McXal's Reviews

Still reeling from the events (both positive and negative) of Final Battle 2019, a couple of days later we move to the 2300 Arena for the 'fallout', taped for TV but airing in full for VOD on Honor Club. Along with the first appearances of new World Champion PCO and new Tag Champions Jay Lethal & Jon Gresham, we're actually going to see a few new faces and interesting names. Nicole Savoy makes her Women Of Honor debut and is immediately the best wrestler in the division (by a distance), Rey Horus (also known as Dragon Azteca Jr. in Lucha Underground) makes his debut, Hallowicked appears for the first time in several years too. Matches signed include a Gresham vs Shelley rematch, Tracy Williams facing Bateman in a grudge match and Villain Enterprises in a tag team slug-out with the hoss duo of Jeff Cobb and Dan Maff. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman are in Phildelphia, PA.

Villain Enterprises open the show in celebratory mood after PCO's World Title win at Final Battle. Marty wants to address the 'elephant in the room' and needs to talk about his...'sneakers'. PCO talks for much longer than he should too before Rush interrupts on the Cary-tron. Rush says he isn't done with PCO, and introduces Kenny King and Dragon Lee as his partners in 'La Faccion Ingobernable'. 

This is Hallowicked's first Ring Of Honor appearance since Unity in 2012, and in truth he has never been a regular in this promotion. He finds ROH a very different company to the one he found himself in seven years ago and if he wants to gain a foothold on the roster he'll need to do so at the expense of an opponent in red hot form. From a performance perspective Haskins has had an exceptional 2019, which culminated with a Street Fight victory over Bully Ray at Final Battle. He'll want to win this match to ensure he goes into 2020 on a high...

Hallowicked's Chikara background has given him the kind of preparation he needs to go hold-for-hold with Haskins on the canvas, and they go back and forth with great intensity for the opening ninety seconds. Mark is the one who breaks first, pelting his masked foe with a kick before stomping his arm into the canvas. Rings Of Haskins applied, and maintained even as Wicked almost counters into a pinning combination. Hallow escapes with a rope-run lucha armdrag and pitches Mark to the floor with a running headscissors. It's Hallowicked's turn to stretch out his opponent; wrenching Haskins with a stretch plum abdominal stretch variant. Haskins has to work hard to escape that and when he does they collide mid-ring, wiping each other out with simultaneous big boots. Falcon arrow INTO a cross armbreaker by Overkill - sending Hallow desperately clutching for the ropes. He tries to nurse it outside, but Haskins sprints across the apron to PK the arm as well! Haskins jars his back missing Stomp Boy and walks into Go 2 Sleepy Hollow! Tope suicida by Wicked when Haskins tries to escape! Iconoclasm nailed...but Haskins gets knees up when Hallow looks for a somersault senton. Soldier Roll nailed, into Stomp Boy giving Haskins the win at 10:52

Rating - *** - A fresh and technically proficient encounter to open the show. Both men got time to shine; Haskins largely the aggressor but he had to show resilience and innovation to overcome Hallowicked's unique style. It probably lacked a hook to really get the crowd invested, but it really was a high standard of wrestling to get the evening started.

A video package airs, announcing we'll be seeing more of Flamita in 2020...

Bringing Nicole to ROH is a great sign of intent to set the Women Of Honor on a better course for the new year. As I said during my introduction, she is comfortably a better wrestler than anyone other woman who has worked for ROH in 2019 and will drive up the standard by herself if given the platform to do so with her matches. She is a former SHIMMER Champion, a former Heart Of SHIMMER Champion and known in some circles as the ''Queen Of Suplexes'. She is welcomed to ROH by the matriarch of the women's division, and inaugural WOH Champion Sumie Sakai...

