Progress #362 - 'Champs vs. All Stars V'

STRONG STYLE /strôNG/ /stīl/ 1. ‘... A style of wrestling evolved from Japanese Puroresu (プロレス) and traditional British Catch wrestling that incorporates full contact martial arts kicks and strikes with a strong emphasis placed on submission wrestling ...’ In Progress, the emphasis is more on the competition and the combatants fighting spirit rather than characters, and we settle things in the ring ....

LOCATION: London, England ARENA: Royal Albert Hall ANNOUNCERS: Mauro Renallo, Wade Barrett & Renee Young TV: Fox in United States; Sky Sports in United Kingdom

Both men look sharp here, with the fired up crowd firmly behind Gargano .... Garza is constantly fucking with Candice at ringside, mocking Johnny .... Johnny goes into a rage and just beats the hell out of Garza .... Johnny goes for the Garga-No Escape, but Garza counters out into a tornado DDT for a hot nearfall .... Garza turns his attention to Candice again, but this time Candice hits a low blow on Garza!  BALL PLEX!  Super kick by Gargano followed by the slingshot spear for a 2.9999999!!!! .... Lawn Dart is countered and Garza hits a super kick of his own and then the 1/2 Nelson DDT!  Gargano kicks out!!!! .... Garza goes for the moonsault but Gargano gets the knees up!!!!  Slingshot DDT attempt by Gargano is  countered into the Wing Clipper out of nowhere for the 3 count!  Garza with the upset!





Bliss tries to get Bayley to join forces against Ripley, but Bayley is having none of it .... Instead, Ripley and Bayley attack Bliss and take turns beating on her before tossing her outside .... Bayley and Ripley are too worried about beating each other, and it ends up costing them as Bliss has a chance to recover and attack from behind .... Bayley and Bliss battle it out, and Bliss hits the Insult to Injury and goes up top .... Twisted Bliss is countered as Bayley climbs up and then hits a super-plex and both ladies are down .... Ripley returns and runs wild dominating and looking for revenge on Bliss .... Bayley rolls Ripley up from behind for a near fall, leading to Ripley snapping and beating her around the ring .... they battle to the top rope, and Bayley goes for a Bayley go Belly but Ripley counters unto a 2nd rope Riptide!!!!  Bliss comes back in and tosses Ripley, then steals the pin on Bayley to retain the title! ....


PROMO - Team Kick .... Nox and Kai talk about how close they came to earning the spot at Mania this year .... They have their eye on the women’s tag team title match at Mania and whoever comes out with the belts are on their hit list .... Nox says this is the last year they miss out on Mania



Each one of these teams has a claim for a title shot, and Mustache Mountain may be the hottest team in Progress right now .... Its BIG STRONG BOI time as Bate hits a dual airplane spin on Gibson + a giant swing on Aichner .... Bate is taken out and Seven has to go it alone against Imperium .... We get Imperium and Grizzled Young Veterans going at it, and GYV take over .... Helter Skelter by Gibson into a 450 splash by Drake on Aichner only gets a 2 count as Barthel is in to break it up .... Barthel runs wild with running European uppercuts on everyone in the ring, but he falls victims to ‘Making Towns’ (suicide dive Doomsday Device clothesline on the outside) from the Vets!  Bate & Seven are back in and hit dual ‘Bop & Bang’ on the Vets to take them out .... In the closing moments, Imperium hit the Enigma Code on Drake, but Bate breaks it up with the Spiral Tap onto both men!  Bop & Bang to Aichner!  Seven scoops Aichner up in the Burning Hammer .... MUSTACHE RIDE!  1 ... 2 ... Gibson pulls the ref out of the ring before the 3!  Bate dives over the top rope onto everyone on the floor but Gibson avoids it!!!!  Bate goes back inside after Gibson, but walks right into Grit Ya Teeth from the Vets!  Aichner is up, and he starts throwing European uppercuts to Gibson and Drake and runs wild for a second but the Vets recover and hit Ticket to Mayhem for the 3 count!!!!



