Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 13: Unbelievable Jeff

Jim Smallman started the video letting everyone know that this show is in fact for free. He set there were some video and audio issues that made them not want to charge people for it. That is nice of them.

Watch this show for free!

May 18, 2014
London, England

Commentator: Jimmy Barnett

One of the PROGRESS owners did a bit with some Sky Sports guy that was mildly amusing. I think this was in some way connected to the title of the show.

Rampage Brown vs. Darrell Allen
Marty Scurll was too injured to work the show and replaced on the show by Allen. Allen hit an early tope suicida. Rampage quickly cut him off with a big boot and then worked him over. Allen came back after Rampage crashed into a barricade. He got a nearfall on a springboard lariat. Allen reversed a powerbomb into a hurricanrana for another nearfall. Rampage ate a superkick and seemed to be on the metaphorical ropes. Rampage snapped off a piledriver out of nowhere though: 1…2…3

The closing sequence of this match felt slightly more unique than your typical indie match, and I liked that a great deal. Rampage managed to make himself look vulnerable but still win clean in the end. That is somewhat of a lost art for heels. Thumbs up for this opener.
Match Rating: **3/4

Natural Progression Series
Robbie X vs. Pete Dunne
The winner of the 2014 Natural Progression Series will get a title shot.

This was the match with the first signs of lost footage and audio problems. They went back and forth a lot. Dunne got the first advantage and went after Robbie’s knees. That did not last long though, as Robbie came back quickly enough. He hit Dunne with an Asai Moonsault. Back in the ring, Dunne hit a tombstone piledriver. Dunne hurt his knee on that, and Robbie managed to roll to the floor to avoid being pinned. Robbie came back with a Lethal Injection and a Red Star Press: 1…2…NO! Robbie went for a springboard move, but Dunne hit him with a big elbow. Dunne hit a powerbomb for a nearfall and then transitioned into a Cloverleaf. Robbie escaped and hit a superkick. Dunne blocked a moonsault by getting his knees up and then transitioned to another Cloverleaf. Robbie tapped out.

This was definitely a car crash of a match, but it had its enjoyable moments for sure. The sloppiness down the stretch did not help matters. I’d be interested in seeing both guys again though.
Match Rating: **1/2

Eddie Dennis vs. Michael Gilbert
I believe this is Gilbert’s debut in PROGRESS. Considering I’ve seen every PROGRESS show, I should know that. Dennis is one half of the tag team champions.

Gilbert formerly went by Mikey Whiplash, but I still do not remember whether or not he worked PROGRESS before. Eddie Dennis then cut a promo that I barely understood. Actually, I did not understand it all. Dennis decided that Gilbert’s name change gave him permission to turn into “Eddie Mysterio, Jr.” for the match. He put on a Rey Mysterio ask. Gilbert was not pleased.

Gilbert was very frustrated that Dennis refused to be serious. Gilbert slowed things down and then ripped off Dennis’ mask. That’s a disqualification! Dennis accidentally got kicked in the balls during a shoulder tackle. Gilbert was in control for a while. This went on for a very long time. He was targeting Dennis’ left leg. Dennis started a weak comeback, but Gilbert came right back with a big lariat. Gilbert mocked him and put the Rey Mysterio mask on him. Dennis snapped off a hurricanrana and then hit the 61Knee: 1…2…NO! Gilbert reversed an O’Connor Roll into his own bridging pin combination: 1…2…3

I was not a fan of the execution of this match. I say that because the story idea (overly serious wrestler vs. wrestler who likes to have fun) is amusing in theory. It just went too long and had too much dead time. Dennis is a very entertaining wrestling that I enjoy a great deal, but this turned out to be a waste of his talents.
Match Rating: *1/2

London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch) vs. Project Ego (Kris Travis & Martin Kirby) vs. Screw Indy Wrestling (Sha Samuels & Mark Haskins) vs. Swords of Essex (Paul Robinson & Will Ospreay) [Elimination Match]
The winner of this match gets a shot at Mark Andrews and Eddie Dennis for the tag team championships. I just watched Sha Samuels have an AWFUL match on the 2007 PWG European Vacation Tour. It was truly wretched.

