McXal's Reviews

After two nights of UK warfare, ROH makes it's much-awaited London debut, at the historic York Hall in Bethnal Green. This is the final show of the tour, with a blockbuster card to match (and the crowd is electric, which is a huge difference from the Leicester crowd). The headline act, the match we've been waiting weeks for, and a bout so significant it even received hype and build up on ROH television, will see Jay Lethal get his singles rematch for the ROH World Championship, currently held by Adam Cole who dethroned him at Death Before Dishonor. If that weren't enough we'll also see the two new recruits from the UK - Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll - do battle over the Television Title. A preview of the Final Battle Tag Title Match is planned too - with singles matches pitting the Briscoe and Jackson brothers against each other. The undercard also includes another Addiction vs MCMG clash, a Jay White vs Donovan Dijak rematch and the debut of Travis Banks. Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino are in London, UK.

It hasn't been a successful trip thus far for Dalton Castle. Having been defeated by Marty Scurll in Liverpool, he went on to Leicester to form a team with Delirious...which came up short in pursuit of victory against The Addiction. With Colt Cabana not working the UK tour, he is squandering valuable opportunities to build momentum going into Final Battle, but all is not yet lost. A win over Lio (who is 1-1, but almost stole the show a losing effort against Donovan Dijak yesterday) would salvage things, and send him into his grudge match with Cabana on a high. Rush reportedly suffered a minor knee injury last night...

Kevin Kelly does some actual good announcing in the first minute as he brings up the fact that both of these men are accomplished amateur grapplers. It means the opening few minutes are painstakingly slow, albeit plenty of fun to watch thanks to the antics of both performers. Lio decides he wants to work a quicker pace...so Dalton shuts it down by full-on mafia kicking him out of the ring. Rush hops back in and tries to spring off the apron with a rana...only for Dalton to catch him. Castle tries a powerbomb, but Lio grabs the ropes again and hits a MOONSAULT OFF THE APRON! HEAT SEEKING MISSILE RIGHT AFTERWARDS! Unsurprisingly Castle walks away after that, killing his momentum and taking a cool-down with The Boys on the floor. TOPE SUICIDA WIPES OUT THE BOYS! Dalton is incandescent with rage, furiously chasing Rush around the ring before bringing him back in with ROLLING EVEREST GERMANS! He has the match won there but actually goes to the floor to check on his Boys instead. Lio's brains are still fried from those German suplexes, and made worse when Castle knees him right in the skull. When Rush tries to fight back Dalton puts him on his ass again with a rugged elbow smash from close range. The Bang-A-Rang is countered into a DDT though. Next the evasive Rush lands on his feet when Castle attempts an overhead throwing suplex; delivering a roundhouse kick which sends the Peacock spinning backwards. Still he can't hit Bang-A-Rang though, with Lio countering again. Rush Hour blocked BACK INTO BANG-A-RANG! Castle finally gets his first win of the tour at 09:56

Rating - *** - I wonder if perhaps ROH already had a sneaking suspicion that Lio Rush wasn't going to be with them for too long by this point in 2016. His presence on the tour is correct, acknowledging the outstanding year he has had thus far. But he leaves with more losses than wins, despite yet again excelling between the ropes, and with no real creative direction other than loosely being an ally of the Machine Guns. This was the best opening match of the tour, fought in front of an outstanding crowd who bit on everything Rush and Castle served up. 

reDRagon were initially scheduled to be a part of this match as well, but Bobby Fish had to return to the States for family reasons, meaning this is now a 2-vs-2 tag. And as the year ends, it is fitting that these two teams - rivals for so much of 2016 - do battle once again. When the year began Sabin was an ally of Daniels and Kazarian, but mysteriously refused to partake in their campaign of violence against his old partner Alex Shelley. They finally reunited at the 14th Anniversary, scoring multiple wins over The Addiction and kick-starting a three-way rivalry also including the Young Bucks which culminated in the most spectacular fashion imaginable with Ladder War 6. The fates of these four men since Ladder War have been mixed. None of them have won very often, The Addiction lost a Tag Title rematch and have been in something of a slump, Shelley has bemoaned the 'numbers game' in ROH and started recruiting for allies, whilst Sabin has quietly rediscovered his working boots and churned out a few really decent singles matches. I hope these two teams get enough time to deliver something decent here...

