PROGRESS Chapter 52: Vote Pies
Jim Smallman Intro - There was a marriage proposal, and it was a better surprise than Cena's. It seriously got a bigger pop (proportionally). It was a really nice thing. Don't Be A Dick.
It's Dave Mastiff's birthday, and since he still doesn't have an entrance song, his intro song for today is 'Happy Birthday'. This was all spots and double team moves, some of them looked terrible rehearsed or at least getting in position looked waay to obvious. Extra Talent-ed were really good heels, tons of heat and some great double team moves, like these were X-DIvision levels of complexity. It was an entertaining match, a good opener, but it really felt like a clusterfuck.
Something happened at one point that both Extra Talent-ed broke up a pin from Lykos on Ligero after their big spot, and then covered Ligero themselves. Turns out Lykos had already got the three, but everything happened so close that fans thought it was broken up, Lykos was thrown outside so it was really awkward, ref raised their arms outside the ring. Brookes was fucking pissed, he cut a promo after the match.
Big lad's wrestling. This was pretty much just a fight, they brawled a bit outside the ring, inside the ring it was a lot of strikes and tackles and things of the like, some big throws here and there. Bird was really good, but T-Bone really left much to desire, he was botchy, but at the end won. The match was really lackluster.
PROGRESS Women's Championship Match
Great match! They started with all submission work going toe-to-toe, they started as they went on, Di Matteo started to get more offense and when she hit her missile dropkick from the top rope, she was in total control, she started hitting Tope Suicidas to the outside, but not in the Lethal way, it was more like Storm would get hit by one, then crawl away, by the time she got to her feet, Laura was already flying through the air again. Toni Storm made a comeback and they started going back and forward again. Towards the end, Di Matteo had Storm in her submission for a close call, but Storm got out. Finish was Storm dropping Di Matteo with a desperation Piledriver for the pin after Di Matteo had almost knocked her out with a huge kick.
Matt Riddle is who Pete Dunne chose for Travis Banks in their running feud, were each chooses their opponent's opponent. Riddle has braids tonight. This fucking match! These two beat the shit out of each other, the match had some submissions here and there, but it was strikes that were the main dish for this match, they hit each other with everything chops, slaps, forearms, kicks, headbutts, everything. Tons of germans and fighting spirit spots. At one point, Pete Dunne came out, distracted Travis Banks and Riddle capitalized on it, hit the Gotch Tombstone Piledriver for the win. If Banks wins at Alexandria, i'd take this he has a world title shot coming. Riddle and Banks embraced after the match. This is a must watch for Riddle/Banks fans.
Man, a 4-way where I only care about one person and it happens to be Zack Gibson of all people. Early in the match, Chuck Mambo tried to do the People's Elbow, but he had like 5 elbow pads and took so long that Dunne cut him off.
Match was meh, everyone did stuff and got their shit in, heels attacked faces, faces attacked heels, Mambo did some flips and Sexsmith had his condom hand. Finish saw Sexsmith steal a win on Gibson. Everything was well wrestled, i just don't give a fuck about any of these guys.
Yet another match where Dunne looks so great for easily kicking these huge guys' ass. Dunne had control of the match for a long while. Eddie Dennis made a comeback and they traded tons of forearms, most of Eddie's comebacks were kinda like Hulking ups. At one of his comebacks, Dunne did the 'hit me' thing that Ishii does, Eddie would hit him with forearms and Dunne wasn't moved, this made Eddie look like a total geek.
Towards the end of the match, Dunne went crazy and started beating the shit out of Eddie all over the arena, throwing him to chairs and slamming him on the stage, every time he did stuff like this, he was pushing staff and fans, he even twisted one fan's finger and brought him to his knees. Eddie did make yet another comeback and Piledrove Dunne on the stage, he could have won by count out, but decided to bring him back to the ring for a near fall. They traded some near falls including Eddie kicking out of the Bitter End, this makes Dunne go get the sledgehammer, which the ref tries to take away, but while doing so, Eddie accidentally takes him out. Eddie gets a clear pin but with no ref, Dunne gets up, hits him with the sledgehammer, a Pedigree, and the Bitter End for the win. Again, this just makes Eddie look like a geek, maybe he should consider not being a wrestler full time.
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship "War Machine Rules" Match
So I guess this is a thing now, the constant "let's throw the rules out' shtick from War Machine, they even made a name for it since last show. This started off like a huge brawl with War Machine being over, they went back inside the ring for some spots, but once again made it outside for more throwing into chairs and Hanson dives, aaand once again inside the ring where they all fought inside the ring. Listing the amount of things they did would take a long time and the text wall would be too much, so just believe me when I say these guys got their shit in. The finish of the match was a pedigree by Seven on Hanson onto the tag team title belt. I think it was supposed to be different, but Seven couldn't find something under the ring. This was as good as the London Riots match.
Post-match - Rowe cut a promo thanking the crowd and saying he's sorry for not taking the titles. Great stuff.
Good show, kinda up and down when it started, but the matches that at least I wanted to check out all delivered. The feud between Banks and Dunne continues, but Banks seriously needs to start getting better opponents for Dunne, enough tall lanky dudes that wrestle for shit.
