By Jason Powell
Ring of Honor TV
Taped on May 14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Aired in syndication over the weekend, Mondays on the FITE TV app, and Wednesdays on Comet TV
After the opening video, Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana checked in on commentary. Bobby Cruise was the ring announcer…
Ring entrances for the opening match took place with the Young Bucks and Hangman Page coming to the ring first, then Roppongi Vice came out. Rocky Romero jawed off-mic at Trent Barreta, who grabbed a mic. Romero took it away and said he was butt hurt about Barreta picking their mystery partner. Barreta introduced “my real tag partner, my best friend” Chuck Taylor. Fans responded to “The Kentucky Gentlemen” Chuck Taylor while Cabana put him over on commentary…
1. Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Hangman Page vs. Rocky Romero, Trent Barreta, and Chuck Taylor. Taylor and Barreta cleared the ring of the Bullet Club members and hugged while fans chanted “Best Friends” in recognition of their tag name outside ROH. Romero didn’t seem pleased, but he checked in and worked over all three opponents. The Bucks recovered and performed double team moves on all three opponents heading into the break. [C]
Barreta and Taylor teamed up for a top rope stomp into a reverse piledriver onto Matt. Nick performed a Swanton onto Barreta to breakup his attempted pin. Later, Nick performed a German suplex on Barreta on the apron. Nick followed up with a facebuser off the ropes on Romero. Page performed a shooting star press off the apron on Barreta. Taylor performed Sole Food (Eat Defeat) on Nick. Matt performed a DDT off the ropes on Taylor. The fans popped big for the action. The Bucks followed up with More Bang For Your Buck on Taylor, but Romero broke it up.
The Bullet Club members set up for a triple superkick on Taylor, but Baretta got in front of Taylor. Page held Barreta, who ducked when the Bucks delivered a superkick. The Bucks still delivered superkicks on Barreta and Taylor. Romero covered Taylor and took a superkick. The Bucks blasted Taylor with a double superkick. They set up for their Meltzer Driver finisher, but Nick was pulled down to ringside by RPG Vice. Taylor performed a cool powerbomb on Matt and pinned him. Afterward, Barreta and Taylor hugged, then Romero joined them in a hug… [C]
Rocky Romero, Trent Barreta, and Chuck Taylor beat Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, and Hangman Page.
Powell’s POV: A really fun match. It was a nice surprise to see Taylor, who really impressed me as a wrestler and a talker in my limited exposure to him. The introduction had to leave a lot of viewers feeling like they were late to the party, but the broadcast team explained the dynamic of Taylor and Barreta’s past and Romero’s jealousy nicely. It’s been fun to see Barreta and Romero show more personality during their last two appearances than they have throughout most of their past ROH appearances. One can only hope that Taylor is a regular with the company because he would be a very nice addition.
TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia were venting about The Boys as a graphic hyped The Kingdom vs. The Boys for next week. Matt Taven walked onto the set and told them to calm down. O’Ryan blamed The Boys for his fractured leg. Marseglia spoke about how good it felt to beat up The Boys. Taven said he hoped Dalton Castle would come out because he had a song for him called “I got punched in the face for sticking my nose in other people’s business”…
A Jay White feature aired. He spoke about leaving his family and friends in New Zealand and booking a one way ticket to the UK to begin training. He said he had no job and nowhere to live. He said he had his first match a month later. He said that was the first time he told anyone in New Zealand what he was doing. He spoke about the New Japan Dojo and said the stories can’t compare you for it. He spoke about the endless hours of training and said the first year was the hardest year of his life.
White also spoke about his great match with Will Ospreay at the War of the Worlds pay-per-view and called it a career defining moment. White grew intense as he addressed Punishment Martinez attacking him after that match. White said Martinez would get a different White when they meet…
The Rebellion made their entrance for a tag match… [C]
Powell’s POV: ROH would be wise to strike a little sooner in cases like White. He had a lot of buzz coming off that pay-per-view match, but the delay between that show and the first show from the television tapings combined with ROH waiting until the third show from those tapings created a long gap between that buzz White received and his next appearance on television. He came off like a nice guy in the video and then showed solid fire once he addressed Martinez.
