6/15/2025

© Chris Gannon

UK & Ireland

EVE 135: Hit Me Baby One More Time

06/06/2025
The Big Penny Social, London, UK
Watch On: YouTube
Review by David Hayter

“Hit Me Baby One More Time” will go down as one of the more memorable shows in Pro Wrestling EVE’s history, in large part due to a historic main event that saw both the first-ever defence of the IWGP Women’s World Title on British soil and Alex Windsor’s fond farewell to the UK independent scene. Those momentous events alone might fool you into thinking that this was a rather serious and sombre affair, but as anyone who has ever attended an EVE show will know, that couldn’t be further from the truth – as the crowd were treated to fake orgasms, Barbie-themed burlesque, and jokes about fluttering flaps. EVE has always been a particularly British, proudly punk, and riotously camp celebration of wrestling as a subculture, and even the presence of the revered ex-UFC and World of Stardom champion Syuri couldn’t dim EVE’s countercultural cheek.

Syuri Sets Her Sights On Sareee, Following Fabulous Final Bow For Alex Windsor

As wild and proudly preposterous as EVE can be at times (I’ve literally watched the tag team of Steve Irwin and an inflatable croc compete in their ring), promoters Dann and Emily Read always know exactly when to knock off the nonsense and embrace the gravity of the moment. Before tonight’s main event, Dann relieved the brilliant drag queen Trixie Diamond of hosting duties to give a heartfelt eulogy to Dils, a recently deceased member of the British wrestling community. Then a brilliant and thoughtfully composed video aired, recapping the history of the IWGP name alongside the IWGP Women’s Title, taking time to contrast Mayu Iwatani’s record-setting 735-day IWGP reign with Alex Windsor’s 769 days as the Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. The lights lowered, blackening the crowd and leaving the ring and the competitors bathed in piercing white spotlight. Syuri and Alex Windsor might have been standing opposite each other in the backroom of a pub, but as Dann ripped into the introductions, EVE had managed to capture a hint of that big fight, Tokyo Dome main event feel right here in Walthamstow.

The match did not disappoint. Syuri sported her signature death stare, but Alex Windsor didn’t wilt and, after Syuri caught the crowd off guard with a flying headscissors, the pair settled into a hard-hitting, technically crisp and emotionally compelling IWGP title match. Alex was never positioned as a helpless underdog—she was always presented as a powerful threat—but the story was simple: Syuri was unflappable, too precise and too technically efficient for Alex to ever truly maintain the upper hand. Watching Syuri work up close was a true delight. She doesn’t possess the flashiest offence and, while she can hit ungodly hard, she doesn’t actually focus on battering her opponent. Instead, she uses her confidence in her striking accuracy to work both incredibly fast and incredibly safely. When Alex went for a lariat early in the match, Syuri met her arm with a blistering high kick that she fired off without any hesitancy or premeditation, in a fashion that’s almost alien to professional wrestling but so natural to MMA.

As the match progressed, they went through all the sequences you’d expect from a Korakuen Hall classic, including Syuri hitting flying knee strikes off the apron, whipping Alex into the front row of chairs before laying her out with another running knee. The submission work was particularly impressive: Syuri caught Alex on the top rope, hit her with the flipping kimura, before beautifully transitioning into a Disarm-Her, cross arm-breaker, and eventually a triangle choke, which Windsor countered with the classic Carlos Newton powerbomb. Alex isn’t the kind of dramatic seller of the Natsupoi style that many will be used to in Stardom; instead, she’s great at gritting it out and displaying a resilient intensity as she survived Syuri’s submissions and returned fire with hard lariats and slams for a series of compelling (if not entirely believable) near-falls. Windsor fought to the point of exhaustion, but she was eventually outlasted and outclassed as Syuri was able to hoist her into an electric chair position to land the Syu-Sekai and secure victory.

© Chris Gannon

With that victory, it was officially confirmed that Syuri will face Sareee at Stardom’s “The Conversion” on 22 June 2025. Syuri briefly thanked Alex and bowed to her before vacating the ring to allow Windsor a final address. Windsor then began giving a heartfelt speech which culminated in her announcing that this fantastic bout would be her final match as an independent British wrestler and that she was now officially “All Elite”. This was a fantastic note on which to end her run on the independents, and anyone bemoaning this hire due to her relationship with Will Ospreay would be well served to watch her matches with Syuri, Jamie Hayter, and Dani Luna (Dog Collar match) before passing comment.

