By Jason Powell
Ring of Honor TV
Taped October 20 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Aired in syndication over the weekend, Mondays on the FITE TV app
The regular opening aired and then the broadcast team of Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana checked in while they went right to the entrances for the opening match…
1. Matt Taven (w/TK O’Ryan, Vinny Marseglia) vs. Jay White. Taven offered a handshake. White was going to accept, but Taven punched him to start the match. White threw a nice dropkick early. White performed a suicide dive on Taven heading into the first commercial break. [C] White continued to dominate the offense. The other Kingdom members picked up Taven and put him back inside the ring at one point while Riccaboni questioned their logic in that he felt Taven might have needed a break.
Taven came back with some kicks. White regained offensive control. O’Ryan stood on the apron and spat on him while Marseglia slid Taven a bat. White avoide dthe bat and rolled up White for a two, then punched O’Ryan off the apron. Taven caught White with a neckbreaker. Taven went for a frogsplash, but White put his knees up and covered him for two. White performed a uranage for a two count. White went up top and was tripped by O’Ryan while Marseglia distracted the referee. Taven performed a Climax off the ropes for the win…
Matt Taven beat Jay White.
After the match, the Kingdom members worked over White until the Motor City Machine Guns and Jonathan Gresham ran them off…
Footage aired from “earlier today” of Flip Gordon asking Coast 2 Coast to join his “army of guys who have nothing to lose and everything to gain” for his war with Bullet Club. He said they were the first people he thought of. They accepted the invitation… [C]
Powell’s POV: There’s something that just doesn’t click with Matt Taven and the fans. They sat silently throughout most of the match with only minimal reactions for the outside interference of his teammates. His in-ring work is solid, but it still feels like he needs to reexamine his promos and persona. Meanwhile, I like the idea of Gordon and the Coast 2 Coast guys joining forces to face Bullet Club. Hopefully they will gain something from this and it’s not going to be a forgettable win for Bullet Club whenever they meet.
2. Shane Taylor vs. Cheeseburger for a spot in the ROH TV Title match at Final Battle. Caprice Coleman sat in on commentary for the match. Cheeseburger applied an early sleeper and connected with two superkicks and his his Liger palm strike before Taylor slammed him down. Taylor covered him with one foot, but Cheeseburger kicked out. Taylor followed up with a punch and then got the win…
Shane Taylor defeated Cheeseburger to earn a spot in the ROH TV Title match at Final Battle.
After the match, “The Dawgs” Rhett Titus and Will Ferrara came out and spoke over the mic as they headed to the ring. They brought up Taylor being the man to talk to when you want someone taken out. Ferrara offered him a glass of pennies in exchange for taking out Cheeseburger permanently. Taylor took the glass and poured the pennies over Ferrara’s head. The Dawgs teased going after him, but backed down when Taylor spotted them. The Dawgs comically grabbed some of the pennies before leaving… [C]
Powell’s POV: The match was laid out well in that Cheeseburger should not have been given his usual big flurry of offense against Taylor, who is being established as a badass heel. The live crowds continue to adore Cheeseburger. The post match angle was comical and helped establish the silliness they are going for with The Dawgs act.
A video package recapped Jay Briscoe throwing in the towel before Mark Briscoe could challenge Kenny King for the ROH TV Title last week…
A graphic hyped next week’s Jonathan Gresham vs. Silas Young match for a spot in the ROH TV Title match at Final Battle. Young delivered a brief promo about the match while standing in front of the ROH backdrop…
Gordan and Coast 2 Coast were shown approaching Scorpio Sky about joining their fight against Bullet Club. He said he was in…
ROH Champion Cody sat in on commentary with Riccaboni and Cabana. Cody wore a Hugh Hefner style smoking jacket that they had some fun talking about. Ring entrances for the main event took place with Adam Page coming out first and then a Boy-less Dalton Castle. Castle entered the ring and performed a suicide dive on Page before running him into the barricade. Castle also suplexed Page on the floor before rolling him into the ring… [C]
3. Dalton Castle vs. Hangman Page. Page performed an early moonsault onto Castle, who was at ringside. Cody acknowledged the absence of The Boys on commentary as Page continued to dominate the early offense. Castle came back by kicking Page as he was on the ropes and then worked him over at ringside. Castle glared at Cody, who told him to focus on Page. Castle suplexed Page and then jawed at Cody. [C]
Cody hit the Bangarang and had the pin, but Cody pulled referee Todd Sinclair out of the ring before he could make the three count. Cabana overheard Cody claiming that Sinclair fell out of the ring. Funny. Castle chased Cody around the ring and ended up running into Page’s shooting star press off the apron. Page went for a springboard move back inside the ring, but Castle avoided it. Cody grabbed Castle on the apron. Page tried to hit Castle, but ended up striking Cody instead and knocked him to the floor. Castle applied a wrist lock and got the submission win…
Dalton Castle defeated Adam Page via submission.
