Zozaya’s looking to make it two wins from two against Michael Oku, as he got an instant rematch after Barcelona – this time with the title on the line.
Quick Results
Oskar Leube pinned Mike D Vecchio in 10:11 (***)
Seiki Yoshioka pinned Cameron Khai in 10:01 (***¼)
Luke Jacobs submitted Chris Ridgeway in 15:31 (***½)
KUSHIDA submitted Robbie X in 14:52 (***½)
Ricky Knight Jr. pinned JJ Gale in 16:42 (***½)
Rhio pinned Alex Windsor in 14:43 (***¼)
Michael Oku submitted Zozaya to retain the Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship in 23:16 (****¼)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
For the second time since its inception, Epic Encounter’s not in London… we’re at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage for this one, with Andy Quildan initially running solo on commentary.
Oskar Leube vs. Mike D Vecchio
These two went to a double count-out in Southampton a few weeks earlier – and we’ve got a jump start as Mike D hit the ring and charged Oskar through the ropes to the outside.
Taking off the elbow pad, Mike D clubs Oskar in the back as they brawled around ringside… a dropkick from Mike took Oskar off the apron when things looked to be heading back in, as the Belgian followed up with a plancha. Back inside, a tijeras took Oskar into the corner, as Mike looked to stay on him, landing a roundhouse enziguiri.
Mike’s slingshot elbow drop misses as Oskar got back to his feet, while Mike’s moonsault out of the corner was just nope’d away from by Oskar. Stomps from Oskar see him retain control, as did a slam… a chinlock’s fought out of by Mike, who springboards up the ropes for a forearm to the back of the head.
A Kitchen Sink knee from Oskar spins Mike down for another two-count, but Mike’s springboarding caught out Oskar for a cutter. The running back suplex out of the corner followed, before Mike leapt up top… Oskar shakes the ropes, but to no avail as a double jump springboard splash got another two-count. How easy Mike D makes those leaps look, especially for a man with his frame… just unreal.
A back body drop counters Mike’s powerbomb as Oskar fought to get back in it, trapping the Belgian in a sleeperhold before Mike got to the ropes. He’s whipped away as Oskar 18.connected with a clothesline off the ropes at the third attempt, before they jockeyed over a suplex, which Mike won out on. It’s back up the ropes for the GWF champion, who nails a 450 splash… but pulled up Oskar at one. He looked to one-up it with a shooting star press, but Oskar rolls away, allowing Oskar to charge in with a big boot and a Michinoku driver for the win. Mike got carried away with himself and that’s what cost him in the end – and in what’ll not be the first time I say this… I want to see more of Mike D in Rev Pro. ***
Post-match… a fan hits the ring… no, it’s David Francisco, who’s got Oskar in Sheffield later on in the weekend. Francisco tries for an Indie Rock Bottom, but Oskar blocks it before Francisco slipped out of a Michinoku driver and shoved him into Mike D… who slugs it out with Oskar, brawling to the back as Francisco watched on.
Francisco headed to the commentary table to help out for the rest of the show…
Cameron Khai vs. Seiki Yoshioka
This was Yoshioka’s Rev Pro debut, as he’s over in the UK on a tour…
The pair shoot out of the blocks, with Yoshioka wowing the crowd with some rope running early on as he literally charged through Khai in the opening seconds. A leg sweep and a low superkick gives Khai an opening, while a series of suplex kept Khai ahead for a two-count.
A delayed neckbreaker dumps Yoshioka ahead of a standing moonsault for a two-count, before Yoshioka hit back with a leg lariat. Kicks to the midsection take Khai into the corner, as Yoshioka kept catching him unawares, with running knees charging into Khai for a two-count.
Khai’s superkick stops Yoshioka, but he can’t follow-up with an ushigoroshi… instead he takes Yoshioka outside for a tope. Back inside, the ushigoroshi lands for a two-count, before endless standing switches led to Khai spinning around for his rolling Northern Lights suplexes. A Falcon arrow at the end gets another two-count, before Khai’s Pingshot cutter was caught and turned into a Codebreaker.
Yoshioka follows up with an Asai moonsault on the outside, before rolling Khai back inside for a senton bomb. Khai’s just about able to kick out from that, before the pair hit the ropes, ending with a leaping knee from Khai. A folding powerbomb and a bicycle knee followed, as did an over-the-knee brainbuster for a near-fall…
Khai heads back outside looking for the Pingshot cutter again, this time landing it before going for a Tiger Bomb… Yoshioki counters it into a ‘rana, and that’s enough for the pin as we seem to be back-to-back in “going for that little extra only to cost you” finishes. Yoshioka impressed the heck out of me live, outpacing even Khai, who was left feeling the effects by the end… ***¼
Chris Ridgeway vs. Luke Jacobs
North West Strong explodes, kinda?
