Progress #312 - UK title tournament (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

LOCATION: Belfast, Northern Ireland
ARENA: Odyssey Arena
ANNOUNCERS: Mauro Renallo & Renee Young








LAST TIME ON PROGRESS ....

- British Strong Style got their biggest win to date, defeating AJ Styles and Finn Balor in a 3 on 2 handicap match ....
- Aleister Black defeated the Miz
- The Revival challenged War Machine to a match tonight ....
- The issues between Tomasso Ciampa and the Kings of Wrestling continued as Ciampa attacked Chris Hero after he lost a match to Johnny Gargano
- Drew McIntyre qualified for tonight’s UK title tournament by defeating Killian Dain and Sheamus in a 3 way dance ....


The show begins with William Regal on the stage with the UK title belt on a pedestal .... the 8 competitors in the tournament are lined up along the stage, and notably absent is Drew McIntyre .... Regal announces that McIntyre was injured last week and suffered a torn bicep in the three way dance against Sheamus and Killian Dain .... Regal says that he has a replacement for McIntyre .... former UWF junior heavyweight champion FINN BALOR!!!!

The pop is INSANE as Balor comes out!!!!  Balor vs Tyler Bate is our first tournament match!


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United Kingdom title tournament Round 1:
Finn Balor (IRELAND)
- vs -
Tyler Bate (UK)

Bate refuses the handshake and instead twirls his moustache .... the crowd is MOLTEN HOT for Balor seeing as they are in Ireland .... Bate attacks at the bell and tosses Balor to the floor, but Finn back in and hits a striking combo that sends Bate to the floor .... Balor hits a dive over the top that takes Bate out .... Back in the ring, Bate pokes Balor in the eyes and grounds him .... Balor battles back but Bate catches him with the springboard European uppercut for a good near fall .... Bate scoops Balor up in an airplane spin, but after a few rotations Balor fights out of it with elbow strikes .... Balor to the apron and hits a springboard double stomp to the back of Bate!  Balor charges for the shotgun dropkick, but runs right into BOP and BANG!  Bate goes for the Tyler driver 87 but Balor counters into a RANA!  1 ... 2 .... Noooo!  Bate pops back up to his feet, but runs right into the sling blade!  Balor hooks Bate .... BLOODY SUNDAY!  Balor gets the 3 count to advance ....


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United Kingdom title tournament Round 1:
Trent Seven (UK)
- vs -
Aleister Black (NETHERLANDS)

Seven doesn’t look impressed and slaps the shit out of Black .... Black is PISSED ....strikes by Black and then they brawl to the floor .... Black hits Nephilim (Over the corner slingshot into a springboard moonsault to the outside) and takes out Seven .... Seven fights back and tosses Black into the steps, then hits the suicide dive .... Seven up top, Black follows and hits a superplex!  They trade strikes, and Black counters a lariat and hits the bicycle knee strike!  Black goes for Black Mass, but Seven ducks and hits a snap dragon suplex for a good near fall .... Seven picks Black up and Black hits the Black Death (Pencak Silat striking combo) out of nowhere .... Seven rebounds and turns Black inside out with a lariat!  1 ... 2 ... 2.99999!  Seven looks for a piledriver, but Black elevates out of it and then spartan-kicks Seven back into the corner .... Black charges but meets the boot of Seven, then gets drilled with a spinning back-fist!  Seven goes for the ‘seven stars’ (rainmaker lariat) but Black cuts him off with a tornado knee strike!  Seven crumbles to the mat and may be out, but Black uses his foot to lift Seven off the mat by the chin .... BLACK MASS!  1 ... 2 ... 3!


