Rev Pro reached a half century at the Cockpit – with a main event that saw Eddie Kingston try his damndest to make sure Mad Kurt didn’t reach that milestone either!
Sha Samuels and Andy Quildan are on commentary – as Andy Boy Simmons I guess was somewhere to or from Japan for his ill-fated New Japan Cup commentaries.
Kenneth Halfpenny & Shaun Jackson vs. Brendan White & JJ Gale
They’re continuing the Halfpenny/White feud, as Halfpenny’s in the role of the “sore winner/loser” (depending on results).
Gale had the better of the early exchanges, with a nice springboard uppercut/spinebuster combo alongside White getting a near-fall. Things turned around with Shaun Jackson wearing down White, before Halfpenny came in so he could declare himself “the leader of this division”. Although he needed some help to double-team White as Gale also returned to restore the status quo. Halfpenny tries to get a cheapshot in on Gale, but that just angers White… but it did little to help JJ, who was left isolated. There’s a tease of a Doomsday Destroyer from Halfpenny, but White manages to put the brakes on as Gale ends up superplexing Halfpenny… while Jackson got dragged into the ring post to boot. White gets the tag in and ran wild on Halfpenny with suplexes, before all four men hit the ring… and ran into each other.
The match broke down as the ref didn’t look to keep it one-on-one… and before long we broke down to Halfpenny and White having another scrap. A springboard European uppercut from Jackson led to a swinging twister suplex, before Gale hit a step-up uppercut onto Halfpenny as he’d randomly decided to come in on Jackson’s back. White pushes for a win with a backbreaker and a Black Hole slam on Halfpenny as we entered the final thirty seconds, but Jackson breaks up the pin, before time ran out with all four men slugging away at each other. An entertaining draw to get us going – so this feud of course will continue! ***
Clark Connors vs. Dan Moloney
It’s a Cockpit debut for Connors, who received little fanfare… but ended up in the ropes early on.
Another lock-up sees Connors take Moloney into the corner as he showed he wasn’t in the mood for any of his nonsense. A takedown has Connors on top, working over the leg before he went for a shoulder tackle. It didn’t budge Moloney, before Connors landed an elbow to surprise Dan. Chops follow, before a hiptoss out of the corner gets a near-fall as Moloney powders outside. Where he blisters Clark with chops before a slam dropped the American onto the floor. Back inside, Moloney keeps up the chops as he tried to wear down Clark, but Connors wasn’t going down without a fight, throwing chops of his own before he dropkicked Dan away.
A scoop slam takes Moloney down for another near-fall, before the standard issue Boston crab forces Moloney towards the ropes. From there though, Moloney just goes “eff it” and hits a Drilla for the win. Very notable that Dan didn’t do his “defiant, eff you” response to the chops earlier, as this was a hell of a sprint. ***
After the match, Hikuleo ran out with a chair… he’s stopped, but he slammed Moloney before he threatened to Pillmanize Moloney’s neck. Carlos Romo and Damien Dunne make the save, only for ELP to level things up with a pair of dick punches. That led to a promo from Phantasmo, who had to battle a dodgy mic, as he called out Romo and Dunne for cheating… and that led to a tag team match. Holla holla.
Carlos Romo & Damian Dunne vs. Bullet Club (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo)
The Bullet Club pair tease walking out at the bell, but they’re jumped on by Romo as some early double-teaming had ELP on the defensive.
Dunne built up to a 999 while Romo hits Cutter Without the E, but Hikuleo makes a save as we cut to the hard cam as Hikuleo put the boots to Romo. A suplex from Hikuleo’s good for a near-fall, before a chop brought Romo to his knees. There’s a cheeky backheel from ELP, but Dunne’s able to mount a brief comeback… only to get caught out by a returning ELP. Another turnaround has Dunne hitting a springboard back cracker before Romo’s moonsault nearly wins it… as did a small package as Romo countered ELP’s dick punch. Look, if the normally-averse-to-swearing Andy Q calls it that, it’s official. Romo hits a bicycle knee, but went for the cutter again on ELP and got swatted away as Hikuleo hits a Stun Gun for the win. Decent enough, but the makeshift team was always going to struggle to get the win. ***
More Than Hype (Darren Kearney, LJ Cleary & Nathan Martin) vs. Michael Oku, Ricky Knight Jr. & Robbie X
There’s tension between RKJ and Oku, as Rev Pro began to build up their title unifier at some point…
LJ got a little cocky early on, mocking Oku’s catchphrase as the Irishman looked to have the better of the Cruiserweight champion in the early going. Kearney and Robbie X tag in, with Robbie outfoxing Kearney for pace at first, before Darren found himself similarly on the defensive against RKJ. Things turned around when More Than Hype were able to play the numbers game, catching out Robbie X, then Oku with double-teams, as their experience as a team began to show. When Oku returned, he was able to get some shots in on Kearney, before tags brought in Nathan Martin and RKJ, with the Southside Speed King champion proceeding to wreck Martin and LJ with corners in the dropkicks. It didn’t stop there as RKJ stacked up ALL THREE MEMBERS of More Than Hype for a Samoan Drop, which was more effective than it looked!
