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circeislands · 9 months

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‘i know every inch of your body and i know for a fact that scar wasn’t there before.’

her words traveled the silent room, meeting the ears of the hunter whose fingers fiddled intently to seal the new aching wound on his forearm. she tried to extend her help, her healing but he refused it as he often did. his discomfort was better than hers and concerned eyes peered at the newest scar of his vast collection before their last voyage ended to his fresh stain. the smell met her nose and had it been years earlier. she wouldn’t of been able to stand the scent but it was him: familiar,‘don’t give yourself too much credit, cecilia,’ he inhaled sharply at the insert of the needle and she watched his artistry, the accent that curled around her name used to send her into a spiral,‘my body has changed since the last time you touched— ow, damn it.’ attempted flirting before a slip of the needle caused the distinct frown to deepen in concern as finally from her seat, she stood up and traveled the distance between them. tender fingers grasping the needle and thread without even a hint of hesitation.

‘samuel, i’ll do it.’ even despite him being a doctor, stitching up his own wound held little success. her enhanced vision met his wound with ounces of care and the squeeze of her brows. sam’s eyes couldn’t help but take in each detail of her delicate features that were obscure. the dimple on her chin, a trait of her father’s that was refined in her, that trembled when she cried, and far too often did he observe this, held it. the deep focus in bright brown hues as teeth melded into her lower lip. the more and more he looked at her the more he recalled a memory of her near death and the feeling of despair it filled him. it was a full moon, the wooded outskirts of flagstaff, blood drenched her shoulder, her mouth made gurgling noise he feared, despised, more crimson traveling between her teeth. if he could, if she let him, he would have made a special silver bullet with jacques’s name on it. since that night, her safety meant more to him then his own. his sarcastically witty spats never met her heart, he internally promised to never make her feel a lick of distrust and betrayal. he failed her and that was what filled the room with so much painful quiet.

he hated how she looked at him. wounded, guilty and distant,‘what?’ her tone snapped him from his stare and eyelids rapidly blinked,‘what are you thinking about?’ she had made progress on stitching the wound but a continuous drip of blood didn’t help. she grabbed the wash cloth from nearby and began to dab it to prevent the frequent cascades.

‘you know what i’m thinking about,’ he paused,‘i’m sorry, ce,’ his tone was quiet, as if he sought out to plead for her forgiveness,‘it was never your fault. i know that, i knew that then but i needed someone to blame and you knew the bloodsuckers that killed her.’ he wanted his vengeance to be cecilia’s as well. he wanted her to dump her pack morals for him,‘you wouldn’t do what i wanted... and i was angry.’ his only chance at love was thwarted by the lifestyle he chose,‘i never meant what i said—’

he watched her swallow down and her mouth twitch,‘yes you did, sam.’ she said, stilly, the needle meeting the pads of her fingers and beginning their venture to finish the stitching,‘you had every right to be angry. i chose my pack over you as i had over and over again. after everything your family has done to help me. i deserved it.’ the sharp end meeting his skin, flesh–to–flesh and out and up, and again,‘you deserved to get married and leave all of this behind.’ her shoulders began to tense and the feeling of dread followed her lips. even if he had, it wouldn’t of been enough. going to school to be a doctor, he thought would have fulfilled his desires to save people but it didn’t. being a doctor didn’t relieve his past and the enemies he gained from it. it wouldn’t and didn’t save his fiancee.

she finished and hands were quick to stop touching him, like it ached her, and it did. it ached him also. his uninjured hand raised and grasped her own, clenching and grounding. a silent communication of love between the two that was most certainly there but never transpired. he’d once kissed her, touched her, saw the scars left behind by jacques but nothing else. they both knew the consequences of this moving any further then that. no matter how much it gnawed at him to see her move on. she knew that it did, that if she wanted to, she could feel his draw to her. ‘pay attention, feel me, i give you permission, cecilia.’ his one hand managed to grip both of her slender hands,‘go ahead.’ he urged her,‘please...’ she was never one to give into begging but if he had to, he would have. she would’ve despised him for it, been embarrassed for him but he could careless. she obliged. reddening eyes illuminated hazel orbs and darkened veins wisped into hands. in that moment, he wondered how that felt. to give more control to what lurked in those veins but he had to focus. he would ask about that later. he wanted her to feel him. unconditional love and fidelity that he could argue from dusk till dawn was far greater then any pack member could give her. he’d seen her at her lowest of lows. he’d adored her in high school where everything felt weird to them and especially her, where growth felt irrational and bifocals proved how truly blind she was. where chestnut brown hair was unkept in curls that she had little understanding of and never understood even now.

