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 and then Ian Riccaboni and BJ Whitmer were on commentary. Riccaboni was introducing the show when the lights went out. A woman appeared on the stage with a large gift box. She opened the gift box and “God’s Gift” QT Marshall emerged from it and headed to the ring for his match…
1. QT Marshall vs. Josh Woods. Highlights aired of Marshall giving Shane Taylor an envelope after he took out Woods. There was no pre-match handshake. Woods applied an early armbar, but Marshall reached the ropes to break it. They went to ringside. Woods charged at Marshall, who moved, causing Woods to take out a security guard who was seated next to the barricade. Marshall came back and slammed Woods on the apron heading into a break. [C]
Marshall caught a charging woods with a dropkick and then performed a uranage. Woods came back and performed a high knee in the corner for a near fall. Marshall perfomred a powerbomb and went for a pin, but Woods caught him in a triangle choke. Woods gave up that hold and transitioned into the anklebar for the win…
Josh Woods beat QT Marshall.
Powell’s POV: So Woods has already avenged that beating that Marshall paid for, yet we don’t even know why Marshall paid Shane Taylor to do it. Strange.
Caprice Coleman hosted a Coleman’s Pulpit segment away from the live crowd. Coleman introduced Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe as his guests. Mark showed up wearing a green tie over his t-shirt and shook Coleman’s hand. Coleman asked where Jay was at. “Let’s not talk about Jay right now,” Mark said. “He’s not in a good place right now.”
Coleman asked Mark what happened to his teeth. Mark said they were knocked out. When Coleman asked who knocked them out, Mark responded, “Well, my brother knocked them out if you must know.” Coleman asked what’s going on with Jay. Mark said he’s in a dark place and he’s not very stable.
Coleman brought up Bully Ray and said he thought highly of the Briscoe Brothers, but now it feels like it’s Bully Ray and then the Briscoes. Mark asked if he was trying to stir things up. Coleman denied that was the case and asked if the Briscoes are a great thing going forward. Mark said they’re not going anywhere, but Jay could use an attitude adjustment. Coleman asked how he felt about what happened at Death Before Dishonor. Mark said a lot of things are changing, but the Briscoes aren’t going anywhere… [C]
Powell’s POV: A good segment. Coleman did a nice job of stirring the pot yet acting like he was not trying to do so. I still wish this was done in front of the live crowd, but perhaps the idea is to do more away from the crowd that can’t be spoiled.
A video aired on the ROH War of the Worlds online pay-per-view that was held in Liverpool, England. It was listed as being available at the ROH website…
Ring announcer Bobby Cruise introduced ROH Champion Cody, who sat in on commentary for the Honor Rumble match. In a rough edit, Riccaboni hyped the replay of the ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view. Riccaboni noted that Cody survived Death Before Dishonor (this show aired in syndication the night after the pay-per-view)…
Powell’s POV: I appreciate the attempt to make the show feel more timely with the broadcast team talking about Cody surviving the pay-per-view even though this show was taped nearly a month before Death Before Dishonor.
The first two entrants were introduced as Jay White and Sho from the Tempura Boyz. Riccaboni noted that the number one entrant won the match last year… [C]
2. 20-man Honor Rumble for a future ROH Title shot. Sho tried to eliminate White from behind. White took offense and asked if they are friends. Sho begged for forgiveness and even kissed White’s boot. Sho offered a handshake. White accepted only to have Sho attempt to toss him over the top again. The third entrant was Punishment Martinez. Riccaboni noted that Martinez set the record for most eliminations in last year’s match. Martinez worked over both opponents.
The fourth entrant was Jonathan Gresham. Bobby Cruise counted down the time before the new entrant and there was an obnoxious horn sound prior to the entrances. Sho, White, and Gresham worked over Martinez. Gresham eliminated Sho as the fifth entrant, Rhett Titus, was coming out. The sixth entrant was Frankie Kazarian. Cody said Kazarian received a nostalgia pop. Funny. [C]
Coming out of the break, Riccaboni noted that the seventh entrant was Will Ferrara and the eighth entrant was Yo from the Tempura Boyz. The ninth entrant was Alex Shelley. Martinez eliminated Gresham. Martinez then eliminated White. Titus was eliminated by Shelley. The tenth entrant was Silas Young, who eliminated Ferrara from the match. The remaining participants ganged up on Martinez and eliminated him.
