wrestling / Columns

Csonka’s ROH Honor Rising Preview

February 22, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
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WELCOME back to column time with Larry! Today, I am going to discuss and preview the main matches for ROH’s Honor Rising events. If you’re not familiar with these shows, the Honor Rising events are the two shows a year when ROH heads to Japan and runs joint shows with their partners, NJPW. The shows are usually solid and fun, but can also a real mixed bag, due to questionable match choices. So today, I will break down and preview the two shows. Thanks for reading! It’s wrestling, we love it and will disagree. The only rules are “have a take, be respectful, and don’t be a dick.”

NIGHT ONE February 23 @ 4:30 AM ET
Toa Henare & Katsuya Kitamura vs. Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi: This should be a very basic, and short, opening match as the lions continue to try and prove themselves against members of Bullet Club. Kitamura has been working solidly through his trial series, while Henare has been really good in CHAOS tags, especially in his interactions with Ishii. Unfortunately, they’re only half the match, and they are facing Fale & Yujiro, who are very limited performers. This will likely be ok at best unless Fale & Yujiro are unusually motivated. WINNERS: Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi

Jushin Thunder Liger, Delirious & Cheeseburger vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Hikuleo: Jushin Liger absolutely loves Cheeseburger, which is why he works with him on joint shows. The NJPW fans have an odd love for the underdog as well, and he gets good reactions in Japan, including in the past two Rambos at WrestleKingdom. With Cheeseburger & Delirious involved, there will be a fair amount of comedy here, so enjoyment of the match will depend on how much you enjoy that, and how well they pull it off. With Jushin Thunder Liger, Delirious & Cheeseburger challenging for the trios titles on night two, it makes the most sense for them to pick up the win here, pinning Hikuleo. WINNERS: Jushin Thunder Liger, Delirious & Cheeseburger

The Young Bucks vs. Juice Robinson & David Finlay: This should be a good match, as the Bucks tend to deliver and are coming off of a title loss. I hope that Juice Robinson & David Finlay start working their way into a regular team as NJPW could use them, and neither feels primed for a singles push at this time. This should get some solid time, and if it does, should have every chance to deliver us a good match. This is the first match on the card I am looking forward to as I like all of the competitors involved. The Young Bucks just dropped the junior tag titles, and Juice Robinson & David Finlay are a good team that always works hard. The Bucks should win here to pick up the rebound win.
WINNERS: The Young Bucks

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Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA vs. Flip Gordon: Now this one has all kinds of possibilities to deliver a very good and possibly great match. Takahashi & KUSHIDA are two of NJPW’s top juniors, and Gordon has been really good in ROH. I am hoping for a balls to the wall, 12-15 minute sprint here, with everyone hitting their signature stuff, and getting a chance to shine and steal the show. This match has a ton of potential, and I think that something would really have to go wrong for them not to have the best match on the show. There has also been a lot of rumors of Gordon getting a spot in this year’s BOTSJ tournament, so this feels like a tryout for that. If that’s the case, I feel that Gordon should pick up the win here in Japan to show the NJPW fans that he has what it takes to compete with the top names in that tournament. WINNER: Flip Gordon

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Dalton Castle, Jay Lethal & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Jay White, Beretta & Chuck Taylor: With the talent involved here, this has the potential to be a good and fun match. The main goals will be setting up castle vs. Beretta, and also continuing White’s new vicious ways, which were on display on the New Beginning tour. Taguchi & Castle will bring the fun, which may play well of off of CHAOS, and especially the Best Friends. With Beretta challenging for the ROH Title on night two, it makes the most sense for him to pick up the win here, likely pinning Taguchi.
WINNERS: Jay White, Beretta & Chuck Taylor

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NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto defending against Beer City Bruiser: I absolutely hate this match on paper, as I feel it’s a complete waste of Goto and a plane ticket, bringing the Beer City Bruiser to Japan. Last year Punishment Martinez got the call and delivered in a very good match with Goto, which helped his elevation in ROH. I honestly would have preferred a rematch, or hell, even Kenny King. My #1 pick, Jonathan Gresham, is out injured, so, unfortunately, couldn’t be used here. And why not Silas Young? There were better possibilities for sure. I have absolutely no hopes for this match, Beer City Bruiser is not a good singles performer, and I don’t feel he’s worthy of this chance. He’s a poor sidekick that constantly drags down Silas Young. The booking of this match absolutely baffles me. WINNER: Champion Hirooki Goto

