Getting a break down for today’s card before getting right into the action!
DANNY BLACK VS. WARREN BANKS – NATURAL PROGRESSION SERIES SEMI FINAL MATCH
Glad to see that this is the first Semi Final as most want to see the Tag Partners go at it in the other Semi Final.
They’re playing off the strength difference between Banks and Black here with Black able to get away from most holds Banks put on.
Great springboard cutter from Black on Banks but only a two count.
Banks is starting to get frustrated with Black and holds on to the submission for the four count after Black grabs the bottom rope.
Really good story with Banks hating himself for getting so frustrated that he is willing to push the limits of the rules.
Banks locks on a Guillotine Choke on Black who was going for another Springboard Cutter and Black taps out. Banks is moving on to the final.
Another quick Jordan Breaks video to promote his debut coming soon.
ETHAN ALLEN VS. LUKE JACOBS – NATURAL PROGRESSION SERIES SEMI FINAL MATCH
Love that these guys are being all business here and we’re not teasing the break up of a team even though we know that is a possibility with any team fighting each other.
Anyone else getting Nigel McGuiness vs. Bryan Danielson so far with this match? These guys have that old school feel both men had in the heyday of ROH.
Loved that the commentators referred to the Edge of the Ring as the SECOND hardest part of the ring and pointed out the Ringposts are really the hardest parts of the ring.
Great selling from Ethan Allen when hitting the suplex on Jacobs making his back appear to be unable to fully hit moves now.
Ethan Allen has locked in the crossface in the middle of the ring but Jacobs reaches the bottoms rope even after Allen pulled the Leg to prevent him using the leg to get to the rope.
Great looking spinebuster from Luke Jacobs that would make Arn Anderson proud.
Jacobs hits his killer Lariat that got him the win in the first round but he doesn’t even go for the pin and tries for a second but Allen hits his own.
Figure Four Leg Lock from Jacobs on Allen but he his doing everything he can to get out of the hold leading to both men slapping each other while in the hold.
Allen couldn’t take the pain of the Figure Four and passes out giving Jacobs the TKO Submission victory to move on to the Final.
Post match, both men show respect to each other and looks like the team respect the better team winning.
Lykos Gym come out to stop Johnson from talking and grab the microphone before they head to the ring.
They issue an open challenge to prove they are going to take over the Tag Team Division.
Big Guns Joe comes out to accept the challenge willing to take on both of them by himself.
Lykos Gym said if he wants to challenge them, he has to find a partner. Joe goes to the back and pulls out Gene Munny who was apparently eating his lunch.
LYKOS GYM (KID LYKOS & KID LYKOS II) VS. BIG GUNS JOE & GENE MUNNY
Lykos Gym try to attack Gene Munny as he enters the ring while Joe is still getting in to get the advantage.
Kid Lykos taunts Gene to come in by pulling up his tights, which is Gene’s gimmick, and rips off the tape on Munny’s nipple when he comes in. Not a smart move.
With the referee distracted, Lycos kicks Joe in the junk while Lykos II holds Joe.
Lots of double team moves here from Lykos Gym with it really looking like these guys are going to be the team to take the Progress Tag Titles when they get fought for again.
Gene Forced Trauma from Munny to both members of Lykos Gym but only a two count to the surprise of everyone.
Gene Munny reverses a Crucifix from Kid Lykos II while Lykos had Big Guns Joe in a crossface allowing Munny to break up the submission.
High and Low from Lykos Gym but Big Guns Joe still able to kick out before three.
Lykos Gym are able to hold off Gene Munny and get the pinfall victory on Big Guns Joe after a series of Double Teams.
Video packaged highlighting Mark Andrews’ history in Progress is shown to promote a best of special for him on the WWE Network.
CHUCK MAMBO VS. ELIJAH
I just noticed that Roy Johnson is in his wrestling gear even though he is doing the announcing duties. Does that mean he is wrestling on this show at some point?
If Elijah is meant to be this serious bad ass Heel he needs to win this match after losing at 104. Mambo can lose this without hurting his over image but would kill Elijah’s.
Could have swore I heard Mambo say “This is for Tom Hanks” before hitting a move on Elijah. Is Mambo meant to be a merman with legs like Hannah in Splash?
Reef Break from Mambo but doesn’t go for the pin and it costs him as Elijah counters the next move into a crucifix but Mambo kicks out before the three.
Tribute to Eddie Dennis off the top from Mambo but Elijah is able to kick out.
Great selling from Mambo after the Electric Chair by Elijah saying he has hurt his nose.
Elijah hits Everything Down but his ribs are hurting him and is unable to get the pin in time to get the pinfall as Mambo kicks out.
How many kick outs are these two going to pull off before someone actually gets the victory?
Knees up from Elijah as Mambo is springing off the top rope leads to Elijah trying a submission by squeezing the neck of Mambo with his ankles.
Danger Buster from Elijah and he gets the eventual pinfall victory.
Video package to highlight the first round of the Natural Progression that happened at Chapter 104 before showing the semi final highlights from earlier in the night.
LUKE JACOBS VS. WARREN BANKS – NATURAL PROGRESSION SERIES FINAL MATCH
Did the ringside area just get filled up with a TON of smoke?
Warren Banks is showing he can hit just as hard as Luke Jacobs in this one, hitting a lot of strikes.
