McXal's Reviews

I'm not entirely clear on why ROH booked another UK tour just three months after they were last here. The tours drew well, but are they really so lucrative that it supports coming back so quickly? That said, the touring roster is slimmed down considerably with just eleven US-based ROH talents making the trip (twelve if you include Delirious as an in-ring talent, he works Night 2, but back to eleven if this is before Marty relocated to the US). World Champion Jay Lethal is here, along with Tag Champions the Briscoes, TV Champion Punishment Martinez - and of course the big drawing Young Bucks (plus fellow BTE cast-members Marty Scurll, Adam Page and Flip Gordon), joined by Jonathan Gresham and SCU's Christopher Daniels. They are supplemented by some big names from the UK scene this weekend - with the 'International Cup Tournament' between British guys and ROH stars the focal point. Mark Haskins, Joe Hendry, Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian represent the UK, whilst Daniels, Flip, Page and Gresham represent ROH. It is a knock-out tournament - with first round bouts tonight then the semis and final in Doncaster. The winner advances to face Jay Lethal for the World Title in London. The cards for this weekend totally unique and, writing in 2020, feature an astonishing mix of current ROH names plus stars who wound up in NXT UK, NXT or AEW. Even veterans Jonny Storm and Jody Fleisch make their ROH returns over the next few shows! Tonight in Scotland we'll see a big trios main event as the Briscoes pair up with Punishment Martinez to face the Bucks and Marty Scurll, NXT UK stars Viper and Kay Lee Ray lock horns in an ROH ring, plus Aussie Adam Brooks make a big debut against Jay Lethal! Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana are in Edinburgh, UK.

Well this should be good. Haskins has produced a number of fine matches during recent ROH UK tours and is supremely skilled. Gresham is arguably the finest technical wrestler on the Ring Of Honor roster. This is the first of four International Cup first round bouts to take place this evening, with the winner advancing to the semi-final round in Doncaster. Gresham will be hugely motivated as he comes into this on the back of the recent 'Saturday Night At Center Stage II' TV taping in Atlanta - which saw him push World Champion Jay Lethal to the limit (and even tap him out) during an epic 30-Minute Iron Man Match...before ultimately succumbing to defeat. It airs on TV in a few weeks - he'll be desperate to secure a rematch before it does. Vicky Haskins is in her husband's corner tonight...

Haskins tries to get to grips with Gresham early, but even a British worker struggles to keep the Octopus in check. He tries to work Gresh's arm only to find the American able to effortlessly counter him at every turn. Gresham gradually increases the pressure and starts picking apart Mark's arm instead. The Englishman is reduced to covering up in the ropes and rendered unable to even Irish whip his opponent. TOPE SUICIDA INSTEAD! He doesn't need both arms to launch his body through the air it seems! GUARDRAIL FACEWASH! A devastating kick crumples Gresham's knee under him, and Riccaboni makes a brilliant call to point out that it is the same leg that Lethal has worked during their rivalry. Leg capture sliding DDT gets 2, followed by a shinbreaker. Jon grabs at the arm to block  a horse collar...and armdrags him into a knee drop right across the injured limb! Jumping heel kick lands for Haskins - but only after Gresham dodges an attempted shot at his bad leg. Diving knee drop to the exposed arm in the ropes, then a stomp across the arm for 2. Octopus Stretch blocked - with Haskins grabbing the leg to haul him into a Regal Stretch. In scenes mirroring Haskins earlier, we now see Gresham clinging to the ropes to save himself with Haskins kicking at his leg. Flying double stomp gets 2 for the UK star. Gresham desperately blocks Cradle To The Grave, jerking the bad arm about for a crucifix pin. Cartwheeling punt to the arm lands...Haskins dodges an armdrag...but celebrates and is hauled into another pinning combination. Elbow smash to the bad arm by Gresh! Kick to the bad leg by Mark! It degenerates into an ugly slug-out - which benefits Haskins who punches him right in the jaw. SHARPSHOOTER! Gresham taps! Haskins advances, in something of an upset, at 13:25

Rating - **** - A competitive and thoroughly enjoyable, old-fashioned Ring Of Honor match to get the Honor Re-United Tour underway. Gresham came in full of momentum after his win at Honor For All so this is definitely a bit of a shock, even considering Haskins' impressive performances on recent ROH UK events. The story of the match wasn't difficult to follow, but having Haskins go after the same leg injury that Jay Lethal has successfully exploited in 2018 was a nice touch. He advances to the semi-final round, whilst Gresham will now team up with his rival Jay Lethal to face the Young Bucks in Doncaster...

