ROH Supercard of Honor XII Recap and Review

On Saturday April 7, Ring of Honor presented Supercard of Honor to rousing success, selling out quickly ROH's largest ever event. Working with New Japan on this show, the card included such marquee matchups as Cody/Kenny Omega, The Briscoes/Jay Lethal and Hiroshi Tanahashi, Dalton Castle/Marty Scurll and many more.

With that being said, let's not waste any more time and get right into it, starting with the pre-show.

Pre-Show Match 1: Kelly Klein vs. Mayu Iwatani

ROH's new partnership with Stardom as on display here as one of its top stars Iwatani takes on the undefeated mainstay of ROH'S Women's Division Klein. The match starts out with a fairly standard exchange of rest holds. Klein looks frustrasted by Mayu’s determination. Klein tries to Irish Whip, Mayu ducks, hits the thrust kick. Ducks the clothesline, hits the legsweep/single leg kick combo. Klein quickly regains momentum and starts and goes on the offensive with a series of strikes, starts toying with Mayu. 

Mayu fights back, but Klein quickly stops it and flattens Mayu with a lariat. Klein gets caught on the rope, Mayu takes advantage with a hurricanrana, tries to hit the double stomp, but Klein rolls out of the way; Mayu hits the superkick instead. Successful on double stomp this time around, then hits a frog splash; Klein kicks out. Mayu goes for a dragon suplex, Klein blocks it and goes for a Samoan driver; Mayu kicks out. After nailing Mayu with a snap vertical suplex, Klein locks in the Guillotine Choke and wins.

Thoughts: Not too much to say about it. A fairly quick match that showed each performer's strengths (Klein's power, Iwatani's speed and agility). It was a good idea to not break Klein's streak here and save it in order to give it more importance. Though she came up short, Iwatani loses nothing the process when it comes to here status and momentum, and she got to display her talent and ability to a new audience.

Tenille Dashwood vs. Sumie Sakai

Actions starts off fast-paced with Tenille hitting a lariat, then Sumie hits a neckbreaker, both kicking out of respective attacks. Two exchange blows, Tenille hits the tarantula on Sumie, then the rope-hung neckbreaker, then hits a crossbody to the outside. Tenille puts Sumie in an Indian Deathlock, Sumie gets out and delivers a series of Mongolian chops, then puts Tenille down and gets her in a cross armbar. Tenille tries to counter, Sumie transitions into a crossface. 

Tenille regains the advantage with a drop toe-hold into the turnbuckle, then a turnbuckle crossbody. Tenille tries for a superplex, gets blocked and Sumie hits a missile dropkick. Sumie tries for another strike off the ropes, Tenille counters with a sit-out powerbomb. Sumie hits the Smash Mouse finisher, Tenille kicks out. Sumie attempts the moonsault, Tenille blocks and hits a german superplex. Tenille tries for the Spotlight Kick, Sumie ducks and counters with a crucifix pin for the win.

Thoughts: Again, not too much to say here. Both competitors looked strong and it was a good call for Sakai to pick up the win. She's been one of the longest-tenured female performers in ROH and she definitely deserves. Also, Dashwood gets a good rub looking strong against a veteran. Her time isn't done yet in Ring of Honor. She's slowly picking up momentum and will probably be a bigger deal in the Women's Division sooner than later.

Now that the pre-show, let's get to the big show (WELLLLLLL!!!).

Main show start: Jonathan Gresham vs. Chuckie T

The match begins with a series of rest holds, with Chuckie T seemingly having the upper hand at the beginning. Gresham hits a series of arm drags and seemingly the tables turn until Chuckie hits the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and regains control. Chuckie hits a quick chop, then a backbreaker; Gresham kicks out. The tides turn when Chuckie misses a second-rope moonsault and Gresham capitalizes with a springboard hurricanrana, then a suicide dive.

On the outside, Gresham attempts to irish whip Chuckie into the barricade, Beretta saves him. Following a distraction and another backbreaker, Chuckie seemingly gets back in control. But Gresham displays an impressive series of pin attempts and counters, leading into an ankle lock; Chuckie gets to the rope, blocks a Gresham strike and hits the Falcon arrow. The two trade blows, with Chuckie T eventually hitting the Sole Food; he then irish whips Gresham who springboards and hits a tilt-a-whirl DDT. Gresham attempts a rolling cradle pin, but Chuckie counters with one of his one and gets the W.

Thoughts: A decent way to start off the show. A quick match but didn't feel rushed, with both competitors looking strong in the process. Gresham is a fantastic technical wrestler, and it's always nice to see him in a match, even the matches aren't particularly long. Chuckie T is one of the most underrated talents in professional wrestling right now. Whatever he does, it's always fun and incredibly entertaining. I hope both of these men get used more frequently in the future, because of them deserve it.

