Rev Pro kicked off their 2025 with a return, as Zoe Lucas returned to the ring to take on Safire Reed in the main event.
Quick Results
Robbie X pinned Kuro in 13:03 (***)
Kanji submitted LA Taylor in 14:37 (***)
Leon Slater pinned Leon Cage in 25:45 (****¼)
Stephen Wolf pinned Will Kaven in 10:47 (***¼)
1 Called Manders pinned Iker Navarro in 14:13 (***¾)
Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs pinned Sito Sanchez & Joey Torres in 19:18 (***½)
Zoe Lucas pinned Safire Reed in 9:21
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
For the first time this year we’re at the 229 in London as Rev Pro broke the seal on a new calendar… and they’ve got quite a few unfamiliar faces on the card as we’ve got a Rev Pro debut and a whole bunch of returns, including one in an emotional main event. Commentary comes from Dave Bradshaw and Gideon Grey, who seemed rather unimpressed with celebrating the new year a month late.
Robbie X vs. Kuro
This was Kuro’s debut for Rev Pro, having become something of a fixture on the French scene – and beyond.
Robbie X’s attempted jump start was shrugged off as Kuro’s facebuster drew the proverbial first blood, while an aborted PK turned into a double stomp for another two-count. A poke to the eye from Robbie X gets missed by the referee as the veteran began to wear down the newcomer, albeit with a fair degree of nonchalance about it as Robbie seemed to act like Kuro was beneath him.
Of course, all that did was leave things open for the response as Kuro’s Cactus clothesline took the pair to the outside, before a scrap on the apron ended with Robbie spitting in Kuro’s face… before he then dumped the Frenchman with a death valley driver on the edge of the ring. A quick throw into the crowd followed as Robbie looked to take a count-out loss, but Kuro dove back in and almost nicked a win as he countered an X-Claimation into a roll-up.
A second X-Claimation followed for a near-fall, but Robbie misses a running kick into the corner as Kuro again took advantage, retaliating with a double underhook’d Dominator/DDT for a near-fall – dubbed the Kiss of Hype – only for Robbie X to avoid a follow up Rainmaker before he caught Kuro in the corner with that charging kick for the win. An impressive debut in defeat for Kuro, as Robbie X started his year with a W here. ***
David Francisco’s introduced next as he’s hyping up a week away from his shot at Michael Oku’s title. Oku wasn’t in London because he was on the Jericho Cruise – whereas Francisco was choosing not to bother with making full use of the arms on his suit jacket. The 229 was taking a rather Portsmouth approach to Southampton, heckling Francisco as he promised to “end the reign of the most selfish man in Rev Pro.”
Francisco then did something unwise and called Ricky Knight Jr. as ungrateful as the London crowd… and sure enough, that led to Ricky’s arrival. Francisco tries to talk his way out of things, saying that if he didn’t win the title next week, RKJ wouldn’t get a title shot – assuming that Michael Oku would duck RKJ – but Ricky didn’t seem so convinced as he backed Francisco into a corner. So much so, David left the mic behind and bailed.
With Francisco gone, RKJ took aim at the absent Oku, then at Rev Pro for abandoning him after his injury a few years ago. Ricky became the first man this show to promise to win the Undisputed British Heavyweight title… and this led to Amira making an appearance. RKJ gave her a free shot, which was taken… RKJ shoved down Amira before JJ Gale came out to put a stop to things. RKJ bails, as Gale took the mic and recounted how when RKJ was on his way up, Gale was starting from the bottom in black trunks (and white shoes…). Add Gale’s name to the list of people wanting the title this year as everyone was setting their stalls out here it seemed.
LA Taylor vs. Kanji
It’s been a while since LA Taylor’s been in Rev Pro – and this return promised a clash of styles as Taylor’s power offence had to deal with Kanji’s technical nous. These two met on Taylor’s last appearance for Rev Pro – July 2022’s Queen of the Ring… a show that never made it to VOD.
Taylor looked to overpower Kanji from the off, forcing Kanji to quicken the pace as she looked to take Taylor down with a sunset flip. That didn’t work, so Kanji began to kick away at Taylor’s leg, taking her down for a crossbody to the back before Taylor’s swinging full nelson slam left Kanji in a heap.
A sleeperhold’s used as Kanji’s almost ragdolled to the mat, then trapped in a cravat as Taylor looked to keep going… but a low bridge takes her outside ahead of a trio of dives. The third one’s caught… but Taylor’s eventually met with a DDT on the floor before she struck back and regained the upper hand.
