging strikes before both nailing their signature lariats. Coffey's double jump crossbody situation is still one of my favourite moves in wrestling and if there's ever a time I don't pop for it then I'll probably just give up on all things. There was some strong attention to detail in the final third of the clash, with it being made clear that Coffey had just that little edge of Eaver, kicking out of a Fisherman's Suplex and a Crucifix Powerbomb and looking en route to picking up the victory. The fact that it took a distraction from Sebastian and a big handful of tights creates a nice issue between Coffey and Eaver, which will only produce a more hard hitting future rematch, whilst the underhand victory also produces the most interesting plot shift since Sebastian and the Pastor started their feud in July. 

Match in a Sentence - A sturdy contest, with a very good strike sequence and some savvy booking at it's conclusion. 

The show kicked off with a big victory for The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper & Travis Banks) (accompanied by Dahlia Black) over former Tag Team Champions FSU (Eddie Dennis & Mark Andrews). The match started off hot with Black attempting to interfere and ending up getting thrown to the outside by Dennis, before FSU got a big ol' shine in. The matches narrative began to unfold rather quickly as The SPPT took a beating from FSU, with the protagonists managing to keep the upperhand, whilst the action remained crisp and had a cracking pace to it. The story continued to build when even Banks and Cooper's underhanded tactics and double teams couldn't stop the FSU party, with Dennis kicking out of double superkicks. After a pacy back and forth strike sequence and some dives to the outside from FSU, the contest came to a satisfying conclusion, when Black would re-insert herself into the contest, delivering a low blow to Dennis that allowed Banks and Cooper to hit their double team Whiplash Neckbreaker for the victory. Though relatively short, the brevity of the match probably helped to tell the story that played out here, that easily could have gotten lost had their been more time to fill. 

Match in a Sentence - Solid tag bout, with some well paced action and interesting narrative. 

The non-World title qualifier on the card was a First Round match in Natural Progression Series IV that saw Nixon Newell advance past the debuting Katey Harvey in a clash that recovered well after struggling to find it's feet in the first few exchanges. The crowd latched onto Harvey's outfit only having a single sleeve and ran with it, whilst the women found their stride in the ring, pummeling each other with hard hits, headbutts and slaps. This was my first time seeing Harvey and I was particularly impressed with her selling during later half of the contest, but I would have also liked to have seen her make a little more of the crowd's jeers. Newell would have to be considered a strong contender for the tournament after what was a fairly convincing victory following a Shining Wizard (the shiniest in the land, I've heard). 

Match in a Sentence - A powerful first time clash and debut, once it found it's feet.

Matt Riddle's victory over Will Ospreay was a silly, silly match, that crammed a shit tonne of action into just over 8 minutes. The World Wrestling Network star may have been making his PROGRESS debut, but the Electric Ballroom was already well-versed in the former UFC fighters work, creating a great atmosphere, that was only intensified by Riddle blindsiding The Aerial Assassin during the ring announcements. The contest played out as a wonderful battle between an MMA fighter and a pro wrestling high-flyer, with Riddle dominating with huge strikes and intense suplexes and slams, before Ospreay took the air including a moonsault off the steps near the DJ booth. The wrestling was fluid and flips were spectacular, whilst the strikes were hard and the two selling the pain whilst asking for more punishment added an extra dimension to proceedings. The finish was a little jarring because of quickly it came, but suited the style and story as Riddle hammered down with elbow strikes before locking in the Bromission (Twister) for the win. I would've loved to have seen these guys go longer, as there was definitely more expedition to be done here, but with Riddle also having to compete in the main event, it's understandable why this one didn't go long.

Match in a Sentence - A fantastic contrast of styles, that left me wanting more.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.47/10 

This is a difficult show to sum up, because it was completely unique in it's set-up, after the necessity to crown a new Champion as quickly as possible. The qualifier gave the first half an overall feel and focus, however there's also an argument to be made that each match would have been better served had the winner not have to compete again later in the evening or had those bout had the luxury of being spread across the event. There wasn't anything close to a bad match, but each match had the potential to hit the next level, even the marvelous Will Ospreay and Matt Riddle match. That being said as an overall package, the show was arguably greater than the sum of it's (already considerably strong) individual parts, with the main event offering a real one-of-a-kind feel. 

