Saturday was a rough one. Whether that was more to do with the pub crawl I had through Digbeth before and after Kamikaze Pro the night prior or just from simply having to be in Wolverhampton, we’ll never know.

After a much needed Full English and a few doses of caffeine to soak up the sins of the previous night, I found myself in the Hangar for the first part of RevPro’s Midlands double header: High Stakes 2026.

The Hangar is a decent venue. As someone who prefers to stand at shows, there isn’t a bad view in the house, it’s a pretty airy and spacious place with plenty of spots to lean against and I’ve never experienced an issue with waiting for the bar or toilets.

Yeah, it’s in the middle of nowhere so it’s a bit of a walk and they take the mickey a bit with their drinks prices – it’s £6.50 for a CAN of Guinness – but I’m prepared to take that hit compared to other similar sized venues where you have to miss significant portions of matches to get a drink/food or use the loo. And no, for the seventh time, I don’t want a Jägerbomb at 3 in the afternoon. Those days are long behind me.

High Stakes opened with Tom Thelwell taking on Isaac Murray, who was representing the Contenders Division.

This “relaunch” of the Contenders Division is a great move from RevPro. One of my main hang-ups with RevPro, or more accurately with trying to follow RevPro on a weekly basis, is that everything seems to be 50/50. That might not be strictly true, but that’s always the impression I get.

Having matches where their big names or newer talent can come in and *essentially* have a bit of a walkover win can give people a fresh spurt of momentum without doing any damage to an established name.

Isaac Murray showing a bit of spark before being quickly dispatched by Tom Thelwell, as he was here, doesn’t harm Murray in any way and gives these younger talents experience and exposure they won’t get elsewhere.

It also allows the Contenders the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with the core RevPro audience. Watching a person develop in any aspect. but especially through sport, creates firm, long-lasting investment. Football fans will know how special it is to watch a young player break through the academy ranks and establish themselves within the first-team squad.

If Isaac Murray ever pushes through to the point that he is challenging for titles, then you will have fans who can call back on these initial moments in his career and they’ll be ten times more invested in him.

Given this was a match involving a contender, it was no surprise that Tom Thelwell was able to wrap up proceedings in short order, with a nasty rebound lariat and brainbuster combo.

There was a major surprise in the next match, though. There had been an alteration to the scheduled Revolution Road first-round tournament match between Michael Oku and Ricky Sosa, as Sosa had experienced an issue while travelling to the UK, though a suitable replacement had stepped up to take Sosa’s place.

I completely empathise with people involved in running independent wrestling companies because it looks like a fucking nightmare but the phrase “suitable replacement” always scares me because suitable is subjective. Having a replacement for a hot name in the European scene is not always going to be suitable even if people accept that “the card is subject to change” at any point.

However, objectively, Man Like DeReiss walking into The Hangar would’ve been a suitable replacement in any circumstance. Man Like DeReiss vs. Michael Oku is a main event level match anywhere in the independent scene.

Both men are legitimate stars. With no offence meant towards either Isaac Murray or Tom Thelwell, The Hangar wasn’t exactly rocking off it’s hinges for their match, nor should it have been.

The switch in energy that was first brought on by Michael Oku making his entrance and then the surprise appearance of DeReiss was whiplash inducing. Any remnants of my hangover were expelled and I was reborn by hearing Freed From Desire hit, like being dunked headfirst into an ice cold bath, and I did kind of want a Jägerbomb as well.

As said, Man Like DeReiss vs. Michael Oku is a main event level match and they did indeed give us a main event level match here.

The physicality both men brought was top-tier shellacking, It was like Michael Oku felt personally insulted that anybody would come into RevPro and be cheered as much, if not more, than him while for DeReiss it looked like he was holding Oku personally responsible for his lack of opportunities in RevPro.

For any RevPro fans that are reading one of my reviews for the first time, erm hiya, I don’t do the whole move-by-move match review thing. It’s boring to write, it’s boring to read and that’s what streaming platforms are for…to actually watch the match move-by-move.

However there were a couple of bits here that have to be highlighted. DeReiss hit a venomous shotgun dropkick that would’ve knocked Oku to the other side of the room if there wasn’t a ring post in the way and the way Oku reversed a Sharpshooter into his own half-crab submission was *chef’s kiss*.

Even with the lack of jeopardy if you really thought about it, with DeReiss coming in as a last minute substitution, they had the crowd biting on nearfalls. If wrestling was a video game, Oku built up enough XP during his series with Will Ospreay to unlock the Master of Kick-Outs trait, where he can time them perfectly in that 2.9-2.99 hairsbreadth before the 3.

Both men had their moments with locking in submissions before Michael Oku eventually trapped DeReiss in the half-crab for long enough to force the Lyrical Dragon to tap out to signal the end of an excellent contest. If this was DeReiss’s audition for a regular spot in RevPro, he passed with flying colours.

