At one point in the mid-2010’s, Progress Wrestling was the hot promotion on the indies. The UK based promotion would attract top talent from around the world, as well as from the UK scene. Groups like British Strong Style, powerhouses like WALTER, and more acts that NXT UK now benefits from called it home, and had some of their best matches under its banner.
However, there was a series of heavy blows to the promotion, which is now barely recognized by fans. NXT UK gutted their roster, COVID-19 took their fans away, and Speaking Out ruined the reputation of many of it’s stars beyond repair. Add in their shows being quietly uploaded to WWE Network now and being taped behind closed doors, and very few realized Cara Noir made history months ago.
Cara Noir Is Having A Great Reign Behind Closed Doors
This history is that he now holds the longest Progress Championship reign of all time. A belt held by the likes of WALTER, Pete Dunne, Will Ospreay, and Mark Haskins – it was once the coveted prize of the indies. Jimmy Havoc held the belt for 609 days during one of the best storylines in company history, where he fell back into his deathmatch roots after trying to play fair. Havoc was one of the names mentioned in Speaking Out, which led to his release from All Elite Wrestling.
Now, he no longer holds the record for longest reign, as Cara Noir has held the belt for a staggering 679 days. This means around two months ago, he broke the record – but only those dedicated to following the promotion and their closed door tapings noticed. Noir is having some excellent matches in this reign, but it doesn’t matter when no one isn’t watching.
A lack of hype and a lack of promotion for their shows on WWE Network will lead to that. This is mostly with COVID-19 to blame, as when he won the belt Progress was still packing small venues with rabid fans. Hopefully soon, Progress can get fans back in attendance – and the world can recognize how great Noir has been.
Have you kept up with Progress Wrestling? Should WWE do more to promote the brand alongside ICW & WXW? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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