PROGRESS REWIND: Review of Chapter 38 “When Men Throw Men at Men” available on demand with Scurll vs. Haskins vs. Havoc

Progress Chapter 38: When Men Throw Men at Men
October 30, 2016
Camden, Electric Ballroom
Available to stream on Demand Progress

Metallica’s For Whom The Bell Tolls played and Jim Smallman entered the ring. He greeted the crowd and wished them happy Halloween before inviting fans in fancy dress to stand up and show off their costumes, which included the Mario Brothers, a WWE referee, Riff Raff from Rocky Horror Picture Show in a CM Punk t-shirt, Vacant and either Zack Gibson, or Kenny Dalglish, I couldn’t tell which. After warming the crowd up, he introduced the first match. Glenn Joseph and Callum Leslie are on commentary.

(1) THE NEW NATION (Alexander Henry & Primate) vs. THE HUNTER BROTHERS (Jim & Lee Hunter)

This is The New Nation’s Progress debut. Alexander Henry and Jim Hunter start the match off with a lock up. Henry powers him back into the corner and disrespectfully slaps his chest before the clean break. Jim gets Henry in a headlock but he fires him off the ropes and knocks him down with a shoulder block. Jim catches Henry coming off the ropes with a flying back elbow and whips him into the corner before tagging Lee Hunter in, who hits Henry with a spear in the corner. The Hunters make a series of quick tags and double team Henry. Lee hits Henry with a couple of hard chops in the corner and covers him for a two count after a Samoan drop. Lee tags Jim in and they double team Henry with a slingshot double back suplex for a two count. Jim does a standing inverted flipping senton splash for another two count.

Jim attempts a springboard crossbody but Henry catches him and power slams him before chopping him in the corner and tagging Primate into the match for the first time. Primate does a dead lift swinging German suplex in an impressive display of strength. Jim tries to fight back but Primate stomps him in the corner and picks him up with ease for another swinging German suplex before putting his foot on Jim’s chest for an arrogant two count. Primate rakes his eyes and tags in Henry who chokes Jim and slaps him around on the mat. After a snapmare, he hits him with a stiff looking kick to the back and covers him but only gets a one count. Henry forces Jim, who appears to have injured his right leg, into the corner and tags Primate back in, at which point Jim makes a comeback, fighting off both members of The New Nation and rolling across the ring for the hot tag to Lee.

Lee dodges moves from both Henry and Primate then springboards off the top rope hitting them both with a moonsault. He drops Primate with an enzuguiri then launches himself through the ropes and hits Henry with a suicide dive at ringside. Back in the ring, Lee attempts a springboard elbow but Primate catches him and performs a triple German suplex, the last one combined with a second rope flying European uppercut from Henry. Primate attempts the pin but it’s broken up by Jim when he dropkicks Henry and lands on Primate with a senton splash. That whole sequence was really cool. Jim does a tornado DDT on Henry then both Hunters perform a neckbreaker backbreaker double team combo on him. After a double superkcick, Lee holds Primate in a neckbreaker position while Jim hits him with a double footstomp from the top rope, which gets a two count.

The Hunters attempt to double suplex Primate but he overpowers them and suplexes both of them instead. Primate looks like he’s about to attempt a suicide dive but the Hunters quickly slide into the ring and cut him off with a double dropkick. While the Hunters are distracted by Primate, Henry sneaks in the other side of the ring and knocks them both down with a dropkick. Henry then goes to the top rope and lands on all three other participants with a moonsault to the outside. New Nation attempts a Doomsday Device on Lee, but he rolls Primate up for a two count. Primate charges at Lee but he catches him with a very sonically pleasing superkick, then sends him shoulder first into the ring post and rolls him up for a three count and The Hunters first ever win on a Progress Chapter show.

WINNERS: The Hunter Brothers in 10:52

This was a great opening match. The New Nation looks like a really promising tag team and I hope to see more of them in Progress.

(2) JINNY vs. POLLYANNA – Natural Progression Series 4 match

This is the continuation of a long running feud between Jinny and Pollyanna and the first match in the fourth Natural Progression Series, which will crown the first ever Progress Women’s Champion. Before the match they stand nose to nose in the middle of the ring and exchange heated words, Jinny attacks Pollyanna before the bell as the referee tries to separate them but turns her back on Pollyanna who takes her down. They exchange strikes on the ground before Pollyanna tosses Jinny across the ring by her hair. Pollyanna charges at Jinny in the corner, but Jinny uses her momentum to launch her into the turnbuckles and covers for a two count. Pollyanna gets a near fall after a discus clothesline. She then drapes Jinny across the middle ropes and climbs to the top turnbuckle but Jinny pulls her hair and sends her bouncing off the apron to the ringside floor. Jinny soaks up the hostility of the crowd in the ring before going out and throwing Pollyanna into some chairs in the front row, then rolls her into the ring and covers her for a two count.

