The final word on the week that was.

Live In London 91

That was the best 229 of the year. No question. No debate. The Cut Throat Collective invasion was moment of the year. Zozaya Vs Leon Slater Part I was match of the year. However, Sunday was the event of the year, the whole package, and it's not even close. I bloody loved it. If you want a deeper dive into it, 10 Takeaways from the 229 is up and This Is A Revolution Episode 27 covers it thoroughly as part of a deep dive into all things RevPro at the tail end of 2024, looking ahead to 2025. It's now that time of the week when the mind wanders to the wonderings of what tomorrow's Southampton card will bring but, before we get there, we have a small bit of business to take care of; we need to assign the accolade of Hero Of The 229 and issue the thorny crown to sit atop the Villain Of London.

So who's in contention? The field for hero brings us to Leon Cage, CPF, Leon Slater and Zozaya. CPF are obvious nominees; the boys continued their wave which is taking them to the top of RevPro's tag division. The Trios Grand Prix winners made it five wins on the bounce and did so in style over Greedy Souls, who we will come to later. As for Leon Slater and Zozaya, they deserve the nomination for achieving what so few in pro wrestling can ever achieve and that is answer the clichéd question of "cAn ThEY CoExIsT?" with a resounding "YES!" There may have been a wee bit of tension after the bell, which was fully understandable - these two are going to go toe to toe for sixty f'n minutes in a fortnight, after all - but for the duration of their match they worked together cohesively and, do you know what? The match benefitted and the prestige of the win for Connor Mills and Jay Joshua was enhanced by it. Great stuff by all involved.

However there can only be one winner and there's no shocks here - Leon Cage, take a bow, son. That was IN-FUCKING-CREDIBLE. The 229 is a tough place to wrestle for the first time - ask all who have done so; the expectation is high and the crowd is very mixed between RevPro die hards and casual wrestling fans. However, Leon came in like he'd been doing this for years and delivered a main event (yep!) that is quite possibly the best 229 main event of 2024. That is some feat given who has been given that responsibility and privilege this year. I cannot wait to see Leon Vs Ethan Allen tomorrow and, I'm hoping, this will be another milestone in a wonderful journey in professional wrestling for the 17 year old, a journey we will all be blessed to witness.

There's a slightly wider conversation for Villain. Robbie X was the first to throw his name in the hat, taking the low road once more to victory. It's a route that I used to chastise David Francisco but, when he guested on This Is A Revolution, he pointed out some very clear hypocrisies in wrestling and my own way of thinking - we champion sports teams for winning ugly, we glorify people despite their past tactics and we are so quick to forgive but also quick to criticise. The example that he used was Sha Samuels, a man who would have been Villain Of The Week every week for years on end in his earlier RevPro career. So, thanks to Francisco, Robbie gets a pass here.

We also have to acknowledge Charlie Sterling who certainly pushed the limits with JJ Gale. Now, a win is a win, and the best wrestlers need a lot to be put away... and a lot of wrestlers have done a lot of terrible things to get that win. And, you know what, if it's legal and within the rules of the match, you can't complain, can you? But, a Tombstone Piledriver onto the apron? Jesus christ, Charlie, you could have ended JJ's career.

Then we have Trew and Lacey, who I thought had it all wrapped up as our villains when they attacked The Flying Bryant Brothers in their post-match and looked to humiliate them on their 229 debuts. And, on another week, that might seal the deal. However, one pair took it even further - Brendan White and Danny Jones, the Greedy Souls. In their match with CPF, Brendan White looked to utilise a steel chair and Harry Milligan, working production as he always does, wasn't having any of it and prevented them.

So how do Brendan and Danny respond? They go backstage, lick their wounds and rub their egoes and come back out, looking to destroy Harry. The chair shots Brendan hit Harry with were sickeningly hard and what he'd have done had he not been chased off would certainly have been excessively violent. My only surprise is that's it's taking these two until December to get their first annointment as Villains Of The Week.

Let's see if Harry and Sha get some payback tomorrow.

I would not complain at that.

Trios Grand Prix

Do you know how you know a wrestling show was great? When the crest of the wave it lets you ride carries you all the way through the next week. It's Thursday night and we are four days removed from the inaugural Trios Grand Prix and I am still buzzing. George and I have just wrapped up the This Is A Revolution podcast ready to drop tomorrow and talking it all over once more with someone who loved it as much as I did was so therapeutic - God bless pro wrestling, eh?

So here we are, it's that time of the week when we have to wrap up all thoughts on the previous show and start thinking ahead to the weekend, which in this case is a rare wrestling free weekend (thank goodness as it's the Mrs birthday). So how do we end each week, my lovelies? By exploring the Heroes and Villains Of The Week of course!

So who's in the running for Hero? CPF (obviously) as well as Viva Espana, Zachary Wentz, Leon Cage, Nino Bryant and 'Arry Milligan. We then have the curious cases of Mercedez Blaze and Jay Joshua who are a little of Column A and a little of Column B this week before I come to one Robbie X. Hmm... This Is A tricky week, I'll give you that.

So, elephant in the room... OBVIOUSLY CPF are Heroes Of The Trios Grand Prix, right? How could it be anyone else? A second crowning for Danny and Joe of the year and a first Hero accolade for Maverick Mayhew and oh so deserved it is. For me, the best act of the weekend with the most consistent work, the most captivating wrestling and the most impressive body of work. Incredible, lads, incredible. 

In any other week there'd be a wider discussion here but honourable mentions need to be given to all those who debuted over the weekend, in particular, Leon Cage and Nino Bryant. We also need to hand out huge praise to Zachary Wentz who delivered a fantastic match with Robbie X with a suspected broken nose - someone I've waited a long time to see live and someone who did not disappoint in the slightest. We have Harry Milligan who stepped into a Joshua James-sized hole in the card after 'Heavy Artillery' picked up an injury. And oh how Harry stepped in - what absolute hilarity! And finally, hold your heads up high Viva Espana; you were a fantastic foil to CPF and a fantastic Shawn Michaels to their Bret Hart (😬🫣).

And then we have Jay Joshua and Mercedez Blaze. What do we do with them? Jay picked up the biggest win of his RevPro career on Saturday, heroic stuff, but then jumped Sunshine Machine from behind on Sunday to get the message across that he and Mills want those straps. Similarly, Mercedez Blaze pulled the tights to get the win on Saturday, then jumped Chantal Jordan on Sunday, costing Jordan twice with cheap tactics. Yet then, Blaze and Alex Windsor entered the Tag Team Revolution Gauntlet Match and took it to the men in the match including some awesome exchanges with Cameron Khai, JJ Gale and Sha Samuels. Neither of these two can be a Villain Of The Week when they had such triumphs.

And finally, what do you make of Robbie X? He abandoned his team in the Trios Grand Prix and then resorted to a low blow to get the win over Zachary Wentz on Sunday. But, but but, but, but, but... Wasn't Robbie a wee bit justified? In their match with Spectral Envoy, Robbie attempted to deliver some chops only for them to end up in accidental friendly fire as he struck Zachary and JJ. How did they respond? They trapped him in the corner and chopped Robbie back, attempting to humiliate and punish him. So, why not walk out? 

So, for the second time this year, I am declaring the RevPro Trios Grand Prix a Villain-Free Zone. Three heroes, no villains and that's all I've got to say about that.

Until next week my lovelies; Mark Out.

Live In London 90

That was an action packed 229, weren't it my lovelies?! The 10 Takeaways featured story extension, new directions, class matches and something for absolutely everyone and now, as we look at the Heroes and Villains of London, we have A LOT of people in the pipeline. There's ten... 10... TEN... Contenders for the Hero Of The 229. And for their counterpart, for the Darth Vader to our Luke Skywalker, for the Joker to our Batman, for the Donald Trump to our... No, let's not open that can of worms... For our Villain, there's another four in discussion. So, let's av it; It's time for Hero Of The 229 and the Villain Of London!

Let's break down our ten heroic performances, shall we? How about TK Cooper, Chuck Mambo and Sha Samuels for booking their ticket to the Trios Grand Prix at the HMV Empire in Coventry in ten days time? But then, how about Josh James for his humility, his forgiveness and for being an all round "top bloke" (Sha's words) and accepting that Sha made a mistake by taking two matches in the 229, one of the toughest places to wrestle anywhere in Europe against foes as tough as Kaven, Trew & Lacey and Connor Mills & Jay Joshua? A lesser man would have floored Sha or stropped off but not Josh - he took it on the chin and lifted his mate up, dusted him off and even had the decency to take Sha and Sunshine Machine's photo for the Gram. 

We then would be remiss to not consider JJ Gale, who came to the rescue of Cheeseburger when Villain nominee, and last week's Villain Of The Week, Charlie Sterling took liberties after his win and tried to embarrass the World Famous CB. JJ chased Sterling off like he did in Sheffield but also saved CB from a likely devastating attack.

We should consider, also, Leon Slater and Zozaya for their herculean efforts in that IN-CRED-IBLE 30 minute classic and, with that in mind, we must consider Michael Oku who wrestled a 17 minute Match Of The Year Contender with a busted, bloodied and (probably) broken nose.

And finally we have two of the four women in the first ever women's Revolution Tag, our headlining match, where Kanji fought back with an injured ankle to offer support to Dani Luna who would have been at a 3 to 1 disadvantage. However, our Hero Of The 229 this week is reserved for the undeniable, undefeatable and unkillable Dani Luna who defied all the odds to be the last woman standing of that stellar main event - heroic stuff, indeed.

And every Hero needs their Villain and whilst Charlie Sterling is a consideration, and so is David Francisco (shock) and 'Goldenboy' Santos for their cheap shots against Luke Jacobs, there can only be one and that one is now a two-time Villain Of The Week; it has to be Safire Reed. Revolution Tag matches can be won by pinfall, submission or over-the-top elimination until a team has been entirely eliminated. Yes, there are no disqualifications and, so, we are used to brawling around the ring, the odd cheap shot with a tool, BUT Safire took it far too far when she tried to break Kanji's ankle. This was not in the spirit of winning the match, this was Reed looking to shelve Kanji and served as a stark reminder of how violent, vicious and merciless the Cut Throat Collective are. The Villain Of The 229 can therefore only go one way this time out; to the Golden Girl of the CTC, to Alex Windsor's protege, to Safire Reed.

Global Wars UK

Do you know what, the longer the week has gone on, the more of a success I think Global Wars UK was and how much potential there is there to make the Doncaster Dome a home for RevPro (of course not unaided by Andy saying it is likely that RevPro will return in the Q&A earlier today). The venue was mint, the crowd were loud, there were a lot of new faces to RevPro shows there and the in-ring delivered on the high expectations we had for it. All that's left now is to determine our Hero Of Donny and our Villain Of The North (too much?) as we look to issue the Thorny Crown and the Golden Garland (someone stop me, I'm in a silly mood); the Hero and the Villain Of The Week.

Honestly, going into Global Wars I thought we might have a Live In Barcelona on our hands - a celebration with no villain. We came close at Fantastica Mania when Gabe Kidd was the only nomination for Villain and even that was a tad harsh. But then Charlie Sterling showed up when no-one had invited him, attacked JJ Gale after he had just been humbled by Hiromu Takahashi and Titan and pissed all over our chips. So, Charlie, it ain't much of a discussion this week - you are the Villain Of The Week and the Donner (pub intended) of the Thorny Crown.

As for the Hero, can you believe we have SEVEN nominations and, even then, some were unlucky to be overlooked such was the carnival atmosphere and the positivity surrounding this show. First, two BIG winners, Michael Oku and Mina Shirakawa, who had a lot of pressure on them; Oku for the stakes attached to his win, as his tenure in RevPro remains in doubt, and Mina with the potential (and realistic) banana skin of losing her title at the first hurdle hanging over her. 

We then have another champion who retained in Will Kaven who deserves a shout-out here for doing so clean, without Trew and Lacey and for facing Cameron Khai man-to-man and for doing what he just keeps doing; winning. Lio Rush next, surely? And speaking of Lio, we also have Yota Tsuji (baby) who came to the rescue to face Mascara Dorada when Lio faced travel issues and gave us one of the biggest pops of the night.

Finally, we have two men who faced one another in Robbie X and Zack Sabre Jr. ZSJ has to be a nominee for Hero for bringing home the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and for one of the biggest reactions to anyone I've ever seen in RevPro. As for Robbie, kudos to the Best Junior Heavyweight In The World for backing himself and not taking the pity party invite from TMDK after he was disrespected by Robbie Eagles in Sheffield AND by Zack in Doncaster. Bullet Club may seem like the unlikely place for Robbie but he has been treated with the respect he deserves by Taiji Ishimori so fair play to him.

And that brings us to the champ, Luke Jacobs, who has to be, HAS TO BE, the Hero Of The Week for overcoming his white whale in Tomohiro Ishii. I thought it would be cathartic. It wasn't - because Luke proved he is Ishii's equal. It was more than catharsis - it was showing he has levelled up in the last year and is now legitimately one of the best in the world. What is it the kids say? No cap? Damn right. There's no lie there. 

No Heroes and Villains next week my lovelies with a week off between shows but LOTS lined up to fill the void.

Until next time, Mark Out.

Live In Southampton 32

It's that time of the week again, my lovelies, where we have to wrap up all things "then" and prepare for all things "next" and, this week, that means delivering the final word on The 1865 before we prepare for Global Wars. And this one means a lot to me and so I'm going to get right to it - here's Heroes and Villains Of Live In Southampton 32; let's award the Hero Of The Week and Villain Of The 1865.

First things first, quick fire honourable mentions. Try to keep up...

