McXal's Reviews

'Best In The World' is Sinclair's show. Since they bought into Ring Of Honor this is always the one they've promoted as one of the biggest in the calendar year. It's usually the event that they try to shoehorn in a World Title change - whether the story makes sense and calls for it or not. From Davey Richards beating Eddie Edwards in 2011, Michael Elgin beating Adam Cole in 2014 or Jay Lethal beating Jay Briscoe in 2015. The fact that, as an event, it is so synonymous with the SBG takeover, is possibly why it's rarely the show I look forward to most. It is a pay-per-view once again this year which usually means anything you're looking forward to tonight won't get enough time. The card itself is packed though. The main event is controversial as Cody gets yet another undeserved World Title shot against beloved ROH Champion Christopher Daniels. All the titles are on the line tonight too - with Kushida defending the TV Title in a rematch against Marty Scurll, the Young Bucks defending against War Machine once again and the Six-Man Titles up for grabs when Dalton Castle & The Boys challenge the Briscoes and Bully Ray. The undercard will see huge grudge match showdowns in the form of Jay Lethal versus Silas Young and a Strap Match between Frankie Kazarian and Adam Page. We'll also see the 'pay-off' to the Search & Destroy vs Rebellion angle when the two sides meet in an 8-Man with the losing group forced to disband. Ian Riccaboni and BJ Whitmer are in Lowell, MA - at the same scenic building we saw All Star Extravaganza 6 in last year.

Wolf makes her debut this evening. She is diminutive, distinctive and a multi-sport athlete but has spent most of her career primarily working in Japan. Her appearance here is hyped as being part of the working relationship ROH enjoys with STARDOM. Deonna and Mandy have a competitive rivalry but are now built as the core of the WOH division and the young stars it will be built around. Sakai is a veteran and will be hoping her partner can help her make a point and prove her worth at the expense of the 'young lionesses' so to speak...

Wolf and her eccentric mannerisms make a quick impression - especially when she starts biting Mandy's ass. She is rapid, crisp and a real challenge for Mandy to keep up with. Bob Evans is on commentary and calls Deonna the 'best women's wrestler in the world'. She smiles broadly and demonstrates a skillset so broad that even the experienced Sakai struggles to lay a finger on her. She and Leon hit some combo moves on Sumie - none of which are impressive as the bone-crunching GERMAN SUPLEX that Purrazzo almost wins the match with. Wolf sprints in and nails Deonna with an exploder suplex for 2. STEREO victory rolls by Kris and Sumie gets 2 as well. Leon and Sakai start brawling on the floor, as in the ring Wolf hits the diving double knee drop. Havana Dreams by Mandy, but on the other side of the ring she misses Kris cradles Deonna for a three-count. Wolf and Sumie win at 05:07.

Rating - ** - This was really good. Sadly the issue is that when you book a whole division around essentially working dark matches nothing ever gets enough time. They packed as much as they good into five minutes. Wolf and Purrazzo really excelled. Sumie was the same old solid hand she always is, and they minimised the amount of time Leon's lack of experience was able to show. Fun whilst it lasted, but too short to be of any relevance at all. 

The show opens with what seems to be a cheesy promo video about what it means to be the 'best'. Cody crashes it with an electric little monologue, calling ROH a 'fifteen-year-old indy company waiting for its big break', Daniels a World Champion 'twenty years too late' and himself an 'outsider who within six months has brought this company to its knees'. This did more to make me want to see Cody than any other time he's spoken in ROH so far...

CMLL representatives are back for this show, and once again Matt Taven - a man who has toured CMLL himself - is stepping up to meet them. He and Vinny even ripped Guerrero's own moves off during a recent episode of ROH television so this is very much personal. They want to make an example of the visiting lucha stars. The Kingdom have an elaborate entrance - including Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo (who are both excellent workers in their own right) appearing as what appears to be Geisha girls for Taven!? TK O'Ryan is out with them tonight too. Lucha rules are in effect...

