By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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Rev Pro 12th Anniversary
August 24, 2024 in London, England at Copper Box Arena
Available via RevProOnDemand.vhx.tv
This show took place a day before AEW’s All In at Wembley Stadium. There was a really good crowd. I wouldn’t rule out 4,000 in attendance, although an upper tier is empty so it’s not a sellout. Andy Quildan and heel Gideon Grey were on commentary. I know Gideon best for his appearances in NJPW.
* Grado came out to Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” and the crowd loves his silliness; you’ll recall his run in TNA and he’s a comedy guy. Some guys came out to threaten him; it led to an eight-man tag.
1. Joshua James, Sha Samuels, and “Young Blood” Yuto Nakashima and Oskar Leube vs. David Francisco, Goldenboy Santos, Danny Jones, and Brendan White. I really only know Sha’s team, as Sha was in NXT-UK, and of course Oskar and Yuto are NJPW Young Lions on excursion. The heels worked over Sha early on. Leube finally got a hot tag at 5:00 to battle Danny Jones. He hit a double clothesline and was fired up. Yuto tagged in and battled Brendan White. Danny Jones hit a Lungblower at 7:00. Yuto hit a double DDT. Grado hit a heel. James hit a top-rope frogsplash for the pin. Chaotic, largely because I didn’t know half the guys in the match. The crowd was into this.
Joshua James, Sha Samuels, “Young Blood” Yuto Nakashima and Oskar Leube defeated David Francisco, Goldenboy Santos, Danny Jones, and Brendan White at 9:31.
* A woman came to the ring and introduced us to the show.
2. Ethan Allen vs. Connor Mills. Allen is a young kid with a buzzcut; Gideon said he lost a lot of ring time due to a leg injury. Mills wore a long fur jacket. Ethan immediately tackled Mills and punched him in the face. Mills began working over the left knee and he hit some stiff kicks to the spine. Ethan hit a back suplex at 4:00, and he tied him in a crossface on the mat. Mills hit a Ki Krusher fisherman’s brainbuster for a nearfall at 5:30. Mills applied an anklelock and he kicked Ethan and was booed. Ethan caught him and applied a sleeper on the mat at 8:00. Allen locked both of Mills’ arms behind his back, and Mills submitted. Good match.
Ethan Allen defeated Connor Mills at 8:31.
3. Zozaya vs. Ricky Knight Jr. (w/Zak Knight & Saraya). Zozaya is young with a great physique, and he just debuted in April. Knight’s entrance here is like when Finn Balor transforms into the Demon, as he wore ‘evil Punisher’ body paint and a horned helmet. Two masked people with him were revealed to be Zak Knight and Saraya, and she got a big pop. Ricky immediately hit a Helluva Kick and a cannonball, then a left-arm clothesline. He tossed Zozaya over the top rope to the floor at 1:30. Zozaya immediately hit a springboard dropkick, then a dive to the floor on Ricky. Knight leapt off the apron and crashed onto Zozaya on a chair on the floor at 3:30. He then hit a DDT onto the hard floor. In the ring, Knight was in charge.
Ricky leaned Zozaya against the ropes and hit some Sheamus-style blows to the chest at 5:30. Zozaya hit a doublestomp to the chest on the ring apron. Zozaya hit a dropkick. They flipped over the top rope and both crashed to the floor at 7:30. Knight set up for a Styles Clash (massive boos!) but Zozaya escaped. Knight wound up hitting the Styles Clash on the ring apron at 9:30, and they both tumbled to the floor. Knight immediately rolled into the ring, and Grey said he’ll be happy to take a count-out win. Zozaya ducked in before the 10-count. Knight went for a springboard moonsault move, but Zozaya kicked him on the way down. Zozaya hit a missile dropkick for a nearfall at 11:00.
Zozaya missed a moonsault but landed on his feet. He hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Zozaya put him on his shoulders and hit a second-rope Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Zozaya suddenly showed hesitation in putting him away. Knight hit a top-rope Dragon Suplex, a running knee, and a Homicide-style Cop Killah (backslide driver) for the pin. That was really good. I’ve now seen the youngster Zozaya twice and I’ve come away impressed. Knight helped Zozaya to his feet and shook his hand. Saraya looked upset at Ricky for shaking hands.
