TJPW Live In Philly
Date: April 5, 2024
Location: Penns Landing Caterers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Dave Prazak, Veda Scott

This is Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, a women’s promotion based in Japan. As you might be able to guess, we’re in Philadelphia over Wrestlemania Weekend and that means we’re probably in for a bunch of guest stars. I remember liking the show from last year’s Wrestlemania Weekend so hopefully they can do it again here. Let’s get to it.

Note that I do not follow TJPW whatsoever so I apologize in advance for missing any plot or character points.

As is customary for the promotion, some of the wrestlers come out to welcome us to the show and do a song and dance routine. With that over, they seem to say a promotion catchphrase and we’re ready to go.

Arisu Endo/Suzume vs. Yuki Aino/Zara Zakher

Endo and Suzume’s Princess Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Suzume and Aino start things off with Suzume’s dropkick not working. A shoulder drops Aino and it’s off to Endo vs. Zara. Aino hits the ropes and charges right into a pop up right hand. Everything breaks down and Endo/Suzume take them both down for stereo basement dropkicks. We settle down to Aino taking over on Endo and dropping a backsplash for two.

Zara comes back in for her own basement dropkick but Endo is up with a regular version for the double knockdown. Suzume comes in to pick up the pace…for all of five seconds before Zara drops her with a clothesline. A rope walk bulldog puts Zara down though and it’s Endo coming back in for a knee to the back of Aino’s head.

Everything breaks down and Endo knocks Aino to the floor, only to have Aino grab an apron suplex to bring them back inside. They switch off again and Suzume grabs a sleeper on Zara, followed by a facebuster. Zara is fine enough to pull her out of the air for a toss, followed by a spinebuster to give Aino two.

Suzume is back up with a high crossbody for two of her own before locking hands with Aino for a slugout. Endo is back in but gets caught with a reverse DDT to send her right back to the floor. Zara loads up what looks to be a fisherman’s buster but Suzume reverses into a rollup for the pin (on the third attempt) at 11:19.

Rating: B-. Starting a show with a tag match is often a good idea as you can get something fast paced like this to fire the crowd up early. I’m not sure why the champs weren’t defending if they were going to win anyway but that’s a minor issue at best. What matters is getting the show off to a good start and they managed to do so rather well.

Hyper Misao vs. Billie Starkz

Starkz has Athena with her and Misao looks like a superhero. She then says she is a superhero, so at least I can recognize a costume. Misao offers her a gift (looks like a stuffed animal) but then hammers Starkz down with it to start fast. They trade rollups for two each until Misao elbows her in the face. Misao ties up the limbs and swings her head first into the bottom buckle in the corner a few times.

Back up and Starkz grabs a German suplex for two but a big kick to the head is cut off. Misao hits a running knee to the back and then plants her on the apron for two. We get a bit wacky as Misao grabs the mascot head that Starkz wore to the ring, which allows Athena to hit her with the stuffed animal that Misao brought. Kind of serves her right for cheating.

The distraction lets Starkz hit a fireman’s carry backbreaker into a Swanton for two, giving us the surprised kickout face. A Nightmare On Helm Street gives Misao two, with Athena putting the foot on the ropes. Misao sprays….something in Athena’s eyes, allowing Starkz to hit a suicide dive. Another Swanton gives Starkz the pin at 6:07.

Rating: C+. Misao was someone who stood out to me the last time I watched this company and she did so again here. Having her as a superhero who cheats is something that worked well enough and made her a bit more interesting, which is the point of such an over the top gimmick. Starkz and Athena are the far bigger names though and it makes sense for them to win, even in a short match like this.

Viva Van/Yuki Kamifuki vs. Trish Adora/Raku

Adora is apparently a substitute. Raku is one of the women who sang to start the show and is carrying a pillow. Van and Raku start things off with Van hitting a clothesline and posing a bit. Raku instead hits her with a pillow, which would seem to be some kind of rule violation. Van and Yuki are put on the pillow for a quiet two but Van gets up and throws the pillow into the crowd.

We settle down to Yuki sending Raku throat first into the rope, allowing Van to grab a Tarantula. A running facebuster gets Raku out of trouble though and Adora comes in to clean house. Van and Adora trade the big forearms until Van grabs a hurricanrana. A running boot in the corner gives Yuki two but Adora plants her with a Samoan drop. Yuki is back with an Octopus, which Adora breaks up and hits a Rough Ryder. Raku comes back in and is quickly kicked in the face but manages to grab a guillotine. Everything breaks down again and Yuki hits a Fameasser to pin Raku at 8:55.

Rating: B-. They kept this one energetic in the not overly long run time and that made for a nice sprint. Yuki and Van seem to be a regular team who work well together while Adora and Raku made for a nice makeshift team. Adora continues to feel like she could be a big deal somewhere but that isn’t going to happen when she keeps losing over and over, even on a show like this.

Mizuki/Vertvixen vs. Aja Kong/Pom Harajuku

Kong gets the big legend entrance and reception, which is more impressive since she’s a replacement for Max the Impaler. Pom and Vertvixen start things off with the latter grabbing a headlock. That’s broken up and we have a standoff before it’s off to Mizuki vs. the much larger Kong. Mizuki bites the arm to limited success so Kong misses an elbow, allowing Mizuki to hit a basement dropkick.

Back up and Kong picks up Pom to throw her at Mizuki for two, which I guess is the same as a tag. Vertvixen slugs away in the corner and the villains (I think?) stomp Pom down. Mizuki steals Pom’s shoe and throws it into the crowd, leaving Vertvixen to hit a hard forearm in the corner. The one shoed Pom manages an anklescissors for a breather and the tag brings Kong back in to wreck the mortals.

The spinning backfist misses and Vertvixen gets in a kick to the head, only for Kong to knock Mizuki out of the air. Pom comes back in for a wristdrag out of the corner but misses a backsplash. Kong seems rather gassed on the apron as Mizuki hits a running shot to Pom’s back, only to miss a top rope double stomp. Mizuki is fine enough to put pom over the middle rope and now the double stomp connects. Kong makes the save but gets Stunnered by Vertvixen. That leaves Mizuki to hit Pom with a shoe, setting up the Beauty Special (kind of a tabletop suplex) for the pin at 10:31.

Rating: C+. The action was fast paced, but this felt more like a way to have Kong in a match, which is more important than anything else. The fans seemed way into what they were seeing (as has been the case all show) and it was cool to see a legend in the ring. Odd name aside, Vertvixen feels like someone who could be a star somewhere, but she has been treated as such a jobber whenever she is in AEW or ROH that she has an even longer way to go.

Shoko Nakajima vs. Rhio

Nakajima stands about 4’10 and is billed as a Big Kaiju (a Japanese monster). The much larger Rhino throws her down to start but Nakajima takes over on the arm. That’s reversed into a headscissors on the mat but Nakajima flips over into a headlock in a nice display. Nakajima flips away from her and hits a dropkick, only to get planted with a high angle spinebuster.

A full nelson goes on to keep Nakajima in trouble and a backbreaker makes it even worse. Rhio goes up but gets caught with a super hurricanrana, allowing Nakajima to hit a slingshot hilo for two. Nakajima sends her outside for the suicide dive, followed by a running flip dive to make it worse. They trade forearms on the floor and then keep it going inside, where Rhio drops her with a headbutt.

A top rope superplex plants Nakajima hard but she’s able to block the package piledriver. Nakajima strikes away until a superkick into a torture rack slam gives Rhio two. Rhio goes up but gets kicked down, setting up a 619 despite being back on her feet. A double arm DDT sets up a top rope backsplash to give Nakajima the pin at 13:24.

Rating: B. This was straight out of the little vs. big playbook and believe it or not, the story still works. Nakajima is a ball of energy who never stops moving and throws everything she has at you to stay in there. Rhio is someone who feels like she could be a star somewhere on the bigger stage after a bit more seasoning, but the talent is pretty clearly there.

Maki Itoh/Miyu Yamashita vs. Miu Watanabe/Rika Tatsumi

Itoh gets a heck of a reception during her entrance. Yamashita and Watanabe start things off and apparently they have been feuding over the company’s top singles title. Yamashita powers her back up against the ropes to start but has to avoids some kicks for a standoff. Tatsumi and Itoh come in for an exchange of headlocks takeovers and a cute-off. Itoh knocks her down and loads up her falling headbutt, only to have Yamashita stand her in place (with Itoh standing there like a board) and roll Tatsumi into place so the headbutt can connect.

Itoh’s right hands in the corner are broken up and Tatsumi takes it to the floor as everything breaks down. Tatsumi chokes Yamashita with a belt as we have to go split screen, much to the surprise of commentary. They tease going back to ringside but head over to the bar, with commentary saying this is a great way to showcase the building if you can’t be here in person. Watanabe buys some beers (and leaves a tip) but Yamashita and Itoh steal the drinks and raise a quick toast.

That’s broken up and the drinks are spilled, much to a variety of chagrins. Back in and Watanabe elbows Itoh down for two before Tatsumi starts in on the knee. The Figure Four has Itoh in trouble but she makes the rope rather quickly. Watanabe tries a reverse Alabama Slam to send Tatsumi onto Itoh but only hits mat. That’s enough to bring Yamashita back in but Watanabe powers her into the corner.

A powerslam puts Yamashita down again and the giant swinging into Tatsumi’s dropkick gets two. Yamashita blocks a Twist of Fate and kicks Tatsumi in the head before Itoh low bridges her to the floor. Back in and Yamashita hits a delayed AA with Tatsumi having to make a save. Everyone is knocked down until Tatsumi and Yamashita strike it out. Itoh is back in and a top rope Codebreaker into a German suplex (not the smoothest of transitions) knocks Tatsumi silly. A Skull Kick gives Yamashita the pin at 19:07.

Rating: B. This felt like a mixture of a fun brawl and a regular match which made for a good back and forth fight. The fans were WAY into Itoh here and it makes sense given her incredible charisma. I had a good time with this and it wound up being probably the best thing on a solid show.

Overall Rating: B+. Rather solid effort up and down here, with the worst match being completely decent. Shows like this are meant to be something of a sampler for fans and they got a good result here, with the whole thing working. I’ve liked everything I’ve seen from this promotion before and while some of it might not be for everyone, there should be something worth seeing here if you’re looking for something different.

 

 

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

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

AND

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

 

Ring Of Honor
Date: December 28, 2023
Location: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

It’s the last show of the year and odds are that isn’t going to mean much. The one change here might be the length, as the lack of a Collision taping this weekend means no Ring Of Honor taping. The Women’s TV Title tournament is on its way and maybe we can get some details on it this week. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Ring Of Honor related stuff on Dynamite.

Opening sequence.

Nyla Rose vs. Alejandra Lion

Rose powers her down to start but Rose slips out of a suplex and slugs away. That earns her a backbreaker into a backsplash as the beating is on. Rose hits a basement superkick and the Beast Bomb finishes at 2:01.

