Welcome back everybody to the once-weekly recap of Ring of Honor wrestling, now available on Destination America! This was the first time I was afforded the chance to watch Ring of Honor in crystal clear HD, as I finally live somewhere in which Destination America is available! This was an absolutely incredible show, complete with darn-near five star matches from some of the best performers in the world. If you’ve been down on the debut of ROH on Destination America, then this is a must-see show.
The opening contest tonight features the number one contender to Jay Lethal’s ROH World Title, Roderick Strong, as he goes into action against another STRONG—the “King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura. One of my absolute best friends in the world is a dude by the name of Matt Sloyan. For those of you that listen to my podcast, he’s a dude you might better know as “PG” Matt S. This was the first time Matt ever had the chance to check out Ring of Honor, and this is his first match. Does it get any better? Roddy is the first to enter the arena, followed by the insanely flamboyant Nakamura. The fans chant for the former IWGP Intercontinental Champion and adorn him with colored streamers. This match kicks off with a stiff tie-up and Roddy Strong takes advantage from the early going. Roderick’s ground game is on point, as he manipulates the Japanese star’s arm, leading him around the ring. Nakamura is just about four inches taller than Strong, and outweighs him by just about fifteen pounds. Roddy continues to work his ground-game, keeping Shinsuke stranded on the canvas, and unable to achieve any offense. Things take a turn however as this bout is taken to the arena floor. Nakamura uses a litany of high knees and aggressive kicks to knock the former ROH champion off his balance. It’s time for a quick commercial break and once we return, Shinsuke Nakamura is proving why he is the undisputed “King of Strong Style.” Hard forearms and elbows drill into Strong’s face, but the 15-year veteran Roddy won’t give up without a fight. Strong hits him with a combination of running knees and clotheslines, and finishing the combination with a modified backstabber. Roderick tries for his patented “Strong Hold,” but Nakamura counters with a sleeper hold. Roddy hits Shinsuke with a high knee on the top rope and Nakamura is crotched on the top rope. Roddy climbs to the second rope and hits his opponent with a sidewalk slam on the top turnbuckle. Back and forth, this match is absolutely bonkers with both individuals gaining the advantage, and then losing it moments later. Shinsuke hits a hard knee, but Roddy comes back with another double-knee attack of his own. Strong locks Nakamura in the “Strong Hold,” but can only maintain it for a mere moment until Nakamura reached the ropes. They begin to exchange hard right hands in the center of the ring; both men are groggy and struggling to stand. Roddy ducks beneath Nakamura’s attack and hits a vicious “Sick Kick,” for a near fall. The fans at the Tedreeve Arena chant for both the former IWGP IC Champion and the ROH Triple Crown Winner. “This is awesome,” rains down from the rooftop as Nakamura hits Roddy Strong with an incredibly stiff superkick that extended across Roddy’s face. Your winner is the FUTURE IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, the “King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura!
Up next is another cross-promotional battle between NJPW’s head booker, Gedo, and the former ROH champion, “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin. Elgin is wearing a very cool robe comprised of red, black and silver. This is a quick contest featuring two somewhat unknown entities to the mainstream wrestling audience. I revert to my buddy who saw ROH for the first time tonight, and his reaction to Michael Elgin was: “His music is boring.” But it’s hard to fault Elgin for his in-ring style. Elgin is giving up quite an experience edge to the wily Gedo, but it’s not enough to silence the psychotic Elgin. He hits Gedo with a big brainbuster and maintains control for the majority of the bout from there. He sends Gedo spiraling into the corner with the “Buckle Bomb,” and finishes the sequence with a sit-down powerbomb. Michael Elgin is your winner.
Tonight’s main event is a trios contest between two warring factions. On one side is the boisterous Bullet Club, made up of The Young Bucks and the current IWGP World Champion AJ Styles. Their opponents are the former IWGP champion Kazuchika Okada, and the tag team tandem of Berretta and Rocky Romero. The numbers definitely favor the Bullet Club, as they enter the arena with the former IWGP tag team champions, and fellow “Bullet Brothers,” Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. This is a fun match right out of the gate with an enormity of high spots, without sacrificing selling or psychology. I feel as though the word “polarizing” is used far too often in professional wrestling. Yes, we get it—not everybody likes John Cena. But the Young Bucks are one such team who can be called polarizing, without any additional hyperbole. Newcomers such as “PG” Matt S see the Bucks, and immediately think: “Wait—so are they just a Shawn Michaels rip off?” Well, short answer: “Yes with an if”; long answer: “No, with a but.” I stole that line from Reverend Lovejoy on the Simpsons. The Bucks and other members of the Bullet Club most certainly use mannerisms otherwise associated with HBK and his Kliq, but more so as an homage than anything else. It’s really hard to keep track of the action in this bout, as five of the six participants are among the most lightning quick performers in the world. Even Okada—the odd man out in terms of speed—is a rapid fire type individual who comes within a Frog’s Hair of the “Rainmaker” within seconds of the bell. Rocky Romero is perhaps the most underrated wrestler in this match, but that’s not to say he isn’t a highly respected “Sports Entertainer.” Rocky might not have the international name recognition as his contemporaries, but he has no issue in hanging with them throughout the match. Trent Beretta is also a very talented individual, who I remember loving as part of the “Dude Busters” during his WWE run. An absolutely incredible match from start to finish, ending with a series of amazing spots! The Young Bucks hit Trent Beretta with not one, but two Meltzer Drivers, followed by a Styles Clash con Superkick from the combined forces of The Young Bucks and AJ Styles. Following the match, AJ and the Bucks posed for the fans, while Okada stood by in defeat.
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