McXal's Reviews

The last batch of Final Battle Fallout content airs this week, and since it appears that we are getting another couple of television-exclusive matches I am desperately hoping they are of a better standard than those we've seen over the last couple of weeks. They come before a big feature match from the FB Fallout VOD as former Tag Champions the Briscoes face the undefeated team of '2 Guys 1 Tag' (Silas Young and Josh Woods). Ian Riccaboni, Quinn McKay and Caprice Coleman are in Philadelphia, PA.

Castle and Hendry are trying to get their 'super-group' on the same page, and find a way to marry together the immense charisma they both possess. They were not successful at Final Battle, losing to 2G1T on the 'Hour One' pre-show...so now look to put things right with a win over The Bouncers. Bruiser and Milonas back themselves as a more cohesive tag team though, and plan on defeating a former World Champion and hot new signing as a way of pushing themselves up the card.

Castle is once again back wearing a jump-suit and has Boys during his entrance, indicating that this partnership is helping him to recapture his enthusiasm. We get less than fifty seconds of action (largely Milonas shoving Hendry around) before we go to commercials, which sucks. Castle puts a swift kick through Bruiser's face...so BCB bites him in the face. He and Hendry pause to discuss things - both turning their back on The Bouncers as they get into formation for a battering ram. Heat Seeking Missile by Castle, although he connects as much with Joe as he does with his intended target Milonas. TOP ROPE PLANCHA to the floor by Bruiser (who is having a nightmare keeping his trunks from falling down around his ass tonight). Samoan drop/Kingpin Senton combo gets 2 on the Scotsman. Hendry dodges a BCB hip attack, tagging Castle who hits a pumphandle suplex on Bruiser! FREAK OF NATURE by Hendry - after he forcibly blind-tagged Dalton out. He then can't get a pin on BCB because Todd Sinclair is busy arguing with Dalton. He and Castle start misfiring as a team - struggling to hit cohesive moves on multiple occasions. Dalton saves his partner from the Closing Time once, but is then accidentally tossed straight into Hendry by Milonas. Closing Time on Hendry, giving The Bouncers a big win at 08:01 (shown)

Rating - ** - An entertaining TV match packing in some signature Bouncers offence, a couple of amazing feats of strength by Hendry and Castle...but carried by the comedic timing and pseudo-dissension between Dalton and Joe. The little hints at their struggles to present a united front as a tag team were extremely smart, and almost constant - by far the most entertaining part of the match.

As The Darewolf pointed out to Johnson, if he accepts the offer of mentorship then he'll get booked on television due to PJ's name value. And so it proves, The Mecca has seemingly accepted Black's offer of mentorship and is instantly given a television match. PJ has spoken of his admiration for how Silas has mentored Josh Woods and formed an effective tag team with him - and sought out his own protege to do likewise. Silas suggested Johnson as a joke, but Black has taken him up on the challenge. How will they manage against the up and coming team of Marcus Kross and Griff Garrison?

Black and Johnson bicker almost constantly, to the detriment of their team as M&M profit and begin the match strongly as a result. PJ eventually fights off both Kross and Garrison single-handedly, much to the annoyance of The Mecca. He tries to cheat when working Kross over, but is repeatedly prevented from doing so by his own partner. Time after time Black has to knock Brian's feet or arms off the ropes, until finally Kross escapes The Mecca's clutches and makes the big tag to Griff. He tosses Johnson into a spear on PJ - then stands in position for the Skywalker Elbow by Kross. PJ comes to the aid of The Mecca, KO'ing Kross with a Superkick. Johnson hits a fist drop - thinking he has done the hard work - and wins it at 04:37 (shown)

Rating - ** - Nice and short; giving us a look at the in-fighting between Johnson and PJ and allowing Garrison and Kross to hit a few nice spots - without taking up too much television time. My big issue with this is that there are now too many 'odd couple' teams. We already have 2 Guys 1 Tag and the Hendry/Castle team doing the same bickering partners routine - and I'm not sure it needed another one in PJ/Brian. 

