McXal's Reviews

This is the last 'new content' episode of 2016. It is the first episode to be broadcast from the post-Final Battle TV tapings, and goes out to ensure we capture a full flavour of Final Battle reactions and updates before the Sinclair show breaks for the festive period with a couple of highlight reel episodes. This is actually a pretty significant installment too, as it marks both Kyle O'Reilly's only appearance on ROH programming as the World Champion, and also his final ROH show. He is in a main event which will see him team up with Bobby Fish for the last time, plus Dalton Castle, to face the Bullet Club of Adam Cole and the Young Bucks. We will also see the beginning of the 'Decade Of Excellence' tournament (putting together eight men who made their ROH debuts more than ten years ago) with the prize of an ROH World Title shot at the Anniversary Show PPV up for grabs for the winner. Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness provide commentary from Philadelphia, PA - taped two days after Final Battle. I believe this is Nigel's last taping. Kelly's usual commentary partner Steve Corino is also working his last taping but will have 'other' business to attend to...

Kyle O'Reilly is straight out in front of an appreciative Philly crowd to celebrate his title win. He name drops the three most revered ROH Champions (Joe, Dragon and Nigel) and vows to live up to the standards they set with the title. Adam Cole interrupts, proclaiming it an injustice that the match was made No DQ at the last minute. Dalton Castle saunters out to insert himself into the World Title picture following his victory over Cabana at Final Battle, and pinning Cole as part of Champions vs All-Stars. Speaking of title shots, here comes Bobby Fish - winner of Survival Of The Fittest 2016 and therefore the actual #1 contender. O'Reilly has the final word, seemingly agreeing to face all comers in 2017. Nigel is on commentary and decides to book reDRagon and Dalton vs Cole and the Bucks in the main event for this episode...

This is the first match from the 'Decade Of Excellence' Tournament, with both men qualifying via their participation in ROH's first ever event (although Mark didn't technically work his first match until Honor Invades Boston - Ring Of Honor's sixth event). With The Addiction failing to make the Final Battle card and the Briscoes losing a high profile Tag Title shot to the Bucks, a World Title shot at the 15th Anniversary Show would undoubtedly be a great way to start the new year. Mark actually references being under Daniels' tutelage back in 2002 in a pre-match promo too...

A methodical opening exchange favours Daniels, but Briscoe shows his own veteran experience to gradually increase the pace and work his way back into things. As it gets faster he is able to paste Daniels with a diving enzi strike. He tosses the General to the floor...but gets distracted by Frankie Kazarian at ringside before he can jump out after him. Kaz didn't actually do anything in fairness, but it is enough of an opportunity for Daniels to lunge at Mark with a running STO. The neck takes another punishing blow as we cut back from commercials with Daniels landing a back suplex for 2. He tries an Arabian Press...but propels himself into Briscoe's knees. Mark follows with a running tomahawk chop, but is noticeably slow off the canvas as he sells the effect of the work Daniels put in on his neck and back. He eventually hits the urinage...and when Daniels tries to retreat to the floor he lunges through the ropes with a dropkick. Sick Kick by Mark gets 2, before Daniels drops him on his neck again with a Blue Thunder Driver. HIGH springboard moonsault across the head and neck gets 2. BME misses and Briscoe drags Daniels out of the ring for the Cactus Elbow! Froggy Bow misses though....dropping poor Mark on his head again. ANGEL'S WINGS! Daniels advances at 08:16 (shown)

Rating - *** - Well that was unexpectedly enjoyable. Daniels grabbed the match by the scruff of the neck and made it interesting, but I actually thought Mark did quite an effective, under-stated job selling the impact on his neck. Some of his facial expression and body language work here was excellent. I thought Daniels winning with his old finisher, in the Decade Of Excellence was a nice touch (although I'd have liked to see Last Rites make an appearance too, given that it is arguably a more neck-centric move than Angel's Wings).

Our next contest is Caprice Coleman taking on Lio Rush, a known associate of Motor City Machine Guns, whom The Rebellion have targeted in recent weeks. Kenny King tries to convince Lio to join The Rebellion, and when he refuses Caprice (accurately) calls out Rush as being someone who is using ROH to get his big break and will leave at his first opportunity. When the bell rings Rush gets a huge pop by beating Caprice in less than thirty seconds! It leads to a 3-on-1 mugging until Jay White and Donovan Dijak make a belated save...