The opening lock-ups see the pair rough each other up in the ropes, before Ridgeway’s search for an armbar saw Jacobs just roll him aside. Ridgeway just backs away when he’d taken Jacobs down, before they switch it up with Ridgeway trying his luck with shoulder tackles. Luke barely budged.
Ridgeway loses his footing as Jacobs hit the ropes for an eventual shoulder tackle, taking down his mentor ahead of chops and forearms in the corners. A slam and a back senton squashes Ridgeway from there, ahead of a side suplex for a two-count, before Ridgeway’s dropkick to the knee and a Dragon screw turned things his way.
Ridgeway wraps Jacobs’ leg around the ring post before he choked out Jacobs using his wrist tape – something the referee seemed oblivious to. Back inside, Ridgeway hits a grounded Dragon screw before he bridged back in an Indian deathlock on Jacobs’ left knee, before he tied up Jacobs in a double wristlock.
Jacobs stuffs a Dragon screw, but misses a back senton as Ridgeway saw it coming… but a Samoa Joe-ish STO out of the corner, then a DDT put Luke right back in it. A sliding lariat’s good for a two-count for Jacobs, before Ridgeway’s Fisherman suplex led to another Dragon screw. A follow-up PK’s good for a near-fall before a Figure Four forced Jacobs to roll the hold over… with Ridgeway quickly grabbing the ropes after the reversal.
Ridgeway heads up top, but he’s caught with a rising headbutt… which he shrugged off to hit a missile dropkick instead. Heading up top, Jacobs catches Ridgeway, but got caught in an ankle lock before Jacobs superplexed him down to the mat. Staying in it, a knee strike from Ridgeway leads to a caught PK… with Jacobs turning it into a pair of powerbombs for a near-fall.
Jacobs’ lariat stuns Ridgeway as the pair began to trade shots, leathering each other before Ridgeway began to go for the leg, kicking Jacobs ahead of an ankle lock… only for Jacobs to roll through into a crossface, with the incredibly-awkward torque on it helping to force the submission. ***½
Robbie X vs. KUSHIDA
Robbie X had been campaigning for a spot in this year’s Best of the Super Junior tour – but it’s KUSHIDA who got in after an injury to YOH. Speaking of KUSHIDA, he was a replacement for Mike Santana and was making his first appearance in Rev Pro since a win over Kurtis Chapman in October 2018…
KUSHIDA took Robbie X down early on, but we quickly reset as KUSHIDA then looked for crucifix pins, but it ends in the ropes as Robbie X rolled onto the apron to give him some respite. It didn’t quite go as planned, as KUSHIDA rolled Robbie into a seated surfboard a la Liger, before a side headlock’s pushed off.
Robbie kips up after taking a shoulder tackle, but a follow-up X-Claimation’s blocked before Robbie took KUSHIDA into the corner with a dropkick. A springboard missile dropkick takes KUSHIDA outside, and after shooing me away for a breather, he takes Robbie across the other side of the room for a Flatliner into the front row.
Switcharoos led to KUSHIDA beating Robbie into the ring, catching him out with a kick to the arm… and there’s the target for the rest of the match as KUSHIDA tied Robbie X in knots. A dropkick to the arm followed as Robbie had gotten back to his feet, before a hiptoss dumped Robbie X into a cross armbar, forcing him to scoot into the ropes for the break.
KUSHIDA goes all Ron Garvin on us with stomps to Robbie’s limbs, before a cartwheel and a dropkick drew a two-count. Robbie manages to find a way in with a Pele kick, but that left arm’s proving extremely problematic as Robbie’s forced into a one-armed comeback… he just about pulls off a cartwheel into a dropkick, before catching KUSHIDA in the corner with a Beyblade kick.
A squatting Finlay roll from Robbie X followed, but a missed moonsault allowed KUSHIDA back in with kicks to the leg… ahead of a handspring that’s turned into a German suplex. KUSHIDA rolls outside, but couldn’t avoid an Orihara moonsault from Robbie X on the floor, before the Molly Go Round back inside almost got the win.
Calling for the X-Claimation, Robbie buckles as his left arm couldn’t support his weight… KUSHIDA pounces with kicks to the arm, before a tiltawhirl into a Hoverboard lock was escaped. KUSHIDA keeps on his man though, going back to the arm before an overhead kick sparked an exchange of strikes, ending with a hands-free X-Clamation! It’s not enough through, as Robbie headed back up top… but ate a handspring kick into the corner.
