ROH War Of The Worlds: Royal Oak Recap/Review 5/12/18

Am I a bit late to the party on this one? Yes. Do I care? No, because work and a poor sleep schedule get in the way. Anyways, let's get to it.

EVIL vs. Shane Taylor

The match starts out with EVIL attempting to knock Taylor down with a shoulder block; Taylor mocks him with each failed attempt. Even after an eye rake, EVIL is unsuccessful as Taylor knocks him down. Following quick counter in the corner, EVIL briefly turns the tides with a kick to the gut then a shoulder block to Taylor. This momentum stops, however, as Taylor nails him with a back elbow.

Taking the advantage, Taylor takes his time to mock EVIL, who tries to fight back but Taylor halts his momentum with a sidewalk slam. He then begins punishing EVIL and slows the match down. EVIL attempts to fight back, but is unsuccessful as Taylor plants him with a ura-nage then a standing splash. The momentum seems to shift when EVIL hits Taylor with a swinging neckbreaker, then a corner discus clothesline then follows it up with a running bulldog.

Taylor, however, stops EVIL’s momentum with a clothesline, then a slingshot into the ropes followed by an apron splash. This is quickly stopped when Taylor takes his time on the outside looking for chairs, allowing EVIL to recover and grab the chairs and hits Taylor with them. Getting back in the ring, Taylor nails EVIL with a clothesline but is unsuccessful with the second-rope splash, allowing EVIL to connect with Darkness Falls.

Taylor blocks EVIL’s finisher attempt with a couple knee strikes, then plants him with a sitout chokebomb; EVIL kicks out. Taylor attempts a powerslam, but EVIL counters with a german suplex. After a headbutt and clothesline, EVIL nails his same-named finisher on Taylor and picks up the win.

Thoughts: I honestly enjoyed this match WAY more than I thought I would. Both performers' wrestling styles meshed quite well here. It wasn't so much a match as it was a straight-up fight, with both performers showing off their brawling ability. EVIL continues to build credibility as a singles performer, which I love; he's a solid in-ring worker and deserves some spotlight. Also, I'm lowkey becoming a fan of Shane Taylor. Maybe it's just my fascination with hosses, but I dig the way he works. A solid way to start the show off.

Jenny Rose and Tenille Dashwood vs. Sumie Sakai and Stella Grey

The match starts out with Rose and Sakai as the two throw strikes. Following a victory roll and a couple dropkicks, Sakai tags in Grey; she and Rose exchange arm drags until Rose hits her with a sidewalk slam. Rose tags Dashwood in, who makes quick work of Grey and demands Sakai in. The two trade pinfall attempts for a brief respite before Dashwood tosses Sakai with a butterfly suplex and tags in Rose.

Rose and Dashwood attempt a double-team clothesline on Sakai, but she ducks it nails a double clothesline on the team. Grey is tagged back in and tries to build some momentum, but Rose counters and puts her in a boston crab, then stomps her down when she makes it to the ropes and tags Dashwood in. The two try to work Grey over for a while, but she eventually tags Sakai back in.

Sakai comes flying in like a bat out of hell with a series of forearms to the team of Dashwood and Rose, then lands a front missile dropkick on Rose. Sakai and Grey attempt a somersault rocket launcher (I guess) but are unsuccessful. After locking Grey in a tarantula, Dashwood then hits Sakai with a running corner crossbody. Rose then delivers her STO backbreaker/chokeslam finisher on Grey for the win.

Thoughts: It wasn't the best in the world, but I enjoyed it for what it was. All four women are quality performers and put on a decent match. I was impressed by Grey, who put on a good performance despite her relative lack of experience as a wrestler. Also, as I've said before, I'm becoming a bigger fan of Jenny Rose; I dig her moveset and her finisher is underrated. The match wasn't much, but the competitors involved took what they were given and put on a okay showing.

Punishment Martinez vs. Hangman Page

Before the bell, Page surprises Martinez in the ring with a chair shot. The two go outside the ring where Page sets a table up against the ring post and drives Martinez through it. The match stops before it even starts as referees break it up and send the two men to the back.

Thoughts: This encounter was purely for advancing the feud, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I love both of these guys and I'm confident when they actually get to their match, it will be an absolute banger.

Kenny King vs. SANADA vs. Matt Taven vs. Marty Scurll

All four men start the match out in the ring, but Taven quickly exits, which prompt King to deliver a slingshot corkscrew plancha to him, leaving Scurll and SANADA (who replaced Lethal in this match) to exchange a series of holds. All four men are back in the ring again; Scurll attempts to shake hands with the others, who gang up on him and send him to the outside. King and SANADA then attempt to send Taven out, who turns it into a suicide dive onto Scurll.

This leaves SANADA and King to display their agility with an impressive sequence of dodges and counters. Taven gets to the top rope to deliver a front missile dropkick to King and SANADA, then a springboard roundhouse to Scurll on the apron. After planting Taven with a spinebuster, King goes to the top rope but is met by SANADA, who attempts to superplex him. Him and Taven fight over attempts before finally agreeing to team up.

Scurll then quickly makes his way back into the ring and sends them all down with a powerbomb. He delivers an apron superkick to King and SANADA before being met by Taven. All four individuals are once again in the ring; King is held up by submissions courtesy of the other three men. SANADA puts Taven and King in the Paradise Lock; Scurll tries to put SANADA in one, then coerces him into trying to put the referee in one.

Scurll then brings his umbrella into the ring and hands Taven’s staff to SANADA. Unsurprisingly, both objects are removed and Scurll and SANADA deliver low dropkicks to King and Taven respectively. SANADA then tries to put Scurll in the Paradise Lock, but Scurll counters. He attempts to break SANADA’s fingers, but Taven breaks it up. Taven tries for the frog splash to Scurll, but misses. King tries for a diving elbow drop (I guess?) to Taven, but he misses.

