By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Progress Wrestling “Chapter 186: Noisy Neighbors”
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
November 16, 2025, in Manchester, England, at the O2 Ritz
As per usual, lighting is well below average; it’s one of my biggest problems with Progress, as wrestlers can vanish in corners and on the floor.
* Notably absent from this show are Man Like DeReiss, Michael Oku, Rhio and Leon Slater, so definitely missing four of their top seven names. (On my ranking system anyway!)
1. Tom Thelwell vs. Luke Jacobs. I haven’t seen Thelwell before; he’s white with shaggy brown hair, and he’s a bit thick. I didn’t hear a bell, so I started the stopwatch as they locked up. They are roughly the same height, but Thelwell appears to be a bit heavier around the middle. They started slapping each other in the face. Tom hit an enzuigiri for a nearfall at 3:00. He kicked Jacobs to the floor; I can barely see Luke. They fought at ringside, and Luke hit a snap suplex on the floor. In the ring, Jacobs hit a clothesline in the corner and a senton for a nearfall. He hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 5:00 and some stiff kicks to the spine.
Jacobs applied a sleeper in the center of the ring; Thelwell hit a back suplex to escape. Thelwell hit a pumphandle powerbomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Jacobs hit a German Suplex and a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. They hit stereo crossbody blocks and were both down. They got up and traded chops and forearm strikes. Thelwell hit a Rebound Lariat and a spear, then a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:00. Thelwell’s pale white chest was now splotchy red from all those chops. Jacobs hit a top-rope superplex and a Tiger Driver (butterfly powerbomb) for a nearfall. He missed a Hidden Blade, but he hit a Northern Lariat for a believable nearfall. He hit one more short-arm clothesline for the pin. Hard-hitting match, but the winner was never once in doubt.
Luke Jacobs defeated Thom Thelwell at 11:38.
* Charlie Sterling and Simon Miller argued in the ring. Neither was dressed to wrestle. The sound is even more awful than the lighting; I have no idea what they are saying at all. (The commentary track is fine). Sterling hit a low blow and repeatedly punched Miller. He peeled off his shirt, and he repeatedly punched Miller. The commentators said that Charlie said, “I’m going to end you.” Those two will fight on November 30!
2. Adam Maxted vs. Ethan Allen. Maxted (think EC3) is ripped with muscles on his muscles; he was supposed to face Miller. So, Allen was a surprise opponent. Okay, I faintly heard the bell that time, and they locked up. Ethan hit a running penalty kick. Maxted hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall. Ethan hit one at 2:30. Maxted hit a powerslam. Allen hit a superplex and a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Allen tied both of Maxted’s arms behind his back and pushed the shoulder blades together in a submission hold, and Maxted tapped out! That ended quickly!
Ethan Allen defeated Adam Maxted at 3:48.
3. Kid Lykos vs. Tate Mayfairs. I always compare Lykos’ looks to Will Ospreay, while Tate always reminds me of Noam Dar. Recently-turned-heel Lykos stalled on the floor at the bell. An intense lockup in the ring. Lykos got flipped to the floor at 2:30, and SUDDENLY WE COULD HEAR the fans and the noises in the ring, but we COULD NOT hear the commentators! Okay, seconds later, it was back to where we could hear the commentators, while the ring noise was back to a low din. Tate hit an Exploder Suplex in the ring for a nearfall at 4:30.
Lykos hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, Lykos stomped on him in the corner and was in charge. Tate hit a clothesline at 7:00 and was fired up. He hit a step-up forearm strike and an axe kick in the ropes, then a standing neckbreaker. Tate hit a top-rope flying elbow drop for a nearfall at 9:00. Lykos hit a dropkick into the corner, then a brainbuster for a believable nearfall. Tate went to the top rope, but Lykos hit an enzuigiri.
Tate hit a top-rope Pedigree at 11:30, but he was slow to make a cover! Lykos rolled to the floor to avoid a pin. Lykos put a weapon in his knee pad while he was on the floor! In the ring, Lykos nailed a jumping knee to the chin, and Tate was out! Lykos rolled to the floor to toss the weapon under the ring. Lykos got into the ring, thinking it was over, but Tate jumped to his feet, hit his own running knee, and scored the pin! Creative finish.
Tate Mayfairs defeated Kid Lykos at 13:28.
4. Rayne Leverkusen vs. Session Moth Martina (w/Kouga) for the Progress Women’s Title. Rayne has styled herself like 1982 Joan Jett; she’s a rocker. Party girl Martina is fun and always has a mixed drink in her hands, but she rarely wins; longtime ROH fans will remember she had a TV run in the Sinclair era. The tall Kouga apparently won a dark match. Basic tie-ups early on, and Rayne applied a headlock and kept Martina grounded. They brawled to the floor at 3:30 and vanished into the shadows.
In the ring, Martina hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Rayne hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, Rayne hit two German Suplexes and a spin kick to the head, then another German Suplex. She hit a running elbow in the corner, and they were both down at 8:30. Rayne hit a pumphandle suplex and a spinebuster for a nearfall. She went for a Boston Crab, but Martina reached the ropes to block it. Martina hit a spear and a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. Kouga accidentally sprayed a drink in Martina’s eyes! It allowed Rayne to hit a jumping knee for the pin! Decent match. The poor lighting at the end of this match really marred the ability to see what was happening.
Rayne Leverkusen defeated Session Moth Martina to retain the Progress Women’s Title at 10:10.
The intermission lasted 40 minutes. YES, it went FORTY minutes. Glad I wasn’t watching live. That is unacceptable.
