ROH Field of Honor 2015 Review
Location: Brooklyn, New York, inside MCU Park
MCU Park is the home of the Minor League Brooklyn Cyclones and a big piece of Coney Island. However, what is more pertinent here is the history that the venue has with wrestling. TNA did their first ballpark show back in 2010 when they drew one of their largest crowds ever for the first TNA Basebrawl event. TNA would continue to hold a Basebrawl show at MCU Park every year until 2013, which also included diminishing attendance every subsequent year as well. Last year, ROH took over and had a pretty good show at the venue. So, they decided to step it up for the 2015 version by bringing in New Japan talent to draw people into the ballpark. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hirooki Goto, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA, along with partner Alex Shelley and Shinsuke Nakamura would all be on the marquee for fans that purchased tickets to the event. The crowd attending numbered around 2,000, which is still pretty decent for ROH, but it was probably hurt a lot by the fact that NXT Takeover Brooklyn was happening on the same night just a few miles away at the Barclay’s Center. However, NXT would have no effect on the performances on the show itself. So, it is probably time to get to the matches.
Match 1: Adam Cole (The Kingdom) vs. ROH World Tag Team Champion Christopher Daniels (The Addiction)
Winner: Adam Cole (After Brainbuster to the Knee)
This was a very nice way to start the show with Adam Cole who is in this storyline with The Kingdom where they don’t know who the leader is. He faces off against a familiar foe in Christopher Daniels here. Daniels tried to go move for move with Cole early, but it wasn’t working. So, when Daniels is able to get Cole on the outside, he immediately starts to work on the injured shoulder and elbow, which becomes a theme for the rest of the match. Daniels works over the arm with everything from direct hits to the elbow into the turnbuckles, to arm wrenches, to Running Knees into that arm. The story was told well here, as every time Cole wanted to make a comeback, Daniels would cut him off. Then right when it looked like Cole might have things figured out after a Release German, (which he couldn’t lock into the Florida Key because of the work on the arm,) a Shining Wizard to the back of the head and a Figure 4 Leglock, Chris Sabin appears to distract the referee. However, the plan backfires as Cole kicks out of a roll-up and sends Daniels into Sabin. Daniels tries to hit a move, but Cole counters for the Superkick and Brainbuster to the Knee for the win. Cole continues to look strong in singles action, as wonderful psychology from Daniels and selling from Cole worked to produce a very good match. I just felt it lacked the drama needed to kick the match into a higher gear. *** ½ *
Match 2: Tag Team Match: Pro Wrestling Noah GHC Tag Champions Killer Elite Squad (Suzuki-Gun) vs. War Machine
Winners: War Machine (After Fallout)
These two have history, as K.E.S. appeared on ROH TV at the behest of Michael Elgin to try to dispose of War Machine, but the match ended in a no contest. So, here we are again, as you can imagine with two powerhouse teams like these, the match is going to be a rough one. The match was pretty even with both sides never really having a long period of domination. Harry Smith also does MMA, so we saw him use a Cross Armbreaker and a Kimura in the match, although the work on the arm had no effect on either member of War Machine really. We got to see highlights from both Hanson and Rowe, as each one got to hit some pretty big spots. Rowe’s Gutbuster into a Gutwrench Powerbomb on Archer was probably the most impressive of them all. We also saw Rowe hit a very nice Exploder Suplex on Smith as well. Not to be outdone was a Saito Suplex from Smith and then the Killer Bomb, but it was broken up by Hanson. Once that happened, it was evident that War Machine was winning, and eventually they did. War Machine was impressive here, especially Rowe who had a number of high impact spots throughout. The match itself was good, but it seemed like they were certainly saving something for later. The announcers made note that this could setup a GHC Tag Title shot down the line and War Machine vowed they would come to Japan and take the belts. Seems like things are pretty much set then. ***
Match 3: Gauntlet Match for a Television Championship titleshot on September 19
Contest 1: Adam Page (The Decade) w/ BJ Whitmer & Colby Corino vs. Dalton Castle w/ The Boys
If you’ve never seen Dalton Castle before, this match gives you everything out of the guy. He showboats a lot, he comes out to an instrumental of “Want it All” by Queen, he shows why he’s called “The Peacock,” he has boys with feathers that fan him, he’s flexible, and oh yeah… he can freaking wrestle too. Very much like Silas Young, Adam Page is another perfect foil for Dalton Castle. Page comes out all business and promises to break Jay Briscoe’s neck. He then proceeds to Powerslam Castle on his head at one point too. So, I guess he wanted to have two broken necks by the end of the night? Castle showed off his power with the Deadlift German and some of his speed with a few other moves, but Page also put on a shining effort with an over the rope Lariat and a Beautiful Jumping DDT. Colby Corino gave Page some help early in the match with a kick to Castle’s head. Then at the end, Page would get assistance from a BJ Whitmer Crutch, only for it to back fire on him. This match was fun and tailored to both men’s strengths, while also having the shenanigans you expect from The Decade. I thought it all worked pretty well to deliver something entertaining. *** ¼ *
After the match was over, Page hit Castle with the Crutch and also hit Castle with the Rite of Passage to lay him out. The other half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions, along with Chris Sabin, would come out next.
