McXal's Reviews

And so we begin the now-annual War Of The Worlds Tour as the stars of New Japan Pro-Wrestling head to the United States for some cross-promotional supercards with their American (junior) partners in ROH. This year the roster of NJPW talent includes Hiroshi Tanahashi, Los Ingobernables of Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, Sanada and Bushi, Hirooki Goto, Kushida, Gedo plus ROH semi-regulars Will Ospreay and RPG Vice. Kenny Omega didn't get his US work visa through, so only appears tonight - something which deprived us of the blow-off match between Adam Cole and Kenny Omega incidentally. Compared to previous years, I've not heard too much about the 2017 WOTW Tour - other than the events of the Philadelphia TV taping at the end of the week which also serve as Adam Cole's last night in ROH. Championship glory will take centre stage across the week, with one Tag Title Match, two Six-Man Tag Title Matches, two World Title Matches and three TV Title bouts...none of which take place this evening. Tonight we'll see Goto against The Rebellion's Shane Taylor in what could be a hard-hitting war. Bullet Club's Cody Rhodes taking on CHAOS' Will Ospreay in a potential showstealer. Kushida and Jay Lethal getting a rematch of an MOTYC from WOTW Tours past. Then a main event of The Elite - Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks - facing The Addiction and the Ace, Tanahashi in a dream trios bout. Ian Riccaboni, Kevin Kelly and Colt Cabana are in Toronto, ONT.

There is plenty to get frustrated about in regards to The Rebellion, but one unique and interesting quirk it has thrown up is how little regular tag team the All Night Express - Kenny King and Rhett Titus - have actually worked as a standard duo. Tonight Caprice joins Rhett in a real grudge match against long-term enemies the Machine Guns. Shelley is only just back in action after a 'concussion suffered at the hands of Shane Taylor' - who is in the building with Coleman and Titus.

The Rebellion jump the Guns during their entrance, getting the show started in a hurry. Stereo pescados by Sabin and Shelley send them scattering though. Titus hits back with a sweet rebound lariat from the apron to the guardrails...as Coleman 619's around the ringpost into a dropkick. Taylor appears ominously at ringside to survey the wreckage as his fellow Rebels take turns flinging the Guns into the guardrails. Caprice tries a springboard dropkick but accidentally levels his own partner...and is soon floored himself by a missile dropkick from Sabin. Chris hits a big punt into Taylor's chest, and goes through Shelley's legs for the tope suicida to wipe out their actual opponents. Mind Trip from Coleman to Alex with Caprice hitting the ropes right after that for a SKY SPLITTER HART ATTACK on Sabin. ASCS Rush floors Caprice, followed by the Dream Sequence on Rhett. Shane Taylor shoves Sabin off the ropes as they try to set up Skull & Bones though! Big Dawg Splash on him gets The Rebellion a big win at 07:14

Rating - ** - All the component pieces of this Rebellion/Search & Destroy feud are trying so hard. It isn't their fault that Dijak and Lio Rush left before it really got going (ACH would probably also be involved if he also hadn't split), and it isn't their fault that the booking for the whole thing is the worst kind of superfluous and lazy. Here we saw four guys trying to make the best of it. The work was energetic, Titus and Caprice actually made for a fun team, and they put enough heat into it to make it semi-believable as a grudge match. But the interest from the fans just isn't there - and right now we simply aren't being given much of a reason to care.

I think most would be hard pressed to deny that Taylor is deserving of a high profile singles match with one of the visiting New Japan stars on this tour. He signed on and stuck around with ROH even when his partner Keith Lee sought other opportunities (albeit significantly better ones), he has dropped a heap of weight, and he his presence and brute force as the enforcer has quickly made him the best part of The Rebellion faction. His opponent tonight won't be intimidated by his size nor back down from a fight though. Goto is a veteran of hard-hitting, ultra-physical wars. The ROH roster even got a taste of that up close during the Honor Rising 2017 weekend when he and Punishment Martinez beat the piss out of each other. Can Shane make a huge statement of intent by toppling the former NEVER Openweight Champion - and first New Japan star through the curtain for the War Of The Worlds Tour?

