IMG Credit: Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor
Date: July 3, 2019
Location: ShoWare Center, Kent, Washington
Commentator: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re past Best in the World and other than commentary saying “we’re past Best in the World and it was awesome”, you probably won’t be hearing anything about the show because this was taped in advance. It’s another stand alone show and odds are the NWA will be getting a focus, though that’s not the worst thing in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a very quick video on tonight’s main event of Mark Haskins vs. Jeff Cobb.

Opening sequence.

Jay Briscoe vs. PCO

They go with the exchange of shoulders and uppercuts to start until Jay kicks him in the face. A backdrop sends PCO outside, which just seems to get on his nerves so he chops away even more. Another backdrop sends PCO back first onto the apron though and we take an early break. Back with Jay swearing as he’s cut in something close to White Noise. Some running shots to the face and a forearm to the back put Jay down.

The Cannonball gets two and Jay gets in even more trouble with a Cactus Clothesline to send both of them outside. A running flip dive through the ropes drops Jay again but he’s right back with a hot shot onto the barricade. Jay puts him in a chair for a running crossbody but gets yelled at for bringing the chair inside. The slugout goes to PCO, who hits a pop up powerbomb and goes up for the PCOsault. Jay is right back up with a chair shot though and that’s the DQ at 10:50.

Rating: C-. Not a bad power match here with Jay being the kind of guy who can put over a million people and still be one of the biggest stars the company has ever seen. PCO on the other hand could still be in the World Title scene and there is no reason to have him lose clean. Throw in the Briscoes vs. NWA story and this was a well booked match, although not the most thrilling.

Post match Mark Briscoe comes out and it’s a Froggy Bow to put PCO through a table.

Mark Haskins says he and his family need him to beat Jeff Cobb.

Cobb promises to suplex Haskins back to England.

Brian Johnson promises Josh Woods that he’ll bring honor to the Top Prospect Tournament and not be a failure like Woods. A glare sends Johnson running.

Coast 2 Coast vs. Shane Taylor/Bully Ray

Ray tells Bobby Cruise to get out of the ring because he’ll do his own entrance. Hold on though as Ray needs to go to the floor to yell at a kid. Taylor and Ali start things off nearly two minutes into the match with Ali slapping him in the face. Some strikes work a bit better but Taylor easily catches a crossbody. LSG comes in for some forearms to the back and we take a break.

Back with Ray crotching Ali against the post and Taylor adding a headbutt as the slow offense can continue. Ray takes way too long winding up the Bionic elbow and gets superkicked in the chest. He’s fine enough to hit the powerbomb but misses a splash, allowing the tag to LSG. House is cleaned, including a high crossbody for two on Taylor and a double superkick to send Bully outside. Back to back frog splashes get two more on Taylor but Ray breaks up Coast to Coast (the second move that Ian said gave the team their name). Greetings From 216 finishes Ali at 10:27.

Rating: C. Better than the opener but Taylor and Ray as some of the top heels in the company isn’t interesting. Ray feels like someone who is there because he has to be whether you want him there or not. Taylor feels like a monster, but he’s coming off like Ray’s far too talented enforcer. I get why Ray is here, but there’s a firm limit to how far things are going with him as the big heel.

We look at Tracy Williams winning a four way match to earn a World Title shot next week.

Mark Haskins vs. Jeff Cobb

Cobb wrestles him down to the mat without much effort but Haskins pulls him into an ankle lock, which leaves Cobb impressed. Another technical exchange gives us a standoff and we take a break. Back with a chop off going to Cobb but his standing moonsault is blocked. Haskins reverses a powerbomb attempt into a triangle choke but he sends Haskins fast first into the buckle in a rather strong counter.

Haskins fights out of a bearhug and leapfrogs over a charging Cobb to send him outside. The suicide dive connects and a top rope double stomp is good for two. Cobb forearms him in the back though and nails a spinning piledriver for two of his own. Back from another break with Haskins starting in on the arm with a stomp and a cross armbreaker. Cobb bails to the floor for the escape so Haskins kicks the arm from the apron. That’s fine with Cobb, who grabs the spinning belly to back onto the floor.

They both dive in at nineteen and Cobb catches him with a snap German suplex. The standing moonsault crushes Haskins’ back but the Tour of the Islands is blocked again. Haskins can’t get the Sharpshooter so he settles for a Samoan driver for two instead. Cobb catches him on top but Haskins blocks the superplex attempt. A Kimura is blocked so Haskins settles for knocking him off the top. The double stomp misses again though and it’s the Tour of the Islands to finish Haskins at 16:05.

Rating: B. Rather good match here with the two of them playing off of each other well. It takes a lot to make Cobb sweat so Haskins looked strong in defeat. They played well with the back vs. the arm and both guys trying to hit their finisher until Cobb got his was all you needed it to be.

Overall Rating: C+. This was an easy show to watch with three matches that showcased different people. It gets annoying having to wait forever to get to the big storyline stuff, but it means less Matt Taven and that’s just good news these days. It’s pretty clear that the top storylines aren’t working at the moment (the attendance for this show was a disaster, as was the case at Best in the World) so going with the wrestling is the best idea they have.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 12, 2019
Location: The Odeum, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Nick Aldis

It’s a big week this time around as we have hometown boy and NWA National Champion Colt Cabana defending the title against James Storm. I’m not sure how smart it is to have another promotion tying in to ROH but I’m also not sure if the company knows how to survive otherwise. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

NWA National Title: Colt Cabana vs. James Storm

Cabana is defending and that title is still hideous. They lock up to start with Storm missing a right hand in the corner, prompting Colt to tell the referee to admonish him. Cabana grabs a headlock as they’re firmly in half gear so far. A cartwheel over Storm lets Colt go right back to the headlock but Storm is right back with a weak Sling Blade. Last Call misses as Cabana bails to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Cabana working on the arm, followed by a falling splash. Storm trips him down though and gets in a kick to the head. Some right hands to the same general area keep the champ in trouble, setting up a running knee to the face. That’s good for a delayed two as they’re really not exactly putting in that much energy here. Cabana fights out of a chinlock and blocks the Eye of the Storm.

A headscissors puts Storm down but Colt can’t follow up, after those devastating….what did Storm do that should keep him down? Cabana gets up for his running shoulder in the corner, setting up the double jump splash for two. Back from another break with Storm sending him into the barricade and then sending him into the barricade again.

Storm stops to glare at Aldis on commentary before breaking the count like a veteran. The delay lets Cabana get in a hiptoss onto the concrete and it’s a moonsault for two back inside. Storm hits a pair of Last Calls but puts on the Cloverleaf to mess with Aldis even more. The bell rings without a tap….because the fifteen minute time limit has expired (at 16:34).

Rating: D+. This was more long than anything else with Cabana surviving. I’m sure they’re setting up Storm vs. Aldis, which makes a lot of sense as Storm is still someone who can go in the ring and looks like a star. The NWA doesn’t have the deepest roster in the world at the moment so someone with some credibility like Storm is a good idea.

Post match Cabana says he’ll go five more minutes but here are the Briscoes to beat down Cabana to vent some frustrations with the NWA. The Briscoes say everyone has been screwing them so it’s time for them to do some screwing of their own (I’m sure there’s a Deliverance joke in there somewhere). They call out Aldis (Nick: “Oh we’re going there?”) so the tie comes off and the fight is on. The Briscoes take care of Aldis with no trouble and stand tall over he and Cabana.

Back with a recap of what we just saw as we’re now over halfway through the show.

We run down the Best in the World card.

We get the second half of Jeff Cobb’s biographical video, now focusing on his journey into pro wrestling. He didn’t know it existed in Hawaii but he knew he had to get into it and started training. War Machine got him into Ring of Honor and here he is. Then he won the TV Title in three minutes and he can do the same with the World Title. They’re doing well here.

Here’s Silas Young for a match but first, he talks about how he’s a changed man. He isn’t going to keep taking shortcuts because there isn’t a better pure wrestler in the world than him. Sure he could have a mat classic against anyone in the back right now, but he’s found a guy who has beaten Lou Thesz, Johnny Saint and Billy Robinson. That would be….THE SQUID.

