Featured image and photography: Lily Boyle

It’s been eight months since PROGRESS Wrestling last graced Manchester and the energy inside the O2 Ritz is electric as a packed house awaits the start of the seven-match card.

The main event of the night is Manchester’s own Young Guns made up of PROGRESS men’s champions Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen who are teaming up for the first time in three years, taking on Boisterous Behaviour, the team of Birmingham’s ManLikeDeReiss and TNA star Leon Slater. 

They are brawling around the ring and into the crowd before the bell even sounds. The crowd makes this personal feud even more intense as DeReiss’s trademark chants of “0121” are quickly drowned out by loud voices shouting “0161.” The action is a fusion of brawling and technique from Young Guns, fast-paced action from DeReiss, and outrageous agility from Slater that makes you believe he’s capable of anything at just 20-years-old. 

In a shocking finish Slater hits the Swanton 450 and pins Jacobs despite the Young Guns best efforts to use underhand tactics to secure the victory. 

The match for the Tag Team Titles features champions Smokin’ Aces, Charlie Sterling and Nick Riley, taking on Subculture’s Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster. The champions have the upper hand due to their strength advantage, but Subculture are clear fan favourites as the crowd wills them on. The champions distract the referee, pinning Andrews much to the dismay of the crowd. 

“True Grit” Connor Mills is taking on a returning Myles Cayman, making his first PROGRESS appearance since March. 

The sound of connecting forearm chops echo through the packed room and the crowd audibly wince whenever Mills hits his mark. Kayman maintains control and manages to pick up the victory. A defeated Mills heads backstage and is greeted by Nico Angelo taunting his loss asking: “Where has the killer Mills gone?” 

Session Moth Martina and Gene Munny join forces as Mothdog, accompanied by Will Kroos, to take on Skye Smitson and a mystery partner who turns out to be Sam Bailey, a well-known trainer at Manchester’s Futureshock wrestling school. 

Mothdog provide comedic relief for such an intense show built around serious rivalries. Dancing their way into the fight, Munny does his trademark entrance flop into the ring wearing a “#1 Uncle” shirt with Kroos in a matching “#1 Nephew’ shirt. With a lariat from Munny, and a distraction from Kroos, Martina pins Bailey. 

The first half of the main event is a bout between independent wrestling standouts Charli Evans and Cara Noir. Metal music bursts through the speakers as Evans struts into the ring, a long white veil and train behind her. 

Then the crowd goes quiet, and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake captures the room. Enter Cara Noir. The “Royal Black Swan” wears shimmering face paint, a sparkling cape and feathers draped over his shoulders, a moment of elegance before the two stars go toe-to-toe. 

Noir takes the victory with a package piledriver, and the pair share an emotional handshake.

Kid Lykos and Kid Lykos II, known as Lykos Gym, then take on Trew and Lacey. The crowd are firmly on the side of Lykos Gym, taunting their opponents with various chants.  

Their great chemistry is on display as they complete a brainbuster 450 combination for the win.  Lykos Gym are celebrating but Nico Angelo and Connor Mills join forces after their backstage altercation to lay them out. 

The ‘21st century liability’ Natalie Sykes makes her PROGRESS debut against the ‘Main Event Empress’ Emersyn Jayne.

Jayne takes her first ever PROGRESS victory and she is handed a golden ticket to face Lana Austin at PROGRESS’s Vendetta 2.  

Simon Miller takes to the ring once more but is interrupted by Mothdog, He claims he’s the “people’s proteus champion”, revealing that his championship rules allow social media and the live crowd to decide his matches. Miller suggests himself versus all three members of Mothdog and the loud crowd reaction confirms the match for Vendetta 2. 

PROGRESS’s return to Manchester was a night of hard-hitting strikes, high-flying spectacles, and personal feuds which grip you and put a spotlight on the wrestling stars of tomorrow. 

Keep up with PROGRESS’ upcoming events @progresswrestling on Instagram.