By Jason Powell
Ring of Honor TV
Taped August 26 in Atlanta, Georgia at Center Stage
Aired in syndication over the weekend, Mondays on the FITE TV app
The opening video aired… Ian Riccaboni and BJ Whitmer were on commentary. Riccaboni noted that the Death Before Dishonor event was a week away (airs on Friday night)…
1. Adam Page vs. Kenny King. King offered a handshake. Page spot on his own hand and tried to wipe it onto King’s face, but King shoved his hand away and smirked. They fought to ringside. Page climbed onto the stage and went for a moonsault, but King avoided it and then performed a corkscrew plancha off the apron heading into a commercial break. [C]
Caprice Coleman sat in on commentary and boasted that he will have the Briscoe Brothers on his “Coleman’s Pulpit” talkshow next week. King performed a spinebuster. The broadcast team noted that Arn Anderson made the move famous while wrestling at the same venue.
King avoided a corkscrew plancha from the apron, then kicked King and performed a shooting star press from the apron. Later, the wrestlers fought for position on the ropes. King backflipped off and then performed a kick before performing his finisher for the win. After the match, King looked into the camera and spoke about how there’s no more distractions and he will face Kushida for the TV Title… [C]
Kenny King defeated Adam Page.
Powell’s POV: A solid match. You had to assume that King would go over if there was a clean finish simply because he’s challenging for the ROH TV Championship at the pay-per-view. By the way, I will be covering the show live as it airs on Friday night, so stop back and watch along with me. Dot Net Members will also hear an exclusive audio review after the show.
2. Rocky Romero vs. Marty Scurll. Scurll was in offensive control heading into an early break. [C] Romero avoided the chicken wing and applied an armbar, but Scurll powered him up and performed a buckle bomb. Scurll followed up with a running kick for a two count.
Romero avoided a moonsault and then connected with a running knee for two. A short time later, Scurll performed a clothesline and followed up with a slam finisher for the win… [C]
Marty Scurll defeated Rocky Romero.
Powell’s POV: A nice setup match for the Scurll vs. Chuckie T (Chuck Taylor) match at the pay-per-view. Romero feels a little lost in ROH these days without a tag partner. Then again, he and his tag teams always felt a little lost in ROH storylines, perhaps because they appeared so sporadically, yet also because the company never really defined their characters.
A Death Before Dishonor video focussed on Minoru Suzuki challenging Cody for the ROH Championship…
ROH Champion Cody made his entrance for a promo and received a favorable reaction. Cody asked what happens when the undesirable becomes the undeniable. Cody held up the ROH Title and said, “This happens.” Cody said he thinks it’s time for a change. Cody dropped the ROH Title and then motioned for someone to come out.
Ring announcer Nick Lendl came out with a small gift box. Cody played to the crowd by asking if they wanted him to open the box. The box contained a ring, which Cody labeled “The official Ring of Honor.” Riccaboni acted offended. Cody put the ring on his right ring finger and showed it off for the crowd. Whitmer said it was like a Super Bowl ring and added that it was pretty sweet.
Cody brought up the Code of Honor. He said it’s changed in that now people will be kissing his ring rather than shaking his hand. Cody told Lendl to show them. The fans chanted “kiss the ring.” Lendl complied. Cody handed Lendl some cash, and then Lendl left the ring. Cody asked the crowd who wanted to be first to kiss the ring. Cody went to ringside and pointed at a female fan, who kissed the ring…
Powell’s POV: Did they show the ring prematurely last week when Cody had Matt Sells kiss his ring in a video? The ring kissing gimmick is heelish and should get that type of reaction when they intend for it to, but that wasn’t happening in Cody’s native Georgia, as the fans loved him.
A Death Before Dishonor preview aired. The Motor City Machine Guns spoke briefly about fulfilling their destiny by beating the Young Bucks for the ROH Tag Titles. Marty Scurll spoke about facing Chuckie T. Scurll noted that it’s T’s first singles match in ROH. He said T wouldn’t have his Best Friends to babysit him…
Bully Ray sat in on commentary with Riccaboni and Whitmer. He said it was the first time he’s done ROH commentary and told Riccaboni and Whitmer that they do a pretty good job. Ring entrances for the main event took place… [C]
3. Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe vs. TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia. Bully spoke about how he is trying to keep the Briscoes on the same page. He said they are a hell of a unit when that happens. Riccaboni noted that Matt Taven was absent, then noted that he’s been tearing it up in Mexico for CMLL. The two Kingdom members controlled the offense heading into an early break. [C]
The Briscoes bounced back. Jay set up for his finisher on O’Ryan on a chair, but referee Todd Sinclair took the chair away. O’Ryan rolled up Jay for a two count only to be isolated by the Briscoes, who worked him over while Marseglia was down at ringside.
Mark went up top. Marseglia recovered and pushed him down. O’Ryan caught Jay with a low blow while the referee was distracted and then performed a neckbreaker. Marseglia performed a swanton and put his partner on top of Jay for a two count.
Late in the match, O’Ryan pulled a bat out from underneath the ring and tagged in. O’Ryan swung the bat at Mark, who ducked. In the end, Mark took out Marseglia with a dive, then Jay performed his Jay Driller finisher on O’Ryan. Mark returned to the ring and pinned O’Ryan.
Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe defeated Vinny Marseglia and TK O’Ryan.
Bully Ray joined the Briscoes in the ring afterward and raised their arms. Riccaboni delivered a final pitch for the pay-per-view and then hyped the Honor Rumble for next week’s television show…
Powell’s POV: A decent match. The crowd liked the Briscoes, but the Kingdom still don’t seem to be clicking with fans as heels. I like the way Marseglia is trying to play the mad dog type of role for the group, as it makes him stand out from his partners. Overall, there was solid and consistent hype for the pay-per-view throughout this episode. It would have been nice if there had been more direct hype for the main event, but it’s tough when Minoru Suzuki wasn’t at the taping. For that matter, Kushida hasn’t appeared on television from this taping yet either, so there wasn’t much they could do with the TV Title match either. Join me on Friday night for live coverage of ROH Death Before Dishonor.
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