McXal's Reviews

Although it makes broadcast at the end of January, this is the first content taped by ROH at all this year - and therefore the first time they've reconvened since the shocking turn of events in the Tokyo Dome at New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom show. Tonight we are promised that Adam Cole and the Bullet Club are in the house to address his status as the first-ever 3-time ROH World Champion. Our main event is a huge one too as Jay Lethal and Jay Briscoe once again do battle in a high stakes clash - with the winner advancing to the finals of the Decade Of Excellence Tournament. Since Steve Corino and Nigel McGuinness both left for WWE since the last taping, Kevin Kelly rides solo for commentary at the top of the broadcast, and is joined by a rotating cast of guest stars across the taping. We are back in the beautiful Center Stage Theatre in Atlanta, GA for the first time since the 'Honor Takes Center Stage' double-header back in 2011.

No messing around, Adam Cole cold-opens with a taped promo - broadly smirking about regaining the World Title. His hyperbole around their Wrestle Kingdom match is utterly ludicrous. 

Roppongi 3K (Tempura Boyz), Shaheem Ali and Leon St. Giovanni (C2C) aren't even important enough to have their entrances included for this. And I support that too, I'd much rather ROH trimmed as much fat from this show as possible to ensure Lethal and Briscoe get enough time in the main event. To that end, it's annoying they couldn't have 'trimmed' Burger and Will altogether and just let us have R3K vs C2C - it would've been a way better match!

Sho and Yoh jump all their opponents during the handshakes, but get any early villainous momentum crushed by Burger and Will. St. Giovanni and Ali arrive with a few of their commendably precise and crisp double team sequences. That is until Tanaka catapults LSG into a lungblower by Sho for 2. Cheeseburger is doing sh*tty lucha now apparently...and runs the ropes into a lucha plancha to the floor. Sho joins the fun with a somersault plancha! ROPE WALK SPRINGBOARD PHOENIX SPLASH TO THE F*CKING FLOOR BY ST. GIOVANNI! The Young Bucks were so impressed that even they have to step onto the stage and scope the competition. 3-K by Sho and Yoh gets 2! The Bucks crash commentary to announce that they've decided to give a title shot to the winners since the Hardy Boyz haven't answered an open challenge to show up this evening. Shaheem and Leon have put Ferrara in a tree of woe...DOUBLE VAN TERMINATOR NAILED! Superkick German by the Tempuraz on Shaheem! SHOCK ARROW by Sho! Tempura Boyz win at 04:53 (shown).

Rating - *** - This was an incredible enjoyable, high impact sprint to start the tapings. Coast 2 Coast were the break-out stars for me, continuing to impress with the incredible precision of their elaborate double team work alongside a couple of crazy high spots (that LSG dive!). Having said that, having Sho and Yoh finally get taken seriously was a welcome relief. They weren't as spectacular as Ali and St. Giovanni, but busted out some cool sequences themselves whilst also flourishing as odious prick heels. If they don't sh*t all over it, Bucks vs Tempura Boyz could be a fun title match...

The Young Bucks crash the celebrations to denounce the Hardy Boyz for not showing up tonight. Matt congratulates the Tempura Boyz on their win and lets them know they are getting a title shot next week. Sho and Yoh get Superkicked out of the ring, so the Bucks can bring out Adam Cole for more celebrations. Cole runs through his upcoming challengers - like Dalton Castle, Bobby Fish and whomever wins the Decade Of Excellence Tournament - and says that nobody can stop Bullet Club.

We've seen Robinson in ROH before, and seen a glimpse of his potential and unique skillset given that he is a product of both the WWE NXT and NJPW Young Lion development systems. Clearly he has impressed enough in New Japan to be brought in and offered a title shot. He is a threat which should be taken seriously. Will Ospreay showed Bobby Fish in Liverpool what happens when you take your eye off the ball in a high profile championship match. 

Scurll goes after Robinson's arm early as he looks to set him up for the Chickenwing. In turn it means that Juice gets to show his technical ability by repeatedly countering and blocking Marty's advances. Scurll slaps the challenger in the face...so Juice slaps him right back. Arm wrench by Scurll, followed by a running kick off the apron as we go to commercials. When we come back Juice is on top though, landing the diving headbutt for 2. Knee strikes and kicks by Scurll...countered to the Juicebox! LARIAT by Juice gets 2. Just Kidding brings Scurll back into the contest and he capitalises with an emphatic brainbuster. Chickenwing COUNTERED with a wild punch, then a diving powerbomb. Robinson climbs the ropes only to be caught with a superplex. In return Juice drops Scurll on his face on the apron. RUNNING CANNONBALL GETS GUARDRAIL! JUMPING PILEDRIVER by Scurll! He does an 'Undertaker' pin...and when Juice kicks out he snaps his f*cking finger. CHICKENWING! Robinson taps out at 07:48 (shown).

