The happy wrestling place
Of course, there were some train difficulties as we headed into London for our monthly PROGRESS Wrestling show yesterday. Southampton were playing in the league cup at Wembley so the train was full of football fans and our first little train to a bigger Southampton station was cancelled due to flooding. When we did get to London, we were fifteen minutes late due to how busy Waterloo was thanks to both the football and rugby games happening in the city that day. And the train home was a nightmare, so packed with people that there were a lot sitting on the floor and we didn't get our usual tasty Burger King dinner as sports fans were queuing out the door. Yes, I'm an entitled brat, I wanted my chips, darn it! lol. I’m very glad it’s not that busy and difficult every month!
Though rain showers had been forecast, it thankfully didn’t rain when we were all queuing for the show and the time seemed to go by quite quickly. We weren’t as far back in the queue as I feared we’d be, arriving later than we’d like thanks to the train delay, and the doors opening promptly. Clearly, PROGRESS has gotten everything together in that area as they start and finish much more promptly than they did two years ago. I am profoundly grateful.
The first match was an oddness - James Drake vs Damon Moser. I was looking forward to seeing Drake like - he was part of the WWE UK Tournament and has done a PROGRESS Manchester show. He looks, as Anthony put it, like a smaller Stevie Boy (ICW wrestler). He certainly walked to the ring with a lot of intensity and I know he’s a star in Futureshock, a Midlands promotion. Moser is always popular being a hard-working ProJo guy, Anthony was actually wearing his ‘Moser vs. Everyone’ t-shirt too in support. But for some reason, this match went less than five minutes and Paz, the referee, was talking to Moser for a long while on the canvas afterwards. Was the match cut short because of injury? Or because the card was already very stacked and something needed to give if they wanted to finish on time? It was very strange. I don’t feel like we got to see Drake’s potential at all so I really hope he comes back to the Ballroom at some point soon as I’ve heard many good things about him.
Then everything picked up thanks to the debut of Session Moth Martina. Martina has become a very talked-about wrestler in the UK in a short span of a time. A huge star in her home promotion OTT (Irish company which has become a recent ‘one to watch’ promotion), she wears leopard-print trousers, a Day-Glo baseball cap, drinks cans of alcohol on the way to the ring and dances up a storm like she’s at a rave. Us audience members had been given glowsticks to wave during her entrance which was so much fun. The crowd took to her immediately and it was incredibly funny to watch her immediately go after Dahlia Black’s boyfriend TK Cooper who looked rather scared to be so pursued by someone like Martina. She also danced all up on Jim as he tried to ring announce and up on referee Chris Roberts too. Martina is definitely a character - she produced cigarettes from her bra and her trousers which Dahlia broke in half and threw out of the ring, she spoke in her broad Irish accent but she also proved she’s a good wrestler. Some fans really don’t like her, claiming she’s ‘set women’s wrestling back 5 years’ with her act but I don’t mind it at all. It’s fresh and very different to anything any other girl is doing in the UK right now and so it’s gotten a lot of attention but she does back it up with good work in the ring too.
She and Dahlia were a perfect contrast to one another and worked very well together. I have to say that my favourite moments were any moments TK was on the receiving end of Martina’s attention. He honestly looked like he had no clue what to do lol. As he and Dahlia are very much an item (all the PDA), it’s wonderful to see someone go after him so aggressively and him be so unnerved by it. He did receive a forceful kiss from Martina which he apparently quite liked, much to Dahlia’s rage - a nice counterpoint to when at SSS16 last year Jack Gallagher kissed Dahlia’s hand which she seemed to like too. The match ended eventually - after Dahlia had poured beer over Martina’s head and Martina had drunk plenty from the can herself and headbutted Dahlia rather spectacularly - when TK gave Martina the trusty knockout punch he’s used to down plenty of Dahlia’s opponents before. So Dahlia goes through to the next stage of the Natural Progression series for the Women’s Championship. Not unexpected as she’s a PROGRESS regular and it was Martina’s debut but my goodness, I do hope we get Martina back in PROGRESS. She really does make everyone smile and was loved immediately.
The best match of the night I think was from Travis Banks and a debuting Jordan Devlin. Devlin made an impact on the WWE UK Tournament as he’s a trainee of Finn Balor’s, and sort of looks like a cut-price version, and was an effective villain during the tournament. I was really interested in how this match would go as both competitors were effectively villains so who would the crowd cheer for? Travis has been able to be a very loved and successful fan favourite in Fight Club Pro though is hated everywhere else (and he’s very good at getting the hate lol) and I was convinced that his impressive in-ring style which PROGRESS fans have always applauded, despite how hated he is as part of South Pacific Power Trip with TK Cooper, would get instant support if he was working solo. And so it was - TK came out with him but Travis sent him to the back and as soon as TK left, Travis got applauded to the ring and got supportive chants the whole match. Devlin got endless chants about how out of proportion his head is to his body, it’s really not that much bigger but the fans did love jumping on that.