Kanji tries to ‘rana her way out of a Fireman’s carry, but the block helps her as she pulled off a pair of neck twists a la ZSJ, before she trapped Taylor between the ropes for some chops. After a missile dropkick, Kanji takes things to the mat with a key lock, but Taylor repeatedly powered up and tried to charge Kanji into the buckle to break the hold, but Kanji held on with the manjigatame before a Samoan driver finally broke the hold.
Kanji kicks out, but Taylor stays on her with a knee in the corner, before a missed boot allowed Kanji to make a comeback, kicking at Taylor’s quad some more as she worked her way into a calf slicer. Taylor tries to roll out, but Kanji grapevines the leg and switched it into a banana splits for the quick submission – Kanji’s finding a nice run of form these days, but I’d like to hope that it’s not another two and a half years before we Taylor around here again as she offers something missing in Rev Pro. ***
Leon Cage vs. Leon Slater
There are no words… a combined age of 38 here, with Cage and Slater looking to show out on their first Rev Pro appearance of the year. Cage is still looking for his maiden win, while Slater’s coming off of a loss in that iron man match to Zozaya.
Anyway, Leon won…
Duelling chants got the match underway as we started with Slater looking to bully Cage… but the Welshman didn’t look fazed. A snap bodyslam perhaps changed that as Slater eased into the driver’s seat, charging down Cage before some lucha stuff led to a stand-off after Cage had to abort a kip-up.
Cage’s response was to slap the taste out of Slater’s mouth… which earned him a front kick as Slater’s temper ended up being used against him for a spell. A rope-walk ‘rana takes Slater outside for an apron PK, before Slater took charge once more with a blistering chop back inside.
Ducking one, Cage returns the favour, before a backflip out of the corner was caught… as was a ‘rana counter… before Leon almost had his head taken clean off him with a buckle bomb. That looked absolutely horrific, but Cage was able to continue – albeit on the defensive as Slater was picking his shots here.
A running dropkick’s good for a two-count, as was a slingshot cutter… but not the way you’d think, as Cage was brought back into the ring the hard way. Cage deadlifts a suplex, but his inside cradle doesn’t get the win… he shrugged off a rewind enziguiri to land a brainbuster as Cage slowly found his way back in.
Some criss-crossing in the ropes ended with a running kick from Cage, who added his cartwheel enziguiri in the corner for a two-count. Heading up top, Cage has to fight off Slater… but an attempt at a Phoenix splash was stopped as Slater hung up Cage in a Tree of Woe ahead of a running dropkick to the knee.
From there, Slater begins to kick Cage’s leg out of his leg, spinning the 18 year old to the mat… and there’s more where that came from until Cage leapt up to avoid a kick, and countered with a reverse ‘rana instead. A leaping heel kick from Cage took Slater to the apron, as Cage looked to set up for the Stomp into the Future… but Slater avoids it as he instead went for the swanton 450.
Cage avoids it, then got popped up onto his bad knee as a wild leg lariat almost won it for Slater. A side headlock sees Cage try to slow things down, but Slater just kicks at the leg again before Cage tried to flip out of a back suplex. Instead, Cage tries the backflip out of the corner again, but this time manages to ‘rana Slater down into a folding press for a near-fall… following up with a half-and-half suplex… only for another crack at the Phoenix splash to end with Slater rolling outside.
Cage doesn’t jump down, and instead repositioned himself as he moonsaulted onto Slater on the floor. Back inside, Slater sits down on a sunset flip… then exploded Cage’s nose with a huge superkick. Shrugging off the red stuff, Cage caught Slater with the Uncaged – a Dominator into a spin-out DDT – for a near-fall, before he began to kick away at Slater’s legs. Receipts for earlier.
Slater charges into the corner, with Cage sidestepping… the ref tries to free Slater from his self-imposed Tree of Woe, but Cage leaps in with a dropkick to the knee as he set up for a hanging double stomp out of the corner. Returning, Slater’s able to hit the twisting suplex… then a slicing leg lariat as Slater hit a run of offence that led to the Blue Thunder bomb and a swanton 450 for the win. This got a deserved standing ovation live – and while this perhaps could have been served with having a few minutes shaved off as they were on the precipice of teasing a 30-minute draw, this was yet another string in the Leons’ bows. Expect to see this one run back many times, and perhaps not just in this country… ****¼
After the match, Slater took the mic and yes, added his name to the ever-growing queue of people looking for the Undisputed British Heavyweight title.