Rating - *** - This was a decent little contest and by far the most effective exhibition of Juice Robinson's skills inside an ROH ring so far. The action was intense and I felt they injected sufficient drama to make this throwaway title defence feel like a bigger deal than it actually was. My big problem here was with the slightly odd presentation of The Villain in only his second TV appearance. Robinson grabbed the ropes trying to snatch a late pinfall, and in doing that he acted in a way far more villainous than anything Scurll did all match. At this early stage of his ROH career, I felt like that discredited the TV Champion...

Marty grabs a microphone to complain that he is still waiting for some genuine competition since he arrived in ROH. That brings out Chris Sabin, Jon Gresham, Donovan Dijak, Lio Rush and Jay White - all of whom apparently want title shots...

Ian Riccaboni pops in to run down the cards for 'Undisputed Legacy' and 'Honor Reigns Supreme' in Texas in early February...

After commercials Kevin Kelly is in the ring with the Motor City Machine Guns and their crew of White, Gresham, Rush and Dijak, looking like a clueless game show host interviewing a boyband he's never heard of. Chris Sabin announces that they've all decided to face each other in a TV Title #1 contendership Six Man Mayhem next week...

This is our main event, and second semi-final in the Decade Of Excellence Tournament. The winner will go on to meet Christopher Daniels in the final, with an ROH World Title shot on the line. Of course, this is no ordinary semi-final given the history between these two men. At Best In The World 2015 it was Lethal who memorably ended the epic undefeated streak of Jay Briscoe to take the World Title from him. Then a year later Briscoe returned to Best In The World to challenge Lethal - unsuccessfully. Lethal comes in proclaiming himself 0-2 in big money matches with Briscoe. Each will be desperate to win the match and take a step closer to a title match with Adam Cole...

The crowd is hot for this, giving it a genuine big fight atmosphere which is rare at a TV taping. Briscoe looks focused and pumped up for this, but each man is soon distracted by Adam Cole sauntering down the ramp to join commentary. He seems to be making a point of not listing Chris Daniels as a potential challenger. Inside the ring we see a shock JAY DRILLER! But Lethal kicks out at 2 then bails. Maintaining his focus, Briscoe chases his opponent to the floor to maul him around ringside then blast him with an elbow suicida. Lethal can't get going here - stumbling blindly into a back drop driver for 2. Briscoe steams into him with a mafia kick and appears to be making a point of targetig Lethal's neck. Lethal Combination blocked...so Lethal hits an Ace Crusher instead. That sets up the Lethal Combination for 2. Day One Neckbreaker blocked, with both men now starting to feel the relentless pace of this contest. Hail To The King blocked...Figure 4 Leglock applied instead! Adam Cole vehemently objects to Lethal lifting his moveset from commentary! Briscoe escapes then DUCKS the Lethal Injection! Roaring Elbow/running lariat sequence by Briscoe...HE WINS! Briscoe finally gets a win over Lethal and advances to the finals at 11:25 (shown).

Rating - *** - Is it wrong that I enjoyed this one more than Best In The World 2016? I thought this one had an atmosphere, tenacity and pace that their last PPV main event sorely lacked. I didn't feel much drama or tension (which I should have, given that part of the story was whether Briscoe could finally get a win over Lethal), and I didn't think it was the right time to introduce Jay Briscoe winning with lariats rather than his big finishes (albeit I respect the fact he used something different having already utilised the Jay Driller early). The fans were great, the story was sound and the in-ring content was extremely decent. But it was lacking something to lift it even higher...

Tape Rating - *** - I thought this was a really lively way to start a round of tapings. The triple threat tag to start the show was snappy, the main event was aggressive and intense, Adam Cole was wheeled out to immediately switch the focus back to him after O'Reilly was written out - although I feel like we should've gotten confirmation that Kyle was gone. Scurll/Juice was entertaining enough as far as filler, easily-forgotten TV Title defences go. Nothing here felt essential, and the big draw main event has been done better before on other shows. If you skip this you won't miss much...but if you don't the wrestling is good enough to mean this isn't a waste of your time.