ROH Wrestling Episode #388 Recap/Review: 2/25/19

Another Monday, another exciting episode of ROH. It's a jam-packed main event as the newly-formed Lifeblood take on ROH World Champ Jay Lethal and four of his constituents in 10-man tag action. It should prove to be an entertaining affair, but let's get to the rest of the show first.

Jenny Rose vs. Sumie Sakai vs. Madison Rayne

It's a fairly evenly-matched affair here as all three competitors jockey for leverage, none really getting the advantage for too long; an impressive spot in particular was the Sakai dropkick to Rayne leading to a DDT on Rose. After a series of back-and-forths between the three, Rayne is laid out on the ring apron as Sakai and Rose duke it out. Sakai misses the moonsault and Rayne is back in, hitting a ripcord cutter to both of her opponents.

Sakai nails Rose with a running dropkick off the apron, then her and Rayne get back in the ring. After jockeying for position for a brief respite, Rayne hits Sakai with a reverse DDT to pick up the W.

A decent way to kick the show off. Each competitor involved got ample time with their spots and executed them well, showcasing all of their strengths: Rose's power, Rayne's mat savvy and Sakai's tenacious, high-risk offense. They showed great chemistry and I look forward to the three working together again in the future, whether it be in the same triple-threat capacity or some 1-on-1 combination.

Lifeblood (Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Tracy Williams, Bandido and Mark Haskins) vs. Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, Flip Gordon, Dalton Castle and Jeff Cobb

Robinson and Lethal start match off and it's evenly contested; both wrestler trade blows with neither gaining the advantage. Castle emphatically demands a tag, which Lethal obliges. Castle and Robinson go at it for a bit, trying to gain leverage for their team; Robinson lands a few straight rights while Castle avoids the haymaker. Williams and Gresham are tagged in and the two display their technical prowess from the get-go, trading various holds and counters before Gresham gains the brief advantage.

Lethal and Finlay are tagged in and both display some impressive agility; Haskins is tagged in and demands Cobb, which Lethal obliges. Haskins tries to chop Cobb down with a series of strikes and evasion, while Cobb sticks to his power game. Gordon and Bandido are soon tagged in and it's a PWG highlight reel from the start as both wrestlers use their speed and agility to counter each other's offense.

After a couple of quick tags, Castle is back in and he begins working Bandido over with his own technical prowess. He suplexes Bandido into his team's corner then tags in Gordon; Bandido, fighting back, tags in Williams who suplexes Gordon a couple of times; Haskins is then tagged in and he starts aggressively working Gordon's left arm. Lifeblood starts making mincemeat of Gordon as they trade quick tags throughout.

Gordon manages to fight back with a springboard sling blade and ends his punishment, leaving Lethal and Haskins to duke it out. It soon devolves into chaos as each wrestler throws out their signature moves, turning into the clusterfuck I assumed it'd be. Multiple dives are traded between the teams before Haskins, Lethal and Gresham end up back in the ring, hitting Haskins with some impressive tag-team offense.

Castle is tagged back in and he goes after Haskins. He tries for the Bangarang, but Haskins counters and rolls through with a sharpshooter, tapping Castle and securing the victory for Lifeblood.

A fantastic match from bell to bell. It had everything you'd want in this kind of match: technical prowess, high-flying spots, tag-team chemistry and so much more. So much shit happened that I'm honestly having trouble trying to remember it all. If I had to pick my favorite moments, it'd either be Lifeblood teaming up to work over Gordon, the divefest or the brouhaha of offense from both teams as the sand in the hourglass began to run to the bottom. Haskins and Gordon are the MVPs of the match purely for their resiliency and toughness throughout the match. As JR would say, an absolute slobberknocker, and one you need to watch immediately.

A pretty dope episode altogether. A solid opening with the Women's triple threat, then a barn-burner of a main event. I promise you it's an absolute blast. Seek this one out ASAP; you definitely won't regret it.

ROH Wrestling Episode #387 Recap/Review: 2/18/19

Apologies if my posts have been a bit formulaic. Work's been exhausting and I haven't really put much time into my creative process. I promise to change that ASAP. Anyways, moving on. It should be a high-quality show as The Briscoes put their Tag Titles on the line in the main event. But before that, let's get to everything else.

