After an eventful finish to last week’s Live in London, all eyes are back on Rev Pro for their latest trip to the south coast…
Quick Results
Jordan Saeed and Lee Dawson fought to a draw in 10:00 (**¾)
Dani Luna pinned Nightshade to retain the Rev Pro Undisputed British Women’s Championship in 10:28 (***)
David Francisco & Goldenboy Santos pinned Sha Samuels & Oskar Leube in 15:00 (***¼)
Michael Oku submitted Chris Ridgeway in 20:29 (***½)
Connor Mills submitted Teddy Reay in 11:11 (***)
Will Kaven pinned Fuego del Sol in 15:29 (***½)
Zozaya pinned Luke Jacobs in 18:40 (****½)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
We’re back at the 1865 in Southampton for Rev Pro’s bi-monthly trip… commentary comes from Andy Quildan and Gideon Grey, with ring announcer Francesca Oliver nursing sore ribs from last weekend’s attack.
Jordan Saeed vs. Lee Dawson
It’s been a while since we’ve seen one of these… we’ve a ten minute time limit, like New Japan gives their rookies, and we’ve got some early-day EVOLVE vibes with the continuous theme music.
Saeed looked to control things from the off, backing up Dawson into the corner from a lock-up before the collar-and-elbow tie-up was eventually broken. Shoulder tackles from Dawson barely move Saeed, who replied with one of his own, before Dawson fired back with armdrags.
Dawson’s caught with an atomic drop, then a back body drop before a back elbow dumped Dawson down to the mat. A chinlock’s fought out of as Dawson then tried for a crossbody… but Saeed caught him and switched it into a suplex for a two-count. Returning with a sunset flip, Dawson grabs a two-count before he’s knocked into the corner with a forearm to the jaw, but he shakes it off and managed to return with a back suplex.
Right hands and chops from Dawson stun Saeed as Dawson built up to a gamengiri in the corner, then a missile dropkick off the top for another two-count. A floatover in the corner’s caught and turned into a slam by Saeed for a two-count as he looked to put this one away, before a missed elbow drop off the top allowed Dawson back in it.
Wrecking Ball Knees from Dawson smother Saeed in the corner, ahead of a deadlift suplex… which Dawson rolled up into a Twist and Shout for another near-fall. From there, the pair hit the ropes, only to crash into each other with dual clotheslines as we headed into the final minute… and with the pair trading palm strikes and forearms, Dawson tried to pull ahead, only for Saeed to stun him with a headbutt. A backslide’s teased from Saeed, but Dawson rolls out at two as the pair run out the clock by trading pinning attempts. Solid stuff to start, but as you see in New Japan with these, ten minutes isn’t a lot… **¾
Post-match, Safire Reed and Mercedez Blaze run out and attack the Contenders with chairs, before Blaze dismissed the pair of them. They’re not dressed to wrestle, but they’re ready to introduce the next match… which feels like Dani Luna’s about to walk into a bear trap.
Rev Pro Undisputed British Women’s Championship: Nightshade vs. Dani Luna (c)
Luna ran through the crowd and attacked Blaze and Reed with a double suplex… a belt shot lays out Nightshade as she tried to nullify the disadvantage here.
Luna charges at Nightshade at the bell, but the challenger’s able to counter a suplex and take down Luna early on. Nightshade avoids some low dropkicks before she was taken to her knees for some clotheslines, which eventually took her to the outside. A headbutt from Nightshade stops Luna, who again snuffed out interference from Reed and Blaze before Nightshade chucked the champion into the ring post.
Nightshade clears the front row so she could dump Luna with a fallaway slam… Dani clipped one of the chairs on impact, allowing Nightshade to pick up a two-count back inside. A back senton’s next from Nightshade, who distracted the referee to mask Reed and Blaze attacking Luna in the corner.
An avalanche splash sets up a hip attack for another near-fall for Nightshade, who followed up with an overhead armbar, then a grounded abdominal stretch as she wore down the champion. Luna’s knocked through the ropes, but manages to capitalise with a knee through the ropes, then with a big boot back inside… Nightshade heads outside again, where she’s saved by Reed and Blaze amid a German suplex attempt.
A low-pe from Luna clears away the unnamed trio, before Nightshade took over after a missed shoulder charge from Luna. Nightshade takes over with a sleeperhold in the corner, before a crossbody wiped out the ref. Oops! A roll-up from Luna gets a visual three-count… BUT THE REF WAS JUST WIPED OUT. My favourite trope!
