ROH Wrestling Episode #384: 1/28/19

It's a battle stable supremacy in the main event as Villain Enterprises goes up against The Kingdom for the World 6-Man Tag Team Championship. But we got the rest of the show to get through first. So let's not waste any more time and dive right into it.

PJ Black vs. Juice Robinson

The match starts off pretty back-and-forth, both battling to gain the advantage. Following a slingshot plancha, Robinson tries to keep the momentum going with a corner cannonball; however, Black stops it before it gets started and nails Robinson with a headbutt/spin kick combo. For a good portion of the match, Black is in control displaying some impressive technical acumen with suplex/submission combos, a surprising turn from his usual high-flying repertoire.

Black's momentum stops when Robinson counters his diving double axe handle into an impressive belly-to-belly suplex. Robinson begins to pick up steam with some offense (including a smooth-as-hell Gut Check), but Black halts it once again with a super hurricanrana then a moonsault press. The two throw strikes until Robinson hits his trademark haymaker left, followed by a corner cannonball. Robinson goes up to the top rope, only for Black to shove the referee into him, earning Robinson a disqualification victory. After the match, Robinson cuts a promo where he laments the dirty tactics in wrestling and yearns for the glory days of ROH, where wrestlers shook hands before and after the match, keeping it clean and classy.

I really dug this match. These guys have good chemistry with one another and put on a decent opener. The screwy finish, while off-putting in appearances, is necessary in the long run as it furthers Robinson's babyface persona (honestly, he one of the best out there) as well as getting Black over as a heel. Plus, that post-match promo signals this isn't the last we've seen of Robinson in ROH, and I for one am beyond hyped for more Juice in the very near future.

Shane Taylor vs. Mike Law

The match is over as quickly as it started as Taylor jaw-jacks Law with a knockout punch then his Greetings From 216 finisher to pick up a fast victory. After the match, Taylor cuts a promo where he declares he wasn't paid off to take out Christopher Daniels a couple weeks back (unlike his hitman-for-hire gimmick), doing it on his own accord and declaring that he's "just getting started."

A quick match that furthers Taylor's reputation as ROH's resident monster heel, seemingly moving away from his mercenary persona. Not sure what to think of it at this juncture; could be a nice change of pace, but we'll see how it plays out. Regardless, I like Taylor and am eager to see what 2019 has in store for him (hopefully him vs. Cobb again, please?)

Flip Gordon/Kenny King segment

Gordon comes to the ring and addresses his victory over Bully Ray at Final Battle, then declares he has his sights set on Jay Lethal's ROH World Championship, earning a title opportunity after winning the Sea Of Honor Tournament. King interrupts Gordon, claiming he deserves it more because he is apparently the only man to have pinned Lethal in recent time (using doctored footage as evidence, no less). He further insults Gordon by undermining his military experience before dropping the mic and walking away.

An okay segment with King throwing some decent barbs at Gordon. There's probably not going to be much to this probable feud, but we should at least get a decent match out of it, providing Gordon recovers from his recent knee injury in time.

Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll, PCO and Brody King) vs. Shinobi Shadow Squad (Cheeseburger, Ryan Nova and Eli Isom)

In a surprising twist, The Kingdom comes and cancels their title defense against Villain Enterprises and instead brings in Triple S to take their place in this now non-title match. VE attacks Triple S outside the ring before the bell, gaining the advantage and pretty much dominating the whole way through, despite valiant attempts at a comeback from the Squad, with Isom getting in most of the offense for his team.

The prelude to the end sees Triple S attempt a triple dive, only to be met with apron chokeslams from King and PCO, as well as a tombstone piledriver from Scurll to Cheeseburger on the floor. VE proceeds to completely obliterate Nova in the ring before King and PCO spike him with their ganso bomb/moonsault combo to pick up the W.

A predictable, yet fun squash, and in the main event, no less. VE look strong and are becoming a more cohesive unit with each moment of screen time they get. On the flip side, Triple S get their time in the spotlight (especially the god-tier boy Cheeseburger) and solidify their presence as lovable losers constantly vying for a meaningful victory. While not what we were originally promised, it was an entertaining ride nonetheless.

Bully Ray Segment

Following the main event, we cut to Bully Ray sitting at a fire pit constantly pouring gas on the fire while images of his Final Battle defeat at the hands of Flip Gordon. He then utters the words, "I never said, 'I quit'," before it fades to black and the episode ends.

Yeah, I don't give a shit about Bully Ray anymore. Thank you, next.

Aside from the weird and unnecessary Bully Ray segment, this was a pretty solid episode. Black/Robinson delivered in the opener, Shane Taylor furthers his monster status and Villain Enterprises got to show off more of what they're going to bring to ROH (which I can already assume is a lot). Not anything mind-blowing, but enough to keep you entertained throughout the 50-minute run time.

ROH Wrestling Episode #383: 1/21/17

We've got what should be an interesting night of action for ROH this week. We're kicking off a mini-tournament to determine the new #1 contender to Jeff Cobb's World Television Title (most notably former best friends turned bitter rivals Silas Young and the Beer City Bruiser duking it out), as well as the ROH TV debut of CMLL star Rush. Let's not waste any more time and get right into it.

Facade vs. Eli Isom

It's time for the first match of the #1 contendership mini-tournament. The match is pretty back-and-forth for the most part from the beginning, with neither man really gaining the advantage; Facade surprisingly eschewing his trademark high-flying style for a more grounded game. As the match progresses, he begins to bring out more of his typical flippy shit, including an impressive 450 plancha. Despite a late showing from Facade, Isom recovers and drops him with a brainbuster to pick up the W and advance to face the winner of Bruiser/Young.

This was okay. I ventured to guess it wasn't going to be anything special, and sure enough, I was right. But it wasn't anything to get upset about. It was a harmless, inoffensive (albeit mediocre) way to kick off the show.