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United Kingdom title tournament Round 1:
‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll (UK)
- vs -
Nigel McGuiness (UK)

Lots of chain wrestling to start this one out .... both of these guys are GOOD on the mat, but Nigel out-grapples Scurll and turns the tables by working Scurlls arm .... Nigel hammers Scurll with uppercuts, but Marty uses the ref to hide .... off the distraction, Scurll tosses Nigel to the floor but misses a Superkick from the apron and Nigel hits an arm-wringer on the floor!  Nigel has the arm but Scurll pulls him throat-first across the top rope to create a break and then hits the ‘just kidding’ Superkick .... Scurll works Nigel’s arm now, but he fires back with uppercuts using his left arm .... Nigel with a divorce court, then tries the London dungeon but Scurll battles out .... Nigel turns Scurll inside out with a lariat but he hurts his own arm!!!!  He covers .... 2 count!  Nigel goes for the Tower of London, but Scurll reverses it at the last second into a rollup with his feet on the ropes!  1 ... 2 ... the ref doesn’t see it ... 3!!!!

Scurll escapes, laughing wickedly at his villainous victory .... he stops at the top of the ramp and points to Regal, then makes the belt motion around his waist ....


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United Kingdom title tournament Round 1:
‘Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne (UK)
- vs -
Antonio Cesaro (SWITZERLAND)

Dunne immediately goes to the mat and stretches the arm of Cesaro, bending the fingers at uncommon angles .... Cesaro counters with some stiff uppercuts that rock Dunne .... the action spills outside and Dunne avoids an uppercut by Cesaro and he strikes the ringpost instead!  Dunne traps Cesaro’s arm between the steps and ring and then kicks at the steps!  Dunne looks to dismantle the arm of Cesaro, but Cesaro shoves him off and catches him in a one-armed tilt-a-whirl backbreaker!  Cesaro goes for the springboard uppercut but Dunne knocks him out of the air with a hard forearm shot!  Cesaro rolls to the floor and fights back with kicks but Dunne with the X-plex onto the apron!  Back in the ring Dunne gets a 2!  Cesaro battles back and catches Dunne in a German suplex, but Dunne backflips onto his feet and lays in kicks but runs into the lariat for a great near fall!  Cesaro tries for the giant swing but can’t because of the injured arm so he goes into the sharpshooter instead!  He can’t hold it because of the arm and he has to release the hold.  Dunne rolls to the apron, and Cesaro tries to dead lift him into a superplex but the arm gives way again!  Dunne grabs the arm and drops it down across the top rope violently!  Dunne pumphandles the injured arm .... Bitter End!  1 ... 2 ... 3!

Dunne adds the former triple crown winner to his list of impressive wins he’s racked up lately .... Dunne advances to the semi-finals ....


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United Kingdom title tournament Semi-Finals:
Finn Balor (IRELAND)
- vs -
‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll (UK)

