In our exclusive interview, the dynamic duo known as Sunshine Machine, opened up about their upcoming match at PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 162: The Light of the Dragon against the formidable Grizzled Young Veterans. As the wrestling community buzzes with anticipation, all eyes are on this historic matchup that could redefine the landscape of tag team wrestling in PROGRESS.
Sunshine Machine, welcome back to PROGRESS Wrestling! You were greeted with your usual massive pop at the Electric Ballroom at UNBOXING, how did it feel to be back wrestling as a tag team in Sunshine Machine country?
CHUCK MAMBO: OUTSTANDING MY GOOD DUDE! It had been TOO LONG! and while of course we were both jazzed for the singles opportunities we had in the summer, I don’t think either of us ever fire on more firey cylinders than when we are tagging together! To hear that sweet sweet pop of all the Sun-Bathers and Machinanites was just plain GOOD FOR THE SOUL! What a way to end the year on a high!
TK COOPER: Well, I think it’s good that you said it was massive and that it was usual. Bittersweet though, back in The Ballroom, good. Back in The Ballroom and losing, bad. Hard not to feel down that we couldn’t translate that good energy into a win for people who were excited to see us back. We love PROGRESS, we love the people, and I’m sure there are SAnitY fans out there who were just as pleased to see their boys win, but I can’t pretend to hear that wall of noise when we come out and not think, OK this ones for you, and then not deliver.
You were challenged by Grizzled Young Veterans for this month’s show in what is similar to old PROGRESS vs new PROGRESS from your match at UNBOXING against FSU. This time though, no gold is on the line… it seems they targeted you as you are seen as the faces of the PROGRESS Wrestling division thanks to your efforts since they left? Do you agree?
CHUCK MAMBO: That’s actually a super good point! They’re all, we never heard of Sunshine Machine, we left the door open BUT WHO CALLED OUT WHO?! And to be fair – that’s in no small part thanks to our very vocal fans so thank you to all of them! And thanks to GYV for putting the call out and listening but yeah! There’s something more than gold on the line this time for sure!
And I know it comes before the fall n all but I am really proud of everything Sunshine Machine has done and achieved in this Brit Wres Renaissance! We’ve been sharpened against so many awesome teams and I feel really lucky to have shared the ring with such great teams and now looking to January 28th we can take everything we’ve learned, all the things we’ve tweaked and all the ways we’ve grown and test it up against world travelled, 3 time champs! I will say, ya mention FSU who I LOVE! WELL! Whatever it is Sunshine Machine do worked against the old school last unboxing! And I believe it will against GYV!
TK COOPER: No I actually don’t. The, as you say, ‘faces of the PROGRESS Wrestling division’ is too small time for what we’ve really accomplished if I’m being honest. I’m confident in the fact we are the best unsigned team in independent wrestling right now and it actually makes me cringe so much reading other teams, inside and outside of PROGRESS, saying the same or similar thing. Measure everything we’ve done, so far, versus any team, and objectively there are a LOT of teams that have done a lot of great things… in one promotion, in one country.
Meanwhile we’ve been the only ones that are EVERYWHERE. Grizzled Young Veterans are quite possibly the biggest what-if from Brit Wres, they left on the upswing of the boom, won the NXT UK tag-titles and then somehow didn’t make it past NXT despite how exceptionally talented they are!? So it only makes sense now they’re on the loose again that they’d headhunt the biggest matches for themselves. And I can really only thank the fans for recognising the opportunity to see this perfect storm come together and making their voices heard for us.
Grizzled Young Veterans said they believe they are in your heads rent free, thanks to their psychological warfare culminating in your promo response to them. What do you say to that?
CHUCK MAMBO: The only thing that lives rent free in my head is “Concerning Hobbits” by Howard Shore. I will say though, they probably have irked us. I mean, they’re talking about coming in to get momentum to get a 4th title reign, which I can’t help but feel is overlooking us! And then all that nonsense about just walking through the door they left open and acting like they’ve not heard of Sunshine Machine! I will say, in singles matches, in the before-times, they both have kicked my ass, but Sunshine Machine is bigger than the sum of its parts! And neither of us are the wrestlers we were when GYV were last in PROGRESS! Well, look at this! I dunno about rent free but I guess they have pissed me off!
I would say, what we said was really half of what we wanted to say. Rent free is funny when they’re clearly being so facetious saying we’re ‘top talent’ and then outing themselves as not knowing who we are. Talking about offering free bevs for dressing up to support them, but when they’re at the merch table selling £50 BLCKSMTH tees it becomes pretty apparent they’ve become just like any import and are talking from behind their Scrooge McDuck vaults of money. GYV have stated they have improved since they left for the States but wouldn’t divulge how in order to not give you an advantage… are you a team that studies tape and have you been doing that on their run on the indies so far?