TK O'Ryan vs. Rush

The match starts off at a surprisingly even pace, trading offense (including an impressive trade-off of rebound german suplexes and chops); Rush displays his recognizable brand of bravado and charisma he typically displays in CMLL. This continues for a while before O'Ryan surprisingly gets the upped hand on Rush, going to work on the lucha superstar and seemingly finding an answer for everything Rush throws at him (that belly-to-belly into the corner, though). Despite this impressive display, Rush seems to turn the tables with one momentous superplex.

Following this, he corners O'Ryan with a stinger splash and multiple stomps before landing a shotgun dropkick to pick up his first victory in ROH. The celebration was short-lived, however, as O'Ryan's Kingdom constituents Vinny Marseglia and Matt Taven come out to assist in attacking Rush after the match.

A pretty decent match. It gave fans a nice taste of what's to come of Rush in ROH, while also building up O'Ryan's credibility as a singles performer. While he isn't amazing, he's improved by leaps and bounds. And as for Rush, it build his reputation in America as well as provides some momentum towards his start in ROH. Rounding it out, The Kingdom did get some decent heat by attacking Rush after the match and ruining his debut. At the end of it, everyone looks good here.

Silas Young vs. Beer City Bruiser

It's time for our main event as Young and Bruiser duke it out to see who will face Isom to become the #1 contender for Cobb's TV Title. It suddenly becomes a No DQ match and the two brawl both in and out of the ring, trying to get the momentum. Bruiser uses the fanfare to his advantage as he fights off Young on the ring apron and hits him with a cannonball onto a chair to the outside. Getting back in the ring, Young turns the tables following a legsweep onto the ring apron.

He hits Bruiser with multiple slingshot double stomps followed by a rope-assisted neckbreaker/suplex combo. Bruiser perseveres and cannonballs Young once again, this time in the ring through a table lodged in the corner. Following another cannonball attempt from Bruiser, Young evades this time and the two take it to the outside once again. Young attempts an outside superplex, but Bruiser blocks it with an avalanche hip toss onto chairs inside the ring.

Young seemingly gains the advantage by tossing Bruiser onto some chairs, then zip-tying his former tag partner while he unloads numerous chair shots before Bruiser's tag partner Brian Milonas comes to his aid, getting some shots in on Young and releasing Bruiser from the zip-ties. While Bruiser comes to, Milonas and Young go at it for a bit longer; Milonas attempts a banzai drop but Young blocks and shoves Milonas off the second rope through a table on the outside.

Showing his fatigue following a second-rope elbow drop, Bruiser sets up a table and attempts a frog splash; Young gets out of the way hits him with Misery to advance, facing Eli Isom in two weeks' time.

So, real talk: I was way more invested in this match than I thought I was going to be. I mean, I love Silas Young, but I didn't really expect this match to be all that great. And while it certainly wasn't amazing, it was better than it had any reason to be. These two really brought it and I was impressed, especially by Bruiser, who's really morphing into his babyface role quite nicely and getting over with the crowd. Not the best thing I've ever seen, but by far the MOTN.

So while this episode has been the weakest of 2019 so far (really wasn't into Isom/Facade at all), it was still pretty solid. It was a nice debut for Rush, O'Ryan displayed some surprisingly impressive singles prowess and Young/Bruiser put on a pretty good street fight (if you decide to check this episode out, make it a point to watch this one). Nothing really shock-and-awe levels of impressive, but definitely okay. Plus, it's only 50 minutes, so it's not like it's eating up too much of your time.

ROH Wrestling Episode #382 Recap/Review: 1/14/19

It's our second episode of the new year, and judging by the card we have tonight, this episode is most definitely looking stacked (including a particularly big TV debut). With that being said, let's not waste any more time and get right into it.

Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Tracy Williams

Much to my delighted surprise, we start the show off with these two technical marvels. Right from the beginning, it's an absolute chess match as the two men exchange various holds and counters, no one really having the advantage for very long. ZSJ  works Williams' left shoulder in an attempt to gain leverage. Williams fight back, however, hitting a death valley driver then delivers a series of forearm strikes as ZSJ continues his gameplan.

Following an incredibly fluid series of submission attempts, the two grapplers go straight to pure striking; after suffering more abuse to his arms via numerous ZSJ kicks, Williams hits a desperation lariat. Williams attempts a last-ditch piledriver, but ZSJ counters and submits him with a double-arm Octopus Hold for the win.

A fantastic way to start the show off. If you're a fan of technical wrestling clinics, you'll dig this match. Each hold and counter was so fluidly performed by both men. Not only that, but the way these guys were able to switch from submission wrestling to pure striking at the drop of a dime was nothing short of impressive to say the least. While ZSJ is always fantastic, it's nothing to take away from Williams as he also. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of his work, as well as more of ZSJ in ROH.

Twisted Sisterz (Holidead and Thunder Rosa) vs. Madison Rayne and Britt Baker

Baker and Rayne start the match with the upward momentum, displaying surprisingly fluid tag chemistry despite not being a regular tag team. But following a quick distraction from Rosa, the Sisterz turn the tables and start working Baker over, Rayne trying to intervene intermittently throughout. Despite the disadvantage, Baker manages to fight back, evading a tag manuever from the Sisterz. She and Rayne hit an impressive ripcord elbow/enzuguiri combo, then Baker finishes off Rosa with pumphandle flatliner (I think?) and secures the victory for her team.

Not too much to say here. A brief, but entertaining match with four women who work well with each other. I'm pleasantly surprised at how Baker and Rayne are coming along as a tag team. I've only seen two televised matches of theirs as a unit, yet their chemistry together is quite polished, all things considered. I like all four of these women and I hope to see them work together again in the future.

