It’s the last trip of the 229 of the year for Rev Pro, as we got some of the final build to Uprising with Knight vs. Knight in the main event.
Quick Results
Leon Slater pinned Michael Oku in 13:26 (***½)
Shaun Jackson pinned Joshua James in 9:15 (**¾)
Will Kaven & Dan Moloney pinned Luke Jacobs & Robbie X in 11:32 (***)
Connor Mills defeats Eddie Dennis by referee’s decision in 14:14 (***¼)
Kanji pinned Mercedez Blaze in 13:43 (***)
No Count-Outs: Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper defeat Brendan White & Danny Jones via disqualificaton in 11:22 – Greedy Souls retain the Rev Pro Undisputed British Tag Team Championships (**¾)
Ricky Knight Jr. defeats Zak Knight via referee stoppage in 20:12 (***¼)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com – they’re currently running a two-week free trial…
Once more we’re at the 229 in London, with Andy Quildan and Kelly Marshall on the call…
Leon Slater vs. Michael Oku
A heck of a choice of opener here, with Oku having dusted off the photos app during the week to find a shot of Slater as ring crew back when Oku worked for Breed Pro Wrestling back in 2019. Speaking of old things, how ‘bout the 2003 Goldberg-themed two-tone trunks?
The early going sees Oku take control, charging down Slater after a headlock was pushed away, only for Slater to find his way in with a leapfrog and a dropkick. Slater slips between the ropes to the outside, but his attempt to trip up Oku for a slingshot slash backfires, with Oku hitting a missile dropkick as the match returned to the ring.
Oku’s neckbreaker gets him a two-count as Slater tried in vain to block a half crab… which he eventually kicked away from, adding a rewind enziguiri as he went. Slater’s able to add to that with a handspring back elbow for a two-count, before he looked to break a side headlock… eventually slapping Oku in the back.
Slater goes back to that back suplex attempt, but the pair end up spilling backwards over the top rope to the floor in the back suplex version of the Ilja Dragunov/Davey Richards bump… and that looked nasty. The pair make it onto the apron, trading blows, only for Slater to get monkey flipped onto the side of the ring as he tried for a half crab of his own.
Oku makes it back inside and repositions himself for the Fosbury flop onto the well-versed-in-moving front row. Back inside, Oku and Slater trade running dropkicks in the corners ahead of a Quebrada from Oku for a two-count. Kicks from Slater looked to stop the half crab, before the pair traded kicks as Oku ran into a leg lariat. Slater’s shooting star press adds a two-count, before Oku returned with a misdirection knee.
Another crack at the half crab was kicked away, before Oku went up top… and got caught with a gamengiri. Slater vaulted up top, but got kicked down… before he caught Oku with a Twister superplex. A follow-up 450 sees Slater eat nothing but the boots of Oku, before a reverse ‘rana and a frog splash connected as Oku almost took the win.
The half crab is next, but Connor Mills wanders out for the distraction as Slater powered out of the half crab. Oku tries to reapply it, but instead dove out onto Mills on the outside… Slater adds the over-the-corner tope con giro to Oku, before returning to the ring to get the win with a 450 splash. A distraction finish of sorts, with Oku effectively costing himself… while Leon Slater got a big win going into his match at York Hall against Zack Sabre Jr. ***½
After the match, Oku and Slater hugged – before Oku took the mic and vowed that he’d get his hands on Connor Mills before the night was up.
Joshua James vs. Shaun Jackson
James has recently beaten Jackson, but he’ll need to be like Alka Seltzer here. Double Action Pain Relief.
James looked to make that fast-acting pain relief as he POUNCED Jackson out of the ring as we were so close to that shirt meaning Squash A Jackson, but Jackson makes it back in at the count of nine… then wriggled into place as James came closer to the win with a splash. Biel throws have Jackson thrown across the ring, before James slammed Jackson’s crossbody away. Jackson hangs up James’ arm in the rope, then took down James as he proceeded to home in on the left arm and shoulder.
Jackson chokes James with his shirt, then his wrist tape, before James waffled Jackson with a chop. In response, Jackson dives onto James for some more ground and pound, before more chops riled up James… who replies with a Keith Lee-esque double chop. Jackson’s able to return with springboard… over James, whose shotgun dropkick took Jackson into the corner for a splash.
