This should prove to be an interesting show for ROH. There is a modified tournament taking place tonight to determine a #1 Contender for the ROH Championship (which I guess would make 2 #1 Contenders if someone other than Flip Gordon wins). In addition, the World 6-Man Tag Team Championships are on the line as Cody and The Bucks defend against The Kingdom. And with The Elite possibly leaving ROH, every match between now and January becomes that much more interesting. Plus we have a Champions Challenge match where newly crowned Tag Team Champions So Cal Uncensored (Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) take on the team of TV Champion Jeff Cobb and World Champion Jay Lethal. That should definitely be a fun match to see how SCU handles the mammoth Jeff Cobb and the athletic Jay Lethal. Plus we get Madison Rayne vs. Dr. Britt Baker for a spot at Final Battle to face the Women of Honor Champion.
Let's do this!!!
ROH Survival of the Fittest 2018
Columbus, OH
Survival of the Fittest Round 1
1) Beer City Bruiser vs. Christopher Daniels
Sky and Daniels walk out with Daniels to the ring. This is the worst town they've ever been in! Lol. And here comes the Bruiser with the keg through the crowd. That's awesome. Code of Honor is adhered to, and Daniels pats him on the belly. Haha!
The bell rings. Splash into the corner! CANNONBALL!!! 1-2-DANIELS KICKS OUT! Bruiser goes up! Elbow drop on Daniels! 2 count. He misses a running elbow drop. Daniels has a hard time knocking the big guy down. Enziguri! Bruiser lands on Daniels when he tries to pick up the big guy. 2 count. Bruiser goes up to the top. Frog Splash misses! Best Moonsault Ever!!! 1-2-3!
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Match Grade: C+. That was a fine opening match for the opener. They didn't waste time trying to extend the match. Instead they did their spots and got out of dodge. No harm, no foul.
2) Colin Delaney vs. Dalton Castle vs. Adam Page
I have little doubt that Delaney is not winning this match. But Page or Castle could win this one. Based on the current UnWrest... I mean, unrest (lol) involving Adam Page and The Elite, Castle may be a safe bet if you are in Vegas. Code of Honor adhered to.
The bell rings. Dalton apparently has a lot of testosterone. That's... that's just swell. Boot to Delaney while Page is dumped out. Now Delaney is dumped out. Castle does the classic fake dive into the Peacock Pose. Nice Mexican Armdrag by Delaney. Big boot by Page coming back in. Page goes to work on Delaney. Gutwrench Fallaway Slam Bridge for a 2 count. Castle and Page are now fighting over covering Delaney. Dalton is dumped out while Delaney and Page go back at it. Big lariat by Page. Castle comes back in and faces off with Page.
Forearms are exchanged between the two. Page gets the better of it. Castle fires back, but he runs into the boot of Page. Delaney misses a double dropkick on the two men, and Castle eats a big boot from Page. Suplex countered into a stunner by Delaney. Tilt-A-Whirl Stunner from Delaney to Castle (master to pupil there). Stunners around for everyone. Page kicks out of a pin attempt. Delaney has Page on the top of the corner. Castle climbs up with his former trainer. Page fights them off. Sliding German to Castle, but Delaney eats an apron Shooting Star Press by Page. Running Clotheslines by Page. Dropkick Sault by Page to both Castle (kick) and Delaney (sault) for a 2 count. Rite of Passage blocked by Delaney. RUNNING DROPKICK into the corner. Assisted Canadian Destroyer by Castle and Delaney. Dr. Bomb by Castle for a VERY VERY CLOSE 2 count.
"This is Awesome" chants from the crowd. Delaney is put on the top of the corner. Running knee to Delaney and to Page. Then Castle hits a suicide dive to Delaney. Clothesline into a bulldog by Castle for a LONG 2 count on Delaney. This is much better than I thought it would be. A lot of counters by all three men. Forearms and kicks going around. Bangarang countered. DOUBLE BUCKSHOT LARIAT BY PAGE! RITE OF PASSAGE! 1-2-3!!!!
Winner: Adam Page
Match Grade: B+. That was a very good match between three men. It's obviously the best thing I've ever seen Colin Delaney do, and he more than carried his weight in this match. I bought that he might actually win this thing. All these guys had great moments in this match.
Update: Page and Daniels have advanced up to this point into the Survival of the Fittest match.
3) Tracy Williams vs. Jonathan Gresham
Code of Honor adhered to. Bell rings. A lot of ground wrestling early on. Both men trade submissions early on. A leapfrog is caught by Williams into a cradle for a 2 count. Gresham and Williams get into the corner and have to break it up. Push back and forth by both men. BIG CHOPS by Williams. Saito Suplex by Williams for a 2 count. Gresham kicks at the arm of Williams. Facelock by Gresham. Back and forth action here as Williams dumps Gresham with another suplex. Gresham showing a bit of a mean streak with some attacks on Williams. Gresham can't suplex the much bigger Williams. Middle rope dropkick by Gresham. Big chops by Gresham. Another suplex blocked by Williams until Gresham gets him up FINALLY for a suplex. 2 count only. Kick to the arm by Gresham. Big back elbow by Williams. Williams goes on the corner, but Gresham stops him from doing anything. Front Face Lock DDT by Williams OFF THE TOP ONTO THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! ANOTHER ONE ON THE MAT! 1-2-KICKOUT by Gresham!
Williams picks up Gresham, but Gresham grabs the bad arm. Hurricanrana reversed by Williams! Sunset Flip into a Spiccoli Driver by Williams! Kickout by Gresham! Piledriver blocked by Gresham. Forearms exchanged by both men but with Gresham hitting the arm of Williams. Arm gives out for Williams. Forearms are going back and forth now faster and faster!!! Big forearm by Williams. Enziguri by Gresham. LARIAT!! PILEDRIVER BY WILLIAMS!!! 1-2-GRESHAM KICKS OUT AT 2.8!!!! This is great. Williams gets dropkicked off the apron. Flying knee off the apron by Gresham. Flying Crossbody by Gresham. 2 count only. Octapus Lock on Williams!!! He's bending the bad arm of Williams. He taps out.