Luna whales away on Nightshade, but with the ref out we’ve a mugging from Reed and Blaze, only for Lee Dawson and Jordan Saeed to make the save with chairs. They chase away Reed and Blaze, before a missed splash from Nightshade allowed Luna in to hit an Air Raid Crash for the win. A decent match for what they had, but this felt like a golden opportunity to really hammer home the new group. You only get one chance to make a first impression… ***
Dani has another match next, fighting with the mic, before acknowledging that she’s got more roadblocks in the way before she gets to Stephanie Vacquer at the Copperbox. Luna reckons she’s got people on her side, but who? We’ll find out…
David Francisco & Goldenboy Santos vs. Oskar Leube & Sha Samuels
David Francisco is Poochie, apparently… and all hell broke loose as the four brawled before the bell. A pair of back elbows dump Francisco as we got going with Sha rolling Francisco down for some hammer elbows and a PK.
Tags bring in Santos and Oskar, with the German laying in with chops early on, only for Santos to fight back with forearms as the pair teed off on each other. Oskar’s leaping dropkick finds its mark, before Francisco kicked Oskar through the ropes… allowing Santos to surprise him with a spear.
Francisco’s back as he traded chops with Oskar, winding him up before Oskar snapped back with a bodyslam. Sha’s back, but so is Santos, who absorbed short-arm clotheslines before a clothesline off the ropes took down Santos. An elbow drop’s next, but Santos is able to catch Sha off the top rope with a press slam for a two-count.
Chops follow from Santos as the Portuguese duo attack behind the ref’s back, before a clothesline almost won it for Santos. A turnaround from Sha sees him land a uranage… but the ref’s distracted as Oskar tagged in, with the ensuing argument masking double-teaming on Sha.
Sha takes a bad landing onto Francisco’s knee as it’s all one-way traffic on Sha, leading to Sha escaping an Indy Rock Bottom and returning with a Michinoku Driver. Turnabout’s fair play as Oskar masks a tag in from Santos, before Oskar tagged him himself and swung for the Portuguese lads. Problem was, he got himself distracted by Santos, before a double clothesline found its mark.
Oskar lit up Francisco with chops ahead of a running elbow into the corner and a powerslam out of it. The ring fills up as Santos’ Midas Touch laid out Oskar… Santos runs into a spinebuster, only for Francisco to crash into Sha with a diving kick, before things spilled to the outside. Oskar’s got hold of Santos, but Francisco makes the save… throwing Oskar into the wall before Santos bowled the German into the crowd. Sha runs over to take things back inside, but Francisco’s spinebuster dumps Sha onto the side of the ring.
Back inside, another Midas Touch from Santos laid out Sha ahead of a double-jump Francisco shoulder tackle set up for Santos’ sit-out powerbomb. Somehow, Sha’s able to kick out, before he caught another Francisco shoulder tackle, and turned it into a spinebuster for a near-fall, thanks to a save from Santos.
With the ref trying to control Santos, out of nowhere, Francisco grabs a chair and runs it into Sha’s head – and that’s enough for the legal man Francisco to get the win. You can calm down now, Gideon… ***¼
Chris Ridgeway vs. Michael Oku
A non-title outing here, but the last time these two met in Rev Pro, it was over the Cruiserweight strap, with Oku winning back in October 2021.
Breaking from the opening lock-up, Ridgeway looked to put some distance between he and Oku, before the pair traded headlock takedowns and escapes. A tijeras from Oku, then a dropkick took Ridgeway into the corner, as he then built up for a neckbreaker on Ridgeway.
Coming back, Ridgeway took down Oku with a low dropkick, then with a Dragon screw, before a bridging deathlock wore down Oku’s leg. That’s followed up with Oku getting dragged into the corner as Ridgeway wrapped the champion’s legs around the post as he retained the focus on those knees.
Ridgeway’s crossface chicken wing ends in the ropes, before Oku fought back with a missile dropkick off the middle rope. A half crab’s pushed off as Ridgeway went back to the knee with some Dragon screws, leading to an ankle lock that quickly ended in the ropes, before an enziguiri took Ridgeway to the outside.
Oku stumbles on a Fosbury flop, instead opting for a plancha as his knee was giving him trouble… before a moonsault off the apron went through Ridgeway as Oku landed in the front row. Back inside though, Oku’s caught again and put into an ankle lock from Ridgeway, stopping to gutwrench Oku away from the ropes and reapply the hold. Second time though, Ridgeway’s caught with an inside cradle, before a superkick almost won it for Oku.
Ridgeway goes back to the knee though, dropping Oku to the mat… then offered up his chin for Oku to take a shot. It’s taken, but Ridgeway again goes back to the leg before he punted Oku in the neck after the champion’s knee gave out on a superkick. More of those kicks follow from Ridgeway, who absorbs a Pele kick before a brainbuster almost gave him the win.
