McXal's Reviews

With just over a week until Supercard Of Honor 15, we check in with the final episode from the inaugural 'Honor Club TV' taping at Universal Studios in Florida. Bouts we have lined up for this week include Matt Taven of The Kingdom squaring off with Top Flight's Darius Martin, former TV Champions (and veterans from ROH's previous era) Silas Young and Shane Taylor locking horns, Mark Briscoe continuing his quest to defeat all anyone associated with Mark Sterling as he faces Tony Nese, plus a hotly anticipated tag bout as reunited former Tag Champions Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal do battle with Aussie Open. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman are in Orlando, FL.

Samoa Joe opens the show with Lexy Nair. He says Mark Briscoe has forgotten what it is like to be in the ring with him, so issues an open challenge to anyone else in the locker room - telling Mark to watch very closely...

Although this is a televised ROH debut for Nese, he actually worked some dark matches with ROH more than a decade earlier. Now signed with AEW, he represents the Varsity Athletes and faces a Mark Briscoe intent on punishing him for Mark Sterling's constant interruptions into Mark's short AEW career thus far. Briscoe already has a win over Josh Woods on AEW television, and defeated Slim J of the Trust Busters (also represented by Smart Mark) back on Episode #1.

Nese jumps Mark during the prayer in the corner that he offers before every match, which means we started in pretty heated fashion. Mark slams his foe on the arena floor and then flies through the air with a particularly brutal Cactus Elbow. Mark Sterling and Josh Woods get involved though; distracting Briscoe and allowing Nese to drive him into the ringpost. Woods tries to get physically involved too, giving Mark a suplex on the floor after Tony boots the middle rope into his crotch. Ab Day kicks in the corner add insult to injury as Nese looks to press home his advantage. Desperate Jay Driller attempted by Briscoe, but Tony easily counters it to a heel kick right across the head for 2. He starts working submissions to Mark's midsection (which is taking an increasing amount of punishment) - before guillotining him over the top rope making it even harder for Mark to breathe. Springboard moonsault misses though, and Mark retaliates with a palm thrust into the Iconoclasm for 2. Urinage nailed too, into the Day One Neckbreaker - but again Tony kicks out. Redneck Boogie blocked...and Nese nipping up into a flurry of kicks to the ribs. BRAINBUSTER by Mark! Nese again grabs the ribs to block the Jay Driller...but Mark blasts him with a lariat to counter the Running K-neese. Froggy Bow nailed, giving Briscoe the win at 08:54

Rating - *** - This match should have opened Episode #1. It was a perfectly pitched opener - with smart work from both men, the obvious interruptions and shenanigans from the rest of the Varsity Athletes, great heat and reactions from the crowd. It would've really set the tone for the 'New Era Of Honor' so much better than Briscoe/Slim J. Nese is a really good fit for ROH in general. He's an incredibly smooth, technically sound, solid worker who probably lacks a little charisma, doesn't have a huge amount of size and at 37, is hardly going to get better or pull up trees in the crowded AEW space. But in ROH, where he can effortlessly work slick little matches like this, he makes a lot of sense. It was a good continuation of the Briscoe vs Mark Sterling guys mini-feud, a fun start to the show in general. I can't offer this much more praise for its spot on the card really. If there's another round of ROH TV tapings, if we could ditch the Trust Busters and have Nese and Woods getting the amount of time that Daivari and Slim J have gotten, I'd be much happier...

Speaking of the Trust Busters, they are out now to continue this mini-rivalry which has spanned the full four-episode breadth of this TV taping. Daivari controversially defeated Metalik on Episode 1, then lead an attack on the luchador in Episode 2 which Blake Christian broke up. Last week Blake and Metalik defeated Ari and J in tag action, causing the Trust Busters to issue this challenge for a trios match, and for Blake to bring in his friend AR Fox (fresh from main eventing the first episode of the 'New Era') to partner them.

