Rev Pro made another trip up north, as they reached Sheffield for the first of two shows in a day – featuring the Lykos Gym challenging for the tag titles.
Quick Results
Screwface Ahmed pinned Yota Tsuji in 10:40 (***)
Robbie X pinned Chris Ridgeway in 10:57 (***)
Gisele Shaw submitted Shaun Jackson in 2:48 (*½)
Kyle Fletcher pinned Callum Newman in 13:57 (***¾)
Mark Haskins pinned Adam Maxted in 16:27 (**¾)
Hyan pinned Hannah Taylor in 10:36 (***¼)
Michael Oku & Connor Mills submitted Kid Lykos II & Kid Lykos to retain the Rev Pro Undisputed British Tag Team Championships in 18:05 (***)
Ironically I’m in Sheffield – a week late – as I’m watching this on vacation with my dog snoring in the background. Andy Quildan and Gideon Grey are on commentary from this afternoon show at the Trafalgar Warehouse in Sheffield, and I’m giddy with what we’re likely to get on the call.
Screwface Ahmed vs. Yota Tsuji
It’s a Rev Pro debut for Tsuji, who got that Baccara chant early, and we’re in early with forearms as the pair looked for an early advantage.
It’s Screwface who seemed to get ahead first, but he’s quickly met with a dropkick before Screwface hung him up in the ropes. We’re back to uppercuts and elbows from Screwface as Tsuji was pushed into firing back, only to run into a spinebuster for a near-fall. Tsuji’s slam turns it around, as did a leaping forearm and another slam that led to a running senton and the Mount Tsuji!
That gets a near-fall, as Tsuji teed up for a Boston crab, which ended in the ropes. A trip in the ropes from Lucien Phillips leads to a Pedigree from Screwface for a near-fall. A second one’s back body dropped away as the Boston crab followed… but Gideon abandons commentary to distract the ref. Phillips punches away the Boston crab, then hauls up Tsuji for Deep Wounds as that’s the win. This was a good first showing for Tsuji, who’s still in the Young Lion get-up – and clearly having to work his way up against the Legion. ***
Post-match, Gideon tries to butter up Tsuji, saying he could be one of the “most dominating people in Rev Pro” and offered him a spot in the Legion. Yota’s answer? “Fuck off.”
Chris Ridgeway vs. Robbie X
Hope you like the Legion theme! Gideon didn’t hit the ring to do Chris Ridgeway’s introduction, as he was too busy licking his wounds from those hurtful words.
Ridgeway takes things to the mat early, looking to work Robbie X’s legs, but there’s nothing going as Robbie X flipped by into a basement dropkick for an early two-count. There’s more delightful needling on commentary from Gideon Grey as Ridgeway hit some kitchen sink knees, then a suplex before grabbing an armbar.
Robbie X rolls outside but gets kicked on the apron, then back inside as Ridgeway tried to move Robbie’s spine forward by a few inches. Recovering, Robbie X hits a dropkick, then a gamengiri in the corner en route to a two-count before he stomped on Ridgeway’s fingers. A knee strike and a running shooting star’s good for a two-count, before Ridgeway blocks an X-Clamation.
Ridgeway’s bridging German suplex adds a two-count as he moves in for a crossface… Robbie X rolls out, but gets PK’d for a two-count as it’s back to the crossface punches, then the crossface, but that ends in the ropes. More kicks from Ridgeway follow, before a wind-up punch was blocked, but Robbie X goes right to the X-Clamation and that’s the win! A bit out of nowhere, but Robbie X continues his run over Chris Ridgeway and leaves with a victory. ***
Shaun Jackson’s introduced for… reasons. He’s had a haircut, and has a mic as he’s berating Sheffield. He’s got an open challenge, because why not? Gisele Shaw answers it (and not Francesca, the ring announcer, much to Gideon’s disappointment). Shaun tries to shout it down, saying he’s already beaten Shaw, but Shaw goads him into the match…
Shaun Jackson vs. Gisele Shaw
Jackson blindsides Shaw at the bell, but Gisele chops back only to run into a backbreaker from “Percy”. I thought his name was Perseus?