PROMO - We get a rundown of the Wrestlemania card .... Later on in the show we will hear from War Machine, who will challenge Owen Hart & British Bulldog for the UWF world tag team titles ....



Bianca uses her power to control Satomura for a good portion of the match, and Bianca wrestles super-motivated because she’s out to prove Regal should be concentrating on someone like her rather than Satomura, who just signed with Progress .... BelAir feels lost in the shuffle since winning Queen of the Ring last year and being screwed out of the Universal title at last years Bash .... Satomura battles back but misses a frog splash, allowing BelAir to hit the KOD but Satomura rolls out of the ring to avoid being pinned .... Belair goes after her, but Satomura counters with an overhead kick and then hits a death valley driver on the apron!  BelAir kicks out!  Satomura off the ropes but runs into a King Kong lariat from BelAir!  She goes up but the 450 splash misses!  Another Death Valley driver .... SCORPIO RISING KO’S BELAIR!  Belair is out and the ref steps in and stops the match!  


POST MATCH: Moments after the decision BelAir quickly recovers and wants to continue fighting, not realizing the ref has stopped the match ....




The #1 contenders to the UWF tag team titles, Rowe & Hanson aka War Machine come out .... Renee Young conducts an interview with them where they talk about the last year of their lives .... For over 2 years they’ve been the most dominant tag team in the UWF .... 2 time Progress tag team champions, and for 5 months they dominated the UWF as world tag team champions .... then Rowe was injured at the hands of Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff.  They didn’t lose their titles, they were forced to surrender them by the UWF .... Well, they don’t surrender.  War Machine never lost their belts, and never got their rematch .... They went to the back of the line and fought their way to Wrestlemania .... Now they can’t be denied anymore because they have their rematch and it is a year in the making .... 365 days of pain, of WAR and they are back at Wrestlemania to reclaim what was taken from them.  And what awaits Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith on the biggest stage of all, is a Viking Funeral!  



Swan has one of the most unique and hypnotizing entrances in wrestling .... He has wrestled on the British independent scene for 9 years before re-inventing himself as the haunting ‘Black Swan’ and mixing the grace of the performing arts with the violence of his background in MMA and blackbelt in Ren-Shin-Kai Karate ....

Williams really doesn’t know what to think about Noir as he enters, but he quickly finds out just how ‘for real’ he is .... Petey attacks, only for Cara to counter him at every turn .... Noir has a very ‘Goldust meets Velveteen Dream’ vibe about him .... But he is an expert striker and a submission artist .... After a showcase of Cara’s prowess, Williams runs right into the Black Swan (read naked choke) as Cara wraps himself around Williams like a constrictor until Williams taps out .... the pop from the British crowd is massive!




Baszler is super aggressive early on, but Charlotte turns the tide and sends Baszler into the stairs outside the ring .... Charlotte goes up top but Baszler grabs her by the hair and yanks her down hard onto the apron .... Now Baszler goes to work viciously, doing her arm-stomp spot on the shoulder of Charlotte .... Charlottes arm is rendered useless and it just hangs down by her side as Baszler continues the attack and doesn’t let up .... Charlotte fights back with her good arm, hitting chops and then a swinging neck breaker .... Charlotte to the top and she hits a moonsault for 2!  She tries for the Figure 8 but is working with one arm and Baszler manages to kick her free .... Baszler with a divorce court and the goes for a cross-arm breaker on the injured arm but Charlotte makes the ropes .... Baszler keeps the hold on until the ref has to physically pull her off!  Baszler and the ref argue, allowing Charlotte to explode with an impressive Spear to take out Baszler and both women are down!  Both are back up and Charlotte lights up Banks with chops, then manages to hit an exploder suplex!  Charlotte goes for a moonsault but Baszler moves and Charlotte lands on her feet!  Charlotte hits a back senton instead!  Charlotte again tries for the figure four, but Baszler rolls her up!  1 ... 2 ... Charlotte barely kicks out!  Both women to their feet but Charlotte runs right into the Penalty kick from Baszler!  1 ... 2 ... Charlotte kicks out!  Baszler looks to finish her with the Stormbreaker (double underhook Canadian backbreaker dropped into a swinging neckbreaker) but Charlotte reverses it into a small package for the 1 ... 2 ... 3!!!!  New champion!!!!

