Hamilton’s Rev Pro Unfinished Business 2021 09.26.2021 Review

Quick Results
Michael Oku submitted Gideon Grey in 14:56 (**¾)
Luke Jacobs & Ethan Allen pinned Lucian Phillips & Screwface Ahmed in 14:43 (***¼)
British J-Cup Qualifier: Connor Mills pinned Callum Newman in 13:41 (***¼)
Ricky Knight Jr. pinned Will Kroos in 12:03 (**¾)
British J-Cup Qualifier: Robbie X pinned Martin Kirby in 12:40 (***)
Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher pinned Yota Tsuji & Shota Umino in 16:30 (***¾)

— If you’re on Twitter, give me a follow over on @IanWrestling – and check out the GoFundMe that’s still open for Larry’s family.

We’re at the Priory Centre in St. Neots for this one, with Andy Quildan running solo on commentary.

Gideon Grey vs. Michael Oku
After weeks of complaining about Chris Ridgeway not getting a singles title match, Gideon’s been thrown into a match against a man he’s so eloquently labelled as “Michael Joku”… there’s even a few pot shots thrown towards Andy Quildan before the match too as Gideon threatened to make sure Oku couldn’t leave under his own steam.

Oku takes down Grey to start, but Grey wrestles his way into it, even if Oku was able to roll free of a wristlock. A side headlock follows from Grey, but Oku extricates himself and returned with an armbar before Grey was taken outside with a dropkick, as Oku then followed up with a plancha for good measure.

On the outside, Oku chopped Grey by the ring post before his eyes got raked… Grey tries to chop back, but stops himself from hitting the post, only for Oku to hit back anyway. A Fosbury flop followed after Grey faked out throwing Oku into the crowd, but Grey’s right back on the leg, before a superkick dropped Oku.

Grey stays on Oku with a modified half crab, which turned into an ankle lock, but Oku gets free… and manages to work his way up for a frog splash. Except Grey rolls away, and that jarred Oku’s knee as it’s right back to that leg as a Figure Four followed. Complete with some cheating in the ropes. The referee eventually catches Grey using the ropes, and after a distracting argument, Grey turned around into a superkick.

From there, Oku continues his comeback with a series of right hands, leading to a leaping Kane clothesline. A neckbreaker’s next, then the springboard moonsault, as I swear the crowd were chanting “break his back.” Didn’t think that THAT Iron Sheik shoot interview aged that well. Grey kicks out of a half crab, then pulled Oku into a pumphandle… but Oku slips free for a misdirection knee instead.

Grey’s right back with knee breakers, only for Oku to spin Gideon down into a half crab for the quick submission. An enjoyable opener to play into next week’s Oku/Ridgeway match… **¾

Post-match, Chris Ridgeway runs out to chop block Oku before kicks set up for a half crab – only for Connor Mills to make the save.

The Legion (Lucian Phillips & Screwface Ahmed) vs. Young Guns (Ethan Allen & Luke Jacobs)
We’ve no Gideon at ringside as he’s cooling down from that opener… while this was the first time the Young Guns had been out since they were unceremoniously attacked by Aussie Open and Will Ospreay a week earlier. They’re looking more appreciative of the crowd than they were too…

From the opening lock-up, Screwface backs Allen into the corner, before a shoulder tackle knocked Ethan down as the Young Guns were, ahem, misfiring in the early going. Allen works over Screwface’s arm in response, but another shoulder tackle bounced Allen down as the Legion threatened to dictate the pace.

A side headlock from Allen subdues Screwface, but there’s a noticeable step change as Gideon Grey joins the commentary desk. Luke Jacobs comes in, but his leapfrog’s caught and turned into a slam by Lucian Phillips, while Screwface’s sit-down splash keeps the momentum going.

Eventually Jacobs breaks free and made the tag out to Allen as the Young Guns took control, taking the Legion duo to the outside. They scrap on the outside, but Allen ends up almost on the wrong side of things as he called on both Screwface and Phillips… and managed to hold them off until Phillips swept him onto the apron.

