If you go into the woods today, you're sure to find a surprise. And by "woods", I mean the RevPro archives that are RevPro On Demand. And by "surprise", I mean banger match. Here, yours truly, Dave The Mark, scours the archives to save you getting lost and brings to your attention the matches you might have missed since Pro Wrestling At Its Best began in 2012.

Some matches have the heavy burden of expectation before the wrestlers even step foot in the ring and that often comes from fan anticipation, delayed gratification and from promoters edging fans with a series of 'almosts' on the way to the pay off. The fact that this match went down without any specific build (other than years of shared history and a tie-in to the Oku Vs Jacobs storyline) plus the fact that it happened in the 229 and not York Hall/York Hall-adjacent told me two things; we are truly spoilt with talent in 2024 in British professional wrestling and our time with Michael Oku in Revolution Pro Wrestling has an uncertainty to it; or at least that is the narrative at play IF it is just workers working and Marks like me eating up every breadcrumb they drop at our feet. Either way, last Sunday we were treated to a match I've been clamouring for since the first time I watched Ethan Allen wrestle, as Allen faced Michael Oku at Live In London 90. Why did I Mark Out so much for one? Let's explore.

First, let's give that history lesson. It is, after all, the only use I get of my degree in Social & Cultural History these days...

Young Guns and Destination Everywhere were entangled in conflict in 2021 - they faced within the A Block of the Great British Tag League before going at it once more for the Undisputed British Tag Team Championships in two twenty plus minute wars, with Oku and Mills coming out the victor each time. Simultaneously, Allen's tag partner and fellow Young Gun, Luke Jacobs, chased Oku's Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship, with Allen by his side, capturing it at Summer Sizzler 2022 at the second attempt.

Whilst injury kept Allen out of action for all of 2022 and 2023, he was constantly referred to on commentary and Jacobs was always introduced as "one half of the Young Guns" during his meteoric singles run with the Cruiserweight belt and then in the heavyweight division. And when Jacobs and Oku were put on a collision course with Jacobs winning the Revolution Rumble earlier this year, it was Allen who was with Jacobs celebrating.

It was then that Allen made his return, bringing Oku and Allen back within one another's orbit. Their first physical interaction came in Sheffield in June during the Revolution Tag main event where Allen pinned and eliminated Oku, the then Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. The facts are what they are but the additional context comes from Luke Jacobs who had battered Oku to an inch of his life prior, presenting him to Allen as Jacobs had been eliminated already himself.

Oku was to get his own back in Southampton when Oku and Zozaya defeated Young Guns, with Oku having the last laugh prior to RevPro XII Anniversary, though Jacobs left the Copper Box with the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship and Ethan Allen left with the biggest win of his singles career, over Connor Mills, as Young Guns bookended the biggest show of RevPro's year.

At Global Wars last month, Oku defeated RKJ to put himself back on course to the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship and to set up a date with Jacobs in December at Uprising and, thus, this match, now, made perfect sense, even if there is argument to say it could have been built to as a major stop for Oku on his road to Uprising.

And so, to the match itself.  The first thing I LOVED was the urgency in which Ethan Allen came to the ring and the intense stare down he and Michael Oku had from the moment Oku and Amira stepped down into the 229. The stare down continued around the ring, onto the apron and throughout Oku's "Now We Play" call and response. Oku stepped to Ethan to close the distance between them and showed no sign of intimidation. If this was your first ever RevPro show, and you knew none of this story, you already knew that business had just picked up.

As the bell rang, Oku took the centre of the ring, a confident move, even if his face didn't have the confidence his feet did. Allen took the early advantage, backing Oku to the corner before Oku was the first to take his opponent to the ground. It was a tense start, added to by Amira and Allen exchanging insults.

The match rolled to the outside within these opening minutes and Ethan launched Oku, first onto the apron, and then the ring post, seemingly breaking Oku's nose in the process. As the action returned to the ring, the extent of the injury could be seen as blood gushed from Oku's face to the mat and Allen, like a shark smelling blood, launched himself onto Oku. Sickeningly, as Allen kicked Oku in the back the blood could be seen flying off in all directions. The injury may have been an added bonus to Allen's game plan but he took every advantage and it added to the image of viciousness, sadism and mercilessness that Allen epitomises. The punches to the head, the headlock which bordered on a Bulldog Choke looked vile and the blood that covered Allen's looked gnarly.

Allen is an outstanding trash talker and him seeming aggrieved at Oku's injury and the fact that Oku was not able to deliver his hardest shots back worked brilliantly to deliver the idea of how much this match meant to Allen and how much he wanted to prove himself against the best. Allen berating Oku with his own "Now We Play" taunt, intended to lift Oku and bring the fight out of him, juxtaposed beautifully against the hot crowd's hearty Michael Oku chants. Similarly, Allen was heard telling Amira to throw in the towel, knowing that telling her to would put her off doing it, ensuring Allen would get what he wanted - HIS match with Oku. All this led to a comeback from Oku and, just as Allen drew it out of him, Allen slapped the fight back out of him. 

As Oku's next comeback was drawn out of him, Allen looked to close the deal and end the match, seemingly having had his fill and having enjoyed playing with his food, ready to feast and pick up the biggest win of his career. First the Sleeper Hold, then the Olympic Slam and then the Crossface. None got the job done. With Oku slumped in the corner, Allen showed his emotional side and his first sign of frustration with a visceral, guteral and disgusting punch to the ribs. After Amira and Allen exchanged words, Amira spat in Allen's face and Allen rained down shots to Oku's head. I cannot put over how uncomfortable this was to watch but in the most beautifully violent way.

As Oscar Harding pulled Ethan away from the corner, having exhausted his five count, Oku delivered a Hail Mary kick to the back of Allen's surgically repaired knee and the comeback was on with a series of drop kicks but, as the comeback gained momentum, the beautifully timed and sudden catch from Allen of Oku into a Sleeper Hold was one of the most elegantly, technical transitions I have seen in a RevPro ring this year. This fed into the finish, with Oku and Allen working against one another's holds as Oku fished for the legs for the Half Crab and Allen sought the arms to pull back into his horrific looking finisher - what are we calling it; a Mounted Double Armed Chickenwing? Someone help me out there, eh? Oku came out on top, pulling Allen into the Half Crab, surviving Oku Vs Allen Part I with a submission win in what was one of the most intense matches of the year. 

This was truly special and represented everything I love about wrestling. Pure piss and vinegar, technically masterful, genuinely intense and something you could completely lose yourself in. 

Part II please.

The British J-Cup 2024 was my favourite of the seven installments of the series and my standout match was Kid Lykos Vs Kid Lykos II which is the focus of this RECOMMENDED grap. Why did I adore it? Let's explore!

First, the context; this was Lykos and Lykos II's first ever RevPro singles match against one another and their 8th and 9th respective singles bouts in the promotion having predominantly been used in the tag division. Neither man had seen a RevPro singles match since February 2023 when Lykos challenged then Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion Robbie X in the 229 at the start of the month and Kid Lykos II faced Francesco Akira in The Mill in Birmingham three weeks later. This partner versus partner match, or "Teacher versus Pupil" as Andy Quildan labelled in on commentary, comes not out of a failure to coexist as partners or via tag team dissension but through the luck of the draw in the opening round of the British J-Cup tournament which gave a unique opportunity to tell the story in all manner of ways. With Robbie X vs Dante Martin on the card, it would be difficult to run an "anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better" high flying, cruiserweight match. Then you have Cameron Khai Vs Robbie Eagles where Robbie Eagles would undoubtedly play gatekeeper to Khai to test out the hot new guy on the scene. So what do the Lyki do? Let's watch.

First, I like how Lykos II takes the centre of the ring - he is taking a match with his mentor as serious business. He catches Lykos in an early pinfall, which takes everyone by surprise amidst the early chain wrestling exchanges. They are met by a silent crowd, a little fatigued from the outpouring of love for Lio Rush prior to them and a common occurrence for some matches in the Gordon Craig Theatre with a very diverse crowd in terms of levels of investment in the promotion.

Whilst Lykos II is taking it incredibly seriously, Lykos is not given it his all, saving some energy for the main event perhaps, as he patronises Lykos II with some little headpats in early exchanges. Lykos enjoys the technical mat work and teasing his mate and does not take every chance he has to inflict strikes. That is replicatesd as Lykos II finds himself with the chance to attack Lykos from behind when Lykos is distracted by the fan support for Lykos II but waits for his partner to turn and face him. Lykos then tries to get into Lykos II's head when the pair call for the Brainbuster only for Lykos to call a Backslide instead and grabs a near fall.

As the match comes off the mat and between the ropes, Lykos II takes the momentum and there is a slight speed advantage Vs mat advantage established; Lykos shows he's ALMOST as quick, Lykos II shows he's almost as accomplished in submission wrestling and that there are very fine margins between them.

Notice all of the small details; the way Lykos II crosses his legs when he rolls Lykos up on the Oklohoma Roll, the way Lykos traps Lykos II's arm between the trifector of Lykos' ribs, his thigh and his right forearm, freeing up his left arm to deliver strikes (or headpats in this case) and how Lykos II transitions the Octopus Stretch into a Head Scissor Takedown with both of Lykos' arms extended and tied behind him. It's masterfully technical but it's also fast paced and is the benefit of two wrestlers who know each other and have the full trust of one another, both in storyline and reality, to be able to execute these transitions at high pace.

As we enter the 12th minute we get a flurry of near falls which felt like legitimate climaxes but not through the spamming of finishers, or the occasionally contrived roll-up spam, but through an exchange of technical wrestling pinfalls. Lykos follows it up with a Superkick to the boos of the crowd, who have got louder and louder as the match goes on and as the two draw the crowd into their work. This is extenuated with Lykos choking Lykos II in the corner before a Meteora which brings another close fall. The crowd are heating up. A familiar voice bellows "You can't beat him" which leads to a chant at Lykos and is supported by a big Lykos II kick out from a Brainbuster, the only finisher hit in the match, before Lykos II escapes a Package Piledriver into a super tight trapped pinfall and wins the match.

