#revolutionpro

April Fool’s Day, Bank Holiday Monday, and RevPro Live in Southampton 29! It was a big day on 1st April 2024. Me and my dad made our way down to The 1865 for an evening of wrestling greatness just 24 hours after Revolution Rumble 2024, where Luke Jacobs would win the titular match! Before the show, we perused the merch tables which had quite a lot to choose from! I ended up picking up a signed print from the Grizzled Young Veterans. I’m a big fan of GYV, as well as a fellow Liverpool FC fan, so I simply had to. Shook their hands and they recognised us from roughly 30 minutes before when we had both been in the same Forbidden Planet shop looking around. My dad actually had to point them out to me after I walked straight past them somehow. I was also able to get a photo with them, which was awesome. Lovely blokes! We then stood back and got ready for the show.

As Francesca kicked things off, David Francisco got on the mic to express his frustrations. He’s sick and tired of being a Contender, essentially a trainee of RevPro, a position he has held for well over 2 years. He takes off his Contenders shirt, revealing his Chaotic Neutral tee, and says he’s stepping away from being a Contender whether management likes it or not. The crowd are absolutely chuffed to hear this, and he gets a great reaction. As he storms out, he runs into the Contender he beat for a spot in the Rumble, Joshua James.

Gabe Kidd def. Joshua James in 10:14

Fun smacking scrap, with a whole lot of chanting to start. Great sport for Josh James! This one had lots of wild chops and slaps, and was a pretty good slugfest! Kidd gets the win after a good showing by James, the big man being put away by a Kidd piledriver. It would take “War Ready” two attempts though, with his knee buckling on the first. Kidd won, but James was the one who left under his own power, and Kidd appeared to respect him for his effort.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Oskar Leube vs. Mike D Vecchio ended in a double countout in 9:55

Absolutely wild big man clash from two monsters! Leube is a exciting big man and Vecchio impressed me greatly in my first exposure to him. The “Belgian War Machine” is absolutely massive, his shoulders are about as wide as he is tall, and the things he does despite such a superstar look were incredible. The speed with which both men hit the ropes was insane, and Vecchio hit flips and the like it was nothing. All his offense was off the chain, leaping halfway across the ring and chopping like he wanted to go through Leube. Despite a small slow period in the middle, this one was electric and it’s a shame it ended how it did. Both men obliged the fans though and kept fighting until RevPro officials tore them apart. I want to see these two go at it again.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Robbie X def. Aigle Blanc in 15:56

Cruiserweight clash! This one took a small amount of time to grow on me, but by the end this one was an awesome time. Just two great high-flyers giving it their all for the Southampton faithful. It was frenetic, it was fast, and it was a good time for all. A Canadian Destroyer followed by an X-Clamation get the win for Robbie X.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Luke Jacobs def. Shigehiro Irie in 13:12

One more match before the break and it’s a big one! The number one contender to the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship takes on “Beast Mode”. This one didn’t quite live up to my loftiest of hopes, but it was a pretty good big man clash in the end. Lots of meaty chops, big power moves, and even a stark reminder from Irie to “never give up”! We were sure to “Get Shiggy with it” as we chanted, but Jacobs would get the win in the end by making Irie tap-out to the crossface. I guess sometimes you need to give up…

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

With that, it was time for intermission. We took this one easy and eagerly awaited the second half.

Anthony Ogogo def. Sha Samuels in 11:17

The Guv’nor is here whether we like it or not to take on the East End Bookie. This was a decent match of beloved babyface against hated heel, but it all came to an end when Ogogo hit that devastating right hand. Bosh.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Ogogo got on the mic here to berate the crowd and laud over us all his accomplishments in RevPro, such as defeating RKJ and Samuels, as well as eliminating Oku from the Rumble. He wants the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship, and tells Oku and his “Irish slag” Amira to listen up and give him the match. That’s not very nice. But Oku’s not at home! Here comes the champ, and he tells Ogogo to watch his mouth, reminding him that the last time he made a feud about nationality, he “accidentally made Cody Rhodes solve racism”. Huge pop for that one! Oku says if he wants a match he has it, and that they can do it right now. They brawl in the ring but a right hand knocks Oku out cold. Could the champion be in trouble?

Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) (c) def. Sunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper) for the RevPro Undisputed British Tag Team Championships in 16:49

The new champs are here to take on the ever-popular Sunshine Machine! Some words are exchanged and once we made an acceptable amount of noise, the GYV decided to oblige us all and put the titles on the line! This was a good fun tag clash between two of the UK’s best teams. Mambo’s mastery of the ropes was on full display, as was the lethal speed of Drake and his flying dropkicks. It’s back and forth, with both teams looking to be victorious on occasions until Mambo is planted with a Doomsday Device and a double Ticket to Ride facebreaker for the win. Grit your teeth.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Post match, GYV offer a handshake which a frustrated Sunshine Machine weakly accept. They aren’t happy. Francesca heads into the ring to ask them what’s next for them. Mambo is still pretty out of it, so TK Cooper gives his answer. He sarcastically thanks Francesca for rubbing it in with her question, saying he hasn’t seen her do this anywhere else on the show. Another big pop in the promos here, we loved that. Cooper says they never win in Southampton (they have technically won 2 out of 7 here but shhhhh, one was an elimination 8-man tag though). He concludes they need to go back to the drawing board somewhat, and they take their leave.

Josh Alexander def. JJ Gale in 18:31

It’s the hometown boy versus the international star from Canada. Loud chants of “He’s one of our own” to kick things off. This was a pretty good clash between two top draw wrestlers. Gale gave his absolute all to put away the more experienced Alexander, hitting multiple dives and a whole bunch of his signature offense, but he’s never able to connect with that Gale Force. Alexander himself dishes out all sorts of punishment like rolling German suplexes, an ankle lock, and a powerbomb onto the knee, but Gale weathered through it all. When the straps come down and that brutal C4 Spike is hit by Alexander though, that’s all she wrote for Gale. 

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

For the first time since I started this whole blog, I went to a live wrestling show! So I thought, why not give a brief review. This was one of RevPro’s weekly shows, and the go-home before High Stakes in Crystal Palace (which I am also attending!!!), so for those unfamiliar with these bigger indies, it's essentially their version of a tv taping. These shows and their big shows are all available on RevPro OnDemand. The company is known for a strong relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling, being where they send trainees on excursion and in the past frequently seeing major NJPW stars hold the British Heavyweight Title.

Pre-Show

These shows are a breeze for me to reach down at The 1865 in Southampton, and always feature a pretty lairy crowd. It's a music venue, with the stage featuring some chairs with a few more on most sides of the ring. Wrestlers enter through a small walkway in the far corner of the building with a projected screen on the stage. It's an intimate and ever so slightly awkward venue, but I absolutely love it, and it's so easy to attend. Without further ado, let's get into the show, as the ever wonderful Francesca introduced the action.

Robbie X def. Joshua James by pinfall in 11:54

This was a really hot match to start things off. Robbie X is really popular with this RevPro crowd, and he earns it by always putting on a show. He’s facing Mustafa Ali in Crystal Palace, which is sure to be a highlight. On this night though, he was up against Joshua James, one of the Contenders. These are essentially the RevPro own guys. Something I love about RevPro crowds is how much they get behind the Contenders. They’re one of our own! Both men got a great reaction, and this was an awesome big vs small match. Josh James had a great power game on display, and Robbie is an awesome seller, so this went really well. It was never slow, just all action, and maybe my favourite match of the night in the end. Robbie is able to get the win when he hits the Handspring Cutter out of a James pounce, which was a counter of a previous handspring cutter attempt. That was pretty fun! The night is off to a great start!

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

I feel it pertinent to mention it here as James sported the memorial armband and t-shirt, but this is the first show I’ve seen since Mad Kurt sadly passed away late last year. Mad Kurt was on the first few shows I saw in The 1865, and made an immediate impression. I’d known him from Twitter and had no idea what to expect from his wrestling, and I was charmed by his mixture of silly comedy and serious wrestling acumen. I was heartbroken by the news, and I’m so sorry to all those who knew him for their loss. There were multiple tributes to him throughout, and he is extremely missed. Mad Kurt Forever. If you want to support his family monetarily for the various costs in this trying time, you can do so via the GoFundMe here.

