ROH iPPV Roundtable Reviews
"Global Wars - May 10, 2014

Greg Parks, PWTorch columnist (8.5)

WWE often professes to offer "something for everyone" on their shows. In the case of ROH's Global Wars event, there was something for every wrestling fan on the show. You want high-flyers? You got it. Comedy? It was there. Japanese strong-style? They brought it. Technical prowess? Sprinkled throughout the card. It was a very good event made even better by the fact that there were reportedly few issues with the iPPV feed, though I watched after it was archived, so I can't speak for myself in that regard.

Mike Bennett vs. A.C.H. started the show off on the right foot. Bennett doesn't have the same stand-out look that I remember him having. Maria taking a big bump will likely play a part in the next show. Michael Elgin had a pretty dominating performance against Takaaki Watanabe. It was the right move with Elgin challenging for the IWGP title at War of the Worlds.

The first three-team match featured a ton of action, though I thought the match was a little short. The Briscoes stood out in more ways than one. Cedric Alexander has improved a lot since he has broken out on his own. I really liked his match with Roderick Strong. It was a little strange hearing the announcers put over another promotion, but it was certainly refreshing. Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino did a nice job of getting over New Japan storylines, especially during the second three-team match.

R.D. Evans cut a heck of a full-of-hot-air promo. Shinsuke Nakamura & Jado vs. Jushin Liger & Hiroshi Tanahashi felt like just a taste of what's to come on the War of the Worlds show, when a few of those wrestlers will be in bigger matches. Silas Young is getting the Bad News Barrett treatment from fans - a heel who the fans eventually get behind because he's good in his role. The semi main-event was solid as well, again, somewhat of a preview of the upcoming ROH - New Japan show for a few of the participants.

Kevin Steen vs. Adam Cole was a worthy iPPV main event. The crowd really wanted to see Steen win here, but with Cole penciled in to face Liger at War of the Worlds, you really wondered if they'd tease that match only to do a title change here. Not only did the show have something for everyone, the card was laid out nearly perfectly in terms of match order. Not much to complain about here.

Sean Radican, PWTorch columnist (7.0)

“Global Wars 2014” felt very much like a warm up for “War of the Worlds.” The card did a good job of setting the table for the next ROH iPPV. The action on the card was good for the entire show, although the NJPW matches on the card felt like more of a way to introduce the big name NJPW talent to the ROH fan base in Toronto.

The first half of the show was very good. Bennett-ACH set the tone with a smart opener leading into the rest of the card. Both men wrestled a smart match and ACH showed growth as a performer going after Bennett’s leg and telling a story in the match.

It felt like there were too many multi-man matches on the card and individuals didn’t get a chance to shine in the ring heading into the next ROH-NJPW iPPV. Elgin got a solid win and some time on commentary later in the show ahead of his IWGP Hvt. Title match against Styles. Elgin needs to find his voice when he presents himself on TV and iPPV. He’s improved on the mic, but he doesn’t come across as someone who has found his voice when it comes to guest commentary and promos just yet.

The in-ring highlights of the show were Alexander-Strong and Young Bucks-Forever Hooligans vs. Time Splitters. These were both very good matches. I’ve been waiting for Alexander to break out as a singles wrestler having seen what he’s capable of in other promotions in the past and he came across really well during his match against Strong and the commentators did a good job of making a win over Strong seem like a huge deal prior to the Decade beating down Alexander after the match.

Nakamura & Jado vs. Liger & Tanahashi and Anderson & Styles vs. Okada & Gedo were both solid showcase matches to introduce the NJPW talent to the ROH audience. The matches were solid and it was fun to see the NJPW talent perform in front of this red hot crowd. It was clear that Liger was the most over guy on the show from NJPW, as he got a huge reaction during his tag match.

The Styles & Anderson vs. Okada & Gedo match gave ROH a chance to reset Styles as a heel and set up his upcoming title defense against Elgin. Kelly and Corino did a good job of recapping what has been going on in NJPW during this match to set the stage for the next iPPV.

