Progress: United States #1 - ‘Gauntlet for the Gold’

LOCATION: Atlanta, Georgia
ARENA: Phillips Arena  
ANNOUNCERS: Mauro Renallo & Renee Young






BACKSTAGE - Renee Young is backstage and she hypes Progress’ US debut show tonight .... She’s waiting for the arrival of GM John Lauranitis, and just then a long limo pulls up and she thinks this could be him .... instead, out steps MONTEL VONTAVIOUS PORTER (MVP) .... Renee is surprised .... MVP says there have been a few changes at the top of the food chain, and he’s been brought in to make tonight run smooth .... He says that after the fiasco with the U.K. title tournament, they are going to make sure there is a US Champion crowned by the end of tonight, and it’s going to happen in a ‘Gauntlet for the Gold’ ....  

MVP is interrupted again, this time by The Miz, who is looking for John Lauranitis .... MVP says Lauranitis doesn’t work here anymore .... didn’t you get the memo? ....

MIZ - ‘Really?  A memo?  REALLY????’  This company keeps chasing its tail like the dumbest dog on the block.  So you’re in charge now?  Well, allow me to introduce myself.  I’m the Miz, and IIIIIII’m ....’

MVP - ‘Awesome .... yeah I get it.  What can I do for you? .... ‘

Miz - ‘Don’t ever interrupt me .... What I was about to say is that I’m the Miz .... and I am the unrecognized ‘#1 guy’ in this company!  That’s something you need to get used to real quick if you want to keep your job ....’

MVP - ‘Unrecognized?’

Miz - ‘Thats right ... unrecognized.  And the reason I’m unrecognized is because I am constantly disrespected and treated like a joke!  I ... am not ... a JOKE!  I am an A-List celebrity, and I am a STAR!  And this Star has never been given the chance to shine as brightly as I am capable.  So you need to do your job and put me in this ‘Gauntlet for the Gold’ so I can start carrying this company like I deserve to!’

MVP - ‘You know Miz, I tell you what.  That’s a great idea!  Tonight, I want to recognize you as the ‘No. 1 guy’ around here.  And I’m gonna do that by putting you as the ‘No. 1 guy in the Gauntlet for the Gold tonight!  Best of luck to you.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a show to run ....’

MVP walks off, leaving Miz standing there stunned and unable to speak .... finally he is able to summon the words ....

MIZ - ‘That’s not what I meant by No. 1!’


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We get a vignette from the Street Profits .... These guys personify the culture you would see from athletes in the NFL or NBA and they bring the swag like nobody else .... The Street Profits are for the culture, and they represent the current culture of athletes in America .... both guys are both 3 sport pure athletes, are the life of the party, and social media celebrities .... they are looking for that ‘big gold’ to put around their waist, and they are all about the ‘chip’ as the kids say these days ....

‘Bring the Swag’ hits and out come Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, the Street Profits, to the ring .... Things are getting turned up in Atlanta!




They are interrupted as out comes Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder .... Dawson has the mic and yells for the Profits music to be cut .... They claim that the Street Profits are everything they hate about today’s society .... All the showboating, The handshakes, all the ‘swag’ .... It’s all about the entertainment for them .... Well, the Revival don’t dance!  They don’t have any flips, just fists .... they are wrestlers, not millenial proms-donnas .... Angelo Dawkins cuts him off and says if the Revival are all about the wrestling, then get in the ring and ‘let’s wrestle’ ....  

The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) - vs - Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) .... Tag Team Match

The Street Profits are turned up from the start of this one, and the crowd loves them .... Dawson and Wilder are classic, methodical, old school heels and they quickly take the heat after some early offense by the Profits .... Ford takes a beating but manages to score with a dropkick and make the hot tag to Dawkins .... Dawkins runs wild with the power moves, and eventually all 4 guys are going at it .... Dawson is sent to the floor, and Dawkins hit a sky high spinebuster on Wilder!  Ford is up top .... 5 STAR FROG SPLASH!  1 ... 2 ... Dawson pulls the ref out of the ring!  He has the ref by the collar, and the ref if giving him the business and threatening to disqualify them .... Dawson lays out the ref with a right hand for good measure!

The brawl between all 4 men continues from here, but the match has obviously been thrown out .... Dash and Dawson turn the tide, laying out both Ford and Dawkins with the shatter machine!  The Revival celebrate over the Street Profits, but the Profits are the winners via DQ ....


