Ring Of Honor
Date: March 9, 2022
Host: Ian Riccaboni

We’re done with the Hall of Fame shows so I have no idea what to expect this week. We could be in for something interesting out of the vault, but Ring of Honor has a tendency to throw in a surprise here or there. The relaunch is less than a month away though so they don’t have much more time to fill. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look at how Ring of Honor has come up through the years and the foundation of what it was built on.

Ian Riccaboni welcomes us to the show, which will be a Hall of Fame special looking at the original class.

First up we look at the Briscoes, who have been around since the first match in Ring of Honor history and are the greatest tag team the company has ever had. We see some clips of their greatest feuds and a highlight reel of some of their big matches, from title wins to grudge matches. Jay Briscoe’s World Title wins are included as well.

Riccaboni brings in Cary Silkin for a chat about the Briscoes, who he calls the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of Ring of Honor.

Next up is Bryan Danielson, who Silkin describes as Old Faithful.

We get Danielson’s Hall of Fame video, looking at him in the main event of the first Ring of Honor show, plus his rise to the World Title. Then he feuded with Nigel McGuinness for a long time before moving on to other promotions around the world.

Danielson’s highlight video looks at winning the World Title and some major title defenses. This is the kind of stuff I’d like to see more of out of the video vault as there are some forgotten gems in there. We also look at the unification match with Nigel McGuinness, which is still brutal, and his final match before heading to WWE. There is probably a very many hours long DVD worth of great Danielson matches and I could go for watching a lot of them.

Next up is Samoa Joe, who Silkin credits with navigating the company through some rough waters.

The Joe highlight video looks at Joe showing up and quickly winning the World Title, which he held for a VERY long time. We hear about his dominance before heading to other promotions, including a jump back to Ring of Honor in between.

We see some of Joe’s most famous matches, including winning the World Title and Joe vs. Punk II, plus his final match against Homicide (not counting his 2015 comeback). And then, the return of course, plus his second final match.

We’ll wrap it up with CM Punk, who Silkin and Riccaboni say you can’t talk about without talking about the trilogy with Joe. Silkin was a bit worried about the Summer of Punk but knew he would do the right thing.

Punk’s video looks at his Ring of Honor highlights, from his debut to winning the Tag Team Titles to the Joe trilogy and of course the Summer of Punk, leading to his departure for WWE.

We get some more classic clips, including Punk vs. Terry Funk from Glory By Honor II, which is one of those matches that you probably weren’t getting anywhere but Ring Of Honor. For something a bit more traditional, we look at the World Title win, setting off the Summer of Punk, including him dubbing the microphone as a pipebomb. His heel turn was pretty awesome and you can see all of the star power that made WWE bring him in. Then he lost the title to James Gibson and moved on to WWE.

Silkin is presented with a plaque as the final inductee, winning the Cary Silkin Legacy Award. Well that’s very nice.

Overall Rating: B. I’m not sure how to rate this one but I had fun with the whole thing so we’ll call it good. This was the short form version of the last four weeks and that might be the way that a lot of viewers would prefer to go. The Silkin deal was a very sweet moment and another thing that was well deserved, as the company probably doesn’t survive without him around. It’s sad to see Ring of Honor changing so much, but dang I’ve had fun with all of these flashbacks.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: March 2, 2022

We have one more Hall of Fame special here and this time we are looking at CM Punk. This is one of the big ones as Punk played such a role in putting Ring of Honor on the map. Between his feuds with Raven and Samoa Joe, plus the Summer of Punk, there is a lot to pick from here and that makes things all the more fun. Let’s get to it.

We open with Punk’s Hall of Fame video, including a look at straightedge, plus the highlights of his Ring of Honor career.

From Death Before Dishonor III on June 18, 2005.

Ring of Honor World Title: CM Punk vs. Austin Aries

Aries is defending and drives Punk up against the ropes off a lockup. With that not going anywhere, they fight over a series of standing switches until Punk backs him into the corner for a break. Aries is back up with a middle rope elbow to the face before grinding away on a headlock. Punk reverses to a headscissors to work on Aries’ bad neck, allowing commentary to talk about all of the great things Punk will be able to do after joining WWE. Like main eventing Wrestlemania!

We take a break and come back with Punk dropping a knee for two and staying on the neck. After escaping Aries’ brainbuster attempt, Punk grabs a neckbreaker for two and the nerve hold goes on. Back up and Punk hits an elbow to put him on the floor, setting up the big suicide dive. Commentary: “When there is a Ring of Honor Hall of Fame in twenty years, Punk will be on the first ballot.” Eh 17 but close enough. Aries manages to pull him to the apron and the two of them crash out to the floor.

We take another break and come back again with Punk striking away, including some running elbows to the face. Some Hulk Hogan pointing YOU’S set up more forearms and a crossbody gives Punk two. The fans are all over Aries as he comes back but still can’t hit a brainbuster. Punk gets two off a backslide but Aries grabs a quick piledriver. A Regal Roll looks to set up the 450 but Punk slams him off the top and hits a Shining Wizard for two.

Aries catches him on top for a change and what looks to be a super brainbuster gets two of his own. Punk breaks up the 450 again but this time Aries his his own Pepsi Plunge, setting up the 450. This time Punk pulls him straight into the Anaconda Vice until Aries slips out as well. A TKO of all things gives Punk two and the Pepsi Plunge makes Punk champion at 30:26.

Rating: B+. This was a good one with Punk finally getting to the gold, which is something that had seemed to be set up for a long time. It’s still strange to see this version of Punk who could work at such a high, fast paced level but you can certainly see just how good he was back in these earlier days. WWE certainly seemed to get it and that is where the history really got started. Heck of a match.

We look at Punk winning the Tag Team Titles with Colt Cabana as the Second City Saints.

Then the Second City Saints won the titles again!

From Escape From New York on July 9, 2005.

Ring of Honor World Title: CM Punk vs. Roderick Strong

Strong is challenging and is the next big hope as Punk is WWE bound soon and has to lose the title before he leaves. Punk chops him into the corner to start and then runs into the other corner when Strong tries to come back. They fight over arm control until Punk takes him down for a chop to the back. Again, the threat of Strong coming after him sends Punk outside but he comes back in for a headlock. Back up and Strong hits a running clothesline but goes so hard that he hits the floor before Punk.