Attention then turned to a 5 vs.5 Revolution Tag with the Slater Dojo (Liam Slater, HMD and Cameron Khai) and the Young Guns joining forces against CPF and their CPFs (Taylor James and Leyton Buzzard).

Big fan of all the CPF crew rocking the black boiler suits together. Teams should look like mates.

The alliance between Slater Dojo and Young Guns worked from an aesthetic point of view as well. This was proper Council Estate boys going “mosher bashing” down the local Metal/Alt club and this was a chaotic tear up from the opening bell.

Luke Jacobs, Ethan Allen and HMD particularly fit together well. They look like they could be pals away from the ring. They’re the three main faces in the social club, everyone likes them because “they’re sound if you know them” even though they’re always the first ones to cause havoc if anything kicks off.

If you’re interested, Liam Slater is clearly the one who has “made something of himself” by getting a job offshore and everyone hangs round him because he’s loaded. He’s always good for an afters, Liam.

Cameron Khai is the former school sport star whose career never kicked on and now he works the doors. It makes sense in my head, anyway.

Just like that set of lads you know from the workies, tensions were always going to bubble over after a few – the few being eliminations here rather than drinks. Buzzard had taken out HMD and Young Guns had eliminated Taylor James before Mayhew drilled Jacobs with an Awful Waffle.

As Luke staggered back to the corner, Liam Slater dumped Mayhew over the top rope (as per Revolution Tag rules), almost taking out Luke in the process.

This caused tempers to flare between the Dojo and Young Guns and it was that lack of *true* friendship between the teams and a dose of miscommunication between the Dojo that CPF used to eventually come out on top with Joe Lando and Leyton Buzzard as survivors.

As Buzzard and Lando celebrated, I couldn’t help but feel a heavy sense of distrust towards Leyton. There is just something incredibly uneasy about his involvement with CPF and the Cruiserweight Championship scene. I don’t know what he’s up to, but I don’t think I like it.

I know exactly what Alexxis Falcon is up to in RevPro and I still don’t like it, but I appreciate a self-confessed villain. There are no shades of grey with her, no Machiavellian master plan going on in the background. She is the Wicked Bitch of Wrestling, plain and simple.

Do you think Mercedes Moné knows who Dean Windass is? God, I hope so.

My favourite part of Mercedes Moné’s time in RevPro, outside of being able to watch a bonafide superstar and pioneer of the sport work her magic up close on multiple occasions, has been that every one of her singles matches have had a different slant to them.

Against Kanji, Mercedes had to show off her technical ability in a stunning showcase for both women, that spawned a genuine connection between the pair.

Against Safire Reed, Mercedes was able to exploit the clear gap in experience to stay two steps ahead of the younger competitor at all times while against Emersyn Jayne she had to survive against a physical onslaught.

Against Rhio in Cardiff, Moné had to meld all aspects of her RevPro run together to defend the Undisputed British Women’s Championship against the toughest possible opponent available to her in Europe.

Here, the obstacle in front of Mercedes was clear and it meant having to dig into some of the characteristics that made her one of the most famous female names in wrestling. Mercedes Moné vs. Alexxis Falcon was not going to be decided by who was the better wrestler. Mercedes Moné vs. Alexxis Falcon would be decided by who could be the biggest bitch in the ring.

Though she was the overwhelming crowd favourite here and has flocks of obsessed fans, Mercedes Moné is at her finest when she is being the biggest bitch in the room. Whether as The Boss or The CEO, she is at her most dangerous when she has that killer attitude and swagger that comes from being a global star.

In her previous singles matches in the promotion, I’ve always cheered for Moné’s opponent. There will always be a UK bias to see homegrown talent do well but here, this was the opportunity to truly go full fanboy and support The CEO. Alexxis is a villain after all.

Any glimmer of a UK bias was well and truly out of the window when Falcon blocked Moné from hitting the Three Amigos. That’s the worst thing she’s ever done. I was ten years old and sat in Mrs Mulligan’s Year 5 classroom learning about the Tudors when I found out that Eddie Guerrero died. I had to be sent home because I couldn’t stop crying so I was fucking fuming here.

Moné might have made her name over the past decade as the biggest bitch in wrestling but something about RevPro has slightly softened her. Whether it’s her relationship with Kanji, the adulation of the fans or THE FOOD (WE HAVE GOOD FOOD IN THE UK ALRIGHT), there was a chink in her armour and it was Alexxis Falcon who exploited it.

There is no chink in Alexxis Falcon’s armour because she knows exactly who she is. There are no shades of grey so there are no weaknesses.

It was the moment that Mercedes should have seen coming a mile away except she could do nothing about it. With the referee distracted with one of the title belts up for grabs in this match, Falcon decreed Off With Her Head, planting Mercedes onto the second belt before covering her tracks and pinning Moné to take the Discovery Wrestling and BodySlam Wrestling Women’s Championships.