A hotshot on Allen gets a two-count, while a suplex barely gets a one-count, before a double-team backbreaker and a ripcord boot led to a big clothesline as Screwface almost shut out the Young Guns. Allen swings wildly to break out of a bearhug, but Lucian Phillips is right back with a clothesline as the Legion were back to their effective ways.

Eventually Allen leaps over the Legion and made the hot tag to Jacobs, who cleared house before a spinebuster planted Phillips for a near-fall. Screwface is back to try and box his way back in, but a superkick stops him as the Young Guns went for the PK Piledriver… but a back body drop turned it around as the Legion swiftly hit back with a pop-up powerbomb on Allen.

Allen finds a way back with a springboard moonsault out of the corner to Phillips, while a hesitation dropkick from Jacobs in the corner sets up for the PK Piledriver, which is good for the three-count. A decent tag match with the Legion dominating, but a quick flurry from the Young Guns at the end was enough to condemn the luckless Legion to their second loss of the night. ***¼

British J-Cup Qualifier: Connor Mills vs. Callum Newman
Rev Pro announced that the 2021 British J Cup would be hitting Stevenage in November, so here’s some quickly-scheduled qualifiers… and some strong words on commentary as I get the feeling Connor may have heard some commentary from Sheffield.

Mills works a wristlock early on, but Newman escaped by working over Mills’ legs, trapping them on themselves as he maneuvered into a front facelock. Using another wristlock, Mills gets free before Newman used the ropes to flip free as the pair remained somewhat equal ahead of a Kitchen Sink knee from Mills.

A back elbow off the ropes drops Newman for a one-count, as Newman continued his comeback amid tuck shop chat on commentary. He takes too long teeing up a dive as we have switcheroos, leading to Newman taking a nasty-sounding landing from a Sasuke special dive.

Uppercuts from Mills back inside have Newman down, as did slams, before we head outside for some Mills chops. It’s all Mills here, at least until a roundhouse kick from Newman saw him avoid a Burning Cutter… and there the comeback starts with Newman hitting a springboard stomp to Mills through the ropes. A springboard Meteora follows, before the pair jockeyed over a suplex, with Mills instead opting for a kick before his Millshot’s countered with a Stundog Millionaire.

Newman tries to follow up, eventually doing so with a springboard roundhouse and an over-the-knee brainbuster that almost got him the win. From there, Newman takes an age to go up top, but he rolls through a shooting star press before Mills ate a Pele kick… then rebounded back with a lariat.

A Millshot’s next for a near-fall as Mills pushed on… chops have Newman in the ropes, but he holds on to avoid an Irish whip, but the pair trade big blows as Mills’ rebound lead him into a standing Spanish Fly for a near-fall for Newman. Going back up top, Newman lands in Mills’ knees from a shooting star press, before the Burning Cutter booked Mills’ ticket to the British J-Cup. ***¼

Chris Ridgeway’s out for the next match… where he was scheduled to face Ricky Knight Jr. However, after Ridgeway had taken out Michael Oku earlier in the night, Gideon Grey ditched commentary to make a change to proceedings. Grey, protecting his charge, didn’t want Ridgeway wrestling “that psychopath,” and after talking Ridgeway out of the match, revealed a replacement in the form of a debuting Will Kroos.

Ricky Knight Jr. vs. Will Kroos
Kroos – dubbed “The Headline” – looked to be part of the Legion, at least for tonight. He’s been making a name for himself in promotions in the North of England, such as PCW, Tidal and NORTH.

RKJ’s the clear babyface here against the much larger Kroos, but manages to take the early lead with the high-speed rope running into a dropkick, taking Kroos to the outside… but Kroos just suplexes him back into the ring before chops took RKJ into the ropes. A kick to the back looked to wear down RKJ, but dropkicks from the former Southside Grand Slam champion turned it back around.

