Leon Cage made his London debut for Rev Pro, as the final 229 show of the year gave us the first fall-out from last month’s Trios Grand Prix.
Quick Results
Robbie X pinned Ethan Allen in 13:39 (***)
Danny Black & Joe Lando pinned Danny Jones & Brendan White in 11:52 (***)
Safire Reed pinned Anita Vaughan in 10:33 (***)
Connor Mills & Jay Joshua pinned Zozaya & Leon Slater in 20:49 (***¾)
Mark Trew, Kieron Lacey & Will Kaven pinned Leland Bryant, Nino Bryant & Zander Bryant in 10:46 (**¾)
Charlie Sterling defeated JJ Gale via referee stoppage in 15:03
Mercedez Blaze & Nina Samuels pinned Chantal Jordan & Kanji in 13:05 (***)
Michael Oku submitted Leon Cage in 21:56 (***¾)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
We’re back at the 229 in London for the final time this year – of course, we’re just three weeks out from Uprising, and there’s a few pieces left to slot into place. Commentary comes from Dave “we’re live, pal” Bradshaw and Gideon Grey.
Robbie X vs. Ethan Allen
As a bad guy, Robbie X’s kettle-boiling theme makes a lot more sense, particularly as a troll job.
The early going had Robbie X more than match Allen, before he powdered to the outside and got in Gideon Grey’s face. People do listen! Back inside, Allen finds form with a strong PK to the back, before he was taken outside for a plancha as the new Bullet Club man began to assert himself.
Of course, we get the Bullet Club troll job of Robbie threatening to throw Ethan into the crowd… only to roll him back inside, where he wrenched away on Ethan’s neck. A cartwheel dropkick keeps him ahead before a double clothesline killed off that momentum. We resume with charging chops and kicks from Allen as he found his second wind, at least until an Eye of the Hurricane-like move got Robbie back in.
The Molly Go Round and a running shooting star press followed for a two-count, before an Allen Slam looked to swing it back around. A charging knee to the ribs doesn’t quite do it for Allen, but Robbie’s left clinging to the ropes to save his skin, before he ran his mouth and earned himself a bunch more kicks.
Changing tactic, Robbie traps one arm and wrenches back on the other before the pair began to exchange shots once more… it leads to a rear naked choke that Robbie rolled back on to force a pin, before an O’Connor roll took the long way around as Robbie X looked to be in the ropes, but just about snatched the three count at the death. A solid win for Robbie, as Ethan Allen’s yet to win a singles match since the Copperbox. ***
Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones) vs. CPF (Joe Lando & Danny Black)
This was CPF’s first outing here since winning the Trios Grand Prix – and a reunion against the first team they’d beaten in Rev Pro. Harry Milligan got bullied a little during the Welsh lads’ entrance.
A jump start looked to isolate Joe Lando, but he’s able to evade as the match finally got going with CPF utilising double-teams on Brendan White. Danny Jones tries to get involved, but Lando fights him off before Jones crotched him on the top rope, sparking a period on offence for the former tag champions.
Maverick Mayhew’s out at ringside to stop Joe Lando getting lawndarted into the ring post as CPF were firmly on the back foot… even more so when Lando got his lights knocked out by Jones. A missed assisted back senton stopped all that as a cutter from Lando bought him time, and put CPF back in it. Danny Black’s first big run in the match saw him nail Jones with an apron PK ahead of a missile dropkick to the back of a kneeling White for a near-fall.
A back body drop sparks an assisted ‘rana into a cutter on White before the Out of the Black low-pe stunner took out Jones on the floor… a shooting star elbow from Lando almost has White down for the count, before the FIJ was fought out of by Brendan. Danny Jones gets the tag back in and eventually laid out Black with a lariat.
Jones’ Falcon arrow almost does a deal, as a quick double-team from the Souls led to a diving knee from Brendan White… a Hospital Pass is countered into a crucifix by Black, before Danny Jones feigned being tripped by Maverick Mayhew at ringside. The ref falls for it as the Greedy Souls try a double-team as Brendan went for a chair… only for Harry Milligan to abandon his post to make the save. It does mean we don’t get a camera angle change as Danny Jones is punted down low, before the FIJ put him away. Oh, so that’s the alternative acronym for CPF – the punting friends! A big win for CPF – and I assume that’s Harry Milligan being thrust into action again in the coming weeks… ***
Anita Vaughan vs. Safire Reed
This was meant to be Anita Vaughan vs. Millie McKenzie, but Mercedez Blaze came out instead and told us there was no Millie. Instead, Safire Reed came from behind to attack Anita and jump start our replacement match.
