WRESTLING IS REAL...Life is Fake: There is PROGRESS in Wrestling

I been watching wrestling a loooong time, and I must admit to sometimes becoming blase about wrestling ....Sometimes I have been to shows where the blokes in the ring didnt belong in the audience and on the opposite, I been to shows where I m thinking "how come these blokes aint on tv".

The internet sure has helped me in getting my wrestling fix, hell I even got the WWE Network...I have found many full shows by indy organisations on You Tube and for the most part, there pretty damn good, I found Chikara clips, ICW shows , New Japan events...BUT then, just when I think my wrestling fix is sated, when I think ive found all the best wrestling on the planet earth..... I find a organisation that re, re-energises my wrestling bug, and to that point, one day while looking around you tube I had the great good fortune to stumble across a UK company that, I have to say, has leaped up to near the top of my favourite ( PWG is still top of the heap) indie wrestling companies.
Progress Wrestling (stylized as PROGRESS) is a British professional wrestling promotion that was established in 2011 by comedian Jim Smallman and events and comedy promoter Jon Briley, later to be joined by actor Glen Joseph.

The company was conceived by Jim Smallman and Jon Briley in 2011, who were both massive wrestling fans. Smallman is a big fan of "strong-style" wrestling, Japanese in particular, and Briley was Smallman's agent. I always thought London would have multiple shows on any given weekend but Smallman and Briley decided to put on a wrestling show in London, as not many shows were being put on in the capital itself, featuring the type of wrestling that they would both like to watch. The pair then spent seven months putting their first show together.

The pair decided to emphasize the fact that it would be a London-based promotion with a punk rock vibe. They also were keen not be import-heavy, like other promotions, but to promote British talent. The pair eventually settled on The Garage in Islington for the venue, because of the size and also having a great reputation as a music venue. The Garage were also very supportive of what Smallman and Briley wanted to do, and the pair ran their first show on March 25, 2012.

Got myself the shirt and the dvd of CHAPTER 14: THUNDERBASTARD

After eleven consecutive sell out shows at the Garage, with the later shows drawing 350 fans, the promotion moved to the 700-capacity Electric Ballroom in Camden from Chapter Twelve in March 2014 for their second anniversary show where the sell outs have continued. To date PROGRESS has sold out all seventeen main shows up to and including January 2015 and two ENDVR shows.
The promotion have been reluctant to use "imports" (talent for which the UK is not their home or one of their homes). Colt Cabana was the first such talent to be included on a show as part of the debut show, Chapter One, in a losing effort to Loco Mike Mason. Ricochet has appeared twice for the promotion, losing to El Ligero at Chapter Six and in a triple threat with Mark Haskins and Zack Sabre Jr at Chapter Eleven. Adam Cole was the first non-European wrestler to register a win in PROGRESS, defeating Mark Haskins at Chapter Ten.

Prince Devitt also appeared twice for the promotion, defeating Zack Sabre Jr at Chapter Thirteen and losing to Jimmy Havoc at the PROGRESS World Cup, his final match in the UK before signing with the WWE.
One of the best things about PROGRESS is the interaction with the crowd, you can tell they been to a football game or two in their time, some of the chants are absolutely brilliant...the best one would be about the current champ Jimmy Havoc, its goes something like "Jimmy your a c**t, Jimmy, Jimmy your a c**t"...very tasteful and highly accurate

Jimmy Havoc & Regression
Probably my favourite guy in the company would be Jimmy Havoc, yeah, I like a competent heel, so sue me, I saw him cut a promo after taping a bloke to a chair and threatened him with a switchblade, he had me convinced .......Havoc debuted for PROGRESS on Chapter Two in May 2012 and went on to lose six matches without registering a victory, Jimmy became very popular with the PROGRESS fans as an underdog babyface. At Chapter Nine in November 2013 Havoc attacked promoter Jim Smallman and aligned himself with the London Riots, turning heel in the process. Havoc would then use an open contract given to him by Smallman to defeat PROGRESS champion Mark Andrews (who had just wrestled both Paul Robinson and Rampage Brown in consecutive matches) to become champion and pick up his first victory in PROGRESS.
In his first title defence at Chapter Eleven, Havoc defeated Zack Sabre Jr with the help of his newest associate, PROGRESS trainee 'The Omega' Isaac Zercher. Havoc was joined at Chapter Thirteen by Paul Robinson, and the group later christened themselves 'Regression' as a play on the name of the company and to symbolise their hatred of PROGRESS Wrestling, they got a big match upcoming at Chapter 15, were we might see the beginning of the end of Regression

Unlike conventional wrestling championships which are generally represented by a belt, the PROGRESS championship was initially represented by a large staff with an eagle head piece. The eagle represented the promotion's logo, but was affectionately referred to as the "Nazi staff" by fans. Promoter Jim Smallman was never afraid to defend the accidental likeness of the championship during shows, by occasionally declaring "It's not Nazi, it's regal" whenever a "Nazi staff" chant was started by the fans in attendance.

It was announced at Chapter Nine that beginning in November 2013 there would begin a series of matches to determine the first PROGRESS Tag Team champions. The champions were crowned at Chapter Twelve, the second anniversary show, in March 2014. As with the PROGRESS championship not being a conventional belt, the Tag Team championship is represented by a shield with the PROGRESS eagle on the front. The shield splits into two, one for each championship holder. the current holders are Mark Andrews & Eddie Dennis
PROGRESS World Cup

The PROGRESS World Cup was a one-night tournament held on June 29, 2014 at The Garage in Islington to crown a new number one contender for the PROGRESS Championship. Each competitor represented a different nation, and the tournament was won by Noam Dar. Dar subsequently challenged for the PROGRESS Championship at Chapter Fourteen at The Electric Ballroom in Camden, but was defeated by Jimmy Havoc. The tournament show also served as a farewell show to The Garage as PROGRESS' original venue.
A LIST LIST OF MY FAVOURITE WORKERS IVE SEEN ON A PROGRESS SHOW.

"Paster" William Eavers - his got a religious schtick going on, and he dont mind diving out of balconys

Zack Sabre Jnr - seen him on PWG and various clips, brilliant worker, could very well be the next Devitt ( or first Sabre)

Eddie Dennis - or Eddie Misterio Jnr, the master of the 6 1 knee..Wales tallest luchador

Rampage Brown - seen him a few times on various clips, then I saw him go around with Samoa Joe at Thunderbastard, tough as nails

Mark Andrews - Eddies tag champ partner, a gravity defying fella in the PAC mold

Will Osperay - first saw him in The Swords of Essex tag team, no idea what that name means, then 10 minutes later his partner turned on him and hooked up with Havoc & co...been after his former off sider ever since

Noam Dar - Glasgows favourite wrestler, his match with havoc at Thunderbastard was the grouse

El Ligero - some have suggested his the UK version of El generico, high praise indeed, none the less an outstanding worker

GRADO - the master of the "Wee Boot", been a big Grado fan since I saw his doco and seen him on a ICW show

Tommy End - the greatest wrestler in Holland, and by that I mean his damn good, sort of a cross between Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuiness, seen him on a WxW show, won me over

Michael Gilbert - The artist formerly know as Mikey Whiplash,saw him the first time at the ICW show "Insane in the Membrane" vs Jack Jester for the ICW title...since then he dropped the Raven/Adrian Street look and adpted a no gimmicks ..gimmick..excellent worker.