Revolution Pro Wrestling’s 10th Anniversary show saw long time British Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay vs Ricky Knight Jr in an incredible main event. Dave Meltzer even awarded the championship match a 5 star rating in the Wrestling Observer.
The bout took place at Rev Pro’s Ten Year Anniversary – Night 2 and was just one of many major matches on the show. However, it was the biggest match on the show and was rightfully the main event. Will Ospreay is the biggest star in the promotion and has held the title for nigh on 3 years, with fans considering him one of the greatest champions the promotion has ever had.
Meanwhile, Zack Knight Jr may be a name that is strangely familiar yet completely alien to you, and for good reason. While he isn’t the biggest name on the indies, Knight Jr is the son of Ricky Knight, the patriarch of the legendary Knight wrestling family. Previously, the crown jewel of the family was Britani Knight, known as Paige in WWE, but Zack Knight has all the talent to challenge her for the crown.
Zack Knight Jr battled Will Ospreay in the main event of the show, with Ospreay’s Rev Pro World Heavyweight Champion on the line. With a lineage featuring some huge stars like Zack Sabre Jr, Minoru Suzuki and Hiroshi Tanahashi, it is one of the most prestigious champions in British wrestling today.
Coming of the back of a huge defeat to Kazuchika Okada at the G1 Climax Finals, Ospreay had everything to prove as he tried to keep his grip on his British Heavyweight Championship, but it seemed the time for Ricky Knight Jr to ascend to the top of wrestling in the UK and capture the championship for the first time in his short career.
Will Ospreay vs Ricky Knight Jr
Before the match, Ospreay had held the belt for 919 days – an incredible achievement for a company just 10 years of age. He won the title from Zack Sabre Jr at RevPro High Stakes 2020, and both men have since ascended to become two of the biggest stars in New Japan and some of the most impressive wrestlers in the world.
The duo helped make the Rev Pro British Heavyweight Championship one of the biggest titles in the UK. However, the time was right to pass it on to the new generation and give Ospreay the chance to focus on his New Japan Pro Wrestling career, rather than stay tethered to the championship.
He had kept the title active even during the pandemic, doing his best to promote the promotion worldwide. He achieved Seven successful defences, including one against opponent Ricky Knight Jr, and showcased the belt at both Wrestle Kingdom and during Forbidden Door, as well as multiple episodes of AEW Dynamite.
However, the time was right to pass the championship on to the next generation. Ricky Knight Jr defeated Will Ospreay after 30 minutes to win his first Rev Pro British Heavyweight Championship and become the top star in the promotion. Ospreay got cocky during the match, hitting the moves of former NJPW stars like AJ Styles and Kenny Omega. His downfall came as he tried to hit the One-Winged Angel on Knight Jr, before he reversed it to hit how own Powerslam-Driver move and pin his opponent to win the match and the title.
He now has the chance to prove himself as a world champion, adding to the incredible Knight Family legacy. However, it is Will Ospreay who is the focus of the match, giving him his second big match loss in a row. He was successful on AEW Dynamite in a trios match alongside United Empire against Death Triangle, but has suffered devastating defeat after defeat as a singles wrestler.
With losses to Kazuchika Okada and Ricky Knight Jr racking up his L column, the English wrestler will be looking towards some big wins in the future to raise his stock and get him back on track towards the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Rumours of him facing Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom next year are ripe and could be the biggest match at next years event, joining the main event of Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Ricky Knight Jr has a long title reign ahead of him to prove himself as a main event talent, while Will Ospreay vs Kenny Omega is a dream match long in the making for the two stars.
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