Not everyone can keep up with all the amazing promotions that run worldwide and, therefore when RevPro lean into one of the many excellent working relationships they have with wrestlers, promotions and promotors around the world, sometimes you can find yourself gearing up to someone for the first time. That's where Introducing comes in, to offer a little insight into what you are in store for.

This past weekend we saw the Revolution Pro Wrestling debut of Taylor James, someone I was unfamiliar with but hugely impressed by and now I'm championing to see the 'Black Thorn' return sooner rather than later. Wrestling alongside Leon Slater, Cameron Khai and David Francisco opposite Michael Oku, CPF and Zozaya may well be the hardest spot to debut in of anyone who's walked through the door in RevPro for the first time this year. Without the length of a singles match, and with so many moving parts, stories to extend and wrestlers to profile, it could have proven really difficult for Taylor to stand out and hold the spotlight in such a chaotic debut match but the man maximised his minutes and seized the crowds' interest.

I think what impressed me most on Sunday was how comfortable Taylor looked in a RevPro ring and how unfazed he was by what was quite a challenging crowd to perform in front of, given their very mixed responses to other newcomers on the card. Subsequently, he also showed no nerves whatsoever at mixing it up with the best of the best in RevPro in Michael Oku, Zozaya, Danny Black and Joe Lando. It really was a terrific debut. And so, retrospectively, I felt the need to extend the hand of friendship and welcome Taylor James officially into RevPro.

Having debuted nearly nine years ago with the DKW Academy in Purfleet, Essex, James has made his name with promotions such as Ignite in Borehamwood and World War Wrestling in the East of England, working across Suffolk, Essex and Kent. Forming The Rebellion, a successful tag team with Jack Toreno, the pair have held titles across multiple companies over the past five years. Making up The Rebellion stable is someone all RevPro fans are familiar with in the 'The Villainess', Skye Smitson, making the trio one intimidating act. However, Taylor has been training with Mike Bird at Catch 22 Pro Wrestling as he looks to breakout as a singles wrestler as well as continuing the fine work The Rebellion have been doing. 

Stylistically, Taylor James is a strong all rounder - he's north of six feet and got a strong frame but also lean enough to challenge in the cruiserweight division. He is as comfortable slowing down a match with mat work to tire an opponent as he is utilising his agility and speed between and atop the ropes. The height he reaches with his Springboard Forearm is impressive for a man of his size, the snap which he hits with both his Back Elbow and Helluva Kick is enough to floor any man and that Fidget Spinner is glorious whilst the Pop-Up Powebomb is devastating.

Curious to see more? YouTube has a wide range of Taylor James matches including his singles contest with Michael Oku from Ignite from July 2023 and The Rebellion Vs CPF from UKPW from February 2024 RECOMMENDED whilst Taylor's RevPro debut is available on RevPro On Demand.

This weekend is not just RevPro Sunday but a full RevPro Weekend! Oh, Revolution Pro Wrestling, how I've missed you these past three weeks since Live In London 88. With the seventh annual British J Cup on Saturday, from Stevenage's Gordon Craig Theatre, and then the Sunday journey up the M1 to the Sheffield Network, we are in for a mammoth weekend of Pro Wrestling At Its Best. And with Lio Rush, Dante Martin, Robbie Eagles and Barbaro Cavernario all returning to RevPro for the J Cup, it will be a star studded affair. 

We also have one new face in RevPro this weekend in the form of 1 Called Manders, a man myself and my Cromulent friend George had the pleasure of meeting and chatting to for This Is A Revolution, your weekly RevPro Podcast, this week which dropped last night. What an absolute gent and all round top man he is and it was a pleasure to shoot the shit with him. For now, though, we offer our formal hand of friendship to Manders and welcome him into the RevPro family and, for fans who have never seen the man work, here is what you are expecting.

1 Called Manders, 'The Boss Of The Plains', is seven years into a wrestling journey that has taken him all over the world from Davenport, Iowa, where he trained at Seth Rollins' Black & Brave wrestling school, ticking off promotions afar afield as Germany's wXw, Japan's DDT and Denmark's Bodyslam Pro Wrestling in 2024 alone. He is a regular across the U.S. indie scene, making frequent appearances in GCW, Wrestling Revolver and House Of Glory, to name a few, and is one of the hardest working workers on the scene, knocking up over 100 matches per year in each of the past two years and on course to make it three for three. Making appearances in MLW, the NWA and Ring Of Honor in 2024, also, it is safe to say Manders is EVERYWHERE. A member of the The Second Gear Crew, Manders is a former MLW World Tag Team Champion and a PWR Tag Team Champion, a former H20 Heavyweight Champion and the current ACTION Champion, in his first reign.

