Ring Of Honor’s 17th Anniversary PPV Review

Welcome to this review of Ring Of Honor’s 17th Anniversary Pay Per View, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and this review is a week late, which is more than I can say for the new Hellboy movie, which looks terrible. This show doesn’t look bad at all, so let’s see if ROH’s 17th anniversary spectacular can deliver the goods.

Match #1: “The Villain” Marty Scurll defeated Kenny King

The following is courtesy of rohwrestling.com:

Taking a page from Scurll’s playbook, King made his entrance with a “Villain” cosplayer in an attempt to get into his head. It didn’t work. Early in the match, Scurll took out the faux “Villain” with a swift kick to the head. King halted Scurll’s momentum with a Blockbuster for a near fall and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Scurll hit a Villain Bomb for a two count, but King answered with a spinebuster for a near fall. Scurll landed a superplex, but King countered with Royal Flush. Scurll wisely rolled out of the ring before King could attempt a cover. A frustrated King brought a chair into the ring, but the referee took it away from him. While King and the referee were playing tug of war with the chair, Scurll grabbed his umbrella. He nailed King in the head with it and the referee turned around and made the three count.

My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was a good match that felt a bit stunted for whatever reason, but it was of good quality.

Match #2: (Champion)- Jeff Cobb defeated Shane Taylor – Ring Of Honor World Television Title Match

The following is courtesy of rohwrestling.com:

The two bulls exchanged hard-hitting moves early in the match, but it was a stalemate. Cobb hit a deadlift T-Bone suplex for a near fall, but Taylor answered with a devastating knee to the jaw for a two count. Cobb came back with a running clothesline that had so much steam behind it that his momentum sent him crashing through the ropes to the floor. Cobb slammed Taylor off the top rope and followed with a standing moonsault for a near fall. Taylor hit a splash off the middle rope for a near fall. Cobb landed a delayed German suplex into a bridge for a near fall. Taylor turned Cobb inside out with a clothesline and then stuck Cobb with a Cleveland Destroyer that Cobb somehow managed to kick out of at two. Cobb eventually hit Tour of the Islands, but sensing that Taylor still had fight left in him, Cobb hit a second one. Cobb made the cover and got the three count.

My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was not your greatest example of psychology, but it worked quite well as a clash of titans. This match was one big move after another, with every second in between stuffed with enough strikes to bust a hole in your head. Taylor did well in this big match with a big time star in Cobb, who should be on his way to the ROH World Title some-time in the next few years. Overall, there was plenty to like in this match.

Match #3: (Champion) – Mayu Iwatani defeated Kelly Klein – Women Of Honor World Title Match

The following is courtesy of rohwrestling.com:

Klein adhered to the Code of Honor – which she usually doesn’t do – but was aggressive right from the opening bell. The former champion seized control with a ground and pound attack. Iwatani survived the early onslaught and hit a pair of Sling Blades and a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Iwatani remained on the offensive, connecting on a double stomp off the top rope and a superkick. Klein rocked Iwatani with a series of palm strikes and a German suplex that dropped Iwatani on her head. Remarkably, Iwatani survived the nasty-looking landing and hit a moonsault. She went for a second one, but Klein got her knees up. Klein hit K-Power, but Iwatani kicked out of the finisher. Klein hit a clothesline and began to talk trash. Iwatani took advantage of Klein’s lapse in judgment and caught her with an inside cradle for the win.

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This started out fine, but it got lost along the way. The finish diminished the importance of the match and kept it from hitting its stride. Mayu did well here, but Klein showed the most potential. Overall, this was a decent bout.

Match #4: (Life-Blood) Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams vs. (The Kingdom) TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia

The following is courtesy of rohwrestling.com:

A video showing highlights of LifeBlood guarding the ring while Jay Lethal destroyed Matt Taven’s “real” world title belt was shown on the screen. That led to an irate Taven storming to the ring. Taven said he’s ready for his match with Lethal right now. Lethal came out, and the match was on.

My Take: 0 out of 5 – Another case of false advertising led to this match never happening. I hate it when they use this ploy to “tell a story”.

Match #5: (Champion) Jay Lethal vs Matt Taven – ROH World Title Match (Draw)

The following is courtesy of rohwrestling.com:

These two bitter rivals started slugging it out right from the start. Throughout the match, Lethal targeted Taven’s surgically repaired left knee, while Taven focused much of his attack on Lethal’s left shoulder after Lethal landed awkwardly on it early in the match. As Lethal was about to leap off the top rope, red balloons came up from under the ring, and The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia entered. While O’Ryan distracted the referee, Marseglia nailed Lethal with O’Ryan’s baseball bat. Jonathan Gresham came down to intervene, but he was double-teamed by Marseglia and O’Ryan, who slammed a chair on Gresham’s knee. LifeBlood’s Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams came out and ran off O’Ryan and Marseglia.

