IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: April 18, 2018
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana, Caprice Coleman

We’re still in the vacuum of the post pay per view stretch and that means it’s time for another stand alone show. This time around though we might get some videos inserted to talk about some stuff from Supercard of Honor. You never know what you might get from these shows match wise though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Hang on a second as Takahashi has to bow to Daryl (don’t ask). Feeling out process to start with Kazarian getting two off an early rollup and nipping into a standoff. They head outside with Kazarian sending him hard into the barricade, which may banged up his knee. Back from a break with Kazarian hitting his spinning springboard legdrop to the back of the head. A backbreaker keeps Takahashi in trouble so he superkicks his way to prosperity and a near fall of his own.

Takahashi sends him to the floor for a running knee from the apron with Kazarian sprawling across the floor. Back in and Kazarian slips out of the Time Bomb and hits a sloppy slingshot DDT. Kazarian isn’t happy with the near fall so he yells at the referee, allowing Takahashi to roll him up with trunks for two. Another superkick sets up the Time Bomb to end Kazarian at 11:04.

Rating: C. I was never big on Takahashi when he was Kamaitachi and the Time Bomb persona is only somewhat better. The match wasn’t too bad but nothing more than a stand alone show filler. That being said, I’m MUCH happier with the New Japan guys making less frequent cameos. For a long time there it was almost every week. Now it’s every few weeks and that’s so much better. Don’t take away the special treat feeling they bring with them.

Earlier today, Brian Milonas and Beer City Bruiser attacked LSG before the tag team gauntlet match tonight.

Caprice Coleman is on commentary.

Tag Team Gauntlet

There are six teams involved and the winners get a Tag Team Title shot at some point in the future. Brian Milonas/Beer City Bruiser are in first with Shaheem Ali coming in and saying he’ll fight without LSG because Coast to Coast never gives up. Ali wastes no time in diving over the top to take Bruiser out but Milonas catches a crossbody back inside. Some elbows get the overly large man down and there’s a dropkick to the face. A standing double splash crushes Ali though and the beating begins. Bruiser backdrops him into a sitout powerbomb for two and we take a break.

Back with Ali headbutting them both down, followed by a lifting Downward Spiral on Bruiser. Not that it matters as a superplex into a frog splash gets rid of Ali at 6:28. Next up are the Dawgs because I did something horrible in a previous life. The Dawgs offer beer but get kicked down for their efforts. The beer is spat into the monsters’ faces and a pair of double noggin knockers has some effect. Milonas is low bridged to the floor and a dropkick gets one on Bruiser. The size catches up with the Dawgs again though and Ferrara gets crushed in the corner as Milonas just sits on him.

Back from another break with Milonas missing a sitdown splash, allowing the hot tag to Ferrara. Does it count as a hot tag when I want the ring to collapse and both teams to fall into a hole? Titus manages a monkey flip onto Bruiser with Ferrara adding a tornado DDT on the floor. The announcers make Punch Out references to make this a little easier as Ferrara bicycle kicks Milonas down. Not that it matters as Ferrara gets caught on top with a superplex sending Milonas and Bruiser on at 15:04.

The Motor City Machine Guns are in fourth with Milonas’ falling splash crushing Sabin. Bruiser kicks Shelley into a spinning side slam but misses the Cannonball in the corner. The rapid fire offense has the big guys in trouble and a double superkick rocks Bruiser. Skull and Bones gets rid of Bruiser at 16:52 and it’s the Young Bucks in fifth.

Back from another break with a double slugout, as should be the case with these four. It’s the Bucks taking over (of course) with their dropkicks until they both run into Shelley’s boots in the corner. A missile dropkick puts Matt down and he’s sent head first into Nick’s crotch. Stereo running boots in the corner have the Bucks in more trouble and there’s the Dream Sequence to Matt.

We hit the chinlock (not the move you would expect in a fast paced match like this) as the announcers talk about the Women’s Title tournament without actually saying who won the thing. The first superkick gets Matt out of trouble and a few more are enough for the hot tag to Nick. That means the slingshot X Factor and apron moonsault, followed by a suicide dive as things speed way up.

Double superkicks have Shelley down on the floor but Shelley gets out of the Meltzer driver. A superkick and spear set up a springboard splash/standing moonsault for two on Sabin. Shelley comes back in and tries Sliced Bread #2 but gets taken down instead. More Bang For Your Buck is broken up but Skull and Bones is countered into a backslide to pin Sabin at 26:29.

Back from one more break with the Kingdom beating on Matt as his back has flared up again. Marseglia can’t hit a Russian legsweep so he takes Matt down and puts a knee into his back for a chinlock instead. Matt gets in a shot but O’Ryan pulls Nick off the apron and takes his place. That earns him a superkick and Nick comes in off another hot tag. To be fair he’s pretty good at it so it’s harder to complain. A big flip dive takes both Kingdom guys down but it’s too early for a 450.

Instead he gives O’Ryan a German suplex on the apron and a tornado DDT from the same apron to Marseglia. There’s the Sharpshooter on O’Ryan and Marseglia’s right hands aren’t enough for the break. Instead he grabs the ax but murder is a bit too far. The referee takes it away so Marseglia uses the bat to give O’Ryan two instead. Just a baseball bat shot you see.

Another shot misses and it’s off to Matt to forearm away until O’Ryan gets him in the bad back. Matt gets taken to the floor for a powerbomb on the bare boards but Nick makes the save with a kick to the face. The Meltzer Driver, with Nick helping Matt lift O’Ryan for the Tombstone, is good for the final pin at 37:02.

Rating: B-. See, the Bucks selling and making a comeback instead of beating the heck out of everyone for the whole match makes things that much easier to sit through. The rest of the teams, save for the Guns, were really just there for the sake of filling in time, which is the common trend for a match like this. It didn’t feel long either so it’s not that much to sit through. Good match, but really just there to set up something later on.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event made this a good show with one big thing taking up most of the show instead of trying to build the storylines without actually advancing any of the stories. It was fine for a way to get through an hour and hopefully next week gets us to something fresh. I can live with something like this for awhile but you’re only going to get that far with stand alone episodes. At least this one was good though and that’s all you could hope it would be.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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: April 11, 2018
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

It’s one of those weird shows as we’re past Supercard of Honor but still at least a little time away from the next batch of TV tapings. There’s a good chance we’ll be having some minor storyline advancement but for the sake of this show, odds are we’re going to be seeing some stand alone stories. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Punishment Martinez vs. Shane Taylor

This could be fun. The fans are behind Martinez and a knee to the ribs cuts him down on an early test of strength. Martinez slips out and jumps over Taylor (not bad) to set up the exchange of the shoulders. A big right hand seems to please Taylor but he ducks a few kicks to the head. Martinez’s crossbody has no effect and he can’t slam the bigger man so Taylor sends him outside. Taylor can’t hit a dive so we take a break.

Back with Shane hitting a Cannonball in the corner, followed by a running flip dive from the apron. Martinez Falcon Arrows him off the top though and a running elbow connects in the corner. South of Heaven is broken up and Taylor hits his own chokeslam. Now Martinez’s kicks work a bit better to send Taylor outside. You don’t have to ask Martinez twice to hit a big dive and Taylor is rocked. Back in and South of Heaven gives Martinez the pin at 9:14.

Rating: C-. Not bad here with Martinez getting the logical win. Taylor is good in an enforcer role, meaning he doesn’t need to win anything more than a squash or tag match. He’s designed to be beaten up by someone like Martinez, who can get a lot out of a win like this. Nothing too bad here and I’m liking Martinez more every time I see him.

It’s time for Coleman’s Pulpit with Jay Lethal as the guest. Lethal doesn’t like the show so he’s only giving Coleman two questions. Coleman asks about him losing the World Title so Jay goes into a rant about how Coleman is never going to be in the World Title scene so it doesn’t really matter. He’s beaten people Coleman is never going to be able to beat so let’s get on to the next question. Coleman brings up Lethal dating AJ Lee and gets cut off, sending Coleman into a fit of laughter. That’s enough for Lethal and he’s out. Good, because the Pulpit is terrible.

Kazarian is ready to face Hiromu Takahashi, who used to be their friend. He’s not a fan of Daryl and instead of being a time bomb, Kazarian is a gun that you can’t unload.

