Hailing from Northern Ireland and Scotland, respectively, the former WWE stars (and longtime fan favorites of the U.K. wrestling scene) have purchased the leading BritWres promotion along with its U.S. partner group, DEFY Wrestling.
THE GLOBAL WRESTLING LANDSCAPE has once again shifted with today’s news that Damian “Damo” Mackle (formerly Killian Dain) and Nicola Glencross (formerly Nikki Cross) are the new heads of PROGRESS Wrestling, as well as the Seattle-based DEFY Wrestling. The enterprising couple assumes the PROGRESS reins from the promotion’s previous owners, Lee McAteer & Martyn Best, who purchased the company back in 2021.
“We are delighted to be the new co-owners of PROGRESS,” said Mackle, a former multi-time champion for the promotion as Big Damo, in the official press release. “We both started in the U.K. and Ireland and fully believe this is host to the greatest talent pool on earth [and that] PROGRESS is well positioned to showcase this generation and the next generation.”
PROGRESS, the influential British wrestling promotion cofounded by Jim Smallman & Jon Briley in 2011, has long been a top destination for wrestlers on the rise in the United Kingdom and beyond. Through the years, the likes of Gunther, Will Ospreay, Toni Storm, Zack Sabre Jr., Jonathan Gresham, Chris Brookes, and Jordynne Grace have earned major accolades and notoriety in PROGRESS rings. In recent years, PROGRESS has become a proving ground for internationally recognized talent such as Man Like DeReiss, Rayne Leverkusen (Lizzy Rain), Rhio, and Will Kroos (Mason Rook). And the 2024 merger with DEFY (founded in 2017 by Matt Farmer & Jim Perry) has coincided with PROGRESS’ return to international touring and an expanding influence outside the United Kingdom.
“We would like to thank Martyn Best and Lee McAteer for being wonderful custodians and bringing new levels of professionalism to our industry,” said Mackle, speaking via today’s official press release from PROGRESS. “They steered PROGRESS after a worldwide pandemic, created an incredible wrestling network in Hooked On Wrestling TV, created a phenomenal working partnership with Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan and DEFY in [the] USA, and showed ambition and an incredible drive to give multiple talented men and women visas to compete in the USA [as well as] opportunities in so many other countries.”
It is also notable that Glencross (who, following her recent WWE departure, will once again perform as Nikki Storm on the U.K. wrestling circuit) is the first woman to have an ownership stake in PROGRESS. “It is not lost on me that there are few female owners in professional wrestling, so I want to bring my experience and insights to the table and elevate PROGRESS and DEFY to new levels,” said Glencross, also speaking in today’s press release.
News of the change in ownership arrives on the heels of some significant events in the PROGRESS Wrestling canon. The most recent of these was the annual Super Strong Style 16, a prestigious international tournament presented in London, England. The 2026 edition featured both men’s and women’s brackets for the first time ever. The two-day SSS16 followed PROGRESS’ recent return to Las Vegas, Nevada—an exciting WrestleMania Week card that saw, among other things, Damo battle wrestler/award-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser for the PROGRESS Proteus championship.
“We are over the moon,” Mackle told Pro Wrestling Illustrated when reached for additional comment. “PROGRESS Wrestling is one of the top independent wrestling promotions on the planet and is full of incredible talent. Nikki and I are excited to bring our experience both in ring and behind the scenes to the table and drive PROGRESS even further forward.
“We have been hard at work already getting prepared for our first show, Chapter 195: WonderBrawl 2, June 7 at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, and preparing for Nikki’s first U.K. independent appearance in 10 years at Chapter 196: Scorchio!, at the fabled Electric Ballroom in Camden, London,” says Mackle, adding the location is “the spiritual home of PROGRESS.”
For more information on upcoming PROGRESS events, visit progresswrestling.com
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