Colt Cabana talking about the pressure of being in the first inter-promotional match of the night - referencing he and Punk against Honma and Miyamoto from Final Battle 2003 - is just awesome. Shane gets major heat just for getting into Goto's face, and it isn't long before the big elbows are flying. A simple punch is enough to knock Goto right out of the ring, and Taylor methodically stalks the guest star around the ring before pelting him into the barricade. The problem Shane has is that he isn't doing enough damage; Goto is not only getting up but gesturing that he wants more. Running lariat by Hirooki...and almost for the first time in the match he gets his opponent off his feet. BACK DROP DRIVER for 2! Incredibly Taylor gets right back up, absorbs a few more shots and then blasts Goto to the ground with a lariat of his own. LARIATOOOOO again! Goto flips through the air and lands in prime position for the big second rope splash from Shane. Goto counters the chokebomb...but when he tries the GTR Shane almost breaks his jaw with an elbow smash. Ushigoroshi (DVD neckbreaker) gets a hot 2 for the NJPW star, and the crowd are way into this now. GTR wins it for Goto at 10:00

Rating - *** - I wanted more of this! In terms of singles competition this was far and away Shane Taylor's biggest match so far and he absolutely crushed it. This crowd, presumably relatively unfamiliar with him, needed just seconds to buy into him (and give him heat) as a legitimate threat to the New Japan guy they may be more familiar with. This was a short, punchy, strong style battle which got a great live reception, came off well on DVD and does a lot to enhance Shane Taylor even in defeat. During the Pretty Boy Killers run in 2016 I wasn't overly into Taylor's contributions; it felt like Keith Lee was carrying the team. But he has improved substantially since stepping out of Lee's shadow. ROH need to find a way to get him into as many short, hard-hitting matches like this as possible - it certainly seems to be his wheelhouse.

This weekend isn't just about LIJ. CHAOS are here in force too, represented here by Gedo and IWGP Jr. Tag Champions RPG Vice. Romero and Beretta put their bodies through hell back at the 15th Anniversary Show, proving themselves amongst the most elite of Ring Of Honor's tag teams. Dalton, on the other hand, is trying to work his way back to World Title contention after losing to Chris Daniels at Supercard Of Honor. Partnering with The Boys to beat the veteran trio across the ring from him would certainly be a major statement from the Party Peacock...

Kevin Kelly is shilling Rocky Romero's album over Dalton's entrance. It's like he felt a need to remind us how much better commentary is without him. Trent wants to adhere to the Code Of Honor but is stopped by Rocky and Gedo. Neither one of RPG Vice has an answer to the unique complexities that wrestling Dalton Castle presents...and are sent scuttling back to their corner one after another. They demand Gedo lead by example and leave the apron so he can't tag out. The veteran does so, with am emphatic slap which sends Castle back to his corner. Boy#2 (who has darker hair) hits some goofy lucha armdrags, frustrating the CHAOS team so much that they try to walk out. The Boys try to retrieve them, only to be given some nasty guardrail bumps by the retreating trio. Romero loads up the Forever Clotheslines on the twins, then stacks them for the slingshot boots from Beretta. Gedo smirks as he gets to rough up #2 and almost wins the match with a big DDT. But he makes a huge mistake by turning his back - allowing The Boys to pull a switch! Boy #1 illegally replaces his brother and makes a hot tag to Castle. Double knee strikes by RPG Vice keep him at bay...made worse soon after with the elevated springboard knee drop combo. Gedo Clutch blocked by Castle...but the veteran then counters the Everest German soon after. CAPTURE SUPLEX from Castle to Beretta! EVEREST GERMAN on Romero! The Peacock is fired up...so Gedo pokes him in the eyes. STEREO SOMERSAULT PLANCHAS by The Boys! BANG-A-RANG ON GEDO! Dalton wins at 11:38

Rating - ** - Unnecessarily long and bloated, but I found this fairly entertaining - with an awesome final minute which did a lot to put Dalton Castle over. I've been openly critical of NJPW talent crushing ROH guys in need of momentum during these tours, so credit for Gedo for lacing his boots and going out to do the job for himself. Castle winning this with just The Boys for company is a decent way to re-establish his credentials and give him another run at the top of the card.

Is there any reason Bubba Dudley needs to be in this one at all? Smashing up the Bullet Club during his first appearance technically puts him in the 'war' with Bullet Club making him a target for the 'problem solver' Hangman Page...but this would be so much better if we were just getting Page/Martinez. Will Page be more focused on 'problem solving' Bully for Bullet Club, or winning the match for himself?

