After Uprising 2015 delivered one of the best shows of 2015 the previous night, RevPro delivered another incredible show, this time in Reading. Arguably promising an even better card than the previous night, Global Wars UK showcased British talent in singles competition against the NJPW stars. Once again, British stars such as Marty Scurll, Will Ospreay and Damo demonstrated why British wrestling is so great at the moment.

Kushida vs Tetsuya Naito vs Martin Kirby

Not wearing his suit or mask on this occasion, Naito sluggishly made his way to the ring before attacking the camera man. Martin Kirby, Kris Travis’ replacement in this match, was the next to arrive to a warm welcome. After a show stealing performance the previous night, Kushida’s efforts translated into a chants of Kushida as he made his way to the ring.

As the bell rang, Naito went immediately to the outside as Kirby and Kushida got things under way. After a brief exchange of holds between Kushida and Kirby, Naito took advantage of Kirby’s turned back to attempt a roll up. Kirby and Kushida landed a series of strikes to Naito before the ungovernable sent Kushida to the outside. Naito applied the koji clutch before Kushida broke the hold by reaching the ropes.

The match broke down as Kirby and Naito brawled ringside before Kushida landed a moonsault to take down both men. Back in the ring, Kushida delivered a series of strikes to Naito’s arm in preparation for the hoverboard lock before Naito fled to the outside hotly pursued by Kushida: this time, Kirby connected with a tope suicida to take out both men. Kirby was joined in the ring by Kushida, who rolled Kirby into a pinning predicament before Kushida delivered a german for a near fall on both men.

Kushida delivered two gunshot like right hands to both men before attempting the hoverboard lock on Naito, who reversed into Destino to pick up the victory without even taking his shirt off. Naito beat down Kirby to a chorus of boos before lethargically making his way up the ramp, striking his signature pose before heading behind the curtain.

This was a fun, high paced opener. Martin Kirby, once again, proved a more than adequate replacement for his Project Ego partner, Kris Travis, with an impressive display. To begin with, Naito’s antics were humorous to the crowd but his victory was greeted by boos which testifies to his ability to gain heat. Arguably, all three men had better matches the previous night but this was still a very good match.

El Specifico’s Match Rating:***1/2

Lord Gideon Grey vs Gedo

Accompanied by his very own Lord Farquaad in Rishii Gosh, perhaps the most universally despised man in RevPro (due to imaginative heel work), Lord Gideon Grey, made his way to the ring and made his presence felt straight away by chastising the fans. Gedo was greeted by chants of super nice guy, a reference to the preceding night when Gedo fooled Liger into shaking his hand before raking his eyes.

As the bell rang, both men wanted a handshake to begin. Encouraged by the crowd, both men attempt a handshake whilst concurrently going for a cheap shot which was blocked by both men, who were seemingly shocked at the other’s tactics. A cheap shot by Gosh granted Lord Gideon grey the advantage: Grey delivered a series of stomps before applying a side headlock.

Gedo received a poke to the eye before dodging a running knee allowing him to apply the figure four. A distraction by Gosh allowed Grey to escape before delivering a low blow followed by a roll up with a handful of tights but Gedo kicked out. This time, Lord Gideon Grey distracted the ref while Gosh delivered a swinging neck breaker before Grey took advantage by applying the camel clutch to make Gedo submit to pick up a huge victory.

This was really fun for what it was. Sure, it was no technical masterpiece but nor was it supposed to be. Lord Gideon Grey’s antics are always entertaining and he manages to get heat wherever he is.

El Specifico’s Match Rating:**3/4

The Thrillers vs Tencozy

The Thrillers, comprised of Joel Redman and Mark Haskins, took on Hiroyshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima, or Tencozy, who suffered defeat to The Revolutionists the previous night.

Haskins and Tenzan got the match under way. It wasn’t long before Haskins began working over the arm of Tenzan before both men tagged in their partners. After a test of strength, Kojima offered to shake Redman’s hand, who obliged only to be greeted by a cheap shot delivered by Kojima. Tencozy cut Redman off in the corner with a series of frequent tags with both men focusing their attention on the arm.

Redman was able to make the tag after a superkick to each member of Tencozy. Haskins delivered a series of muay thai kicks to Tenzan before Tenzan powered up to deliver a series of windmill chops until Haskins caught his arm before transitioning into the fujiwara arm bar.

After the tag was made, Redman was on the wrong end of a neckbreaker followed by a series of chops in the corner by Kojima. Redman delivered another superkick after Haskins connected with a tope suicida before Redman held Kojima whilst Haskins landed a double foot stomp from the top rope. Tenzan pulled the ref to the outside before Tencozy delivered a 3D. Tencozy picked up the victory moments later when Kojima delivered a lariato to secure the pinfall on Redman.

This was a solid tag match. It wasn’t particularly good nor was it particularly bad. I feel Haskins was a little wasted in this match. There was huge potential for a singles match against Kushida which was bypassed in favour of this. Still, it was a decent match.

