Ring of Honor Review - August 17, 2016

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Lio Rush def. Donovan Dijak

This was a cool clash of former Top Prospect Tournament winners and just a small taste of what to expect in that Fatal 4-Way also involving Jay White and Kamaitachi at Death Before Dishonor. I don't know what the storyline reason will be for that bout, but it should surely be a blast if this match was any indication. Rush has been impressing the hell out of me since arriving in ROH, and Dijak has always been an amazing athlete, so I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise that it was an exciting affair. I liked Rush scoring the upset win, but at the same time I wish Dijak was better protected in ROH.


Adam Page and IWGP Tag Team Champion Jay Briscoe Brawled

I really haven't been following this feud as closely as I should have and thus I'm not all that invested in their upcoming match, but this was a good final build for the matchup. Page cut a better promo than I have heard from him in some time, and Briscoe was all business when he came out to take the fight to him afterward. I also appreciated how they didn't give too much away with their brawl and left fans wanting to see more at the event.

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IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks def. Roppongi Vice in a No. 1 Contender's Match For the ROH World Tag Team Championship (Non-title)

You had to know this was going to be an absolute spotfest given who was involved and it didn't disappoint in that way whatsoever. In fact, it was actually quite fun and I was on the edge of my seat the entire team. The two tandems obviously work well together, and while there really wasn't a sense of storytelling, it entertained the hell out of me. The Young Bucks, who have been vastly underutilized since signing with ROH last year, were the right choices to win, and The Addiction attacking them during the post-match was an effective way of getting heat on them.


ROH World Champion Jay Lethal and Adam Cole Signed the Contract For Their Death Before Dishonor Match

Both of these guys are tremendous talkers, so they brought the goods in this segment and each of them delivered excellent promos. I loved Cole's line about not wanting to steal the show with Lethal but rather wanting to steal his title. That is so true because it seems the focus on ROH is only on having great matches (that's a major factor but it shouldn't be the sole factor). Meanwhile, Lethal saying that this match wasn't just about the title left me wondering whether we will see a new champion crowned Friday, which is the exact feeling they should have left me with because this is the most jeopardy Lethal's title reign has been in in recent memory. In other words, this was a successful segment all around.


Overall Show

This was a great go-home show for Death Before Dishonor filled with enjoyable in-ring action and solid progression of several feuds. The two matches featured the ROH style of overstaying their welcome in terms of a ridiculous amount of kickouts, but both bouts were a treat, so that's merely me nitpicking. There are a few matches on the advertised card that have little to no build, but it should be an awesome event from an in-ring standpoint.