wrestling / TV Reports
Hamilton’s Rev Pro Ten Year Anniversary – Night One 08.20.2022 Review
Image Credit: RevPro
Loading...Quick Results
Connor Mills pinned Tony Deppen in 17:11 (***¼)
Chantal Jordan pinned Maya Matthews in 9:40 (**¾)
Luke Jacobs defeats Francesco Akira via referee stoppage in 18:41 to retain the Rev Pro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship (****)
Strap Match: Shota Umino defeats Yota Tsuji in 11:44 (***¼)
Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis pinned Michael Oku & Connor Mills in 19:37 to retain the NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship (****¼)
Will Ospreay pinned Mike Bailey in 24:26 (****½)
— 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.
— To watch this show, head over to RevProOnDemand.com – they’re currently running a two-week free trial…
Since we’ve got quite the backlog, I’ll not be going into quite as much detail as we go out of order on shows. Andy Quildan and Mad Kurt are on commentary, as I suspect that second chair is going to be swapping a fair bit in the coming weeks.
Connor Mills vs. Tony Deppen
Mills was “playing Michael Oku” again tonight, as he’s been matched up against Tony Deppen in the opener… and is going for a shot at the New Japan Strong tag titles later in the same evening.
Mills went for a Burning Cutter early, but Deppen escapes as Mills came out ahead on some pinning attempts. Deppen tried to kip up for the hard cam, but that baited in Mills… who ended up getting tripped and met with a knee drop to the back of the neck. Cue the target for Tony.
Deppen’s clothesline stings Mills, who’s able to return with a Quebrada and a springboard uppercut for a near-fall. Deppen escapes a Millshot, then a Tower of London before he got charged to the corner as a discus boot nearly won it. Referee Oscar Harding’s knocked into the ropes by Deppen, crotching Mills on the top rope in the process, before a clothesline on the apron dropped Mills onto the side of the ring.
A big double stomp to the back of Mills’ head in the corner is added to with some running knees as Deppen kept targeting that head and neck – and nearly won it there… Mills is able to get back in with a rebound clothesline, as the pair looked to get a KO with palm strikes… a snot rocket from Deppen looked to stop Mills, who came back out of nowhere with the Millshot for another near-fall.
Deppen countered a springboard uppercut into a chicken wing, rolling it into a nasty Chicken Wing Mutilation, which Mills broke via the ropes. From there, Mills escapes a tombstone, then found his way in with a Burning Cutter… and that’s your lot. An enjoyable opener with Mills being pushed to the limit by Deppen… but was it too far given Mills has another match on his plate tonight? ***¼
Maya Matthews vs. Chantal Jordan
Maya’s had a few big matches in her short time in Rev Pro so far, and a win here against Chantal Jordan would get her a shot at Kanji’s Southside women’s title tomorrow.
Jordan’s got the upper hand early, knocking down Matthews for a running knee and a dropkick in the corner. A floatover suplex gets a two-count as Jordan was controlling the early going. Maya manages to get her way back in with a Slingblade for a two-count, then with a clothesline, before Jordan kicked out a leg and planted Maya with a Ki Krusher.
A headbutt from Jordan left both women laying, while Maya got up to shove Chantal off the top rope… leading to a nasty spill to the apron, then to the floor. The post followed as Jordan snuck in a head kick, before a count-out tease was beaten at eight… more forearms followed back inside, before Jordan avoided a clothesline and hit a neckbreaker.
Matthews almost wins it with a cutter, before she pulled off a Victory Roll for a near-fall… only for some headscissors to get caught into a package tombstone as Jordan left with the win. Not a bad outing, but the York Hall crowd took their time to get into this as we had the usual familiarity issues. **¾
Rev Pro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship: Francesco Akira vs. Luke Jacobs (c)
Jacobs won the Cruiserweight title from Michael Oku at Summer Sizzler – yes, I’ll get to that show eventually.
Jacobs and Akira didn’t exactly start slowly, with Luke slapping and chopping for fun early on, but Luke’s early offence was quelled with Akira sending him chest-first into the buckles. A kick to the back pisses off Luke, who gets his eyes raked, before he stopped Akira’s quest for someone to photograph a neckbreaker… by throwing the Italian in a release Northern Lights suplex.
