It’s the night after the British J Cup as Lio Rush and Will Kaven faced off on opposite sides in a six-man tag main event.
Quick Results
Luke Jacobs pinned Jay Joshua in 11:04 (***¾)
Robbie X pinned Robbie Eagles in 17:20 (***)
JJ Gale defeated Charlie Sterling via count-out in 5:25 (*½)
Ricky Knight Jr. defeated Mike D Vecchio by 2 falls to 0 in 19:05 (***)
1 Called Manders pinned Joshua James in 10:31 (***½)
Barbaro Cavernario submitted Zozaya in 12:33 (***¼)
Cameron Khai, Lio Rush & Dante Martin pinned Will Kaven, Mark Trew & Kieron Lacey in 17:35 (**¾)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
We’re live via stream from the Network in Sheffield, with Andy Quildan and Leyton Buzzard on commentary for the fall-out from the British J Cup.
Jay Joshua vs. Luke Jacobs
We’re two-for-two in matches this weekend that Luke had in Germany being done over here… and if you wanna go even further back, these two first met five years ago in Sheffield for Breed Pro. The more things change…
Joshua tried to control things from the off with a waistlock takedown, before Jacobs’ counter took things into the ropes for a break. Both men try to swing for chops, but there’s a lot of ducking before Jacobs’ elbow walloped Joshua by the ropes. Chops followed, but Joshua’s shoulder tackle dumped Luke to the mat ahead of a powerslam and back senton as the champion looked to be in trouble.
Jacobs manages to block more chops as he returned with some of his own… only to get run into the buckles. A pair of uranages and a back senton turned it around though, allowing Luke to add a Violence Party before Joshua Bret Hart’d the turnbuckles for just a one-count. Recovering, Joshua knocked Jacobs to the deck with an elbow of his own, adding a spin-out back suplex out of the corner before a barrage of elbows from Luke set up for a German suplex.
Joshua’s up quickly to hit a reply though, only for lariats from Luke to give him a near-fall. Another spear from Luke’s blocked, but he’s able to work his way in for a Dragon suplex… Jacobs has another German suplex left in him though as the back-and-forth continued, leading to an exchange of wild headbutts as a brainbuster from Jay almost took the win.
More lariats from Luke set up for a regular seated piledriver… it’s not enough, so a walloping lariat to the back of the head, then one to the front put the finishing touches to a tasty opener. Jay Joshua more than held his own, but we’re at the point where he’s going to need to pick up wins. ***¾
Robbie X vs. Robbie Eagles
Whatever happens, Robbie wins… Eagles brought out his Soul of PWA title belt too, but it wasn’t on the line.
You can guess what the chants were here, as we finally got going with the pair swapping armwringers and armdrags. Eagles holds onto the ropes to avoid a whip, but got slapped in the mush for it before a back elbow took Robbie X to the outside. Back inside, Eagles kicked away at X’s hamstring… but it didn’t stop a handspring kick and a plancha from X to the outside.
A delayed senton atomico back inside gets X a two-count, while a grounded abdominal stretch forced Eagles to reach for the ropes for a break. Returning fire with a headbutt, Eagles managed to hit a Saito suplex to buy him some time, before a running kick took down X.
Eagles gets too carried away though and more-than-telegraphed a 450 splash to the leg… that allowed X to roll away as he returned with a Molly Go Round, only for that to jar his leg. A Beyblade kick and a standing shooting star press followed, as did a Quebrada for a near-fall ahead of a backwards roll into a DDT.
Both Robbies got back to their feet after that, but it’s Eagles who pushed on, landing a springboard dropkick to the knee ahead of the Ron Miller Special. The ropes saved X, but Eagles stays on the leg… a backslide nearly caught him out, as did a reverse ‘rana, before X began to pile on the strikes.
Eagles escapes an X-Claimation and manages to hit a Tiger Feint kick to the back of the knee as X was finding himself compromised. A satellite DDT’s blocked and turned into almost a Turbo Backpack for a near-fall… a 450 splash to the knee follows, but a roll-up – and a handful of tights – out of the Ron Miller Special got the upset over Eagles. ***
Post-match, Eagles noted how Robbie X had hoped to have been the X in New Japan today, but instead it was Ryohei Oiwa who got that spot in TMDK. Eagles then suggested that TMDK were still scouting, and pulled the rug on offering Robbie X a TMDK spot… saying that Zack Sabre Jr. wanted to scout X instead. So we’re getting Robbie X vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – presumably at Global Wars – with Robbie angling for a spot in TMDK?
