McXal's Reviews

There is perhaps no more telling an indication of how far ROH has journeyed since Era Of Honor Begins than to consider that it celebrates its sixteenth birthday in Japan for a cross-promotional event with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The now-annual 'Honor Rising' tour is always a strange one. When NJPW comes to the US they are some of ROH's biggest ticket dates in the calendar. But when ROH returns the favour they are usually the lowest of low-key house shows in one of NJPW's smaller venues, the Korakuen Hall. As always, the ROH representation is a mash-up of guys NJPW book anyway (e.g. the Bullet Club guys or Trent Beretta) and core ROH talents who don't tour Japan as often (or at all) - this year including Dalton Castle, Jay Lethal, Flip Gordon, Beer City Bruiser and Cheeseburger. 'Bullet Club is fine' will be the focal point of both main events, with Cody and Kenny Omega preparing for their big showdown at Supercard Of Honor with tag matches across both nights. This evening it will be Cody, Hangman Page and Marty Scurll facing Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi and Chase Owens. On the undercard the most noticeable bout is Beer City Bruiser getting to challenge Hirooki Goto for the NEVER Openweight Title on what is effectively his NJPW debut, whilst Flip Gordon looks to make a splash in the junior division when he faces Kushida and Hiromu Takahashi (whom he also faces at the 16th Anniversary) in a triple threat. We are in Tokyo, JP. I'll be watching with English commentators Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.

The tension within Bullet Club is international. Even one third of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Champions (Fale) and the Tokyo Pimp come out with questions over how it is impacting them. They will be defending the belts tomorrow night apparently, and prepare for that with a bout against a come of Young Lions. Henare is a New Zealand native former wrestler and mixed martial artist before he started training at the NJPW dojo. Kitamura is another for amateur star and an absolute beast of a physical specimen. I believe there were high hopes for him before left NJPW in 2019.

Kitamura tries to call out Fale, who scoffs at him and leaves Takahashi to handle things. Yujiro literally bounces off his muscular frame and he goes back to calling out BLF. Kitamura actually drops Fale to a knee momentarily...but is soon clobbered to the deck. Yujiro hauls Henare off the apron too so there's nobody to tag to. Butt splash scores, although Kitamura's chest is so massive Fale almost topples off him. Yujiro tries an ill-advised fisherman buster and is easily suplexed by Kitamura, who bring Toa in legally for the first time. Takahashi bites his hand and sensibly exits so Bad Luck can get hold of the big Kiwi. The Young Lions team up on Fale, setting up Kitamura's Spear for 2. Jackhammer blocked with a lariat for a close 2-count! Grenade wins it for Fale at 07:20

Rating - ** - Kitamura is a fascinating athlete. The guy is so obscenely jacked that it almost forces NJPW to challenge their perception of what a Young Lion traditionally does. It would be implausible for Yujiro not to be bullied by someone of his physical dimensions for instance, even if the Tokyo Pimp is a veteran. They actually worked a clean back and forth match. Kitamura was in the midst of a trial series, and got to show some growth as a performer before the ominous Bad Luck Fale put him down with one of his B-finishers. 

The Guerrillas Of Destiny, I believe, were already making it known that they didn't like the self-interested nature of 'The Elite' clique, making their position on the divisions within Bullet Club particularly interesting - although they had been largely staying out of the Cody/Kenny situation. Here they team with little brother Hikuleo to face Liger, his Shotei protege Cheeseburger (who, his shirt commercial assured us, is 'big in Japan') and the bizarre masked lizard-man Delirious (who also considers Burger a protege) making his annual trip to NJPW as part of the Honor Rising crew.