Jinny has the advantage for a while before Pollyanna takes her down with an enzuigiri and gets a near fall after a running double knee in the corner to Jinny’s back. Pollyanna gets a double arm under hook on Jinny and attempts to deliver the Pollinator but Jinny picks her up and Alabama Slams her into the turnbuckles and covers for a two count. Jinny appears to get frustrated at this point and viciously batters Pollyanna while yelling abuse at her, then snapmares her and puts her foot on her back while mocking the crowd for their support of Pollyana before hitting her with two hard running kicks into the side of the face.  She continues to taunt Pollyanna before she retaliates by spitting in Jinny’s face. Pollyanna power bombs a charging Jinny but hasn’t got the strength to make a cover, favouring her lower back.

After both women are down for an 8 count, Pollyanna throws Jinny to ringside and attempts to dive on her between the ropes but Jinny cuts her off with a forearm. They exchange offence outside the ropes before Pollyanna DDTs Jinny on the apron. Pollyanna rolls Jinny back into the ring and climbs to the top rope but Jinny climbs up too and they exchange blows on the top rope before Jinny falls into the tree of woe.  Jinny kindly holds herself horizontally adjacent to the top ropes allowing Pollyanna to deliver an Alberto Del Rio-esque double foot stomp to the chest.  While Jinny is still hanging in the tree of woe, Pollyanna delivers a running knee to her face for a two count. Pollyanna hits the pollinator then a Michinoku driver for another close two count.

Pollyanna goes to climb the ropes but Jinny kicks her in the head and delivers an X Factor from the top rope for a near fall, then a Styles Clash but Pollyanna kicks out of that too, which leaves Jinny shocked. Jinny goes for what looks like a piledriver from the top but Pollyanna reverses and drops Jinny on her head twice with the Finish-Her. She goes to do it a third time but Jinny rolls her up for the three count and the win.

WINNER: Jinny in 16:23 to advance in the Natural Progression Series

There were a few awkward moments during the course of the match, and the amount of kick outs after high impact finishing moves such as the Styles Clash and an X Factor from the top rope towards the end of the match was a little bit ridiculous and unnecessary, but apart from that this was a really good match.

(3) PASTOR WILLIAM EAVER vs. PAUL ROBINSON

This is William Eaver’s first appearance at a Progress show since Chapter 36, when Sebastian was injured and stretchered out following a hard clothesline from Heaven by Eaver. Remember that, it becomes important later. Eaver attempts to clothesline Robinson while he’s arguing with the crowd but he rolls underneath it and sits on the middle turnbuckle. Eaver charges at him but Robinson catches him with a boot and rakes his eyes. Robinson takes Eaver down with a Thesz press and performs a flurry of punches to his head and face. Robinson sends Eaver into the ropes but he holds on and sends a charging Robinson to the outside and hits him with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Eaver hits Robinson with a couple of shoulder blocks and a backbreaker followed by an elbow drop from the second rope for a 2 count.

Eaver charges at Robinson in the corner but Robinson catches him in the face with a boot and then an elbow. He goes for the curb stomp which Eaver dodges but he gets him with an inverted Russian legsweep. Robinson does a double foot stomp, a double knee drop then a Dean Ambrose like top rope elbow drop on a standing Eaver for a two count. Robinson bites Eaver’s fingers then hits him with another flurry of vicious punches and kicks and a double knee drop which leads to another two count.

Robinson jumps off the second rope but Eaver catches him and does a ura-nage backbreaker into a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. Eaver goes for a Last Supper powerbomb, Robinson escapes and attempts a curb stomp but Eaver dodges it allowing him to try another Last Supper powerbomb, which he manages successfully this time for a two count. They both exchange near falls in a quick sequence of pinfall attempts. They exchange heavy punches in the middle of the ring before Eaver gets the advantage only for Robinson to escape a power slam attempt sending Eaver into the turnbuckles and following it up with a curb stomp for a clean pinfall victory.

