“Travis, our champion!” the PROGRESS Wrestling faithful chant, every time Travis Banks enters the ring and steals the show in the main event for the United Kingdom fans. Banks has been on a roll as the PROGRESS World champion ever since September,when he defeated Pete Dunne at the biggest show in the companies history. Now Banks is at the pinnacle of his career,with amazing matches against men that outweigh him considerably and tag team matches alike at a crazy pace and schedule. “The Kiwi Buzzsaw” has defended his World championship four times in the past eight weeks and twice in the month of January, more than enough reason to make Banks the wrestler of January.
Thus starts a new monthly roundtable with all the writers, highlighting the best overall performer of every month, so feedback is always welcome in the comments section. There were several pro wrestlers that stood out in the start of 2018 with multiple top-notch performances like Will Ospreay, Andrade “Cien” Almas and Kazuchika Okada. The constant schedule of Travis Banks is what makes this his year so far. Being only 185 pounds is no detriment to him either, as the man from New Zealand has taken 300 pound Keith Lee to the limit.
Along with his duties in PROGRESS Wrestling, Banks is also a member of CCK with Kid Lykos and Chris Brookes. Banks was victorious in tag team action with Brookes against Zack Gibson and Josh Bodom at RevPro High Stakes. Fight Club: PRO also featured Banks, where he performed some of the best offense today with the Lion’s Clutch, Kiwi Crusher and Slice Of Heaven. Travis Banks received a WWE tryout last year, but he has proved to be much more valuable on the European wrestling scene, capable of having a great match with anyone in the world.
Neither Will Ospreay (making his PROGRESS Wrestling return) nor Eddie Dennis could pin Banks in December in classic matches and it continued in January when Banks defeated fellow CCK partner Chris Brookes on January 14 then another partner in South Pacific Power Trip‘s TK Cooper on January 28. The matches against best friends were more intense then anyone could imagine, but now we see what’s next for one of the most high-octane and exciting wrestlers from the UK has to offer next. Remember it’s the man that makes the title, not the title that makes the man and Banks has proven that to be true.
