The British J Cup returns for another year, as names from AEW, CMLL and New Japan hit Stevenage looking for a shot at the gold.
Quick Results
British J Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Lio Rush pinned Barbaro Cavernario in 11:02 (***)
British J Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Kid Lykos II pinned Kid Lykos in 15:19 (**½)
British J Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Cameron Khai pinned Robbie Eagles in 17:40 (***)
British J Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Dante Martin pinned Robbie X in 16:25 (***)
Zozaya pinned JJ Gale in 15:23 (***½)
Luke Jacobs pinned 1 Called Manders in 12:18 (****¼)
British J Cup 2024 Final: Lio Rush pinned Dante Martin, Kid Lykos II & Cameron Khai in 18:01 (***½)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
We’re back at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage for the seventh British J Cup – and heaven’s above, we’ve got some new cameras!? Andy Quildan’s joined on commentary by Gideon Grey on a rare sojourn north of the M25. That’ll bite us all on the arse by the end of the night…
British J Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Lio Rush vs. Barbaro Cavernario
Lio was last a part of this tournament in 2022, going out in the first round to Leon Slater… while Cavernario was last involved in 2019, losing to Robbie Eagles in the first round back when this was a York Hall show.
Cavernario was none too pleased with the Stevenage crowd’s backing of Lio in the early going, putting the boots to Lio before he got caught with a ‘rana after some back-and-forth over a whip into the ropes. Cavernario worms out of a boot as he began to get aggressive, whipping Lio through the corner to the outside.
Back inside, a ripcord into a snapping release suplex chucked Rush towards the corner, but Lio’s evasiveness helped him to get around the caveman, ahead of a threading-the-needle low-pe into the crowd… but Cavernario’s lariat and a wacky spin-out facebuster put him right at the line as he almost took the win. In the end, a stunner and the Final Hour booked Lio’s spot in the final in a decent opener, even if you were left wanting a little more… ***
British J Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Kid Lykos vs. Kid Lykos II
Discounting Fantasticamania, it’s been the thick end of a year since we saw the Lykii at Rev Pro – and Lykos the elder is getting ready for his trip to Germany by growing a mullet.
After Andy did his stomping over kayfabe, we got going with the Lykii going hold for hold with moves and counters as Lykos II almost nicked a win in the opening minute. Following that scare, Lykos looked to play around with Lykos II, but things started getting almost slapstick in nature as they both went for brainbusters ad-nauseum.
Lykos manages to surprise Lykos II by going for a backslide for a near-fall… which Lykos II tried to return the favour on. He had more luck with armdrags though as things took a turn into some lucha-inspired sequences, with rapid pin attempts as they kept up the “whatever you can do, I can do” story of the match. Problem was, it didn’t seem to land as a story, at least as far as the crowd audibly wanting one to win… so instead Lykos-the-elder started to dig into his bag of tricks as Lykos II turned up the tempo – which meant Lykos II was starting to become the fan favourite.
Telegraphing a brainbuster again didn’t do the trick, as more see-saw pins ended with Lykos II getting rolled around the ring, before he got cracked with a superkick. A Meteora off the top still can’t get Lykos the win, nor could a snapping brainbuster, before Lykos II countered almost a package piledriver attempt into a ‘rana for the upset win. This picked up towards the end, but a lot of it felt like an exhibition in the early going. The match would have worked like this somewhere, just not here. **½
British J Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Cameron Khai vs. Robbie Eagles
It’s a maiden bow in the British J Cup for Khai, but he’s got a massive test in front of him against an increasingly-salty Robbie Eagles.
Eagles almost caught Khai with the Ron Miller Special in the opening seconds, but he relented in a bid to get into Khai’s head. A rope-aided armdrag, followed by a tijeras gave Eagles an opening, before he bailed as Khai threatened to take to the skies.
Eagles trolls the referee – and us all – by taking his time to return to the ring, but Khai was able to hit back with a neckbreaker, taking Eagles outside for a tope. Back inside though, Eagles was able to boss things again, catching out Khai’s standing moonsault as an attempted submission ended quickly in the ropes.
A sit-out spinebuster almost wins it for Eagles, who followed up with a Ron Miller Special into the ropes. Eagles perhaps took Khai a little too lightly as his kicks got caught, allowing Khai back in with those rolling Northern Lights suplexes. Having blocked a follow-up Pingshot cutter, Eagles goes for the knees with a Tiger Feint kick before going back to the Ron Miller Special… with the ropes again saving Khai.