Winner: Jonathan Gresham
Match Grade: B+. Another VERY good match here on this show as Williams was damn impressive in his first match on ROH TV. They put on a great back and forth story in which it seemed that either of the two could have won the match coming down the stretch.
They shake hands after the match.
4) Flip Gordon vs. Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Andrew Everett
Code of Honor adhered to. Bell rings. Everett is thrown into Guerrero Maya by Flip. Maya has the size advantage and uses it to knock Flip down. Jumping dropkick by Flip. Everett is knocked down as well. Both Flip and Everett counter each others' maneuvers. Triple Dropkick and kip up by the three competitors to a standoff! Everett and Gordon team up on Maya. They are doing a "flip" off with Maya as the proving ground. They start going at it. Standing Pele Kick by Everett with a German Suplex. Maya grabs the arm of the referee to stop the 3 count. Great Mexican Arm Drag by Maya. Springboard Back Elbow by Maya who only gets a 2 on Everett. Springboard Dropkick by Flip to Maya.
Flip and Maya go at it. Flip hurt his leg doing one of his flips, but he's still working through the match. Springboard moonsault by Everett for a 2 count. Maya and Everett go at it. Chops by Everett. Hip Toss into a Falcon Arrow by Maya for a 2 count. Flip barely breaks it up. Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreakers to Everett and Flip by Maya. Double 2 counts. Both men are on the floor. Maya goes to the top rope. FLYING CROSSBODY TO THE FLOOR TO BOTH MEN! FLIP DOES A MOONSAULT FLIP TO MAYA OFF THE TOP TO THE FLOOR!!! EVERETT HITS A SHOOTING STAR PRESS TO THE FLOOR TO BOTH MEN!!!! Wow!
Everett rolls Maya back in the ring. Everett kicks Maya to the mat. Flip kicks Everett off the top of the corner. Bully Ray throws a streamer in Flip's face. 450 Splash by Flip to Maya. Bully is distracting Flip. FLIP Springboards Off The Top Rope Towards Bully, but he didn't clear the rail! Damn! That was a sick impact. Everett hits a shooting star press. NO! Maya blocked it. Mayan Sacrifice. 1-2-3!
Winner: Guerrero Maya Jr.
Match Grade: B+. That was another very good match on this show, but I wonder if the Flip rail shot was on purpose or not. I hope he's ok. He looked to tweak his knee early on. That was another fun match between the three men. I have no idea who Maya is, but he did a great job in this match keeping up with the smaller guys. I hope Flip gets an opportunity to cash in on his title shot that he was given during the ROH Sea of Honor Tournament.
Update: It is now Christopher Daniels, Jonathan Gresham, Adam Page, and Guerrero Maya Jr. in the Survival of the Fittest Finals.
4) PJ Black vs. Luchasaurus
PJ Black is the former Justin Gabriel from Nexus. Luchasaurus is huge. Code of Honor is NOT adhered to as Black refuses to shake his hand.
The bell rings. Kicks exchanged by both men. Black flips around Saurus who keeps up and decks Black with a big boot. Saurus gets sent to the floor by Black. But Saurus catches Black jumping up with a big boot, sending him to the floor. Luchasaurus floats over the corner and hits a moonsault off the apron to Black on the floor. That was impressive. I think they said he's 6'7. Back in the ring, Shotgun Knees and a Bigg Boot into the corner by Saurus. Knee to the Face of Black for a 2 count. Chokeslam reversed into a Cradle Driver for a 2 count. Springboard Moonsault by Black off the ropes for a 2 count. Double Stomp off the top rope to Saurus for a 2 count. C-4 by Luchasaurus for a 2 count.
Black grabs Saurus by the beard, but Saurus powers him off. Pop-Up Knee into a side kick by Saurus. Chokeslam by Saurus. Standing Moonsault! 1-2-Kickout! Again, this is incredible for a big guy to do those types of moves. Saurus signals for the end. Black gets caught escaping Saurus's finisher. A Flip by Black on the corner gets stopped with a bunch of kicks by Saurus. TOMBSTONE by Saurus! Saurus climbs up the corner. SHOOTING STAR PRESS MISSES! Black covers him. 1-2-3!
Winner: PJ Black
Match Grade: C+. Not much of a match here, and frankly, I was still wondering if Flip was ok. Still, I was much more impressed by Luchasaurus than I was anything that Black did. Black never impressed me in Nexus (then again, nothing Nexus did impressed me, including the opening brawl on Raw). So, this was probably my least favorite match of the show so far, and that's with an impressive sequence by Luchasaurus. That should tell you something about how well this night is going so far.
6) Stuka Jr. vs. Silas Young vs. Marty Scurll
Woop Woop! Marty Scurll is reportedly the only member of The Elite that won't be able to leave with the others come 2019. So, will ROH keep pushing him when his buddies leave? That's the big question.
The bell rings. Stuka hits a big hurricanrana to Scurll and a Tilt-a-Whirl backbreaker to Young. Young and Scurll team up on Stuka. But Stuka flips both of them over. Suplex to Scurll onto Young for a 2 count for Stuka. Stuka and Scurll exchange blows. European uppercut sends Stuka out. Apron superkick to Stuka, but Silas catches him sending him to the floor. Stuka and Scurll double team Silas on the apron and send him down to the floor. Chops by both men now, and a double big boot sends them both to the floor. All 3 men go back in the ring at 19.