“Flash” Morgan Webster def. Will Kaven via pinfall in 10:12

The Modfather, one half of the British Tag Team Champions with Mark Andrews/Dani Luna, takes on Will Kaven of… PORTSMOUTH?! For those unaware, Portsmouth is the next city over from Southampton, so Kaven always gets a strong reaction from us Southampton fans… Portsmouth is actually more local to me originally than Southampton but shhh don't tell anyone!! This is another good match, a pair of guys who can mix high flying with a more grounded game, and we see all sides of that in this one. Webster is highly popular, and Kaven is highly unpopular, and it makes for a fun match. I think the crowd may have been a smidge tired here, but they still had plenty of energy! Webster gets the win with the Shadows Over Malice swanton bomb.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Anthony Ogogo def. David Francisco by TKO in 14:52

Speaking of loving the Contenders, here’s David Francisco! We love David in RevPro, and the big man from Portugal was just as popular on this night. There was even a great chant I don't think I’d heard before of “Francisco” replacing “You are gold” in Spandau Ballet’s Gold. That’s inspired! His opponent was AEW’s Anthony Ogogo, the former Olympic bronze medallist boxer. For some reason, he still has The Factory’s logo on his jacket despite the group disbanding almost a year ago. This one was all about Ogogo, and he worked well as a heel, jibing back and forth with the crowd who had lots of banter for the “Pound Shop David Haye” as they chanted. He had a pretty good match with Francisco, who was predictably over like rover, and had a few nearfalls that could have been an upset. In the end though, despite showing resilient including a subtle rope break that fooled Ogogo, Francisco was knocked out, with the Union Jack being draped on him by the olympian. Fun if unremarkable match.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Post-match, Ogogo got on the mic, bragging about his big American house, fighting with the crowd (including a passing fan and his middle finger), and most importantly, deriding Ricky Knight Jr. for being “cocky”. However, RKJ was actually here, and he met Ogogo in the ring! They had a war of words, with RKJ again challenging Ogogo for High Stakes. He promises to take all the vision in Ogogo’s damaged eye. Both men invoke the names of each other's families, and it’s when Ogogo says RKJ’s newborn daughter takes after him in being “butters, mate” as he put it that we get a big brawl. The backstage area clears out to seperate them, with great difficulty, but they are eventually split, with Ogogo seemingly going out the wrong door. I say this because during the next match, he quietly trots from there to the entrance way and heads to the back. 

Luke Jacobs def. Yuto Nakashima by pinfall in 12:17

Beef! This is a clash of two big men, and the crowd were excited. We have here the first wrestler on the card that I’ve never seen in any capacity, that being Yuto Nakashima! One half of Young Blood passed me a few times pre-show and he is a big guy! Off the bat, love his vibe! A lot of personality and aura from him, as he enters with a big chain and wild hair. Jacobs also heads to the ring and looks in great shape! These two started a little slow in my opinion, but they ramped up and this one got pretty good by the end! Big strikes, and the highlights were some gnarly headbutts as these two had a colossal tussle. This also saw one of my favourite spots they do at these RevPro shows, as they cleared the chairs in front of me for Yuto to throw Jacobs clattering through them. Jacobs is able to secure the win in the end though, hitting Yuto with a great lariat. I was even further sold on Yuto with his post match sell, as he stumbled wildly all the way to the back, falling into the crowd and ring multiple times. He was also prone to a dance any chance he got the whole show long, and I love him for that.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Intermission

This brought an end to the first half of the show, bringing a short intermission. Ogogo made conversation near the bar and took a few photos with fans, and Sha Samuels & Morgan Webster joined the merch table, taking photos and selling their wares. I was able to meet them both, and bought a shirt and print from Webster, despite some hassle with my card! I forgot to get a photo though, so I’ll have to see them again at another show! Both were lovely and shortly after that, our second half began.

Oskar Leube vs. JJ Gale ended in a no contest in 9:57

We came back with the other half of Young Blood taking on the other half of the High Stakes match between Luke Jacobs and JJ Gale. This match was really fun! This was my first time seeing Leube, and I was extremely impressed with his work. The man walked past me a couple times during the show and he is TALL. He uses that size well in the ring but is really smooth with everything he does. JJ Gale was a great opponent for him too, using his quickness to build a pretty cool match. Sadly, this one ended pretty quickly with a no contest, as Mark Trew & Kieron Lacey attacked both men, even wielding chairs. Yuto returns to help his partner, but he’s overwhelmed by the tag team. In the end, it’s Luke Jacobs who clears the way, wanting Gale at his best for the big show the following week. They end up brawling anyway though, as Young Blood stand off with Trew & Lacey.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Mark Trew & Kieron Lacey def. Harry Milligan & Michael Oku (w/ Amira) by pinfall in 13:42

