Notes from the NXT Cleveland show I attended with my brother and friend.
- It was hell waiting in line for two hours in 20 degree weather. We wait in line because the arena's seats are first come, first serve. Like, you buy ringside but you get first row if you get there early enough. Luckily, we did.
- Kayla Braxton looks incredible in person.
- Kassius Ohno opened to a huge pop. He had Team USA basketball inspired gear. Kona Reeves go no reaction. He did okay but flubbed a spot that messed up an Ohno flip. Ohno won in short order.
- Patrick Clarke got a ton of heat. He got into it with some fans at ringside. Aleister Black was his opponent and he got a pop, plus some Tommy End chants. This was a better match. Black was great and Clarke showed a lot of potential.
- No Way Jose is a blast. His promo was cut off by Elias Samson in a mask, calling himself the Wanderer. It was really funny. He cut down Cleveland in a song but then lost to Jose.
- Nikki Cross is great live. She beat Macey Estrella, who I didn't even know existed.
- Almas was awesome but when the crowd saw Nakamura was his opponent, they lost their minds. Nakamura is a spectacle live. This was easily the MOTN up to this point.
- After intermission, DIY wrestled SAnitY. Young was the manager. Dane is massive. DIY and especially Johnny was way over. As usual, DIY had an excellent tag match. They can do no wrong in that environment.
- Asuka beat Liv Morgan to retain her title. Morgan seems VERY green still and struggled. She still needs a ton of work.
- The main event was Roode/Dillinger for the NXT Title. This was a very old school main event. Roode did things like using the rope for leverage, Tye sold the hell out of leg work and Roode did some Flair spots. They wrestled in front of me at one point, which was cool. I loved this match, probably more than their TakeOver one. Tye had it won with his finisher but Eric Young ran out for a distraction. Roode hit a low blow and his finish to win. EY and Roode had a staredown, getting "TNA" chants. They both jumped Tye, bringing out Nakamura for the save.
- Roode is a tremendous old school heel live.
- Tye got on the mic and brought out DIY. He put them over as the future of tag team wrestling and said Nakamura is his favorite wrestler. It sounded like a goodbye of sorts for Tye. They all posed and left.
NJPW New Japan Road
March 1st, 2016 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,401
Yujiro Takahashi def. Tomoyuki Oka in 5:18
Oka is an impressive young lion, while Takahashi is among the worst performers in NJPW. At least his gimmick is cool. He doesn’t have his cool theme anymore, which is sad. Oka came out firing and used his power for an early upper hand. Takahashi turned it around and works some generic stuff. It’s really all he’s got. Oka fought back hard and locked in the Boston crab, but Takahashi reached the ropes. Yujiro then hit the pimp juice DDT for his first singles win since 2015. This was standard. Oka brought some fun fire and Yujiro got a win before his upcoming early exit in the New Japan Cup. *¾
CHAOS (Jado, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Roppongi Vice and YOSHI-HASHI) def. Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) in 10:08
Man, CHAOS has beef with everyone huh? Jado and Desperado began, which almost instantly put me to sleep. Jado is so bad. Everybody ended up brawling outside, with Suzuki-Gun using their trademark underhanded tactics. Jado continued to take a beating, even with the ring bell hammer, but I just can’t muster up sympathy for him. He made the tag to Beretta, so RPG Vice came in to save the match. Kanemaru bumped their stuff horribly. YOSHI then got the tag and he came in hot. The match broke down and he was left alone with TAKA. YOSHI made him submit to the butterfly lock. So, Suzuki-Gun returned and has looked like complete losers. I would be more upset but I’d like the Jr. Tag Title picture to move away from the unit. With guys like Sabre and Dragon Lee bolstering the Jr. ranks, there’s no excuse to waste the division on the likes of Taichi. Also, Jado sucks. **
Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, The Guerillas of Destiny and Kenny Omega) def. Manabu Nakanishi, TenKoji and Yuji Nagata in 10:20
THE NEW JAPAN DADS! This started quickly, with everyone going at it. Omega sold the Kojima chops, with his shirt over his head, in hilarious fashion. As the match calmed down, Kojima took the heat, including a series of chops from Tonga that kind of mimicked his. He took all sorts of tandem offense. Nagata got the hot tag and ran wild over everyone. Judging by the way he suplexed GOD around, you’d think he had a rivalry with them. Nakanishi got the tag, which the crowd loved. Omega saved his guys and hit Nakanishi with v-trigger, leading Tonga winning with the Gun Stun. I found this to be fun. The New Japan Dads brought energy, while the Bullet Club played their roles well. It was a clear night off for Omega but even had some fun. **¾
CHAOS (NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto and IWGP Tag Team Champions Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano) def. Great Bash Heel and Jushin Thunder Liger in 10:26
This was here to help build to Yano and Ishii vs. GBH for the Tag Titles. Goto and Liger were kind of just there. Surprisingly, Honma hit Kokeshi in the first few minutes and the crowd ate it up. Yano did Yano things for a bit. Honma took a bit of a beating from the three CHAOS members. Ishii no sold some of his chops as they called back their old rivalry. They seemed to tease Goto/Liger, which would be a fun NEVER Title match if we got it. I don’t see it on a big event but still. Liger came close to beating Yano with a rollup before Yano returned the favor and got the three. About on par with the last match. Goto and Liger had fun interactions, while the tag guys did what you’d expect. **¾
Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Minoru Suzuki def. David Finlay and Katsuyori Shibata in 14:37
The New Japan Cup brackets were released the other day and one of the matches that excites is between Shibata and Suzuki. It’ll be their first singles match since 2004. They had some back and forth at the start before Finlay took on the larger Davey Boy Smith. This went the Suzuki-Gun route you’d expect with outside brawling. Finlay got caught in an armbar over the ropes, while Shibata got destroyed in the crowd. That included having his arm wrenched while wrapped in a chair. That led to Finlay taking a beating from the heels. Shibata’s eventual hot tag still led to him getting put in an arm submission. The fans loved their exchanges. Finlay ended up going against Smith in the end and fell to a sitout powerbomb while Shibata and Suzuki fought outside. Best thing on the show so far. Finlay and Smith looked great out there, while this added to my existing excitement for Shibata/Suzuki. ***¼
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA, Michael Elgin and Ryusuke Taguchi def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito) in 12:57
This was here to build Takahashi/Taguchi but also now helps set up EVIL/Tanahashi during the New Japan Cup. I’ve seen it a lot in these multi-man tags but the interactions between Naito and KUSHIDA are always awesome. Naito got taken out by a five man dropkick from all his opponents. We also got a preview of a potential KUSHIDA/Takahashi rematch down the line. KUSHIDA took a short heat but then Tanahashi and Elgin got their time to shine. EVIL got his knees up on a double team attempt and Juice got the tag along with BUSHI. Juice brought his usual fire but got hit with tandem offense by LIDJ. The final stretch saw a barrage of everyone getting their stuff in. Tanahashi took out EVIL with a dragon screw, leaving BUSHI alone to lose to Pulp Friction. Another solid win for Juice on the way to the New Japan Cup. This worked to continue the existing feuds and setup some upcoming matches, while being full of action. I continue to say it because it remains true but LIDJ have mastered the multi-man tag. ***½
Tiger Mask IV and Tiger Mask W def. Gedo and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada in 17:11
IT’S BRING YOUR KID TO WORK DAY! Seeing Ibushi vs. Okada was admittedly interesting, though not quite as fun as it would be if it weren’t under these circumstances. Their match in 2014 was great. After the Tiger Mask team held serve, the CHAOS buddies went after the masks. Tiger Mask IV took the heat for a while and W kept getting knocked off the apron or thrown outside. He finally got the hot tag and did trademark Ibushi spots. I miss Ibushi. He and Okada exchanged some counters of their signature moves, including W turning a Rainmaker into a great German suplex. They brawled outside, giving us Gedo and IV for a bit. Gedo was rather entertaining here. He took a bit of a beating on a tombstone, dropkicks and head butts. W took out Okada with a moonsault, while IV beat Gedo with a tiger driver. This was a fun main event highlighted by Ibushi vs. Okada with some Gedo entertainment sprinkled in. ***¼
Overall: 6/10. Like most of the smaller NJPW shows, this was filled with tags and mostly entertaining but not blow away. The main event was fun, while the two matches before it were also really good. The show also clocks in at under 2.5 hours, making it a very easy watch.
ROH/NJPW Honor Rising Night Two
February 27th, 2017 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,271
After a mediocre at best night one, the ROH/NJPW joint production is back for night two. Admittedly, this card looks better. It features what should be a wild eight-man tag main event and two title matches. This was not a sellout. Apparently, tickets for this show were as expensive as G1 Climax shows in Korakuen, which is laughable considering ROH’s huge lack of star power.
Jado and Silas Young def. David Finlay and KUSHIDA in 8:16
We got another generic “real man” promo from Young about a lack of respect. They got the early jump on their opponents in typical fashion. Jado is just horrible. I continue to watch him and just never find him even remotely entertaining. KUSHIDA surprisingly took the heat for his guys. I’d expect him to be the hot tag guy, but he did fine in drawing sympathy. KUSHIDA hit a handspring double back elbow on his opponents and got the tag to Finlay. His string of offense was fun and went toe to toe with Silas. Silas’ moonsault worked this time around. Young then planted Finlay with Misery and won. Like a lot of night one, this was fine. Silas looked better here and got a round of applause before leaving. **½
Los Ingobernables de Japon (NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito) def. Dalton Castle, Delirious, Jushin Thunder Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi and Tiger Mask IV in 10:32
Some of the Young Lions dressed as the Boys tonight. Taguchi did the Castle entrance, complete with peacock cape. Naito and Rocky got into it before the match again. I’d be all for a Rocky/Naito IC Title match on a smaller “Road to” card or something like that. Delirious ran wild early but tagged to Castle, who was rather over. LIDJ took over with their usual tactics. That included Naito tying Delirious’ mask to a railing and beating him up. Tiger Mask got worked over by the heels for a while. Taguchi got the hot tag and worked Takahashi to build their upcoming title match. We usually can’t understand Delirious but as he picked up EVIL, he clearly said “HE’S HEAVY AS HELL”, which made me laugh. He tried using a chair as revenge for night one but got stopped by the official. He fell to the STO shortly after. Fun match where almost everyone brought something to the table and it built towards Taguchi/Takahashi well. ***
After the match, Taguchi and Takahashi continued to brawl. Tiger Mask has his mask removed and had to be covered up.