Jay Lethal vs. Caprice Coleman

They brawl on the floor to start with Lethal grabbing a suplex to take over. Some chops rock Coleman and they head inside….only to head right back to the floor. Lethal gets whipped into the barricade but he’s right back with chops. An enziguri staggers Coleman and they head inside with Lethal dropkicking him to the floor for the third time. A suicide dive takes us to a break as the stuff on the floor is getting really old.

Back with Coleman getting two off an STO and grabbing a chinlock. Lethal fights up but the Injection is countered into a cobra clutch of all things. Better than another chinlock at least. Back up and Lethal chops away even more before grabbing a torture rack. Not exactly what I would have expected and Coleman breaks out in short order. The Lethal Injection puts him away a few seconds later at 11:03.

Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one and a lot of that was due to Lethal not exactly looking interesting. This was a lot of chopping and then the Lethal Injection. That being said, even an unmotivated Lethal is often better than most people around the promotion. It’s not a terrible match, but Coleman needs to go FAR away.

Videos on the downcoming Women’s of Honor Title Tournament semifinals. Why downcoming? Well they already happened (along with the finals), so they’re certainly not upcoming. This is the kind of stuff that makes Ring of Honor look minor league half the time.

Cody vs. Matt Taven vs. Christopher Daniels

Cody still has a bear with him, introduced as Bernard the Business Bear. They circle each other to start until Taven gets caught in an exchange of right hands. That’s enough to send him outside so Cody and Daniels can exchange shoulders. Taven comes back in with a dropkick but misses a charge to put all three outside. Daniels scores with an Arabian moonsault to take Cody out and Taven kicks Cody in the face for good measure.

Back in and Taven’s flip neckbreaker gets two on Cody but Daniels is back in with his usual. Taven sends Daniels outside for a big dive, which is followed by Cody’s own version. We take a break and come back with Cody getting the American Deathlock on Taven but the BME is good for the save. Taven and Daniels collide before trading cheating rollups for two each. Cody comes back in and sends Taven to the floor before hitting the Rise of the Terminator pose. Cross Rhodes hits Daniels but Taven hits a frog splash on Cody and steals the pin on Daniels at 9:35.

Rating: C+. They were working out here and the match worked well enough as a result. It’s amazing how much easier it is to put up with Taven when I don’t have to hear him talk. Oh and when there’s no Kingdom there with people I have no reason to care about. Cody not winning is a bit of a surprise but Taven gets more out of it than either of the other two would have.

A quick recap of Masters of the Craft takes us out.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one and that package on the tournament matches which have already taken place was inexcusable. Like seriously, how in the world do you leave that in? Show something from Future of Honor or have a video ready on the new champion, but don’t air stuff hyping matches that have already happened. That’s TNA level stuff and there’s nothing positive about that. Not a bad show, but completely skippable in every way.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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: April 4, 2018
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

So this is the go home show for Supercard of Honor, which must have made for an odd taping. The stuff that can give away storyline advancement and results likely stopped right in the middle, but at least we’ll be getting something important tonight. Expect a lot of Bullet Club, which you should be used to by now. Let’s get to it.

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

Briscoes vs. Kenny King/Dalton Castle

Non-title with Marty Scurll on commentary. Dalton tries to suplex Mark to start but gets taken into the corner for a stomping. Kenny and Jay come in with Briscoe actually trying a sleeper of all things. That goes nowhere as Kenny flips away and we take a break. Back with Dalton throwing Jay down but Mark getting in a slam to take over.

Jay elbows Dalton in the face as everything breaks down with the Briscoes beating Castle down on the floor. Back in and Jay breaks up the hot tag as Marty is in his glory by ripping on everything Castle does. The Briscoes knock them outside in a heap again and we take a second break.

Back again with Dalton fighting out of a bearhug and diving over for the hot tag to King. A spinebuster gets two on Jay but a hard lariat gets the same on Kenny. Jay’s superplex into Mark’s Froggy Bow gets two with Kenny making the save, sending Marty into hysterics at the cheating. Cue Silas Young to yell at King and the distraction sets up the Jay Driller to end Kenny at 16:18.

Rating: C+. This was more of a spectacle than a big match and that’s perfectly fine. There’s something cool about having all of the champions in a single match, even if the Briscoes didn’t have a real threat here. At least it wasn’t a title match, which wouldn’t have made much sense. As a bonus, they used the match to set up something at Supercard of Honor. Well done, even if the match wasn’t anything great.

Post match Marty loads up a belt shot but hands it to Castle instead.

Quick recap of the Kingdom’s issues with Bully Ray.

Cheeseburger vs. Kikutaro

Kikutaro is a masked Japanese comedy guy and the Dawgs are on commentary. They pose to start and Kikutaro grabs an early rollup for two. The referee gets whipped into the corner but raises a boot to stop Kikutaro with the announcers calling this garbage. Kikutaro grabs a suplex but stops to do his own commentary, bringing the Dawgs in for the DQ at 2:43. Thank goodness.

Ray comes out for the save.

Women’s Title tournament recap.

Women of Honor Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Mayu Iwatani vs. Deonna Purrazzo

They hit the mat for an early standoff until Deonna runs her over and grabs a running hurricanrana for two. That earns her a running dropkick to the floor but Iwatani’s charge hits a raised knee. Back from an abrupt break with a chop off with Iwatani putting Purrazzo down. A big dive to the floor is countered into a Fujiwara armbar with Purrazzo letting go in a hurry. As Colt asks, why would you let that go when you can do it until eighteen or nineteen?

Back in and some rolling German suplexes have Iwatani in more trouble but she gets in a dragon suplex for a breather. Mayu slugs away until Deonna pulls her down into the Fujiwara. A rope is grabbed though and the bridging dragon suplex sends Iwatani to the semifinals at 9:43.

Rating: C+. Purrazzo is one of those wrestlers who can give you a good match but doesn’t really stand out all that much. She’s certainly good and knows how to handle herself in the ring but I can barely remember anything she’s done. Iwatani’s Stardom resume alone guaranteed her a semifinal spot, which is kind of annoying given how big a deal Purrazzo was to the early days of the division.

The Briscoes are ready to beat two great singles wrestlers at Supercard of Honor.

Jay Lethal wants the Tag Team Titles.

Kenny King wants to keep the TV Title.

Silas Young wants to win the TV Title.

Adam Page is VERY intense about beating up Kota Ibushi.

Punishment Martinez promises to send Tomohiro Ishii south of Heaven.

The Young Bucks drew a big house and now they’re tearing it down.

Marty Scurll is ready to take the World Title.

Dalton Castle will look fantastic and retain.

Here’s Cody to insist that Bullet Club is FINE. This Saturday he’s facing Kenny Omega and has a question: can you name a great Omega match that didn’t involve Chris Jericho or Kazuchika Okada? Omega is that great indy band that you swear is awesome but can’t remember any of their songs. The reality is that Cody leads the Bullet Club while Omega says Cody is a reject from WWE. Omega is a reject from its developmental system.

That gets a BIG gasp (as it should) but here’s Omega to interrupt. He liked that Bullet Club is fine line, but wants to know why Cody didn’t bring it up with the leader of the team. As for Brandi, who kissed him at the 16^th Anniversary Show, he was confused. It went on so long that Omega thinks she wants to do it again. The brawl is on with security and the Bullet Club running in for the save to end the show. Cody was on fire with that promo and the segment made me want to see them fight so well done.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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

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

Overall Rating: C+. I liked parts of the show but at the same time it didn’t feel like much of a go home episode. Cody vs. Omega was good but other than that, I’m having to think of what’s actually on the pay per view. As usual, there’s a good chance that this was taped before a lot of the matches were announced, making this more of a last episode before the pay per view than a go home show. That’s rather annoying, but not exactly shocking. It’s not bad though and did well enough, which is better than you can expect at times.

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: March 28, 2018
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

As usual, Ring of Honor is in a weird place as they have to build to a pay per view with two episodes of TV and then a few episodes of unrelated TV after the show. At least we’re getting something and it’s not like the pay per view needs a lot of build up in the first place. Things should be fun though and that’s what matters, as Ring of Honor has been good as of late. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s the Kingdom with Matt Taven reiterating the conspiracy theory. They can get the Six Man Tag Team Titles back at Supercard of Honor but here’s Bully Ray to interrupt. He’s sick of hearing about the conspiracy and thinks maybe the Kingdom just sucks. The trio doesn’t have a match at Supercard of Honor but Taven protests. That earns him a no, with Taven asking why they won’t just show up anyway. Bully says go ahead, because he’d fire them right now if he could. That’s it, leaving the segment feeling like part of it was missing.

