All Japan Pro Wrestling 5/18/2023 Super Power Series 2023 Day 3

All Japan Pro Wrestling 5/18/2023 Super Power Series 2023 Day 3

Here's what I saw:

Jun Saito and Rei Saito vs Dan Tamura and Hikaru Sato

We don't get off to a real good start here. Rei throws Sato out and chokes him in the crowd while Jun beats up on Dan outside. Sato tries chest chops on Jun then takes a double shoulder from the Saito's for 2. Jun foot chokes Sato then Rei corner chops Sato. Rei misses a corner charge and takes a gamengiri.

Dan gets in and 2nd rope shoulders Rei, knocking him down to one knee. Rei splashes Dan hard against the ropes then Jun delay suplexes Dan for 2. Dan samoan drops Jun then Jun takes a combo lariat + enzugiri. Jun is then lariated for 2. Jun shoulders over Dan then chokeslams him for 2. Jun then does another chokeslam variation on Dan and wins it.

It didn't start off well and it was just average. There wasn't any way this was going to be competitive, but they didn't want to do a squash.

Hikari Shimizu, Rina Amikura & Yuko Sakurai vs. Chi Chi, SAKI & ZONES

This is the first televised match of Chi Chi and ZONES, though it is their 3rd match. Chi Chi's kind of okay looking and people are going to accuse Zones of being a tranny as she has a weightlifters body. Rina's team do a dance. Rina has more revealing gear and short hair that is a major downgrade.

Zones clean breaks Yuko and they stand off after a headscissors. Chici and Rina go at it. Chichi hits back elbows an rolls her up for 2. Hikari cartwheels and misses a dropkick on Saki then Hikari 2nd rope hurricanrana's her. Hikara hits a step up kick in the corner then Saki takes a triple falling splash. Saki does like a giant poke to Yuko's gut then Yuko slams Chichi.

Rina slams Chichi then falling splashes her twice. Chichi superkicks and flying shotgun dropkicks Hikari. Zones gets in and hits shoulders on two opponents then double shoulders Rina with Saki. Hikari jumps on Zones' back and sleepers her then Zones hits a running corner clothesline. Hikari running step kicks Zones for 2. Zones and Rina shoulder each other and Rina falls over on a chop, which is a new one.

Zones machine gun chops Rina then shoulders her over. Rina hits a bad powerslam on Saki for 2. Rina splashes Saki in the corner then sentons her. Yuko is tagged in and running back splashes then shoulders over Saki. Saki suplexes Yuko then Chichi running facekicks Yuko. Chichi puts Yuko in the octopus stretch then Saki michinoku drivers Yuko. Zones top rope lariats Yuko then Chichi top rope dropkicks Yuko. Chichi and Yuko trade forearms then Yuko shoulders her over.

Rina rolls onto Chichi then Hikari jumps over Yuko to double stomp Chichi. Yuko fisherman's suplexes chichi then Hikari high kicks Zones. Saki is back body dropped over the top then Hikari top rope crossbodies her to the outside. Yuko then beats Chichi with a grounded dragon sleeper.

Zones looked pretty good here. She's a power fighter and seem to grasp what she is doing. Chichi was decent here too and reminds me a lot of Riho. I thought they did a good job in their 3rd matches here and they look like decent finds. Yuko and Rina aren't great workers and Rina had some bad moments here while Hikari is real likeable. I would kind of put the match in the middle here as there were some good and bad moments yet I don't feel comfortable calling this good.

Masao Hanabatake vs Ren Ayabe

The size differences here are seriously silly. It looks like Masao is fighting a flagpole. Masao used to be Seigo Tachibana, but whatever Wrestle-1 saw in him, AJPW does not.

Ren throws Masao off early. Ren challenges him to a test of strength and of course Masao can't reach. Masao then challenges him to bend down and test of strength him in a very clever spot that I hadn't seen before. Ren bends down then raises his hand up and Masao kicks him in the knee. Ren then shoulders him over. Ren misses a kick on the ropes, gets his leg stuck and Masao kicks him.

Ren hits a big slam on Masao then hits a big boot for 2. Masao dropkicks Ren in the knee then spears him for 2. Masao forearms Ren then dropkicks him for 2. Masao does a nice roll up on Ren then does it again for 2. Ren deadlift suplexes him for 2. Ren running facekicks Masao then does a bad sit out hiptoss. Ren then does a weak looking gas mask esque submission and wins it.

This was actually good until the finish with Masao being a fun underdog. Ren's submission that he used to win this looked terrible and the sit out hiptoss wasn't well done either.

