McXal's Reviews

It is fitting that on the annual New Japan 'War Of The Worlds' cross-promoted tour that this week NJPW provide the main event to us in full. We'll see tenured veterans Yuji Nagata and Satoshi Kojima face EVIL & SANADA of Los Ingobernables de Japon in our feature bout this evening, alongside further build-up as we draw closer to Best In The World 2019. Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana are at the announce desk in Chicago, IL.

The Allure are out first this week, with Velvet Sky calling them the most 'credible' Women Of Honor wrestlers ever. Angelina reminds everyone she is a 'six-time' recognised former Women's World Champion, whilst Mandy claims credit for the fact that the Women Of Honor division was reborn in the first place. Jenny Rose and Kelly Klein come out and get into a fight with Love and Leon, whilst Velvet runs away. Security tries to separate everyone, but it's Velvet and the hairspray into Jenny's eyes which finally ends the brawl. Kelly says she'll team with Rose to face The Allure 'any time, any where'

This match throws together eight guys with lots to prove but without much direction at present. The Kingdom are very much back-up dancers in the Matt Taven show right now so would love some success for themselves. The Bouncers are big, brawling monsters...but somehow remain stuck drinking beer and cracking jokes at the bottom of the card. Connors and Coughlin are NJPW LA Dojo Young Lions who would love to pull off an upset win. C2C had a strong 2018 but found their momentum disrupted after an injury to Shaheem Ali and are struggling in 2019 - and we've seen those emotions spill out in their matches with a more pronounced edgy and violent streak in recent weeks.

LSG demands to start with Milonas and gets right in his face...only for the Kingpin to smear him into the mat with an emphatic shoulder tackle. Marseglia has a go, but he too is crushed. Bruiser in but Marseglia rakes his eyes and starts trying to pull out his remaining teeth! Coughlin and Connors tag in and out rapidly, working together to put O'Ryan on the defensive. Ali tries to brawl with Coughlin on the floor...and they both take their eyes off the action and eat a cannonball senton off the apron by Beer City. In the ensuing chaos St. Giovanni bounces Milonas' head off the ringpost as well. The Kingdom and C2C take turns working Connors over. That is until LSG gets too aggressive, loses control and allows Clark to make the hot tag to Coughlin. Everyone piles in; an environment which clearly favours size of The Bouncers. They steamroll Ali over the top rope and lay out TK with a mafia kick/sidewalk slam combo. Bossman Slam on Marseglia as well! Flatliner/Paydirt combo by C2C! Spear/spinebuster combo by the Young Lions! House Of 1000 Horses by The Kingdom! Bruiser has to throw LSG at his own partner to break up the pin as C2C try to steal a victory...and The Bouncers flatten Coughlin with the big elevated leg drop to win at 07:52 (shown)

Rating - * - Inoffensive, and it did have some good action in the last couple of minutes, but considering this got nearly ten minutes of TV time including entrances and exits this really wasn't particularly good or memorable. I felt no sense of progression for any of the four acts involved before, during, or after the match. The Bouncers win, but you suspect will be doing the same routine in the same spot at the next show. Coast 2 Coast are 'angry'...but other than being slightly more aggressive in their matches that doesn't really go anywhere either. That leaves Marseglia and O'Ryan, who remain little more than Taven's henchmen and don't appear good enough to survive on their own without him...then the Young Lions who have spent all of 2019 working almost the exact same match. It was hard to escape the overwhelming sense of pointlessness exuding from this whole segment.

Quinn McKay is backstage with Lifeblood, wanting their thoughts on their growing rivalry with Bully Ray. Williams points out that they are 'low on numbers' with Juice and Bandido in Japan, Finlay injured and Bully having taken Tenille out of ROH. PJ Black strolls in and reminds them that he is impressed with Lifeblood's ethos...and says if they need back-up he is happy to stand with them.

NEXT WEEK - Colt Cabana defends the NWA National Title against 'Cowboy' James Storm, making his Ring Of Honor debut. 

TWO WEEKS - The Allure make their in-ring debut to face Kelly Klein and Jenny Rose

Ian Riccaboni confirms that it will be Taven vs Cobb for the ROH Title at Best In The World. Jeff gets a sit-down interview, talking about his upbringing in the Philippines and Guam, his introduction to amateur wrestling and representing Guam at the 2004 Olympic Games. 

Woods made his ROH comeback on TV three weeks ago, easily defeating Flex Simmons. He continues his return to pro-wrestling after a six-month sabbatical to focus on his studies and MMA career with another enhancement talent this evening. He will be aware that he needs another comprehensive victory and after failing to build momentum following his 2017 Top Prospect Tournament victory knows he will most likely be permanent cut from the roster if he can't do better in 2019.

