ROH 521 - Honor United 2019: Night Two - 26th October 2019

Ring Of Honor debuts in the country of Wales for the second of three nights on the Honor United 2019 Tour. Addressing the elephant in the room right away, the crowd for this show is miniscule. If ever an ROH show potentially only drew double digits paid it could be this one. Unfortunately it's also a card somewhat ruined by injury. Bandido's injury means the scheduled Lifeblood vs Villains tag for the evening has been altered as Bandido's MexaBlood tag partner Flamita joins Tracy Williams to face Marty and Flip. Meanwhile an injury in the Villain Enterprises camp to Brody King forces a change to the main event; Final Battle #1 contender PCO faces the Rush/Cobb team and is without a partner for the time being. The rest of the card includes Kelly Klein's final ROH match, defending her WOH World Title against the UK's Lana Austin plus a couple of big-time singles matches in the form of Taven vs Hendry and Haskins vs Kenny King. Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana are at the announce desk in Newport, Wales.

Jay Lethal and Jon Gresham come out to start the show with a promo. Lethal says he finally sees Gresham's point; since all the champions in ROH are guys who do 'whatever the hell they want' Jay decided he was going to act that way as well. He calls it a crime that Gresham has never held an ROH championship, but vows to change that because they want a Tag Title shot. Cue the Briscoes, who come out looking for a fight, and when their rivals bail, Jay Briscoe suggests that Lethal and Gresham are added to their scheduled match against Kyle Fletcher and Lucky Kid later...

SIDENOTE - Isn't the Briscoes demanding their scheduled match be changed (and getting their way) a prime example of the kind of mismanagement Lethal and Gresham are protesting?

Tracy Williams/Flamita vs Marty Scurll/Flip Gordon
Marty and Flip's UK tour continues, and after losing to Rush and Jeff Cobb last night, they now find themselves back in action against Villain Enterprises' big rivals Lifeblood. Bandido was scheduled to be part of this, but when he cancelled his sometime partner elsewhere in the wrestling world - Flamita - has been drafted in to partner Hot Sauce. Scurll and Gordon are hardly a 'regular' team, but they have more experience than Tracy and Flamita - meaning a loss tonight could be considerably damaging. Williams and Flip have an ongoing mini-rivalry which is yet to be settled too.

It is the hated rivals Tracy and Flip who start, wasting little time in pasting each other with big strikes. Williams works a spinning toehold and when Flip tries to kick his way free, Tracy brilliantly catches the boot and spins into an anklelock at the same time. Scurll goofs around with his partner but does finally accept a tag to square off with Flamita. The luchador delivers another spectacular tumbling armdrag which drives The Villain from the ring. Tracy and Flamita try to double-team Marty, but mis-time and miscue things...which makes total sense given that they've not teamed together. It speaks volumes for their skill, therefore, that they are still able to dominate an established top-tier guy like Marty. Gordon tags, superkicks Tracy's leg before dropping him with a Pele Kick. Springboard Sling Blade takes out Flamita, then he holds Hot Sauce open for Scurll's Apron Superkick as well. Their fluidity as a team is exactly what has brought them back into the contest, in a way which Flamita and Tracy simply aren't equipped to combat. But Tracy fights on and levels Scurll with a missile dropkick, then unleashes Flamita who levels Flip with a handspring elbow. Springboard moonsault to the floor scores! Flip thinks about a top rope move of his own - but has to pause to adjust his heavy elbow brace and is caught with a superplex/frog splash combo from his opponents. Turnbuckle DDT from Williams to Scurll gets 2...right before the Villains hit back with their tornado DDT/Superkick combo. SUPERKICK FLURRY on Flamita! FLAM FLY! All four men go down. Finger Snap from Marty as the first man back to his feet...only for Williams to deck him with the discus lariat. Kinder Surprise on Tracy. Cheeky Nando's Kick on Flam...into the powerbomb/Shiranui combo. Tope suicida from Flip to Tracy, as inside the ring Scurll delivers the Black Plague on Flamita for the win at 12:54

Rating - *** - As ever from a Lifeblood/Villains tag match, the standard here was good. It wasn't a must-see match as far as the rivalry goes and the totally silent crowd certainly didn't help them create any tension or drama but it was still a decent match to open the show. I liked that we saw Williams and Flamita mess up double-teams (whether intentional or not), and it made complete sense that the Villains were able to use better combo moves, more frequently, to get ahead due to their experience working together. 