Yuma Anzai vs Ryo Inoue

They hammerlock each other and Yuma hits some armdrags. Ryo headscissors him and they stand off. They trade forearms then Ryo hits some nice chest kicks. Ryo then kicks him from the apron. They trade forearms then Ryo is slammed. Yuma back elbows him and they trade more forearms. Yuma hits a nice dropkick for 2. Yuma crabs him and Ryo hits the ropes.

Yuma double underhook suplexes him then Ryo flying kicks him. Yuma hits a forearm flurry in the corner then Ryo chest kick flurries him. Ryo PK's and buzzsaw kicks him for 2. Yuma hits a nice overhead belly to belly. Ryo enzugiri's him and hits a stiff backdrop. Ryo then running kicks him for 2. Yuma hits a nice pair of flying knees for 2 then germans him for the win.

This was fun. They showed some fire and kept the pace quick. They actually really matched up well together and it put Ryo over as a good underdog here. I thought this would be just a squash but it was a fun match.

Manabu Soya vs Suwama

Soya rushes Suwama with a shoulder then shoulders him over. Suwama is thrown into the post outside. They trade shots outside and Soya goes into the post then has his head banged off a seat. Suwama beats him up in the seats. suwama chokes Soya with a rope then belly to belly suplexes him. Soya flying lariats him then death valley drivers him for 2. Suwama spinning lariats him.

Suwama goes for a chair and the ref grabs the chair. Soya spears Suwama and Jun Saito literally gets in the ring and stops the count. Jun and Rei Saito beat up on Soya. Suwama chairs Soya then back body drops him. The ref finally DQ's Suwama after breaking a horde of rules. Soya is put in a body bag after.

Soya and Suwama are a good match for each other, but they insist on having them do short matches with shenanigans that bring it down everytime. This went a grand total of 6 minutes and was a waste.

Yoshitatsu & Zennichi Shin Jidai (Shuji Ishikawa & Yuma Aoyagi) vs. Kento Miyahara, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata

Yuma shoulders over Koji then Koji does it back. Yuji and Yoshi trade forearms, leg kicks and facekicks. Shuji shoulders over Kento then Kento facekicks him. Kojia accidentally nails Kento on a failed 2 on 1 then Shuji double lariats both.  Kento takes running corner moves from all 3 opponents.

Yuma and Kento trade shots then Kento accidentally facekicks Koji. Kento suplexes Yuma then Yuji hits kicks on Yuma. Yuji running facekicks Yuma then butterfly suplexes him for 2. They trade forearms. Yuji knee dropkicks him then is dragon screwed.

Shuji running corner lariats Yuji then 2nd rope double stomps him. Koji machine gun chops Shuji. Koji elbow drops Shuji from the buckles for 2. Koji ddt's Shuji but he no sells it. They trade forearms then Koji hits a cutter which is no sold. Shuji then running knees him in the chest. Kento and Yoshi trade forearms then Kento knee dropkicks him. Yoshi tornado ddt's Kento then hits kicks and a powerslam for 2.

Kento and Koji almost collide again then argue. Kento suplexes Yoshi then Yoshi flatliners Kento into an STO. Everyone gets in and hits moves then Kento straightjacket germans Yoshi to win it.

They definitely tried to push some issues between Kento and Koji here. It wasn't a particularly great tag match. Just too many people involved and not enough time plus a lot of no selling.

Triple Crown Title #1 Contendership Match - T-Hawk vs. Ryuki Honda

T dropkicks him in the knee then is quickly shouldered over. Honda goes to one arm powerbomb him and T gets out of the ring. They trade forearms and Honda back elbows him. T suplexes him on the ramp. Honda tries some forearms but is chopped down. T abdominal stretches him and they mess up a hiptoss with T landing on his head and shoulder.

T hits a nice suplex then is spinebustered. Honda hits a nice spear for 2. Honda is sat on the top rope and T chops him down to the floor. T 2nd rope suplexes Honda but Honda no sells it. They trade forearms and T goes down. They trade strikes and Honda germans him. T no sells it and reverse sitout slams him then is lariated. Honda hits lariats on T then Honda delay germans him for 2. Honda hits a stiff lariat then runs into T's knee.

T splash mountains Honda for 2 then running knees him and wins it.

It had the usual T-Hawk issues with the no selling that brought it down. At least they didn't do body part work here that lead to nothing like usual. 

Overall thoughts: The crowd was really into this and did help this some. It wasn't a bad effort for being in a smaller arena. I liked Yuma/Ryo the most here and Zones and Chi Chi seem to be good recruits.

