Rev Pro kicked off a busy month as Michael Oku took on Robbie X in a non-title outing at the 229 in London.
Quick Results
Luke Jacobs pinned JJ Gale in 15:06 (****)
Great British Tag League, Block A: Ricky Knight Jr. & Zak Knight pinned Kieron Lacey & Mark Trew in 14:40 (***½)
Kanji submitted Safire Reed in 14:05 (***½)
Connor Mills pinned Shigehiro Irie in 14:44 (***¼)
Sha Samuels pinned David Francisco in 12:02 (***¼)
Leon Slater & Cameron Khai pinned Danny Black & Joe Lando in 11:28 (***)
Michael Oku pinned Robbie X in 19:07 (***¾)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
It’s the first Sunday of the month, so that means we’re in the 229 in London for another Rev Pro show… we’re still with Andy Quildan on commentary, alongside Gio Nolastname…
JJ Gale vs. Luke Jacobs
Well, this is a bloody choice for an opener, eh?
Opening with a lock-up, Jacobs takes Gale into the corner for a clean break, before a takedown allowed Luke to work over the arm. Gale counters with a seatbelt pin for a two-count, then got taken into the ropes as his attempts at shoulder tackles ended with Luke blasting him with an overhand chop, before launching Gale with a shoulder tackle of his own. Chops follow in the corner as Jacobs began to wear down Gale, only for Gale to retaliate with headscissors and a dropkick of his own, taking Jacobs outside for a flip senton into the crowd. Back inside, Jacobs sinks Gale with a singular forearm out of the corner, before another shoulder tackle propelled Gale into the air.
Heading outside, Jacobs chases Gale with a running front kick, while a uranage onto the side of the ring, then a headbutt kept Gale on the back foot. Back inside, a brainbuster gets Jacobs a two-count, while a back elbow dropped Gale as he looked to mount a comeback. A kick to the back doesn’t yield a stoppage, so Jacobs blisters Gale with more chops in the corners, before Gale found a way in with a wheelbarrow into a double stomp. Gale’s spinning leg lariat finds a way through, as did a corkscrew elbow out of the corner for a near-fall, before Jacobs blocked a Gale Force cutter… only to eat a big forearm.
Gale tries to add a ‘rana, but that too is blocked as Jacobs ends up taking a superkick… recovering to land a pop-up powerbomb for a near-fall. More back-and-forth leads to Gale escaping a Blue Moon brainbuster, hitting a Side Effect instead, following with a Falcon arrow before Jacobs cut him off abruptly with a superplex. The pair resume with forearms back-and-forth, but it’s Gale who looked to pull ahead, eventually landing a superkick before a rolling elbow from Jacobs led to a wheelbarrow roll-up. Another superkick adds just a one-count for Gale, before a Gale Force was swatted away… Jacobs adds a Torpedo headbutt from there, then a folding powerbomb… and that’s the win in a bruising opener. ****
Post-match, Jacobs took the mic and declared that he’s setting his sights on the Undisputed British Heavyweight title… but acknowledged he’s got to polish up his win/loss record a bit. First though, Luke’s got a loss he’s got to put right from nearly two years ago, as he called out Ricky Knight Jr.
RKJ mentions he’s done something Luke Jacobs and Micahel Oku haven’t done – beat Will Ospreay… and there goes the mic. Tensions boil over, as RKJ accepted the offer. Jacobs exits stage left, but out comes Kieron Lacey and Mark Trew out of nowhere to attack RKJ.
Great British League 2023 Block A Tag Team: Kieron Lacey & Mark Trew vs. Knights (Ricky Knight Jr. & Zak Knight)
…Zak makes the save with a crossbody off the top, and we bleed into our scheduled Great British Tag League match.
Zak single-handedly looked to deal with Trew and Lacey, taking them up top for a double superplex, before a plancha from Zak wiped out Lacey on the floor. RKJ looked to add to it, but he stops to kick Trew by the ropes before he lifted him onto the apron… Zak pulls the laughing Trew down, before RKJ landed a flip senton into the first row. Back inside, the Knights ran roughshod over Trew and Lacey, with Zak stacking them up ahead of a stomp off the top rope from RKJ to them… setting off a double Samoan drop. RKJ adds a senton bomb to Lacey, while Zak’s springboard moonsault drew a near-fall. We keep going, with Trew eating a bodyslam from Zak, then a monstrous dropkick by the ropes from RKJ.
