REVIEW: PROGRESS Wrestling - When The Man Comes Around

Progress Wrestling Chapter 150: When The Man Comes Around
The Electric Ballroom, London
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Reviewer: David South (@DavidSouth1980)

I normally use this paragraph to chat a bit about how I got to the show, or what inspired me to go. I’m going to break that little tradition here to say that, having been watching live wrestling off and on for thirty years, there are three matches on this one show that I think are amongst the best I’ve ever seen.

After a slight delay with opening the venue, a near capacity Ballroom sat down for the preshow match.

Pup Zinzan vs. Kodi Salihu

Two young guys from the PlayFight School got a chance to make an impression here. They shook hands, but Salihu took the opportunity to attack. His assault took Zinzan into the corner, where a codebreaker and a clothesline would earn him a couple of near falls.

Just as Zinzan managed to reverse the flow of the match, with a DDT, Spike Trivet’s enforcer Bullit was in the ring. He levelled Kodi with a clothesline and hit Zinzan with a big chokeslam leading the match to end as a no-contest. Bullit then drags the defenceless Kodi Salihu up to the stage and away through the curtain.

With Simon Miller away, SoCal Val took on the hosting/announcing duties for the day and having prepped us a little about coming events, including this years SSS16, she announced the entrants for match number one.

Callum Newman vs Nick Wayne

Originally scheduled for a few months ago, on the GCW/Progress crossover show, but side-lined due to Wayne’s injury, it was more than worth the wait. From it’s start, which began at full sprinting pace, the pair had dodges and counters that I’ve never seen before for each other’s offense.

The first time they slowed down was for Wayne to kick Newman hard across the back having caught him with a clothesline. He’d then get a two count with a Fisherman’s Suplex following a Handspring Stunner.

Newman would respond by knocking Wayne to the floor and hitting a somersault dive over the top rope. Then followed an unbelievable sequence of counters, that resulted in a mid-match standing ovation from the Ballroom crowd, the highlight of which was probably Newmans’s handspring float over German Suplex, which was another variation I’ve never seen done before.

Wayne’s Dragon Suplex into Canadian Destroyer combination couldn’t get the job done, neither could Newman’s shooting star press. Wayne would claim the hard-fought victory though with a pair of cutters, first off the second rope, then off the top. A brilliant encounter that got another deserved standing ovation at its conclusion as its combatants shook hands.

“Follow that” chanted the crowd, unbelievably there are matches later that would, but sensibly Progress offered a change of pace for the next match.

Axel Tischer vs Mike Bird

Smartly realising that attempting anything like the previous match was a folly, Tischer and Bird played into that by enjoying a friendly forward roll competition until Tischer decided that Birds cartwheel was unmatched and pretended to leave.

Not long after his return though, the mood changed, and they traded fierce forearms and clotheslines ahead of Bird’s Powerslam claiming the first fall.

Bird would turn up the intensity another notch, dropping the straps of his singlets and reversing Tischer’s suplex attempt into a German suplex. A second German and a Brainbuster would edge him close to winning, but ultimately the match would go to the man from Dresden.

Tischer hitting a Judo style powerbomb for the victory. The pair shook hands again at the conclusion and Tischer returned to the back. As Bird was leaving though, Charles Crowley’s voice came over the speakers.

Bird listened to him for a little while, before deciding it wasn’t worth anymore of his time and leaving – the gist of it though was a challenge, for Bird to search out his “Boar” and bring him with him for a tag match.

Warren Banks vs Dan Moloney

For the third match in a row, the crowd were rather split about who to support in this one. Unlike the previous two though, there wasn’t much admiration, or even respect between the competitors.

Even less when Moloney’s chops and slaps turned the bout into a straight fight and even less still when Drilla spat in his face. Banks would show some of his Kaiju strength, hauling Moloney over the ropes in a suplex from the Apron.

Moloney would look to complete victory with a stomp/Senton combination, but Banks would recover and hit a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. This would draw Tate Mayfairs to ringside who distracted Banks from further capitalising on the move.

Indeed, it would be Moloney who capitalised, hitting a spear and then a gut wrench piledriver for the victory. After Moloney left, Mayfairs would slip under the bottom rope, produce a set of brass knuckles and then lay out Banks again.

On the video screens, Big Damo and Alex Tischer would reunite and talk about Damo’s upcoming match. They would be interrupted by the arrival of Spike Trivet who was not impressed by the Sanity reunion. (This would feature later).

Nina Samuels vs Alexxis Falcon

After a video packaged that showed the various reasons these two can’t stand each other, it was perhaps unsurprising that the match started with an immediate mount and punches combination by Falcon.