WWE NXT 5/30/2023

WWE NXT 5/30/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/wwe-nxt-5232023.html

Weaponized Steel Cage Match - Jacy Jayne vs Gigi Dolin

Jacy jumps Gigi during her entrance and throws her into the cage. Jacy swings the door into her face. They get in the cage and Jacy whips her with a weightlifting belt. Jacy hits her with a trash can lid then Gig crossbodies her as she sits on a chair. Gigi puts a garbage can on Jacy's head and Kawada kicks it. Gigi then dropkicks the can into her.

Gigi has a bat wrapped in thorns but misses the shot and is spinebustered onto a trash can. We go to break and return. Gigi has a chain wrapped around her mouth but pulls Jacy into a chair between the buckles. Gigi rainmakers her for 2.

Jacy neckbreakers Gigi onto chairs for 2. They trade forearms and Gigi has her head banged off a trash can. Gigi is then superkicked and her head bangs off the can. Jacy cannonballs her into the can for 2. Gigi hits a stiff knee in the gut then is thrown into the cage. They go up top and Jacy is pushed off through a table. Gigi wins.

This had a lot of weapons usage and was okay, but nothing super memorable. I think they did an okay making it seem like they hated each other but WWE weapons matches are pretty tame for the most part minus table spots.

Wes Lee is interviewed. He talks about his title defenses then Dyad walk in. Tyler Bate comes in to help Wes and tells him if you want to fight Wes, you have to fight him too. Bate says he is still his mate and he still has his back.

We see Tony D'Angelo get his pictures taken at jail.

Gallus talks in the back. They say no one can stop them and say Tony D can't do much while in coughs. Mark mocks tony D then stacks comes in and accuses them of ratting on Tony D. Stacks tells Wolf that snitches get stitches then he nails one of the Coffey's. Gallus then beats him 1v3 and the refs break it up.

Melo and Trick come out. Trick says Melo stayed champ at Battleground. Melo says it was a battle and said his juices went crazy. He said sometimes you have to take shots to make shots. He said he neve rmisses when it comes to the NXT title and says it was just another brick laid down on the Melo dynasty. Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend come out, as they are a new group.

Dar says Melo wasn't the only one to defend the title. He said he beat Dragon Lee twice. Trick says it took 4 of them to cheat and beat Lee. Melo said his title puts him on the highest level, unlike Dar. Melo says Dar beat Lee twice but he can't beat him once. Dar challenges him to step up and put the NXT title against him tonight. Trick accuses him of trying to beat up Melo while he's still hurt from Battleground. Dar says Melo doesn't have what it takes to compete at the highest level night in and night out like him. Lash accuses Melo of doing load management. Melo accepts the challenge for a title match tonight. I really don't get this new Noam Dar group at all.

Cora Jade says Lyra headbutted her in the eye and she was blind for most of the match as she makes excuses for her loss. She said everyone has to screw over Cora Jade. Ivy Nile comes in and says injuries are part of the game. She said she lost. Cora said her boys couldn't get the job done on Sunday and Ava whooped Ivy's butt. Ivy said when they lose a fight, they don't b!tch about it. They said Cora vs Ivy will take place later tonight.

Reggie goes up to Axiom. He says his people call him Scrypts, not Reggie. He says Ax taking off his mask opened his eyes. He said he is now living in the sunlight and he said he couldn't watch Dabba Kato beat up Ax. He then thanks Ax as Ax seems confused.

The Dyad vs Tyler Bate and Wes Lee

Bate rolls and uses his leg to get out of an armlock. Bate flips Jagger then 2nd rope euros Rip. Wes slingshot sunset flips Rip. Wes headscissors ripe then tilt-a-whirl presses him. Bate double axe handles Rip off the top then Bate is pushed into Wes as he's on the buckles. We does a top rope headlock takeover and headscissors combo then the faces hit stereo dropkicks. Mustafa Ali appears in the crowd and we go to break.

We return and Ali is with the commentators. Bate is getting beat up on. Ali says he is a free agent and Bate uses his knees to get out of a double suplex. He then does a double hurricanrana. Wes beats up on Rip with a dropkick to the back of the neck then is rolled into a ddt on Rip. Wes hits a strike combo and a double stomp to the back of Jagger. Rip double throat thrusts Wes. Wes double flip kicks his opponents then we get a double spiral tap by the faces. Wes hits a tope con hilo on Rip then Jagger takes a tiger driver for the Bate and Lee match.

The match was fine with Wes looking good.

Ivy Nile jumps Ava Raine after then Dyad and The Creed's fight. Gacy beats up on Wes and Ali beats up Gacy and throws him out. 