SANADA attempts the moonsault to King, but misses. Scurll then goes up top for a fakeout, only to be met with dual superkicks courtesy of Taven and King, who begin duking it out. Scurll then joins in, only for SANADA to attempt his dragon sleeper on King, but Scurll then attempts the Crossface Chickenwing on SANADA, who fights out of it. King then puts SANADA in an inverted STF. 

Taven hits his Climax finisher on Scurll but the referee is caught up by King and SANADA and doesn’t count the pinfall. While he’s distracted, Scurll low blows Taven and rolls him up in a small package to get the victory.

Thoughts: Match of the night for me. All four competitors brought their A-game here; King and SANADA displayed their amazing athletic ability, while Taven and Scurll displayed great ring psychology, taking advantage of each opportunity given to them. If I had to pick an MVP in this match, it'd have to be Scurll. He put his character on full display here, attempting to partner up with the performers in the match one second, then betraying them the next. He picks at every opportunity like the true villain he is. 

Aside from that, the spots in this match were also great; King being held up in three separate submissions, Scurll and SANADA's brief team-up and the finish, just to name a few. Even though this was purely an exhibition match, the 4 performers featured made it feel like the stakes were higher than that.

Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)

Sho and Sabin kick this match off jockeying for position. Sho dropkicks Sabin, then tags in Yoh, and the two isolate Sabin with some tag-team offense. Sabin then counters Yoh and tags in Shelley, who trades a series of open-hand chops with Yoh. Yoh has the advantage for a while until Sabin tags in; MCMG unleash their tag-team offense on both teams, seemingly taking control for the moment.

MCMG attempt their Skull and Bones tag finisher, but R3K counter. Nick tags himself in, and the brothers unleash their tag-team offense, finally isolating Shelley. Following some miscommunication from the Bucks, Shelley tags Sabin, who brings the fight to the brothers. Matt and Nick try to work him over, but Sabin counters with a dual rope-walk hurricanrana/arm drag to the brothers. Sho tags himself in, then Yoh and the two double-team Sabin. Sabin ducks the tag-team offense from R3K, and tries to tag Shelley in, who Nick unfortunately pulls off the apron.

Sabin tags Matt in then delivers an apron kick to Nick as revenge for Shelley. Matt hits R3K with a couple clotheslines, then nails Sabin with a wrecking ball dropkick and following a standing shiranui to Yoh, superkicks Shelley on the outside, culminating in a diving elbow drop to Yoh. The Bucks then attempt dual sharpshooters on both teams. MCMG superkick The Bucks then are met with dual german suplexes from R3K. Nick tries to bring the fight while R3K attempt their tag finisher of the same name; Nick counters with a DDT to Yoh.

MCMG tries to hang Nick up, but are met with a somersault tope from Matt. Nick then hits a slingshot X-Factor on Yoh then moonsaults off the apron onto Shelley. The Bucks then double-team Yoh. They set up for More Bang For Your Buck, but Sabin tags himself in to break it up. Matt teases a face-off between two teams, but Sho stops it and delivers forearm smashes to everyone, only to be met with superkicks from all of them.

MCMG and The Bucks finally go at it, going back and forth with tag team offense. Following a Superkick Party of sorts, The Bucks attempt More Bang For Your Buck once again. Nick is successful with the 450 splash, but Sabin counters Matt’s moonsault with a super german suplex. R3K hit their finisher of the same name on Sabin and pick up the victory.

Thoughts: So I know constant exhibition tag team matches can get exhausting, especially when it's the same group of teams. But when you have a group like these three teams, they definitely prove they're the exception to the rule. Whether or not it's for a title, I could watch them duke it out all day; their chemistry is simply marvelous. The sequences they pull off make me forget there's no real stakes to be had in this match. Was it one of the best? Certainly not, but definitely a damn good match executed by three incredibly talented teams.

The Boys vs. Silas Young and Beer City Bruiser

The match starts with The Boys using some trickery to send Young and Bruiser outside, attempting slingshot planchas. Boy 1 is successful, Boy 2 is caught by Bruiser, but ends up sending him into the ring post with the help of Boy 1. Young and Boy 2 and start it back up in the ring; Boy 1 is quickly tagged in and The Boys display a little bit of tag team offense. Boy 2 tags back in and attempts some more trickery, but is unsuccessful this time and Bruiser starts to work him over.

Following a knee strike/wheelbarrow german suplex combo from Young and Bruiser, Boy 2 rolls out of the ring. Looking to stir up some confusion, Boy 1 enters the ring without tagging in. Bruiser attempts the frog splash and misses; Boy 1 goes on the attack with a series of strikes to Bruiser and Young. Boy 2 gets back in the ring, and the duo hit Bruiser with a dual Sole Food, then dodge a spear attempt from Young.

Young trash-talks The Boys; they attempt to fight back, but it’s short-lived as Young hits his Misery finisher followed up by a Bruiser frog splash for the W.

Thoughts: Really don't have much to say about this one. It was fun while it lasted, but not something I really devoted my full time and attention to. If you need to waste a couple of minutes, check it out.

SoCal Uncensored (Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels and Scorpio Sky) vs. Flip Gordon, Jushin Thunder Liger and Cheeseburger

Daniels starts the match out mocking Cheeseburger, who has taken consecutive beatings from Bully Ray. Cheeseburger throws some chops in the corner, then attempts for a diving crossbody, but is caught by Daniels, who toys with him for a bit before Liger hits him with a diving double axe handle. Gordon and Sky are tagged in, who exchange strikes, Gordon seemingly coming out on top.

Kazarian is tagged in and demands Liger; obliging him, Liger is tagged in and promptly puts Kaz in a surfboard. Afterwards, Kaz sends Liger into SCU’s corner where they all clobber him down. Daniels is tagged in; Liger fights back to no avail for a while as SCU continues to work over Liger. Thinking quickly Liger irish whips Daniels into his team’s corner, where Kaz and Sky work their series of arm wrenches, unaware it’s Daniels.

Gordon takes advantage of the miscommunication with a missile dropkick followed up by a corkscrew blockbuster. Cheeseburger is tagged in, who begins throwing chops and strikes at Daniels, who responds with an STO and tags Kaz in, and he starts working Cheeseburger over. Sky is tagged in and he continues the punishment; SCU trade quick tags beating Cheeseburger down and toying with him.