The conclusion of the show, with Pete Dunne on top, felt like a real shift in the promotion, with Trent Seven and Tyler Bate by his side offering a different look at the dominant stable cliché. There is potential here to create something magnificent with those three at the helm & a number of different avenues and feuds for the boys to have in the coming months.

Show in a Sentence - A momentous evening with a very different feel, but still plenty of very good to great graps.

Match of the Night - Matt Riddle v Will Ospreay

Show Available on Demand PROGRESS here 

Review - James Marston (@IAmNotAlanDale) 

Editor - Jozef Raczka (@NotJozefRaczka)

Photo Credit - PROGRESS Wrestling

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Event Review: PROGRESS Chapter 38: When Men Throw Men at Men - Jimmy Havoc v Marty Scurll v Mark Haskins

On 30th October, PROGRESS Wrestling returned to the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London, England for the first time since August. The card was headlined by former champions Marty Scurll and Jimmy Havoc (in his first match in PROGRESS match since September 2015) challenging for Mark Haskins' World Championship, whilst elsewhere Jinny and Pollyanna continued their feud and looked to move one step closer to being the first Women's Champion in the first round of Natural Progression Series IV and The Shirtlifters (Jack Sexsmith and Roy Johnson) went up against The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper & Travis Banks) in a Tables Match as they attempted to end their feud. With the likes of Bad Bones, Atlas Champion Rampage Brown, Mark Andrews, Pastor William Eaver and Matt Cross on the undercard, would PROGRESS return to Camden with a bang? 

In the main event, Mark Haskins retained the World Championship, making Marty Scurll submit to the Sharpshooter, in a match that also included Jimmy Havoc. The battle was Havoc's first bout with the company since September 2015! This was a well paced 18 minute three way, that told a good story and featured slick and crisp action. Having Scurll control the early portion of the match, by hitting big moves to both Haskins and Havoc on the apron, allowed things to settle, with The Villain commanding the crowd as well as he was dominating the action. Scurll played the former champion desperate to recapture his prize role very well and after he immediately won the title back from Pastor William Eaver in July it had even more believablilty. There was strong wrestling to be seen as Haskins and Havoc both found their way back into the match, with a fire-up from The Star Attraction seeing him trap Scurll in a tree of woe before sending Havoc crashing on top of him with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Havoc and Haskins combined to create some more satisfying activity as both went for their finishes in a swift sequence, before a spot where all three hit roundhouse kicks gave the trio and the fans a breather, essentially concluding the contests first act with all three in the same place.

The second act took things up a notch, with all three attempting to hit their big moves or lock in their signature submission to grab the title, whilst the issues between Havoc and Scurll played a major part in the story also. Havoc took the biggest bump of the show, after taking a headbutt from Scurll from the middle rope to the outside, through a pair of seated chairs in a "Holy Shit" moment that was especially surprising because of it being Havoc's first match since February. The final stretch of the bout saw the momentum switching between all three men, with a number of convincing near falls, including Scurll locking the Crossface Chicken-Wing in on Havoc, with the latter able to shift his weight to get a two count, keeping the crowd completely hooked until the bitter end. The finish would see the Havoc and Scurll feud furthered as The Villain delivered a low blow, before Haskins was able to grip Scurll in the Sharpshooter to earn the submission victory. Whilst the bout lacked some of high drama of Chapter 36's triple threat (with Tommy End replacing Jimmy Havoc) this was still corker of a climax to the afternoon's graps feast. 

Match in a Sentence - Great three way with a well worked out structure, that built to a momentum swinging, near-fall laden crescendo

In the first Quarter Final of the 4th Natural Progression Series, Jinny advanced over Pollyanna in a firey encounter, with The Fashionista moving one step closer to being crowned the first ever Women's Champion. This wasn't always the crispest match, especailly in the early going, but it was carried by the passion and believable animosity that the two ladies showed towards each other. The opening brawl between the two got this across well with things being amplified as the contest went on, with each strike and move seeming to have a little bit more behind it. Both women told the rest of the story in their body language and all across their faces. The majority of the fans hate Jinny and love Pollyana, because of two years hard work from the performers and management, and that definitely afforded the pair the chance to slip up in places without losing the audience. One weird chant caused a slightly uncomfortable moment and lead to a spot that saw Jinny hit a sitout facebuster off the top rope not looking as good as it could have, but beyond that the audience was completely invested and created a wonderful atmospheric wrap for the action. 

