Hamilton’s Rev Pro Live in Southampton 26 10.08.2023 Review

Quick Results
Great British League 2023 Block A: Kid Lykos II & Kid Lykos pinned Mark Billington & Thomas Billington in 10:37 (***)
JJ Gale pinned Leon Slater in 12:20 (***¼)
Robbie X pinned Spike Trivet in 15:50 (***¼)
Luke Jacobs pinned Cameron Khai in 16:50 (***½)
Mercedez Blaze and Dani Luna ended in a no-contest in 14:32 (***)
Great British League 2023 Block B: Danny Jones & Brendan White pinned Maverick Mayhew & Danny Black in 9:54 (***)
Michael Oku submitted Sha Samuels in 12:16 (***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 at the 1865 in Southampton once again… commentary for this comes from Andy Quildan and Gio Nolastname…

Great British League 2023 Block A: Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos II) vs. Billington Bulldogs (Mark Billington & Thomas Billington)
Kid Lykos has gone back to his more family-friendly nickname here… while the Bulldogs had the theme you’d expect.

The Bulldogs jump the Lykii before the bell, but the more established team overcome it as Mark Billington and Kid Lykos got things going. A single-leg lariat from Lykos has Mark down, before Kid Lykos II and Thomas Billington came in.

Shoulder tackles from Thomas find their mark, as did a pop-up dropkick… a second one misses, as Lykos II ends up hitting a Cactus crossbody to take both men to the floor. Back inside, the Lykii isolate Thomas, whose attempt to fight back earned him an enziguiri… before he dropkicked the top rope to crotch Lykos II in the corner.

Thomas’ press slam brings Lykos II down for a one-count, before he chopped Lykos II into the corner. Mark’s back to help with a double-team snap suplex, while a back rake took Lykos II into the corner. Lykos II gets hung up in the ropes for a dropkick to the back a la YOSHI-HASHI, before Lykos II’s inside cradle just earned him a wild lariat.

A brainbuster levels Lykos II for a two-count, before he got thrown into the ring post. Thomas is back for a German suplex for a two-count, as we built up to a double-clothesline. Kid Lykos makes the tag in, wiping out Thomas with a leaping forearm before Mark came in and ate a low dropkick. Lykos chains together back suplexes neatly, while a standing corkscrew moonsault drew just a two-count.

A quick turnaround sees Thomas hit a Snow Plow for a near-fall on Lykos, before Mark came in to help with a dropkick-aided spinebuster. It’s good for a near-fall, before Lykos II got propelled to the outside… he’s quickly back to take care of Thomas with a plancha, while Mark ate a barrage of stuff for a two-count. The finish came quickly after when Lykos hit an X-Plex to send Lykos II onto Mark… and that’s the win that seemed to come from nowhere as the Lykii pick up three points. ***

JJ Gale vs. Leon Slater
The local lad Gale’s got a big test here as Rev Pro’s young roster jockey for spots…

Slater started off with some waistlock takedowns on Gale, before leapfrogs took us to some double dropkicks and a stand-off. Gale sidesteps another dropkick, but missed a charge into the corner… returning with a springboard tijeras out of the corner before a dropkick took Slater outside. A flip senton takes Gale into Slater into the aisle, before Gale added a abc suplex back in the ring.

Gale got a two-count out of that, but Slater’s back with a front kick out of the corner, before one off the ropes spun Gale down for a two-count. A big Irish whip threw Gale into the buckles for a two-count, before kicks to the back left Gale on the mat. Getting back up, Gale absorbs more and more shots, before he ducked a clothesline and returned with a crossbody instead.

Slater armdrags out of a uranage, but couldn’t avoid a springboard uppercut out of the corner, which nearly won it for Gale. A Blue Thunder Bomb from Slater turned it back around for a near-fall… Gale’s gamengiri cuts off Slater on the top rope, but his follow-up dive’s aborted as a Side Effect instead took down Leon.

Gale adds a Falcon arrow for a near-fall, before the Gale Force springboard cutter led to him getting shoved outside. A dropkick through the ropes took Gale into the aisle, before a cutter back inside almost got Slater the win. Gale counters a second Blue Thunder bomb, but things go awry as we head to the Backpack Knee… before a leg lariat wiped out a Gale Force. Slater looks for the win from there, but ended up coming up short on a long-see-saw sunset flip as JJ Gale snatched the win. ***¼

Spike Trivet vs. Robbie X
Spike’s gone for more ominous music here, as he made his Rev Pro debut…

We open with a tie-up as Trivet took Robbie X into the corner… then again as he slapped Robbie on the break. There’s some short-range headbutts to the chest, before a closed fist had Robbie rocked, but a tijeras turned it around as a handspring kick and a plancha wiped out Trivet on the floor.

Chops light up Trivet around ringside, while a slingshot senton atomico drew just a one-count as Robbie looked to keep Spike at close quarters. Trivet’s able to get back in it though, as he bent back Robbie’s fingers against the ropes. Robbie tries to go back to the chops, but Trivet just stuffs Robbie’s hand into the turnbuckles and stomps on it.

