Cook’s ROH TV Review 6.20.20

Hey kids! I’m excited for this week’s presentation of ROH television since it features somebody I’m very high on. I haven’t seen too much of Bandido, but what I have seen has been very enjoyable. Should be a fun hour of TV!

Cook’s ROH TV Review 6.20.20

We open with a Bandido video package. Bandido thanks us for always supporting him & being there for him. Sitting on his bed with the Six-Man tag belt by the way. He hypes his first match in ROH with Mark Haskins. The crowd was amazing, they embraced him as if he had been there for a long time.

ROH TV from Atlanta: Bandido vs. Mark Haskins: Haskins with some arm work, Bandido flips out, Haskins goes back to it but we get a similar result. Headlock takeover by Haskins. Colt Cabana has been to Europe 55 times, I’m only 54 times behind him. Some chain wrestling and flipping. Bandido with a headstand that gets a pop! Haskins tries to kick the head but Bandido dodges. Bandido rolls outside, tries to evade a dive but Haskins gets him on the other side of the ringpost as we go to commercial. Pop-Up Cutter from Bandido gets 2 as we return. Haskins does the deal but only gets 2! HE DID THE DEAL. Kinda, not the best Falcon Arrow ever, which must be why it got 2. A series of exchanges leads to both men going down via kick. Double count while Juice Robinson wants to rip his shirt off and wrestle. Bandido kips up at 9, Haskins gets up, we’re exchanging shots now, Haskins gains an advantage there. But Bandido gets him into some type of torture rack into a knee combo that gets 2. We’ll learn that name. Bandido goes up, Haskins rolls out of the way and locks in a Sharpshooter for a second, From Haskins With Love, Double Stomp gets twooooooooooo. Bridging armbar! Bandido got nowhere to go, but we’re rolling through things. Kick by Bandido. Haskins leans on the ropes, which leads to a 21plex (that’s what Ian called it, brother) and gets the 3 count!

Winner: Bandido via pin (about 11 minutes including a commercial. I did not have my stopwatch with me)
Cook’s Star Rating: ***1/2

We get some streamers! Juice needs to use the bathroom! Great debut showing from Mr. Bandido. I’m sure Larry would have gone at least **** if he had seen it.

ROH Masters Of The Craft 2019: Bandido vs. PJ Black vs. Caraistico vs. Flip Gordon: We got a bonafide Mexican wrestling legend, Bandido, PJ & Flip here. We know there will be a lot of flipping and there will be no chance of me doing play by play here. Bandido & Caristico face off for a few seconds. Black & Gordon come in right after. Bandido stops Flip’s dive. Caristico breaks up Bandido & Flip’s mutual respect. Bandido & Flip keep working these standoffs so you know ROH thinks this is a big deal. The fans react in kind. They keep matching each other pretty good. Now they shake, but it’s Bandido with the kick to the midsection. Bandido & Caristico decide to double superplex Flip, and Black catches him into a sitout powerbomb for two! Black tries to cover everybody and gets 2. PJ in the Tree of Joey Lawrence while Flip & Bandido are up top. PJ flips up into a German into a superplex! Caristico dropkicks PJ in the corner as we go to commercial! Bandito & Carastico exchanging as we return, we got three big moves leading into a PJ 450 for 2! PJ moonsaults 2 men for 2! Double stomp to Bandido gets 2! PJ gets Bandido into a Gory Special, kind of wraps Bandido around and it doesn’t really go well. Caprice covers for it on commentary though. PJ just running through these guys but can only get 2. Now we hit some dives to the outside! Columbus’s outside area doesn’t look the safest. Caristico hits the last dive, the fans chant “Si”. Caristico climbs the rail and gets sent into the first row by Black. Well now Bandido’s there, and Flip decides to flip onto them! Ian tells us the knee is good! Flip rolls Caristico into the ring and gets 2. Caristico comes back, knocks Flip out, Mexican Destroys PJ. Flip breaks it up. Caristico goes up top, Bandido comes back. Moonsault slam to Caristico, the count is broke up by Black & Gordon! Black & Gordon go back & forth, they’re hanging off the ropes, Bandido with A DOUBLE 21PLEX GETS THE THREE COUNT? WHAT DID I JUST SEE?

Winner: Bandido (14:40 via pin)
Larry’s Star Rating: ****

Honestly? I think Larry might have underrated that one by a hair or so. Holy mackrel.

Bandido talks about how getting a pinfall on Bully Ray was a big deal. Then he wanted to face another legend, Jay Briscoe. The fans were supporting him as much as they were supporting Jay, which was as much a victory to him as beating Jay was.

ROH Global Wars Espectacular Dearborn 2019: Bandido vs. Jay Briscoe: PJ is on commentary here telling us how Bandido is the future of the business, which tells us how Bandido wins people over. Side headlock by Bandido, Jay speaks some Spanish before hitting a headscissor, Bandido does a bang bang pose after an exchange, Ian makes a Mr. Bean reference, which pops Colt. Fosbury flop by Bandido on the outside, but then Bandido misses a move back in the ring as we head to commercial. We’re back & Jay is in control. Jay beats Bandido around the outside and tries to choke Bandido with the ring cable. Todd Sinclair actually breaks it up. Ian is shocked, but Colt informs us it’s in the DNA of Sandy Fork. Well, you know. I see a redhead taking pictures at ringside and it brings back fond memories of Mary-Kate back in the day. Mark Briscoe joins us on commentary and it’s automatically the best commentary I’ve heard all night with all due respect to everybody else. Jay is happy when Bandido breaks the count. Bandido fights back and hits a tornillo off the top as we head to commercial. Jaydriller gets countered into a 2 count! Jay might be sucking some wind here. Exchange of shots. Exchange of superkicks, Pop Up Cutter from Bandido, but no chance for a pinfall. Briscoe on the outside, meets Bandido before he can dive, hits the Jaydriller…A 2 COUNT? WHAT THE WHAT? That’s a protected finisher by gum! Now we’re going up top, and Jay wants to hit that Driller off the top. Unfortunately, that puts him in the spot for Bandido’s MOONSAULT SLAM! KICK OUT AT 1 MOFO! Bandido goes for a Driller of his own, a reversal gets him dumped on his head, lariat by Jay and it’s a two count! PJ asks what Jay needs to do to put this guy away, and nobody knows. Reversals, knee by Bandido, X marks the spot is the name of that torture rack into the knee! There’s the 21plex with a bridge and it’s over!

Winner: Bandido (21:45 via pin)
Larry’s Star Rating: ****

Any time you get a win over Jay Briscoe in Ring of Honor it’s a big deal. Guy’s been there since Day One! Talk about a vote of confidence.

Bandido talks about the night Mexiblood won the 6-man titles from Villian Enterprises in Atlanta and how special it was, and thanks us for watching. I must point out that his housing doesn’t look as good as Rush’s or Dragon Lee’s.

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

I was very high on Bandido based off what I saw before this show. After watching these matches, I think ROH should make him their champion. Some guys just have it, and ROH knows it too since they had Jay put him over. I'd have him beat Rush at Final Battle 2020 if at all possible. Who knows what's possible these days?