Marseglia and Terrible start, each utterly thrilled at the ludicrous facial expressions they are able to pull. The wrestling isn't particularly electifying but Vinny looks to be struggling to make any kind of impact on El T. Taven tags and quickens the pace to such an extent he's able to drive Terrible out of the ring. Ultimo enters...with a basement dropkick so explosive that Taven is sent packing too. GUARDRAIL LEAP OF FAITH by Team CMLL! O'Ryan helps his stable-mates by whacking Guerrero in the ribs with his crutch. Vinny wants to take advantage, but eats the headstand Bronco Buster from Guerrero. Ultimo tries it a second time...only to eat a superkick from Matt. Terrible takes a big run up and lands a tope suicida. TOP ROPE DIVE BY ULTIMO! Tope suicida by Marseglia as well. AIR TAVEN NAILED! Proton Pack on El T gets 2. Guerrero crotches Matt in the corner and hits the Guerrero Special! Redrum by Vinny! Rock Star Supermova blocked into a schoolboy pin for Ultimo. Team  CMLL nab a victory at 11:07

Rating - *** - As an opening match I couldn't find much to dislike about this. The quality of the in-ring content when Terrible and Marseglia were in there together wasn't great, but they were both sufficiently weird and kooky that it masked the deficiencies of their wrestling. Taven looked as good in this match as he has at any point since returning from injury which is a benefit. Ultimo Guerrero is a little under-rated in my eyes. He's not someone I'd ever go out of my way to see - but having seen plenty of him on tape/DVD in my time, and even seen him live (at the forthcoming War Of The Worlds UK Tour) the dude is big, physical and always gets a reaction from the crowd. These four meshed well together and did lots to engage the live audience in the show - which is the point of an opener. I'd question whether bringing in the CMLL chaps is worth it if you have to put them over your core roster (especially an act like The Kingdom which ROH are trying to build up) but the wrestling side of this was surprisingly good.

Bullet Club and their 'problem solver' Hangman Page are still gunning for revenge on Frankie for what he did at the 15th Anniversary. He joined the group in an elaborate scheme which culminated at the PPV when he screwed his Bullet Club 'stablemate' out of the World Title, handing victory to Frankie's best friend and tag partner Christopher Daniels. But this has now grown personal between Page and Kaz. Adam Cole is out of Bullet Club and out of ROH, but still the hatred burns deeply within both of these two. With a major pay-per-view stage to play on, each plan on administering a hell of a beating to their arch rival this evening. This isn't a 'touch the turnbuckles' Strap Match - it is simply each man being armed with a leather strap to flog their opponent with.

Page rakes the eyes to avoid any early damage, which apparently disturbs Kazarian so significantly that he starts going for flash pins in the first minute of this 'grudge match'. SLINGSHOT RANA TO THE FLOOR! Hangman responds by dumping Kaz into the guardrails then exposing the wooden floor of the building. Frankie swings his strap to block it and suplexes Page ON THE STAIRS! Next he uses Page's strap to tie his hands together...only for Hangman to escape with the Buckshot Lariat! Page steals Kaz's strap and tosses it away. The torsos of both men are covered in welts already. Strap-enforced lariat scores for Page, dazing Kazarian for long enough to allow Hangman to use his noose to tie him to the ropes. Page absolutely FLOGS THE SH*T out of Kaz! Page pulls out a leather strap covered in nails and tacks! That's crazy! But he takes so long getting it that Kazarian is able to fight back with the slingshot cutter. The Addiction member also goes to retrieve his original strap - and uses it to hit a lungblower. Tomikaze gets 2! Frankie goes for the nailed up strap. RITE OF PASSAGE! FOR 2! PAGE FLOGS HIM WITH THE NAIL COVERED STRAP! HOLY SH*T! Kazarian's back bleeds profusely - so much so that he actually grabs it by the tacks and nails to stop it. PAGE EATS NAILS! PRESS SLAM ON THE EXPOSED FLOOR! Frankie HANGS PAGE WITH A STRAP! Page does an incredible job selling that like total death, and taps out to give Kaz the win at 11:56

Rating - **** - As always, when Hangman Page is given an opportunity he steps up and smashes it out of the park. The guy is obscenely talented, brutally under-rated and cruelly under-utilised by ROH. This was a brilliant little match, pointedly violent without ever trying to be flash or riddled with moves. It felt as much like an authentic example of two guys actually hating each other as I can remember seeing in a long time. A minor quibble would be that I'd have preferred Page to go over (especially considering they literally just had him beat Adam Cole on television). But then again we've seen him 'win the big one' then go nowhere so many times maybe it doesn't matter. He was superb in this and so obviously a supremely talented worker. 

