ROH War Of The Worlds: Lowell Recap and Review 5/9/18

So admittedly, this is rather late, but given I've had several morning shifts and my sleep pattern has been fucked up a bit, give me a break here. Anyways, here we go.

Flip Gordon and Jushin Thunder Liger vs. The Briscoes

Mark gets quick control of Flip, wearing him down with rest holds. Using quick evasive maneuvers, Flip breaks free from Mark’s grasp and sends him to the outside. Liger and Jay get tagged in and tussle for a bit, then Mark and Flip. Jay gets tagged back in, then following a distraction from Mark, hits Flip from behind and the two go to work on Flip.

Flip fights back and Liger eventually gets tagged back in. He tries to take The Briscoes on singlehandedly, but it’s all for naught as the brothers stop Liger’s momentum and send him and Flip to the outside. Jay and Mark exchange quick tags and punish Liger for a respite before Flip is tagged back in following an atomic drop from Liger to Mark.

Flip somersaults over Mark, dropkicks Jay on the ring apron, sends Mark to the outside and superkicks him all before landing a somersault tope onto the brothers. Liger hits a cannonball onto Jay, then a Shotei palm strike to Mark. Flip hits the 450 splash but Jay breaks up the pin. Following a couple of low-blows then a neckbreaker to Flip, The Briscoes then hit their super crucifix powerbomb/neckbreaker combo to Flip for the W.

Thoughts: This was a great way to start the show out. It was a fun, fast-paced curtain jerker with both teams looking strong. All parties gained something from this match (that might be a stupid thing to say, but hear me out). Gordon shows off talent and why he deserves the push he's getting , Liger shows that he can still go despite pushing 53/54 and The Briscoes gain just a little more credibility defeating a legend like Liger and putting over a younger talent like Gordon (you don't need to win to be over, ladies and gents). Plus, the match itself was just an absolute treat to watch. One of the better matches on the card.

Deonna Purazzo and Skylar vs. Tenille Dashwood and Sumie Sakai

Purazzo and Sakai start off the match, trying to gain leverage. Following a quick exchange, Skylar and Dashwood are tagged in and the two attempt the same. Dashwood and Sakai gain control for a brief respite before it’s stopped by Purazzo, who nails Sakai with a couple of suplexes. The advantage then goes to Purazzo and Skylar.

Following a back suplex to Purazzo, Sakai tags Dashwood in and she immediately goes to work on Skylar and Purazzo with a plethora of clotheslines, a tarantula to Skylar and butterfly suplex to Purazzo. All four competitors exchange blows before we end up with Dashwood nailing the Spotlight Kick on Skylar to secure the victory.

Thoughts: Not too much to say about this match. It was fairly short, so there wasn't much time to tell a good in-ring story. Despite this, Purazzo's technical wrestling acumen was still on full display (seriously, ROH, make her a champion soon). So at least there's that.

Coast to Coast (Shaheem Ali/LSG) vs. The Kingdom’s Vinny Marseglia and TK O’Ryan

It’s a toss-up at the start of the match as both teams jockey for leverage. C2C hit a rolling hip toss/kick combo on Marseglia, while O’Ryan and Marseglia hit a spinebuster/diving headbutt/jackknife pin combo. The two seem to be in control until C2C send them to the outside. Marseglia ducks under the ring, however, LSG notices this and informs Ali.

O’Ryan stumbles into the ring following C2C being dragged underneath. Confusion ensues on the outside and Marseglia and LSG end up back in the ring. C2C are in control for the moment, executing some tandem offense. It’s short-lived, however, as Marseglia gets tagged in goes on offense for The Kingdom. C2C attempts to take back the advantage and secure a victory with their aptly-named finisher, but are stopped by O’Ryan and Marseglia who execute a Twist of Fate/Swanton Bomb combo.

We then see Christopher Daniels and Scorpio Sky sneak in to take back their 6-Man Tag Title belts. Marseglia gets distracted, which allows LSG to roll him up for the win.

Thoughts: Not much (again) to say about this match. A brief, yet fairly entertaining bout, with both sides showing off their tag team acumen. C2C picks up even more momentum with this win, and that's definitely a good things, because they're a talented duo who deserves a little more spotlight. Plus, O'Ryan and Marseglia show off just how underrated they are.

Cheeseburger vs. Bully Ray

The match starts off unsurprisingly with Bully Ray getting the upper hand. He destroys Cheeseburger with a couple of powerbombs while soaking in the heat from the crowd. He then low-blows Cheeseburger and exits the ring while Cheeseburger picks up the count-out win.

Thoughts: Why was this a thing? I love both of these guys, but it was wholly unnecessary and not that entertaining.

