McXal's Reviews

This show goes out two days before Honor For All 2021. The countdown to Final Battle 2021, potentially the last ever ROH show, is now on. It means the hustle for championship glory is more fervent than ever, as is the need to put ones self in the shop window for other wrestling promotions to procure come 2022 when all ROH contracts are terminated. This week we have a strong three match card, with a six-man main event pitting The Righteous against Gresham, Titus and Williams of The Foundation. Quinn McKay is our host, with Ian Riccaboni & Silas Young are on the call in Philadelphia, PA.

The Bouncers have been crashing the announce desk and bullying Ian Riccaboni for several weeks, visibly annoying Caprice on every occasion. He gained a measure of revenge during the Honor Rumble when he was a surprise entrant and eliminated Bruiser from the match - costing him a potential World Title shot. BCB made the challenge for this as a result...but then bails on the match telling Caprice that he has to beat Dixon before he'll get a match with Bruiser. And apparently he has the match-making authority to do just that...

Caprice is still in phenomenal shape and wrestles regularly around his ROH commitments so isn't quite the semi-retired, wrestler-turned-commentator you might expect. He dominates the early-going, and only put on the back foot after Milonas distracts the ref and Bruiser cheap-shots him to the mat. Coleman survives a fallaway slam and delivers a running leg lariat then an axe kick for 2. Ken throws him out where, of course, The Bouncers mob him on the floor whilst Dixon preoccupies the official. Caprice 619's around the ringpost to boot BCB in the face though and returns to the ring to hit The Trinity on Dixon. Father Time applied...causing Bruiser to lumber into the ring and punch Caprice in the face. That's a DQ at 06:07 (shown)

Rating - DUD - This is a relatively harsh DUD because it's not like the wrestling was that bad here. But I refuse to believe anyone has any interest in this angle. It is completely unnecessary, and its existence really only proves that The Bouncers are surplus to requirements in ROH by this point and possibly could have been cut from the roster. This TV time would have been far more valuable to other content on this episode, the entire match was silly sports-entertainment influenced cartoony bullsh*t, and the Bouncers/Caprice angle feels like a budget brand rip-off of the Bully Ray/Cabana stuff from 2018...which nobody liked anyway!

The Bouncers assault Caprice, and even that looks pretty crappy. 

GLORY BY HONOR 18 NIGHT 2 - Medics carry Flip back to the locker room after he was knocked out by Mark Briscoe and a steel chair. 'Dr' PJ Black asks him what he remembers - which is being caned by Bully and Sandman, before he asks for 'Matt and Nick', revealing that he has amnesia and thinks it is 2018. 

PJ meets Flip in the locker room, with Gordon dressing in a suit because Cody told him he needs to look professional. PJ says 'never listen to that guy' and hands him a notebook to write down his memories...

Despite his amnesia, physically Gordon looks as well as he has in some time. Finally freed of 'The Mercenary' gimmick and all remnants of the persona he adopted when he joined Villain Enterprises, he now thinks it is 2018 and is acting as he was at the very height of his popularity as a recurring character on Being The Elite. His 'doctor' is PJ Black, who keeps giving him weird potions which don't appear to be doing much to help. They team up against the #1 contenders for the Tag Titles. Bennett and Taven are preparing to face LFI at Honor For All. Stylistically Black and Flip aren't that dissimilar to Kenny King and Dragon Lee, so this should be a good preparatory bout.