Following hurricanrana to Daniels, Cheeseburger tags in Gordon, who dropkicks Kaz then hits Sky with a Spanish fly then a springboard sling blade to Daniels. He then throws fists at Kaz before delivering a Fosbury flop to Sky. Trying to get back in the ring, Gordon is met with a slingshot cutter from Kaz. Gordon tries to fight back, then tags in Liger, who throws strikes at Kaz and Daniels; after a double clothesline, Liger hits Shoteis on the both of them.

He then goes to the top rope but is met by Kaz. Following an assist from Gordon, Liger hits Kaz with a second-rope Liger Bomb, only for Daniels to break up the pin. Cheeseburger gets tagged in, only to be met with the Best Meltzer Ever and SCU picking up the win.

Thoughts: To the people who follow my blog, I'm sure you know how I feel about SCU. They're one of my favorite things in wrestling; all three are tremendous talents and work their ass off to put on a good show no matter the circumstances. So I'm going to hold off talking about for them as I'm bound to repeat myself from previous posts. Instead, I'll focus on the team of Gordon, Cheeseburger and Liger. For a first-time team-up, their chemistry was impeccable. Each performer fulfilled their roles in spades: Gordon being the highlight reel, Liger the ring-savvy veteran and Cheeseburger the ultimate underdog (the closest thing to the biblical David I can think of in wrestling).

Pair them with the always excellent SCU and you can't go wrong. 

Cody vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Cody spends a fair amount of time posing and preening, trying to gain praise from the crowd but unsuccessful in doing so. Takahashi, however, is over in spades, as well as his cat Daryl, Jr., who he uses first as a distraction then as a weapon. After Takahashi sets Daryl, Jr. down in the middle of the ring, which prompts Bernard The Business Bear to enter the ring. Security have to hold Bernard back, while Takahashi has trouble keeping control of Daryl, Jr.

Bernard is thrown out while Daryl, Jr. stays and keeps his place at the timekeeper’s table. Cody and Takahashi continue their in-ring action as Takahashi hits Cody with a shoulder block against the ropes followed up with a front dropkick off the apron. Cody seemingly takes the advantage with a rope-hung discus clothesline/flatliner combo. He then mocks a V-Trigger attempt only to stomp Takahashi down.

Takahashi tries to come back throwing hands with Cody, but is unsuccessful as Cody puts him down in the figure-four leglock. He throws Takahashi out of the ring and continues to mock Kenny Omega with a Terminator pose. Back in the ring, Cody attempts a superplex but it’s blocked. The two trade haymakers until Takahashi delivers a hurricanrana to Cody, followed by a corner clothesline/sliding kick combo.

Both men jockey for position; Takahashi hits Cody with a clothesline, but Cody kicks out. Takahashi goes for a Time Bomb attempt, but Cody fights out of it and nails him with the Disaster Kick, then delivers a snap scoop powerslam. Several finisher attempts ensue before Takahashi pulls off a Cross Rhodes of his own; Cody kicks out. Following a thumb to the eye, Cody calls for the ring.

Despite the minor setback, Takahashi superkicks Cody and attempts his sunset flip powerbomb over the ring apron. Cody blocks it, then attempts a vertebreaker. Cody hits Takahashi with the Cross Rhodes, but he kicks out. Cody then successfully hits the vertebreaker and takes the W.

Thoughts: It's the same thing I said for his match with Liger: I'm more focused on Cody's character work than I am the match itself. That's certainly not an insult, because the match is pretty good; both performers are great in-ring competitors who know how to work regardless of circumstance. What I'm saying is I'm just incredibly fixated on Cody as character. He's basically wrestling's equivalent of Patrick Bateman and I absolutely love it. That, and he's incorporated the vertebreaker into his moveset, which is dope.

Basically, come for the wrestling, stay for the character work here.

The Briscoes (Jay and Mark) vs. Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI

Jay and Naito start the match out with rest holds (as predicted).  After a couple of arm drags and a rope-hung jawbreaker, Naito gets control for the moment. Jay and Mark throw a chair into the ring, but Naito remains unphased, sitting down in it and throwing out a tranquilo pose. BUSHI and Mark are tagged in. Following a distraction from Jay, The Briscoes go to work on BUSHI, utterly punishing him.

The Briscoes continue stomping down BUSHI while the referee is distracted, then continue dismantling him. BUSHI tries to fight back and attempts to tag in Naito, but is unsuccessful as Mark knocks Naito off the apron and The Briscoes follow their gameplan. BUSHI fights back, this time successful as Naito comes in flying like a bat out of hell (apologies for outdated references), bringing the fight to The Briscoes with a series of kicks and neckbreakers.

Naito seemingly shifts the advantage to LIJ single-handedly, taking care of both Jay and Mark. Jay tries to take them both on himself, only to be met with a sunset flip/sliding dropkick combination from Naito and BUSHI. Naito then attempts a Destino on Jay, only to be met with a powerslam counter. Mark is tagged in and BUSHI as well; following a quick counter and a missile dropkick, BUSHI seems to get the advantage.

Despite a double hurricanrana, The Briscoes manage to halt BUSHI’s momentum. Naito breaks up a pinfall, only to be met with The Briscoes’ Redneck Boogie tag finisher. Jay hits the Jay Driller on BUSHI, then Mark connects with the Froggy Bow, and the brothers pick up the win and retain their titles.

Thoughts: A fairly standard tag team match, but a good one nonetheless. All four are fantastic performers (The Briscoes are one of my favorites atm), so it should be no surprise they'd put on a good show. The chemistry was solid, the pacing was crisp and it had the right finish with The Briscoes retaining. Plus, it's not like LIJ lost anything from it; they put on a good match with a great tag team, plus Naito's still IWGP Intercontinental Champion. Not too much more to say than that.

