Progress World Cup Day 1

*** The show begins with U.K. Director Johnny Saint on the stage with all of the World Cup competitors .... the World Cup trophy is positioned in the middle .... Saint introduces each one and the country they are from, and each person is wearing their countries flag around their shoulders .... ***


6 woman tag team match
(Internet Champion) Rhea Ripley
Killer Kelly
Bea Priestley
~ vs ~
Becky Lynch
Tegan Nox
Millie McKenzie

Good opener, with Ripley and her followers getting to showcase their brutality .... Becky and Tegan are MONSTER OVER and both have a score to settle with Ripley .... Millie unleashes her repertoire of suplexes, and Becky and Rhea brawl into the crowd which ends with Becky hitting the Becks-ploder off the stage and into the chairs below!!!!  In the ring, Tegan scores with the Shiniest Wizard on Bea Priestley and gets the 3 count for her team ....






1. Ricochet (USA) def. Zema Ion (PHILIPPINES)

.... Ricochet is a crowd favorite here, and he gets the win following the 630 senton to advance ....


2. Nigel McGuiness (GREAT BRITAIN) def. Katsyouri Shibata (Japan)

Hard-hitting match .... Shibata survives the London Dungeon, but Nigel comes back with the jawbreaker Lariat for the 3 count ....


3. Antonio Cesaro (SWITZERLAND) def. Fabian Aichner (Italy)

Aichner looks solid here, but Cesaro proves to be superior, winning the match after catching Aichner with a crushing European Uppercut as he leaps off the top rope ....


4. Owen Hart (Canada) def. Travis Banks (NEW ZEALAND)

Excellent back and forth wrestling match, with tons of false finishes .... In the end Owen reverses the Slice of Heaven by catching Banks’ legs in mid-air and locking on the sharpshooter!  Banks fights it but has to tap out to 1/2 of the APW tag team champions ....


.... INTERMISSION ....


5. Drew McIntyre (SCOTLAND) def. Axel Dieter Jr. (GERMANY)

Dieter outwrestles McIntyre early but can’t match his power and aggressiveness .... McIntyre eventually hits the Claymore for the win to move on ....


6. Aleister Black (NETHERLANDS) def. Gran Metallik (MEXICO)

Good clash of styles between Metallik’s high flying and Blacks striking .... The striking is too much for Metallik, and he gets hit with the Black Mass from Black and is pinned ....


7. Buddy Murphy (AUSTRALIA) def. Justin Gabriel (SOUTH AFRICA)

Buddy Murphy is a star poised to break out in Progress, but Black is an accomplished singles AND tag team star .... They battle back and forth with a lot of times where each man looks to have the win only to have the other barely survive .... this is a very even matchup where all it takes it one mistake to cost you the match .... that mistake is made by Gabriel, who attempts a 450 splash only to meet the knees of Murphy!  This allows Murphy to hit Murphy’s Law for the 3 count ....


8. WALTER (AUSTRIA) def. Sheamus (IRELAND)

This is the match of the night as far as tournament matches go .... these guys beat the shit out of each other .... Sheamus connects with the Brogue kick, only to have WALTER kick out!  WALTER chops Sheamus so hard his chest actually starts to bleed!  WALTER hits the Golden Bomb, but Sheamus kicks out .... WALTER then comes back with 2 clotheslines from Hell, then hits one more Golden Bomb and that’s enough to put Sheamus down for the 3 count .... WALTER advances ....





A video package is shown on the big screen chronicling the feud between Marty Scurll and William Regal leading to their Hell in a Cell match on Day 2 of the World Cup


*** As the video ends, we see all the winners of the round 1 matches are lined up on the stage .... Johnny Saint goes through the 2nd round matchups one by one and the competitors face off for a photo op .... ***

Aleister Black (NETHERLANDS) vs. Owen Hart (CANADA)

Buddy Murphy (AUSTRALIA) vs. Antonio Cesaro (SWITZERLAND)

WALTER (AUSTRIA) vs. Ricochet (UNITED STATES)

Drew McIntyre (SCOTLAND) vs. Nigel McGuiness (GREAT BRITAIN)




Progress Atlas Title Match:
(Champion) AJ Styles (UNITED STATES)
~ vs ~
Austin Aries (UNITED STATES)

Aries gets on the mic and arrogantly tells Styles that this isn’t the UFC .... he’s a better pro wrestler than AJ and says they need to conduct themselves as professionals and have a wrestling match .... AJ attacks instead .... Lots of aggression to start but Aries swings the tide back in his favor .... AJ fires back up and scores with a pele .... springboard 450 splash meets the knees of Aries, allowing Aries to score with the IED dropkick!  BRAINBUSTER BY ARIES!  1 ... 2 ... KICKOUT!  Aries goes right into the Last Chancery, and AJ is trapped in the middle of the ring!  AJ reverses into the Calf Killer out of nowhere!  Aries reverses out, and goes for another brainbuster but AJ gets out and we get a ref bump!  

Aries grabs the Atlas title and blasts Styles with it, and AJ is busted open!  Aries hits the IED dropkick again and then the brainbuster, but the ref is still down .... A second official is out and counts 1 ... 2 ... Noooo!  AJ battles back with the pele, but misses Aries and takes out the 2nd ref!  Aries piledrives AJ and the first ref is back up and counts but AJ somehow kicks out again!  AJ is bleeding buckets and the ring is just covered in blood .... Aries grabs a chair now, but AJ with the phenomenal blitz takes out Aries!  AJ picks up the chair and the ref warns him to put it down but AJ KILLS Aries with a chairshot!!!!  The ref calls for the bell ....

Aries is now busted open, but AJ isn’t done .... He locks on the Calf Killer and Aries is screaming in pain but he won’t let go!  Referees come out and try to pull AJ off of Aries and he finally lets go .... they back AJ off, and other officials try to help Aries to his feet but AJ breaks free and then lays Aries out with the Styles Clash!  A bloody AJ holds up the Atlas title as the show ends ....