Savoy wants to grapple, but Sumie backs herself and is more than happy to get on the canvas with the newcomer. They finally roll into the ropes each trying to work an ankle but neither gaining any leverage. Sumie cheap-shots Nicole with a punt to the stomach and tries to mount her for some punches...only for Savoy to easily roll out and almost trap the former WOH Champion in an armbar. They go back to wrenching each other's ankles before collapsing into the ropes for a second time. Nicole tries to leave the ring but Sumie is right on her, hitting a crossbody block off the apron! DROPKICK INTO THE GUARDRAIL (and into one of the 2300 Arena pillars)! The former SHIMMER Champion is reeling now and Sakai piles into her again with a missile dropkick. Savoy dumps her stomach first over the top rope and dropkicks the lower back - which cues up her first suplex of the contest. Sakai tries to slide away on the canvas, whilst Nicole ties her in knots with submission after submission. And when she does get away Savoy simply peels her off the mat and drills her with a back suplex. TJ Neckbreaker by Sakai...who doesn't have enough in the tank to even get up off the mat after executing it. She eventually double stomps the ribs and puts a running knee into the sternum as well. Exploder suplex by Savoy...then a TKO for 2.She tries to come off the top only for Sakai to intercept with a HANGING guillotine choke. Moonsault misses for Sakai, allowing Nicole to apply the SavoLock...but Sumie escapes and lands a German suplex. BRIDGING German by Savoy, but she collapses and can't maintain the bridge. Sakai tries to capitalise and hit the Smash Mouth but Savoy knees her way free and hits a BRIDGING HALF NELSON SUPLEX for the win at 11:48

Rating - *** - That would be your 2019 Women Of Honor MOTY right there. That isn't a great surprise because it doesn't feature The Allure or Kelly Klein, it came when ROH brought an actual high quality female pro-wrestler in to work their women's division (Savoy) and they gave the match a decent time allowance. At times this felt like little more than an exhibition of their skills, but their pacing and sense of drama was really good. The tension built steadily throughout, from the respectful grapples at the start to the heavy duty striking and suplexing at the finish. 

The Allure run in and attack both Nicole and Sumie as they show respect to one another after their match. Angelina Love gets on the mic to call Maria Manic an 'ugly bitch'. Obviously that brings the Maneater out, and she beats the sh*t out of both Angelina and Mandy with ease. Maria demands a table and looks set to put Love through it...but Bully Ray comes out to save Angelina. CHOKESLAM THROUGH THE TABLE ON MARIA! 

This is a rematch from Glory By Honor 17, where Shelley displayed all his experience to counter Gresham's Octopus Stretch and pin him for victory. Although frustrated at that loss, it didn't derail Gresham from going to Final Battle with his partner and becoming the new Tag Champions by ending the Briscoes' 11th title reign. He'll be looking to end 2019 by avenging the loss he suffered in New Orleans. 

These guys are so good they manage to riff a full minute of content just out of shaking hands. Jay Lethal is in Gresham's corner and makes sure to congratulate his partner on his skill. Shelley goes for a couple of early pin attempts, obviously remembering how he beat Gresh at Glory By Honor. He dodges Gresham's quebrada as well, and when his foe lands on his face he proceeds to make it even worse with a flatliner into the turnbuckles. Stranglehold applied, hurting Gresham when he leans back and snaps the neck. It drives The Octopus into action; delivering a devastating stomp into the leg. Figure 4 Leglock applied...and when Shelley escapes it Gresham takes him into the corner and starts CHOPPING the leg! Shelley goes back to the neck, hitting a Stunner-style guillotine over the top rope. But in doing so he leaves himself exposed in the ropes - and the injured Gresham has enough about him to capitalise with a hanging dragon screw. The neck is too hurt for him to get Shelley up for a suplex, and when Alex tries the same suplex his knee gives way. Shinbreaker/dropkick to the knee combo by The Octopus! LEG CAPTURE BACKSLIDE gets 2! They launch into a sensational duel over pinfalls, contested at such pace that it ends with them both slumping against the ropes in exhaustion. Sliced Bread #2 blocked, and they go CRAZY with counters on the ground. They go back and forth, before finally Gresham is able to hold Shelley down for three at 11:16

Rating - **** - I marginally preferred the New Orleans match, but I think this one was a lot more accessible and carried a lot more mainstream appeal. The quality of Gresham's work on the leg or Shelley's counter-wrestling skill was almost unbelievable at points. The match was a punchy eleven minutes, but they could have easily gone another twenty here and still not struggled for content. It looks so effortless; sign me up for a rubber match any time.