War Machine def. The Guerillas of Destiny in 9:21
Tama and Rowe started things out. Tama knocked Hanson off the apron, so Rowe did the same to Tonga. GOD took over and busted out some fast paced tandem offense on Rowe. Hanson came in hot and did a bunch of corner clotheslines. Rocky said he did them wrong because he wasn’t screaming “FOREVER.” War Machine hit their popup powerslam for a close near fall. The fans seemed way into War Machine. GOD cut off Fallout and Tama nailed Veleno. Things broke down into a wild brawl with all four men trading offense. The finish came Rowe blocked Gun Stun and hoisted Tama up for Fallout. Easily my favorite Guerillas match besides the one against Ishii and YOSHI. It was hard hitting, had a hot crowd and was intense. War Machine are great in Japan and I do see improvement from GOD. ***½
War Machine cut a short promo saying they want the IWGP Tag Team Titles, regardless of who the champions are.
The Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Hangman Page and Yujiro Takahashi) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jay Lethal and Juice Robinson in 9:10
Fale attacked the ring announcer during his introductions again. After some standard stuff early on, Juice took the beating for his team. Most of it was Fale before he let Page and Yujiro handle it when he got tired. Juice’s tag eventually saw Lethal and Tanahashi do their thing to a healthy pop. An assisted slingblade got two for the babyfaces. With Juice and Tanahashi outside, Page took out Lethal with a big lariat for the win. Considering he’s pinned Jay Briscoe and Lethal in the past six months, ROH should certainly push Page. They could use another star or six. This was as solid as it could be with not much Tanahashi involvement and guys like Yujiro and Fale involved. **
NEVER Openweight Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) def. Punisher Martinez in 10:49
Punisher did a lot of campy villain stuff early. He laughed and taunted to show he wasn’t intimidated. Goto taunted back, showing he wasn’t intimidated either. His size allowed him to go toe to toe with the hard hitting champion. At one point, they just traded forearm strikes before Martinez wiped him out with a big lariat. Knowing he was in trouble, Goto slid outside to avoid his challenge but Martinez met him with a big diver over the top. It was a way less impressive version of Undertaker’s signature dive. He got two on a super spin kick before trying a chokeslam. Goto countered and they traded more strikes before Goto again countered a chokeslam into GTR. This was better than I expected. I’m not sold on Martinez but he looked better here than in the tag on night one. Good, hard hitting back and forth work from both men. ***
ROH World Championship: Adam Cole (c) def. YOSHI-HASHI in 16:27
YOSHI-HASHI had a great 2016 and continues to impress. Adam Cole is just there. YOSHI earned this shot by pinning Cole in a tag at New Year Dash. The crowd seems to enjoy the “BAY BAY” part of Adam Cole’s taunt. YOSHI got a slight advantage, so Cole took things outside and swung the momentum in his favor. Inside, Cole cut off any YOSHI rally attempts. Even when it looked like YOSHI finally got going, Cole slipped free and hit a shining wizard for two. YOSHI countered the next one into a roll up for two. That got him going, getting another near fall on a powerbomb. Cole brought the smack talk, only to get pulled into a butterfly lock. Cole survived the submission and a swanton bomb. He hit the Destroyer but only two, which angered him. He tried Last Shot but YOSHI turned it into another roll up for two. It two some superkicks, shining wizard, another near fall and finally the Last Shot for Cole to retain. Best match of Cole’s two most recent ROH World Title reigns. He looked good early and YOSHI brought a ton of fire. The near falls down the stretch stopped just shy of overdoing it. ***¼
Bullet Club (Cody, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks) def. The Briscoes, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay in 20:16
Omega and Okada went to start but Okada wanted Cody instead. The crowd was pro-Kenny, though that’s not surprising as a lot of Okada opponents are more popular. Omega declined, so Okada tagged out himself. Ospreay got the first real shine, overwhelming the Bucks with his athleticism. He got in trouble though and took offense from all four BC members. They did a funny spot where they kept sending Ospreay into their boots in the corner, but it backfired on them eventually. Ospreay nearly got the hot tag but all his partners were pulled off the apron. They kept finding innovative ways to their signature spots, which I appreciate. Ospreay finally broke free with a stunner and tornado DDT and tagged Okada as Cody got tagged in. They traded stuff, while Okada also took out the Bucks. The Briscoes got the tag and came in on fire. Ospreay hit a great dive outside before Cody tried to superplex Okada onto the pile. Okada isn’t taking that kind of bump on a show like this, so Ospreay intervened and took the move instead. This led to the Okada/Omega battle. Omega still couldn’t hit the One Winged Angel. The Bucks broke up their fight with superkicks and Okada took a triple superkick. Everybody got shine in a crazy fast paced stretch near the end. Jay hit a superplex, Mark hit froggy bow and Okada hit his elbow. The Rainmaker pose was met with boos. Omega countered with a knee but got caught with a Spanish fly by Ospreay. Cody and Will became the legal men and after a fun exchange, Cody caught the Oscutter into the Cross Rhodes for the win. Exactly the wild, chaotic match I was hoping for. Each guy brought something to the table. The result was a match that never stopped, had some fun comedy moments, Ospreay taking the heat in front of a hot crowd, teases of Okada/Omega and more. The best thing on these shows. ****
Kenny Omega cut a short promo about them being the elite and that 2017 would be their year. Adam Cole did not come out to celebrate with them.
Overall: 7/10. A much better outing on night two. The main event is genuinely great and an absolute blast. I say this despite not being a fan of a few guys involved. Goto/Martinez is better than expected and I enjoyed Cole/YOSHI. The undercard is mostly enjoyable and accomplishes the goal of building the matches it should. I also really enjoyed War Machine/GOD and am hoping to see more War Machine in NJPW in 2017. I’m still not going back to watching ROH consistently though.
