IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: November 18, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Things are starting to get back to normal here and that is the kind of thing that could be a good or bad situation. The stories are starting to slip back into place though and now we get to find out what the creative department has put together in the last few months. I’m as scared as you are. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Amy Rose narrates a video about La Faccion Ingobernable, who is back soon.

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and throws it to the end of Brody King beating Dalton Castle last week.

King says a fire of violence has been lit inside him. His comments were about ten seconds after two minutes of the match.

The Briscoes and the Soldiers of Savagery talk trash to each other and are ready to fight. As luck would have it, that can be arranged.

Soldiers of Savagery vs. Briscoes

EC3 is on commentary and does not look happy to be there. The Briscoes have new music and someone managed to count that they are 199-80 all time in 2-2 tag team matches in Ring of Honor. That kind of stuff is great and I could go for having it around for a lot longer. We actually get the Code of Honor before the match and it’s Jay locking up with Moses to start. Moses grabs a headlock as EC3 asks if these strong men have honor. Mark comes in with a middle rope dropkick to Moses and a kick in the head knocks Khan off the apron.

Moses gets stomped down in the corner and a Russian legsweep makes it worse. Back up and Moses manages to send the Briscoes into each other and the hot tag brings in Khan. EC3 turns it into another rant about controlling your narrative as Moses comes back in for two off a legdrop. Jay gets over to Mark without much trouble and it’s time to clean house all over again.

A running clothesline drops Khan and Jay uppercuts him into the corner. The Briscoes hit a double superplex for two and we take a break. Back with the Soldiers busting out the weapons but the slugout is on instead (EC3: “There is honor in the slugfest.”). Moses hits the crossbody and Khan adds a middle rope headbutt to Mark. A running flip dive off the apron takes Jay down as Moses covers Mark for the near fall. Back in and Jay hits a neckbreaker to drop Moses into the Death Valley Driver. Mark takes out Khan and adds the Froggy Bow to finish Moses at 9:41.

Rating: C+. Good, hard hitting brawl here between two teams who are made to do something like this. The Soldiers are still new around here and there is no shame in losing a match to the Briscoes. I could go for this again down the line, though what in the world are the Briscoes supposed to do next?

Respect is shown again post match. EC3 stands in the aisle as the Briscoes pass him (Mark: “He looks like he’s lost.”)

Video on Vincent vs. Matt Taven, with Bateman talking about how far Taven has fallen. Taven talks about how Vincent only thinks he’s righteous and it’s time for revenge. If Taven has to go through Bateman to get to Vincent, that’s cool with him.

The Briscoes aren’t worried about EC3 because they just won a big tag match. They want their titles back but Jay isn’t happy with EC3 and challenges him for next week.

Shane Taylor talks about growing up in a horrible part of Cleveland and it gave him a different perspective. Wrestling gave him a way out and a new place to go and he’s here because of someone else from Cleveland named Ray Rowe. When Taylor got to Ring of Honor, he formed a team with a guy named Keith Lee called the Pretty Boy Killers because they looked different and were stars anyway.

Then once Lee left, Taylor hooked up with the Rebellion (oh I had forgotten about how awful they were) and Kenny King told him how good he would be. Taylor did not get that until recently and now he is ready to face King, because they know each other better than anyone. Good stuff from Taylor here and a nice get to know you piece.

Kenny King talks about being tired of being screwed over by Ring of Honor and joined La Faccion Ingobernable. He has the lawyer for Los Ingobernables and said lawyer isn’t pleased with how King has been treated. As for Taylor, King repeats a lot of what Taylor said but promises to beat Taylor again because King didn’t teach him everything.

Shane Taylor vs. Kenny King

Taylor won’t shake hands so King hits him in the face to start in a hurry. Shake hands next time dude. King misses an early spinning kick but avoids a running knee, setting off a quick boxing match. It’s King getting the better of things with a quick shot to the face, followed by a kick to the face to stagger Taylor. Back up and Taylor absolutely knocks his block off with a shot to the face and another huge right hand drops King in the corner.

We take a break and come back with Taylor hitting another shot to leave King barely able to stand. King manages to stick the landing on a toss though and nails a few kicks of his own. Some shots to Taylor’s face have him staggered as well but Taylor runs him over with a shoulder for two. We hit the chinlock for a bit with King fighting up, only to get clotheslined again. King gets to the apron and a forearm cuts off his springboard attempt. Back in and King manages a spinwheel kick for a quick knockdown and we take a break.

We come back again with King hitting some running knees in the corner but Taylor BLASTS HIM with a knee to the face. The package piledriver gives Taylor two more and he can’t believe the kickout. King manages a t-bone suplex for two of his own and says he’s always one step ahead. With nothing else working, King goes to the corner but Taylor catches him in Welcome To The Land for the pin at 10:14.

Rating: C. This was more about the history and building up Taylor for the future than the action and that worked out well. There was also a feeling of not knowing who was going to win here, which helped out a lot. King is one of the more established named in the company and while Taylor has had his singles success, this still feels like a big upgrade for him so well done.

Post match they hug and Taylor celebrates on his own.

Overall Rating: C. This felt like a much more traditional Ring of Honor show and for the most part, that was fine. They are starting to build stories from one week to the next and hopefully the shows are going to get a little tighter overall. What we got was good enough though, with the wrestling being watchable and the setup for the return of the big stars making the future seem all the more important.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: November 11, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

So now the Pure Title Tournament is over and that means we are going to be seeing what else Ring of Honor has. I’m not sure what that is going to mean going forward but at the end of the day, Ring of Honor has done rather well so far since their restart so hopefully they can keep it going as we get a bit more back to normal. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Quinn McKay sends us to the end of the Pure Title Tournament finals with Jonathan Gresham winning the title.

Gresham talks about Ring of Honor always trying to be the alternative to professional wrestling. Rush has not been living up to that as World Champion so now the Pure Title is on the same level. This company will be that again with him as the Pure Wrestling Champion.

Quinn previews what we have coming up tonight.

Dak Draper talks about growing up as a success and knowing that he was going to be a star when he young. He was a star in wrestling and football growing up and then got a WWE contract. That wasn’t what he wanted so he traveled around and then won the Top Prospect Tournament here in Ring of Honor and knew he would be a star in the Pure Title Tournament. Ring of Honor made him an alternate though, just like Brian Johnson, who is already jealous of everything Draper has.