WINNER: Paul Robinson in 8:06

This was a decent match for the time they had. It was surprising that Eaver lost so cleanly in such a short amount of time as they have been pushing him quite hard and he was Progress champion only a couple of months ago, but with the Sebastian angle that Eaver is in now, the loss won’t affect him very much.

After the match Sebastian came out to the ring wearing a neck brace to confront Eaver. He rips off the neck brace and says that this is what Eaver could have done to him. He asks why Eaver has been booked on this show. He says that Eaver assaulted him before the bell in Brixton and he could have killed him. He says that the show being called Men Throwing Men At Men is very fitting, because that’s what the wrestlers are; expendable pawns that no-one cares about. No-one could have cared less if he woke up that night. He said that he has shown the footage to his solicitor. He could have pressed charges against Eaver and says that he still might. He says he’s one phone call away from ending Eaver’s dream of wrestling around the world, so Eaver belongs to him now and will do his bidding. If Eaver does anything that Sebastian doesn’t like he will be on the phone to his solicitor and end his career. At Brixton, Eaver had Sebastian’s life in his hands, and now Sebastian has Eaver’s life in his.

This was a really good promo from Sebastian and this angle is great, I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes.

A Video package airs on the following match. Sexsmith and Johnson say that SPPT have cost them 3 victories now, and as well as getting revenge, they want to prove that they’re more than comic relief by defeating the number one contenders for the Progress tag team titles. 

(4) THE SOUTH PACIFIC POWER TRIP (TK Cooper & Travis Banks w/Dahlia Black) vs. THE SHIRTLIFTERS (Jack Sexsmith & ‘Bodyguy’ Roy Johnson) – Tag team tables match

To win this match, one team has to put both members of the opposing team through a table. SPPT’s music plays and Dahlia Black comes out onto the stage, which distracts Sexsmith and Johnson allowing SPPT to sneak in from the other side of the ring and attack before the bell rings.  TK Cooper is inexplicably wearing horrible camouflage dungarees, but the crowd hates them and he’s heel so that’s fine. 

SPPT beat up Sexsmith and Johnson, until Johnson ejects them both to ringside and then hits them both with a crossbody from the top rope before Sexsmith goes to the top rope and takes out all 3 with a somersault dive. Travis Banks goes to take out Sexsmith with a suicide dive through the ropes but dives head first into the steel chair that Sexsmith is holding. In the ring, Sexsmith delivers a Johnson assisted powerbomb on TK Cooper.  Sexsmith does the Dudleys “GET THE TABLES” bit, but Johnson just looks at him, so Sexsmith goes out and gets a table himself. 

After getting several tables from under the ring, Sexsmith starts to pull another one out but Dahlia grabs it, distracting Sexsmith and allowing Cooper to attack him from behind. Banks attacks Johnson in the ring and rolls him out to ringside and hits him with a couple of chair shots. All 4 participants pair off and brawl at ringside and in the crowd. 

Sexsmith body slams Cooper on the stage. Dahlia starts shoving Sexsmith who kisses her against her will prompting Cooper to low blow him and throw him off the stage in what looks like a nasty landing. Banks hits Johnson with another chair shot by the ring. SPPT double team him and throw him back into the ring where they take turns pounding on him. They throw him into a table propped up in the corner and Banks Irish whips Cooper into him but he pulls up suddenly and only makes light contact with Johnson in what appears to be a bit of a botch which the crowd laughs at. 

Johnson fights back and attempts to lift Cooper up for a powerbomb but Dahlia distracts him from the apron and he gets into a heated exchange with her. Cooper spins Johnson around and goes to punch him but Johnson moves out of the way and he accidentally hits Dahlia, sending her through a table set up at ringside. While Cooper looks horrified over what has just happened, Banks tries to spear Johnson through a table but it doesn’t break, so he picks him up and throws him through it and successfully breaks it this time. It’s a

shame it didn’t break on the spear because that would have been much cooler visually.

SPPT 1 –  0 Sexsmith & Johnson

Sexsmith returns to the ring. He chops both of SPPT several times but they over power him and send him off the ropes for a double clothesline which he ducks before hitting them both with a drop kick. He does a neck breaker/DDT combo on both of them. He goes to the top rope but Banks jumps up and hits him before he can do anything. Cooper sets up a table and they go to double superplex Sexsmith through it, but Johnson moves the table out of the way and lifts both members of SPPT onto his shoulders for a double Last Set. Sexsmith and Johnson then 3D Banks through a table.

