McXal's Reviews

We reach a major week of Ring Of Honor television, as our main event this evening will see the first 'Survival Of The Fittest' winner crowd since 2018. Demonic Flamita, 'The Mecca' Brian Johnson, Eli Isom, Chris Dickinson of VLNCE UNLTD, Bandido and The Foundation's Rhett Titus are all vying for a shot at Rush - expected to take place at Best In The World (when ROH welcomes back fans for the first time since February 2020). Quinn McKay is our host with Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman providing commentary in Baltimore, MD.

The winner here fills the final vacant spot in the six-way Survival Of The Fittest tournament final. Rhett is the only man to have competed in SOTF before (even making the final in 2010). Danhausen is upset because his money sacks are dwindling due to the fact that he hasn't won a match since Final Battle. Rhett represents The Foundation in the tournament and acknowledges that winning the tournament puts him on the 'fast track to Rush'; the leader of rival faction La Faccion Ingobernable.

Rhett doesn't look interested in any of Danhausen's shenanigans and delivers a fierce dragon screw inside the first minute. A half crab follows and leaves poor Danhausen hobbling around. Dan tries to wrestle with The Foundation member on the canvas, much to Rhett's confusion. He has better success hitting Titus with a dropkick to counter a powerbomb attempt...but dropkicks are Rhett's thing and he reacts with an angry gutwrench suplex. Tornado DDT blocked, so Dan tricks Titus to the floor before diving at him with a flying knee strike. Slingshot German suplex blocked into an emphatic running elbow by Titus. Rolling neckbreakers ravage Danhausen's body (and his facepaint), which Rhett looks to exploit with a neck vice suplex. Yakuza Kick dodged, with Danhausen going for a flurry of pinning combinations looking for a flash pin. Northern lights suplex...but still Rhett blocks the slingshot German. His neck is too injured to execute the Goodnighthausen too! Dan evades another kick, rattles off that German suplex at last and propels his entire ailing body in Rhett's direction with a lunging European uppercut for 2. Belly to belly suplex by Titus! Big Dawg Dropkick scrambles his brains, and Titus decides to absolutely murder Danhausen with a flurry of Yakuza Kicks as well. Full nelson camel clutch forces Danhausen to submit at 09:57; Rhett is in the finals...

Rating - *** - I think this is my favourite Danhausen ROH match (that I've seen thus far). His comedy act and familiar routine/mannerisms were still here, but they actually formed part of the match itself as opposed to detracted from it. Titus' body language were that he wanted no part of Danhausen's weirdness and he tried to absolutely steamroll him from the opening bell. That he survived the early onslaught is testament to Danhausen's toughness, and he would later show his wrestling skill as well by finding a way to take the fight to a member of The Foundation. I don't think the Danhausen character is ever something that I'll feel is aimed at me and my personal taste in professional wrestling - but kudos to both men because I thought they did a great job integrating that gimmick into what was still a pretty physical and intense wrestling match.

This is the first time we've seen Dutch compete in ROH. He has Vita VonStarr and Tyler Bateman of The Righteous in his corner and we know that Taven has extensive history with Vincent and his group. Marseglia himself remains an illusive presence, but he will have tasked his henchmen with taking his arch-rival out of Ring Of Honor permanently tonight...

Taven's beard has grown out and he looks increasingly dishevelled, promoting the idea that his obsession with Vincent and The Righteous is impacting his mental health. He tries to attack Dutch before the bell...but simply bounces off him as the big man imposes his physical will on the former World Champion. He delivers a dropkick right into Dutch's face - and the big man simply doesn't budge. After commercials he is still beating on 'The Trend', who collapses out of the ring such is the beating he is being subjected to. Vita VonStarr jumps on Taven's back and chokes him from behind - bringing out Maria Kanellis-Bennett to eject her from ringside (and out of the Women's Title Tournament). Such is Vita's commitment to Vincent's cause that she doesn't seem remotely bothered about losing her championship opportunity. Tope suicida up the aisle nailed; Taven knocking Dutch off his feet for the first time in the match. And when Dutch gets up Matt is on him again with the Air Taven dive. Aurora Borealis nailed...but Dutch kicks out by throwing Taven half-way across the ring! Climax blocked, as is the Kick Of The King. Bossman Slam COUNTERED to The Climax! But a bare-footed Vincent ambles out into the empty crowd area wearing one of Taven's purple suits! Matt gives chase...and is attacked in the crowd by Bateman and Vita. He wins by DQ at 06:45 (shown)

Rating - ** - I liked this perhaps more than a 2* rating might suggest, and I felt it accomplished quite a lot in a relatively succinct run-time. It was an effective debut for Dutch and portrayed him as an imposing monster. Taven's dishevelled, unkempt appearance puts over how obsessive and deranged the eighteen month feud with Vincent has made him. Vita showed her commitment to Marseglia's cause by sacrificing her own spot in the Women's Title Tournament for him...and we ended with another oddball Vincent appearance as we build to another Taven/Vinny match. Not the greatest standalone wrestling match, but an effective use of television time.

