PROGRESS Wrestling has officially announced their decision to retire the PROGRESS Atlas Championship after less than three years in circulation.
The title was created in 2016 exclusively for competitors over 205 pounds, the weight limit of the promotion’s Cruiserweight division. It was notably held twice by Matt Riddle before he was signed by WWE NXT, and three times by WALTER, who unified the belt with the PROGRESS World Championship back in May.
This decision has left a void for a secondary championship in PROGRESS, so says co-founder and public face of the promotion, Jim Smallman. And that leads us to another very exciting announcement…
In the wake of the Atlas title comes the all new PROGRESS Proteus Championship, stemming from the Greek sea-god Proteus who legendarily had the ability to change his form at will. In the spirit of its namesake, the title is truly unique in that it will be defended under any stipulation that the current champion chooses.
Smallman added that the Proteus Championship could become a Hardcore title or even a Dance-Off title – it will all come down to the whims and the styles of whoever holds the belt.
The inaugural champion will be decided on Sunday, September 15th at PROGRESS Chapter 95, in the promotion’s first ever Royal Rumble match.
So… about that landscape-changing announcement we promised you… 15th Sept. @yourallypally. Tickets: https://t.co/ApY6UIrL2s #ThisIsPROGRESS pic.twitter.com/q8YJkBYX6O
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) July 21, 2019