Rev Pro returned to Southampton for the final time in 2021, featuring a best-of-three falls match between Luke Jacobs and Robbie X, alongside Michael Oku taking on Yota Tsuji.
Quick Results
Dan Moloney pinned Connor Mills in 11:12 (***¼)
Best of Three Falls: Robbie X vs. Luke Jacobs ended in a no-contest in 15:48 (***¼)
Mariah May pinned Chantal Jordan in 10:58 (**¾)
Michael Oku pinned Yota Tsuji in 19:01 (***½)
Ricky Knight Jr. pinned Kenneth Halfpenny in 10:57 (***¼)
Shota Umino submitted Lee Hunter in 16:48 (***¼)
Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher defeated Callum Newman & JJ Gale via referee stoppage in 15:35 (***¼)
We’re coming from the 1865 in Southampton, England, with Andy Quildan and Gideon Grey on commentary.
Dan Moloney vs. Connor Mills
This match was just a week after Mills had been all-but-KO’d by Will Ospreay.
Moloney tried to use his power early on, but Mills kicked at Dan’s legs to try and stifle things. A springboard uppercut gets Mills an early two-count, but Moloney returned with a dropkick that took Mills outside. Chops follow as Moloney looked to wear out Mills, then took him up to the bar for more chops that almost led to the count-out.
Mills narrowly beats the count, but is met with a back body drop as Moloney continued to press on. More chops in the corner are followed by a snap suplex for a two-count, before an enziguiri and a Quebrada offered Mills a way back in. We’ve a Yakuza kick from Mills next, then some clotheslines, before Mills was caught with a gamengiri in the corner.
Out of a torture rack, Moloney swings Mills for a tombstone, but an escape leads to the rebound lariat from Mills for a near-fall. The pair trade kicks before a Tim Thatcher-ish slap knocked Mills into the corner, while a Muscle Buster dumped Mills for another near-fall. A spear’s next as Moloney stayed ahead, but a Millshot out of nowhere keeps Mills in it… before a 450 splash crashed into Moloney for another two-count.
Mills looks for a Burning Cutter, but Moloney escaped as he then bridged up out of a jack-knife pin… and planted Mills with a Driller for the win. An enjoyable opener – with the pair being pretty even until that finish, which had me leaping out of my seat. ***¼
Best-of-three falls: Luke Jacobs vs. Robbie X
These two are 1-1 so far – with Jacobs getting the upset in the British J Cup, while Robbie X levelled it up in Huntingdon a month later.
There’s new gear for Jacobs, who started trading wristlocks before he worked up into an armbar on Robbie X. Shoulder tackles keep Robbie X down, but not for long as Jacobs gets caught with some headscissors and a low dropkick from the veteran. A knee to the back and a standing moonsault gets Robbie X another pinning attempt, but Jacobs comes back with chops and kicks to the knee as the pair began swinging.
Body blows trap Robbie X into the corner, but he’s able to vault back in with a springboard dropkick before he rolled Jacobs into a snap levering armbar. More body blows kept Jacobs in it, but Robbie X takes to the air again to escape… only to handspring into a cross armbar as Robbie X lost the first fall, tapping at 6:49.
Jacobs sprints in with a big boot and a Northern Lights suplex on the restart, as Robbie X looked to be favouring his arm. So of course, Jacobs stays on the arm, then stomped Robbie X into the corner before a series of chops ended up firing up Robbie X. A response knocked Jacobs down, before a dropkick took the Young Gun outside… but he sidestepped a plancha and went back to Robbie’s arm.
Jacobs threatened to throw Robbie X into the wall, but instead Robbie ran up the wall and flipped into Jacobs… then rushed back inside for a missile dropkick for a near-fall. An attempted handspring is stopped as Robbie’s arm gave way, allowing Jacobs to dive in with a forearm to the side of the head for a near-fall… then went back to the Fujiwara armbar only for Robbie X to get to the ropes.
