Ring of Honor
Date: March 10, 2021
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re rapidly approaching the Anniversary Show, which will be the first major Ring of Honor event since Final Battle. The company is on a bit of a roll as of late after last week’s pretty awesome show. I’m curious to see where they are going with the Anniversary Show, which could use a card. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recapRing Of Honor TV – March 3, 2021: Pay Per View Without Paying While Viewing

Opening sequence.

We look at the end of last week’s show, with Kenny King costing Shane Taylor the World Title.

Kenny King says of course he wasn’t about to turn on Rush because they are family. Rush comes in to talk about how awesome La Faccion Ingobernable is.

Here are the Pure Championship rankings:

1. Josh Woods

2. Dak Draper

3. Rhett Titus

4. Wheeler Yuta

5. Fred Yehi

Josh Woods is proud of beating Dalton Castle and can beat anyone from any angle. Sure Castle has a bad back, but why shouldn’t he go after it? You know what you are doing when you get in the ring with a professional wrestler. Woods has beaten a lot of stars and he is ready to beat Castle again on the way to the Pure Title.

Dalton Castle did lose to Josh Woods and that one stings a lot. Woods found a hole in his offense and it is another blemish on his record. What does that mean now? Well Castle’s name is not on any of the leader boards and that is a problem. He can’t fix the past but he can fix the future by not losing to Woods again.

Dalton Castle vs. Josh Woods

Pure Rules. They start slowly with an exchange of shoves up against the ropes. It’s already time to grapple on the mat, which is quite the way to go for both of them. Woods gets the better of things and starts cranking on Castle’s arm before slapping on the Gorilla Lock to send Castle bailing to the ropes. Castle sends him outside though and drives Woods into the barricade as we take a break.

Back with Woods hitting a springboard kick to the face and nailing some running elbows in the corner. A butterfly suplex gets two on Castle and the Gorilla Lock sends him over to the ropes again. Woods wins a slugout but has to slip out of the Bang A Rang. Neither can get anywhere off of a rollup but Castle’s back gives out….but he suckers Woods in for a small package and the pin at 9:45.

Rating: C. It’s nice to see Castle get a win but I’m not sure how much longer he is going to be around here. Unless this is a rather detailed story that is going to take a long time, Castle is pretty clearly on the downswing around here. Woods could go a long way around here and he got caught instead of getting beaten here, so his future still looks pretty bright. Just let him win something.

Post match here is Silas Young, in a suit, to talk about how Josh Woods tried to go out on his own but not he is losing again. Woods couldn’t even win an opportunity at an opportunity at Final Battle, so there is only one solution: the two of them getting back together as a team and taking care of everyone. We may have a deal.

EC3 vs. Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe vs. Matt Taven

The winner gets a World Title shot at the Anniversary Show and Maria Kanellis-Bennett is on commentary. During the entrances, everyone talks about why they want to be champion and what it means to them (EC3 wants to control his narrative, Lethal and the Foundation want to restore honor to the company), Taven wants the title back and Briscoe wants to fight Rush). Everyone but EC3 and Briscoe shake hands to start so the two of them go outside to brawl while Lethal chops away at Taven in the corner.

Back up and Taven knocks Lethal out to the floor and follows him down, only to have Briscoe run both of them over. Back in and EC3 suplexes Briscoe before knocking Taven off the apron. Lethal is back in with a Lethal Combination on Taven, who is right back with a clothesline to the floor. The Flight of the Conqueror works but Briscoe is back in to beat on Taven. Briscoe suplexes Lethal into Taven in the corner but EC3 throws Taven outside. EC3 hammers away at Briscoe and, after knocking Taven outside, keeps hammering away.

Briscoe and EC3 slug it out and everyone is left knocked down. It’s Taven up first but Lethal catches him in the corner. That means the Tower of Doom to put everyone down again but EC3 is up in a hurry. EC3 tells Lethal to kick Briscoe in the face so Lethal takes EC3 down into the Figure Four. That’s broken up and EC3 takes him down again.

EC3 stares at Briscoe and loads up a Jay Driller on Lethal, which draws Briscoe back in to break it up. Briscoe and EC3 brawl to the back….and here’s Vita VonStarr to watch from ringside. Taven hits Just The Tip on Lethal for two but VonStarr’s distraction lets Lethal hit the Lethal Injection for the pin and the title shot at 14:04.

Rating: B-. This was a pretty solid match, though Lethal back in the World Title scene is far from the most thrilling concept. That being said, Taven is taken and EC3 vs. Briscoe has been set up for a long time now, so who else was there? I do like the VonStarr interference here though as it keeps Taven strong and makes his feud with Vincent even more personal, if that is possible. Good but not great match.

Post match Lethal is elated while Taven is crushed.

Overall Rating: B-. The roll continues and I think that is more about the pay per view coming up than anything else. The company has been stuck for a long time now so having something to build towards helps a lot. The last few weeks have gone well and a lot of that is because they have had something to focus on. Keep that up and we could be in for an awesome run from the company. They’re having a rather nice short form run, but maybe a big one is possible too.

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

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

AND

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

Ring of Honor
Date: February 24, 2021
Location: UMBC Event Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re getting a big title match this week as the Six Man Tag Team Titles are on the line. Yeah I barely remember that the things are around either but Ring of Honor needs them because….I have no idea most of the time actually. Anyway it’s time for Shane Taylor Promotions to go after the belts in what should be a good match. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and recaps Shane Taylor Promotions not getting their title shot at Final Battle due to Coronavirus issues. They turned down the titles to tonight is their shot.

Here’s what’s coming this week and next week.

La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Briscoes

That would be Kenny King and Dragon Lee, with Amy Rose, for La Faccion and this is a #1 contenders match. Kenny and Mark start things off with King headlocking him to the mat in a hurry. A Japanese armdrag into an armbar has Mark in more trouble until he fights up without much trouble. Jay and Lee come in with the former blasting him with a shoulder. Lee pops back to his feet and snaps off a hurricanrana as Jay isn’t sure what to do with someone so fast.

