ROH 499 - 17th Anniversary Show - 15th March 2019

Few, if any, ROH shows were as critically well-received as the 17th Anniversary pay-per-view. What particularly interests me about this show is how concise the card is. Time is always tight on these ROH PPV's, so a show with only six or seven matches lined up guarantees that the matches you want to see will get the kind of time allowances you'd hope for. It is a strong card too; headlined by Jay Lethal defending the World Championship against Ring Of Honor's big project for 2019 - 'main event' Matt Taven. Beneath that the Women Of Honor World Title is also on the line; a rematch between international superstar/new champion/Stardom Icon Mayu Iwatani and Kelly Klein. Elsewhere Jeff Cobb defends the TV Title against Shane Taylor, the Briscoes throw the rules out of the window for a defence of their Tag Championship against Villain Enterprises, and we also have a big-time clash of the undefeated luchadors as Rush meets Bandido. Ian Riccaboni is joined by Caprice Coleman and NWA Champion Nick Aldis for commentary in Las Vegas, NV.

SIDENOTE - ROH return to their previous Vegas building (Sam's Town Live) for this PPV/TV taping weekend, as opposed to the much bigger Orlean's Arena which they were running last year with The Elite on the card. It takes them back into a more appropriately-sized building and means that this show LOOKS far better than cavernous empty arenas with a few hundred fans in. The aesthetic of Sam's Town is something of an acquired taste though.

The opening video package is a little weird, but strangely effective. It celebrates seventeen years of ROH history, and points out that history is now being made as Jay Lethal has officially spent more days as ROH Champion than anyone else and made more defences than anyone else (albeit split across two reigns, rather than the singular runs enjoyed by Joe, Bryan or Nigel). Matt Taven 'hacks' the broadcast, proclaims himself to be the 'Real World Champion' and insists that Ring Of Honor will have no choice but to 'crown the king' tonight...

Kenny King vs Marty Scurll
Once again The Villain is where we've grown accustomed to seeing him in ROH rings in 2019 - right at the bottom of the card. He still stands as #1 contender to the World Title by way of his 2018 Survival Of The Fittest victory, but is yet to cash in on that and after forming Villain Enterprises has spent the year very much on the periphery of things as far as singles competition goes. He has laid out a challenge for the NWA Championship at the Crockett Cup show, making the presence of his friend and future opponent Nick Aldis on commentary interesting. He is also looking to avenge the loss he suffered to King at Bound By Honor - the second time in the last year that Kenny has cheated to get a victory over him. Since Marty is one of the most popular talents on the roster at this point, and King's hometown is Vegas, we can expect a lively crowd for this...

King's entrance includes a scrawny kid in Scurll cos-play, wearing a mocking 'heavyweight' shirt. Marty looks pissed off about it and immediately clobbers him to the floor for the Apron Superkick. SUPERKICK on 'Marty Skinny' too! Kenny is on the run but recovers quickly, hitting a corkscrew enzi followed by the One Night Stand for 2. Blue Thunder Driver gets 2 as well, rattling Scurll's neck for a second time in quick succession. King stays on the neck and back, spending the next few minutes attacking those body parts from multiple angles. The Villain blocks a superplex...only for Kenny to back flip off the ropes and blast him with another jumping enzi right to the neck. Corkscrew pescado misses...TORNADO DDT OFF THE APRON by Scurll! Half nelson suplex, followed by the 'Villain Bomb' for 2. He allows King back in with a few strikes...only to shut him down again with a 619! Just Kidding countered with a leg sweep, setting Kenny up for another vicious strike right into the neck. Marty rolls through King's signature sunset flip out of the corner spot...but walks right into a spinebuster; a sequence which looked fantastic. SLAP DUEL! Near-fall flurry next, with Scurll hitting Just Kidding on the way back up. Finger Snap COUNTERED with the capo kick to the neck! CORKSCREW DIVE from the apron to the floor by Kenny. He tries to come off the top rope only to be caught with a superplex by The Villain. But that hurts Marty's neck! ROLLED THROUGH INTO ROYAL FLUSH! Except the superplex took it out of Kenny too and he can't prevent Marty rolling out of the ring. King grabs a steel chair...and as Paul Turner argues with King about that he doesn't see Marty load up with an umbrella and bash Kenny in the head. Scurll wins at 12:43