Ricky Knight Jr. defeated Zozaya at 13:25.
4. Neon vs. El Phantasmo vs. Will Kaven vs. Leon Slater vs. Cameron Khai vs. Dante Martin in a scramble match for the RevPro Cruiserweight Title. ELP is coming off a disappointing run (kayfabe!) in the G1 Climax. I don’t know Kaven; he has shoulder-length red hair and half his head is shaved bald. I always describe Leon as the Black, British version of Nick Wayne because they are the same age with a great skill-set, and similar physiques. The masked Neon wore black with yellow trim. We had just five men in the ring, and the crowd popped for the surprise last entrance, Dante Martin! Gideon was livid that “these bloody Americans come over and take title shots they don’t deserve.”
Kaven attacked Khai at the bell. Seconds in, we had just Slater vs. Martin in the ring and they traded quick offense. Slater hit a plancha to the floor at 1:30. ELP and Slater traded forearm strikes, and Phantasmo hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. Neon hit a huracanrana. Kaven hit a Dragon Suplex on Khai at 4:00 and was booed. ELP and Kaven traded forearm strikes. Neon hit a springboard moonsault to the floor onto everyone and the commentators went nuts. Leon hit a flip dive over a corner post onto everyone on the floor at 6:30. They did a tower spot out of the corner, and Kaven (who was on bottom) immediately tried to pin each opponent but was unsuccessful.
All five guys superkicked Kaven at 9:00 and they tossed him into the air, and Will crashed to the mat. Neon hit a top-rope inverted senton splash for a nearfall. Dante hit a top-rope Mamba Splash. ELP hit a Burning Hammer on Dante, then the CR2 modified Styles Clash for a nearfall. Slater hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Phantasmo, then the Swanton 450 Splash for a nearfall, but Kaven made the save. Khai hit a Northern Lights Suplex on several opponents. However, Kaven snuck in, got a jackknife cover on Khai, and scored the pin! New champion! Gideon Grey was cackling that the heel won.
Will Kaven defeated El Phantasmo, Leon Slater, Cameron Khai, Neon, and Dante Martin to win the RevPro Cruiserweight Title at 12:04.
5. JJ Gale vs. Tomohiro Ishii. Gale wore black-and-teal (United Empire colors!). An intense lockup to open and they avoided each other’s big moves. Ishii dropped him with a shoulder tackle, and he hit some chops in the corner. Gale dropped Ishii with a second dropkick attempt at 3:00. Gale hit a flip dive to the floor and landed on his feet. He hit a slingshot senton into the ring and got a nearfall. Ishii hit a delayed vertical suplex. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Ishii dropped him with a stiff blow at 7:30. Gale kept getting up but Ishii kept hitting forearms that dropped him. Gale finally hit a discus forearm that dropped Ishii.
Gale hit a release German Suplex. “Glorious violence!” Gideon shouted. Ishii hit a German Suplex and they were both down at 9:30. He hit a Saito Suplex. Ishii hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall at 11:00. Gale hit a jumping knee to the chin. Gale hit a German Suplex but Ishii popped up and hit a clothesline, and they both collapsed. Awesome, and the crowd chanted for Ishii. They traded forearm strikes. Gale hit a Hardy-style Side Effect, then a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 13:30, then a Sabin-style Cradle Shock for a nearfall.
Gale missed a moonsault and landed on his feet. He hit a Lungblower to the chin. Ishii hit a Dragon Suplex and they were both down at 15:00. This has been insanely good. Ishii hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Gale hit a Superkick. He came off the ropes but Ishii kicked him. Ishii hit a sliding clothesline for a believable nearfall. Gale hit a discus clothesline. Ishii hit a headbutt, a clothesline, then the brainbuster for the pin. That was incredible stuff. Gale definitely earns a lot in this loss, too.
Tomohiro Ishii defeated JJ Gale at 17:45.
