McXal's Reviews

The hook for this episode is simple and clear – tonight we get the rematch from the finals of the 2015 NJPW Best Of The Super Juniors Tournament as Kyle O’Reilly looks to avenge his defeat to now-IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Kushida. That match stands out as one of the most eagerly-awaiting matches from the week-long NJPW War Of The Worlds 2016 Tour. If that weren’t enough, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito pops up on this broadcast too, taking his place as Moose’s most recent high profile opponent. We go back to Toronto, ONT to join Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinnes. Mark Briscoe joins commentary for this episode, pushing a match that has been signed for him and fellow ROH veteran Roderick Strong at Best In The World.

He earned the respect of Kazuchika Okada at the 14th Anniversary, then formed a tag team with him at Global Wars. In Dearborn he went toe-to-toe with Tomohiro Ishii in a bruising encounter. Now Moose’s quest for high profile matches leads him to a clash with the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He knows a win would send shockwaves across the wrestling world and most definitely earn him a spot on the New Japan roster. 

Nigel draws attention to Naito’s heavily taped knee…although it doesn’t stop him spitting in Moose’s face and putting the boots to him. Unsurprisingly, the big man doesn’t take kindly to that and violently dropkicks the champ right out of the ring. Naito scrams before Moose can hit a dive…then starts to make fun of Moose before attempting a pescado. COUNTERED with a fallaway slam into the guardrails by Moose! That looked brutal, although Naito doesn’t make much of an effort to sell that and hops up pretty quick to hit his slingshot dropkick spot in the corner of the ring seconds later. At least Moose gets to no sell his offence too I suppose. He easily blocks Destino only for Naito to land a capo kick. Frankensteiner nailed by Naito…but Moose no sells that as well and lands a discus lariat for 2. Next Naito tries his tornado DDT and succeeds only in twirling in a circle as big Moose stands motionless…then suplexes him ON HIS HEAD on the turnbuckles. Naito takes it to ground next with the Pluma Blanca forcing Moose to use his size to escape. Moose tries another head drop suplex spot, but it’s a rookie mistake to try the same move on Naito twice and the IWGP Champion counters in mid-air with a beautiful DDT. ROPE RUN CROSSBODY by Moose, only for Naito to saunter away and watch him eat the canvas! Destino wins it at 07:43 (shown).

Rating - *** - He’s not my favourite of the 'big' NJPW names but Naito has been good value on this tour. Even this, his worst match thus far, felt like a step up from the work he put in during previous WOTW Tours. Moose/Okada was more energetic and had a big match feel that this one never reached, but I won’t deny this was outright fun from first bell to last. Naito likes to jerk around, but watching him try his usual routine only for Moose to no-sell his stuff and beat the sh*t out of him was great. The pacing was strong too, with Naito’s offence always coming when Moose made an error or demonstrated a lack of experience. 

Another ‘Make Wrestling Great Again’ campaign video airs for the All Night Express. I know The Cabinet gimmick got (what I’ll diplomatically call) a mixed reception, but the two vignettes I’ve seen thus far have been decent. Kenny King is one of the better promo guys ROH have in my opinion.

Liger and Cheeseburger should arguably be considered top contenders for the ROH Tag Titles. They are undefeated in ROH competition, and won their debut match as a team at Global Wars against now champions The Addiction. King and Titus have announced their ‘campaign to make wrestling great again’, and in doing so taken cheap shots at Liger for being an old, sad guy in a mask and Cheeseburger for looking like a little boy. Those personal jibes won’t have been appreciated, even by someone as long in the game as Liger. 

Liger gets his usual superstar reaction; the fans go nuts for him. He’s such a veteran that he has zero problems surviving an attempted jump-start by the All Nights and instead helps Burger hit a springboard suicide dive to the floor. Sensibly King and Titus isolate Cheeseburger instead and have a much easier time bullying him around. The fans accusing Kenny of racism after he makes kung fu noises in Liger’s direction is a terrific little moment hidden in there too. Liger does eventually get the tag and lays Rhett out with a mammoth superplex. Burger tags back in though…and instantly needs help as ANX almost give him the One Night Stand. Shotei on Titus, only for King to hit the Royal Flush on Cheeseburger to hand ANX the win at 06:12 (shown).

Rating - * - I appreciate that King and Titus went over here, as it would have been an easy decision for Delirious to make just to put the popular Liger/Burger duo over just for the sake of a quick pop. The All Nights needed this though, and an emphatic win over a team containing the legendary Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger is a nice way to put the exclamation point on a taping which has seen them launch their new Cabinet gimmick too. The match itself was basic and only of limited interest however. Liger’s involvement was kept to an absolute minimum as well…meaning the crowd quickly died.

NEXT WEEK – It is announced that main event for the final episode at this taping will be an 8-man tag pitting Jay Lethal, the Briscoes and ‘Mr ROH’ Roderick Strong against a Bullet Club quartet.