Rating - *** - A really lively, competitive opening match with a lot to like about it. Some of the countering was fantastic and I really enjoyed Kenny working over Marty's neck (albeit Scurll only sold it selectively). The finish is a curious one; from a storyline perspective it makes total sense as Marty returns the favour for King cheating to beat him in Florida. But he also badly needed a comprehensive singles victory here to promote him as the dangerous challenger for the ROH and NWA Championships in big matches to come this year. 

Marty hops out of the ring and celebrates with a knowing smile right in front of Nick Aldis...

Jeff Cobb vs Shane Taylor - ROH TV Title Match
The un-named, violent faction that Taylor is part of alongside the Briscoes, Bully Ray and Silas Young have targeted Cobb in 2019 and attacked him on multiple occasions. Silas was the first to challenge, but was beaten in a hotly-contested bout on ROH TV Episode 389. Taylor is next up, and after pushing Cobb to the limit when they met on TV in non-title action last year he knows he has what it takes to take down the undefeated juggernaut. He will have also watched NJPW Honor Rising weekend from afar and noted that Hirooki Goto came desperately close to beating Jeff on Night One...before Will Ospreay DID beat him on Night Two. Is Jeff - competing with visible bandaging now - starting to feel the adverse effects of his dominant reign thus far?

The pre-match verbals between these big dudes are so intense. BACK DROP DRIVER by Taylor...but it is NO SOLD! EXPLODER SUPLEX by Cobb...and of course Shane gets right back up as well. Jeff looks to speed things up and comes up with a dropkick, except when he pauses to celebrate Taylor rears up again and rockets him across the ring with a Pounce. Taylor trash-talks the champion as he ferociously chops him, only to have his jaw dropped when Cobb retaliates with equally violent strikes. A very un-Olympic big boot knocks the challenger out of the ring but Shane keeps his wits about him, sweeps the legs and SOMERSAULTS off the apron at Cobb! Cannonball senton back in the ring misses though, leaving them both down with scrambled brains. STALLING PUMPHANDLE SUPLEX by Jeff drawing a huge pop from the crowd and a two-count. Aldis points out that the effort it took to hit that move has gassed Cobb though and Taylor capitalises with a running knee to the face. Superkick by Cobb...punch by Taylor...LARIAT BY COBB! Both men go down; Cobb with such force that he falls out of the ring. They slowly return to their feet and waste no time in trading elbow smashes in the middle of the ring. The champ chases Taylor up the ropes...RELEASE SUPLEX OFF THE TOP gets 2, as does the standing moonsault. Shane gets up even whilst Cobb keeps chopping him, delivering a spinebuster which almost drives Jeff through the canvas. Urinage slam nailed, followed by the big splash off the second rope for 2. Knockout Punch ducked into a bridging German by Cobb! Taylor retorts with a lariat hit so hard it causes Cobb to flip in mid-air. CLEVELAND DESTROYER BY TAYLOR...FOR 2! Desperate to win, Cobb lines up a bare knee strike...and walks right into TOUR OF THE ISLANDS! TAYLOR GETS UP! TOUR OF THE ISLANDS AGAIN! Cobb retains at 13:27

Rating - **** - A star-making performance by Taylor, who is one of ROH's best kept secrets at this point. This delivered everything you'd want when you see Shane Taylor vs Jeff Cobb on a card; big, mobile guys beating the crap out of each other. And their personalities contrast so well that they made for such great opponents; Taylor is ultra-aggressive, extremely outspoken and totally brutal - which makes such a tonal shift when compared to the relaxed, smiling and perpetually 'cool' Jeff Cobb. It is remarkable that they kept up such a relentless pace for so long and that is, I think, what really cements this as Taylor's break-out moment. He's been a solid hand for a couple of years now, but adding weight loss and increased stamina to his skill-set solidifies him as a potentially major player. This stands out as one of the most memorable TV Title Matches in the history of that belt.

