By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Progress Wrestling “Chapter 182: Stay Humble”
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
July 27, 2025, in London, England, at Electric Ballroom
I am joining about an hour behind live TV. They always draw 500-600 fans here, and it’s raucous. The ring is lit merely okay, and it’s downright hard to see whenever they fight to the floor — it’s always been my biggest issue with Progress Wrestling’s product.
1. Tate Mayfairs vs. Adam Maxted. I always compare Tate to WWE’s Noam Dar. The muscular Maxted is comparable to EC3; he’s bigger and visibly stronger than babyface Tate. Standing switches to open. Tate hit a pair of superkicks at 1:30. Maxted hit a dropkick. Noam hit some European Uppercuts. Maxted hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall at 4:00. He hit a bodyslam and swiveled his hips to draw some boos. Noam hit a running knee in the ropes, then a fisherman’s buster for the pin. Decent opener.
Tate Mayfairs defeated Adam Maxted at 6:39.
2. Charles Crowley vs. Simon Miller. Crowley has always been a bit too cartoonish for me. Likewise, despite his great physique, I far more enjoy Miller’s YouTube videos than his in-ring skills. Miller hit a standing powerbomb. Crowley hit a stunner at 2:00. Miller hit a clothesline and stood over Crowley. He hit a Samoan Drop for a nearfall at 6:00. Crowley leapt off the ropes but Miller hit a spear at 8:30. This has been almost devoid of action. Bullet ran in and turned babyface (I kid!) by attacking both men, and the ref called for the bell. A clunky match, but the crowd was amused.
Charles Crowley vs. Simon Miller went to a no contest at 9:02.
* Bullet got on the mic and asked the crowd if they were having fun. The fans applauded. “How? How are you having fun?” Bullet asked. He belittled both men, and I can’t argue with any of the digs he’s taking at these two. He’s back to remind us he’s Progress’s “most lethal weapon. And I’m back to destroy everything I feel like.” He wants the Proteus Champion (Paul Walter Hauser). This guy is going to be the biggest babyface on the planet if he can retire PWH.
3. Axel Tischer vs. Mike D Vecchio in a tables match for the Atlas Title. Vecchio is muscular; I’ve always compared him to Brian Cage for his combination of muscles and agility, and I’m a big fan. Axel (f/k/a Alexander Wolfe) wore his Sanity T-shirt to the ring! Tischer immediately hit a German Suplex. Mike hit a huracanrana, then a corner dropkick and a plancha to the floor. (They are just calling him Mike D here. Interesting.) Some basic brawling in the ring; this is much better than the first two matches. A table was set up in one corner, and they both tried to suplex the other into it. Mike hit a back suplex and a standing moonsault at 6:30, and a commentator reminded us why he didn’t go for the pin, as you can’t win that way.
Mike came off the corner, but Axel caught him with a European Uppercut to the back, then a snap suplex and a top-rope flying punch, and they were both down at 8:30. We now have two tables open on the mat (not leaning in the corner). Mike did a full “Hulk up” segment, pointing at Axel, hitting a big boot, doing the Hogan pose, and dropping a guillotine leg drop. “I’ve not seen it done better!” a commentator said. The other replied, “he’s a real Belgian.” Funny. Axel shook the ropes, causing Mike to fall in the corner and be crotched, and they traded punches. Mike finally powerbombed Axel off the top turnbuckle and threw him onto a table for the win! New champion!
Mike D Vecchio defeated Axel Tischer to win the Atlas Title at 14:20.
* A 25-minute intermission after just three matches? Yes, I am now just 35 minutes behind live TV.
4. Charlie Sterling vs. Cara Noir. Sterling has a big, wide body; think Bear Bronson but taller; also reminds me of NXT’s Josh Briggs. Black swan ballet character Noir is compelling to watch — a mix of Darby Allin and Dalton Castle. Noir charged at the bigger Sterling, and we’re underway. They brawled to the floor, and it was hard to see. In the ring, Charlie hid behind a ref, then hit a clothesline at 3:00, and he hit some repeated punches. He mockingly did Cara’s entrance arm motions and got booed. He dropped Noir gut-first on the top rope, then hit a backbreaker over his knee at 5:00.
Sterling hit a moonsault for a nearfall! Noir hit a headscissors takedown, then he clotheslined Charlie to the floor and dove through the ropes onto him. In the ring, Noir hit a German Suplex at 8:00. He hit a vicious Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall. Sterling went for another moonsault, but Noir kicked him on the way down. Cara then hit a neckbreaker over his knee. He jumped on Sterling’s back and applied a sleeper, but Charlie ran forward and dropped Noir’s head against the middle turnbuckle at 10:00, and they were both down. Sterling hit a top-rope back suplex at 12:00, and they were both down again. Noir hit a German Suplex; Charlie popped up and hit a half-nelson suplex.
They traded pinfall attempts. Sterling hit a brainbuster at 14:00, then a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. He hit a frogsplash for another nearfall, then he suplexed Noir into a corner at 16:30. They brawled some more on the floor, and Sterling pushed him into the first row of fans! He put Noir on the ring apron, and he kicked Noir’s foot into the ring post! In the ring, Noir applied the Blackout sleeper, but Sterling again ran him into a turnbuckle. Sterling then hit a swinging slam for the clean pin! Everyone was shocked! I am shocked, and Sterling’s face shows he’s shocked, too. “Charlie Sterling just got the biggest win of his singles career!” a commentator said. “None of us saw this coming.”