Overall

Royal Oak wasn't as good of a show as Toronto, but definitely a better show than Lowell (not to be intended as an insult, is was just kind of boring). The standouts were definitely the Fatal 4-Way (as I stated before) and the triple-threat tag team match. Not blow-you-out-of-the-water fantastic, but a decent show that never seemed to drag.

ROH War of the Worlds: Toronto Recap and Review 5/11/18

For the second night of Ring of Honor's War of the Worlds Tour, we're headed up north to Toronto. Needless to say, the card is was stacked as hell, so let's not waste any more time and get right into it.

Punishment Martinez vs. Jay White, IWGP US Championship Match

The match starts off with the two exchanging a series of strikes, White seemingly gaining the advantage. Following a clothesline over the top rope and two baseball slide dropkicks, he sends Punishment Martinez to the floor and the two duke it out on the outside. After tossing White around for a bit, Martinez sends him back into the ring and goes to the top rope for a spinning heel kick.

Martinez turns the tables for a bit and takes control with various strikes. White fights back and counters Martinez’ springboard attempt with a dropkick. Following a number of chops, forearm smashes and suplexes, White regains control for the moment. Martinez goes to the corner and White runs after him; Martinez stomps him down and hits White with a second-rope spear. White goes to the outside and Martinez dives onto him with a springboard somersault tope.

Getting back in the ring, Martinez plants White with the Psycho Driver; White kicks out. He then attempt for the South of Heaven chokeslam, but White blocks it then nails Martinez with a flatliner/deadlift german suplex combo. Both men try for their respective finishers; Martinez drives White’s head into the mat with a curb stomp after a lifting full nelson toss.

Incensed after another White kick-out, Martinez goes to the outside and grabs a chair. Hangman Page, who joined the commentary team for the match, came down to the ring and grabbed the chair from Martinez. After this distraction, White hits Martinez with his Blade Runner finisher and picks up the W, retaining his title.

Thoughts: This was a great way to kick off the show. It was a stiff, hard-hitting affair and the pacing was fast and crisp. Judging by their match from last year's Death Before Dishonor, you could tell this would be an excellent match-up given their impeccable chemistry together. Both performers' stocks rose a good deal after this match: White's constantly growing as a champion and is shaping to be one of the better midcard champs in professional wrestling, while Martinez proved he's an excellent in-ring performer and deserves a bigger push (and more title shots).

Bully Ray Promo (and impromptu match vs. Cheeseburger)

After a recent change of heart and decision to attack the younger generation of wrestlers, Ray comes down to the ring and cuts a promo. He directs his disgust towards the fans, calling them “millennial snowflake marks” and responds to fan chants stating he was always the star of the Dudley Boyz while D-Von played back-up. He then challenges the “millennial marks” and “disrespectful young boys” to come down to the ring. Cheeseburger responds and gets destroyed.

Thoughts: Look, I love both of these guys, but I can't be arsed to honestly give a single shit about this feud. If you watched their match in Lowell, the same thing happened here. Skip it. Moving on.

Tetsuya Naito vs. Beer City Bruiser

Naito plays mind games with Bruiser, who is having none of it and gets increasingly agitated. He responds by bringing Naito outside the ring tossing him around. He brings Naito back in the ring and continues the punishment. Naito tries to fight back, but Bruiser uses his size to halt Naito’s momentum.

Naito is eventually able to create an opening following an atomic drop and a sliding dropkick to Bruiser’s knees. He starts throwing elbows and forearms to a staggered Bruiser, then hits him with a running hurricanrana and his signature corner kicks. He has the advantage for a while until Bruiser plants him on the ring apron with a death valley driver. Naito barely beats the 20-count and Bruiser goes to work on the IWGP Intercontinental Champion.

Bruiser tries to powerbomb Naito and gets planted with a springboard tornado DDT as a result. The two trade blows for a spell before Bruiser knocks Naito down with a clothesline. He tries for a frog splash, but it unsuccessful and Naito hits consecutive Destinos and comes out victorious.

Thoughts: There weren't any real stakes here, but then again, there didn't need to be. All it had to do was be a fun little exhibition match and it accomplished that. Both men get to show off their skills as wrestlers, and Bruiser builds his reputation up a little bit by going up against an elite performer like Naito. Nothing much else to this match. Just an entertaining watch.

The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. Super Smash Bros (Evil Uno and Stu Grayson)

Matt and Uno start the match off exchanging rest holds and shoulder blocks, with Matt getting the upper hand. Uno gives an eye poke, but Matt responds with a hurricanrana/dropkick combo. Nick and Grayson get the tag. Grayson delivers a few shoulder blocks and puts Nick in the corner. Nick responds with a couple of knife-edge chops, then a spinning springboard arm drag to Grayson.

The brothers show off their patented tag-team offense and seemingly take control. They get Grayson in the corner and work him over, culminating in a corner back rake. This momentum is short-lived as Grayson throws Matt out of the ring and Uno gives an apron suplex. SSB go to work punishing Matt and targeting his back while also knocking Nick off the apron, briefly taking him out of the equation.

Matt ducks out of the ring, superkicks Uno then gets back in the ring and spears Grayson. 

Nick finally gets tagged in and puts him hot-tag offense on full display. It culminates with a slingshot X-Factor to Grayson and moonsault to Uno off the apron. The brothers then put SSB in stereo sharpshooters, but SSB manages to make it to the ropes. The Bucks attempt a Superkick Party, but Uno counters both of them and send them to the outside. Grayson then nails an assisted somersault tope over the ring post to the brothers.

SSB hit an enzuguiri/brainbuster combo and Grayson covers, but Matt kicks out. Both teams trade accidental knee strikes to their respective partners. After an impressive handspring pele kick from Grayson, Uno and Matt are tagged in and the two exchange punches. Uno gets superkicked then met with a somersault stunner from Matt, who then gets frog splashed by Grayson. Nick attempts a swanton bomb, but Grayson gets the knees up.