SPPT 1 – 1 Sexsmith & Johnson

Cooper punches a chair into Johnsons face, injuring his own hand in the process. Sexsmith and Cooper exchange strikes in the middle of the ring and Sexsmith gets the advantage until Cooper low blows him. He goes to whip Sexsmith into the corner but he blocks it and drops Cooper with a spike DDT. Sexsmith slides another table into the ring and sets it up before pulling a condom out of his trunks to get Cooper in Mr Cocko, which makes him tap out, but it doesn’t count with this being a tables match. Banks sneaks into the ring and blindsides Sexsmith before power bombing him through a table for the win.

SPPT 2 – 1 Sexsmith & Johnson

WINNERS: The South Pacific Power Trip in 15.25

It’s nice to see Sexsmith being given more of an edge and a serious side, and giving him the visual tap out on TK Cooper was a good move. Apart from a couple of unfortunate little mishaps with the tables early on, this was an enjoyable match and had everything you would expect from a brawling tag team tables match. 

(5) RAMPAGE BROWN (c) vs. BAD BONES – PROGRESS Atlas Championship match

Bad Bones comes out to answer Rampage’s Atlas Championship open challenge, making his Progress debut. They start out the match with some chain wrestling until Bad Bones pushes Rampage into the ropes and the referee breaks them up. They lock up and Bad Bones forces Rampage into the corner. Rampage battles out with a couple of forearms and a big boot to the side of his head but Bad Bones catches him with a drop kick coming off the ropes. Bad Bones chops Rampage in the corner then Irish whips him into the opposite corner before delivering a back body drop followed by a suicide dive through the ropes to the outside. He rolls rampage in and goes to the top rope to deliver a missile dropkick. He hits Rampage with a splash in the corner and they go from corner to corner exchanging blows. 

Bad Bones charges at Rampage but he gets his boot up and catches him in the face. They exchange punches, chops and forearms in the middle of the ring before Bad Bones ducks a clothesline and delivers a variation of the T-bone suplex followed by a suspended vertical suplex. 

He goes to grab Rampage but Rampage catches him with a ridiculously hard clothesline and covers him for a two count. Rampage whips him with force into the corner which sends him down to the mat for a cover and another two count. Rampage delivers another hard Irish whip for another close fall.  Bad Bones rolls out of the ring and they have a short exchange of chops on the outside before Rampage rolls him in for a two count. 

Rampage attempts to whip Bad Bones off the ropes but he reverses it and drops Rampage with a knee to the stomach. Bad Bones comes off the ropes but Rampage throws him out to the apron only to be hit with a springboard spear. Bad Bones makes a cover for a two count. They exchange some chops and forearms. Rampage ducks an attempted bicycle kick and delivers an ura-nage suplex for a two count. Rampage goes for a piledriver but Bad Bones manoeuvres out of it and attempts to go for a crossface, which Rampage manages to wriggle out of only to be hit by a superkick while he’s on his knees that gets Bad Bones a two count. 

Bad Bones delivers a second rope spear for another near fall. He charges rampage in the corner but gets a boot to the face. Rampage goes for a second rope shoulder block but Bad Bones catches him with a clothesline for another two count. Rampage lifts a charging Bad Bones onto the top rope for a second rope back suplex quickly followed by a piledriver and a three count for the win.

WINNER: Rampage in 10:00 via pinfall after a Piledriver to successfully retain.

This was a solid back and forth big man match. There was a lot of strong striking and some impressive displays of strength and agility. Rampage’s Atlas open challenge has been really enjoyable so far and even though this is only the second match it’s becoming a highlight of the Chapter shows and something to look forward to.

(6) MARK ANDREWS vs. MATT CROSS – Winner receives a Smash Wrestling title shot

They start the match with a lock up and Cross forces Andrews back into the corner and gives him a clean break. They lock up again and go through a nice chain wrestling sequence. Cross attempts a hurricanrana which Andrews cartwheels out of before attempting a hurricanrana of his own which Cross also cartwheels out of. After both men take a few seconds to soak up the crowd’s appreciation, Cross kicks Andrews in the stomach and delivers a couple of hard chops. He goes to Irish whip Andrews into the corner but he reverses. Cross catches Andrews with an elbow as he’s charging in and performs a sunset flip but Andrews rolls through and dropkicks him and covers him which doesn’t even get a one count. 

