By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Progress Wrestling “Chapter 184: Camden Lock Up”
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
September 28, 2025, in London, England, at Electric Ballroom
This is their usual venue, and the crowd is 500-600. Again, the lighting here is not ideal; wrestlers vanish into the shadows in the corners and whenever they leave the ring.
* I’ll note that Rev Pro also had a show in England on Sunday, so that split the available roster, as Rev Pro had Michael Oku, Luke Jacobs, and Trent Seven, plus special guests Tetsuya Naito and Bushi. And of course, Leon Slater was wrestling for TNA in Canada, so he’s not on either show.
1. Man Like DeReiss vs. Charlie Sterling for the Progress World Title. Again, Sterling is a big, thick man, and he’s comparable to long-haired Bear Bronson. He recently became a singles wrestler and has had a strong solo run. DeReiss, of course, competes regularly in the U.S. and just made his ROH TV debut two weeks ago. DeReiss grounded Sterling in a headlock early on. Charlie hit a shoulder block that dropped DeReiss at 2:00. DeReiss began kicking at the left knee. Sterling hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 5:00, then some knee strikes to the spine.
DeReiss hit a vertical suplex, and they were both down. DeReiss caught Sterling and hit a fallaway slam at 7:00. Sterling hit a superkick and a piledriver for a nearfall at 8:30. DeReiss hit a stunner for a nearfall. He hit a superkick, and they were both down at 11:30. Sterling nailed a top-rope superplex, then a frogsplash to the back for a nearfall, and he was back in charge. DeReiss got underneath him in the corner and hit a standing powerbomb, then his own frogsplash to the back for a nearfall at 14:30. He nailed a 450 Splash, then he put Sterling in a mid-ring Sharpshooter, and Charlie tapped out. That was a really strong opener.
Man Like DeReiss defeated Charlie Sterling to retain the Progress World Title at 14:44.
* This was DeReiss first title defense; he got on the mic and he introduced a brand new title belt “with a bit more bling,” as a commentator said.
2. Simon Miller vs. Josh Holly. No idea who Holly is; he wore a long karate robe and talked a lot of trash on the mic, and he called Simon a “big bald bitch” and slapped him on the top of his head. We had the bell, and Simon hit a spear! Josh slowly got to his feet, but Simon hit a second spear. A commentator noted that Simon is No. 350 in this year’s PWI. Simon hit a Goldberg-style Jackhammer and the pin. “He ain’t screwing around! No more jokes, no more filler!” a commentator said.
Simon Miller defeated Josh Holly at 00:36.
3. Rhio vs. Lucy Sky for the Progress Women’s Title. My first time seeing Lucy, and the commentators said she routinely wrestles in northern England, and this was her Progress debut. She’s a bit heavier and wore a one-piece; she has long, straight black hair. Rhio came out carrying two title belts. A lockup to open, and Lucy has the size advantage. They switched to trading forearm strikes, and Rhio hit a German Suplex, so Lucy hit one. They hit simultaneous clotheslines and headbutts, and both collapsed at 2:00.
Rhio hit a back suplex on the ring apron, and they both fell to the floor. They brawled in the front row; again, it’s harder to see than I’d prefer. Lucy powered her onto the edge of the ring frame at 4:00! Ouch! In the ring, Lucy hit a running knee to the chin for a nearfall. Rhio hit a running crossbody block. Lucy hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 7:30. She hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Rhio hit a clothesline. Lucy hit a back-body drop and a spear for a nearfall at 10:00. Rhio hit a Frankensteiner, a shotgun dropkick, a leg lariat to the forehead, and a swinging neckbreaker. Rhio hit the package Piledriver for the pin. That topped my expectations.
Rhio defeated Lucy Sky to retain the Progress Women’s Title at 12:01.
4. Ricky Knight Jr. vs. Owadasan. Owadasan is Asian, and he was squashed in his debut on a recent Progress show; the commentators said he’s still had fewer than 200 matches. He jabbed Knight in the stomach with a chair before the bell, and he started stomping on Knight. The ref called for the bell at 00:23, and we’re officially underway. Knight peeled off Owadasan’s T-shirt and chopped him. Knight hit a dropkick in the corner and a DDT out of the ropes for a nearfall at 3:30. Owadasan hit a German Suplex for a nearfall and a twisting neckbreaker, then another German Suplex. Knight hit a superkick and a Rikishi Driver (sit-out piledriver) for the pin. That was a sprint; they did a lot in just five minutes.
Ricky Knight Jr. defeated Owadasan at 5:17/official time of 4:54.
* The opening of the 1980s TV show “The Wonder Years” was played, but in this video, it was Gene Munny, Session Moth Martina, and Will Kroos. A pretty funny, spot-on spoof.