The match flowed nicely towards a number of impressive and gripping false finishes, with both women coming close to getting the pin. As these went on, the Camden crowd got more and more pulled in and it seemed like every kick out was garnering a bigger reaction, peaking when Jinny hit a Style Clash after having cleverly teased the move earlier on. The finish was perhaps a bone of contention, as Pollyanna hit a cradle belly-to-back piledriver, but instead of going for the pin she raised to her feet and hit another and then instead of going for the pin again, she raised to her feet for another, only this time Jinny caught Pollyanna with a roll up into a jacknife cover, resulting in a three count. For me, to go for three was gratuitous and I actually ended up being slightly removed from the action because as soon as Pollyanna went for the third, I'd already worked out where it was going. Jinny sold well after the finish, but I still struggled to buy into her taking two piledrivers and then immediately getting the pin. I might be a stickler for details like that, but the whole sequence had the crowd going nuts non the less. There were questions raised when the popular rivarly was chosen to open the 4th NPS, however thanks to the quality of this contest and especially the strength of the near falls in final quarter, the NPS and by association the Women's Championship has come out the blocks hot and the rest of the tournament now has to up it's game. This will hopefully lead to even better matches as the series goes on.

Match in a Sentence - Very good women's match, that whilst untidy at points, was full of passion and some stupid false finishes.

The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper & Travis Banks, accompanied by Dahlia Black) remained undeffeated with a victory over The Shirtlifters (Jack Sexsmith & "Body Guy" Roy Johnson) in a Tables Match, that concluded the first half. This match outdid my expections as the mix of amusing character portrayals, top drawer high-spots and some astute booking created a match that was a real joy to watch and got a wide range of emotional reactions from the eager congregation. The tussle featured a number of creative moments, that created the bigger story as The SPPT would attack from behind before the bell, thanks to Black distraction, the high energy opening assault from The Shirtlifters would end thanks to Black distraction, Sexsmith would get pushed off the stage onto the rows of chairs below, thanks to Black distraction...you get the picture! It would all culminate in Black distracting Johnson, whilst Cooper readied himself for a big punch...only this time Johnson ducked, meaning Cooper punched Black in the face, sending her off the apron and through a table. All involved played that moment perfectly and it lead to Banks blindsiding Body Guy and eliminating him in a great swerve. It was a shame that the table didn't break on the first attempt, as the timing of the spot was fantastic on all accounts. 

This was the best match that I've seen Sexsmith and Johnson compete in and they more then held their own, matching Cooper and Banks' aggression when neccesarry, but also credibly presenting themselves as sympathetic babyfaces, building upon the existing connection they have with the Electric Ballroom. Sexsmith supposedly being left alone following Johnson's elimination, after already having been thrown from the stage, produced a compelling comeback as he scrapped his way back into the match with a neckbreaker and DDT combination acting as the highlight. This lead to best example of the bouts mix of styles, with a Dudley Boyz parody seeing Johnson refuse to "Get the tables", before a 3D to Banks would level the scores at one a piece. With the energy behind the Shirtlifters, the conclusion was spot on for me, as the crowd gave one of the biggest pops of the evening for Sexsmith unveiling Mr. Cocko (Think Mr. Socko but sponsored by Durex) with Cooper the target, only for Banks to attack from behind and send Sexsmith crashing through a table with a big powerbomb. The victory set up The SPPT for a potential title challenge and garnered them even more heat as a group, but also elevated the Shirtlifters who showed a new side to their game, improving and growing their already popular act. 

Match in a Sentence - A cracking tornado tables match, full of character comedy with some big spots, where both teams will benefit from having taken part in it.   

A victory over Mark Andrews earned Matt Cross a shot at Mark Haskins' Smash Championship, in a clash that was blink and you miss it quick, at points. If you've seen Andrews in TNA or Cross as Son of Havoc (Not Jimmy) on Lucha Underground then you'll know what they are capable of. Up your expectations and then play them back at 1.5x speed and you'll be almost there. There was flips and dives and reversals and just general madness, Andrews and Cross managed to fit more into their thirteen minutes than most could fit into thirty and executed everything crisply. A section where Andrews worked the leg with a number of submissions felt a little out of place with the crowd having chanted for "Flippy shit" from almost the opening bell. If they wanted flippy shit, they definitely got it later on, as the pair had a number of back and forth sequences that were full of the stuff, from various dives to the outside to Cross landing on his feet from a poisoned frankensteiner attempt. By the time Cross had got the pin, I was left wanting more, which is always a good thing.