Taven hit a low blow behind the referee’s back and followed with Climax for a near fall. Taven then hit a frog splash for a near fall. Lethal came back with a Figure-Four Leglock, but Taven got to the ropes to force a break. Taven suplexed Lethal from the ring and through a table. He then rolled Lethal back in the ring for a near fall. Lethal rallied and hit Taven’s Climax finisher for a near fall. He followed up with Just the Tip and Lethal Injection for another near fall. Taven brought a ladder into play and wedged it between the ring and a table on the floor. He ended up being placed on the ladder, but when Lethal attempted an elbow drop off the top rope into him, Taven moved and Lethal crashed through the ladder.

Ringside crew members tried to help Lethal to the back, but Lethal resisted. Taven did a big dive over the top rope that took out Lethal and the crew members. Back inside the ring, Taven hit Just the Top five times and covered Lethal, but the champion kicked out at two. Taven came off the top rope for a move but was caught with a cutter for a near fall. Lethal nailed Taven with three Enziguri kicks and followed up with Lethal Injection. Incredibly, Taven kicked out at two. At that point, the bell rang. The 60-minute time limit has expired and the match was declared a draw.

My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was an excellent title match that fell into a formula that I don’t like, which is the “near-fall marathon”. The whole match was contested to be one finisher after another, with The Kingdom there to throw in some interference to break up the monotony. It went an hour, which is great, but it didn’t do as much as it coud have with the hour. Overall, this was a good match, but a dull championship fight.

Match #6: RUSH defeated Bandido

The following is courtesy of rohwrestling.com:

It was apparent from the start that RUSH, while popular with fans, is not the most honorable of competitors. Early in the match, Bandido went for a hurricanrana off the apron to the floor, but RUSH caught him and powerbombed him through a ringside table. RUSH continued to assault Bandido outside the ring. Bandido rallied with a series of spectacular, high-flying moves, including a Fosbury Flop and a springboard 450 Splash while RUSH was caught on the middle rope. RUSH came back with a flip dive to the floor, but Bandido answered with a running hurricanrana off the apron. Back inside the ring, Bandido hit the GTS. RUSH landed an overhead suplex into the corner and followed with a basement dropkick in the corner for the victory.

My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was an excellent match that may not have been the smartest match, but it was incredibly exciting, so it worked out fine. It’s rare to see a true lucha libre bout in Ring of Honor, but that’s what you get here. As good as Bandido was, RUSH just had a little some-thing extra here. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a RUSH/Jeff Cobb match for the Ring Of Honor World Title at some point this year, based on how quickly both men have gotten over in ROH. This was easy to watch and a whole lot of fun.

Match #7: (New Champions) – Villain Enterprises (PCO and Brody King) defeated Jay and Mark Briscoe – Ring Of Honor World Tag Team Title Las Vegas Street Fight

The following is courtesy of rohwrestling.com:

As soon as the bell rang, all four competitors grabbed chairs and began swinging them at one another. The Briscoes won the chair-swinging battle, but PCO powerbombed Mark Briscoe off the apron and through a table. Later, Mark Briscoe dropped PCO throat-first onto the guardrail. Inside the ring, King hit a Death Valley Driver that sent Mark Briscoe through a table that had been positioned in the corner. Jay Briscoe, who was bleeding profusely from his head, and his brother back-body-dropped PCO onto the edge of the apron. Mark Briscoe hit a Blockbuster off the top rope that put King through a table on the floor. Jay Briscoe went on to hit Jay Driller on King, but King kicked out at two. Both Briscoes grabbed kendo sticks and nailed PCO in the head with a series of blows with the weapons, but he shook them off. PCO snatched both kendo sticks and broke them in half. Mark Briscoe grabbed a jagged shard from one of the broken kendo sticks and stabbed PCO in the throat with it. King tossed Mark Briscoe off the top rope onto some chairs that were on the floor. King then put Jay Briscoe through a table with a piledriver off the apron. Inside the ring PCO placed a chair on top of a fallen Jay Briscoe and hit a moonsault on him to win the match and the titles for his team. The insane match left all four men bloodied and battered.

My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was a great brawl that didn’t quite come together as a great match. This often felt like carnage for it own sake, but it was very visceral and grueling, so it came across well enough. The Briscoes looked like they were possessed by the Devil, while PCO keeps defying time every-time he turns into the Hulk out in the ring. This was a big surprise in what they were willing to do to each other and in the crowning of new champions.

News Of The Night:

1. Marty Scurll came out after the World Title match, posed with the championship and left to build toward a Jay Lethal/Marty Scurll feud for the ROH World Title.
2. Silas Young attacked Jonathan Gresham backstage to build toward a feud between the two.
3. Jeff Cobb challenged Will Ospreay for the MSG G1 Supercard show in a Title versus Title match…which may have spoiled the New Japan Cup results…maybe.
4. Bully Ray issued an open challenge for the Madison Square Garden event, with Flip Gordon being teased as some-one that will answer the challenge.
5. Dalton Castle challenged RUSH to a match at the G1 Super-Card in Madison Square Garden, which RUSH accepted.

Final Verdict: 3/5

This felt like a very good episode of ROH TV, but it was a dull Pay Per View. There were quite a few strong matches, but it all felt like it belonged on free TV.