Brian Johnson talks about being born in Philadelphia and getting bitten by the wrestling bug. He would buy the toys and the tapes and when he ran out of stuff to watch, he would go to sleep so he could dream about it. There was no football or other sports because he became a heck of a professional wrestler. Then he was given a robe and called Number One, so he had to take over the Ring of Honor Dojo by outworking everyone. Draper showed up and got an easy ride through the Top Prospect Tournament while Johnson failed and failed and failed again. Tonight, Draper better be ready because this isn’t just another match for Johnson.

Dak Draper vs. Brian Johnson

Pure Rules as they were the alternates in the tournament. The bell rings and Johnson punches him in the face to take over, including sending him outside for a suicide dive. Back in and a top rope clothesline hits Draper for two. Draper punches him in the face but a running crossbody puts both of them on the floor. Johnson comes up favoring his arm and barely beats the count so Draper is right back with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam for two. Draper stays on the arm and we take a break.

Back with Johnson not being able to get a double underhook due to the arm. A Doctor Bomb gives Draper two with Johnson using the rope for the second time. Draper’s running boot only hits corner and Johnson hits a cutter for two. A slingshot rollup gets two more on Johnson but he’s back with a crucifix for the same.

They go into a series of rollups for two each until Johnson hits a clothesline from the apron, with Johnson putting his feet on the ropes….which counts as his third rope break. Johnson’s neckbreaker spun into a faceplant gets two more, with Draper using his first rope break. Back up and Draper hits the Magnum KO (fireman’s carry into a World’s Strongest Slam) for the pin at 11:03.

Rating: C. This started fast but slowed down a good bit by the ending. Neither of these two have ever impressed me all that much and that was the case again here, though Johnson did show some fire to make it a little more interesting. Draper does seem to be the better prospect so I’m not surprised by the result, but at some point he needs to actually do something, and winning an alternates match isn’t it.

Brody King talks about being straightedge since he was 16 years old and gravitating towards music. He didn’t start wrestling until he was 27 but since he spent so much time stage diving in music, wrestling dives were easy. This is the first time that he has been on his own and he’s ready to do everything, including going after Rush. He’ll throw everything at you and he isn’t sure which Dalton Castle he’s getting this week. King wants the Castle that was World Champion, not the one who came back from injury.

Dalton Castle talks about his failures in the Pure Title Tournament. Now it’s time to make adjustments and that starts with taking down Brody King. Castle has never been more focused or enraged than he is now. Starting tonight, you get to see how dangerous he really can be.

Dalton Castle vs. Brody King

King powers him up against the rope to block the single leg attempt. That works so well that King does it again and then drives Castle into the corner. Castle slips over the top in the corner and sweeps the leg but King blocks a choke attempt. King charges into a boot to the face so Castle hits some running knees to actually slow King down for a second. That just earns Castle a kick to the chest to slow him down as well and King pounds him down in the corner.

We take a break and come back with King slapping on the neck crank. Some forearms to the chest give King two but Castle fights back up with a knee to the ribs into a DDT. The jump on the back choke strategy doesn’t work but an exploder suplex sends King flying for a change. A quick piledriver plants Castle for the same and it’s takes them both a second to get up.

King wins a forearm exchange and then sends Castle outside for trying the choke again. Castle swings underneath the bottom rope for a hurricanrana, only to get sent over the barricade for his efforts. Back in and Castle catches him on top, setting up the reverse Sling Blade for two. King plants him down for two of his own and snaps off a German suplex. One heck of a clothesline sets up the Gonzo Bomb for the pin at 14:45.

Rating: C+. I got into this one a good bit and it’s nice to see King getting a showcase match. He’s a big guy who can move and has an awesome finisher so he might be in for a move up the card in the near future. At the same time, it’s strange to see a former World Champion losing over and over like Castle, as that really isn’t something you see very often in Ring of Honor. Maybe he’s on his way out or maybe he’s just putting people over, but it’s still odd to see.

A banged up Castle shakes his hand to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. While I wouldn’t call it bad at all, this was a downgrade from recent shows as it felt like something that was more just there than anything else. I’m not wild on the interviews with people before every match as they feel more like filler than anything else. I get that they are exactly that, but find a way to make them feel less like filler. It’s one thing with someone brand new or making their first appearance since the restart, but did we need to hear the same thing from Castle? The show was fine and it’s hard to complain at just an hour. They’ve earned the credit for an off week and that’s impressive.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: November 4, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s title night as we finally get to crown a new Pure Champion. Jonathan Gresham meets Tracy Williams in the final, which should be a heck of a technical spectacle. That’s the point of the tournament so they couldn’t have picked a much better final. We also have our first non-tournament return match since the relaunch. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

The opening video looks at Williams’ and Gresham’s paths through the tournament to the final.

Quinn McKay previews the show, including the finals, something between Matt Taven and Vincent, and the six man tag.

We preview the six man tag, which is basically a recap of EC3’s limited time in the company.

Shane Taylor/Soldiers of Savagery vs. Briscoes/EC3

EC3, in slacks, powers Khan down twice in a row to start before hammering away with rights and lefts. The chase on the floor lets Khan stomp away back inside but EC3 shrugs it off and hands it off to Mark for a change. Some shots to the face in the corner have Khan in trouble but it’s back to Moses, who drives Khan into Mark in the corner. Mark doesn’t seem to mind and gets over to Jay for the hot tag as everything breaks down.

We take a break and come back with Shane punching Mark out to the floor and kneeing Jay down for two. The stomping ensues and Shane knocks EC3 off the apron, only to have Mark come in off the hot tag. Everything breaks down and Mark hits a corkscrew dive onto the Soldiers. Back in and the Froggy Bow misses Shane, who hits Greetings From 216 for the pin at 11:46.

Rating: C. Kind of a weird match as you would think that EC3 would get a pin to establish himself a bit around here. Other than that you didn’t have much one way or another here, as the Briscoes are great as always and Taylor was his usual self, but it was hardly a match that is going to stick with me. You would think they might use the chance to do something of note but not so much.

Video on Tracy Williams, who has come a long way to get to the tournament final. He’s ready for Gresham in the finals as they are going to build this company on pure wrestling.

Jonathan Gresham talks about getting a phone call from Williams about the Foundation. This company has lost its honor and it’s time to rebuild things. Gresham is ready to bring the title back to the Foundation no matter what.

Pure Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Tracy Williams

For the vacant title. They shake hands to start and Williams towers over him. It’s straight to the grappling early on but neither can get a hiptoss. Instead they head outside for a staredown until Williams gets back in and holds the rope open for Gresham. Back in and Williams starts working on the arm but Gresham slips out and we take a break. We come back with no time having elapsed (sweet) and Gresham starting in on Williams’ arm to take over for the first time. Williams goes to the ropes to get a breather and then chops Gresham right back down.