Contest 2: Dalton Castle w/ The Boys vs. (ROH World Tag Team Champion) Frankie Kazarian (The Addiction) w/ Chris Sabin
Kazarian comes in and tries to take advantage of Castle’s weakened state. Sabin gets involved more than a few times as well. The match worked in stacking the deck against Castle and made him have to work against the odds to fight back. A nice catch of Kazarian off the top rope into a Big Northern Lights Release Suplex for a near fall gives Castle the mojo he needs to counter a victory roll and get the pin. Kazarian continued the work Adam Page had done earlier and Sabin did as well to keep the crowd firmly behind Dalton Castle. Castle sold the previous encounter and did just enough to overcome. ** ½ *
After the match, Chris Sabin attacks Castle and chokes him. Kazarian gets some shots in as well. Sabin goes for a Clothesline while Kazarian is holding him, but Castle moves and Sabin knocks Kazarian down. Castle fights back, but is eventually knocked down by a Title Belt shot from Sabin. And guess who would be the next competitor…
Contest 3: Dalton Castle w/ The Boys vs. “The Last Real Man” Silas Young
Silas Young immediately goes for the pin and Castle KICKS OUT!!! Castle fights back, but falls to Misery from Silas Young and Castle’s miracle run is over. NR
Contest 4: “The Last Real Man” Silas Young vs. “Bushwhacker” Luke Williams
I’d read the reports that Bushwhacker Luke had appeared in non-taped segments on the TV Tapings the night before in Philadelphia, but it was a total surprise to see him here. Although, this is here for laughs because Bushwhacker Luke is tossed over the top rope and he just keeps on walking all around the bases until he is counted out. However, the crowd gets upset when he’s not allowed to finish crossing home plate and he’s made to walk into the dugout. NR
Contest 5: “The Last Real Man” Silas Young vs. Moose w/ Stokely Hathaway
This is basically a glorified squash match for Moose. The only big move of note that Silas even gets on him is a Tornado DDT after Moose misses the Spear attempt. It was all Moose aside from that. *
Contest 6: Moose w/ Stokely Hathaway vs. Donavan Dijak w/ Jay Diesel & Truth Martini
This was a nice big man match here, with some stiff shots and nice counters. However, the big botch on the outside really hurt it. Dijak basically did a running awkward Moonsault to the outside and it looks like Moose had no idea it was coming and Dijak just completely misses him. Dijak would go for another Moonsault inside the ring, but Moose blocked it with knees. Moose did his RIDICULOUS Springboard Dropkick out of the corner and went for the Spear, but Truth Martini got involved for the second time in the match. Stokely Hathaway would chase him and Jay Diesel would run after Stokely in a funny scene that felt straight out of an old comedy show. Moose hits the Spear and we move it along. Dijak does some really impressive stuff for his size and he will be a big player in a year or two in ROH. Moose is still sloppy at times, but it’s amazing how quick he’s gotten everything and how athletic he is for his size as well. ** ¼ *
Contest 7: Moose vs. Cedric Alexander w/ Veda Scott
There was no match here, Veda Scott distracted Moose while Cedric came from behind and whacked him with the wrench. Alexander easily gets the three count. NR
Contest 8: Cedric Alexander w/ Veda Scott vs. Takaaki Watanabe
Cedric Alexander’s overconfidence and showboating did him in here, as he took too much time at points playing to the crowd and not capitalizing on moves. A Veda Scott gave him the advantage early and then they went back and forth for a bit, but it was mostly Watanabe coming from underneath most of the time. It looked like Alexander might have things in the bag, but Moose comes back out and it distracts Alexander because Veda Scott gets on the apron to get his attention. Watanabe knocks Veda off the apron hits two German’s, a Forearm Smash, and a STO for the win. The match wasn’t long and there was a period where it dragged a bit, but still a good showing for Watanabe and he now has a title opportunity against Jay Lethal for the TV Title. ** ¾ *