Stylistically, he is a throwback; an old school brawler who adopts a methodical pace, deliberate in his movement in the ring and economical with his energy, so that when he hits he hits HARD and with full force. He has been chosen to face Luke Jacobs and Josh James this weekend in a very clear test for both men in their journeys. Newly crowned Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion Luke Jacobs has made no bones in the past about writing his wrongs; these were the motivations behind him wanting a Round Two, and now Round Three, with Tomohiro Ishii, it's why he called RKJ out for last year's J Cup and it's why he came back for Michael Oku after he fell short at the 229 last Autumn. Manders defeated Jacobs in March of this year, in the wXw 16 Carat Gold tournament, and Jacobs will be keen to even the score and prove that he is locked in now he has that championship around his waist. Manders, of course, knows that one more win over Luke Jacobs changes everything, as it would certainly have to result in an Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship match going into a very busy RevPro Autumn.

After Jacobs wrestles Manders on Saturday in Stevenage, it will be Josh James who takes on Manders in Sheffield. The former Contender is big game hunting in 2024, having taken on the likes of Gabe Kidd, Oskar Leube and 'Goldenboy' Santos and graduating to RevPro's full-time roster. He will undoubtedly be relishing the challenge of facing one of the toughest, hardest-hitting big men in the world of independent wrestling as he looks to elevate himself up the card and put himself into a position to challenge for Luke Jacobs and his Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship.

Luke and Josh will embrace Manders' approach and you can guarantee neither of the men will back down from the fight the 'Cornbelt Cowboy' will bring. They will want to avoid taking too many of his powerful Overhand Chops but you can imagine both will back themselves to have the chops (pun unintended but happily kept in) to give as well as they receive. Jacobs will have the speed advantage on Manders and James will have the size advantage on him but having these advantages and making them count are two different things. The Steiner-esque corner Bulldog and Running Powerslam are two moves Manders likes to lean on which they'll need to avoid but these matches might just come down to who can hit the hardest Lariat to take the other down and keep them down. Proper hoss fights, both of these.

Curious to see more? YouTube has an array of 1 Called Manders matches with his Bull Rope Match with Mad Dog Connelly for Saint Louis Anarchy's Maximus X-9 from July of this year, Manders Vs Zilla Fatu for GCW in June and his H20 Championship defence against GG Everson from June of last year all RECOMMENDED.

It is J Cup season, baby! One of my favourite events in the RevPro calendar and such a treat of an event to see a one night tournament with such high stakes and prestige. If it's your first ever J Cup and you are new to the promotion, or if you've been there for the whole ride, this is a quick breakdown of the history of the tournament and what you can expect from one of the premier events of the RevPro calendar.

The Format

Four singles matches fought in the first half of the show with each winner qualifying for the main event, a four way elimination match. 

The Stakes

The winner wins the British J Cup, a trophy of gargantuan size and significance, as well as a shot at the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship, currently held by 'Ruthless' Will Kaven.

Location

Next weekend's J Cup will be the 7th following annual events in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Prior to the pandemic it bounced from venue to venue, from Walthamstow to Manchester to Bethnal Green but since 2021 it has found a home in Stevenage's Gordon Craig Theatre.

2017

The first J Cup was won by Jushin Thunder Liger who defeated Josh Bodom to qualify for the main event where he defeated KUSHIDA, Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll. Tiger Mask, Kyle O'Reilly and Ryusuke Taguchi were all eliminated in the opening matches. 

The event also featured Tomohiro Ishii Vs Matt Riddle.

Jushin Thunder Liger failed to dethrone Josh Bodom when he challenged for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship at Summer Sizzler 2017.

2018

The second J Cup was won by El Phantasmo who defeated Bandido in the opening round and Jushin Thunder Liger in the semi final to qualify for the main event where he defeated KUSHIDA, Rich Swann and Rocky Romero. This tournament was a huge 16 man tournament at Manchester's Bowlers Exhibition Centre, fought over two days. David Starr, Sho and Yoh were all eliminated in the semi finals whereas Flamita, Ryusuke Taguchi, Kyle Fletcher, Dean Allmark, Chris Ridgeway, Kip Sabian and Tiger Mask, were all eliminated in the opening matches. 

The event also featured Aussie Open Vs MexaBlood and Ringkampf Vs LAX.

El Phantasmo failed to dethrone David Starr when he challenged for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship at the Cockpit for Live In London 35.

2019

The third J Cup was won by Michael Oku who defeated Rocky Romero to qualify for the main event where he defeated PAC, Robbie Eagles and El Phantasmo. Barbaro Cavernario, Senza Volto and Amazing Red were all eliminated in the opening matches. 

The event also featured the unification of Southside's SWE Tag Team Championships and the Undisputed British Tag Team Championships when Rampage Brown and Great-O-Khan defeated Mao and Speedball Mike Bailey.

Michael Oku was successful in dethroning El Phantasmo when he challenged for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship at High Stakes 2020.

2021

The fourth J Cup was won by Speedball Mike Bailey who defeated Kid Lykos to qualify for the main event where he defeated Connor Mills, Luke Jacobs and Michael Oku. Robbie X, JJ Gale and LJ Cleary were all eliminated in the opening matches. 