A video package airs hyping the pending debut of new Australian signing Slex. I appreciate what he was going for, but Riccaboni's hyperbole in calling Slex 'one of the biggest stars in the world' is so laughably dumb it pretty much kills the effectiveness of the video itself though.

Bateman attacked Tracy for reasons unknown at Death Before Dishonor Fallout, then did the same again at The Experience to cost Williams his climactic grudge match with rival Flip Gordon. Hot Sauce wants some payback on the mysterious newcomer to ROH before the end of the year. We saw Bateman seemingly aligned with Vincent at Final Battle, where he helped him to seemingly break Matt Taven's ankle. Will Marseglia become a factor in this one?

Tracy channels his inner Rush and explodes into action from the bell, delivering a shotgun dropkick followed by a Saito suplex. Bateman survives the onslaught and returns fire with his unorthodox movements and strikes. They beat the sh*t out of each other with strikes on the floor, until Bateman decides he wants to almost launch Williams through the guardrails instead. Back in the ring and they are still absolutely bombing on each other; strikes echoing through the former ECW Arena. Double springboard missile dropkick by Tracy, but with his body now covered in welts from the physicality of the match he is slow to capitalise and Bateman soon drops him with a swinging neckbreaker. Olympic Slam by Tracy, and an underhook superplex scores for 2. Bateman continues to bludgeon him anyway, delivering a succession of elbows and back fists...again until both fall to the mat. Williams DUCKS another attempted lunging elbow but can't quite lock in the Crossface. NECK DROP DVD instead! Turnbuckle DDT almost finishes it with Bateman barely kicking out. Red balloons start firing out from under the ring...and a mysterious woman (Vita VonStarr) starts doing circus tricks in the ropes. A homeless looking guy in clown make-up lumbers into the ring as well, preventing Tracy from delivering the Piledriver. THIS IS A KILL! Bateman wins at 13:27

Rating - *** - A completely different match from anything else on the show, and one which shows both Tracy's versatility as a performer but also what Bateman brings to Ring Of Honor. Williams is a great technical wrestler of course, but this match was a polar opposite to the fluent technical fare Gresham and Shelley served up. This was more of a 'strong style' brawl, laden with pulsating strikes and big neck drops. It was a bold call to give this one more time than anything else on the show so far; Williams is great but has never been the most over guy on the roster, whilst Bateman is still new to ROH audiences. But I thought they filled the time pretty well and the state of Tracy's body by the attend will attest to just how physical the encounter was. 

Bateman and the new circus oddities flail about strangely in the ring as Vincent's music hits and he makes his way to the ring. They are all adorned in his 'V' signal and surround him like followers as he rambles on the microphone, announcing that 'The Kingdom is closed' and that we are now in the 'Ring Of Horror'...

At the announce desk Ian and Caprice announce that Rush gets his contractually obligated World Title rematch in early January at Saturday Night At Center Stage 2020.

So we know contractual rematches are a thing...but for some reason the Briscoes don't have one and are instead put into this match, where the winner gets a title shot at Lethal and Gresham. How does that work? Do the Briscoes just have worse contracts than Rush? Even without the belts they remain one of the most decorated and accomplished tag teams on the planet and will be hot favourites for this one. But '2 Guys 1 Tag' (as Woods and Silas are now known) are undefeated as a team. Can they carry that streak through to a title shot in 2020?

