Progress Wrestling

PROGRESS Wrestling is a British independent wrestling promotion based in London, England. It began in 2012, when the British wrestling scene was beginning to rebuild after a long decline. The promotion focuses on modern, hard hitting professional wrestling, presented in the intimate setting of music venues rather than traditional arenas.

Branded as “punk rock” and “strong-style” pro wrestling, it grew from a small room show into a company running sold-out events, a huge arena card at Wembley, and a streaming deal that put its library in front of fans worldwide.

More recently, it has entered a new phase, relaunching under new ownership and merging with US promotion DEFY Wrestling as it continues to grow into a global indie brand.

Origins in London and the “Chapter” Era

The promotion was created by stand-up comedian Jim Smallman and his agent Jon Briley in 2011, with theatre actor and director Glen Joseph joining soon after.

Their idea for this promotion was to present hard-hitting matches, adult humour on the microphone, and a close connection with a regular crowd that felt more like a music gig than a traditional family wrestling show.

The first show, Chapter One: “In The Beginning,” took place at The Garage in Islington on 25 March 2012, in front of just over 300 fans.

In just two years, the main shows in London relocated to the Electric Ballroom in Camden. This music venue, with a capacity of 700, gave the shows their now familiar look and atmosphere.

PROGRESS Wrestling in the British Wrestling Boom

By the mid-2010s, the company had become one of the most talked-about promotions in Europe.

It built long, story-driven feuds like Jimmy Havoc’s violent run as PROGRESS Champion and helped highlight names like Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, Zack Sabre Jr., Mark Andrews, Toni Storm, and many others who would later sign with larger companies.

Fans followed numbered “Chapter” events in London, while the promotion also ran in Manchester and at other tour stops. It took a regular spot at the Download Festival from 2015, introducing festival crowds to live independent wrestling.

By 2016, PROGRESS was closely linked to WWE’s interest in the UK scene. The company hosted qualifying matches for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic at Chapter 29, then saw several of its regulars, including Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, and Mark Andrews, featured in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament in early 2017.

PROGRESS events and titles later appeared on the WWE Network and, for US viewers, on Peacock, giving the small London promotion global visibility.

The high point of the original era came in September 2018 with Chapter 76: “Hello Wembley” at the SSE Arena, Wembley. It was billed as the largest independent wrestling show England had held in 30 years, and drew around 4,750 fans.

The event was a major milestone for the company, showing how far they had come from The Garage and helping cement its reputation as a major independent brand.

Pandemic, #SpeakingOut and Ownership Change

In early 2020, PROGRESS ran Chapter 103: “Beer Snake City” at the Electric Ballroom, a show remembered as the last before the COVID-19 shutdown and the one where Cara Noir won the men’s championship.

Soon after, the pandemic forced a lengthy pause in live events. At the same time, British wrestling faced a broader reckoning with abuse allegations in the #SpeakingOut movement.

PROGRESS issued public statements, removed or suspended several wrestlers, and announced internal changes; operations were heavily scaled back while the company attempted to rebuild trust and restructure its roster and management.

Behind the scenes, the founding group also shifted. Jim Smallman had already stepped away to work full-time with WWE NXT UK, and ownership gradually moved to Jon Briley alone by 2020.

At the end of 2021, PROGRESS was sold to entrepreneurs Lee McAteer and Martyn Best, known from Tranmere Rovers FC and Wrestling Travel.

Briley stayed briefly for a handover before leaving in early 2022, as the new owners relaunched live events with Chapter 127 and announced a new management team focusing on rebuilding the brand and broadening its touring schedule across the UK.

On screen, PROGRESS continued to present itself around the PROGRESS World Championship (which dates back to the very first Chapter), the women’s title and tag titles, and their signature match concepts and tournaments.

Digitally, the company’s relationship with WWE wound down. After several years of having its library on the WWE Network, PROGRESS announced in January 2023 that both sides were going their own ways in terms of streaming strategy.

After the split, the company introduced its own streaming service, Demand PROGRESS Plus, as the primary platform for its archive and its main global streaming outlet for new shows.

PROGRESS Wrestling and DEFY Partnership

In February 2024, PROGRESS announced a merger with Seattle-based DEFY Wrestling. Both promotions continue to operate in their home regions, while sharing resources and presenting DEFY events through Demand PROGRESS Plus as part of a joint international strategy.

For fans, that has meant more crossover between British and North American independent talent and hints of bigger joint touring plans in the future.

Today, PROGRESS Wrestling is still based around regular “Chapter” shows at the Electric Ballroom and other UK venues, highlighted by annual tournaments and special supershows. Events like Super Strong Style 16, the Natural Progression Series for rising talent, and the multi-person “Thunderbastard” bout are promoted as centrepieces of the calendar, often held in front of packed crowds.

The in-ring style leans toward stiff strikes, fast pacing, and dramatic finishing stretches, reflecting its “strong style” branding, while crowd interaction, chants, and often tongue-in-cheek show titles keep the “punk rock” flavor alive.

Led by McAteer and Best and working alongside DEFY, PROGRESS is trying to preserve the feel of its origins as an intimate, Camden-based punk rock wrestling show while operating in a world of streaming platforms, international partnerships, and a British wrestling landscape that continues to evolve after the boom years and the #SpeakingOut reckoning.