SSB hit their Fatality tag finisher on Nick, but Matt breaks up the pin. Grayson walks across the shoulders of Uno and Nick and delivers diving hurricanrana to Matt. SSB work the brothers over with some tag-team offense and get Matt in the corner. Grayson delivers a 450 to Nick while Uno hits Matt with a corner cannonball; Nick kicks out. The brothers finally get a Superkick Party in and hit Grayson with the Meltzer Driver for the victory.

Thoughts: Hot. Damn. This match was good. Like, damn good. You wanna about good spots? Well, this match had those in spades. Each sequence was so smooth and precise, and quickly paced; to tell you the truth, it was hard for me to keep up in certain spots while I was recapping it. This kind of fluidity is something you definitely in a match featuring The Bucks. And while on the surface it was nothing more than a spotfest, it actually told a nice little story.

We had The Bucks, one of the most over acts in all of professional wrestling going up against a team like SSB, who were gone from ROH for quite some time and were thought to be a relic of the past. Because of this, SSB performed with a chip on their shoulder. Through sheer force of their performance, the duo managed to shift the crowd favor from The Bucks over to them, and that's not an easy thing to do. I hope these four guys wrestle against each other again in the near future, because they are excellent together.

Alexia Nicole and Xandra Bale vs. Jenny Rose and Tenille Dashwood

Nicole and Rose start the match off, with Rose getting the upper hand, hitting a series of arm drags followed by a sidewalk slam. Dashwood is tagged in, but Nicole fights back; Rose is tagged back in, but following a distraction, she gets hung up on the ropes, with Nicole and Bale working her over.

Following some miscommunication, Dashwood is tagged in, who gets both Nicole and Bale in the corner and hits them with a sliding crossbody. Rose is tagged back in who plants Bale with an STO backbreaker/chokeslam combo for the victory.

Thoughts: The only thing I really got with this match is that I'm starting to really dig Jenny Rose. She's a solid in-ring worker, and I'm definitely sold on that finisher. Looking forward to her title match with Sakai on this tour. Dashwood's a good worker as well, and I like seeing her in ROH. Not too much more say about this match. Pretty forgettable, but I like Rose and Dashwood, so that's a plus.

Roppongi 3K (Sho, Yoh and Rocky Romero) vs. SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky)

Kazarian and Romero start the match out jockeying for position, trading rest holds and pin attempts. Daniels gets tagged in and he and Kazarian attempt to double-team Romero, but get met with a double headscissors takedown; Sky meets a similar fate. Yoh gets tagged in, then Sho and the two double-team Daniels. R3K with the advantage at the moment.

This is short-lived, however, as Sho gets pulled to the outside and is stomped down by Sky and Kazarian. SCU then take their time punishing Sho with 3-man tag offense, including an impressive flipping back suplex/splash sequence culminating in a springboard moonsault from Daniels. Following consecutive backstabbers to Daniels and Sky, Sho finally manages to break free and tag in Yoh.

Yoh fights off Daniels and Sky with hot-tag offense and counter moves before tagging in Romero. After delivering a springboard hurricanrana to Daniels, Romero unleashes his vintage corner clothesline to Kazarian and Daniels before catching them with a double hurricanrana, R3K turning the tables on SCU and reclaiming their momentum. SCU try to take it back, but R3K responds stereo jumping knee strikes, then a suicide dive from Romero and stereo somersault topes from Sho and Yoh.

But just when it seemed like R3K was firmly in control, SCU snatch it right back after a jumping knee strike from Sky and an aided tornado DDT from Kazarian. Daniels and Kazarian isolate Romero while Sky delivers a somersault tope to Sho and Yoh. After their Celebrity Rehab finisher and a spinning back kick from Sky, SCU pick up the win and gain some momentum back following their title loss to The Kingdom in Lowell.

Thoughts: I'm honestly becoming more of a fan of 6-man tag matches than I ever thought I would be, and matches like this (and the main event) are an example why. Not the best, but damn good for an exhibition match. The chemistry between these two teams was absolutely spot-on; I'm not sure if this was their first time facing each other, but you could've fooled me if that was the case. The back-and-forth sequences were fantastic (I especially loved SCU's flipping back suplex spot).

R3K are becoming one of my new favorite units in professional wrestling. Sho and Yoh are the definition of a "well-oiled machine" when it comes to tag teams, while Romero fulfills his player/coach role to a tee. SCU are also one my new favorites; I always get as giddy as a schoolgirl when I see them in action. Kaz and Daniels are absolute magic as a team with neither man seeming to age (especially Daniels, whose moonsault is absolutely perfect despite being 48). Scorpio Sky is starting to grow on me as a performer as well; his athleticism is absolutely astounding.

A damn good appetizer to a delicious main course.

Hangman Page vs. Silas Young, ROH World Television Championship match

Punishment Martinez interrupts Page’s entrance to the ring and tries to attack him with a chair. Page responds quickly and the two slug it out on the outside. Just as Page tries to get into the Martinez throws the chair at him and curb stomps him onto it, all while Young watches from the ring apron. Page leaves the ring a battered mess; frustrated, Young demands the referee ring the bell and count Page out.

Despite the attack from Martinez, Page still makes his way into the ring and Young immediately starts picking at the scraps like a vulture. Page tries to fight back, but he practically has no effect on Young, who throws him to the outside and DDTs him on the apron. Young continues to talk trash while Page is practically running on empty; he hits Young with a clothesline, gaining a breather for the moment. Page then starts throwing chops and forearms smashes to Young, hoping to get some sort of leverage.

He tries to hit the Rite of Passage, but Young rolls out of it and delivers a knee to Page followed up by a rope-hung neckbreaker. The two exchange blows, Young seemingly coming out on top. However this changes when Page superkicks him on the ring apron then delivers a picture-perfect moonsault to Young on the outside. Page then rolls Young into the ring calls for his Buckshot Lariat.

He attempts the Rite Of Passage once again, but is unsuccessful once again and Young gets out of it, gives Page a full-nelson knee strike then hits him with Misery and retains his title.

