ROH: All-Star Extravaganza Review! (9/30/16)

Good morning ladies and gents, I am the Local Hero, the Review Guy Cameron Mcdonley, and today, I am here to review what just might be PPV of the year for Ring Of Honor. Yes, I am finally reviewing All-Star Extravaganza 8!!! As per usual, I'm gonna stop talking, and get to writing, because this was epic! Let's get straight to the festivities!!

This incredible show begins with a television title match between Bobby Fish and rising ROH wrestler Donovan Dijak. The match was not the best match of the night, but it was still a great showing from both men, as Bobby Fish's offense was as submission based as you can get and Dijak was not afraid to go full steam ahead with his power and his uncanny speed. The champion was just mere seconds away from seeing his title slip from his grasp when he got hit with Feast Your Eyes, but luckily enough his foot was on the bottom rope. The beginning of the end came when Dijak missed one of the most beautiful moonsaults I've seen in my life, and it wasn't long before his opponent Bobby Fish applied an inescapable rear naked choke, ending the match by submission.
Rating: 3.5/5 

The match that was to follow this solid match was a four-corner survival between ANX (Kenny King & Rhett Titus), Dalton Castle & Colt Cabana, War Machine (Hanson & Rowe) and Shane Taylor & Keith Lee. This was still a good match, as there was a lot of notable spots including a sequence that included an impressive frog splash by Rhett Titus and a pain-inflicting clothesline by Shane Taylor that sent his love sick adversary flipping in the air. All the massive wrestlers in this match including a 400 pound monster known as Keith Lee launched their bodies to the outside, leaving a devastated Rhett Titus and eccentric Dalton Castle in the ring alone. Castle hits a bang-a-rang, obtaining a huge victory for himself and a true ROH legend in Colt Cabana.
Rating: 3.5/5

After we hear from Nigel McGuinness and his worries about tonight's main event, we cut to another satisfying dose of in-ring action as Dragon Lee faced Kamaitachi in what I believe was one of the dark horse matches of the night. Many expected it to be a good one including myself, but the match we got was worth seeing every minute of. These two men took a lot of risks throughout this match. Multiple dives, hard strikes and one of the most sickening brainbusters I've ever seen in my life. That would've easily been the end of the match right there, but these two men were more intent on destroying their bodies than ending what has already been an insane match. It perorates with a Phoenix Suplex that had Kamaitachi down for the count, leaving Dragon Lee as your victor.
Rating: 4.5/5 

Preceding this battle was one that was surprisingly short, as Kyle O' Reilly faced Hangman Page in what was most likely the shortest match of the night. However 10 minutes was enough to get a handful of physicality in, as O' Reilly did not let up on his opponent, striking hard as ever and applying submissions like a well-oiled machine until Page tapped rather quickly. The malice behind Page was still there though, as he put Kyle's arm in a chair, launching him into the steel ring post like he was possessed by Alberto Del Rio, must to the dismay of Bobby Fish who was too late to save his fallen brethren. It is speculated that Adam Cole ordered Hangman Page to commit such a heinous act, and a this point in the angle I'd agree. I just wish these two can have another match somewhere in the near future, because I know they're capable of so much more than a 10 minute match.
Rating: 3.5/5 

The six-man Tag Team Championship tournament is underway with a match between The Briscoes and Toru Yano vs ACH, Kushida and Jay White. This match was a usual 15 minute tag match, as everybody landed each of their spots while displaying some decent psychology. The match eventually broke down quite frantically, as a brawl broke out, spiraling into everyone connecting with their finishers until ACH stopped Toru Yano dead in his tracks with a 450 splash, claiming the first victory in the tournament.
Rating: 3/5 

Jay Lethal opposes IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito on the other side of the ring for this next match. From the sound of the bell, these two went at it, showing intensity with every move seen in this match. Naito hits a spinebuster reminiscent of the legendary Arn Anderson to transition into Destino, which is his finishing maneuver. Sadly he did not connect, as Lethal reversed it into a cutter position. He attempted Lethal Injection, which that was also reversed but luckily for Lethal, he still inflicted significant damage with a spinning heel kick that looked devastating. After fighting off a 2 on 1 assault from his opponent and EVIL, he hit a Lethal Injection from the second rope and only gets a two count, shocking everyone in the process! The damage was already done however, as Naito had his powerbomb reversed into a two move sequence: a Hurricanrana and a third Lethal Injection. Great match, Lethal still looks incredibly strong after that win and Naito did not look weak at all. Even better yet, that's the 4th time in a month that a New Japan guy lost to an ROH wrestler! All around awesome.
Rating: 4/5

