The Rev Pro crew dug out their passports yet again this year as they headed to Berlin for the first of two shows with the GWF.
Quick Results
Erkan Sulcani, Fast Time Moodo, El Phantasmo & Tim Stübing pinned Aytac Bahar, Pascal Spalter, Senza Volto & Robbie X in 12:26 (**¾)
JJ Gale pinned Taishi Ozawa in 12:29 (***¼)
Lizzy Evo pinned Jessy Jay to win the GWF Women’s World Championship in 7:26 (**¾)
Leon Slater pinned Zozaya in 14:58 (***¾)
Michael Oku submitted Axel Tischer in 17:32 (***¾)
Luke Jacobs & Ethan Allen pinned Yuto Nakashima & Oskar Leube in 11:28 (***¼)
Mike D Vecchio pinned Ricky Knight Jr. to retain the GWF World Championship in 16:39 (***)
— The English commentary version of this show will appear on RevProOnDemand.com
Hallo Berlin! It’s the first of two shows as Rev Pro made their debut in Germany, teaming up with Berlin’s German Wrestling Federation. We’re coming live on stream from what looked to be a boiling Astra Kulturhaus with the GWF’s feed giving us German commentary from Virgile Defour and Emil Völler.
El Phantasmo, Erkan Sulcani, Fast Time Moodo & Tim Stübing vs. Two Sweet Heroes (Aytac Bahar & Pascal Spalter), Robbie X & Senza Volto
We’ve got a GWF debut for Robbie X – who was originally slated to appear at this same venue earlier in the year as part of GWF’s Light Heavyweight World Cup.
Aytac’s heavy hands looked to carve through Sulcani early on, as we were quickly doing the revolving door gimmick with everyone tagging in to have their moments. Senza Volto’s able to vault past ELP as he took down Stübing with a lucha armdag, before ELP and Robbie X just showed off.
Pascal Spalter chopped through Moodo as things got more down to earth, leading to a tease of the Toilet Seat on Moodo… which inspired his team, as everyone took a seat on their foes. A turnaround after that humiliation saw Aytac get cornered, only to return with a swinging DDT on Moodo… Robbie X is in next with a Molly Go Round and a Beyblade kick, while Stübing ate a cartwheel kick as Robbie surged ahead.
Things break down into a Parade of Moves, culminating in a handspring cutter and a dive from Senza Volto, which was topped by a flip senton from Pascal Spalter to the outside. He doesn’t do that every day! Back in the ring though, Aytac got cornered again, leading to him getting cracked with a superkick as the Blutsbrüder man took home the win – and potentially a future tag title shot? **¾
Taishi Ozawa vs. JJ Gale
After losing out to Tomohiro Ishii last weekend, JJ Gale’s got another Japanese opponent here in the form of the on-excursion Taishi Ozawa, who’s left his mask at home for this.
Going for a faster-paced match than against Ishii, Gale was exchanging takedowns and kip-ups with Ozawa ahead of a stand-off, but it’s Ozawa who was the crowd favourite given that he’d only lost once in the GWF to date. A double-jump ‘rana and a dropkick put Gale ahead, as did a tope into the front row, before Ozawa got his own back with a flip senton.
Back inside, Ozawa stayed on Gale with a Finlay roll, but a lofty moonsault’s aborted as he instead hit a running shooting star press into the corner. Choking Gale in the ropes kept Ozawa in control, at least until Gale found a way in with the running uppercuts en route to a release German suplex. A rebound belly-to-belly suplex off the ropes seemed to wake up Ozawa, whose roundhouse kick took Gale down to his knees, while a crucifix powerbomb almost got the win for Ozawa.
The Octopus stretch followed from Ozawa, but Gale countered into a death valley driver for a near-fall before he was caught with a brainbuster out of nowhere. After avoiding a Phoenix splash, Gale’s able to return with a Gory knee, before the Gale Force saw Gale hand a rare loss to Ozawa. ***¼
GWF Women’s World Championship: Lizzy Evo vs. Jessy Jay (c)
This was the first time Jessy had defended her title in the GWF… or even appeared since she won it back in November.
Evo attacked Jessy before the bell, but the champion as able to overcome it with some hammer elbows early on only for Evo to regain the upper hand, wearing down Jessy with a camel clutch only to get caught with a spinebuster in return.