Peter Avalon vs. Zak Knight

Knight is Saraya’s brother and spears Avalon down to start. Avalon needs a breather on the apron to start so Knight sticks out his chest for some chopping. Knight picks up the pace and hits a hard clothesline but Avalon knees his way out of a suplex. They head outside where Avalon manages a posting, followed by a high crossbody for two back inside. Back up and Knight grabs a suplex, setting up a Razor’s Edge buckle bomb. A running forearm to the face finishes Avalon at 4:15.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have time to get very far here but Knight was aggressive and showed a lot of fire. I’m not sure if it’s good enough to get him a job, but he certainly put in the effort to get noticed here. They packed in a pretty decent amount for a four minute match and Avalon made Knight look good in the process.

Various women want the Women’s TV Title. They couldn’t make this feel more like the “We Can’t Beat Athena” Title if they tried.

Athena is happy with Billie Starkz and Lexi Nair, saying Starkz is going to be the first Women’s TV Champion. Starkz says she’s going to win the TV Title because she couldn’t win the Women’s Title.

Iron Savages/Jacked Jameson vs. Von Erichs/Bryan Keith

Keith headlocks Bronson to start but Bronson knocks him back down. An elbow misses so it’s off to Ross vs. Jameson. After a shot of Savage Sauce, Jameson lets him fire off some forearms so Marshall comes in with a dropkick. The threat of the Iron Claw means it’s Boulder coming in and getting double dropkicked.

We settle down to Ross being shoved into Boulder’s chest and the chinlock goes on. Bronson misses the moonsault though and the rolling tag brings Marshall in to clean house. Marshall manages a slam for two on Bronson but the Claw is broken up. Everything breaks down and stereo Claws give the Von Erichs the win at 8:21.

Rating: C. There is no way around it: the Von Erichs are pretty dull. They’re good enough for a basic match, but aside from them being part of a famous wrestling family and from Texas, there is only so much about them. Keith didn’t get to showcase himself all that much here and the Savages and Jameson were the same as always.

Griff Garrison and Cole Karter aren’t happy that Maria isn’t here but here is the Spanish Announce Project to set up a match for next week.

Lady Frost/Trish Adora/Kiera Hogan vs. Renegades/Taya Valkyrie

Hogan takes Taya into the ropes to start and hits a running hip attack so it’s off to Charlette. A superkick sends her into the corner and Hogan hits a running knee. Robyn gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and a pump kick/flapjack combination gets two. The chinlock keeps Hogan down and Taya comes in to take her back into the corner.

Hogan fights up without much trouble and hands it off to Frost to clean house. Taya strikes her straight into the corner though and it’s Adora coming in. Robyn isn’t having that though and plants Adora as everything breaks down. Taya plants Adora though and the curb stomp is good for the pin at 5:57.

Rating: C-. Another not so good match here, with no one getting to stand out, save for maybe Hogan. Instead it was a bunch of women not having much time to do much and the biggest name involved getting the pin. There is only so much six women can do with less than a minute apiece and that was apparent here.

Leyla Hirsch and Rachael Ellering don’t care about Maria and want the TV Title. Mercedes Martinez and Diamante come in and a tag match seems set.

Tony Nese vs. Joey Hyder

Mark Sterling is here with Nese and talks about how Nese gave everything at Final Battle and the fans liked seeing him get hurt. Now it’s time for Nese’s rebirth. Nese pounds him down into the corner to start and he shrugs off Hyder’s comeback. Some elbows to the head and a pumphandle driver finish for Nese at 1:57.

Vertvixen vs. Billie Starkz

Starkz grabs a front facelock to start and quickly takes her down. Vertvixen’s suplex is countered into a suplex and a running Blue Thunder Bomb plants Vertvixen again. A kick to the face lets Starkz go up top but Vertvixen catches her on top. That’s broken up as well and the Swanton finishes for Starkz at 3:44.

Rating: C. Another short match with Starkz getting in a win to move her towards the tournament. Starkz needed a win after her loss at Final Battle, though her being here continues to make the tournament feel like it’s as secondary of a title as you can get. Starkz will be a favorite to win the thing, but it’s only going to matter so much until someone beats Athena.

Kyle Fletcher (hey he’s actually here) says he is making the TV Title the most important title in Ring Of Honor. Next week: open challenge. Willie Mack comes in and says the open challenge is already closed.

Ethan Page vs. Johnny TV

TV takes him down to start and hammers away but Page is back up with a right hand. Page’s right hands in the corner keep TV in trouble and Page sends him outside. A kick to the head from the floor slows Page down though and we hit a dragon sleeper. TV cranks on the neck but Page suplexes his way to freedom. Back up and TV hits the Flying Chuck for two and a low blow drops Page again. Starship Pain is loaded up but cue Dalton Castle for the distraction, allowing Page to hit the springboard cutter for the pin at 6:13.

Rating: C+. The best thing here was that it felt like a main event. Maybe not the biggest match ever, but it had two bigger names and played into an established feud. That’s better than nothing and more than you usually get around here. If nothing else, Castle vs. TV feels like a big match whenever we get there, which is quite nice for a change.

Overall Rating: C. Here’s the big thing about this show: it was just over an hour long and they didn’t waste time with anything. It’s amazing how much easier this show is when you don’t get through six matches and have another hour to go. The lack of champions on the show didn’t help, but at least they kept things moving and it made the show so, so much easier to watch. Not a great show here, but FAR easier to watch than usual.

Results
Nyla Rose b. Alejandra Lion – Beast Bomb
Zak Knight b. Peter Avalon – Running forearm
Von Erichs/Bryan Keith b. Iron Savages/Jacked Jameson – Stereo Iron Claws
Renegades/Taya Valkyrie b. Lady Frost/Trish Adora/Kiera Hogan – Curb stomp to Adora
Tony Nese b. Joey Hyder – Pumphandle driver
Billie Starkz b. Vertvixen – Swanton
Ethan Page b. Johnny TV – Spring cutter

 

 

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

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

AND

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

Ring Of Honor
Date: December 21, 2023
Location: Curtis Cullwell Center, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with Final Battle and that means it’s time to start the build towards I’d assume Supercard Of Honor over Wrestlemania Weekend. Granted that means we have a few months before that comes into play, so odds are we’ll be looking at some run of the mill shows for a long time. Let’s get to it.

Here is Final Battle if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Athena retaining the Women’s Title over Billie Starkz in the Final Battle main event.

Athena is with Lexi Nair, who took a long time to bring her title in at Final Battle. Tonight, Athena is taking out some frustrations.

Opening sequence.

Commentary runs down some of the card.

Workhorsemen vs. Von Erichs

Kevin Von Erich is here with the Von Erichs. Before the match, the Workhorsemen promise to prove that they’re great while the former World Class stars were trash. Drake shoulders Ross down to start but Ross is up with a dropkick. Henry comes in and gets armdragged, setting up Marshall’s dropkick to keep him in trouble.

Since that worked so well, a double dropkick drops Henry again but Drake gets in a cheap shot to put Ross down. Drake comes back in and mocks the Claw, only to miss a middle rope headbutt. It’s back to Marshall to clean house but Henry breaks up the Claw. The Cannonball crushes Marshall but Drake misses a moonsault, allowing Marshall to hit one of his own for the pin at 6:15.

Rating: C+. Having the Von Erichs wrestle around Dallas last week at Final Battle was the biggest layup imaginable, as it made all the sense in the world. Then they’ve done it twice more in the last week and it just kind of shows that the team isn’t very good. They’re not terrible, but they’re the definition of a generic team who rely on one thing to get their reactions. Do this once or twice and it can work, but the third time was going too far with it and my first reaction was “oh, these guys again, how interesting”. Granted the same thing could be said about the Workhorsemen.

Post match Henry goes after Kevin and gets the Claw. Where have I seen this before?

We look at Kyle Fletcher winning Survival Of The Fittest to become the new TV Champion.

Athena vs. Mona World

Proving Ground, meaning non-title but if World lasts the ten minutes or wins, she gets a future title shot. World elbows her down to start and rolls over Athena, who catches her with a quick powerbomb. Athena sends her hard into the corner and hits a knee to the chest for two. World is back up with a Sling Blade and a hurricanrana, followed by a Falcon Arrow for two more. The split legged moonsault misses though and the O Face finishes for Athena at 5:17.

Rating: C. Of all the Proving Ground matches where the champ never feels like they’re in any real danger and then wins in the end without the match coming close to the time limit, this was the most recent. What is anyone supposed to get out of these things? The champ has never lost and it’s very rare to see anyone get close to an upset. Do something with the concept already because otherwise, what’s the point of the gimmick?

Post match Athena shows respect and then attacks World.

Here is Tony Khan for an announcement: the Women’s TV Title. Details to come, including how they crown a Seth Rollins to Athena’s Roman Reigns.

Lee Johnson vs. Dante Martin

Johnson wrestles him to the mat to start but has to flip out of a wristlock. Some armdrags into an armbar have Martin down but he does the same thing to Johnson for some gamesmanship. Martin’s snap suplex gets two and we’re off to the hammerlock. Johnson is back up with a suplex of his own.

We hit the chinlock for a bit before Johnson sends him out outside in a heap. After the big dive, Johnson counters a springboard into a quick powerbomb for two more. A Death Valley Driver and standing moonsault give Martin two but Martin’s spinning full nelson slam is good for the pin at 9:02.

Rating: C+. That was a Ring Of Honor match all right, as you have two young stars having a match without much in the way of stakes. I’m sure the answer will be a possible TV Title shot, but forgive me given the history of title matches around here. Other than that, it’s great to see Martin back in the ring and it’s smart to have him use something other than the double springboard moonsault.

Ethan Page, with Scorpio Sky, is happy with his win and can feel the fear from everyone in the locker room. Sky has seen Page lose more than once but now he’s here to make Page fulfill his promises to be a champion.

Blake Christian/Willie Mack vs. Gates Of Agony

Christian dropkicks Kaun down to start but makes the mistake of following him outside. That means a ram into the announcers’ table, followed by a whip into the barricade. Back in and Christian slips away so Mack can come in and clean house. The swinging slam gets two on Kaun but he’s back up to dropkick a charging Mack. Christian comes back in to send Kaun outside, setting up the dive to drop him again. Back in and Toa pulls Christian out of the air for a swinging release Rock Bottom. Toa Pounces Mack and the double lifting slam finishes Christian at 6:45.

Rating: C. Again I ask why the Mogul Embassy have the Six Man Tag Team Titles when the Gates wrestle as a two man team so often. Other than that, this was another one off match against a makeshift team. The Gates continue to be the resident power team who aren’t going anywhere, which continues to be a waste of what they could do.