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Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, & Chase Owens vs. Cody, Marty Scurll, & Hangman Page: At the second New Beginning in Sapporo event, jay White beat Kenny Omega to with the IWGP US Title. After the match, Adam Page (who had been positioned well with wins on both Sapporo shows), arrived to be the first challenger, but when Omega interrupted to hand White the title, Cody Rhodes arrived and accused Omega of stealing Page’s moment. This led to a confrontation, which had been built up very well on Being The Elite, and Cody laying out Omega, and seemingly taking control of Bullet Club. Not only was Bullet Club ripped apart, but also this led to Kota Ibushi making the save and reuniting with Omega, further changing the landscape of NJPW. This is the first official follow up to that outside of Being The Elite that will air in NJPW and or ROH. While the battle lines have not been perfectly made clear, it appears that Marty Scurll, & Hangman Page are with Cody as expected, and that Omega may end up with Owens and possibly Fale, Tonga, Loa, & Hikuleo, but that’s yet to play out. This is the first of two parts of the feud on the tour, and with Omega & Ibushi making their tag team reunion the next night, I see Cody’s boys winning here, with either Cody (to send a message) or Page (to keep his momentum towards the US Title going) picking up the win over Chase Owens here. This should be a good match. WINNERS: Cody, Marty Scurll, & Hangman Page

NIGHT TWO (February 24 @ 4:30 AM ET)
Toa Henare vs. Beer City Bruiser: Here is a perfect example of an error in booking the two cards, if you have to give Beer City Bruiser a title shot, THIS match should have been on night one to give him a win and some momentum. Instead, it will come after his loss to Goto. I don’t expect much from this, Henare is a way better performer than Beer City Bruiser, and will, unfortunately, be losing here unless the proper planets align. With all due respect, bringing Beer City Bruiser is an incredible waste of resources. Of course, now that I buried him twice in the same column, he’ll get over with the Japanese, and end up in the world tag league with Cheeseburger as Burger & The Bruiser. WINNER: Beer City Bruiser

Jay Lethal, Juice Robinson, & David Finlay vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens & Hikuleo: This is a match with no real stakes on the line, and while I’d wish that Juice Robinson, & David Finlay would win and start getting a push towards the tag titles along with Ishii & Yano, I have the feeling that Bullet Club picks up the win to give the lower members some momentum while the high-end civil war plays out. But honestly, this one feels like a complete toss-up; it should be a solid match at the very least. WINNERS: Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens & Hikuleo

Flip Gordon & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI: Flip Gordon is getting a huge chance to impress son night one, and will get another here as he teams with Taguchi against the LIJ juniors. I think that while the Cody vs. Omega Bullet Club civil war is the top priority on these shows, that making Gordon a viable entry into the BOTSJ tournament is also a goal. On night one I think he should get the win in a hopefully impressive match (Takahashi & BUSHI are a great team so this should be really good, and possibly steal the show), and if the BOTSJ is the goal, I’d double down and give him the win here, likely over BUSHI.
WINNERS: Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI

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NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa defending against Jushin Thunder Liger, Delirious, & Cheeseburger: I have Jushin Thunder Liger, Delirious, & Cheeseburger winning on night one to set up the oddball trio challenging here. While the trios titles are the hot potato belts, I highly doubt a title change happens. It would be one thing to set up a match for Strong Style Evolved in March, but Liger is already working Mysterio on that show. WINNERS: Champions Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa

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The Young Bucks & Hangman Page vs. Jay White, Chuck Taylor & YOSHI-HASHI: If the Bucks hold to tradition, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this turned into an impromptu ROH trios title match, which is something the champions have done in the past. This should be good, the Young Bucks & Hangman Page have developed into a good trio and they have good opponents to work with. With Page heading towards a US Title shot, and NJPW looking to rehab the Bucks after losing the Junior titles, I see the reigning ROH trios champions taking the win, with Page likely picking up the win after the right of passage/Meltzer diver combo, possibly over Chuckie T or HASHI. WINNERS: The Young Bucks & Hangman Page

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ROH World Champion Dalton Castle defending against Beretta: I think that we can all agree that Castle losing the title here is extremely unlikely. The match is here to give Beretta s high profile singles match, and to give Castle a title defense overseas. So with that being the case, it will be up to them to lay out and work a match that gets the crowd invested throughout, and they really have to build to at least one great near fall for Beretta that makes the crowd bite hard for the possible title switch. Both guys are good, but the overall quality will come down to how invested they can make the crowd in a title defense that’s only here to be a title defense, as there was no build and no threat of Beretta winning, especially ahead of ROH’s next PPV in March. WINNER: Dalton Castle

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Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi vs. Cody & Marty Scurll: And here it is, the official in ring reunion of Omega & Ibushi as the war with Cody continues. The Bullet Club split and reunion of Omega & Ibushi has been well done and given a sense of freshness to the overall scheme of things, and I really like that. This is also part of building to Cody vs. Omega, and with that being the case, this could end up as a really heated match. It will be interesting to see how much Omega vs. Cody interaction we actually get here, as this will be more about teasing the match. It will also be interesting to see how Omega & Ibushi mess in their first match back. With this being Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi’s return match as a team, they should win this, as I have them losing in the six-man the night before. This should be a good match. WINNERS: Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi

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– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”