We take a break and come back with Punk chopping away in the corner and grabbing another headlock on the mat. Strong fights up again and gets in his own set of chops to knock Punk outside. That means the suicide dive before Punk gets sent into the barricade. A big chop knocks Punk into the crowd so Strong brings him back inside for the first backbreaker. Fans: “BREAK HIS BACK!”

A belly to back suplex puts Punk down again and we take a break. Back again with Strong charging into a hotshot and Punk hitting a basement dropkick to the back of the head. Strong hits a middle rope spinning crossbody but gets his head clotheslined off. A delayed vertical suplex gets a delayed two and Punk grabs another chinlock.

We take another break and come back again with Strong hitting another backbreaker. Strong strikes away and gets two off a dropkick. A Rock Bottom backbreaker gets two but Punk slips out of the half nelson backbreaker and hits a Shining Wizard. The Anaconda Vice goes on but Strong gets a boot on the rope for the break.

The Pepsi Twist sets up a missed springboard legdrop and Strong grabs the Stronghold. Punk goes straight to the ropes and is back up with a hammerlock DDT for two. The kickout annoys Punk so much that he takes his elbow pad off but the running elbow is countered into a series of backbreakers for a close two. Strong tries an O’Connor roll but Punk stacks him up and gets the pin to retain at 26:28.

Rating: B. Strong is a weird case where he can have a good match with anyone but there is a pretty firm ceiling above those matches. He can only reach a certain level, but at the same time, the level he reaches is better than just about anyone else. Another pretty awesome match here as the desperation to get the title off of Punk continues.

One more Punk video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: A-. Like these shows could be anything less than great, which is what we got here again. Ring of Honor knows how to open up the vault really well because there is a lot of amazing content in there. I have had a blast with these Hall of Fame shows and it is going to be awesome when the content winds up on some bigger streaming service so we can see some of that stuff. As for Punk, he’s one of the Ring of Honor legends for a reason and it was cool to see something like this, even if it was pretty condensed.

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Ring of Honor
Date: February 23, 2022

It’s another Hall of Fame show and this time around we are looking at Samoa Joe. That is another case where there are all kinds of matches to pick from, many of which are among the ones that helped put Ring of Honor on the map. These shows have been excellent so far and there is a chance that this one will be too. Let’s get to it.

We open with Samoa Joe’s Hall of Fame video, talking about how he helped put the company on the map and his still record World Title reign. We also hear about his time in Impact Wrestling and WWE, though not much is said about the latter.

From Night of Champions, March 22, 2003.

Ring of Honor Title: Samoa Joe vs. Xavier

Xavier is defending and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him wrestle before. The rest of the Prophecy, Xavier’s friends, are at ringside but CW Anderson and Michael Shane come in to take them out. That leaves Joe to chop Xavier into the corner, where Xavier’s chops have no effect. Joe knocks him outside and puts Xavier in a chair for a running boot to send him head first into the barricade.

Commentary talks about Xavier getting a concussion a week ago as Joe stays on his head, which is rather disturbing in a few ways. Back in and Xavier gets in a shot to the knee as we take a break. We come back with Xavier working on the neck, which just seems to wake Joe up. Some clotheslines stagger Joe but he rolls some suplexes to drop Xavier on his head over and over. Xavier knees his way out of a brainbuster (that was different) and an Ax breaker drops Joe again. The 450 hits raised knees though and an enziguri drops Xavier again. The Koquina Clutch gives Joe the title at 11:35.

Rating: C+. They didn’t even edit that much out of here as the full thing wasn’t even twelve minutes long. Xavier got in a few shots here but Joe felt like an unstoppable force who was going to get the title no matter what. It’s certainly historic as Joe starts his legendary reign, but Xavier is quite the curiosity in his own right, as he was the second champion in the company’s history and is little more than a Ring of Honor footnote.

From Manhattan Mayhem, May 7, 2005.

Pure Title: Jay Lethal vs. Samoa Joe

Lethal is defending and looks VERY young here. Joe gets knocked down and Lethal shouts (at his mentor) that the real champ is here. Some stomping doesn’t get Lethal very far and it’s time to trade some wristlocks. Joe backs him into the corner for some shots to the face but lethal is right back with a neckbreaker for one.

Lethal grabs a weird hold as he ties up the legs ala Rhea Ripley’s Prism Trap but lays on his back, putting his feet under Joe’s arms to raise him up in the air (it looked great). That doesn’t last long as Joe falls into the ropes for his first break and comes up with a right hand. You can only use one of those so the referee yells at him, allowing Lethal to grab another neckbreaker. Joe has to go to the ropes to escape another leglock but he Rock Bottoms Lethal out of the corner to plant him hard.

The running knee drop gets two and we take a break. Back with Joe washing Lethal’s face in the corner but charging into some boots. Lethal muscles him up for a suplex and scores with a Swan Dive for two more. Another kick sends Lethal to the apron, where he uses a closed fist of his own.

That’s fine with Joe, who knocks him outside and hits that big suicide elbow of his. They strike it out on the apron until Lethal grabs him, only have Joe drive both of them HARD through a table at ringside. Back in and Joe’s snap powerslam gets two but Lethal has to use the ropes to escape the Koquina Clutch. A middle rope DDT gives Lethal two and his signature dragon suplex gets the same. Joe isn’t having that though and grabs his own dragon suplex, setting up a cross arm suplex for the pin and the title at 19:10.

Rating: B. This was better than the opener, as Joe survived everything the game Lethal could throw at him before grabbing a suplex to knock him out. It was about Joe being a monster who could not be stopped and that made for a rather physical fight. Lethal would get better, but it was still Joe’s time here.

From Joe vs. Kobashi, October 1, 2005.

Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi

Well it was going to be this or one of the Punk matches and this makes more sense. Joe gets a pop but Kobashi gets an ovation. They shake hands to start and it’s time for some high intensity circling. The feeling out process continues until Joe hits the first chop for a loud gasp from the crowd. Kobashi takes him into the corner and shows him a real chop before a shoulder sends Kobashi outside. Joe hits the big suicide elbow into the barricade for two back inside and we take a break.

Back with Joe taking him outside for the big running boot in the chair. It worked so well the first time that Joe tries it again, only to charge into a shot to the face. Joe gets planted on the floor and they head back inside for some more hard Kobashi chops. We hit the front facelock for a bit until Joe suplexes his way to freedom. They strike it out hard with the sweat literally flying off of their chests.