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BACKSTAGE -

Roman Reigns is taping up his fists getting ready for tonight .... Renee Young tries to get a comment on the Gauntlet for the Gold tonight, and Reigns says it’s simple.  He’s going to win.  It doesn’t matter if the USO’s are here anymore or not, they’ve got to do what’s best for their families.  He’s still the ‘big dog’ and he’s going to rule the ring tonight like he always does ....


Back to ringside, Moose’s music hits and he comes out pumping his arm as the crowd chants ‘MOOSE!  MOOSE!’  



Moose wants to make his intentions known that he wants to be in the Gauntlet tonight, and he’s going to become the 1st United States Champion ....

Moose is interrupted by the debut of the ‘Pretty Boy Pitbull’ Kenny King! ....



King cuts a promo saying he is the biggest free agent signing in this companies history .... he calls himself the ‘Shutdown corner’ of Progress .... tonight he’s going to debut in the Gauntlet for the Gold and win the US title on his very first night!  

They are both cut off as we hear an acoustic guitar playing, and out comes Elias Sampson strumming his guitar .... ‘Hello, I am Elias.  and I have just one question for everyone here tonight.  WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH ELIAS????’  



Elias comes to the ring and says he couldn’t help but here Moose and King out here talking about how they were going to win the United States title tonight, but Elias is also in the Gauntlet for the Gold.  And he wrote a song about becoming the very 1st US Champion.  So silence your cell phones, hold your applause, and shut your mouths because Elias is about to entertain you!

King and Moose start jawing with one another as Elias proceeds to play the guitar and sing .... Basically all his song does is trash Atlanta .... King and Moose continue to argue and King shoves Moose, who bumps into Sampson and causes him to break a guitar string .... Moose and King start brawling, while Sampson just stares at the broken guitar like he can’t believe that just happened .... Moose gets the upper hand and clotheslines King over the top rope to the floor, but he turns around .... RIGHT INTO A GUITAR SHOT FROM ELIAS!!!!  Moose is laid out, King backs away from the ring smiling, while Elias is just pissed off that his guitar is broken ....


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BACKSTAGE -

AJ Styles comments on tonight’s Gauntlet for the Gold .... AJ says that the more things change, the more they stay the same .... he’s phenomenal, he’s untouchable, and after tonight he’s going to be the 1st United States Champion ....


Matt Striker is on guest commentary with Renee Young as, coming up next, we have a special Shimmer showcase match ....


Sasha Banks - vs - Toni Storm .... Shimmer ‘Best of 5’ series: Match 2

Storms shoulder is taped up, showing the damage of being trapped in the Banks Statement for over 2 minutes in match 1 of this series .... this time there is some jawing before the match starts, and Banks attacks at the bell .... She goes for several pin attempts and even pulls the tights on one!  Storm fights back, and she is also noticeably more aggressive in this match .... Storm with a dropkick, and a couple of hip attacks .... Banks takes a powder to the floor, but Storm cuts her off with a suicide dive!  Banks reverses a whip and sends Storm into the steps, then she puts Storms arm between the steps and the ringpost and dropkicks the steps into her shoulder!  Banks lays the boots to Storm, then works a bow and arrow variation .... Banks sits Storm on the top rope, but Toni fights out and hits a sunset flip powerbomb and both women are down!  Storm fires up, taking Banks down with some clotheslines .... Banks reverses the whip and charges for the shotgun knees in the corner but Storm dodges and Banks crashes knees first into the buckles!  Storm immediately locks on a sharpshooter!  Banks is in trouble but makes the ropes .... Storm goes for the Strong Zero but Banks blocks it and suplexes her into the corner!  Storm comes up holding her injured shoulder, and Banks hits a backstabber and goes right into the Banks Statement!  Storm rolls her weight onto Banks and cradles her in a pinning predicament .... 2 count!  Banks has to let go of my the hold to avoid the pin!  Both women to their feet and Storm charges for a spear but Banks sidesteps her and Storm crashes shoulder-first into the buckles!  Banks pulls Storm through the ropes and hits an elevated DDT!  1 ... 2 ... 3!



Banks celebrates as she has gone up 2-0 in the Best of 5 series ....


