A lot of local jokes to start the show. Apparently some parts of Wales is worse than others.
CHRIS RIDGEWAY VS. ELIJAH
Ridgeway comes to the ring with the confidence and swagger of a Dean Malenko.
This is the debut of Elijah’s debut in Progress and is the hometown boy.
Stiff kicks from Ridgeway to start the match off.
A couple times Ridgeway leaned back so Elijah could get the head scissors in and was obvious he was moving to allow a move against him.
Match is a typical opening cruiserweight fast paced match.
Nice Submission by Ridgeway that is basically a bow and arrow and deathlock combined.
Stiff forearms shots by Ridgeway into the chest of Elijah before doing some Heelish feet to the throat on Elijah in the corner.
Nice DDT by Elijah to take the advantage. Ridgeway sold it by going to the outside leading to some spots with Elijah pushing the shoulder and neck of Ridgeway into the post.
Close two count for Elijah after a springboard dropkick.
Nice swinging neck breaker from Elijah on Ridgeway. He then hit RIdgeway with an Electric Chair into a pinfall where Ridgeway definitely didn’t kick out fast enough as the ref slowed his arm to an almost snail pace not to count three.
Nice spot where Ridgeway was holding Elijah’s leg and kept telling Elijah to slap him.
Both men are trading slaps then trading blows.
A lot of What you can do I can do better spots in the match to try and show both are even.
Nice crucifix driver into the pin by Ridgeway.
A lot of near falls from both but fans are solidly behind their hometown man, Elijah.
Cocky cover after Ridgeway finally got the Penalty Kick after missing twice earlier lead to only a two count.
Nasty punt to the face by Ridgeway on Elijah that has him get extra cocky while setting up a suplex into the bridge pin for the victory.
DANNY JONES VS. PAUL ROBINSON – PROTEUS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Danny Jones seriously looks like the UK version of Sammy Guevara, look wise at least. He gets a serenade from the crowd upon entering the ring.
If his matches that I saw on Progress 101 is any indication, this match is going to be interesting. Love how Robinson is trash talking the audience including the ladies and almost getting into a fight with a fan after pushing him.
Danny Jones is towering over Paul Robinson and it is almost firing Robinson up. Danny is introduced from Cardiff so gets the hometown pop. Robinson gets them to introduce himself as from England to rile up the Welsh fans.
Fans Serenade Robinson with a song about using the facilities on the English side of the bridge. Only UK fans can do stuff like that.
Robinson walks around the outside of the ring to get under the skin of Danny Jones but seems unphased.
Nice spot with Robinson landing loads of fast shots backing Jones into the corner only for Jones to easily Push Robinson all the way across the ring with a kick.
Great suplex from Danny Jones followed up by another after getting Robinson off the ropes.
Seems Jones is the Welsh Suplex Machine by the way he is throwing the suplexes around which Robinson are selling great while telling Jones off at the same time.
Robinson has now resorted to holding the leg of Jones to stop the suplexes. Robinson gives a poke to the eye of Jones once Jones is close enough.
Announcers remind us that the Proteus Champion decides the rules of the match and currently it is Submission and KO to win with only way to get DQ’d is using the Proteus Belt as a weapon.
Jones is not being allowed in the ring by Robinson so Jones eventually just pulls him out and starts delivering chops in the crowd.
Danny Jones Piledrives Robinson on the hardest part of the ring that hurt even my neck watching it.
Jones tells the ref to check for the knockout but Robinson is holding up his finger in defiance showing he isn’t knocked.
After Robinson tells Jones what to do to himself, Jones hits him with a running knee and begins to choke Robinson out but Robinson bites Jones finger to escape.
Low Blow and now elbows by Robinson to KO Jones to get the win out of nowhere.
Post Match Robinson is still talking trash to the audience.
MARK ANDREWS W/ EDDIE DENNIS VS. ILJA DRAGUNOV
After the opening of Progress 101, I am so happy to see Mark Andrews and Eddie Dennis again as these guys are comedy heel gold.
This is going to be an interesting match up to see again after their opening match from 101.
Nice no sell of the chop by Dragunov that leads to the chase where Mandrews tries to to a standing moonsault on Dragunov coming in but Ilja just backs away leading to nobody being home for Andrews.
Distraction from Eddie Dennis leads to the cheapshot by Andrews to finally get the advantage on Ilja.
Andrews starts to work on the knee of Ilja including a nice spot where he does a standing moonsault on to the stretched out leg and knee.
Ilja is about to pull the leg away to get out of the Indian Deathlock but damage is done and Ilja is selling his knee having trouble getting up and running.
Ilja getting frustrated after a couple close pinfalls.
Mark Andrews tries to counter into a slumdog but Ilja is able to stop it and leads to a great suplex by Ilja.
Andrews is doing an interesting variation of the figure four using Ilja’s leg to add pressure on to the other leg.
Eddie Dennis holds the rope back from Ilja getting to the rope and claims it is for his rehab on his shoulder and then does the same thing pushing the rope for Andrews a moment later. Good stuff.
Nice spot where Ilja does a suplex off the top turnbuckle and goes to do a second suplex but Mark Andrews counters into the Slumdog.
Good work from both men at correcting the flipping piledriver.
Ilja is checked on by the ref while Eddie and Andrews take off the turnbuckle pad.
Ilja goes head first into the exposed turnbuckle and Andrews hits the Shooting Star for the pinfall victory.
Post match Eddie Dennis gets in the ring with a microphone.
Eddie is saying Cara Noir is defending the belt that belongs to him before going on to talk about Mark Andrews. He says that Andrews should now be the next contender for the Progress Championship after beating Ilja.
Someone named G Money is in the ring to cut a promo. He is out there to say he wants to be in the Progress Super Strong Style 16 tournament.
