PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 179 Review: PROGRESS, Las Vegas

Tag Team Match: Lykos Gym vs. Boisterous Behaviour

The show kicked off with an explosive tag team encounter between Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos II) and the high-flying duo of Boisterous Behaviour (Leon Slater & Man Like DeReiss). Both teams delivered fast-paced offense and big tandem moves. At one point Slater and DeReiss nailed a double-team stunner, and DeReiss attempted a Four Fiddy splash – but Lykos II got his knees up to counter​. The Lykos boys rallied with high-impact moves of their own, including Kid Lykos hitting a top-rope superplex on Slater. Lykos II followed up with a diving double stomp and then a brainbuster to put DeReiss down for the three-count​.

This was a strong opener that highlighted PROGRESS’s tag team division. Lykos Gym, former tag champions and perennial contenders, showed why they remain a dominant force. Their win here in Las Vegas reasserts their claim as one of the top teams in PROGRESS, possibly inching them closer to a future title opportunity.

On the other side, Boisterous Behaviour – an exciting young team – impressed the crowd with their agility and teamwork despite the loss. The result positions Lykos Gym firmly in the title hunt (especially with Sunshine Machine freshly crowned as tag champs at Chapter 178), while Slater and DeReiss may regroup and seek redemption in upcoming chapters.

As a side note, all four enter the Super Strong Style 16 tournament this coming May, so all harbour dreams of becoming the PROGRESS Men’s World Champion!

WxW Unified World Wrestling Championship: 1 Called Manders (C) vs. Marcus Mathers vs. Tate Mayfairs

The wXw Unified World Title was defended in a frenetic triple threat, pitting champion 1 Called Manders against American upstart Marcus Mathers and PROGRESS’s own Tate Mayfairs. The action was nonstop, with each man having moments to shine. Mathers at one point hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Mayfairs and later wiped out Manders on the floor with a flip dive. Mayfairs nearly stole the win after a top-rope elbow drop on Manders, forcing Mathers to break the pin​. However, the powerhouse Manders weathered the storm. In the final stretch, he levelled Mathers with a crushing lariat to score the pinfall and retain his title​. Manders’ strength and brawling ability allowed him to fend off both challengers in hard-fought action.

Manders’ victory solidifies his reign as wXw Champion on international soil, showing that the visiting titleholder could hold his own in PROGRESS.

Singles Match: Mike D vs. KURO

This singles contest was short but intense, essentially a showcase of power for “The Belgian War Machine” Mike D. His opponent, Kuro, jumped him before the bell and unleashed a burst of offense – including a suicide dive and a cannonball in the corner – to gain an early advantage​. However, Mike D quickly turned the tide with his sheer strength. In a highlight moment, he caught Kuro mid-air on a flip dive and powerbombed him onto the ring apron, drawing gasps from the crowd​.

From there, the muscular D. Vecchio dominated: he delivered a running Mafia Kick and then an impressive gut-wrench, twisting sit-out powerbomb that slammed Kuro down for the emphatic pinfall​. The bout only lasted around five minutes, but it left an impact – one massive powerbomb even elicited a “holy s***!” chant from the Las Vegas audience​.

While not rooted in any deep storyline, this match served as a statement victory for Mike D and surely raise the eyebrows of Axel Tischer who was unable to defend his ATLAS Title on the card due to his passport issues.

PROGRESS Women’s World Championship Match: Nina Samuels (C) vs. Vert Vixen vs. Rhio

The PROGRESS Women’s World Title was contested in a triple threat that intertwined championship stakes with personal grudges. Nina Samuels came in as the defending champion (110 days into her reign) and devious; she had actually won the belt from Rhio late last year thanks to her mind games. Challenger Vert Vixen was the wild card from the U.S., and notably, she and Rhio had already brawled earlier in the day at the DEFY event – meaning tensions were high​.

From the outset, Rhio and Vert went after each other, allowing Nina to slink out of the ring and pick her spots. Rhio dominated early exchanges (at one point diving through the ropes to hit Nina on the outside and she later connected with a huge top-rope missile dropkick to wipe out both opponents​.

Vert Vixen showcased her power too, planting Nina with a Blue Thunder Bomb and a “Game Over” spinning brainbuster for near-falls​. Throughout the chaos, Nina played the opportunist – breaking up pins and avoiding direct combat whenever possible.

In the climax, Rhio hit her devastating package piledriver on Nina, which surely would have won her back the title… except Vert Vixen yanked the referee out of the ring before the three-count, interrupting the pin​. An infuriated Rhio went after Vert on the floor, and Vert rammed Rhio into the ring post, taking her out of the equation​. Seizing the moment, Nina finally struck decisively: she grabbed Vert Vixen and delivered a Starstruck and pinned Vert Vixen to retain her championship.

The result affirmed Nina Samuels as a resourceful (if sneaky) champion. Nina’s strategy of letting her two challengers tear each other apart paid off, continuing the title reign she arguably never truly earned to begin with (recall that she only beat Rhio for the belt via cheating).

PROGRESS Proteus World Championship: Simon Miller (C) vs. EFFY vs. Paul Walter Hauser vs. Charles Crowley vs. Adam Priest

A five-way scramble for the Proteus Title brought comedy, chaos, and a shocking title change. Champion Simon Miller faced four challengers: the flamboyant American indie star EFFY, the spectacular Charles Crowley, no-nonsense grappler Adam Priest and Hollywood actor Paul Walter Hauser – an Emmy-winning entertainer and huge wrestling fan making a rare in-ring appearance​.