Winner and NEW #1 Contender for the ROH Television Championship: Watanabe (After STO)
Match 4: 8-Man Tag Team Match: Roppongi Vice & The Kingdom w/ Maria Kanellis (All CHAOS) vs. ACH & Matt Sydal & Young Bucks (Bullet Club)
Winners: Young Bucks & ACH & Matt Sydal (After More Bang For Your Buck, 450 Splash, and Shooting Star Press)
This was just the immense amount of fun that you always get with Young Bucks involved in a match with other tag teams that equally comparable to them in RPG Vice, ACH & Sydal, and The Kingdom. There was also a lot of comedy in this to balance out the high flying action. They started out with a yey vs. boo war in the corner, which surprise everyone, Maria won. The Kingdom tried to do the RPG Vice hugging routine, but they got off the apron and Bennett and Taven wound up hugging each other, only to eat quadruple Superkicks. Three of them hit a Triple Moonsault to the outside and ACH hits a Reverse Moonsault over Maria to the outside, which was sick.
RPG Vice and Kingdom take turns playing Baseball, but Kingdom aren’t as lucky, as they get Superkicked as they round the bases for a comical moment. Everyone got a big moment to shine here, but the focus was majorly on Young Bucks and The Kingdom, as they have the CHAOS vs. Bullet Club thing going from the G1. There’s probably more breaks in the action than normal because of the use of the Baseball field, but this was still definitely worth checking out and a nice way to just enjoy some wrestling for a few. *** ½ *
Match 5: G1 Climax 25 Rematch: “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin vs. (IWGP Intercontinental Champion) Hirooki Goto
Winner: Hirooki Goto (After Shouten-Kai)
This had nowhere near the intensity or had the flow of their G1 match. This felt very slow and methodical at some points. We got the big spots from both men, but there was no build up really. There was the similar format to the G1 match with Elgin having control early hitting the Stalling Suplex and later the Chaos Theory, which got a very close near fall. Goto got in his Rolling Kick and Saito Suplex combo and basically a three move finish with The Kaiten, Urushi-Goroshi, and Shouten-Kai. I did appreciate that they went at it at the bell and then slowed things down. I still enjoyed the match, but it felt like a mini version of what we saw in Japan. I was really surprised that Goto won again, but perhaps they will build to one more match during one of the remaining PPV’s or even a house show before Wrestle Kingdom and Elgin wins there. Then it could be possible that Elgin could make his debut at Wrestle Kingdom in an Intercontinental Championship match.*** ½ *
Match 6: Time Splitters vs. The Briscoes
Winners: The Briscoes (After Jay Driller on Alex Shelley)
This is the first time we’ve seen Alex Shelley tagging back with KUSHIDA since the injury at Best of the Super Juniors in May. Briscoes controlled early, but KUSHIDA quickly changed their fortunes with a Headscissor Takedown and a Counter Bulldog. Timesplitters did a lot of work on Jay’s arm using different Arm Wrenches to really make it a point they were softening him up for the Hoverboard Lock. We did get lots of double teams moves from Timesplitters that kept the action fast paced and flowing well, including a Legdrop and Moonsault combo. The Briscoes would do a few of their own as well. The focus was kept on working over Shelley for a period by The Briscoes and eventually led to the finish that had each guy do a move until Jay got the Driller for the win. Jay did favor the arm at various times in the match and couldn’t do the Jay Driller at first until the finishing sequence happened. Both teams worked hard and delivered something fun and also gave us a good look at every member of the teams individually. The Wind Up Punch KUSHIDA threw on Mark was pretty nice and Shelley look to be back to his old self as well. *** ¾ *
