Progress Wrestling has been holding a Men’s Super Strong Style 16 Tournament since 2015, but this year was the first time that they added a women’s version of the tournament.
This tournament included some of the best female wrestlers in Europe and beyond. The conclusion to the tournament was held in London on May 3rd and 4th, with the quarterfinals including matches between Rhio and Stephanie Maze, Shotzi Blackheart and LA Taylor, Gisele Shaw and Skye Smitson and Kanji and Hollie Barlow.
Rhio is one of the favorites in the tournament and is using it to get to the current Progress Women’s World Champion and her former friend, Alexxis Falcon. Rhio made it to the semifinals by defeating Vert Vixen in Las Vegas at Progress Las Vegas II. Stephanie Maze made it to the semifinals by defeating Maddy Morgan at wXw Dead End. Rhio controls the pace of the match early, but Maze is able to gain some momentum with her striking. Rhio slowly picks Maze apart, but Maze is incredibly tough and fights back, hitting Rhio with the Red Button. Rhio is able to gain control and hits Maze with a package piledriver for the win. Maze is one of the best strikers that you will see and gave Rhio a hell of a fight, but Rhio is extremely focused on making it to the finals.
The next quarterfinal match is Shotzi Blackheart against LA Taylor. Shotzi got here by defeating Lana Austin at For The Love of Progress and LA Taylor defeated Session Moth Martina at Darkest Night. Shotzi may be the most known person in this match, but that does not mean it will be easy for her. LA Taylor has the size and power advantage and is someone who has held multiple championships. Shotzi tries to have some fun early, but LA puts an end to that, giving her two giant swings and dominating her with her power. It takes so much for Shotzi to bring down LA, but she does not get discouraged. Shotzi is eventually able to take LA down to the mat and get the win with a cannonball.
The former Progress Women’s World Champion, Gisele Shaw, takes on Skye Smitson in the next quarterfinal match. Skye Smitson got to this spot by defeating Anita Vaughan at Darkest Night. Skye sometimes likes to have a little fun, but is taking this opportunity very seriously. Shaw, on the other hand, seems to be taking Skye a bit lightly. Skye uses her size and power advantage to control a lot of the match. However, Shaw comes back and picks up the win with a brutal kick to the head.
The final quarterfinal match and final women’s match of Night 1 is Hollie Barlow against Kanji. In my opinion, this was the best women’s match of the night and really showcased how far Hollie has come since returning to wrestling. Kanji made it to this round by defeating Irene at SAJ Evil Eye in Italy. Hollie mostly got into this match by harassing the owners of Progress for the spot once it was determined that Emersyn Jayne would not be able to compete.
Kanji tries to end this match early with a Super Kick, but Hollie kicks out of the pinfall attempt. The crowd is heavily behind Hollie and it is not that they are against Kanji, it is that Hollie has possibly become one of the most popular wrestlers in British wrestling today. Hollie is very impressive in this match, going hold for hold with Kanji. Some people still like to treat Hollie as a joke, but that is a big mistake. Hollie has shown her tenacity time and time again and has been constantly improving with her offensive moves. Kanji hits Hollie with the Hidden Blade, but Hollie incredibly kicks out of the pin attempt. However, Hollie can not escape Kanji’s submission and has to tap out. This was a great match that showed the toughness of Hollie, while still showing that Kanji is one of the best in the world.
Our semifinalist going into Day 2 are Kanji, Rhio, Gisele Shaw, and Shotzi Blackheart. These are four incredible wrestlers going into the second day.
The first semi-final is between two heavy hitters in Shotzi and Rhio. Shotzi is trying some very unique offence, but both of these veterans are finding counters for each move. As the match goes on, it seems like each combatant hits harder. Shotzi hits a rana from the top rope and a sliced bread, but Rhio catches up to her when she goes up to the top rope again. Rhio hits some quick offense of a muscle buster and a package piledriver for the win. This was a great back and forth match, showcasing the talent of both wrestlers.
The next semi finals match was between Gisele Shaw and Kanji. This was another incredible match, as they had been familiar with each other from when they were battling over the Progress Women’s title in 2022. This was a more fast paced match then the other matches and they each tried to end the match early, which they were not able to. They kept this pace going for over 17 minutes and the match never lost its excitement. In the end Shaw used Kanji’s own move, the Hidden Blade, followed by a knee strike for the win.
The finals come down to Gisele Shaw and Rhio. Rhio’s rival and Progress Women’s champion, Alexxis Falxon, joins on commentary after stating that this is a tournament to see who is the second best woman in Progress. Shaw seems a bit annoyed to start the match, but is also a step ahead of Rhio. The match goes to the outside and this is a place where both are comfortable, but its Shaw that uses the surroundings to her advantage. Rhio tries to fight back, but it seems like Shaw, and her previous matches, have taken a lot out of her. Shaw hits an Oz Cutter, but Rhio fights back. Shaw is hitting Rhio with everything that she has, but Rhio just keeps coming back. Rhio hits a huge lariat, followed by a package piledriver for the win.
The rest of the women’s roster, except Alexxis Falcon, come to the ring to celebrate. This was a big milestone in British women’s wrestling, and if you look around that ring, you see some amazing women that will be or already are stars. I thought that Progress put together a really good tournament, and hope the they continue to have one in 2027, whether it is on the show with the men’s tournament or as a separate show. All the women’s matches from Day 2 were incredible and I loved the way that they showcased Hollie Barlow on Day 1.
