The main event of this WrestleMania weekend event in conjunction with New Japan Pro Wrestling was set to be a continuation of the PAC vs Will Ospreay rivalry in the UK promotion, RevPro. The return of PAC to the United Kingdom outside of WWE was met with huge ovations but PAC has unfortunately been forced to pull out of the event, he was scheduled to tag team with Will Ospreay, due to Visa issues. PAC has since been announced to face Paul Robinson, Will Ospreay’s tag team partner in the Swords Of Essex, on April 14 in Southampton. The NJPW talent are flying to New York for some special attraction matches and one big rematch in Tomohiro Ishii vs David Starr. Katsuyori Shibata will even be appearing ringside for a match as Rev Pro debuts in New York for lots of smash mouth action. The NJPW/Rev Pro relationship expands more with every year, after Zack Sabre Jr submitted Tomohiro Ishii for the Rev Pro British Heavyweight championship at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in the Tokyo Dome the prestige of the top title in Rev Pro has grown and RevPro earns more fans as a result. The main event could very well be the absolute best tag team match of the entire WrestleMania weekend so let’s get to the card shall we. It airs live on Friday on Fite.tv at 3pm.
Rocky Romero vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
This Junior Heavyweight match is billed as “Coach vs Coach” because Ryusuke Taguchi is the leader of the Taguchi Japan faction and Rocky Romero manages Sho and Yoh, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag team champions known as Roppongi 3K. This is going to be one of the most fun affairs of this event with lots of crowd interaction, Romero is still popular after years in Ring Of Honor Wrestling (ROH) and NJPW but Taguchi is one of the most beloved acts in pro wrestling today. Even if some fans may find Taguchi gets too hokey and playful in the ring at times, he reminds everyone why he is one of the very best Junior Heavyweights in the game with a match like his IWGP Junior Heavyweight title shot against Taiji Ishimori at NJPW New Beginning In Osaka. Taguchi has a great Ankle Locks and fast counter wrestling to go with it, Romero luckily has the experience to match Taguchi perfectly. This is going to be a teaser to the RevPro Super J Cup tournament this Summer, a tournament that Rev Pro just introduced two years ago that was first won by Jushin “Thunder” Liger. Romero never has a bad match but Taguchi has more of an upside with the potential of earning a big UK reputation in addition to his years in NJPW.
Prediction: Ryusuke Taguchi wins.
Alex Coughlin & Karl Fredericks (w/ Katsuyori Shibata) vs. CCK (Jonathan Gresham & Chris Brookes)
The team of Jonathan Gresham and Chris Brookes of the CCK faction were originally scheduled to battle Suzuki-Gun in the tag team main event attraction but instead they will test the trainees at the NJPW Los Angeles Dojo. Alex Coughlin is twenty-six years old and is one of the first of three to train at that Dojo, making him a future force potentially after being molded since his September 2018 debut. Karl Fredericks has wrestled since 2015, he defeated Alex Coughlin at NJPW New Beginning In USA: Nashville via Boston Crab and suffered a pinfall loss to Davey Boy Smith Jr at NJPW New Beginning In USA: Charlotte. Both are lean and intense competitors, a formidable tag team could seriously be brewing until their singles careers take off. Jonathan Gresham is going to put his technical expertise to use and Chris Brookes has the size advantage. CCK is one of the worlds best tag teams, this well-rounded team has the charisma to keep this match more than entertaining and the sensational tag team combinations are going to teach Fredericks and Coughlin a lesson in tag team wrestling.
Prediction: CCK wins.
Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)
A first time ever match, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag team champions against the top challengers to the Rev Pro tag team championships. Aussie Open has a lot to gain from a victory here and that means for both RevPro and NJPW. Aussie Open has Kyle Fletcher for the fast-paced Junior Heavyweight action and Mark Davis has the Heavyweight power, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Aussie Open made their debut in Japan for NJPW very soon. Both teams have reached their peak popularity but Aussie Open are even more enthusiastic with live crowds and a win would be explosive for the career of both Davis and Fletcher. “The Aussie Arrow” Fletcher can set up Davis’ Piledriver in an instant as Sho and Yoh continue their growing pains as three-time champions.
Prediction: Aussie Open wins.
Tomohiro Ishii vs. David Starr
David Starr took Tomohiro Ishii to the limit at RevPro Uprising in a special champion vs champion match with Ishii as the British Heavyweight champion and Starr as the Rev Pro Cruiserweight champion. That was one of the landmark matches in the career of “The Product”, dishing out Lariat’s back to Ishii and taking zero shortcuts. Starr has so much to offer to pro wrestling from promos to adapting to any style, not many can endure Ishii’s brawling for long before collapsing due to exhaustion and that’s exactly what Ishii has in mind for this rematch. A major victory for Starr would rock the New York crowd but Ishii doesn’t fall to many unless respect is earned, Starr will need to hit more than one Product Placement for the three-count.
Prediction: David Starr wins.
Will Ospreay & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.)
Hiroshi Tanahashi is “The Ace” of NJPW so it’s remarkable Rev Pro secured Tanahashi for a replacement main event on such short notice but a night with Tanahashi vs Suzuki is never a bad evening. Minoru Suzuki has battled Hiroshi Tanahashi for over ten years and there is never a clear winner in the rivalry. Zack Sabre Jr has a winning edge over Hiroshi Tanahashi in matches, but on the other hand, the British Heavyweight champion has also held the Rev Pro tag team championships with Minoru Suzuki. Sabre is the absolute peak of RevPro the same way Tanahashi is for NJPW. Will Ospreay is going to be the star of this match, “The Aerial Assassin” wrestled six matches last year for WrestleMania weekend so he has the endurance to spare. The tag team offense from Tanahashi and Ospreay will be very innovative, meanwhile, Suzuki-Gun will be just looking for the submission game. Ospreay and Sabre may reignite a rivalry now that Will Ospreay is the reigning NEVER Openweight champion, the Stormbreaker should be enough to finish Suzuki-Gun in front of a red hot New York crowd. Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki have already been announced to take on Aussie Open in a rematch at the next big RevPro event, Epic Encounter, on May 10 in York Hall.