Silas Young vs. The Squid

It’s a guy in trunks and a mask. Squid works on a wristlock to start so Young does a bunch of nipups to escape. That sets up a handshake as Squid keeps waving his hands. They go to the mat with Silas’ half crab sending Squid over to the ropes. Another handshake gets Squid pulled into a headlock, followed by a shoulder. An abdominal stretch makes Squid tap at 2:03.

Post match Young keeps the hold on and lights up a cigarette at the same time. Young has been awesome over the last few weeks.

We recap Bully Ray vs. Lifeblood, which hasn’t been all that interesting because Ray feels like he’s been feuding with the entire company forever now.

Here’s Mark Haskins for a chat. He talks about wanting to be a professional wrestler instead of an entertainer. A few months ago, he and Bandido tore the house down and Juice Robinson was watching. That was enough to set up Lifeblood and the ranks were formed, including Tenille Dashwood. Then Bully Ray powerbombed her through a table, so Ray needs to get out here right now.

Post break here’s Ray, to say he’ll take Haskins up on his challenge. He wants the ring announcer and the referee out of the ring first and the two scamper off. Ray gets in and asks if Haskins is going to bite with the barking. He talks about his retirement last year in this very arena, drawing a RETIRE AGAIN chant. Ray brings up the fans refusing to let him leave last year and the grown men crying in the front row. They cried because they’re suckers just like Haskins.

See, he lied because that’s what he’s been doing for his entire career. No one has been able to stop him so why can Haskins be the one to shut him up? Haskins wants to fight but here’s Shane Taylor to interrupt. Tracy Williams comes out to even things up before anything gets physical. Ray tells the referee to get back in the ring and start the match.

Bully Ray/Shane Taylor vs. Mark Haskins/Tracy Williams

And no match as the Soldiers of Savagery run in to jump Haskins for the DQ at 28 seconds.

Post match the big beatdown is on but PJ Black runs in with a chair. The numbers get the better of Black though and Ray superbombs him through the table to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. So yeah, one real match and that was for an NWA Title. This show was all about the villains dominating in three different stories and while that can work, it’s not the most thrilling stuff in the world this time around. You have the Briscoes as monsters, which has been done several times before. Young is more of a smarmy heel, who will get taken down by Jonathan Gresham in a good match to blow off an entertaining angle.

Then you have the big angle though, with Ray leading a four man (so far) heel team to fight Lifeblood. That’s good enough on paper, but as soon as Ray is the focal point of the heel team, it starts to fall apart. I like the idea of Lifeblood but Ray, Taylor and two monsters aren’t exactly interesting villains. It’s an idea, but it feels like something that has been done by better villains before. I can appreciate them trying something here and it was far from terrible. It’s just not very interesting and that’s going to be a problem.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: May 15, 2019
Location: Stage AE, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s not a good sign when I have to look back at my notes to see what is going on with today’s show. Since the MSG show, nothing has really stuck with me, aside from Dalton Castle’s nice heel confirming segment last week. The shows haven’t been terrible, but I need something a little better than not very memorable. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Shinobi Shadow Squad vs. Coast To Coast vs. Bouncers

That would be Cheeseburger/Ryan Nova for the Squad. Ali headlocks Nova to start but can’t get an O’Connor roll. A rolling neckbreaker takes Ali down and it’s off to Cheeseburger as the match quality seems likely to go down. Everything breaks down and the Bouncers squash both teams in the corner with some running splashes. Bruiser bites various people but insists that he can’t do it because he has no teeth.

With that paradox confounding some people, Coast to Coast kick the Bouncers out to the floor, leaving the Squad to dropkick Ali and LSG into the corner. Ali is right back up with the big flip dive onto the floor onto various people, sending us to a break. Back with Cheeseburger in trouble, including a slingshot hilo into a chinlock from LSG.

Nova gets knocked off the apron so Cheeseburger settles for a tag off to Milonas, who kicks the heck out of Ali to take over. The swinging Boss Man Slam gives Milonas two as everything breaks down. Nova tries some forearms on Milonas and Cheeseburger has to save him from certain doom. Double superkicks stagger Milonas but Bruiser clotheslines Nova. That leaves Cheeseburger to dive onto Coast to Coast and it’s Closing Time to finish Nova at 9:56.

Rating: C-. Heaven help me but I think I’m starting to like the Bouncers. They don’t do anything revolutionary and they’re rather limited in the ring, but they do what they do quite well. It also helps a lot when so many members of the roster are smaller guys and you have these two monsters. That makes them stand out so much more and it helped a lot here. Not a bad triple threat either.

We recap Flip Gordon challenging Matt Taven for the World Title.

We look at the end of last week’s show with Lifeblood calling out Bully ray for revenge over what he did to Tenille Dashwood.

We look back at the Allure attacking Jenny Rose and Kelly Klein.

We look back at Dalton Castle attacking the Boys. Why are we recapping the last two weeks?

We recap (erg) the Honor Rumble from MSG where Great Muta and Jushin Thunder Liger gave us an awesome moment but we needed to push Kenny King because that has worked so well over the years.

Here’s Kenny King….who is now blind because of being misted in the Rumble. King should be happy right now but since he’s blind, all of his happiness is gone. Since he started at #1 though, he should be called Kenny “Shawn Michaels” King. He brags about throwing out Muta and Liger to win but then Muta misted him and took away his vision. What matters most though is that he and Matt Taven are boys, but King is coming for the title. Before that though, he’s coming for Jay Lethal, albeit after he has his eye surgery. Lethal will bent the knee.

Flip Gordon talks about his knee injury and how hard he worked to beat the timetable for his return. Now he’s ready for his World Title shot next week on the 400^th episode.

Flex Simmons vs. Josh Woods

Simmons is a guy with a rather limited physique who poses a lot. Woods spears him, faceplants him and finishes with the Seismic Toss (reverse fireman’s carry slam) at 38 seconds. Are they allergic to wrestling on this show?

Post break Woods says he’s down to fight. His shirt saying “down to fight” implied that.

Shane Taylor vs. Bandido

Bandido tries some early grappling before just superkicking the much bigger Shane in the face. Taylor’s jumping sitdown splash misses and a basement dropkick puts him on the floor. That means the suicide dive, followed by the Fosbury Flop dive to send us to a break. Back with Taylor not liking being hit in the chest, meaning it’s a single chop to bring Bandido to his knees.

Another chop puts Bandido on his back but he’s right back up and trying a fireman’s carry for some reason. That just earns him a heck of a chokeslam, followed by an even harder right hand. Taylor talks trash before tossing Bandido across the ring as the beating slows down. A running corner clothesline crushes Bandido again and a running clothesline in the middle gets two. Elbows to the face and shoulder give Shane two more and he punches a diving Bandido out of the air for a great visual.

Back from another break with Bandido slugging away again and no selling a shot to the face. He sells a chokeslam though, with Shane going down as well from near exhaustion. Bandido tries a discus forearm but gets headbutted away, allowing Shane to hit a swinging Downward Spiral for two. Another right hand breaks up another springboard and a hanging Stunner gives Shane two more. Ok these kickouts are getting ridiculous. Somehow Bandido is back with a springboard crossbody and a GTS of all things. The 21 Plex finishes Taylor at 13:56.

Rating: B. They lost me near the end there as Shane has been knocking people silly for a long time now and Bandido survived all of it before winning in the end. That’s a lot to take and I didn’t buy it near the ending there. Bandido is a star in the making (if not one already) but this was a bit of a stretch. I’m sure Shane is going to be fine, but that was a little too far with the kickouts.

Post match here’s Bully Ray because OF COURSE IT’S BULLY RAY in the big closing. Ray goes after Bandido but Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams run in. The yelling is on but the newly signed Soldiers of Savagery come in and beat down Lifeblood. Bully Ray and Shane Taylor are confused and ask each other who brought in the Soldiers. The Soldiers leave on their own to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. The wrestling was better than usual here but egads what was that big stretch of recaps in the middle? It felt like they had to edit something out and that was all they had to fill in time. I’ve said it for the last few weeks but they continue to squander the momentum they had from the biggest show they’ve ever had. That’s rather disappointing but honestly, I’m not really surprised.

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: April 17, 2019
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

The fallout from Supercard of Honor continues to be delayed as we’re still not quite ready to get to New York yet. As usual, that means we could be going in a variety of ways as you never know what sort of things this company will throw at you. Odds are it won’t be storyline based though, which can get old after awhile. Let’s get to it.

