Will Ospreay & Paul Robinson will be returning to PROGRESS & TNT Extreme Wrestling following an investigation into the allegations against them.
In a statement released by PROGRESS Wrestling, it was announced that Will Ospreay and Paul Robinson, who are collectively known as the Swords of Essex, will be making a return to both PROGRESS Wrestling and TNT Extreme Wrestling.
This decision follows a comprehensive investigation into allegations that were previously levied against Robinson during the #SpeakingOut movement. Both talents fully complied with all requests and internal feedback was taken into consideration.
In his reaction to the news, Ospreay expressed his happiness and gratitude towards the staff and roster at both promotions for their support in bringing him and Robinson back. He took to Twitter to share his excitement, stating that he cannot wait to return to both PROGRESS and TNT. Ospreay and Robinson’s return comes after a period of absence from both promotions.
This news comes amidst past allegations involving Ospreay, who was previously accused of playing a role in blacklisting British wrestler, Pollyanna, who retired from the wrestling business in December 2016. Ospreay had denied these accusations and issued an apology to Pollyanna, stating that he had not played a role in any type of blacklisting.
It was also alleged that Ospreay’s former girlfriend, AEW wrestler Bea Priestley, would say awful things about Pollyanna in the locker room. Pollyanna had responded to Ospreay’s apology, stating that he had indeed blacklisted her and that she had sources confirming that Priestley would say awful things about her in the locker room.
In February 2021, Paul Robinson left PROGRESS Wrestling amid allegations against him during the Speaking Out movement. The accusations against Robinson were related to his involvement with a 16-year-old wrestler in 2014 while both were in Germany for a wrestling event. The individual accused Robinson of taking advantage of their relationship and stated that they were uncomfortable with the situation.
The decision to welcome back Ospreay and Robinson to both promotions has garnered mixed reactions from wrestling fans, with some raising questions about the investigation and others expressing support for the talent. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the wrestling community and whether Ospreay will be able to fully move on from past controversies.