Luchasaurus vs. Kenny King vs. Rhett Titus vs. Chris Sabin vs. Flip Gordon vs. Shane Taylor, Six-Man Mayhem

The match starts off Sabin trying to work over the bigger Luchasaurus; after a few kicks, he's successful, managing to nail him with a second-rope hurricanrana, sending him to the outside. King enters the ring as Sabin tags in Titus and the two lock horns for a bit before teaming up to take out Taylor and Luchasaurus, displaying chemistry reminiscent of their days as the All Night Express. Following this, it's pure chaos all six men weave in and out of the ring displaying their signature offense.

Taylor eventually is the last man in the ring as the other five competitors wade it out on the outside. Luchasaurus tries for a dive but is met with a straight right from Taylor, who then hits Titus and King with a cannonball off the apron. Luchasaurus quickly recovers, though, and dives onto Taylor and the former members of ANX. Out of nowhere, Gordon takes almost everyone out with a flip dive off the balcony. He tries for more offense on Taylor, but King finds an answer to it with a chair shot; this is all for naught as he gets ejected for his troubles.

Titus tries to pick up momentum with some fast offense on Luchasaurus, then shows some surprising strength with a samoan drop to Taylor; however, he quickly recovers and plants Titus with his Greeting From 216 finisher to pick up the victory.

As far curtain jerkers go, this one was an absolute blast. It was fun, unbridled chaos, with each wrestler in the match looking like a million bucks (loved the brief ANX reunion). That is, except for Sabin; I assume this was the match that caused his devastating knee injury and it especially sucks considering Sabin probably won't be able to fulfill his World Title opportunity for the rest of the year. Despite the sad feels from Sabin, this was match was entertaining as hell and a damn good way to kick off the show; a high-energy spotfest and an absolute thrill from beginning to end.

Marcus Kross and Griff Garrison vs. The Bouncers (Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas)

Kross and Garrison try their best, but it's all for naught as The Bouncers utterly destroy them before hitting Garrison with their patented Last Call (superplex/frog splash) tandem finisher for the quick W.

I like The Bouncers, but this was whatever. A quick squash I barely have any thoughts on.

Colt Cabana & Chuckie T vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark), ROH World Tag Team Championship match

Chuckie T comes to the entrance ramp, announcing Cabana will be replacing Beretta for the night (who's out with a family emergency). The two teams spent most of the beginning of this match on the outside, duking it out and trying to gain leverage over the other. The Briscoes seem to get the upper hand after Mark hits a wrecking ball dropkick, then an apron elbow drop. The brothers start working over Chuckie, weaving in and out of the ring and cutting him off from Cabana.

Cabana eventually gets the hot tag throws his signature offense at the brothers; first a springboard moonsault, then dual bionic elbows then a couple of flying hip attacks for their troubles. Chuckie and Jay and Chuckie are eventually tagged back in; this in-ring action devolves quickly onto the outside as the teams duke it out once again. The brothers seem to get the advantage after Cabana is met with an apron blockbuster from Mark.

Despite Cabana and Chuckie's best efforts, the brothers power through as Jay hits Chuckie with a clubbing lariat then spikes him with a Jay Driller to pick up the win and retain their titles.

A fantastic match from to bell to bell. Cabana and Chuckie proved to be a excellent combo, and enough has been said already of The Briscoes; their use of in-ring psychology is second to none, and they proved it once again here. The way they cut the ring off and double-team their opponents really is breathtaking, speaking as a man who loves him some good old-fashioned tag-team wrasslin'. The match as well-paced, all competitors picked their spots incredibly well and everyone looked strong. You really couldn't ask for more in a tag team match, as far as non-PPV matches are concerned.

Jay Lethal Segment

Lethal comes to the ring and addresses the current state of ROH. He laments the effects Bully Ray and The Briscoes have had on the product as of late, as well as Matt Taven falsely proclaiming himself to be the real ROH World Champ, pining for the ROH of old. Juice Robinson, joined by the rest of Lifeblood, interrupts Lethal to agree with his sentiments state that his stable is dedicated to restoring the same values and traditions the company was built upon.

Lethal goes down the line on the stable, handing out compliments to each member of the stable; praising Finlay's lineage and respect for the business, Williams' technical acumen, Dashwood's experience and grace under pressure following her 2018 injury, Haskins' toughness and resiliency, Bandido's rising star power as well as Robinson's status as a 2-time (and current) United States Champion. Following the showering of praise, Robinson challenged Lethal to a match between his constituency versus Lethal and four wrestlers of his choosing, which Lethal accepted.

