By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Progress Wrestling “Chapter 177 – My Own Destiny”
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
February 23, 2025 in London, England at Electric Ballroom
The room is dark but the ring is lit okay. The crowd is perhaps 400-500.
* I’ll note that Man Like DeReiss worked the TNA tapings in Orlando and flew back overnight to get to the UK in time for this show.
1. “Sanity” Axel Tischer and Big Damo vs. “Sunshine Machine” TK Cooper and Chuck Mambo. Sanity came out second, charged into the ring, and they all started brawling. I started my stopwatch at first contact; I’m not sure if we’ve had a bell. Oh, there’s the bell at 1:10 as Tischer kicked at the goofball Mambo in the ring. Damo’s beard seems particularly big and bushy today, and the crowd taunted him with a “shave your back!” chant. Cooper got a hot tag at 5:30 and he hit an Exploder Suplex on Axel; he hit another one on Damo and that got a massive pop. Mambo hit a Meteora on Damo, then a frogsplash. Cooper hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press on Damo, and Mambo made the cover for a nearfall at 7:00. Axel hit a double German Suplex! Nice.
Axel hit a top-rope flying back elbow, and Damo hit a senton on Cooper. Sanity hit a team DDT move on Cooper for a believable nearfall at 8:30; I thought that was it. SM hit team headbutts on Axel, then on Damo. Cooper hit a top-rope doublestomp on Axel for a nearfall. Damo hit a double clothesline at 10:00. Mambo caught Damo and bodyslammed him! Damo hit a flying crossbody block and tossed Cooper to the floor. Mambo got a Victory Roll and pinned Damo! Sanity seemingly offered post-match handshakes, but instead gave SM the middle finger and left.
TK Cooper and Chuck Mambo defeated Big Damo and Axel Tischer at 10:50/official time of about 9:40.
2. Kid Lykos vs Nico Angelo. Lykos came out first, but Nico ran out of the back and attacked Lykos before he got into the ring. Nico slammed him against the ring post; I started my stopwatch at first contact. The referee ruled that Kid Lykos cannot continue! The masked Lykos II ran down and took the match instead.
Kid Lykos vs. Nico Angelo never officially starts.
2b. Nico Angelo vs. Lykos II. Nico hit a dropkick. He bodyslammed Lykos II across the ring. Lykos II got a Victory Roll for a nearfall, then a tornado DDT at 3:00. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Nico hit an elbow drop to the lower back, then a rolling Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Lykos II nailed a Code Red for a nearfall, then a seated Spanish Fly (essentially an Arabian Press) from the corner at 5:30, then a flip dive to the floor. However, Nico put Lykos II on his shoulders and threw him onto a fan (plant?) in the front row. Kid Lykos attacked Nico, and the ref called for the bell. Good while it lasted. Kid Lykos got on the mic and challenged Nico to a tag team match that is a “no-rope, no DQ, I Quit match” on March 30.
Nico Angelo defeated Lykos II via DQ at 7:01.
3. Simon Miller vs. Will Kroos (w/Session Moth Martina, Gene Munny) for the Progress Proteus Title. Miller was in the main event last week in a cartoonish match that didn’t work for me. Simon hit a spear at the bell, then a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall at 0:30! Kroos splashed him in the corner and hit a massive senton. (Kroos is like a heavier Sami Callihan.) Simon hit some shoulder tackles. Kroos hit a bodyslam at 2:30. Simon crashed shoulder-first in the corner, and Kroos hit a German Suplex. Simon nailed a second-rope superplex and they were both down. Munny jumped on the apron and struck Miller. Kroos missed a frogsplash. Miller hit a spear, a Jackhammer, and a frogsplash for the pin. Decent.
Simon Miller defeated Will Kroos to retain the Progress Proteus Title at 5:41.
* Gene Munny immediately jumped in the ring and hit Miller after the bell. He turned to Kroos and called him a “disappointment,” and the crowd booed. Munny belittled Miller and stomped on him. He ordered Kroos to hit another senton, which he did. Munny challenged Miller to a match. He teased he was going to urinate on Miller’s belt, but Simon reclaimed it before that could happen.
