McXal's Reviews

Even though these shows were taped the night after Death Before Dishonor, we already know much of what we’ll see at the next PPV too. Most notably, as the show went off the air last week, Match Maker Nigel McGuinness announced that he was booking The Addiction, the Young Bucks and the Motor City Machine Guns into a Ladder War. That goes alongside the start of the ROH Six Man Tag Title Tournament, and a TV title defence which directly links to what takes place on this episode. Donovan Dijak is #1 contender and awaits the winner of the Bobby Fish vs Katsuyori Shibata championship bout. We’ll also see Bullet Club in trios action as Adam Cole, Hangman Page and Yujiro Takahashi are scheduled to face Jay Lethal and his friends from Los Ingobernables Tetsuya Naito and EVIL. Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are once again in Las Vegas, NV.

It hasn’t taken long at all for Cole and Lethal to want to get back in the ring together. Lethal issued the immediate reminder to Cole that is still in the hunt for the Ring Of Honor Championship. They clashed in a four-way (which also involved Naito) at Field Of Honor and now meet again in trios action. Lethal formed an alliance with Los Ingobernables de Japon during the Honor Rising tour to Japan, and is grateful that they had his back when Cole started threatening Lethal with Bullet Club’s superior numbers…

Evil starts with Takahashi, both trying to be more villainous than the other. Lethal tags in, prompting Adam Cole to flee, ordering Hangman into the ring to fight the former champ as he goes. He is happier tagging in with Naito…and brings Yujiro back the second Lethal comes back. Naito gets a little annoyed at Lethal for only being interested in wrestling Cole – leaving he and Evil vulnerable to taking excessive punishment as a result. Jay actually orders Naito out of the ring so he can finally get his hands on the new champion! That duly comes back to haunt him as Naito and Evil walk out on the match, leaving Lethal to fight Bullet Club single-handedly! Even in a three-on-one situation still Lethal continually dives at and swings punches at Cole too. Just when all hope seems lost Michael Elgin’s music hits! He has had his share of issues with Adam Cole in the past of course…and he hops onto the apron looking to be Jay Lethal’s partner – which Nigel agrees to. Lethal Combination on Cole…he tags Big Mike! He scoops both Yujiro and Hangman up at the same time for a DOUBLE powerslam, then follows it with a military press powerslam on Cole as well. Buckshot Lariat from Page to Elgin! Cole scales the ropes seemingly looking to cement victory with Panama Sunrise, only to be distracted by Kyle O’Reilly’s music! He sprints to the ring and Nigel permits him to join the match as a second replacement partner for Jay Lethal. Big Mike brings him in so he can go strike-for-strike with the World Champion. O’Reilly is the better striker obviously and succeeds in ringing Cole’s bell. Brainbuster nailed for 2 before Page and Takahashi break the pin. Jawbreaker Lariat on both of them! Florida Key blocked…into Arm-ageddon! Cole stomps on the face to break it before Superkicking Kyle to the ground. Jay Lethal is back, landing the Lethal Injection on Yujiro! He wins it for his team in a chaotic 12:55 (shown).

Rating - *** - I don’t entirely know how I feel about Nigel McGuinness so readily allowing Elgin and O’Reilly to join the match uninvited. I will say that this whole segment was loaded with action and genuinely felt really fun and unpredictable to watch (so a great way to start the episode). Naito and EVIL’s walk-out was legitimately funny, and the emergence of Elgin and O’Reilly alongside Lethal sets the table for a crowded World Title landscape for Adam Cole as he enters the autumn and winter period. It was mentioned in passing on commentary that Elgin is getting a title shot at All Star Extravaganza…

Bobby Fish calls himself a protector of the ROH locker room, and a man who feels comfortable taking the fight to the stars of NJPW. He demonstrated it with Ishii and will do it again tonight against Shibata

The Addiction get some interview time and are understandably fuming at being booked into Ladder War…but still plan to beat the Bucks and the Machine Guns again and cement their spot at the top.

Jay Lethal is still at ringside, still irate at Tetsuya Naito and EVIL for walking out on him. He issues a challenge to Naito and he wants it ‘sooner rather than later’. Nigel agrees and books it for All Star Extravaganza…but with a cautionary reminder of what happened last time he forced Nigel to give him a big time match on pay-per-view.