Roppongi 3K (Sho, Yoh and Rocky Romero) vs. Bullet Club (Cody, Hangman Page and Marty Scurll)

Romero and Scurll start the match out, but Cody promptly tags himself in and the two grind it out for advantage. After a quick exchange, Scurll and Sho get tagged in. After trading rest holds, Yoh inserts himself into the situation and R3K hits some tag-team offense on Scurll, seemingly gaining the advantage. Bernard The Business Bear provides a distraction while the BC members turn the tables and isolate Yoh.

Yoh, however, survives the onslaught and tags Sho in, who brings the fight to each and every BC member out there. He and Yoh work Scurll over for a bit with some tandem offense, but it’s quickly countered when Page sends Yoh to the outside. Cody tags himself in, much to the chagrin of Scurll. But Sho tags Romero in, who makes quick work of BC with a combination of strikes and clotheslines. He attempts a shiranui, but Cody blocks and hits a disaster kick instead.

The two teams trade blows for a while, BC seemingly getting the advantage. Despite slight miscommunication regarding Bernard The Business Bear and tandem outside dives from R3K, BC still pick up the victory as Cody hits the Cross Rhodes on Romero.

Thoughts: Christ, another tag team match? Whatever, it was a good one, at least. All parties came to play and put on a show. Plus, it further advanced the story of the Bullet Club dissension, with Scurll clearly getting pissed at Cody and seemingly losing favor of him, though time will tell what will come of that. Besides that, the in-ring work was decent and each participant got a chance to shine.

LIJ (SANADA, EVIL and Tetsuya Naito) vs. Silas Young, Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas

Young and EVIL start the match out, with Young trying to gain the advantage with dirty tactics. EVIL doesn’t fall for them, however, and tags Naito in. With Young on the outside, Naito does his trademark fakeout/tranquilo pose, but is met by Bruiser and Milonas, who stomp him down while also knocking EVIL and SANADA off the ring apron.

Young, Bruiser and Milonas then go to work on Naito, who tries to fight back to no avail. After seemingly endless punishment, Naito plants Bruiser with a springboard tornado DDT and tags in SANADA, who seems to take the advantage back with a succession of dropkicks to Bruiser and a paradise lock/sliding kick to Young. He then tags in EVIL, who gets in Milonas in the corner with a clothesline/legsweep combo then a bronco buster.

The action breaks down as both teams brawl in the ring, with the team of Young, Bruiser and Milonas briefly getting the upper hand. But their momentum ends just as quickly as it started, following a mistimed cannonball from Bruiser, who ends up on Young. LIJ start chopping Milonas down before EVIL hits his same-named finisher and picks up the win for LIJ.

Thoughts: Another goddamn tag team match? Jesus fucking Christ. I'll keep it brief: all parties put their talents on full display. Young and EVIL displayed their brawling acumen, Naito and SANADA showed their speed and agility off while Bruiser and Milonas proved why they should be the top hoss tag team in professional wrestling. Let's hope the next match isn't a tag match, because I might actually blow my brains out before I finish this post.

Jay White vs. Chuckie T vs. Jay Lethal

White and Chuckie start the match out by ganging up on Lethal, who desperately tries to fight back. After sending White and Chuckie to the outside, Lethal hits a trio of suicide dives onto the pair. Despite this, Chuckie and White still maintain control. Attempting some trickery, Chuckie tells White to go to the outside while also asking the referee for the 20-count.

Chuckie and White continue punishing Lethal, who tries to fight back once again to no avail. With Lethal out of the ring, White and Chuckie are left to duke it out. Lethal gets back in the ring again, taking Chuckie to the outside and slapping the figure-four on White. The two end up on the outside and are met with a somersault tope from Chuckie, who gets Lethal back in the ring.

The two scrap for a short while before Lethal rolls out of the ring following a sitout powerbomb from Chuckie. He and White are one-on-one again, trading signature moves before Lethal gets back in the ring and Chuckie rolls out. Lethal hits White with the Lethal Injection, but before he can make a cover, Chuckie catches him in a jackknife pin for the victory.

Thoughts: Thank fucking God, it's not another tag team match. But in all seriousness, I quite liked this match. I liked that Chuckie T and Jay White were double-teaming Jay Lethal throughout most of the match based purely on the fact they belong to the same stable (CHAOS). Lethal built up credibility as a babyface practically fighting a handicap match, displaying just how good of an all-around performer he is. Plus, I love this angle they're running with Chuckie T stealing victories with quick pins. Not necessarily being a heel, but just a guy realizing his situation and looking for the fastest victory possible. On to the next one.