Trew tries to make a comeback, but he just leaps into a suplex attempt from Zak… finally escaping, Trew grabs an inanimate steel rod in the corner, allowing Lacey to come in to hit a low blow, then help on a wheelbarrow Codebreaker as the youngsters chained together some offence to pick up a near-fall on Zak. Trew hangs up Zak in the ropes ahead of a springboard headbutt to Zak’s back for a two-count. Lacey’s in to bite away on Zak as he was caught in the wrong corner. Zak hits back with a sit-down splash to Lacey, before Trew flew in to wipe out a springboard attempt from Zak…
RKJ tags in to clear house, wiping out Trew with two more dropkicks in the corner. Lacey tries to make a save, but gets swatted as RKJ hits a pair of draping DDTs before he chopped Trew through the ropes. Ricky goes all Gazza on us by grabbing Mark by the Trews, before Kieron Lacey ate a double-team powerbomb for a near-fall. A suplex/powerbomb combo from Trew and Lacey’s broken up by a senton bombing RKJ. Trew’s reverse ‘rana counters a Fire Thunder Driver as Lacey’s Destroyer out of the corner landed… but the referee refuses to count the stacked-up pin. Zak Knight’s back to spear Trew out of his boots… then death valley driver Lacey into Trew in the corner.
From there, a Zak powerbomb and RKJ 450 lands on Lacey, with Trew trying to break up the delayed cover… but he gets his own man before Trew’s murderised with a Doomsday Destroyer for the win. Holy hell, Trew and Lacey took a BEATING there, but kept ticking… and I suspect by the end of the block matches, they’ll have won a few folk over. ***½
Safire Reed vs. Kanji
This marked Kanji’s return to Rev Pro for the first time since she lost the Southside Women’s title to Dani Luna last December.
Nobody yields from the opening lock-up, so Reed looks to go after Kanji’s previously-injured arm. Heading into the ropes, some misdirection allowed Kanji to go for a roll-up, before she tripped up Reed for a crossbody to the back for a two-count. Reed’s taken into the corner, where she lifts Kanji onto the apron… before she ran Kanji into the turnbuckles. A dropkick through the ropes sees Reed stay on Kanji, posting the former champion before pouncing on Kanji with stomps back inside. The rather lackadaisical cover only gets Reed a one-count, before she stomped on that previously-injured arm, with Kanji’s massive arm cover proving to be a target.
Reed’s baseball slide takes Kanji outside… a low dropkick back inside gets a two-count after Reed’s mocking of Kanji, who finally mounted a comeback with a ZSJ-like arm twist. Clotheslines from Kanji put her further ahead, as did a low superkick, before some hammer elbows looked to wear Reed down some more. Kanji’s elbows keep finding their mark, laying out Reed as Kanji kept wrist control ahead of a cut-throat diving elbow smash for a near-fall. A triangle armbar follows from Kanji, with Reed trying to escape… it works, as Reed then went for Kanji’s hair, only to get caught from behind with a clothesline… then a front kick after some misdirection.
Reed’s snap DDT looked to give her an opening, but Kanji’s Northern Lights suplex turned it back in her favour. An Octopus hold from Reed has Kanji in trouble, but that’s escaped as Kanji again hit back, catching Reed in the ropes with clotheslines. A ripcord lariat from Reed swings it back in her favour, as did an elevated German suplex… a second one’s caught and countered with a full nelson, turning it into a Cattle Mutilation, before Kanji went back to the elbows. Another triangle armbar follows, and that’s the submission win for Kanji in a thriller of a match – a welcome return for Kanji, but Reed more than matched her here. ***½
Post-match, Reed flips off Kanji’s offer of a handshake… then took the mic and promised to go after Alex Windsor’s undisputed British Women’s championship.
Connor Mills vs. Shigehiro Irie
After losing to Sha Samuels last time out, Connor Mills (along with his new hair and music) was up against a bona fide heavyweight here as we had a battle of the Chris Hero fans…
It’s a tentative start as Mills and Irie traded holds, before Irie hit a sidewalk slam to break out of a chinbar. Mills gets taken to the corner before Irie just ragdolled him by the arm… leading to a slam and the slingshot splash for a two-count. Mills catches a kick, and drags down Irie with a Dragon screw ahead of a kick to the back, before a flying clothesline knocked Irie off the apron. Following Irie outside, Mills takes some shots to the back of Irie, while more of those kicks followed back inside for a two-count. Irie’s kept grounded in an Indian Deathlock, but Irie’s able to punch his way free, before Mills’ attempt to fight back just led to Irie staring through his elbow strikes… then deliver one of his own.
