Rev Pro held their final big show of the year, headlined by Gabe Kidd and Will Ospreay as the Great British Tag League reached its finale in Crystal Palace.
Quick Results
Zack Sabre Jr. pinned JJ Gale in 11:59 (***¼)
Street Fight: Spike Trivet defeated Robbie X via referee stoppage in 18:33 (**)
Leon Slater pinned Connor Mills to win the Rev Pro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship in 11:07 (***½)
Great British Tag League 2023 Final: Brendan White & Danny Jones pinned Ricky Knight Jr. & Anthony Ogogo in 14:30 (**¼)
Tomohiro Ishii pinned Luke Jacobs in 14:57 (****¼)
Dani Luna pinned Alex Windsor to win the Rev Pro Undisputed British Women’s Championship in 15:48 (***)
Volador Jr. pinned Trent Seven in 11:27 (**¾)
Michael Oku pinned Zack Gibson to retain the Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship in 18:14 (***¾)
Will Ospreay defeated Gabe Kidd via referee stoppage in 23:59 (****)
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com
We’re streaming live from the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in… a part of London that’s a real pain to get to, unfortunately. Andy Quildan and Gio Nolastname are on commentary…
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. JJ Gale
Gale’s been waiting for this for nine months – and he opens by trading wristlocks with Sabre, who countered out and took him down to the mat.
Sabre slaps Gale away, but JJ’s springboards turn into a leapfrog, before a tijeras and a dropkick had Sabre outside… where he’s wiped out with a tope con giro. A senton atomico back inside just gets Gale a one count, while a butterfly suplex picked up a two-count, before a Gory stretch was countered as Sabre grabbed Gale’s head, taking him down for a neck twist. Gale’s downed as Sabre manipulated him into a surfboard… opting to stomp on the knees instead. Kicks to the thigh and chest lay out Gale, but JJ manages to get back in with a wheelbarrow roll through into a stomp. A rolling elbow follows, then a Slingblade as Gale picked up a two-count, following up with a springboard uppercut out of the corner for another two-count.
An exchange of strikes sees Gale deck Sabre, before Zack grabbed Gale out of mid-air and pulled him into an armbar… but things end in the ropes. Gale manages to get back in with a front suplex and a superkick for a near-fall, before a springboard cutter was caught and turned into a cross armbar. Gale tries to get a leg to the rope, only for Sabre to grab it… before the other leg managed to get to the rope to force the break. A Side Effect turns it arounds for Gale, whose lofty Falcon Arrow almost did the deal… before a moonsault landed on Sabre’s knees. Sabre’s PK punts through Gale, before a Zack Driver was countered with a roll-up for a near-fall. Gale adds a Gory Knee from there, before see-saw pins ended with Sabre snatching the W with a Euro clutch. This was a lovely back-and-forth opener, but JJ Gale, while impressive, ultimately came up short at the death… ***¼
Street Fight: Spike Trivet vs. Robbie X
Robbie X already has two wins over Trivet, who was looking for his first Rev Pro win here…
Spike’s got a bag of goodies with him, and a cut-off t-shirt that definitely read “Pick The Bones”… and we’ve got a jump start as Spike’s eventually taken into the corner with dropkicks. Robbie kicks the rope into Spike’s leg ahead of the Beyblade kick, before he took a belt and whipped Spike over the back. A low blow stops Robbie, who got whipped in return, before Spike pulled some chairs out from under the ring. Robbie ducks a flying chair as he grabbed the other and threw it at Spike for a cartwheel dropkick, with things then spilling outside as Spike’s put in a chair… and cannonballed out of it.
Spike took over by spraying disinfectant into Robbie’s eyes, before he used a chair to beat Robbie up onto the aisle… where he jammed the chair into his throat. The chair’s used on Robbie’s knee and ankle from there, but he recovered – along with his eye sight – before he chucked Spike off the stage. Heading into the crowd, Robbie moonsaults off the bleachers, before a suplex back inside took Spike to the outside… where a dive’s swatted away by way of a chairshot. Spike uses the chair back inside as he wore down Robbie, stopping to duct-tape Robbie’s hands together ahead of more belt whipping, before he took a hammer and clawed away on Robbie’s nose.