Three way exchange of blows in the ring. POWERBOMB TO THE BACK OF SILAS USING SCURLL BY STUKA! Stuka goes to the top rope. Enziguri by Marty. Marty climbs up! SUPERPLEX TO STUKA! 1-2-SILAS breaks it up! Stuka is outside. Silas hits Marty with a combination of a backbreaker/DDT. Stuka is back in going at it with Silas. Neckbreaker by Stuka to Silas. Big Back Rake by Silas to Stuka. Scurll stops Silas from hitting a move on Stuka, but Stuka thanks him with a moonsault to Scurll on the floor!!! Then he hits a diving splash onto Young for a LONG 2 count.
Stuka goes at it with Scurll in the ring. Chaos now between all three men who deck each other. Stuka continues to impress here. As I type that, Marty hits GRADUATION on Stuka!!!! 1-2-3!
Winner: Marty Scurll.
Match Grade: B. That was another fun match on this card that doesn't quite get to the level of a couple of the other earlier matches on the card. Still, this was another very entertaining match where I thought either of the three could have won at any time. Scurll winning sets up some fun possibilities in this final match of the tournament.
Daniels, Scurll, Page, Maya, Black, and Gresham are all facing off in the finals.
7) Winner Earns a Spot in Final Battle Four Corners Match for the Women of Honor Championship
Dr. Britt Baker vs. Madison Rayne
Code of Honor adhered to. The bell rings. Really solid opening moment here with technical wrestling between the two wrestlers. Baker and Rayne get to the corner to break up the exchange. Backslide gets a 2 for Rayne. Big neckbreaker by Baker. Rayne continues to try to get rollup pins on Baker who keeps kicking out at 2. Big boot by Baker. 1-2-kickout by Rayne. Baker now goes on the attack on Rayne and ends the rollup sequence. Big knee into the corner on Rayne. Sling Blade! 1-2-kickout. Big enziguri by Rayne buys her a few seconds. Rayne now fires off on Baker. Big Roaring Elbow by Baker. She takes down Rayne for a 2 count. Baker just tosses Rayne off. Cutter by Rayne. 2 count. "Chance of Rayne" is what it is called apparently. Superkick by Baker to Rayne for a 2 count. Pumphandle Dump by Baker for a 2 count. No momentum or rhythm going for this match really. Northern Lights Suplex for a 2 count for Rayne. Boots by Rayne to Baker. Knee to the head of Baker. She covers her. 1-2-3.
Winner: Madison Rayne
Match Grade: C+. The effort was there, and I liked this more than I did the Black and Saurus match. But this match didn't have any real rhythm to it. And like most Women of Honor matches, there was not a lot of heat to it. This is obviously a division that is having a hard time really getting its feet off the ground. I feel bad for them because the effort is there. But the fans aren't really doing much to add to the matches.
After the match, the Twisted Sisters beat down Baker and Rayne.
8) ROH World 6-Man Tag Team Championship
Cody & The Bucks (c) vs. The Kingdom
**Two Referees are assigned to the match, per the request of The Kingdom.
The bell rings. Nick and Vinny start the match. It doesn't take too long before The Bucks do some tandem offense once Matt gets tagged in. Cody gets involved with a triple team sequence on Taven. All three dive out onto The Kingdom and run back in the ring. Vinny and Matt are about to go at it. The yell was for Cody to be tagged in. He's in. It's Cody and Vinny. Stalling/Delayed Vertical Facebuster to Vinny for a long time. Tag to Taven by Vinny. Knee to the face of Cody for a 2 count. Frequent tags and cheating by The Kingdom who gang up on Cody and distract the referees in this case. Cody gets rammed into multiple barricades on the floor. Vinny and Cody are back in the ring. Tag by TK to Vinny who hits Cody with a big spinebuster. Another 2 count is broken up by Nick Jackson who spits on TK.
Cody continues to be assaulted in The Kingdom's corner who again triple team Cody and use frequent tags. The Kingdom use the referees to their advantage to continue their assault. Cody tries to fight out, but Vinny will have none of that. Suplex by Vinny. 1-2-Kickout. Tag back to TK by Vinny. TK tags back in Vinny to do a double team. Cody catches Vinny with a snap slam into TK in the corner. Tag to Matt Jackson who cleans house. Cannonball on TK. Double clothesline by Matt. Classic Matt Jackson action who calls for the Superkick Party to commence only to eat a double team attack by The Kingdom. Matt gets caught in The Kingdom's corner. He rolls out. Tag to Nick. Double Stomp into the Lungblower by Nick Jackson.
Cease and Desist by The Bucks. Cody gets a Sharpshooter on Taven. The Kingdom get to the ropes. Vinny gets triple teamed by The Bucks and Cody. Triple SUPERKICK! 1-2-THE KINGDOM barely break it up. Cody hits a big dive onto TK on the floor. Todd just got superkicked by accident. Vinny hits Sliced Bread. Taven accidentally takes down another referee! Cross Rhodes to Taven. TK hits Cody and The Bucks with a baseball bat. The refs are still down. No one saw any of that. Rockstar Supernova to Cody. No count yet. Here comes a new referee. NO! It's Brandi Rhodes, and she flips off The Kingdom!!!! SUPERKICKS ARE FLYING FROM THE ELITE! CROSS RHODES! 1-2-3! Brandi Rhodes calls for the bell. And... the music plays?! The Kingdom dispute the finish. The referees are arguing about what to do. The match is restarting.
Brandi got drilled to the floor by Taven. Climax on Cody. Superkick blocked. House of 1000 Horses. 1-2-3. The Kingdom win.
