Progress Revelations of Divine Love recap & review: The young and the wrestling

Progress Revelations of Divine Love went up on Demand Progress this morning, so let's have at it, shall we?

Candyfloss vs. Jinny (Progress Women's Championship #1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal Match)

Bit of grappling to start, Candyfloss getting enough of an advantage to force Jinny to go for the ropes and take the break. So of course the Knightsbridge fashionista puts some spit on it when they lock back up, but again Candy is able to find an advantage and press it for the break. From there into a bit of light lucha, Candyfloss playing around but she's able to grab an armbar, even if she makes a rookie mistake on the way and has to physically drag Jinny away from the ropes.

Jinny playing possum, feigning that her arm is out of joint and getting referee Paz to check on her only to wipe Candy out with an elbow. Disdainful stomps, returning the arm action with an arm wringer, a kick to the shoulder, but the cover's only good for one. Wristlock kicks to the shoulder, another arm wringer, wrenching it over the top rope, just taking it to her here.

But Candyfloss has some fight left in her and starts throwing kicks and forearms with the good arm only to get knocked right back down. Another forearm exchange, more stomps, an armbar with a foot to the shoulder, the stomp to the folded elbow, and Jinny sets her up in the Tree of Woe. Hesitation dropkick, only a nearfall, Jinny starts throwing disdainful slaps but Candy's had about enough of it!

A slap in return, forearms, Jinny catches a kick, Candyfloss rolls through into the armbar but the fashionista gets the ropes! Corner dropkick comes up empty, Jinny sidesteps a charge but takes the dropkick to the arm on the second try! Hesitation dropkick follows, a double stomp to the arm follows! Trading strikes, Jinny drags her along the ropes and smashes her face into the turnbuckle before firing off a straight suplex.

Another suplex but Candy gets a double knee armbreaker for a nearfall before going back to the armbar, but again the veteran's ring awareness saves her! Wicked overhead arm drag into the corner but Jinny's slow to capitalize and Candyfloss gets a boot up! She makes the mistake of going to the second...

Jinny wins by pinfall with the second-rope Makeover.

Borderline great match to kick off the show here. Some hitches and bumpiness early, but once it really got going, it was off to the proverbial races. Really dug the way they built the veteran vs. rookie structure, with Jinny getting outwrestled early but having more than enough wiles to keep that from becoming a real advantage... until she let her bad attitude run away with her, and Candy straightened up and fought back hard.

Millie McKenzie vs. Sierra Loxton (Progress Women's Championship #1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal Match)

Loxton trying a bit of grappling but McKenzie isn't having it, flipping handily out of a wristlock. So Sierra turns up the heat, picking a leg and trying to turn it into a sort of a deathlock STF before Millie makes good her escape. Off the ropes into a bit of light lucha, McKenzie immediately shifting into charging forearms, a monkey flip, basement dropkick but it's only good for two.

Loxton goes under on a whip, uppercut, big falling clotheslines, waistlock, standing switch, ropes grapped, O'Connor roll denied, Sierra catches a crossbody and turns it into a fallaway slam! Running senton follows, again just a nearfall at this point in the match. Fisherman suplex into a bridge, another two, and we commence into slugging it out with forearms!

Sierra with an early lead but Millie steels herself and starts throwing back just as hard, forcing Loxton to land one that drops her. Struggle around the corner and the apron, McKenzie with a sunset flip nearfall, back to forearms, Sierra taking three to give one back now but Millie is able to land an Ace Crusher and leave both women down and out on the mat!

To their knees, back to slugging it out, this time straight forearm-for-forearm, to their feet, McKenzie staggered into the corner and Loxton brings it to her with palm strikes! Back splashes, a hip attack crushes Millie's head against the turnbuckles... NO GOOD! Off the ropes... EARTHQUAKE SPLASH TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! STILL NO GOOD!

Slam denied, McKenzie kicks her leg out from under her and starts throwing kicks that ring out across the arena. Sunset flip countered with a sit-down, big slap from Sierra, sidestep the charge and Millie lands a German suplex! Front facelock applied...

Millie McKenzie wins by pinfall with a rolling neckbreaker.

For whatever reason I had a bit of a hard time getting into this early, but once they started murdering each other with forearms it got pretty good. That Earthquake Splash to the back of the head, good lord.