SoCal Uncensored (Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark), ROH World Tag Team Championship Match

It's main event time as SCU seeks to reclaim their titles after dropping them at Final Battle in dramatic fashion. Both teams attempt some mind games by introducing chairs before the bell starts, with the brothers coming out with the advantage. Jay and Mark tag in and out, working Sky over for a bit before Sky fights back with a jumping knee strike to Jay. Kaz finally gets tagged in and he goes to work on the brothers, displaying some incredibly innovative offense.

The two teams brawl on the outside for a while before getting back in the ring, momentum constantly shifting while SCU pull out some more innovative tag maneuvers (an impressive backstabber/slingshot cutter combo in particular). SCU attempts to finish The Briscoes off, but Mark breaks it up and following a ref bump, the brothers bring chairs into the equation once again and secure the advantage once again after a ref switch.

Jay takes out Sky with a Jay Driller and the brothers then turn their attention to Kaz. After planting him with a superplex/Froggy Bow combo, the Briscoes hit Kaz with the Redneck Boogie (Razor's Edge/neckbreaker combo) to retain their titles.

An excellent match and main event. It was more than apparent both teams have excellent chemistry with one another given their various matches throughout 2018, and they once again proved said chemistry here. The sequences are all familiar, yet they still feel fresh and exciting, which really speaks to the prowess of all the talent involved. SCU pulled out crisp, impressive spots while The Briscoes did their job well of executing ring psychology and cutting off tag opportunities whenever possible. Not their absolute best bout, but definitely a damn good one.

Marty Scurll Segment

Much to my surprise, we're actually closing the show with a promo. Scurll comes out and addresses his current situation in ROH and his intentions to procure the World Title. Just as he starts, though, The Kingdom interrupts him. Taven chastises Marty and brings up the fact he's the only member of The Elite to still be in ROH, claiming he doesn't "have a friend in the world." Marty acknowledges this, but telling Taven he can always make new ones.

The lights then go out; Brody King appears, then PCO soon after. The three men attack The Kingdom, and Scurll closes out the show to announce the formation of Villain Enterprises.

So if it wasn't obvious enough, this was taped before Honor Reigns Supreme. Regardless, I still dug the presentation and am hype for a potential VE/Kingdom feud in the future. Plus, Scurll having his own stable means he can get more of the spotlight, which is always a good thing.

Overall, this was a pretty damn good episode. Great opening and closing matches (check those ones out in particular), plus speaking as an absolute mark, it's dope to actually see the formation of Villain Enterprises. Definitely check this one out when you get a chance.

Honor Reigns Supreme Recap/Review: 01/13/19

It's ROH's first PPV of the year. The company has hit the reset button, and many are wondering it'll go in the future after the departure of The Elite (and to a lesser extent, SoCal Uncensored). Did they sink or swim with their first PPV of 2019, as well as their first PPV unaffiliated with The Elite in some time? We'll find out.

Shinobi Shadow Squad (Ryan Nova, Cheeseburger and Eli Isom) vs. Corey Hollis, John Skyler and Josey Quinn

A fairly standard 6-man tag match. Back-and-forths ensue without that many interesting spots to name. 3S eventually gets the upper hand and hits their Oyasuminasai tag finisher for the W.

There is literally no reason to mention this match outside of the inclusion of Based God Cheeseburger. Moving on.

Mark Haskins vs. Beer City Bruiser

Haskins tries to apply various holds while Bruiser breaks them up, demanding “a fight.” Haskins then throws various kicks, having little to no effect on Bruiser at the start. The two trade momentum throughout the match, Bruiser using his size and power to counter Haskins’ striking. Bruiser tosses Haskins around for a bit with slams and suplexes, then tries to finish off the match with a frog splash. Haskins dodges, throws a few more kicks while Bruiser is caught up in the ropes, then finishes off Bruiser with a diving double stomp.

Quick, and somewhat forgettable, but I actually did like this match, all things considered. The two played off each other's styles decently, plus I dug how the momentum picked up once Bruiser shrugged off Haskins' technical holds and demanded a real fight. It was nothing special, but a fun exhibition nonetheless.

Best Friends vs. Juice Robinson and David Finlay

Robinson and Beretta start the match off attempting to gain leverage while trading off mind games, no one really having the advantage at the beginning. Finlay and Chuckie attempt the same, only for Finlay to hit a dropkick and tag Robinson back in, seemingly getting the advantage with some classic tag-team maneuvers. This lasts for but a brief respite as Best Friends take it back with a savage double stomp on the outside railing; it gets back in the ring as Best Friends start working Finlay over.

Robinson and Finlay attempt to fight back, while Beretta and Chuckie T try to counter, both getting worn out. Beretta and Robinson go back-and-forth, trading signatures and counters. Robinson displays impressive strength, hitting a Gut Check then tagging in Finlay, who displays his hot tag expertise by throwing his quickest strikes possible at Chuckie. Despite Chuckie’s best efforts at a comeback (including an impressive snap piledriver), it’s all for naught though as Finlay hits him with a Stunner and secures the victory for his team.

I dug this match WAY more than I probably should have, given it was yet another tag-team match added to the card. But these guys really surprised and pulled out a notably good match on a lesser PPV. While certainly not an all-time classic, these guys certainly brought out the best in each other here, mixing classic tag wrasslin' chemistry with some new school flavor. Plus, anytime my man David Finlay gets a rub, I'm all for it.

Flip Gordon vs. Tracy Williams

Williams starts the match out by grounding Gordon with precise mat work. Gordon attempts to fight back despite his bum knee. The problem exacerbating, Williams refuses to fight Gordon anymore, taking the win via referee stoppage.

Disappointingly short, but such is life, I guess. While Williams' ROH PPV debut was cut short, here's hoping he gets to shine in his TV debut against Zack Sabre, Jr. this coming Monday. Also, best wishes to Gordon in that the knee issues he had here are nothing serious and he can get back to killing it in the ring ASAP.