Punishment Martinez vs. Tomohiro Ishii

A stark contrast to the beginning of the last match, Martinez and Ishii being a series of stiff forearms. Numerous shoulder-block attempts and a jumping forearm smash later, Martinez gains the upper hand. Martinez hits numerous jumping back elbows in the corner, then a throwing falcon arrow; Ishii kicks out. Ishii gains some momentum with a stiff corner clothesline and a vertical suplex. However, Martinez takes it back with a big boot and a jumping spin kick, then hits a top-rope suicide dive over the turnbuckle.

Martinez follows that up with a springboard somersault tope and then a spinning heel kick; Ishii kicks out. Ishii tries to mount some offense; short-lived, as Martinez regains the advantage and hits a top-rope hurricanrana. Following a couple side-head kicks, Ishii stops the punishment with a german suplex, then gets Martinez up for the superplex. Ishii tries for a sliding lariat, Punishment counters and shoves him into the corner; Ishii hits a lariat and attempts the brainbuster. The two trade blows; Martinez attempts his South of Heaven chokeslam, Ishii counters with a headbutt. Martinez quickly counters with a couple kicks, then is successful with the South of Heaven for the win.

Thoughts: This match was fantastic. While it was relatively short, Ishii and Martinez made the most of their time given and then some. The action was stiff and fast-paced, exactly you'd expect from both of these men. Martinez looked like an absolute beast and deserves to be a bigger deal (I'm going to say this a lot, so get used to it); his strikes are almost second-to-none and he's got impressive agility for a man his size. 

Being such a big Ishii fan, it kind of breaks my heart knowing he's shifted into more of a gatekeeper role nowadays. Then again, he's still an incredible worker, so at least he'll still deliver incredible work in his matches, even if he comes out on the losing side. Plus, it's not like he's going to lose any of his reputation or momentum taking the L here.

Hangman Page vs. Kota Ibushi

A battle for leverage ensues as the two exchange a series of collar-and-elbow tie-ups. Page attempts the SSP, misses. Ibushi attempts the middle kick, misses, hits the roundhouse and gains momentum. Ibushi tries for more offense, Page counters and hits a rope-hung neckbreaker, getting back in the ring with the advantage. Ibushi steps outside, then back in and Page grabs Ibushi and hits a jawbeaker. Ibushi gets up and tries for some offense, Page blocks it and slams Ibushi to the mat, then hits a bridging pumphandle suplex. Ibushi kicks out.

Page toys with Ibushi, with Ibushi having none of it and hitting a dropkick. After his signature flurry of offense and a standing moonsault, Ibushi seems to have gained the advantage. A irish whip into the turnbuckle and an Ibushi hurricanrana later, Page ends up on the outside. Ibushi attempts the Cross-Slash, Page counters and attempts a top-rope moonsault; Ibushi gets out of the way and the two brawl on the outside. 

Page attempts a moonsault on the guardrail, Ibushi blocks with a german suplex, then is successful with the Cross-Slash. The action gets back in the ring as Ibushi tries for a lawn dart, Page blocks and hits a cradle tombstone. Ibushi kicks out. Page ends up on the ring apron following a blocked Rite of Passage; Ibushi hits the Pele. Page blocks the piledriver attempt with a backdrop, then is successful with the moonsault. Page then connects the Buckshot Lariat, but Ibushi kicks out. 

Ibushi blocks of Rite of Passage, and series of quick pins ensue; Ibushi then turns a roll-up into a bridging german suplex. The two exchange a series of forearms; Ibushi goes off the ropes, Page hits the Rolling Elbow. Ibushi blocks a Rite of Passage attempt, hits the Golden Star Powerbomb; Page kicks out. Page blocks a Kamigoye knee strike attempt, Ibushi hits a bridging X-Plex, then connects with the Kamigoye for the win.

Thoughts: Holy shit, this match was great. It didn't feel rushed, allowing the match to breathe and letting Page and Ibushi really tell a story in the ring for a good 15 minutes or so. Both men were able to get in all of their signature spots and felt like a fully fleshed-out match from the both of them. Kota Ibushi is one of the best in-ring workers in the world right now, and I feel like it's absolutely impossible for him to a bad match with anyone.

Page is becoming one of the fastest-rising stars in professional wrestling, and it's impressive given his age. He has a unique moveset and can work well with anyone in a tag team or as a singles competitor. The guy deserves a big push in any promotion he works with. He's still got plenty of gas left in the tank, and I think you're going to be seeing more of him in the future, perhaps singles championship success (which I hope is sooner than later). Can't say enough good things about this match. These two have excellent chemistry and I hope they work with each other again in a singles capacity in the near future.