Shrugging off the surprise, Vaughan cracked Reed with a big boot and a fallaway slam, before Safire rolled to the outside to try and take the sting out of things. That didn’t quite work out as Vaughan caught her with an apron PK… but a turnaround back inside led to Reed wrenching away on Vaughan’s wrist and arm.
Wearing down Anita with knees and kicks to the back, Reed began to get a little mouthy – only to get caught with a flash pin as Vaughan stemmed the tide a little. Reed’s back with a stomp to the back, before she mouthed off at Vaughan’s lack-of-a-win around these parts. Of course, Anita fought back, scoring a powerslam off the ropes for a two-count, only for Reed to fire back with kicks and a ripcord lariat for a near-fall.
Another attempt at a stomp in the ropes misses for Reed as Vaughan returned with a Ki Krusher… but it’s still not enough as Reed blasted back with the War Head – her take on the diving Ralph Wiggum headbutt – for the win as Reed picked up another W for the Collective… although there’s plenty of questions around what happened to the originally-announced match. ***
Connor Mills & Jay Joshua vs. Leon Slater & Zozaya
Thankfully they didn’t play this off as “can they co-exist?!” between Slater and Zozaya as they’re weeks ahead of their iron man match.
Ref Headband/Scottish Ref forced Zozaya to come in as he counted the Spaniard patting Slater on the back as a tag – and it’s not long before the opening skirmishes led to Jay Joshua grappling with Zozaya. Leon Slater had more luck with headscissors and a dropkick, before he and Zozaya looked to focus on Joshua’s arm.
Connor Mills had enough of the constant quick tags and double-teaming as he wandered around the apron and kicked Zozaya off it – creating an opening as he and this week’s Welsh tag partner took the upper hand. An Irish whip from Joshua bounced Slater upside down into the buckles with what could have been an ugly recoil, before a vicious Dragon screw did its best to pop some ligaments.
Slater’s overhand chop tries to break up Mills’ deathlock, but to little avail as it wasn’t long before Leon was trapped in a grounded cobra clutch. Slater gets out of the hold, but can’t make the tag before Joshua came in to spark him out again. Eventually Slater got that tag out to Zozaya, who cleared house on Mills and Joshua for a spell… Slater helps out as Joshua tried to break up Zozaya’s overhead throw on Mills, before a springboard splash almost helped Zozaya to the win.
After putting the brakes on, Slater’s booted into Zozaya in the corner as we had our first seed sewn of tension between the two… it’s not instantly followed-up on as Mills waffled Leon with a rebound lariat for a near-fall. Leon gets his revenge seconds later as he spiked Mills on the apron with a guillotine legdrop, and that sparks a big ol’ Parade of Moves as tags became suggestions.
A swandive headbutt from Zozaya almost puts Joshua away, but the pin’s broken up by Mills as the Parade of Moves continued… leading to Leon landing a swanton 450, only for Mills to charge the referee out of the ring to save the match. Leon Slater tries a plancha, but stops himself to avoid laying out the referee as the ensuing melee led to a pair of low blows inside and out the ring looked to have Zozaya in trouble.
Eventually a miscommunication saw Mills and Joshua kick each other as Slater returned… but his attempts of double-teaming led to him getting cut-off. Zozaya’s attempt to make the save goes awry as he ended up leaping onto his own man, leaving him open as a double-team burning hammer ended up putting Zozaya away. Save for the spell where tags felt like suggestions, this was a real good match that boosted Mills and Joshua’s shouts for a shot at the tag titles – and began to sew some tensions going into the Slater/Zozaya match in a few weeks. ***¾
Will Kaven, Mark Trew & Kieron Lacey vs. Flying Bryant Brothers (Nino Bryant, Leland Bryant & Zander Bryant)
Starting the second half with a trios match… but not with the team that won the trios grand prix, as instead its a 229 debut for the Bryant Brothers.
Nino was having to play hit and run against Will Kaven early on, thanks to the threat of Mark Trew on the apron, before a roll-up out of a tombstone piledriver attempt almost ended this one early. Zander and Leland have a crack too, with some twisting headscissors and a dropkick catching out Trew ahead of a beanie-removing neckbreaker.
An eye rake from Trew bought him time, but the Bryants remained firmly ahead until their triple-team 3D was dismantled ahead of a double chop block from Kieron Lacey as Leland took a beating for a spell. Trew’s in as his torpedo headbutt knocked Leland through the ropes and down to the floor.