Mayu Iwatani vs Kelly Klein - Women Of Honor World Title Match
In taking the WOH World Title from Klein at Bound By Honor, Mayu produced one of the biggest shocks in recent memory. Not a shock that she could win; she's one of the best in the world - but shock in the sense that it brings Stardom's 'Icon' and one of the best women's wrestlers on the planet into ROH. Having already defended the belt in a really solid bout against Konami in her home promotion, Mayu now heads to Vegas looking to stave off the challenge of The Gatekeeper and potentially punch her ticket onto the G1 Supercard line-up for MSG too. Once again Mayu brings Sumie Sakai out with her to counteract Camp Klein.

Kelly has promised that she is 'ready' for Iwatani this time, and quickly attacks her - sending her to the floor with some big kicks. A flurry of whips to the turnbuckles follow as she looks to injure the midsection and negate the Moonsault that Mayu won with in Florida. Klein escorts Iwatani all around the ring; ramming her head into each top turnbuckle. When Mayu collapses to the mat Kelly dives on her again and pummels her with relentless elbows and forearms to the head and neck. Aldis points out that The Gatekeeper is losing focus and getting too emotional - and that proves so as she rushes blindly at Iwatani and walks into a Sling Blade. DIVING double stomp right into the ribs! Iwatani then starts peppering Klein's head with kicks...but getting into a strike duel with The Gatekeeper is ill-advised and she gets SLAPPED to the ground. Kelly's elbows are all directed into the upper chest of Iwatani, perhaps because her striking is bad, perhaps to work that body part to again prevent the Moonsault. Now marking her metaphorical turf, Kelly starts disrespectfully kicking Mayu out of the ring. She can't prevent Iwatani sneaking in to hit a German suplex...but Mayu is so injured she can't hold her bridge. NECK DROP GERMAN by Klein! Somehow Iwatani is up first! This gets incredibly bad-tempered as they start scrapping on the canvas just flailing away at each other. SECOND ROPE MOONSAULT! TOP ROPE MOONSAULT GETS KNEES! K-Power gets 2...so Kelly tosses out her mouth-guard and lariats the champion onto her head again. Just when Klein looks sure of victory, she stands triumphantly over Mayu...and is small packaged by the champ for three! Iwatani retains at 08:50

Rating - *** - The reviews I've seen of this show gave this match a rather lukewarm reception, but I thought it was a commendable follow-up to Bound By Honor. I like matches which try to tell a story, and I liked that this was very clearly a DIFFERENT story; a reactionary sequel to their Florida encounter. It had some of the same issues; they just feel so clunky as opponents and most of Kelly's striking looks SO BAD when compared to Iwatani's. But the core theme here was great; Klein looked, felt and was totally believable as a pissed off former champion looking to regain her throne; becoming so emotional in pursuit of that goal that she got caught out because Mayu Iwatani is THAT good. It's a shame ROH snagged a run of shows with Iwatani and all they had to offer her was a few ten minute matches with Kelly Klein; I get that. But Kelly did work hard, and Iwatani is so good that she easily elevates her to something very watchable. 

Up next we are scheduled to see Lifeblood's Tracy Williams and Mark Haskins taking on The Kingdom's Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan in tag team action, but Matt Taven marches out to the ring instead. A video package showing the destruction of his purple championship has tipped him over the edge, and he demands that the World Title Match takes place right now...and Lethal immediately arrives to accept!

