PROGRESS has announced the main event for their upcoming Chapter 57 event ‘Enter Smiling’ which takes place from Manchester’s O2 Ritz.
PROGRESS World Champion Travis Banks will be defending his title against former Champion Mark Andrews. ‘White Lightning’ Mark Andrews earned this title shot at Chapter 55 and he will be looking to finally reclaim the belt after a short lived first reign.
Travis Banks defeated Keith Lee at this past Sunday’s Chapter 56 event and he will look to continue his winning streak against Andrews. It is highly likely that Banks walks out of Manchester with the belt, Andrews is currently only a bit part player on the PROGRESS roster and his involvement with WWE’s UK Division and the WWE’s plans in general are not yet clear…still, this should be an incredible bout and one well worth checking out on PROGRESS’ On Demand service.
It looks as though the Bullet Club want some more Cease & Desist letters….
Marty Scurll, Kenny Omega and Chase Owens dressed up as part of a New Japan ‘Halloween Spectacular’ during a recent Road to Power Struggle event and…well you can see the video below for the full Aladdin themed entrance.
PROGRESS Wrestling’s Fifty Six Chapter event ‘La Danse Macabre’ took place this past Sunday from the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London. Here are the full results from the show:
Big T & The OJMO b. Oisen Delaney & Charlie Carter
WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne appeared in front of the PROGRESS crowd accompanied by Trent Seven & Tyler Bate. This was the first time that Dunne had spoken to the fans since his loss against Travis Banks at Chapter 55 and he stated that he is unsure how long he will remain in the UK. British Strong Style were then interrupted by The Grizzled Young Vets and Joseph Conners attacked Dunne from behind.
Omari & Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) b. Connor Mills & Never Say Die (Alex Cupid & Dillon D’Angelo)
Strangler Davis b. Timothy Thatcher
The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) b. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion, Chris Brookes & Jimmy Havoc – This was a non title bout as Brooke’s tag team partner Kid Lykos was unable to compete
PROGRESS ATLAS TITLE MATCH – WALTER (c) b. Wolfgang
British Strong Style (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) b. Sexy Starr (Jack Sexsmith & David Starr) – After the match Jimmy Havoc, Mark and Vicky Haskins attacked Sexsmith and Starr
PROGRESS WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH – Toni Storm (c) b. Charli Evans
PROGRESS WORLD TITLE MATCH – Travis Banks (c) b. Keith Lee
Former UFC star Matt Riddle had been rumored for a potential debut in New Japan’s annual World Tag League event later this year. The company had planned on unveiling both Riddle and EVOLVE/Lucha Underground star Jeff Cobb as a way of pushing the often under hyped series.
The deal confirming Riddle’s part on the tour was all but sealed according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however it is believed that NJPW’s parent company Bushiroad had discovered Riddle’s UFC test failures for marijuana.
Japanese culture takes a strong stance against marijuana, a case in point being Matt Sydal’s expulsion from New Japan following his arrest by Japanese officials back in 2016. It is not clear at this time if Riddle and New Japan are still in talks or if this deal is indeed completely off the table, Cobb is still slated to debut as part of the World Tag League tour.
UK based Pro Wrestling clothing company SPLX has officially announced Rey Mysterio as the latest performer to join their roster. Mysterio joins Zack Sabre Jr, Chelsea Green, Angélico, Matt Riddle, Dave Mastiff, Gail Kim and Jeff Cobb as a brand ambassador.
SPLX issued the following press release for Rey’s signing:
The latest athlete to join SPLX is a former two-time World Champion, Rey Mysterio. The master of the 619 joins Zack Sabre Jr, Chelsea Green, Angélico, Matt Riddle, Dave Mastiff, Gail Kim and Jeff Cobb.
Rey is considered one of the all time greats in the sport of professional wrestling. Now in his 28th year, he’s still putting on world class performances, and is regarded as a true pioneer within the industry.
Having inspired a whole generation of athletes, the world famous luchador isn’t looking to slow down and being a regular for CRASH as well as appearing all around the world including a upcoming match at ICW’s big Hydro show on 19th November.
