ROH on Sinclair - Episode 403 - 7th June 2019

As they did last week, tonight Ring Of Honor are once again letting another promotion enjoy a featured spot on their weekly television broadcast. This week it is the turn of the National Wrestling Alliance, as Colt Cabana defends the NWA's National Title against James Storm (making an ROH debut that would have been unthinkable a decade ago). We also have NWA Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis on commentary with Ian Riccaboni this week. Once again we are taped in Chicago, IL.

Colt Cabana vs James Storm - NWA National Title Match
I don't think I've watched a complete James Storm match since the days of America's Most Wanted. He is here as a representative of the NWA of course, but this does mark his ROH debut and a sight few who watched ROH at the height of their 'rivalry' with TNA would have pictured. He came out at the Crockett Cup following Cabana's victory over former champion Willie Mack and laid down the challenge - and now comes to Colt's hometown in search of NWA gold. Obviously Colt want to lose his belt here, and he'll also like to issue a timely reminder to ROH's officials as well that he wants to wrestle rather than commentate...

Storm is all business and looks in no mood for Cabana's games. He quite literally stands in the corner of the ring and refuses to engage whenever Colt tries to be silly. Cabana tries to control him with headlocks, but the Cowboy hiptosses him with such authority that the champ bounces across the ring. Cabana leaves the ring altogether to avoid the Last Call...but when he returns he almost locks in the Billy Goat's Curse, forcing the challenger to flee as well. Storm continues to stay close to the ropes and corners, negating Colt's usual chain-wrestling chicanery and peppering him with strikes. He exposes Cabana's head over the apron and starts drilling elbows and kicks right into the neck. He also scrapes and the face and nose when Colt tries to get back up - making the match an ugly fight which is far more suited to his strengths. Eye Of The Storm blocked when Cabana tosses him aside then levels him with a satellite headscissors. Bionic Elbow nailed, followed by the Flying Asshole. During the commercials James blocks the Billy Goat's Curse by kicking Cabana through the ropes to the floor, and we rejoin with the champ down and the challenger tearing up the protective mats. Storm starts gesturing in the direction of Aldis at the announce desk...and gives Colt the opportunity to hiptoss him on the concrete. Moonsault gets 2 for Cabana! Last Call by Storm, into a Texas Cloverleaf! It's another shot at Aldis (since he uses the Cloverleaf as a finish too)...but the 15:00 time-limit expires (at 11:14 shown).

Rating - *** - I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this. I've not watched James Storm wrestle in years and I certainly wasn't desperate to see him come to ROH to wrestle Cabana...but the match was genuinely very enjoyable. Colt doesn't wrestle often in ROH, but more often than not he delivers a thoroughly decent match and this was no exception. I loved the story they told through the first two thirds of the match as it played to the strengths and characters of both men so well. Storm no-selling Colt's goofy sh*t and World Of Sport routine by staying in the ropes and making it a brawl was a brilliant strategy. Unfortunately the commercial breaks did break up their rhythm and the final act of the match, where they veered away from the strong wrestling match they'd been having to develop an NWA Aldis/Storm angle derailed things. There was enough quality here to make this worth ten minutes of your time though...

Cabana calls for five more minutes...but before the bell can ring he is jumped from behind by the Briscoes. They have no beef with Colt it seems, they just want to f*ck the NWA over. Jay starts goading Aldis, who leaves commentary and marches down the aisle to brawl with them. The Briscoes take a few shots but finally gang up on the NWA Champion before choking him to unconsciousness. The Briscoes spit on the National Championship as they leave...

Before Part 2 of the sit-down interview feature with Jeff Cobb, Riccaboni announces that Shane Taylor vs Bandido for the TV Title has been added to the Best In The World card. Cobb says it was meeting War Machine on a New Japan tour which helped him get into Ring Of Honor, and from there we see his destruction of Punishment Martinez in his debut match. The interview ends with him reminding Taven that he is undefeated in ROH...

Silas Young vs The Squid
The Last Real Man is clearly trying to get under the skin of Jonathan Gresham. He has cheated to beat him, he has christened himself the 'Technician Of Honor', and two weeks ago gave an 'exhibition' in pro-wrestling which consisted mostly of showing off all the ways he has cheated with Gresham. Now he faces an enhancement talent branded 'The Squid' which is clearly a dig at 'The Octopus' moniker of Gresham, or his past in CCK. If you're interested, under the 'Squid' hood is future 'Mecca' Brian Johnson.

The 'Squid' mask looks like something they found at the dollar store earlier in the day when this idea popped into their heads. Young spends the first minute showcasing his technical skills, whilst 'not' Brian Johnson's main interest seems to be keeping the silly Squid mask on his head. Young finally taps The Squid out to an abdominal stretch at 02:01

Rating - N/A - I nearly gave this the DUD treatment, but according to Riccaboni Gresham was in Japan for the BOSJ, so I decided to give this a pass since these segments have been decent way to allow Silas to showcase his personality and build up to an eventual rematch with Gresham without Gresh actually having to be in the building. 

Mark Haskins is out next, with some words for Bully Ray after he cost Mark the World Title in Grand Rapids. He calls Bubba out and encourages Bully to leave ROH and retire, which Bubba smirks at since he 'tried to retire' in 2017 in this same building. The Hall Of Famer doesn't think Haskins has what it takes to finally 'shut [him] up', then has Shane Taylor come out to join them. Tracy Williams sprints out to even the numbers then challenge them to a match. That lasts less than thirty seconds before the Soldiers Of Savagery run in to attack Lifeblood again. Bully wants to put Haskins through a table, but PJ Black tries to come to Lifeblood's aid. The numbers are too much...and it's PJ who is fed to Bubba and powerbombed through the table as the episode ends...

Tape Rating - ** - I liked Cabana/Storm considerably more than I'd expected to. For that reason this episode was far from a waste of my time. Indeed, the biggest portion of the show is allocated to their match. Even if my interest in the NWA is limited, and I'm not particularly interested in giving the Briscoes a random anti-NWA crusade, that National Title match was fun. The problem I have with this episode is sort of indicative of my issues with ROH's product in a wider context in 2019. There was a good wrestling match here (as there have been throughout 2019)...but I don't get, or am not interested in so much of the story-telling. Why is Bully now doing basically the same angle with Haskins that he spent all of last year doing with Flip and Cheeseburger? Why should I care about NWA, when I'm not watching their show and after checking out the Crockett Cup really wasn't given much of a reason to either? Why are Lifeblood still being pushed so hard when 50% of the group have already left? This promotion feels so devoid of a larger purpose and identity right now. Delirious has extremely talented chess pieces at his disposal, but seems to have lost all ability he may have had to position them around the board with any sense, structure or strategy.  

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