ROH GLORY BY HONOR III

ROH GLORY BY HONOR III

Austin Aries vs. CM Punk
This is the first ever 1-on-1 contest between these two according to Cagematch, so it's already kind of notable for that. And it's a very good one. It took a while for it to get cooking, but once it did, I was definitely sucked into the story of Aries' arm vs. Punk's ribs. They sold well & busted out nice dedicated, focused & even creative offense to further that said story. It's awesome. The finish isn't though, as it features lots of fuckery w/ a ref bump followed by all of Generation Next running in as well as Ace Steel & Steve Corino. It's not good, but everything else here is. ***1/2

Alex Shelley vs. Bryan Danielson
Hey it's another first ever 1-on-1 match-up on this show! And much like Aries vs. Punk, it's very good. Shelley's heat segment working on Danielson's neck was very solid; he has a certain charm about his work, and he is also a good little dickhead & he certainly commits well to a strategy. It's good stuff. The absolute highlight of the match is what follows, though. Dragon coming back & going to town on Shelley's banged up arm, wringing & twisting it everywhere viciously, it's so damn awesome. As was Shelley's bumping & selling of it. I do think the match could've easily been trimmed quite a bit though & Bryan could've sold Shelley's neckwork more during his asskicking-section. That's what separates the 'very good' from the 'great' here. ***1/2

John Walters vs. Nigel McGuinness
Goddamn this was such a joyful time. It's that signature early 2000s ROH/indy action where both of the competitors come off as so charming, focused & hungry, and it results in an absolute banger of a match. All the technical prowess was beautiful to watch, Walters' work over the neck was awesome & Nigel's all around babyface performance was so damn good. Great use of the Pure ropebreak rules as well. This was an absolute blast. ***3/4

Doug Williams vs. Samoa Joe
I absolutely ADORE their 2003 match for the ROH World Title. It's such a tight, action-packed sub-12 minute bout. This one was good, but doesn't come near that one in terms of quality, in my eyes. Obviously it's still good since it's Doug Williams vs. Samoa Joe & they keep it classy with the sub-20 minute runtime. Lots of badass offense & I thought Doug in particular had some really nice moments when it came to the selling side of things - especially his facial expressions sold some of Joe's kickass arsenal wonderfully. It's a good match. ***

NXT TAKEOVER: 36

WWE NXT TAKEOVER: 36

Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight
Went on for too long & LA Knight isn't very interesting with his work on top, but the fiery, explosive comebacks by Grimes + the awesomely energetic atmosphere carry things - AAAAND also while LA Knight's overall work isn't very interesting like I mentioned, he/they kinda make up for some of it by busting out some big, dumb moves here n' there, so by the end of it, it actually has been pretty damn fun. It's a pretty good match. **3/4

Dakota Kai vs. Raquel Gonzalez
I thought that this was a really strong match w/ some nice storytelling. Kai was owning Gonzalez for most of it with her slick counters & nice kicks, but every time Gonzalez got her hands on her, she was ragdolling her like a boss. A couple of awkward moments, but those didn't take anything away from the good shit that was going on. ***

Ilja Dragunov vs. WALTER
You know what you get when these two collide, and as usual, it was some really good stuff. They did "the usual" between them, but also brought a bunch of new cool things to make it feel fresh enough. WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov always guarantees the kind of pro-wrestling where everything looks & sounds as violent and uncomfortable as possible. And it's awesome. I would put this on par with that last big NXT match of theirs. There is really no real reason for me to not call it straight-up great, but it's the same gut feeling I had with their last match where it's like one of the best "very good" matches of the year. ***3/4

Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly
The first fall was done quickly, but my goodness was it bad while it lasted. Just awful indy strike sequences galore. Then comes the 2nd fall w/ the street fight gimmick; I really would like to say that I appreciated Kyle's selling of the ribs, and I truly did in some moments, but for the most part, it just felt SOOOO damn cartoony & over the top. It's definitely mostly because of how uninteresting the mid-section work by Cole actually was. Then the final fall continued the trend of the match sucking, as most of it is classic WWE/NXT melodrama community theater awfulness combined with awful looking offense all around. Hell yeah baby. The most positive thing I can say about this whole thing is that at least the duration of the match was bearable, because knowing NXT you'd expect it to go like 40+ minutes looking at the wrestlers involved + the stipulation & gimmick attached to it. Very nice. That & Kyle's cool selling of Cole's waistlock save this from being a complete DUD. *

Karrion Kross vs. Samoa Joe
Good to see one of my all-time favorites in Samoa Joe back in the ring, but man he didn't look all that good out there. Then you add in the factor of Karrion Kross being uninteresting in general, and you got yourself a very meh match. It's always a feat when you make a sub-15 minute match feel like it's at least 20. *1/4

SUMMERSLAM 2021

WWE SUMMERSLAM 2021

AJ Styles & Omos vs. Randy Orton & Riddle
This was a solid little opener. Omos got to do some Omos things, Riddle was a solid FIP, Orton was a pretty good hot tag & AJ on the offense was fun as usual. That Stylin DDT to Riddle on the outside was the best spot of the bout. **1/2

Damian Priest vs. Sheamus
This shouldn't have moved as slowly as it did. The "methodical" pace they went with, with Sheamus mostly working on top doing nothing of note & Priest busting out unexciting comebacks - it didn't do anything for me. That brogue knee off of Priest's springboard attempt was neat though. The finishing stretch is where they upped the action, but that's only the last few minutes of the entire match, and other than that brogue spot I mentioned, it still wasn't anything very interesting. *1/2

The Mysterios vs. The Usos
This was a damn good tag team bout. The Usos were really good as the suffocating veteran heel duo, always being there for each other & not letting the Mysterios get much of a flow going, and then you have Rey who was obviously great with his babyface work. His run after Dominik made the hot tag to him was really, really nice. ***

Charlotte Flair vs. Nikki ASH vs. Rhea Ripley
This started off rough & it took a good while for it to really get going, but once they moved into that 2nd gear, it got pretty good. Leading up to the finish there were a couple of really good sequences. A #VeryOk match all in all. **

Edge vs. Seth Rollins
There's not many Seth Rollins matches that I can think of where he has come off as so focused as he did in this one. The whole build-up to this has been about their famous 2014 segment where Seth almost paralyzed Edge w/ his Stomp, so he was on a mission here to finish what he was looking to do back then. That meant his focus was on Edge's neck, and that focus was laser-like. Almost everything he did on the offense was targeted towards that bodypart, and while not all of his time working on top was exactly compelling, I still can appreciate the focus. That's the word of the bout & Rollins' work in particular. FOCUS. On the other hand, Edge's comebacks weren't exciting or interesting at all & the finish was silly as hell with his terrible facial expressions. I still thought that the match was good overall, which is honestly pretty surprising. It was like more of an Edge match rather than a Seth Rollins one, but it's Rollins who kept things interesting with his really good performance. ***

Bobby Lashley vs. Goldberg
This took a different route compared to the usual Goldberg match. I thought it was a solid time for the duration it went. Billy owning Lashley early on & then Bob capitalizing fully on MVP's cheap shot on Goldberg's knee, it was pretty fun stuff. Not exactly good, because there were still a couple of rough & awkward moments from Goldberg's side of things, but I thought it was ok. **

John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
At best, this could've been REALLY something. But sometimes you get what you get, and what we got here, in my eyes, was an extremely boring main event. Reigns' big control segment was an absolute chore to get through; the man offered nothing of note during it, as most of it was filled with headlocks, kicks, stomps, you name it. Most generic heel-on-top stuff you could imagine, and even more boring than that actually. Moved at a snails pace which is something his control segs usually always do; it's not necessarily a problem, but when those said segs are boring right from the get go, the mEtHoDiCaL pace sure doesn't help. And of course there's a bunch of talking as well. By the time Cena wakes up & starts busting out the hits, it all just feels very hollow & empty. A very disappointing main event to say the least, because as I implied, this easily could've been something pretty special. *3/4