6. Alex Windsor, Lizzy Evo, Mercedez Blaze, Nina Samuels, and Safire Reed vs. Debbie Keitel, Gisele Shaw, Kanji, Nightshade, and Rhio in a 10-woman tag. Gisele is a surprise partner for the babyface team. I really like what I’ve seen of Rhio; she has long purple hair in braids down to her butt. Nightshade is similar in size to Piper Niven and the spooky look of Isla Dawn. (Well, the way Isla used to look!) All 10 fought at the bell. Windsor hit a summersault off the apron to the floor on everyone. Rhio dove through the ropes and badly hit the ropes; luckily there were a lot of women to catch her as she otherwise would have gone straight down. Samuels hit a moonsault onto everyone.
Nightshade set up for a dive and the crowd popped, but she was cut off. Kanji got a table and brought it into the ring, and she brawled with Nina Samuels. Kanji hit a springboard flip dive onto everyone on the floor at 3:30. In the ring, Gisele hit an enzuigiri. Windsor hit a powerbomb on Gisele for a nearfall. Nightshade put Windsor on her shoulders and slammed her through a table set up in the corner at 7:00. Evo punched at a cut on Nightshade’s forehead. Evo and Rhio brawled, and Rhio hit a spinning heel kick at 8:30. The women started whacking each other with kendo sticks.
Kanji hit a flip dive onto two women at 11:30. She hit some stiff kicks on Windsor. Windsor hit a doublestomp on Kanji for a nearfall, but Debbie Keitel made the save. Nina threw a steel chair at Debbie and hit an X-Factor on her for a believable nearfall. Rhio hit a neckbreaker over her knee. Windsor hit a top-rope coast-to-coast dropkick on Rhio for a nearfall at 16:30. Rhio was now bleeding from her forehead. She hit a shotgun dropkick on Windsor. Blaze snuck in and hit a sunset flip powerbomb on Rhio. Evo nailed a running kneestrike on Debbie. Kenji hit a German Suplex on Evo. Shaw hit a Shellshock faceplant. Samuels hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over her knee on Gisele. Nightshade hit a Spinebuster. She cut Samuels in half with a spear and we got a “this is awesome!” chant.
Nightshade got more tables from under the ring, and Gideon was baffled as to why they are there. In the ring, Nightshade set up the table and she put Nina on the table. However, Safire Reed made the save. Gisele hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Safhire, with them both crashing onto all the women on the floor! “What did we just witness!” Gideon shouted. In the ring, Rhio brawled with Windsor in a corner. Blaze hit Rhio with a bag, and she dumped the bag of thumbtacks onto the table. Windsor superplexed Rhio through the tack-covered table to score the pin. These women went out there in a tough spot (following that incredible Ishii match) and they busted their butts and had a great match.
Alex Windsor, Lizzy Evo, Mercedez Blaze, Nina Samuels, and Safire Reed defeated Debbie Keitel, Gisele Shaw, Kanji, Nightshade, and Rhio at 22:49.
7. Gabe Kidd vs. Donovan Dijak for the New Japan Strong Openweight Title. They jawed, pushing foreheads together, before the bell. They charged at each other at the bell and immediately traded punches and chops, and Dijak hit a clothesline for a nearfall, still in the first minute. Kidd began to stomp on him in the corner. They went to the floor, where Dijak hit a superkick at 3:00, and they kept brawling in front of the fans. They went back into the ring, with Dijak mounting Kidd and punching him in the face. Kidd hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 6:00.
Dijak hit a second-rope chokeslam powerbomb for a nearfall. Kidd hit a Saito Suplex. Dijak nailed his discus Mafia Kick at 8:30. Dijak nailed the Feast Your Eyes pop-up kneestrike! However, Kidd rolled all the way to the floor. Dijak hit a flip dive onto Kidd and two nearby security guys. Back in the ring, Kidd hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Kidd peeled down his knee pad and hit a running kneestrike, then a piledriver for the pin. That was a heckuva brawl and felt much longer than it was.
Gabe Kidd defeated Donovan Dijak to retain the New Japan Strong Openweight Title at 10:17.
8. “Grizzled Young Veterans” James Drake and Zack Gibson vs. “Sunshine Machine” TK Cooper and Chuck Mambo for the RevPro Tag Team Titles. The SM wore blue; if they LOSE they are out of Rev Pro! Mambo’s hair is combed straight up today. SM attacked before the bell. Mambo leapt off Cooper’s shoulders and splashed onto the GYV on the floor. Cooper then hit a flip dive to the floor. They got in the ring and the bell rang at 1:00 to officially begin. Drake hit a bulldog on Cooper and the GYV were quickly in charge. Gibson applied a half crab at 4:30. Cooper hit a suplex and made the hot tag.