Thoughts: I loved this match purely for the story it told. Having Hangman Page be an absolute battered mess through most of the match while Young picked him up apart like Vultures feasting on fresh carrion was a brilliant watch. Both men played their roles perfectly, with Page being the against-all-odds babyface while Young was the bullying, opportunistic heel. 

With each performance, Page is showing more and more of what he can do as a performer. Much like what I said about Martinez earlier, this man also deserves a bigger push and more title opportunities. Plus, Young is honestly one of my favorite champions in all of wrestling. How he carries himself with the belt and his performance in and out of the ring are just perfect.

Cody vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

After spending a good portion of time staring each other down, Cody and Liger begin the match with a standard collar-and-elbow tie-up. Liger then starts applying various holds just for Cody to break out of them and back off, taking his time to draw heat from the crowd. Liger in full control of this match so far.

Cody hits Liger with a gut kick/uppercut on Liger, turning his back on him to celebrate in the process. Liger responds with a Shotei palm strike, then a surfboard hold, combining it with a rear chin lock. Cody takes advantage of a distraction from Bernard The Business Bear and sends Liger to outside, tossing him around the barricades and delivering haymakers, stealing the momentum and taking control.

Getting back in the ring, Cody starts working Liger’s legs over and puts him in a figure-four leglock. After getting to the ropes to break up Liger’s reversal, Cody goes to the top rope only to be met with a Liger superplex. He then follows it up by giving Cody another Shotei and a super hurricanrana. Liger dropkicks Bernard through the ropes and Cody responds with a springboard plancha. The two get back in the ring and Cody attempts the Disaster Kick, but Liger dodges and delivers a kneeling powerbomb.

Cody shoves Liger into the referee and grabs a couple of chairs while he’s down. He sits Liger down in one chair and attempts to hit him with the other, but the referee recovers just in time to take it away from him. While the referee has his back turned, Liger tosses the other at Cody then rolls him up with a small package, but Cody kicks out. He grabs at Liger’s mask and delivers the Cross Rhodes to get the W.

Thoughts: For me, Cody is one of the most captivating figures in professional wrestling right now. Even in exhibition matches like this one, he is just absolutely fascinating to watch just by how much he flexes his character work. Everything he does adds another layer to his abilities as a performer. Plus, having a legend like Liger put you over isn't bad either (who can still go at 53 years old, btw).

Wasn't really an exciting match per se, but an interesting one. The in-ring work was good, but not blow-you-out-of-the-water fantastic. I guess my interest for this match was based purely on what Cody can accomplish as a character.

Los Ingobernables De Japon (EVIL, SANADA and Hiromu Takahashi) vs. Kenny King, Jay Lethal and Colt Cabana

SANADA and Lethal go hold-for-hold to being the match, trying to get the upper hand. Lethal gets put in the Paradise Lock, only for Cabana to come to his aid break him out. Lethal and SANADA trade rapid-fire standing switches, with Lethal coming out on top after a hip toss/dropkick combo.

King and EVIL are tagged in and the two trade shoulderblocks, EVIL gaining the brief advantage following a thumb to the eyes. 

Cabana gets tagged in and delivers a tilt-a-whirl headscissors to EVIL, who tags in Takahashi. Cabana then demands he wrestles Takahashi’s pet cat Daryl, Jr. Following the distraction, Takahashi tries roll up Cabana, who gets out and threatens hit Daryl with a Bionic Elbow.

Daryl’s mask is removed following a roll-up attempt from Cabana; fortunately, he gets his mask back and his taken out of the ring. 

Back in the ring, Cabana takes control following numerous counter moves. Cabana gets Takahashi a vertical suplex position, then passes him to Lethal and King finishes the sequence. The advantage is short-lived, however as the other members of LIJ take Cabana and King out of the ring and isolate Lethal.

SANADA is tagged in and following some tag-team offense, EVIL gets back in. Lethal tries to fight back, but BUSHI hangs him up in the ropes. After delivering a Lethal Combination, Lethal tags in King and he starts to take the other members of LIJ before ending up with SANADA. King evades a SANADA/Takahashi double-team and tags in Cabana, who starts to work the two over. But just when it seems like Cabana has the advantage, EVIL takes it right back and he and SANADA their Magic Killer finisher.

King breaks up the pinfall attempt and the action breaks down between the two teams as all six men nail their signature moves, including an impressive seven consecutive suicide dives courtesy of Lethal. Cabana puts EVIL in his Cubs Win submission finisher, who gets to the ropes, allowing BUSHI to spit his black mist at Cabana. EVIL then plants Cabana with an STO and gets the win for LIJ.

Thoughts: As I hinted at before, a delicious main course to a full meal. I'm honestly starting to prefer 6-Man tag team matches over traditional ones, and matches like these are exactly why. Everything just seemed to click in this match. The spots were fantastic, the chemistry was excellent and the pacing was just perfect.

The match-ups they provided were also all superb as each man performed to the best of their fantastic abilities: SANADA/Lethal, EVIL/King and Takahashi/Cabana are all singles matches I would like to see in the near future. Plus, each team's chemistry with each other was perfect; LIJ are great as always, and Lethal/King/Cabana were an excellent first time-pairing. I can't really say who was the MVP of the match, because all of them were in their own way. Just a perfect send-off to a great show.

Overall

I honestly really loved this show from top to bottom. Lowell was kind of a disappointment, so it was nice to see them really step up their game and provide an excellent overall product. If I had to pick an absolute favorite match, I'd say it's a tie between the main event and The Bucks/SSB. Both matches provided me with the most entertainment.

So check it out when you get the chance, because you won't be disappointed.

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

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

Flip Gordon and Jushin Thunder Liger vs. The Briscoes

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

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

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

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

Deonna Purazzo and Skylar vs. Tenille Dashwood and Sumie Sakai

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheeseburger vs. Bully Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jay White vs. Chuckie T vs. Jay Lethal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall

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

ROH Wrestling #346 Recap and Review 5/7/18

ROH World Champion Dalton Castle and The Boys take on The Kingdom (Matt Taven, TK O'Ryan and Vinny Marseglia) in a 6-Man Tag Team main event. But before we get to that, let's cover everything else.