Match in a Sentence - Unbelievably flippy.

The opener saw The Hunter Brothers (Lee Hunter & Jim Hunter) pick up their first 2v2 success in PROGRESS with a flash pin over a debuting The New Nation (Alexander Henry & Jason Prime). With both teams being relatively unfamiliar to the audience and having never met in the ring before, the match took a while to find it's groove as the Fight Club: Pro and Target Wrestling regulars looked to both connect with the crowd and each other. Prime looked impressive when using his strength to take control, but I felt that having his offence look so much cooler than the initial Hunter Brothers face shine end up hurting the momentum, but understand he was looking to make an impression on the new crowd. The bout really picked up in the second portion though with Lee pulling out an exciting hot tag sequence, before things broke down into a series of nifty spots and near falls. I particularly enjoyed the number of creative ways to four had thought up toi break up pins. I would have liked to have seen New Nation heel things up a little more, with moments like Henry's moonsault to the outside standing out as slightly out of place and whilst I understand why it would have been included, I'd prefer to not have the supposed villains pulling out the most flashy move of the contest see. On the quality of this match, I'd suggest that both teams deserve to return for PROGRESS as they both proved they have a lot to offer and will help to add depth and diversty to the division

Match in a Sentence - Good tag opener, that despite a few personal niggles, set the pace for the rest of the show.

To start the 2nd half, Rampage Brown retained the Atlas Championship in his second Open Challenge, by defeating 2 time wXw Shotgun Champion Bad Bones. The two put on a real tough scrap of a match, in a style that has really began to shine in the Atlas division. Brawling around the ring, throwing meaty chops, hitting big hard suplexes and impressively fighting on the top rope, it was two tough men beating each other up. Despite it being Bones first appearance, the Electric Ballroom popped for his announcement and remained surprisingly split throughout, with Bones rewarding the faith by putting on a great show opposite the reliable Brown. The Westside Xtreme Wrestling star pulled out some impressive offence for a 230lber and quickly won over those who hadn't seen him before. The men used the short ten minutes allotted time to keep a brisk pace, with the beatings coming thick and fast and barely missing a step as they went through a run of near falls. Bones seemed to have the upperhand, getting a couple of two counts with a mid-rope spear and a lariat that caught Brown as he came off the top rope. This all built up to make Brown look like a real tough S.o.B. when he continued to kick out, before bringing Bones down to earth with thudding back superplex and then a piledriver for the three count.

Match in a Sentence - Strong and rapid heavyweight conflict, as Rampage Brown and the Atlas Championship continues to be built up.

Paul Robinson continued his strong run of form with a convincing victory of "Pastor" William Eaver, a former World Champion. This was a succinct bout, with the pair bringing plenty of energy and intensity to proceedings. The early references to Eaver legitmately injuring Sebastian in-ring at Chapter 36 were a little uncomfortable for me, but luckily the pair didn't make it the focus of the match, quickly moving on after addressing the elephant in the room. Eaver continues to grow and opposite the more experienced Robinson continued to impress with a good mix of power and agility. The bout was driven by Robinson though, with his persona able to get under the skin of the fans with ease, as he did anything he could to take control and goaded the crowd whilst doing it! The constant attempts from Robbo to hit his version for the Curb Stomp gave the bout an extra dimension, meaning that when he was finally able to hit the move it got a sweet reaction as fans realised that the dicksalad had managed to get the win. Whilst it was the most low-key match on the card, Eaver and Robinson still created a good outing in their spot and stated their case for higher positions on future shows.

Match in a Sentence - Nice intense scrap with a good through thread.

Any Other Business...

• In a surprising twist, Mark Haskins left the World Championship belt in the ring following the main event, with co-owner and ring announcer Jim Smallman chasing after him, resulting in one of the weirdest conclusions to a show I've ever seen!

