McXal's Reviews

We're on the road to Death Before Dishonor, although the downside of tweaking the TV taping format is that the countdown to the next major pay-per-view event isn't necessarily as apparent. We're still revisiting Summer Supercard content currently, with tonight's feature bout being a tag team cracker as the team of Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham take on Lifeblood's Mark Haskins and Bandido. Quinn McKay and Ian Riccaboni are our hosts, with Ian's live commentary partner in Toronto, ONT being Caprice Coleman.

Ian and Quinn begin by discussing Rush's apparent challenge to Matt Taven and the World Title. They ponder how much longer it will be before ROH's Board Of Directors have no choice but to grant him a title shot. That then leads to highlights of Rush's No DQ victory over Dalton Castle at Summer Supercard.

Quinn McKay tries to get an interview with Jon Gresham about tonight's tag team main event against Lifeblood...but he declines to comment and tells her to go talk to Jay Lethal instead. She does just that, although Jay brushes off his partner's surly attitude. He says they have tunnel-vision on targeting a first ever ROH Tag Title victory...

Up next we get some interview time with Dante Caballero and Joe Keys ahead of their 2019 Top Prospect Tournament bout. Dante's interview takes place on the banks of a river with so much wind you can barely hear him, whilst Joe Keys appears to back himself as a male model and says his presence makes it the 'best looking tournament' ROH has ever promoted. Clips of their tournament bout are shown, with Dante advancing via submission...

Footage of The Kingdom attacking The Bouncers at Manhattan Mayhem is shown, including Marseglia stubbing out a lit cigar on Bruiser's bare chest. The Bouncers returned the favour in Toronto, starting a big brawl at Summer Supercard. The Bouncers get some promo time, where they imply Vinny and TK are only in ROH because they carry Matt Taven's bags...and offer to fight them anywhere. Elsewhere Vinny talks about how he likes violence, and getting to see a darker side of the supposedly fun-loving Bouncers.

Backstage, Lifeblood warm up together ahead of the main event, whilst Lethal and Gresham warm-up separately - having already given separate interviews. Riccaboni further sews the seeds of dissension by pointing out that Gresham recently beat Lethal's nemesis Kenny King too.

Triton, Barbaro Cavernario, Stuka Jr. and more are announced for the Global Wars Espectacular Tour in September; a trio of cross-promoted shows with CMLL. To wet the appetites for that we see clips of the spectacular CMLL trios tag in Toronto pitting Caristico, Stuka and Soberano Jr. against Barbaro, Hechicero and Templario.

NEXT WEEK - It's Champions vs All-Stars from Atlanta as Matt Taven, Shane Taylor and the Briscoes face Jay Lethal, Jeff Cobb, Kenny King and Rush.

There has been a competitive rivalry between Lethal and Lifeblood all year. It started at that very first TV taping where Lifeblood debuted - in a tense microphone exchange between Jay and Lifeblood's founding member Juice Robinson. Since then we've watched Lethal and Gresham contest a couple of tag team clinics with Lifeblood's Tracy Williams and Mark Haskins, including a 30-minute Iron Team Match at Masters Of The Craft...and on both occasions it was 'The Franchise' and 'The Octopus' coming out on top. Now Lifeblood want another crack at that record, this time with a modified line-up - Bandido teaming with Haskins for only the second time since Tracy Williams has a TV Title shot...

Haskins and Gresham start out and it is everything you'd expect from those two men in the ring together. For more than three minutes they effortlessly grapple back and forth, with each exchange punctuated by a minor display of arrogance, cockiness or showmanship from The Octopus. Haskins, having already lost to Lethal and Gresham twice this year, looks incredibly frustrated - and even Lethal isn't impressed with his partner's attitude. Bandido and Lethal tag and the tables turn with the luchador visibly keen to make a statement at the expense of 'The Franchise'. Jay tries to retaliate with the Lethal Injection, and when that misses Bandido brilliantly rolls through the hiptoss/dropkick combo in an exchange so spectacular most of the audience gives them a standing ovation. They shake hands in a sign of respect, and the cameras catch Gresham looking annoyed about it in the background of the shot. His irritation proves founded as Lifeblood team up on Lethal to get ahead. Bandido even finds time to pay Gresham back - going into his corner to taunt him in the same way Gresh had done earlier. Meanwhile Haskins has started attacking Lethal's arm; stomping it hard into the canvas. Gresham comes to his partner's aid and gives Mark a STALLING German suplex...which he then celebrates by disrespectfully standing on the Englishman's throat. He makes a point of targeting Haskins' arms and inflicts an apparent injury with a bridging chickenwing. Haskins fights out with a backbreaker on Lethal and makes a crucial tag out...only for Gresham to quickly kill Lifeblood's momentum by low-bridging the ropes causing Bandido to fall out of the ring. He then forcibly tags Lethal out when Jay tries to query those tactics! Hopping to the floor he starts ramming Bandido's back and ribs onto the guardrails...and even tries to swing a chair at him until Lethal intercepts. So Gresh shoves Lethal on his ass as well! That gives Bandido the chance to slither away and unleash Haskins with the ELBOW SUICIDA! Cornette Cutter COUNTERED WITH A SOLDIER ROLL ON TOP OF LETHAL! Soldier Roll on Lethal as well gets 2. Falcon arrow/frog splash combo gets another nearfall for Lifeblood. Gresham leads the save for his partner, joining him to hit a jumping enzi/dragon screw combo. Figure 4 Leglock applied to Haskins, with Bandido being restrained on the floor by Gresham. BANDIDO POWERBOMBS GRESHAM ONTO LETHAL to break the hold! Gresham gets up and does Bandido's own pose in his face, before they start teeing off on each other. POP-UP CUTTER! Lethal Injection COUNTERED TO THE X-KNEE! 21-PLEX! SHARPSHOOTER! TOPE ATOMICO BY BANDIDO! LETHAL TAPS! Haskins taps out a former World Champion to win at 19:35!

Rating - **** - This one was a superb little drama, with multiple little stories weaving together building to a spectacular finish. You had the now bitter and discontented former Purist Jon Gresham trying to utilise his new 'gives no f*cks' attitude to get ahead, causing friction in his team with Lethal...even though we know Lethal himself has had such a lousy year that he too has struggled to maintain his banner-waving 'Franchise' persona. You had Haskins desperate to win after falling twice to the same team already this year (not to mention failing to take the World Title from Lethal in one of ROH's best bouts of 2018)...and ultimately succeeding; tapping out Lethal for the biggest win of his ROH career. Then you had Bandido who, as always, was here to steal the show; his explosive offence primed to blow whomever he was in the ring with out of the water. I've loved them all, but if I were pushed there's a chance this is actually my favourite of the three Lethal/Gresh vs Lifeblood tags. 

The episode ends with a Matt Taven promo. He lists the men he has defeated in defence of his World Championship, and reminds everyone that he had to shave his hair in CMLL because of Rush. He can't wait to get even with El Toro Blanco in his home promotion...

Tape Rating - N/A - I'm liking the new TV format. For completists like myself who still watch every show, these episodes are really useful. I don't feel like I'm missing out on complete matches, since everything is taken from being aired in full on Honor Club, and I'm seeing far more interviews and backstage segments to flesh out characters and build rivalries/feuds. Whether the casual viewer gets as much out of a compilation of clips and interviews, before a single feature match I'm not as sure...but I'd suggest this type of broadcast is hardly going to be inferior or less-effective than some of the utterly forgettable, mediocre TV taping content we've seen this year...