McXal's Reviews

It is the week after Death Before Dishonor 17 - too soon to have edited together content taped at Death Before Dishonor Fallout to put out on television. ROH solve that problem by broadcasting a special episode highlighting the Global Wars Espectacular Tour, which took place on the run-up to Death Before Dishonor. We may see some kind of attempt to build up to Glory By Honor, which is a VOD show that takes place for Honor Club members next week too. Quinn McKay and Ian Riccaboni are our hosts for the broadcast. I believe the feature bout is scheduled to be the all-CMLL trios bout pitting Caristico, Stuka Jr. and Volador Jr. against Rey Bucanero, Okumura and Hechicero - which took place on Night Three in Milwaukee, WI.

We open with a montage of luchadors hitting highspots - not just the CMLL guys but also Bandido and Rush on the Ring Of Honor side. Ian and Quinn announce that this is a special 'Lucha Libre episode' to celebrate new World Champion Rush. 

This is taken from Night 2 of the tour in Chicago, and I question the merit of putting this on television given that it means ROH are putting footage of them running a big building with a tiny crowd out for broadcast. Ian reminds us that Rush was teaming with Cavernario in the main event of the CMLL 85th Anniversary - where they defeated Matt Taven and Volador Jr. in a Hair vs Hair Match. But they now bring this partnership/rivalry to the US - with Rush on the final stretch of shows before his World Title shot - and currently remains undefeated in ROH. 

The speed and intensity of the opening minute here is quite spectacular. Barbaro doesn't back down from Rush at all and rocks him with some big strikes early. Snap German suplex by Rush, followed by the Incineration knee strike to set Cavernario back. He starts brutalising Barbaro...but is surprised when the caveman gets up off the canvas to block the Bull's Horns, then scores with a rebound splash for 2. Springboard suicide dive to the floor nailed! THROUGH THE TURNBUCKLES TOPE SUICIDA! Back in the ring Barbaro tries another springboard splash...but is splattered back to the floor with the jumping forearm by Rush. SOMERSAULT PLANCHA scores for El Toro Blanco. It takes the fight back to the floor and cues Rush up for his signature guardrail rush. Turnbuckle belly to belly scores, followed by the Bull's Horns. Rush wins at 08:42

Rating - ** - For a match billed as a 'main event anywhere in the world', pitting ROH's undefeated Rush against 'one of the most requested' luchadors for ROH to bring in from CMLL, I thought this was pretty disappointing. Not bad, and at times even quite exciting. But there really wasn't much to invest in from an emotional standpoint. It was just two guys with glorious hair hitting spots without selling a single thing between them. I don't 'get' Cavernario's gimmick either, which doesn't help. 

Ian and Quinn preview the Glory By Honor 17 card, which includes the semi-finals and finals of the tournament to crown the #1 contender for the World Title at Final Battle. Jay Lethal, Marty Scurll, Dalton Castle and PCO are the final four there. We'll also see a hotly anticipated bout between Alex Shelley and Jonathan Gresham

Marty and Dalton get promo time to discuss the World Championship aspirations. Scurll in particular teases that this might be his 'last chance' to become ROH Champion (which is quite deliberately included to play to the rumours that he was leaving for AEW...)

Next we see highlights from the Lethal/Gresham/Cobb vs Caristico/Stuka/Triton trios match from Chicago. 

Ian announces that Rush will be defending the World Title against Jeff Cobb in 'Bolton, Wales' as part of the Honor United 2019 Tour. Apparently nobody thought to correct his error. Or thought that it might be better to book one of the most over guys on the roster, who also just so happens to be English (Marty) into a title match for that weekend instead...

This is billed as a classical Lucha Libre rudos vs tecnicos match. Volador and Stuka had already picked up a win as a team on the Global Wars Tour, beating The Kingdom's Matt Taven and Vinny Marseglia in Dearborn. It was a less successful weekend for the rudo trio, who hadn't picked up a win between them across the two nights of combat thus far.

The tecnicos are competing in matching sky blue outfits which is a nice touch. Stuka and Hechicero start and as two of the more powerful men in the match we begin a deceptively methodical pace. Hechi takes the first to his opponent with strikes and submissions, sensibly keeping him grounded. Volador and Rey in next, with Volador quickly ensuring that the pace livens up - dumping his foe to the floor with a headscissors. Okumura and Caristico in next - and it's another interesting match-up as the Japanese veteran tries to slow the former Sin Cara down...only to be taken out with a corkscrew pescado. Things get a little sloppy, with sequences not being timed particularly well and a few instances where a luchador sits in the ring almost instructing an opponent to hit them. The rudo trio hit a Leap Of Faith, then a flying cutter by Okumura gets 2. Stuka powers through all three opponents, then vacates so Volador and Caristico can take turns flying across the ring. TRIPLE DIVES TO THE FLOOR by the tecnicos! Hechi levels Volador with a climbing knee strike in the corner though - before draping him over the knees so Bucanero can hit him with a corkscrew senton. Caristico tags and finds ways to fight off both Rey and Hechicero simultaneously. Stuka then stacks up all three opponents in the corner for Volador to monkey flip him into a cannonball senton on top! Tower Of Doom spot from one corner...but Stuka steers clear and this the Torpedo Splash onto Hechicero instead. Caristico hits a tope suicida through Stuka's legs - and Stuka stays on the ropes to hit a springboard moonsault to the floor as well. Hechicero and Volador battle on the top rope, until Volador hits the springboard super rana! He wins it for his team at 13:11

Rating - ** - I'm not the biggest fan of Lucha Libre so it may be that this didn't resonate with me because I'm not the target market for this particular style of wrestling...but something about this felt incredibly laboured. There were countless instances where they didn't appear to be on the same page; guys would be waiting around for someone to hit a move on them, or move with uncertainty like they weren't clear on whether their opponent knew what was happening next. There wasn't a whole lot of substance to this either, and if you're going to do a spot-filled exhibition style match then the execution needs to be perfect - and it was FAR from that here. Whether they were having an off night, whether they were taking it easy, or whether this just didn't land as a typical example of CMLL's product - I didn't particularly enjoy this one.

Tape Rating - N/A - I didn't have too many issues with this one. I'm not sure the matches they chose to spotlight are the ones from the tour I'd have chosen, but the point of the episode was to provide a 'Lucha Libre special' - and on that front this felt authentic. I was pleased that they were able to acknowledge the result of the PPV main event so quickly (talking about Rush as champion, and setting up future challengers), and I enjoyed the promo interviews for Glory By Honor. Having said all that, for Honor Club members who watch the live shows, there was very little value added to your 'ROH experience' with this episode...