McXal's Reviews

This first show broadcast in the aftermath of Best In The World has been taped in slightly a-typical circumstances, but I'm actually quite on board with it. Looking to find creative new ways of filling dead television with Road Rage or recap shows, in the lead-in to the BITW PPV ROH ran a couple of live events. 'Gateway To Gold' was a full live event, with DVD release, VOD production and the like. But the night before they ran a combination VOD-exclusive show, along with a mini-TV taping. It meant lots of guys pulling double duty, and the 'Road To BITW 2017' VOD-exclusive live show wasn't much to write home about...but it does mean we get fresh (albeit dated) content for these 'dead weeks', and I salute ROH's production for trying to find a different solution to a long-term problem with their taping schedules. Tonight we'll see Bobby Fish (in his final weekend in ROH) look to settle his rivalry with Silas Young - and that isn't even the main event, since that is a grudge match showdown between Punishment Martinez and Jay White. Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana and Alex Shelley are in Chicago Ridge, IL. 

I presume this is after Flip had been signed by ROH, because he now has his entrance theme in place. He made a real impression in his TV debut against Matt Sydal. He's back now and facing Jon Gresham of Search & Destroy. This is an interesting battle between high flying athleticism and precise, world class technical wrestling...

Gresh still can't get a correctly-spelled Carytron. Crowd looks really thin for a Chicago show too which is a shame. Gordon tries to show off...so Gresham tries to take him down and dominate him on the canvas. Flip escapes with a prolonged handstand which is quite a sight to behold. He effortlessly flips under an attack by Gresham and delivers a dropkick - which is followed by handspring elbow then a standing moonsault for 2. Seated senton by Gresh, who reacts to a flurry of athletic spots from his opponent by working over the arm. When we return from commercials it is clear that Gordon has been drastically slowed by Gresham's attacks. He hits a springboard Sling Blade...but comes up clutching his arm in pain. Pele Kick scores, setting up the Kinder Surprise! DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD SUICIDE DIVE TO THE FLOOR! Twisting frog splash gets 2, but Flip is still holding his arm. GERMAN SUPLEX by Gresh...only for Flip to pop up for a rolling DVD/superkick combo! Both men are on the mat looking gassed now. Gordon climbs but misses a 450 Splash - and Jon strikes at the arm again. Octopus Stretch applied, forcing Flip to tap at 07:49 (shown)

Rating - *** - Jon Gresham is an elite level professional wrestler, so the quality of his performance here doesn't surprise me. As I've said a few times, if he was taller he'd have been picked up by a major organisation a long time ago, because there are very few as good as him when it comes to pure technical wrestling. It was Gordon that impressed me here. He looked a fun performer against Sydal last time, but this was a big step up. Not all of his execution was perfect but for the most part he delivered his offence in a crisp and confident manner. He clearly has talent - and the responsibility now falls to Delirious and Ring Of Honor to help him develop it...

Alex Shelley leaves commentary and hops into the ring to put both men over. He congratulates Flip on his ROH contract, with Riccaboni speculating that he might be grooming him for a spot in Search & Destroy...

A video package hyping Josh Woods plays, showing his run to his 2017 Top Prospect Tournament victory, and ensuing grudge match with David Starr in Philadelphia. Ian then interviews him on the stage, with Josh pissed off that the TV Champion is currently in Japan. Since he can't claim a TV Title shot he instead lays down a challenge to Jay Briscoe!

Hot on the heels of Adam Cole's departure from ROH, this is Bobby Fish's last weekend in the company as well. He has two priorities left - namely scoring a victory against Jay Lethal at Gateway To Gold, and ending his beef with the 'Last Real Man' by scoring a decisive win in this broadcast. Young disrespected him in Florida, then beat him at the TV taping in Baltimore. Can Bobby avenge that defeat on his way out of the company?

