McXal's Reviews

Airing the same day the War Of The Worlds Tour gets started but taped a month earlier, once again the pre-taped TV show is starting to have less relevance to the live show/PPV circuit by this stage. This episode will concentrate heavily on Bullet Club though, so there will be some New Japan relevance ahead of the big WOTW 2017 Tour. Young Bucks had their open challenge answered by the Spirit Squad last week, and we get that match tonight...then in the main event Adam Cole is looking to showcase the unity of the Bullet Club as he teams with Cody to face ROH World Champion Christopher Daniels and Dalton Castle. Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana provide commentary, once again at the desk in Baltimore, MD.

The Spirit Squad - represented by Kenny and Mikey - made a shock appearance last week after the Bucks announced their open challenge. They were left embarrassed when the reigning ROH Tag Champions left them on their asses with Superkicks, and are coming to make a big statement this week. For Mondo this is a big return to ROH after he was an initially controversial but eventually hugely improved part of the roster during Jim Cornette's era. Doane is, I believe, making an ROH debut. He was earmarked in the mid-2000's as a guy with heaps of athleticism and potential but never really got it together and really became a breakout star. 

Mondo and Doane run out through the crowd to attack the Bucks from behind...but once again quickly find themselves eating massive Superkicks. The Squad flee, leaving the ring but standing in prime position for the Rise Of The Terminator. Gut Check from Mikey gets a nearfall though, and the pumped up Mondo follows that up by getting his partner to flip him into a standing moonsault. He tries to use his power to ground Matt and both he and his fellow cheerleader start attacking the neck. Doane fails to put him away with a piledriver but does keep Matt in the ring, in the Spirit Squad corner and isolated from his brother. They try another Gut Check...only for Matt to evade it with more Superkicks. Hot tag to Nick who moonsaults off the apron into Kenny's face. Swanton Bomb dodged so Mondo can hit a snapmare driver for 2. Doane misses the guillotine leg drop! CORKSCREW MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR by Nick! MELTZER DRIVER! Bucks win at 08:33 (shown)

Rating - *** - I'm not clamouring to see more of the Spirit Squad in ROH, but for free on TV this was fun. They came in willing to work, and were busting their asses to deliver a good match with the best tag team on the planet. I haven't missed Mondo in ROH at all, and he doesn't look to be in the same physical condition he was a few years ago, but his dynamic with Doane in a tag team is actually pretty good. He is the brawn, strategist and leader, whilst the more laid back and athletic Kenny mooches in from time to time to hit something with a higher impact and greater wow factor. 

Matt Taven gets some interview time to hype his World Title Match on the War Of The Worlds Tour in Dearborn. He calls Daniels pathetic and has big plans to become the only man who has held the TV, Tag, Six-Man and World Titles...

Speaking of the Six-Man Championship...two thirds of the current champions, the Briscoes, pop in to promote their main event next week when they and Bully defend against The Rebellion. Jay gloats about running Shane Taylor's partner Keith Lee out of ROH!

NEXT WEEK - As we just heard, the Briscoes and Bully against Titus, Caprice and Taylor...

I'm always a little uneasy whenever I see BCB booked into a singles match. He is a fun, mauling heavy-hitter in a tag team setting but his singles work has never won me over. Ironically his best singles outing included Punishment too, when they met in a triple threat which also included Donovan Dijak at Glory By Honor 15 Night One. Martinez made a big statement by crushing Frankie Kazarian at Supercard Of Honor. Can he make another big impression by winning this hoss battle tonight?

Bruiser comes out to Silas' music and Carytron video which is a little sad. Martinez isn't hanging around and boots him in the face before the bell has even rung. Bruiser calls Punisher 'devil man' and flattens him with a running crossbody. Springboard punch from the Punisher, only for Beer City to counter South Of Heaven and knock him to the floor. Cannonball off the apron nailed! Back from commercials with Punishment knocking him off the ropes with a cyclone kick. RUNNING SUICIDE DIVE OVER THE TURNBUCKLES...BARELY CONNECTS! Martinez somehow doesn't die there, so Bruiser clocks him with a back suplex on the apron. Inside the ring BCB misses a senton, allowing Punisher to land a springboard corkscrew splash. We've entered the point in the match where poor Bruiser is totally gassed, can barely get off his feet and is absolutely sucking wind. He lumbers awkwardly into a couple of cannonballs in the corner...which only get a one-count! Bruiser gives him a disrespectful one-count right back after a spinning heel kick, and storms back with a Bossman Slam. SOUTH OF HEAVEN! Martinez wins at 05:51 (shown)