Shibata was, to nobody’s surprise, outstanding in his debut victory over Silas Young at Death Before Dishonor. So impressive was his performance (and so senior is New Japan to ROH in this partnership) that on the strength of it he has been permitted to leapfrog ROH’s #1 contender to Fish’s Television Championship, Donovan Dijak, and challenge for the belt himself. His strike-heavy, martial-arts based, hard-hitting and realistic style is very similar to that of the champion, so this could be a huge challenge. Fish, however, has proved himself to be a capable and enduring champion. His major title wins thus far – against Tomohiro Ishii, Dalton Castle and Mark Briscoe – have all come with different methods of victory, indicating he is a dangerous foe who can win a match at any time.

There is no confident crowing or conversations with Kevin Kelly about the Code Of Honor tonight; Bobby is all business and puts his gumshield in as he walks into an early barrage of strikes from the challenger. He dodges the PK and retreats to the ropes…but is retrieved and kicked into a Figure 4 Leglock. Fish hits back during commercials with a dragon screw and begins to target Shibata’s leg. It is a rapid and vicious attack which quickly leaves the challenger unable to stand and unable to use his trademark striking ability. Prince Nana joins commentary, scouting for Donovan Dijak as Bobby puts the boots to the fallen Shibata in the corner. But gradually the realisation dawns on him that he isn’t doing enough damage. Shibata starts no-selling his strikes and moving freely on his knee – finally exploding into the corner with a brutal mafia kick…into the running basement dropkick. Sleeper Hold locked in which Bobby desperately tries to counter as it’s the set up to the PK. He screws Shibata’s leg again and clings on for a heel hook. Shibata puts him in an anklelock at the same time! They are egging each other on as well – yelling at the other to crank the submissions harder! Neither can force the victory so return to a vertical base to swing strikes again. Exploder by Fish NO SOLD! GERMAN SUPLEX BY SHIBATA! Both men are down again. From their knees they lean in and start thumping each other with elbow smashes. STO by Shibata gets a ONE COUNT OF DISRESPECT! He locks a cross armbreaker in…COUNTERED to an armbar by Fish! COUNTERED BACK BY SHIBATA! COUNTERED TO A PIN BY FISH! He holds the shoulders down and snatches a win at 11:48 (shown)

Rating - **** - It really sucks that all of Shibata’s matches have had to be condensed for pay-per-view or television (although I appreciate it isn’t cost-effective to bring him over for house shows). He is an incredible worker, not necessarily positioned as New Japan’s top star (i.e. so he can put people over) but someone who’s style blends extremely well into the Ring Of Honor roster. His trilogy of matches with Silas Young, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly have all been gritty, hard-fought, technically sound encounters, laced with logical strategies and realistic combat which feels very relevant to the modern pro-wrestling landscape. I didn’t think this was quite as exciting or fluent as his excellent bout with O’Reilly at Field Of Honor – but it was definitely along the same lines. They worked Shibata’s usual strike-no sell gimmick into things brilliantly, timing it so that when Fish had just gotten into his groove and started believing he had it won (smiling, posing to the fans etc) he got really slapped about by the resurgent Shibata. The flash pin finish once again emphasises the idea that Bobby Fish can win a match from anywhere, at any time. 

Donovan Dijak strolls onto the stage smiling broadly. He is apparently confident of delivering victory over Bobby Fish when they meet on pay-per-view. 

Nigel McGuinness ends this episode with an announcement, just like last week. This time he tells the viewers that Steve Corino’s almost year-long suspension has been lifted. He will be back at the announce table next week.

Tape Rating - *** - A really strong episode of Ring Of Honor television this week. Fish/Shibata was an excellent main event which is well worth digging out via your Honor Club subscription package to see. The hectic trios match which opened the show wasn’t necessarily a great wrestling bout, but it had SO much going on it was impossible not to at least like it...and it did heaps to set up the World Title scene plus Cole/Elgin, Lethal/Naito and O’Reilly/Hangman for All Star Extravaganza.