4. Miles Kayman vs. Man Like DeReiss. The commentators immediately noted how DeReiss just worked the TNA tapings less than two days ago in the U.S. Kayman hit a powerslam, then another, and was lightly booed. He hit a snap suplex and kept DeReiss grounded. DeReiss hit a vertical suplex at 3:30 and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. DeReiss hit a top-rope Blockbuster at 6:30. Kayman hit a Pedigree for a nearfall, and he jawed at the referee. DeReiss hit a superkick, a modified Death Valley Driver, and a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. Solid match.
Man Like DeReiss defeated Miles Kayman at 8:34.
5. Luke Jacobs vs. Tate Mayfairs for the Progress World Title. Jacobs has been champion now for 210 days. They immediately traded forearm strikes at the bell. They brawled to the floor, where Jacobs hit a brainbuster onto open chairs. They got back into the ring, and Jacobs threw a chair at Tate’s head at 6:00, and I really hate that. Jacobs hit him with a kendo stick and was in charge. He hit him with a trash can across the top of the head for a nearfall at 11:00. Jacobs brought a ladder into the ring. Tate hit a running neckbreaker. Jacobs hit a top-rope superplex for a nearfall at 13:30.
Tate hit an Exploder Suplex and was fired up. Jacobs got a stapler and used it on Tate’s chest and back. He got paper to staple it to Tate’s body, too. The live crowd was enjoying this, but it’s not working for me at all. Jacobs dumped a bag of thumbtacks in the ring at 20:00. He got a sledgehammer, but Tate hit him with a low blow. He gave Jacobs a backbody drop onto the thumbtacks at 22:00, then a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. Jacobs hit a DDT onto a folded chair, then a standing powerbomb onto the thumbtacks for a believable nearfall. Jacobs hit a pair of clotheslines for nearfalls, and the crowd taunted him with a “you can’t beat him!” chant.
Jacobs argued with Eddie Dennis at ringside. Tate hit a chairshot to the back, then a (protected) chairshot to the head and a running knee for a believable nearfall at 25:30. Tate leapt off the ladder and hit an elbow drop to the chest as Jacobs was lying on a table for a believable nearfall. Jacobs got some brass knuckles, hit a punch to the jaw, and scored the pin. A match that picked up nicely with some good, believable nearfalls for Tate, but a match that just isn’t my preferred style. The crowd loved it, though.
Luke Jacobs defeated Tate Mayfairs to retain the Progress World Title at 27:52.
* Eddie Dennis tried to console Mayfairs, but Tate hit a low blow on him and spat on him! The commentators were shocked he did this to his best friend! Tate told Dennis he hates him, and said “get away from me” as he stormed to the back. (NOTE: Eddie had previously convinced Tate not to cash in a title shot at a random time.)
* Intermission.
6. Session Moth Martina (w/Gene Munny, Will Kroos) vs. Lana Austin vs. Rayne Leverkusen vs. Alexxis Falcon in a four-way. New women’s champion Nina Samuels joined commentary for this one. All four brawled at the bell. Martina sipped from her beverage, but Falcon kicked her in the head. Falcon hit a DDT on Austin for a nearfall at 2:30. Lana hit a stunner on Falcon. Kroos caught Lana as she fell from the ring, but he slammed her back into a ring post. Rayne (1980s female rocker gimmick; think Pat Benatar or Joan Jett!) hit a German Suplex at 7:00. Martina hit a spear on Rayne, then a twisting suplex for a nearfall.
Falcon hit a German Suplex. Lana hit a Lungblower to Martina’s chest for a nearfall at 9:30. Lana nailed a discus forearm on Rayne, sending her to the floor. Falcon hit a Shellshock swinging faceplant on Martina while in the ropes and went for a pin, but Lana pulled her to the floor, and those two brawled to the back! Kroos pushed the prone Rayne into the ring. However, Rayne hit a stunner on Martina for a nearfall. Martina nailed a Crucifix Driver for a believable nearfall at 12:00 and she was irate that she didn’t win there. Kroos climbed the ropes, but Martina was pushed into him. Rayne applied a Lion Tamer/vertical Boston Crab, and Martina tapped out!