Kroos kicks out at one from a back senton, then tried to pull RKJ away from the ropes… before a crossbody splatted RKJ into them for a two-count. A back body drop and a running dropkick has Knight steaming ahead, with another dropkick following, before a draping DDT nearly ended things.

A clothesline from Kroos dropped Knight, before the big man went up top… but gets stopped with a dropkick as RKJ brings him down with a superplex. RKJ unloads with a flurry of palm strikes as Kroos looked to be fading, but a backbreaker out of nowhere gave the new Legion lad some hope.

Kroos gets a one-count from a knee drop, but RKJ double-legs Kroos ahead of a double stomp, before a lariat off the ropes took him down. From there, RKJ goes for a German suplex, eventually landing it as RKJ lands a senton bomb for a near-fall… RKJ can’t get the Fire Thunder Driver off, as he’s pushed off into the ropes for a powerbomb by Kroos, who then ran in with a back senton.

Kroos goes back up top, only to miss on a frog splash as RKJ proceeds to hit a hook kick before a slam and a MASSIVE double stomp from the top crushed Kroos for the win. A bit of a flat debut for Kroos, whom I’d have preferred to been brought in in different circumstances – a good showing, but the story coming was more about how RKJ was weathering a storm as opposed to Kroos’ loss. **¾

British J-Cup Qualifier: Robbie X vs. Martin Kirby
Having come out of a brief retirement earlier in the month (having had a tour of Dragon Gate before the world fell to pieces), Martin Kirby’s got his old WCPW theme back, so we’re off to a cracker of a start.

Thanks to Gideon Grey, I’ve got the Crystal Maze theme stuck in my head… and then wrestling breaks out. Robbie X rolls out of a wristlock to apply one of his own, before Kirby came back with a leg lariat off the ropes. Shoulder charges from Kirby take Robbie X into the corner, but a hiptoss and a cartwheel dropkick have Robbie X back in.

A slam from Kirby resets things, but Robbie X hooks himself in the ropes as he slipped outside to trip Kirby up as the match remained finely poised. Going for the arm, Robbie X levers back on Kirby, who responds by faking out Robbie X ahead of an enziguiri. Kirby keeps going with an uppercut to the back of Robbie X for just a one-count, before a running shoulder charge led to a delayed two-count for Kirby.

Changing things up, Kirby crosses Robbie X’s legs ahead of an abdominal stretch that was rolled through for a pinning attempt. Out of nowhere, a dropkick from Robbie X stems the tide, before he caught Kirby in the corner with an enziguiri ahead of a running shooting star press for a two-count.

Stomps from Robbie X soften Kirby up for an aborted Spiral Tap… but Kirby’s able to capitalise with a neckbreaker instead as Kirby burst into life, ending a flurry with a sitout powerbomb for a near-fall. Robbie X knocks Kirby onto the apron ahead of a handspring kick to knock him to the floor… a tope follows, then the Spiral Tap back inside that almost got the win…

Kirby tries his luck with flash pins, but Robbie X is able to kick out… before the pair traded kicks. Robbie X doesn’t fall for the “stop!” a second time around though, and promptly handsprings into the ropes for an X-Clamation as Martin Kirby’s return ended on a sour note. A decent match, and one I’d like to see them run back – perhaps at a (not) Cockpit show – but for now it’s Robbie X who moves onto the British J-Cup. ***

Shota Umino & Yota Tsuji vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
Aussie Open of course turned on Umino at High Stakes a week earlier – so here’s the “whatever happens” tag match that of course isn’t for either the PWA or Rev Pro tag titles…

Umino jumped Aussie Open with a double dropkick to take them outside before the bell, as we start with a scrap on the floor. Tsuji brings back memories of that glorious match with Kyle Fletcher, chopping him at ringside while Umino targeted Davis as we waited for the bell to go.

We finally get going with Umino walloping Davis, before a neckbreaker was elbowed away by Dunkzilla. Umino quickly retaliated with a low dropkick, before Tsuji came in to hit the Mount Tsuji splash ahead of sandwiching low dropkicks on Davis for a near-fall. Umino’s back, but it’s way too soon to go for a Death Rider, and Davis pushes free as Aussie Open came in to clear house.

