Ring of Honor/New Japan Pro Wrestling "Global Wars"
May 10th, 2014
From the Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto, Ontario
Commentators: Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino
Tonight: Kevin Steen finally gets his rematch for the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship against Adam Cole. And the stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling are in the house too!
Michael Bennett w/Maria Kanellis vs. ACH
This match was okay. Like any Michael Bennett match the only really good part was Maria's ass.
Winner: Michael Bennett
Takaaki Watanabe vs. Michael Elgin
This match was just okay too. I find Elgin is best in matches that go at least twenty minutes and I don't think this one lasted ten.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Code of Honor adhered to.
The Decade w/TaDarius Thomas vs. reDRagon vs. the Briscoes
Again, another okay match that ended very early.
Winners: the Briscoes
Recap of the recent issues between Cedric Alexander and Roderick Strong.
Roderick Strong vs. Cedric Alexander
This match was nothing too special either but it at least got some time to work itself through.
Winner: Cedric Alexander
After the match the rest of Roderick's running buddies the Decade (who were banned from ringside for this match) rush the ring and attack Cedric.
Ad for the upcoming Ring of Honor live events...usually they cut that stuff out.
Ad for the replay of Supercard of Honor VIII.
For the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships
Forever Hooligans vs. the Time Splitters vs. the Young Bucks (champions)
This is the first match of the show where I can say in good confidence that when I see the RoH/NJPW tour live next month that most of these guys will likely be there. In fact, Alex Kozlov was the only guy in this match who was not at last year's show. This was the first match I'd say is worth watching on this show, as long as you don't hate the Bucks and their style of match. It still could've gone a bit longer.
Winners: the Young Bucks
Nigel McGuiness joins the commentary team.
RD Evans comes out for his match with his personal sign keeper Ramon (who I’m pretty sure was Stokely Hathaway). Apparently he's on a one hundred and four match winning streak. He pulls out an envelop with the name of his opponent and gives it to ring announcer Bobby Cruise.
RD Evans w/Ramon vs. Bobby Cruise
Quick roll-up and it's over.
Winner: RD Evans
That segment was actually really funny.
Jado & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & Hiroshi Tanahashi
This match was...good. I know there are a lot of guys to "mark" for in it but there was nothing really worth marking out for.
Winners: Jushin
For the Ring of Honor World Television Championship
Silas Young vs. Matt Taven vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jay Lethal (champion) w/Truth Martini
This match was going along well and fine until the theme of the evening kicked in and it ended way too early. It could have been a lot better with ten more minutes. Too bad.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Promo for the upcoming Ring of Honor/NJPW show in New York.
Nigel McGuiness leaves and Michael Elgin joins the commentary team. He's facing AJ Styles for the IWJP World Heavyweight Championship at that New York show.
Okada & Gedo vs. AJ Styles & Karl Anderson
SEVENTEEN STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...
I'm still not sold on Okada at all. He's a good wrestler. But he's not an incredible wrestler, maybe not even a great wrestler. This match was just okay again.
Winners: the Bullet Club
After the match Michael Elgin gets in the ring and stares face-to-face with AJ Styles.
For the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship
Kevin Steen vs. Adam Cole (champion)
Kevin Steen is always good but I don't really care for him as a face, as he was here. And honestly keeping my attention focused on this DVD as I watched was a struggle. This match was good, not great and I'm ready to move on. There was a nice Super-Brainbuster on the too turnbuckle in the last two minutes.
Winner: Adam Cole
________________________________________________
A lot of this show seemed like a precursor to something more important than it being a show that stood on its own. This was like watching a weekly episodic TV show. There was a big Ring of Honor/NJPW show in New York the following weekend and a lot was building to that. But that seems to usually be the case with the annual early-May NJPW shows and I expect the same thing this year. I really only wanted to watch this show because I'm seeing Ring of Honor on their 2017 War of the World's tour in the same arena next month, and I saw them in the same arena on the same tour last May. I was spoiled with that show last May since it was a TV taping. This year's is another "house show" leading to a pay per view (in New York, none-the-less) the coming Friday afterwards.
The commentary audio was a little low on this DVD but the ring noise and music was really quite and took a bit from the show. The filming, however, was very crisp and looked very nice.
DVD bonus features:
A Kevin Steen vignette, promos from Adam Cole, Roderick Strong and Jimmy Jacobs and a show recap video; none of which I had any desire to watch.
There were a couple of matches that could have been “Best of” DVD worthy (the match for the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships and the match for the World Television Championship) but the rest was just a showcase. In the end this is one of those DVDs that’s a great keepsake if you were there live but not worth bothering with if you weren’t. It was the first of these cross-promotional shows that Ring of Honor had with New Japan Pro Wrestling so I guess there’s a bit of historical significance there.