ROH/NJPW Honor Rising Night One
February 26th, 2017 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,636
Last year, the two Honor Rising events were solid but didn’t blow me away. Only one match from those shows (Ishii/Strong) made my year-end list. I don’t expect better this time around. ROH is in shambles, losing star after star on a consistent basis. It’s honestly in the worst shape I’ve seen it in. Still, I’m an “expect the worst, but hope for the best” kind of guy and would love to see this shows deliver despite their cards. The shows mark the return of Kenny Omega after missing every show since New Year Dash.
To gain a better understanding of the state of ROH, Silas Young was the fourth highest billed ROH guy in the show’s intro. Side note, I watched this show with the English commentary team of Kevin Kelly and Rocky Romero.
David Finlay, Juice Robinson and KUSHIDA def. Gedo, Jado and Silas Young in 9:59
Silas Young’s team came out with shirts that said “REAL MAN” on them. Silas cut a promo before the bell saying the real men like his team have been disrespected. They jumped the faces but ended up taking a powder. Finlay got in trouble, taking the heat. They did a lot of standard heel work on Finlay. KUSHIDA came in hot and did his thing for a bit. Young tried his signature moonsault spot but he didn’t seem to account for the different turnbuckles in Japan and messed it up, falling badly. Juice came in next and got most of the final run. He might’ve broken his nose at one point but still put away Gedo with Pulp Friction. Fine opener. I wish KUSHIDA got to do more but Juice again impressed. He’s been strong in 2017 so far. **½
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Los Ingobernables de Japon (c) (BUSHI, EVIL and SANADA) def. Delirious, Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask IV in 10:34
I appreciate a random NEVER Six Man Tag Title match to spice up an undercard. If only they were booked better. EVIL mostly no sold Delirious’ bell ringing antics. He went nuts as usual and tagged Liger before tagging back in, which got a chuckle from the crowd. LIDJ slowed things down and beat up the challengers in and around the ring. They continued to get heat by going after the masks. Liger took the heat which was kind of a double edged sword. On one hand, he’s the best guy to get sympathy but he’s also the best guy period on his team. The very mild tag went to Tiger Mask before Delirious got a slightly warmer one. He escaped Skull End and got several flash pins for near falls. Delirious took a chair shot behind the referee’s back and Skull End made him tap. Horrible finish. Why protect Delirious? He barely wrestles anymore and LIDJ should’ve ran through these fools (not counting Liger, who rules). **¼
CHAOS (NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay and YOSHI-HASHI) def. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, The Guerillas of Destiny and Yujiro Takahashi) in 11:05
I didn’t miss the Bullet Club (except Omega) at all. I definitely didn’t miss the never ending CHAOS/Bullet Club matches. It’s the Bullet Club B-Team. Commentary discussed Okada’s bruised leg after the Suzuki match, which only served to remind me of that debacle. Bullet Club jumped them before the bell and the teams brawled around the ring for a while. Inside, Ospreay took the heat, being the smallest guy on his team. Tanga Loa didn’t curse enough in this match to be entertaining. It was a good idea to let YOSHI-HAHSI be the guy who did his thing down the stretch considering his title match tomorrow. There was a cool spot where Okada launched Ospreay over and out onto Fale. YOSHI pinned Yujiro with Karma. Another fine match. About what I’ve come to expect from CHAOS/Bullet Club matches. YOSHI looked good though. I’d be totally cool with YOSHI beating Cole tomorrow. **½
War Machine def. The Young Bucks in 12:05
I like one of these tag teams. The other are the Young Bucks. Anyway, they hold the ROH Tag Team Titles. War Machine controlled early by throwing the Bucks around. I like it. After taking a beating for a bit more, the Bucks responded with a flurry of offense. Nick hit a rather impressive springboard rana, followed by more high flying offense. More Bang for Your Buck was cut off and Hanson came in, squashing both Bucks in the corner. The Bucks hit two 450 splashes on Hanson but only got two. The Meltzer Drive was cut off, leading to Hanson telling them to SUCK IT! The Bucks survived a popup powerslam, leading to “this is awesome” chants. Nick got in some kicks but was taken out with a splash and powerbomb. Matt was left alone and fought both guys. He showed fire but ate a knee strike and fallout to take the pin. Best match so far, with the Bucks fitting in War Machine’s type of match well. They were less grating than usual, while War Machine continued to impress in Japan. I think they’re the most valuable thing NJPW could use from ROH, since they’ll bolster the dull tag division. ***¼
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi, Punisher Martinez and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito def. Dalton Castle, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Ryusuke Taguchi in 11:46
Tanahashi and Taguchi came out dressed as the “boys’, which was damn funny. Naito spit at Rocky Romero on commentary and they nearly fought. Kelly almost made mention of Cody having strong words for Naito in an interview. Also, Kelly kept calling him “Punishment Martinez.” Martinez refused to join the LIDJ fist bump. Martinez looks like a big Uso. He and Castle started off with some uninteresting back and forth. The entertainment picked up when Tanahashi did Castle like mannerisms against Naito. Naito and Takahashi took over, wearing down Tanahashi and refusing to tag Punisher. Taguchi got the tag and came in hot. They previewed the upcoming Hiromu/Taguchi match. Punisher tagged himself in and it came down to he and Castle. Punisher won with a chokeslam. I’d call this my least favorite Naito worked multi-man tag in a long time. He and Takahashi were fine and the faces had fun but Martinez is just so bland. His win was to give intrigue to his match with Goto tomorrow but I’m not feeling it. **¼
Post-match, Naito flipped off Punisher.
