McXal's Reviews

Another week of Ring Of Honor television is upon us. Once again we have the now-traditional two-match structure; and this week sees the beginning of Survival Of The Fittest 2021. As they did back in 2012, ROH are breaking up the traditional SOTF tournament and airing it across multiple weeks of TV (and YouTube shows) rather than a single night/weekend event. It begins tonight with an explosive meeting between former stable-mates as Rey Horus faces 'Demonic' Flamita. The main event is a grudge match that has been on the cards since the 19th Anniversary as Josh Woods faces Silas Young in a Pure Rules Match. Quinn McKay, Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman are our broadcast team in Baltimore, MD.

Quinn welcomes us to the show and talks us through some of the history of Survival Of The Fittest, as well as revealing the six qualification matches scheduled to produce the traditional six-man elimination final - featuring twelve athletes who have never been World Champion and are not currently in the World Title Top 5 Rankings. They are:

Rey Horus vs Flamita

Brian Johnson vs Sledge

Eli Isom vs Dak Draper

Chris Dickinson vs O'Shay Edwards

Bandido vs Tyler Bateman

Danhausen vs Rhett Titus

Flamita says 'hell has arrived' in ROH in the form of himself, and he plans to go all the way in the tournament; starting tonight by making his former partner nothing more than his 'victim'. Horus, who is sporting some new gear, warns Flam not to look past him and not to get preoccupied with his new 'rudo' attitude. Flamita has a new 'Demonic' entrance, including extensive animated graphics which are really fun. His new look feels a little too reminiscent of BUSHI (with a splash of LIJ-era EVIL) for my taste however.

Flamita's movements are completely different too; slow, shifty and methodical as opposed to the fireball of energy we're used to seeing. Inevitably he refuses to give Rey a clean break and instead opts to batter his ex-partner against the ropes. Horus forces him to quicken the pace with a rapid strike flurry, into a SPINNING bodyscissors take down from the top rope. SPEAR THROUGH THE ROPES UP THE AISLE BY FLAMITA! Rather than return to the ring, Demonic Flam decides to start tossing Rey into the barricades. He taunts Horus, saying that the match is 'easy'...then waffles him with a chair. Todd Sinclair doesn't DQ him for some reason, and Rey responds by sweeping Flamita's legs causing him to crash into the apron. TOPE ATOMICO THROUGH AN OPEN CHAIR by Horus! Coleman spots that Flamita keeps insisting that the match stays outside the ring, and we soon see why as he hits the FLAM FLY ON THE FLOOR! Frog Splash back into the ring gets 2. Horus tries to build speed again, rolling up Flam's body into a Code Red for 2. Demonic retaliates with a closed-fist punch to the jaw, then a superkick into the middle turnbuckle. SLINGSHOT DDT gets 2! Rey tries to roll out of the ring to recover, only for Flamita to stop him on the apron and repeatedly stomp on his back and neck. Outside-in brainbuster nailed, seemingly putting Horus on the brink of defeat. He musters up one last burst of energy and goes for the avalanche victory roll. Flamita catches him to block...COUNTERED TO A SUPER LUCHA ARMDRAG! TORNADO DRAGON DDT NAILED! Flamita barely kicks out! Horus looks to set up the 450 Splash only for Flamita to crotch him, then haul him off the top into El Retador. Demonic Flamita wins at 10:45 (shown)

Rating - *** - One of the smartest things ROH has done in 2021 is frequently toss their highly skilled array of luchadors into the ring against each other. The MexiSquad were a fun team, but the possibilities and great matches that splitting them up has produced is already joyous to watch. I didn't think this was as well-paced as Bandido/Flamita, the 19th Anniversary Bandido/Flamita/Horus triple threat, or even Dragon Lee vs Horus from January...but when they clicked it was as spectacular as any of those. As I've said before, Flamita has caught me off-guard with how effective he has been with his rudo act, and his new look/gimmick complement it well. He excelled again here; at times cocky, at times violent, at times outright sadistic. The weapon use not yielding a DQ was a little strange, but definitely not a deal-breaker for me by any means. 

WEEK BY WEEK - On the next episode of ROH's YouTube show 'Week By Week', we'll see the next SOTF qualification match; Sledge vs Brian Johnson. Sledge delivers a ranty-but-generic promo about Brian Johnson being disrespectful and plans to teach him a lesson. In return, The Mecca is surprisingly complementary about Sledge - albeit on the way to comparing Sledge's former drug addiction with his own 'addiction to professional wrestling'. Johnson is SUCH a good promo. 

