ROH 466 - Manhattan Mayhem 7 - 3rd March 2018

It feels somewhat strange that we are into March and only on to ROH's second live event of the year. But we are now preparing for an intense schedule which will see the seventh Manhattan Mayhem this evening, the 16th Anniversary PPV a week later, another TV taping in Vegas 24-hours later then Supercard Of Honor 12, all in the space of barely more than a month. Topping the bill tonight is the 'Ultimate Mayhem Match' between Bullet Club and The Kingdom (featuring Shane Taylor). Dalton Castle and Jay Lethal prepare for their World Title battle in Las Vegas next week by recruiting veteran luchadors to face each other in a tag bout; Castle and Volador Jr facing Lethal and Ultimo Guerrero. Oh, and Flip Gordon tries to force The Elite to book him for 'All In' by defeating Cody this evening. Apparently there were a bunch of fan votes to determine matches and stipulations for this card, just like 'The Experience' event in 2017. Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana are on commentary in Manhattan, NY. I believe this has the distinction of being the first ever live show streamed on Honor Club.

Bully Ray opens the show in front of what appears to be a half-empty Hammerstein Ballroom. Riccaboni explains there is a meet and greet event happening downstairs which is over-running, which given the sheer volume of people currently not in their seats is presumably for the Young Bucks and/or the rest of Bullet Club. Bully fires up what crowd there is with a pro-ROH speech then leaves. We cut to Ian and Colt at the announce table, who announce changes to the card due to weather and travel problems - including The Kingdom swapping in for SoCal Uncensored in the 'Ultimate Mayhem' main event.

The Dawgs vs Coast 2 Coast vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe
The Briscoes prepare for their Tag Title Match with the Motor City Machine Guns at the Anniversary Show with a tune-up against two hungry, less-experienced teams. Obviously Jay and Mark have heaps of history with Rhett Titus, so Rhett will be keenly aware of what a big opportunity this could be for his current team if they win. Although he and 'Little Willy' come to the ring drinking so perhaps they aren't taking it seriously. C2C are on a roll, which started when they shocked War Machine in Philadelphia. Chris Sabin is on commentary, since Alex Shelley hasn't made it tonight due to travel problems. He will be keeping a close eye on the Briscoes...

The Briscoes march to the ring and pick a fight with all four opponents at the same time. Titus shows some experience by forcibly tagging Jay out of the match so he can go at it with St. Giovanni instead. Shaheem tags and drops Titus with a Complete Shot for 2. Jay and Mark don't care that they aren't legal - they walk into the ring, drag Rhett into the corner and force-tag him out whether he likes it or not. Mark full-on SLAPS Ali in the face...who takes that shot and slaps him right back! Mark slaps him into a rear naked choke with such ferocity that LSG has to come in and break it up. The Dawgs force Mark out and keep Shaheem beaten down with more of the bickering big brother/little brother offence. Ferrara loses Ali and allows a tag to LSG, who decks him with the tumbling clothesline. Flatliner/STO combo from C2C to Jay! The former World Champion retaliates by violently booting LSG  out of the ring, before joining his brother for double face-washes on Will. COAST 2 COAST NAILED on Mark! The Dawgs prevent C2C from scoring a huge win there. Big Dawg Splash on Leon...but he's not the legal man so The Dawgs can't win. Turns out Jay Briscoe is legal, and he blasts Ferrara with the Jay Driller to win at 09:25

Rating - ** - This was an effective squash/showcase match for the Briscoes, whilst at the same time giving both C2C and The Dawgs a little something to hang their hat on, as both had potential victorious opportunities denied in the closing moments too. Some of my favourite moments within this were when Rhett Titus belied his gimmick as a big-mouthed, silly, heavy-drinking 'Dawg' to demonstrate his extensive tag team experience by doing something incredibly smart and logical (e.g. forcibly tagging the Briscoes out when they were destroying all in their path).

SIDENOTE - Audio levels are appalling for this show. I appreciate they are still getting the hang of live-streaming their events, but it's the kind of thing I wish they'd bother cleaning up for a DVD release. The commentary track is almost completely inaudible at times...

Sumie Sakai/Jenny Rose vs Tenille Dashwood/Deonna Purrazzo
The Women Of Honor talents have made the main show again, this time in an 'exhibition match' to promote the Women Of Honor Title Tournament. I believe by this point Jenny had actually already taped her first round match in Japan against Kagetsu (which she lost), whilst Sumie needs to wait until Las Vegas for her first round bout against Hana Kimura. 

