Dynamite
Date: April 26, 2023
Location: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Taz

We are about a month away from Double Or Nothing and this week we should find out who will be challenging MJF for the World Title. That alone should be enough to carry the show, but we are also likely getting a showdown between Chris Jericho and Adam Cole after last week’s beatdown of Britt Baker. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Bandido

Cassidy is defending and gets tripped down while trying the hands in the pockets. Bandido gives him the finger guns so Cassidy gives him a weak cartwheel. The hands to the pockets are blocked again….so Cassidy puts the finger guns into his own pockets like holsters (ok that was cute). Bandido is sent outside, only to have Cassidy grab a no hands hurricanrana back inside. Cassidy’s dive is cut off with a drop onto the barricade and Bandido gets to brag a bit in the corner.

The Brock Lock goes on to keep Cassidy in trouble, at least until he makes the rope. Bandido sends him outside and we take a break. Back with Cassidy reversing a suplex into the Stundog Millionaire for a double breather. They chop it out (one is more energetic than the other) until Cassidy is sent him to the apron.

That means Cassidy can ram Bandido’s face into the corner a few times, followed by a Michinoku Driver for two. Back up and a cutter gives Bandido two but the super fall away slam is broken up. Instead Bandido hits the one armed gorilla press into a frog splash for two. A quick Mousetrap gives Cassidy two but it’s the Orange Punch into the Beach Break to retain the title at 15:17.

Rating: B-. It’s getting a little hard to get into these Cassidy matches as save for a recent handful, there is no reason to believe that he is going to lose the title. The match was entertaining and the two guys did their thing, but despite being rather talented, there was no reason to believe that he was going to win the title. Cassidy has to lose at some point or this is just taking away value from his appearances.

Post match Cassidy gives Bandido some sunglasses so they can pose together.

Adam Cole is ready to call out Chris Jericho tonight. With Cole gone, Bandido and Orange Cassidy come in to ask if Renee Paquette wants to interview them after their match. Renee explains the deal with Cole and Jericho from last week instead. Cassidy: “Oh.” Bandido: “Oh.” And they leave.

Darby Allin and Jungle Boy agree to bury the hatchet after last week. They don’t like each other, but they do respect each other, and agree to have the other’s back against Sammy Guevara and MJF.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Dax Harwood

Jarrett’s goons are cut off by security so Cash Wheeler stays in the back so this can be one on one. Harwood takes him into the corner to start and they fight over wrist control. Jarrett gets him to the mat but Harwood breaks up the strut (thank goodness this isn’t in Memphis). Another knockdown lets Jarrett get in the strut but Harwood snaps off a suplex into the legdrop for two. Jarrett throws him off the top though and we take a break.

Back with the slugout in the middle of the ring going to Jarrett but neither can get in their leglock. Harwood’s diving headbutt gets two and the Stroke is countered into a rollup for the same. A piledriver gives Harwood two more and Jarrett rolls out to the floor. Back in and a catapult into the corner gives Jarrett two of his own. The Figure Four is countered into a small package for two but cue Sonjay Dutt for a distraction. The chase lets Jarrett hit the Stroke for the pin at 11:12.

Rating: B-. You knew these two were going to have a good match, at least until we got to the screwy finish involving Jarrett’s goons. I’m not wild on having Jarrett and company get what feels like another title feud so soon, but odds are they aren’t going to take down FTR. For now though, I’ll settle for a much more technical style match for a breath of air around here.

Post match Dutt hands Jeff Jarrett a Tag Team Title.

The Owen Hart Cups are returning, but this year it will all be in Canada, with the finals in Calgary. Maybe it can be interesting this year.

Wardlow vs. Ariel Levy

Non-title and Arn Anderson is with Wardlow. The four movement Powerbomb Symphony finishes Levy fast.

Post match Arn tells Levy to get an ice bath and drink a six pack. Anderson talks about how the NFL Draft starts this week and Wardlow is a #1 pick with the talent no one else back there has. Sometimes you have to get violent, but here are Christian Cage and Luchasaurus for the staredown. I’m still not sure why Anderson needs to be involved in this.

Sammy Guevara is cut off by MJF, who doesn’t like people calling him a gutless coward. They don’t care what people think though and they’re friends now. Sammy gives him a matching vest and MJF gives him a matching scarf. Friends hug!

The Blackpool Combat Club jumps interviewer RJ City and promises violence.

Four Pillars Tournament Finals: Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara

For the World Title shot at Double Or Nothing so MJF (with his own brand of….pickles) is on commentary. They fight over wrist control to start as MJF talks about the pickles. Allin flips him into a chinlock as MJF talks about how the check to Guevara won’t clear without him laying down. Tony: “This is an important match and we’re talking about FREAKING PICKLES!”

Allin pulls him into a Texas Cloverleaf but Guevara makes the rope and spits at him. A dropkick to the back sends Allin outside and a posting makes it even worse. They get back up on the apron, where Allin teases a German suplex to the floor, earning himself a low blow. There’s the top rope Asai moonsault (that was good) and Allin is busted open.

We take a break and come back with both of them down for a breather. Allin loads up a suicide dive but Guevara cutters him out of the air for the big crash. It’s table time (of course) but Allin is back up….only to get distracted by Tay Melo. A super Spanish Fly brings Allin back down and there’s the 630 through Allin through the table. Less than a minute later, Allin is loading up the Coffin Drop but Melo distracts the referee, allowing MJF to throw Allin the skateboard. Guevara drops down and that is indeed a DQ to send Guevara to Double Or Nothing at 12:49.

Rating: B-. I would almost be stunned if there wasn’t some shenanigan to get us to the four way at this point, which is still what makes the most sense. Other than that, this was the back and forth match you would expect from these two, complete with a crazy spot that wasn’t sold whatsoever. Allin’s charisma continues to be more than enough to carry him, but sell the big spot for, I don’t know, awhile? That shouldn’t be an insane suggestion.

Post match the beating is on but Jungle Boy makes the save. Tony Schiavone has a Tony Khan announcement though: next week it’s a tag match, and if Allin and Jungle Boy win, the title match is a four way.

Post break, MJF goes to get in his car and says it’s full (it’s not) when Guevara tries to get in with him. MJF pulls off, leaving Guevara staring.

Here is Adam Cole to call out Chris Jericho. Cole says that Jericho crossed a line and it’s time for him to pay, so get out here. There is no Jericho so Cole goes to get him, only to be cut off by Jericho on the big screen. Jericho isn’t doing this, so here is the Jericho Appreciation Society to go after Cole. Bandido and Orange Cassidy make the failed save attempt but Roderick Strong of all people debuts and makes the real save. Hugging ensues. Ok that’s a surprise, especially since there was no word on his contract expiring. Granted it’s Roderick Strong so the impact will be limited, but nice job on the surprise.

Powerhouse Hobbs interrupts QTV and chokes QT Marshall, who promises to fix this. Plan B is loaded up.

TBS Title: Taya Valkyrie vs. Jade Cargill

Cargill, with Mark Sterling and Leila Grey, is defending and Taya gets disqualified if she uses Road To Valhalla. They trade slaps to the face to start until Taya knocks her down and hammers away. Back up and Jade charges into a boot to the face before being sent outside. Jade pulls her into the splits on the apron and drops her to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Jade missing an elbow and Taya hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Jade catches her on top with a superplex though and busts out a Canadian Destroyer for two more. Jaded is countered though and Taya double stomps her for another near fall. Road To Valhalla has to be canceled though and Jade rolls her up (with tights) to retain at 8:15.

Rating: C. And thus we come to the next several weeks (if not months) section of Jade’s title reign, as she beats another name who could have taken the title from her and continues to be the same boring star she has been for a long time now. I’m not sure what they are waiting for with her, but this was the most interesting thing she has done in a good while and it still wasn’t interesting. Taya was protected a bit and there might be a rematch, but I’m so bored with Jade going on and on like this.

Post match Taya snaps and goes after the villains but has to stop herself from giving the referee Road To Valhalla.

Britt Baker (black eye) and Jamie Hayter (arm in a sling) want to beat up the Outcasts.

Video on Ricky Starks/Shawn Spears vs. Bullet Club Gold.

Kenny Omega/Konosuke Takeshita vs. Butcher and the Blade

Bryan Danielson is on commentary and Don Callis/Kip Sabian are the respective thirds. Blade chops away at Takeshita to start but gets shrugged off, allowing Omega to come in. Danielson calls the Elite a cancer as Omega hits a moonsault into Takeshita’s middle rope backsplash. Everything breaks down and a Sabian distraction lets Omega get taken down as we take a break.

Back with Omega hitting the running Fameasser, allowing a double tag to Takeshita and the Butcher. As Danielson compares the success of the Club and the Elite’s trainees, Butcher hits a half nelson suplex to take over. The powerbomb/neckbreaker combination is broken up though and Takeshita hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Butcher. Omega comes in to clean house and nails the big flip dive to the floor. Takeshita’s running knee finishes Butcher at 8:44.

Rating: B. Danielson kept praising the Butcher and the Blade as a good team and he’s not wrong. I could absolutely see them getting set up as a challenger of the month for the Tag Team Titles and it wouldn’t take long to get them there. That being said, there was no way Omega and Takeshita were losing in their big debut together, so this was good action leading to the logical finish.

Post match Danielson talks about how Takeshita has potential and Omega is living off his name in Japan. Cue the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club to go after Omega and Takeshita, complete with screwdriver, but the Young Bucks make the save. Omega loads up the screwdriver but Takeshita breaks it up, allowing Moxley to get in a Paradigm Shift. The Club beats Takeshita down and the screwdriver to the head busts him open to end the show. Yeah Moxley blood, violence and middle fingers. We know the drill.

Overall Rating: B. This was a bit of a strange show as it had a lot going on but nothing on it really felt big. Maybe it was taking the finals of a tournament and turning it into the setup for a tag match (which granted, the tournament always felt a bit off in the first place) but this show felt like a good event which didn’t really do much. What matters though is I’m interested in seeing where a lot of this stuff goes and with Double Or Nothing about a month away, that means they’re doing something right.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Bandido – Beach Break
Jeff Jarrett b. Dax Harwood – Stroke
Wardlow b. Ariel Levy – Powerbomb Symphony
Sammy Guevara b. Darby Allin via DQ when the referee saw Allin holding a skateboard
Jade Cargill b. Taya Valkyrie – Rollup with tights
Kenny Omega/Konosuke Takeshita b. Butcher and the Blade – Running knee to Butcher

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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AND

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Dynamite
Date: April 19, 2023
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

With just over five weeks to to before Double Or Nothing, the card is starting to take shape. It still needs a lot to be officially announced, but you can probably guess a lot of it from here. Maybe we get something set up tonight, as there are several matches that just need to be made official. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Jungle Boy to get things going but before he can get a word out, here is Sammy Guevara to interrupt. Before he can say anything either, here is Darby Allin to interrupt as well. Allin says Guevara is a follower and not a champion, because there is no Guevara Appreciation Society. Jungle Boy is talented, but he got his job because he was part of that California clique.

Jungle Boy says that Allin is only here because he couldn’t make it as a skateboarder. As for Guevara, it would be hard to find new ways to describe how big of a scumbag he really is. While he respects what Guevara does and the risks he takes, Jungle Boy knows Guevara is a scumbag. Guevara brings up that he and Allin will do whatever it takes to make it. Seeing Allin work hard and achieve success gives Guevara a hope, like when Allin won the TNT Title. Then Guevara did it three times, and now it’s time for Allin to sit back and watch him win the World Title.

Jungle Boy says he’s winning the title but here is MJF to interrupt. After insulting the fans (for liking Britt Baker), MJF announces a Pillars Tournament for the #1 contendership. MJF draws a name out of a hat, which determines that Allin gets a bye to the finals, leaving Guevara to face Jungle Boy in a first round match tonight. I’d like to believe that the four way title match is still happening, but there is something to having this be one on one. The talking was hit and miss, but putting most people next to MJF isn’t the most fair choice.

Britt Baker/Jamie Hayter vs. Outcasts

Believe it or not, Baker is in fact over like free beer in a frat house in her hometown. Saraya is the outcast Outcast here and gets to be at ringside, where she gets into it with Baker’s mom. The fight starts in the aisle until they head inside for the bell/a double clothesline from Hayter. Saraya grabs Hayter’s leg but Hayter is fine enough to drive a diving Storm into the barricade. Baker’s attempt at a Canadian Destroyer on the floor is broken up and we take a break.

Back with Hayter hitting an AA onto the knee, allowing the hot tag off to Baker for the house cleaning. The Lockjaw glove is loaded up but Baker goes with an Air Raid Crash to Storm instead. Everything breaks down and Hayter’s sliding lariat gets two. Baker gets hit with the running hip attack in the corner and Storm Zero gets two. Back up and a Panama Sunrise gives Baker two on Soho, setting up Lockjaw for the win at 9:37.