A cravate of all things gives Williams two and Gresham has to go to the ropes as well. There’s a spear to Williams but he’s right back up with a clothesline in the corner. Gresham hits a suplex with Williams popping up again for another chop. A bridging German suplex gets two on Williams and a collision in the corner puts them both on the floor in a heap.

Back in and Williams gets two off a brainbuster, setting up the Crossface to stay on the neck/shoulder. That means a second rope break from Gresham, who is back with a bridging German suplex of his own. Gresham forearms him down for two more but he can’t get a Kimura in full. Williams is back up with a piledriver for two, with Gresham using the final rope break. They both need a breather and Gresham pulls him into the Octopus for the sudden tap at 14:37.

Rating: B. Well that was sudden. I was expecting this to go closer to half an hour and it didn’t even make it to fifteen minutes. That’s quite the out of nowhere ending but Gresham seemed to be the favorite to win the title from the beginning of the tournament so it’s hardly a bad idea. It was a setup for a match, but the lack of time brought it down from where it could have been.

Post match Jay Lethal comes out to celebrate and respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a little disappointing but still good. The six man tag was nothing special and the title match was lacking a bit, but overall it’s a rather good show that doesn’t waste time. Ring of Honor is on fire at the moment, but I’m almost worried to see what they are going to do without the tournament or so many of their champions. What we have gotten over the last several weeks has worked though, so it might be a case of enjoy it while it lasts.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: October 28, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s time to get some finalists for the Pure Title Tournament, which has been rather good so far. The wrestling has been top notch and that is the kind of thing that you can always go with on a show like this. I’m not sure what we are going to be seeing next week but odds are it’s going to have some good wrestling, just like this show. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the tournament so far and the final four participants.

Opening sequence.

We look at Tracy Williams advancing to the semifinals by making Fred Yehi submit.

Williams doesn’t like that Jay Lethal doesn’t seem to know his name. Tonight, Williams isn’t just breathing down his neck because he’s going to bite off Lethal’s nose.

We look back at Josh Woods making PJ Black tap out to make it to the semifinals.

Silas Young says no, you shouldn’t be surprised that Woods won. Now where is Woods’ hug?

Video on Woods vs. Gresham, which is part of the same video on Woods and Gresham saying he’ll win.

Pure Title Tournament Semifinals: Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Woods

This should be awesome. Gresham goes for the leg to start but Woods easily blocks the takedown attempt. That’s enough to send Gresham outside for a breather and he still can’t take the leg on the way back inside. Instead it’s Woods grabbing a gutwrench, sending Gresham to the ropes for the first break of the tournament. Woods takes him to the mat without much trouble and a frustrated Gresham bails to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Woods’ knee to the face being countered and Gresham dragon screwing said leg over the rope. Gresham goes to the top but Woods grabs him by the arm and suplexes him down, meaning Gresham has to use a second rope break when Woods picks the arm again. Woods rolls some gutwrench suplexes but his arm gives out, allowing Gresham to grab something close to an Octopus.

Gresham hammers away at the head ala Daniel Bryan until Woods Samoan drops him down for the break. With Gresham down on the mat, he still manages to twist Woods’ knee to bring him down (that was cool). Gresham grabs a small package but they roll around the ring until Woods finally gets two. Not that it matters as Gresham grabs a sunset flip for the pin at 12:00.

Rating: B-. The technical stuff was here but I was waiting to see them go further and kick it into a higher gear. What we got was good while it lasted but I was wanting more. That’s one thing in a regular match but we only have two matches left in the whole tournament. Still though, what we got here was rather good and Gresham in the finals is one of the best options that they could have had.

Matt Taven comes out for a match but here’s Vincent to jump him from behind and shout that it’s over. Taven is sent head first into the floor and back first into the barricade, allowing Vincent to set up a table. Vincent lays him on the table and whips out a rather big ladder. Some right hands leave Taven on the table and Vincent hits the Swanton off the ladder. Vincent makes sure to ask if Taven gets what he’s saying.

We look back at EC3 debuting last week and a six man tag being set up. EC3 tells Shane to grow up and Shane says he grew up harder than EC3 can ever go. The Briscoes have earned EC3’s respect because there is honor in what he has done. Taylor is ready with the Soldiers of Savagery, which could set up a good tag match.

Jay Lethal is ready to win the title but Tracy Williams is ready to show Lethal who Williams is.

Pure Title Tournament Semifinals: Jay Lethal vs. Tracy Williams

Feeling out process to start until it’s time to trade headlocks. Lethal takes him down by an armbar and can’t shake his way out of it to start. It’s broken up eventually though so Williams takes him down by the leg for a change. Lethal ties him up by the legs and arms at the same time (Coleman: “It’s the Indian Deathboard!”) but Williams is out in a hurry and grabs the leg. That’s enough to send Lethal over for his first rope break.

A rollup gives Williams two and Lethal has to use another rope break, which is quite the fast usage. Williams takes him down by the leg again but Lethal reverses, meaning Williams has to use one for a change. We take a break and come back with Williams grabbing a chinlock with a forearm across the face. That’s broken up as well so Williams knocks him down into the corner for a change. Lethal sends him out to the apron though and that means a triangle dropkick to the floor.

Lethal puts him on top but Williams grabs the super DDT onto the turnbuckle. A piledriver gives Williams two, with Lethal using his last rope break. The Crossface goes on but Lethal cutters his way to freedom. The Lethal Injection connects….for two as Williams uses his last rope break as well. They slowly get back up to slug it out until Lethal cranks his arm down to the mat. Hail To The King connects but the Lethal Injection is countered into a rear naked choke. Lethal gets over to the ropes and kicks off, only to get caught in the Crossface to give Williams the win at 19:29.

Rating: B+. This was the kind of match that you would expect from these guys and what we had here was a heck of a showdown. Williams getting the upset makes for an interesting story and I can go for the idea of someone as good as Williams getting the chance. If nothing else, it was nice to see him pulling Lethal into those submissions. Lethal was trying to mix up the submissions with his usual style and it worked out well, though Williams was just too much. Really good match here though.

Overall Rating: B. Another week and another rather awesome show from the tournament. You can’t go wrong with the matches of course, but it was great to have something thrown in there with the Taven vs. Vincent feud. I’m curious to see where things go once the tournament is over, but I’m going to miss it when it’s gone. Another rather good show here, which is hardly a surprise these days.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: October 21, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

We’re getting down to the final four this week and that’s both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, it means we are going to be seeing something new coming in the next few weeks, but at the same time it means that we are going to be losing some of what has made this such a great show as of late. Hopefully they have something to balance it out. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Last week, Jay Lethal defeated David Finlay to advance.

