Progress Wrestling and DEFY Wrestling are merging together. This huge merger will affect the wrestling scene in the states but independent wrestling in Europe as well.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS
🤝 PROGRESS Wrestling and DEFY Wrestling merge creating one of the largest global independent wrestling organisations.
📺 DEFY to join Demand PROGRESS PLUS.
DEFY TO SURVIVE: LUCKY NUMBER 7 will be the first official show under… pic.twitter.com/P2va1DEK42
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) February 9, 2024
“Two Major Wrestling Companies Join Forces”
Originally reported by Fightful and Sean Ross Sapp, the press release dropped Friday afternoon.
Progress Wrestling of the UK has been the premiere British independent promotion. With shows ranging from Dubai to Canada, Progress has set itself apart on both the British and American Independent scenes. Many stars from WWE and AEW have been on the Progress roster at one point or another.
Past stars from Progress include; Pete Dunne, Gunther, Toni Storm and Will Ospreay.
DEFY Wrestling, over the last near decade, has secured a spot as the top independent promotion in the Pacific Northwest. DEFY is also featured as part of the GCW Collective. Founded by Jim Perry, DEFY, like Progress, has been a jumping off point for talent climbing through the ranks on major TV promotions.
Past stars from DEFY include; Mustafa Ali, Nick Wayne, Gringo Loco, and Christopher Daniels
The merger is one of the first in wrestling since the massive combination of WWE and UFC to form TKO Holdings under the Endeavor umbrella.
Quotes + Other DEFY/Progress News
“I’ve been an admirer of PROGRESS from the start, and in some ways, they helped inspire the creation of DEFY. We have known each other for a number of years, and been working on many collaborations, including our successful double-show in London last August. I’m very excited about the opportunities of our more formal coming together, and the fans can expect to see some really neat ideas emerging.”
-Jim Perry, DEFY Wrestling
This Merger comes on the heels of Defy’s 7th Anniversary Show, DEFY to Survive. Coming from the Washington Hall, on February 9th in Seattle Wa.
“We will be continuing our closeness in Philadelphia with us both having shows at The Collective immediately prior to WrestleMania 40, and we are planning our second joint show in London later in the year. DEFY will also soon be seen on DEMAND PROGRESS PLUS, our content and live streaming platform, in the very near future and we have some fascinating ideas to highlight the great wrestling talent we both work with.”
-Martyn Best, Progress Wrestling
The next Progress show, “Twisted Metal,” is in London on February 25th.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
