It’s the final stop before the Copperbox as Rev Pro rolled into Southampton, with Michael Oku and Luke Jacobs looking to get one final shot in.
Quick Results
David Francisco pinned Chuck Mambo in 17:00 (**½)
Will Kaven pinned Eric Dillinger in 10:00 (***½)
Rhio & Kanji defeated Safire Reed & Lizzy Evo via disqualification in 15:00 (***)
TK Cooper pinned Goldenboy Santos in 16:58 (***¼)
Brendan White & Danny Jones pinned Joshua James & Sha Samuels in 10:50 (***)
JJ Gale pinned Jay Joshua in 14:19 (***½)
Michael Oku & Zozaya submitted Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs in 23:04 (***½)
— If you’re on Twitter/X/the bird app, give me a follow over on @IanWrestling. I’m also over on BlueSky, Instagram and Threads by that same name, and if you’ve put your chips in on Mastodon, catch me here. One of those has to be the winner, right? And I’ll be hopping around those until they fall off… In the meantime, check out the GoFundMe that’s still open for Larry’s family…
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
We’re live via stream from the packed 1865 in Southampton, with Andy Quildan and Gideon Grey on the headsets… trust me, there’s audio!
David Francisco vs. Chuck Mambo
We’re spared the threat of Sunshine Machine being forced to disband before the Copperbox – as we’ve some singles matches as a warm-up… however the re-re-relocated David Francisco is over like a God in Southampton. Taste is subjective.
Mambo kept Francisco at close quarters early on, only to get baited with a slap to the face, before a trip up from Santos almost led to a roll-up win. Santos intervenes again as Mambo went for a rope-walk, but missed a wild swipe before Francisco tripped himself up by the ropes to fool the ref and get TK ejected from ringside.
With Mambo on his own, it’s one-way traffic for a spell, including a wild backbreaker onto the top turnbuckle from Francisco. A curb stomp does its damndest to remove Mambo’s teeth, but Mambo’s able to mount a comeback with a springboard Reef Break for a near-fall… then with a double sledge to the outside after a missed dropkick from Francisco.
Back inside, Francisco quickly returned with a stomp for a near-fall, while a double-jump springboard clothesline and a Blue Thunder Bomb kept him on track, before he countered a Bad Burrito into a Cloverleaf. After a messy backslide, Mambo manages to pull up Francisco for a Gory bomb, but it’s not enough as Santos got into the ring for… reasons. The ref doesn’t call for a DQ, as Santos instead rolled the mic away to distract the easily-distracted ref… who missed a gut shot from Santos as the Spotlight (Pedigree) led to the win. This felt way too long, with the screwy backslide perhaps summing this up. **½
Post-match, a double-team attempt’s chased off by TK… Francisco keeps the mic and began what felt like a eulogy for Sunshine Machine, taking digs at Mambo for losing “because he had no respect” for him before saying that this time next week, Sunshine Machine will be nothing but a memory.
Will Kaven vs. Eric Dillinger
We’ve got a Rev Pro debut here for the Indianapolis native Dillinger, who’s more used to deathmatches… meanwhile, Kaven was sporting the James Castle-inspired jacket given to him by Gideon Grey last week.
Kaven flew out of the gates with a shotgun dropkick at the bell, but Dillinger shrugged it off, taking him outside for a wild tope. Back inside, there’s little respite for Kaven, at least until he hit a neckbreaker across the top rope. Eventually fighting back, Dillinger’s able to come close from a Falcon arrow, before Kaven caught him up top… only to be brought down with a sunset bomb.
Dillinger adds a frog splash as things descended into an exchange of strikes… with Kaven getting knocked onto his knees. Recovering, a neckbreaker and a suplex into the buckles had Dillinger on his knees… while a double stomp to the back almost did the trick. A big Blue Thunder Bomb from Dillinger earns him a Michinoku Driver in return, before a diving knee and a tombstone got the win in what was a hell of an outing for Kaven. Dillinger more than fit the role like a glove here, and made Kaven look like a big threat going into the Copperbox. ***½
Cut Throat Collective (Lizzy Evo & Safire Reed) vs. Rhio & Kanji
Evo and Reed posted Lee Dawson during their entrance… while Rhio and Kanji jumped their opponents before the bell.
Kanji pushed ahead early on, before Rhio hit the ring for a shotgun dropkick to Reed… who quickly found a way out to bring in Evo. After coming up short when it was one-on-one, the numbers game helped the Collective for a spell as they isolated Rhio… and manipulated things to ensure that Kanji couldn’t tag in.
Eventually things backfired, but Reed’s able to delay the tag out for long enough for Lizzy Evo to pull Kanji off the apron. The underhanded tactics eventually fall short though as Rhio won a two-on-one tug of war to make the hot tag out to Kanji, who laid waste to Reed with a massive missile dropkick.