These two have history going back to Scurll chasing Balor for the UWF junior heavyweight title .... obviously the fans are very much behind Balor as we start .... Marty looks to ground things right away, targeting the arm early .... Balor avoids the attacks and keeps Scurll at bay with a headlock .... Scurll does his bird dance .... Balor back to the head lock and they pick up the pace as Balor gets a sunset flip but rolls through and then hits a basement dropkick to Scurll .... Scurll rolls outside and Balor wipes him out with a DIVE!  Fans are fired up, but Scurll cuts Balor off and they brawl into the front row!  Scurll suplexes Balor into a row of chairs!  Balor fights back, but Marty cuts him off again and nails the Superkick from the apron .... we finall go back to the ring and Scurll attacks the arm right away and grounds Balor, slamming him down with an arm wringer .... Balor battles back and hits a Slingblade with the left arm (because the right one is injured) and only gets 2!  The announcers put over that Balor didn’t get all of it because he used his left arm .... they both get to their feet and start trading strikes, but Balor gets the best of it with chops but Marty hits the ‘just kidding’ superkick to the knee .... Scurll goes for the tornado ddt but Balor dumps him to the floor and then hits the penalty kick from the apron!  Balor now lays in forearms, Scurll slaps him back and they trade slaps and go crazy fists !!!!  Marty goes for the chicken wing but Balor fights him off and nails the shotgun dropkick!  Scurll is down as Balor goes up top .... COUP DE GRACE!  1 ... 2 ... NOOOOO!!!!  Balor is stunned!  He goes for the Bloody Sunday but can’t lift Scurll due to the injured arm!  Scurll rolls him up!  1 ... 2 ... SCURLL HAS HIS FEET ON THE ROPES!  This time the ref sees it and waves off the pin!  Scurll tried to steal the win like he did in the first match but it backfires!  Scurll signals for the chicken wing again, but Balor counters with the Pele!!!!  He takes Scurlls hand .... FINGER BREAK SPOT TO SCURLL!!!!  OH MY GOD!!!!  Balor gets nasty and stomps on Scurlls Hand, but Scurll rebounds with a HUGE lariat that turns Balor inside out!!!!  Scurll goes for the Bird of Prey (Inverted crucifix transitioned into a sitout side powerslam) but Balor reverses .... BLOODY SUNDAY!!!!  Balor clutches the arm and cannot cover .... finally he does for the 1 ... 2 ... 2.999999!  Balor up top again, coup de grace misses!  Balor rolls to his feet, but Scurll hits another ‘just kidding’ Superkick!  KNEE TREMBLER!  Scurll covers ... 1 ... BALOR KICKS OUT AT 1!!!!  Scurll goes for the finger break spot on Balor, but Balor turns the tables .... they go into an exchange where Balor goes for the Slingblade again, but Scurll blocks it .... FINGER BREAK SPOT!!!!  Marty goes for the chicken wing, locks it in and Balor is trapped!  He tries to fight, but Scurll stops him from getting the ropes by attacking the hand!  Balor is pulled back to the middle of the ring, and he taps out!!!!

The Irish fans are stunned as Scurll has beaten Balor cleanly to advance to the finals .... this doesn’t stop them from giving both guys a standing ovation after the performances they turned in .... Balor has to be helped from the ring clutching his arm, and it is feared that he has suffered a serious injury to his arm ....


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United Kingdom title tournament Semi-Finals:
‘Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne
- vs -
Aleister Black (NETHERLANDS)

This is the final semi-final match, with Marty Scurll awaiting the winner in the finals .... Both guys had hard-fought wins in round 1, and they work a slower methodical pace to begin .... Dunne tries the joint manipulation early on, but Black responds with a series of strikes .... Dunne bails to the floor and Black chases but then backflips back into the ring and takes a seat Indian Style .... Dunne comes back in, getting an arm wringer and going into a cross face .... Black struggles and makes the ropes .... Dunne with a shoot kick to the back, but this just pisses Black off and he gets to his feet staring down Dunne .... they are nose to nose and Black starts lighting up Cole with kicks .... charging corner forearm followed by the quebrada gets 2 for Black ....  Dunne rolls to the apron, but Black follows and Dunne stuns him on the top rope!  Dunne heads up top but Black catches him with a Spartan kick on the way down!  2 count!!!!  Dunne scores with the enziguri our of nowhere, then drills Black with the ‘Go to Europe’ (fireman carry pop up into a European uppercut)!  1 ... 2 ... Nooooo!  Black kicks out!  Dunne goes for the Bitter End but Black counters with the ‘Black Death’ striking barrage!  Dunne cuts him off with a HARD forearm and both men are down!  They tease the double countout but Black makes it to his feet at 8 .... Dunne rakes the eyes but Black hits a spartan kick that sends him back into the buckles .... Black up top but the Owari Death Stomp misses!  Black rolls to his feet but gets hit with the Bitter End!!!!  1 ... 2 ... 2.99999!!!!  Dunne goes for it again, but this time Black reverses it into a cutter in mid-air!!!!  Black holds on and goes right into the Owari Death Clutch (arm lock dragon sleeper)!!!!  Dunne is trapped!!!!  Black cranks back on the hold, and Dunne starts to fade .... the ref checks his arm and it has gone limp, and he calls for the bell!!!!  Black is the winner via stoppage and advances to the finals!!!!