The amateur dentistry continued, before Robbie found a way to trip Spike into an open chair. Still with his hands tied, Robbie hits a handspring kick to knock Spike off the apron, then broke free of the tape ahead of a triple jump body press to Spike on the floor. A Spiral Tap back inside gets a two-count, while more chair shots led to Spike dropkicking a chair into Robbie. Spike swats away an X-Clamation, then sets up a couple of chairs on their side, for a death valley driver into them for a near-fall. The chairs are set up again as a makeshift crash pad… but Robbie handsprings over the chairs into a Pele kick on Spike… who recovered to hit a Meteora into Robbie on the chairs. Now Spike gets his bag of goodies, emptying out drawing pins onto the mat… only for Robbie to punt Spike low, then powerbomb him into the pins for a near-fall.
Robbie heads up top, but just has a chair thrown at him before Spike hooked Robbie’s nose with the hammer and press slammed him into the pins. A second powerbomb from Trivet doesn’t get it done, so he begins to strangle Robbie X with a belt until the ref stopped it. This match didn’t really land for me, but that’s just the way the whole Trivet journey here has been. So far, it’s not fitted well in Rev Pro – and that’s before you consider any arguments that are remotely “tribal.” **
Post-match, Spike continued to beat on Robbie X as Sha Samuels, referees and contenders came to Robbie’s aid. Sha’s wiped out, but he charges the ring and goes after Spike, as I guess that’s our direction for 2024.
Rev Pro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship: Leon Slater vs. Connor Mills (c)
They’re still sweeping the ring up as Slater came out…
Mills starts out with some kicks to Slater, taking the challenger into the corner before Leon lifted and booted Mills to the outside… following through with a dropkick through the ropes. Back inside, a handspring back elbow spun down Mills for a two-count, before Mills cradled his way out of a rack bomb. Mills twangs the ropes into Slater on the apron, before a front kick and a flying clothesline took Slater to the floor. A Kitchen Sink back inside has Slater down, as did a Dragon screw as he proceeded to tie up the challenger in an Indian deathlock. Slater gets himself free, then scored with a rewind kick… following up with a running front kick that took the champion off his feet.
Slater chases Mills as the champion powdered outside… but Slater’s knee gave way as he went for the over-the-post dive. Mills comes back inside, but ends up taking a misdirection knee as he went for a rebound lariat. A Twister suplex is escaped as Slater’s bad knee was causing problems… allowing Mills to lariat the challenger for a near-fall. Slater’s pulled up by his dreadlocks, before Mills’ Burning Cutter prompted an escape… it aggravates the knees more though, but Slater’s able to push through with a dropkick into the corner, only for Mills to come right back with a Millshot for a two-count. Headbutts to the knee keep Slater on the back foot as Mills went for a 450.
Mills misses, but charged Slater into the corner before an obvious low blow in front of the ref was blocked. A leg lariat took Mills outside as Slater nailed the over-the-post dive, then took Mills back inside for a the swanton 450 for the win. Bell-to-bell, this told a good story – but I’d have liked to have had a more reactive crowd for this. ***½
Great British Tag League 2023 Finals: Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones) vs. Ricky Knight Jr. & Anthony Ogogo
The Greedy Souls won the 3-way play-off last week – and are hoping that recent momentum will help as they’ll be up against what’s a debuting tandem, given Ogogo won a handicap match at the 229 for the team.
We’ve a jump start as the Greedy Souls attacked Ogogo and RKJ before the bell… but a quick turnaround seeds RKJ take them outside for a tope con giro at the bell. Back inside, RKJ chops Jones before White tried to break up a stalling suplex with a chop. It didn’t go well, as RKJ placed Jones down before he hauled up Brendan instead. The ensuing cover gets RKJ a two-count as Ogogo tagged in to hit a back elbow. RKJ’s back in but Brendan’s able to clobber him from behind as the Greedy Souls looked to isolate Ricky. Behind the ref’s back, RKJ’s caught with a chairshot that supposedly busted him open (just with no visible blood), with the Greedy Souls continuing to take shots.
A stalling suplex from Jones led to the referee calling in the medics for RKJ… but they’re not able to do anything just yet as RKJ got the tag out to Ogogo as things just felt flat-out weird. RKJ’s taken to the back by the medics, which left Ogogo on his own against the Greedy Souls as commentary hurriedly brought up that RKJ was being checked out for a concussion. Ogogo’s caught with the Line Out for a two-count but was able to return with a double clothesline. Hey, Ricky Knight Jr’s back, being chased by David Francisco… and tags in to hit a moonsault off the top. Dropkicks follow into the corner ahead of a stacked-up Samoan drop, before a cannonball drew two-counts on both Greedy Souls, somehow.
