Four chapters in brings us to the culmination of a feud that has simmered in the background since the beginning. With an opening video package very reminiscent of Old West film, tonight’s main event will be a shootout: Cruz vs Ligero for the Progress title. Who wins and who bleeds out? Let’s see.
This Chapter was filmed at The Boston Dome in Tufnell Park. The card:
London Riots vs Hunter Brothers
RJ Singh vs Paul Robinson
Noam Dar vs Jimmy Havoc
Will Ospreay vs Mark Andrews
Stixx vs Marty Scurll vs Dave Mastiff
Nathan Cruz vs El Ligero for the Progress Championship
1. Competitiveness and Treacherousness
Up until this point, the London Riots have more or less been tearing through the teams that have been put against them, using their sheer power to dominate. However, this was their first match that saw the two on the ropes. The Hunter Brothers give as good as they receive (including a devastating-looking spiked piledriver) and for the first time since debuting, it really does look like the Riots are finally going to be defeated… just until Lynch fakes an injury to lure the Hunters and referee into a false sense of security and score the win. It shows that they’re not just dumb muscle but also have a bit of cunning in them too.
2. Robinson
Paul Robinson and Will Ospreay, the two who would eventually form the tag team The Swords of Essex. Being able to watch these two separately does allow one to see what they’d each bring to the table for their tag team to come. Whereas Ospreay is more of a high-flyer, Robinson is a vicious striker, commentary noting his time in mixed-martial arts outside of wrestling. There is a bit of a theme running with Robinson at this time, trying to hit moves that are more associated with high-flying junior heavyweights like attempting a leg drop from the top rope, only for opponent Singh to roll out of the way. Robinson does manage to perform the 619 (a move made famous by Rey Mysterio), but the combinations of attacks to his back and interference from Singh’s entorogue eventually causes him to lose via submission. Even in defeat, he still showed that, given time and proper motivation, Robinson can be a force to be reckoned with.
3. Natural Progression
Chapter Four has two matches that are big moments going forward. The first is that this is the Chapter that started Progress’s first Natural Progression Series tournament. This and the following three cards would have quarterfinals matches, followed by semi-finals and a final match; the winner of the whole tournament getting a shot at the Progress Championship. And what a match to start with: Ospreay in his first singles match with Progress, and Mark Andrews, who we’ve discussed in length over these last few weeks.
Andrews and Ospreay have fantastic chemistry together, able to combine grappling and acrobatics into something amazingly choreographed without feeling choreographed. What we are seeing here between these two is the fledglings of the modern “work rate era” where technical prowess and doing moves that pop the crowd and are giffable permeate throughout. I know there are old school fans that decry it as just “flippy shit” but that is a massive disservice to these two and the wrestlers they’d become in the years to come.
4. Jimmy Just Can’t Get a Win
Meanwhile, in Jimmy Havoc’s continuing quest to prove he is a “real” wrestler, he is up against Noam Dar in a Submission Match. Does he do well? Did you read the subtitle of this Thought? As Jim Smallman says before the match begins: there will be no no no no weapons. As such, this match’s stipulation serves as a battle between Dar’s attempts to bend the rules and Havoc’s temptation to go crazy. It starts well enough, wrist and headlocks with frantic runs to cause a rope break. When it starts heating up, in hindsight, it is a bit cringy watching Dar attack Havoc’s knee here when in a couple years time Havoc would tear his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and be out of wrestling for nearly a year.
Continued belowDar would continue to be underhanded, trying to bite Havoc and strangle him with wrist tape. Eventually, Dar manages to scatter thumbtacks into the ring, only for the ref to try and stop Havoc from delivering a death valley driver onto them. Dar tries a chair, tries a low blow, eventually he gets the ref distracted before tossing a metal briefcase to Havoc and feign being hit with it, ala Eddie Guerrero. This actually does cause Havoc to be disqualified, only to be restarted by Jim Smallman. This is not enough for Havoc to get respite as he is eventually forced to submit.
Honestly, this is probably the weakest match involving Havoc so far. While it does continue the story, it felt a bit too overbooked (which is funny considering last time he was involved in a harcore match). This match didn’t really need the DQ/Restart segment and still would have gotten it’s story across.
5. El Ligero
Now we are onto the main event and it’s here where I have to talk about something: El Ligero. Specifically, his gimmick. Now, bear in mind: I think he’s amazingly talented, as he shows here and will show in the years to come. It’s just… I always feel a bit “Ehhhh” when non-mexican wrestlers take on a luchador gimmick. Now, he doesn’t parody the luchador, he plays it very straight. It’s not like El Generico (and I love Sami Zayn. He’s one of my favorite people in WWE. Still…), but it’s always stopped me from loving Ligero as much as I want to.
With that said: this was a real good match. It starts out hot and intense, spilling out of the ring and into the crowd, not unlike when both Cruz and Ligero were involved in the fatal four way in Chapter One. The bar, the merch table, the stage area; all of it becomes fighting ground. Even when they get back to the ring, Cruz tricks Ligero back out and the brawling continues.
The two eventually get back to the ring and continue their exchanges until Ligero hits a body splash from the top rope for a close two count. At this point, Ligero goes out of the ring to grab the Progress Staff. The ref tries to stop Ligero, which gives Cruz the time he needs to deliver the Showstollen, his finisher. One. Two. Kickout! Another kick to Ligero’s head! One! Kickout! The crowd is in a frenzy right now as the two continue, with Ligero eventually locking in a Guillotine submission and causing Nathan Cruz to tap out, his reign ending at 245 days and El Ligero as your new Progress World Champion.
This Chapter was an improvement from Three and put a conclusion to Cruz’s reign with the best match of the night. It also saw the kickoff for the Natural Progression tournament, which will continue on as Progress continues to evolve.