Tony Nese rants about what it took to make him say I Quit. Mark Sterling wants to start stacking the deck against Ring Of Honor.

Lance Archer/Righteous vs. Iron Savages/Jacked Jameson

Vincent takes over on Bronson to start and chokes him on the ropes. Dutch comes in to send Bronson into the corner before it’s off to Archer for a Pounce. Bronson fights out of the corner and brings in Boulder to clean house, only to have Dutch catch him with a swinging Boss Man Slam. The Black Out into Autumn Sunshine finishes Jameson at 4:55.

Rating: C. As has been the case through a good chunk of this show, this was the same thing we’ve seen before. It’s a group getting a win over a lower level group with little drama and little more than a squash to get there. I have no idea why we need to see some of these guys almost every week but at least their boxes are checked off again.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett credits her music for last week’s win. This week, Griff Garrison and Cole Karter are ready to team in an eight man tag….with the Spanish Announce Project. Maria assures her guys that it’s fine.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Vertvixen

Johnny TV is here with Taya, who gets knocked to the floor to start. Taya drops her face first onto the apron and choking ensues back inside. Running knees in the corner give Taya two and we hit some posing. An STF sends Vertvixen over to the ropes and she hits a springboard kick to the face to cut Taya down. Taya isn’t having that and hits a curb stomp for the pin at 5:45.

Rating: C. I’m running out of ways to say “we’ve seen this kind of thing already” but here we are again and again. At least Taya is relatively new, but we’ve now seen her have three such matches in eight days. You can stretch some of these things out occasionally instead of just repeating stuff but that’s not the Ring Of Honor way.

Lee Moriarty and Shane Taylor are motivated by their losses and EVERYONE IS ON NOTICE.

Charlette Renegade vs. Rachael Ellering

Robyn Renegade is here with Charlette while Ellering has Maria Kanellis-Bennett and Leyla Hirsch. Ellering takes her to the mat to start but can’t tie up the limbs. Charlette fights up and they fight to the floor, where a cheap shot puts Ellering in trouble. Back in and Charlette stomps away, setting up a Muta Lock to keep up the pain. Ellering fights up and hits a Sling Blade into a backsplash, followed by a fall away slam for two. Hirsch and Robyn get into it on the floor….and Maria grabs Ellering’s leg. Then Ellering hits the Boss Woman Slam for the pin at 6:28.

Rating: C. Hey look: they’re still making Maria, one of the better managers they have available, do the same stuff that hasn’t been interesting for months. I’m sure this will lead to some big turning point in the story which will in no way be reversed a few weeks later. Other than that, a decent power match here, but the story has been moving in slow motion for months now and this didn’t help things.

Taya Valkyrie is happy with her win and Johnny TV calls Dalton Castle a pigeon instead of a peacock.

We look at Johnny TV costing Dalton Castle his chance at the TV Title at Final Battle.

Castle is crushed at his loss and blames Johnny TV. Vengeance is sworn as this is one of the few moving stories around here right now.

Outrunners vs. Action Andretti/Darius Martin vs. Infantry

Bravo, Andretti and Magnum start things off with a bit of posing. Some rapid tags give us Floyd vs. Andretti as apparently we’re going one on one here. Everything breaks down and the Outrunners are taken down, with Floyd being sent into Magnum in the corner. Dean misses a top rope splash though and the Outrunners get to stomp away.

A double slam gets two on Dean but Floyd gets crotched on top. That’s enough for Bravo to come in and clean house as everything breaks down. Boot Camp is broken up and Floyd gives Bravo a side slam. Floyd kicks Magnum low by mistake though, allowing Andretti to hit a running shooting star press for the pin at 8:22.

Rating: C+. As has been the case or weeks, this was a multi team match with one team managing to scramble and get a pin. As has been the case for nearly four months now, the Tag Team Titles are nowhere in sight, meaning these wins don’t really mean much. They can keep dangling the carrot of a Tag Team Title shot in front of all of these teams but it doesn’t matter if that carrot never actually comes to pass.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett is excited about the Women’s TV Title but Leyla Hirsch and Rachael Ellering come in to yell at her about what happened. Hirsch doesn’t want any part of this so Maria tells her to see how it goes without her help. Ellering and Hirsch both want the new title.

Spanish Announce Project/Griff Garrison/Cole Karter vs. Dalton Castle/The Boys/Gravity

Gravity and Serpentico start things off with Gravity working on the arm. The Boys come in for a double arm takedown but it’s of to Garrison to take over on Brent’s arm. Garrison gets slammed down though and the diving tag brings in Castle to clean house. A Serpentico cheap shot takes Castle down by the leg and the triple teaming is on. Castle is back up with a broken up Bang A Rang attempt, leaving Gravity and the Boys to hit stereo dives. The Bang A Rang finishes Garrison at 7:02.

Rating: C+. Another fun match as the show is at least picking up a bit near the end. Castle gets a win back after his loss at Final Battle, with the Johnny TV showdown on the way. Other than that, Garrison and Karter continue their up and down run as I continue to try to find out why they’re supposed to be interesting in the slightest.

Jack Cartwheel/Gringo Loco vs. El Hijo de Vikingo/Komander

Loco and Vikingo start things off with Vikingo flipping to his feet off a headscissors. The standoff means it’s of to Komander vs. Cartwheel, with neither being able to get anywhere. Komander sends Cartwheel to the floor but it’s too early for the dive. Instead they kick each other in the face for a double knockdown, meaning the others can come over. Back in and Cartwheel hits a slingshot splash for two, followed by a sliding dropkick into a reverse sitout powerbomb.

Cartwheel’s standing moonsault gets two but Komander is over for the tag off to Vikingo. Everything breaks down down and Vikingo hits the dive to the floor, only to miss a frog splash back inside. Vikingo is right back with a top rope legdrop to knock Cartwheel out of the ropes. Loco is back in with a torture rack faceplant to Vikingo but Komander is back in with a super poisonrana. Cielito Lindo finishes Loco at 9:22.

Rating: B-. They did save the best for last as this was another popcorn match with everyone going 80 miles per hour. Nothing else on the show was going to follow this and it gave the fans a big boost to wrap things up. Vikingo continues to be incredibly entertaining and Komander is good for some big spots while Loco and Cartwheel were fine opponents. Not a memorable match, but nice after the rather dull card leading up to it.

Overall Rating: C-. You might have heard me say this but it was the same stuff we always get. If not for the recaps, there would be no reason to believe that this was the follow up to the biggest show of the year. It was the same bunch of wrestlers trading opponents with most of the matches going longer than they needed to. The problem with this Ring Of Honor is still the same thing that it has been for the better part of ever: there is zero reason for the show to be this long with this many people included.

There were multiple matches that could have been dropped without any significant value being lost. These wrestlers’ careers are not going to fall apart if they’re not here eight out of nine weeks and just having them around again and again doesn’t make them more interesting. This was a very Ring Of Honor show and I mean that about as negatively as I can.

Results
Von Erichs b. Workhorsemen – Moonsault to Drake
Athena b. Mona World – O Face
Dante Martin b. Lee Johnson – Spinning full nelson slam
Lance Archer/Righteous b. Iron Savages/Jacked Jameson – Autumn Sunshine to Jameson
Taya Valkyrie b. Vertvixen – Curb stomp
Rachael Ellering b. Charlette Renegade – Boss Woman Slam
Action Andretti/Darius Martin b. Outrunners and Infantry – Running shooting star press to Floyd
Dalton Castle/The Boys/Gravity b. Spanish Announce Team/Griff Garrison/Cole Karter – Bang A Rang to Garrison
Komander/El Hijo de Vikingo b. Jack Cartwheel/Gringo Loco – Cielito Lindo to Loco

 

 

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

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

AND

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

 

Final Battle 2023
Date: December 15, 2023
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Caprice Coleman, Ian Riccaboni

It’s the biggest Ring Of Honor show of the year and that could mean all kinds of things. The main event is again about the Women’s Title, as Athena, in her hometown, defends against Billie Starkz. Other than that, we’ll be getting a new TV Champion in a six way match with five wrestlers announced. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Taya Valkyrie vs. Jazmin Allure

Bonus match and Johnny TV is with Valkyrie. A hard shot to the face puts Allure down to start and it’s time to choke on the ropes. Allure’s right hand doesn’t get her very far as Valkyrie hits the sliding German suplex. The running knees in the corner hit Allure for two and we hit the chinlock. Allure fights up and slugs away but gets caught up top, meaning it’s a top rope superplex. The curb stomp finishes Allure at 4:26.

Rating: C. So this week on Ring Of Honor, Valkyrie won a match over a bigger name but on the pay per view Kickoff Show, she beats someone who has only popped up here and there. Not much to see with this one but having Valkyrie around is a good thing. She’s a talented veteran and that adds a lot to the division. I’m not sure why this needed to be on the show, but at least Valkyrie was pretty dominant.

Zero Hour: Von Erichs vs. Outrunners

The Von Erichs in Dallas and you don’t advertise it better than this? Ross (which I know because commentary is smart enough to say which Von Erich is which since they aren’t known in Ring Of Honor) takes Magnum down to start and hits a dropkick, followed by a standing hurricanrana for two. Marshall comes in and clears the Outrunners out, meaning it’s time for a meeting on the floor.

Back in and Ross scares the Outrunners back to the floor where they hit…something on Ross that the camera misses. The beating is on back inside but Floyd has to cut off a hot tag. Ross kicks his way to freedom anyway though and it’s Marshall coming in to clean house. Monkey flips have the Outrunners flying and stereo Claws make the Outrunners tap at 6:11.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t very good but this was as much of a layup as you could get. You have the most famous family in the history of Dallas wrestling in a match close enough to Dallas and they won with their family’s signature move. This couldn’t have been an easier idea and they went exactly as they should have with it. Aside from the Outrunners losing of course, because that should never happen.

Zero Hour: Survival Of The Fittest Qualifying Match: Bryan Keith vs. Jack Cartwheel

Keith grabs a headlock to start and grinds away until Cartwheel reverses into one of his own. Cartwheel cartwheels away but a headscissors is broken up so Keith can kick him down for two. An enziguri staggers Keith, who boots Cartwheel in the face for his efforts. Back up and a cartwheel into a dragon screw legwhip drops Keith and a slingshot spinning elbow gets two.

A cartwheel into a powerslam plants Keith and a cartwheel Death Valley Driver is good for another near fall. With Keith on the floor, Cartwheel hits the big rolling flip dive but misses a shooting star press back inside. Keith avoids a shooting star press though and hits a Tiger Driver 97 for the pin at 7:04.

Rating: C+. Having something on the line here helped a lot as that hasn’t been the case with the other two so far. I’m not sure why Johnny TV didn’t get this spot as he’s been feuding with Dalton Castle and is named TV but I guess we needed some Texas flavor to it instead. Keith has done well in the appearances I’ve seen from him over the years while Cartwheel is incredibly athletic, even if it seems like he’s just adding stuff to moves that would already be good on their own.