This match has an extended 30-minute time limit (instead of the usual Pure Rules 15-minute limit) at the request of both participants. In 2019 these two came together as unsuspecting, unexpected but extremely compatible tag team partners. Silas (somewhat reluctantly) took Josh under his wing and mentored him, and together the '2 Guys 1 Tag' unit was able to defeat several high profile teams. But something changed after the pandemic-enforced hiatus. Josh emerged more focused and more determined...then grew in confidence after some outstanding performances in Pure Wrestling Rules Matches including wins over two different former World Champions. By contrast Silas found himself dumped from the Pure Tournament in the first round, by the debuting Fred Yehi no less. He disappeared for a while, before returning seemingly to take Woods under his wing once more. Except now he was jealous and bitter of 'The Goods' success - and he attacked him with a chair at 19th Anniversary, causing Josh to lose to Dalton Castle. Their first grudge match was on Episode 504 where once again the Last Real Man was able to out-smart Woods - using the ropes to gain victory. And he didn't hide his cheating at all, instead he called it a veteran trick. He is so confident that his experience makes him too good for Woods that he even agreed to face Josh in his preferred environment - Pure Rules. Does Silas send the ultimate message to his former protégé, or does 'The Technical Beast' cement his growth and usurp his curmudgeonly old mentor? 

Josh calls Pure Rules 'his house'...so Silas effortlessly armdrags him and asks if he 'always gets pushed around in [his] house'. In ten seconds they just established their dynamic quite brilliantly. Young showcases his skill by trapping Woods in a half crab, but Caprice points out that Josh doesn't look remotely concerned and soon escapes with ease. Silas tries to target the arm next; his experience meaning he can look threatening, but Josh's skill meaning he continues to make escaping look easy. Frustration strikes Silas first and he tries to kick Woods in the face...only for Josh to catch the boot, flip him in the air and take it right back to the canvas. We reach five minutes and remain completely evenly matched; both athletes unflustered and probing the other for weaknesses. Silas extends his arm in an attempt to shake Josh's hand...but of course it's another dastardly trick. Woods tries to shake, and Silas uses the outstretched hand to haul Josh into a position where referee Joe Mandak can't see an illegal closed-fist punch to the face. Woods reacts angrily...and when Mandak tries to separate them Silas lays in another illegal punch. WOODS PUNCHES HIM IN THE FACE! That was a savage strike, performed in full view of the referee who immediately issues Woods with a formal warning. The Technical Beast is visibly frustrated but reins it in and brings Young back into the ring and back on the canvas. He STOMPS into a chickenwing on the shoulder, instantly injuring Silas - who reacts defensively by hot-shotting him over the top rope. He cranks on an abdominal stretch, then hits a monkey flip all designed to drive the air out of Woods' lungs. Woods tries to break an ankle in escaping a bodyscissors, then hammerlocks the arm he'd previously injured. Gourdbuster by Silas, again crunching his rival down onto his ribs. We take a pause for commercials and return with the Last Real Man still punishing the midsection. Now we see the veteran start taunting his former protege, playing mind-games as he dominates the match. SPINNING SUPERPLEX BY WOODS! Both men down! Woods roars defiantly and strikes Young down into a rear choke. Silas ELBOWS THE RIBS trying to escape! That's how precious rope-breaks are in this environment! Young again shows his experience by moving his body where he can put his feet on the ropes for an unseen illegal pin (just like their last match). This time, though, the ref spots it and instead calls for a rope-break, forcing Woods to break the hold and taking Young's first break from him. More strikes to the breadbasket from Young, and he then suplexes Josh onto the top rope. Woods goes for a German suplex to the floor...and when Silas clings to the ropes to block it Joe Mandak deducts his second rope-break! DDT ON THE APRON by Silas! He looks for Misery only for Josh to slide down his back. Plunge blocked, and when Young clings to the ropes again to stop Josh pulling him to the centre of the ring he loses his final rope-break. Killer Combo scores, followed by a KNEE TO THE RIBS! Anarchist Suplex gets 2...with Josh now needing a rope-break to kick out. RUNNING TURNBUCKLE BRAINBUSTER BY WOODS! HOLY SH*T! Plunge misses...GORILLA LOCK! Young grabs the ropes but he has no breaks left...and he taps out! Josh wins at 20:16 shown (21:29 total time)

Rating - **** - This was excellent stuff, with both athletes making the most of every precious second of TV time they were given to produce one of the best Pure Rules Matches since the division relaunched. The pace is slow and I didn't think this was accessible as some of Gresham's efforts (or Tracy Williams' work in the Pure Tournament itself)...but there was SO much going on here and a whole lot to like. The basic story was a sensible one and played out as we expected; Silas being a crafty veteran and repeatedly out-smarting Josh, negating the superior grappling skills of the latter. On the surface Young was in control for long periods, and he was the one that inflicted a serious injury on his adversary. But it was done in such a way which constantly promoted Josh as lethal in the Pure Rules arena. If Silas worked a hold, Josh had a counter lined up. Even whilst injured, Woods was such a juggernaut that his raw power was enough to gradually strip Silas of his rope-breaks. And even after being on the back foot for 10+ minutes, all it took was one shot at his submission finish to tap his mentor out. Some of the neat extra touches of detail, like Silas using the ropes to cheat but this time losing a rope-break, or the way they waited for him to release the ropes, then grab them again whilst Woods tried to haul him out of the corner before deducting a rope-break were SO smart. Clearly this style of wrestling isn't for everyone, even though I personally think Silas is a fabulous professional wrestler; a chameleon performer who can be slotted into almost any situation and adapt his character to deliver a decent match. Woods isn't as slick and still isn't the finished article, but working with Silas has improved him so much and here we saw the next step forward in his evolution - which has been a project since ROH first signed him back in 2017!