Back-and-forth strikes follow, leading to an over-the-knee brainbuster… but that seemed to do equal damage despite Khai being on offence. Another crack at the Pingshot’s blocked as Eagles took Khai to the outside for a wild tope con giro, as running knees follow into the corner, before a faked-out 450 splash to the knees looked to set up yet another Ron Miller. A cradle stops that though, only for Eagles to go back to the leg… this time though, Khai’s able to outsmart the renewed focus on the knee, leaping over another Tiger Feint kick, before the Pingshot finally landed for the win. ***
British J Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Dante Martin vs. Robbie X
Back in Rev Pro after being a surprise entrant in the scramble match at the Copperbox, Dante Martin’s looking to derail Robbie X’s bid of being the first two-time British J Cup winner.
The early exchanges had Dante ahead, before Robbie X stopped to admonish a fan for their swearing. Please change, Stevenage. Heading outside, Robbie’s plancha left Dante laying in the front row, before Robbie began to pick his shots on Dante, targeting the lower back for a spell, before an enziguiri knocked out Dante by the ropes.
A cross-legged abdominal stretch had Martin in trouble, but he’s able to get back into things by flipping out of a German suplex… then sent Robbie flying with a dropkick. Adding a springboard crossbody gets Dante a two-count, then a lesser-spotted airplane spin, before Robbie X again found a way back in with a hiptoss and a cartwheel dropkick for a two-count.
Martin’s suplex gets turned into a cradle for a two-count as we kept going, but he’s able to roll outside after taking an X-Claimation… Robbie grabs onto the arm to try and drag him in, but to no avail as he instead lands a second plancha. Dante puts distance between himself and Robbie ahead of a dropkick through the turnbuckles on the floor… before a nifty Shiranui back inside almost took the win.
A Beyblade and standing shooting star nearly gets Robbie the win, as did a backwards roll into a swinging DDT, before another crack at the X-Claimation was caught and turned into a half nelson bomb. Fighting from the ground, Martin’s able to kick Robbie away, before a trip up top was stopped with a Pele kick. An attempt to join Dante up top sees Robbie get pushed down, before a frog splash got the win. Despite the more aggressive edge, it’s a familiar loss in Rev Pro for Robbie X, who’ll have to wait til next year for his next crack at a second J Cup. ***
Zozaya vs. JJ Gale
An interesting outing to kick off the second half, with two favourites in Rev Pro up against each other.
Both Gale and Zozaya came in nursing shoulder problems, as a tentative start gave way to Zozaya controlling Gale with a swinging butterfly hold. Rather than pounce on Gale, Zozaya gave him time to recover, allowing JJ to return with a cartwheel kick to the arm, then a dropkick, before he began to target Zozaya’s right arm.
A rolling dropkick from Zozaya bought him some time, as did some charges into the corner before Gale’s rebound German suplex sent Zozaya rolling outside for respite. Back inside, Zozaya and Gale were going after the other’s injuries, before a double clothesline left the pair laying.
Escalating, things headed up top, with Gale landing an avalanche Falcon arrow out of it for a near-fall… he stays on Zozaya’s arm, ahead of a split-legged moonsault out of the corner, before a swing around saw Zozaya come close with a double stomp off the top, landing on the back of Gale.
An aborted moonsault from Zozaya opened the door for Gale, but the trips up top end up backfiring this time as a legit Spanish Fly almost won it for Zozaya… Gale’s final flurry saw him come close from an elevated death valley driver, before a Gale Force ended in the ropes, as one final trip up top backfired once more, with Zozaya countering with an avalanche de Madrid al Cielo death valley driver for the win. This was a really good outing, and an even one at that as Zozaya continued to build momentum after his Copperbox loss, while Gale continues to sputter. Zozaya’s becoming a bit of a favourite in Stevenage, but I’d hope there’s going to be something new for him to sink his teeth into soon. ***½
1 Called Manders vs. Luke Jacobs
Thanks to flight delays and ensuing issues that caused him to miss PROGRESS last week, this ended up being Manders’ UK debut… and against a familiar foe, with these two having met in Germany during 16 Carat Gold earlier in the year.
Speaking of, Manders offered Luke his hat, playing off of that last meeting, but ended up swiping the hat off of Luke instead. That fired up Luke, with the pair laying into each other from the off… and you know when a match between two big lads starts with shoulder tackles and chops, it’s got a good shot at being great.
A poke to the eye from Manders reduced the impact somewhat as he then charged through the champion in what was a non-title outing. Luke went all Ishii on us with elbows and a Violence Party in the corner, sending Manders to the mat ahead of a face-washing boot that cut up the cowboy’s back a little to boot.