Tony Khan comes out to talk about his history around here and Jay Briscoe’s legacy at this event. For now though, we have one more bonus match.

Zero Hour: Daniel Garcia vs. Blake Christian

Feeling out process to start and they take turns driving each other into the corner for some dancing. They strike it out a bit until a butterfly suplex gives Garcia two. One heck of a chop puts Christian down again and the fans want it one more time. Christian motions for Garcia to bring it and then hits a basement dropkick.

Something like stereo kicks to the back keep Garcia down but he fights out of a rear naked choke. Garcia gets knocked into the corner and kicked in the face but he’s fine enough to suplex Christian into the corner. A backbreaker gets Christian out of trouble so he does it again and hits Garcia in the back of the neck.

They trade kicks to the face until Christian hits a running Spanish Fly for two more. Garcia is right back with a leglock into an ankle lock but Christian sends him outside for a big flip dive. A springboard 450 gives Christian two but Garcia pulls him into the Dragon Tamer for the tap at 12:15.

Rating: B-. Good stuff here, which might be due to the amount of time they received. It made the match feel a bit more important, but at the same time, there is only so much that you can get out of this kind of a match. There was no story and it was added with no notice, meaning it was only going to be so interesting, especially with a newcomer like Christian.

Tony Khan has another announcement but Ring Of Honor World Champion comes in to say he wants to be on the card. Anthony Henry comes in to say he’ll fight so the Proving Ground match is on. That’s how the World Champion is booked for the biggest show of the year, less than two minutes before the show starts.

And now, the show proper.

AAA Mega Title: El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Black Taurus

Taurus is challenging and isn’t interested in the Code Of Honor. The much smaller Vikingo is sent flying to start and Taurus knocks him out of the air. Back up and Taurus misses a running knee in the corner but the big running flip dive is countered into a powerbomb. They head back inside where Taurus hits a ripcord powerslam for two as the pace slows down again.

A clothesline puts Vikingo over the top, with his head bouncing off the apron on the way down. Taurus follows with the rather large flip dive and a reverse Sling Blade back inside. One heck of a pop up Samoan drop plants Vikingo but he avoids a big dive. Vikingo gets two fight back with a big flip to send Taurus outside.

Vikingo loads up two springboard flip dives but has to bail out and hits a standard dive, with Taurus standing there waiting the entire time (my goodness people just don’t do the dive if it takes that long). Back in and Taurus runs him over and they go upside, with Vikingo snapping off a super hurricanrana. They strike it out on the apron until Vikingo hits a not great looking running sunset bomb. Vikingo springboard dropkicks him into the corner but misses a charge into the corner.

A top rope gorilla press plants Vikingo (geez) but Vikingo kicks him in the face a few times. Vikingo hits a moonsault Samoan driver (because someone can do that) but Taurus spears him down for a double knockdown. Taurus is sent outside for a 720 (yes a 720), which thankfully doesn’t land on his head. Back in and one heck of a backbreaker plants Vikingo but he’s able to knock Taurus into the corner. The running knees and the 630 retain the title at 16:30.

Rating: B. Yes they botched quite a bit and it went a bit long, but my goodness I wanted to see Vikingo beat the monster put in front of him. This was a heck of an opener and Vikingo, despite being rather small, can get a crowd behind him like few others. This was about the entertainment value rather than the quality (which wasn’t exactly terrible) and I had a heck of a time with it. Just don’t stand there waiting on a dive like that again. Ever. That was terrible.

Commentary runs down the card.

Six Man Tag Team Titles: Mogul Embassy vs. TMDK

TMDK (Shane Haste/Bad Dude Tito/Kosei Fujita) is challenging. Kaun and Fujita start things off with Kaun taking over and dropping him with a kick to the chest. Fujita is back up with a spinning kick to the face, allowing the tag off to Tito to take over on Kaun. It’s back to Fujita, who gets taken into the corner for the tag to Cage.

One heck of a powerslam plants Fujita for two and his right hands don’t do much good. Fujita does manage to punch his way out of trouble and everything breaks down. Haste kicks Toa into the corner and Haste nails a running kick to the face for two. The Gates aren’t having any of this and run Fujita over but Tito makes the save. Haste knees his way out of trouble but Toa cuts him in half with a spear for two.

Tito counters Cage’s discus lariat into a Death Valley Driver for two and Fujita springboard dropkicks Kaun for the same. Cage grabs the apron superplex to plant Fujita for two more with Tito making the save this time. Open The Gates hits Haste, leaving Fujita all alone against the champs. Running shots in the corner set up a toss sitout powerbomb to give Cage the retaining pin at 12:01.

Rating: B-. Nice match here as everything went nuts in a smart move. At the same time, and much like earlier, there is only so much you can get out of the champs defending against a team that got their build in a tournament in Japan which was only mentioned before the match. It wasn’t a bad match, but this really could have been dropped from the card without much being lost.

We recap Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page in an I Quit match. Page was on a winning streak but Nese and his friends cut it off and then got on Page’s nerves. Now it’s time for an I Quit match, which is quite the escalation after one match. Also of note, commentary calls them former friends, which certainly hasn’t been a major part of the story.

Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page

I Quit match and Mark Sterling is here with Nese but is handcuffed to the ring. Well he is eventually that is, complete with Mark Henry coming out to make sure it happens. Nese jumps Page from behind to start fast and hammers away, only to get elbowed in the face to cut him off. They head outside where a Sterling distraction lets Nese get in another cheap shot to take over again. Hold on though as Sterling grabs some protein powder, which is thrown into Nese’s eyes by mistake.

They fight outside again, where Page is sent face first into the handcuffs for a fairly creative spot. Nese grabs the mic and tells Page to quit on behalf of the people. That’s not happening so Nese stomps away at the bloody Page, who fights back again. That means Nese is knocked over the barricade but comes back with a weight (as in the kind you put on a bench press).

The big shot misses but Nese sends him into the barricade to take over. Back in and Nese grabs a jump rope for some whipping, only to have Page fight back without much trouble. Nese teases quitting but uses the distraction to hit page with the microphone. That sets up the big flip dive to the floor, meaning some tables can be set up. Page gets in a shot to break things up and heads to the top, where he is knocked back down.

Not that it matters as Page grabs the slingshot cutter to send Nese through the tables. Back in and some chairs are set up with Nese hurricanranaing Page….completely over the chairs. Thankfully commentary acknowledges that it didn’t make contact and Page doesn’t quit. Nese goes to grab the keys to the handcuffs and, after taking out the referee, unlocks Sterling.

The stomping is on and then it’s time to handcuff Page so Nese can smash him with the weight, with Sterling promising to show the tape to Page’s daughter. Well that’s the plan at least as Sterling explains the idea without actually doing anything, allowing Scorpio Sky to come in for the save. Page is able to stomp Nese’s fingers underneath the plate and then DDT him into it.

Sterling gets hit in the face with the plate (probably should have killed him) and the Ego’s Edge drops him again. Sky takes Sterling to the back but Nese is back up with a chair to the head, meaning Page can indeed be handcuffed. Nese gives him one last chance to quit but Page shouts “F*** YOU” and makes the no hands comeback. The referee uncuffs Page, who hits Nese with the chair and chokes him with the handcuffs for the win at 20:01.

Rating: C+. I have no idea what to think of this, but the thing that stands out the most is how overbooked this was. It felt like they weren’t sure if they wanted to have the violent, bloody brawl or some kind of goofy match with all of the exercise equipment. While I wouldn’t call it bad, they could have cut out a lot of this and had a tighter match. It never felt like the biggest match ever as Nese has never been more than a midcard star at best, but at least Page gets a signature win over someone other than a jobber.

Nyla Rose vs. Vertvixen

Another bonus match. Rose starts fast and loads up the Beast Bomb in less than a minute but Vertvixen punches her way to freedom. Another hard shot drops Vertvixen but Rose pulls her up at two. The top rope knee to the back and the Beast Bomb finish for Rose at 2:39. Well that happened.

We recap the TV Title match, which is the result of Samoa Joe vacating the title. Therefore Survival Of The Fittest was brought back with the winner being the new champion.

TV Title: Survival Of The Fittest Finals

Dalton Castle, Lee Moriarty, Kyle Fletcher, Lee Johnson, Bryan Keith, Komander

Elimination rules but only two are in the ring at once. Castle and Moriarty start things off with a handshake before going to the mat. Fletcher comes in and gets beaten up without much effort, meaning it’s off to Johnson vs. Moriarty. It’s Johnson cleaning house and sending Castle outside but getting headscissored by Komander. Keith comes in and cuts off Komander, meaning it’s time for a showdown with Castle. That’s broken up by Fletcher, who tells Castle to bring it.

The fans are way behind Castle as he throws Fletcher outside, much to the fans’ delight. Komander and Fletcher both go up and stare at each other until Komander walks the ropes to dive onto everyone else. Back in and Johnson takes over on Keith but Moriarty slips out of a powerbomb attempt. Moriarty pulls Johnson into the Border City Stretch for the tap and the elimination at 8:47.

The Boys warm Castle up so he can take Moriarty down, followed by a suplex. Cue Johnny TV to drop…someone the camera misses on the floor. Apparently he dropped the Boys, which distracts Castle enough for Moriarty to hit a suplex Downward Spiral for the elimination at 11:17.

The fans are NOT happy, even as Moriarty, Keith and Fletcher slug it out. Komander is back in as a mini tag match breaks out, resulting in the Tower Of Doom leaving all four down. Keith is up with a fireman’s carry backbreaker for one on Moriarty, followed by a tiger driver to get rid of Moriarty for the pin at 15:39. That leaves Fletcher, Keith and Komander, with Keith kneeing Fletcher down. The tiger driver is blocked though and Fletcher Tombstones Keith for the pin at 16:54.

Fletcher and Komander slug it out with Fletcher getting rocked up against the ropes. The spinning Tombstone is broken up and Komander kicks the leg out, setting up a poisonrana. A slingshot hurricanrana to the floor is countered as well and Fletcher hits the jumping Tombstone on the apron to leave them both on the floor. Komander barely beats the count and it’s a brainbuster to give Fletcher two.

Fletcher puts him on top but Komander kicks the leg out and hits a springboard Canadian Destroyer for a rather near fall. A rope walk 450 onto the apron sets up a regular 450 for two and they’re both down. Komander goes up again but gets caught, setting up a brainbuster onto the turnbuckle for another near fall. Another jumping Tombstone gives Fletcher the pin and the title at 26:03.

Rating: B. The big positive here was they got the Survival part right. Fletcher felt like he survived against the others and that was a heck of a finishing sequence. That being said, it was another long match on a show that is going to go late into the night and it features another heel champion. Ring Of Honor needs to give us something more to cheer about and that is rarely the case when it comes to titles. Very energetic match, but dang some of those kickouts were a bit ridiculous.

