Jay Lethal returned to the main event as he faced Ricky Knight Jr. as the road to Epic Encounter offered some fresh direction.
Well, this is it. The last Rev Pro show for the time being, and we’re coming from the Prior Centre in St. Neots. Unlike a lot of the more recent Rev Pro shows, things are LIT. Seriously, the only dark spots are the shadows from the turnbuckles… but that hard cam is a smidge too low… Commentary comes from Andy Quildan and Sha Samuels.
Kenneth Halfpenny vs. Shaun Jackson vs. JJ Gale
A Contenders three-way opens proceedings, as the hard camera appears to be tilted a little too low down…
Halfpenny starts by trying to organise a pact, but he tosses Gale outside as he tried to snatch a quick win, but it doesn’t work as… oh my God, these floodlights are going to give me headaches. Halfpenny tries to steal a win, but Jackson kicks out before he decked Halfpenny with a clothesline. Gale’s back to low bridge Jackson outside, but Halfpenny sneaks in to trip JJ, only to get dropkicked outside as Gale ends up following him with a tope con giro. You know, for the Rev Pro equivalent of young lions, this is already straying far from the basics…
Back inside, Gale heads up top, but Halfpenny shoves him down before helping with a springboard elbow drop as Jackson and Halfpenny began to work as a team. A Paradise lock ties up Gale ahead of a legdrop, as a Hart Attack running Blockbuster continues with the flashy moves. Jackson gets mad at Halfpenny for trying to go for pins, but they still work together with rugby tackles to pin Gale into the corner. Eventually JJ gets free and hits a Whisper in the Wind to wipe out the other two, before a second one gets caught as a side Russian legsweep/STO combo takes down Gale. Again, Halfpenny and Jackson argue over who should get the pin, as things break down there, before Jackson lands an ushigoroshi for a near-fall.
A strait-jacket back cracker from Halfpenny dumps Jackson for a two-count, before Gale snuck back in… and got caught with an uppercut. Things increase in pace perhaps a touch too much, as Halfpenny tries to push things over the line… but things settle down into a three-way slugfest until Gale hit a double dropkick to clear the air. Flying forearms from Gale build up a head of steam, before a Gory bomb knee almost put Halfpenny down. Halfpenny tries to get the win with a neckbreaker on Jackson, but Shaun rolls outside as Halfpenny ends up falling to a springboard cutter. This was fine, but the whole concept of Contenders wrestling the same style as everyone else is mighty jarring, especially when they’re supposedly modelled on the New Japan Young Lions… **¾
Charli Evans vs. Millie McKenzie
I mean… I get that they’re not a thing in Rev Pro, but having the Medusa Complex wrestle each other seems a little, odd? I guess it gave Andy a chance to air Millie’s old music and video from Defiant.
Sha Samuels gets mad at the hand shaking – he was social distancing before it was a thing – as we opened with Charlie taking Millie into the corner. They stay at close quarters with a knuckle lock, looking to make the other bridge, which Charli was forced to as Millie looked for an early pin. A release Northern Lights from Charli has Millie down, as boot chokes follow in the ropes before Evans tied up Millie ahead of a half crab. Some fish hooking follows, before Evans worked her way into a modified STF crossface, letting go so she could torque the ankle some more. More kicks keep Millie in the ropes, but eventually she gets free with a low dropkick and a swinging neckbreaker for a near-fall.
Evans responds with a roll through into a knee out of the corner for a near-fall, before rolling in with a Fujiwara armbar as Millie scrambled to the ropes. In the end though, Millie snatches the win with a spear off the ropes to end a decent enough match, but man, St. Neots weren’t reacting much to this. **½
Mark Haskins vs. Clark Connors
By rights, this ought to be a squash, given how quickly Clark lost to Kyle Fletcher the prior evening…
Haskins starts by taking down Connors by the leg, but they’re quickly in the ropes as Connors looked to return the favour, tripping Haskins as he looked to take the guard. A roll-through gets a one-count, before some headscissors trapped Haskins briefly… only for Mark to escape and get a roll-up of his own in. There’s a begrudging offer of a handshake, but Clark doesn’t accept it as Haskins instead gives it to a fan in the front row wearing his shirt. Haskins tries again, and of course he suckers Clark into the corner with kicks. Connors escape and takes Haskins across the ring for some chops, but he takes too long as Haskins turns the tables before a hiptoss and a chop to the back had him bailing to the outside.