Jay Lethal vs Matt Taven - ROH World Title Match
This match has been brewing since last summer, the same night that Lethal defeated Dalton Castle to capture the World Title for a second time. During that match Taven scored a visible pinfall on Dalton, which went unseen by the referee, furthering his claims of a 'Kingdom Conspiracy' and prompting him to dub himself the 'Real World Champion'. After a brief hiatus in Mexico, he returned with a purple championship belt which he called the 'Real World Title' and made sham-defences of that belt against various opponents. That was until a few weeks ago on TV when Lethal and Lifeblood took it upon themselves to end what they perceive as unacceptable levels of disrespect towards ROH's prestigious World Championship...by destroying the purple belt in the middle of the ring. It is easy to forget that the issue between these men goes back years. They have done battle over the TV Title, they've fought in steel cages, they have each represented the 'House Of Truth' faction at different times - and having climbed the card together they now do battle for the top prize. Jay feels that his opponent tonight is cocky, deluded and not equipped to hang at main event level...whilst Taven fully believes he is the rightful, uncrowned World Champion ready for his coronation in Vegas tonight. 

No Code Of Honor, we begin with each man aggressively throwing fists. Nick Aldis is a really good commentator and his analysis of the practicalities of moving the main event forward by an hour for both participants is fascinating. Jay looks to target the neck early in preparation for his finishing move. Taven looks to keep him at bay but it is telling that Lethal overwhelms him to continue his attack on multiple occasions. When he finds himself unable to fully exploit the back he changes things up and delivers a big dragon screw - which Riccaboni points out is on the knee Taven previously had surgically repaired. The challenger visibly steps up his game at first sight of the Figure 4, launching us into a THRILLING counter sequence where both men escape countless signature moves from their respective arsenals. It ends with Taven ducking the Lethal Injection and kicking Jay so hard in the head that he flips through the air and lands HARD on his shoulder. The champ is in a grave predicament and so disorientated that another kick causes him to collapse out of the ring. He continues to nurse the arm upon returning, but heeds a suggestion from Aldis on commentary in trying to inflict a tit-for-tat injury on the challenger; in his case singling out Taven's back for attack. The shoulder means he has an incredibly hard time applying submission holds though, eventually settling for a version of a Mexican surfboard just so he doesn't have to use his arms. Taven tries to hurdle out of the corner, and immediately stumbles nursing his knee again. Lethal pounces and back body drops him over the top rope - causing him to land hard on both the knee and back. Tope Trilogy nailed, each dive on a different side of the ring and each one ramming Matt's back against the barricades. Each one does significant damage to his own shoulder too of course. Taven tries to run, so Lethal gives him another TOPE SUICIDA TO THE BACK! That could have ended up like Nigel/Aries at Rising Above 2007 and is such an awesome/scary spot. 

Having punished the back on the outside, Lethal returns to the ring and returns to his assault on Taven's bad leg. Matt protects himself with an illegal gouge to the eyes before launching the champ injured shoulder-first into the ringpost...and then dropping him with a single arm DDT. Cross armbreaker applied, and transitions into a Crossface next when Jay escapes. Rings Of Saturn soon after, making Lethal suffer even longer as he edges towards the bottom rope. And when Jay gets back to his feet Taven SNAPS him back down with a big arm wrench. It's too early for the Aurora Borealis however, and when Taven dives to the ground Jay lies in wait to unleash the Lethal Combination. Hail To The King is lined up...but red balloons appear from under the ring heralding the arrival of Vinny Marseglia. He starts attacking Lethal with a bat as TK O'Ryan appears at ringside distracting referee Todd Sinclair. Jonathan Gresham arrives to help his partner but he is assaulted 2-on-1...with O'Ryan SMASHING his leg into the guardrail using a steel chair. Inside the ring Taven and Lethal are catching their breath after 30-minutes of combat, whilst on the outside Lifeblood's Haskins and Williams have arrived to stop The Kingdom putting Gresham through a table. Taven low blows Lethal, and hits The Climax for 2. A second Climax is blocked, so Matt lands the rolling neckbreaker instead. AURORA BOREALIS...gets 2 again. Taven goes for it a second time and flies right into Lethal's knees. His ailing midsection felt all of that, causing him to amble into a weary Ace Crusher from the champ. Kick Of The King blocked with the Lethal Express, a move which again injures Jay's shoulder. Hail To The King COUNTERED to a crucifix pin...so Lethal rolls through to the Figure 4 Leglock! Taven rolls over to counter, coincidentally squashing Jay's shoulder into the mat as well. Taven crawls to the apron, telling Sinclair that his knee is 'destroyed' - with Jay kicking at the leg even whilst he is in the ropes. FIGURE 4 IN THE ROPES! At the 40-minute mark Jay is having to get as aggressive as we've seen in years. 