Going back to the ankle lock sees Ridgeway torque away on the leg some more, but Oku makes it to the ropes… only to get pulled up into a leg-trap German suplex. Another PK’s next, but it’s still not enough as Oku countered a second leg-trap German suplex into a DDT. The misdirection knee’s next, before Ridgeway began to pepper Oku with strikes… before Oku rolled him up into a half crab for the quick tap-out. This took a while to get going, but the story they were telling was Ridgeway was looking to derail Oku ahead of his title defence in Mexico next week – and perhaps against Anthony Ogogo later in the month. ***½
Post-match, Oku took the mic and noted he barely survived both his matches against Chris Ridgeway… then said he’d earned the right to call himself one of the best wrestlers in the world, which he’d continue to prove by travelling the world. The rah-rah speech is cut short though, with Chris Ridgeway returning to blindside Oku and lay him out with a rear spin kick as we headed into intermission.
Connor Mills vs. Teddy Reay
It’s a Rev Pro debut for Reay, who’s here to show us he’s not some two-bit wrestler. Someone’ll get that reference…
Mills took Reay down from the off, kicking away the Mancunian when he looked to respond. A single-leg takedown’s stuffed as Mills looked for a hammerlock, only for Reay to roll away. Reay’s neck bridge led to him being rolled up into almost a Superman stretch, before the pair exchanged takedowns with Reay almost snatching the win with a Euro clutch.
Mills slapped Reay silly after kicking out, before uncorking some vile kicks by the ropes. Reay returns with a dropkick to the knee, before he got taken up top for an avalanche Dragon screw. A stomp to the back of the knees followed from Mills, who’d teed up for a Romero special before changing tactic.
Reay’s kept on the defensive with a shinbreaker as he tried to fight off Mills, before a sunset flip almost caused the upset. Another dropkick to the knee takes down Reay as Mills pushed on, before Mills talked his way into Reay fighting back, which in turn had Mills just bite Reay’s fingers.
An Indian deathlock by the ropes is broken out of, but Reay misses a stomp… but lands it at the second attempt to counter a Dragon screw. Reay’s deadlift Fisherman suplex would have won, but his knee gives out… Reay goes back to the biting, only for Mills to trip him up… Reay scraps his way back in for an armbar, before a snap PK from Mills cut him off.
From there, Reay’s hit with a second PK, before an ankle lock – designed to ape Chris Ridgeway after the fall-out between the two last week – almost forced the submission. Mills stayed on Reay with a kick, then a Ki Krusher, before a heel hook forced the quick tap. The crowd not being familiar with Reay hurt this one, with Mills getting cheered throughout… ***
Post-match, Ridgeway hits the ring and attacks Mills, putting him in an ankle lock… only for Michael Oku to make the save. It sure feels like Destination Everywhere are back in the same orbit again – but whether it’s anything more than serendipity remains to be seen, especially given the uneasy staredown between the two.
Will Kaven vs. Fuego del Sol
This came as a result of last week’s four-way – which saw Kaven pin Fuego…
The Southampton crowd got on Kaven’s back early on, as the pair locked-up into the corner, with Kaven breaking cleanly. Staying on Fuego, Kaven grabs a wristlock, before he got caught in a TJP-esque headscissor takedown as the pair went back-and-forth. Using the mask, Kaven throws Fuego down to the mat, before some misdirection allowed Fuego back in with a headscissor takedown.
Fuego follows up with a dropkick into the corner, then a Northern lights for a two-count, before he openly telegraphed a tornado DDT. That allowed Kaven to throw it away, before he caught the masked man over the turnbuckles with a neckbreaker.
After some dispute over what a turnbuckle actually is, Fuego began to fight back, but Kaven snuffs him out and grabbed a two-count. A German suplex stops Fuego from there, before Fuego surprised him with a top rope ‘rana. He followed up with leaping forearms to bounce Kaven around the ring, before an enziguiri sent Kaven into the ropes.
Kaven’s met with a Quebrada and a low superkick from there, but it’s not enough to get Fuego the win. Things head outside as Fuego clears the front row for a triangle moonsault, while kicks back inside and a massive step-up stomp almost put Kaven away. Another crack at the tornado DDT led to Fuego heading up top, but Kaven powders to the outside to avoid it.
Kaven drags Fuego to the outside as the crowd seemingly confused Kaven for a Scouser… Kaven counters some Sliced Bread off the ring post into a tombstone on the floor, then rolled back inside to take the count-out win. Except the crowd pulled up Fuego and helped him back into the ring just in time, with Kaven pouncing on him.