Sabin starts in the ring, showing off every bit of the speed and precision that has crept back into his work in recent months. Frankie has to pull his hair just to catch up with him, and the two eventually fight to a stalemate. Kazarian survives a few double-teams from the Machine Guns and hits a neckbreaker on his way to tagging in the Ring General. Daniels is super-over with the London crowd, to the extent that the Machine Guns almost become heels when they start teaming up to working him over. Daniels and Kaz continue to target Sabin's neck - a body part they've injured a couple of times already in 2016. Along the way Daniels also takes a few shots at his bad knee too, and soon enough The Addiction are in complete control. Even Daniels' Arabian Press spot is aimed high so that he crashes down across the head and neck. Shelley gets a tag...but still Daniels won't let up on Sabin and drives him into the guardrail with a tope suicida. PK by Sabin, setting up Skull & Bones for 2! ASCS Rush on Daniels into the RUBIX CUBE! MCMG get the win at 12:03

Rating - *** - These four men have worked each other so many times, across so many companies, that they are extremely familiar with other. This wasn't their best work, but similarly it didn't feel like they were working that hard, pushing themselves to extremes (and I think Shelley was still carrying an injury)...but it was still completely decent and enjoyable. Daniels and Sabin were the highlight for me, with the former's completely unappreciated work on Sabin's neck (something which they've used as an ongoing theme between these teams all year) the most enjoyable aspect of the match.

Post-match The Addiction shake hands with the Machine Guns, which feels like it should be a HUGE moment considering all they've done to each other in 2016. Instead Kelly and Corino don't say a word to put it over, and the editing cuts away from it immediately too...

I think it was defeat to White at Glory By Honor 15 that brought about the dissolution of the Nana/Dijak partnership. Tonight Dijak, who is 2-0 on the tour, looks to end White's singles undefeated streak. Jay too is 2-0, with wins over Chris Daniels and Joe Hendry...

Dijak adopts a similar tactic at the start of a lot of his matches - looking to use his size to control, intimidate and dominate. White knows it too so busts his ass trying to keep his distance, land strikes and keep the match moving. He attacks Donovan's arm in attempt to diminish the potency of many of Dijak's signature moves too. Martini Killer by Dijak...but his bell is completely rung and it is several seconds before he is able to follow up. Time To Fly nailed too, but again he collapses in the ropes grimacing and clutching his injured arm. It means Jay is able to counter the ribbreaker/barrel toss slam combo that Donovan likes to utilise - piling into his opponent with a seemingly endless flurry of elbows and forearms. Dijak tries to block the running suplex...only for White to hit it brilliantly from the other side, hurting the bad arm again. MISSILE DROPKICK ON THE SHOULDER gets 2! That is instantly followed with a Crossface, almost forcing a tap-out. Dijak blocks the Urinage...so Jay grabs the bad arm again for the HALF NELSON SUPLEX! Donovan crawls to the apron, still grabbing White by the throat and trying to chokeslam him...until White grabs the limb and falls backwards into the hanging armbar in the ropes! Dijak fights for all he is worth to escape, and then to block an attempt at another suplex, this time onto the apron. He does so with a brutal superkick which knocks Jay to the outside. ARM-SELLING MOONSAULT OFF THE APRON NAILED! TOPE BY JAY! COUNTERED WITH A CHOKESLAM ON THE APRON! FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE FLOOR! Incredibly, it takes Dijak so long to get White back into the ring that Jay actually has time to recover - and put the big man straight back into the Crossface. Into the Rings Of Saturn when Donovan frees his arm to grab a rope! ARM CRADLE PIN! WHITE WINS! It's over at 10:25

Rating - **** - There are a number of matches from this tour which got a lot of praise and hype. Ospreay/Fish, Rush/Dijak, Bucks/Ospreay & Scurll, Ospreay/Scurll and Cole/Lethal all come to mind. But I've heard very little about this, which is a real shame. This is a really under-rated ten minute gem of a match. They got the tone right, the pacing was excellent, there was some outstanding selling from Dijak - and it all built to a believable, plausible and relevant finish. He hasn't gotten the headlines of others this weekend but Jay White's matches with Daniels in Liverpool, and now this, have been really excellent. The dude has been such an asset since beginning his excursion...

