By Jake Clarke @JakeCCK
12 people I want to see in the 2019 PROGRESS Natural Progression Series
Bonjour everybody! I’ve decided I am going to write this article as I have basically no wrestling shows this month so I thought I would swing some content out about something I’m quite interested in which is happening in September. That being the Natural Progression Series. The NPS has a long line of good winners including Mandrews, ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster, Toni Storm, Bill Eaver and Mark Davis. This tournament would usually span over several shows with the winner earning a title shot of their choice as well as choosing somebody from that tournament to be in the next one.
This year Progress are doing an 8 man tournament which will span over 1 day, that day being the Ally Pally double header in September. The reason I am going to name 12 is because there is a deep talent pool in the UK and there’s a lot of people, I want to see go in that aren’t even on this list. My hope is that 8 of the 12 I have chosen will get picked and then I have gotten some of them right and I will feel great about myself. Here we go.
- Gene Munny
I really like Gene. He’s really starting to get his name out there as he has been competing across the country having many stellar matches. Lots of people see Gene as just pure comedy but he is improving massively in the ring to. I will never stop talking about the match he had with Jack Sexsmith at Wrestling Resurgence which was golden. I would strongly advise you get that show on their vimeo on demand, it is a ludicrously low price of £1.50. You will then probably agree with me that he deserves a shot. Get Gene into NPS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEci_DPqeQg (Gene Munny vs Sugar Dunkerton in a zombie lumberjack match at Discovery Wrestling)
2. Connor Mills
I know Connor is starting to gain some traction in Progress as he appeared on day 3 of Super Strong Style and wrestled David Starr at chapter 87 but I think this tournament would be the perfect platform for him to fully showcase what he can do. I could see him winning the whole thing if he was in it. He’s been having genuine match of the year level matches with Cara Noir, Shane Strickland, Eddie Dennis and even David Francisco. Speaking of that match with Francisco, he won the IWL championship and he is the perfect guy to take IWL to that next level. He is a genuinely brilliant wrestler and may be being in a tournament would allow him to may be work on his character more because it’s like 3 grueling matches, the storytelling opportunities are endless. Connor’s a badass and an NPS spot and may be victory would place him into a huge role with in the Progress roster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYeCK_SUKCI ( Vs Shane Strickland at Battle Pro)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLSY-vSKWhU&t=37s (Vs David Francisco at IWL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE9VBj8ykNw (Vs Eddie Dennis at IWL)
3. Nico Angelo
This guy oozes talent. He also has a wicked shooting star press. Nico has just returned from injury around a month ago and he is making waves just like he was beginning to before his injury. He’s an incredibly talented athlete. He comes from the esteemed Dragon Pro academy which has produced the likes of Beano, Brendan White, Danny jones etc. I think Nico deserves a shot at the big time to show what he can really do. Unfortunately, Nico has no matches on youtube so I would advise you to purchase the last couple of ATTACK shows and just watch him go. He is awesome.
4. Warren Banks
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah Warren Warren Banks Warren Banks Warren Banks. Just made that up on the spot. Anyways, Warren may be the most unknown on my list but he deserves to be known. He is a really good competitor and has improved massively over the last year. He has had some good matches with Eddie Dennis, Cara Noir and street fight with Kyle Kingsley, he has just been absolutely killing it. I think getting a shot in the limelight will change his career for the better in the sense that he would get booked in so many bigger places and he deserves it. Warren vs Mills is a match I really want to see. Warren also has no matches on Youtube so I would recommend checking out GOOD wrestling on demand where he has been making a name for himself.
