REVIEW: RevPro Wrestling - Live In Coventry
Revolution Pro Wrestling: Live in Coventry
HMV Empire, Coventry
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Reviewer: David South (@DavidSouth1980)
With WrestleCarnival having come to an end, Coventry, and the HMV Empire specifically, becomes a new home for Revolution Pro Wrestling as they look to increase their footprint outside of London.
Whilst the crowd was unusually subdued, particularly given some of the incredible stuff they’re seeing this evening, they did come out in sufficient numbers that a second show here was announced for later in the year.
Francesca thanks us for coming, but before she gets too much further, she’s interrupted by Reece and Rogan, who come to the ring and demand competition from anyone in the back.
Nobody comes from the lockeroom, instead two of the contenders, operating as ringside crew today decided to step up.
Reece and Rogan vs Joshua James and David Francisco
Reece and Rogan begin a beatdown on the contenders, that lasts until Francisco (having rather unnecessarily shouted “Yorkshire sucks” first) comes off the top with a double clothesline.
He lifts Reece into a running powerbomb and gets a two count. Reece and Rogan work their way back on top, and with frequent tags, keeping Francisco down, with Reece hitting a cannonball into the corner for a near fall.
Francisco eventually makes the tag to his partner and James comes in with a slam and pounce on Rogan for the two count, then hits a chokeslam for another pinfall that’s has to be broken up by Reece.
Though R&R would rally again, the ending came when David Francisco hit a delayed Uranage and James hits a splash for the top for the upset victory.
I wondered if we might see more tension between Francisco and James, after James’ bad-tempered reaction to his loss to Shigehiro Irie last month, and with them scheduled to meet for a place in the Revolution Rumble next week, but it was all smiles afterwards.
Man Like Dereiss vs Michael Oku w/Amira
Credit: RevPro Wrestling
This was a real crowd splitter, as everyone loves both these guys and the dualling “0-1-2-1/Michael Oku” chants were a regular occurrence. It also helped that they’re not the best of friends, with Dereiss telling Amira that he could see the fear on her face as he made the early running.
At one-point Dereiss snatches the Revolution Pro Heavyweight Championship from her, but only to admire, not to use as a weapon. This distraction though works against Dereiss, as Oku hits a dropkick and begins to focus on the legs in preparation for the half crab submission.
Oku is angrier than I’ve seen him in a while and hits vicious forearms with Dereiss trapped in the corner. He’d hit a superkick and then climb the ropes for the frogsplash but Dereiss kicks out of the pin.
Dereiss locks his arm around Oku’s legs so that he can’t be transitioned into the crab. Though Oku continues to focus kicks on the legs, Dereiss responds with two huge powerbombs and a near fall.
He climbs to the top but can see he’s too slow for the 450 splash to work, so he rolls through it – his leg gives out on impact though and he’s in pain. He fights out of the half crab, with Oku trying the PK to his chest, Dereiss though ducks under it – then, on one leg, nips up and hits a cutter.
He climbs to the top again and this time tries the 450, but the champ gets his knees up. Oku puts the half crab on for a third time and Dereiss kicks his way out of it, but he’s in real trouble now.
Oku climbs to the top now and hits the frog splash. He then puts the half crab on for a fourth time and Dereiss has no choice but to tap out.
It shouldn’t be any surprise, as these two are amongst the best in the world, let alone the country, right now, but they do have tremendous chemistry together in the ring and there is a long and glorious rivalry to be enjoyed here.
Connor Mills vs JJ Gale
Credit: RevPro Wrestling
Having turned to a villain since the end of his partnership with Oku, Mills takes every opportunity to punctuate this match with a vicious kick, either to Gale’s back, or thigh. Gale dropkicks Mills out of the ring and to the floor, and then dives out after him.
They fight on the floor until Mills catches Gale’s kick, pushes his leg over the barrier and then attacks his thigh. In the ring, Mills puts on a leg submission and punctuates that with kicks, but Gale catches one and starts to turn Mills’ ankle forcing Mills to go to the ropes for a break.
Mills misses a high boot and is caught on the ropes; Gale lands some kicks of his own and a German Suplex. He hits a Falcon’s arrow for a near fall then climbs to the top. Though Mills was ready for him and hits a blue thunder bomb off the top.
Gale gets to the ropes of escape the subsequent leg lock, but he may quickly regret he did as Mills catches him in a double arm bar and stomps his unprotected head until the referee makes the call to stop the match and call it in Mills’ favour.
JJ has to be helped to the back.
Oskar Leube vs Luke Jacobs
Credit: RevPro Wrestling
With his Young Blood tag partner, Yuto Nakashima, out injured at the moment, Leube takes on North West Strong bruiser Luke Jacobs, in a one on one encounter. They battle for domination from the start, pushing each other into the ropes until Jacobs explodes out of the corner with forearms and chops.
Leube responds with a backdrop after an exchange of forearms. Jacobs gets a near fall from a German Suplex and a running clothesline. Jacobs misses a forearm and Leube hits a huge forearm that knocks Jacobs flat, though he kicks out of the pin.
The finish would come when Jacobs beautifully rolls though a powerslam and down into a crossface. Leube is forced to tap out. Much to the delight of Gideon Gray on commentary, Leube angrily refuses a post-match handshake and storms off.
We’re not finished though as Connor Mills jumps the barriers and attacks Jacobs from behind. They brawl until their separated by referees and officials but only until Mills breaks free and hits a running heel kick.
They’re manoeuvred to the back and we head into the interval.
Alexiss Falcon vs Kanji
Credit: RevPro Wrestling
They lock up and push to the ropes, Kanji doesn’t flinch as Falcon fakes throwing a punch. That is not the case when the roles are reversed though with Falcon cowering. Falcon takes control with a throat chop and then a back cracker.