RPW British Heavyweight Champion Katsuyori Shibata and Jay Lethal def. Cody and Hangman Page in 14:06
Lethal wanted Cody for what went down at Final Battle but Cody demanded Shibata. Cody hyped up stuff with Shibata but their interactions here fell way flat. Page took over and Cody only wanted Lethal when he was already down. That led to Lethal taking the heat segment. It was a lengthy segment highlighted by Page’s apron shooting star press. Cody and Shibata tagged in at the same time and Cody met him with a dropkick. Shibata sat up like nothing and brushed it off. He spent the next bit kicking Cody’s ass. Cody applied the American Nightmare submission but Shibata obviously didn’t tap. While Cody went at it with Lethal, Shibata came in with a vicious Penalty Kick. Lethal Injection connected on Page to score the pinfall. I believe they wanted to set up Cody/Shibata but their interactions didn’t do much for me. If anything, I’d more interested in Hangman/Shibata. Lethal was kind of just there too. **¾
ROH World Champion Adam Cole and Kenny Omega def. The Briscoes in 22:00
It’s good to see Kenny Omega back. He had a great 2016 and went from a guy I hated watching as a Jr. Heavyweight, to a highlight on a lot of shows. Cole doesn’t impress me much though. Cole and Mark started, doing a lot of nothing. The fans wanted Kenny and got him within the first two minutes. Things progressed into a brawl outside and through the crowd. Omega hit a moonsault off the guardrail, which was cool. Jay got worked over the Bullet Club for a while. Omega cut off the tag, so Jay had to stay in a bit longer. Mark’s hot tag saw him go redneck wild. The teams traded back and forth for the next portion of the match, with Kenny easily getting the best pop. Both teams teased winning until the Doomsday Device got cut off. Jay slipped free of the One Winged Angel but Omega countered the Doomsday Device with a powerslam. V-Trigger and Last Shot kept Mark down for the count. Pretty good main event that went too long. It felt like they were mostly going through the motions. That might be fine for Kenny, who could still be taking it easy before ramping up for the New Japan Cup, but the ROH guys needed to perform big time and they didn’t. There was no drama and it was kind of just there. **¾
After the match, Kenny Omega got on the mic and said 2017 would be his year. Adam Cole cut him off, saying Omega forgot about him and that it’ll be the year of Cole. Omega backed off, leaving him to celebrate. It sets up Cole leaving the Bullet Club later but I pray Gedo doesn’t plan on wasting Omega on a Cole feud.
Overall: 5/10. About what I expected from this show. ROH is in rough shape and that was clear at times here. Parts of the show were fun (Castle’s boys being a highlight), but only one match got three stars. War Machine/Bucks was good tag wrestling but the two main events lacked. They weren’t technically bad but they were missing something to make them stand out. Like a lot of ROH stuff these days, this was a painfully average event.
Evolve 79
February 25th, 2017 | La Boom in Woodside, New York
Like Evolve 78, Lenny Leonard introduced the show.
ACH def. Jason Kincaid in 7:08
A win for ACH would secure an Evolve Title shot during WrestleMania weekend. Kincaid’s unique style perplexed ACH in the early stages, especially when he stopped to seemingly meditate. The back and forth continued until ACH sent him outside and hit the soccer kick. Kincaid responded with some interesting offense including a double stomp variation over the ropes. He jumped from stage by ringside to the ring with a nice dropkick and got two on a slingshot stunner. Kincaid missed a double stomp, opening the door for ACH to go into a flurry that included lariats and the brainbuster that ended it. Good way to open the show. Kincaid got to shine and show off his skills, continuing to impress. ACH picked up another win. ACH didn’t have a weekend the level of his debut but still accomplished what he needed to here. ***
Chris Dickinson def. Anthony Henry, Austin Theory and Evolve Tag Team Champion Fred Yehi in 8:14
They called this a Four Way Fray. Two Catch Point guys and two guys who are new to Evolve and looking to impress. Yehi and Henry relived their great Style Battle match early on. Priscilla Kelly watched from ringside again. Henry showed off great stuff against Theory until Dickinson ran him over with a lariat. The Catch Point guys worked together on Theory, nearly killing him with a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo. They got into the typical argument in these matches where partners realize only one can get the pin. They did the Catch Point handshake and went at it. Both men threw exploders before Dickinson hit four powerbombs on Henry, only to have the pin broken up. Yehi and Henry went at it again shortly after and Yehi applied the Koji Clutch. Dickinson border tossed Theory over the submission and got the victory. I thought this was a blast. Theory took a beating, Henry impressed me several times and they teased more Catch Point tension between Yehi and Dickinson. Yehi was his great self and Dickinson looked like a monster. ***½
Jeff Cobb def. Jaka in 8:49
Another Cobb match, another HOSS FIGHT! I love these things. These two got into a shoving match on the previous show. Within a minute, they were throwing kick, strikes and headbutts like men. They went up top where Cobb delivered a ridiculous middle rope stalling superplex that looked almost like a brainbuster. Jaka had a less impressive response, German suplexing Cobb. Outside, Jaka hit a tope suicida but had his plancha caught. He escaped and they traded blows. Back inside, they began throwing each other around. Cobb hit an awesome popup gutwrench suplex. Jaka retaliated with kicks until Tour of the Islands ended him. A damn good hoss fight like I wanted. They played it evenly, building the intensity. The crowd was invested, it was hard hitting and that’s all I could ask for. Best thing on the weekend so far. ***¾
Keith Lee def. Evolve Tag Team Champion Tracy Williams in 11:32
