ROH TV Review - 24.09.2011

ROH Review - 24.09.2011

Where to start ... Firstly the comparison with the "Competition". No not WWE, I'm talking Total Nonstop  Action Wrestling. You know the show that has 20 minutes of Wrestling on a show even though their name begs to differ.

In comparison to TNA this show as a wrestling program and as an entertainment program was great. It was booked well and for what the had the production was decent. Yes if you love the "glitz and Glamour" of WWE then this program is probably not for you but from a pure wrestling standpoint, You cannot surpass ROH.

Nigel McGuinnes (right) returning to ROH.

Now onto the show. The show kicked off with Kevin Kelly welcoming the fans to the first ever taping of Ring of Honor. The crowd were on fire and the crowd felt very Indy which is always great. Constant chants, Streamers being thrown in the ring. All the good stuff. Kevin Kelly then went on to introduce Nigel McGuinness as his commentary partner for ROH. Initially I was happy to see McGuinness back in ROH, Wrestling or not. I am a big fan of the guy and have been for many years so it was great to see him back. But once he started calling the matches I started to cringe but I will get to that later.

Tag Team Match:

Futureshock (Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly) vs The Bravado's 

Before the match the showed a hype video with both teams saying how they are going to walk out the victors. This was great as it kept that 'Sport' aspect with wrestling which is what ROH has been doing for years. Some may argue that they "Sold Out" by landing a TV deal but at least they have changed for the most part.

The match was a great wrestling match with lots of good spots. Control changed every few minutes and this match showed why ROh has the best tag Team division in the world. In the end Futureshock picked up the victory.

Match Rating: 4/5

As great as this match was, It was poor booking on ROH's part. You have two teams which nobody is aware of that is tuning into TNA for the first time. I mean yeah, Most of the roster people are not going to know but at least get some more established indy guys involved. El Generico, Steve Corino, Jay Lethal, Homicide, Briscoe Brothers and Rhino. Yeah I know most of those guys are not Tag team wrestlers but to establish other guys you need a stepping stone.

After this match we see highlights from Best In The World 2011, Which was one of the best PPV's in years. I reccomend you buy it. $20 at ROH's store. Anyway, This was great. This showed the fans what has been happening recently in ROH to get everyone where they are at. Personally thought this was genius by ROH because the big companies hate showing footage of recent PPV's but then again, Big companies have more to lose in that regard.

After this we see a little shoot like interview with Jay Lethal talking about his change in character since being in ROH. He takes a stab at his Black Machismo gimmick before plugging his match next week against El Generico which should be a classic.

Main Event: ROH Tag Team Championship

Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Benjamin & Haas) vs Kings Of Wrestling (Hero & Castagnoli)

This match was epic. Typically what you'd expect from these four men. Hero and Castagnoli will be missed for sure after watching this. Chris Hero delivered his patented elbows and boots with such brutality as Castagnoli through Benjamin and Haas all around the ring. At one point though, Castagnoli and Benjamin I think were out on the entrance way and you couldn't even see them due to the poor production quality. That was a bit cringe worthy but apart from that this match was great. In the end, Haas and Benjamin picked up the win with their 'Wrestling's greatest Tag Team move" or whatever it is called.

Match Rating: 4.5/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

   Pro's:        

-Kevin Kelly on Commentery

- WRESTLING

- Shoot like promo's with that eighties feel.

- "The Fan Aspect". Crowd getting into legitimately.

- Asking fans who they think will 'win'. Once again, That

sporting feel.

 

Con's:

- Lighting and Camera Work

- Poor Production quality

- McGuinness on Commentery