We are very happy to welcome Rey Mysterio to Team SPLX, and look forward to working together.
Many fans of the UK scene were quick to highlight the working relationship between SPLX and top UK promotion PROGRESS. With PROGRESS’ Super Strong Style 16 tournament set for Alexandra Palace in 2018 will the ‘Master of the 619’ continue his run of UK based appearances and test himself against some of the UK’s best performers? It is worth noting that some of Rey’s fellow SPLX roster members have appeared in the tournament in the last couple of years.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest event of the year is just around the corner. The annual January 4th Tokyo Dome show is the highlight of many fan’s wrestling calendar and 2018’s iteration looks set to be one of the biggest in company history.
Tickets for Wrestle Kingdom 12 were released for sale this week to Overseas fans and the demand has been staggering. Tickets from the English Language site have now officially sold out and NJPW will be looking to establish more availability going forward.
New Japan released the following press release for the Overseas ticket site:
January 4, 2018 where will you be?! “Wrestle Kingdom 12” tickets now on sale! Check out the English info site for info on how to attend the most exciting pro-wrestling event of the year!
“Wrestle Kingdom 12” general admission tickets are now on sale! New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s biggest event of the year is now easier than ever to see live for international fans! We’ve partnered with e-plus to provide ticket purchasing in English for fans. Purchase here
And fans can also purchase ticket packages with HIS, with convenient hotel accommodations included with Wrestle Kingdom 12 ticket options. 30 lucky fans will also receive a signed postcard from Kenny Omega! More details here:
We invite fans across the world to experience pro-wrestling’s foremost spectacle, live at the Tokyo Dome! We will soon open the official English Wrestle Kingdom 12 site!
IWGP United States Champion and 2016 G1 Climax winner Kenny Omega recently took to Twitter to respond to fans following his online exchange with Chris Jericho.
One fan claimed that comparing Jericho and Omega is “like saying hes the best minor league hockey player of all time, but did he make it to the nhl? No he was just boss in minors…”
Omega took umbrage with this comment and tweeted the following:
Bad comparison. The best wrestler(s) aren’t in your idea of “the majors” but the best hockey talent is overwhelmingly in NHL. https://t.co/OqZ7dcBoaj
Do you agree with Omega? Do you think that he could one day be described as one of the greatest ever, or do you need to have been in WWE to gain this accolade?
WWE UK Champion and Former PROGRESS World Champion Pete Dunne will be appearing at PROGRESS Chapter 56 this Sunday and he will be taking to the ring to address fans and management of the company.
Although the nature of Dunne’s appearance has not been revealed it is likely that his tenure with the company will be coming to an end at some point soon due to his involvement with WWE.
Rumors are surfacing regarding WWE’s upcoming plans for the UK Division and they will want to have their UK Champion available in a likely exclusive capacity.
Former WWE/TNA/ROH Superstar Austin Aries will be making his way to the UK in December exclusively for IPW:UK. Aries’ opponent for this special one off appearance has finally been announced and it will be former PROGRESS World Champion Mark Haskins.
Haskins is widely regarded as one of the most underrated talents on the UK scene and he recently appeared for PWG as part of their All Star weekend. This high profile bout will help raise his stock even further.
Also announced for this event are IPW:UK Champion Moose, Jimmy Havoc and Abyss.
PROGRESS has announced the main event for this Sunday’s Chapter 56 event ‘La Danse Macabre.’ PROGRESS World Champion Travis Banks will be defending his title against International standout Keith Lee. Travis Banks captured the PROGRESS Title at Chapter 55 from Pete Dunne and this will be his first defence.
This bout will be a rematch from earlier in the year, Lee was successful on that occasion but now with the stakes raised even higher will the #CCK and South Pacific Power Trip member Banks find a way to overcome the physically intimidating Keith Lee?
It seems that every source going has confirmed Neville’s departure from WWE, except for the man himself and the company that he is likely still contracted to.
However, with the speculation being ramped up more and more by the minute we felt that it would be a good time to list three of the top stars outside of WWE that Neville should step in the ring with.