Post match Lykos looks conflicted about his partner but it is played well, not too heavily leaned into, but enough for the crowd to feel the tension. Then the Shitwolves embrace and we, the crowd, rejoice.

A sleeper hit, this, which I adored every second of and encourage everyone to find fifteen minutes for. The match is on RevPro On Demand, of course, and your subscription will set you back £7.40 a month with all shows livestreamed and uploaded in HD normally within 48 hours.

It has to be done.

We are T minus 4 days from the British J Cup, one of my favourite nights of the entire wrestling calendar. For me this will be my third annual J Cup and I will be taking my excited little Mini-Mark, Phoebe, with me to accompany myself and my Cromulent Friend, George, from our This Is A Revolution podcast. Phoebe and I will hope to see another wonderful event after seeing Robbie X and Leon Slater bring the J Cup home the past two years and this year's card promises SO much. If this is going to be your first J Cup, though, I wanted to RECOMMEND one J Cup for some research and past viewing to give you a real flavour of what is to come. 

So, where do we begin? With all past J Cups available on RevPro On Demand, we are somewhat spoilt for choice. The first is often the best. The second was the biggest in terms of format. The third was possibly the most star-studded. The fourth was the first to feature so many stalwarts of 2024 RevPro. The fifth had the most shocks, twists and turns. However it is the sixth I want to go back to, last year's J Cup in fact, for this week's RECOMMENDED event, so grab a drink and have a read. If it's too late for coffee, treat yourself to a beer or a vino, sit back, relax and Mark Out.

The first half of the show saw our four J Cup opening round matches and began with Leon Slater and Will Kaven, a very well chosen opener. Leon was the favourite coming into the show and was the fans favourite to win, with Robbie X another popular figure in Stevenage having one the year prior. Robbie overcame Kaven last on that night so for him to open and to face 2023's favourite was clever booking as the man who played spoiler for so much of 2022 threatened to do it once more and disrupt proceedings. The near 15 minute opener had the drama needed to threaten an upset but Leon overcame the 'Ruthless' one and secured his place in the final. 

The second and third encounters saw 'Wild Boar' Mike Hitchman overcome the debuting Alex Zayne and Harrison Bennett overcame the returning Senza Volto. This is exactly what you can expect on Saturday and is typical of a J Cup - returning global talents and debuting stars as RevPro is THE destination in European pro wrestling and very, very rarely do we see an overseas talents appear and not be clamouring to return when the stars are all aligned. There is a lot of love for Revolution Pro Wrestling in the wider wrestling landscape.

Boar beating Zayne set up nicely the unpredictability of the main event as the 'Cruiserweight Monster' was a very realistic outside bet for the tournament, having featured heavily across 2024 including Fantastica Mania UK and Copper Box. Bennet going over Senza Volto was a surprise result, for me, and showed the unpredictability of the J Cup which has always been prominent in the booking; remember both Michael Oku and Luke Jacobs were eliminated in the opening round the yeah prior.

That brought us to Robbie X Vs Mascara Dorada which was a match which had "international dream match" written all over it, a phrase that was synonymous with RevPro in it's infancy, and another huge draw to the J Cup, for me personally. It wasn't meant to be for Robbie in 2023 like it had been in 2022 and it was Dorada who would go to the final, meaning Leon Slater had all of the support from the crowd and the Gordon Craig was 100% united behind him.

The final saw Mascara Dorada eliminate Harrison Bennett, 'Wild Boar' Mike Hitchman eliminated Mascara Dorada and then Leon Slater eliminated Hitchman for the win and to send the crowd home happy. A really fun and entertaining J Cup with the right winner and an unpredictable path to get there.

What makes this event my favourite of all J Cups is what we were given to run alongside the tournament and supplement the second half of the show. Alex Windsor just had enough to see off Kanji upon Nottingham's finest's return to RevPro from a lengthy lay off in an Undisputed British Women's Championship clash. This was my Undisputed Women's Championship match of the year.

We also had one of THE matches of the year period when RKJ and Luke Jacobs went for round two of what will, health allowing, become an incredible series of matches over the years to come. Round one was my first ever RevPro show, High Stakes 2022, and was an RKJ victory and Jacobs levelled the score at the J Cup in the match of the night.

The semi-main saw Michael Oku defend his Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship against Gabe Kidd following the incredible spectacle that was their draw in Birmingham in February 2023. This was hard-hitting, dramatic and worthy of any main event slot on any RevPro card - and wasn't even the main event as the J Cup tournament is always the main focus of the event.

A great event which will give you a flavour for what is to come this Saturday. The J Cup this year promises to be even bigger, bolder and better than this RECOMMENDED J Cup and, with Luke Jacobs Vs 1 Called Manders and JJ Gale Vs Zozaya, we have matches with potential to deliver as high as the second half of last year's event. What a night to be a RevPro fan, what a night to be in the Gordon Craig Theatre and, with Live In Sheffield on Sunday, what a weekend of Pro Wrestling At Its Best.

October going to be your first time going to a Global Wars UK? Me too! Saturday 19th October, Doncaster Dome - a 200 mile, four hour round trip on my son's birthday? I'll be honest, I'd not be doing it if I wasn't 100% certain that it has 'show of the year' potential. Look back at Global Wars of past. Look at the field for the J Cup. Look at the Copper Box card. Look at the Summer Sizzler card. RevPro is on another level in 2024. So, yep, I've rearranged little Ike's birthday celebrations to the day after (no Royal Quest for me) and he'll be enjoying some time with the wife and mother-in-law whilst I sneak up north for Pro Wrestling At Its Best. 

And to get myself well and truly up for the event I've revisited the Global Wars of old, available on RevPro On Demand, to pick out the quintessential Global Wars UK to write up for RECOMMENDED. The first Global Wars, in 2015, had Okada Vs Ospreay which is essential watching for any RevPro fan. 2016 was the crowning of Katsuyori Shibata as Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion and his first title defence, against none other than Chris Hero. 2018, the most recent Global Wars, opened with KUSHIDA Vs Kurtis Chapman and closed with Suzuki Vs Ishii for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship in a 25 minute war between two men at the peak of their aura. But it's 2017 that I'm going to champion tonight, so grab a drink and have a read. If it's too late for coffee, treat yourself to a beer or a vino, why not, it's Hump Day.

Global Wars UK 2017 was split over two shows, as was the case in 2016 and 2015 (kind of). The first event was held in York Hall with the second in Walthamstow Assembly Hall. The sense of occasion was made clear in the opening match with a change in champion as the late Ryan Smile became Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion, defeating champion Josh Bodom and BUSHI in a three way sprint and the highlight of the undercard came with Tetsuyo Naito defeating Marty Scurll in the coveted fourth spot.

The second half of the show was main evented by one of the best tag team main events in RevPro history as Suzuki Gun and CHAOS went to war with Hirooki Goto (please, please bring him back this year, Andy) and Will Ospreay facing Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki, which served as a perfect 'whet the appetite' contest for the main event the following night, similar to how Michael Oku and Zozaya Vs Young Guns was the perfect go-home show match for the Copper Box this year.

However, Global Wars Night 1 was not designed to set up Global Wars Night 2 and Night 2 was never designed to be the destination show - both events were designed to be that and both delivered on it. As, prior to Suzuki Gun Vs CHAOS, we got the colossal dream match, the infamous contest between Tomohiro Ishii and Keith Lee. For those interested (I always am, I love stats!)... 4.5* from Meltzer and a 9.05 Cagematch rating from 150 votes. This is one of the most critically acclaimed and popular matches in RevPro history prior. If you haven't seen it and don't have time for the whole show, find time for this match. It's one of the best matches you will ever see condensed into 15 minutes.

The Walthamstow show's first half's standout match was Ishii once again, this time going head to head with Dave Mastiff, but it was the second half which had the real highlights. Ryan Smile and El Desperado fought over the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship before a tag match which epitomises the unique matches that Global Wars has always brought as, for the only time in their respective careers, Tetsuyo Naito and Keith Lee faced, with BUSHI alongside Naito and Yuji Nagata alongside Lee. Two wrestlers whom many will have never contemplated what a match between them would like but you know it would be entertaining as all hell and once that seed is planted it's hard not to ponder.

The semi-main saw Minoru Suzuki and Matt Riddle wrestle the first of only two singles matches in their careers before the main event of Will Ospreay Vs Zack Sabre Jr contested ZSJ's Undisputed British Heavyweight Championshipip. Their first singles match in RevPro was the year before, with Zack defeating Will in the Cockpit. This was round two before their 2020 rubber match. So much was said last year about Will Ospreay's run of matches with Shingo Takagi prior to the RevPro XI show but these matches have to be talked about with the same acclaim and superlatives. Between their RevPro and NJPW matches, they have received 34.5 stars across seven matches - that has to be one of the most critically acclaimed rivalries ever, surely? A feud spanning six years, across G1s, in New Japan Cups and over the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship. This match started that run. 

Do yourself a favour and go watch it if you've never seen it. 

It's special.

On Sunday 1st September 2024, Millie Mckenzie and Kanji faced off in a RevPro ring for the first time ever. It had been four a half years since Millie had been in a RevPro ring after a short stint in early 2020 before the world shut down. As for Kanji, she is enjoying her most prolific year in RevPro, having put a bad run of luck with injuries behind her, with 18 of her 26 RevPro appearances occuring in the past 12 months. In that time I have made no secret of how big a Kanji fan I am. It was, however, this match with Millie Mckenzie that I can safely say was my favourite Kanji match of that entire run, so let me break down why this one comes RECOMMENDED.

An intense lock up starts us off, with Millie Mckenzie forcing Kanji into the corner, pushing her forearm into her face but giving her a clean break. Competitive and aggressive mutual respect is established within seconds. Kanji wins the second duel, forcing Mckenzie's arms to her side in the corner, with Millie giving Kanji a wry smile. 

Millie draws Kanji in to a Greco-Roman Knuckle Lock where we see Millie's educated feet for the first time, pushing Kanji's hand away and catching her in a headlock which might be the tightest, snug headlock I have ever seen. Locked in like a vice-like grip, Kanji tried everything to escape it, only for Millie to pull her hair straight back into the hold. An escape, a shoulder tackle, a couple of covers and two arm drags gets Millie back where she wants to be, in control of Kanji but, instead of going for another hold, she attempts a swinging neck breaker that is reversed and leads to an exchange of momentum as Kanji hits a forearm, a takedown and a kick to the back of the head.