Kelly Klein vs. Sumie Sakai, Women of Honor Championship

Sumie starts out the match fast, seemingly gaining the upper hand with numerous strikes. It's short-lived, however, as Klein hits a german suplex to stop her momentum. Sumie tries to fight back, even putting in a victory roll; once again, short-lived as Klein hits a flapjack on the ropes and regains the advantage. It goes to the outside, with Klein hitting a snap suplex then locking in the Guillotine. 

Getting back into the ring Klein attempts a top-rope fallaway slam, Sakai blocks and hits a sunset-flip powerbomb. Klein hits the fallaway slam, but Sakai quickly gets back up to her feet and the fisherman neckbreaker. Klein counters a wheelbarrow roll into a german suplex. The two trade strikes, Sumie has the advantage for a brief respite before Klein big boots her then hits a northern lights suplex. Sumie kicks out and hits a fisherman buster on Klein. She then attempts the moonsault, but is unsuccessful. Following a weird, botchy exchange, Sumie hits a DDT and gets the victory, becoming the first WOH Champion.

Thoughts: This was a, uh, weird one for me. On one hand, it wasn't a bad match; both women are capable performers and I think they made the right choice by having such a long-tenured veteran like Sakai take the belt. She's a worthy inaugural champ, and having her break Klein's undefeated streak in the process sweetened the deal (though I most definitely dig Klein and think she should be champ down the road).

That being said, the ending bothered me. It looked super-sloppy and awkward with a possible botch thrown in. I liked the ending, I just didn't like how it was executed (though to be fair, it's not necessarily either party's fault entirely).

SoCal Uncensored vs. Young Bucks and Flip Gordon, 6-Man Tag Team Championship (Ladder Match)

It's time for something a bit different, as the reigning 6-Man Tag Champ SoCal Uncensored (Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels and Scorpio Sky) take on the team of The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) and Flip Gordon in a ladder match. The Bucks get Kazarian and Daniels in the corner while Flip Gordon hits a baseball slide dropkick on Sky, who was armed with a ladder. Daniels quickly recovers and clotheslines Gordon, sending both of them to the outside. 

Matt then hits Daniels with a baseball slide and Nick hits an assisted corkscrew plancha onto Daniels. The Bucks attempt some ladder offense, but Sky hits a tope onto the ladder, taking them all out. Sky sets the ladder up, but quickly gets dumped out of the ring and brawls with Matt. Daniels, Kazarian, Flip and Nick enter soon afterwards.

Daniels accidentally clotheslines Kazarian over the top rope to the outside, then backdrops Flip to the outside, taking out Kazarian. Trying for Sky, Nick accidentally takes Matt out with a running knee strike on the apron; Sky then capitalizes with a leaping hurricanrana, but Matt spears Sky quickly. Daniels and Matt ascend the ladder, but gets knocked down; he elevates Nick, however, and he knocks Daniels off. 

Sky climbs up the ladder and knocks Nick off with a kick, but gets brought down by Flip, who tries to climb but Kazarian brings him down and the two exchange punches, knocking each other out with clotheslines. Daniels and Matt get back up and trade punches on the ladder, with Daniels knocking him off. Flip springboards onto the ladder and knocks Daniels off, then Kazarian springboards onto the ladder and the two duke it out. Kazarian then hits Flip with the TKO off the ladder. 

Sky and Daniels attempt to slow it down and clear the ladders out of the way, but the Bucks and Flip regain the advantage and suplex both of them. Matt drop toe-holds Daniels onto the ladder in the corner, then Nick hits Kazarian with an assisted dropkick. With Daniels on the ladder, the Bucks lift Flip into a 450 splash onto Daniels. Kazarian attempts to take them out with a ladder; Flip dodges, hits a thrust kick and all three superkick a kneeling Kazarian. 

The Bucks then set up Sky on the ladder in the corner, and Nick hits a swanton. Matt and Flip set up a ladder, only to be brought down by Kaz and Daniels, quickly regaining the advantage and slow things down for Uncensored. The Bucks try to help Flip out, but to no avail. Uncensored punish Matt’s back, then Kaz hits Nick with Celebrity Rehab onto the ladder. Uncensored are clearly in control, punishing their opponents (Flip in particular).

Flip, however, regains strength, roundhouses Sky and monkey flips Kaz onto the ladder, then dives to the outside onto Daniels. The Bucks work over Uncensored with some tandem offense (neckbreaker/backbreaker, assisted shiranui, basement dropkicks, wheelbarrow hold/cutter), with Matt selling his hurt back as usual. The Bucks hold Sky up with the Cease and Desist while Flip climbs up the ladder; Daniels tries to take advantage, only to get superkicked by Nick. 

