PROGRESS Chapter 64 Review: Thunderbastards Are Go!

PROGRESS Tag Team Championships

Grizzled Young Veterans def. Mark Haskins & Jimmy Havoc (c) (18:15): ***¼

 Perhaps the most unique match on this show outside of the Thunderbastard was this match. A rivalry filled with a lot of stagnancy and confusion finally took a solid step in the right direction here, with a MASSIVE tease at a babyface turn for Haskins and Havoc but also planting seeds of dissension within them.

Near the start of the match, Havoc went for a double stomp to the outside. However, as he landed, he tweaked his knee, needing assistance to get to the back. The ballroom went dead silent as Mr. PROGRESS went down with the same knee injury that took him out of action for much of 2016. Zack Gibson, one of my favorite heels in wrestling, took it upon himself to grab the mic and verbally berate Mark Haskins, telling him that if he was any kind of man, any kind of role model for his kid, he’d come back out and defend the titles himself.

Haskins decided to oblige, garnering a huge ovation from the crowd. He and Havoc have been majorly booed by the same crowd for the past handful of months, mind you. Haskins made his way back to the ring, but instantly he was beat down as the numbers game caught up quickly. However, no matter what move Drake and Gibson could hit on him, he would kick out over and over again, building major sympathy from the ultras. Near the end, Jimmy Havoc hobbled his way back down to the ring to tag in. Haskins looked up at him, reluctant to do so, but he knew he was in bad shape, so without any other choice, he tagged in Havoc. Not even five seconds later, Havoc was nailed with Ticket to Mayhem and pinned, costing he and Haskins their tag titles.

The match itself was exactly what the rivalry needed. With little depth in their tag division, a poor tag title rivalry was sinking the division further, but after this match, it’s back above water, floating just fine.