McXal's Reviews

Ring Of Honor stands on the precipice of making history, with this episode premiering just over a week before their debut in Madison Square Garden. I believe this technically stands as the go-home show for G1 Supercard - since next week's broadcast will run against the Supercard itself in many of Sinclair's core markets next week. The card for this show, therefore is significant. As we should come to expect for 2019, Matt Taven stands front and centre once more. After taking the World Champion to a time limit draw at the Anniversary, and with the World Title still on his mind, he and his cronies must stave off the rising threat of Marty Scurll's Villain Enterprises...and those factions meet with the Six-Man Titles on the line tonight. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman provide commentary in Las Vegas, NV.

Rush comes into this having bested Lifeblood's Bandido at 17th Anniversary, meaning he remains undefeated in Ring Of Honor. Another member of Lifeblood now comes to take that record from him - in the form of 'Overkill' Mark Haskins (who appears to have new, marginally less generic, music). He won the International Cup in 2018 and contested one of the finest ROH World Title Matches of recent years when he pushed Jay Lethal to the limit during the Honor Re-United Tour so has all the tools to overcome El Toro Blanco this evening. Dalton Castle provides guest commentary as he scouts Rush ahead of G1 Supercard...

Is Rush intentionally wrestling in trunks so tight that half his ass is hanging out? Haskins has some fun taking Rush to the mat - and the two go NUTS with some whacky grappling exchanges. Rush just absorbs Haskins' best strikes and screams for more...so Mark just keeps stiffing him! Running elbow from Rush sends the Englishman flying out of the ring, where El Toro Blanco can start beating him against the railings. He finds time to antagonise Dalton at the announce table, before heading back into the ring to beat on Haskins whilst doing push-ups. Yet still Haskins gets up and bombards the Mexican with more strikes. Rush tries to dodge a tope suicida, but Mark rolls in the ropes, pivots and dives on the adjacent side of the ring to take him out. Flying double stomp back in scores, but Rush counters Cradle To The Grave to keep the match alive. Snap German...no sold...so Rush gives him a TKO as well for 2! Facewash/Tranquilo pose by Rush, only for Haskins to jump at him and apply the Star Armbar. Rush counters to a crossface, so Mark counters back to a triangle choke. BUCKLE BOMB by Rush! SAMOAN DRIVER gets 2 for Haskins! Haskins runs at Rush, who COUNTERS him into a sunset flip powerbomb...only for Mark to get up again and land a satellite DDT. Haskins is coming off like an utter psychopath here! In the end they just kick each other in the head so hard that they both collapse. Turnbuckle belly to belly by Rush, into the BULL'S HORNS! Rush wins at 09:23 (shown)

Rating - *** - A high octane thrill-ride to open the episode, which I think many will appreciate. It didn't feel as pretty as Rush/Bandido at the PPV, nor did the result feel like it was in much jeopardy, but these guys went full throttle from the opening bell and really beat the tar out of one another. It is impossible not to appreciate the workrate on display here. Haskins isn't a marquee signing like Cobb, Bandido or Rush but he is a brilliant piece of recruitment and will prove to be a real workhorse for Ring Of Honor in 2019...

No handshake from Rush in the aftermath of that battle, much to the annoyance of Lifeblood's Haskins. Instead Rush leaves the ring to stare-down with Dalton Castle once again.

Highlights of GOD defeating EVIL & SANADA to win the IWGP Tag Titles at NJPW Honor Rising 2019 are shown, as is the Briscoes challenging them to a title vs title match at G1 Supercard. Of course, before that could take place Villain Enterprises took the ROH Tag Championship from the Briscoes at the 17th Anniversary. ROH and NJPW officials have agreed a four-corner tag match; GOD vs Villain Enterprises vs Briscoes vs EVIL & SANADA - winner takes all the gold!

Next we see highlights of an in-ring verbal exchange between Jay Lethal, Matt Taven and Marty Scurll - which I presume wasn't good or went long, hence they've cut a big chunk of it. Neither Marty nor Taven want a triple threat match at MSG because of the risk of losing their title shot without being involved in the decision. They also talk to Lethal like he is in charge, and he gets to determine his own challengers. Is that how it works now!? Jay uses this apparent booking power he has to propose a Ladder Match as a solution...

Jeff Cobb is in the locker rooms and talks about how frustrated he is that Will Ospreay was able to beat him at Honor Rising. He wants to avenge that defeat at G1 Supercard and demands they both put up their respective singles championships...

