There are an absolute multitude of possible answers for this question on day 3 of our wrestling challenge and we are excited to bring you ours. Let us know on Twitter what yours has been!
DOM VAN DAM - SOUTH PACIFIC POWER TRIP RETURN
Since I moved to London 5 years ago I’ve been to over 100 live wrestling shows and I’ve loved every, single one of them.
I’ve seen almost everything from Sabre, Ospreay and Scurll in wrestling classics to Hero, End, Suzuki and Ishii beating the hell out of themselves and others. I’ve seen Ospreay and Morgan diving off balconies and I’ve seen both fans and referees punched in the face when the show became a little bit too real.
I’ve seen ladder matches, death matches and women’s triple threat, barbed wire cage matches. I’ve seen shows in halls, ballrooms, arenas, domes, galleries, Rec centres and bowling alleys. But If you asked me to pick out a standout match, it would be very hard for me to remember too many; partially because I like to drink at shows, but predominantly because I remember storylines and angles more.
If I had to pick just one “moment” which still gives me goosebumps and stands more clear in my memory than probably any other “post-intermission” beer-hazed euphoria. It would be When The South Pacific Power Couple returned to The Electric Ballroom in Camden to help save Travis Banks from a beatdown from British Strong Style. (PROGRESS chapter 53).
I think for me this memory stands out because just like TK Cooper, I moved away from family and friends to chase a career in the UK. I understand how tough it can be to sort out visas, sponsorships and the red tape. So I guess when the Kiwis left PROGRESS, I didn’t really expect them back.
It turns out, neither did anyone in the sold out Ballroom in Camden because the place came unglued. I can’t remember hearing a reaction like that from a group of people at a wrestling show.
Thinking back now, I think the thing which set it apart was the fact that it was a guttural, honest and instinctive reaction. It wasn’t a group of people cheering a good guy because they thought they should. Or trying to think of a funny chant to win the respect of the others there.
It was pure noise, like you’d hear when the home team scored the injury time winner, or when Sir Ben Stokes smashed the winning runs at Headingley. A truly special afternoon.
ROSS - PRINCE DEVITT SURPRISES THE GARAGE
The date is the 29th of June 2014. I am in a very sweaty Islington Garage for the PROGRESS World Cup. The premise is a brilliant one, during the actual FIFA World Cup, the promotion held an 8 man tournament with accompanying football stickers and anthems.
We had the likes of Tommy End from the Netherlands, Grado from Scotland, Rampage Brown from England and the eventual winner Noam Dar representing his birthplace of Israel.
However, whilst I was sad to be missing the last 16 match between Greece and Costa Rica in the football, I was witnessing a moment that made me mark out like I was five years old again and the Ultimate Warrior's music had just hit.
Jimmy Havoc was long into his reign of terror over PROGRESS at the time and after Jim Smallman made him face his only friend Paul Robinson only for the pair to pull a DX and lie down for the pin, the owner had a plan.
He locked the doors of The Garage (a fire hazard, but I'll let it go) and announced there is ALWAYS A PLAN B. Then the opening strands of 'Real Roc N Rolla' play over the PA and everyone absolutely loses their shit as Prince Devitt arrives - cosplaying as Hannibal Lector - to face Havoc in a No DQ match.
I can't tell you quite how excited I was - it had been announced just that week that Devitt had signed with the WWE - and I assumed that his European indie run was over. Instead, me and 349 others were now witnessing his final non WWE show... and it was exhilarating.
My wife was exhilarated too, but only because she touched his abs as he went past during the match...
JCH - DANIEL BRYAN'S YES!TLEMANIA 30
I’ve got to experience a number of exciting live moments over my years. Charlie Morgan diving off a balcony from right in front of me at Wrestle Queendom 1. The eruption of the crowd from Dolph Ziggler’s money in the bank cash in on the Raw after Mania, to the silence bar a few of us wildly celebrating when the Deadman finally lost.
Michael Oku winning the revPro Cruiserweight title bought a tear to my eye as a guy we’d seen debut was rewarded for his hard work and talent. It very nearly took this prize as Oku scores another honourable mention.
However I have to go back to Wrestlemania 30. New Orleans, what a city and the crowing of Daniel Bryan. I do not like Triple H, but I wasn’t supposed to here, so it worked perfectly. The crowd, except Nick Cook, was massively behind Bryan and for someone who had seen him excel in Ring of Honor and battle the authority (seemingly backstage as well as on screen).
This moment seemed like a change in WWE. That popularity could play a part in creating stars, rather than the prototype that they wanted. I now feel it was a false dawn rather than a new beginning and my interest in the company is now at a record low.
That day however, we were on top of the world. And I was chanting YES, YES, YES with however many other thousand people in the Superdome and we partied through the night. What a trip, what a day, what a moment.
PETE HITCHCOCK - TOMOHIRO ISHII PINNING KEITH LEE
They have, at times (looking at you, 2019) been damn near the dirt worst promotion in Britain but the promotion that got me going to shows was and still is RevPro.
Whilst there are many fine contenders - but not super contenders (DO YOU GET IT) - from other promotions, the best moment ever would almost certainly be one from the Dream Factory. Even if they spent a large part of their annus horribilis as the Sleep Paralysis Workhouse.
But which one? There are a few recent ones that immediately jump out, most notably Ospreay finally winning the Heavyweight Title after a five year chase, Michael Oku being rewarded for carrying the entire company throughout 2019 by tapping ELP for the third time and for the title and the entire celebration afterwards.