RANDOM ASS SUMMERSLAM MATCHES FROM THE PAST DECADE

 

SummerSlam 2012
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H
This is a solid match with a pretty great Brock Lesnar performance. Everything he does here is on point; from the beginning where he does the usual Lesnar bullying, to then selling the "mood change" perfectly when HHH got one-up on him. His big heat segment on HHH was good too; they established & treated Kimura as a huge deal right from the get go, and him working over HHH was all about doing damage to that arm, of course to set up what was eventually gonna be the finish. It's good stuff & HHH sells being in peril really well tbh, even better than I would have expected. The way the momentum swifts to his favor w/ him attacking Lesnar's mid-section is awesome, and I can't praise Lesnar's selling enough. He sells the initial shock & the shots like they're killing him, and his selling remains perfect till the very end. It's a good match, but not great. Not all of it is very compelling to watch & there are points when it moves into straight-up uninteresting-territory, but it's still good & the performances by both men (especially Lesnar) were really damn good. The infamous post-match is also obviously hilarious. ***

SummerSlam 2014
Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns
Now here's a match I haven't watched since it happened. Back then, I was super down on WWE's product & especially the Roman Reigns superpush that was starting, so I did not like this match at all. And well, I still don't! It's not like a _bad_ match, or at least there's nothing outright bad or annoying about it, but it's oh so dull. Feels like a generic, longer TV match with a few cool counters, which to be fair were legitimately pretty neat & the only thing bringing this match some life. A gentleman's **

SummerSlam 2015
The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. The Prime Time Players
Starts off in very forgettable fashion, but once the match kicks into its 2nd gear after Darren makes the hot tag to Titus, that's when things get pretty damn HAWT. That said hot tag was really awesome & the highlight of the entire thing with Titus running through everyone, and the action after that keeps the pace & flow going very nicely w/ each team getting some standout moments. It is a pretty good match overall, just like I remembered it as. **3/4

SummerSlam 2016
Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks
There's the infamous big turnbuckle backbreaker botch, and holy hell did it look & feel dangerous, but honestly? It kinda added to the match. Or at least it didn't take anything away from my enjoyment of it. Charlotte's attack was fully focused on the back afterwards, and it's really good stuff + Sasha sold that onslaught wonderfully. It had some big time Eddie vs. Rey vibes, and it's a dynamic that works fantastically with Charlotte & Sasha. Charlotte's work on top was indeed really good as implied, and Sasha's babyface work was simply pretty darn great throughout - that moment where she counters Charlotte's top rope big move attempt into that hurricanrana was superb in particular. Awesome match. ***3/4

SummerSlam 2016
AJ Styles vs. John Cena
I didn't like this match at all back when it happened. Now looking at it 5 years later, my opinion is pretty much the complete opposite. I think the match is great! It's mostly known about all the big movez & nearfalls, and it sure doesn't take them long to start putting focus on those, but the beginning with Cena's control period was really nice w/ him being mean & focused. Simple stuff like him throwing AJ full power into the corner or him punching AJ in the face after he was gloating + the back bodydrop where he absolutely LAUNCHES the guy, it's all pretty great. I didn't like Styles busting out the Clash so early & it being kicked out of, but it is what it is. That's where the match kicks into its "true" gear as the big moves, false finishes & the one-upmanship become the main focus. I remember in 2016 thinking they went waaaaay overboard with it all, but watching it now, I actually thought they didn't do too much, as they kept it within the limits of good taste, and the story they told with those wild big moves & nearfalls was something that truly worked & fit the match. The avalanche AA is a genuinely FANTASTIC nearfall, and while I wouldn't argue people calling Cena's reaction to it being complete cheese, I also kinda liked it? At least initially the whole "wait wtf" look on his face was awesome & sold the moment big. So yeah, I really loved this one. Damn. Great effin' match. ****