she felt everything from lingering questions to undisclosed desires, to true regret, to absolute tenderness. she felt everything so deeply and now she knew he did as well. they were the same in that way. she yanked her hands afterwards, quickly, to avoid invading him any further. she never approved using that gift to her own advantage. in fact, her scowl only deepened,‘i... it’ll be to your detriment.’

‘i know and so what?’

‘i could kill you.’

‘be my guest, cecilia. it would be an honor.’ he grabbed for her hands again but this time only managed to grasp one,‘in fact, i’d invite death over to have a couple of beers.’

tbc.

#ᴄᴇᴄɪʟɪᴀ daubec.#writing ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛs.#writing.#part one.#samuel luna.#the lunas impacted her life quite a bit so never getting over them.#music.

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solarsonicsoda · 7 months

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Rebbie’s Wrestling Reviews - Show Reviews

RevPro High Stakes 2024

(I did want to include more photos/videos in this, but they're getting caught up in the transfer-to-laptop process. Stay tuned!)

On Sunday 18th February, I headed up to Crystal Palace, London for RevolutionPro Wrestling’s High Stakes 2024. Last year, I went to Wembley but this was another long journey. Fortunately, this is a bit less hectic considering the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre does not hold about 80,000 people. I usually go to the RevPro shows in Southampton, but this is my first big show I’m seeing in-person or on-demand. We saw a few of the stars head in as we waited for doors, including Mustafa Ali, which was pretty exciting. There was also an awesome street food market just around the corner in the big park the venue was in. I had a pretty nice chicken biriyani but I wish I had got the sauce that you could add. I am very keen to go to a Crystal Palace show again just to try more of these stalls! There was also sports going on around us, and as we waited we watched some beach volleyball occuring very far below us! This was a pretty cool place.

We actually ended up being amongst the first people to enter, which gave us a great chance to check the place out. This was a big step up from the smoky 1865 we were used to watching our RevPro in. All seating, with a bunch of walled seats on one side and benches on the others. When we eventually found our seats, we realised we were on the benches, hence the cheaper price of our tickets. We had picked seats very close to the back as we ordered tickets very late in the day, but the ring was actually extremely close still. It was a great arrangement, even if the people around us did result in me being a bit cramped.

Looking around, we found the merch table, a bar, and even some food outside! We didn't end up grabbing a drink or food, but I did head to the merch table, and who was at the very first one but Mustafa Ali. I followed Ali all throughout his WWE run, and was a very big advocate of his. He’s also extremely based as wrestlers go. I worked up the confidence and bought a signed print from him, sending the money via PayPal which is always a neat contact to see in my app! It was certainly a step up in price compared to what I’m used to, but I had to get it. A photo was unfortunately the same price, so we didn't take him up on it, but I did shake his hand. Pretty cool moment! I also bought a poster of the event, and then met Michael Oku, the Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion and the main eventer! I was able to buy a print, get a photo, and even have him sign my poster! He was super cool, I was a bit nervous and didn't say much though. I unfortunately smudged my poster signature while trying to carry everything but fortunately not too bad! A fellow fan asked me how much my Ali print was as we gushed about our fandom and our nerves meeting him. Meanwhile, my dad ended up buying himself some RevPro logo merch: a shirt and a hoodie. We then found our seats though, and waited for the show to begin.