Chakara vs. Zoe Lucas (Progress Women's Championship #1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal Match)

Lucas spending some time looking for plunder under the ring... and she comes up with a cupcake. She offers it to Chakara but she doesn't want it, she charges in but Zoe ducks and throws kicks and we have the bell. Ducking the reverse roundhouse, Chakara gets pipped by the roundhouse proper and knocked to seated. Chest kicks follow, off the ropes, Penalty Kick, only good for a nearfall.

Wristlock chest kicks into an axe kick, another kick gets caught and Chakara just drops her with an exploder suplex into the corner. A choke follows, trading forearms, Chakara gets a quick nearfall off a suplex and follows it with a shoot kick to the back and a feet-on-the-hair double wristlock lift. To a cravate, firing knees off, snapmare, another kick to the back of the neck and another nearfall.

Grinding Lucas' eye over the top rope but she manages to get a flapjack in. Charging reverse roundhouse misses and Chakara kicks her leg hard to knock her down. She climbs to the second, nobody home on the double stomp, disdainful slap and Zoe fires forearms and spinning backfists in return. Chakara drops her with a forearm but Lucas is still in it, firing kicks, the charging reverse roundhouse hits this time, off the ropes, Penalty Kick, axe kick into a split for a pin and a nearfall!

Chakara gets her up for a powerbomb but Zoe slips out, struggling in the middle of the ring into a Gory Special...

Chakara wins by pinfall with the Gory Neckbreaker.

This one didn't quite come together for me. Chakara's mean streak is a thing of beauty, and Lucas had some good fire late as well as the fun cupcake spot early, but it didn't hit the mark.

Charlie Morgan vs. Charli Evans (Progress Women's Championship #1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal Match)

Grappling in the feeling out, trading wristlocks, including a fancy World of Sport escape from Morgan. Step-up arm drag, Evans returns the favor, a bit of lucha action, arm drag blocked, hip toss connects but Morgan fires a wicked superkick right off in return! Slow to follow up, maybe feeling the injured shoulder a bit before she begins firing off some kicks and tries for a cover.

Punishing Evans corner to corner and a flying shoulder block lays both women out! Superkick caught, Evans gets a schoolboy for two and fires a superkick off, charging forearms into a Mafia kick and a prawn hold for a nearfall! Morgan slips out of a hammerlock, lands an enzuigiri and follows it up with a deadlift German suplex! Slow to capitalize, Evans responds with a Cattle Mutilation!

Morgan gets the ropes, lungblower out of the corner, again just a nearfall! Morgan orders Evans not to forget her name, fires off a chop, but Evans gets behind her on the charge...

Charli Evans wins by pinfall with a forward Russian legsweep.

Solid short match built, essentially, around Morgan being fresh back off a shoulder injury and needing to shake the rust off. Evans takes advantage of every missed step, every failure to capitalize, and it works out pretty well in the end.

Chakara vs. Charli Evans (Progress Women's Championship #1 Contender's Tournament Semifinal Match)

Right into the bull moose, testing their strength in a shoving match and a series of collar and elbow tie-ups before Charli starts throwing kicks! Charging forearms, a boot, Chakara catches it and turns it into an exploder suplex that gets a two count! Attacking the back, more of the hair step wristlocks and scraping her face across the mat before wiping Evans out with a lariat for another two count.

Stomps against the ropes, snap suplex, another, Charli gets a small package off but can't finish her with it. Chakara tells her she's not on her level and eats a big slap for her trouble! Throwing strikes, backing Evans in the corner, choking her, more jawing but Charli fires off a series of chops, headscissors driver into the turnbuckles, the Mafia kick, headed up top, diving crossbody... NO GOOD!

Evans misses with a kick, Chakara fires one back of her own, plants her with a DDT and sets her where she wants her before heading to the second... Shadows Over Hell style double stomp! ONLY TWO! Drawing Charli up, full nelson applied but she breaks it and lands a back suplex. Looking for the forward legsweep again, Chakara blocks, Gory Special applied but Evans is able to slip out and land a nearfall off a schoolboy pin!

Off the ropes, Charli blocks a lariat...

Charli Evans wins by pinfall with the forward Russian legsweep.

Very enjoyable counterpart to both women's first round matches, with Evans here finding her openings in and around Chakara's mean streak.