For the love of Christ can't someone hide the microphones when Bully comes to the ring? Today all he wants to talk about is his desire to follow the Code Of Honor...but neither Martinez nor Page oblige him. Hangman attacks Ray from behind as he bleats at Punisher for being disrespectful. Bubba doesn't seem interested in selling for his opponents, although to his credit he does take a big press slam bump off the top rope in the early going. Hangman and Punishment form a de facto team to beat the veteran down. Of course it isn't long before they come to blows, taking their eyes off invincible Bully who mows them both down at once. Martinez goes for a springboard senton, only to be CAUGHT in mid-air for a powerslam from Page; reminding everyone how much better this would be if Bubba wasn't in the match. Martinez has an attempted chokeslam on the apron blocked, allowing Hangman to float effortlessly into the SSP TACKLE TO THE FLOOR! That spot never gets old. Bubba convinces Page to do the Wassup Headbutt, which feels like the antithesis of what Page's character should be. He brings it back in a hurry by Superkicking Bully's lights out when he does the 'get the tables' routine. 'This is awesome' - Toronto, presumably coming together in a mass stroke or seizure of some kind? Buckshot Lariat drops Martinez for 2. SOUTH OF HEAVEN on Bully! Chokeslam on Hangman! Bully gets up and tosses Punisher, then gives Page the Bubba Bomb to win clean at 08:24

Rating - * - To focus on the positives, I certainly didn't despise this as much as I did Silas/Bully from Masters Of The Craft. Hell, when Bully got out of the way and let Page and Martinez wrestle some of the stuff they were doing was pretty good. Positives out the way...what the f*ck was this? I don't even know how to describe what I just witnessed. What kind of booker in his right mind puts Bully over here? Page and Martinez are so clearly rising stars, having Hangman job clean to f*cking Bubba Ray Dudley in 2017 is just appalling to watch. What the hell kind of deal have Sinclair signed Bully to? He gets to talk on every show, he's beating rising stars that ROH could build their company around clean. He has one of the championships to cart around like a novelty trophy. The short-sightedness of this booking is mind-blowing. And the absolute cherry on the sh*t sundae was the Toronto fans chanting 'this is awesome' and 'ECW'. Way to go Toronto. Thanks for vindicating this utter mess...

This is one of the standout bouts on the entire card. CHAOS vs Bullet Club, Ospreay vs Rhodes, and Cody just days away from getting a shot at the ROH World Title on PPV in New York City. He can't afford a loss, having talked his way into the main event of the pay-per-view despite losing his last big match - the Bullrope Match with Lethal at Supercard Of Honor. Ospreay is a former TV Champion who's sporadic appearances haven't allowed him to build up enough momentum in his ROH career to date. He'll know a win over a potential future World Champion will put him in the top contenders discussion - and maybe even put him into position for a rematch with Marty Scurll too...

Rhodes dismissively taps Ospreay in the face rather than follow the Code Of Honor. He grabs Will's hair and jerks him to the canvas too, hugely annoying the Englishman before the first minute is out. Ospreay makes a fool of him back by using his speed and athleticism to leave him totally bewitched and confused in the aisle. His skill and precision has Rhodes in trouble...but Cody is ultra-smart and pounces the second Ospreay gets over-confident. He tries a springboard move only for the American Nightmare to leap and cut him in half on the ropes. Cody works the ribs and back which has an immediate impact in slowing Will down. The Aerial Assassin is completely grounded, stuck in a match ideally paced for his opponent to grind him down. Handspring overhead kick rocks Cody, but even then the Nightmare is up before his injured opponent. Cody aims a boot at Ospreay, who counters into an awesome leg-capture cravat suplex. Red Star Press into a SPRINGBOARD CORKSCREW SENTON gets 2...but of course leaves Will on the ground gasping for air. OsCutter blocked, then we go up the ropes for a STALLING SUPERPLEX which crushes Ospreay's midsection again. Alabamaslam gets 2! He punches the ribs repeatedly until Will literally collapses to the ground and looks unable to stand. Cross Rhodes blocked...SUPERKICK...NO SOLD! PELE KICK! NO SOLD! POWERSLAM by Rhodes gets 2! HANDSPRING MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR BY OSPREAY! Pip Pip Cheerio nailed. OsCutter COUNTERED WITH THE DISASTER KICK! CROSS RHODES! Cody gets the big win at 13:06

