wrestling / TV Reports
Hamilton’s Rev Pro Live in Southampton 21 12.11.2022 Review
Image Source: RevPro
Loading...Quick Results
Shaun Jackson pinned JJ Gale in 10:03 (**¾)
Luke Jacobs pinned Chris Bronson in 12:58 (***¼)
Leon Slater pinned Callum Newman in 7:29 (***¼)
Will Kaven pinned Cameron Khai in 10:25 (**¾)
Dani Luna submitted Maya Matthews in 14:28 (***)
Elimination Match: TK Cooper was the last man standing after 17:37 (***½)
— If you’re on Twitter, give me a follow over on @IanWrestling. I’m also over on Mastodon, for those of you preparing for a post-Twitter world… catch me here… and check out the GoFundMe that’s still open for Larry’s family.
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com – they’re currently running a two-week free trial…
We’re at the 1865 in Southampton, with some changes from the norm – Slick/Gio Lombardo is doing double duty on commentary and as ring announcer, while Ricky Knight Jr. and Alex Windsor were off the show due to injury. RKJ has since been pulled from this weekend’s York Hall show, with Zak Knight defending the title in Ricky’s stead…
JJ Gale vs. Shaun Jackson
These two had a prior meeting here back in 2019, with Jackson coming out on top then… and the pair came to blows before the bell as Jackson took some verbal digs at Gale.
Jackson’s aggressive early on, building up to a springboard shoulder tackle for an early two-count, before a Monkey flip and a dropkick from Gale turned the tide. Gale eventually adds a triple-jump ‘rana, before a bulldog took Jackson outside for a flip senton into the aisle.
Gale pulls the referee down as Jackson went for a crossbody aimed at the pair of them, but Jackson’s able to force his way back in as he charged his shoulder into Gale’s back after trapping him in the buckles. A suplex throw chucks Gale across the ring as Jackson followed up with a STO for a near-fall, before Gale wheelbarrowed Jackson into a stomp.
An enziguiri drops Jackson, as did a springboard twisting European uppercut out of the corner, before a pop-up slam dumped Gale in the middle of the ring. Back-and-forth slaps follow, but it’s Gale who remained ahead with a superkick and a Whisper in the Wind into the aisle.
Back inside, a senton bomb’s good for a near-fall, before Jackson swatted away a twisting cutter, then hit a backbreaker and an Emerald Flowsion for a near-fall. Gale ‘rana’s out of a Jackson Falls, but got cut off in the ropes amid another springboard… before a roll-up and a big handful of tights got Jackson the cheap win. This was simmering away nicely until the sudden finish, as Jackson’s building up a list of wins here. **¾
Chris Bronson vs. Luke Jacobs
It’s a Rev Pro debut for the Bristolian Bronson, and a debut for a new official, who’s not named here…
An even opening exchange saw Bronson spin down Jacobs to the mat, only to get kicked into the corner before Jacobs offered a handshake after a stalemate. Chops from Jacobs were returned in kind, before a surprise ‘rana and dropkick from Bronson took Jacobs down. A suplex from Bronson is escaped as Jacobs hits a death valley driver and back senton combo to turn the match around.
Jacobs’ Shibata-ish dropkick into the corner and a Northern lights out of it adds a two-count, before things headed outside as Bronson took a front kick in the front row. They traded strikes after that, before Bronson escaped a powerbomb and returned with capture headbutts, following with an overhead belly-to-belly out of the corner.
Forearms from Bronson and a spinebuster lead to a two-count, before he sat down on a sunset flip from Jacobs. Bronson’s back senton misses as the pair were going for a quick finish, leading to a lariat from Jacobs, then a brainbuster for a near-fall. A back body drop gives Bronson hope, as did a powerslam, before Bronson took Jacobs up top for a superplex… but Jacobs pushes his way free, only for Bronson to regain his footing and hit the superplex anyway.
Bronson herc’s up Jacobs for a press slam into a Samoan driver that almost got the upset… but in the end Jacobs was able to outlast the debutant and get the win with a sitout powerbomb. A good debut for Bronson, who’d better be brought back with some regularity in 2023, as he proved more than a test for Jacobs here. ***¼
Leon Slater vs. Callum Newman
This is an interesting match-up, especially given both men’s trajectories in Rev Pro right now…
Newman tried a cheapshot in response to a Spinaroonie, as the pair ended up hitting the ropes, swinging and missing with kicks, before Slater found his mark with a springboard back elbow out of the corner.