In the background of my mind for Hero were Sunshine Machine, Michael Oku and Kanji. Teeks and Mambo started to turn the tide of the curse and overcame adversity to the nth degree; Oku showed RKJ that he is not "petrified" of him and changed the balance of power in the mindgame battle ahead of Saturday's HUGE match between the two; Kanji maintained her integrity despite the temptation provided by Millie Mckenzie, who tried to lure her into a violent disqualification in her match with Mercedez Blaze.

That action and the disrespect shown to Chantal Jordan put Millie on the periphery of Villain, backed up by Connor Mills and Jay Joshua who took liberties with Zozaya post main event, completely uncalled for, and Will Kaven, Mark Trew and Kieron Lacey who pulled every trick in the book to try and take the belts from Sunshine Machine.

However.

This week there was very little thought for anyone else or any other contest than that between Sha Samuels and David Francisco and, today, I am using the forum of my own Heores and Villains article to make a public apology to 'The Centerpiece' David Francisco.

When David Francisco joined us for our This Is A Revolution podcast a few weeks back he put me on the spot immediately and asked why he was not Hero Of The Week from the last visit to Southampton and, when I protested, he hit me with some home truths which I hadn't seen in myself; he said that I am quick to forget the crimes of people in the past and I fail to look past my own personal bias.

I bantered it off at the time but it's been playing on my mind; I was quick to forgive Trent Seven despite him stealing Michael Oku's glory in York Hall last Summer and I have been quick to forget the - let's face it - bully that was Sha Samuels for years and years and years of his RevPro career. And then I made Francisco Villain Of The Week when he, and the people of Southampton, felt he should be Hero, because he put himself on a mission to breakup Sunshine Machine... But did he? Or did he motivate them? And would I have cared had it been him getting in the heads of, say, Trew and Lacey or Greedy Souls? Was it my own personal admiration for TK and Mambo and my own anxiety about their ability to seal the deal at the Copper Box that was the cause of my anger with Francisco?

So, here we are, words I didn't think I would be saying; David Francisco, I am sorry and I was wrong.

As to Sunday's Respect Match, it was everything I said it would be; it was Sha Samuels walking into the Lion's Den and it was Francisco surrounded by his people in his home away from home away from home. And I tried to be objective, like Francisco had called me out for; yes, I wore a Sha t-shirt but I kept my big gob shut and I watched and tried not to let my feelings blur my vision. I tried to look at the two through the same lens and without any personal bias. And that made me feel so much more than I had anticipated and it made me feel things I didn't expect. For I found myself falling into the Francisco vortex and found myself sipping the Kool Aid and, you know what? It tasted good. 

Sha Samuels, you've been nothing but a gent with me these past few years and I do have a world of respect for you, but you did Francisco dirty in Southampton. That was not the cheeky, lovable cockney East End Bookie, that was the violent, intimidating East End Butcher and, I was ok with that - the match warranted it - but the finish... That was something else.

David was choked out and had to concede the match with the words "I Respect You" or avoid being hospitalised and losing consciousness. But when Francisco said after that he only really respected the people of Southampton Sha SNAPPED; he snapped and he snapped a kendo stick clean across Francisco's neck and then the back of his head. Two shots that could legitimately have ended The Centerpiece's career; they were concussion shots and concussions shorten careers. Francisco STILL left by his own accord, he STILL came out and met his fans after, he STILL had a smile, even if it was through a split lip that looked like it needed stitches and with lacerations across his back like none I've seen before in Revolution Pro Wrestling.

There can be no questions, David Francisco HAS to be the Hero Of Southampton, the Hero Of The Week, and Sha Samuels, I'm sorry mate, you just have to be the Villain Of The 1865. Francisco will forever be The Patron Saint Of St Mary's and Sha, well I guess Sha will forever be Southampton's Judas.

Live In London 89

Global Wars, we are ready for you now! Going into the 229 we had a lot teased for the biggest show of the Autumn but, coming out of it, we had almost a complete picture, which is all done and dusted now at the time of writing. Southampton on Sunday will be a go-home show and one last chance to build some drama for what looks like a card-of-the-year contender but, before we get there, we have a bit of admin to complete - we need to determine the Hero Of London and The Villain Of The 229 as we explore this week's Heroes and Villains.

In the discussion for Villain Of The Week we have two (very) familiar names and one name I never expected would be in this discussion when I left for the 229 on Sunday afternoon. Connor Mills and David Francisco? No surprise there at all. Jay Joshua? Well, that was out of the blue. So our dishonourable mentions first; David Francisco, nominated here for trying to bait Sha Samuels into cancelling their match this Sunday at The 1865. Francisco wanted Sha in a Respect Match but maybe the reality has seeped in for 'The Centerpiece' or, perhaps, and most likely, this was just another mindgame. So, Francisco is under consideration but more of a footnote this week rather than a contender (pun unintended but appreciated). 

Mills? Mills is definitely a contender. He jumped Zozaya from behind, cost him his match with Jay Joshua and attacked him post-match. Mills also belittled and embarrassed Maverick Mayhew without just cause at the end of a very one sided contest at the outset. Villainous behaviour from the man who has won this award more than any other. However, the winner this week is Jay Joshua for succumbing to the temptation of Mills' offer of an easy way to victory. Jay showed out in his matches with RKJ, JJ Gale, Leon Slater and Luke Jacobs but was unable to pick up any wins. However he pushed them all close and was on the path to it clicking, he must believe that.

It's still not clear if Jay knew of Mills' planned attack ahead of time or if Jay snapped after realising that his long, hard fought road to victory had been tainted. Either way, his attack on Zozaya tells us that the Jay Joshua we had come to love in a short amount of time is maybe one we didn't know as well as we thought and, for that attack on Zozaya, Jay Joshua is our Villain Of The Week.

As for Hero, we have SIX nominees and, well, some surprised me! Sha Samuels, CPF, Lio Rush and Leon Slater - no real surprises there - but RKJ and Lizzy Evo? Well, there's a turn up for the books! Lizzy deserves a nomination for beating Dani Luna clean as a whistle - no CTC shenanigans, just the better woman won and that is a step in the right direction for Evo and The Collective. As for RKJ, there is no denying that he humbled Michael Oku and, again, did it all in the fairness of combat and the better man stood tall at the end of the Revolution Tag main event. Will it be the same at Global Wars? We will know soon enough!

We then have Sha Samuels and Lio Rush who picked up huge wins. Sha overcome Goldenboy' Santos to ensure that his match with David Francisco this Sunday remains one on one. Lio won the battle of the J Cup winners as he faced Leon Slater in the match that was undeniably the Match Of The Night. Lio delivered his best ever RevPro performance, for me, in a truly special match and Leon showed us the incredible work he has done to become legitimately one of the world's best in the two years between Round I and Round II of this one.

However there can only be one winner and this week the title goes to Danny Black and Joe Lando, CPF, who picked up their first ever RevPro win since making their tag team debut together last year. Lykos Gym, Sunshine Machine (twice), Leon Slater and Cameron Khai, Subculture and Young Guns, as well as Sunday's opponents Greedy Souls, picked up wins over CPF as they came closer and closer to their first big win and that is exactly what they got at the 229 over Brendan White and Danny Jones. Huge congratulations to Danny Black and Joe Lando for what will hopefully be the first of many RevPro wins as CPF now look to go from strength to strength. I would not be surprised at all to see them as an outside bet for the Great British Tag League or for the Trios Grand Prix. Last year we had the Summer Of Subculture, might this year be The Fall Of CPF? Sounds grand to me. (Excuse the Americanism, just sounded better than the Autumn Of CPF 😆)

British J Cup & Live In Sheffield Weekender

What a weekend - just what the doctor ordered after three RevPro free weekends. The British J Cup was the best of the three J Cups I've been to live and my favourite of all of them from my deep dives into RevPro history via RevPro On Demand as the completionist historian Mark I am. Sheffield, once again, over-delivered and was the highlight of the weekend, as it was for Epic Encounter and Raw Deal.

I honestly believe that Sheffield in 2024 has reached 1865 levels of consistency with the cards put out and that both have reached the consistency of cards of the 229. The atmosphere in The Network is getting louder and louder too which is lovely to experience and the potential is there to make The Network the hottest crowd in RevPro given how packed in and intimate the setting is.

As for the business at hand, it's Saturday morning here, and I've got my cappuccino and espresso chaser floating around in my system so let's get to it, before we head to London tomorrow for the 229 (and Leon Slater Vs Lio Rush II); it's time to deliver the Final Word On The Week That Was. Who left our Villain Of The Week and who (I wonder who it could POSSIBLY be) left as the Hero Of RevPro?

Okay, so come now, who else was it ever going to be? Lio Rush, OF COURSE, you are the Hero Of The Week. Making his sixth seventh and eighth RevPro appearances across the two days, Lio did exactly what I predicted he would and won the British J Cup, defeating Barbaro Cavernario first then surviving the four way final despite the best efforts of Dante Martin, Kid Lykos II and Cameron Khai. Further to that, in Sheffield, Lio was on the winning side of the all-star trios main event between him, Khai and Dante and Will Kaven, Trew and Lacey. And then, on top of all of that, Lio had the grace, the selflessness and the respect to acknowledge that Cameron was denied a fair crack at the final after Kaven did what he did (more on that later) and that Khai was the one to win the match for him, Lio and Dante. So, Lio announced that Khai Vs Kaven can be a Global War and he will delay his J-Cup title shot until afterwards and, instead, issued an open challenge for the Doncaster Dome. What an absolute hero. How could anyone not LOVE Lio Rush. The Hero Of The Week, undoubtedly.

And so who deserves a shout out as, although it was a clear, clear winner this week, we can't not acknowledge the heroics of RKJ, JJ Gale, Kid Lykos II and 1 Called Manders. RKJ went to war with Mike D Vecchio and picked up an enormous 2-0 victory in their Two Out Of Three Falls match - the performance Ricky needed to prove to any doubters that he is focused and locked in with purpose after being somewhat of a gatekeeper for much of 2024; Oku then Jacobs. Focused, ready and determined. You love to see it.

As for JJ Gale he stepped in when the RevPro locker room was challenged to step up, Cameron Khai overcame injury and showed guts, passion and fire in his war with Will Kaven and Kid Lykos II and Manders SHOWED OUT. Lykos Vs Lykos II was the match of the J-Cup, for me, and a match I will remember for a long, long time and dine out on raving about as it was the epitome of what I love about pro wrestling. Manders, over both shows, made the biggest impression of anyone who has made the trip across the pond from the US to the UK for the first time that I have seen in my time as a RevPro Mark. He gave every inch of himself to those two matches and combined everything we love about pro wrestling here in the UK. Bring him back, please RevPro, as often as you can.

So Villain Of The Week? The J Cup and Sheffield were Hero-heavy but two names stood out, with one clear and obvious winner. Our dishonourable mention goes to Charlie Sterling whose reference to Francesca as a "dog" prompted me to lose myself somewhat and shout "Fuck Off Charlie" at him in defence of the First Lady Of RevPro, and then immediately regret it when the absolute giant of a man stared at me like he wanted to knock my lights out. However, you can't come into RevPro and disrespect Francesca, that is a sure fire way to rub everyone up the wrong way. I am glad to see Charlie back though, he is a class act, but I'm looking forward more to someone giving him a receipt for the disrespect shown.

And then we have the Villain, and this one pains me. I've made no secret this year of my love and respect for Will Kaven, someone I've advocated for as misunderstood, but I look a bit like a mug after the J-Cup, as even I can't deny Kaven's antics. Kaven won the Cruiserweight title by doing what was needed to win, by showing more passion and more fight than anyone else in the Scramble. He beat Cameron Khai by doing what Khai wasn't prepared to do when we were last in the 229 because the Cruiserweight Championship means everything to him. He didn't enter the J-Cup as his title is his ONLY priority. All of this is admirable.

But attacking Cameron Khai before the biggest match of his career when Kaven wasn't even in the match? That was low, man. He cost Khai a fair shot at the J-Cup, although he couldn't stop Khai getting the title shot that the J-Cup brings and, if anything, he has fired Cameron up more than ever before for their Global War. Look at the violence that Khai looked to administer with every opportunity in Sheffield; scratching, clawing, closed fists - you name it - Khai HATES Kaven and Kaven may now regret creating the monster which might take his championship away sooner rather than later. It's a feud I am 100% into and one of the best things in RevPro right now. 

So there we have it, congratulations Lio and, as much as it pains me to say, hang your head in shame Will.

Live In London 88

It's Thursday my lovelies so we need to have the final word on the week that was before Episode 12 of This Is A Revolution, the only weekly RevPro podcast, drops tomorrow night at 7pm and we officially look past Live In London 88 in to the not so distant future that is the British J Cup, Live In Sheffield, Live In London 89, Live In Southampton 32 and Global Wars (next month is looking AWESOME!). So, it's time to anoint our Hero Of The 229 and condemn our Villain Of London... let's explore who's in contention!

There's multiple in each category this week as we see Jay Joshua, Kanji, Millie Mckenzie, Sha Samuels and Zozaya vie for Hero whilst David Francisco (shock), Connor Mills (shock), RKJ and Mercedez Blaze will tuslle to avoid the weight of the thorny crown of Villain. What we do with Will Kaven I don't know - in one breath I condemn David Francisco for his cheating but I'm not going to do the same with Will Kaven and it is not the same and I am not a hypocrite. Why? Read When Dave The Mark Met Will Kaven from my most recent trip to the Portsmouth School Of Wrestling to find out - it drops Saturday 14th September. Not to be missed 👀

First up, Kanji and Millie Mckenzie who are honourable mentions in Column A this week after a match I'm going to watch back Saturday morning with a danish pastry and a Dirty Chai Latte and rejoice in the beauty of professional wrestling. And for all future RevPro debutants and returnees, watch Millie McKenzie 'cos that is how you damn do it! She made a fan out of me in minutes and by the end of the match had me clamouring for more. And, of course, what a win for Kanji. Her fifth triumph of the year, a career best in RevPro, in what is also her most prolific year as a RevPro wrestler. Heroic stuff from both, for sure.