Lethal is looking forward to facing Jonathan Gresham in the finals. Note that he’s only in the semifinals.

Last week, Jonathan Gresham defeated Matt Sydal to advance.

Jonathan Gresham is proud of his win and is ready to face someone in the next round. He talks about the professional wrestling freedom that comes with this tournament, which is kind of a strange metaphor.

We look back at Vincent talking about making enemies and getting jumped by Matt Taven.

We look back (they’re doing that a lot this week) at Fred Yehi beating Silas Young in the first round.

We look back at Tracy Williams defeating Rust Taylor to advance.

Pure Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Fred Yehi vs. Tracy Williams

These two were in Catch Point together in Evolve so there is a history between them. The stats are awesome here again, with a breakdown of Yehi’s strengths (escaped 83% of submissions) and weaknesses (only one takedown and move counter) from the first round. They do the Catch Point handshake to start and Yehi’s headlock takeover doesn’t get him anywhere.

We get a break in the corner before Yehi has to spin out of a hammerlock and go to the corner. Tracy tries to take him down but Yehi winds up on top for a quick two. Yehi uses a rope break to get out of a hammerlock and then uses a second a few moments later, which might not be the brightest move. Williams takes him down by the arm again but gets suplexed down as we take a break.

Back with Williams having to escape a leglock and winning a chop off without much effort. Williams kicks him in the back for two but Yehi is right back with a German suplex. He doesn’t let go but Williams blocks another suplex attempt. Instead Yehi stomps on the foot and kicks the leg out, setting up a quick Koji Clutch. That sends Williams to the rope, apparently for the second time.

They trade hold attempts on the mat with Yehi blocking a few Crossface attempts. A brainbuster rocks Yehi but he reverses a clothesline into the small package for two. That’s switched into the Koji Clutch to have Williams in more trouble and it’s the third rope break to get him out.

Back up and they slug it out until Williams forearms him hard into the corner. Williams still can’t get the Crossface so he settles for two off a piledriver instead, with Yehi using his own final rope break. Now the Crossface goes on but Yehi gets to his feet again. This time Yehi heads to the ropes so Williams slaps on the dragon sleeper in the ropes, but since that’s not a break, Yehi taps at 14:03.

Rating: B+. This is the kind of thing that the tournament was made for and it made for quite the back and forth showdown. Both guys are awesome at this style and the extra history helped them out a lot. I had a blast with this and the ending was creative, which is the kind of thing that you need to do in a tournament with special rules in every match. This was probably the best match of the tournament so far and they both looked awesome. I could go for more Yehi so points on finding a new star.

Here’s EC3 for a chat. He talks about how everyone has control over us throughout our lives, but is there honor in fighting back? EC3 talks about various people who have been here and says there have been honor in them. Is there honor in the people here today though? EC3 wants to find out by bringing total war here, because without pain and sacrifice, you have nothing. He wants to put the name of honor to the test so you have been warned. It’s better than his standard CONTROL YOUR NARRATIVE, which is something that sounds good but loses a lot of its impact when he says it over and over.

Post break, EC3 runs into Shane Taylor, who introduces himself because EC3 didn’t mention him. Taylor calls it his house but the Briscoes come up to get in his face. The Soldiers of Savagery want a six man against the Briscoes and EC3 so I think they’re set for later.

We look at Josh Woods defeating Kenny King and PJ Black defeating Tony Deppen to advance.

Pure Title Tournament Quarterfinals: PJ Black vs. Josh Woods

Silas Young is here with Woods and Brian Johnson is here with Black. They go to the mat to start and that’s not a good idea against Woods. An armbar has Black in trouble but he reverses into an ankle lock. That’s broken up as well and the grappling continues as they fight over arm control. Woods starts getting the better of things by staying over Black on the mat.

They get up with Black shoving him away for a standoff before taking Woods down in a headscissors. Woods keeps frustrating him and they break it up as we take a break. Back with things heading from the floor back inside, where Black has to use the rope to escape a sleeper. A kneebar sends Black into the rope again so he’s down to one break.

Woods grabs a front facelock and cranks on the arm some more until Black uses a Samoan drop to escape. It’s off to a cravate instead until Black rolls out and hits some quick middle rope elbows to the head. Black rolls into a reverse Boston crab while lifting Woods up to make it worse. That’s broken up as well so Black hits a running crossbody in the corner. Woods has had it though and pulls him into a grapevine ankle lock to make Black tap at 13:27.

Rating: B-. The ending was a relief in a way as I was worried that Woods would dominate for the entire match and then slip on a banana peel in the end. Woods is kind of perfect for this kind of tournament and seeing him against Gresham in the next round is kind of the perfect dream match. Good stuff here though, with the right ending.

Here are the updated brackets:

Jay Lethal

Tracy Williams

Jonathan Gresham

Josh Woods

Overall Rating: A-. This really has been the best show on TV in recent weeks and the tournament is starting to wind down. The good thing though is that they are setting up some other stuff for the future, because they are actually thinking. They started with the most basic stuff in the world and now they are slowly expanding, which is how things are supposed to go. Great show here, with the first match being a gem.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: October 14, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s time to start the quarterfinals and that’s a nice thing to see. The Pure Title tournament is such a pallet cleanser after so many things are so bad around here and I could go for a lot more of it. Thankfully that seems to be what we are going to be getting for a long time to come and I can’t say I’m complaining. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a look at the tournament, as we should.

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and runs down the quarterfinal participants.

We look at Tracy Williams advancing last week.

Williams says that was round one and he’s here for the best competition. He thanks Rust Taylor for knocking the rust off and hopes he never has to wrestle someone that tough again. Now he has Fred Yehi, who was part of Catch Point with him. So bring it on, because Yehi was what Catch Point was all about.

PJ Black beat Tony Deppen and knows he can use enough moves to make people burn through his rope breaks. Now he’s ready for round two.

We look at Jay Lethal beating Dalton Castle to advance to the second round. He’s ready for David Finlay.

We look at David Finlay beating Rocky Romero to advance to the second round. He’s ready for Jay Lethal.

Pure Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Jay Lethal vs. David Finlay

The time limits are extended to twenty minutes in the second round. They fight over wristlocks to start with Finlay knocking him to the mat but having to fight out of a cross armbreaker attempt. Lethal takes over on the arm and then drives him down into something close to a Fujiwara armbar. Back up and they fight over a hiptoss with Lethal being sent out to the floor in a crash.