Jinny vs. Millie McKenzie (Progress Women's Championship #1 Contender's Tournament Semifinal Match)

Jinny stomping away at the bell, raining punches down to the back of Millie's head, but when she goes to throw a forearm McKenzie blocks it and fires back! Overhead belly-to-belly suplex sends the fashionista to the outside, thinking about a dive but Jinny comes back in and ends up being the one to dive herself! A cover back in the ring gets two, stomp to the back of the neck, disdainful stomps, choking her in the corner, just full-on nasty here.

A snap suplex follows, again just a nearfall, into more stomps, Jinny tells Millie she's nothing and wipes her out with a forearm. Reverse surfboard follows, McKenzie just barely able to make the ropes but she has the wherewithal to counter a charge with a drop toehold and get a spear off... NOPE! German suplex denied, Millie rolls through into a victory roll pin but again the fashionista keeps jawing.

Big forearm, another, McKenzie staggered but not bowed, trading forearms now, Jinny catches a boot and passes it around into a German suplex but Millie rises inexorably to her feet in much the same way her trainer Travis Banks might! A German suplex dumps Jinny right on her dome in return! Another, Jinny blocks the third initially but gets caught running and suplexed right into the turnbuckles... NOT ENOUGH!

Kick to the gut, spike DDT, but Millie McKenzie will not fail! A particularly violent Ace Crusher gets her a tight nearfall but Jinny is able to roll her through for a kick to the face, forearm, Acid Rainmaker...

Jinny wins by pinfall with the Style Clash.

Great match, building nicely on Jinny's first round match as here she doesn't take the rookie lightly and brings the fight from before the bell, but Millie is made of stern stuff and it takes damn near everything in Jinny's arsenal to put her down. There's a German suplex from McKenzie in there that'd make "Dr. Death" Steve Williams blush, to boot.

Charlie Carter vs. David Francisco vs. Mauro Chaves vs. the OJMO

Francisco jawing early but Carter wipes him out with a forearm! One for OJMO as well, and then Chaves in turn. A charger on Mauro, butterfly suplex, scoop for a slam but David stops him short and takes him out with a neckbreaker. Whip over, up and over, Olympic Slam gets a nearfall and OJMO trips him up in the corner! Back elbow for Francisco, a stutter stomp in the corner, duck a lariat, fire off a headscissors takeover, running shooting star press, just a nearfall!

Master of the Half Crab thinking about it but Charlie cuts him off with an inverted facelock neckbreaker, crosses the legs, and he applies a can opener on top of it all! Francisco with a cravate on Carter and Chaves comes over to feed OJMO and Charlie some kale out of a handy bag he brought with him. David begs off and Mauro pulls some of his, ah, secret stash out of his trunks to feed him especially.

Throwing strikes on Carter, he gets an octopus hold on but can't quite extend the arm so he switches to a guillotine choke instead. Charlie reverses that to a delayed vertical, holding it until Francisco assists with the superkick! OJMO in with a dropkick on David, he has his pick and he grabs Francisco's leg for the crab!

No dice, same with Chaves, shaking the ropes, he picks Carter's leg and gets kicked off with such force that he corkscrews in mid-air and lands on the side of his face! OJMO with an elbow up on the charge but he gets caught with a belly-to-belly suplex into the corner all the same! Charlie calls for it, scoops him up but Francisco kicks his leg out from under him!

Elbow to the back of the neck, a chop, a poke to the eyes, front slam into a senton, he climbs up top and OJMO cuts him off with a gamengiri! Mauro in, they climb on either side of him, Carter comes under to finish the Tower of Doom! Charlie gets Chaves up, fallaway slam, duck a lariat from OJ, catch the crossbody, fallaway slam from him, Vader Bomb on each man in turn, fireman's carry on David, TKO... NO GOOD!

Mauro has Carter in a full nelson, OJMO comes over for a dropkick but wipes Chaves out, Charlie scoops him up, Emerald Flowsion... MAURO BREAKS IT UP! Chucking Carter outside, back suplex facebuster, Francisco in before he can capitalize...

David Francisco wins by pinfall with Blackout.

Very fun four-man scramble. My first time seeing any of these guys, at first glance OJMO, Chaves, and Francisco stand out most with more obvious and immediately digestable gimmicks (of which I particularly got a kick out of OJMO’s master of the half-crab schtick most), but don’t overlook Carter, who quietly held the whole thing together as the straight man of the bunch.

