If you’re not already clearing your calendar for May 3rd and 4th 2026 then what are you doing?? You’re basically choosing to miss one of the biggest weekends in British wrestling.
Because PROGRESS Wrestling is back at the Electric Ballroom with Super Strong Style 16, and this year it’s gone fully unhinged in the best way possible with the iconic culmination of the Men’s SSS16 tournament as well as the first-ever Women’s SSS16 tournament, all while a major World Title clash sits right in the middle of it all.
This isn’t just a weekend anymore. It’s a pressure cooker with suplexes.
Men’s Tournament Pick – Charles Crowley
Super Strong Style 16 has always rewarded the wrestler who can adapt when things spiral out of control. Not necessarily the strongest. Not necessarily the fastest. The one who survives the chaos and turns it into something opportunistic.
There’s crazy talent in this like Simon Miller, Jay Joshua, Elijah Blum, Lio Rush and Charlie Sterling.
But my pick to win the Men’s SSS16 2026 is Charles Crowley.
The lovable twat feels built for this kind of environment. Not just wrestling matches but managing situations. Turning unpredictability into advantage. Winning in ways that make you question whether you just saw genius or mischief.
Crowley has got better and better over the 4 years I have seen him in a PROGRESS ring. He can make you laugh, marvel at his ability and will him on to win. I think this is his time.
Women’s Tournament Pick – Kanji
The first-ever Women’s Super Strong Style 16 is a landmark moment for the company, and it demands a winner who can carry that weight immediately.
We are going to see awesome competitors such as Rhio, Shotzi, Emersyn Jayne, LA Taylor, Stephanie Maze. But there’s a name that stands out for me, and it’s my pick.
My pick is Kanji.
She feels like the perfect storm for this format: tough, composed, and capable of matching intensity across multiple nights without losing focus.
Kanji already has a storied PROGRESS career, but winning this takes it one step further. This is all about endurance and ability, which she has in abundance. The women’s line up is superb, anyone can win, but for me, Kanji can do this.
She leaves the weekend not just as a winner, but as a benchmark.
PROGRESS World Championship: Man Like DeReiss vs Cara Noir
Now let’s talk about the emotional core of the weekend.
Because while the tournament chaos unfolds, the PROGRESS Wrestling World Championship picture is delivering one of the most personal and layered matches of the entire event: Man Like DeReiss vs Cara Noir.
This isn’t just a title match, it’s a collision of identities, eras, and philosophies.
DeReiss represents momentum. Confidence. A champion who carries energy like it’s fuel and refuses to be slowed down. The crowd are on his side and love to shout “0121” to back their fave. Every match feels like he’s trying to prove that the division belongs to movement, speed, and instinct.
Cara Noir is something else entirely. Methodical. Psychological. A wrestler who doesn’t just compete in matches, he drags them into something darker, slower, and far more unsettling. If DeReiss is rhythm, Noir is disruption.
And that’s what makes this match so dangerous.
Because DeReiss doesn’t want a chess match, he wants pace, flow, control. But Cara Noir’s entire style is built around removing those things. Breaking rhythm. Frustrating momentum. Turning confidence into doubt.
So the question becomes simple:
Can DeReiss force his fight?
Or does Cara Noir drag him into something far more uncomfortable?
Prediction-wise, this feels like one of those matches where:
- DeReiss starts fast, explosive, full control
- Noir slowly pulls the match into his world
- the crowd realises momentum doesn’t matter anymore
- and the final minutes become pure survival psychology
My call? I think Dereiss retains, taken to the edge against a Noir who was once so beloved by the ballroom. What is for sure is this will go down as an all-timer in this famous building.
Whether you’re in the Electric Ballroom live or watching from home on Hooked On Wrestling TV, this is essential viewing.
Two tournaments. A world title clash dripping in tension. And a weekend that will absolutely reshape the direction of PROGRESS Wrestling.
Charles Crowley winning SSS16, Kanji winning the women’s tournament, and DeReiss vs Cara Noir stealing the emotional spotlight? That’s a weekend that matters.
And if you miss it, you’ll be hearing about it for months, from people who absolutely will not let you forget.
So you know what to do, grab your tickets and bask in a brawling bank holiday of graps. See you there!