Rating: B. That was all it needed to be as the fans got to go nuts for Baker’s entrance and the Lockjaw gave Baker the win. This wasn’t some classic but it was a fast paced opener that gave the fans a nice thrill. It also gives Baker some momentum, as Hayter has gotten a lot of the attention in recent appearances. Good stuff here, as the hometown fans are pleased.

Wardlow introduces Arn Anderson of all people to be his manager. Anderson is ready to get Wardlow’s TNT Title back.

Here is the Elite to talk about the Blackpool Combat Club. Kenny Omega is more serious this week as he talks about what the Club has put he and his friends through. Right now, the Elite is out there to settle this with the Club and he wants them here. Bryan Danielson pops up on screen to say they’re amateurs, allowing the rest of the Club to come in for the brawl.

With the Elite down, here is Danielson to say that the Club is a bunch of amateurs. Don Callis follows Danielson out with a chair but he gets caught before he can swing, sending him running off. Danielson talks about the potential that Omega has, but since he won’t do anything, it’s time to fix the house. Danielson gets the screwdriver until Konosuke Takeshita is sent out by Callis for the save. The Elite gets back up to clear the ring as you can see Blood And Guts from here. Also, it’s amazing how much easier Kenny Omega is to deal with when he’s not acting like Kenny Omega.

TNT Title: Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Wardlow, with Arn Anderson, is challenging and we get a clip of QT Marshall attacking Anderson two years ago (That is a NICE touch as it gives Anderson a reason to be here and how many people were going to remember that happening?). QT Marshall and Harley Cameron are here too as Hobbs grabs three straight belly to belly suplexes to start. They head outside with Hobbs being whipped hard into the corner and the brawl heads into the crowd. The Powerbomb Symphony is broken up though and we take a break.

Back with Hobbs putting him on the top but a superplex attempt is blocked. Wardlow scores with a Swanton and the slug it out. Wardlow runs him over with a clothesline and snaps off some German suplexes and the big wind up punch drops Hobbs again. Cameron and Anderson get on the apron, allowing Marshall to grab a QT Cutter. The spinebuster gives Hobbs two and Anderson’s finger gun sets up the DDT to drop Marshall. A three movement Powerbomb Symphony gives Wardlow the title back at 9:34.

Rating: B-. This was another step in the rapid fire Wardlow rollercoaster and I’m not even sure why I should believe this is a big step forward for him. Wardlow and Anderson is a weird pairing but things are at least looking up for him. Now if this means the end of the QTV stuff, things are looking up for humanity in general.

Post match Christian Cage and Luchasaurus come out to stare down Wardlow. Can they please slow down and let the moment sink in for once?

MJF interrupts a Sammy Guevara interview and offers a guaranteed title shot at Double Or Nothing….if he’ll just lay down. That’s a no, but MJF throws in a blank check. Guevara fills in the amount and MJF reluctantly agrees, leaving Guevara to give him a hug (MJF isn’t pleased).

Kommander vs. Jay White

Juice Robinson is here with White. They shake hands to start and White takes him into the corner for a loud chop as we see Shawn Spears watching. Kommander is fine enough to hit a kick to the head and a very multiple springboard flip dive sends White outside. The rope walk has to be dropped as White gets back up and sends him face first into the apron as we take a break.

Back with White hammering away in the corner before dropping Kommander with a chop. Kommander fights back and hits the ropes, setting up a rather spinny rollup for two. A clothesline drops Kommander again but he kicks White off the top. After two failed attempts, Kommander finally manages his rope walk flip dive to drop White on the floor. A springboard phoenix splash gives Kommander two and he climbs on White’s back for something like an abdominal stretch. White isn’t having this and suplexes him down, setting up the Blade Runner (swinging Downward Spiral) for the pin at 10:44.

Rating: B-. This was a fun one as Kommander was trying to do all of his complicated flippy stuff but White kept cutting him off. While it makes all the sense for White to cut off Kommander’s high flying, I kept getting the feeling of White cutting it off because he felt like it’s nonsense. White ran him over in the end, which is how it should have been as he felt like a much more well rounded star as opposed to someone who was trying to flip around as much as he could.

Shawn Spears is not impressed so he gets pulled inside for the brawl. Ricky Starks makes the save.

FTR is shown a clip of Mark Briscoe being jumped by the Varsity Athletes. Since they somehow have no idea that this happened despite them being set to team with Briscoe, they go to check on Briscoe, who has Jeff Jarrett and company with him. Briscoe is ready to fight but the trainer won’t let him. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett will do it instead.

Here are Chris Jericho and Adam Cole for a face to face chat. The fans love the latter so much that Jericho has to point it out. Cole talks about how much of an inspiration Jericho was, to the point where Jericho inspired his catchphrase. They do shake hands but Jericho says he has zero respect for Cole. He wants to slap Cole in the face but Cole says he and the fans think Jericho is a “jagoff”.

Cole thinks the real Jericho is an insecure stupid idiot and gets in his face. Jericho says you never want to meet your idols and Cole doesn’t want to meet him. There’s the slap to Cole, triggering the brawl. Cue the Jericho Appreciation Society but Britt Baker runs in for the save and goes after Jericho. Cue the Outcasts (who just happened to be under the ring) to jump Baker and Jericho handcuffs Cole to the ropes. A kendo stick emerges and Cole has to watch Saraya get in some rather lame stick shots on Baker. It was a solid idea for a segment and Cole/Baker’s selling more than made it, but Saraya’s stick shots were pretty horrible.

Jeff Hardy will speak on Rampage.

Jericho Appreciation Society vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

The Society jump them before the bell and apparently if the Acclaimed and Gunn lose, they have to join the team until Double Or Nothing. The Acclaimed fights up and hits Scissor Me Timbers on Parker as we take a break. Back with Bowens coming in to slug it out with Menard but Parker gets in a cheap shot with the loaded comb (egads) for two on Bowens. Gunn takes said comb away and breaks it, setting up the Arrival and Mic Drop for the pin at 6:21. This was your “stop putting half the match in the break” match of the week and while there wasn’t enough shown to rate, PLEASE let the Acclaimed move on to ANYTHING else.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Four Pillars Tournament First Round: Sammy Guevara vs. Jungle Boy

Tay Melo comes out to the stage with Guevara but doesn’t stay. Jungle Boy sends him outside for a dive to start but Guevara switches places with him for a dive of his own. Back in and Guevara hits a super Spanish Fly to leave both of them down as we’re now a minute in. As Darby Allin watches from the rafters, they go to the apron for a standoff until Guevara knees him out of the air. Another Spanish Fly to the floor plants Jungle Boy on the floor and we take a break.

Back with Jungle Boy fighting out of trouble, including a hard clothesline. They head to the floor for an apron bomb from Jungle Boy, followed by a top rope Canadian Destroyer for two back inside. Guevara is back with a top rope cutter before flipping Jungle Boy into a DDT (ouch) for two. The GTH is countered into a poisonrana and the running forearm to the back of Guevara’s head but Jungle Boy can’t follow up.

The Snare Trap sends Guevara over to the ropes so Jungle Boy goes up. One heck of a running dropkick sends Jungle Boy HARD into the corner of the ringside table. Guevara breaks up the count at eight though and here is MJF to pull Jungle Boy out of the ring (behind the referee’s back). A big shot with the diamond ring knocks Jungle Boy cold, allowing the referee to pick up his count at nine for the countout at 11:39.

Rating: B. This was a very modern style match with a bunch of flips and dives packed in. That doesn’t exactly make for a great match but it does make for something fun. At the same time, MJF costing Jungle Boy the match makes sense for him as he fears Jungle Boy quite a bit, though I’m curious if that ending is going to give them an out to get all three challengers to Double Or Nothing.

MJF and Guevara celebrate as Darby Allin is not pleased to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. They did a lot here, though some of it was a little odd. I’m not entirely sold on the tournament for a title shot when they have seemingly been building towards a four way, but Jungle Boy losing via countout/cheating leaves a lot of doors open. Other than that, you had some good action and a title change, though this show felt like a bit of an adjustment on the way to Double Or Nothing rather than setting things up.

Results
Britt Baker/Jamie Hayter b. Outcasts – Lockjaw to Soho
Wardlow b. Powerhouse Hobbs – Powerbomb Symphony
Jay White b. Kommander – Bladerunner
Acclaimed/Billy Gunn b. Jericho Appreciation Society – Mic Drop to Parker
Sammy Guevara b. Jungle Boy via countout

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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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Ring Of Honor
Date: April 6, 2023
Location: UBS Arena, Long Island, New York
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with Supercard Of Honor and that means it is time to get to whatever this show is going to be without a pay per view coming up. I’m not sure what that is going to mean, but I’m assuming that the Trustbusters/Varsity Athletes are going to be involved. We should be in for a fun show here as is tradition, but it might be a bit before we have another major show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Supercard Of Honor if you need a recap.

Christopher Daniels is ready to take the Pure Title from Katsuyori Shibata because championships are on his agenda. Daniels has beaten him before but Shibata has gone through a lot since then. Now Shibata is one of the toughest men in the world but Daniels wants him anyway. I do like these promos for some of the feature matches. Do some more of them throughout the show.

Opening sequence.

Shane Taylor/Workhorsemen vs. Mark Briscoe/Lucha Bros

Shane shoves Mark around to start before running him over with a shoulder. It’s off to Anthony Henry, who walks into a big boot to cut him down. Fenix comes in for the top rope low stomp and the good guys clear the ring without much trouble. For some reason Penta tries a package piledriver on Taylor, which is blocked just as fast. JD Drake comes in to strike it off with Penta against the ropes and it’s back to Henry for a quickly broken chinlock.

The reverse Sling Blade gets Penta out of trouble though and it’s Briscoe coming back in to clean house. The Bang Bang Elbow hits Taylor on the floor as everything breaks down. Back in and Taylor hits Welcome To The Land (over the shoulder piledriver) for two on Briscoe as the Bros have to make a save. A quick Jay Driller finishes Henry at 8:48.

Rating: C+. This was a fast paced match and it was the kind of effort that can help turn Briscoe and the Bros into a more serious team. There are only so many worthwhile trios in AEW/ROH so making someone new is a good idea. Now just let them actually be built up with some bigger wins and it could work well.

Pure Wrestling Title: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Christopher Daniels

Daniels is challenging and gets taken to the mat rather quickly. Shibata takes over with the grappling so Daniels bails away, which seems like a smart move. Back up and Daniels starts in on the arm but gets pulled into a quick Figure Four. The rope is grabbed and Shibata misses a Penalty Kick, allowing Daniels to start in on the neck.

The Downward Spiral into the Koji Clutch has Shibata in more trouble but he’s fine enough to knock Daniels into the corner. The chops just annoy Shibata and there’s a running dropkick in the corker to rock Daniels hard. A rear naked choke makes Daniels bail to the rope for the second break. Back up and they trade STO’s before Shibata strikes him down. The Penalty Kick retains the title at 10:07.

Rating: B-. This is why Daniels is around, as he can still wrestle a nice match and look good in the process. Shibata gets his first title defense under his belt and that is exactly what he needs to do. If nothing else, it’s nice to see the champion establishing himself and Daniels is as good as you can get for a first challenger.

Claudio Castagnoli is ready for anyone.

Brian Cage vs. Ortiz

Prince Nana is here with Cage. Ortiz slips out of an early suplex attempt and gets knocked into the corner for his efforts. Back up and Ortiz sends him to the floor for the first dive but Cage is fine enough for the apron superplex. Cage does the reps before tossing him with a standing fall away slam but Ortiz grabs a DDT.

A Death valley Driver gives Ortiz two and Cage’s GMSI gets the same. Some headbutts stagger Cage in the corner, at least until he comes out with a superkick. Another apron superplex is countered into a powerbomb but Cage is right back with the Drill Claw to finally put Ortiz away at 8:24.

Rating: C+. This went a bit longer than it needed to but Cage winning was the way to go in the end. Ortiz hasn’t had much to do as of late and Cage is still a champion, so giving him the pin made sense. It was a pretty nice power vs. speed match, even if Cage is capable of doing just about anything in the ring at the same time.

Darius Martin vs. Jay Lethal

Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt are here too as Maria Kanellis, with the Kingdom, is on commentary. Darius wastes no time in sending him outside for the dive and a near fall back inside. Lethal crotches him inside and hits a dive of his own, setting up a strut on the floor. Darius is right back with a few shots of his own but has to stop and look up at Singh.