I really like Tenille's entrance. Rose starts with Purrazzo and looks determined to negate her technical prowess with a series of close nearfalls. Sumie tags soon after and calls out Tenille, which the fans really want to see. She then sucks the energy out of the room by cheap-shotting Dashwood and disrespectfully kicking her on the ground. Tenille isn't impressed with that and muscles her into the corner for the Emma-mite Sandwich. Stereo legsweeps by Deonna and Tenille...into tandem Fujiwara armbars! Sakai tries to quicken the pace with Deonna...who DUMPS her with an ocean cyclone suplex. Realising her team are in trouble, Rose cheap-shots Purrazzo from behind then starts working over her back. Sumie puts the exclamation point on it with a missile dropkick into the midsection for 2. She tries to follow that with a flying crossbody as well...INTO THE FUJIWARA ARMBAR! These two women have done that spot a few times and it's spectacular every time. Rose breaks the hold, so Purrazzo smashes through both opponents and makes a hot tag to Dashwood. Dilemma applied in the ropes, disorientating Sakai so Tenille can land a butterfly suplex. Fisherman neckbreaker in response by the veteran Japanese athlete. Moonsault MISSES for Sumie, who puts her head up into the Spotlight Kick. Dashwood wins again at 08:02

Rating - ** - A really competently worked formula tag match, and the best I've seen Jenny Rose look in ages. She and Sumie were actually rather fun as seasoned pros realising they needed to be aggressive to negate the skills which Deonna and Tenille brought to the table. Dashwood and Purrazzo feel like the clear stars of the Women Of Honor division right now. Tenille is over and palpable star-power, whilst Deonna is a better worker than almost anyone else. 

Punishment Martinez vs Soberano Jr.
Well this should be interesting. Live reports called this a car crash, so I'm not sure what to expect. Physically they couldn't be more different. Martinez is a tall, powerful, rangy and athletic monster of a man, whilst Soberano is only a young kid, in his mid-20's, making his US debut with a more slight, lithe stature. The Punisher can't afford a loss on his road to the 16th Anniversary where he'll face Marty Scurll with a World Title shot at stake. Apparently this was supposed to open the show, but travel issues meant Soberano has only just arrived, and comes straight out to wrestle.

Soberano doesn't get a handshake, but quickly pops the crowd by somersaulting right over Martinez to avoid a big strike. Tope suicida countered by grabbing the luchador's throat...but Soberano hops onto the apron and tries a moonsault to the floor instead. Sadly for him he only grazes Martinez and plonks to the floor rather unfortunately. It gets worse when Punisher drags him up and launches him into the guardrails. He tries palm strikes on the big man...then horrendously misses an attempt at a handspring enzi. There is broad daylight between the poor kid and Punishment Martinez, and the New York fans are predictably merciless in their raucous 'you f*cked up' chants. I like that Martinez basically ignores them (and Soberano) by peeling the luchador off the ground. Sober tries hurricanrana, which goes badly as well with Martinez not falling out of the ring like he should have, giving more bait for the crowd to jeer. Punisher does eventually leave the ring...and into a position for a running moonsault to the floor by Soberano. Again his hang-time isn't great, and again he sort of bounces off the big man which gives Martinez almost no choice but to no-sell it. RUNNING TORNILLO nailed! There you go! In the ring the luchador counters the Last Ride into a sunset flip (which looks suspiciously like he wanted it to be a Code Red) for 2. Soberano Jr kicks out the legs from under Martinez to set up a springboard moonsault and gets another nearfall. Springboard...COUNTERED TO AN OUTSIDE IN SOUTH OF HEAVEN! Martinez wins at 05:47

Rating - * - There is no denying that this was a bit of a mess. Whether Soberano Jr.'s travel issues caused him problems, whether he was nervous, whether he was struggling to adjust to the US style, or whether he was just having an off-night, this was a performance which will give the young man nightmares. To give him credit, once he finally stuck a big dive to the outside, he seemed to regain his confidence and the last minute or so was actually quite fun. One thing you couldn't fault this on was effort. They threw all they had into this five minute sprint and enough stuck to make it interesting...even though the stuff that went wrong will clearly take all the headlines.

Punishment Martinez gets the crowd back onside by killing Soberano with a Last Ride into the apron.

Ian Riccaboni brings out Jon Gresham for a live Q&A, since he is out with an injury and this is 'The Experience'. It is another car crash segment, but does yield the interesting revelation that The Octopus wants a rematch with Jay Lethal as soon as possible.