ANTI FUN POLICE (CHIEF DEPUTY DUNNE & LOS FEDERALES SUPER SANTOS JR) VS. JORDAN DEVLIN & SCOTTY DAVIS – PROGRESS TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
I just LOVE Jordan Devlin’s entrance music and love that he uses it here as well.
Jordan has his NXT Cruiserweight Championship with him leading to a Jordan Two Belts chant from the crowd.
Los Federales seems to be the UK’s overweight version of El Generico.
Davis was isolated and worked over by Anti Fun Police but Devlin gets the hot tag to regain the advantage.
Nice spot with Devlin and Davis trying to double team Los Federales but they are suplexed by Santos instead.
Really innovative move setting up Davis in Devlin’s arm so he could DDT both at the same time in a chain reaction spot.
Davis appears to try and suplex Los Federales but doesn’t even come close.
Devlin gets suplexed on to Davis after trying to hold Santos back while Dunne is in the Labelle Lock of Davis.
Devlin runs up the back of Santos to hit the Spanish Fly on Dunne from the top turnbuckle but only gets a two count.
Davis is finally able to hit a Suplex on Santos after a couple kicks.
Devlin holds Dunne in a Package Piledriver while Davis comes off the top to elbow Dunne into the piledriver leading to the pinfall victory.
Post Match Devlin and Davis shake the hands of Anti Fun Police in a sign of respect.
GISELE SHAW VS. DANI LUNA VS. JINNY – PROGRESS WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TRIPLE THREAT MATCH
I assume Gisele is from Canada seeing as she is wearing more Canadian Flags than I see living in Canada.
Nice to see Dani Luna in a match that I don’t instantly expect her to lose.
Time to enjoy a real Women’s Wrestling Champion show what she can do. Love the more music video camera entrance for Jinny.
Isn’t being called a Diva an insult in pro wrestling today?
Dani Luna is the clear crowd favourite in this match.
Nice pause into the actual kick by Gisele on Dani Luna.
Jinny taking it to both Gisele and Dani until the two team up to take on Jinny.
Shaw and Luna set up a spot on the outside with the students or red shirts with Gisele hitting a spinning move off the top.
Dani Luna is able to Samoan Drop Shaw and Jinny at the same time.
Nice springboard cutter from Shaw on to Jinny.
Good spot with Dani Luna showing off her strength by stopping Jinny from a round the world only for Jinny to still hit a DDT.
Vicious looking armbar from Shaw on Jinny with only Luna breaking it up to stop the submission.
Jinny is able to get the pinfall after an acid rainmaker with Gisele Shaw just about breaking the pin but is only able to stare down with Jinny after the pinfall.
Nice angle to set up a future match between Jinny and Gisele. Shaw waves off Dani and walks out leaving Dani alone in the ring to get the crowd ovation on her way out.
CARA NOIR VS. CHRIS BROOKES – PROGRESS UNIFIED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Chris Brookes looks like he is the fashion coordinator from Back to the Future II.
Cara Noir has a very unique and very interesting entrance that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about his character.
Chris Brookes attacks Noir right away to start the match to establish himself as the heel.
Brookes is just taking it to Noir on the outside the ring leading to an altercation with the referee who wants them to get back in the ring.
They keep pushing the fact Brookes is leaving for a year long tour of Japan after this match.
Don’t think there has been any action in the ring since the attack from behind by Brookes to start the match.
Ouch. Cara Noir misses Brookes and kicks the ringpost with his barefoot leading to Brookes attacking it exclusively.
Cara tries but is stopped from hitting a Package Piledriver when Brookes is able to do the double stomp to the barefeet of Cara Noir on the steel steps.
Brookes continues to try and intimidate the referee including fake out a punch.
Match has finally returned to the ring.
Interesting spot with Brookes locking his hands into the toes of Noir. Noir starts to fight back so Brookes starts to bite the toe of Noir.
Nice use of the feet by Noir facewashing Brookes with them to force the hold break.
Nice clothesline from Noir that looks like it turns Brookes inside out.
Cara is able to gain the advantage and even get a two count. He’s doing a good job selling the feet.
Beautiful Corkscrew by Brookes on Noir Springing Noir off the Top Rope.
Huge Double Under-hook Suplex by Brookes on Noir from the top turnbuckle sending Noir almost all the way across the ring.
Both men having trouble standing at this point as they trade blows back and forth.
Brookes keeps going back to the feet of Noir every time Cara can get a series of offense in.
Noir hits a powerbomb on to his knee but can only get a two count on Brookes. Beautiful looking move.
Ref bump when Chris Brookes moves out of the way as Cara Noir is coming into the corner with a drop kick.
Noir hits a packaged Piledriver but ref is out and can’t get the pinfall.
Someone in a mask has come in to knock out Cara Noir. Sounds like he is called Lykos which I now see on his gear.
Jay Driller from Brookes, new referee comes out but original ref pulls him out just before a three count. Argument with the refs as they explain what happened.
Brookes throws a chair at Noir while refs are distracted after a major bump on the red shirts again.
Brookes is pulling out a bag from under the ring that is likely thumbtacks. Yup, Thumbtacks.
Brookes got cocky leading to Noir hitting the Swan Woo but Brookes regains advantage and gets a very close two count.
Cara is headed to get the ropes but instead grabs the bag of thumbtacks and empties them while in the submission hold of Brookes.
Noir lands feet first into the thumbtacks but is still able to get a submission on but Brookes breaks it by falling back into the thumbtacks but Noir reapplies it after no selling the tacks and gets the submission win to retain the title.
Post Match Cara’s back is nasty looking after laying in thumbtacks while putting a submission on.
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