Colt Cabana hops into the ring to interview the victorious Villain Enterprises team, looking to know what their plans for the main event are with Brody King out injured. Marty doesn't have a plan, but since Colt is a world class wrestler and isn't booked Scurll suggests that Cabana take the spot for an extra pay day. Colt gleefully accepts a spot in the main event (and leaves Ian flying solo on commentary for the remainder of the show)

Shane Taylor vs Danny Jones - ROH TV Title Match
Doing some research ahead of this review, I just read that one of the Knight brothers was supposed to have this spot which is interesting. Instead Taylor is making another one of these title-devaluing, legacy-killing random championship defences against local talents. Jones is making his ROH debut and is from Wales, so this is a big match for him. Looking at Danny's Cagematch history I realised I've seen him two or three times but have no real memory of him...but was also interested to see that he toured All Japan Pro-Wrestling before the pandemic in early 2020 and has spent 2021 working between WWE NXT UK and Progress.

Taylor slaps the local boy across the face and ploughs through him with a body avalanche when Jones looks to throw hands with him. Sporadically the challenger looks to rally but every time that happens Taylor shuts him down with an emphatic strike. The fight leaves the ring, meaning we can see an alarming amount of empty seats on all sides of the ring. Jones hits a lungblower then a corkscrew pescado; at last getting a foothold in the match. Greetings From 216 countered with a sleeper hold as well...only for Shane to squash him with a standing splash. Falcon Arrow out of the corner by Jones! An unimpressed Taylor tries to knock him out with a headbutt and spikes him on his head with a Package Piledriver. Rather than win, he peels Danny off the mat - putting an exclamation point on it with Greetings From 216. Taylor retains at 07:52

Rating - DUD - Having Taylor defend his belt against local guys isn't convincing me he is one of the best and/or most dominant TV Champions of all time. If Delirious wanted to convince me of that he could just book Taylor into positions where he could have great matches more often. If they want me to be convinced Taylor is the greatest TV Champion ever, they certainly shouldn't have him bumping and selling for enhancement talents almost every week. Also, if ROH is having to pay Shane Taylor Promotions money every time Shane appears...why the f*ck would they pay for this crap? This was too long, with too many flashes of Jones offence, to be considered an effective squash.

The Brat Pack vs Silas Young/Rampage Brown
Silas was due to form a surly international dream team with Rampage to face Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham tonight, but since the Briscoes wanted Lethal and Gresh in their match it meant they were without opponents. Enter The Brat Pack - the Australian duo with big attitudes that we saw defeated by Lifeblood last night in London. Young has been in a rich vein of form in the tag division in Ring Of Honor recently, due in no small part to how effective his pairing with Josh Woods has been. What kind of chemistry will he have with Brown?

Mitch starts with Rampage, but appears unable to make a dent in the powerhouse as Brown no-sells all of his offence and muscles him over with a suplex. Silas enjoys similar success with Bury and it's only when the Brats team up - hitting a running knee/German suplex combo on Young - that they finally establish themselves. Brown tries to argue with the ref which only gives the Aussies more of an opportunity to cheat and double-team Silas. As we saw in the opening match on the show; the familiarity of The Brat Pack as partners enables them to tag in and out fluently and control the established ROH star who has an unfamiliar partner. It is several minutes before Young is finally able to hit Waterman with the Killer Combo and inch his way towards the hot tag to Rampage. He almost snaps Mitch in half when catching him with a powerslam...then slams Nick down on top of him for good measure. Anarchist Suplex from Young to Waterman gets 2. The Brats retaliate with a tandem kick combo on Brown then think about their 'Brat Attack' finisher. Silas intervenes, dumping Bury to the floor whilst Rampage gives Mitch a piledriver. Brown wins at 10:28