Winners: The Kingdom (New ROH 6-Man Tag Team Champions)
Match Grade: C. Not too bad of a tag match overall. But damn was this overbooked to death. Two referees in the match and a lot of nonsense to get to that finish. And I've said it before: The Kingdom do nothing for me. The "Melvin" catchphrase does nothing for me. And this just screams of "The Bucks and Cody are leaving" to me. The in-ring stuff wasn't even that great looking back on it. I can't remember the last time a Bucks match made me feel that way.
After the match, The Kingdom celebrate in the ring. They say that they are 3x 6 Man Tag Team Champions despite the conspiracy.
9) Champions Challenge
So Cal Uncensored (Tag Champions) vs. Jeff Cobb (TV Champion) and Jay Lethal (World Champion)
Kazarian and Lethal start us off. Kaz rolls out of an arm drag attempt after a fast flurry of exchanged offense with Lethal. A second standoff happens between the two after another exchange. Tag to Sky and to Cobb respectively. Cobb uses his size and power to beat down on Sky early, but Sky uses his athleticism to knock down Cobb. Cobb however shows some great agility by kipping up, flipping over, and hitting a dropkick on Sky. Tag to Lethal. Lethal goes to work on Sky with a headlock. Sky gets out. Blind tag to Kaz who hits a spinning heel kick to Lethal for a 2 count cover. Hip Toss into a neckbreaker for a 2 count. SCU double-team Lethal and hit a tandem flip on Lethal.
Lethal continues to take the offense of Kazarian. Side Russian Leg Sweep by Kaz for a 2. Lethal tries to fight off Kaz, but he runs into a single leg dropkick for a 2 count. Lethal takes a sick bump into the turnbuckle and falls to the floor. He's holding his nose. Sky goes after Lethal. Spinning Backbreaker on Lethal in the ring with the pressure being put on Lethal's back. Lethal fights out of the SCU corner. Cutter to Sky on the floor. (It looks like Lethal may have broken his nose. He's breathing out of his mouth at this point.)
Tag to Cobb who starts destroying Sky. Back suplex and standing moonsault onto Sky for a 2 count. Cobb is an absolute monster. Cobb asks Jay if he's ok. Jay motions for him to continue. Cobb lifts up Sky for a LONG DELAYED SUPLEX. Lethal tags himself in, takes the suplex from Cobb, and continues to elevate Scorpio Sky up. Finally, Lethal drops him down for a 2 count pin attempt. Sky is now being assaulted by Lethal and Cobb. Cobb gets tagged back in and goes back to work on Sky. Spinout back suplex on Sky for a 2 count. (Again, Cobb is going to be a huge deal for ROH. Mark my words.)
Sky gets thrown back into the corner and is attacked by a now legal Lethal. (Try saying Legal Lethal fast 10 times.) Sky is whipped into the corners, but he finally gets a neckbreaker in on Lethal. Tag to Kaz is stopped by Lethal. Forearms exchanged by both men. Big shots hit to both men, and Sky hits a big clothesline. Tag to Kaz. Kaz goes right for Cobb to stop him from getting in the match. Big dropkick to Lethal in the corner. Stunner/DDT to Lethal/Cobb. 2 count on Lethal by Kaz. Lungblower into a knee from Sky.
Cobb helps break up a pin attempt by Kaz. He drags Lethal to his corner and tags himself in. Double Stomp to the spine of Cobb. Running neckbreaker by Kaz. Kaz puts Lethal on the top rope. Lethal throws off Kaz. SCU climbs up to suplex Lethal. Cobb brings both men down... AND LIFTS THEM UP FOR A DOBULE BACKDROP! Elbow drop by Lethal to Kaz and a Suicide Dive to the floor on Sky. German Suplex to Kaz for a close 2. The action is too fast. Sky hits a big Pop-Up Frankensteiner to Cobb on the corner. SCU dives to the floor onto Lethal and Cobb. The Briscoes come in and throw a chair on Sky from the stage. Cobb gets Kaz in the ring and hits the spinning slam for a 3.
Winners: Jay Lethal and Jeff Cobb
Match Grade: B+. Another really good match on this card. I'm not sure if Lethal was legitimately hurt in this match, but I do know that all four men looked really good in this match. They each had a moment to shine and put on a very good show. Cobb is going to be special for ROH, and they better bet the farm on this guy being a big deal for them.
The fans give applause to the champions after the match for what was a very good match overall.
Main Event
Survival of the Fittest Match- Six Man Elimination MatchChristopher Daniels vs. Marty Scurll vs. Adam Page vs. Gurerrero Maya Jr. vs. PJ Black vs. Jonathan Gresham
** Winner Gets an ROH World Championship opportunity.
This was an elimination match between the six men. I had a computer malfunction during this match. Here's a quick summary of what happened:
Maya was the first one eliminated thanks to PJ Black. That earned him a bunch of boos which was probably what the goal was.
Gresham was eliminated next after some tandem offense by Scurll and Page. Page hits the Rite of Passage on Gresham to eliminate him.
After the match, Daniels makes the smart decision to team up with Black. This basically becomes a tag team match for 10-12 minutes with Black and Daniels teaming up to save themselves. Unfortunately, Black gets caught in a rollup from Scurll forcing his elimination.
Then, Scurll and Page double-team Daniels for a few minutes. But Page gets caught by Daniels with a Judo Throw and a BME to eliminate him. Then, it's down to Daniels and Scurll.
Unfortunately for Daniels, he gets caught in the Graduation by Scurll. Scurll pins Daniels to win the match and earn the World Title shot.
Winner: Marty Scurll
Match Grade: B. There were a few good moments and exchanges in this match, but it is ultimately a match that I will forget in a day or so. The good things about this match were the athleticism by all 6 men involved and the storytelling involved. We now have Scurll with another shot at the ROH World Championship, and Daniels is still in danger of being fired after Final Battle.