The teams traded lots of movez. Eventually, Kris Travis was worked over for a while. The London Riots and Screw Indy Wrestling worked him over, but they were not working together well. Travis eventually tagged out to Kirby. The match broke down. The match turned into a brawl on the floor. Project Ego gave Robinson a hip toss onto everyone else on the floor. Project Ego followed that up with stereo dives. Ospreay followed it up with one of the most ridiculous corkscrew dives that I have ever seen. They all hit a bunch of movez in the ring. The crowd loved this. Everyone ended up on the floor again. That’s odd. The referee was making a count. I think Kirby and Haskins were the legal men. Yep, Project Ego and Screw Indy Wrestling were eliminated via countout. That is TNA garbage. Instead of spreading out a bunch of the talent throughout the card, they were eliminated in a match in one of the least satisfying ways possible. If you didn’t want them involved in a satisfying finish, put them in a different match.

Swords of Essex vs. London Riots for the tag title shot. The London Riots have yet to lose in the history of PROGRESS Wrestling. I don’t think that should happen here. The Riots worked Ospreay over for a while. Ospreay finally broke free from the Riots, and he crawled to the corner. Robinson decided to hop off the apron and abandon his partner. Bullllllllllshit. The Riots hit Ospreay with District Line: 1…2…NO! That was their finisher. Ospreay hit them with a double springboard Ace Crusher: 1…2…NO! Ospreay rolled through a failed 450 attempt, but he then at the pop-up spear: 1…2…3

If the goal of this match was to produce a lot of exciting action and do the eliminations in the least exciting way possible, this match was a complete success. This is PROGRESS at their story line worst. They occasionally get so caught up in attempting to tell stories that they forget to end the matches relatively cleanly first. As usual with PROGRESS though, the crowd mostly reacted how they wanted to. Thus, it’s not like another garbage TNA angle that gets an apathetic response.

It’s one thing to make one of the finishes in an elimination match screwy. It’s a completely different level of bad though to have all of the eliminations end in a shit-tastic way. If you cared about these angles, good for you. I just do not want this type of wrestling story telling anymore. If I did, I would watch TNA.
Match Rating: **1/4

Jimmy Havoc came out after the match. The Riots and Havoc taped Ospreay to a chair. Havoc blamed the PROGRESS ownership for him torturing Ospreay. LOL, they played the song from the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs as Jimmy prepared to torture him. Stuck in the middle with you! A bunch of babyfaces finally came out before Havoc cut off Ospreay’s ear.

Tommy End vs. El Ligero
End cut off Ligero early and then worked him over. Ligero came back and got a nearfall with a diving crossbody. They went back and forth. End hit a Meteora. Ligero hit an enzuigiri. End hit a roundhouse kick. Ligero went for the springboard DDT, but he ate another roundhouse for his trouble. Brainbuster from End: 1…2…NO! End hit a bridging German for a nearfall. Ligero avoided a double stomp and then reversed a Lionsault into an Ace Crusher. Ligero hit a Superfly Splash: 1…2…Michael Gilbert pulled Ligero out of the ring. Unbelievable, Jeff.

Ligero won via disqualification, but he insisted on re-starting the match. End immediately got a small package: 1…2…NO! End got a Dragon Sleeper, and Ligero had to tap out.

Michael Gilbert applied a guillotine to Ligero after the match.

Much like the last match, this is a case of PROGRESS not being able to get out of their own way. For a company with so much talent in the ring, they really should not be holding their talent back like this. Wrestlers are capable of telling stories in the ring. I really am growing to despise when companies artificially insert conflict into an art form that can so easily breed conflict in an organic way. The match itself was good until the finish.
Match Rating: **1/2

Prince Devitt vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Ok, all is forgiven.

Devitt was done with NJPW at this time, but he was still doing his cosplay dealio. He was dressed like the Joker here. Devitt started the match with a shotgun dropkick and then hit a double stomp: 1…2…NO! Devitt was running through Zack at first, but Sabre cut him off by going after his left arm. Devitt fought back with some chops. Sabre dumped him to the floor and hit a Penalty Kick from the apron. Devitt took out a chair and used it without consequence. Devitt seated Zack in the chair and gave him a brutal running dropkick. Fantastic. Sabre crawled into the ring and ate a double stomp. Reverse Bloody Sunday: 1…2…NO! Sabre came back with a half-nelsons suplex and a Penalty Kick. Armbar! Devitt kept his hands together and got to the ropes. Devitt hit a brainbuster, but Sabre went for the armbar again. Devitt kept rolling through or he got to the ropes. Devitt caught Sabre with a lariat and then hit another double stomp: 1…2…NO! Bloody Sunday: 1…2…3!