Anita Vaughan Mirrors Mox As She Makes A Date With Kris Statlander

The other huge news to come out of this show is that following a successful defence of the EVE International Championship against Lucia Lee, Anita Vaughan will be facing AEW’s Kris Statlander at “Mean Girls” on 4 July. Vaughan has transformed herself in the past year into a tough, no-nonsense, arse-kicking heel who takes joy in working over her opponents at length. She’s also decided to keep the EVE International Title hidden in a bag during her entrance, imitating the ongoing Death Riders storyline in AEW—albeit Vaughan did reveal the belt once the match was won and her opponent had left ringside.

Lucia Lee was a game opponent who showed good determination working from underneath, as Vaughan dominated the match with hard knees and forearms. Unfortunately, when it came time to fire back and make a brief comeback, while Lee’s throws were solid, her clobbering strikes were too soft and inaccurate to really inspire confidence. In the end, this was a semi-competitive squash designed to position Vaughan as a cut above the rest of the midcard, as she prepares to face Kris Statlander in what looks like a hard result to call on paper.

© Chris Gannon

Bozilla Murders Martina In Fun Filled Eight Woman

The semi-main event eight-woman tag was designed to put smiles on faces, even as Bozilla repeatedly buried the loveable but hapless Session Moth Martina into the canvas en route to a comfortable victory. The match was entirely built around Martina’s fear of the debuting Bozilla, as she sought the protection of her partners—the burly EVE Champion Nightshade and the tough villainess Skye Smitson. It made for a truly engaging party match, even if the end result was obvious from the pre-match introductions. However, amidst the carnage as Millie McKenzie threw some big suplexes and Nightshade ran wild, the true star of the show appeared to be the ’80s rock lovechild Rayne Leverkusen. Her hot tag was phenomenal; she was crisp, dynamic and exuded a likeable babyface fire at all times, belying her meagre four years of in-ring experience. Nightshade vs Alexxis Falcon (then hopefully Bozilla) may be EVE’s present, but Rayne is the future.

Main Event Drama And Undercard Comedy Round Off The Show

The extremes of EVE were on display in the remaining segments, as Safire Reed stormed to the ring and cut an enraged promo demanding Nina Samuels leave the commentary booth to settle their long-running score once and for all. Nina obliged, mocking Safire as she made her way to the ring, but it was a ruse to set up an Abi Cartwright ambush. Abi was laid out (as always), but Nina and Safire would brawl to the back, leading to the announcement of their “Fight to the Finish” match at “Mean Girls”. If their altercation was heated and intense, then the opening match between Big Beefy Bitches and Pretty Psycho was a light-hearted affair built around Zoe Lucas’ head getting stuck in Emersyn Jayne’s arse, as they unintentionally brought Amira to climax (it’s honestly better if you don’t ask). Emersyn and Rhio got to show a little of their class in-ring, but the match was ultimately a comedic warm-up to set up a Zoe Lucas post-match tantrum.

Full Results

EVE Tag Team Title #1 Contendership:
Big Beefy Bitches (Emersyn Jayne & Rhio) defeat Pretty Psycho (Amira Blair & Zoe Lucas) (10:25)

EVE International Title:
Anita Vaughan (c) defeats Lucia Lee (11:31)

Alexxis Falcon, Bozilla, Lucy Sky & Millie McKenzie defeat Nightshade, Rayne Leverkusen, Session Moth Martina & Skye Smitson (14:15)

IWGP Women’s Title:
Syuri (c) defeats Alex Windsor (21:43)

© Riot Cabaret

Riot Cabaret: Love & War 4/6/25

Review by Chris Gannon

With Forbidden Door weekend coming up, there are so many shows in London to attend before the big event, enough that some clash and you have to make choices. The first night of RevPro’s 13th Anniversary show and Riot Cabaret’s “Somebody’s Knocking At The Door” are two such shows, both of which will probably be excellent, but they’ll be excellent in different ways. For those trying to decide which one to attend, I gave them a question that should help them determine which show is better suited for them: “Riot Cabaret is probably going to feature a wedding between Tate Mayfairs and the wrestler (formerly known as Session Moth Martina) Klassy Karen, does that sound like your kind of fun?”