Ladders are scattered throughout. Kaz accidentally takes Daniels out with a slingshot hurricanrana, and Flip capitalizes with a corkscrew dive off the ring post. With assistance from Matt, Nick hops through the ladders and hits a springboard somersault tope onto Uncensored. The Bucks ascend the ladder, only for The Kingdom to arrive and mess things up, hitting Rockstar Supernova on Flip. 

Kingdom and Uncensored throw hands; Taven hits a tope onto Daniels. TK O’Ryan climbs up the ladder, but the Bucks and Uncensored work together to The Kingdom out. Afterwards, the Bucks and Kaz and Sky exchange superkicks and cutters. All six men make their way into the ring and brawl on the ladders. Sky and Flip get knocked off, then The Bucks and Kaz and Daniels (Daniels with a flatliner to Matt, Nick with an X-Factor to Kaz). 

Flip attempts to get up the ladder, Kaz stops him with a springboard codebreaker. The Bucks superkick him; Nick attempts to take out Kaz, who ducks and Nick ends up taking out The Kingdom with a corkscrew crossbody instead. Matt then hits Kaz with a springboard apron DDT, only to be met with a slingshot apron cutter from Sky. Uncensored try to get into the ring, but Flip quickly hits them with a tandem blockbuster, also taking out The Kingdom in the process. 

Tables are brought, with Flip and Nick putting Taven and O’Ryan through them with 450s. Daniels teases putting Marseglia through a table with a moonsault only to get back in the ring and ascend the ladder. Matt then joins him on the ladder, repeatedly punching Daniels as whipping him with his weight belt.

Daniels gets knocked off the ladder, tries to do the same to Matt by pushing the ladder down, only for Matt to springboard and drive Marseglia through the table with an elbow. Daniels take advantage of this, climbs up the ladder, grabs the belt and takes the W for Uncensored. The Kingdom promptly attack and steal away with the belts.

Thoughts: HOT DAMN, there was a lot to take in while watching this match. Granted, it was a ladder, but still holy shit. All the spots were crisp and smooth, thanks to the exceptional talent of all six men involved. The Young Bucks have consistently proved why they are unequivocally one of the best tag teams on the planet, and this match was no different. As a team, they're the true definition of a "well-oiled machine": they can adapt to any style, whether it's smoothly executing a spotfest such as this match or emphasizing ring psychology and telling a story like they did the Golden Lovers at Strong Style Evolved. On top of that, they have excellent chemistry with Flip Gordon, who's an underrated talent in his own right. I'd definitely be down for another team up in the future.

But obviously we can't forget about Uncensored, who were just as excellent in the match. Christopher Daniels has one of the best minds in professional wrestling, and it shone brightly in this match. He has ring psychology mastered down to a tee and utilizes it for any situation; truly the textbook definition of a opportunistic heel. Kazarian, much like Daniels, doesn't seem to age as he remains just as spry and athletic now as he was back in the day; every move is still just as crisp. And if we're talking about athleticism, we can't forget about Scorpio Sky. He's so quick and explosive in the ring; another example of an underrated, underutilized talent.

The involvement of The Kingdom was interesting. It points to a potential feud with Uncensored for the belts, which definitely isn't a bad thing in my book. I loved every minute of this match, plain and simple. A match of the night contender for sure.

Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) vs. Luke and PJ Hawx

Shelley and PJ start the match out and the two exchange holds, with Shelley eventually getting the upper hand and tagging in Sabin. PJ dropkicks both members of MCMG and tags in Luke, showing off his strength and power on Sabin. He tags PJ back in, Bruiser tags Sabin out and begins to clean house, then tags in Milonas and the two begin punishing PJ.  

MCMG try to get the upper hand to no avail, with Bruiser and Milonas easily laying them out. PJ finally tags Luke in and he goes to work on Bruiser and Milonas with a couple of kicks and a shoulder block thrown in. He then tags in PJ and delivers a plancha to both them before being met with a suicide dive courtesy of Sabin. PJ then hits a crossbody to the outside, but everyone is soon met with a Bruiser cannonball. He gets PJ back in the ring, then he and Milonas hit the Last Call (superplex/frog splash) and get the win.

Thoughts: Nothing too special here. A quick tag match during intermission that didn't have much substance. Here's hoping MCMG get back into the tag title picture, because they sure as hell deserve better. If I can say anything positive, at least Bruiser and Milonas are performing well as a hoss tag team.

Jay Lethal and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark), Tag Team Championship

Lethal and Jay start the match out, exchanging rest holds. Lethal hip-tosses Jay, who gets back up and delivers a running hurricanrana. Mark gets tagged in, then Tanahashi, who tries wearing Mark down with a headlock. Mark gets out, the two bounce off the ropes. Tanahashi mocks Mark’s signature crane kick, and Mark responds by spitting in Tanahashi’s face. He then tries it himself, only to be met with one of Tanahashi’s signature dragon screws. Tanahashi then hits a second-rope somersault senton, Mark kicks out.