Rating - * - There were four guys in this match, only one of whom actually works for ROH. So naturally it was Silas who spent most of the match getting beaten up and putting over his opponents - and he didn't even win the match for his team. I like The Brat Pack, and their fun douchebag heel act is pretty much the only reason I didn't DUD this match as well. It was a complete filler match, devoid of purpose and not even giving any shine to the only guy ROH actually have under contract. 

Dalton Castle vs Hikuleo
These two crossed paths in a Six Man Mayhem bout last night in London, and now pair off in singles action. It is a big opportunity for Hikuleo as he gets a singles match against a former ROH Champion - a great way to showcase his development on his UK excursion to watching New Japan officials. Since Dalton commentated on Joe Hendry's TV Title Match last night, Joe has taken it upon himself to join Ian for guest commentary now...

Dalton desperately tries to rally the miniscule crowd, with almost no effect. He is also confronted with the problem that Hikuleo is so tall that Castle finds it difficult to grapple or suplex him. Leo clocks him with a clothesline on apron, sending the former World Champion bouncing to the floor. Heat Seeking Missile scores for Dalton, but with such velocity that he almost bounces head-first into the guardrails himself. Hiku whips Dalton with such force that he almost goes straight into Joe Hendry at the announce table...and as Castle and Joe lock eyes for a tense staredown Hikuleo pounces to bounce Castle's head off the ringpost. Back in the ring he whips Castle hard into the turnbuckles, delivering significant impact on his permanently-damaged back. Multiple slams follow, doing more and more damage to Dalton's spine rendering him seemingly unable to throw suplexes. Castle actually has to go to strikes just to mount a comeback - peppering Leo with elbows, knees and even outright punches to the face. Bang-A-Rang blocked, so Castle knees the Tongan in the head. Hikuleo leaves the ring and decides he wants to use a table...prompting Hendry to leave the announce desk. He doesn't want Hiku to break the rules - and gets drilled with a chokeslam on the apron as a result. Castle benefits from Joe's unlikely assist and hits Bang-A-Rang for the victory at 12:51

Rating - ** - There were some good ideas here. Hikuleo's size preventing Dalton from doing most of his usual routine was great, and having the Tongan go after Castle's back certainly added a touch of real-life drama. Castle sold it really well, particularly in his choice of moves - eschewing much of his usual arsenal in favour of a strike-heavy game since Hiku had hurt his back. The finish certainly provided an interesting way to develop the Castle/Hendry story and also ensures it remains its own distinct angle, avoiding confusion with the somewhat similar odd-couple partner storyline between Silas and Josh Woods. This did go on for far too long though. Hikuleo isn't at the point in his career where he can work thirteen minute matches with a post-injury Dalton, and Castle's broken body dictates that he is not the man to elevate young Hiku at this stage either.

Kelly Klein vs Lana Austin - Women Of Honor World Title Match
The Gatekeeper successfully defended her championship against The Allure's Mandy Leon last night, albeit requiring Todd Sinclair to overrule the UK official's original decision after Leon cheated to beat her. Now Klein is looking for a more honourable match, offering up a title shot to the UK's Lana Austin. Lana is a 5+ year veteran and has worked for most major promotions in the UK and Europe so is certainly a genuine challenge for Kelly tonight. Mandy Leon joins commentary, talking in a horsesh*t English accent because obviously nobody is smart enough to remember that Wales is a completely different f*cking country (with a very different accent). 

