TONIGHT: Jay Lethal defends the ROH World Title against Hirooki Goto
1) Roderick Strong vs. Matt Sydal vs. Moose vs. Adam Page - Four Corner Survival Match
What a way to kick off the show with this star studded match. Roddy & Sydal start things off before Page comes in to slug it out with Roddy. Both Sydal & Page get taken out which leads to Roddy having a show down with Moose which I'm hoping foreshadows a singles match happening between them soon. An array of crazy moves including Moose powerbombing Sydal into the railing, Roddy dropkicking Moose to the floor, and Page nailing his signature shooting star press off the apron onto Roddy sends us to commercial. The final few minutes sees Adam Page close in on a huge win only for BJ Whitmer to distract him. Sydal hits an SSP on Page, but Roddy steals the victory by hitting both men with jumping knees and an end of heartache.
Match rating - ***
Adam Cole comes out to the ring to discuss the "slump" he's been in. He discusses being unable to regain the ROH World title and assures everyone that Kyle O'Reilly will never be the Ring of Honor World Champion. He's soon interrupted by his own music hitting and Matt Taven walks out. This is the first time Taven has been seen since getting injured at Final Battle in December of last year. Taven & Cole embrace however that would be the last display of affection as Taven changes tune extremely quickly. Taven basically says Adam Cole is out of the Kingdom because he failed in winning gold last year unlike he & Bennett. Since Bennett is gone to TNA and Cole is out, Taven is going to rebuild the Kingdom around himself.
2) Cheeseburger vs. Foxx Vinyer
AZTEC WARFARE 2
It's Aztec Warfare week. A 20 Man Royal Rumble style match except you have to actually be pinned to be eliminated. Every minute or two, a new entrant enters the match. Last year, the winner became #1 Contender to the Lucha Underground Title, but this year it's for ALL the marbles per Catrina. The winner of this will walk out the Lucha Underground Champion. This announcement was made last week when Fenix shockingly defeated Mil Muertes to become the LU Champion. To stack the odds against the young man even more, Fenix enters first and Muertes enters last. I think that's all that needs to be covered to preface this thing so let's dive right into it.
#1 Fenix
#2 Rey Mysterio
Wow. We start off this year's Aztec Warfare with a Dream Match in the form of Fenix against Rey Mysterio. They get a few minutes to do their thing and it rules. There's a cool 619 attempt countered into an arm drag by Fenix.
#3 King Cuerno
Cuerno is the third entrant and he cleans house on both Fenix & Mysterio before hitting a huge dive to the floor on Fenix. This allows Mysterio time to recover and he comes out of nowhere the sliding frog splash off the apron to the floor as the bell rings for the fourth entrant to come out.
#4 Argenis
Argenis is in and gets a nice exchange with Fenix. Fenix goes for a springboard and gets caught with a kick for his troubles. Mysterio jumps back in the fray and it spells the end for Argenis. 619, frog splash, game over.
#5 Mundo
YAS! Mundo, Mysterio, & Fenix do their thing here as Mundo enters the temple to try and win Aztec Warfare. Lots of good stuff goes on here between these three.
#6 Joey Ryan
The Sleaze Master himself comes down and doesn't even attempt to get involved in the action, instead, he handcuffs himself to the railing to avoid the risk of getting eliminated.
#7 Prince Puma
PUMAAAAA. Shit goes bonkers here. Shooting star press to the floor on three men. Just unreal stuff like Cuerno countering Puma's blue thunder bomb into a hurricanrana. It's a momentary flurry for Cuerno as he stalls Puma's momentum, but gets caught by Mysterio and Rey Rey forces him to tap.
#8 Jack Evans
TONIGHT: The Young Bucks vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin
BJ Whitmer heads to the ring for his ROH TV Title match to start the show. The champion, Tomohiro Ishii comes out and the match is about to get underway when Cedric Alexander and Veda Scott come out. Veda offers Whitmer a high sum of money to let Cedric Alexander get his TV Title shot. Whitmer proudly accepts and we have a change of plans!
1) Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Cedric Alexander - ROH TV Title Match
I'm glad we got this instead of Ishii/Whitmer although that would be an interesting match up to see as well. Cedric has kind of been at a stagnant point creatively for about a year now however he still always delivers exciting matches and this was no different. Despite being mainly known as a high flying junior heavyweight, Alexander is pretty stocky and hits hard so he & Ishii clashed well. This was a good mix of what each man does best with Alexander's speed & striking being highlighted along with Ishii's hard hits and fighting spirit spots. Very hot final stretch. Sick headbutt from Ishii, he hits the ropes for the sliding lariat, ALEXANDER COUNTERS INTO A BACKSLIDE! 1..2..Ishii kicks out! Alexander with an elbow to the side of the head, he hits the ropes, ISHII TURNS HIM INSIDE OUT WITH A LARIAT! This leads the champion to victory as he nails Alexander with a brainbuster. Very fun match.
Match rating - ***1/4
NEXT WEEK: Jay Lethal defends the ROH World Championship against Hirooki Goto
Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian come out to discuss the reformation of the Motor City Machine Guns at the 14th Anniversary PPV. This brings out Sabin & Shelley themselves who challenge them to a match. The Guns charge the ring, but The Addiction runs away.
2) The Briscoes vs. RENO SCUM
Prolonged squash match here, but a very good one. RENO gets a few moments to shine with some awesome offense near the end and even a close fall. The Briscoes end up putting them away after a few minutes with Mark hitting his death valley driver into flying elbow combo.
Match rating - **1/2
Dalton Castle is backstage hyping his Fight Without Honor with Silas Young. He says the boys won't be there because their young eyes can't bare to see what he's gonna do to Silas. That match takes place three weeks from now!
3) The Young Bucks vs. Michael Elgin & Hiroshi Tanahashi
OOOOOH DADDY! A Young Bucks match always makes me happy and BIG MIKE is involved along with the ace of NJPW himself?! This ruled. The Bucks flurried early with an awesome sequence before Elgin & Tanahashi turned the tables by mocking The Bucks and using their own signature taunts like the suck it as well as the back rake in the corner. This builds to the hot tag for Nick who cleans house. Tanahashi gets isolated momentarily before Elgin is brought back in. The finishing sequence continues the high impact trend of this match and tops it off perfectly. Elgin catches Nick in mid-air going for the Meltzer Driver and power bombs him to the mat in brutal fashion. Meanwhile, Tanahashi hits the slingblade followed by High Fly Flow for the win.
Match rating - ***3/4
Fenix is backstage and is approached by Catrina who sweet talks him. She says maybe she made the wrong decision by siding with Mil and possibly, she should have stayed with him. They share "one final kiss" then Catrina dissappears after saying that tonight the Fenix will be destroyed once and for all.
1) The Disciples of Death vs. Son of Havoc, Ivelisse, & Angelico - Trios Championship Match
It's announced prior to the match that if Havoc, Ivelisse, & Angelico lose, they will leave the temple forever. So, this is basically their last chance to regain the trios titles. Everyone brawls to start before Ivelisse gets isolated. The Disciples of Death work her over for a minute or two before she's able to make the hot tag to Angelico. Damn if he doesn't blow my mind every time I see him compete, just crazy flexibility and athleticism with the way he uses his limbs. This begins the babyfaces comeback as they hit a triple drive. And before you know it, they are in complete control and pick up the victory. The trios titles are back in the hands of three fan favorites. Short, but sweet match. I felt like it should have been more given the stipulation, though.
Match rating - **3/4
2) Chavo Guerrero vs. Texano Jr - Bull Rope Match
This feud has been going on for the past few weeks. It never really grasped my attention and neither did this match. It's only six minutes long which is relatively short for a bull rope match that's supposed to be the final chapter in a rivalry. Texano wins in rather definitive fashion, thankfully.
