PROGRESS Wrestling & DEFY Wrestling Join Forces
It has come to light recently that independent wrestling promotions PROGRESS Wrestling and DEFY Wrestling are joining forces and have completed a merger.
Having a passionate fanbase, PROGRESS Wrestling has propelled numerous talents to international recognition. The promotion earned acclaim, setting a high standard with its jam-packed action.
Meanwhile, over the years, DEFY has pushed boundaries and captivated audiences with its dynamic storytelling and in-ring action. With a commitment to showcasing emerging talent and delivering high-octane matches, the promotion has got massive recognition in recent past.
The two promotions decided to issue a press release on Friday announcing that they are merging. PROGRESS is based in the United Kingdom and DEFY is based out of Seattle in the United States.
Notably, after the merger, DEFY content will soon be available on PROGRESS' Demand PROGRESS Plus streaming service.
PROGRESS has been around since 2012 and was sold to Lee McAteer and Martyn Best. In a statement from Best in the press release, he said:
"Lee and I really welcome Jim [Perry] and Matt Farmer joining us at PROGRESS, and this is a major step in our wider plans for more international collaborations. We previously had a strong content partnership with WWE, and we have a developing relationship with Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH. With DEFY joining us, I am sure that our many combined fans will be very excited to see what happens next.
We will be continuing our closeness in Philadelphia with us both having shows at The Collective immediately prior to WrestleMania 40, and we are planning our second joint show in London later in the year. DEFY will also soon be seen on DEMAND PROGRESS PLUS, our content and live streaming platform, in the very near future and we have some fascinating ideas to highlight the great wrestling talent we both work with."
The announcement was made mere hours before DEFY’s seventh anniversary event on February 9. DEFY Wrestling's Jim Perry said:
"I’ve been an admirer of PROGRESS from the start, and in some ways, they helped inspire the creation of DEFY. We have known each other for a number of years, and been working on many collaborations, including our successful double-show in London last August. I’m very excited about the opportunities of our more formal coming together, and the fans can expect to see some really neat ideas emerging."
It is certainly a major step and we will have to wait and see how this merger helps in amping up the quality of the wrestling product.