The eleventh entrant was Sal Rinauro. Whitmer said Rinauro hasn’t appeared in ROH in a long time. Riccaboni noted that Rinauro teamed with Tony Mamaluke at one time. The twelfth entrant was Shane Taylor, who eliminated Young and Shelley as they were fighting near the ropes. Taylor followed up by eliminating Rinauro, then he pressed Yo and eliminated him.
Cody hopped the barricade and headed to ringside. Cody handed Taylor some cash and then returned to commentary. The thirteenth entrant was Flip Gordon. The only entrants at this point were Kazarian, Taylor, and Gordon. Taylor tossed Gordon over the top, but he skinned the cat. Kazarian pointed it out to Taylor, then tried to attack Taylor from behind. The fourteenth entrant was Jay Lethal, who received a strong reaction. [C]
Coming out of the break, the fifteenth entrant Hanson was already in the ring and performed running clotheslines on his opponents until Taylor took him down with a clothesline. The sixteenth entrant was Chris Sabin. Cody said Taylor had been the MVP of the rumble to this point. The seventeenth entrant was Bully Ray, who worked over everyone. Cody said he doesn’t want to share a ring with Ray.
The eighteenth entrant was Raymond Rowe. Cody focussed on the possibility of the War Machine partners going at it, but the duo worked together to start. The nineteenth entrant was Mark Briscoe, who was quickly eliminated by War Machine. The twentieth entrant was Glacier. Yes, really, Glacier from WCW, who caused Cody to throw a tantrum on commentary. [C]
With all 20 entrants announced, the remaining participants were Bully Ray, Lethal, Taylor, Sabin, Shelley, Kazarian, Gordon, Rowe, Hanson, and Glacier. They picked up the footage coming out of the break with Glacier entering the ring and throwing a punch of chops at his opponents. The fans chanted Glacier. Cody said he was 16 years old when he refereed a Glacier match in Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling.
War Machine eliminated Taylor. Riccaboni asked if there was someone Cody wanted to win and challenge him. Cody said he had a favorite, but he wouldn’t tell him. Hanson eliminated Sabin with a big boot. Bully Ray eliminated Glacier, which was booed by the live crowd. Bully eliminated Hanson and then Rowe.
The final four were Bully, Gordon, Kazarian, and Lethal. Gordon caught Bully with a kick and then went for a springboard move, but Kazarian shoved him off the ropes to eliminate him. Cody said he respects Lethal and put him over for holding the ROH and ROH TV titles simultaneously. “I just don’t like him,” Cody said.
Bully and Lethal teamed up for the Whassup spot on Kazarian. Bully wanted to do the “get the tables” spot, but Kazarian broke it up. Lethal accidentally superkicked Ray and then Kazarian clotheslined Ray over the top rope to eliminate him. Lethal tried to eliminate Kazarian from behind, but Kazarian skinned the cat. Cody said he’s beaten both men. Lethal caught Kazarian with a cutter. Christopher Daniels came out and bickered with the referee, who had his back turned when Lethal eliminated Kazarian. The match continued and Lethal ended up giving Daniels a Lethal Injection, but Kazarian sprung up and eliminated Lethal to win the match…
Frankie Kazarian won a 20-man Honor Rumble to earn an ROH Title shot.
Bobby Cruise announced that Kazarian will challenge Cody for the ROH Championship next week. Cody put over the Daniels interference and said it was a masterful plan. Daniels took the mic and called the fans ungrateful garbage before complaining that the fans turned their back on them and embraced Cody. Daniels said Kazarian will kick Cody’s ass next week and win the ROH Championship. Daniels said they will take the ROH Title “away from ass bags like you.” Riccaboni closed the show by hyping Cody vs. Kazarian for next week…
Powell’s POV: It may seem strange that they are going with a heel vs. heel match, but Cody is a babyface in his native Georgia where this match was taped. The Rumble match was fun and the Glacier appearance was quite the throwback surprise. It wasn’t an intricately booked Rumble by any means, as most of the eliminations felt random and very little that happened within the match will likely lead to anything. Still, it was entertaining. I was actually hoping that Gordon would get the upset win and then push Cody in a competitive match, but it may not have played well in Atlanta. I will have more to say about this show in members’ audio later today.
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