Kanji goes after Millie's legs and with some well timed and precise kicks and Kanji's strategy is made very clear. She goes straight into gnarly looking leglocks. What I love here is how frantically Millie lashes out at Kanji, swinging fists at any part of her she can reach to make her relinquish the hold. Kanji looks to hit a suplex and the struggle between the two is really something to behold; Millie gives herself a low, wide base, making herself as heavy as possible. Kanji goes for the second attempt and Millie stamps on her foot then nails that Swinging Neckbreaker she looked for earlier on. Five minutes in and the first "move" of the match is hit with momentum-shifting impact. 

Upon Kanji's kickout, Mckenzie eyes widen as she sees her opening and she grabs a Sleeper, transitions into a Camel Clutch and then transitions into a Side Headlock; everything targets the head and neck and everything is cranked, whipped and stretched to the optimum. Kicks to the side of the head and forearms to the back of the head follow as Millie Mckenzie looks to keep Kanji down whilst she regains her own breath and stretches out the knee Kanji exploited early on.

Cravat, Reverse Chinlock and Bulldog Choke follow. A slight comeback from Kanji as she sneaks some strikes in after forcing the Bulldog Choke to the corner and Millie snaps that original Sleeper back on, putting all her weight down on Kanji's back and shoulders. A rollover and the Bulldog Choke is back on. Hammer and Anvil Elbows, a cover with wrist control and, as Kanji kicks out, that wrist control allows Millie to pull her straight back into the Sleeper. Masterful submission work.

An innovative escape from Kanji sees her roll through so that she is standing above Millie Mclenzie and the Kanji-Sabre-Jr Neck Twist followed up by a huge kick and clothesline to the upper back/neck and Kanji has enough time to breathe and get her strength back as Millie is grounded. Nine minutes in and this technical masterclass takes breath and a shift in gears is felt around the room. They can't keep this up at this intensity for much longer before one succumbs to a flash pin or submission.

Kanji returns to the legs, Millie returns to the head and neck. Kanji gets Millie down on her back and hits a pair of Leg Snaps and ties Millie up in a a Figure Four, applying pressure from the side to the knee and simultaneously striking Millie with any chance she gets as Mckenzie attempts any kind of strike to force the break. Kanji Alligator Rolls her between pinfall attempts and snapping back into the Figure Four hold from which Millie remains locked. This is limb work as good as any you've ever seen and it's a genuine struggle on a whole 'nother level.

12 minutes in and Millie escapes before hitting a Suplex, the second "move" of the match and the first of Millie's signature suplex collection. A Vertical Drop Back Suplex and a Cutter bring both women to the mat once more and now we have a slug fest with some of the hardest hitting forearms seen in the women's division in all my time at RevPro. Repeated elbows to the back of the head have Kanji rocked before a Superkick as Millie returns from the ropes stops her dead in her tracks.

Three huge German Suplexes demonstrate why Millie is the Suplex Machine and, but for a mistake allowing Kanji too much distance in the corner, the finish could have been nigh there but Kanji evaded and hit a Tiger Feint Kick. An Ankle Lock, an escape and the most impactful DDT I have ever seen which looked like it snapped Millie in half ends the contest 1-2-3.

Two Arm Drags, five Suplexes, a Swinging Neckbreaker, a Tiger Feint Kick and a DDT for a finisher. 17 and a half minutes. A classic pro wrestling match devoid of so much of the high speed, high octane offence we are used to. No dramatic near falls, no "sequences" or "spots". A true struggle between two highly dangerous competitors who can end a match in an instant, both of whom had a game plan for offence from the beginning. If you, like me, believe Bret Hart and Bryan Danielson to be the two best wrestlers of their respective generations, watch this and rejoice.

Saturday August 24th is the biggest night of Luke Jacobs and Michael Oku's career. They will contest the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the biggest show of the year in European wrestling. Last year RevPro welcomed 4,000 fans into the Copper Box Arena for their 11th Anniversary show, a show headlined by Will Ospreay and Shingo Takagi, two of the biggest names in professional wrestling and two men who have a history of critically acclaimed, Meltzer-approved, 5* matches. On that night Michael Oku successfully defended his Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship for the first time, against Trent Seven, and Luke Jacobs put his name on the map with a stellar and much-talked-about epic with Tomohiro Ishii.

In the 12 months since, both men have been on incredible journeys, Oku building up a record 14 successful defences against a who's who of top level pro wrestlers across the world, with the likes of Will Ospreay, Gabe Kidd, Zack Gibson, Ultimo Guerrero, Titan and Anthony Ogogo. Meanwhile Jacobs has been on a killer run proving himself to be the standard of British professional wrestling against the likes of Ricky Knight Jr, Shigehiro Irie, Royce Isaacs, Robbie X and JJ Gale, as well as 29 other men in the 2024 Revolution Rumble. 

Yesterday, I shared a Deep Dive into the contrasting RevPro careers of both men and today and tomorrow we continue that focus, by exploring the five times that Oku and Jacobs have been in direct competition in a RevPro ring, three times in singles action and twice with Destination Everywhere and Young Guns respectively. Today we will explore the two tag matches before diving into the three match singles saga tomorrow. All five matches are incredible watches and come RECOMMENDED by yours truly here at davethemark.com so, grab a coffee, have a read and Mark Out. Then, fire up RevPro On Demand and give these five gems some love.

Destination Everywhere Vs Young Guns

Live At The Cockpit 52

01-08-2021

The first time Michael Oku and Luke Jacobs ever stepped into the same ring in Revolution Pro Wrestling was August 1st 2021, at the 229, as part of the Great British Tag League. Two weeks after making their debut, Young Guns - Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen - faced Oku and his Destination Everywhere partner Connor Mills with three important points in the Tag League on their line after each team lost their tournament opener. 

The comparisons between Oku and Jacobs, and between the two teams, have always been evident, from this very first contest. Young Guns are proper piss-and-vinegar wrestlers - gritty, with a single-minded focus and without ego. They work seemlessly together, focusing upon quick changeovers, double-team offence, power and a smothering intensity. I have watched the match back multiple times and I cannot recall one flashy move from either man and that is a compliment as their offence is so simple, fervent and immersive that it requires no bells and whistles.

Destination Everywhere, on the other hand, always carried themselves more as two charismatic showmen who's own personal accolades, at least in the case of Michael Oku, seem to overshadow the success of the team. Note the matching gear for Jacobs and Allen and the almost-matching gear of Destination Everywhere - the all black trunks and trim, except Oku has his own red half crab. They do, however, draw the crowd emotionally into their matches so, so well, with the dynamics between Oku and Mills always on a knife edge but with fans fully invested in them - just look at the response when Mills gets the pin, an enormous and spontaneous standing ovation. 

Stylistically, Destination Everywhere focus upon their own individual sequential offence. In this first encounter, the win comes the one time Oku and Mills really hit a high impact double team, though even then it is two separate moves which demonstrate their individual athleticism hit in sequence rather than a traditional double team. With Ethan Allen grounded, Mills lifts Jacobs into a Burning Hammer position, Oku hits the biggest of Frog Splashes OVER Mills and Jacobs onto Allen and then Mills hits the Burning Hammer directly on to Allen, taking out both Young Guns in one move. It's a hot finish - Oku looks INCREDIBLE with that dive and Mills looks like a freak athlete AND gets the pin. 

Such a great introduction to Jacobs and Oku, to Young Guns and Destination Everywhere, and a match well worth 20 minutes of your time.

Undisputed British Tag Team Championships 

Destination Everywhere Vs Young Guns

Live At NOT The Cockpit 53

05-09-2021

In a rematch of their first encounter, Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen found themselves challenging for Michael Oku and Connor Mills' Undisputed British Tag Team Championships just one month later after a change to the card following COVID protocols, as was the norm at the time. Young Guns finished the Great British Tag League with 3 points and Destination Everywhere won the A Block with 6 points, going on to defeat The Legion's Lucian Philips and Screwface Ahmed in the final, winning both the Tag League and the vacant Undisputed British Tag Team Championships. 

Oku and Mills had won the Tag League, defeated Shaun Jackson and Kenneth Halfpenny, Two Extremely Athletic Men, and defended their belts successfully against Lykos Gym between the two Young Guns matches. Meanwhile, Jacobs and Allen had defeated the Number One Contenders at the time, Lykos Gym, which led to them getting the second shot at the belts, had been battle tested by Aussie Open and defeated The Legion's Chris Ridgeway and Mark Haskins. The tag division was really, really hot in 2021 and the incredible booking made sense of a complex situation, with Destination Everywhere facing Lykos Gym first, after the Shitwolves beat them in the Tag League, then Young Guns, who themselves had beaten Lykos Gym in the Tag League, and then Aussie Open who had beaten Young Guns at the 9th Anniversary Show. Dovetailed booking at its best.

The first thing that strikes me is a phrase that lives in my head - the RevPro mantra of "Win Or Learn" - and everything about the start to this match screams that very phrase. Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen took the fight to Destination Everywhere last time out, this time they do the same but before the bell has even rung. They take the fight outside the ring immediately, they take out Mills, slamming a door across his arm. This allows them to work on Oku as the perceived weaker link in the team - a clearly different strategy from before. Perhaps, in hindsight, they chose to isolate the wrong man, but the strategy was certainly targeted.

Both Ethan and Luke work with an increased aggression, dictating the pace and being very deliberate and economical with their offence and the assertion of their own energy reserves. All of their offence is targeted - Mills' arm and Oku's back, a clear progression from their first encounter. Both Jacobs and Allen ragdoll Oku around with ease, treating him like a Crash Test Dummy. The resilience, high risk and a will to survive from Oku, though, is unlike any other - the moonsault from the top rope and the struggle with Ethan that follows is the epitome of this. This is proper professional wrestling, in every possible way; Attack Vs Defence, Power Vs Fire, Guts Vs Balls.