Match rating - **
3) Mil Muertes (c) vs. Fenix - Lucha Underground Championship Match
Thus far this season, LU hasn't delivered a match that truly provided that spark that last year did on several occassions. That is, until now. Muertes & Fenix clearly still have the same chemistry that made their Grave Consequences match last year so awesome because this was another classic between the two. After Fenix tried to knock Mil off his feet and failed to keep him down thus aggravating the monster, this one turned brutal. Fenix goes for a dive and gets nailed with a chair shot to the head which leads to Mil ripping open his mask and hitting him again with the chair. Fenix begins bleeding from the head and the fight goes into the crowd as this match gets taken to a whole new level. Mil literally tosses Fenix into the fans at one point, Fenix hits a dive off the second level railing and busts Mil open after also ripping his mask apart, it got really intense really quick. This one had all the drama and emotion you'd expect, if not more. The crowd was fully behind Fenix aside from a small section which made for some awesome near falls. Fenix hits a step up springboard 450 for a two count. Mil spears the hell out of Fenix and begins plotting his next move, but he takes too long. When lifts up Fenix from the mat, he springs forward putting him in a pinning predicament! Fenix bridges back - 1..2..3.. WE'VE GOT A NEW LUCHA UNDERGROUND CHAMPION! Pretty fantastic match if I may say so myself.
Match rating - ****1/4
The place erupts with Fenix's victory and he jumps into the crowd to celebrate. His celebration is cut short as Catrina announces that next week when Aztec Warfare returns, it won't be a #1 Contender's match, it will be for the Lucha Underground title! To top off the odds being stacked against Fenix, he'll be entering at #1 and Mil Muertes will be entering at #20! UNREAL!
Sexy Star is in the locker room having flashbacks of her time being held captive by Marty the Moth when Willie Mack approaches. He says that he has a match with Marty tonight and needs her in a corner to help "squash the bug."
TONIGHT: Cage vs. Mundo in a No DQ Match
1) The Mack (w/ Sexy Star) vs. Marty the Moth
Mack jumps Marty at the bell and beats the hell out of him for a little bit. After a few minutes, the lights go out and a weird looking female creature (that's the best way I can describe it), emerges from the back. Apparently it's Marty's sister whom he spoke of earlier this season. Sexy Star trembles as she gets closer. This distraction allows Marty to get the pin on Mack and he & his sister taunt Sexy before they leave. LU does awesome with these characters and their placement, this was no different, great stuff.
Match rating - **1/4
2) Cage vs. Taya
Johnny Mundo doesn't compete like previously scheduled as Taya comes out saying she is wrestling in his place. Mundo ends up getting involved anyway since it's No DQ and things get pretty crazy. Cement blocks and several beer bottles come into play. Mundo nails Cage with both bottles in the head, but the machine isn't phased. Mundo hides behind Taya at this point and Cage hits Weapon X on her for the win as Mundo scrambles and looks on in awe.
Match rating - **1/2
3) Mil Muertes (c) vs. Prince Puma vs. Pentagon Jr - Lucha Underground Title Match
This is a match that's been building since the first episode of this season in late January so it's got hype behind it. Puma & Pentagon double team Muertes early before tearing into each other. This is everything you could ask for from a triple threat match involving these three as they battle inside and outside of the ring where the action never slows down. Puma hits a Shooting Star Press off the railing at one point onto both men followed by a 630 off the top turnbuckle in the center of the ring. It only gets him two, though, as Muertes breaks up the fall. There's a number of awesome close falls here near the end. They also do a great tease of Pentagon breaking Puma's arm before Muertes spears him to break it up. This ends up leading the champion to victory as he spears both men then hits a double flat liner on them for the win. Really good match.
Match rating - ***3/4
Fenix approaches after the match and reveals that he's cashing in his Gift of the Gods Title for a championship match with Mil Muertes NEXT WEEK! Stack on top of the already scheduled trios title match and we've got a packed show ahead of us!
TONIGHT: Bayley vs. Carmella for the NXT Women's Championship
1) Baron Corbin vs. Johnny Gargano
JOHNNY WRESTLING! Nice little opener here with Corbin being pissed and dominating Gargano. Johnny got a few hope spots which the crowd got behind, though. It ultimately just leads to the Corbin win out of nowhere amidst one of Johnny's comebacks as Corbin catches him in the middle of his flying spear attempt. The crowd is hot tonight!