They switch places with Finlay hurting his knee on the landing but still being able to get away before Lethal can dive. Back in and Finlay uses a headscissors to escape a headlock, only to get pulled into another headlock. With the holds not working, Lethal hits the hiptoss into the basement dropkick as we take a break. We come back with Lethal in trouble thanks to a backbreaker (with commentary calmly explaining the main point of what we missed during the break, because this show is treated as an actual sport).

Lethal escapes but can’t get a Figure Four as his knee is banged up, instead settling for the Lethal Combination for a double knockdown. That gets a very delayed two but Lethal takes way too long going up top because of the knee. Finlay pulls him down into something close to an Indian deathlock. Lethal is smart enough to use his first rope break and they fight out to the apron. Finlay is left on the apron and it’s a springboard dropkick to put him on the floor. The bad knee means Lethal can only hit one dive but the Lethal Injection connects for the pin to eliminate Finlay at 14:58.

Rating: B-. Lethal’s knee was banged up throughout the second half but it only held him back so much as he was still hitting almost all of his usual stuff. Finlay was a bit more interesting so far but I completely get why it’s Lethal moving on. He’s the biggest star Ring of Honor has at the moment and there is no reason to have him eliminated early on. Good match, but not quite as good as I was expecting.

We actually get an in-ring promo with Vincent coming to the ring to talk about how everyone is talking about change. He doesn’t need to change though because he is righteous. At one time, he stood there in the shadows and almost needed someone to bring him in. Now though, he’s here as the face of horror and it tastes so good man. He wants us to get closer and dig what he is saying. If you want to be successful you need friends, but if you want to be even more successful, you need to have some enemies.

Cue Matt Taven to take Vincent out and the beatdown is on in a hurry. Taven rips the canvas up and hits a knee to the face, followed by the Climax onto the exposed wood. That’s not enough as Taven whips out a table and drives Vincent through it at ringside before walking away. Face Taven is still a mile better than the heel version and this is a good way to build things up aside from the tournament.

We get a vignette on the importance of freedom. Three lines come up and we see the words YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

We look at Jonathan Gresham moving on by defeating Wheeler Yuta. He’s ready for Matt Sydal.

We look at Matt Sydal moving on by defeating Delirious. He’s ready for Jonathan Gresham.

Pure Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Jonathan Gresham vs. Matt Sydal

The break takes place before the bell for a nice relief. Sydal takes him down by the leg to start and cranks away before switching to an armbar. You know Gresham is fine on the mat and starts pulling on Sydal’s foot but Sydal gets in a kick to the face for the escape. Sydal puts on an ankle lock, only to get taken down into Gresham’s hammerlock. Gresham ties the arm around his leg and pulls back on Sydal’s leg at the same time for a bonus. That’s broken up so they trade some headscissors.

With that going nowhere, Sydal takes him down and starts working on the arm some more. This time they stumble into the ropes for a break, which is somehow not a rope break. We take a break and come back with Sydal striking away but not being able to get the cobra stretch. Sydal takes him down by the leg instead and kicks away at the knee. A big kick to the chest drops Gresham but it’s quickly off to a pinfall reversal sequence. Gresham’s knee is fine enough to pull Sydal into a surfboard but drops Sydal down to horribly bend the ankle and Sydal taps at 13:27.

Rating: B. This was more like it and the kind of thing that made the time worth it. The whole point here was two guys being technical masters with Gresham being just that much better. If nothing else, it’s great to see the two of them trying various methods of destroying the other’s limbs and Gresham’s big finishing hold was awesome. Really good stuff here and that’s what I was hoping to see.

We get another CONTROL YOUR NARRATIVE video and it’s confirmed to be EC3.

Overall Rating: B+. Seriously what else could you want from an hour long show? They had two good to very good matches, a surprise at the end and a story being brought back after several months away. Ring of Honor is doing the most basic stuff right now but they’re doing it well, and I’ll take that every single time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring Of Honor
Date: October 7, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

It’s time to wrap up the first round of the Pure Title Tournament and that is kind of a shame. The tournament has been rather nice so far and a lot of that is the back to basics approach. This is what I wanted when I heard AEW say they were going to treat wrestling like a sport and it is working so far, albeit in small doses. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a video saying “FOLLOW THE TREND”.

Opening sequence.

Video on the Pure Title Tournament.

We look at Fred Yehi beating Silas Young last week.

Yehi says he respects Young but now he’s ready for whoever he gets next week.

We look at Josh Woods beating Kenny King via judges’ decision last week.

Josh Woods is proud of his win but has to take back thoughts that Silas Young (his mentor) is lucky to not face him.

Rust Taylor talks about growing up in a very small town so he played sports for something to do. He loves all of the mechanics that come with grappling. After a bad period in his career, he was ready to quit but he kept going and got all the way here again. Taylor wants to face Tracy Williams at his best or it won’t mean anything.

Tracy Williams talks about how he grew up fighting with his friends and then went down to Philadelphia to learn to wrestle. Since then, he has become much more comfortable with his technical wrestler status and is ready for Taylor. Williams likes going after the neck and when he reaches his limit, the Hot Sauce comes out.

Pure Title Tournament First Round: Rust Taylor vs. Tracy Williams

They fight over some grappling to start with neither being able to get much of an advantage. Taylor starts working on the arm but Williams takes it to the mat and slips out. An armdrag into an armbar has Williams down again but he pops right back up for some strikes. Williams gets him to the mat to crank on the leg for a change before grabbing an STF. That’s enough to make Taylor use his first rope break so he takes Williams down and hammers the arm.

Williams is back up with a World’s Strongest Slam and we take a break. Back with Taylor kicking at the arm and pulling it into an armtrap armbar. Williams slips out and elbows at the ribs before it’s time to chop it out. A cross armbreaker sends Williams to the rope for the break and some more strikes give Taylor two, with Williams using another break. Taylor gets him down into a Rings of Saturn with the legs, meaning it’s the third rope break so Williams is completely out.

A seated armbar has Williams screaming again so he grabs the rope, but it means nothing this time. Instead he pulls Taylor outside for the big crash and they’re both down as time is running out. Taylor throws him back in and kicks away, earning himself a heck of a clothesline for two. Williams grabs a quick piledriver and slaps on the Crossface for the immediate tap at 14:25.