5. Fraser Thomas
Fraser has the perfect story for this. It would be an excellent conclusion to a redemption story, to win a tournament that would get him a full time place in Progress. Not only that but he is actually really good at wrestling and he will only improve. I watched him have a great match with Charli Evans at HOPE in January and if he brings that same kind of style and intensity,I think he would fit in perfectly into the roster. Imagine Fraser vs Mills, Fraser vs Nico. They would be excellent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCsmWtSLQHE&t=4s (With AJ Istria vs Man Like Deriess and Dan Maloney at EWA)
6. NIWA
Is NIWA already technically a regular due to his affiliation with the South Pacific Power Trip? I guess so but I think him being in this tournament and maybe even winning the tournament would almost add some legitimacy to SPPT in the sense that they will have something under their belts. It will also give NIWA a shot to compete in one on one action in Progress but I guess he may get that opportunity before Ally Pally. I want to see NIWA vs Mills and NIWA vs Banks if any of those guys get in because they all hit really hard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlHP4uG6qso ( Vs Danny Jones at IWL in a Wrestle Gate exhibition)
7. Sugar Dunkerton
Suge got his dark match against NIWA a few PROGRESS shows ago and therefore is clearly on their radar. According to twitter that day, he did really well and had a good match with NIWA. I think Suge has made a massive impact in his time in the UK and might be the best import we have had. He isn’t even really an import any more, he is one of our own. I want him to do so well and I think the NPS is a perfect platform for him to show everybody what he is about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-vjPmajF3k (Vs Benji vs Amir Jordan at 3CW)
8. The OJMO
This man oozes charisma and is great in the ring. He was at Super Strong Style and I imagine he did really well and I believe he had done a couple of dark matches before. OJMO is impressing as Battle Pro champion too and had a great match with Chris Brookes and Buffalo Soldier at IWL. This man is another contender that could win as I see him fitting in really well within the Progress realm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYwwYn9YRSM&t=37s (VS Jordon Breaks at Battle Pro)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4ZukkvsssI&t=790s (Vs Buffalo Soldier vs Chris Brookes at IWL)
9. Man Like Beano
I think Beano is a strong contender to be picked to be in the NPS this year purely because he wrestled that super secret dark match with Pete Dunne in Progress which wasn’t really a secret. I was at this show, he got a decent pop and actually really impressed, they had a good match. I guess my thought behind this is that surely they must like him too have him wrestle Dunne. I also think he’s just quite good in general isn’t he. He’s killing it everywhere including Dragon Pro where he is champ and at GOOD Wrestling he is champion too. Check out GOOD on demand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utriIYmiJUE (Vs Mark Haskins at Chaos)
10. ‘Bronco’ Brendan White
Brendan is actually having a fantastic 2019 and is killing it everywhere and massively breaking out. He made his RevPro debut, which I was there for and he is now regularly appearing in ATTACK. As well as this he is Evolution Wrestling champion and beginning to kill it in Dragon Pro, Good etc etc. My PWJ colleague, Ciaran James loves Brendan so im sure he would love to see Brendan get another chance to shine in the biggest company in the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxfLIst1VgM (Vs Flynn Burden at Dragon Pro x ATTACK)
11. Jordon Breaks
The Sussex stretcher is so good. May be one of the best technical wrestlers in the country already and he has not been wrestling that long. He has been having class matches everywhere and is bound to be huge in the future. May be a spot here is the way to go and to begin his rise to the top. Also, I feel like he looks like Jack Gallagher, anyone else feel the same?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeSU12pkH8U (Vs Scotty Davis at Pro Wrestling Soul)
12. Man Like Deriess
I really want Deriess to be in this. He is everywhere right now, Resurgence, ATTACK, Kamikaze and Defiant just to name a few. Like I said with OJMO, I think Deriess would fit right into the fold with Progress and the NPS is the best way to introduce him to the PROGRESS faithful. Him vs literally everyone I have listed sounds appealing to me. He’s got the charisma and the in ring ability to match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciDH2-iC3mw (Vs Robbie X at Defiant)
So these are twelve wrestlers I would like to see in NPS this year. There are so many others but if I was to list them this piece would take days to write. Thanks for reading.
@JakeCCK to discuss wrestling and show coverage and let me know who you want to see in the NPS.