Charlie Dempsey and Drew Gulak are speaking at Chase U on Sunday. They talk about how Thea puts herself at a disadvantage from Sunday. We then go to video from today. Gulak is teaching people how to put a headlock on and Thea is unsure about doing this class. Thea says they think she is weak, but she knows she is not. Thea grabs Duke by the shirt and says let me go. Thea gets in the ring and Charlie tells her no running away. We then cut away.

Tiffany Stratton comes out with photos of herself in the ring. Tiff said she is now rightfully at the top of NXT. Tiff says she is the epitome of what a true star is. Tiff invites the rest of the women's locker room out. Tiff said no one can hang with her and she might as well retire. She tells all the girl they can't hang with her. Tiff sai there will be a battle royale to determine who her next opponent is. She said it doesn't matter who wins as it is Tiffy Time as long as she wants. Confetti and balloons come out and Tiffany is beat up then kicked out of the ring. Lyra dropkicks her through the ropes and everyone yells at her. Tiff cries as she said they ruined her moment. She says she hates all of them. 

Trick is on the phone and Oro, Jakara and Lash walk up to him. They say Melo will get beat up tonight by Dar. Trick says they might disagree on the match but on the looks department, Trick don't miss. Oro said Melo should have just taken the night off. Trick rips all of them for interfering in Dar's match at the PPV and said he's watching all of them tonight.

Dani Palmer comes out to talk. She said she can't leave the ring until she finds out who the attacker is. She said she isn't going anywhere until the attacker shows their face. We see clips of the people NXT Anonymous attacked. Dani is then attacked from behind. The attacker is Blair Davenport and she hits a v-trigger on her. I'm really not a Blair Davenport fan and I have no interest in seeing her weekly.

Eddy Thorpe talks to Enofe and Blade in the back. Damon Kemp mock claps for him and said he can't win without cheating then laughs.

Joe Coffey vs Stacks

Stacks shotgun dropkicks Joe then takes shots. Stacks hits knees then fist drops him. Joe hiptosses him and throws him hard into the buckles. Joe hits another hiptoss then Stacks dropkicks him off the apron. We go to break and return. Joe has a body scissors on Stacks then Stacks takes a stungun. Stacks takes a dangerous fall on a backdrop then neckbreakers him. Stacks goes up top and is belly to belly suplexed off the 2nd rope. Stacks back body drops Joe then goes over the top when he lariats him and Joe eventually follows. Stacks misses a charge near the steps and goes into them then Joe flying battering rams him. Joe then hits a spinning lariat and wins it.

It was okay though nothing super special.

We see clips from last week of Mr. Stone yelling at Von for putting Luca through a table. He said if he gets dq'd, he can lose everything. Von said Luca had been at him for weeks and he deserves it. Stone said Von has anger management issues and needs to talk to a therapist. Von says they will just take his hard earned money and Stone says he will pay for it. Von says he will think about it.

Wee clips of Ilja Dragunov talking on the phone and walking into the building at Battleground. He sits in the seats and says the world will know pain. We then see clips of him winning the match and they say he will return next week.

Ivy Nile vs Cora Jade 

Cora complains about her eye then nails Ivy. Ivy lariats her then rolling armbars her into a pin. Cora pulls down Ivy by the hair. Cora dropkicks her as she is in the ropes. Ivy hits leg kicks and then a flying corner kick for 2. Ivy hits a nice gutwrench suplex then Ava Raine grabs Ivy. Ivy dragon sleepers her then Cora nails Ivy from behind. Cora hits a double arm ddt and wins it.

It wasn't too long and wasn't anything special before the dirty finish.

Tank and Hank ask how the other are. Tank says their match worked in making them closer to each other. They say they have a connection and then say what their favorite things are at the same time. Blade and Enofe come in. They aren't impressed and don't think they are that close. Edris and Blade then try to say match their favorite things but can't. Edris says they are not fighting but Blade says it may help them too. 

McKenzie Mitchell goes up to Diamond Mine. Ivy challenges Ava for next week then The Creeds also say the Dyad can get it too. They then all argue and it has to be broken up.

NXT Title - Carmelo Hayes (c) vs Noam Dar

They lock up and Dar rolls out of an armlock. Dar takes an armdrag then hits kicks. Melo hits a springboard lariat and we go to break. We return and Melo hits a flying forearm in the corner. Melo does his springboard blind legdrop as Dar hangs off the ropes for 2. Melo is thrown out but lands on the apron then Dar dropkicks him off the apron.

Dar double underhook suplexes him for 2 then forearms him for 2. Melo hits a la mistica drop on him. Melo hits lariats, a superkick and a pump kick. Melo is distracted by Lash and Jakara then Trick ends up nailing Oro after arguing with the girls. Trick is thrown out by the ref then Dar kneebars him.

