Csonka’s ROH Honor Re-United Doncaster 2018 Review

Csonka’s ROH Honor Re-United Doncaster 2018 Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Non-Title Match: Champions The Briscoes defeated Jody Fleisch & Jonny Storm @ 13:22 via pin [***]
– ROH International Cup Semifinal: Mark Haskins defeated Flip Gordon @ 12:45 via pin [***¾]
– ROH International Cup Semifinal: Adam Page defeated Jimmy Havoc @ 12:15 via pin [**½]
– Kay Lee Ray defeated Charli Evans @ 8:13 via pin [***]
– Proving Ground Match: TV Champion Punishment Martinez defeated Delirious @ 4:15 via pin [*]
– Marty Scurll defeated Christopher Daniels, Kip Sabian, & Joe Hendry @ 9:45 via pin [**¾]
– Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham defeated The Young Bucks @ 17:53 via pin [****]
– ROH International Cup Final: Mark Haskins defeated Adam Page @ 20:04 via pin [****]

---

– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

My apologies for the delays on these, I thought they would air live on Honor Club, and wasn’t about to pay an extra $30 to cover them live.

The Briscoes vs. Jody Fleisch & Jonny Storm: Storm and Fleisch attack at the bell and run wild start picking up near falls. Jay cuts off Storm and the champions follow with double teams. They isolate Storm, working him over in their corner, and choking him out in the ropes. More double teams follow; Mark hits a suplex, and covers for 2. Storm fires back with an enziguri and tags in Fleisch. Mark low blows him and Jay tags in. He rakes the eyes and the Briscoes follow with double teams and take Fleisch to the floor. Mark whips him to the barricade and Jay follows with kicks. Back in and the champions continue to work double teams, and Jay then grounds the action. Fleisch looks to fire up, but Jay cuts him off with a dropkick. Mark back in and more double teams follow. Mark follows with suplexes and elbow drops, covering for 2. Fleisch fires up, picks up the pace and hits a reverse RANA! Tag to Storm and he runs wild and hits a moonsault and Mark then accidentally hits Jay. Perfect Storm connects for a good near fall. Fleisch up top and Storm Germans him into a moonsault onto Jay. Storm and Fleisch follow with dives, Storm then hits a suicide DDT onto both Briscoes. Fleisch then hits a shooting star press to the floor. Back in and Storm DDTs Mark for 2. The Briscoes finally cut off Storm but then Storm & Fleisch fire back and try some sort of wacky double team move (Fleisch tried to RANA Storm off the top onto the Bricoes) which failed horribly. Fleisch dumps Jay, slams Mark and covers for 2. Jay back in and Fleisch fights him off but eats a huge lariat. Storm in with a superkick and then gets hit with red neck boogie and he’s dumped to the floor. The neck breaker and froggy bow gets 2 on Fleisch. The Briscoes look for doomsday, but Fleisch counters into a cradle for 2. The Jay driller finishes him as Mark chokes out Storm. Champions The Briscoes defeated Jody Fleisch & Jonny Storm @ 13:22 via pin [***] Despite a couple of rough spots, this was an overall good opening match, with an invested crowd, and Jody Fleisch & Jonny Storm playing the hits enough to keep things interesting.

Mark Haskins vs. Flip Gordon: Vicky is out with Mark. They shake hands and here we go. They work into a fast and furious beginning, Gordon hits a head scissors and then gets cut off with a leg lariat. Gordon to the floor and Haskins follows with a suicide dive. Back in and Haskins follows with knee drops and covers for 2. Haskins lays the boots to corner and the corner dropkick follows for 2. Haskins then counters a sunset flip by attacking the arm. Haskins then focuses on the arm, and locks on an arm bar. He then stomps on the elbow and lays in kicks. Haskins goes right back to the arm. Gordon gets a cradle but Haskins counters into a crossface. Haskins back to the arm, but Gordon cuts him off with an enziguri and follows with the springboard missile dropkick. Gordon follows with a corner dropkick, and then the springboard spear for 2. Gordon sets Haskins up top but Haskins counters out and rolls into a sharpshooter. Gordon escapees, hits the superkick, but misses the standing moonsault and Haskins back to the arm bar and Gordon barely makes the ropes. They trade chops, and Gordon follows with a PELE. Spin kick by Gordon and he does the deal with a falcon arrow for a good near fall. They trade strikes, lighting each other up and Haskins cuts him off and trips him into the ropes and hits a PK. Haskins up top and Gordon pops up and hits kinder surprise. Haskins to the floor and Gordon follows with a tope. Back in Gordon up top and the 450 connects for 2. Haskins now counters back, locks in the arm bar, but Gordon gets a crucifix for 2. The pump handle driver from Haskins finally finishes Gordon. Mark Haskins defeated Flip Gordon @ 12:45 via pin [***¾] This was a very, very good match with great pacing, great work from both guys, and Haskins really shining as he advances. Gordon continues to grow and improve as a performer.