KUSHIDA recovers with a Hoverboard lock takedown off the top, before the lock was clamped on for the submission. This got real good in the home stretch, with KUSHIDA’s match-long targeting of the arm paying off as Robbie X came up short. ***½
Heading into intermission, and KUSHIDA’s music has me thinking about surfing dogs…
Ricky Knight Jr. vs. JJ Gale
This one picked up from the 229 a few weeks back, where Gale beat RKJ and Connor Mills in the main event…
Opening with RKJ backing up Gale into the ropes, before a shoulder tackle saw RKJ just bulldoze through Gale in the opening stretches. An uppercut off the ropes surprises RKJ, but a whole lotta misdirection led to a tijeras off the ropes, then a dropkick to take RKJ outside ahead of a flip senton into the crowd. Gale threading the needle there as far as the gap between seating…
A senton atomico back inside’s good for a two-count for Gale, whose Whisper in the Wind was just nope’d away from by RKJ, who followed up with a chop… and then a page out of the Vinny Jones playbook as well. Gale’s herc’d up for a stalling suplex – going for a count of sixty… and unsurprisingly RKJ didn’t want to for that a second time!
RKJ then goes all Chris Brookes on us, giving Gale a wet willie ahead of a chop and a back elbow for a two-count. A headbutt from RKJ looked to set up for a Razor’s Edge, but Gale ‘ranas out before uppercuts and a spinning heel kick led to a release German suplex. Gale’s springboard uppercut out of the corner followed for a two-count, before dropkicks from RKJ crashed through Gale ahead of a draping DDT.
A roll-up from Gale gets him a two-count, before RKJ charged through with a clothesline… they get back to their feet and trade elbows… RKJ adds some chops before another clothesline waffled Gale. The Razor’s Edge follows, dumping Gale across the ring for a near-fall, before a Gourdbuster from Gale and a low superkick led to a near-fall the other-way.
The backpack knee followed, as did a Side Effect from Gale, who then rolled RKJ up into a Falcon arrow for another near-fall. RKJ shoves Gale onto the apron to counter a Gale Force springboard cutter, before the pair jockeyed over a suplex… they end up on the apron with Gale eating an apron brainbuster, ahead of a crushing senton bomb back inside for a near-fall for RKJ.
RKJ hits the ropes for a springboard leg lariat as he dug deep, coming close with a sit-out powerbomb. Gale’s inside cradle nearly shocks RKJ, before another exchange led to a backslide from RKJ… a Cactus Clothesline takes the pair outside as Gale headed up top for an Orihara moonsault. Not moving! Back inside, Gale adds another moonsault, but it’s not enough as the Gale Force… is caught and turned into a cutter, as RKJ ended up putting him away with the Shell Shock. A heck of an outing, and while JJ Gale’s on the rise, he’s not quite at the top level yet – but he’s getting closer… ***½
Alex Windsor vs. Rhio
This was Rhio’s Rev Pro debut – having appeared as part of the battle royal on the 11th Anniversary show at the Copperbox. Meanwhile, this was the first time Windsor’d been seen in Rev Pro since losing the Dog Collar match at York Hall…
Windsor got in Rhio’s face to start, with a shoving match quickly breaking down into back-and-forth elbows as Rhio scored an early T-bone suplex and shotgun dropkick into the corner. Another dropkick takes Windsor to the outside, following up with a low-pe that earned just a one-count back inside.
A uranage backbreaker from Rhio follows for a two-count, before Windsor turned things around, kicking Rhio into the corner before whipping her into the same one. Windsor stays on Rhio with a PK to the back and a seated dropkick to the front for a two-count, before Rhio came back with a leaping forearm off the ropes.
Rhio’s bodyslam puts her back in the driver’s seat as Windsor had trouble maintaining an advantage. Right on cue, of course, Windsor began to chip away on Rhio with forearms to the lower back, but Rhio’s able to respond with forearms and an enziguiri. A headbutt takes Windsor down to a knee, while a spinning heel kick off the ropes took Windsor outside…
Windsor slips back inside to avoid a dive, then caught Rhio with a cannonball a la Liger off the apron. A slingshot stunner from the outside back in gets Rhio a two-count, only for Windsor to return with an Olympic slam for a two-count after Rhio had tried to make it to the ropes. After coming close from a low dropkick, Windsor goes for a Sharpshooter… Rhio’s right in the ropes, so another low dropkick helps break the grip before Windsor dragged her away to reapply the hold.
Rhio breaks free of the hold and returns with a swinging Fisherman’s neckbreaker for a two-count, before a trip up top was countered into a powerbomb by Windsor. It’s not enough to get the win as Rhio hit back with an inside cradle… a superkick follows after Windsor kicked out, before a missile dropkick took Windsor across the ring for another two-count.