GOD pull rank and inform Leo that he's starting. In fact, he's so tall and imposing that Liger and Delirious want no part of him so leave Burger to handle it. Cheeseburger is over, and is roared into the ring. There are audible groans as Hiku destroys him too. Next the youngster works Liger over in the corner, and finally Loa allows him to tag out. The beloved veteran is trapped into the ring and beaten all over it by the Tongan Bullet Club brothers. Tama accidentally levels Hikuleo with a jumping elbow, allowing Liger to Shotei his way through to a hot tag for Burger. He stacks up the Tongans in the corner and somehow takes Tama out with a satellite DDT. Shotei countered to the Tongan Twist though. Delirious runs erratic circles around the ring...straight into a flatliner from Leo. Shotei/sunset flip combo...and Delirious scores an unlikely pin on Hikuleo in 07:07

Rating - * - When this match was good, it was because Tonga, Loa and Leo were being brutal Tongan bad-asses. But it felt very much mis-matched when put up against Burger, Delirious and B-show Liger. I never want to see Tama Tonga have to take a huge DDT bump from Cheeseburger, or the enormously tall Hikuleo having to put over his Shotei, ever again. I don't resent Liger, Delirious or Burger winning as they face GOD and Fale tomorrow for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Title. However, I would have found a far more Liger-centric way of getting us to that result.

Accordingly to Kevin Kelly this is a prelude to the Bucks stepping up in weight class to join the heavyweight tag division. Few would argue that is a prudent step for them given that they've already accomplished all they could ever desire as IWGP Junior Tag Champions. Robinson and Finlay aren't spectacularly bigger but are recognised as a heavyweight tag team. 

Nick starts with Finlay and is too quick for him. Matt soon joins them for a 'bad-ass tag team move', and they end up pulling off a flurry of them. Juice tries to break it up but is quickly booted outside as the Bucks continue to beat down his partner. David blocks the slingshot X-Factor with an inverted atomic drop though and at last does bring Robinson into play. He is bigger and stronger - and uses all of that to split up and dominate the Jacksons. I love Juice's power-based approach, and it quickly transitions into spearheading his team in working over Matt's back. Nick smartly tags in, quickens the pace again and neither Juice or Finlay can keep up. ROPE RUN CORKSCREW PLANCHA TO THE FLOOR! Matt blocks Pulp Friction and feeds Juice into a Sharpshooter from Nick. He slaps the same hold on David when he tries to break it up too. Full nelson slam from Robinson to Matt, drilling his back into the canvas again. Back-selling double dropkick combo in the corner by the Bucks! Meltzer blocked by Finlay...and Nick accidentally Superkicks his brother afterwards. Taste kicks by Juice! Double Superkick on him! Spear/knee smash combo on Finlay gets 2. MELTZER DRIVER! Matt pins Finlay to win the match at 12:51

Rating - *** - Watching the Young Bucks in Japan is a different experience than watching them in Ring Of Honor. In ROH the Bucks ARE the show. They are by far the biggest draw, they sell the most merch and define the product. In NJPW they are still incredibly popular - but as a beloved junior midcard act. This was an interesting introduction as to what their act might look like in the heavyweight division. Still using fast-paced combo moves...but also vulnerable to bigger, more powerful guys like Juice roughing them up. In what was something of a trial match for them in the heavyweight division they demonstrated that they had the chops to step up and that they were able to adapt their style to overcome this new challenge. 

This is a massive opportunity for Flip. After his spectacular performance against Will Ospreay on the 2017 Global Wars Tour, he comes to NJPW to face not one but two former IWGP Junior Champions. Kushida and Hiromu have a storied rivalry, but the added dynamic of the explosive, raw and talented Gordon will produce another unique twist to their issues. Already popular for his appearances on the 'Being The Elite' web series, Gordon must know that a victory here could punch his ticket for more regular New Japan tours.