This is an ROH debut for the pre-AEW Englishman Kip Sabian. He and Flip do battle in our next International Cup bout, with the winner advancing to meet Haskins in Doncaster. Gordon is one of the favourites for the tournament - now a major international star looking to cement his spot in the upper echelons of the Ring Of Honor roster. Does the super-athletic trainee of the world-famous Knight family have enough in the locker to stop him?

Sabian clearly has a plan to keep Flip grounded but doesn't reckon on him being an accomplished amateur in his own right and finds Gordon more than equipped to go hold-for-hold with him. Then he tries to over-power Gordon with tackles...and again Flip is able to match him. In the end they both decide to step up in pace and it's Gordon who has the street-smarts to come out on top by dropping Kip with a dropkick. Sabian snaps off a neckbreaker in the ropes though and knocks Flip to the floor with a springboard kick. Sliding lariat gets 2 and successfully puts Gordon on the ground so Kip can work a snug headscissored armbar. Superbadasser gets another nearfall as the UK native presses home his advantage. He tries the same move a second time though only to pop himself up straight into a heel kick from Flip. Springboard missile dropkick lands for the American athlete, as does the IED and the Kinder Surprise. Sabian drops to the outside, straight into a pescado by Gordon. 4-Nifty misses, Samoan Pop blocked...SPRINGBOARD SPEAR gets 2! Flip climbs the ropes but is caught with an emphatic climbing kick from his opponent. SPRINGBOARD SUPER RANA NAILED! Both men down! Ditching the niceties they start teeing off on each other, until Kip hits an Alarm Clock knee strike. ROPE RUN DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD PLANCHA! Gordon only got a glancing contact on it though and Kip hits back with a tackle into the guardrails and a TOPE ATOMICO! He enjoyed that so much he stops by the announce desk to talk about it with Ian and Colt. Death Stomper gets 2 only for Gordon to retaliate with a falcon arrow. NIP UP PELE KICK! NO SOLD! GHOSTBUSTER! Flip kicks out! HALF NELSON SUPLEX! Still Flip kicks out! Deathly Hallows countered to a TKO! Gordon wins at 15:53

Rating - *** - The narrative was more sprawling and less focused than Gresham/Haskins but in a half-star ratings land I'd easily go ***1/2 here. Both of these two men are young and have rough edges that a few more years will polish off - but you couldn't fault the sheer effort and workrate on display here. Sometimes I watch an ROH match and it feels like the participants are working it in their sleep - which was absolutely NOT the case in this one. They were in the ring, out of the ring, up the ropes, diving off things, taking big bumps; I couldn't help but be impressed. The loose idea was that Sabian is supremely skilled - but too cocky and continually under-estimated Gordon. That played right through to the finish as Flip wasn't able to hit one of his signature moves, but showcased his growth as an adaptable, accomplished and now widely-travelled worker to innovate a new finish when an opponent seemed to have his number.

Both of these women are Scottish, but already internationally travelled and respected. Both were part of ITV's World Of Sport relaunch, both are now WWE NXT UK mainstays. KLR has worked internationally including in the US with SHIMMER, Viper has been tremendously successful in Japan with Stardom. They are friends, partners, rivals...and now bring all of that to Women Of Honor. Kay Lee works singles matches on all three shows this weekend which tells you how much her reputation precedes her.

Fans chant loudly for ICW as the two participants shake hands and hug before the bell. Both women are keen to grapple early on because it negates their major strengths as workers - keeping Kay Lee on the ground and preventing Viper from overpowering her smaller adversary. KLR is sneaky though, and pretends she wants to shake hands with her friend again...before pulling her into a small package for 2. Viper is impressed and offers her friend a hug...which she duly converts to bridging pin for 2. SLAP by Ray! She follows with a dropkick...but gives Viper too much time to recover and is mowed down by the power of her opponent. Gory Special blocked into a running crossbody by Viper, smearing KLR into the mat for 2. Kay Lee looks for a running rana but it's countered into the Snake Bite then another diving crossbody for 2. Ray skulks in the ropes, luring Viper in so she can hit her with a tornado DDT into a guillotine choke. Viper DEAD-LIFTS her into a stalling suplex to escape! Even on the ground they are still swinging strikes at each other. BACK DROP DRIVER by Viper! Superkick by Kay Lee! VIPER DRIVER! NO SOLD! SUPERKICK GETS 2! Gory Bomb blocked by Viper again, but when she tries another big suplex Ray counters into a spike DDT. GORY BOMB! Viper kicks out! She punts Kay Lee in the face and gives her an AVALANCHE VIPER DRIVER! Viper wins at 09:49

Rating - *** - Very much an exhibition match, so it didn't really scratch the surface of what Viper is capable of as a powerhouse, or what Kay Lee can do as an athletic high-flyer. But that didn't mean it wasn't fun to watch these two energetically play the hits, in particular down the closing stretch where they ran through many of their big finishers. If ROH had a bottomless pool of money for their women's division I'd be heavily recruiting both of these two, which clearly isn't feasible (and as their careers would show, they had much better options than ROH!). It was nice to see them pop-up in an ROH ring though, providing another decent 2018 Women Of Honor bout...

