PROGRESS Wrestling are back in the Ballroom on November 24th. A nice Simpsons reference for the Chapter title – May I Play Devil’s Advocate For A Minute? We’re nearing the 100 mark, and Jim Smallman’s final show, as the company reach Chapter 98. Let’s have a goosey at what’s lined up.
Destination Everywhere (Connor Mills & The OJMO) vs FSU (Eddie Dennis & Mark Andrews)
For the first time in over two years Mark Andrews and Eddie Dennis team under the FSU banner. They face off against the new stable on the block in Destination Everywhere at May I Play Devil’s Advocate For A Minute. Connor Mills and The OJMO have primarily been feuding with Do Not Resuscitate, but seem to have swapped opponents with David Starr as you will see below. The PROGRESS champion has been nursing himself back to health following major surgery for the last six months.
As a first match back this will definitely be a stern test for Dennis. One of the most popular acts of PROGRESS’s early years, FSU’s return is a big, big deal. Mills and OJMO are hungry young talents looking to take a massive scalp by defeating FSU. You have to imagine there’s no chance the Welshmen are losing this one, though. But perhaps David Starr or Do Not Resuscitate will put in an appearance?
Prediction: FSU
David Starr vs Danny Duggan
Hooooooooo! Danny Duggan and likely his Do Not Resuscitate cohorts will be in the Ballroom to face off with David Starr. Seriously though, Duggan is someone who has a lot of potential to be a big player. He definitely has the look, and his in-ring work has stepped up a notch this year, as seen in the Natural progression Series. David Starr heads into the match perhaps looking ahead to his match against Eddie Dennis at Chapter 99 next month.
As the OJMO’s on-screen mentor it’s logical that Mr. Independent would have an issue with DnR. But will it be strength in numbers for DnR? They number a solid six members now and that may prove insurmountable for the Jewish Cannon. I wouldn’t bet against Destination: Everywhere being ringside if necessary to back him up though. This could be a very eventful evening for both men.
Prediction: David Starr
Paul Robinson (c) vs Timothy Thatcher – Proteus Title Match
For the love of God, we are in for a treat with the Proteus title match! Champion Paul Robinson defends against a returning Timothy Thatcher in what will likely be a brutal match. The current wXw champion returns to PROGRESS for the first time in ten months to challenge under tapout or knockout rules. He faces, in Paul Robinson, a man whose bite is as strong as his bark. Thatcher has yet to wear any gold in PROGRESS, having challenged for the Atlas division title and the tag titles. That should light a fire beneath him, and set both men on course to absolutely knock lumps out of one another. It’s also worth noting that both of Robbo’s defenses to date have ended via knockout. Match of the card vibes are strong with this one, and I think there’s only one choice for a victor.
Prediction: Paul Robinson
Jordan Devlin & Scotty Davis (c) vs Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan – PROGRESS Tag Team Title Match
Ah yeeeees, another match that’s a little bit surprising and an exciting proposition too. Danny Burch returns to PROGRESS (he had a brief dalliance as a member of Screw Indy Wrestling) after an absence of several years. He brings his Hard Bastards tag team partner Oney Lorcan with him, who will be making his debut on the black and white canvas. Obviously the two NXT stars bring a good amount of cache with them, and they’ll need that as they challenge for the PROGRESS tag titles.
Champions Jordan Devlin and Scotty Davis have been on an absolute tear since winning the titles in September. They’ll be looking to retain and show NXT Prime what NXT UK is made of to boot (I know Davis isn’t contracted to WWE. Yet). You would imagine that this will be a fast-paced, hard-hitting match as that’s the style all four men favour. We’re in for a belter of a match, and one in which the champs should retain.
Prediction: Jordan Devlin and Scotty Davis
Jinny vs Toni Storm
Jinny returned at Chapter 96 in a segment that, for me, was a bit of a shrug. PROGRESS had been teasing a new arrival in the week leading up to the event with some oblique vignettes. Speculation was rife: would it be Finn Balor, for a cameo? Perhaps Su Yung, as she was in the country at the time? No, it was Jinny wearing a Jimmy Havoc mask, returning after a grand total of five months away from PROGRESS. Also, she returned to face off with Toni Storm. This is a feud that we’ve seen in PROGRESS umpteen times before, and in several other promotions too. But, like Malibu Stacey, the addition of a mask makes it all brand new, I guess. The winner gets a shot at Meiko Satomura at Chapter 99 in Sheffield, so I think it’s safe to say who’s winning this one.
Prediction: Jinny
Travis Banks vs TK Cooper
The South Pacific Power Trip explodes as Travis Banks faces off against TK Cooper. If you’re to take TK’s word for it the Trip is fine; that has been his mantra across social media in the last few months. But if you have a decent set of peepers you’ll know that something is rotten in the state of New Zealand. For the last five Chapters, the SPPT has slowly split into TK and Niwa as a unit with Banks left out in the cold. At Chapter 95 Cooper and Niwa eliminated Banks from the Proteus Rumble. At Chapter 96 TK attacked Trav after his loss to Proteus champion Paul Robinson. Trav would return the favor later in the show and run in after TK’s win over Roy Johnson. It’s safe to say that this one won’t be pretty, and perhaps it’s time for the student to become the master?
Prediction: TK Cooper
The NIC vs Pretty Deadly
Chapter 97 saw The NIC and Pretty Deadly come to blows in a fairly major way. As The NIC waited in the ring to face with Chuck Mambo and Danny Duggan, Pretty Deadly snuck into the ring and Pearl Harboured the two promising young lads. Pretty Deadly has been on a roll since debuting for PROGRESS and membership into Do Not Resuscitate only makes them more dangerous. The NIC, in contrast, is yet to get a win under the belts despite being two of the hottest prospects in BritWres. They have established a rival faction along with Connor Mills and The OJMO to even the odds here though. Are we about to see DnR breakthrough nearer the top of the card? Or will Destination Everywhere start putting some ticks in their win column? It could happen at May I Play Devil’s Advocate For A Minute.
Prediction: Pretty Deadly