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We know who #1 is already, and out comes The Miz and he’s not happy .... #2 is announced, and it’s Johnny Gargano .... They circle each other to begin as we get a ‘Johnny Wrestling’ chant .... Miz looks to eliminate Gargano right away, but Johnny fights him off .... Miz tosses Johnny into the corner and goes for the swinging corner clothesline but Gargano moves and hits a hanging backstabber .... Gargano tries to dump the Miz but he holds on, so Johnny lays into him with chops as the buzzer sounds for the next entrant ....  #3 is Low Ki .... Ki comes in and takes out Gargano with a roundhouse kick .... Miz comes in and tries to help Low Ki double-team Johnny but Low Ki hits him with double chops and sends him down .... Low Ki drills Miz with the powerdrive elbow .... #4 is Moose .... Moose comes in and Low Ki tries to attack immediately .... he unleashes kicks on Moose and then lays into him with shoot kicks to the chest, but Moose catches the roundhouse attempt and then goozles him, drilling him with the sit-out chokeslam! .... Gargano pulls himself up and faces off with Moose, and he doesn’t back down .... he starts hammering away at Moose with forearms but Moose catches him off the ropes with the pop-up lariat .... #5 is Big Cass .... Cass steps over the top rope and immediately attacks Moose .... Gargano attacks but Cass swats him aside, then drills Miz with a big boot .... He scoops up Low Ki but Ki slips off the back and gets a hanging Dragon Sleeper on Big Cass! .... Cass starts to fade, but Moose comes in with the Hitstick (Spear) to both Cass and Low Ki while he’s locked in the move! .... #6 is Roman Reigns .... Reigns enters the ring and is face to face with Moose .... they are the only 2 guys standing .... Reigns with a big uppercut, and Moose fires back .... They battle it out but Cass is back up and clotheslines BOTH guys down!  He goes for the big boot on Reigns, but Reigns dodges and Cass crotches himself on the top rope! .... SUPERMAN PUNCH SENDS CASS TO THE FLOOR!!!!

BIG CASS IS ELIMINATED

#7 hits and it’s Matt Riddle .... Riddle gets the ‘BRO!  BRO!  BRO!’ chants as he enters the ring, but Reigns attacks .... Riddle turns the tables and battles back with strikes, then drills Reigns with an exploder suplex!  Gargano eats an exploder from Riddle as well!  Low Ki blocks an exploder and he and Riddle start laying into each other with legit stiff strikes .... Low Ki tosses Riddle into the corner and goes for the cartwheel roundhouse kick, but Riddle explodes with a jumping knee out of nowhere that KO’s Low Ki!!!! .... Miz sees his opening and grabs Riddle from behind and drills him with the Skull Krushing Finale!  Mix tosses Riddle over the top to the floor ....

MATT RIDDLE IS ELIMINATED

Miz turns and gets taken out with a Superman punch from Reigns!  Moose and Reigns are face to face again, and they start throwing bombs again .... Moose goes for the Game Changer but Reigns avoids it and hits a Superman punch!  Reigns crouches for the spear but Moose catches him charging in with a bicycle kick!  Moose charges for the Hitstick but this time Reigns leapfrogs and Moose crashes into the corner!  Spear by Reigns takes Moose down!!!!  

The buzzer sounds and #8 is our first surprise entrant ‘The Machine’ Brian Cage!!!! .... Reigns is the only one standing and he turns to face Cage as he enters the ring .... before they can even start fighting, Low Ki and the Miz come in and attack both of them! .... Cage fights off BOTH Miz and Low Ki, but Reigns comes in and drills him with a Samoan drop .... CAGE NO SELLS!  Cage pops up behind Reigns who has no idea .... Reigns turns around and nearly gets his head taken off with a discus lariat from Cage!  Cage picks Reigns up for Weapon X but Moose comes in with a bicycle kick to Cage to break it up!  Reigns comes back with a Superman punch to Cage, then MOOSE WITH THE HITSTICK!  Cage doesn’t even stay down!  He gets to his feet, but Reigns clotheslines him over the top to the floor!!!!  It just took 2 of the biggest guys in this match to eliminate Brian Cage!

BRIAN CAGE IS ELIMINATED

Cage is furious and goes berserk at ringside .... he grabs Reigns’ and pulls him outside the ring, then tosses him violently into the guardrail and then whips him into the ring steps .... Reigns hits so hard that he sends the steps flying .... Cage picks Reigns up and buckle bombs him into the ring post!  There is an army of refs out there now to pull Cage off of Reigns but he tosses them aside .... Cage picks Reigns up and POWERBOMBS him through the announcers table!  The referees are finally able to pull Cage off and lead him away from the ring, but then he breaks free again!  He goes after Reigns again, AND POWERBOMBS HIM THROUGH THE TIMEKEEPERS TABLE!!!!  There is absolute carnage around the ring as   Cage finally leaves, but Reigns can’t continue and has to be helped to the locker room ....