“Keith Lee is like a building with feet,” said Lenny Leonard and it’s rather accurate. Tracy came out on the offensive but was quickly overwhelmed by Lee’s size. Lee abused Tracy with shots around the ring. He sat Tracy on the top, but Tracy caught a shot into an armbar on the ropes. Unfortunately for Tracy, he jumped right into a belly to belly suplex. Tracy made the mistake of hitting Lee in the face, leading to him getting more of a beating, including a sitout powerbomb. That continued to be the story throughout. Tracy finally got going, taking down Lee with a lariat for two. Lee went up for a moonsault but Williams nailed a super Angle slam for a close near fall. He tried the armbar but couldn’t get Lee down. Lee countered it into ground zero, getting the 1-2-3. They told a great story here with Williams having to dig down deep but not being able to overcome Lee. They kept harping on Chris Hero telling Lee to find his killer instinct and he may have this weekend. Again, the crowd was hot and Lee showed he’s going to be a big part of Evolve going forward. ***¾
Ethan Page w/ The Gatekeepers def. Darby Allin in 8:47
Darby Allin came out with an Ethan Page photo taped to his face. Page attacked instantly but Allin hit the Coffin Drop on Page and the Gatekeepers. Page responded by press slamming Allin from the stage into the ring post. It looked sick and the crowd reacted perfectly. Page handcuffed Allin but Allin refused to quit. Madman Allin took a back body drop and could’ve broken his wrists. Allin worked the crowd into a frenzy by getting offense in despite the cuffs. He snapped off a rana and dropkicked the Gatekeepers off the apron. Page’s super powerslam wasn’t enough to keep Allin down. Allin spat at Page, who hit RK-Ego and a powerbomb for the win. Not a technical masterpiece but it told a great story. Page was a sick bastard who wanted to hurt Allin, while Allin is the epitome of never say die. Both guys played their roles wonderfully. ***
Ethan Page got on the microphone and brought up beating Allin in all three of their matches. He called Allin trash and put him in a body bag. Page said Allin should thank him for beating him up to the point where fans felt sorry for him. He said Darby’s career is dead and promised to win the Evolve Title, ruining the reams of the roster. They zipped up the bag and took him out. Page was great in this segment.
Matt Riddle def. Drew Galloway in 12:04
The fans treated Riddle like a god. He was the most over guy on this show. This match is months in the making. The crowd bit on Riddle winning with a knee strike in about five seconds. Galloway turned it around, slamming Riddle on the stage and beating him up around the ring. Galloway wisely stomped on Riddle’s toes. PUT SOME DAMN SHOES ON! Riddle brought out a flurry of strikes but Galloway had some scouted and blocked before hitting the sick kick. Riddle countered a suplex into a fisherman buster for two. That helped spark a rally and he got two on the Bro to Sleep. Galloway hit a super air raid crash but it wasn’t enough. Riddle reversed Future Shock into a pin for a near fall but nearly got caught in a tombstone. He slipped out into a submission. Riddle delivered hammer fists to the head and ribs of Galloway, who couldn’t defend himself so the referee called for the bell. Good, intense battle. The best thing about it was the finish. Galloway is allowed to continue to say there’s a conspiracy against him, while it was the perfect end to a Riddle match considering his style. ***½
A furious Drew Galloway jumped Matt Riddle after the match. He was saved by Tracy Williams and Fred Yehi, who ran Galloway off. Larry Dallas came out and brought his own security guard, Earl Cooter. Once in the ring, Dallas announced that Riddle, Williams and Yehi have been entered into the “Battle of the Champions Elimination Match” to crown the first WWN Champion during Mania weekend. They join Drew Galloway. Riddle said the titles would all be his and left. Yehi spoke, calling Riddle selfish because they always have his back but never even get a thank you. Yehi challenged Riddle and Williams tried keeping the pace. Riddle vs. Yehi should rule.
Evolve Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. def. Timothy Thatcher (c) w/ Stokely Hathaway in 18:47
The last time these two met was at Evolve 47 (FloSlam uploaded the match for free on YouTube this week) and I gave that ****½. Crowd was very pro-Sabre. They came out firing uppercuts and forearms. Both guys went for their signature submissions early. The fans chanted “Thatcher’s garbage” several times while these two went to war on the mat. Thatcher stomped on Sabre in the corner, only to get his leg caught in a submission on the ropes. Like s shark smelling blood, Sabre attacked that leg. The heat from the crowd was great here. They hated Thatcher and everything he did. Thatcher had control, wearing down Sabre. The challenger fought back with uppercuts, kicks and chops. They countered each other’s submissions before Sabre hit a running kick and German for two. Thatcher slapped on the armbar after a gutwrench suplex but Sabre reached the ropes. Sabre nearly won with a bridging pin, had it countered into a sleeper and then turned that into another pin for a crazy close near fall. The PK connected and then he applied a triangle choke. Thatcher turned it around, leading to another exchange of submissions. Sabre countered sakatoshi into an octopus hold, complete with elbow strikes. He reached back on both of Thatcher’s arms and stomped on his head while in the submission, finally ending Thatcher’s reign of terror. The pop for Sabre’s win was nuts. This was the best Thatcher title defense since the weekend he worked Sabre and Gargano back in November 2015. It had the intensity and emotion that most Thatcher matches lack. Props to Thatcher for finally doing things to be more interesting, like playing to the crowd and doing the little mannerisms to add to things. Their mat work and strikes were expertly done and the win felt like a huge deal. ****¼
Timothy Thatcher prepared to hand the title to Zack Sabre Jr. Ethan Page ran out and attacked Sabre from behind, ruining a big moment just like he did on Johnny Gargano’s final night. ACH made the save, running Page off. ACH congratulated Sabre and said the match gave him goosebumps. He put over Sabre hard but said Sabre will be handing the title to him on March 30th. The locker room emptied to congratulate the new champion and Zack thanked the fans.