As I always say, I view rivalries as sagas rather than individual matches and this chapter, Chapter 2 of the Young Guns Vs Destination Everywhere rivalry, shows a more cerebral and violent side to Young Guns and an increased desperation in Destination Everywhere. Jacobs and Allen just can't put Oku or Mills away - something which very poignantly leads into this year's Copper Box Arena main event and potentially a big showdown between Connor Mills and Ethan Allen further down the card, hopefully, for me, in the semi-main slot.

The closing stretch of dual Frog Splashes followed by dual Arched Back Half Crabs is visually poetic. The sheer exhaustion at the final bell is earned and captivating; Oku survives Jacobs again as we end the second chapter of Young Guns Vs Destination Everywhere, ready to open the Oku Vs Jacobs singles saga. 

Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship

Michael Oku (c) Vs Luke Jacobs 

Live In Southampton 16

13-02-2022

In November of 2021, with Ethan Allen facing the first of several major injuries which kept him sidelined until just a few short months ago, Luke Jacobs found himself entering singles competition for the first time in his RevPro tenure. The then 20 year old started off with back to back defeats to Robbie X and Speedball Mike Bailey before stringing a number of wins together against JJ Gale, Francesco Akira, Kid Lykos and Brendan White, leading to his 'Fight For The Future' contest with RKJ at High Stakes '22, the same night Michael Oku was defeated in the main event by Will Ospreay with the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship on the line.

With both Jacobs and Oku coming away with defeats that night but impressing the wrestling world with their performances, the two were booked to square off for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship in Southampton two weeks later. After defeating Callum Newman in the 229 at the start of February and the week after High Stakes, Oku said of his Championship, "I want to defend against the toughest, I want to defend against people I respect; I don't want it to be easy" and at that juncture, announced Oku Vs Jacobs in the 1865.

Firstly, I love how this match main evented the card despite Will Ospreay being on the card. A signal of intent from Andy Quildan and evidence of the trust that has been in these two men for so long now that they would become what they now are, the standard bearers of RevPro. The intensity in the stare down as Francesca Oliver introduces the pair creates such an aura and atmosphere and I love how Jacobs only break his stare to take sight of the prize on offer. 

My first note comes with how Jacobs dishes all of the early offence but gives Oku more respect than we can expect Jacobs to give him at the Copper Box - occupying the centre of the ring and letting Oku rise to his feet rather than smothering him with offence. As the match develops further, Jacobs becomes more and more intense, more and more aggressive and more and more confident that he will beat Oku.

Oku's offence, when he can get it in, reveals Luke Jacobs' wariness of the Half Crab; every time Oku goes anywhere near his leg, Jacobs desperately seeks a reversal or escape - Jacobs knows Oku can beat him with that hold but also thinks it is Oku's only way of keeping him down. Jacobs, therefore, seeks victory through a war of attrition, wearing Oku down strike by strike, suplex by suplex, powerbomb by powerbomb. 

A major turning point in the match, a moment that Jacobs would be wise to repeat and learn from, comes as Jacobs hits Oku with a Tombstone Piledriver onto the apron. There is a moment of hesitation from Jacobs where he could roll Oku away from the ropes and get a sure and certain three count pinfall. However, the moment of hesitation sees Oku roll away from the ring, off the apron and to the floor. Jacobs is not the same man he is today as he was then - he is in better shape, has a bigger engine and a deeper tank; the hesitation came from exhaustion on Jacobs' part but you have to believe that, at the Copper Box, he won't hesitate.

The second major turning point comes when Jacobs has Oku barely able to stand after locking in an ankle drop, a cross face and after he has hit him with two huge powerbombs that lead to Oku barely being able to stand. Jacobs soaks in the atmosphere here - he goads Oku and, you have to believe, that a ground and pound would have forced Oscar Harding to stop the match, like he had done when Will Ospreay did the same to Oku months prior in their first contest in the same venue. Jacobs went for the big move instead and no one has a better array of reversals than Oku. And it was a series of reversals and a pair of Frog Splashes that got Oku over the line. There are lessons here for Jacobs to learn from ahead of August 24th.

Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship

Michael Oku (c) Vs Luke Jacobs 

Summer Sizzler

23-07-2022

Between Jacobs Vs Oku I and Jacobs Vs Oku II we had two major moments. The first came in St Neots when Luke Jacobs and Gabe Kidd defeated Destination Everywhere, including Luke Jacobs surviving the Arched Back Half Crab - one of a VERY short list of people to ever do so. Jacobs then won a four way encounter with Connor Mills, Robbie X and JJ Gale in Southampton making him the Number One Contender to the championship and leading to this contest - in Manchester where Luke Jacobs promised Oku that he would never lose. And so we have a very different encounter in Chapter 2 of the singles saga - a hot, hot crowd, fully behind Luke Jacobs, with Michael Oku not only the underdog in size, but fighting against a familiar foe in very unfamiliar circumstances.

An early note in the encounter is how the crowd seems to focus Oku and he starts the match far better than he did in Southampton. He fights a cleverer game, a more cautious game and one which is more measured, leaning into the boos and jeers of the crowd. However, his failure to hit the Frog Splash,  which give him victory in Southampton, was completely of his own accord - taken in too much by Jacobs' hometown crowd, allowing him to lose track of the time it took to hit one of his signature moves.

I love the use of the apron Tombstone Piledriver but, again, there is a lesson for Jacobs to learn here - this time he doesn't let Oku roll out the ring but Jacobs sees the finish line and celebrates before crossing it - he plays to the crowd, he goes for the glory shot with a Moonsault, which leads to a cover but the time between the Tombstone and the Moonsault was too long. The Moonsault led to a less than perfect cover by the manner of where he landed and, instead, you feel Jacobs would have had him beaten if he had either gone immediately for a tight cover or locking in the Ankle Lock or Boston Crab whilst Oku was in the centre of the ring. If at the Copper Box he has the chance to hit the Tombstone on the apron, he has to take advantage and, if he does, we will have a new Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion.

Another significant moment comes shortly after, when Oscar Harding is floored from some inadvertent contact and Oku has the chance to win the match by using his title belt to take out Jacobs. Oku hesitates - if he has the chance in a month's time, will he hesitate again? Oku then takes the chance to ground and pound Jacobs when Jacobs didn't take the same chance in Southampton after inadvertently busting the Young Gun open with the belt. This is as close to a heel Michael Oku we have seen in RevPro and it may be the side of himself he has to lean into to survive Jacobs at the Copper Box. For he did not survive him in Manchester; Hypersonic Missile, Standing Lariat, Blue Moon, 1-2-3. The precedent has been set, the formula for Luke to beat Oku has been set; smother him with offence and don't let him breathe between.

Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship

Michael Oku (c) Vs Luke Jacobs

Live In London 79

05-11-2023

My first note with this match, watching it back and watching it directly after the first two chapters of Jacobs Vs Oku's singles saga is the maturity in Luke Jacobs on display. In Southampton he rushed out of the blocks and caught Oku but in Manchester be tried the same and was himself caught, in Oku's first attempt at the Half Crab of the match. Here in London in 2023, it is Jacobs who is measured, patient and composed. He also takes less time to get his covers in and gives Oku less time to recover between moves and strikes. Jacobs appears a more dangerous prospect when he is wrestles in control of his emptions, which is exactly how he appears here.

In comparison, Oku by 2023 has a greater wealth of experience, many of which from times when he was written off in a match, in a feud or simply in a moment where he survived and overcame. Those experiences are what create winners. Great football teams do not panic when they are chasing the game, they don't panic when their opponent is dominating possession or when there are only minutes remaining - they trust they have everything the need to create a moment and capitalise. And why do they have this belief? Because they have done it time and time and time again. That's what makes serial winners special and Michael Oku is a serial winner and his approach to this match is evidence of that. 

Across these three matches you can also see the evolution of both men's offence - both have more deliberate and focused work targeted to their own strengths. Jacobs targets the torso of his opponent to take their wind away and reduce their ability to kick out, to stand back up and to move between the ropes with any velocity. Oku targets the legs better in the last six to twelve months than he ever did before - here we see the PK to the back of the knee, the Basement Dropkick, repeated strikes to the leg. We see it in Oku's game more than ever and it means his chances of winning with the first or second attempt at the Half Crab increases significantly.

You can feel the energy in the crowd as this match hits the final third and the atmosphere is the most electric I've ever experienced at a wrestling show outside of Oku Vs Ospreay III, at High Stakes, which had a crowd 5-10 times the number. You can feel fans shifting closer and closer to the edge of their seats. The incredible intensity of the strikes, the Hypersonic Missile, the running diving headbutt which, whilst Oku avoided, caught him on the follow through and busted him immediately open, covering both Oku and Jacobs after Oku catches Jacobs in an Inside Cradle roll up. Jacobs stands tall and Oku can't stand at all; Oku survived Jacobs in Chapter 3 but Chapter 4 is about to begin and, Jesus Christ, watching these five matches and these three singles contests has me READY.

August 24th cannot come soon enough.

One privilege of following RevPro around the country and being a completionist historian of RevPro On Demand so publicly is that I get asked from fans for match recommendations - it is where This Week In RevPro History came from and inspired the RECOMMENDED page on davethemark.com. One match I find myself always promoting and pointing people to, especially young trainee wrestlers who have been in contact, is a match which most might not remember from last year and is one you would not immediately be drawn to from Cagematch. Adam Cole Vs Prince Devitt? AJ Styles Vs Will Ospreay? Keith Lee Vs Tomohiro Ishii? Of course these are go-to matches On Demand for fans. But one match I always go back to for the art of professional wrestling, for the details and for their use of time, is Sha Samuels Vs Will Kaven from the Portsmouth Guildhall last year as it is the match that made me fall in love with Sha Samuels and Will Kaven. 