She attempts to end it quickly with “off with her head” but Samuels manages to fight out of it. A pair of kicks have both down, and they fight back to their feet throwing forearms at each other.

Samuels would then apply a long and punishing submission hold, then transition into a sleeper hold, all the while telling Falcon to “just end it”. Falcon would not go quietly though and changed the sleeper into a stunner for a two count.

The frustration in both competitors welled up even further, with Samuels removing a turnbuckle cover. The match would end on a disqualification, but not related to the turnbuckle though, as Falcon failed to listen to the referees’ warnings and continued to attack Samuels as she was trapped in the corner.

The two continued to brawl and the ring crew were forced to come in and separate them, which proved no easy task. Later we would learn that the two will meet again and Super Strong Style in a “Clock Strikes Midnight” match.

Ricky Knight Junior vs Big Damo - Progress Atlas Championship

After a chorus of “Happy Birthday” from the ballroom crowd, RKJ did not find Damo in a festive mood. Knight can’t move him around the ring, and shoulder barges off the ropes and having no effect, so he changes tactics and dropkicks him to the floor then follows up with a front flip splash over the top rope.

Damo recovers and continues to use his mass to good effect, throwing Knight around the ring and hitting brutal Irish whips into the corners.

Knights attempts to use his own power, but coming up short, are a theme of the match, he again attempted to lift him after a two count from a rope assisted DDT but couldn’t.

Eventually he does manage to lift him to his shoulders and hits an F5 style throw and a 450 splash but Damo kicks out again. Damo hits a Canadian Destroyer, then the cannonball into the corner and finally a splash off the ropes.

Unbelievably, Knight kicks out of the subsequent pin. The crowd are stunned but not as shocked as they will be moments later, when Knight kicks out again after three more rope assisted splashes by Damo.

It feels like Damo will win at any moment, and he attempts a crossbody, but Knight catches him and manages to hold him up, he transitions this into a burning hammer slam and then, against all odds, pins Damo to win the Atlas Title. Initially shocked and disappointed, Damo snatches the title back, but he then relents and presents the title to the new champion.

Alex Tischer comes to the ring, he thanks Damo for his time here, where he has been both Atlas and World Champion. He suggests though that it’s time for sAnitY to try and claim the Progress Tag Titles. Damo agrees and says he’s “going nowhere”.

Raven Creed vs Lana Austin w/Skye Smitson

After a lengthy interval due to some technical problems in the Ballroom, the competitors in this one come to the ring and Austin informs us that she won’t be wrestling tonight, but Smitson instead will take her place (Austin’s fear about actually facing Creed, which runs all the way back to at least August continues here).

Instead, Austin takes the role of distractor and tormentor, pulling Creed’s attention so the always impressive Smitson can attack. When Creed does manage to get Smitson in a submission, Austin’s on Mic rendition of “Smelly Raven” not only sets eardrums bleeding in the crowd, but convinces Creed to let go of the hold, to try and shut her up.

Creed would have Smitson in a sleeper hold, which Smitson pushed off the ropes to turn into a pinfall combination. Creed had to let go of the hold to kick out, at which point yet another distraction from Austin allowed Smitson to hit the “Smitson Effect” and get the three count.

Austin dodges Creed again and the Lana Austin Experience pick up another win, but how much longer before Smitson realises that Lana needs her a lot more than she needs Austin.

SoCal Val returns to the ring, but before she announces the next match she tells us that Nigel McGuinness will be appearing at SSS16, though she doesn’t say in exactly what capacity.

Lio Rush vs Man Like Dereiss

The war of words between these two had been raging on twitter in the lead up to this one. Whilst there is a grudging respect for Rush, this crowd is all behind Dereiss though, and run through the full range of his songs before they even lock up “Dereiss is on fire, Lio Rush is terrified”.

Rush decides to spend some time on the outside slowing things down, but with some choice language Dereiss goads him back in. He runs straight into a backdrop by Dereiss and the “0121” stomps in the corner.

Rush is fast though, fast as lightning and dodges and avoids moves. He knocks Dereiss to the floor and then chases him out with a dive. Back in the ring he silences the crowd and the kicks a prone Dereiss in the chest, which ring around the Ballroom.

Rush would again get Dereiss on the floor, following a couple of spears and a dropkick. He again attempts a dive, but this time Dereiss is ready, he catches Rush and then hits a fallaway slam throwing him into the recently vacated chairs.