And in a similar way, Jay Joshua gets a nomination once again for announcing himself and securing himself a place in every single person in the 229's fantasy booking for RevPro for the rest of the year. From one 229 show to another Jay has gone from being a name many were familiar with and a few had had the pleasure before to being in a Match Of The Night contender two shows in a row. On Fridays Q&A I challenge the ladies, gentleman and Marks to end all those questions with #AskRevPro and #RevProSayLess because this lad is too good to be allowed to get booked up elsewhere and Andy needs to know that we know it.

A final honourable mention to Sha Samuels for no reason other then fact that he gave David Francisco a black eye. And yes, that makes him worthy of a nomination. Don't like it? You must be from Southampton. Drink your Kool Aid and shut up.

So, Hero Of The 229, our Hero Of The Week for a third  time, is 'El Freestyler' Zozaya for that incredible performance, that crowd silencing finish and for announcing himself as a TOP star in RevPro. In April and May he has a hidden gem. In June, July and August we started to see that he is a legitimate world beater in the making. This week, though, we were told he is a Top Guy in RevPro now. He beat ELP for Christ's sake. ELP, Leon Slater, Michael Oku, Luke Jacobs, RKJ - no one has a winning record like Zozaya and now we must be thinking about him being a genuine future Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. Felicitaciones amigo mío, tienes una carrera increíble por delante y no puedo esperar a ver cada minuto de ella.

However, we cannot look past the heinous acts of three individuals this week, starting with 'The Weasel', David Francisco. Feet on the ropes is expected at this point, knowing he could never beat Sha Samuels clean, but this constant cheating is statistic-padding for his win/loss record to the point where he could legitimately be going for RevPro gold despite never earning a single win since graduating from the Contenders division. Tragic, desparate and deplorable. Nought has changed there.

As for Mercedez Blaze, to come and steal the spotlight from Millie and Kanji after THAT match was disgustingly typical of the Cut Throat Collective. To offer Millie McKenzie, one half of the Medusa Complex, a space in the CTC was bold if not stupid. But. But, but, but, but, but... To clean out Kanji after picking up the biggest singles win of her year was needless, disgraceful and vile. Again, no shocks there.

And a dishonourable mention goes to RKJ who once again could not help himself when confronted by Amira, calling her a "slag" to get under Michael Oku's skin. The three have a lot of history and Ricky found himself the subject of a nomination for Villain Of The Week earlier this year for putting his hands on Amira and, though he kept his restraint on Sunday, his words crossed the Hero/Villain line.

But there can only be one, and that one is someone who is very, very familiar with this dastardly award as, for the fifth team this year, Connor Mills is our Villain Of The Week. Zozaya puts in the performance of the night, the comeback of his career and picks up one of the most high profile victories of his career. ELP is a six time champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling, a former Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion, a two time Super J Cup Winner and a British J Cup Winner - a man who's only singles defeats in RevPro in the past five years have been to PAC and Michael Oku - and Zozaya just pinned him. A massive moment.

So, what does Mills do? He comes out from backstage on a show he hasn't been booked on, low blows Zozaya and beats the holy hell out of him before running from ELP. Why? He isn't embroiled in a feud with Zozaya. He has no just cause other than jealousy and opportunistic profit; if Mills can draw Zozaya into a match and beat him, he will take the momentum from 'El Freestyler' and put it firmly behind himself in recovery from his defeat to Ethan Allen. Reprehensible behaviour. Should we be surprised? Absolutely not.

RevPro XII Anniversary

Happy Thursday my lovelies! And, such is tradition, that means we have to have the final word on the week that was and crown our RevPro Hero Of The Week and cast judgement on our weekly Villain. With such a huge celebration of Pro Wrestling At Its Best this past Saturday at the Copper Box Arena for RevPro XII Anniversary, there are naturally a lot of contenders and honourable mentions this week. So, who you got?

Let's get that thorny crown thrown out off the bat, shall we? Dishonourable mentions to David Francisco, 'Goldenboy' Santos and Greedy Souls for trying to intimidate poor Grado in the show's opener. Grado is a legend of British wrestling, though I'd give him about as much chance against Souls in a scrap as I would give David Francisco at going a week without tweeting about Josh James. We also have to explore the antics of our new Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion, Will Kaven, who took the low road to the championship, via a bollock-shot to Cameron Khai. HOWEVER, and I'm not showing any Kaven bias here, but he did work within the rules of the match and maybe, just maybe, showed a desire and intelligence beyond that of his opponents to get what he wanted? 

Now, I don't want to be hypocritical; Cut Throat Collective ALSO acted within the rules of their match and I cannot really have any qualms with Lizzy Evo for slicing Nightshade open with the trash can, I can't complain that Alex Windsor used Rhio as a human pin cushion or that Safire Reed and Nina Samuels stomped Kanji's head through two steel chairs; Team RevPro gave as well as they got. HOWEVER, Mercedez Blaze and Nina Samuels holding Rhio against the ropes whilst Safire Reed and Lizzy Evo caned seven bells out of her with kendo sticks, that was proper villainy. It was violent. It was brutal. It was overkill. And so, for the second time this year, the Cut Throat Collective must be our Villains Of The Week. Let's face it, they legitimately could have won it each and every week since they chaotically arrived in RevPro in June but this week I cannot look past them.

So where do we begin on the hero front? JJ Gale for the performance of his life, even if he came up short to Tomohiro Ishii? Mina Shirakawa for winning the Undisputed British Women's Championship in her RevPro debut? Or maybe Gisele Shaw, for coming to the aid of the company she represented with distinction for so long, or Debbie Keitel, Rhio, Kanji and Nightshade for giving their bodies to the cause?

How about we stand and applaud Luke Jacobs and Michael Oku one more time for giving us one of the greatest main events in British wrestling history. Luke Jacobs is our 18th Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, ending Michael Oku's record breaking reign. At 412 days, Oku sits behind only two as the longest reigning heavyweight champion but his 14 successful title defences and his 40 RevPro matches as champion are levels above any of his predecessors. A true pair of heroes but neither man are this week's official heroes. 

No, this week, we raise our scarves, we throw our beach balls and we scream at the top of our lungs; SUNSHINE MACHINE RULES! When TK Cooper set the Solar Gambit and put his and Chuck Mambo's career together as a team in Revolution Pro Wrestling on the line, I was one of those people who feared the worst. But as TK said, "after everybody has said you can't, all that's left... is to do it". And they did. They went and bloody did it. It was emotional, anxious, rage-inducing and cathartic. Pro Wrestling At Its Best. Alas, Teeks and Mambo, hold your heads up high, you are the RevPro Heroes Of The Week!

Live In Southampton 31

Why hello there! Happy... What day is it now? In the madness of All In Week, the busiest week in European pro wrestling, I have lost track! The countdown to the Copper Box is excitingly close to the end now and I really hope that everyone enjoys the work that has been done with previews, programmes and content to celebrate the hype of the biggest event in the calender of the biggest promotion in all of independent wrestling. However, before we do, we have one last bit of business to deal with - a bit of administration that can't be ignored - we need to award the Hero Of The Week and condemn the Villain Of The Week.

So who is in the running this week? In Column A, I'm sure you can work out which that is, we have Michael Oku and Amira, TK Cooper, JJ Gale, Jay Joshua, Eric Dillinger and Will Kaven. In Column B, we have David Francisco and Brendan White. You'd have to be as deluded as 'The Centrepiece' himself to not be able to see which column matches which award.

Brendan White pushed himself real close to taking Villain Of The Week, especially after that spiteful "Billy No Mates" comment to Josh James after the year that man and the RevPro roster has been through, but he escapes only because of the dastardly antics of one man eclipsing even Brendan. The irony that Brendan White bullies the Contenders old and new when he was himself a Contender speaks volumes of the man. However, this week he avoids the accolade of VOTW because of another former Contender, David Francisco.

Francisco is a villain hiding in plain sight when it comes to Southampton. How he has those on the south coast drinking his Kool Aid I will never quite manage to understand. 'The Francisco Pop' was louder than anyone else's bar, maybe, Oku and Amira's. Contender No More and Centrepiece tshirts were EVERYWHERE before the show even began, and had doubled and trebled by the interval and post-show merch spend. I'm baffled. Why? Because the man is a manipulative, revisionist weasel. He put Sha Samuels on the shelf. He has borderline harassed Josh James and, worst of all, he is trying everything he can to see to it that Sunshine Machine crash and burn at the Copper Box for no reason other than his own amusement. And he has the cheek to tell me at the end of the show that he looks forward to being crowned Hero Of The Week? Hell no! Francisco, ONCE AGAIN, you wear the thorny crown of Villain, this week the Villain Of The 1865.

Looking to the positive, our Hero Of The Week has many honourable mentions; Will Kaven (I know!) for embracing the light side in his match with Eric Dillinger - maybe it was the James Castle jacket awarded to him at Summer Sizzler, maybe it was wrestling a newcomer, maybe it was because, after Sizzler, there was an urge to cheer for a Portsmouth School Of Wrestling lad grinding for RevPro. I may have been a lone cheerer at first but I had a loud echo by the end of the match. 

Speaking of Dillinger, he and Jay Joshua need a mention for coming into RevPro, coming to Southampton for the first time and making sure EVERYONE knew their name, what they can do and why we want them both back by the end of their matches. Class stuff. Joshua faced JJ Gale and he needs a shout-out for the fact that he showed incredible maturity, composure and growth in his ability to overcome Joshua; our hometown boy is Copper Box ready. Bring on Ishii.

TK Cooper was a hero for sure and hit me in the feels when he addressed the crowd after beating 'Goldenboy' Santos in a huge singles win against a formidable foe. More important than the win, TK showed us what we have seen these past few years, that he is the captain of the Sunshine Machine team and he gave a rousing team talk ahead of the Copper Box which has me ready to cry one way or the other.

Our hero, or in fact HEROES, this week could be none other than Michael Oku and Amira - it just could not be anyone else. Oku had tears in his eyes as he came out and Amira was in tears as they departed. Oku gave us an incredible performance - a legitimate RevPro Top 10 match at year's end - and Amira did what she does better than anyone else; she roused The 1865 to an incredible volume, she engaged the kids at the show (aww the kids were so cute) and she lived and breathed every second of the action. If you have ever questioned what this woman brings to Oku's presentation listen to how she conducted the AEW crowd in Cardiff this week - it was ELECTRIC and she made sure of it. 

There has never been a more heroic performance than that provided by our King and Queen of Revolution Pro Wrestling this week. I could not be more proud to see the accomplishments they have achieved and the future opportunities they have carved for themselves ❤️

Summer Sizzler

Happy Thursday my lovelies and, as is tradition, that means we need the final word on the week that was Summer Sizzler 2024 and to explore the Heroes and Villains of York Hall. Who left with their heads held high and who should have left hanging theirs in shame?

So who's in contention for Hero? So many! Sunshine Machine, Dani Luna, Kanji, Debbie Keitel, Rhio, Nightshade and - checks notes - Will Ospreay. For villain, well it will shock no one to see the name Maxwell Jacob Friedman in discussion and, of course, there cannot be a week in RevPro that goes past without the Cut Throat Collective getting a nomination for Villain Of The Week.

Sunshine Machine brought the party to York Hall, with a PROPER entrance, bouncing in complete with beach balls and they kept the hearts of the RevPro marks such as myself in tact by surviving three dangerous foes in Greedy Souls, YOUNGBLOOD and David Francisco & 'Goldenboy' Santos. An enormous victory means the dream remains alive for TK and Mambo to complete their rise back to the top of RevPro after hitting rock bottom last summer, being left off the Copper Box card completely. This year, though, they have the biggest match possible - Grizzled Young Veterans with the Undisputed British Tag Team Championships on the line. The anxiety will be off the chain!

Dani Luna is in the discussion for Hero for also overcoming the odds. Nina Samuels one on one is hard enough but Nina with Alex Windsor, Lizzy Evo, Mercedez Blaze and Safire Reed in her corner is something so much more imposing. Luna did what she always does and proved to everyone that she Does Not Die, finding a way to get the win to maintain her reign, making it six successful defences since being crowned the Undisputed British Women's Champion in December of last year.

As for Team RevPro, the team who will band together to take on the Cut Throat Collective at the Copper Box, we saw four of the five all but confirmed on Sunday as Kanji, Rhio, Debbie Keitel and Nightshade came to Luna's aid after the CTC looked to take their anger and frustration out on the champion. A heroic act from all four, making them all worthy of a mention, whilst also providing us this week's reason to nominate the CTC for the Villain Of The Week.

However the Hero of Bethnal Green and the Villain of York Hall both came from the main event. Where do we begin with MJF? His presentation in tribute to Hulk Hogan and his promo referencing some very serious social troubles to occur on our streets are worthy alone of nomination. However, keeping it to what was presented in the ring, MJF took liberties with Amira and threatened a Tiger Driver '91 to an icon of RevPro and that alone makes MJF the Villain Of York Hall. But every villain has a heroic nemesis and, whilst this one is an AEW story playing out in RevPro, the facts are the facts and the fact is Will Ospreay saved Amira from that horrific outcome of being driven neck first into the canvas and so, the Billygoat has to be our Hero Of Bethnal Green. Who would have thought six months ago that Ospreay would be a Hero Of The Week in the same week that MJF would be the Villain Of The Week? A crazy time for RevPro this.

