Mere hours before Royal Quest in London’s Copper Box, UK promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling staged their biggest event of the summer, Summer Sizzler. Previews of the top two title matches at Royal Quest topped the card as Hiroshi Tanahashi and Zack Sabre Junior faced Minoru Suzuki and Kazuchika Okada in the semi-main event.
The match started fast, as Okada and Suzuki exchanged open hand blows, before Suzuki hooked in an early sleeper, and looked for the Gotch Style Piledriver, but was countered. A hot crowd in York Hall exploded at the exchange, before a tag was made on both sides.
With Tanahashi in the ring, the Suzuki Gun team was able to take over by exploiting the Ace’s left elbow injury. When Suzuki went for a knee, however, Tanahashi would catch the blow and deliver a Dragon Screw, creating distance.
ZSJ would attempt to both outstrike and outwrestle his Saturday challenger, but Tanahashi gave as good as he got with open hand blows, and when caught in a Cobra Twist, was able to counter and lock in his own submission to a rabid reaction from the crowd.
With a dropkick from Okada added to the mix, it seemed as if Tanahashi was in the driver’s seat, but ZSJ was able to counter the Ace into a European Clutch for the three count. Post match, Sabre declared that after he defended the British Heavyweight Championship, his ‘boss’ Minoru Suzuki would become IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Suzuki reaffirmed that declaration before leading York Hall in emphatically stating ‘Suzuki-Gun: Ichiban!’
In the main event of the evening, Will Ospreay defeated hot prospect David Starr, in a match that put control of Revolution Pro and Will Ospreay’s career in the promotion at stake. In a chaotic match, Ospreay eventually came out on top with a Strombreaker.
El Phantasmo defeated rising talent Michael Oku to retain his British Cruiserweight Championship. Phantasmo’s momentum continues to be strong as he heads into a big tag match in the Copper Box, teaming with fellow IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Champion Taiji Ishimori to take on Ospreay and Robbie Eagles.
Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher, Aussie Open, defeated Josh Bodom and Sha Samuels to become number one contenders for the Guerrillas of Destiny’s IWGP Tag Team Championships at Royal Quest. Post match, Aussie Open and GoD stared each other down to a huge reaction for both teams; the biggest match of Aussie Open’s careers should be one of the hottest on the Copper Box card.
Also, in a mystery six man scramble match full of surprises, RPW’s masked star Sensa Volto was joined by Speedball Mike Bailey, and representing NJPW, BULLET CLUB’s Hikuleo, CHAOS’ Rocky Romero and Robbie Eagles, and to a huge reaction, SANADA of Los Ingobernables De Japon. SANADA would secure victory with the Skull End on Volto in a thrilling match that received a well deserved ovation from the York Hall faithful.