The event also featured United Empire's Will Ospreay and Aussie Open Vs RKJ and Sunshine Machine.

Speedball Mike Bailey failed to dethrone Michael Oku when he challenged for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship at Uprising 2021.

2022

The fifth J Cup was won by Robbie X who defeated Connor Mills to qualify for the main event where he defeated Leon Slater, Lee Hunter and Will Kaven. Luke Jacobs, Michael Oku and Li Rush were all eliminated in the opening matches. 

The event also featured Dan Moloney Vs Minoru Suzuki.

Robbie X successfully dethroned Luke Jacobs when he challenged for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship at Uprising 2022.

2023

Last year's J Cup was won by Leon Slater who defeated Will Kaven to qualify for the main event where he defeated 'Wild Boar' Mike Hitchman, Harrison Bennett and Mascara Dorada. Alex Zayne, Senza Volto and Robbie X were all eliminated in the opening matches. 

The event also featured Luke Jacobs Vs RKJ, Alex Windsor Vs Kanji for the Undisputed British Women's Championship and Michael Oku Vs Gabe Kidd for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship.

Leon Slater successfully dethroned Connor Mills when he challenged for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship at Uprising 2023.

2024

This year's J Cup features Robbie X, for the fourth consecutive year ( British J Cup record) as well as Lio Rush, Robbie Eagles, Kid Lykos and Barbaro Carnario, who all make their second J Cup appearance and Dante Martin, Cameron Khai and Kid Lykos II who join the field for the first time.

The event will also feature JJ Gale vs Zozaya and 1 Like Manders Vs Luke Jacobs.

Entrant 1

Barbaro Cavernario was the first announced participant and, with Robbie Eagles in the mix, could we see a rematch of their 2019 J Cup contest which saw the TMDK man overcome the CMLL Luchadore?

Entrant 2

Cameron Khai was the second announced participant and, with Robbie X in the mix, could we see Cameron make it 2-2 after Robbie took their first two contests, with Khai getting the better of 'The Best Junior Heavyweight In The World' in their last encounter?

Entrant 3

Lio Rush was the third announced participant and, with Robbie X in the mix, could we see their RevPro rubber match? Moreover, with Dante Martin completing the field, could we see their AEW allegiance tested?

Entrant 4

Robbie X was the fourth announced participant and, after winning in 2022, could we see the first ever two time J Cup winner?

Entrant 5

Kid Lykos was the fifth announced participant and, with two defeats in his first two singles matches, could we see the Shitwolf finally get the better of Robbie X in a RevPro ring?

Entrant 6

Robbie Eagles was the sixth announced participant and, with Robbie X in the mix, and after Zack Sabre Jr's post-match comments over an 'X' about to join TMDK, could we see Robbie Eagles and Robbie X cross paths in the opening round or in the main event?

Entrant 7

Kid Lykos II was the seventh announced participant and, with his tag team partner in the mix alongside him, could we see an all Lykos opening round contest?

Entrant 8

Dante Martin was the eighth announced participant and, with him only ever facing off against Cameron Khai and Lio Rush before, are we in line for a big first time ever contest between Dante and either Barbaro, Lykos, Lykos II or Robbie Eagles?

Dave The Mark Prediction

1st Round Matches, In Order:

Dante Martin def Kid Lykos

Lio Rush def Barbaro Cavernario

Cameron Khai def Lykos II

Robbie Eagles def Robbie X

British J Cup 4-Way Elimination Final:

Lio Rush vs Robbie Eagles vs Dante Martin vs Cameron Khai 

British J Cup 2024 Winner:

Lio Rush

Saturday 19th October 2024 is a significant date in the Revolution Pro Wrestling calendar as we see a return of Global Wars UK, a staple of pre-pandemic RevPro which we have not seen since 2018 and, whether coincidentally or by design, since the first NJPW Royal Quest. However, with the announcement that Royal Quest will make up a bumper weekend for British wrestling, going down on Sunday 20th October, it feels like the right time to formally introduce Global Wars UK to fans who have never experienced one.

The first Global Wars dates back to 2015 and the start of the growth in RevPro's working relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Having booked New Japan talents before, this was the first time that RevPro had imported such a high number of Japanese talents, initially for their Uprising 2015 show and then, when another promotion's event scheduled for the day after fell through, Uprising was extended to include Global Wars the day after. The event is infamous in pro wrestling history as it was the show that Kazuchika Okada wrestled Will Ospreay which led to Ospreay joining New Japan Pro Wrestling and CHAOS under Okada's mentorship.

For the next two years, the event was repeated and expanded to a two show weekend under the Global Wars UK banner, with Uprising moving to slightly later in the year. The events were run between York Hall and Walthamstow Assembly Hall and featured critically acclaimed action including three matches awarded 4.5* or higher from Dave Meltzer, including Tomohiro Ishii Vs Keith Lee, Chris Hero Vs Ishii and Zack Sabre Jr Vs Will Ospreay. We also saw two championship changes across the two years, with Katsuroi Shibata winning the British Heavyweight Championship at Global Wars 2016 and Ryan Smile winning the British Cruiserweight Championship at Global Wars 2017. The event returned for the final time in 2018, at Brixton Recreation Centre, where Tomohiro Ishii defeated Minoru Suzuki for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship in an epic main event.