Show Grade: B. There were a lot of very good matches on this show that should earn your attention, but at the same time, there were a few matches on here that weigh this show down. For example, the 6 man tag was overbooking at its worst and put the titles back on a bland gimmick. The women's match never seemed to get into any sort of rhythm. And some of the 1st round matches didn't seem to work either or were average. Still, ROH has done a lot worst with 3 hours. Thus, this gets my recommendation.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
Let's do this!!!
ROH Survival of the Fittest 2018
Columbus, OH
Survival of the Fittest Round 1
1) Beer City Bruiser vs. Christopher Daniels
Sky and Daniels walk out with Daniels to the ring. This is the worst town they've ever been in! Lol. And here comes the Bruiser with the keg through the crowd. That's awesome. Code of Honor is adhered to, and Daniels pats him on the belly. Haha!
The bell rings. Splash into the corner! CANNONBALL!!! 1-2-DANIELS KICKS OUT! Bruiser goes up! Elbow drop on Daniels! 2 count. He misses a running elbow drop. Daniels has a hard time knocking the big guy down. Enziguri! Bruiser lands on Daniels when he tries to pick up the big guy. 2 count. Bruiser goes up to the top. Frog Splash misses! Best Moonsault Ever!!! 1-2-3!
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Match Grade: C+. That was a fine opening match for the opener. They didn't waste time trying to extend the match. Instead they did their spots and got out of dodge. No harm, no foul.
2) Colin Delaney vs. Dalton Castle vs. Adam Page
I have little doubt that Delaney is not winning this match. But Page or Castle could win this one. Based on the current UnWrest... I mean, unrest (lol) involving Adam Page and The Elite, Castle may be a safe bet if you are in Vegas. Code of Honor adhered to.
The bell rings. Dalton apparently has a lot of testosterone. That's... that's just swell. Boot to Delaney while Page is dumped out. Now Delaney is dumped out. Castle does the classic fake dive into the Peacock Pose. Nice Mexican Armdrag by Delaney. Big boot by Page coming back in. Page goes to work on Delaney. Gutwrench Fallaway Slam Bridge for a 2 count. Castle and Page are now fighting over covering Delaney. Dalton is dumped out while Delaney and Page go back at it. Big lariat by Page. Castle comes back in and faces off with Page.
Forearms are exchanged between the two. Page gets the better of it. Castle fires back, but he runs into the boot of Page. Delaney misses a double dropkick on the two men, and Castle eats a big boot from Page. Suplex countered into a stunner by Delaney. Tilt-A-Whirl Stunner from Delaney to Castle (master to pupil there). Stunners around for everyone. Page kicks out of a pin attempt. Delaney has Page on the top of the corner. Castle climbs up with his former trainer. Page fights them off. Sliding German to Castle, but Delaney eats an apron Shooting Star Press by Page. Running Clotheslines by Page. Dropkick Sault by Page to both Castle (kick) and Delaney (sault) for a 2 count. Rite of Passage blocked by Delaney. RUNNING DROPKICK into the corner. Assisted Canadian Destroyer by Castle and Delaney. Dr. Bomb by Castle for a VERY VERY CLOSE 2 count.
"This is Awesome" chants from the crowd. Delaney is put on the top of the corner. Running knee to Delaney and to Page. Then Castle hits a suicide dive to Delaney. Clothesline into a bulldog by Castle for a LONG 2 count on Delaney. This is much better than I thought it would be. A lot of counters by all three men. Forearms and kicks going around. Bangarang countered. DOUBLE BUCKSHOT LARIAT BY PAGE! RITE OF PASSAGE! 1-2-3!!!!
Winner: Adam Page
Match Grade: B+. That was a very good match between three men. It's obviously the best thing I've ever seen Colin Delaney do, and he more than carried his weight in this match. I bought that he might actually win this thing. All these guys had great moments in this match.
Update: Page and Daniels have advanced up to this point into the Survival of the Fittest match.
3) Tracy Williams vs. Jonathan Gresham
Code of Honor adhered to. Bell rings. A lot of ground wrestling early on. Both men trade submissions early on. A leapfrog is caught by Williams into a cradle for a 2 count. Gresham and Williams get into the corner and have to break it up. Push back and forth by both men. BIG CHOPS by Williams. Saito Suplex by Williams for a 2 count. Gresham kicks at the arm of Williams. Facelock by Gresham. Back and forth action here as Williams dumps Gresham with another suplex. Gresham showing a bit of a mean streak with some attacks on Williams. Gresham can't suplex the much bigger Williams. Middle rope dropkick by Gresham. Big chops by Gresham. Another suplex blocked by Williams until Gresham gets him up FINALLY for a suplex. 2 count only. Kick to the arm by Gresham. Big back elbow by Williams. Williams goes on the corner, but Gresham stops him from doing anything. Front Face Lock DDT by Williams OFF THE TOP ONTO THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! ANOTHER ONE ON THE MAT! 1-2-KICKOUT by Gresham!
Williams picks up Gresham, but Gresham grabs the bad arm. Hurricanrana reversed by Williams! Sunset Flip into a Spiccoli Driver by Williams! Kickout by Gresham! Piledriver blocked by Gresham. Forearms exchanged by both men but with Gresham hitting the arm of Williams. Arm gives out for Williams. Forearms are going back and forth now faster and faster!!! Big forearm by Williams. Enziguri by Gresham. LARIAT!! PILEDRIVER BY WILLIAMS!!! 1-2-GRESHAM KICKS OUT AT 2.8!!!! This is great. Williams gets dropkicked off the apron. Flying knee off the apron by Gresham. Flying Crossbody by Gresham. 2 count only. Octapus Lock on Williams!!! He's bending the bad arm of Williams. He taps out.
