London, England’s Revolution Pro (RevPro) returns this weekend for its third annual British J Cup. Started in 2017, it’s essentially a UK version of the Super J Cup, a tournament held by RevPro’s allied partner in the IWGP Conception, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). NJPW legend Jushin Thunder Liger won the inaugural tournament in 2017, while last year El Phantasmo, a Canadian indie star who found success in the UK indies before heading to NJPW to join Bullet Club, won the tournament. While last year saw the tournament run over two days, this year’s British J Cup returns to its original format from 2017, in that it will run over the course of just one day, this coming Sunday, November 24. The tournament will be available on-demand at RevPro’s streaming site.
BRITISH J CUP: FIRST ROUND TOURNAMENT MATCHES
Rocky Romero vs. Michael Oku
CHAOS’ Rocky Romero is back for his second British J Cup, having made the Fatal Four Way finals and losing to El Phantasmo. A longtime veteran of NJPW, he’s a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion (as Black Tiger), 3x CMLL World Super Lightweight Champion, and an 8x IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Ropponggi Vice (with Trent Beretta), Forever Hooligans (with Alex Koslov), and No Remorse Corps (with Davey Richards). Romero’s opponent is one of the amazing young stars of the UK indie scene in London’s own Michael Oku (aka OJMO). While Oku just recently lost his Battle Pro Wrestling (BPW) Championship, he still remains an electrifying presence in the ring and someone we’ve only scratched the surface of seeing his potential.
Robbie Eagles vs. Barbaro Cavernario
Australian indie sensation Robbie Eagles is making his British J Cup debut, but the “Sniper of the Skies” is no stranger to tournaments. He competed in the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors this year, as well as the Super J Cup and NJPW Junior Tag League. Originally debuting in NJPW as a member of Bullet Club, this past year he turned on the Club and joined his friend Will Ospreay in CHAOS. His opponent is also making his British J Cup debut and comes to the tournament from another IWGP Conception partner, in Mexico’s CMLL. Barbaro Cavernario has become one of Mexico’s emerging stars who are looking to break out internationally. The reigning Mexican National Light Heavyweight Champion has won multiple tournaments in Mexico and even competed in a Best of the Super Juniors back in 2015.
Senza Volto vs. El Phantasmo
Paris, France’s Senza Volto has been an indie staple throughout Europe, where he competes for the German Wrestling Federation (GWF), France’s Association les Professionnels du Catch (APC) and International Catch Wrestling Alliance (ICWA), as well appearing on the UK indie scene with the likes of RevPro, Southside Wrestling Entertainment (SWE), and PROGRESS Wrestling. The reigning SWE European Champion has won gold around Europe. He’ll be facing the 2018 tournament winner in El Phantasmo, who has been on a roll since joining NJPW and Bullet Club. He won this year’s NJPW Super J Cup as well and reached the semi-finals of this year’s Best of the Super Juniors. A former 3x ECCW Champion in his native Canada with British Columbia’s Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW), he’s also the reigning RevPro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion and one half of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, alongside his Bullet Club partner Taiji Ishimorii. Senza Volto really has his work cut out for him, but this could prove to be a great showcase for the Frenchman.
PAC vs. Amazing Red
The last match of the opening round has all the potential to be a Match of the Year candidate when its all said and done. Since his WWE departure in 2017, PAC has re-found his spot in the international scene, competing for Dragon Gate in Japan and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in the United States. The former 2x WWE Cruiserweight Champion has worked around the world these past two years and looks better than ever. PAC is facing another man who has reinvented himself in former 3x IMPACT X-Division Champion and US indie legend, Amazing Red. It wasn’t too long ago that Red announced he was retiring, but some banter on-line with Will Ospreay has led Red back into the ring, where he’s now having matches in NJPW and seemingly found his passion for the business again.
BRITISH J CUP: NON-TOURNAMENT MATCHES
Ren Narita vs. Brendan White
Ren Narita continues his excursion away from NJPW and heads to the UK this weekend after starting in the US indies at Black Label Pro this past weekend. He faces a young star on the rise in the UK scene, in Wales’ Brendan White. White grew up in the Welsh indie scene with ATTACK! Pro Wrestling and Dragon Pro Wrestling and debuted with RevPro earlier this year.
Tessa Blanchard vs. Gisele Shaw
Although she’s appeared in the UK before, IMPACT Wrestling‘s Tessa Blanchard is making her RevPro debut this weekend in singles action. She’s facing a Canadian indie star who has absolutely exploded in the UK scene over the past few months. Originally from the Philippines, her family moved to Canada when she was a kid. A student of Lance Storm, Gisele Shaw has become a top star quickly, working with Pro Wrestling EVE, PROGRESS, Over The Top (OTT) Wrestling, Fight Club: PRO and more.
British Tag Team Championship Unification: Moonlight Express (“Speedball” Mike Bailey & MAO) (Southside Champions) vs. The Legion (Rampage Brown & Great-O-Kharn) (RevPro Champions)
With RevPro merging with Southside Wrestling Entertainment (SWE), it looks like the beginning of the championship unifications are underway on Sunday. Home field tag team comes in the former of The Legion (Rampage Brown & Great-O-Kharn). This two are as tough as they get and they can hit very hard. In the other corner, it’s Moonlight Express, the SWE Tag Team Champion tandem of Canadian indie superstar “Speedball” Mike Bailey and 22-year MAO, one of the top rising stars in Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) in Japan. Two very different styles, but that diversity in the ring should make for great wrestling.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. And make sure to watch the replay of RevPro British J Cup on Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Subscription Service.
