Once upon a time, Progress Wrestling had more hype than any other company in independent wrestling. They were at the center of the UK wrestling boom, with the likes of Will Ospreay, WALTER, Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne common on their shows. However, after WWE started their gutting of the UK scene with their plans for NXT UK – and the Speaking Out movement killed whatever hype was left.
What really all but killed them was the pandemic proceeding to take the crowds away however. A year of running shows behind closed doors has allowed the company to rebuild their roster. And now as 2021 comes to an end, they have new management to allow them to hit the ground running once again.
Progress Wrestling Has New Management For 2022
This news comes from a new press statement from Progress, which stated the following.
“PROGRESS Wrestling, the world’s leading independent professional wrestling company confirms that they will return to live shows in 2022 under brand new ownership, heralding an exciting new dawn in the history of the UK’s most exciting wrestling promotion.
PROGRESS Chapter 127: “ … and the word was PROGRESS” will take place at the spiritual home of PROGRESS, The Electric Ballroom in Camden, London on Sunday 23rd January 2022. The show will be main-evented by PROGRESS World Champion, Cara Noir defending his coveted title against Liverpool’s Chris Ridgeway in a first-to-three falls bout.
This return to live shows will come with new owners at the helm of PROGRESS Wrestling. The company has been purchased by Lee McAteer and Martyn Best, directors of English Football League Two stalwarts Tranmere Rovers FC. McAteer and Best will bring their wealth of business and sporting experience to bear to ensure PROGRESS returns strongly to live events and builds upon the success of the past.”
Not Clear How This Will Impact Their Deal With WWE
It’s unclear how this will impact their current dealings with WWE. Right now, the easiest way to catch Progress shows is during monthly uploads to the WWE Network, much like WXW & ICW. There was no mention of this in their press statement, which just announced two big shows and new management. They also have a new host in Simon Miller. Miller is best known for his work on YouTube channels such as WhatCulture Pro Wrestling.
This is a good bit of news all the same. With the amount of free agents on the market now, more places to work is always great. Progress holds a place in the hearts of fans even now, and we could see them once again rise up as a top company. Cara Noir has been having a brilliant reign there, and getting a crowd for his next defense will show that.
Do you think Progress Wrestling can rise from the ashes in 2022? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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