Irie’s caught with a kick to the midsection, but returns with a flurry of strikes ahead of a Bossman slam. A running clothesline catches Mills in the corner ahead of the Teddy Bear sit-out splash, before Mills came back with a corner dropkick… then a clothesline. Irie stares through it again, but a rebound lariat finally drops Irie for a near-fall. Irie responds by taking Mills onto the apron, following through with the diving crossbody to the back to send both of them into the front row… A big splash back inside pancaked Mills for another near-fall, before Mills hit a kick to the back of Irie’s head. Irie’s caught staring at Mills’ Cruiserweight title belt, before Mills ran into a sit-down splash… which was the precursor for a cannonball.
Mills barely kicks out… then got caught with a Beast Bomber that almost put him away. Irie adds a clunking headbutt, then a short piledriver… a second cannonball’s aborted as Mills sent Irie into the corner, which led to the finish as Mills hoisted up Irie out of the corner for the Burning Cutter for the win. ***¼
David Francisco vs. Sha Samuels
Sha’s back after winning and losing the Cruiserweight title in the space of an hour last month…
Sha mocks Francisco – and his fan – early on, as bodyslams had Samuels ahead. A Butcher’s Hook instantly ends in the ropes, before a snapmare and a kick to the back wound up Francisco. More of those leave Francisco laying, but he’s back with a dropkick and a clothesline that took Sha over the top to the floor… while a dropkick through the ropes knocked Sha into the front row. Francisco keeps control back inside, scoring with a neckbreaker for a two-count, before Francisco went up top… and got press slammed a la Ric Flair. Sha’s front kick keeps Francisco down, as did a lariat off the ropes, but Francisco’s able to kick out at two.
Sha continues to beat down Francisco with a chop to the back, before he went back to the Butcher’s Hook… which again ended in the ropes. Francisco’s back body drop throws away an East End Destroyer attempt, before an enziguiri caught Sha in the corner ahead of an attempt at the pull-up spinebuster. It’s countered into a small package for a two-count, as Francisco came back with superkicks for a two-count of his own. Another clothesline from Sha led to another comeback, as a Michinoku Driver almost put Francisco away. An elbow drop off the middle rope lands, before Sha misses on his moonsault, allowing Francisco back in with an elevated Flatliner. A diving kick keeps Francisco ahead, as did a Blue Thunder bomb, before a top rope elbow drop found its mark.
In response, Sha hits an East End Destroyer… then put away Francisco with a spinebuster for the win. Perhaps a tougher test than Sha expected, but he’s continuing to stack up wins… ***¼
Post-match, Connor Mills rushes out to attack Francisco and Samuels… choking out Sha with his scarf as he left the pair laying.
CPF (Danny Black & Joe Lando) vs. Cameron Khai & Leon Slater
CPF are part of the Great British Tag League – while Slater and Khai are trading barbs between themselves…
We start with Black and Slater, as Leon charges down Danny early on, before a wheelbarrow roll-up from Black almost shut this one down in a hurry. A missed standing moonsault comes up short for Black, as Slater hit back with a leg lariat instead, before Black got taken outside for a dropkick through the ropes. Back inside, Black eats a slingshot splash before Cameron Khai got tagged in… and ended up getting ‘rana’d into Slater as the CPF pair took over. Joe Lando’s in to whip Khai into the corner, but Khai floats free and hits a superkick to Lando, who then got chopped in the front and back ahead of a standing moonsault.
Lando aborts a 450 splash as Khai’s again double-teamed… with a Diamond Dust from Black leading to Poetry in Motion from Lando as CPF were running riot. Another standing moonsault from Black nearly puts Khai away… Black works Khai’s arm as more CPF double-teaming led to another standing moonsault, this time from Lando. Slater breaks up the pin, then got in Lando’s face before Khai forced an opening with a rolling death valley driver. Tags bring in Slater and Black, but Leon’s front kicks looked to clear the way as he followed up with a Blue Thunder Bomb on Black for a near-fall. Khai tags himself in as Slater was heading up top… which led to some oneupmanship between the pair as they pelted Black with kicks to the back.