Overall: 8/10. As expected, Evolve bounced back after a lackluster show. This show was great. The worst matches clocked in at three stars. Anytime that happens, a show is going to be easy to watch. Most matches told a story and set things up for the future while delivering here. Riddle/Galloway and the four way were both a lot of fun. I enjoyed the hell out of Williams/Lee and Jaka/Dickinson for different reasons. Then, the main event was the best Evolve Title match in over a year. The moment of Sabre winning is a big one in Evolve history and they set up at least four future title matches for him (a Thatcher rematch, ACH, Page and Lee).
Evolve 78
February 24th, 2017 | MCW Arena in Joppa, Maryland
Lenny Leonard opened the show by hyping the card in the ring.
Matt Riddle def. Anthony Henry in 10:32
I saw Anthony Henry have a great match with Fred Yehi on the first Style Battle show back in January. Riddle had an nWo style shirt that said bRo. They had some standard early exchanges and it was Henry who delivered the first big shots, looking to make an impact. Riddle stopped a springboard attempt with a knee before following up with some suplexes. It was as if Riddle took him lightly but now saw he had to bring it. There was a strange moment where Henry awkwardly sent Riddle outside. At least he made up for it with a tope suicida and tope con hilo. They traded submissions inside, though n either looked very crisp. The pace quickened in the final stretch with strikes and kicks galore. Riddle fired up with a springboard knee, fisherman buster, tombstone and Bromission to win. This was a good opener, but I wanted a bit more. Henry got in a lot and it was clear they have high hopes for him. A few things didn’t come off as well as they’d hope though it was a good effort. ***¼
Riddle shook hands with Henry after the match. Riddle got the mic and said he wants to add to the title he already has. He wants the FIP and Evolve Titles. He called out Drew Galloway but got the rest of Catch Point instead. Tracy Williams tells him that it’s Fred Yehi’s night tonight. Yehi said he loves this building because it’s where he made Tony Nese tap out to win the Evolve Tag Team Titles. Chris Dickinson said he wanted the Gatekeepers right now but Larry Dallas arrived. He tries driving a wedge in Catch Point by saying if Dickinson and Jaka win their match tonight, they should get a Tag Title shot, which are titles held by Tracy Williams and Fred Yehi. Tracy said Catch Point is about competition and they’ll give them a shot but tonight is about Yehi. Dickinson has been a loose cannon of sorts so I can see him and possibly Jaka leaving the group but it’s not like Catch Point hasn’t always been about respectfully wrestling each other.
Austin Theory def. Darby Allin in 5:18
Both guys have been featured on the FIP and Style Battle shows on WWN lately. It’s the Evolve debut of Theory, while Allin has gained a bit of a following for his insane underdog role. It’s odd that he’s a heel over in FIP. Priscilla Kelly, stablemate of Allin in FIP, was at ringside. They got off to a quick start, with Allin springboarding all over and Theory trying to combat it with his power advantage. Allin hit the Coffin Drop early but Theory kicked out. Theory might’ve died on an Asai moonsault attempt where he totally overshot Allin and hit ribs first on the guardrail. He was somehow up within seconds to a standing ovation and “he’s okay” chant. After more back and forth, Allin had the Coffin Drop caught into a TKO that ended it. Allin loses nothing and stays the popular underdog, while Theory gets a win in his debut. Energetic match but nothing more. **¼
Ethan Page w/ The Gatekeepers def. Jason Kincaid in 10:36
Kincaid is a wacky dude. He stopped to meditate, annoying Ethan Page. He clearly got in Ethan’s head early and used it to gain control. Page used a sucker punch and release suplex on the apron to swing the momentum. Page took to wearing down Kincaid inside, but that thankfully didn’t last too long. Kincaid fires back, picking up a few near falls. He hit interesting variations of the stunner and X-Factor. Someone’s been watching the Attitude Era. He made the mistake of going up top one too many times and was met with a release powerbomb. The RK-Ego came next, giving Page a win. Good back and forth match with a nice twist as Page wasn’t in control. Kincaid’s different style caused problems but in the end, it wasn’t enough. **¾
Chris Dickinson and Jaka charged the ring and wanted their match with the Gatekeepers now. Ethan Page left and the match started.