Trew & Lacey are already in the ring as the following match gets announced, with their opponents meeting them for their match. There’s a big “Mad Kurt” chant to start this one, which was touching. This was a decently fun match, with the champion and his younger ally contesting with the nefarious Trew & Lacey. Trew losing his beanie also elicits a big reaction from this crowd. This one is moving along decently enough, until Trew & Lacey bring Amira into the path of Oku’s shooting star press over the top rope to the outside. Amira’s down, and a distraught Oku carries her to the back for attention… Bit of an odd move to choose for that spot if you ask me, but who am I to judge? But Trew & Lacey capitalised off this numbers advantage to get the win over Milligan. Post-match, Young Blood take their chance to strike as Trew & Lacey continue to beat up Milligan. This brings out Oku, who’s keeping an eye on Young Blood. Leube gets on the mic and demands a tag team match at High Stakes! Exciting stuff.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Cameron Khai def. Richard Holliday by pinfall in 12:59

We were breathing rarefied air next, when Richard Holliday from Connecticut, America came to the ring. He grabbed the mic from Francesca and began to introduce himself. He says he’s familiar with our game as a UK crowd, and said if we want to get ourselves over, we have to make a chant for him. He isn’t pleased with the crowd’s chants of “Dick”, saying he thought we were more original than that, as he finds one fan willing to sing his praises in song form. Sadly, I can’t for the life of me recall what the song is called, so you’ll just have to imagine the tune. It’s here that Holliday’s foe comes out: Cameron Khai! Khai is a really talented young wrestler who I’ve seen a couple times now, and he has had some absolutely great matches. One to watch for the future as he develops further! This is a decent match, but I think it’s pretty heavily overrun by fan chants. They were certainly entertaining though! Chants of “Dick Vacation” anger Holliday, as well as “You’ve got one fan, and he’s shit!” chants. There’s a fun moment as Holliday does some corner strikes, each punctuated by a call of “You’re not shit” directed at his loyal fan. What a heel! Not all of the chants were great though, you can imagine some of the humour derived from Richard’s first name. The chants really did distract from the in-ring action though, which I can’t imagine was desired. The finish comes when Khai is able to roll up Holliday with a small package pin for the win. Holliday sulks in the ring post-match, refusing to leave, which is a thread we’ll come back to shortly. 

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Seeing Holliday for the first time, I was pretty impressed with his charisma. You can definitely see the comparisons to his former tag partner MJF in his promo skills. He was solid in the ring too, definitely doing his part for the match. Sadly, his promo riling up got out of hand. Excited to see what more he can do though!

Spike Trivet def. Sha Samuels by pinfall in 14:17

Richard Holliday is still in the ring as Francesca announces our main event, which comes with a small video package and everything! How fancy! It’s Sha Samuels intervention that ousts Holliday, with the East End Butcher clearing him from the ring with his entrance. Holliday lingers outside, seeming unhappy with this from Samuels. Trivet is out next, being understandably booed for being Spike Trivet. This grudge match, built from Trivet’s general attitude and attacking Samuels at Uprising, is a decent match! A fun spot is Samuels going to use his scarf, which the referee takes away, but Samuels using this chance to use his braces on Trivet. He gets as good as he gives! There’s some back and forth decent stuff, until Holliday returns to the ring side area. Samuels takes exception to this, as does the referee, which allows Trivet the chance to grab a weapon from the earlier discovered toolbox, and get the win over Samuels. 

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Post match, Holliday and Trivet argue over beating up Samuels, before they decide to both do it. This brings out Cameron Khai and Flash Morgan Webster to even the odds, with all 5 men brawling all over the place! Right in front of me, Webster and Trivet went flying into the merch section! I couldn’t follow it all! It was a pretty fun ending after a few matches with a little less pizazz. Samuels ends the show on the mic cursing out his enemies.

Post-Show

With our show over, I went over to the merch table once again, this time getting a signed print from JJ Gale, where I had to get his PayPal for payment as I had no cash, as well as meeting Young Blood. The pair of them were lovely, and I actually remembered to get a selfie with them! I also bought a signed print of Yuto, as they only took cash and I only had £5. They better come back to Southampton so I can get a signed print with Oskar!

Final Thoughts