They trade forearms and Dar spinning backfists him. Melo picks him up like a suplex and cutters him. Oro distracts Melo as he goes up top then Nathan Frazer and Dragon Lee confront Dar and Oro. Melo dives on both heels Melo hits his top rope legdrops over the neck and wins it.

I didn't think it was that special and all of the shenanigans outside got as much focus as the match did.

Baron Corbin jumps Melo after then pounds on him.  Corbin then hits his finisher and poses over Melo with the title.

Overall thoughts: I don't like the direction this show is taking at all with failed roster acts, NXT UK acts who won't ever be big stars and a lack of younger talent getting developed. NXT 2.0 was one of my favorite shows ever and this is starting to become an even worse version of Wednesday Night Wars NXT. The matches were good and they started a lot of new programs here, but my interest is at an all-time low.

Ring of Honor on HonorClub 5/25/2023 Episode 13

Ring of Honor on HonorClub 5/25/2023 Episode 13

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/ring-of-honor-on-honorclub-5182023.html

 JD Drake vs Mark Briscoe

They trade chops to start. Mark facekicks him and hits boots in the corner. JD splashes him then throws him. Mark flying kicks him then top rope corkscrew moonsaults him outside. They trade slaps and Mark is bodyblocked and senton'd. JD makes the spit fly with a chop then JD spinebusters him for 2. JD black hole slams him for 2 then does a splash off the bottom rope for 2. Mark top rope dropkicks him for 2 then corner lariats him. Mark uranage's him for 2 and goes for the Jay driller. Anthony Henry gets on the apron, gets hit then Mark dropkicks him through the ropes. Mark misses a blockbuster on the floor then is thrown into the ropes for a lariat on the outside.

JD hits a top rope moonsault for 2 and goes for his own Jay driller. Mark rolling death valley drivers him then hits a top rope elbow and wins it.

It was a decent opener. I would have liked to have seen JD's moonsault end the match since he usually doesn't do it.

Mark calls out Samoa Joe again, saying he's been whooping burly boys.

Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal are interviewed. Daniels said he thinks Joe and Sabre Jr. threw a curveball at them by setting up this tag match. Daniels said they are former tag champs though. Sydal said he can feel the tv titles pulling him closer and closer and said he can feel them around their waist.

Proving Ground Match - Claudio Castagnoli vs Serpentico

Serp offers his hand and CC barely shakes it. They push each other then do a test of strength. Serp is suplexed from the double knucklelock. Serp rolls up CC out of the cazadora then headsicssors him into the buckles. Serp hits another headscissors then tope con hilos him. Serp top rope crossbodies him for 2. Serp gets his boot caught and is thrown hard over the top into the rails.

CC throws him into the steps outside then hits short arm lariats inside. CC hits a ton of short arm lariats and finally wins with one.

This was pretty much a total squash and wasn't anything special.

Vertvixen vs Kiera Hogan

No intro for Vert. Vert does some nice moves into an armdrag and Athena comes out to watch. Vert shoulders her over then hits a nice dropkick. Vert is tripped into the 2nd rope then Kiera hip attacks her. Kiera then jumps off her back for a legdrop for 2. Vert legsweeps her and rolls into a short flatliner and koji clutch. Vert springboard kicks her for 2.

Kiera makes a comeback with a corner hip attack and a baseball slide for 2. Vert pump kicks her then does a delayed blue thunder for 2. Kiera high kicks her then saito suplexes her for the win.

Look, if we're being honest, Vert looked better than Kiera did here. The crowd was real dead for this which sadly brought it down. Vert did a nice job.

Athena got on the apron after and piefaced Kiera, who tripped over Vert. Athena asked if she was going to step up or step out.

Kyle Fletcher vs AR Fox

They shake hands and Kyle headlock takeovers him. AR flips out of an armlock just to get slammed. AR then hits a chinbreaker into a neckbreaker. AR corner lariats him then skins the cat back in to dropkick him. Kyle backdrops him on the apron then slams him on the floor.

Kyle hits some stomps and slams him for 1. Kyle slams him again then AR twisting brainbusters him. AR hits lariats, kips down then enzugiri's him. AR rolls him into a cutter for 2. He rolls out of a 450 attempt then is snap half-nelson suplexed after. Kyle brainbusters him for 2. AR enzugiri's him then facekicks and pumpkicks him out. AR top rope flip dives him on the outside then 450's him for 2.

Kyle 2nd rope michinoku drivers him for 2 then does a spinning tombstone and wins it.