Flip Gordon vs Cody
As per the fan vote for this match, the stipulation is that if Flip wins he is booked for 'All In'. Cody is dead-set against booking Flip so will do everything he can to prevent that from happening. He is in the midst of a bitter Bullet Club civil war, where his fallout with Kenny Omega has torn the notorious faction into multiple sub-cliques. A rift has grown between he and the Young Bucks for instance, and he has taken issue with the Bucks starting to be nicer to Gordon after months of hazing him on BTE. Brandi and Bury The Drug-Free Bear are both at ringside with Cody...

Cody complains about fans cheering for Kenny Omega (and Flip) and threatens to walk out rather than book Flip. The bell rings...and the fans chant for Brandi and Bury rather than demand to see wrestling, because by 2018 ROH had lost total control of their audience. Cody literally stops the match to give them both kisses...and Gordon stands and watches rather than attacks the whole idiotic circus. All Flip actually does is blow a kiss in Brandi's direction causing Cody to freak out and stall on the floor again. We are more than five minutes in before any semblance of a wrestling match breaks out. Rhodes tries to bully the younger man with heavy-handed strikes...but is powerless to prevent him from landing a one-legged standing moonsault. American Nightmare tries to leave the ring again, but this time Flip gives chase and wipes him out against the ropes. Then he accidentally smashes Brandi to the floor as well! She freaks out and attacks him from behind until Cody returns and puts a boot through Gordon's jaw. Back in the ring Cody starts working the leg to stop Flip going aerial whilst also setting up for the American Nightmare Lock. Up next he starts putting boots and strikes into the midsection, gearing up for Cross Rhodes and making it even more difficult for Flip to fly. Gordon tries a desperate springboard, but moves slow and is rocketed backwards into the guardrail. Rise Of The Terminator tope suicida scores, sending a message to Omega as he watches on. SUPERKICK from Flip to Bury The Bear! TOPE ATOMICO on Cody! Back in the ring Rhodes blocks the Samoan Pop only to eat the Springboard Sling Blade instead. Gordon tries to come off the top again but finds his way blocked by a rope-running American Nightmare. Cheeky Nando's Kick by Flip in response, into a falcon arrow for 2. American Nightmare Lock applied...but the courageous Flip drags his body to the bottom rope. He grabs a drink from under the ring - and spits water into Rhodes' face. Samoan Pop gets 2! Cody rakes the eyes and delivers a moonsault press, trying to beat Flip at his own game it seems. CROSS RHODES! Cody has the match won, but then decides he wants to cap it off with an Ibushi-style moonsault. It misses! 450 SPLASH BY FLIP! Kinder Surprise nailed...and Brandi jumps onto the apron. Disaster Kick by Cody...BUT FLIP DUCKS! Brandi is KO'd by her own husband! Flip is mortified and tries to check on her, only for Cody to attack him from behind and hit Cross Rhodes. Cody wins, and Flip still isn't booked for All In. Time was a lengthy 17:04

Rating - *** - In Japan for NJPW's Honor Rising shows we saw Cody at his absolute best. Nasty, aggressive, petulant and heartless in his delivery of the maniacal, envious heel that is tearing apart Bullet Club with his own ego - he participated in two outstanding main events. Sadly back in ROH we still see some of his worst traits. Going almost twenty minutes long meant this was brutally heavy on the stall tactics and silliness. I can get past some antics with Bury The Bear (since that is building to something big at the Anniversary Show), but it's just too much. In Japan Cody was so vicious in his heel persona you could argue that he wanted to sexually assault Kota Ibushi. That is INTENSE. But in ROH he goofs around, has a bear mascot, his wife clowning around too and does precious little actual wrestling. When they did work here it was great. Cody was aggressive, whilst Flip bumped and sold for him well. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough actual wrestling to go any higher on my rating. I will say that I LOVED the finish though, where Cody put his own ego and desire to block Flip from getting to All In that he didn't even give a sh*t about knocking his wife out. 

Cody makes Bury carry his unconscious wife to the back so he can continue celebrating. 

COLEMAN'S PULPIT LIVE - There was a fan vote to decide who he interviews, which is won by Colt Cabana. The Kingdom interrupt to complain that the 'Kingdom Conspiracy' didn't even include them in the ballot. Matt Taven can't wait to make all of Bullet Club 'kiss the Ring' tonight...

