Ring of Honor (Discussion)

[Kirk D]

ROH literally went for a 60 minutes-draw in their world title match between Matt Taven and Jay Lethal. Given the level of boredom both are associated with, that's a very couragious decision. Yet I must admit that it was quite entertaining throughout the match to see Matt Taven to try to somehow get the pin and Jay Lethal to seemingly nail it down and yet fail again. This made Matt Taven seem like a much more legit contender than previously and - unnoticed by the IWC bubble - he seems to be pretty over with the ROH crowd. I just hope they don't make the MSG match a 3-way between Lethal, Scurl and Taven.

[mlev76]

ROH literally went for a 60 minutes-draw in their world title match between Matt Taven and Jay Lethal. Given the level of boredom both are associated with, that's a very couragious decision. Yet I must admit that it was quite entertaining throughout the match to see Matt Taven to try to somehow get the pin and Jay Lethal to seemingly nail it down and yet fail again. This made Matt Taven seem like a much more legit contender than previously and - unnoticed by the IWC bubble - he seems to be pretty over with the ROH crowd. I just hope they don't make the MSG match a 3-way between Lethal, Scurl and Taven.

Normally, I'm much more tolerant of three ways, but given that this could have been Scurll's coronation (and it may very well still be), I am annoyed by this match. The ladder match aspect reduces that annoyance a bit, but I still think Taven and Lethal should have blown things off on Friday and let whomever won (Lethal imo) should have walked into MSG strong.

[mlev76]

I also gotta say that I was not into the 60 minute draw and cutting advertised matches to make room for it left a bad taste in my mouth. I think ROH has taken some positive steps the first few months this year and shored up their roster well. But, the world title scene is a mess to put it mildly.

[thecubsfan]

The Gresham match being added just at the start of the PPV made it no big deal to me that it was gone a couple of hours later. And Haskins/Williams vs the lesser Kingdom members seemed more like a random TV match than something I needed to see on PPV. I didn't need to spend an hour of my life watching a Lethal/Taven match but it didn't seem a big deal to me that it was replacing stuff I had no great reason to see either.

[supersonic]

[mlev76]

I have to imagine Starr purposefully made it controversial enough that it would get pulled.

[supersonic]

[supersonic]

[Joe Lanza]

Meltzer reporting that Enzo & Cass might not be used again, as they assess the buzz.

[mlev76]

Meltzer reporting that Enzo & Cass might not be used again, as they assess the buzz.

I don't know which is worse-continuing to use them post-MSG given the reaction or not using them again and making their part of MSG sullied for no good reason.

[Stank of Honor]

For what it’s worth, Night 3 of the WOTW tour in Grand Rapids MI, Taven had an impromptu title match against Haskins, who was originally scheduled to face PCO, but he wasn’t cleared to wrestle. Outstanding match, I don’t want to spoil the finish but felt the need to recommend it. Card as a whole was way better than it looked on paper, weakest of the 4 nights but the NJPW LA Dojo guys killed it, Castle looked the best he has in a year and it’s nice that the tour build was for Briscoes vs GOD which was revealed that it’ll air live on Honor Club Sunday night. If only their weekly TV conveyed the energy that these live events do, I think they’d be getting a bit more credit for this 2019. The allure is shit, I’m guessing Enzo and Cass show up tomorrow in Chicago, but their live events this year have been really damn good. It’s the tv that drags. I say cut the TV tapings down, add more Honor Club events and just splice/edit them to fit TV. This tour was really good

[yaritaihoudai]

I'm as entertained by PCO as anyone, but I hope his retirement tour doesn't wear out its welcome. That tombstone he hit on Taven looked sloppy and dangerous, and his table powerbomb on Marseglia was even worse. I'm into the character, but I don't want to see him kill someone or himself in the ring. He needs to tone it down a bit.

[yaritaihoudai]

For what it’s worth, Night 3 of the WOTW tour in Grand Rapids MI, Taven had an impromptu title match against Haskins, who was originally scheduled to face PCO, but he wasn’t cleared to wrestle. Outstanding match, I don’t want to spoil the finish but felt the need to recommend it. Card as a whole was way better than it looked on paper, weakest of the 4 nights but the NJPW LA Dojo guys killed it, Castle looked the best he has in a year and it’s nice that the tour build was for Briscoes vs GOD which was revealed that it’ll air live on Honor Club Sunday night. If only their weekly TV conveyed the energy that these live events do, I think they’d be getting a bit more credit for this 2019. The allure is shit, I’m guessing Enzo and Cass show up tomorrow in Chicago, but their live events this year have been really damn good. It’s the tv that drags. I say cut the TV tapings down, add more Honor Club events and just splice/edit them to fit TV. This tour was really good

That match was on fire until the last 30 seconds. Haskins was such a great pick-up for ROH. He can perform in any spot they drop him in, whether it be vs. Beer City Bruiser or a makeshift title challenger here. He's got a 3 1/2 star floor.

Taven's pretty alright too. Him doing primarily shenanigan heavy tag work for the past two years made him seem like a schmuck, but he's been delivering so consistently this year that I'm pretty solidly behind this title run.

Bully Ray can just get the fuck off my screen though. Zero interest in any angle he's involved in.

[mlev76]

Haskins/Williams vs. Evil/Sanada from Buffalo was great. Haskins/Williams is a great duo and I hope they keep them together and move them into title contention

[thecubsfan]

my dumbest hot take of the weekend is Kelly Klein is possibly the best-booked woman in a US promotion right now (maybe Baszler? maybe Tessa?) and so it is all that more amazing how not over she is for it. If you replace her with anyone who was either popular or well regarded as a wrestler and have them go on a long undefeated streak thru a title reign, have them get big PPV matches with a top level Japanese star, and then set them up as the person protecting the integrity of Ring of Honor against an invading force, people would be talking about that woman like they talked about Sasha Banks that one year.