PROGRESS Chapter 2: The March of Progress
Show started with a promo video with Marty and Cruz cutting a post-show promo on each other. Cruz opens a challenge to Marty for the title and allows Marty to choose the stipulation. Marty choose 2-out-3 falls. Marty said that he'll 'finally' fulfill his destiny to become PROGRESS champ, his destiny? finall? This is barely the second show.
Jim Smallman Intro - This is the birth of many of Smallman's and PROGRESS fan's shtick. They did a split camera from Gorilla position where we can see Stixx going on about Jim taking too much time in the ring. He eventually gets fed up and decides to walk out and interrupt Smallman (Don't Be A Dick?). He cuts a shitty promo and so...
Lion Kid has the shittiest rendition of a Tiger Mask mask copy EVER. Before the match starts and we already heard someone say "Let's Go Simba" and sing the Lion King intro song. This was a well wrestled match, but nothing to it, this was a small high fly lucha kid vs a big powerhouse.and it was as formulaic as it can get. Lion Kid gets a bit of an upset win with a Okana Roll Bridged pin. Fans were really obnoxious.
BWC Scarlo Scholarship Championship Match
Great grounded match, Hitchman was a surprisingly awesome wrestler than managed to keep Andrews grounded all match, just submission and constant hurting of Andrews. Match was all dominated by Hitchman, even getting some good near falls towards the end, but the end just saw Andrews roll up Hitchman for the cheap win. The one sided-ness of the match really brings it from great to good, especially because of the cheap finish we saw.
Fans kept chanting at Andrews as Draco from Harry Potter, giving points to Slytherin, and what not. I think that at one point someone chanted for Slytherin vs Gondor. It was unfortunate that such a great match was hurt by the shit fans of tonight.
Post-match - Former champion Xander Cooper attacked Andrews, who just kinda just got away.
Allen is coming in with an injured shoulder from the last shoulder, so Noam Dar focuses all his offense on the upper body. Darrell having an injured arm, he changed his offense to be kick heavy. Finish saw Dar kick Darrell's leg of the top rope when Allen was going for a top rope move, as he brought him down injured, he locked in a knee-bar, hit him with headbutts and kicked him in the gut, everything possible until Allen tapped. Action was great in this match, far better pacing than the previous two. Noam Dar is a heat magnet.
So Havoc had done a big campaign to get himself booked by Progress, which he finally did and was told that he will have to adhere to the Super Strong Style rulebook and not get hardcore as he is known to do. Match was back and forward, quite balance really, there was a little bit of comedy here and there, but for the most past, it was all basic wrestling. At one point, Havoc did get frustrated he could put his former training partner down, and so he goes for the chair, the ref intercepts the chair saving Havoc from being DQd and surely never booked again. Finish saw Havoc and Garnell exchange some roll ups until Garnell manages to hold one a lot tighter for the win.
Post-match - Jim Smallman says that since Havoc kept it together for the most part, he would give him one more chance at Chapter 3.
There you have it, a prepubescent Will Ospreay. London Riots pretty much killed the Vipers all match, the Vipers had hope spots here and there, but the power of the Riots was too much. When the Viper were barely about to make a comeback, Alex Esmail got injured, completely bailed, he dragged himself to a lackluster hot tag and then took off. Osprey was just easy picks and it seems they went for the quick finish. Ospreay did make sure to get double rotation moonsault before getting pinned. The Velocity Vipers never wrestled together again.
PROGRESS Championship No 1 Contender Match
Singh being the only heel, match started with Ligero and Burrige trading chances to hurt Singh. Tons of comedy from Burridge, including pulling out rear mirror dice balls from his tights. Match was mostly all Ligero and Burridge, Singh spent most of the match outside. The action was for the most part good, Burridge definitely went out of his way to put himself over regardless of the finish, which was Ligero rolling him up (4th roll up of the show?) for the win.
Post-match - Burridge cuts a quick promo claiming that Ligero had his tights. Fuck this guy for fucking up the babyface's win.
PROGRESS Championship 2-out-3 Falls Match
Each fall could had totally just been a title match on their own, all falls lasted about 10 minutes average. First fall was back and forward, Scurll goes ahead after hitting a back-breaker on Cruz for the pin. Second fall was mostly Cruz with the upper hand, taking Scull around The Garage brawling and throwing him into chairs and such, Cruz takes the point after hitting a massive Jumping Tombstone Piledriver.
Third fall takes a lot to start because both wrestlers need to be on their feet, but after a piledriver, Scurll is pretty much dead, so they hint that Scrull may need to forfeit the fall, but he does eventually manages to stand up thanks to the ropes. As soon as it starts, Scurll hits a desperation elbow and they both go down. Third fall was again a balanced match, just considerably less gas on each other's tanks. Finish of the last fall saw Scurll accidentally take out the ref, Cruz is about to hit Scurll with a chair, but Ligero comes out and takes the chair away, Ligero goes for a super kick, but Cruz dodges and hits Scurll instead. Ligero just kinda shrugs it off and leaves, Cruz pins Scurll for the win. Ligero definitely looked heelish here.
Post-match - Good babyface stuff. Scurll cuts a promo saying that this is not the end of Scurll's chase for the PROGRESS Championship, and be it Cruz or Ligero next show, he is coming for the title.
This was a one match show, a really underwhelming lower card. The production values of the show improved a bit from the last show, the camera handlers finally figured out how to remove the zoom. The commentary was still really lacking emotion. Announced for next show, Ligero vs Cruz for the title, Andrews vs Xander for the Scholarship title, and Jimmy Havoc's second chance. Fans sucked tonight, this is probably where the inspiration came for the Don't Be A Dick Rule.