Flip is over, particularly with the ladies in the audience it seems. His expression says that he knows what a big opportunity this is for him. He starts Matrix-ducking whatever his opponents throw at him - but tries a needless handstand and is rightly kicked in the head by the veteran juniors. With the kid out of the way Kushida and Hiromu tear into each other with their signature intensity. Tajiri Elbow from Kushida when Gordon tries to force his way back in. Kushida's tactic appears to be keep Takahashi out so he can try to put away the man with less experience. Flip's arm quickly becomes a target but inevitably he turns his back on Hiromu and allows him back. Takahashi adopts the same approach and tries to break Gordon's leg whilst keeping Kushida out. Flip retaliates with a one-legged standing moonsault for 2. MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR! MISSILE DROPKICK OFF THE APRON by Hiromu! Back in the ring he blocks Kushida's handspring...and then evades the Hoverboard too. Superkick by Flip, and all three men go down. Kinder Surprise...but Gordon tumbles to the floor afterwards because of his knee! He goes right back for a SPRINGBOARD SUPER RANA! 450 Splash misses...Samoan Pop instead! He's selling his leg through all of this as well. Takahashi tries to curtail Gordon's momentum, and as he does so Kushida mows them both down with a handspring kick. FLYING ARMBAR! SPRINGBOARD FROG SPLASH by Gordon to break it! On their knees all three men go round in a circle clubbing the sh*t out of each other. Pele by Kushida, before the Hoverboard Lock on Flip. Back To The Future blocked...GERMAN by Hiromu! Then he belly to belly suplexes Kushida into Flip's lap. RUNNING TURNBUCKLE DVD! Time Bomb blocked into the Star Spangled Stunner on Hiromu. Gordon dumps Kushida to the floor, the hits a 450 SPLASH! Flip pins Hiromu! It's a colossal upset and Gordon leaves victorious at 12:48

Rating - **** - An awesome triple threat match which takes its place among the better matches in ROH/NJPW Honor Rising tour history. The best triple threats are always the ones which create drama and a story around some of the usual pitfalls that this match type tends to create. Here it made sense that one of Kushida or Hiromu would sit out from time to time...because they were the old dogs of war looking to keep their old rival out of the game so they could have their turn picking off the perceived weak link. The exchanges between Hiromu and Kushida themselves were only brief and mostly played the hits - but were still loaded with intensity. But it was Gordon's story, triumphantly rising above the bullying tactics of the more experienced men do score a rousing victory and win over a packed Korakuen Hall, which really impressed. I said in play-by-play that I thought he looked nervous before the bell. Maybe that was true, however it didn't show. This was a major opportunity for him and he delivered resoundingly - the guy is an absolute natural. This also sets up a rematch between Flip and Takahashi at ROH's 16th Anniversary pay-per-view.

This will be the first chance for any ROH fans tuning in to see what Jay White went on to do when he returned to NJPW from his prolonged excursion. He was repackaged as 'Switchblade' Jay White, joined CHAOS and played an integral role in the current Bullet Club turmoil when he defeated Kenny Omega for the IWGP United States Title. He teams with the Best Friends this evening, which is significant since Trent challenges Dalton Castle for the ROH World Title tomorrow night. Dalton's partner, Jay Lethal, will get a title shot at ROH's 16th Anniversary, where he'll face either Dalton or Trent. He also shared an absolute classic with White during the Global Wars 2017 Tour, and would love a shot at the IWGP US Title so will be anxious to get in with the Switchblade too...

Kevin Kelly runs through the catalogue of injuries Beretta is trying to work through this weekend in pursuit of the ROH Championship. He starts with Castle, and almost falls victim to an early Bang-A-Rang. Chuckie and Taguchi in next - and 'the Coach' is soon orchestrating the ROH guys into a mass corner beatdown on Taylor. Chuck responds by dropkicking Taguchi in the ass and feeding him to White. Switchblade destroys him with a back drop driver...and simply walks away having done his job. He leaves the Best Friends to do the heavy lifting for their team. Taylor misses a moonsault but counters a hip attack with an atomic drop...but gets distracted going after Lethal and Castle, letting Taguchi slip through his fingers. Lethal tears into the Friends and scatters them all around ringside before nailing White with the Lethal Combination. Hail To The King blocked...so he puts a Figure 4 on the US Champion instead. Trent makes the save and is promptly wiped out by Castle. Hip attack off the apron by Taguchi, as in the ring Taylor drops Lethal with Sole Food. Boma Ye hip attack by Taguchi gets 2! White blocks the Dodon...so Taguchi puts him in the Anklelock. Jay smashes his way free and hits the Blade Runner to win the match at 09:45

Rating - ** - A total NJPW house show match, but an enjoyable one. Beretta and Castle paid some lip service to their scheduled title match for Night 2, albeit Trent was clearly hurt and held together by bandages. Taguchi popped the crowd with some comedy and was the fall guy to protect ROH's big names, whilst Switchblade got to look like a total bad-ass throughout. 