Silas Young/Beer City Bruiser/Brian Milonas vs Kenny King/Chuck Taylor/Cheeseburger
A fan vote was held to determine which team would join forces with Kenny King to face Silas and The Bouncers tonight, which was won by the Best Friends. Unfortunately Trent Beretta is out injured, thanks in no small part to the wicked beating he received at the hands of the Beer City Bruiser in Tokyo, meaning King and Chuckie have recruited Cheeseburger to take his place. Young is gunning for payback after Kenny beat him to take back the ROH TV Title on Episode 336 of the Sinclair show. Chuckie T will want some vengeance for the treatment his Best Friend took from Bruiser in Japan. My real hope is that ROH don't completely ignore the incredible performances BCB produced at Honor Rising. That should have been a real break-out weekend for him. Burger has new music. His team with Taylor has been dubbed 'Chuckie Cheese'...

Bruiser starts with Taylor, and tries to massacre him in the same way that he decimated Trent in Korakuen Hall. Cheeseburger calls out Milonas and tries to use his speed to take the fight to the big man...which unsurprisingly ends with him getting smashed back into his corner. King and Young tag and continue their growingly-intense rivalry. Both have finishers blocked and Kenny scores the first significant knockdown with a spinning heel kick. All six pair off for a brawl around ringside, then head back in where Cheese lands a satellite DDT on Silas. The Bouncers return and squash him soon after, instantly killing his momentum. Poor Cheeseburger is isolated from his partners...and totally squashed by a big standing senton splash by Milonas. Ligerbomb on Liger's own protege gets 2! Cheese manages to dodge a cannonball by Beer City and dives for a hot tag to the TV Champ. He corkscrew kicks Bruiser in the back of the head, ducks the Killer Combo and plants Silas with a spinebuster. All that meant he took his eyes off the hulking frame of Milonas, who jumps him from behind. Taylor drops Silas with a sit-out powerbomb for 2. Moonsault misses...so Chuckie hits a Michinoku Driver instead. Somersault plancha wipes out The Bouncers. Young stops Burger hitting a dive...and misses Kenny lining up a corkscrew pescado instead. Kenny and Silas brawl to the locker room. Inside the ring Kingpin blocks the Shotei, muscles Burger into the corner for the superplex/Keg Splash combo. Bruiser pins Cheeseburger to win at 13:31

Rating - ** - A perfectly fine post-intermission six-man bout. There was plenty to further the rivalry between Young and King (although the stone cold silence from the live crowd tells you how well that has gotten over), Bruiser won to follow up his strong Honor Rising tour, and The Bouncers looked a lot of fun when squashing Cheeseburger. I didn't go higher in my rating only because I personally didn't feel much of a connection with the match. It felt like they were running a playbook; 'big brawl here', 'big dive there', 'heel is a jerk there', 'Cheeseburger does a Shotei comedy' etc...but without any connective tissue linking it all together. 

Dalton Castle/Volador Jr. vs Jay Lethal/Ultimo Guerrero
The last stop before Castle and Lethal meet with the World Title on the line is this match. Each teams with one of CMLL's biggest names in a bid to inflict some damage and score some points before they get to Las Vegas. Guerrero is back having made a number of crowd-pleasing appearances, scoring some impressive victories too (particularly on the War Of The Worlds UK Tour). Volador makes his second appearance, having appeared at Supercard Of Honor 11, teaming with Will Ospreay to defeat Jay White and Dragon Lee. He is competing in a protective facemask this evening.

Ultimo swings a chop at Dalton during his entrance just to be a dick. He refuses to shake hands too, instead watching as Lethal and Castle share a rather intense Code Of Honor moment. Champion and challenger start by battling to a total stalemate. Guerrero messes with The Boys as they fan Volador which REALLY pisses Dalton off. The luchadors are both sizeable dudes, and neither are particularly young...meaning the athleticism and speed of their Lucha Libre exhibition is remarkable. Ultimo is the bigger man and uses his size to clobber Volador in the corner. Lethal lands a hiptoss dropkick into Volador's broken nose, inspiring Guerrero to deliver a pop-up dropkick sequence seconds later. Dalton comes to the rescue and almost breaks Lethal's neck ramming his head into the turnbuckles. The champ works over the neck and back, perhaps to cover up the back issues he himself is dealing with. Volador dodges a missile dropkick aimed at his smashed up face...and watches as Jay's damaged midsection crashes into the canvas. Guerrero baseball slides Castle to the floor. TOPE ATOMICO BY VOLADOR. CAUGHT WITH A POWERBOMB ON THE FLOOR BY ULTIMO! Tope suicida by Lethal in the midst of that! Jay and Ultimo hit a flapjack/gutbuster combo to damage Castle's back. Volador shunts Lethal off the top to block Hail To The King. AVALANCHE gourdbuster from Guerrero to Volador. EVEREST GERMAN from Castle to Guerrero. Lethal brutalises Volador so hard he falls into the crowd...then walks into the ring and SLAPS CASTLE IN THE FACE! They almost beat each other into the ground, before Volador blocks the Lethal Injection with a superkick. Castle tries an uncharacteristic frankensteiner on Guerrero...who counters with an AWESOMEBOMB! SPINNING SUPER RANA BY VOLADOR! He pins Guerrero to win at 15:14

