McXal's Reviews

Best In The World 2019 is now just two weeks away and as the tension builds towards the next big pay-per-view event, this week we end our taped content from War Of The Worlds 2019. A video package before the opening credits tells you all you need to know about our main event this week - four men, four top contenders for the World Championship, all brought together in one Four Corner Survival. The stakes are high as Rush, PCO, Jeff Cobb and Jay Lethal go into battle. Ian Riccaboni is at the announce table, rejoined by Colt Cabana this week - in Colt's hometown of Chicago, IL.

Goto has a lot of history with Bullet Club, so will relish the opportunity to fight the younger brother of the Guerrillas Of Destiny. But the match marks an opportunity for Hikuleo also. Defeated twice already on the War Of The Worlds Tour, he will have his eyes set on attracting the attention of the New Japan office with a shock win over a respected, established act like Goto.

Hikuleo swats at Goto then tosses him on his ass in an attempt to make an early statement. His height and long limbs make it difficult for Goto to lay in any of his signature offence early...forcing the veteran to sneak up behind and level Leo with a lariat. Ushigoroshi blocked, so Goto lands another lariat to deck his opponent for a second time. He tries to go to the top, but it brings him into range for a man of Hikuleo's height and the big Tongan captures him to deliver a superplex for 2. The youngster hits a lariat of his own that spins Goto through the air and gets another nearfall. Goto is literally on his knees gasping for air yet somehow rallies to headbutt Hiku in the face! Ushigoroshi nailed this time, followed by the GTR, giving Goto the win at 06:00 (shown)

Rating - ** - Spirited and surprisingly energetic given how lethargic some of the other New Japan stars have been at this taping. It wasn't necessarily an exciting match, nor was it pretty...and you could be forgiven for questioning whether this is even remotely relevant or worthy of a place on ROH television when their own roster is in such a dire state of disrepair and disinterest. But it did deliver an easily relatable story with Hikuleo's height making it difficult for Goto to lazily hit his usual spots on auto-pilot, it ended at the right time and didn't waste too much TV time.

Kenny King talks about winning the first encounter in his Best Of 3 Series with Jay Lethal. He says he has been studying Lethal to the point of obsession and thinks he knows how to completely shut 'The Franchise' down. His closing point is that he doesn't think we'll be making it to Match Three...

Up next should be the promised tag encounter between The Allure and rivals-turned-partners Kelly Klein and Jenny Rose. Unfortunately that doesn't take place as Angelina and Mandy attack them from behind and lay them out - all during the commercial break so we don't even see it. Ian Riccaboni quickly announces that it has been rescheduled and that we'll now see Klein/Rose vs Love/Leon at Best In The World 2019.

Briscoes vs Nick Aldis and Colt Cabana is also announced for Best In The World, accompanied by a video package documenting some of the Briscoe Brothers' transgressions towards the NWA, it's fans and their shows...

Clips of Bandido defeating Shane Taylor on TV a few weeks ago are shown, and the rematch has been signed for Best In The World. This time Taylor's newly-won TV Title will be on the line as well. Flip Gordon vs Rush and Silas Young vs Jon Gresham (in a Pure Rules Match) have also been confirmed.

Last week we saw PJ come to the aid of Lifeblood's Williams and Haskins as they brawled with Bully Ray, Shane Taylor and the Soldiers Of Savagery. Now he teams with Lifeblood - the group he credits with changing his attitude towards Ring Of Honor - for the first time. Shinobi Shadow Squad are their opponents and although they will be underdogs, Burger and his crew have put together a commendable record in trios tags this year...

Burger is all taped up and Tracy competes in his usual shoulder brace, meaning neither of the two men who start look particularly healthy. Tracy almost applies the Crossface in the first minute, forcing CB to be at his illusive best just to stay alive in the match. Black and Isom in next and Eli's pace actually sees him take the advantage from the veteran. Nova tries to trade strikes with Haskins in a thrilling little near-miss sequence...which ends when Williams and Haskins team up on the 3S member. Pendulum stretch by Black, made worse when Hot Sauce hits a diving leg drop to Ryan's exposed neck. Eli comes to the aid of his partner by knocking Haskins off the apron and FLATTENING him with a springboard moonsault to the floor. Cheesburger barely connects with a springboard senton bomb for 2, but Haskins retaliates with the shoulder roll into Samoan Driver on Nova seconds later. DVD/WILDNESS COMBO from Williams and Black, earning Lifeblood the win at 06:17 (shown)

Rating - ** - For my personal taste there was a little too much 3S offence to sit through here, but thankfully most of it was at least from Isom. Black wasn't doing anything of note in ROH anyway, so I have no issue with him being moved into an alliance with Lifeblood to at least keep that stable on life support whilst Haskins and Williams establish themselves on the main roster. Working tag matches also allows PJ the chance to pick his moments and hit his signature offence without his ageing body and lack of speed being exposed in the way it tends to in singles matches.