Andrews starts working on his legs and gets him in a modified figure 4. After working on the legs for a little longer, Andrews goes to pick Cross up but gets punched. Cross lands a springboard cross body for a two count. He then sends Andrews off ropes and delivers a pop up inverted atomic drop followed by a jumping neck breaker for a one count. He gives Andrews a kick and a chop in the corner before sending him off the ropes and hitting him with a vicious back elbow to the face for a two count. 

Cross goes to pick Andrews up but he counters with a jaw breaker. Cross goes to throw Andrews to the outside but he lands on his feet on the apron, delivers a shoulder to his stomach, flips over the top rope and Cross landing on his feet, then delivers a bulldog. Andrews whips Cross into the corner and charges at him with a double knee strike followed by a roll through bridging suplex and a standing moonsault for a two count. 

Andrews goes to the top rope but Cross charges at him. Andrews jumps over his head and runs across the ring but Cross lands a handspring back elbow in the corner and delivers a top double foot stomp to Andrews back followed by a standing moonsault of his own for a two count. Andrews charges at Cross but he throws him to the outside of the ring and wipes him out with a suicide dive through the ropes. He throws Andrews into the ring but he suddenly runs off the ropes and hits Cross with a senton dive over the top rope. Andrews rolls Cross into the ring but he runs off the ropes and hits Andrews with a cartwheel into an over the top rope corkscrew.

Cross springboards off the top rope into the ring but Andrews catches him in mid-air with a slightly botched powerbomb for a close two count. Andrews goes to the top rope but Andrews punches him and goes up to the top rope too. They exchange blows on top rope until Cross gains the advantage and delivers a top rope Death Valley Driver for a two count. Cross goes to go to the top rope again but Andrews kicks him in the kidneys. Andrews tries a reverse Frankensteiner but Cross lands on his feet and delivers a scissor kick and a shooting star press but Andrews gets his knees up and small packages him for a two count. Andrews sends Cross off the ropes but he catches Andrews with a shoulder springboard Ace Crusher and covers him for the pinfall win. 

WINNER: Matt Cross in 13:28 to receive a Smash Wrestling title opportunity.

This started off quite slow but turned into an action packed high flying match. The last few minutes going into the finish were incredible and made this the best match on the show. 

(7) MARK HASKINS (c) vs. MARTY SCURLL vs. JIMMY HAVOC – Triple threat match for the Progress World Championship

Before Mark Haskins even makes it to the ring, Havoc and Scurll start brawling. Awkwardly, the wrong entrance music plays. Then Haskins music plays and he runs straight through the ring to deliver a suicide dive to Scurll and Havoc who are fighting on the outside. Haskins hits Scurll with an elbow inside the ring followed by a basement dropkick to the knee. Haskins goes to deliver a knee breaker but Scurll elbows him in the head. Scurll goes to run the ropes but Haskins chases him and hits him with a forearm to the face. 

Jimmy Havoc then enters the ring and knocks Scurll down with a forearm before turning his attention to Haskins. Havoc and Haskins are about to go at it but Scurll knocks Havoc down and goes to attack Haskins but he blocks and knees Scurll in the mid-section. Haskins hits Scurll with a forearm in the corner and charges at him but Scurll sends him over the top rope to the apron. Havoc charges at Scurll but he moves and Havoc knocks Haskins off the apron. 

Havoc charges at Scurll but he throws him to the outside. Scurll jumps onto the apron and goes to kick Havoc in the face but he blocks it and sends Scurll face first into the edge of the ring. Havoc throws a couple of steel chairs into the ring and wedges one in the corner between the top and middle rope. Before he can take advantage, Scurll catches him with a kick to the stomach and beats on him in the corner. He Irish whips Havoc into the chair but he stops himself short and sends a charging Scurll head first into the chair. Havoc puts a chair on Scurll and drop kicks it into his face for a two count. 

Scurll rolls to the outside and Havoc follows him but Scurll pulls his leg out from under him sending him crashing into the apron. Scurll superkicks him from the apron and skins the cat back into the ring only for Haskins to roll him up into an STF. Scurll gets to the rope and Haskins breaks the hold for some reason. It’s no disqualification. Haskins attempts a brainbuster but Scurll sends him face first into the mat with an arm wringer. Haskins rolls out of the ring and Scurll hits him with a superkick from the apron. Scurll runs around the ring and throws a chair into Havoc’s face. Scurll drops Haskins back first onto the ring apron. Scurll rolls Haskins into the ring and smashes his face into the apron and follows up with an apron knee drop. 