Will Kaven vs. Stephen Wolf
It’s a return to Rev Pro for Wolf, who’s based over in the UK for a while… and he’s starting with a non-title tilt at Will Kaven.
Kaven’s jump start was thwarted, but he’s able to work over Wolf’s arm in the early going before he traded lucha rolls with the former New Texas Pro champ. A gamengiri in the corner from Wolf allowed him to add in a flying elbow off the top for a two-count, before he looked to chop Kaven’s chest clean off.
Wolf charges at Kaven in the corner, but the American takes a nasty spill after being lifted onto the apron, before Kaven’s hanging neckbreaker in the ropes started his run of targeting Wolf’s surgically-repaired neck. A heckler in the crowd just winds up Kaven as he proceeded to drop Wolf with a snap suplex, then with a double underhook suplex into the corner as Kaven picked up a two-count.
Kaven’s attempted tombstone’s cradled out of as Wolf struck his way back in with a forearm to the head of Kaven… but the champion’s able to return with a flying knee drop after he’d draped Wolf across the top rope. It’s good for a two-count, as was a tombstone piledriver, before another flurry from Wolf ended with him tripping Kaven into the ropes ahead of a 6-1-Line (the Tiger Feint kick into a clothesline) for a near-fall.
From there, Kaven heads to the corner, but he misses a belt shot aimed at Wolf’s head, before the Vertigo – a back suplex flipping out into a cutter – got Wolf the win. ***¼
Post-match, Wolf posed with Kaven’s title, only to get attacked from behind by Robbie X, who went on to state his claim for the title. Looks like we’ve got a lot of queues forming for title shots…
Iker Navarro vs. 1 Called Manders
This was Navarro’s first appearance at the 229 since last May – and the self-professed “Cowboy Killer” was looking to knock off a returning Manders here. Speaking of Manders, the 229 loved him, serenading the Iowan with a chant of “there’s only one called Manders…” for several minutes.
When we got going, Navarro’s slap on Manders in the corner proved to not exactly be the smartest idea he had, as Manders chopped back, setting the tone for the match. The pair trade shoulder tackles, but the former American football linebacker Manders was more than capable before he got suckerpunched with a kick to the gut.
More shoulder tackles give way to three point stances… but this time its Manders who wins out before the match descended into back-and-forth elbows and chops. An eye poke from Navarro just led to him getting bulldozed as things spilled outside for a scrap, with Manders’ heavy hands lighting up the Spaniard.
Manders built up for a charging clothesline, but Navarro moved away as Manders ended up clotheslining the ring post instead. A side suplex dropped Manders onto the apron before Navarro cleared the crowd… and did a lap of honour before he speared Manders deep into the crowd. Back inside, Manders remained on the defensive, getting choked by the ropes before the pair traded blows again.
A single shot from Manders took Navarro down, as did a release suplex that bounced Navarro off the ropes ahead of a Stampede for a near-fall. Navarro’s able to strike back with a diving enziguiri, then a snap Dragon suplex, before a Bull lariat connected at the second time of asking.
Navarro tees up for a powerbomb, but Manders back body drops his way free only to get caught with an overhead kick to the arm seconds later. A double clothesline clobbers both men to the mat, but the pair beat the count… even if it was just to knock seven shades of you-know-what out of each other some more.
Manders blocks another Bull lariat, but eats several superkicks before the Bull lariat briefly took him down. Manders rises up quickly and spins Navarro down with a match-finishing lariat for the win. This was just two big guys laying into each other, and this was glorious to see live. Manders isn’t fooling around, and yep, he’s put his name on that list of title challengers… ***¾
Barcelona Blacklist (Joey Torres & Sito Sanchez) vs. Young Guns (Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs)
This was Barcelona Blacklist’s first time out at the 229, and they were jumped from behind to start as some of the crowd mocked Luke Jacobs on his first outing since losing the gold.
Joey Torres was isolated before the bell, but manages to clear out Jacobs with a dropkick as the bell finally goes – with the Barcelona lads starting by hanging up Allen into the ropes to start a blitz of double-teaming. Topes follow on the Young Guns, with Torres landing a flip senton… only for the Young Guns to hold on and powerbomb him onto the side of the ring seconds later.