Jones breaks up a pin after RKJ’s senton into Brendan… then tagged in himself… a stomp-assisted Tower of London goes horribly awry as RKJ and Ogogo got back into it. That miss then looked to be intentional as Ogogo punched out RKJ moments later, allowing the Souls to get the win with a Soul Destroyer on RKJ. This was all sorts of weird – with the chairshot ruling out RKJ briefly, before the “Superman” comeback came to a crushing halt at the hands of his own partner. On paper it made sense, but the execution was all over the place for various reasons. **¼
Luke Jacobs vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Time for business to pick up. Please?
This one started off strong, with both men swinging and missing before a series of forearms from Jacobs rocked Ishii ahead of a shoulder tackle that took the former Rev Pro champion down. Chops take Ishii into the corner, before the rebound from an Irish whip led to Luke getting bounced down with a shoulder tackle. Jacobs tries more chops, but Ishii just backs him into the corner, then unloaded with strikes as Jacobs had his back up against the proverbial wall. Firing back, Jacobs does an Ishii, walking into strikes… but ends up not working out as Ishii knocked him down, before Luke hit a back suplex for a two-count.
Ishii replies with a back suplex of his own, before we’re back to the pair chopping each other into oblivion. A suplex followed from Ishii for a two-count, while a pop-up powerbomb got Luke a near-fall in return, ahead of a GODDAMN WHAT THE HELL LUKE pop-up death valley driver. With the emphasis almost on death. Jacobs pushed on, taking Ishii up top for a superplex… Ishii pops right back up and hits a German suplex, only for Luke to come back with one of his own as they continued to exchange. Dualling lariats eventually knock the pair down, but it’s not long before they’re swinging for the fences, with Ishii’s powerbomb grabbing a two-count.
Jacobs kicks away a lariat, then traded headbutts, wiping out Ishii ahead of a Tiger Driver for a near-fall… before the wild lariat earned only a one-count. Shaken, Luke’s back up for a second one, but Ishii hits his first… for a one-count. Another Ishii lariat nearly wins it, before Jacobs’ sheer-drop brainbuster nearly put Ishii away with his own move. We’re back to the sickening headbutts, ending with an enziguiri from Ishii… then a sliding lariat for a near-fall, before Ishii took home the win with a sheer-drop brainbuster. Trying to bottle lightning twice in six months was always going to be tricky, but these two work so well together… even if it’s hard to watch at times with those headbutts. Not sure I’d have had Ishii win both though… ****¼
Post-match, Jacobs took the mic to acknowledge his loss… and said he knew he could beat Ishii, one day…
Rev Pro Undisputed British Women’s Championship: Dani Luna vs. Alex Windsor (c)
Commentary painted this as a last chance saloon for Luna…
We open with a lock-up that led to the two rolling to the outside… there’s some weirdness as Windsor took Luna into the post, then rolled in, seemingly happy to take a count-out, only to stop so she could hit a Liger-esque cannonball off the apron. Luna’s thrown back inside, but quickly came back out with a low-pe… then took things back inside as Luna went for the Three Amigos, landing a Falcon arrow at the end for a two-count. Windsor turns it back in her favour, chopping Luna into the corner only to get lifted to the outside as Luna hit a crossbody off the apron for good measure. Windsor’s chase allows her to catch Luna from behind, dropping her onto the side of the ring, before an Angle Slam back inside drew a two-count for the champion.
Luna beats Windsor to the punch as she made a comeback, landing a dropkick off the ropes, before Windsor’s superkick knocked Luna into the ropes. Dropkicks keep Dani there, but another turnaround sees Luna take Windsor onto the apron… only for Windsor to block a deadlift German suplex and hit a sunset bomb into the ring for a two-count. A Shining Wizard follows for a near-fall, before the pair traded clotheslines, leading to a pair of one-counts… and a Windsor headbutt that almost won it by happenstance. Windsor spits at Luna, sparking another comeback as Luna dumped the champion with a T-bone suplex into the corner. A rebound Blue Thunder bomb followed for a near-fall, before Windsor rolled out and into a Sharpshooter… Luna fought free though, cracking Windsor with a headbutt in the corner as they fought on the ropes, only for Windsor to hit an avalanche Blue Thunder out of the corner.
