It’s the last stop before the Revolution Rumble – and it’s all kicking off in St. Neots as Michael Oku looks to team with Ricky Knight Jr. to take on Leyton Buzzard and Brett Semtex in the main event.
Quick Results
JJ Gale pinned Kieron Lacey in 8:50 (***)
Alex Windsor submitted Echo in 9:43 (**½)
Sha Samuels pinned Spike Trivet in 11:49 (**½)
Luke Jacobs pinned Mark Trew in 11:19 (***¼)
Anthony Ogogo pinned Robbie X in 11:46 (***)
David Francisco pinned Joshua James in 15:31 (***)
Connor Mills pinned Harry Milligan in 13:29 (***)
Leyton Buzzard & Brett Semtex defeated Michael Oku & Ricky Knight Jr. via referee stoppage in 19:04 (***½)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
We’re back in the Priory Centre in St. Neots as Rev Pro continues their almost-weekly schedule. One week out from the Revolution Rumble, we’ve got a qualifier match for a spot in the match, while a lot more names look to go into the Rumble strong.
Commentary comes from “Just” Andy Quildan…
Kieron Lacey vs. JJ Gale
It’s a singles debut in Rev Pro for Lacey, and it’s only when you hear “one half of Trew and Lacey, Kieron Lacey” that you realise that doesn’t quite work as a team name!
Lacey’s pre-match slap just fired up Gale, as we opened with a lock-up into the corner… with Lacey throwing another slap on the break before Gale hit back with a dropkick coming off the ropes. Forearms from Gale keep Lacey in the corner ahead of a hattrick of slaps… and a nice back body drop to boot!
Gale’s lifted onto the apron in return, but comes back with a rewind leapfrog and an armdrag, while another dropkick took Lacey back down for a two-count. Firing back, Lacey goes after Gale’s knee, before he bit away on Gale’s hand in the corner.
An Irish whip bounces Gale into the corner as Lacey picked up a somewhat nonchalant two-count, before a chinlock kept Gale down on the mat. Gale’s attempt to fight back gets snuffed out with shots to the midsection, before Gale sidestepped a charge as Lacey was sent outside… only for a switcheroo to end with Gale getting hung up in the ropes.
On the outside, Gale’s popped up into the side of the ring, before Lacey looked to maintain control back inside with some headbutts and slaps. Problem was, they just snapped Gale out of it, as he returned fire with a snapping discus forearm. A spinning heel kick takes Lacey down next, while a release German suplex dumped Lacey high on his back.
Gale crashes outside with a flip senton into Lacey, before an X-Plex back inside turned it around. A piledriver attempt from Lacey’s countered into a jack-knife cover, while a backpack knee and a Gale Force cutter proved to be enough to get Gale the win. ***
Alex Windsor vs. Echo
It’s a Rev Pro debut for Echo, who could be like a lamb to the slaughter here as Alex Windsor’s warming up for a dog collar match next week.
Windsor starts by taking Echo into the corner, then into the ropes as she looked to dominate early on… but Echo tries to fight back and took Windsor down with a waistlock. A drop toe hold follows, before Windsor tried to push free… only to get caught with a facebuster for a quick one-count.
Echo’s headlock takedown looked to lead to pinning attempts from Windsor, before things headed into the corner with Windsor then whipping Echo into the buckles. A snapmare and a kick to the back leads to some low dropkicks for a two-count, before Echo hit back with a Randy Orton-ish backbreaker out of the corner.
Windsor returns with a neckbreaker of her own for a two-count, before she began to work over the lower back with stretches and forearms to the kidneys. A side Russian legsweep and a swift clothesline gets Windsor another two-count, before Echo began to beat Windsor to the punch, knocking the former champion into the corner ahead of a clothesline through the buckles.
Echo adds a springboard cutter in through the ropes for a two-count, before a small package almost upset Windsor. A head kick’s next from Echo, who took a little too long to follow-up as Windsor caught her in the ropes with clotheslines. An Angle slam’s next for a near-fall, with Widnsor adding a PK and a Sharpshooter… albeit right by the ropes as Echo instead powered out.
Windsor reapplies the hold, but this time Echo rolls Windsor into the corner to break the hold before she Rolled the Dice on Windsor for a near-fall. Out of nowhere though, Windsor trips up Echo and goes back to the Sharpshooter, with third time being the charm – I don’t think many gave Echo a shot here, but result aside, this was a solid debut. **½
Post-match, Windsor grabs the chain and lays into Echo with it, then choked her with the chain as she threatened to make Dani Luna a shadow of her former self next week at York Hall.