After the match, Cody climbed on the apron and teased fighting Castle. Page clipped the knee of Castle from behind. Cody put the boots to Castle. Page held Castle while Cody hit him with his ring of honor. While Castle was down, Cody placed the ring on Castle’s lips…
Powell’s POV: A good match and some really fun antics from Cody, who feels like a throwback heel champion from the territory days. Everything from acting like inferior challengers are legit contenders to his heel work in this match was effective and highly entertaining. The build to the match with Castle has been very good so far.
A video package recapped the Bully Ray and Briscoes saga, and Tommy Dreamer’s involvement. Bully started to make his entrance and they cut to break… [C]
Bully delivered an in-ring promo coming out of the break. He said he went onto the street before the doors were opened to let fans enter the building. He said he wanted to remind himself that he never forgot where he came from. Bully noted that they were in the building that changed pro wrestling forever (ECW Arena). The fans chanted ECW. He said he is very proud of those three letters, but he’s just as proud of ROH. The fans chanted ROH.
Bully pulled out a sheet of paper and said he wrote down some things he wanted to say. He pulled out his old glasses from the ECW days, which got a good reaction. Bully said that after he wrote down what he needed to say he realized, “Who in the hell needs a script?” Bully said he would shoot straight as he’d always done. He said the fans know that “it’s time” and he wants them to be happy because he is happy. Fans chanted “we will miss you.” He said he would miss them also.
Bully said he is under contract to ROH and he plans to stick around and help some of the young guys. He said he believes in ROH the same way he believes in ECW. Bully thanked the fans and said he loved each and every last one of them. The fans stood up and applauded Bully Ray.
ROH COO Joe Koff entered the ring and took the mic from Bully. Koff said every day is a dream for him in ROH, but he realized more of his dream when Bully entered the promotion. He said the company wants him to stay and they welcome his ideas. “We love you, Bully, we really, really love you.”
Jay Briscoe walked out without entrance music. He yelled at Ray off-mic while asking if he was really “going out like this.” He was censored, but he seemed o tell him that he was a big bitch if he left this way. Jay knocked the hat off of Ray while Koff motioned for and the broadcast team called for security. Bully took his jacket off. Koff tried to talk down Ray. Briscoe spat at Bully.
Koff shoved Briscoe and started scolding him. Jay grabbed Koff. Ring announcer Bobby Cruise entered the ring and pulled Koff away. Jay took a cheap shot at Bully’s head while Cruise, BJ Whitmer, and others got Koff out of the ring. Jay grabbed a chair. Tommy Dreamer and Bully’s real life girlfriend Velvet Sky entered the ring. Dreamer got in Jay’s face while Sky laid over Bully.
Mark Briscoe entered the ring and got between Jay and Dreamer. Mark suddenly kicked Dreamer in the balls and then handed Jay a chair. “Why, Mark, why?” Riccaboni asked on commentary. Jay slammed the chair over the back of Dreamer. The Briscoes got in the face of Velvet and eventually pulled her off of Bully and ushered her to ringside. Bully got to his feet and the Briscoes put him down with his own 3D finisher while the fans booed. Riccaboni said it all happened in the house that Bully and Dreamer built…
Powell’s POV: A tremendous angle. Bully has been so convincing in his promos that fans either bought in or suspended disbelief. It was a great touch to have Velvet Sky make her first appearance on the show be an attempt to save her boyfriend. Jay Briscoe plays his darker persona really well and it will be fun to see how Mark does now that he’s joined him. It seems obvious that this is all leading to a big tag team match with Bully and Dreamer vs. The Briscoes for Final Battle, which should be terrific. Overall, a strong show that gets better with each segment. Go out of your way to see it.
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