In a surprising turn of events, though, the wedding was actually scheduled for Riot’s June show “Love & War” instead. What could possibly be in store for this show, could it feature the first wrestling wedding that goes off without a hitch? Technically, it did, but that was not all that happened.

Taking place at the end of the first half of the show, what was clearly the main event for the crowd commenced, but how did we get here?

© Chris Gannon

Klassy Karen and Tateypoos: A Love Story For The Ages

In a shocking turn of events, Session Moth Martina, notorious party girl and mother to an ever changing number of children, helped Tate Mayfairs and James Ellis, The Excellence, win the Riot Cabaret tag team titles at “All Singing, All Dancing” 2024. At the next show, “Thunder Road”, Tate declared his love for Martina… well, almost. After gifting her a new set of black dresses to replace her usual leopard print and a pearl necklace, he rechristened her Klassy Karen, much to the disgust of his tag partner and best friend, James Ellis. A few months later, at “Slamma Mia, Here We Go Again,” The Excellence lost the tag titles to Sunshine Machine in a Slamball match, after a last minute substitution of Klassy Karen for James Ellis, a loss which sharply focused Mayfairs’ mind on what was really important in his life, leading to him proposing to Karen. Unfortunately to be able to marry Karen, Tate had to defeat a gauntlet of Karen’s evil exes at “Fights & Delights” in March. Overcoming a motley crew of wrestlers, referees and a former Love Island contestant, Tate secured the right to marry Karen and the big day was set.

A Wrestling Wedding, What Could Go Wrong?

The big day was here, the ring was set up with lovely decorations, and the wedding party was there. A lot of the crowd had come in their Sunday best, as had tag champions Sunshine Machine, interviewer Maia Beth and referees Tom Scarborough and Oscar Harding. The musicians serenaded the crowd with closing time classic Robbie Williams’ “Angels” before introducing officiant Simon Miller. Tate and James Ellis made their way to cheers and party poppers; the bridesmaids, Amira Blair, Cassius and a heavily bandaged Emersyn Jayne made a beautiful sight and finally Karen made her procession to a slow piano rendition of her music “Every Time We Touch” by Cascada. The crowd were all feeling the moment, and then the vows began. The bride and groom had both written their own, and as Tate read his, demanding that Karen forsake all others, give up wrestling and abstain from alcohol so she could provide him with a gaggle of children, a supportive crowd turned on him, booing his increasingly ridiculous demands. Through it all, Karen agreed to them enthusiastically. No one had objected, they both agreed to each other’s vows and the union had been made official. The crowd was privileged to watch one of the rarest sights ever: a wrestling wedding that had gone off without some kind of shenanigans…well, almost.

After it had been made official, Karen’s former tag team partner Charles Crowley entered to state his belated objections and to show a video…a video of a hotel room occupied by Karen that Tate’s best friend and best man, James Ellis, had visited. After the chaos that ensued, Martina shed her Karen persona to hit Tate with a beer can, revealing the trap that she had laid for him and that Karen had never really been real. As Tate escaped the ring in confusion, Martina celebrated with Crowley and her beloved beer – a more beautiful bride, no one had ever seen.

Elsewhere On The Card…

Riot booked a Fatal Door Way match, something they admitted was based on the pun first and then they figured out what the match would be. Similar to a tables match, this four way match needed the wrestlers to eliminate their opponents by sending them through doors rather than tables. Emersyn Jayne proved once again to be the hardest wrestler in the European scene, soldiering on after a face first collision with the ring apron when moonsaulting onto all her opponents on the outside. Connor Mills showed off the deadliest kicks in Great Britain and Dani Luna demonstrated that she’s a beast who will use doors despite professing to hate them. The match belonged to Nico Angelo though, finally eliminating Luna, likely setting him up for a world title match.