Will Ospreay
Will Ospreay (photo credit: Forbes)
The similarities between Neville and British sensation Will Ospreay cannot be overlooked. Besides their shared homeland both men have seen success throughout the British independent scene as well as Japan. Ospreay’s current performances for New Japan and Neville’s run on the japanese scene as PAC produced some incredible matches for Dragon Gate and NJPW, including the bout with Finn Balor that supposedly convinced Triple H sign both men.
The build to this encounter would write itself, who is the better British high flyer? I can easily see this match happening on a Revolution Pro Wrestling card at some point in 2018 and it would be a blockbuster affair.
Hiromu Takahashi
Keeping with the theme of New Japan, Hiromu Takahashi is another name that should be given a shot against Neville.
While Hiromu has been taking time to establish his ‘therapy cat’ gimmick it is important to remember that he is one of the most explosive and dynamic performers in NJPW’s Juniors division.
Stylistically I believe that these two men would mesh well and Hiromu’s ‘dangerous’ character traits could lead to a bout that showcases technical proficiency as well as some outstanding high flying moments, hopefully Neville returns to Japan and the powers that be at NJPW make this bout happen!
Cody Rhodes
Ring of Honor World Champion Cody Rhodes
Finally, why not let Neville have a shot against the Ring of Honor Champion? Both men have a similar past with their shared experience in WWE and it would be a perfect opportunity for both to prove their worth to a company that seemingly let them fall between the cracks.
Cody has been building his reputation on the independent scene and is now the reigning World Champion in ROH, his platform as part of the Bullet Club has seen a division between fans of stable and New Japan in general, he is either loved or hated within the group.
Many fans of WWE lauded the abilities of Neville during his ‘King of the Crusierweight’ run and believed that he should’ve transitioned to a place higher on the card, this may well be his opportunity to break out on the heavyweight scene.
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Who would you like to see Neville face outside of WWE? Let us know in the comments.
Kurt Angle will be making his long awaited in ring return for WWE when he joins forces with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose tonight at TLC.
Before Angle made his return to WWE to act as the RAW General Manager he made a few appearances for independent promotions, most notably in the UK for Rev Pro and WCPW. To celebrate his in ring return WCPW has released Angle’s match against controversial figure Alberto El Patron from their True Destiny PPV event. The match is available to watch in full below:
New Japan Pro Wrestling star Ricochet captured the PWG World Championship at PWG’s All Star Weekend Night 2 yesterday after defeating Chuck Taylor in the main event.
The match had to be restarted after Ricochet cheated to win however he eventually won cleanly. Ricochet cut a post match promo claiming that he was not “going anywhere” and that “Daddy is here to stay.”
There have been reports recently claiming that Ricochet is WWE bound after his contract with Lucha Underground finishes, whether his promo after the championship win is a rouse remains to be seen.
While Jericho’s tweet may have been in humour it certainly doesn’t appear to have been taken that way by New Japan’s IWGP US Champion. Following the recent issues between WWE and The Young Bucks as well as Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns it seems only likely that the bad blood between the two camps will not go away anytime soon.
What do you make of Jericho’s comments? Let us know in the comments.
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) has announced that former WWE producer Jimmy Jacobs will be making his return to the company on November 11th.
Jacob’s left WWE after he posed for photos with members of the Bullet Club during their ‘RAW Invasion,’ there had been further speculation surrounding the reasons for Jacob’s firing however Jimmy himself claims that it was purely the BC incident that led to his departure.
The ‘Unprofessional’ moniker that Jacobs is now using is a clear indication of his feelings towards his unceremonious firing and it is highly likely that he will use this platform to further discuss the controversial ‘RAW Invasion.’
Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) has announced two big matches as part of their ‘Road to the Hydro’ shows. This Saturday sees the company hit Sheffield and the ICW Champion Joe Hendry will be defending against WWE UK’s Wolfgang and the Zero-G Champion BT Gunn will be defending against Former PROGRESS World Champion Jimmy Havoc.
These shows are building towards ICW’s biggest event of the year: Fear & Loathing X, which takes place inside the SSE Hydro on November 19th and will feature Former WWE/WCW Superstar Rey Mysterio, Kevin Nash, Rob Van Dam and more.