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

The Briscoe Brothers aren’t happy with having to qualify for the Crockett Cup. That’s cool though, as they’ll throw someone a beating tonight to make it in. After tonight though, they’re not responsible for what happens.

Opening sequence.

Shane Taylor vs. Luchasaurus

Shane yells a lot and they take turns shoving each other in the face. Luchasaurus’ kick to the legs gets on Shane’s nerves so he chops the heck out of Luchasaurus’ chest. Some more kicks have Taylor in trouble but a right hand on the apron sets up a hanging Stunner for two.

Back from a break with Shane shrugging off a knee to the face and getting two more off a chokeslam. The Snake Bites (anklescissors faceplant) into the Shining Lizard (yep) gives Luchasaurus two of his own and they trade the big shots to the face. One heck of a clothesline blasts Luchasaurus for two more but something like Black Mass rocks Shane again. A chokeslam sets up a standing moonsault to Shane’s raised knees and Shane blasts him with a knee of his own. Greetings From 216 finish Luchasaurus at 8:11.

Rating: C+. Shane can have some awesome hoss fights and while this one was good, it wasn’t quite up to the levels of his fights with Jeff Cobb. Luchasaurus is a great monster, though having him lose here doesn’t do him a ton of good. I could see Shane being a great monster for someone to slay, though I’m not sure who that someone would be.

We look at Silas Young cheating to beat Jonathan Gresham last week.

Young and Gresham get in an argument in the back but they’re separated pretty quickly. A rematch is teased for later.

Sumie Sakai/Mayu Iwatani vs. Katie Forbes/Mazzerati

Tenille Dashwood is on commentary and announces that she is cleared to get back in the ring (which ring isn’t specified). Forbes is debuting here (she was at the Impact United We Stand show and didn’t exactly stand out). She’s also rather, ahem, hippy and that seems to be the main focus of her existence. Mazzerati slaps Iwatani in the face to start so it’s a fast paced Japanese armdrag to take Mazzerati down.

Since Mazzerati realizes how far in over her head she really is, it’s off to Sumie vs. Forbes for a change. Katie shoves her into the corner so Sakai kicks her in the foot (which seems to take three tries for Forbes to get the hint) and hits the Mongolian chops in the corner. Forbes hips her in the head and follows with a handspring hip attack in the corner. A Stinkface (yeah you get the idea) sends us to a break with the announcers calling this “terrible”.

Back with Mazzerati kicking Sakai in the knee and getting frustrated at the kickout. The legdrop misses so Sakai gets in a running knee but Forbes intercepts Iwatani on the floor. Sumie grabs a fisherman’s neckbreaker to drop Mazzerati again and this time the tag works just fine. Everything breaks down and Iwatani springboard wristdrags both of them at once. Dashwood: “I can do that but I just hold it back.”

Iwatani’s middle rope missile dropkick sets up a missile dropkick to give Sakai two. Forbes fireman’s carries both of them at once and does some squats before hitting the Samoan drop. There’s no cover so Iwatani superkicks Forbes, leaving Mazzerati to take Smash Mouth for the pin at 10:00.

Rating: D+. I would go into a little more on Forbes but I’d be surprised if she’s brought back. Her entire thing was the hips and that got annoying in a hurry because it feels out of place around here. Forbes wasn’t working for me and the act wasn’t great when it started and aged even faster. Mazzerati needs more work but there’s potential there. Just keep her away from Forbes, who was the big problem with the match.

PJ Black is impressed with Bandido and doesn’t like the cheating ways.

Crockett Cup Qualifying Match: Jeff Cobb/Willie Mack vs. Briscoes

This could be good. Mark and Mack chop the heck out of each other to start and you know they’re both cool with that. A crossbody takes Mark down and a knee to the head makes it even worse. Cobb comes in for his very delayed vertical suplex and the Briscoes are in trouble. Jay comes in to face Cobb and we take a fast break.

Back with Cobb charging into Jay’s elbow in the corner and a double elbow dropping him again. Some knees to the head and an elbow of his own put Jay down and they head outside. Mark isn’t that patient though and hits a big dive onto both of them to put Cobb back in trouble. Jay fires off the hard shoulders in the corner and a snap suplex (with some trash talk to Mack) has Cobb in rare trouble.

A dropkick gets Cobb out of trouble, because a 280lb Olympic wrestler can throw a great dropkick, and it’s the hot tag bringing in Mack. The reverse Cannonball gets two on Mark but Jay sends Mack into something close to a Claymore for two. We take another break and come back with Mark headbutting Mack in the corner with some surprising success. The neck crank goes on for a bit but Mack hits a pop up Downward Spiral (that’s a new one). The tag brings in Cobb but Jay comes in without a tag of his own in what seems like a bit of chicanery.

Cobb suplexes both of them in a row and then does it at the same time to show off. A standing moonsault gets two on Mark, who is right back with a Pele of all things. Jay’s crazy hard lariat gets two as Mack is back to life for the latest hot tag. Mack hits a Samoan drop into a standing moonsault for two on Jay and it’s time to head outside. Since Mack and Cobb can never get together, Mark hits a running Blockbuster off the apron to drop Mack again.

Back in and Mack is fine enough for a t-bone suplex for two but walks into the Doomsday Device. Cobb shoves Jay into the cover for the save and breaks up Redneck Boogey for a bonus. The Stunner into a swinging German suplex sets up Mack’s frog splash for two on Mark in a great false finish. Jay grabs Mark to block the Tour of the Islands so it’s Mack and Mark chopping it out again. Mack hits a running big boot but Jay comes back in for a hurricanrana into the Jay Driller. Just in case, Mark drops the Froggy Bow for the pin at 19:44.

Rating: A-. I dug the heck out of this one as they were nailing it throughout with an energy you don’t get around here very often. The best thing I can say about it though was that it felt like an old NWA main event tag. Back in the day you would have a random pairing against a regular team (usually the Horsemen or the Midnight Express) and they would tear the house down with an awesome match. Cut about three minutes out of this and it’s even better, which is quite the accomplishment. Check this one out, and probably the Crockett Cup too.

Overall Rating: B+. The main event is more than enough to carry this one as far as it needed to go, though the rest of the card doesn’t exactly live up to that level. I want to see the Crockett Cup though, which is about all this show needed to do. They need to get to the main stories though because this isn’t going to be the norm for these shows.

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

17^th Anniversary Show
Date: March 15, 2019
Location: Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, Nick Aldis

I think the title of this show speaks for itself as we have a big pay per view in honor of the company’s founding. The main event is Jay Lethal defending the World Title against Matt Taven, who continues to get a rocket push for reasons that tend to elude me. Other than that, the improbably rise of PCO continues as Villain Enterprises challenge the Briscoes for the Tag Team Titles. Let’s get to it.

The opening video focuses on Jay Lethal’s records as World Champion but Matt Taven hijacks the video, saying that he’s tired of having his greatness ignored. Now you can start the show.

Kenny King vs. Marty Scurll

They’re both villains and have traded wins of late but Scurll does it with a smile. Kenny even brings out his own Scurll look alike to really rub things in. An uppercut sends King to the floor at the bell and Marty hits the apron superkick just as fast. Back in and they trade chops in the corner before Marty scores with an elbow to the face. Kenny is right back with a neck snap over the top and a springboard Blockbuster for the first two.

A Blue Thunder Bomb gets the second and we’re onto the chinlock. Aldis even analyzes that, as he’s very, very good on commentary so far. Marty fights up and goes up top, earning himself an enziguri to the floor. Of course the being down part doesn’t last long and it’s a tornado DDT off the apron for a knockdown. A snap German suplex into a backbreaker gets two on Kenny and there’s a 619 of all things for the same. King is right back with some kicks to the head and a spinebuster gets two.

With the wrestling not working, Marty starts going after the fingers so King sends him outside for a senton from the apron. Back in and the Royal Flush connects but Scurll rolls outside as King is down too for some reason. Frustration sets in so King grabs a chair, which is taken away in all of a second, allowing Marty to hit him with the umbrella for the pin at 12:45.