Fox gets a huge reaction, and its he that starts the contest with Kay. They work to a stalemate, and are replaced by Christian and Daivari; Blake rocking the Trust Busters' leader with a springboard elbow for 2. Jeeves and Slim attack Christian from behind to curtail his momentum and hand the villainous trio the advantage though. Blake hits a back suplex on Daivari to escape and unleash the luchador Metalik for the first time...and he instantly propels himself into a somersault plancha. Rope-walk springboard splash gets 2! Kay smashes his face into the apron as he attempts a springboard move though, as once again the superior fluidity and nefarious tactics of the Trust Busters comes to the fore. Daivari leads an attack on the back of the masked man, evidently looking to slow him down. Metalik eventually hits a handspring elbow on Kay, but collapses holding his back and is unable to capitalise. He hits a springboard reverse elbow on Daivari next...and again can barely crawl back to his knees from the mat before Slim J has taken both of his partners off the apron. Fox makes it back and gets the crucial tag, giving Jeeves a rolling ARKO! DOUBLE STUNNER on Kay and Slim! ARKO on Daivari! ROPE RUN DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD PLANCHA TO THE FLOOR! Christian climbs the ropes too - TWISTING MOONSAULT TO THE OUTSIDE! Smart Mark has seen enough of the high-flying antics and tries to get involved...only to get booted off the apron by Fox! Double Arm DDT from Jeeves to Fox gets 2. The Trust Busters ambush Blake 3-on-1 in the corner...so Metalik charges and POWERBOMBS Slim off the top, as J in turn delivers a superplex on Blake! MID-AIR ARKO BY FOX! 450 SPLASH! Fox pins Daivari to win at 13:20

Rating - *** - A fun pay-off to an angle which has, in all honesty, been given far too much air-time over this four episode run of shows. It is one of the first times we've really seen the benefit of Honor Club as a vehicle for ROH's TV because, if this was a televised product there's no way you'd devote almost fifteen minutes of TV time to it - and if you could its impact would be lessened thanks to commercials. Here we saw these six really make the most of the time they were given; all of them shone at various points. AR Fox looked awesome (again) and was audibly the most over guy in the match (which I hope Tony Khan picked up on). The Trust Busters were completely adequate - if slightly unimaginative and generic - as a heel trio for the babyfaces to bounce off. And theatrics in the last three or four minutes really were fun to watch. 

The Embassy charge the ring to attack Fox, Christian and Metalik before they can celebrate. They toss them all to the floor in a display of dominance, then pose with their Six Man Title belts. These two trios will meet for that championship at Supercard Of Honor.

These two were both involved in matches on Episode One, but with mixed fortunes. Frost looked momentarily impressive before being roundly beaten by Willow Nightingale so comes in looking to rebound from that. Skye may not have been completely happy with her individual performance, but her team with Madison Rayne was victorious over the Renegade Twins. Can the youngster emerge from these tapings with a 2-0 record?

Skye tries to chain-wrestle with Frost, which isn't necessarily the smartest strategy against a veteran with tours of Mexico under her belt. But Blue is impressive and skilled enough to take Lady F down a number of times...prompting her to start repeatedly booting her in the head. Snowball senton in the corner gets 2, with Riccaboni merrily making as many Frozen and Ice Age puns as he can possibly get away with in his commentary. Frost boots Blue to the floor, setting her up for a cannonball off the apron as well. Eventually Blue does return fire with a superkick...but collapses alongside her fallen opponent such is the punishment she has taken in the contest. She follows with a flying headcissors and a sliding roundhouse kick for 2. Skyfall blocked with a kick by Frost, setting up a CARTWHEEL AIR RAID CRASH! Skye hits a press slam off the ropes to block the corkscrew moonsault...and absolutely hurls herself into top rope crossbody block. Swinging neckbreaker, into the Skyfall to give Blue the win at 07:19

Rating - ** - Frost looked good against Willow, and even better here when she was given far more of an opportunity to showcase her skills. But Skye Blue is clearly something of a project for those in charge of AEW's women's division (she gets plenty of exposure on Dark and Elevation) and leaves with an unblemished record from the first ROH TV taping. She certainly has a likeable babyface charm to her even if her in-ring work is still developing. Getting more time in the ring with the likes of Frost - who was precise, calm and executed complex spots with an effortless grace - will certainly help her. The match itself went a little long for what it was (and was considerably more interesting when Lady F was in the ascendancy).