Pure Rules Title: Wheeler Yuta vs. Tom Lawlor

Lawlor is challenging in his ROH debut. They go to the mat to start with Lawlor getting the better of things and leaving Yuta a bit shaken. Lawlor’s armbreaker has Yuta going to the ropes for his first break and Lawlor seems pleased. Yuta gets in a right hand behind the referee’s back so Lawlor punches him back, earning his official warning.

Yuta takes over again and goes for the leg, sending Lawlor over to the ropes for his first break. They strike it out, with Lawlor favoring his leg, including as they trade discus forearms. Lawlor is back with a spear but Yuta goes straight back to the knee to take over again. An Octopus Hold into an abdominal stretch into a rollup gives Yuta two but Lawler suplex slams him down for the same.

A monkey flip breaks up another leglock attempt and Lawlor starts in on the arm, including a hammerlock piledriver for another near fall. Something like an Anaconda Vice sends Yuta to the ropes for another break, followed by a right hand to drop Lawlor again. They go up top with Lawlor grabbing a Kimura, which he holds while superplexing Yuta back down.

Another Kimura has Yuta using his final rope break so Lawlor goes with Becky Lynch’s Disarm-Her. Yuta reverses that into an ankle lock, which is reversed into another Kimura. That’s escaped as well and Yuta grabs the seatbelt for the…..pin at 13:12, despite Lawlor’s shoulder being a good foot off the mat and his feet being in the ropes.

Rating: B-. This was a technical battle between two rather skilled technical wrestlers and it worked well, aside from the terribly screwed up ending. The Pure Rules thing can work very well and it was good enough here, but this was another match with no backstory and an outsider getting a random title match. Hook is already feuding with Yuta, but here is Lawlor instead. That can get old fast and I wasn’t a fan of it here.

Post match Yuta stays on Lawlor but Hook makes the save. Yuta low blows Hook before leaving.

We recap Shane Taylor vs. Keith Lee. They were a monster team back in the original ROH but Lee went on to WWE and left Taylor to start over. Now Taylor wants revenge. That’s an actual story and I could have gone for it getting some more development than it received.

Shane Taylor vs. Keith Lee

They stare each other down to start before going to the test of strength. Taylor’s headlock has Lee in some trouble but he breaks out so they can run the ropes. One heck of a shoulder drops Taylor and he’s more than a bit stunned. Lee chops away and hits a slingshot crossbody for one.

Taylor is back with a Tower Of London for two and the apron legdrop crushes Lee again. We hit the chinlock back inside, followed by a knee to the face to give Taylor two. Back up and the forearm exchange goes to Lee, who hits a splash in the corner. Taylor knocks him back down and hits a middle rope splash for two more.

Lee knocks him down again and goes to the corner, only to have Lee Moriarty pop up for a distraction. The sitout powerbomb drops Moriarty but Taylor gets in a knee to the back of the head for two. Taylor goes up top and hits a super Canadian Destroyer….for two more. Back up and Keith grabs the Big Bang Catastrophe for the pin out of nowhere at 14:33.

Rating: B-. It was a good hoss fight with some big heavy shots, but again it ran longer than it needed to. There were too many times where they were slowing way down and it would have been better with a few minutes less. I’m not sure how much sense it makes for Keith to win here, but it won’t matter if he doesn’t get a stronger push than he has had in recent months.

Post match Keith pulls Taylor up and Taylor acknowledges the crowd.

Bryan Keith wants gold so Orange Cassidy comes in to say come collect the International Title on Collision.

We recap the Blackpool Combat Club vs. Mark Briscoe/FTR, which is a big tribute to Jay Briscoe and little more.

Blackpool Combat Club vs. Mark Briscoe/FTR

After Dax Harwood goes over to glare at a fan on her phone, we start with Harwood vs. Moxley with neither getting very far. Castagnoli comes in to drive Harwood into the corner before it’s off to Danielson to strike it out with Wheeler. Briscoe gets to come in to a rather strong reaction and hammers away in the corner. It’s back to Harwood, who gets caught by the arm (now bleeding) with Danielson cranking away.

Castagnoli’s Swing has Harwood in more trouble but he German suplexes his way out of trouble. Wheeler gets the tag to clean house, including Redneck Boogie for two on Danielson. Back up and Danielson loads up the Swan Dive but gets caught with the PowerPlex into the Froggy Bow. The Doomsday Device is broken up so Danielson loads up a superplex on Briscoe. That’s broken up as well but Briscoe’s second Doomsday Device attempt lands on Castagnoli’s uppercut.

Moxley is back in with a cutter but Wheeler brainbusters him down. The Shatter Machine is broken up and it’s the running knee to Wheeler. Briscoe fights up to slug away at Moxley and Danielson but Castagnoli comes in with a Neutralizer for two. FTR is back in and a triple Shatter Machine gets the same on Castagnoli. The Jay Driller is broken up and the triple stomping has Briscoe down again.

The Club tries its own Doomsday Device but it gets broken up, meaning the brawl heads to the floor….where it’s a double countout at 19:17. Briscoe is NOT having that though and yeah we’re restarting it….as a Fight Without Honor (street fight, which I believe it was advertised as in advance). The fight is on in the crowd until Briscoe and Moxley head inside. The bloody Briscoe sends him outside and uses a chair for a step up flip dive. FTR loads up a table but let’s bring out a barbed wire ladder instead.

Moxley uses a fork on Harwood’s eye, followed by a curb stomp onto a chair back inside. Danielson is back in for a LeBell Lock to Wheeler, with Moxley adding barbed wire across the eyes. Briscoe makes the save but Moxley grabs a choke. Harwood makes the save this time so let’s throw in a bunch of chairs. A spike piledriver onto the chairs is broken up so Moxley is piledriven off the apron through a board covered in tacks. Danielson kicks away at Briscoe, who isn’t overly impressed. Briscoe fights up and hits a Jay Driller onto the chairs to finish Danielson at about 31:15 overall.

Rating: B. Yeah it was a mess and I’m not sure what was going on with the rules, but my goodness this was an entertaining fight. Much like the opener, they weren’t going for some classic match here as this was more about people beating the fire out of each other until one of them couldn’t get up anymore. At the very least, it’s great to see Briscoe getting a big win and I’m sure Danielson was more than happy to let him get something that big. Heck of a fight here, which was what they were trying to do.

Eddie Kingston vs. Anthony Henry

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Henry wins or survives the ten minute time limit, he gets a future title shot. They start fast and fight out to the floor, where Henry hits a running boot against the barricade. Back in and a double stomp gives Henry two, followed by another kick for two. Kingston gets up and they chop it out, with Kingston snapping o the rapid fire corner chops. Henry is right back with an enziguri into a German suplex for two and they both need a breather. A top rope double stomp misses though and Kingston hits the spinning backfist. The stretch plum finishes Henry at 5:42.

Rating: C. It was a fine match but it’s a Proving Ground match, which has so far been a guaranteed win for the champion. I like the idea of Kingston being on the show, but it would have been nice to have something better for him than a midcard tag wrestler. It wasn’t exactly must see either, but at least they kept it short.

We recap the main event, with Athena defending the Women’s Title against Billie Starkz. Athena was training her as a minion but Starkz rebelled, setting up the title match. Athena has also added that she’s gone if she loses.

Ring Of Honor Women’s Title: Athena vs. Billie Starkz

Athena, the hometown star with a broken nose, is defending. Starkz knocks her fast into the corner and they fight out to the floor. Athena sends Starkz face first into the barricade a few times, with Starkz coming up bleeding. Back in and Athena keeps up the beating, including a neck crank as the blood continues to flow. Starkz gets sent to the floor as this has been much more of a brawl than a match so far.

Athena cuts off a comeback attempt but Starkz fights out of the Tree of Woe and suplexes her into the corner. They both mix kicks to the face before Starkz grabs a dragon suplex. Starkz spears her down and pulls off the mask, setting up some less than great looking forearms. The Swanton connects for two so Athena goes outside, with Starkz hitting a suicide dive into the barricade.

Athena gets in a shot of her own and loads up the announcers’ table but Starkz suplexes her down to the floor. A fireman’s carry is escaped and Starkz pulls her down by the hair. They fight onto the barricade again and it’s a reverse Sling Blade to send Starkz face first onto the floor. It’s time to really try something new so they head back inside for a top rope German superplex for two on Starkz. Back up and the ref gets bumped so Athena asks guest ring announcer (and head Minion) Lexi Nair to hand her the title.

Starkz dropkicks Athena into Nair and Starkz’s End gets two. Back up again and they fight to the apron, where Starkz hits an electric chair driver to knock Athena silly on the floor. The Swanton misses back inside and Athena punches her in the face for a double knockdown. Athena wins a slugout and hits Despicable Knee for two. They trade some rollups for two each until Athena ties her up in something like a modified Octopus hold for the tap to retain at 28:21.

Rating: B. I would bet that this had to be more of a brawl than a match due to the injury, as the style let Athena take a few long breaks in there. Other than that….my goodness who is left to take the title from Athena? This is the match that has been built up for months now and, again, Athena just retains. I’m not sure who in the world is supposed to take the title from her, but it might not be happening for a bit. It’s cool to see a milestone like the women headlining, but it would also be cool to see a heel lose a major title match around here.

Post match Starkz goes to leave but Athena pulls her back. Starkz shows respect and poses with Athena and Nair to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Wow indeed. This show, counting the Zero Hour (which I do as it was advertised and played a role in the show, plus it’s playing if you go to watch Final Battle on Honor Club), was over five hours and, as tends to be the case, the good guys/women didn’t do very well in title matches. Ring Of Honor has a really bad record of pulling the trigger on a big title change (the biggest they’ve had in months, with Eddie Kingston, wasn’t even in ROH) and that was the case again here. There were some nice moments like the six man and Lee/Taylor making up, but those were pretty few and far between.

As has been the case for months, the wrestling is far from the problem around here. Instead, the problem is in how everything is thrown together with SO MUCH CONTENT included. This show had five matches added the day of the show and even more that were only added within the last two days. That doesn’t leave me wanting to see more ROH, but rather hoping that they never do that again. The weekly show continues to feel mostly disconnected to the PPVs and there is no reason to believe that will change.

Overall, it’s a good show because the wrestlers are so talented, but this was another pay per view that felt like it was thrown together at the last minute, with Tony Khan adding whatever came to his head in the car that morning. Ring Of Honor isn’t enjoyable to watch most of the time and a lot of the reasons why were on display here. As usual it isn’t about the action, which is strong, but the way that action is presented. Fix that and you have a heck of a show, but otherwise, you have a big mess which just keeps going.