Winner: Jonathan Gresham
Match Grade: B+. Another VERY good match here on this show as Williams was damn impressive in his first match on ROH TV. They put on a great back and forth story in which it seemed that either of the two could have won the match coming down the stretch.
They shake hands after the match.
4) Flip Gordon vs. Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Andrew Everett
Code of Honor adhered to. Bell rings. Everett is thrown into Guerrero Maya by Flip. Maya has the size advantage and uses it to knock Flip down. Jumping dropkick by Flip. Everett is knocked down as well. Both Flip and Everett counter each others' maneuvers. Triple Dropkick and kip up by the three competitors to a standoff! Everett and Gordon team up on Maya. They are doing a "flip" off with Maya as the proving ground. They start going at it. Standing Pele Kick by Everett with a German Suplex. Maya grabs the arm of the referee to stop the 3 count. Great Mexican Arm Drag by Maya. Springboard Back Elbow by Maya who only gets a 2 on Everett. Springboard Dropkick by Flip to Maya.
Flip and Maya go at it. Flip hurt his leg doing one of his flips, but he's still working through the match. Springboard moonsault by Everett for a 2 count. Maya and Everett go at it. Chops by Everett. Hip Toss into a Falcon Arrow by Maya for a 2 count. Flip barely breaks it up. Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreakers to Everett and Flip by Maya. Double 2 counts. Both men are on the floor. Maya goes to the top rope. FLYING CROSSBODY TO THE FLOOR TO BOTH MEN! FLIP DOES A MOONSAULT FLIP TO MAYA OFF THE TOP TO THE FLOOR!!! EVERETT HITS A SHOOTING STAR PRESS TO THE FLOOR TO BOTH MEN!!!! Wow!
Everett rolls Maya back in the ring. Everett kicks Maya to the mat. Flip kicks Everett off the top of the corner. Bully Ray throws a streamer in Flip's face. 450 Splash by Flip to Maya. Bully is distracting Flip. FLIP Springboards Off The Top Rope Towards Bully, but he didn't clear the rail! Damn! That was a sick impact. Everett hits a shooting star press. NO! Maya blocked it. Mayan Sacrifice. 1-2-3!
Winner: Guerrero Maya Jr.
Match Grade: B+. That was another very good match on this show, but I wonder if the Flip rail shot was on purpose or not. I hope he's ok. He looked to tweak his knee early on. That was another fun match between the three men. I have no idea who Maya is, but he did a great job in this match keeping up with the smaller guys. I hope Flip gets an opportunity to cash in on his title shot that he was given during the ROH Sea of Honor Tournament.
Update: It is now Christopher Daniels, Jonathan Gresham, Adam Page, and Guerrero Maya Jr. in the Survival of the Fittest Finals.
4) PJ Black vs. Luchasaurus
PJ Black is the former Justin Gabriel from Nexus. Luchasaurus is huge. Code of Honor is NOT adhered to as Black refuses to shake his hand.
The bell rings. Kicks exchanged by both men. Black flips around Saurus who keeps up and decks Black with a big boot. Saurus gets sent to the floor by Black. But Saurus catches Black jumping up with a big boot, sending him to the floor. Luchasaurus floats over the corner and hits a moonsault off the apron to Black on the floor. That was impressive. I think they said he's 6'7. Back in the ring, Shotgun Knees and a Bigg Boot into the corner by Saurus. Knee to the Face of Black for a 2 count. Chokeslam reversed into a Cradle Driver for a 2 count. Springboard Moonsault by Black off the ropes for a 2 count. Double Stomp off the top rope to Saurus for a 2 count. C-4 by Luchasaurus for a 2 count.
Black grabs Saurus by the beard, but Saurus powers him off. Pop-Up Knee into a side kick by Saurus. Chokeslam by Saurus. Standing Moonsault! 1-2-Kickout! Again, this is incredible for a big guy to do those types of moves. Saurus signals for the end. Black gets caught escaping Saurus's finisher. A Flip by Black on the corner gets stopped with a bunch of kicks by Saurus. TOMBSTONE by Saurus! Saurus climbs up the corner. SHOOTING STAR PRESS MISSES! Black covers him. 1-2-3!
Winner: PJ Black
Match Grade: C+. Not much of a match here, and frankly, I was still wondering if Flip was ok. Still, I was much more impressed by Luchasaurus than I was anything that Black did. Black never impressed me in Nexus (then again, nothing Nexus did impressed me, including the opening brawl on Raw). So, this was probably my least favorite match of the show so far, and that's with an impressive sequence by Luchasaurus. That should tell you something about how well this night is going so far.
6) Stuka Jr. vs. Silas Young vs. Marty Scurll
Woop Woop! Marty Scurll is reportedly the only member of The Elite that won't be able to leave with the others come 2019. So, will ROH keep pushing him when his buddies leave? That's the big question.
The bell rings. Stuka hits a big hurricanrana to Scurll and a Tilt-a-Whirl backbreaker to Young. Young and Scurll team up on Stuka. But Stuka flips both of them over. Suplex to Scurll onto Young for a 2 count for Stuka. Stuka and Scurll exchange blows. European uppercut sends Stuka out. Apron superkick to Stuka, but Silas catches him sending him to the floor. Stuka and Scurll double team Silas on the apron and send him down to the floor. Chops by both men now, and a double big boot sends them both to the floor. All 3 men go back in the ring at 19.
Three way exchange of blows in the ring. POWERBOMB TO THE BACK OF SILAS USING SCURLL BY STUKA! Stuka goes to the top rope. Enziguri by Marty. Marty climbs up! SUPERPLEX TO STUKA! 1-2-SILAS breaks it up! Stuka is outside. Silas hits Marty with a combination of a backbreaker/DDT. Stuka is back in going at it with Silas. Neckbreaker by Stuka to Silas. Big Back Rake by Silas to Stuka. Scurll stops Silas from hitting a move on Stuka, but Stuka thanks him with a moonsault to Scurll on the floor!!! Then he hits a diving splash onto Young for a LONG 2 count.
