King Mal the Glorious Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 Big shame. I've been to a bunch of Defiant/WCPW shows and enjoyed every one. They've had a hell of a lot of top drawer talent pass through the last few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Accident Prone Posted August 2, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted August 2, 2019 (edited) I wasn't a big fan of WCPW/Definat; the crowds were mostly lukewarm, if not dead, for the majority of the matches. Same crowd chanted, "You're just a shit Jack Swagger" at Pete Dunne. And their tech guy once cut off Minoru Suzuki's music before the big "KAZE NI NARE!!!", which is a crime of the highest order. Still, it's a shame to see a promotion go down. One less place to get paid, one less place to get noticed, and it sucks for the fans of that area as they brought in a lot of big names. Hell, I even have the David Starr vs PAC match from earlier this year in my recommended matches list. How much of this can be linked to NXT-UK and Trip's "Global Localisation"? Edited August 2, 2019 by Accident Prone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted August 2, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted August 2, 2019 Just now, Accident Prone said: How much of this can be linked to NXT-UK and Trip's "Global Localisation"? Hard to say. From them losing the What Culture name, to YouTube changing how (and which) videos are monetised seriously affecting their bottom line, I'm surprised Defiant lasted as long as they did. That they never really seemed to cultivate the kind of audience that would stick around once the big names were gone meant that they likely couldn't adapt well enough to running on a smaller scale. Ultimately, the companies that will be hit hard by NXT UK will be those who rely on "name" talent and little more. The key to longevity in wrestling is cultivating a brand identity and a loyal fanbase. If you don't have that, and a Pete Dunne or a Travis Banks is the difference between whether or not you break even on your next show, you're going to struggle when you lose those names. If you do have it, and ideally also have the foresight to build up your next tier of talent while the top guys are still there, NXT UK isn't something to worry about. I just don't think Defiant ever really had an identity, particularly after they stopped being WCPW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Accident Prone Posted August 2, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted August 2, 2019 I'm not too sure on what Defiant's fan base was, so I can't really comment if they suffered from not having the new talent ready to go once those WWE restrictions came into play. The YouTube show being demonetised definitely would have hit them where it hurts. But then again, AIW and Beyond were hit hard by that and they still seem to be going, however they've spent the time to invest in under-the-radar guys and girls to take the place of those leaving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrodyGraham Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 Smallman just announced on Twitter that he's leaving Progress at the end of the year. Jon Briley and Glen will carry on with the company. Presumably he's going full time with WWE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 Look forward to the BREWDOG Ultras calling him a sellout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Dead Mike Posted August 2, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted August 2, 2019 2 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said: Look forward to the BREWDOG Ultras calling him a sellout. What am I missing here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrodyGraham Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 2 minutes ago, Dead Mike said: What am I missing here? The notion that Progress and Brewdog are the same as they've both monetised the idea of outsider punk to sell their product to hipsters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 10 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said: Look forward to the BREWDOG Ultras calling him a sellout. 4% wanker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted August 2, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted August 2, 2019 Something about the way he's addressed it makes me think he may be stepping away from wrestling altogether, rather than going to WWE. It'll be interesting to see how PROGRESS floats on without him - I think they'll struggle even more to sell the "punk rock" gimmick without him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members TheBurningRed Posted August 2, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted August 2, 2019 I think Jim gets wrestling more than the other two, so I could see more of a decline in progress. Still, at least the fans don’t have to put up with his awful standup and waffling before every show now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted August 2, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted August 2, 2019 I've never been to a Progress show, wish I had in the early years. Recently went to the Kaiju Big Battel pre-show at Alexandra Palace, as I'd enjoyed what little I'd got to see from their stuff in the US, and wasn't going to miss a chance to see them in the UK that previously I'd thought would never happen. Smallman joined in with the promoter/announcer to work the crowd in between matches for the comedy bits and bobs, and I found him very funny. Quite charismatic, although that Brum accent with a smart-arse inflection immediately made me think he was Spud's non-wrestling brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamura Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 2 hours ago, BomberPat said: Something about the way he's addressed it makes me think he may be stepping away from wrestling altogether, rather than going to WWE. Always read the small print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted August 2, 2019 Paid Members Share Posted August 2, 2019 TBF, he hadn't said that part yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamura Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 (edited) 1 minute ago, BomberPat said: TBF, he hadn't said that part yet. Oops! Always read the time stamps too... Edited August 2, 2019 by Tamura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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