The main event between Cole and Steen was a hot match with the crowd solidly behind Steen. Steen used some of Generico’s old sequences in the ring and the super brainbuster towards the end of the match was a great moment. Cole is fantastic to watch as a heel. Watching his facial expressions during the match as he worked over Steen’s leg showed me that he gets it when it comes to working heel. For all of the moves these guys did and the work from Cole over Steen’s leg throughout the match left me shaking my head when he pinned Steen after a superkick. I lost count of how many superkicks I saw on this iPPV, but it felt like a flat ending to the show to have Cole win the match in that manner.

This isn’t a must-see show, but it’s a very good show with a great atmosphere that is well-worth checking out if you want to see some hot action in front of an appreciative crowd.

Mike Metzger, ROH TV Reviewer

I really liked how the Global Wars iPPV progressed. It started with three solid, but just okay matches. The length and pace of each of these matches made me suspect they were taped specifically for ROH TV. The show really made a name for itself when Cedric Alexander and Roderick Strong had an instant classic in the ring. I gave it a rating of (***3/4) because of the back-story, ring psychology, and just how the match came off live. It was definitely a star-making performance for Cedric Alexander. I think the creative minds of WWE and TNA need to take note of how to make a star in 2014 - you do it by having your guys go out there and have great match like this.

The IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Title three-way was a lot of fun. I wonder if the Time Splitters team of Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA is on borrowed time, now that Chris Sabin has been released by TNA. ROH has done a good-enough job pushing Forever Hooligans as a big time international act, but I think the team is a little too comedic for their own good. This match was full of truly amazing feats of athleticism, but I definitely thought Cedric-Strong was better, however.

The second half of the show built up in a similar manner. The first true IWGP match only stood out because of Jushin “Thunder” Liger’s return to North America. The four-way TV title match was okay… for a TV match. By the time A.J./Anderson vs. Gedo/Okada was over, I realized the NJPW matches were booked brilliantly in how they appealed to even the most casual fan. They featured a taste of the international superstars you only read about on the internet, mixed in with names you know and love. I also give credit to the commentary team of Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino for painting the picture of why this ROH-NJPW cross-over is so important.

The main event of Cole-Steen put an exclamation point on the night. It was definitely right up there with Cedric-Strong in contention for “Match of the Night” honors. Definitely a solid show from top-to-bottom. I think a hardcore independent fan will look at this as slightly-above-average iPPV. Although, I definitely recommend this show for any casual fan who regularly spends time watching WWE or TNA. This show was a showcase of what ROH, Japan, and the indies have to offer the pro wrestling world in 2014.

James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor (7.5)

I thought this was a very good introductory show for the ROH vs. New Japan series. It wasn't a blow-away show and certainly was just a stepping stone to "War of the Worlds" in New York City, but as a self-contained three-hour-plus pro wrestling show, it was well done.

The main event ROH Title match of Adam Cole vs. Kevin Steen was very good, but you never felt like the title was in jeopardy. It captured the overall show - a taste of some really good wrestling and a chance to see big stars in a different setting, but more of an exhibition than feeling like something monumental was going to happen. Again, more of a set-up for NYC.

The three-way IWGP Jr. Tag Title match between the Young Bucks, Forever Hooligans, and Time Splitters was a fantastic match leading into intermission. For American wrestling fans who have not seen these teams wow audiences in Japan, it's basically what TNA's X Division used to be at its peak - great athleticism, big stars and personalities, and great sequences - and what the X Division could be if treated like a big deal again.

The New Japan stars showed why the promotion is really clicking right now, as the stars have such a presence and magnetism, such as Okada since his re-branding, Tanahashi, and long-time star Jushin Liger. It should be really interesting to see how it all comes together at War of the Worlds for the big finale to the two-show tour.

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