Rhio Reclaims the PROGRESS Women’s World Championship
In a high-stakes main event at PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chapter 180: Super Strong Style 16, Rhio triumphed over Nina Samuels to reclaim the PROGRESS Women’s World Championship in a gripping Title vs. Career match. The bout, held on Sunday, 4 May 2025, at London’s iconic Electric Ballroom, was the culmination of months of fierce rivalry and personal stakes.
The animosity between Rhio and Samuels reached boiling point after Samuels dethroned Rhio in December 2024 at Chapter 175: Unboxing VII: The Curtain Call. Since then, Samuels had enjoyed a dominant 126-day reign, successfully defending against top-tier challengers such as Emersyn Jayne, Rayne Leverkusen, and Vert Vixen. Rhio, driven by sheer determination, put her PROGRESS career on the line for one final opportunity to reclaim the gold.
The 18-minute encounter was packed with tension and drama. Special guest referee Kanji brought an unpredictable edge to proceedings. Chaos ensued when a struggle over the championship belt saw Kanji accidentally taken out, allowing Samuels to deliver a package piledriver for a near fall. Samuels then accused Kanji of bias and summoned a second official, only for Kanji to recover, remove her referee shirt, neutralise the replacement, and resume officiating herself.
The climax came when Samuels missed a moonsault, opening the door for Rhio to hit a shotgun dropkick and follow up with two devastating package piledrivers to clinch the pinfall and her second PROGRESS Women’s World Championship reign.
Post-match, Rhio addressed the crowd with heartfelt emotion, acknowledging the uncertain future for many in the PROGRESS locker room while affirming their dedication to the British wrestling scene. She capped off the evening with a historic announcement: in 2026, PROGRESS will host its first-ever all-women’s Super Strong Style tournament, marking a landmark moment for women’s wrestling in the UK.
Rhio’s victory solidifies her as a cornerstone of PROGRESS Wrestling and ushers in a new era of ambition, opportunity, and representation.
