By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor TV
Taped May 13 in Chicago, Illinois at the Odeum Expo Center
Aired in syndication on June 2 and Mondays on the FITE TV app
Cody made their entrance while the broadcast team of Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana checked in. Burnard the Business Bear accompanied Cody to the ring while the broadcast team hyped Dalton Castle vs. Cody vs. Marty Scurll for the ROH Championship for the Best in the World pay-per-view.
Cody entered the ring and said he has taken the leadership role of Bullet Club. Cody said the world is not enough and he deserves his ROH Championship rematch. He said Best in the World is his anniversary and he hyped the Triple Threat. He asked the fans if they love Scurll, which led to cheers.
Marty Scurll made his entrance and joined Cody in the ring. Scurll said Cody loves to tell everyone how good he is, whereas he doesn’t need to tell anyone how great he is because they already know it. Scurll said he could tell that Cody is threatened and intimidated by him. Scurll said Cody would find out firsthand just how good he is.
Scurll said that even though they are friends, he would go through Cody to get his first ROH Championship. Scurll offered a handshake. “That’s it, that’s all you’re going to say?” Cody asked. Cody told Scurll he’s a good guy. They shook hands. Cody started to leave, but Scurll grabbed his hand and teased breaking his fingers before patting his hand and leaving the ring…
Riccaboni hyped Silas Young vs. Austin Aries for the ROH TV Title, and Tenille Dashwood vs. Karen Q for later in the show… [C]
Powell’s POV: A great opening segment with the Bullet Club members setting up their end of the Triple Threat. It’s a really fun match on paper. Do they tease major issues between Cody and Scurll only to have them work together and turn the match into a handicap match? Do they go after one another? There are plenty of possibilities and it looks really fun on paper. Plus, the agreement that Cody must win the ROH Championship in order to get an NWA Title shot at All In certainly leads fans to believe they will see a title change, but the fun is seeing whether they go through with it on this show and, if so, just how they get there. For that matter, I hope they also play up the possibility of Aldis facing either Castle or Scurll for the championship if they win it at Best in the World.
Silas Young delivered a backstage promo. He said Austin Aries whined and complained and now has his title shot. Young said Aries better not have any excuses when he loses, he better say that Young is the Last Real Man…
1. Tenille Dashwood vs. Karen Q. They cut to an early break after some back and forth action. [C] Q performed a move that Riccaboni said she calls the spring roll. “I’m not calling it that,” Cabana said on commentary. In the end, Dashwood countered the spring roll into a pin for the win. Q expressed frustration afterward and slammed a chair against the post and ring apron…
Tenille Dashwood defeated Karen Q.
Powell’s POV: A solid match. It’s great that the women are getting more time on the weekly television show. Now they need some actual character development. Kelly Klein is a heel, Sumie Sakai is the veteran champion, and Dashwood has star power coming off her WWE run. Beyond that, I feel like television viewers know very little about the characters in the women’s division. Hopefully Q’s post match meltdown is a step toward letting us know more about her.
Riccaboni narrated a video package that recapped the recent issues between Punishment Martinez and Adam Page… [C] Riccaboni and Cabana announced Martinez vs. Page for Best in the World and hyped the Briscoes vs. the Young Bucks for the ROH Tag Titles for the same show. Riccaboni noted that the Briscoes will defend the ROH Tag Titles against Roppongi 3k on next week’s show and if they retain the titles then the Best in the World match will be for the tag titles…
Ring entrances for the ROH TV Title match took place. Austin Aries wore two title belts and held the Impact Grand Championship as he made his entrance. Silas Young jawed at fans at ringside during his entrance. Ring announcer Bobby Cruise delivered in-ring introductions for the title match… [C]
2. Silas Young vs. Austin Aries for the ROH TV Title. Aries went for a suicide dive and ran into a punch from Young from the floor heading into a break. [C] Young set up for Misery, but Aries slipped away and hit a death valley driver on the ring apron that sent Young to ringside heading into the final break. [C]
Late in the match, Young sent for Misery again, but Aries legs hit referee Paul Turner. REF BUMP!!! Aries hit the Fivearm and a running dropkick in the corner. Aries went up top. Beer City Bruiser ran out, but he was followed by Kenny King, who worked him over at ringside. The distraction allowed Young to trip up Aries on the ropes.
Young grabbed a title belt to use as a weapon. King took it from Young and ended up hitting him with it. King left the ring and then Aries covered Young and pinned him to win the match. However, referee Todd Sinclair jogged out and told Turner about the interference while King congratulated Aries. The referees spoke with ring announcer Cruise, who announced that Aries had been disqualified due to outside interference. The fans booed.
Silas Young defeated Austin Aries by DQ to retain the ROH TV Championship.
Young grabbed his title belt and left the ring. Riccaboni said the second referee’s call leading to the finish being overturned was a rarity in ROH. He said the board of directors had been very strict with the enforcement of the rules. Aries hit Sinclair. King pulled him off and tried to calm him down. The fans chanted “you deserve it” at Sinclair. Funny. Riccaboni called for Aries to be professional.
King picked up the Impact Grand Championship and comically held it as if he didn’t want to touch it. Aries smiled, then kicked King below the belt. Aries applied the Last Chancery on King. Aries rounded up his three title belts and left the ring with them while Riccaboni wrapped up the show…
Powell’s POV: A good match with a thoughtful cheap finish. Yes, the finish was disappointing to fans who wanted to see a clean finish, but they clearly put some thought into this when it came to turning Aries heel and shifting his focus to facing King rather than challenging for the ROH TV Championship. So in that regard it was well done and more satisfying than a simple copout finish with nothing behind it.
Overall, I enjoyed the main event and the overall show. The opening segment was well executed with a WWE-like approach to having a verbal exchange in the ring. The women’s match felt a little random. And the main event was fun. That said, ROH just didn’t get enough out of having Aries come in to challenge for the ROH TV Title. This should have been positioned as a big deal and instead it was just kind of thrown out there on last week’s show. Why not spend a couple of weeks building to the match and making it seem like a major event? Haydn Gleed will be by sometime over the next couple of days with his audio review of this television show for members. Check out my free interview with the legendary Tony Schiavone below on the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell.
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