The pair of them have quite similar styles and they meshed brilliantly, producing an impressive technical and hard-hitting match which fans seriously appreciated, exploding with delight when Travis won. He’s never been cheered before at a PROGRESS show and this demonstrated just how keen people are to cheer him, once he (hopefully) splits from TSPPT. TK and Dahlia appeared after the match to congratulate him and as though to remind the crowd that they shouldn’t be cheering him. It didn’t matter; he got cheered as he made his exit too. Devlin got an appreciative reception too as he left and I do hope we’ll see more of him in PROGRESS as he is a tidy wrestler. It was just so good to finally get to cheer Travis for once, as he's a real favourite of mine.
Sebastian decided to come out to address Pastor William Eaver, demanding that the Pastor come out to receive a beating as punishment for punching Sebastian last month, otherwise Sebastian would be prosecuting Eaver for September’s knockout. Eaver came out and did fall to his knees to unhappily receive the punishment but then his tag team partner Chuck Mambo appeared, in his usual garish shorts and unusually a bright orange button-down shirt and necktie. Eaver looked delighted to see him; it was so lovely to see. Mambo proclaimed he’d looked into the law and found that as it’d been over 150 days since the alleged assault, Sebastian actually had no grounds for prosecution and that instead, he was engaging in blackmail that meant he was the one who could be prosecuted! Jim then decided that a match between Eaver and Sebastian would happen right then, a No DQ Match.
It was a very well-constructed match - nothing too crazy, not tons of weapons but certainly plenty of wince-inducing spots in and out of the ring. Eaver got cut open - we think he bladed (deliberately cut himself to produce blood) and ended up with horrific bloody welts on his back from Sebastian beating him with a homemade kendo stick. It was certainly a memorable image. Eaver managed to win with his Clothesline from Heaven, hopefully bringing an end to the feud. It’s been good for both of them; re-establishing Sebastian in PROGRESS very effectively and allowing Eaver to develop as a character. What about the secret Sebastian claimed to know about Eaver? I think it might have been deleted from the story but we’ll see. After the match, Jim told him in no uncertain terms where to do and the ring crew bodily carried off a ranting furious Sebastian, much to the fans' delight.
Nathan Cruz vs. El Ligero was a match I was really looking forward to as over the years, they’ve faced each other over 300 times around the country. So I knew we’d get something entertaining. Of course in PROGRESS, they are now enemies as Ligero and Dave Mastiff have become the 'Banter Edition' version of the Origin, compared to the serious Nathan and Zack Gibson. Ligero came out to a different version of ‘Turn the Page’ (the Origin’s entrance theme) and got the crowd swaying their arms throughout, much to Nathan’s utter confusion which was wonderful to witness. Ligero also had Jim read out facts about both Ligero and Nathan (which included a reference to Nathan’s real-life blood pressure problems, kudos to Nathan for allowing that to get aired). Ligero also gained a new nickname - Lucha otter, which made everyone laugh. Nathan implored Ligero to turn his back on the fans as they’d turned their backs on him, as that’s why the Origin formed in the first place. But Ligero turned his back on Nathan instead and we got a match that was intense with silly spots but great wrestling and which Ligero won. My goodness, they work so well together, hardly surprising but so good to watch and admire. But Nathan attacked Ligero and tore off his mask, which was shocking. Ligero hid his face - he never reveals his face publicly, even wearing his mask in non-wrestling photos. So this feud will rage on. I’m glad as both guys are such veterans and clearly relish working together. I really look forward to what they get up together.
Zack Gibson once again got booed heavily when he got the microphone anywhere near his mouth - and now sports a goatee and black ring gear. His disgruntled and sneering facial expressions are amazing and get boos and laughter and he really is the perfect villain for PROGRESS. I don't know when if ever those boos will stop. It's really quite astonishing. He faced Jack Sexsmith who wore unicorn tights and was the most serious I’ve ever seen him in the ring. He’s still exuberantly pansexual but as many people have lauded him for promoting his (and their) sexuality in such a positive unapologetic way, he’s become more focused and less about the out of ring risque shenanigans and instead displaying more wrestling skills. This was a great match to show what he can actually do as Gibson is such a serious competitor and Jack can really take a beating; he plays the ‘favourite in peril’ brilliantly and convincingly. I feel like Jack really is reaching a new stage of his career, where he doesn't have to so heavily depend on character-work so much and proves that he's willing and able to hang with the more serious competitors. Sadly he lost after Gibson hit him with a Helter Skelter on the outside, causing Jack to lose by count out. Jack loses nothing by losing the match as he looked so determined and really did not want to give up and of course Gibson continues to look dastardly and skilled. Nathan joined him on the entrance stage for a smug celebration, holding Ligero’s mask aloft. Boooo!
We had an import on the show - the always-wonderful Shane Strickland, who has the most marvellous dancing groove, vs. Mark Andrews, a first time ever encounter between the two. After Strickland took on Ospreay last year at PROGRESS in a lauded high-flying contest, most expected this match to be similar due to Andrews’ high-flying style. But instead, they went quite technical and deliberate with only flashes of high-flying business which I think was a very smart idea. They worked well together and even if it wasn’t spectacular, it was a very good watch. Mark got the win with his super-pretty Shooting Star Press and Strickland got invited by Jim to be part of PROGRESS’ shows in Orlando which he agreed to. We all made it clear we want him back in the Ballroom too which he seemed to appreciate.