After being ridden by the crowd, Trew stayed on Leland, snapping his fingers before Kaven came in for the second wishbone leg splitter of the night. Leland tries to ‘rana out of a Black Flag attempt, before he eventually rolled away from a three-on-one attack… then finally made the tag out to Zander, whose Quebradas found a way through Trew.
A Meteora-assisted Crucifix from the Bryants keep them going, as did a double-team back body drop… while a 450 splash to an elevated Kaven almost got the Bryants another win. That wacky triple-team 3D lands, but Kieron Lacey breaks up the cover with a powerbomb as things began to tear apart, leading to a stomp-assisted Black Flag on Leland for the win. **¾
There’s some more after the match as Kaven, Trew and Lacey beat down the Bryants… before CPF charged out for the save. I wonder if there’d be a match with those trophies on the line between those six…
Charlie Sterling vs. JJ Gale
Built as the finale to their months-old feud, this match felt a little off from the get go – a microcosm of the entire story, unfortunately.
Gale started off on top… but a big boot from Sterling cuts all that off, only for JJ to return with a cartwheel to get past a clothesline before hitting one of his own. Sterling powders outside to avoid a springboard cutter, but ends up wandering into the path of a flip dive on the floor, before the pair fought around the 229. Good job those cameras are now wireless…
Sterling chucks Gale into the brick wall by the bar before Gale threw Sterling into Dave Bradshaw’s lap as commentary needed to do some running repairs. Meanwhile, Gale’s attempt at a step-up dive sees him thrown into the side of the ring with a spinebuster, before some back-and-forth on the apron ended with a cutter getting countered into a tombstone.
Back inside, a double underhook suplex started a series where this match almost morphed into an I Quit outing, with Sterling demanding the ref ask Gale if he’d had enough. Of course, it backfires on Sterling as Gale fought back, only to get clobbered in the back of the neck ahead of some snapping back suplexes.
A back superplex from Sterling’s fought out of and countered with a sunset bomb instead as Gale mounted some offence, including a rebound German suplex and a Slingblade. Gale’s able to lift up Sterling into a Fireman’s carry, but it’s elbowed away before Gale managed to rebound out of the corner with a twisting uppercut.
Pushing on, Gale connects with a kick to the back of the head, before a Gale Force was stopped with a simple chinlock. Sterling pushes on with a twisting brainbuster, but it’s not enough, nor was a splash off the top, but Sterling’s attempt at a pull-up death valley driver almost bites him as a victory roll took Gale close to the win.
Kicks from Gale take Sterling down in the corner for a split-legged moonsault for a near-fall – despite Gale coming down right on his head. The referee checked on Gale, and instantly threw up the dreaded X hand signal as Gale tried to push on… but Oscar Harding’s got to separate the two before finally calling for the bell as the match was awarded to Charlie Sterling. This stoppage was unfortunate way to end this match, but you’d rather have this kind of awkward finish – complete with the “is it really over, just ring the bell then!” uncertainty – than keep someone in the ring injured for a second longer than they ought to be.
Cut Throat Collective (Nina Samuels & Mercedez Blaze) vs. Kanji & Chantal Jordan
It’s a welcome return from injury for Nina Samuels as the Collective look to keep their good run of results going. For reference, Nottingham’s about 130 miles from London. Big catchment area.
Samuels and Jordan start us off, but it’s Chantal who had the brighter start as she took down Nina into the corner for some charging knees and a low dropkick, albeit for just a one-count. Kanji’s in to work over Samuels’ wrist… Nina breaks free, before Mercedez Blaze had to fight like hell to get out of a rear naked choke, as not even splatting Kanji on her back did the trick.
Kanji stays on Blaze, chopping her in the corner before Nina Samuels got involved to distract Kanji. There’s your turnaround, as the Collective proceeded to corner Kanji with Nina’s mudhole stomping and some choking in the ropes led to Kanji being trapped between the ropes for a dropkick as Blaze almost picked up the win.
A spinning backbreaker from Nina bounced Kanji to the mat for another two-count, before Blaze got distracted by Chantal Jordan… and it led to Kanji coming back in with a Dragon screw. Kanji’s able to tag in Chantal, who runs wild with kicks… at least until one was ducked and countered into a roll-up. That respite’s short-lived though as Blaze gets hung up in the ropes for some more kicks.