The Kingdom (Matt Taven, Marsegila and O’Ryan) vs. SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) ROH 6-Man Tag Team Championship Match

I'm fully aware this is from SOH, but it fits the match, so shut up. Anyways, The Kingdom and SCU start the match out brawling outside the ring, with Taven getting back into the ring to deliver a plancha to Daniels and Sky. Kazarian and O’Ryan scrap for a while in the ring before exiting, prompting Kazarian to slide underneath the ring to avoid conflict. Back in the ring, O’Ryan and Marseglia team up on Kazarian, then tag in Taven who goes at it with Daniels.

O’Ryan gets tagged back in, who Kazarian promptly throws out of the ring while Sky delivers an apron kick to Marseglia. SCU seemingly take the advantage working O’Ryan over. Following a series of strikes then a Marseglia-assisted neckbreaker to Daniels, O’Ryan finally manages to get out and tags Taven in, who goes to work on SCU, delivering seemingly endless offense.

The Kingdom then try for their triple powerbomb finisher but are unsuccessful as Sky and Kazarian break up the action and SCU gain the advantage for a moment. This is short-lived as The Kingdom regain the advantage and team up on Daniels. Sky and Kazarian quickly break it up and Daniels hits Marseglia with the Best Moonsault Ever. The pinfall gets broken up while dives to the outside and takes Marseglia and O’Ryan out along with the referee.

Following a series of cheap shots, Taven finally hits Daniels with the frog splash and picks up the W for The Kingdom, becoming two-time ROH 6-Man Tag Team Champions.

Thoughts: I'll keep it real here: while I've been bitching about how many tag team matches are on this card, I really did love this match. It was an example of how a heel vs. heel match can work nicely. Both teams fulfilled their roles: The Kingdom being conniving, yet sympathetic, while SCU playing the role of pissed-off veterans looking to beat the fuck out of the jabronis who stole their titles. Plus, Based God Matt Taven has a title again, and that's always a good thing. BTW, I'm fully aware the image I used is from SOH, but that match didn't happen then and it happened now, so suck it.

LIJ (Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)

Matt and Nick deliver slingshot planchas to LIJ, then get Takahashi back in the ring and work LIJ over their patented tag-team offense. They seem to be in control until BUSHI delivers a double hurricanrana to the brothers, then hits a missile dropkick on Matt and starts strangling him with his shirt. LIJ gain the upper hand in this match as they double-team Matt. This goes on for a while as LIJ try to utterly destroy Matt. But it’s short-lived as Matt fights back and takes them both out with a dive off the entrance.

Getting back in the ring, Matt spears Takahashi and tags Nick in, who shows off his patented hot-tag offense. The Bucks then get both LIJ members in the sharpshooter; following the eventual rope-break, The Bucks take care of BUSHI and Takahashi with some corner-assisted tag offense. The Bucks unsuccessfully attempt the More Bang For Your Buck as Nick gets sent to the outside while BUSHI and Takahashi hit a sunset flip/german suplex combo on Matt.

BUSHI and Takahashi then attempt a Doomsday maneuver, but it’s quickly countered with a Nick-assisted suplex/reverse hurricanrana combo from Matt; Nick then hits a 450 splash to Takahashi. The Bucks attempt a Meltzer Driver, but BUSHI stops it and hits Matt with the green mist while the referee is distracted. 

Blinded, Matt superkicks Nick and puts the referee in the sharpshooter. Takahashi delivers a sunset flip powerbomb on Nick to the outside while BUSHI hits Matt with a Canadian Destroyer, but Matt kicks out. Takahashi goes for another, but is stopped with a superkick from Nick while Matt hits him with a somersault stunner. The Bucks then deliver a Meltzer Driver to BUSHI and pick up the win.

Thoughts: Even though there weren't any stakes in this match title-wise, this was probably my favorite match of the night. I'm well aware I've got a heavy Young Bucks bias, but real recognize real, and that proved true tonight, because they and LIJ put on a damn good performance. There's fantastic chemistry with these four individuals, and it's a shame we won't see a proper 2-on-2 match with these guys anytime soon (given the Bucks' new promotion to the heavyweight division in NJPW), but then again, that just makes this match all the more deserving to savor.

Overall

Holy fucking tag team matches, Batman. Seriously, that's pretty much all I have. While there were matches I definitely dug (the opener, the title match and the closer), it was just exhausting to see the same stipulation over and over. Plus, I'll reiterate that Cheeseburger/Bully Ray was fucking unnecessary. That being said, the highs I mentioned (The Briscoes vs. Flip Gordon and Jushin Thunder Liger, The Kingdom vs. SCU and Young Bucks vs. LIJ) were damn good, and you should check them out. Hopefully they move towards less tag team matches, because holy fuck it exhausted me.