In 2019, though, and again in 2022 and 2023 New Japan Royal Quest seemed to take the place of Global Wars. All three events were organised and promoted by RevPro and featured wrestlers synonymous with RevPro. The first Royal Quest saw the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship defended by Zack Sabre Jr and won by Hiroshi Tanahashi whilst Aussie Open challenged for the IWGP Tag Team Championships after winning a qualifying tournament wrestled exclusively on RevPro shows.

The second Royal Quest featured a variety of RevPro talent including Gabe Kidd and Dan Moloney who, whilst are now NJPW regulars, were not at the time, as well as Alex Windsor, Young Guns, Michael Oku, Zak Knight, Robbie X and RKJ as well as Zack Sabre Jr, Will Ospreay and Aussie Open who are as synonymous with RevPro as they are New Japan. There were no RevPro belts defended though, nor were there at Royal Quest IV, which featured Michael Oku, Robbie X, Trent Seven, Luke Jacobs, Leon Slater and Cameron Khai. At the post-pandemic Royal Quests, it certainly felt like the RevPro role in Royal Quest was greater in number but lesser in profile.

We can see, therefore, why many came to the conclusion that a Royal Quest and a Global Wars UK would be unlikely to run concurrently, however, a lot has changed from 2018 to 2024 and, with the growth of Royal Quest and RevPro's development of positive, mutually beneficial relationships with companies the world over, this year is the year we are ready to see both events show how well they can work side by side and individually for the companies at their helm. Many people will get tickets for both shows, such is the dedication of British wrestling fans, and for many they will attend the show most local to them. However, for some, they will have to choose, so let's explore what you can expect from each show.

First of all both will feature RevPro and New Japan talents. Whilst RevPro has confirmed CMLL and Stardom involvement through Mascara Dorada, Titan and Mina Shirakawa (who is of course the Undisputed British Women's Champion), there is no reason to suggest that Royal Quest will not also feature these talents due to the working relationship between New Japan, CMLL and Stardom. The same outstanding talent, meaningful championship matches, world class collaboration and a guarenteed night of professional wrestling in each show can make it difficult to choose but, let's get this right, this is no shilling or attempts to discourage attendance at either show. However, I had to make a choice, and I'm sure many others will.

My little lad celebrates his 8th birthday on 19th October and, unless I am absent for his whole birthday weekend which would go down like a lead balloon, I had to make the choice between Global Wars and Royal Quest. The logical choice is Royal Quest - it's half the distance and not actually on my son's birthday - but I chose Global Wars. How come? Well, for me it came down to which product I'm most invested in and which show will give me the best pro wrestling and I had to go with RevPro.

Royal Quest will be marvellous; I really enjoyed RQII and RQIII which I attended live and FTR Vs Aussie Open and Ospreay Vs ZSJ are two of the best matches I've ever seen from ringside. However, they are New Japan shows which follow a very consistent format of multi-man undercard matches which adds wrinkles to long term feuds and then one or two matches with high stakes. We know already we have the IWGP Tag Team Championships on the line in what I imagine will be the semi main event, with Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii challenging TMDK's Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste. The main event will be Zack Sabre Jr Vs SANADA and, if ZSJ is successful in dethroning Tetsuyo Naito at King Of Pro Wrestling, then we will likely see the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship defended in that contest. From there I would expect the undercard to be made up of six and eight-man tag matches between United Empire, CHAOS, Bullet Club, House Of Torture, TMDK, Just Five Guys and Los Ingobernables De Japon with possibly one other high profile singles match. You will likely get to see a who's who of New Japan Pro Wrestling somewhere on the card; with as many as 40 wrestlers working the show. However, you will likely only see two or three matches with stakes and one or two matches which will hit the heights I've come to expect from my live shows.

Meanwhile the night before, with Global Wars, we will see a RevPro show, with a RevPro format and with Andy Quildan behind every decision. Where RevPro talents will be peppered into the Royal Quest undercard, they will be the focus of Global Wars in matches framed as 'RevPro VERSUS the world', combining international dream matches and matches which will be built towards through the developments revealed at upcoming RevPro shows in Stevenage, Sheffield, London and Southampton over the coming month. The Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship will be defended in the main event in the third part of the Luke Jacobs and Tomohiro Ishii saga, which made a star of Jacobs this time last year, and served as a coming out party for the now Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. Mina Shirakawa is confirmed and so it is safe to assume we will get an Undisputed British Women's Championship match and with Mascara Dorada and Titan on the card, we have a very strong chance we see one of them challenge for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship. Seven matches have been booked, we are told, each of which will feature names from around the wrestling world and wrestlers whom I am fully invested in through RevPro. 