Rating - **** - I really enjoyed this match. It had so much to like; intense physicality, surprising speed from men the size of Guerrero and Volador, genuinely interesting build for the Lethal/Castle title match and a brilliant 'rudo' performance by Ultimo. The whacky veteran luchador with the glorious mullet almost stole the show by himself with a savage, antagonistic attack on the ROH World Champion which started before the bell had even rung. The fact that he and Lethal both targeted Volador's facial injuries was nasty too. Volador Jr. produced a far better individual performance than his clumsy showing at Supercard Of Honor last year. I honestly didn't expect to like this one as much as I did...

Ultimo Guerrero tries to steal the World Title belt. Lethal nabs it next, then begrudgingly hands it back to Castle. He leaves gesturing that he'll get the championship back permanently in Las Vegas...

A fan vote determines that Cody will join commentary for the main event. 

Matt Taven/Vinny Marseglia/TK O'Ryan/Shane Taylor vs Young Bucks/Adam Page/Marty Scurll - Ultimate Mayhem Match
This is War Games without two rings or a cage; two men start, team-mates join at intervals determined by a coin flip. A winner can be determined by pinfall or submission only, and only when all eight men have entered. It was supposed to be a grudge match pitting SoCal Uncensored, and the man they've paid off to attack Bullet Club on TV recently Shane Taylor, against the Bucks, Hangman and Marty. But with travel issues preventing SCU from being here, The Kingdom step in. They have their own issues with Bullet Club, they want the main event exposure they feel a conspiracy has deprived them of, and they want to prove their credentials for all the ROH championships by winning a big money bout. There are questions about whether the Bullet Club foursome can coexist at all. The Bucks are torn between their friends as the faction falls apart around them (and are preparing to face the Golden Lovers at an NJPW show later this month). Their fellow Six-Man Tag Champion Hangman Page is on 'Team Cody', but is pissed off at everyone for hogging the spotlight and overshadowing his big run of wins lately which sees him as #1 contender for Jay White's IWGP US Title. Marty's hair has gone white from stress. He is friends with everyone, he loves the Bucks, feels loyalty to Omega as The Cleaner recruited him to Bullet Club in the first place...and that showed as he bounced between Team Cody and Team Kenny throughout Honor Rising weekend. This could be wild. Is Bullet Club 'fine'? Can they keep it together to fight off a common enemy (and a hired hitman looking to knock their asses out and cash a fat paycheck at the end of the night)?

Taven and Scurll start for their teams. The Villain assumes control early by stomping Matt's arm into the guardrails then throwing a steel chair into his face. Taven tries to silence the crowd with a running knee...but ducks his head into repeated Black Superkicks by Marty. Superplex scores as well, cementing an incredibly impressive opening period for Scurll. He wraps Taven's arm in a steel chair and STOMPS it! The desperate leader of The Kingdom rams his head into the chair in response, right before the clock hits five minutes and it is revealed that Vinny Marseglia is the next entrant (meaning The Kingdom have the advantage in the match). Vinny comes out from under the ring and drops Marty with the Side Effect. Proton Pack nailed too as The Kingdom enjoy a numbers advantage for a few more seconds. Marty throws piles of streamers at them to stall...as the buzzer sounds and Matt Jackson makes his entrance with a somersault plancha off the stage! He runs through the ring Ultimate Warrior-style into a tope atomico to lay out Marseglia too! Poetry In Motion by Scurll and Matt J! They then hit stereo rope-hurdling apron Superkicks to both opponents as well! TK O'Ryan is out next - popping out through the crowd (wearing a Bullet Club shirt) and attacking Scurll and Jackson with a trash can. Marty has just about recovered enough to haul out a table as Nick Jackson makes his entrance. He takes out all three Kingdom members with a single move - and is literally having to wrestle through streamers raining down into the ring! TOP ROPE ELBOW THROUGH A TABLE ON THE FLOOR from Matt Jackson to Marseglia! Shane Taylor marches ominously to the ring and goes straight after Scurll who recently cheated to beat him on television. Baldo Bomb on Marty, then a spinebuster on Nick! Urinage slam decks Matt J too as the hired gun mows through the field. He sets up a table and thinks about splashing Matt through it but is distracted by Hangman making his entrance swinging a steel chair.