Despite an 'unfamiliar' referee almost causing a title change last night, ROH have deemed it sufficient to let another UK ref officiate this match too. The opening exchanges are rather poor; full of Lana stalling and really awkward/clumsy wrestling. Ian is talking about Mandy Leon's dog, which is probably a fair indictment of how interesting the first three minutes of the match are. Austin slaps Klein in the face...then runs away. She tries to bash Kelly's leg into the apron, but accidentally clunks Klein's leg into her own head. It does give the challenger a route into the match, working over Klein's leg and leaving her really struggling to stand. She tries to kick Kelly in the head but spectacularly misses...whilst on commentary Mandy says she 'doesn't care about the match' and is 'bored'. This is a f*cking mess. Austin does clock Klein with a vicious headbutt though. Kelly attempts the K-Power, but her leg buckles underneath her and Lana clobbers her with an elbow smash for 2. Desperation fallaway slam scores for Klein, setting up the K-Power. Kelly retains at 09:10

Rating - DUD - This was awful. Really, really bad. And not bad because The Allure were in it, cheating and ruining matches with their tired act. Nor bad because they weren't given much time to play with. This was bad because the match sucked - with countless visible errors, a general scrappy and untidy vibe throughout...and all narrated by the hideous soundtrack of Mandy Leon doing a non-stop TERRIBLE English accent even though the show is in Wales. 

SIDENOTE - This wound up being a rather notorious encounter; infamous for being Klein's last match in ROH. She suffered a concussion somewhere in here, and went public with her criticism of Ring Of Honor management and their safety provisions/protocols. Her association with Joey Matthews (Mercury) who himself left his ROH production role in October of 2019 led to more salacious rumours, gossip and revelations...and ultimately ROH management made the decision to release her from her contract when it expired at the end of 2019 (even though she wouldn't be cleared by doctors to wrestle again or drop the title). Indeed, this would be the last time we'd see the Women Of Honor World Title. The Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of a 2020 tournament to crown a new WOH Champion, and when Maria Kanellis took over ROH's women's division in 2021 she publicly denounced the 'Women Of Honor' name and rebooted with a new belt as the 'Women's World Championship'.

Joe Hendry vs Matt Taven
After returning to action in Six Man Mayhem last night, this is Taven's first singles match since losing the World Title. He is still nursing injuries accumulated during his title reign, but then again Hendry comes out still selling a back injury sustained when Hikuleo chokeslammed him on the apron two matches ago. Hendry produced the best match of his ROH career to date in London last night, but failed to capture the TV Title from Shane Taylor. Can he rebound by defeating the former World Champion, and would it be considered something of an upset if he were to do so?

The opening minutes are very much Hendry's type of match, intensively ground-based which suits him significantly more than Taven. He goes right for the Hendry Lock, sending Matt charging for the ropes (particularly given that he was already rumoured to be dealing with ankle issues). Clearly rattled, Taven goes for a flurry of pinfall attempts perhaps looking to escape with a quick victory before taking any further damage. The faster pace benefits Taven, which Joe immediately recognises and powers him back to the ground - where he slows it back down with a cobra clutch. As the match progresses Hendry's back starts to bother him more and more...and Taven finally capitalises with a crisp backbreaker/vertical suplex combo. Double underhook backbreaker lands as well, leaving The Prestigious One in peril. He returns fire with a butterfly facebuster yet still remains sluggish as he struggles to overcome his injury. It means Taven can escape the Freak Of Nature and clock him with a rolling neckbreaker for 2. Joe ducks Just The Tip and nips up into a Codebreaker, then floats back into the Hendry Lock! Taven tries to dive off the top but sails straight into another Codebreaker. Again he tries the Freak Of Nature...but the back gives way and Matt is able to roll through it for Just The Tip. He sets up The Climax, only for Dalton Castle's theme to hit and the Peacock himself to strut onto the stage. It distracts Taven - and Hendry rolls him up to grab the win at 14:27

Rating - *** - Finally a wrestling match of substance that is actually worth spending some time watching. It didn't set the world on fire and was slow going at times, but I liked the grounded story-telling of the match and I thought Hendry's selling of the back was particularly well done. Clearly putting him over Taven is a big deal, but having it happen in front of circa 100 near-silent fans and only as a result of Dalton causing a distraction does diminish it somewhat. 

Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe vs Kyle Fletcher/Lucky Kid vs Jay Lethal/Jonathan Gresham
Originally we were going to see Schadenfreude get the chance to test themselves against the Briscoes in a special attraction match...but the events of last night mean that the Briscoes were desperate to get their hands on Lethal and Gresham too. Last night Lethal cast aside his previously honourable ways and attacked Jay Briscoe with a chair, to the delight of his partner Gresham who has been something of a rule-breaking wildcard since returning from the Best Of Super Juniors and concluding his feud with Silas Young. After bloodying Jay and Mark last night, they are targeting the Tag Championship meaning they'd like more wins over the Briscoes to solidify a spot as #1 contenders. 

Lethal has 'Scorched Ops' back his entrance theme! He demands to start with Jay Briscoe...but it's a trick and he tags Lucky Kid in before they can lock horns. The Briscoes are pissed off and try to bully Lucky, who shows his tenacity by absorbing their best shots without staying down. Next Jay and Mark gang up on Fletcher, but let him out of their clutches when they get distracted swinging punches at Lethal and Gresham. Gresh shoves Mark off the top rope - then gives Jay Briscoe a tope suicida! Somersault plancha scores for Lucky Kid! SPRINGBOARD somersault senton to the floor by Kyle! Schadenfreude try to single out Gresham for punishment since he is the smallest man in the match. Gresham teases a chop duel with Fletcher, only to trick the referee out of position and slap him in the balls instead. Dragon screw scores, setting up Lethal and Gresh to work over the Aussie's leg. Soon he can hardly stand, almost collapsing into a much-needed tag to Lucky. ROPE RUN SPRINGBOARD CUTTER by Kid gets 2! The Briscoes are bored of waiting on the apron and power in to batter Lethal to the floor. Sick Kick/dragon suplex combo on Kid for 2, although it needed Fletcher to break the pin. He blocks the Lethal Combination into a Michinoku Driver, only to be dragged into the corner for Mark's Iconoclasm. LOW BLOW by Gresham on Mark, again unseen by Todd Sinclair. Jay Briscoe counters the Lethal Injection into the Jay Driller! The Briscoes and Schadenfreude trade kicks at breakneck speed, until Jay lifts Lucky into the air for the Doomsday Device. Briscoes win at 12:04

Rating - *** - Comfortably the most energetic and action-packed match on the card. Everyone worked hard and contributed here, with Schadenfreude getting lots of opportunities to impress even though the main focus of the match was clearly the Briscoes vs Lethal/Gresham rivalry. Sensibly we didn't see too much wrestling between those four, with their clash being held back presumably for Final Battle. Instead we saw plenty of Gresham cheating, Lethal being pissed off and more antagonistic than we've seen him in years, the Briscoes starring as pissed off brawlers trying to destroy all in their path and lots of pluck and determination from Schadenfreude. I could have lived with this going a little longer...

Lethal and Gresham walk out, and it's clear that the Briscoes aren't happy with winning the match tonight. They still want a piece of their new heated rivals down the line - and tensions boil over creating another brawl when the show had paused to air DVD commercials. Gresham almost steals one of the title belts before they all fight to the locker room.

Kenny King vs Mark Haskins
As both of these two were included in the eight man field for the recent #1 Contenders Tournament for Final Battle it is clear that they are both right in the World Title picture. That means a win here is vital if either want to be in the championship hunt at the start of 2020. Kenny has Amy Rose in his corner, whilst Mark has his wife Vicky in his corner for the second show running.