Rating: C. Perfectly watchable opener here with Marty using the cheating to win as is his custom. You knew Marty would win here but they did the entertaining stuff to get the fans into the show, which is the entire point of an opener like this. King continues to be fine as the midcard heel and losing to someone about to fight for the World Title next month isn’t going to hurt him.

We recap Jeff Cobb vs. Shane Taylor. It’s a battle of the bulls with Taylor being the only person who can hang with Cobb’s size and power. Cobb has been unstoppable since debuting and winning the title so this should be fun.

TV Title: Shane Taylor vs. Jeff Cobb

Cobb is defending and the fight is on at the bell with both of them no selling release suplexes. A dropkick staggers Shane but he Pounces Cobb off his feet. Some very hard chops have Cobb in trouble but he headbutts and uppercuts his way out of trouble. A running big boot sends Taylor outside, where he spears Cobb to take over again.

Back in and a Cannonball misses, meaning Cobb can throw him around with a pumphandle suplex (that’s insane). Taylor goes back to the strikes to the face until Cobb hits a clothesline, though his swing sends him falling to the floor. Back in again and they square up to each other for the slugout with Cobb hitting a running elbow in the corner. Taylor headbutts his way out of a superplex attempt so Cobb throws him down, setting up the standing moonsault for another near fall.

A spinebuster into a middle rope splash gives Taylor two of his own, only to have Cobb hit a bridging German suplex for the same. Just because they haven’t shown off enough yet, Taylor hits a running Canadian Destroyer and the kickout more than seals his fate. Cobb has had it and hits the Tour of the Islands…but Taylor starts getting up. That means a second Tour of the Islands to finally put Taylor away at 13:28.

Rating: B. This was FUN. These guys beat the heck out of each other as only two hosses can and that’s what everyone wanted to see them do. Cobb is a special kind of talent and Taylor has gone way beyond just being a big guy. I had a lot of fun with this as it was a pure popcorn match in the vein of an old monster movie.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Mayu Iwatani won the title from Kelly Klein in a big upset and now it’s time for a rematch. Normally there would be more character building and development than that, but not in ROH.

Women’s Title: Kelly Klein vs. Mayu Iwatani

Iwatani is defending while Klein comes out with Camp Kelly, her unnamed goons. They actually shake hands before Klein jumps her at the bell, continuing a trend tonight. The champ gets knocked outside and it’s some knees to the face to keep her in trouble inside. There’s a running elbow to the face to cut off a comeback attempt as Coleman compares this to Razor Ramon vs. the 1-2-3 Kid, except Iwatani is called a star and not a rookie. And she won a long match instead of a fluke. Other than that, totally the same thing.

Iwatani fights back and hits a few kicks to set up a double stomp to the ribs. Klein wins a strike off though and sends Iwatani outside for a rather odd breather. Back in and they trade German suplexes, with Iwatani landing HARD on her neck. Mayu is fine enough to take Kelly down and hit a quick moonsault, but an attempt at a second only hits knees. K Power gives Klein two but her excessive trash talking lets Iwatani slap on a small package for the pin at 8:52.

Rating: C-. Still perfectly watchable, still have no reason to be interested in either of these two. Klein has at least been built up a little bit over the last few months…and then she loses to a Stardom name who you don’t likely know unless you follow that promotion. It’s a fine enough match, but absolutely nothing noteworthy.

We recap Lifeblood forming and their efforts to bring Ring of Honor back to normal. This included destroying Matt Taven’s fake World Title, meaning it’s time for Lifeblood vs. the rest of the Kingdom tonight.

It’s not time for the tag match yet though as here’s Taven to say he’s not waiting another second for his title shot so let’s do this RIGHT NOW.

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

Lethal is defending and they go straight to swinging instead of shaking hands. Some chops have Taven in early trouble until he suplexes the champ down for two. A clothesline gives Lethal the same but Taven is right back with some knees. Lethal is a little more down to earth with a right hand to the face and a suplex so Taven gives him a running forearm to the face.

We hit the chinlock on the champ to slow things down until Lethal is right back up with a dragon screw legwhip (remember that Taven had a major knee injury). The Lethal Injection is broken up and Taven blasts him with a spinning kick to the face. The chinlock goes back on as we get the breaking news of Will Ospreay challenging Jeff Cobb for the New York show. Cool match, though not the best time to announce it here.

Back up with Lethal favoring his shoulder and getting knocked out to the floor. That goes nowhere as Lethal nails a dropkick and starts in on the back with some knees. The reverse chinlock has Taven in trouble here as they seem to be burning through a lot of time. That’s broken up as well and Lethal gets two off a quick powerslam. Lethal goes for an inverted Texas Cloverleaf (with Lethal sitting on the mat and pushing on the legs) but the bad shoulder means it’s only with one arm.

That’s broken up as well so Lethal starts chopping and knocks Taven outside for four straight suicide dives, each on a different side of the ring. As you might expect, Lethal’s shoulder is banged up but his legs are fine enough to stomp on the bad knee. A kneecrusher gets two and the referee checks on Taven, allowing him to pike Lethal in the eye. Taven starts back in on the arm (makes sense) with a DDT on said arm and then just a hard pull. The cross armbreaker doesn’t last long so it’s a Stroke into a crossthroat/face.

With Lethal getting close to the ropes Taven switches into the Rings of Saturn, meaning Lethal needs to use a foot to make the rope. They stare each other down with Lethal headbutting him, earning himself more damage to the shoulder. A sitout gordbuster (not a sitout Falcon Arrow Ian) knocks Lethal silly, though not silly enough that he can’t hit a Lethal Combination. An enziguri has Taven in even more trouble and it’s time for Hail To The King….but the red balloons pop up for a distraction from Vinny Marseglia, allowing TK O’Ryan to hit Lethal with a baseball bat.

Jonathan Gresham runs in for the save and gets his ankle crushed by a chair. They load up a table but Haskins and Williams make a save as Gresham is taken out. Taven hits a low blow into the Climax for a very close two and the shock sets in. The frog splash gets the same so he tries it again, with the second attempt hitting knees. Lethal’s cutter connects for two more and they slug it out one more time.

A torture rack into a reverse Regal Roll gives Lethal another near fall but Hail to the King is countered into a crucifix. Lethal doesn’t even get to his feet as he grabs the leg for the Figure Four. The rope is finally grabbed so it’s time to stomp on the legs some more, much to Aldis’ delight. The knee is strong enough to revers a suplex to send Lethal over the top and through the table at ringside, with the shoulder taking a lot of it.

That’s only good for two as well and a backpack Stunner gets the same. You should be able to tell what’s coming here and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Lethal gets in a Climax of his own, setting up the Lethal Injection for the closest two yet and the fans are shocked. You don’t see that kind of a reaction too often around here and it worked well. Lethal isn’t sure what to do so he drops him face first onto the apron, with Taven not being able to get back inside.

A table is pulled out as Taven pulls himself to the apron. Lethal takes too long again and it’s a DDT to send the shoulder into the apron. Taven bridges a ladder between the apron and the table but Lethal dropkicks him onto the ladder, which can’t end well. Another Hail to the King only hits ladder, which doesn’t break, though Lethal himself may.

Lethal has to be helped out so Taven hits the still great looking dive over the top to take everyone out. The Climax gets two but Lethal is out so Taven knees him in the head over and over…for two. Another frog splash is countered into another cutter for another near fall. With nothing else working, they slug it out from their knees until Lethal hits a superkick. A second Lethal Injection connects for the nearest near fall you’ll see in ROH and time expires at 60:00.

Rating: B+. I had a very good time with this one and they told an awesome story, though there was a stretch where things dragged in the second half. What matters the most is there’s a reason to believe that Taven can win because Lethal couldn’t finish him off. The good thing here though is I bought Taven as someone who was a threat to the title, which is quite impressive given how horribly uninteresting his promos and character have been over the last….ever actually. Anyway, great match here, and I get why they went with this in the middle of the show instead of the close.

Post match they’re both done so Marty Scurll comes out to hold up the title. Both guys get helped out.

Silas Young has attacked Gresham backstage.

Here’s a rapper named Mega Ran to perform but Bully Ray interrupts to say rap music sucks. Ray insults Man’s name being ripped off from a video game and then accuses Ran of playing wrestling games as a kid and playing as him. Ran: “Actually I played as D-Von.” Ray goes after both of them but security gets rid of them. That leaves Ray to rant about being the only one here or in New Japan to wrestle at Madison Square Garden. He even main evented and sold the place out. The fans chant for Flip Gordon but Ray cuts them off and issues an open challenge for the Madison Square Garden show. That….could be interesting.

