Los Angeles may have been the hub for a lot of wrestling this weekend, but Rev Pro kept plugging on as the fall-out from the Revolution Rumble began.
Quick Results
Jordon Breaks submitted David Francisco in 12:52 (***)
Gideon Grey & Lucian Phillips pinned TK Cooper & Chuck Mambo in 15:16 (***)
Luke Jacobs submitted Zak Knight in 12:59 (***¼)
Leon Slater pinned Cameron Khai in 13:03 (***½)
Dan Moloney pinned Daz Black in 14:53 (***¼)
Robbie X pinned Callum Newman & JJ Gale to retain the Rev Pro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship in 13:15
Ricky Knight Jr. pinned Sha Samuels in 12:56 (***¼)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com – they’re currently running a free trial…
We’re coming live on stream from the 229 in London – with Andy Quildan running solo on commentary.
David Francisco vs. Jordon Breaks
This was Breaks’ 229 debut for Rev Pro, having had a bit of a scrap with Zack Sabre Jr.
Up against the Contender Francisco, this was always likely to be a showcase for Breaks, who comes in with a few fans from his prior work at Riptide and, more recently, Purpose Wrestling. Breaks targeted the arm and shoulder early on, but Francisco had to overpower Breaks as he tried to force a way in.
There’s a neat Flatliner from Francisco as he countered a Monkey flip, but it’s not long before Breaks is back on the arm, building up to the win as he started with an overhead wristlock, then tied up all four limbs of Francisco for the submission. This was an enjoyable outing, and while calling Breaks a throwback is a good way to package him, and he’s very much a Rev Pro-style of wrestler, butI’m curious as to where they go if there’s a match with Zack Sabre Jr. ZSJ doesn’t lose often in Rev Pro, so Jordon will need to stack up a pile of wins ahead of that. ***
The Legion (Gideon Grey & Lucian Phillips) vs. Sunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper)
One’s wearing a Legion shirt, the other a United Empire shirt. It’s like the wrestling equivalent of the much-hated half-and-half scarf.
Gideon tries to attack TK Cooper from behind before the bell, but got sent loopy with a headbutt that led to the comedy stagger and fall as we effectively started out as a handicap match in favour of the relatively-luckless Sunshine Machine. Speaking of luckless, Gideon makes it back inside, but he’s pushed into an atomic drop.
Gideon’s able to get into the match as the crowd threw some timely barbs at him, before Lucian Phillips took control of the tag match, isolating TK until he was able to hit a Samoan drop/dropkick combo on both men. A frog splash from Mambo nearly wins it before the referee began losing control.
The Gutterball gets Sunshine Machine another near-fall, before Gideon grabbed a kid’s sign and whacked Mambo with it. The sign box made a heck of a sound, but it doesn’t get a DQ as Mambo returned with a headbutt. Lucian Phillips again tries to put the Legion back on track, throwing off a Designated Driver attempt before Gideon somehow finagled his way into a Sharpshooter. Of course it’s broken up by TK, who booted Phillips back outside before Gideon responded to another headbutt by flopping down and punting TK low on the way… and that’s enough for the win. It’s another loss for Sunshine Machine, by fair means or foul from the Legion… ***`
Zak Knight vs. Luke Jacobs
With Gabriel Kidd away in Los Angeles, Luke’s got someone different to take his frustrations out after how the Revolution Rumble ended.
Luke brought the fight early as he cheapshotted Knight in the ropes as he ended up baiting Zak into strikes of his own as this match had quite an edge to it. Fighting on the outside sees Zak poke Luke in the eyes as he proceeded to stalk Jacobs around the ring. A Figure Four from Jacobs nearly sneaks out a submission, but Zak’s able to hit back with a spear, then a buckle bomb before a pair of right hands took Luke down for a near-fall.
Things break down to back-and-forth strikes, with Jacobs offering to turn it into a sit-down fight… Zak switched it up for a springboard into a sleeperhold, as the pair try for a submission, but in the end it’s Luke who scored the stoppage with a rear naked choke. I always love a match that has a little extra needle to it – and this combination delivered in spades. ***¼
Post-match, Jacobs got the mic and issued a challenge to Gabriel Kidd for the May show at the 229…
Cameron Khai vs. Leon Slater
You know you’re old when you’re watching matches where the combined age of the wrestlers in it is less than your own age. 17 and 18 years…
These two started last week’s Rumble in the first two spots, so you’ve got that bit of professional jealousy going on there. Of course, this wasn’t going to be slow and methodical as the pair burst out with pinning attempts before Slater slowed it down with a side headlock. Khai manages to break free, with Slater heading outside (but not a crash landing!) before we had planchas and dives to keep things on the floor.
