 Progress Wrestling's logo | |
| Acronym | Progress |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Style | Professional wrestling Sports entertainment |
| Headquarters | London,England |
| Founder(s) | Jim Smallman Jon Briley |
| Owner(s) | Lee McAteer Martyn Best |
| Merged with | DEFY Wrestling |
| Website | ProgressWrestling.com |
Progress Wrestling (stylized as PROGRESS) is a Britishprofessional wrestlingpromotion that was established in 2011 by comedianJim Smallman, events and comedy promoter Jon Briley, and later, actor Glen Robinson (professionally known asGlen Joseph). The company is now co-owned by Lee McAteer, Martyn Best, and Matthew Buczek.
Progress was conceived byJim Smallman and Jon Briley in 2011, who were both wrestling fans. Smallman is a fan of "strong style" wrestling, Japanese in particular, and Briley was Smallman's agent.[1]
In 2015, Progress appeared for five nights atDownload Festival.[2] In December of that year, they began running regular shows atThe Ritz in Manchester.[3] On 30 September 2018, Progress Wrestling held "Hello Wembley" atWembley Arena. Billed by the promotion as the largest independent wrestling show in England for 30 years, the event drew 4,750 people; making it the most attended event in Progress Wrestling history.[4]
In 2016, the company began working relationships with other promotions. At Chapter 29 on 24 April in London, Progress hosted two qualifying matches for theWWE Cruiserweight Classic.[5] In 2017, Progress wrestlers such asPete Dunne,Tyler Bate,Trent Seven, andMark Andrews participated in theWWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, culminating in Bate being crowned the first everWWE UK Champion.[citation needed]
Smallman left Progress at the end of 2019 after Chapter 100. In June 2020, Progress reacted toreports of sexual harassment in the British independent circuit. After several accusations had been circulating of behaviour at other wrestling promotions, Progress decided to no longer work with David Starr, Travis Banks, and El Ligero, as well as suspending indefinitely then- Tag team Champions Jordan Devlin and Scotty Davis, who vacated the titles.[6] Ring announcer and creative team member Matt Richards also left the promotion.[7] On 21 June 2020, it was announced that Glen Joseph was stepping down with Michael Oku, Vicky Haskins and James Amner all taking prominent roles in the company.[8] By the time the company returned to running shows, only James Amner would remain involved, and Amner played a key part in the future ownership of the company.
In 2021, Progress announced its return amidst theCOVID-19 pandemic, travelling to South London to set up a temporary home at Theatre Peckham for Chapter 104: Natural Progression on 20 February, eventually producing 23 shows behind closed doors which featured on the WWE Network. On 31 December that year, ahead of their return to live shows in January 2022, it was announced that Progress had been acquired by Lee McAteer and Martyn Best - taking over ownership from Briley.
On 9 February 2024, it was announced that PROGRESS Wrestling would merge withDEFY Wrestling, an independent promotion based inSeattle, Washington in the United States. It was created to bring a "global presence" to both brands and aid further expansion plans.[9]
Demand Progress Plus is Progress'video-on-demand service that launched in 2023, replacing the previous service on Pivotshare.[10]
January 2017 had seen the first episode ofFreedom's Road, a new series from Progress which would feature matches taped specifically for the show and have a heavy focus on characters and plots.[11]
As of November 28, 2025.
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held | Location | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROGRESS World Championship |  | Man Like DeReiss | 1 | August 25, 2025 | 95+ | London, England | DefeatedLuke Jacobs in aTables, Ladders and Chairs match atChapter 183: Hundred Volts | [12] |
| Progress Wrestling Atlas Championship |  | Will Kroos | 1 | September 28, 2025 | 61+ | London, England | DefeatedGene Munny atChapter 184: Camden Lock Up. | [13] |
| Progress Wrestling Proteus Championship | _(cropped)_(cropped).jpg) | Paul Walter Hauser | 1 | 17 April 2025 | 225+ | Paradise, Nevada | DefeatedSimon Miller,Effy,Adam Priest and Charles Crowley in aFive-way scramble match atChapter 179: Progress Las Vegas. | [14] |
| PROGRESS Tag Team Championship |   | Diamond Eyes (Connor Mills andNico Angelo) | 1 (1, 1) | 26 October 2025 | 33+ | London, England | Defeated Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos andKid Lykos II) andSunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo and TK Cooper) atChapter 185: Jump In The Line. | [15] |
| Progress Women's Championship | Rayne Leverkusen | 1 | 26 October 2025 | 33+ | London, England | DefeatedRhio atChapter 185: Jump In The Line. | [15] | |
Patrick Lennon, wrestling journalist for theDaily Star, has attended and reviewed Progress shows.[16]
Carrie Dunn, founder and main contributor of wrestling blog "The Only Way is Suplex",[17] published the bookSpandex, Screw Jobs & Cheap Pops: Inside the Business of British Pro Wrestling.[18] Progress Wrestling features frequently in the book including opening a chapter regarding London based wrestling promotions.[19]
| Championships |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Events | |||||||
| Partnerships |
| ||||||
Upcoming events are in italics | |||||
| Tournaments |
| ||||
| Super Strong Style 16 | |||||
| Co-promoted | |||||
| Chapters (Flagship events) | |||||
