Progress Wrestling
Progress Wrestling (stylized as PROGRESS) is a British professional wrestling promotion that was established in 2011 by comedian Jim Smallman, events and comedy promoter Jon Briley, and later, actor Glen Robinson (professionally known as Glen Joseph). The company is now co-owned by Lee McAteer and Martyn Best.
Progress Wrestling's logo | |
| Acronym | Progress |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Style | Professional wrestling Sports entertainment |
| Headquarters | London, England |
| Founder(s) | Jim Smallman Jon Briley |
| Owner(s) | Lee McAteer Martyn Best |
| Merged with | DEFY Wrestling |
| Website | ProgressWrestling.com |
History edit
Progress was conceived by Jim Smallman and Jon Briley in 2011, who were both wrestling fans. Smallman is a fan of "strong style" wrestling, Japanese in particular, and Briley was Smallman's agent.[1]
In 2015, Progress appeared for five nights at Download Festival.[2] In December of that year, they began running regular shows at The Ritz in Manchester.[3] On 30 September 2018, Progress Wrestling held "Hello Wembley" at the Wembley Arena. Billed by the promotion as the largest independent wrestling show in England for 30 years, the event drew 4,750 people; making it the most attended event in Progress Wrestling history.[4]
In 2016, the company began working relationships with other promotions. At Chapter 29 on 24 April in London, Progress hosted two qualifying matches for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic.[5] In 2017, Progress wrestlers such as Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, and Mark Andrews participated in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, culminating in Bate being crowned the first ever WWE UK Champion.[citation needed]
Smallman left Progress at the end of 2019 after Chapter 100. In June 2020, Progress would be affected by reports of sexual harassment in the British independent circuit. After several accusations, Progress decided to no longer work with David Starr, Travis Banks, and El Ligero, as well as suspending indefinitely then- Tag team Champions Jordan Devlin and Scotty Davis, who vacated the titles.[6] Ring announcer and creative team member Matt Richards also left the promotion.[7] On 21 June 2020, it was announced that Glen Joseph was stepping down with Michael Oku, Vicky Haskins and James Amner all taking prominent roles in the company.[8]
In 2021, Progress announced its return amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, travelling to South London to set up a temporary home at Theatre Peckham for Chapter 104: Natural Progression on 20 February, eventually producing 23 shows behind closed doors which featured on the WWE Network. On 31 December that year, ahead of their return to live shows in January 2022, it was announced that Progress had been acquired by Lee McAteer and Martyn Best - taking over ownership from Briley.
On 9 February 2024, it was announced that PROGRESS Wrestling would merge with DEFY Wrestling, an independent promotion based in Seattle, Washington in the United States. It was created to bring a "global presence" to both brands and aid further expansion plans.[9]
Demand Progress Plus edit
Demand Progress Plus is Progress' video-on-demand service that launched in 2023, replacing the previous service on Pivotshare.[10] January 2017 saw the first episode of Freedom's Road, a new series from Progress which would feature matches taped specifically for the show and have a heavy focus on characters and plots.[11]
Championships edit
As of April 11, 2024.