Kobashi gets the better of things as we take another break and come back with Joe making the comeback and striking away even faster. Some Kawada kicks send Kobashi flying into the corner and it’s time for the facewashes. The MuscleBuster connects for two and Joe is stunned by the kickout. Another kick to the head sets up Joe’s STF, which is switched into a crossface and then something like an octopus hold on the mat as Kobashi FINALLY gets a foot on the ropes for the break.

Kobashi manages a half and half suplex and they’re both down again. Back up and Kobashi goes nuts with the rapid fire chops in the corner, leaving Joe’s chest looking rather disturbed. Another half and half suplex gets two and a sleeper suplex gives Kobashi the same. Joe tries to chop away but some spinning backfists set up a huge lariat to put him away at 24:21.

Rating: A. This is a great example of a match which was made better by the crowd’s reaction. The match felt like an event, as Kobashi is a living legend and having Joe face him in such a high profile match is the kind of thing you do not get to see very often. Joe is the biggest name in Ring of Honor history and Kobashi is far above him, but Joe hung in there and had him in real trouble in a classic. Great match, as you may have heard before.

One more quick Joe video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: B+. It was kind of a weird show as the focus was more on Joe milestones than great matches, though the last match checked both boxes. Joe is another case where there are so many huge matches that this could have gone on for about three hours plus without getting old. Joe vs. Kobashi is always worth a look, but the other two are more for historical purposes than anything else, which is kind of the idea here.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: February 16, 2022

We’re still on the Hall of Fame shows and that means we should be in for a fun week. Last week’s show was pretty awesome and this time around we have another big one with Bryan Danielson. He was absolutely a star in Ring of Honor and was a big part of why the company got on the map. Opening the vault is always fun so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

We open with Danielson’s Hall of Fame video, including talking about how his talent and amazing matches helped develop the company’s reputation. Then he moved on to WWE and AEW and kept doing the same thing.

From Glory By Honor V (September 16, 2006).

Ring Of Honor World Title: Kenta vs. Bryan Danielson

Danielson is defending has a horrible shoulder coming in. Kenta threatens him with the big kick to start and backs Danielson up against the ropes. That means a slap to the face and things are getting a bit more serious. They go to a test of strength until Danielson grabs the arm, setting up a knee to the face. Kenta goes right back to the shoulder though and Danielson needs a breather on the floor.

Back in and Danielson rocks him with a headbutt, earning himself a kick to the arm. A headlock takeover works a bit better for Danielson, whose shoulder is looking black and blue. Danielson rips at the face as we hear about how awesome his title reign has been. A wristlock doesn’t get Kenta very far as Danielson dropkicks him to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Kenta hitting a running dropkick and kicking away, setting up a springboard missile dropkick for two. Kenta grabs a short armscissors, sending Danielson over to the ropes in a hurry. Danielson is right back with a half crab and a whip into the corner, setting up a Chris Benoit throat slit (dang that was jarring to see). The superplex sets up a crossface chickenwing to keep Kenta in trouble but a foot in the ropes is good for the break. The Swan Dive only hits Kenta’s raised boots though and it’s time to slug it out. They trade suplexes and then trade discus strikes to the face for another double knockdown.

We take another break and come back again with Kenta pulling him into a Fujiwara armbar, sending Danielson right back to the ropes. Danielson goes up onto said ropes but dives into a cutter, meaning the Fujiwara armbar goes right back on. That’s broken up again and Danielson grabs a fisherman’s belly to back suplex for two.

A belly to back superplex drops Kenta again and Cattle Mutilation goes on, meaning Kenta makes the ropes AGAIN. Danielson goes up top but dives into a fireman’s carry, setting up the (original) GTS for a VERY close two as the ropes save the title again. A bridging O’Connor roll gives Danielson another crazy near fall but Kenta kicks him down.

Danielson takes him down and drives away with the elbows to the head, only to have Kenta power up for the fireman’s carry. That’s broken up as well though and it’s a tiger suplex for two on Kenta. Cattle Mutilation goes on again and, after some more elbows to the head, the hold goes on again and Kenta FINALLY taps at 27:43.

Rating: A. Oh yeah this worked and it was an awesome fight with both guys beating the tar out of each other. Danielson can do this with anyone and it was a time when Kenta got to look as good as he is often hyped up as being. I haven’t seen nearly enough of Danielson’s time in Ring of Honor but it is easy to see where he gets the reputation that he has. Awesome match here and I loved the heck out of this.

We look at Danielson beating James Gibson (Jamie Noble) to win the World Title at Glory By Honor IV.

From Unified (August 12, 2006) and this is a pretty famous one.

Ring Of Honor World Title/Pure Title: Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness

This is to unify the titles and under Pure Rules with a winner guaranteed. They take turns backing each other up against the ropes with Danielson slapping him in the face. Nigel armdrags him down and gets in his own slap, with the London fans saying Danielson got b**** slapped. They fight over wrist control as we hear about both of their dominant title reigns.

A dropkick puts McGuinness down but he kicks at the leg to get a breather. The grappling is on again with Danielson driving him into the corner before kicking him down. It’s time for Danielson to start in on the arm, including some hard cranking on the mat. Back up and a running dropkick puts Nigel down and we take a break.

We come back with Danielson uppercutting away in the corner before grabbing a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up with the rope break before Nigel hits a clothesline out of the corner. A Regal Cutter (or close to it) gives Nigel two and there’s a running uppercut in the corner for the same. An arm trap chinlock goes on to keep Danielson in trouble but he gets up and scores with an enziguri. The surfboard double knee stomp has Nigel in more trouble and it’s a superplex into a Swan Dive for two. Cattle Mutilation goes on but Nigel is in the ropes in a hurry, meaning it’s rope break #2 (I’m guessing that first one was in the break).

We take another break and come back Nigel putting him down, making Danielson use his first rope break. Nigel grabs his own Cattle Mutilation and Danielson burns through another break in a hurry. They head outside with Danielson putting a table onto him for some choking. Back in and Nigel blasts him with a clothesline. Danielson is fine enough to grab the crossface chickenwing so Nigel uses his final rope break.

Nigel gets tossed with a German suplex but still manages to get his feet up to block the Swan Dive. A strike off goes to Danielson but Nigel puts him on the top for a hard clothesline. That means Danielson has to use his final break and we take another break of our own.