It's a no brainer for me. I wish I had the luxury of doing both and hope you do too. If you don't, I hope this introduction to Global Wars helps you consider what is most important to you. Royal Quest will give you the chance to see a Who's Who of New Japan Pro Wrestling. Watch any of their Road To Destruction shows or check out a card on Cagematch, that's likely what you'll get. RevPro will deliver you a card more like that at the Copper Box for RevPro XII Anniversary. Horses for courses and each to their own. Most importantly, here's to a great weekend of professional wrestling whether you are in Doncaster, Crystal Palace, both or at home watching via RevPro On Demand; enjoy! Mark Out.

This Sunday is RevPro Sunday and I'm excited for my fourth return to Southampton of the year as it is always a banging card and a great atmosphere. In fact two of the three previous trips made my '24 in 2024: Top 10 RevPro Shows Of 2024 So Far' list which can be found on the lists thread of the website. You might have to scroll down though as, well, you know, content never sleeps and neither does Dave The Mark (I'm lying, I'm in bed by half nine whenever I can be haha!) I'll have a full preview of Pro Wrestling At Its Best tomorrow but for now we need to make a couple of Introductions as we have a Revolution Pro Wrestling debutant at The 1865 in Eric Dillinger and a returning Jay Joshua after his debut for RevPro in London last month.

Joshua has been chosen as the most stylistically similar opponent to Tomohiro Ishii the UK has to offer to face JJ Gale as he gears up for the Copper Box. Meanwhile Will Kaven will have to face Dillinger prior to his chance at the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship in the Six Man Scramble Match at RevPro XII Anniversary. I do love any chance to see talent for the first time and, to give myself a headstart, I always make a point of doing my research and, therefore, here I am today, sharing with you my lovelies, the ladies, gentlemen and Marks of the Revolution, the fruits of my labour. Welcome to the Revolution Eric and welcome back Jay!

Jay Joshua is someone who has wrestled all over the UK before he came to RevPro last month when he faced Ricky Knight Jr in the 229. The 28 year old Welshman was the ATTACK! Champion until as recently as a fortnight ago before Eddie Dennis became a three time champion. Seven years into his career, Joshua has wrestled across the UK and has begun venturing into Europe this year, making his debut in both Austria and Germany for Pro Wrestling Österreich and wXw respectively.

Stylistically, he has undoubtedly been chosen to give JJ Gale the experience of an opponent as close to Ishii as possible. He is a man of similar stature, though Joshua has the height advantage on Ishii but will still come in to the match giving up height to JJ. Like Ishii, Jay Joshua is THICK and that is where the comparison in booking has been made. 'The Shooter' can take it as well as give it when it comes to strikes but something he also has is speed and athleticism that is not normally associated with a man with his frame. 

With a low centre of gravity but a heavy and strong base, Jay Joshua is someone who has the athletic speed and technique to grapple with the best but has the power to really cause damage. JJ Gale will need to use his own speed and his reversal game to avoid the suplexes of Jay Joshua and his devastating deadlifts. Like Tomohiro Ishii, Jay Joshua likes to use a German Suplex and can use his low base to get a slow lift and sudden drop. The Gotch Style Piledriver is enough to finish most men off and, if needed, Jay Joshua will look to utilise the Muscle Buster to finish the job. JJ Gale and Jay Joshua will be stylistically contrasting and this test will really highlight how well Gale has prepared for Ishii this past month as he will need to utilise the same defensive skills for this match as he will at the Copper Box, utilising a stick and move striking approach and looking for maximum impact on all of his own offence to get the win here. 

Curious to see more? RevPro On Demand has the full match between Jay Joshua and RKJ from Live In London 87 and YouTube has many fantastic contests to sink your teeth into, with the matches against Connor Mills and Drilla Moloney for ATTACK! both recommended.

Eric Dillinger is someone who is not only new to Revolution Pro Wrestling but also new to British professional wrestling having only made his UK debut earlier this year. The Indiana native is the current AWR Heavyweight Champion in his home state and has a reputation for being an unhinged and violent competitor, competing in CZW's Tournament of Death in 2023 and winning the ICW Insane 8 tournament in 2022. 

Dillinger may be most well known for hardcore matches and deathmatch wrestling, and he most certainly has the resilience and sadism to suit that style of professional wrestling, but he also has speed, athleticism and the skill to win traditional pro wrestling matches. He has a natural charisma when he feels supported but, when his back is against the wall, has a fuck-the-world mentality. Given how much heat Will Kaven gets every time he steps out in The 1865, often for simply coming from Portsmouth in a rivalry I really didn't understand until I started making the journey south, it makes it almost certain that the crowd will favour Dillinger. He might just need to leave some of his favourite weaponry at home and keep the spare chairs below the ring.