We recap Rush vs. Bandido. Rush arrived and Bandido offered friendship but got turned down, meaning it’s time for a fight over who is the best Mexican import. I think?

Rush vs. Bandido

Dalton Castle is on commentary, with Coleman thanking him for bringing the Boys with him for the fanning. They don’t shake hands so it’s straight to the mat as Castle says both of them are rather handsome with great hair. Rush gets the better of things and it’s time for the flipping around with neither getting anywhere. That means a standoff until Bandido sends him outside, only to have a hurricanrana countered into a powerbomb.

Rush whips him into the barricade a few times and it’s a dropkick to the back of the head back inside. It’s too early to make a serious play for the mask so Rush claps a bit instead. Bandido isn’t much for clapping so he pops back up and kicks Rush to the floor for the big Fosbury Flop. Back in and a snap powerslam gives Bandido two but Rush knocks him into the corner for a breather.

A running kick to the face in the corner lets Rush hit the Tranquilo pose. The running Canadian Destroyer plants Bandido but he pops up for a running headscissors for the double knockdown. Rush knocks him off the top though and hits the apron superplex Bandido is back with a suplex and the springboard 450 with Rush caught in the ropes gives him two of his own.

Back up and Bandido gets dropkicked out of the air, setting up a big flip dive to the floor. An apron piledriver is countered with a hurricanrana off the apron and they’re both down on the floor. They head inside with Rush taking a knee to the head but being fine enough to suplex him into the corner. The running corner dropkick (The Bullhorns) finishes Bandido at 14:52.

Rating: B-. I’m still not sure why they were fighting because we never got a translation or subtitles but the match was your high flying, hard hitting lucha libre style fight and that’s what they were brought in to do. Bandido is a great high flier and Rush is clearly a star in the making (if not already made). ROH needs to enjoy Rush while he can, as he might not be around much longer given how good he could be.

Post match Castle gets in the ring and challenges Rush for Madison Square Garden. That might be a si.

Silas Young has attacked Jonathan Gresham so there’s no match between the two of them. Haskins/Williams vs. Kingdom is off too due to time constraints. This kind of thing happens WAY too often for ROH.

We recap the main event, with the newly debuted Villain Enterprises going after the Tag Team Champion Briscoes in a wild brawl in Texas. Do I need much more of an explanation? It’s the Briscoes vs. PCO/Brody King in a street fight.

Silas Young joins commentary.

Tag Team Titles: Briscoes vs. Villain Enterprises

The Briscoes are defending in a Las Vegas street fight. They all head to the floor for weapons to start and go straight at it with the chairs to the back. The champs get the better of it as Silas says PCO/King don’t seem so tough now. The huge King is fine enough to hit a spinning high crossbody to take Mark down, leaving Jay to take a Michinoku Driver off the apron through a table.

Back in and PCO has King chop him to fire him up a bit but it’s King using a chair to drive another chair between Jay’s legs for the always painful looking spot. Mark kendo sticks PCO down and the Briscoes get a chance to double team King inside. A table is set up in one corner and a chair is wedged into another but King drives a Briscoe into each of them, with a Death Valley Driver putting Mark through the table.

Jay is busted open from hitting the chair so PCO hits him in the head with a piece of the table. King takes the stick away from Mark and hammers away but Jay drops PCO back first onto the apron as the announcers freak out over the blood on them. Back in and the very bloody Jay has King in trouble as Mark sets up a pair of tables at ringside.

The Blockbuster off the top takes King off the apron through the tables and King gets thrown back inside. The Jay Driller is only good for two (and a rather lame response from the crowd) so the champs beat on King with kendo sticks. PCO comes back and takes a beating of his own, which only fires him up. He breaks both sticks so Jay stabs him in the throat with the jagged stick to cut him off.

Another table is set up but King slams Mark off the apron and through a pile of chairs. The Jay Driller through the table is broken up and King hits a “piledriver” through the table instead. Back in and the moonsault onto the chair onto Jay is enough for the pin and the titles at 19:44.

Rating: A-. Sometimes you need to go all out with the violence and the blood which is what they did here and it was a heck of a ride. PCO and King winning the titles is a great way to end the show and it’s almost impossible to believe that PCO went from basically retired to this comeback. Really that’s one of the best stories you’ll see in wrestling and this worked very well for what might be the apex of his career. Great violent match here and a good chance of pace after everything they’ve had on the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Shortened card aside, this was a heck of a show and the kind of thing that Ring of Honor does well. Their TV might not be the best thing in the world but at least they can nail the big shows. The question now is what they can do on the huge stage, and there’s a chance that they could make something work incredibly well. It’s worth seeing and at less than three and a half hours, it doesn’t even run that long. Check this one out and have a good time.

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:

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IMG Credit: Ring of Honor

Ring of Honor
Date: January 30, 2019
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

As long as this show doesn’t include sixteen minutes of Beer City Bruiser vs. Silas Young, I think we’ll be fine. The major story at the moment is a tournament to crown a new #1 contender to the TV Title, which could allow for some fresh stars to get a chance to shine. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

PJ Black vs. Juice Robinson

NWA World Champion Nick Aldis (flanked by Kamilla Kaine) is on commentary in preparation for his future title match with Black. They slap away to start with Black sweeping the leg to take over. Juice’s snap jabs have Black in trouble and there’s a slingshot dive to the floor to take him down again. Black gets in a kick to the ribs back inside and we take a break.

Back with Robinson still in trouble and Black putting on a reverse Boston crab before rocking Robinson head first into the bottom buckle a few times (I believe Konnan used to call that the Rocking Horse). Black suplexes him down and bends the arm back, followed by a clothesline and some posing. A top rope right hand gives Black two more but Robinson grabs a suplex.

Black walks into a spinebuster and a fireman’s carry gutbuster gets two more. Pulp Friction is broken up and Black connects with a moonsault press for two more. Some left hands have Black in more trouble and there’s a Cannonball in the corner. Robinson goes up so Black throws the referee into the corner for the DQ at 12:31.

Rating: C+. You knew they weren’t going to job Black before a title match and Robinson is WAY too hot to take a loss so the DQ was pretty obvious. It took some time to get going but everything after the break picked up in a hurry. Robinson does have the charisma that so many wrestlers miss, so it was cool to see someone giving us a nice performance instead of just going from move to move.

Post match Black knocks Robinson down again and goes to glare at Aldis.

During the break, Robinson says he didn’t come here to lose via DQ. You’re going to see him around here a lot more in 2019 and there will be new life breathed into this place.

The Kingdom yells about beating Villain Enterprises later tonight.

Shane Taylor vs. Mike Law

Right hand, Greetings From 216 in 30 seconds.

Post match Shane says everyone has been asking who paid him to take out Christopher Daniels. That would be no one, because he wanted to beat Daniels up himself.

Colt Cabana brings out Flip Gordon for a chat. Cabana praises him for everything he did back at Final Battle, meaning he defeated Bully Ray once and for all. Gordon says he spent eight months fighting a bully and it’s mission accomplished. Now he wants the World Title, but here’s Kenny King to interrupt. Ian: “I’m just glad it’s not Matt Taven.” Amen brother.

King is tired of mediocre guys coming out here and demanding title shots. King was the last man to pin Jay Lethal and we see some rather doctored clips that ignore King putting his feet on the ropes. Gordon doesn’t have him fooled because King knows he’s the better man. If Gordon was a real warrior, he would have done more than join the reserves. Good promo, but Gordon vs. King doesn’t scream big match on any level.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Villain Enterprises vs. The Kingdom

Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll/Brody King/PCO) is challenging. Before the match, Taven says they’re not just handing out a title shot to three guys who haven’t proven themselves. Therefore, we’ve got some replacements.

Villain Enterprises vs. Shinobi Shadow Squad

That would be Cheeseburger/Eli Isom/Ryan Nova, because we’re just lucky enough to get a “fun” main event. They’re undefeated on Future of Honor events so Enterprises jump them in the corner to take over. We take an early break and come back with Isom in trouble as PCO chops the heck out of him. Brody drops a backsplash for two as the slow beating continues.

