PROGRESS Wrestling returned to the Electric Ballroom for day one of Super Strong Style 16, and the opening night delivered the sort of high-energy, character-heavy chaos that has become the promotion’s calling card.
From stunning shocks and surprises, the unmissable tournament returned for its showpiece weekender in the capital, which saw Cara Noir stun Man Like Dereiss to recapture the PROGRESS Men’s World Championship.
Simon Miller’s run was brought to a heartbreaking end, while the tournament also narrowed the field for both the men’s and women’s brackets and ended with Cara Noir ripping the PROGRESS Men’s World Championship away from Dereiss.
Miller’s defeat to Jay Joshua was one of the night’s emotional points, with Miller left devastated as his tournament run came to an end. The loss mattered because Miller had become one of the standout stories of the bracket, and Joshua advanced with Nico Angelo at his side, a reminder that the tag champions are not short of confidence or ambition.
Charles Crowley’s victory over Elijah Blum came with one of the more surreal touches of the night, as balloons were brought into play and helped form part of the visual gag around his pin escape. It was the kind of oddball PROGRESS moment that can only really work in front of a Camden crowd, and Crowley’s progress into the semi-finals was aided by his trademark theatricality as much as anything else. Crowley will face Joshua in the last four.
There was more drama in the Men’s tournament, as Spike Trivet overcame Peter Tihanyi to reach the semi-finals, where he will face Charlie Sterling after he knocked out Lio Rush.
Shotzi Blackheart delivered a stunning Electric Ballroom debut by beating LA Taylor through a pin, with Skye Smitson in Taylor’s corner and the crowd firmly invested in the fight. The winner now moves on to a major semi-final against Rhio, setting up a genuine international showcase between one of North America’s biggest names and one of Europe’s most imposing independents stars.
Rhio also had to dig deep in a hard-fought encounter with Stephanie Maze, while Gisele Shaw re-ran her entrance after feeling the crowd had not given it the reaction it deserved the first time round. Kanji then showed her class against Hollie Barlow, with Hollie’s heart keeping her in the match for as long as possible before the former and most decorated women’s champion forced her way through to the last four.
The Ballroom chants turned toward The Experience as Skye Smitson’s presence alongside LA Taylor drew plenty of noise, with “Super Skye Smitson” ringing out during the night. The pairing has built a strong reputation as one of the most polished duos in the scene, and PROGRESS leaned into that confidence throughout the show.
The main event saw Man Like Deeeiss defend the PROGRESS Men’s World Championship against Cara Noir in a no-disqualification clash that ended with Noir becoming champion. DeReiss arrived with both his customised title and the original PROGRESS Men’s World Championship, but Cara not only won, he held both belts aloft before discarding the custom one over the side of the ring in a final act that underlined the depth of the feud.
Day one set the table perfectly for the rest of Super Strong Style 16: tournament drama, personality-driven segments, and a title change that reset the top of the card. The semi-finals now carry real weight, but the night belonged to Cara Noir, Shotzi Blackheart, Rhio and the sort of Electric Ballroom atmosphere that makes PROGRESS what it is.