Back again with Nigel busted open as they trade some HARD headbutts (no hands protecting them either). A big headbutt sends Nigel into the ropes but he comes out with a hard lariat. Nigel gets a delayed cover but Bryan rolls over into Cattle Mutilation. The ropes can’t save him this time so Nigel has to spin out. With nothing else working, Danielson ties the arms up and unloads with elbows to the head to knock Nigel out and unify the titles (So THAT’S where the name came from!) at 32:41.

Rating: A-. This was a hard one to watch, partially just due to the head trauma. I’m not bit on seeing Danielson (or anyone for that matter) using their head like that, but dang they beat the fire out of each other. The good thing is that the technical work was awesome and then it got serious when they were beating on each other like everything was on the line (because it was). Awesome match, but it is a bit hard to watch.

One more Danielson video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: A+. I know it’s easy to focus on the best matches when you’re doing a show like this but dang this was fun. Danielson has more classics than should be legally allowed and this was an awesome look at two of them. Much like last week, I could go for a much longer look at Danielson and that’s how this should be. It’s almost like those ads for Honor Club throughout the show was a good idea. Check this, plus more Danielson, out because it’s outstanding stuff.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: February 9, 2022

It’s a special theme episode this week as we look at the first inductees into the Ring Of Honor Hall of Fame: the Briscoes. When you think about it, there isn’t anyone else it should have been if you are just looking at accomplishments. There are all kinds of classic matches here and hopefully they open the vault a bit. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

We open with a video on the Briscoes (seems appropriate), including a bunch of home videos. It moves on to some of their better moments and bigger feuds before welcoming them to the Hall of Fame.

From Night of Champions on March 22, 2003 in Philadelphia.

Tag Team Titles: AJ Styles/Amazing Red vs. Briscoes

Styles and Red (only the second champions in the titles’ history) are defending and the Briscoes (both teenagers here) are making their debut as a team. Jay and Red run the ropes to start before Mark comes in to try some suplexes. It’s too early for that so we’ll go with an exchange of rollups for a standoff instead. AJ comes in to ride Mark on the mat before snapping off a German suplex.

It’s back to Jay, who gets German suplexed as well, albeit with Red adding a superkick to make it worse. Back in and Mark hits a high collar suplex on Styles, setting up some running double chops/boots in the corner. We take a break and come back with AJ snapping off a backbreaker into a suplex for a breather. The tag brings in Red for a top rope elbow but Jay makes a blind tag for a missile dropkick.

Red is right back with Brain Damage (kind of a kneeling tombstone but Red falls backwards while driving Jay’s head into the mat, making it a bit unclear who got the worst of it). AJ comes back in with a brainbuster but Mark powerbombs his way out of a hurricanrana attempt. The middle rope moonsault DDT is countered with a dropkick but Mark’s springboard cutter is knocked out of the air.

Red cuts Jay off and comes in for a running kick to drop Mark. That lasts all of three seconds as Mark lays him out with a clothesline and brings Jay back in. Some of the rooms of the house are cleaned and we take another break. Back again with Mark suplexing Red for two and handing it back to Jay for a DDT. A front facelock keeps Red in trouble but he powers up and gets over to AJ….as Mark has the referee in a classic spot.

Red manages to kick Jay down and drop Mark on his head, allowing the hot tag off to AJ. The pace picks up so AJ can strike it out with Jay as everything breaks down. An assisted DDT plants Red for two but AJ is back in with a double DDT to both brothers. The Jay Driller and Styles Clash are both broken up, leaving Red to hit the super Code Red for two on Mark. Back up and AJ launches Red into the air for a super hurricanrana on Jay, sending him straight into the Styles Clash to retain the titles at 25:40.

Rating: A-. Yeah this was awesome and you could see that the Briscoes had all of the promise in the world. They still needed some extra ring time and seasoning but the base was there. These guys tore the house down and I wasn’t sure how it was going to end. I haven’t seen much of this time from Ring of Honor so it’s pretty cool to see how good some of this stuff can be.

We see a montage of all twelve Tag Team Title wins. That’s pretty awesome actually as it shows you just how many changes have taken place over the years. If nothing else, it’s weird seeing the Briscoes grow hair.

We look at Jay Briscoe’s two World Title wins.

From Global Wars 2018.

Briscoes vs. Cody/Hangman Page

Brandi Rhodes is here with Cody and Page. Mark and Hangman (who looks VERY young here) start things off with an exchange of shots to the face before they glare each other down. Jay and Cody come in for the staredown before Cody works on the wristlock. We take a break (apparently due to the power going out in the building) and come back with the Briscoes taking turns on Page in the corner.

Jay knocks Cody off the apron and kicks Page in the head for two as Colt Cabana (on commentary) makes chicken references. Page gets over to Cody for the tag and it’s time to clean house as Ian Riccaboni recaps what fans missed when the power was out (with Sabu references abounding for a good chuckle).

Back in and Jay pounds Cody down in the corner but Brandi grabs a chair…which seems to scare Mark off. Mark gets back inside and hits a Death Valley Driver but has to roll out of the Froggy Bow. The double tag brings in Jay to slug it out with Page and we take a break (TV, not power out). Back with Page blasting Mark with a clothesline for two but Jay’s neckbreaker gets the same on Page.

Redneck Boogie gets two more but Brandi gets on the apron, with Mark being whipped into her. Brandi grabs her shoulder and the distraction lets Mark kick Cody low. The Buckshot Lariat drops Mark though and a top rope moonsault to the floor takes out both Briscoes. Cross Rhodes gets two on Jay, who brawls to the floor with Cody. That leaves Mark to slip out of a super Rite of Passage (Deadeye) as Cody is whipped into the barricade. Back in and the Jay Driller sets up the Froggy Bow to give Mark the pin at 18:25.

Rating: B+. Another hard hitting and energetic match, which shouldn’t be a surprise. The Briscoes can hang with anyone and it makes sense to put some of the top AEW guys going today in here. That being said, it isn’t exactly an important match for the Briscoes and it would have been nice to see one of their title wins in full. I’ll take what I can get though and this was rather great stuff.