He knocks Havoc down with a baseball slide and covers Haskins but only gets a one count. He hits Haskins with a series of chops and forearms in the corner then a snapmare and dropkick to Haskins head. Scurll turns his attention to Havoc and Irish whips him into the video wall before picking up the Progress belt and raising it to the crowd. He goes back to Haskins in the ring and gets him in a surfboard before stomping his knees into the mat. 

Scurll beats up Haskins in the corner and goes to Irish whip him but Haskins blocks twice. Scurll chops him and tries to Irish whip him again but Haskins reverses and runs off the ropes only for Scurll to clothesline him over the top rope. Havoc comes back in and drop kicks Scurll into the corner. He delivers a charging elbow followed by a Death Valley Driver for a two count. He attempts the Acid Rain Maker but Scurll finger snaps him. Haskins knocks Scurll down with a leg lariat before sending Havoc off the ropes and powerslamming him. He delivers an Ura-nagi suplex to both Havoc and Scurll then puts Scurll in the tree of woe before overhead belly to belly suplexing Havoc into him. 

Haskins does a Burning hammer into a facebuster on Scurll and gets in the Star Ambar but Havoc pulls him off before Scurll can tap out. Haskins and Havoc exchange blows before Havoc delivers a GTS to Haskins for a two count. Havoc goes to pull Scurll into the ring but Scurll hits him with his umbrella and rolls him up for a two count with his feet on the ropes. Scurll hits a kneeling Havoc with a knee to the face then runs off the ropes but Havoc cuts him off with a forearm. 

Haskins comes back into the ring and superkicks Scurll, they all take turns ducking each other’s superkicks then all 3 men hit each other with a superkick at the same time.  The 3 brawl until Haskins and Scurll team up to kick Havoc, but he ducks a clothesline and drops both of them with a double Acid Rain Maker. Scurll and Haskins roll to the outside. Havoc sets up 4 chairs on the outside and tries to superplex Scurrl through them but he blocks it. Haskins goes up to the top rope but Scurll knocks him down into the ring. Scurll and Havoc trade forearms on the top rope before scurll sends havoc through the chairs he set up at ringside.

Scurll yells that he’s the real champion at Haskins and slaps him in the face. He attempts to suplex Haskins but he escapes and gets Scurll in the Star armbar. Scurll rolls out and goes for the chicken wing but Haskins rolls him up for a 2 count. Haskins ducks a clothesline and gets Scurll in the sharpshooter but Havoc breaks it up and hits him with the Acid Rain Maker. He makes a cover but Scurll pulls him off and gets him in the chicken wing. Havoc rolls back and gets a two count on Scurll. Scurll hits Havoc with a European uppercut and a palm strike. Havoc gives Scurll the finger which prompts Scurll to kick him between the legs. Scurll charges at Haskins in the corner but Haskins goes up and over and gets him in the sharpshooter forcing Scurll to tap out. 

WINNER: Mark Haskins in 17:53 to successfully retain.

This was a great triple threat match with some awesome spots. It was Havoc’s return to the ring after being on the shelf with a knee injury for 9 months and his first appearance in Progress in over a year. It was good to see him back and the crowd were really into him.

After the match all 3 men went to the back, but Haskins came back out as Jim Smallman was addressing the crowd. He looked at the Progress title for a few seconds and kissed it before putting it down in the middle of the ring and leaving without saying a word, appearing to be relinquishing the title. The crowd sounded upset and confused. Jim Smallman picked the belt up and followed him to the back as the show ended. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: This was one of the best Progress shows of the year. There were a few new faces in the form of New Nation and Bad Bones who were all impressive and I hope to see more of them. The tables match felt like a real step forward for Jack Sexsmith and Roy Johnson as they transition from comic relief into more serious roles, and Jimmy Havoc’s return felt big. Every match served a purpose and they were all entertaining, the stand outs being Mark Andrews v Matt Cross and the triple threat main event. There was some storyline development with the angle between William Eaver and Sebastian being particularly interesting. The angle at the end of the show was also intriguing but it’s since been announced that Mark Haskins is struggling with some injuries and may have to retire, hence why he gave up the title, which is quite heart breaking. Hopefully they’re playing up the seriousness of the situation as part of the angle and we’ll see Haskins back soon.