Slater adds a sorta-Spinaroonie into a frog splash for a two-count, before some head kicks had Newman rocked by the ropes. Newman throws Slater to the outside, but gets his legs swept ahead of a slingshot frog splash back in from Leon, before Newman hung up Slater in the ropes and added an enziguiri.
A PK from Newman, then a springboard uppercut to the back adds a two-count, as did a springboard enziguiri, before Slater tried his luck with an Octopus stretch, but Newman popped out of it. Slater has more luck with a crossbody for a two-count, then a twister suplex, before Slater took too long and got ‘rana’d off the top rope.
A springboard cutter followed for a two-count for Newman, before Slater tried the Octopus hold once more. Slater avoids a rope break as the pair see-saw’d on sunset flips, leading to a Victory roll from Slater, who added a Zack Sabre Jr.-like Euro clutch on the end of it to score the win. This was a good little sprint, with Slater throwing in some barbs at Zack Sabre Jr. by doing some of his own moves… a repeat of that at York Hall might not go down so lightly though. ***¼
Will Kaven vs. Cameron Khai
Kaven wormed his way into the Cruiserweight title match at Uprising – and has a potential banana skin warm-up match here.
Kaven had the crowd on his back the second he was announced as coming from Portsmouth, as we start with the pair locking up into the ropes. Using the hair, Kaven tries to get ahead, but ended up getting caught in an armbar before a standing moonsault got Khai an early two-count.
A headlock takedown snapped Khai to the mat, as did a suplex, while a teardrop suplex dumped Khai into the corner. Khai’s taken into the ropes, then the corner before he burst back in with a crucifix and a low clothesline to Kaven. Khai keeps going with a ripcord forearm, before a leg sweep and a low kick to Kaven led to a Northern lights for a near-fall.
Khai followed up with a death valley driver, then with a roll-through into a Falcon arrow for another two-count, before Kaven hung up Khai in the ropes again. A flying knee drop to Khai in the ropes turns it around, as did a brainbuster, before Khai snuck back in with a German suplex. Another slingshot in gets countered into a Dragon suplex from Kaven, but Khai’s cutter keeps things even ahead of a slingshot cutter for a near-fall.
Khai takes too long on the top rope as he then had to fight out of an avalanche Dragon suplex, before his crossbody off the top saw him crash into Kaven’s knee. A curb-stomp knee and the Regal-plex backbreaker follow, and that’s it for Khai, as Kaven picked up the somewhat straightforward win going into his York Hall debut. **¾
Dani Luna vs. Maya Matthews
Luna was making her Rev Pro return, some three years from her last appearance for the promotion – ironically in Southampton as well. She was filling in for Alex Windsor here, with question marks raised over the Windsor/Kanji title unifier…
Opening with a lock-up, Luna took Matthews into the corner, then ragdolled her to the mat as a side headlock had Matthews in trouble. Maya goes for a crossbody, but it’s caught by Luna… who ended up taking down Matthews with a diving forearm for an early two-count. A misdirection Slingblade from Matthews caught Luna off guard, who clotheslines Maya out of a handshake as Maya’s made a rookie mistake.
A second Slingblade goes to a sleeperhold, but Luna breaks free then hit a chop block to Matthews’ knee as she began to ground things some more. On the outside, Luna uses the edge of the ring to her advantage, before she wrapped Matthews’ leg around the ring post. Back inside, Matthews went for an inside cradle that Luna easily kicked out of, as she resumed the offensive by going for a Sharpshooter… then switching it to a single-leg DDT for a two-count.
Matthews cradles her way out of a Sharpshooter for a two-count, but Dani’s able to add a Cloverleaf that turned into a cover for a two-count. Luna stays on the bad leg, sweeping Matthews to the mat before Maya fought back with a shotgun dropkick… which did about equal damage, it seemed. A gamengiri traps Luna in the corner, ahead of a cutter attempt… but Matthews ends up hitting a Bull lariat instead.