Lethal is tagged in and delivers a flying double axe handle to Mark, then delivers a series of jabs. Lethal finally connects with the hip-toss/dropkick combo. Lethal has the advantage until Jay interferes and the Briscoes go to work on the outside, with Mark hitting an apron elbow drop then an apron knee strike to Lethal. It gets back into the ring, Jay getting tagged back in and the two go to work on Lethal, who eventually fights out of it with the assistance of Tanahashi, delivering a suicide dive to Jay.

Tana gets tagged in and goes to work on Jay with an elbow drop and somersault senton. Lethal gets tagged back in and the advantage seems to go back to them. Another quick tag to Tanahashi, who trades strikes with Jay. Mark interferes and gets tagged back in, the momentum seemingly going back to the Briscoes. Jay and Mark exchange tags and go to work on Tanahashi. Following a quick Sling Blade, Tanahashi manages to tag Lethal back in while Mark tags Jay back in, and he and Jay throw hands. 

Lethal attempts the Lethal Injection, Jay dodges then delivers a dropkick. Jay tries to Irish whip Lethal, who counters with a Lethal Combination. He tries for the Hail To The King, Jay counters; Lethal then tries the figure-four, which Jay counters with a small package. Lethal delivers a cutter to Jay then slaps on the figure-four. Mark tries to interfere, but Tanahashi delivers a rope-assisted hurricanrana to him. 

Tanahashi then attempts the High Fly Flow, only for Mark to interfere and deliver a Froggy Bow, who gets tagged back in. He hits Lethal with a Uranage, then a fisherman buster; Tanahashi breaks up the pin. The Briscoes try to double-team Tanahashi, but he hits Jay with a Sling Blade then Mark with a Twist N Shout neckbreaker. After Tanahashi delivers a plancha to Jay, Lethal hits Mark with the Lethal Injection, which Mark surprisingly kicks out of. Tanahashi and Lethal attempt to double-team Mark, but Jay comes in and delivers a series of uppercuts to them.

Lethal and Tanahashi try to take advantage of Jay with a Doomsday Device of their own. Jay counters it, then counters a Lethal Injection with a german suplex. The Briscoes hit the Doomsday Device on Lethal and Mark picks up the win for his team and The Briscoes retain.

Thoughts: This match was definitely a stark contrast to the spotfest of SoCal Uncensored/Young Bucks and Flip Gordon. Briscoes/Lethal and Tanahashi had a much more controlled atmosphere and was more akin to the good old-fashioned tag-team wrasslin' Jim Cornette creams his jeans over, albeit with a few high spots thrown in. For a first-time team-up, Tanahashi and Lethal were absolutely excellent. Their chemistry was off the charts and the two played off each other so well; you could barely tell this was a first-time thing.

And as for The Briscoes, well, everything I could say about them has been said a thousand times before, but I'll try to repeat that to the best of my abilities. Each tag in and out was absolutely solid, and they play their heel roles out to a tee. Both have similar strengths which even them out, and their time spent together has only strengthened their chemistry as a tag team. While I think either one of these guys could do well as a singles competitor, I much more prefer them as a tag team.

Not too much more to add here. It was just a damn good tag match with four well-oiled machines performing to the best of their abilities. I'm excited to see who challenges The Briscoes next, because I'm sure it'll be a damn good time.

Kenny King vs. Silas Young, World Television Championship (Last Man Standing Match)

The match starts with a series of fists, with Kenny dropping Silas and gaining control early. This stops as Silas hits a thunderous lariat, then goes to the second rope to attempt a crossbody. King counters and hits a swinging backbreaker, then puts Silas in a boston crab then a Last Chancery. Silas gets up at the count of 8, then dumps Kenny through a table to the outside, up at 8. Silas in control now, tossing Kenny into the ring barricades. Kenny back up at 8, Silas still handedly in control. The action goes back into the ring.

Silas goes to the top rope, Kenny hits an enziguiri then a sidewalk slam onto the top turnbuckle, then an apron blockbuster; both men up at 8 and goes back into the ring. Kenny hits the spinebuster, tries to hit the Royal Flush, Silas counters with a back rake. The action goes the ring apron, with Silas hitting Misery onto the ropes. 

Both men up at 8. Silas brings weapons into the ring. Kenny attempts a chair shot, Silas dodges and hits Kenny multiple times with a trash can lid. Silas talks shit, Kenny fakes Silas out with the chair, throws it at him, then hits a second-rope missile dropkick; after that, he gets Silas with the Royal Flush onto a trash can. At the count of 9, Silas rolls out to the outside.