A surprising ending to the show, but an entertaining one nonetheless. As good of a heel he was in 2014-15, Lethal shows he also excels in the babyface role, delivering a very heartfelt and genuine promo; you could definitely tell how much he cares about the company. Not only that, but the compliments he dished out at Lifeblood felt very natural; his respect for each and every one of the members really shone threw here. Aside from the segment itself, I'm hype for who Lethal brings with him to what should be an excellent match.

A damn good show, and a refreshing step up from last week. We started off strong with the excellent 6-Man match, continuing the pace with The Briscoes/Chuckie T and Cabana and ending with a sharply put together ending segment, teasing an upcoming match. I had fun from beginning to end, and I anticipate you'll have have fun with this one, even if you're not an ROH diehard such as myself.

ROH Wrestling Episode #386 Recap and Review: 2/11/19

Apologies for not getting this out sooner. I was getting caught up on other shit and completely forgot. Anyways, it's a title-themed episode as NWA World's Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis defends his belt in the main event against PJ Black. Will we see Aldis' reign come to an end? Let's tune in and find out.

Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll, PCO and Brody King) vs. John Skyler, Corey Hollis and Josey Quinn

To no one's surprise, VE gets the advantage right from the start, with PCO almost single-handedly taking out the Sons Of Anarchy cosplayers. They start fighting back, trying to isolate Scurll and break him down. A futile effort as King is tagged in and he starts laying waste to VE's opponents much like PCO did at the start. VE continue to make quick tags in and out, taking apart the opposing side. Following a Gonzo Bomb from King, Scurll locks in the Crossface Chickenwing on Hollis and secures the victory for his team.

A very entertaining squash match and a fun way to start the show. VE are an absolute unit, with PCO and King utterly destroying everyone and Scurll calling the shots as a player-coach of sorts, seemingly orchestrating everything from the get-go. The tag sequences were so fluid, it really seemed as if these guys had been tagging together for way longer for well they perform as a unit; and top it all off, the finish was more than satisfying. I love everything about VE and I'm 100% on board this train until the end.

PJ Black vs. Nick Aldis, NWA World Heavyweight Championship match

It's the very definition of a chess match as each wrestler jockey for positions, attempting to gain leverage over the other; each move is quickly countered as the match has become a stalemate of sorts. Black attempts to shift the momentum to his side through a series of mind games, including a finger-poke to the eyes. It really is surprising just how far he's shifted into heel mode, practically eschewing the high-flying essence of his "Darewolf" persona.

After a quick distraction from his valet Camille, Aldis takes control for the time being and tries to work Black over. He's successful, but only for a brief respite as Black fights back, hitting a constant succession of offense (including an inverted DDT and various top-rope strikes). Despite this, Aldis continue to fight back and even manages to plant Black with a second-rope german superplex. Aldis goes to the top rope, but is met with a super hurricanrana, then a moonsault press.

Following an impressive tombstone piledriver/diving elbow drop sequence from Aldis, Black pulls out anything that might work to his favor. He tries to pull an Eddie Guerrero and fake a weapon shot; in a roundabout way, Black is successful, distracting the referee long in order to gain the advantage. This is all for naught as Aldis fights backs and cinches in the cloverleaf to pick up the W and retain his title.

An okay match, but a bit long for my tastes, especially when nothing truly interesting of note happened. It was fairly boring, and didn't really do much for me save for the notion that Scurll will be challenging for the belt next. In all honesty, I don't really have much more to say about this match. It went on too long and not enough happened for me to keep a full vested interest in it.

Juice Robinson promo/Lifeblood formation

After the match, Robinson comes to the ring and cuts a promo on the state of ROH, lamenting its current position while speaking fondly of its glory days; a time when wrestlers shook hands before and after the match, regardless of what happened between the ropes. As he cuts this promo, Robinson is joined by Tracy Williams, Bandido, Mark Haskins, David Finlay and Tenille Dashwood. Flanked by his consituents, Robinson announces the coronation of Lifeblood, a group dedicated to restoring the respectful, honor-based traditions of old into a new and fresh climate.

If it wasn't for Villain Enterprises, this might be my new favorite stable in wrestling. I love everyone involved with it, and I dig the group's ethos of restoring ROH to the principles and fundamentals on which is founded on: honor, respect and pure in-ring work. I, for one, am hooked and look forward to seeing more of them in the future.

