By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WrestleCon Presents Rev Pro Wrestling
New York, New York at the New York Hilton Midtown
Broadcast live on FITE TV
After a 15-minute delay, the ring announcer greeted the crowd to kick things off. The ring announcer introduced Rev Pro president Andy Quildan, who apologized for the late start and said they were trying to let all the fans get into the venue. Quildan fired up the crowd and told them to enjoy the show… Kevin Kelly and Andy Boy Simmonz were on commentary…
1. Jonathan Gresham and Chris Brookes vs. Alex Coughlin and Karl Fredericks. Brookes was isolated early on. Coughlin went to leapfrog over Brookes, but Gresham had tagged in and performed a cool German suplex when Coughlin leapt into the air. Brookes came back with a nice dropkick on Gresham and tagged out. Just before the ten minute mark, Brookes performed a cool senton onto the back of Fredericks. In the end, Gresham performed two running forearms while Coughlin was down. Coughlin got to his feet and ate a kick to the head from Gresham, who pinned him…
Jonathan Gresham and Chris Brookes defeated Alex Coughlin and Karl Fredericks.
Powell’s POV: A good opening match that built nicely to the finish. Coughlin and Fredericks are New Japan Young Lions and they both show strong potential.
2. A-Kid vs. Carlos Romo vs. Kid Lykos vs. Flamita in a four-way. The broadcast team noted that Lykos was heathy after suffering a broken leg and a broken collarbone. Team Whitewolf members A-Kid and Romo worked together early on. Romo saved A-Kid from being pinned by Flamita after a nice lung blower. Simmonz questioned whether he was saving his partner or trying to keep them match going for himself. A-Kid performed a Canadian Destroyer style move on Flamita, then A-Kid’s tag partner Romo stole the pin. A-Kid wasn’t happy with his partner, but he helped Flamita after the match and raised his hand…
Carlos Romo defeated A-Kid, Kid Lykos, and Flamita in a four-way.
Powell’s POV: A good match. Much like Flamita’s match with Rich Swann on the Impact Wrestling United We Stand show, I wish this match had been given more time. Even so, they told the story they wanted to with the Team Whitewolf members. I don’t watch Rev Pro regularly, but the broadcast team did a nice job of explaining that situation before and during the match.
3. Brian Cage vs. Michael Oku. The broadcast team played up the idea that Oku wishes he had been placed in the promotion’s contenders division to avoid facing Cage. Oku went for a huracanrana, but Cage stuffed it and dumped Oku on his shoulder. Cage performed a pair of tosses that sent Oku across the ring. The fans chanted one more time. Cage gave them a monkey flip instead, which drew cheers.
Cage performed a release German suplex, but Oku landed on his feet and dropkicked him from behind. Cage came right back with a clothesline. Later, Oku performed a moonsault that took Cage off his feet. Oku performed a DDT while Cage was hanging between the ropes. Oku performed a nice Fosbury Flop dive onto Cage at ringside and then raced back to the ring in hopes of gettin a count-out win. No luck. Cage performed a German suplex into the corner. Cage set up for his finisher, but Oku countered into a Code Red. Oku got a two count off a running knee. Cage came back with a buckle bomb and a powerbomb for a two count. Oku got another two count off a huracanrana into a rollup. Cage got up and clotheslined him, then performed the Drill Claw for the win…
Brian Cage defeated Michael Oku.
Powell’s POV: A fun Cage destruction match. Oku got a little offense in and showed some heart, but the outcome was never really in question. I’m enjoying the work of the broadcast team. Kelly is always good, and it’s fun to hear Simmonz play the heel color commentator role.
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay vs. Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr. Kelly called this the first half main event. All four men received mega star reactions from the crowd, and it looked like all the fans were standing during all four entrances. After some playing to the crowd, Ospreay performed a standing shooting star press on Sabre for an early near fall. Suzuki caught Ospreay with a kick as he was running the ropes, then applied an armbar over the ropes. Suzuki took Ospreay to ringside and worked him over. Meanwhile, Sabre worked over the arm of Tanahashi on the other side of the ring. Suzuki blasted Ospreay with a forearm after Ospreay requested one more. Ospreay came up with a blood nose.
Powell’s POV: Random note, Simmonz took a shot at Wales during the match. Dot Net staffer Haydn Gleed is probably fuming, which makes Simmonz my hero.
Suzuki no-sold Ospreay’s chops. Ospreay ended up in the corner and Sabre joined in on the mauling. Suzuki grabbed the ref’s leg and teased attacking him, then smiled, nodded, and helped him to his feet. Suzuki squeezed the ref’s hand and the referee dropped to his knees. Sabre wrapped his legs around the head of Ospreay, then reached up and grabbed Ospreay by his bloody nose. Suzuki tagged in and delivered a couple of elbows to the nose. Ospreay showed signs of life with a forearm, but Suzuki knocked him down again with forearms of his own. Sabre tagged in. Ospreay performed a nice springboard kick and then tagged out just after the 10:00 mark.
Sabre went for a standing stomp on Tanahashi. Sabre landed awkwardly and rolled to his corner to tag out, then rolled to the floor. Suzuki blasted a willing Tanahashi with elbows to the jaw. Tanahashi caught Suzuki going for a kick. Tanahashi went for a dragon screw leg whip, but Suzuki stuffed it and applied an armbar. Ospreay broke up the submission hold. The broadcast team noted that Sabre was still down at ringside. Ospreay checked in and worked over Suzuki, who stood up and stuck his tongue out. Suzuki blasted Ospreay with elbows and no-sold whenever Ospreay returned fire. Suzuki worked over Ospreay with a series of strikes, but Ospreay knocked him down with a spinning kick.