A no-handspring kick gets Robbie X back in it as he has to deadlift his way into a death valley driver for a near-fall… a standing shooting star’s next, before another no-hands handspring leads to the X-Clamation that tied it up at 1-1 at 15:11. The third fall’s moot though as Dan Moloney ran out and posted Luke Jacobs, then planted Robbie X with a Driller. Another Driller wipes out Jacobs as the match was thrown out… so this feud must continue! The finish killed two birds with one stone – building Moloney/Robbie up and saves the rubber match for Robbie X and Luke Jacobs for another time. ***¼
Mariah May vs. Chantal Jordan
It’s a return to Rev Pro for both women after a few months away…
May’s the early aggressor, taking Jordan into the corner from a tie-up, then stopped to pose after a shoulder tackle. Jordan’s hiptoss provides a response, before a missed head kick earned Chantal a slap… but Jordan’s quickly back in with a running knee into the corner, then a Shibata-ish dropkick for good measure.
Jordan’s quickly on the defensive as May’s boot choke and an Irish whip had her cornered, and in place for some choking from Shaun Jackson behind the ref’s back. Jackson’s trip’s right in front of the ref, which led to him getting expelled… which makes things even as Jordan nearly snatcherd the win with a roll-up.
Double knees in the ropes keep Jordan at bay, before a second one missed as Chantal tried to hit back with a German suplex. Instead, Mariah charged into the ropes only to get met with that German suplex afterall, as kicks and knees from Jordan saw her pull ahead. A trip up top’s stopped as May kicked a knee out ahead of a headstand ‘rana out of the corner, while a pump kick nearly wins it for May.
A Pedigree attempt’s rolled out of by Jordan, whose running Meteora, then a regular Meteora gets another near-fall… Kicks keep May down, with a head kick almost ending it as May got a shoulder up in time. Jordan takes things up top in the search for something, but May leaps over for a sunset bomb for a near-fall.
Jordan sneaks in a knee strike and a Ki Krusher for a near-fall… but then Mariah May shoved Jordan into the referee, allowing her to use a can of hairspray to blind Jordan ahead of a Pedigree for the win. A pretty even match until the finish, with both May and Jordan looking good on their returns – with any luck both’ll be a regular part of Rev Pro in 2022, and hopefully beyond the usual “one women’s match per show” format. **¾
Yota Tsuji vs. Michael Oku
Gideon’d left commentary before this one, so he could introduce his new Legion member – Yota Tsuji. Of course, Lucian Phillips was there as well to make sure Tsuji didn’t misbehave…
Tsuji still wants to shake hands, but the Legion lads at ringside and on commentary are far from happy. The early going sees Tsuji cartwheel out of a ‘rana as he and Oku went move-for-move, until Oku’s flying headscissors and dropkick took Tsuji to the outside. Oku followed him out, but an Asai moonsault’s pulled down by Tsuji, who followed with a slam on the floor.
Back inside, Tsuji stomps on Oku’s arm, then tied it up ahead of a bodyslam as Tsuji was dominating the cruiserweight champion. Oku’s arms are stretched in the corner as Tsuji followed with a chop, before Oku finally fought back with a dropkick that knocked Tsuiji down. A DDT followed for a two-count, as Oku then went for a half crab… but Tsuji just kicks the bad arm to break it up.
Oku’s superkick keeps him in play, but a tiltawhirl backbreaker and a Sole Food to the arm puts Tsuji ahead, with a suplex leaving both men laying. We head up top as Tsuji teased a one-man Spanish Fly, only to get shoved down as Oku hits an Ace’s High crossbody… only for Tsuji to roll through and trap Oku in a Kimura… but that ends in the ropes.
A wheelbarrow from Tsuji looked to set up for a German suplex, but Oku elbowed out and began to fight back, with the pair trading elbows until Tsuji shook off a Pele kick and hit a wheelbarrow into an Edge-o-Matic as that tape watching from Tsuji’s bringing out more blasts from the past. Another trip up top leads to a one-man Spanish Fly from Tsuji, but it doesn’t put Oku away, nor does the Gory special as Oku countered into a reverse ‘rana.