Orange Cassidy (c) def. Sha Samuels, Cameron Khai, Richard Holliday, “Flash” Morgan Webster, Spike Trivet, & Shigehiro Irie in a 7-Way Scramble for the AEW International Championship by pinfall in 8:03

YES, THAT ORANGE CASSIDY! this was a total shock. This match was billed as a six-way with a mystery "international superstar". When Shigehiro Irie of Japan came out, we were all pretty content! Irie is an absolute beast and I'm always keen to see more of him. However, once he reached the ring, a familiar tune started, and we all began to realise just who it was... when Jane burst into full swing and the Orange Cassidy graphics appeared, it was absolute scenes. I was genuinely shaking with excitement, I felt weak. We could all not believe our eyes, and everyone was screaming and jumping. Loud "freshly squeezed" chants rang out and we all saw the International Championship exit the backpack mere feet away. So, this became a 7-way for the title! It had originally spawned from various allegiances and rivalries, but now had a certain je ne sais quoi! Cassidy was predictably the main focus here, as he did a big 6-way lazy kick spot, which ended with a Holliday low blow. From here it was a bit one-in one-out as many multi-man matches can get at points. Still, this was fun and shows some just why all of these guys rule. There was a fun spot as people built up on the outside, with Holliday teasing a dive before being sent out by Irie, who was brought out by Khai with a pretty gnarly looking move to the apron. From here, Webster hit a brilliant Shadows Over Malice to the pile-up. Heading back to the ring, Cassidy would hit Orange Punch's all round, but the big Irie would not go down without an extra shot. Holliday tries a roll-up but gets hit with an Orange Punch all the same and takes the loss.

I definitely wish this one was a bit longer and had a bit more meat on its bones, but this was all about the Cassidy surprise, getting all his classic spots in for the intimate crowd, and showing a bit of each participant. I can't exactly complain! The highlight may have been when Holliday threw Cassidy's glasses at him, only for them to land in his pocket where he could calmly put them on. That was electric. But overall, it was one of the best moment's I've ever experienced live, with a nice, if short, match attached. Orange also gave his equivalent of an impassioned speech post match telling us to go to Wembley.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Dani Luna (c) def. Safire Reed for the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship by pinfall in 9:44

Now it's time for the Undisputed British Women's Championship! We have "Radioactive" Safire Reed up against the still somewhat new champion, Dani Luna of Subculture. This was a good match, with Dani taking an early advantage with her power before being undone by the striking game of Reed. There was a bit of trouble when Reed attempted a top rope stomp on Luna draped through the ropes. Reed began to lose her balance, but from one foot off the top rope, was able to connect with Luna before hitting the rope and taking a nasty spill. Didn't look comfortable, didn't look as intended, but it was honestly pretty gnarly and they seemed to come out of it ok. Luna hit a wicked blue thunder before Reed came back with her biggest flurry shortly after. German suplex out of the turnbuckle, running headbutt, rainmaker, shining wizard, but Luna kicked out. Frustrated, Reed picked up the title, which would be her undoing. We have a big German before Dani hits an awesome Luna Landing pop-up sit-out powerbomb, and that's all she wrote. Let's go champ! I have also just learned that Dani Luna is 24 and now I'm worried about my achievements in life.

This was a pretty fun match, even if some of that finish was a bit silly, that's wrestling for you! Maybe could have played up the frustration of Reed a tad more, she was a bit calm with it, but who knows? It's still a tad silly. Reed can definitely go far though, and Dani Luna is a top tier talent. I also realised halfway through the show that she was right behind our segment of the crowd for much of the rest of the show. Post-match, we hear some banging noises, when Alex Windsor drags Luna back to the ring with a chain. The former champion hits a Super Dragon Curb Stomp and takes her leave before Luna gets medical attention. Overall, there were flaws but I enjoyed this match a good deal!

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Young Blood (Yuto Nakashima & Oskar Leube) def. Mark Trew & Kieron Lacey by pinfall in 9:25

It's tag team time! These two teams have been getting on each other’s nerves for a while now, so it’s finally time they settled it in the ring. Two young brash teams butt heads here, and it's wild early on. These two teams can't be contained, with Young Blood utilising their size advantage early on. However, Trew & Lacey are able to isolate Yuto Nakashima. He's a big man, but with quick tag team offence, they gain the upper hand. Oskar Leube is begging for a tag, but he doesn't get it. Trew & Lacey wind up Oskar, causing distractions that allow for some underhanded attacks. From a Yuto suplex, we get our hot tag and Leube-mania is running wild. The big man from Germany runs rampant over the cocky tag team, dishing out massive clotheslines and a breathtaking back body drop on Trew. Leube is able to kick out of a big double team that holts his progress. However, Young Blood fight back, taking out Lacey with a high/low before an absolute wicked tag team finisher from Young Blood. Yuto's knee strike into a giant F5 (or should that be The Verdict in NJPW?) from Leube. That's obviously all she wrote.