The Ring Of Honor team for that main event is significant, as it includes four men who all face each other at Best In The World. Roderick stomps down the aisle and complains to Nigel about having to team with the ‘Briscoe that doesn’t matter’ (right in front of Mark)…

Apparently Adam Cole and the Young Bucks (known is some parts as the ‘SuperKliq’) have weekly promo time at this taping. Cole is irritated that ROH’s ‘posterboys’ Jay Lethal and Jay Briscoe are getting the Best In The World main event that he wanted to be a part of…

Silas Young appears at ringside to interrupt Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness running through the card for the PPV, and times it well enough that he shows up just when they announce it will be him vs ACH at Best In The World. He spends more time trashing ACH for being childish and a loudmouth. He goes after a ‘fan’ (who looks very much like a plant’) wearing an ACH shirt in the crowd…and doesn’t see the actual ACH appearing in the ring to run at him with Air Jordan. 

Kyle O’Reilly gets some interview time ahead of the main event, and discusses losing to Kushida a year ago in the finals of the 2015 Best Of The Super Juniors Tournament (I know I don’t review much New Japan for my site…but I absolutely LOVED that match). He vows that he’ll ‘die’ before losing to Kushida again…

The 2015 BOTSJ final is an absolute classic, and I’m already annoyed that ROH didn’t put this big rematch on the New York War Of The Worlds Tour event rather than on TV where it will inevitably get screwed for time. Kushida won an epic battle that night in Japan, but O’Reilly returns believing himself to be a better wrestler than he was then. Having overcome Adam Cole, this is another high profile loss he needs to avenge before moving back into World Title contention.

They work the mat with great intensity early on; each unsuccessful in an attempt to lock in their signature arm-based submission finisher. Kushida succeeds with landing an early kick on O’Reilly’s arm and quickly follows it with a vicious stomp to the same limb. Quickly Kyle starts to favour his arm but finds a way to return fire using his kicks and knee strikes. He attacks Kushida’s leg, and busts out some pretty unique ways of doing so whilst protecting his left arm. Heel Hook applied to that leg as well but Kushida presumably finds a way to roll out due to Kyle’s limited arm. He limps to the apron for a desperation springboard dropkick…which I initially found annoying but he sells it afterwards so hard that O’Reilly is actually up before him. ANKLELOCK! PELE KICK TO BREAK! JAWBREAKER LARIAT! BRAINBUSTER BY KUSHIDA! Both men go down in a pile. Armbreaker by Kushida, followed by a handspring kick which knocks O’Reilly outside. He tries a pescado but lands on his feet KILLING his knee! O’Reilly grabs him for a SHINBREAKER ON A STEEL CHAIR! Kushida slumps into the same chair prompting O’Reilly to line up his big apron missile dropkick. KUSHIDA COUNTERS IN MID-AIR WITH A CROSS ARMBAR THROUGH THE DAMN CHAIR! Forced to release that of course, Kushida comes out and throws Kyle arm-first into the guardrails too. Back in the ring they take turns with savage kicks to their injured body parts. Axe & Smash…no sold…TANAKA PUNCH! Hoverboard Lock COUNTERED into a guillotine choke. BACK TO THE HOVERBOARD LOCK! COUNTERED TO A ROLL-UP…KYLE WINS! He avenges the Best Of The Super Juniors final loss at 10:45 (shown).

Rating - **** - I came seriously close to going even higher on this rating. Had I not seen the BOTSJ final (which was like this, but substantially better) it’s possible I even would have. One guy worked an arm, the other worked the leg, it led to a finish. The concept wasn’t complex…but the ferocity of the fight and precision of the execution is what made this a special TV main event. This was like a great twenty minute match, with the fast forward button pressed down so everything happens at frantic speed. That made it tremendously exciting but did lessen the drama somewhat. MOTN thus far, and one of the best matches from the tour on the whole…

Tape Rating - *** - Look, there is so much bloody star-power and talent at this taping that it would be a real disaster if any of these episodes didn’t reach a 3* level…but that doesn’t make it less enjoyable when they do. This week I liked Naito/Moose (although perhaps not as much as I’d hoped), but thought ANX vs Liger and Burger came up short. But then came the thrilling O’Reilly/Kushida main event which was compelling, must-see stuff. Most of the ROH-exclusive angle development came off well in this episode too. All Night Express’ new gimmick got pushed and didn’t get jobbed out for a nostalgia pop for Liger. The Silas/ACH feud is simple, basic but relatable story-telling. The simple premise for Strong/Mark Briscoe (Roddy’s final PPV appearance) made sense. ROH have used a weekly Bullet Club promo segment well to promote Cole as a main event player in this company even though he is now part of a collective (and even though he hasn’t worked this taping at all). This isn't ground-breaking television, but it is an easy watch...coupled in this instance by a superb main event.