Stuka goes at it with Scurll in the ring. Chaos now between all three men who deck each other. Stuka continues to impress here. As I type that, Marty hits GRADUATION on Stuka!!!! 1-2-3!
Winner: Marty Scurll.
Match Grade: B. That was another fun match on this card that doesn't quite get to the level of a couple of the other earlier matches on the card. Still, this was another very entertaining match where I thought either of the three could have won at any time. Scurll winning sets up some fun possibilities in this final match of the tournament.
Daniels, Scurll, Page, Maya, Black, and Gresham are all facing off in the finals.
7) Winner Earns a Spot in Final Battle Four Corners Match for the Women of Honor Championship
Dr. Britt Baker vs. Madison Rayne
Code of Honor adhered to. The bell rings. Really solid opening moment here with technical wrestling between the two wrestlers. Baker and Rayne get to the corner to break up the exchange. Backslide gets a 2 for Rayne. Big neckbreaker by Baker. Rayne continues to try to get rollup pins on Baker who keeps kicking out at 2. Big boot by Baker. 1-2-kickout by Rayne. Baker now goes on the attack on Rayne and ends the rollup sequence. Big knee into the corner on Rayne. Sling Blade! 1-2-kickout. Big enziguri by Rayne buys her a few seconds. Rayne now fires off on Baker. Big Roaring Elbow by Baker. She takes down Rayne for a 2 count. Baker just tosses Rayne off. Cutter by Rayne. 2 count. "Chance of Rayne" is what it is called apparently. Superkick by Baker to Rayne for a 2 count. Pumphandle Dump by Baker for a 2 count. No momentum or rhythm going for this match really. Northern Lights Suplex for a 2 count for Rayne. Boots by Rayne to Baker. Knee to the head of Baker. She covers her. 1-2-3.
Winner: Madison Rayne
Match Grade: C+. The effort was there, and I liked this more than I did the Black and Saurus match. But this match didn't have any real rhythm to it. And like most Women of Honor matches, there was not a lot of heat to it. This is obviously a division that is having a hard time really getting its feet off the ground. I feel bad for them because the effort is there. But the fans aren't really doing much to add to the matches.
After the match, the Twisted Sisters beat down Baker and Rayne.
8) ROH World 6-Man Tag Team Championship
Cody & The Bucks (c) vs. The Kingdom
**Two Referees are assigned to the match, per the request of The Kingdom.
The bell rings. Nick and Vinny start the match. It doesn't take too long before The Bucks do some tandem offense once Matt gets tagged in. Cody gets involved with a triple team sequence on Taven. All three dive out onto The Kingdom and run back in the ring. Vinny and Matt are about to go at it. The yell was for Cody to be tagged in. He's in. It's Cody and Vinny. Stalling/Delayed Vertical Facebuster to Vinny for a long time. Tag to Taven by Vinny. Knee to the face of Cody for a 2 count. Frequent tags and cheating by The Kingdom who gang up on Cody and distract the referees in this case. Cody gets rammed into multiple barricades on the floor. Vinny and Cody are back in the ring. Tag by TK to Vinny who hits Cody with a big spinebuster. Another 2 count is broken up by Nick Jackson who spits on TK.
Cody continues to be assaulted in The Kingdom's corner who again triple team Cody and use frequent tags. The Kingdom use the referees to their advantage to continue their assault. Cody tries to fight out, but Vinny will have none of that. Suplex by Vinny. 1-2-Kickout. Tag back to TK by Vinny. TK tags back in Vinny to do a double team. Cody catches Vinny with a snap slam into TK in the corner. Tag to Matt Jackson who cleans house. Cannonball on TK. Double clothesline by Matt. Classic Matt Jackson action who calls for the Superkick Party to commence only to eat a double team attack by The Kingdom. Matt gets caught in The Kingdom's corner. He rolls out. Tag to Nick. Double Stomp into the Lungblower by Nick Jackson.
Cease and Desist by The Bucks. Cody gets a Sharpshooter on Taven. The Kingdom get to the ropes. Vinny gets triple teamed by The Bucks and Cody. Triple SUPERKICK! 1-2-THE KINGDOM barely break it up. Cody hits a big dive onto TK on the floor. Todd just got superkicked by accident. Vinny hits Sliced Bread. Taven accidentally takes down another referee! Cross Rhodes to Taven. TK hits Cody and The Bucks with a baseball bat. The refs are still down. No one saw any of that. Rockstar Supernova to Cody. No count yet. Here comes a new referee. NO! It's Brandi Rhodes, and she flips off The Kingdom!!!! SUPERKICKS ARE FLYING FROM THE ELITE! CROSS RHODES! 1-2-3! Brandi Rhodes calls for the bell. And... the music plays?! The Kingdom dispute the finish. The referees are arguing about what to do. The match is restarting.
Brandi got drilled to the floor by Taven. Climax on Cody. Superkick blocked. House of 1000 Horses. 1-2-3. The Kingdom win.
Winners: The Kingdom (New ROH 6-Man Tag Team Champions)
Match Grade: C. Not too bad of a tag match overall. But damn was this overbooked to death. Two referees in the match and a lot of nonsense to get to that finish. And I've said it before: The Kingdom do nothing for me. The "Melvin" catchphrase does nothing for me. And this just screams of "The Bucks and Cody are leaving" to me. The in-ring stuff wasn't even that great looking back on it. I can't remember the last time a Bucks match made me feel that way.