Kaven will need to stay away from Dillinger's Superkicks, which are sudden, and will need to work the counters to avoid his brutal Package Piledriver. Dillinger's finest weapons come in the form of his Blue Thunder Bomb which, if hit, will take all of the wind out of Will Kaven's sails and his Frog Splash which can reach a height comparative to that of our very own Michael Oku. If he hits that then Kaven will go into the Copper Box on the back of a defeat, that is for sure.

Curious to see more? YouTube has full matches I can recommend against Aaron Stone for RPW, against Anakin Murphy for NWP and against Masada for XPW.

Sunday 28th June 2024 sees the return to Revolution Pro Wrestling of Donovan Dijak for the first time in just over seven years. First appearing for RevPro in 2016, Dijak made a number of appearances over the next 12 months, notably in a trio of matches with Josh Bodom and a pair of matches with Dave Mastiff.  Everyone has been able to see the work that Dijak has done on the global scale with WWE over the last seven years but today I point you towards the five matches of Dijak's on RevPro On Demand which are well worth checking out to introduce yourself to the Dijak who dominated independent wrestling prior to him signing with NXT. Let this serve as perfect preparation for the more studious of Marks out there before Dijak faces Michael Oku, the current king of independent wrestling and the face of Revolution Pro Wrestling, at the HMV Empire in Coventry in just 10 days time. So, grab a coffee, Feast Your Eyes and Mark Out.

Donovan Dijak Vs Josh Bodom II

Epic Encounter

16th April 2016

This was a the second of a trio of matches Dijak and Bodom had and continued where the first left off in terms of urgency and disdain towards one another. A chaotic brawl around ringside evolves into Dijak fighting from underneath until Bdoom pushes his luck too far, spitting in Dijak's face before eating a Clothesline-Backbreaker for his audacity. The final five minutes are full of suspense and twists and turns, with Bodom using the ropes to escape a pin by his fingertips which was a particulalry memorable moment. An Epic Encounter worthy of the name. 

Donovan Dijak Vs Josh Bodom III

Live At The Cockpit 16

7th May 2017

And it seems that, when Dijak and Bodom were in the same ring, they never wasted any time at all - another storming start and another brawl but this time Dijak was the dominant one and Bodom was looking for any way to escape the inevitable, which after two previous defeats, left Dijak in pile position to capture his first win over a man he formed a great rivalry with.

Donovan Dijak Vs Dave Mastiff I

Live In Portsmouth 8

28th May 2017

Big Lads Wrestling! A very different type of match, in a more family friendly venue, with a pissed off and grumpy Dave Mastiff and an amused and "happy to be here" Dijak... Until the action (eventually) intensifies. It's a different side to Dijak to one we are used to and shows his range as a performer really well. This is by no means a the fully story - it's part one of a two legged affair which sets up the second leg with a tonne of drama. The finish and Dave Mastiff's reaction means that a rematch was inevitable. And that rematch was a proper heated fight!

Donovan Dijak Vs Eddie Dennis

Live At The Cockpit 17

4th June 2017

Tall Lads Fighting! This one is my favourite of the five Dijak scraps on RevPro On Demand and believe me, they are ALL scraps! The two have awesome chemistry and delivered a fantastic, athletic and engaging hoss fight. The Chokeslam to the apron, the Springboard Chokeslam, the absolute welly that went into each and every strike... Cracking stuff.

Donovan Dijak Vs Dave Mastiff II

Live At The Cockpit 18

2nd July 2017

And then we have the most recent and final appearance Donovan Dijak for Revolution Pro Wrestling which was Part 2 of Dijak Vs Mastiff and what many would call the best match of this list. The first match the two had set this up perfectly - Dijak was so happy to play to the crowd and bounce off Mastiff and then they wrestled a fun, family friendly match, which heated up at the end before Mastiff lost his cool and lashed out after the bell. This match, therefore, was heated and had that history to play upon. Dijak rushed the ring and WENT for Mastiff. The two had the proper hoss fight you'd want from them with a final five minutes which was full of twists, turns and surprises, including a visit from one Keith Lee. Amazing stuff and just a shame we never got Part 3 which this felt like it was setting up. Never say never, eh?

July 28th, we welcome Donovan Dijak back to RevPro; I cannot wait to be there to witness it live and to Feast My Eyes on a guaranteed barnstormer of a contest.

This Sunday is RevPro Sunday and I'm gassed to be returning to St Neots, my local RevPro show, for the second time this year. I'll have a full preview of Pro Wrestling At Its Best over the weekend but for now we need to make a couple of Introductions as we have two Revolution Pro Wrestling debutants at the Priory Centre. Squaring off with Ricky Knight Jr is high flying Canadian globetrotter Vaughn Vertigo and facing off from Alex Windsor is Irish powerhouse Anita Vaughan. I love getting the chance to see talent for the first time and, to give myself a headstart, I always make a point of doing my research and therefore, here I am today, sharing with you my lovelies, the ladies, gentlemen and Marks of the Revolution, the fruits of my labour. Welcome to the Revolution Vaughn and Vaughan!