Next we are supposed to have singles match previews for Final Battle as the Bucks and the Briscoes face each other in singles matches. But Jay gets on the mic and says that it's 'sh*t' that two of the best teams in the world are working singles matches - and goads the Bucks into tagging up.

The Tag Titles aren't on the line, but in every other respect this is now a direct preview of what we'll see in just two weeks time at Final Battle. The Briscoes and the Bucks are iconic tag teams in independent wrestling. Neither team have worked for WWE (outside of jobber duty), yet each have established themselves as trend-setting standard-bearers for tag team work. For a long time it was the Briscoes who ruled ROH, whilst the Bucks worked PWG, TNA and other indies. Many consider Matt and Nick Jackson to be the top team in the world...yet it eats them up inside that they can't even be considered the best team in ROH until they stave off the challenge of the 8-time, here-since-Day-One former champs Jay and Mark. Each duo now gets the chance to send a significant message before Final Battle on pay-per-view.

The match spends less than ten seconds inside the ring before Jay explodes through the ropes with an elbow suicida, soon followed by the Cactus Elbow of his brother Mark. Doomsday Device, but Matt LANDS ON HIS FEET AND HITS A SUPERKICK! RISE OF THE TERMINATOR! The Bucks are on fire, but can't keep Mark isolated meaning soon Jay Briscoe is back in the ring mauling them with a double Day One Neckbreaker. Combo moves at high speed put the Jacksons in charge, before things take a turn for the surreal as they start isolating Jay by working over his beard. Mark makes a save with a urinage on Nick, followed by a running Fisherman Buster on Matt for 2. The Briscoes hit the Splash Mountain on Matt for another nearfall...prompting Nick to save with the slingshot X-Factor/apron moonsault combo. The elevated Swanton spot on Mark is nailed soon after...and he's still reeling as Matt hits the SPRINGBOARD DDT on the apron. 450 SPLASH BY NICK gets 2. The Bucks get fed up of Jay breaking their pins...so they tie him in the ropes, and with the crowd egging them on unleash an UNPROTECTED SUPERKICK FLURRY! JAY POWERS OUT! DOUBLE LARIAT! ALL FOUR MEN DOWN! Snap DVD from Jay to Matt (along with a brilliant turn of phrase 'you suck it, b*tch'). Doomsday Device blocked...Meltzer Driver COUNTERED WITH THE SPRINGBOARD ACE CRUSHER FROM MARK! JAY DRILLER ON MATT! NICK BREAKS THE PIN! BLOCKBUSTER OFF THE APRON BY MARK! The Briscoes haul Matt up the ropes, holding him up for an AVALANCHE SPLASH MOUNTAIN NECKBREAKER! AND STILL HE F*CKING KICKS OUT! Nick returns, throwing kicks and desperately trying to fight both Briscoes alone but is hopelessly sent packing. DOOMSDAY DEVICE! Briscoes win at 14:31

Rating - **** - The bar is officially set for Final Battle, because this was nuts. They skipped all the formalities and filler, jumping straight into fifteen minutes of carnage. It wasn't for everyone, but for this show, this close to Final Battle, in front of this vocal London crowd it struck the perfect tone. There is such a natural rivalry between these two - the farm boys who have dominated ROH, versus the loud-mouthed, flashy Cali-scene kids who ruled PWG and the West Coast for so long. The Bucks are here on what has traditionally been 'Briscoe' turf and have completely taken over. Watching Jay and Mark 'Man Up' and take the fight back to the all-popular, all-conquering Young Bucks was so fun. Back in the mid-00's Jay and Mark churned this kind of match out on every show. They are more restrained these days, but it's always fun when they bust out the old routine and show they can still go in frenzied, spot-heavy sprints. 

