“This is, indeed, progress,” smiles Jimmy Havoc, British wrestling’s most vicious and malevolent antagonist as he reflects on the dramatic upswing in attendance live shows in the UK have enjoyed during the course of his career.

“I’ve been in this business for 12 years now and when you’re used to getting 50 – 100 in, you could have a show with 200 people watching and be over the moon. Now if you’re doing a show you might be disappointed with 500 in!”

Tomorrow afternoon, nearly 2,500 fans will fill the Brixton O2 Academy with profane and comedic chants as the critically-acclaimed PROGRESS Wrestling presents their biggest show ever. Having mounted their first event in March 2012, the exceptional punk rock pro wrestling hotbed is swiftly accelerating live operations beyond their Camden base in north London to Manchester and Birmingham, as well as internationally.

Jimmy, however, is not scheduled to wrestle at ‘Chapter 36: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Room… Again’ in south London. On hiatus from PROGRESS since last September, he suffered a devastating knee injury – “the worst pain I’ve felt, despite my reputation being built on a lot of death matches” – not long into his break from the standout independent promotion.

Havoc, 32, has been one of PROGRESS’ most significant lynchpin performers, with his gradual transition from a likeable but ineffectual company mascot to violently psychopathic main eventer never less than terrifyingly absorbing.

Be warned: all videos on this page contain strong language and violence

Crushed he won’t be in the ring himself on Sunday, Jimmy is still supremely proud of the contributions made by all involved with PROGRESS over the last four and a half years that have made the company such a hot attraction.

“Growing up and about in London as a fan of punk rock and metal, the places I used to go to for gigs were [former and current PROGRESS home venues] The Garage, The Electric Ballroom and Brixton Academy. Having gone on to perform in or headline at the first two, I think that’s why I’m so gutted about Brixton. It is very upsetting.

“More importantly though, it’s going to be exciting day for all of us.

“Whether we’ve been there from the start or have come through the ProJo training or have only recently got involved, we can say: ‘We made this. We helped build this. This is all of our hard work.’ And this is a moment where that all pays off.”

Havoc’s betrayal of ring announcer Jim Smallman at Chapter Nine in September 2013 was so brutal and unexpected that on demand replays cannot capture the collective feeling of guts lurching in those who watched it unfold live.

Often pinpointed as the turning point that launched PROGRESS to new audiences, Jimmy’s horrific assault proved to be only a taster of the foul acts he perpetrated in a year-long, compelling reign which also proved a star-making rivalry for ‘Aerial Assassin’ Will Ospreay.

Surprisingly, Jimmy reveals the man behind Havoc’s deranged but entirely convincing barbarism – for example, forcing PROGRESS management to give him a shot at their top championship by dousing titleholder Mark Andrews in lighter fluid – was wracked with self-doubt before commanding the top spot.

“God, no,” he replies when asked if he felt he had nailed the first stage of his transformation at Chapter Nine.

Hinting he was reluctant to become champion, Jimmy continues: “Literally every single show, I had terrible nerves. At this point we’d done ten sellouts before I won the title and I was worried that could end with me.”

That run of capacity crowds did not end with Chapter Eleven. Although PROGRESS also run events for wrestlers in training, the Chapters are the prime canonical shows. A few more walk ups to Brixton tomorrow will ensure that run of sellouts – many racked up within minutes of tickets going on sale – will continue.

Jimmy continues: “Turning heel on Jim, that’s the most emotional I’ve ever been. I hadn’t been a heel before, and I didn’t know whether it was going to work. I told the promoters: ‘This could be game over. We could never sell out again.’”

“Then we moved from The Garage, where there were three hundred or so fans, to The Electric Ballroom and sold that out.”

He continues: “Then there was always the problem of, as champion in the main event, I’m going on last. After all these other spectacular matches on the card, the pressure of being in that slot was difficult.

“Not only to be able to perform at that level and put on a match that’s worthy of being in that position, but trying to do something people haven’t done.

“But it made me a lot more creative. And my most abiding memory of PROGRESS will probably always be that first Ballroom show where we doubled our audience.

“I was still feeling like I wasn’t decent enough to be champion or whatever but when I walked out to 700 people screaming at me that I was a c***, all with their middle fingers extended… that made me quite happy!”

Although Jimmy’s scintillating work has helped elevate PROGRESS and bring about more international attention, the focus remains on everybody moving forward together – as befits the company’s name and inclusive philosophy.

“PROGRESS has always been my favourite place to wrestle, 100%. Ever since we started, purely because of the ethos of punk rock pro wrestling,” says Jimmy.

“As freelance performers, that’s basically what we do. We’re all independent. We’re all trying to make it for ourselves, there are no big people backing us.

“We’re doing this together as a group to try and make it a success. From day one, [PROGRESS co-owerners] Jim Smallman, Jon Briley and Glen Joseph and I worked together to make my story as good we possibly could.”

Broadening his point, Jimmy adds: “I think we’re all finding our voices, here in this country, a lot more. Instead of trying to copy what other people – particularly in the US – have done, we’re sticking with what we do. We’ve found our own gimmicks, we’ve found our own characters.

“The fact that we’ve had Will Ospreay win [New Japan tournament] Best of the Super Juniors, the fact that Zack Sabre Jr is clearing up in tournaments for wXw and PWG… PROGRESS has just done an international tour with Smash Wrestling in Canada and there are going to be shows in Orlando during Wrestlemania week, too. This is all because PROGRESS and PROGRESS fans have come to expect the very best.

“The brand of PROGRESS is so strong now, you know if you buy a ticket you’re going to get an amazing show – it almost doesn’t matter who is on there.

“It has got to the point where they can sell out an entire show without announcing a single match. And you know there’s no chance of the promoters putting on a crap show because of how loyal fans are to PROGRESS and the goodwill and trust that’s been built up with the audience.”

Havoc’s creative influence extends beyond the ring and his unflinchingly ferocious YouTube scenarios, some of which you can view by clicking here. He’s also had a hand in training up and coming stars for PROGRESS, recommending three of his students as talents set to carve out prominent roles in 2017’s increased event schedule.

“Pastor William Eaver, he’s done very well. He’s one of mine,” says Jimmy.

“Sebastian, as well. He’s been gone for a while but he’s going to shine at Brixton.

“And then there’s Jinny. She gets huge reactions… probably because she’s very good at copying me,” he jokes.

“She always wants to learn, she’s always asking questions and constantly wanting to get better. That’s a very important part of becoming a wrestler – and succeeding in PROGRESS.”

Those high standards could determine when and if Havoc – who has a “couple of months” before he’s signed off by doctors – returns to the ring.

He teases: “I’ve always said I do want to come back, but only if it is a decent enough story.”

* Tickets for ‘Chapter 36: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Room… Again’ at Brixton O2 Academy are available from www.livenation.co.uk. For more details, click on the link and visit @ThisIs_Progress on Twitter.

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2 Jimmy Havoc draws in Will Ospreay for a Rainmaker [Credit: Rob Brazier www.robbrazierphoto.com] – Jimmy Havoc draws in Will Ospreay for a Rainmaker [Credit: Rob Brazier www.robbrazierphoto.com]