It is The Rebellion vs Search & Destroy; the losing faction must disband. Even ROH couldn't cobble together enough meaningful footage of this 'feud' to make a credible video package so they have voiceover guy try his hardest to sell this as a battle for the future of ROH instead. I like that they point out that both teams are filled with a unique mix of seasoned veterans and hungry rising stars. Taylor, Gresham and White have arguably been some of ROH's best performers in 2017 though, whilst the likes of King and Shelley have barely wrestled. Which group will survive the night?

Fists fly in the aisle before either team get into the ring and the match officially starts with fights all over ringside. S&D gang up on Coleman, setting up Sabin's Hesitation Dropkick in the corner. King gives Gresham the rope-jump guillotine, feeding him into Caprice's ringpost 619 and Titus' guardrail lariat. White has to save Gresh when he is about to be pinned...and is gang attacked by the entire Rebellion as a result. It means the Rebels can continue isolating Gresham, including Caprice hitting the Trinity in glorious fashion. The Octopus reaches out and makes a critical tag to White - once again putting the New Zealander in a 4-on-1 situation. He judo suplexes Kenny into the turnbuckles before throwing chops in the direction of Taylor. ASCS Rush by the Machine Guns - finally joining the party almost nine minutes in! Dream Sequence on nailed on King, followed by a superkick/German combo with Jay for 2. Sky Splitter/Big Dawg Splash combo by Caprice and Rhett! Shane delivers the diving splash on White for a close nearfall. Jumping super rana nailed by Coleman - as Gresham slips in the ropes and still hits a Asai moonsault. Through-the-legs tope by Sabin! GERMAN SUPLEX from White to Taylor! Skull & Bones on Titus! SHOOTING STAR SKULL & BONES BY GRESHAM! FOR 2! Octopus on Titus! Border City Stretch on Taylor! Cobra Stretch from White to King! Cloverleaf from Sabin to Coleman! RHETT TAPS TO GRESHAM! Search & Destroy win at 12:35

Rating - *** - A hectic and vibrant multi-man tag match that provided something for most types of wrestling fans. It did feel a little heatless, but that is to be expected when this feud has been wholly underbaked. I came away thinking that King, Taylor, Gresham and White were all stars - and that felt like the mission of the match given the direction of travel for all four of those names in the aftermath of this. Determining a winner here must have been a strange process. On the one hand breaking Search & Destroy up makes more sense if White is going back to Japan soon. But on the other, The Rebellion just wasn't working as an angle. Forcibly separating Kenny from Rhett Titus opens the door to another attempt at a singles push for him (and also frees up Taylor, who had rapidly outgrown the group too). Ultimately I feel like putting S&D over was the right call, especially with Gresh getting the win.

Punishment Martinez invades the ring after the match and makes a beeline for Jay White to give him the South Of Heaven. Things are far from finished between those two men...

The main event match between these two at Unauthorized is in the running for my 2017 ROH MOTY so far. It really was that good, and ended with an incredibly memorable and emotional win for Silas in his hometown of Milwaukee against his most hated rival. He has been jealous of Lethal for a long time. They fought in 2016, each going the distance in the 2016 Honor Rumble before Young finally won that. It has reached the stage where Silas has so many wins over Lethal that he now believes he 'has his number'. Therefore he is even more irate that Lethal continues to be called 'the Franchise' and continues to get main event matches and 'sponsorship opportunities'. This is all about two athletes looking to prove once and for all who the better man truly is...