The Foundation and La Faccion Ingobernable were just two of the warring factions that dominated the ROH landscape through most of 2021. They shared some memorable moments back then (such as Williams taking both the TV and Tag Titles from LFI at the 19th Anniversary Show when Dragon Lee was injured and unable to compete) and an awesome Pure Rules Tag Title Match on TV. Rush and Dralistico weren't actually involved in any of those matches (Dralistico never appeared with his brothers or father as part of the 2021 incarnation of LFI), but the bad blood between these two groups no doubt still exists. Tracy and Rhett look to uphold the spirit and values of the ROH originals...whilst Rush and LFI pride themselves on being chaotic, uncontrollable rule-breakers. Oh, and if you're looking for a recommendation on a Foundation/LFI match which features Rhett, Tracy and Rush - check out the LFI/Foundation 8-man tag from ROH on SBG Episode 496. It's one of the better matches from the entire ROH empty arena/pandemic era...

No handshakes from LFI, enraging Rhett and Tracy from the outset. Rush and Dralistico try to do their Ingobernable poses and get jumped by The Foundation...but get the upper hand by dumping Titus and double-teaming Hot Sauce. Rush goads Tracy into a chop exchange...and then almost breaks his jaw with elbow strikes, leaving him in position for a springboard leg drop from his brother. Williams and Dralistico absolutely BOMB on each other, until Tracy hits a back suplex and crawls away to his corner with his body covered in welts. Rhett hits a belly to belly on Rush, then a Yakuza Kick flurry. Dropkick/discus lariat combo gets 2. GERMAN SUPLEX/SPRINGBOARD CODEBREAKER COMBO by LFI! SPEAR BY TRACY to block the Bull's Horns! Rush defies that and rockets Titus into the corner...as Dralistico wipes out Tracy with a tope atomico. BULL'S HORNS! Rush pins Titus to win at 05:37

Rating - *** - For the time given, this was a blast. They beat the sh*t out of each other from first bell to last in an incredibly physical five minute sprint. For new viewers this worked as an all-action tag bout, but as a long-term ROH fan I definitely felt there was enough here to recognise the previous history between the two factions. But having praised the match itself, it has to be said that this version of La Faccion Ingobernable is slightly muddled. Rush is the same as always, but Dralistico (who spends half his time acting like a babyface), Jose The Assistent (one of the most superfluous and unnecessary characters in AEW) and Preston Vance are thus far not a patch on how dangerous the Rush/Dragon Lee/Kenny King/La Bestia del Ring incarnation of the group felt.

Caprice Coleman conducts a sit-down interview with both Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston. Double C doubles down on his point that 'men like Eddie Kingston shouldn't be ROH Champion'. Eddie points out that his mentors like Low Ki, Xavier and Homicide have all held it meaning the lineage of that title is as much his as anyone else's. Things get bitter as they discuss their time living together, and ends with Claudio agreeing to put the belt on the line at Supercard Of Honor. He promises to out-wrestle and out-smart the Mad King...and expects Eddie to 'blame everyone else and run away' when he loses. 

The Kingdom returned to ROH at Final Battle, but lost to Top Flight and still haven't gotten a win back over them. Bennett and Dante shared a hell of a match last week, where again it was a Martin who had his hand raised in victory. Taven is a former ROH World Champion, but has only competed in ROH singles action once since his memorable loss to Vincent inside a Steel Cage back in the summer of 2021.

Darius enters the arena alone since The Kingdom injured Dante last week. Taven is annoyed at him from the outset, but Martin uses his frustration against him and out-smarts him throughout the first minute. Bennett tries to Spear Darius on the apron...but Martin leapfrogs him (eventually)! Eventually Maria trips him into the Kick Of The King, which knocks him to the floor. Rebound elbow strike by Bennett as well, behind the back of the referee. Taven slows the pace and works the back...but even then struggles to slow Darius down and soon misses a springboard senton. Just The Tip blocked, so Matt levels him with a spinning heel kick instead. Martin scurries to the apron, providing him with the launching pad he needs to land a slingshot flatfliner for 2. Climax blocked, into a STANDING C4 by Martin! Duelling enziguri kicks leave both men reeling on the canvas. Taven is up first with Just The Tip, but Darius gets the knee up to counter Aurora Borealis. Heat Seeking Missile nailed...but on Bennett instead of Taven! Maria trips Martin again - this time into the Climax. Taven wins at 07:35

