{"id":9565,"date":"2018-07-08T17:21:52","date_gmt":"2018-07-08T17:21:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/?p=9565"},"modified":"2018-07-08T17:43:24","modified_gmt":"2018-07-08T17:43:24","slug":"njpw-rev-pro-strong-style-evolved-night-1-review-30-6-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/2018\/07\/08\/njpw-rev-pro-strong-style-evolved-night-1-review-30-6-18\/","title":{"rendered":"NJPW\/Rev Pro Strong Style Evolved Night 1 Review 30\/6\/18"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Tokyo Wrestling Fan @twf87<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

While the rest of the country was gripped with World Cup fever, New Japan came to the UK to run two shows in association with Revolution Pro Wrestling. \u00a0The first night was held at the Planet Ice Arena in Milton Keynes, and drew a gate of around 2,500 people.\u00a0 There was also a Ring of Honor tour, and an event at CEO in Florida organised by Kenny Omega on the same weekend, so certain wrestlers including Los Ingobernables de Japon, the Golden Lovers, and Hiroshi Tanahashi didn\u2019t make it to the UK.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shota Umino<\/strong> vs. Mystery Opponent <\/strong>\u2013 There was a lot of speculation before the match about who Umino\u2019s opponent would be, but I\u2019m not sure anyone predicted that it would be the former Young Lion Tomoyuki Oka debuting a new gimmick, Dominator Great O-Kharn.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard his gimmick being described variously as a jiangshi \u2013 a Chinese vampire \u2013 and as a Mongolian warlord.\u00a0 It seems like this match was the start of his excursion in the UK.\u00a0 This match was a decent opener, and the crowd seemed to be appreciative of the efforts of Umino as he played the underdog to O-Kharn\u2019s power offense.\u00a0 O-Kharn had quite an old school style of wrestling, which included using the claw and a lot of Mongolian chops.\u00a0 He won the match after a top-rope Mongolian chop.<\/p>\n

Winner: Dominator Great O-Kharn, 10:02<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yujiro Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori <\/strong>vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) \u2013 <\/strong>I really like the Bullet Club tag team of Yujiro and Ishimori, and Aussie Open are a fun tag team who put on some good matches recently in numerous British promotions.\u00a0 Yujiro and Ishimori focused on isolating the smaller Fletcher at the start of the match, and he took a beating until he was able to tag in his larger partner.\u00a0 Davis was able to use his power to overwhelm the smaller Ishimori and Yujiro, but ultimately Ishimori hit Fletcher with the Bloody Cross to win.\u00a0 Ishimori looked great in this match, and the crowd really appreciated his fast-paced, crisp wrestling.<\/p>\n

Winners: Yujiro Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori, 12:57<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tiger Mask <\/strong>vs. David Starr \u2013 <\/strong>This match was supposed to be a title match for the Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship, but when David Starr entered the ring he cut a promo claiming that Tiger Mask hadn\u2019t done anything to deserve a title shot and therefore he would not be defending his title tonight.\u00a0 The crowd were not impressed, and booed David Starr throughout his long-winded introduction by the browbeaten ring announcer.\u00a0 Starr was very cocky in this match, and he showed his vicious side when he beat down Tiger Mask on the outside.\u00a0 Back in the ring, Tiger Mask managed to get in some good hits of his own, including a Tiger Driver and a top rope butterfly suplex.\u00a0 Starr distracted the referee and hit Tiger Mask with a low blow, but Tiger Mask countered his attempted lariat into a Perspex driver for the three count.<\/p>\n

Winner: Tiger Mask, 11:01<\/strong><\/p>\n

Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Taichi, and Takashi Iizuka) <\/strong>vs. CHAOS (Jay White, Gedo, and Yano Toru) \u2013 <\/strong>Six-man Suzuki-gun matches with Takashi Iizuka are generally my least favourite matches, so I didn\u2019t have high hopes going into this.\u00a0 Gedo\u2019s presence on the CHAOS team is usually a sign that he\u2019s taking the fall.\u00a0 There were a lot of Suzuki-gun shenanigans outside the ring in this match, but some decent wrestling in the ring from Jay White, and I enjoyed Yano outsmarting all of Suzuki-gun with his tricks.\u00a0 The crowd was very into Yano \u2013 he\u2019s extremely over wherever he goes.\u00a0 As expected, Gedo took the fall following an iron claw from Iizuka while the referee was distracted.<\/p>\n

Winners: Suzuki-gun, 10:40<\/strong><\/p>\n

WALTER <\/strong>vs. Yuji Nagata \u2013 <\/strong>WALTER is one of the best big men in wrestling right now, and Nagata can still work very well despite his age, so in contrast to the previous match this was one that I was particularly excited about.\u00a0 Nagata took control of the match early on, but one massive chop was all it took for WALTER to make a comeback.\u00a0 WALTER\u2019s chops are absolutely brutal, and Nagata was staggered by the force the first time he felt one.\u00a0 The big Austrian used his power to dominate Nagata, who found himself in the unusual position of being the underdog in this match.\u00a0 Nagata refused to back down though, and demonstrated his unbending resolve in a savage strike exchange with WALTER, trading chops and kicks to the chest.\u00a0 Nagata managed to hit WALTER with an exploder suplex and catch him in the Nagata Lock, but WALTER was able to get a foot on the ropes.\u00a0 A massive lariat from WALTER scored an near fall, and then finally he put Nagata down for the three count with a second lariat.\u00a0 After the match WALTER and Nagata shook hands in a display of sportsmanship.\u00a0 This was easily the best match on the card so far.<\/p>\n