Our co-main event of the evening is Adam Cole vs 'Unbreakable" Michael Elgin for the ROH World Title. The feud that sent ROH into the mainstream wrestling scene at Best In The World two years ago, and here we are, it has come full circle with Adam Cole once again Ring Of Honor World Champion and Elgin opposing him as the challenger. This match was arguably one of the better ones these two had, as the story was well-documented heading into this match and they played off of it really well, using spots that are shades of their past encounters, including their more famous contest from 2014. The NJPW/CMLL star came very close to knocking the champion off the hilltop, but as always, Cole finds a way to win and survive, and here he is, hitting the Last Shot on Elgin for the pinfall victory.
Rating: 3.99/5 

Finally, we have reached the main event of the evening after a great 3 hour show! Motor City Machine Guns, The Addiction and the Young Bucks all in one match, with a ladder between them! That's right readers, Ladder War 6 has finally come, the be all, end all of ladder matches right here! What else more can I say? This match was like nothing I've ever seen in this business. These men obviously don't have the meaning of the word danger in their vocabulary, as all of these teams risked their lives by going out there and having this match. By the end of it, table shards were everywhere, ladders and bodies were broken from the abuse and punishment they took. Christopher Daniels was the most damaged in this match, as he was bleeding profusely and his body was mangled from what he went through. I was left speechless by every spot, but none more than Daniels landing back first on a set-up barricade that I had no doubt was gonna break, but it never budged off the contraption. "The Fallen Angel" was more broken than every table, ladder and chair he went through, and that is no exaggeration. Kamaitachi and Jay White who weren't officially in the match went through tables as well, rendering them eliminated from the equation. The match culminated with an Indy-Taker off the top of the ladder on Kazarian through the table by Matt & Nick Jackson and the tandem ripping the titles from the clasp. We have new Ring Of Honor World Tag Team Champions, and God did they ever deserve it. That match was a brutal, gruesome masterpiece, and it cannot be disputed or brought up for discussion. I just hope everyone is okay after the match. An absolute classic, no doubt in my mind.
Rating: 5/5 

Full Show rating: 5/5

This was indeed Pay-Per-View of the year for ROH, if not argued as the best for this year. Between Death Before Dishonor, Wrestle Kingdom 10, NXT Takeover Dallas and this PPV, I am gonna have a hard time voting for PPV of the year if we ever do awards for 2016. Just magnificent.

This has been my first PPV review,and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I am the Local Hero, the Review Guy Cameron Mcdonley, and at least for 7 more hours, this is Goodbye Everybody!

Lucha Underground Review: September 28th, 2016

Lucha! Lucha! Lucha! That's right ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed time for another Lucha Underground review, courtesy of Cameron Mcdonley, the Man of 1,000 Reviews. This one was a very stacked show, with very good matches and seeds planted for future angles so without further ado, let's flip out of the ring and into this great show!

As a precursor to the normal intro, we see a backstage segment involving Dario Cueto and Sexy Star, who is the current Gift Of The Gods Champion. Dario says that Sexy Star should fear having that championship around her waist, because if she ever fights his brother Matanza, she would be destroyed like the rest of his opponents.
He also announces an Atomicos match between the Trios Champions, herself and Worldwide Underground later on in the show.  After he leaves, Johnny Mundo appears, making Sexy very aware that he could be the next Gift Of The Gods Champion very soon.
Rating: 3/5 

Following the usual band playing and the commentators welcoming us to the show, we get a match between Sinestra De La Muerte and a much more intense Prince Puma. The match was a lot more calculating and psychology-based than a lot of Puma's matches in The Temple, and the Believers saw every minute of that evident newfound dark intensity. Every kick, strike, submission hold and even the natural high spots in his arsenal were all met with a luchador who wrestles with more purpose than ever before. He connected brutally with a spinning Michinoku Driver at the end, but with Mil Muertes watching at ringside, he picked up his already destroyed opponent for a Flatliner obviously intended to mock the Man of 1,000 deaths. Muertes and Puma brawl furiously after the match with Puma getting the upper hand, forcing Catrina's hand to send her man packing. This feud is definitely far from over.
Rating: 3.5/5 

Preceding the match and the commercial break after it, Dario Cueto is seen in his office with Cortez Castro, trying to counterfeit non-existing care for his former Crew member. He promises to bring the real killer to justice, which is foreshadowing something happening later on in the season, I can't quite put my finger on it. He books Castro in a match against Pentagon Dark, which at this point is like feeding a premature infant to the wolves.
Rating: 3/5 

