Revolution Pro Wrestling Live at the Cockpit – January 8th, 2017

January 8, 2017

From the Cockpit Theatre in London England

Your hosts are Andy Quildan and Lord Gideon Gray

I’m not a regular watcher of RevPro so if anyone here is and can add some insight into the product, it would be greatly appreciated.

Contenders Match: Dan Magee vs. Rob Lias

I’m not really sure what the “Contenders” theme is but it seems to be for newcomers. These guys start off by trading holds as Gray is not impressed by the “contenders” due to the fact they do not play mind games and treat this as a sport. Magee takes Lias down and works the leg then hits a dropkick. Lias cuts off Magee with a low dropkick then hits a shinbreaker as he now targets the knee as Gray applauds Lias for taking advantage of Magee’s previous knee injury. Magee comes back to work the arm but Lias escapes and applies a single leg crab until Magee reaches the ropes. Magee avoids a low dropkick then hits a sling blade but clutches his knee as he lands. Lias floats over and kicks Magee’s knee but his lungblower attempt fails then Magee hits a flatliner for the win. However, Lias convinces the referee that he had his foot underneath the ropes and the match is re-started. Lias offers a handshake and keeps shaking until he shocks Magee with a rollup in 13 seconds for the win (7:08) **.

Thoughts: Basic match here. I believe had a winning streak so the end was done to preserve that.

Josh Bodom vs. Eddie Dennis

Dennis is billed as 6’6 and 240 lbs while Bodom has a solid build. Bodom attacks Dennis before the bell then flies out with a tope. Bodom beats on Dennis in the corner then taunts the crowd but that allows Dennis to fight back. Dennis biels Bodom out of the corner then they fight outside as Dennis gets the upper hand. Bodom kicks Dennis from the bleachers then flies off with a somersault senton as the crowd applauds. Back inside, Bodom hits a dropkick then stays in control. He heads up top but Dennis cuts him off and hits a super fallaway slam as both men are down. They get up as Dennis fires away. Bodom rakes the eyes but gets caught with an inverted atomic drop. Dennis turns Bodom inside-out with a clothesline before getting a nearfall with a catatonic. Dennis catches Bodom with a roaring elbow but Bodom comes back with a facecrusher and a super kick. Bodom gets two with a standing shooting star press and sets up for the Bliss Buster but Dennis blocks that then hits Bodom with a buckle bomb. Dennis gets kicked but comes back with a rebound clothesline as both men are down. They get up and trade strikes then Bodom uses a rollup and puts his feet on the ropes but gets caught by the referee. Bodom comes back with a spinning enziguiri then hits the Bliss Buster for the win (10:48) **1/2.

Thoughts: Bodom showed some potential and while Dennis was tall he had an unimpressive physique and really clunky on offense at times. Still, the match was fine.

The Revolutionists (James Castle & Sha Samuels) vs. Josh Wall & Kurtis Chapman

The Revolutionists attack their opponents before the bell but Wall & Chapman fight back. Samuels plants Chapman with a spinebuster then Castle tags himself and hits a double foot stomp. Castle brags then tries for a suplex but Chapman turns it into a small package for the surprise win (1:43) 1/2*. After the match, Samuels yells at Castle then grabs him by the face before delivering a slap.

Thoughts: This was really just an angle to further along the tension between the Revolutionists.

Dave Mastiff vs. Tyler Bate

The announcers put over Bate as being part of the WWE UK Tournament. Mastiff is over 300 lbs. He works the arm for a bit until Mastiff backs him against the ropes and takes Bate down. Mastiff toys with Bate on the mat but Bate gets up and ends up applying a headlock. Mastiff asks Bate to run into him and they end up colliding until Bate punches him in the gut. Mastiff comes back and decks Bate but gets dumped outside where Bate flies out with a plancha and lands on the bleacher steps. Ouch. They head back inside where Mastiff pancakes Bate and roughs him up in the corner. Mastiff gets two with a suplex then sends Bate into the corner with a headbutt. Mastiff works the neck then shoves Bate down to prevent a comeback attempt. Mastiff misses a corner charge then connects with a boot to the face. Mastiff catches a crossbody attempt but Bate floats over and that leads to a reversal sequence ending with Mastiff hitting a clothesline. Bate rolls away from a senton then lands on his feet, or tries to anyway, after a German suplex but appears to have hurt his knee. Bate tries to knock Mastiff down and finally does with a corkscrew uppercut from the top rope. Bate tries for an airplane spin and eventually gets him up. He then follows with a German suplex for two. They trade strikes briefly until Mastiff hits a boot to the face but Bate gets his knees up on a senton attempt as Bate is clutching his knee. Mastiff then puts Bate in a Boston Crab and gets the win (13:29) ***1/4. After the match, Mastiff wipes his face on a fan wearing Bate’s shirt.

