A Golden Globe-and Emmy Award-winning Hollywood star, Paul Walter Hauser will soon take on his next role: defending the PROGRESS Wrestling Proteus Championship.
Hauser defends the title at Chapter 193: PROGRESS Las Vegas, part of GCW’s The Collective at The Horseshoe in Las Vegas, on Thursday 16 April.
Standing in his way is former PROGRESS Men’s World Champion Big Damo, who is aiming to become the first man in PROGRESS history to complete the Grand Slam. There is also an added incentive for Big Damo to beat the Fantastic Four star: if he wins, he will not only take the gold from “The Mercenary” Paul Walter Hauser, but also claim $100,000.
The Proteus Championship, introduced by PROGRESS Wrestling in 2019, has a unique stipulation: the champion can determine the rules for title defences, pending approval from PROGRESS management.
Hauser won the PROGRESS Proteus Championship at Chapter 179: Las Vegas in April 2025, after emerging victorious in a five-way scramble match. He will now go head-to-head with Damo at a show ahead of WrestleMania 42, in a match-up he is clearly relishing.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been in the ring with someone of Big Damo’s size. I’ve been in the ring with Bullit at the Electric Ballroom in the UK, so I’m not afraid of the size difference going into the match.
“I know that Big Damo is an experienced wrestling superstar and has made an impact in many different companies. He’s beloved by his fans, and all of that considered, I definitely have my work cut out from here,” Hauser told PROGRESSWrestling.com.
“The PROGRESS Proteus Championship is the only title Damo has not held in the company, so I can see why that would be very alluring to him, though I have every intention of keeping it off his waistline.
“It makes a lot of sense that PROGRESS wanted to have the Mercenary, Paul Walter Hauser, on their card for the next show. This is my homecoming, returning to Las Vegas a year after I won the title, and it feels like a feather in my cap. I want to retain my championship.”
PROGRESS Wrestling is proud to be part of Game Changer Wrestling’s The Collective, running from 15–18 April.
Over four days, The Collective brings together top promotions and wrestlers from across the globe to deliver a festival of pure wrestling brilliance.
This year’s event promises to be unmissable, with a card packed full of international stars, fan favourites, and bouts that capture the excitement only PROGRESS Wrestling can bring.
Best known for his acting roles in Richard Jewell, Cruella, and I, Tonya, Hauser has also built a career on the independent wrestling scene.
With the biggest weekend of the wrestling calendar returning to Las Vegas, Hauser is ready to put his belt on the line in a highly anticipated clash between two PROGRESS titans.
Hauser added: “I’m proud to be in the fight hub of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I think there are folks who feel that I’m not a proper fighter, or a fighting champion, but as a champion, you can also be selective about who you face and which matches you take on.
“It makes the most sense to me to defend the title in Las Vegas, with all eyes of the wrestling community watching.
“Big Damo is the perfect opponent. He has a strong reputation and is arguably in the prime of his career right now.
“It feels like meat slapping meat, and it will be the type of match where two men just fight it out.
“I really think this will be a highly anticipated match, not just for PROGRESS, but for the entire week leading up to WrestleMania.”
Hauser, who is from Michigan, is proud to hold what he describes as a “special” title, and he does not want his reign to end in the same city where he won it in 2025.
He said: “Outside the big three wrestling companies, PROGRESS is the premium show to be in within the wrestling world.
“I feel like I am elevating the Proteus title to give it global exposure, and hanging onto it for a long period of time is unprecedented.
“If I wanted to defend it every single time, it wouldn’t be as special, so I’m picking and choosing my opportunities and my opponents, and that’s what is making this Proteus Championship so special.”
Fans can secure their seats for the PROGRESS show at The Collective and watch The Mercenary vs. The Beast of Belfast for the Proteus Championship by clicking here.
Fans can also stream PROGRESS Wrestling anytime, anywhere, on Hooked on Wrestling TV.