A crestfallen Silas begrudgingly accepts a handshake from the victor

NEXT WEEK - Isom vs Draper in SOTF 2021, and the Tag Titles on the line as The Foundation's Williams and Titus defend against former champions Kenny King and (the returning) Dragon Lee of La Faccion Ingobernable...

Tape Rating - *** - Once again, Ring Of Honor TV delivers a high-end in-ring product. There isn't much connective tissue week-to-week, and each episode is starting to feel like it's own self-contained wrestling novella rather than a bigger piece of a larger narrative. That is inevitable when you only have an hour of TV though unfortunately. However, if you tuned in this week you saw two totally unique styles of professional wrestling performed to a high standard - which help set ROH apart from some of it's competition. Flamita and Horus delivered authentic, frenetic Lucha Libre action; Woods and Young went back and forth for twenty minutes in a mat-heavy pure style grap-fest. If those styles are suited to your taste then this episode - like many other ROH TV episodes of late - is an easy watch and a really fun pint-sized blast of pro-wrestling for your consumption.

We have two more debutants lined up looking to impress Maria Kanellis-Bennett and earn their 'Ticket To Gold'; a spot in this summer's Women's Title Tournament. It will be Willow (Nightingale) taking on Alex Gracia; two women who have built up a strong body of work across the independents now looking to make their mark in ROH. Once again Lenny Leonard is our host...

I couldn't find an answer as to why Willow has dropped the 'Nightingale' from her name for her ROH debut. She is a young veteran of the independent scene and has worked everywhere; coming from New York and clocking up shows with GCW, RISE, SHIMMER, SHINE, Beyond, Chikara and AEW among others. She is nicknamed the 'Babe With The Power' and has an unsettling ability to smile happily whilst destroying people. Her opponent is Alex Gracia; another who, like Mazzerati last week, was scheduled to be part of the cancelled 2020 Women Of Honor World Title Tournament. She has been working regularly for AEW with appearances on Dynamite, Dark and Elevation all on her resume. She is yet another competitor out of the Texas scene, and has also appeared in NWA, SHINE, CMLL, Evolve, RISE and Stardom. She is giving up some size to Willow, but is a resilient combatant and will look to use her speed to her advantage.

ROH have a new female referee - Becky Phillips - which is nice to see. Nightingale sets about closing the distance and looking to overwhelm Gracia early, but Alex quickly speeds things up. Willow demonstrates that she can keep up with her though and we end in an early stalemate. POUNCE by Willow, smearing her pink-clad opponent into the mat! Big senton splash nailed, followed by a fisherman suplex for 2. Violent figure 4 clutch applied, with Gracia positioned right down the lens of a camera so everyone can see how Willow is stretching her out. When The Pink Dream tries to escape Nightingale converts her to a grounded abdominal stretch instead. Shortarm clotheslines, followed by a WRIST CLUTCH Olympic Slam for 2. Hanging lungblower out of the corner by Alex, with the commentary team speculating that her superior conditioning may be her key to outlasting Nightingale. A face wash drives Willow down, and Gracia sends her all the way to the floor with a double knee strike. REBOUND CROSSBODY BLOCK TO THE FLOOR NAILED! Willow is reeling...but not defeated and she wipes Alex out again with a spinning heel kick. Gracia climbs and hits a TOP ROPE SENTON (Pink Hypnosis) for 2! She looks for one last rebound crossbody...but Willow CATCHES her into a swinging DDT. Cannonball senton nailed, and Willow climbs the ropes. MOONSAULT MISSES! The smiles are gone now; these woman start pasting each other with big elbows. SUPERKICK by Nightingale! Dangerous Babe Bomb wins it for Willow at 08:45

Rating - *** - The best Women's Division Wednesday match thus far. If I were booking the relaunched Women's Division this would be exactly the kind of talent I'd be looking to promote. Both Willow and Gracia are young, vibrant, confident characters...but backed it up with serious chops inside the ring. Nightingale in particular lived up to billing and delivered a superb offensive display. She is a special athlete, already recognised by PWI as in the Top 100 women's wrestlers and with huge potential to improve still further. The premise of the match was a basic speed vs power set-up, so this one was made memorable solely by the gusto and conviction with which these two beat the hell out of each other. This match felt fresh, it felt modern and it felt relevant to the current women's wrestling landscape; something ROH haven't been in a long time. 

Maria Kanellis-Bennett meets Willow in person backstage to offer her the next 'Ticket To Gold'. She joins Mazzerati, Allysin Kay, Rok-C, Trish Adora, Miranda Alize and Angelina Love in what is becoming an extremely interesting field for the Women's Title Tournament...