The Kingdom (Matt Taven, Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan) vs. Shane “Hurricane” Helms, Delirious and Luchasaurus, Proving Ground Match

Delirious brings out his trademark outlandish antics, but Taven is unphased. O’Ryan and Helms go at it for a bit and Helms sneaks in some of his innovative offense before Luchasaurus is tagged in and he goes to work on The Kingdom, throwing a flurry of strikes and kicks. The momentum comes to a screeching halt as The Kingdom put a stop to Delirious’ outlandish antics, throwing out various impressive displays of tag team offense.

Delirious throws desperation suplexes before tagging in Helms; following a quick comeback, he, Delirious and Luchasaurus deliver a chokeslam to each of the members of The Kingdom. Despite their best efforts, they fall short as O’Ryan and Marseglia hit an elevated back-body drop/samoan drop combo to pick up the win and dash their opponents’ hopes for #1 contendership.

While it was nothing special, I certainly had a lot of fun watching this match. All six men had good chemistry with one another and pulled out some entertaining spots (the triple chokeslam in particular). While I love The Kingdom, it was nice to see a little spotlight being thrown on the opposite side (unofficially named "The Green Machine" on the broadcast). Helms is an underrated GOAT, Luchasaurus is such a fun in-ring performer and Delirious is just an absolutely fascinating personality to watch. Here's hoping they get a title shot down the road, because they sure as hell deserve it.

PJ Black vs. Bandido

The two start the match off jockeying for leverage, displaying impressive speed and agility while doing so. Bandido seems to have the upper hand at the start of the match, following an impressive suicide dive/Fosbury flop combo. However, his momentum is over as quickly as it started, as Black hits a quick counter then briefly pulls out some technical prowess to work Bandido over. After a couple successful dives from Black, the action gets back in the ring.

Bandido throws multiple tilt-a-whirl variations before Black uses his strength advantage to counter. The two scuffle on the top rope before Black hits a springboard hurricanrana, then slows the action down once again. Bandido fights back with a reverse GTS and the two exchange counters and signatures, trying to gain the advantage. Following a hard knee, Bandido puts Black away with a super moonsault fallaway slam and picks up the W.

There was honestly more detail I could've put into writing about this match, but it moved too fast for me to keep up. That may sound corny, but it's entirely truthful; I was so focused watching the sequences these two were pulling off that I honestly forgot about adding more. But then again, maybe that's a good thing when it comes to high-speed matches like this one. It's a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of match that demands your undivided attention. While PJ Black is great and more than held his own here, Bandido was the obvious show-stealer here. A message to ROH: give this man a mega-push, because he sure as hell deserves it.

Jeff Cobb vs. Shane Taylor vs. Jonathan Gresham vs. Rhett Titus, Proving Grounds Match

The match takes a shocking turn as Taylor abstains from the match, seemingly rescinding his opportunity for #1 Contendership. Gresham and Titus go back-and-forth for a bit, Cobb interjecting himself into their exchanges. Gresham is momentarily taken out of the equation is Cobb works Titus over before hitting a delayed superplex. Getting back in the ring, Gresham attempts to chop down Cobb by working his legs, who seems unphased.

After getting Cobb to the outside, Titus and Gresham trade dives, trying to further weaken Cobb. Gresham and Titus go at it for a brief respite before Gresham gets sent to the outside; Cobb hits Titus with a spike piledriver, then a Tour Of The Islands to come out victorious, squashing his opponents’ chances of a #1 contendership.

While it was a shame Taylor quit the match, it was a nice way to garner heel heat, as well as a potential rivalry with Cobb over the title. But let's not take the attention away from the other competitors, as they certainly brought their A-game here. Titus and Gresham pulled off some decent spots, proving their merits as singles competitors (especially Gresham, who I believe is the future of ROH, given his recent performances). Plus Cobb maintains his based-as-fuck aura here, more than proving his worth as an in-ring competitor and as a champion. 

Kelly Klein vs. Jenny Rose, WOH Championship

Klein seemingly has the upper hand at the beginning of the match with her Camp Klein constituents; this quickly changes as the two brawl on the outside, Rose taking the advantage and working over Klein. Once it gets back into the ring, however, Klein takes it back and attempts to choke out Rose by various means (first with a bungee cord, then with the ring announcer’s tie). They get back to the outside and history seems to repeat itself once again.

However, Rose’s momentum is just as soon quelled as Klein drives her through a table. While momentarily effective, Rose eventually recovers and brings the fight to Klein, planting her with a superplex onto steel chairs. After Rose steps outside to grab the ring bell, Klein slowly picks up her energy back up and hits Rose with a Samoan Driver to retain her title.

A brief, but fun match with memorable spots and a decent continuation of the Klein/Rose rivalry. I really hope they deepen the feud a little more, because they have good chemistry with one another and it could potentially boost more attention into the Women's Division. Above all else, it proves Klein is a more-than-deserving champion and should hold the belt at least for a few more months, because right now, she's honestly the best thing WOH has got going on at the moment.

Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll, Brody King and PCO) vs. Silas Young and The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

King and Mark start the match out but PCO is tagged in just as quickly and the two throw a staggering series of chops, upping the brutality. Young and Scurll are tagged in, but the match quickly goes to the outside. VE seems to have the advantage, but Young and The Briscoes put a stop to it after Mark drills PCO on the ring apron with an iconoclasm. They take the advantage and being working Scurll over before Scurlll musters the strength to tag King in and shit really hit the fan.

King and PCO display impressive feats of agility with their outside dives, and it’s utter chaos from there on out. Brawling on the outside and numerous momentum shifts occur (PCO taking a fucking Canadian Destroyer on the ring apron, unsurprisingly); The Briscoes set up a table outside, only for King to toss Mark through it, incapacitating him. Various impressive tag maneuvers are displayed before King and PCO destroy Jay with Gonzo Bomb/moonsault combination to pick up a win for VE.