She catches Kanji in the corner and then hits a push up uppercut. She loudly informs the crowd that “No she Kan’t-ji”, hit’s a scoop slam and then cackles like “The wicked witch of Brit-Wres”.
Kanji though hits the comeback trail. She avoids a clothesline and hits a 619 into the corner. She chops Falcon on the apron and then, as she escapes to the floor, Kanji dives out after her. Falcon rolls back in but Kanji climbs to the top and hits a shotgun dropkick.
She applies an armbar, but Falcon makes it to the ropes. They climb in the corner together, but it’s Falcon who hits the superplex and then a Falcon’s arrow for a very close two count. Kanji again recovers and catches a leg, transitioning into a trapped leg German Suplex and a two count.
Perhaps sensing the end is near, Falcon spits in Kanji’s face. This proves to be a mistake as a furious Kanji explodes with elbows and forearms and after a knockout blow, she pins Falcon.
Robbie X vs Cameron Khai vs Leon Slater
Credit: RevPro Wrestling
There’s simply no describing the opening exchanges of high-speed counters that starts this match, following chants for all three competitors. Cameron Khai gets the first pin attempt, on Robbie X after a standing Senton.
Robbie hits a springboard dropkick on Khai and then dives out after him. He then rolls him back into the ring for a beautiful top rope stalling splash. All three attempt a handspring elbow, which the other two avoid – but then they each kick someone else in the head and all three are down.
Khai is on top hitting a series of belly-to-belly suplexes, including one on both opponents at the same time. He has the match won with a Falcon’s Arrow off the top on Leon Slater – but Robbie X manages to break up the pin in time.
It’s Slater’s turn for the double move now, hitting a spinning suplex on the other two and then a 450 splash on Khai – Again Robbie X makes the save by breaking up the pin.
It was only delaying the victory though, as Slater would again climb the ropes and this time Robbie X couldn’t get there in time.
Leyton Buzzard w/ Brett Semtex vs Ricky Knight Jr
Credit: RevPro Wrestling
Two men with title aspirations now. Buzzard’s alliance with Semtex became apparent during the beatdown of Oku in Sheffield last month. Semtex, looking just about recovered from his bloody defence of the Rise Underground Championship in a light tube cage match less that 24 hours earlier, accompanies Buzzard to the ring.
He’s an immediate distraction and Buzzard attacks as the bell rings. RKJ responds with a high dropkick and a beautiful powerslam as Buzzard bounces off the ropes.
They fight on the floor and again Semtex is a distraction, Buzzard whips Knight into the barriers. A few more Irish whips back in the ring sees Knight back in big trouble.
Knight follows Buzzard into the corner though, with another dropkick. He then drags him back through the ropes for a rope assisted DDT. He clotheslines Buzzard over the top to the floor and then splashes over the top on both he and Semtex.
Then, just as at the Sheffield show last month, Knight hits a dive off the stage, onto a prone Buzzard it what is easily the craziest spot of the night.
Buzzard would just about kick out of a tombstone piledriver and then knee his way out of the Muscle Buster. He’d try for an Insider’s Edge, only for Buzzard to squirm out of it. He’d climb to the top but gets caught and RKJ hits a big backdrop off the turnbuckles.
He’d go for the Muscle Buster again but, as he gets him into position, Semtex slides into the ring and spears Knight, leading to a DQ loss for Buzzard. They would beat down Knight together, and David Francisco who tried to intervene, but Michael Oku comes back to the ring and clears them out using his title belt.
The belt ends up in the hands of Knight who, after a longing look, hands the title to Oku and they shake hands. It was later announced that the next show will see Oku and Knight team up, to take on the team of Buzzard and Semtex.
Greedy Souls (Danny Jones and Brendan White) vs Sub-Culture (Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster) - Revolution Pro Undisputed British Tag Team Titles
Credit: RevPro Wrestling
Jones and White have a physical advantage here, which they use to good effect in the early moments. Mark Andrews does what he has to do and ups the pace, he also keeps the tags going with Flash Morgan Webster and they are able to do double team splashes on Danny Jones.
The strength though comes to the fore when White catches Webster in a powerslam and the Greedy Souls work him over for a long time. Flash eventually makes the tag and a fresh Mandrews works them both over, eventually hitting a split legged moonsault on Brendan White for a two count, then an assisted Canadian Destroyer off Websters back.
The Greedy Souls regain control with Jones hitting a forearm uppercut as Andrews is launched off White’s shoulders. Andrews though survives the Soul Destroyer, switching it into a double stunner.
It looks like Subculture have the match won when Webster hits a senton off the top, but Danny Jones pulls the referee out of the ring. Webster continues to attack until Jones pulls the referee into his path and then hits a low blow whilst the ref is recovering.
The Greedy Souls then hit the soul destroyer on Flash Morgan Webster and have the match won themselves, until Mandrews pulls the referee out of the ring. With a seemingly forgetful Jones complaining, Morgan Webster continues the “turnabout is fair play” with a low blow on White.
Then, after Mandrews has hit a low blow of his own on Jones, Subculture hit a high knee / Poison Rana combination to win the match and retain the titles.
A strong first showing for Revolution Pro in Coventry, even if the crowd were strangely resistant to getting noisily involved in the matches. Maybe I shouldn’t assume that the crowd were all regular viewers and didn’t know who everyone was and the ongoing stories, the way I do.
Dereiss and Michael Oku was a particularly strong match, though none of them were below par and you’d hope that, given the decent attendance here, Coventry could become another regular haunt for Revolution Pro.