Nikki Storm Addresses Acquiring Independent Wrestling Company, Reveals Worldwide Goals

WWE

Nikki Storm has revealed the goals for the independent wrestling company that she now owns following her WWE release earlier this year.

Previously a member of Wyatt Sicks, the star known to WWE fans as Nikki Cross was among a number of releases earlier this year.

In the wake of her release, it was announced that Storm and her husband (former WWE star Killian Dane) had purchased PROGRESS Wrestling.

Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Storm shared her thoughts on PROGRESS Wrestling and its future, saying:

“Yes, it’s been a crazy couple of months. It’s been insane the last couple of months. It was just perfect timing. I don’t know if it would have still happened if I was still with WWE, so it just felt like perfect timing, the right place, the right time, the right circumstances with PROGRESS Wrestling.

“Our goal is to make PROGRESS Wrestling the number one independent promotion in the world, and we’ve got a long way to go. But that’s the mission, that’s the goal, that’s our aim. We want to take young talent and give them opportunities, and push them, and give them a platform.

“In Europe right now, it’s a hotbed. So the talent is there and just waiting to be tapped into, and that’s what we want to do with PROGRESS Wrestling. We want the style to be aggressive and intense, but we also want the three-ring circus. So we want our stories to be involved. We have such funny, wonderful characters, funny wrestlers at PROGRESS.

“So we want there to still be space for them, but we really want that three-ring circus and really push that aggressive, intense ring style and become the number one company. Even with the women’s wrestling, it’s such a hotbed right now in Britain, and not only do I get to work with these girls in the ring. I also can’t wait to work with them for Progress and make it a hotbed because it is a hotbed.

“PROGRESS Wrestling, we want to be at the forefront of that, and we want to work with all the companies we can. We want to cross-promote. We want good relationships worldwide. Whether that be in Japan, America, Canada, Europe, other places in England, in Scotland, in Ireland, like we want it all covered, and if we can do it. We’re excited for this next step.”

Dain, known as Big Damo, had previously said that the acquisition of PROGRESS Wrestling and DEFY Wrestling “was not on the bingo card” before it happened, revealing how it all came to be.

The March Of PROGRESS

Founded in 2011, PROGRESS Wrestling rapidly established itself as one of the top wrestling promotions in the United Kingdom, primarily focused on British stars with a smattering of international imports.

Described as “Strong-Style Pro Wrestling” PROGRESS would rapidly attract a rabid fanbase eager to witness a roster of future greats, many of whom would find their way into WWE thanks to NXT UK. The selective use of international stars arguably brought attention to the product, but they were rarely the “selling point” among the Ultras fanbase, aside from, perhaps, the frequent and imposing presence of a pre-WWE GUNTHER, known as WALTER at the time.

For PROGRESS Wrestling, the relationship with WWE would see the independent promotion’s shows added to the WWE Network, alongside content from Insane Championship Wrestling, wXw and EVOLVE (prior to its eventual acquisition).

It wasn’t just WWE that would benefit from stars seen in PROGRESS Wrestling, with Will Ospreay being one such example, as a mainstay of the London-based promotion through its earlier years.

Typically able to fill its traditional London venues, PROGRESS would expand to shows at Wembley Arena and Alexandra Palace to much the same fervor from the fans, taking its offering to Download Festival across four nights in 2015, as well as on international tours.

The company would change hands for the first time in January 2022, merging with DEFY Wrestling around two years later.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!

• nikki cross
• PROGRESS
• Progress Wrestling
• Nikki Storm

Share this article with friends