There had been chants of “Who are Ya?” prior to the match towards Alexxis Falcon. Well, the whole world will know who Alexxis Falcon is now because she beat Mercedes Moné, becoming the only person to beat her in a RevPro ring, something nobody else can claim and I’m sure Alexxis will be incredibly humble and gracious about that.

It’s that notion that has made Mercedes Moné’s time in RevPro so special and why the critique of her globetrotting belt collecting mission has felt so shortsighted.

She thoroughly deserved the standing ovation she received following this match, not just for the match, but for all of the good that she’s done over the past twelve months.

She has genuinely brought eyeballs and recognition to every person she has shared the ring with and every promotion whose banner she’s worked under.

Whether at the gate, through On Demand services or on social media platforms, Mercedes Moné has only made an overwhelmingly positive impact on the independent wrestling scene. I just hope that some of the people she brought with her stick around.

Her emotional reaction to the ovation and the post she made over the weekend on social media reads like a farewell. While many fans had pencilled her in for an appearance at Wembley Arena for RevPro’s Anniversary show, she’s likely going to be involved in one of the headline matches at All In the following day so this could well be goodbye.

If it is, Mercedes Moné, independent wrestling salutes you.

After the interval, we were back to some more Revolution Road action, with a first-round contest between Trent Seven and birthday boy Thomas Shire.

Mercedes Moné might be a global superstar but Wolverhampton is Trent Seven country. Stroke of genius to have Trent out following a long intermission to immediately capture the crowd’s imagination again.

I hope Manders got Thomas Shire a nicer birthday present than Trent did, because Trent just got him a fucking nasty, all-out slugfest. Then again, Thomas Shire looks like the kind of fella that gets a thrill out of being in a fucking nasty, all-out slugfest.

If you like two big dudes slapping the shit out of each other, this match is for you. If you like two big dudes chucking each other about, this match is for you. If you don’t like those things then well…go and meditate or something. I’ll crack on, shall I? Cool.

As Trent lifted Shire onto his shoulders towards the end of the match, hopefully Shire didn’t think it was some strange English birthday tradition as if he did, he would’ve received a rude awakening as Seven drilled him into the canvas with a BirmingHammer to pick up the win.

Connor Mills and Leon Slater took the level of intensity that Shire and Seven had displayed and kept it firmly fixed in place during their contest. Mills refused to take his eyes off Leon, who received a hero’s welcome back to RevPro, as the TNA X-Division Champion made his way to the ring.

Leon Slater might be the talk of the wrestling world but “True Grit” Connor Mills was determined to bring the high-flying young ace back down to Earth, both metaphorically and literally.

That wasn’t as straightforward as it may have been in previous encounters. Leon Slater has put on some serious wedge since getting on the telly. He’s always acted like the man. He looks like a man now.

When Mills could keep Slater grounded, he had the upper hand and on the flipside when Slater could increase the pace and fly round the ring, he had the upper hand.

While they don’t share a host of similarities, Leon Slater and Connor Mills do share the outlook that professional wrestling is a sport and should be approached as such.

They both had each other heavily scouted and both knew the importance of the Styles Clash, with Mills looking to counter it and defying Leon on a number of occasions, while Slater looked to unleash it several times.

The Styles Clash is one of the wrestling moves that always makes me cringe. I lived through the 2014 epidemic of broken necks that were attached to the move and no matter how skilled an individual is, I tense up when it’s being set up.

I also struggle with the dynamics of both individuals in this match despite being huge fans of both. Connor Mills wrestles like a prick but as a RevPro mainstay and someone we’ve all watched grow into an immensely talented performer, I want to support him. I just don’t know if HE wants me to support him.

Leon Slater, on the other hand, wrestles like a superhero but has started to act like a prick.

Case in point, a piledriver should have sealed the win for Mills here. However, Cameron Khai was able to pull Leon’s leg onto the ropes to break the referee’s count. Leon soon followed that up with an attempted 450 Swanton. It’s hard to boo a 450 Swanton.

Those fine margins between good and evil were almost as fine as the pinfall that Leon Slater was able to secure, rolling through Mills’ own pinfall attempt, as he picked up a win on his return to RevPro.

I had no such problem deciding who to rally behind in the penultimate match with The Demand taking on The Flying Bryant Brothers, following the challenge made by Ricochet after his singles contest with Nino in December.

This was professional wrestling. The underdogs doing everything in their power to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge their way out of trouble against the overwhelming favourites. You didn’t need to know anything about any of the men in the ring to understand what was going on and who to cheer for.

Not only was this a perfect piece of professional wrestling, it was chance for each Bryant brother to have their own moment in the spotlight, to show parts of their individual personalities while also coming together as a team.