Luna kicks out at two from that, before a delayed cover from a running cutter led to a near-fall for Matthews. In the end, Matthews gets caught in the ropes with a rebound Blue Thunder Bomb as Luna pushed on some more, only to get caught with a ‘rana and a spear from the rookie. After kicking out, Luna trades strikes with Matthews, as Maya then came close to the win with a Victory roll, before Luna’s low dropkick and a Darkness Falls led to a near-fall… with Dani adding a Scorpion Crosslock to force a rapid submission in what was a dominant return. ***
Elimination: Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones), Connor Mills & Lucian Phillips vs. Sunshine Machine (TK Cooper & Chuck Mambo), Michael Oku & David Francisco
We’re running under New Japan rules here, with eliminations coming via pinfall, submission, DQ or going over the top rope.
David Francisco subbed for Ricky Knight Jr. in this match, and we started with a brawl among all eight men before the bell – with action spilling around the venue and up to the bar. We’d had dives from Francisco and Mambo, before Oku’s Fosbury flop wiped out the pile as a froggy crossbody from Oku to Mills finally got the match underway.
A ‘rana and a dropkick sends Mills flying, as Oku-berg’s spear keeps his former tag partner down… before Mills broke free and tagged out. Brendan White and David Francisco come in, with Francisco winding up White en route to a clothesline in the corner and an inside cradle for a two-count as commentary took a dig at the Contender.
Francisco adds a clothesline as Lucian Phillips tagged in to trade shoulder blocks. Phillips plants Francisco with a slam as TK Cooper came in to rattle Phillips with Dusty punches… only to run into a spinebuster. Mambo’s in next – with TK and Mambo having high-tailed it from PROGRESS’ show in Dubai the day before to make this booking. Clotheslines from Mambo were shrugged off, as Phillips wild back elbow and powerbomb prompted Mambo to tag out to Oku.
Oku makes a dent against Phillips, at least until his crossbody was caught… but Oku wriggles out to hit a dropkick, only to get caught with a standing F5 from Phillips. Francisco tagged in… and was bulldozed with a clothesline from Phillips. A second one looks to follow, but Francisco ducks and back body dropped Francisco over the top rope to the floor for our first elimination at 6:01 of the match.
A furious Phillips refused to go to the back, and after Connor Mills and the Greedy Souls distracted the referee, he got some revenge after laying out Francisco with a chairshot. In came Mills to pick up the pieces, waiting for Francisco to get back up so he could pin him after a head kick at 8:07.
Oku’s in to go after Mills with a superkick, which garners a near-fall, before Mills kicked away a half crab. The pair come to blows, leading to Oku hitting a Cactus clothesline to eliminate the pair of them at 9:38. We’re down to the Greedy Souls and Sunshine Machine, with all four of them squaring off. A double clothesline drops White, while Danny Jones takes a pair of back elbows as the former tag champions looked to surge ahead.
Things settle down with TK charging out of the corner with clotheslines to White and Jones, before a slam from TK led to an elbow drop from Mambo for a two-count. Chops from Mambo take White into the corner for some mudhole stomping, before Mambo eliminated himself as he vaulted over the top rope to the floor to hit Brendan White with the Macho Man stun gun at 12:36.
With Mambo gone, TK Cooper’s in a literal handicap match – and almost lost to a roll-up as the referee had given up enforcing tags in this one. Settling down, White stays in with TK, sending him into the corner as the champions exchange quick tags while stomping away on Cooper. TK hits back with a double clothesline, then went corner-to-corner on his remaining opponents, following with an Exploder to White as TK looked to pull off the improbable.
TK evades a Soul Breaker and manages to eliminate Danny Jones with an O’Connor roll at 17:14, but ran into a Brendan White backbreaker and Twister suplex straight after that. White charges at TK by the ropes, only to get low bridged – and that’s the come-from-behind win for Cooper at 17:37! These elimination matches are typically good when New Japan have done them – and as long as they’re not overused, can play a fun part in the build-up to Rev Pro’s York Hall shows. A good first showing for the format here! ***½
After the match, the Greedy Souls hit the ring to beat up TK Cooper some more before Chuck Mambo appeared on the balcony and hit a crossbody to White and Jones… sending them packing as Sunshine Machine stood tall to end the show.