Chris Dickinson and Jaka def. The Gatekeepers in 9:24
This started with a brawl in and around the ring. Things calmed down into a normal tag match in a few minutes. The Gatekeepers are ridiculously big dudes. It brown down again for a bit and Jaka was thrown into the steel steps, leaving Dickinson to get worked over. It was odd to see Dickinson take the heat since he’s a big guy himself. Dickinson survived it all and Jaka came in hot. He hit an exploder but the pin was broken up. Again though, Jaka was taken out and Dickinson ate a double chokeslam. He somehow kicked out, staying alive. He broke free of a Doomsday Device spot, leading to the Death Trap for the win, keeping them unbeaten as a team. Solid tag match as Jaka and Dickinson have been a welcome addition to the tag division. They don’t fit in Catch Point, so I’m assuming they split after a Tag Title match during Mania weekend. **¾
ACH def. Tracy Williams in 18:11
ACH has made it clear he wants an Evolve Title shot. Williams came in with a great game plan, taking ACH to the mat and not allowing him to quicken the pace. Each time it seemed like things would get faster, Tracy grounded him. Things only ramped up when Tracy wanted them to, before hitting a middle rope butterfly suplex. ACH finally got going, driving Tracy’s face into the apron and hitting a plancha. Again though, Tracy slowed it down once back inside. ACH lit up Tracy’s chest with some brutal chops. He seemed like he would try a dive but instead got down and soccer kicked Tracy from the apron. It was odd. This seemed to go on forever to be honest. ACH finally got hot late, hitting a series of lariats and a brainbuster to put Tracy away. This was a disappointment. The stuff they did was smart, with Tracy grounding ACH, but it never got me invested. It seemed to drag on, lacked urgency and never clicked how I hoped. I like both guys and hope for better performances coming up. **½
Larry Dallas was back to stir the pot but Tracy got annoyed and left.
Drew Galloway def. Jeff Cobb in 12:01
It’s a good old fashioned HOSS FIGHT! It’s the return of Galloway following suspension and injury. Galloway is used to the height advantage, but Cobb is a BIG BOY. Cobb tossed him around like a cruiserweight at points. They took things outside and brawled there for a bit. Galloway took over there and continued to control things as they moved inside the ring. He talked smack while doing so. Galloway made a mistake by coming off the top and Cobb caught him in a belly to belly suplex. Cobb got in some offense before they traded some sick sounding headbutts. Not Shibata/Ishii levels but still. Cobb continued to impress, catching Galloway in a suplex and then getting two on the swinging German. They struggled for advantage on a back slide until Galloway used the ropes to flip over and hit Future Shock for the win. There were some slow points but overall, I thought this was a good battle. Cobb looked great and the finish was creative. ***¼
Post-match, Galloway got on the mic and called out Matt Riddle. Riddle answered and they brawled until Riddle was shoved into Cobb. Cobb hit Tour of the Islands on Riddle to boos. Catch Point ran out to calm things down. Jaka and Cobb got in a shoving match while Galloway laughed outside.
Keith Lee def. Zack Sabre Jr. in 12:17
Sabre has an Evolve Title shot in 24 hours. I was instantly impressed when they went to the mat and Sabre bridged up despite Lee being on top of him. The size difference was crazy here. Sabre tried combating the power with submissions. Each time it looked like Sabre found a way to slay the beast, Lee brought something else. At one point, he got free with a nice up and over and hit a shoulder block. He continued the monster work, wearing down Sabre. He destroyed Sabre with chops. Sabre clipped the knee and hit the Penalty Kick but Lee bench pressed him off for the kickout. I always love that spot. Lee fought out of an armbar into a sitout powerbomb for two. A fan got heat for telling Sabre to “Never give up. Hustle, loyalty and respect.” Sabre listened, connecting with a series of uppercuts and strikes. He came close with the prawn hold and went for another armbar, hanging on Lee like a small branch on a giant tree. Lee countered into a big powerslam that got the three. Best match on the show so far. It was a great clash of styles and both guys looked good. It wasn’t your standard Sabre match, which was welcome. They clearly have big plans for Lee. Not sold on Sabre losing right before the title shot though. ***½
Stokely Hathaway came out to say he doesn’t care about the new guys coming in. He wasn’t happy with people saying the company is tanking because it’s all about Timothy Thatcher.
Evolve Championship: Timothy Thatcher (c) w/ Stokely Hathaway def. Evolve Tag Team Champion Fred Yehi in 19:50
Yehi made Thatcher tap out in a tag match last month. This is Evolve Champion vs. FIP Champion. Lenny Leonard hammered home how successful Yehi’s Koji Clutch has been. We got some early grapple work that progressed to striking. Yehi used his unique offense and stomps to gain an advantage for a bit. They traded chops and strikes in the center of the ring before Yehi got aggressive and drilled knee strikes into Thatcher’s head. The fans came alive when Thatcher looked helpless against Yehi’s strikes. Yehi picked up some near falls on a rolling forearm, German and powerbomb but I never felt like he had a chance. He slapped on the Koji Clutch but Thatcher made it to the ropes. They struggled for control until Thatcher hit sakatoshi. Yehi tapped out with no drama, almost instantly. The awful title reign of Thatcher continues. Like a lot of Thatcher matches, it was technically fine but lacked real drama or intrigue. I did think the final few minutes were the best parts though. ***
Catch Point got in the ring to console Fred Yehi. Jaka and Dickinson slowly handed the titles to the champs and they all did the Catch Point handshake.
Overall: 6/10. A disappointing Evolve outing for sure. Nothing on the show was outwardly bad but nothing stood out either. Most of the card felt flat and lacking something. The crowd didn’t help matters, being much less engaged than previous trips to Maryland. I enjoyed Riddle/Henry, Galloway/Cobb and Sabre/Lee the most. The rest of the card was solid, but very unspectacular.