A running cannonball against the ropes crushes Isom again but he gets in a quick suplex for a breather. Cheeseburger comes in and gets to forearm Scurll a few times, followed by a springboard Swanton. It’s off to PCO though and we hit a nerve hold slam to drop Cheeseburger. Somehow PCO gets sent into the corner and it’s Nova coming in to forearm PCO over and over. That goes completely nowhere as PCO takes his head off with a clothesline.

Double teaming doesn’t do much better to PCO and we take another break. Back again with King cleaning house, including the Villains catching triple dives. That means a Tombstone on the floor to Cheeseburger while the other two get chokeslammed onto the apron. PCO powerbombs Nova twice in a row and King hits a Gonzo Bomb (Dominator into a piledriver). PCO’s moonsault finally finishes Nova at 9:37.

Rating: C. It wasn’t much of a squash as it went on far too long, but at least Cheeseburger didn’t get to show all of the heart that he has and waste a bunch of time. At least Enterprises got to show off some offense and prove themselves as actual threats, but there’s only so much you can do against such nothing competition. At least Isom didn’t take the fall though, which is a nice positive.

Bully Ray pours lighter fluid on a fire as we see clips of him losing the I Quit match at Final Battle. Ray says he never said I Quit. Oh good grief is this STILL GOING? If there’s one thing ROH doesn’t know how to do, it’s wrap up a story.

We see the heart rate monitor again and this time it says “A New Beginning From An Old Foundation. Ring of Honor Begins Anew.”

Overall Rating: C. Better show this week as they kept things moving and advanced a few stories. Villain Enterprises got off to a good (albeit long) start and the Robinson vs. Black match was entertaining. This was a show that looked at stuff other than the main event scene and those shows are very important in their own right. If you only have a good main event, the promotion itself isn’t strong and by having everything else work well, you can make it week to week at a far easier pace. Nice show here, which is perfectly fine.

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

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: November 14, 2018
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re still in Philadelphia and on the road to Final Battle, but the big question is how many more ECW names can we get in here. I wonder if Blue Meanie is doing anything tonight. Anyway we still need a card for the pay per view so maybe we can start building things up this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Shane Taylor vs. Jeff Cobb

Non-title. Shane spits on his extended hands and they start ramming into each other. Cobb hits his swinging belly to back suplex but Shane pops up. That earns him a t-bone suplex and Cobb is right back up again. They slug it out until Taylor blasts him with a clothesline. Back from a break with Shane telling Cobb to show him why he’s the chosen one. Cobb is right back up with a running elbow in the corner and a dropkick as Taylor is on the ropes.

Since that’s not impressive enough, a delayed release suplex gives Cobb one. That means the standing moonsault for tow more as Cobb isn’t sure what to do with this guy. Taylor is back up with a running Canadian Destroyer of all things but Cobb is back up with a German suplex. The Tour of the Islands finishes Taylor at 7:05.

Rating: C+. This was EXACTLY as it was advertised with two big guys doing things that people their size shouldn’t be able to do. It was a lot of fun with both guys beating each other up until the other couldn’t stand any longer. Good, fun match that didn’t try to be anything more than it should have. I didn’t expect to like this and they entertained me so well done.

Post match Hangman Page comes in for a staredown with Cobb but they pause to beat up security. Page stares at the title….and one security guard is foolish enough to still be in the ring. Page leaves and Cobb hits a superkick and the Tour of the Islands.

Jay Lethal knows that being World Champion has put a target on his back and Kenny King took a shot at him. He’ll take care of King at Global Wars on November 11 (as in after this show aired) and tonight he’ll show that off in a six man tag.

The Bouncers aren’t sure of their opponents’ names tonight but know they have to win.

Post break, Brian Milonas has lost the Beer City Bruiser. Ok then.

Marty Scurll talks about being stuck in the story of superhero vs. supervillain. Next week, it’s round four. Earlier this month, Scurll won the Survival of the Fittest tournament to earn a World Title shot. There is zero reason for him to be in an extended feud with Shane Helms.

Milonas finds Bruiser drinking because Silas Young won’t talk to him. The talk of hitting people makes Bruiser feel better. Well I’m so glad that problem was started and solved in the span of five minutes.

The Bouncers vs. Cheeseburger/Eli Isom

Cheeseburger and Isom have Ryan Nova in their corner. Isom can’t do much to Bruiser to start so he steps on the big man’s foot. The suplex just isn’t happening though and Bruiser sends him into the corner, only to miss a charge. It’s off to Cheeseburger for a chop, followed by a sleeper to the also tagged in Milonas. He staggers over for a tag to Bruiser for a side slam/dropkick combination and it’s time to bite Cheeseburger. Make your own jokes.

Milonas sits on Cheeseburger in the corner but misses a charge and goes shoulder first into the post. That’s enough for the hot tag to Isom and the pace picks up. A high crossbody gets two on Milonas and everything breaks down. Cheeseburger DDTs Bruiser and Isom manages a suplex for two. The dive is caught though and Cheeseburger gets posted, leaving Isom to take Closing Time for the pin at 6:02.

Rating: D+. Isom has grown on me a lot and that’s not something I would have expected. They teased the idea of him outgrowing Cheeseburger (his mentor, which would make me want to quit wrestling) and I’m really hoping it doesn’t lead to some match and feud between them. I’d hope they can do better than that for a passing of the torch. As for the Bouncers…I don’t hate them. I thought I would have but for a team that plays a pretty specific role, they’re not terrible.

Here’s So Cal Uncensored for a chat, where they suck up to Philadelphia and insult it, because that’s what Scorpio Sky does. Kazarian calls this place sacred ground and there’s the required ECW chant. He lists off some names in the Hardcore Hall of Fame and gets the fans to chant SCU, who at least work for this company. Daniels (in an SC F’N U shirt) says he wants to be serious for a minute and talk about Joe Koff throwing out Kazarian and himself after this year’s Final Battle.

Some things have changed since then and now Koff should want to keep SCU around here. Maybe the best way to prove their value is to take the Tag Team Titles from the Briscoes. They came up short at Death Before Dishonor, but next week it’s the Briscoes vs. the Addiction and the Young Bucks. Daniels promises to win the titles next week and next year, the best thing about Ring of Honor is going to be SCU. Good fire from Daniels here, which tends to be the case. The trio goes to leave but here are the Briscoes to beat them down, including a Jay Driller to Daniels on the stage. That sounds like an injury angle.

Daniels was helped to the back during the break.

Jay Lethal/Jonathan Gresham/??? vs. The Kingdom

The mystery partner is…Dalton Castle, who is making his return after a lengthy injury absence. Castle’s thigh, elbow and back are taped up but he seems to be moving fine. Gresham and the now mohawked Taven start things off as the fans are behind Jonathan. It’s amazing how being not Matt Taven makes you popular. O’Ryan comes in before anything of note happens so Gresham takes him down and tries to spit on him. Some hero.

A kick to the leg sets up a dropkick to send O’Ryan into the corner for the tag off to Marseglia. Vinny wants the peacock though and it’s off to Castle for a big reaction. Castle can’t hit a bulldog but can hit the peacock pose with those wild eyes. Another takedown lets Castle work on the arm for a second, followed by a clothesline to the floor. The teased dive lets Castle bring back the slow motion strut and now Taven is willing to come in. Taven gets in Castle’s face but the rest of the Kingdom pulls Lethal and Gresham down, allowing Matt to take over with a cheap shot.

Castle gets thrown into the crowd but the good guys take over with Lethal putting Taven in a chair. The referee breaks up a dive…gets pulled underneath the ring. Lethal’s suicide dive sends O’Ryan into the barricade but, with the referee having been pulled into the abyss, Taven comes in with a chair to Lethal’s ribs. Back from a break with Taven kneeing the heck out of Lethal’s face but Jay fights up and brings Gresham in anyway.

Everything breaks down and Gresham cleans house, allowing the hot tag to Castle. A running knee in the corner gets two on Taven and Gresham elbows Marseglia down. That means a dive onto O’Ryan but the shooting star hits knees. Lethal hits the Lethal Injection on O’Ryan as Marseglia brings in a chair. That goes badly though as it’s the Bang-a-Rang onto the chair to give Castle the pin at 12:08.

