Progress-Chapter-9-1 Television 

Five Thoughts on Progress Wrestling, Chapter Nine: “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kick Me, Kill Me”

By | July 21st, 2018
Posted in Television | % Comments

Okay. I don’t have anything clever to say here. Suffice to say, if the first ten Chapters of Progress consist of “Season One,” then we have arrived at part one of the season finale. As such, I have to give the big spoilers warning here.

The Card:

Dave Mastiff vs Tommy End
Eddie Dennis vs Paul Robinson
Ricochet vs Zack Sabre Jr vs Mark Haskins
Stixx vs Nathan Cruz
Bhangra Knights and Grado vs Project Ego and T-Bone
Rampage Brown vs Doug Williams

1. End

While Chapter Nine is -rightfully- known for the Big Thing that happens here (we’ll get to that), it also had a more low key event: the Progress debut of Tommy End. The man who is known in NXT as Aleister Black looks so different here, physically. He looks like a teen version of the current NXT Champion. With that said, it only applies to looks as he shows his skills against Dave Mastiff. Quick and hard strikes against Mastiff are implemented to keep the momentum in End’s corner. Mastiff works some great power spots (including a fantastic thirty-second elevated suplex) but in the end, it’s End’s quickness and quick-thinking counters that sees the debuting wrestler score the victory, the first step into a real good run End will have with Progress before heading to Stamford, CT.

Having said all of that, and this may be because I’m still having some bitterness with Extreme Rules last Sunday, but this crowd sucks. I am over the counting-more-than once to screw with the ref (this one was particularly insufferable because they made fun of the ref’s voice cracking last Chapter), the “Sweeeeeet!” at a two-count, the “Fucking Flip!” when someone goes to the top rope. I get wanting to have fun, and it could be because I’ve watched nine of these in a row so far, but just knock it off, people!

2. The Natural Progression Final is Set

Who will go on to face Mark Andrews in the finals: his partner Eddie Dennis or Paul Robinson? We’re going to find out now. It’s David and Goliath to start: Dennis having what looks like a foot worth of height over Robinson. It doesn’t perturb Mr. Wrestling and uses his MMA background to his advantage through the match. Robinson bends and twists to counter around Dennis (including curling straight into a ball, which confuses Dennis for a second before grabbing Robinson and slamming him on the mat).

The match is pretty decent, ending with Robinson hitting a shooting star press, but it felt like it came out of nowhere. In fact, a lot of the match felt like it never really hit that final gear that it could’ve. Maybe if it had gotten another 3-5 minutes. Still, both men showed great skill and it sets up Robinson vs. Andrews for Chapter Ten.

3. Haskins, ZSJ & Ricochet are Great

So, on top of the Big Thing that we’re gonna talk about, this Chapter also had this match.

“Fast-Paced” is a great way to describe the match, despite the more grounded, submission-based skills of two of the competitors. The three work wonders around each other, constantly rotating in and out so two can have segments with one another. But when the three work fully in tandem (such each taking turns to run across the ring to slam into another or when ZSJ tries to put both Haskins and Ricochet into a Boston Crab). It is a relentless venture with each of the competitors trying to outdo one another, culminating in Haskins attempting to hit a pumphandle driver, only for Zack to swoop in with a penalty kick and cover for the win. From a “wrestling” standpoint, this is easily the best match of the card and one of Progress’ early best ones.

4. An Overshadowed Championship

It’s finally at this Chapter we come to a realization: the Screw Indy Wrestling stable is kind of…lame.

Sure, the concept of “Professional Wrestlers” that snob the indies is an easy target for these crowds, and I am in no way dissing the skills of Cruz, Haskins and Rampage, I like them all well enough. But it’s what happens in this Chapter, specifically what happens just before the main event, that really did deflate this match. And it’s not even a bad match. Both Rampage and Doug Williams are really good competitors and show their skills well and we see Rampage retain after a good match. But this match had to follow off of the clinic that Haskins/ZSJ/Ricochet put on and the Big Thing that this show is remembered for, which really just puts Screw Indy Wrestling in their place, in spite of them supposedly being the Big Bad stable of Progress right now.

Continued below

So, what’s the Big Thing? Well…

5. ”I’m Gonna Do Exactly What I Want to Do”

Normally, the final thought would be reserved for the main event, but -to be frank- there is something much more important that happens in Chapter Nine than the Progress Championship. It takes place in the tag match between the Bhangra Knights & Grado vs Project Ego & T-Bone. The match itself is decent, but what people will remember it for is the ending. Because who should come out, garbed in black hoodies and wielding cricket bats, but the London Riots.

They devastate the Knights and Grado with brutal efficiency, leaving only them and Jim Smallman in the ring. But before Davis and Lynch can do anything more, out comes Jimmy Havoc, steel chair in hand to rapturous applause. The Riots jump out of the ring as Smallman takes to the mic. He is sic of the Riots insulting Progress. That this isn’t about the Riots. It’s about the 350 people that are in the Garage to watch this show. Who are willing to compete for Progress. People who love what Progress does. People like Jimmy. Fucking. Havoc.

BOOM!

Jimmy Havoc wails Jim Smallman in the back with his chair and proceeds to wail on him to massive boos. On the outside, Glenn Joseph tries to get in the ring but the Riots are playing defense. Jimmy grabs a cricket bat and hits Smallman to chants of “What The Fuck?!” and “Fuck You Havoc!” from the crowd.

And then Havoc takes to the mic. “I am not your mascot.” Havoc is sick onto death of Smallman, especially with Havoc’s recent knee injury, Smallman’s first response was “Who can I get for a replacement?” No one -whether it was Progress or “you cunts” (audience)- gave a damn about Havoc. At this point people are throwing empty cups into the ring until one fan throws a full beer cup at Havoc. That got Havoc to turn to that fan and tell him to sit down or “he’ll slit his fucking throat” to massive boos.

But back to Smallman. Another grievance is Havoc’s desire to prove he’s a wrestler and not just a deathmatch specialist. When Nigel McGuinness put him over as a technical wrestler several shows ago, what did Smallman do: book Jimmy in another deathmatch the next show. All Jimmy wanted was respect, but now all he respects is Lynch and Davis. Why? Because up until now, Jimmy has done everything Progress wanted him to do, whereas the Riots have done what they wanted to do. And now, as Jimmy Havoc grabs Jim Smallman by the collar, Havoc is going to do what he wants to do. And that’s before delivering a massive, loud slap across Smallman’s face.

If there is one criticism I can give this angle is that it really should have gone on last. I’ve said that the big title should main event but sometimes angles can be bigger than that and this most certainly was that. The last seven chapters have been the build up to this moment, and here is where the real story, the story that would put Progress on the map, begins.

And it just gets more chaotic next chapter…


//TAGS | 2018 Summer TV Binge | Progress Wrestling

Ken Godberson III

When he's not at his day job, Ken Godberson III is a guy that will not apologize for being born Post-Crisis. More of his word stuffs can be found on Twitter or Tumblr. Warning: He'll talk your ear off about why Impulse is the greatest superhero ever.

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