Before the next match, Charlie Sterling came through the crowd and into the ring… he complained about not being booked in Rev Pro, claiming he was the best wrestler in the UK. We’ve got an open challenge then… which looked to be answered by Lee Dawson, but Sterling laid him out with a death valley driver before issuing the challenge again to “anyone with a bit of heart… a bit of soul.” You know who.
Charlie Sterling vs. JJ Gale
Gale’s out in street clothes to match Sterling, and was able to land an uppercut early on before Sterling lifted him onto the apron.
A rewind leapfrog and a springboard tijeras out of the corner has Sterling rocked, but Charlie’s back with a Blue Thunder Bomb as he proceeded to chop through Gale in the corner.
An enziguiri from Gale buys him some time, as did a top rope ‘rana, before a spinning heel kick and a reverse ‘rana stacked up Sterling. Gale dives onto Sterling from there, before Charlie powdered out to avoid a Gale Force… abandoning the match. Sterling teased returning, and almost got into the ring… then just left through the fire exit. Yeah, this was a little of something and a lot of nothing. *½
Best Two Out Of Three Falls: Ricky Knight Jr. vs. Mike D Vecchio
RKJ’s got a win over Mike D from last time in Sheffield – and they met again in Berlin last month… so we’ve gotta have a winner.
After getting slapped to start, Mike D took the fight to RKJ, only to get hurled into the corner ahead of a suplex from RKJ. A blistering chop followed by the ropes, which Mike laughed off as he proceeded to boot Ricky to the outside. Ricky took over though, dropping Mike D on the side of the ring with a side suplex, before posting the Belgian as he then put him in a seat… and then hit a massive stage dive elbow drop. Bloody hell Ricky.
Mike D looked to get back in it, but he’s caught on the top rope with a dropkick as RKJ pushed on with a draping DDT for just a one count as hooking the leg took Mike’s foot into the ropes. RKJ keeps going though, hitting suplexes for two-counts, before a dropkick from Mike D caught Ricky unawares.
A powerslam from Mike D’s good for a two-count, before Mike D rolled outside to avoid RKJ… leading to a switcheroo and a leaping pescado to the outside. Back inside, RKJ gets the first fall at 10:34, cradling Mike D after a big splash got nothing but Ricky’s knees…
Looking to equalise things saw Mike D go for roll-ups after the restart, before the pair springboarded into each other. Back to their feet, they exchange strikes, before Mike D’s double-jump springboard cutter out of the corner caught the former champion unawares. RKJ tries his luck with a dropkick in the corner, but it’s caught and turned into a powerbomb for a near-fall, before he leapt off the top rope and into a cutter as RKJ nearly picked up the shut-out win.
Hook kicks from RKJ, then a springboard forearm follow, before RKJ went all Lykos in telegraphing a brainbuster. He shakes it off to hit a Styles Clash though, before RKJ got caught up top as a leap up into a superplex. That left a mark as Mike followed up with a Gorilla press slam and a standing moonsault that would have put him on the track to an equaliser… but he’s superkicked out of the corner after slipping on a springboard, before the Fire Thunder Driver got RKJ the win. The crowd were audibly struggling with this by the end, booing for the clean sweep win. Not the match I was expecting, although given they had to rebuild the damn ring during the intermission I do wonder how many audibles were forced on them here. ***
Ricky gets the mic afterwards and took a potshot at Michael Oku for not being around this weekend (I mean, RKJ was playing football on Saturday so…), before calling out Oku for seemingly a number one contender’s match at Global Wars next month.
So, after rebuilding the ring, we’re back…
Joshua James vs. 1 Called Manders
Well, this is gonna test the ring.
Starting with Manders and Josh just swinging for each other, it’s James who lands the first blow before he charged down Manders with a shoulder tackle. Chops pinned Manders into the corner briefly, but he clings onto the ropes to prevent a whip out of there… but a chop and a side slam breaks that grip as the former Contender pulled ahead.
Manders bit his way free and dragged things to the outside for some more chops between the pair… Manders accidentally hits the ring post with a chop, before he shoved James into the guard rails. Rolling back inside, James couldn’t avoid stomps from Manders, nor an eye poke as Manders began to control things.
A chinlock’s broken as Josh bit back, only for Manders to club his way out of a chokeslam before a POUNCE took Manders back outside. Josh stays on with a pop-up powerbomb and some short-range clotheslines, following up with a spear as the high-impact stuff almost got him the win.
We’re back to the blistering chops as Manders looked to carve a new opening, before he caught James in the ropes for a trapped clothesline… but Josh’s double chop and a chokeslam turned things around ahead of a splash off the middle rope that almost won it. Manders dropped to a knee to avoid a double chop, but ends up eating a knee strike instead, only to recover as he walloped James with a lariat for another near-fall.