The main event was going to be quite something, we all knew it - British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) vs. Jimmy Havoc, ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster and Mark Haskins. If BSS won, whoever they pinned would get no title opportunity for six months. If the other three won, whoever made the winning pin became number one contender. Tyler brought out the belt he currently holds as WWE UK Champion which was amazing to see - WWE let him bring it to the UK!! I suspect only to be shown at promotions WWE are affiliated with like PROGRESS though. BSS were at their nasty smug best, the crowd loving booing them (though I still hate booing Trent lol). Jimmy's entrance this time included the entrance curtain being removed so that several stark bright lights could blast out behind him as he stood in the entrance way, outlining him in silhouette before he started moving. It was a wonderful image and shows how he's always thinking, tweaking his character in subtle ways, keeping things interesting. I love how he nods at Jim whenever he enters the ring now, really makes me smile. Flash came out in Union Jack tights and matching jacket, as well as ‘In Mod We Trust’ coat and carrying his scooter helmet. He definitely won the most stylish man of the night. Even before Haskins appeared, there were chants for him. He really has been fiercely missed. It was fantastic to cheer him, looking intense and so ready, sporting a new ring jacket - one sleeveless leather, one sleeveless black denim.
I feared his match would fall into Jimmy, Flash and Mark falling out endlessly over who would make the pinfall and therefore fighting amongst themselves, allowing BSS to grab victory. Thankfully, while there was a brief moment of that at the beginning of the match, the three of them soon got separated and so it didn’t happen again, thankfully. It was a merciless match, nasty-looking bumps happening outside of the ring and in it. Both Flash and Mark looked like they hadn’t suffered any ring-rust in their absences and both looked so impressive and determined. Jimmy, of course, was his usual charismatic self; dealing out punishment as liberally as he took it (I’m beginning to doubt he actually feels pain at all).
In the end, Jimmy was the one who got the pin, and on Pete, the champion, as well, clean!! That’s momentous. Jimmy grabbed the mic and revealed that he was taking this title shot at the next chapter show which is in Manchester (which got hefty boos from the crowd as it means London show-goers missing out on that match) and that it’d be a death match. Jimmy claimed he was taking the title shot quickly because he didn’t want Pete to wriggle out of it and because the Manchester show is also his birthday. Fair enough. He then pursued BSS with a chair, all three made a hasty exit, leaving Mark and Flash to soak up the adulation of the crowd who cheered and applauded the men who’d lost but who are still so very loved. And really, they showed that they’re more than ready to take on the title picture when their chance comes again. Oh, I cannot wait. I really do expect Mark to become champ after Pete.
As for outside of the wrestling, I got to finally meet Gadge in person. He’s a fan who sits front row for every show and tweets out the show results along with the match timings, which he calculates himself with a stopwatch. He’s been going to BritWres shows for years and we’ve chatted on Twitter a bit so I was glad to meet and hug him at last. I also got to catch up with other friends which is always such a great part of shows.
I got a pic with Pete Dunne who is so nice out of character. I was glad to congratulate him on his recent WWE success and we chatted to him about seeing him at Friday’s wrestling show in Portsmouth (which I hope to write a report about soon). He completely deserves the success he’s getting now, in the UK and America, and it’s such a delight to watch him achieve it after so much hard work.
I also got to chat to Travis Banks, who for the first time was behind the merchandise table. He surprised and delighted me by pulling me in for a hug and then Anthony too. I do chat to him quite a bit online so he must have recognised me from that, which was lovely. We chatted for a bit before letting others behind us buy merch and get pics. Anthony said afterwards he was surprised Travis had recognised me (we’d only met him briefly once before after ICW’s Southampton show in October) and I replied that I talked to him quite a bit online, I’m persistent lol. Hopefully though, I'm not annoying. I’ve thought since of lots of things I wanted to chat to him about but I guess that leaves room for next time? Also I like his new shirt so I might have to buy that.
We had a quick chat with Trent - he, Tyler and Pete had a long queue forming for their merch and for pics. He gave me a hug and had a quick chat when he spotted us. We had a longer chat on Friday so I didn’t feel disappointed. Any time spent with him is always time well-spent. I’m really gonna miss him when WWE inevitably scoop him off to America. We also had a loooong chat with Mark Andrews who was so incredibly chatty and friendly and always remembers us (I guess not that surprising considering how often we see him at shows and chat to him lol). Again, so good to congratulate him on his WWE success, I’m so very proud of him and feel so glad I’ve gotten to know him and been able to watch his rise.
All in all, a good strong show, not a barnstormer but not every show should be. Things have to build, seeds have to be sown and foundations laid. And the next Camden show is called 'I Chill Out Here And Shoot Dinosaurs', a quote from Mark Haskins' adorable son Jack from the short PROGRESS documentary :D