POST MATCH: Baszler is in shock and she starts throwing a fit .... Charlotte grabs the title and celebrates her win ....



It is now time for the Champs vs. All Stars Main Event .... Until recently, dissent has reigned supreme with the Champs team, as Genesis Champion Drew McIntyre and Atlas Champion Finn Balor have butted heads over who is leading the Champs team.  The champs seem to have gotten on the same page recently .... Meanwhile, the All-Stars team has slowly gained momentum .... $1 million goes to the winning team ....



Balor and Ricochet start the match out and we get some beautiful back and forth stuff, before Strong slaps Balor on the back and tags himself in .... Ricochet takes him out with a drop kick .... Edge is in and Ricochet and Edge hit some double teams and O’Reilley tries to come in but gets taken out.  Edge tosses Strong into the corner and wants Balor to tag in, but instead McIntyre reaches out and tags himself in .... Edge is ready to go at it with McIntyre but Marty Scurll slaps Edge and tags in .... We get some back and forth with McIntyre taking over on Scurll .... at one point we get everyone in the ring together and all 8 men fight it out .... Dive by Ricochet onto everyone brawling outside the ring, then we get a dive by McIntyre onto everyone!  Keith Lee ends up in the ring alone and the fans rise to their feet .... LEE DIVES OVER THE TOP ONTO EVERYONE!!!!  

O’Reilley and Edge are the legal men, and O’Reilley hits Axe & Smash on Edge but Edge avoids the roaring forearm .... Lee hits the Pounce out of nowhere on O’Reilley!  Edge capitalizes and hits the spear!!!!  1 ... 2 ... 3!


KYLE O’REILLEY IS ELIMINATED

As O’Reilley is leaving to the back, Zack Gibson & James Drake, Grizzled Young Veterans, attack him in the aisle!!!!

Strong sees this and goes out to save his tag team partner, and we get a brawl outside the ring!  This ends with the Vets sending Strong into the steps, and Gibson gets his hands on one of the tag title belts and KO’s Strong with it!!!!  He tosses Strong back in the ring, and Ricochet finishes him with the 630 for the elimination ....


RODERICK STRONG IS ELIMINATED

Gibson & Drake have stolen the Progress tag team title belts, and Strong & O’Reilley have been eliminated from the match .... it’s 4 on 2 in favor of the All Stars .... McIntyre & Balor battle against the odds, but the All Stars have the advantage .... Edge has Balor set up for the spear but McIntyre shoves him out of the way at the last second and takes the spear that was meant for Balor instead!  Balor capitalizes, hitting the shotgun Dropkick and then the Bloody Sunday on Edge .... cover 1 ... 2 ... 3!


EDGE IS ELIMINATED

Scurll had a chance to save Edge but waited until he was pinned, then attacks Balor.  Scurll goes to work on the arm .... McIntyre tries to make the save but Lee hits the Pounce and sends McIntyre flying right into the ref!  Balor with a shotgun dropkick to Lee that sends him outside, but Ricochet takes him out with a springboard clothesline!  Balor avoids the the Benadryl-er and hits the 1916 on Ricochet, but Scurll sneaks up behind him and locks on the Chickenwing!  Balor is trapped and taps out but the ref is down!  McIntyre is up, CLAYMORE TO SCURLL BREAKS IT UP!  McIntyre pins Scurll and the ref counts 3!