New Japan Pro Wresting employee George W Carroll recently revealed that NJPW will be making a “major announcement” as part of their Power Struggle presentation on November 5th.
The nature of this announcement is not yet known however several rumors are beginning to surface including the in-ring return of Katsuyori Shibata, another round of United States based television tapings and the reveal of the ‘Switchblade’ character.
We’ll keep you updated as soon as more details come to light.
Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega have had arguably one of the greatest trilogies in wrestling history this year, and now their third match from this year’s G1 Climax tournament will be aired on AXS TV this Friday night.
As always commentary will be provided by Jim Ross and Josh Barnett, if you have not yet seen this bout then I urge you to check this out on Friday night.
New Japan has unveiled the full card for their upcoming Road To Power Struggle event that takes place this Saturday from Togane-shi, Chiba.
NJPW has also confirmed that a special attraction match will be taking place between Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debuts. New Japan released the following press release on the historic bout: With careers that have seen them compete all over the world, in pro-wrestling’s greatest competitions, Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi are set to face off in a special singles match commemorating the 25 year anniversary since their debut! While Nagata and Nakanishi have faced off against each other numerous times in tag battles, it’s in singles competition where their rivalry truly burns white hot.
Here is the rest of the card:
Tomoyuki Oka & Katsuya Kitmura vs Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga
Shota Umino, Tetsuhiro Yagi & Ren Narita vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi & El Desperado
Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Tiger Mask, Dragon Lee & Titan vs Ryusuke Taguchi, ACH, KUSHIDA & Hirai Kawato
Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka & TAKA Michinoku
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson & David Finlay
PROGRESS has announced the next match for their upcoming Chapter 56 event ‘La Danse Macabre.’
PROGRESS Tag Team Champions #CCK (Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos) will be taking on the Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake). We recently listed Chris Brookes as one of the top 3 prospects in the UK independent scene so we’re very excited for this upcoming bout. Both Gibson and Drake are also two talents on the up with their sharp and technically sound styles leading the charge for ‘traditional’ British wrestling.
You can watch Chapter 56 as well as every PROGRESS event in history via the PROGRESS on Demand service.
WWE legend Chris Jericho recently appeared on Busted Open Radio and he weighed in on the current situation involving former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville and his alleged departure from the company.
When discussing the idea of Neville leaving to pursue outside opportunities Jericho had this to say: “It doesn’t surprise me because I think a guy like Neville, whenever I worked with him we had great matches,” He reminds me a lot, actually, of working with Chris Benoit in that he’s very hard-hitting, he’s very solid, very graceful and not stiff in the least, just a really innovative, smart worker. I think he wasn’t really getting his shot in the WWE, and the cruiserweight thing is fine but let’s be honest, it is what it is. I think there’s a lot higher potential for a guy like Neville in the ring and also the character.”
Jericho also compared Neville to some of the bigger stars on the independent scene currently; “If he left you know that he’s gonna be one of those guys like Cody Rhodes, guys like the Young Bucks and Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll that are making a choice not to be in WWE and proving that it’s not the be-all, end-all if you’re not there,” Jericho said. “Look at Tommy (Dreamer) with House Of Hardcore, very successful outside of the reigns of the WWE.”
Do you think that Neville should leave WWE? Where would you like him to appear next? Let us know in the comments.
Credit toBusted Open and Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
WCPW/Defiant Wrestling General Manager Stu Bennett (formerly Wade Barrett) was recently interviewed for the What Culture YouTube channel. He talks at length about WCPW’s rebrand to Defiant Wrestling and how he felt when he was announced as the GM for the new venture.
If you hadn’t yet heard of WCPW’s rebrand they released the following statement detailing the change to Defiant:
On Monday, December 4, What Culture Pro Wrestling (WCPW) is to be relaunched as Defiant Wrestling.
WeAreDefiant will be broadcast live on PPV on December 4 via a brand-new on-demand service, Access Defiant, as well as the FITE app. The show will be held in the O2 Academy Newcastle. Tickets will be on sale to O2 priority customers from Wednesday, October 4, and general sale from Friday, October 7.