Rating: B. They surprised me a bit with the ending here as Taylor was winning throughout and then got beaten in a hurry in the end. It wasn’t so much that he got caught by someone more experienced, but rather Williams flipped a switch and won the thing. That’s not the most thrilling ending, but Taylor looked good here before losing to the better man. Really good technical stuff until then though and that’s what matters most.

Tony Deppen is ready to win the tournament because this is what he does. He was a punk rock skateboard kid and that means he didn’t have much in the way of a wrestling background. As a smaller guy, he looked up to people like Bryan Danielson and Kyle O’Reilly. Everything he learned about PJ Black, he learned on Wikipedia, but since he doesn’t have a Wikipedia, there is nothing to be learned about him. He is fighting for his child and he is never going to stay down.

PJ Black has been a wrestler for a long time and has trained with shamans and witch doctors. He talks about walking around barefoot in the woods because of the exchange of positive ions. Black talks about teaching Brian Johnson and wanting to teach him a thing or two. He doesn’t know much about Deppen but tonight he’ll show everyone what he can do with pure wrestling instead of just showing off his high flying.

Pure Title Tournament First Round: PJ Black vs. Tony Deppen

Black has Brian Johnson with him and grabs the wristlock to start. A headlock takeover puts Deppen down as well and there’s an armdrag into an armbar to do it again. Back up and Black hits a spinning kick to the face but Deppen’s STF attempt makes Black use his first rope break. Black rolls him down into a double arm crank but has to hit a clothesline to cut him off.

The arm cranking continues and there’s a stomp onto Deppen’s arm to make it worse. Black’s springboard is dropkicked out of the air though and we take a break. Back with Deppen sending him face first into the buckle for two but missing a top rope double stomp. Black kicks him in the head to put Deppen down but Deppen grabs the leg for an STF.

That means a second rope break and Black heads outside, only to get caught with the suicide dive. Back in and Deppen’s top rope double stomp gets two so Black grabs a cutter for two more. An over the shoulder powerbomb spun into a DDT gets an even closer two and Black is rather stunned. With nothing else working, Black hits a crucifix driver for the pin at 12:04.

Rating: C. I didn’t like this one as much as the opener but it was still fine enough. Deppen was tough and resilient but there was only so much of a reason to believe that he would be moving on here. The wrestling was fine enough, but the lack of drama hurt it, as did Black just hitting a few moves in a row for the win.

Here are the updated brackets:

Jay Lethal

David Finlay

Fred Yehi

Tracy Williams

Jonathan Gresham

Matt Sydal

Josh Woods

PJ Black

We get a CONTROL YOUR NARRATIVE (meaning EC3) video to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Another entertaining hour and that’s the best thing you can say about a show a lot of the time. We’re down to eight in the tournament and I’m curious to see where they are going from here. You could see multiple people winning and hopefully we can get some rather good tournament matches. I’ve liked the first round and maybe we can see a few more good weeks.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: September 30, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

It’s week three of the Pure Title Tournament and that means we could be in for another good show. The first two weeks were both pretty solid as it’s a relatively easy concept to grasp. There is something smart about just running bare bones wrestling matches and that’s what they have been doing around here. Just keep doing that for a bit. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Quick video on the Pure Title.

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and we look at the end of David Finlay beating Rocky Romero.

Finlay is proud to win but wants to beat a legend in Jay Lethal.

Matt Sydal beat Delirious and he’s proud to beat his long time wrestling rival. He thanks the wrestling gods and now he’s going for the finish against Jonathan Gresham.

Fred Yehi talks about growing up in a very drug heavy environment but he saw wrestling as a kid and knew it’s what he wanted. He saw that as his way around drugs and crime so he gave it everything he had. Yehi wound up wrestling D1 in college and always admired Bryan Danielson. Now it’s time to make Silas Young tap on his way to the Pure Title.

Silas Young grew up with five older brothers so he knows what it’s like to take a beating. He grew up in this business wrestling against some big guys and now he is one of the few multiple time ROH TV Champions. While he has been away, he has been training in Brazilian ju-jitsu so you can’t prepare for him. Young hasn’t seen much of Yehi but he has seen enough to move on. He was in the most recent Pure Rules match before the tournament and Jonathan Gresham had to cheat to beat him, so Yehi shouldn’t be a problem.

Pure Title Tournament First Round: Fred Yehi vs. Silas Young

I love the stats they throw in, such as Young’s record against everyone in the tournament. They fight over a lockup against the ropes to start and I guess it’s a referee’s decision to not call it a rope break. Yehi elbows him in the face and we have another standoff. Young’s wristlock doesn’t last long so it’s a hammerlock on the mat for a change. Back up and we hit the test of strength until Yehi sweeps the leg for the break.

Young is already frustrated and gets taken down again in another knuckle lock. This time it’s Young pulling on the leg to take over but Yehi reverses into a standing Indian deathlock. Young rolls over for the first rope break and we take a break. Back with Yehi pulling Young off the middle rope as commentary calmly explains what happened while we were away (simple, quick, effective).

Yehi starts stomping on the fingers and it’s a Koji Clutch to keep Young in trouble. Young slips out though and hits a running big boot in the corner. A tornado DDT gives Young two and they both need a breather. Yehi is back up and grabs a German suplex but Young hits a regular suplex of his own. A quick small package has Young in more trouble but he’s right back with the Regal Roll. The springboard moonsault misses though and Yehi gets in another small package for the pin at 13:00.

Rating: C+. That’s quite the relief as they were teasing a time limit judges’ decision or Young winning and Yehi is a lot more interesting at this point. Giving Yehi a win over Young is a nice surprise and something that could mean a little something for him going forward. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Yehi in the past and it’s a good thing to see him getting another chance in the next round.

Josh Woods talks about being the Top Prospect in 2017 and winning all kinds of college and amateur championships. He has Kenny King, who is a little arrogant and doesn’t seem to think much of Woods’ abilities.

Kenny King is ready to win the Pure Title to make another step towards total dominance of ROH. Woods is dangerous but King has been training in MMA to be ready for this match. He doesn’t care about the rules and Woods can call Shredder, Mr. Miyagi or the Ghostbusters but it won’t help.

Pure Title Tournament First Round: Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

They go to the mat to start before fighting over arm control. King wins a battle of the armbars before it’s time for more grappling on the mat. Woods tries a Kimura and then a triangle choke but can’t get either in full as we take a break. Back with grabbing some weird double ankle lock, sending King to the rope for his first break. King doesn’t seem to agree so he pulls Woods to the floor and hammers away, setting up the Tranquilo pose on the apron.