So this was a pretty decent episode. The Aldis/Black match sort of dragged it down for me, but there was still good stuff to be had with Villain Enterprises match and the Juice Robinson promo. Watch those two in particular if you are interested in checking this episode out.

ROH Bound By Honor Recap and Review: 2/10/19

So, admittedly I was too busy celebrating my birthday last night and forgot all about this. Regardless, I'm watching it now, so let's get to it.

Jay Briscoe vs. Rhett Titus

In a surprising change of events, we have Titus facing Briscoe as opposed to the originally scheduled Brody King. Following a beatdown on the outside, Briscoe seems to be firmly in control, with Titus doing his best to fight back (displaying his impressive athleticism in the process). After a brutal neckbreaker and a lariat, Briscoe spikes Titus with the Jay Driller to pick up the quick W.

This was a weird one, if only for the fact Briscoe was playing a face when he and his brother Mark are two of the top heels in ROH. Despite this, it was a pretty okay way to start the show off, elevated no doubt by one of my top boys (OSW Review definition) Rhett Titus.

Dalton Castle & The Boys vs. Shinobi Shadow Squad (Cheeseburger, Eli Isom & Ryan Nova)

Castle starts the match off in complete control, working Nova over until Isom is tagged in, who's surprisingly gained a considerable amount of momentum in ROH in recent time. One of the Boys is tagged in (they're interchangeable, so I'm just going to use 1 and 2 randomly throughout) only to be met with tandem offense from S3, who do an impressive job of executing quick tags and tandem offense.

With a quick distraction, Boy 2 is subbed in and the tides have turned to Castle's side in this match, showing much more aggression as they go to work on top boy Cheeseburger. Isom eventually gets the hot tag and displays quick, impressive offense. After some miscommunication between Castle and the Boys, Isom manages to plant him with a brainbuster, securing the victory for his team.

Castle's in a weird place at the moment. After being handed several L's in recent time, it seems like they're teasing a heel turn, and I don't know if it'll work. But that's just douchey speculation diverting you away from the actual match, which was better than it any reason to be. Having only recently formed, S3 work impressively well as a unit and I'm unironically excited to see what the future holds for them in ROH. The chemistry between both teams was surprisingly crisp, putting on a solid tag match. Nothing mind-blowing, but a pretty fun watch.

Zack Sabre, Jr. vs. Colt Cabana

It's a game of chess at the start as both men trade holds and trash talk, trying to get into each other's heads. The match is surprisingly evenly-matched as neither ZSJ nor Cabana holds the advantage for too long; both men always seem to have an instant answer for the other. After another long exchange, Cabana surprisingly gets the edge up on ZSJ as he works the body of his opponent (back, arms and legs in particular).

Growing frustrated at Cabana's technical work, ZSJ starts to pepper in more strikes as throws a series of uppercuts to Cabana, who takes it in stride as he puts ZSJ in his Billy Goat's Curse submission finisher. ZSJ fights out of it and throws more uppercuts at Cabana before nailing him with a penalty kick. Cabana's frustration mounts as he throws straight punches at ZSJ, who takes it as he regains his cool and reverts back to his technical ways. He works Cabana over for a bit before making him submit to a triangle/kimura combination for the win.

Best match of the card so far, without a doubt. I'm not too familiar with Cabana's work as a wrestler (I've always heard of it bu never really watched it outside a few matches), but given his performance in this match, I was absolutely impressed and am looking forward to seeing more of his work in the future. Like any ZSJ match, the technical aspect was absolutely on point as both men went hold for hold throughout, always finding counters and constantly trading momentum throughout. An impressive display from both men here.

Silas Young vs. Willie Mack vs. Kenny King vs. Marty Scurll, Four-Corner Survival

Mack and Scurll start the match out teaming up on King then Young, forming a brief alliance. Young and King pull them out of the ring and fight each other one-on-one for a bit, trading off a sequence of counters. It's back to being Scurll/Mack once again as Mack attempts for a frog splash. Everyone else tries to superplex him to no avail; Mack hits all of them with a diving crossbody then a tope con hilo, seemingly getting the upper hand at this respite.