Mike Bennett tries to run in to save his partner, but he gets mauled against the guardrail by Bateman as Dutch and Vita stomp away at Taven. Marseglia continues to dance around like a lunatic as security personnel separate everyone...

After commercials Vincent is still on the stage, now with a microphone. He continues to goad and taunt Taven, and still refuses to commit to another match with his former stable-mate.

NEXT WEEK - It's Jay vs Mark in the 'Fight On The Farm'. Jay says he let Mark win on Episode 500 and will 'knock his ass out' on the farm.

All six men get promo time which airs during their ring entrances. Flamita appears more focused on getting at Bandido than becoming World Champion, Johnson is on a mission to prove his doubters wrong and start a 'Mecc-ade of Excellence', Eli feels this is the culmination of all the work he's put in for his entire career, Dickinson points out he is undefeated since returning to ROH at 19th Anniversary, Bandido openly ignores his issue with Flamita because he is so focused on becoming champion whilst Rhett wants to become World Champion so he can dethrone Rush and provide a better life for his wife and children. A diverse tournament field with diverse motivations to be here - and there can be only one going to Best In The World 2021 to challenge for the World Title.

Bandido and Flamita start, flying at each other in a whirlwind of strikes and counters. Flamita spears his rival hard and boots him to the floor, clearing the ring so Titus of The Foundation and Dickinson of Violence Unlimited can come to blows. Rhett gets the better of that exchange...then wipes Dickinson out with a somersault plancha! SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR by Isom! Bandido wants to dive as well, but is ambushed on the top rope by Flamita. REVOLUTION FLY TO THE FLOOR BY BANDIDO! That skittles the entire field like bowling pins! Bandido is up first, but when he tries to springboard back into the ring Demonic Flam intercepts him again with a powerbomb. Flamita tries a 619 on Johnson...but when The Mecca ducks Bandido pounces to schoolboy Flamita - and eliminates his arch-rival at 04:49! Flamita reacts furiously and beats the sh*t out of Bandido. POWERBOMB through the timekeeping table! CON-CHAIR-TO FLURRY! Rey Horus sprints down the aisle to come to Bandido's aid, but it's too late. During the break medical personnel come to ringside to give assistance to the stricken Bandido as the match continues inside the ring. Johnson is beating on Eli, working over his head and neck. Isom fights back with a ripcord northern lights but appears too injured to hit The Promise. Brian rakes the eyes and hits the Tower Of London. The Process nailed, but Eli rolls to the floor to escape. Big Dawg Dropkick from Titus to Chris, then the belly to belly suplex on Johnson for 2. Yakuza Kick flurry, then the Bombs Away knee drop to eliminate The Mecca at 11:54 (shown). Dickinson charges in looking to ambush Rhett, dropping him with a series of dragon screws...then tapping him the f*ck out with a kneebar at 12:25 (shown). That is a major statement by the 'Dirty Daddy'! Bandido is assisted back into the ring by Rey Horus, into a barrage of kicks by Dickinson. He tries to submit the luchador with a Fujiwara armbar (attacking an apparent shoulder injury inflicted by Flamita), which is broken up by Isom for reasons that I don't really understand? Perhaps to buy himself more time to recover whilst Dickinson works over Bandido? Bandido FLIPS out of a German suplex attempt...but is fighting on one arm and is taken down instead by a judo throw! CROSS ARMBREAKER! For a second time Eli breaks Dickinson's submission! He courageously trades strikes with Chris, until the Dirty Daddy tries to choke him out in the ropes. 21-PLEX WITH ONE ARM! Bandido opportunistically pounces and eliminates Dickinson at 17:52 (shown)! The final two are Isom and Bandido; Eli kicking away at the bad arm then FLATTENING the masked man with a lariat. Rings Of Saturn applied, with Bandido barely able to make the ropes now. The Promise blocked into an ARM-SELLING X-KNEE! Bandido COLLAPSES in pain when he tries to hit the 21-Plex though. Air Raid Crash gets 2 for Isom. He then hits a brilliant tilta-whirl backbreaker to counter Bandido trying a desperate dive off the second rope. Arm kicks nailed...Promise COUNTERED to a crucifix submission! ELI TAPS! Bandido wins at 22:50 (shown).