The high impact continued as Manders took Jacobs outside for a side suplex onto the side of the ring. Back inside, we’re all about chops as the gunshot-like sounds echoed around the Gordon Craig Theatre. Luke goes a little high with a chop before he began to switch it up with some headbutts instead… Manders cut him off with a slam, but missed an elbow drop before he hung up Luke in the ropes.
Manders adds an Oklahoma Stampede as he came close to the win, but Jacobs is able to fire back with elbows before a pop-up powerbomb folded up Manders for a near-fall. A sliding… not quite a lariat, just a sliding clubbering shot followed for another two-count for Jacobs, only for a kneeling lariat and a Doctor Bomb from Manders to switch it up. Heading up top sees Manders land an avalanche slam, but Jacobs again wins out with a battle of the lariats, before a surprise spear took Manders down.
A murderous kneeling piledriver from Jacobs stacked Manders on his head, before Jacobs hit one more lariat to a defiant Manders… and that’s your lot. Relatively short compared to the rest of the card, but sometimes a hard hitting sprint of a match is what you need. These two knocked lumps out of each other and left it all behind in a sheer delight of a match. So… who’s hosting the rubber match? ****¼
British J Cup 2024 Final: Cameron Khai vs. Lio Rush vs. Kid Lykos II vs. Dante Martin
Cameron Khai was jumped by Will Kaven during his entrance – with Kaven smashing Leyton Buzzard’s walking stick over Khai as well. It was noted at the top of the show that Kaven was the first champion not to enter the British J Cup… and I think gives you a better idea of the longer-term story here.
Anyway, Khai came back out before the bell to join the match… but Will Kaven’s also back to try and cause a scene. Confronting Leyton Buzzard just sees everyone else surround Kaven as he abandoned ship, before Khai leapt into the assembled pile with a moonsault off the top to the floor. That’ll not do your knee any good!
In the ring, Lykos II looked for a brainbuster, but it’s countered as Khai uncorked a series of one-legged rolling Northern Lights that took in everyone, before Lykos rolled up Khai out of a Pingshot cutter attempt for the first elimination at just 2:14 of the match. Problem was, that left Lykos II alone against the Top Flight duo, but Lykos II was able to evade them before powdering as he wanted to see the two of them run around for a bit.
Lykos II pulled Lio to the outside… but couldn’t avoid a tope from Martin, nor a Shiranui back inside as Dante came close to our second elimination. Lio’s back as he and Lykos reverse whips en route to a Blue Thunder Bomb from Rush for a near-fall. Fighting back with a Lo Mein Pain out of the corner, Lykos II looked to have things under control, before Rush tried to snatch a pin from Martin’s lofty sunset flip.
Whatever argument there was quickly settled, but Lykos’ tope wiped out Dante on the floor, while Lio’s low-pe almost ended badly by the stage steps. Back inside, Lykos II telegraphed the brainbuster as he’s want to do, allowing Rush to come close from a Falcon arrow… moments later Lykos II’s able to connect with a superplex, only to be surprised on the landing by a frog splash from Martin as we reached out final two at 11:40 into the match.
That left us with the Top Flight lads as the final two – and it’s Dante that was the early aggressor with pinning attempts, before a spinning roundhouse kick from Rush stemmed the tide. A strike exchange ended with a dropkick from Dante, sending Lio outside as he followed up with another dropkick through the buckles, before Rush recovered with another lowpe.
Back inside, Martin’s able to find form again with a half nelson bomb, before a series of stunners from Rush forged an opening… as did a standing Spanish Fly that left Martin down as Lio went back up top for a Final Hour for the win. That’s a shot at Will Kaven’s Cruiserweight title sealed for Lio Rush, who closed out the evening parading that monstrously-sized trophy around the ring.
With the introduction of the new cameras, Rev Pro may well have put a bullet in one of the biggest criticisms they’ve had about their production values – or at least the part that isn’t subjective. However, much like last year’s British J Cup, this was a show of two halves – and one where perhaps the first half shone a light on how much work is needed to replenish the juniors. Take out “the imports” and this year’s field was Cameron Khai, Robbie X and Lykos Gym – with the Lykii having not been used on a full-on Rev Pro show this calendar year. The European scene has a bit of an undercard problem in places, and one that needs to be addressed before it becomes a noticeable rot. If you’re pushed for time, the second half is what you need to see from the first half of this weekender.