Rating: C+. This was all about Castle’s return and that worked very well. The fans went coconuts for him and he adds another big name to the roster. I’m not sure what they can do with him at this point but having too much talent around isn’t a problem. Gresham continues to look like a star and it’s always nice to see the Kingdom taking a loss.

Castle poses with the winners but points at the title. Lethal isn’t sure about that so Castle extends a handshake, which Lethal accepts. Sounds like a title match is imminent.

Overall Rating: C. This show had the energy back again with some good wrestling and a nice surprise in the end. They’re starting to talk about Final Battle more too and that’s a good sign as we get closer to the biggest show of the year. Just keep up the angles and stories instead of the filler episodes and things will start getting better at the right time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-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 31, 2018
Location: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Things got more interesting around here last week as Jeff Cobb made his in-ring debut and ran over Punishment Martinez to become TV Champion. Sometimes you need to shake things up a little bit and that’s what they did last week. The show isn’t the most thrilling in the world at times but when they do something well, they do it very well. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Scorpio Sky vs. Adam Page

Page doesn’t think Sky can strike gold and beat him. Neither can get anywhere with a headlock so Page runs him over with a shoulder, followed by a big boot for good measure. The stomping in the corner sets up a clothesline to put Sky on the floor and that means some whips into the barricade. A running fireman’s carry toss into the post rocks Sky again and we take a break.

Back with Sky hitting a super hurricanrana to get himself a breather with a two thrown in for a bonus. Sky grabs a chinlock but Page jawbreaks his way to freedom. The fall away slam and a German suplex give Page two, followed by Sky stomping him in the back for the same. Sky hits a fisherman’s buster for the same so Page turns him inside out with a discus lariat, setting up the Rite of Passage for the pin at 10:52.

Rating: C. Perfectly watchable match here with both guys hitting a few nice moves and one of them winning in the end. Page is someone who could become a big deal around here with people moving on and off the roster so it makes sense to have him get a few wins. Sky is already in a perfectly fine midcard stable and will be ok despite the loss.

The Kingdom is sick of the conspiracy against them but it’s over now because Matt Taven is the REAL World Champion.

Page wants a title shot against any champion.

Clip of Cobb winning the TV Title.

Shane Taylor vs. Eli Isom

It feels like we’ve seen this match half a dozen times in the last few months. Taylor spits on his hand when a handshake is offered so Isom hits a quick chop. A jumping knee to the face rocks Taylor and there’s a dropkick to stagger him again. Isom’s springboard is broken up though and a hanging Stunner has him in more trouble.

Back from a break with Isom striking away and hitting an enziguri, earning himself a heck of a clothesline to cut him down. More strikes give Isom a breather and he actually manages a Samoan drop (impressive) for two. Not that it matters as Taylor plants him with Greetings From 216 for the pin at 6:59.

Rating: D+. They were getting somewhere with the Isom comeback but it would have been too far to have Isom beat a monster like Taylor here. I’ll give them credit for turning Isom into something better than just a goofy jobber. He’s not great or even very good here yet but at least they’re trying to do something, which is more than some people get.

Post match Taylor wraps a chair around Isom’s neck but Cheeseburger (GO AWAY YOU TINY ANNOYING MEAT THEMED MAN!) runs in for the save. Thankfully Taylor cleans him out with ease so Flip Gordon runs in instead. A few chair shots to Taylor’s back cuts him down and Gordon tells Bully Ray that he’ll fight him anywhere, anytime in any match Ray wants. Cue Ray to mock Gordon and say we’re NOT having a TLC match tonight or any night.

Gordon is a nothing and Ray is a two time Hall of Famer. Ray asks if Gordon is a betting man so Gordon says he bets he can kick Ray’s a**. Here’s Ray’s idea: next week, they both pick a guy to come to the ECW Arena. The winner’s guy gets to do whatever they want to the other. Ray says his guy is Silas Young, who comes out for a staredown.

Cody wants a one on one rematch for the World Title.

Jonathan Gresham/Jay Lethal vs. Kushida/Jushin Thunder Liger

Kenny King is on commentary. Lethal and Kushida start things off (I can go for this) and some snapmares don’t do anyone any good. They hit the mat with neither getting anywhere off some attempted arm holds so we’ll try Gresham vs. Liger for a change. Liger headlocks him down but gets broken in just a few seconds, as Gresham rolls him up for two. Lethal comes back in for a showdown that isn’t as epic as you might have expected. Liger’s shoulder doesn’t work so Lethal tries his own but Gresham makes a blind tag and catches a distracted Liger in a German suplex for a smart move.

A hard whip into the corner has Liger in more trouble as Lethal and Gresham start making more tags. Liger shoves them into each other though and brings in Kushida for the springboard elbow on Lethal. Gresham comes in for a very fast paced series of rollups for mostly zeroes until a rollup for two on Gresham sends us to a break. Back with Liger putting Gresham in the surfboard and Lethal getting caught in a cross armbreaker. Lethal and Kushida head outside so Liger wraps up Gresham’s arm and leg while wrapping a leg around Gresham’s neck at the same time. I’m sure that’s going to hurt.

Back up and Gresham sends Liger into Kushida and the hot tag brings in Lethal to take over. The Lethal Combination gets two on Kushida but Lethal takes too long setting up the Lethal Injection and gets taken down instead. Gresham takes Kushida to the floor for a running knee off the apron, leaving Lethal to kick Liger in the head. The Lethal Injection is good for the pin at 12:41.

Rating: C+. This felt like they were going for the special tag match and it only approached that level. The wrestling was fine but was there any serious doubt that Lethal and Gresham were going to win in the end? Right now we’re waiting on the start of Lethal’s next title program and maybe King is part of that, but this didn’t make for the most exciting main event. Pretty good, but nothing that you need to see.

Overall Rating: C-. While nothing great, this was a perfectly watchable episode of the show. I could still go for them advancing the top stories (or having a top story actually) but what we got here was fine enough. Just give Lethal something to do as we get ready for Final Battle, which is only about six weeks away. They need to start putting something together, and I hope it’s more than Lethal vs. Taven.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-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: October 3, 2018
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re officially past Death Before Dishonor but you wouldn’t know that for a long time around here. Alas we’re stuck with another series of nothing shows that don’t follow up on the pay per view for a few weeks for reasons that even I’m tired of talking about. Hopefully they have something good for tonight, but you never can guess. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Eli Isom vs. Shane Taylor vs. Flip Gordon vs. Chris Sabin

One fall to a finish. Sabin shoulders Flip down to start and it’s time for a very early slugout. A double clothesline gives us a double knockdown and it’s off to Isom vs. Taylor. Eli makes the mistake of going right after him, only to get planted with a spinebuster for two. Sabin and Gordon go after Taylor as well but get choked for their efforts. Some double teaming puts him on the floor though and it’s Flip hitting the big dive onto everyone.

Shane is back up though and hits a Cannonball off the apron to take all three down and take us to a break. Back with Sabin dropkicking Taylor in the corner and flip spearing him through the ropes. One heck of a clothesline drops Gordon so Sabin comes back in with a high crossbody, followed by a missile dropkick. A tornado DDT gets two on Taylor but he slams Sabin out of the corner to get a breather.

Isom comes back in and avoids a charge before getting two off a suplex of all things. Sabin grabs a DDT/Downward Spiral combination for a double knockdown but Taylor is back up to be the monster again. A huge show drops Gordon but Isom rolls Taylor up for the huge upset at 11:31.

Rating: C. There’s nothing wrong with pushing an underdog but I really hope we’re not coming up on Cheeseburger’s replacement with Isom. This is his second big upset win but at least he’s not the smallest guy in the world. Having him pin Taylor is fine, but it doesn’t work as well if they have a singles rematch later. Hopefully they just let Isom get away with it, which is going to do more for him than anything else.

Post match Taylor cleans house until Gordon superkicks him to the floor.

Marty Scurll is ready to face Shane Helms again and wants Shane to be his hero.

TV Title: Aaron Solow vs. Punishment Martinez

Solow won a competition called Dojo Pro to earn this shot and is better known as Bayley’s fiance. A slap to Martinez’s face takes us to the opening bell and Solow has to duck a spinning kick to the head. The chokeslam is escaped twice and a dropkick has Martinez in some trouble. He stomps Solow out of the corner though and it’s time for a trip to the floor for a whip into the barricade.