A glorious clusterfuck is how I would describe this match, and trust me when I tell you that's a compliment. Young and The Briscoes worked well for a thrown-together team, and it was an outstanding debut for the newly formed Villain Enterprises. Scurll proved himself to be an excellent leader, while King and PCO displayed some superb tag-team chemistry. The shit on the outside sold me on the match in particular; just utter brawling chaos, coupled with gruesomely fun spots. If this is what I'm to expect from Villain Enterprises, then I am on board 100 fucking percent (I mean, I already was because of Marty, but you get the idea).

Dalton Castle vs. Jay Lethal, ROH World Championship Match

Castle brings the fire at the very beginning with a series of suplexes and knees, the intensity at 1000% from him. Lethal tries to fight back, including pulling out a Lethal Injection at a surprisingly early point in the match; he attempts to get his momentum back and slow the match down, attacking Castle’s weakened ribs and back. Lethal turns the tables despite Castle’s best efforts, continuing his punishment of Castle’s back.

Castle musters up enough strength to counter Lethal’s Camel Clutch with an electric chair drop. The action spills outside the ring as Lethal backs Castle into the guardrail, then hits two suicide dives before planting Castle with a cutter on the outside. Castle escapes the 20-count and gets back in the ring; Lethal’s first attempt at his Hail To The King elbow is countered, then is successful the second time around.

The two continue their back-and-forth before Castle tries to wear Lethal down, similar to what Lethal was doing to him at the beginning of the match. But following a Bangarang counter, Lethal hits Castle with a bucklebomb, then a superkick, and finally a Lethal Injection to cap off the match and retain his title.

Not gonna lie, this match was pretty damn good. Is it going to make my Top 10 of the year? Probably not. Will it be in contention MOTY honors? Most likely, no. But if you take it for what it is (a good tug-o-war kind of match with some solid ring psychology and storytelling), and it's actually a hell of a lot of fun. Lethal balances being an elite-tier champion and ring worker here, knowing how to work his opponent regardless of size/style/etc., while also providing an excellent example of what a world champion should be. But let's not take anything away from Dalton Castle, either. Though his previous run as World Champion may have been a bore, there's no doubt he can give it his all in the ring when the time calls for it. I'm hesitant to call it MOTN, because Bandido/Black and VE/Young and The Briscoes were also on the card. Regardless, a damn good match.

So was this PPV an absolute game-changer? No. But it was a decent all-around outing, and a sign that the best is yet to come for ROH. The Elite and SCU may be gone, but given the talent they have right now, that really doesn't matter. As long as they can balance the development of their new signees and their already developed roster in an intelligent fashion, I have a feeling that ROH will have a great 2019. Here's hoping I don't eat my words. Aside from my future speculation, it's a fun PPV. It's not something that requires an immediate watch, but one that definitely deserves a future viewing.

ROH Wrestling Episode #381 Recap/Review: 1/7/19

Well, folks, here it is. The very first episode of 2019, and you don't need me to tell you a LOT has changed in the realm of ROH in recent.time. As a result of major shakeups and shocking departures, ROH hit the reset button, leading many to wonder what direction the company would be taking. Let's not waste any more and see if the first episode of the new year helps enlightens us.

Opener

The show opens with Ian Riccaboni introducing four men: Chris Sabin, Flip Gordon, Dalton Castle and Marty Scurll, all of whom have #1 Contendership opportunity for Jay Lethal's World Title. In the main event, they'll compete to see who gets the very first pickings at the belt. And just as Riccaboni tries to bring out Lethal, Matt Taven appears still in "Real World Champion" mode and cuts down all four competitors. Lethal quickly comes out to confront Taven and the two tussle before being pulled apart by security.

I've always been a fan of Matt Taven, but I think I like him even more with this gimmick. He really pulls off this delusional, arrogant character quite well, and I think he has potential to be the new top heel of ROH. If anyone in the main event scene gets an extended feud with Lethal, it should either be him or Scurll. And aside from Taven, I'm absolutely hyped for the main event. Given the competitors involved, it should be a damn good match.

Luchasaurus vs. Jeff Cobb

The action starts off hot as Luchasaurus gets the jump on Cobb and delivers a series of strikes and kicks, seemingly getting the upper hand from the get-go. Cobb, however, halts his momentum with a quick suplex and from there, it's a battle for leverage as each competitor plays to their strengths: Luchasaurus with his strikes and Cobb with his power and agility. There are several impressive spots throughout the match, including a crispy chokeslam/standing moonsault combo from Luchasaurus and a superplex/standing moonsault combo from Cobb.

Despite his best efforts, Luchasaurus falls short after taking a devastating belly-to-belly superplex/spike piledriver/Tour Of The Islands combo from Cobb, who continues his path of dominance in ROH.

A short match, but fun as hell. I'm really not that familiar with Luchasaurus, so this was definitely a nice introduction; needless to say, I liked what I saw and I want more. And Cobb of course kills it, as always, proving yet again why he's one of the most versatile performers in ROH right now. Not much else outside of that, but definitely a blast to watch.

Kelly Klein vs. Nikki Addams

Prior to the start, Klein announces that since becoming WOH Champion, every singles match of hers (starting with this one) will be a title match. The match is over as quickly as it started, with Klein absolutely dominating Addams despite her best efforts. Klein hits a running knee strike and picks up the W. After the match, Jenny Rose comes out and reflects on her rivalry with Klein then asks if she wants to make their upcoming match at Honor Reigns Supreme a street fight, which Klein accepts.

A pretty decent squash match, all things considered; Klein shows up, dominates, gets her hand raised. I like the direction they're taking with her as champion by making all of her subsequent singles matches a title match; it really taps into the arrogant powerhouse persona she displays. Plus, for what it is, I like this rivalry between her and Jenny Rose. It's not much, but it's a lot more than what's happening elsewhere in the division. Above all else, I'm hyped for their HRS match.

