Ring of Honor Review - March 9, 2016

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Lio Rush def. Brian Fury to Win the Top Prospect Tournament

I had my doubts early on in the Top Prospect Tournament simply because I wasn't aware of most of the participants, but it's been a pleasantly surprising treat over the past month or so, culminating with this contest. Fury is a competent competitor and should have a bright future no matter what, but Rush has stood out to me more than anyone else in this entire tournament. The things he is capable of in the ring are incredible and he finds ways to get great matches out of everyone he works with. This was another emotional fight from him that ultimately saw him come out with the win. I surely hope ROH has something meaningful in mind for him from the get-go and doesn't allow him to flounder.


Moose def. Kongo

I was nearly convinced for a moment that Umaga had come back from the dead because Kongo looked like his doppelganger. Given how he appeared to be an enhancement talent, I was shocked this match went as long as it did, but if nothing else, it gave Moose a chance to showcase his skills some more and score a decisive victory in the end. He hasn't done anything of note in a while, so fingers crossed he can find some direction sooner rather than later.

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Cedric Alexander vs. Adam Page Went to a No Contest

Alexander has been largely wasted ever since his feud with Moose concluded back in September. His alliance with Veda Scott has helped him elicit heat as a heel, sure, but other than that, it has done him zero favors. On the bright side, the match I likely wouldn't have cared about never got started, but then again, the Page and BJ Whitmer program is continuing. Technically it just started, but Page's face turn feels so forced that it's difficult to get behind him.


Christopher Daniels def. Dalton Castle

Well, this was random. Of course, so was Adam Cole vs. Matt Sydal in last week's main event and these shows were taped prior to the pay-per-view, but at least they set it up in logical fashion with Castle's promo at the top of the hour. They worked a solid match and Silas Young's presence on commentary was welcomed, but it was weird to see Castle lose without any interference from Young. Although I've enjoyed their feud for the most part, I'm ready for it to reach its end, and thankfully, the blow-off will be happening sometime in the next few weeks.


Overall Show

In all honesty, I completely forgot there was even a pay-per-view late last month because it was almost completely ignored. I was aware of that coming into this edition of ROH TV because that typically tends to be the case, but this was an uninspiring hour for this viewer. The opener was entertaining, but the subsequent three matches did nothing for me. The shows that were taped after the 14th Anniversary start airing in two weeks, but we do have tag team Gauntlet to look forward to next week, so that should be fun.