First off, the context - Sha returned to RevPro after a two year absence at the Revolution Rumble 2023 and was gearing up for an Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship match at RevPro XI Anniversary at the Copper Box as part of a six man scramble. Kaven had a relatively quiet 2023 after a fairly explosive 2022 which saw wins over Michael Oku, Robbie X and Luke Jacobs, as well as a headlining slot at Seasons Beatings competing in a Two Out Of Three Falls match for the Cruiserweight strap. During 2023 Will's appearances became a little less frequent but the quality of his performances grew each time. With Sha enjoying a career renaissance as a beloved figure of RevPro and Kaven the 'Ruthless' "spoiler", we have clear good guy/bad guy dynamics but we have a complexity owing to Sha's sinister history and aggressive streak. On top of this we have some competitive rivalry between a London School of Wrestling trainer (Sha) and a Portsmouth School of Wrestling trainer (Kaven).  Lots going on for the eagle eyed and smart Marks like me, but also a really competitive, aggressive, technical contest which stands alone for those watching more casually. Now, sadly, this one is not yet on RevPro On Demand so I'm going to use it as a basis to make two other match recommendations due to my belief that these are two masters of the details of pro wrestling. Humour me, it will be worth it.

So what makes each man so worth studying? Sha is one of those wrestlers who I think makes everyone better for having the minutes in the ring with him; everyone who faces Sha comes out better from the experience. A Pro's Pro. Carefully look at the details of his work and you are rewarded. Look at the lock ups - aggressive, tight and purposeful lock ups. Then look at the facial expressions during these lock ups - they tell you which Sha has shown up - Sha the coach, ambitious Sha or pissed off Sha. On the other side, look at Kaven when he locks up - trying to win the mental advantage, full of piss and vinegar, trying to gain any advantage. It's the details that make a world of difference and these guys get that.

Look at both men's moveset. Sha has a natural born love to entertain - it's why he goes for the ShaSault or the East End Destroyer, often without success. But when we have Sha the Coach, he keeps it simple, based around fundamentals, strength and conditioning and the moveset adapts. When his blood is boiling he goes for power, strikes, flurries of offence and leaves out the flashy. Kaven on the other hand knows he is not the strongest in the ring so he compensates with a combination of speed, technique and a willingness to do what others won't. The Neckbreaker onto to the top Turnbuckle looks like it could end a career if hit right - others would not take it to that extreme but Kaven does not hesitate. The Running Knee Strike is explosive and makes use of velocity over power and the Tombstone Piledriver uses gravity and his opponents own momentum to do what others might flinch away from. Spiteful, vile but undeniably clever wrestling. 

The memories of this match, almost a year in and without the luxury of a rewatch, stem from the mat work and this is what I want people to pay attention to when Kaven and Sha wrestle. Sha will utilise something as simple as a headlock and make it the most torturous, humiliating and exhausting move. He will tighten it in, crank it, put his weight down on other body parts to add to the pressure and rejoice in having control. It's a war of the mind as much as it is the body. When in such a hold, though, Kaven won't just accept his fate and look to escape with his legs to the ropes or exhaust himself trying to lift himself out - he will scratch, claw, slap, bite... You name it, every attempt at forcing the release is there. These exchanges bring me so much joy - intense, technical grappling which you can got fully lost in. I've told this story before but the most scared my daughter Phoebe has ever been sitting beside me at ringside was when Gabe Kidd locked Michael Oku in with a headlock at the J Cup last year. "I don't like it, he's really, really hurting him" she said. "Good", I thought - her disbelief had been suspended.

Now given, Sha and Kaven is not one you can go and watch on RevPro On Demand, I have some homework for you (yes, I'm a teacher, I'm sorry, homework is my biggest passion outside of wrestling!). Go back to September 2023 and watch Sha Samuels Vs Connor Mills from Live In London 77 and then go back and watch Will Kaven Vs Zozaya from this April's Live In Sheffield.

At the 229, look at how Sha goes into the match as Sha the entertainer but adapts as the match goes on to ambitious Sha and then to pissed off Sha. Look how his offence changes as he gets angrier. Mills is someone I rave about at every opportunity - he is my favourite singles wrestler in RevPro stylistically - and he and Sha complement each other so well. Look at their exchanges on the mat - but don't just look at where you would normally look; if one has a leg lock on, look at what their doing with their arms, their own feet, their hands, their facial expressions. Look at their opponent and look for the details. Look at everything they do between moves, as their opponent hits them with a move and in the setup phases. The way Mills targets body parts is a thing of beauty and the way Sha draws sympathy and emotion from the crowd is unrivalled. I'm going to sound like an absolute shill here, but the fact that you can get weekly training from Sha Samuels for £15 a pop at the London School of Wrestling AMAZES me.

Now you've watched Sha and Mills, it's time for Kaven and Zozaya. Watch as, embarrassed from the opening exchange, and using all of the intelligence previously alluded to, Kaven draws Zozaya outside of the ring, out of his comfort zone and hits the high boot, then smothers him with offence, using his speed and aggression to gain advantage. The spiteful, violent choking on the ropes when he realises he let a crowd member distract him, followed up by a hard Back Elbow. Kaven moves with such snap and speed that all his moves have such high impact. Again, focus on every move, every movement between moves and focus on him when Zozaya is stealing the focus, about to deliver his offence - Kaven makes everything like look a struggle and nothing looks cooperative. He also is a master of giving for his opponent - he bas Michael Oku levels of body control to twist himself, throw himself and make himself appear broken. There's a tremendous babyface in there in Kaven, there really is. 

And so on this Saturday morning, knowing there is no RevPro Sunday tomorrow, I would love you to go back and watch Sha Vs Kaven but sadly that one will have to wait for another day. Therefore, until then I won't you to watch Kaven Vs Zozaya and Sha Vs Mills to see the details in the two mens wrestling that I adore. If Will or Sha are on a card and you can get yourself nice and close to the action, which is always the case in the more intimate venues of the 229 (London), the 1865 (Southampton), the Network (Sheffield), the HMV Empire (Coventry) and the Priory Centre (St Neots), take the chance, study the action and feel all the rewards of spotting the details which make these two men such essential figures in RevPro, not just as wrestlers but as trainers at the two schools of wrestling from which so many of our favourites have come.

Happy Marking Out my lovelies.

This Sunday the Young Guns return to Revolution Pro Wrestling for the first time in nigh on three years and I cannot f'n wait. To get the hype pumping, I decided to watch back some Young Guns matches from the RevPro On Demand archives to pick the one I would recommend for those who want to get a preview of what is to come this Sunday in the 229. And, it just has to be this one, doesn't it?

So the year was 2021 and a young Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen had worked three RevPro dates as part of the Great British Tag League, picking up a win over Lykos Gym and two defeats to The Dream Team (Dean Allmark and Robbie X) and Destination Everywhere respectively. They then found themselves booked for the RevPro IX Anniversary show in Manchester to face Aussie Open. The show featured Gisele Shaw and Mariah May, contesting over the Undisputed British Women's Championship, Michael Oku and Robbie X for the Cruiserweight belt and Destination Everywhere winning the Great British Tag League. The joint main event saw Will Ospreay and Doug Williams for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship and RKJ and Shota Umino for the British Heavyweight Championship, a month prior to the unification of their two belts. A stacked card, for sure. However, the stand out match was this one, between two young local lads at the start of their RevPro journey and a pair of Australians who had made a name for themselves as one of the best tag teams in the world. The match to this day has the highest Cagematch rating from that event - the highest rating of Ethan Allen's career - and rightfully so; it is pure class. So, without further adieu, let's explore why this comes RECOMMENDED.

This one is a bit of me from the second the bell rings as Luke Jacobs and Mark Davis lock up HARD and with intensity. A pair of tight-grip side headlocks, hard shoulder charges and unprotected palm strikes set the tone - this is going to be hard hitting, high paced and aggressive AF. Kyle Fletcher and Ethan Allen pick up where Dunkzilla and Jacobs leave off and then all four come into the ring for the first time and everything SLAPS, every strike lands and every move is hit with fire, piss and vinegar. 

The story of the match is revealed at this early stage and it is the classic 'veteran team tests young team'. It is pitched as a homecoming for Aussie Open, as it is the first time they appeared post-pandemic lockdown, having been RevPro regulars across the three years 2017-19 where they fought up the card to eventually become the dominant team in the tag division and Undisputed British Tag Team Champions. For Young Guns, it was their first RevPro show in Manchester, their home city, and the crowd is split between the two and both teams are determined to show out. 

There are so many highlights in this match which I could purr over but rather than them be spots, combination moves and sequences, they are hard hitting strikes, moments of tag team psychology and unbelievable senses of character. These men, all four of them, live and breathe pro wrestling and do not need to embrace a character to perform; they are as authentic a group as you'll find. And that carries across the camera so well - you can feel the emotion Ethan and Luke fight from underneath with and you can feel the disdain and scorn that Fletcher and Davis emote with every strike and ever slam. It's a tag match I would implore every aspiring tag team to watch and study. 

It is incredible watching this back to see just how good Jacobs and Allen both were at such a young age. And don't get me wrong, that is not to sound patronising - that isn't a ruffled hair rub pat-on-the-head compliment; this match is TOP LEVEL pro wrestling on a par with the best of Aussie Open. The Young Guns have incredible chemistry as a team - they work together like two men who have been doing this for decades. Jacobs is the powerhouse but Allen brings such spite and malice to everything he does - an angry man with a chip on his shoulder and a love for scrapping. They make for an unbelievable team.

Watching Aussie Open makes me miss them dearly as a team and I hope Dunkzilla recovers fully and quickly as the world of professional wrestling is a far worse place without him. I was lucky enough to see the tail end of their RevPro run and MAN if we ever see a tag team as good as them come through the Revolution again we will be blessed. If you need to see what I'm raving about, watch this match with Young Guns and then seek out Aussie Open Vs Sunshine Machine (High Stakes '22), VeloCities (Epic Encounter '22), Destination Everywhere (RevPro X Anniversary) and FTR (Royal Quest II); unbelievable tag team matches. I would love to see them return and face Grizzled Young Vets, Subculture and Greedy Souls, those teams that have carried RevPro since they were last with us.

Whilst we might have to wait for that Aussie Open return, we do not have to wait for the return of the Young Guns; just a matter of days in fact. I hope Trew & Lacey are ready; I feel like they are about to get taken to school.