Jay and Mark celebrate like they've won the belts, and it needs the UK's own Nigel McGuinness to come out and inform them that this was non-title. Still, they just sent a pretty significant message on the road to Final Battle...

Banks was a late call-up to the show due to Bobby Fish's absence, but his addition will be a welcome one if you've seen much of his work around the UK scene. His presence also means that Jay White isn't the only New Zealander on the show for once. He is a compact, hard-hitting, technically proficient worker who, stylistically at least, is a perfect fit for ROH. This isn't the match O'Reilly was expecting for his final appearance before his title shot at Final Battle. He needs to maintain his focus and avoid a deeply destabilising upset here tonight...

'This one may not last long' - Kevin Kelly going all out to put over the new talent. It doesn't stop there as he leads a discussion about the benefit of easy 'tune-up' matches, dragging Nigel and Corino into it no matter how uncomfortable they seem. Banks seems keen to prove them wrong, with some unorthodox movements and sequences causing O'Reilly some problems. He also has no problem trading blows with Kyle, contesting some really ferocious exchanges. Even Kyle decides to back away from those and instead start working stretches and submissions on the ground. Banks does a great job blocking Arm-ageddon, but can't stop Kyle finding ways to start wearing down multiple limbs at once. He defies the punishment to rock O'Reilly with a running knee strike. Cannonball senton gets 2 for the Kiwi Buzzsaw. He looks for his version of the Kiwi Crusher...but has to settle for a Fisherman Buster. They start absolutely teeing off on each other with strike after strike...and when O'Reilly gets a German Travis simply gets right back up and tags him with a springboard enzi. Banks blocks the Brainbusterm forcing O'Reilly to choke him out instead. BRAINBUSTER! Banks kicks out of that, only to be transitioned instantly into Arm-ageddon, leaving him no choice but to tap-out at 11:01

Rating - *** - I'm somewhat torn on a rating for this one. The match itself was a decent, MMA-influenced, energetic but brief affair. Banks and O'Reilly were always going to mesh well; they work almost identical styles and are pretty similar in stature too. What I didn't like about this was Ring Of Honor's presentation. The whole thing was awful, and made Kyle look terrible. I understand this was a late change to the card, but there was no excuse for how thoughtlessly bad the commentary was. They had done some research, and were armed with all kinds of facts about training in China, in the US, in the UK and bringing together all these hybrid styles - but then they constantly buried him by saying this was an 'exhibition' or a 'tune up' for Kyle that wouldn't 'go long'. By doing that the fact that Travis worked a pretty even and competitve eleven minute match with him makes O'Reilly look terrible. The same Kyle O'Reilly who they are about to put into the Final Battle main event. Would it have been so difficult to actually put Banks over as an international star, with influences from all over the world, and a stand-out talent from the UK scene? By not presenting Travis like a sack of hot sh*t, in turn it makes Kyle look better for beating him. I'm honestly stunned that someone of Kevin Kelly's experience couldn't do that. Even by the ultra low bar by which I judge him.

So much has happened this weekend that it feels like a long time ago that we were in Liverpool watching the debuting Will Ospreay shock everyone by winning the TV Title in his first night with the company. Tonight he defends it against his fellow Englishman, fellow new ROH signee and long-time rival 'The Villain' Marty Scurll. Marty also debuted in Liverpool, defeating Dalton Castle in his first match. Together they went to Leicester to challenge the Young Bucks for the Tag Titles. It was a spectacular MOTYC which needed to be seen to be believed...but at the end of it the friction between Will and Marty was what cost them the belts. They were already booked to face each other for this show, and Marty successfully convinced Will to put his belt on the line. We couldn't see a second title change on the tour...could we?

