10 Best British Wrestling Matches Of 2016
3. Chris Hero Vs. Marty Scurll (PROGRESS Chapter 31)
From his vicious strike-fest with new NXT signee Tommy End to his visceral David vs. Goliath clash with Mark Andrews, Chris Hero's PROGRESS matches were universally excellent this year. Hero lost out to End in the Super Strong Style 16 tournament final, but his efforts more than warranted a shot at the PROGRESS Championship, and that's exactly what he got at Chapter 31.
Branded Hero vs. Villain, this was an incredible piece of wrestling storytelling. In stark contrast to the Andrews match, where Hero was a domineering bully, the big man was made to play the role of "never say die" babyface as Scurll ruthlessly attacked his arm in preparation for the Chickenwing. Hero refused to take his opponent seriously in the early stages and it almost cost him the limb, but he fought back with some brutal strikes, and the match eventually became a gruelling war of attrition.
Hero endured some immense punishment here. He quickly came to realise that Scurll's reputation as one of the country's most devious competitors was well-earned, and by the end, he didn't have a finger that The Villain didn't at least try to break. Hero valiantly kicked-out of a late-match Gotch Piledriver, but the accumulated damage soon overcame him, and the Chickenwing put him away. This match alone justifies PROGRESS' monthly video on-demand subscription fee.