Woods and Mark start, revising their singles match from Unauthorized which took place under very different circumstances. Josh works literal circles around Mark, but starts goofing around and is ordered out of the ring by an exasperated Silas. The Last Real Man has a strong showing with Mark too, to the extent that Jay storms in to help his brother - hauling them both out of the ring for a brawl on the floor. Step-up somersault plancha off a chair by Mark! The Briscoes successfully divide and conquer, scrambling Josh's brains on the floor then working together to isolate Young. The Goods does finally get involved - absolutely DUMPING Jay with a brutal suplex. 2G1T showcase some of their tag team fluidity too; trapping Jay in the ring and delivering a flurry of combo moves which really do a number on Briscoe's spine and core. Even when Jay levels Young with a dropkick, he curls up in a ball afterwards struggling for breath. Mark accepts a crucial tag; giving Silas the Urinage then Josh the fisherman buster. Froggy Bow COUNTERED TO A CROSS ARMBREAKER by Woods! Mark tries to roll through so Josh snares him in an Anklelock instead! German suplex nailed when Mark refuses to tap. Day One Neckbreaker by Jay, coming to the aid of his brother...and they then POWER Woods into the Redneck Boogie for 2. Young drops Jay with the Anarchist Suplex to help his partner out...but walks into the Sick Kick from Mark. Belly to belly superplex by Woods, leaving all four men on the canvas. Josh is up first and outstrikes both Briscoes at the same time! They quickly snuff out his threat with the double football tackle. They line The Goods up for the Doomsday Device...just as the Tag Champions run in. Lethal distracts Todd Sinclair, whilst Gresham shoves Jay into a CHAOS THEORY from Josh. He pins Jay Briscoe at 15:00!

Rating - **** - The finish disappointed me here. Of course I didn't like the fact that the interference directly led to the end of the match, but it was more how unnecessary it was. Could Lethal and Gresham not just have watched from the stage or something? Having them directly cost the Briscoes the match did more to harm Silas and Josh than it did to positively contribute to the Briscoes vs Lethal/Gresh feud in my opinion. And that's a shame because the one thing this match did BRILLIANTLY before that was elevate 2G1T to the same level as the Briscoes. Often when guys wrestle the Briscoes I talk about them being superior singles wrestlers whilst Jay and Mark are tag specialists - which is why the dynamic shift is so important here. Yes we saw Josh in particular dominate the Briscoes individually. But it was the touches of tag team continuity from 2G1T which were the most significant. They helped each other out when needed, they worked together at key moments within the match to benefit the team, they produced combo sequences to weaken Jay in particular; everything was about presenting Silas and Josh as a top tier team. Which is why a finish which directly undermines that really did frustrate me

Horus is the latest lucha sensation to make his way to Ring Of Honor. Already possessing plenty of experience in the US with companies like MLW or Evolve, as well as portraying the Dragon Azteca Jr. character on Lucha Underground, his is another much-anticipated debut. His first opponent is Flip, who has already beaten luchadors like Bandido in 2019...but will have his work cut out for him to impose his new, grounded 'Mercenary' style on an ultra-energetic performer like Rey.

After a competitive but respectful first minute Flip decides to suckerpunch Horus and punt him in the gut. Horus misses a pescado too, allowing Gordon to boot him right in the face. OCEAN CYCLONE SUPLEX ON THE FLOOR! Gordon is keeping the pace slow and absolutely dominating so far, eschewing any high-flying stuff in favour of a hard-hitting smash mouth style. He also shows his villainous side by going after Rey's mask. Horus uses his speed to send Flip injured arm-first into the ringpost...and flies off the top with a lucha armdrag to follow. TOPE ATOMICO OVER THE RINGPOST! Gordon retaliates with a heel kick to the face, and drops Horus on his neck again with a spinning falcon arrow. Flip-5 blocked into a C4 by Horus for 2! Knee strike by Flip, who knocks Horus right into the barricades with the Kinder Surprise. Tope suicida scores for Gordon...but he then decides to piss off the crowd by not doing another top rope move. Pele Kick and a wind-up neckbreaker instead, which almost finishes the luchador off. Super Flip-5 blocked into the SUPER SUNSET FLIP by Horus! Pele by Gordon...setting up the Flip-5! STF applied, and Horus submits at 11:54

Rating - *** - Horus is great and the more we see of him in ROH the better. At some point I'll get around to reviewing Series 2-4 of Lucha Underground, and within that you'll see that I really liked Dragon Azteca Jr. and found him a super under-rated part of the LU universe. He looked right at home in an ROH ring, delivering plenty of trademark Lucha Libre tricks against an opponent who was intent on slowing him down, striking him hard and keeping him on the ground. Gordon being the base around which the other wrestler flips and flies is still a weird concept - but it definitely worked here. 

