By Laura Mauro @lauranmauro

When Progress and ICW succumbed to the siren song of WWE there were rumours that Revolution Pro Wrestling had also been approached by the giants of professional wrestling. The story goes that they declined to partner with them, opting instead to maintain their working relationship with NJPW. This, in hindsight, has proven to be a wise decision; the ability to call on some of Japan’s biggest stars has given Rev Pro a unique selling point, offering the Britwres crowd access to the NJPW roster that they would otherwise largely be denied.

Brixton Recreation Centre lacks the shabby, faded glamour of York Hall; in fact, it feels a little bit sterile, with winding stairs to the venue which proved a bit of a deathtrap in London’s (unseasonably warm) October rain. Nonetheless, it proved a perfectly adequate home for Global Wars 2018, which saw the likes of Tetsuya Naito, Minoru Suzuki and returning hero Satoshi Kojima take on some of Rev Pro’s finest homegrown talent.

Let’s take a look at how the show went down:

KUSHIDA vs Kurtis Chapman

A last minute replacement for David Starr, who was apparently experiencing some travel difficulties, Chapman did his utmost to rise to the occasion. KUSHIDA is never anything less than entertaining – one of the hardest workers in NJPW, he’s the kind of quietly confident, polished worker that seems incapable of having a bad match. And even though it all felt a little bit impromptu – completely understandable under the circumstances – it was nonetheless effective in getting the crowd warmed up. Chapman showed considerable fire for someone thrown in at the last minute, and his energy was infectious. But despite his best efforts the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion was just too much for him. Winner: KUSHIDA

EVIL & Sanada vs Ring Kampf (Walter & Timothy Thatcher)

Is there a more epic sound than that of the entire crowd singing along to Ring Kampf’s entrance music? I think not. Poor EVIL spent a substantial amount of time at the mercy of the bigger, stronger Walter (good god, those vicious chops) while Sanada encouraged his teammate – mostly from a safe distance. Not that you could blame him. Ring Kampf’s strength and aggression contrasted nicely with the speed and agility of the LiJ boys, and though it seemed more than once that Walter would get the better of them, in the end Sanada and EVIL mounted a fierce comeback to win with the Magic Killer. Winner: EVIL & Sanada

Great O-Kharn (w/Lord Gideon Grey) vs Rishi Ghosh

I have to confess here that I have somehow accidentally become an enormous Great O-Kharn mark. I’m not entirely sure how it’s happened – there’s something in his old-school aggressive, glowering heel persona that just works. O-Kharn is still a relative newcomer to the pro-wrestling scene, at least in this persona, and there’s something immensely enjoyable about watching him settle into his character, especially since it seems to be clicking at last.

Pairing O-Kharn up with the gloriously slimy Lord Gideon Grey was a touch of genius. Gideon’s hamminess complements O-Kharn’s old school heel aura, and it’s always a joy watching him scream his way to an aneurysm every time he ostentatiously announces ‘his latest acquisition’. It also allows for Rishi Ghosh to be brought into the story, pitting Gideon’s pet projects against one another and giving both competitors something vital to play for – redemption for Rishi, while O-Kharn seeks to uphold his ‘Dominator’ title. Just as Rishi looked to be getting one over on O-Kharn, along came Gideon, inciting Rishi to hit O-Kharn with his cane. Rishi wrestled with his conscience, but found the strength to reject Gideon’s flattery – which unfortunately cost him the win as O-Kharn took him down with a thunderous inverted suplex. A great little story which won Rishi the sympathy of the crowd. Winner: Great-O-Kharn

Tetsuya Naito vs Chris Brookes

The crowd went absolutely nuts for Naito – a full standing ovation for his entrance, before he’d even so much as lifted a finger in the ring. It’s testament to Chris Brookes’ sheer ability as a performer, then, that not only were a significant proportion of the crowd behind him but he was able to stand toe to toe with Naito and emerge looking not just legitimate, but good. This was a great match from start to finish, with plenty of crowd participation (“that’s the hardest part of the ring!” someone yelled, outraged, as Brookes took a bump on the apron). Plenty of back and forth but Naito was never really going to lose – a Destino eventually took Brookes down, but he looked strong in defeat. Winner: Tetsuya Naito