Immediately succeeding the segment, we cut straight to the match between Cortez Castro and Pentagon Dark. It didn't last too long, but there was a lot of stiff shots landed on the opposing sides, including the sequence at the end which concluded with one of the most vicious Package Piledrivers I've ever seen. Out of all the moves in the match, that one seriously made me wince seeing it. Thank God Lucha Underground doesn't show post-match replays, because many viewers at home would have excruciating pain in their neck looking at that spot. I really hope that isn't the end for Castro, I would very much appreciate seeing this storyline progress further than just getting his arm broken by a psychopath. Pentagon cuts a profanity-laced promo on Chavo Guerrero and El Dragon Azteca, stating that he doesn't even respect his own mother, which is dangerous for either one of them. Short promo, but it certainly got the point across, that's for sure.
Rating: 3/5 

This episode was seriously so fun to watch, the time seemed to pass by, as I asked myself "Is the co-main event already happening?" Yes, it is already upon us, and a fun match it was! The aggression was an incontrovertible integral part of this match, as there was no letting up or pulling any punches in this contest. For all the comedic value of Jack Evans and the high spots of Mundo & Aerostar, Drago, PJ Black, Taya and Sexy Star all left with considerable welts and bruises on their bodies. Taya seemed like she was injured after the match and Sexy was busted open at the corner of her eye, but other than that, it was an incredibly solid match that I enjoyed throughout.
Rating: 4.5/5 

We discontinue the ringside feed to see Catrina in her lair with Mil Muertes. She grabs Sinestra De La Muerte, snaps his neck, and puts his soul into her body, effectively killing somebody she brought to life in the first place. She then turns to Mil and says that he "needs this" before transferring Sinestra's soul into his body, turning his eyes red once more. I have a gut feeling, we're gonna see a different side of Mil Muertes and Catrina that we've never seen in the past, I can sense it.
Rating: 3.5/5 

The main event is right now! Chavo Guerrero goes one on one against El Dragon Azteca Jr, with Rey Mysterio Jr as the special guest referee! Now this was easily the best match of the night by far, as these two had a great encounter. You had your perfect mixture of high-flying, physical shots, technical wrestling and psychology, all thrown together into one exceptional competition. Storytelling was also a major factor in this match, as you could see the frustration of Rey and Chavo with one another throughout the heated bout. It reached a immovable breaking point when Guerrero striking Rey, provoking him to retaliate with a punch. Azteca acquired the victory with a hurricanrana and a noticeable fast count from the "official", preventing Chavo from eventually getting his hands on Pentagon Dark. Rey impacted his bitter rival with a 619. ending the in-ring portion of the show.
Rating: 4.75/5 

Heretofore we went off the air, a promo hyping the return of Black Lotus as she was eyeing the temple while sitting next to a group of ninjas was depicted om the screen. Looks like she'll be coming back soon, hopefully as a heel still working under the guidance of Dario Cueto. Good promo overall, not much to say
Rating: 3/5


Full Show Rating: 4.5/5


As much as all good things must come to an end, I was dreading the conjecture of this review, as I had a great time writing it. Sadly it has to come, but not to worry, I'll be back with a review of the final TNA Impact tomorrow and an All-Star Extravaganza review shortly after the PPV goes off the air. As for tonight, this is Cameron Mcdonley saying Goodbye Everybody!

Lucha Underground Review:September 22nd, 2016

Hello, my name is Cameron Mcdonley and I am here to offer you a Unique Opportunity! Yes, it's time for another review of one of the hottest wrestling shows in recent years, this is Lucha Underground! So without further ado, let's not waste any time discussing this great show!

The show begins with El Dragon Azteca Jr and Rey Mysterio training in a dingy gym, preparing for a fight bigger than Pentagon Dark. Chavo Guerrero runs in the ring, reminds Rey of the history they have with one another before he counters Dragon Azteca with a rolling single leg crab, not letting go of the hold until Mysterio screams at him to cease the hold. This plants a seed for the later segments in the show and a major match for next week, so with that said, it was enjoyable and furthered future angles, so it was an absolute success from my estimation.
Rating: 3.5/5 

The usual intro from Striker and Vampiro takes place while the band is playing before we get to another edition of "Dario's Dial Of Doom". He cuts a scathing promo on Son Of Havoc, who was the previous challenger to his brother Matanza Cueto before spinning the wheel once more. The Mack gets chosen, and man do these two have a great match! Not the usual athletic high spots we see from Matanza, but he had no shortage of physicality, not afraid to go strike for strike with his opposition. After a highly competitive match, Matanza gets the win with Wrath Of The Gods. The match certainly served a purpose, as it books the champion as an unstoppable force and does not make Willie Mack look weak in the end at all. Very solid, I hope these two have another match in the near future.
Rating: 4/5 