Live In Coventry

Happy Thursday my lovelies!

It's taken three days of relaxing on the beach to get over the climax to Live In Coventry which just blew the lid off of the HMV Empire but I think I am finally there. If Coventry is being lined up as the York Hall of the Midlands then this was certainly one way to get people excited to come back and, with the Trios Grand Prix lined up for November, there will be lots of reason to come back. The venue certainly has potential and, with a significant increase in attendance from the first visit to this second visit, and with the capacity to open the venue up to increased capacity, there could be some big, big shows at the venue down the line. So, as it is Thursday, that can only mean one thing; it's time to explore the nominations for Hero and Villain Of The Week!

So let's rip the band aid off and get down to the Villains of Coventry. In contention we have David Francisco (what a shock), The Cut Throat Collective (even less of a shock) and Donovan Dijak. Francisco, a two time winner of the Thorny Crown, weaseled his way past Josh James exactly as I knew he would. A master manipulator in the ring, Francisco wound Josh up, playing him like a fiddle, until Josh lashed out, hitting a low blow in retaliation to 'The Centrepiece's attempt to do the same, being caught and disqualified and, consequently, letting Francisco off the the hook. David has a lot coming to him from a number of people - from Josh, from Oskar Leube and from Sha Samuels - and his time will come and when it does, it will be so very cathartic. 

As for The Cut Throat Collective they did exactly as we knew they would - they rallied together to beat Anita Vaughan and they looked to isolate, attack and eliminate Kanji from the inevitable 5 on 5 Copper Box showdown. The group laid down the facts in their post match promo - they ARE the most talked about thing in British Professional Wrestling, they ARE the best thing going in RevPro and they DO bring each other up and tear everyone else down. Proper villains, the type we have needed in RevPro for a long time and, as much as I love to hate them, let's hope they are here for a LONG, LONG time to come.

And then there is Dijak. He made his intentions clear from the very start, attacking Robbie X without any provocation. He abused and threatened the crowd - I thought he was going to flip a gasket at my friend Jack for not moving out of his seat when instructed to, despite Jack being disabled and unable to move - and he took liberties with Amira. Too many crimes for one man to go unpunished and Amira is a sacred power in RevPro, our Irish Queen, and for that Dijak is our Villain of Coventry, the Villain Of The Week.

And from Column A to Column B, we find ourselves back with Amira, who is nominated this week for The Hero Of The HMV Empire. The way she stood her ground with the enormous and imposing Dijak, squared up to him and took the threats, ignored them and did what was right garnered an enormous reaction from the Coventry faithful. Dijak had buried Michael Oku in a pile of chairs and instructed Oscar Harding to count him out and threatened Amira that there would be consequences should she help Oku out from his predicament. Hats off to our beloved hero for standing up for herself, for Oku and for RevPro.

A man who has found himself nominated several times this year, and at times on both sides of the line, is Leyton Buzzard and both he and Cameron Khai get a nomination for Hero this week. Cameron overcame Danny Black to earn a spot at the Copper Box and his first ever chance at RevPro gold. A huge moment for the youngster but also a huge assist goes to 'El Capitan' who left his position on commentary to offer words of wisdom when the match seemed to be slipping away from Cameron to get him back on track. Loving this pairing so, so much.

However there can only be one winner and this week's Hero Of The Week, the Hero Of The HMV Empire, is none other than Debbie Keitel. Now, when I ventured west on the A14 and I pondered who might leave the show in contention for these awards, Debbie's name did cross my mind but it would be remiss of me to suggest that it was for Hero Of the Week. However, the 'Coffee Enthusiast' stepped up when I suspected she would walk away and she came to Kanji's saviour from the Cut Throat Collective when she herself was heavily outnumbered. Armed with her trademark coffee cup, she handled business and formed an alliance with Kanji which makes me excited for the Copper Box. Kanji and Keitel are two TOP tier talents and adding Rhio into the mix, which surely has to be the play, makes them a force to be reckoned with. Here's to Debbie Keitel being a regular feature of RevPro moving forwards! Our Hero Of The Week!

Live In London 87

Happy Thursday!

And as is now tradition here at davethemark.com, that can only mean one thing - it is time for the final word on the week that was and explore the Heroes and Villains of the Revolution to see who left the 229 with their head held high and who should be hanging theirs in shame. Week 20 of 2024 in terms of show weeks and we crown our 19th different Hero today and we are going to need to cast the thorny crown of Villain to a man very familiar with the accolade. Before we get there, though, let's see who had their name in the hat for each and for what reasons.

For Hero this week, it would be remiss of me to not consider Jay Joshua given how well he played the hand he was given. Following Zozaya and Leon Slater was no mean feat but Jay and RKJ managed the spot perfectly and delivered a really entertaining contest, made all the more impressive when we consider that it was the Sicker Than Your Average one's first RevPro appearance. And for that absolute BANGER of an opener, which will still be talked about at the end of the year in end of year lists for sure, we have to consider Zozaya and Leon in the discussion for Hero. 

However, there can only be one, and this week the 'Hero' has to expand into the plural, for we have two Heroes in the form of TK Cooper and Chuck Mambo... SUN-SHINE MA-CHINE! They have me ENGROSSED and feeling all the feels, and THAT is the magic of pro wrestling. The boys ended YOUNGBLOOD's unbeaten streak - a HUGE win for them and back to back wins for only the second time in the two years since they were the Undisputed British Tag Team Champions. More importantly than any of that, though, this result means that there will be at least one more Sunshine Machine match and I want to cherish each and every single one of those matches whilst I can. Teeks and Mambo, please, please, please... Just Keep Winning, Just Keep Winning, Just Keep Winning... 🐟

One month removed from their SHOCKING debut, the Cut Throat Collective were back in the 229 and, of course, have to be considered for Villain of the Week after their disrespect shown to anyone in their path, whether that is Francesca who continues to disappear to safety at the sight if them, Lucia Lee who was literally kicked out of the ring by Lizzy Evo after their excellent tag encounter or Ronnie Knocks who was ragdolled with complete disdain by Mercedez Blaze. Someone else who failed to cover himself in glory for similar reasons was Will Kaven, who resorted to a low blow to Robbie X to put the King Of The Cruiserweights away and deny us all the opportunity to see our favourite high flyer get a shot at the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship, a belt that has never quite felt as important as it did when it was around his waist. Kaven said there was nothing he would not do to get to the Copper Box and he lived up to that but such villainy cannot go without mention.

But, as always, there can only be one. The thorny crown of Villain of the Week has been handed to this man three times this year already, after the Revolution Rumble and then in back to back weeks from Live In Sheffield and Live In London 85, and now, for a record fourth time, Connor Mills is your Villain of the Week in Revolution Pro Wrestling. Mills lost to Callum Newman fair and square, even if it was ten minutes of survival for the United Empire man before he rolled True Grit up. Mills locked into the legs of the Prince Of Pace and took the wheels off the fastest car in the lot to gain advantage but the attack continued after the bell and that is what I took umbrage with. Callum has the G1 Climax starting in less than a week and Mills put that in jeopardy with the post match attack, just to get further in the head of Ethan Allen, who Mills told Newman to call for "knee recovery tips". Going after the leg between bells, no problem; trying to injure someone post-match, absolutely not. Mills is the Villain Of The Week, again, and something tells me it won't be the last time either.

Raw Deal & Live In Sheffield

Happy Thurs... Saturday! The schedule has been a bit crazy this week with two shows last weekend and a nutty week of reality in my life as Head of Maths at my beloved school so we are late but, better late than never I hope! Across Stevenage's Raw Deal and Sheffield's Network show we had A LOT of contenders for Hero of the Week and Villain of the Week this week, including a first for the content series which equally pains me and amuses me. So without further adieu, let's dive in... Who's in the running for Hero and Villain of the Week?

Sunshine Machine have to be in the running for Hero, right? The dream continues! Back to back RevPro wins for the first time this year and, most importantly, they kept my little Mark heart in tact. A massive weekend for the most beloved team in all of Revolution Pro Wrestling. Naturally, therefore, we have to consider Brendan White and Danny Jones, the Greedy Souls, for Villain. They came into Raw Deal specifically to try and end the careers of TK and Mambo and then they made the trip to Sheffield just to disturb and disrupt proceedings; Business As Usual I suppose! 

We can then transition over to the Portugeezers, David Francisco and 'Goldenboy' Santos, who have to be in the running for Villain after setting out to intentionally put Sha Samuels on the shelf and then, to add insult to injury, they left Josh James facing the stars in Sheffield after 'Heavy Artillery' picked up his first singles win of 2024. Keep your eyes open next week for When Dave The Mark Met 'Goldenboy' Santos where we will address the actions of this past weekend. Josh, for that big win, is in the running for Hero, as are Oskar Leube and Yuto Nakashima who fought the good fight against Santos and Francisco in Stevenage after Sha was incapacitated; welcome back Yuto!

Sunday was just as eventful as Saturday and a huge win for Cameron Khai sees him in the running for Hero after he fought Robbie X to victory, picking up his second singles win of 2024 and, quite possibly, the biggest singles win of his career. Connor Mills (shock) finds himself in the running for Villain whilst Ethan Allen is in the running for Hero and, for these two, August 24th cannot come around quickly enough as they need to go at it for 20 minutes and get this out of their system before someone gets seriously hurt. Ethan made his Gordon Craig Theatre debut on Saturday, picking up another victory for Young Guns, and then on Sunday he was the last man standing in the ten man elimination match main event, pinning the champion Michael Oku and submitting Zozaya, two things we seldom seen in a RevPro ring. Mills, though, viciously attacked Ethan after the bell and sought to put the Young Gun back on the shelf - violently and mercilessly attacking the knee that kept Ethan away from a wrestling ring for almost three years. Shocking stuff.

Our Hero of the Week though, can only realistically go to one person, and that is Michael Oku, the UNDISPUTED British Heavyweight Champion. Put his win over Anthony Ogogo at Raw Deal in perspective; the first time Ogogo has been pinned since he lost to Cody Rhodes in AEW, the first time he has ever lost in the UK, the first time he has ever wrestled a twenty minute match... Proof that Michael Oku is a top name in professional wrestling and everyone, Ogogo and Tony Khan included, can see it. And then, on Sunday, he pinned the biggest threat to his title by eliminating Luke Jacobs from the Revolution Tag main event. Oku owns 2024 and is integral to the wave RevPro is riding right now. 

And the Villain, oh the Villain of the Week... Fuck You Alex Windsor you tremendously awful witch. You worked me like the Mark I am! Last week I crowned Alex the Hero of the Week for confronting the stable now christened the Cut Throat Collective and for putting Revolution Pro Wrestling ahead of her own agenda. Then this week she showed that the Iron Willed face of the women's division has no allegiance to the company but to her own ambitions as she joined the Collective, casting Nightshade to the side in the process. The group who brutally attacked Francesca, who humiliated Sarah Hatch, who took liberties with Oscar Harding, Chris Hatch and Ref Harv just got even stronger and even more dangerous. Windsor, Samuels, Evo, Blaze and Reed - find me a better women's stable anywhere in the world. So Windsor is the first wrestler to pick up the Hero of the Week and Villain of the Week in successive weeks. RevPro have struck gold with this group - they have to go on to dominate now and, sadly, that does not bode well for Dani Luna.

There we have it my lovelies; the final word on the week that was! I'll hit you up tomorrow morning with a 229 Preview before I head down to London with my podcasting friend Cromulent George. If you can check out our latest podcast on Cromulent Wrestling between now and then we would be super grateful - we are finding our feet in the podcast game but we are looking forward to bringing you all a positive pro wrestling podcast exclusive to Pro Wrestling At Its Best each and every week moving forward. As always, if you are at the 229, come say hi and Mark Out.

Live In St Neots

Happiest of Thursdays to you all, my lovelies! And with it being a Thursday, that means it must be time to round up the week here at davethemark.com before we start looking ahead to the weekend meaning it's time to crown the Hero Of The Week and, regrettably, consider who is in line for Villain Of The Week, also. There's lots to consider after an action packed card in St Neots, which is broken down in the 10 Takeaways if you aren't fully up to date and will be one of the focal points of tomorrow's episode of Cromulent Wrestling's 'This Is A Revolution' podcast series. So, let's get to to it, let's see who's made this week's nominees.

For the category of 'Hero', we can consider the consistently impressive Zozaya, the fearless and noble Kanji and the Heart and Soul of RevPro, JJ Gale. Zozaya fought from underneath in a contest where he was well and truly pinned against the wall by the vile veteran Chris Ridgeway. Ridgeway kicked seven bells of... Erm... Fuck it, Ridgeway kicked seven bells of shit out of Zozaya but 'The Freestyler' JUST. KEPT. GETTING. UP. One huge Death Valley Driver is what separated Madrid and Manchester in St Neots, a proper smash and grab performance, fully deserving of a Heroic nomination.

As for Kanji and JJ Gale, they put their own safety second and what is right first to protect RevPro stalwarts and newcomers alike from violent post-match attacks and stepped up when others chose to step away. Kanji came to the rescue of Anita Vaughan, whilst JJ did the same for Robbie X, and demonstrated exactly why they are so beloved by RevPro fans up and down the country. 

Of course that brings us to those merciless vixens,  Nina Samuels, Mercedez Blaze, Lizzy Evo and Safire Reed who, once again, ran rampant over a RevPro show. Artemis, Anita Vaughan, Ronnie Knocks, Evie Madden, Kanji, Jordan Saeed and Dynamite Lee Dawson all took the brunt of the efficient, fluent and violent attacks from the dominant faction. They have to be in the running for Villain Of The Week, it goes without saying. And a final nomination comes for 'Ruthless' Will Kaven who played spoiler like only he can by interfering in the Leon Slater and Connor Mills bout, robbing us of the fifth gear that the match looked set to power into. 