Match 7: Roderick Strong vs. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada
Winner: Kazuchika Okada (After Rainmaker Lariat)
Terrific match here and probably going to wind up the best match of the night. These two went back and forth and I was surprised at how much offense on the back that Roddy was able to get in this match. The Back Suplex onto the barricade and onto the Ring Apron didn’t look comforting for Okada. Roddy also chopped the hell out of Okada in this as well, I mean I’m surprised Okada doesn’t have a permanent red spot. Okada got in a lot of his spots with the DDT and Kip Up, the Flapjack, and the Dropkick to the outside of course. The look on Okada’s face after the Superplex Roddy delivered tells the story of how much pain that back of Okada had endured during the match. Okada would kick out of Roddy’s finish and they had a nice counter exchange leading up to The Rainmaker. The announcers did discuss that Roddy might deserve a titleshot due to his performance here, I wonder if perhaps that might be something for the February shows. The fact that the crowd was enamored with Okada at first, but by the end they were pulling for Roddy says it all. Roddy got to look like a million bucks and gave Okada everything in defeat. If you watch one thing from this show, this is it right here. **** ¼ *
Match 8: MAIN EVENT: IWGP Tag Team Champions ReDragon vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & ROH World Television Champion & ROH World Champion Jay Lethal w/ Truth Martini
Winners: Nakamura & Lethal (After Lethal Injection on Bobby Fish)
Lethal has to face both O’ Reilly and Fish in separate singles matches for the Television and World Titles respectively. He tried to do it alone at first, even refusing to tag Nakamura. Nakamura then refused to tag in Lethal and allowed ReDragon to continue to beat up Lethal, until Nakamura gave Lethal a hug to get himself into the match. They then built well together as a team and we even got to see a few double team moves, like Nakamura setting up on the second rope for Lethal to Suicide Dive O’ Reilly through the legs. O’ Reilly was made to look strong so that he seems viable as a contender to Lethal. ReDragon had a few times where they had it won, but the team of Nakamura and Lethal would stifle them at every turn. It looked like there might be a big problem between the two at the end, when Nakamura threw away the Book of Truth, but it instead setup the finish. Nakamura put O’ Reilly in the armbar and Lethal hit the Lethal Injection on Fish. This was just pure fun and they played up the dynamic between Lethal and Nakamura well throughout the match. So we have two great matches to end the show. **** Afterwards, O’ Reilly would shake hands with Nakamura, but when it came time for Lethal to do it, he refused and walked away. No idea if that will have repercussions in February, but it would be an interesting one-off match.
Final Rating: 8.0: I enjoyed the show from top to bottom and there was nothing bad on the show at all either. However, I was a bit disappointed in Goto vs. Elgin and The 8-Man Tag focused a lot more on comedy than wrestling, which is fine, but it took away from the match a bit after a while. Though again, there is nothing on here that isn’t worth watching. Everything is solid to good and you have a standout tag team match between Briscoes and Timesplitters. The two main events deliver wonderfully for different reasons and overall it was a show that was easy to sit through as well. I’d say that the $19.95 asking price is worth it, if you have the three hours available to watch this.
Now it is on to San Antonio for Ring of Honor, as they have a PPV on September 18 and TV Tapings the next night on September 19. New Japan returns from its short hiatus after the G1 Climax 25 to begin the Road to the two Destruction events. They begin with a house show on September 4 that will be shown on NJPW World. So, it looks like things are starting to take shape for both companies headed into what should be a busy fall season.