Boone is a slightly gangly figure...and crumples in a heap after Woods boots him in the stomach. A gutwrench powerbomb follows, then the 'Seismic Toss' gives Josh an easy win at 00:52

Rating - N/A - Exactly what it needed to be. They minimised the amount of TV time this took up, kept it short and ensured Woods looked as dominant as possible. I'm curious to see where this latest attempt to build Woods goes...

Our TV main event is a special attraction presented by New Japan. It pits the veteran former IWGP Champion duo of Kojima and Nagata against the powerful rising stars of Los Ingobernables de Japon; EVIL & SANADA. LIJ are 3-0 on the War Of The Worlds Tour so will have their eyes on a clean sweep to position themselves at the front of the line for the GOD's IWGP Tag Championship when they get back to Japan.

Nagata and Sanada start, with the veteran evading all of Sanada's villainous tricks. It's only when Sanada starts actually wrestling that his natural speed and athleticism even the match up...to the point where he can take his first cheap-shot of the night. Evil strikes at Nagata from behind, so Kojima does the same to Sanada on the other side of the ring. Koji and Sanada then start distracting each other by flexing their pectoral muscles. Paradise Lock applied as we cut to commercials, and when we return LIJ are in full control with Kojima isolated and Nagata beaten down on the floor. Koji spikes Sanada with a DDT though, just as Nagata returns to the apron for a hot tag. Exploder Suplex from Nagata to Sanada gets 2. Quebrada misses for Sanada, allowing Nagata to drop him into a Fujiwara Armbar. Evil dives in to break the hold...and Sanada slithers straight to the ropes for a springboard dropkick. Kojima and Evil tagged, and the LIJ man is escorted into the corner for Machine Gun Chops. Diving elbow drop gets 2 for the veteran. Evil has to take the eyes to kill his momentum, followed by the thrust kick into the guts. Evil Lariat gets 2! Nagata saves his partner from the Magic Killer, and feeds Evil into the Koji Cutter...with Sanada breaking the pin at the last. Brainbuster nailed, and this time Evil kicks out. Koji Lariat blocked...Everything Is Evil blocked! Magic Killer! LIJ win at 11:11 (shown)

Rating - ** - This was like someone picked a random NJPW tour show undercard match and made it the main event on ROH TV. It isn't a bad match at all; with all four performers completely capable of working this kind of encounter in their sleep. But it never felt like they were doing much more than playing the hits on autopilot, or looking do to any more than the absolute minimum. Which is fine for NJPW live events. For me personally, I'd like to see ROH's TV main event spot given to people who wrestle like they give a sh*t...

The episode isn't over though, as after the final commercial break Dalton Castle's music hits and he struts down to the ring. He has found a way to accept the nature of his loss to Rush at G1 Supercard - because he now realises that Rush is a 'dirty, filthy cheater'. To get payback he challenges Rush's brother, Dragon Lee, to face him at Best In The World...and says he is going to break every bone in his body to punish Rush. The Tate Twins (formerly The Boys) hit the ring and attack Dalton. That goes well for a few seconds until Dalton fires up and starts beating the sh*t out of them. The episode ends with him trying (and failing) to put them through the timekeeping table, and then the hapless twins being left slumped against the rails as the same table topples over on top of them...

Tape Rating - * - I didn't like this episode anywhere near as much as Episode 401. Being blunt, neither of the 'feature length' matches had any business being on Ring Of Honor television and did nothing to present this promotion in a positive light (or do anything to attract new and/or returning viewers). Watching New Japan's heavyweight midcard sleepwalk through a basic house show match as a TV main event wasn't particularly interesting, but was at least more of a spectacle than New Japan's LA Young Lions doing battle with Matt Taven's henchmen and a gaggle of ROH's lowest ranked competitors. I'm not averse to the Rush/Dalton feud, especially as it gives Rush a 'side quest' whilst Taven burns through a few more challengers. Continuing it by bringing back Dragon Lee is a great idea; Lee is legitimately one of the best wrestlers in the world. Unfortunately that segment ended with a completely unnecessary return for The Boys, and farcical scenes as Dalton took a beating from them, then struggled to break a table with their bodies. I think it's pretty clear that ROH has lost sight of what it's 'target audience' is...but what's worse is that I can't think of any kind of wrestling fan who would find the content in this episode appealing. It was as bland and instantly forgettable as wrestling gets...