In the end, it’s a short-range lariat that gets the win for Manders – whose maiden weekend in Rev Pro ended with a win, a loss, and a whole boat of new fans out of England. ***½
Zozaya vs. Barbaro Cavernario
Zozaya tried to grapple with Cavernario early, but had his hair pulled as he looked to stop Zozaya out-wrestling him.
A dropkick takes Zozaya outside ahead of a wild tope that sent the guard rails flying into the air. Back inside away from all that, Cavernario worms his way out of a boot, before he dropkicked away Zozaya as the Spaniard came off the top rope. We’re back outside for a springboard plancha from the inside, while a lifting reverse DDT back inside drew just a one-count for the caveman.
Fighting his way back in with a suplex, Zozaya begins to build momentum, at least until Cavernario confused Zozaya on the way to a hammerlock’d suplex. Shaking it off, Zozaya’s able to take to the skies with a double stomp to the back, landing for a near-fall, before he caught Cavernario on the top rope with a Spanish fly. Cavernario bails to the outside, but doesn’t keep track of Zozaya, who raced up and dove off of the stage onto Cavernario for an eventual two-count.
Zozaya’s sliding charge into the corner ended at the hands of a big knee strike from Cavernario, who follows up with the spin-out facebuster… but adding a springboard Vader bomb ended with Zozaya countering into the de Madrid al Cielo death valley driver. It’s good for a near-fall, but as Zozaya tried to push for the win, Cavernario unsights the referee before low-blowing Zozaya en route to a half crab for the flash tap-out. ***¼
Will Kaven, Kieron Lacey & Mark Trew vs. Lio Rush, Cameron Khai & Dante Martin
Main event time now, Lio Rush has his first face-off with Will Kaven after winning the British J Cup last night…
Rush and Kaven started us off, but Kaven wanted to face Cameron Khai instead… just so he could back off and tag in Mark Trew instead. Trew went after Khai’s leg early on, but Khai’s able to shake it off as he found a way in with a thrust kick for a two-count before Trew found himself cornered with Rush and Martin coming in.
Lio’s stunner took care of Trew, before Lacey came in to eat a stunner of his own… while Kaven again backed off. A suplex from Rush keeps Trew at bay, at least until an eye rake got Trew free… but Kieron Lacey didn’t fare much better as he was instantly charged down. A chop block from Lacey took out Martin’s leg as Dante got isolated for a spell, allowing Kaven to come in and take his shots as well.
Finally getting free, Martin’s able to make the hot tag to Rush, who cleared away Trew.. but a distraction catches Rush on the top rope as Kaven ended up flying in for a knee to the back as Lacey held Lio. Clotheslining Trew and Lacey off the apron got Lio another opening as he finally brought in Cameron Khai, who went straight for Kaven as the pair scrapped in the ring.
Stomps from Khai leave Kaven in a heap, leading to a cutter for a two-count before Kaven countered a Pingshot cutter… before dualling high knees led to an uncomfortable collision. Tags bring us back to Rush and Trew, but Trew’s Ralph Wiggum headbutts clear the way as Lio then ‘rana’d out of a Black Flag double-team.
Shaking it off, a slam/neckbreaker combo almost gets the win as things began to break down into almost a Parade of Moves. Trew’s Wiggum headbutt breaks up a jack-knife cover as the Parade of Moves continued, ending with Kaven landing a brainbuster to Khai. Kaven kicks out Khai’s knee as he proceeded to add a tombstone for a near-fall… a powerbomb and a knee strike took care of Kaven, whose’s then met with a slingshot cutter onto the apron, then a Pingshot back inside, and that’s enough for the win in a main event that really threatened to fall apart towards the end. Chaos can be fun, but when it feels like its bodies flying around for the sake of it, it loses its shine. **¾
Post-match, Lio Rush took the mic and announced that he’s gifting his Cruiserweight title shot to Cameron Khai for the night. So despite winning the British J Cup, Lio Rush is getting another match at Global Wars, and it’ll be Khai vs. Kaven for the title. That’s a very long-winded way to get there.
Rev Pro’s penultimate visit to Sheffield this year was packed full of announcements for their next big show “up North”, but it was also a show that was heavily punctuated live by the ring repairs. All told, this was a show that started really strong, only to lose its footing. Much like my complaint with the “underdeveloped undercard” from last night, here’s another whine: concerning Jay Joshua and Mike D to an extent, “big wins” because of how the opponent performed aren’t “big wins” for long when you’re constantly beating someone who’s yet to win in the company.