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Preview: PROGRESS Chapter 48 ‘Bang The Drum’ (5/14/17)

 

PROGRESS Chapter 48: Bang The Drum
Manchester, England
Sunday, May 14, 2017

PROGRESS runs for the last time before the major 3-day tournament Super Strong Style 16which will also see them crown their first ever Women’s Champion. They have a loaded show though heading into the tournament with a stacked card, and matches involving many of the key parts of that tournament. We also have a PROGRESS Championship match to see who the winner of Super Strong Style 16 will face when they win.

Jinny vs Session Moth Martina

Photo: PROGRESS

Martina lost to Dahlia Black in the first round due to interference from TK Cooper but she is a useful addition to the roster as an over face who can absorb losses and won’t be pushed in PROGRESS due to the relative weakness in the ring

Jinny is currently the centerpiece of the division with Pollyanna gone and retired (unretired?) and her matches with Martina always deliver with Jinny drawing good heat.

With Jinny being in the final of the Natural Progression Series at the next set of shows. I see her winning over the relative newcomer Martina

Prediction: Jinny wins

Strong Style 16 Qualifier Match:
Nathan Cruz vs Rockstar Spud

Photo: PROGRESS

Cruz is a former PROGRESS champion and he and Zach Gibson as The Origin is seeing him pick up wins and we can see him being given a spot in Super Strong Style 16 to add a credible heel to the brackets.

Spud has yet to blow away the fans but will get cheered against Cruz and a spot in Super Strong Style 16 would give him some credibility in his PROGRESS tenure.

Spud will play the underdog to Cruz and probably won’t get the spot as he is too similar in character to Sexsmith in terms of the plucky underdog.

Prediction:  Nathan Cruz to win and get a spot in Super Strong Style 16

Sweet Jesus (Chuck Mambo & Pastor William Eaver) vs London Riots (Rob Lynch & James Davis)

Photo: PROGRESS

While not official, this is basically a number one contenders match, one would assume that since Eaver is in Super Strong Style 16 that he will be involved in that rather than a tag team match.

Sweet Jesus haven’t teamed together in PROGRESS in a year so this should be a fun reunion and hopefully there is no rust.

The Riots recently lost to the South Pacific Power Trip and need a win to gain any credibility if they are to challenge Moustache Mountain for the titles.

Because Eaver is in Super Strong Style 16 the Riots are most likely the next challengers to MM

Prediction; London Riots to win

Super Strong Style 16 Qualifier Match:
James Drake vs Flash Morgan Webster 

Photo: PROGRESS

The most unpredictable match and on any other card a potential show stealer, James Drake is undefeated since his reintroduction and it had expected he was being heated up ahead of a turn in Super Strong Style 16, but he is facing Flash Morgan Webster who PROGRESS have high hopes for and you’d expect him to get a run in Super Strong Style 16 to reestablish himself to the PROGRESS fans.

It will be a loss to the tournament for either man to miss out and would hurt the competitor himself to miss out – for that reason this match is unpredictable. Go with Drake as he has been booked like a killer and Webster has the injury return excuse.

Prediction: James Drake wins

Trent Seven vs Travis Banks

Photo: PROGRESS

Do not be surprised to see a rematch as the final of Super Strong Style 16. The story here is that British Strong Style interrupted the sendoff of Banks’ tag partners TK Cooper and Dahlia Black and tried to break Coopers’ ankle so Banks will be out for revenge against the main perpetrator Seven.

Banks will surely be booked strong to kick off his singles run with the company so i wouldn’t expect a clean finish.

Seven as part of BSS is rarely booked in singles competition and is usually involved in trios or tag matches, so he may lose here and be painted as a tag specialist but with his entry into Strong Style 16, they won’t want him to lose clean.

Prediction: Banks by DQ or Seven with help from BSS

Matt Riddle vs Tyler Bate

Photo: PROGRESS

The WWN Champion vs WWE UK Champion, this is a dream match that only 2017 could provide, as the number of cross promotional matches featuring WWE talent must have a cold sweat running down Vince McMahon’s back.

Both men are PROGRESS title holders as Riddle holds the Atlas belt and Bate is one half of the tag team champions.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Riddle in Super Strong Style 16 and if that’s the case, he’s probably the favourite. But PROGRESS loves to keep their main heels booked strong,  so a Bate victory wouldn’t be a shock if Riddle isn’t entering the tournament.

Either way this will probably be the match of the night between two of the best wrestlers in the world right now.

Prediction: Bate to win 

PROGRESS World Championship Match:
Pete Dunne (C) vs Mark Haskins vs Mark Andrews 

Photo: PROGRESS

The main event set up by the draw between Haskins and Andrews in the Number 1 contenders match at Chapter 47.

There are multiple story lines coming to a head here as Haskins’ retribution story takes a big leap whether he wins or loses. The fact that Dunne disrespects the belt that Haskins had to forfeit when he didn’t think he may ever wrestle again adds the wrinkle of Dunne vs Haskins continuing, which is a very interesting story line.

Also you have Andrews, who suffered a Dusty finish when he challenged for Dunne’s title at Chapter 46, has faced Dunne in multiple promotions this year and has yet to topple Dunne.

Dunne is the central point of this storytelling, as you have the underdog whom Dunne always beats and the former Champion. Coming for revenge against the disrespectful young new Champ, and the part that Dunne plays in this is essential as he gets the little things that tell these stories with just a facial expression and his booking has been top notch.

This would be the perfect time for one of the babyfaces to overcome the Heel champion Dunne but we can see him holding onto the title and pinning Andrews, so Haskins still has the claim of never actually being pinned for the belt (Orlando show seems to have had no effect on the story lines).

Predictions: Dunne to pin Andrews

What do you think? Let me know your thoughts and predictions in the comments section below!

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