janb

 

I actually quite like the card as a showcase of what current PROGRESS is all about, but it is true that the quality of the storyline side of things has taken a dramatic downturn ever since they moved to monthly London shows (with added Manchester).  They had the storyline pacing down perfectly when they were running once every 2 months (they were absolutely the best in the UK at this type of thing), but since they've increased the schedule it's not quite what it was.

 

You'd think with more shows they'd have more time to tell the stories they want and build things really well, but it hasn't worked out like that.  With Brixton for instance, instead of things building across the year to peak here, it has really felt like they've all-of-a-sudden had to cram a shit load of story, angles and build into the last two Chapter shows (Manchester 2 weeks ago; Camden last weekend) to get where they needed to be, which resulted in two reeeeeaaaalllllyyy looooooonnng feeling shows, with about 9 different segments on each.

 

Still, the quality of the in-ring side of things continues to impress, and the increased schedule means they continue to sell twice as many tickets as they were before, so I guess it's just one of those things.

 

This is exactly the same as what has happened to PCW since the move to doing more shows elsewhere and trying to branch out to different areas, sure it all makes money but a lot of the storyline continuity goes to pot a bit. Hence why the Preston PCW shows have been hurt to a storyline effect and where the shows elsewhere have been fantastic because of the showcase style of things.

 

But onto the Progress Brixton show - there has been reason for the Atlas Final being Rampage vs Joe Coffey because of the 15 minute draw in a earlier round and i guess this can be the rematch to settle it. But as a whole the Atlas tourney has been good in places but sort of lack the direction regards the points and who needed what right until the last round of group matches.

Even if they weren't running more shows for other reasons, all these companies now with monthly on demand services have forced themselves into running shows to generate fresh content.

Re the Atlas tournament, if TNA had run a tournament where guys didn't face every other guy in a round robin they would have been mocked. Progress have got a bit of a pass on this in contrast. Nice idea on paper, perhaps bit off more than they could chew.

Evening show:

Kenny williams won the 6 way scramble

...

Team dave rayne (dave rayne, keith myatt, alex boylin, nordic warrior and danny hope) beat team jo rose (joey hayes, kirby, jimmy j, sammy smooth and 1 other)

...

Noam dar beat rampage brown in the main event by submission which was wrongly announced at the end as a draw by richard parker.

 

 

Chris Ridgeway won the 6 way match.

1 other was Iestyn Rees.

Noam Dar won by ref stoppage in the main event.

So fed up with heel GM/authority.

They had their photo taken together which was supposedly the end of the feud

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBdzN_LjO1u/

But it turns out "Ospreay hating fan" is still hating.

 

Are PCW doing an ippv? They could have plugged it on twitter or something, get the word out.

They have plugged it a little on Twitter. Think it was only announced a week or 2 ago.

 

Also, Cody Rhodes announced for the Bradford show. On the subject(ish) of the Bradford show. PCW now run Preston, Blackpool, Liverpool and now Bradford (along with a show in Wrexham I believe). When is the time for a re-branding so as to not be named Preston City Wrestling anymore? Or do you not think that is necessary?

 

I believe Tommy was being sarcastic as they were tweeting it every 2 minutes at the point he posted that.

Also running Manchester. They don't need to change the name (perhaps just use the initials in marketing), PCW/Preston City Wrestling is the brand they are selling and its just visiting these other spots at the moment.

 

Not really fuck all to do with PCW, but Fludder was in the paper this morning.

But why?

 

In his capacity as a doorman.

http://www.lep.co.uk/your-lancashire/preston/caught-on-camera-south-ribble-councillor-s-foul-mouthed-tirade-at-preston-doormen-1-7947076

Courtesy of Marc Pearson/WrestleRopes

‘The Gentleman’ John McGregor defeated ‘The Man For All Seasons’ Xander Cooper by Pinfall.

Marc Massa defeated Ashton Smith by Pinfall.

‘Liverpool’s No.1’ Zack Gibson defeated Jensen Blake by Submission.

Soner Dursun & Sam Bailey defeated Don Meacho & Ryan Hendricks by Pinfall.

T-Bone defeated ‘Toxic Terror’ Cyanide by Disqualification.

Haha, let me rephrase that "it's a no brainer as long as there are no rival promotions running the same time that you are interested in"

1st May and 5th June are next two. I went to the February show, really good show, great venue. Sadly I live too far north to make it a regular thing, should be a no brainer for those in the London area though.

I knew I was going to stick it out, so started at Chapter 1. I've watched up to Chapter 7 now. Production is poor so you have to be prepared for that, and Smallman's commentary totally sucks (has a man ever been so bored by his own product?). But I really like the El Ligero arc and his work over these shows, there is early Havoc if that is your thing, I really enjoyed Allen/Singh on Chapter 5, and Ospreay/Andrews on Chapter 4 and 7 are good and interesting given 2015/16 booking trends.

"This is for a maximum of 2 adults for example '2 adults & 2 children or 1 adult & 3 children'. We class children as anybody 15 or under."

I know a lot of people (in the South of England at least) are high on Haskins right now and there was chatter beforehand of him winning, but Lethal was always winning that match. Announcing it as a ROH title match would have killed the believers in the crowd though.