Mention of Paul Robinson as PROTEUS Champion on commentary. How things change so quickly.
Looked like Banks was trying to get a Cutter coming off the ropes but only hit Jacobs in the face with his arm.
Huge Lariat from Jacobs but Banks is not done yet and kicks out before three.
Three knee strikes from Banks and both men are down and exhausted.
Banks runs hard and fast into a massive Lariat from Luke Jacobs who then falls on Banks and gets the pinfall victory. Luke Jacobs is your 2021 Natural Progression Winner.
We get a backstage promo from Luke Jacobs about his victory. A great promo from him with a lot of great passion saying he is going to challenge for the World Championship.
CHRIS RIDGEWAY VS. CARA NOIR – PROGRESS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
I went from thinking this match could go either way to knowing there is no way Cara Noir is losing when they are not making this the Main Event. They aren’t going to spend the Women’s match talking about a new World Champion.
Ridgeway sitting in the corner not looking impressed or intimidated by Cara Noir during the entrance. Such a contrast from Moloney at 104.
What a beautiful escape from Cara Noir when Ridgeway was working over the foot.
Ridgeway must not be happy with the hard camera angle as it is showing off his Friar Tuck hair line.
Trading of kicks to the sides before they switch to kicks to the guts before Ridgeway is able to take Noir down with another kick to Cara’s leg.
Cara Noir is having troubles with his ribs and Ridgeway is getting confident telling Noir to strike but avoids each strike and hits the ribs.
Great selling by Noir to increase his breathing sounds to make it seem like he is struggling to breath.
Head butt out of nowhere by Cara Noir stops Ridgeway in his tracks.
Nice spot with Ridgeway wedging the middle rope between the toes of Noir before kicking the foot into the ropes.
They’re on the hardest part of the ring with Ridgeway trying to suplex Noir but Cara counters it into a sick package piledriver.
Wow. Interesting booking. Noir was sitting in the ring as the ref was at 9 as Ridgeway was outside the ring and decided to screw it and goes out to break the count and bring Ridgeway in.
Knee strike from Ridgeway before hitting a sick suplex that appeared to hurt Ridgeway as much as Noir.
Cara Noir actually was biting his own hand to stop Ridgeway from taking his arm and locking in a submission.
This match is SICK. These guys are killing it and can’t believe they’re still going. Well it isn’t as Cara Noir, out of nowhere, locks on a sleeper and gets the TKO Submission victory.
Ridgeway vs. Cara Noir is my match of the year in 2021 in all of wrestling, so far.
We are getting a promo from Paul Robinson on the finals of the Natural Progression Series. He loses it when he realizes that Spike Trivet is sitting in a chair behind him by his PROTEUS Championship.
LANA AUSTIN VS. MILLIE MCKENZIE VS. ALEXXIS FALCON VS. TAONGA VS. KANJI VS. MERCEDEZ BLAZE VS. GISELLE SHAW – THUNDERBASTARD MATCH
Eliminations are by Pinfall, Submission and DQ. Two start and a new person enters the match every three minutes.
Lana Austin and Millie McKenzie are going to be the first two to start the match off. Who is taking bets on Millie McKenzie going the distance?
Who else was startled by the clock starting to count down?
Alexxis Falcon is first to come out and join the match and takes it to Millie right away but has to fend off Lana Austin as well. No teamwork from anyone yet.
Great that Millie McKenzie stayed away from the pinfall attempt by Falcon since it is elimination rules. Commentators did a good job at putting that fact over.
Still no eliminations as the clock starts counting down again and Taonga is next to come out.
Taonga hits a claymore, which she apparently calls the Slaymore, on Millie right out of the gate but it send Millie to the outside. No countouts in this one.
Lana Austin is able to get the first elimination by pinning Alexxis Falcon.
Lana rolls out of the ring after getting hit with a I am Prettier from Toanga.
Kanji is next out just as Millie McKenzie eliminates Taonga via a pinfall.
Kanji is coming in and taking it to Lana Austin and Millie McKenzie until Lana Austin can hit a powerbomb on her.
Millie McKenzie is able to get the pinfall on Lana to eliminate her. Kenji and Millie are the only two left in the ring for now.
Here comes our next competitor to join Millie and Kanji. Mercedez Blaze is coming out most likely to look for revenge on Millie from her loss at 104.
Blaze is in no hurry to get in the ring and she is not required to and tells the other two to continue fighting.
Blaze is still on the outside but has taken her jacket off but Millie gets eliminated by Kanji pinning her without Blaze ever getting in the ring. Glad I didn’t make the bet.
Blaze is still not getting in the ring with Kanji yelling at her to get in the ring. The countdown starts and Blaze is smiling as Giselle Shaw is out next and last.
Blaze approaches Shaw as she comes out to say lets take out Kanji but Shaw just decks her and starts to take her out on the outside.
Shaw grabs a pipe from under the ring and uses it in the ring on Kanji and she is being disqualified. She apparently already has a title shot and doesn’t care.
Shaw says thats how you do that and leaves. Blaze sees her opportunity and gets in the ring to further the attack on Kanji after Shaw may have broke the arm of Kanji.
Kanji is able to overcome the odds and get the pinfall victory over Blaze to become the number one contender for the Women’s Championship.
Post match, Blaze is pissed and won’t take her eyes of Kanji until she gets to the back.
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