When I called Vaughn Vertigo a globetrotter, that is no cliche; the fella has already represented over a dozen promotions in 2024 alone, across North America and Europe. He is a current BW Three Pistols Champion in his native Canada and an A1 Tag Team Champion with Gabriel Fuerza as one half of Fight Or Flight, championships previously held by the likes of Super Smash Bros, The North and Cody Rhodes and Ethan Page. That gives us an indication of the pedigree of Vertigo.

Stylistically, he's a high flyer who uses his body as a weapon and has a range of impressive, snappy offence including a killer running knee strike, a brutal Ushigoroshi, a heavy rolling elbow strike and the beautifully violent Vaughnton Bomb, a Swanton to a kneeling opponent. He and Ricky will be stylistically contrasting, which always makes for interesting contests, but are also similarly flashy, confident showmen. Ricky will bring the offense but Vaughn has a strong defensive game which brings promise. The 'V Guy' will have the crowd flashing their V signs and, with the music of Bret Hart and the look of Johnny TV, Vertigo is a proper throwback wrestler to a bygone era. 

Curious to see more? YouTube has full matches I can recommend against Michael Oku from SMASH Wrestling, Alex Shelley from Demand Lucha and Bryan Keith for TTW.

Anita Vaughan is one half of The Gals with Debbie Kietel, someone we know well in RevPro, and she brings something very different in her size and style. A loud, brash and ballsy Dubliner, Vaughan has spent much of 2024 working promotions such as WXW in Germany, BODYSLAM! in Denmark and Pro Wrestling Eve in London. She may well be making her debut for RevPro in the hardest of circumstances, though, as she faces Alex Windsor, the former Undisputed British Women's Championship who has been a dominant force in RevPro for a number of years with her only singles defeats coming against Jinny, Dani Luna and Rhio. However, now might be a good time to face Windsor after back to back defeats for the first time in her RevPro career.

Vaughan will have the size and power advantage over Windsor, if she can utilise her strength and not get over awed by the occasion as Windsor has a strong base and will be difficult to bully, which is a common offensive strategy for AV. She is an aggressive meat and potatoes wrestler - a striker, a grappler, a hard hitter with no bells and whistles. And believe me, that is a compliment; a proper powerhouse. She's a tough, strong and physical woman who will be  prepared to play dirty if the spoils justify the war. Windsor will need to be on her guard from Anita's BIG Fallaway Slam, her Fisherman Falcon Arrow and her Swinging Side Slam finisher which, if she connects, will bring her the win. 

Curious to see more? YouTube has full matches I can recommend against Rhio for Rebel County Wrestling, Morgana for Titanic Wrestling and Violet Nyte for Wrestle Force.

Fantastica Mania UK 2024 is just ten days away and with the cards starting to take shape, it is time to get hyped for the wealth of talent on display. If you, like me, are dipping your toe into the world of CMLL for the first time, then here's a quick run through who will be stepping through the curtain of York Hall to face the best of Revolution Pro Wrestling. s RevPro and CMLL being us two shows of Pro Wrestling At Its Best in one day. Bienvenido a la revolución mis amigos.

This Saturday is a very special and very different RevPro Sunday as, for the first time in five years, RevPro heads outside of the U.K. to bring Pro Wrestling At Its Best to its global audience. It was New York then and it is Barcelona now and it is with Lucha Libre Barcelona that RevPro brings Live In Spain to the Spanish crowd and to RevPro On Demand with a stacked seven match card. The full preview will drop tomorrow but now seems the perfect time, on a beautiful sunny English afternoon, to introduce the RevPro faithful to the stars of LLB who will go toe to toe with RevPro's finest.

Zozaya 

The first of the three matches on this card to feature Spanish talent we have not seen in a RevPro ring sees our current British Heavyweight Champion Michael Oku, a former LLB Absolute Champion, in action against a former LLB Absolute Championship challenger in Zozaya. Zozaya fell short against current Absolute Champion Javier Vives at LLB's Batalla Navidena in December of last year in what was his most high profile match in LLB to date as a singles wrestler and will be looking to impress matchmakers against the British Heavyweight Champion. Like Michael Oku, though, Zozaya's origins with the company began with tag team success, as a two time tag team champion with Next Level from 2020 to 2022. Having spent much of 2024 thus far working in the U.K., Zozaya will bring a style to the match very similar to that of his opponent as, stylistically, Oku and the 'Olympic Wrestler' are very similar. Zozaya comes in with a slight height advantage and a slight size advantage in his upper body but with a few years less experience. Two well travelled underdogs who are used to fighting from underneath, this one should have a very interesting dynamic as Oku, beloved here in the U.K., faces a man beloved in his native Spain. A true babyface hero for the Barcelona crowd to embrace. Oku will need to be on guard against Zozaya's fast feet and will want to avoid being on the mat for too long. Zozaya's endurance and resilience are similar to that of Oku's and so this one could go longer than Iker Navarro Vs Luke Jacobs, which has a very different dynamic. Oku will need to avoid the impact of the Rolling Death Valley Driver and will need to avoid the power Zozaya can craft with his Gut Wrench Suplex barrage that has worn previous opponents into defeat. Really looking forward to this one - a show stealer in the marking for sure.