Jackson avoids a second pounce, but couldn’t avoid a spinebuster, before he punched out of a chokeslam. Second time’s the charm for James as his chokeslam nearly wins it, only for Jackson to find a way back in with his crossbody… then with a pumphandle slam for a near-fall.
A German suplex got James back into it, as did a lariat, only for Jackson to kick away a lariat and return with the Jackson Falls (Darkness Falls) for the win. **¾
Dan Moloney & Will Kaven vs. Luke Jacobs & Robbie X
Jacobs and Robbie X are meeting for the British Cruiserweight title at York Hall later this month, but Will Kaven has been like an annoying mosquito around Robbie X as of late… while commentary threw in a suggestion that Dan Moloney could be moving down to cruiserweight. Eh?
We open with Robbie X tagging out and diving (off screen) to Will Kaven at ringside, as we instead had Jacobs and Moloney trading blows. A Northern Lights suplex gets Jacobs a two-count as Robbie X tagged in for a senton atomico onto Moloney… who responded by flipping Robbie inside-out with a dropkick.
Will Kaven comes in to chop away on Robbie X, who returned with a spinning enziguiri before Jacobs tagged in and had Robbie X moonsault off his back onto Kaven for a two-count. Robbie’s back for his take on the Three Amigos, ending with a kip-up and a “twisty thing” for a two-count.
Jacobs tags back in to blister Kaven with chops, before a hiptoss and cartwheel dropkick had Robbie X ahead. Dan Moloney grabs Robbie X to stop a handspring, then tagged in as he began to antagonise Jacobs as well. Kicks from Moloney wore down Robbie X some more, including a superkick as Robbie X tried to kip up out of a chop, before a handspring kick finally had Moloney down.
Tags bring in Jacobs and Kaven, but it’s Luke who’s the house afire, landing a spinebuster for a two-count before a Shibata-ish dropkick crashed into Kaven in the corner. A brainbuster adds a two-count, as Robbie X took over with chops… but Dan Moloney blind tags in and tried to win with a sunset flip, but instead had to make do with a spear.
Robbie X escapes a Drilla and tagged out as Jacobs’ lariat nearly wins it. Kaven breaks up the pin, then tossed Robbie X outside as Jacobs and Moloney had a go with chops again. A rolling elbow lands as Moloney ended up rolling out of an ankle lock… Will Kaven blind tags in, but Jacobs doesn’t see it… leading to Kaven rolling up Jacobs as he was going off on Moloney, and there’s the win. Underhanded or not, Kaven’s stacking up those wins… ***
Post-match, Jacobs took the mic and formalised the match with Robbie X at York Hall… then went on to add Will Kaven to the match in a three-way elimination, by way of Kaven’s hattrick of wins over Luke. No such luck for Dan Moloney though…
Eddie Dennis vs. Connor Mills
Everyone but Connor Mills saw Michael Oku coming, as Oku attacked his former friend from behind during the entrances… which led to a dressing down from Eddie Dennis, who took umbrage at Oku for threatening to rob Eddie of “his moment,” particularly since he’s not booked for York Hall as he’s on his honeymoon instead.
Ordering Oku to go backstage, Eddie was able to start his match… albeit by way of Connor Mills blindsiding him with a dropkick at the bell. Eddie’s able to force his way in with a clothesline though, before a swinging side slam almost put Mills away early on. Mills escapes a suplex, then kicked Eddie in the ropes ahead of a tope to the outside…
Mills stays on Dennis with kicks to the legs, as he then rolled in a half crab on the outside – trying to bait Oku back out to ringside. Eddie swats Mills away as he was mid-drink, but Mills hangs up Eddie in the ropes ahead of a springboard European uppercut back inside. A grounded Figure Four headscissors is fought out of by Eddie, who then met Mills on the top rope for a stalling superplex.
With both men back up, the pair trade forearms before Eddie booted away a rebound lariat… then met Mills on the outside with a flip senton. Eddie rebounds off the bottom rope on the outside as he charged back to Mills with a clothesline, before Mills got away from Eddie and teased a dive… only to get caught and dumped on the apron with a swinging side slam.
Dennis tries for a Severn Bridge, but Mills slips out as the pair then battled for a backslide… it goes nowhere as Mills instead hit the ropes for a pair of rebound lariats, before a Millshot earned a near-fall. Mills removes his kick pad as he went for a head kick, but Eddie countered… but his Next Stop Driver’s countered into a rear naked choke instead.
