By Jason Powell
Ring of Honor TV
Taped on July 29 in Concord, North Carolina at Cabarrus Arena
Aired in syndication over the weekend, Mondays on the FITE TV app
The show opened with footage of the Silas Young and Beer City Bruiser vs. Jay Lethal feud… The opening montage aired… The broadcast team was Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana…
1. Jay Lethal vs. Beer City Bruiser in a No DQ match. They cut to the arena where Jay Lethal and Beer City Bruiser were brawling in the aisle. The broadcast team said they may have been fighting backstage before they even appeared in front of the live crowd. Lethal, who worked in jeans, performed a running cannonball dive on Bruiser, who was sitting in a chair against the barricade. Lethal brought Bruiser to the apron and dropkicked him from the ropes. Lethal followed up with a suicide dive. The fans chanted “this is awesome” as the brawl continued at ringside. Lethal catapulted Bruiser off the chair at ringside. Bruiser picked up an electrical cord and jabbed Lethal’s throat with it. Silas Young headed out and was blocked by security heading into the break. [C]
Lethal had a chair in hand as they returned from the break. Young joined the broadcast team on commentary and complained that “the golden boy” got security to prevent him from going to ringside to “offer morale support” to Bruiser. Young told the broadcast team he was going to ringside anyway, but security once again blocked his path. Bruiser got the chair and wedged it in the corner. Lethal chopped Bruiser, who kicked him below the belt. Young gave up on trying to get to the ring and returned to the broadcast table.
Bruiser pulled out some duct tape. Lethal recovered and worked him over before he could use it. Lethal took his belt off and wrapped it around his fist before striking Bruiser with it. A short time later, Lethal ran Bruiser into the chair that was wedged in the corner. Young made another attempt to get to the ring, but security blocked him again. [C]
Lethal went up top for his Hail to the Chief elbow drop, but Bruiser rolled out of the way. Lethal performed the Lethal Injection. Young called Lethal a showboat when he didn’t go for a cover. Young gloated that Lethal was too busy looking at him. Lethal took the duct tape from earlier and tied Bruiser to the bottom rope. Lethal picked up the keg that Bruiser brings to the ring and slammed it down on his knee. Lethal pulled a chair out from underneath the ring. He placed the keg on Bruiser’s knee and slammed the chair on it multiple times, then jabbed the chair into the bad knee. Lethal applied the figure four and Bruiser tapped out…
Jay Lethal defeated Beer City Bruiser in a No DQ match.
After the match, Young got close to ringside, but security stopped him near the barricade. Lethal worked over Bruiser’s knee again. Lethal went after Young, but security stood in front of him…
Powell’s POV: A hot opening to the show and a really good brawl between Lethal and Bruiser. It was cool to see the fans on their feet for most of the match even though they’d probably been there for quite some time given the nature of the television tapings. They are doing a terrific job of building to the Lethal vs. Young match at the pay-per-view.
The broadcast team set up a video package on Minoru Suzuki, who will be challenging Cody for the ROH Title at the Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view… Cody delivered a backstage promo about the match being mixed martial arts versus sports entertainment. Cody said terms like catch, shoot, and real come to mind. Cody noted that Suzuki had 29 MMA wins including 21 by submission. Cody boasted that he is going to stretch Suzuki and break him. Cody got down on his knees and said Suzuki will tell him he’s the better man and might even call him daddy…
Powell’s POV: A very good promo from Cody. I continue to enjoy is weekly presence on the show even if there are times when it’s brief promos.
Footage aired of Cheeseburger posing with a fan wearing a Jushin Liger mask. Suddenly, the fan turned and struck Cheeseburger. The fan took off the mask and revealed himself to be Will Ferrara before slamming Cheeseburger on a table and being pulled away by security… [C] Footage aired of The Addiction attacking The Young Bucks and Motor City Machine Guns to ruin last week’s main event…
Backstage, Caprice Coleman complained about getting three folding chairs rather than the bishop chairs he requested for his talkshow segment. He spoke into a clip mic and said he would earn his Pulpit segment. Coleman introduced Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian, who joined him on his makeshift interview set. Kazarian was sympathetic to Coleman for having a lousy set and called it disrespect by ROH management. He said the fans don’t respect them either. Coleman asked Daniels about interrupting the ROH Tag Title match last week. Daniels took the mic and said he doesn’t want to be an ROH Tag Champion. He said it’s not about their rivalry with the teams. Daniels said it’s about being betrayed by ROH fans, so now he’s out to ruin everything they enjoy…
Powell’s POV: A good segment. I like the idea of a weekly talkshow. Coleman has the gift of gab, but he was wise enough to let Daniels and Kazarian take the spotlight.