Back in and a springboard Downward Spiral gets two on Lethal. They slug it out as Maria and her husband Mike Bennett make “getting lucky” jokes. Matt Taven thinks he sees an untied shoe and heads to ringside as Darius accidentally dropkicks Singh to no avail. Taven superkicks Darius so Lethal (with a “sure, why not” shrug) hits Lethal Injection for the pin at 5:29.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have a ton of time and there was more than enough interference but the action that we got was good enough. Martin is going to have a long way to go to set himself up as a singles star without Dante around but putting him in the ring with someone like Lethal can be a nice boost. Now just win a few times.

Post match Singh gives the Kingdom his jacket and both guys fit inside (that’s not normal).

La Faccion Ingobernable b. The Infantry

Preston Vance and Jose The Assistant are here too. Dean and Dralistico start things off and they trade leg trips for a quick standoff. We pause for a Code Of Honor, allowing Dralistico to kick him in the head. Bravo comes in and chops it out with Dralistico until Rush gets in a cheap shot to the back to take over. Rush adds a face wash in the corner and the Tranquilo pose gives La Faccion a break. Dralistico double underhooks Bravo and flips him into a knee to the face for the pin at 3:41.

Rating: C. Total and complete squash here, which is what should happen to a team like the Infantry. Rush and Dralistico still don’t do much for me but it is nice to see the two of them getting to dominate like this for a change. Let them get built up as a bigger team and let them go after the champs, as there are certainly worse ideas.

Post match La Faccion poses over the Infantry.

Tracy Williams vs. Daniel Garcia

They go to the mat to start with Williams slipping out, earning some applause from Garcia. Some chops into a hammerlock suplex drop Garcia but he’s right back with a cheap shot to take over. Garcia teases grabbing a weapon but opts to flip off the fans instead. We pause for some Garcia dancing, allowing Williams to come back up for a slugout. Williams catches him in the corner and gives him a DDT onto the top rope, sending them into a series of standing switches. Garcia lifts him up and hits a gutbuster for the pin at 6:11.

Rating: C+. They had a nice technical match here but neither is exactly the most interesting star at the moment. Garcia got beaten up by Tanahashi at Supercard Of Honor and Williams has been here to put people over since he came back. I’ve never been overly interested in Garcia and giving him just a slightly above ok TV win isn’t helping that.

Notorious Mimi vs. Willow Nightingale

Mimi is formerly known as Sloane Jacobs in NXT. Nightingale takes her down to start and drops a quick backsplash. An open hand shot gives Mimi a breather but the Pounce takes her down. The Doctor Bomb finishes Mimi at 2:02.

Steve Somerset/Stephen Azure vs. The Righteous

The Righteous returned to ROH at Supercard Of Honor. Somerset and Azure (in matching sweater vests and apparently called Even Stevens, making them rather awesome) get jumped to start and the beatdown is on. Azure (with his Vest In The World pants) gets chopped and beaten down, setting up an exploder suplex. A swinging Boss Man Slam into a Swanton sets up Autumn Sunshine (assisted Dudley Dog) to finish Azure at 1:55. Total squash and a nice debut/return.

Tony Nese vs. Konosuke Takeshita

The rest of the Varsity Athletes and Mark Sterling are here with Nese. They start fast with Nese kicking him down and striking a bicep pose. Takeshita even offers a handshake but gets hit in the face. That’s fine with Takeshita, who knocks him away and does a bicep pose of his own. A distraction lets Nese send him into the steps and we hit the bodyscissors back inside. The running Nese is cut off by a clothesline and Takeshita gets in a series of shots to the face, setting up a top rope backsplash for two.

The Blue Thunder Bomb connects but Sterling pulls Nese outside. That means the big flip dive and Nese goes into the steps this time. Back in and Takeshita gets tied in the ropes for a springboard moonsault. They slug it out until Takeshita pulls him into a leg trap Tombstone for two. Nese hits a pumphandle piledriver for two but the running Nese is countered into a rolling German suplex to give Takeshita the pin at 10:25.

Rating: B-. Good match, but why in the world did Takeshita, who feels like a breakout star in the making, going back and forth for ten minutes against TONY NESE? I’m not sure if Nese has ever won a meaningful match on AEW/ROH TV so why is he not the next person getting squashed on this show? Takeshita hasn’t won much around here, but he’s way better than Nese and I do not get the thinking here. Put him in there with someone you’re willing to squash or don’t have the match as we just saw Takeshita win a bigger match at Supercard Of Honor.

Ring Of Honor Women’s Title: Athena vs. Miyu Yamashita

Yamashita is challenging and was all over Wrestlemania weekend. Athena armdrags her down to start but Miyu misses a Skull Kick. Both of them miss some kicks until Miyu hits a spinning kick to the head out of the corner. Athena manages a trip to send Miyu throat first into the top rope.

A DDT on the leg on the floor slows Miyu down and Athena grabs a leglock back inside. Miyu kicks her away and hits a kick from the apron, only to have Athena block another one. A ram into the post doesn’t do much to Miyu, who is back with a knee. Back in and a super Attitude Adjustment gives Miyu two and there’s a big kick to Athena’s head. Athena is back with a half crab to stay on the leg, followed by an ankle lock.

With that broken up, Miyu kicks her away and tries another spinning heel kick, with the ducking Athena going to the floor. They slug it out on the stage with Miyu hitting another AA as commentary says the referee has relaxed the rules so the match can continue. Back in and Athena sends her off the stage, setting up a Cannonball to take Miyu down again. They get back in the ring and Athena ducks another kick, setting up the crossface to knock Miyu out at 13:34.

Rating: B-. There’s your Athena match of the week, as she has now been on four out of the six episodes of the show. It was a longer match and Miyu has looked good in everything I’ve seen her do. The problem though is Miyu hasn’t exactly done much in AEW/ROH. She’s had two matches in AEW (most recently last summer) and wrestled on last week’s ROH in her only appearances. The match was good, but it’s hard to care about a challenger who is basically a newcomer/stranger.

Post match Athena teases more violence but leaves instead.

Overall Rating: B-. Another nice show but there’s still nothing on here that really feels important. Whenever I watch this show, I get one of two thoughts to most wrestlers: “I just saw you on Dynamite” or “hey, it’s this person…again”, as there are more than a few people who pop up here fairly often. I really don’t need to see Nese or Athena or Cage or Garcia or Nightingale as often as they’re around and having them in so many matches makes them feel less and less special. If this show just has to be as long as it is every week, they need to find a way to keep things fresher, because the charm is going to be lost fast.

Results
Mark Briscoe/Lucha Bros b. Shane Taylor/Workhorsemen – Jay Driller to Henry
Katsuyori Shibata b. Christopher Daniels – Penalty Kick
Brian Cage b. Ortiz – Drill Claw
Jay Lethal b. Darius Martin – Lethal Injection
La Faccion Ingobernable b. The Infantry – Spinning knee to the face to Bravo
Daniel Garcia b. Tracy Williams – Gutbuster
Willow Nightingale b. Notorious Mimi – Doctor Bomb
The Righteous b. Steve Somerset/Stephen Azure – Autumn Sunshine to Azure
Konosuke Takeshita b. Tony Nese – Rolling German suplex
Athena b. Miyu Yamashita – Crossface

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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Rampage
Date: March 31, 2023
Location: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross, Chris Jericho

It’s time for the show that is stuck in the middle of the biggest weekend of the wrestling year. In this case, it’s going to be hard to find something that gets a lot of attention and there is a very real chance that AEW might punt here and wait for more eyes to be on them. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Sammy Guevara

Guevara has Tay Melo with him. Guevara gets on commentary’s nerves to start but Takeshita knocks him back a bit. Takeshita takes the leg out to put Guevara down and even strikes his pose as we see Darby Allin watching in the back. Guevara drops Takeshita over the top rope and hits a big top rope flip dive to take him down again.

Back in and Takeshita kicks him to the floor instead, setting up the big no hands flip dive. They both go up top with Guevara biting his way out of a German superplex. There’s a running stomp to bring Takeshita out of the Tree of Woe and we take a break. Back with Takeshita reversing a brainbuster into one of his own and grabbing a German suplex.

Guevara flips out of another one though and catches Takeshita in a standing Spanish Fly for two. Takeshita pulls him out of the air for a Blue Thunder Bomb for two and goes up top. That’s cut off by Guevara but Takeshita knocks him off the top. A hard clothesline connects but Melo grabs Takeshita’s ankle, allowing Guevara to hit the GTH for the pin at 9:41.

Rating: C+. This was about Guevara getting his win to match the rest of the Four Pillars, meaning that he might be on the way to Double Or Nothing for a World Title match as well. For now though, what matters is that Guevara keeps his momentum, but Takeshita taking another loss isn’t the best thing to see. Just let him beat someone important, please?

And now, QTV (JR: Really?”), with a discussion of who should be the next challenger for Powerhouse Hobbs. That doesn’t last long so QT Marshall talks about debuting the Dirt Sheet Driver, which he stole from Japan, so “the marks already love it”. Maybe he could hit it four times in a row and call it the Dirt Sheet Symphony. This is still rather bad.

Matt Hardy has drawn up Ethan Page’s contract for his match with Hook on Dynamite. Page doesn’t know what’s in it but signs (as Hook has already done). Hardy even winks at the camera as Page signs.

Best Friends vs. House Of Black

Trent hits a standing Meteora on Black to start and drives him into the corner. Chuck comes in but Trent gets knocked off the apron, leaving Chuck on his own against both monsters. King lariats Chuck down for two and sends Trent outside to keep up the beating. We take a break and come back with Trent getting the hot tag to clean house.

Trent hits the big running flip dive to drop King on the floor, followed by a missile dropkick to Black for two. The half and half Soul Food combination drops Black again but King is back in to…get low bridged to the floor actually. Everyone heads outside and King powerbombs Chuck through the table. Trent hits King with a chair and it’s a double DQ at 9:24.

Rating: C. The match was only so logical as I’m not sure why the House Of Black was needing this long to take out the Best Friends. The House Of Black has a bad tendency to not fight like monsters and they only did so much of it here. It’s not like the Best Friends should be squashed, but this was more even than it should have been.

Post match the beatdown stays on so Orange Cassidy comes out for the save….and gets laid out on the stage by Buddy Matthews.

Video on Keith Lee vs. Swerve Strickland. Note that the team split in November and they haven’t had a singles match yet.

Marina Shafir vs. Taya Valkyrie

Cue Jade Cargill and company to watch as Shafir goes with the grappling to start. Taya powers up and knocks Shafir away, setting up a quick Road To Valhalla for the pin at 2:37. More of the same from Taya.

Post match Mark Sterling sends the process server (Tootie) to the ring to sue Taya, who gives her Road To Valhalla as well.

Anna Jay is ticked off at Julia Hart for mocking her broken ribs. Jay: “I have a fat a** and a bad attitude.” She promises to choke Hart out. Jay is a lot of things, but a good talker isn’t one of them.

Juice Robinson is ready to beat up Action Andretti on his way to facing Ricky Starks.

Here’s what’s coming on future shows.

Action Andretti vs. Juice Robinson

Andretti starts fast by climbing the corner for a springboard armdrag. Robinson takes him into the corner and chops away while shouting about Ricky Starks. A headscissors drops Robinson though and we take a break. Back with Robinson hitting a gutbuster and driving a knee into the ribs. Robinson whips him into the corner as Excalibur talks about how Robinson has been using his power to keep control (point for telling the story). Andretti manages to send him outside for an Asai moonsault, setting up a springboard clothesline back inside. Robinson kicks him in the face though and hits the forward DDT for the pin at 9:02.

Rating: C+. We’ve pretty much reached the point now where Andretti is little more than a jobber to the stars, which is about all you could have expected from him. He wasn’t going to become the next bit thing off of one upset win so just being around is about all he could have expected. As for Robinson…he’s just kind of there as well and seems to be someone that Ricky Starks happens to be dealing with at the moment. Maybe that gets better, but for now he’s just ok.

Post match Ricky Starks runs in to chase Robinson off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Pretty ho hum show here with some decent action. There’s only so much you’re going to be able to get with Guevara as the top singles star in action on the show, but at least they did seem to set up something with the Best Friends and Orange Cassidy vs. the House of Black. Other than that, a watchable yet not exactly must see show, which is pretty much Rampage to the letter.

Results
Sammy Guevara b. Konosuke Takeshita – GTH
Best Friends vs. House Of Black went to a double DQ
Taya Valkyrie b. Marina Shafir – Road To Valhalla
Juice Robinson b. Action Andretti – Forward DDT

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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Supercard Of Honor XVI
Date: March 31, 2023
Location: Galen Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, Nigel McGuinness

It’s probably the biggest non-WWE event of the weekend and the show is pretty stacked. Ring Of Honor’s TV relaunch has made for some entertaining television and while it hasn’t exactly set this show up perfectly, we should be in for a heck of a show. The headliner is Claudio Castagnoli defending the World Title against Eddie Kingston so let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Tracy Williams vs. Jeff Cobb

This is the first of four Zero Hour matches which were announced a few hours ago because Tony Khan. Cobb gets taken into the corner to start but snaps off the swinging belly to back suplex to send Williams down hard. A delayed running suplex gives Cobb two before he switches over to the leg. Williams strikes him back before getting two off a small package. Cobb isn’t having this and hits the Tour of the Islands for the pin at 5:10.

Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash for Cobb, who shrugged off everything Williams threw at him and hit his big finish to win. Cobb is the definition of a hoss who happens to have some incredible amateur skills. You don’t get things like that very often and Cobb seems to have settled into a rather nice niche.

We have a special surprise as NIGEL MCGUINNESS returns to do commentary for the rest of the show. If for some reason they have to have a three man booth, Nigel is a great choice to have around.

Zero Hour: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Willie Mack

Feeling out process to start with Takeshita going with the strikes. He knocks Mack to the floor but misses the big dive, only to have Mack get in a shot of his own. Back in and Takeshita snaps off a middle rope hurricanrana to send Mack outside again. This time it’s a big flip dive to take him down, only to have Mack get back up for his own dive. We hit the chinlock back inside, followed by a running clothesline to take Takeshita down again. Mack’s running kick to the chest sets up the nip up but his back is hurt. The standing moonsault gets two on Takeshita but Mack can’t quite follow up.

Takeshita blasts him with a lariat for two and has to block the Stunner. Mack hits the Pounce into a Stunner, only to have Takeshita hit a knee into his own Stunner. That’s shrugged off and Mack hits a running knee to leave them both down. The corner cannonball hits Takeshita but the frog splash hits too long. Takeshita grabs the Blue Thunder Bomb and the running knee finishes Mack at 9:40.

Rating: B-. These two working well together is hardly a surprise as they’re both incredibly talented. The good thing is that they were able to get some time and build something up rather than being all rushed. Mack continues to feel like someone who could be a thing if he was given the chance, but the wandering talented star is a nice place to be in as well.

Zero Hour: Miranda Alize vs. Willow Nightingale

Nightingale powers her down to start with Alize being sent outside. The big dive is cut off with a forearm though and a basement hurricanrana gives Alize two back inside. Nightingale isn’t having any of that and knocks her around again, setting up the running hip attack in the corner. Alize is back with a neckbreaker for two and a shot DDT gets the same. A Death Valley Driver plants Alize for two more, only for her to grab a cutter. Back up and the Drive By misses, allowing Nightingale to hit the POUNCE (Ian/Caprice: “PERIOD!” Nigel: “You’ve said that before haven’t you?”). The Doctor Bomb finishes Alize at 7:01.

Rating: C. It’s nice to see Nightingale win, even if it is in a lower level match like this. She has so much charisma and can do the power stuff rather well. I’m still not sure why she isn’t given a chance to win something that matters, but the fans keep cheering her so maybe she can get by without it.

Zero Hour: Slim J vs. Stu Grayson

Ari Daivari, Mark Sterling and Evil Uno are here too. Slim jumps him to start but Grayson knocks him down to the apron, setting up a slingshot hilo. Daivari offers a distraction though and Slim takes over, setting up a springboard reverse DDT (that was cool) for two. Grayson is back with a clothesline into a springboard twisting moonsault for two of his own.

A sleeper slows Grayson down for a bit but he’s fine enough for a pop up powerslam and another near fall. Slim grabs a twisting Sliced Bread for two and Grayson is ready to fight back. Sterling gets involved and is taken out by Uno, leaving Grayson to hit Knightfall for the pin at 6:55.

Rating: C. I’m not sure why this needed to be the final match on the show or why it needed to be there at all but at least Grayson has been treated as something important in recent weeks. In theory the idea is to get people to cheer for the Dark Order, though this isn’t really a crowd that needs to be warmed up. The match was good enough, but I’m rather tired of seeing Sterling everywhere.

Post match the Righteous (Dutch and Vincent) return to stare at the Dark Order.

Commentary welcomes us to the show proper.

AAA Mega Title: El Hijo de Vikingo vs. Komander

Vikingo is defending and we get the show of sportsmanship to start. The bell rings and that is a ROAR as the fans are way into this. They actually go with the wrist grappling to start until Komander takes him down and ties up the legs. That’s broken up so Vikingo gets him into a surfboard. Komander slips out as well and gets his legs tied up again, allowing them to slap away at each other.

With the legs still tied up, they both wind up on their heads to slap each other in the face. Back up and they both flip into a pose for another standoff. Komander gets sent to the floor where Vikingo dives on him and lands on his feet, only to send Komander back inside. This time Komander sends him outside for the running flip dive and it’s already time for the table.

Instead of putting Vikingo on it though, Komander hits a 450 off the stage. Back in and Komander has to bail out of a rope walk shooting star so Vikingo does his inverted dragon rana (again, the heck). Running knees put Komander on the floor, where he gets his own knees up to block a shooting star press. Back in and Vikingo puts him down, setting up a jump from the post to the top but right into a sitout powerbomb to give Komander two.

Komander goes up this time and gets shoved down in a big crash. Vikingo hits a springboard inverted moonsault to take Komander down again as commentary tries to figure out what to call that. Back in and a springboard corkscrew 450 gets two as the fans are very happy. They go to the apron with Komander hitting a Canadian Destroyer, followed by the rope walk (all the way across) into a VERY high flip dive. Back in and Vikingo finally hits his shooting star for two before going up top.

Komander tries to walk the ropes but gets caught in a top rope Canadian Destroyer. That sends Komander outside and onto the table for the springboard 630, which doesn’t break the table (because of course it doesn’t). Back in and Vikingo misses the 630, setting up the Hidden Ace (twisting Phoenix splash) for two. They both go up top again with Vikingo managing a swinging Rock Bottom to leave them both down. The running double knees hit Komander in the corner and the 630 can retain the title at 16:45.

Rating: A. Yeah what else are you supposed to say here? It’s a total stunt show and they aren’t trying to do anything else. There isn’t supposed to be anything with a big story or something complicated like that. Instead, this was about going out there and doing whatever insane thing they could think of to pop the crowd more and more. That’s what they were going for here and it worked incredibly well with some almost hard to believe stuff.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: The Embassy vs. AR Fox/Metalik/Blake Christian

The Embassy (Brian Cage/Gates of Agony with Prince Nana) is defending and gets knocked to the floor at the bell. Some dropkicks put them down again but we settle down to Cage powering Metalik down. Fox comes in and hits a jumping enziguri as Ian and Caprice talk about their wives. A cutter drops Cage and everything breaks down, with Fox hitting a running flip dive to the floor to take Cage down again.

Back in and Fox’s Blockbuster is pulled out of the air, allowing Cage to hit an F10. Cage takes too long though and it’s off to Christian, who hits the big Fosbury Flop on the champs. Metalik adds a top rope splash to Toa for not even a one, leaving Kaun to hit a backbreaker. Back in and Fox drops Cage but Toa plants Christian. Metalik comes back with a spinning DDT though and everyone is down. Christian hits Cage with a Canadian Destroyer and Metalik adds a sunset flip for two. Cage clotheslines Metalik into the Drill Claw to retain at 8:16.

Rating: C+. The action was there but it’s the Embassy beating a team that was thrown together for the sake of having challengers for the belts. There isn’t a division for these belts and other than giving Cage something shiny to hold, I don’t know how necessary the titles really are. The match was entertaining, but it’s not exactly easy to get invested in these belts.

We recap Athena vs. Yuka Sakazaki for Athena’s Women’s Title. Athena called her out for the title match and here she is, with Sakazaki saving Emi Sakura from a post match attack this week.

Women’s Title: Athena vs. Yuka Sakazaki

Athena is defending and stomps on a porcelain doll, as she has been calling Sakazaki recently. The fans are behind Sakazaki as they feel each other out to start. A hurricanrana takes Athena outside and Sakazaki dives through the ropes to take her down. Athena kicks her down and hammers away back inside as commentary thinks Sakazaki got messed up on that dive.

Sakazaki gets taken down in the corner to land on her head again but she’s fine enough to hit a clothesline. Athena cuts her off with a hard powerbomb and pounds away, with another near fall increasing the frustration. A dropkick sends Sakazaki outside and there’s a wheelbarrow suplex to drop her on the floor.

Athena’s running dropkick only hits barricade though and Sakazaki kind of suplex slams her on the floor. Back in and a springboard splash gives Sakazaki two but Athena blasts her with a spinning forearm. Sakazaki is back up with a spinning hammerlock slam for two more. Athena knocks her away though and hits the O Face to retain at 11:36.

Rating: B-. Athena has been on a roll lately with the new heel style and that was the case here. Sakazaki has all kinds of talent and was showing it in the match, with the neck injury slowing her down. I liked this more than I was expecting and the good thing is there are a ton of women who could come after the title.

We recap Samoa Joe defending the TV Title against Mark Briscoe. Joe won the title at last year’s show and Mark has been trying to win it for his entire career. The Briscoes could never beat Joe on their own but now Mark has to do it for himself, his family and his brother.

TV Title: Samoa Joe vs. Mark Briscoe

Joe is defending. They circle each other to start until Mark strikes away. A fireman’s carry doesn’t work so they chop it out instead. Mark gets the better of things and manages a Death Valley Driver but Joe rolls away before the Froggy Bow can launch. They head outside with Mark charging into an overhead belly to belly to cut off the momentum. Back in and Joe hits another suplex for two but the right hands seem to wake Mark up.

Mark slugs away but gets knocked outside in a heap. The suicide elbow connects but Joe spends too much time bragging, allowing Mark to hit a dropkick. There’s the step up dive off the chair and Mark pulls out a table. Joe gets in a shot and leans the table up but gets Blockbustered through it for his efforts. Back in and a top rope chop to the head staggers Joe again, setting up a chop off.

Mark’s middle rope forearm puts them both down….and Mark goes over for a tag. Since Jay isn’t there, Joe catches him with the snap powerslam for two. Joe’s Crossface sends Mark to the ropes and Mark is back up with the chops. One heck of a clothesline drops Mark for two and Joe puts him on top. That’s broken up and Mark hits the Froggy Bow….for two. Mark loads up the Cutthroat Driver but Joe reverses into the Koquina Clutch. With Mark getting close to the ropes, a sleeper suplex drops Mark again and Joe chokes him out to retain at 14:16.

Rating: B-. That ending is going to get a lot of people talking and I’m not sure how well it is going to be received. This seemed tailor made to FINALLY give Mark his big win over Joe and get the TV Title that he has chased for years, but instead Joe holds onto it as his reign hits a year. Maybe there is some long term story planned, but it’s hard to believe that it will wind up feeling better than this would have. I really don’t get the thinking here.

Respect is shown post match.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Daniel Garcia

They grapple against the rope to start and no Garcia isn’t going to let him have a clean break. The fight goes to the floor with Tanahashi hammering him around the ring but Garcia gets in a cheap shot to the knee. Garcia then mocks the air guitar and dances, leaving commentary aghast.

Some knee cranking ensues and Tanahashi screams a lot as McGuinness praises Garcia as much as he can. Garcia even mocks Shinsuke Nakamura a bit until Tanahashi fights up. A slam sets up the middle rope flip splash (don’t let Mike Bailey rub off on you man) but Garcia is back with an ax kick.

They trade shots with Garcia going to the knee to take him down. The dragon screw legwhip gives Tanahashi a breather and the high angle Texas Cloverleaf goes on. With that broken up, Tanahashi slips out of a piledriver attempt and hits the Twist and Shout. There’s the Sling Blade for two, followed by the High Fly Flow to finish Garcia at 12:04.

Rating: B-. Good match again but I never bought Tanahashi as being in any real danger. Garcia just isn’t on his level and there is no reason to believe that he will be anytime soon. This was more of a way to get Tanahashi on the show in some way with Garcia as the designated victim, kind of like his match with Adam Cole earlier this week.

We recap the ladder match for the vacant Tag Team Titles. The Briscoes are gone so the titles are on the line in a ladder match. Not much more to it than that.

Tag Team Titles: La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Lucha Bros vs. Kingdom vs. Top Flight vs. Aussie Open

Ladder match for the vacant titles. It’s chaos to start of course with La Faccion and the Kingdom being left alone, only to have the Kingdom jump them. Top Flight comes back in and gets beaten up by La Faccion, including being crushed in the ladder. The Aussies come in and quickly take La Faccion down, leaving them alone in the ring. The Lucha Bros break that up and stack La Faccion in a ladder, setting up their assisted wheelbarrow splash.