5. Drew Parker vs. Scott Oberman. Parker has competed in a lot of GCW death matches, but he’s a decent wrestler, too. I don’t think I’ve seen Oberman before; he’s white, lanky, with really, really long, straight brown hair. He looks like a smarmy heel. Parker attacked at the bell, and he hit a flip dive to the floor. Parker hit a running crossbody block on the floor as Oberman was seated in a chair. They got back into the ring at 1:30. Oberman threw Parker throat-first into the ropes, then stomped on Drew’s back, and he took control.
Oberman hit a top-rope flying stunner at 6:00, but Drew rolled to the floor. In the ring, Drew hit a stunner and a dropkick in the corner. Oberman set up for a Tombstone Piledriver, but Parker got a rollup and a doublestomp to the chest. Oberman hit a spear at 8:30, and they were both down. Parker hit a running double knees to the face. He went for a Swanton Bomb, but Oberman got his knees up. Oberman immediately hit the Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. Decent action.
Scott Oberman defeated Drew Parker at 9:39.
6. Charles Crowley vs. RPD. RP Davies has been here a few times, but I barely recall seeing him before; he’s bald with a short black beard. Crowley is a bit too cartoonish for me. Basic reversals early on. RPD dropped him with one punch at 2:00; he put one foot on Crowley’s chest and got a nearfall. He hit a spinebuster for a nearfall. He hit a springboard stunner for a nearfall at 5:00 and a flying Superman Punch for a nearfall. RPD went for a flying clothesline off the ropes, but Crowley caught him and tied him in a submission hold on the mat, and RPD passed out. Meh.
Charles Crowley defeated RPD at 6:41.
7. Will Kroos vs. Jay Joshua for the Progress Atlas Title. Kroos just completed an amazing two-week U.S. tour where he showed what a beast he is. Again, he has Sami Callihan’s grunge-dirty look, but he has Bronson Reed’s size and vicious agility, and speed. He has been so incredibly poorly booked here for the past year, so hopefully we see more of that beast today. My first time seeing Joshua, who wore a football jersey, and he’s a big, thick guy, but still much smaller than Kroos. He has a long, dark beard. They charged at each other at the bell and immediately traded forearm strikes. Kroos hit a shoulder tackle. Joshua dropped Kroos with a shoulder tackle and hit a senton.
Kroos hit a massive senton at 1:30, and he took control. He whipped Joshua into a corner and jawed at fans. Jay fired back with a suplex at 3:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Kroos hit a German Suplex; Joshua popped up and hit his own German Suplex. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down at 5:30. Joshua charged at him, but Kroos dropped him with a forearm strike. Kroos hit another senton and a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Joshua hit a second-rope superplex, then a flying headbutt!
Joshua hit a piledriver for a nearfall at 8:00. He jumped on Kroos’ back and applied a sleeper, but Kroos ran forward and turned it into a rolling cannonball in the corner. He hit a sit-out piledriver for a believable nearfall! Kroos hit a clothesline and a second sit-out piledriver for the pin. Good match that topped my expectations. “What a war we just witnessed!” a commentator said. While I never really thought Kroos was losing here, Jay brought quite a fight to him.
Will Kroos defeated Jay Joshua to retain the Progress Atlas Title at 9:50.
8. “Blackheart” Lio Rush vs. Cara Noir. Dark Swan/evil ballet character Noir recently turned heel here. I stressed that Rush is in his “Blackheart” character, looking demonic and dripping ‘red fluid’ from his mouth. He attacked Noir from behind, and we’re underway! Rush did his misdirection running of the ropes, but Noir just stood and watched him and refused to play along. Rush slithers around the ring like he’s the Boogeyman; I’m sure that’s a lot of the inspiration for this gimmick. Noir whipped him into the corner at 1:30 and began stomping on Lio.
They brawled to the floor, and Noir hit some chops. In the ring, Noir hit a clothesline and was in control. He tied up Rush’s legs and snapped backwards at 7:00, and he stomped on the damaged legs. Lio kicked Noir off the apron to the floor, then he dove through the ropes onto Noir at 10:30. In the ring, Lio nailed a Poison Rana for a nearfall. Noir hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall. He applied a Blackout sleeper on the mat, then he hit a backbreaker over a knee for a nearfall at 12:30. Lio grabbed Noir by the throat, but Noir hit a headbutt. Rush hit a stunner out of the ropes.
Rush dove through the ropes, but Noir suplexed Lio onto rows of empty chairs at 14:00! In the ring, Lio got a rollup for a nearfall. He got the black heart, which is on a rope, and he put it around his neck. However, Noir hit a flying headbutt and a package piledriver for a nearfall at 16:30, and Noir was shocked he didn’t win there. Lio hit a clothesline and a shotgun dropkick, then the Final Hour frog splash for a nearfall. Lio applied a Cattle Mutilation in the center of the ring, but Noir escaped and turned it into a Blackout sleeper, but Lio ran to the ropes to escape. Moments later, Noir re-applied it and fell to the mat. Noir let go of the hold and hit an Orton-style running Punt Kick to the side of the head for the pin. A very good match.
Cara Noir defeated Lio Rush at 19:11.
Final Thoughts: If you haven’t seen Rush do this gimmick before… well, it’s worth checking out at least once. I personally think he’s too talented to need this type of over-the-top silly character, but he’s shown a commitment to it when he’s in this role. (He and Jonathan Gresham were basically doing the same character at the same time, and Gresham never showed this level of devotion to it.) I’ll go with that for top, but Joshua-Kroos was good for second, and the Jacobs show opener earns third place.
I watched Deadlock Pro right before watching this show, and the difference in quality of production is startling and notable. DPW has the best production values — quality cameras, good lighting, above-average sound — and Progress Wrestling has none of those. The wrestling may be good, but I guarantee it turns potential viewers off when they see a poorly lit room where wrestlers vanish in the darkness.
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