Rating - ** - I like the rivalry between these two teams, and I've already set that I think veterans like Bennett, Taven and Maria are really smart choices to work with a younger team like Top Flight. This match was absolutely fine as a progression to that angle, albeit it wasn't anywhere close to the quality of Bennett/Dante from last week. This was somewhat scruffy and untidy to watch at various points; it never felt like they clicked as opponents in their same way their partners did. I assume we'll be seeing more between the teams though, and I'm absolutely fine with that.

The Kingdom want to put a beating on Darius, but are chased away by Dante...who is apparently not injured now? So why wouldn't he just come out with his brother in the first place?!

It is a rough taping for former TV Champion Tony Deppen. After he locked horns with Samoa Joe a couple of weeks ago, he now tangles with the figurehead of Prince Nana's new Embassy - 'The Machine' Brian Cage. Scrapping against the odds has been a staple of Deppen's short Ring Of Honor career though.

The Machine swats Deppen away like a fly, but Tony keeps coming back and trying to throw strikes at him. Cage executes the dead-lift superplex to finally stop the former TV Champion from swarming around him. Deppen kicks a leg out from under his muscle-bound opponent and lands a hanging lungblower. TOPE CON HILO! An ode to his former stable-mate Homicide! A springboard dropkick knocks Cage back as well...and he lands the flying double stomp for a surprisingly close nearfall. Cage tries to pose to the crowd, and is almost pinned with a small package. Drill Claw wins it for The Machine at 04:28 though...

Rating - ** - I enjoyed this more than a 2* rating might suggest. Cage looked monstrous in victory and never compromised his credibility, but Deppen got enough fun hope spots to mean he isn't hurt greatly in defeat either. Once again this really doesn't do much to give depth to Cage as a character, but with his contract reportedly up after Supercard and his future status still unknown perhaps that isn't much of a surprise.

Blake Christian, AR Fox and Metalik make a somewhat predictable run-in to stop The Embassy from beating Deppen down any further...and manage to run them off with the help of lead pipes and metal chains as weapons.

These two were loosely affiliated in the first half of 2019, but those bonds are long-since broken. The Last Real Man returned to television last week and bemoaned having been made to spend more than a year in exile from ROH. He clashed with Taylor over who was the most dominant former TV Champion of the previous era and they'll settle that debate in the ring tonight. 

Lots of smiles and bravado in the opening minute, but it masks a burning desire to gain the advantage. Taylor attempts to use his power to do so, only for Young to show his experience and trickery by bating the big man in then hanging him in the ropes. Shane eventually forearms the Last Real Man so hard it falls straight out of the ring...only for Young to dodge Taylor's signature leg drop on the apron. Again Silas lures Taylor in - before tripping him through the ropes again and hitting a springboard axehandle smash for 2. Luring Taylor in can only be successful for so long though...and inevitably Shane T does eventually land a blow on Silas; clobbering him with a mighty lariat. Choke-bomb gets 2, and in just a couple of moves Taylor has closed the gap on Silas. The Last Real Man counters a neckbreaker attempt into a springboard DDT, but is so injured that he struggles to get back to his feet. Taylor blocks Misery with a headbutt and a bruising STO. Young makes one last desperate play, trying to hit the Plunge...but Taylor moves and KO's him with a knee strike. PACKAGE PILEDRIVER! Taylor wins at 06:45

Rating - *** - I'm disappointed that more time couldn't be found for these two. They did an excellent job with the seven minutes they were given, but I loved the story they told here and felt they had a much better match in them if given the platform to do so. Each man gave the contest a big-time feel in the way they carried themselves, and they quickly established the theme of Taylor being so powerful that anytime he could lay a glove on Silas he could potentially knock him out. But Young showed his veteran smarts; constantly luring Taylor in then (fairly) tricking or ambushing him to get ahead. Against many opponents it would have been too much, but Taylor possessed such firepower that ultimately even Silas couldn't withstand the brutality. Taylor is a really unique performer; as authentic as it gets, an imposing smash-mouth big-man style and a charismatic talker - he absolutely deserves this platform. I hope he gets signed (if he isn't already)...

