By Jason Powell
Ring of Honor TV
Taped at various locations
Aired in syndication over the weekend, available Wednesdays on Comet TV
ROH opened with a plug for the ROH Best in the World pay-per-view and replay, and noted that the regular show would return in two weeks. The narrator noted that this was a “look back’ show at the Women of Honor… The opening montage aired… Ian Riccaboni and Nigel McGuinness checked in from Nashville as ring entrances for the opening match took place…
1. Veda Scott, Amber Gallows, and Allysin Kay vs. Sumie Sakai, ThunderKitty, and “Crazy” Mary Dobson. Both teams stepped onto a platform on the stage before making their way to the ring. The women shook hands prior to the match. They cut to break with Scott getting the better of Sakai. [C]
After the break, Gallows was working over Sakai. After giving her a facebuster, she made a gun sign with her hand and mouthed “bang, bang, bang.” Riccaboni noted Gallows’ role as the Bullet Babe. Sakai came back with a suplex and made a hot tag to Dobson, who worked over the heels and performed a destroyer on Kay for a two count.
The women set up a six-woman tower of doom spot with Dobson taking the top bump. Gallows and Kitty exchanged forearm shots and then Kitty performed a DDT. It was rapid fire spot time. Dobson performed a split-legged moonsault on Kay for a two count. In the end, Kay clotheslined Dobson and pinned her…
Veda Scott, Amber Gallows, and Allysin Kay beat Sumie Sakai, ThunderKitty, and “Crazy” Mary Dobson.
The broadcast team hyped Kelly Klein vs. Taeler Hendrix for later in the show… [C]
Powell’s POV: Amber Gallows is the wife of WWE wrestler Luke Gallows, and Allysin Kay has gone on to become TNA Champion Sienna. ThunderKitty would fit right in with the Vaudevillains in WWE. Dobson has worked for NXT. I saw her work at a Resistance Pro Wrestling event and couldn’t understand why she went with a horror gimmick (complete with a hockey goalie mask as part of her entrance) when she looks like a girl next door babyface. I’m still not sure, but perhaps it’s something that makes more sense if you get to hear her promos.
2. ODB vs. Faye Jackson. The broadcast team noted that Jackson was making her in-ring debut. There was a feature on Jackson, who spoke about how she trains every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays at the ROH Dojo. She noted that she was nervous, anxious, and excited. She spoke about ODB being a badass, but said she isn’t one to mess with either.
ODB worked her gimmick by taking swigs from her flask early in the match. ODB performed a splash in the corner. Jackson came right back with a clothesline and then followed up with a cross body block for two. Jackson performed a “Triple Fun Milkshake” on ODB (rammed her ass into ODB’s face in the corner three times) and got a two count.
ODB came back with another splash and performed an bronco buster that was clunky because Jackson put her arm up. ODB sat on the top rope and performed the Dirty Dozen and then performed the Thesz Press from the ropes for the win. ODB shook Jackson’s hand and hugged her afterward…
ODB defeated Faye Jackson.
Powell’s POV: An ODB showcase. Jackson looked a little tentative at times, but the match was fine with ODB’s gimmick keeping the crowd engaged. Both women deserve a lot of credit if this was truly Jackson’s first match.
Mandy Leon was featured in a video package. She spoke about how fans know her from the Inside ROH segments, but she works hard and now it’s time for her to step in the ring. She said it’s time for her to stop asking the questions and start answering them. She said Hania has impressed her most. Hania was shown talking about how Leon pinned her once and it won’t happen again…
3. Hania vs. Mandy Leon. Play-by-play voice Riccaboni said Leon was a product of the ROH Dojo and trained under Delirious. You can’t make it up. Hania let out a howl at one point. There was an awkward head scissors spot in that Hania appeared to be holding Leon in place while running in a circle with no illusion of Leon causing it. Hania came back and ran Leon into the barricade heading into the break. [C]
Hania threw a nice spinning heel kick she calls “Full Moon” and got a two count. Leon came back with forearm shots and then a headbutt, but Hania cut her off and threw forearms of her own. Leon reclaimed offensive control and applied a submission hold, released it, and then covered her a two count. Strange. A short time later, Hania avoided a wild Leon moonsault.
There was a double clothesline spot. They traded shots from their knees. Hania threw kicks, which Leon no-sold. Leon threw a strange double chop, an elbow to the head, and then a double thrust to the face. Leon performed two running clotheslines and then a bulldog for a two count. Leon applied a Koji Clutch, but Hania reached the ropes.
The women had a slap fest. Leon did the splits and then reached up and slapped Hania. Moments later, Hania came back with a Codebreaker and got the clean pin…
Hania beat Mandy Leon.
Powell’s POV: It felt like they gave this match a bunch of time in hopes that it would have an epic feel. Instead, it just ended up overstaying its welcome. It wasn’t bad, but they tried to do way too much.
Footage aired of BJ Whitmer in a sit-down setting talking about how Kelly Klein is a high level college softball player and both her father and sister were also top notch athletes. Whitmer spoke about how other women are pushing a vacuum cleaner around the house, Klein is at the gym. “When most women are going out with their girlfriends, Kelly Klein is in the ring tapping other bitches out,” he said…
A graphic hyped the main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: This may be the greatest promo that Whitmer has ever cut. It’s kinda sad that it was for someone other than him. Does this mean he’s better in the sit-down setting or that he’s better about talking up other wrestlers?
A Taeler Hendrix video package aired. She spoke about how she started in Boston and has gone all over the world “and they just love me.” She said all people are talking about is Kelly Klein, but she is the woman of honor. Hendrix said she’s “not in the ring with any of you, you are in the ring with me.” She said ROH is her house…
4. Taeler Hendrix (w/Truth Martini) vs. Kelly Klein (w/BJ Whitmer). Klein caught Hendrix with a knee and then dumped her to ringside. [C] Klein sat on the top rope while applying a chin lock that Hendrix broke with an impressive kick. Hendrix performed a cartwheel, but Klein cut her off with a clothesline. Hendrix came back with a facebuster for a two count.
Hendrix stood up and kissed Klein on the lips, then performed a tombstone piledriver for another two count. Klein came back with a choke that led to Hendrix tapping out…
Kelly Klein beat Taeler Hendrix.
The host said next week’s show would be a special 250th episode. He said that in two weeks, they would return with updates on the Best in the World pay-per-view…
Powell’s POV: I wasn’t sure which woman we were supposed to cheer for given that Hendrix and Truth have been heels, and Whitmer is also a heel. I was hoping to be wowed by Klein given that she was in the main event and Whitmer gave her the big buildup, but I didn’t come away anxious to see more. It didn’t help that the crowd was really flat and there wasn’t much energy. I’m surprised they didn’t go with the previous match as the main event of the television show since it was longer and had more of a main event feel than this match did.
I enjoyed the WOH show more than the typical ROH “best of” shows that air after the pay-per-views. The production was better at times than we get on the regular ROH show in that they took the time to produce video packages to explain who the women are. They taped a pilot for a Women of Honor show a while back and I assume a lot of these matches came from that taping. I don’t think they have enough talent to make a weekly show successful at this point, but I hope they will continue to showcase more women and build up to a weekly show if they can get SBG to sign off on one.
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