Coast to Coast vs. Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas

C2C (LSG and Shaheem Ali) start the match off fast, pulling the top ropes down and sending Bruiser and Milonas over. The two then attempt slingshot planchas; Ali is successful onto Bruiser, LSG isn't as he's caught by Milonas. However, thanks to a dropkick assist from Ali, LSG takes Milonas down and C2C appear to be in control for the time-being. Bruiser tries to take control back with an outside cannonball, but C2C move out of the way.

C2C's momentum stops as Milonas slams both of them at the same time, and the favor shifts to his and Bruiser's side. The two punish Ali for a brief respite before LSG gets tagged in and he goes to work on both Bruiser and Milonas. Following a series of strikes and evasions, LSG seems to gain the advantage. Bruiser and Milonas attempt to take it back and win with their Last Call finisher, but thanks to a pinfall break-up from and Ali and some quick tandem offense, C2C hit Milonas with their finisher of the same name and pick up the win.

I'm really impressed with C2C. At first, I was super invested with their story of being lovable losers, but ever since defeating War Machine, they've been on a tear picking up several impressive victories. They're solid workers who have excellent chemistry together, and I dig that they're finally picking up momentum. Also, I have to say: Bruiser and Milonas are an excellent hoss tag team. No frills, no bullshit. Just two big-ass dudes throwing their weight around and beating people up. Overall, a nice way to kick the show off.

Jay Lethal and Young Bucks Backstage

Following the opening match, we cut backstage to Jay Lethal delivering a promo. He explains that he feels lost without championship gold around his waist, and he vows to defeat everyone who's recently beaten him. He reiterates that he's lost without a title, but promises that it's going to change.

Next up backstage, it's the Young Bucks. Nick Jackson keeps track of their 45-second time limit, while Matt talks about their tag team gauntlet victory and their upcoming title match next week against The Briscoes, promising it will be a PPV-quality event on free TV.

The promos were brief, but engaging. They gave you a glimpse into each performers' personalities: Lethal being the distraught yet focused competitor determined to reclaim his top spot in ROH, and the Bucks being the fun-loving yet absolutely elite (get it?) tag team performers.

Will Ferrara vs. Jonathan Gresham

In this showdown, Gresham takes on Ferrara, one-half of the tag team The Dawgs (along with Rhett Titus). The two start the match off with a series of rest holds, trying to gain advantage over the other. Both competitors target each other's arms, with Gresham briefly in control. The tide seems to shift towards Ferrara's favor following a hammerlock lariat, then a cobra clutch/crossface combination. Gresham gets to the ropes and the two trade forearm smashes.

Following a quick enzuguiri/german suplex combo, Gresham rolls Ferrara up in a la magistral/back bridge combo for the victory.

A short match, but a fun one. It highlighted Gresham's vast technical background, while also giving Ferrara a chance to show off his mat-based prowess. If you're an old-school, catch-as-catch-can wrestling fan, you'd definitely dig this match.

Cody and Marty Scurll/SoCal Uncensored backstage

We get another brief backstage promo as Cody and Marty Scurll discuss the fate of the current ROH World Champion Dalton Castle. Cody reminisces about claiming the world title at last years's Best In The World, while hinting at his intentions at this year's BITW event. He then throws it to Scurll, assuming The Villain will give the rub to him. Rather, Scurll repeatedly states he, not Cody, will defeat Castle for the world title. Frustrated, Cody leaves. We then cut to SCU, who are still pissed at The Kingdom for stealing their 6-Man Tag belts. They explain they're not above fighting dirty to get back what's theirs.

I love the constant fragmentation of Bullet Club, and we got a brief glimpse here. It's clear less and less people in BC are on Cody's side, with Marty being one of the few exceptions. However, with this brief promo, it seems like Scurll is focused on his own aspirations rather than supporting Cody. I love it and I want more of it. Plus, I dig this heel vs. heel feud between SCU and The Kingdom. Just a bunch of assholes who piss each other off and want to absolutely destroy one another.

Shane Taylor vs. Ryan Nova

Prior to the match, Taylor cuts a promo where he states his position in ROH is to get paid to beat people up. Following the promo, Taylor quickly squashes Nova.

Not much more to say, but it showcases Taylor's mercenary gimmick.

Dalton Castle and The Boys/The Kingdom

It's main event time as the ROH World Champion Castle teams with his Boys to take on The Kingdom. Castle and O'Ryan start the match off attempting to gain leverage. Marseglia is quickly tagged in and tries to turn the tables on Castle, but to no avail as Castle promptly suplexes Marseglia out of his socks and tags in one of The Boys (they're interchangeable, so you'll just see Boy 1 and Boy 2 from this point on).

The Boys try to go to work on Marseglia, but are quickly stopped by his Kingdom compatriots. Taven gets tagged in and demands Castle. The two lock horns in the corner with Castle gaining the advantage. The champ attempts a suicide dive, but Marseglia and O'Ryan quickly stop it and attempt to take out The Boys in the process. It's unsuccessful, as all 6 men eventually face off in the ring, with one of the Boys tagging themselves in.

The Kingdom take control, though and take turns punishing Boy 2 with a devastating array of offense. Christopher Daniels comes down to the ring and tries to take his titles back, but is blocked by Shane Taylor, who's being paid by Taven to guard the belts. Following the distraction, Boy 1 gets tagged in, then tags in Castle, who goes to work by tossing The Boys onto each member of The Kingdom, who are on the outside.

However, Castle and The Boys only have the advantage for a brief respite as Taven hits Castle with one of the 6-Man Tag title belts, then plants one of The Boys with his Climax finisher for the victory. After the match, The Kingdom attack Castle and further Castle's hand injury.

While not as good of a match as the opener, this one told a better story with The Kingdom in possession of SoCal Uncensored's 6-Man Tag belts while also attempting to soften up Castle in order for Taven to snatch the belt off Castle at War Of The Worlds. They're getting a solid, deserved push with this two-fold angle. On top of that, it makes Castle that much more of a sympathetic champion, fighting against the odds with all his might despite the deck being stack against him.

