ROH 14th Anniversary PPV Review

Ring Of Honor 14th Anniversary

ROH World TV Championship match  Bobby Fish, vs Tomohiro Ishii vs Roderick Strong

Highlights:

Strong hit Ishii with a picture perfect dropkick
Ishii held Bobby Fish above his head while standing on the second turnbuckle before a superplex

Winner: Ishii retains his title by pinfall on Strong after a brain buster

Grade: 2 3/4 stars

Thoughts: 

Decent back and forth action. I never really bought into Bobby Fish as having a legitimate chance of scoring the win. I'm becoming a huge fan of Ishii though

BJ Whitmer VS Adam Page

Highlights:

BJ drops Page on the guardrail with a belly to back suplex

Page hits a shooting star press off the apron to BJ who was standing on the floor

Winner: Whitmer by pinfall after a low blow

Grade: 1 3/4 Stars

Thoughts:

For a grudge match between to former partners I didn't really see the hatred. This was just a heel vs face match and the face wasn't really over with the crowd. I would have liked to see a little more brawling and some more life out of Adam Page.

Goto vs Dalton Castle

Highlights:

Castle sits on the top turnbuckle and gets fanned by the boys. He then uses them as steps to get down.

Castle catches Goto off the turnbuckle and turns it into a belly to belly suplex

Castle hits a beautiful missile drop kick

The boys fan Goto's hands away from the rope when he was reaching to get out of a submission move

Winner: Goto gets the pin after a Shouten

Grade: 3 3/4 stars

Thoughts:

the effort and taunts by Castle brought this grade up quite a bit but the blown finisher brought it down a 1/4 star. Dalton Castle is fantastic, his taunts remind me a lot of Goldust. 

Alex Shelly VS Christopher Daniels

Highlights:

Shelly with a cross body from the top turnbuckle to the floor on both members of the addiction

Daniels hits a springboard moonsault on a fallen Shelly

Shelly yells Super Fly as he does a cross body from the top rope

Winner: Shelly by pinfall after Sabin turned on Daniels

Grade: 3 1/2 Stars

Thoughts:

I think it's hilarious that Frankie Kazarian is bald considering he didn't want to cut his hair in 2009 and that's what kept him out of the WWE Alex Shelly is probably the best wrestler to never hold a world title. As far as the match goes I have seen these two do a whole lot better. It was nice to see The Motor City Machine Guns reunite. The tease of them possible fighting after they cleared house was a little much but the whole thing served it's purpose.

The Briscoes VS Elgin and Tanahashi

Highlights:

Tanahashi refused the code of honor
Elgin and Tanahashi with stereo suplexes and flex poses
Mark Briscoe tries the Karate Kid Crane move on Tanahashi
Mark Briscoe with a blockbuster from the apron to the floor on Elgin
Mr;. Wrestling said Mark Briscoes has dreams of winning the TV title and of owning a television

Winner: Tanahashi by pinfall after the High Fly Flow

Grade: 3 1/2 stars

Thoughts: 

After a slow start this matched picked up to get as high a rating as it did. it lost a half a star for to much repetition with Jay hitting the big boot about 6 times to many. Also a blown spot where the ref needed to tap Tanahashi on the shoulder to remind him to kick out. Dem Boys are the perfect blend of Hardcore redneck and goofiness, Jay Briscoe is an unbelievable talker. 

Moose vs Okada

Highlights:

Both Moose and Okada faked a dropkick in the corner

Moose big spun Okada into the barricade and the ring post

Okada hit a cross body over the barricade onto Moose

Moose mocked Okada's rainmaker taunt

Class act by Okada showing respect by leading the fans in a Moose chant

Winner: Okada by pinfall after The Rainmaker

Grade: 2 3/4 Stars

Thoughts:

The Rainmaker has one of the top five entrances in all of professional wrestling. Moose no selling a DDT was really hard to get past. No selling a kick or a punch is one thing. No selling a move that a lot of guys use as their finishers is just not cool. That one spot really dropped the rating of this match.

NEVER Openweight 6 man tag team title match Kushida ACH, Matt Sydal vs Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks

Highlights:

Kenny Omega places the broom in a chair for color commentary and then puts headphones on the broom.

ACH did a Lou Thez press and then a Stone Cold Elbow on Omega

Sydal gave a a double huricanrana to both the Young Bucks at the same time.

Omega caught Sydal as he was dropkicked of the apron then belly to back suplexed him on the ramp.

Omega over the top rope onto all three of his opponents on the floor

Kushida off the top turnbuckle onto the Young Bucks who were on the floor 

Omega powerbombs Kushida into the corner where Matt and Nick stereo kick him in the back of the head.

Sydal uses Matt's foot to kick Nick in the face

ACH over the top rope onto everyone

Kushida with the Nomo on all three of Bullet Club and then was invited to a three way Super Kick Party. 

Winner: Matt Jackson by pinfall after a One Winged Angel

Grade: 4 3/4 stars

Thoughts:

The crowd threw this is awesome chant around a little to much in this show but it was well deserved in this match. This match was awesome from start to finish. High spots every where and the ending had so much going on I needed to watch it 3 times. Absolutely amazing match that is easily in the conversation for Match of the Year. The only part I wasn't a fan of was Kushida just crawling out of the ring before ACH dove on everyone. I would have rather seen him have a high spot to explain why he was out there.

All Night Express Vs War Machine

Highlights:

Hanson back drops King through a table on the floor.

Hanson and Rowe alternated running face washes on Titus

King kicks out of Fallout

Rowe kicks out of One Night Stand

Rowe throws Kenny King through a ladder

Winner: War Machine Retains after a Fallout on Titus

Grade: 3 1/2 stars

Thoughts:

Well done tag team title match. Both teams took full advantage of the No DQ stipulation and there were High spots all over the place. If it didn't come right after the NEVER 6 man it may have stolen the show

Jay Lethal vs Adam Cole Vs Kyle O'Reilly for the ROH World Championship

Highlights:

O'Reilly and Cole double team Lethal with a fast pace spot that was something that needs to be seen to explain
O'Reilly capitulates over the top rope and misses because Cole and Lethal moved out of the way
Fisherman suplex by Cole on Lethal and German by O'Reily on Cole at the same time
Superkick by Lethal on O'Reilly as he came off the apron
Lethal Combination on Cole
Cole pulls O'Reilly in front of him to take the Lethal Injection
O'Reilly hits a Tornado DDT into a BrainBuster
O'Reilly has a Triangle Choke on Lethal and an Ankle Lock on Cole at the same time
Cole stops Lethal's arm from falling a third time

Winner: Lethal by Pinfall on Cole after a double Lethal Injection on both men

Grade: 4 1/2 Stars

Thoughts:

Another great match that is in the match of the year talk too. A ton of high spots and all three men felt like they could win it at anytime. On first watch the beginning with Lethal trying to join the match and getting knocked down by simple elbows by both men may have been to much of a stretch for me to completely buy in. Also It could be because I've seen it in every match this last month but, the three of them standing in the center of the ring trading blows is getting a little over done. All in all though this was a fantastic match.

Final Thoughts:

Only one bad match on the entire card. Out of 9 matches to only have one below 2 stars is a good achievement. Two match of the year candidates came from this card and very good story telling throughout the event. Ring Of Honor is really got a groove going right now and even though I think it may be time for Lethal to drop the belt or start a lengthy feud with someone. I really can't complain about the product as a whole.