Mack continues to dominate with an impressive display of offense, dishing out clubbing blows to each competitor then giving a corner cannonball to Scurll and King. Young manages to halt it however, and it becomes anyone's ballgame once again with near-fall after near-fall, each wrestler getting their signature spots and exchanging counters. Scurll hopes to end the match with a crossface chickenwing to Young, only for King to bring a chair into the ring, distracting the referee. Unbeknownst to the official, King low-blows Scurll and rolls him up for the 3-count.

I had a lot of fun with this one. Lots of fast-paced, back-and-forth action, the kind I expect from these kinds of matches. Each wrestler was able to pull out their signature moves while also meshing well with each other chemistry-wise. Although everyone here looked strong, I'd say the overall MVP of the match was Willie Mack. I already love this guy from his work in Lucha Underground and Impact, and I'm beyond stoked to see more of him in ROH. A fun, quick match that doesn't disappoint.

Rocky Romero vs. Jeff Cobb, ROH World Television Championship Match

The match with a basic exchange of collar-and-elbow tie-ups and waist locks, Cobb seemingly nonplussed by the fact a man of Romero's size would even try to do this. Romero spends his time employing a stick-and-move strategy, dodging Cobb while throwing opportunistic elbow strikes. After a jumping knee strike off the apron, Romero gets Cobb back in the ring, who quickly recovers and starts working Romero over with his power advantage.

Cobb continues to dominate as Romero tries to fight back, first with a drop toe-hold into the turnbuckle then a second-rope tornado DDT. After a couple of his trademark corner clotheslines and a standing shiranui, it seems Romero may have turned the tables in this match. Romero tries to continue the momentum, only for Cobb to halt it once again. Desperation sinking in, Romero counters a powerbomb with a hurricanrana.

He begins laying to Cobb with various strikes and kicks, only for Cobb to find an answer every time. After ragdolling Romero with a couple of suplexes, Cobb hits him with the Tour Of The Islands and retains his title.

Best match of the night so far. While a bit hackneyed to call it this, an excellent "David and Goliath" style of fight. Romero is an incredibly underrated talent, and he proved it here with an incredible performance, pulling out all stops and utilizing his full arsenal. He seemed destined to lose, but he was damn sure going to up a fight. But let's not take anything away from Cobb either, who's amazing here as per usual. I like the direction they're going with him as a vulnerable beast; there are ways to weaken him, but they're just hard to find. A great bout, and I really hope these two work together again in the future.

Mayu Iwatani vs. Kelly Klein, Women Of Honor World Championship Match

The match starts off with Iwatani and Klein eschewing any rest hold tie ups and go straight into throwing hard strikes, Klein using her power to gain momentum over Iwatani. Klein starts working her over with numerous clubbing blows and hanging her up on the top rope. Iwatani tries to fight back with a series of dropkicks then a top-rope crossbody to the outside; Klein answers back with a german suplex on the outside.

Back in the ring, Iwatani becomes the aggressor, with various kicks and suplexes, turning the tables on Klein. Iwatani hits her with two consecutive moonsaults to pick up the victory and take the belt off Klein.

A solid match upped by the shocking conclusion. Given how they were pushing Klein since she won the title at Final Battle, it seemed like she'd be holding it for quite some time. And speaking frankly here, I honestly would've been satisfied with either outcome. By the quickness of the match, I venture to guess it isn't over between these two. I'd definitely be down to see more of them in the future, because this rivalry could potentially light a spark in WOH. Above all else, a solid match with a (welcome) surprise ending.

Lifeblood (Juice Robinson, Bandido, Tracy Williams and Mark Haskins) vs. Coast 2 Coast (LSG & Shaheem Ali) and The Bouncers (Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas)

The match starts off evenly matched as Haskins and Ali share a quick sequence before Williams and Bruiser are tagged in; Bruiser gets the upper hand on Williams to tag in LSG, who is quickly subdued while Williams tags in Bandido. The two wrestlers display some impressive agility before all eight men come to the ring and squabble before it's broken up. Milonas is tagged in who seemingly shifts the momentum to his team's favor, despite the best efforts of Bandido and Haskins.

Quick tags are made amongst C2C and The Bouncers as they work Haskins over. He avoids a double splash attempt from The Bouncers and tags Robinson in, who throws as much of his trademark offense at the opposing team as possible; tags are thrown throughout as each team tries to throw out as much offense as they can in order to gain an advantage. Further chaos ensues before Bandido hits LSG with an inverted Go 2 Sleep, then his patented 21-Plex to pick up the W for his team.