May 10th, 2014
From the Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto, Ontario
Commentators: Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino
Tonight: Kevin Steen finally gets his rematch for the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship against Adam Cole. And the stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling are in the house too!
Michael Bennett w/Maria Kanellis vs. ACH
This match was okay. Like any Michael Bennett match the only really good part was Maria's ass.
Winner: Michael Bennett
Takaaki Watanabe vs. Michael Elgin
This match was just okay too. I find Elgin is best in matches that go at least twenty minutes and I don't think this one lasted ten.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Code of Honor adhered to.
The Decade w/TaDarius Thomas vs. reDRagon vs. the Briscoes
Again, another okay match that ended very early.
Winners: the Briscoes
Recap of the recent issues between Cedric Alexander and Roderick Strong.
Roderick Strong vs. Cedric Alexander
This match was nothing too special either but it at least got some time to work itself through.
Winner: Cedric Alexander
After the match the rest of Roderick's running buddies the Decade (who were banned from ringside for this match) rush the ring and attack Cedric.
Ad for the upcoming Ring of Honor live events...usually they cut that stuff out.
Ad for the replay of Supercard of Honor VIII.
For the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships
Forever Hooligans vs. the Time Splitters vs. the Young Bucks (champions)
This is the first match of the show where I can say in good confidence that when I see the RoH/NJPW tour live next month that most of these guys will likely be there. In fact, Alex Kozlov was the only guy in this match who was not at last year's show. This was the first match I'd say is worth watching on this show, as long as you don't hate the Bucks and their style of match. It still could've gone a bit longer.
Winners: the Young Bucks
Nigel McGuiness joins the commentary team.
RD Evans comes out for his match with his personal sign keeper Ramon (who I’m pretty sure was Stokely Hathaway). Apparently he's on a one hundred and four match winning streak. He pulls out an envelop with the name of his opponent and gives it to ring announcer Bobby Cruise.
RD Evans w/Ramon vs. Bobby Cruise
Quick roll-up and it's over.
Winner: RD Evans
That segment was actually really funny.
Jado & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & Hiroshi Tanahashi
This match was...good. I know there are a lot of guys to "mark" for in it but there was nothing really worth marking out for.
Winners: Jushin
For the Ring of Honor World Television Championship
Silas Young vs. Matt Taven vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jay Lethal (champion) w/Truth Martini
This match was going along well and fine until the theme of the evening kicked in and it ended way too early. It could have been a lot better with ten more minutes. Too bad.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Promo for the upcoming Ring of Honor/NJPW show in New York.
Nigel McGuiness leaves and Michael Elgin joins the commentary team. He's facing AJ Styles for the IWJP World Heavyweight Championship at that New York show.
Okada & Gedo vs. AJ Styles & Karl Anderson
SEVENTEEN STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...
I'm still not sold on Okada at all. He's a good wrestler. But he's not an incredible wrestler, maybe not even a great wrestler. This match was just okay again.
Winners: the Bullet Club
After the match Michael Elgin gets in the ring and stares face-to-face with AJ Styles.
For the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship
Kevin Steen vs. Adam Cole (champion)
Kevin Steen is always good but I don't really care for him as a face, as he was here. And honestly keeping my attention focused on this DVD as I watched was a struggle. This match was good, not great and I'm ready to move on. There was a nice Super-Brainbuster on the too turnbuckle in the last two minutes.
Winner: Adam Cole
________________________________________________
A lot of this show seemed like a precursor to something more important than it being a show that stood on its own. This was like watching a weekly episodic TV show. There was a big Ring of Honor/NJPW show in New York the following weekend and a lot was building to that. But that seems to usually be the case with the annual early-May NJPW shows and I expect the same thing this year. I really only wanted to watch this show because I'm seeing Ring of Honor on their 2017 War of the World's tour in the same arena next month, and I saw them in the same arena on the same tour last May. I was spoiled with that show last May since it was a TV taping. This year's is another "house show" leading to a pay per view (in New York, none-the-less) the coming Friday afterwards.
The commentary audio was a little low on this DVD but the ring noise and music was really quite and took a bit from the show. The filming, however, was very crisp and looked very nice.
DVD bonus features:
A Kevin Steen vignette, promos from Adam Cole, Roderick Strong and Jimmy Jacobs and a show recap video; none of which I had any desire to watch.
There were a couple of matches that could have been “Best of” DVD worthy (the match for the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships and the match for the World Television Championship) but the rest was just a showcase. In the end this is one of those DVDs that’s a great keepsake if you were there live but not worth bothering with if you weren’t. It was the first of these cross-promotional shows that Ring of Honor had with New Japan Pro Wrestling so I guess there’s a bit of historical significance there.
Do you like old people porn? Because I just put enough to fill an old folks home in the wrestling section!