Taven calls Flip an 'annoying little brother' and has no patience for him trying to 'figure things out'. Gordon wants to write something in his 'flip pad'...but left it in that back and walks into a dropkick from The Trend. DVD/Just The Tip combo by The OGK, who nearly give Flip another concussion with the Hail Mary until PJ saves by shoving Taven off the top rope. Quebrada into a double reverse DDT from the Darewolf, only to be quickly shut down by Bennett's Spear. The Kingdom give PJ a working over but can't hit the Proton Pack and lose control of him before long. Elbow suicida from Flip, who runs right back into the ring to land a somersault plancha on the other side of the ring as well. Taven dodges a 450 Splash...only to walk into the Samoan Pop instead. SECOND ROPE corkscrew moonsault gets 2 for Gordon! Kinder Surprise knocks Bennett to the floor...before they lift Taven up for a DOOMSDAY SOUTH AFRICAN DESTROYER! Bennett breaks the pin! Flip accidentally KO's Black with a Superkick though, and walks into the Hail Mary! OGK win at 08:59 (shown)

Rating - *** - As I've said previously, I'm not entirely clear how sensitive Flip's parody of a serious head injury is, but I can't pretend I'm not thoroughly entertained by this amnesia angle. I've found it funny and his skits with PJ are really good (plus Black is so much better in tag/multi-man matches than he is as a singles wrestler at this stage in his career). For a TV midcard match I really enjoyed this too. Flip was funny, The OGK got to look like a slick and impressive tag team before their title shot and we got some exciting high spots in the closing stages too. Flip and PJ's Doomsday Destroyer spot is absolutely insane.

All is not necessarily right within The Foundation. Cracks started to appear during three weeks ago during the 'VLNCE vs PURE' TV special. First Rhett was furious that his stable-mates were so focused on their matches they didn't help him when Violence Unlimited assaulting him, and at the end of the show The Righteous appeared and seemed to have some kind of relationship with Jay Lethal. After Vincent's Steel Cage victory over Matt Taven at Glory By Honor, The Righteous are now dressed all in white and claim to have been 'purified'. The Foundation's goal is to purify ROH as well, albeit in a totally different manner. Marseglia has a guaranteed World Title shot, which is something Gresham wants as well. Lethal is at ringside with his stable-mates.

Vincent gets on the microphone and tells Jay Lethal he should be standing with his 'real friends' in The Righteous, then has a clip play on the Cary-tron with Lethal saying he 'doesn't even like The Foundation'. Tracy, Rhett and Gresh are pissed off - with Hot Sauce telling The Franchise to leave ringside so they can talk about it later. Whilst he does so The Righteous jump Gresham and Titus from behind to get a head start in the match. They beat on The Octopus whilst rhythmically chanting 'I don't even like The Foundation' in his face. Tracy tags and makes a beeline for Bateman, with whom he has history going back to 2019...but is then ordered out because Williams wasn't holding the tag rope, making his entrance illegal. Vita distracts Gresham, causing him to be TACKLED INTO THE GUARDRAIL by Dutch! Powerbomb/Redrum combo gets 2. Marseglia sarcastically shakes Gresham's hand...which is a mistake since it gives Gresh the chance to snap his arm. Vincent retaliates with a back drop driver, but then accidentally socks Dutch with a wayward strike and does allow The Octopus to make a hot tag to Rhett. Hydraulic Dropkick knocks Bateman off the apron! Again Williams attacks Bateman illegally, lining him up for Rhett's Belly To Belly Suplex. Half crab locked in...but broken when Dutch literally picks Gresham up and uses him as a weapon to throw at Titus. Jackhammer on Titus! Acid Drop on Tracy, as Dutch hits a ripcord Bossman Slam on Titus to win at 12:15 (shown)

Rating - *** - Vincent isn't the best worker, and The Righteous isn't the most innovative or original gimmick. But it has been by far the strongest work Vincent has produced in his ROH career. He seems to be having the time of his life leading this group, and this new 'Pure' angle is another fresh challenge after his spectacular ending to the long-running Taven feud. I was genuinely interested in this throughout. I loved the contrast and exploration into how two different groups define the term 'Pure', particularly because it was in the confines of a very solid trios bout. The brutalising of Gresham, essentially cutting the head from The Foundation's snake' was great, and Dutch was really good all match as the heavy duty enforcer for his group. Not an MOTY or must-see by any means, but still a successful match when it comes to establishing a new story-line and making viewers want to see more.