Back in the ring, Dereiss hits a Driver, but Rush manages to kick out. He hits a superkick and climbs to the top, he attempts a 450 Splash, but Rush moves and Dereiss hits the mat.

As he recovers, Lio Rush hits the Ejector Chair Stunner and then the ‘Rush Hour’ Split Legged Frog Spash to take the win. This match receives another standing ovation from the Progress fans and there is a cold, but grudging show of respect from the two competitors.

Lizzy Evo vs Millie McKenzie

Having made friends with the crowd as only she can, Evo decides to attack Millie during the entrances. It’s a brutal and consistent attack from here, getting her first pinfall after a clothesline and then reacting to a couple of quick rollups by McKenzie by knocking her to the floor and then driving her spine first into the ring apron.

She applies a Camel Clutch, which Mille fights out of, then a northern lights suplex and a DDT would earn her a couple of near falls. She slaps McKenzie across the face, hits a German Suplex and a running knee, McKenzie kicks out at one!

She hits two spears a slow-release German Suplex for a two count, she’s then slow to climb the ropes though and is caught by Evo. She hits an avalanche underhook Suplex that would likely have won the match, but the momentum of the move takes McKenzie to the floor.

Evo chases after her and rolls her back in, but just as she’s about to capitalise Millie applies a small package pin and holds on for the victory. Evo looks distraught and with good reason as she’d dominated the match, since taking an unfair advantage.

Tom Dawkins vs Spike Trivet

To be clear on the stipulations here, if Dawkins wins, he regains the ability to be Cara Noir, but if Trivet wins, then Dawkins is gone from Progress for good. We’re also informed that this match is no disqualification.

The mind games start immediately as Trivet comes to the ring in full Noir makeup and to Swan Lake. He has Bullit with him. Visibly upset, Dawkins gets the house Mic and tells us that “one way or another, this is the last time we’ll hear him speak”.

He goes on to say that although he doesn’t have friends in the locker room, there are other people who hate Spike. Damo and Axel Tischer come out and they drag Bullit to the back making the bout a fair fight.

Now given the opportunity to release some frustration Dawkins attacks, but Spike is cooler, calmer and counters the assault. He fetches a chair and places it in the corner, Dawkins recovers enough to charge but Spike avoids, and he crashes into the chair headfirst.

It appears to be over quickly, but Dawkins kicks out at two. Trivet fetches more chairs and throws them into the ring. He begins to remove Dawkins boots, then wraps his bare feet in a chair and stomps on it.

He bites Dawkins toes. Dawkins recovers and with Trivet down begins to use his hands and face to remove the white facepaint from Trivet and apply it to himself. As if powered up by this he then hits the running dropkick and powerbomb onto the chairs for a near fall.

He then takes the black make up from Spikes eyes and applies that to himself. The Black Swan is reborn! He hits a superkick and has the match won when, with his hands coming down for the three, one of the ring crew pulls the referee out of the ring.

It’s not ring crew though, it’s Kodi Salihu who was dragged from the ring in the pre-show match. As he leaves, he passes Bullit, who has evidently escaped from sAniTy and has both a big smile on his face, and a bag containing the chain that they’ve used to good effect on recent events.

The distraction is enough for now and, though Noir attacks and delays Bullit, Spike gets the better of him and drops him spine first on the back of two set up chairs. He then hits the package piledriver and it’s all over . . . no! Noir kicks out.

Now recovered, Bullit helps wrap the chain around Noir and holds him in place as Trivet hits him in the back with a chair. Claire, Noir’s partner comes into the ring, but Spike is ready and grabs hold of her.

Spying the opportunity for history to repeat itself, Trivet tells him that if Noir lies down for him, then he’ll “let her live”. Noir reluctantly agrees but this time Claire is not going to let it happen, she hits a low blow on Spike and dropkicks him.

She also attacks Bullit and he returns the floor. Noir gets Spike in the rear naked choke and Claire climbs to the top rope. She then hits a 360-backflip stomp onto Spike. Noir picks him up and hits a package piledriver of his own to clinch an emotional victory and complete the resurrection of The Black Swan.

It’s been a couple of days, as I write this, since the show, so I wondered if something I said to my brother as we left would still feel as true and it does. I think this was the best show we’ve ever been too. All of the matches were good, some where great, but three of them were all time five-star classics.

I feel I say this after every Progress show I review but, there are reasons for not coming back that I understand and that might never been overcome, but it genuinely can’t be anything to do with the actual performers there now, as I think the talent in the UK scene is deeper and more exceptional than it ever was before.

REVIEW: PROGRESS Wrestling - When The Man Comes Around

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