More stomps follow as Trivet was in control, bending the rules like he twisted Robbie’s ears… before the former Cruiserweight champion shot back with a dropkick out of the corner. Misdirection from Robbie X created an opening, leading to a cartwheel dropkick for a two-count, leading to an attempted stomp off the top.

Trivet avoids it, returning with a boot and a Saito suplex, before a DDT stacked up Robbie X for a near-fall. A pumphandle suplex chucks Robbie X across the ring, before he bit his way ahead to block the Beyblade kick. Robbie still gets back in though, scoring with a Molly Go Round for a near-fall.

Spike’s earlier work has compromised Robbie X though, who crumpled as he tried for an X-Clamation… a backflip kick stops Trivet on the top rope though, before Trivet worked on the wrist to break a superplex attempt. A flying Codebreaker off the top nearly wins it for Spike, before Spike looked to hit the Tower of Silence… Robbie blocks it, returning with an overhead kick and a Finlay roll, before a Spiral Tap picked up a near-fall.

Robbie again calls for the X-Clamation, but Spike grabs the leg to stop it. Trivet’s hand gets stomped on, but he kicks away a handspring before Spike went back to the fingers… leading to a running kick and a pumphandle over-the-knee Made in Japan – dubbed the point-410 – for a near-fall.

Trivet stands on Robbie’s neck, but it’s a ruse as Robbie ‘rana ends up catching out Trivet and snatching the win. This was fine, but this did little for me… Spike’s run in Rev Pro to date has felt a little snakebit, but this loss I guess nips the “one win and get a title shot” thing in the bud. ***¼

Post-match, Trivet attacks Robbie X and hits the Tower of Silence – I guess the move that used to be called the Birthright – before he took off his belt and whipped Robbie X. David Francisco stands his ground in breaking it up, but he gets a whipping until Michael Oku ran out for the save.

Cameron Khai vs. Luke Jacobs
Well, this is a way to kick off the second half…

Jacobs looked to shut down Khai early on, but Khai showed little fear as he and Jacobs traded slaps to the face in quick succession. Forearms from Khai led to him getting bulldozed through by Jacobs, before he returned the favour coming out of the corner.

A leaping neckbreaker sends Jacobs rolling outside for cover, but Khai’s tope revealed that was perhaps the worst place to go. Back inside, a standing moonsault gets Khai a two-count, as he then slowed things down, measuring up Jacobs with forearms in the corner… only for a singular one in return from Jacobs to send Khai flying.

A back body drop lifts Khai onto the apron… as his slingshot cutter’s chopped away ahead of a seated dropkick into the corner. We’re back on the floor as a back suplex dumps Khai onto the side of the ring, before an attempt at the Blue Moon brainbuster back inside was fought out of.

A kick to the back, then a back senton gets Jacobs a two-count, as things again spill outside with Jacobs bowling Khai into the front row. After some absurd comparisons, we’re back inside… with Khai mounting a comeback with forearms, leg sweeps and a superkick. A headbutt from Jacobs just led to the rolling Northern Lights from Khai, while a slingshot cutter… whiffs.

Jacobs goes for a rear naked choke from there, before things threatened to break down… Jacobs recovers to finally hit a powerbomb, before a rolling elbow drew a near-fall on Khai. Khai scores a roll-up to counter a lariat… but couldn’t avoid the Hypersonic Missile lariat at the second attempt as Jacobs piled forward, landing a superplex, only for Khai to roll through into an over-the-knee brainbuster.

We resume with both men trading forearms from their knees… things escalate, with Khai’s knee strike leading to him finally landing the Pingshot slingshot cutter, but Jacobs kicks out at two. Jacobs is back with a lariat, then a Torpedo… before a folding powerbomb proved to be too much for Khai to withstand. This could have gone south in a hurry midway through, but things got back on track as Luke continues to string together wins. ***½

Mercedez Blaze vs. Dani Luna
Dani’s looking to get back on track, having come up short to Alex Windsor for the title a few weeks ago…

Luna looks to control the pace early on, scoring with a sliding lariat after I fought with my feed. Rolling snap suplexes have Blaze on the defensive, but she blocks the third one, instead landing on the apron as she proceeded to trip up Luna. Blaze plays to the crowd, and ends up getting caught with another low dropkick as the pair end up outside… with Blaze scoring almost a Flatliner into the side of the ring.

Back inside, Blaze picks up a two-count, while a snap neckbreaker kept Blaze on the front foot. A side headlock from Blaze leds to a flip neckbreaker for another near-fall, but Luna begins ro fight back with some right hands as she looked for a Luna Landing… only for Dani to hit a diving boot instead.