The main event was a Riot Cabaret World Title match (with a Loser Leaves stipulation) between champion Mark Andrews and challenger Charles Crowley. After innumerable twists and turns, Crowley was finally undone by Spike Trivet smashing a champagne bottle over his head. In probably the most unexpected turn of the night, Crowley, who is more emblematic of Cabaret than any wrestler going today, will no longer perform on Riot Cabaret shows.

In perhaps the weirdest experience I’ve ever had as a wrestling fan, I cheered on Nina Samuels in her efforts against the black swan of British wrestling, Cara Noir. Nina won after Noir was disqualified for assaulting the referee, but Nina was trapped by Noir’s manager Miss Guillotine as Noir attacked Nina’s friend and valet Neon Cassius.

Sunshine Machine retained the riot cabaret tag titles against Trew & Lacey despite a pre-bell attack.

Michael Oku defeated Alexander Roth. With apologies to the participants, I arrived too late to see this match thanks to train delays. (Sorry Trish, I don’t blame you.)

Finally, The Franchise defeated the Bryant bros (Nino and Zander) 4-2 in slamball. For those who aren’t aware, Riot runs a Slam Ball league, the current champions of which are Sunshine Machine. Slam Ball is a match of two five minute halves, where teams score points by body slamming their opponents. The more familiar you are with the premier league, the more you will get out of this match type. Results often mirror premier league scores from the previous week. In this match the teams were made out of young junior fliers the Bryant Bros and the Franchise, a team made up of Brendan White and JJ Gale, who had been recruited by a mysterious owner with deep pockets. These matches are always incredibly fun and this one was no exception, with yellow cards being deployed for unacceptable behaviour, the crowd chanting football style songs and the ref coming in for an ungodly amount of abuse. This is a Riot original match type and has been an enormous success, to the point where they’re selling football tops for it.

Here To Sing Our Song Out Loud

There are two promotions that I’m prepared to make trips to London for without a match being announced – EVE: Riot Grrrls Of Wrestling and Riot Cabaret. Both provide different sorts of wrestling entertainment to other companies. They’re both very comfortable in their own identities and provide some very fun and hard hitting action. For “Forbidden Door” weekend, I’ve had to make choices on which shows I’m going to attend but, for my sensibilities, Riot was an easy choice over RevPro, even though RevPro will likely feature some of the best action of a jam packed weekend. Riot hits so many of the things I enjoy as a wrestling fan that I couldn’t say no to them. I highly encourage checking them out.

Full Results

Michael Oku defeats Alexander Roth via pin (8:59)

Riot Cabaret Tag Titles:
Sunshine Machine(c) defeat Trew & Lacey via pin (9:50)

Fatal Door Way Match:
Nico Angelo defeats Dani Luna, Connor Mills & Emersyn Jayne via door eliminations (17:11)

Nina Samuels defeats Cara Noir via DQ (10:38)

Slam Ball:
The Franchise (Brendan White & JJ Gale) defeat The Bryant Bros (Nino & Zander Bryant) 4-2
Loser Leaves Riot Cabaret World Title Match: Mark Andrews defeats Charles Crowley via pin (10:23)

UK and Ireland News

Rampage Brown is returning to several promotions over the coming months – including for New Generation Wrestling in Hull on July 12th, where he will face Kemper. Lizzy Evo will defend her NGW Women’s Title against Alexxis Falcon on the same show.

Brown is also heading back to TNT Extreme Wrestling to face MVK for the TNT IGNition title on July 26th on the afternoon show of a two show day for the promotion at Fusion Nightclub in Liverpool.

Advertised for evening show “Summer Explosion” is the return of Michael Oku to TNT to face regular career foe Connor Mills, the “Pretty Psycho” team of Zoe Lucas and Amira Blair in action, and a debut for JCW’s Cocaine.

© TNT

Leon Slater will defend the North title in a 3 way on July 12th against trainer Liam Slater and Gene Munny. Tajiri has been pulled from the Newcastle show, with the promotion citing a scheduling issue.

Kanji will face Vivika in the semi finals of Attack! Pro Wrestling’s “Weird and Wonderful World Cup” on July 12th in Cardiff.