Spike Trivet vs. Sha Samuels
Well colour me surprised at how early in the card this is…
Attacking Sha before the bell, Spike had the upper hand from the off as he chopped Sha into the corner early on. A stomp to the had has Sha reeling, as did some biting, while a clothesline caught Sha coming out of the corner for a two-count. Spike stays on Sha withnother snapmare and a chinlock, before a takedown and some headbutts make sure Sha couldn’t get into gear.
A running knee traps Sha in the corner for a two-count, before Spike went outside and decided to, erm, spike a fan’s bottle of water into the floor. Back inside, Sha’s recovered and chops away on Spike, following up with a clothesline as well. Another snapmare takes us into buffering… recovering as Sha continues to lay into Spike with some right hands.
We jump forward through the miracle of buffering with Spike knocking Sha off the apron… and we buffer again. Returning again with Spike fighting out of a Butcher’s hook, he takes Sha into the corner with clotheslines. An elbow drop catches Spike out of the corner, but the follow-up moonsault misses as Sha instead found a way in with a Michinoku Driver for a near-fall.
Sha tees up for an East End Destroyer, but instead Spike counters with a Codebreaker… then a second one out of the corner for a two-count of his own. Some casual threats to the crowd from Spike see him take too long going up top, allowing Sha to cut him off with an avalanche back body drop that could have gone so much worse, before a snap piledriver from Spike got a near-fall.
Spike’s back up for a flying stomp to Sha, before a couple of finger snappers left Sha on the deck. Playing “got your nose,” Spike riles up Sha, who ended up getting dropped after an exchange of strikes, before he countered out of a Birthright and replied with a pair of spinebusters out of nowhere for the win. The buffering didn’t help this, but this match felt cold coming in, and you’d think this is the end of this feud… **½
Ah nevermind, Spike shoves Sha over the top to the floor and attacked him after the match. Don’t choke him with that camera cable, this set-up’s delicate enough as it is! So yeah, this feud must continue because they’re 1-1 in singles matches. A piledriver back inside left Sha laying to close this one out…
Mark Trew vs. Luke Jacobs
Luke chucks Trew’s beanie before the match. At least this one’s easily retrievable…
Trew retaliates at the bell, charging into Jacobs… only for Luke to bounce out of the corner with a shoulder tackle as he began putting the boots to Trew. Another back body drop sees Trew come down with snow on him, before a clothesline took Trew outside for a dumping onto the apron with a side suplex. A slam keeps up the pain on Trew, who’s then put in a seat and booted out of it, before they returned to the ring as Jacobs absorbed a bunch of shots before unloading on Trew with a Violence Party. Returning, a nice cartwheel kick from Trew has Jacobs caught out ahead of a spear for a two-count.
Headbutts to the back of Jacobs followed, as Trew then looked for a piledriver, but another back body drop throws him away. Trew’s quickly back with a headbutt into the corner, but his follow-up crossbody’s caught and turned into a slam instead. Jacobs can’t follow-up as he’s dropkicked to the outside, then met with a dive… while a flip senton back inside almost saw Trew get the upset.
Jacobs manages to boot Trew out of the corner, following up with a DDT, before clotheslines trapped Trew in the corner. A trip up led to a superplex on Trew, whose attempted response finally saw him land an enziguiri for a near-fall. An inside cradle almost nicks it for Trew, but Jacobs smashes his way back in… only for a springboard torpedo headbutt to the back of the head to keep Trew close to the win.
Snapping back, a death valley driver, a murderous lariat and a sit-out powerbomb almost got Jacobs the win. Trew stays in it though, only to get caught with a pop-up powerbomb, a forearm smash and another to the back of the head, before a folding powerbomb made for an explosive finish. Trew pushed Jacobs a lot more than you’d think, and this made for a heck of an outing. ***¼
Anthony Ogogo vs. Robbie X
The obvious styles clash is obvious, as we start with Ogogo taking Robbie X into the corner, looking to bully the former Cruiserweight champion.
Robbie tries his luck with a waistlock takedown, but Ogogo has more luck with his before he blocked a handspring cutter. Ogogo’s not quite quick enough to get to Robbie X, and gets taken down with a missile dropkick ahead of a senton atomico from Robbie for a one-count. A leg sweep keeps Ogogo down as a standing moonsault to the back added a two-count, before a trip up top ended badly for Robbie X.
Ogogo hits back with a powerbomb for a two-count, before he began to stomp a mudhole in Robbie in the corner. A fallaway slam’s next as Ogogo began to work over the arm before a ring-moving Irish whip sent Robbie X into the corner… and to the floor for respite. Ogogo follows him outside, but a suplex is kinda telegraphed as Robbie X broke out and hit a Tiger Feint kick on the apron.