Quick video on the Women of Honor Tournament.

Women of Honor Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Kelly Klein vs. Mandy Leon

They slap it out to start until Klein easily takes over with a backbreaker. A hard knee to the back gives Klein two and Mandy is already fighting from underneath. Mandy’s first comeback bid is cut off with a kick to the chest and it’s off to a chinlock. Kelly heads outside but gets shoved to the floor for a cannonball off the apron.

Back from a break with Mandy pounding away in the corner and hitting an over the shoulder backbreaker onto the knee for two. Kelly is done with this getting beaten up thing though and grabs a super fall away slam for a double knockdown. It’s off to a dragon sleeper with a bodyscissors but Mandy rolls out in a bit of a surprising counter. Astral Projection gives Mandy two and she grabs a neckbreaker choke. Kelly taps so Mandy lets go but the referee didn’t see it. With Mandy yelling, Kelly grabs the End of the Match and Mandy passes out at 11:55.

Rating: D+. Mandy is getting better but it’s clear that most of the people she’s been facing are just that much better than she is. That becomes a problem when it’s pretty clear Ring of Honor wants her to be their Trish Stratus. Kelly may not be great but she’s more than capable of having a passable match. Mandy isn’t quite there yet (or at least not every time) and it’s showing against the more experienced opponents.

Jay Lethal is ready to team with Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the Tag Team Titles. There’s a story to be told with Lethal chasing one of the few things he hasn’t done around here.

So Cal Uncensored will do whatever it takes to retain the Six Man Tag Team Titles.

Hangman Page/Marty Scurll vs. The Boys

Rating: D-. Well that happened. This was just a quick match with nothing going on other than a way to have Castle and Scurll in the same arena. The match should be a good one when it happens but this didn’t do anything for Marty and Page doesn’t have anything going for him at the moment. Waste of time here for the most part.

Silas Young and Kenny King are brawling in the back.

The Briscoes are ready to beat the best because no one can touch them.

Young and King come into the arena with referees breaking up the match. Bully comes out and tells King to do something. Kenny throws out a challenge for a Last Man Standing match at Supercard of Honor. Things seem to be ready.

Scorpio Sky vs. Flip Gordon

Gordon misses an early superkick attempt and it’s already time for a nip up. A handstand (with one hand at times) has Sky in trouble and Flip takes him outside as we go to another early break. Back with Sky driving him into the corner and hammering away but stopping to pose as a heel is known to do. A running shoulder to the ribs gets two on Flip but he’s right back with a 619 to the gut. Gordon is fine enough for a springboard Sling Blade but here are Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian. Not that it matters as Gordon rolls Sky up for the pin at 5:25.

Rating: C-. Gordon is fun for what he is and yet somehow they’re making him grow further than I would have bet on him being able to do. I’m not sure how far he’s going to be able to go as he’s really just a flippy guy, but at having them embrace that is a very different way to go. The match was mainly there for the post match angle advancement and that’s fine enough.

Post match the beatdown is on but here are the Young Bucks for the save. The fans chant for ALL IN but Gordon shakes the Bucks’ hand. Bully comes back down and says it’s about time. This is interesting, but let’s make it more interesting: how about the Bucks and Gordon challenge So Cal Uncensored for the Six Man Tag Team Titles at Supercard of Honor? And let’s make it a ladder match.

Overall Rating: D. They advanced a few things but for a show based around wrestling, I don’t think this was clicking at all. The schedule continues to hurt them as it’s time to burn through the Supercard of Honor build and it’s even harder when a lot of the talent is from New Japan and therefore not here. This was a major misfire after what they’ve been doing of late and that’s very disappointing.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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: March 21, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re still in the post-Anniversary Show season, meaning we won’t quite be seeing the fresh shows yet. That being said, there’s a formula to making these things work and Ring of Honor isn’t half bad at pulling it off. Hopefully that’s what they can do again this week so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Kingdom/So Cal Uncensored vs. the Bullet Club with the latter seemingly falling apart.

Opening sequence.

The Dawgs vs. Coast to Coast

Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas are on commentary. On the way to the ring, Rhett Titus talks about this being a St. Patrick’s Day special, which should help Atlanta in their search for the Pot of Gold. Titus: “ROLL TIDE!” LSG and Titus get things going with Rhett’s left hand popping him in the jaw. A powerslam gets no cover as Titus needs to yell a lot instead of following up.

Ferrara tags himself in and gets dropkicked for his efforts as Coast to Coast takes over. Blast Off (kind of a double reverse slam) gets two on Ferrara but Titus makes the save with a dropkick. We take a break and come back with Titus slingshotting Ferrara into a splash before adding one of his own for two. The time wasting continues as Titus throws Ferrara into LSG a few times but the third takes so long that it only hits a raised boot.

That’s still not enough for the tag as Ferrara cuts it off and Titus’ Doggy Splash gets two. A missed charge allows the hot tag to Ali and it’s time for some shots to the face. Ali backdrops Titus onto Ferrara and one heck of a spinning Rock Bottom plants Ferrara again. LSG comes back in with a spinning butterfly suplex, followed by a frog splash to give Ali the pin at 10:09.

Rating: C. Coast to Coast is starting to get somewhere and while I’m not wild on another frog splash finisher, that’s a better way to wrap things up than that double dropkick. It makes them look like they’re changing things up and that’s what they should be going for after such a long losing streak. Nice little match, even if the Dawgs are that annoying.

Post match Bruiser and Milonas lay out Coast to Coast.

Marty Scurll is ready to take the World Title from Dalton Castle at Supercard of Honor. I’m certainly interested in seeing it.

Castle smiles at the idea of Scurll getting a title shot. He can’t pronounce New Orleans but he’s better at big events than the Cajun accents. There’s no way Scurll is taking the title.

Women of Honor Title Tournament First Round: HZK vs. Mayu Iwatani

From Osaka, Japan at a Stardom show. It’s a test of strength to start until HZK rolls her up for two. They hit the mat for a quick sequence into a standoff as this is already looking better than most first round matches. HZK starts in on he arm while putting her boot on Mayu’s face but a leg sweep gets Mayu out of trouble. A running dropkick puts HZK on the floor and that means a dive (after some balancing issues) to take us to a break.

Back with HZK grabbing a loose Crossface and then rolling her around the ring over and over into a rollup (think a reverse Tumbleweed) for two. A Michinoku Driver plants Mayu and a frog splash seated senton gets the same. Mayu comes back with a German suplex and a top rope double stomp for two of her own. That’s enough for Mayu so she superkicks her twice, followed by a dragon suplex for the pin at 9:40.

Rating: C+. Nice match here and far better than most of the other tournament matches, but the same problem persists: who are these people and why should I care? Just saying “they’re from Japan” isn’t enough and while I’m sure there are interesting details about these people, I haven’t exactly heard them so far.

Bullet Club vs. So Cal Uncensored/Kingdom

Cody/Hangman Page/Marty Scurll/young Bucks

Christopher Daniels/Frankie Kazarian/Vinny Marseglia/TK O’Ryan/Matt Taven

Cody gets his own entrance with Bury the Bear and Brandi, despite what happened at the Anniversary Show (where the Bear was unmasked as Kenny Omega and kissing ensued). He throws out “Bullet Club Is Fine” shirts for everyone and after a huddle, it’s time for the superkicks to clean house early on. Page adds in a shooting star off the apron to O’Ryan and Cody dives onto everyone. Back in and the Kingdom/So Cal Uncensored clears the ring until we get down to Daniels vs. Cody.

The STO is countered into a Downward Spiral to put Cody down but Matt needs to question Cody’s “leader” pants. A superkick makes up for it and Scurll comes in to start on O’Ryan’s arm. Kazarian and Page come in for the big slugout (there’s a huge showdown match in there somewhere) with Hangman getting the better of it and scoring with a dropsault to take out Daniels at the same time.

Cody comes back in for the snap powerslam (ala his brother) but Daniels offers a trip so Kazarian can springboard in with a legdrop. This time it’s off to Marseglia to hammer away as Cody takes a heck of a beating. A spinebuster into a middle rope headbutt gets two and the Club is knocked off the apron.

Back from a break with Taven kneeing Cody in the face and getting two off a cocky cover. Not quite Jericho but he’s getting there. An RKO of all things gets Cody out of trouble (good to see that he listened to his old mentor) and it’s a double tag to bring in the Bucks. Eh to be fair they’re basically the same thing anyway. Cody tags himself back in and gets two off a Snapdragon (Kenny Omega signature move), annoying the Bucks by canceling their superkick party. I knew I always liked Cody.