If it wasn't random enough that Bruiser was the guy ROH/NJPW opted to take on this tour, he makes his NJPW debut in a title match. Goto helped Punishment Martinez to a star-making match for this belt during the 2017 Honor Rising weekend. Will lightning strike twice? Can Bruiser, who has been inspired to chase championship gold by associate Silas Young's TV Title win at Final Battle 2017, shock the world and defeat Goto tonight in Tokyo?

Bruiser tries to wrestle with his cigar on his mouth, meaning soon enough they are working around a pile of stomped-in tobacco. BCB even grinds Goto's face into it before clubbing him out of the ring. Rolling senton off the apron nailed - and the fans start chanting BCB's name! So dominant is Bruiser in the opening minutes that he actually takes a beer break and still has time to peel the champ off the ground for another beating. He spits beer into Goto's face and continues cranking on his neck. Lariats by the champ...but Beer City barely moves! The champion needs a run-up, but the extra momentum means he is finally able to lariat the challenger down. Back drop driver gets 2, but alas his neck gives way on him which allows Bruiser to crush him against the turnbuckles with another cannonball. VADER BOMB nailed! Bruiser is on top...but his big chest is heaving and this is the point in the match where his stamina starts to fail him. Goto spots it too - and mounts him with a sleeper hold to make it tough to catch his breath. Bruiser escapes into a sit-out powerbomb...but collapses alongside the champion through sheer exhaustion. He can't get to the top rope quickly enough for the Keg Splash and is dragged down into the Ushigoroshi. Northern lights bomb by Bruiser in response! KEG SPLASH MISSES! Goto whacks him with a lariat to the back of the head as well. Lariat duel...GOTO GOES DOWN! But he gets right back up and headbutts Bruiser into the GTR! Goto retains at 12:36

Rating - *** - I have so much respect for Beer City Bruiser after that. I wasn't particularly positive about him when he came in after the Top Prospect Tournament in 2015 but his work in a tag team with Silas Young has slowly won me over. Despite that, I've never had any appetite to watch him in singles matches...but the guts, heart and determination he showed in this fight were impossible not to like. Big, loud-mouthed, toothless and swilling beer - he is a big character that the Japanese audience really latched onto. He took the best shots that an established veteran of NJPW's heavyweight division had to offer and still dominated. He was completely fatigued by the end, but never once stopped trying his absolute hardest. The match wasn't a classic and wasn't one for the purists. But it was a masterpiece of hard-work and grit.

This is our main event and, to put it bluntly, the only match NJPW really cares about. It is the match that has delivered the house - the first time in almost five years that the Golden Lovers of Omega and Ibushi have teamed up. Kenny and Cody's relationship has totally soured and now threatens to tear Bullet Club apart before they make it to ROH's Supercard Of Honor 12 to settle it. Hangman has sided with Cody, Owens has sided with Kenny and Kota. Mystery remains around where the loyalties of the likes of the Young Bucks or the Guerrillas Of Destiny may lie. Scurll is emotionally traumatised by having to pick one side over the other (as he has friends on both) - and it was Omega who brought him into Bullet Club after all. 