Today is [NOT] RevPro Sunday! Oh. Well that's disappinting. Feels like a good day to pick out a classic match from the archives that are RevPro On Demand, then, right? And what better man than to feature than the man who next week, May 12th 2024, returns to a RevPro ring for the first time in two and a half years; the 'Young Gun' Ethan Allen. His last match was in the 1865 in Southampton, the night of Oku Vs Ospreay I, back in October 2021 when Allen took on Kyle Fletcher as part of a long running feud between Young Guns, with Luke Jacobs, and Aussie Open. And that match is how I'm choosing to spend my Sunday morning and why it comes RECOMMENDED for you on your [NOT] RevPro Sunday.

I love the intensity of the opening stages of this one. Fletcher is by far the bigger man, as well as being the slightly older and more experienced wrestler, but Allen takes every chance in the opening exchanges to show that he is not intimidated by him at all. Andy Quildan and Stephanie Chase are on the call and they put over how Fletcher will look to draw Allen away from a dog fight and into making a mistake that the 'Aussie Arrow' can seize upon. Every strike looks like it HITS. 

I really enjoyed how Fletcher smothers Ethan Allen in offence, hitting harder and harder. The aggressive Body Slam, the Big Boot as Allen tried to reverse the Irish Whip - it's all such a struggle and Allen taking wild swings at Fletcher's legs as he lays on the mat, desperately trying to get any offence in he can, really epitomises this. When the two are toe to toe the chops the 'Young Gun' lays in are a thing of beauty, upward striking across the chest and shoulder. And the strike battles are not two bucks clashing heads, looking for dominance, it represents two men looking to defend themselves from an onslaught. The speed in which Fletcher returns fire, instinctively and wildly as opposed to measured and precise, tell the story of two men who legitimately don't like each other who want to survive the contest.

As Ethan Allen seizes the momentum after Fletcher lands awkwardly from a Brainbuster, look how he doesn't give Fletcher any time to breathe when he is in the corner, hitting head shots, not worrying about crowd reaction or hitting top speed, but just looking to sink his boot in Fletcher's face. Again and again. The same with the kicks to a kneeling Fletcher - quantity over quality, a cumulative approach, a real blitz attack. You can feel Allen's desperation to beat him and repeated cover attempts, with tight covers for that matter, show he just wants the win, no matter how it comes.

The momentum changes back with a Snap Half and Half Suplex, a running corner kick and a huge Brainbuster. And, as if to play down the impact of Ethan Allen's offence throughout, Fletcher berated him with some patronising, mocking slaps to the back of the head which is met with an ALMIGHTY strike from Allen to Fletcher that completely rocks him and the two enter a full on dog fight, exactly what Fletcher wanted to avoid. The two men are completely depleted by the end of the encounter and resort to some real physicality trying to knock the other out with one last exhaustion of effort.

17 and a half minutes bell to bell. A fantastic showcase of two young, raw, but highly accomplished pro wrestlers who make everything feel as real as it comes. Well, well, well worth a watch, especially if, like me, next Sunday will be your first Ethan Allen live singles match. Welcome back Young Gun. As for the Aussie Arrow, it was such a pleasure to see so many matches whilst he was in the UK as I did and the support continues from afar now he is the US.

Ethan Allen Vs Kyle Fletcher, Live In Southampton 14, Ethan Allen's last singles match. RECOMMENDED.

Robbie X Vs KUSHIDA

Epic Encounter (2024)

My Best Of Super Juniors 2024 has started.

Robbie X was really good.

That was KUSHIDA's Instagram post caption on Sunday after Epic Encounter 2024. How Robbie X has been overlooked AGAIN for the BOSJ baffles me to the point of infuriation at this stage but KUSHIDA recognises it. The match the pair had was incredible and anyone who reads my content regularly will at this point know the matches that get me buzzing the most and this was one of them. It is one I would implore everyone to go and watch - your monthly RevPro On Demand £7.40 expenditure is worth it for this match alone, let alone every other great match in the RevPro On Demand archives. Let me break down why I RECOMMEND this match so much.

Firstly observe the entrances; Robbie X stands in the centre of the ring during KUSHIDA's entrance and never takes his eyes off him once he gets in the ring. This is not an independent British wrestler privileged to be facing a top-name international star who has literally worked for every major promotion in the world and wrestled the best the world over. No. This is two of the best in the world going head to head and Robbie knows it. 

The two shake hands, match begins and immediately KUSHIDA tries to draw Robbie into the 'Time Splitter's gameplan; keep Robbie grounded, on the mat and at a deliberately slow pace. That's how KUSHIDA will win the match - slow Robbie down, then cut him down, limb by limb until the arm is weakened for the Hoverboard Lock. All of this is revealed in the first few minutes - the story of the match has been teased, Robbie begins the slow sell of the arm from the off and the psychology of KUSHIDA's approach is revealed.  

In these opening stages, Robbie is able to pick speed up in spells and evade some of the mat work using his unbelievable agility. Each time, KUSHIDA tries to draw him back to the mat - a styles clash which is designed to pay to one another's strengths and fits perfectly into the psychology of the fight between the two. As Robbie builds his first spell of momentum, he looks to take to the top rope to hit a high impact, high risk leap from the inside to the outside but KUSHIDA slows him down, spotting the risk, taking a seat at ringside and calling a time out. If Robbie wants him, he will have to come and get him. This is KUSHIDA's game plan and he will not let Robbie build momentum as that high speed blitz attack offence is how Robbie wins matches. As Robbie re-enters the ring, KUSHIDA smashes him with a PK style kick to the arm. He follows it up with a dropkick to the arm as Robbie uses the ropes for balance. Then a jumping-Juji Gatame and KUSHIDA has the arm weakened to hit the Hoverboard Lock when opportunity arises.

The second phase of KUSHIDA's offence begins next as he starts to work on the legs of Robbie X and adds in the psychological element, goading Robbie into a strike battle, knowing that Robbie's own strikes will take it further out of his weakened arms, and the softened legs will slow him further down. However, KUSHIDA may have underestimated Robbie's resilience and the leg strength he has in those unbelievable thighs from hours and hours of squats. This allows Robbie an opening. As Robbie's offence builds, as does the pace, whereas as KUSHIDA's offence builds, the match slows right down. 

The turning point in the match comes as Robbie looks to hit the X-Clamation - a handstand cutter - only his left arm can't hold and he collapses under his own weight. KUSHIDA hits an almighty straight punch before another PK to the arm. An evaded Hoverboard Lock turns into a pair of Roaring Ebows and Superkicks, strike for strike with each of KUSHIDA's hitting the weakened arm and each of Robbie's barely registering. And then, in a moment that will stay with me for a long time, Robbie hits the X-Clamation without using the handspring - simply somersaulting into the ropes no-handed to bounce back and hit the cutter. What. The. Actual. Fuck. The kickout comes as Robbie couldn't hit the ultimate version of his finish and due to his compromised arm slowing him down as he rolled into the cover. He goes to the top rope in desperation, maybe for the Spiral Tap, but KUSHIDA beats him to the punch, tying Robbie into a rolling avalanche Hoverboard Lock which he can only tap to.

Fifteen minutes. One single nearfall. Everything came down to the arm. A masterclass in Professional Wrestling and a match that comes highly RECOMMENDED.

Undisputed British Women's Championship

Dog Collar Match

Dani Luna (c) Vs Alex Windsor

Revolution Rumble (2024)

Certain wrestling matches create magic that is the talk of the community for days, weeks, months and years to come. Sometimes you know it is coming - it is inevitable. Will Ospreay Vs Michael Oku at High Stakes in February is the perfect example. The only person nervous about that match seemed to be the Champ himself, Michael Oku.  Talking to him on merch ahead of the show, I said to him that it was going to be special, that I knew it and he said he hoped so. It was always going to be special. It couldn't not be. Sometimes it is something you suspect and hope for, like Luke Jacobs Vs Tomohiro Ishii at RevPro XI Anniversary last year. I recall talking on the Wrestling Should Be Fun podcast about it and saying that it could steal the show - and it did; it stole the whole weekend. Sometimes, though, these matches sneak up on you. This past Sunday that is what happened with Dani Luna Vs Alex Windsor for the Undisputed British Women's Championship at York Hall in a Dog Collar Match.

Now don't get me wrong, I was hyped for this match; fom the moment we saw the dog collar at High Stakes I was HYPED. However, all the talk in the WhatsApp chats, at the shows on the Road To The Revolution Rumble, in the queue and in York Hall on the day was on who would win the Rumble. All the talk, all the photos and all the socials posts after were about Luna and Windsor. And they deserved it in spades. I hate saying this, as I want everyone to find time to watch both the Rumble and the Southampton show in full as, I know I'm a Mark, but they were two of the best RevPro shows I've seen in my two years following the company around the country, BUT if you only have time for one RevPro match this week, make it this one. When you have seen it, come back and read why it comes RECOMMENDED by davethemark.com

First up, as always, let's address some context. This match was given the pre-interval spot - a coveted spot - as the idea is to put on a match no-one can follow and get everyone hyped so they buy a beer at the bar and a tee at the merch. This was also a women's match, which completely unfairly, is almost always the quietest match on any card. It was also a stipulation match in a company that does not do stipulations often. Take the two years I have followed the company religiously since High Stakes 2022, there have been 85 shows, with 6-9 matches per show in almost all cases. Of those, say 638 matches, there have been three Street Fights, two Two Out Of Three Falls Matches, a four corner Strap Match and now a Dog Collar Match. That adds to the pressure of the execution of such a rare match but also means that there is little precedent to work with or experience to rely upon in such matches in York Hall with a RevPro crowd.

Then we can explore the Dog Collar matches which have been on our television screens in recent years. Cody Rhodes Vs the late, great Brodie Lee was sensational. CM Punk Vs MJF, Eddie Dennis Vs Wild Boar, The Briscoes Vs FTR - these were unbelievably well executed matches by billionaire backed companies that were the talk of the wrestling world each time. That is pressure. All big name wrestlers in their scenes, all Hall of Fame wrestlers in their scenes, all men. Then we have Dani Luna and Alex Windsor, two women who deserve the biggest spotlights in the world as they ARE two of the best in the world, and I say that with no bias as a self-procraimed Mark for Revolution Pro Wrestling. And the two women delivered one of the greatest wrestling spectacles I have ever witnessed, live in-person or on-screen. I had the chance, like many, to talk to a bloodied Dani Luna after and I told her that the match was not just one of the best women's matches or the best stipulation matches, but one of the best matches, period, I have ever seen. And I meant every word. Watch it and see if I am wrong.

