Image result for roh best in the world 2019
Matches from Best in the World
0.Rush vs Flip ***
1.Castle vs Dragon Lee ***
2.ROH TV Title: Taylor(c) vs Bandido ***1/2
3.ROH Six-man Titles: VE(c) vs Lifeblood ***1/2
4.ROH Title: Taven(c) vs Cobb **1/2

Thoughts:
Ring of Honor might not truly be anywhere near the "best in the world" in the wrestling game these days, but they do hit some homeruns from time to time and are home to some fantastic talent. Let's see how they did here.

The first pull was a free presentation for everyone, which was a smart call and something the company should do more often. Rush is fucking over. There was more back and forth than expected, which was nice, and Flip looked good as usual. Nice start, though nothing you need to rush and see.

As I skip ahead I saw Eli Drake was brought in via the NWA partnership? Or is he with ROH now? Weird call either way, to be honest. The NWA deal is one of the iffier parts of Ring of Honor these days, so that makes sense.

The next pull was fun and I've always liked heel Dalton. While a bit rough around the edges, this was still a fun encounter and I think the next time they meet it'll be even better. Very similar to the dark match. Dalton has been hit or miss since his injury, but I look forward to his rematch with Rush.

Skipping ahead, especially past the Allure bullshit...

Shane Taylor winning the Television Championship was surprising news to me, but let's see how a defense against Bandido goes. Bandido's been getting 50/50 treatment since debuting in the promotion, but remains a hot member of the roster and part of the awesome Lifeblood unit. He came off like a star here, but so did Taylor. Very good big man versus little man style match and my first true recommendation of the show.

The next pull was the match I most looked forward to here. I wish Juice was here instead of PJ, admittedly. I dig the Road Warrior entrance from the champs, new music, and the belts are decent even if it's a bit funny seeing the newest straps in ROH getting a makeover (albeit a temporary one). I've said before that these two groups are some of the best things about modern Ring of Honor and I stand by that once again. PCO is over! Outside of the botch, which took the air out of things, this was great stuff. Alas, it did hurt the quality but I still recommend this on as it was still a very good defense.

After the match, a lot of shit happened.

Soldiers of Savagery attacked Lifeblood, Bandido attempted a save but is stomped out by Bully who is then ran off by Flip. Lifeblood tried to recruit Gordon but Flip, the arena went dark, Scurll revealed that Flip was the new VE member, and then they beat down Lifeblood. Flip looked hurt after the table spot. Reports say it was just a dislocated elbow and that he's fine, which is good news for everyone.

So, when Marty leaves, do the three stay together as a trio, do they rebrand if so, or do they just split up? I just don't see Scurll sticking around when his contract finishes up. I really like the group and love Flip joining but yea...

We close with a poor booking choice.

Cobb had been built up strong since joining but apparently the company didn't want him loosing in the G1 before putting over the current champ. They were running low on time, so they did it in under ten minutes. Hopefully they'll treat Rush's first real fall in ROH better than this because that's just a whole lot of bs in one match, but it is what it is. Taven is far from bad but I can't help but feel he shouldn't be champ. It is what it is. The match itself was basically a good representation of Taven himself since it was decent but far from great and the crowd barely cared. Skip that one.

I skipped about half of this show, largely enjoyed what I saw, yet still walked away with a slight sour taste in my mouth. That's what ROH does these days and is why they are having so many problems. Get Delirious and Bully to step aside and start selling the product that the fans really want or see the issues grow bigger and bigger, guys, because there are far too many promotions putting out quality content right now and you can't keep fucking up and expecting it to be ok. I enjoyed most of this but that main event in particular showcased exactly why people are rightfully walking away and that's the last thing I want to see.