‘The Villain’ MARTY SCURLL IS ELIMINATED

Lee is in and he and McIntyre throw bombs at each other .... Lee scoops McIntyre up for Ground Zero but Balor breaks it up with a dropkick to Lee!  McIntyre and Balor double-team Lee on the floor and hit a double suplex and put Lee through the announce table!  Ricochet with a springboard shooting star press takes our McIntyre & Balor!  He tosses McIntyre back in the ring and hits a springboard 450!  1 ... 2 ... McIntyre kicks out!!!!  McIntyre battles back with the Glasgow Kiss!  Ricochet is cut above his right eye!  McIntyre goes for the Future Shock but Ricochet reverses it into the northern lights suplex + brainbuster combo!  Ricochet up top .... 630 SENTON!  FINN BALOR FLIES OUT OF NOWHERE WITH THE SHOTGUN DROPKICK TO RICOCHET!!!!  Balor up top ... Coup De Grace!!!!  Balor covers and eliminates Ricochet!


RICOCHET IS ELIMINATED

The Champs have gone from being down 4 men to 2 to now having a 2-1 advantage .... it’s Mcintyre & Balor left for the Champs while Keith Lee is the sole survivor for the All Stars .... Lee is still down after being put through the table, and he slowly gets up and realizes what is going on .... he’s outnumbered 2-1 by the Atlas and Genesis champions .... Lee gives zero fucks and slides in the ring and tells Balor and McIntyre to come at him ....

McIntyre & Lee meet in the middle of the ring and throw bombs, but Balor joins in the attack and it’s a numbers game .... Lee fires up and KO’s McIntyre with a hard forearm shot .... Balor is up top, but Lee catches him in mid-air as he flies off!  Balor fights out of Ground Zero with elbows, forcing Lee to drop him and then Balor connects with the Slingblade!  Shotgun Dropkick and Balor has him set up for the Coup De Grace but Lee rolls out of the way!  Balor rolls to his feet ... Lee KILLS him with the POOOOOOOOUUUUUUNCE!!!!  


Lee scoops Balor up and plants him with Ground Zero!!!!  1 ... 2 ... 3!


FINN BALOR IS ELIMINATED

Keith Lee has just pinned the Atlas champion!  The crowd is stunned that Balor has been eliminated and everyone in the ring kind of just stands there for a moment .... McIntyre and Lee slowly come to the realization that they are the last 2 men in the ring .... they slowly walk up and meet nose to nose in the center of the ring .... McIntyre with right hands and Lee absorbs them but comes back with a KO forearm!  Lee off the ropes but runs right into the Glasgow Kiss!  The move drops both men to their knees .... McIntyre goes for Future Shock, but Lee scoops him up and hits Ground Zero!  1 ... 2 ... NOOOOOOO!!!!  McIntyre kicks out!  Lee is shocked, and this causes him to hesitate a little bit .... he goes up top, but the moonsault misses!  Both men down!  McIntyre is up first, and he’s waiting on Lee crouched for the Claymore .... McIntyre charges, but Lee catches him on his shoulders again!  This time McIntyre fights out with elbows .... FUTURE SHOCK!  Lee kicks out!  McIntyre crouches, yelling for Lee to get up and determined to hit the Claymore .... McIntyre charges, RIGHT INTO THE SPIRIT BOMB!!!!  1 ... 2 ... 3!!!!  Oh my God Keith Lee has done it!!!!


DREW MCINTYRE IS ELIMINATED


Keith Lee has pinned BOTH the Genesis and Atlas champions to win ‘Champs vs. All Stars V’ for the All Star team .... Confetti rains down as Lee celebrates, but we see McIntyre rise and he gets nose to nose with Lee .... McIntyre gives Lee a fist bump of respect and gives Lee the ring to celebrate his victory ....