Cobb and Maff found common ground and mutual respect in the aftermath of their slug-out on the Hour One pre-show for Final Battle 2019. It was a bout which ended with them smiling, shaking hands and continuing to chop each other. They now get a big opportunity to wrestle against the new World Champion on their first night as a team. Maff would love another crack at PCO having pushed him to the limit in their violent non-sanctioned match at Unauthorized, whilst Jeff has World Title aspirations of his own so will be eyeing up a pin on PCO for himself. Riccaboni has been openly discussing the rumours regarding Marty's future on commentary all night.

Scurll starts, looking to trade 'heavyweight' offence with Cobb. He follows that with a 'Just Kidding' slap to Maff's bald head...then runs away before Dan can get his hands on him. He basically forces PCO into the ring to protect him from Maff's wrath. Cobb and Maff hit a double suplex on the Villains, but it knocks them out of the ring where Scurll can get evasive again before drilling Dan with a Superkick from the apron. Back inside the ring Cobb starts tossing The Villain. It again essentially forces PCO to make a tag...and he is caught with the DEAD-LIFT SUPERPLEX BY COBB! But PCO gets up and back flips out of a German suplex seconds later. Once he has successfully put Jeff on his ass, Marty once again tags in and starts picking apart the Olympian through both fair and foul means. Cobb eventually powers Marty to the ground and makes the tag to Maff...who flattens PCO with the cannonball senton. ATHLETIC-PLEX from Cobb to PCO, and he stays on his knees for Dan to hit a step-up senton off his back! Jeff delivers a running barrel toss to the champ, pausing to make fun of Scurll on his way as well...but nothing he or his partner do seems to keep PCO down for long. Marty gets a tag and uses all his trickery to lead the fightback on both his behemoth opponents. Tornado DDT's scatter them before he then back drops PCO into the somersault plancha to the floor. Cambridge Crab/guillotine leg drop combo on Cobb gets 2. Big headbutt by the Hawaiian to block the Finger Snap though. Maff flies in with an Ace Crusher on Scurll, with PCO in hot pursuit. CANADIAN DESTROYER ON MAFF! Marty then hurls the champ into his Quebec Cannonball for 2 - with Jeff making the desperate save. TOPE CON HILO wipes out Cobb! POOUUUUNCE from Maff to Marty! But when he tries a tope suicida he inadvertently cleans out Cobb! PCO MISSES THE QUEBEC CANNONBALL TO THE APRON! Inside Maff goes for the Burning Hammer, but Marty counters with a small package and snags a Villain Enterprises victory at 16:26

Rating - *** - It took a little while to get going and ultimately wound up being one of those functional but forgettable B-show tag team main events. But having said that, the second half of the match was a lot of fun as Cobb, Maff and PCO traded big boy spots and Scurll trotted in and out being an asshole. Most of the match played up Marty as a smart, resourceful, devious wrestler - so having him outwit the rather one-dimensional Maff for the win made sense in that context.

Tape Rating - *** - A show without the real highs and memorable moments of Final Battle 2019...but with none of the lows, a consistently quality throughout and some really interesting new/returning talent on display. Gresham/Shelley and Briscoes/2G1T were the obvious highlights, but there isn't a bad match on the card - and you're also getting the best Women Of Honor bout of 2019 as well. Coming in at a tight two and a half hours this was a likeable little show, and a great palate cleanser before we roll into the ill-fated 2020...

3) Tyler Bateman vs Tracy Williams (***)

2) Jonathan Gresham vs Alex Shelley (****)

1) Silas Young/Josh Woods vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe (****)

5) Vincent Marseglia vs Matt Taven (**** - Final Battle 2019)

4) Bandido/Flamita vs Marty Scurll/Flip Gordon (**** - Final Battle 2019)

3) Silas Young/Josh Woods vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe (**** - Fallout)

2) Shane Taylor vs Dragon Lee (**** - Final Battle 2019)

1) Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe vs Jay Lethal/Jonathan Gresham (****1/2 - Final Battle 2019)