Nakashima is a brilliantly charming performer and showed a bit more of his in-ring prowess here, Leube garnered great reviews that I could tell by ear, and Trew & Lacey are an awesome team of cruiserweight heels. Their ability to sell helped Young Blood look even better than they were and fed the electric energy of the hot tag. Pretty good stuff.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Luke Jacobs def. JJ Gale by pinfall in 17:02

We have an epic clash of styles here, as Southampton's JJ Gale takes on North West Strong, Luke Jacobs. Both men want to prove they are the better man, with Jacobs having no respect for Gale and wanting to make a point out of beating him and proving he is the future of RevPro. Gale is popular but Jacobs is a strong favourite with this London crowd. Gale is trying to match Jacobs with strikes and power for much of this match, which we can see some of the flaws in as a plan when Jacobs comes out on top of a strike exchange early on. Gale throws in a bit of high-flying to keep in this one, and they end up outside. Gale is sat down in a steel chair by Jacobs, but as he charges, JJ meets him with a superkick. We unfortunately have a bit of a scary moment here, as JJ uses the chair as a step to springboard off of the guardrail, but he slips and hits the floor. They recover well though, with Gale keeping it simple by launching Jacobs into the rail. They return to the ring, with Jacobs again using his power game against the quicker Gale. Some awesome strikes from Jacobs throughout. The match really got going here, as both men start unleashing a lot of there offence, with big springboards and powerbombs. There's a big Boston Crab by Jacobs out of Gale's powerbomb reversal, but Gale makes the ropes. They return to the centre, calling back to their opening exchange, but this time Gale is able to get the upper hand with his strikes! Gale gets his limbs caught though, and it's a massive headbutt from Jacobs. Gale has some final flurries, but is unable to win with a roll-up, Gale Force or a 450, which is dodged and met with two big lariats. But Gale kicks out! Jacobs goes for the Screwdriver, but roll-up by Gale, no, lariat, Steiner Screwdriver! It's over! Jacobs wins!

This was an awesome match, and by the end of it, the crowd was on fire for both men. I genuinely think this one tired everyone out for multiple matches. What a brilliant clash, and really sold me on Jacobs. Obviously, Gale is my guy so I would have loved to see him win but this was an incredible showing and with any luck is the start of bigger things for him. Post-match, Jacobs commends Gale, saying he earned some respect in that one. However, he declares himself for the Revolution Rumble and says he will be the next Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. No respect for the "streak of piss" Michael Oku. His words, not mine. Maybe he'll have a bit more respect for him after our main event.

4 STARS OUT OF 5

Mustafa Ali def. Robbie X by pinfall in 13:08

The big talent from America, Mustafa Ali is in the house! He’s taking on cruiserweight stalwart Robbie X! There’s some early showboating, as Ali remarks “Robbie told me he can do anything I can do” before challenging him to replicate him flicking his hair. The crowd found this very funny. Robbie showed us though, flicking back whatever hair he does have! Impressive! There’s some decent back and forth here, both men showcasing their similar styles. Seeing moves like the rolling thunder neckbreaker live were absolutely awesome! There’s also a wicked moment when Ali crashes and burns full pelt into the bottom turnbuckle. That was an awesome sell. It’s generally a lot of back and forth here, ending when Ali is able to hit a pretty nice sunset flip powerbomb following a top rope tussle, following it up by pulling himself back to the top rope to hit a 450 splash and win!