Fuego sidesteps a Yakuza kick in the corner and crotches Kaven on the top rope, following with another gamengiri and a double stomp to the back of the head. It’s not quite enough though, as Kaven eventually fought his way back with a Dragon suplex, then a diving knee strike as the match hit the home stretch, with Kaven eating a knee strike before a springboard backflip DDT ended with Kaven getting his feet into the ropes to save himself!
Kaven tries to shake off the cobwebs, and crotches Fuego amid another tornado DDT, before pulling him into a tombstone piledriver for the win. This one’ll go under a lot of people’s radars, but this a low-key cracker – with the plucky Fuego almost overcoming Kaven’s underhandedness, only to get caught at the worst possible moment. Will Kaven looks to gun for the Cruiserweight title, and I suspect he’ll be getting a shot in Stevenage… ***½
Luke Jacobs vs. Zozaya
These guys have something in common – they’ve beaten Michael Oku, but only Jacobs has done it for a title.
Zozaya takes Luke down to start as the pair grapple on the mat, ending with a Gator roll to take Jacobs into the ropes. After getting slapped in the ropes, Zozaya goes back to the Gator rolls, spiking Luke before the Mancunian hit the ropes and took him down with a shoulder tackle.
Jacobs holds onto the ropes to avoid a dropkick, before a diving forearm caught out the Spaniard as he celebrated connecting with the second. From there, Jacobs began to lit up Zozaya with chops, before a bodyslam dumped Zozaya in the middle of the ring. Palm strikes from Zozaya created an opening, but he’s smothered into the corner as a running side suplex out of the corner led to a two-count for Jacobs.
Zozaya clings onto the corner but to no avail as Jacobs hauled him down with the start of some rolling German suplexes. Switching around, Zozaya hits a German suplex of his own, only to get caught with a headbutt on the apron from Jacobs as a body slam bounced the Spaniard off the edge of the ring.
Popping up, Zozaya makes it back inside and took Jacobs outside with a dropkick, following up with a springboard body press into the crowd. Back inside, Zozaya ducks a lariat from Jacobs as the pair traded forearms, but Jacobs’ strikes had more mustard behind them… only for a diving headbutt to be caught and rolled through into a suplex.
Following up, Zozaya’s shoulder charges trap Jacobs in the corner… before he slid into an ugly diving knee from Luke, who looked to finish things off with a folding powerbomb. The pair trade German suplexes from there, ahead of an enziguiri from Jacobs, only for Zozaya to go right back to the German… before a wild lariat shut down the Spaniard in a hurry.
Jacobs toys with Zozaya from there, leading to the pair trading chops… again, Luke’s strikes have way more in them though, taking Zozaya down time and again. Offering a free shot, Luke allowed Zozaya back in with a dropkick, which almost led to a flash pin, before a crushing double stomp got him even closer.
A double-jump moonsault keeps Zozaya ahead, before Jacobs avoided a superkick… a clothesline to the back of the head looked to be it, but Zozaya’s back with a wheelbarrow into a stomp, only for Zozaya to crash and burn on a big splash off the top. Jacobs pounces with a crossface from there, rolling through as Zozaya tried to escape… but Zozaya manages to counter with the de Madrid al cielo DVD for a near-fall!
Heading up top again, Zozaya’s caught by more chops from Jacobs, who teased a back suplex from the top rope to the floor. Good God. Hammer elbows look to weaken Zozaya’s grip, but he counters into an avalanche de Madrid al cielo – the same move that beat Oku two months ago… but Jacobs barely peels a shoulder up to save the match.
Zozaya eats a boot, but hits right back as he took Jacobs back up top for a Spanish Fly, planting Jacobs for… a one-count?! From there, a pop-up powerbomb and a Jay Driller nearly gets it done for Luke, as did a lariat, before a sickening lariat a la a Hidden Blade KO’d Zozaya. Jacobs tried to send a message with a half-crab, but Zozaya surprises him with an inside cradle… and there’s the win! That rocket’s well and truly been strapped to the back of Zozaya – to the point where his upsets aren’t really upsets. If you’re just reading this and haven’t seen the match, jump on the VOD of this and get this watched! ****½
The disappointment from the follow-up of the women’s title angle side, this was a pretty damn good outing from Rev Pro, topped off with a thriller of a main event that could well and truly put the cat among the pigeons, so to speak. Zozaya’s flash win over Luke Jacobs perhaps shows that everything up to and including the Copperbox may not be as dead a cert as you’d have thought.