Kelly Klein reflects on her devastating loss to Mayu Iwatani at 17th Anniversary. She admits that back-to-back defeats to the Icon Of Stardom is causing her to question her abilities and persona. She gets one more chance to face Iwatani at G1 Supercard, which she calls the biggest match in Women Of Honor history. Tears are in her eyes as she talks about what it would mean to stand as WOH World Champion in Madison Square Garden...

This match has been brewing for months. Villain Enterprises were formed in Philadelphia when Marty surprised us all with the debut of his 'new friends', right after the rest of The Elite left for pastures new. Brody and PCO announced their arrival with the destruction of The Kingdom, who in turn denied their request for an immediate Six-Man Title shot because the Villains hadn't earned one. Since that time the Villains have won multiple trios matches, Brody and PCO stormed to victory in Tag Wars 2019 then survived a bloody war to take the Tag Titles from the Briscoes at the 17th Anniversary. VE's claim for a Trios Title opportunity is now undeniable. Can the Villains load up with more gold before 'going to the Garden'? Can Scurll or Taven deliver a decisive pre-emptive strike as they prepare for a World Title Ladder Match? 

A six-way brawl gets us started, with Taven and Scurll right in the thick of the action. SOMERSAULT PLANCHA BY BRODY as everyone spills to the floor - and he landed on his feet too! In the ring Marty blocks The Climax, but is swarmed by Vinny and TK before he can break Taven's fingers. Marseglia lands a double underhook backbreaker for 2; The Kingdom sensibly picking the smallest member of their opposition to isolate. Taven gets too vocal and confident with The Villain though and sees Just The Tip countered with an enziguri kick around the head. PCO tagged and he steamrolls through everybody! Pop-Up Powerbomb on TK! PACKAGE PILEDRIVER on Taven! Acid Drop by Vinny, but he misses Redrum leaving him in real danger. SUNSET FLIP GERMAN SUPLEX COMBO by Brody and Marty! Chickenwing blocked though, into a spinebuster/diving headbutt combo then Aurora Borealis by Taven for 2. Double flapjack on PCO when he tries to save! It means The Kingdom have successfully recaptured Marty in pursuit of victory. Scurll fights free by back dropping PCO into a SOMERSAULT SENTON TO THE FLOOR! 619/CANNONBALL COMBO from Scurll and King for 2. Matt and Vinny save O'Ryan from the PCO-Sault...with Brody falling victim to Just The Tip. ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA! Scurll is isolated from his partners, with TK and Vinny trying tope suicidas on PCO only to have them swatted aside. AIR TAVEN NAILED! PCO NO SELLS! TOPE CON HILO BY THE MONSTER! MARSEGLIA POWERBOMBS HIM ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP! CHICKENWING ON O'RYAN! Taven tries to break it up but BRODY TACKLES HIM! TK TAPS! Villain Enterprises win the belts at 12:43 (shown)...

Rating - **** - A huge trip to Vegas ends with Villain Enterprises covered in gold. They dethrone The Kingdom, adding the Six-Man Championship to the Tag Titles already held by Brody and PCO. This was a hard-hitting and chaotic, yet also extremely inventive. The double-heat segment on Scurll made for such smart wrestling on so many levels. It put over The Kingdom as a deadly trio, it put over Taven as the captain of the team, it made complete sense since Marty is significantly smaller than his partners - and it also allowed Brody and PCO at least some respite considering this was taped 24-hours after their unhinged Street Fight with the Briscoes. A great free TV main event and a hot way to send us into G1 Supercard week too...

The show ends with a touching and largely out of character montage of various ROH stars talking about what getting to wrestle in Madison Square Garden will mean to them. The Briscoes, in particular, are moving with their humility and sincerity. 

Tape Rating - *** - The in-ring content for this episode was outstanding. Rush/Haskins was so hard-fought I considered going higher on my rating, whilst Kingdom/Villains produced a cracking little trios main event and also a big title change to boot. What hurt this broadcast for me was the completely rushed nature of the build for G1 Supercard. They couldn't even find enough air-time to show the set-up for their own World Title Match in full. They already set up a big Tag Title Match for G1 Supercard and nobody is buying that a last-minute four-corner title vs title match would be more of a draw than Briscoes vs Guerrillas either. And that's before they just had Cobb randomly pop up to announce his match. Dalton Castle vs Rush has received more on-screen build than some of ROH's biggest matches at G1 Supercard...which is INCREDIBLY poor and quite astonishing when you consider how that turned out.