But one man and one woman stood out this week. I was certain we would get some direction for Alex Windsor out of the Priory Centre and when she walked away from the action at the end of the show, I very much felt that was decision made but, not only did she return, but she saved Kanji, she brought balance to precedings and she bought the dog collar from the Revolution Rumble to ensure the retreat of Nina, Mercedez, Lizzy and Safire. Alex did not need to get involved, she did not need to save Kanji and she did not need to step up but she did, and no matter what else she has done this past year, that won't be forgotten. For that reason, Alex Windsor takes the title of the 'Hero Of The Week'.

And finally, we find ourselves needing to assign the thorny crown of Villain Of The Week and, whilst it could easily go to the band of bitches who tried to derail the show again, I feel it has to go to someone else - someone I did not think coming into Sunday would even be a contender. After defeating Robbie X cleanly and decisively, Luke Jacobs took absolute liberties with the King Of The Cruiserweights in his honorary home show of St Neots. There was no need to embarrass Robbie, to use someone who deserves so much more respect to get a message across to Michael Oku. Luke has his title shot, it's in the books, the match graphic was posted months ago - none of this is necessary. The hot head then took an extra liberty by sucker punching Dynamite Lee Dawson at ringside after JJ Gale had made the save. His wrestling does the talking and sends the messages he wants to send. Not only is none of this necessary, it's beneath Luke and it's not becoming of a future British Heavyweight Champion. Regrettably, Luke Jacobs is a first time winner of Villain Of The Week.

All eyes ahead now, ladies, gentlemen and Marks... To Stevenage and to Sheffield! LFG.

Live In Southampton 30

It's Thursday my lovelies and that can mean only one thing - it's time for the final word on Revolution Pro Wrestling's Live In Southampton 30 and to explore the Heroes and Villains of the south coast. Who have we got in contention for Hero? Michael Oku and Amira, Dani Luna, The Contenders, Zozaya and... [checks notes] Will Kaven? Yep; that's right. Meanwhile the Villains side of things is repped by Mercedez Blaze, Nightshade and Safire Reed (again) as well as Chris Ridgeway and David Francisco. Let's breakdown why this gaggle of bastards caught the eye first, shall we?

David Francisco, The Weasel Of The 1865, has to be considered AGAIN, this time for throwing a chair into the face of Sha Samuels to steal the victory for him and 'Goldenboy' Santos. 'The Centrepiece' will say he did what Sha Samuels would have done to him, back when Sha was the 'East End Butcher', a proper villain. But that is just the point, that was Sha then, not Sha now. David Francisco was a fan favourite as a fighter of the good fight and now he has chosen the shortcut at every turn and, yes, he is winning, but is that all that matters?

We must, obviously, also acknowledge Mercedez and Safire doing all they could to derail the show, right? They attacked Jordan Saeed and Dynamite Lee Dawson, they tried to ruin the Undisputed British Women's Championship match and they tried to end the reign of OUR champion, Dani Luna, in a means that is beneath the prestige of that Championship which has such a rich lineage. This is where Jordan and Dynamite get their nomination for heroes as they stepped up and came out all guns blazing to help Dani. The Hero Of Southampton, though, and a first time winner after so many nominations, has to be Dani Luna for using all her guts and guile to take one of the heads of the many headed monster and keep two more at bay when the odds were stacked against her. Heroic stuff from the woman who unites all RevPro fans - I've never heard a single bad word against the badass of the women's division. 

Honourable mentions for Hero also go to two time former winner Zozaya for his INCREDIBLE main event performance and victory (GO AND WATCH THAT MATCH DAMMIT) and for giving us one of THE moments of the year - one I will remember for a long, long time. An honourable mention for hero, that's right HERO, goes to 'Ruthless' Will Kaven too, who had to put up with a lot of regional abuse and some attempts at football banter that he legit could not have given less of a shit about to pick up one of the biggest victories of his career. No cheating, no backhanded tactics - Kaven was the better man. In 2022 he picked up wins over Oku, Jacobs and Robbie X when he was embroiled in the Cruiserweight title picture and, whilst it has been a long wait for him to get back there, that lacks exactly where he is. I love to see it, even if no-one else does.

Our final honourable mentions for Hero Of The Week will bring me nicely to the thorny crown of Villain Of The 1865. Chris Ridgeway; I bloody love watching the fella wrestle but my god he is a nasty and spiteful loser - the vicious attack on Mills after his loss to Oku was calculated, savage and full of vengeance after Mills left Ridgeway to face Sunshine Machine alone last week. Oku saving Mills and Amira's protection of Oku give them honourable mentions for Hero, but Ridgeway and the way he sought to injure both Oku and Mills leaves me with no choice but to crown him the Villain Of The 1865. 

We are halfway through the year and it feels like a good time to take stock - 17 shows, 17 Heroes and 20 Villains. David Francisco and Connor Mills are our most highly decorated - Mills has three Villain Of The Week crowns and Francisco has two plus one Hero Of The Week prize. Zozaya remains the only person to win two Hero Of The Weeks and the only person to win it in back to back weeks. Let's see what the second half of 2024 brings, starting in St Neots!

Fantastica Mania UK

Well, where on earth do we begin here? Fantastica Mania was a festival of friendship between RevPro and CMLL and, with such a celebration, we have so many people to acknowledge and shout out as heroes. Stephanie Vaquer who not only opened proceedings with a "follow that" performance against Kanji THEN went on to defend her NJPW Strong Women's Championship against Rhio as a sign of respect towards the 'Unbreakable' one. She dominated both matches, she exhibited why she is a STAR in professional wrestling around the world, someone for whom the sky really is the limit, and she did so in two high pressure positions. Incredible stuff.

I would be foolish to look over the incredible reception Mistico got from the York Hall faithful - I can't recall too many times someone has had fans on their feet upon both entrance and exit to the ring and the outpouring of love, affection and respect for the world-travelled star of Lucha Libre was incredible. The match he and Templario put on was a special celebration of CMLL and was one talked about all the way home amongst fans. A joy to watch and a privilege to witness in such intimate settings.

However, there can only be one winner of the 'Hero Of The Week' and how can we look past Neon? Making his RevPro debut, his York Hall debut and challenging for the Undisputed Cruiserweight Championship when few, including myself, had given him much of a chance of overcoming Jordon Breaks, Neon did just that. The first Mexican to hold a Revolution Pro Wrestling championship. The first time the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship has been won by someone who was/is not working full time for the promotion. It's a fascinating direction for the belt, and the division, and huge congratulations to Neon. Can't wait to see him when he returns for the Raw Deal and Live In Sheffield weekend at the end of June. Whomever he faces, those two matches will be guarenteed Match Of The Night contenders.

I was tempted to "pull a Barcelona" and say there was no 'Villain Of The Week' this week - the event was too much of a celebration. However, there were three names that came to mind and, for Connor Mills to pass on the thorny crown, even if just for a week, felt only fair. So who have we got? If Yoshinobu Kanemaru is the 'Heel Master' of NJPW, then Okumura is the 'Heel Master' of CMLL. The shithousery, shenanigans and rudo actions just come naturally to the Japanese legend who made Mexico his home twenty years ago. His two matches were two of the most entertaining on the cards and the interactions between him and Dulce Gardenia were particularly entertaining. Hilarious villainy, so certainly not the villainy that can warrant 'Villain Of The Week', but villainy nonetheless that deserves an honourable mention.

The same can be said from everyone's favourite Shit Wolves, Kid Lykos and Kid Lykos II. Teaming with Okumura was very fitting. Facing a legend in Atlantis was even more so. Watching Lykos demand Atlantis shake his hand popped me hard. The look on his face when the crowd began the "Shit Wolves" chant was hilarious (I've never felt more guilty as a BIG fan of two lads I'd love to see in RevPro a lot more frequently). The pair fully immersed themselves in the rudo role of Lucha Libre and did all they could to spoil the party. Rule breaking occasionally. Rule bending frequently. Entertaining always.

Again, though, there can only be one and, for the first time, the crown does to Gabe Kidd, the 'Villain Of York Hall'. Now, in Gabe's defence, he really didn't do much wrong - he fought two tough, hard hitting matches pretty clean and within the rules. He had the crowd on his back from the off; "Anyone But Gabe Kidd" and some harsh abuse of Nottingham could be heard throughout both matches. He even had to put up with the apparent ghosts of York Hall occasionally screeching "GAAAAAAAABRIEL". And he handled it all well and showed us, as he always does, why he is an ELITE professional. But... The singing of Ritchie Valens' 'La Bamba', the Shakira hips and the trolling of CMLL (watch him mock Magnus as Magnus prayed in the corner 😂) was BANTER. Shithousery at its absolute peak. My favourite 'Villain Of The Week' winner all year and I issue the title with a huge smile on my face. Well played Gabe, well played.

Live In London 85

It is Thursday ladies, gentlemen and Marks and that can only mean one thing; it's time to put the final word on last Sunday's Revolution Pro Wrestling Live In London 85 by exploring the Heroes and Villains of the show to crown one wrestler the 'Hero Of The Week' and to identify which wrestler deserves the thorny crown of 'Villain of London'. It was certainly an action-packed show in Great Portland Street with a whole host of heroics, but sadly, an increased amount of villainy which needs to be explored. So, without further adieu, let's explore the nominees.

Now, for those of you who read this column on the regular, we're starting to see some commonality with the names associated with the 'Villain Of The Week' and this week can be no different; we have to explore the actions of David Francisco and we have to explore the actions of Connor Mills. RKJ once more has to get an honourable mention and we have a new nominee in the debuting (in London at least) Iker Navarro. Navarro made no effort whatsoever to ingratiate himself with the RevPro crowd and showed a lack of respect towards Robbie X, a mistake he quickly realised as it fired up the King Of The Cruiserweights. As for 'The Killer' Ricky Knight Jr, 'Goldenboy' Santos gave him a hell of a scrap and certainly deserved the recognition at the end of the match of a handshake; he certainly didn't deserve the mugging off that came with laughing in his face and turning his back on him as RKJ did. 

Both Ricky and Iker showed glimpses of their villainy, but the shithousery was taken to new levels by David Francisco and Connor Mills elsewhere on the card. Francisco got in the ear of 'Goldenboy' Santos and tempted him into an alliance with the opportunity to renew Santos' longstanding feud with one of Francisco's many enemies in Oskar Leube, the pair putting the boots into the 'Big Schnitzel' at the end of his match with Leon Slater. However, the 'Villain Of London' can only be one man - the man who at the end of Ethan Allen's huge return CHOP BLOCKED his knee - his twice surgically repaired knee - unprovoked and with a sick, sinister smile on his face the entire time. The first three time Villain. The first back to back 'Winner'. The 'Villain Of London'. The 'Villain Of The Week'.

So, with that out the way, who's in the frame for 'Hero Of The Week'? We have to discuss Jordan Saeed and Lucia Lee. Jordan stepped into the ring for his first RevPro singles match, his debut as a Contender and in the HEADLINE slot - no pressure, son! And, man, did he smash it out the park! All the love for Jordan Saeed, a proper grafter who did exactly that on Sunday. As for Lucia? She came in with no gear, no notice, no hype and she killed it. Watch the match back if you haven't already and watch her closely - she is one of the most rewarding wrestlers to study character-wise on the scene.

However, this week must be the easiest slam dunk winner we have had all year, right? 917 days. Put that in perspective; Ethan Allen's last RevPro show was October 2021. Nigh on three years later he returned. No ring rust, no sign of nerves, no playing it safe - the Young Gun went hammer and tongs against Jordan Saeed and showed that he really is returning in a different gear. Bring on the reunion of the Guns next month in the 229. Bring on the inevitable with Connor Mills. Bring on the Great British Tag League. Bring it all on. I'm ready for it. Ethan Allen; welcome back, the 'Hero Of The Week'.

Live In Sheffield

And this week we have two features for Heroes & Villains, with our 'Villain Of Stevenage', David Francisco, and our 'Hero of Epic Encounter', we now turn to the 'Hero Of Sheffield' and 'The Villain Of The North'. Two shows so two features because, well, I want to and it's my gimmick 😂 

My first personal return to Sheffield Network since 2022 (thank you to all who made me feel welcome) saw me fall in love with my new favourite tag team, saw a showcase of an unbelievable international talent, a goodbye to another, and a technical masterclass from two of the best to do it. As always, to see it all in full, head RevPro On Demand, the best value wrestling subscription to be found anywhere in Europe with an average of three 3-hour shows per monthly payment of £7.40 and an unrivalled back catalogue of shows over the past 12 years. If you need the inside scoop on the show but can't watch it back, 10 Takeaways From The Network is up here at davethemark.com but, for now, let's see who was given a heroes welcome, who was wished bon voyage and who was told by the Sheffield faithful to well and truly fuck right off.

Starting on the dark side of the Network we have four contenders in Nightshade, Connor Mills, David Francisco and Chris Ridgeway. Nightshade may be a harsh nomination for 'Villain Of Sheffield' but she legit scared the shit out of me when she entered ringside and shouted in my face. But then she was lovely when I saw her at the interval so maybe I just have one of those faces you need to shout at? Would explain a lot...

Mr Francisco, the first two time 'Villain Of The Week' and the first and only person to win Hero and Villain in the same calendar year, well he has to be talked about again, right? He used the ropes for leverage to defeat Oskar and such villainy cannot go without comment. As for Ridgeway? The man may be my new favourite wrestler (this is his first RevPro run since my Markdom began) but the man is a proper twat in that ring. He really knows how to wind his opponents up and that was so evident teaming with Mills to isolate Robbie X and wind JJ up and lead him right into their game plan. Shithousery at its best this.

