Ring of Honor Review - June 19, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Hirooki Goto def. Hikuleo

I'm slightly familiar with Goto but not at all with Hikuleo. Therefore, I personally didn't have much interest in this match, especially because it was incredibly random, had no story behind it, and wasn't advertised in advance. It was just kind of there. From an in-ring standpoint, it was perfectly fine and I guess it gave extra exposure to these New Japan Pro-Wrestling competitors, but it felt like a waste of television time to me with the Best in the World pay-per-view coming up quickly.

WOH World Champion Kelly Klein and Jenny Rose vs. The Allure Went to a No Contest

These two teams were originally supposed to do battle after what went down between them on a recent episode of ROH TV, but The Allure attacked Klein and Rose before the bout could start (it actually occurred during the commercial break and viewers were just shown the replay). I was actually somewhat happy that we didn't have to see The Allure in action until I realized the match was delayed simply so it could happen at Best in the World. I'm a fan of Klein, but I'm not sure The Allure will deliver. Time will tell.

PJ Black and Lifeblood def. Shinobi Shadow Squad

Although this was a nice little match and was well wrestled, this really should have been a complete squash for Lifeblood and Black. I appreciate them trying to lend credibility to Shinobi Shadow Squad, but they're glorified enhancement talent at the end of the day and should not have been made to look like equals to their opponents. This largely served to establish Lifeblood's alliance with Black, who will apparently be stepping in for all of their missing members for now. I could see him turning on them eventually, though. Afterward, Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams issued an open challenge to Bully Ray and Soldiers of Savagery, which I assume will be added to the Best in the World card.

Jeff Cobb def. Jay Lethal, Rush and ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion PCO in a Four Corner Survival Match

Although there wasn't anything at stake in this main event, it was basically a battle for supremacy between four top contenders to the ROH World Championship at the moment. All four men are babyfaces, so while the crowd didn't have an incentive to cheer for one guy over the others, it was an entertaining main event while it lasted. It would have benefited from a few more minutes and the finish felt flat with Kenny King costing Lethal the victory, but at least it furthered Lethal's feud with King and gave Cobb a big win.

Overall Show

With Best in the World being next Friday, I think the card has come together quite well over the past month or so. Everything I've seen advertised so far makes sense and there are a few matches I'm looking forward to. As for this edition of ROH TV, the first half didn't do much for me, but the six-man tag team match was fun for what it was and the main event was also enjoyable.