This is the third of the four International Cup first round bouts this evening. Havoc is a recognisable face on the British independent scene, but by 2020 is probably more widely known for his ill-fated run with AEW pre-Coronavirus. With a career that dates back to the early 00's and already into his mid-30's, Jimmy isn't a young man and knows he doesn't have too many opportunities to make himself an international star left. But his experience is eclipsed by that of Daniels - who is here without the rest of SCU this weekend. The clock continues to tick down on his ROH contract, but he knows winning the International Cup then getting back the World Championship before heading make to the US would make him almost untouchable to Joe Koff...

Riccaboni and Cabana really go all in on promoting Havoc's hardcore credentials, which are of limited relevance in this match. Perhaps it is to make the point that he is out-matched when trying to trade holds with someone like Daniels. In the end his only method of breaking a Daniels wristlock is to grab an 8x10 of himself and use it to PAPERCUT the webbing on Daniels' fingers behind Todd's back. Unimpressed, Daniels gives him a jumping heel kick and knocks him out of the ring. Jimmy comes back armed with a frying pan...but is inevitably prevented from using it and eats an STO. He throws a chair in next, so Daniels tosses it back out and yells at him that he 'doesn't want to do hardcore'. Havoc settles for a tope suicida into a sloppy ass DDT on the floor! Repeated pokes to Daniels' eyes next, buying Havoc time to set up a table at ringside. Daniels chucks him into the guardrails, folds the table back up and puts it back under the ring! The veteran drags Havoc back inside where he can once again take him to school in a standard rules setting. Jimmy hangs in there with a strikes - an area where he does have something an advantage over Daniels - using them to set up a big double stomp for 2. Daniels swiftly restores order with a Blue Thunder Driver, but Havoc blocks Angel's Wings and rolls into a DVD for 2. Acid Rainmaker ducked before both men smack each other to the ground. Jimmy rolls outside, presumably looking to tool-up again. He comes back wielding a staplegun...which Daniels grabs and shoots into Todd Sinclair's ass! Tossing the weapon back to Havoc, he tries to pull the Eddie Guerrero defence to get a DQ victory! As all three men argue, Havoc jolts Daniels into the ref in the corner, inadvertently firing the staplegun off into Daniels' chest. As he reels from that, Jimmy lands the Acid Rainmaker and advances to the semi-finals at 13:39

Rating - *** - Havoc is something of a niche worker, and in all fairness to him he certainly contributed to this match by staying in his lane and being willing to have a little fun. Daniels, though, showed his full range of skills. He was an entertainer, a comedian, a great worker, and also a guy who isn't afraid to take a staplegun to his chest when most would have retired and called it a career. I adore Christopher Daniels. This wasn't a 'great' match by any means, but it was a solid clash of styles affair - and one that said everything about how damn good the Fallen Angel truly is (and how lucky we are to have been able to watch him for such a long time).

If you were forced to pick a definitive 'favourite' for the tournament, few would look past Hangman Page. Powerful, dangerous, constantly improving - the International Cup could be the breakout moment he has been seeking in Ring Of Honor for years. Standing in his way is Joe Hendry, the musically-gifted and popular Scotsman who has appeared regularly on ROH UK shows without a great deal of success thus far...

Riccaboni points out that Page is fresh off working the G-1 Climax so will be both exhausted and jet-lagged. He looks somewhat dishevelled and agitated - then walks out of the ring when Joe threatens to start bossing proceedings on the canvas. He tries to punt Hendry in the gut only to find Joe's mix of World Of Sport grappling and raw power a little too much to cope with. TOPE SUICIDA into the guardrails! He then whips Joe into the barricades again - with such force that one of the joints snaps and he ends up quite literally in the audience. Joe goes European again with uppercuts but is now carrying injuries from his ill-fated trip to the outside. With welts visible on his back, Page scoops him up for the bridging pumphandle suplex. Hendry counters a wayward lariat into a DDT...only to collapse alongside Hangman with little left in the tank himself. Commonwealth Clothesline gets 2...and down goes Hendry once again. Freak Of Nature blocked - for a German suplex by Page. HANGMAN-SAULT MISSES! Freak Of Nature gets 2! Hendry Lock applied, transitioned to a LEG CAPTURE GERMAN! Page blocks another Freak Of Nature with a Superkick. Rite Of Passage rolled through though. Hangman goes to the ropes to block another Hendry Lock and decks him with the Buckshot Lariat. Rite Of Passage nailed, making Page our final International Cup semi-finalist at 10:54