Match rating - **1/2
2) The Hype Bros (Zack Ryder & Mojo Rawley) vs. Corey Hollis & John Skyler
PWX REPRESENT here with Hollis & Skyler taking on the team of Ryder & Rawley who suffered their first lost since forming together as The Hype Bros, last week. This is mainly just a showcase for the Hype Bros getting their hype back, no pun intended, after losing last week. It was still nice seeing Hollis & Skyler, they did solid work here by taking a good beating and displaying their team work for a few minutes when they isolated Ryder. A segment that led to the hot tag for Rawley which leads to the victory for he & Ryder.
Match rating - **
3) Alexa Bliss vs. Cameron
So, I was so annoyed to see Cameron when she made her entrance and even during the opening minutes of the match, I was zoning out, but then I realized how solid this actually was. Cameron got heat just for being there which led to the perfect comeback when Bliss started firing away with some offense that surprised me (this was my first time seeing her compete). Bliss wins with her finisher which I loved, the sparkle splash.
Match rating - **1/4
4) Elias Samson vs. Jesse Sorenson
"The Drifter" Elias Samson beats up Sorenson for three or four minutes. That's all this was. His winning streak continues. Decent squash, I guess.
Match rating - *3/4
5) Bayley (c) vs. Carmella - NXT Women's Championship Match
I enjoyed the hell out of this. Bayley & Carmella are friends so there's no bad blood which made me wonder how this would go, but it ends up being really good. They held my attention the entire time, there was never a dull moment and everything was executed smoothly. The emotion shown by both women and particulary Carmella, who was in her first title match ever, made this one what it was. I was really impressed by Carmella here with her facial expressions throughout. Bayley took control being the more experienced champion, Carmella begins mounting a comeback and contemplates a dive, a mental decision that the crowd picks up on thanks to her facial expressions. She nails it to a big pop and then dares to go for a second and hits it as well before throwing Bayley back in the ring for a quick cover. The two go into a series of roll ups and pinning combinations for a series of near falls. Finally, Bayley is able to keep Carmella down for three on a backslide to retain the championship.
Match rating - ***1/2
The post match is the icing on the cake for what was a great TV match. Bayley & Carmella hug and as Carmella is leaving, Eva Marie & Nia Jax attack her in the aisle way. Bayley makes the save only to get beaten down. Eva & Jax isolate Carmella in the ring and as they are toying with her, ASUKA APPROACHES ON THE RING APRON! Shit just got real! Asuka stares down Jax who has Eva hiding behind her. Asuka slowly gets in the ring and Jax & Eva leave. Bayley gets back in the ring to check on Carmella and we get an awesome staredown/moment with Asuka eyeing down the champion and her title.
Samoa Joe closes the show with a short backstage promo hyping his match with Sami Zayn next week to determine a #1 Contender for Finn Balor's NXT title. Joe says he is the next NXT Champion.
My viewing of NXT 2016 begins with the first show of February as I begin a game of catch up and what better way to start than with an episode headlined by an NXT Title match.
TONIGHT: Finn Balor defends the NXT Championship against Apollo Crews
1) The Vaudevillans (Simon Gotch & Aiden English) vs. The Hype Bros (Zack Ryder & Mojo Rawley)
Pretty basic opening match between former NXT Tag Team Champions and the newly formed team of Ryder & Rawley. It's kinda depressing to think about Zack Ryder being placed back in NXT, but then again it's not because NXT has hype and it's given Ryder something consistent to work with instead of just floundering around and jobbing on the main roster. Ryder & Rawley flurry early with some team work before the Vaudevillains take control. They isolate Ryder which builds to him fighting back and getting the hot tag to Rawley. He cleans house and gets the crowd going before Gotch & English shut him down with an uppercut to the back followed by a neckbreaker. That's all she wrote. Vaudevillains score the win.
Match rating - **
Last week, Carmella won a battle royal to become the #1 Contender to the NXT Championship. Scott Dawson interviews her about that as well as her match next week where she challenges her close friend, Bayley, for the title.
The NXT Tag Team Champions Dash & Dawson are backstage to talk about their comments on Carmella, Enzo, & Cass. They offer them another title match even though they've already beaten them once because they're on the road to becoming the greatest NXT Tag Team Champions of all time.
2) Carmella vs. Emma (w/ Dana Brooke)