On the outside, an enziguiri from Akira sends Jacobs into the crowd, before the challenger moved the railings and hit a crossbody from the top rope… and BOUNCED off of Luke in the crowd. CHRIST. Back inside, Jacobs reacts to getting kicked in the back as you’d expect, asking for more, but all those shots to the back finally had an effect, with Akira unable to get suplexed by the champion.
Akira tries some back suplexes, but Jacobs snares in a side headlock after the impacts, before a wild lariat and an overhead suplex turned the match on its head. Luke keeps pushing with a shotgun dropkick and a sheer-drop brainbuster, before he countered a head kick into a Dragon screw. A rare trip up top sees Akira spike Jacobs with an avalanche Poison Rana… but Akira didn’t follow-up as he instead mouthed off, and engaged another strike battle.
A pancake from Jacobs leaves Akira down, but a rolling elbow’s stopped with a thrust kick, while Jacobs shrugged off a litany of suplexes before he folded Akira with a Saito suplex. Akira’s back with a lariat, but Luke’s up at one… before commentary fell silent on a move I have no idea how to describe, which was good for a near-fall. Akira almost won with a ‘rana, but a diving single-leg kick turned it back in Luke’s favour, ahead of a Coast to Coast dropkick?! Yup, Luke’s now part of North East Strong…
From there, Luke powered on with a Doctor Bomb, and a Styles Clash, before a ref bump allowed Akira to go back to the eyes. A running Meteora’s good for a near-fall though, only for a follow-up missile dropkick to get turned into a sit-out powerbomb. Luke adds an ankle lock from there, before he pulled Akira into a rear naked choke, leading to the referee waving it off. This was some lovely stuff – the in-joke on Luke Jacobs is that he “weighs what he wants,” since he’s Rev Pro’s Cruiserweight champion and PROGRESS’ Atlas (big lads) champion… but for someone with the relative inexperience, he’s gotten a heck of a connection with crowds all over the UK. He’s more than a plucky kid everyone’s getting behind – and the real scary thing is, he’s only just getting going… ****
Strap Match: Yota Tsuji vs. Shota Umino
Perhaps the culmination of a long storyline between these two, which initially started with Gideon Grey being all upset over how ineffective Yota Tsuji was having been forced into the Legion… going by way of signing Shota “on loan” to the Legion, and then a brutal break-up after the Japanese pair failed to make the Great British Tag League finals.
This was a “touch all four corners” strap match, which aren’t my favourite if I’m being honest… and we had some shenanigans before the bell as Lucian Phillips tried to rush Shota Umino in the aisle… only for Shota to drop him with a Death Rider DDT on the stage. Moving on…
Shota punched away on Tsuji before the bell, with the referee breaking it up so he could (eventually) attach Shota to the strap. When we got going, it took a while for the strap to come into play as Umino wrapped up Tsuji like he were Spider-Man. A slam drops Yota, who’s then whipped with the belt… as was Gideon Grey, who’d popped up on the apron to try and distract.
Tsuji heads outside to check on Grey, but ended up getting pulled repeatedly into the ring post… along with Gideon, in a particularly slapstick moment. Back inside, Shota goes for the turnbuckles, but got cut off by Tsuji, who then went to choke Shota with the strap before he hung him over the ropes. Tsuji tries to do the buckles, but Shota from the floor pulled Tsuji into the ropes to stop the count, before a slingshot DDT back in finds its mark.
Gideon grabs Tsuji’s legs to stop Shota from whipping him… the ref kicks it away as Tsuji eventually pulled Umino down with the strap. A Blue Thunder Bomb and a powerslam lands before Shota used the straps to force Yota to punch himself in the balls. A strap-assisted neckbreaker followed, then a Cross Rhodes and a Bloody Sunday, before Shota carried Tsuji on his back and went to touch the corners… only for Gideon to trip up referee Chris Hatch – and for Shota to fall over the new hazard. Excellent.
Shota tries for a Death Rider, but has to make do with a pop-up knee, then a running knee strike, before a pumphandle slam was escaped. A spear from Tsuji stops all that, as he methodically stomped Shota’s head into the mat before it was time to touch the corners. Except Shota was sneaking a touch behind Yota’s back, before Shota broke free to flip Tsuji into a Death Rider… then dove over to touch the final buckle to win the match. ***¼
Post-match, Lucian Phillips wandered back out to carry Tsuji away, while Gideon Grey tried to whip Shota with the strap. There be the look of a man who knows he’s messed up… and for some reason, climbed out of the ring while keeping hold of the strap. Shota pulled him back in, before he whipped and rode Gideon like he was in the Grand National. There’s even a Death Rider for Gideon too…
New Japan Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship: Destination Everywhere (Connor Mills & Michael Oku) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) (c)
Connor Mills was out first again for this, as commentary noted that Mills and Oku were getting separate entrances per Mills’ request. Oku was looking for a quick return to a championship, having lost the Cruiserweight title last month.