Not only tape, we’ve been watching them live as much as possible while they’ve been over here. For all the jabba and talking, there’s no doubt, they are an INCREDIBLE team and we respect the hell out of them! IF we lose on the 28th, it won’t be for lack of preparation! This much I can assure you!
TK COOPER: Funnily enough we were actually on the same show when they made their return to the UK last year against Man Like Dereiss and Omari. And when they made their debut up North, we were there too. So whether they were doing the same on those shows, we’ve been watching.
Talking of the states, you had your interaction with FTR on social media recently, thanks to the PROGRESS fans who want to see you in the biggest and best matches. GYV say they don’t care about dream matches but are there any potential matches YOU would love to have at the Electric Ballroom in 2024?
CHUCK MAMBO: Well! FTR would obviously be sick! I’d also really love to wrestle Bussy! I think it’d be wild if we ever got Sunshine Machine vs CCK! Rascals! Best friends! Besties too for that matter! I would LOVE to wrestle the Besties! Swords of Essex! If we are dreaming! Pretty Deadly and ourselves never got to cross paths on the indies and I think that would be rather wonderful! I always end up forgetting people when I get asked this question, to my shame, but I mean, that’s a pretty rad list there already eh!
TK COOPER: I can’t lie, I’m also not really that fussed about dream matches, maybe because as a wrestler it’s harder to enjoy the ‘dream’ part of it in the moment, but I will say matches like GYV I would consider a great test to know where we are at as a team. So with that same sort of approach I would consider FTR a great barometer for where we are and where we need to be to move into that next level of our careers. Beyond that for potential matches at The Ballroom; just more top talent teams like your Usos, your Young Bucks, your Lucha Bros, your Bishamons.
Do you have eyes on being a part of the Philadelphia show at The Collective on WrestleMania weekend? What would it mean to the Sunshine Machine to be added to the card?
CHUCK MAMBO: Yes! and it would mean Philadelphia was no longer a city in the state on Pennsylvania, it was now officially a part of SUNSHINE MACHINE COUNTRY!
TK COOPER: So I was actually a part of the first PROGRESS WrestleMania weekend in 2017. That was 6 years ago. Back then I was just happy to be there and it was such a thrill to get so much love and support from old and new fans. Since then, I’ve had personal struggles, everything fell apart and had to build things up from scratch. Obviously I would’ve never been able to do any of that second part if it wasn’t for Mambo, so to be on that journey and have it lead where it has since, if that means Philadelphia, I can’t think of a better way to finally shake all the ghosts of the past by making new memories as Sunshine Machine.
It’s fair to say the PROGRESS Wrestling tag team division, which you helped build, is absolutely stacked with talent right now. Do you see a potential win over GYV as a huge stepping stone back to the top of the mountain again?
CHUCK MAMBO: I sure hope so! To be honest, it’s been deeply disappointing to see belts that we worked so hard (not just us, all of the tag division…Aces included!) to elevate barely being defended cos the Aces decided they’d rather be Spike’s lackeys. Hopefully a win over GYV could help us take back those strizzaps and put a bit of respect back on them! But like ya said before, its about more than titles. For us anyway! I think its another chance to prove to ourselves how much we have grown as wrestlers compared to the last time GYV were in PROGRESS. More than that its a chance to prove to EVERYBODY that the current PROGRESS Tag Division can hold its own against any tag division in the world! Past, Present or Future!
When we were the champs, we defended the belts every show, not because we had to, but because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we could walk our own path, not have to change our personalities to match what other people would think is how a champion should act. Basically just to prove you can always just be yourself and still achieve everything you want. Now compare that to the current champs who to my knowledge, have defended the belts twice in 6 months…
TK COOPER: What we did for the tag division in PROGRESS and tag wrestling in the UK, the level we elevated it to, again I’ve got the receipts, the main event tag-team title matches, the iconic tag-team matches. Suffice to say, some of us are trying to leave a memorable legacy, and some people are just greedy to have that bit of metal strapped around them because they think that means something. We’re going to beat Grizzled Young Veterans because we’ve made it our responsibility to elevate the tag-team division in PROGRESS, the visibility of tag-team wrestling in this country and being remembered worldwide as The Absolute Best in Men’s Combat Doubles.
PROGRESS Wrestling tickets are available for all future shows via the dice app, including Chapter 162 to witness Grizzled Young Veterans vs Sunshine Machine live and in person.
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