Slater has Khai up against a wall for a dropkick, as a DDT followed back inside with Slater pushing on. A misdirection cutter gets Slater a near-fall, largely due to a cover that was put down to lack of experience. Forearms from Khai got him back in it, with a Falcon arrow almost winning it before a slingshot cutter onto the apron almost caused a double count-out. Don’t worry about that assist…
Things pick up back inside with a pair of leg lariats from Slater and a swanton 450… and that’s the win for Slater. This had a few rough edges as you’d expect from their ages, but a very tantalising first singles match in what could well be one of the generational feuds in the British scene. ***½
Dan Moloney vs. Daz Black
It’s a Rev Pro debut for Daz Black, who’s come highly recommended based on his work in ICW in Scotland… and it’s also the first outing for the new United Empire member Moloney.
Moloney’s the early aggressor, blistering the debutant with chops before Black managed to close the distance… only to get lifted onto the apron as Moloney bullied the debutant on the apron. Returning, Black turned up the tempo, taking Moloney outside for an attempted dive… but it’s a baseball slide dropkick from Moloney that connects.
Moloney continues to dominate, chopping away Black whenever he tried to build up a head of steam, before a wall-flip leaping knee from Black earned him a big dropkick. Black manages to find a way in again, landing a Destroyer out of the corner, then a flip senton that went through Moloney and into the front row. At least those chairs have some padding…
Black’s momentum ends with him taking a gamengiri in the corner as Moloney’s able to throw away Black for a double stomp… but Black backflips away from a spear, before a standing corkscrew moonsault nearly took the win. Will Ospreay at ringside’s coaxing Moloney back into some offence, which worked as Moloney caught a kick and almost got off a Drilla, only to fall to a satellite DDT. In the end though, Black’s undone with a snap piledriver and a Drilla after an impressive debut – and one that certainly won the crowd over by the end. ***¼
Rev Pro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship: Callum Newman vs. JJ Gale vs. Robbie X (c)
It’s been a while, but this is a big ol’ “insert missing scene here” on the VOD. JJ Gale got concussed early on in the match, and ended up being taken to the back after trying to continue. Robbie X gets the win to retain, but this one fell apart after the early injury.
Sha Samuels vs. Ricky Knight Jr.
Apparently Gideon Grey signed Sha to this match in that brief window between Sha returning and him turning on the Legion last week. Talk about small windows of opportunity! Anyway, this was Sha’s first singles match in front of a crowd for Rev Pro since a loss to Sean Kustom back in November 2019…
An even opening sequence saw them trade shoulder tackles, but it’s Sha who took the early advantage, knocking RKJ into the corner amid some football gloating on commentary. RKJ took over after a brawl on the outside, where there’s an obligatory dig at Sha’s recent past, and that coincides with Sha mounting a comeback with shoulder blocks and right hands.
There’s a big clothesline that spun RKJ inside out, leading to a Michinoku driver for a near-fall, before RKJ managed to land a superplex to turn the tide. A second trip up top ends with RKJ having to flip out of an avalanche German suplex, as the former champion hit back with a F5 for a near-fall.
Sha hits back with a series of Destroyers (yup), before he landed a frog splash off the top for a near-fall. An attempted follow-up moonsault comes up short with RKJ having rolled away, before a sit-out powerbomb, clothesline and a Fire Thunder driver managed to be too much for Sha to overcome. A pretty good main event with RKJ claiming a big scalp after his York Hall loss. ***¼
Post match, Sha rejected RKJ’s offer of a handshake… only to make the save after Gideon Grey and Lucian Phillips jumped Ricky. Having ditched his pint to make the save, Sha gets that handshake anyway, as RKJ suggested having Sha in his corner next time out. Not sure if that means Sha & RKJ vs. the Legion next month, but we shall see!
While not a bad show, Rev Pro’s April trip to the 229 felt a little off the boil – perhaps due to the crowd having been up late for other wrestling? Still, it was a very solid show as the initial fall-out from last week’s Revolution Rumble began to be processed – and continued to set up matches for a very busy future for Rev Pro.