A new dedicated subscription service for Defiant Wrestling will be launching as Access Defiant ahead of the WeAreDefiant PPV event on December 4. Historical WCPW broadcasts will all be available via the new service, as well as many new features, including: behind the scenes documentaries, ticket/merchandise discounts and community forum.
WhatCulture Extra will be incorporating brand-new content from across the WhatCulture spectrum, while continuing to house exclusive wrestling lists and documentaries. Exclusive written content will also be featured, while ad-free browsing will continue to benefit subscribers. The price point for WhatCulture Extra will be reduced to $4.99 starting November 1, with all WCPW content moving to Access Defiant on December 1.
IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada will be appearing for Australia’s Melbourne City Wrestling on November 11th.
New Japan star Will Ospreay recently stated that he plans to put Australian wrestling “on the map” and that he may be bringing some friends with him…well it looks like MCW fans have got their wish with Ospreay’s CHAOS stablemate heading to the promotion.
Are you an MCW regular? Will you be heading to #MCWRain on November 11th? Let us know in the comments.
The UK wrestling scene has been booming for the past 3/4 years with companies such as PROGRESS, Rev Pro, ICW and OTT leading the charge. Some of the biggest stars to come out of these promotions have gone on to join New Japan (Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr, Marty Scurll), Impact Wrestling (Grado) and even WWE (Trent Seven, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne).
But who will be the next batch of stars emerging from the British Isles? Well, here are 3 up and coming performers that you should know about:
The ‘Anarchist’ James Castle has been slowly honing his craft over the past few years, his current accolades include Rev Pro and IPW:UK Tag Team Champion and he holds the Heavyweight Title for smaller East Anglia promotion Wrestling League. Castle has a ton of potential, he has the ability to work as either a Heel or Face (Villain or BlueEye for all you BritWres fans out there!) and can seemingly drag the heat out of even the most apathetic of crowds. Castle is certainly one of those performers whose character is driven by their true to life personality, his love for Hardcore Punk, particularly that of the 80’s CBGB equation, drives his anarchistic persona and will certainly see him connect with audiences on the bigger UK independents, especially PROGRESS.
Check out this free match against Matt Riddle:
Chris Brookes
Photo Credit: Turning Face
Those of you who currently follow UK wrestling will certainly know Chris Brookes. One third of team #CCK, Brookes recently broke into the upper echelons of the UK scene (alongside tag partner Kid Lykos) when he captured the PROGRESS Tag Team Championship.
Brookes also appeared for Ring of Honor during their UK tour earlier this year and his 2018 looks to be even more prosperous. #CCK are such a unique act, their branding and merchandise is top notch and they present themselves in a way unlike anyone on the scene right now.
Session Moth is a breed unto herself. Character driven with a unique comedic flair but most importantly a technical ability in the ring that sets her apart from other performers on the independent scene. Moth has had a truly breakout year in 2017, she has graced the stages of OTT, PROGRESS, ICW and Pro Wrestling EVE as well as a plethora of smaller independents while building her profile. Expect 2018 to be an even bigger year for ‘Da Moth from Da Flats’ and possibly a move to even greater heights….New Japan maybe?
Check out this free match below from GWF in Germany:
ICW star Kenny Williams is set to have arguably the biggest match of his career when he challenges WWE legend Rey Mysterio at Fear & Loathing X on Sunday November 19th from the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
Williams recently spoke to Scotland’s Sunday Post about the match and how he idolised the Luchador superstar growing up:
“It’s hard to put into words.” My mum found out about the match and she doesn’t normally know any of the people I’m wrestling. She said: ‘I can’t believe you’re wrestling one of your toys!’ If you would’ve told me when I was 12 years old that I’d be standing in The Garage challenging Rey Mysterio I’d have called you an idiot!”
Regarding his time in ICW, he stated: “I started off as a stand-in replacement for someone who pulled out last minute. The crowd took to me, and the fact they’ve continued to support me, you can’t repay that.Getting to open the show at the Barrowlands in the first wrestling event there for thirty odd years was a great moment too,”
“I’ve been up and down the country on tours, tour buses… We’re like the best rock and roll school that money can buy!”