Results
Taya Valkyrie b. Jazmin Allure – Curb Stomp
Von Erichs b. Outrunners – Double Iron Claws
Bryan Keith b. Jack Cartwheel – Tiger driver
Daniel Garcia b. Blake Christian – Dragon Tamer
El Hijo del Vikingo b. Black Taurus – 630
Mogul Embassy b. TMDK – Toss sitout powerbomb to Fujita
Ethan Page b. Tony Nese – Choke with handcuffs
Nyla Rose b. Vertvixen – Beast Bomb
Kyle Fletcher won Survival Of The Fittest last eliminating Komander
Wheeler Yuta b. Tom Lawlor – Seat belt
Keith Lee b. Shane Taylor – Big Bang Catastrophe
Mark Briscoe/FTR b. Blackpool Combat Club – Jay Driller to Danielson on a pile of chairs
Eddie Kingston b. Anthony Henry – Stretch plum
Athena b. Billie Starkz – Octopus hold

 

 

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

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

AND

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

 

Ring Of Honor
Date: June 8, 2023
Location: Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re back to Ring Of Honor and that could mean more than a few things. The show has settled more into a pattern (save for that one nearly three hour outlier) and you can all but guarantee a few matches every week. At the same time, there are a few wildcards that pop up every now and then, and thankfully last week felt like some stories moved forward. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Christopher Daniels vs. Kyle Fletcher

Daniels works on the arm to start and then starts kicking away at the leg. Fletcher cuts off a charge with a slam but Daniels is right back with a running neckbreaker. We hit the neck crank the arm trapped as Daniels is staying on the neck for the most part. Fletcher can’t get a suplex but can send him into the corner for a running forearm.

A belly to back suplex gives Fletcher two, only to have Daniels get a boot up in the corner. The middle rope cutter sets up a Koji Clutch to keep Fletcher in trouble, sending him over to the ropes. There’s the double clothesline to put them both down and it’s Daniels back up with some suplexes. Angel’s Wings is blocked and Fletcher comes back with the spinning Tombstone for the pin at 11:23.

Rating: B. I’m not sure why Fletcher needs to be around so often but he’s looking good in the ring. Putting him in the ring with someone like Daniels is a good idea, as Daniels can still hang in there with just about anyone. They had a good match here as Fletcher’s kind of odd singles push continues.

Matt Sydal vs. Zack Clayton

Cole Karter is here with Clayton. Sydal strikes away and snaps off a hurricanrana, followed by a superkick for two. A standing twisting moonsault gets two on Clayton, who takes Sydal down and hammers away. Sydal scores with another knockdown and the top rope Meteora finishes Clayton at 3:07.

Rating: C. They kept this one moving and Sydal more or less squashed him, as he should with the Television Title in his sights. I have no reason to believe that Sydal is going to beat Samoa Joe as no one has in over a year, but at least they’re making it into a story. Sydal is a talented star and he got to look good here, even over a lower level opponent like Clayton.

Post match Sydal says he wants Samoa Joe and the TV Title.

Dralistico vs. Willie Mack

Dralistico won’t shake hands to start but he will knock Mack to the floor for the big running flip dive. Back in and Dralistico hits a running basement dropkick, followed by a low superkick in the corner. Mack gets up and hits a running Shining Wizard to send Dralistico outside this time, setting up the big running flip dive.

Dralistico kicks him down again back inside, setting up the standing exchange of chops. They trade shots for a double knockdown until Mack is back with the Samoan drop into the standing moonsault for two. Mack’s frog splash hits raised knees though and Dralistico knees him down. Mack gets up again but it’s a Jose the Assistant distraction, allowing Dralistico to get in a low blow. The Incinerator knee finishes for Dralistico at 7:42.

Rating: B-. They were rocking until the ending here with the low blow hurting things a bit. Mack continues to lose most of the time, which doesn’t have me expecting him to do much outside of Ring Of Honor. Dralistico getting a win is nice, but it’s still hard to imagine him as being anything more than Rush’s partner.

Here is Tony Khan to announce that Matt Sydal will face Samoa Joe for the TV Title next week. As for this week, we will now have a Board Of Directors (who he makes clear will answer to him): Stokely Hathaway and Jerry Lynn. They’re all going to have a good time! They’re not actually doing anything here, but it’ll be fun when they actually do!

NJPW Strong Women’s Title: Willow Nightingale vs. Rachael Ellering

Nightingale is defending and wastes no time in rolling some suplexes. Ellering comes back with a running forearm as commentary talks about how they would love to have Chris Hero around here. An enziguri gets Nightingale out of trouble and she hits a string of clotheslines. The Pounce sets up the Cannonball for two, with Ellering reversing the cover into a crucifix for the same. Nightingale has had it with her and hits a spinebuster into a camel clutch to retain at 6:46.

Rating: C. Nightingale continues to mix things up and adding in another good power move makes sense. You don’t see many women like her and not only is she incredibly charismatic, but she can have quality matches to back it up. Ellering is someone who can work well with anyone and I could go for having her around more often.

Embassy vs. Cheeseburger/Marcus Kross/Eli Isom

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning if Cheeseburger and company win or survive the ten minute time limit, they get a title shot. Isom avoids a charging Cage to start and slips out of a Drill Claw as well. A superkick drops Isom though and it’s Toa coming in for some shoulders in the corner. Another missed charge allows the tag to Cheeseburger, who is tossed from Toa to Kaun. Cheeseburger manages to bring in Kross as everything breaks down. The Embassy gets to run everyone over and a toss powerbomb finishes Kross at 5:01.

Rating: C-. You know how the Embassy has run a bunch of trios over and rarely felt like they were in any trouble? This was the most recent of those matches. The Embassy has no serious challengers and they’re just being fed various three man combinations to keep them on the show. Not much to see here, as usual.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Vertvixen

Vixen hits a dropkick to start but walks into a big boot. Martinez grabs a seated abdominal stretch, followed by a Saito suplex. Vixen is back with a rolling Stunner into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Back up and Martinez grabs a swinging suplex out of the corner for two more, followed by a forearm to the back of the head. The Brass City Sleeper finishes Vixen at 4:18.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have Martinez back and she ran over Vertvixen here. It was just a step above a squash as Vixen barely got anything in, but at least they finished it quickly instead of dragging it out. I could see Martinez getting back into the title hunt, as it isn’t like there are many serious challengers around at the moment.

Griff Garrison vs. Lee Moriarty

This is Garrison’s first match since October. Moriarty gets sent into the corner to start and Garrison boots him in the face for a bonus. That earns him an arm snap across the top and Moriarty starts stomping away. The arm is sent into the corner as commentary starts talking about the Jericho Appreciation Society. Garrison hits a clothesline out of the corner and a discus forearm gets two. Moriarty rakes him in the eyes though and grabs a rollup for the pin at 4:06.

Rating: C. So remember when Garrison was a decent looking guy in a low level tag team? Well here he was a decent looking guy in a low level singles match. It’s cool to have him back and I’m glad he’s healthy, but this wasn’t some big, epic comeback. It wasn’t a squash, but it’s a bit difficult to get excited about Moriarty, who has been a jobber to the stars for weeks in AEW, getting a win here.

Robyn Renegade vs. Kiera Hogan

Hogan takes her down to start and hits a springboard legdrop for two. Renegade avoids a charge though and chokes in the corner, followed by the forearms on the mat. We hit the armbar for a bit before they trade chops in the corner. Hogan stomps her down in another corner but here is Charlotte Renegade for the failed Twin Magic. Not that it matters as Hogan hits a superkick for the pin at 4:34.

Rating: C. The parade of “eh, that was fine” matches continues as Hogan has to be built up again for a likely rematch with Athena. I still think there is something with the Renegades, but they’re cannon fodder for Hogan here and that is not exactly the best place to be. Let them try something, because they’re being wasted in spots like this one.

Post match Athena comes in to kendo stick Hogan, who takes it away and unloads on Athena instead.

Dark Order vs. Shane Taylor/Workhorsemen

They start the brawl during the Code Of Honor and it’s Silver kicking away at the much bigger Taylor to get things going. Reynolds comes in to slug away but Henry trips him down on the floor. It’s off to Henry to pound on Reynolds before Drake adds a belly to belly. A Cannonball connects in the corner and Henry comes back in for a chinlock.

Reynolds fights up and gets over to Uno for the tag to pick up the pace. We get the long awaited Taylor vs. Uno showdown as everything breaks down. Drake gets caught in the series of strikes from Reynolds and Silver, setting up the Stunner into the German suplex to finish Drake at 7:21.

Rating: C. I’m still not sure I get what is impressive about the Dark Order but they are around on a pretty regular basis. Beating Taylor and the Workhorsemen at least gives them a boost, but there’s just not much interesting about either group. The stuff with Stu Grayson was at least a story, but other than that, I’m not sure why they’re around so often. Allegedly they get big reactions from the fans, though that didn’t seem to be the case here.

The Righteous and Stu Grayson aren’t impressed by the Dark Order, but want them to be more aggressive. Tune in next week.

Darius Martin/Action Andretti/AR Fox vs. Trustbusters

Fox and Slim J start things off, which Riccaboni calls a “dream match for me”. Riccaboni needs to work on his dream matches. They trade flips to start until Fox gets two off a spinning suplex. Kay comes in and gets caught in the corner for some rapid fire running shots to the chest. Andretti’s shotgun dropkick sets up a missed split legged moonsault and it’s Kiss coming in to hammer away.

Kiss’ gorilla press into a standing moonsault gets two on Andretti and a splits splash is good for the same. Andretti fights up and brings in Martin for a pumphandle facebuster to Kay but an assisted Sliced Bread takes him down. Fox is back with a series of cutters and it’s back to Andretti. Something like a double swinging powerbomb finishes Kay at 6:02.

Rating: C+. They kept the pace up here and Kiss’ gorilla press was rather impressive. Andretti is much better suited in a role like this than as a singles star and he did his thing rather well in this one. The Trustbusters are still about as uninteresting as you can get, but at least they’re being relegated to jobbing status most of the time.

The Kingdom vs. El Cobarde/El Dragon

Maria is here with the Kingdom. Taven knees Cobarde in the ribs but gets dropkicked for his efforts. It’s off to Dragon for a bunch of flips as Bennett comes in to say “hit me like a man.” Not a dragon mind you, but a man. One of those shows busts Bennett open so he knocks Cobarde off the apron to blow off some steam. Everything breaks down fast and the Kingdom gets taken down by running flip dives. Purple Thunder gets two on Dragon but Aurora Borealis misses. Everything breaks down again though and it’s Just The Tip into the Proton Pack to finish Cobarde at 5:28.

Rating: C+. Cobarde and Dragon looked good int heir debuts here and that’s a nice thing to see as there is always room for a high flying lucha team. As usual with their almost weekly win, the Kingdom should be in the title hunt but instead they’re just kind of here, winning a match and staying on their treadmill. I’m still not sure why they’re not given a bigger spot, but I’m sure another midcard AEW team can get the title shot instead.