The tables turn as Reed’s double-teamed with a kick-assisted Air Raid Crash that drew Evo back in. A double chop block from Evo acted as a turning point, leading to a punch-aided wheelbarrow German suplex on Kanji, who tried to fight back on Reed… only for Evo to again interfere and drag things outside as the match turned into a Parade of Moves… ending with a delayed package piledriver that drew in Evo for a chairshot for the DQ. A good match, but the finish was perhaps to be expected one-week out from the big tag. ***
Post-match, the assault continued until Nightshade made the save, swatting a chair away from Evo before dumping Evo and Reed with slams and back sentons. An ushigoroshi from Rhio targeted Reed’s neck, as the Cut Throat Collective ended up being sent packing. Kanji took the mic and took aim at the Collective, and switched next week’s 5-on-5 tag into a no DQ outing. I mean, the good guys have sent the Collective packing two weeks in a row, but I guess there’s PLUNDER INCOMING!
Goldenboy Santos vs. TK Cooper
Santos has ditched Journey for David Francisco’s music here…
TK lays into Santos at the bell, clotheslining him to the outside… only for Santos to catch a dive and dump him on the apron. Back inside, Santos continued the offensive on TK, throwing him around like he were nothing as TK tried to throw his way back in. Shoving Santos to the outside to cut off a Midas Touch lariat, TK ends up getting caught with a spinning backbreaker.
Returning the favour, a leaping neckbreaker onto the side of the ring laid out Santos, but Santos makes it back to the ring first as TK almost lost to a count-out. Beating the count, TK’s able to avoid a cannonball as he mounted a fresh charge, coming close with a flying elbow from that double-team move I swear they’d called the Combo Meal but apparently is the Cagna Marta.
A swift turnaround with a Blue Thunder bomb nearly wins it for Santos, who then called TK the “Marty Jannetty of Sunshine Machine.” It lit a fire under TK, who lands a Spanish Fly before he ran into a tombstone for a near-fall… the pair exchange rapid pins, before a headbutt countered another crack at the Midas Touch.
It almost led to a stoppage as both men barely answered the ten-count, but it’s Santos who pushed on with a German suplex, a knee strike and a spinebuster, before David Francisco popped up at ringside to stop TK getting to the ropes from a half crab. The ref orders the break anyway, before Chuck Mambo hit the ring to stop interference from Mambo… allowing TK to pick up with some headbutts as a shooting star press crushed Santos for the win. Another one that could have done with some time shaved, but this felt like a foundational win for TK Cooper in case things go pear-shaped for Sunshine Machine next week… ***¼
Post-match, Mambo took the mic and vowed that Sunshine Machine would win the tag titles… before TK snatched the mic and apologised for putting Sunshine Machine on the path they’re on with that self-imposed challenge… and issued one last rallying cry ahead of the Copperbox.
Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones) vs. Sha Samuels & Joshua James
It’s a rare outing in Southampton for the Greedy Souls, as this one was spurred on from the events at York Hall last week…
Brendan White poked the proverbial bear, winding up Joshua James before the bell for a scrap… and when things got going the Greedy Souls were able to direct traffic as they blitzed through Sha in the opening minutes. A lariat from Brendan nearly put Sha away after five minutes, before a mistake from the former champions led to Sha going for an East End Destroyer… but a back body drop from Jones counters it.
Sha’s finally able to find a way through with a Michinoku driver, before tags brought in James and White to turn things around ahead of a POUNCE to Brendan. A brief spell from Sha led to James returning with a splash off the middle rope, ahead of an East End Destroyer for a near-fall.
A knee strike and brainbuster lays out White… but a blind tag meant Danny Jones was legal instead. The middle turnbuckle pad’s been removed, which James found out the hard way ahead of a Jones piledriver, before Brendan demanded to be tagged in to put away the former Contender with a Soul Destroyer. A solid tag match, with a finish that’ll lead to a rematch – but the Greedy Souls looked a step above here. ***
Jay Joshua vs. JJ Gale
I bet someone with the initials JJ wins…
Joshua’s able to neutralise Gale with his size advantage early on, catching a leapfrog and turning it into a slam for an early two-count. Returning with headscissors and dropkicks, Gale takes things outside, only to get posted by the Welshman, who regained the upper hand with a swish spin-out back suplex out of the corner.
Toying with Gale, Joshua’s gutwrench suplex keeps up the pressure, as did a series of strikes as Gale perhaps underestimated the challenge here. Firing back, Gale’s able to crack Joshua with a rolling elbow, adding a spinning heel kick before landing a rebound German suplex by the ropes.
