Shigehiro Irie and Michael Oku finally get their singles match as they main evented a hot Rev Pro show in Southampton.
Quick Results
Danny Jones & Brendan White pinned David Francisco & Joshua James in 14:04 (***¼)
Connor Mills pinned Cameron Khai in 11:07 (***¼)
Robbie X pinned Wild Boar in 12:45 (***½)
Dani Luna pinned Hyan in 14:04 (**¾)
Callum Newman pinned JJ Gale in 14:44 (***½)
Michael Oku submitted Shigehiro Irie in 18:29 (****¼)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com – they’re currently running a free trial…
We’re back at the 1865 in Southampton for this… Andy Quildan’s alongside Gio Nolastname on commentary.
David Francisco & Joshua James vs. Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones)
Originally this looked to be heading towards a match during the Great British Tag League, but this year’s tournament has gone on the back burner… so we’re getting the chance for the Contenders to get a non-title upset. Time it, Gadge…
Brendan White had a bee in his bonnet before the match, and it wasn’t helped when he was double-legged by Joshua James at the bell, as the Contenders had the best of the early going. An exchange of forearms from Francisco looked to keep him ahead, but White struck back before he got flung with a half-and-half suplex.
Danny Jones charges in to stop Francisco from using a Cloverleaf, but James took care of him before Jones kicked Francisco in the ropes ahead of a Dragon screw and a flying clothesline. The champions take over from there with a parade of back sentons, as rapid tags kept Francisco isolated for swathes of the match.
Jones pulls Francisco into a Lasso from El Paso, finishing it with almost a back cracker, before Francisco managed to fight back with a series of chops. Jones cuts him off though, then brought in White to hit a backbreaker for a two-count… the Greedy Souls continued to dominate… but one more push from Francisco allowed him to get the tag out to James, who POUNCES Jones across the ring.
White attacks James from behind, only to get chopped into the corner ahead of a pop-up spinebuster. Wild lariats club White on the way to a near-fall as Jones broke up the pin. Francisco’s blind tag brings him in as double-teaming led to a splash and an elbow drop on White for a near-fall, before Brendan evaded a shotgun dropkick as James took out his own man. From there, the Greedy Souls obliterated the contenders, leading to a slingshot Bossman slam on Francisco… but it’s still not enough! The pop-up slam follows, before the Soul Destroyer to Francisco… then a piledriver to James set the stage as a second Soul Destroyer finally put Francisco down. This was a good opener, with the contenders giving the champions a scare… but it’s a familiar result. ***¼
Post-match, Danny Jones took the mic and proclaimed that they’re still looking for new blood. Cue SubCulture on the video screen to challenge the Greedy Souls for York Hall – it’ll be the Greedy Souls against Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews.
Connor Mills vs. Cameron Khai
Cameron Khai’s facing Leyton Buzzard later this month… while Connor Mills has eyes on that Cruiserweight title.
Khai charges at Mills, clotheslining him to the outside at the bell, before the pair traded topes early on. A slingshot cutter from Khai dumped Mills onto the apron, while another one back inside almost got the upset… come on Harv, that was three!
A thrust kick from Khai takes Mills back outside, but the slingshot cutter’s caught this time as a series of kicks ended up leaving Khai prone for a clothesline back inside. More kicks keep Khai down, but Cameron sneaks in a roll-up before Mills went back to the strikes as a grounded Cobra Clutch looked to wear down Khai.
Mills loses Khai, but going back to the kicks allows Mills back in as he went to set up for a superplex… eventually scoring with it before Khai rolled through and hit an over-the-knee brainbuster seconds later. Khai continues his fightback with forearms, then with a Northern Lights and a Falcon arrow for a near-fall.
Khai almost loses to a backslide as Mills fires back in, landing a running dropkick then his take on the Desnucadora for a near-fall. Mills pulls up Khai for a Burning Cutter, but it’s elbowed away as Mills instead scored with a lariat… before the Burning Cutter’s countered with a cradle for a near-fall. A superkick stops the rebound lariat, but the third try ends up landing for a near-fall as Mills ends up landing the Burning Cutter for the win. Another good showing for Khai, but Mills is the one that’s on form right now – and likely to be going for gold in a month’s time. ***¼
Mills hung around at ringside, primarily because of what the next match is…
Wild Boar vs. Robbie X
It’s been over five years since Boar was in Rev Pro – last here teaming with Kurtis Chapman against the Legion of Lords. That match in itself is something of a time capsule… last time in Southampton for Rev Pro, Boar was unsuccessful in dethroning Chapman for the Cruiserweight title, and this time he’s got a non-title outing against Robbie X.
