PROGRESS Wrestling’s Ballad Of The Moscow Affair: Cara Noir vs Ilja Dragunov (Part 1)

The beginnings of one of the greatest wrestling trilogies of our time.

Wrestling cards across the world always attempt to hype the uniqueness of a match, whether through the contrast between the competitors, or how they compliment in styles, or very rarely, the fact it’s a first ever meeting between two superstars. You need only see the excitement of Japanese fans when Chris Jericho first appeared in New Japan wanting to face Kenny Omega, or the anticipation of WWE higher-ups when they prepared for The Rock to return and take on John Cena. More often, wrestlers may end up facing one another multiple times over the years due to a lack of variety on the rosters, which can sometimes lead to multiple matches between opponents, gradually deteriorating to diminished returns.

However, sometimes there will be wrestlers who instantly have chemistry and go on to face each other several times in high quality matches, creating a historical series of matches that fans can enjoy, sometimes culminating in a classic trilogy. The most obvious of classic trilogies will be the tremendous Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega trilogy for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, which gained critical acclaim and helped bring New Japan to a bigger international audience. Another classic example would be the 1989 series between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, possibly the yardstick that other trilogies are still often compared to over thirty years later.

In this series, we shall be highlighting a more recent trilogy that quickly gained acclaim and respect for the competitors involved but is lesser known in comparison; a two month trilogy that occurred last year for PROGRESS Wrestling between Cara Noir and Ilja Dragunov. When looking at all three matches, we will see what made these matches so good, what developments occurred throughout the trilogy, and what would be the ramifications for this trilogy, beginning in September of 2019.

 

Chapter 96: True Friends Stab You In The Front (13th October 2019) – Match #1

Source: PROGRESS

Ilja had featured predominantly for the last year, with victories over PROGRESS alumni such as Timothy Thatcher, Jordan Devlin and Tyler Bate, and had previously battled for both the Unified World Championship against Walter and in the inaugural Proteus Championship Battle Royale, becoming a crowd favourite. Ilja enters to a solid reception, full of hype and intensity as he pounds upon the floor near the entrance and conducts to his music on the turnbuckles. In comparison, this was only Cara Noir’s fourth match and second month for PROGRESS Wrestling, having appeared twice in Series VI of the Natural PROGRESSion series before losing to eventual winner Scotty Davis in the Semi Final, and in a losing effort to Pete Dunne at the previous chapter.

The lights dropped, the spotlight covering the ring and entrance, Noir entering to a popular reaction as he gracefully unveiled, the light glinting off his mask in a beautiful depiction. As Noir poses in the ring, the crowd applaud generously, whileIlja cannot take his eyes off Noir as he poses, seemingly both impressed and entranced. Ilja is in his usual red pants, kneepads and boots, and Noir is face painted with only black cut-off tights, smiling at his opponent, the bell ringing and then repeated by Noir’s magic gong, which Ilja reacts to.

The early feeling out process demonstrates both men’s agility in an exchange of moves, with Ilja already attacking the bare feet of Noir. The stand off after their exchange earns an ovation from the crowd, but the mind games begins as Noir poses before draping his hand down Ilja’s face, who reacts seemingly with pleasure. Ilja quickens the pace with a succession of chops and suplexes to wear Noir down, but Ilja can’t hide his fascination in his opponent. The crowd applaud Noir’s battle back as he attempts a headbutt that weakens himself. Ilja gets a close two count after a snap German Release Suplex and Rude Awakening Neckbreaker, earning more applause from the crowd.

Noir retaliates with a painful looking series of Penalty Kicks to keep Ilja down. The collection of suplexes by Ilja leave both men struggling and worn down, Noir the weaker as he and Ilja valiantly exchange clubbing shots, before both men knock one another down. In a moment that would be immortalised, the two sit up back to back, turn to look at one another on both sides, smiling at one another, standing together. Noir held Ilja’s hand ala a curtain call, but this moment is ruined by Ilja responding with a volley of chops and knees, Noir with three ineffectual headbutts in return.

A fourth headbutt to the top of Ilja’s spine sets Noir for a Blackout attempt, only for Ilja to hit a vicious Rainmaker. Second successful Blackout attempt, but Ilja somehow gets to his feet and hits a Death Valley Driver in the corner to escape, a gorgeous Senton and motions for the Torpedo Moskau. Ilja turns straight into a Swan-Woo dropkick from Noir and the back of Ilja’s head hits the bottom turnbuckle. Noir with a Release Suplex into a Neckbreaker on his Knee (known as the Madame Guillotine), two count only, Noir attempts a Package Piledriver but Ilja slips out, Torpedo Moskau and covers, one, two, three, and the crowd stand as one to applaud both men.

Winner via Pinfall – Ilja Dragunov

The first match was intense and hard hitting, with both men battling for the victory, but from the first moment, Ilja was weirdly entranced by Noir in surprise. It was akin to someone seeing the snow fall for the first time in their life and wanting to touch it. As the match proceeded, they began to find a growing interest in one another, something kindred between the two, the growth of something special. The extra part of the two men briefly holding hands as they prepared for the final act added to the feeling of theatricality, that the end was near, but whereas Noir was caught up in the moment, Ilja went for the kill.

There was also an interesting story developing of Noir not learning from his mistakes, returning to the headbutts despite having already proven it wasn’t working, a hint of relying on instinct instead of changing. The fact that the several headbutts left Noir woozy set him up perfectly for the Torpedo Moskau, a slight mistake for a character that only debuted in 2017, as opposed to Ilja who had 5 years’ more experience in comparison.