Rating - **** - Thus far in his ROH career Cody has been inconsistent, and sometimes even lazy in the ring. But when he is switched on, as he was tonight, and when he gets an opponent his style meshes well with - like Ospreay - he can deliver a terrific match. This was thrilling stuff, with Cody's body language, facials, character and delivery as crucial to the match (and as enjoyable to watch) as the theatrics and aerial artistry if Ospreay. I wish they'd have gotten more time, as it felt like they were on for an MOTYC if they could have kept up that pace for another few minutes, but it's almost boring using that criticism on these ROH/NJPW joint supershows when there is so much talent booked. This is a match well worth going out of your way to see.

One thing you can usually guarantee from these ROH/NJPW events is that if Naito is booked then he won't be trying very hard. House show Naito isn't always the best watch, although in the 2016 tour I seem to remember he had a couple of decent matches (against the now-departed Kyle O'Reilly and Moose). That means BUSHI will need to do much of the heavy lifting against a motivated Kingdom duo who are here to make their name at the expense of Naito and Los Ingobernables de Japon. Taven gets a World Title shot in Dearborn, so won't want to lose here...

As usual, Naito gets a rockstar reception, despite the fact he'll no doubt treat this entire match with total contempt. Marseglia steers into the skid of being the least popular guy in the match and gets a monster heel reception by attacking Naito from behind to get us started. Bushi hits a high octane tope suicida on both Kingdom members...whilst his partner lies down in the ring (and gets twice as big a pop as anyone else). Taven jumps Naito whilst in his Tranquilo pose, again drawing a big response. It quickly fizzles out as The Kingdom isolate Naito though. Vinny makes a mess of a Slingblade attempt (although Naito lazily positioning himself was as much to blame as Vincent) but maintains control, even finding time to ditch Bushi to the floor when he tries to interfere. Finally Naito hits a tornado DDT and makes the much-needed tag to Bushi. His illusive speed is a difference maker and he finds multiple ways to scatter both opponents. Fisherman neckbreaker gets 2 on Matt, then Bushi blocks the Proton Pack to bring back a rejuvenated Naito. He and Taven mess something up in the corner...then he and Marseglia cock up a Russian legsweep seconds later. And then they mess up a powerbomb as well. This is a goddamn mess. Even the commentators are having to talk about things like jetlag effecting the New Japan guys. Marseglia blocks Destino and hits a Sick Kick. Bushi chases him up the ropes...and gives him the GREEN MIST! Naito low blows him into Destino for the win at 10:05

Rating - * - I usually rag on Naito on these NJPW US tours for not trying very hard, but his matches aren't usually this bad. This was a complete mess, with mis-steps and obvious botches coming thick and fast. Whether you attribute it to Naito not trying very hard, Marseglia or Taven making mistakes, nerves or whatever this was a lousy match. The saving grace, however, was BUSHI, who did nothing wrong and entertained me whenever he was involved. I quite liked the idea of The Kingdom singling out Naito and being a dick to him - which really worked given how over Naito was with the fans - but unfortunately that meant a lot of those three in the ring together, and they were all having an off night.

All three teams would love an ROH Tag Title shot at the Young Bucks, making this a high stakes match even against the backdrop of an inter-promotional rivalry. The Briscoes are Six-Man Tag Champions, but still getting over a couple of crushing losses to the Bucks in Tag Title competition. Being Trios Champions also puts a target on their back, particularly to Silas and Bruiser who have been open in their desire to challenge for that title. Silas has been vocal in the past about how much he dislikes the New Japan talent coming in and taking spots at high profile shows. SANADA makes his ROH debut, whilst EVIL returns to the company he served on excursion as Takaaki Watanabe (with mixed success) - and like the Briscoes they are two thirds of the Six-Man Tag Champions of their home promotion. The LIJ representatives would love to leapfrog both the ROH teams in the hunt for the Bullet Club's Jackson brothers...