Adam Page vs. Jimmy Havoc: They lock up and work to the corner. Page now looks to overpower Havoc to the mat, Havoc escapes and they work into counters. Havoc grounds things and fishhooks Page. Page counters out, but Havoc gets a crucifix for 2. They spill to the floor and Havoc takes a lap and pokes page in the eyes. Page cuts him off with rights but Havoc moves and page clotheslines the post and gets his 8×10 and does his paper cut spot. Back in and Page low blows him and lays in ground and pound. The corner dropkick gets 2. Page hits the slam and fall away pump handle slam for 2. Havoc now counters back with a DDT. He follows with forearms and chops, and then head butts. The PK follows for 2. Havoc heads up top, Page cuts him off and shoves him to the floor. Havoc gets a bottle water, Page cuts him off, but Havoc has a staple gun and staples Page in the ass. He then staples himself and tosses the gun to Page in an Eddie Guerrero tribute spot. The ref doesn’t buy it, Page fires back but Havoc counters rite of passage and now bites Page’s hand. Havoc counters the buckshot lariat into the acid rainmaker for 2. Page battles back, Havoc cuts him off and hits the rolling DVD and PK for 2. Havoc heads up top, misses the double stomp, ref bump, and Page staples him in the face and hits the buckshot lariat. The rite of passage finishes it. Adam Page defeated Jimmy Havoc @ 12:15 via pin [**½] This was a solid match, but had too much Havoc shenanigans for my liking. The right man won.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Charli Evans: KLR had a good and fun match with Viper on night one. They lock up and Evans takes control, looming to ground the action. KLR counters and takes control until Evans counters into a head scissors. KLR pops out and starts working the arm and into a cradle for 2. They trade pin attempts, and work into a stand off. They shake and KLR lays in strikes, and follows with a dropkick. Evans fights off the Gory bomb and lays in a series of kicks. KLR cuts her off with forearms, they trade and Evans hits a rough looking basement RANA for 2. KLR fires back with chops, a gourd buster, and that gets 2. KLR follows with a snap mare and rolling kick for 2. KLR now lays in chops, Evans fires up and asks for more. They start trading; Evans runs into a superkick but answers back with a big boot. Evans follows with a big lariat for the double down. They trade running forearms, superkick by KLR, but Evans counters back with a knee strike and cradled DDT for 2. KLR fights off the DDT, hits a superkick and flatliner for 2. KLR transitions to the koji clutch but Evans counters into a cradle for 2. The Saito suplex follows. KLR counters the running knee strike into a Gory special for the win. Kay Lee Ray defeated Charli Evans @ 8:13 via pin [***] I really wish that ROh could bring in Kay Lee Ray as a regular, she’s been good on this tour and hasn’t even delivered her best stuff; she’d be a huge get. This was a good, hard-hitting match with a good sense of urgency.

Punishment Martinez vs. Booker Man Delirious: This is a proving ground match, if Delirious wins, he earns a TV Title shot. But lets be real, he’s only wrestling because he was already in the country as the booker. This should not last more than 5-minutes. Delirious attacks with dropkicks and runs wild early on. He heads up top but Martinez catches him only for Delirious to bite his hand. Delirious lays in strikes, Martinez is no amused, lets Delirious runs around and then gets low bridged to the floor. Delirious follows and Martinez hits a chokeslam onto the apron. Martinez rolls back in and Delirious beats the count as well. Delirious pulls himself up, slaps Martinez, but Martinez kicks him to the corner. The corner curb stomp follows and the chokeslam finishes it. TV Champion Punishment Martinez defeated Delirious @ 4:15 via pin [*] This was a squash, with Delirious getting some of his trademark shenanigans in; it was pretty much what it needed to be.

