May 7, 2017
(aired on VOD)
City: Toronto, ON
Venue: Ted Reeve Arena
Tour: War of the Worlds
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Kevin Kelly, Colt Cabana
Ring Announcer: Bobby Cruise
Match 1
The Rebellion (Caprice Coleman & Rhett Titus w/ Shane Taylor) vs Motor City Machine Guns
(referee: Todd Sinclair)
Result: Rhett Titus pins Chris Sabin after a frog splash
Time: 7:15
Match Thoughts
This was fun. It was non-stop from the moment the Machine Guns entered the ring. Coleman and Titus attacked them before the bell and the action never really slowed down. The momentum shifted back and forth a number of times, and it really could have gone either way. There wasn’t any real structure to the match, it was just a bunch of guys doing a bunch of stuff, but it was pretty fun to watch.
Ring Area
After the match, Shane Taylor gets on the mic and calls out his opponent for the next match. He apparently doesn’t want to wait.
Match 2
Shane Taylor w/ Rhett Titus, Caprice Coleman vs Hirooki Goto
(referee: Tiger Hattori)
Result: Hirooki Goto wins via pinfall after a GTR
Time: 10:05
Match Thoughts
This was okay. It was a lot slower than the first match, and a lot more hard-hitting. Taylor and Goto took many moments to simply trade strikes with each other, and for that style of match I think this was okay. It felt a little slow at times, and I didn’t feel like it built up to anything particularly special in the finish, but I still enjoyed the match alright.
Match 3
Roppongi Vice (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Champs) & Gedo vs Dalton Castle & The Boys
(referee: Todd Sinclair)
Result: Dalton Castle pins Gedo after Bang-A-Rang
Time: 11:39
Match Thoughts
Very good match. It started with an extended comedy bit where Castle and The Boys kept freaking out and confusing their opponents. Then it nicely transitioned into a nicely competitive tag match. I liked how RPG Vice and Gedo kept trying to keep Castle out of the ring. It made it exciting when he did manage to become the legal man. Castle is quite the entertainer and surprisingly strong.
Ring Area
Before the next match, Bully Ray talks about learning the code of honor since he came to ROH. As the veteran in the match, he says he wants to extend his hand to both Page and Martinez before they beat each other up. Neither Page nor Martinez shake Bully Ray’s hand.
Match 4
Triple Threat Match
Punishment Martinez vs Hangman Page vs Bully Ray (ROH 6-Man Tag Champ)
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Bully Ray pins Hangman Page after a Bully Bomb
Time: 8:25
Match Thoughts
This was pretty good. Page and Martinez worked together for a while, but their alliance didn’t last long. The match turned into a fairly entertaining three way with few extended segments of one on one. I thought the finish was a little odd and out of nowhere, but I suppose it worked.
Video
Cody, who does not introduce himself, has a new shirt for sale.
Match 5
Will Ospreay vs “The American Nightmare” Cody
(referee: Todd Sinclair)
Result: Cody wins via pinfall after Cross Rhodes
Time: 13:07
Match Thoughts
Great match. Ospreay is a ton of fun to watch. You never really know what he’s going to do next or where he’s going to come from. Cody is a solid as he’s ever been, and his more classic style served as a great counter to Ospreay’s high flying. The match gradually built to a great finish with the pace constantly picking up as the match went along.
Ring Area
The Kingdom heads to the ring. Matt Taven gets on the mic and insults the crowd and Canada. He also guarantees a victory for The Kingdom tonight, and a win in his world title match in Dearborn.
Match 6
The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Vinny Marseglia) vs Bushi (NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Champ) & Tetsuya Naito (IWGP IC Champ)
(referee: Tiger Hattori)
Result: Tetsuya Naito pins Vinny Merseglia after Destino
Time: 10:07
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. There seemed to be a couple of small miscues somewhere in the middle of the match, but otherwise this was good. The Kingdom seemed to dominate more of the match, but it wasn’t like LIJ wasn’t fighting back. The momentum shifted a few times, and the finish was nice.
Match 7
Triple Threat Tag Match
Silas Young & Beer City Bruiser vs EVIL & Sanada (NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Champs) vs The Briscoes (ROH 6-Man Tag Champs)
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Mark Briscoe pins Beer City Bruiser after a Froggy Bow
Time: 14:27
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was a pretty solid triple threat tag match for about the first two-thirds, but when it broke down for the last third it got quite exciting. The action picked up considerably in the final part, and people started flying everywhere. I think the breakdown came at just the right time too. The match was starting to feel a little long when everything started going crazy.
Match 8
KUSHIDA vs Jay Lethal
(referee: Todd Sinclair)
Result: KUSHIDA wins via pinfall with a fisherman buster into an inside cradle
Time: 16:43
Match Thoughts
Fantastic match! Lethal and KUSHIDA were extremely evenly matched, to the point where they were doing some of the same signature moves against each other. Each guy also had a very clear game plan that they both stuck to throughout the match. This led to some great submission psychology and some excellent counters and transitions. This finish of the match was really great as well.
Match 9
Hiroshi Tanahashi & The Addiction (Frankie Kazarian & Christopher Daniels (ROH World Champ)) vs The Young Bucks (ROH Tag Champs) & Kenny Omega
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Kenny Omega pins Christopher Daniels after One-Winged Angel
Time: 27:36
Match Thoughts
Great match. This match was definitely the biggest spectacle of the night. It felt more like an exhibition for the talent involved rather than an actual competitive match, but it was fun. A large part of the match was filled with highly choreographed segments and comical bits that fell just short of making this a comedy match. Eventually things started to get more serious, though there were still a lot of pro-wrestling shenanigans going on. The whole match felt like fan service, and there’s nothing really wrong with that.
Show Impressions
Not every match was great, but none were bad, and the good ones were very good. There was a little something for everyone on this match. Some comedy, some pure wrestling, some high-flying, and some huge stars acting like huge stars.
Match of the Night
KUSHIDA vs Jay Lethal
The final two matches were easily the best, and the better one really depends on taste. The main event was more about the entertainment side of pro wrestling while KUSHIDA vs Lethal was more about the wrestling. I prefer KUSHIDA vs Lethal, and I’m more likely to watch this multiple times rather than the main event.