This was definitely a good match, though I would love to see even more cruiserweight madness in this one! However, a rewatch could definitely be useful, as the previous bout was a big one! Post match, Ali takes a moment to praise Robbie X and tell everyone what a wrestler he is. He even does his signature X pose. Class stuff as both men stand tall.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Shingo Takagi def. Trent Seven by pinfall in 21:58

With Gabe Kidd unfit to wrestle following the big War Dogs vs. United Empire match recently, we need a replacement! Here comes another former WWE talent in Trent Seven, though he’s certainly more acclaimed for his work in the UK indies. It’s great seeing Seven, and his entrance was good fun with all the fanfare he brings to it. There’s also a funny moment as Francesca and the referee think they’re about to be towel-whipped. But here comes The Rampage Dragon! Shingo is one of the most exciting wrestlers for me to see on this show. I’ve actually never seen a Shingo Takagi match but always heard good things! He is a very cool man. The two men start off slow, exchanging holds and strikes. There’s some good selling by Seven, and Takagi looks like a beast with a lot of what he does, but it did unfortunately stay a bit slow for a while. Things did ramp up towards the end though, with a lot of big moves hitting their marks, and plenty being attempted. A moment that started to wake things up was Trent hitting the Seven-Star Lariat for two. He followed up with a Bitter End attempt but got hit with Made in Japan. There’s some strikes here, before Trent hits a finger snap for a good reaction and finally hits the Bitter End. This doesn’t finish things however, and he attempts what seemed like a Tyler Driver but gets hit with a Last of the Dragon. There’s some more action, and Seven gets a nearfall with a piledriver that I did actually bite on. Takagi is able to avoid a Seven-Star Lariat and hit a Last of the Dragon but it’s again two. Trent kicks out at 1 after a sliding clothesline, but here’s a Running Bomber by Takagi! Trent kicks out at 2! You should have heard the lads behind me throughout this match but especially at this point. Big Takagi fans. They were pretty underwhelmed for the first half, and always eager for Takagi to put Seven away. They were NOT HAPPY with this kick-out, and very worried Trent was gonna win… also quite drunk but such is their prerogative. Still undecided on whether they added to or detracted from this one for me. But anyway, we have a fireman’s carry from Shingo countered into a Seven-Star Lariat attempt, but Takagi ducks, hits the ropes, Running Bomber, and it’s all over.

This one did get good towards the end, but not only was the start a bit slow and long, it was also maybe a touch over-dramatic in terms of kickouts and the like given the whole vibe and nature of the match. I don’t know, I felt like they overdid it. The match was just pretty long in the tooth. I mean, I was highly shocked it went 22 MINUTES. I don’t know who’s idea that was for a Takagi/Seven match, but it was not wise. Credit to them, it didn’t feel like 22 minutes long, but it felt long. Shave a good 5 minutes at least off of this one and you have a pretty damn good match, cos both men can go. Just lacked a certain intensity. Still, a solid-enough bout that was just pretty flawed, and I can give them slack with how Trent was slotted in just 24 hours prior.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Anthony Ogogo def. Ricky Knight Jr. in 13:30

Ogogo and RKJ have been feuding ever since Ogogo betrayed his tag partner at the Great British Tag League finals, with both men invoking the names of the other’s families in this rivalry. It’s Anthony Ogogo out first, and across from me I can see about 10 people sitting together, all wearing Anthony Ogogo shirts. Something tells me they may have some relation to the Olympic bronze medallist… Anyway, RKJ is out next and does a tour of the crowd, which is nice of him. I have to be honest with you, this match is kind of a blur to me. Someone behind me was having a completely unrelated conversation with someone and it really distracted me. I don’t think I was particularly alone in that, because it didn’t exactly draw a loud reaction. I’ll do my best to sum this one up though, because I do remember it being a decent match. There’s some back and forth until Ogogo is able to hit a Tower of London on the outside after an RKJ baseball slide. That was creative. I’m certain Ogogo only uses the Tower of London as a move for the home country synergy though, which is funny to me. There’s a nice lariat from Ogogo, who proceeds to be on top until RKJ hits a scoop slam and some really nice dropkicks. Now I read that an RKJ moonsault is punched away by Ogogo??? I have no memory of this??? I think this one may also be due for a rewatch. There’s some striking before Ogogo hits a Razor’s Edge on RKJ. Ogogo hits an F5 and Olympic Slam, and RKJ hits a Fire Thunder Driver, but none of this gets the win. Ogogo gets away from RKJ and is able to hit a Canadian Destroyer! This is still not enough though, and RKJ begins striking with Ogogo. This is obviously a bad idea and so the OLYMPIC BOXER strikes him once and the referee starts counting for a TKO. Ogogo drapes the Union Jack over RKJ, but at around 7 he sits up! Fight on! Nah, one more strike from Ogogo and this time he pins him. Well then.