It’s too early to climb though as the Bros are sent outside, setting up big dives from La Faccion. Bennett holds up Darius Martin so Taven can hit a dive over the top for a Doomsday Device on the floor (GEEZ). It’s time to bring out the big ladder as the Aussies hit stereo Tombstones on the stage to knock the Kingdom cold.

Back at ringside the Aussies crush Dante Martin with the ladders but the Bros take them down. It’s too early for the Bros to go up though as La Faccion pulls them back down. Taven and Bennett (bleeding) are somehow back with the latter slugging it out with Rush. Dralistico suplexes Taven into a ladder in the corner before going up top with Darius. With that not working, Darius helps Dante go up top for the slugout with Dralistico going down. Dralistico breaks it up and Dante hits a step up dropkick to knock a chair into Rush’s face.

The Aussies clean house, including tossing Penta into a ladder in the corner. One ladder is stood up and another is bridged into it, allowing Taven to pull Darius down. Dante and Bennett fight up top, with Dante hitting a sunset bomb over the ladder. The Aussies are back with Coriolis on Dante and an assisted Alabama Slam drops Darius onto another ladder.

Dralistico plants Davis and hurricanranas Fletcher into (not onto) the announcers’ table, with everything being knocked over. The Kingdom puts Dralistico on the ladder and Bennett splashes him through for a huge crash. Rush suplexes Davis off the apron and onto a ladder, leaving the managers to fight.

Dante and Fenix go up with Fenix being knocked onto the bridged ladder. Penta goes up as well and kicks Dante down (leaving him alone with the titles) before hitting a Canadian Destroyer off the bridged ladder through two tables at ringside (Dante’s foot/leg looked BAD on that landing). Back in and Fenix takes out the Kingdom and gets the titles at 20:11.

Rating: B. That injury sucked the life out of me and the way it was set up (Penta being alone with the titles but going to do the move anyway) made it worse. That’s what will be remembered from the match, which is a shame as it was a bunch of great looking stunts. It did run longer than it needed to, but that injury is far worse than any timing issues.

Post match Mark Briscoe and FTR come out to celebrate with the Lucha Bros in a nice touch.

Looking at some photos, Dante’s foot was completely twisted around. He’s going to be gone for a long, long time.

We recap Wheeler Yuta vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the Pure Title. Yuta bragged about his training and wanted the head of the New Japan LA Dojo, meaning Shibata. Match made.

Pure Rules Title: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta is defending and Jon Moxley comes out with him (but doesn’t stay). Shibata takes him down without much trouble to start and mounts him MMA style. Back up and Shibata pulls him to the mat again before working on the leg. Shibata grabs a leglock and Yuta goes for the ropes which, after a while, he does reach.

Back up and Yuta goes for the arm for a change, only to have Shibata take him down by the leg again. They get back up and Yuta’s chops have no effect, leaving Shibata to forearm the heck out of him. With nothing else working, Yuta uses the right hand to get the official warning (meaning he’s disqualified if he does it again).

Yuta’s chops still don’t work so Shibata chops him into the corner for a face wash. A running corner dropkick connects with Yuta and we hit the chinlock. Shibata chops away but Yuta spits in his face to anger the crowd. That earns him a sleeper, followed by the Penalty Kick to give Shibata the pin and the title at 12:08.

Rating: C+. I know it’s not the wisest thing to say but I’ve never gotten the appeal of Shibata’s style. It’s strong style and he’s a master of it and all that, but it’s never been something that has really held my interest. In this case though, he pretty much had to win as Yuta has done everything he can as champion and shouldn’t be going over someone as talented as Shibata. Then again, ROH’s history of having New Japan guys go over its stars isn’t a road they want to go down again, but I doubt that’s going to stop anything.

Post match Yuta won’t shake hands.

We recap the main event. Eddie Kingston wants to be World Champion but Claudio Castagnoli calls him a waste of talent. They have known each other for fifteen years and it is time for them to fight over the title.

Here’s what’s coming on Dynamite.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston

Kingston is challenging and they go right to the fight to start, with Kingston going after the knee. A suplex drops Kingston but he’s right back up with a chop. Castagnoli absorbs the shots and manages to drop him across the top rope for a needed breather. One heck of a European uppercut sends Kingston outside but he comes back in for the slugout. You don’t do that with Castagnoli, who grabs the swing but Kingston goes to the knee to break it up.

Castagnoli gets back up and takes Kingston up top, where he knocks Castagnoli back off. The fans are split as Kingston comes back with chops, setting up a clothesline to send Castagnoli to the floor. There’s the big dive to knock Castagnoli silly, followed by a bulldog for two back inside.

Kingston tries the back suplex but Castagnoli turns onto him and fires off elbows. That’s reversed into the Stretch Plum until Castagnoli falls down to break it up. The backdrop driver gives Kingston two but Castagnoli uppercuts his way out of trouble. The Riccola Bomb is countered and the spinning backfist gets two. They head outside again with Castagnoli slamming the barricade into him over and over.

Another big uppercut gives Castagnoli two back inside but Kingston catches him with another backfist. A third backfist looks to set up what looked to be a brainbuster but it’s broken up. The Neutralizer gets one so Castagnoli uppercuts him down for two more. A bunch of uppercuts, including one to the back of the head sets up the Riccola Bomb but Kingston reverses into a cradle….which is reversed into a sunset flip to retain at 20:08.

Rating: B. Let me guess: long term booking. I’m sure they have some reason to keep the booking going, but having the fan favorite lose his big shot (again) isn’t exactly the best way to keep the interest up. This was the time for Kingston to win the title, even if he lost it back a week or two later. Castagnoli is a bigger deal on AEW TV, but him losing here wouldn’t have killed him. It might have killed Kingston though, as he loses yet another big one.

Post match Wheeler Yuta comes in to surround Kingston but Katsuyori Shibata comes in to even things out and hold up his title to Castagnolie’s. Kingston gets a mic and asks if we’re still on pay per view. Kingston: “One minute? F*** s*** motherf*****, fine me, I don’t care.” He puts over the Japanese stars on the show (not the young guys, not the talent who is here ever week, not the people who risked their health in the ladder match, but just the Japanese guys) and says he’s not done with Castagnoli to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a weird situation as the wrestling was good throughout, but that injury took me out of the rest of the show. It was so gruesome and so horrible looking that it was hard to get into the other matches. This was also a good example of the Zero Hour doing more harm than good, as having four matches thrown in didn’t add much of anything and had me more burned out near the end. It felt like “here’s more stuff, just because we can” and that doesn’t exactly scream best of the best like this show is supposed to be.

Now that being said, this show is definitely worth seeing with as much good stuff as it had. When the weakest match is perfectly watchable, if not good, you know you’re in for something special. The opener is another eye popping stunt show and the other matches are great, but egads there are some weird choices in here. Briscoe and Kingston, the emotional challengers, both losing is hard to get my head around, as only Shibata and the Lucha Bros got feel good wins. You need something more than that to get invested in and I don’t think this had that. Great show, but I’m not sure about a few decisions.

Results
Jeff Cobb b. Tracy Williams – Tour of the Islands
Konosuke Takeshita b. Willie Mack – Running knee
Willow Nightingale b. Miranda Alize – Doctor Bomb
Stu Grayson b. Slim J – Knightfall
El Hijo del Vikingo b. Komander – 630
The Embassy b. Blake Christian/Metalik/AR Fox – Drill Claw to Metalik
Athena b. Yuka Sakazaki – O Face
Samoa Joe b. Mark Briscoe
Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Daniel Garcia – High Fly Flow
Lucha Bros won the Reach For The Sky Ladder Match
Katsuyori Shibata b. Wheeler Yuta – Penalty Kick
Claudio Castagnoli b. Eddie Kingston – Sunset flip

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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DDT Goes Hollywood
Date: March 30, 2023
Location: Ukranian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Dave Prazak, Veda Scott

This is DDT Pro, a rather interesting Japanese promotion that produced Konosuke Takeshita. The company has quite a bit of good, pure wrestling but also has a tendency to lean into the insane, including a female blow up doll being incredibly popular. I’ve looked at one of their shows before and remember having some fun so hopefully it continues here. Let’s get to it.

Note that I’m coming into this mostly blind. Please forgive me for any mistakes involving history, continuity, characters etc.

37Kamina vs. Chris Brookes/Yoshihiko

37 is Mao (“A f***** up wrestler for a f***** up world!”) and Shunma Katsuma. Yoshihiko is the Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion (parody of the WWF Hardcore Title on a heavy amount of steroids, to the point of well over 1,000 reigns in the title’s history) and….yeah she’s a female sex doll. To be fair, she comes out to the Undertaker’s Corporate Ministry theme (just go with it) so it’s a bit better. Brookes and Katsuma (a foot or so shorter) start things off, with the latter offering to play this entirely straight for one night only.

That results in a handshake being offered and pulled away before Katsuma grabs a wristlock. The rope walk with a bunch of springboards just annoys Brookes, who slaps the leg out to crotch Katsuma down. Brookes gets knocked into the corner though and it’s off to Mao….and Yoshihiko. Mao gets caught in a hard lockup and goes to the ropes for the early break.

We actually get a test of strength with Mao taking her down for some near falls but Yoshihiko bridges up. Yoshihiko grabs a headlock but a pull of the hair (of which there is none) gets Mao out of trouble. Mao sends her outside and rams her into the apron over and over, followed by a HARD powerbomb from the apron to the floor. A brainbuster gets two and it’s back to Katsuma to rake the eyes across the top.

Stomping to the head has Yoshihiko in more trouble but she manages to counter a double suplex into one of her own. That’s enough for the tag off to Brookes for the house cleaning. Brookes grabs a double Octopus hold (ok then) but everything breaks down and Yoshihiko comes back in.

Yoshihiko’s hurricanrana sends Katsuma into a cutter from Brookes but Katsuma fires off kicks to the head. Mao comes back in and gets O’Connor rolled for two (by Yoshihiko) and 37 gets double suplexed. Brookes comes back in to knock 37 to the floor and launches Yoshihiko onto them, setting up the dive. Back in and a double top rope backsplash gets two on Mao, with the kickout sending Yoshihiko to the floor.

Yoshihiko comes back in to slug it out with Mao before a very spinning headscissors into a standing hurricanrana gives Yoshihiko two (the bell rang but the referee had to wave it off). Mao hurricanranas both of them and hits a springboard 450 in the vicinity of Yoshihiko for….one.

A poisonrana into a bridging German suplex plants Mao but Katsuma frog splashes in for the save. Brookes breaks that up until Mao hits a spinning kick to Brookes’ head. Back in and Mao knees Yoshihiko in the face for two as this needs to wrap up. A Blockbuster gives Mao the pin on Yoshihiko (making Mao the Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion) at 18:23.

Rating: C+. This is going to be one of those matches where you either get the joke or hate it and I can easily see both ways. Yes, it’s a total joke and they were doing moves to themselves, but that’s what these fans came to see. It’s a funny joke and some of the athleticism to make it work (as much as it can) is impressive, but it went on a good bit too long here. If this isn’t your thing, I certainly won’t argue as it really isn’t mine either, though it was amusing at times.

Post match Katsuma rolls Mao up for two but Brooks grabs a Jay Driller to pin Mao and win the title for himself. Then Yoshihiko hits three straight Canadian Destroyers to get the title back.

Takagi Army vs. Pheromones

That would be Sanshiro Takagi/Michael Nakazawa vs. Danshoko Dino/Yuki Ino. Takagi has needed help against the Pheromones and wanted help from AEW, who sent Nakazawa (they have a history) over. The Pheromones come out to rather bouncy music and come to the ring in bathrobes to reveal….a lot of pink. Takagi and Ino start things off, with Ino posing on the ropes and exposing some nipple.

Ino takes him down and exposes the other nipple, setting up the tag off to Dino. Nakazawa (in polo shirt, khakis and headset) comes in as well and gets wristlocked over to the ropes. Dino takes Nakazawa down and removes his trunks to reveal a thong. That is sat down onto Nakazawa before Ino comes back in. A slam lets Ino sit down crotch first onto Nakazawa’s face….and then he unzips his gear to reveal a jockstrap (and nothing else) so he can drop down again.

Nakazawa is so serious that he pops up and takes off his own shirt but Ino just strips off the singlet. A spear cuts off Ino’s comeback and it’s back to Takagi, who dropkicks him down. Dino comes back in to help knock Takagi down, allowing the Pheromones to go back to back and rub their….oh I think you get the idea, over Nakazawa’s face. Fans: “WE WANT A*******!”

Ino goes to the top and Takagi sticks his fingers inside of him before putting said fingers in Dino’s face. Nakazawa hits a top rope shoulder for two but misses a charge to go straight into Ino, who is still on top. Takagi gets the same treatment and hold on, as the Pheromones have an offer for Nakazawa. He seems interested, even if he doesn’t understand.