A moonsault/legdrop/450 combination from the Bucks/Marty give Cody two and everything breaks down again. Kazarian charges into a quintuple superkick and everyone not named Cody does the Ultimate Warrior rope shake. Cody loads up the Rise of the Terminator pose and the Bucks aren’t wild on that.

They eventually go along with it to quiet the booing, followed by a triple suicide dive. Daniels moonsaults onto everyone but Page one ups them with a huge moonsault. Taven gets in a HUGE dive to take everyone out but THE BEAR does a dive of his own for another wipeout. Cue Scorpio Sky to dropkick Marseglia by mistake, setting up Cross Rhodes for the pin at 15:21.

Rating: B-. This advanced the storylines and that’s what matters the most. Supercard of Honor is in just over two weeks and it’s time to really crank up the tension for that show. Cody vs. Omega for the Bullet Club is going to be a big deal but it would be nice to not have to watch a ton of different shows to get the entire story.

Post match the Kingdom and So Cal Uncensored brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The wrestling worked well here and they adjusted a variety of stories as we get closer and closer to the pay per view. Having the TV tapings up to date would help a lot but this is as good as it gets in Ring of Honor. The Anniversary Show was great and hopefully they have a good followup in New Orleans. Good show here as things are starting to pick up at the right time.

Remember to check out my website at steelcagewrestling.com, follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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

16^th Anniversary Show
Date: March 9, 2018
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Sunrise Manor, Nevada
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

It’s time for another Ring of Honor pay per view and that can mean a mixed bag of results. The main event this time around is World Champion Dalton Castle defending against Jay Lethal in what should be a good match. Other than that we have the Briscoes defeating the Motor City Machine Guns for the Tag Team Titles. I would say challenging but it’s about as obvious as you can get. Let’s get to it.

Here’s the go home show if you need a recap.

Pre Show: Women of Honor Title Tournament First Round: Sumie Sakai vs. Hana Kimura

Deonna Purrazzo is on commentary. Kimura is from Stardom in Japan and one half of their Tag Team Champions with her partner Kagetsu, at ringside. Sumie’s offer of a handshake is ignored and Hana pounds her down to start. A whip sends Sakai outside and Kagetsu chokes away like a villain should.

Back in and Hana pounds away, followed by a surfboard with a few presses up and down. A half crab stays on Sakai’s back but she’s still able to counter a suplex into a DDT. Sakai gets two off a bridging belly to back, only to have Kagetsu grab her leg on top. Hana’s brainbuster is good for two but it’s time for some heel miscommunication. The team is sent into each other and Sakai dives onto both of them in a good visual. Back in and Hana hits a Helluva Kick for two but Sakai grabs something like Cross Rhodes for the pin at 7:59.

Rating: C. I’m not wild on a match like this as you’re basically expected to watch the YouTube matches and Stardom to know who these people are. Sakai has been around Ring of Honor for a long time now and other than the fact that she’s a wrestler and from Japan, I couldn’t tell you a single thing about her. That’s the case with most of the women’s division and that’s not good. Work on that and the division will get better in short order.

Post match Sakai gets beaten down by both villains.

Pre Show: Women of Honor Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Brandi Rhodes vs. Tenille Dashwood

That would be Emma if you’ve already forgotten and Mandy Leon is on commentary. Tenille easily takes the rookie Brandi down for some early near falls but gets taken down by a shoulder. Brandi points to her head….and gets tripped down with Tenille not even getting off the mat. Point to Dashwood.

Back up and Brandi runs the ropes for a crisscross but Tenille just stops, leaving her to run on her own. Brandi slaps her in the face and that means the beating is on, including a double leg takedown and some right hands. A chase goes a bit better for Brandi and an awkward back elbow to the face staggers Tenille. Brandi goes with a short armscissors followed by a Sling Blade for two.

Rating: D. This really wasn’t good as it was clear Brandi had no business being in the ring with someone like Dashwood. I get why Brandi is getting a push (gorgeous smile, married to Cody, has a ton of potential) but she’s REALLY not there yet and it’s showing badly. They did play up the idea that she was in over her head but that’s not exactly how you want to be presenting a title tournament match.

Post match Brandi won’t shake hands and leaves with Leon.

The opening video is presented like a short documentary with wrestlers talking about their favorite memories over the last sixteen years. It switches up to a standard opening video for a very nice setup.

Bully Ray is in the ring and welcomes us to the show, promising a great night. He’s very good in the role of a hype man.

The announcers run down the card that we’ve already paid to see.

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Flip Gordon

They fight over a wristlock to start, which really needs to stop being the opening to every match in so many promotions. Gordon does his nip ups to avoid everything but Takahashi just dances instead of wasting his time. Smart man there. A shoulder drops Takahashi and there’s a hand walk into a headscissors out to the floor.

Flip hits a non-flipping suicide dive but gets the bad end of a chase with Takahashi dropkicking him off the apron. Back in and Takahashi starts in on the arm but now it’s time to start with his stuffed doll, which is totally a thing in ultra serious Japan. Thankfully that goes nowhere and we hit a figure four necklock to keep Flip in trouble. Back up and Flip hits some forearms, followed by the running shooting star for two. That move is so overused anymore. A low superkick into the Falcon Arrow gets two more and it’s time to head up.

The 450 misses and Takahashi snaps off a Canadian Destroyer, only to get superkicked before Flip goes down. Gordon wins a slugout with another superkick and the Star Spangled Stunner for two. Another 450 misses and Takahashi Death Valley Drives him into the corner, followed by a German suplex for a near fall of his own. A superkick sets up the Time Bomb to end Gordon at 12:22.

Rating: C. Good choice for an opener here as the company clearly sees something in Gordon but can’t put him over a pretty big name like Takahashi. You can tell Gordon is going to be a big deal in the near future and thankfully he has some more things going for him than just high flying offense. He needs more polish, but what he has so far is working well enough.

Quick recap of Punishment Martinez vs. Marty Scurll. Marty wanted to be #1 contender and tried to talk Martinez into giving him a title shot if he won the title. Martinez gave him a chokeslam so tonight we’re having a #1 contenders match.

Marty Scurll vs. Punishment Martinez

Scurll jumps him before the bell and tries the Ghostbuster but Martinez throws it off with ease. The big flip dive to the floor rocks Marty and a curb stomp gets two. It’s too early for the chokeslam so Marty chases the referee to the floor instead. Marty kicks him in the leg and hits a tornado DDT but has to escape a Last Ride attempt. The chickenwing is shrugged off and a full nelson faceplant drops Marty again. They’re burning the mat up so far (at least by their standards) and I’m rather pleasantly surprised.

Back up and Marty breaks up a springboard by kicking the ropes out, banging up Martinez’s knee again in the process. A running knee to the knee (not the smartest idea in the world) allows Marty to go outside and grab a bag, which is quickly taken away. Martinez hits a HUGE dive over the top to take Marty and security down and a curb stomp onto the apron….doesn’t seem to do much damage. Well to be fair it is Ring of Honor.

It’s table time but the springboard flip dive only hits table as Marty is somehow alive after a curb stomp onto the apron. Back in and Marty gets two off a piledriver and it’s more superkicks, followed some hard stomps to the head. Martinez pops up again (to be fair, that’s what a monster should be doing) so Marty loads up the powder, only to settle for a low blow and the rollup pin at 10:32.

Rating: C+. That’s more like it and you can pencil in Marty for the title shot at Supercard of Honor. I really could go for him winning the title, if nothing else for the sake of adding another issue tot he Bullet Club as Marty would be the only one holding a major singles title. Martinez is going to be fine as he can pop back up with the monster stuff and chokeslam people in have to recharge.

We recap the TV Title match. Silas Young cheated to steal the title at Final Battle but Kenny King won it back on TV. Tonight is the rubber match in a pretty decent feud.

TV Title: Kenny King vs. Silas Young

King, the hometown boy with his daughter in the front row, is defending while Young has the Beer City Bruiser in his corner. Young slaps away a handshake offer and flips out of a snapmare. A dropkick puts King down and Silas takes a lap despite being in control. Back in and Young shoulders him down again but King grabs a trip into a Last Chancery. As usual it doesn’t last long so King is up with a hiptoss and a slam. Those are kind of a downgrade after a hold like a Last Chancery.