Hiroki Goto vs Zack Sabre Jr

This was all about ZSJ employing every bendy, pretzel-limbed weapon in his arsenal to keep Goto and his indefatigable spirit down. ZSJ plays the contemptuous heel so well, and while Goto was by far the lesser known of the two he was not without support – his fightbacks, when they came, were well received, and there was something compelling in watching him battle out of ZSJ’s clutches. But in the end ZSJ’s limb-wrenching manoeuvres were too much for Goto to reckon with, and he was able to counter the GTR for the win. A very good match. Winner: Zack Sabre Jr

Satoshi Kojima vs Mark Davis

Mark Davis (sans Kyle Fletcher) took on the leader of Bread Club in a fun bout which saw two powerhouses duking it out. Kojima was (unsurprisingly) the recipient of a hero’s welcome, inclusive of baguette-waving fans, and it was a joy to see the veteran take on Davis, who as one half of Aussie Open is quietly one of the best things about Rev Pro right now. Kojima turned Davis inside out with a thundering lariat, which won him the match. But all was not lost for Dunkzilla: Kojima requested a mic and proceeded to announce that Davis had been inducted into Bread Club. And let’s be honest: that’s almost as good as a win. Winner: Satoshi Kojima

(as an aside – I was lucky enough to meet Satoshi Kojima before the event, and I am pleased to confirm he is every bit as charming a gent as he appears to be.)

El Phantasmo vs Rocky Romero

If you’ve never seen El Phantasmo wrestle, I urge you to check him out. He’s an intensely charismatic high-flying wizard who is almost certainly destined to go straight to the top. This match was more of a showcase for Phantasmo’s penchant towards comedy, ably assisted by an on-form Rocky Romero, who was good fun as always. ELP even joined in the now mandatory heckling of perpetually beleaguered referee Chris Roberts. A fairly quick and breezy affair, but enjoyable nonetheless. ELP hit Romero with a swanton from one corner, followed by a moonsault from the opposite corner for the win, because there’s no kill like overkill. Winner: El Phantasmo

Chris Ridgeway vs Will Ospreay

An excellent match between two highly talented wrestlers. Typically fast-pasted and high-energy, with the crowd split down the middle. Ospreay is incredible to watch at times – it’s absolutely baffling to witness some of the feats he can pull off. Ridgeway is no slouch either, though, and kept pace without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, this match ended somewhat abruptly when Ospreay appeared to land on his head after missing a Pele kick to Ridgeway, who was seated on the turnbuckle. A very quick finish saw Ridgeway tap Ospreay out with the choke, with Ospreay then rushed to the back by the referee, with medics in tow. Josh Bodom came out to attack Ridgeway, but what should have been an interesting storyline development got lost under the concern for Ospreay’s condition. (The man himself has confirmed on Twitter that he’s okay – so, best wishes to Will Ospreay, and I hope he’s able to rest up and recover). Winner: Chris Ridgeway

Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Match: Minoru Suzuki vs Tomohiro Ishii

Forget what I said earlier: a room full of people yelling ‘Kaze Ni Nare’ in unison is enough to render even Ring Kampf’s theme a mere whimper in comparison. This was everything you might hope for from a Suzuki/Ishii match: pure, sadistic energy from Suzuki, who seemed to revel in hurting Ishii over and over. Suzuki’s aura of malevolence is all the more powerful when unleashed against an opponent who just won’t give in. Ishii’s bloody-minded stubbornness saw him absorb incredible amounts of punishment from the inexorable Suzuki in one of the most exhaustingly physical matches I’ve seen in a long time. Suzuki seemed poised to retain his title, but Ishii rallied in the final minutes with a brutal brainbuster to secure the win – and the title. Having witnessed him stand up to force of nature Walter to earn this title shot, it’s impossible to say that Ishii has not earned the belt twice over. Winner, and new Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion: Tomohiro Ishii

Revolution Pro Wrestling will be airing on Freesports from the 19th October at 9pm – if you’re interested in catching some of the best British wrestling around right now, I strongly suggest you check it out:

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