FREE POST: UK Scene Updates

Progress History Is Written By The Victors Backstage Notes

Fightful Select’s Corey Brennan has learned the following backstage notes from Progress History Is Written By The Victors.

- DEFY Owner Matt Farmer was in attendance as DEFY Women’s Champion Marina Shafir featured on the show.

- Multiple sources in Progress tell us that for Cara Noir’s return match, the entire locker room watched from Gorilla position.

- 1 Called Manders’ absence on the card was one that the promotion went to great lengths to try to fix. A lot of the match order was repeatedly shifted in order to allow more time for Manders to arrive, but due to travel issues, was unable to make the show. Manders’ absence led to Mike Bird being his replacement, despite Bird only being at the show visiting friends, and wasn’t originally planning to wrestle, but due to his history with Tate Mayfairs, he was asked.

Cara Noir Interview Notes

Fightful’s Corey Brennan recently sat down with Cara Noir (Tom Dawkins) following his shocking return to PROGRESS after almost a year and a half away due to injury. Here are the early notes from the interview.

On his return after over fourteen months away, Tom noted that while he wasn’t nervous, he initially went deaf when he stepped out from behind the curtain at Progress: Wrestling Never Sleeps. He also noted that it felt like he was only out in front of the crowd for seconds.

While discussing his time away, Tom discussed the process of his injury, from initially being told he’d never wrestle or walk properly again, to the arduous recovery process. Tom also noted that it took 18 weeks until he had a firm grasp on the seriousness of his injury. Tom shared how the experience was particularly traumatic around the 12 week mark when his foot had not healed as expected. He then noted that he spent most of 2023 learning to put weight on his foot again, building up strength before April of this year where he received positive news from his doctor. Tom also expressed his gratitude for the money that was raised to help in his treatment, while also revealing that had the treatment not worked, he would have had to retire from pro wrestling altogether.

On Luke Jacobs, Cara noted that even in the year and a half he’s been off, Luke has become an “incredible performer”. Cara noted he stepped to Luke because when you come back from injury, it’s “go big or go home”. On turning to face KENTA, he noted that he has wanted to wrestle the DEFY World Champion since 2006. While not disrespecting Luke or the other talent that were in the ring, Cara noted that KENTA is where he will test himself post injury. Cara also spoke about possibly wrestling Eddie Dennis before Eddie hangs up his boots in 2025, and Kid Lykos’ run with the Progress World Title.

Cara also spoke about Riot Cabaret, expressing his disappointment that he had to vacate their world title. However, he did note that he would like to return to the promotion, as the variety act feel that Riot Cabaret produces is where he is most at home. Cara also shared that he has 100’s of ideas for his future character work and while he doesn’t plan on repackaging his gimmick anytime soon, he did promise that fans will see an evolution of Cara Noir in the near future.

Returning to his return to the ring at Progress, Cara noted that if he lost wrestling tomorrow, he wouldn’t miss it as much as he thought, but he would miss the connection that he has with wrestling fans. Cara finished off the interview by sharing that he is determined to make as big a bang as possible now he is back, and do things that ‘light him up’.