Robbie keeps going, but gets swept onto the apron… back inside, Robbie X manages to catch Ogogo with a suplex, before a hiptoss and cartwheel dropkick had Ogogo scurrying. A Molly Go Round back inside followed, before another crossbody from Robbie’s caught… and turned into almost a standing F5 for a near-fall.
Ogogo waits for Robbie X to get back to his feet, but Robbie ducks a right hand and tries his luck with a backslide. It’s almost a BUSHI roll, but Robbie only gets a two-count as Ogogo’s right back with a clothesline and a piledriver for a near-fall, before a small package and a superkick set up Robbie’s turnaround, leading to a Finlay roll and moonsault for a two-count of his own.
Robbie stays on Ogogo with a Beyblade kick in the corner, but an X-Claimation’s caught as Ogogo hit back with a right hand for the win. I like how they’re building up that punch as the insta-kill finish, which is the obvious move for Ogogo. ***
Joshua James vs. David Francisco
The winner of this gets a spot in the Revolution Rumble, and if last year’s match is anything to go by… the loser gets next year’s New Japan Cup?
Francisco snubs a handshake to start as we opened with a lock-up into the corner as Josh James looked to control things from the off. A roll-up from Francisco nearly caught out James, who returned with a shoulder tackle… before Francisco pulled him down into a crossface attempt.
James strikes back with a forearm, taking Francisco into the corner… where he finally broke with a chop before Francisco came back with a sunset flip for a one-count. Chops from Francisco led to him scoring with a dropkick and a neckbreaker, scoring another one-count before James elbowed away a uranage attempt.
Francisco’s low bridge takes James outside, but a swift POUNCE just knocks Francisco into the crowd. A rebound clothesline from the floor knocks down Francisco, as James began to look in control. Elbows and clubbing forearms keep Francisco down, but Francisco doesn’t stay down…
A clothesline out of the corner from Francisco starts a turnaround, before a Thesz press and some mounted punches kept Francisco ahead. At least til James landed a headbutt, that was. Francisco’s diving boot takes James back into the corner, before things headed outside with Francisco scoring a dropkick through the ropes.
Back inside, a Blue Thunder Bomb nearly wins it, before Francisco pushed away a chokeslam and went for a superkick. Second time’s the charm on that chokeslam, but Francisco’s up at two as the pair began to trade forearms. A double chop from James looked to lead to another chokeslam, but Francisco slips out into a crossface instead, rolling James away from the ropes and back into the middle of the ring… only for James to hit back with a sidewalk slam for a near-fall.
A pop-up powerbomb from James leads to another POUNCE in the ring… a follow-up lariat’s kicked away, but Francisco can’t avoid a spear. He’s up at one, but eats another lariat for a near-fall, before the referee was forced to separate the pair as James was laying in with mounted forearms.
James’ rare trip up top’s stopped as Francisco brings him down with a superplex… a diving kick’s next, and that’s enough for Francisco to get the win. The crowd weren’t buying into this one, which was a shame as this was pretty solid… but we’re pretty much at the point where the black trunks need to be shed on both these guys. ***
Post-match, Francisco offers a handshake… James turns his back, and gets pulled back in. James swats it away instead, and so the tension builds.
Connor Mills vs. Harry Milligan
Mills took Milligan to the ropes early on as this one really threatened to be a banana skin of a match for the former Cruiserweight champion.
A knuckle lock from Mills has Milligan down to his knees, ahead of a Northern Lights suplex for a two-count. Mills goes for the arm, stretching Milligan with armbars, a la Zack Sabre Jr., before Milligan slipped out… but found himself back on the deck seconds later. Mills picks the leg as Milligan couldn’t get going, even more so when he’s caught with a toe hold, then a bow-and-arrow… hold flipping out to get a two-count before he surprised Mills with a shoulder tackle.
Mills is right back with a side headlock, but Milligan slips out and hits another shoulder tackle, taking Mills into the corner. Mills responds by lifting Milligan up top, slapping him down to the floor… a quick turnaround sees Milligan catch out Mills with a plancha, only for an avalanche Dragon screw from Mills to restore order.
Kicks to the leg keep Milligan grounded, as did a slam into the ropes as Mills was just having a series of free shots on Milligan. Firing up, Milligan’s able to boot Mills in the head, but a repeat’s caught and turned into some shinbreakers, before Milligan nearly got the upset with a sunset flip.
A snapmare and low dropkick shuts Milligan down for a two-count… before a Codebreaker out of the corner took Mills by surprise. A snap Michinoku driver nearly got the upset out of nowhere, before Mills went for the knee, chop blocking Milligan ahead of a Burning Cutter attempt. It goes nowhere as Milligan instead countered back with a death valley driver for a two-count.