This one, as I said, I was a bit distracted from. However, if it was so good, I wouldn’t have been. I was definitely also a bit underwhelmed given the ferocity of the build, because I was expecting a massive brawl after everything. With Ogogo winning though, it feels like we're building to a rematch, so perhaps that’s when that comes. But it was a decent match, didn’t overstay its welcome, and Ogogo didn’t look too bad in there. RKJ brought some good wrestling too as always! Maybe one to rewatch, though I do fear it going down in my estimations, as it was maybe a tad flat.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Zack Sabre Jr. def. Connor Mills by pinfall in 21:25

It’s time for another homegrown international star, ZSJ, who Connor Mills is looking to better in this one. Mills is out first, flaunting some familiarly dyed hair as well as a big fur coat! But then here comes Zack Sabre Jr., and there’s a great reaction for the leader of TMDK. We start things off with a brilliantly loud “Fuck the Tories” chant that Sabre Jr. is of course a big fan of. Remember, he fights with his heart, his brain, and most importantly his underlying hatred of the British Conservative Party. I wish I had recorded this, because it was simply magical. Now, if you’ve seen a Zack Sabre Jr. match before, you can hopefully understand that this is gonna be very difficult for me to describe, because I don’t even know what was going on half the time or what you would call these moves. The man is simply amazing. Mills absolutely held his own here too, dishing out his own technical prowess and in my opinion finally embodying his nickname: True Grit. This one had a lot of beautiful technical wizardry from ZSJ, which is genuinely the best way to describe whatever it is he can do, as well as a bevvy of PKs and other strikes. There was also an absolute gnarly Zack Driver that was at a very high-angle. The way Sabre Jr. slips and slides through holds, the peppering shots, the way he contorts his own body and his opponents is unbelievable, and seeing it live made it all come together for me. I remember some of the transitions he pulled off were so good, at one point he shifted all the way around Mills’ body while OFF OF THE MAT to apply a different hold. The man is something else. The ending of the match came as Sabre Jr. unleashes some brilliant PKs, but a defiant Mills sits up to flip off Zack. This was a great moment, followed immediately by two more PKs from ZSJ for the win. Post-match, Sabre Jr. is carried out in the arms of David Francisco. Up the Francisco.

This was such an incredible match, with Mills really looking great next to one of the best technical wrestlers of all time. I wish I could say more beyond gushing, but I think I’d have to seriously rewatch this one because I was fully along for the ride here. I’m going to end this one by just naming ZSJ moves in case he hit them in this match. Tesco Meal Deal. Hypernormalisation. Sunday Rail Engineering Works Replacement Bus Service. Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness. I actually love that one, it’s so good.

4.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Michael Oku (c) (w/ Amira) def. Will Ospreay for the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship in 47:12

Here it is, the one everyone was waiting for. Will Ospreay, the longest reigning RevPro champion of all time is officially leaving the company. The current champion? It’s Michael Oku, who has never beaten Ospreay. They have faced each other twice, and while Oku has had some great efforts against Ospreay, he has never beaten him, and Ospreay has not shown a lot of respect for the man previously known as The OJMO. Oku & Amira are out first, with shots of their earlier matches playing out before the Game Over screen from Metal Gear Solid plays. Yes, really. My dad might have booked this match I think. Oku’s music hits and he & Amira come out in some big match gear here. They look pretty cool, but now it’s the Assassin’s Creed logo, as Ospreay has a tie-in entrance. He gets a guard of honour from people wearing his old jackets, and he even gets a cool sword. He twirls the sword in the ring and points it at Oku, who walks right up to it. That was pretty cold. We are reassured that this one can only be stopped by pinfall, submission, or by Amira throwing in the towel. It’s at this point Ospreay throws the towel covered in Oku’s blood at Amira, nearly inciting a massive brawl. However we get the bell, and wow. The noise in that building was unlike anything I have ever experienced. That was the best atmosphere for a wrestling match I have ever experienced. The volume and the passion was something else. It felt like that could have carried on forever before the match got underway, but it had to eventually.