The announcers talk about Bob Holly as Silas gets forearmed in the face but still manages to break up a springboard. A chinlock doesn’t last long so King gets thrown through the ropes and into a cameraman for a different kind of crash. Back in and King reverses a suplex into one that goes over the top, putting both guys on the floor in a heap. Just like their previous match, they’re not exactly following a standard pattern here and I’m not sure how well it’s working.

A spinning kick to the face knocks Young outside again and now the dive hits him instead of the hardworking crew. Back in and a high crossbody gives the champ two but Young gets the same off a spinebuster. Neither guy can hit the finisher so Young settles for the springboard moonsault for two instead. The ref gets bumped and OF COURSE Silas hits Misery a few seconds later, giving him a delayed two. I’m really, really over that trope. As expected, King hits a quick Royal Flush to retain.

Rating: C. I still don’t like these two together but it’s nice to get this done once and for all. King is turning into a nice midcard act and someone who could be moved up the card with a big feud. He has the natural charisma and the athleticism can go along with it. Young needed to hold the title a little longer, but at least he got to win something.

Post match AUSTIN ARIES comes out with his belt collection, saying he’s never won the ROH TV Title. That’s a challenge, and odds are it’s going down in New Orleans.

Long recap of So Cal Uncensored vs. Bullet Club. So Cal Uncensored seems sick of dealing with the Club on top of the promotion (preach it brother) and had the Six Man Tag Team Titles won via cheating, only to have new enforcer Bully Ray restart the match. Tonight it’s a street fight for the titles.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: So Cal Uncensored vs. Young Bucks/Adam Page

The Bucks and Page are defending. The champs dive onto So Cal to start and it’s already time for an assisted dropkick to stagger Daniels. A buckle bomb into stereo kicks to the head have Daniels in more trouble and a chair is brought inside. Page drops Sky onto the chair and scores with a dropsault for good measure. Sky’s misfortune continues with Page toss powerbombing him onto the ramp.

Thankfully Sky is back in with a kendo stick to save Kazarian from a belt whipping but the beating continues, including a shooting star off the apron onto Daniels. Kazarian is busted open as the Bucks pull a table out. Daniels is up to shove Matt through said table though and So Cal pops up to triple team Nick. A slingshot hurricanrana to the floor drops Page and Nick gets crotches with the kendo stick.

Sky sticks Daniels by mistake but Matt gets pulled into a cutter to keep him down. Stereo dragon sleepers have the Bucks in trouble but it’s Page coming in with a trashcan lid for the save. Page’s belt with nails sticking out is whipped onto Kazarian’s back and somehow doesn’t horribly main him. A backbreaker through the chair keeps Matt in trouble and it’s time to set up some pieces of the barricade on the floor. Nick is back up to save his brother and we hit stereo Sharpshooters.

This time it’s Kazarian making the save so Daniels chokeslams Page and hits the BME for two. Daniels gets thrown through the barricade pieces though and everyone is down again. With Kazarian on the table, it’s time for a ladder. Sky makes a save with a cutter onto the apron but here’s Matt with an elbow off the ladder through Kazarian.

Back in and a 450 onto a trashcan onto Sky gives Nick two with Shane Taylor coming in for the save. Nick can’t slam him (thank goodness) but Page can give Shane the Rite of Passage. It’s Daniels up with some zip ties to tie Page to the post though and Sky hits Matt in the bad back. A Boston crab/dragon sleeper combo is enough to end Matt for the titles at 19:03.

Rating: A-. This was a lot of fun as they didn’t bother trying to waste time with the wrestling. The story called for a wild brawl and that’s what we got. If nothing else it’s fun to see the Bucks lose and having them be in tremendous pain makes things even better. So Cal Uncensored winning makes for a more interesting story as they’re trying to stick around after their contracts expire at the end of the year. Obviously we have a bunch of stuff to get through first, but this was a great start. Very solid match.

Post match the Kingdom comes in to beat the Bucks down until Ray makes the save.

We recap the pre-show matches. Any excuse for more Dashwood is a good thing.

We recap Matt Taven vs. Cody. They both want to be in the World Title hunt so Taven stole Cody’s ring (of honor). Cody turned face as a result, which is actually a better fit for him, at least in the short term.

Cody vs. Matt Taven

There’s no Kingdom with Taven but Cody brings out Brandi and the All-In Bear. Taven bails to the floor to start before coming back inside to exchange standing switches. The threat of Cross Rhodes sends Taven outside again but Cody follows, only to rub his nose against the bear’s. Back in and the American Deathlock has Taven in trouble but a rope is grabbed in short order.

Taven hot shots him to take over and stomps away but heads outside and yells at Brandi and the bear. A dive misses and Cody stays in trouble, this time with a reverse chinlock. Cody’s uppercut gives him a breather but Taven is right back with a Boston crab to stay on the back. Taven tries a Lionsault but hits knees, meaning it’s time for a slugout. Cody’s snap powerslam with a lack of snap gets two and an Alabama Slam gets the same. With nothing else working, the Bear tells Brandi to grab a chair but the referee takes it away.

The distraction lets Taven score with a kendo stick shot, followed by Cross Rhodes for a pretty good near fall. Cody’s Beautiful Disaster is kicked out of the air but the second attempt works just fine. Taven is right back up with the Climax (1%er) for two more and there’s the required ref bump, followed by a double knockdown. Cue the Kingdom to help with a low blow but Cody has a cup. Bully chases the Kingdom away and Cross Rhodes ends Taven at 14:08.

Rating: B-. This was a little more overbooked than it needed to be, though at least the right person won. Cody is actually clicking as a heel but the Kenny Omega match is going to be a huge deal for him. He needs that kind of character development and this is a big step for him going forward.

Post match Cody gets the ring back but the Bear knocks him down. It’s Kenny Omega, who knocks Cody out with a V Trigger. Brandi makes the save and kisses Omega, saying to tell Kota Ibushi that he liked it. You think the fans went a little nuts over that one?

We recap the Tag Team Title match. The Briscoes are all serious again and want their titles back. That means crushing the Motor City Machine Guns in by far the biggest layup on the card.

Tag Team Titles: Briscoes vs. Motor City Machine Guns

The Guns are defending and the fans are very solidly behind the Briscoes. Mark suplexes Sabin for an early two and it’s already time for an early exchange of stomping. Sabin gets over for the tag to Shelley so house can be cleaned in a hurry as everything breaks down. Double superkicks from the apron have Mark in trouble as the announcers go over various former Tag Team Champions.

Mark is right back up with the Blockbuster from the apron but Jay takes a hanging swinging neckbreaker to keep the champs rolling. With Mark busted open, Shelley rakes away at the cut and rubs the blood on the referee’s shirt. Dude at least pay for the laundry. How much do you think these guys make? That’s enough for Jay as he comes back in and kicks the champs in the head.

Shelley is taken outside and manages to dodge a dropkick through the ropes, sending Mark into Jay instead. A hot tag brings in Sabin and the rapid fire double teaming begins. An assisted Sliced Bread #2 sets up the Cradle Shock with Jay making the save. There’s the Dream Sequence but Sabin dropkicks Mark by mistake for a double knockdown. The Froggy Bow gets two on Sabin but the Doomsday Device is countered into a rollup for the same. Jay gets two off the Jay Driller and I’m rather surprised on the kickout. Instead, the Doomsday Device connects to give the Briscoes the titles back.

Rating: B-. This was an obvious ending but at least the Guns were game here. The Briscoes are just on another level right now and there’s no reason to not have the titles back on them. I’m not sure who could take the titles from them anytime soon and if that means more awesome, surly Briscoes, I’m very pleased.

We get the same promo from Castle that we’ve seen twice on TV as of late, with him saying he can feel it in his belly.

Jay Lethal is ready to get his title back and isn’t leaving Las Vegas without it. At least this was something new.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jay Lethal vs. Dalton Castle

Castle is defending and of course we get Big Match Intros. Lethal’s leg trip attempts don’t get him anywhere and Castle is laughing. Castle shoulders him down and an early Bang-a-Rang attempt sends Jay outside. Back in and we hit the peacock pose before Castle forearms him in the corner. Castle blocks some suplex attempts and grabs one of his own to put Lethal in the most trouble yet.

Jay is right back with a trip to take it outside but Castle snaps off a hurricanrana of all things. That might mean a knee injury though and Castle is backpedaling in a hurry. Well as much of a hurry as you can have with a limp. Back in and an enziguri knocks Dalton off the apron for two suicide dives. The third is blocked though and Castle muscles him over for a German suplex on the floor.