Back in the ring, Sanchez is kept isolated for a spell as Jacobs and Allen took their turns laying into him by their corner. Some aggressive boot choking from Allen just wound up Torres in the opposite corner, before Sanchez rebounded off the ropes with a Bull lariat – evidently, the main type they teach in Spain!
Torres gets the tag in but instantly gets smashed with a Luke Jacobs lariat as things spilled outside… and quickly returned as a side headlock from Allen wore down Torres for a spell. Luke’s back for a backbreaker to get a two-count, but things again head outside as he proceeded to launch Torres across the merch table. Thanks for coming!
Back inside, Jacobs lays into Torres some more as the Young Guns were firmly on top, carving through Torres in the corner before a missed kick from Allen led to Torres breaking free for that eventual tag. Sanchez had more luck than his partner, connecting with clotheslines and slams before another Bull lariat was blocked. Allen’s roll-up forces a two-count as he then added an Allen slam for another two-count as both men’s partners were recovering on the floor.
Jacobs returns as his double-team attempt earned a pair of DDTs from Sanchez, before Torrez returned to land a diving kick to Jacobs in the corner. A stomp-assisted Death Valley driver gets just a one-count as the Barcelona lads were trying a pile-on pin, before a Combi Completa was thwarted by the Young Guns.
Allen’s back as another flurry of double-team offence led to Torres getting laid out with a clothesline to the back of the head… before a crossface from Allen tried to force the stoppage. Jacobs’ Figure Four restrained Sanchez, but Torres got up and dropped Allen onto the pile to break up the holds.
Another resurgence from Torres sees him trade shots with Allen, only to get caught with an enziguiri… the big lads return to try their hand too, but it ends poorly for Sanchez as he took a clothesline to the back of the head as the Young Guns set up for – and landed – a Doomsday device. Somehow, Sanchez kicks out – and after Torres pulled out Allen to stop the double-teaming, the Spaniard was sent into the ring post with a quick Angle. That left Sanchez alone, but he tried to beat the numerical disadvantage… only to get hauled up for a double-team powerbomb before a kick-assisted piledriver finally got the Young Guns over the line. ***½
After the match, Jacobs took the mic and berated the “spoiled brats of wrestling” in the crowd for booing the Young Guns. Unlike everyone else seemingly, Jacobs didn’t want Oku’s title… he wanted Oku’s legacy – by joining him in the Grand Slam club, and to do that, he needs the tag titles. Interestingly, Jacobs decreed that only he and Allen were North West Strong – putting everyone else who has or had one of those track jackets in the rear view mirror. Young Guns vs. Mills & Joshua will be pretty damn tasty, that’s for sure.
Safire Reed vs. Zoe Lucas
After being attacked by Safire Reed at Uprising, Zoe was making her in-ring return to wrestling after two years away – and her first match in Rev Pro since August 2021. It was an emotional return for Zoe, whose ring gear sported tags in tribute to James Castle, Mad Kurt and Hana Kimura.
Safire shuts down the crowds’ chants for Zoe by running into her with a kick as Reed was the early aggressor… repeated German suplexes made sure Lucas couldn’t get started, at least until a slap and a Thesz press shut down the upstart. Reed’s thrown around the ring from there, ahead of running kicks to trap Reed in the corner ahead of a spinning facebuster for an early two-count.
A Scorpion kick from Zoe’s caught, but the second one finds a way through, as did a knee strike and a brainbuster that drew just a one-count from a defiant Reed. In return, Reed’s Warhead led to a clash of heads that left both women laying.
Lucas gets back to her feet as the pair fire up, but it’s Zoe who lands the first big blow in that exchange. Reed’s able to land volume, but walks into a Scorpion kick before a scissor kick and a Regal-plex almost got Zoe the win. A crossface followed as Zoe pulled Reed into the middle of the ring, but the ropes saved Reed as Zoe tried to switch it up into a Rings of Saturn.
A missed kick trapped Zoe in the ropes as Reed caught her with kicks to the leg, before pulling her across the ropes for a stomp to the back. Rolling Rainmakers followed from Reed next, but Lucas kicks out at one, only to get knocked back down with a series of kicks. Zoe rises back up though, and after picking the ankle was able to roll up Reed for the flash pin on her return. This was everything you expected – and everything you’d hope for; the proverbial Cinderella return as wrestling avoided the thing it can be so prone to doing, ruining the happy moment.