With five men in one fall, the action was wild and fast. Early on, Hauser surprised everyone with a cannonball dive off the apron onto the other wrestlers, and Miller answered with a big suicide dive of his own onto the pile​. Not to be outdone, Crowley attempted a top-rope moonsault to the floor. Inside the ring, EFFY provided comic relief and clever offense – at one point tying up Priest in the ropes with a Tarantula-like hold, and later biting Hauser’s nipple in an effort to weaken the burly actor​.

Hauser absorbed the punishment and delivered some offense of his own, including a middle-rope diving headbutt on EFFY for a two-count​. The champion Miller hit a spear on EFFY, seemingly gaining momentum, but Crowley spewed green mist into Miller’s eyes, taking the champ out of commission late in the match​.

With Miller blinded, the final sequence came down to Hauser and Adam Priest. Priest introduced a steel chair, smashing Hauser across the back. Hauser, showing grit (and perhaps some beginner’s luck), quickly recovered. He hoisted Priest up and planted him face-first with a Haus Arrest, driving Priest into the steel​. That brutal impact was enough for the three-count — Paul Walter Hauser pinned Priest to win the Proteus Championship.

The crowd erupted for the surprise title change, as the celebrity underdog realized he’d just won his first wrestling championship. Hauser was stunned, celebrating with the belt and milking in the moment while the other competitors were left reeling.

This match delivered one of the night’s biggest shockers. Paul Walter Hauser’s victory is an unexpected twist for PROGRESS, instantly generating buzz beyond the usual wrestling circles. Hauser, known for his roles in film and TV, has now become an unlikely champion in PROGRESS. Simon Miller lost his title without even being pinned, thanks to Crowley’s blinding mist and Priest’s chair-play.

This gives Miller a valid gripe and a possible rematch claim down the line, as he was never beaten one-on-one. Crowley, ever the showman, failed to win but certainly left his mark with the mist; he may not be done pursuing the Proteus belt (and now has a new, famous adversary to target).

Expect a scramble of contenders (including Miller and Crowley, and whoever else steps up) to vie for the belt soon. For the moment, though, PROGRESS Chapter 179 will be remembered for the night a Hollywood actor walked into PROGRESS and walked out as Proteus Champion, in one of the more surreal twists in our history.

Singles Match – Cara Noir vs. Minoru Suzuki

In a special attraction match, PROGRESS fans witnessed Cara Noir – the enigmatic former PROGRESS Men’s World Champion – face off against Japanese legend Minoru Suzuki. The bout was a stiff, methodical contest that leaned into Suzuki’s punishing style. Suzuki, beloved by fans as “Murder Grandpa,” elicited his trademark mix of fear and excitement as chants rang out for him as he stalked Noir.​

From the get-go, Suzuki targeted Cara Noir’s limbs and joints with clinical precision. He threw wicked kicks at Noir’s legs and yanked him into painful submission holds – including a Fujiwara armbar where Suzuki mercilessly twisted Noir’s fingers and a stretch of torturous holds on the mat​.

Cara Noir, known for his dramatic resilience, absorbed a lot of punishment. He tried to match Suzuki’s strikes and even briefly caught the veteran in a rear naked choke, attempting to choke out Suzuki in a flash of desperation​. However, Suzuki is as cunning as he is brutal. The moment Noir applied the choke, Suzuki countered by flipping Noir forward onto his head to break the hold, stunning the audience​.

Seizing the advantage, Suzuki slapped on his sleeper hold to sap Noir’s remaining strength, then hoisted him up and drilled Noir with the Gotch-style piledriver for the decisive pin. It was a definitive victory for Suzuki, who largely dominated the match and gave Cara Noir a harsh lesson in strong-style wrestling.

This match was a cross-promotional dream encounter rather than a chapter of a current PROGRESS storyline, but it carried significance for Cara Noir’s trajectory. Cara Noir has been one of PROGRESS’s top stars – a former champion with a unique, almost theatrical in-ring persona and a history of enduring incredible pain to overcome foes. Here, he met an immovable object in Minoru Suzuki.

How will it affect Cara Noir’s attempt to win the PROGRESS Men’s World Championship against Luke Jacobs at Super Strong Style 16?

PROGRESS Men’s Championship Match: Luke Jacobs (C) vs. Michael Oku

The headline bout saw Luke Jacobs defend the PROGRESS Men’s World Championship against the dynamic Michael Oku, accompanied by his partner Amira. A true clash of styles, the match pitted Jacobs’ raw power against Oku’s lightning pace and technical skill. Oku exploded out the gate, dazzling with a headscissor takedown, huracanrana and a crowd-popping dive. But Jacobs swiftly turned the tide, catching Oku mid-air and slamming him viciously onto the apron.

From there, Jacobs slowed the match, punishing Oku with brutal forearms and a suplex on the entrance stage. Oku fought back with DDTs, a frog splash and his signature half Boston crab, nearly securing victory. The final minutes were intense: Jacobs survived multiple near-falls, countered a flurry of offence, and finally ended it with back-to-back lariats, retaining the title after a hard-fought 17 minutes. Both men earned a standing ovation.

Jacobs’ clean win over a top-tier opponent like Oku strengthens his growing legacy as PROGRESS Champion. He’s now held the belt for nearly a year, defeating challengers with toughness and grit. Oku pushed the champ to his limit and proved why he’s still one of Britain’s best, despite the loss. With Super Strong Style 16 approaching, Jacobs stands tall as the man to beat – his reign continuing with momentum and menace.

Watch on DEMAND PROGRESS PLUS.

You can also watch the replay now on Triller TV+