Castle can’t follow up so the Boys fan the knee. How can you not chuckle at that? A chop hits the post though and Castle has another injury in short order. A ram into the bell has Castle in even more trouble but he posts Lethal for a breather. Back in and Lethal kicks one Boy off the apron but ring announce Bobby Cruise makes the catch. That earns Bobby a suicide dive so Cabana goes over to check on him.

Castle waistlocks Jay, apparently having recovered while Lethal wasted so much time. The Lethal Combination gives Jay two so it’s off to a torture rack. For a unique change of pace, Lethal flips forward (think a Regal Roll) and gets two more to keep Castle’s ribs banged up. Castle grabs a bridging German suplex for two, making sure to lift his leg to relieve the pressure.

A quick cutter drops the champ and it’s right back to the knee to keep Castle down. Jay’s Figure Four keeps him in control and the Lethal Injection scores….for two on a heck of a kickout. They head to the apron and a kick to the knee takes Castle down again. Lethal can’t hit a cutter on the apron and it’s Castle German suplexing him from the apron to the floor in a SCARY crash. Back in and they slowly slug it out with Castle barely able to stand. Another Lethal Injection is countered and the Bang a Rang retains at 25:57.

Rating: A-. This is the win that Castle needed. It’s long been established that he can hang at this level but beating Lethal, probably the best big match performer Ring of Honor has at this point, is a requirement. This sets him on a roll going forward, likely with Scurll as the next challenge. The match itself was the back and forth fight that ROH does very well, especially without the standard WWE formula. Throw in a clean pin and no shenanigans and this was all you could have wanted.

Post match Lethal shakes his hand but Marty Scurll comes out for the challenge to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Heck of a show here as Ring of Honor continues to know how to knock the big shows out of the park. I’m looking forward to Supercard of Honor and I wouldn’t have bet on that being the case just a few months ago. Right now everything is clicking and it’s become a very easy show to watch. Even the Young Bucks aren’t as annoying lately, which I didn’t think was possible. Very good show here though and worth checking out if you have the time.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com, follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: March 14, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

This is one of those weird weeks where a pay per view has come and gone but we’re not to the next taping cycle yet. Therefore, tonight is probably going to be a standalone show, which have very mixed results around here. There aren’t likely to be any results from the Anniversary Show, which works well as I haven’t seen it yet. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Battle Royal

Chuckie T., Barretta, Shane Taylor, Josh Woods, Will Ferrara, Leo St. Giovanni, Flip Gordon, QT Marshall, Caprice Coleman, Shaheem Ali, Kid USA, F.R. Josie

I think I got everyone in there. They waste no time with this as the sequence ends and the bell rings with everyone sliding into the ring. The final two in the ring will face off in a regular match for a shot at the TV Title at a date to be announced. Chuckie and Barretta are thrown out by Shane at the bell, followed by Josie and Ferrara being tossed out soon thereafter.

Kid USA gets knocked off the top and Coast to Coast can’t get rid of Taylor. Coleman shoves St. Giovanni out by breaking up a springboard with Ali and Woods being thrown out a few seconds later. We’re down to Marshall, Taylor, Coleman and Gordon with QT offering to pay the others off.

We take a break less than five minutes into the show and come back with all four still going. Coleman kicks Gordon in the face but gets cut off with a springboard spinning spear. Marshall hits Taylor by mistake and that’s it for QT. Gordon has to springboard back in from the apron and takes Coleman down with a clothesline. Taylor throws Coleman out and it’s Gordon and Taylor moving on at 8:55.

Rating: D. Well, it was certainly short. The problem here was they didn’t have the time or the star power to really make things work. They made it clear that these are people who have never held the title, which doesn’t exactly give you a lot of star power. Taylor and Gordon could make for a good singles match, but the battle royal wasn’t the best way to get there.

The Kingdom is sick of hearing about the Bullet Club when the Kingdom is on fire. So Cal Uncensored comes in to say they’ve been conspired against for years. An alliance is suggested and the Kingdom seems intrigued. Post break, TK O’Ryan doesn’t like the idea but Matt Taven says it’s worth it. Vinny Marseglia just wants violence against the Bullet Club.

Stacy Shadows is a good sized woman who wants to go through everyone to make history.

Tenille Dashwood is tired of being overlooked. She’s beaten Shadows before in a non-televised ROH match so this might not be the biggest surprise. I mean, the winner gets Brandi Rhodes in a match that already aired on the PPV pre-show so it’s kind of spoiled in advance.

Women of Honor Title Tournament First Round: Stacy Shadows vs. Tenille Dashwood

Dashwood is better known as Emma and Deonna Purrazzo is on commentary. The much bigger Shadows blocks an armdrag attempt and drives Dashwood into the corner. Some kicks to Stacy’s legs set up a hurricanrana into a Russian legsweep for one. The running corner crossbody is shrugged off and Shadows scores with a spinebuster as we take a break.

Back with Stacy still in control and the announcers taking about the dangers of Dashwood’s Spotlight kick. A Vader Bomb misses though and Tenille grabs the Tarantula. Dashwood gets two off a high crossbody and the Spotlight Kick (a running kick to the side of the head) is good for the pin on Shadows at 8:41.

Rating: D+. Shadows was every bigger woman you’ll see and there was no reason to believe that Dashwood was losing here. This is a good example of a match that would have been better suited in a shorter form as it came off like they were stretching things out for the sake of stretching things out.

The Bullet Club is in the back and Cody seems worried about the Kingdom and So Cal Uncensored teaming up. Cody is tired of being told that he’s the bad guy and the team isn’t going anywhere. Can we just name this the Bullet Club Hour already?

Beer City Bruiser/Brian Milonas vs. Ryan Nova/Eli Isom

I think you get the idea here. Bruiser forearms Nova down to start and Nova’s kick to the ribs has as much effect as you would expect. A crossbody crushes Nova (Colt: “IS HE STILL ALIVE???”) and Milonas does his reverse splash. Nova gets crushed between the two big guys and it’s actually off to Isom to keep things going. That means a hard right hand to knock him silly, followed by a superplex into a frog splash to give Bruiser the pin at 3:48.

Rating: D. They’re certainly hammering you over the head with the idea behind Milonas and Bruiser, but that makes sense in this case as it’s not like they have anything else to do. Bruiser is at least decent but Milonas….my goodness no. This was a long squash but at least they got the idea down.

Shane Taylor vs. Flip Gordon

Bully Ray is on commentary and the winner gets a future TV Title shot. Gordon strikes away at the monster and the chops actually have an effect. A superkick does a bit more damage but Taylor pulls Gordon HARD out of the air with a spinebuster for two. Taylor goes with the heavy forearms to rock Gordon even more as the pace slows quite a bit. One heck of a legdrop gets two and we take a break.

Back with Taylor blasting him in the face for two more with Bully being stunned on the kickout. He’s so stunned that we cut to the announcers for a chat about Supercard of Honor. Taylor even hits a Bubba Bomb and Bully is now full on behind Flip. An enziguri rocks Taylor and there’s a second to stagger him…..until a hard clothesline takes Flip’s head off for two. The middle rope splash misses though and the Star Spangled Stunner into the 450 gives Flip the pin at 9:31.

Rating: C+. This was another story that didn’t need much laying out, though I’m not sure how smart it is to do very similar matches three times in a row. Gordon has some good charisma and all of the flipping does him some serious favors. If that’s how he keeps going, he’s going to be fine for a long time to come.

Post match Scorpio Sky runs in for the beatdown on Gordon but the Young Bucks make the save. They seem to be interested in Gordon but he doesn’t quite know what to do.

Cody wants to know where the rest of the Club is but he can do this himself because he knows all of their parts. Bullet Club is fine as they head into a ten man tag, presumably next week.

Overall Rating: C-. For a standalone episode, I’m not sure how well this one worked. Setting up a future TV Title shot is a good idea but having a first round match after the winner already had her quarterfinal match? Really? Other than that, having three big vs. little matches in a row felt like a really weak presentation, but maybe it was all they could put together. Not a bad show, but the Bullet Club stuff is getting old.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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: March 7, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re coming up on the 16^th Anniversary Show and that means it’s time to really hammer the card home. Or in this case, it’s time to have a bunch of other stuff before we actually get to the pay per view because of the weird schedule. The shows have been mostly solid as of late so hopefully the trend continues. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a recap.