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We stop a moment to catch our breath as the finals await .... William Regal comes back out on the stage with the U.K. title belt and calls out both of the final competitors .... Black and Scurll do a face to face with Regal holding the belt between them, but when Black turns away Scurll attacks him!  Scurll slams him shoulder-first into the stage, causing Regal to grab Scurll and throw him off of Black!  Scurll and Regal get in each other’s face and Scurll is taunting Regal, who tears off his jacket and looks like he’s about to fight .... Scurll backs off and tells Regal that he is going to force him to raise his hand and award him the U.K. title!


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Tag Team Match:
War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson)
- vs -
The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)

They brawl at the bell and spill to the floor .... War Machine takes early control until Rowe gets cut off, but Hanson fights of the Revival by himself .... The Revival take control 2 on 1 and work double teams with quick tags in and out .... Rowe back in, and runs wild with clotheslines to Dash and Dawson .... Shotgun knees in the corner on Dash, followed by an XPLODER ..... Dawson comes in with a chop block from behind, then hits a DDT on Rowe .... he drags Dash to the corner and then tags himself in .... more quick tags and the Revival go to work on the knee like a machine .... Rowe hits a desperation judo throw and gets the hot tag in to Hanson!  Hanson runs wild, but the Revival try to double team him .... Hanson with the cartwheel evasion and then hits a dual clothesline on Dash & Dawson .... He stacks up both guys in the corner and beats them down, THEN HITS A BRONCO BUSTER ON BOTH GUYS!  Rowe back in and he and Hanson hit Dash with a Doomsday German suplex!!!!  Dawson breaks up the pin, then gets tossed to the floor .... They go for the Fallout but Dawson pulls Rowe out under the bottom rope .... Dawson slides in and they catch Hanson in the SHATTER MACHINE!!!!  1 ... 2 ... Rowe back in just in time to break it up!  DEATH ROWE TO DAWSON!!!!  Dash goes for a powerbomb on Rowe, but Hanson cuts him off with the Spin Kick of Doom!  They toss Dash into the ropes .... THOR’S HAMMER (aided pop-up powerslam)!  Hanson with a dive to the outside takes out Dawson!!!!  In the ring, Rowe hoists Wilder up as Hanson climbs .... FALLOUT!!!!  1 ... 2 ... 3!

War Machine celebrates as Dawson collects his partner and they leave ....


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Marty Scurll is interviewed .... Why did he do what he did?  Because he’s a villain!  William Regal used to know what that meant, but now he’s a fake .... he just showed him what a true villain is .... and now he’s going to force Regal to raise his hand and award him the first-ever United Kingdom championship .... out of nowhere comes Aleister Black!!!! Black attacks Scurll, slamming him through the interview set .... BLACK MASS KO’S SCURLL!!!!  Black stands over Scurll as William Regal and security come running in .... Regal physically removes Black, who tells him to get his hands off of him .... he says he just leveled the field, and walks off ....


John Laurantitis comes out and gets booed .... he tries to pump up the debut of Progress in the US but the U.K. fans shit all over him ....


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Out comes William Regal again .... he doesn’t care if Aleister Black has a strained AC joint, and he doesn’t care if Marty Scurll has a concussion .... this U.K. title match WILL take place tonight, and it will take place RIGHT NOW!!!!


United Kingdom title tournament Finals:
‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll (UK)
- vs -
Aleister Black (NETHERLANDS)

