Nikki Cross (real name Nicola Glencross) was released by WWE last month in its annual post-WrestleMania cuts. Her husband Big Damo (real name Damian Mackle, fka Killian Dain) has been a freelancer since his WWE release back in 2021.
Cross has been accomplishing and pursuing her higher education goals, but she never planned to stray from pro wrestling (her dissertation for her masters was on the history of women’s wrestling). Damo’s remained active on the independents all over the world, and has always
seemed to have a pretty good head on his shoulders (at least in comparison to many of his peers).
Now, the Scottish couple are getting into the business in a new way — as owners and promoters. It was announced today (May 26) that Damo & Cross are purchasing the United Kingdom-based Progress Wrestling, and Seattle-based Defy Wrestling.
In the official statement announcing the acquisition, the pair talk about their history with the promotions they’ve acquired, and the former WWE Women’s champ acknowledged that this move puts her among a very small number of female wrestling promoters in the world today.
In a seismic shift for British and Irish wrestling, two globally renowned figures are coming home. Damian Mackle, known internationally as former WWE star Killian Dain and Big Damo and his wife, Nicola Glencross, known as Nikki Cross and Nikki Storm, fresh off a decade-long tenure with WWE, are taking ownership of PROGRESS Wrestling, the UK’s premier independent wrestling promotion, as well as DEFY Wrestling, one of the biggest independent wrestling promotions in the United States.
The couple, who first made their names in the UK scene before achieving global fame, have vowed to ensure PROGRESS remains a launchpad for today’s and tomorrow’s stars.
Big Damo, who wrestled in PROGRESS before and after his WWE success, and is a former PROGRESS Men’s World, Tag Team and Atlas Champion, said,
“We are delighted to be the new co-owners of PROGRESS. We both started in the UK and Ireland and fully believe this is host to the greatest talent pool on earth and PROGRESS is well positioned to showcase this generation and the next generation.
“We are also very excited to be the new co-owners of DEFY Wrestling. Home to the most feverish fan base in the Pacific North West. Nikki and I have an affinity with Seattle, and I always had an incredible experience wrestling on the DEFY shows in front of the Defyance.”
“We would like to thank Martyn Best and Lee McAteer for being wonderful custodians and bringing new levels of professionalism to our industry. 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 USA and showed ambition, and an incredible drive to give multiple talented men and women visas to compete in the USA, and opportunities in so many other countries.
“Our job now is to guide PROGRESS through the coming years, identify new talent and integrate them with the current phenomenal roster. I’m proud to say we have some of the best wrestlers in the world performing for us right now. Our men’s World Champion Cara Noir and Charlie Sterling are performing at the highest level. Our Tag Team Champions Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen are two of the best wrestlers in the world under 30. Our women’s division is host to some of the best women wrestlers alive. Women’s champion Alexxis Falcon, Rhio, Kanji, Emersyn Jayne and so many more. We also have Hollywood actor Paul Walter Hauser regularly walking the Hollywood red carpets with his PROGRESS Proteus Championship belt. Then there is Gene Munny, Charles Crowley, former WWE star Axel Tischer, Hollie Barlow, Simon Miller, Man Like DeReiss, Spike Trivet, Lykos Gym, and so many more.
“I could go on all day but Nikki and I want to continue to give these amazing athletes a platform to create engaging stories, while also leaving plenty of room for absolute masterpieces in ring.
“We also want to capitalise on our great relationships with talent and promotions worldwide, and create new partnerships that not only bring phenomenal talent to our shores, but also export our best talent to new ventures abroad.”
Nikki, a former WWE Women’s RAW World Champion, Money in the Bank Winner and also WWE Tag Team champion with Alexa Bliss and Rhea Ripley, becomes PROGRESS Wrestling and DEFY Wrestling’s first female co-owner, bringing a completely fresh point of view.
“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.
“We were deeply encouraged by the first PROGRESS Women’s Super Strong Style 16 tournament. Rhio and Gisele competed in an incredible main event, and Rhio proved to be a worthy winner! We will soon be announcing that next year, in 2027, we will host the first stand alone female Super Strong Style 16.
“We are also in the process of bringing PROGRESS to new cities across the UK, and will be excited to announce those details soon”
PROGRESS Wrestling has been a cornerstone of British wrestling for 14 years, paving the way for stars like Pete Dunne, Toni Storm, Gunther and Will Ospreay. Now, with Damo and Nikki at the helm, the promotion is poised for its next chapter.
Expect exciting collaborations, new talent initiatives, and a renewed focus on the UK scene, all the while maintaining PROGRESS’s gritty, intimate atmosphere, and building upon their growing global presence.
PROGRESS was established in 2012, and dramatic and ground-breaking growth came to a halt in 2020 with the impact of the pandemic. Two years later, Martyn Best and Lee McAteer revived the promotion and have since delivered over 70 shows across the UK, USA, Germany, Canada and Dubai whilst re-establishing it as the leading UK promotion with many fine relationships across the globe.
Fresh from their success at the Collective in Las Vegas over WrestleMania weekend and the annual Super Strong Style 16 two day event which featured both a Men’s and Women’s tournament for the first time, Best & McAteer recognised that the influence and impact of Big Damo and Nikki Storm was needed to maintain this momentum.
Best added, “It’s been a fascinating and interesting journey with PROGRESS and I’ve personally made some very fine friendships. I’m so proud of what Lee and I have achieved and as with every successful and growing business it’s now time for its next chapter. Big Damo and Nikki Cross bring that extra massive oomph of global credibility and legitimate experience that PROGRESS now needs and I will certainly be supporting them and following their “progress” with huge interest.”
Lee McAteer said, “Being a custodian of PROGRESS Wrestling has been one of the greatest honours of my life and with fellow owners Martyn Best and Matt Buczek we have restored and protected PROGRESS and leave it in a stronger place for it to grow to the next level. I have been so proud of the connection we have nurtured with our loyal fans and it will be something I will always treasure.
“I am delighted that we are handing the company over to two people I have great admiration for, and are highly respected throughout the wrestling community. Big Damo and Nikki Cross are British and Irish wrestling royalty and after hearing their thoughts, I know that the most exciting chapter in PROGRESS’s history is still to come.
“To all the PROGRESS fans, wrestlers, colleagues and partners, thank you. I am incredibly excited for the future of PROGRESS under Big Damo and Nikki.”
The first order of business? The next show is in Manchester on 7th June at the O2 Ritz Academy, Chapter 195: Wonderbrawl II followed by the undoubted excitement of a homecoming show in London, at the Electric Ballroom.
Chapter 196: Scorchio! will feature Nikki making her first UK appearance since leaving WWE in April. Damo and Nikki will no doubt raise the roof with the PROGRESS faithful in the iconic Ballroom home of the company and set the tone for what’s to come. Tickets for those shows are available here.
Wrestling fans, both in the UK and worldwide, won’t want to miss what promises to be a landmark moment in the industry, and both shows will be available to watch live on Hooked On Wrestling TV.
Defy has ties to AEW through its Washington state stars like Darby Allin and Swerve Strickland. In the UK, they’re traditionally worked with New Japan’s partner RevPro, while WWE worked with Progress under its pre-Best and McAteer ownership.
Progress and Defy merged in February 2024.
Congrats to Cross & Damo! Excited for their contributions to international indie wrestling?
