Zack Sabre Jr and Jack Gallagher victorious in WWE Global Cruiserweight qualifying bouts at Progress Chapter 29

James Orr
Electric Ballroom
Tuesday 26 April 2016 17:02 BST
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Zack Sabre Jr has advanced to the Global Cruiserweight tournament
Zack Sabre Jr has advanced to the Global Cruiserweight tournament (Rob Brazier)

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Another landmark in the history of London-based wrestling company, Progress, took place on Sunday night - they hosted two WWE Global Cruiserweight Series qualifying matches during their excellent show, Chapter 29: Practically Progress In Every Way, at the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town.

Zack Sabre Jr, from the Isle of Sheppey, and Manchester's Jack Gallagher emerged victorious in those matches in front of 700 joyous fans to qualify for the WWE’s Cruiserweight Series.

Sabre Jr was first up, against ‘The Modfather of Pro Wrestling’, Flash Morgan Webster. Sabre Jr is currently one of the hottest prospects in the grapple game today - having also won titles in Japan and America. Webster and Sabre Jr put on a terrific contest, complimenting each other’s skillsets. The bout ended after Sabre Jr followed up his signature Penalty Kick move, which Webster kicked out from, with an arm bar to make Webster submit. Sabre Jr's nickname of 'The Technical Wizard' could not be more apt.

Gallagher then dispatched of Bruiserweight Pete Dunne in another match of high drama and near falls. The likeable Gallagher, who no longer claims to weigh over 300 pounds (the cruiserweight limit is 205 pounds of course) making his opponent tap out to qualify for the series.

The Global Cruiserweight Series features 32 of the world’s best competitors under the weight limit of 205 pounds battling for the right to claim to be 'the best in the world'.

When announcing the tournament, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Triple H, said: “It’s a very diverse group. We’re scouring the globe and looking for the absolute best talent to be involved with this.”

Those two qualifying matches will soon be available to watch on Progress's Demand Progress subscription service, and also, brilliantly, on the WWE Network.

High-flying Progress will put on their biggest-ever show in September, when they take over Brixton Academy for the 36th instalment of their Chapter shows, named We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Room Again.

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