Back in and Woods knees away, only to get dropped with a right hand. That’s good for a warning so the frustrated King grabs the chinlock. Woods breaks it up in a hurry and a running knee in the corner gets two on King. Back up and the Royal Flush connects but Woods uses the rope break for the save.

Woods is sat on top but comes back with a super spinning suplex and they’re both down in a heap. They’re back up again and Woods’ Seismic Toss is countered so he grabs a rollup for two more. We have a minute left and they trade strikes in the corner until Woods misses a running kick, setting up a half crab from King as time expires at 15:00.

Rating: C+. This was a different kind of King and that’s a good thing compared to his usual self. King is good, but his normal style doesn’t really suit a tournament like this. It’s nice to see him switching things up to be more appropriate for something like this as a lot of people might not do so. At the same time, Woods is pretty much a perfect fit for the thing and didn’t need to change a thing. Good match too.

Woods wins via decision with Sumie Sakai and Will Ferrara voting for Woods while Gary Juster voted for King. Cool, as he’s the more interesting of the two.

Overall Rating: B-. We’re done with the third week and I’m liking this more and more every time. They have stripped everything else away and all we have left is a pair of wrestling matches between people who can have entertaining wrestling matches. They have laid out the rules and are seeing who can win under said rules, which means the first time someone cheats, it is going to be a big deal. This is a nearly completely fresh start and it is working out very well. Check these shows out if you are looking for something bare bones but still rather well done.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: September 23, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

It’s the second week of both the return and the Pure Title tournament and things have gone pretty well so far. Having a tournament under these circumstances is one of the smartest (and only) thing that they can do but it’s better than nothing. If it lives up to last week, they’re going to be just fine. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Quick look at the tournament.

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and throws us to a clip of Jay Lethal defeating Dalton Castle last week.

Lethal says that’s the first step towards becoming the first ever two time champion. He doesn’t care who he faces next week because he wants the best.

We look at the end of Jonathan Gresham defeating Wheeler Yuta.

Gresham says no one is stopping him and it doesn’t matter who he is facing next week.

David Finlay talks about being part of a big wrestling family but he was never forced to stay in the business. Then he went into the New Japan Dojo and was started from scratch because they break you down. He hasn’t been in Ring of Honor since January 2019 because he hurt his shoulder against the Briscoes and missed eight months. Finlay has been working on a variety of offense, including a leg submission.

Rocky Romero talks about everything he has done in Ring of Honor and everyone he has shared the ring with over the years. He loves the idea of the Pure Title tournament because it is everything he loves about wrestling. Romero has wrestled Finlay because and knows all of his weaknesses and strengths. The experience is what is going to matter here though because he has done this for a lot longer than Finlay. Romero is going to win the tournament and put it on his resume, but Finlay is just going to be a footnote.

Pure Title Tournament First Round: Rocky Romero vs. David Finlay

They trade standing switches to start and that’s an early standoff. Finlay headlock takeovers him down but Romero is back up with a headscissors. They go to the corner where Finlay gets in a kick to the ribs, setting up the chinlock. We take a break and come back with Finlay getting two off a dropkick and faceplanting him down. The camel clutch goes on, with Finlay switching it into a cobra clutch for a change.

Rocky fights up into a springboard tornado DDT for the break though and it’s time to kick away at Finlay’s shoulder. Romero goes up and drives a middle rope knee into the arm. Sliced Bread is broken up and Finlay slams him into the ropes, with Romero’s knee getting banged up.

The leglock goes on but Romero reaches over to use his first rope break. The slugout goes to Finlay but Romero is right back with Sliced Bread for two, plus a warning for a closed fist. Romero slaps on the armbar with kicks on the face but Finlay gets his feet on the rope for the break. Another Sliced Bread is countered into a backbreaker and Finlay hits a Last Shot for the pin at 13:03.

Rating: C+. I’m not much of a fan of either of these two but they had a rather nice match here. This was more what the idea of the tournament was supposed to be and they made it work out rather well. It’s nice to see someone younger get the win and Finlay will probably get something from a match against Jay Lethal in the next round.

Matt Sydal talks about having a mind, heart and soul advantage over everyone here. He took Tae Kwan Do and his foot has a big calcified growth on his foot thanks to an injury to make his kicks even worse. When he was starting with wrestling, Delirious was the first person to open his eyes to see how much more there was to this world. They had a match in 2004 and it meant so much to him. Now he needs to win the title to honor those who came before him.

Delirious, with subtitles, talks about being in Ring of Honor for sixteen years but never winning a title. He is a completely different breed and now things are going to change. This is a different Delirious because there is no crowd to make laugh so he is coming in as a beast. He and Sydal first met in 2004 and they have both won over the years. They are different but they are the same and there is no Delirious without Sydal. Delirious is in the tournament because he is bored and wants to be the best in the world.

Pure Title Tournament First Round: Delirious vs. Matt Sydal

The more muscular than usual Delirious dives after Sydal’s leg to start and it’s time to grapple. With that broken up in a hurry, it’s off to a test of strength for a change of pace. They go back to the mat with Delirious’ leglock being countered into a headscissors, which is countered right back into the leg hold. Sydal reverses into another headscissors but Delirious snaps the arm over the top rope, which counts as a rope break. Delirious is smart enough to stay on the arm and we take a break.

Back with Delirious holding a short armscissors but having used a rope break while we were away. They run the ropes into a double clothesline, followed by some kicks to the face to give Sydal two. Sydal kicks him in the legs and head for two more but Delirious is back with a cobra clutch suplex. They go into a pinfall reversal sequence until Sydal slaps on Delirious’ cobra stretch for the tap at 9:57.

Rating: C. This was a bit shorter than I was expecting but you don’t have to stretch things out a long way to get nice results. Sydal winning is fine as Delirious is kind of the designated wrestler if Ring of Honor is in need of a name. It works out well enough and the match was completely watchable, even with a surprise ending as Sydal is now in AEW.

Overall Rating: C+. They have something nice going on with this tournament and we could be in for a nice long run of matches as a result. It’s very structured and given ROH’s history with storylines, that is hardly the worst idea. As has been the case for most promotions restarting, it’s much more about getting ANYTHING out there so while the tournament may not be for everyone, it’s a lot better than nothing.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: September 16, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

For the first time in nearly six months, we have a fresh show from Ring of Honor and they are starting with a bang. It’s the return of the Pure Title, a championship which has a special set of rules and hasn’t been around in nearly fifteen years. If nothing else it will be nice to see something other than Best Of lower level wrestlers for a change. Let’s get to it.

There’s a new opening sequence for the first time in years.