Aussie Open dropping ZSJ on his head for the Tag Belts after heartbreak six months previously, Ishii dropping Suzuki on his head in a gym in Brixton and winning the gold back mere feet from my face. And then...it was obvious.
In November 2017, that self-same cuboid went toe-to-toe, head-to-mid-chest with a man who started on the football field but wanted more and the man with the most charismatic eyebrow raise since the Great One himself, Keith Fuckin' Lee. And he dropped that man right on his head and pinned him for three.
I wanted to fly to the fucking moon and punch it in the face, I was so hyped up. It's obvious in hindsight, it was always gonna be Big Tom but this, this was just perfect wrestling and still Pro Wrestling At Its Best (I accept PayPal, Andy).
NINETIES MIKE - WILLIAM EAVER CASHES IN
We were so spoiled. 2016 was a banner year for PROGRESS Wrestling.
Featuring a roster that have gone on to wrestle for (deep breath) 205 Live, AEW, Impact, NJPW, NWA, NXT, NXT UK, Ring of Honor, Stardom and even the WWE main roster, there were many highs and some great matches.
Starting the year with Marty Scurll winning the title from Will Ospreay in January, Tommy End winning arguably the strongest ever Super Strong Style 16 line-up in May, Mark Haskins winning the belt back (thanks maybe to a returning Jimmy Havoc) at a HUGE show at Brixton Academy in September.
All the way to the emergence of British Strong Style with Pete Dunne winning a 7-man elimination match thanks to a turning Tyler Bate in November and a preposterous Unboxing show featuring a veritable who’s who of PROGRESS history.
But I want to take you back to “Chapter 32: 5000 to 1” in June. Named after Leicester City’s title-winning odds for the 2015-16 season, the end of this show would have an equally unexpected title winner! We had Atlas Title qualifiers featuring Rampage Brown, Big Damo (Killian Dain), Zack Gibson Big Daddy Walter and an incredible Smash Title match between Johnny Gargano and Mark Haskins with a shock Haskins win that prompted what we thought would be the biggest reaction of the day.
Our main event, though, was World Champion “The Villain” Marty Scurll against Tommy End (Aleister Black), who was cashing in his Super Strong Style 16 winner’s title shot. In an absolute barn-burner, the two beat the hell out of each other, with Scurll showing he would stop at nothing to win.
With referee Chris “Do Your Job, Roberts!” Roberts knocked out, Marty locked in the chicken wing using his infamous umbrella. Another ref, Paz, came out to count to 3 after an umbrella shot to End, but he kicked out at 2.9. Scurll then hit Paz with the umbrella, Roberts was alive again and hadn’t spotted the assault on the official. He called for the bell via the submission.
We thought that was that. Jim Smallman, however, had other ideas and reversed the decision. “I’m sick of you cheating, this match continues…”.
The bell rang to restart, but before anyone could attack, the lights went out. Unlike previous situations, Mikey Whiplash was nowhere to be seen and Scurll used this distraction to roll up End and win the match. The groans and “bullshit” chants from the crowd were palpable, and The Villain had cheated to win again. But we weren’t finished…
Tommy, furious with falling short again, hit Scurll with a massive roundhouse kick (now known as a Black Mass), and left Scurll flat out. “Reach out and touch faith”. Wait, what? No way! Pastor William Eaver’s music hit and he came to the stage, passing End on the way. End looked at Eaver and nodded, giving his approval. “William Eaver is cashing in his Natural PROGRESSion title shot… NOW”.
The Electric Ballroom erupted the only way it knows how, Eaver hit an enormous Clothesline From Heaven and just like that we had a new PROGRESS World Champion! And he was our champion. He belonged to us and he had beaten the second longest-reigning champion to do it.
“Pastor’s on fire, Marty Scurll is terrified” rang out and we all hugged and danced and cheered long into the night. Probably. Like most PROGRESS Sundays with the WSBF crew, I can’t remember much of what happened after the show. But that's how we like it.
Roll on the next one.
30 DAY CHALLENGE
DAY 1 - FAVOURITE MALE WRESTLER
DAY 2 - FAVOURITE FEMALE WRESTLER
DAY 4 - FAVOURITE TAG TEAM
DAY 5 - YOUR FIRST WRESTLING MEMORY
DAY 6 - FAVOURITE FACTION
DAY 7 - FAVOURITE PROMOTION
DAY 8 - FAVOURITE MANAGER
DAY 9 - FAVOURITE COMMENTARY TEAM
DAY 10 - FAVOURITE ENTRANCE THEME
DAY 11 - FAVOURITE MATCH
DAY 12 - FAVOURITE DEFUCNT TERRITORY
DAY 13 - FAVOURITE GIMMICK
DAY 14 - MOST MISSED WRESTLER
DAY 15 - FAVOURITE FACE
DAY 16 - FAVOURITE HEEL
DAY 17 - FAVOURITE FINISHER
DAY 18 - FAVOURITE WRESTLING GAME
DAY 19 - FAVOURITE STORYLINE
DAY 20 - FAVOURITE SUBMISSION
DAY 21 - MOST UNDERRATED
DAY 22 - FUTURE STAR
DAY 23 - FAVOURITE FEUD
DAY 24 - DREAM MATCH
DAY 25 - FAVOURITE HIGH FLYER
DAY 26 - FAVOURITE TOURNAMENT
DAY 27 - FAVOURITE TURN
DAY 28 - FAVOURITE PPV
DAY 29 - FAVOURITE REINVENTION
DAY 30 - FAVOURITE COMEDY WRESTLER
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