McXal's Reviews

This week ROH are going in heavier on the TV exclusive match content, broadcasting two bouts taped specifically for this episode. We'll see Dalton Castle and Joe Hendry continue their quest to unite their combined superpower of entertainment and form the top tag team in ROH as they face Master & Machine. Danhausen is also back on television this week, taking on Rhett Titus. The feature bout main event comes from Saturday Night At Center Stage 2020 and will see the Briscoes facing Jeff Cobb and Dan Maff, as well as Lifeblood in a triple threat tag bout. Ian Riccaboni and Quinn McKay are our hosts for all the action, taped in Atlanta, GA.

Kross and Garrison are being pushed as rising stars in ROH's tag division...albeit in the same abstract, non-committal and non-specific way that Coast 2 Coast always were. The announcers keep telling us they are great, but all we see is them getting beaten up on TV in five minute matches. Can they break that cycle here against a team still trying to find their way. Castle and Hendry haven't always gotten along but are trying to put aside their differences and unite their combined powers as entertainers to take over the tag division?

Kross is supposedly a highly-skilled martial artist...but he's also a lot smaller than Hendry, so he needs all the speed he can muster to avoid being totally dominated by the Scotsman. After commercials we see Castle on the canvas, using his amateur wrestling prowess to dominate Griff. Bang-A-Rang blocked with body shots by Garrison, aware that Dalton's back and core are a permanent issue for him. It gets worse when Garrison assists Kross into a moonsault splash across the ribs for 2. Double stomp/elbow drop combo into the chest as well! Hendry senses the danger and comes to Dalton's aid, decking Kross with a lariat. He and Castle start bullying Marcus Kross; bludgeoning him to the ground with big shots then trying to keep him there with various holds so he can't use any of his speed or martial artistry. Finally Dalton loses his focus and lets him slip away into a hot tag to Garrison - who delivers a double spear to knock them both down. Skywalker Elbow gets 2! Dalton ambushes Kross, feeding him to Joe, who already has Griff hooked up...for the DOUBLE FREAK OF NATURE! Codebreaker/spinning bulldog combo on Kross gives Castle the win at 09:39 (shown)

Rating - *** - One of the better 'TV exclusive' bouts we've seen since ROH switched to this new format last year. During my introductory paragraph I suggested that Ring Of Honor need to stop telling me Master & Machine are good then squashing them on television...well I got my wish here and they delivered. This was enjoyable stuff; Hendry and Castle logically working Kross over since he is a smaller dude and they could overpower him, whilst M&M attacked Castle's historically problematic lower back to get ahead. A compact, solid bout which benefits all four competitors...

Quinn is in the Lifeblood locker room, where Haskins tells her he is focused on becoming World Champion in 2020. He and Quinn leave, with Tracy Williams sat pensively and alone

Apparently Danhausen is back on television 'by popular demand'. He finds himself in the ring with a fired up Rhett Titus; fired up to be back wrestling on television and fired up to win matches so he can force another singles match with his ex-partner and arch-rival Kenny King.

Danhausen clowns about and struts...so Titus takes him straight to the mat. Dan attempts a chokeslam to no avail, then admonishes Rhett for nearly swearing and getting them taken off television. He dodges the Yakuza Kick to crotch Titus on the top, then dances around on the apron delivering repeated kicks to the face. Facewash from Rhett, all while staring into the camera and calling out Kenny King. Spinning torture rack into a back suplex next, Rhett's power proving all too much for Danhausen. Slingshot German suplex in response by Dan! Next he fills Titus' mouth with teeth from his jar...before administering the big boot to the face so they spray everywhere. That gets 2, but Rhett turns his lights out with the Dropkick and wins at 06:34 (shown)

Rating - * - Pretty much the standard Danhausen match. He hit the same comedy spots we've seen from him a few times over, Rhett looked a little silly but ultimately secured a dominant victory. I know his dropkick is superb too, but I don't overly like it as a finisher so that will take some getting used to.

NEXT WEEK - Villain Enterprises vs La Faccion Ingobernable from Honor Reigns Supreme.

Obviously this match has major Tag Championship implications, with the winner getting a significant boost up the rankings towards a title shot. Cobb and Maff are once again teaming after bonding through mutual respect when they wrestled each other at Final Battle. Lifeblood are back in the hunt for gold, plus another chance to get to grips with the Briscoes, whom they've been at odds with since last January when the faction was formed. The Bouncers join commentary to scout their competition in the tag team division.

Haskins strikes out at Cobb, with Ian completely forgetting that they had a (really good) match together on TV last year. Jeff tosses Haskins aside, and he is replaced by Mark Briscoe. Cobb quickly despatches him too, so next steps up to the challenge of Williams. Lifeblood recognise that Cobb is on fire so double-up on him with a fiery sequence of tandem strikes to put him on the ground for the first time. Haskins starts attacking Cobb's arm but is forced out by the Briscoes before he can make any real impact. Hot Sauce is so pissed off he basically slaps Mark Briscoe from behind to blind-tag his way back in - so Lifeblood can resume working over the Olympian. Lifeblood and the Briscoes start getting increasingly irritated with each other...eventually breaking down into Haskins and Mark Briscoe slapping the sh*t out of each other. It opens the door for Cobb to mow them both down then unleash Maff for the first time. CRISS-CROSS DIVES to the floor by Lifeblood! Mark Briscoe hurdles Maff to give Cobb the blockbuster off the apron...whilst Jay launches into a somersault plancha on Dan! Maff marches back into the ring and almost splits Jay in half with a Spear. BIG MAN TOPE by Maff! Cannonball/Athletic-Plex combo on Tracy! Haskins comes to his partner's aid with a double stomp on Maff. Infusion blocked - and Maff starts IGNORING Haskins' kicks! Burning Hammer COUNTERED to a Stomp Boy/Anklelock combo! FROGGY BOW by Mark Briscoe to break that! Sick Kick on Cobb, then the Redneck Boogie on Williams...for 2. He rallies and DVD's Mark Briscoe into the Crossface! That is broken when Jay powerbombs his own partner on top of him! JAY DRILLER! Briscoes pin Tracy to win at 12:36

Rating - *** - This became almost two fun matches in one. The first half, with the Briscoes and Lifeblood working Cobb over - but getting increasingly pissed off at each other whilst doing so - was incredibly entertaining. The second half was an extremely exciting Scramble Match with guys entering and flying out of the ring at great speed. Maff really shone in that segment; his intensity and sheer size made an interesting contrast to Haskins and Williams in particular. This match also gave us a possible insight into ROH's original plans/direction of travel in 2020. Cobb's contract has now expired, so he is now working as a freelancer and he was on the receiving end of the majority of the punishment in the first half of the bout. Tracy Williams is another guy ROH were rumoured to be planning on finishing up with - and he ate the pinfall. 

Tape Rating - N/A - This was a solid episode. The 'feature match' from Saturday Night At Center Stage was really good, so casual fans of the TV show will have enjoyed that, whilst Honor Club members who do watch the VOD shows got plenty of new content exclusive to the TV show as well. Castle & Hendry vs Master & Machine is particularly under-rated little TV match.