Rating - **** - It won't go down as one of the great SOTF finals and I had a few issues with it, but as a match taped for free television in an empty arena this was undeniably very entertaining; highlighted by an utterly fantastic performance by Bandido. When ROH recruited him in 2019 it was a HUGE deal, stealing the cult lucha superstar from under the noses of AEW after he'd main evented All In. Somewhere along the way Delirious/ROH completely dropped the ball on him though. He was stuck in the doomed Lifeblood faction in 2019; a time period where he, Haskins and Williams delivered constant great matches whilst getting less and less over, he got injured, a potentially thrilling trios run with Flamita and Horus was curtailed by the pandemic...and he's been on the periphery of things since the post-pandemic relaunch because most of the focus has been on the Pure Title and/or faction warfare. That means it does feel completely random and almost unsettling that he comes from nowhere to get a title match with Rush...but his showing here was also a timely reminder of what a world class wrestler he is. His clashes with Flamita were perhaps the highlight of the entire match and his selling of the arm (and subsequent one-armed modification to all his big moves) was tremendous. I didn't like the 'lucha rules' element of this although can see that it was a necessary concession to ensure the match moved at a brisk pace so it could be broadcast on TV, and there was a real lull following Flamita's elimination (i.e. when Johnson got a chance to shine). Once Dickinson took over it got MUCH better though. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can pay the match is that it felt like Bandido, Flamita, Dickinson and Isom ALL came away with their reputations enhanced or strengthened. 

Tape Rating - *** - The selling point of this episode is Survival Of The Fittest, and whilst that doesn't produce a match for the ages (nor does it rival any of the absolute best SOTF matches), it did make for a compelling free TV match. It told a number of intriguing stories, promoted a number of deserving talents and leaves us with the slightly left-field but nevertheless exciting Best In The World main event of Rush vs Bandido. On that front alone, this episode is therefore worth watching. Taven/Dutch doesn't detract from that either; not a great match but an incredibly efficient ten minutes of TV time as we continue to build to another Taven/Vincent match.

Lenny Leonard is our host, and informs us that Allie Recks makes her debut tonight having been recommended to the ROH Board Of Directors by Angelina Love - who she competes against tonight. 

Having recommended her for a spot in ROH, it would be humiliating for Angelina if Recks were to beat her on debut. Allie has worked for promotions like SHINE, SHIMMER and plenty more, and in her promo confesses to have been a fan of Angelina having watched her on TV when she was younger. Her plan is to beat a former Women Of Honor Champion to ensure she gets a Ticket To Gold and a spot in the Women's Title Tournament.

Love tries to impose her will on the debutant but grows frustrated as Allie continually finds counters to her attacks. Handspring elbow in the corner by Recks gets 2! Love is absolutely wiped out with a savage Russian legsweep after that...and has to resort to hair-pulling just to get some respite. Diving front slam gets 2 for the veteran, whilst Mandy Leon throws near-constant abuse at Allie from outside the ring. Love then tosses Recks to the floor so Mandy can attack her as well. Board Member Maria Kanellis-Bennett watches from commentary and is irritated by that, but appeased when Recks fights back to hit a diving crossbody on Angelina. Flatliner/Koji Clutch combo in response, almost forcing Allie to submit but then infuriating Love when she does not. Lungblower/619 combo by Recks, so Angelina plans her with an electric chair drop. Recks misses a dive off the top...and walks into the Botox Injection. Angelina wins at 09:30

Rating - ** - Although there were some flashes of quality on display from both women, this was one of the less memorable Women's Division Wednesday matches thus far. I couldn't particularly identify or relate to a coherent narrative holding the bout together, which meant that it started to feel like women taking turns to hit spots on each other without much rhyme or reason. Recks has a unique look and obvious athleticism, and certainly came off like a sympathetic babyface when in the ring with Angelina...but this ultimately failed to deliver anything that was really worth going out of your way to see.

Allie asks for a microphone and fangirls over Angelina even after she defeated her. She asks Angelina for one more shot to prove herself in ROH...and Love agrees to it right now. She brings out Amy Rose - who teases her being Allie's opponent, only to bring out Max The Impaler!

After going ten minutes with Angelina Love, Allie now has a second chance to prove herself but in the ring with the monstrous Max The Impaler. Questions remain over the nature of Max's business relationship with Amy Rose...but as the Women's Title Tournament ticks closer, Max is looking for nothing more than to leave a path of destruction and pile of bodies in their wake. The Allure replace Ian and Caprice to join Maria at the announce desk.

Amy shakes hands with Allie on Max's behalf, who absolutely ignores all of Allie's offence and splatters her into the canvas with ease. The Impaler tosses Recks across the ring by the hair then tries to snap her in half with a sickening torture rack. The Allure whoop and cheer with sadistic pleasure as Allie decides to kick out of that...meaning they get to watch Max deliver an Argentine backbreaker, finally finishing Allie at 03:50

Rating - N/A - Nothing more than a showcase for Max The Impaler, who will clearly have a significant role to play in the forthcoming championship tournament. It is worth noting that Allie did a GREAT job here and absolutely nailed her role as the desperate, determined but hopelessly overpowered 'David' in this goliath challenge...

The episode ends with Maria Kanellis-Bennett awarding her next Ticket To Gold to Max The Impaler. Amy answers the Skype call and confirms that she is Max's 'business representative'. Max is in the background and screams down the webcam in acceptance of a spot in the tournament.