This may be a trios tag main event, but the World Title is very much at the heart of it. New ROH Champion Kyle O'Reilly has what everyone else wants. He beat Cole in a memorable Final Battle main event, although Adam is already protesting due to it being made No DQ at short notice. Dalton Castle has a claim thanks to pinning the former champion over Glory By Honor 15 weekend. Bobby Fish won Survival Of The Fittest so he is actually in position as #1 contender. If that weren't enough, the Young Bucks are in this too. They are reigning Tag Champions, and have plenty of history with reDRagon. In a hypothetical world where O'Reilly doesn't leave, do reDRagon want another Tag Title shot? Could Dalton beat them, then find another tag partner to replace Cabana and get another shot at them? Both Cole and O'Reilly are working this match with plenty of tape and bandages on their foreheads after the violent war they waged just 48 hours prior...

Cole motions that he wants to start with O'Reilly - an obvious set up for the Bucks to jump the World Champion from behind. With Kyle on his knees Cole is now willing to start the match formally with him (as the other four participants rumble on the outside). Fish hits a somersault pescado over the turnbuckles...and the Bullet Club are still scattered from that as O'Reilly flies at them with a knee strike off the apron. Hanging Armbar in the ropes on Cole...DOUBLE SUPERKICK by the Bucks to break that! Cole skulks nursing his injured arm as the Jacksons clean house with Superkicks to all comers. RISE OF THE TERMINATOR triple topes by Cole and the Bucks! The Bucks follow that with an Apron Bomb for Fish and Castle...with Cole's arm and back buckling beneath him when he tries to do the same on O'Reilly. TRIPLE APRON BOMB ON KYLE! I love the theme of Cole getting the Bucks to cover for him here! Dalton and The Boys manage to crotch Nick as he sets up a 450 Splash, but is pummelled off the apron soon after leaving O'Reilly alone with the SuperKliq. SUPERKICK FLURRY ON THE APRON! ELEVATED SWANTON BOMB TO THE FLOOR! Nick looks for a springboard frog splash but hops right into O'Reilly's knees. Castle gets a hot tag and starts throwing around German suplexes like confetti. TRIPLE GERMAN SUPLEXES by reDRagon and Castle! Matt blocks Bang-A-Rang with a Superkick! Fish tags in legally for the first time and comes desperately close to pinning Cole. Two Man Smash Machine nailed, but the Bucks are in the ring to save their partner almost before the pin has been instigated. MOONSAULT OFF THE APRON by Nick! SUPERKICK ON THE BOYS! 450 Splash...countered into a triangle choke by O'Reilly! Falcon Arrow from Fish to Cole! BANG-A-RANG ON MATT! ARM-AGEDDON! Nick taps at 10:35 (shown)

Rating - **** - A fitting end to an under-rated year for Ring Of Honor. As I always say, I grade generously for matches which are going out for free on television and personally I thought this was the embodiment of what ROH's style on TV should be moving into 2017, with the Young Bucks at the forefront of it, as ROH's undoubted top stars. But they were far from standalone in their brilliance here. The story of Cole needing them to bail him out due to the effects of Final Battle 2016 made this extremely interesting. Castle and Fish were marginalised at points, but any time they were involved legally it felt like they were on offence, in command, in control and looking every bit potential World Title challengers in future. If I was being ultra-critical I don't quite see why O'Reilly (on the brink of leaving) was going over Nick Jackson here, and I'd have liked the finish to do more to set up Cole/O'Reilly in the Tokyo Dome - either by Cole beating Kyle, or Cole beating Fish (who is technically #1 contender right now)...or at least Cole getting an 'unseen pin' on O'Reilly behind the referee's back or something. 

Tape Rating - *** - I actually thought this was an enjoyable post-PPV episode of the show. It didn't take too long to get this on the air so it still feels relatively fresh, and most of the content we got here (i.e. everything but The Rebellion) was good. Daniels/Mark was so much better than you may have expected, the main event was the type of spot-heavy, all-action fun you come to expect when the Young Bucks are in action, and even the opening segment did a lot to set up the World Title picture as we move into 2017.