Iker Navarro

As previously alluded to, we will also see a very different match from Oku Vs Zozaya when Iker Navarro faces Luke Jacobs. This will be very tasty indeed. If Zozaya and Oku will be looking to out-strategise, out-manouvre and out-wit one another, Navarro and Jacobs will be looking to out-fight, out-last and out-strike one another. A Lucha Libre Barcelona regular, Navarro positions himself as the best in Spain, the standard by which all other Spanish pro wrestlers are measured. A fascinating contest, therefore, as Luke Jacobs has a similar view of himself in the U.K. and a view shared by the RevPro faithful. Navarro is 'El Cazador', The Hunter, and he wrestles accordingly. His approach is simple, focused and successful - nothing flashy, he takes no unnecessary risks, strikes strong and grinds his opponents down. Sound familiar? It is no coincidence he has been paired with North West Strong. He claims to be "unstoppable" and vows to make his opponents suffer - and with his array of strikes including a violent headbutt and his technical work focused around a deep Boston Crab, Luke Jacobs will need to be at his best to avoid suffering on Saturday. Navarro has high profile victories over Connor Mills and JJ Gale over the past twelve months and 'The Hunter' will be looking to add another elite U.K. wrestler's head to his mantelpiece when RevPro debuts in Spain.

'Goldenboy' Santos

This one is extra tasty as not only do we have a man described as the most underrated wrestler on the continent in 'Goldenboy' Santos, we also have him facing his career rival in Oskar Leube. Santos, the reigning National Absolute Champion for Portugal's Wrestlefest, is the Goldenboy of his native Portugal though it was in Germany that he encountered Oskar Leube, moving country to Germany to train under WALTER in the wXw Academy where he held the wXw Academy Trophy Championship, before eventually losing it to Oskar. Santos is also a former Lucha Libre Barcelona Absolute Champion, where he defeated Maria de la Rosa for the title, another name familiar to RevPro fans from her match with Dani Luna in Birmingham last year. This will be a Strongstyle bout pitting two of Europe's biggest and strongest against one another. Oskar stands in at 6'7", Santos at 6'4". Both are proper heavyweights, fluctuating between 240 and 255 lbs. Expect, in Santos' words, "big meaty men, slapping meat" as the two go strike for strike. Where Santos may have the advantage is if he can get Oskar down on the mat as, whilst Leube is no slouch with submissions, and his Boston Crab can force anyone to tap, the speed at which the 'Goldenboy' transitions from one submission to another is impressive and he has a wealth of holds to suit whatever strategy he chooses against Oskar. Oskar, though, has two career wins over Santos and it will be fascinating to see how far the two have come in the two years since they last met. Santos will be looking to impress, naming Luke Jacobs and RKJ as his dream opponents when interviewed by Corey Brennan for Fightful, and victory over Oskar would certainly open the eyes of RevPro management. As for Oskar, he picked up his first singles win in RevPro this past Sunday and will be looking to go two for two on Saturday in Barcelona. An epic encounter this one, for sure.

Barcelona Blacklist

Finally we come to Barcelona Blacklist who take on the Undisputed British Tag Team Champions, the Grizzled Young Veterans, in a first time ever contest, marking the first time GYV have teamed together in Spain in their illustrious careers. Barcelona Blacklist, the team made up of Joey Torres and Sito Sanchez, are a decorated and popular team; they are former LLB Tag Team Champions and the current RCW Tag Team Champions, boasting high profile victories in the past 12 months over a wealth of Spanish teams. They have also gone to battle with a range of teams familiar to the RevPro audience in Sunshine Machine, CPF and Lykos Gym since the pair began teaming in 2022 and will come into this one with confidence and youthful exuberance. The pair will need to be at their absolute best against GYV, though, as they give up a lot of size to Gibson and Drake. They bring speed, high flying offence and great teamwork to the offering and will need all of that when facing one of the best tag teams in the world. And, if they can isolate one of GYV and utilise their quick tags and double teams, they have a chance of an upset. They will certainly have the home town advantage as huge fan favourites; Joey Torres especially, for whom chants can always be heard as a noble babyface punching up. Sito Sanchez brings the biggest threat to GYV - isolating Torres has been a successful strategy other teams have operated against Barcelona Blacklist - and keeping both men fresh will be vital to this one. The Barcelona lads come with a great reputation and have been championed by many in RevPro who have worked with them as two of the best in Europe so this should be a great encounter.

If you can't be in Barcelona live for this one, the show will be shared via RevPro On Demand as always - we await news on whether that will be via livestream or replay On Demand shortly after the show airs. Fingers crossed for the former as this feels like the perfect Saturday night in for those of us who can't make the trip. Barcelona and the fans of Lucha Libre Barcelona get ready, Pro Wrestling At Its Best is on its way.