The next layer of admiration comes from how simple the two women kept this match. The Dog Collar was the focus at all times. They added in one steel chair for a couple of excellent moments and they utilised a dog cage, in an original series of spots, but the focus, the danger and the violence was in the chain connecting the collars. No tables, no glass, no trash can lids or drawing pins/thumb tacs - the chain was enough. It was the focus of the story, it was there all along and it was the focal point of the entire match.

The time taken as Ref Harv secured the collars around each women's neck added to the eeriness of the occasion. The crowd were loud with duelling chants but then quieten as the match starts. They were all on their feet and electric by the end. Everyone knew they had seen something special. The chain took centre stage from the first moment as both women tested i's length before Windsor whipped Luna with it and Dani let out a very real scream. Watch the footwork of both women as they expertly worked around the chain. Watch how Windsor worked the crowd and gets the first blow in, busting Dani open within minutes. The use of the chain across the mouth of Dani was vile and original.

And then we get to the use of the chain on the outside of the ring, utilising the corner post, a spot frequently used in these matches, but made original as Windsor wrapped it around Luna and the post to squeeze the life out of her. The single chair is introduced and the Sidewalk Slam on to the edge of the chair is brutal. The chair broken, twisted and contorted is continued to be used - one single chair - as Windsor ends up being launched into it in the corner, busting her open and the single streak of blood down her nose is perfectly juxtaposed against the full crimson mask worn by Windsor.

The two women do not rush anything - this is not a spotfest - this is a brutal feud-ender (or is it?) between the two most dominant women in Europe who despise one another. You can see each Windsor and Luna assessing their surroundings, thinking of what they can do next to inflict as much punishment to one another as possible. The chain wrapped punches are sick, the chain to trip Windsor into a Sliding Lariat is clever, the whip of the chain into the face by Windsor is dangerous and the intensity creeps up, minute but minute. Perfectly paced.

Then we have the dog cage, and huge respect to Windsor for setting it up, realising the chain was trapped in the cage and handling the situation so effectively and efficiently, all whilst looking through her own blood with her adrenaline spiking. The use of the chain in the corner continued as Luna delivered the most violent looking headbutt I think I have ever seen. The chain pull into the Running Death Valley Driver on to the cage is beautiful and the cage holding its shape just adds to the pain Windsor must have been feeling. The Suplex onto the cage draws the overdue and deserved "This Is Awesome" chants. 

Ref Harv is then taken out in the corner and Alex Windsor gets a visible pin of three after a spinning suplex (what are we calling that?) onto the chair. As Harv counts and Luna kicks out, Andy Quildan hits the line "Dani Luna Will Not Die". Beautiful cinema. The Sharpshooter with the chain around the throat is the shot that took over socials for days to come. Luna gets free and gets a Crossface with the chain across the mouth. Pro Wrestling At Its Best blended with the violence, blood and guts we do not normally associate with RevPro. And then the hanging - Windsor is hung over the ropes into Luna's patented German Suplex over the top rope, the Luna Landing, 1-2-3. It was a war - a proper war. This is why these things are best when delivered rarely - everything in that match landed, everything worked and the people of York Hall lapped it up. 

A truly special match. Watch it. It's worth it.

Alex Coughlin vs Luke Jacobs

No Escape (2022)

It's 7am here in the U.K. and I have woken to the news that Alex Coughlin has retired from pro wrestling. Hard news to take as I have been a big fan of the L.A. Dojo graduate for many years, following his career from the New Japan Strong days to the Bullet Club War Dogs. I am grateful for the occasions I got to see him live here in the U.K. wrestling for RevPro and with NJPW at Royal Quest III and want to take the opportunity to point everyone in the direction of this gem of a match from the RevPro archives between Coughlin and Luke Jacobs. Give me five minutes of your time and I'll tell you why this match comes RECOMMENDED.

First the context. It was St Neots Priory Centre, February 2022. Luke was in the middle of a losing streak after failing to get past RKJ at High Stakes and Michael Oku in Southampton, his first shot at the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship, before he went on to suffer defeats against Shota Umino and Kyle Fletcher in the coming weeks. As for Coughlin, he was wrestling the 8th of his 10 RevPro matches, undefeated in singles competition here in the U.K.

What makes this match special is the incredible pro wrestling story told throughout the match. And don't get this wrong - this is storytelling. You do not need gimmicks, promos and convoluted backstory to tell a story; you need wrestlers who know themselves, who know how to play to their own strengths and fans who pay attention to what is happening in the ring. Every sporting contest tells a story - you don't need a press conference or post-match interview to get the story, you need to watch the match and study the tactics.

Let me break it down. 21 year old Luke Jacobs, as he was at the time, is a big strong boy - he was (and very much is) one of the strongest wrestlers on the U.K. scene. His strikes are dangerous - they won't knock you out but they will wear you down and weaken your ability to strike back with your optimal power. He has a mat game that is strong and likes to utilise an Ankle Lock where he can. Jacobs would win matches at the time by overpowering, outlasting and weakening an opponent systematically, focussing upon the chest to reduce an opponent's ability to breathe so, when he locks in the Ankle Lock, they couldn't drag him to the ropes and if he could hit a power move, such as his signature Powerbomb or Lariat, they couldn't muster the breath and strength to kickout.

Coughlin, though, is a mat expert. In fact, he is a mat expert on a level Jacobs might not have faced before. He's also bigger than Jacobs in height and weight. The normal Luke Jacobs offence might need mixing up for the 'Young Gun' to be victorious. However, Jacobs had identified a gameplan which he played to throughout the match. Before he became a War Dog, Coughlin was a pro wrestling purist - he was focused on his own game, his mat work and his ability to outwrestle an opponent. Jacobs knew this and Jacobs knew he had to draw Coughlin away from that game plan.

With that in mind, watch how Jacobs, early on, kicks Coughlin in the back disrespectfully from the Greco-Roman Knuckle Lock. Watch as Jacobs attempts to draw Coughlin into a strike battle - he's the first to hit a chop, a strike to the face and corner kicks. And, as the match develops, Jacobs tries to antagonise Coughlin as he realises that he CAN match his strength and power, though he has realised he is no match for him on the mat.

Jacobs draws Coughlin to the outside, using his environment to hit and move. When Coughlin returns to the ring, Jacobs smothers him - opportunist strikes stemming from a clear game plan and strategy from Manchester's finest. And the game plan works - it draws Coughlin away from his own submission based offence draws him into a slugfest, into utilising the power and strength which Jacobs thinks he can match. It leads to the two looking for a knockout blow rather than a tapout finish.

The game plan works - but Jacobs has underestimated Coughlin's gas tank. Coughlin can take the strikes - he has a strong jaw. He can take the power moves - he has resilience. He really is a complete pro wrestler and, whilst Jacobs can match him, he could not grind him down enough and after 17 minutes of fascinating strategy, it's Coughlin with his hand raised by Oscar Harding, it's Coughlin who Francesca declares the winner. But seven years Luke Jacobs' senior, Coughlin recognises the fight his young opponent brought and shakes his opponents hand, raises his arm to the cheers of the crowd who had just witnessed the match of the night and match they declared "Awesome" in their chants.

A highly recommended match and I'm saddened today to think that Round 2 is no longer looking possible.

All the love and best wishes to Alex Coughlin; thank you for giving us this match, it was a pleasure to witness live.

Undisputed British Cruiserweight and Speed King Championship Unification Match

Michael Oku (c) Vs RKJ (c)

Epic Encounters 2 (2020)

"Matter of time ⏰"

That was the caption of the photo Ricky Knight Jr posted after Live In Coventry; a photo of him, Michael Oku and the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship. A match which has been hovering in the background ever since last year's Revolution Rumble. That was the night RKJ was robbed of the chance of winning his championship back from Great O Khan, a championship he never lost. That was the night Michael Oku became the number one contender to the championship, outlasting 29 others in the Revolution Rumble main event. Oku went on to become champion at Epic Encounter last July and the prospect of RKJ Vs Michael Oku for the belt has been hanging over RevPro ever since.

Seeing that photo RKJ posted led me to ponder when the last time these two faced off in singles action and I was shocked to see that it was over three and a half years ago, in 2020, in an empty arena match at the Portsmouth School of Wrestling at Epic Encounters 2. What better time than now, then, to revisit that match for Lost In The Archives to see if that match comes RECOMMENDED from yours truly, Dave The Mark. Spoiler: of course it does.

So, the context. The year was 2020, Michael Oku was the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion and Ricky Knight Jr was the Speed King Champion following Revolution Pro Wrestling and Southside Wrestling's merger in 2019. This match, the main event of Epic Encounters 2, was to unify the two championships. Connor Mills was in Michael Oku's corner, the ref was Tom Scarborough and Rob Lias and Andy Quildan were on comms.

It's fascinating watching this in the eyes of a 2024 RevPro superfan - both men have put on considerable size since, especially Oku, but the speed, the strength and the high impact the two men wrestle with in 2024 was apparent in 2020. The match has the big match presentation the occasion deserved and, once again it is worth pointing out, RevPro did empty arena shows far superior to other companies that were broadcast on national television. 

The intensity is what strikes me first. A lot of the early offence belongs to RKJ and the snap with which he moves and the pressure with which he makes his early covers assert him as the alpha in the match, the dominant champion. Oku is the first to let out a visceral, gutteral groan in anguish. RKJ moves quicker, hits harder and has the confidence that Oku seems to be lacking; backed up by commentary who put over that RKJ "has not missed a step" during the pandemic lockdown but that Oku is trying to find his rhythm again. 