Son Of Havoc and Mascarita Sagrada are in his mother's basement, watching the Famous B promo package from last season over and over again until Havoc's mom enters the room, telling the two that she's gonna be baking Bagel Bites. Unusual shameless advertising and definitely a weird segment, but it was amusing and was not too far fetched in the realm of this show. There's a difference between entertaining and poor comedy in wrestling, and this was one of the better examples of well thought-out comedy.
Rating: 3.5/5 

Dario Cueto is allegedly doing shady business with substances in his office when Johnny Mundo demands a Lucha Underground title shot, rejecting the Trios Title match. Mundo leaves upon Dario's refusal and Taya takes advantage of the opportunity, inserting herself into the Trios Title main event. I was intrigued as to where this was gonna go and laughed immensely when Taya pointed out the strange circumstance with her boss and white powder on his nose. Again, very strange segment, but a pleasant kind of strange.
Rating: 3/5 

Brian Cage and Texano were ready to compete against one another when Dario Cueto makes another appearance, this time adding an "Ultimate Opportunity" stipulation to the match, and to find out what it meant, one of them had to win to find out. It was a solid match, with excellent sequences of spots and false finishes. Cage obtained the victory, and Mr. Cueto announces a best of five series between the two with the aforementioned stipulation added to it. They had a pretty good match and if these two can have even better matches as the series progresses, then I'm positively on board with it. I like these type of angles in wrestling, so no matter what I'm gonna be interested.
Rating: 3.4/5 

The main event is in moments, but before the last commercial break, Dario is in his office possessing a collection of morbid and deathly images that immediately catch his attention. El Dragon Azteca Jr makes a connection between the "vacation" and the photos before requesting a match with Pentagon against his mentor's wishes. Dario pencils in the match before Ricky Mandel asks for a match as well. However he sees the pictures and is excited before his boss hands them to him as a consolation prize for not having a match, I guess. Chavo Guerrero asks for a conversation with his employer before we get to the commercial interruption and our main event of the evening.
Rating: 3/5 

Aerostar, Drago and Fenix defend against  PJ Black, Jack Evans and Taya for the Trios Championships in what was a highly entertaining match. Some more cynical fans and wrestling journalists alike will probably nitpick the match for not being too serious, but I personally enjoyed it, as the comedy was well-timed and when things had to get physical, there wasn't any deficits in that department neither. The match concluded with a successful title defense, but the Worldwide Underground attack the champions after the match and to add insult to injury, attack Sexy Star when she came to the rescue. The two teams brawled to close out the festivities from the Temple.
Rating: 3.5/5 

Rey Mysterio meets with Dario in his office, begging him not to pit his protege against Pentagon. Mr. Cueto obliges and has El Dragon Azteca face Chavo Guerrero instead. Afterwards, he explains his student's importance to his tribe and pens in Mysterio as the special guest referee for the match next week. I don't know about the people reading this, but that makes me very intrigued knowing the history between all three men. On top of that, there is no doubt in my mind that it's shaping up to be an exciting contest!
Rating: 4/5 

I was thoroughly enthralled by this show, although it is one of their weaker episodes since the series began. That is the beauty and genius of a very solid show however, because even on its worst day, it is still exceptionally compelling television. I'm always left longing for more at the end of every episode.
Full Show Rating: 3.99/5 

This is the resolution of this review, so before I sign off, ROH Episode #261 and Impact Wrestling will be reviewed tomorrow night! This is Cameron Mcdonley, your Local Hero, the Review Guy saying goodbye everybody!

ICW Fight Club #002

Welcome back ladies and gents, I am the "Local Hero" Cameron Mcdonley, ready to crack my neck and cash some checks with this latest review. This time, we revisit the garage for more swearing, heavier violence, and a doctor's dose of chaos as we review ICW Fight Club, Episode #002! So before we anger Red Lightning and the Black Label, let's get straight to the action on this perfect storm of a Monday night!