Charlie Sterling defeated Cara Noir at 18:22.
5. Session Moth Martina vs. Hollie Barlow (w/Lana Austin). Martina came to the ring, drink in her hand. None of her goons were with her. Martina hit a clothesline at the bell. Martina hit some clubbing blows to Barlow’s back and a suplex for a nearfall at 2:00. Barlow hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall, and she started to celebrate and jawed at the fans. She turned around, and Martina hit a second-rope flying Lungblower move to her chin for the pin. Basic but acceptable. Hollie wanted a post-match hug, but Lana rejected her, turned, and left.
Session Moth Martina defeated Hollie Barlow at 4:26.
* Progress World Champion Luke Jacobs, along with Ethan Allen, came to the ring. Neither was dressed to wrestle. Luke got on the mic and listed all the guys he’s beaten, from Man Like DeReiss to Cara Noir to Timothy Thatcher. Out of the back came Man Like DeReiss. MLD got on the mic and he taunted Allen; Jacobs had told Allen back from attacking, and he ordered Ethan to leave! Allean clearly didn’t like the way Luke just talked to him! DeReiss said he’s cashing in his title shot on Aug. 25. Jacobs said that DeReiss has had five title shots in Progress and won none of them. “You just can’t get it done,” he told DeReiss. “You are just a f—ing, cheap-pop journeyman.” That drew a reaction!
DeReiss said he has to work six or seven times harder than everyone else. He said he’s taken over the European scene, then the U.S. scene, and he “went viral” (I presume he’s talking about his in-ring skit with Viva Van in GCW a year ago!) The crowd chanted, “New champ!” Ethan Allen snuck back in the ring and attacked DeReiss from behind, and they both attacked DeReiss. MLD battled them both until Luke hit a low blow uppercut.
6. Rhio vs. Kanji vs. Rayne Leverkusen for the Progress Women’s World Title. Rayne is the 1980s Joan Jett-style rocker; I’ve seen her maybe twice, and she’s solid. They traded kicks at the bell. Kanji hit a huracanrana on Rhio. Quick reversals and pinfall attempts by all three with a standoff at 2:00. Rhio hit a fisherman’s suplex on Rayne, then a suplex on Kanji. Rhio hit a shotgun dropkick on Rayne, then on Kanji. Rayne hit a series of punches in the corner on Rhio as the crowd chanted, “Make it rain!”
Kanji tied up Rayne’s arm on the mat and stomped on the left elbow at 6:00, then snapped it backwards. Kanji was in charge, stomping on both opponents. Rayne hit a running stunner on Kanji for a nearfall at 10:00. Rhio nailed a package piledriver on Kanji for a nearfall, but Rayne made the save. Rhio hit a neckbreaker over her knee on Rayne, then an Air Raid Crash and clothesline on Kanji for a nearfall at 11:30. Rayne hit a spinebuster on Rhio, then she applied a Lion Tamer (She headbangs while having Rhio in the hold. I love it!) Kanji grabbed Rayne and put her in a Dragon Sleeper. Rhio broke it up. We got a “This is Progress!” chant.
Kanji applied an ankle lock on Rhio, but Rayne broke it up, and she again put Kanji in a Lion Tamer. Rhio hit a pumphandle twisting neckbreaker on Rayne for a nearfall. Kanji jumped on Rhio and pinned them both. BUT WAIT, the ref waved it off. “Who the hell won?” a commentator asked. Rhio was still chest-first (face down!) on Rayne, so they BOTH were covering Rayne. The announcer declared this a draw! Thus, Rhio retains her title! The crowd chanted, “This is bullshit!” Kanji and Rhio continued to jaw at each other, and they wound up shoving each other and had to be separated by security.
Rhio vs. Kanji vs. Rayne Leverkusen ended in a draw at 14:47; Rhio retains her Progress Women’s World Title.
* Rhio got on the mic and said some cutting words at Kanji. She’s tired of the disrespect of “everyone back there.” She issued the challenge for a one-on-one match on Aug. 26… but “don’t hold me responsible for how you come out of it.”
Final Thoughts: Certainly not my favorite Progress show, with Jacobs and DeReiss present but not wrestling, and no sign of Leon Slater, Michael Oku, the Lykos Gym or the Sunshine Machine, so a lot of familiar stars weren’t here.
I really liked that Sterling-Noir match. Since Sterling’s teammate retired, he’s really stepped up in his singles bouts. Even as the match was unfolding, I was thinking, ‘Boy, he sure deserves a win here that he’s not going to get.’ So, I loved how the commentators made clear what a big win this was for Charlie, but didn’t treat it like it was a fluke, either.
The main event earned second. I fully presumed Rayne was there to take the pin; I was thinking it was going to be a scenario where Kanji hit a finisher move but got pushed to the floor with Rhio ‘stealing’ the pin. Rhio is among the six top-tier stars of this promotion, and she is always engaging. D Vecchio vs. Tischer takes third; it was good but not great, either.
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