Luna ragdolls Windsor back into the ring with a deadlift German suplex, following up with a clothesline for a near-fall… Windsor goes for a belt, but the ref removes it. There’s a second belt, which the ref misses, as Windsor then headed up top for a clothesline. Another Shining Wizard only gets a near-fall, before Luna’s O’Connor roll and clothesline set up for a Luna Landing… and that ends Windsor’s 769-day reign as champion in a match that delivered, but felt like it had so much more room to grow into. ***
Trent Seven vs. Volador Jr.
Trent’s really playing up into the El Bigote Guerrero gimmick, complete with a custom mask, cape and, uhh, generic music? He even forced David Francisco to introduce him in Spanish… before he willingly removed his mask. Like Volador.
Opening with a handshake, Trent backed Volador into the ropes before Volador’s attempts at shoulder tackles didn’t move Trent… armdrags did though, before the pair traded tijeras, with Trent heading outside as a tope knocked Trent into the rails. Trent goes walkies, then returned to the ring as he ended up taking some more headscissors, leading to him chopping Volador as a baseball slide from the luchador took things outside. Back in the ring, Trent’s chops get him a two-count, as did a DDT, before an Emerald Flowsion led to an attempted Seven Stars lariat… but Volador kicks it away, then hit a superkick for a two-count. A superplex followed, which led to a double-down tease, but they break the count at nine before Trent connected with punches.
Volador’s back cracker creates an opening as he followed up with a Destroyer off the ropes, only to get a delayed two-count. A moonsault from Volador’s aborted, as was a second Destroyer, before Trent scored with a roll-up… then a Seven Stars lariat for a near-fall. Trent heads up top and misses a Whisper In The Wind… before Volador popped up to hit a reverse ‘rana… then a slingshot Destroyer out of the corner to get the win. **¾
Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship: Zack Gibson vs. Michael Oku (c)
Commentary notes how Gibson “quit Rev Pro for WWE”, then returned aghast at who the Rev Pro champion was after leaving WWE earlier in the year.
After some old, then dodgy chants, we got going with Sabre working over Oku’s wrist, taking him down to the mat before he kicked Oku away as the champion fought back. Some misdirection led to a ‘rana, then a dropkick as Gibson was on the back foot. Gibson elbows Oku to the mat, but Oku floats free of a back suplex, then hit an overhead kick for good measure, taking Gibson into the corner for a running dropkick. A second one misses as Oku crashed and burned… allowing Gibson to pick the proverbial bones as he wore down Oku. We’ve a butterfly suplex for a two-count, before Oku was grounded with a hammerlock that turned into a crossface, then a grounded Cobra Twist.
Oku manages to fight back, scoring a missile dropkick off the middle rope, before he ducked a Gibson lariat and returned with an Undertaker-like leaping clothesline. Gibson rolls outside for respite there, stopping a Fosbury flop attempt as he ended up pulling Oku into a twisting tombstone piledriver. Gibson’s limping noticeably after that piledriver, but was able to get back inside to mouth off at Oku, but Oku’s able to unload with some body blows to Gibson, then a head kick and a DDT that had the challenger staggering. A half crab’s pushed away, but Oku hits a PK and springboard moonsault to the head of Gibson for a two-count. Second time’s the charm, but the half crab ends quickly in the ropes…
Gibson’s clinging to the rope as Oku tried to put the half crab back on… he lets go and cracks Oku with a cross-chop to the throat, before a single arm DDT dumped the champion. Oku manages to avoid the Shankly Gates and try for a half crab… but Gibson finds his way back into the Shankly Gates, but Oku’s able to squirm into the ropes to force the break. Oku fights back with a misdirection knee, following up with a superkick and a Fosbury flop… before a follow-up back inside saw him shove Gibson out of the corner… only to leap into a Ticket To Ride as he went for a froggy crossbody. Gibson adds a second spinning tombstone inside the ring, but Oku kicks out at two… only to get rolled back into the Shankly Gates. Gibson’s knee’s causing enough problems for him that he had to fight to position himself, but Oku stands free of the hold.