After the blood pumping, hype building and just downright amazing intro with some exquisite metal music, we waste no time taking it to the ring as we get ready for an ICW Tag Team Championship match! The announcer didn't even have a chance to speak before Pee Wee made his presence felt and announced the New Nation to the ring as their manager as they face the Local Fire, Joe Hendry and Davey Blaze. The match went on for a solid 10 minutes, There were some really good technical moves and working over body parts, but the contest didn't go too far, as Polo Promotions jumped the barricade and rolled into the ring with security blocking them off from both teams. The 50% ICW Owner, Mark Dallas grabs a mic and says he'll take violence and profanity, but not legalities, so he makes a decision. Polo Promotions will make their in-ring returns to ICW in two weeks on this show when they face the Local Fire in a ladder match for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships! However, that was not all, as he stated another bombshell, announcing that The Dudley Boyz will face the new tag champs at Fear And Loathing!!
Rating: 3.5/5

We come back to a short replay, retelling the events of Shug's Hoose Party when Mikey Whiplash, despite winning the main event against Trent Seven, pulled out of the Fear And Loathing title match and kick-started a hashtag #Trent4Hydro . We then cut to the ring, where Trent Seven makes his way down the aisle to a massive ovation from the Glasgow crowd. When he stepped into the ring, the look in his eyes told the whole story.

He means business, as he made his intentions short and sweet by calling out Wolfgang, the World Champion! Instead, we get the shocking return of Massimo, who we have not seen since his upset win over Douglas Williams at Barramania II. He cuts the typical promo, professing his case about how he deserves the top spot in Insane Championship Wrestling before the two traded strikes to start the match, 10 minutes of fist-to-fist brutality is displayed here, as these men use their already battered bodies as weapons in this fight, not allowing any time to breathe until Trent leveled his Italian adversary with a ring-shaking Trend Setter for the victory in a very hard-fought battle. As ICW fans speak their admiration for his wrestling ability louder than ever, it remains to be seen if this young man will get the opportunity of a lifetime at the Hydro Arena!
Rating: 3.5/5  

Again, we get another show of excellence from ICW in this installment of Fight Club, as each match is greatly physical and very, very entertaining. I am undoubtedly excited beyond belief for this next month, as we get what should be an awe-inspiring ladder match and the return of Team 3D! Things are looking ever brighter for this company and I have full optimism that it will get even better before this year comes to a close!

Full Show Rating: 4/5 


As much as I personally enjoy these reviews, this particular one must come to a somber end. Tomorrow night, I will review Monday Night RAW, so I urge you to be on the lookout for that. With that said, this is Cameron Mcdonley saying goodbye everybody!

ICW Fight Club Review: Episode #001

It's me, it's me, it's Cameron Mcdonley! Welcome back to another review,this time for the inaugural episode of a show that is filled with 40 minutes of crude humor, immoderate language and violence that would make everyone at the Parents Television Council slam their heads into a wall! That's right, we're taking a look at ICW Fight Club! So sit back, relax, and strap in your seat restraints for what should be a wild ride!

Heavy metal music blares into your living rooms as the show begins with an intro fit for a company named Insane Championship Wrestling! Billy Kirkwood introduces the audience at home to the show while the crowd screams multiple inane profanities! God, I love this promotion!

Our first match of the night is a continuation of the most personal feud in ICW history, as former best friends Stevie Boy and BT Gunn go face to face once again. This time, these two don't hold anything back, as every strike, hold, move and chairshot was done with unbelievable malice. It seriously had to be the longest 15 minutes of their lives! Sheer ruthlessness was shown by both men, but none more than by Stevie Boy as he lodged his former mentor's neck in a chair, stomped on it and did a sadistic variation of a con-chair-to, leaving him absolutely incapacitated. As if it wasn't personal enough, this rivalry has escalated to the point of no return!
Rating: 4.5/5 

Time was not wasted for a commercial break, as Red Lightning and the ICW Heavyweight Champion Wolfgang make their entrances to the ring. Mark Dallas interrupts his business associate and asks for somebody from the back to accept Wolfgang's open challenge. Out of all people to make the challenge, the concussed DCT begs to face the champion, although he is not medically cleared. Both principal owners of the company rejected his request, but he would have none of it, as he forced the hand of both to make the match by blindsiding Wolfgang. That was the only time he would get offense on the "Big Bad Wolf" however. It was 25 minutes of destruction with the challenger being fed to a carnivore. Shot after shot was focused on the head, and it wasn't before long until the referee stopped the match, declaring Wolfgang as the remorseless winner. Red Lightning and his mercenary walk through the curtain almost amused at DCT barely having the wherewithal to stand. It seems clear that this new era has changed the life of Mark Dallas for the worse, as he now has a liability on his hands.
Rating: 4/5 

It was definitely a great hour of wrestling television, and I hope this show will not be short-lived, as I want to see more of this phenomenal promotion. Great wrestling, entertaining storylines and excessive profanity seems to be the perfect fit for this show.

Full Show Rating: 4/5 

I have to reluctantly state that this effectively concludes the review. I am Cameron Mcdonley, and I will see you tomorrow afternoon for a review of ICW Fight Club #002. So long everybody!!