Nino Bryant is the leader of the family. He’s the brains. He is the Tommy Shelby. Zander is the Arthur, the hotheaded enforcer and Leland is John, the often overlooked third brother.

The best thing about the Bryants here is that they fought like brothers. They repeatedly took the bullet for their sibling or just getting them out of trouble in the nick of time and there was some bonkers combinations that looked like the Bryants had cooked them up as kids wrestling with their pillows.

The Demand thoroughly played their part here too, with the Gates of Agony excelling as the monsters.

I hope The Hangar has a Lost Property box for Leland Bryant’s nipples after Bishop Kaun slapped them off and Toa Liona almost sent Nino into space with a pounce.

The roar that met Leland Bryant defiantly kicking out of a Demand double team was probably the loudest the crowd reached in one, unified moment for the entire night and though The Demand wrapped up the win shortly after, all three of the lads should be extremely proud of themselves. This was an absolute belter of a match and by far and away the best they have looked as a trio, in my opinion.

Shenanigans were afoot after the match. First, The Demand feigned a show of respect and beat the Bryants up, which led to Michael Oku charging down with a chair to chase The Demand away. Then, Sha Samuels came down and beat the crap out of the brothers and the Contenders.

While everything made complete sense with Oku facing Ricochet the following day and Sha extending his story with the Bryants, after over four hours stood in the same spot, I didn’t need multiple angles. Do one of them if you really have to. Not both.

At this point, I was quite desperate to get to the main event.

If anybody ever wants to know what I like the most in professional wrestling, I can now point them directly to 1 Called Manders vs. Jay Joshua for the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship.

The lead-in to this match was a level of basic brilliance that just seems to get ignored in wrestling nowadays, Centred around the fact that Manders has repeatedly been able to knock Joshua out with his Boss Lariat, this was two blokes settling a score.

Manders didn’t have to jump Joshua from behind or kick him in the balls to get this match. He didn’t have to change his full demeanour or turn his back on the fans. He’d just been the better man and Jay Joshua was out to prove that he’s the top dog in RevPro.

For all of the bells and whistles of professional wrestling, which I love, this is the sport in its most raw form. No frills, all thrills.

As Jay Joshua locked eyes with Manders and both men stared daggers into the soul of the other, neither man backing down or breaking the gaze throughout the entrances and announcements, there could have been five thousand fans watching or nobody at all. They only had eyes for each other.

This was nature. This was natural. This had to happen. Like two bulls in season warring over territory or mating rights, Manders and Jay Joshua had to fight each other to prove who was the alpha male and they went at it like two bulls from the moment the bell rang.

It wasn’t always pretty. Not all of the moves flowed perfectly. There were a few slips here and there. Strikes landed with a thud rather than a crowd-pleasing slap. Both combatants creaked and groaned with fatigue. This wasn’t a performance. This was a fight.

The ferocity of the contest changed the atmosphere of the room, as the walls themselves started to sweat.

As every shoulder block, chop, forearm and headbutt landed, sending an echo round the Hangar, the looming threat of the Boss Lariat seemed to grow larger like a beast prowling it’s prey until it encompassed the ring.

There were some near misses, some half-hits. Joshua collapsing from exhaustion at one point, dropping under Manders’ swinging arm, felt like a momentary stay of execution.

A desperate flying headbutt from Joshua couldn’t keep Manders at bay for much longer and when he eventually landed the Boss Lariat flush, I did think that was it. They got me. I was ready to end the night toasting our new Cowboy Champion with a whiskey in The Giffard, until Jay Joshua kicked out. That’s the good stuff.

The shock of having his silver bullet deflected seemed to throw Manders off, giving Joshua just enough of an opening to drop him on his head with a driver to get the 1, 2, 3 and cap off a phenomenal showdown.

In the post-match, Manders and Joshua both showed respect to each other because that’s what the entire Cowboy Way and Mills & Joshua rivalry has come down to.

In a world where we have to deal with young lads being taught about “masculinity” by insecure idiots on the internet posing as “real men”, Jay Joshua, 1 Called Manders, Thomas Shire and Connor Mills have been showcasing the values that I believe make somebody a “real man”.

No matter how intense, how ridiculously macho or straight up violent things have got between any combination of this incredibly savage quartet, they’ve done so against the backdrop of respect. It’s never been about anything else than finding out who the biggest dogs in the yard are.

High Stakes represented the first major stop on the road to Wembley. The Anniversary show could potentially be the biggest night in modern British Wrestling history and I’m sure that plenty of people will be dropping in come August because of the size of the event and with All In the next day.

High Stakes was a reminder to the wrestling world to make sure you’re on the ride before it reaches its final destination. Climb aboard, destination Wembley.

– James Woodgate

Image Credits: Revolution Pro Wrestling, @Elliottt93