Taven fights back to his feet, lifts Lethal into the air for a BRAINBUSTER OFF THE APRON THROUGH A TABLE ON THE FLOOR! Taven rolls into the ring on instinct needing time to recover...but quickly realises he needs to get the champ back inside if he wants the title. He gets Lethal on the turnbuckles and hits repeated kicks to the shoulder followed by the Proton Pack Stunner. Purple Thunder Driver follows, and gets 2 with Taven barely able to stand now. He tries the same move a second time, but Lethal hits THE CLIMAX to counter! Taven is so pissed off at that he swears in his face. JUST THE TIP BY LETHAL! LETHAL INJECTION! GETS 2! ACE CRUSHER ON THE APRON! Lethal looks like he wants to flat-out murder Taven now, hauling him up again for a CUTTER ON THE FLOOR! Indeed, he now even looks like he'll settle for a count-out just to escape with the belt. The champion has lost it; pulling a table out and setting it up at ringside. Taven is up before Lethal can use it though, and drops him SHOULDER-FIRST on the apron. Ten minutes left in the time limit as Matt fishes under the ring and drags out a ladder, bridging it between the apron and guardrail. They battle over the ladder until eventually Matt is laid out across it. Lethal climbs the ropes...HAIL TO THE KING THROUGH THE DAMN LADDER MISSES! They slow-mo his landing on replay and it looks hideous. Both men need medical attention as they writhe in pain on the arena floor. Medics try to carry Lethal out...AIR TAVEN ONTO EVERYONE! JUST THE TIP...FOUR TIMES OVER! Taven spits in the champs face and gives him a fifth Just The Tip - and still Jay kicks out. Just over three minutes left now. Aurora Borealis COUNTERED WITH A MID-AIR ACE CRUSHER! Ninety seconds remaining...and neither guy can stand. They strike each other desperately from their knees. SUPERKICK FLURRY by Lethal! Thirty seconds remaining! LETHAL INJECTION NAILED! TAVEN KICKS OUT AGAIN! TIME LIMIT EXPIRES! They have fought all the way to a 60-minute draw!

Rating - ****1/2 - Throughout 2019 ROH really promoted this match as one of the best ROH Title Matches of all time. I don't necessarily agree, but it is right that this bout be celebrated because it is a remarkable achievement and the first example we'll see in 2019 of why - even if pushing him to the top of the card was a bad choice - Matt Taven busted his f*cking ass to try and make it work. What these men haven't got a lot of credit for was the pace they fought the whole match at. You see plenty of one hour draws where the opening twenty minutes are overwhelmingly slow. Even the celebrated Joe/Punk broadways are extremely methodical in the opening acts. Taven and Lethal didn't go that route, and it probably took until the 20-25 minute mark before people even suspected they might go the distance. And that is why I actually found the inevitable run-ins tolerable when they came. They weren't at the end of the match to ruin the finish - instead in the middle meaning Lethal and Taven got a few minutes to grab their wind and prepare to go again for another 25 minutes. I don't think anyone would back Matt Taven to wrestle for an hour gimmick free - let alone if he blew up half an hour in. It really was a rollercoaster ride too; each man enjoying spells on top, and each completely believable with their motivations. With the central theme being that Taven believes he is the 'real' champion, they really did have some great stories to tell. He was the one who inflicted the first injury (Lethal's shoulder), he was the one kicking out of Lethal's finisher...finally driving Jay to such madness that he actually started trying to cheat to win or take a count-out. The man he felt didn't even belong in the title picture took him to an hour draw, forced him to abandon the moral high ground as an honourable World Champion...and worst of all at the end of it Lethal still hadn't won (but of course has the out that Taven needed outside interference, a table bump and a ladder spot). I also thought Aldis, Caprice and Ian did a spectacular job calling it. It is far from a perfectly executed match. It isn't the all-time classic corporate ROH tried to push it as either. But it is a genuinely GREAT World Title Match; ambitious in scope, rich in story-telling, entertaining in a 'popcorn summer blockbuster' manner and it KEPT your interest for the full duration. If you can look past '2019 ROH sucks', or 'Taven sucks' this is a hell of a match. 