The buzzer sounds again .... #9 is AJ Styles! .... AJ comes in a house of fire and starts taking out everyone .... Low Ki comes in with strikes but AJ takes him out with the phenomenal blitz!  AJ goes for the Styles Clash but Low Ki blocks it, so instead AJ picks him up in a powerbomb and tosses him over the top into the swarm of referees at ringside!!!!

LOW KI IS ELIMINATED

AJ avoids a spear from Moose .... PHENOMENON!  Miz tries to grab AJ from behind with a Skull Krushing Finale but AJ strikes with a pele out of nowhere .... the buzzer sounds for the next entrant .... #10 is ‘The Perfect 10’ Tye Dillinger! .... the crowd pops big for Dillinger, and he enters the ring and immediately hammers AJ with rights .... Miz charges but Dillinger throws him THROUGH the ropes and he’s not eliminated, but he hides outside .... AJ signals for the Styles Clash on Tye, but he scoops up AJ out of nowhere and hits the Tye Breaker!  Miz is up, and Dillinger scoops him up and hits the Tye-Breaker as well!  Tye starts doing the ‘10!  10!  10!  10!’ hand gesture and the crowd chants along .... Moose is up, and Dillinger tries to get him up on his shoulders too, but Moose is too heavy and he grabs Tye and drills him with the Game Changer (rainmaker into discus lariat)!

#11 is Progress’ newest signing, ‘Pretty Boy Pitbull’ Kenny King .... King is bouncing around ringside, looking for his chance to strike .... He slides in and attacks Moose from behind, continuing their issues from earlier in the show .... Moose fights back but King counters with a handstand enziguri .... King grabs Dillinger up and drills him with the Coronation!  Now it’s Garganos turn, but he reverses the Coronation attempt into a DDT!  AJ tries to toss Gargano, who catches himself on the apron and avoids being eliminated, then comes back with the slingshot spear to AJ!!!! .... #12 is Tomasso Ciampa .... Ciampa goes after everyone in the ring, and he helps Gargano to his feet .... Gargano and Ciampa hit their ‘Meet in the Middle’ (Superkick + knee strike) finisher on Moose!  Gargano and Ciampa celebrate and the fans are behind them, but Ciampa grabs Gargano and tries to toss him over!  Gargano barely catches himself on the apron and rolls back in but Ciampa just shrugs and makes the ‘discount double check’ sign across his waist, reminding him it’s for the title and every man for himself .... the fans think they are about to get Ciampa and Gargano going at it, but the Miz grabs Ciampa from behind and drills him with the Skull Krushing Finale!  Gargano and the Miz Battle now, as the buzzer sounds ....  

#13 is Seth Rollins .... Rollins rushes to the apron, then flies in with the springboard knee strike on the Miz!  Rollins runs wild, taking out everyone .... He and AJ are the last 2 standing and the fans get a bit of a dream showdown as these two battle it out .... they hit each other with double clotheslines and now everyone is down ....#13 hits and out comes AUSTIN ARIES!!!!  Austin Aries is in Progress!!!!  Aries enters and immediately tries to toss Dillinger .... he turns his attention to Miz and takes him out with the Discus fivearm!  Ciampa and AJ battle, and Ciampa cuts him off with the Sicilian Barrage!  AJ COMES BACK WITH THE PELE!  AJ goes for the Styles Clash, but Ciampa back drops him to the apron .... AJ catches him with a forearm, then rips off the elbow pad and goes for the phenomenal forearm but Gargano cuts him off with a Superkick as he tries to springboard, knocking AJ to the floor!  

AJ STYLES IS ELIMINATED

The crowd is stunned as AJ is no longer in the match! .... the action continues in the ring as Ciampa and Gargano turn their attention to Aries .... Aries avoids the ‘Meet in the Middle’ and Gargano and Ciampa hit each other!!!!  This allows Aries to toss Ciampa!

TOMASSO CIAMPA IS ELIMINATED

Ciampa is pissed and starts trashing the ringside area, throwing pieces of broken tables around .... the refs finally lead him away from the ring .... The #15 and final entry comes out and it’s .... Elias Sampson?  Sampson comes out carrying his guitar that he broke earlier tonight .... he slides in the ring and immediately goes after Tye Dillinger, hitting the ‘Drift Away’ (rolling cutter) .... Elias tosses Dillinger to the floor ....