2. Jay White and Jonathan Gresham vs. Shane Taylor and Rhett Titus (w/Caprice Coleman). Alex Shelley sat in on commentary. The babyface duo jumped out to a fast start. Coleman got involved by kicking Gresham. The Rebellion isolated Gresham heading into a break. [C] Gresham tagged in White and they worked over Titus and doubled up on Taylor. White bodyslammed Taylor.
Later, Kenny king ran in and performed a spinebuster on Gresham. Alex Shelley tried to help. Chris Sabin ran out and he and Shelley performed a tag spot on King. White dove onto the heels at ringside. After the match, Shelley took the mic and said no one wants to see the Rebellion. He challenged them to a four-on-four match at Best in the World with the losing faction being forced to disband…
Jay White and Jonathan Gresham beat Shane Taylor and Rhett Titus by an apparent DQ.
Frankie Kazarian delivered a backstage promo. He said he and Hangman Page are on a new level in their feud. He held up a belt and said they have been whipping each other with belts and straps. He said the thing that scares him is that he likes it and he can’t wait to whip Page… [C]
Powell’s POV: I’m all for the heels winning that eight-man tag match. It’s not that the Rebellion does anything for me, but the oddball collection of babyfaces led by Shelley and Sabin is worse. White should be showcased as a singles wrestler, not a member of an undercard faction. How disappointing is it that he’s following up that great match with Ospreay by working an undercard eight-man tag match?
Footage aired of the finish of last week’s eight-man tag match. Jay Briscoe paced backstage and vented about how his team lost the match. He said the reason he got beat was because Dalton Castle’s Boys. Jay cussed repeatedly and was censored. He said they don’t realize what they are getting into and said he would eat them alive…
Powell’s POV: One one hand, it’s odd that Jay is so upset with the Boys, who simply shoved Castle out of the way of Bushi’s mist, which he ended up taking instead. On the other hand, it’s nice to see someone sell a loss with such intensity.
Ring entrances for the ROH TV Title match took place. Cruise delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Both men received favorable reactions…
3. Marty Scurll vs. Kushida for the ROH TV Title. Kushida had the advantage and mocked Scurll’s mannerisms. He followed up with a dropkick to a seated Scurll heading into a break. [C] Kushida continued to dominate and went for an armbar, but Scurll rolled out of it quickly. Scurll ended up at ringside and pulled in two security members. Kushida went for a dive off the top rope. Scurll avoided the dive, leaving the security guards to take it.
Scurll caught Kushida going for a springboard move, but Kushida was able to avoid the chicken wing. Kushida countered into the Hoverboard Lock. Scurll escaped the hold and did the finger break spot. Kushida punched him. Scurll clotheslined him.
A short time later, Scurll played to the crowd and teased setting up for his chickenwing finisher. The lights went out. When the lights came back on, a man dressed in Scurll’s pre-match gear was standing on the apron. The man unmasked and revealed himself to be Adam Cole. Kushida used the distraction to perform a DDT and a Back to the Future (small package driver) for the win…
Kushida defeated Marty Scurll to win the ROH TV Championship.
Powell’s POV: A surprising title change in that Scurll had been on such a role and I just assumed they would want an ROH regular to be the first guy to defeat him. That said, it came off well with the Cole distraction, which clearly sets up a big Cole vs. Scurll feud, and obviously the need for a rematch. Overall, this was another good show. The second match didn’t do anything for me and the followup with Jay White was especially disappointing, but everything outside of that second match clicked. Haydn Gleed will be by on Thursday with his member exclusive audio review.
Chuck Taylor is unbearable. I’m really trying to like ROH, but the matches are still mostly asinine spotfests with 147 stupid dives in each one. Worthless dirtbags like Taylor don’t help. If you don’t respect the business enough to treat it like anything other than a joke then I don’t want to see you at all.
ROH would do well to get guys who are better workers instead of another jackoff who has a completely unbelievable moveset full of cutesy bullshit.