Connors follows him outside for some more chops, but eventually Clark chops the ring post before Haskins just slams him on the floor. Back in the ring, Haskins stomps on Connors’ elbow, before a crossbody out of the corner has Clark down for a near-fall. A crossface follows, before Haskins riled up Connors with more kicks… which leads to a fightback, culminating in a scoop slam off the ropes from Clark. Forearms from Haskins cuts him off again, but Clark responds with a POUNCE for a near-fall. An inside cradle from Haskins stops all that, but a spear from Connors keeps him alive, as did a roll-through into a Boston crab, but Connors loses grip and ends up going for a German suplex instead. Haskins blocks it and instead rolls through into a Sharpshooter… Connors manages to make it to the ropes, but Vicki Haskins distracts the referee as Mark drags Clark away and ties up the arms to make it more brutal on the way to a submission. A perfectly fine win here for Haskins – Connors looked good, but I’m not a fan of Haskins needing a distraction to beat a Young Lion. ***
Bullet Club (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) vs. Dan Moloney & Robbie X
Moloney and Robbie X were your gladhanding babyfaces of the day, as they continued to play off of the Hikuleo/Moloney feud.
Of course, the Bullet Club pair jump before the bell as Hikuleo and Moloney settled down, knocking lumps out of each other. Duelling clotheslines had Moloney ahead, with Dan boxing Hikuleo into the corner with some body blows. That’s put to a stop as Hikuleo kicks out Dan’s knee before ELP returned… and ran into a scoop slam for a near-fall. Robbie X comes in and outfoxes Phantasmo with backflips off the top rope ahead of a dropkick, but Hikuleo equalises as he drags Robbie to the outside before using a uranage to throw him into the ring post… while ELP uses one of his 8x10s to rip at Dan Moloney’s mouth. Someone’s been watching his Jimmy Havoc tapes!
ELP and Moloney brawl around the crowd, returning to the ring as Hikuleo and Robbie spilled outside… but that just put Robbie into some double-teaming as we got all the backrakes. That slows the pace down as the double-teaming continues back in the ring, leading to Robbie X being put in a Tree of Woe for some old-fashioned Gas Pedalling. It’s so straightforward, ELP’s able to command a ringside camera for a spell. Insert jokes here! The Bullet Club pair eventually lose track of Robbie X, who brings in Moloney with a hot tag. Phantasmo tries to chop Dan, but to no avail as Dan chopped harder, before Robbie X returned to add to Dan’s Bossman slam with a standing shooting star press. That’s good for a near-fall, as Hikuleo tries to get involved… but gets taken outside by Moloney, with those two again scrapping to the back.
That left Robbie X and ELP in the ring, with Robbie pushing ahead as he looked for the X-Clamation… but he’s caught in a torture rack by Phantasmo. He escapes, but handsprings into a superkick, and that’s left him open as ELP went for the CR2, only for Robbie to fall down. A game of possum almost let Robbie win with a small package, but the CR2 gets the job done. A fun tag match, which leaves all sorts of possibilities open for down the line… ***½
Michael Oku vs. Carlos Romo
Of course, this is non-title…
Romo started off by working the arm, but Oku counters with headscissors on the mat. Second time around, Carlos sinks in a side headlock before a roll-up got him a near-fall… but Oku kicks out and went for a half crab, which is pushed away as Romo’s attempt at Cutter Without the E was shoved off. Oku’s momentum gets cut off as Romo hotshots him into the ropes, following up with a butterfly hold a la YOSHI-HASHI… that’s switched into a grounded Octopus as Romo tries to wear down the Cruiserweight champion, but they’re too close to the ropes as Oku forces a break.