Lethal comes out through the crowd and NAILS Beer City Bruiser with a steel chair! It means we are in for an honourable one-on-one match. They exchange blows on the floor before dialling it up to trade trips into the guardrails. GUARDRAIL SUPERPLEX by Lethal! He hops back up the railings too, but MISSES Hail To The King to the floor! Silas dodges the springboard dropkick as well before retaliating with the slingshot double stomp. It looks like Jay's ribs are hurt and he visibly hesitates when thinking about a Lethal Injection. Young profits with a tilta-whirl backbreaker to make the problem even worse. He does counter an abdominal stretch into his signature hiptoss/dropkick combo. Jay starts going over Young's neck and back - even at the expense of further hurting his own injured midsection. The sluggish former World Champion hesitates and stalls trying to decide which turnbuckle to try another Macho Elbow from...and in a flash Young capitalises with a springboard clothesline. Superkick by Jay knocks him to the floor...TOPE SUICIDA INTO THE GUARDRAIL! He does it a second time; this time absolutely smashing Young's back into the barricade. He tries it a third time...SILAS LIFTS A CHAIR INTO HIS FACE! Why isn't that a DQ?! Even commentary can't explain that to me, as Todd Sinclair merrily starts a count-out sequence like nothing happened. Both competitors barely beat the count back in; each groggily swinging strikes and struggling to stand. LETHAL INJECTION COUNTERED! MISERY COUNTERED! SUPERKICK! HAIL TO THE KING! Silas kicks out...then small packages Lethal for 2 when he tries a Figure 4. Killer Combo blasts Lethal's injured midsection still further. The Last Real Man then applies his own Figure 4 - lifting one of Jay's preferred moves and using it to exacerbate a knee injury which Jay has struggled with for months. Lethal escapes that...then counters the Plunge into a crucifix pin for 2. BACK DROP DRIVER by Silas! PLUNGE NAILED...but his own injuries mean he didn't get all of it and Lethal is able to kick out. It frustrates Silas, who tries to bring Beer City Bruiser's keg into the ring. That causes a real kerfuffle, during which Todd Sinclair is knocked to the floor and misses Young pinning Lethal for three! By the time Todd is back Lethal flips Silas into a pin...AND WINS! 16:24 is the time.

Rating - **** - It didn't have the electric crowd or raw emotion of the Milwaukee match, but these two have unreal chemistry together. The reason this feud is really connecting with me is that it feels like an 'old school' ROH feud. It isn't complex, it doesn't have endless video packages or gimmicks to tell me why I should buy into it - it is just two tough and talented guys butting heads over who the better wrestler is. Each match they have feels gruelling and hard-fought. Each time they wrestle they adopt a slightly different strategy whilst carrying the same rugged intensity. I'm so happy that they successfully translated it from house shows to PPV (and were given enough ring-time to do so). I didn't particularly like the finish, or the bizarre chair spot in the middle, but even with those two elements not being to my taste this felt like a war. And the finish definitely suggests we'll being seeing more of them too - which I'm excited to see. 

Young is furious at the loss and is joined by Bruiser for a swift and brutal beatdown of 'the Franchise'. MISERY ON THE KEG! That devastates the ribs that Silas has worked on all match. Not content with that, Bruiser splashes the keg into the ribs in the corner as well. And they still aren't done! They put Lethal onto an open table on the floor. TOP ROPE KEG SPLASH THROUGH THE TABLE ON THE FLOOR BY BRUISER! HOLY HELL THAT IS INSANE! 

Nobody is trying to pretend that Dalton and The Boys are top tier contenders for the Six-Man belts. This match is happening because of one man - Jay Briscoe. He was so pissed off that one of Dalton's Boys caused him to lose a match to Los Ingobernables de Japon (Jay isn't pinned often) that he has started a one man campaign for vengeance against the aforementioned Boys. Dalton Castle has tried to stop it - but stepped up to defend the Twins...and Jay has effectively nominated his team to defend their belts this evening so he can be in the same ring with them. Mark and Bully have struggled to keep his temper in check, and know they'll have their work cut out to keep him focused on retaining the gold. Dalton's pre-match promo comparing he and The Boys to a pack of velociraptors is wildly fun.