In the corner, Gibson lands an enziguiri, then scored with a flying Ticket to Ride… only for Oku to counter and roll the hold into a half crab. Gibson rolls free, but Oku heads up top for a froggy crossbody to the back of Gibson… a regular frog splash followed, as the Tanahashi 1-2 proved to be enough. Gibson’s seeming knee injury was the story of this – and at 100%, I do wonder how much different things would have been here. ***¾
After the match, an embarrassed Gibson swallowed his pride and admitted he was wrong about Oku and put him over big time, offering a handshake before Oku exited stage left. That left Gibson alone to wax lyrical about himself and James Drake… but the Greedy Souls run out to blindside Gibson… only for James Drake to make the save (and encounter the Rev Pro Microphone on his Rev Pro debut) as it looks like we’re getting the Grizzled Young Veterans and the Greedy Souls while Mark Andrews heals up. I just hope Gibson’s knee isn’t too badly hurt…
Gabe Kidd vs. Will Ospreay
We’d some late spice to this courtesy of Kidd jumping Ospreay during a meet and greet… which meant we had ALL THE REFS and contenders at ringside to separate the two before the bell.
We’re starting with palm strikes that quickly settled down with the two clinching into the ropes… but Kidd’s overhead belly-to-belly suplex led to clotheslines… and we’re back to the shots, ending with a clothesline from Kidd to leave both men laying. Back to their feet, Ospreay’s kicks have Kidd rocked, before a springboard was shoved as Ospreay was sent flying over the top to the floor. The pair fought around ringside, with Ospreay cracking Kidd’s head against the guard rails, before Kidd got bounced into the ring post. Kidd comes up red, and is quickly bounced onto the floor as Ospreay dove off the apron… before the pair fought up the aisle and onto the stage, where Kidd struck back with an Exploder.
Back inside, Kidd gets a two-count from a brainbuster, before he shoved Ospreay back outside. Ospreay’s come up read as well, thanks to some headbutts… but a clink into the ring post won’t have helped as Kidd raked his elbow against the cut. Another headbutt back inside keeps up the aggression from Kidd, who chopped Ospreay into the corner before he bit away on Ospreay’s ear. More nibbling followed on the top rope, but Ospreay slips out to hit a Cheeky Nando’s kick, before a handspring enziguiri took Kidd down. A plancha wipes out Kidd on the floor, before a springboard forearm only drew a one-count. Ospreay goes for Kidd’s cut, ripping at the wound before Kidd replied to some Kawada kicks with headbutts. Gnawing from Ospreay ends with Kidd grabbing a Kimura as he suplexed Ospreay into the turnbuckles.
A hanging guillotine in the corner ends with Ospreay being dumped lifelessly onto the apron, ahead of a piledriver from Kidd, which led to a count-out tease that Ospreay broke… only to get clubbered with a lariat seconds later. A Saito suplex dumps Ospreay moments later for a near-fall, before the pair exchanged headbutts on the top rope… leading to Ospreay manoeuvring for an avalanche reverse ‘rana. Ospreay adds an OsCutter to the mix, but Kidd’s up at two… a Hidden Blade’s blocked, so instead we get a powerbomb on Kidd for a two-count, before a pair of hook kicks led to Kidd swiping back. The pair resume with headbutts, but a rolling elbow rocks Kidd… only for him to recover and spike Ospreay with a tombstone for a near-fall. The Bull Lariat flips Ospreay for a near-fall, but he’s able to find a way back in with a Styles Clash for a near-fall of his own.
From there, Ospreay looks for a Storm Breaker, but instead opted for the Storm Driver ‘93… before a leaping Hidden Blade clattered into Kidd amid a Bull Lariat. It’s good for a one-count, before a second Hidden Blade and a series of forearms to the downed Kidd forced referee Oscar Harding to wave it off. This was hard hitting from start to finish – and while you didn’t get the sense that the crowd believed in Kidd as much as they did Ospreay, this was a cracker of a main event. ****
Post-match, Ospreay took the mic and recounted his career in British wrestling to date – closing by saying that “unfortunately, it’s time for me to go.” Except he had one last show for Rev Pro: February 18, 2024… and he wasn’t going to leave without the Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship. That drew out Michael Oku for the obligatory staredown, with Ospreay reminding Oku of what happened “last time” at High Stakes in 2022.
I don’t know whether it was the different venue or there were other factors at play, but a lot of this show just felt off – from the quiet crowd, to the commentary that strangely didn’t mesh, this was threatening to be an all-timer show for all the wrong reasons. A rare mis-step of a show from Rev Pro, who we know are capable of so much better in terms of consistency… just there’s times things just don’t click.