So that leaves Connor Mills who, for the second time this year, takes the thorny crown of 'Villain Of The Week'. Not for his match, not for sticking it to Robbie X and JJ Gale the way only Mills in '24 can, but for taking the spotlight away from Ethan Allen on the 'Young Gun's return to a RevPro ring. This was a moment for Allen - two years away from wrestling, nearly three years away from a RevPro ring and he was afforded the freedom of Sheffield to get it all off his chest. It should have been special. Instead Mills interrupted, belittled Allen and stole the moment away. That is proper villainy and, for that, Mills has to be the 'Villain Of The North'.

The 'Hero Of Sheffield' has just as many contenders with honourable mentions to the Champs, Michael Oku and Jordon Breaks, as well as the incredible Seiki Yoshioka. Yoshioka worked the veteran's game against Cameron Khai in Stevenage, giving the younger opponent the ball and letting him play with it before taking his chance to end the game the moment opportunity arose. Energy reserved for the big one in Sheffield it seems - a shot at Michael Oku and, with victory, presumably a shot at that beautiful belt he wears. And Yoshioka shone in Sheffield. One of those matches where you find yourself gasping at how good someone is. The moment the two started hitting the ropes after about five minutes or so I literally dropped my jaw as they were so, so quick. Masters at work. Please come back Yoshioka-san. As for the champ, what a weekend he had. He truly is the MAN in RevPro and for damn good reason.

Speaking of masters at work, take a bow Jordon Breaks as that match with KUSHIDA is one that will live long in the memory. There are very few wrestlers who can be so compelling without near falls, without big bumps and high flying sequences. These two, though, got the balance between a technical showcase and an enthralling story just right and the finish was well executed. A heroic performance from Breaks. 

But there can only be one and this week was the moment we have had teased for a few weeks now - the showcase of 'War Machine' Mike D Vecchio and, my man, it was freaking incredible. Mike D Vs Oskar Leube Parts 1 and Part 2 hinted at the incredible athleticism, power and speed Mike D works with but this match, against an opponent who can match him in all of those departments, and importantly, given the time to go hammer and tongs brought the Sheffield faithful to their feet, had them chanting, deservedly, that what why were seeing was in fact "awesome" and had raucous chants of "PLEASE COME BACK". This was special and Mike D was the star of the match. RKJ giving him his flowers at the finish spoke volumes as something tells me Ricky is a hard man to impress. Real recognises real, I guess. Mike D Vecchio, ladies, gentleman and Marks, the 'Hero Of Sheffield'.

Epic Encounter 

Epic Encounter 2024 is in the rearview mirror and we now look forward to Raw Deal, our return to the Gordon Craig Theatre in June, and our return to the 229 in a fortnight's time (NOT THE FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH PEOPLE!). A heavyweight  championship match, three debutants - a RevPro debut, a RevPro U.K. debut and a singles match debut, along with a couple of grudge matches and an international dream match; this card had it all.

To take it all in, the show is on RevPro On Demand, the best value wrestling subscription to be found anywhere in Europe with an average of three 3-hour shows per monthly payment of £7.40 and an unrivalled back catalogue of shows over the past 12 years. If you need the inside scoop on the show but can't watch it back, 10 Takeaways From Epic Encounter is up here at davethemark.com and today's task is to contemplate the Heroes and Villains of Stevenage.

Who got over in defeat? Who leant into the dark arts to embarrass their opponent? Who pulled off a BIG win and upset the pecking order? And who left to the boos and the jeers of a packed Gordon Craig Theatre? Let's explore the nominees!

I'm keeping it streamlined this week as we had some obvious candidates for both awards but as always we will explore the honourable mentions. We had the return of KUSHIDA, a big win for Oskar Leube, an impressive debut from Seiki Yoshioka and JJ Gale, who stood up to the challenge of a ruthless and aggressive bully-like performance from RKJ and proved he is the real deal; all deserving mentions of the 'Hero Of The Week'.

RKJ for the way he approached JJ in their match is an honourable mention for the 'Villain Of The Week', seemingly aggrieved at his loss to a man he doesnt see as an equal in the 229 when the pair fought a triple threat with Connor Mills, Ricky looked to embarrass JJ - taking every opportunity to assert dominance. The 'wet willy' really was the tip of the iceberg. However, Ricky recognised JJ at the close and respect was earned and, though he started the match leaning into his dark side, RKJ had embraced the light by the end.

So who's left? One clear Villain and two Heroes who stood out more than any other; Rhio and Zozaya.

Rhio stepped up to Alex Windsor who is the most highly decorated woman in RevPro history. Windsor held the Undisputed British Women's Championship for two years, though there was a year between title defences due to injury. However, that should not take anything away from the thirteen successful title defences she managed - a record unrivalled in any division in RevPro history, with wins over a who's who of talent from across the world from Hyan to Mickie James, from Charli Evans to Kylie Rae. Rhio is an established star of European wrestling - an eight time women's champion across multiple promotions - but to come into RevPro in your singles debut and get the win over Alex Windsor is a massive achievement. Here's to a hell of a lot more Rhio down the line please Mr Quildan.

However, I could not look past Zozaya for 'Hero Of The Week' for that INCREDIBLE main event performance challenging for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship. The 21 year old Spaniard was wrestling in England for the first time, facing the face of European wrestling, Michael Oku, in a town where Oku is beloved. The deck was stacked against a man who few in the crowd would have ever seen clips of, let alone seen live, yet he left to a standing ovation having been given the freedom of the ring at the end by Oku and Amira. His huge win in Barcelona was in front of his friends, his family and his fans. He walked in to the contest like the King Of Spain. In Stevenage, he was never going to get that same reaction but his work, his performance and his underdog energy won over the crowd completely. We hope to see you very soon Zozaya.

And, a side note, Zozaya becomes both the first person to win the 'Hero Of The Week' twice, and the first to win it in back to back weeks. Felicidades mi amigo.

And on that note, our Villain Of The Week is another record breaker - the first person to win both 'Hero Of The Week' and 'Villain Of The Week' in 2024 has become the first person to also be crowned 'Villain' twice. Mr David Francisco, you are the RevPro 'Villain Of The Week'. 'The Centrepiece' was not on the Epic Encounter card but he made his presence felt at the end of the Oskar Leube Vs Mike D Vecchio opener, attacking Oskar from behind, causing some miscommunication between Mike D and 'The Big Schnitzel' and then watching as the pair scrapped all the way backstage. Francisco lit the match and then enjoyed the fireworks. He also got under Oskar's skin, which fed beautifully into their match on Sunday in Sheffield where, most importantly, Francisco picked up the win. You can dislike his methods but you can't argue with his results. Something tells me this won't be the last time Francisco takes the thorny crown of 'Villain Of The Week'...

Live In Barcelona

Well, Revolution Pro Wrestling and Lucha Libre Barcelona, you spoiled us. What a wonderful show which showcased the best in LLB and the best in RevPro whilst maintaining the arcs of each wrestler we invest in on a weekly basis. Two championship matches, four RevPro debuts, one grudge match and one shock upset win. This was what every RevPro show is in 2024; essential viewing worthy of full investment. If there were ever days where you could argue that the essential RevPro matches and story beats were reserved for certain cities, towns and venues, then a lot of work is being done to prove that wrong in 2024. Your £7.40 per month for RevPro On Demand, with an average of three 3-hour shows per monthly payment, has to be the best value pro wrestling subscription going. So, with the hardest task of the week I found myself here contemplating the Heroes and Villains of Barcelona. Who left the show with their head held high? Who left hanging their head in shame? Who left to the cheers, the love and the aduration of the empassioned Barcelona crowd? And who left to the boos, the jeers and the shocked silence of disappointed fans? Let's explore the nominees!

Heroes galore this week as we can put a case forward for 'Goldenboy' Santos, Iker Navarro, Zozaya, Barcelona Blacklist, GYV, Jordon Breaks and Dani Luna. It is genuinely very difficult with such a celebratory show to find ourselves a Villain Of The Week. And, therefore, for the first time in 2024, we have a purely heroic Revolution Pro Wrestling show without a single villain, and so the Villain Of The Week title will remain on the shelf until next week. I feel we must address the elephant in the room, though, and note that Oskar Leube did win following an illegal eye-rake of Santos and that deed cannot go unmentioned. However, since Heroes and Villains begun we have set a precedent for the levels of villainy we are judging and we have acknowledged that professional wrestling is not a black and white sport between good guys and bad guys; we are talking about real human beings with three-dimensional characters. Whilst Oscar did utilise an illegal move to gain the leverage in what was a very tightly fought match with a career rival of his, he showed experience, desire and an awareness of the levels of shithousery that can be deployed within a professional wrestling match without disqualification and that is something he will need to take forward with him throughout his professional wrestling career. Therefore, whilst it is not praised, and we would have enjoyed the match-finish more without it, it is only worthy of an honourable mention and not worthy of the award of Villain Of The Week.

Now, let's get into the good stuff - the Hero Of The Week. Honourable mentions to 'Goldenboy Santos' who had a hell of a contest with Oskar. The same can be said for Sito Sanchez and Joey Torres of Barcelona Blacklist who tore the house down with Grizzled Young Veterans and proved that all the excited talk amongst fans with a wider knowledge of  European wrestling than I could ever claim to have were justified in their praise. I would be a fool not to mention Iker Navarro at this stage, also, as his match with Luke Jacobs really set the tone of the night, the first of the Spanish contingent to step through the curtain and a man who brought the passion out of an amazing crowd who stayed hot to the end. I also want to ensure that Dani Luna gets her flowers as the workhorse champion she is - Dog Collar Match, Chantal Jordan and then another title defence, this time against Safire Reed, all in the space of two weeks. Incredible work from an incredible worker. And is anyone putting in a shift like GYV are right now? THE tag team of the year so far anywhere in the world. Finally, Jordon Breaks avoided the banana skin of dropping the title at the first hurdle, which is exactly how he won it from Leon Slater. All worthy mentions of people who had a banger week.

However, it would be remiss of me to make this seem like it wasn't a nailed on a win for Zozaya right? Come on now, at 20 years he just headlined his first RevPro show and beat the Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion in a twenty minute barnstormer. And don't get this wrong - this was no fluke. This wasn't a roll up with an overly used and contrived shocked face finish. This was a clean win from a massive performance. Yes he was the underdog. No I don't think he can do it twice in a row and take Michael Oku's championship out of Epic Encounter but the record books (Cagematch) state a victory in singles competition for Zozaya over a RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion and what Cagematch will leave out will be the nature of the victory. An amazing performance and result from a man with tremendous potential and ability. I can't wait to see him in person on Saturday. He just needs to come prepared - Oku will need to be put down AND out for Zozaya to leave with the championship belt.

Cannot wait.

Revolution Rumble & Live In Southampton 29

It is Thursday and it says everything you need to know about Revolution Pro Wrestling that I am still riding my wrestling high from Sunday and Monday's shows. I am eagerly awaiting the tidied up livestreams to be shared to RevPro On Demand so I can watch both shows back with the family. I am also conscious that, after such a bumper weekend of wrestling, I'm bound to have forgotten some beautiful little details that I am keen to rediscover ahead of Sunday's return to the 229. So I'm leaning on my memory of two very, very busy shows for this week's Heroes and Villains, a week dominated by Heroes thankfully. So let's get to it, who is Revolution Pro Wrestling's Hero and Villain of the Week?

Everyone from my generation was taught to eat our vegetables first so let's do just that and get the pesky villains out of the way. We have three straight up, good for nothing villains battling it out this week in Brett Semtex, Connor Mills and the Greedy Souls. Whilst we have a wealth of villainous acts across the week, these three were our true villains. Alex Windsor deserves her flowers for that incredible Dog Collar Match and, within the rules of such a contest, there is nothing that she did that brings her the heat of being our Villain. A salty David Francisco in Southampton can't take away from the wonderful reaction he got in York Hall as the Centrepiece arrived and the Contender's shirt was retired. Kieron Lacey and Mark Trew trying to bend the rules of the Rumble was hilarious and so they get a pass and Anthony Ogogo, despite carrying out the dastardly deed of referring to Amira, the Queen of RevPro, as an "Irish slag" and disrespecting the First Lady of RevPro, Francesca, was justified in his attack of Michael Oku - Oku came at him first. You can call me what you like but you can't call me unfair! 

So that leaves Semtex, Souls and Mills. Semtex did what he was instructed to do by Leyton Buzzard - he stopped Amira from interfering in the match that Buzzard fought for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship. However, the heater caught the heat when he put his hands on Amira and stopped Oku from retaining (momentarily at least). Shoutout to Ref Harv, a nominee for Hero of the Week for ejecting Semtex and pushing Buzzard down when 'El Capitan' confronted him. Villainy from Semtex but ultimately unsuccessful. As for Souls, they sapped the joy out of York Hall who were in rapturous applause for Grizzled Young Vets as they celebrated their heroics after capturing the Undisputed British Tag Team Championships atop the ramp. However, they got their comeuppance when GYV ensured their chances in the Rumble were cut short.

And then there was Mills. I proudly donned my 'Smoking Kills and So Does Mills' tee, I cheered for a man I believe to be misunderstood in RevPro, a proper anti-hero, but his opportunistic attack on poor Dynamite Lee Dawson was a step too far. Luke Jacobs beat Mills in the opener, picking up where the pair left off in a match of the year contender for 2024 (so far) in Sheffield. Jacobs deserved his spot. Mills could have had a spot; Andy Quildan offered him one. But no, Mills wanted Jacobs' spot and he didn't get it. He shot for the king and missed. So when Leyton Buzzard couldn't step up, he allowed Dynamite Lee Dawson, the young Contender, to step in. But Mills wiped Lee out. It might be the only time this year the Villain of the Week has had me in hysterics as they complete their villainous act but there we have it. It is what it is. Sorry Dynamite. Mills, ladies, gentlemen and Marks, is our Villain of the Week.