Both men need medical attention, but instead what they get is Marty Scurll sauntering down the aisle. The Villain had been set to face the winner at G1 Supercard, and in a villainous manner he picks up the World Title belt and leaves with it! Taven and Lethal look at each other like they want to shake hands, until Matt throws a streamer into Jay's face and hobbles out...

Ian Riccaboni introduces rapper Mega Ran, who wants to perform his theme song to G1 Supercard 'Going To The Garden' in a segment which feels like it would have been savaged by an 'old school' ROH audience. Never before have I been happier to see Bully Ray...and thankfully he arrives to shut this sh*t down. His rant starts to drag on too, ending when Mega Ran reveals that he used to play as D-Von on old WWE video games instead of Bubba. Bully evicts them from the ring, points out that he is the only person in ROH or New Japan that has ever worked MSG (I'm still disputing that - surely PCO has?). He reiterates his open challenge for G1 Supercard...but it's pretty clear to all concerned that he is talking to Flip Gordon.

Rush vs Bandido
The premise for this one is refreshingly simple. Both men are top stars coming to ROH from Mexico for 2019, both are currently undefeated in Ring Of Honor...and now they want to see who the top luchador in the promotion really is. It will be interesting to see how the 'Ingobernable' Rush's ideology clashes with the goals of Bandido's Lifeblood. Dalton Castle replaces Nick Aldis for commentary.

Rush declines a handshake and sets about getting Bandido on the canvas...but finds the masked man a ferocious competitor when they get down there. Similarly Bandido tries to quicken the pace, only to find Rush keeping up with him every step of the way. Bandido tries a running rana off the apron, so Rush simply catches him for a POWERBOMB THROUGH A TABLE! El Toro Blanco is pumped and drills his fallen foe into the guardrails for good measure. Quickly he becomes so dominant that he finds time for a Tranquilo pose. He grabs at Bandido's mask and actually uses it to throw him across the ring. It provokes Bandido to try to aggressively strike with Rush; a fight that he is not equipped for and loses comfortable. Bull's Horns misses, and Bandido JUMPS to the top rope for the Tornillo. TOPE SUICIDA/RUNNING MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR COMBO! Frog crossbody back into the ring gets 2. Rush shuts him down with the snap German suplex but looks legitimately concerned after that Bandido flurry. Looking to insult Bandido now, he starts bootscraping him in the corner then gives him the disrespectful Bull's Horn fake-out stomp. Jumping elbow nailed, and when Bandido rides it Rush gives him a DESTROYER! BANDIDO NO SELLS! NECK DROP HEADSCISSORS NAILED! Both men collapse in a heap. Rush goes to the corner next, before unleashing a DEAD-LIFT superplex for 2. He tries to spear his opponent through the ropes, only to find himself manoeuvred into position for a SPRINGBOARD 450 SPLASH from Bandido. Dragonrana BLOCKED with a dropkick. TOPE ATOMICO BY RUSH! They go to the apron, where Bandido blocks an underhook piledriver and hits a HURRICANRANA TO THE FLOOR! Rush crawls into the ring, but into prime position for the 21-Plex. He tries to counter with the snap German, only for Bandido to back flip out of it! X-KNEE NAILED! NO SOLD! TURNBUCKLE SUPLEX by Rush! He stomps Bandido to the ground and unleashes the BULL'S HORNS! Rush wins at 15:00