With Ino laid on the mat, Dino pulls out a robe and offers something we can’t hear. Apparently it’s going to be magic, and yes the audience wants to see it. Then Dino kicks him low and sends him face first between Ino’s legs, with the jock strap being the thing that disappears. The jockstrap goes over the referee’s face and the robe is pulled away. The referee calls for the bell at 11:04 for….does it matter?

Rating: F. I’m not going to explain about the lack of humor here (I’m sure some found it funny) but this was in the gross out style of comedy and I’ve never found it funny. It was a bunch of body stuff and nothing more, with Nakazawa somehow being one of the more serious things here. I don’t care for it and that isn’t going to change so we’ll move on.

Post match Dino kisses the referee and a towel appears to cover Ino as he leaves. It’s officially a no contest.

Takeshi Masada/Kazusada Higuchi vs. Andrew Everett/Nick Wayne

Wayne and Masada (the rookie prodigies) start things off with Wayne snapping off a hurricanrana. A double tag brings in Higuchi and Everett (who is dressed like Andre The Giant/The Giant) despite being pretty average size (if not smaller). Everett stands there so Higuchi can chop him, only to have Higuchi block a chokeslam attempt.

Taguchi chops him in the corner and it’s back to Wayne vs. Masada. Wayne takes him down by the arm and cranks away before Everett comes back in. Higuchi is back in as well and runs Everett over before knocking Wayne off the apron. A running powerslam gets two but Everett hits a springboard moonsault to drop Higuchi.

It’s back to Wayne for a breather until Higuchi grabs a brainbuster. Masada comes in and has to avoid Wayne’s cutter before knocking Wayne back down. Everett and Higuchi get to chop it out with Everett grabbing him by the throat. They go up top with Higuchi having to fight off a chokeslam attempt. Instead Everett hits a superkick but Higuchi blocks another chokeslam. The claw slam gives Higuchi the pin at 11:04.

Rating: C+. Maybe it was getting away from….whatever it was earlier but this was a fine change of pace. Wayne certainly has some skill for a seventeen year old but he absolutely needs seasoning. Everett’s chokeslam stuff got annoying fast as it wasn’t exactly a funny gag in the first place. Not a great match, but at least it was wrestling instead of that other stuff.

Respect is shown post match.

Vert Vixen vs. Saki Akai

They look at each other a bit before going into the forearm exchange. Akai hits a running knee to drop Vixen, who is right back with a running Downward Spiral for two. They fight over a suplex with Akai getting the better of it to send her outside. Akai dives onto Vixen before bringing her back inside, where Vixen hits a quick Stunner. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Vixen two so Akai grabs a choke. Vixen is right in the ropes, allowing Akai to knock her down for two. An abdominal stretch flipped over into a slam finishes Vixen at 6:10.

Rating: C-. This was just kind of there and it didn’t have time to work. Maybe they were cut short on time or something but Akai beat her up, took a few moves and then won without much trouble. It felt like something that would be put on a TV show to get Akai over rather than something on a featured show like this. Not bad or close to it, but I’m not sure why they did it this way.

Respect is shown post match.

Joey Janela vs. Tetsuya Endo

Endo’s Universal Title isn’t on the line and Janela is in a Bam Bam Bigelow shirt. They take turns flipping out of wristlocks (Janela isn’t so graceful) before Janela hits a hard chop. A chop off goes to Endo and he dropkicks Janela to the floor. Janela cuts off a suicide dive and neckbreakers him over the middle rope to take over. A brainbuster on the floor knocks Endo silly and it’s a neck crank into a neckbreaker back inside.

Endo manages a forearm in the corner and knocks Janela outside, setting up the Sasuke Special (that’s harder to block). Janela blocks a torture rack bomb back inside and hits a package piledriver for….nothing as Endo is next to the rope. Endo catches him going up and it’s a super C4 for two (Janela kicked out faster than usual there).

This time it’s Endo getting caught up top with Janela hitting a super brainbuster for two of his own. They’re both staggered so they slug it out, with Janela running into a raised boot. They trade German suplexes until Endo grabs a poisonrana. Janela hits a lariat though and they’re both down for a needed breather.

Endo follows him to the apron where he has to escape a Death Valley Driver. Instead it’s a Canadian Destroyer to plant Janela on the apron, followed by a spinning torture rack bomb for two back inside. The Burning (shooting) Star press is finally enough to finish Janela off at 15:30.

Rating: C+. Good fight here but it went longer than it needed to and started to drag by the end. Janela is someone who is much more about presentation and charisma than what he can do in the ring, though Endo helped bring him up here. You knew Janela would get in a big spot here and it could have been far worse.

Respect is shown post match (again).

Eddie Kingston/Jun Akiyama vs. Daisuke Sasaki/Kanon

Kingston and Kanon start things off and they go to the mat with neither having an advantage. With that broken up, Kingston slaps on a headlock which goes nowhere. Instead it’s off to Akiyama, who gets taken to the floor for a DDT from Kanon. With Sasaki distraction the referee, Kanon pulls out a wrench to choke away and it’s Sasaki coming in to kick away.

Akiyama tries to fight back but gets knocked down, only to avoid Sasaki’s top rope elbow. Kingston comes in for the rapid fire chops and the Stretch Plum goes on. That has to be let go as Kanon comes in, only to get kicked in the head. Kanon spins Kingston into the a choke but that’s broken up rather quickly.

A chop knocks Kanon out of the air and Akiyama hits a crossbody for two. Everything breaks down and Sasaki and Kingston head outside, leaving Kanon to hanging DDT Akiyama for two. Back in and Kingston exploder suplexes Sasaki as Akiyama does the same to Kanon. Akiyama’s running knee gets two, followed by another exploder for the pin at 10:44.

Rating: C+. Another hard hitting match here and you can see the good Kingston shining through. Granted it helps when he is teaming with one of his idols (again) but it’s nice to see the version with all that talent out there. Sasaki and Kanon seem to be more of a regular team and likely a big deal, but a legend like Akiyama and a higher profile star like Kingston aren’t likely to lose here.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yuki Ueno

Like anyone else could main event. These two are friends and run the ropes to start until both try dropkicks, leaving them down. Back up and Takeshita hits a heck of a chop but Ueno forearms his way out of trouble. The chinlock goes on for a bit but Takeshita fights out rather quickly. The Blue Thunder Bomb is countered into a headlock takeover, with Takeshita grabbing a headscissors.

Ueno headstands his way out, only to get pulled into a short piledriver for a cool counter. Takeshita neckbreakers him down but tries another, only to get hit in the face. With Takeshita on the floor, Ueno hits a big slingshot corkscrew dive to take him down in a crash. Back up and Ueno flips out of a German suplex (the angle made it look like he got dropped on his head at first) before grabbing his own bridging German suplex for two.

Takeshita misses the running knee and gets Canadian Destroyed, only to come back with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a close two. Ueno gets knocked outside for a breather before they go up top, with Ueno snapping off a super hurricanrana. Back up and they slug it out until one heck of a discus lariat gives Takeshita…one. The running knee is blocked again and Ueno’s flipping DDT gets two. Ueno hits a running knee to the back of the head and a dropkick drops Takeshita again. Takeshita is right back with a kneeling piledriver into a wheelbarrow suplex into the running knee to finish Ueno at 14:56.

Rating: B. For a match where there was almost no reason to believe that Takeshita was going to lose, they managed to turn it into a competitive back and forth match. Takeshita is one of the better things about AEW today and it was great to get to see him as the biggest star in DDT. Solid main event here, with Takeshita being the main event distraction.

Post match Takeshita addresses the crowd and puts over Ueno, even giving him the ring to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This one didn’t quite click as well as some others, as while there was some good action, it wasn’t exactly great stuff. It doesn’t help that the first two matches feel like they are out of a completely different promotion (or universe in one case). It’s not a bad show by any means, but there are better wrestling shows you can pick, especially this weekend. In the case of that second match, there must be some kind of documentary on the mating habits of fruit flies somewhere to check out instead. Anyway, a disaster, but a pretty mediocre show overall.

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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Rampage
Date: March 17, 2023
Location: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Commentators: Paul Wight, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We’re still in Canada for St. Patrick’s Day Slam, which will actually air very early on Saturday due to the NCAA basketball tournament. That means the audience is going to be down, which means the show might not be as stacked as usual. It would make sense, but that could make for an interesting show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

TNT Title: Rey Fenix vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Hobbs, with QTV (Aaron Solo/QT Marshall), is defending and Fenix flips around to start. Fenix knocks him to the floor for a dive, setting up an Asai moonsault to drop Hobbs again. Back in and Hobbs runs him over for a change and takes it right back to the floor for a whip into the barricade. Hobbs takes it back inside and is rather pleased with how crumpled Fenix seems to be. The nerve hold goes on, followed by a suplex for two on Fenix as we take a break.

Back with Fenix being pulled back inside and the nerve hold going on. Fenix fights up and bounces on the ropes before having his springboard armdrag pulled into a powerslam for two. Fenix is able to snap off a German suplex for two and the rope walk kick to the head drops Hobbs again.

Hobbs is fine enough to drive him HARD into the corner, setting up a nasty spinebuster for two. Fenix gets back up and kicks him down, setting up a frog splash for two. A roll is pulled out of the air into another spinebuster though and Town Business (a reverse FU, which I don’t think was what they called Town Business before) retains the title at 14:13.

Rating: B-. Good power vs. speed match here and it’s nice for Hobbs’ first title defense to be against someone with credibility. That being said, my goodness does it feel like a waste for Hobbs to be part of a group. Hobbs is a force but now it looks like he’s part of the Factory 2.0, with QT Marshall being the star of their vignette last week. I don’t get the thinking here, as Hobbs could be fine on his own, but AEW does love its stables.

Post match, Hobbs beats up Alex Abrahantes for a bonus.

Adam Cole is ready to come back on March 29.

Stu Grayson wants Jon Moxley next week.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Ava Lawless

This is Taya’s in-ring debut and she powers Lawless into the corner for a running clothesline. The running knees in the corner set up a spear and the Road To Valhalla (better known as Jaded around here) finishes Lawless at 1:17. Total dominance.

Post match Jade Cargill, Leila Grey and Mark Sterling come out to glare at Taya.

Matt Hardy (in a Ribera Steak House jacket) train Stokely Hathaway for Hook. Hathaway’s tickle counter to a slam and having a cookie might not be the best idea.

Bollywood Boyz vs. Jericho Appreciation Society

The Boyz give Parker a modified Hart Attack (top rope elbow instead of a running clothesline) to send him to the floor to start fast. Back in and it’s off to Menard to take Gurv down as we go to a break. We come back with Harv cleaning house, including a running spinwheel kick to Parker. The Society double teams him down though and grabs the double implant DDT for the pin at 6:47.

Rating: C. I still do not get the logic behind having almost half of a match take place during a break, especially one as low level as this one. The Boyz are always worth at least a glance just due to how much fun they seem to be having out there but the Society is only so interesting. They’re a good enough team, but the idea of them feuding with the Acclaimed feels like as much of a downgrade as you can get after losing the titles.

Post match the Society mocks the scissoring.

Don Callis greeted Konosuke Takeshita at the airport with flowers and a Japanese man banging a drum.

Video on Hijo del Vikingo vs. Kenny Omega next week on Dynamite.

We look at the triple threat Trios Titles match from Dynamite.

Here’s what’s coming at various shows.

The Gunns are happy about being Tag Team Champions and run into Top Flight, who they think are the valets. They get in an argument about being the best brother team and Top Flight wants the titles. The title match is set for next week. The Gunns leave their bags though and Top Flight takes them. Thieves.

Daniel Garcia vs. Brody King

Chris Jericho is here with Garcia while King has Julia Hart. Garcia bails to the floor to start and the chase is on and lasts over a minute until Garcia dropkicks the knee. With that not working, King sends him into the corner, only to miss a splash. Garcia gets sent outside where he stops to hit on Hart, earning himself a heck of a chop. The running crossbody against the barricade crushes Garcia again but he avoids a charge and sends King into the steps.

We take a break and come back with King planting him with a swinging Boss Man Slam for two. A piledriver gets the same and there’s a Cannonball in the corner to give King two more. Garcia goes after the ankle and slaps on a sleeper, which is broken up through straight power. Another missed charge lets Garcia grab his own Walls, sending King to the rope. Jericho gets in a baseball bat shot so Garcia grabs a choke to win at 12:26.

Rating: C+. Well that’s one way to go. King has been presented as a monster for the last few weeks and the solution is just “hit him with a baseball bat”. The fans went nuts for Jericho (of course) but I’m not sure how wise it is to have Garcia pin the monster like this. If you need Jericho to do something like this, do it in a dark match and save King’s unstoppable aura.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, Rampage is an enjoyable watch and nothing was bad but it feels like another show where they were just supplementing Dynamite. The good thing is that everything served at least something of a purpose, which puts it above most Rampages. Now just have Hobbs crush the rest of QT and feed them to his cat (I’m picturing one named Milo) and everything is a lot better.