Mills changes up into a Burning Cutter for a near-fall, before he called out Oku… and riled up Dennis in the same breath. Eddie fires back with chops and forearms, but ate a rear spin kick for a one-count… then a big boot as front kicks from Mills earned him a superkick. Eddie calls for a Severn Bridge, but Eddie collapsed mid-move, allowing Mills to capitalise with more kicks as he pulled up Eddie on the cover.
Michael Oku emerged again as Mills was repeatedly kicking Dennis… it takes Eddie down as Mills’ ground and pound led Oku to throw in the towel (missed by the camera) for the referee stoppage. ***¼
After the match, Mills kicked Eddie when he was down, which drew Oku back in for another scrap… until Eddie Dennis came in and threw Oku aside with a waistlock. The two exchanged some stern words as well, with Eddie seemingly disappointed in his trainees…
Mercedez Blaze vs. Kanji
Kanji’s Southside women’s title wasn’t on the line here as she looked to warm up for her title unifier with Alex Windsor against an undefeated Mercedez Blaze.
We opened with Kanji backing Blaze into the corner from the opening lock-up, then had the favour returned before she scored with an armdrag and an arm twister on Blaze. Powdering outside, Blaze composes herself, but couldn’t avoid a trip-up or a legdrop from Kanji back inside… as Blaze again headed to the floor.
Kanji went to give chase, as we Benny Hill’d things for a while, eventually returning to the ring… only for Blaze to powder again as Kanji had her in the ropes. Kanji’s disappeared this time around, but emerged from under the ring to catch Blaze from behind… then chop her into the front row.
Blaze gets rolled back into the ring, but couldn’t escape a 619 in the corner, nor a clothesline to the back of the head as Kanji went for a cover. Finally, Blaze finds a way through with a hip attack in the corner and a spear out of it for a two-count, before some headscissors pulled Kanji into the buckles moments afterwards.
A double underhook suplex throws Kanji into the corner for a two-count… but not following up bites Blaze on the rear as Kanji fired up with chops before double clotheslines looked to wear the pair down. Forearms from Blaze looked to put her ahead, as did a clothesline, before she caught Kanji in the corner with a forearm. A swift return from Kanji sees her hit a gamengiri on the apron, then a dropkick back inside for a near-fall…
Blaze cuts off Kanji with a DDT as the match seemed to be heading to its final throes, but Kanji escapes a Tower of Blaze, before some palm strikes and a diving Judas Effect-ish back elbow wiped out Blaze for the win. A notable win for Kanji, but this was an outing that was perhaps symptomatic of wider issues with the Rev Pro roster… ***
No Count Out Match for Rev Pro Undisputed British Tag Team Championship: Sunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper) vs. Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones) (c)
We’re running under no count-out rules here after the Greedy Souls intentionally took the 10-count last time out. What’s the odds on a DQ here? This was also the Rev Pro debut of almost-bald Chuck Mambo, who lost a hair match a week earlier at PROGRESS.
Having been baited on their entrance following Wales’ loss to England in the World Cup, the Greedy Souls weren’t exactly in good moods. An attempted jump start ends with the champions on the outside before the bell, with Mambo jumping onto Brendan White… before the pair returned to the ring with White eating double knees in the corner ahead of a flapjack from the former tag champions.
Danny Jones tags in as TK Cooper was briefly overwhelmed, leading to him taking a Dragon screw between the ropes before Mambo was knocked off the apron. The isolation of TK was briefly stopped by Mambo, who had to be taken away by the referee as the tag rules were being enforced here. For now.
A clothesline in the corner from Jones allowed White to tag back in and keep up the direction of travel. Rapid tags kept the Greedy Souls fresh ahead of an assisted back senton from Jones, then a regular back senton from White before TK escaped a pop-up double-team slam… before Chuck Mambo fought off Danny Jones on the apron, only to get suplexed into the ring by White.
A pair of kicks from the champions dropped TK ahead of a wacky pop-up cutter out of the pop-up slam for a near-fall. TK escapes a Soul Destroyer and finally made the tag out as Chuck Mambo launched in with missile dropkicks and chops to the champions. The Greedy Souls end up in the corners, allowing Mambo to take them both on ahead of a springboard Reef Break and a springboard frog splash to Jones.