Rating - *** - I thought they did a great job with this under less than ideal circumstances. The announce team did a stellar job talking about Page's intense, insane travel schedule, making the point that Page couldn't be at his best and was really having to combat fatigue and battle scars on this UK tour. That was reality, but it upped the stakes and drama on what would otherwise have been a pretty routine wrestling match. Hendry used his wrestling skill to bully the weary Hangman in ways he wouldn't usually be able to do - and the match became less about Page's skillset, and more about whether he could survive the physicality of the Scotsman so soon after the G-1. For a ten minute filler match I thought that story was really interesting and rather unique...

The International Cup semi-finals are set - it will be Haskins/Flip and Havoc/Page for a place in the final, later on the same evening...

This is a Proving Ground Match, so a huge opportunity for the debuting Australian (currently living and working in the UK so able to take this booking). Watching this in 2020 is particularly interesting, since Brooks was announced as having signed a contract with ROH...shortly before Covid-19 decimated international travel and live event business making it impossible for him to appear with the company. Can he take World Champion Jay Lethal to a draw, or secure the win he needs to earn a future World Title shot?

Brooks comes right after the champ with a RUNNING MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR! Keeping it relevant, the Aussie drags Lethal straight back into the ring and goes for repeated pins. Jay knocks him back with a springboard dropkick and BREAKS THE GUARDRAIL with a tope suicida! Like Brooks he drags his foe back in the ring - but not for pins, just to repeatedly bludgeon him in the back of the head. Adam's back is still smarting after his trip into the barricade and Lethal starts working it over to make things even worse. Brooks responds by snapping the middle rope into Lethal's groin, then rakes his face along the top rope as well. It effects Lethal for long enough to allow Brooks to chase him around the ring with repeated overhand chops. Slaps and chops in response by Lethal, into a running elbow which rocks Brooks. ROARING ELBOW! Brooks flips out of a German suplex and kicks him in the head...no sold into a Lethal lariat putting both men on the canvas! Ace Crusher lands, and when Adam tries to come off the ropes the champ counts him into the Lethal Express. Hail To The King gets 2. Incredibly Brooks survives and hits back with a turnbuckle flatliner, which sets up the flying Codebreaker for a nearfall. BUSAIKU KNEE to counter the Lethal Injection! Brooks looks for a springboard DDT...and Jay is so beaten up he actually goes for a small package just to escape. The Australian keeps countering that until Lethal rolls him into the Figure 4 Leglock. Brooks makes the ropes and pops back out with a REBOUND AUSTRALIAN DESTROYER! Brooks wants a count-out win and hits a SLINGSHOT DDT ON THE APRON when the champ crawls back in. Meteora gets 2! SWANTON BOMB GETS KNEES! LETHAL INJECTION! Lethal wins at 14:11

Rating - *** - I think Adam Brooks is loaded with potential. He can be ragged but he has a great look, real tenacity and the kind of x-factor which means he comes off like a star. My favourite thing about this match was the tone they struck. Sometimes Proving Ground Matches drift by between two guys playing it safe and working their usual routine. But Brooks' performance FELT authentically like someone fighting tooth and nail for a World Title shot. Sure it was scrappy, but he felt like he was chasing the belt at every turn. He took risks with his body, dropped some absolute bombs on Lethal in the second half of the match and keenly understood the rules enough to sell the failure to get a count-out like a legitimate false finish. Admittedly being in there with someone of Lethal's quality helps - however this was still an immensely creditable debut. The kind of match that instantly makes me excited for a time in the future when prevailing pandemic conditions have eased and Brooks can start to appear more regularly...

The history between the Briscoes and the Bullet Club is plentiful, but most recently we saw them and the Bucks go to war at Best In The World. Jay and Mark got the win and wanted to assault the Jacksons after the bell (until SCU made a surprising save). Now the Bucks come with their partner in the 'Super Villains' trio to face the ROH stalwarts - who have recruited TV Champion Punishment Martinez to join them. Punisher lost a high profile PPV bout to Marty earlier in 2018 so even with championship gold around his waist he has plenty to prove too. The Bucks come out with the ROH Six-Man Title belts which they won in Atlanta in a match which hadn't aired on TV by this point...but don't wear the NEVER Openweight 6-Man belts that they currently hold with Marty? Even Ian has a tough job talking his way out of that one, when it would've been so much easier for them just not to wear the belts! They also bring out tasselled umbrellas in a tribute to their tag partner tonight.