Here are Tony Khan, Jerry Lynn and Stokely Hathaway, with Khan again announcing that “this is great”. Hathaway apparently wants mass layoffs but also wants Action Andretti vs. the entire Embassy. Khan instead says Andretti/Fox/Martin vs. the Embassy for the Six Man Tag Team Titles. OF COURSE that’s what Hathaway wanted. Khan talks about how great a star Bandido is….but he’s not here tonight! Instead, here’s his brother! Jerry Lynn didn’t say a word during his appearance.

Rey Fenix vs. Gravity

They grapple into a rollup exchange for two each until Gravity runs in slow motion (because gravity you see). Fenix reverses a sunset flip into an ankle lock and Gravity certainly appears to tap but it doesn’t matter. Gravity reverses a suplex into a small package for two before sending Fenix outside for a springboard dive.

Back in and a standing moonsault gives Gravity two, followed by a torture rack Samoan driver for two. Fenix spins him into a faceplant for two of his own but Gravity muscles him up into a powerbomb for the same. Gravity misses a top rope splash and gets kicked down for another near fall. One heck of a crucifix bomb gives Gravity two more but Fenix is back with a cutter. The Black Fire Driver finishes Gravity at 10:40.

Rating: B. Take two guys, let them fly around for about ten minutes and blow the fans’ minds with some insane stuff. Fenix specializes in just such a style and he was on fire here. Gravity had some good stuff as well, but it doesn’t help to have your introduction be “well this star isn’t here but here is his brother instead!”. I will take the “Rey Fenix is better than gravity” joke though.

Overall Rating: C. The opener and main event helped but I was rather bored by a good chunk of the middle. It isn’t that the matches were bad (they were mostly good to acceptable on the bad end) but it was the same thing you see almost every week around here: a bunch of people with nothing going on, winning a match with the vague possibility of moving up the ladder for a possible title shot down the line. Almost nothing in the middle of this show stood out and it was almost mind numbing to watch the same middle of the road stuff throughout.

They desperately need to trim this down, though I’d be stunned if they actually did. As long as these shows are taped at Universal, there is nothing that is going to make them slow down, as they can more or less tape as much as they want and then air it all at once. For the life of me I have no idea how this is supposed to be the best thing they can put out there, but it’s not exactly thrilling, or even interesting, most of the time.

Results
Kyle Fletcher b. Christopher Daniels – Spinning Tombstone
Matt Sydal b. Zack Clayton – Top rope Meteora
Dralistico b. Willie Mack – Incinerator
Willow Nightingale b. Rachael Ellering – Camel clutch
The Embassy b. Cheeseburger/Marcus Kross/Eli Isom – Toss powerbomb to Kross
Mercedes Martinez b. Vertvixen – Brass City Sleeper
Lee Moriarty b. Griff Garrison – Rollup
Kiera Hogan b. Robyn Renegade – Superkick
Dark Order b. Shane Taylor/Workhorsemen – German suplex to Drake
Action Andretti/Darius Martin/AR Fox b. Trustbusters – Double swinging powerbomb to Kay
The Kingdom b. El Cobarde/El Dragon – Proton Pack to Dragon
Rey Fenix b. Gravity – Black Fire Driver

 

 

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

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

AND

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

 

Ring Of Honor
Date: May 25, 2023
Location: Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, Nigel McGuinness

It’s Double Or Nothing week but Ring Of Honor still doesn’t have a major show of its own to build towards. I would assume that we might be seeing something like that being announced in the next few weeks, but for now we’ll have to settle for this show producing acts like Metalik/AR Fox/Blake Christian to be fed to the House Of Black on Dynamite. Let’s get to it.

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

By the way: this show sets new records at 2:56:30 and 19 matches.

JD Drake vs. Mark Briscoe

Anthony Henry is here with Drake. Briscoe sticks his chest out for the chop so Drake does the same, meaning the chops abound. A boot to the chest rocks Drake and Briscoe sends him outside. That means a dive to take out Henry and Drake at the same time but Drake is back in with more chops. A spinebuster gives Drake two more and a Boss Man Slam is good for the same.

Briscoe knocks him off the top though and a missile dropkick puts Drake down. Drake is willing to let Briscoe chop him, but Briscoe grabs a swinging Rock Bottom for two instead. Henry’s distraction breaks up the Jay Driller and Drake hits his moonsault for two more. For some reason Henry tries his own Jay Driller, which is reversed into a Death valley Driver. The Froggy Bow finishes for Briscoe at 9:24.

Rating: C. Drake continues to move well for a big guy but he was outmatched here against Briscoe. That’s part of the problem with Briscoe at the moment as he doesn’t want to be in a team (fair) but he’s a big enough star that he needs to win something. The TV Title was done at Supercard Of Honor and the World Title is mainly stuck on Proving Ground matches, so instead Briscoe just kind of floats, in this case as a guest referee on the main show.

Respect is shown post match and Briscoe says he wants the TV Title. I could go for a rematch, but Briscoe needs to actually win the thing.

Christopher Daniels wants Matt Sydal to get a TV Title and they’ll start the path tonight.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Serpentico

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning that if Serpentico wins or lasts the ten minute time limit, he gets a future title shot. Castagnoli shoves him down to start as commentary talks about what kind of dog these two would be. Serpentico grabs his Castagnoli’s hands for a test of strength but gets sent flying off a suplex. A rollup gives Serpentico two and Castagnoli is sent to the floor for a big flip dive. Castagnoli sends him into the steps and hits about ten straight clotheslines back inside. A big clothesline finishes Serpentico at 3:39.

Rating: C-. Pretty much a squash here as there was no reason to believe that perennial jobber Serpentico was going to be a threat to Castagnoli. We’re currently waiting to see who is next for a title shot and the pickings are fairly slim at the moment. Maybe someone steps up soon, but for now, we might be stuck with little more than this from the champ.

Vertvixen vs. Kiera Hogan

Vertvixen grabs a headlock to start, followed by a running dropkick. Hogan fights up with a kick of her own as Athena comes out to watch. A Downward Spiral into a Koji Clutch has Hogan in trouble but she sends Vertvixen face first into the buckle for two. Vertvixen is back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two but Hogan grabs a Saito suplex for the pin at 4:59.

Rating: C. Hogan wasn’t a serious threat to Jade Cargill in AEW and she isn’t going to be a threat to Athena anytime soon. Athena has been great in her role but she needs a much stronger challenger than she has been getting recently. Skye Blue worked as she has at least done something, but Hogan beating Vertvixen in about five minutes isn’t going to make her a viable challenger.

Post match Athena shoves Hogan, who trips over Vertvixen, just to make her look even more like a goof.

Kyle Fletcher vs. AR Fox

Fletcher takes him down to start without much trouble and then circles the standing Fox a few times. Some hard shots put Fox down and Fletcher gets to stomp away but Fox blocks a suplex attempt. Instead it’s a suplex to drop Fletcher for a change, setting up the rolling cutter for two.

Another jumping cutter is countered into a dragon suplex but Fox kicks him in the face. Fletcher gets kicked to the floor for a big flip dive from the top, followed by a 450 for two back inside. They both go up top where Fletcher snaps off a super Falcon Arrow. The spinning Tombstone finishes for Fletcher at 10:12.

Rating: B-. I’m kind of amazed that it only took one drop on the head to finish Fox but my goodness that’s a nice change of pace from the usual amount of kickouts you see from similar moves. Fletcher is getting a nice singles run while Mark Davis is hurt but it’s hard to imagine it lasting when the team is ready to go again. Fox can have an exciting match against anyone and thankfully that one ridiculous match a few weeks ago was an anomaly.

Willow Nightingale vs. Hyan

Nightingale runs her over and poses a bit before grabbing something like a reverse Koji Clutch. Hyan gets in a few shots in the corner but Nightingale hits a running shoulder. The middle rope dropkick sets up a cannonball, followed by the Babe With The Powerbomb to finish Hyan at 4:14.

Rating: C. Nightingale could drop a box of puppies into a woodchipper and find a way to make it charming. You don’t see that kind of delightfulness very often and it is infectious every time she is out there. There is no such thing as too much Nightingale and I could go for her moving up the ladder rather soon.

The Kingdom vs. Willie Mack/Ninja Mack

Maria Kanellis-Bennett is here with the Kingdom. Willie hiptosses and armdrags Taven to start but Bennett comes in to take over. Taven is right back in with a middle rope dropkick but Willie clotheslines his way to freedom. Ninja comes in and reverses Taven’s suplex attempt to keep the pace up. A superkick rocks Taven but Bennett grabs a suplex to take over.

Taven’s frog splash gives Bennett two, only to have Ninja slip away and make the tag to Willie for the house cleaning. House is quickly cleaned, including the Samoan drop to Taven. The standing moonsault gives Willie two and Ninja hits a double backflip into a moonsault onto both of them at ringside. Back in and something like a 3D hits Taven but Bennett forearms Willie. The Proton Pack finishes Ninja at 7:44.

Rating: C+. Well, there’s your debut of the hot new team, as the Kingdom rightfully beats them. I’m not sure why Mack and Mack needed to lose in their first match together but at least it was a decent one. The Kingdom continues to be a team who could and probably should be higher up on the card, but here they are for the time being.

Dream Girl Ellie vs. Mercedes Martinez

Martinez runs her over to start and hammers away on the mat. A big boot drops Ellie again and some hard knees to the face make it worse. The surfboard dragon sleeper finishes Ellie at 2:59.

Willie Mack and Ninja Mack aren’t done.

Ashley D’Amboise vs. Danielle Kamela

They fight over wrist control to start until Kamela takes her into the corner for the stomping. D’Amboise gets tied in the ropes for some kicks to the back, followed by the chinlock. That’s broken up and D’Amboise hits a running flipping neckbreaker for two. Kamela is back with a faceplant, only to have D’Amboise hit a reverse AA for two more. A Rock Bottom finishes Kamela at 5:08.

Rating: C. Kamela definitely felt polished and it isn’t surprising that she had a stint in NXT before (as Vanessa Borne). If she can go at this pace and improve beyond that, she could absolutely be something in the future. Other than that, D’Amboise feels like someone with potential, and keeping her around makes sense.

Rocky Romero vs. Titus Alexander

Alexander elbows him in the face and hits a sliding dropkick, setting up a quick dance. Back up and Romero hits some Forever Lariats, only to walk into another dropkick. Romero is right back with a springboard tornado DDT before a missed charge sends Alexander outside. A standing Sliced Bread gets two on Alexander back inside but he grabs a brainbuster for two of his own. Romero has had it with him and puts on a cross armbreaker for the tap at 4:17.

