Pure Beef hit Rev Pro in Huntingdon as Blake and Will Kroos made their debut, taking on former tag team champions in Connor Mills & Michael Oku.
Quick Results
Dan Moloney pinned Robbie X in 8:09 (***¼)
Ricky Knight Jr. defeated Lee Hunter via disqualification in 8:53 (***)
Luke Jacobs submitted Yota Tsuji in 13:10 (***¼)
Lucian Phillips pinned David Francisco in 11:25 (**¾)
Blake & Will Kroos pinned Connor Mills & Michael Oku in 12:43 (***¼)
It’s the first of two shows in a day at Commemoration Hall in Huntingdon, England… Andy Quildan and Gideon Grey are on hand for commentary, and yes, this is part of a massive content drop Rev Pro’s done.
Dan Moloney vs. Robbie X
Gideon’s dating this show, mentioning Great O-Khan’s IWGP tag title win from earlier in the day…
Moloney charged at Robbie X early as we have a switcheroo, leading to Robbie going for some headscissors… they’re caught, but Robbie X gets back ahead with some maneuvering, only to get knocked onto the apron. Slung back inside, Robbie X manages to hit the hiptoss and cartwheel dropkick for a two-count, then a standing moonsault for a one-count.
Moloney shrugs off chops in the corner, but got caught with a rear spin kick to the gut… then a Quebrada for a two-count. A handspring’s caught and turned into a back suplex from Moloney, but Robbie kicks out and got chopped for it. Moloney tries to take things outside, but Robbie X rolled right back in… and gets whipped into the corner before a brainbuster left him laying.
Forearms from Robbie X earned him another chop as Moloney picked up a two-count, ahead of a modified ankle lock that ended in the ropes. We’ve a sweet back body drop out of Moloney for another two-count before Robbie X took him into the corner for a kick, then onto the apron for a handspring kick. A plancha followed to keep Moloney down on the floor, then a missile dropkick back inside for a near-fall.
Robbie X deadlifts Moloney up for a death valley driver, but Moloney rolls out and teased a Drilla… Robbie X rolled out for an overhead kick, then finally hit the death valley driver as a follow-up standing shooting star press drew a near-fall. Heading up top, Robbie X prepared for a finish… but Moloney kicks the referee into the ropes to crotch Robbie, then pulled him out of the corner for a Drilla for the win. This was a cracker of a sprint to get the show going, as Moloney eked out the win. ***¼
Lee Hunter vs. Ricky Knight Jr.
Hunter bails at the bell as he tried to take the sting out of RKJ before things could get going.
When he does return to the ring, Hunter’s forearms are shrugged off as he again slid outside at the first inkling of a threat from Knight. Huntingdon chanted their pub menu favourite as RKJ brought Hunter back in, then walloped him with a clothesline, sending him back outside so he could crotch him around the ring post.
Knight chops Hunter through the crowd, then dropped him with an atomic drop over the back of a chair… as a back suplex onto the edge of the ring kept Hunter on the defensive. Seeking a chair, Hunter’s kicked out of it, but back inside he’s able to get back on form, hitting a suplex for a two-count.
Knee drops keep RKJ down, while a sleeperhold dragged RKJ to the mat as Hunter sought a stoppage. The hold’s fought out of, before RKJ countered a second sleeper into another back suplex. RKJ pushes on with low dropkicks and a back senton, before a scoop slam out of the corner and a springboard moonsault nearly put Hunter away.
Hunter returns with a front kick to knock Knight down, as a trip up top ended with RKJ catching him with a Razor Ramon-like avalanche back suplex. A boot and a Blockbuster gives Hunter another near-fall, before a Rainmaker from RKJ earned him a two-count. Knight pushed on with a Made in Japan… then looked to put Hunter away with a Fire Thunder Driver, only for Dan Moloney to make the save as some double-teaming led to the DQ… with Robbie X making the save with a chair. ***
Yota Tsuji vs. Luke Jacobs
Gideon took huge exception to Luke Jacobs fist-bumping the referee before the match… noting he’d “pick a fight with a Young Gun… I’ve got a fight with an old gun later.”
Jacobs muscled Tsuji to the mat early on, looking for a pin… but ended up needing the ropes as Tsuji grabbed an ankle. Arm wringers from Tsuji turn into a hammerlock that Jacobs escapes, then went back to the ankle lock as he then moved into a Deathlock, snapping back on Tsuji’s knees.
From there, we move into shoulder tackles, ending with a leapfrog and a big boot from Jacobs to take Tsuji outside, with a chop in the ropes sending him down to the dark abyss that was the floor. Back inside, Tsuji kicks away Jacobs’ arm on the mat, then hit a slam as a double wristlock left Jacobs in trouble.
Forearms from Tsuji leave Jacobs on all fours, while a back elbow led to a pinning attempt as Jacobs eventually tried to fight back with chops. Tsuji returned the favours, but a battle over a suplex ended with Jacobs winning out, but the cover was only good for a two-count. Tsuji tries to get back in it, but got rolled into an ankle lock – albeit by the ropes, as we had a quick break. A suplex keeps Tsuji on top for a two-count, then threw in a chicken wing… but again the ropes save the day.
Jacobs and Tsuji trade forearms from there, before chops eventually get blocked… Jacobs boots Tsuji ahead of a German suplex, then landed a clothesline into the corner and a double underhook suplex out of it. It’s good for a two-count, as Tsuji went back to the arm to counter a powerbomb… only to get caught with another smacking lariat.