Jessy and Evo trade blows from there, but a Samoan drop surprised the challenger as she looked to mount some offence, only for Evo to headbutt away a superplex attempt. Jessy shrugged it off and hit the superplex at the second attempt, before a powerbomb almost put Evo away… with the ropes saving the challenger at the last moment… before hitting a German suplex out of nowhere to win the title. This was a little brief, and perhaps an upset as the Cut Throat Collective picked up their first gold. **¾
Zozaya vs. Leon Slater
A rematch from their surprise outing at Riot Cabaret last week – and hopefully it works out better than Zozaya’s entrance video did!
Slater vaulted over Zozaya as he looked for a double leg takedown… Zozaya doesn’t fall into Slater’s game though, avoiding a dive initially before getting caught with a plancha into the aisleway. Loved the accidental throwback to the Headshrinkers on WWF Superstars with the camera work there…
Back inside, chops from Leon lit up the Spaniard, as did a short-range dropkick as Slater was looking to be a step ahead of Zozaya… until a dropkick found its way through. Shoulder charges trap Slater in the corner for a spell, before a running overhead through led to a two-count.
Leon’s desperately forced to block a de Madrid al Cielo attempt as he figured out a way back in with a front kick coming off the ropes. Adding a running dropkick into the corner, Slater’s back on top for a two-count before he hung up Zozaya in the ropes after a threatened switcheroo.
Zozaya’s able to duck under Leon off the top rope as he mounted a comeback with a stomp off the top, only to run into a Blue Thunder Bomb moments later as Leon ensured he didn’t fall too far behind. A swanton 450’s aborted as the pair trade big boots, but it’s a pull-up German suplex from Zozaya that looked to spark a change… only for a beheading axe kick from Slater to stop all thoughts of a comeback.
Pulling Zozaya into the corner, Slater tries again for the swanton 450, but he’s cut-off and brought down with a Spanish fly. A superkick followed for a near-fall, before a springboard body press took out Slater as he sought respite on the floor… Zozaya’s in firm control from there, landing a springboard missile dropkick before the avalanche de Madrid al Cielo was escaped out of, with a springboard cutter out of the corner helping Leon en route to the swanton 450 for the win. This was a heck of a spring, with the Berlin crowd eating up everything between the bells here. ***¾
After a very brief pause… because the GWF wanted to get people out of the building in time to make it to the SmackDown taping later on… we were interrupted by Metehan. He took the mic and was told to shut up by the crowd before he even said a word. Fortunately for me, he’s initially speaking in English, bemoaning not even being booked here. He wants to earn some money today for his family, so he’s an open challenge… but who’s paying him?! Anyway, it turns into a rant at Axel Tischer, who he used to be a tag team champion with around these parts, and that drew out the Axeman…
Cue a brawl between the two as referees came out from the back – along with the GWF orderlies – to separate them as Metehan was told there’d be no match for him today. He’ll tell the children.
Axel Tischer vs. Michael Oku
Since Tischer was in the ring, we may as well start the second half with this match…
This was Oku’s first outing for Rev Pro since the Copperbox, and his first match in the GWF since March 2022’s Light Heavyweight World Cup. I can hear Gideon Grey having a fit at the opening handshake, and he wasn’t even there! Anyway, we got going with Tischer working over Oku’s arm and wrist, before headscissors and a dropkick from Oku took Tischer into the corner.
A chinbar from Oku kept Tischer grounded, only for Tischer to break free and return fire with a leg lariat for a two-count. After kicking Tischer’s leg out of his leg, Oku looked to wear down the German, only to get caught with an enziguiri, leading to the pair trading strikes. Uppercuts from Tischer and a big boot took the former champion off his feet, as did a clothesline, only for Oku to sneak in a roll-up for a near-fall.
Tischer’s clothesline off the top rope puts him back in control though, but Oku snuck in a springboard moonsault to keep him in it, while a springboard dropkick took Tischer off the apron in preparation for a Fosbury flop. Back inside, Tischer avoids a running dropkick into the corner and snapped back with a Ligerbomb for a near-fall, before Oku avoided a Horrible Slam… only to run into Tischer’s knee.
A second Ligerbomb’s just about escaped as Oku countered into a DDT, then wrapped in a half crab as Tischer crawled his way into the ropes for a break. Looking to go for the half crab again, Oku spun down the Axeman with a Dragon screw, before a froggy crossbody was caught and countered into a death valley driver.