• Sebastian made his return following the Paul Robinson and Pastor William Eaver contest, informing Eaver that if the Pastor didn't want him to press charges for the life-threatning injury from Chapter 36, Eaver would have to do anything he asked in a storyline twist that has more than a shade of John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Shawn Michaels' WWE storyline in 2008/09.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.55/10 

Show in a Sentence - A very good afternoon of wrestling, full of variety

Match of the Night - Havoc v Scurll v Haskins 

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Words - James Marston (Twitter - @IAmNotAlanDale)

Images Courtesy of PROGRESS Wrestling

Event Review: PROGRESS Chapter 37: A Sudden Sense of Liberty - Zack Gibson v Mark Haskins 2

Just three weeks after the companies biggest show of the year, Chapter 36: We're Gonna Need A Bigger Room...Again in Brixton, London, PROGRESS Wrestling returned to Manchester, with the landscape almost completely changed since their last trip north in August for Chapter 34: Keep It Unreal.

Following pinned Jack Gallagher in his final independent match, The Origin's Zack Gibson got the first show at Mark Haskins' World Championship in the main event, new Tag Team Champions British Strong Style (Pete Dunne and Trent Seven) were involved in a Four Way Match with Atlas Championship tournament runner-up, Joe Coffey and deposed World Champion Marty Scurll and The Origin's Dave Mastiff and El Ligero took on The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper and Travis Banks) and FSU (Eddie Dennis & Mark Andrews) in a Three Way that whilst not a #1 Contender to match to BSS's Tag Team titles would have major repercussions in the division. Talent like Kay Lee Ray, Fabian Aichner (Adrian Severe), Kimber Lee, Atlas Champion Rampage Brown and Mikey Whiplash featured on the under the card. 

Could PROGRESS continue to expand on the momentum that Chapter 36 and it's build up created or would there be a big show "hangover" effect?

"The Star Attraction" Mark Haskins' first World title defense was a successful one as he tapped out "Liverpool's Number One" Zack Gibson in a superb main event. From before the opening bell, the O2 Ritz Manchester were captivated by the story of the brilliant wrestler from a despised local rival attempting to play spoiler to brilliant wrestler who probably still had a buzz from when Marty Scurll tapped out three weeks earlier. Whilst it may sound curious, if you're familiar with the recent PROGRESS product then you'll know exactly why I wrote "before the opening bell" for this clash, of course, I'm referring to Gibson's now infamous pre-match promo. It's become something of a game to boo as you physically can whilst Gibson is trying to talk, because of his exaggerated Merseyside accent and general cuntish behaviour with the recent addition of people lobbing loo roll at the ring, a la "the streamers thing" as Cody put it, giving the occasion a terrific visual to match. I couldn't tell you what Gibson said though, but it was probably something about how he'd seen be the #1 wrestler in werld.

Let's not be mistaken here, these are two of the best wrestlers in the country (and perhaps beyond), both of which have improved tremendously over the last two or three years, and that was made even more evident by the quality of this match in almost every department. The opening cleverly settled the crowd down from the Gibson promo, but also planted seeds later in the match. Around some crisp "feeling out process" action, Haskins attempted to lock in his title-winning Sharpshooter, whilst Gibson would wrench the Smash Champion's arm across the top rope to give the match the bulk of it's narrative going forward. Gibson worked extremely well as a methodical heel, focusing the majority of his offence on the arm going forward, which included a piledriver-style shoulderbreaker. Haskins continued to impress with his sympathetic babyface selling, not just with the arm but all over his face (which could be clearly seen even from the balcony). Haskins offence, which featured a vast variety of submissions, was often impacted by the injury, included an attempt at one of his signature holds, the Stretch Muffler. I love this kind of stuff, more than I love pie...and I love pie.

The second half of the match was even better, with some world class grappling and a pacing which showed a real intelligence. Gibson hitting a pair of Ticket to Rides (Double knee facebuster) including one that came off the middle rope and whilst it would be easy to write that this was a strong near fall, there was much more behind it as it would drive the action for the finishing stretch. The frustration was painted on Gibson's face as he fired up hitting an arm trap DDT, before through Haskins between the ropes and into the ringpost and then nailed a spinning piledriver, which had a similar effect to the previous near fall, exaggerating the frustration further and putting Haskins over as a gutsy motherfucker. It was then time for the Shankly Gates (Grounded Wristlock) which got a huge pop from the crowd, in an anticipation that they could see a new champion, thanks to the work done across the previous fifteen minutes. The conclusion to the story was a satisfying one as The Star Attraction escaped the hold and moments later had the Sharpshooter locked on and wrenched back in a way that I have never seen. It married the stories together and when Gibson tapped it felt like a logical conclusion. Haskins credentials as champion have been bolstered, with his blood and guts, fight til fall down character came across in a way that will only aid any future defenses, whilst Gibson looked capable and comfortable in the main event slots.