Overall Thoughts

This was a solid show from top to bottom, with the opener and the closer being the main highlights. C2C and Bruiser/Milonas stole the show in impressive fashion, while Castle and The Boys/The Kingdom told a good story and provided a nice little wrap-up going into War Of The Worlds. On top of that, the backstage promos were short-but-sweet entertainment. If I had anything negative to say about the episode, I wasn't a fan of the Shane Taylor. While it did show off Taylor's role as ROH's hired gun (which I definitely dig), it just felt empty and unnecessary.

Despite the Taylor/Nova match, this was a fine episode. Go check it out.

ROH Wrestling Episode #345 Recap and Review: 4/30/18

I'm a simple man. I see Silas Young on a wrestling card, I'm immediately watching that show. And given he's defending the World Television title against Flip Gordon in the main event, I'm even more excited. But before that, let's get to everything else.

Supercard Package

The show starts out with a highlight package featuring the results from Supercard of Honor, namely SoCal Uncensored retaining their 6-Man Tag Titles against the Young Bucks and Flip Gordon, Silas Young taking the Television title from Kenny King, Sumie Sakai becoming the inaugural Women of Honor Champion, Cody leaving the fate of Bullet Club in question after defeating Kenny Omega and Dalton Castle retaining his World title against Marty Scurll.

A nice, brief bumper that either gets viewers up to speed if they hadn't watched Supercard, or a quick refresher for those who did.

Chuckie T vs. Josh Woods

Woods starts this match off quick, taking Chuckie down and using his MMA experience in order to gain the upper hand. Chuckie tries to counter Woods' aggressive strikes with counter moves and old-school ring savvy. It seems like Chuckie's in control, but one exploder suplex later and the tides seem to have turned to Woods' favor.

Woods has a fun time tossing Chuckie around like a rag doll for a while with various suplexes. Chuckie tries to gain momentum with a slingshot plancha and a falcon arrow, but Woods remains resilient. After hitting Chuckie with a swinging knee strike, Woods tries to lock in the cross armbreaker. Chuckie counters with a roll-up for the victory.

A fun way to start the show out. Chuckie T in any capacity is always a delight, plus Woods looked strong even in defeat. This definitely wasn't going to be anything spectacular or momentous, but then again it didn't really need to be. It just needed to be a quick, entertaining curtain jerker, which it definitely accomplished.

Cody and Brandi/The Kingdom backstage

Following the first match, we cut to a backstage promo featuring Cody and Brandi Rhodes. The two give backhanded compliments to Dalton Castle while also suggesting Cody should get the next shot at Castle's World title. Following that, we cut to The Kingdom. Recently stealing SoCal Uncensored's 6-Man Tag Title belts, the team boast about their actions as well as their former title glory.

The segments were brief but engaging, giving you a glimpse at just how well all performers fulfill their heel personas. When it comes to being charismatic assholes, they've got it down pat. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner Cody and The Kingdom get back into title contention, the better.

Stella Grey vs. Sumie Sakai

Sakai starts the match out on top immediately, first with a standing dropkick then a missile dropkick. Following a spear and a tornado DDT, Grey seems to take advantage. After a back suplex and her Smash Mouse finisher, Sakai comes out victorious.

Nothing much to see here. A quick squash match that highlights Sakai's strength as a competitor.

SoCal Uncensored backstage

After the second match, we cut to the reigning 6-Man Tag Team Champions SoCal Uncensored backstage. They're without their belts following the recent theft by The Kingdom, and needless to say they aren't too fond of that fact. Christopher Daniels refers to Taven and company as "children" and demands that they be punished.

On paper, heel vs. heel match-ups are kind of awkward. But this may be an exception to the rule, as both teams are equally talented and perform their roles in this feud to a tee. The Kingdom bring the smugness, while SCU play out the anger and frustration.

Bully Ray Promo

After serving a decent amount of time as the benevolent Enforcer of ROH, Bully Ray has had a change of heart as of late, attacking talent such as Cheeseburger and Flip Gordon. He came to the ring to address this matter, stating guys like Cheeseburger and Gordon are "spoiled and entitled." He then berates ROH COO Joe Koff for giving such wrestlers a platform.

I'm definitely not into this Bully Ray angle. It feels hackneyed and contrived, and not particularly interesting. Bully Ray can still cut a good promo, but I'm just not into heel authority figures anymore.

Silas Young vs. Flip Gordon, ROH World Television Championship

It's main event time as the up-and-coming Flip Gordon challenges for Silas Young's World Television title. The two start the match out with an exchange of rest holds, trying to gain advantage over the other. Young eventually gains the advantage and spends his time punishing Gordon while also taunting him.

Following a quick counter, Gordon hits a couple of dropkicks followed up by a springboard spear, momentarily gaining the advantage. But just as soon as Gordon got the momentum, Young snatched it right back with a backbreaker/lariat combo and a rope-hung neckbreaker. No one seems to get the upper hand for along as Gordon once again turns the tables with a superkick followed by a falcon arrow.

Young puts Gordon in a small package following a brief respite outside the ring; Gordon kicks out, maintaining resiliency. This is to no avail, however, as a quick knee strike and a TKO finisher puts Gordon away as Young retains his title.

While not particularly mind-blowing, this was still a good match and a deserving main event. Both competitors laid it all out and brought out the best in one another. Both men's in-ring abilities were on full display, and it gave Young extra credibility as champion. On top of that, Gordon's stock has risen after that match. Don't be surprised if you see him challenge for another title down the line, because he damn sure deserves to.

Overall

The word I would use to describe this episode is "solid." Nothing was earth-shattering or particularly orgasmic, but overall, it was just a consistently good show. Chuckie T/Josh Woods was a good opener, there were some good promos and Young/Gordon was a nice main event. It's not an absolute must-see, but if you do get the chance, check it out. There's plenty of good stuff here.