The finish is the big talking point, though, as it leans so much into the stories which unfolded over the next 18 months. RKJ had Oku beat with a Kishi Driver - a move very much protected at the time as a match ender. Tom Scarborough stops RKJ from covering Oku to check him, and Ricky being Ricky, he heads straight to the top rope to hit a 450 splash as soon as the ref permits Oku fit to continue. However, RKJ is pushed from the top rope by Connor Mills, allowing Oku to take victory with the Frog Splash. Oku needed Mills, like he continued to need him in Destination Everywhere and like he continued to need him as a defending Cruiserweight Champion. Mills was there as Oku's insurance, an insurance he took for granted over time according to Mills, which led to the betrayal that followed at the 2022 10th Anniversary Show. 

Similarly, RKJ did not get a fair crack at the whip and did not get the rematch he deserved. Just like RKJ did not get a fair crack at his reign as Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, having to designate Zak Knight as the defender of the belt when he was injured for three months which led to him losing it on Ricky's behalf. The same treatment wasn't given to Alex Windsor, who retained her title during her eight month injury layoff. The same treatment wasn't given to Mark Andrews as he rained the Undisputed British Tag Team Championship whilst injured for three months from December of last year to now. The cause of RKJ's frustrations with Michael Oku, with RevPro matchmakers and with his treatment can be traced back to this moment and that will surely be a heavy feature in the feud the two men are about to embroil themselves into going into the Summer.

"We will make this right, you have my word" were Andy Quildan's final words to RKJ during the final moments of the broadcast. Yet we have not had Oku Vs RKJ in singles action since. Ricky has a right to feel aggrieved. It is now just a matter of time.

Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship 

Will Ospreay (c) Vs Kyle Fletcher

Epic Encounters 3 (2020)

The world watched on Wednesday night (or last night for most of us here in the U.K.) as Will Ospreay had his first Dynamite match since signing with All Elite Wrestling. And how incredibly appropriate it was that this match, one Will will remember forever undoubtedly, was against one of his closest friends and a man he has grown up with over the last half a dozen years, Kyle Fletcher. This one on one encounter was their first ever encounter in the United States but it was not their first match. First facing off one on one for Fight Club: PRO in 2019, their rematch was with Revolution Pro Wrestling in 2020. The match is available on RevPro On Demand here is why it comes RECOMMENDED.

We go back to the hardest period of professional wrestling, as well as the hardest period many of us have been through in our lifetimes, to the dark days of 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. Therefore I am recommending you watch a match in front of no crowd, inside an empty Portsmouth School of Wrestling. Doesn't send tempting, I know. But we are talking about Ospreay Vs Fletcher and, if anyone could overcome the hard viewing of empty arena wrestling, it is these two in the safe hands of Pro Wrestling At Its Best.

First off, let's take in just how well RevPro managed the production of these shows - every effort was made to darken the room, giving a real underground feel and the harsh sounds of backs hitting the mat give as close to the live experience as is possible. Add to that the superb commentary of Andy Quildan and Rob Lias, whose energy and enthusiasm help add atmosphere and a sense of occasion and urgency to the action. Finally, and most importantly, the incredible work of Fletcher and Ospreay who from the very off hit this at full throttle. The intensity is felt from the first moment to the last and is summarised brilliantly by Rob Lias who hits the nail on the head on comms; two men going "balls to the wall".

This match occurs prior to the debut of The United Empire but was a significant moment in not only the faction's formation but also the inclusion of Kyle Fletcher and Aussie Open in that group. Look how Ospreay respects Fletcher enough to waste no motion between moves, to start with fire from the off and hold every pin attempt so snugly.

As the match develops, watch how Ospreay looks more and more desperate with each cover to secure the victory. The message is clear; Fletcher could be the one to end his Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship reign. Watch how well 'The Aussie Arrow' has all of 'The Assassin's offence so well scouted - the sequence that leads to the Spanish Fly and Oscutter are particularly sublime.

Watch how hard Ospreay lays it in after Fletcher fires up - the body shots, the knees to the head, the HARD Kowada Kicks and THAT rolling forearm followed by the most brutal Hidden Blade you will ever see. I love how tight Ospreay holds the leg on the cover even after the Hidden Blade AND Storm Breaker such is how seriously he perceives Fletcher as a threat to his title..

And finally, finally, watch as Ospreay lays next to Fletcher whispering into his ear as Elevated rings around the Portsmouth School of Wrestling. I'd love to know what he said but you'd have to imagine it was an acknowledgement of just how special a talent Fletcher is - the blueprints for the United Empire, laid inside and empty wrestling school on Portsmouth during a global lockdown. 

Haven't seen it before? Find time. It's worth it.

Connor Mills Vs Trent Seven

Live In London 82

February 2024

I'm not entirely sure who needs to be told this but Trent Seven Vs Connor Mills from RevPro's Live In London 82 this past Sunday was special. It was not just awesome. It was not just hard hitting or stiff; it was truly special and all fans of pro wrestling should find time for it in their schedule this week. The match is available at RevPro On Demand, via the website or the IOS and Android apps, for £7.40 a month. For now, though, let me break down exactly what made this match the talk of BritWres over the past week and in the argument alongside Ospreay Vs Alexander in Impact and Okada Vs Danielson in NJPW for match of the year thus far.

Firstly, if you need it, here's the context... December 30th, St Neots, Connor Mills, aghast at losing to JJ Gale, distraught at back to back singles losses in RevPro for the first time since October 2022, took his frustration out on Trent Seven. Why? Who knows why. At least, that was our thinking at the time..

Fast forward to the 229 Venue in London in January and we see Trent Vs Mills, "one on one", until Gio interfered and helped 'True Grit' to victory. Post-match we got our answers; Mills is tired of the old guard of wrestling, the "dinosaurs" of BritWres and wants to assert himself as one of the elite wrestlers across all of Europe, something few can argue with given the past couple of years he has had. This encounter was the rematch, with Gio banned from the building - ONE on ONE.

This match had a lot behind it and a lot going into it and that is seen in the opening lock up - honestly, find me a stronger locker up anywhere than the lock up these two put on. Then watch as Mills pushed Trent's head away as Ref Chris Hatch (welcome back Hatch) forced the break. The small details are what makes this special - Mills pushed Trent with the back of his forearm then takes a headlock, cranking Trent's head; as tight a headlock as you will see.

The first strikes of the match follow - the loudest chops, the hardest calf kicks. As Trent lays on the mat, look as he clutches at Mills' leg, trying to desperately keep him at bay. Any advantage is being sought because both men are dangerous, both men's prowess is respected but their feud is personal. Everything that follows hits hard, from body slams to chops to palm strikes across the back (look at Mills' back!) 

It's at this stage that Trent's hand looked to be weakened, it's followed by him being launched into the ringpost and then Mills drops him knee first onto the ring apron - systematically breaking down the entire body of the veteran and Trent has never looked more vulnerable, more sympathetic and more desperate.

Look out for when he swings a punch at Mills' knee as Mills circles him, focusing his attack. Look at how measured Mills is, adjusting his kick pads as Trent writhes on the ground, trying to catch his breath. Watch as Mills makes his decision and pursues the left leg - dragon screw, leg twist, an Indian Deathlock. Watch as Trent takes any opportunity to swing a chop at Mills, knowing his power is his best offence and his only way of slowing Mills down.

With the Deathlock locked in, as Trent repeatedly strikes him to get him to break his hold, you can see Mills' chest welt with each chop . After the avalanche back body drop, look as Trent gets a kick in to Mills' face and Mills' eye immediately swells, blackens and his cheek bleeds - these strikes are Trent's best weapons and he knows it. Mills has him on the mat, in the air and has the advantage the longer the match goes on. A heavyweight striker, though, knows it only takes one strike to change the match and Trent is constantly seeking it. His high volume chop offence is visibly breaking Mills' down, blow by blow, the body welts, the skin reacts and the muscles weaken. 

Watch as he draws Mills into a chop battle In the middle of the ring - the veteran playing on his younger foes ego, on his stubborn nature and on the rage he feels at being busted open, taking him away from his game plan. Listen to the sound of the final chop, see how it weakens Mills' ability to counter but notice how Mills immediately changes tact, reverts to the game plan and attacks the legs. Evidence of the growth in the wrestling IQ of Connor Mills. After Mills kicks out following Trent's desparation side slam following the rebound lariat, watch as both men take a moment on the mat - look at their breathing and you'll see just how much they have put into each and every strike.

Watch as Mills can barely hold himself up as Trent attempts the Seven Star Lariat. As Trent rises to his feet, watch his face - you can see him calculating his next move, knowing for the first time in the match he has the upper hand. Mills tries to seize a reaction out of Trent with the middle finger and by spitting in his face. It doesn't work; Trent keeps momentum with him taking every opportunity to inflict more pain. Mills looks like he could be sick at any moment and Seven looks ready to faint.

As the match moves to the apron, Mills seizes the momentum back with a vicious blow to the back of the neck and then musters all he has to hit a suicide dive followed by - wait for it - a double foot stomp from the top rope to the outside onto Trent and through a pile of chairs. The crowd, who have been drawn in all match, chant "holy shit. Seven only just makes the the outside 10 count to a huge pop and is immediately hit with a Burning Hammer - to which Trent kicks out at one - and the the crowd explode. Amazing crowd manipulation.

At this stage, Trent can barely stand. He can barely lift Mills. Mills can't stand. The lengths both men are prepared to go to in order to defeat the other has brought both men to the mat as they physically can't continue to fight toe to toe. Mills secures a leglcok and prevents Trent from reaching out to the ropes by manipulating every joint, until Trent hits one swift chop to break the hold.

Trent locks in a figure four leglcok and desperately strikes Mills at every opportunity across the knee - in response Mills hits every and anything he can to get Trent to break the hold. They inentsity of the submissions and the strikes throughout them are unparalleled. Finally, Mills locks in an Armloco, traps the other arm as Trent writhes in defence, and Mills delivers heel kicks to the back of the head until Chris Hatch calls a stoppage due to Trent's inability to defend himself. 

The chemistry between the two is incredible and they manage to bring the absolute best out of each other. This was the best Trent Seven match I've ever seen live. The best match I've seen since he and Tyler Bate wrestled Undisputed Era in NXT in 2018. This was also the best Mills match I've ever seen, surpassing the match he and Michael Oku had in York Hall in December 2022 which was a match of the year contender.

This was special and I don't use that word lightly.

Michael Oku Vs Eddie Dennis

Live In London 70

February 2023