Milligan tries to come back in with a Sega Mega Driver, but Mills blocks it with an ankle lock, before a Ki Krusher nearly ended things. From the kick-out, Mills keeps on the leg, before a small package and a superkick threatened to force an opening… while a Victory Roll out of a Burning Cutter kept the threat of an upset alive.
Mills’ rebound lariat stops all that though, before the Burning Cutter landed at the third attempt. A by-the-numbers win for Mills, but Milligan offered a little bit of a threat – perhaps beyond what the crowd was expecting. ***
Leyton Buzzard & Brett Semtex vs. Michael Oku & Ricky Knight Jr.
There’s something a little off with that Oku/RKJ tandem given how combustible they’ve been…
RKJ hits the ring before Michael Oku’s entrance, which led to him walking into the proverbial lion’s den. Oku finally gets his music and makes the save, and we finally get the bell as Oku was working over Buzzard in the corner. RKJ holds Buzzard in the ropes for a dropkick, before he tagged in and handed him off to Oku for another dropkick.
Buzzard eats a back senton after that, while Semtex came in to take another dropkick… then a big boot as the RKJ/Oku team went all CCK on us. In the corner, Buzzard’s chopped by Ricky ahead of a stalling suplex, holding Buzzard up for a count of 30 before dropping him down to the mat. Oku’s tagged in to try and one-up that, but instead he just poked Buzzard in the eye.
RKJ’s back to hit a dropkick, then hang up Buzzard in the ropes as the Oku/Knight tandem were toying with Buzzard. It eventually backfires as Oku almost chopped RKJ, before Buzzard dropkicked Oku to send RKJ off the apron…
RKJ’s in and chucked with a T-Bone suplex from Semtex for a two-count, before a kick-assisted suplex and a sliding lariat drew in Oku to break up the pin. Buzzard chokes away on RKJ as Oku was arguing with the ref… there’s a prolonged period of cheating as Oku had the referee inadvertently tied up.
A missed clothesline from Semtex allowed RKJ back in with a springboard forearm. Buzzard’s attempt to delay RKJ from tagging out fails as Oku came in… and hey, the high crossbody connects! A tornado DDT followed to Buzzard for a two-count, while Semtex ran into a superkick.
Oku’s half crab’s quickly broken up by Buzzard, who’s thrown outside for the hell of it, before a missed Fosbury flop allowed Buzzard to tope Oku into the stage steps. RKJ follows out with a plancha to Buzzard, before Semtex sent himself through the ropes to spear Knight off the apron.
Oku’s springboard dropkick takes Brett down as a Fosbury flop followed into Buzzard and Semtex. All four men manage to beat the ten-count, as they exchange punches… Oku and Buzzard hit duelling reverse ‘ranas ahead of an obligatory stand-off. A pop-up powerbomb from Buzzards plants Oku, and now they suddenly care about tags as Semtex tagged in Buzzard for a Doomsday Device to Oku.
RKJ dives in to break up the pin, before he forced Oku to the outside after a tag… a superplex from RKJ and a frog splash almost got the win, but Semtex breaks up the pin as things had long since broken down. A RKJ plancha wipes out Semtex, before he went back to tag in Oku… who thought he had this under control. Problem was, RKJ was on the ropes, and Oku’s misdirection ends up seeing him sail through the ropes.
Semtex and RKJ brawl to the back as Buzzard took over on Oku with a brainbuster for a near-fall. Buzzard goes for a follow-up 450 splash, but ends up rolling through… and into a half crab. It’s pushed away, but Oku’s back with a PK, before he was thrown into the ropes with an overhead belly-to-belly. Another powerbomb’s escaped by Oku, but he’s able to catch out Buzzard with an up-kick. Everyone’s missing as Oku’s missed frog splash opened up Buzzard to leap in with a guillotine choke, and that’s enough to put Oku out and force the stoppage. It’s yet another win for Buzzard over Michael Oku, as the Bristolian’s repeatedly shown that he’s got Oku’s number. ***½
Post-match, Buzzard’s got his hands on Oku’s title… and clocks him with the belt. Randomly, Harry Milligan’s on the stage afterwards and comes out to make the save, only for Brett Semtex to easily toss Milligan with a F5 as we have the Mandatory Royal Rumble end-of-show brawl to close out the show. Kieron Lacey low blows Joshua James for getting involved, because James ain’t in the match, before Luke Jacobs chucked a bunch of bodies over the top rope to underscore the point, while JJ Gale stagedived his way into the ring and ended up getting his music played at the end after clearing house.
A maddening show from a VOD perspective, thanks to the crowd seemingly being asleep for large parts. On paper, this was a solid “last show before the big event”, but too much just didn’t click to the degree that it usually does for Rev Pro. York Hall’s a week away, and on Rev Pro’s usual form, this show’ll go down as just a blip.