Robbie X capitalises on that with an apron PK to Cleary before RKJ hit an over-the-buckles tope con giro, before More Than Hype took over back in the ring as Kearney caught a monkey flipped RKJ to powerbomb him into Martin’s knees in the corner. RKJ recovers with a swinging side slam, but couldn’t avoid a springboard dropkick as a Parade of Moves broke out, leading to Oku moonsaulting into Kearney… who countered with a version of Desnucadora for a near-fall! Robbie X returns to pepper Kearney with kicks in the corner before a pop-up powerbomb, springboard moonsault and a standing shooting star press kept the insanity up. A handspring kick knocks Kearney off the top rope, before Oku frog splashed his way in to break up a pin from LJ and Martin on Robbie. Oku looked to put away LJ with a half crab, but Connor Mills pops up on the apron to distract.
A dropkick took care of Connor as Oku tagged out, then Fosbury flopped onto him as the pair brawled to the back. More Than Hype took advantage of the numerical advantage, but they needed to survive a one man army in RKJ, who was like a wrestling Energiser bunny for a spell… but in the end he ran flat and got caught with a monkey-flipped Codebreaker as LJ Cleary got the telling fall over the Speed King champion. Some breathless stuff this, and a low-key banger of a match. Get this watched! ****
The second half opens with Gideon Grey taking the mic, so you know what that means…
The Legion (Rampage Brown & The Great O-Kharn) vs. Kyle Fletcher & Shota Umino
This one’s non-title, as we start with Umino falling for O-Kharn’s handshake. Kyle Fletcher was fixing to walk out on him right there for that…
Umino’s able to respond with a side headlock, but he’s pushed off for a shoulder tackle as O-Kharn tried to take the upper hand. Tags bring in Fletcher and Rampage as Kyle tried to chop his way through the tag team champion, but to no avail as he had more luck with a scoop slam. Wash, rinse and repeat with O-Kharn, before Kyle got dropped onto the apron. The mobile cameras went to heck at this point as the Legion dominated, with O-Kharn dumping Kyle with a Mongolian chop as the Legion exchanged frequent tags to keep Fletcher away from the corner. It’s efficient, if not exciting stuff, which was broken when Kyle suplexed away O-Kharn and got the tag into Umino.
Shota’s in with Rampage, peppering him with right hands for a spell. O-Kharn tries a cheapshot, but he’s taken down with a neckbreaker before Rampage took a hanging reverse DDT for a near-fall. O-Kharn and Fletcher are back trading right hands, leading to a clothesline from Fletcher before Rampage saved O-Kharn as a mini Parade of Moves broke out as a Michinoku driver finally had O-Kharn down. Umino’s back to tee up a Death Rider, but instead lands another reverse DDT for a near-fall, before a snap Flatliner from O-Kharn turned it back around. Rampage’s powerbomb’s good for a near-fall, before an Iron Finger slam was teased… Kyle superkicks it away as a superkick-assisted reverse DDT from Umino nearly led to the upset. An errant missile dropkick from Umino took out Kyle, who then ate a 3D as the Legion took the win. Good stuff from Fletcher and Umino, but a rookie-ish error ended up being their undoing. ***¼
Southside World Heavyweight Championship: Sean Kustom vs. David Starr (c)
It’s a rematch for Kustom, who lost the Southside strap to a masked Starr back in January…
Kustom looked for flash pins early on Starr, taking advantage of him covering up to hit a La Magistral before a standing moonsault finally forced Starr to seek solace in the corner. A misdirection dropkick from Kustom finds its mark, as did some chops, and a rolling thunder enziguiri as this was one-way traffic early on. Starr found a way back with a running punt, then with a Pretty Pumped for a near-fall. Kustom recovers to land a Quebrada, then a reverse DDT over-the-knee for another two-count as the Aussie was swinging for the fences. That led to back-and-forth shots in the ropes as Starr built up to a release German suplex, then a cartwheel elbow and a dropkick that took Kustom to the outside.
A shooting star press off the apron was a bit of a Hail Mary for Kustom, who kept up with a floatover into a sit-out powerbomb back inside for a near-fall… but he comes up short on a frog splash. Starr’s Stan Hansen’s blocked as Kustom floated over, but a Blackheart Buster offers a quick response. Starr looked to use his title belt as the match descended into chops, but he quickly obliterates Kustom by countering a roll-up ‘rana into a Kaepernick before a Han Stansen got the win. Brutal stuff towards the end as Starr survived a scare and left with the Southside strap. ***½
After the match, Starr took the mic and bragged about being back in Rev Pro… but told us he had to move forward. Which meant that he was looking ahead to a title unification as he challenged Will Ospreay at Epic Encounter in May.
