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.