One more Briscoes video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: A. This was great and that is an awesome thing to see. What mattered here was making the Briscoes look good and that is what they did here. The team has been one of the only standards for all of Ring of Honor’s history and there was so, so much to pick from here. I could have absolutely gone for a three or more hour version of this because the Briscoes have more great matches than anyone else in Ring of Honor history. Check this out if you’re a fan of the team and then go see some more of them, because they’re an all time great team.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Ring of Honor
Date: February 2, 2022

We’re about two months away from the relaunch and that means Ring of Honor should be able to get through with the recent content. Last week saw a few matches from last year’s Final Battle and odds are that is what we are going to be getting here. There is a good chance that some of these wrestlers won’t be around going forward, but at least they went out well. Let’s get to it.

The matches are from Final Battle 2021.

Opening sequence.

Rok-C is ready to defend the Women’s Title against Willow Nightingale.

Women’s Title: Willow Nightingale vs. Rok-C

Rok-C is defending but gets taken down to start, allowing Willow to bust out a cartwheel. Willow blocks the running knees but Rok-C manages to snap off a running headscissors. Back up and Willow can’t quite hit Three Amigos, so she plants Rok-C for two instead. This time Rok-C fights up with a Russian legsweep but Willow plants her for two more. A Pounce rocks Rok-C, sending commentary into various Monty Brown impressions and Rok-C down for another near fall.

The fans are split here, but the Willow chants are a bit louder. The Code Rok is countered into a belly to back kneeling piledriver to give Willow two more. Willow still can’t hit her moonsault as Rok-C jumps her from behind, setting up a heck of a powerbomb for two on Willow for a change. Back up and Willow catches her on top, setting up a superplex. Now the moonsault can connect for two but Rok-C is right back with the Code Rok to retain at 9:42.

Rating: C. The match was fast paced but Willow absolutely came off like a bigger star here and I would have thought about changing the title. Rok-C is a young star but she doesn’t exactly have anything to her besides being young and talented. Willow might not be the next big thing, but she stood out way more than Rok-C.

Post match here is Deonna Purrazzo to challenge Rok-C for a title for title (AAA Reina de Reinas/Impact Knockouts whenever she gets it back vs. Ring of Honor) match. Rok-C is in.

Colt Cabana talks about what Ring of Honor means to him after all the time he spent here. It gave him a bunch of memories (and injuries) but he can’t believe how many stars became a bigger deal because of their time in Ring of Honor.

Bryan Danielson says he wouldn’t he be here without Ring of Honor, especially Final Battle. He thanks the fans for making the shows and hopes that Ring of Honor will stick around.

We get a cool look at all of the Ring of Honor World Champions.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Jay Lethal

For the vacant title, as Bandido is out with Coronavirus. The fans are rather happy with this one as they trade wristlocks to start with no one getting anywhere. A headlock takeover doesn’t do much for Lethal either as they’re certainly starting technical. Gresham manages to send him outside and catches Lethal with a kick in the arm on the way back in. A headlock takeover with an armtrap keeps Lethal down but Lethal cartwheels into the basement dropkick to get a breather.

Lethal slams him down to work over the back a bit more but Gresham small packages him for two. A slap to the face drops Gresham and a flapjack does it again. It’s too early for the Lethal Injection and the Figure Four, as Gresham rolls him up for two more. Another kick to the arm cuts Lethal back down and Gresham needs a breather. They chop it out with Lethal getting the better of things but telling Gresham to chop him again.

A ripcord powerslam plants Gresham again but he catches Lethal on top. What looked to be a superplex is broken up so Lethal tries Hail to the King. Lethal is ready for Gresham’s raised knees but can’t get the Figure Four either. Instead it’s a reverse Regal Roll to set up Hail to the King to give Lethal two more.

Gresham is right back on the arm and grabs a crossface chickenwing. Lethal flips forward for a cutter and they’re both down again. That means it’s time for the locker room to come out and watch as Gresham hits some running forearms for two each. The arm gives out and Gresham hits another forearm for two. The Lethal Injection is countered into a rollup for two, setting up the Octopus to make Lethal tap at 15:35.

Rating: B. Gresham absolutely had to win here as that is the story that has been set up for months. I can imagine that this would have been the ending whether Bandido had been around or not and that is the right way to go. Gresham has been the workhorse of the company since its return and going with the Pure Rules wrestler as the final shot at the final show is a smart move.

The celebration is on, including Gresham’s wife, Jordynne Grace, getting in the ring. Commentary thanks the fans, with Coleman saying “see you in April” to end the night.

Overall Rating: B-. These shows are easy to put together and almost guaranteed to have some good stuff, as the company can hand pick everything they air. What matters here is they focused on two of the top titles in the promotion from a show that felt special. Good show here, with that Gresham title win being one of the last great moments from the promotion.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: January 26, 2022

We took a little detour last week into the history of the women’s division but this time around we should be back to normal. Well, at least as normal as you can get while the company is on hiatus and we’re looking at the Best Of Ring of Honor. That could mean a few things, but odds are we’ll be seeing more of the recent stuff. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Narrator Ian Riccaboni welcomes us to the show, where we will be going back to Final Battle in December 2021.

TV Title: Dalton Castle vs. Rhett Titus vs. Joe Hendry vs. Silas Young

Castle is defending and it’s one fall to a finish, with Castle bailing to the floor to walk into the crowd. Hendry (who is looking jacked compared to his old days) gets taken outside so Young can send him into the barricade. Back in and Castle t-bone suplexes Young, meaning it’s time for a lap around the ring. Titus comes in for a quick rollup but gets sent outside for an apron flip dive from Young.

Hendry blasts Titus with a clothesline but gets belly to belly suplexed into the corner. Castle is back in with the Bang A Rang to Titus, who reverses into a cradle for two. Titus sends Young outside but Hendry pulls Titus’ high crossbody out of the air, because he’s strong enough to do that.

A double fall away slam sends Young and Titus flying so it’s Castle coming back in with a big smile on his face. It’s Titus coming back in and getting planted by a heck of a Hendry powerbomb. There’s the Bang A Rang to plant Titus but Hendry belts Castle in the face. Cue Castle’s friend Dak Draper to take Hendry down though, leaving Titus to avoid Young’s moonsault. The dropkick gives Titus the pin and the title at 8:51.

Rating: C. They kept this fast and that’s probably the better idea. It was another one of those wild matches that was only there to be as exciting as possible and that is often better than letting things go long. Titus winning the title after trying for so long is a feel good moment and I liked what we got here. Granted that might have been Castle and his Dancing Chickens.

Jimmy Jacobs loved his time in Ring of Honor. He certainly is a legend around here.

Christopher Daniels talks about his time in Ring of Honor and what it meant to his career.

