By Rich
So, it’s finally arrived! Summer Slam week! Welcome to night 1 of 7 straight nights of wrestling. Not to mention a Post Wrestling live q&a podcast/meet and greet, a Toronto Wolfpack game, it’s a busy week!
Night one kicked off with Smash vs Progress at the MET. Decent size crowd considering there were at least two other shows happening in Toronto tonight.
Jim Smallman kicked off the evening with some good comedy as he always does then we got into match one of a best of seven Smash vs Progress card.
March One:
Trent Seven (P) v Psycho Mike (S)
The last time I saw Psycho Mike, he was playing up his cocaine gimmick at Super Kick’d.
This was pretty much all comedy. Trent asks directions from Moustache Mountain to Psychoville (hometown of Psycho Mike).
Then Mike has some good comedy to hard cam, saying they told him he has to always be facing the hard cam, that there may not be many in the room but lots of people watching on the other end of the camera. He says it’s his big shot. Trent plays a long before delivering some big chops. Before chop 3 Mike begins to cry. “Hug it out” rings from the crowd, the two men hug and Mike goes for a roll up for a quick win, but Trent kicks out at two.
Next the two men are into the crowd, leading to Mike covering Trent in chairs and asking the ref for a count out. Trent just makes it back into the ring on the count of 9 and a half.
After another good exchange and a few near fall, Psycho Mike gets the victory!
Smash takes the lead 1-0. Before Mike leaves the ring, he takes the mic says this was his big moment and good bye... well at least until Friday (Smash Super Showdown). Or maybe Sunday teasing a Summer Slam appearance... “no no, I’ll just see you Friday”.
Match Two:
Aussie Open (P) (Mark “Dunkzilla” Davis & Kyle Fletcher) v The Pillars (S) (Brent Banks & Tyson Dux)
Kyle and Dux start off with a test of strength and after a bit of back and forth they both tags to switch, Banks asking to face Dunkzilla. Again, we see a good back and forth before the pace of the offence begins to pick up and we are into the match proper. The Pillars try to get the upper hand with the double team on Dunkzilla before he begins to hulk up. Another quick exchange between Dunk and Dux leaving both men on the canvas.
Finally, Banks and Kyle are tagged in and Banks clears the ring to set up the suicide dive to the outside. Banks gets Kyle back in the ring and hits a springboard cutter for a near fall of about 3 and 4/5th! I definitely bit on that one! Kyle gest back into the match sparking duelling “This is Progress”, “This is Smash” chants from the crowd who are really having a good time! And it’s only the second match of seven!
Aussie Open get on top and take down Banks who looks down and out before Dux just manages to break up the pin at 2. Open still on top though and set up Banks for a double team finish before Banks manages to escape hitting a Spikerana to Kyle before another Rana to Dunkzilla off the apron.
This leaves Dux and Kyle left in the ring, Dux hits a Superplex on Kyle leading to a splash off the top from Banks for the pin and the win. It’s 2-0 Smash, is the home team going to sweep the evening? Shades of Raw’s dominance at last year’s Survivor Series!
Match Three:
Next up is for the Progress Women’s championship - Jordynne Grace (P)(champ) vs Alexia Nicole (P)
Grace come to the ring flipping everyone off, good way to make friends... Hometown Alexia a lot more appreciative of the fans, the heel/face dynamics of this one established early. Good offence from Nicole to kick things off but it’s short lived. Grace has Nicole on the top turnbuckle setting up for a Superplex before Nicole tries for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb but can’t get Grace to budge. After some improvisation, Nicole gets Grace on her shoulders and hits the back drop leaving both women down on the canvas.
After good exchange Grace hits the Muscle Buster but Nicole kicks out somehow, great showing of grit and determination. However, following a quick exchange of about 20 roll ups, Grace finally finishes it off and retains the title!