There was a logic to Bram in that you had Havoc (insane dude from the South) who recruited T-Bone (tough son of a gun from the Northern scene), and then Bram (crazy brawler gimmick in the USA). The problem is Bram has a) the TNA stink, and b) the unsavoury stories about his personal life stink. The sort of fans that fill York Hall are probably going to smell both of those. (Anyway, we scoff but 2006 is going to be Bram's year )

As for Reading, I presume they are using the leisure centre again which would be the main issue as leisure centres suck for atmosphere.

Think the swearing by the announcer should also be turned down or eliminated. Not offended by it at all but can make it sound quite amateur.

Seemingly in the minority but I just find Billy Kirkwood intensely annoying which makes watching ICW stuff a bit of a chore.

 

 

Lionheart isn't able to prosper as a babyface, so the heel turn was inevitable as some point but does leave them heavy on the heel side at the moment.

I think off the top of my head the face side is Mastiff, Kirby, Dave Rayne, Allmark, Garrett, Ashton, Dar, Ligero, Hooligans.

Hooligans are not full time but yes if they get booked again they would be big faces. Fair enough there are numbers on the face side.

I suppose what I was thinking of was with FWB and the undefeated Sha Samuels at the point of turning at least Lionheart could be seen as #6 heel (although Fludder may push him beyond that). Plus there is whatever you would classify Joey Hayes as.

Yes, it was a bit of a strange day but enough good matches to be satisfied. I really enjoyed Dar vs T Bone on the afternoon show as well as Lee-Bubblegum being decent. Both title matches in the evening were really good, felt like Garrett/Smith were elevated even in defeat (a little tease of dissension between T Bone and Rampage as well), and Bubblegum, Ligero, and Dar are just all really good. Viper/Anderson/Mickie/Magnus was fun as well.

Lionheart isn't able to prosper as a babyface, so the heel turn was inevitable as some point but does leave them heavy on the heel side at the moment.

 

The only thing missing from Uprising was the seemingly-regular "next York Hall show we're bringing you THIS" announcement to come home excited about.

 

Is it wrong that I'd be more excited about Shibata coming than all the "big 4" combined? Sexy bastard.

With apologies for the double-post, this is my worry at the moment. They've already brought over Tanahashi, Nakamura, Okada, Styles and Liger multiple times now. Ishii's been here. We had Devitt. We've now had Naito, Kushida, Tenzan and Kojima too.

 

Aside from Goto and Shibata there's literally no-one left to bring in now where simply the chance to see them is the 'draw'.

 

Styles has now well and truly seen off Scurll, Ospreay and Haskins, and Damo has been shown not to be able to win big matches. Who does he defend against next? The Ricochet match is there still, but what else?

 

As for Japanese guys to come over, as well as Shibata, I'd love to see Ibushi but he isn't 100% a NJPW guy which perhaps presents complications, and Suzuki (but he is off doing the NOAH thing at the moment).

As for the title picture, I don't know where they go short to medium term, thats the problem with the NJPW shows - all your guys are losing. Perhaps originally they were hoping Trav was going to be healthy, have the Kirby weekend of beating ACH and not taking the fall against Naito/Kushida and then face AJ. Is there ever going to be a point where AJ is low enough on the NJPW totem pole and happy enough himself to do the job? Perhaps to a rebuilt Ospreay longer term? Or do they have to go the 3-way route again at some point to get the belt off him?

Gadge will be the expert on this but...

Bodom and Havoc both compete in a 6 way match for the #1 contendership for the Cruiserweight title, Bodom has the match won but Havoc sneaks in, throws him out and steals the pin.

Havoc faces Ospreay for the Cruiserweight title, seemingly has the match won but Bodom interferes to cost him the match.

A grudge match on the next TV tapings ends in a double countout as both men brawl outside the ring, into the changing rooms etc.

The rest of the Revolutionists seemingly attempt to act as peacemakers but Bodom is having none of it and it ends up with them all beating down Havoc.

No DQ match set for York Hall.

A couple of episodes ago on RevPro TV Havoc provides the distraction and Bodom loses to Flash Morgan Webster.

Bodom beats Ospreay for the Cruiserweight title after Marty Scurll interference so now the match at York Hall is for the Cruiserweight title.

At some point (I missed when) it was decreed that the two can't touch or the match is off, so they have been doing everything but that.

It’s a decent-looking card which should make some regular PCW fans out of students who’ll be making their temporary home in the city for the next few years.  It’s over at Area 51 (which I seem to remember was the venue for the very first ‘Fright Night’ midweek Halloween special back in 2012), which is a nightclub and gig venue over in the student side of town.

To be a pedant, the venue is called 53 Degrees. Yes the first Fright Night was held there. Not going tonight, not got the energy to deal with schlepping out there and dealing with a bunch of freshers. I imagine Team Single - Hooligans will be fun though.

What's actually been announced for the next show (not counting the student one), just 3 weeks away? Mastiff vs. Lashley...Ligero vs. Ciampa...

 

EDIT: just checked. There's also Dave Rayne vs. T-Bone and the Dar vs. Galloway rematch.

 

.

Hayes/Kirby vs The Wards as well.

Yes, Elgin was rotten last year, he was very much in the middle of his post title / post visa issues malaise. Clearly was a bit of an afterthought for ROH and he worked Clay, Whitmer, Masters, and Uhaa over the weekend (the first two matches were always going to be a struggle to be fair). If you liked him then, then he can be a lot better than that.