10 LIVE Observations From The NJPW/ROH G1 Supercard

2. How To Keep The Faith With Your Existing Fanbase

Kazuchika Okada
NJPW/ROH

The ROH Championship Ladder Match, between Jay Lethal, Marty Scurll and Matt Taven presented the most indulgent and ultimately most spectacular version of the company's product.

The booking was weirdly WWE early. There was a lot of unearned selling that doubled as an excuse to set up the apparatus in the first ten minutes. This lack of depth and grace to the craft created a cloak of put-off silence in the first act, but the second was performed so tremendously that I couldn't help but get drawn in to the quality heel work of grinning prick Matt Taven. He manipulated that crowd like a preternatural master at times. They absolutely couldn't stand him, and he revelled in the reaction, dialling it up with every wicked, brilliantly-timed cut-off spot.

Marty Scurll was so over that he literally resembled a cult leader. The loudest wrestling crowd you're going to hear all year fell into a reverent hush each time Scurll attempted his finger-snap post - which Taven, who made a massive impression on me because I like consummate d*ckheads, naturally reversed to arena-wide groans. The Champion was almost the odd man out in his own defence, but some of the bumps Jay Lethal took, f*ck met. He went out on his sword to put Taven over, and the agonisingly close finish set up a future singles match between Taven and Scurll.

This lacked finesse, and the multitude of it elsewhere exposed it - but it was over and as brutal and as entertaining as hell by the finish.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!