Charli Evans vs. Jinny (Progress Women's Championship #1 Contender's Tournament Finals)

Jinny right in but Charli sidesteps her and starts throwing forearms in the corner! Jinny pushes her back and takes her to the mount for repeated punches to the head, off the ropes with a vicious knee strike, but it's only good for a nearfall! The action headed outside, the fashionista choking Evans over a chair, taking full advantage of the declaration that this match must have a winner!

Striking, smashing Charli's face into the apron, clubbing her back, and whipping her deep into the crowd! Jinny follows it up dragging her to the bar smashing Evans into it to boot. Headed back towards the ring, landing a forearm, cocky like she's already won the match before clubbing her unholy with forearms on forearms! Overhead clubs, the fashionista parts the sea but Charli reverses the whip and Jinny nearly slides all the way to the bar!

Evans pressing the offense, firing forearms on the way back to the ring, parting the crowd and once again whipping Jinny deep into the crowd! Back inside the ring at last, Evans throwing kicks, sliding axehandle to the back gets a nearfall and she follows it with charging forearms until the fashionista sidesteps one and lands a big boot for two.

Disdainful stomps, toying with her, Jinny says this is her promotion and clobbers her with forearms on the mat! Short whip into the corner, charging knee follows, another short whip, another knee, disdainful slaps to boot, whip reversed but a third knee connects in the middle of the ring... NOPE! Charli throwing desperation forearms from her knees but Jinny fires one back that levels her and nearly ends it.

Stomps to the leg, Jinny crosses her legs and falls back but Evans manages to get the ropes and force the break! Jinny dumps her outside and drags her up to the stage by the hair. Landing right in front of Dahlia Black on commentary, Jinny clubs away but Charli fires back! Wristlock... ACID RAINMAKER! Dragging Evans back down the steps as Dahlia fights with her conscience...

DAHLIA BLACK THROWS A CHAIR AT JINNY'S FACE! Both women are out but there must be a winner so referee Paz has no choice but to wait for someone to be able to capitalize. Jinny crawls her way in as Evans wakes up and they trade forearms from their knees, beginning to drain their last reserves. Slowly, inexorably, they get to their feet but the effort of throwing forearms knocks them back down even as Charli puts a flurry together in the corner.

Mafia kick, a facewash, a lateral press in the middle of the ring... IT AIN'T OVER YET! Hammerlock, Jinny slips out, thinking Style Clash but Evans fights out of it! Schoolboy follows but Jinny's in the ropes and Paz has to wave it off! Charli catches a lariat...

Charli Evans wins by pinfall with the forward Russian legsweep, becoming #1 contender to the Progress Women's Championship.

Excellent match. Jinny is just this dynamo of pure evil wrestling excitement, Charli's credentials as a plucky up-and-comer able to squeeze her way through any opening into victory were well established by the first two rounds, and the "there must be a winner" quasi-stipulation was played well, both in general to feed the brawling outside and more specifically to justify Dahlia Black advancing her storyline with Jinny here without having to do a ref bump or other such silliness.

Overall

A really enjoyable outing from Progress, especially considering its nature as a one-off tournament show full of (to me) mostly new and unfamiliar names. One of my favorite things in indie wrestling is sitting down in front of a show like this where I only really know one or two of the wrestlers, especially on a platform like Progress where everybody knows it's a big deal and you can see the work they're putting in practically as it's happening.

And, even better, when you get this kind of match quality out of it, with only a couple of the first round matches falling flat for me. And even with a couple of bum matches, you consider how young everyone here is (McKenzie and Chakara are only seventeen!) and you think about the potential they have to grow into and the future looks pretty bright. I have to shout Jinny out as the MVP of the whole deal, especially considering that she was a late replacement for the unfortunately injured Alex Windsor, she really lived up to her status as one of the best going today with her three matches here and elevated the whole thing a significant degree with her presence.

Story-wise, of course, given that this is a one-off mostly outside of the usual chapter structure, there's not a lot going on, but you don't need a lot going on for a show like that. Dahlia gave Jinny back some of her own medicine, not outright costing her the tournament, but close, and Charli Evans has been established as a scrappy fighter who will do her damnedest to claw the Progress Women's Championship away from Toni Storm. Mission accomplished, and it goes down smooth in just a little over two hours, to boot.

Check it out on Demand Progress, folks.