Christopher Daniels Segment

Not flanked by his SCU consituents, Daniels comes to the ring and cuts a promo reflecting on his time in ROH as well as saying goodbye to the ROH faithful, as per the expiration of his contract. COO Joe Koff comes out and offers Daniels a new contract, impressed with his performance at Final Battle. Shane Taylor breaks up the emotional moment and he and Daniels get into a scuffle before Taylor plants him on a steel chair, then rips up Daniels' new contract and stuffs it in his mouth.

While it ran a bit longer than I'd have wanted it to, it at least accomplished its goal of highlighting Daniels' popularity within ROH; he cut a damn good promo, and every moment reaction he had really seemed genuine. Plus, Taylor gets a little bit more heat by ruining an emotional moment from an ROH legend.

Gordon vs. Sabin vs. Castle vs. Scurll

The match starts off interestingly enough with Gordon and Sabin briefly teaming up to take out Castle and Scurll, first with tandem suicide dives then with a succession of missile dropkicks. This is all for naught, as Castle quickly recovers and from there, it's a constant battle for momentum in the ring; Castle, Sabin, Scurll and Gordon each have time together in the ring as they try to gain the advantage in a match where it's anybody's ballgame.

For a brief respite, Sabin has the upper hand by working all three of his competitors; first with breaking up an impressive submission sequence, then a diving crossbody followed up by his patented springboard tornado DDT/kick combo. He continues his momentum by taking out Scurll and Gordon with a series of kicks before Castle puts him away with an emphatic Bangarang, securing his spot as the first challenger for Lethal's world title.

While I think it would've benefited from having at least another minute or two latched onto it, this was still a damn good main event, all things considered. Each man had their time to shine and picked their spots perfectly (especially Sabin, who even in defeat, was the MVP of the match in my book). And as for the finish? I mean, I like Castle and he technically deserves it, but I'm still not entirely enthralled at the idea of him being in the world title picture. Here's hoping he changes my mind at Honor Reigns Supreme.

Regardless, a great match and an excellent way to cap off the first episode of ROH Wrestling in 2019. It may be too early to tell, but I think I'm gonna like what I see from here on out. Fingers crossed I'm not wrong and look like a dumbass in the process.

The BAW Awards: Honoring The Best Of Professional Wrestling In 2018

Folks, I'm going to be honest: 2018 was a pretty damn good year for wrestling. Even with all the negatives involved (something I'd rather not get into, as I want to stray from my usual pessimistic self), it seemed as though the positives outweighed them, soaring above the bad spots and providing us a shining light in this dark, cruel world. Today, we'll be honoring the best professional wrestling had to offer us in 2018. Here it is, the First Annual BAW Awards. Let's get it started.

Most Underrated

Hangman Page- This was a tough one, as there were a lot of choices to pick from: Jonathan Gresham, Burch and Lorcan, the entirety of the 205 Live roster, etc. But I had to give it to Page simply for the fact he always delivered standout performances despite being overshadowed by the name recognition of his Elite constituents. He combines an impressive moveset (a dazzling display of strength, aerial offense and hard-hitting strikes) with a solid dash of charisma (check out his performance on Being The Elite if you aren't convinced).

Another example of a wrestler who can do excellent work in a tag team atmosphere (him and the Bucks vs. SoCal Uncensored are absolute bangers) or in singles (check out his work with Kota Ibushi, Punishment Martinez, Joey Janela and Jeff Cobb if you're not convinced). Don't let him leaving ROH take anything away from your opinion of the Hangman. When All Elite Wrestling takes off, he should be slated to have a big 2019 and he damn well deserves it. If Page isn't on your radar already, rest assured he will be.

Breakout Star

Jay White- It's crazy to think a man in his mid-20s, not far removed from the Dojo, would be one of the biggest fixtures in New Japan. Needless to say, White proved the doubters wrong this year and put in a surprising performance that few can rival. Adopting the Switchblade gimmick, White put in top-tier work as a villainous disruptor aiming to break down the pillars of New Japan, and did a pretty damn good job of it, too. He infiltrated and disrupted one of the most powerful stables in NJPW (CHAOS) and further sewed the seeds of dissension in another (Bullet Club).

But let's not take anything away from his ring work this year, as it's also been stellar. Whether it was vs. Hangman Page at Strong Style Evolved, Punishment Martinez at ROH War Of The Worlds: Toronto or his absolutely stellar performance at this year's G1 Climax, White consistently proved he can more than hang with the best of them. A fantastic character, a consistently good in-ring worker, White has more than proven he's up to the task of being the next top gaijin in New Japan (excluding Kenny Omega, for obvious reasons). He more than fulfilled the task he was given, and it'll be exciting to see what 2019 holds for him.

Best Stable

SoCal Uncensored- As with many of these awards, this one was a difficult decision. Numerous groups could've been added here: Undisputed Era in NXT, oVe in Impact, most of the stables in New Japan, etc. But when I think about the overall impact stables have made this year (in terms of matches/character progression/brand-building, etc.), there's no one who did it better then SCU in 2018. Teams like Bullet Club and LIJ already had marketable brands, so for them it was just maintaining the status quo. For SCU, it was different; while The Addiction already had a notable reputation, it was nowhere near the level of their constituents. They had more steps on their ladder, but managed to climb them with ease and market themselves (as a unit) as a force to be reckoned with in professional wrestling.

Their chemistry as a team is second to none, at least when it comes to forming a solid unit rather than a group of individuals who just happen to team up. Whether it's their matches, their promos, or their character paradigm, I can think of no other stable this year who did it better than SCU. I can safely say watching their shift from despicable heels to desperate babyfaces was one of the most interesting things I watched in wrestling this year. While every town (aside from beautiful Southern California) may have been the worst, there's no doubt SCU was the absolute best stable of 2018.