Mills starts the match, but got thrown down easily by Davis, before he got chopped into the corner. A slam dumps Mills for an early two-count, which left Mills rocked, but refusing to tag out, despite Michael Oku’s pleas. Davis’ front kick stops a fight-back, as Mills ate a German suplex and a clothesline, before Kyle Fletcher charged in to knock Oku off the apron as the tag champions had their game plan locked down. Isolate Mills.
A chinlock from Fletcher keeps Mills down, while a forearm knocked Mills back down before Davis took care of him on the outside with a thunderous slam on the floor. Back inside, Fletcher shoved down Mills as he was just dead weight, before Davis perhaps took a little too long to put the finishing touches on a back senton, as Mills rolled away… then finally got the tag out after a back body drop launched Fletcher.
Oku made a beeline for Davis, dropkicking him off the apron before a tornado DDT dropped Fletcher. There’s a tornado DDT from Oku to Davis on the floor, while a froggy cross body nearly got the win on Fletcher back inside. Fletcher avoids a springboard moonsault, but got pulled into a half crab, eventually making it to the ropes to force a break.
Oku begins to kick Fletcher’s leg out of his leg as Kyle was pulling himself up by the ropes… but a running dropkick from Oku misses, allowing Fletcher back in with a brainbuster for a near-fall. The Dental Plan drops Oku, as did the assisted Aussie Arrow, forcing Mills back in to break up the pin as Destination Everywhere’s double-team stuff had been shut down with some aplomb here.
Mills tagged himself in after an Oku ‘rana got him some time… and there’s the double-team combos as a pair of springboard moonsaults had Davis on the outside. A Millshot almost put Fletcher away, before Mills went for a Burning Cutter… but Fletcher dropped out, only to get spiked with a reverse ‘rana. Davis tags in as Fletcher stumbled out, and it’s Davis who pulls ahead on front kicks.
Davis and Mills swing with right hands, before Mills’ attempt at a rebound lariat was stopped when Kyle pulled him through the ropes and lawndarted him into the ring post. Oku tries to stop the momentum with a Fosbury flop to Fletcher, before Davis swatted Oku off the top rope with a lariat. Mills is back with an uppercut in the corner, but couldn’t avoid near-certain death as Davis planted him with a goddamn piledriver off the middle rope. SO much nope.
Somehow, Mills got a shoulder up at two, while Fletcher ran over to chuck Oku into the crowd ahead of an apron powerbomb in a bid to neutralise another comeback. JESUS the ragdolling on Oku there… from there, Mills gets set up for a Coriolis, but he ducks forearms and tried to fight back with kicks and chops, before Oku broke up a Coriolis. Mills adds a rebound lariat to Fletcher, before he made the tag out to Oku, who’d just doused himself with water.
Unfortunately that water killed the hot tag as Oku climbed the ropes and leapt into a pair of superkicks. I swear I heard Gideon Grey cackling at that, as seconds later a Coriolis put Oku away. Plant and water those seeds well, because Oku coming in for the big finale backfired massively in a hard-fought first title defence for the Aussies. ****¼
Oku and Mills commiserate each other in the ring afterwards, then headed to the back… with Mills briefly grabbing Oku by the neck as they went through the curtain. Some expected a cheap shot, but it’s coming…
Mike Bailey vs. Will Ospreay
This match was circled to death on the card going in, as a battle between two of the top contenders on those Wrestler of the Year ballots. These two have met once before in Rev Pro – on the big homecoming show after Ospreay won the 2016 Best of the Super Junior. Add in a WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup Quarter-Final win, and Ospreay’s yet to lose to Bailey in the UK – with Speedball’s lone win coming in PWG back in 2015.
We’ve got a lot of anti-Okada chants at the start, before Ospreay begrudgingly accepted a handshake. A lock-up ends in the ropes, before Ospreay ducked a head kick as he claimed to have been blinded by the corner ring lights. A quick flurry ends with headlock takedowns, escapes and a stand-off, as the duelling chants seemed to throw them off.