ICW are holding 2 nights at the Asylum in Glasgow on June 21st and 22nd, entitled “Pour Wan Oot”. Angel Hayze v Hollie Barlow has been signed for Night 2 whilst Austin Brookes vs Jack Ripley and Craig Anthony vs Tommy Lockhart are set for Night 1.

Jordan Saaed, Connor Mills, TK Cooper and Ashmore will be among the entrants of the “Sink or Swim Rumble” on July 5th in Margate for Pro Wrestling Colossus, as the seaside and summer camp shows ramp up as the UK begins its summer holiday season.

Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore will be at No Mercy Wrestling during “Summerslam” weekend, as he appears in Caerphilly, Wales, on August 3rd.

ICW: No Holds Barred and Bleeding Gums Wrestling have begun announcing matches for their shows in Perth, Scotland, in early September. John Wayne Murdoch vs Clint Margera has been signed for September 7th. ICW: NHB regular Tim Strange will also be wrestling BZW’s Extreme Champion Big F’n Joe in a non title, extreme rules matchup in Braintree on August 16th.

The Dark Horse will defend the Titanic Wrestling Championship against Butch Armstrong in the main event of the June 21st show in Belfast.

© RevPro / © British Wrestling Pictures

Revolution Pro Wrestling

Live In Southampton 36

08/06/25
The 1865, Southampton, England.
Watch On: Rev Pro on Demand

TK Cooper carries plenty of momentum into his Undisputed British Heavyweight Title challenge at “Revolution Rumble” after pinning current Champion Michael Oku in a tag match in Southampton. Cooper, teaming with Chris Ridgeway, caught Oku off guard with a somewhat blind tag before hitting him with a combination of a torpedo headbutt and a ripcord headbutt that stunned the champion and gave the challenger an unexpected pin.

Elsewhere, there were mixed fortunes for upcoming Tag Title challengers CPF, as Joe Lando took advantage of Cameron Khai’s perfectionist element to gain a victory, whilst Danny Black fell to Connor Mills.

Will Kaven warmed up for his Cruiserweight Title defense in 2 weeks time by putting away Zander Bryant in the opener, whilst Safire Reed continues to struggle without her killer instinct, with a moment of hesitation leading to her being rolled up by Anita Vaughan in their matchup.

Full Results

Will Kaven defeats Zander Bryant (10:18)

Anita Vaughan defeats Safire Reed (11:37)

Joe Lando defeats Cameron Khai (13:52)

Sons Of Southampton (David Francisco & JJ Gale) defeat Kieron Lacey & Mark Trew (11:00)

Joshua James defeats Harry Milligan (5:42)

Connor Mills defeats Danny Black (11:24)

Chris Ridgeway & TK Cooper defeat Michael Oku & Nino Bryant (16:47)

RevPro News

It is a busy fortnight upcoming for Revolution Pro Wrestling, with this weekend’s “British J Cup” on June 14th in Stevenage being followed a week later by “Revolution Rumble” on June 22nd.

Rev Pro’s return to York Hall is headlined by Number 1 Contender Tournament winner TK Cooper seeking his first singles gold in the promotion, as he challenges Michael Oku for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship. Cooper’s brutal headbutts and somewhat questionable tactics make him a real threat to Oku on this occasion.

The “Revolution Rumble” itself has added RKJ, JJ Gale, Jay Joshua and Sha Samuels to its 30 man lineup. The winner will have free reign over the match that comes as the prize.

Will Kaven’s British Cruiserweight Championship will now be defended against this weekend’s J Cup winner, after an injury to Leon Cage took him out of his scheduled challenge. Ace Austin, Nino Bryant, Cameron Khai and debuting Swedish Cruiser Ender Kara have been added to the tournament field.

© Progress

Progress

Progress will present “Chapter 181: Far From Ordinary People” from the O2 Ritz in Manchester on June 29th. The main event will be a rematch for the Progress Men’s World Championship between Champion Luke Jacobs and Cara Noir, who lost their previous match at “Super Strong Style 16” after Jacobs passed out on top of him, inadvertently getting the pin.