Tracy gets the microphone challenges Bully Ray 'and his goons' to a match any time, any place...

Matt Taven joins commentary for this, getting a prime seat to scout all of his top competitors for the World Title in a single match. Cobb is his next challenger, with those two set to meet in the main event of Best In The World. Lethal is the man he took the title from at G1 Supercard (and whom is yet to receive a rematch). Taven actually beat PCO in Toronto earlier in the War Of The Worlds Tour, but only after outside interference and cynically attacking PCO's only good eye. That leaves Rush; undefeated in singles matches, already at odds with The Kingdom after how they attacked him in his early ROH appearances and already with a strong dislike for Taven. The World Champion has to know that sooner or later he'll have to defend against El Toro Blanco too...

Rush declines all handshakes and gets us started by punching PCO in the mouth. Undeterred, PCO plods into Lethal's hiptoss/dropkick sequence then gets dropkicked to the floor - Jay enjoying hitting all his spots again after Kenny King countered them all on Episode 401. Rush tries to do a Tranquilo pose, but gets dropkicked in the stomach by Lethal, who starts diving all over ringside hitting tope suicidas onto everyone. PCO blocks one eventually by chokeslamming him into the apron though. Vader Bomb gets 2 for The Monster...who then turns and gives Cobb a chokeslam as well. Jeff gets his mojo back with a stalling suplex on Rush then almost drops PCO on his head with a belly to belly suplex. Athletic-Plex on Lethal nailed! Tour Of The Islands blocked with a hurricanrana by Lethal, who captures Rush as well to hit a flatliner/DDT combo. Everyone piles up on the turnbuckles, culminating with Rush powerbomb Cobb into a double superplex for Lethal and PCO. The camera zooms in on PCO's eye which is bleeding again, much to Taven's delight. He still hits a Pop-Up Powerbomb on Lethal for 2 though. Standing moonsault by Cobb, who clears the ring to go strike for strike with Rush. El Toro Blanco drops HIM on his head with a belly to belly as well! PCO drapes Rush over the edge of the ring. TOP ROPE CANNONBALL SENTON ON THE APRON MISSES! But Rush rolls straight into the Lethal Injection! Jay has it won, but is distracted by Kenny King appearing in the aisle annoyed that Lethal has 'stolen his move'. Cobb pounces and hits Tour Of The Islands on Jay to win the match at 10:40 (shown)

Rating - *** - This taping hasn't yielded a great batch of episodes as far as in-ring quality goes, but this was certainly enjoyable. They didn't get particularly deep, nor did they deliver much substance but the four men really did go at it full pelt and dropped non-stop bombs on each other for ten minutes. Two or three times it felt like guys were almost dropped right on the top of their head. Rush was a lot of fun as an antagonistic brawler just looking to fight anyone, the finish protects him and PCO whilst progressing the Lethal/King rivalry...and also gives Cobb the big win to rebound from his TV Title loss going into Best In The World. It wasn't a main event which will live long in the memory, but it was fun whilst it lasted...

Tape Rating - ** - This was far from a terrible episode. We got lots of announcements for Best In The World, The Allure's segment was basically entirely edited out (a bonus), the New Japan talent at least seemed like they were trying, and the main event was entertaining. But the problem with this show, as with so much of ROH right now, is that it felt so forgettable and non-essential. Nothing grabbed you and made you feel like you HAVE to tune in next week. Even the promotion of the pay-per-view was more listing matches that will happen, rather than giving you any reason to care about them. Like I said in my review of Episode 403, there is an overwhelming lack of any kind of purpose or long-term vision to ROH's product right now. It's like the entire company complacently expects fans to continue to watch regardless of what is churned out for them...even when half the roster and most of the fanbase has deserted them...

5) Tracy Williams/Mark Haskins/PJ Black vs Cheeseburger/Eli Isom/Ryan Nova (** - Episode 404)

4) EVIL/SANADA vs Satoshi Kojima/Yuji Nagata (** - Episode 402)

3) Jeff Cobb vs Jay Lethal vs Rush vs PCO (*** - Episode 404)

2) Colt Cabana vs James Storm (*** - Episode 403)

1) Kenny King vs Jay Lethal (**** - Episode 401)