Rating - **** - As of writing in May 2021, this is still one of my favourite Rush matches in an ROH ring. Admittedly I've seen very little in the period between G1 Supercard and Honor United 2019 weekend though. What I really liked about this is that it is one of the few times I feel like ROH have let Rush wrestle with the handbrake off. There wasn't a lot of brains behind this; it was a balls to the wall, high octane lucha spot-fest - which is exactly what people wanted to see. Rush and Bandido felt like they had an easy chemistry together for the most part; Bandido proving he could wrestle and fight with El Toro Blanco, but in turn Rush proving he had the speed and explosiveness of his foe too. Like Taven, Rush is another guy that Delirious and Ring Of Honor are clearly grooming for big things in 2019. This felt like his first real test and first 'big time' match and it definitely delivered.

Dalton Castle leaves commentary, telling Riccaboni and Coleman that the display of athleticism he just witnessed has 'lit a fire' in him. He grabs a microphone and challenges Rush for G1 Supercard...

Back to Ian and Caprice at the announce table, with Ian announcing that a scheduled Silas vs Gresham match for tonight has been cancelled after Young attacked Gresh in the locker rooms (after The Kingdom had already injured his leg). Silas himself arrives to provide commentary on the main event.

Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe vs Brody King/PCO - ROH Tag Title Street Fight
Villain Enterprises punched their ticket for this title shot with a win in the 2019 Tag Wars Tournament, besting Fin-Juice in the finals. They were denied the chance to celebrate their victory by the Briscoes, who are part of a five-man alliance which has been laying waste to all before them in ROH since the post-Final Battle TV tapings. The Briscoes want to go title vs title with IWGP Tag Champions the Guerrillas Of Destiny at G1 Supercard...but in issuing that challenge are they looking past the tough, violent and unpredictable duo of PCO and Brody? We've already seen PCO pin Mark Briscoe after a wild singles collision at Bound By Honor.

The four men quickly reach a gentleman's agreement and all leave the ring to fill it with chairs. Now suitably armed, they all start swinging those chairs - and with Brody reportedly competing with a broken hand it shouldn't be surprising that he is the first to be clobbered to the floor. Mark DIVES after him with a corkscrew senton for good measure. He quickly gets back in and helps his brother mafia kick a chair into PCO's skull! ROPE RUN REBOUND CROSSBODY by King! MICHINOKU DRIVER OFF THE APRON THROUGH A TABLE from PCO to Mark! Brody starts chopping the sh*t out of his own partner to fire him up, before unleashing a big cannonball on Jay in the corner. Not content with that, Brody grabs one chair and uses it to HAMMER another chair into Jay's balls. Mark tries to save his brother by smacking PCO with a kendo stick...but PCO no sells and runs after him. GUARDRAIL GUILLOTINE by Mark! The Briscoes try to isolate Brody... who doesn't play ball at all. He drives Jay's head into a chair, then grabs up Mark for a RUNNING DVD THROUGH A TABLE! Jay is bleeding after that, made worse by a rejuvenated PCO repeatedly punching him in the head, before rattling his skull with a broken shard of table. The Villains decide to prop the entire entrance ramp up on chairs...but in so doing turn their back on the Briscoes as they arm themselves with kendo sticks. Jay, blinded by blood, accidentally NAILS his own brother with a stick though. PCO tries to dive off the elevated ramp...JAY COUNTERS WITH A BACK BODY DROP INTO THE SIDE OF THE RING! HOLY SH*T! Incredibly he isn't dead after that...so the Briscoes pick him up again and back drop him back onto the elevated metal ramp! Both Villains are on the run, and Jay keeps them beaten down whilst Mark erects a couple more tables at ringside. He climbs to the top rope for a BLOCKBUSTER OFF THE APRON THROUGH THE TABLES on King. Mark's body seemed to break all the table on that, meaning Brody got almost nothing but hard floor on that bump. And yet he still kicks out at ONE! JAY DRILLER! Brody kicks out again! The Briscoes start wearing him out with kendo sticks...AND HE NO SELLS EVERY SHOT! PCO returns and they BREAK THE KENDO STICKS ON HIS HEAD! He starts bleeding but ignores the shots and decks the champions. Jay and Mark grab the shattered remains of the kendo sticks and start STABBING THE VILLAINS! 'Yeah they stabbed them, it's No DQ' - Silas Young. The Briscoes try to put PCO through another table, only for Brody to chokeslam Jay on the apron then grab Mark...TOP ROPE PRESS SLAM THROUGH A PILE OF CHAIRS ON THE FLOOR! Mark could be legitimately dead after that! APRON PILEDRIVER THROUGH A TABLE from Brody to Jay. PCO-CHAIRSAULT NAILED! PCO PINS JAY! Villain Enterprises are Tag Champions at 19:43