Silas refuses to let the popular LIJ team start; blind-tagging Evil out before he can lock-up with Mark Briscoe. He and Mark work a really fun near-miss chain-wrestling sequence - so fun apparently that Young is moved to belatedly follow the Code Of Honor. Of course it's a scheme though...he cheap-shots Mark then tags BCB in. Payback for Evil though - Bruiser moves too close to the LIJ corner and the former Watanabe forcibly tags BCB out. The Briscoes team up to maul Evil...meaning he falls into the Milwaukee corner and Bruiser tags him back out. Double-team ocean cyclone suplex by Silas and Beer City gets 2 on Mark. The younger Briscoe is the victim of a sustained period of abuse from Bruiser and Young whilst the Los Ingobernables team watch from the apron with absolutely minimal interest. Sanada legally tags in for the first time...and his first act is to feed Jay to the floor where Evil is waiting to ram him into the railing (via an unfortunate cameraman). Paradise Lock makes Jay look stupid as he struggles to shake off the cobwebs from his trip to the outside. Mark tags and gives Evil the fisherman buster for 2. Froggy Bow thwarted by Bruiser, causing Mark to eat a NECK DROP German suplex from the King Of Darkness. BACK DROP DRIVER by Sanada for 2. KEG SPLASH by Bruiser, only for the returning Sanada to break the pin. Roaring Elbow from Jay to Sanada! Killer Combo on Evil! Urinage from Mark to Silas! CANNONBALL OFF THE APRON through three people on the floor by Beer City! BLOCKBUSTER/SOMERSAULT SENTON COMBO TO THE FLOOR by Mark to wipe out both the Milwaukee boys. Cactus Elbow follows that as well, then Mark climbs to the top. Day One Neckbreaker/Froggy Bow combo sees Briscoes to victory over Beer City Bruiser at 14:26

Rating - *** - This was so much better than that terrible Kingdom/LIJ tag we just sat through. Some of this did feel filler and low key, and at times just felt like a Briscoes vs Silas/Bruiser 2-vs-2 match with EVIL and Sanada contributing as much as a fan in the front row. But I was consistently entertained, from the awesome Silas/Mark wrestling sequence to LIJ and Silas/Bruiser trying to out-heel each other. This came from nowhere and wound up being one of the better matches on the show so far...

These two had an absolute classic at the first ever War Of The Worlds event in 2014, so bringing them back together here instantly makes this one of the 'box office' matches scheduled for the 2017 tour. Kevin Kelly has always put over Kushida as wanting to win Ring Of Honor championships, so of course a victory over the former World, TV and Pure Champion would be a substantial boost to the prospect of that happening. He comes in stone cold though, after consecutive and emphatic high profile losses to LIJ's Hiromu Takahashi in Japan. Lethal himself is preparing for a World Title shot at the PPV at the end of the week - challenging Christopher Daniels in a match which his rival Cody Rhodes has also muscled in on. Can he compartmentalise that and focus on victory this evening?

The opening exchanges are intense as the two super-talented athletes jockey for position and superiority. They try to one-up each other by trading cartwheel dropkick spots, before Kushida gets serious and stomps at Lethal's arm - which was heavily bandaged coming into the match. Jay swats him away trying to protect his arm, but is knocked out of the ring with a handspring kick. Springboard dropkick/tope suicida combo in response by the former World Champion! Kushida takes a spill into the guardrails and is so wounded afterwards he actually struggles to beat Todd Sinclair's count back into the ring. Lethal spots that he is nursing his back and delivers repeated backbreakers in an attempt to further that injury. Even Kushi's strikes are weakened now, with Lethal able to shake them off and pulverise the back again with a back suplex for 2. Kushida, already in the midst of an NJPW career slump, looks crestfallen but somehow blocks a Lethal superplex attempt - by hammerlocking that bandaged arm! SECOND ROPE HAMMERLOCK DDT NAILED! Both men down, but in a single move Kushida has drastically altered the trajectory of this contest. Jay leaves the ring to buy some time - but repeated punts to his injured arm leave him slumped in an open chair. Running dropkick TO THE ARM and through the chair! Superkick by Lethal...Lethal Injection  COUNTERED TO A CROSS ARMBREAKER! Lethal counters that into a Figure 4 Leglock - a move made substantially harder to counter because Kushida's back injury means even getting to the ropes is challenging. He kicks his way free and goes for a Tajiri handspring elbow...only for Lethal to counter into a Blue Thunder Driver. HAIL TO THE KING COUNTERED TO A F*CKING TRIANGLE CHOKE! ONE-ARMED BUCKLE BOMB BY LETHAL! Kushida tries an ill-advised dive off the ropes...right into an Ace Crusher for 2. The Franchise of ROH tees up his big finish but Kushida ignores it and elbows him in the jaw. KUSHIDA INJECTION! HOVERBOARD LOCK! LETHAL ROLLS FREE! PELE KICK! Satellite DDT...BACK TO THE FUTURE! Kushida wins at 16:42