A nice slingshot into an uppercut took care of Tsuji as Umino’s double-teamed, with the Aussies exchanging quick tags while Tsuji picked himself up off the floor. Chops from Davis wear out Umino, while commentary wore each other out with impressions. Is Andy Quildan the Britwres Stu Hart, in that everyone has impressions of him?

Davis elbows Tsuji off the apron again as they continue to wear down Umino… and when Shota did muster some fight, he falls to distractions as going for Fletcher just had him turn around into another shot from Davis. A chinlock wears Umino down, as did a slam and a back senton, before Fletcher came in and slammed away any hints of a fightback.

Umino kicks out at two, then came back with a diving uppercut as he finally made that tag out to Tsuji. Clearing Davis off the apron, Tsuji focuses on Fletcher with a ‘rana but Davis runs in to hold Tsuji… only to get caught with headscissors and a headlock takedown. A double armdrag has the Aussies on the back foot, with a suplex almost putting Fletcher away.

Fletcher kicks Tsuji out of the corner before a tombstone’s wriggled out of… the pair trade reversals, then standing switches ahead of a brainbuster from Kyle that left both men laying. A tag bring us to Davis and Tsuji, with the latter eating a lariat for a near-fall, drawing in Umino to… run into a chop.

Shota’s sent outside with a suplex as Tsuji took the double-team Alabama Slam/powerbomb combo for a near-fall, before Shota held Fletcher in the ropes as the assisted Aussie Arrow was blocked. Instead, Tsuji heads up to Fletcher in the corner, but got knocked down as a dropkick from Umino caught Kyle, as Tsuji eventually… WHAT THE BLOODY HELL. He didn’t learn the Spanish Fly in the hontai dojo, right?!

That gets Tsuji a two-count as Davis looked to catch Umino with the Alphamare Waterslide… only to eat a brainbuster instead as the Aussies get caught in dualling Young Lion Boston Crabs. Davis got to the ropes, but it’s for nought because he nor Umino were legal, as Kyle Fletcher ended up having to make his own way to safety.

On the outside, Davis posts Umino – but it means we miss a superkick in the ring… Fletcher’s getting worn down by Tsuji’s kicks, so decides to throw some of his own as the pair trade kicks at speed… before a swiping slap blasted Tsuji. Yota returns quickly as he looked for the Vertebreaker-ish move, only for Davis to punch him away.

From there, the inverted Razor’s Edge slam nearly puts Tsuji away as Umino dives in to make the save… elbows try to wear out Davis and Fletcher, but they kick him to the floor while Tsuji’s double spear levelled things. Tsuji then goes for the “Time Is Over” – the Vertebreaker-ish move – but a double-team Go 2 Sleep and the assisted Aussie Arrow land for a near-fall as the Aussies pushed on again.

Umino’s dropkicked off the apron by Fletcher as Tsuji’s left isolated again for the rebranded Fidget Spinner – now dubbed the Coriolis – for the win. A really good tag match, which is something Rev Pro seem to have found something of a stash of since the restart, as you can add this match to the “wouldn’t mind seeing it again” list that’s steadily growing. ***¾

Post-match, Shota Umino tries to attack Aussie Open again, but they swarm him before Ricky Knight Jr. runs back out to help. The Young Guns join in too as they get their licks in on Aussie Open as we’ve a wild brawl to close things out in St. Neots… and don’t think all the good guys stand tall at the end either, as RKJ helped up Shota Umino, only for Yota Tsuji to take it the wrong way, only to get shoved down as they managed to build two of the big matches for this weekend’s London show in that closing segment.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Not a bad show, but certainly a comedown from the highs of York Hall - but Rev Pro still managed to get the ball rolling for future big shows, including the newly-announced British J-Cup, as we continue the slow-burn to Umino vs. Ospreay.