As I expected, this match was chaotic as all hell and at times I wasn't really sure what the hell was going on. But damn if it wasn't an entertaining watch; both teams showed solid chemistry, playing to each other's strengths and always managing to find fun and unique combinations throughout. If I had to pick overall MVPs of the match, I'd choose Haskins and LSG. Both put on great performances in their own way; Haskins with the overall workhorse endurance and LSG for throwing out impressive offense against such talents as Robinson and Bandido. Chaotic? Yes. Confusing? Somewhat. Fun? Absolutely.

PCO vs. Mark Briscoe

As predicted, this is less match and more of a straight-up fight from the get-go, as the two throw a barrage of brutal chops and kicks. PCO no-sells a couple of Briscoe clothesline, then hits a chokeslam and a second-rope tope con hilo. Following a couple of top-rope spots (including an impressive corkscrew senton from Briscoe), the two continue to brawl out on the outside. Briscoes plants PCO on the stage with a brutal powerbomb then sends him tumbling down the entrance with a big boot.

Briscoe manages to sneak in a couple of chair shots following a referee distraction, then hits PCO with the Froggy Bow. PCO kicks out, and after planting Briscoe with some sort of slam/driver combination, hits him with the moonsault to pick up the W.

When it comes to PCO matches, you really need to take them for what they are: brutal, chaotic and a little bit silly. This match fit that criteria, and was a damn fun ride in the process. Effective spots, realistic strikes and a completely wild feel from the start. All I can say is, this is the kind of match you'd usually expect from PCO, so if you're not on board from the start, you're probably not going to enjoy it. In my case, I love PCO, and this shit was definitely right up my alley.

The Kingdom (Matt Taven, TK O'Ryan and Vinny Marseglia) vs. Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham and Rush

It's main even time as the World Six-Man Tag Champs take on the World Champ Lethal, along with one of the fastest rising stars in ROH (Gresham) and one of ROH's newest acquirees and top international star Rush. Gresham and Marseglia start the match out with their usual fare (Gresham trying to employ his technical prowess and Marseglia attempting some mind games). Rush and O'Ryan are tagged and the action speeds up as both wrestler hit a rebound german suplex on the other, with Rush getting the upper hand after a dropkick.

After Lethal and Taven confront each other, it turns into a brawl on the outside between the two teams, leaving Rush to land a tope con hilo, taking out each competitor in the process. Despite this, the brawl on the outside continues, with neither team really getting the advantage. Eventually, it settles down as both of the legal men (O'Ryan and Rush) get back in the ring; The Kingdom single out Rush and start picking him apart.

Rush tags out, then Gresham, and in comes Lethal, who takes out The Kingdom with his trademark trio of suicide dives. Lethal, Gresham and Rush attempt to gain more momentum, but to no avail. After O'Ryan and Marseglia take out Gresham and Rush with their backdrop/rolling slam combo (called 10,000 Horses), Taven blocks a Lethal Injection attempt and plants Lethal with his Climax finisher to secure the victory for his team.

Post-match, a brawl breaks out between the entirety of the ROH roster. Absolute chaos ensues, then PCO hits a moonsault onto the roster, Villain Enterprises standing tall to end the show.

The match itself was a pretty decent one and a nice way to end the show. Nice back-and-forth action throughout, and it also did a fairly good job at furthering established feuds (Lethal and Taven, Rush's growing problems with The Kingdom). Furthermore, it accomplished its primary goal of displaying The Kingdom's strength as a unit. While Lifeblood and Villain Enterprises may pick up further momentum down the road, The Kingdom still rule the roost as far as stables go in ROH. Well-executed spots, flawless chemistry and a surprisingly clean finish.

And as far as the post-match brawl goes, it was pretty apparent that it was done to set up the feuds/matches for the 17th Anniversary PPV. It looks like so far we'll have Scurll/King (which I don't mind), Villain Enterprises/Briscoes (which kind of worries given Brody King was M.I.A from the event, but we'll see how it plays out) and Taven/Lethal in a belt unification of sorts (which I definitely dig, because Taven most definitely deserves the spotlight). Plus, the whole encounter gave us one more PCO moonsault, which is never a bad thing.