Jay Lethal comes back out to check on the unconscious Titus, but has to deal with Gresham staring daggers through him, still clearly furious about Lethal's comments which Vincent exposed on the screen earlier.

NEXT WEEK - Brian Johnson faces former Pure Champion John Walters, we have the second Women's Title #1 contendership triple threat qualifier and a TV Title main event as Dalton Castle challenges Dragon Lee.

Tape Rating - ** - ROH has veered a long way from the MO when it launched back in 2002 of being a no-frills independent promotion dedicated to delivering the absolute best professional wrestling in the US. That isn't what it does now, and in truth they haven't been 'that' promotion for a long time. But they do produce solid, easily digestible hour-long TV shows every week and in that mould this was fine. Flip/PJ vs OGK was a blast (easily the best PJ Black match of 2021), The Foundation vs The Righteous was a really intriguing main event and I'd argue that both those bouts left you wanting to see more from the participants involved. On that level then, its hard to decry this as an unsuccessful episode. But as a counter-argument; Coleman/Dixon was terrible from a creative standpoint, and in an era when there is more high quality FREE wrestling churned out every week than there has ever been, I don't think anything about this in-ring product really stands out as must-see, or appears capable of winning back old fans (or winning over new ones).

There isn't much connective tissue between these four women. They are here to prove their worth in an increasingly competitive Women's Division with contenders lining up for a shot at new champion Rok-C. Adora and Vita stand across from the ring from each other, as they will when they are part of a #1 contendership fourway at Honor For All. Gia is the lowest profile combatant this evening with the least exposure on ROH television. That means she has the most to prove; her stock would increase greatly if she was able to defeat a respected, well-travelled independent stalwart like Willow or a Women's Tournament semi-finalist like Adora.

Adora tries to use her technical skill to overcome the flexible and unorthodox VonStarr from the opening bell. She also delivers a kick to the arm as early set-up for the Cattle Mutilation. After two minutes of control Trish is astonished to see Vita counter out of a ground submission by rolling into the splits...before rolling away and tagging Scott in. She quickly has to block the Dangerous Babe Bomb, but Nightingale lands a gutwrench suplex instead...before body slamming her own partner into a senton splash for 2. Judo throw by Trish...but Gia ducks the Lariat Tubman and rakes the eyes so she can level her with an STO. Vita chokes Adora in the ropes using her long, flexible legs, then applies a stranglehold camel clutch so it becomes even harder for her to breathe. In her corner she demonstrates an even more flexible way of choking Adora with her boot, complemented by Scott delivering a running tackle into the midsection as well. Trish barely makes it back to her corner, but does get the big tag to Nightingale. POOOOOUUUUNCE on Gia! Spinebuster rocks VonStarr for 2 as well. Bae Breaker blocked into a Spear by Scott. Vita does a terrible job with a moonsault; almost landing on her own head with her shins just about making Willow's midsection. She then spends an age trying to pin her even though she isn't legal. Adora saves with an Olympic Slam...so Vita spikes her with a DDT. Shane Taylor watches from the apron as Trish nails Gia with the Lariat Tubman to win at 10:39

Rating - ** - This wasn't bad by any means, but it was both less interesting and less well executed than several Women's Division Wednesday matches recently hence the lower rating. Willow and Adora are particularly good; I love Willow's mix of personality and incredible hard-hitting wrestling. If ROH were recruiting for signees for the division right now (which they aren't) she would be next on my list - along with Nicole Savoy. Gia and Vita both have real potential too, and their heat segment on Adora was in some ways the best part of the match. Ultimately the slightly tedious, methodical start combined with the scrappy ending meant I had to limit my rating somewhat.

Shane Taylor nods his approval as Adora celebrates. This comes after he'd consoled her in the locker rooms when she was in floods of tears following her Women's Tournament semi-final exit