Thoughts: This was a pretty good match. Bate is amazing, both for how good he is at his age and for his freakish strength. They played up the big man/little man dynamic well here.

Marty Scurll comes out to the ring. Quildan asks him about how he told Zack Sabre he would never face him if he was the champion and that they were best friends. Scurll tells us everything he does is business and recently signed a lucrative deal with Ring of Honor and became the TV Champion, the belt he is carrying over his shoulder. He gets the crowd to chant his name as his tag team partner, Pete Dunne, heads out to the ring. Ryan Smile comes out to face them but Travis Banks jumps him as its a 3-on-1 attack. Will Ospreay then runs out to clear the ring with Shane Strickland also now in the ring. Ospreay proposes to everyone they have a six-man tag as Smile gets the mic and does not care for the “bitches” who attacked him as he agrees to the six-man tag stipulation for tonight’s main event.

Zack Gibson vs. Trent Seven

Gibson keeps chanting something then yells at Seven before leaving the ring. He finally comes back and ends up slapping Seven after a break. They go back-and-forth on the mat and end in a stalemate as the crowd applauds. Gibson runs his mouth then they slap each other across the face before trading chops. They start brawling now and that ends with Seven hitting a Saito suplex. Seven tries for a dive outside but Gibson cuts him off with an uppercut. Gibson beats on Seven outside of the ring and rolls him back in but spends too much time taunting the fans as Seven flies out with a tope. They head inside and fight up top as Gibson hits a pumphandle suplex. Seven pops up and charges but Gibson flattens him with a discus clothesline for two. Seven floats over and hits a snap Dragon suplex but Gibson blocks a clothesline and hits a Codebreaker. They trade strikes until Gibson hits Seven with a throat thrust in midair. Gibson hits a twisting inverted brainbuster for a nearfall then works a key lock but Seven is able to crawl his way to the ropes. Gibson softens Seven up with elbow smashes but Seven fights back and starts stomping the back of Gibson’s head while applying a single leg crab. Both men are tired and start trading strikes but Gibson uses an eye poke. Gibson tries to run up the ropes but slips as Seven takes control before hitting the piledriver for the win (11:49) ***1/4.

Thoughts: Another good match. Gibson is a pretty good heel, can cut a promo, and can work. I’d be shocked if the WWE didn’t contact him for the UK Tourney. Seven did fine but he really doesnt blow me away or anything.

British Tag Team Title Match: London Riots (James Davis & Rob Lynch) vs. Charlie Sterling & Joel Redman (c)

Davis and Sterling start things off. Davis catches Sterling with a slam and follows with a senton. Sterling fights back and hits a spinning heel kick for a two count. Redman and Lynch are in and worked a fast-paced sequence as Redman gains the upper hand. The champs use quick tags to maintain control. Davis blocks a suplex and hits Sterling with one as the Riots finally gain the advantage. They are cutting off the ring as they hit Sterling with a few double team moves. The Riots isolate Sterling in their corner as they target the neck. Sterling is able to break free as Redman tags in and runs wild. Sterling takes out the Riots with a pescado but Lynch cuts off Redman’s dive attempt then stomps a mudhole in the corner. Lynch grounds Redman on the mat then prevents a tag attempt by using a sitdown splash as that gets two. The Riots now neutralize Redman in the corner for a bit but Redman is able to make the tag. Sterling runs wild briefly until Lynch beats him down. Sterling catches Lynch with a boot then hits a moonsault block before taking Davis out with a tope. Sterling covers Davis for two after hitting a brainbuster. The Riots hit Sterling with a fireman’s carry slam/uppercut combo that did not quite work then almost put him away with an assisted powerbomb but Redman breaks it up. The champs hit a few nice double-team moves but cannot get the win. The Riots fight back and hit a catapult/spear move but Sterling makes the save as the match has broken down then the champs hit Davis with a tombstone/twisting senton combo for the win (16:36) **1/2.

Thoughts: Not a bad match. Redman stood out the most for me here and Davis appeared gassed at the end. This match would have been better off being five minutes shorter as they really lost the crowd near the end though.