With Oku rolling outside for respite, Romo plays HBK as he lays across the top rope, waiting for Oku to return as he lays in with a kick to the back for a near-fall. Romo repeats that and follows in with a chinlock to keep Oku down, but it backfires as Oku freed himself, then blocked a superplex as he instead flies into Romo with almost a frog splash dropkick! A running dropkick traps Romo by the ropes as Oku pushes on, following up with a tope and a springboard moonsault for a near-fall, before Romo had to push away a half crab as a satellite DDT just about lands for Oku to get a two-count. Romo’s back with a cutter out of nowhere, before he rolls Oku down into another Octopus hold, but Oku gets free, landing a Stunner before he got punched out.
Romo capitalises with a German suplex, only to get caught with a misdirection knee before countering the half crab into a sunset flip. A stretch muffler’s next from Romo, which he turns into a powerbomb as a PK keeps Oku in danger… a moonsault keeps the pressure up, as Romo went back to the Stretch Muffler, trapping the arm as well, but Oku breaks in the ropes again. Cutter Without the E looks to follow, but Oku countered with a roll-up before he moonsaulted into a cutter. Yet again, Carlos misses the Cutter as he’s hung up in the ropes for a back cracker, as Oku took the upper hand to land a frog splash, before forcing Romo to tap out with a half crab. A hard fought outing, with Romo getting a LOT of offence in… but he’s still looking to snap that losing streak. ***½
Mad Kurt (Dan Magee & Mad Kurt) vs. Kyle Fletcher & Shota Umino
They’ve finally given Mad Kurt a new entrance video! Meanwhile Umino’s entrance video is a little wacky, because it froze at the start, calling him “HOOTE”.
After plenty of dicking around, Mad Kurt tries to get the crowd on-side by starting some clapping. No joy. Mad Kurt tries to get Umino to dab, but instead Shota just grabs the arm as the pair went back and forth with wristlocks and arm wringers. From there, Kurt tries to show off with a kip-up, but he’s not mastered that yet… so he just suckers Shota in for a slap. Umino gets suckered in again as he went for a handshake, but he returns the favour as he out-dabs Mad Kurt, and someone somewhere is sobbing. They start wrestling and dabbing again, before tags brought in Kyle Fletcher and Dan Magee. Shoulder tackles from Dan barely budge Kyle, so Mad Kurt comes in to try his luck… and he gets slapped down.
Umino’s back in as Mad Kurt’s cornered, as he had no answer for the rapid tags and whathaveyou. A snap slam drops Kurt for a two-count, while a PK looked to knock some sense into him as Fletcher took him up top for a superplex, but Mad Kurt fought free, and hit a cannonball senton into the Aussie. Another tag brings in Shota to throw elbows to the neck, before a satellite DDT from Mad Kurt forced an opening. Dan Magee tags in as he tried to wear down Umino, but Shota blocks an attempt at Morning Glory, countering with a reverse DDT before Fletcher returned to land some forearms ahead of a Michinoku driver that gets a near-fall. Magee strikes back with a forearm, but couldn’t avoid a clothesline from Kyle… before he went for a pumphandle knee and instead dropped Fletcher with a DDT.
Tags get us back to Kurt and Umino, but Mad Kurt’s body blows barely register at first. Finally, Mad Kurt has some luck, but Shota’s right back with dropkicks and a hanging reverse DDT for a two-count. A Codebreaker from Mad Kurt swings the tide again, as Magee then came in to use a limp Kurt as for a Sega Magee Driver on Umino… who just pushes away as Kurt DDTs Magee instead. From there, a German suplex from Umino ragdolls Kurt, before an errant superkick from Fletcher aiming for Mad Kurt hit Umino… and Mad Kurt steals the win with a roll-up.That looked to be a screw up as Magee came in to try and stop Fletcher, and the looks on the faces of some in the crowd seemed to be one of confusion too. This never really got going for me, but the effort was there. **¾
Post-match, Mad Kurt antagonises as Umino and Fletcher end up turning on each other after that loss.
Great O-Kharn vs. Sean Kustom
Watch the lights, Sean…
O-Kharn jumps Kustom before the bell, but the Aussie manages to weather the storm having been lifted onto the apron as he came back with a springboard crossbody for an early two-count. A rolling thunder enziguiri and a neckbreaker keeps Kustom ahead, but O-Kharn quickly switches up, and traps Kustom in the corner by, erm, sitting on him. Mongolian chops keep Kustom down, with a claw-assisted abdominal stretch following, but Kustom hiptosses free as he began his comeback, catching O-Kharn with a uranage before a Quebrada lands for a near-fall. Kustom’s offence comes to a screeching halt when he whiffs on a frog splash though, and more Mongolian chops have the Aussie in trouble again.