I hated this. They did too much to start with AR getting backdropped on the apron and slammed on the floor, but that was just the beginning here. AR sold none of that as usual then was back up doing his dives. The 2nd rope michinoku driver kickout was the cherry on this indy sundae.

Willow Nightingale vs Hyan

Willow won the NJPW Strong Women's Title over the weekend. Willow headlocks her then shoulders her over. Willow russian legsweeps her then does a grounded octopus. Willow misses an enzugiri and cartwheels out of a hair throw. Willow then hair throws and slams her.

Willow takes back elbows in the corner then Hyan does a grounded abdominal stretch variation to her. Willow step-up enzugiri's her then hits a corner hip attack. Willow 2nd rope dropkicks her then corner cannonballs her. Willow then does a doctor bomb and wins it.

This was just a squash and wasn't anything too special.

The Kingdom vs Mack Attack (Willie Mack and Ninja Mack) 

Willie trips Taven then hiptosses him. Willie hits armdrags then dropkicks him. Willie takes a dropkick to the knee then an elbow to the head. Willie then takes a forearm into a 2nd rope Taven dropkick. Willie fights off a 2v1 and shoulders Taven into a tag. Ninja top rope crossbodies both opponents and Ninja does a cool roll-up out of the suplex position.

Taven tries to pull Ninja off the apron but Ninja flips out and superkicks him. Ninja handsprings but is german'd on his head. Ninja takes a sit out gordbuster then Ninja takes a stun gun. Ninja is suplexed into a top rope frogsplash for 2. Ninja dropkicks his opponent then Willie gets in. Willie hits a double clothesline then hits corner lariats on The Kingdom. He misses a corner senton then samoan drops Taven. Willie kips up then does his standing moonsault for 2.

Taven is lariated over the top then Ninja does his backflips into a moonsault outside. Taven takes a 3D esque move then then Ninja does a capoeira flip onto him. Mike forearms Willie outside and Ninja is caught up top. Kingdom hit a protonpack on Ninja and win it.

I liked this one. They didn't overdo it, the faces were faces and the heels were heels. We got a couple of Ninja flips and it was just good wrestling.

Dream Girl Ellie vs Mercedes Martinez 

Ellie piefaces her then is lariated. MM hits mounted punches and Ellie double upkicks her. Ellie hook kicks her then does a shotgun single leg dropkick. MM facekicks her hard. MM hits corner chops then saito suplexes her. Ellie calls for timeout but takes v-triggers then is running knee'd. MM forearms her in the back of the head then does a surfboard dragon sleeper to win it.

Ellie was decent in the little we got to see but this was just a short squash here. 

Mack Attack are interviewed. Ninja says you are going to win and lose sometimes like in every bet. He says to bet on ROH and bet on Willie and Ninja. Willie said his daddy got around a lot and he doesn't know if Ninja is his brother or cousin. Willie said this isn't the last time they will see them in ROH and said the Mack Attack is here to stay.

Danielle Kamela vs Ashley D'Amboise

Ashley got an entrance here. They shake hands. Kamela tries to roll out of her hammerlock, but Ashley rolls with her. Ashley headflips and cartwheels out of an armlock then arm wringers her. Kamela hits corner stomps then throws her. Kamela chokes her with her knee on the ropes. Ashley gets stuck in the ropes in an interesting way and is kicked.

Kamela pounds on her and they trade shots. Ashley lariats her then does a flipping neckbreaker. Ashley powerslams her for 2. Kamela hits a snapmare driver for 2 then a twisting neckbreaker for 2. Ashley reverse F-U's her for 2. Ashley then uranage's her and wins it.

The crowd didn't care about this at all. This seemed to mostly be a showcase for Kamela, who is still green and not ready for this kind of stage yet.

Rocky Romero vs Titus Alexander

Titus hits a back elbow off the ropebreak and they trade chops. Titus basement dropkicks him and does his dance. Titus hits a nice dropkick and a spinning backbreaker for 2. Titus does a great sell on a springboard tornado ddt and Titus goes outside trying to get him on the ropes. Rocky topes him then hits a shiranui inside for 2.

Titus goes over him in the corner then upkicks him. Titus rolls him into a suplex. Rocky rolling armbars him off the buckles and submits him to win it.

It was a short but entertaining match. Titus got to show off a little here and looked good.

The Righteous and Stu Grayson vs Marcus Kross, Vary Morales and LSG

Kross' name was spelled "Macrus". I mean, it may even be an improvement. Stu running cross chops Stu and spears him into the corner. Vary comes off the 2nd rope and is caught with a belly to belly. Stu hits a running cross chop. Dutch is whipped into Kross then thrown into a Stu dropkick. Dutch then hits a nice legdrop.