Mills and Robbie X got into it at ringside during Robbie’s entrance, but Robbie shrugs it off as he and Boar went at each other to get us going. A hesitation dropkick catches Boar in the corner ahead of a senton atomico back into the ring, while a tope from the champion caught Boar on the outside.
Boar threw Robbie back inside, but couldn’t avoid a handspring kick that sent him back to the floor… Boar moves a table at ringside and tries to whip Robie into the wall… but Robbie’s wallflip took down the Welshman instead. In retaliation, Boar popped up Robbie X onto the side of the ring, before he put Robbie into the front row for a cannonball senton.
Back inside, a sit-down splash squishes Robbie for a two-count, as Boar continued to dictate the pace through fair means and foul. Boar drags Robbie through the ropes to hit a suplex for a two-count, as Robbie X looked to be operating on fumes. Escaping a back suplex, Robbie X manages to unload with a barrage of strikes, then with a spinning heel kick as a Molly Go Round kept Boar down.
A hiptoss and cartwheel dropkick gets Robbie a near-fall, as he proceeded to trap Boar in the corner with a corkscrew kick… then added a shooting star press out of it for a near-fall. Pulling himself up top, Robbie X gets caught by Boar… but knocked him off the top rope with a Pele kick before aborting a Spiral tap.
From there, Boar charges Robbie X into the corner, before countering an X-Claimation into a Blue Thunder Powerbomb. A cannonball into the corner, then a Fire Thunder Driver almost got the win, before Robbie X slipped out of a Trapper Keeper package piledriver and hit the X-Claimation for the win. I really dug this, with Boar adding some freshness to the division – so hopefully this isn’t a one and done for him. ***½
Post-match, Robbie X offered a hug to Boar… who lashed out and spiked the champion with a Trapper Keeper.
Dani Luna vs. Hyan
Dani Luna attacked the returning Hyan after her match last week at the 229 – and looked to sew seeds for a four-way to unify the women’s titles next month.
Opening with a lock-up, Luna backed up into the ropes to force a break before she took things down to the mat. The pair trade side headlocks, before Hyan tripped up Luna by the ropes… then scored with headscissors and a dropkick to send Luna into the corner.
Hyan’s splash in the corner, then a suplex out of it keeps her ahead, only for an arm whip from Luna to take Hyan back down. Luna pulls Hyan face-first into the top rope, then to the outside as a swivel into a knee strike left Hyan rocked. Back inside, an armbar from Luna’s countered with a roll-up for a two-count, but Luna takes her back into the corner ahead of a sliding clothesline for a two-count.
Responding, Hyan takes Luna into the corners, only for Luna to return with a back suplex, then a bodyslam as the momentum shifted. Hyan outmuscles Luna to land a suplex though, as we’re back to the pair trading strikes… a back suplex from Hyan’s next, taking Luna back outside, only for a low-pe to be swatted away.
Luna throws Hyan back inside, which ends up leading to the low-pe anyway. A running knee from Hyan’s escaped, as Luna then caught Hyan on the outside… only for an apron powerbomb to get countered into a ‘rana as the running knee followed anyways. That’s good for a two-count, as Hyan looked to follow up with a Glam Slam, but it’s escaped as Hyan ended up almost snatching the win with a roll-up.
A lariat from Luna’s next, then a folding powerbomb, but Hyan’s up at two… then again from another lariat as Hyan peeled her shoulder up in time. Luna goes for the Luna Landing, but Hyan escapes and returned with a spear before Skye Smitson appeared in the crowd to distract Hyan…
Hyan kicks out of a roll-up and went right back to Luna with the Glam Slam, but she’s kicked into the ropes, where Smitson cracks her with the Southside women’s title belt, before the Luna Landing finally got the win. **¾
Post-match, Smitson gives Hyan a kicking… before Dani Luna cheapshotted Smitson and began to pound away on the knee. Hyan comes back to capitalise… but the feed dies off here.
JJ Gale vs. Callum Newman
Former tag partners collide one-on-one here, with Callum Newman having being conspicuous by his recent absence as he’s started taking bookings in Berlin for the GWF lately. We’re joining this one in progress as the live feed took a bath…
When the feed returns, we’ve got Gale and Newman locking up into the ropes before Newman scored with a roll-up for a two-count. An inside cradle sees Newman try to one-up his former tag partner, before Gale’s attempt at the springboard cutter was blocked as the pair remained even.