Winner: WALTER, 12:27<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chris Brookes <\/strong>vs. YOSHI-HASHI \u2013 <\/strong>Chris Brookes was accompanied to the ring by his CCK tag team partner Kid Lykos for a match against CHAOS\u2019 blandest member.\u00a0 Kevin Kelly pointed out that one of Chris Brookes\u2019 strengths was his lanky frame, and this was on display when he was able to get his foot on the rope to break up a hammerlock early on.\u00a0 Kid Lykos hit YOSHI-HASHI in the face with a baking tray when Brookes distracted the referee, which led to a close two count.\u00a0 YOSHI-HASHI worked this match as an underdog, but the crowd didn\u2019t really seem to connect with him in that role.\u00a0 After the heights of the previous match between WALTER and Nagata, this felt like a come-down, and there were some issues with chemistry between the two.\u00a0 YOSHI-HASHI hit Karma for a three count to keep him strong going into the G1 Climax, but the crowd was more interested in CCK than in YOSHI-HASHI.<\/p>\n

Winner: YOSHI-HASHI, 9:03<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yoshinobu Kanemaru <\/strong>vs. Will Ospreay<\/strong> \u2013 This was a rematch from this year\u2019s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, although not one that I desperately wanted to see again so soon.\u00a0 Ospreay got a big pop when he came out, and there were a lot of creative chants for him, including a Three Lions inspired \u201cOspreay\u2019s coming home\u201d.\u00a0 The action quickly spilled to the outside, and Ospreay got the ring announcer to Irish Whip him towards Kanemaru, who stopped the Aerial Assassin in his tracks with a chair.\u00a0 Kanemaru focused his attack on Ospreay\u2019s neck, which has been a running storyline injury since he hit his head on the apron at Sakura Genesis.\u00a0 They teased a count out after Kenamaru DDT\u2019d Ospreay on the entrance ramp, but Ospreay managed to dive back into the ring just before the twenty.\u00a0 Kanemaru tried to spit whiskey in Ospreay\u2019s face, but Ospreay held his mouth closed, then kicked him in the face, sending the whiskey spraying everywhere.\u00a0 Ospreay attempted a Storm Breaker, but Kanemaru countered, and it seemed like it was all over when Kanemaru hit the Deep Impact. \u00a0Will kicked out at two, and finally managed to hit a Storm Breaker for a three count.\u00a0 I think this was better than their BOSJ match, and Ospreay fed off the crowd\u2019s support to help him overcome Kanemaru.<\/p>\n

Winner: Will Ospreay, 10:59<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rev Pro Undisputed British Tag Team Championship<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) <\/strong>vs. Suzuki-gun (Zack Sabre Junior and Minoru Suzuki) (c) <\/strong>\u00ad\u2013 Despite being heels, ZSJ and Suzuki were both very over with the UK crowd, who joined in singing Kaze ni nare <\/em>with gusto.\u00a0 Suzuki\u2019s entrance video had some cool photos from his recent 30th<\/sup> anniversary show in Yokohama.\u00a0 Ishii, who is the Rev Pro Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion, and Okada also received big pops for their entrances.\u00a0 Okada debuted some new trousers for this match, which were red rather than gold, and for some reason had balloons tied to them.\u00a0 The commentary team played up the fact that Okada had seemed lost since his defeat at the hands of Kenny Omega at Dominion, but tonight he seemed to be back to the old, confident Rainmaker.\u00a0 As well as being a match for the tag team titles, this match was foreshadowing night two, when ZSJ took on Okada, and Suzuki challenged Ishii for his heavyweight title.\u00a0 ZSJ and Okada started the match off, but things really got going when Suzuki and Ishii came in.\u00a0 They unloaded strikes on each other, including a long strike exchange at the end of the match, with both men refusing to back down until finally Ishii collapsed due to the sheer volume of punishment.\u00a0 ZSJ and Suzuki controlled long stretches of the match with their submissions, and they frequently had both Ishii and Okada in submissions at the same time.\u00a0 Okada hit his trademark spots, but found himself countered on numerous occasions by Sabre, who had learned from his loss at Sakura Genesis.\u00a0 Ishii took a tremendous amount of punishment by both members of Suzuki-gun, including a double PK that nearly scored a three count.\u00a0 Ishii refused to give up though, and he nearly managed to score a victory over ZSJ, but ultimately Sabre caught Ishii in a wicked-looking submission and forced him to tap out.\u00a0 This was a very good match between four top stars, and the amount of submissions and counters was phenomenal.\u00a0 After the match Suzuki cut a promo and told the crowd that Suzuki-gun are number one.<\/p>\n

Winners: Suzuki-gun, 25:45<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was a decent show, with a very good main event, and good matches between WALTER and Yuji Nagata, and Will Ospreay and Yoshinobu Kanemaru.\u00a0 The undercard was largely forgettable, and the crowd seemed uninterested in YOSHI-HASHI.\u00a0 Oka\u2019s new gimmick is interesting, and while I think he\u2019s ready for an excursion at this point, I\u2019m not sure what British crowds will make of Dominator Great O-Kharn.\u00a0 Aside from WALTER, Aussie Open impressed me from the Rev Pro side of things, and I wouldn\u2019t mind seeing them perhaps in the World Tag League in the future.\u00a0 There were a few technical issues with the sound, and the overall presentation wasn\u2019t up the standard of a regular New Japan show.\u00a0 This seemed like an event that was fun for the live crowd, but the only must see match was the main event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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