This is the first time Alize has appeared in ROH since Supercard Of Honor last year. She was a break-out star of the revitalised Women's Division in 2021, making it all the way to the finals of the tournament to crown a new Women's Champion before falling to Rok-C in a memorable encounter. She faces another teenage prodigy tonight too, so may well get some uncomfortable flashbacks to that fateful night in Philadelphia against the future Roxanne Perez. Starkz is looking to rebound after losing her ROH debut match to Trish Adora a couple of weeks ago.

Alize is very much still a 'Lucha Baddie' and slaps Billie's hand away rather than follow the Code Of Honor. She bites Billie's hand rather than lock up with her...so Starkz DUMPS her with a tiger suplex! TOPE SUICIDA nailed by Billie! Miranda hits back by hanging her in the ropes and drilling her head and neck first into the canvas for 2. Again she bites the hand, and verbally berates the youngster as well. Miranda Rights applied...but smartly countered into a roll-up for 2 by Starkz. Jawbreaker/spinning heel kick combo by Billie, into a DVD for 2! Alize responds with the slingshot sliding rana for her own nearfall. Cradlebreaker by Starkz...who then misses a Swanton Bomb. Ace Crusher by Alize. Drive By blocked! TOMBSTONE! Billie wins at 06:56

Rating - *** - As has been the theme for this entire episode, the match didn't go long but they made smart use of the time they were given to tell an engaging little story. The narrative was easy to follow; the villainous, more experienced Alize trying to bully the teenage prodigy whilst Starkz showed all the likeable babyface heart and courage that she is quickly becoming known for. I loved how they really escalated things in the closing stages - each hitting big moves on the other on an equal footing in a straight-up sprint to the finishing line. Starkz wins, but Alize was impressive in defeat. 

For long-time ROH fans, the unexpected Daniels/Sydal reunion was something of a feel-good moment coming out of these tapings. Two guys with enormous experience and a storied history with Ring Of Honor reforming an old team fifteen years after we last saw them is a fun story to tell in the new era. But they face a stern test this evening, in the form of New Japan's Aussie Open. Fletcher and Davis have made it known that they are in the hunt for the ROH Tag Championship, and openly stated last week that they want to beat former champions Daniels and Sydal to prove their credentials for a title shot. Does the winner of this effectively secure a spot in the Reach For The Sky Ladder Match at Supercard Of Honor?

Fletcher tries to impose himself on Sydal, who of course has experience and speed on his size and almost smuggles his way to an early pinfall victory. Davis tags and uses his pronounced size advantage to steamroll over Daniels with tackles and strikes in the corner. Daniels kicks the legs out from under him (Davis has had knee injuries in the past) and smashes him with a clothesline to the back of the head. Standing moonsault/standing corkscrew senton combo by Daniels and Sydal! Kyle tries to jump Daniels from behind, but the veteran is so smart he sees it coming and actually lands a strike on Fletcher instead. In the end Aussie Open realise they can't out-smart the veterans...so charge the ring and use combo moves and brute force to get ahead. That ends with them scooping up the former Tag Champs and smashing them into each other on the arena floor. They start working the back and neck of Daniels, a fifty plus year-old man who has taken plenty of wear and tear to those body parts in his long career. Daniels lands a swinging flatliner on Davis...and tags out before collapsing to the floor in pain. SNAP RANA from Sydal to Fletcher gets 2. STANDING SUPER RANA AS WELL! Mark has to grab his leg to stop him hitting the Sydal Press, leaving him stranded on the top rope. Daniels makes the save, grabbing Fletcher for a METEORA/POWERBOMB COMBO! HALF NELSON SUPLEX from Fletcher to Sydal...only for Kyle to walk right into a DVD from Daniels, leaving all four men down. Davis violently hiptosses Daniels to the floor, but Sydal counters Close Your Eyes with a brilliant mid-air headscissors takedown. Double team Ace Crusher from the Aussies to Sydal gets 2. Running neckbreaker drop by Daniels to make a save, and he gets a nearfall with the Blue Thunder Driver on Kyle. Angel's Wings blocked...knee strike by Sydal. SPINNING TOMBSTONE BY FLETCHER! And he grabs the leg to stop Daniels hitting the BME as well. GAMENGIRI by Davis! CORIOLIS! Fletcher pins Daniels to win at 14:10