These two start things off, with things quickly speeding up as both men are one to do. Much of the crowd did get a tad distracted by the presence of Tony Khan in the box now. Orange Cassidy was in there for a while earlier, but now everytime I looked to the box, more people had amassed up there. Tony gets a few chants throughout, here getting “Tony’s in the box, in the box, Tony’s in the box” and “Tony, give us a wave, Tony, Tony, give us a wave”. I love chants so much. However, there was a great match going on, Oku getting wild height off a pop-up hurricanrana, and we all quickly refocused, and I swear Ospreay chants came straight back out of these. The crowd was never quiet. Either we were reacting, or we were singing on one of the two men and the top of our lungs, often with duelling chants. I was Team Oku.

Ospreay was keeping this one under control and resisting the pace Oku wanted, locking in a Cobra Twist submission, even digging into the ribs. Oku escapes though and hits his absolutely beautiful corner dropkick. We see a handspring enziguri from Ospreay send Oku outside, and he follows that with a dive. They head back inside, and a springboard forearm connects with Oku for a two-count, but Oku is then able to knee Ospreay to the outside. He tees up for his shooting star press over the top rope, the Fosbury Flop, but Ospreay meets him halfway. Oku responds quickly though, sending the challenger knee-first into the apron. Oku then hits a beautiful springboard moonsault to the floor! Back into the ring, a crossbody only gets a two for Oku. Looks to be a superplex but Ospreay reverses and has the Master of the Half-Crab in position for the Cheeky Nando’s Kick. But what a counter! Oku jumps backwards over Ospreay, before returning fire with another brilliant dropkick. The Aerial Assassin is able to counter a hurricanrana into an absolutely brutal alley oop into the top turnbuckle. Great sell by Oku, though he then has to sort of clamber over the top rope to the outside. Ospreay with a slingshot and Oku connects with the ringpost: looks like that busted him open.

Ospreay takes Oku back inside and is licking blood off his boots after some kicks, elliciting some deserved “You sick fuck” chants from the crowd. Will Ospreay is revelling in the mayhem and dickheadery of it all, even offering a free shot to the dazed Oku. However, this amounts to a half-and-half and a piledriver from Ospreay, only getting a two-count. Ospreay continues the assault, and begins taunting Amira on the outside to throw in the towel. In response, she spits at him. In response, he KICKS HER FULL FORCE INTO THE GUARDRAIL! This was an absolute brutal spot, and definitely raised the already High Stakes (get it?). Oku is not pleased, and is able to prevent an OsCutter before hitting a torpedo DDT through the turnbuckles! This combined with Oku’s very own slingshot into the ring post for Ospreay busts Will open now.

Oku targets the legs now, setting up nicely for the Half-Crab. Dragon screws, big kick to the back of the leg, and a flip over onto Ospreay’s knees. He attempts it now, but when he’s prevented he transitions nicely into a Figure-Four Leglock. Ospreay is able to turn it over, but that’s just what Oku wants because he finally turns it into a Half-Crab! Great counter! Rope break from Ospreay though, and both men exchange strikes. Ospreay’s knee gives out and Oku goes for the dragon screw again, but Ospreay leaps out with a stomp, despite the pain in his knee. Oku’s knee avoided by Ospreay, and both a Spanish Fly and an Oscutter almost win it. An exhausted Oku drops, which dodges a Hidden Blade, and Oku is able to land a massive reverse hurricanrana and Ospreay is out on his feet… until he hits a Hidden Blade for a double down!