Jay of course starts for his team and that effectively forces Dalton to start for his trio in order to protect The Boys. Jay immediately tries to chase the Twins around the ring and has to be dragged back by his little brother and told to focus on the match. Mark eventually has to take over for the champs, even though he is out of his element and forced to mat wrestle with Castle. Dalton throws one of the Boys at Mark like a weapon - bombing him out of the ring and turning to taunt Jay some more. Bully tags in and no sells all of Dalton's offence. He acts super duper serious...but then starts dancing and posing with him instead. Thankfully Jay Briscoe isn't breaking character during all of this - refusing to take his eyes off the Boys and still being talked down by his brother. Ian decides that Boy #1 has darker hair, which works for me. Bubba hauls them in then unleashes Jay Briscoe...but #2 kicks him in the balls behind the referee's back! Dalton tags and tosses Jay around with a flurry of amateur-style suplex throws. Superplex blocked into a SUPER GOURDBUSTER by Jay! Mark tags in with Redneck Kung Fu on The Boys. Cut-Throat Driver attempted on Boy #1, and when Dalton comes to the rescue Mark gives him the Fisherman Buster instead. Bubba grabs Boy #2...for the Wassup Froggy Bow. CRAZY MAN TOPE BY JAY! I'm pretty sure Bubba just loudly called Mark 'Jay' somewhere in the midst of that too. Briscoe tries to obliterate The Boys with a chair - chasing them into the crowd even with Bully trying to restrain him. It leaves Mark alone in the ring with Castle, and the Party Peacock schoolboy pins him from behind to score one of the biggest upsets in ROH history. Dalton & The Boys are the third ever ROH Six-Man Champions at 13:01

Rating - ** - Stripping the Bully Ray factor out of this match, it was actually quite enjoyable. Castle goofed around but looked really bad ass by refusing to back down from Bully or tossing around both Briscoe brothers with ease. Jay Briscoe's short fuse and fragile grip on his temper at all times is a long-running story arc that has spanned the majority of his ROH career. It was fun seeing that play out with comedy characters like The Boys. His 'angry Jay' act with the Tate Twins is legitimately comical and played into the finish. My big issue with this, once again, is that the Trios Titles continue to look like a complete joke. The booking of the initial tournament was middling. Then they were used to make the 'new Kingdom' relevant. Then when that didn't work out they were a prop to give Bubba Ray something to do in ROH. And now they are on The Boys - who can barely considered active members of the roster? This championship has already been reduced to a meaningless prop rather than a title of any significance. I fully support getting them off the Briscoes and Bully, and there is undeniable humour in having Dalton and The Boys be the trio that dethrones the bearded testosterone-fest that was the previous champs. BUT - where are we going with them now? This title change feels like a joke, done for a cheap crowd pop and some easy 'buzz'...and suggests there is minimal long-term planning going on with them.

This is a rematch from Episode #299 of ROH on Sinclair when, with a little assistance from Adam Cole in his final televised appearance, Kushida dethroned The Villain to become the new ROH Television Champion. Marty had bemoaned the 'lack of competition' in ROH and invited outsiders from across the wrestling landscape to challenge him. How ironic then that, just as Scurll is poised to make a splash within the NJPW junior division, arguably the top dog amongst the NJPW junior roster would strike to take his belt. Can Scurll recover his precious championship at the first opportunity? Kushida has sh*tty generic rock music dubbed over his theme which sucks. It's so loud that you can't even hear the commentary. He has actually dragged the Best Of Super Juniors trophy all the way to the US with him though which is pretty committed.