King spends a lot of the early going in the ropes, using them frequently to break up Haskins' methodical British-style wrestling. The pace quickens and they fight to a stand-off, prompting Kenny to leave the ring to strategise (in Spanish) with Amy on the floor. When he returns he pretends to act honourably and offer a handshake...which is, of course, a ploy to allow him to suckerpunch Haskins (who is a fool for falling for it). Amy trips Haskins on one side of the ring...so Vicky trips King on the other, setting her husband up for a dropkick to the face. Now Amy stops Mark hitting a dive to the floor - and Kenny capitalises with an ATOMIC DROP ON THE APRON! Was that supposed to a backbreaker? Haskins landed so hard on his ass that he bounced there, and King makes it worse by tackling him into the side of the ring seconds later. Vicky has to help her husband up just to get him back into the ring, and now it is his turn to cling to the ropes for safety just as King had done earlier. Kenny drops him again with an inverted DDT backbreaker for 2. Next Amy uses King's Arsenal scarf to trip Haskins in the corner...and King capitalises again with another sweeping backbreaker. Camel clutch applied in the middle of the ring to pile more pressure onto the Englishman's ailing back. Haskins escapes and tries his best to rally; firing off a volley of kicks. Elbow suicida scores as well after Kenny tries to flee to the floor. Back-selling double stomp misses though and King drops him on the injured spine again with a powerslam. Blue Thunder Driver gets 2. They start absolutely pelting each other with strikes in the ropes, until Mark uses the last of his strength to hit a DVD ON THE APRON! Back inside he drills King with the Soldier Roll...but Kenny gets assistance from Amy in hauling himself to the ropes. TOPE SUICIDA...COUNTERED WITH A SPINEBUSTER ON THE FLOOR! Back in the ring Haskins COUNTERS THE ROYAL FLUSH TO THE SHARPSHOOTER! Amy Rose is immediately on the apron to distract the official...and when he goes to argue Haskins inadvertently kicks the ref in the head! Low blow by King...NO SOLD! Haskins smashes him in the dick as well! Vicky and Amy slide into the ring to check on their respective charges then start fighting among themselves. Triangle choke on Amy! So Haskins puts a triangle choke on Kenny too! Star Armbar countered to a crucifix pin for 2. CRADLE TO THE GRAVE! Haskins wins at 18:00

Rating - **** - The best match of the Honor United 2019 Tour thus far. The wrestling was solid, the constant interference was made part of the fabric and story of the match (with a pay-off at the end) as opposed to being inserted to conveniently give the booker an 'out' or a lazy way to advance the story, or to get easy heel heat, some of the bumps we saw were completely brutal and it all built to a chaotic finish with bodies flying everywhere, then a big win for the British wrestler on UK soil. Of course I'm a purist at heart who enjoys clean matches with clean finishes, but there is a place for smart matches like this which creatively use outside personalities to enhance what they are doing inside the ropes. Without wanting to sound like a broken record, Haskins has been outstanding all year and is a completely under-rated and unsung hero since so few people were watching ROH to realise how good he was. King too, has been having a career-best year as a singles worker. 

Rush/Jeff Cobb vs PCO/Colt Cabana
This match gives us a Final Battle preview, as PCO goes up against the man he will face for the World Championship at Final Battle. Although he doesn't know precisely who that man will be given that he faces the winner of the Rush/Cobb Title Match which takes place in Bolton tomorrow. His task is further complicated by the fact that his usual partner, Brody King, injured himself in London...so Marty Scurll has simply paid off Cabana to join him this evening. Rush and Jeff aren't necessarily on the same page either though. They came to the UK with a degree of mutual respect having won Champions vs All-Stars in Atlanta but tempers started to flare when Cobb stole Rush's pin on Flip Gordon to win their main event against Villain Enterprises last night. 