Rating: C+. Alexander was bringing it here and did get to showcase some nice cocky heel stuff. Romero can wrestle a smooth match with anyone and got in some stuff to make both of them look good here. If this was a tryout for Alexander, he might have done well enough to stick around for a bit so nice work.

The Righteous/Stu Grayson vs. Marcus Kross/Vary Morales/LSG

Morales has to spin/roll away from Grayson to start before it’s off to Kross. Grayson throws him into the corner and brings Dutch in to power Kross around a bit more. Vincent’s basement Downward Spiral has him rather pleased but LSG comes in for a springboard forearm. Cue the Dark Order to worry about Grayson as Dutch’s swinging Boss Man Slam cuts Morales in half. Knightfall finishes Kross at 4:09.

Rating: C. Well at least they’re doing something with Grayson and the Righteous after so many weeks of just having them stare at each other. Granted we’re still not sure what is going on, but I’ll take this over the Dark Order running around without really doing anything. The Righteous are a decent team and could be in the title hunt if given the chance, but they get to work with the Dark Order instead.

The Dark Order and the Righteous yell at each other as Grayson is left in the ring.

Zack Sabre Jr. and Samoa Joe are ready for their tag match, with Sabre wanting to show that his TV Title is the one that matters most.

Shane Taylor vs. Tracy Williams

Shane Taylor has the Workhorsemen (Anthony Henry/JD Drake) with him while Williams has Rhett Titus. Taylor powers him around to start and unloads in the corner, only to get armbarred over the top. Back in and a side slam plants Williams but he’s right back with a middle rope DDT. A frog splash gives Williams two but Taylor gives him a release Rock Bottom. The big splash gets two and the package piledriver finishes Williams at 5:12.

Rating: C. Taylor continues to be a wrecking ball who runs through everyone in front of him (save for Mark Briscoe) and that could be used in a bigger spot later. Williams is still someone who can wrestle with anyone, but if he keeps losing over and over, I’m not sure how much good that is going to do. For now though, this was another perfectly fine match.

Athena vs. Promise Braxton

Non-title Proving Ground match. Athena takes her down and hits a shoulder, meaning it’s time to dance. Back up and Braxton snaps off an armdrag but Athena kicks her in the face. Athena’s release front suplex gets two more but Braxton gets in a shot of her own. That’s enough for Athena, who forearms the heck out of her and grabs a cobra sleeper for the win at 5:58.

Rating: C-. Of all the times where Athena has beaten up someone with no chance of beating her in a Proving Ground match, this was the most recent. It’s fun to see, but we’ve seen this so many times now that it is starting to lose its charm. She doesn’t need to be around every week, and having Kiera Hogan as the next victim isn’t going to make things much better.

Post match Athena stays on her but Kiera Hogan makes the save.

Dralistico vs. Tony Deppen

Deppen dropkicks him to the floor to start and hits the big flip dive through the ropes. Dralistico whips Deppen into various things, setting up a springboard Swanton back inside. A kick to the face lets Dralistico pose on the top rope but he misses a charge, allowing Deppen to hit a springboard flipping dive to the floor. Back in and Deppen lets Dralistico chop away until they trade knees to the face. A poisonrana plants Deppen but Dralistico can’t follow up. Dralistico cuts off a springboard and hits a springboard hurricanrana. That and a Fujiwara armbar finish Deppen at 6:32.

Rating: C+. Deppen is one of the better jobbers to the stars around here and he made Dralistico look good here. At the same time, Dralistico hasn’t exactly done anything on his own in ROH or AEW. He has talent, but there isn’t much about him that makes him stand out. Granted not being around Rush so often should help him a bit, and he looked good here.

Nick Comoroto, in his sweet hat, is ready to face Blake Christian, who looks like everyone else.

Miranda Alize vs. Skye Blue

Blue snaps off a hurricanrana to the floor and the chase is on, with Alize catching her with a DDT back inside. Alize kicks her in the head in the corner and a double underhook DDT gets two. A kick to the back of the head gives Blue one but Alize pulls her into the Miranda Rights. With that broken up, Alize misses a charge in the corner and gets rolled up for the pin at 3:59.

Rating: C. This was a match where they didn’t have the time to do much, which is a shame given who was involved. These two could have a good match if they are given the chance but not even making it to four minutes isn’t going to let that work. Alize has done well in her time around ROH and Blue has shown her talents multiple times. Just give them more time.

Athena yells a lot and seems to want to hurt Kiera Hogan.

Cole Karter/Zack Clayton vs. Action Andretti/Darius Martin

Andretti flips over Clayton to start and sends him into the corner before hitting a nice dropkick. Martin comes in and gets his head taken off with a clothesline. It’s already back to Andretti, who kicks Karter down. Back up and Karter is able to shove Andretti off the ropes and out to the floor in a crash. They get back in and Andretti kicks his way out of trouble, allowing the tag back to Martin. House is cleaned until Clayton grabs a powerslam, setting up a frog splash to give Karter two. Back in and Andretti/Martin hit a double pendulum slam to finish Karter at 4:48.

Rating: C+. Another decent match here as Andretti and Martin continue to look like a nice young, high flying team. Granted it doesn’t matter much until Dante gets back, though commentary might have had a good idea of Top Flight and Andretti as a trio. Until then though, I can settle for them doing something like this a few more times.

Blake Christian vs. Nick Comoroto

Comoroto throws a toothpick at him to start so Christian kicks him in the head. The chase is on around the ring and it works so well that they do it again. Christian manages to get back inside and hit a big flip dive to drop Comoroto for the first time. Back up and Comoroto posts him hard to take over, only to miss a charge into the buckle. Christian knocks him to the floor for the dive, followed by a top rope double stomp to the back on the apron. Comoroto hits a fireman’s carry slam for two so Christian….throws a chair across the ring. As Comoroto goes to get it, Christian rolls him up for the pin at 6:31.

Rating: C+. I still see potential in Comoroto, just due to how different he looks and how he has the power and charisma (the hair helps too). Christian continues to be good, but I don’t know if there is really anything he does that makes him stand out. The skill is there, but he’s going to need something more than that to move up to the next level.

Diamante vs. Trish Adora

Adora goes straight to a Kimura to start but has to deal with a headscissors attempt. A neckbreaker drops Adora and a baseball slide sends her to the floor. Back in and Diamante hits a basement dropkick in the corner but Adora punches her into the corner. Diamante neckbreakers her again and puts on an armbar for the tap at 4:47.

Rating: C. Diamante has always shown a lot of fire in her appearances and it was good to see it again. Adora is someone I’ve seen do some impressive things on the independent circuit but she didn’t have the chance to showcase it here. Both of these two are worth some time, but they are a long way from being big deals around here.

Alex Coughlin wants Katsuyori Shibata for the Pure Title next week.

Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Slim J

The Trustbusters are here with Slim J, who breaks up CERO MIEDO to start. Penta superkicks him to the floor but a suicide dive is cut off with a forearm. Back in and we hit the chinlock but Penta pops up for the Sling Blades. The Fear Factor is countered into a swinging cutter, only to have Penta kick him down in the corner. That means the Alberto double stomp but Slim J hits a wheelbarrow Downward Spiral for two. Penta has had it with him though and punches Slim J out of the air, setting up the Fear Factor for the pin at 4:43.

Rating: B-. I could have gone for more of this as Penta can still do his thing well when his brother isn’t around. He is someone who feels like a big deal and that isn’t something you can teach. On the other hand you have Slim J, who is kind of hard to take seriously but he can go in the ring if he is given the chance.

Zack Sabre Jr./Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal

Sabre and Sydal start things off with Sabre taking him down by the arms. Sydal spins up and kicks him into the corner, meaning it’s off to Joe vs. Daniels for a flashback. That doesn’t last long as Sabre comes back in and is quickly double teamed down. Joe comes back in to kick Daniels in the corner as commentary wonders about who gets a TV Title shot if Daniels gets the pin.

The armbar goes on to keep Daniels in trouble before Joe cranks on a wristlock. Sabre tags himself in and doesn’t seem happy with Joe, so it’s right back to Joe for a neck crank. The snap powerslam gives Joe two but Daniels fights up and gets away. The tag brings in Sydal to clean house, at least until a neckbreaker cuts him off. Sabre grabs a single underhook suplex but Sydal pulls him into a crossface.

Daniels gets the Koji Clutch on Joe at the same time, leaving Joe’s eyes rolling back in his head. Sabre makes the rope and saves Joe, who is able to break the Angel’s Wings. Sabre takes Sydal down and twists his neck, only to walk into Angel’s Wings to send him outside. Back up and Daniels charges into a Rock Bottom out of the corner, setting up a Koquina Clutch to give Joe the win at 15:17.

Rating: B. Match of the night here and the extra time, plus the talent involved, would seem to be why. I’m curious to see what is next for these guys, as Joe vs. Sabre would be a showdown, but Daniels vs. Sydal seems like a possibility as well. Either one would work, and this was a good example of a rather nice TV main event.

Joe and Sabre show respect to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. What do you want me to say here? It was nineteen matches over about three hours. There was some good stuff in there but when you’re nine matches in and not even halfway done, it’s a little hard to stay interested. There were a bunch of women’s matches and the division certainly has talent, but most of the matches were four to five minutes long and no one really stood out in a big way. The same is true with the men’s matches, leaving me wondering why this show was put together this way.

That’s what I really don’t get here: how is a show running this long with this much content supposed to be the best possible option. Who was putting this show together, got to twelve matches, and thought they needed seven more? This was long for the sake of being long and it didn’t work out very well, just due to how much was there and very little getting the chance to stand out in any significant way.

Results
Mark Briscoe b. Anthony Henry – Froggy Bow
Claudio Castagnoli b. Serpentico – Clothesline
Kiera Hogan b. Vertvixen – Saito suplex
Kyle Fletcher b. AR Fox – Spinning Tombstone
Willow Nightingale b. Hyan – Babe With The Powerbomb
The Kingdom b. Ninja Mack/Willie Mack – Proton Pack to Ninja
Mercedes Martinez b. Dream Girl Ellie – Surfboard dragon sleeper
Ashley D’Amboise b. Danielle Kamela – Rock Bottom
Rocky Romero b. Titus Alexander – Cross armbreaker
The Righteous/Stu Grayson b. Vary Morales/Marcus Kross/LSG – Knightfall to Kross
Shane Taylor b. Tracy Williams – Package piledriver
Athena b. Promise Braxton – Cobra sleeper
Dralistico b. Tony Deppen – Fujiwara armbar
Skye Blue b. Miranda Alize – Rollup
Action Andretti/Darius Martin b. Cole Karter/Zack Clayton – Double slam to Karter
Blake Christian b. Nick Comoroto – Rollup
Diamante b. Trish Adora – Armbar
Penta El Zero Miedo b. Slim J – Fear Factor
Samoa Joe/Zack Sabre Jr. b. Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal – Koquina Clutch to Daniels

 

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

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

AND

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