After the pair caught each other’s kicks, Ospreay ended up throwing some more before his attempt to catch out Bailey led to some leapfrogs and roll-throughts, only for Bailey to crack Ospreay in the chest. The cavalcade of kicks followed to take Ospreay outside, with Bailey faking out a dive… only for Ospreay to tangle up his leg in the ropes and kick the other leg out, tying up Bailey upside down.
Ospreay adds to that as he dropped Bailey knee-first across the edge of the ring, before a Figure Four trapped Speedball in the middle of the ring. A whip into the corner ends with Bailey’s knee giving out, so Ospreay stayed on the left leg, before Bailey managed to break free and score with a diving knee shot.
A running corkscrew press from Bailey gets him a near-fall as he started to get into his groove… but Ospreay cuts him off with a handspring enziguiri. Ospreay adds a springboard forearm seconds later for a two-count, before Bailey escaped a powerbomb… then took an enziguiri before his superkick dropped Ospreay. The moonsault double knee drop looked to follow, but HOLY SHIT BAILEY BOUNCES OFF OF OSPREAY’S KNEES.
Bailey’s kicked off the apron to the floor as Ospreay pushed on, but the Kenny Omega dive set-up bought enough time for Bailey to leap over Ospreay as he slid outside… then met the G1 finalist with an Asai moonsault into the aisle. Bailey’s a sadist as he took Ospreay to the apron and missed a moonsault knee drop, then bounced again off the side of the ring with an OsCutter seconds later.
Back inside, Ospreay adds a flying forearm to the back of Bailey, then another OsCutter for a near-fall. A Hidden Blade’s ducked as Bailey manages to nail the Ultima Weapon as Ospreay was left on all fours in the corner. More knee sadism. WIth the pair back on their feet, they trade forearms, at least until Ospreay sank Bailey with a chop. Speedball fires back with kicks, but they’re caught as Ospreay landed a hook kick and a Chelsea Grin seconds later.
A Storm Breaker from Ospreay’s escaped, but Bailey lands awkwardly, then took a Hidden Blade to the knee as Ospreay then went in for an inverted Cloverleaf. It’s let go so he could punt Bailey’s knee again on the way down, before a cross-legged tombstone’s countered with a roll-up… before Ospreay ate a leaping ‘rana!? Near-falls, kicks and finally the moonsault knees land for Bailey, as did a couple more head kicks, and a roundhouse kick into the corner.
Another Ultima Weapon connected as Bailey almost wins with one more head kick. Things head up top as the pair traded more forearms, then a headbutts, before a gamengiri knocked Ospreay down. Ospreay snaps back up, but eats another gamengiri as Speedball knocked him into the corner for a double stomp… but Ospreay takes out the legs and scooped up Bailey for a goddamn avalanche tombstone. The noise that made on impact… and still it didn’t win.
A Hidden Blade seconds later gets Ospreay closer, before the Storm Breaker finally gets the three-count. Bailey and Ospreay are being touted as two of the best in the world today for a reason – and this match underscored that as Bailey needed to be carried out of the ring afterwards. There was a tease afterwards too of Ospreay giving Bailey his United Empire armband, as there’d been teases of a new member… but it’s not to be. Maybe the expected winner, given that Ospreay is almost unbeatable in Rev Pro, but his plan from the start saw him take out Bailey’s knee – knowing Speedball would only exacerbate it with his usual offence. ****½
We’re not done yet, as there’s about a quarter of an hour left on the VOD here. Ospreay demanded the crowd turn up to Royal Quest II next month and “give Okada hell,” after the reaction earlier… then recapped his murderous week’s schedule so far (featuring three G1 matches, a flight back from Japan and the match we just saw), before he called out Ricky Knight Jr. to the ring, suggesting they go at it now.
RKJ heads out in his suit and pulled his shirt apart to go at it… Andy Q’s having kittens over the prospect of his main event going up in flames, but of course its a ruse. Out come Aussie Open and Francesco Akira, as we get a cavalcade of belt shots to RKJ… even the Scrappy Doo-esque Akira took glee in getting to use his IWGP junior tag title belt as a weapon. RKJ comes up bloodied, as Ospreay took his Rev Pro title and clocked Knight with it before the Empire left.
Except they returned once RKJ took the mic and told Ospreay to make sure he finished the job. So the United Empire come back to hit a Coriolis, an Akira running double knees, and then a Hidden Blade from Ospreay left the bloodied RKJ laying to end the night.
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