EXCLUSIVE: Why PROGRESS Wrestling & DEFY Decided To Merge

In a surprise announcement last week, it was revealed that PROGRESS Wrestling has merged with DEFY. Both promotions will continue to operate as separate entities but the move allows the companies to pool resources. DEFY will also be presented on Demand PROGRESS Plus. 

Speaking exclusively to Cultaholic Wrestling's Tom Campbell, PROGRESS Co-Owner Martyn Best revealed why the two promotions decided to merge. 

"I think when you do come together in a formal merger, and we're all now involved going forward, that starts to bring up a greater level of certainty, a level of greater trust and openness, commitment. All those great qualities in a business relationship. So that was fundamentally it. We want to grow as a business globally. We also respect each other's brand values and brand perspectives and our respective fan bases," Best said. 

Both promotions will present shows over WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia as part of The Collective. PROGRESS and DEFY will hold a joint show in London later this year. The two promotions previously came together over AEW All In weekend in August 2023. 

In addition to the pooling of resources, DEFY's Matt Farmer and Jim Perry will have input into PROGRESS Wrestling's booking, Best revealed. 

Lee McAteer and Martyn Best have been the owners of PROGRESS Wrestling since 2021. Matt Farmer and Jim Perry founded DEFY in 2017.