Jim Smallman Intro - This is the birth of many of Smallman's and PROGRESS fan's shtick. They did a split camera from Gorilla position where we can see Stixx going on about Jim taking too much time in the ring. He eventually gets fed up and decides to walk out and interrupt Smallman (Don't Be A Dick?). He cuts a shitty promo and so...
Stixx vs Lion Kid - 6/10
Lion Kid has the shittiest rendition of a Tiger Mask mask copy EVER. Before the match starts and we already heard someone say "Let's Go Simba" and sing the Lion King intro song. This was a well wrestled match, but nothing to it, this was a small high fly lucha kid vs a big powerhouse.and it was as formulaic as it can get. Lion Kid gets a bit of an upset win with a Okana Roll Bridged pin. Fans were really obnoxious.
BWC Scarlo Scholarship Championship Match
"White Lightning" Mark Andrews (C) vs "Wild Boar" Mark Hitchman - 6.5/10
Great grounded match, Hitchman was a surprisingly awesome wrestler than managed to keep Andrews grounded all match, just submission and constant hurting of Andrews. Match was all dominated by Hitchman, even getting some good near falls towards the end, but the end just saw Andrews roll up Hitchman for the cheap win. The one sided-ness of the match really brings it from great to good, especially because of the cheap finish we saw.
Fans kept chanting at Andrews as Draco from Harry Potter, giving points to Slytherin, and what not. I think that at one point someone chanted for Slytherin vs Gondor. It was unfortunate that such a great match was hurt by the shit fans of tonight.
Post-match - Former champion Xander Cooper attacked Andrews, who just kinda just got away.
Noam Dar vs "The Dazzling" Darrell Allen - 7/10
Allen is coming in with an injured shoulder from the last shoulder, so Noam Dar focuses all his offense on the upper body. Darrell having an injured arm, he changed his offense to be kick heavy. Finish saw Dar kick Darrell's leg of the top rope when Allen was going for a top rope move, as he brought him down injured, he locked in a knee-bar, hit him with headbutts and kicked him in the gut, everything possible until Allen tapped. Action was great in this match, far better pacing than the previous two. Noam Dar is a heat magnet.
Danny Garnell vs Jimmy Havoc - 6.5/10
So Havoc had done a big campaign to get himself booked by Progress, which he finally did and was told that he will have to adhere to the Super Strong Style rulebook and not get hardcore as he is known to do. Match was back and forward, quite balance really, there was a little bit of comedy here and there, but for the most past, it was all basic wrestling. At one point, Havoc did get frustrated he could put his former training partner down, and so he goes for the chair, the ref intercepts the chair saving Havoc from being DQd and surely never booked again. Finish saw Havoc and Garnell exchange some roll ups until Garnell manages to hold one a lot tighter for the win.
Post-match - Jim Smallman says that since Havoc kept it together for the most part, he would give him one more chance at Chapter 3.
London Riots vs Velocity Vipers - DUD!
There you have it, a prepubescent Will Ospreay. London Riots pretty much killed the Vipers all match, the Vipers had hope spots here and there, but the power of the Riots was too much. When the Viper were barely about to make a comeback, Alex Esmail got injured, completely bailed, he dragged himself to a lackluster hot tag and then took off. Osprey was just easy picks and it seems they went for the quick finish. Ospreay did make sure to get double rotation moonsault before getting pinned. The Velocity Vipers never wrestled together again.
PROGRESS Championship No 1 Contender Match
Greg Burridge vs RJ Singh vs El Ligero - 6.5/10
Singh being the only heel, match started with Ligero and Burrige trading chances to hurt Singh. Tons of comedy from Burridge, including pulling out rear mirror dice balls from his tights. Match was mostly all Ligero and Burridge, Singh spent most of the match outside. The action was for the most part good, Burridge definitely went out of his way to put himself over regardless of the finish, which was Ligero rolling him up (4th roll up of the show?) for the win.
Post-match - Burridge cuts a quick promo claiming that Ligero had his tights. Fuck this guy for fucking up the babyface's win.
PROGRESS Championship 2-out-3 Falls Match
"Party" Marty Scurll vs Nathan Cruz (C) - 8.5/10
Each fall could had totally just been a title match on their own, all falls lasted about 10 minutes average. First fall was back and forward, Scurll goes ahead after hitting a back-breaker on Cruz for the pin. Second fall was mostly Cruz with the upper hand, taking Scull around The Garage brawling and throwing him into chairs and such, Cruz takes the point after hitting a massive Jumping Tombstone Piledriver.
Third fall takes a lot to start because both wrestlers need to be on their feet, but after a piledriver, Scurll is pretty much dead, so they hint that Scrull may need to forfeit the fall, but he does eventually manages to stand up thanks to the ropes. As soon as it starts, Scurll hits a desperation elbow and they both go down. Third fall was again a balanced match, just considerably less gas on each other's tanks. Finish of the last fall saw Scurll accidentally take out the ref, Cruz is about to hit Scurll with a chair, but Ligero comes out and takes the chair away, Ligero goes for a super kick, but Cruz dodges and hits Scurll instead. Ligero just kinda shrugs it off and leaves, Cruz pins Scurll for the win. Ligero definitely looked heelish here.
Post-match - Good babyface stuff. Scurll cuts a promo saying that this is not the end of Scurll's chase for the PROGRESS Championship, and be it Cruz or Ligero next show, he is coming for the title.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was a one match show, a really underwhelming lower card. The production values of the show improved a bit from the last show, the camera handlers finally figured out how to remove the zoom. The commentary was still really lacking emotion. Announced for next show, Ligero vs Cruz for the title, Andrews vs Xander for the Scholarship title, and Jimmy Havoc's second chance. Fans sucked tonight, this is probably where the inspiration came for the Don't Be A Dick Rule.