With the big Cary-tron screen behind him, Marty's entrance is extremely cool. The crowd is INTENSE for this too. Marty goes straight to the mat, knowing full well that if Ospreay gets moving and gets in the air he will dominate. Will's response is quite brilliant though - gradually luring and tricking The Villain into working faster and faster...until finally the champ pops off the ground with a nip-up rana, right into a rebound lucha armdrag. CRAZY near-miss counter sequence comes next, with each man throwing kicks and counters at breakneck speed. The crowd is so deafening that they are actually drowning out the commentary - which isn't a bad thing. Will cartwheels over Scurll sending him to the floor, and in one fluid motion flies at him with an SSP OFF THE APRON! The Villain actually hides under the ring to curtail Ospreay's momentum - popping up on the other side to deck him with a lariat on the floor. Ospreay tries to come back with a dive off the guardrail...only for the villainous Marty to hide behind Todd Sinclair then ROCKET LAUNCHER him from the railing to the ringpost! Next he bashes Ospreay's head and neck into the guardrails, sending him back into the ring significantly slower than when he left it. Inside the ropes Scurll is quietly ruthless in how precise his attack is; maintaining a dual focus on both the arm and neck (i.e. the two targets of the Chickenwing). Will tries a handspring Pele...and when Scurll ducks that he simply hits the ropes for a handspring corkscrew enzi instead. German suplex by Ospreay, leaving Scurll reeling and in position for the springboard elbow smash. 

Scurll tries to punish the neck again with a superplex, Ospreay tries to counter into Cheeky Nando's, only for Marty to attempt to counter back into the finger snap...COUNTERED BACK TO CHEEKY NANDO'S! Strike flurry by Scurll, followed by the dangerous body slam in the ropes, right into a butterfly suplex for 2. Chickenwing COUNTERED with a Pele Kick! ROPE RUN SPRINGBOARD SHOOTING STAR PRESS UP THE AISLE BY OSPREAY! He tries to jump off the ropes again, but this time Scurll cuts him off with a superplex, grabbing the bad neck and arm in the process. Marty hangs on...into the FALCON ARROW CHICKENWING! Ospreay makes the ropes! He tries to roll out of the ring for some respite - and doesn't see Scurll towering over him with repeated head kicks from the apron. But Will no sells...and marches back inside to trade strikes with The Villain! Jawbreaker Lariat by Marty...ducked into a corkscrew enzi from Ospreay. The champ appears to set up for a version of the Rainmaker...COUNTERED TO THE FINGER BREAK! Falcon Arrow Chickenwing countered into a stunner. ROLLING RED STAR PRESSES! SPRINGBOARD CORKSCREW PHOENIX SPLASH! But Ospreay wants another dive! He springboards...INTO SCURLL'S CHICKENWING! LARIATOOOOO! ONE COUNT OF DISRESPECT BY WILL! ESSEX DESTROYER ON WILL! The Villain snaps, bringing his umbrella in as a weapon as he's done every night of the tour. Ospreay tries to goad him into using it by swearing at him...SO MARTY BREAKS HIS FINGERS! UNPROTECTED STOMPS TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! CHIKENWING LOCKED IN! OSPREAY TAPS! LONG LIVE THE VILLAIN! We have a(nother) new Television Champion! Marty takes the belt at 21:29

Rating - ****1/2 - Sometimes a particular crowd or atmosphere can take a great match and elevate it. An example that immediately comes to mind is Joe vs Kobashi. The match itself was great, but in that intimate New Yorker Hotel ballroom setting, in front of that ravenous audience it became even more special. I don't know that this was quite on that level - but this was another example of that phenomena. Let us be completely clear - the match itself was every bit as good as you'd expect. Ospreay wanted to take to the sky and work at top speed...whilst Marty at every turn found ways to slow him down, counter his signature spots all the while subtly attacking his head and neck. The last five minutes of this were utterly gripping, had everyone on the edge of their seats, and led to an unprecedented situation whereby we've now seen the TV Title change hands twice in a single weekend...between two British wrestlers who have never even appeared on ROH television. And a word for the London fans - who made this match special. From the second the two athletes stepped through the curtain the audience made this seem like a huge deal. In hindsight, this should have been the main event. I understand why it wasn't - they are new guys, ROH has even spent TV time promoting the Cole/Lethal rematch, which is also for the World Title etc. But, with the aforementioned benefit of hindsight, perhaps ROH could've been more proactive here, booked Lethal/Cole be the first half main event (before intermission) and let these guys go on last. There is no way this frenzied atmosphere will be repeated for the next match...