Kross takes a kick combo from Stu and Vincent then is short flatlinered. LSG springboard corkscrew crossbodies Vincent. Stu avoids a double lariat and hits a double pele kick. The Dark Order then get on the ramp and say something to Stu. Dutch hits a fantastic black hole slam on Vary then Vincent goes up Dutch for a sliced bread #2. Vincent tags in Stu with Kross ready to be pinned and Stu hits a nightfall backbreaker to win.

It was a good squash with the Righteous and Stu looking good.

Stu and the Dark Order exchange words as Stu goes up the ramp.

Zack Sabre Jr. and Samoa Joe are interviewed. Zack says he's on a mission to make his NJPW World TV Title the best TV title in wrestling. Joe said he's going to look forward to having his back and Zack says he will look forward to it.

"Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams vs Shane Taylor

Anthony Henry and JD Drake are with Shane. Tracy is thrown off early and Shane punches him. Shane hits punches to the body then Tracy armbars him over the top rope. Shane does a stiff bodyblock then hits a hard punch. Shane sideslams Tracy then Tracy comes back with forearms. Tracy is pulled off the 2nd rope but hits a ddt. Tracy then sliding clotheslines him. They fight up top, Shane hits headbutts then top rope frogsplashes him for 2.

Shane blocks a piledriver and back body drops him. Shane headbutts him in the chest then pulls him into a uranage. Shane then splashes him for 2. Tracy hits forearms then is dropped with one. Shane then package piledrivers Tracy and gets the win.

It was short and just okay. Shane looked good as he usually does here.

Proving Ground Match - Athena vs Promise Braxton

This is Braxton's ROH debut. Athena rolls her up early then hits a stiff running back elbow. Athena armdrags her then PB japanese armdrags her. They both kip up and Athena facekicks her off the handshake. Athena knocks her down with a forearm and PB does an octopus stretch variation. PB suplexes her then is delay grodbustered.

Athena superkicks her for 2. PB hits lariats and gutbusters her. athena grabs her with her legs as she comes in and hurricanrana's her into the 2nd buckle. Athena slingshot corkscrew splashes her then Athena hits mounted forearms. Athena gets on her back and wins it with a cobra clutch.

It was a squash. Braxton wasn't that impressive here and it wasn't that interesting. 

Athena beats up on her after as expected then Kiera Hogan decks Athena from behind. Kiera high kicks her then hits mounted punches. Kiera asks if she's really bout it and wants to mess with her, then bangs her head off the title. 

Dralistico vs Tony Deppen

Dral piefaces him then is knocked outside and tope con hilo'd. Tony pounds on him outside then Tony is thrown hard into the post. Tony is thrown into the stairs then Dral springboard swantons him. Dral superkicks him as he is seated against the bottom rope then he lays on the ropes and poses.

Tony pump kicks him then does an inverted flip on him on the outside. Tony top rope double stomps him for 2. Dral hits him low in front of the ref but the ref doesn't even warn him. Dral lets Tony chop him then Tony does the same. They slap each other and Tony jumpingk nees him. Dral does a nice corkscrew kick then is german suplexed. Tony germans him again then Tony takes a rebound german. Dral poisonrana's him.

Tony spinning forearms him and Dral springboard hurricanrana's him off the ropes. Dral hits a la mistica and wins it.

The finish was out of nowhere but I thought it was a decent effort otherwise. They brought some fire here and it had some highlights with a couple of dives.

Nick Comoroto is interviewed. He said Blake Christian looks, talks and walks like everyone else. He said he calls himself all heart, but he is all generic. Nick asks how many people look like Nicky Boy? Nick says he will reach in and rip the all heart out of chest then spit down the hole he made. Nick then tells ROH not to send for these wimps.

Skye Blue vs Miranda Alize

Alize doesn't want a handshake. Skye armdrags her then headscissors her. Alize hits a short ddt off knee dropkick. Alize facewash kicks her in the corner then double underhook suplexes her for 2. Skye hits shots out of the corner then step up knees her on the ropes.

Alize blocks a kick and says, "I don't think so, little girl", then Skye kicks her. Alize suplexes her then crossfaces her. Skye superkicks her then rolls her up to win.

This was short and not very good as usual with Skye Blue.

Athena is interviewed as she leaves. Lexi asks how it feels to get a taste of her own medicine. Athena says Lexi is everywhere and is good at sticking her nose in the wrong places. Athena says she will see Kiera next week and put her title on the line. Athena then yells at her and throws a fit, throwing her bag into rails.