Black comes out with his shoulder taped up .... the storyline with Scurll is that he could possibly have a concussion after the attack from Black backstage .... Scurll tries to take down Black, and we get some wrestling exchanges and counters but Black scores with a bicycle kick that rocks Scurll .... it looks like the ref might stop the match early because Scurll is glassy-eyed, but Scurll responds by back dropping Black to the floor .... Scurll tries to throw the superkick from the apron, but Black kicks his legs out from under him with a roundhouse and Scurll goes face-down on the apron!  The ref is letting this go, while Scurll is obviously selling the concussion symptoms .... Black goes up top but Scurll shoves the ref into the ropes causing Black to straddle the top turnbuckle!  Scurll grabs him and hits an elevated divorce court on Blacks bandaged shoulder, and he rolls around on the mat clutching it in pain .... Scurll goes to work on the arm, but Black tries to fire back with kicks .... Scurll stops him with a knee lift and then a hangman neckbreaker for a 2 count .... Scurll taunts William Regal who is ringside watching the match .... Scurll takes too much time gloating, and Black turns him inside out with a kitchen sink knee to the midsection!  Working with only one arm basically, Black relies on his kicks now more than ever .... Scurll goes to his villainous ways and goes to the eyes, then goes for the finger snap but Black counters with a back elbow and then a quebrada for a near-fall .... Black tries for the Black Death striking combo, but Scurll cuts him off with a superkick and then a brainbuster for a near-fall of his own!

Black fights out of the chicken wing attempt, then misses a roundhouse but takes Scurll out with a leg sweep followed by a standing double stomp .... DEADLIFT GERMAN SUPLEX TO SCURLL!  1 ... 2 ... Noooo!!!!  Black misses another roundhouse and Scurll tries for the chicken wing but Black rolls him up .... 2 COUNT!  Both men pop to their feet and Black runs right into the “Just Kidding” superkick!  Scurll gets the finger break spot, then finally lands the superkick from the apron .... Scurll goes for a dive but is cut off by a spinning knee strike from Black!  Scurll tries for the “Just Kidding” superkick again but this time Black avoids it and scores with Black Death!  1 ... 2 ... Scurll kicks out!  We get more back and forth, ending in a brainbuster from Black!  1 ... SCURLL KICKS OUT AT 1!!!!  Scurll hulks up .... RIGHT INTO A BICYCLE KNEE FROM BLACK!!!!  1 ... 2 ... 2.99999!!!!  Black gives the throat slash, then lifts Scurll off the mat using his foot .... Scurll ducks Black Mass and then shoves Black into the referee!  Eye Poke by Scurll, then a Gotch Style tombstone piledriver!  Scurll covers 1 ... 2 ... Noooo!!!!  Black kicks out this time!  Scurll crouches .... CHICKEN WING LOCKED ON!!!!  Scurll is stomping on Blacks midsection while still having the move locked on!  Black won’t tap and he fights to the ropes!!!!  Scurll refuses to release the hold, and the ref has to pull him off!  Scurll argues with the ref, and Black goes for a roundhouse that Scurll ducks and the ref gets taken out again!!!!  Scurll with a low blow, dropping Black to his knees .... Scurll goes for the kneeling superkick but Black catches his foot and slowly rises .... BICYCLE KNEE STRIKE!  Scurll crumbles to the mat like a ton of bricks, but Black slowly lifts him up using his foot .... he readies for the Black Mass .... THE LIGHTS GO OUT!  

The fans are hushed as the lights are out for a few moments .... they come back on to reveal .... PETE DUNNE!!!!  Dunne has a chair in his hand .... CHAIRSHOT TO ALEISTER BLACK!  Black is busted wide open!!!!  Dunne stands over Black holding the chair, but he is grabbed and spun around by Marty Scurll .... Scurll wants to know what the hell hes doing getting involved!  Dunne responds by jamming the chair into Scurlls midsection!!!!  Chairshot to the back of Scurll!!!!


POST MATCH:

Dunne surveys the damage as both Scurll and Black are down .... he’s not done though as he unfolds the chair in the middle of the ring .... BITTER END ON SCURLL ONTO THE CHAIR!!!!  Dunne grabs the U.K. title as Black stumbles back to his feet .... KO’S BLACK WITH THE UK TITLE!!!!  The fans are throwing trash in the ring .... Dunne leaves with the title and he is confronted by a SEETHING William Regal .... Regal rips off his jacket like he’s ready to fight, but Dunne just tosses the U.K. title down and walks right past Regal .... Regal picks up the title and waves for medical personnel to come out and check on Black and Scurll, who are both down and out in the ring ....