Newman wants a time out, but instead cheapshotted Gale with a kick as he proceeded to run him into the corner… Gale finds a way in with a rewind leapfrog, then a springboard ‘rana before a tope con giro wiped out Newman in the crowd. Back inside, a senton atomico gets Gale a one-count, while a suplex keeps JJ ahead.
A switcheroo leads to Newman taking Gale outside for a plancha, as the pair fought around ringside. Back inside, Newman remained ahead, at least until his Made in Japan attempt was countered into a wheelbarrow stomp from Gale. The springboard uppercut from Gale keeps him ahead, only for Newman to flash back in with a springboard clothesline out of the corner.
Gale throws Newman into the ropes, but ate a rebound kick and a Tiger suplex for a near-fall, before a second rebound kick was ducked… leading to the pair connecting at the same time. Newman throws a headbutt as the pair fought back to their feet, but it’s Gale who pulls ahead with a Falcon arrow that almost did the deal.
Gale heads up top, but aborts his moonsault and ends up eating a running boot from Newman, who added a Revolution kick and a sit-out powerbomb for a near-fall. Newman rolls up Gale out of a Gale Force attempt, but Gale countered another springboard with a cross armbar… before Gale finally got caught with a cradle as Callum snuck out the win in a good, tight contest. Things don’t seem to be over here, and I’d love this to be run back around the horn, so to speak… ***½
Shigehiro Irie vs. Michael Oku
Originally scheduled to be happening in wXw a few weeks back – before that turned into a four-way – Oku’s now got Irie as something of a warm-up for his shot at the Great O-Khan at York Hall next month. In unrelated news, I miss Irie’s old music…
Oku had to use his speed to evade Irie early, scoring with a tijeras and a dropkick before misdirection from Irie saw him squish Oku with a crossbody. A slam and a slingshot splash follows for an eventual two-count, before a cravat and some headbutts restrained the number-one contender.
Irie’s Kokeshi lands for a two-count, as Oku then got sent into the ropes with a single forearm shot. A slam sets up for the Teddy Bear splash, before Irie mocked Oku with his own catchphrase ahead of a piledriver attempt that Oku back body dropped his way free from.
Oku sneaks back in with a DDT for a two-count, as he then looked to work over the leg of Irie… who pushes free of a half crab, before he caught Oku on the ropes with the 16 Carat Gold elbows ahead of the crossbody to the back as Oku was sent flying into the crowd. Back inside, Oku low bridges Irie onto the apron as a springboard dropkick takes him to the floor for a Fosbury flop.
Irie tries to respond, but gets met with a superkick as the pair headed up onto the stage to trade strikes… Oku runs into a headbutt though, then ate a neckbreaker right by the video screen. Back to his feet, Irie POUNCES Oku off the stage into the side of the ring, but Amira helps him back into the ring… and into the path of a cannonball in the corner.
A big piledriver’s next from Irie, who folds up Oku for a near-fall as we go back to the strikes, but it’s Irie’s haymaker that looked to see him pull ahead, before Oku’s misdirection knee found its way through. The springboard moonsault follows for a near-fall for Oku, but Irie ends up catching him on the top rope for an avalanche Samoan drop. Off comes the below pad as Irie tees up for a Beast Bomber, but Oku cuts him off with a dropkick, then with a reverse ‘rana before a frog splash almost put Shiggy away.
Oku tries his luck with a half crab from there, but Irie rolls through and dropped Oku with an elbow strike. The Beast Bomber followed to almost win the match, as Oku ended up getting propped in the ropes for a cannonball to the back, but a second Beast Bomber’s countered as Oku rolled through into a half crab, leaning all the way back to force the stoppage. Irie’s becoming a bit of a roadblock for folks heading into York Hall matches, but he proved to be a massive challenge here as Oku had to dig deep to escape Southampton with the win. ****
Irie got “please come back” chants afterwards – and eventually found his way to the back as Oku took the mic and recalled his first time at Southampton for Rev Pro, when he was just looking for an opportunity… and after several milestones, he’s got one thing left to do: end the Great O-Khan’s undefeated run and leave York Hall as the undisputed British Heavyweight champion… then return to the 1865 in two months with that belt.
Rev Pro are truly in that groove as we’re a month out from York Hall – with pretty much everything here clicking, even if it’s not all for matches taking place in a month’s time. At least within the Rev Pro bubble, Oku is heating up really well now – and that bodes well for July!