Kenny sets up a table, tries to go to the top rope. Bruiser interferes, Kenny beats him with a trash can, Silas capitalizes and hits Kenny with the trash can; he then gets a ladder out. Silas tries to irish whip Kenny into the ladder, Kenny counters with a suplex. Silas is back onto the table, Kenny back up to the top rope; he hits a shooting star press through the table. Kenny tries to get up, but something is holding him down. It turns to be Bruiser, who hog-tied him. Silas barely makes it to his feet and picks up the W.

He and the Bruiser beat down Kenny after the match, causing Austin Aries (who was on commentary) to come to his aid, hitting a heat-seeking missile to the both of them.

Thoughts: Though not as memorable as the Young/Lethal Last Man Standing match, this one was still pretty damn good. King might be the best pure athlete in ROH, and he proved that once again in this match, showcasing a combination of speed, agility and power, all with an ever-present charisma. He showed he was more than capable of just throwing fists and delivering a straight-up brawl, which is impressive given his opponent. Plus, I always mark our hard for a good Shooting Star Press, which King delivered with expert precision.

It might be a lofty thing to say, but Silas Young might just be the best pure brawler in all of professional wrestling today. There's nothing flashy to his ring work; just stiff punches, elbows and lariats, which is a dying art form in wrestling today. It's fitting the Last Man Standing Match is his signature, as he always seems to deliver the violence but can also tell a story with it. He's a fantastic heel who knows to work off the crowd as well as his opponent. Also, I'm a bit bias here, but I love it when a fellow 'Sconnie gets their chance to shine in a professional wrestling ring.

Above all else, these two have excellent chemistry with one another. They play off each other's strengths well and have formed quite the underrated rivalry. If the World Television scene was just going to be them fighting over it for an extended period of time, I'd be fine with that. Then again, Aries has inserted himself into the situation, and I wouldn't mind him going against either man for the title.

Eli Isom and Cheeseburger vs. The Dawgs

The Dawgs sneak attack Isom and Cheeseburger from behind and take control immediately. With Isom hung up on the turnbuckle, Titus tries to hit him with a chair. Bully Ray comes out to prevent the attack. Bully tells Cheeseburger to get a partner, Cheese picks Bully Ray, who reluctantly agrees. Bully and Cheese start the fight of with The Dawgs and have the upper hand. Cheeseburger hits the Shotei on Ferrara, then the two hit the WASSUP? On Titus. Bully Ray teases the tables, then attacks Cheeseburger, turning heel.

Thoughts: I'll keep it short. This segment was a waste of time, and I'm really not interested in this heel turn. Next.

Cody vs. Kenny Omega

Arguably he biggest story coming into Supercard (as well as professional wrestling in general), the two main heads of Bullet Club collide as Kenny Omega takes on Cody. Cody starts off the match soaking in the heel heat; the two have a stare-down (truly a big match feel). Both have yet to touch each other, Cody gets a kiss from Brandi. The two lock up, Cody seems to get the upper hand, but Kenny counters with a big boot, then a dropkick through the ropes. He attempts a somersault tope, but is held up by Bernard the Business Bear. Kenny flies through the ropes with a dropkick to Bernard. Cody takes advantage and hits Kenny from behind, starts gaining control, keeping Kenny on the mat and hitting him with a gourdbuster.

Cody hangs Kenny up in the ropes, teases a Shattered Dreams but stops midway and flips off the crowd instead. Kenny tries to gain momentum back with a running hurricanrana, but Cody counters with a powerbomb. Cody then locks on the American Deathlock; Kenny tries to make it to the ropes, Brandi taunts him. Kenny makes it to the ropes and Brandi slaps him. Cody still handedly in control, chop blocks Kenny and asks for the Ring as distraction, then low-blows him. Brandi booted Kenny and walks all over him while the ref is distracted.

Cody is still in control, soaking in his heel heat on the outside. Kenny tries to gain momentum, only for it to be stopped when Cody smashes his face into a steel chair. It goes back in the ring, and the two exchange hands. Kenny seems to gain momentum, first a diving crossbody then a series of axe handles. He attempts the second-rope moonsault, but Cody blocks; Kenny successful this time around with the hurricanrana, as well as the somersault tope. Kenny finally in control, with the Kotaro Crusher then the fisherman buster onto the knee.