Best Tag Team

The Young Bucks- Sometimes, the most obvious answer is the best answer. In this case, the Jackson brothers fit this description better than any other tag team of 2018, putting on performances other tag teams in the wrestling business would strive to rival. Just a quick recap of what the Bucks did in 2018, in case you needed a reminder: moved up to NJPW's heavyweight tag team division and winning the belt (soon to be challenging for it again at Wrestle Kingdom), self-funded the biggest independent wrestling show ever (All In), plus are in the planning stage of developing their own promotion (All Elite Wrestling). And aside from their business acumen, let's talk about what really matters: the matches. Because, my god, they've had some brilliant bouts this year.

They really proved their absolute versatility this year more than others. Name a type of match, and the Bucks made an absolute banger out of it: Exhilarating spotfests (them vs. SoCal Uncensored at Supercard Of Honor w/Flip Gordon, vs. SCU and Briscoes at Final Battle), straight-up tag team wrasslin' (vs. Briscoes at Best In The World) and pure, heartfelt storytelling (vs. Golden Lovers, Strong Style Evolved). You can put the arguments of "horfdorf spot monkeys" to rest, because this year, more than others, they proved they're so much more than that. Marketing geniuses, ring masters and consummate professionals all-around. The Bucks are the best tag team of 2018 and I will hear no arguments to the contrary.

Best Character

Eddie Edwards- When it comes to storytelling and character progression, Impact is arguably doing it better than anyone in professional wrestling, and the best example of that is the Eddie Edwards saga. What started as a regular joe underdog fulfilling his dreams and becoming World Heavyweight Champion turned into something much more sinister and foreboding. It turned into a epic tome of a man losing his mind in a quest for vengeance, however superficial that vengeance may have been.

No one was more engrossing of a personality in 2018 than Eddie Edwards and I'll die on that hill. In the realm of professional wrestling, to actually delve into the psyche of a wrestler, exposing their mental state and presenting it as just more than "BLAH BLAH I CRAZY NOW," it's truly an accomplishment. While not the exact same, it's akin to Brian Pillman in ECW/WWE, as far as how unabashedly naked and bare the talent involved were willing to portray their mentally unstable character. And the craziest part is, it isn't over for the Edwards saga. The best is yet to come, and I can't wait.


Best Feud

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa- A feud simple in idea, yet otherworldly in execution. Take a beloved tag team (DIY), split them up in dramatic fashion (immediately after a heartbreaking loss to the Authors Of Pain at Takeover: Chicago), and let the characters develop organically and over time, and you have the most intriguing feud of 2018, and arguably one of the best in the last decade. And the crazy part? It shouldn't have worked as well as it did, given Ciampa's injury during the AOP match. But through a mix of perfectly executed promos and post-match attacks from Ciampa, it worked like a charm.

The characters were laid and performed superbly by both wrestlers: Ciampa, envious of the spotlight and aching to carve out his own identity by any means necessary. Gargano, confused and angry from the betrayal, desperate for vengeance at all costs yet trying to keep his "Johnny Wrestling" so as not to become like Ciampa. It started with promos (excellent from both men) crafting and developing their characters, then they took it over the top with a tremendous series of matches. And the best part of the feud was how morbid it became. Given his recent heel turn, it was pretty apparent Gargano had failed in his quest for vengeance. He became everything he supposedly despised, and it's supposedly come full-circle. But who knows? Maybe there's more to this story to unfold, and that's what makes it so great. The layers, both realized and potential, are so thick and rich it's impossible not to indulge.

Best Match

Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi, Wrestle Kingdom 12- It's no secret that the Junior Heavyweight usually always steal the show (specifically the singles matches). This was no truer than Wrestle Kingdom 12, where they gave an already stacked show an extra shot of adrenaline. There are so many components to why this match is so great, so I'll try my best to explain my love for this match in as succinct of detail as possible.

For starters, let's talk about the competitors. All four men involved had well-established rivalries with one another (Scurll/Ospreay and KUSHIDA/Takahashi), so it's no secret that the in-ring chemistry would be great. But the fact they managed to merge them together and do so in a way where everyone gets a chance to shine with the other competitor involved while also working their previous rivalries is nothing short of incredible. Plus, let's not forget each competitor's character throughout the show: we have Ospreay, the famed Aerial Assassin; KUSHIDA, the consummate grappler and time-weathered veteran; Takahashi, the wily and unpredictable sparkplug; and last but not least, we have the then-champion Scurll, playing the puppet master of the whole match, countering the momentum of each competitor and bending the advantage to his favor given the opportunity.

Next, let's talk about the spots, because hot damn, were they aplenty. Ospreay's moonsault off the scaffolding and springboard shooting star press, Scurll pulling out an OsCutter of his own just to spite Ospreay, Takahashi's fluid-as-fuck sunset bombs, the dual Crossface Chickenwing/Hoverboard Lock, etc. There's too many to name, and they were each coordinated and performed with absolute ease. Not only that, but they were done to tell a story, and were effective in doing so. And with that came near fall after near fall, each one feeling just as earned as the last, until the last final sequence with Ospreay hitting the Oscutter to the end the "Scurll Beats Ospreay" curse and the secure the title.

Such a momentous match, I forgot to keep my rule of succinct detail. Anyways, moving on.

Best PPV

ROH Supercard Of Honor XII- So I know the term "stacked card" gets thrown around flippantly when talking about wrestling shows. However, trust me when I tell you this show actually managed to live up to the term and then some, if only for consistency's sake. Many PPVs tend to only have a small handful of matches I'm actually invested in. But whether it was my obvious bias or not, SOH actually managed to make me care about practically all of the matches on the card, which is hard to do, given the cynicism of many a wrestling fan (including myself) nowadays. While there were points in the show where my interest dipped, there was never a point where I just didn't flat out give a fuck. When a show can make you care and be interested in practically the entire card, that's when you know you have a kino PPV.