Mike Bennett talks about how this is the big finale and he wants to remember it.

The Briscoes can’t sleep without having the Tag Team Titles. Over the years, the only team to get the better of them was OGK, so they’re coming for revenge and the titles.

Tag Team Titles: Briscoes vs. OGK

OGK, with Maria Kanellis-Bennett, is defending. Mark powers Taven into the corner to start so Bennett comes in for the slugout. Taven is back in with a middle rope dropkick to put Mark down and the champs clear the ring in a hurry. Taven’s Flight of the Conqueror only hits Bennett though, allowing Mark to grab a chair. That means a big dive to take out both champs and it’s Taven in trouble back inside.

Bennett makes the save with an elbow to Jay for two as commentary even thanks Jim Cornette for his time around here. The tag brings Mark back in for Redneck Kung Fu, plus Redneck Boogie for two. Jay (already bleeding) can’t hit the Jay Driller as Bennett saves Taven and chops away. Bennett hangs Jay over the apron so Taven can hit a heck of a top rope splash for two back inside.

Taven Climaxes Mark but can’t cover, sending Maria into a half lap around the ring. The Briscoes send them outside for the big dives, setting up the Blockbuster off the apron to drop Bennett again. Back in and the Froggy Bow gets two on Taven, with Maria pulling the referee out. Maria gets dropped but it’s a Flight of the Conqueror Doomsday Device (dang) to drop Mark on the floor, setting up another near fall.

Hail Mary gets the same with Jay having to make the save. A quick Jay Driller sends Bennett rolling back to the floor but Taven hits Just The Tip on Jay. The top rope splash hits knees though and the Jay Driller gets two. The Doomsday Device gets the same as commentary is SCREAMING at these near falls. Another Jay Driller into the Froggy Bow gives the Briscoes the titles back at 15:36.

Rating: B. I know it’s a bit overdone but there is absolutely no one who should be the final ROH Tag Team Champions. The Briscoes are so far and away the greatest team in the company’s history that you could probably cut their careers in half and still have them at the top of the list. Heck of a match too, and that’s what you would have expected from these teams.

Post match respect is shown, with Jay thanking all of the fans.

CM Punk talks about his time in Ring of Honor and how special it was. It was a spirit that he loved and he will continue to foster it in AEW.

Overall Rating: B-. This is the kind of show that is going to each up the next few weeks and that is not a bad idea. Ring of Honor has about ten weeks left before they get some fresh content and airing stuff like Final Battle for a long stretch of that makes sense. Do the same with Death Before Dishonor and maybe the Anniversary Show and you have most of the time covered. Throw in a Best Of Jonathan Gresham and maybe the Briscoes and they should be all the way up to April.

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Ring of Honor
Date: January 19, 2022

We’re still on the road to April and that means it’s time for another Best Of show. These things have mainly been the Best Of the last year and it would be nice to see something different showcased. That being said, we are just over two months away from the relaunch so you might not want to go too deep into the vault. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay…is not here this week, as we will be looking at the women’s division. Uh, great.

We get a video on the women’s division and what it means to everyone involved.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett is ready to interview various women in the Women’s Title tournament. She has done a little bit of everything and now she is part of the Board of Directors. After the Coronavirus pandemic hit, she wanted to build something new and that is what she is doing here.

Some of the women in the tournament are very happy that they were given their Ticket To Gold, meaning their entrance to the tournament. Being in the tournament has helped a lot of them with their confidence as they move forward. They all want to show what they can do and have been waiting for their chance.

Sumie Sakai talks about having the first women’s match in Ring of Honor history and she has stuck around since.

Mandy Leon isn’t happy with Maria leaving the company and then coming back. Now the Allure isn’t going to let her skate by.

Angelina Love doesn’t think there should be a tournament but she’ll win the title.

Danhausen previews the tournament and wants Trish Adora to win.

Maria talks about the different styles of wrestlers in the tournament.

Some of the entrants talk about how wrestling has helped their confidence and to prove themselves. The tournament has even gotten Rok-C to mend her relationship with her mother. Trish Adora wants to win the title for her mother, who has cancer.

We look at the TV taping with the announcement of the tournament and the reveal of the Women’s Title. Chelsea Green debuted as well, though she was injured and couldn’t participate.

Green talks about rising above the haters and trolls while also wanting to provide for her family. And maybe to prove all of those trolls wrong. Green: “Is that bad?”

We look at the first batch of tournament matches. It’s still weird to see these in front of an empty building.

Willow wants to change the perception of women’s wrestling and then lost in the first round.

Chelsea Green wants to face everyone in the tournament.

We look at the rest of the first round, including Quinn McKay beating Mandy Leon in a huge upset.

Maria talks about what a great win that was for McKay, as she got to prove herself.

Mike Bennett talks about how impressed he is with Maria making all of this work.

We look at the second round of the tournament.

Amy Rose has managed a lot of champions and wants to manage Max the Impaler. Then Max got disqualified against Angelina Love.

Allysin Kay is a former NWA Women’s Champion and wants to be the Ring of Honor Women’s Champion. Then Trish Adora beat her in an upset.

The semifinals saw Miranda Alize beat Trish Adora and Rok-C beat Angelina Love. Maria was proud of everyone because it is all about the team.

Then it was time for the finals, with both Alize’s and Rok-C’s families around. We get picks from various wrestlers, who seem to be split.

Rok-C won the title and she was proud.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure what to say about this, as it was really a documentary instead of a regular wrestling show. I know the women’s division has not been the most popular thing (including from me) but it is clear that they are putting in a lot of effort and trying to make it into something worthwhile. That is great to see and you can tell that the work is there. This was a cool change of pace and I can go for that instead of another Greatest Hits show for a change.

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Ring of Honor
Date: January 12, 2022
Host: Quinn McKay

We’re continuing on the road to the relaunch, which means we get to continue our look through the video vault. So far that has only meant the best of 2021, which I can understand, but it would be nice to mix it up a bit with some of the older stuff. That is the foundation (not to be confused with The Foundation) of the company and a look back at it would be nice. Let’s get to it.

As usual, these will be the full versions rather than the clipped editions that air.

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay gives us the usual welcome but this week we have something special: the Best of 2021 Awards!

From Death Before Dishonor, and one of the top five matches of the year as voted by the fans, with Rok-C named the Women’s Wrestler of the Year.