El Specifico’s Match Rating:**3/4

Marty Scurrl vs Shinsuke Nakamura

As ever, chants of Nakamura accompanied the King of Strong Style to the ring as he struck his signature pose in the ring. After being unsuccessful in his attempts to regain the British Championship the previous night, Marty Scurll arrived looking more dastardly than ever.

Surprisingly, Marty Scurll emerged on top of the opening exchange before going to work on the arm of Nakamura in preperation for the chicken wing before mocking Nakamura by striking his signature pose. A early chicken wing attempt was reversed by Nakamura before the IWGP Intercontinental Champion offered a handshake. Scurll, ever obliging, accepted before keeping hold to pull Nakamura’s fingers apart before stomping his arm. Scurll played a game of this little piggy before continuing work on the arm with a series of kicks and stomps.

Following the superkick just kidding, Scurll delivered a powerbomb before a drop kick shifted the momentum. Nakamura landed a floating suplex before an attempted Bome Ya missed. Scurll took advantage of Nakamura’s imbalance with a tornado ddt rolled through into the chicken wing, which Nakamura reversed into an arm bar before The Villain reached the ropes.

Upon returning to his feet, Scurll connected with a superkick before attempting to apply the chicken wing once again: Nakamura blocked the attempt by linking his arms before delivering a back stabber followed by a knee from the top rope. Scurll kicked out at one before a second Bome Ya gave Nakamura the victory.

If last night wasn’t enough to confirm Marty Scurll has a huge future in professional wrestling, this did. Scurll is one of the most charismatic wrestlers the UK has produced over the past decade and his constant mocking of Nakamura throughout the match was fantastic. Scurll gave as good as he got in this match and was, for large parts, in control of the match. This was yet another impressive performance from The Villain, who has really mastered the gimmick as of late.

El Specifico’s Match Rating:****

Bullet Club vs The Revolutionists

As ever, The Revolutionists, James Castle and Sha Samuels, received a frosty reception as Samuels called everyone a mug. Conversely, Bullet Club, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, received a great ovation from the fans, many of whom were wearing Bullet Club shirts.

The match got under way as The Revolutionists delivered cheap shots from behind. A brawl broke out around the ring which saw Gallows deliver a big boot to Samuels on the stage and Anderson toss Castle into the barricade. Once again, the fat Cantona chants echoed around the arena as Samuels took his braces off to strangle Anderson.

After being worked over by a series of frequent tags, Anderson made the tag after a dropkick allowing Gallows to deliver a series of offensive manoeuvres before powerbombing Samuels. Anderson rejoined the match to deliver an inverted 3d with the assistance of Gallows.

The match ended in a no contest as James Castle struck Gallows from behind with the title belt. Out of the two nights, this was comfortably the worst match not because of the wrestling but because of the booking. It all seemed a bit pointless having Bullet Club fly all the way from America to end the match in a no contest having achieved nothing one way or another. Perhaps there will be a rematch down the line, who knows.

El Specifico’s Match Rating:**

Will Ospreay vs Kazuchika Okada

Will Ospreay, arguably the most popular wrestler in the UK today, emerged to chants of Ospreay before Okada received the best reaction of the night as confetti rained down from the sky. The crowd were into this from the first bell.

Following an exchange of arm wrenches early on, Okada attempted a Rainmaker which was dodged by Ospreay, who attempted a handsrping enziguri which was dodged, also. Both men attempted to land some offence but their opponent was more than equal to the task, dodging each strike attempt before Okada landed a dropkick followed by the Red Ink submission.

Ospreay, summoning deep energy reserves, fought back before more strikes grounded him as Okada delivered a slingshot senton followed by a reverse neck breaker. This time, Ospreay connected with the rebound handspring enziguri to shift the momentum sending Okada to the outside: Ospreay delivered a handspring tope con hilo to the outside before connecting with a springboard ddt followed by a standing twisting shooting star press for a near fall as the crowd roared him on.

After an attempted brainbuster was reversed by Okada into a flapjack, Okada delivered a ddt followed by an uppercut before missing the diving elbow drop. Following an exchange of strikes, Okada attempted a brainbuster which was reversed into a stunner followed by a head scissor take down by Ospreay. An attempted Rainmaker was reversed into a small package by Ospreay before Ospreay hit the swingblade followed by a 360 enziguri.

Okada reversed an attempted Essex Destroyer only to miss a drop kick before Ospreay connected with a springboard ace crusher. Sensing his moment of glory, Ospreay attempted the imploding 450 splash but met a gut full of knees. Okada attempted a tombstone which was reversed into an enziguri before Okada connected with a dropkick. A third Rainmaker attempt was reversed again before Ospreay was caught and received a tombstone after attempting another springboard ace crusher. This time, Okada connected with the Rainmaker to pick up the victory.

