Leon Slater vs. Michael Oku

[6.0] "This match was all about leading a very hot small-room crowd (they were hot even before the bell) and giving them reasons to care about the outcome - first two thirds had pretty good action that was building to a prolonged finishing stretch, but at one point the ref got knocked out and everything about the finish was overbooked in a way that personally made me care less about what I was watching. Sure, it all made sense thanks to simple, straight to the point pre-match promo video, and it worked for the crowd, but I can't say that this win made Leon look better than he was coming into this match. Certainly a valuable, good learning experience though."

[9.0] "One of the best young brits in Leon Slater taking on an experienced vet of the British scene in Michael Oku. Its not exactly what you'd expect in a great British wrestling match. its a lot of slaps and struggles, but its still a great match."

[9.0] "Great match up between 2 of the absolute best in the UK. NORTH did. Good job of adding stakes to this match with the hype package, this being the beginning of Leon Slater eventually turning into one of the best heels in BritWres"

[7.0] "The North crowd were red-hot for this main event, as evidenced by the trading Oku and Slater chants for the first couple of minutes of the match. On the whole, I liked the story they went for - mutual respect that eventually broke down with Slater having the opportunity to lean into the more cocky, arrogant side of his character. The means to get there, with a ref bump that felt very long, were somewhat frustrating. Work-wise this was notebook-level but the booking leaning into the melodrama pulls it down for me. ***3/4"