5. Gene Munny (w/Session Moth Martina) vs. Will Kroos for the Progress Atlas Title. Again, Kroos is the size of Bronson Reed with the look of a young Sami Callihan; he’s been criminally underused here in a comedy role with Gene and Martina. They immediately traded punches, and Kroos splashed him in the corner and hit a senton. Munny dove through the ropes onto Kroos, and they brawled into the shadows. (Seriously… just turn the lights on!) Back in the ring, Munny stomped on Kroos and was in charge. He hit a spear through the ropes to get a nearfall at 3:00.
They hit stereo crossbody blocks and were both down. Kroos hit a massive rolling cannonball at 4:30. Munny hit a top-rope flying clothesline for a nearfall. Kroos got knocked to the floor. Martina grabbed the title belt, but the referee ejected her at 6:30. Kroos slugged him with a rolling forearm strike. Munny got a sunset flip for a nearfall. He got the big man on his shoulders and hit a Death Valley Driver and a clothesline, but Kroos kicked out. Kroos hit the biggest Spanish Fly you’ll ever see, then a Rikishi Driver-style piledriver for the pin. New champion! Hopefully, this ends the comedy Kroos era and begins the unstoppable monster Kroos era.
Will Kroos defeated Gene Munny to win the Progress Atlas Title at 9:33.
6. Cara Noir vs. Alexander Lockheart. Cara turned heel last month when he attacked DeReiss. I’ve never seen Lockheart, who wore pink and waved a fan. Noir ran up behind Lockheart and hit a low blow to start the match! They rolled to the floor, where Noir chopped Lockheart against the ring post. Lockheart hit a top-rope crossbody block to the floor on Noir at 2:30. In the ring, Lockheart hit a spear into the corner, then a top-rope crossbody block and a shotgun dropkick. Noir hit his own shotgun dropkick for a nearfall at 4:00.
Lockheart hit a running axe kick to the back of the head for a nearfall, then a running stunner for a nearfall at 6:30. Noir hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall, then a powerbomb over his knee and a Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Lockheart got a rollup for a believable nearfall. Noir hit an Orton-style punt kick to the face; the ref checked Lockheart and determined he was out and called for the bell. Noir hit a post-match package piledriver. That topped expectations; I thought Noir might beat him even shorter than that.
Cara Noir defeated Alexander Lockheart via knockout at 8:06.
* Man Like DeReiss came to the ring to confront Noir, who rolled away.
* A video package aired to show how the main event came together.
7. Nina Samuels vs. Kanji in a loser-leaves-Progress match. This feud has been going on for months to reach this finale. Fashionista wrestler Samuels has had a good post-NXT UK run. Reversals on the mat to open, and Kanji applied an ankle lock on the left leg. Kanji hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 4:00 and a Helluva Kick, and a hesitation dropkick in the corner. Nina tied her in the ropes and hit a dropkick to Kanji’s back for a nearfall at 7:00, and she kept Kanji grounded for several minutes. Nina hit a sideslam for a nearfall at 10:00. Kanji applied a leg lock around the neck and got a nearfall, then some loud chops and a Dragonscrew Legwhip in the ropes.
Kanji hit a Sabre-style necksnap between her ankles at 13:00. “The man himself would be proud,” a commentator said. Kanji snapped the left arm backwards, and Nina sold the pain in her elbow. Kanji accidentally superkicked the ref at 15:00. Kanji hit a plancha to the floor onto Nina, and they brawled on the floor. A new ref came out of the back and confiscated a chair from Nina, so she hit a roundhouse kick to his head! They brawled up onto the entrance stage. Nina hit a uranage onto the commentators’ table at 20:00. It didn’t break so Nina hit a second one (it still didn’t break!) They got back into the ring with Nina in charge. The original ref was now getting back up.
Kanji applied a rear-naked choke on the mat at 22:00, then a diving forearm to the back of the head. She applied a Dragon Sleeper. Nina regained control and stomped on Kanji. Kanji tied her in a rowboat submission hold at 25:00, cranking on both arms. She switched to a standing ankle lock, but Nina escaped. Nina hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. She targeted Kanji’s left arm. Kanji hit a hard clothesline at 28:30. Nina dropped her on an exposed turnbuckle, then hit “Star Struck” (a version of Go To Sleep) for a nearfall at 30:00, and Samuels was shocked she didn’t get the win there. Kanji went for a Triangle Choke, and she flipped Samuels into the exposed turnbuckle! She hit a Hidden Blade to the back of the head and applied a Kimura arm-lock, and Nina tapped out!
Kanji defeated Nina Samuels in a loser-leave-Progress match at 31:33.
* NIna gave her the middle finger, but then they hugged. The crowd chanted, “Thank you, Nina!” She responded by giving middle fingers to the crowd.
Final Thoughts: Again, with some big names absent, they filled this pretty well. The main event worked for me, and it really didn’t drag despite being so long (and I truly had no sense of who was winning; in comparison to the NJPW main event a day ago, that went almost the same length, where the winner was never once in doubt). Sterling-DeReiss was really good. Rhio-Sky topped expectations, and as I noted, I’m eager to see Kroos used more effectively here.
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