The springboard moonsault’s next from Oku for a near-fall, as was a frog splash, before Tsuji cradled out of a half crab and replied with his own Boston crab. A Fujiwara armbar’s next, but Oku got to the ropes. Tsuji heads up top, but Lucian Phillips tries to talk him out of a shooting star press… Phillips is pushed down as Tsuji jumps off the top anyway, only to get caught in a half crab. Phillips pulls out the ref as Tsuji’s tapping, but that earned him a Fosbury flop dive from Oku, before Oku ran back into a Tsuji lariat.
With everyone back, Tsuji nails a rear spin kick and a Samoan drop… before a spear’s countered with an inside cradle as Oku snuck out a win. This was starting to feel long, but the continued story of Oku snatching wins against heavyweights ahead of his match with Will Ospreay in January was the one that pervaded – along with Tsuji’s continued attempts to rebel against the Legion. ***½
Kenneth Halfpenny vs. Ricky Knight Jr.
It’s a somewhat rare singles outing for Halfpenny as he’s up against one half of the tag team champions in Ricky Knight Jr.
Halfpenny’s taken into the corner from the opening lock-up, then ran into a shoulder tackle before RKJ’s low dropkicks kept him down as a back senton squashed him for a two-count. A chopf rom Halfpenny had little effect, so he tries again, much to the derision of the crowd, as RKJ’s response… saw Halfpenny fall like a tree.
Shaun Jackson distracts, and it works too as Halfpenny’s able to come back with a chop block to RKJ’s knee. Halfpenny stays on Knight’s knee from there, wrenching back on it before Ricky ducked a clothesline and walloped Halfpenny with one of his own. A corner death valley driver’s avoided, but Halfpenny couldn’t prevent a buckle bomb as dropkicks from RKJ keep him in the corner.
Knight’s knee gets kicked out again, but Halfpenny trash talks RKJ and you can probably guess how that goes. Another clothesline attempt’s stopped as Halfpenny kicked the knee again, before palm strikes and a German suplex had Halfpenny down. A sitout powerbomb’s next, while Halfpenny’s inside cradle and Exploder offered him fresh hope, but the sliding lariat’s only good for a two-count.
RKJ’s big boot decks Halfpenny, as did an Angle slam. In comes Shaun Jackson, but his attempted run-in just sees him get stacked up for a double Samoan drop with Halfpenny, before a Fire Thunder driver and a punt kick to the head proved to be more than enough to get the win. Pretty much what you’d expect in terms of a result, but not one-way traffic in the slightest as Halfpenny more than held his own here. ***¼
Lee Hunter vs. Shota Umino
Once Shota had given away another t-shirt, we got going with a pretty tentative feeling out process, trading wristlocks and snapmares as Umino looked to take an early lead.
Hunter takes down Umino, tying up the legs in the process, but Shota’s able to return with a side headlock, then with a back elbow before an eventual dropkick took Shota outside. Rolling back into the ring, Umino’s instantly swarmed by Hunter, who threw in an uppercut… only to get decked with a back elbow as Umino looked to take control. A back suplex lands, as did a European uppercut, before Shota learned why you shouldn’t call for a brainbuster. I mean, it’s not like he’s been around folks who’ve learned that in the past…
Hunter comes back with a leg lariat, before he’s lifted onto the apron… returning with a springboard Flatliner for a near-fall. A running European uppercut puts Umino back in it, as did a Fisherman suplex… but Hunter kicks out at two before Umino tried for a Fast Ride – a gift-wrapped crossface – but Hunter gets a foot to the rope.
Umino tried for a Death Rider after that, but Hunter escaped and ran back in with a knee, as the pair then traded strikes from their knees. A Codebreaker looked to have Hunter ahead, but he’s quickly met with a shotgun dropkick, then a tornado DDT, before a reverse Bloody Sunday nearly won it for Shota.