The Origin: Banter Ed. vs Extra Talent-ed vs CCK - 6/10
It's Dave Mastiff's birthday, and since he still doesn't have an entrance song, his intro song for today is 'Happy Birthday'. This was all spots and double team moves, some of them looked terrible rehearsed or at least getting in position looked waay to obvious. Extra Talent-ed were really good heels, tons of heat and some great double team moves, like these were X-DIvision levels of complexity. It was an entertaining match, a good opener, but it really felt like a clusterfuck.
Something happened at one point that both Extra Talent-ed broke up a pin from Lykos on Ligero after their big spot, and then covered Ligero themselves. Turns out Lykos had already got the three, but everything happened so close that fans thought it was broken up, Lykos was thrown outside so it was really awkward, ref raised their arms outside the ring. Brookes was fucking pissed, he cut a promo after the match.
Mike Bird vs Tyson T-Bone - 4.5/10
Big lad's wrestling. This was pretty much just a fight, they brawled a bit outside the ring, inside the ring it was a lot of strikes and tackles and things of the like, some big throws here and there. Bird was really good, but T-Bone really left much to desire, he was botchy, but at the end won. The match was really lackluster.
PROGRESS Women's Championship Match
Toni Storm (C) vs Laura Di Matteo - 8.5/10
Great match! They started with all submission work going toe-to-toe, they started as they went on, Di Matteo started to get more offense and when she hit her missile dropkick from the top rope, she was in total control, she started hitting Tope Suicidas to the outside, but not in the Lethal way, it was more like Storm would get hit by one, then crawl away, by the time she got to her feet, Laura was already flying through the air again. Toni Storm made a comeback and they started going back and forward again. Towards the end, Di Matteo had Storm in her submission for a close call, but Storm got out. Finish was Storm dropping Di Matteo with a desperation Piledriver for the pin after Di Matteo had almost knocked her out with a huge kick.
Matt Riddle vs Travis Banks - 9/10
Matt Riddle is who Pete Dunne chose for Travis Banks in their running feud, were each chooses their opponent's opponent. Riddle has braids tonight. This fucking match! These two beat the shit out of each other, the match had some submissions here and there, but it was strikes that were the main dish for this match, they hit each other with everything chops, slaps, forearms, kicks, headbutts, everything. Tons of germans and fighting spirit spots. At one point, Pete Dunne came out, distracted Travis Banks and Riddle capitalized on it, hit the Gotch Tombstone Piledriver for the win. If Banks wins at Alexandria, i'd take this he has a world title shot coming. Riddle and Banks embraced after the match. This is a must watch for Riddle/Banks fans.
Chuck Mambo vs Jack Sexsmith vs Zack Gibson vs Chief Deputy Dunne - 5/10
Man, a 4-way where I only care about one person and it happens to be Zack Gibson of all people. Early in the match, Chuck Mambo tried to do the People's Elbow, but he had like 5 elbow pads and took so long that Dunne cut him off.
Match was meh, everyone did stuff and got their shit in, heels attacked faces, faces attacked heels, Mambo did some flips and Sexsmith had his condom hand. Finish saw Sexsmith steal a win on Gibson. Everything was well wrestled, i just don't give a fuck about any of these guys.
Pete Dunne vs Eddie Dennis - 7.5/10
Yet another match where Dunne looks so great for easily kicking these huge guys' ass. Dunne had control of the match for a long while. Eddie Dennis made a comeback and they traded tons of forearms, most of Eddie's comebacks were kinda like Hulking ups. At one of his comebacks, Dunne did the 'hit me' thing that Ishii does, Eddie would hit him with forearms and Dunne wasn't moved, this made Eddie look like a total geek.
Towards the end of the match, Dunne went crazy and started beating the shit out of Eddie all over the arena, throwing him to chairs and slamming him on the stage, every time he did stuff like this, he was pushing staff and fans, he even twisted one fan's finger and brought him to his knees. Eddie did make yet another comeback and Piledrove Dunne on the stage, he could have won by count out, but decided to bring him back to the ring for a near fall. They traded some near falls including Eddie kicking out of the Bitter End, this makes Dunne go get the sledgehammer, which the ref tries to take away, but while doing so, Eddie accidentally takes him out. Eddie gets a clear pin but with no ref, Dunne gets up, hits him with the sledgehammer, a Pedigree, and the Bitter End for the win. Again, this just makes Eddie look like a geek, maybe he should consider not being a wrestler full time.
PROGRESS Tag Team Championship "War Machine Rules" Match
British Strong Style (C) vs War Machine - 9.5/10
So I guess this is a thing now, the constant "let's throw the rules out' shtick from War Machine, they even made a name for it since last show. This started off like a huge brawl with War Machine being over, they went back inside the ring for some spots, but once again made it outside for more throwing into chairs and Hanson dives, aaand once again inside the ring where they all fought inside the ring. Listing the amount of things they did would take a long time and the text wall would be too much, so just believe me when I say these guys got their shit in. The finish of the match was a pedigree by Seven on Hanson onto the tag team title belt. I think it was supposed to be different, but Seven couldn't find something under the ring. This was as good as the London Riots match.
Post-match - Rowe cut a promo thanking the crowd and saying he's sorry for not taking the titles. Great stuff.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Good show, kinda up and down when it started, but the matches that at least I wanted to check out all delivered. The feud between Banks and Dunne continues, but Banks seriously needs to start getting better opponents for Dunne, enough tall lanky dudes that wrestle for shit.