If you weren't spent from the previous match, now it's time to get pumped for the World Championship main event. It is the hotly anticipated Death Before Dishonor 14 rematch pitting Bullet Club's Adam Cole against the dethroned former champ Jay Lethal. Many considered Jay one of the greatest ROH Champions of all time, having dominated the title picture in the promotion for multiple years across his reigns as TV and World Champ. But Cole was the man who beat him clean, having played mind games, gotten into his head and bated him into making a series of critical errors in their Vegas match. In so doing, Cole joined a very small, elite group of individuals who can call themselves 'two-time' ROH World Champions. He won't want to lose the belt now...but is he also distracted by the spectre of Kyle O'Reilly, looming large over this match and awaiting the winner at Final Battle 2016?

We begin with almost a complete copy of Vegas. Cole doesn't have Lethal's dreads this time, but he does rub Jay's bald head in an antagonistic manner - trying to repeat the same tactics which messed the former champ up last time. But this time Jay smiles and extends a hand, seemingly indicating it won't work again. LETHAL INJECTION NAILED INSIDE THE FIRST MINUTE! Cole smartly sinks out of the ring so the devastated challenger can't pin him. Adam keeps running...but Lethal won't let up and dives after him with the Tope Trilogy. Corino and Kelly on commentary put Jay over as the calm, calculated competitor we saw as World Champion, not the hateful, vengeful and error-strewn version of Lethal we saw at Death Before Dishonor. Cole is desperate - and pushes Lethal off the second rope to the floor. It appears to aggravate the knee injury Lethal sustained battling Silas Young during the Reloaded Tour. He misses a step for the first time, and in protecting his knee leaves his back and neck exposed to some attacks from the Bullet Club member. Once again Cole stands over Lethal throwing verbal barbs, trying to piss him off and trick him into making errors. But again Lethal resists; standing strong and trading kicks with the champion until they both fall to the canvas. Lethal Combination gets 2, albeit once again at the cost of a slight twinge to the bad knee. Far too early for the Panama Sunrise - an error from Cole which is punished with a DVD. Hail To The King nailed...but Jay gets back up and goes upstairs again. He won't stop diving off the top for the Macho Elbow. Now it's his turn to start taunting the champ...until Cole kicks out his bad knee and delivers a SHINBREAKER on the apron! 

That is a devastating move inflicted on a man already struggling with a bad wheel meaning that in an instant the match has turned hugely in favour of the defending World Champion. Jay fights like hell to avoid the Figure 4...so Cole superkicks the leg and starts dishing out emphatic diving chopblocks to it too. Bare Knee Wizard blocked...NXT LAST SHOT INSTEAD! It's Lethal's turn to flee to the apron, and Cole's turn to give chase. Florida Key COUNTERED TO AN ACE CRUSHER FROM THE APRON TO THE FLOOR! Cole is unconscious on the floor - leading to some outstanding drama, with Lethal - too injured to retrieve the champ - physically preventing Todd Sinclair from counting the champion out because he'll retain the belt. He can barely stand and is almost in tears through pain, but would rather keep fighting for a chance to become champ again! Back into the ring they finally go, although Jay repeatedly falls to the mat such is the extent of the damage his leg has sustained. He sets up the Lethal Injection...but Cole KICKS HIM IN THE BALLS! LAST SHOT NAILED! Todd Sinclair refuses to count the pin! He refuses to DQ Cole (since he would retain the belt), and also won't let him profit by counting the fall. Cole is now trying to get himself intentionally disqualified - going for the belt as a weapon. Sinclair confiscates it...and misses Lethal rolling Cole up for circa ten seconds! LETHAL HITS THE LAST SHOT ON HIS BAD KNEE! COLE KICKS OUT! Lethal Injection...but the leg gives out! FIGURE 4 LEGLOCK! The challenger screams in pain...but Cole starts grabbing his arm to stop him grabbing the ropes! PANAMA SUNRISE! ONE COUNT OF DISRESPECT! LETHAL WILL NOT DIE! SUPERKICK! LETHAL NO SELLS AGAIN! LETHAL INJECTION...COUNTERED WITH A SUPERKICK TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! ACE CRUSHER BY COLE! LAST SHOT! COLE RETAINS! 24:26 is your time.