Rating - **** - Some of these early-2019 Brody/PCO matches have just been nuts. This was astonishingly violent, full of blood and there were moments at the end that had me fearing for their safety. I did feel like there were quite a few 'dead' sequences where guys were running around positioning tables or chairs...but man, some of those big spots, when they came, were gut-wrenching in their brutality. That Brody/Mark press-slam spot, where they teased it being another table bump but instead LAUNCHED full-force into some chairs on the ground was a perverted moment of genius, and PCO's landing into the side of the ring for that back drop off the ramp was rather grotesque. PCO no-selling repeated kendo stick shots directly into his head and face (to the extent that his flesh was being torn open) was a stunning visual too. I don't actually agree with putting the Tag Titles on the Villains here, and personally I'd have preferred Briscoes/GOD at G1 Supercard instead of the big mess that we ended up with. BUT, based on the strength of the match alone it is very difficult to begrudge PCO and Brody (who up to this point had been a breath of fresh air and a complete stylistic and tonal shift from what we'd seen during 'The Elite's ROH era) a big title win. Wherever you stand on the booking, this remains a visceral way to end a pay-per-view...

Tape Rating - **** - This very well could be the best pay-per-view event Ring Of Honor have ever produced in the seventeen year history of the company. After years of complaints about too many matches, they stripped the card right back and ensured we got a three hour supercard packed with great action, catering to as many tastes as possible, with matches getting decent time allowances enabling them to live up to expectations. At the heart of the show was the incredibly ambitious Lethal/Taven sixty minute match. I've been pointing out since Final Battle 2018 that it is very clear how ROH are positioning Taven to be 'their guy' (for better or worse). This show represents the next step in that journey; an attempt to legitimise Matt Taven 'the wrestler', as opposed to the character, with a marathon match - and I don't think many would deny that he responded with the best performance of his ROH career. It isn't the best ROH broadway, it isn't a five star match...but it is GOOD. It was well-booked, smartly positioned in the middle of the show making it even harder to 'guess' that it was going an hour. Opinion seems split and my own perception is that many find it too hard to get past their hang-ups on Taven, or 2019 ROH in general to look at the World Title bout from this show in isolation - but personally I thought they did the best possible job they could. Around that we had a smart opener, solid women's wrestling, lucha libre, a strong-style big man battle, hardcore in the main event - there literally is something for everyone. Even going back to the snappy, two hour G-Funk PPV's I can't remember a tighter pay-per-view than this (Mega-Ran/Bully segment aside). This is an easy recommendation and proof that there very much is life yet left in post-Elite Ring Of Honor if the booking could just STOP getting in the way of the wrestlers...

Top 3 Matches
3) Jeff Cobb vs Shane Taylor (****)
2) Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe vs Brody King/PCO (****)
1) Jay Lethal vs Matt Taven (****1/2)

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