Rating - ****1/2 - This is one of my favourite matches from ROH all year. I questioned New Japan's booking of Kushida back during the Honor Rising 2017 shows as they hid him away right at the bottom of the cards - even though he has been a huge hit with the Ring Of Honor fanbase. ROH didn't make a similar mistake, giving him premier billing and a stage to steal the show with their 'franchise'. The beauty of this match was that it worked both as a standalone contest but even moreso as a sequel to their first match. Everything was more intense here, every move had significance and at every turn the stakes felt higher. Lethal is battling to protect his spot and prepare for a World Title shot. Kushida wants the spot Lethal has, wants title shots in ROH and wanted to rebound from his catastrophic losses to Hiromu Takahashi. Both could've sold their respective injuries better, and I preferred the Hoverboard Lock as a finish over Back To The Future as it had more relevance to the match-long arc of Kushida attacking Jay's arm, but they were minor observations. This was top drawer professional wrestling and one of ROH's best bouts of 2017 so far.

For some reason all the NJPW wrestlers have had their entrances dubbed over with generic rock and, in the instance of Tanahashi's, it's particularly terrible. This will be billed as an international dream trios match to close the show. The Elite team up in ROH once again, this time with the Ace of New Japan and ROH's World Champion in their sights. Of course Omega and Tanahashi coming together is hugely significant on this, the only WOTW 2017 show Kenny is booked for (since his visa for the US didn't come through). But we also have more of the rivalry between the Young Bucks and The Addiction and more of the Bucks coming for payback on Daniels and Kazarian for their actions at the 15th Anniversary.

Kenny only makes rare appearances in ROH, and is also Canadian, so gets a raucous reception - which even overdubbed music can't totally diminish. The Bucks make fun of Daniels, which is the physical embodiment of how much more significant they are to the company as Tag Champions than he is as World Champ. Using all his years of experience Daniels is more than equipped to embarrass them as well, eventually leaving all of The Elite on their asses looking time-outs. Frankie tags and tries to rough-house Nick into taking the match seriously, to no avail...which inevitably leads us to Omega and Tanahashi stepping into the fray. Kenny spits water into Tana's face, distracting him so the Jacksons can attack him from behind. The Elite takeover, clearing the ring so Nick can hit a somersault plancha to the floor! Rise Of The Terminator is blocked though, all-but cementing Tanahashi and The Addiction's status as heels this evening. TRIPLE SUPERKICK! That clears the decks for a second time, and they do get to break out the Rise Of The Terminator tope suicidas. Kazarian is isolated from his partners, mostly as an excuse for plenty of fan service and comedy offence. TRUST FALL SUPERKICKS! Into an elevated Swanton Bomb to the floor too. Kazarian tries to get '2 Sweets' from his 'former stablemates' in Bullet Club...referencing the scheme he and Daniels concocted to get the World Title from Adam Cole. Matt Jackson reacts angrily and slaps him, but makes a mistake and allows Kaz to tag out. Tanahashi cranks onto Matt's bad back with an abdominal stretch, before going back rake crazy on all of his opponents. Sitout powerbomb/somersault senton combo from The Addiction and the Ace gets 2. Omega comes to the rescue - flipping Matt into a standing Shiranui/DDT combo on both of The Addiction. Hot tag to Nick...who burns through both of them with the double stomp/lungblower combo! Moonsault off the apron takes out Frankie, and he returns to the ring with his brother for the frog splash/standing moonsault combo on the World Champion for 2. Blue Thunder Driver by Daniels! DOUBLE dragon screw by Tanahashi! Sling Blade blocked...and in sails Kenny to nail his rival with the Aoi Shoudou for a nearfall. Tana is alone fighting everyone in Bullet Club, eating the DR WILY BOMB from Omega...and watching as Daniels is decimated with Superkicks for trying to help. V-TRIGGER ON KAZ! SUPERKICK ON TANA! TOMIKAZE BY KAZ! ANGEL'S WINGS ON MATT! BOMA YE BY OMEGA! DRAGON RUSH FLURRY wipes out all three opponents as The Elite run riot. TRIPLE SUPERKICK ON DANIELS gets 2! Sling Blade by Tana as Kenny prepares to put the World Champion away. HIGH FLY FLOW! BEST MOONSAULT EVER! MATT SAVES by pulling Paul Turner out of the ring! ARABIAN PRESS TO THE FLOOR by Daniels takes both Matt and the ref out! ROPE RUN SPRINGBOARD SOMERSAULT PLANCHA BY NICK! HIGH FLY FLOW TO THE FLOOR BY TANAHASHI! SPRINGBOARD INDY-TAKER ON THE FLOOR MURDERS TANAHASHI! THE ACE IS DEAD! Kaz gives Nick the slingshot Ace Crusher, so he in turn is murdered with a SPRINGBOARD DDT ON THE APRON by Matt! Kotaro Crusher on Daniels, setting up the ELEVATED 450 SPLASH FOR 2! Omega grabs the ROH Title belt, but accidentally levels his own partner with it. INADVERTENT SUPERKICK ON TODD SINCLAIR! Cody Rhodes runs in and steals the World Title from Daniels, creating a distraction that sets Daniels up for the V-TRIGGER! POP-UP INDY-TAKER! ONE-WINGED ANGEL! Cody revives Paul Turner and throws him in to count down as Omega pins the World Champion at 27:38