Jacobs folds Tsuji with a powerbomb from there for a near-fall, then went back to the ankle lock. Tsuji rolls free, taking Jacobs into the corner, before a wheelbarrow Tsuji slam added another near-fall… as did a clothesline. Gideon Grey abandons commentary as Tsuji set up for a superplex, and as Grey yelled at his charge like he was a naughty child, Jacobs pushed Tsuji down.
Tsuji followed up by shoving Grey off the apron, only to get caught in another ankle lock that eventually forced Tsuji to tap. A good little outing this, with Tsuji again raising the ire of Gideon Grey – and ended up falling to defeat as a result. ***¼
David Francisco vs. Lucian Phillips
It’s the first of two matches for Francisco today, both against the Legion – he’d face Gideon Grey later in the evening…
Phillips shoves away Francisco to start, taking him into the corner for a clean break… with some rather patronising stuff towards the Portuguese native. Another tie-up ends in the ropes, but Francisco shoves back this time, then saw his side headock get pushed off as Phillips proceeded to slam him down.
A shoulder tackle knocks Francisco down, as did a bodyslam, but Phillips misses an elbow drop as the contender began to find a way back in. A sunset flip out of the corner gets a two-count, but Phillips quickly returned with a front kick for a near-fall. Forearms keep Francisco down as Phillips was literally toying with him… taking him through the ropes for some chops that saw Francisco spill to the floor.
Francisco makes it back to the ring, but couldn’t avoid a suplex for a two-count, nor a double chop to the back. Hair pulling followed, as did more chops as Francisco got run into the corner. Clotheslines keep him there, but Phillips misses a Legion Lariat into the corner, allowing Francisco to start his fightback.
Francisco popped back up after some more chops, taking Phillips into the corner with an enziguiri, while a diving kick nearly won it. Missing a clothesline leads to Phillips taking a TKO for a near-fall, but a sucker punch has Francisco back on jelly legs, before a clothesline and a Hidden Blade-ish lariat got the win as Phillips picked up a singles win here. **¾
Pure Beef (Blake & Will Kroos) vs. Destination Everywhere (Michael Oku & Connor Mills)
This was the in-ring debut of Kroos and Blake as a tandem in Rev Pro, having laid out Sunshine Machine a week earlier in London.
Blake and Oku start us off, as Oku got shoved into the corner to start… Oku returned with a waistlock, but got backed into the corner, before he tried some mounted punches. Blake shoves him off, but Oku runs back in, then hit a dropkick as Connor Mills tagged in… and eventually hit his half of double dropkicks and a double hiptoss after Blake got carried away from his leapfrog.
Will Kroos comes in, but gets clotheslined to the outside, before he caught a dive from Mills… Oku’s Fosbury flop nearly got caught, but eventually took the big man down as the former tag team champions forced their way back in. A missile dropkick from Oku has Blake down ahead of a double-team wheelbarrow bulldog for a near-fall.
Oku tagged in to aim a kick at Blake, then followed up with a neckbreaker… only for Blake to score with a sit-down splash out of the corner that nearly ended things right there. Kroos tagged in and laid out Oku with a chop, but a nonchalant pin gets a two-count as he proceeded to ground Oku with a sleeperhold.
Kroos scored with a slam and a splash for a two-count, as Blake returned to continue the beatdown, scoring with a stalling suplex for another two-count. Oku’s kept on the back foot as Kroos hurled him into the corner as Gideon Grey surmised that Kroos and Blake should join the Legion. I thought Kroos already was, or was that just a one-night trial period?
Oku tries to fight back as Andy Quildan was getting all passive aggressive at the camera crews for not spotting – or shooting – Lee Hunter coming out to watch Oku ahead of his title match later in the day. Finally we get that shot as Oku finally leapt over Blake to tag in Mills, who ran wild with forearms and dropkicks. Oku’s back to help out as dualling springboard moonsaults nearly won it.
Blake powers out of a half crab, then hits a chokeslam to Oku… as Kroos tagged in… his powerbomb’s escaped as Oku scurried out to tag Mills back in. A diving crossbody from Kroos splats Mills, while a powerbomb led to a near-fall for the future tag title challengers. Mills just about escapes a powerbomb as he returned with a rebound lariat… Oku’s back, but gets chopped into the ropes as a double rebound lariat took Kroos down as a stacked-up pin drew a two-count.
Oku goes back to the half crab, but Lee Hunter distracts Oku by grabbing the Cruiserweight title. Oku tags out so he can dive on Hunter, while Mills’ crossbody gets caught. He escapes Kroos but got outnumbered by Blake and Kroos as Oku chased Hunter to the back… that left Mills on his own to get squashed as a Border Toss from Blake and a Kroos cannonball led to a wacky powerbomb/Sliced Bread variant for the win. Pure Beef impressed me massively here as they instantly offered something that Rev Pro’s been lacking – proper big lads that leap off the page. ***¼
Post-match, Blake and Kroos continued to go after Mills, before TK Cooper and Chuck Mambo ran out to make the save as the show came to an end…
Running just under 80 minutes, this was a pretty straightforward show – with the main event between Alex Windsor and Lana Austin being edited off due to an injury that stopped the match. There’s not much on here I’d say you need to go out of your way to see, especially amid a massive content drop from Rev Pro, but this was a solid show that’s worth adding to your binge lists.