2. Will Ferrara vs. Howie Timberche. Timberche did not receive a televised entrance. “Howie what?” Cabana cracked after Timberche was introduced by ring announcer Bobby Cruise. Timberche offered a handshake, but Ferrara spun around and slapped him across the face. Timberche sang briefly as he worked over Ferrara and got a two count. Ferrara came back with a suicide dive into a tornado DDT. Timberche continued to sing whenever he was on the offensive. He did a backflip into an elbow on Ferrara, who was in the tree of woe. Timberche went for a German suplex, but Ferrara kicked him below the belt and then finished him off with a tornado DDT…
Will Ferrara defeated Howie Timberche.
After the match, Cheeseburger walked onto the ramp with a mic. He said he wasn’t going to attack Ferrara from behind like a coward. He challenged Ferrara to a singles match for next week. Ferrara yelled and accepted Cheeseburger’s challenge… Riccaboni hyped a Jay Briscoe promo for after the break… [C]
Powell’s POV: For those who didn’t see the show, Timberche is not your typical “jobber” type as his name may seem to imply. He has a good physique and was much bigger than Ferrara. The segment was a little flat in terms of the live crowd’s reaction, and I can’t tell whether Timberche should give up on the singing or if there’s a chance that it could catch on as an undercard gimmick. My first instinct is that he’s pretty well put together and doesn’t need that gimmick, but only time will tell.
Backstage, Jay Briscoe delivered a promo in which he said he suffered a concussion at the hands of The Kingdom (footage aired of the match). Briscoe said the doctors said he’s not fit to compete in what was supposed to be a six-man tag match main event and they feel he is a liability. Jay said ROH didn’t cancel his plane ticket and he’s in North Carolina and now he’s their liability…
Ring entrances for the main event took place. Adam Page held up a fan sign that read, “Last Adam Standing”… [C]
3. Cody and “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Mark Briscoe and Bully Ray. The heels isolated Mark heading into the final break. [C] Bully took a hot tag and splashed both opponents int he corner. Page cut him off by grabbing his balls, but Bully recovered quickly and went back on the offensive. Bully tagged in Mark and they performed a Whassup elbow drop on Cody. Bully led the crowd in a “get the tables” call.
Marty Scurll ran out with a Bullet Club umbrella. Jay Briscoe ran out and pulled Scurll off the apron and worked him over while the broadcast team reminded viewers that both men were originally scheduled to be in the main event. Jay set up a table at ringside and then fought with Scurll again. Jay set up for his finisher off the apron, but Scurll escaped. Jay chased Scurll into the crowd where they continued to fight with Jay getting the better of it.
In the ring, Mark and Bully performed Doomsday Device on Page. The Jay and Scurll brawl continued. Bully set up for a move on Page, who was on the table, but Cody broke it up. Mark caught Cody with a kick and fisherman’s buster for a two count. Mark went up top and was going to leap onto Page, who was still on the table, but TK O’Ryan came out and shoved him off. Cody hit his CrossRhodes finisher on Mark and pinned him while O’Ryan and the other Kingdom members watched.
Cody and “Hangman” Adam Page beat Mark Briscoe and Bully Ray.
After the match, the Kingdom members attacked Bully and Mark. Jay ran in for the save and sucked O’Ryan swinging a walking stick at him. Jay worked over all three members, but he was eventually hit from behind by the walking stick. The Kingdom members hit their triple powerbomb. The Kingdom trio celebrated to close the show…
Powell’s POV: A fun tag main event with the Kingdom getting some heat at the end. The Lethal and Bruiser brawl was the highlight of the night and this show featured two good bookend matches and the quality talkshow segment. There was not as much direct pay-per-view hype as last week, but it was still a good effort. I will have more to say about the show in my members’ exclusive audio review later today or on Thursday.
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