bradhindsight

A year ago these two facing off in a multi-man ROH/NJPW taping got a lot of buzz from the crowd (and me). Lethal's ribs are ailing and Omega goes right for them - cheapshot and then he kicks him outside the ring to use the apron to work them over. There's a great formula switch early here - Omega goes for the OWA, but Lethal rolls through and then goes for and HITS the Lethal Injection, but Omega (who doesn't have much damage) rolls quickly to the outside. Loved this sequence. Lethal works the knee, and credit to Omega as he sold well. Lethal consistently tries again for his finish as he knows how tough an out Omega is, good psychology. Some big forearms to Omega, but Lethal gets two V-triggers and a shining wizard. He nearly reverses out of the OWA, but Omega deadlifts him back up for a modified one. Loved the struggle this showed. really good match ***3/4

I thought this was pretty easily the worst ROH PPV main event since their return to PPV three years ago (for BitW in fact). Yes, even worse than the Anniversary show 5-way with the bad ending. Commentary tries to put over Cody as this bad heel, but it comes off empty because the crowd is fully behind him. Then they structure parts of the match around getting him heat (like with Cary Silkin - and BC interference), which comes off as flat as possible. Poor Kazarian saves Daniels and fights off Scurll to CRICKETS. Cody's lip is legit busted pretty early, so there's that as a visual I guess. The timing is not good at all between these two. And what makes the bad timing even worse is that the final stretch - which is very planned out - looks so fake and choreographed compared to the crap earlier that it comes off terrible. Probably generous at **

From Ioan at PTBN:

This was tremendous. Really liked that this was just centered on the neck, so they could just show organic fatigue vs. having to come back to a limb, while still hitting tremendous high spots. And this wasn't egregious either - like an Omega/Ishii for example. Once we got the top rope piledriver, the finish came pretty quick - no 1-count kickout or multiple more finishers. Everything I wanted out of these two, really hard-hitting too. One of my top matches this year. ****3/4

From Ioan review at PTBN:

This one is flagged for a re-watch from me. Great matchup on paper and kayfabe-wise with the injury, which I thought the announcers did a great job of calling. Takes a couple minutes before we move into the targeted arm stuff, there were some disconnects where they weren't on the same page. Some repeated sequences (like the arm twisting with the gut punches), never felt like Tanahashi did enough to ZSJ here knee-wise (also kind of a complaint to his Naito match tbh). Tanahashi's selling is fine - and they build to a couple good counters late to play off early in the match. Strong finish and dramatics too. Never got into the final gear for me, but an exceptional match ***1/2

From Ioan review at PTBN:

(this is clipped from my live notes): Goto/Ishii was brutal (not in a bad way), really like how Goto wrestles - he's great here. Ishii is less egregious than the Omega final, but he's still Super Ishii here and Goto sold much better here (until the end). I liked Goto flipping the script and using his own headbutt to lead into the finish. This just crept to **** for me.

I didn't feel this overstayed its welcome, pretty standard formula that works against Fale. Share the same rating as soup there. From Ioan's review at PTBN:

From Ioan Morris review at Place to Be Nation:

I'm right at ***1/4 - was very close to 3.5. Didn't feel it went on too long, and Nagata's offense is so f'n great. I am an unabashed mark for how he works singles matches and was hoping he'd get the W here. YH wasn't bad, his signature comebacks were good. These guys worked well together for the most part.

I've noted this before, but I *love* the fact we have the best chronological looks through promotions out there with Titans of Wrestling (WWWF->WWF), Place to Be (WWF->WWE), Where the Big Boys Play (NWA->WCW - it's not dead, I promise) and Ring of Honor. High quality stuff as always Hobbes.

I thought it was cool that ROH made sure more of their regular stops got these co-NJPW shows. Columbus and Pitt (and to an extent Buffalo) are big stops for them.

That said - we're also working on a project to make sure everything is archived. I'd say we're in pretty good shape, and SC has a nice downloader tool that lets you pull off playlists versus individual shows, which is real nice.

This is purely conjecture, but I'd imagine the actual hosting side of their business (a small piece to their overall product suite) would be sold or possibly kept since it's subscription based and actually brings in money. If they would cease hosting, i would hope the archive would at least be there for a set time. I have a new host lined up if needed, but man the moving of the backlog would be awful. I'd bet other sites will come up with a way to import data should they leave the market. Something i'm closely watching for sure.

