McXal's Reviews

The first fresh content from 2020 live shows makes the TV show this evening, and Ring Of Honor are rightly starting by featuring the spectacular Six-Man Title bout between Villain Enterprises and the new 'MexiSquad' of Bandido, Flamita and Rey Horus (featuring a flat-out awesome crowd, which isn't something we've been able to say about many ROH shows over the last year). Ian Riccaboni and Quinn McKay are our hosts in Atlanta, GA.

Ian and Quinn open with an announcement that the main event at Free Enterprise will be Marty Scurll and PCO facing Rush and NWA Champion Nick Aldis.

Backstage in Atlanta 2 Guys 1 Tag interrupt Quinn McKay filming with their bickering. Josh bumps into her and offers a hug as an apology...Silas leads him away with a lecture on sexual harassment.

This match airs after a video package recapping Vincent's promo in Philadelphia where he claimed credit for Matt Taven's success in 2019 and with his victory at Final Battle had closed the 'gates of The Kingdom'. He now leads a new group and will be looking for a comprehensive victory tonight. It's always nice to see Sal back, and as a former Tag Champion he ensures his team won't be a pushover.

Bateman is already mauling Stevens by the time the bell rings. The newcomer tries to fight back with a version of Sole Food but is quickly slapped back down. Rinauro tries to help his partner...but is thrown to the ground with Stevens dropped on top of him seconds later. Sal survives a barrage of elbow strikes and delivers a swinging jawbreaker...which only rattles Bateman temporarily before he drills Sal with a brainbuster. This Is A Kill nailed, before he vacates the ring and allows Vincent to lie on top of the motionless Rinauro to win at 04:26. Vinny is ranting into the mic as well but the audio was 'removed due to Vincent's controversial statements'...

Rating - N/A - Perhaps a little longer than I'd like, but for the most part this was a pretty ideal wrestling squash. Colourful, likeable guys getting crushed by the established stars, with Bateman in particular getting to look really strong. 

Nick Aldis demands some gratitude for helping to 'keep the lights on in Ring Of Honor' with his presence. He is furious that 'big money' Marty was so full of himself that he thought he'd invade the NWA - so he is repaying the favour in ROH and wants Scurll in the ring as soon and as often as possible. Starting at Free Enterprise.

Shane Taylor (and SOS) come to the ring next, with Taylor having requested some interview time. He has a Shane Taylor Promotions microphone cover and everything. He wastes no time and calls out Joe Koff to personally inform him that he won't be signing a new deal unless Joe agrees to four specific demands. Those being he wants a guaranteed Six-Man Title shot for SOS and an unspecified third partner, a guaranteed World Title shot for himself, his name and face on every event poster (since ROH repeatedly left him off those last year)...and finally to be paid the highest paid star on the roster. He gives Koff twenty four hours to think - but wants an answer at Honor Reigns Supreme tomorrow night.

Ian announces that at Free Enterprise it will be Lethal & Gresham vs Cobb & Maff in a Proving Ground Match, then at Bound By Honor later in February 2 Guys 1 Tag will get their Tag Title shot. As a preview of that they air highlights of the Gresham vs Woods technical clinic from Saturday Night At Center Stage 2020.

There is precedent for Freebird-ing in other stable-mates to defend the Six-Man Championship. Scurll himself has actually done it back when he was in Bullet Club and the titles were 'officially' held by the Young Bucks and Adam Page. Flip replaces PCO whilst King wrestles in his first ROH match since Night 1 of the Honor United 2019 Tour when he suffered a knee injury. Bandido and Flamita have locked horns with Villain Enterprises previously - and last time we were in this building Bandido was scoring a major singles victory over Marty. 

King and Flamita start; the big man tossing the luchador around with ease. Even when Flam tries to quicken the pace, Brody simply decapitates him with a lariat. Bandido and Scurll tag, and we soon see The Villain trying to keep Bandido on the ground with some British wrestling...but failing to pin down someone as fast as Bandido. Horus and Gordon in next to reprise their bout at Final Battle Fallout. They go strike for strike at real pace, until Flip pulls his foe to the outside for Scurll to blast him with a Superkick. The champions isolate Rey...but he is so fast they can't retain control and he tricks Flip into decking Marty. POP-UP CUTTER by Bandido, who then flies through Brody with the Tornillo as well. Pop-up rana combo by MexaBlood. STEREO SOMERSAULT PLANCHAS OVER THE RINGPOST by Flamita and Horus! MOONSAULT OFF THE RINGPOST BY BANDIDO! 450 Splash gets 2 for Flamita. Bandido then wheelbarrows Flamita into a back flip moonsault onto Flip as well! Gordon retaliates with a springboard spear and makes a vital tag to a fired up Brody. Horus wipes him out with a spectacular tornado DDT...followed by a Crucifix Driver by Bandido! Tornado DDT/Superkick combo by Flip and Marty! FLAM FLY! SATELLITE DDT BY HORUS! ALL SIX ARE DOWN! Bandido and Scurll are the first back into battle...and Bandido drills The Villain with the X-Knee. Backbreaker/Asai Moonsault combo by he and Flamita gets 2. STANDING REVOLUTION FLY gets 2! Bandido is left alone with all three Villains, with Marty and Flip hitting the powerbomb/Shiranui then Brody following up with a running senton. 619/CANNONBALL/SUPERKICK FLURRY on Bandido! Chickenwing COUNTERED TO A ROLL-UP! BANDIDO WINS! New champs at 16:00

Rating - **** - This was very possibly the best ROH crowd for any single match since The Elite left. It was an amazing, almost football (soccer) type atmosphere as the Latin American contingent roared on the challengers whilst the rest were vocal in their support of the Villains (largely Marty). These guys produced some stunning high spots and incredibly elaborate combination sequences...and each one was cheered by their supporters like they'd scored a goal. Reading the results back in early 2020 I thought it was a strange choice to take the belts off Villain Enterprises here. The Six-Man Titles are basically just a prop to put over which ever faction ROH are trying to get over, rather than a serious 'prize' to be won. It's how ROH got the 'new' Kingdom over, it's tied Villain Enterprises together for the last year...so my assumption was that La Faccion Ingobernable should take it (in their scheduled title match) the following evening. Long-term I don't know what the plans were for the Bandido/Flamita/Horus reign (which wound up lasting almost a year without a single title defence due to the pandemic)... but pulling the trigger on MexiSquad getting the belts here delivered a really special moment.

Tape Rating - N/A - That Six-Man Title Match was an awesome moment and absolutely perfect to put on television as ROH looks to promote the impression that they are now recovering from a problematic 2019. That took up a large portion of the broadcast by itself, making this a pretty easy episode to recommend. I enjoy a good squash match and so had some fun with the Vincent/Bateman tag squash, whilst Aldis' promo was a welcome piece of footage as it fleshed out the reasons behind him invading ROH's live shows in Atlanta & Concord earlier in the month.