Black fires back with chops, but he’s wiped out ahead of a handspring back elbow/legsweep combo for a near-fall. Slater mouths off at Lando, only to get caught with a one-man standing Spanish Fly as Black made the tag out. Lando pushes on, booting Slater in the corner, before a surprise dive wipes out Khai on the outside. Returning to the ring, a backflip into a cutter lays out Slater as Black returned to help with a back cracker as Lando’s springboard moonsault crashed into the held Slater for a two-count. Quick tags bring Lando back in, but he aborts a shooting star press – and looked to injure his right ankle on the landing. The crowd fell silent – but Lando’s able to make a tag out as medics came to his aid.
Black’s effectively in a handicap match as Lando was carried to the back… a Koppo kick from Black lands on Slater, but Khai’s in as Leon lands another leg lariat, before a sandwich of leg lariats ended up putting Danny away. This was a little rough around the edges, but a win’s a win for Slater and Khai. ***
Robbie X vs. Michael Oku
Oku’s title wasn’t on the line here, which was just as well given the laundry list of challengers he’s got. Not sure whether he’d be keen on that red-and-white target though, given his allegiances…
We open with a tie-up as Oku and Robbie X trade shoulder tackles, before a standing moonsault from Robbie X caught out Oku’s dropdown. Oku returns with a tijeras, but Robbie X cartwheels out and hits a dropkick instead, before a handspring kick knocked Oku off the apron, resulting in a sickening thud. Robbie picks up Oku and chopped him back into the third row before he retained control back inside with a chinlock. Getting free, Oku lands a tijeras off the middle rope, then a dropkick to stop Robbie X’s momentum, following up with some stomps as he took Robbie into the corner.
An Irish whip plants Robbie X in the corner, before the pair brawled around ringside before he swept Robbie X’s leg, leading to a nasty landing on the side of the ring. Back inside, almost a desperation chop from Robbie X finds its mark before he went up top… Oku sidesteps, then pulled Robbie into a half crab attempt, only to get met with an enziguiri as Robbie X pushed free. Oku’s sent outside as we’ve a tope into the camera, while a slingshot Molly Go Round back in almost put Oku away. A Finlay roll’s escaped, before Oku ducked a handspring… then took down Robbie X for a springboard moonsault. It’s good for a two-count, before Oku found a way through with a tornado DDT… taking Robbie X outside ahead of a Fosbury flop. Back inside, a froggy crossbody keeps Oku ahead, but Robbie X finds another way through with a Beyblade kick and the running shooting star out of the corner.
Robbie X gets caught on the top rope as Oku brought him down with a superplex… following with a superkick before Robbie retaliated with a Pele kick. The X-Clamation’s blocked as the pair trade reverse ‘ranas, then fall down from a double clothesline for a near-fall. We resume with the pair throwing shots until a Cactus clothesline from Oku took the pair over the top to the floor. They keep throwing until they made it onto the apron, where Robbie X powerbombs Oku back into the ring for a Spiral Tap. Robbie tries for an X-Clamation, but Oku clings on… another X-Clamation’s ducked and turned into a half crab, but Robbie rolls through… then finally hit the move for a near-fall.
Oku’s placed into a Tree of Woe… but manages to recover to hit a spider superplex… he can’t get free though as Robbie came back with an avalanche reverse ‘rana, before one last X-Clamation was countered into a backslide as Oku snuck out with the win. A really strong main event, although it took the crowd a while to get into it after the injury in the prior match… ***¾
Post-match, Oku gets the mic and put over Robbie X as someone deserving of a title shot… and indeed offered one in the future, before he ran down some of the names who’d also asked for a shot earlier in the evening. His promo is interrupted by a video from ʇǝʌᴉɹꓕ ǝʞᴉdS, sorry, Spike Trivet…
Spike announced through video that he’d be debuting for Rev Pro in seven days time, against Robbie X in Southampton. Oku told Trivet that if he beats Robbie X, he too will get a title shot – which kinda flies in the face of the “start at the bottom” mantra that started all this. Out goes Robbie X, as Oku addressed some other potential challengers… offering a non-title match to Sha Samuels for Southampton, before bringing up Gabe Kidd (from the “doe joe”) and how their match earlier this year ended in a no-contest. It leds to Oku giving Kidd a title shot at the British J Cup show in Stevenage… and that’s us out!
October’s trip to the 229 kicked off a busy month for Rev Pro – and indeed started off on fire with those opening three matches – dropping a little in the middle of the card, only to close out strong as the focus turned to the British J Cup in Stevenage later in the month.