As we jump from Column A to Column B, and we look at the heroic performances across the weekend, an early shout out goes to Jordan Saeed who made his RevPro Contenders' debut at York Hall. All the love for Jordan; good luck with your new opportunity, brother. So, who needs an honourable mention for Hero of the Week and who are the true contenders (little c)? Well we have a Contender (big C) in Josh James who had a breakout performance against Gabe Kidd in the 1865 and if he does not step out of the Contender's division with David Francisco then I am going to have a tantrum. Obviously, David Francisco is an honourable mention, even if he did act as a bit of a spoiler for his own moment. Aigle Blanc and Mike D Vecchio get a huge nod of approval - two unbelievable talents we fans would welcome back with open arms - and so are well-worthy of a mention. And then one final mention for Leon Slater who picked up a HUGE win over Josh Alexander, adding the Walking Weapon to a list of scalps he has picked up over the past 18 months which includes Michael Oku, Connor Mills, Dan Moloney (twice), Trent Seven and JJ Gale.

Speaking of JJ, he is definitely in the conversation for 'Hero of the Week' after his 69 minute iron man run in the Rumble followed by one the best matches of his career (if not the best match) against one of the, in my opinion, genuine best in the world in Josh Alexander. Up there with JJ is Grizzled Young Veterans who not only won the tag championships but then put them on the line the following night in Southampton against Sunshine Machine, delivering us two tag match of the year contenders within 24 hours. We also cannot possibly explore Heroes and not consider Dani F'n Luna who proved DANI LUNA DOESN'T DIE. She really is one of the best in the world and the wrestling world saw that on Sunday. Any other week and Dani Luna storms to victory but we cannot ignore the Mancunian elephant in the room. Luke Jacobs HAS TO BE, just has to be, the Hero for the Week.

It was very notable when it came down to RKJ and Luke Jacobs that Luke had the majority of the crowd behind him. It took me back to Oku Vs Jacobs in the 229 at the tail end of last year when the London (note: London) crowd was split between Oku and Jacobs 50:50 (or maybe even 60:40 in Luke's favour). The man I think of as The Standard of RevPro is beloved. His Rumble win was brilliantly worked by all involved, not only on the night, but on the lead up to it with little red herrings suggesting others might be the victor. The return of Ethan Allen and Chris Ridgeway were lovely details to make the moment even more special. I have been a RevPro Mark since January 2022 and the journey Luke has been on has been transformational - both in appearance, in-ring and in presentation. He is a bonafide star of professional wrestling and Sunday felt like a coming out party for him. Jacobs Vs Oku at the Copper Box? Or is there a twist in the tale to say Oku loses the belt between now and then, leaving Jacobs facing someone else? First up - Ogogo? A popular choice - Mills? A wildcard - Ishii? There is story in all three directions. Time will tell and I will Mark Out every damn step of the way, starting this Sunday at the 229.

Live In St Neots

Well, that was a chaotic go-home show for the Revolution Rumble, St Neots, wasn't it? Lots of Takeaways to come your way but let's focus on who left the Priory Centre feeling ten feet tall and who left with their tail between their legs? Who was carried out on the metaphorical shoulders of the fans and who was chased out of Cambridgeshire with pitchforks? Who were the Heroes of the Revolution and who was this week's Villain?

So, who do we have to consider? Brett Semtex and Leyton Buzzard attacked RKJ prior to the bell of the main event, looking for any opportunity to dominate and double team the fractious team of Knight and Oku. Villainess behaviour? I'd say so. But then, Leyton Buzzard also took another victory over the champion and one that was both clean and dominant - a Guillotine Choke that ended in a referee stoppage, Oku's first submission defeat since the Revolution Rumble last year when he was forced to tap to Zack Sabre Jr. The challenger pinning the champion en route to their huge showdown this Sunday has to make Buzzard a contender for 'Hero Of The Week', rather than Villain, but his post match attack on the champion stopped this Mark from awarding it to him.

Honourable mentions must also go to JJ Gale, Harry Milligan, David Francisco and Echo, also. Echo had a great debut performance, drawing the crowd into her match and doing the very best that could have been hoped for her against such a formidable for as Alex Windsor, one of the most experienced and dangerous women in Europe. JJ Gale was the last man standing of the chaotic brawl that ended the show, the only man occupying the ring whilst everyone else was left licking their wounds on the outside - can he do the same this Sunday in the Rumble? That brawl began with Harry Milligan stepping up to Leyton Buzzard and refusing to back down after Buzzard took Oku out with his own championship belt. A very heroic action from a man who had already been stretched and tortured by Connor Mills only minutes earlier. And finally, David Francisco overcame his friend and rival Josh James to earn the right to enter this Sunday's Rumble in a fantastic contest - the Contender's first ever York Hall appearance.

Many heroes this week, but there can only be one and that has to go to Sha Samuels. For Sha took the entire RevPro crowd on a journey with him to overcome and vanquish the greatest villain in European wrestling, Spike Trivet. Sha Samuels is so experienced, so accomplished and so highly decorated that he is never the underdog in a fight but Spike is younger, faster, more violent, more unhinged and more ruthless. And, I'll be completely honest, and it pains me to say this as I LOVE Sha, but I was worried for him going into this one as Trivet is not just 'The Vulture', not just the 'Most Hated Man In Europe' but he is DANGEROUS. But Sha survived his onslaught, grew into the match and used his power, finally concluding with two huge Spinebusters to get a definitive 1-2-3; Sha Samuels, our 'Hero Of The Week'.

But then... The joy was cut short. The celebrations were brief. The moment was exactly that - just a moment. "That's it," Sha declared, "It's over" he said with both relief and joy. But it wasn't and isn't over; Trivet attacked Sha post-match, strangled him with a camera chord, hit him with a devastating knee strike and declared "It's over when I say it's over". In Southampton Trivet beat Sha but he did so because of interference from Richard Holliday. Whilst the interference wasn't what Trivet had planned, he certainly profited from it. Therefore this rematch was to give us what we deserved, a clean and fair one-on-one match and that is what we got. And Sha won. End of. But no, Trivet couldn't take the defeat and took Sha's spotlight. You have to believe round three is now due.

A dishonourable mention goes out to Alex Windsor who used Echo to sell her intentions to Dani Luna with the dog collar - a vicious, humiliating and unnecessary post match attack on the debutant. Windsor outwrestled her, out struck her and forced her into submission - there was no need for the exclamation point. There was no need for the chain, the embarrassment and the cruel tactics other than to intimidated Dani Luna, the woman Windsor faces this Sunday at the Revolution Rumble in the Dog Collar Match for the Undisputed British Women's Championship. 

But, such is the job I have given myself, there can only be one 'Villain Of The Week' and it goes to Spike Trivet. The victory for Sha felt monumental, cathartic and decisive. A moment to savour for a RevPro legend and a moment to savour for the RevPro fans. Spike took that away and so Spike Trivet is the RevPro 'Villain Of The Week'.

Now just think, my lovelies; this time next week we will be celebrating the Heroes and the Villains of a week that takes in the Revolution Rumble but also Live In Southampton 29. What a week we are about to start! Alexander Vs Slater. Mills Vs Jacobs. Subculture Vs Grizzled Young Vets. The Dog Collar Match. Buzzard Vs Oku. The Revolution f'n Rumble AND THEN Live In Southampton the next day with Josh Alexander Vs JJ Gale already confirmed. What a week and, as always, we will be here for every beat.

Live In Coventry

A fantastic first show in Coventry is in the books and I am delighted that we already have another date in the diary to return. And as with every RevPro show, it's my self-appointed responsibility to determine our 'Hero' and our 'Villain Of The Week' so let's get into it!

This column has featured David Francisco and Josh James regularly with both men finding themselves in the middle of a lot of drama recently. Respect, humility and disappointment have been words considered with the Contenders of late but this week they got a huge win, together, after rising to the challenge of Reece & Rogan, 'Yorkshire Tough', who hijacked the show from the off and demanded a match. Originally the pair were due to face YOUNGBLOOD on this show but injury to Yuto Nakashima meant the card changed and the Yorkshire hosses were not having any of it. David Francisco and Josh James, cheered on by the crowd, took up the mantle and came away with a big upset win, making them worthy contenders (little c) for 'Heroes of the Week'.

Speaking of YOUNGBLOOD, an honourable mention for 'Villain Of The Week', though, comes in the unlikely form of Oskar Leube who let frustration get the better of him after his loss to Luke Jacobs as he refused to shake 'North West Strong's hand. Jacobs is The Standard in RevPro; if he offers you his hand, you take it; it means you earned it. A mistake from Oskar that we can forgive, but not one he should repeat I feel.

If Oskar was disrespectful, then Alexxis Falcon was ten times worse during her match with Kanji. From the outset 'The Best Thing To Come Out Of Hull Since Dean Windass' showed a complete lack of respect to the former Queen of Southside Champion. This escalated, though, and eventually led to Falcon's own downfall, when she spat in the face of Nottingham's finest. Such a vile act was met with the disgust it deserved from the crowd but it also sparked something in Kanji as she mercilessly beat Falcon into defeat from that moment. A big win for Kanji over a proper Villain in Falcon.

Someone who has had an eventful few weeks is Ricky Knight Jr, who was our last 'Villain Of The Week' and is a contender for 'Hero Of The Week' this week. His match with Leyton Buzzard was eventful (more on that later) and it drew out our Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, who RKJ hit with a Kishi Driver in the 229 leading to the champion's elimination from the Revolution Tag main event. But in Coventry Oku and RKJ were united by a common foe in Leyton Buzzard and Brett Semtex, and the pair put differences aside and acted with cool heads. There's plenty of juice left in this fruit and with one more show between now and the Revolution Rumble, I think we might be seeing more of Oku, RKJ, Buzzard and Semtex.

And it is here we must reveal the 'Villain Of The Week' and it is one I do with personal regret as I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Brett Semtex a few weeks back at Union Thai Gym in Gorleston but he leaves me with no choice. (Check out When Dave The Mark Met Brett Semtex if you haven't already!) Brett seconded Leyton Buzzard to the ring for 'El Capitan''s encounter with Ricky Knight Jr and made his presence felt throughout, distracting RKJ at ringside and seizing his chance when Ref Harv was distracted to get a few licks in. However, as RKJ had Buzzard up for the Muscle Buster, which surely would have wrapped up a big win for 'The Killer', Semtex hit him with a mighty Spear, not even attempting to disguise a clear and obvious disqualification. The question here is, what would have happened had RKJ won? Would he have taken Buzzard's spot at York Hall? Or at least get the chance to be next in line for a title shot between Revolution Rumble and the Rumble winner's shot? Questions I would have enjoyed pondering but that was taken by Semtex and for that reason, sorry Brett; you have to be the 'Villain Of The Week'.

Our final honourable mentions for each award go to the two teams who put on a terrific main event as Greedy Souls took their shot at Subculture after winning the Great British Tag League. Had Souls won, they would have been 'Heroes Of The Week', but once Danny Jones punted Flash Morgan Webster between the legs with a horrific low blow they quickly became contenders for 'Villains Of The Week'. Subculture themselves resorted to the same tactics but they fought fire with fire and that is not something I can blame them for. If Brendan and Danny were prepared to fight dirty to win the belts then why can't Flash and Mandrews fight dirty to keep them? Subculture now have Grizzled Young Vets in their path and something tells me that whomever comes out of that with the win will be seeing Greedy Souls down the line very soon.

Now when I headed off, up the M6 to Coventry Sunday lunchtime, I found myself thinking who might leave the HMV Empire with the title of 'Hero Of The Week' and it delights me to say I didn't see it coming at all; our 'Hero' this week comes in the form of Man Like Dereiss. Now it shocks me to say that this was my first time seeing Dereiss as his path and RevPro's path have rarely crossed in the past but please, please, please Andy Quildan give me more of this man! His match with Michael Oku was, for me, the match of the night. I knew Dereiss was a household name across Europe and would be over with the crowd but I was not ready for just how complete of a wrestler he is. I have a long list of people I want to see him face now and am desperate for more. That makes him our 'Hero Of The Week' straight off the bat. A standout performance from a man who lived up to his reputation and superseded all of my most optimistic hopes. Here's to the next time and, until then, 0-1-2-1!

Live In London 83

Another incredibly eventful RevPro Sunday has given us plenty of viable RevPro 'Heroes Of The Week' and, sadly, even more potential 'Villains Of The Week'. In fact, almost every match presented us with a contender, so let's explore the honourable mentions.

Josh James did for David Francisco what David Francisco did for Josh James in Sheffield - he gave him a look, a few words and, more importantly, a reminder of the importance of respect.  

Dani Luna saved Laura Di Matteo from what could have been a very nast end to her return to the Revolution, as 'Villain Of The Week' contender Alex Windsor wrapped the chain she has used to tempt Luna into a Dog Collar Match at York Hall around LDM's neck. 

GYV made their RevPro in-ring debuts; it is easy to forget given Zack Gibson's history with the promotion that this was a first time appearance for Grizzled Young Veterans as a unit and a debut for James Drake. It felt amazing to have one of the very best tag teams in the world in the home of Pro Wrestling At Its Best.