Mark comes back in for the exchange of chops but gets taken into the wrong corner for some clubberin. That doesn’t matter very much as it’s back to Jay, who slams Kenny on the floor. The Cactus Elbow connects and we take a break. Back with Mark escaping the Royal Flush and a double clothesline giving us a double knockdown. It’s back to Lee, who gets kicked in the face by Jay. Lee is up all over again and takes out Jay’s knee, only to get caught with a Death Valley Driver.

King catches Jay on the top and Lee hits the Alberto double stomp for two more. Kenny’s bridging t-bone suplex sets up a leglock with Mark having to make a save. Back up and it’s a double slugout with Lee hitting a running German suplex into a jumping knee into a reverse hurricanrana to drop Mark. Lee’s hurricanrana is countered though and Jay’s neckbreaker connects. The Froggy Bow is loaded up but here’s Flip Gordon to kick him down, allowing Kenny to get the rollup pin at 11:15.

Rating: B. While it wasn’t quite the Briscoes vs. Flamita/Bandido classic, it was one of the better matches that the company has had since their comeback. Lee is on another planet, King is more than good enough and the Briscoes are the Briscoes. This was a case where it wasn’t would this be good but rather how great would it be and they managed to deliver rather well.

Post match EC3 is back to say that since honor can be bought, honor cannot be real. EC3 respects Jay because he is the kind of man who does everything he is supposed to do. He even envies Jay but after everything he has done, what is next for Jay? EC3 says he is free and now Jay controls his narrative. I think I remember why I didn’t miss EC3 around here.

Mike Bennett vs. Bateman

Bennett’s ankle is still banged up coming in and this is under relaxed rules. Bennett charges straight at him and knocks Bateman out to the floor in a hurry. That’s fine with Bennett, who follows him outside to keep up the shots to the head. Vida Von Starr offers a distraction though and Bennett misses a charge into the barricade. Bateman drops him chest first onto the apron and there’s a catapult to send Bennett throat first into the ring structure.

We take a break and come back with Bennett hitting a ripcord elbow but getting suplexed down hard. A superkick into a discus lariat gives Bennett two and it’s time for the big chop off. An exchange of forearms puts both of them down until Bennett is up first. The superkick is blocked and Bateman hits a discus forearm for two. This Is A Kill is broken up though and Bateman hits a spear into a piledriver for the pin at 10:03.

Rating: C. This didn’t have the same level of charisma as something with Matt Taven and Vincent but for a side feud based off of that, everything worked out well enough here. Bennett is already being treated as a much bigger and better deal around here so at least they are doing something with him for a change. Bateman is fine for a monster, but this just made me want to see Vincent more.

Post match here’s Matt Taven to jump Bateman and it’s time to go for the leg, complete with the block of wood. Taven tells Vincent that this will happen unless he gets the match he wants. Vincent says no so Bateman’s ankle is crushed.

Video on Shane Taylor vs. Rush for the World Title next week.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Mexisquad

Shane Taylor/the Soldiers of Savagery are challenging and Maria Kanellis-Bennett is on commentary. Hands are shaken but the fight is on in a hurry with everyone going to the floor. Back in and Flamita ducks Khan’s running big boot in the corner, allowing Flamita to hit a quick takeover. A dropkick puts Khan down again but he powers Flamita into the corner, allowing the tag off to Moses.

That means a big running charge takes Flamita over (commentary is rather pleased) but he’s right back up with a twisting Stunner. Shane comes in to chase Rey Horus around until a shot to Shane’s face sends us to a break. Back with Bandido getting the hot tag to come in and hammer on Shane. That’s fine with Taylor, who shoves him into the corner for the tag off to Flamita. A walk across Bandido’s shoulders sets up a running hurricanrana with the champs sending all of them outside. That means trio of dives, followed by a trio of flips to take them down again.

Back in and a 450 gets two on Shane as commentary tries to figure out if the champs winning can be an upset. Flamita flips Bandido around to take out Khan’s legs, because that’s just something he can do. One heck of a toss splash gives Flamita two on Moses with Khan making the save. Horus accidentally DDT’s Flamita and Moses nails a double clothesline to the floor. That leaves Shane to Rock Bottom Flamita into a splash for two and Welcome To The Land gives us new champions at 12:32.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t quite the level of awesome that you expect from the Mexisquad but they have been champions for so long and I don’t think that a single loss is going to change anything for them in the long run. What matters here is that we have some fresh champions, which probably needed to happen after the long layoff. Throw in Shane getting a big win before next week’s World Title match and it is a rather well put together title match.

Overall Rating: B-. It was certainly an eventful show and that is something that this company has been needing for the time being. The title change alone, even if it is with the least important title in the promotion, made the show feel more important. That is in addition to a pretty awesome opener and there wasn’t much you could ask for in a slightly bigger than usual show.

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

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

AND

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

Ring of Honor
Date: December 9, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

The build towards Final Battle continues and it needs to hurry up as the show is in less than ten days. I’m not sure how much they can build towards the show but at least it seems like they have a lot of the ideas set up in advance. We seem to be getting Brody King challenging for the World Title, so hopefully they set up some more things here. Let’s get to it.

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

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and throws us to the end of Brody King beating Shane Taylor last week.

King says he’s coming for the World Title.

McKay throws us to Josh Woods beating Jay Lethal.

Woods is very fired up by his win.

Video on Vincent vs. Mike Bennett. Mike talks about how Vincent is insane, but Vincent wants to know why Bennett bailed on Matt Taven when he hurt his knee. Vincent was all Taven had left and they used to be friends. Now Bennett doesn’t recognize Vincent and it’s time to beat him up.

Vincent vs. Mike Bennett

Vincent starts with the mind games and drops to the floor at the bell. They switch places though and Vincent stomps him down in the corner to take over. The strike off goes to Bennett and a running forearm sends Vincent outside again. Bennett charges into an elbow though and gets dropped throat first across the top. A side suplex on the floor keeps Bennett down and we take a break.

Back with Bennett slapping him in the head over and over, setting up a superkick into a Death Valley Driver. Vincent sends him into the corner for some running elbows, only to get caught in an exploder suplex. A quick guillotine choke slows Bennett down until he drives Vincent into the corner. The spear is countered into the guillotine again so Bennett suplexes his way to freedom. Back up and they slug it out until Bennett scores with a clothesline. Now the spear connects but the piledriver is blocked. Vincent unloads on him in the corner…and the referee calls the DQ at 11:34.

Rating: C+. That’s a weird way to bring Bennett back to the ring but Vincent shouldn’t be losing before the big showdown at Final Battle. Vincent is a monster and Taven is the hero to fight him, so having him lose clean to a returning Bennett would be wrong. At the same time though, Bennett losing as soon as he gets back is a little weird too. Hopefully things get better, but Bennett turning on Taven wouldn’t shock me.

Post break the beating is still on, with Vincent saying he’s going to make it even worse for Taven. Cue Taven with a dive off the stage so the real fight can be on. Bennett gets up and here’s Bateman to keep up the brawl until referees break it up.

Video on Rhett Titus being overlooked but joining the Foundation. Titus: “I am the Foundation.”

Mark Briscoe has picked PCO as his partners for the Tag Team Title match. What an oddball team.

Tracy Williams didn’t win the Pure Title tournament but he was glad to get his chance against Jonathan Gresham. The Foundation is still about rebuilding this company though and now it is time to deal with some of the other veterans. That brings Williams to John Walters, who is a former Pure Champion returning to the company after ten years. Williams has fifteen minutes to beat him tonight and he’s ready to prove himself again.

John Walters explains who he is and talks about some of his bigger wins. He’s back because Pure Wrestling is back and doesn’t get how Williams says he wants to be like an old school Pure wrestler when Walters is right here. Williams isn’t ready for him.

John Walters vs. Tracy Williams

Pure Rules and Flip Gordon, who will be challenging Jonathan Gresham for the Pure Title, is on commentary. Walters headlocks him to start before they fight over wrist control. Williams takes him down into an armbar but it’s too early for any serious danger, as Walters bails to the ropes for the first time. With that not working, Williams switches to the knee as we take a break.

Back with Walters hammering away in the corner and taking out Williams’ knee. The dragon screw legwhip sets up the Sharpshooter, sending Williams straight to the ropes for his first break. A kneebar sends Walters to the ropes as well so it’s time for a slugout. Williams suplexes him down and now the Crossface has Walters in real trouble. The third rope break gets Walters out of trouble again but he goes back to the knee. Williams is fine with that as he does the same and the top rope DDT rocks Walters again. The piledriver finishes Walters at 11:41.

Rating: C. Well Walters is back after ten years, reminds people of who he is, and then loses in a fairly uneventful match. I’m not sure I need to see much more from Walters as there are several names around here who can do what he did but better, and they don’t need to be reintroduced. Maybe they owed him a shot due to the old vs. new show being canceled, but this wasn’t exactly eventful.

They shake hands post match.

We run down the Final Battle card to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. It really is kind of impressive that they are managing to set up a coherent Final Battle card this fast, as they have only had a few weeks outside of the Pure Title tournament. The show isn’t looking too bad all things considered, but there wasn’t much to see in the ring this week. They have one more show before the pay per view and it’s going to be a weird last push, but I have some slight optimism for a change.

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

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

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

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

Ring of Honor
Date: December 2, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

We are less than three weeks away from Final Battle and a few of the matches have been announced. There are going to have to be some changes made on the show due to the pandemic messing with so many things, but the question is which changes are going to be made. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The Foundation talks about how they are here to rebuild Ring of Honor and that means Rhett Titus can take off his mask. Actually hang on as Tracy Williams says why show a face that no one has cared about for so many years. They aren’t the bad guys and they will claim all of the titles.

Josh Woods talks about being successful in everything he has done in his short career. Jay Lethal’s long career isn’t as successful anymore and that is making things change a bit. Pure wrestling is made for him and while Jay Lethal beat him with the Lethal Injection before, every hold has a counter. This win is going to change how people look at him.

Jay Lethal loves how the pure wrestling has gone so far and it warms his heart. He didn’t beat LSG in his last pure wrestling match though because LSG beat himself. Granted Lethal would have beaten him in another minute. Lethal respects LSG but now he has serious respect for Woods, who is scary in something like this. As cocky and dangerous as Woods is though, Lethal will beat him and won’t need the judges’ decision. Woods should win this match, but he won’t.

Jay Lethal vs. Josh Woods

Pure rules. They fight over a lockup to start before Woods offers Lethal the leg. Lethal is smarter than that so Woods goes for the arm instead. That just earns him a headlock on the mat from Lethal, who switches up to the leg in a hurry. Woods breaks that up in a hurry and it’s a standoff in the middle. Another armbar has Lethal in trouble so he uses his first rope break.

That’s not cool with Woods, who suplexes him down and hammers away, setting up a waistlock. Lethal is up with his hiptoss into a basement dropkick to send us to a break. Back with Lethal holding a reverse chinlock with Woods having to go to the rope for the first time. Woods kicks him down (Ian: “Right in the pituitary gland!”) to the floor and it’s a backbreaker into a German suplex for two back inside.

Lethal is back up with a toss to the apron and a dropkick to the floor. The lack of time means it’s only one suicide dive but Hail To The King is countered into a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up but the Lethal Injection is countered into a choke. Woods grabs a grapevined ankle lock but Lethal stacks him up for two. That’s fine with Woods, who pulls him into a rollup for the pin at 14:04.

Rating: B-. That’s where Lethal can be incredibly valuable. He is the most established name Ring of Honor has and it isn’t like him losing over and over is going to hut him in the slightest. Let him put some of these young wrestlers over and try to build up the roster for the future. It worked in the Pure Tournament and it worked here, with Woods getting probably the biggest win of his career.

Since WE MUST HAVE TALK SHOWS, here’s the first edition of Trending With Matt Taven. His first guest is Mike Bennett, who talks about doing this since he was fifteen years old. Bennett first signed with Ring of Honor in 2011 and now he’s back because Taven needed someone to have his back. Well at least they kept it short.

Mark Briscoe likes the idea of being a twelve time Tag Team Champion but Jay Briscoe is worried about EC3. Maybe being quarantined messed with the oxygen to his brain. Mark is getting the shot, but he needs to find a partner.

Brody King talks about what it meant to beat a former World Champion in Dalton Castle. He is taking the same mentality into his match with Shane Taylor, because it is time to move up the ranks. Shane is like a rock, but Brody is like a rock launched out of a catapult. King is here to prove why he belongs in the World Title scene.

Shane Taylor talks about the weight being off of his shoulders now that he has beaten Kenny King. Now it is time to go after the World Title and that sets his sights on Brody King. He has no problem with Brody King and they are similar, but Brody is in the way of his path to the World Title. Being champion means you can’t ignore him anymore and no one is dictating his value any longer.

Brody King vs. Shane Taylor

Taylor has the Soldiers of Savagery with him….and then they go to the back for the bell. King chops away against the ropes to start and Taylor is knocked to the floor. There’s the big flip dive from the apron as Taylor gets chopped around ringside. Taylor is sent into the barricade and we take a break. Back with Taylor dropping him on the floor and sending King into the barricade to even things up. That’s enough for a nineteen count so Taylor yells about the speed.

Back in and King knocks him into the ropes again, setting up the Cannonball against the ropes. A Death Valley Driver into the corner drops Shane and we take another break. We come back again with King slapping him down (and Caprice doing a Keith Lee impression), only to have Taylor run him over for two. King plants him as well but the Gonzo Bomb is blocked. Taylor gets two off the package piledriver and they both need a breather. King blasts him with a clothesline, followed by a standing clothesline for the pin at 12:37.

Rating: C+. Take two big guys, have them hit each other really hard, pick the one you want to push. There is a good chance that this sets up King as the #1 contender, which is what commentary kept pushing all match. They almost have to get the title off of Rush given the circumstances and King makes as much sense as anyone else at the moment. Good power match, and it was nice to not have an obvious winner.

They shake hands to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was about setting things up for the future and that is one of the best things that Ring of Honor can do. You can’t get very far with the same people and at this point they need to build things up for the future. They are doing something better with that at the moment, and now you can see a good chunk of Final Battle coming from here. Now just make it work.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: November 25, 2020
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Believe it or not we are well on the way to Final Battle and I’m not sure how many matches have actually been set up for the show. Actually I’m not even sure how many matches have been teased for the show, which makes for a fairly important next few weeks. Hopefully they can get off to a good start here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and runs down the card.

Jay Briscoe wants the Tag Team Titles back but first he has to deal with EC3.

EC3 talks about how much he envies Jay Briscoe for sticking around here while he chased the bright lights. Now he wants to know if Briscoe believes in the code of honor and if he can control his narrative.

EC3 vs. Jay Briscoe

EC3 backs him into the corner to start and Jay isn’t interested in a handshake. Briscoe grabs a front facelock so EC3 slips out and hits an elbow. Hold on though as EC3 looks down at his hand so Briscoe stomps him down into the corner. Choking ensues…..for the DQ to give EC3 the win at 1:57. Well that’s not something you see much of these days.

Post match EC3 takes him down and hammers away as the fight is on hard. Security (in masks) make the save. EC3 gets away and drops to his knees, allowing Jay to try the Jay Driller. That’s broken up as well and Briscoe is ready for more.

Post break, Quinn McKay asks Jay Briscoe why he didn’t adhere to the Code Of Honor. Jay: “Why? Because F*** Y** that’s why!” McKay: “Succinct.”

Leon St. Giovanni, who you can call LSG, talks about being a baseball player his entire life before he saw Ring of Honor. It was all he wanted to do, especially when he saw Jay Lethal. For years, LSG was part of a tag team with Shaheem Ali and now he is on his own after a horrible 2019. People need to step up to him now and that includes Jay Lethal in their Pure Rules match. The boy who wanted to be Lethal is now the man who is going to beat him. Good line.

Jay Lethal talks about how the Pure Wrestling Title tournament taught us who the best man was and he can live with that. He was eliminated by Tracy Williams because Tracy was the better man that night. The Foundation is here to find the best and they want to reward those people. That is why Lethal requested this match because Samoa Joe did the same thing for him years ago. Now Lethal wants to pay it forward to LSG, but he’ll have to pay for the free gift.

Leon St. Giovanni vs. Jay Lethal

Pure Rules. Lethal headlocks him to the mat in a hurry and is broken up even faster as the feeling out process starts fast. LSG flips out of the hiptoss into the dropkick and it’s another standoff. Another headlock has LSG down before Lethal works on the arm for a bit. After pulling LSG away from the ropes (doesn’t count as a break), the threat of a Figure Four sends LSG to the ropes for the first break.

Back up and Lethal goes for the back, including taking him down into a waistlock. Another Figure Four attempt results in some back to back small packages for two each. LSG sends him outside for a dropkick through the ropes for a near countout before stomping away back inside. We take a break and come back with LSG holding a cravate. After a good bit of cranking, Lethal fights up and hits a Russian legsweep to send LSG to the apron. The triangle dropkick sets up a suicide dive but LSG doesn’t go off his feet.

Back in and LSG gets up before Hail to the King can launch. Instead it’s a reverse DDT for two on LSG, who is right back with a rolling clothesline for the same. LSG grabs a crucifix into the Crossface (WAY too popular a move these days) but Lethal slips out in a hurry. The Sharpshooter (see also the Crossface) goes on with LSG bridging back into a Muta Lock. Lethal grabs the rope and we’re out of time at 15:00. Lethal wins via split decision.

Rating: B-. LSG looked good here and this is the kind of a match that can give him a nice boost. I had forgotten he was part of the company so putting him out there against a star like Lethal is a pretty smart move. This was a good showcase for him and sometimes that’s all you need to do. Well maybe throw in a win every now and then too.

John Walters is coming back.

Video on Bateman vs. Matt Taven. Bateman isn’t impressed with Taven and is standing in his way to get to Vincent. That’s cool with Taven and we have a main event.

Matt Taven vs. Bateman

Taven chops away and hits a dropkick but the much bigger Bateman runs him over without much effort. The beating doesn’t last long as Taven comes back with a suplex and some right hands to the head. Bateman grabs a swinging neckbreaker and we take a break. Back with Taven hitting a lifting Downward Spiral to send Bateman outside. That means the Flight Of The Conqueror, though Taven comes up holding his leg. They head inside again where Taven misses the Aurora Borealis (frog splash), only to grab a rollup for the fast pin at 9:33.

Rating: C-. There is something amazing about how nothing Taven was as a heel and how much more interesting he is as a face. It is such a huge turnaround and in a good way as I can see the star power in him this time around. That dive alone looked great and now the showdown with Vincent should be set for Final Battle. I’m not sure how interesting the match is, but at least it has been set up properly.

Post match Bateman jumps Taven from behind and here’s Vincent to say Taven is a little too comfortable. Bateman knocks Taven out as Vincent talks about how embarrassing Taven is. There is no one in this building and yet Taven is still that desperate for attention. No matter how hard Taven tries, he will never get that kind of attention.

Vincent grabs Taven’s face and says his legacy will be nothing but a failure. He pulls out a dart and promises violence but the lights go out. Cue the returning Mike Bennett (Kanellis) for the save to clean house. A Kingdom reunion ends the show. Bennett didn’t do anything in WWE so if he can be a star here, good for him.

Overall Rating: C. The EC3 stuff isn’t doing anything for me, the Pure Rules match was good and the main event angle was fine enough. We’ll call the whole thing in the middle, but at least they are starting to set something up for Final Battle, even if nothing has been announced on TV as of yet. Watchable enough show though, as things are starting to get back to normal.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: Ring Of Honor Wrestling

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

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

Pure Title Tournament Semifinals: Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Woods

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pure Title Tournament Semifinals: Jay Lethal vs. Tracy Williams

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

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

For some reason Lethal follows him though and gets caught with a hard dropkick. Williams has banged up his shoulder though and stays down on the floor…until he looks at the Pure Title on the table and gets back inside. That means Lethal hits his own dropkick and a shoulder breaker puts Williams down for two more. The threat of a Fujiwara armbar sends Williams to the ropes, leaving them at a rope break apiece. Williams strikes away so Lethal kicks him in the arm to cut that off as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: July 15, 2020

We’re dropping down the ladder around here, with this week’s show focusing on Vincent.. In other words, it’s like a look at Luke Harper right after he broke away from the Wyatt Family. That’s a pretty far cry from some of their previous offerings, and I’m almost scared to see what we get soon. Let’s get to it.

Video on Vincent to start.

Vincent talks about how he has grown up in Ring of Honor and used a lot of stepping stones to get here. That all started back at Final Battle 2016 so that’s where we’re going first.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Kingdom vs. Kushida/Jay White/Lio Rush

The titles are vacant coming in and I still have no idea which one is TK O’Ryan and which is Vinny Marsegila. Before the bell, Corino says the Father (likely meaning Kevin Sullivan) said the evil was coming and that’s clearly Cody. Things start very fast with Rush hitting a standing C4 and frog splash for a pretty hot two.

After a break on the floor, White takes O’Ryan down until it’s off to Kushida for a dropkick to the head. Rush comes in for some YES Kicks but Taven sneaks in for a DDT to take over. O’Ryan adds a spear for two as things settle down into your normal formula. The first hot tag brings in Kushida for the Hoverboard Lock but O’Ryan is quickly in the ropes.

The announcers are nice enough to start explaining why we should care about the Kingdom as Kushida scores with a double Tajiri handspring elbow. Everything breaks down and White gets two off a missile dropkick. To really pick things up a bit, White gets caught in a half crab from the top rope, only to have Kushida put Vinny in the Hoverboard Lock on the top for the save.

A superplex breaks the submissions which don’t count because they’re in the ropes and it’s time for Rush to get to show off because ROH LOVES that guy. Kushida gets in a big dive to take all of the Kingdom down, only to have Taven dive onto the even bigger pile. Back in and Rush has Vinny beaten so TK dives off the top to take out the referee. Rush goes crazy with his strikes but the triple powerbomb crushes Lio to give the Kingdom the belts at 15:22.

Rating: C+. This is a good example of just throwing titles out there and not bothering to put anything important behind them. There’s no reason to care about Six Man Tag Team Titles when there were barely any trios in the first place. It comes off like someone else did something so now we’ve got Trios Titles. That doesn’t mean it works and the match wasn’t great either, making this the finals of one heck of a waste of time, especially with the winners being a reincarnated stable that is missing all the parts that made it work in the first place.

Then someone attacked TK O’Ryan and Vincent. Matt Taven demanded answers, but it was Vincent of course. Vincent took out Taven as well, setting up their big showdown at Final Battle 2019.

Matt Taven vs. Vincent

Taven goes straight at him to start and sends Vincent outside for the suicide dive. Kelly rapid fires off Taven’s resume as Vincent is backdropped over the barricade. That means a dive from Taven and a jumping enziguri in the corner back inside rocks Vincent again. There’s a powerbomb for two and a freaky leglock works on Vincent’s leg. That’s broken up so Taven grabs a DDT for two more but Vincent sends him outside for a drop onto the apron.

A suplex onto the exposed concrete bangs up Taven’s back even more and they head back inside. Instead of staying on the back though, Vincent starts in on the ankle with stomps and bending around the rope. That’s broken up though and Taven sends him to the floor for the Flight of the Conqueror, followed by a top rope splash to the apron for two.

Back in and Vincent grabs a Side Effect, followed by Redrum for a near fall of his own. A quick Climax gives Taven two more and a second gets the same, leaving Taven stunned. With that not working, naturally it’s time for a hatchet but the attempted murder is countered into a Dudley Dog to finish Taven at 13:32.

Rating: C+. I’m as shocked as you are that Taven is working so well as a face. He really does seem to have been missing the point all this time and while he isn’t a huge star, he’s good enough to work in a spot like this. I could go for more of him, but his ankle injury would put him on the shelf for a long time. That’s a shame too, as he’s more interesting than he ever has been around here.

Post match Bateman comes out and helps Vincent crush Taven’s ankle.

Vincent and Chuckles the Clown talk about being righteous and hating their lives. They’ll drink to that.

Someone pulls a woman out of a car and she shouts about how much she hates him. Vincent sits down next to her and says he can help her. She comes with him.

Vincent and the woman go to meet Chuckles, who is sharpening a knife. Using said knife, Vincent cuts her hand open and she cringes a lot.

Vincent talks about how he isn’t carrying Taven any longer.

Now it’s time for the team to come together. From ROH TV, February 26, 2020.

Vincent/Bateman vs. Dalton Castle/Joe Hendry

Chuckles and Vita are in Vincent/Bateman’s corner. Bateman and Castle stare at each other to start until Castle takes him into the corner so Hendry can work on the arm. A fireman’s carry into a running shoulder has Bateman in trouble and a jumping knee gives Hendry two. Castle drops a middle rope knee and we hit the waistlock. Vincent holds out Matt Taven’s crutch for a distraction though, which just lets Hendry clothesline Bateman to the floor. Vincent finally comes in and posts Castle as we take a break.

Back with Hendry in trouble as Bateman and Vincent take turns kicking him in the ribs. Vincent gets two off a Side Effect and grabs a guillotine choke for a bonus. That’s broken up with a suplex and the hot tag brings in Castle. House is cleaned with suplexes until Vincent puts Castle on the top.

That goes nowhere as Castle slips down and catches him in a release German suplex. Vincent knocks him outside, only to have Castle get over to Hendry. That means a double fall away slam so Hendry can show off quite a bit as everything breaks down. A reverse Sling Blade puts Bateman down and there’s the facebuster to Vincent, only to have Chuckles pull Castle to the floor. Vincent hits a Dudley Dog for the pin on Hendry at 12:38.

Rating: C+. They were working hard here with Vincent and Bateman continuing to be more interesting than the Kingdom ever was. Castle and Hendry’s oddball stuff isn’t exactly thrilling and the two of them have been doing the same stuff for months now. At least we got a good match out of it though and that’s more than some people can say.

Vincent says a journey is a path we all must take. This is a Righteous beginning. Dig what he is saying?

Overall Rating: B-. The action was fine but at the same time, there is only so much that can be done with a lower level name like Vincent. He might be something one day and he knows how to talk, but I’m not sure what they were expecting here. That being said, I do like the idea of focusing on someone a little lower on the card like this. Let them have the spotlight for a change and plan for the future. Not a bad show by any stretch, but not the most thrilling.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor
Date: June 3, 2020

It’s finally time to take a look at Rush. Yeah you know, the World Champion? Somehow it took us almost nine weeks but we’re finally looking at the biggest star in the company. Rush has a charisma that you can’t manufacture and it should be good to see what he’s done around here. Let’s get to it.

Rush highlight video.

Rush talks about what a big deal it was to come to Ring of Honor and make a big impression. His family supported him and eventually he won the World Title.

From Death Before Dishonor 2019.

Ring of Honor World Title: Rush vs. Matt Taven

Taven is defending but Rush one ups him in a white suit. They slug it out at the bell with both of them hitting some hard kicks to the head. It’s already time to go outside with Rush being sent into the barricade and then the timekeeper’s table. A backdrop puts Taven down on the ramp and there’s a whip to even the count of trips into the barricade.

Rush looks over at his family in the front row but gets suplexed over the top and back to the floor for a nasty crash. Taven hits ANOTHER suicide dive (people come on with that already) and the Flight of the Conqueror to really rock Rush. Back in and some strikes to the head give Taven two, followed by a DDT for the same. Rush fights back and pulls off a piece of the barricade to toss into Taven’s….well everything really.

Some fish hooking ensues as Taven is in some sudden trouble. Rush slams him onto the timekeeper’s table, freaking Coleman out in a bad way. Back in and Rush hammers away, setting up Tranquilo to really pop the crowd. A missile dropkick connects, only to have Taven avoid the Swanton.

Rush is fine enough to hit something like a Jay Driller for two but Taven grabs the Climax for two of his own. A German suplex sends Taven into the corner but he’s up with a spear to cut off the Bull’s Horns. Three straight running knees to the head rock Rush so Taven goes up, only to get caught in the Tree of Woe. A pair of Bulls’ Horns gives us a new champion at 16:14.

Rating: B. They did what they needed to do here as Taven died as champion (though he was getting better near the end) and Rush was the hottest thing in the company. He survived Taven’s best here and beat him so what more do you want? This was a solid main event and gave us the ending it needed so I’m rather pleased.

Taven eventually shakes his hand and Rush celebrates with his dad and Dragon Lee (brother) to end the show.

Jeff Cobb was ready to challenge for the title.

From Honor United 2019: Bolton.

Ring of Honor World Title: Rush vs. Jeff Cobb

Cobb is challenging and they slug it out to start with Rush getting the better of it and forearming Cobb out to the floor. That lets Rush chill in the ring while Cobb tells him to bring it outside. Some swearing brings the champ to the floor to keep up the slugout, with Cobb grabbing a German suplex. Cobb slides back in and strikes Rush’s pose before heading outside again for a whip into the barricade.

Back in and Cobb slowly stomps away and gets a rather lackluster two, with Colt Cabana calling him out for the lack of effort. Rush isn’t having any of that disrespect and slugs away to send Cobb outside. This time Cobb is sent into the barricade and we take a break. Back with Cobb still in trouble and Rush grabbing the chinlock. For some reason Rush tries a suplex, which you just don’t do to Cobb.

After Rush crashes hard from the suplex, he’s right back with a triangle choke on the rope to slow Cobb back down. Rush gets in his own pose and it’s time to slug it out again. A jumping knee staggers Cobb but he nails a superkick, only to get caught with the Canadian Destroyer. That’s still not enough to keep Cobb down as he pops up with a hard clothesline for the double knockdown. Back up and Cobb dropkicks him off the top, only to bring him back in with the deadlift superplex.

That’s good for two and we take another break. Back again with Rush superplexing him for two but Cobb is right back up to catch him on top a second time. Cobb gets knocked into the Tree of Woe and the Alberto double stomp gets two. Rush stomps away in the corner but the Bull’s Horns are cut off with a heck of a spear. Tour of the Islands is countered into a small package for two and Rush suplexes Cobb into the corner. Now the Bull’s Horns for two, followed by a second one to retain at 16:27.

Rating: B. This was a match about two people beating the heck out of each other and Rush getting to show his more physical size. It’s the kind of match that is going to make Rush seem harder to beat, which is exactly the point here. Cobb is someone you can reheat in a hurry and that is a valuable monster to have, whenever Ring of Honor is actually back.

Respect is shown post match.

We see Rush losing the title to PCO at Final Battle, forming La Faccion Ingobernable, and winning the title back.

Rush talks about how he’s training harder than ever and he’s ready to take out everyone, stronger than ever.

Overall Rating: B+. Rush is the kind of guy who can serve as a good (and possibly long term) transitional champion as it is going to take a special performance to beat him. This show made him look like a star, along with making the PCO reign seem all the less necessary. Rush could be a star in any company through sheer intensity and talent, and he’s been a strong performer in Ring of Honor so far. Just keep it up, and find a little something else for him to do. Like face Dragon Lee down the line, which is probably coming one day (thank goodness).

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: April 22, 2020

It’s Matt Taven’s week and that could mean a few things. Taven is someone who has done some good things in his time, but as long as we don’t hear him talk, everything should be fine. He has some solid matches on his resume and we might be seeing some of those here. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Taven talks about rehabbing from a knee injury in 2016 and knowing he had some goals. He knew he would have to beat Adam Cole because they started at the same time but Cole was already the World Champion. Then he beat Dalton Castle, allowing him to bring in the REAL World Title. The match that gives him the most pride is going an hour with Jay Lethal, even though he didn’t win the World Title. Then he won the World Title in Madison Square Garden, which was all he ever wanted.

From War of the Worlds 2019: Grand Rapids.

Ring of Honor World Title: Matt Taven vs. Mark Haskins

Taven is defending and tries to hit him with the belt before the bell. That earns him a kick to the face and they head outside with Haskins kicking him in the jaw again. A penalty kick from the apron connects but Taven is back in to run the ropes a bit before getting kicked down again. Haskins hits a shinbreaker and a basement dropkick gets two. Something like an Indian Deathlock stays on the leg, followed by a DDT for two more.

Taven gets to the apron though and snaps the arm across the top to get a breather. They head outside with Taven staying on the arm, including sending it into the post. Back from a break with Haskins being thrown up the steps and onto the stage. Haskins has to dive in to beat the count at nineteen so Taven stomps on the shoulder some more. A Fujiwara armbar has Haskins in major trouble but he gets over to the rope for the break. Taven hits him in the face so Haskins says bring it on and wins a slugout with a leg lariat.

Back up and Taven catches him in a fireman’s carry and drops Haskins throat first on the top rope. We take another break and come back with Taven pulling on the arm again but getting pulled down into a Crossface. Make that the Rings of Saturn as Taven is getting too close to the ropes. A foot on the rope makes the save and Taven is fine enough to hit a running knee to the face for two.

An enziguri into a Blue Thunder Bomb gives Taven two more but he misses the frog splash. The Gibson Driver gets two on Taven and they’re both down again. It’s Haskins up first and kicking at the chest until stereo dropkicks give us another double knockdown. They get up and slug it out with Haskins dropping him and hitting the top rope double stomp for two.

Haskins takes him to the apron but gets caught with the Climax. Back in and Taven hits the frog splash for two and the big shocked face. Haskins is mostly dead but manages to roll into a Sharpshooter….and here’s Bully Ray (Commentary: “NO!!!!”) to ask how Haskins’ wife is. The distraction lets Taven get in a cheap shot and the Climax retains at 25:52.

Rating: B+. Man they had me going there until the Bully Ray ending, which has been done so many times before. As usual, Haskins is one of the most entertaining guys on the roster and Taven can do very well when he drops the talking and just goes in the ring. I liked this one quite a bit and if they had done ANYTHING but the Ray ending, it would have been even better.

Taven talks his feud with Ultimo Guerrero in Mexico. That made him into a bigger deal and they did it again in America.

From ROH TV, July 4, 2018.

Matt Taven vs. Ultimo Guerrero

Oh it’s a post pay per view TV show for sure. No Vinny Marseglia with Taven and TK O’Ryan here and I don’t find that to be a bad thing. This is an old rivalry and Guerrero works a top wristlock to start. The fans give that a LUCHA LIBRE chant and it’s time for a standoff, complete with a lack of commentary for some reason. After chasing O’Ryan away, Guerrero sends Taven to the apron and baseball slides him out to the floor.

Taven gets thrown into the crowd and O’Ryan goes into the barricade to keep things even. Another whip sends Guerrero into the barricade as well and we take a break. Back with Guerrero fighting out of a chinlock but gets enziguried out to the floor. That sets up Taven’s great looking no hands dive but Guerrero steps to the side. Taven and O’Ryan are set on a chair for a big wipeout, followed by some rapid(ish) fire chops in the corner.

A super gordbuster gets two but Taven is right back with a knee to the face. Back again with Taven getting two off a Lionsault but having a super hurricanrana countered into a superbomb. A springboard enziguri drops Guerrero again but he’s right back up to catch Taven on top. Cue the red balloons and Marseglia from underneath the ring for a distraction though, allowing Taven to hit the Climax for the pin at 14:17.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what to say about this. It wasn’t boring and the work was fine but Guerrero is more a treat for the live crowd and he’s not exactly the biggest name in the world. This really felt like a main event on a show you didn’t need to see and while it was fine, it’s really not a match that I need to see or really care about. Taven has gotten a lot better though.

Post match the Kingdom celebrates for a long time before Taven says he respects Guerrero. Just realize that you’re not as good as Taven of course.

Taven talks about how important these matches are but Vincent cuts in and says he left Taven laying at Final Battle. Vincent is the best of Matt Taven.

Overall Rating: B. That opener is great and is enough to pull the just pretty good main event up. Taven is someone who does not have the best reputation in ROH (fair enough) but things get a lot better when he’s in the ring. This was as good as it was going to get from him and I liked the show well enough. Face Taven could be interesting, and seems like such a natural fit for him. Why did it take until the end of last year to make that happen?

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: January 1, 2019
Host: Ian Riccaboni

It’s the second Best Of 2019 show and this time around we’re looking at the Madison Square Garden G1 Supercard. I’m not sure why Ring of Honor would want to do that given that it was where everything started to fall apart, but they might as well get whatever tiny bit of credit they can, despite New Japan being responsible for the success. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We open with a clip of Kazuchika Okada winning the IWGP Heavyweight Title from Jay White in New York.

From the G1 Supercard.

Never Openweight Title vs. ROH TV Title: Will Ospreay vs. Jeff Cobb

Title for title. They shake hands before the bell and Cobb wastes no time in shouldering him out to the floor. Ospreay gets in a shot for a breather and runs back in for a Flying Space Tiger Drop, which is pulled out of the air. Whatever Cobb was trying is countered into a tornado DDT on the floor but he’s fine enough for the delayed vertical superplex for two back inside. There’s a hue toss across the ring as the power vs. speed is on full display early on.

We hit the bearhug with Ospreay having to elbow his way to freedom and nailing a spinwheel kick to the face. Pip Pip Cheerio gets two but it’s way too early for Stormbreaker as Cobb reverses into a fall away slam. The Samoan drop into the nip up into the standing moonsault gets two as Cobb gets to show off. Ospreay grabs the ropes to avoid the Tour of the Islands and it’s the Spanish Fly to drop the monster. A missile dropkick to Cobb’s bad shoulder keeps him in trouble but Code Red only gets two.

The Oscutter is broken up and Cobb turns him inside out with a clothesline. In a scary sight, Cobb goes up but misses the frog splash. The Oscutter is countered with Ospreay being thrown into the corner, where he bounces right back to make it connect on a second attempt for two. A hook kick to the head drops Cobb and there’s the Cheeky Nandos kick. Ospreay makes the mistake of trying a super Stormbreaker though because it’s a super Tour of the Islands to crush Ospreay dead. A regular version gives Cobb the pin and both titles at 12:56.

Rating: B. That was fun and the perfect choice for an opener. Cobb looked like a star who survived everything Ospreay could throw at him and hit his crazy power moves to retain/win. Power vs. speed is almost as basic as you can get in wrestling and when you do it right, it’s a very cool match, just like this one was.

We look at Rush beating Dalton Castle in less than 20 seconds with Ian explaining the whole thing over the video.

Video on the Honor Rumble.

From G1 Supercard to wrap it up.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jay Lethal vs. Matt Taven vs. Marty Scurll

Lethal is defending in a ladder match and Taven is played to the ring via piano. The ring announcer makes it clear that this ladder match is ONE FALL. You can tell Lethal is fired up to be here, as he should be. Marty goes straight for a ladder so Jay baseball slides it into him. Taven is right there with the no hands dive to take them both down but bangs up his wrist in the process. Lethal goes with some chairs and bridges a ladder between some in the aisle.

That takes too long so Marty jumps him from behind and goes inside to put a pair of ladders in a pair of corners. Lethal and Taven are back in with Jay hitting both of them with ladders to take over. Instead of going up, he bridges a ladder over the bottom rope and of course gets sent face first into it. Marty ties Lethal in the Tree of Woe in the ladder and blasts it with a chair a few times. Lethal is mostly dead so Marty sets up a ladder in the middle, grabs the umbrella, and goes up.

That takes a bit too long though and it’s Taven making the save with a superkick. Taven knees the ladder around Lethal’s neck but it’s Marty going up the ladder. Lethal ties him up in a Figure Four in the ladder but they have to let go so Taven can be stopped. Marty takes a cutter on the apron and Taven powerbombs Lethal onto the bridged ladder in the aisle. This gives Aldis another chance to be the best analyst in wrestling today because he ACTUALLY ANALYZES THINGS.

Back in and Marty gives Taven a 619, which further injures his knee. Taven ladders Marty down and the fans are all over him, because Taven is as popular as a bad fungus. For some reason Taven climbs a ladder in the corner, earning himself a superplex back down. Lethal comes back in and flips out of the chickenwing attempt. With Marty down, Lethal goes up, punches Taven down, and gets caught in the chickenwing on the ladder.

Taven goes up as well and gets his fingers snapped but Lethal kicks them both off the ladder. A Lethal Combination sends Taven into the ladder and Lethal misses a charge, putting one ladder through another in the corner. Marty drops Taven onto the X between the ladders but walks into the Lethal Injection. Lethal throws the double ladder outside and it nearly knocks out half of the first row. Fans: “THAT’S A LAWSUIT!”

Scurll gives Lethal a brainbuster on the floor and loads up a table as Aldis is suddenly very anti-Lethal. Taven is back up and spears Marty off the apron and through the table. They’re both down so Lethal pulls out another table and the big ladder, setting up Hail to the King for the crazy spot of the match. Lethal and Marty go up but Taven busts out a big purple ladder. They all get knock down as Aldis has to explain to Riccaboni why a taller ladder is a good idea. Taven climbs up, hits Lethal in the head with the title, and wins at 29:38.

Rating: B-. This was good for the most part but it’s the worst possible outcome that deflated the crowd. The fans just do not want to see Taven on top of the company and have made that very clear. Instead, he gets the World Title because ROH had put so much time and energy into him that they just did it anyway. The match was entertaining but could have been at least ten minutes shorter on an already long show where New Japan has already lapped ROH five times.

Overall Rating: B. As I was getting some of the matches from the original review, it was really painful to see how much New Japan dominated the Ring of Honor side. The matches were better and their star power was higher, making everything feel that much better and more important. It was a good enough show but it really made me sadder than anything else. Ring of Honor could be something special, but right now, things are not looking good.

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

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

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

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