Damn, the Briscoes have actual real life HEAT with the Edinburgh crowd. The building rocks with thunderous 'f*ck the Briscoes' chants as the bell rings. Jay starts with Matt and is surprised when Matt ignores all his bullying to clothesline him down onto his neck. Mark and Nick in next; with Nick's speed giving him a decisive edge over the younger Briscoe. Mark dives into his corner to tag Martinez in. Scurll (eventually) tags in to meet him...and buzzes around him like a fly which Punisher needs to swat away. South Of Heaven blocked only for the Briscoes to jump in before he can break any of the TV Champion's fingers. Apron Superkick drops Punishment to the floor...but he pops up before the Super Villains can triple team Jay. Scurll and Jay come to blows in a preview of their scheduled singles match taking place on Night 3 in London. The striking power of the former World Champion sees him gain an edge over Marty - with Mark and Punisher also quickly on the scene to help press that advantage home. They all take turns working over Scurll's back and neck and all go back to big strikes whenever necessary as a complete blocker on any of his World Of Sport wizardry. Even when he Artful Dodger's his way past Martinez the Briscoes are able to drag the Young Bucks off the apron to prevent a tag, leaving an isolated Villain to eat a Curb Stomp from Martinez. Falcon Arrow COUNTERED TO A BRAINBUSTER! Scurll just absolutely decked the Punisher! 'House of Fire' specialist Nick Jackson gets the hot tag and destroys the Briscoes...then lands on his feet out of a Psycho Driver attempt to Superkick Martinez in the face! Frog splash/standing moonsault/fist drop triple team on Mark gets 2. Mark recovers with a German suplex...but then finds his Urinage countered to a Superkick by Matt! Day One Neckbreaker blocked, setting up a Scurll tornado DDT. PSYCHO DRIVER on Marty! South Of Heaven countered to DOUBLE SUPERKICKS by the Jacksons! REDNECK BOOGIE! That gets 2, so the Briscoes try to set up the same avalanche variant of the same move that they won with at Best In The World. This time the Bucks have Marty watching their back though and he comes to their aid with a superplex on Mark. SWANTON BOMB by Nick! Chickenwing easily countered by Martinez...who then runs through both Bucks with a lariat as well. Curb Stomp misses, into a STALLING PILEDRIVER from The Villain. Just Kidding drops Mark to his knees for a Finger Snap. Double tope suicidas by the Bucks. CHICKENWING on Mark! The ref stops the match, with Scurll winning it for his team at 16:43

Rating - **** - The Edinburgh crowd made this special. It certainly wouldn't have been a bad match in a different venue or in front of a different audience - but the heat they produced in jeering and booing Jay and Mark Briscoe every time they were involved was awesome. The Bucks are beloved everywhere they go, but its rare that you find a set of opponents for that a crowd will give genuine HEAT to (instead of just cheering Superkicks and BTE references). It turned a lively but limited trios B-show main event into something more memorable. The other real noteworthy bullet point I took away from this was a genuine sense that ROH were now looking to rebuild Scurll. Most thought he was getting the ROH Title at Best In The World...but instead he lost to a basically-immobile Dalton Castle then got sidelined into a TV storyline with Shane Helms. Even though he took a beating in the middle portion of the match, he was the aggressor in multiple exchanges with all three opponents and ends with a clean win over one half of the Tag Champions. 

Tape Rating - *** - It's a shame more ROH shows aren't like this (particularly if Sinclair's aim is to keep shows under three hours; this wasn't much longer than two). A slimmed down roster, a smaller card and a whole host of decent matches, focusing on clean finishes and showcasing new talent. This should be the 'norm' for a Ring Of Honor show rather than a welcome exception. The best bouts came at the start and the end of the night, particularly in the form of Haskins/Gresham. But in between everything was solid. I didn't have to sit through a washed up WWE reject prancing around getting attention on himself with his arm in a younger talent's crotch, I didn't have to see endless stupidly overbooked finishes. If you want to see a couple of hours of solid wrestling with a clear goal to shine a spotlight on UK-based talent - like Haskins, Kay Lee, Viper, Hendry, Brooks and Sabian - then this is a show you'll want to check out. It is far from must-see, but is incredibly easy to watch if you do...

3) Jay Lethal vs Adam Brooks (***)

2) Young Bucks/Marty Scurll vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe/Punishment Martinez (****)

1) Mark Haskins vs Jonathan Gresham (****)