A spinning sidewalk slam drops Shaw next, but Jackson celebrates too much and gets slapped a few times. He’s right back with a swinging Twister suplex though, before Brendan White came out to mockingly applaud Jackson from the crowd. Shaw’s back with a roll-up to the distracted Jackson, then a knee, before a spear drew a near-fall… then the levering armbar gets the submission. Good for what it was. *½
Callum Newman vs. Kyle Fletcher
I’d heard good things about this one…
Newman, described as being “like a three year old on Haribo” quickly turns up the pace early with a ‘rana and a standing shooting star press on Fletcher. Kyle lifts him onto the apron, but got kicked down ahead of a slingshot tornillo back inside, before Kyle went outside and took an Orihara moonsault into the front row.
A sorta-Millshot back inside from Newman’s good for a two-count, but Kyle pancakes Callum ahead of a low dropkick to take things into the corner. Stomps from Kyle kept Newman down, but Callum’s back with a nice roundhouse kick as he kept pace with Fletcher while we all scrambled to look up Beyblades.
Newman keeps going with a stomp through the ropes, then a roll-through DDT for a two-count, before a springboard Meteora saw Newman nearly brush the ceiling on the way through to a near-fall. There’s a JESUS CHRIST deservedly from commentary as Fletcher’s swinging Michinoku driver spiked Newman for a two-count, before Kyle clubbed him through the ropes. Newman lifts Kyle to the outside, booting him there before diving onto him off the top, leading to a dropkick and an over-the-knee brainbuster that nearly got Newman the upset. Fletcher’s dead weighting himself as Newman tried to push this over the line, but Kyle edges ahead in a battle of strikes, landing a superkick before powerbombing Newman.
A reverse ‘rana keeps Newman ahead, but Fletcher is right back with a goddamn brainbuster that almost won it, before Fletcher landed a spinning Grimstone (tombstone) for the win. This was a fantastic display from Newman, who showed here why he’s been tipped for the future, but Fletcher more than shone in an impromptu singles outing here. Let’s run this back in three years eh? ***¾
Mark Haskins vs. Adam Maxted
Apparently Maxted “feels like he didn’t show up” against Dan Moloney in Manchester…
Also apparently, Mark Haskins has been fighting badgers during his downtime. Haskins goes in with a side headlock early, but things were remarkably even until Haskins stomped Maxted in the arm. We’ve a chinbar on Maxted, who gets free, only to have his arm worked over as Haskins looked to roll through for a death valley driver.
Instead, Maxted rolls free and hits a dropkick, then a Biel throw as Gideon was just calling everything a dropkick as I suspect Andy Q was making good use of that mute button on his mic. Send for the man. Maxted hangs up Haskins in the ropes, but misses a stomp before Haskins caught him in the apron – and tore off the ring apron inadvertently.
Haskins’ dive wipes out Maxted, as does another, as they were trying to see how much the venue would stand before the deposit on the chairs went. A third dive doesn’t go into the crowd luckily, as we head back inside where Haskins threw Maxted shoulder-first into the buckles. It’s all Haskins here, as he stretches Maxted in a cheating abdominal stretch – using the ropes for extra pull – before he turned it into a Cobra Twist.
Finally Maxted hiptosses through, then hit an enziguiri, before a fallway slam chucks Haskins across the ring. A Blockbuster follows for a two-count, but Haskins is right back with a backslide, then a Busaiku knee for a near-fall, before one more comeback from Maxted led to a scoop slam for a near-fall for the Northern Irishman.
Maxted misses a moonsault out of the corner, and ends up getting stomped on. Maxted returns the favour, before he borrowed a page out of Shingo Takagi with a noshigami for a near-fall. Or a dropkick, if you will. A springboard dropkick from Maxted followed, but Haskins is right back with a roll-up, then some elbows and a diving elbow to the back of the head as Haskins left with the win. **¾
Hannah Taylor vs. Hyan
It’s a Rev Pro debut for Taylor, who had to defend headlock takedowns early before she took down Hyan with a Fireman’s carry en route to an armbar.