SummerSlam 2019
Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins
Goddamn I didn't like Rollins at all in this. It isn't that surprising, but it's disappointing, because the elements for a potential great match were there. A taped up mid-section that Brock attacks in an awesome fashion? Uh hell yes please, but then Seth doesn't really sell it much at all & is on the offense with his weak looking arsenal for wayyy too long, for my liking. It's a great & definite way to put him over, no doubts about that, but a good match it is not. *3/4

ROH SCRAMBLE CAGE MELEE

 

ROH SCRAMBLE CAGE MELEE

Doug Williams vs. John Walters
This is for the Pure Championship, so it's under the usually-always-fun Pure ruleset. And sure enough, it's tons of fun! Some nice technical wrestling to start it off as one would expect from this pairing. As the match progresses, it's clear that John Walter is a man on a mission; he's focused as hell, even more so than usually, and it's a joy to watch him execute a nice onslaught on Williams, and it's equally as nice to watch the champ's reactions & answer to that. Love the finishing stretch where Walters' knee-targeting + the Pure rules came into full play. Really good shit. ***1/2

CM Punk vs. Homicide vs. Samoa Joe
This sadly did not capture my interest much at all. Based on the participants, you could & probably would expect a lowkey killer match-up, but this was some very "paint-by-the-numbers" three-way dance action. There's 1 or 2 fun spots, but other than that, it's just nothing, really. It's not bad, but it's just there. **

Kenny Omega vs Andrade + Christian Cage

 

AAA TripleMania XXIX
Kenny Omega vs. Andrade
You kinda would expect these two to have somewhat of an instant chemistry, but if it's there, it certainly wasn't showcased here. An extremely boring, soulless & flat-out empty feeling match. And of course it dragged like a motherfucker too, being over 20-minutes long. The only reason it has any value whatsoever is Naitch running wild, bless that man. Still elevating matches in 2021 as a 72-year old. His one punch was significantly more badass than anything else Kenny & Andrade did all match long. *1/4

AEW Rampage 08/13/21
Kenny Omega vs. Christian Cage
It took a while for this to REALLY get going, but once it did, it was some really nice fireworks till the end. Everything from Kenny's badass knee-to-the-head counter to Christian's Spear attempt on = extremely good shiz. Kenny brought that signature explosive offense of his, and Christian's babyface work was pure class. Badass, fulfilling finish to cap it off too. ***1/4

Marufuji vs Sakuraba for the GHC HEAVYQ

 

NOAH Cross Over 2021 In Hiroshima

Naomichi Marufuji vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
This is a genuinely interesting looking match-up on paper, and those don't happen often these days, so you just know I had to watch it. I thought it was a good one. It loses some of its luster as they move into the final third of the match, which is all about the more "exciting" finishing stretch-like wrestling; it's very usual for a big puro match like this to do that, but even when they moved into that section of the bout, I didn't lose much interest. It was good enough, but where the real money was in my interest regarding this match was stuff like the beginning where they made Sakuraba feel like a big threat who can effortlessly take all of your limbs if given a chance on the mat or even during stand-up exchanges. Cool moments like him catching Marufuji's leg & slapping in a hold just when it looked like Maru did some vintage Maru ninja-flips to escape the onslaught, and then later on the way they spiced up the usual strike-trading sequence with Sakuraba turning his back on Marufuji as Maru quickly did a big number on his chest, it was such a nice "change of pace", you could even say, and I loved it. The way that said sequence naturally & logically ended with Maru delivering his signature hook kick was also perfect. Good match indeed. Some big puro match tropes prevent it from being more than that, but that is always to be expected, and it was cool regardless. ***