Kenny attempts the V-Trigger, but is unsuccessful. Cody attempts a german suplex, Kenny flips out and hits a Snap Dragon, then hits another. Kenny tries for another, Cody counters and hits a Disaster Kick. Cody attempts a Cross Rhodes, Kenny gets out; hangs him up the ropes with a spinning wheel kick, then hits him with a V-Trigger. Kenny sets Cody up for the One-Winged Angel, Cody gets out and puts Kenny in the Figure Four. Cody keeps it on for a while before Kenny finally counters. Cody dragon screws Kenny through the ropes. He then goes to the outside and sets up a table.

Cody attempts a Cross Rhodes through the table, but Kenny fights out; attempts a piledriver on the apron, but Kenny fights out again and hits an apron Dragon. The table gets knocked over and Kenny attempts to set it back up on the outside, only for Cody to hit him with a gourdbuster onto the side of the table. Cody then grabs another table, and the action goes back into the ring, with Cody hitting a springboard dropkick, then an Alabama Slam. The two exchange strikes; Kenny attempts another Dragon, Cody counters with one of his own. Kenny quickly gets back up and hits another V-Trigger, then a reverse hurricanrana.

Kenny tries to go for another V-Trigger, but Brandi blocks him on the ring apron. He attempts it again, only to V-Trigger her through the table. Following that, Cody takes advantage and hits a Cross Rhodes, but Kenny kicks out. The two battle on the top rope, with Cody finally superplexing Kenny. Cody takes off his weight belt and hits Kenny with it; attempts the moonsault but misses. Kenny hits a series of knees, then attempts a V-Trigger, but Cody throw the ref in the way. He then spits in Kenny’s face, only to be met with a V-Trigger this time around.

Kenny hits another V-Trigger, then attempts the One-Winged Angel. Cody counters and hits a vertebreaker; Kenny kicks out. Cody then attempts another Cross Rhodes, Kenny fights out and the two fight into the turnbuckle, knocking over the ref. The two collide with a crossbody and The Young Bucks come out. They’re conflicted with what to do; they attempt a superkick to Cody, who ducks and Kenny ends up receiving it. Cody then hits the Cross Rhodes and picks up the win.

Thoughts: I expected a big fight feel, and this match more than delivered. Cody and Omega have been telling a brilliant story these past few months, and it was especially apparent here. Both men hate each other, both want to lead Bullet Club, albeit in different styles; Kenny wants to take them into more of a face direction, while Cody wants to get them back to their straight-up heel roots, causing great division.

Cody is by far the best heel in professional wrestling bar-none, and you can't tell me otherwise. It was especially apparent in this match. The way he was practically egging on the crowd to boo him, seemingly soaking in the hate with pure glee and constantly mocking Kenny all the way through. From asking for the ring, throwing Bernard and Brandi (who's been excellent in her role as well) in harm's way and generally relishing in being a dick, Cody has time and again proven to be a great example of wrestling villain you absolutely love to hate. True, he may pull off some impressive moves to pop the crowd (holy fucking vertebreaker), but at the end of the day, he wants you to hate him and he's damn good at doing that.

In a stark contrast, Kenny is an excellent babyface. You can naturally sympathize with him by each action he makes through his body language and interactions with Cody. He's not by any means an "underdog"; he's just an extremely likable guy who has put enough time and effort into trying to place Bullet Club in a different light than they're used to. Plus, the way he works in the ring is so much more akin to a straight-up face. He's just trying to prove himself with his straight-up ability, which he obviously gets done, as you might have seen in a couple matches (*cough cough* Okada Trilogy *cough cough*).

And while we're on the subject, let's talk about the ring work. Omega, as always, was spectacular. Every move he hits is with expert precision, and he knows how to utilize any of his strengths (his agility/power/etc.) at any given time. He also knows to work a match with anyone and make it look good. But that being said, Cody is no slouch either. While not at Omega levels, he really is a dam good in-ring worker and has picked up many useful tricks up his sleeve along the way.

The Bucks' involvement at the end of the match tells me this story may not be over, though I'm not necessarily sure that's a bad thing.

Dalton Castle vs. Marty Scurll, World Championship

The two begin the main event of this PPV with a stare down. Marty then gets Dalton against the ropes, who quickly gets out. Dalton gets Marty into the corner following a Greco-Roman knuckle lock counter. Scurll tries for a clothesline, Dalton dodges and hits a peacock pose. They exchange holds, evenly matched so far. 

Both exchange middle-finger greetings as Marty tries to break Dalton’s middle finger, who counters while Marty escapes to the outside to grab his umbrella. He then puts it away, and Dalton quickly takes advantage with a single-leg takedown and a series of strikes. The two trade blows and Marty escapes to the outside.

