On the 2nd of December Revolution Pro Wrestling announced a match for their upcoming February show in York Hall. The match that has been set up is between New Japan star Will Ospreay and well-known superstar PAC (formerly known as Neville in WWE).
The Promised Land
Both performers having similar but much different paths in their professional wrestling journeys. PAC made his name on the independent scene in the UK and later Japan before moving to the promised land of the WWE in the United States.
Will Ospreay has been a mainstay on the British independent wrestling scene and has gone international working with companies all over the globe, predominately with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Notably, Ospreay has said multiple times that he will never work for the big American powerhouse company.
The main difference between these two big companies is that NJPW will let their performers work elsewhere in different companies, whereas WWE have less leniency in this field.
PAC had a dispute with WWE and has since left the company, being in exile for a year with no word from him on what his next plans in professional wrestling were until recently, where he announced his return back in Japan at a promotion called Dragon Gate Pro (the promotion which gave him his chance in Japan before his big move).
He has since returned to the independent scene working a few dates at a few select promotions around the UK.
WWE UK Takeover
WWE have recently set up WWE NXT UK which is their own promotion on these shores, and they have decided to give a lot of British wrestlers contracts which they would not have working on the independent scene.
An issue with WWE giving a lot of British independent wrestlers contracts is that it limits their appearances to other promotions outside of Progress Wrestling and Insane Championship Wrestling who are affiliated with the juggernaut company in the States.
On the one hand, it gives the wrestlers a steady income and a basis to improve their profiles but it affects a lot of smaller promotions who relied on these names to build their cards and maintain a stable position in the wrestling business.
However, it’s claimed it forces local British wrestling promotions to use talent that may have not been utilised as well as they could have been. It gives other up and coming wrestlers an opportunity that they may have not had before the contracts were handed out.
The Effects
For an example on how these contracts have affected promotions; Frontline Wrestling – based in Stratford and Rainham – have lost one of their main stars of the J1 League Travis Banks because of his new contractual obligations to WWE.
This has now led to them having to replace him even after competing one match already in the setup, which must be frustrating for the promoter Will Ospreay, who would have used Banks in all his upcoming Frontline shows.
RevPro Down But Not Out
The tickets for RevPro High Stakes went on sale at 7am on Wednesday 3rd December and sold out within approximately five hours, leading the RevPro High Stakes to be the fastest ever sell-out show at York Hall.
On average these shows only sell out closer to the date, never mind three months in advance and only one match announced on the card.
RevPro will be weakened by the contractual issues with WWE as a lot of their talent on the roster will be unavailable very soon after the independent stars have fulfilled their obligations at other promotions. Yet this show still sells out in record time, which is testament to the strength of the British scene.
The future of independent British wrestling could be seen as a shadow of its former self with all its top stars being picked up but this show is a shining light and great example of why British wrestling is stronger than ever.
Will Ospreay and PAC are two performers cut from the same cloth. They are both high flying performers who hit hard and have massive fan bases who will support them whatever. They put their bodies on the line and this main event match is certainly one for wrestling fans to savour.