Rayne Leverkusen defeated Session Moth Martina, Alexxis Falcon, and Lana Austin in a four-way at 12:44.
* As Rayne was about to go through the curtain, Nina Samuels attacked her! She said we should have a title match… right now! She dragged Rayne to the ring, and we got a bell!
7. Nina Samuels vs. Rayne Leverkusen for the Progress Women’s Title. The commentators protested, noting that Rayne had just been through a war. Nina hit the “Star Struck,” a version of a Go To Sleep, and scored the pin.
Nina Samuels defeated Rayne Leverkusen to retain the Progress Women’s Title at 00:38.
8. “The Smokin Aces” Nick Riley and Charlie Sterling vs. Aigle Blanc and Kuro for the Progress Tag Team Titles. I’m a big fan of the masked French star Blanc. Kuro is a Black man; I haven’t seen him before and this is apparently his debut here. Sterling is thicker with a beard and long, curly hair (think Bear Bronson.) Riley is thinner with short hair. The champ attacked from behind. Kuro hit a dropkick. Blanc hit a head-scissors takedown. He hit a moonsault to the floor on the heels at 2:30. Kuro hit a flip dive to the floor on the heels. In the ring, Sterling stomped on Blanc and kept him grounded and in their corner.
Kuro got in and hit some rolling cannonballs, then a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 7:00. They did a spot where Riley accidentally hit a Canadian Destroyer on his teammate! Kuro and Blanc hit a superkick-and-Dragon Suplex combo. Sterling hit a stunner on Kuro, then a frogsplash for a nearfall at 9:00, but Blanc made the save. Blanc nailed a 450 Splash on Sterling for a nearfall, but Riley pulled the ref from the ring! Sterling twisted Blanc’s mask, and the champs hit a team stunner move for the tainted pin. Good action. Kuro looked good in his debut; he’s comparable to NJPW’s Kevin Knight.
Nick Riley and Charlie Sterling defeated Kuro and Aigle Blanc to retain the Progress Tag Team Titles at 11:04.
* Sunshine Machine came to the ring and challenged Smokin’ Aces to a title shot.
9. Rhio vs. Meiko Satomura. A huge pop and plenty of streamers for Meiko, who is on her retirement tour. The commentators noted she began her career in 1995. They shook hands at the bell and traded standing switches. Rhio knocked her down with a shoulder tackle at 3:30, then an Exploder Suplex and a shotgun dropkick. Rhio hit a series of roundhouse kicks to the chest, then a kneedrop onto the chest for a nearfall at 6:30. Rhio hit a Lungblower to the back out of the corner for a nearfall. Rhio locked in a Stretch Muffler leg lock at 9:30.
Rhio hit a scoop bodyslam and was in charge. She went to the ropes, but Meiko hit her with a Pele Kick at 11:30, then a handspring-back-kneedrop to the back, and that popped the crowd. Rhio hit a twisting suplex for a nearfall. Rhio hit a pumphandle powerbomb for a nearfall at 13:30. Meiko nailed a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall, then a Yes Kick to the chest and a step-up kick, then a second Death Valley Driver for the pin. That was fun and memorable.
Meiko Satomura defeated Rhio at 14:50.
* Nina Samuels came to the ring and hugged Meiko, but then she attacked Rhio! Meiko clearly wasn’t happy with this, as she unloaded two forearm strikes on Nina, sending her to the floor and scampering to the back. Meiko got on the mic and said, “Progress needs less Nina!” and that got a pop. Rhio and Meiko then hugged again, and Meiko was handed a bouquet of flowers, and she bowed to the crowd. A nice send-off.
Final Thoughts: A fun main event as the Meiko retirement tour rolls on, and I’ll give that best match. While the hardcore match wasn’t my style, and it is one of my least-favorite Luke Jacobs’ matches I’ve seen, I’ll still give that second place. The intensity was there, the crowd was there for it, but when the staplers come out, I just lose interest. The Sanity-Sunshine Machine tag match narrowly takes third, ahead of the tag title match. Some good action here.
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