The opening video looks at the tournament, which will feature sixteen men and will focus on the principles the company was founded upon.

Quinn McKay gives us a quick history of the title.

We see the sixteen men in the tournament in no particular order:

Jay Lethal

Matt Sydal

Jonathan Gresham

Tracy Williams

PJ Black

David Finlay

Silas Young

Josh Woods

Kenny King

Rocky Romero

Delirious

Dalton Castle

Tony Deppen

Wheeler Yuta

Rust Taylor

Fred Yehi

There are alternates just in case someone can’t wrestle. In Block A, it’s Dak Draper and in Block B it’s Brian Johnson.

We’ve got brackets and it’s single elimination:

Block A

Jay Lethal

Dalton Castle

David Finlay

Rocky Romero

Silas Young

Fred Yehi

Tracy Williams

Rust Taylor

Block B

Jonathan Gresham

Wheeler Yuta

Delirious

Matt Sydal

Josh Woods

Kenny King

PJ Black

Tony Deppen

We’re not done with the rules.

First round matches have a fifteen minute time limit, second round is twenty, third is thirty and the finals are sixty.

Each match will have three judges in case of a time limit draw.

And now for the actual Pure Rules as they somehow haven’t been mentioned yet.

Each match begins and ends with a handshake.

You have three rope breaks per match. After they are gone, pins and submissions in the ropes count, but they still must take place in the ring.

Closed fist punches to the face are not allowed though open handed strikes are legal. Closed fists to other parts of the body, save for low blows, are legal. One closed fist to the face is a warning and the second is a DQ.

Standard 20 count.

Any interference means you are FIRED FROM THE COMPANY.

Jay Lethal talks about being around ROH for thirteen years and Samoa Joe giving him his first major break. He is the only former Pure Champion in the tournament and wants to be the first ever two time champion. We see some clips of Lethal defending his title against some legends and he isn’t changing anything up because it had gotten here this far. Dalton Castle has beaten him before and that is all that is in his head.

Dalton Castle talks about being a really good wrestler and how good he has been since he was eleven. Then he became the Ring of Honor World Champion and this is the perfect environment for him. No he hasn’t wrestled in five months but he has been wrestling for over twenty three years. You think he can’t just turn it on? The rules are different though and Castle is ready to suplex Lethal a lot. Castle worries that people are forgetting how dangerous he is because of all of the funny stuff he does. He is a dangerous man and he is showing it in the tournament. This was WAY different from Castle and I liked the new side.

Pure Title Tournament First Round: Dalton Castle vs. Jay Lethal

There are now graphics with some stats, including that Castle has won 85% of his matches with the Bang-A-Rang and that Lethal has won 88% of his matches in Baltimore. I love little things like that and they’re a nice touch that shows they have put in some effort during the time off. We also get a graphic showing that the judges (not shown) are Gary Juster, Will Ferrara and Sumie Sakai.

Castle gets a front facelock to start but Lethal rolls over into the ropes, with a voiceover saying that is his first rope break. There is even a clock on screen to show the match time. Dang there is some actual fresh effort around here. They go to the mat again with Castle working on the arm until Lethal spins out to pull on the arm. Castle stacks her up for two and it’s a standoff. Lethal misses a right hand and gets suplexed down and an overhead belly to belly sends Lethal hard into the corner.

Back from a break with Lethal working on the leg, including a shinbreaker. They trade forearms as Coleman talks about how this is real wrestling and not entertainment. The Figure Four is broken up and they’re both down for a bit. Back up and the Bang-A-Rang is countered into the Lethal Combination for two. Hail To The King is broken up and Castle pulls him down for the Bang-A-Rang, with Castle’s leg giving out in the middle. Lethal has to use his second rope break to save himself and comes back with some kicks to the head. The Lethal Injection connects for the pin at 13:11.

Rating: B-. Lethal was the safe pick here but that pre-match promo made me want to see Castle go forward here. That being said, if you want to make a new star, having them beat Lethal, perhaps in the finals, would be a great way to go. Lethal wasn’t wrestling like a heel here whatsoever, but if they’re going for just the basics, that is a little more acceptable.

Wheeler Yuta has been wrestling for six years now after turning pro at sixteen. He went to college in Philadelphia just so he could train in the city with Drew Gulak. Yuta trained in the Michinoku Pro dojo in Japan and trained in Germany as well. He is going to want to take people apart and find their weaknesses. Yuta praises Jonathan Gresham and knows Gresham isn’t worried about him, so Yuta can win.

Jonathan Gresham talks about being an amateur wrestler because he thought that’s what you had to do to become a pro. He saw Ring of Honor back in 2005 and knew it was where he wanted to go because of everything they combined. Gresham has wrestled around the world and his technique is winning the title. It’s time to reshape this company as the pure wrestlers see it.

Pure Title Tournament First Round: Jonathan Gresham vs. Wheeler Yuta

Gresham’s Tag Team Title is notably absent. They fight over a test of strength to start with the bigger Yuta taking him to the mat. Gresham bridges off the mat but gets caught in a bodyscissors. That is rolled into a rollup for two each but Gresham rolls over into a surfboard. The leg cranking takes us to a break and we come back with an exchange of head fakes until Yuta scores with a dropkick.

Gresham goes right back to the leg with an Indian deathlock (with Yuta’s eyes bugging out in fear). Yuta bails to the ropes for the break and then punches Lethal in the face, earning himself an official warning. Gresham is annoyed so the pace picks up as they slug it out (with legal open hand strikes). A quick arm trap cradle gives Yuta two and a springboard spinning crossbody gets the same.

There’s a high crossbody for the same but Gresham is right back on the leg. The Figure Four goes on but they roll over to the ropes (not announced as a break) and fall to the floor to bang them both up. They both beat the count and trade some rapid fire rollups for two each. Gresham stomps on the knee though and pounds it into the mat to make Yuta tap at 10:25.

Rating: C+. This was a different kind of match than the opener and that’s a good idea. Yuta frustrated Gresham here and it told an interesting story of Gresham fighting someone who is so similar to himself. Gresham finally just unloading on the knee to win was a good way to go and the match worked as a result. Yuta would be a nice addition if he’s sticking around, but Gresham wasn’t losing in the first round of this thing.

Overall Rating: B-. It’s nice to have this stuff back as the stakes are instantly higher when you don’t know who is going to win. The Best Of stuff was nice but when you have nothing more for over four months, there is only so much value. I could go for something other than the tournament going forward (as a supplement, not a replacement), but given how things are going, a tournament is the best idea for the time being and that’s understandable.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6