Progress owner Jim Smallman kicked things off as always, hyping the crowd up for the night ahead. You can really feel a kind of brotherhood amongst the Progress faithful, which is hardly surprising given just how big they’ve become over the last few years. Smallman points out that fans from every corner of the globe have travelled to attend the show from places like the US, Canada, Australia, and even one guy from Chile who came on his own – and gets an audible reaction from the crowd. It’s time to kick things off and in a big way.
Match #1 – Pete Dunne vs. Doug Williams
Williams, who is a former TNA star, gets the recognition he deserves as a British wrestling legend. Dunne then enters with the WWE UK Championship, donning a mask. A lot of ‘anything you can do I can do better’ to start off with many technical holds, with the fans being split between both men. Dunne certainly seems to be playing the heel, and as the match goes on, things start to get physical – as you’d expect with a strong style match of this nature.
Dunne starts to try and use his athleticism to his advantage, but William’s power allows him to take control. Doug goes to the top rope and hits a big knee, which gets a close two. A roll-through german suplex keeps the momentum going for Williams, but Dunne just manages to get his foot on the bottom rope. Williams goes for it again but Dunne turns it into a roll-up, which gets him the three count before he even gets the chance to hit the Bitter End. Fun match.
Pete Dunne defeats Doug Williams via pinfall
Match #1 – @PeteDunneYxB defeats @DougWilliamsUK, fun back and forth technical showcase but Dunne survives. #SSS16 pic.twitter.com/1BXNFAC99U
— Harry Kettle (@HJKettle) May 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/ShirleighShirlz/status/992790385096314880
#SSS16 pic.twitter.com/AJ4vzbwWed
— Chris Hero (Is Back) (@ChrisHero) May 5, 2018