Current champions edit
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held | Location | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROGRESS World Championship | Kid Lykos | 1 | 25 February 2024 | 46+ | London, England | Defeated Spike Trivet at Progress Chapter 163 - Twisted Metal in a Steel Cage Match | [12] | |
| Progress Wrestling Atlas Championship | Yoichi | 1 | 5 April 2024 | 6+ | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Defeated Ricky Knight Jr. at Chapter 166: Freedom Walks Again. | [13] | |
| PROGRESS Tag Team Championship | | Sanity (Big Damo and Axel Tischer) | 1 (1, 1) | 5 April 2024 | 6+ | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Defeated Cheeky Little Buggers(Charles Crowley and Alexiss Falcon) and (Chuck Mambo and TK Cooper) at Chapter 166: Freedom Walks Again. | [13] |
| Progress Women's Championship | Rhio | 1 | 22 October 2023 | 172+ | London, England | Defeated Lana Austin at Chapter 158: The Long Halloween. | ||
Inactive championships edit
| Championship | Date introduced | Date retired | Last champion | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progress Proteus Championship | 21 July 2019 | 24 February 2021 | Paul Robinson | Retired after champion Robinson left Progress. |
Progress Proteus Championship edit
| Progress Proteus Championship[14] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Details | |||||
| Date established | 21 July 2019 | ||||
| Date retired | 25 February 2021 | ||||
| |||||
It was announced on 21 July 2019 that the old Progress Atlas Championship which was unified with the Progress World Championship will be replaced. The title was named after the shapechanging Greek god, Proteus. Progress co-founder Jim Smallman said in the announcement that the champion will be able to pick the stipulation for the championship matches, subject to approval by the promotion.[15]
Reigns edit
| No. | Overall reign number |
|---|---|
| Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
| Days | Number of days held |
| Defenses | Number of successful defenses |
| No. | Champion | Championship change | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | Defenses | ||||
| 1 | Paul Robinson | 15 September 2019 | Chapter 95: Still Chasing | Haringey, London | 1 | 529 | 7 | This was a 30-person rumble match. Paul Robinson lastly eliminated Danny Duggan to become the inaugural champion. Robinson's selected stipulation was that he could only lose the title by being knocked out or by tapping out. | [16] |
| — | Deactivated | 25 February 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | Vacated after Paul Robinson left the promotion. | |
Reception edit
Patrick Lennon, wrestling journalist for the Daily Star, has attended and reviewed Progress shows.[17]
Carrie Dunn, founder and main contributor of wrestling blog "The Only Way is Suplex",[18] published the book Spandex, Screw Jobs & Cheap Pops: Inside the Business of British Pro Wrestling.[19] Progress Wrestling features frequently in the book including opening a chapter regarding London based wrestling promotions.[20]
See also edit
- List of Progress Wrestling tournaments
- NXT UK - Brand of the U.S-based WWE from which several Progress talent have competed for.
References edit
- ^ Rehal, Sumit (26 May 2014). "Progress Wrestling – 'If we didn't have such talented guys in Britain, then the promotion wouldn't be doing as well as it is,' says co-founder Jim Smallman". The Independent. from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ "Progress wrestling attendance record". 411mania.com.
- ^ "Another Indie Promotion To Host WWE Global Cruiserweight Series Qualifying Matches". from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "411Mania".
- ^ "411Mania".
- ^ "When it comes to PROGRESS, huge change is needed and huge change has begun: Glen Robinson and Matt Richards are stepping away. @VickyHaskins is involved, @lucefromsocials is involved, @jamesamner is involved & I am involved. More on this tomorrow - Michael Oku". Twitter.
- ^ Currier, Joseph (9 February 2024). "PROGRESS & Defy Wrestling announce merger". Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
- ^ "Progress Wrestling Launch Their On Demand Service". WrestleRopes UK. 22 March 2015. from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ^ Perry, Ian. "Progress Wrestling: Freedom's Road Debut Episode TV Report". PWInsider. from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ^ Smith, Daniel (25 February 2024). "PROGRESS Chapter 163: Twisted Metal - TV-Show @ Electric Ballroom in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ a b Lambert, Jeremy (5 April 2024). "PROGRESS Chapter 166 Results (4/5): New Champions Crowned". fightful.com. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Progress Proteus Championship". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "411MANIA". PROGRESS Wrestling Announces New Proteus Championship.
- ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (15 September 2019). "PROGRESS Chapter 95: Still Chasing - Event @ Alexandra Palace in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "Every Saint Has A Past, Every Sinner Has A Future show is a winner". Daily Star. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "The Only Way Is Suplex". Carrie Dunn. from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "Spandex, Screw Jobs & Cheap Pops: Inside the Business of British Pro Wrestling" Amazon listing. ASIN 1909178462.
- ^ Dunn, Carrie (2013). "Chapter 11: In the spotlight - London calling". Spandex, Screw Jobs & Cheap Pops: Inside the Business of British Pro Wrestling. Pitch. pp. 174–176. ISBN 978-1-909178-46-5.
External links edit
- Official website
- Progress Wrestling (Progress) at Cagematch.net