It’s not enough to get the three-count though, as Tischer continued to feel his knee. He tries for a superplex, but it’s Oku who took the German down, leading to a frog splash for the near-fall… morphing into the half crab as Tischer was forced to tap. This threatened to have a wobble, but this was a hell of a match – and you’d expect nothing less from these two. ***¾
Young Blood (Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima) vs. Young Guns (Luke Jacobs & Ethan Allen)
On almost any other show, this could have been a main event – but this is a pretty damn tasty tag match.
It’s Oskar and Luke starting us off, locking up into the ropes, but it’s Oskar who took Luke off his feet first, before the pair traded chops. This is the Oskar I wanted to see more off on excursion – the heavy hitter in him. Escaping a Michinoku driver, Jacobs tags in Ethan Allen, but Ethan’s knocked down into the corner as Yuto Nakashima came into play.
A jawbreaker gets Ethan free as Luke came back to try and slug it out with the other half of Young Blood, before some double-teaming finally had North West Strong in the driver’s seat. Yuto’s kept isolated as frequent tags allowed Jacobs and Allen to bully him. Eventually, Yuto nicked out the knee of a charging Allen, before reversing a double suplex as he finally made the tag out to Oskar.
Clearing out Allen, Leube was able to hurl Jacobs into the sky with a back body drop for a two-count, before running knees from Yuto in the corner almost put away the newly-crowned champion. A boot-aided side suplex forced Allen in to break up the cover before Luke and Ethan resumed double-teaming Nakashima… finishing with a kick-assisted brainbuster for a near-fall.
Oskar just about broke up the cover on that, but the direction of travel remained the same as we quickly reached the end as a kick-assisted piledriver put away Nakashima for the three-count. ***¼
GWF World Championship: Ricky Knight Jr. vs. Mike D Vecchio (c)
These two met on a Rev Pro card in Sheffield earlier this year, with Ricky getting the win – if he does it again here, he’ll be likely leaving with some gold.
Starting with lock-ups and shove offs, quick roll-ups from RKJ saw him try to get a flash pin in the opening minutes before he pulled Mike D off of the ropes and into a PK. Mike D was smart to some of Ricky’s offence and was able to sidestep it, returning with a front kick off the ropes to send RKJ into the corner for cover.
Recovering, RKJ took Mike D into the ropes for a chop – then the Vinny Jones – before things spilled outside with Mike D hitting a ‘rana into the front row. Clearing away even more of the crowd, Mike D bowled RKJ through the rest of the rows, before returning to the ring where RKJ was able to land a springboard forearm to the back of the neck.
Mike D spills outside and into the path of a tope, but he’s able to regain the upper hand as he teased an apron powerbomb… only to get tripped up and maneuvered into a Styles Clash on the edge of the ring. Rolling Mike back inside, Ricky lands a senton bomb off the top for a near-fall, before a springboard cutter opened the door for the Belgian once more.
Mike D’s running back suplex out of the corner sets him up for… a springboard moonsault that he crashed and burned on. Picking up the pieces, RKJ measured him up for chops, only to get wiped out with a lariat before an apron powerbomb kept the champion ahead. Heading up top again, Mike D ends up leaping into a cutter from RKJ, who then went for a Muscle Buster… but it’s not enough for the win.
Instead, RKJ scoops up Mike D for a brainbuster, which still doesn’t do it as the pair continued to scrap… leading to the suicide suplex from the ring to the floor. Back inside, we’re trading blows again until RKJ leapt into Mike D’s clutches… and thrown down with a spinning sit-out powerbomb for what turned out to be the win after a brief hesitation at the end. If you’re comparing, I preferred their first outing in Sheffield, as this one didn’t seem to land with the crowd. ***
Post-match, Toni Harting and Fast Time Moodo attacked Mike D on the stage, taking things back to the ring as the pair laid out the referees that tried to break it up. RKJ eventually makes the save, chasing Moodo and Harting… before faking out a belt shot as he and Mike D shook hands to close things out.
The first half of the Double Impact double-header was a really easy show to watch – with nothing outstaying its welcome. Oku/Tischer and Slater/Zozaya are the two matches you absolutely need to go out of your way to see – Rev Pro and the GWF team up again on Saturday afternoon for the second show, with Luke Jacobs vs. Rambo one of the few announced matches here.