White broke up that count as Jones had to kick out on his own steam from a springboard frog splash… he breaks up a Designated Driver as Mambo ate a piledriver, then a German suplex, before he got slingshotted into the Black Hole Slam for another near-fall. A Soul Breaker forces TK in to break up the pin, before a Falcon arrow and a springboard moonsault kept up the pressure from the tag champions.
After the kick-out though, Danny Jones grabbed the tag titles as the champions laid out the Sunshine Machine… and the referee… and there’s the obvious DQ that folks saw a mile off. **¾
Post-match, Danny Jones brings chairs into play as TK took a piledriver onto one… while Mambo took a Conchairto. This led to Jones making a street fight between the two teams for the titles at York Hall, and while the bullet points make sense (as far as how the Greedy Souls lost), that street fight is going to need to go some to win over the doubters.
Zak Knight vs. Ricky Knight Jr.
This one’s non-title as the Knights looked to settle their issue before the big York Hall show…
For some reason the crowd’s singing Mad Kurt’s theme as we open with a lock-up, which led to the pair throwing body blows as they headed into the corner for a break. A single-leg takedown led to Zak going for a STF, but it ends quickly in the ropes as RKJ returned with a headlock takedown.
A dropkick from RKJ takes Zak to the outside, but Zak avoids the dive and pinched away RKJ ahead of his take on his nephew’s rope-running spiel, ending with a dropkick to the champion. Punches, chops and stomps keep RKJ down, only for him to evade Zak’s boxing in the corner… eventually getting free to hit a high knee in the ropes.
RKJ’s enziguiri took Zak outside as that dive followed quickly… he added a back suplex onto the apron to that, before he sent Zak shoulder-first into the ring post. We’re back inside as RKJ kept Zak grounded with another side headlock… perhaps it should have stayed there as RKJ changed tack by going up top, only for his Blockbuster to get countered into a suplex of all things.
Zak can’t follow up though as he’s met with a shotgun dropkick into the corner, then the Three Amigos, which almost won the match. In response, a double-handed chop and a springboard moonsault earned Zak a near-fall, before RKJ leapt over a spear and returned with a death valley driver into the opposite corner. A dropkick in the corner goes through Zak ahead of a London Bridge draping DDT, before RKJ indulged in some nibbling…
RKJ’s roll-up stops an onslaught from Zak as he then prepared for a Fire Thunder Driver… only to get Snake Eye’d into the corner. RKJ returns with an OsCutter seconds later, as the match then defended into strikes as the pair threw elbows at each other. A sleeperhold from Zak’s escaped as RKJ returned fire with a Samoan drop, before another missed charge from Zak sent him outside… as this time he caught RKJ’s tope and turned it into a suplex on the floor.
Zak rolls RKJ back into the ring at the count of 9, then teed up for a spear… which wiped out RKJ for a near-fall. A back elbow in the corner from RKJ led to him hitting a backflip out of the corner into a reverse DDT a la AJ Styles, then a One Winged Angel… which Zak kicked out of at two. Zak escapes a Fire Thunder Driver, then returned with a Destroyer and a mounted sleeperhold as he looked to put away his nephew.
RKJ rolled back while in the hold to try and get the pin, but Zak breaks the hold and the cover at two… before Zak punched away RKJ in mid-air. The Razor’s Edge into the corner followed, then it was back to the mounted sleeperhold… Ricky gets up and tries to do the Bret Hart corner reversal, instead slipping out for a sleeperhold of his own, clinging on as Zak tried to throw his way free, but to no avail as he ended up passing out… forcing the referee to wave it off. As a match, this was fine, but the London crowd didn’t seem to get their teeth into it in spite of both Knight’s efforts… ***¼
Post-match, RKJ closed the show by declaring that 2022 had been a hell of a year for him, before Zak cut off his expected “I’m going to win at York Hall” speech… and said that he needs to face some “real” competitors if he wanted to be like RKJ. So Zak’s making his singles debut at York Hall… and he’s getting Tomohiro Ishii. Just like we all expected to see at York Hall at the start of 2022!
This was a solid show to set up York Hall’s Uprising – but obviously without any of the imports on hand. If you’re the sort that binge-watches Rev Pro shows, you’ll notice a lot of the same names cropping up – even in those outside of big matches. It’s an issue that’s become highlighted as the year ends, with repeat matches in short-order being more noticeable. Having a small core roster is fine and sensible, but not if it leads to those re-runs!