SOH seemed to offer a little bit of everything when it came to the matches. For the tag team matches, you had something for the spotfest lovers (The Young Bucks and Flip Gordon vs. SoCal Uncensored) and something for those who love pure, old-fashioned wrasslin' (Jay Lethal and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. The Briscoes). On the midcard, we had two similar matches each with a subtle difference: one was a bruising slugfest for those who love a good brawl (Punishment Martinez vs. Tomohiro Ishii), while the other was another striking affair but with a little bit more high-flying athleticism peppered in (Kota Ibushi vs. Hangman). And for the co-main event, we had pure, unabashed storytelling (Cody vs. Kenny Omega, attempting to a settle a feud that just missed the cut for Feud Of The Year honors). I could run down the entire card, but that'd be tiresome, so I'll just say every match had a little something to give for everyone, and that's more than many PPVs nowadays can say.

Top-to-bottom excellence with 100% replay value and no signs of aging any time soon, there's no doubt Supercard Of Honor was the Best PPV of 2018.

Female MVP

Tessa Blanchard- So I know we can say this about a lot of wrestlers, about they're the New Face/Next Big Thing/Future Of/etc. Many rise to the occasion, while others fall flat and bust. Given the year Tessa Blanchard had in 2018, I can safely say she's accomplished the former, and deserves to not only be named the Female MVP of professional wrestling in 2018, but also the Future of Women's Wrestling and where it should be going from here on out.

How did she accomplish this, you ask? Well, it's very simple really: by being one of the best damn in-ring performers in professional wrestling. The uniqueness of her moveset (a fascinating blend of power, speed and hard strikes) is only rivaled by the versatility of her competition. Whether it was tearing the house down at All In, enduring a 75-minute epic against Mercedes Martinez at RISE 10 or holding her own and then some in numerous intergender matches (including an epic encounter with Brian Cage in WrestleCircus), Blanchard proved just how multifaceted she is as a performer. Female or male, she's far above most competition.

For more proof, look no further than her beyond-excellent run in Impact Wrestling this year. Shortly after debuting, Blanchard won the Knockouts Championship in an excellent bout vs. Su Yung and Allie at Impact: ReDefined, and has been on a tear ever since. She's defended the belt numerous times, most notably against Taya Valkyrie at Bound For Glory. And aside from her matches, she routinely displays a natural sense of charisma as a champion; carrying it with an earned air of pride and arrogance knowing she can back it up and then some. Simply put, the Knockouts Division goes through her, and it's going to take one hell of an effort to change that.

And the craziest thing is she's accomplished all of this at only 23 years of age, meaning her impact (no pun intended) is only going to grow. Taking all of this into consideration, not only does it make perfect sense, but it's blatantly obvious Tessa Blanchard is 2018's Female MVP.

Male MVP

Jay Lethal- Some might think it's silly (and somewhat bias) of me to select Lethal, when it seems like there'd be other, more obvious options to choose from. But watching his performance last year from beginning to end, from an all-around perspective, it'd be stupid of me NOT to select him as the overall Male MVP of 2018. In terms of sheer consistency, there's no man who delivered as much as to professional wrestling as Jay Lethal last year.

To prove this, let's get into the matches. He started the year off with an excellent bout against Will Ospreay (on free TV, no less), proved his tag-team prowess with Hiroshi Tanahashi against The Briscoes at Supercard Of Honor, slugged it out with Punishment Martinez, had a MOTY candidate vs. KUSHIDA at Best In The World as well as provided us with an excellent trio of matches against Jonathan Gresham (the third of which we'll get to). And while we're on the topic, let's talk about Lethal relieving us of Dalton Castle's boring title reign, because hot damn, was that necessary (sorry, Dalton).

Lethal becoming champion again was the best possible decision ROH made, because not only does he have an absolute passion and devotion to ROH, but he's provided excellent matches so far when defending his title. Look no further than his second Ospreay match in 2018 as well as his third (and final) match against Jonathan Gresham, an Iron Man match which is another MOTY candidate. Not only that, but he also capped off the year by BTFOing Cody at Final Battle and maintaining his spot as top dog of ROH.

Lethal earned the Male MVP honors for these reasons: his tremendous in-ring work (be it on free TV or PPV), his overall performance as a champion and his ability to build up ROH while also simultaneously establishing his own brand.

Best Promotion 

NXT- Okay, so before you start yelling, hear me out on this one. I'm well aware NXT is just a branch of WWE and not its own promotion by definition. But judging from the content they produced in 2018, they might as well have been, because it's nothing like what we see from main roster WWE. I would rival it with the likes of NJPW/ROH/Impact/etc., as far as cranking out consistently high quality content, be it from their weekly shows or their PPVs. But from what I saw this year, nobody did it better than NXT.

On weekly shows, they do a better job at developing characters and delivering excellent than arguably most promotions, and can do so within under an hour. They proved this with the Gargano/Ciampa saga, the Veleveteen Dream revolution as well as the domination of the Undisputed Era. And on the Women's side, let's not forget Shayna Baszler running roughshod and easily being the most captivating female persona in NXT.

And as for PPVs, fuhgeddaboutit. We had Takeover: Chicago II, New Orleans, Brooklyn 4 and WarGames 2, among others. There's too many matches to list, so I'll just name a few: UE vs. Burch & Lorcan, Gargano vs. Almas, the 6-Man ladder match for the North American Title, Ricochet/Adam Cole, the Gargano/Ciampa trilogy, Baszler/Kairi Sane, etc. There's something about Takeovers that really bring out the best in NXT, and they proved that this year moreso than the others.

By managing to consistently deliver on their weekly shows as well as their PPVs, there's no doubt in my mind NXT was the overall best brand in professional wrestling this year. And judging by what they have in store for us this year, 2019 may be just as good.

So, yeah, 2018 was a really damn good year for wrestling, be it WWE/NJPW/ROH/Impact/etc. We had countless great matches, engrossing feuds, shocking moments, and so on and so forth. 2019 just started, so we have the rest of the year ahead of us. Let's keep the positivity up and wish for the best. Rest assured, you'll be hearing from me about it at the end of the year. Cheers, folks.