Hyan fought free, but gets chopped in the corner as Taylor came back with a springboard armdrag and a Slingblade. Hyan’s back with an Electric Chair, running Taylor across the ring and into the buckles ahead of a clothesline. A side suplex earns Hyan another two-count, while an Irish whip bounced Taylor into the buckles. Taylor tries a whip of her own, then rolled up Hyan out of the corner before a roll through and some cravat knees had Hyan back on top
Taylor takes a neckbreaker, then a Hyan legdrop as the number one contender for Gisele Shaw’s title looked dominant. Some bodyscissors force Taylor to lean back to try and beat Hyan with her own move, but she’s quickly met with a suplex before Taylor mounted a comeback with elbows and forearms.
A side Russian legsweep from Taylor has Hyan down, as did a backslide, then a tornado DDT, but Hyan’s still kicking out at two. Taylor’s cross-chop to the throat earned her a crossbody, before an Airplane Spin turned into a spinning rack bomb that nearly wins Hyan the match.
Hyan kicks out from a small package, then a neckbreaker, before Hyan charged into the corner to break up a hammerlock DDT. Taylor tries to come in with a hammerlock’d clothesline, but it’s ducked as Hyan quickly puts her away with the Glam Slam. A really strong showing from Taylor on her debut – hopefully she’s able to become a regular in Rev Pro. If this were a tryout, that’s been passed with flying colours you’d say, as she more than hung with Hyan – who could easily have dominated given her higher profile in the company right now. ***¼
RevPro Undisputed British Tag Team Championship: Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos II) vs. Destination Everywhere (Connor Mills & Michael Oku) (c)
The Lykii got this title shot by way of their win over Oku and Mills at the start of the Great British Tag League.
Oku’s wristlock forces Lykos to defend, eventually doing so as they head into the ropes where Oku’s springboard crossbody led to both men tagging out. A diving uppercut from Mills has Lykos II down, but Lykos II is right back… and gets ‘rana’d by Oku as the champions pulled ahead early on.
Mills’ assisted moonsault on Oku leads to both of the Lykii heading outside, where they’re dived onto as that chair deposit was again being tested. The double-teaming continues as Mills and Oku milked those non-existent five-counts amid quick tags, until Lykos II tagged out. Lykos I is taken down and has his arm stomped on, but the Lykii double-team in the ropes and turn the match on its head.
A kick from Lykos I leads to him choking on Mills on the ropes. Lykos works over the arm as Mills was on the defensive… he frees himself with an enziguiri, but Lykos II pulls Oku off the apron as the wolves surround Mills. Lykos II’s Octopus stretch forces Mills to haul his way to the ropes, but Mills ends up making the tag out to a fired up Oku.
There’s a back body drop from Oku, then a springboard moonsault to Lykos II for a two-count, before a double-team reverse suplex got Mills a two-count. Kicks from Mills wear down Lykos II, but they’re eventually caught as Mills came back with a rebound lariat to Lykos I, before eating a satellite DDT from Lykos II.
Lykos I hits what I can only describe as an over-the-knee Shock Arrow on Mills, en route to a two-count from Lykos II as Oku made the save. A slingshot Code Red helps the Lykii towards another near-fall, before Lykos’ Octopus stretch puts Mills down to a knee. Lykos II drops Oku as we get a Human Centipede bow and arrow hold from the Lykii that nearly turned into a pin as the champions floated out.
Oku and Lykos II trade kicks until Mills’ Sick Kick wiped out Lykos II. An errant rebound lariat from Mills dropped Oku, only for a Millshot to take out Lykos I as the friendly fire recurred again. Oky and Lykos II are legal, trading shots before a diving knee from Oku dropped the young wolf. Mills returns as the champions set up a Doomsday springboard enziguiri for a near-fall, but Lykos I interferes again as the challengers stayed in it.
A Lo Mein Pain leads to a two-count from Lykos II, but Oku breaks up the pin with a frog splash, then tagged back in for a half crab. Lykos I’s attempt to break it up led to him getting lifted into a Burning Cutter from Mills, as Lykos II was left with no choice but to tap as commentary called it animal abuse. ***
Rev Pro kept their streak going with a matinee show that could just have easily have been “throwaway” – especially after the losses of Shota Umino, Mark Davis and Will Ospreay to positive covid tests earlier in the week. The scene is being rebuilt, and Rev Pro are leading the way in doing so in front of crowds, while putting on the odd gem here and there. Well worth the eight bucks or so a month for the on-demand!