But the match itself was warmly received by both PROGRESS Management and the crowd, which explains the decision that at the next chapter just two weeks later, a rematch was to take place. There was even a video released in the lead up, where after the match Ilja had sat beside Noir backstage and stopped him from speaking; instead, Ilja walked away after just saying the words “Beautiful. Beautiful.”

 

Chapter 97: Sex Robots Will Eventually Be Capable Of Murder – Match #2

Cara vs Ilja
Source: Progress

Before the combatants even enter, Jim Smallman as ring announcer admits that the first encounter was one of his favourites of the entire year, helping to hype up the excitement for this match. Once again, Noir enters to a very appreciative reception, the majestic beauty of his entrance delighting the crowd, but this time he would enter first, awaiting his opponent. Ilja’s entrance would feature him on the apron, looking slightly to his left at a nearby Noir crouching in the corner, eyes locked on one another. Whilst Ilja prepared himself in the ring and stood on the turnbuckle, his eyes kept drifting back to Noir, the shorter distances intensifying his inability to look away.

After the bell rings, Ilja marches over and offers his hand straight away, Noir instantly shaking it, a sign of respect not taken last time but earned since then, a brief beat before they let go. The commentators mention that it was both wrestler’s desire to have a rematch, as both men quickly earn applause from the crowd as they jockey for control, ending with both in their respective poses, staring at one another. Ilja uses his pose to beckon Noir to him, who walks right up to Ilja and strokes his face seductively. Ilja grabs the hand and holds it against his face, before attacking again.

After a Noir Rude Awakening Neckbreaker, both men lay on the mat, backing up with their heads on each other’s shoulders, staring in each other’s eyes, using their heads to stand one another up. As they stand side to side, Ilja has some of Noir’s face paint on his shoulders and face, like lipstick on the collar, the crowd applauding both men as they soak the moment in. This time, Ilja takes Noir’s hand, a brief moment, and then attempts to go for the kill. Noir hits the headbutt and finally downs Ilja as Noir falls forward to cover Ilja, ref counts to one but Ilja returns to his knees.

The two men face to face as Ilja lifts Noir up by the head, and then kisses Noir’s forehead lovingly, before a vicious headbutt to Noir’s chest, he rebounds off the ropes and hits his own, Ilja down with Noir on top, one, two, t-Ilja pulls Noir’s head back by his hair and raises his own shoulder. Ilja and Noir stare in one another’s eyes, Ilja lifting Noir by the chin, Noir licks Ilja’s face and hits a gorgeous snap rebound German Suplex off the ropes. Superkick and Swan Woo combo to Ilja, following up a nearfall with the Blackout. Ilja escapes to chants of “Fight Forever” from the crowd, desperate attempts for victory culminating in Ilja preparing for the Torpedo Moskau, only for Noir to reverse with the Blackout, centre of the ring, and Ilja taps.

Winner via Submission – Cara Noir

Like just two weeks ago, everybody stands to applaud the end of the match, Noir soaking in the moment as he stares back at Ilja on the outside. Noir is almost overcome with emotion as he takes in the applause of the crowd, before leaving to chants from the crowd. This match would actually end up being rated the ninth best match of 2019 in PROGRESS Wrestling based on voting from GRAPPL App users, which shows the ridiculous quality of matches in PROGRESS that year.

Whilst both men continued the tremendous chemistry already demonstrated in their first match, it’s the little nuances that add to this match, such as Noir this time only utilising the headbutt when desperate, gaining much better results this time. By minimising the amount of headbutt attempts in this match, only two instead of four, it meant Noir was less woozy when Ilja attempted the Torpedo Moskau, allowing Noir to reverse it this time and lock in the Blackout, gaining the victory by learning from his experiences.

However, it’s the body language and actions that drive both matches, with the first match being akin to Ilja experiencing an emotional wakening, something that transcends simple emotions such as love or respect. In the first match, Noir would attempt the curtain call with Ilja, and almost in fear of himself, Ilja would reject it, which would be what led to his victory. But in the cold perception of after the match, Ilja realises that why he feared his own emotions, he still found the beauty in the match, or possibly even Cara Noir himself, this is left deliberately vague.

By the second match, Ilja seems to have grown in his understanding, the two exchanging respect beforehand and then the conflicting emotions of his attachment to Noir through the match. The kiss on the forehead, the smudged face paint, all symbolic of an emotional connection tempered with love and sexuality that Ilja cannot understand, culminating in the perfect moment, the curtain call.

Whereas the first match had the curtain call occur with the two competitors almost backing into each other by accident, the second match had the two crawling towards each other, a stark admittance of need. Their heads resting on one another’s shoulders in a show of attachment, the helping of one another up, it was two people needing one another to complete the match, their incessant competitive urges driving them. But this time, it wasn’t Noir who reached out, it was Ilja, in what could be constituted as an emotionally raw decision.

As Ilja would hold Noir’s hand, he would almost be overcome with emotion, as if finally willing to admit the complexity of his feelings, but in the end, he reverted to his baser instincts, almost looking to break that emotion and allow himself to accomplish his mission. However, whereas last time Ilja was able to successfully beat his emotion and win the match, here Noir had learned and grown, being prepared to hold Ilja back. The tenderness between the two in the final act has unquestionable intensity and is like two lovers forced into war with one another, saying goodbye almost reluctantly.

After two excellent matches, the score was left at 1-1, and you could feel at the final stage of the second match an obvious desire for a third match from PROGRESS fans, PROGRESS Management, and of course, the two men themselves. Next time, we will return to Chapter 99, to see the culmination of this beautiful and tender relationship, between the ‘Black Swan’ and the ‘Unbesiegbar’.

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