Results
Powerhouse Hobbs b. Rey Fenix – Town Business
Taya Valkyrie b. Ava Lawless – Road To Valhalla
Jericho Appreciation Society b. Bollywood Boyz – Double implant DDT to Harv
Daniel Garcia b. Brody King – Choke

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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AND

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Rampage
Date: March 10, 2023
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Chris Jericho, Jim Ross

We’re still in California and it’s the fallout Rampage from Revolution. I’m not sure what that is going to mean as you never know what you are going to get on this show. One of the bigger matches announced is Konosuke Takeshita vs. Preston Vance in a match Takeshita could actually win. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Sammy Guevara vs. Action Andretti

Guevara is more than a bit cocky to start so Andretti takes him down and starts hammering away. Andretti sends him outside and into the steps, setting up a dropkick and moonsault for two back inside. They head outside again with Guevara getting the better of things for a change. Back up and Andretti sends him outside again for a dive and we take a break.

We come back with a midair collision leaving both of them down. They slug it out with Andretti hitting a backbreaker into a neckbreaker to put Guevara on the floor again. An Arabian moonsault drops Guevara, setting up a springboard 450 for two back inside. The running shooting star press only hits knees though and Andretti gets flipped over into a DDT.

Andretti bails outside before the cover and we pause for Guevara to get some water (MJF style). Guevara takes too long to put him on the table though, allowing Andretti to knock him onto the table instead. The huge dive off the top sends Guevara through said table but cue Daniel Garcia for a cheap shot. GTH (that looked painful) finishes Andretti at 12:14.

Rating: C+. The main thing this match showed me was that while talented, there isn’t much that makes Andretti stand out. He does a lot of the same stuff that several people around here do and that isn’t going to do him much good. While the talent is there, he needs something to make him feel different. The win over Jericho was cool, but that is only going to carry him so far, which is starting to become clear. Putting him in ROH would make some more sense, but it looks like he’s the next person to have to face most of the Society.

Darby Allin doesn’t care about success if he can’t be himself. Maybe he can do more of that next week.

Jungle Boy is glad to be done with Christian Cage and now he’s ready to come after any man with a title.

Powerhouse Hobbs and QT Marshall are glad with the TNT Title win. Next week on Dynamite, it’s the debut of QTV, where they’ll tell you who really robbed Wardlow’s car. Because QT Marshall needs a talk show (or whatever it is).

Acclaimed vs. Starboy Charlie/Jack Cartwheel

Billy Gunn is here with the Acclaimed and Bowens starts with Cartwheel. As Gunn talks to a fan with a SIGN STARBOY CHARLIE sign, Bowens hammers Cartwheel down and hands it off to Caster. Scissor Me Timbers connects and it’s Charlie, in his overalls, comes in. Caster superkicks him straight down and the Arrival into the Mic Drop finishes Charlie at 1:44. Total squash.

Post match the Jericho Appreciation Society come out to offer the Acclaimed the shirt but get turned down again.

The Jericho Appreciation Society are ready to win the Trios Titles on Dynamite.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Preston Vance

Don Callis is on commentary and Jose the Assistant is at ringside. They grapple up against the ropes until Takeshita hits a running clothesline. An elbow to the face sends Vance outside, setting up the slingshot dive as we take a break. Back with both hitting clotheslines for a double knockdown before Takeshita’s Blue Thunder Bomb gets two. The running knee connects but Jose puts the foot on the rope. After Takeshita takes him down, Vance’s discus lariat gets two. The full nelson is broken up and Takeshita backslides him for the pin at 7:55.

Rating: C+. This was about two people hitting each other rather hard until Takeshita picks up the win with a surprise pin. Takeshita needs to win a few things and this was a good start, but eventually it needs to be over someone a good bit bigger than Vance. And on Dynamite for a change too.

Swerve Strickland talks about how Keith Lee has taken out his Affiliates so maybe Lee is more prepared than he thought. He has something else in store for Lee though and now he’s turning into a cannibal.

Here is Mark Briscoe for a chat. He represents the baddest tag team of all time but now it is time to move forward with the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles. With Tony Khan’s permission, he has an idea: a tag team ladder match (of course) at Supercard of Honor for the titles, called the Reach For The Sky ladder match. We even have the first team: the Lucha Bros!

We recap the Firm vs. Hook, with Matt Hardy offering to train Stokely Hathaway for his match against Hook, where the team is banned from ringside.

We recap Riho vs. Nyla Rose.

Riho vs. Nyla Rose

Marina Shafir is with Rose, who powers Riho into the corner to start without much effort. A slam and splash crush Riho, who bridges out of a cover before the count (because a splash from someone over 100lbs heavier is shrugged of). Some dropkicks send Rose to the floor, where she pulls a dive out of the air. Riho manages to send her into the steps for a breather, setting up a high crossbody for two back inside. Rose is fine enough to grab a delayed vertical suplex and Shafir pulls Riho outside for a judo throw.

We take a break and come back with Riho knocking Rose off the top and hitting a middle rope hurricanrana. The top rope double stomp gets two but Rose is back with a powerslam for the same. Riho gets draped over the top for the knee to the back of the head for two more. A northern lights suplex gives Riho two of her own and a crucifix bomb gets the same. Shafir trips Riho but she’s back up with a rollup to finish Rose at 12:04.

Rating: C-. This one completely lost me as I couldn’t buy Riho surviving that kind of power offense from someone who outweighs her by at least 100lbs. On top of that, you have Riho suplexing her without much trouble. I get that AEW doesn’t exactly go for realism, but I shouldn’t be sitting here going “oh come on” over and over during a 12:00 minute match. Riho is often treated stronger than Super Cena ever hoped to be and it is rapidly losing its charm.

Post match Riho gets beaten down and Outcasts (Toni Storm/Ruby Soho/Saraya, because The Outcasts was the best AEW could come up with) come down to spray paint Riho.

Overall Rating: C. The only thing remotely related mattered storyline wise here (for AEW at least) was Andretti losing to Guevara thanks to Garcia. Other than that, this was a bunch of the norm for Rampage: decent to good wrestling which changes nothing and the regular secondary story of announcing things for Dynamite/some other time in the future. The show is easy to watch, but there is almost no need to watch it most weeks as you won’t miss a thing. That was absolutely the case here, and it has been the case more often than not recently.

Results
Sammy Guevara b. Action Andretti – GTH
Acclaimed b. Starboy Charlie/Jack Cartwheel – Mic Drop to Charlie
Konosuke Takeshita b. Preston Vance – Backslide
Riho b. Nyle Rose – Rollup

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Rampage
Date: March 3, 2023
Location: Cow Palace, San Francisco, California
Commentators: Chris Jericho, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross

It’s the final show before Revolution and that means this week is live. Normally I would say a pay per view card is set two days before the show but AEW has a tendency to throw in a bunch of stuff at the last minute. This week will also see Dustin Rhodes/Keith Lee vs. Mogul Affiliates so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Aussie Open vs. Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta vs. Top Flight vs. Dark Order

The Dark Order jumps Castagnoli/Yuta in the aisle to start but Top Flight dives onto all four of them. Aussie Open drives Top Flight together as JR talks about needing to win to get a pay per view pay day. Ross: “Am I right about that?” And he is completely ignored, as that doesn’t seem to be right.

We get inside for the bell with Top Flight dropkicking Aussie Open with Davis being knocked to the floor. Reynolds comes in and hits a running elbow on Fletcher as Jericho talks about the attractiveness of Tony Schiavone’s grandmother. It’s off to Silver to take Castagnoli down and hammer away. Silver hits a running flip dive to take Davis down on the floor, runs over more people, and then gets pulled out of the air by Castagnoli.

A backbreaker gets two on Silver as we see La Faccion Ingobernable watching backstage. Castagnoli and Yuta kick Reynolds down and we take a break. Back with Reynolds flipping out of a belly to back suplex as Maria and the Kingdom are watching at ringside. Yuta comes in but gets stomped down by Reynolds, allowing a double tag off to Dante vs. Fletcher.

Dante forearms him down and hits the big running flip dive to the floor. Back in and Silver has to make a save but the Aussies superkick Dante out of the air. An assisted flip powerslam gets two with Yuta making the save. Davis blasts Fletcher by mistake though and it’s the Dark Order coming in to clean house. The Stunner into the German suplex hits Darius but Yuta comes in with the Seatbelt for the pin at 9:35.

Rating: B. This was your “here are a bunch of people doing a bunch of stuff” match of the week and it was an entertaining one. While I do think these matches tend to run together quite a bit, they worked well here and the Blackpool Combat Club’s nefarious ways continue. The Aussies still feel like they should be a bigger deal around here but maybe their infrequent appearances are slowing them down. As for Top Flight, can they please get a few wins already?

Post match Dark Order jumps Castagnoli and Yuta until things are separated.

Video on Hangman Page vs. Jon Moxley in Sunday’s Texas Death Match.

We look at the Jericho Appreciation Society beating up Ricky Stars on Dynamite.

Jungle Boy wants to end Christian Cage…and it seems like it’s going to be something like Buried Alive. That seems like quite the jump after one 30 second match, jokes about Jungle Boy’s dad or not.

Riho vs. Emi Sakura

Sakura, Riho’s mentor, kicks her in the ribs to start and pulls the crossbody out of the air. Riho is back with a snap suplex for two and a headscissors puts Sakura on the floor. Sakura is fine enough to catch a charging Riho in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Riho gets crushed against the barricade as we take a break.

Back with Riho forearming away and hitting a 619. A high crossbody gets two on Sakura but she’s back with a running crossbody in the corner for two of her own. La Majistral gives Sakura two more and her moonsault….well it hits Riho but it doesn’t seem like it was supposed to. Riho misses the top rope double stomp but spins around Sakura into a rollup for the pin at 9:30.

Rating: B-. Riho is back and seems to be getting a strong push, which could lead up to a big match, perhaps against say Jade Cargill. This win makes her 2-0 this week and that should be enough of a stepping stone to somewhere. Sakura is someone else who can wrestle a good match with anyone and she was just right for putting Riho over here.

Video on Ruby Soho vs. Saraya vs. Jamie Hayter for the Women’s Title.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Serpentico

Town Business finishes Serpentico at 41 seconds. As it should be.

Don Callis recruits Konosuke Takeshita, who seems intrigued.

Mark Briscoe talks about being sick of Mark Sterling. He was ready for a tag team battle royal but he couldn’t find his brother Jay, because Jay must have already been out there (well dang). But no, he’s up there with the Lord now so Mark Briscoe went after Mark Sterling on his own. Then he saw the Lucha Bros in there and here they are with their friend. The six man tag is set for Revolution.

Revolution rundown.

The four teams in the four way Tag Team Title match are all ready to fight.

Video on Dustin Rhodes/Keith Lee vs. Mogul Affiliates.

Dustin Rhodes/Keith Lee vs. Mogul Affiliates

It’s a brawl to start with Lee and Boudreaux slugging it out. Boudreaux’s shots to the face just wake Lee up and it’s Dustin coming in to rain down right hands in the corner. Those are shrugged off but Boudreaux won’t tag for no logical reason. We take a break and come back Strickland throwing Dustin out of the corner and dropkicking Lee off the apron. Dustin backdrops his way out of trouble but there’s no Lee, leaving Dustin to powerslam Strickland instead.

That’s enough for the tag to Lee, who Pounces Boudreaux for the big crash. Strickland comes in and realizes he has to face Lee, leading to panic. One heck of a high angle spinebuster plants Strickland as everything breaks down. Strickland moonsaults off of Lee’s chest to take Dustin out on the floor. That leaves Lee to get Swerve Stomped for two but Dustin is back in. Lee crossbodies Boudreaux and Dustin hits a Canadian Destroyer on Strickland. Dustin gets tossed onto Boudreaux and the Big Bang Catastrophe finishes Boudreaux off at 11:03.

Rating: B-. This was about how the match should have gone, as Lee looks like a monster who is going to get his hands on Swerve at some point. I’m a bit surprised that it isn’t at Revolution, but it should make for a nice Dynamite main event in a few weeks. You also have Dustin holding things together for the incredibly inexperienced Boudreaux and it made for a nice main event.

One more Revolution rundown….doesn’t finish the show as Ricky Starks jumps Chris Jericho and brawls with him to end the show. That was a nice surprise.

Overall Rating: B+. While a lot of the matches didn’t exactly feel important (JR thinking there was a prize for the winner was really bad), this was a very easy to watch show with good stuff up and down the card. It was a mixture of different stories and kinds of matches to keep things interesting and that made for a solid Rampage. Now just get Revolution right (which they probably will) and maybe AEW can get back on track.

Results
Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta b. Top Flight, Dark Order and Aussie Open – Seatbelt to Darius
Riho b. Emi Sakura – Rollup
Powerhouse Hobbs b. Serpentico – Town Business
Dustin Rhodes/Keith Lee b. Swerve Strickland/Parker Boudreaux – Big Bang Catastrophe to Boudreaux

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: March 2, 2023
Location: Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

So after a year or so of Ring Of Honor being a major part of AEW, it is time for the company to get its own show. That might mean quite a few things, but there is a good chance that we are going to be seeing a bunch of AEW stars around here. This show could go in a few different ways though so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Mark Briscoe vs. Slim J

The rest of the Trustbusters are here with Slim J, who kicks away the Code Of Honor before the bell. Redneck Kung Fu sends J outside but a Mark Sterling distraction lets J get in a low blow. Briscoe is fine enough to kick J to the floor, setting up the dropkick through the ropes. It’s too early for the chair assisted dive so Briscoe strikes away back inside.

Another Sterling distraction lets J hit a knee to the face, setting up a reverse DDT for two. Briscoe is busted open as J chokes away in the corner, followed by the chinlock. With that broken up, Briscoe grabs a neckbreaker for two and a powerbomb plants J again. The Froggy Bow misses but Briscoe kicks him in the face and hits the Jay Driller for the pin at 9:00.

Rating: C. So the first thing we see on Ring Of Honor TV is an unpopular AEW faction and the continuation of a lame Briscoe vs. Sterling feud. I know there is no secret to the fact that the promotions are basically the same, but could you at least wait a bit to throw the first AEW regular out there? Having Briscoe out there in the opener made perfect sense though, as he is as much of a symbol of ROH as you can get. It helps that he can have a pretty good match against anyone, but the Sterling feud needs to go far away.

Tony Deppen reads a prepared statement about winning the ROH TV Title from Samoa Joe next week. He can do it with the STF or the chickenwing because he’ll be the star of Ring Of Honor. That’s one way to go.

Kingdom vs. Infantry

The Infantry is Shawn Dean/Carlie Bravo and Maria is here with the Kingdom. Bravo gets taken down to start but he’s right back up for the tag to Dean. A wishbone sends Bennett outside but Taven is in with a dropkick (and catchphrase). The Purple Thunder Bomb and brainbuster get two each on Bravo and it’s back to Taven with a slingshot elbow. Bravo manages to get in a shot of his own though and it’s back to Dean to pick up the pace, including a superkick to Bennett. Taven comes right back in for the save though and it’s the Proton Pack for the pin on Bravo at 4:55.

Rating: C. This was in fact a tag match between an established team and a new team with the established ones winning. It wasn’t a squash but the Kingdom still looked like a dominant team who could do something around here. They were a success in the tag division before so having them do the same thing here wouldn’t be a stretch in any way.

Blake Christian is ready to prove what All Heart means when he takes the New Japan TV Title.

Zack Sabre Jr. reminds us that he is awesome.

New Japan Pro Wrestling Television Title: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Blake Christian

Christian is challenging and tries to take Sabre down to start as commentary explains the fifteen minute time limit. Sabre cranks on both arms but Christian flips his way out. Back up and Sabre switches to just one arm, with the fingers being bent back as well. Christian flips out with an armdrag though and a dropkick sends Sabre outside. The big flip dive is countered into a cravate (that’s a unique one) and Sabre calls out Bryan Danielson.

Back in and Christian flips out of the cravate before grabbing an Alabama Slam. Sabre cranks on the head again and suplexes him over for a needed breather. They head to the apron where Christian hits a spear, setting up the big dive. Back in and Sabre slaps on a cobra stretch but Christian escapes again and slaps away. Christian has to power out of a Kimura and a low superkick gets two. We have three minutes left as Sabre counters a 450 into something like a triangle choke to retain at 12:29.

Rating: B-. There is something so awesome about watching Sabre doing his thing out there. He knows how to carve someone up and it is a blast to watch him do it no matter what. As for Christian, I’ve seen him a few times now and he feels like a bunch of people I’ve seen elsewhere. Flips, dives, superkicks. You know the drill I’m sure.

Mark Sterling offers to cancel Konosuke Takeshita’s match with Josh Woods because Takeshita isn’t a big enough star. Takeshita rips up the offer instead.

Christopher Daniels says it’s a new Ring Of Honor but he’s still here to do more.

Christopher Daniels vs. Rohit Raju

Jora Juhl is here with Raju. Daniels gets stomped down in the corner to start and Raju chokes away in the corner. Back up and Daniels hits a dropkick into a suplex for two but Juhl breaks it, allowing Raju to send Daniels outside. A double stomp gives Raju two but Daniels suplexes him right back down. It’s too early for the Angel’s Wings so Daniels kicks him down and hits the Best Moonsault Ever for the pin at 5:00.

Rating: C-. This show runs two hours and six minutes, yet we can fit in a five minute match featuring one of the most established Ring Of Honor stars ever? Daniels has been around forever and he is one of the names that the fans are going to know. I’m not sure why this match needed to be there, but it felt like it was mainly to pad out the show with a name the fans will recognize.

Rhett Titus and Tracy Williams want to get back to the top of the mountain.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Josh Woods

Mark Sterling is here with Woods, who gets driven into the corner to start. Woods wins a grapple off so Takeshita hammers down right hands in the corner. A gutwrench suplex gets Woods out of trouble but Takeshita is back with a running knee. They head to the apron where Takeshita hits a DDT before they head back inside.

Woods blocks a suplex and grabs a twisting superplex for two. Back up and Woods goes for a waistlock but Rolling Chaos Theory is blocked. Instead Takeshita powers him up for a wheelbarrow suplex (which he manages to get on only the second attempt) to put Woods away at 10:20.

Rating: C+. Takeshita seems incapable of having a bad match and Woods can wrestle with just about anyone. That was all the makings needed to have a nice match here and they made it work well. Woods is someone who could be a nice heel hand in the midcard while Takeshita could be well on his way to the title scene around here. Nice mini showcase.

Claudio Castagnoli is ready for the pressure that comes with being the champ.

Embassy vs. Joe Keys/LSG/Rex Lawless

Non-title and Prince Nana is here with the Embassy. Keys and Lawless get beaten up on the floor before the bell so it’s LSG getting caught in the wrong corner. A side slam onto the top turnbuckle plants LSG and Cage hits the apron superplex. The Gates of Agony throw LSG into Cage’s sitout powerbomb for the pin at 2:12. Total dominance.

Ari Daivari vs. Metalik

The rest of the Trustbusters are here with Daivari. They fight over wrist control to start until Daivari makes it to the rope. Metalik walks the ropes to dropkick Daivari outside, where the Trustbusters offer a distraction. Daivari gets in a cheap shot and chokes away, setting up the chinlock.

Metalik fights up again and walks the ropes for a high crossbody to send Daivari outside. There’s the big dive to take Daivari down again and a springboard splash gives Metalik two. Mark Sterling gets up on the apron for a distraction but Slim J clotheslines Daivari by mistake. The VERY delayed two count has Metalik yelling at the ref, meaning Daivari can hit the hammerlock lariat (In Trust We Bust) for the pin at 7:23.

Rating: C. This show is seemingly very heavy on Mark Sterling and the Trustbusters and I have no idea how that could be seen as a good idea. The team was hardly well received in AEW and now they’re getting treated as something important in AEW’s secondary promotion. Metalik’s flying looked good and his time on offense was exciting, but the incredibly generic Daivari wins anyway. Lucky us.

AR Fox talks about trying to get to Ring Of Honor ten years ago. Now he’s in the main event and he’s coming for the title.

Renegades vs. Skye Blue/Madison Rayne

Blue drives Robyn into the corner to start but Robyn does the same to her. Some rollups give Blue two each and it’s off to Rayne for the basement lariat. A basement dropkick gets the same but Blue gets caught in the wrong corner. Blue flips out of a belly to back though and an enziguri allows the tag off to Rayne. Another enziguri into a cutter gets two on Robyn and everything breaks down. Rayne Downward Spirals Charlotte and spears Robyn, leaving Blue to hit Skyfall for the pin at 6:30.

Rating: C. This is about as perfect of an illustration of this show’s problem as there has been so far: these four have all been treated as jobbers on AEW TV for months but now they get their own show. That’s NXT LVL Up, not Ring Of Honor. You can say “well this person competed in Ring Of Honor” all you want. It’s still people who have lost time after time after time on the important shows. Why should I be interested in them getting a win here?

Dalton Castle is here next week.

Here is Wheeler Yuta for a chat. He isn’t a young boy or anything like that and became the Pure Champion by being beaten down by three of the best in the world. The open challenge is issued for next week so here is Timothy Thatcher to accept. Ok that’s an upgrade.

Willow Nightingale vs. Lady Frost

Nightingale starts with some dancing and then runs her over, setting up the basement crossbody. Frost flips over her in the corner though and scores with a kick to the ribs, setting up a running flip neckbreaker. They trade kicks to the face for a double knockdown but Nightingale is back up with a spinebuster for two. Frost kicks her down again and hits a moonsault for two of her own. Nightingale has had enough of this and Doctor Bombs her for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Nightingale’s charisma carried this one as you cannot get annoyed at someone that bubbly. It makes a lot of sense to push her as she could be someone who winds up being a breakout star around here. Frost is someone else who could be a nice hand on the roster and that’s about what she was here, with the unique look helping.

Post match Ian Riccaboni gets in the ring for a chat with Nightingale (after some dancing of course). She talks about her recent success around here and thinks a Women’s Title match is in line. Cue Athena to say sure.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Claudio Castagnoli vs. AR Fox

Castagnoli is defending. Fox spins out of a wristlock to start as the fans are split. A sunset flip out of the corner doesn’t work for Fox and Castagnoli blasts him with a clothesline. Back up and Fox hits a bouncy sitout bulldog out of the corner. Castagnoli is fine enough to catch him on top with a dropkick before breaking up a springboard to make it worse.

Some gutwrench suplexes drop Fox before we hit the half crab. The rope is grabbed so Castagnoli sends him face first into the apron to change things up. Castagnoli forearms him in the back a few times but Fox manages a quick DDT. An enziguri and springboard Stunner out of the corner give Fox two and Castagnoli is sent outside. There’s the big dive to the floor and a Swanton gets two back inside.

Castagnoli kicks him in the face for a near fall of his own and the Swing sends Fox outside. Back in and Fox’s rollup gets two but Castagnoli blasts him with a clothesline. Fox Death Valley Drivers him out of the corner and a 450 gets a very close two. They forearm it out until Fox is sent to the apron, where he springboards into an uppercut to retain the title at 15:37.

Rating: B. Yeah shockingly enough, this was the best part of the show with probably the most talented star in the company getting the most time all night. Fox can make the high flying look about as good as anyone else and he was doing his thing here. It wasn’t about the possibility of a title change here, but rather a wrestling showcase. That worked out very well, and they had a rather good main event.

Post match respect is show….and Eddie Kingston is here, fresh off quitting AEW last night. He’s an independent contractor so he’s coming for the title. There’s your big moment.

Overall Rating: C+. In case I didn’t make it obvious enough throughout, the two main problems are the length and the star power. This was more or less Dark III and at over two hours, the interest wanes fast. The wrestling ranges from completely fine to good, but this could have easily been cut into two or three episodes. I know they have to get ready for Supercard Of Honor in about a month, but two hours of this stuff a week isn’t going to hold interest very long, especially if it is a show you have to pay to see.

It’s not the same as a regular new promotion’s debut show because we do know these people, but that’s kind of the problem. Since we’ve seen so many of these people treated as nothings on Dynamite and Rampage, why should I want to see them have their own show here? There are ways to make this more interesting but they weren’t used here. Not a bad debut by any means, but if this is what Ring Of Honor is going to be, Thursdays are going to be a bit rough.

Results
Mark Briscoe b. Slim J – Jay Driller
Kingdom b. Infantry – Proton Pack to Bravo
Zack Sabre Jr. b. Blake Christian – Leg choke
Christopher Daniels b. Rohit Raju – Best Moonsault Ever
Konosuke Takeshita b. Josh Woods – Wheelbarrow suplex
Embassy b. Joe Keys/LSG/Rex Lawless – Sitout powerbomb to LSG
Ari Daivari b. Metalik – In Trust We Bust
Madison Rayne/Skye Blue b. Renegades – Skyfall to Charlotte
Willow Nightingale b. Lady Frost – Doctor Bomb
Claudio Castagnoli b. AR Fox – Uppercut

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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AND

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