Brian Zane lists his Top 5 favourite ROH tag teams. 

So we know contractual rematches are a thing...but for some reason the Briscoes don't have one and are instead put into this match, where the winner gets a title shot at Lethal and Gresham. How does that work? Do the Briscoes just have worse contracts than Rush? Even without the belts they remain one of the most decorated and accomplished tag teams on the planet and will be hot favourites for this one. But '2 Guys 1 Tag' (as Woods and Silas are now known) are undefeated as a team. Can they carry that streak through to a title shot in 2020?

Woods and Mark start, revising their singles match from Unauthorized which took place under very different circumstances. Josh works literal circles around Mark, but starts goofing around and is ordered out of the ring by an exasperated Silas. The Last Real Man has a strong showing with Mark too, to the extent that Jay storms in to help his brother - hauling them both out of the ring for a brawl on the floor. Step-up somersault plancha off a chair by Mark! The Briscoes successfully divide and conquer, scrambling Josh's brains on the floor then working together to isolate Young. The Goods does finally get involved - absolutely DUMPING Jay with a brutal suplex. 2G1T showcase some of their tag team fluidity too; trapping Jay in the ring and delivering a flurry of combo moves which really do a number on Briscoe's spine and core. Even when Jay levels Young with a dropkick, he curls up in a ball afterwards struggling for breath. Mark accepts a crucial tag; giving Silas the Urinage then Josh the fisherman buster. Froggy Bow COUNTERED TO A CROSS ARMBREAKER by Woods! Mark tries to roll through so Josh snares him in an Anklelock instead! German suplex nailed when Mark refuses to tap. Day One Neckbreaker by Jay, coming to the aid of his brother...and they then POWER Woods into the Redneck Boogie for 2. Young drops Jay with the Anarchist Suplex to help his partner out...but walks into the Sick Kick from Mark. Belly to belly superplex by Woods, leaving all four men on the canvas. Josh is up first and outstrikes both Briscoes at the same time! They quickly snuff out his threat with the double football tackle. They line The Goods up for the Doomsday Device...just as the Tag Champions run in. Lethal distracts Todd Sinclair, whilst Gresham shoves Jay into a CHAOS THEORY from Josh. He pins Jay Briscoe at 15:00!

Rating - **** - The finish disappointed me here. Of course I didn't like the fact that the interference directly led to the end of the match, but it was more how unnecessary it was. Could Lethal and Gresham not just have watched from the stage or something? Having them directly cost the Briscoes the match did more to harm Silas and Josh than it did positively contribute to the Briscoes vs Lethal/Gresh feud in my opinion. And that's a shame because the one thing this match did BRILLIANTLY before that was elevate 2G1T to the same level as the Briscoes. Often when guys wrestle the Briscoes I talk about them being superior singles wrestlers whilst Jay and Mark are tag specialists - which is why the dynamic shift is so important here. Yes we saw Josh in particular dominate the Briscoes individually. But it was the touches of tag team continuity from 2G1T which were the most significant. They helped each other out when needed, they worked together at key moments within the match to benefit the team, they produced combo sequences to weaken Jay in particular; everything was about presenting Silas and Josh as a top tier team. Which is why a finish which directly undermines that really did frustrate me

Tape Rating - N/A - The idea with this episode was to do throw a spotlight on ROH's tag team division. It certainly did that, but in my opinion largely to show how limited the division actually is right now. Clearly the Briscoes are great, Lethal and Gresham are fresh faces as champions and 2G1T have proven to be pretty fun...but what else is there? Everyone else we saw tonight felt like some form of comedy act; The Bouncers are big clumsy drunks, Hendry & Castle can't get on the same page, Johnson & PJ have wrestled one match and are riddled with dissension too...and we also saw Master & Machine here who could hardly be considered a purist, old school 'rasslin' duo either.