Darius Martin and Action Andretti vs Cole Karter and Zack Clayton

AA hops over Zack's back then trips him into the 2nd buckle. AA flips off the buckles into an armdrag then dropkicks him. AA then does a bototm rope corkscrew splash. Zack hits a stiff lariat on Darius then Darius hits a nice dropkick on Cole. AA does a double jump tornillo off the buckles on Cole. AA is then pushed off the 2nd rope and takes a hard bump on the floor. Zack uses the bottom rope to suplex AA in.

AA superkicks Zack and Darius gets the hot tag in. Darius beats up on the heels and does some weird bulldog through the ropes + dropkick through the ropes. Darius flatliners Zack for 2 then Zack powerslams him. Cole top rope frogsplashes Darius for 2. AA hits a sloppy assisted tornado ddt on Zack then Zack takes a double swinging slam for the AA and Darius win.

It was short but I did like it. The heels heeled it up then the faces made their comeback and won it.

 Blake Christian vs Nick Comoroto

 

Blake slaps Nick early twice. They mess up some corner spear and Blake gets a spear into the nuts. Blake flips off the apron to get away from him then makes him chase him around the ring. Blake tope con hilo's him then kneels on the ropes and flips onto him. Blake topes him and is caught, then thrown into the post.

Nick throws him off a suplex then elbow drops him for 2. Nick hits a nice euro and Blake kips up off of it. Nick misses a corner charge hard then Blake does a hard tope into him. Blake top rope double stomps his neck as he stands then Blake top rope frogsplashes him for 2. Nick spinebusters him and does a reverse F-U.

Blake grabs a chair from under the ring and throws it to the other side. Blake then flies at him and rolls him up to win.

This was a stupid finish to a decent match. Blake was not being a good face here by cheating. It's a real shame too since this was one of Blake's best efforts.

Diamante vs Trish Adora

They push each other then Trish does a goliath bird eater variation on her. Dia neckbeakers her over the 2nd rope then baseball slides her off the apron. Dia hits chops then overhead belly to belly suplexes her. Dia then corner dropkicks her.

They trade forearms then Trish hits a piching style forearm. Trish then crossbodies her for 2. Trish hits a spinning fisherman's suplex. Dia spinning reverse ddt's her then does a neat stranglehold and arm submission to win it.

This wasn't good. Trish looked like she was out of it legit here and the two didn't click.

Alex Coughlin tells Shibata to come prepared. He said he was invited by him to the NJPW dojo 5 years ago and now he is walking out with his title.

Penta El Zero Miedo vs Slim J

Penta taunts him and J grabs his arm during it. Penta spin kicks him then kicks him after he drops down. Penta superkicks J and tries to tope him but takes a forearm. Penta is thrown out and beaten up by the Trustbusters. J hits his springboard reverse ddt. They trade kicks and Penta slingblades him for 2.

J hits something like a spinning shiranui for 2. J is stuck on the 2nd rope and is double stomped down. J hits a flatliner out of the casadora and flying back elbows him for 2. J springboards and is caught with a kick. Penta then package piledrivers him to win it.

It was short but fine.

Samoa Joe and Zack Sabre Jr. vs Matt Sydal and Christopher Daniels

Zack and Matt straightjacket each other. Matt hurricanrana's him and does a spinning heel kick. Joe chops Daniels then is tripped into a baseball slide. Matt kicks Zack in the leg several times then leg slices him. Daniels is then back dropped onto Zack. Matt standing corkscrew moonsaults Zack.

Joe hits a punch flurry on Daniels then back enzugiri's him in the corner. Joe headbutts Daniels then ties his arm up while pushing on his chin. Zack and Joe argue in the corner and Zack shoves him. Daniels pushes him into Joe then Joe kicks Daniels. Joe powerslams Daniels. Joe headbutts Daniels. Matt gets the hot tag in and hits shots on both opponents then brazilian kicks Zoe. Sydal top rope meteoras Joe for 2. Zack flies at thim and takes a backslide.

Zack suplexes Matt from the guillotine position then Matt hits la mistic into a crossface on Zack while Daniels hits a flatliner into a koji clutch on Joe. Zack takes a powerbomb + meteora combo in the corner for 2. Joe back body drops Daniels then hits a stiff running lariat. Matt jumping spin kicks Joe then Zack twists Matt's neck with his feet. Daniels hits the angels wins on Zack then takes a uranage in the corner. Joe then puts Daniels in the choke and wins it.

It wasn't great or anything but the finishing stretch wasn't bad and Joe looked good here.

Overall thoughts: This had 19 matches and went 3 hours. It took me multiple sessions to try and get through this. It wasn't a bad show, but it was very hard to get through.