The show's semi-main came in the form of Marty Scurll tapping out Joe Coffey in a Four Way that also involved Tag Team Champions Pete Dunne and Trent Seven, with Seven substituting for CZW star Shane Strickland (who had travel issues getting from Germany after a wXw show the prior evening). I would be lying if I said Seven replacing Strickland didn't hurt the contest as it certainly changed the dynamic. I'm a huge fan of Seven, but the announced bout appeared to be a mixture of four different styles, with Strickland down as the representative for the high-flying US Indy variant. Seven is a hard-hitting British strong style competitor, he's also Dunne's tag team partner and was initially down to second The Bruiserweight for the bout, which in itself would have offered more storytelling options. Having just one babyface in match, meant that things were left feeling a little uneven and whilst things could have worked, Coffey isn't over enough to play that role. When Seven asked owner and announcer Jim Smallman to be included in the contest, I was expected Smallman to swerve and introduce a different competitor. 

Whilst the bout had it's problems, don't for a second think was dull. All four were game for an exciting and pacy contest that was full of fun spots that would involve multiple competitors at a time. Whilst the crowd mimicking Seven shouting "Peter" to help escape a signature move threatened to overpower what was trying to be done in the ring, the four were more than capable of bringing the audience back in to what they were doing. A sequence that combined Dunne's penchant for biting and Scurll's desire to snap people's fingers was put together superbly and got great reactions from simple low impact moments. A Dunne v Scurll singles match, whether it be in PROGRESS or somewhere else is surely a must within the next 12 months, too my knowledge it'd be a first time clash. The finish was a pacey as all four began to shine, including a lariat from Coffey that appeared to murder Dunne, a nice sequence between Coffey and Dunne, before Scurll picked up the win with his Cross-faced Chicken Wing with a leg scissors. As good as the match turned out to be, the biggest pop came milli-seconds after a rising promo saw Scurll proclaim himself the greatest World Champion in company history and AFI's I Hope You Suffer blared through the venue and former champ Jimmy Havoc blindsided The Villain, attacking him for the second show in a row. I'm extremely excited to see where this is heading.

Rounding off the top of the card was The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper and Travis Banks, accompanied by Dahlia Black) winning a three way tag bout over The Origin (Dave Mastiff & El Ligero) and FSU (Eddie Dennis & Mark Andrews) in a bout that mostly mixed comedy with stimulating action well. I say mostly because some of the humorous hijinx didn't sit as well with the rest of the bout as they could have. The one thing in particular that hurt things for me was Mastiff and Ligero revealing a pair of foam hands and using them as weapons. Now, it was funny and it worked with Ligero's gimmick, whilst Mastiff hamming it up on the apron was also great, even the repeated foam hand chest strikes to Andrews in the corner was fine by me...but Andrews selling the strikes? Not so much. For the majority of the crowd this didn't seem to be a problem, but it took me a little out of the moment, especially considering how there's been a strong feud between FSU and the Origin for months. 

With six (or seven) talented wrestlers the three way was predictably strong, as everyone pulled their weight within their roles. Andrews worked effectively as the face in peril, whilst the tension between the two heel teams was played perfectly and Dennis offered a sweet hot tag sequence before the match would break out into a pacier sprint. The break down included a beautiful German suplex from Mastiff to Andrews, that my mind has somehow saved almost photographically. The fact that it was surrounded by a series of strikes and big moves as the talent rotated in and out of the ring made it feel even more special. The last few minutes included a number of strong near falls, including SPPT using their Elevated DDT style finish, Cooper moonsaulting into a Dennis superkick and FSU using their Go Home Driver/Double Stomp combination. Black would get involved as well, trying to distract Dennis for a bicycle kick from Cooper and ended up taking the move herself as she went flying off the apron. When the dust began to settle it was Banks who got the win for his team, managing to pin former World Champion Andrews with a reverse fireman's carry airplane spin! The SCCP are undefeated since forming in June and with a match with The Shirtlifters (Jack Sexsmith & Roy Johnson) in Camden on 30th October, they seem to be on the road to lifting the Tag Team shields.