Kushida tries to ride Scurll on the canvas and start picking apart the challenger's arm...only for Marty to match him every step of the way and battle him to a stalemate. Marty starts using old Nigel McGuinness chain-wrestling transitions which I love, but he gets cocky and almost gets tapped out with a cross armbreaker. His arm is hurt (Kushida notices and gives it a few kicks)...so he aggressively goes after Kushida's arm too. The Chickenwing is blocked but an arm wrench over the rope isn't. Kushida retaliates with a handspring kick to the shoulder. Too early for Back To The Future though and Scurll counters to a fisherman neckbreaker. The Villain clearly prefers a slower pace and grins broadly as he holds the champ on the ground to methodically pick apart the arm. TURNBUCKLE EXPLODER by Kushida! Handspring kick in the corner...FLYING HOVERBOARD LOCK! But Marty has done enough damage to enable an escape. Back To The Future countered by going to the fingers...only for Kushida to counter back with the Tanaka Punch. JUMPING PILEDRIVER gets 2 for Scurll. Chickenwing COUNTERED with kicks to the arm! Stomp to the arm by Marty! Just Kidding! Tajiri handspring elbow blocked into a backslide for 2! This is just unreal as a display of counter-wrestling here. Tumbling DDT by Kushida, only for Scurll to grab his fingers. Chickenwing...countered to the Pele...blocked back to the Chickenwing...COUNTERED TO THE HOVERBOARD LOCK! WHAT A SEQUENCE! Kick to the arm by Marty to break. NO SOLD! PELE KICK! BOTH MEN DOWN! Kushida is up first, giving Scurll Bryan Danielson-style unprotected face stomps. Back To The Future blocked INTO MMA ELBOWS! CHICKENWING! Kushida refuses to tap. FINGER SNAP! DOUBLE CHICKENWING! Kushida makes the ropes - causing fans to twig that he might be retaining and audibly starting to boo as a result. Kushida tears at his wrist pads and finger tape in pain. TOP ROPE FINGER SNAP BY KUSHIDA! SUPER BACK TO THE FUTURE! ROLLED INTO BACK TO THE FUTURE AGAIN! Kushida retains at 14:58

Rating - ****1/2 - 2017 is a down year for ROH, but there haven't been many more matches that I've enjoyed all year than that one. The match on TV was extremely disappointing - not through lack of quality, only for how little time they were given. Even this wasn't a LONG match, but it was long enough for them to conjure up something really special. Both are charismatic and emotive performers. Kushida is one of the best fiery babyface workers in the business today, and Marty is just so unbelievably over. The crowd were all in on this match from the entrances alone. They didn't try anything fancy; attacking each other's arms like motherf*ckers, trying to set up their respective arm submission finish. As the pace quickened they didn't just have one sensational sequence of counter-wrestling in them. No, the second half of this match is basically ALL counters - done so slickly and smoothly. Fans didn't know where they were going or what they were going to be hit with next, but knew they were on a hell of a ride. This felt like a show-stealing bout and affirmation that Marty Scurll is now without question one of ROH's top guys (even in defeat).

Up next we are set for the scheduled Tag Title showdown between the Young Bucks and War Machine. But before they can get started the Best Friends crash the party and demand to be put into the match as well. Ever the fighting champs, the Bucks agree to it!

The Bucks and War Machine were tied at 1-1 in 2017. The Bucks successfully defended the ROH Tag Titles against them at The Experience, before the two teams went to Japan for Honor Rising 2017, where Hanson and Rowe got a (non-title) win back. War Machine later went on to win the IWGP Tag Titles...but then lost them to Bullet Club. Meanwhile the Bucks recently won the IWGP Junior Tag Belts back. The third match in this series had been hotly anticipated...but throwing Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor into the mix certainly complicates things. They hold a win over the Bucks (in a trios match at Episode #299), and stand a real chance of winning the Tag Titles in their first ever ROH match as a two-man tag team tonight!