Everyone is in meaning a winner can now be determined! Taylor PUNCHES the chair out of Page's hands. HANGMAN-SAULT TO THE FLOOR NAILED! MOONSAULT to the floor by Matt J! Nick does one as well! The Hung Bucks plead with Marty to bust out his moonsault too. VILLAIN-SAULT SCORES! Scurll does a lap of the ring to celebrate, which ends with him cracking a chair across TK's skull. Bullet Club dump all of their opposition over the guardrail, allowing the fight to spill into the crowd! Page is climbing into the balcony! SUPER CRAZY MOONSAULT OFF THE BALCONY BY PAGE! He is literally mugged by Bullet Club fans celebrating that with him! He returns to the ring but doesn't have enough to get Taylor up for a Rite Of Passage...so Shane counters to Greetings From 216. SUPERKICK FLURRY by the Bucks! FOUR MAN SUPERKICK ON TAYLOR! BUT HE DOESN'T GO DOWN! BRAINBUSTER by Scurll! Taven breaks the pin at the last gasp there. Taven tries to fight all of Bullet Club at once, distracting them so O'Ryan and Marseglia can attack from behind with weapons. Vinny puts Marseglia on a table. REDRUM THROUGH A TABLE ON THE FLOOR! Diving splash from Taylor to Matt Jackson gets 2! Kick Of The King from Taven to Marty! AIR TAVEN NAILED! SHOOTING STAR INDYTAKER ON THE FLOOR by Page and Matt J! SPRINGBOARD INDYTAKER ON THE FLOOR by Nick and Marty! Finger Snap on TK! Chickenwing countered...double Superkicks into a BACK BODY DROP THROUGH A TABLE! O'Ryan is dead! Bullet Club put Taylor on a table (which buckles somewhat). TOP ROPE 450 SPLASH THROUGH A TABLE ON THE FLOOR BY NICK! This is insane! BUCKSHOT LARIAT! RITE OF PASSAGE! Hangman pins TK to win the match and stop the madness at 26:16

Rating - ****1/2 - Totally nuts, utterly crazy, complete carnage...pick your superlative, save some time and go check this one out. This should be compared to the iconic London/Shane Street Fight from Unscripted in 2002, where unforeseen circumstances forced late changes to the card and guys stepped up, put their bodies through hell to save/steal the show. There was very little I didn't like about this. Everyone got a chance to shine. The Kingdom's innovative strategy with each guy entering from a different point in the building was brilliant. The mayhem of the last ten minutes was unspeakable, with countless table spots, big dives, Page's balcony moonsault, multiple Indytakers and more. If I were being ultra-picky I'd have liked to have seen a little more coming back at Bullet Club from The Kingdom in the second half. As the match wore on it became more and more like an exhibition of crazy Hung Bucks spots than it did a fair fight. But as a complete package this was spectacular. 

Tape Rating - ** - The last hour was obviously brilliant with the under-rated Lethal/Castle/CMLL tag and the must-see Ultimate Mayhem Match...but much like Honor Reigns Supreme this show felt like you had to slog through two hours of underwhelming filler just to get to the good stuff. There is SO much wrestling out there that ROH just can't afford to put 60-90 minutes of good content on a three hour show. Rightly or wrongly, fans expect more and there are companies out there who offer it. The presentation of the show felt at times cringingly bad too. Trying to do the dated, goofy 'Experience' gimmick in front of the passionate, smart and merciless New York crowd was such a dumb idea. The Gresham Q&A session was brutally uncomfortable to watch. Coleman's Pulpit wasn't much better. If you have Honor Club do yourself a favour and check out the main event as it ruled. 

Top 3 Matches
3) Cody vs Flip Gordon (***)
2) Dalton Castle/Volador Jr. vs Jay Lethal/Ultimo Guerrero (****)
1) Young Bucks/Adam Page/Marty Scurll vs Matt Taven/Vinny Marseglia/TK O'Ryan/Shane Taylor (****1/2)

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