PROGRESS Chapter 55 Chase The Sun Preview
Venue: Alexandra Palace
We are finally here the biggest show in PROGRESS history as they head into a sold out Ally Pally with a fantastic looking card as many of their key story lines this year come to a head.
Match 1: No.1 Contender scramble match- Strangler Davis vs Mark Andrews vs Eddie Dennis vs Flash Morgan Webster vs Zack Gibson vs James Drake vs Chief Deputy Dunne vs Jack Sexsmith
A fun looking scramble that has the interesting stipulation of being for the number one contendership. The only person here deserving of a shot is Andreews who is always in the upper midcard whenever they need a challenger or they could choose to elevate Dennis. With the high possibility of Banks winning the title tonight his first feud should be with a heel hence why I think Zack Gibson will get the win. This match will be fun and contains a few little storylines for them to play off from the past.
Predictions: Zack Gibson to win
Match 2: Zack Sabre Junior open challenge
It wouldn’t be a big PROGRESS show without a surprise. This company has a great history of surprise opponents names like Fergal Devitt, Adam Cole, Tommy End etc. have showed up in the past and this should be no different and it seems a certain villain may be free that day.
Match 3: Jimmy Havoc vs Mark Haskins
This feud cam to a head at the last show when these two men finally agreed to fight in a deathmatch. This feud has been built perfectly with both men having their claim to the PROGRESS championship and both seeing it as rightfully theirs the tension hs been brewing for months with miscommunication in tag matches causing cracks to appear before Havoc put his hands on Haskins’ wife leading to the first brawl between the two who then came to blows backstage after their tag match at chapter 54. It will be interesting to see Haskins adapt to the deathmatch style but hes in their with one of the best in Jimmy Havoc. Expect plunder and brutality and hopefully a win for Havoc.
Predictions: Jimmy Havoc to win
Match 4: PROGRESS Atlas championship Match- Matt Riddle(C) vs Timothy Thatcher vs WALTER
WALTER and Riddle have traded this title back an forth in stellar matches this year and this time we have Thatcher added to the mix as he sets up his new career in Europe. Thatcher earned the shot by defeating WWE-bound Donovan Dijak at PROGRESS Boston. And at the last show beat Doug Williams to look like a threat. Expect chops and bombs aplenty as these big lads kill each other for the title. It looks like Thatcher will be more regular than his opponents in PROGRESS and this might sway them to put the title on him.
Predictions: Timothy Thatcher to win the title
Match 5: PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Ladder Match- CCK(Kid Lykos & Chris Brookes) vs British Strong Style(Tent Seven & Tyler Bate)(C)
The build for this match hasn’t been great with CCK winning the titles already for one show and losing them back to BSS that first reign should have been saved for this show. CCK are still over so the crowd will be hot and the added stipulation of a ladder match which PROGRESS haven’t done in years (the last being Jimmy Havoc vs Mark Andrews at Chapter 13) will make this match much more original and filled with awesome spots than usual. Its time for BSS to lose these belts and CCK to feud with the SPPT.
Predictions: CCK to win the titles
Match 6: PROGRESS Womens Championship Match- Toni Storm(C) vs Dahlia Black
Storm has had a great reign as womens champion with her taking on all challengers and having great matches really providing prestige to the title. Black is probably the most over woman in the company after her surprise return alongside TK Cooper and is a good wrestler in her own right and is a great choice to take the title off of Storm and carry the womens division.
Predictions: Dahlia Black to win the title
Main Event: PROGRESS World Championship Match- Pete Dunne(C) vs Travis Banks
This feud has been brewing ever since BSS ruined the goodbye for Cooper and Black by putting Cooper out of action after Banks overcame the odds and defeated Bate in the Super Strong Style 16 final he has had a target on his back as BSS have attacked him at every corner and despite having first CCK and then the SPPT in his corner it hasn’t been enough as the evil Dunne has used a sledgehammer as an equalizer in homage to Triple H. At Chapter 54 Dunne went too far attacking Dahlia lacks bad leg and laying out Dunne and CCK with his sledgehammer and it is now or never for Banks to defeat Dunne and end his evil reign.
Predictions: Travis Banks to win the title
I have had every title change hands on this card. PROGRESS will look very different heading into its next few shows and similar to after their big show last year they will start anew with fresh story lines and characters to get invested in as they build to another big show next year.