While nothing special, this was still a pretty fun show overall. It was a light appetizer to the meal I'm expecting 17th Anniversary to be. For, the overall MOTN would probably be Cobb/Romero, though I'm inclined to also throw Briscoe/PCO and the Four Corner match into the conversation as well. A solid PPV, a decent way to kill some free time.

ROH Wrestling Episode #385 Recap/Review: 2/4/19

This is a...weird main event, to say the least. But I do have to give credit to Eli Isom for getting over as much as he has, plus I'm a sucker for anything Silas Young-related. Regardless, let's see how the rest of the show pans out.

Tracy Williams vs. David Finlay

The match is back-and-forth from the get-go as the wrestlers exchange a series of holds in order to gain the advantage. Following a dropkick and a plancha, Finlay seems to get the advantage, but Williams quickly switches the advantage to his favor, working Finlay over while displaying his impressive technical acumen. And while Williams attempts to slow it down, Finlay tries to speed it up with a series of running uppercuts.

The two trade chops before making their way up to the second turnbuckle. Williams blocks a superplex attempt with a single-arm DDT on the buckle, then hits Finlay with a discus clothesline. After a kick-out and a quick counter, Finlay begins to pick up some steam with a few uppercuts, a uranage backbreaker and a lariat. Both men then trade counters for a brief respite before Williams spikes Finlay with a piledriver to pick up the W.

A solid way to start the show off with a clash of styles (no pun intended); we had Williams, the methodical technician against the speedy striker in Finlay. From this, we saw an impressive display of counter wrestling from bell to bell. It was really anybody's game in this match, which speaks to the impressive chemistry these men have with one another. Nothing else to say but a good match and a nice kickoff to the show.

Mark Haskins vs. Bandido

It's a battle for leverage at the start with Haskins and Bandido trading sequences of holds and counters, displaying impressive agility in the process. After a well-timed evasion from Haskins, Bandido is sent to the outside and Haskins hits him with an innovative suicide dive from the corner of the ring. Following Haskins' brief momentum, Bandido fights back; first with a corkscrew moonsault press then a fosbury flop of sorts.

After another impressive display of offense (Bandido with the pop-up cutter, Haskins with a fluid sequence into a samoan driver), it still really is anybody's ball game here. They tease an in-ring 10-count before Bandido hits Haskins with a twisting Go 2 Sleep. He then attempts for a moonsault, only for Haskins to evade and put him in a sharpshooter. Bandido fights out of the attempt as well as a bridging armbar from Haskins. Followin a fatal superkick, Bandido plants him with a slingshot german suplex for the victory.

Absolutely superb match, and might be MOTN depending on how the main event turns out. You really couldn't have asked for more: impressive chemistry, fluid sequences and counters, well-timed spots and an overall nail-biting feel. It really felt like either man could've won the match at any point. The in-ring storytelling was also on point here, with Haskins trying to slow down the high-flying Bandido with insanely crisp submissions. A fantastic match, through and through.

Silas Young vs. Eli Isom

Young seemingly gets the momentum at the start of the match as he tries to wear down Isom, who desperately finds ways to fight back. Despite Isom's best efforts, Young continues to absolutely dominate him throughout the match so far. Isom still tries to fight back and gain momentum, showing off impressive strength with a couple of suplexes; he then hits Young with an air raid crash, which Young kicks out of.

Young picks up where he left off and resumes pummeling Isom, who continues to kick out of every punishing blow Young deals him. Despite his best efforts, Isom comes up short as Young hits him with his Misery finisher, getting the win and securing #1 contendership to Jeff Cobb's World Television title. Post-match, Young talks trash on Cobb, calling him a disappointment. Cobb comes out to confront him and the two butt heads for a bit. Shane Taylor shows up to get the odds up on Cobb; Young low-blows him and Taylor hits him with his Greetings From 216 finisher.

So, real talk, folks: this main event was a bit of a letdown. Don't get me wrong, this was a good match and it told a decent story. But when you compare it to the previous matches in the night, it was definitely a bit lacking. I'm just glad Young won, because him vs. Cobb was always the best possible outcome; I'm really looking forward to that match, as it should be absolutely fire.

Though the momentum may have died somewhat in the main event, this was still a pretty dope episode. Williams/Finlay opened the show strong and Haskins/Bandido was an absolute barn-burner; couldn't believe this match was on free TV. If you do check this episode out, skip the main event and watch the first two matches (especially Haskins/Bandido) instead.