This match was AMAZING.The final stretch of this match was as good as anything I have seen all year. These two had an unbelievable amount of chemistry which translated into one hell of a match. Will Ospreay, somehow, manages to get better each time out and, if he continues at this rate, will be the next big star in wrestling. The match told a brilliant story of a plucky, young babyface attempting to overcome the more experienced man and it was a pleasure to watch. This may be controversial but I would say this was one of Okada’s best matches of the year, also: as ever, the man who is so money it rains money when he arrives, was spectacular in this match as he expressed his appreciation of Ospreay after the match with a handshake.

Everyone NEEDS to see this match.

El Specifico’s Match Rating: *****

Damo vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

After a hugely impressive match against Nakamura the preceding night, Damo faced another NJPW legend in Hiroshi Tanahashi, the number one contender to Okada’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Resounding chants of Tanahashi echoed around the hall as Tanahashi made his way to the ring.

After landing a few blows, Tanahashi attempted to lift Damo to no avail before pulling his ample back hair. Tanahashi attempted to lift him again but collapsed under the weight of the big Irishman. A dropkick to the knee sent Damo to the outside as Tanahashi went to the top rope before deciding better of a High Fly Flow as Damo moved along. A brawl ensued around the ring before Damo sent Tanahashi on a collision course with the barricade.

Every time Tanahashi would land a blow, Damo would strike back with a more powerful one sending Tanahashi crashing to the ground. The fans rallied behind Tanahashi as Damo worked over the lower back in the ring: a vertical suplex was followed by Damo impressing all his body weight on Tanahashi’s chest whilst mockingly paying air guitar before missing a senton.

Tanahashi, this time, lifted Damo for a scoop slam before an attempted High Fly Flow was met by Damo’s knees. Tanahashi escaped an attempted michinoku driver only to run into a big boot before Damo delivered it on the second attempt followed by an inverted ddt for a near fall.

After pleading with Tanahashi to stay down, Damo went to the top rope looking for the Van Damo Nator: Tanahashi, wise to Damo’s intentions, returned to his feet to deliver a superplex that shook the Rivermead Leisure Complex. Tanahashi landed the High Fly Flow but Damo rolled through before delivering the Ulster Plantation for another near fall.

Again, Damo attempted the Van Damo Nator to no avail as Tanahashi followed up the swingblade with a High Fly Flow to defeat Damo. After the match, Damo experssed his gratitude by shaking Tanahashi’s hand.

Damo was as impressive as anyone this weekend: first, he delivered many people’s favourite match of Uprising against Nakamura and then he delivered a brilliant big man/small man contest with Tanahashi. Very few people, if any, of his size have the ability to move as well as he does. Tanahashi has mastered the nuances of the big man/small man dynamic it is now second nature to him and this was Tanahashi’s best match of the weekend.

El Specifico’s Match Rating:***3/4

AJ Styles (C) vs Jushin Thunder Liger

British Heavyweight Championship Match

As ever, Jushin Thunder Liger received an electric response from the crowd as Liger chants engulfed the arena. AJ Styles, again, received a fantastic ovation from the Reading crowd. Before the match, AJ stated that he wished to put the title on the line against a legend of the business.

Liger got the better of the early stages before a dropkick sent him to the outside. A ringside brawl ensued before AJ was sent crashing into the lighting structure almost sending the whole stand crashing to the floor. Back in the ring, Liger hit a tilt a whirl back breaker before applying the surfboard submission to the delight of the crowd. The action spilled to the outside once more but it was AJ, this time, who would emerge on top after tossing Liger into the barricade.

AJ applied the calf killer before Liger scrambled to the ropes. There was no reprieve as AJ continued work on the calf before heading to the top rope: Liger returned to his feet to deliver a beautiful frankensteiner from the top rope followed by a Liger bomb for a near fall. AJ reversed a splash in the corner into the calf killer once again as chants of please don’t tap grew with added urgency. AJ delivered the bloody Sunday brainbuster for a near fall before an attempted Styles Clash was reversed into a back body drop. An attempted hurricanrana by Liger was reversed by AJ into the Styles Clash which he connected with to retain the British Heavyweight Championship.

Liger left to overwhelming chants of Liger after AJ offered a handshake.

This was a really good match. Liger was more than capable of keeping up with AJ and delivered, arguably, one of the best matches he has had all year. At this stage, AJ could have a good match with pretty much anyone worldwide. AJ returns stateside still in position of the British Heavyweight Championship all but confirming further involvement with RevPro, which can only be a good thing.

El Specifico’s Match Rating: ***3/4

Final Word: What an excellent show. Sure, the atmosphere wasn’t quite as rabid as the previous night but Damo/Tanahashi, Scurll/Nakamura, Styles/Liger and Ospreay/Okada were fantastic matches. The British guys did not look at out of place for one moment this weekend which, I believe, signals big things in the future for Scurll, Ospreay and Damo in particular. The NJPW guys, too, were excellent: there was no phoning in, everyone gave it their all to produce RevPro’s second fantastic show in as many days. Both events are well worth your money, you will not be disappointed!