The undercard was highlighted by Mikey Whiplash answering Rampage Brown's open challenge and unsuccessfully challenging for the Atlas Championship in the belts first defense. In a nice piece of storytelling, in June Whiplash cost Brown a tag match in the Atlas Tournament, subbing for Michael Dante, but leaving Brown high and dry against Damian O'Connor & Joe Coffey. This was a stellar heavyweight scrap, in a style that has become synonymous with the Atlas Division in PROGRESS. Big hard strikes, brawling on the outside and general big lads stuff fitted well just before the main event. The duo added some touches in final stages that saw the match really come into it's own. Whiplash's frustration and Rampage's fiery comeback, lead to Whiplash pulling out a tope conhilo that I'm not sure anyone saw coming! The finish was well-worked, increasing in pace, until Whiplash attempted a pendulum lariat, only to be caught mid-way through and dragged leg first in a piledriver. After Brown's title win over Coffey and subsequent defense here, the Atlas division seems to have found it's sea legs, there's a lot of potential for the division and things are heading in the right direction for sure. 

Fabian Aichner (Adrian Severe) was on the losing end of his PROGRESS debut, as James Drake picked up the win, in a match where Aichner shined. Drake initially seemed to get over as a heel because he has his own face on his trunks, in a terrific example of how PROGRESS fans will attempt to find absolutely anything to chant. However, it was Aichner's performance that was the standout moment of the contest. Whilst Drake dominated, his offence was anything but flashy, which seemed to be a decision to allow Aichner's attacks to stand out even more than they would have otherwise. Whilst the two time NEw World Heavyweight Champion had appeared in WWE's Cruiserweight Classic, he looked like a big guy and much closer to 230lbs than 205, so seeing him pull out a huge dive over the top at the beginning and a superb double jump moonsault was ridiculous impressive. As Drake dodged a Frog Splash and won with the Head and Shoulders DDT, he got a strong amount of heat, which is something he can use on future appearances and at just 23 years old, he's got buckets of potential. I'd like to see a lot more for Aichner in the future, as I feel like there's a lot more to come from the Italian.

Former CHIKARA Grand Champion Kimber Lee suffered a loss on her debut, against fellow debutante Kay Lee Ray after a potentially controversial angle. The pair have worked together across the US for SHIMMER  & AIW, as well a bout in Nottingham for SWE and their previous meetings were clear throughout as the action was crisp and flowed wonderfully. The wrestling was mostly even, with the pair often mimicking each other, with repeated suicide dives and German suplexes among the back and forth strikes and pinfall attempts. Two seeds were planted and grew throughout, both circling around KLR's offence. The first was an early Gory Bomb attempt that Lee turned into a version of the sunset flip and the second was KLR trying to grab a guillotine choke at each and every opportunity. The Gory Bomb was used for an effective false finish, that protected Lee slightly, before KLR got the win the choke in a closing angle. It was the old injury angle, that saw Lee down and holding her neck, after being tripped on the top rope, before KLR would lock the hold on for an instant tap. I know some people found this distasteful after Sebastian's injury at the previous Chapter and there's a case for overuse to be made seeing as Will Ospreay had a similar angle on the Chapter before that. I didn't mind it particularly and thought it got some good heat for KLR while leaving the door open for a future Lee return. 

The opening match saw Bubblegum make a successful return after an eight month absence to pin Chuck Mambo in a funny and athletic opener, that was supremely entertaining and warm the audience up well for the rest of the show. The two characters slotted together well, with the opening setting the tone as Bubblegum joked with the crowd and the wrestling had a nice pace to it. The build to a big tope from Mambo was done well, in another character based sequence. There was a lot of sophomoric humour from Bubblegum involving his groin, including a prolonged superplex attempt, that I'll leave you to discover on demand rather than even attempt to describe or critique. The finish was stunning version of the Pedigree, a move that Mambo had earlier reversed, with Mambo's legs elevated on the middle ropes. It was good to see both these men getting used by the promotion once again and both could excel in more prominent roles if given the opportunity. 

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.27/10

Show in a Sentence - A strong card across the board, taken up a notch or two because of the quality of the main event.

Match of the Night - Zack Gibson v Mark Haskins 

Words & Images - James Marston

All images belong to PROGRESS Wrestling.