Back from a break with Solow hitting a kick from the apron and clotheslining Martinez to the floor for the big flip dive. The chokeslam is countered again and the belly to belly (nice touch) into a spinning suplex gets two. Martinez is right back with the running stomp and a South of Heaven chokeslam retains the title at 8:43.

Rating: C+. Not bad at all here with Solow getting to show off a bit. That’s the kind of performance you need to put in when you have an opportunity like this. The match wasn’t exactly in doubt, but Solow looked good and showed off his talents, which is a good sign for his future. Maybe he’ll be back again, which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Coast 2 Coast is back next week.

Bully Ray isn’t happy that Silas Young is teaming with the Bouncers because he sees it as a step backwards.

We look at the Kingdom being cheated out of the Six Man Tag Team Titles.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Cody/Young Bucks vs. Silas Young/Bouncers

Cody, with Brandi and Bernard, and the Bucks are defending. Matt tries his luck with the massive Milonas to start and gets knocked into the corner without much effort. Bruiser comes in to overpower Nick so everything breaks down with the champs triple dropkicking Milonas to the floor. More kicks and dropkicks clear the ring and of course the fans love it. Back in and things settle down with Nick rolling over for the hot tag to Cody but a cheap shot takes him down as well.

Silas hammers away at Cody before handing it off to an already tired Bruiser. Cody sidesteps a charge and Bruiser knocks Bernard over, allowing Milonas to crossbody Cody down for two. Back from a break with Cody powerslamming his way out of trouble and diving over for the hot tag to Nick (which is what he’s best at). Everything breaks down (well duh) and the Bucks clean house, including breaking up a variety of near finishers.

The splash/standing moonsault hits Bruiser for two and Cody dives onto Milonas and Young. Bruiser dives onto the other five, leaving Cody to take a big Trash Compactor for two back inside. That doesn’t bother the Bucks though as they start firing off superkicks, which is enough to have Young walk out. Cross Rhodes to Milonas retains the titles at 15:37.

Rating: C. Cody and the Bucks can only do so much with guys like Milonas and Bruiser, who just aren’t the most versatile people in the world. Young leaving makes perfect sense, especially given him being a bigger star and having more success than the other two put together. It’s fine for a one off main event, but the Bruiser and Milonas need someone smaller to do a big chunk of the matches

Overall Rating: D+. This wasn’t a great show by any means and it gave a good illustration of how these post-pay per view shows aren’t all that interesting. The matches are all standalone and none of them were anything more than a run of the mill showcase. Solow looked good, but I need a little more than Bayley’s fiance turning in a nice performance over the course of an hour.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-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: September 5, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re past All In and that isn’t likely to mean anything around here as we’re still a few weeks away from catching up to that point. Instead we might get some build towards Death Before Dishonor, which is still a few weeks away as well. In other words, Ring of Honor’s schedule strikes again. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s Six Man Tag Team Title change with the Young Bucks and Cody beating the Kingdom, despite the illegal man being pinned.

Opening sequence.

Women of Honor Title: Madison Rayne vs. Sumie Sakai

Sakai is defending and Mandy Leon is on commentary. Feeling out process to start with Madison taking her down into a quick cradle, only to get backslidden for two. A fight over a small package lets them roll all over the ring before Sumie finally gets something, followed by a standoff. Some chops to the neck have almost no effect on Madison, who takes her down with a front face DDT for two more. They seem to botch something up against the ropes before a double clothesline puts them both down as we take a break.

Back with an exchange of forearms going to Sakai and a fisherman’s neckbreaker getting another two. A missile dropkick and tornado DDT give Madison her own near fall. Sakai grabs a fisherman’s buster but Madison rolls into a cutter to drop the champ again. Back up and a quick Smash Mouth retains Sakai’s title at 9:07.

Rating: C-. The same problems as the women’s division always has here, with not much of a story (at least Madison won a match to get the shot), a forgettable match and more of Sakai as champion. There’s no spark or interest here and it’s showing more and more every single week.

They hug post match, because of course they do.

Video on Shane Taylor vs. Josh Woods. Taylor knocked him cold with a right hand and Woods thinks it’s loaded.

Shane Taylor vs. Josh Woods

Woods goes straight at him to start but the much bigger Shane pushes him away. A single leg is broken up as well so Woods tries to fight from his back, eventually pulling Taylor into a kneebar. That’s broken up as well and Shane takes him outside for a drop onto the barricade. A big apron legdrop crushes Woods again as the announcers recap this longer than you might expect feud.

Back in and a rather large splash gives Taylor two but Woods kicks him in the head for a breather. Woods strikes away even more to send us to a break. We come back with Woods forearming away until a knee to the face cuts him off. A cross armbreaker goes on with Woods getting the glove off. It turns out that it is loaded, which makes Woods let the hold go. Woods knew Taylor couldn’t beat him but he doesn’t want the DQ win. As expected, the distraction lets Taylor hit Greetings From The 216 for the pin at 9:39.

Rating: C+. Better than I was expecting here and they advanced the story with Woods finding the object in the glove. That allows them to have another match and actually that’s not the worst idea in the world. These guys beat each other up and had some chemistry, which is always a nice surprise.

So Cal Uncensored says the war with the Briscoes has just begun. Next week, Kazarian will take care of Mark.

Video on Jay Lethal vs. Jonathan Gresham before next week’s Iron Man match.

Top Prospect Tournament First Round: Charles Zanders vs. Marcus Kross

Caprice Coleman is on commentary. Zanders is from Alabama and has the accent to prove it. Kross on the other hand is dressed like Goku. The fans chant about Dragon Ball Z as we wait on the no contest. Feeling out process to start with Zanders hitting a dropkick, only to eat some superkicks. Kross takes him down….and here’s Jeff Cobb to nail Kross for the DQ at 1:25. As it should be.

Cobb wrecks both guys with ease. Eli Isom comes in for some forearms but Cobb gives him a look that says he has to do something about this. A Tour of the Islands (reverse powerslam) plants Isom and Cobb stands tall.

Silas Young/Bully Ray vs. Best Friends

Ray has no music as Cabana calls Ray and Young Get Off My Lawn wrestlers. Before the Friends come out, Ray goes to yell at Cabana, telling him to sit there and do his job. Ray and Trent start things off but Ray tags out without saying anything. Silas throws Trent a shirt, which he smells before tossing it away. An armdrag puts Silas down and now Ray demands that he come back in.

Ray does come in and yells a lot before slamming Trent down. A hurricanrana sends Ray into the corner and Trent hits a running clothesline and it’s off to Chuck for the first time. That doesn’t go well for Chuck, who is taken down for a middle rope splash and it’s already back to Young. Chuck drops him as well and it’s back to Trent for the slingshot boot rake, followed by Chuck’s slow motion hilo to complete Two Dog Night. The big hug is broken up though and Young crotches Trent against the post.

Back from a break with Yong working no Trent’s recently repaired arm. A hair pull from the apron keeps Trent down as the heel beatdown continues. Trent dropkicks Ray in the knee but gets backdropped before anything else can happen. Young hammers away but walks into a tornado DDT, allowing the hot tag to Chuck. Everything breaks down with Soul Food and a Falcon Arrow connecting for two.

Chuck has to bail out of the moonsault but is fine enough to hit a Samoan driver to drop Silas again. Trent tags himself back in and enziguris Silas, setting up the lawn dart cutter. NOW the hug connects and Ray clotheslines them both to upset the fans again. That’s enough for Ray though, who walks away from the tag and leaves. The Dudebuster finishes Young at 11:37.

Rating: C. This was much more storyline and shenanigans than wrestling, but that’s the case with almost every Best Friends match. I’m really not a fan of the team and this didn’t change things that much. I do like the idea of having Ray turn on everyone and be the jerk that only he can be, and the lack of Cheeseburger makes it even better.

Overall Rating: C. Nice show for the most part here with some watchable wrestling and storyline development. The problem though is having the lack of a big show to build towards to pay these stories off. Yeah you have Death Before Dishonor, but that might as well be months away in Ring of Honor time. Pretty nice show, but nothing that you need to see.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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