Rating - **** - They gave The Elite crew a LOT of time for this. They are so clearly ROH's main draw now that you can understand why, but I will say that if you don't enjoy the 'Being The Elite' style of rabble-rousing, 'killing the business' wrestling then the first half of this match isn't the easiest watch. It is basically fifteen minutes of The Elite goofing around with the fans and getting worshipped for it. The second half was absolutely sensational though. High spots galore, men diving all over the building, Tanahashi putting in as much effort as any of the NJPW guys on the show, Omega hitting all his greatest hits, building to a car crash finish with referees getting KO'd everywhere, a Cody run-in to build to the PPV in New York and the genuinely intriguing conclusion of Omega pinning the ROH World Champion - cock-teasing us all that ROH would actually be able to secure Kenny to challenge for the ROH Championship somewhere down the road...which we didn't get therefore making the finish come off like another stark reminder that The Elite, New Japan and Bullet Club are able to pull rank over EVERYTHING in Ring Of Honor - including their World Champion. I can't deny that this is a little bloated with long stretches devoted solely to stroking the egos of Omega and the Bucks. But, as before, they are so much more over than anyone else on the show that the live crowd were going crazy for it. Stick with this if you find the first half tough going, because the pay-off in the end is well-worth it

Frankie Kazarian dives into the ring to retrieve the prone body of his tag team partner as Cody and The Elite stand ominously over him. 

Tape Rating - *** - This was an enjoyable show, in ways that I didn't perhaps expect. Watching Hirooki Goto and Shane Taylor go at it wasn't exactly a dream match of mine, but them smashing the sh*t out of each other was really fun. Cody and Will Ospreay could've been a really ugly clash of styles - but their match was outstanding. The Briscoes/LIJ/Real Men triple threat tag encounter definitely wasn't one of the matches I was looking forward to checking out...but it was really good. And all that was before the two main events, which were great on paper and completely delivered. Kushida/Lethal was an exceptional wrestling match and completely stole the show for me. There is some real crap on here, Bully going over Martinez and Hangman standing out as another spectacular dumb piece of booking and talent management, but the good significantly outweighs the bad. I don't look forward to these NJPW US tour shows like some; I watch the New Japan guys on their own shows, working significantly harder in better matches...so don't need to see them hogging ROH shows and cruising along in house show mode. This, however, was an enjoyable DVD, which I felt the star presence and NJPW athletes largely contributed to.

3) Kenny Omega/Young Bucks vs Christopher Daniels/Frankie Kazarian/Hiroshi Tanahashi (****)

2) Cody vs Will Ospreay (****)

1) Kushida vs Jay Lethal (****1/2)