FROM WRESTLEMANIA XII

UWF Tag Team Titles: Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith [c] vs War Machine

The Viking horn sounds and an army of shield-bearing Viking warriors come out and line the aisle .... The siren continues to sound, signaling the impending doom as the former UWF tag team champions Hanson & ROWE arrive adorned in Viking ceremonial armor ....


We get a showdown with Bulldog and Rowe to start, and they match some power moves with neither getting the clear advantage .... from there, War Machine catches fire and starts to dominate the match .... War Machine look like they are going to set up for the Fallout on Owen early, but Bulldog stops it and slams Hanson to the mat .... Owen & Bulldog toss Rowe into Hanson and take both guys out .... Owen with an enziguri to Hanson, then Bulldog shows his strength with a stalling vertical suplex on the 300 lb Hanson!!!! Owen and Bulldog try to double-team but Hanson cart-wheels out of trouble and hits dual clotheslines to take out both guys! Rowe gets the hot tag and runs wild, hitting a doctor Bomb on Bulldog for 2 .... he loses sight of Owen, allowing him to take Rowe out with a missile dropkick .... Hanson back in and knocks the champs to the floor, but they move out of the way of his suicide dive attempt and he crashed into the barrier around the ring! Rowe continues to fight against the 2 on 1 odds, hitting a spinebuster on Bulldog .... Owen with a chop block to the back of the leg of Rowe, and from here the heels take over the match .... Quick tags in and out by the champs and they work the knee of Rowe, but he battles back with an exploder suplex on Owen and both men are down! Rowe is close to making the tag, but Bulldog comes over and pulls Hanson off the apron and tosses him into the steps! Bulldog tags in .... RUNNING POWERSLAM! He pulls Owen on top ... 1 ... 2 ... Rowe kicks out!!!! Owen goes right into the sharpshooter on Rowe’s injured knee! Bulldog tackles Hanson and keeps him from breaking it up! Will Rowe tap out???? Hanson summons his strength and picks Bulldog up and slams him into Owen to break up the move! Everyone is down!

Rowe crawls ... Hot tag to Hanson! Hanson runs wild now, hitting a falling sidewalk slam on Owen .... Cartwheel escape and he takes out Bulldog with a clothesline, then a senton back to Owen .... Hanson gets the champs in opposite corners and hits the furious clothesline train, but Owen cuts him off with a spinning heel kick followed by a northern lariat from Bulldog! The champs but Hanson on the top rope and are going to hit a double-team super-plex but Rowe is up and he powerbombs both of them to the mat at the same time! HUGE TOP ROPE SPLASH BY HANSON TO BULLDOG! 1 ... 2 ... Kick out!!!! Rowe tries to get feeling back in his knee, and they go for Thor’s Hammer but Owen reverses it in mid-move and hits an enziguri on Rowe while hitting a tornado DDT on Hanson at the same time!!!! Holy Shit! Owen up top and hits a flying elbow drop on Hanson, then pulls Bulldog on top but Hanson kicks out at 1!!!! We get a ‘FIGHT FOREVER’ chant now as Hanson fires up .... Owen & Bulldog try to double-team Hanson but he counters with the slingshot double back elbow off the ropes! Owen walks right into Thor’s Hammer! Rowe picks Bulldog up in a front slam, while Hanson stacks Owen on top and Rowe hits a front slam + Powerbomb combo .... the champs are in trouble and the crowd can feel it now as Rowe hoists Owen up and Hanson goes up top .... FALLOUT! Cover ... 1 ... 2 ... BULLDOG PULLS THE REF OUT RIGHT BEFORE THE 3!!!! Hanson with a suicide dive that takes out Bulldog, but not before he has tossed one of the world tag title belts into the ring .... Owen picks the belt up and KO’s Rowe with it! The ref is out of position from being pulled outside and doesn’t see this, all he sees is Owen has fallen on top of Rowe! He counts ... 1 ... 2 ... 3! Bulldog and Owen have retained the UWF World tag team titles!

Winners: Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith