Ring of Honor
Date: March 27, 2019
Location: RP Funding Center, Lakeland, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

The post-Anniversary Show shows continue here and that means another one off night that may or may not mean anything. There’s always the chance that none of this goes anywhere, which can be rather tiresome. At the same time though, there is a real chance of getting something very nice out of these shows. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dalton Castle/The Boys vs. Lifeblood

Bandido/Tracy Williams/Juice Robinson with Tenille Dashwood for Lifeblood here. Castle sends Robinson to the floor for the strut to start, only to have Robinson throw him to the floor for a strut of his own. Another exchange of tosses to the floor is capped off by Castle being sent over the top but he comes back in for another strut off. It’s off to Williams instead, with the Boys making some rather weird noises to suggest that they want in.

Boy #2 comes in for a chop but has to bring in #1 for threat of being chopped back. The exact same sequence brings #2 back in and Williams chops both of them down for being annoying. Back from a break with Bandido in trouble as #1 hits a top rope double stomp to the arm. Castle slams him down and drops the Boys onto him but Bandido comes back up with a top rope corkscrew crossbody.

Robinson comes in for the snap punches and an airplane spin to #1, capped off by the Juicebox. Pulp Friction connects with Castle making the save, earning himself a big flip dive from Bandido. #1 forearms away but a springboard forearm has no effect. A slingshot hurricanrana takes Castle out but he’s fine enough to dive in for a save. Bandido throws #2 at Castle and Bandido’s rolling German suplex is good for the pin at 12:24.

Rating: C. Castle’s misfortunes continue as I keep trying to figure out how they’re going to turn him heel down the line. You can only have him do so many of his antics before the fans start cheering him again, which has to be expected. Lifeblood is still awesome and could go somewhere, but they need something to do other than one off matches.

Jay Lethal is excited to be wrestling in a sold out Madison Square Garden.

The Briscoes (still with the Tag Team Titles that they lost about two weeks ago) are ready for the MSG show where they’ll win the IWGP Tag Team Titles.

NWA National Title: Willie Mack vs. Rhett Titus

Titus has the Survival of the Fittest trophy and is very oily. An armbar doesn’t get very far on Mack but a headscissors works a lot better. Back up and Mack hits a running knee to the face, setting up the chop off in the corner. A big boot takes Mack down and we take a break with Titus in control.

Back with Mack getting two off a backslide and the swinging slam sets up an inverted Cannonball in the corner. That’s enough to send Titus outside for the running flip dive but it’s too early for a frog splash. Instead Mack goes with a Samoan drop into the standing moonsault. Now the Stunner sets up a frog splash to retain the title at 10:57.

Rating: C-. Mack is awesome and I’m very glad to see him showing up in so many promotions lately. He has such a natural charisma and it’s hard not to want to see him in the ring. Titus was just an opponent here, which has been the case for almost everything that he’s done since the All Night Express. That being said, I’ll take his “I’m in shape and have a trophy” deal over the Dawgs all day.

Bully Ray talks about his WWF successes in Madison Square Garden and throws out an open challenge for Madison Square Garden.

Jay Lethal/Jonathan Gresham vs. Coast 2 Coast

Lethal has bad ribs and they shake hands before we get started. Lethal and Ali start things off with Jay hitting a hard shoulder. The cartwheel into a dropkick is broken up and it’s off to LSG for a running neckbreaker. A suplex doesn’t work on Lethal and it’s a blind tag to bring in Gresham for a German suplex. LSG drives him into the corner though and it’s Ali with a bit of a dance into a spinning splash for two of his own. Gresham starts going after Ali’s leg and we take a break.

Back with Ali hitting something like an Angle Slam to get Gresham off his leg. Everything breaks down and the Lethal Injection is countered with a running flip neckbreaker. We settle down to Lethal and Ali slugging it out until an enziguri takes Ali down. Everything breaks down again and the Lethal Combination drops LSG, who gets sent outside. Gresham slaps the Figure Four on Ali with Gresham diving in for the save. Lethal rolls Gresham forward and a jumping cutter finishes Ali at 11:04.

Rating: C+. Nice enough tag match here as Coast 2 Coast being back is a good prospect. They’re a solid team and can help bolster a somewhat weak tag division outside of the very top. There’s nothing wrong with being in the midcard of the division and that’s where they are likely going to be if they stick around.

Overall Rating: C-. Completely skippable show this week though it was far from bad. It’s yet another example of a show that was taped before the pay per view and therefore has almost nothing in the way of advancing things for the big show. That’s not a good sign with a week to go before Madison Square Garden, but New Japan and the venue itself will be the stars of that show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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 19, 2018
Location: Stage AE, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana, Caprice Coleman

So Final Battle has come and gone but around here….actually you know what I’m going to say here so I’m not even going to bother. It’s going to be a stand alone match tonight, but there’s a chance that we’re going to be seeing something Christmas related. That kind of show has been hit or miss in wrestling history but hopefully it works well here. Let’s get to it.

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

Tonight, Jay Lethal and Matt Taven will be captains in the Christmas Surprise ten man tag. They’ll both be opening presents to find out who their partners will be. Lethal is happy but Taven only wants the rest of the Kingdom on his team because he hates surprises. I think you know where this is going.

Opening sequence.

Twisted Sisterz vs. Britt Baker/Madison Rayne

That would be Thunder Rosa and Holidead, who jumped Baker and Rayne at Survival of the Fittest to set this up. Baker is a hometown girl and rather over as you might have guessed. Some early forearms send Rosa outside and Madison hits a dive off the apron to take them both down. Back in and Madison gets a few rollups on Holidead, who them catches her in a belly to back faceplant to take over.

It’s off to a reverse chinlock to slow Rayne down before Rosa comes in to tie her in the Tree of Woe. That means a running dropkick to send us to a break. Back with Rayne still in trouble as Holidead gets two off a neckbreaker. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Rayne jawbreaks her way to freedom. It’s off to Baker for a running knee in the corner, followed by the Sling Blade.

Back to back basement lariats keep Rosa in trouble but Holidead breaks up what looked to be a double neckbreaker. An Irish Curse into a Backstabber into a Downward Spiral into Rosa slamming Holidead (mostly) onto Baker gets two with Rayne making the save. Holidead hits a sweet spinebuster on Baker, who comes back with a ripcord forearm into a cutter from Rayne. That earns Rayne a shot to the face and White Noise into a top rope double stomp to the back finishes Baker at 9:57.

Rating: C. I was worried that they were going to go with the upset by having the thrown together team win, which would have been a horrible idea as the Sisterz are a nice monster team who could go somewhere if there was somewhere to go in this division. Still though, it’s better than nothing and I’ll take what I can get.

Lethal and Taven open some of their names. Jay is rather pleased but Matt complains about a series of Melvins. No names are given.

We look back at Jeff Cobb winning the TV Title.

Lethal is annoyed that he didn’t get Cheeseburger in the drawing but Caprice Coleman gives him one last present….which is of course Cheeseburger. So who got thrown off Lethal’s team? He didn’t have any names left so why would he be convinced that there was no Cheeseburger?

Taven gets one extra name in the form of a stocking and seems happy for once.

Ian and Colt ask Caprice how he knew what was in the box. Coleman says it was just the Christmas spirit.

Team Lethal vs. Team Taven

Jay Lethal, Cheeseburger, Rhett Titus, Vinny Marseglia, Jeff Cobb

Matt Taven, Brian Milonas, Jonathan Gresham, Beer City Bruiser, Marty Scurll

Milonas and Bruiser come in from the bar, as they should. As you might guess, there’s quite an argument over who is starting here. There’s also an argument over the Christmas attire the wrestlers are wearing, because this isn’t quite as serious as some matches. Lethal even tries to engineer a trade with Gresham for Marseglia but that’s against the rules, which are strictly followed around here. The fans give us a MERRY CHRISTMAS chant as Lethal and Gresham start things off.

The technical sequence goes to Gresham but it’s Bruiser tagging himself in because Gresham isn’t willing to cheat. It’s off to Bruiser for a headlock but Lethal speeds things up and takes the skin off his chest with some chops. The hiptoss into the basement dropkick keeps Bruiser in trouble and we take a break.

Back with Taven wanting and receiving Cheeseburger, who comes in with some pushups. Taven immediately tags out to bring in Milonas, but Cheeseburgers is willing to fight for himself. A headlock doesn’t get Cheeseburger very far so he tries speeding things up and jumping over Milonas in the corner until Milonas needs oxygen. Titus comes in without a tag and tries a suplex until Cheeseburger, Milonas and Bruiser suplex Cheeseburger and Titus at the same time. Marseglia isn’t going to be outdone because he brings in an ax to scare Marty.

Someone throws Marty the umbrella, but he opts to tag out to Taven instead. No one will tag either of them though and it’s time for the fight that everyone else in the match wants to see. They hit the ropes a few times before heading outside for the huge brawl. Bruiser goes up top for the huge dive to take everyone out and it’s off to a break.

Back with Lethal superkicking Marseglia out of instinct, bringing Taven in to deck Lethal. A bunch of splashes in the corner have Lethal in trouble, with Taven having to kick Gresham and whip him in. That goes badly for Taven as Lethal starts whipping people into Taven in the corner. Stereo basement dropkicks to Taven set up a German suplex from Cobb. The dog pile cover gets two with Gresham diving over for the save.

Bruiser comes in and turns Lethal inside out with a clothesline. Milonas starts cleaning house but Cobb picks him up, only to have Scull shove him over before the Tour of the Islands can hit. Taven beats up Cheeseburger (this guy’s all right) but gets caught in the Lethal Injection. Cobb suplexes Milonas to a big pop and hits a good Tour of the Islands on Bruiser for the pin at 15:34.

Rating: C+. Cobb is a beast and something like this is going to be on his highlight reel for a long time. This was the kind of match that is a fun way to fill in a show that doesn’t mean much. Even the announcers were talking about how this wasn’t as serious and the interaction between the guys were fine. It’s a good idea for a match and the people had a fun time, which was the point.

Overall Rating: C. Much like the main event, this whole show was little more than a way to fill in a week as we move from Final Battle to the start of the new year. The next two weeks or so are going to be Best Of shows so they might as well have some fun here. I liked the main event and the opener was fine so it served its purpose well enough.

Results

Twisted Sisterz b. Britt Baker/Madison Rayne – Top rope double stomp to Baker

Team Lethal b. Team Taven – Tour of the Islands to Bruiser

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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