Rating - ****1/2 - Many put 2015 over as the year of Roderick Strong due to the reliable and consistent rate at which he churned out top drawer matches. In 2016 Ring Of Honor Jay Lethal is that man. This is another match which will sit right at the very top end of the MOTYC listings by the end of December. I am a sucker for layered story-telling, familiarity, logical progression and rewarding fans for watching these athletes over a medium and longer term period of time. As a standalone bout this was fantastic. But the way they wrapped in elements of the story from Death Before Dishonor, elements of Lethal's recent matches with Silas Young, and the controversial (but in my mind BRILLIANT) Todd Sinclair refusal to DQ Cole sequence...if you watch every show (as I do) there was SO much in here to enjoy. The crowd weren't into this like they were Scurll/Ospreay, and actually missed an absolutely fantastic babyface performance by Jay Lethal in favour of 'funny' Adam Cole chants. Jay's physical performance - from his facials, to his body language to his brilliant selling of the knee were flawless. Every element of the story they told here relied as much on their ability to act, play a character and portray emotion as it did to their athletic talents - and in that regard Cole and Lethal totally crushed it. I'll close with a word on the controversial Todd Sinclair spot. It has divided critics and fans, and I will concede it played a part in why I didn't go to 5* on my rating (and I did consider it). For my own personal taste it was a little gimmicky - but I didn't dislike it, and feel like it contributed to the match as a long-term pay-off to Adam Cole's conduct since joining Bullet Club. He has been an asshole to ROH management all year. He was banned from title matches earlier in 2016. He has hijacked shows. He and the Young Bucks have literally destroyed PPV main events, attacked officials, commentators, staff...and basically made ROH their personal playground, with Nigel admitting they are powerless to do anything since they make ROH so much money. Well THIS was the moment ROH could do something about it. Cole didn't think he could beat Lethal. He'd tried breaking his leg, and had tried getting into his head like Las Vegas - but nothing was working. So he went low, or tried to get counted out, or tried to use weapons. But Lethal's pleas and the conduct of Bullet Club in 2016 were enough to convince Todd to refuse. It was a wonderful moment, although one I could definitely understand people not liking. 

Tape Rating - **** - This was quite possibly ROH's best show of the year. Considering this was basically an international house show, just a couple of weeks from the 'actual' biggest show of the year in Final Battle, I'm amazed how much ROH were willing to push it - and how much leash the performers were given - to deliver here in London. This whole weekend the pacing of ROH's shows have been so much better. The smaller roster and clear creative direction has meant shows are consistently clocking in at less than three hours - but every match which needs time gets it. Both title matches went more than twenty minutes here, and both wound up being MOTYC's thanks to that extra room to breathe. Booking Briscoes/Bucks in singles matches sucked. The fans knew it. ROH realised, called and audible and changed it. On Night 2 Dijak and Rush went out there and went crazy in the third match on the show. None of these shows felt predictable, or formulaic. They were unpredictable. Any match felt like it COULD steal the show. The TV Title changed hands twice. We saw an MOTYC for all three belts over the weekend (two of them here). I've criticised ROH heavily for this autumn run. The product has largely stunk since All Star Extravaganza, with a few exceptions. My expectations for this tour were low...and they knocked it out of the park. This show is recommended as a must-see event. 

3) Young Bucks vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe (****)

2) Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll (****1/2)

1) Adam Cole vs Jay Lethal (****1/2) 

7) Young Bucks vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe (**** - London)

6) Adam Cole/Young Bucks vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe/Kyle O'Reilly (**** - Liverpool)

5) Jay White vs Christopher Daniels (**** - Liverpool)

4) Bobby Fish vs Will Ospreay (**** - Liverpool)

3) Young Bucks vs Will Ospreay/Marty Scurll (****1/2 - Leicester)

2) Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll (****1/2 - London)

1) Adam Cole vs Jay Lethal (****1/2 - London)