A headbutt and a discus forearm from Windsor sees her keep Rhio close, but an Air Raid Crash swings momentum back in Rhio’s direction. A pumphandle powerbomb’s next for a near-fall, then an ushigoroshi, before Rhio cradled her way out of a Fisherman suplex… sparking a series of roll-ups, with one of those proving to be enough to put away the former champion. Hopefully this leads somewhere, but with Nightshade in as the next challenger for Dani Luna it’s good to see Rev Pro doing more than “champion and challenger” on these cards. ***¼
Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship: Zozaya vs. Michael Oku (c)
Zozaya earned himself an instant rematch after he’d beaten Oku in a non-title outing in Barcelona last week. Unfortunately you got the sense not many had seen the match, but Zozaya looked determined to make the most of his moment, going all over the Gordon Craig Theatre in his entrance…
Save for the “olé olé olé” chants, the crowd were a little cool on Zozaya to start as he took down Oku with Fireman’s carries in the early going, then rolled with him on the mat before Oku was sent into the ropes. The champion’s back with a shoulder tackle, before he hung onto the ropes to avoid a Zozaya dropkick… following up with a ‘rana and a dropkick of his own.
Oku slows the pace with a neckbreaker, then with some chops… Zozaya tries some of his own, but Oku ducks before he got ragdolled with some Gator rolls. From there, Zozaya’s swinging gutwrench turned into a facebuster for a two-count – but Oku was clearly dizzied as he stumbled into the ropes from the kick-out.
Wandering into Zozaya, another Gator roll took Oku in for a two-count, before a shoulder charge took Oku into the corner. Marching into the corner, Zozaya eats a boot as Oku turned it around with a missile dropkick, before a snap suplex reversal ensured the challenger didn’t fall too far behind. A charging gamengiri traps Oku in the corner before the shoulder charge into the corner and a running overhead throw kept Oku in the proverbial ropes.
Returning fire, Oku nails a misdirection knee to take Zozaya to the outside… but the Spaniard’s wise to the Fosbury flop, hopping up to the apron for a missile dropkick that sent Oku bouncing through the ropes to the other side of the ring. Threading the needle. Zozaya stays on Oku with a springboard body press to Oku on the floor, but he gets carried away and got caught with a Fosbury flop anyways.
Back inside, Oku heads up top for a frog splash, but Zozaya gets back to his feet and kicks the spittle out of Oku… before he Shelton Benjamin’d himself into a superkick. Oku tries for the frog splash again, but lands in Zozaya’s knees as a cradle gets him a two-count as the pace began to quicken. A double clothesline, then a double big boot and a pair of crossbodies led to them crumpling to the mat.
Recovering, Oku and Zozaya trade elbows… it sends Oku into the ropes, but he kicks the leg out of Zozaya in return. An enziguiri bought Zozaya time as he countered a misdirection knee into a Blue Thunder bomb for a near-fall… while a springboard stomp to the back of Oku almost led to the unlikeliest of title changes. Zozaya’s resurgent here, but his spinning superkick’s caught as Oku looked for a half crab… it’s pushed away as the pair end up crashing and burning on moonsaults.
A running dropkick sends Zozaya hard into the corner, with Oku coming so close to the win from a frog splash… the half crab looks to follow, but Zozaya cradles out… and rolls up Oku, only for his version of the death valley driver – de Madrid al cielo – to be countered into a reverse ‘rana! Seconds later, a snapping version of de Madrid al cielo stacked up Oku for a near-fall.
Zozaya charges in with a gamengiri into the corner as he proceeded to take Oku up… for an authentic one-man Spanish fly… a diving superkick followed, but Oku’s barely able to kick out and retain his title as Stevenage bit HARD on that near-fall. A superkick from Oku looks to spark another turnaround, but he crashes and burns on a dropkick in the corner (seriously, stop that!), as Zozaya added another gamengiri in the corner before he went for the avalanche de Madrid al cielo.
Oku counters with an avalanche DDT on the way down, before he went back up top. A frog splash to Zozaya’s back, then his chest still can’t put away the challenger, so Oku goes for the half crab. Zozaya’s able to drag his way to the ropes, but Oku drags him away. The ref doesn’t order the break, so Oku leans back on Zozaya… who scratches and claws his way back to the ropes. The ref doesn’t order the break after Oku dragged him away again, and this time torquing of the hold forces the submission as Zozaya was perhaps done a little dirty by the refereeing there. A hell of a showing for the Spaniard though, who won the crowd over by the end and had Oku more than spooked on his way to the successful defence – one that saw Oku tie the Rev Pro record for most defences in a single reign. ****¼
Post-match, Zozaya’s left to absorb the crowd’s cheers as Oku headed to the back… and that should tell you a lot about how highly they all think of Zozaya here.
It’s rare for a promotion to do something like this – taking someone from relative obscurity and thrusting them into the main event in back to back shows. It would have been really easy for Rev Pro to have saved the Zozaya title shot for an eventual return date in Spain, but having the main event of one of their tentpole shows was a bold move. Now, that should mean that Zozaya becomes something of a regular here, with a style that’s reminiscent of say, a Timothy Thatcher – but at the very least, it should put him on the map for promotions across Europe. Get in on the ground floor!