By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Progress Wrestling “Chapter 176 – For the Love of Progress 3”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
February 14, 2025 in Manchester, England at BEC Arena
This appears to be a small arena, perhaps a fieldhouse. The lights are low but lighting over the ring is really good. (If anything, the wrestlers are too bathed in light!) And I’m not kidding here… the set on the stage has the “WCW Nitro” logo above the screen! Is this a 20+ year leftover?
1. “Young Guns” Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen vs. “Subculture” Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster. The youngster Allen opened against Andrews, with Mark hitting a dropkick that sent Ethan to the floor to regroup with Jacobs. In the ring, Jacobs hit a senton on Andrews at 2:30. Morgan got in and hit an inverted senton for a nearfall. Andrews hit a standing moonsault. The heels began working over Webster in their corner. Andrews got a hot tag at 8:00 and he hit a double Pele Kick, then a Code Red for a nearfall.
Andrews nailed a Stundog Millionaire on Jacobs. The Young Guns hit a leg sweep-and-clothesline combo for a nearfall at 9:30. Webster hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Jacobs nailed a decapitating clothesline on Webster, then a standing powerbomb. Ethan hit a Doomsday Device clothesline. Jacobs hit a piledriver, and Allen made the cover on Webster for the pin. Good match; it’s nice to see the heels win cleanly, just because they’re the better team.
Ethan Allen and Luke Jacobs defeated Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster at 12:07.
2. Hollie Barlow vs. Lana Austin. I don’t think I’ve seen Barlow; she’s short with dark hair down to the small of her back. The commentators said she recently returned after a four-year absence! Lana was lightly booed as she came to the ring. My guess is both are between 5’0″ and 5’2″, but Lana is thicker. Lana hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 1:30; she sat on Hollie’s back and pulled her hair. She hit a Lungblower to the chest for a nearfall. Hollie hit a stunner in the ropes at 4:00 and a dropkick.
Hollie hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Lana hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 5:30. Lana got a chair but the ref confiscated it. As he was putting it away, Lana hit a low blow punt kick! (And a woman sold it! Years of being a wrestling fan has taught me that doesn’t hurt them! I kid, I kid.) Lana nailed a discus clothesline and scored the tainted pin. Decent match.
Lana Austin defeated Hollie Barlow at 6:53.
* Meiko Satomura will return on Feb. 23 and face Rhio!
3. “Lykos Gym” Kid Lykos and Lykos II vs. Nico Angelo and Connor Mills in a tornado rules match. Again, Kid Lykos looks a bit like Will Ospreay, while Kid Lykos still wears a mask. I recently compared Mills to U.S. indy standout Kevin Blackwood but without all the tattoos. Lykos Gym hit stereo dives to the floor. In the ring, Nico dropped Lykos II stomach-first on the top rope at 2:00, and the heels began working him over. Mills hit a gutbuster over his knee, and he applied a Stretch Muffler at 4:30. Kid Lykos got in and hit some dropkicks, and he applied a Figure Four on Mills.
Mills hit a Rebound Lariat. Lykos II hit a huracanrana on Mills, then a Spanish Fly from the corner. Mills applied an anklelock on Lykos II. We had two separate pairs of leg locks, and opponents had reached the ropes, but no one was letting go of their submission hold! The ref became frustrated and disqualified both teams. They kept brawling after the bell. Good action despite the non-finish.
Kid Lykos and Lykos II vs. Nico Angelo and Connor Mills went to a no contest at 8:52.
4. Nina Samuels vs. Emersyn Jayne for the Progress Women’s Title. Former NXT-UK wrestler Nina shockingly won the title from Rhio a month ago, ending a long title reign. Jayne is giving off Nikita Lyons vibes today. Basic action early on. Jayne hit a huracanrana at 2:00 that sent Nina to the floor to stall. In the ring, Jayne hit a top-rope missile dropkick. Jayne sat on the top turnbuckle, but Nina shoved her off and to the floor! Jayne sold pain in her back as she got back into the ring, and Nina kept her grounded. In the ring, Jayne hit an enzuigiri at 8:30, then another missile dropkick to the head.
Emersyn hit a German Suplex and was fired up. She hit a top-rope Meteora to the back of the head for a nearfall. Nina hit an axe kick to the bak o the neck. Emersyn nailed a sliding German Suplex and a slingshot stunner that they didn’t quite land, but she got a nearfall at 11:00. Emersyn got a rollup for a nearfall. Nina hit a neckbreaker over her knee for a believable nearfall. Jayne nailed a top-rope Spanish Fly! She hit a Trash Compactor piledriver along her back for a believable nearfall. Emersyn went to the top-rope but Nina yanked her by her hair to the mat! Nina then hit a “Starstruck,” her version of a Go To Sleep kneestrike for the pin. Good match that topped my expectations.