Women’s Title: Miranda Alize vs. Rok-C

For the vacant title so we get the Big Match Intros. Feeling out process to start as they head to the mat, with Rok-C grabbing a headlock….and let’s look at commentary for a bit for some reason. Rok-C cranks on a hammerlock before switching over to the leg. That doesn’t last long either but Alize escapes the Fujiwara armbar, giving us a standoff. Rok-C flips out of a headscissors and takes a quick bow, followed by a cartwheel to escape again, meaning it’s another bow.

Alize pulls her out of the corner for a crash though, allowing her to chop away in another corner. Some running kicks in the corner rock Rok-C for two and we hit the chinlock (with Alize mocking some LET’S GO ROK-C chants). Back up and a hurricanrana gives Alize a slightly delayed two and it’s time for a double arm crank. Rok-C fights up and hits a middle rope Thesz press (with an actual press for a change).

Alize knees her down for two more, setting up a Go To Sleep for the same. A hanging DDT out of the corner gets another near fall and it’s off to something like a Crossface in the middle of the ring. The feet on the ropes get Rok-C out of trouble so they head outside with Rok-C hitting a suicide dive. Back up and Alize hits a running dropkick off the apron and another suicide dive leaves them both laying.

They dive in to beat the count and Rok-C wins a slugout, only to walk into a cutter. Rok-C is right back with a running shot to the face, leaving both of them down. The Crossface goes on again but this time Rok-C reverses into one of his own. That’s broken up as well so Alize hits back to back superkicks but Rok-C kicks her right back, setting up Code Red for the pin and the title at 18:15.

Rating: B. This started slowly but they did an amazing job of turning a match with virtually no story into a heck of a back and forth fight. I was into this by the end with the young prodigy getting the big win. Good stuff here and one of the better matches of the night. The division has a LONG way to go but at least they had a heck of a match to crown the first champion.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett presents Rok-C the title and her parents come in for the celebration.

More of the top five matches of the year:

4. Kenny King vs. Shane Taylor – Final Battle
3. Mark Briscoe vs. Jay Briscoe – Fight On The Farm

From Ring Of Honor TV, September 15, 2021, this is another match of the year, featuring the Briscoes as the Tag Team of the Year.

Briscoes vs. Bandido/Rey Horus

This could be good. Honor is shown before the match as we hear about the Briscoes’ history of troubles against luchadors. Bandido and Jay circle each other to start with Jay fireman’s carrying him to the mat for an armbar. That’s broken up and Bandido shows Jay the finger gun and starts flipping around to send us to a standoff/break.

We come back with Mark bringing Jay back in to elbow Rey in the face. A trip to the outside goes badly for the luchadors but Bandido comes back in with a springboard high crossbody to the Briscoes. Rey’s basement dropkick into a running shooting star press gives Bandido two on Mark but Jay is back in to run Bandido over. Mark kicks Bandido in the mask for two and then plants him down for a bonus. Bandido gets away for the tag to Horus though and the pace picks up.

A double chop into a double superkick gives Horus two with Jay having to make the save. Everything breaks down and we get a four way knockdown for a quadruple breather. Mark grabs an Iconoclasm for two on Horus but gets caught with a pop up cutter from Bandido. A Fosbury Flop takes Jay down and Horus flips Mark off the top for two. Back up and Jay sends Bandido outside, leaving Horus to get Doomsday Deviced for the pin at 12:10.

Rating: B-. Take two teams and let them get in there for a fun match. That’s what you should be doing on a show like this and they made it work here. If nothing else, it is nice to see the Briscoes finally getting somewhere against some luchadors. The match itself was a good power vs. speed match and it was a rather nice TV outing all around.

More matches of the year:

Matt Taven vs. Vincent – Glory By Honor
Briscoes vs. OGK – Final Battle

I’m not sure if counting is Ring of Honor’s forte.

Jonathan Gresham is the Male Wrestler of the Year and here he is in action.

From Best In The World.

Pure Rules Title: Mike Bennett vs. Jonathan Gresham

Gresham is defending and this is under Pure Rules, with an extended pay per view time limit. Cary Silkin of all people joins commentary as the fans seem split to start. An early lockup goes nowhere as they seem to be taking their time here. Gresham grabs a waistlock to start the grappling but gets taken to the mat without much effort. They pop back up with Bennett shouldering him down to make things seem a bit more serious.

The threat of a London Dungeon (seated armbar) sends Gresham going straight to the rope for the first break. Gresham pulls him down and starts cranking on the arm for some unnatural angles. An armdrag sets up a hammerlock and Gresham cranks on the other arm at the same time. Now it’s time to twist the ankle at the same time as Gresham’s confidence is going up. Back up and Gresham’s running shoulder hurts Bennett’s arm again.

The Kimura goes on so Bennett uses his first rope break in a smart move. Gresham is sent outside so Bennett tries a dive, only to get pulled back into the Kimura. Bennett taps to no avail before going back inside for another rope break for a bit of a weird sequence. Back up and Bennett goes for the arm as well, meaning Gresham needs his second break. Bennett uses the good arm to hit a Death Valley Driver for two and the seated armbar goes on again.

With that broken up, Bennett clotheslines him down but the arm gives out on a piledriver attempt. Another clothesline gets two on Gresham but the arm is banged up. Gresham is smart enough to use his feet to pop the arm and Bennett is in a lot of trouble. The Cobra Twist sends Bennett to the ropes for the third and final time so a pair of springboard standing moonsaults have Bennett knocked to the floor. Gresham adds a suicide dive but Bennett is right back up with a powerbomb for two.

That’s fine with Gresham, who pulls him into the Crossface. Somehow Bennett crawls out and rolls Gresham into the corner. The piledriver connects for three…but Gresham gets his foot on the ropes for his final break. Gresham switches it up and pops the knee this tine but Bennett stacks him up on a rollup attempt for two of his own. With the arm not working, Gresham ties him in a nasty looking kneebar for the tap to retain at 19:21.

Rating: B. There is something so fun about watching Gresham pick apart a limb like that as he turns it into a science. Bennett was trying hard here but got taken down piece by piece, with Gresham taking him apart to win in the end. This was a heck of a performance and it is great to see him do it every time. The problem is I’m not sure who is going to be able to beat him, as he is virtually unstoppable in this kind of a match. In other words, whoever takes the title from him is going to look awesome and get a heck of a rub.