After the match, The Kingdom celebrate in the ring. They say that they are 3x 6 Man Tag Team Champions despite the conspiracy.
9) Champions Challenge
So Cal Uncensored (Tag Champions) vs. Jeff Cobb (TV Champion) and Jay Lethal (World Champion)
Kazarian and Lethal start us off. Kaz rolls out of an arm drag attempt after a fast flurry of exchanged offense with Lethal. A second standoff happens between the two after another exchange. Tag to Sky and to Cobb respectively. Cobb uses his size and power to beat down on Sky early, but Sky uses his athleticism to knock down Cobb. Cobb however shows some great agility by kipping up, flipping over, and hitting a dropkick on Sky. Tag to Lethal. Lethal goes to work on Sky with a headlock. Sky gets out. Blind tag to Kaz who hits a spinning heel kick to Lethal for a 2 count cover. Hip Toss into a neckbreaker for a 2 count. SCU double-team Lethal and hit a tandem flip on Lethal.
Lethal continues to take the offense of Kazarian. Side Russian Leg Sweep by Kaz for a 2. Lethal tries to fight off Kaz, but he runs into a single leg dropkick for a 2 count. Lethal takes a sick bump into the turnbuckle and falls to the floor. He's holding his nose. Sky goes after Lethal. Spinning Backbreaker on Lethal in the ring with the pressure being put on Lethal's back. Lethal fights out of the SCU corner. Cutter to Sky on the floor. (It looks like Lethal may have broken his nose. He's breathing out of his mouth at this point.)
Tag to Cobb who starts destroying Sky. Back suplex and standing moonsault onto Sky for a 2 count. Cobb is an absolute monster. Cobb asks Jay if he's ok. Jay motions for him to continue. Cobb lifts up Sky for a LONG DELAYED SUPLEX. Lethal tags himself in, takes the suplex from Cobb, and continues to elevate Scorpio Sky up. Finally, Lethal drops him down for a 2 count pin attempt. Sky is now being assaulted by Lethal and Cobb. Cobb gets tagged back in and goes back to work on Sky. Spinout back suplex on Sky for a 2 count. (Again, Cobb is going to be a huge deal for ROH. Mark my words.)
Sky gets thrown back into the corner and is attacked by a now legal Lethal. (Try saying Legal Lethal fast 10 times.) Sky is whipped into the corners, but he finally gets a neckbreaker in on Lethal. Tag to Kaz is stopped by Lethal. Forearms exchanged by both men. Big shots hit to both men, and Sky hits a big clothesline. Tag to Kaz. Kaz goes right for Cobb to stop him from getting in the match. Big dropkick to Lethal in the corner. Stunner/DDT to Lethal/Cobb. 2 count on Lethal by Kaz. Lungblower into a knee from Sky.
Cobb helps break up a pin attempt by Kaz. He drags Lethal to his corner and tags himself in. Double Stomp to the spine of Cobb. Running neckbreaker by Kaz. Kaz puts Lethal on the top rope. Lethal throws off Kaz. SCU climbs up to suplex Lethal. Cobb brings both men down... AND LIFTS THEM UP FOR A DOBULE BACKDROP! Elbow drop by Lethal to Kaz and a Suicide Dive to the floor on Sky. German Suplex to Kaz for a close 2. The action is too fast. Sky hits a big Pop-Up Frankensteiner to Cobb on the corner. SCU dives to the floor onto Lethal and Cobb. The Briscoes come in and throw a chair on Sky from the stage. Cobb gets Kaz in the ring and hits the spinning slam for a 3.
Winners: Jay Lethal and Jeff Cobb
Match Grade: B+. Another really good match on this card. I'm not sure if Lethal was legitimately hurt in this match, but I do know that all four men looked really good in this match. They each had a moment to shine and put on a very good show. Cobb is going to be special for ROH, and they better bet the farm on this guy being a big deal for them.
The fans give applause to the champions after the match for what was a very good match overall.
Main Event
Survival of the Fittest Match- Six Man Elimination MatchChristopher Daniels vs. Marty Scurll vs. Adam Page vs. Gurerrero Maya Jr. vs. PJ Black vs. Jonathan Gresham
** Winner Gets an ROH World Championship opportunity.
This was an elimination match between the six men. I had a computer malfunction during this match. Here's a quick summary of what happened:
Maya was the first one eliminated thanks to PJ Black. That earned him a bunch of boos which was probably what the goal was.
Gresham was eliminated next after some tandem offense by Scurll and Page. Page hits the Rite of Passage on Gresham to eliminate him.
After the match, Daniels makes the smart decision to team up with Black. This basically becomes a tag team match for 10-12 minutes with Black and Daniels teaming up to save themselves. Unfortunately, Black gets caught in a rollup from Scurll forcing his elimination.
Then, Scurll and Page double-team Daniels for a few minutes. But Page gets caught by Daniels with a Judo Throw and a BME to eliminate him. Then, it's down to Daniels and Scurll.
Unfortunately for Daniels, he gets caught in the Graduation by Scurll. Scurll pins Daniels to win the match and earn the World Title shot.
Winner: Marty Scurll
Match Grade: B. There were a few good moments and exchanges in this match, but it is ultimately a match that I will forget in a day or so. The good things about this match were the athleticism by all 6 men involved and the storytelling involved. We now have Scurll with another shot at the ROH World Championship, and Daniels is still in danger of being fired after Final Battle.
Show Grade: B. There were a lot of very good matches on this show that should earn your attention, but at the same time, there were a few matches on here that weigh this show down. For example, the 6 man tag was overbooking at its worst and put the titles back on a bland gimmick. The women's match never seemed to get into any sort of rhythm. And some of the 1st round matches didn't seem to work either or were average. Still, ROH has done a lot worst with 3 hours. Thus, this gets my recommendation.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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