Rush appear to order Cobb into their corner to allow him to start, and continues to exchange words with his own partner as he and Cabana circle to get things going. Colt and Rush run through a quite incredibly paced opening exchange, which ends when Rush decides he'd rather spit at PCO. Jeff tags in with PCO and makes something of a statement by overpowering him and beating him to the ground repeatedly. And having seen PCO softened up, Rush wants a piece of the action too - armbar-ing him in the ropes then fish-hooking the mouth. Not to be out-done, now Cobb comes back and delivers the stalling release suplex followed by a standing moonsault. PCO BACKFLIPS out of a German suplex though which allows him to tag Cabana back in. Bionic Elbows then a double quebrada press by the Chicago-native! Superman Pin on Cobb when he tries to block the Flying Asshole, drawing a close nearfall. Colt and PCO show some cohesiveness as a team and work together to isolate the Olympian. That ends when Cabana misses a second rope elbow drop...and Rush flies in to give him a German suplex. But he and Cobb start arguing among themselves, allowing PCO in to blind-side them. Cactus Clothesline on Cobb! Lungblower from Rush to Colt...leaving PCO and Rush alone for the first time. The stream dies (and still hasn't been fixed two years later, because who cares about paying Honor Club members right?)...and when we come back we see the four men brawling around ringside then up onto the stage. Cobb gives PCO a Finlay Roll up there...and when PCO tries to no-sell it Rush punts him down the stairs! Officials try to carry PCO to the locker room for medical treatment after that...but he simply runs back through the curtain and hits a SOMERSAULT PLANCHA OFF THE STAGE! Holy sh*t, an actual pop! That may be the first time the crowd have actually reacted to something all night. Quebec Cannonball by PCO gets 2! Jeff smartly rolls away from the PCO-Sault - so Cabana splashes him back in the right direction. PCO-Sault nailed...but Rush breaks the pin. Athletic-Plex on Cabana, then Cobb stops Rush delivering the Bull's Horns! Chokeslam by PCO! German suplex from Cobb to the Monster! Tour Of The Islands on Cabana...but in a turnaround from last night, Rush then dumps Jeff out and steals his pin, defeating Colt for himself at 16:54 (shown)

Rating - *** - It's a shame the feed died when it did because it interrupted the flow of what was a pretty strong finishing sequence, particularly when it focused on the competitive rivalry between Cobb and Rush. It's incredibly annoying they couldn't go back and repair it, considering they found time to go back and edit Joe Hendry's entrance out of the London VOD - and really shows a lack of care and attention to detail for their Honor Club subscribers. Before the stream dropped the match was solid but would definitely be considered filler content rather than must-see. I had something of an issue with how much Cabana and PCO were on offence though. They were supposed to be the babyfaces and were a team thrown together at a couple of hour's notice - yet were somehow good enough to dominate the two guys who are contesting the World Championship the following night? For me personally, I don't think that adds up.

In reference to Rush's actions at the end of the London show, Cobb shoves Rush and pushes the World Title in his face; still pissed off at having a victory stolen from him. This time they come to blows, and the show fades to black with them still fighting in the ring.

Tape Rating - ** - This was a poor show, there really isn't any way I can sugarcoat that. The crowd was absolutely terrible (both in size and volume), the show was lazy and mediocre and it really is only the exceptional Haskins/King match which salvages things in any way. What is getting particularly annoying is that it is the same issues dragging every single show down at the moment. Shane Taylor having to have competitive matches against local indy jobbers - inexplicably with the title on the line - is incredibly irksome. As is the fact that every single Women Of Honor Title Match since 17th Anniversary has been a complete shambles. Klein/Austin from this show is a candidate for worst ROH match of 2019, which is quite an accomplishment given the turbulent year Ring Of Honor has experienced (and other than Mandy's dreadful and pointless English accent on a Welsh show, The Allure can't be blamed this time)! If you have twenty minutes and nothing better to watch, you could maybe seek out Haskins/Kenny - but this is perhaps the single most skippable show of 2019...

Top 3 Matches
3) Marty Scurll/Flip Gordon vs Tracy Williams/Flamita (***)
2) Rush/Jeff Cobb vs PCO/Colt Cabana (***)
1) Mark Haskins vs Kenny King (****)

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