Marty Scurll vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Kip Sabian vs. Joe Hendry: It’s Marty vs. the International Cup losers. Young Marty is quite over as you’d expect. They circle and argue, Sabian talks shit to Daniels and powders. Daniels then takes him out with a suicide dive and then back in we get everyone going for repeated roll ups and various pin attempts. Sabian returns and everyone works him over for being an asshole. Triple teams follow, and then Marty & Daniels attack Hendry. Daniels tries to eye poke Marty, they eye poke each other allowing Sabian to fly in and take them out with a missile dropkick. He runs wild on both, dumps Daniels, and Hendry returns and he starts working over Sabian. The neck breaker follows for 2. Sabian cuts him off but Hendry rebounds with a huge lariat. Hendry then hits the fall away slam on Mary & Sabian. Daniels in and runs into a Hendry DDT. The ankle lock follows. Daniels rolls out, Sabian lays in kicks on Hendry and Daniels runs wild on both, hits an STO, and then works over Sabian. Dragon sleeper on Hendry and then takes out Sabian and Hendry. Sabian counters angel’s wings and Marty is in and trades with Sabian. Apron superkick to Daniels by Marty, and then a huge lariat to Sabian follow. Hendry back in and Marty plants him with a brainbuster for 2. Marty now gets a crab on Daniels while he has a Gory stretch on Sabian. Hendry breaks it up and gets dumped by Daniels who wipes him out with an Arabian press. Sabian kicks Daniels back to the floor, Marty looks for the chicken wing, Sabian fights that off, but Marty hits the Ghostbuster for 2. The graduation finishes it. Marty Scurll defeated Christopher Daniels, Kip Sabian, & Joe Hendry @ 9:45 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good, and even fun at times match. But it was really chaotic and not in a good way, and was far from smooth. Marty winning was the right call.

The Young Bucks vs. Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham: Lethal & Gresham are rivals that respect each other a lot, and will be facing soon on ROH TV in an iron man match; they’ve had great matches in the past. Jay and Matt to begin. Nope, Matt mocks Gresham and so he tags in. They lock up and Gresham immediately grounds things and he and Matt work into some slick exchanges and then into a stand off. Matt offers a handshake and Matt holds on, “where do you think you’re going?” as Nick lays into Gresham with a superkick and then dump Jay to the floor. The Bucks follow with double teams on Gresham, Gresham looks to battle back and lays in chops. Nick then drops him with a huge forearm strike. Gresham fights out of their corner, and a miscommunication allows him to get the tag. Jay runs wild, dumps Matt and follows with the cartwheel into the dropkick on Nick for 2. Gresham blind tags in and Germans Nick. Jay tags back in and slams Nick. Gresham back in and looks for a slam, Nick fights him off and Jay tags back in. They double team Nick, but Nick fires up and drops Gresham with forearm strikes. Gresham now attacks the knee and keeps Nick grounded as he tags in Jay. He continues to work the knee, looking to set up the figure four, and to keep Nick grounded. He dumps Matt to the floor as Gresham works a figure four on Nick on the floor. Back in and Jay covers for 2. He and Gresham work quick tags isolating Nick, and continuing to work the knee. Nick fights off the figure four, and takes out Gresham. He needs the tag, and we get wholesale changes to Matt & Jay. Matt runs wild, hits the double clothesline, and then lays in rights on Jay. The wheelbarrow driver follows for 2. Jay avoids the superkick, hits an enziguri, and tags in Gresham. Gresham hits the stunner and enziguri, but the Bucks cut him off with the buckle bomb combo and spear by Matt for 2. On the floor, Matt lays out Jay with a superkick. Back in and Matt gets the sharpshooter on Gresham. Gresham powers up and ties to make the ropes, but can’t so Jay makes the save. The Bucks dump Jay to the floor, and back in we get the assisted swanton onto Gresham for 2. Gresham starts to fight back, hits a missile dropkick and moonsault press to Nick followed by a suicide dive onto Matt. Jay hits the lethal combination on Nick and follows with a figure four. Nick fights, rolls the hold and Gresham tags in and hits a 450 on Nick and Matt just barely makes the save. Jay and Matt trade strikes, Jay fires up with jabs but Matt hits a uranage. Gresham in and he and Matt trade strikes. They light each other up, throwing bombs, and Gresham hits the enziguri and Matt then takes out Gresham & Jay with superkicks. The Bucks dial up uncle Dave but Nick slips on the way in, clutching his knee. That allows Jay to hit the lethal injection for the win. Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham defeated The Young Bucks @ 17:53 via pin [****] This was a great tag team match, with the Bucks taken out of their comfort zone a bit, and also flipping the script with Nick being the other in trouble and selling most of the match. The closing stretch was really tremendous, with the knee work paying off and costing the Bucks in the end.