War Machine don't seem happy at the inclusion of the Best Friends at all - and charge up the aisle as soon as they are added. They get more heat for smearing them into the ground with Shotgun Knees and Bronco Busters when Taylor and Beretta try to hug in the middle of the ring too. Rise Of The Terminator blocked...TOPE ATOMICO BY TRENT instead! CORKSCREW MOONSAULT BY NICK! Cement Mixer from Rowe to Chuckie. Hanson decks Nick with the Cartwheel Lariat. Superkick on Beretta! Nick Jackson tries to fight both members of War Machine at once - finding time to give Taylor a Superkick in the aisle too. PRAYING MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR BY MATT!  RUNNING SOMERSAULT SENTON OFF THE STAGE BY CHUCKIE T! TOP ROPE SOMERSAULT PLANCHA BY HANSON! MISSED MOONSAULT DUEL between the Bucks and the Best Friends. Hanson-sault COUNTERED WITH A ROPE RUN GERMAN SUPERPLEX by Trent. Best Friend Chokeslam gets 2 on Hanson. SUPERKICK DUEL! ALL SIX DOWN! Sole Food on the apron by Taylor. SPRINGBOARD DDT ON THE APRON BY MATT! DECAPITATION ON THE FLOOR from War Machine to Trent! FALLOUT nailed too but Chuck breaks the pin. SPRINGBOARD ASSISTED MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR BY NICK! Rowe blocks the Meltzer Driver! AWFUL WAFFLE! HANSON BREAKS THE PIN! JUDO THROW KNEE by Rowe basically smashes Trent's nose all over the mat! He is bleeding everywhere. POP-UP INDTAKER by the Bucks! They win, and put an end to the madness, at 12:26

Rating - **** - Changing this up and putting the Best Friends in was a bold call; it made it a completely different kind of match. The Bucks and War Machine had a hell of a bout at The Experience, and I was looking forward to seeing it reprised. But Hanson and Rowe's increased NJPW commitments mean that they've been basically absent from TV for a while, have participated in minimal build-up to hype this show and the third Bucks/War Machine match did feel underdone. Switching things up, tossing in the ultra-popular Best Friends and making it a Scramble Match was a brave decision - but it worked. This wasn't clever and wasn't one for the purists...but it was utterly bonkers for the entirety of the twelve minute run-time. Chuck and Trent are on the same wavelength as Matt and Nick Jackson so it isn't a surprised that they were down with tongue-in-cheek, high-spot orientated madness. But it was the performance of War Machine which was particularly fun here. They revelled in being the de facto heels; playing schoolyard bullies to perfection. They didn't miss a beat when hanging in this kind of match with the junior heavyweights...as if we needed a reminder of what a great team they are and how much ROH sh*t the bed in mismanaging them.

Daniels vs Bullet Club continues; he just can't seem to shake Cody Rhodes off. Since losing his grudge match with Jay Lethal at Supercard Of Honor, the American Nightmare has lost as many high profile matches as he has won...yet he continues to find ways to sneak through the back door into pay-per-view main event World Title matches. The free agent, controversy-seeking outsider somehow talked his way into Jay Lethal's big title rematch at War Of The Worlds. During that match he felt referee Todd Sinclair had missed a clear pinfall of his on Lethal...and apparently had his lawyers force the ROH 'Board Of Directors' into giving him another shot. Daniels welcomes another chance to beat him, and wants to use Cody's star power to elevate his own title reign onto the same level as the likes of Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, Nigel McGuinness and CM Punk. Are we about to see the free agent American Nightmare end the Christopher Daniels fairytale run?