Mambo hit a flying crossbody block and some bodyslams on Gibson. He hit a double Blockbuster at 8:00. Cooper hit a Shooting Star Press for a believable nearfall. Mambo accidentally superkicked Cooper at 10:00!! Gibson hit their team Lungblower on Mambo for a believable nearfall. Drake nailed a top-rope Doomsday Device clothesline on Mambo. Cooper got on the ring apron and he looked conflicted on if he would save Mambo. He hopped off the apron at 12:00, clutching his sore jaw, and he started to head to the back!! However, he ran back and pulled Gibson to the floor. Cooper took the hot tag and they hit a team doublestomp-and-Air Raid Crash to pin Drake! A fun tease at the end and a good match.
“Sunshine Machine” TK Cooper and Chuck Mambo defeated “Grizzled Young Veterans” James Drake and Zack Gibson to win the RevPro Tag Team Titles at 13:03.
9. Dani Luna vs. Mina Shirakawa for the RevPro Women’s Title. Dani came out second and has two title belts around her waist, and she is looking particularly muscular today. Mina is replacing Stephanie Vaquer, who had recently canceled. They shook hands after the bell and locked up. Mina danced; the commentators said this will frustrate Dani, thinking that Shirakawa isn’t taking this seriously. Dani hit some snap suplexes at 2:00, then a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall, and she was tossing the smaller Mina around. She backed Mina into a corner and hit some chops. Mina dropped Dani knee-first on the mat at 6:30 and began targeting the legs.
Mina applied a rear-naked choke. She went for a Figure Four, but Dani fought it off. They traded forearm strikes. Luna nailed a decapitating clothesline and they were both down at 9:00. Dani hit a slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Dani hit a standing powerbomb for a believable nearfall at 11:00. Mina nailed a Dragonscrew Legwhip, and this time, she got the Figure Four, and Dani dove for the ropes. Moments later, Mina again locked in the Figure Four in the center of the ring, and Dani tapped out! I didn’t expect that!
Mina Shirakawa defeated Dani Luna to win the RevPro Women’s Title at 12:17.
10. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hechicero. Hechicero actually recently beat Sabre in Mexico. Sabre is coming off having just won the NJPW G1 Climax tournament. (I was hoping he would come out with the trophy; he did not.) This crowd was going NUTS for their conquering hero. A feeling-out process early, and Hechicero immediately dove for the left leg. Sabre applied a leglock around Hechicero’s neck. Zack trapped both legs and tied up Hechicero on the mat. They began trading chops at 6:00 as Hechicero had Sabre in a leglock. Hechichero hit a gut-wrench slam to the mat at 8:30, and he snapped Zack’s arm across the bottom rope.
Sabre escaped a hold and applied an Octopus Stretch. Hechicero slammed Sabre stomach-first to the mat. Sabre went for a Rings of Saturn-style double armbar using his legs, but Hechicero fought free at 11:00. Sabre snapped Hechicero’s neck between his ankles. Sabre snapped an arm over the top rope. He hit some European Uppercuts and a running penalty kick, and both men were down at 14:00. Hechicero hit a sideslam for a nearfall. Sabre applied a Triangle Choke, and he turned it into a crossarm breaker. Hechicero trapped Sabre’s body, rolled him around the mat several times, and got a nearfall at 17:00. This crowd was going nuts for this action.
Hechicero climbed the ropes and hit a huracanrana. He trapped Zack’s arms behind the back and kept him in a pretzel, but Sabre got a foot on the ropes at 19:00. Sabre hit a Zack Driver for a nearfall and we got a “fight forever!” chant. Hechicero trapped Sabre’s head between his legs and slammed Zack to the mat. They began trading rollup attempts. Sabre tied him up in a pretzel in the center of the ring on the mat, and Hechicero tapped out. A fun match but truly no sense whatsoever that Hechicero was coming into England and beating Sabre. The crowd chanted “Hechicero” to show their appreciation, then shouted “One more time!” and it appeared Sabre and Hechicero agreed.