Once he gets back in, Dalton takes control, first with a biel throw then a gutwrench suplex. Scurll blocks a suplex attempt, then tries for his apron superkick. Dalton blocks, but gets sent into the ringpost. Scurll then takes advantage on the outside with chops and a scoop slam, then brings it back in the ring. Scurll works Castle’s arm over, first with a kick then a stomp. Scurll hangs up Castle in the ropes, then the action goes back outside, only for it to quickly return to the ring, where Scurll keeps working the arm over. Castle fights back and the two end up on the apron; Scurll evades and works the arm with the rope.

The two trade strikes, and Castle seemingly gets the upper hand here. First an elbow, then a knee, then a biel throw and another suplex. Scurll breaks hold and sends Castle to the outside, but Castle grabs him and hits a deadlift german suplex on the outside. Castle gets back in and tries to bring Scurll in, but Scurll counters with a kick. Scurll goes to the top rope, but Castle counters and hangs him up, where he hits him with a running knee. They go back to the outside once again, where Scurll hits an apron-assisted Tornado DDT. They get back into the ring, where Castle attempts the Bangarang but Scurll counters with a roll-up attempt.

Castle hits a jumping knee on Scurll, then gets him into the corner where he hits a series of knee strikes. Castle attempts a top-rope gutwrench, but Scurll counters. Scurll then hits a superplex, then his patented apron superkick. The two brawl on the outside, with Scurll backdropping Castle onto the steps. It gets back into the ring and Scurll works Castle’s arm once again with a series of thrown hammerlocks into the ringposts. Scurll hits a pumphandle neckbreaker, Castle kicks out. The two go back to the outside. Castle fights back, but Scurll quickly counters and Nick Aldis hands him bolt cutters. Scurll starts removing the turnbuckle pads and tries another hammerlock throw, but Castle blocks it.

Castle throws elbows then clotheslines Scurll, then deadlifts him from the outside and german suplexes him in the ring; Scurll kicks out. Castle gets Scurll up on the top rope, Scurll low blows and kicks him, but Castle throw a strike right back. Scurll then hits a superkick to a kneeling Castle. Seizing the opportunity, Scurll goes to the outside to look for another weapon. Castle meets him out there and slams him, gaining a brief respite before Scurll come back in the ring with a bag of powder. Castle kicks the powder into Scurll’s eyes.

Scurll, blinded, breaks the ref’s fingers. Castle hits the Bangarang, but the ref can’t count due to his fingers. Taking advantage of the confusion, Scurll grabs his umbrella and hits Castle with it multiple times; he then hits the brainbuster, but Castle kicks out as a new ref comes in. Scurll attempts the Crossface Chickenwing, but Castle counters with a series of strikes and a suplex. Scurll, however, quickly recovers and locks in the Chickenwing. Castle gets back up, but Scurll drops him down again in the Chickenwing. Castle tries for the ropes, Scurll breaks the hold to prevent him and breaks Castle’s fingers.

After a series of stomps, Scurll attempts another Chickenwing, which Castle counters with a pin attempt. Scurll breaks out and hits two kneeling superkicks, then tries for another attack but Castle counters and hits the Bangarang, picking up the win and retaining his title.

Thoughts: If you're a fan of technical wrestling, you'll absolutely love this match. Scurll and Castle are absolute mat marvels, and they more than proved that here. Every hold is precise, every counter is crisp and every back-and-forth exchange of offense is so smooth. I honestly forgot that this match lasted around the half-hour range, because I was so focused on well these two men performed. While the pace was slow and methodical, it definitely never dragged at any point.

And while we can gush on the technical aspect of this match, let's not take away how good of a heel Scurll is as well. While he's more than proficient enough in the ring to beat you clean, he's not afraid to use dirty tactics, and in fact actually embraces them as a true heel should. He employs various tactics in order to ensure a victory (the umbrella, the powder and the addition of the bolt cutters in this match); the Villain doesn't want to impress anyone, he just wants to win.

Castle's performance as a champion has been superb ever since he won it from Cody at Final Battle. He carries the title with exceptional poise and charisma, and more than delivers in the ring as we saw here. Every suplex he throws is just so goddamn tasty, plus those elbow and knee strikes are also quite FANTASTIC. Every victory he attains seems to deepen the reason to why he's still champion. While I'm sad my mans Scurll didn't come out on top, I can at least take solace in the fact he lost to a more-than-worthy opponent.


This was a marvelous show, with the last half being particularly great. It's hard to say what was MOTN, because I can name at least four matches (the Ladder Match, Briscoes/Lethal and Tanahashi, Cody/Kenny and Scurll/Castle). If I had to pick one, I guess it's the 6-Man Tag Ladder Match, purely for the fact of how much fun I had with it. But don't let that distract you from the rest of the card, because Martinez/Ishii and Page/Ibushi are excellent as well.

If you haven't been Honor-pilled yet, this show might do the trick. It's absolutely tremendous and I highly recommend checking it out immediately.