No Code Of Honor...and Bobby goes right after the Fish Hook, forcing Young to leave the ring. Silas continues to take evasive action until Bobby recoils for a SPEAR INTO THE RAILING! Young attempts Misery but it is easily blocked. Fish peppers the Last Real Man with strikes whilst attempting a few arm-based submissions. Silas retaliates with a double stomp to the ribs before we cut out for our weekly reminder to buy prostate supplements. Fish struggles to recover as Young makes it hard for him to gather his breath or his thoughts. Killer Combo crunches the back and knocks the wind out of him again for a nearfall. MMA strikes from Bobby into a back drop driver! Silas hits back with an Ace Crusher to leave both men down and out on the ground. They run an incredible near-miss sequence from the apron, to the floor and then back into the ring...which culminates in Fish trying to lock in the same rear naked choke that he used to defeat Ishii for the TV Title in this very building. SPEAR THROUGH THE ROPES TO THE FLOOR! Silas stumbles around in a stupor but buys himself some time to recover when he launches Bobby face-first across the timekeeping table. During another commercial break we see Silas smash his opponent sternum-first through a trash can only for Fish to get back up and brain him against the ringpost. STIFF kicks to the exposed chest and shoulder by Fish! Young somehow absorbs those and starts kneeing his skull against the post. MISERY NAILED! Silas scores a clean victory over Fish at 11:18 (shown)

Rating - *** - If you remove the retarded loss to Bully Ray from the equation, ROH have booked Silas Young really strongly for a long time - and he continues to back that up with increasingly strong in-ring performances. This one wasn't always pretty, and I found the placement of two prostate supplement commercials in quick succession problematic to the pacing (and therefore my enjoyment) of the match. But the intense physicality and the brute force that both men attacked the match with really sold it to me as a legitimate grudge match. In an ROH dominated by Young Bucks-influenced spot-fests this was a completely different and more old-fashioned ROH-style. I really liked it as a result.

This is a rematch from Masters Of The Craft; a match which saw Jay White come out on top only to be assaulted by the Punisher in the aftermath. Martinez attacked him again during War Of The Worlds 2017: New York - ruining an emotional moment when Jay proved himself as a main event level performer by stealing the show in his match with Will Ospreay. He was so angry he booked some televised interview time to call Martinez out. Has he bitten off more than he can chew?

Martinez laughs off White's babyface fire and tries to chokeslam him! Jay escapes and attacks the legs of the big man. Punisher hobbles out of the ring...with White immediately after him via a flying forearm off the apron. A missile dropkick rockets Punishment to the canvas, only for him to explode off the deck and deliver a spinning heel kick. Dismissive stomps slow the pace right down which is just the way Martinez likes it. Again White starts kicking at the legs; giving Punisher a rough landing on a dragon screw as well. Rolling Germans have Martinez desperately clinging to the ropes. DEAD-LIFT GERMAN BY JAY! Martinez is dumped to the floor...but catches White looking for a tope to deliver a CHOKESLAM ON THE APRON! Cyclone Kick ducked...Urinage blocked! Torture rack COUNTERED to White's Urinage for 2. Punishment kicks free of the Kiwi Crusher...only for Jay to hit a faultless brainbuster instead! Rack Bomb by Martinez gets 2. White kicks at the leg, and grabs it to counter South Of Heaven into a single-leg cradle roll-up. AND WINS! Jay is 2-0 over Martinez in a time of 10:08 (shown)

Rating - *** - A third thoroughly decent match from this episode. These two have weird chemistry with each other, where neither of them looks completely at ease with their character or persona...but are damn good pro-wrestlers so can have a good match anyway. I liked that White was the aggressor throughout. After his promo it would've felt flat had this been laid out as Punisher taking the bulk of the offence. But similarly, it was well-booked and managed to protect Punisher. The finish, paying off the leg work that Jay started in the first minute, was a particular joy to behold. Clearly we're going to see more from these guys and that is absolutely fine with me

Martinez tries to jump White again, but this time the Kiwi is ready for it and is prepared to keep fighting. They spill out of the ring...where Punisher dumps him into the guardrail. LAST RIDE THROUGH THE TABLE! He just destroyed Jay White!

NEXT WEEK - Beer City Bruiser, Chris Sabin, Kenny King and Mark Briscoe meet to determine a TV Title #1 contender. Don't we already have one of those since Josh Woods hasn't had his shot yet?

Tape Rating - *** - No nonsense, minimal BS...just an hour of solid professional wrestling. None of the matches will shatter any MOTYC polling records, none of the 'top names' in ROH appear and there is almost zero storyline progression that you really need to see...but as a free televised product this was a good advertisement of the kind of action ROH is capable of. Flip and Gresham are clearly fast-rising stars. Silas and Bobby, both grizzled veterans, tore each other apart in an uncharacteristically physical match for ROH television, whilst the main event threw together another two high-quality future stars of pro-wrestling to great effect. You don't 'need' to see this one...but you won't regret it if you do check it out.