Nina’s back, but her attempt at a tombstone just gets her neck twisted by Kanji ahead of a Cloverleaf from Jordan… Kanji’s Octopus hold traps Blaze, which drew out Safire Reed and a Kendo stick of all things, but Kanji breaks free and brawled with Reed to the back. That left Jordan on her own, and when the two-on-one caught up with her it was game over as an axe kick from Nina and a curb stomp from Blaze finally led to the win. ***
Before the main event, Danny Jones and Brendan White marched out and dragged Harry Milligan off of the production desk, throwing him into the ring as they got some revenge for Harry’s involvement earlier, laying him out with a chair to the back before smacking Harry with his own flip flop as referees and contenders had a hard time separating them all.
A spot of on-the-job training meant we had Gideon do commentary and camera cuts for this… which extended to cueing music and ringing the bell for the main event. It almost felt a little Top Gear-y.
Leon Cage vs. Michael Oku
Last week, we wrote about the first run back of this match in Cardiff for New Wave – this time around though, Cage has a whole new audience to introduce himself to.
A rapid start sees Oku miss a low dropkick, with Cage capitalising with a stomp as there was some suggestion that Oku – like in Cardiff – was maybe taking Cage lightly. Oku catches a moonsault out of the corner, but couldn’t avoid a ‘rana from Cage as he countered the counter, following up with almost a Tazmission-plex before Oku got the knees up to cut off a cartwheel enziguiri.
Chops from Oku earned some loud ones in return, before a snapmare and a kick to the back saw a defiant Cage ask for some more. He’ll learn. Back-and-forth forearms between the two definitely had an effect, but a head kick from Cage finally put a proverbial dent in Oku ahead of a release German suplex… only for a superkick seconds later to shut down the “Futurist.”
Cage snaps right back with a sitout powerbomb to counter Oku’s misdirection knee before Oku chained together an O’Connor roll and a half crab attempt. Of course it’s pushed off, so Oku returned with a PK and a springboard moonsault for a two-count before an attempt at a froggy crossbody was cut off with a cutter.
Cage pounces from there as he hung up Oku in the ropes for the “Stomp Into The Future” – but the stompy powerbomb’s cut-off with a ‘rana as Oku took him to the outside for the eventual Fosbury flop. Back inside, that froggy crossbody was avoided as Cage charged away before catching Oku with the Lance Storm-esque roll through into a half crab. The ropes saved Oku’s skin here, but Cage doesn’t relent, following up in the corner with a cartwheel enziguiri, before Oku rolled outside to avoid a shooting star press.
Except Oku didn’t wander away enough as Cage moonsaulted off the top rope and onto Oku in the crowd. A follow-up 450 splash back inside doesn’t get the job done as Cage began to ponder just what it’d take to get the win… just as the crowd found their voices with duelling chants that gradually increased in volume.
Those chants provided a backdrop for Cage to set up for an avalanche reverse ‘rana, but Oku’s able to hit it instead as the youngster was planted into the mat. From there, a charging dropkick meets Cage in the corner, before the frog splash connected for a near-fall. The ropes save Cage as Oku went for the half crab, before Cage rolled onto the apron to avoid another frog splash. Except Oku tracked him… and ended up crashing and burning with a splash onto the edge of the ring.
Pouncing on that, Cage drags Oku across the ropes and hits the Stomp To The Future… landing far enough away from the ropes as Oku was forced to kick out, before the Uncaged – the Pedigree Destroyer – almost got the win, as Oku had to get his leg on the rope to save his rear end. Bloody hell lads…
Cage crashes and burns on a Phoenix Splash as he went for one more thing… Oku charged back with a diving knee before a package tombstone spiked Cage. Oku waits for Leon to get back up before hitting the froggy crossbody, only to land in Cage’s knees on a follow-up frog splash as Leon was proving himself to still be a danger. It’s Oku’s turn to crash and burn next as he missed a corner dropkick, allowing Cage to bring him down with a hanging stomp out of the corner, before Cage missed a second crack at a Phoenix Splash, this time getting caught with a Styles Clash as a half crab finally forced the submission. A hell of a scare for Michael Oku again, who was taken to the limit by the 17-year-old – but fortunately avoided the embarrassing banana skin weeks ahead of his title match. As for Leon Cage, this match I’d argue was more impressive than the New Wave outing, given that he had to win over a new fanbase here – which he did, as well as have them believing in his ability to pull off the mother of all upsets. ***¾
Post-match, Oku put over Leon’s ability – and said that there’d be one more match between them, before turning his sights onto Luke Jacobs, noting that he had a lot more work to do to prove that he was “the guy” to carry the British scene on his back.
With a big match at the end of each half of the show, Rev Pro’s final trip to the 229 this year will be remembered for that Cage/Oku match – a pairing that could end up proving somewhat pivotal as Leon Cage continues to establish himself on the British scene. Just don’t rush it…