Rating - ** - Some good, some bad and some seriously ugly to be seen here. When they were clicking this was a fun big boy brawl, but some of this didn't work at all. Bruiser just doesn't work for me as a singles guy. When his wind goes his execution falls apart and everything he does looks TERRIBLE. And speaking of terrible, the centrepiece of this match was that Martinez dive, and that was badly botched. He's lucky he didn't seriously injure himself. I love the move and I know he is trying to get himself over with this current push - but he doesn't need to break out that dive in every match. The right man won but it isn't necessarily a match I'd like to revisit in a hurry.

The Villain is in next to promote his TV Title showdown with Matt Sydal at War Of The Worlds. He is happy to have a target on his back, isn't surprised that Sydal is coming after him...but doesn't plan to drop the belt any time soon.

Adam Cole calls Bullet Club a unified force, out to make anyone who tries to stop them pay - starting with their opponents in the main event...

Is there more focus on Cole and Cody pursuing Daniels and the World Title, or on whether there truly is 'unity' within the Bullet Club? Can Cole and Cody get along? Can Cole remain focused on winning the match such is his anger at the scheme Daniels concocted to take the World Title from him in Vegas? Can he and Cody coexist whilst knowing that it is Rhodes, not Cole, who will next get a title shot? Daniels too will know he can take a huge swipe at two potential challengers with a big win here. But he'll have to do it without regular partner Frankie Kazarian - instead having to rely on the man he beat at Supercard Of Honor 11. Can he and Dalton get on the same page to fight a mutual foe? If that weren't enough, Jay Lethal is at ringside to scout both of his opponents in the triple threat ROH Title Match scheduled to headline War Of The Worlds 2017 NYC.

Cody and Dalton start, bringing back memories of the HORRIBLE match they had at The Experience. Castle knocks him out of the ring and starts posing, getting rewarded with a fanning session from the World Champion too. Rhodes' luck is out with Daniels as well, with the General landing an Arabian Press for 2. Cole literally screams and yells at Cody, demanding to be allowed to tag in...and when he does is promptly escorted into the Daniels/Castle corner for a beating. Rhodes tries to help out - and gives the Peacock a low blow behind Todd Sinclair's back. It's back to hugs and smiles for the Bullet Club as they put the boots to Dalton. That is until Cody accidentally levels Cole with a misplaced Disaster Kick! COLE WALKS OUT! Rhodes looks furious and tries to fight both opponents at once, only for Castle to hit a Back Drop Driver. Fall From Grace by Daniels for 2. He catches Cody trying to be a prick and hit Angel's Wings. BME misses...so the champ lands a Blue Thunder Driver instead. Adam Cole sprints back out and gives Daniels the LAST SHOT! It was a set-up? Cross Rhodes! Cody pins the World Champion at 10:31 (shown).

Rating - *** - By the numbers and contested at a lethargic pace, I can't call this a great TV main event. What it did a great job of doing, however, was touching upon all the storyline threads pulling the four participants together. Cole was a jerk to Daniels, Cody wanted to make a statement, Daniels wanted to defeat top challengers, the Bullet Club dissension angle progressed significantly, and the finish - Cole getting revenge for the Anniversary Show by outsmarting Daniels with a cunning plan of his own - was brilliantly executed. Lethal and Cabana repeatedly pointing holes in Delirious' sh*tty booking on commentary was a lot of fun. 

The Young Bucks come out and don't look as jovial as they often do - but do agree to join Cody and Cole in a show of strength by throwing up 2 Sweets then leaving. Jay Lethal marches past them to address Daniels in the ring, berating him for agreeing to let Cody into the New York main event. As they argue, the snakelike Cody Rhodes of course runs back into the ring and knocks them both over. DOUBLE LETHAL INJECTION! The former World Champion makes a massive statement and stands over both Daniels and Cody as the show goes off air...

Tape Rating - ** - A big step down from the other episodes we've seen so far from this taping. The main event was enjoyable as much for how it moved pieces around the board for future pay-offs as it was a good standalone match...and it sat atop a mixed undercard. Punisher and Bruiser was fun but a bit of a mess, whilst Bucks/Squad was snappy and unique but definitely not the kind of thing you'd want getting showcased by ROH on a weekly basis. An episode you can skip without missing anything significant.