Rating - **** - Both of the Aussie Open tags at this taping have felt like total throwbacks to ROH's golden era. I actually thought this was a better match than Aussies/Foundation from Episode 2 as well, largely because I thought the juxtaposition between the speedy, smart veterans Daniels and Sydal and the powerful, younger Australians was a fascinating watch. Everything after the hot tag to Sydal (who was excellent throughout the match) was a complete adrenaline rush. This will rightly be remembered for the exciting, breathless action, but I really did think there was some sound psychology behind the mayhem here which really made it stand out as one of the best bouts of the entire taping.

It is the diminutive Cheeseburger who has answered Joe's open challenge. A popular, mascot-type figure during Sinclair's time in charge of ROH, he has cycled back to the crowd-pleasing gimmick after trying to move away from it to become 'World Famous CB' during the pandemic. Joe now calls himself the 'King Of Television', and is closing in on a full year as ROH TV Champion (after already being renowned as one of the most dominant World Champions in ROH history as well). He has urged his challenger at Supercard - Mark Briscoe - to watch this one closely...

The bell rings...and Joe ploughs through the challenger with elbows and knees. A lariat spins CB through the air, with Joe constantly screaming at Mark Briscoe through the camera lens. Musclebuster nailed, and Joe marches to victory at 01:01

Rating - N/A - I love Joe, so this was exactly what it needed to be (even if it made for a somewhat strange TV main event over Aussies/Daniels & Sydal). He needs to be protected and the matches he does have left in the tank should be made to feel special, so as a brief squash to promote Joe/Briscoe at Supercard I thought it worked well. I thought he was presented brilliantly here, right down to his entrance - where he came out talking brashly to the camera just as he did so many times during his reign as World Champion. I really hope the Supercard match with Mark isn't the end of his run in the 'new' Ring Of Honor...

Joe continues to taunt Mark through the camera, then gives Burger another Musclebuster. Now on a rampage, Joe shoves Bobby Cruise over and sets up to destroy CB with a chair. Mark Briscoe comes out to make a save. (I'd much rather Joe had stayed for a staredown rather than leaving the ring though...)

Tape Rating - ** - As with every other episode from this taping, there were too many short matches. The quality was actually pretty consistent here with barely a bad match to be seen - but as I've said many times, decent six minute matches won't convince people to keep sinking $10 a month to watch this TV show. But having got that regular criticism out of the way, there was actually lots I liked about this episode. The Claudio/Eddie interview segment was outstanding, the Aussie Open tag was one of the best bouts of the entire taping, Nese/Briscoe was a fun opener and having shoved the Trust Busters down our throats for all four episodes from this taping, I thought the pay-off trios match between them and Fox/Christian/Metalik was pretty decent too. The quality of this episode is probably a fair reflection of the standard of the taping as a whole. I liked plenty about it and, as a long-time ROH fan, I do feel like lots of what I saw was faithful to the legacy of Ring Of Honor whilst trying to drive the brand forward into a the 'new era'. And, for all my concerns about his booking, I thought the stories Tony Khan set out to tell across the four episode run were executed pretty well. I do think the format needs to be tweaked a little if there are to be future TV tapings and if this brand extension is to be a success (rather than a WWECW-esque failure); fewer matches, more room for characters to develop and for stories to be told...and for the love of god less Trust Busters! But as an initial experiment into what is possible with a standalone ROH brand running in parallel to AEW, there was plenty of potential, even if the actual delivery could use some refining.

5) Aussie Open vs Tracy Williams/Rhett Titus (**** - Episode 2)

4) Claudio Castagnoli vs AR Fox (**** - Episode 1)

3) Aussie Open vs Christopher Daniels/Matt Sydal (**** - Episode 4)

2) Athena vs Willow Nightingale (**** - Episode 2)

1) Wheeler Yuta vs Timothy Thatcher (**** - Episode 2)