By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor TV
Taped April 13, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Stage AE
Aired in syndication on April 27, 2019, Mondays on the FITE TV app
The show opened with still shots of Matt Taven winning the ROH Title at the G1 Supercard… The ROH opening aired… The broadcast team was Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman…
New ROH Champion Matt Taven made his entrance. There were chants of “you deserve it” followed by “no you don’t” from the fans. “I earned this,” Taven said as he held up the title belt. He said that if you look through the last year with unbiased eyes there is no one more deserving of the world title than he is. Taven told the fans to think about when they go to their job at McDonald’s and every day they were unappreciated. Taven spoke about winning titles in ROH and Mexico and his highlights over the last year.
Taven said it all worked out in the end. He said that by pulling down the title belt at MSG, the memory of Matt Taven will live on forever. Taven said he’s the only man who can say he’s the undisputed world champion of ROH. He said that if anyone wants a shot at the title then they will have to do what he did by earning it.
Flip Gordon made his entrance and stood on the stage wearing a suit. Gordon reminded Taven that he earned his title shot by winning the Sea of Honor tournament. Taven said there’s a big difference between winning a tournament on a cruise when everyone is at the bar living it up and winning a title at Madison Square Garden. Gordon said he spoke with ROH officials and he’s now the No. 1 contender for the ROH Title. Gordon his knee will kick one hundred percent of Taven’s ass…
Riccaboni hyped Silas Young vs. Jonathan Gresham in a grudge match for after the break… [C]
Powell’s POV: A solid yet unspectacular promo from the new champion. Taven did a good job of putting over his accomplishments in the last year. He’s still using the “Melvin” line that’s just never clicked. It was interesting that he was not accompanied by his Kingdom stable mates TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia.
Footage aired from the ROH 17th Anniversary pay-per-view of Gresham being worked over by O’Ryan and Marseglia, and then being roughed up by Young backstage. Additional footage aired of Young low-blowing Gresham and pinning him in a match that aired on ROH television a couple weeks ago. They also showed the backstage argument Young and Gresham had over the way Young won the match…
1. Silas Young vs. Jonathan Gresham. Young offered a handshake and told Gresham to shake his hand, then referred to him as Mr. Honorable. Gresham shook his hand and they jawed at one another. There was fast paced action in the ring and then at ringside early on. [C]
Young jawed at Gresham about how he’s only used clean wrestling while facing him. Young kept offering his wrist to Gresham, who couldn’t exploit it, as Young kept countering. Gresham ended up offering his wrist to Young, who pulled him in by the wrist and hit him from behind. Coleman said it’s like trusting a snake. Gresham broke out of a wristlock and dropkicked Young. Gresham followed up with a dropkick on a seated Young in the corner heading into another break. [C]
Late in the match, Young brought a chair into the ring and also had the timekeeper’s hammer in the back of his trunks. Referee Todd Sinclair took the chair away and as he cleared it from the ring, Young hit Gresham with the hammer. Young put Gresham in an abdominal stretch. Sinclair stopped the match due to Gresham being unresponsive…
Silas Young defeated Jonathan Gresham via ref stoppage.
Powell’s POV: An entertaining match. They are doing a good job of building up a mid-card rivalry between Young and Gresham.
Footage aired of Kelly Klein defeating Mayu Iwatani to become WOH Champion at G1 Supercard. They also showed the debut of The Allure faction of Mandy Leon, Velvet Sky, and Angelina Love…
Kelly Klein delivered a promo from an outdoor setting. She asked where to begin. She said a few outsiders needed attention and that’s what’s important to them. She held up the WOH Championship and said that’s what’s important to her. She said we all see The Allure and the attention is what they crave. Klein said she is there to clean up the little hot mess that the three of them are… [C]
Powell’s POV: A good promo from Klein. I’m actually surprised that they didn’t have the new Allure faction on this first show coming out of the G1 Supercard. It feels like the matches they booked for this show could have aired any week. With the long delay between the G1 Supercard and this television show, I was hoping they could come out of the gate with a strong storyline driving followup show.
Footage aired from the G1 Supercard of Rush defeating Dalton Castle, and of Castle attacking The Boys afterward… Riccaboni hyped that Castle will speak next week for the first time since the G1 Supercard… Footage aired of Bully Ray standing over Tenille Dashwood after taking credit for being her mystery attacker…
Tracy Williams and Mark Haskins delivered a promo from an outdoor setting. Haskins said they sent Bully packing on the G1 Supercard and he responded by taking out Dashwood. Haskins said Ray isn’t a bully, he’s a scared little boy. Williams said they have unfinished business with The Kingdom. He said once they take care of the Kingdom, they will call out Bully Ray and end this…
A graphic listed Haskins and Williams vs. Marseglia and O’Ryan for next week’s show… Ring entrances for the main event took place and footage aired of the Guerrillas of Destiny winning the four-way tag title match at the G1 Supercard to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles and to win the ROH Tag Titles… [C]
2. Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe vs. Soberano Jr. and Caristico. The teams shook hands before the match. The Briscoes talked smack and Soberano and Caristico fired by by shoving the Briscoes. Riccaboni hyped Kelly Klein, Dalton Castle, and PJ Black appearing on next week’s show. The Briscoes cleared the ring. Mark dropped an elbow from the apron onto Soberano heading into a break. [C]
Caristico performed a big dive from the top rope onto the Briscoes and his own partner. The Briscoes teamed up for a nice neckbreaker combo move on Soberano. Mark kept Caristico out of the ring while Jay hit the Jay Driller on Soberano. Mark followed up with Froggy Bow, then Jay laid on Soberano and pinned him clean…
The Briscoes defeated Soberano Jr. and Caristico.
Riccaboni hyped Kelly Klein vs. Rae Lynn, PJ Black vs. Eli Isom, and O’Ryan and Marseglia vs. Haskins and Williams for next week…
Powell’s POV: A well worked match, but one that meant nothing because the CMLL wrestlers are never built up consistently on ROH television. Overall, it was nice to finally have a show filmed after the G1 Supercard, but they just didn’t hook me with anything coming out of the pay-per-view. Both matches felt random. The Taven promo was the right away to open the show and it was good to hear from the new WOH Champion later, but this show just didn’t have the big hook you want coming out of a pay-per-view. Unfortunately, most of the shows that follow ROH pay-per-views fit that description. The company usually builds up momentum with its pay-per-views and then if the long wait for the next first-run show doesn’t put a damper on things, the uneventful first new show following the pay-per-view does. Haydn Gleed will be by later today with his members’ exclusive audio review of this episode.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and guest Dave Lagana discussing the NWA Crockett Cup pay-per-view, the NWA’s relationship with Ring of Honor, the future of the NWA, and more.
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