No whitewash tonight, Progress get on the scoreboard as we head into the last match of the first half. 2-1 Smash
Match Four:
The mini main event to round out the first half is a non-title clash of champions as we see Walter (P) v Kevin Bennett (S)
Crowd sing Walters music, he is bloody massive! Bennett, although fighting for the home team, is definitely not liked by this crowd. “F-you Bennet” followed by “Walters gunna kill you” chants ring out as the bell rings.
Bennett wisely runs away at the start, did this a couple of times.... just like watching a young Baron Corbin! Then for some reason, Bennett thought it would be a good idea to try chopping Walter. The big man did not look impressed! However, Bennett does continue to get some offence in, really attacking the knee of Walter.
Walter starts to get back on top but yet again, Bennett escapes the ring. After a few teases and attempts throughout the match, Walter finally hits the chop! Man, that was loud, there’s no way that’s not still stinging Bennett’s chest now! Walter is fully in control now and hits huge Powerbomb which I’m pretty sure made the whole venue shake. Walter covers Bennett, 1-2-3, this one has rounded out an excellent first half! Great stuff by everyone involved playing their roles perfectly!
So here we stand 2-2. tied going into the break. Somewhere in South Wales, Cliff Dobbs is saying it’s a fix!
Kingdom and Sebastian Suave head to the ring to kick of the second half and cut a promo for Suave vs Rosemary this Friday at Smash Super Showdown. The main message is that Suave killed Rosemary once before, she’s risen from the dead but Suave isn’t scared of a zombie, in fact, Suave isn’t scared of anything!
Match Five:
Jordan Devlin (P) v Tarik (S)
Quick exchange to start, but neither man getting the upper hand. Tarik throws Devlin into the corner and Devlin flies over the top turnbuckle to the outside, that one looked painful! But he’s back in the ring by the count of 4.
Tarik has the upper hand in this one with huge chops. But Devlin counters and hits a Code Breaker to send Tarik out of the ring setting up a Suicide Dive. Tarik blocks the suicide dive with huge upper cut. Devlin makes his way back in control and hits a Cutter for the near fall. A great exchange leads to both men down.
This is awesome ringing out from the crowd
Two huge kicks from Tarik, one while Devlin is on the top turnbuckle leads to near fall.
Devlin counters with a Suplex but Tarik just kicks out. Tarik then hits neck breaker off top rope and lands a huge knee to Devlin’s face for the victory.
Smash regains lead 3-2.... are Progress odds on favourite to win match six tie up the best of 7?!
Match Six:
Toni Storm (P) v Jody Threat (S)
Good exchange at the start finishes with a high five, which was a nice touch. Both women liked by this crowd for sure. They Go to the mat and Threat locks in, but Storm escapes and they shake hands again. Next is Storm’s turn for the submission but Threat makes her way to the ropes and they spill into the crowd.
Threat picks up skateboard but misses and just hits ring post. Storm does the same and also misses. Back to the ring, huge Suplex by Threat, holding up Storm for about 20 seconds. However, Storm hits a Clothesline for a near fall, then keeps the upper hand and gets the victory. All hugs at the end, good bout that the crowd all seemed to enjoy.
3-3 we are tied! 1 match remaining...
Match Seven:
The Main Event of the evening, Team Progress (Chris Brookes, Travis Banks, David Starr & Paul Robinson) vs Team Smash (Idris Abraham, Joe Coleman, Daniel Garcia & John Greed)
I’ll be honest, there is way too much going on here, I will just sit back, relax and watch the match! You’ll have to check it out once Progress launches the show on demand. You’ll see me a lot on it, I’m front row on the stage in a flat cap and Dropkick Murphy’s T-shirt.
It was a great match, your typical 8-man tag, everyone gets a moment to shine, some big moves to the outside and infighting between Team Progress leads to Team Smash getting the win.
4-3 victory for the home team! What an evening, every match very enjoyable for different reasons. Great wrestling, great comedy, great fun. All in all, when all was said and done. Wrestling was fun!
I can’t wait for Thursday nights Progress Show. Watch this space for a full-ish review.
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