Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter Five: For Those About to Fight, We Salute You

January 17, 2013
Islington, Greater London, England

Commentator: Jimmy Barnett

Danny Garnell vs. Stixx
These are two big boys. After some uninspired back and forth action, Stixx eventually got control of the match after a neckbreaker. Stixx worked him over for a while. Garnell was able to come back with a couple of pinning combinations. Stixx came back with a middle rope legdrop for a nearfall. Garnell got a nearfall with a Northern Lights suplex. Stixx got a nearfall with a Bossman Slam. Garnell got a nearfall with a German suplex. Garnell tried for a diving tornado DDT. Stixx blocked it. Garnell tried again and was successful: 1…2…3.

I don’t always agree with the PROGRESS booking, but I rarely am disappointed in the efforts of the competitors. However, I found this match quite boring. It did not make me especially excited to see either of these two again.
Match Rating: **1/4

Jonathan Windsor [0-0] vs. Mike Hitchman [0-1]
I love Hitchman. He’s got a great presence. Hitchman ran through Windsor (who is doing a variation of the knight/lord gimmick) during the early stages of the match. Windsor managed to drive Hitchman into a ringpost at one point. Windsor then worked him over for a while. Hitchman came back with a buckle suplex. Windsor came back with a saito suplex. Hitchman went to the top rope, but Windsor used the referee to crotch him. Hitchman went for the package piledriver, but Windsor rolled him up: 1…2…3? Hitchman clearly kicked out, but the referee awarded the match to Windsor. This screwy finish seemed planned.

I enjoyed this match more than the opener, but unfortunately, we got a most unwelcome screwy finish. Also, the screwy finish didn’t even reveal anything about Windsor’s character; the story is just that the referee fucked up.
Match Rating: **1/2

Nathan Cruz [3-2] vs. Rampage Brown [0-0]
Rampage impressed in the early stages of the match. Cruz was eventually able to cut Rampage off, and he worked him over for a while. Cruz got several nearfalls while he was in complete control. Rampage managed to hit a flapjack out of nowhere. They traded chops. Rampage hit a couple of huge lariats. Cruz came back with a Codebreaker: 1…2…no. Rampage got a nearfall with a Liger Bomb. Rampage got a crossface! Cruz got out of that and hit a sit-out DVD: 1…2…NO! Rampage came back with a Falcon Arrow (He’s done the deal!): 1…2…no? Oh, Rampage decided he wanted to do more damage. Fatal mistake? He put Cruz on the middle rope, but Cruz elbowed him. Cruz tried to dive, but Rampage caught him in another crossface. Cruz made the ropes. Cruz caught Rampage with an O’Connor Roll with a handful of tights and while grabbing the ropes: 1…2…3

This was clearly the best match of the show so far. Also, it was the best Nathan Cruz match I’ve seen in a while. Rampage impressed me a lot, and I hope he’s booked on future shows.
Match Rating: ***1/4

El Ligero© [3-2] vs. Dave Mastiff [2-0] [PROGRESS Title]
Ligero started the match with a dropkick and a tope con hello. Mastiff managed to slow things down though, and he worked Ligero over. Ligero came back with a baseball slide kick. Mastiff was on the floor, and Ligero covered him in chairs. Ligero tried to win by countout. Hashtag babyface? Mastiff stood up and sent Ligero into a ringpost. Mastiff did a ridiculously long delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall. Mastiff worked him over for a while. Ligero came back with a Ghetto Stomp for a nearfall. Ligero got another nearfall with an enzuigiri. Mastiff came back with a dropkick and a deadlift German. Ligero fell to the floor. Ligero got a guillotine on the floor. Ligero almost won by countout because of that. Mastiff came back with a massive Liger Bomb: 1…2…NO! Awesome nearfall. Ligero avoided the massive cannonball splash. Ligero tired for the guillotine again, but Mastiff reversed it into an exploder. Mastiff called for the Liger Bomb again, but Ligero reversed it into a guillotine. He held it long enough that the referee eventually called the bell and awarded the match to Ligero.