Sha Samuels led by example in the Revolution Tag, organising the team from ringside and standing up to Spike Trivet, making Sha an option for 'Hero Of The Week'. As for Trivet, he is a man who is a contender for 'Villain Of The Week' every time he steps into a RevPro ring as he embodies what he proclaims to be; "The Most Hated Man In Europe". And now we have it confirmed, Sha Vs Spike, Sunday 24th March, in St Neots. I can't wait for that!

But there can only be one 'Hero' and how could I choose anyone this week other than Jordon Breaks... Our [insert my best Francesca impression] "NEW Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion"! In all honesty, I don't think many people had Breaks down to beat Leon Slater, I know I certainly didn't. This photo I think encapsulates that; did Jordon believe he could do it or was it simply the relief at finally getting the credit his incredible work has deserved in establishing himself as one of the best wrestlers in Europe? I cannot wait to see what is next in store.

And then we have the 'Villain Of The Week' and this one pains me. Ricky Knight Jr is someone who embodies what RevPro is all about, he's a former Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion and has had a rough ride the last 18 months due to the injury which prevented him from getting the title reign we were all so excited to see from him.

He's frustrated and I get it. Michael Oku's success must kill him inside and I get it. Oku kicked him square in the face and Amira slapped him... I get it! But, putting his hands on Amira, taking her by the throat, is inexcusable. There will be consequences and I'm fascinated to see how this plays out.

Oku's enemies are now focused around Leyton Buzzard, Brett Semtex and RKJ and the three of them may well have each others' backs. Despite Brett's introduction to RevPro, When Dave The Mark Met Brett Semtex tells us that he and RKJ are still tight. Buzzard and Semtex are aligned since Sheffield - does this mean Buzzard will have RKJ's back? Will RKJ, therefore, have Buzzard's back when he challenges Oku at Revolution Rumble for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship? It will be interesting to see and all eyes are now on Live In Coventry next Sunday.

But for now, RKJ, for putting your hands on the 'Queen of Revolution Pro Wrestling', you have to be the RevPro 'Villain Of The Week'.

Live In Sheffield

Another RevPro Sunday, another stacked and banging card and a show that delivered what we have come to expect; Pro Wrestling At Its Best. So, Sheffield, as with all RevPro shows we need to determine The Mark's 'Hero Of The Week' and the dreaded 'Villain Of The Week', so who you got?

Well we certainly have contenders don't we, small c and capital C. And it's with a capital C that we look to the 'Hero of the Week' and we look no further than to Contender David Francisco. Now it might seem strange to choose a Hero who wasn't on the card; we could have gone with Ricky Knight Jr, who headlined the show, representing the best of RevPro and the best of independent European wrestling against one of the very best in North American independent wrestling in Jordan Oliver; we could have gone for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, Michael Oku, for wrestling just seven days removed from the most critically acclaimed independent wrestling match of all time against a dangerous adversary in Brett Semtex.

But not this week, this week we give David Francisco his flowers for two reasons. Firstly, Dave stepped in on commentary without any notice or preparation and killed it. If you, like me, were watching On Demand then you know how much a second commentator brings to the production and the experience and Francisco does such a great job of it when called upon.

Secondly, though, and more importantly to the live product, David Francisco played an important role in the Josh James and Shigehiro Irie contest. At the conclusion of the match, Irie extended his hand to Josh James out of respect but 'Heavy Artillery' walked away and refused the gesture. Francisco stepped in, bent the ear of his fellow Contender and made him see sense. There was a moment when I thought James was going to attack, first Francisco, and then Irie, but neither came. There is a competitive rivalry between the two senior Contenders and the more we lean into that the happier this Mark will be.

When it comes to this week's 'Villain of the Week', where do we begin? Reece & Rogan for cowardly attacking YOUNGBLOOD, from behind, post match, after a gruelling encounter with Sunshine Machine? Brett Semtex for his attack on Michael Oku on the stage after Oku not only beat Semtex but offered him the hand of sportsmanship and respect? Or 'El Capitan', for revealing his true colours and showing us that, like the proverbial leopard, a Buzzard doesn't change its spots. It has to be Buzzard, doesn't it?

I don't like it but I could forgive the low blow to defeat Robbie X; Robbie is one the best in the world and when opportunity arises, as it did on Sunday, not by design but by fortune, you can't blame the guy for taking a short cut to get an all important win. It's not right, but it's understandable.

However, put his next actions in context; he rightfully put forward his claim to challenge Michael Oku at the Revolution Rumble. He was the last man to pin Oku in a RevPro ring. Buzzard has two victories over the 'Master of the Half Crab' before Oku ascended to the top of the company. He and Oku have unfinished business. Therefore, there is just cause for a championship match. And as for Oku, he'd take it, wouldn't he? He has not shied away from any challenges. He wants to be prove what he and we both know; he is the best in Europe. So there we go, there's the match, the justification and a fantastic Revolution Rumble title defence.

So why the need to lure Oku into a trap? Why the need to bring Brett Semtex into the fold? Why the need to leave the man who just wrestled THAT match last week at High Stakes staring at the ceiling? The match is there for the making. The attack was cheap and unnecessary. Some might call it villainesque. This Mark will. Leyton Buzzard, you are the RevPro 'Villain of the Week'.

High Stakes

Ok, ok, ok. I hear you. This does look like a bit of a cop out doesn't it. The 'Hero of The Week' AND The 'Villain of The Week' stem from the same match, THE match; Oku Vs Ospreay III. Firstly, screw you. It's my gimmick, I'll do what I want! Secondly, I'm right. Now let me explain why. 

The 'Villain' goes to whomever garners the most heat, whomever employs the most dastardly tactics or acts as the greatest spoiler. In past weeks Richard Holliday was the spoiler, Safire Reed brought the heat and Gio had the tactics. On the biggest night of his RevPro career, with nigh on 2,000 separate to cheer him and say goodbye, Ospreay had the unenviable task of turning the crowd against him. 

And what makes Will Ospreay the 'Villain'? How can a man who has given his career to British Wrestling when he never had to, who has adopted guarenteed money for the past eight years but never once left the Revolution, who had a sea of people ready to say thank you and goodbye, how does he turn a crowd against him? Like only he can. Later this week I will be doing a deep dive into this feud (watch this space) and one key feature is the character dynamics between Ospreay and Amira and it was the HEAT Ospreay garnered and the shock of the crowd when he kicked Amira into the guardrail and hit her with a Hidden Blade, intentionally or not, that makes him the 'Villain of The Week'. That was the loudest pro wrestling crowd I have ever heard and Ospreay, Oku and Amira had the crowd in the palms of their hand.

The 'Hero of The Week', on the other hand, goes to whomever garners the most support, has their breakout moment or overcomes the most adversity. In Southampton, Cameron Khai had his breakout moment, in London Amira garnered the most support and, the month before, JJ Gale won his first RevPro headline spot, a breakout of its own. Michael Oku, who put in the performance of his life, had to garner the sympathy and support and turn the crowd from the boos when he came out (what the actual f...?). Moreover, he had to to ensure that his work was not just one of sympathetic, underdog babyface, as he does so well, but that of Ospreay's equal; his victory had to be legitimate, had to be emphatic and had to be unquestionable. The match had to have the right character dynamics to fulfil it's potential.

Oku is undoubtedly the 'Hero of The Week' as he, in kayfabe, earned the respect of Will Ospreay, overcame his biggest hurdle and legitimised himself as THE MAN in British wrestling. More importantly, though, Oku demonstrated that all the hard work, the development and growth as a performer he has embodied over the last two years from Oku Vs Ospreay II to now makes him an elite wrestler. The world was watching; Dave Meltzer has been purring over the match on social media, Tony Khan, Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy were watching live in the arena, near 2,000 were in attendance were watching and when the inevitable social media outpouring of love and appreciation is over, the world will have watched. They watched a true star, a global star, proving to the world exactly why he is just that.

The match had to have the right character dynamics to fulfil it's potential. It's potential was certainly filled. This match will be talked about for years to come. What a privilege it was to witness.

Live In Southampton 28

Well, Southampton, that was some show! And with all RevPro shows we need to determine The Mark's 'Hero Of The Week' and the dreaded 'Villain Of The Week'.

Sunday's show was the hardest to determine of 2024 thus far - from JJ Gale stepping to Luke Jacobs, to Anthony Ogogo laying David Francisco to rest, from Harry Milligan balancing emotions and performance, to Spike Trivet doing the dirty on Sha Samuels, there was a lot to consider. However, two men stood tall above the rest, one for good and one for bad, and let's explore why, starting with the 'Hero Of The Week', Cameron Khai.

Khai faced off against the debuting Richard Holliday, picking up what can be considered his biggest RevPro win to date. Holliday came in to RevPro having represented a wide number of promotions around the world already in 2024, with a number of past championship reigns to his name across an even wider set of promotions. And with the crowd fixated on him after he set The 1865 the challenge of coming up with a unique chant for him, the odds were certainly stacked against a Cameron Khai victory. However, to the shock of Holliday and his one fan in the crowd, Khai took the win with a Small Package roll-up. In my preview for this show posted to this website last week, I said that 2024 felt like it was going to be a big year for Cameron and this is certainly the way to start it. 

Now if we consider the 'Villain Of The Week' we can get to the second reason Cameron Khai was chosen, for the RevPro Villain this week has to be Mr Richard Holliday. Why? Where shall we start... Upon his loss to Khai, 'The Most Marketable' one refused to leave the ring, despite Ref Harv and Francesca Oliver's best efforts. He was even heard at ringside saying that he "did not give a fuck about the main event". The greatest crime that could be commited in RevPro is to disrespect the beloved and precious Lady of RevPro, Francesca, and Holliday even had the audacity to square up to her before Sha Samuels forced him from the ring. What an absolute liberty from the newcomer. 

The tyranny was not over at this point either, as Holliday returned to ringside during Sha's match with  Spike Trivet, causing the distraction needed for 'The Most Hated Man In Europe' to take out Sha with an illegal weapon and pick up the win. Holliday and Trivet then attacked Sha in the post-match which drew out our Hero, Cameron Khai, to make the save, supported by Flash Morgan Webster who had been on the merch table during the main event.

Something tells me this won't be the last time Cameron Khai is the 'Hero Of The Week' and, what's more, something tells me this won't be the last we see of Richard Holliday. A High Stakes announcement feels impending after the pull apart brawl that closed the show and this Mark is absolutely here for it.

Live In London 82

Last time out we started with the good news and we judged JJ Gale the Hero of the Week, with Gio taking the crown as the Villain of the 229. The Villain of the 229 this week, or should I say The Villainess, goes to 'The Radioactive One' Safire Reed.

Some might deem this harsh; Safire and Alexxis Falcon won their tag contest with Kanji and Dani Luna clean, with Safire Reed pinning Dani Luna after a brutal Shining Wizard. What made Reed the villain was partly tactics she used to overcome the Undisputed British Women's Champion. Firstly, she used every tactic she could to avoid facing Dani Luna one on one in the ring - ensuring Alexxis Falcon was the legal opponent whenever Luna made the tag, tagging in to battle Kanji whenever the RevPro favourite had been weakened by Falcon and continuously seizing any advantage she could to frustrate and antagonise the champion.

This wasn't the role of the villain in the vein of Gio last time out; this wasn't Gio's verbal tirade against Francesca, this wasn't Gio seeking a dirty stolen win with the use of illegal objects and this wasn't Gio stealing victory away from Trent Seven. This was Safire Reed getting in the head of the champion. This was Safire Reed utilising her tag partner to ensure maximum impact on the champion and minimum impact on the challenger. This was Safire Reed ensuring that she goes in to Crystal Palace on February 18th with momentum on her side.

It's hard to argue against her position as number one contender and it's hard to argue against her having Dani Luna's number the way she seemingly has Kanji's. However, Dani Luna is our Undisputed British Women's Champion - she is the champion the RevPro faithful want and deserve. Alex Windsor held the championship for 769 days. Her grasp on that belt became something of an obsession and she desperately clung on to it as worthy challengers come and went. Safire Reed is our Villain of the 229 as she looks to do the unthinkable, and she looks to bring an end to Dani Luna's title reign before it has even started. And it is clear from how 'The Radioactive One' has presented herself this past few months - she will do anything necessary to get to where she needs to go, and like all villains, she doesn't care who she uses or steps on to get there. 

Now, the Hero of the Week is certainly one that I do not think many would have predicted prior to the show beginning but none could argue with by the climax of the evening; the Hero of the Week has to be Amira.

The road to High Stakes from Uprising, with how the calender falls, has taken in just two 229 shows, Seasons Beatings and this Sunday's trip to The 1865 in Southampton. Now, Michael Oku Vs Will Ospreay needs no build. Will Ospreay's last match needs no additional gravitas - the ticket sales for High Stakes have shown that. But going into the 229 this week we needed to know that the feeling of High Stakes 2022 was there and that the greatest match in RevPro history had a chance to be matched or even possibly outdone - that was a hard task and one that banked on a face to face between Ospreay and Oku to deliver the stakes, the drama and the personal sentiment that filled their first York Hall encounter.

Both Will and Michael delivered as we all knew they can but it was Amira who turned the crowd and generated the electricity in the building with her impassioned breakdown of how High Stakes 2022 affected Oku. Her passion and belief was there for all to see, and as she manifested victory into existence, the confidence and the belief in Michael Oku seemed to drain away at the reminder of what Ospreay did to him and how it affected the next year of his career. Ospreay delivered. Oku delivered. But it was Amira's delivery that changed the mood, that hooked the fans and got us Marks talking about "What If". Can Oku do what he has never done before? And what if Ospreay wins? We now know how that can play out and the more Amira willed an Oku victory into existence, the more the champion seems to doubt himself. An incredible segment and, deservedly, Amira is the Hero of the Week. 

Live In London 81