Hunter countered a running uppercut into a backslide for a near-fall, before a crossbody out of the corner got him closer… before a Go 2 Sleep and a Shining Wizard looked to put Shota out. Somehow, Umino got a shoulder up at two, then rolled out of a reverse DDT, returning with an implant DDT of his own before a backdrop hold got a near-fall. It’s back to the Fast Ride for Umino, pushing off the ropes so he could move Hunter into the middle of the ring, as almost a camel clutch’d version of the hold forced the stoppage. Another solid match with Umino getting the chance to workshop some new stuff here – and with no big program in sight (yet), this was more of an exhibition than anything else. ***¼
Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) vs. JJ Gale & Callum Newman
This was Aussie Open’s first outing since they lost to – and battered – Sunshine Machine at the 229 a week prior. They jumped Gale and Newman before the bell, but Newman’s double ‘rana and Gale’s dropkick took the Aussies outside before they aborted some dives.
Instead, Gale and Newman head outside and chase the Aussies to the bar as all four brawl around ringside and then back into the ring. When we started, Gale ran into Fletcher’s boot, only to come back with a triple-jump ‘rana before a springboard dropkiock from Newman left Fletcher down as the relative rookies double-teamed Kyle for fun. A springboard senton gets a near-fall on Fletcher, before mark Davis tripped Newman and dragged him outside.
Gale’s taken outside two as Aussie Open hit a pair of back suplexes onto the side of the ring. Inside, Davis’ slam gets him a kneeling two-count on Newman, before he booted Gale off the apron as the former tag champions began to isolate Newman. Stomps from both Fletcher and Davis keep Newman down in the corner, while a pair of back elbows keep things going in the same direction.
Kyle kneels on Newman after Davis’ back senton, while some t-shirt choking added to Newman’s unhappiness. A Boston crab draws in Gale to try and break up the hold… and eventually make the hot tag in as Gale then ducked a superkick, tripping Fletcher ahead of a springboard uppercut. The pair go for a backslide, with Gale pulling ahead for a near-fall, before Davis ran in to help with a double-team Go 2 Sleep. A double-team cutter’s next for a near-fall for the Aussies, before Gale hit a front suplex and a superkick to keep Fletcher down.
Tags bring us back to Davis and Newman, but it’s Dunkzilla who took over, decking Newman with chops before body blows soften up Newman some more. Chops keep the momentum in the Aussies’ direction, but a kick from Newman offered some hope… as did a Code Red… before Fletcher came in to turn it back around.
More double-teaming leaves Newman laying for a near-fall… Newman looked to have been shaken up, which paused the match briefly as he was checked on… but Newman tries to fight back and ends up getting seven shades of you know what stomped out of him before the ref waved off the match. ***¼
Undeterred, Davis throws JJ Gale into the ring as the Aussies wanted some afters… Gale fought back as they tried to choke out Newman some more, but all hell breaks loose. A Coriolis drops Gale, before Fletcher took the mic as Davis threw some chairs into the ring. They’ve got more in mind, as they hit a piledriver and a tombstone to David Francisco and Joshua James, before they opened two chairs and put them seat-down and threatened to put Gale through them.
Referee Oscar Harding moved the chairs… and you can guess what’s next. He eats a pair of superkicks as his belt’s again taken off him. Davis whips everyone with it, before Chris Hatch tried to make the save… and he ends up taking that Coriolis as the Aussies stood tall… only to get a storyline suspension and sent back to Australia in the days afterwards.
A “holding steady” show from Rev Pro, with the Southampton date falling somewhat awkwardly in that spot between York Hall shows where there’d not been much in the way of storylines to work off of. The show-ending storyline that ultimately got Aussie Open the chance to spend Christmas at home (even if Kyle had to isolate…) was undoubtedly the main takeaway – but there was still plenty of in-ring action to whet the appetites here.