Mark Haskins vs. Adam Page: Vicky is out with Mark. They lock up; Haskins immediately looks to work the arm and then grounds the action. Page fights to his feet, Haskins trips him up and grounds him again with a side headlock. Page to his feet and hits a shoulder block but misses a senton and then powders. Back in and they work to the mat and into a stand off. Page hits a shoulder tackle, and then clotheslines Haskins to the floor. Page follows, lays in chops, and then slams Haskins to the barricades several times. Page misses the shooting star press from the apron and Haskins follows with a suicide dive. Haskins follows wit chops and hits the running bicycle kick. The apron PK follows and Haskins then slams Page to the barricade and hits another bicycle kick. Back in they go, and Haskins maintains control, grounding Page and laying in repeated kicks. The corner dropkick follows for 2. Page slowly fires back, and hits the DVD for 2. Page lays in a series of chops, but Haskins fires back and they trade. Page talks shit as Haskins fires back, but Page cuts him off with the bridging pump handle slam for 2. They go crazy fists, trading strikes and they work into the big double down. They fight back to their feet, Haskins hits a back elbow but runs into a uranage. Page misses the running shooting star press, allowing Haskins to lock in an arm bar. Page makes the ropes. Page fights off the pump handle driver, but Haskins kicks him in the face and hits the top rope double stomp for a good near fall. Page fires back, and hits a dead lift German for another really good near fall. Page hits the corner dropkick, takes Haskins up top and follows. They battle for position, Haskins fights him off and shoves Page to the apron. Haskins is too slow to follow up, they both battle on the apron. Superkick by Page and he heads back up top and hits the big moonsault to the floor. Back in and Page heads back up top. The moonsault connects for a great near fall! Page looks for the buckshot lariat, but Haskins counters into a triangle choke! Page powers up and Haskins counters out and hits a knee strike. Page hits a powerbomb and Haskins kicks out! Haskins counters out of rite of passage, hits the running knee strike and Michinoku driver for 2! My word. Page tries to fight him off, but Haskins rolls into the sharpshooter. Page fights and makes the ropes. Page now gets a cradle for 2. Page now follows with jig’n tonic for a great near fall. Page lays the boots to Haskins, follows with rights, but Haskins fires back. They keep throwing, but Page hits the spinebuster, rolls for rite of passage, but Haskins escapes and the destroyer and pump handle driver finally finish Page. Mark Haskins defeated Adam Page @ 20:04 via pin [****] This was a great match and final for the tournament. The right man won, as you have to establish the UK guys as threats for the future, and also because it’s not Page’s time. Haskins will be a great challenger, and as I have said before, someone I wish ROH would use more. As for Page, he has unfinished business with Martinez and the TV Title, which will likely culminate at Final Battle.

– Haskins wins the tournament and an ROH Title shot; he will face Lethal on the next show in London.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.4

The final score: review Good

The 411

ROH Honor Re-United: Doncaster 2018 was another good and strong show, and while not quite as consistent as night one, the co-main and main events were bangers. From an in-ring standpoint, this tour has been really good so far.