A forearm rocks O-Kharn briefly, but he’s back with a cutter as a brainbuster keeps the back-and-forth going… until Sha Samuels ditch commentary so he could get involved, distracting Kustom for long enough for O-Kharn to hit a claw slam off the top rope for the win. Business as usual for O-Kharn – there was no way his unbeaten run was coming to an end on random spot show, to be fair. **½
Jay Lethal vs. Ricky Knight Jr.
Given that the show’s named after him, of course Jay Lethal’s in the main event. RKJ’s Speed King title isn’t on the line… but Lethal wants a shot at it, if he gets by him.
With that incentive, Lethal starts out hot, but RKJ matched him as the pair keep it grounded. Some body scissors from Knight are countered as Lethal turned it into a toe hold, before the pair began to trade legsweeps as Lethal ended up taking RKJ outside with an armdrag. Returning after a breather, Knight stays close with a side headlock, before trying his luck with some flash pin attempts as he looked to put away the former ROH champion quickly… but Lethal rolls outside for a breather. RKJ keeps him outside with a low dropkick to the leg, before a switcheroo saw Lethal land a springboard dropkick, then a cartwheel dropkick as the tide quickly turned.
Lethal slows things down with a camel clutch, before he took RKJ into the corner for an elbow… but Knight gets free and finds a way back in with a dropkick after a long series of leapfrogs. On the outside, Lethal avoids being thrown into the ring post, but ends up chopping it instead as Knight took him back inside for a suplex that gets him a near-fall. From there the Speed King champion began to work over Lethal’s legs… but to no avail as Lethal manages to get free for a Figure Four attempt, which gets countered with a roll-up. A tiltawhirl backbreaker from Lethal stops that though, as he began to launch a fresh fightback, dropping Knight with a slam… but he took his time following up with the Macho Man elbow, and got caught before he could even climb the buckles. Right hands from Knight stop Lethal, but another backbreaker restores order, as Lethal again went up… and again got stopped before he could land the elbow drop.
RKJ meets Lethal up top with headbutts, bringing him down with a superplex as the pair resorted to back-and-forth strikes, with Lethal again looking to edge ahead. A bicycle knee from Knight cracks Lethal, as did a superkick, before a discus lariat spun the Speed King champion to the mat. More back-and-forth elbows left both men on wobbly feet, but Knight’s Dragon suplex and another knee was followed up with a death valley driver as Knight almost took the win. Knight looks for a sit-out tombstone, but Lethal gets free and went for a Lethal Injection… a roll-up stops that before Lethal got dumped with a swinging side slam. That’s good for a near-fall, as Knight keeps going for the tombstone, only to get caught with a Lethal Combination – the backbreaker/reverse STO one-two. Another torture rack from Lethal’s escaped, but he cracks Knight with an enziguiri as he finally racks Knight on the way to a Finlay roll… and finally the Macho Man elbow.
A delay in the cover means Lethal only gets a near-fall, so he goes straight to a Lion Tamer… but Knight drags himself to the bottom rope just in time. Lethal keeps the pressure up as he looked for an avalanche cutter, but he’s pushed down as Knight instead senton bombs into Lethal’s knees! Getting back up, Knight comes close with a roll-up, then got planted with a cutter before countering a Lethal Injection into a back suplex as a sit-out tombstone spiked Lethal for the win. This was lacking a clear good/bad guy dynamic, although you could say Lethal as the import should have filled that spot… but this was a cracking main event that showed another side of the usually-dominant RKJ. ***¾
So, Rev Pro’s final show for the time being was a typically-solid outing… but one that offered some clear direction for what was meant to be at Epic Encounter in May, as they finally pulled the trigger on Umino vs. Fletcher… while topping the show off with yet another fine outing for Ricky Knight Jr. – a man who’d perhaps been making himself the face of Rev Pro with his performances in 2020.