The undercard is focused on the upcoming “Loser Leaves Progress” match between Nina Samuels and Kanji, which has now been confirmed for “Stay Humble” on July 27th in Camden, North London. For Manchester, each wrestler has picked the other’s opponent, with Kanji facing local heel (and former Progress regular) Lana Austin. Kanji looked further afield for Samuels’ opponent, bringing in Shotzi Blackheart for her 1st UK appearance as a free agent.

A 4-way between Jack Morris, Charles Crowley, Simon Miller and Ethan Allen has also been added, alongside Alexxis Falcon vs Hollie Barlow (a Mancunian wrestler with a Coronation Street inspired name; fair play).

© wXw

wXw

wXw returns to Oberhausen this weekend for “Drive of Champions”, with 1 Called Manders defending the wXw United World Wrestling Championship against Elijah Blum in a Texas Death match at the top of the card. Manders has been dominant since capturing the belt, whilst Blum has limped into the match after a loss to Ahura in Hamburg last month. The issues between the two since March will be settled on this night in what will be a particularly violent outing.

Also signed is the first defense for new wXw European Champion Marius Al-Ani against Zozaya and what could be a show stealer between Leon Slater and Ahura. Bobby Gunns has no need for an open challenge on this night, as Metehan has signed up to face him in Oberhausen. Aigle Blanc is back in singles competition as he takes on Ricky Marvin. He is already set to team once more with Michael Oku, though, as the pair will hope for more success than last time out on July 19th, when they face Laurance Roman and Nick Schreier.

The show will stream on “wXw Now” and via Youtube subscription only, as the promotion has made the decision to part ways with Triller and thus remove their content from Triller+ after the financial issues being suffered by the streamer came to light.

© APC

Mainland Europe

Mercedes Moné made an unannounced appearance in Austria, turning up in Vienna for Prater Catchen Wrestling on June 6th. This ended up more than just a talking spot, though, as she took on Mila Smidt and Lexa Valo in a 3 way for the EWA Women’s Title. The match ended with the AEW star adding another belt to her collection. RevPro are hoping to have her return to Europe in July.

Thom Latimer successfully defended his NWA crown on the EWA show in Vienna the next night. 

This weekend is heavy on the wrestling front in Barcelona, Spain, with RCW running “Gascomania” on June 13th in the Catalan capital, followed by Lucha Libre Rebelión holding “Sí Se Puede” the following day. 

“Gascomania” is highlighted by wXw Champion 1 Called Manders challenging Zozaya for the RCW Men’s World Championship. Sara León will also face French prospect Amale, whilst the Experience will defend the RCW Women’s Tag Titles against Chantal Jordan and Nightshadow. Basado Lovers defend the Men’s Tag belts against Ley y Orden, who are debuting in the promotion on this show. 

León will also be in action for LLR on Saturday, this time wrestling Iker Navarro. Alexis Lena vs Marti Ubech is also set alongside El Ibérico vs Pedrulo. 

Perhaps the most interesting bout on the card is a first time match between the members of the Barcelona Blacklist trios group. Marc Merino turned on his tag partners at a recent show, taking over the leadership of Enemigos de la Rebelión. Both Joey Torres and Sito Sanchez will be out for revenge.  

Squash A Jobber Wrestling are bringing in Tony Deppen for their next show “Saj Rashomon”in Milan, Italy, on June 25th. 

SLAM! Wrestling in Finland is running a large outdoor show on July 19th. “Raw Holiday Slam!” will be held at the Pesäkallio in Lahti. 

Fury All Women’s Wrestling have begun announcing talent for their next Stuttgart date on October 4th. JGU joins Fury Champion Cory Zero in the early announcements. Zero will defend the title for the first time in the main event. The promotion has also announced a co-op show with fellow German group IWI for January 17th 2026 in Reatingen. 

GWF have announced Myla Grace for their joint show with RevPro in Berlin, Germany, on October 8th. 

A Wrestler You Should Know About: Nina Samuels

Chris Gannon introduces us to “Nina Ten Belts”, a stalwart of the UK scene in recent years.

NOAH Star Navigation

OZAWA escapes with the GHC Heavyweight Title from a 3 way survival match thanks to some unlikely help.

WWE Money In The Bank

David Hayter takes us through the ladder climbs, title changes and a shock return in Los Angeles.