Briscoe Brothers vs. Best Friends

The Briscoes cost them a title shot a few weeks back to set this up. The violence continues here as the Best Friends are knocked off the apron to start with the beating starting fast. Back in and the Friends hit a string of running clotheslines in the corner but stop for a hug. You don’t give the Briscoes that kind of a break so the Friends are knocked outside as we take a break.

Back with Mark driving Barretta into the corner but getting caught in a tornado DDT. It’s off to Chuckie for a sitout powerbomb as everything breaks down. An Eat Defeat into a suplex rocks Mark, setting up the big flip dive from Barretta. Back in and the reverse Razor’s Edge into a cutter gets a close two on Mark. Barretta’s backslide gets two more but it’s a Jay Driller into a Froggy Bow for the pin at 8:45.

Rating: C+. I’m not big on the Best Friends but amazingly enough, they’re this much better without all the hugging nonsense. Instead it was a straightforward match where they came close to beating the Briscoes, only to come up short in the end as they should have. The Briscoes are going to win the titles without much effort and that’s how it needs to go.

Post match the Motor City Machine Guns come in and lay out the Briscoes in an attempt to make you believe this isn’t going to be the biggest layup of a title change in years.

We recap last week’s TV Title change.

Recap of the Women’s Title tournament so far.

Christopher Daniels vs. Adam Page

Hang on a second though as here’s Bully Ray to eject Scorpio Sky and Kazarian under the threat of a suspension. Page, acting on Ray’s orders, wastes no time in taking it to Daniels by knocking him into the corner and out to the floor. Daniels gets hung over the ropes (by the Hangman of course) but comes back with a shot to the face as we take a break.

Back with Page fighting out of a chinlock and winning the big exchange of forearms. Page powerbombs him down and sends Daniels outside for the shooting star shoulder. Daniels is right back with a rollup but neither can hit their finisher. Best Moonsault Ever misses and the Buckshot Lariat is enough to put Daniels away at 9:17.

Rating: C. I remember watching Page and thinking next to nothing of him. He wasn’t interesting, he wasn’t different and he wasn’t very good. Now though, he’s managed to turn himself into someone who not only puts on good matches but has also figured out how to be the aggressive enforcer of Bullet Club. That’s a role he can play and much more than I ever would have expected from him.

Post match Shane Taylor runs in and beats Page down with Daniels saying it was the best money he ever sent. Ray pops up and isn’t pleased with these events.

Punishment Martinez/Marty Scurll vs. Jay Lethal/Dalton Castle

Before the match, Martinez and Scurll say they’ll be the World Champion, Lethal is ready to take the title and Castle is happy with a bowl of delicious soup. Martinez and Castle start but Punishment wants Lethal. Jay, in full on Macho Man style gear, comes in and gets caught in a hard headlock. The early chokeslam doesn’t work and Jay’s chops just seem to annoy Martinez. Dude his name is Punishment. How smart do you think it is to chop him?

Scurll demands to come in and Castle wants a piece of that (his words). Some jockeying leads to an exchange of wristlocks with Marty actually getting the better of it. Jay comes back in for an elbow to the jaw and the good guys exchange Matrix style poses. Marty uses the distraction to kick Jay in the face though and we take a break. Back with Jay slipping out of a Psycho Driver and handing it off to Castle for the suplexes, including a German suplex for two on Scurll.

Lethal kicks Castle by mistake though (You knew that was coming) and Scurll grabs the Ghostbuster on Jay. The full chickenwing dance is broken up by Punishment tagging himself in. Now the Psycho Driver and a curb stomp connect for a near fall on Jay (that’s not a good sign for two big moves from Martinez).

Scurll tags himself back in this time and everything breaks down. Martinez turns Jay inside out with a clothesline but charges into a dead lift German suplex. The fans are way behind Castle but Punishment beats on the Boys. Lethal is back in with some kicks to Martinez, followed by some errant powder from Scurll. Castle takes Martinez to the floor and the Lethal Injection ends Scurll at 13:20.

Rating: C+. The ending being too overbooked didn’t do this any favors but the rest of the match was all it needed to be. They set up both matches on Friday as well as they could have and aside from a DQ or countout ending, Scurll probably has the least to lose here. Lethal continues to be awesome, but I think he comes up short on Friday.

Cody says there is no throne for the Kingdom.

Matt Taven is ready to make Cody kiss the ring.

The Briscoes can’t be held responsible for what they’ll do to the Machine Guns.

The Guns aren’t letting the Briscoes be around one more year.

So Cal Uncensored is ready for a street fight party.

The Bullet Club promises to win.

Scurll says Martinez is in for a spot of bother.

Martinez says Scurll is just his next victim.

Lethal is getting his title back.

Castle’s belly is full of excitement. We saw most of these promos last week but it’s nice to have them on the go home show too.

Overall Rating: C+. The main goal was accomplished: I care more about this Friday’s pay per view than I did coming in. If nothing else, I got a reminder of the matches on that show, which were getting a little hazy. It’s still not a good looking show, but the main event should be awesome and if there’s one more good match included, things should be fine.

Remember to check out my new forums at steelcagewrestling.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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: February 28, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Colt Cabana, Ian Riccaboni

We’re off to a new taping cycle this week and we’ve got a big time TV Title match as Kenny King gets his rematch against Silas Young. If that’s not enough, there’s a new enforcer (General Manager, whether he says he is or not) in the form of Bully Ray. I’m not wild on seeing this take place again but you know you’re going to see it in most wrestling companies these days. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Bully Ray becoming the new enforcer last week. It’s still not great but I’d rather have him than the actual COO.

Ray is in the ring and very please to have this job. This is the best wrestling company in the world and he’s proud to be the enforcer. Tonight is all thriller and no filler. So is he a matchmaker or an enforcer?

Frankie Kazarian/Scorpio Sky vs. Young Bucks

So Cal Uncensored wastes no time in jumping the Bucks, who waste even less time in shrugging it off and taking over. A double hiptoss into a double basement dropkick puts Sky on the floor but here’s Cody to applaud and sit in on commentary. Back from a break with Sky in trouble as we look at Cody multiple times. Kazarian misses a charge in the corner so Nick kicks Sky in the head before giving Kazarian a Backstabber.

It’s Sky back up though and a big flip dive to the floor takes Nick down. Back in and Sky throws Kazarian at Matt for a tornado DDT and a near fall. Matt fights out of a double team, including a spear and kick through the ropes to Sky. Kazarian follows him out with a slingshot hurricanrana but Nick kicks him from the apron.

That earns him a cutter onto the apron from Sky and everyone is down. It’s Matt up first for a flip dive off the stage but both Bucks dive into cutters, followed by stereo dragon sleepers. Naturally those are reversed into double Sharpshooters and we take another break. We come back again with Kazarian hitting a Fameasser over the middle rope, only to have Nick come back with the slingshot X Factor and moonsault to the floor. The Meltzer Driver ends Sky at 13:45. The part after the second break was barely a minute long.

Rating: C+. Nice match here, even with a pretty obvious ending. I get that the Bucks and the Bullet Club are the full on faces now, even if they’re not the most traditional in the world. They’re better in this role than as the popular heels, but I’m still not fans of theirs for the most part. At least it makes more sense now.

Post match Christopher Daniels comes in to attack the Bucks, drawing in Hangman Page with a chair for the save.

We recap King vs. Young, or at least the part since Young won the TV Title. King pinned him in a tag match to earn tonight’s shot.

After last week’s show, Brian Milonas and Beer City Bruiser distracted King so Young could jump him from behind. Didn’t they do the same thing to Jay Lethal a few months back?

The surly Briscoe Brothers still want their Tag Team Titles back and don’t care about what it takes to get there.

Kelly Klein knows she’s the best because no one has ever pinned her or made her tap. The title is hers to win.

Bonesaw Jesse Brooks is the baddest woman in the world and ready to beat Klein.

We see some highlights of Klein vs. Brooks which saw Klein win with a knee to the face.

Deonna Purrazzo wants to be the face of the division and starts crying while talking about it.

Holidead is a bad Rosemary knockoff.

Purrazzo beat Holidead with a Fujiwara armbar with only the ending shown. This REALLY isn’t making the tournament look important.

Cody talks about the Kingdom not having a crown. They can’t steal his ring and get away with it.

Matt Taven calls Cody the American Melvin and is ready to prove it at the 16^th Anniversary Show.