TYE DILLINGER IS ELIMINATED

Elias now attacks Moose aggressively, yelling at him for breaking his guitar earlier .... Elias takes Moose’s arm and hits the ‘Walk with Elias’ (Undertaker rope walk) .... Elias is in control and he tries to toss Moose, but Moose reverses it and sends Elias over the top to the floor instead!

ELIAS SAMPSON IS ELIMINATED

Moose turns around and is met with a Superkick from Rollins .... He goes for the ripcord knee strike but Moose reverses it into the ‘Go to Hell’ (double choke bomb)!  Moose gets to his feet, but Kenny King sneaks up behind him and dumps him over the top rope instead, ending Moose’s impressive run in this match!!!!

MOOSE IS ELIMINATED

Kenny King turns his attention to the Miz and drills him with the Royal Flush .... he takes Miz to the corner and tries to force him up and over but Austin Aries flies in and knocks King silly with the IED dropkick!  Aries grabs King and tosses him to the floor ....  

KENNY KING IS ELIMINATED

We are down to the Final Four, and it’s Seth Rollins, Johnny Gargano, The Miz and Austin Aries to see who the 1st United States Champion will be!  Miz and Gargano have been in the match the whole time!  All 4 guys are in opposite corners and they slowly get to their feet as the crowd applauds .... they circle each other for a few seconds, then just start brawling .... Miz and Rollins go at it while Aries and Gargano fight it out .... Rollins goes for the ripcord knee strike, but Miz avoids it and back drops him over the top but Rollins lands on the apron .... Miz charges but Rollins leap frogs him and Miz goes flying THROUGH the ropes to the floor!  The ref quickly waves this off and lets everyone know he is not eliminated because he went through the ropes and not over it .... Rollins tries to springboard into the ring for the flying knee strike, but when he goes to springboard in Miz grabs his leg again and this time pulls him to the floor!  Since Rollins first went OVER the top rope, he is therefore eliminated!!!!

SETH ROLLINS IS ELIMINATED

Aries hammers Gargano down in the ring, but he comes off the ropes and Miz pulls down the top rope causing Aries to fall over!  Aries catches himself on the apron and then drills Miz with a soccer kick to the chest! .... BUT GARGANO WITH A SUPERKICK KNOCKS ARIES TO THE FLOOR!!!!

AUSTIN ARIES IS ELIMINATED

We are down to the final 2!  It’s The Miz and Johnny Gargano, the 2 guys that started this whole thing!!!!  It’s now pinfall or Submission .... GARGANO WITH A SUICIDE DIVE THROUGH THE ROPES WIPES OUT THE MIZ!!!!



Huge chants of ‘Johnny Wrestling!’ as Gargano drags the Miz up and tosses him back in .... Johnny to the 2nd rope .... DIVING FLATLINER!  1 ... 2 ... Nooooo!  Miz kicks out!  Johnny measures Miz, but misses the kneeling Superkick and Miz hits the reverse DDT/ hangman neckbreaker combo .... both guys down!  They slowly climb to their feet, and both guys start throwing fists of fury at each other!  Miz kicks Gargano in the Knee, then hits the kneeling DDT!  1 ... 2 ... Gargano kicks out!!!!  Miz starts laying in the ‘IT’ kicks, then goes for the big roundhouse but Gargano ducks and school boys him right into the rolling roundhouse kick!  Gargano scoops Miz up for the Lawn Dart but Miz slips off the back and gets a roll up!  1 ... 2 ... Miz has his feet on the ropes for leverage!  2.99999!  GARGANO KICKS OUT!!!! .... both guys pop back to their feet .... SUPERKICK CONNECTS!  



Gargano scoops Miz up .... LAWN DART!!!!  



1 ... 2 ... 2.99999!!!!  Gargano rolls underneath the bottom rope to the apron and can’t stand without using the ropes to pull himself up .... Miz barely gets to his feet and Gargano goes for the slingshot DDT, but Miz catches him in mid-air!  SKULL KRUSHING FINALE OUT OF NOWHERE!!!!  It takes everything he has, but Miz manages to roll Gargano over and hook the leg .... 1 ... 2 ... 3!!!!




NEW CHAMPION!!!!  The Miz has gone coast to coast and become the 1st ever United States Champion!!!!  Miz has to be helped to the back, but he still has the energy to hold the US title up in celebration as the show ends ....


* AFTER THE SHOW: trainers help Johnny Gargano to his feet and put ice packs on his neck .... the fans give Gargano a standing ovation with chants of ‘JOHNNY WRESTLING!’ as he is helped to the back ...