* Sabre got on the mic and said he wanted to bring the G1 trophy back to England. He vowed he was going to win the IWGP title! “It’s coming home!” he shouted and that got a massive pop.
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hechicero at 22:49.
11. Michael Oku (w/Amira) vs. Luke Jacobs for the RevPro British Heavyweight Title. A LONG video was shown to highlight this feud. Jacobs came out dressed like a cowboy to Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive.” Jacobs has the size advantage. Standing switches and a feeling-out process early on. Jacobs hit a shoulder tackle at 2:00 that dropped Oku. They traded slaps to the face. Oku hit a dropkick on Luke’s knee, then a huracanrana, and Jacobs rolled to the floor. He whipped Oku into the guardrail, then hit a uranage across the guardrail at 4:00! In the ring, Jacobs was in charge and hit some chops. Oku snapped Jacobs’ neck across the top rope, then he hit a missile dropkick at 7:00.
Oku hit several stiff kicks to the spine. Jacobs hit a back suplex at 10:00, then a German Suplex for a nearfall. Oku hit a Superkick; Jacobs hit a Mafia Kick; Oku hit a Pele Kick; Jacobs hit a decapitating clothesline at 13:00, and they both fell to the floor. Nice sequence. In the ring, Oku hit a running knee and a Poison Rana. He nailed the Fosbury Flop onto Jacobs on the floor. Back in the ring, Jacobs caught Oku and hit a bodyslam for a nearfall at 15:30. Oku slammed him on the ring apron, then he ran on the floor, dove through the ropes, and slammed Jacobs. Jacobs stood up at 19:00 and he was bleeding from the forehead. In the ring, Oku removed his own wrist tape and began punching at Luke’s cut, and he was booed!
Oku wiped some blood on his own stomach. Oku hit a springboard moonsault, and he applied a half-crab at 22:00, and the camera focused on Jacobs’ bloody forehead as he reached the ropes. Jacobs knocked Oku off the corner, and Oku crashed to the floor. Back in the ring, Oku hit a clothesline and a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall at 24:30. They got up and traded forearm strikes and the crowd was into this as this exchange just kept going and going. Oku again applied a half-crab and sat down on the lower back. Jacobs escaped, applied his own half-crab, and got a massive pop! Luke hit a decapitating clothesline at 28:30.
Jacobs (with his back to the ring) hit a top-rope powerbomb to the mat for a believable nearfall. Oku hit a superkick, ducked a clothesline, and hit his own clothesline. He hit a top-rope crossbody block, then a top-rope frogsplash onto the back at 31:30. Oku went back to the top rope and was booed as he hit a frogsplash to the chest for a believable nearfall, and the crowd popped for the kickout. Oku went back to the half-crab. Jacobs hit a clothesline and they were both down. Jacobs nailed a Burning Hammer, then a clothesline for a believable nearfall at 33:30. He hit a jumping piledriver move for the pin! New champion! Jacobs celebrated with the title.
Luke Jacobs defeated Michael Oku to become RevPro British Heavyweight Champion at 33:52.
* Jacobs cut a promo and celebrated his win. Tomohiro Ishii came out of the back to confront him. Of course, Ishii just turned and left; no long promo from the Stone Pitbull.
Final Thoughts: An absolutely insane back-and-forth main event and the crowd was going nuts at every nearfall in the last 10 minutes. Just unbelievably good. (While I’m watching this after the fact, I fully expected Oku to appear in the AEW Casino Gauntlet the next day.) I personally loved Ishii-Gale for second best. As great as Sabre-Hechicero was… the suspense just wasn’t there. No way that Sabre, fresh off winning the G1 and returning to the UK as a conquering hero, was losing to Hechicero.
A really strong show, up and down the lineup. The women put on a really good 10-woman tag, and I didn’t expect Mina Shirakawa to beat Dani. That six-way scramble was awesome with everyone getting a chance to show off their stuff. TNA has sporadically used Leon Slater; he’s so good, they need to lock him in and have him on every taping. Kidd-Dijak was as good as an 11-minute brawl can be. I don’t really understand why Sunshine Machine were teasing breaking up, but they played this crowd to perfection with Cooper teasing he was leaving, only to return and then immediately winning.
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