The Briscoe Brothers are going to take their titles back at the 16^th Anniversary Show, but it’s not personal.

The Motor City Machine Guns tell the Briscoes to not worry about their future, because it’s going to be short.

Marty Scurll says the 16^th Anniversary Show won’t be a pleasant night for Punishment Martinez.

Martinez says Scurll is the next victim.

Jay Lethal only needs one shot to get the World Title match.

Dalton Castle is excited to retain the title and can feel it in his belly. Just a bunch of short, to the point promos here, which you don’t get enough anymore.

TV Title: Kenny King vs. Silas Young

Young is defending and has Milonas and Bruiser with him. Feeling out process to start with King taking him down off a headlock. That means a headscissor counter and a repeat of the spot, followed by stereo dropkick attempts. Bruiser trips King up but since Bully is a new boss, he’s still competent enough to be watching the match. Cue the boss for a double ejection and we’re down to one on one.

They fight outside with Young sending him into the post and mocking the fans clapping King back up. We take a break and come back with King scoring off a spinning kick to the face for a quick double knockdown. They fight to the apron with King nailing a cartwheel kick before a big flip dive off the stage (I’m sure the Bucks will be thrilled). And let’s stop for a picture with a fan.

Back in and a spinebuster gives King two as the announcers aren’t thrilled with his picture taking strategy earlier. The Royal Flush is broken up twice in a row but Misery is countered into a crucifix for two. Young gets the same off a neckbreaker and he counters the Royal Flush into a small package for the same.

With the big moves not working, King slaps on a Last Chancery to send Young over to the ropes. Young bails to the floor for a breather and catches King with a low blow on the way back in. The springboard moonsault gets two more and now we get the mega angry version of Young. They forearm it out from their knees with King getting the better of it and sunset flipping Young out of the corner for the pin and the title at 14:00.

Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one as it was just a back and forth match, albeit not a great one. King didn’t sell very much and that’s not the best way to showcase an athlete like him. Instead they were trading offense, which never really gave me a reason to get into the match as there wasn’t a ton of drama or near falls. Not bad, just laid out poorly.

Overall Rating: C-. Oddly enough, the streak of good shows comes to an end when the World Title scene isn’t receiving a ton of focus. Instead it was the not great TV Title match, the pretty weak main event and the still not exactly thrilling Women’s Title tournament. As usual, Ring of Honor is good at one thing but after you get past the top of the card, things go downhill in a hurry. Not a bad show, but really pretty uninteresting. Oh and two matches being reduced to highlights doesn’t say “all thriller and no filler”. It says we don’t have time for a full match and this isn’t important enough.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcagewrestling.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

Ring of Honor
Date: February 21, 2018
Location: Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re coming up on the 16^th Anniversary Show and the card is starting to come together. If nothing else there’s a good reason to believe that Dalton Castle will be defending the World Title against Jay Lethal, but there’s also the possibility of Matt Taven, as the Kingdom continues its rise. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show in case you need a recap.

So Cal Uncensored is ready to make their mark by taking the Six Man tag Team Titles from the Bullet Club.

The Bullet Club says they’ll defend the titles and get some revenge. Adam Page promises six broken legs and they sing a song about being drug free.

Opening sequence.

Jay Lethal vs. Flip Gordon

This could be interesting. Gordon flips out of a headlock but his Oklahoma roll is countered into a rollup as well. Jay tries a cutter but Gordon gets his hands up and keeps his head off the mat in a nice counter. Back from an early break with Gordon knocking him into the corner as the announcers compare Flip to a franchise quarterback. Some running corner dropkicks rock Jay again but the third one misses, allowing Jay to hit one of his own.

Lethal starts in on the back with some knee drops and a backbreaker for two each. The reverse chinlock with a knee to the back is broken up and Gordon throws him outside for a suicide dive. Jay isn’t going to stand for this gimmick infringement and runs back in for a boot to the face. That sequence works so well that Gordon does the same thing to Jay, followed by a superkick from the apron. A middle rope corkscrew dive to the floor drops Jay again and we take another break.

Back again with the exchange of forearms and chops until Jay tries the Figure Four. That’s not working just yet so Gordon has to block the Lethal Injection. Instead it’s a springboard spinning Sling Blade to take Lethal down, followed by an enziguri for two. Lethal is sat on top but slips down for a powerbomb. That’s blocked as well and now the Figure Four goes on, sending Gordon bailing to the ropes. Lethal is done with this though and hits a dragon suplex into the Lethal Injection for the pin at 15:13.

Rating: B-. Lethal is the kind of guy that every promotion needs: someone who can have a good match with anyone and make them look better than they are otherwise. Gordon is a little more than a one trick pony but he needs a big win to keep himself from slipping backwards into the midcard pretty soon.

Post match Colt tells Lethal that he’s getting the World Title shot at the 16^th Anniversary Show. Marty Scurll storms out and says it should be his shot. Jay says he’s earned this so Scurll says he should be #1 contender when Lethal wins the title. That’s quite the retreat from a villain but Lethal agrees.

Brandi Rhodes knows she’s the underdog in this tournament but that lets her fly under the radar.

Karen Q says you should be focusing on her and no one else.

Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Karen Q vs. Brandi Rhodes

Karen jumps Brandi during her posing but Rhodes is up with some knees to the face and a dropkick. Some choking in the corner cuts Brandi off and there’s a running shot to the face as we take a break. Back with Karen scoring with a standing moonsault for two but missing something like a frog splash. Brandi chops away and even hits a Sling Blade (not the worst) for two. A middle rope dropkick misses though and Karen grabs a Boston crab. Back up and Brandi jumps over her in the corner but hurts her ankle. Now if you don’t know what’s coming, I don’t know what to tell you. The small package sends Brandi on at 7:24.

Rating: D+. Brandi was passable here and that’s all she needed to be. There’s no secret to the fact that she’s still very green but it’s easy to see why Ring of Honor wants to push her. With the family collections and a million dollar smile, she’s worth the effort to put some time in. That being said, this is as far as she should go in the tournament as you’re only going to get so far with an offense mainly comprised of chops.

Dalton Castle wants to talk about beanbag chairs and baby bunnies but Scurll interrupts. Marty wants to be Dalton’s next challenger if Castle retains against Cody. It’s a deal.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: So Cal Uncensored vs. Young Bucks/Adam Page

The Bucks and Page are defending. Kazarian and Page slug it out to start but So Cal runs in, drops the Bucks, and stomps on Page in the corner. Of course the Bucks are right back in and hitting flashy double team offense, including a wheelbarrow facebuster into a cutter on Scorpio. Page hits a dropsault on Daniels and Kazarian so let’s hit that TOO SWEET chant. Nick dives onto everyone and it’s the triple suicide dives as the champs are in full control.

Back in and Page kicks Sky out of the air, followed by Kazarian clotheslining Daniels by mistake. Daniels and Kazarian finally get in a few shots on Page to put him in trouble and take over. Kazarian chokes on the ropes and we take a break. Back with Page and Kazarian hitting a double clothesline for a double knockdown. Matt gets the hot tag but both Bucks come in because this might as well be their promotion.

A variety of kicks to the challengers’ heads have the Bucks in control and a standing moonsault/top rope splash combination gets two on Daniels. Sky knocks them outside though and it’s a dive to both Bucks. Page is right behind them though with a moonsault off the top onto the pile. Back in and Matt hurricanranas his way out of the Angel’s Wings and we hit the Sharpshooter. Daniels taps but Kazarian has the referee. It’s Sky coming in with a belt shot and Daniels gets the pin….but here’s Bully Ray to interrupt the celebration.

Bully has been watching every show since Final Battle and there’s a lack of honor around here as of late. COO Joe Koff has given him the authority (erg) to enforce the Code of Honor around here so let’s restart this match. Triple superkicks and a Meltzer Driver retain the titles at 11:21 (not counting the break for Bully).

Rating: C+. The Bucks still aren’t my cup of Yoo-Hoo and their near non-existent selling is beyond old. Still though, you can’t deny their level of overness and staying power so this is about as much as you can ask for. Bully coming out for the restart feels like any given wrestling company and that’s not what I want to see in Ring of Honor. Still though, you know what’s what you’re getting in wrestling so just live with it.

Overall Rating: C+. Totally watchable show here with Scurll looking like the smartest man in the room all night. Him getting the World Title shot at Supercard of Honor is pretty much the only way to go and that should be quite the entertaining night. Other than that the show was standard Ring of Honor, albeit with a good opening match.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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