Ligero is one of the most bizarrely booked babyfaces in pro wrestling today. It definitely feels like one of Russo’s creations with shades of grey nonsense that doesn’t appeal to me at all. The idea of him doing whatever it takes for him to win is not working out great creatively, as far as I am concerned. On the bright side, everything else about this match was a lot of fun.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Darrell Allen [0-2] vs. RJ Singh [2-1]
Singh’s usual entourage was with him. Allen was inexplicably over with the crowd. These two are normally a tag team. Singh said that these two promised to work separately in singles matches in PROGRESS.

Allen hit Singh with a tope suicida early on. Singh’s entourage was thrown out. Allen was dominating this. Back in the ring, Singh hit a Tidal Wave for a nearfall. Singh was in control for a while. Allen eventually came back with a twisting brainbuster. Singh came back with a backstabber. Allen blocked a superkick. He came back with a Trouble in Paradise and a bridging German: 1…2…NO! Singh’s entourage distracted Allen from the crowd. Singh hit a Gory Neckbreaker. Singh called for the finish. Singh went for the Ethnic Submission, but Allen reversed it into a pinning combination: 1…2…3!

Singh and Allen hugged after the match. The entourage then attacked Allen. Singh pulled them off. The director slapped Singh. Allen gave the director a superkick, and the Knights then hit the director with their finish. It appears that these two will be a team in PROGRESS going forward. The London Riots got into Singh and Allen’s faces after the match.

This was my favorite match on the show by far. Both guys played their roles perfectly, and we got a clean finish. Excellent (Yes, all these matches are ***1/4. Star ratings are weird).
Match Rating: ***1/4

The Leaders Of The New School (Marty Scurll & Zack Sabre Jr.) [0-0] vs. The London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch) [3-0]
Scurll and Sabre wrestled each other on the first PROGRESS show, which is still the best match in PROGRESS history. Davis and Sabre started the match. They beat the shit out of each other. LDRS had a lot of such success early on. The Riots had Scurll isolated for a few moments, but it didn’t last long. Sabre and Scurll hit many tope suicidas. They are awesome. Shortly after that though, the Riots were able to isolate Sabre, and they worked him over for a while. Sabre ate a German, but he showed FIGHTING SPIRIT and came right back with a Shining Wizard. Scurll tagged in and made a big comeback. Scurll hit Davis with the Fucking Machine Suplex. Scurll got a nearfall on Lynch with a moonsault press. The Riots came back with an Alarm Clock Spear on Sabre. Scurll made the save. Sabre got a cross ambreaker on Davis, which Scurll got Lynch with a guillotine. Lynch managed to break up both holds simultaneously. Davis killed Sabre with a STO. Scurll made the save. Sabre accidentally gave Scurll a buzzsaw kick. Lynch killed Sabre with a lariat. The Riots hit Sabre with the Doomsday Device: 1…2…NO! The Riots then gave Sabre a double team powerbomb: 1…2…3!

This was an excellent main event. It’s not a coincidence that the two best matches in PROGRESS history both involved Zack Sabre Jr. and Marty Scurll. I also loved that the Riots won the match since they work PROGRESS regularly considering that LDRS are probably not going to be a team in PROGRESS all that often. Great stuff.
Match Rating: ****

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The 411: After a somewhat slow start to the show (between the disappointing opener and then a slew of disappointing finishes), this show rebounded nicely. The main event is the main reason to see this show. LDRS have a great reputation among American indie fans, and the Riots deserve a lot more attention. Mastiff and Ligero had the makings of a great match, but it didn’t come together the way I hoped it would. This show also set up some good things for the future. Singh and Allen should hopefully give the tag division some direction (beyond “watch the London Riots be awesome”). Buy this show at the Progress Wrestling DVD Store as either a DVD or a MP4. Sample PROGRESS for free right here.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]