This was wrestling heaven. These are two of the most entertaining wrestlers in the world, and they gave us a taste of what they could accomplish in the ring. I enjoyed every single second of this match. If you watch nothing else from this show, watch this match for sure.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Jimmy Havoc© vs. Mark Andrews [Ladder Match for the PROGRESS Championship]
Andrews won the title on the last show of 2013, but Havoc all but stole it from him. This is Andrews’ first shot at getting it back.

Havoc started the match by hitting Andrews with the PROGRESS Championship staff. Havoc was the first to start climbing, but Andrews kept obstructing him. This ladder was shite. Havoc powerbombed him into a ladder and then set up a table. Andrews gave Havoc a Rock Bottom that took both men through the table. Andrews got a much better ladder. Havoc stopped Andrews from climbing with multiple chair shots. Andrews came back with a DDT on an apron that caused Havoc to roll onto a table on the floor. Andrews called for a dive, but Havoc got off the table and suplexed Andrews on the floor. Havoc then gave Andrews a diving powerbomb through the table. This match rules. Havoc could have grabbed the belt (well, the clipboard that says he wins the match), but Andrews crawled into the ring. Havoc decided to do more damage to him. Andrews managed to send Havoc into a chair to slow him down. Andrews got his own chair, but Havoc hit him in the balls. They brawled in the crowd some more, and Andrews hit a splash through a table. Andrews went to climb, but Havoc stopped him again. Andrews managed to give him a super ‘rana through some seated chairs though. Andrews started to climb again, but The London Riots stopped him. Eddie Dennis and Pete Dunne ran out for the save and hit the Riots with stereo dives. Havoc gave Andrews a ripcord lariat. Havoc then went to help the Riots for some reason instead of winning the match. Andrews climbed the ladder. Instead of winning the match, he did a dive onto everyone on the floor. Andrews is a complete moron. Dunne and Dennis chased the Riots to the back. Andrews and Havoc climbed. A headbutt sent both men to the mat. Andrews sent Havoc through a table. Andrews climbed again and had the match won, but Paul Robinson stopped him. He beat the shit out of Andrews, and helped Havoc recover. Havoc grabbed the clipboard to signal his victory as Robinson continued to beat the shit out of Andrews. That was a wet fart of a finish to a main event and to a show. It was made clear that Robinson had decided to join Havoc’s group of bad guys.

I have such mixed feelings about this match. On one hand, the work from the wrestlers really got me invested and their effort was incredibly admirable. On the other hand, the interference and Paul Robinson swerve at the end was just too much for me. Similar to the four-way tag match, the story lines down the stretch took away from the exiting work done before it.

As I said though, it really must be emphasized the tremendous effort that Andrews and Havoc put into the match. For that alone, the match gets a somewhat positive rating from me.
Match Rating: ***

If you’re interested in any other PROGRESS show, here are my reviews:
Chapter 12, March 2014
Chapter 11, January 2014
Chapter 10, November 2013
Chapter 9, September 2013
Chapter 8, July 2013
Chapter 7, May 2013
Chapter 6, March 2013
Chapter 5, January 2013
Chapter 4, November 2012
Chapter 3, September 2012
Chapter 2, June 2012
Chapter 1, March 2012

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or to my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com. Also, check out my Best of Chikara blog and an archive of all my 411 video reviews.

For more information on Progress Wrestling, check out their:
Facebook
Twitter
DVD Store
Youtube Channel

Paul Robinson vs. MK McKinnan from PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter Six
Nathan Cruz vs. Rampage Brown from PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter Five
Marty Scurll vs. Dave Mastiff vs. Stixx from PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 4
Mark Andrews vs. Xander Cooper from PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter Three
The London Riots (James Dahmer & Rob Lynch) vs. The Velocity Vipers (Alex Esmail & Will Ospreay) from PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter 2
El Ligero vs. Noam Dar from PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter 1

The 411: I must confess myself to be disappointed in this show. I've come to have a certain expectation of quality from PROGRESS Wrestling, and I do not believe that this show met that relatively high standard. Luckily, the show is available for free. Thus, it's not the end of the world that this show underperformed. However, considering how much attention this free show has been getting (for having Devitt vs. Sabre), it would have been better for them if everything else on the show was a "best foot forward. The show does give you an excellent look into the incredible environment they have for their shows though and potential they have to be great. PROGRESS is a company that you should be keeping an eye and looking to support if you have the means. Also, watch the Devitt/Sabre match right now.

Final Score:  5.5   [ Not So Good ]