I loved this as a sequel to 1/4 with the build around Tanahashi's partially torn bicep. Tanhashi's selling throughout was tremendous. Felt gritty with the extended brawl pre-bell and all the strikes and slaps. SUPER DESTINO was a great nearfall. I thought the english commentary actively added to this match also. Liked Tanhashi's fiery comeback, although the extended cloverleaf for the finish didn't connect with me (not doubting he did a good job using the dragon whip early as a transition to fight off the arm work). I thought this was great. ****1/2 .

I loved this - a good bit more than the Dome match too (went **** there). Ultra aggressive KUSHIDA early as they just strike each all around the ring. We get a great chair spot (with a great kick to get Hiromu to sit down) with the diving dropkick into the crowd. I loved how this was laid out - KUSHIDA avoids the sunset bomb, works the arm, hits the big overhead suplex holding the arm off the top rope. Looks like the end, but they morph this into another pretty lengthy segment with Hiromu getting the sunset bomb (sick thud on his head) and starting to run through his stuff just like Genesis. Timebomb reversed and then we get SUPER BACK TO THE FUTURE off the middle rope, into another slugout in a callback to the beginning of the match. KUSHIDA looks rocked here, but he just decimates Hiromu with stomps and then ratchets on the hoverboard to get the win. Easy ****1/2 from me.

I got the impression the rehab happened post TNA, but he's worked since then in that very toned down style (like the Cody matches) - which is a good thing. He definitely seemed like he was in a good place. A very honest piece.

Do you mean cross-trading (Steam to PS4, etc)? I could see how PS4 creations/uploads only stick to that server. If they don't even allow that - the PC is the way to go.

I liked this a good bit, and Chad has laid out similar critiques that I have. I thought the arm vs. neck stuff early was good - the DDT off the apron was new for Okada. Transitions here were smooth also. After the second attempted Rainmaker, when Anderson chopped the arm, I thought they really were going to build to this being a big thing down the stretch. It wasn't, but i do think both guys - and Okada especially - did staggered selling pretty well. This wasn't Okada brushing the match off at times, he was much more consistent than usual. A lot of good counters here, i especially liked the couple times they'd do double counters in unusual spots. Like Okada would charge the turnbuckle and miss, and you'd typically see Anderson take over, but HE misses and then Okada is back in control. They do something similar around the eventual powerbomb by Anderson and it popped me. I thought the trading and extended finish was really well executed (although the blocking of the cutters looked a bit wonky, Okada would go down but never lose his base - it was certainly different than the two push-off counters they had already done). I thought the desperation dropkick by Okada led to a warranted slug-out on their knees before the big finish of dropkick to the back of the head > tombstone > Rainmaker. This was very good. ****

The evidence is damning at this point (would check out Bix's twitter) - both audio and the witness account. Her story about the fan throwing a drink on Del Rio to try to cover this up was really sad.

I don't think he burned his bridge with ROH at all. He was on the one Vegas show before he went to WWE and I know he talked with the office positively around that time from a conversation we had with KK.

I think we lean to air date - like with NXT tapings and what not. I'll see about merging that in here (or vice versa). thanks!

Things I liked: - Joe never appearing scared or intimidated - Joe jumping Brock before the bell (complete continuation of the TV build) - Brock selling - Joe blocking Brock's knees (the announcers did not note this) Dumb things I nitpick on: - The entire match is a struggle that looks like a fight until they do the first clutch spot and Brock breaks when he runs Joe into the turnbuckle so his head bounces off and then he does wacky I'm dazed selling. - One pop-up F5 (that the announcers say Joe got caught with, even though he was grinding Brock into the ground with his submission. It wasn't like he let up) does Joe in - a kickout there sends the crowd into a frenzy even though we've seen Brock dish multiple ones before. And I get rebuilding the F-5, but Brock is guilty for diluting that move over the last year. It feels like the AA (remember when just one of those planted Rusev? Same feeling here). I was around ***3/4 here, leaning up.

Once he beat Taker at Mania they really flipped the script with his matches, which is a shame as that Punk match is a SS all-timer. I mean, geez, people forget he did semi-longish stuff with HHH of all people in 2013.