Overall Rating: A-. Weird counting to give issues aside, this was another awesome collection of matches and it is great to see Ring of Honor mixing it up a bit. They have a long time to go to get to the new stuff and that could be a little bit of anything, so it is fun to be able to savor this stuff while we can. They showcased a lot of talent here, and hopefully they are still around when the promotion comes back.

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Ring Of Honor
Date: January 5, 2022
Host: Quinn McKay

We are officially in the Best Of era for Ring of Honor, as the company is on hiatus for the next three months. Therefore, it is time to crack open the video fault and that is not the worst news. Ring of Honor has a very deep library to pick from and now we can see what they have handpicked. Let’s get to it.

Note that I will be posting the full versions of each match (assuming I have them already) rather than any clips that might be in the broadcasts.

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and promises to show us the best of 2021.

From the 19th Anniversary Show.

Flamita vs. Rey Horus vs. Bandido

This is going to be fast. Bandido and Horus seem cool but Flamita isn’t interested in a handshake. Flamita takes them both down to start but Bandido drops him to the floor. That gives us the Bandido vs. Horus showdown, which might not have the impact that they were looking for twenty seconds in. They shake hands until Horus starts kicking away, only to get kneed in the face.

A spinning headscissors puts Bandido down and respect is shown. Flamita is back in to send them both into the corner for some running clotheslines. The tornado DDT plants Bandido to send him outside, with Horus hitting a dive. Flamita hits a bigger dive and throws Bandido back inside. Bandido reverses a headscissors into a faceplant as Horus comes back in and gets kicked straight into the corner.

Flamita gets Bandido in an electric chair….where Bandido manages to suplex Horus anyway (that’s a new one). That’s enough for Bandido to send Horus outside and now we get a bit more impactful showdown with Flamita. They slap it out until Flamita hits a heck of a superkick into a spiral bomb for two, with Horus diving in for the save. Flamita’s slingshot DDT plants Bandido and it’s a Muscle Buster into a gutbuster to Horus, with the two of them landing on Bandido to give Flamita two.

That leaves Flamita to talk trash to the two of them, saying there is no more Mexisquad. Flamita is sent to the apron so Bandido can hurricanrana him to the floor. Back in and Horus wins the slugout, only to charge into a pop up cutter. Flamita is back in though and a three way boot to the face puts everyone down. Horus is up first with a satellite DDT to Bandido and the super victory roll gets two on Flamita.

Horus is sat on top as Flamita electric chairs Bandido….who reverses Horus’ high crossbody into a belly to bell, sending Flamita flying with a poisonrana at the same time (at least I think, as that was nuts). Bandido sends Horus outside for the big running flip dive, followed by a springboard hurricanrana for two on Horus. The 21 Plex gives Bandido the pin on Flamita at 10:48.

Rating: B+. This was exactly what you would have expected from these three and that is where they shine. These guys know how to do some completely insane stuff that worked amazingly well, as I was trying to figure out what the heck they were doing. You could run these guys in any combination for a LONG time and it was very fun here, as it should have been.

Post match respect is offered but Flamita walks away again.

From Honor For All.

Brody King vs. Jonathan Gresham

The winner is all but guaranteed the Final Battle World Title shot. King hits a Ganso Bomb in the first ten seconds for a near fall and Gresham is knocked outside early. There’s a suplex on the floor as this is dominance so far. Gresham manages to avoid a punch against the post and goes back inside as we take a break.

Back with Gresham hitting some suicide dives, with the last one sending King over the barricade. King does the big dramatic roll back in to beat the count, where he tells Gresham to hit him. That’s fine with Gresham, who strikes away at the leg and then scores with an enziguri. King knocks him HARD into the corner though, only to miss a Cannonball. The second attempt works a lot better though and Gresham is in trouble again.

A Ganso Bomb gives King two (despite his possibly broken hand) but Gresham is right back with a sleeper. Driving him into the corner isn’t enough for the break so King goes to the ropes in a much more logical move. Gresham gets smart by going to the hand and some rapid fire elbows to the head knock King silly. The sleeper goes on again but King powers out again, earning himself a heck of a forearm to the back of the head to give Gresham the pin at 10:41.

Rating: B. This was the power vs. technical match and that is the kind of thing that is always going to work. Gresham is far smaller than even the average wrestler but he is so good with the submissions and grappling that he can make it work. I liked this a lot and I can’t say that is any kind of a surprise given who was in there.

Respect is shown post match.

From Death Before Dishonor.

OGK vs. Briscoes

It’s a brawl to start with Mark having to save Jay from the Climax. Things settle down to Taven taking Mark down but missing an elbow to the head. A discus forearm rocks Bennett and it’s time for some Briscoes double stomping in the corner. Mark adds a running forearm and it’s Jay coming in to chop Bennett down. Bennett gets in a shot to the face though and Taven comes in with a missile dropkick to the face. Jay sneaks in off a blind tag and scores with a running big boot as everything breaks down.

OGK loads up a Doomsday Device on the floor but Jay cuts Taven off in a fast save. Taven has to cut off the same thing and then moonsaults down onto Jay (and Bennett, while sticking the landing). Mark isn’t done and dives onto everyone, setting up a big boot for two on Taven back inside. Jay’s neckbreaker gets the same but Taven scores with a knee to the face. That means a seated armbar can keep Jay in trouble, at least until Mark comes in to clean house.

There’s a dropkick through the ropes to drop Taven and another does the same to Bennett. Back in and the Froggy Bow gives Mark two on Taven with Bennett making the save. A chair is thrown in but Bennett breaks up Redneck Boogie, which would have given Taven an extreme case of pain. Mark uses the chair for a springboard flip dive onto Bennett but Taven rolls Jay up for the pin at 13:21.

Rating: B. Ring of Honor knows how to do big tag team matches and the Briscoes are as good as anyone else going right now. That makes a win over them like this feel like such a big deal and OGK got something out of this. It was a hard hitting, back and forth match so well done on doing exactly what they should have done. I liked this and I’m not even a bit surprised.

We get some credits, with a thank you to the people who have worked here in the past, including various executives and employees. A final graphic thanks the wrestlers and fans.

Overall Rating: A-. It’s always hard to grade these things as they are a handpicked collection of good stuff. That can cover so many different options while guaranteeing nothing bad makes the show. That isn’t a bad thing, but it doesn’t exactly have the same feeling. Still though, more Ring of Honor is a good thing, and I had fun for a little while.

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