Bullet Club's influence is now so great that Cody, as part of the group, is far more of a babyface than Daniels (who is roundly boo'd), which should make this 'nightmare scenario' storyline interesting. For better or worse he looks pumped for this and makes it an incredibly difficult start to the match for Daniels, who struggles to make an impact. When the champ does get some offence in Rhodes simply leaves the ring to recover...albeit with a busted lip. When he does come back Daniels simply drags him up by his bloody mouth and tries to hit Angel's Wings. Cody runs all the way into the crowd to recover after that. He quite literally keeps running away to prevent the champ from building momentum. Daniels is finally lured out of the ring and smashed into the guardrails. Arabian Press misses, allowing Rhodes to hit a hanging flatliner back inside for 2. ROPE RUN SPRINGBOARD ARMDRAG by Cody! That is rapturously received and fans loudly chant 'Daniels sucks' as he bounces around on the deck. Rhodes is so confident of victory he leaves the ring and picks an argument with Cary Silkin too. Back in the ring we get a ref bump...and whilst on the ground Todd fails to count a clear three-count for Daniels. The American Nightmare comes back by kicking the champion in the dick. Marty Scurll runs in and tosses a chair to Cody...but upon spotting that Todd is getting back to his feet Daniels goes down Eddie Guerrero style trying to con a DQ! ACE CRUSHER ON THE CHAIR. Frankie Kazarian arrives and drags Marty to the locker rooms, but with Sinclair still unsteady on his feet Cody has plenty of time to set up a table on the floor. Cody tries to rip-off beloved former ROH star Kevin Steen with a Package Piledriver, only for Daniels to counter with a flatliner on the apron. Cody blocks an attempt at Angel's Wings through a table...with a Rainmaker! He is literally trying EVERYTHING to get heat here, and still fans are chanting his name. DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD DISASTER KICK! Daniels stumbles through the ropes - but grabs Rhodes on the way for a BACK SUPLEX THROUGH THE TABLE! Back inside Cody clings to the ropes to escape the Koji Clutch, then spits water in Daniels' face - blinding him so he can hit Cross Rhodes for 2. BME misses...Angel's Wings countered with a rana. Disaster Kick ducked...Cross Rhodes! Cody is the new champion at 19:16

Rating - ** - There was some really good wrestling hidden away within this, but as a package it was overbooked, goofy and hopelessly awkward as the crowd flatly refused to get on board with the story and just cheered the guy they liked regardless. Cody could not have done anymore to get heat here. He stalled over and over again, he antagonised Cary, he stole moves from Kevin Steen and Kazuchika Okada...but the influence and drawing power of Bullet Club (in particular those associated with 'Being The Elite') is such that it didn't matter. Daniels as a limp, unpopular, ageing champion getting boo'd out of the building and pummelled into the dirt wasn't pleasant to watch. From a Bullet Club perspective it may have been sweet payback for his actions at the 15th Anniversary...but this wasn't a comfortable watch and didn't land with me at all. Ref bumps, run-ins, stalling, weapons, shenanigans...and even then the finish was totally flat. I don't disagree with the sentiment that Cody should be champion (although selfishly I wanted a longer Daniels reign)...but I don't think this worked. An ominous sign for what we can expect with the American Nightmare at the top of the company...

The sight of the Bucks and Marty in the ring literally filming for their YouTube show in the midst of an ROH PPV as an emotional Cody celebrates his win is a curious spectacle. Joyous and fun for fans of 'Being The Elite'...but a clear sign of just how reliant ROH is on these guys.

Tape Rating - *** - Chuck a better main event onto this and we are talking one of the best PPV's ROH under Sinclair have ever produced. There was some GREAT stuff on this show. Hangman/Kaz was a violent little treat early in the piece. Jay Lethal and Silas Young brought the workrate excellence yet again. Kushida and Marty Scurll stole the show with a brilliant junior heavyweight exhibition. Oh, and the Young Bucks crushed it in a crazy spot-fest like always. Even the blow-off to the uninspiring Rebellion vs Search & Destroy feud delivered a decent little match. The problem with this show, for the most part, is the main event (I've said enough to complain about both Bully Ray and ROH's booking of the Six-Man Title). I've alluded to it a couple of times this year, but the fact that Bullet Club (and in particular The Elite) are so much more popular than anything else is becoming a real headache. As an organisation Ring Of Honor is dangerously exposed and reliant upon those guys. And creatively it means that the popularity of that group trumps any angle ROH are running. Daniels working as a sad and beaten babyface, getting jeered out of the building whilst Cody desperately tried anything he could to get some heat (getting MORE fan support for doing so) didn't sit well with me. I found the entire main event an uncomfortable and troubling experience...which sucked my enjoyment of the whole pay-per-view down as a result.

3) Frankie Kazarian vs Adam Page (****)

2) Jay Lethal vs Silas Young (****)

1) Kushida vs Marty Scurll (****1/2)