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 ...’
Progress Atlas Champion: FINN BALOR
United Kingdom United States
Champion: KILLIAN DAIN Champion: THE MIZ
Progress Tag Team Champions: WAR MACHINE (ROWE & HANSON)
LOCATION: Boston, Massachusetts
ARENA: Agganis Arena
ANNOUNCERS: Mauro Renallo & Renee YoungShow starts with a recap video from last week .... This serves as the ‘Go Home’ show for Progress: Vendetta .... * * * * OPENING SEGMENT * * * *
Acting GM Kenny King comes out to kick off the show .... He puts over the upcoming VENDETTA and HEART OF SHIMMER events .... He also goes over what we will see tonight:
Finn Balor makes his final appearance before Vendetta to pick AJ Styles’ opponent for tonight
Women’s Universal Champion Ember Moon in action ....
‘The Machine’ Brian Cage is set to face Austin Aries & Roderick Strong in a handicap match
Special look at the US title match between Miz and Johnny GarganoKing brings out AJ Styles and Atlas Champion Finn Balor .... so far Balor is 2-0 against opponents AJ has picked and AJ is 0-0-1 .... This is the final ‘Pick Your Poison’ match before Vendetta .... AJ and Balor cut promos on each other, when suddenly King attacks AJ from behind!!!! King pulls off his tie, then picks AJ up and lays him out with the Coronation! King looks at Balor and says he just made the choice for him, and walks off as Balor looks confused by what is going on ....
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IN THE BACK -
Alicia Atout tries to get a word with Kenny King after what we just saw .... Kenny says that he’s tired of showing up in a suit and tie and watching when he should be in there against the best ....
The American Wolves come in and interrupt the interview and they want a match tonight against the Rottweilers .... King says he has to get ready for his match and doesn’t have time for them .... he makes the match ....**** ‘Cowboy’ James Storm vs. Kona Reeves **** .... * squash * .... Storm dominates and hits the Last Call Superkick, but then pulls Reeves up at 2 .... Storm then finishes thing with the 8 second ride for the 3 count ....After the match, Storm pops the top on a couple of beers and toasts the crowd .... The announcers discuss how Storm is coming off an injury and looking to get back into the thick of things in Progress ....
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IN THE BACK -
Brian Cage interview .... he reminds Alicia that he wants to fight BOTH Austin Aries and Roderick Strong and he ain’t fucked up about the odds being 2 on 1 ....**** (Women’s Universal Champion) Ember Moon vs. Cherry Bomb **** .... As the match is about to begin, Lacey Evans’ music hits and she comes out to do guest commentary .... Evans takes every opportunity she can to trash Moon and talks about how she’s the only true ‘lady’ in Progress .... Moon wins an entertaining match with the Eclipse ....As soon as the bell rings, Evans slides in behind Moon .... she turns, AND EVANS LAYS HER OUT WITH THE ‘WOMAN’S RIGHT! Evans straps the Universal title across her chest like a sash and gives the regal pageant wave to the crowd .... Evans says she’s coming for the title at Heart of Shimmer ....
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**** SPECIAL VIDEO PACKAGE **** .... We get a well-done video package on the Miz - Johnny Gargano match for the United States title at Vendetta ....
We see how the feud started back in January, with Miz and Gargano being the first 2 entrants in the Gauntlet for the Gold, then both lasting until the end and Miz eliminating Gargano to win the title .... Gargano fought his way back to earn another title match with Miz and won the US title, only to lose it back to Miz in a ladder match when Maryse debuted and helped her husband win ....
The package then shifts to their background and how both guys are from Cleveland, but took very different paths to get where they are now .... Miz was a reality star on the Real World, AJ’s has been in Hollywood and on various MTV events ever since .... he has his own reality show with his wife Maryse .... He’s the Hollywood Star .... meanwhile, Johnny Gargano has had to scratch and claw his way to get to this point, wrestling in front of 50 people at a high school gym or a night club, traveling all over the world ....
The dynamic is that Gargano has won the hearts of the fans because he is a blue collar, relatable underdog that never stops fighting no matter the odds while Miz is the elitist, A-list star that believes he is better than everyone .... One will have to give at Vendetta in what is billed as their final showdown ....
IN THE BACK -
Kenny King is getting ready for his match, but he has Charlotte Flair and Shayna Baszler in his office .... He is giving them their match at Vendetta,‘Anything Goes’, but they have to sign a ‘hold harmless’ agreement before they do .... This waiver frees Progress from any responsibility regarding what happens in that match .... Charlotte talks about how personal things have gotten between the two as she signs the waiver .... Shayna says Charlotte is in her world now and no one can protect her, not even daddy .... Shayna says she is taking over the women’s division, and she is going to build the new kingdom on top of Charlotte’s bones .... Baszler signs the waiver and then we get a nose to nose staredown between them ....* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
**** American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. The Rottweilers (Low Ki & Homicide) w/ Salina De La Renta **** .... The Wolves meet the Rottweilers with stereo suicide dives as they come out to the ring .... From there on out it’s a brawl with all 4 guys going at it in the ring and around ringside .... The Rottweilers get the heat working over Edwards, but he manages to fight off and get the hot tag in to Richards .... the Wolves turn the tide, but then Eddie Kingston decides to interferes .... Salina gets up and gets in his face, and Kingston slaps Salina down to the mat! The Rottweilers attack Kingston and just DESTROY him but Salina for some reason calls them off! This allows the Wolves to recover, then take out the Rottweilers and clear the ring! The ref has no choice but to throw the match out .... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IN THE BACK -
Salina De La Renta and Eddie Kingston are in a screaming match backstage .... Low Ki asks Salina to let them ‘smoke this fool’ but Salina holds them back .... Kingston is yelling at Salina for violating the ‘cease-fire’ .... he says that she is gonna pay the price ....**** SINGLES MATCH: AJ Styles vs. ‘Pretty Boy Pitbull’ Kenny King **** .... King abused his power as acting GM to put himself in this match .... it is kind of a Star-making performance for King, who hangs wirh AJ and actually controls a lot of the match .... Finn Balor is at ringside doing commentary .... AJ regains control of the match later on, but King grabs a chair and throws it into AJ’s face for the DQ ....
