In a surprising shake-up for British wrestling, two former WWE stars have bought PROGRESS Wrestling.
Damian Mackle – recognized internationally as former WWE star Killian Dain and Large Damo – and his spouse, Nicola Glencross – referred to as Nikki Cross and Nikki Storm, recent off a decade-long tenure with WWE – are taking possession of PROGRESS and DEFY Wrestling.
SunSport understands PROGRESS grew to become open to provides simply a few months in the past and the sale has come collectively fairly shortly.
There was stated to be many events within the promotion, however McAteer felt the corporate can be in one of the best arms with Mackle and Glencross.
Large Damo, who has starred in PROGRESS earlier than and after his five-year WWE run, believes the subsequent era of stars within the business is of their newly acquired promotion.
He stated: “We’re delighted to be the brand new co-owners of PROGRESS. We each began within the UK and Eire and totally imagine that is host to the best expertise pool on earth and PROGRESS is effectively positioned to showcase this era and the following era.
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“Our job now’s to information PROGRESS by way of the approaching years, determine new expertise and combine them with the present phenomenal roster. I’m proud to say we’ve among the finest wrestlers on this planet performing for us proper now.”
Cross, who had a run because the Ladies’s world champion in WWE, has grand plans to additional showcase the women in PROGRESS.
“It’s not misplaced on me that there are few feminine homeowners in skilled wrestling, so I need to carry my expertise and insights to the desk and elevate PROGRESS and DEFY to new ranges.
“We have been deeply inspired by the primary PROGRESS Ladies’s Tremendous Sturdy Model 16 event. Rhio and Gisele competed in an unimaginable predominant occasion, and Rhio proved to be a worthy winner! We’ll quickly be asserting that subsequent yr, in 2027, we’ll host the primary stand alone feminine Tremendous Sturdy Model 16.”
Cross and Damo have, in fact, been married since 2019. The latter wrestled in WWE from 2016 to 2021 whereas Cross spent a decade with the corporate earlier than being launched in April.
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Each reduce their enamel on the UK wrestling scene and now carry a wealth of expertise again to it.
It brings an finish to the four-year tenure of Lee McAteer and Martyn Finest who steered the corporate into secure waters after the top of their WWE deal and the fallout from the Talking Out motion.
Whereas he’s not the proprietor of PROGRESS, he’ll stay a shareholder alongside Cross and Damo in Hooked on Wrestling, an impartial wrestling broadcaster.
McAteer stated: “Being a custodian of PROGRESS Wrestling has been one of many biggest honours of my life and with fellow homeowners Martyn Finest and Matt Buczek we’ve restored and guarded PROGRESS and depart it in a stronger place for it to develop to the following degree.
“I’ve been so happy with the connection we’ve nurtured with our loyal followers and will probably be one thing I’ll at all times treasure.
“I’m delighted that we’re handing the corporate over to 2 individuals I’ve nice admiration for, and are extremely revered all through the wrestling group. Large Damo and Nikki Cross are British and Irish wrestling royalty and after listening to their ideas, I do know that probably the most thrilling chapter in PROGRESS’s historical past remains to be to come back.”
The primary present beneath the brand new administration staff is ready to go down in Manchester on seventh June on the O2 Ritz Academy, Chapter 195:Wonderbrawl 2.
After that, Chapter 196:Scorchio! will function Nikki making her first UK look since leaving WWE in April with the promotion returning to London.