The reaction for the Golden Lovers dwarfs that of anyone else on the bill, which disgusts Cody in particular. The American Nightmare of course isn't willing to start though; handing his problem solver Hangman Page that assignment. Ibushi is too quick and too skilful and quickly drags him into his corner where Owens and Omega have some fun at Page's expense. Cody runs over and refuses to allow Kenny to tag Kota though, by bludgeoning Ibushi on the apron. Page and Rhodes yell at Marty to get in the ring, even though he is seemingly unwilling to fight Omega. They launch into a respectful exchange of chain-wrestling holds, with Kenny coming out on top. Cody cheap-shots The Cleaner, and ORDERS Scurll to do the Finger Snap. The Villain stalls through confliction, giving Ibushi time to storm the ring and belt him with a kick. Gutbuster by Chase, so Cody and Page attack him from behind as well. Team Cody work together to isolate Owens from the Golden Lovers, whilst working over his arm. Superplex by The Villain...but then he watches on in horror as Hangman and Cody set up Rise Of The Terminator! Scurll refuses to participate and is berated by his own partners! He is happy to kick Chase in the skull at least, but then walks away with Page in his ear yelling at him some more. Meanwhile inside the ring Owens manages a big throw on Cody...only to find the American Nightmare recovered and blocking his path to a tag. Swinging slingshot backbreaker by Owens...and he tags Ibushi in! Classic Golden Lovers offence ensues as Kota sets up the Kotaro Crusher, then STEREO GOLDEN TRIANGLE MOONSAULTS TO THE FLOOR! Powerbomb/German suplex combo gets 2 on Scurll. Page saves Marty from the Golden Trigger, and Marty hits a neckbreaker on Kota. V-TRIGGER ON SCURLL! Kenny and Cody come face to face for the first time! Rhodes rakes The Cleaner's eyes...only for Omega to counter Cross Rhodes into the V-TRIGGER! Dragon Rush! Buckshot Lariat by Hangman to save Cody from the decisive V-Trigger! Springboard dropkick by Ibushi to save Omega from the Cross Rhodes. GHOSTBUSTER from Marty to Ibushi! SHOOTING STAR TO THE FLOOR BY PAGE! CHICKENWING ON KOTA! Ibushi tries to escape with a standing moonsault...but goes right into Marty's knees. Doomsday Dropkick by Scurll and Cody for 2! Ibushi boots Page in the head when he tries another lariat. Jewel Heist by Owens for 2! Page blocks the Package Piledriver...JAWBREAKER LARIAT! NO SOLD! RITE OF PASSAGE! PAGE WINS! Hangman pins the Crown Jewel, beating Owens at 20:31

Rating - **** - What a great B-show main event this was. It wasn't designed to blow off a feud, but it did a brilliant job of telling a story and furthering a few angles. Cody and Omega barely touched here, but their fleeting exchanges were great. Ibushi and Omega didn't get to do a lot together either, considering this was the Golden Lovers' big comeback. But, crucially, that was due to a jealous Cody preventing it because he was envious of the reactions they were getting. The divides in Bullet Club, with Owens aligning with Omega and Page siding with Cody played out perfectly here. It meant they got to wage a proxy war on behalf of their ally - and ultimately delivered a major clean win for Hangman Page which I fully appreciated. The unsung star, however, was Marty. It would have been easy for his character to descend into complete comedy - but his earnest and committed portrayal of a conflicted man torn between warring friends will have struck a chord with people. Everyone has been stuck between arguing friends from time to time. When wrestling is able to channel emotions everyone experiences it becomes an incredibly powerful and expressive performance art. They could have dogged this and played the hits. They didn't need to be in Tokyo Dome best bout mindsets. But they all worked hard to continue the Bullet Club civil warfare angle and it made for a superb main event.

Cody and Omega brawl wildly on the floor, until the Young Bucks run out and try to play peacemaker. Ibushi drags Omega away, Cody and Page argue with everyone, whilst Marty and the Bucks look on in complete bewilderment. Everyone leaves, except Cody who sticks around to call himself the 'face of Ring Of Honor'. He draws a line in the sand and announces that from now on people are either 'Team Kenny' or 'Team Cody'. His final line is to proclaim that 'Bullet Club is mine'...

In the back Page yells at Cody for ruining his win by hogging the spotlight brawling with Omega. 

Tape Rating - *** - When tuning into one of these NJPW Honor Rising shows, you are normally aware that you are effectively checking out a New Japan B-show. And by NJPW live tour show standards I thought this was good. The packed crowd were really only there to see Omega and Ibushi reunited - and their trios main event was exceptional. Everything else was superfluous - and creditably NJPW kept everything else on the card short and snappy. Bruiser/Goto was fun. The Young Bucks' tag with Juice and Finlay was really entertaining as well. Flip/Hiromu/Kushida holds up against the top bouts from all four of the previous NJPW Honor Rising shows too. In short, the fans came for the Golden Lovers; their match delivered, and the punchy, snappy, never-boring undercard then became a real hidden bonus. 

3) Hirooki Goto vs Beer City Bruiser (***)

2) Flip Gordon vs Hiromu Takahashi vs Kushida (****)

1) Cody/Marty Scurll/Adam Page vs Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi/Chase Owens (****)