RJ Singh vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

ZSJ goes for the armbar right off the bat. He breaks as Singh clutches his arm then hits an uppercut. ZSJ beats on Singh then works a guillotine on the mat. Singh tries to fight back but ZSJ kicks him down and works the neck. ZSJ remains in control and cuts off every comeback attempt from Singh. ZSJ works the legs now as Singh is clearly overmatched here. Singh catches ZSJ with a knee to the gut then hits a basement dropkick as both men are down. Singh hits an elbow drop in the corner and follows with a dropkick. Singh heads up top but ZSJ cuts him off with an uppercut. Singh fights him off and hits a crossbody and follows with an enziguiri for two. ZSJ catches Singh with a triangle lock then uses an octopus hold that Singh counters with a suplex. Singh gets two with a falcon arrow and a double underhook facebuster. Singh tries for a swanton but ZSJ gets his knees up. ZSJ gets a nearfall with the Penalty Kick then starts toying with Singh. ZSJ almost loses to a backslide but is able to put on a chinlock then transitions into an octopus hold and gets the win (14:59) **1/4. After the match, Quildan asks ZSJ about his match in two weeks against Marty Scurll. ZSJ then talks about being in wrestling for over a decade and that who cares about t-shirt sales as he puts over training in MMA just for fun as he calls himself the best wrestler in the world.

Thoughts: This was really just a glorified squash match and the post-match promo put over the big title match on the next show. Singh apparently went away from wrestling and came back but really doesnt appear to have much of anything, really.

Marty Scurll & Pete Dunne & Travis Banks vs. Will Ospreay & Ryan Smile & Shane Strickland

Scurll and Ospreay trade insults before the match. They also start things off but Scurll goes over and tags Dunne instead. Dunne takes off his singlet to reveal another singlet that reads “Bruiser Weight,” which of course is his gimmick. Ospreay hits Dunne with a straight right hand then Banks tags into the match as Ospreay grabs a headlock. They work a fast-paced sequence that ends with Banks rolling outside. Smile tags in to face Dunne and gets taken down. Dunne works the arm for a bit as Smile keeps kipping up but Dunne starts gouging his face. Smile connects with a dropkick after an Irish whip sequence then all three men hit Dunne with slingshot sentons. Strickland tags into the match and takes control for a bit until Dunne traps him between the ring apron. The three heels hit apron suplexes in unison then work over Strickland in the corner. They continue to beat on Strickland then Scurll goes underneath the ring and pulls out a backpack to hang up some of his shirts to piss off ZSJ. Strickland finally gets an opening and tags out as Smile cleans house. Smile almost puts Dunne away with a Blue Thunder Bomb but Dunne comes back with an overhand chop and hits a Saito suplex before tagging out. Scurll chops Smile against the ropes. He hits a low kick but runs into a super kick as Strickland and Banks are in the ring. Strickland gets two with a slingshot flatliner then Ospreay makes a blind tag as Banks gets double-teamed. Banks comes back with a kick from the middle rope then the match breaks down. Ospreay ends up getting suplexed by all three men in succession as Strickland breaks up the pin while the crowd starts a “this is awesome” chant. They all go back-and-forth then Ospreay gets triple-teamed as his partners break up the pin at the last millisecond. Scurll gets the crowd up in a frenzy before signaling for the chicken wing but Ospreay hits him with a kick and that triggers an amazing sequence in which everyone trades moves at a rapid pace as the crowd gives them a standing ovation. Strickland and Scurll are in the ring now while a “seven stars” chant breaks out. Strickland hits a cutter but Banks & Dunne takes him down. Smile & Ospreay hit springboard cutters and go outside but their team gets caught with finger breakers. They huddle inside but get surrounded and eventually hit with super kicks. Smile & Ospreay fly out with coast-to-coast tope con hilos as Strickland hits a double foot stomp from the top for a two count. Dunne and Ospreay end up brawling off in the distance while Scurll puts Smile in the chicken wing as Strickland hits Banks with a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Smile reaches the ropes after a struggle as Strickland and Banks also are off camera. Smile is on his knees and flips over Scurll, who hits a super kick. Smile keeps flipping him off after regaining his composure but gets hit with several more super kicks. Scurll covers but only gets two as Smile pops right up and pumps himself up. They trade slaps as Smile catches Scurll with a brainbuster for two. He then locks on a crossface and reapplies the hold after Scurll reaches the ropes. Scurll catches Smile with a chicken wing but Smile rolls through. However, Scurll floats over and puts Smile back in the chicken wing in the middle of the ring and gets the win (25:32) ****. After the match, ZSJ comes out and shoves Smile aside to stare down Scurll. They get into a shoving match until ZSJ kicks low, the same thing Scurll did to him at the “Global Wars” show.

Thoughts: This was a blast to watch. It was all action and we same some great high-flying and other cool spots. The end also hyped up the title match at the next show.

Final Thoughts: The main event was a blast and there were a few other good matches. I’m not a regular RevPro watcher (mostly limited to what has been shown on the Highspots Network) but I thought this was a solid offering and I will review the show that proceeded this as well.