A snap Air Raid Crash from Luna nearly ends things, before Blaze fought out of a Luna Landing… returning with a tijeras into the corner, then a big shotgun dropkick. A butterfly suplex from Blaze keeps Luna in that corner, before the Meteora nearly wins it for Mercedez…

Blaze’s hip attack in the corner, then a spear out of it gets a near-fall, before Luna’s front kick and snap powerbomb turned things back around. A leg sweep from Blaze looks to target Luna’s bad knee, before she took Luna into the corner looking for a Tower of Blaze…

Luna fought out, but got thrown into the buckles ahead of a hammerlock’d DDT, as Blaze then added a curb stomp for a near-fall. Blaze pulls off Dani’s knee brace from there, but Luna charges back with a spear as the pair fought until the referee separated them. Blaze shoves the ref, as did Dani… the pair lay out the ref as he tried one more time, and this one’s a no-contest. I wasn’t crazy for the finish, but this at least builds for a rematch and a story as well! ***

Great British League 2023 Block B: Greedy Souls (Danny Jones & Brendan White) vs. CPF (Danny Black & Maverick Mayhew)
The ankle injury picked up by Joe Lando at the 229 last week means that we’ve a substitution in CPF – with Maverick Mayhew filling in against a Greedy Souls tandem looking to make it 2 wins for 2 in their block.

A jump start from the former tag champions backfires as CPF looked to snatch a quick win… Danny Black’s ‘rana take scare of Brendan White as he tagged in, before a double clothesline dumped Black as he’d opted not to tag out. Danny Jones lights up Black with a chop, while a suplex dumped Danny for a two-count.

A back suplex lands as back sentons squash Black for a two-count… Mayhew’s in after the kick-out to argue, but it just distracts the ref as Danny Jones clubbed on Black. Brendan’s short-arm clothesline drew a two-count as the Greedy Souls just wore down Danny. A swinging neckbreaker helps Jones get another two-count as things were threatening to stay one-sided.

Danny finally rolls free and tags in Maverick Mayhew at the seven-minute mark, with Mayhew’s top rope crossbody getting him a two-count ahead of an over-the-knee brainbuster that forced Danny Jones to break up the pin. An accidental Codebreaker and a senton bomb brutalises Brendan ahead of a high/low clothesline/chop block for a near-fall.

Brendan’s hung up in the ropes from a back cracker, but Jones makes the save as Brendan recovered… lariating Mayhew before going to town on CPF, leading to the Hospital Pass on Black… then the Soul Destroyer on Mayhew for the win. This was pretty much one-way traffic, as the Greedy Souls took a commanding lead in block B, with one match left – against Sunshine Machine. ***

Sha Samuels vs. Michael Oku
Oku gave Sha this match a week ago – it’s not for the title, but Oku’s promised a shot if Sha wins… so I guess this is a ROH-style eliminator?

Once the smoke cleared, we finally got going as Sha ends up getting back body dropped as he went for an East End Destroyer early on. Oku swings back around, taking Sha outside for a Fosbury flop… then tripped up Sha back inside looking for a half crab. Sha makes it to the ropes to stop anything though, as he returned with uppercuts to Oku’s legs.

Hammer elbows set up Oku for a series of PKs to the back, as Sha wore down the champion methodically. Yanking Oku’s arm took him down to his knees, while an arm whip left Oku in a heap in the middle of the ring. The Butcher’s Hook from Sha quickly ends in the ropes, with Sha not exactly breaking the hold straight away as more of the same before Oku found a way back in with a dropkick.

Sha’s planted with a DDT for a two-count from there, before Oku went back to the half crab… and again got pushed off. He rebounds with a PK, leading to a missed springboard moonsault, before a crossbody was caught and rolled through, with Sha turning it into a Michinoku Driver instead for a near-fall.

Oku’s able to make a comeback, but he’s caught in a Butcher’s Hook… and falls into the ropes as he was about to pass out. Recovering, a jack-knife cover nearly nicks it for Oku, who adds a Pele kick to the mix… then a misdirection knee for a near-fall. A trip up top sees Oku add a frog splash, bouncing off of Sha before getting a near-fall from the eventual cover.

Another crack at the half crab led to some back-and-forth inside cradles, trolling the ref as we went, almost leading to the loss for Oku… who kicks out, before crashing and burning into the corner with a dropkick. The East End Destroyer follows from Sha, but a spinebuster’s countered with a roll-up into a half crab for the eventual submission. ***½

Post-show, Oku took the mic and put over Sha as a trailblazer, then noted Spike Trivet’s loss earlier in the night. That fog machine’s still jammed on as it’s getting tricky to see, but Oku’s able to sneak in a plug for merch and give folks a way to get one over Gideon Grey.

Next up for Rev Pro is the British J Cup in Stevenage on October 21… with Kanji challenging Alex Windsor for the women’s titles announced at the end of the show here.

6.7

The final score: review Average

The 411

Rev Pro’s latest trip to Southampton was a solid enough show - but lacked anything to really punch through the fog as they prepared for the British J Cup.