Zan Phoenix & Zoe Lucas vs. Aleah James & Gisele Shaw
Holy unannounced match, Batman! This was Zoe’s first match back at the Cockpit since losing her women’s title – and it’s a Cockpit debut for Aleah James, who’d been getting a bunch of dates for Rev Pro as of late.
Lucas swung for James at the bell, but couldn’t find contact as Aleah made a tag to Lucas, who quickly had to duck for cover as well. Phoenix tags in next, and blasts her way out of a forearm… but Shaw recovers with chops as a double-team suplex had Phoenix down for a near-fall. Zan’s back with forearms to James in the corner, before a sidewalk slam drew a near-fall, as Zoe returned to hit a leg lariat in the corner for a delayed two-count. Hairmares have Aleah in the corner, while a clothesline decked James as well, before Phoenix returned with a Dragon sleeper on James. Aleah’s able to slip out, but she’s taken down with a spinebuster as James finally made a comeback with a satellite DDT to Zoe Lucas.
Tags bring in Shaw and Phoenix again, with Gisele dropping Zan with a half-nelson suplex for a near-fall. Shaw tags in James to try and get the win… with a springboard crossbody finding its mark, but Zoe Lucas is in to overwhelm… only for Shaw to make the save and pop-up James into a ‘rana on Phoenix for the win. Some good stuff here with Shaw and James, but it’s another loss for Zoe Lucas, who had a meltdown afterwards. ***
Lucas chases Aleah James to the back, as Gisele Shaw remained in the ring to celebrate. Except she’s interrupted by a hooded invader who attacked her from behind with forearms. It’s a returning Killer Kelly! Andy Q tried to pull the “she doesn’t work here!” card out of WCW as Kelly deftly countered a death valley driver into a Dragon sleeper as referees and contenders separated them.
Eddie Kingston vs. Mad Kurt
After having been needled by Mad Kurt for the last little while, Eddie Kingston was in no mood for fun and games. He’d offered Kurt a way out if he were to “be a man”, which we almost got courtesy of Kurt’s old music… but his “new” song and a portable sound effects machine showed us that we were getting Mad Kurt all along.
Kurt started by going face-to-face with Kingston, before he pushed him away. Instant death followed, via chop. Rolling outside for a breather doesn’t help Kurt, who tried to fight back with chops of his own. It didn’t go well once Eddie had laughed it off, as he blistered Kurt with Kobashi-like chops in the corner. Kingston takes Kurt around the crowd from there as Andy Q promised Kurt any match he wanted if he got the actual win. Back inside, Kingston clubs Kurt with forearms, before a slam left Kurt in a heap. A headbutt has the same trick, before Kurt dabbed… and got kicked down.
Eddie asks for a time cue as he had a “minimum” time in mind. Slapping Kurt down after he’d tried to feed Eddie his mouthguard was next, as we finally crossed the ten minute mark. So it’s time for Eddie to “take it home”, but he gets suckered into a Codebreaker out of the corner… only for Kurt to dab rather than follow it up. And he gets obliterated again. A cheeky punch to the knackers is next from Eddie, but Kurt recovers to land a superplex that brought Eddie down hard. Kurt still plays silly buggers though, and begins to get laid out with lariats as Eddie began to taunt Kurt some more. It gets a response, but Eddie again clubs down Kurt as the referee threatened to wave off the match.
Kingston shouts him down though, and ends up getting caught with a Code Red as Kurt… dabbed like a madman. A jab ends that opportunity, before Eddie picked him up for a backfist… and pulled him up to stop the count. Another backfist KO’s Mad Kurt, as Dan Magee tried to throw in a towel… but Kingston catches it and threw it back at Dan before a charge into the corner laid out the ref. Taking his opportunity, Kurt low blows Kingston and rolled him up, but Eddie kicks out. Kurt heads outside and brings out a keyboard from under the ring, but his attempt to use it ended when Eddie seized Ctrl, then took Kurt to his End by whacking the keyboard over his head before Magee threw in the towel as there proved to be no Esc from a Dragon sleeper. A fun main event that Mad Kurt took a pounding in – but it’s exactly what we expected. ***½
Post-match, Kurt got carted out as Kingston took the mic – and quickly ditched it, because Rev Pro. Instead, he issued the challenge by shouting to the crowd as he called out Zack Sabre Jr. for Epic Encounter in May.
Watching the bulk of this show back two weeks later, in a rather different environment to when it first took place, it’s fair to say this was a solid outing at the Cockpit – and perhaps the last one we’ll get for a while. Come to see Mad Kurt take a beating, stay for the More Than Hype trios match… and I guess its time to crack open those VOD backlogs we’ve all got!