The ref announces AJ as the winner, but King gets on the mic and waves it off .... King restarts the match as a no-DQ match .... King resumes his beatdown of AJ, but AJ manages to get the chair and smashes the knee of King, then rolls him into the Calf Killer and King taps out .... After the match, Balor takes the mic and congratulates AJ on his win .... However, King is not the opponent that Balor picked for AJ .... King made that match all on his own .... Balor brings out AJ’s opponent and its Jack Swagger ....
**** PICK YOUR POISON: AJ Styles vs. ‘Real American’ Jack Swagger **** .... Swagger attacks and is obviously the fresher man .... it seems like AJ snaps given the situation and he no sells the attack and then just goes nuts on Swagger .... AJ scores with the phenomenal forearm, but doesn’t go for the pin .... instead he picks Swagger up and hits the Styles Clash! But he’s not done there as he hits a 2nd Styles Clash, never breaking eye contact with Balor, and then pins Swagger ....AJ stares down Balor, who takes off his headset and climbs in the ring .... AJ and Balor get nose to nose and the trash talking commences .... AJ says he’s coming for the title, and Balor says the only difference is that he’s beaten AJ but AJ hasn’t beaten him .... no punches are thrown as Balor holds the Atlas title up in AJ’s face ....
VIDEO PACKAGE -
We get a video for the Heart of Shimmer show, featuring the Heart of Shimmer tournament .... the final 4 competitors are announced for the show: Ariel Monroe, Jordynne Grace, Jessie Belle Smothers & Kacy Catanzaro .... also, the EST vs Canadian Ninjas in a non-title Match and Ember Moon defends the women’s Universal title against Queen of the Ring Lacey Evans .... AND MORE!Up next, Progress tag team champions WAR MACHINE (Raymond Rowe & Hanson) come out .... they are here to call out Redragon because Redragon called them out on the Progress UK show .... Hanson says they come, they raid, they destroy and Redragon found out first-hand .... Now they are gonna fight BOTH Redragon and Mustache Mountain and will still be champs afterwards ....
This brings out Kyle O’Reilley & Bobby Fish, Redragon .... Fish has a mic and says that War Machine wants to fight both teams, but really they did it because they want an easy out just like they had when they won the belts and didn’t beat Redragon to do it .... War Machine drops the belts and are ready to fight now, and Redragon hits the ring and the fight is on! We get a huge pull-apart between the two teams, and officials are trying to get control of things as we go to break ....
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**** ‘The Machine’ Brian Cage vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong **** .... Aries and Strong try to kiss Cage’s ass before the match starts, trying to get him to join their cause .... Aries offers a handshake but instead Cage squeezes his hand in his vice grip .... Strong attacks but Cage controls early by overpowering both of them .... Aries and Strong try to double team but Cage thwarts them at every turn .... eventually the numbers game catches up to Cage and Strong and Aries take control, working Cage over .... In the middle of the match we are surprised by the arrival of KEITH LEE! Lee gets on the apron and tags himself in!!!! Lee runs wild on Aries and Strong as the fans POP .... Lee hits a dive over the top that wipes out both Strong and Aries, then hits the Spirit Bomb on Aries! 1 ... 2 ... Strong breaks it up! Strong with the jumping knee strike to Lee, but Cage cuts him off with the discus lariat! Lee and Cage have a staredown, but Aries is up top .... Aries comes off, but Lee catches him on his shoulders and drills him with GROUND ZERO! Strong is in, but Cage drills him with Weapon X! Lee covers Aries for the 3 count!After the match, Lee and Cage stand nose to nose in the ring .... Lee extends his hand to Cage, who looks at it and then just walks past him .... Lee watches Cage walk away, and he never turns to look at Lee .... Meanwhile Aries and Strong have had time to recover and they jump Lee from behind! The beatdown ensues, ending with Strong laying Lee out with the SICK KICK! Aries follows with the soccer kick to the head, then locks on the Last Chancery!!!! Aries keeps the move locked on for a minute before letting go, and Aries and Strong leave Lee laid out to get their heat back ....
We end with final promo from Progress: VENDETTA
Progress U.K. General Manager William Regal vs. ‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll
Progress United States title: The Miz defends against Johnny Gargano
Progress Tag Team title 3 way dance: (c) War Machine vs. Redragon vs. Mustache Mountain
Progress United Kingdom championship: (c) Killian Dain vs. Tomasso Ciampa
‘Anything Goes’ Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Shayna Baszler
Alexa Bliss vs. Santana Garrett
Ricochet vs. Dolph Ziggler