Sabre returned to his corner and tagged into the match. Sabre ran at full speed before delivering kicks to Ospreay. A short time later, Ospreay performed a springboard into kicks on both opponents. Tanahashi took out Suzuki with a leg whip. Moments later, Ospreay performed a 450 on Sabre for a two count. Sabre countered two Stormbreakers from Ospreay, and the second time he countered into a bridging pin for the win.
Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay.
After the match, Suzuki slammed the referee’s face into the mat. Sabre held the ref, then Suzuki kicked him…
Intermission
Powell’s POV: A highly entertaining match and it was nice to see it end with a clean finish. They worked just over 20 minutes and it still seemed like an easy outing for everyone other than Ospreay. Fortunately, Sabre was fine from the double stomp. He stumbled as he landed and it looked like he could have rolled an ankle, but he seemed to be fine the rest of the way.
5. Rocky Romero vs. Ryusuke Taguchi. Kelly noted that Romero wants to be in the Honor Rumble. Simmonz couldn’t believe he doesn’t know a day ahead of time. “Well, it is ROH, you know,” Kelly quipped. Funny and fair. Taguchi did his ass slams in the corner and came up short on the last one, though he tried to sell it as if he hurt himself. Kelly wondered if he landed on Romero’s thumb. Later, Taguchi performed a running knee for a two count, then followed up with a face first slam and scored the pin…
Powell’s POV: Fine for the post intermission match. Both wrestlers were well received during their entrances and that was sort of the peak of the live crowd’s response.
6. Tomohiro Ishii vs. David Starr. Starr had a fun, long introduction that he mouthed along with the ring announcer. Ishii got the star reaction. Kelly said Starr believes that being booked to face Ishii is a conspiracy to soften him up going into a ladder match with El Phantasmo for the cruiserweight championship on May 10. The match opened with the usual Ishii shoulder blocks and power spots.
Later, Ishii worked over Starr with a series of strikes in the corner that resulted in Starr covering up. Starr came back with a suicide dive. When Ishii got back to the apron, Starr DDT’d him through the ropes and then followed up with a top rope elbow drop for a two count. They took turns ducking strikes. Starr performed a German suplex. Ishii no-sold it, then no-sold a superkick, and put Starr down with a clothesline. Ishii put Starr on the top rope and no-sold his punches. Ishii headbutted Starr and then performed a vertical suplex from the middle rope for near fall at the 10:00 mark.
Starr hooked Ishii into a pin for a good near fall. Ishii no-sold more strikes, but Starr knocked him down with a clothesline for another near fall. After another good near fall for Starr, Ishii headbutted him and performed a lariat for a near fall of his own. Ishii followed up with the vertical drop brainbuster and got the 1-2-3…
Tomohiro Ishii defeated David Starr.
Powell’s POV: A good match. Starr got plenty of good offense and near falls before putting over Ishii in the end.
7. IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Champions “Roppongi 3K” Sho and Yoh vs. “Aussie Open” Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis in a non-title match. The ring announcer noted that the main event had a 60-minute time limit. Sho was isolated for a long stretch heading past the 10:00 mark. Yoh tagged in and applied a figure four on Fletcher, which Davis broke up with a kick. Later, Sho had a nice flurry of offense on Davis including a suplex into a bridge for a near fall. Davis fought ouff a double team move only to run into a pair of running knees to the face.
Roppongi 3K set up for a double team move, but Fletcher leapt over his partner onto both opponents. Davis and Fletcher hit a big double team move on Yoh for a near fall (that was telegraphed by Yoh watching the referee’s count). Yoh got near falls on Fletcher with an inside cradle and a backslide, then applied a Sharpshooter and then into an STF. Sho put Davis in a submission hold. Fletcher reached the ropes with his foot to break the hold. R3K performed a double team move on Fletcher for another near fall. They set up for another, but Davis broke it up and body slammed them both simultaneously. A short time later, Fletcher and Davis teamed up for a double team slam on Yoh, and Fletcher pinned him. The wrestlers shook hands and hugged afterward.
The broadcast team signed off to end the show and it looked like the show was over. Instead, the feed returned to show Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr. attack the Aussie Open duo and clear them from the ring. Sabre cut a promo and said they will be keeping the tag titles when the teams meet on May 10. Sabre recalled saying they were taking over the company. He held up multiple belts and said that plan is going well. He said they would take the cruiserweight title as well, and next year this event will be a Suzuki-Gun event. Suzuki took the mic, looked down at Aussie Open at ringside, and said, “F— you.” Suzuki spoke in Japanese and then he and Sabre held up their belts before leaving the ring.
Powell’s POV: OK, I think the show is really over this time. Maybe? A well worked match that went over 20 minutes, but the real main event of the show took place prior to intermission. I’m not sure if there were scheduling conflicts with Ospreay or Tanahashi working other shows or if they simply wanted that post-show ending, but it’s too bad this match couldn’t have swapped spots with the Suzuki and Sabre vs. Tanahashi and Ospreay match. Overall, a good show that simply peaked early.
Check below for the new Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and guest John Thorne, who discusses promoting the AIW Slumber Party Massacre from the Thursday of WrestleMania weekend (available via VOD on FITE TV), being a small fish in the big WrestleMania weekend pond, his long history with Johnny Gargano, and much more.
Be the first to comment