Nina Samuels defeated Emersyn Jayne to retain the Progress Women’s Title at 13:50.
Nina got on the mic and berated the crowd. “You may not like it, but welcome to the Nina Samuels show!,” she said. Out of the back came Kanji, who chased off Nina. She has been out with an injury. She wants a title shot!
* Intermission went nearly 25 minutes. No, I wasn’t watching live, but I do appreciate promotions that put an old match on during intermission. Okay, back to the show!
5. 1 Called Manders vs. Tate Mayfairs. I just watched a Manders’ match from Germany last weekend; he’s on a two-month European tour. Tate recently did a U.S. tour; he’s a cross between Noam Dar and Nick Wayne and he’s the sort of heel you love to boo. Standing reversals and they worked each other’s left arm and had a standoff at 2:00; not how I expected this one to open! Tate hit an Exploder Suplex. He hit a superkick, then a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall at 6:00. They finally started trading chops and forearm strikes; this won’t go well for Tate! Tate went for a Cobra Clutch, but Manders shrugged free, and he hit a running Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Tate hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 8:00.
Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline for a believable nearfall. Manders caved in Tate’s chest with some chops. Tate hit a jumping knee to the sternum, and he applied a Cobra Clutch move on the mat, and Manders tapped out! I didn’t expect that! Good match. The commentators stressed that Tate won fair-and-square. They shook hands afterwards and Manders left.
Tate Mayfairs defeated 1 Called Manders at 10:07.
* Tate got on the mic and noted he won clean… and he won this match just like how he previously beat Luke Jacobs. He vowed he will beat Jacobs when they meet again. Luke ran into the ring, attacked Tate from behind and hit a decapitating clothesline. Jacobs got a chair and repeatedly hit Tate across the back.
6. Man Like DeReiss vs. Richard Holliday. DeReiss rapped on his way to the ring. Nice to see another top-notch U.S. indy star here. Richard got on the mic and demanded his music be cut. He belittled the fans for how they pronounce “Progress.” (They say it so it sounds like ‘proh gress’.) They chanted “wanker!” at him. Standing switches and a feeling-out process. (These two would have certainly shared GCW locker rooms in the past.) Holliday worked on the left leg and kicked at DeReiss’ thigh. DeReiss hit a German Suplex at 5:00 but sold the pain in his leg. He hit a fallaway slam but again clutched at his knee, and they were both down. Holliday hit a backbreaker over his knee, then a sit-out powerbomb, and he locked in a half-crab at 7:30. DeReiss hit a sit-out powerbomb for the pin out of nowhere! Surprisingly short, but fine.
Man Like DeReiss defeated Richard Holliday at 8:53.
7. Simon Miller vs. Charles Crowley for the Progress Proteus Title. Crowley is too much of a comedy wrestler for him to be in the main event. (I like comedy alright — just not in the main event.) Simon is usually here for comedy, too. The stipulation here is the “win must come after a recognized WWE finisher move.” Crowley hit a Sweet Chin Music for a nearfall at 1:30. Simon tried to get a Stunner and a Rock Bottom, but both were blocked. Crowley set up for a Pedigree but Miller blocked that. Miller got a chokeslam for a nearfall. Crowley hit a Jake Roberts’ DDT for a nearfall at 5:00. Miller hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall.
Crowley hit a stunner for a nearfall, but Miller hit a Rock Bottom and they were both down. Decent comedy; the crowd is into this. Miller hit Crowley with a Santino Cobra strike! Crowley hit an RKO for a nearfall at 8:30. Crowley hit another Sweet Chin Music for a nearfall, but he missed a Swanton Bomb. Miller made Roman Reign’s growl and hit a spear. Miller hit a Goldberg-style Jackhammer for the pin. This felt like a match that should have been before intermission. The crowd liked it; the commentators LOVED it.
Simon Miller defeated Charles Crowley to retain the Progress Proteus Title at 11:01.
Final Thoughts: A decent show; it felt like it was missing a few stars (Leon Slater, Rhio, Ricky Knight Jr., Michael Oku, Axel Tischer, Big Damo, for instance.) The opening tag was the standout match and easily earned best of the night. A surprisingly good Jayne-Nina match takes second, and the Lykos Gym vs. Mills/Nico match takes third. I’ve already voiced my dislike for comedy in the main event; I probably would have liked that more if it were earlier in the show.
I attended this event. It was held in the middle of a huge warehouse which was also the venue for a wrestling convention over the weekend. The WCW Nitro logo over the stage was there for the convention.