The count is stopped for both men on their knees, and Ospreay is generally on the front foot until Oku returns to targeting the legs. Essex’s favourite wrestler is able to fight back though and attempts the Stormbreaker, but Oku reverses with what looks like a Tombstone, but he traps the legs and drives him down! Reverse Strong Zero? Package Tombstone? Oku’s now headed up top and goes for the frog splash, but Ospreay dodges. He aims with the Hidden Blade, but Oku is out of the way and hits his own! This match! It’s not over though, but Oku is in control and hits another Hidden Blade! 1, 2, Oku pulls up Ospreay from the pin. He’s taunting the challenger, mirroring his own treatment of the champion in the past. Hidden Blade again, and he pulls him up again! Oku is loving this, revelling in the cheek of it all. The elbow pad comes off for one more, but this time Ospreay hits his own! Strikes exchanged, until there’s a big stack powerbomb from Ospreay, but Oku kicks out only to end up taking a Styles Clash! Oku kicks out again, and is drooping out of the ring. Ospreay begins to drag him back, and we get a tug of war between Ospreay and Amira. Unaware, he pulls them both into the ring, lining up for the Hidden Blade as Amira pleas for Oku to pull through. Ospreay comes in… and Amira pushes Oku out of the way, taking the Hidden Blade!

Ospreay gets over it pretty quickly, and heads for Oku, but he rolls him through into the Half-Crab! This place is electric and he’s wrenching back, but Ospreay grabs the hair! The hold is broken by any means, Ospreay lifts him up… TIGER DRIVER 91! No fucking way! That shit was brutal, the move Ospreay calls the Storm Driver ‘93. Never thought they’d pull that one out. Ospreay hits a Hidden Blade and a Stormbreaker for good measure, and it's all- OKU KICKS OUT! THE ROOF COMES OFF OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE NATIONAL SPORTS CENTRE! Ospreay is irate and comes in for a Hidden Blade, but Oku with the hurricanrana into a pin, but no dice. Oku comes in for what looks like a Hurricanrana, but Ospreay halts him, he pulls him up, and SEGA MEGA DRIVER! I wasn't familiar but this is the finisher of the late Mad Kurt, Oku’s good friend and fellow wrestler, and what a move it is! A brilliant name for a move too! Ospreay is absolutely spiked on his head, and it was absolute scenes by this point in the crowd. We were all screaming in each other’s faces and jumping all over! Frog splash to the back, frog splash original, but Ospreay kicks out… Oku’s holding the leg though, and now we play: the half-crab is locked in! He’s in the middle of the ring, and Oku torques all the way back… OSPREAY TAPS OUT! And still, your RevPro, Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, Michael Fucking Oku.

What a match. We were leaping, we were screaming, we were singing for this entire match. It ran for 47 minutes and it felt like about 20. This one flew by in the best way, it was a brilliant experience to be in the crowd for one of the best matches of the year, and the best matches in RevPro history. So hard-hitting, cool story moments, passion from everyone in the crowd, the right winner, and it being the main man of this company. Sure, Ospreay could stand to sell the leg a tad more after Oku targeted it so much, but I was caught up in the moment anyway and I loved it.

Check out the highlights here!

Post-match, Oku and Amira celebrate before extending a handshake to the Aerial Assassin, which he gives, finally bringing this chapter to an end. Ospreay takes the title from referee Oscar Harding to hand it to Oku himself. Returning the gesture, Oku left Ospreay to soak in the love of the fans and end his time in RevPro on his own. Ospreay eventually gets on the mic, wanting to say some thanks. He turns to the box, thanking Tony, only to find out he’s fucked off, as he put it. He thanks the fans, his friends, his family, New Japan, RevPro, and eventually observes that Tony is back at the top of the seating where the RevPro crew is. He tells everyone he’ll see us at Wembley before his music hits, and donning an AEW hoodie he listens to the crowd sing Elevated one last time with tears in his eyes. He leads the “Ospreay, Ospreay” chants of the song before heading out of the ring, embracing Zac Sabre Jr. at the entrance way. With that, we have the end of Will Ospreay in Revolution Pro Wrestling.

5 STARS OUT OF 5

This show was absolutely brilliant. Very few matches fell truly short of the high standard set here, and when they did, other factors played a reasonable part. At the end of the day though, no match was truly bad and with three brilliant matches, with one being an absolute barnburner, it’s hard not to love this show. Definitely the best RevPro show I’ve ever seen, probably the best show I’ve ever attended live, and one of my favourite experiences in wrestling. This show gets 4.5 stars out of 5 from me.

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