Topes take Joshua down in the outside, as the feed crapped out briefly… it returned with Joshua blocking a Gale Force, only to get caught with a Side Effect as the pair traded barbs. A missed moonsault from Gale led to a HUGE release German suplex from Joshua on the way to a near-fall, as we went back to how things were at the start, with Joshua in control.
A rising headbutt from Joshua stops Gale in his tracks, ahead of a sit-out Last Ride for a near-fall, before a Destroyer out of nowhere led to a Gale Force as Gale snatched the win. Very much a “my kill shot will get it done” display for Gale, but Joshua proved to be a much stiffer test than Gale perhaps bargained for ahead of Tomohiro Ishii next week. ***½
Post-match, Gale put over Joshua, saying he’d hand-picked him as a warm-up for Ishii because of their styles… and said he was the last man standing tonight, so he’d do the same again at the Copperbox.
Before the main event, we were interrupted by Ricky Knight Jr. via video message… who told us he wasn’t cleared for tonight, but he would be cleared for the Copperbox as he wanted the rubber match with Zozaya.
Young Guns (Luke Jacobs & Ethan Allen) vs. Michael Oku & Zozaya
Coming seconds after that announcement, Zozaya’s teaming with Michael Oku once again as Oku looked to get a win under his belt after that MJF loss last week.
After stopping Oku from doing his entrance, Jacobs gave the nod for Ethan Allen to jump the champion as we had a brawl before the bell with the Young Guns dominating things. At least until Oku and Zozaya hit some dives, having been rolled back into the ring… Oku’s airborne again, but his Fosbury flop’s caught and turned into a tombstone on the floor.
They call in the medics to check on Oku, who’s assisted out of there as the Young Guns found a working mic just in time for Zozaya to dive off the balcony. Yep, I thought he blew his knees out there, but he’s more than capable of taking on the Guns one-on-two, fighting the Mancunians into the crowd. Bye bye chair deposit.
A springboard dive to the outside’s stopped with a pair of superkicks as Zozaya got thrown inside to start what was more or less a handicap match as they mauled the Spaniard, who barely was able to get into first gear. Jacobs got his licks in too, but this was mostly an exhibition of violence for Allen… at least until Zozaya looked to force an opening.
Out of nowhere, Michael Oku staggered back to ringside and got the tag in as it was his turn to take on the Young Guns, having more luck as he took down Jacobs with a DDT. A half crab’s pushed off, but the Young Guns ends up getting knocked down to the floor ahead of the Fosbury flop… which this time did the trick.
Back inside, a froggy crossbody keeps Oku ahead, before a Tiger suplex countered Oku’s Unprettier attempt. Zozaya had tagged in though, but he can’t avoid a spear as Jacobs pushed through, only to have his arrogance backfire as Zozaya suplexed him… Oku’s back, but frog splashed into Jacobs’ knees, before a kick-assisted Snow Plow almost eked out the win for the Young Guns.
Allen remains in there, wearing down Oku with body shots, but a blind tag brings in Zozaya as Allen ends up getting caught with a stomp-aided Unprettier as the pace picked up… but a frustrated Jacobs took one more risk, going up top, only to get caught as a Spanish Fly from Zozaya and a frog splash from Oku almost led to the win as everyone was looking to be running on fumes here.
More murderous lariats from Jacobs looked to clear out Oku, who countered a Doomsday with a reverse ‘rana as both teams gained and lost advantages, before Zozaya’s de Madrid al cielo on Allen broke things up. We keep going, as Oku hits a lariat of his own, before Jacobs returned the favour… a low bridge from Zozaya takes Jacobs to the outside, leaving Allen on his own as a half crab looked to get the win. Jacobs, held in an ankle lock, was able to grab hold of Allen to stop the tap, but Zozaya’s up top to stomp it apart, and from there it’s elementary as Oku wrenched in the hold to force the stoppage. The finish, with Allen screaming as he was torn between fighting on and saving himself to fight another day at the Copperbox was perfect, but this felt like it overshot the proverbial landing, going a little too long. Especially once you consider how Oku had been carried out before the match. At least it’s setting up Oku being well under 100% going into the Copperbox, as the underdog role and story is where he’s always shone in Rev Pro. ***½
Post-match, Amira took the mic and did parts of Oku’s speech for him, saying they’d right the wrongs of the MJF loss last weekend… before Oku fired up and vowed to leave the Copperbox as champion, and stay in Rev Pro as he closed out by saying “we’re not going anywhere.”
Six days out, this was a strong go-home show ahead of the Copperbox – although the two names that stood out the most on this show aren’t even on the card! I can’t say I was expecting to see Jay Joshua and Eric Dillinger stand-out as much as they did… but nevertheless, this was the hard sell that you’d have expected, and with only a pre-show match, a mystery partner and a sixth entrant in the scramble to be confirmed, virtually everything is in place for a monster of a show in Hackney next weekend!